• Published 19th Sep 2012
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Homeworld: Equestria - hiigaran



Finding himself in an uncharted system, the Captain of a military vessel ends up on a strange planet

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15: Confrontation

“Patrol Echelon-four, maintain heading two-five-seven mark one-niner-one and await new orders.”

“Understood, Liir. No Vaygr forces detected thus far.”

“Stay alert. I’m sure they would love another round against us.”

“I think it worked,” Zenith commented on the radio chatter. “I don’t think they detected our arrival.”

“Good,” Soban nodded to himself. “What are we dealing with, then?”

“One moment.” Zenith mumbled the list of detected contacts, as her hoof trailed down one of her screens. “Sensors detect five squadrons of interceptors on diverging vectors. Comms suggest they are patrolling the area. The rest of their fleet is concentrated on a position fourteen kilometres from us. At our current speed, we should intercept them in about six minutes, assuming they remain stationary.”

“That’s a massive fleet,” Shining Armour commented, squinting at the barely visible cluster of ships on the main display. “Any idea what it’s comprised of?”

Zenith zoomed in on the distant fleet. “A lot of ships with a lot of guns. The centre-most vessel is our objective, the battlecruiser Liir. There are carriers to either side, but I can’t tell what they are carrying. Each of the three vessels have a destroyer above and below, all outfitted with four dual-ion-cannon turrets. A line of five torpedo frigates cover the aft of each carrier, and six flak frigates cover the battlecruiser’s fore and aft.”

Captain Soban turned to Shining Armour. “So … Think you can hold off fifty-two ion-beams, and a large torpedo salvo?”

“Very funny,” Shining rolled his eyes, freezing shortly after. “But in case you were serious, no way,” he quickly added.

“Relax, I wasn’t.”

“There’s more, sir,” Zenith interrupted. “There appear to be several proximity detectors surrounding the enemy fleet, and mines litter the area. If we get near either of them, our position will be given away.”

“The mines won’t be a major worry. Their homing systems aren’t tuned to Hiigaran power signatures for obvious reasons, so we just have to avoid coming into contact with them. The proximity detectors, though? Zenith, I’ll need you to find gaps in their coverage, and then plot a course through the minefield.”

“Understood.”

Shining Armour raised an eyebrow. “What makes you so sure there will be a gap in coverage?”

“Nothing. I’m just hoping there is. Otherwise, things will get complicated. We could work around that problem, but I’d rather not. Time is already against us.”

“Well, I have good news and bad news,” Zenith looked up from her console. “Looks like there are several gaps, so we have plenty of options. Problem is, it will be a tight fit on all possible routes. Our ships will have to stick close if we want to have any chance of passing through the minefield in one piece.”

“I half-expected that. Alright, lay in vectors for the quickest route, then relay all relevant navigational data to the others. While you’re at it, tell them if I can’t see through their windows from here, they’re not sticking close enough to us.”


“Thirty seconds until we enter the minefield, sir. The rest of our fleet has reported in, and are ready to make adjustments to their position relative to us.”

“This would be much easier if we could have just made a short-jump into the right position,” Soban grumbled.

“Why we can’t do that, anyway?” Shining stared at the approaching wall of tiny triangular mines.

“An unintended side effect of mines is that they move around when something travels through them via hyperspace. The ship is unharmed, but the subtle motion of the mines can give away its position to anyone skilled enough to notice.”

“Hopefully our method will work. Here we go, entering the minefield,” Zenith’s voice quivered ever so slightly. “Tracking four potentially problematic mines.”

“There’s a mine in Ursa Major’s path, Zenith,” the Captain pointed.

“I see it. Rolling twenty degrees about the longitudinal axis.”

“Ursa Major has cleared the mine. Setting course for the next waypoint,” Zenith’s hooves worked in a blur. “Tracking nine mines nearby.”

“Set drives to one-third. Don’t want to rush this one.”

“Reducing to one-third,” Zenith confirmed the order. “Hmm. Cor and Jasah might get a little too close to that mine underneath us. Rolling five degrees.”

“No, roll negative ten,” Soban raised a hand. “Otherwise Timberwolf might get too close to that one over there.”

“Rolling negative ten. Closest mine to any ship is currently at sixty-two metres from Jasah … forty-five metres … thirty-five metres … thirty metres … I think—yes, Jasah has passed the mine. Adjusting heading for waypoint three.”

“One more waypoint after this one. Alright I’m counting thirtee—no, make that fourteen mines nearby. Confirm, Zenith.”

“Sixteen, actually. This one is going to be tricky, though. Initial roll of forty degrees planned.”

“Sounds good to me. Reduce drives to ahead slow, while you’re at it.”

“Fleet is rolling, and drives at ahead slow. Nearest mine to a ship is currently forty-nine metres from Timberwolf. Once cleared, we need to make a sharp ninety-four-degree to starboard to avoid additional mines, and then exactly one-hundred-degrees to port to line up with the Proximity Detector gap. Twenty metres from Timberwolf … ten … eight …”

“Grit your teeth, guys,” Soban muttered for the destroyer’s crew.

