Bashkir System: En route to Everfree translation point
Tress
"They're insane." Captain Tress raised her eyebrows at Sens' comment. Her executive officer was usually harsh in judgement, especially of visitors to the Accord, but this statement passed his usual levels of ire.
Tress leaned forward and placed her hooves on the genuine wood table that was the centerpiece of her office. Her cobalt blue eyes looked at Sens and read his body language. Her overwhelming conclusion was that he was extremely perturbed by the Inquisitor's agents, maybe even frightened.
She ran a hoof through her white mane before speaking. "What makes you say that, Sens?"
Sens looked almost embarrassed as he unfolded a wing with a data slate held in it. The pause and Sens' demeanor immediately started her mind working. What could possibly have her executive officer in such a mental bind that he was reluctant to show her what the problem was? She extended her own wing and snatched the proffered device from her subordinate.
After placing the slate on the table Tress hoofed the playback feature. A few moments was all it took for a peculiar expression to cross her faded tan features. If she could see herself she would have registered a mixture of bafflement and regret.
"They've detained Tar Mack?" It was more a statement than a question.
"No." Sens' response drove a spike of ice into her heart as she considered the implications. Then she saw her load-master exchanging heated words with the cyan pegasus.
Her mind took the next step. Obviously Tar Mack was now decorating space. Great, the best load-master in ten years and the Inquisition kicked him out an airlock for Celestia knows what reason...
She realized Sens had been talking while her mind was conjuring horrors. "... and now Mack wants her to meet the rest of the load staff, says she's a real fun filly, once you get to know..."
"Mack's alive?" She interrupted.
"Of course he's alive! What have I just been saying?" Oddly enough, Sens was sincerely asking the question, as if even he did not believe what he was saying.
She wasn't sure either "They didn't vaporize him?"
"No."
"Void him to space?"
"No."
"She-" Tress was pointing at the powder covered pegasus. "didn't throttle him with that hose?"
"No."
Tress watched the rest of the footage with a mixture of disbelief and quite possibly abject horror.
"What in the 9 gates of Tartarus kind of Inquisition agents are these?" Tress' question hung in the air for a few moments.
"Well-" Sens spoke in a mildly rehearsed manner. "-I asked myself that one during my entire trip up here."
She tore her eyes away from the abominable data slate. "And?"
Sens' statement brought the conversation full circle. "They're insane."
- - - - - - - - - -
Tracks
"Well, that could have gone better." Tracks glared at Devoid's comment. The jet black unicorn lazily returned the gaze with his cat-yellow eyes. Tracks broke eye contact first. A staring contest with Devoid always made his skin crawl.
The jet black unicorn didn't pounce on Track's momentary discomfort, he never did. Instead he muttered something under his breath regarding the Inquisition's reputation for random lethal violence being ruined. Tracks ignored that comment, there was work to be done.
The docking sled had moved their shuttle to one of the private hangars off of the main loading bay. Free Fall had spent the last half hour power washing all of the mess off of the bay deck plates with her new friend Tar Mack. Apparently they had bonded over that little exchange of hazardous chemicals. Track's skin itched just thinking about being covered in whatever it was they had been spraying each other with.
Devoid was busy doing whatever it was that he usually did, other than brooding and adding snarky comments at any rate. Tracks knew he was probably going over the equipment inventory, but he could have just as easily been busy reading his collection of lewd fiction.
Tracks settled himself in one of the seats in the shuttle's common area. The shuttle itself was customized for living in. Instead of the classic 6 standard passenger seats and the VIP ultra luxury accommodation, the interior had 6 sleeping bunks and a common area with 6 comfortable chairs and a small holo-projector.
Tracks hoofed the activation rune for the holo-projector and was rewarded with three flickering images, one red, one blue, and one green. Tracks gave the archaic device a hard hoof-smack and the image jumped into focus. The symbol for the Alicorn Inquisition, it was a stylized combination of the letters A and I, floated in the space above the device.
Tracks reached up to the neckline of his cloak and teased a necklace into his hoof. He pulled out a medallion that was in the shape of a stylized I. He looked at his badge of office with a mixture of pride and ambition. He looked forward to the day when his badge would have both letters. He removed the necklace and slotted the end into the holo-projector's data port.
The image of the Alicorn Inquisition dissolved and was replaced by the machine-spirit interface of the device. An automated voice that sounded like it was 50% pony, 50% static, and 50% grinding gears greeted him. "Hello Interrogator Tracks!" Oh, and 50% happy apparently.
