The Cosmic Lotus dropped out of warp at a comfortable distance from its world of origin. Although space travel had been common at the time of its departure, traffic had increased during their nearly forty-three-year absence, and Wandering did not want to cause an incident. He did, however, want to do one thing that had been on his mind since Boyce had done it months ago. He activated the comm system with a smile.
“Cosmic Lotus to Pegasus – welcome to Equus, Admiral.”
An answer soon came back. “Thank you, Captain. You have a beautiful world, and I look forward to visiting it.”
“You will get that opportunity soon. Cosmic Lotus out.” Wandering then switched to another frequency. “Cosmic Lotus to Equus Space Traffic Control.”
“Equus Space Traffic Control – welcome back, Cosmic Lotus.”
“Thanks, Equus. We request a parking orbit, please.”
“Submit your flight plan now, Cosmic Lotus.”
Wandering nodded at Playbitz who then pressed the key that transmitted the flight plan to ESTC. They waited while the plan was analyzed by their computer to check that there were no conflicts with other vessels, and they quickly gave a response.
“ESTC to Cosmic Lotus – your flight plan is approved. We note that you have also submitted on behalf of the Stellar Federation ship. While normally this would not be acceptable, we cannot expect them to know our procedures here yet. Responsibility for their ship is therefore yours. Please advise them not to deviate from the submitted plan for any reason. Also, ESTC expects them to familiarize themselves with procedures before they depart once more, and pass them onto any further visiting ships.”
“Sounds like you’ve been anticipating this problem, Equus.”
There was a chuckle before the reply came. “We’ve been waiting for this moment for weeks, Captain.”
Wandering grinned even though the controller could not see it. “I know exactly how you feel, Control. Cosmic Lotus out.” The stallion then switched back to the Pegasus. “We’re good to go, Admiral. Equus Control asked me to remind you not to deviate from our planned course, but you knew that already.”
“Understood, Captain. Lead on. Pegasus out.”
The alicorn then nodded to Playbitz and the pegasus engaged the impulse engines.
A short time later, the Cosmic Lotus came to a relative stop at its assigned parking orbit, with the Pegasus in the same orbit but five hundred meters away. Wandering wondered what the other crews of the spaceships plying the lanes between Equus and its moon were saying about the enormous Federation ship. Even after all these years, Equus had nothing close to it in size. Not that any such ship had been needed before this. How many spaceships were big enough to carry other ships within it, such as the ambassador’s swift vessel?
Wandering punched the intercom button. “Attention all crew! Cosmic Lotus is home! We are now in parking orbit above Equus. Begin shutdown of all non-required systems. Crew members who are scheduled to go ashore in one hour, please ensure your prompt arrival at the rendezvous point in the common room. We will be teleporting down promptly, and anyone not there will have to wait until the next scheduled teleport. That won’t be until tomorrow, so I suggest that you arrive early.”
Bluequill reported, “Warp engines shut down. Impulse engines offline. Power feed from mini-star to engines shut down. Engineering station-keeping systems on standby.”
Playbitz spoke up. “Navigation equipment stowed and station-keeping systems on automatic. I request to be relieved, Captain.”
Wandering nodded. “Go ahead, Playbitz. See you in the common room soon.”
The pegasus thanked him and headed off the bridge. He was eager to see family and friends after being gone so long. Over forty-two years had passed since he had left, however, and he wondered if time had taken its toll on them.
“Incoming call from House Path,” Gizmo Gears announced.
“Put it through to the main screen, Gizmo.”
The big monitor changed from the view of the planet below to that of Twilight Sparkle with Long Path and Free Agent standing behind her. The alicorn’s face lit up with delight.
“Wandering! You’re a little earlier than we had hoped. I trust you had a good journey from the Federation?”
“Yes, Mom. Everything went very smoothly, and the new spells protecting the comms and beacons from the stresses of the wormhole worked perfectly. Starry and I will be teleporting down with our guests in an hour. We can tell you all about it then.”
“That’s wonderful, son. We have planned a special feast just for you and invited a few people over for an informal gathering. We want you to relax and unwind before the formalities scheduled for tomorrow.”
“We’ll be looking forward to it. I hope you’re ready for Boyce’s family too.”
The purple alicorn giggled. “After Goldfur’s impromptu visit, I think we’re ready for anything.”
Wandering chuckled. “Yeah, you probably are. See you and dads soon.” He waved to them all before disconnecting the line. He then said to Gizmo, “Shut down all non-essential systems. Then you may depart as soon as the watch officer arrives.”