“… six … I think maybe—dear Celestia, five metres!” Zenith began sweating profusely. “Four metres …”

Time itself seemed to slow to a crawl, with every member of the bridge holding their breath as they all stared at Zenith, anxiously awaiting the next readout.

“Five metres!” she announced, with a collective exhale of relief following from the crew. “Whew, they cleared it. Adjusting heading.”

“Who in the hay was responsible for that?” Timberwolf’s Captain yelled over the comms. “Ensign Snowflake just made a mess of himself over here!”

“It’s alright, guys,” Soban apologised. “I think that was the worst of—ALL STOP, ALL STOP!”

The densely packed fleet collectively groaned to a halt, just in time for the Captain of Ursa Major to turn and halt directly in front of a mine.

“How could you miss that one, Zenith?” Soban hissed.

“I—I’m so sorry,” Zenith stammered, her ears falling flat. “I was concentrating on at—at least five other mines, and—”

“Save it. No harm done, I suppose,” he relaxed. “Roll us negative ten degrees, set drives to ahead one-third, and make our final heading adjustment. The proximity detector gap will be easy enough to slip past, so it’s smooth sailing from here on out.”


“One kilometre to battlecruiser Liir, sir.”

“Understood,” Soban slowly rose from his seat. “Then it’s time. Midnight, you are in command. I trust I don’t have to repeat any of the contingency plans?”

“Know them off by heart, Captain,” Midnight nodded, frowning. “Not that I feel comfortable with some of them.”

“We know what we are getting ourselves into, so if it comes down to any of the more unpleasant plans, I expect you to follow them. The safety of—”

“… This fleet and its crew are our top priority. I know. It’s just that it conflicts with what we were taught about leaving—”

“I know. Best not to think about it, though. Just get our fleet into position as close as you can underneath Liir. Zenith, let’s go. The others are already waiting for us.”


“Perhaps I’m missing something here”—Zenith trotted alongside the jogging Captain—“but wouldn’t it look rather suspicious if we park ourselves underneath Liir?”

“I’m not sure I follow.”

“Well, we’re cloaked, so our visibility is no issue, but doesn’t this mean our cloak generator would turn the enemy ships invisible as well? I mean, it would seem rather odd if your ships started disappearing for no reason, right?”

“Oh, that? No, the generator works by targeting specified ships. It doesn’t create a sphere of invisibility, even if we do call it a ‘field’. That would be a waste of power. It simply directs an overlapping energy stream at our ships, and nothing else. The power required to operate the device is high enough as it is. Imagine if it worked that inefficiently. Speaking of which, I should check how much time the generator has left …”

“Forty-two minutes,” Rarity’s voice followed the pair through each speaker they passed. “At present, the temperature in and around the generator would be considered quite comfortable in a sauna environment.”

“I can really get used to that omnipresence,” Soban chuckled. “Thanks, Rarity.”

“Speak for yourself,” Zenith made a barely audible snort of annoyance. “It’s creepy enough as it is, knowing somepony is watching everything you do, every second of the day, but having five, soon to be six? I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t bothered by that.”

“I hope you don’t consider me to be some sort of peeping Tom,” Rarity’s tone hinted a mild tone of shock and disgust.

“Oh, no offence, Rarity,” Zenith hastily replied. “I’m sure you don’t, but still. It’s just … knowing that somepony could be watching me at any moment for any reason, if they so wished? The thought alone makes me uncomfortable.”

“Trust me,” Rainbow’s voice cut in. “What you do in your quarters is not considered exciting enough for me to keep a watchful eye on.”

Rarity hummed. “Captain Soban, Miss Zenith, if you’ll excuse me, Rainbow Dash and I must excuse ourselves for a lengthy discussion.”

Silence fell throughout the corridors leading to the armoury. As Soban approached the two figures waiting outside, he commented, “That little chat ought to be interesting. Will have to make a mental note to listen to the aftermath.” Arriving at the armoury, he shifted focus to the nearby pegasi, giving the pair a nod. “Hey ‘Lance. Nova. Where are the others?”

“We came a little late, but Joe, Corona, and Gail are geared up and ready to go. They’re waiting in the hangar”—Nova tilted his head towards the hangar’s direction, before furrowing his brow—“but I’m a little confused. Remind me why you need a pair of pegasi.”

“You weren’t briefed? Well the plan will be to move silently through Liir. Here, see these batons? We don’t normally use these, but they are designed to deliver a small concussive shockwave that incapacitates victims for several hours. Since pegasi are fast and make less noise in flight than a unicorn does with that glowing magic field thing, you and Firelance will be taking out lone targets that get in our way. Understood?”

“Got it!” Nova and Firelance nodded in unison.

“Good. Now Corona will teleport us onto Liir, but she can’t go very far, and I don’t want to drag Twilight aboard for this, so I’ll pilot a pulsar gunship corvette, latch onto a suitable place on Liir’s hull, and then we all emerge on the inner side of its hull, hopefully in a deserted area.”

“Hopefully?” Zenith’s face hinted some concern.