Tracks looked at the flight plan that Sens had given to him before running away. It looked like it was going to be a two week trip to the edge of the Bashkir system, then two to six weeks in the Everfree, then another one to two weeks to get to Abyssinian Prime.
He didn't relish the thought of being cooped up on a naval frigate for one to two months, especially since he had managed to so thoroughly botch introductions. He wanted to blame Free Fall for that little bit, but he knew that it was his fault. He should have jammed the cockpit door when he heard her frothing at the bit about the servitors ponies. Or maybe you could have exerted some authority, mister wannabe Inquisitor.
"Shut up!" He told his inner voice. He knew he needed to work on those leadership skills if he wanted his promotion. But he didn't want to-
"Wow, Boss, I didn't even start talking yet." Devoid had somehow snuck into the common room without Tracks noticing. "Trying to preempt me from commenting on how we're prolly the laughing stock of the Accord's officers now?"
Tracks let out a sigh, he wasn't in the mood for this. "Don't you have something better to do?"
"Than bug you?" Devoid apparently caught the murderous look in Tracks' eyes because he turned around and exited the common room with surprising alacrity. Once Devoid's shock white tail was no longer visible, Tracks went back to the holo-projector and started going over the mission's destination. He let out a weary sigh. This was going to be a long trip.
- - - - - - - - - -
Free
The view was extraordinary - Oh how Free Fall wished she could say that as she looked out of the view port. Instead all she could think of was how monotonous and boring space was. They had been moving to the translation point for two weeks now and any time now...
"Everfree translation in ten minutes." Drolled somepony who enjoyed their announcing duties as much as she enjoyed the view.
Tar Mack had offered to bring her up to the observation deck so she could enjoy the view. She wasn't quite sure why she had expected anything better than what her own personal experience told her. Space was called the void for a reason - there wasn't anything there to look at. The giant armored windows showed off the same great nothing that she experienced every time she had flown an orbital run.
Truth be told, she was far more interested in catching a glimpse of the Everfree before the protective shutters closed. She had heard somewhere that a pony could make a wish if they dared a glimpse upon first making translation. She had never traveled the Everfree before, she had always been content running cargo and VIPs to and from orbit. That all changed when she ended up transporting a VIP who just so happened to be an Inquisitor...
"Everfree translation in five minutes."
She wanted them to just get on with it. She hated waiting. Mack wasn't even trying to make small talk, he just stared into the nothingness with a look of contentment on his face. Ugh, he was enjoying the wait. She resigned herself to wait with him, she really didn't relish the idea of another of Tracks' hour long speeches on decorum. Thinking back to the hangar, she gave her coat and mane a quick look-see with her green eyes. The chemicals had bleached sections of her coat from cyan to a very faded blue in some spots, making her look like she had wisps of cloud attached to her. Her mane and tail had fared a little worse - the main color of sky blue was still visible in places but the spring green stripe that ran down the center had more or less been obliterated color wise. Maybe she would be lucky and everything would be grown back out by the time they reached their destination...
"Everfree translation in one minute."
Finally. She started a silent countdown in her head. She noticed movement at her side and she looked over to see Mack was offering her something. She saw that it was an airsickness bag. She gave him an incredulous look.
"Really?" She asked. "You know I'm used to pulling multiple Gs, right? I don't get airsick, ever."
He responded in a kind, knowing voice. "It don't matter. You said this was your first time, you've no idea how it'll hit ya."
"Pfeh." It was a sound. That she made. It was supposed to sound like contempt for the idea but it just sounded more like an odd nicker. "I'll be fine. Besides, how am I going to make my wish if I have my face planted in a hurl bag?"
"Everfree translation in 30 seconds."
"Trust me on this. Better to have and not need, right?" He sounded almost like he was pleading. She wouldn't have any of it though. She shifted so she was looking back at the viewing port.
"Everfree translation in... 10... 9... 8..."
Free Fall suddenly felt all of the hairs of her coat stand on end -
"7... 6... 5..."
- followed by a sudden onset of dizziness -
"4... 3... 2..."
- and a sensation of weightlessness and of moving without actually moving -
"1... Translation."
Her stomach lurched and her entire body screamed at her in mixtures of almost all imaginable sensations. Her eyes glimpsed a moment of the Everfree as the shutters slammed closed. She had completely forgotten about her previous wish. The only wish in her mind now was that she might stop vomiting before they reached the Abyssinian system.