“Aye, Captain.”
The alicorn then turned to his second-in-command. “Well, Commander, we’re home at last. Cosmic Lotus has fulfilled its mission, and it’s time to reap the rewards of a job well done. You are relieved, Mister Bluequill.”
The griffon gave Wandering one of his rare salutes. “It has been an honor and a privilege serving with you on this mission, Captain.”
“Don’t be a stranger, Galen.”
Bluequill nodded. “We will meet again, sir.” He then left the bridge just before a changeling crewmember arrived.
“Officer of the Watch reporting, sir,” the changeling said.
“Standby to relieve Gizmo Gears, Fornax,” Wandering replied.
Gizmo said, “Non-essential systems shutdown complete, sir..”
“You are relieved, Gizmo.”
The unicorn got up from his station. “I’m going to miss this, Captain.”
“This voyage may be complete, but I’m sure that we’ll be going on others. Perhaps we’ll serve together again.”
“I hope so, sir.”
Gizmo then left and Fornax took his place at the station.
“You have the bridge, Fornax.”
“Aye, sir. Enjoy your trip home.”
Wandering smiled. “Home. Even now, I find it amazing that we’re home so soon. Carry on.”
The alicorn left the bridge and headed for his and Starry’s room. He found her still packing her things but she had started on his stuff too. He gave her a kiss and she smiled and returned it before continuing her task. He joined her and they packed in silence. It was a bittersweet moment for them both. They were returning crowned with the glory of huge success, but it marked the end of an enormous part of their lives, and neither of them knew yet what the future would hold for them.
Starry and Wandering finished teleporting the crew members down to various parts of the planet before making their final stop on board the Pegasus. They found Boyce, Rosepetal, Forestwalker, Midnight, and M’Lai waiting for them at the designated teleportation point, ready to depart immediately.
“Before we teleport down,” Wandering said to Boyce, “I want to remind you of the effect that humans have on ponies for the first time. Those in our family have had a chance to get used to the feeling, but the same can’t be said for the general population of Ponyville, so we’ll be teleporting directly to Mom’s castle. Otherwise, I would have given you a quick look at our hometown before meeting up with the rest of the family.”
“I understand,” Boyce said.
“If you like, we might be able to fix you up with a spell to ameliorate that problem later,” Starry suggested.
“I’d like that,” the human replied.
“At least you won’t have as much of a problem when you visit our other home,” Wandering said. “House Path has its roots in Griffonia, and we spent half our lives there. Not quite so many ponies.”
Boyce chuckled. “I suppose not.”
Starry then did the honors and teleported everyone down to Ponyville. They materialized in the map room which they had prearranged to keep clear for a large group. The visitors were intrigued by the map, but they held their curiosity for the moment as they were led out to meet with the family. Out in the grand hallway, Twilight was waiting with Free Agent by her right side, and Long Path and Luna by her left. The purple alicorn’s face lit up and she rushed to hug her son. Free wrapped his wings around them both and welcomed Wandering home. Meanwhile, Luna and Path stepped up to do the same for Starry before both couples swapped around to treat their herd children a similar greeting. Only then did Twilight and her mates turn their attention to their guests. The chakats were positively beaming with the feel of the love and happiness that their empathic senses were experiencing, but the others were no less happy to witness the way Starry and Wandering had been welcomed home.
All of Boyce’s family had already met Twilight and Luna during their visit to the Pegasus, but Path and Free had yet to see their guests in person. They made a big deal of bidding them to feel at home and showed them to their quarters to dump their luggage before showing them around the rest of the castle. They were already impressed to realize that it was made entirely from crystal, but when they were told that it was a living thing that grew as needed, they were completely boggled. They met up with various others in the Path herd including Moonlit, Skye, and Eon who had been teleported down from the starship earlier, but they were soon introduced to every other member of the extended family. While they were close-knit, usually it was very difficult for everyone to be together at the same time. However, this was an extraordinary situation and virtually everyone had made it a point to be there that day.
Boyce finally got an opportunity to talk with Luna as the family gathered for dinner. “I must admit, Your Highness, that I had fully expected to spend the day facing massive crowds welcoming back the Cosmic Lotus crew, or stuffy ceremonies for the diplomatic team. Instead, I was told that my family and I were invited to dinner, and now we’re about to dine with royalty. It’s a little confounding.”