“Sorry, I should say ‘definitely’. This close to Liir, we can breach their wireless network and tap into some visual feeds. Give their security some false imagery, too. We’ll have our core mares acting as our eyes. Once aboard, Corona, Gail and I will be the main force of our group, once we go loud with our pulsar rifles. Joe will be on demolitions again, so he will clear out rooms, and provide support with stun and smoke grenades. That leaves you two. These batons won’t be useful once we’re discovered, so stock up on demolitions as well, and protect Zenith. She will be extracting data from Liir’s data banks, and will be vulnerable. Now, any questions? Then let’s move. That cloak generator won’t last forever.”


“Pre-start checks,” the Captain went through a mental checklist hurriedly. “External hatches, closed, latched, and locked. Harnesses, secure. Master switch, on. Lights and beacon, on. Comms, on. Harmony, Whirlwind one requesting radio check.”

“Whirlwind one, readability five over five.”

“Acknowledged. Engine start in three … two … one …”

A small puff of engine exhaust shot out from the three small engines to either side of the corvette, as the vessel’s start-up whine grew in pitch, and transitioned to the low grumble of an idle engine. Aboard, Soban continued his checks with haste.

“After-start checks … Gyroscopes, functional. Instruments, functional and adjusted. Pressurisation, functional and in the green. Manoeuvring thrusters, functional. Skipping weapons checks. No warnings, no cautions. Hangar control, Whirlwind one requesting coupling release for immediate departure.”

“Whirlwind one, couplings disengaged. Cleared for port-side departure. Good luck.”

“I’ll have to admit, it’s been a long while since I piloted one of these, but you don’t really forget how to fly one of these,” Soban commented, while travelling down the long, narrow hall of Harmony’s hangar.

“I could swear these corvettes look much bigger from the outside,” Corona grunted, wedged in a corner and sandwiched between the weapons console, and a doughnut-loving pony strapped with enough explosives to take down an entire line of frigates.

“A corvette isn’t exactly meant to hold seven occupants,” Soban replied, turning his vessel towards Harmony’s port exit and flying clear of it. “A pilot, gunner, and combat engineer are all they were designed for, so unless you want to make yourselves comfortable in the crawlspace the engineers would use for internal repairs, I’d just hold tight for a few minutes.”

“At least ‘Lance is enjoying himself over there,” Nova muttered to himself with a snicker.

“What? You say something?” Firelance squirmed in a hopeless attempt to avoid crushing Zenith. “Dammit, move over, Nova! I can hardly move!”

“I can hardly breathe!” Zenith scowled.

“Quit your complaining, we’re almost there,” Soban called back behind him. “I’m told this section of Liir is empty, so it’s just a matter of setting her down, nice and easy on the hull, and then we’ll be out of here. Setting final course … Fifteen metres … ten … six … three … one … half … quarter … aaaaand …”

“Not bad. Completely silent landing. Still got it,” Soban praised himself. “Okay Corona, the corvette is anchored. Let’s go.”

Corona’s horn lit up, and the squad disappeared in a flash of orange. Aboard Liir, a darkened compartment was briefly illuminated by the groups’ arrival.

“Area secure,” Gail whispered, flipping down her night-vision goggles. “Where are we?”

Through their enhanced vision, the small boarding party could make out what appeared to be a small warehouse of shelving, containing assorted spare parts for countless ship components.

“Secondary engineering storage facility,” Soban whispered back. “Close to the auxiliary power plant, which would have too many crew to slip by. We should be able to get around it, via the maintenance walkways.”

“How many are near the power plant?” Joe inquired.

“Not sure. Why?”

Joe bounced a remote charge in his hoof. “Might be a good idea to have some sort of distraction.”

Soban drummed on his rifle with his fingers, as he considered the idea. “Very well. We have to be quick, though. Even quicker if someone sees us, though by that point, we would probably end up facing the entire crew. Let’s try to avoid that.”

Room by room, the team moved silently through the darkened and lesser-travelled areas of the battlecruiser, at times ducking behind random objects when the footsteps of the occasional crew member approached. After creeping along several corridors, the team found themselves outside the auxiliary power plant, while Soban observed the behaviour and patterns of six crew members with a snake camera.

“This might be easier than I thought,” Soban handed the camera to the rest of his team. “The big sphere in the centre of the room is the outer casing for the power plant. Two of the crewmen are working inside it, just where that large hatch is open. See their legs sticking out? That other guy on the other side of the room is busy monitoring something at his station. The one beside him looks like he is about to doze off, and the other two nearby are playing card games.”

“Sweet,” Firelance whirled his baton. “Nova takes two, I take two, and the two in the sphere thing won’t even hear us, so we leave them ‘till last.”

“Bad idea,” Soban shook his head. “What if someone tries to contact this section and gets no reply? Someone will investigate, and conclude they were attacked. The entire ship goes on alert. No, we just need either you or Nova to take out the two inside the power plant. The other four won’t see it, and the markings caused by a baton shock will look like the first two had an electrical accident. At least, until a medic examines them. Should be enough time.”

“I’ll do it,” Firelance raised a hoof. “Pass me one of those explosives, Joe.”

“One sec,” Joe fiddled with the malleable explosive paste. “Gotta put the detonator … there we go. Here. Make sure you hide it well.”

“In and out in ten seconds,” Firelance whispered to himself, propelling himself into the air and leaving behind a single feather. Soban heard a faint ‘FZZT’, closely followed by another, and a moment later, a panting Firelance returned. “Done.”

“Good work. Now let’s get going. This way to the maintenance walkways …”


“You’re nearing the data storage section,” Rainbow Dash continued guiding the party of seven through the maze of walkways. “Take a left at the next junction. You’re gonna wanna watch out, though. Thirteen guys are in there.”

“Thirteen? Not ideal. Alright, we’ll check it out, Rainbow. Maintain radio silence until I contact you again. Soban out.”

“Trouble, sir?” Zenith watched the Captain.

“Probably. The room we are supposed to be in has too many people in it. I doubt we will be able to slip in and out, so we’re going to have to take them all out.” Soban set up the snake camera around the corner of the data room. “Let me take a look around.”

The dimly lit room consisted of an almost bewildering display of multicoloured lights from a sizeable array of servers and storage devices. Littered across the room were several technicians performing maintenance on some of the thousands of servers stacked neatly above each other in columns well over five metres, and surrounding giant blocks of storage devices. To either side of the room, several other crewmen continued monitoring systems, or chatted and laughed amongst themselves.

Soban withdrew the camera. “Alright, we can’t use explosives or our rifles, since both of those will be detected on the bridge, so Nova and Firelance will have to go in and take these guys out. Everypony else wait here, until—”

“Wait, you expect the two of us to take out thirteen of them? Dude, you’re giving us a little more credit than we’re worth.”

“If you had waited until I was finished,” Soban shot a look over at Firelance. “I was going to say that I will join you. First, we take out those six who are monitoring the systems. We should be silent enough to do so, without alerting the others. Once the first six are down, we move on, neutralise the others, then bring the rest of our group in to extract the data. You two ready? We take two crew each. Get into position there and there, and watch for my signal. Understood? Move.”

Leaving the others behind, Soban, Nova and Firelance split off and went in different directions, creeping through the maze of servers and hiding in the shadows of the already dark room. Within minutes, the trio arrived within striking distance behind a pair of crewmen each, and the two pegasi stared intently at the Captain, who raised a clenched fist above his head. Extending three fingers, he began a countdown. Three … two … one …

At once, the three leaped up. In one swift move, Soban grabbed the heads of the crewmen in front of him, and struck them against each other multiple times with sickening cracks, letting them fall off their seats into a pile on top of each other on the floor. By the time the Captain looked up, he had already heard the muffled ‘FZZT’ of the batons, and in the place of the four crewmen, sat a pair of pegasi. Nodding to each other, they gathered beside a storage device.

“Okay, seven more left. They should be alone, so strike and move on. Go.”

With haste, Nova and Firelance took off in different directions, while Soban stood up, and walked at a leisurely pace towards his next victim. As he walked, he listened for each strike made by the others.

*FZZT*

One technician down.

*FZZT*

And another. Soban was in arm’s reach of his target, who had either been too busy, or did not care to look up from the hardware he had been installing. With a single strike, the technician fell to the floor, leaving an imprint of his face on the faceplate of a server.

*FZ—FZZT*

Another two down. Soban turned a corner, about to approach another, when Firelance soared out from another corner, and knocked out the technician, landing nearby.

“Good one, ‘Lance. Where’s Nova?”

“On the other side of this row. He went to get the last—”

“What th—”

“GAAH!”

*CLANG*

“Firelance, left side. Go!”

Soban and Firelance sprinted in opposite directions and turned towards the row of servers where Nova was pinned below the final crewman, who delivered repeated blows to his face. Firelance reached them first, and a moment later, the crewman tensed up and slumped over, leaving Soban to pull the unconscious technician off Nova.

“Yo, Nova? You alright there?” Firelance helped his friend up.

Nova sniffed, feeling a trickle of blood run out a nostril. “Yeah I’m fine. Gonna leave a mark in the morning, though. Kinda like that time you and I were guarding that bank a few years back. Remember that night?”

“Haha, oh yes. That unicorn smacked you across the face pretty well with that tree branch, didn’t he? Squealed like a filly when we tackled him, though,” Firelance stifled his laughter.

“Enough chatter, you two,” the Captain interrupted. “Nova, are you sure you’re fine? It looked like you got a pretty nasty hit to the eye there.”

“It’s fine. I’m seeing weird colours in it, but it’s going away. Anyway, I think the area is secure now.”

“Right, let’s get the others in here.”


“You’re looking in the wrong place, Zenith,” Soban selected the appropriate directories from Zenith’s terminal. “These two storage devices contain the data we need. That one there is audio and visual data, and this one here records tactical information.”

“That’s a lot of data to go through. We could be here for hours!”

Soban waved his hand dismissively. “A lot of these are just backups. There are at least eight backups, so it’s really not that many to search. Look through the tactical data for anything suggestive of Paktu’s betrayal, match it to the audio, then take a physical copy of everything from today, up to a month before the earliest suggestive entry.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Corona, assist zenith. The rest of you, cover the exits. Rainbow, you still here?”

“Never left ya. What’s up?”

“Keep an eye out for anyone that may approach this room.”