The Moon Princess giggled in a manner totally unacceptable for the Royal Court, but completely normal for when she relaxed with her herd. “First of all, please just call me Luna. This evening I am first and foremost a member of Herd Path and, oddly enough, the least senior among my co-mates. You will deal with the Princess in Canterlot tomorrow. Secondly, we can do no less than to treat you with as much hospitality as you showed our children when visiting your family on Chakona. And third – we were unsure of the exact time of your arrival, so it was more expedient to schedule formalities for tomorrow and allow the crew of the Cosmic Lotus the opportunity to see family and friends in person for the first time in decades. That takes precedence over any ceremonies. Besides, we have our own bureaucracy to deal with impatient diplomats.”
Boyce grinned. “I see that we think alike, Luna. On board my ship, I am always Admiral Kline while on duty, but in the privacy of our quarters, my wives and I are equals and they are not afraid to put me in my place if I deserve it.”
“You got that right!” Forestwalker said with a matching grin, hir keen ears having picked up the conversation easily.
“Everyone knows who the boss is really,” Midnight spoke up too while pointing in Rosepetal’s direction.
The diminutive Caitian merely smiled and nodded before resuming her conversation with Twilight Sparkle.
“Never cross the Firstwife!” Boyce said in a stage whisper to Luna who had to cover her mouth with a hoof to stifle a laugh.
As the food was brought out by the castle staff, Free said, “While not everypony here likes to eat meat, nopony has any problems with anyone else doing so. Therefore, we have prepared a variety of foods suitable for all tastes.”
The visitors quickly spotted some of their favorite foods among the dishes being brought out.
“How do you know about these?” M’Lai asked as she spotted a delicacy peculiar to her homeworld.
“We played host to Goldfur for several days, remember?” Twilight replied. “We learned many things about your family and the Federation in general during that time.”
Midnight frowned slightly. “Yes – about that. Is it normal for you to kidnap people like that?”
“No, it isn’t,” Twilight replied with a sigh, “but Flix never does things in the normal way. He is a student of Chaos, and that’s where his talent lies. You must realize that Chaos Magic is just as valid and powerful as other forms of magic, but it is expressed differently. Trying to repress it only invites trouble. I must admit that it took me a very long time to accept this, and that caused problems long ago, but now we have learned to go with the flow. Did you know that Goldfur could have returned to Chakona the next day if shi had wanted to?”
The black-furred chakat shook hir head. “No, I didn’t. Why did shi stay?”
“Well, once shi got over being annoyed at the unorthodox way that shi was brought here, we explained that we had been hoping to talk informally with someone away from the diplomatic meeting room. Flix chose to interpret that desire in his inimitable fashion. Shi was still annoyed, of course, but then we fought dirty.”
Midnight blinked several times, one eyebrow raised. “Huh? Shi never mentioned that. What did you do?”
“We brought out the foals.” Twilight nodded in the direction of one that was presumptuously trying to climb Forestwalker’s tail. “Antikythera was just one of them. Goldfur just adored them to pieces!”
Forestwalker chuckled. “That’s my sister – always a sucker for a cute cub, or foal in this case.”
“Says my lifemate who currently has a one riding on hir back,” Midnight replied drolly.
Forestwalker just poked out hir tongue at hir mate. “Get your own if you’re envious.”
There was a round of laughter at the table before Twilight continued. “When Goldfur’s mood had improved, we were able to have a good conversation, and shi agreed to stay overnight to continue our talks the next day.”
Destined spoke up next. “I offered to teleport Goldfur back the next morning, but the foals begged hir not to go. Of course, there were many other good reasons for hir to stay longer, but the children were probably the tipping point. If it wasn’t for the fact that shi was separated from hir mates and family, I believe that shi might have stayed longer than shi did.”
Twilight then resumed the explanation. “Then Flix suddenly turned up one day and opened that fascinating doorway into your home on Chakona. Somehow he knew that it was time for hir to return. But as I said, he does things in his own way, and I’ve learned that in spite of how aggravating he can be, he’s never malicious and he usually has a good reason for doing what he does.”
“Whatever his motivation, there are several Federation scientists who want to know how to open portals like those,” Boyce said.
Twilight’s mouth twisted sourly. “So would I, but I can’t figure out his chaos magic, and I’m the Alicorn of Magic! He keeps telling me that if it wasn’t a surprise, it wouldn’t work. I have to believe him, but it’s so frustrating!”
Free gave Twilight a cuddle. “Cheer up, Sparkles – you’ll figure it out one day. Let Flix have his glory for now.”