“Sure thing.”


>>PLAYBACK RESUME
>BRIDGE, AUDIO, INTERNAL
>Team five, it will be up to you to ensure all corridors from the hangar to the storage facility are clear of Nabaali personnel. You will work with team six, who will monitor everything remotely and erase any relevant security footage.
>
>BRIEFING ROOM 3, AUDIO, INTERNAL
>I’m still concerned about pulling this off. The route you have chosen for us seems fine, but how do we get that device aboard, once we bring it to the shipyard’s construction bay? Surely someone will notice, no?
>
>BRIDGE, AUDIO, INTERNAL
>Team four will be keeping the crew in that area busy and occupied on the front end. Just bring the device around to the aft section. Team seven will handle it from there. The modified footage should remain on loop long enough for us to be well away from the Shipyard, and long enough for many other vessels to have docked. Hurry up and get ready. We are exiting hyperspace.
>
>QUANTUM WAVEFORM FUNCTION F4E25 INITIATED
>HYPERSPACE MODULE DISCHARGE INITIATED
>HYPERSPACE EXIT COMPLETE
>HYPERSPACE MODULE RECHARGE INITIATED
>
>2 UNREAD CAUTION REPORTS
>
>BRIDGE, AUDIO
>Shipyard Nabaal, battlecruiser Liir requesting docking clearance for scheduled maintenance.
>
>TRANSMISSION, AUDIO
>Clearance granted, Liir. Make it quick. You’re late as it is, and we have more than enough vessels booked for tuneups and overhauls.
>
>BRIDGE, AUDIO
>Yes, yes, you’re not the only one who is busy, Nabaal.
>
>>PLAYBACK TERMINATED

“This is the earliest record I have found so far, sir,” Zenith looked up at the Captain. “Not sure if it is related, but it sure sounds like it.”

Soban checked the date of the recording. “This must be a recording from the day they stole Nabaal’s new hyperspace inhibitor. It will do. Get as much data as you can from this point onwards”

Soban informed the others while Zenith finished extracting the necessary data onto a large, portable device. Upon completion, the team exited the data room, and resumed their journey.

“Rainbow, can you locate Captain Paktu?”

“Gimme a sec … Yeah, I’m guessing he’s the guy who has the most stars on his uniform, right? He’s in a briefing room a few decks above you, near the bridge. Looks like briefing room number—”

“Four. I know the one. How many in the room?”

“Five others, but they are starting to leave. Looks like Paktu is staying.”

“Alone?”

“Yeah. Dunno what he’s doing, though. I say just get there quickly, before he decides to leave as well.”

“Agreed.”

“Just take a detour first. Some crew are walking around near your location. Take a right at the next corridor and wait for them to pass.”


“Almost there. Just one guy hanging out near the briefing room. Should be easy enough to take care of. Just don’t mess this one up. There’s a heap of crew in the surrounding sections.”

“We got this, Rainbow. Nova, take him out.”

*FZZT*

“Rainbow, can you tell me where in the room Paktu is located?” Soban stepped over the twitching body of Nova’s victim.

“He’s sitting at the far end with his back turned towards the door. Just reading some old book.”

“Thanks. Alright team, this is it. Firelance, you’re with me. Joe, you and Nova place charges over there, there, and there. Once done, I want you two to group with Zenith, Corona, and Gail. Corona, shield the group and hold this position until I am finished. If something happens to me in there, Rainbow will guide you out via comms. Understood?”

After the brief exchange of nods, the group hunkered down, leaving Soban and Firelance to silently slip into the briefing room. The blue-tinted lighting proved more than enough to illuminate the back of a balding head that peeked over the chair at the end of the room. Soban made a gesture to Firelance, and the pair split up, moving up along either side of the long, empty table. Having arrived within a few metres of the rogue Captain, Soban raised his rifle.

“Hands up,” Soban ordered calmly, the soft, high-pitched charging sound of the pulsar rifle following his voice. “Turn around, and rise. Slowly.”

“Captain Soban. I was wondering how long it would take you to get here. I have to admit, I am quite impressed at how quickly you were able to find me aboard my own vessel.”

“I have my methods.”

“Clearly. You show up here, force your way through the decks, and find me with ease. I’d have to be blind to not see you must have had some help from somewhere. Luckily, I’m not blind, and neither are my crew,” he held up a blue feather.

“Huh. I thought it felt like a piece of me was missing back there,” Firelance examined his left wing, where one of his smaller flight feathers was missing.

“Hey, Cap’, I’m seeing movement. Lots of it,” Rainbow Dash began. “They’re heading straight for you guys.”

Soban did not reply. Tightening his grip on the rifle, his eyes remained glued to Captain Paktu. “I suppose by now you know why we are here, and how this has to end. Just tell me why.”

“I’d be lying if I said the position of absolute power did not interest me, but that is merely a bonus,” Paktu chuckled lightly. “A side effect, if you will, of what’s to come.”

From outside, the muffled yells and exchange of weapons fire had started up. A small explosion shook the room slightly, as one of Soban’s squadmates detonated a charge.

“Keep talking,” Soban took a step closer. “What will come?”