The conversation continued as everyone enjoyed the main meal followed by delicious desserts. Shortly afterwards though, Luna stood up and asked to be excused for a short while.
“It’s almost sunset, and I must attend to my moon,” she said by way of explanation.
“What do you mean by that?” Rosepetal asked curiously.
“Perhaps you would like to witness it?” Luna asked hopefully. “You can see for yourselves then.”
“I recommend it,” Path added.
Boyce looked around at his mates and then said, “Why don’t we all go and watch?”
There was a chorus of agreement after which the guests and then the rest of the family followed Luna out of the dining room and up the stairs. She eventually led them out onto a balcony which had a magnificent view of the township and the surrounding countryside. The visitors murmured appreciatively as they took in the rustic nature of area before their attention was drawn to the sun.
“My sister will be setting the sun any moment now,” Luna said.
The bright orb that had been slowly making its way westward suddenly accelerated downward and very quickly set below the horizon.
“What the…? Did I just see that?” Midnight gasped.
Boyce was too flabbergasted to reply before his attention was drawn to Luna’s glowing horn and a gentle nudge from Twilight made him look to the east. The moon rose just as promptly as the sun had set before settling down to a more normal orbit. He tried to formulate an answer to what he had just witnessed and failed. “What just happened?” he asked plaintively.
“I raised my moon to herald the night,” Luna answered matter-of-factly. “I have arranged a special display of my stars too in honor of your visit.”
The darkened skies were lit up with the impossible sight of stars moving in patterns before settling down into new constellations.
“There, that should keep the astronomers wondering for a few nights,” Luna said with a mischievous smile.
Boyce was still trying to comprehend the feat when his communicator beeped, and he almost absently answered it. “Kline here.”
“Admiral! I know that you’re not going to believe this, but Equus’ sun and moon suddenly shifted their orbits.”
“You don’t say.”
“I’m serious, sir! We already knew their sun was too small to be natural, and the orbits were not conducive to a proper day/night cycle, but I swear that they just adjusted themselves to suit!”
The human glanced over to where the Lunar Princess was standing patiently and swallowed, his throat suddenly dry. “No, you’re wrong. They didn’t do it by themselves. Kline out.” He put away his comm, suddenly aware of the immensity of the power personified who stood in front of him, smiling gently. He gave Luna a slight bow of the head and said, “A magnificent show, Your Highness.”
“Thank you, but did I not ask you to call me ‘Luna’?”
If a demigoddess wanted him to be that familiar, who was he to argue? “Forgive me, Luna. Could you tell me more about your moon and stars?”
Luna’s eyes lit up with delight. “It would give me great pleasure to do so!”
Twilight had the staff bring chairs out onto the balcony so that everyone could relax and listen to the Princess of the Moon and Stars wax eloquent about her domain under the roof of the night sky.
Starry returned Boyce and Rosepetal to the Pegasus the next morning. The Caitian was left in command of the starship while the human ferried the diplomatic party down to Canterlot in his skiff, homing in on a beacon that he had given to Twilight. The Federation envoys got a good view of the city built on a mountainside and marveled at how the palace defied gravity as it overhung the cliff’s edge. They got their first look at the pegasi in the skies above the city going about their business, although a few of the more curious soon came over to follow the strange vehicle on its course to a large open lawn not far from the castle.
As they disembarked, they were met by a contingent of the Royal Guard headed by Twilight wearing her basic royal regalia this time. She bade them welcome to Canterlot and invited them to board a carriage that would take them the rest of the way into the castle where the diplomatic meeting was to take place. She kept up a light patter of information about some of the places that they passed along the way, although it was obvious that everyone was already struggling to take in everything that they were seeing. Curious ponies of all kinds and not a few other species watched as the carriage passed by, many of whom waved and cheered at them. For security, the arrival of the diplomats had been unannounced, but for a spontaneous procession, it was quite the event.
The party entered the castle and were led to the throne room by Twilight. Celestia, Luna, and Destined all stood on the dais in front of the throne, dressed in their full regalia. They watched calmly and with a welcoming smile on their faces as Boyce was waved forward by Twilight to the foot of the steps to the throne. He bowed and formally presented himself.
“Your Highnesses, I am Fleet Admiral Boyce Garald Kline of the Stellar Federation Star Fleet. May I introduce to you the envoys of the Federation?”
“Welcome, Admiral Kline. Please do so,” Celestia replied.