“What do you think? The End Times, of course. Sajuuk will return to purge the galaxy of the unworthy, but He will accept us as his brothers, upon the reunification of the Six. Don’t you see? I will save all Hiigarans who wish to follow me, and a new era will begin!”

“Enough! Your religious raving is almost as bad as the texts I’ve read from Kiith Gaalsien!”

Captain Paktu merely smirked as Soban to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

“That—that’s not possible. You can’t be—That entire Kiith died on Kharak! None were permitted aboard the Mothership!”

“None anyone was aware of. Sajuuk had punished the Hiigarans by placing them on Kharak, but it was also Sajuuk’s will to preserve His true follo—.”

“Yes, I’ve read this drivel before,” Soban cut in, rolling his eyes. “Our people ‘appeared’ on Kharak as ‘punishment’, despite historical records stating our defeat against the Taiidan in the pre-exile era as the cause. What’s that other load of nonsense? Leaving Kharak was an act of defiance against Sajuuk, and so Kharak was burned? Even though, again, the Taiidan were the cause, because we broke a two-thousand year old treaty we were never aware of. So—so who exactly are you meant to be, then? The one who welcomes the Progenitors back?”

“In a manner of speaking. Those who wish to be saved would join me as I offer the cores to Sajuuk upon his return at Khorsabad.”

“Khor— … Oh, right, so I suppose you know where that is, as well?”

“Of course! The book of Gaalsien has all the answers.”

Soban’s eyes shifted to the large black and silver book on the table. “Give me. That book. Now.”

The briefing room door burst open, as Soban’s team rushed inside. Corona maintained her shield as a barricade on the door, while the others made way for Nova, who dragged in the unmoving figure of …

“Zenith!” Firelance dropped his weapon, and rushed to the others.

Fearing the worst, Soban turned in the direction of his team. Captain Paktu used the distraction to his advantage, and lunged at Soban, sending the pair onto the ground, and the rifle sliding underneath the table.

Paktu drew his fist back, and hammered it into Soban’s face. He drew it back once more, and pressed his forearm against Soban’s neck, bringing his fist back down again.

Soban pushed Paktu’s rapidly descending fist off-course, and shot the palm of his other hand straight upward onto Paktu’s nose. An audible crack followed, and Soban rolled him off.

The Captains scrambled to their feet and continued their brawl, swinging, blocking, kicking and parrying one another, as Gail and Nova flew over as fast as they could to assist.

As they arrived, Paktu delivered a winding blow to Soban, and kneed him in the forehead as he bent down. Though he missed his intended target, Paktu still gained the upper hand, as the two fell once again to the ground, with Soban held in a blood choke.

Paktu turned himself towards Nova and Gail, who had her rifle raised. “Drop your weapons and surrender!” He shouted, using Soban as a shield, while backing himself into a corner.

“Take … the … shot!” Soban strained, rapidly losing his strength, his vision slowly fading.

“The only way out is through that door, and you have no chance against all of them,” Paktu continued. “I repeat, surrender!”

“I don’t have a clear shot!” Gail yelled back, ignoring Paktu.

“I’ll take … the risk! Shoot!”

“Drop your weapons!”

“SHOOT!”

*FWOOM*


“… Come on, Captain, I know you can hear me. Get up,” Nova shook Soban. “We’re running out of time. They’re getting through! Captain!”

“Move, laddie,” Gail pushed Nova away. “Forgive me for this, sir …” she lowered a talon onto a large wound on Soban’s right shoulder and neck.

“GAAAH! OH, FFFUUU—”

“Oh thank Celestia,” Nova breathed a sigh of relief. “Let’s go, Captain!”

“What—what’s going on?”

“Later,” Nova held out a hoof. “Can you stand? Good, Corona needs to speak with you immediately. She can’t hold the shield much longer.”

Soban stumbled across the briefing room towards the door, where Corona had her eyes fixated on the slowly diminishing wall of magic. Through it, signs of damage were clearly visible, from brute-force attempts by those on the other side to get through.

“Corona?”

“What a relief. I was about to take us out blindly,” Corona maintained her focus on her shield. “I’ve lost the comms link to Harmony. I’m guessing Liir’s crew are jamming us. We have bigger problems, though. Zenith is in a serious condition, and we need to get her out of here right now. Do you know where we can teleport without getting stuck in a ceiling or wall?”

“Take us to the deck below,” Soban ordered. “There’s a briefing room underneath us, identical to this one.”

“Excellent. Everypony, to me! We are leaving right now!”

“Wait. Gail. That book.”

“You mean this one?” she lifted the old book from one of her side-bags.

“Good. Corona, never mind. Let’s go.”

The team flashed out of the room, causing the shield to dissipate, as several of Liir’s crew flooded into the room to locate the trespassers. A deck below, several of Soban’s team paused to catch their breaths.

“Corona, you and Gail check outside for anyone and secure the area,” Soban ordered, making his way to the unconscious Zenith. He turned to Joe, who had been carrying her. “What happened?”

“Enemy pulsar round got past Corona’s shield. Deep wound near her cutie mark. I think she hit her head against the wall in the process, so that’s probably a concussion, too. She’s stable for now, but I’m worried it might have been close to her femoral artery. The pulsar cauterised everything, but if we move her, it might cause a tear. She could bleed out in minutes.”

“We have no choice. Nova and Firelance can carry her.”

“What about you? That looks nasty.” Joe stated, as he began examining Soban’s wound.

“I’ll be fine,” the Captain shrugged Joe off. “Let’s go before they figure out where we’ve disappeared.”


*FWOOM*

Streaks of electric-blue flashed down corridors, tearing down the light resistance that remained between Soban’s team, and their point of insertion.

*FWOOM*

Soban shouted over the lightning storm of pulsar rounds, “This would probably be a good time to—”

*FWOOM*

“—get ready with that distraction, Joe!”

“Now? As in, now now?”

“Yes!”

A roaring explosion filled the air and set off a multitude of alarms, as the volatile auxiliary power plant tore a large hole in the ship’s underbelly and caused the aggressors at the far end of the corridor to be sucked out, moments before that area was sealed off.

“No more reinforcements from that side of the ship. Now move!”

*FWOOM*

The remaining forces that stood in the way were dispatched quickly, allowing Soban and his team to close the final few hundred metres unimpeded. Finally, upon arriving at the exact spot where they entered, several of the team members collapsed.

“Get us out of here, Corona.”

Just as a pair of Liir’s crew followed and raised their weapons, Soban’s team disappeared. As soon as they returned to the gunship, the Captain rushed to his seat, while the others secured themselves, with Zenith held tightly prone by the pegasi.

“Harmony, Whirlwind one returning. Primary objective complete,” the Captain radioed in, rushing through his corvette’s start-up procedures. “Midnight, get the fleet moving, and have a medic ready to receive us!”

“Medic? What happen—.”

“Just shut up and do what I say!” Soban snapped. “Get ready to enter hyperspace as soon as we dock.”

“Yes, Captain. We’re cutting it close, though. I don’t think we can keep the cloak generator running for much longer.”

“Order the fleet to target as many enemy weapons systems as possible. We’ll be back aboard in eighty seconds.”

“Understood. Issuing orders …”

Within seconds, the rest of Harmony’s fleet reacted. Ursa Major and Timberwolf assumed a broadside stance, and each of their turrets faced different hostile vessels. All twenty-six torpedo tubes aboard Phoenix burst open in anticipation for their next move. The torpedo frigates Cor and Jasah followed suit with their two tubes, and the ion frigate Kapella turned to face the closest threat of all: Liir’s ventral-mounted dual-ion-cannon turret.

The green light was given, and a collective fury had been unleashed from the cloaked ships. Like fireworks, torpedoes streaked away in a starburst pattern, each with a different destination, and giant slugs of armour-piercing rounds pummelled anything that could shoot back, accompanied by ion beams.

By the time Liir’s fleet had realised what was going on, many of their hard-hitters had their abilities to fight taken away from them. Those that remained had taken to returning fire in Harmony’s general direction, hoping to land at least a few hits on the cloaked fleet.

“Captain, we’re taking some serious fire over here!” Midnight yelled, watching red-hot blurs of metal whizz past at an alarmingly close range. “Do I have your permission to reveal ourselves and bring up Shining Armour’s shield?”

“Do it. I’m a few hundred metres out, anyway,” Soban replied, turning to his passengers. “What’s her condition, Joe?”

“She’s responsible to pain”—Joe continued applying pressure on the slow, but steadily bleeding wound that had coloured Zenith’s flank in a dark crimson—“but nothing more. No serious bleeding for now. I think she’ll make it.”

“That’s a relief,” Soban faced forward once more, noting Shining’s purple shield had been brought up, with a small hole for the returning corvette to fit through. “Harmony, Whirlwind one entering hangar. Get us out of here, Midnight!”

“Yes, sir. Initiating hyperspace.”


“How is she?” the Captain stared at Zenith, who had still been under the effects of the general anaesthetic.

“Given the outstanding technology we’ve been working with, she should make a full recovery,” the surgeon commented. “She will to have to take it easy with that leg for a while, though, or the muscle regrowth will be affected. Right now, I’m more concerned about that wound of yours. Did any of the Doctors take a look at that while we were busy with her?”

“No, I was a little preoccupied.”

“Understandable. Go ahead and take a seat. I’ll get it cleaned out.”

“Thanks, Doctor … ?”

“Just call me Sawbones.”

“That … Who names their son Sawbones? No offence.”

“None taken. It’s just my nickname, anyway. I seem to have a terrible knack for getting patients who require …” he paused, twirling his hoof in thought. “Well, those who require that particular surgical instrument.”

“You’re not going to take a chunk out of my shoulder, are you?”

“No, but we may need to amputate that sense of humour of yours.”

“Really? Well, my good doctor, I’ll have you know that—”

“WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR SHOULDER?” Twilight appeared, the mixture of shock and horror apparent on her face, moments before she buried it in Soban’s uniform and commenced silently sobbing and hiccuping.

“Hey, come on, there’s no need for that, Twilight,” Soban wheezed, locked in Twilight’s brutal bear hug. “It looks worse than it really is.”