Boyce turned and gestured for the first of the diplomats to come forward, a male Voxxan, a species that closely resembled Terran fox morphs although sometimes with very non-Terran colors and patterns. This one had very typical red fox coloration though. “This is Ambassador E’Laki te Lokuta of Voxxa, Chief of Mission.”
E’Laki matched Boyce’s bow. “A pleasure to be here, Your Highnesses.”
Boyce indicated the next envoy, a foxtaur with an off-white coat with grey ‘socks’ and tail-tip, and grey and red on the back and head. As typical of taurs, the diplomat wore only a jacket top over a conspicuous bust. “Ambassador Alexa Mountaineer of Earth.”
Alexa bowed but remained silent.
Next was a Merraki male, a meter-tall bipedal lizard with attractive, smooth iridescent scales. “Ambassador Sharathiss of Kantorg.”
Sharathiss followed the example set by Alexa and bowed without speaking.
Boyce introduced a female Caitian next. “M’Laaranth Sesspaña of Kà'iît,” Boyce correctly pronounced their world’s name.
M’Laaranth executed a graceful bow.
The last to be introduced was a 2.3 meter (7½ foot) tall, male Rakshani with purple tiger-striped orange fur. “Hogarth ap Pardawath na Barrata of Raksha.”
The Rakshani gave a curt formal bow.
“My task is done for now,” Boyce said, “but if you should need me, I am at your command.”
“Thank you, Admiral. You may stand down,” Celestia said before facing E’Laki. “Welcome to Canterlot, Ambassador, to you and your team. While this city is the capital of Equestria and the site of the first round of diplomatic talks, Equus is governed by a world council, representatives of which are gathering to meet with you today. As your first contact with our world was through House Path’s Cosmic Lotus initiative and we opened negotiations in the Federation through them, it was deemed appropriate that our first meetings be held in the nation of the Princess of Friendship, Twilight Sparkle. However, further meetings will be held at the home of the Greater Equus Council in Griffonia. For now though, it is our privilege to host you all for this historic occasion.”
E’Laki responded, “Thank you, Princess. We look forward to meeting with the members of the Council and hope for productive negotiations building on the talks already held on Earth.”
Celestia continued, “The meeting is scheduled to start in approximately an hour and a half. Some of the Equian representatives have yet to arrive though, so Princess Twilight will show you to a place where you may relax and enjoy refreshments until we are ready to begin. We wish you all a good day until then.”
Twilight stepped up and said, “Would you all please follow me?”
Boyce joined Twilight while the ambassadors fell in behind. “May I ask a question, Princess?”
Even after a century and a half of being royalty, titles still irked Twilight, but she knew there was a time and place for everything. “I’d be happy to answer any question that you have, Admiral, if it’s within my power.”
“I was wondering about the throne room. There are three rulers for your nation, but only one throne. Why is that?”
Twilight chuckled. “It’s simple, really. Despite being so much younger than either Celestia or Luna, my son, Prince Destined Path, holds exactly the same rank as the other two triarchs. When the Royal Court is held, only one alicorn sits on the throne and has absolute authority at that time. Only by mutual agreement of the other two may that alicorn be overruled later, and only for the most important of decisions. So the throne represents ultimate authority, but on the occasions where all three of the triarchs are required such as just now, they all stand equal, so no one sits on the throne.”
“Ah! I see. And you never felt the desire to join them in ruling Equestria despite being a princess too?”
Twilight shook her head firmly. “I learned long ago that ruling a nation was not my destiny. I have done so on some brief occasions due to emergencies, but that is not my calling.”
“Fair enough,” Boyce replied just as they reached a double door flanked by two Royal Guards who opened the doors to let the group inside.
The room was large and well-lit by the morning sun. There were plenty of chairs and couches of various forms suited to many body types filling three-quarters of the room, with a couple of tables laden with trays of food and steaming jugs at the far end. Two people were waiting for the guests – a female griffon with brown and red plumage and fur in a maid’s uniform, and grey-coated earth pony with a bright green mane, beard and tail dressed in a butler’s outfit.
Twilight said, “Please make yourselves comfortable, Ambassadors. Ms. Trotty and Mr. Cluck will attend to any needs that you may have. I will return to you in time to bring you to the conference room when the other delegates have arrived. Until then, I hope you enjoy your wait. Admiral, please come with me.”
Twilight and Boyce exited the room, and the Guards closed the doors behind them.
As they walked down the hallway, Boyce asked, “Those two servants – aren’t they…?” He stopped short at the sight of Twilight’s grin.
“Yes. You’ll find out soon enough.”
Ambassador E’Laki sprawled into a deep lounge chair while Sharathiss went to inspect the contents of the tables. Hogarth found one of the couches adequately large for his frame while Alexa and M’Laaranth went over to the windows to look out over the city.
“Well, this is off to a fine start,” E’Laki grumbled. “Instead of getting straight into the meeting, we are being kept waiting for over an hour because no one else is here yet. It’s not as if they didn’t know we were coming for several days.”
“Stop complaining and enjoy the refreshments,” came the artificial voice from the Merraki’s translator device.
As if on cue, the maid and butler stepped over to the Voxxan, she carrying a steaming jug and him with a tray of assorted pastries.
<Would sir enjoy a piece of cake, muffin, or cookie?> the butler asked in the Equestrian language.
<Or would the ambassador prefer something to drink?> the maid asked with a coy smile and a flutter of her eyes.
E’Laki frowned. “What did you say? Don’t you speak Terranglo?”
The griffon maid held out a large mug to the ambassador. <I think the handsome fox would enjoy my coffee.>
Smelling the familiar aroma, E’Laki took the hint and the mug. The maid poured the brew into the mug, smiling and saying, <I think you look cute in that uniform, ambassador. It goes well with my plumage.>
<Mind your manners, Ms. Trotty,> the butler said sternly.
<But he’s so adorable, Mr. Cluck. And it’s not as if he understands what I’m saying.>
<Your body language speaks volumes, Ms. Trotty. Behave yourself.>
“I wonder what they’re babbling about?” E’Laki said as he took a sniff of the hot brew before sipping it.
Alexa turned from the window with a grin on her face. “She thinks you’re cute. I think she’s enamored with your coloration.”
“How did you know that?” E’Laki asked, glancing askance at the griffoness as she walked over to the Rakshani along with the pony.
“I understand their language,” Alexa replied.
“You learned their language? How?”
“I wondered how so many of them learned Terranglo so quickly. It turns out that they have a technique to give someone an instant knowledge of a language. I asked if they could use it to teach me theirs. Now I know Equestrian and Griffonian too.”
“And my translator has been loaded with all the available native languages also,” Sharathiss added.
“Too bad they didn’t teach these two Terranglo,” E’Laki grumbled. “At least they make good coffee.”
“You surely don’t expect the Equians to teach our Terranglo to absolutely everyone we might meet, do you?” Alexa asked.
“Maybe not, but at least the wait-staff.”
“I think they are quite capable of doing their job without understanding your words, E’Laki,” Alexa said as the two approached her.
<Would madam care for something to eat or drink?> the butler asked.
<Do you have tea?> Alexa replied.
The butler smiled faintly. <We have a variety of local and imported teas.>
<I would like to try one of your local blends, please.>
<Excellent! Ms. Trotty – please fetch the ambassador some royal blend tea.>
<Yes, Mr. Cluck,> she replied and sashayed over to the table to fetch it.
Alexa took a piece of cake on a paper plate from the butler’s tray. “That’s a very attractive griffoness, E’Laki. You could do worse than give her a smile.”
The Voxxan rolled his eyes. “Trust you to notice. You must love being on a planet where the natives like walking around bare-assed like you do.”
“Your species’ obsession for covering up everything despite having a perfectly good fur coat seems just as weird to me.”
“Only primitive civilizations don’t appreciate a full outfit of finely tailored clothing,” E’Laki replied dismissively.
“My jacket is exactly the same as yours, bust excepted,” Alexa retorted with a smirk as the maid returned with a tray bearing a teapot, cups, a bowl of sugar, and a small jug of milk. <Put that on the little table, please. I will let it brew a bit longer.>
<May I suggest that half a minute would be enough, ma’am?> the maid said. <It is a rather strong blend.>
<Just the way I like it,> Alexa replied.
The maid and butler than moved on to the Caitian who had been listening with amused interest to everything that had been said.
Alexa continued, “Besides, this is hardly a primitive society. Did you get a good look at their magnificent city?”
“Magnificent? Medieval, I call it,” E’Laki scoffed. “Castles, tiled roofs, and whitewashed brick walls – those kinds of things haven’t been around for centuries even on your planet.”
Alexa sighed. “Don’t let your Voxxan mania for high-tech get in the way of appreciating something that is beautiful. And it also looks uncrowded and clean. Can your planet’s cities boast as much?”
“Inefficient! I didn’t see anything more complex than a wagon out there. How can you run a world like that?”
“You’re talking about a civilization that sent a starship to Chakona,” the foxtaur reminded him as she poured some tea into her mug.
“In a solar-sail-powered vessel that took them over four decades to get there!” the Voxxan retorted. “If those bleeding hearts in Star Fleet hadn’t equipped them with a basic warp drive, they would still be on their way back.”
“If you think them so primitive, what do you expect to gain?” M’Laaranth suddenly spoke up.
E’Laki grimaced. “Whatever this magic of theirs is, it’s the only thing that has been effective against the Swarm recently. I am expected to secure this vital resource for the Federation, and the Equians undoubtedly know how badly we need it. Therefore, they are going to drive a hard bargain. I’m annoyed that they were just given warp drive technology just for one foray against the Swarm. That’s one less bargaining chip we have.”
“Considering that we have already seen what the Equians can do with this previously unknown power of theirs, I can understand its worth to them,” the Caitian replied. “So why do you already begrudge them fair compensation?”
“Who said anything about not compensating? But why offer gold bars when they would be happy with glass beads?”
Alexa cringed at that. “How did you get to be head of this mission with an attitude like that?”
M’Laaranth laughed. “Seniority! His name was on top of the list. Typical Council bureaucracy.”
The Voxxan scowled. “Seniority means more experience, M’Laaranth.”
“It says nothing about how good you are at your job,” she riposted.
“I’ll get the job done, don’t you worry about that!”
“Would you two stop bickering like mewling kittens,” Hogarth growled. “Or will I need to knock heads together?”
No one dared to tempt fate with the Rakshani, and so the conversation died for a while. Eventually, the Caitian spoke up once more.
“It is a beautiful city, and I suspect that it’s supposed to look that way rather than being highly modern. It’s a traditional showpiece, and under its triarchy, their nobility is probably conservative and maintain the character of the city. It reminds me of some those back on Kà'iît.”
Alexa replied, “Earth lost too many places like these during the Gene Wars. It’s nice to be able to see what they could have been like without unnecessary technology cluttering the view.” She smiled as a flock of pegasi flew past. “And the citizens seem so full of life. I would give a lot to be able to fly like that.”
“It is quite a sight, isn’t it?” M’Laaranth agreed.
“Just don’t get so maudlin at the talks,” E’Laki said. “We have a job to do and sentimentality has no place at the negotiating table.”
“We’re talking about a potential new member of the Federation, E’Laki, not a business deal,” Alexa complained.
“Until they are a member, that’s exactly what this is. They have something we want and I intend to see that we get it.”
<You look like you could do with a refill, handsome,> the maid said, suddenly appearing by the Voxxan’s side, giving him a smoldering look.
“For Hathor's sake, female – do I look like I’m interested in a bird?”
Seemingly offended by his tone of voice, the griffoness turned away with a disappointed look.
“That was unnecessary, E’laki,” M’Laaranth said.
“Servants should know their place,” the Voxxan replied unrepentantly.
“Tell them that at the negotiating table!” Hogarth said with gruff humor.
E’Laki just glared at the Rakshani who remained totally unimpressed.
Conversation died down once more, and Alexa concentrated on enjoying her tea. She ended up chatting with M’Laaranth for the duration of their wait, and Sharathiss and Hogarth also exchanged short bursts of chat, leaving E’Laki to stew by himself. The maid and butler continued to keep an eye on the needs or desires of their charges, and no one lacked a drink or something to nibble on. Eventually, a Chrome Changeling came into the room and drew their attention.
“The delegates have all arrived and are making their way to the conference room. I have been instructed to forewarn you gentlebeings that Princess Twilight Sparkle will be here to accompany you there soon.”
“Thank you,” M’Laaranth replied.
The changeling nodded and left again.
As E’Laki got up from his chair, he said, “Remember our primary goal, everyone. Don’t get side-tracked.”
“As long as you don’t forget that we may be dragging a peaceful world into a terrible war,” Alexa retorted.
E’Laki did not respond to that, and when Twilight arrived to accompany the envoys to the meeting room, they all fell quietly into line.
The purple alicorn did not have to take them far before arriving at another large guarded doorway. She entered without hesitation, and the diplomats followed. Inside they found a huge oval-ring-shaped table behind which were seated representatives from all over Equus. Besides ponies of all types, changelings were the next most highly represented group, followed by griffons, zebras, minotaurs, hippogriffs, diamond dogs, yaks, and even two dragons. It was an intimidating sight even for professionals, but the Federation envoys kept their cool and made their way to the places indicated to them near the pointy end of the egg-shaped oval. A blue-coated thestral stallion with tan wings and a blond mane streaked with light blue walked up to them.
“Good morning, honored ambassadors. I am Penumbra Path, head of the Equian negotiating team.”
“Path? Any relationship to Captain Wandering Path?” Alexa asked.
“My uncle, actually. You will find that the Path family is very large, and House Path has a similarly large role in many aspects of Equestrian society, but especially in diplomacy and discovery. Uncle Wandering chose to explore the stars while I pursued other family activities. Anyway, we are waiting for the last two members of this summit to arrive before we can begin.”
Just then the maid and butler entered the room, causing a bit of a stir among some of the delegates. They made their way to the two remaining vacant seats, smiling at the Federation ambassadors.
E’Laki said, “With all due respect, Mr. Path, I would prefer it if this room was closed to non-participants. They would serve as major distractions.”
“Oh, don’t worry about us,” the butler replied with a quiet smile.
“Yeah, you won’t be a bother to us in the slightest,” the maid told the Voxxan cheerfully.
“What? You understand Terranglo?”
“To be fair, we never said we didn’t,” the griffon replied.
E’Laki turned to Penumbra. “What’s going on? Who are these people?”
Penumbra indicated the earth pony. “This is Lord Long Path, my grandfather.”
Twilight spoke up. “And this is Prince Firetail a.k.a. Free Agent, my husband.”
“Husband?”
“Yeah,” Free replied as magic green flames enveloped the maid and left a male griffon in her place. “Urk! This outfit doesn’t fit so well now. Still rocking it though!”
Twilight giggled. “Yes, Free, only you could do that.”
“What’s the meaning of this? What was the purpose of this deception?” E’Laki demanded.
“Just an opportunity to see what you were like in a candid environment. We already know what many Federation people are like in an informal setting after Admiral Kline and his family enjoyed our hospitality, and we are soon to settle down to very important formal talks. But we wanted to see what the ambassadors that the Federation sent to us were like in advance.”
Remembering some of the things that he had said while he believed the maid and butler could not understand him, E’Laki suddenly felt nervous. “What have you decided?” he asked with some trepidation.
Long Path faced the other delegates. “House Path formally rejects Ambassador E’Laki te Lokuta of Voxxa due to intentions to cheat Equus and expressions of bigotry.”
The Voxxan’s face contorted with rage and he pounded his fist on the table. “How dare you accuse me of bigotry! I am a career diplomat in the Stellar Federation; I deal with different races all the time!”
“Nice try, foxy,” Free said, “but this bird is an emotivore, and I know exactly how much some of these species disgust you. Even for your own team, Alexa especially.” He turned to look at the taur. “By the way, I tasted your feelings when you were eyeing me. Sorry – I’m happily married.”
Alexa blinked and felt her ears getting warm, but she wisely said nothing.
The Voxxan, however, was sputtering, attempting to recover from the sudden reversal. “You can’t do this – I’m appointed by the Federation Council!”
Penumbra said sternly, “And we are refusing your appointment. Guard! Please escort Ambassador E’Laki te Lokuta to a guest room and keep him there until this meeting adjourns or Admiral Kline chooses to return him to his ship.”
The Royal Guard saluted and said, “Yes, sir.” He faced the Voxxan. “Come with me, sir.”
E’Laki crossed his arms defiantly. “I refuse.”
The unicorn Guard merely lit up his horn, enveloped the Voxxan in its glow, and levitated the helpless ambassador away still protesting.
Penumbra faced the remaining ambassadors and said, “Would you please choose another Chief of Mission.”
Long Path spoke up. “We will accept any of you, but would prefer it to be Alexa Mountaineer.”
The other three ambassadors looked at each other and silently nodded. M’Laaranth said, “We accept your recommendation. Alexa Mountaineer is our next-most senior ambassador and thus the new Chief of Mission.”
Alexa looked a little surprised at this turn of events, but she gave Long Path a grateful look. “I hope that I will live up to everyone’s expectations.”
“I am sure that you will,” Long Path replied with an amiable smile.
Penumbra said, “Now that that unpleasantness is settled, it’s time to get this meeting underway. But first – one last thing.” He turned to face Free Agent. “Uncle Firetail – will you please get out of that silly dress!”
# # # # # # # # #