“B—but you could h—have been …”

“It’s alright. We’re all alive. That’s all that matters. Hey, Doc? We finished here?”

“Almost. Just securing the dressing, aaaaand. There. Good to go. Drop by in two days to change the dressing. Earlier, if there’s an excessive discharge, or a foul smell.”

“Much appreciated. Uhh, Twilight? You can let go of me now.”

“No.”


Eighteen hours had passed since Soban’s team returned aboard Harmony and the fleet entered hyperspace for the journey back home. Word spread quickly through Harmony’s crew of what had transpired, and despite the close calls, morale remained high. The crew aboard the frigates Nabaal had offered for Harmony’s fleet had expressed their gratitude for the efforts of Soban’s team, despite their unmistakable hints of disappointment for being unable to go into full combat against the fleet of Paktu.

Despite being awake for at least an hour, Soban remained in bed, examining the book Gail retrieved. The book of Gaalsien. The book of an ancient, fanatical Kiith, filled with riddles, vague texts, and false teachings. Yet somewhere deep within the pages littered with Paktu’s notes, lied the location of Khorsabad. It was just a matter of deciphering it all.

He ran his fingers over the cover of the book. A silver, circular symbol containing a diamond shape within it, stood out from the otherwise black, leathery cover. Satisfied with his examination, he placed the book atop the bedside table, causing the purple figure beside him to stir. Twilight looked up at Soban with unevenly opened eyes and smiled.

“Are you this clingy with your brother, Twilight? Seriously, you can let go of me.”

“My brother doesn’t get into deadly situations. Just violent ones. And very rarely. You, on the other hoof? It’s almost as if you’re trying to get yourself killed.”

“Just another day in the life of a Hiigaran soldier, I suppose.”

“You ceased to be a Hiigaran soldier when you agreed to be our Captain, Mel. I’m worried about you. All your friends are. You’re like family to us.”

“I appreciate the sentiment, but if I don’t do it, someone else will. Or somepony, rather. Then they will be the ones put at risk, while I do nothing. You know I take issue to that.”

“That’s not—”

“Hey, relax. Hopefully we can set everything right soon. After that, I’m done. Would be nice to retire in Equestria.”

“Retire in …” Twilight paused momentarily, gasping in excitement shortly after. “That would be wonderful! You could live with me, until we find a house for you, that is.”

“Actually, I had intended on finding a place in Canterlot, since Firelance is there. And Nova.”

“Oh. Oh, right,” Twilight appeared crestfallen.

“I’ll visit regularly. It’s not like I’m going to just disappear. I just love the atmosphere of a city. And Ponyville isn’t that far away by train. Besides, I thought you could teleport long distances?”

“Well, yes, but my abilities over such lengths still suffer from … uhh, accuracy issues. The last time I tried teleporting to the castle grounds from Ponyville, I ended up in a salon on the other side of the city.”

“Bit of practice, and you’ll be moving through continents in no time at all. Alright, move over. Need to check this wound before I head off for breakfast. Well, I suppose it’s lunch time now. You hungry?”

“Just don’t destroy my appetite by taking that bandage off in front of me. I can’t stand the sight of blood,” Twilight shuddered.


“… Then Gail pulls the trigger, taking out Paktu. Of course, her aim is horrendous, so she shoots me in the process,” Soban made a shooting gesture at Gail with his fingers. “And that’s how I got it.”

Gail had her face buried in her talons. “Yer never goin’ to let this one down, are ya?” she groaned.

“What, the fact that you shot your commanding officer, or the fact that you need to work on your aim?”

“Oi! I didn’t shoot ya! Th’ damn pulsar just burned yer skin off, ya wuss. I may not have put a pretty little ribbon around it, but at least I got the job done.”

“Pfft, I’ll bet you twenty bits my granny has better aim than this highlander whacko!” Nova joined in on the playful teasing.

“Oh hey Nova, did ya git yer eyes checked after that nasty hit? How many talons am I holding up?” Gail raised her middle talons. “That’s right, put some water on that burn, mah boi!”

Nova and Gail continued lobbing insults at each other during the minutes that followed. Halfway through, Soban noticed Twilight writing under the table, and took a peek.

“Oh don’t mind me, I’m just writing a few notes down,” she whispered. “It’s just fascinating to see friends teasing and insulting each other, then laughing about it, even if there is some sort of seriousness to it all. This would make for an interesting friendship report.”

“Some people enjoy the ribbing. It’s like— … Friendship report?”

“I’ve never told you about them? Every time I learn something new about friendship, I make a report for Princess Celestia.”

“Only you could take one of the most subjective things in existence, and make it into a report!” Soban shook his head.

“… But it’s not like ya’d wanna mess with me, laddie. Me cousins serve on this ship in the dozens.”

“Oh that’s okay. I’ll just call in Firelance, and it’ll be an even fight. Speaking of ‘Lance, where is he? You seen him around, Mel?”

“Yeah, he’s been by Zenith’s side ever since she came out of surgery.”

“Ahh, cripe!” Gail stood up. “I should’a checked on her. How’s she doin’? Is she awake?”

“I haven’t checked up on her, myself, but she should be by now. I’m going to visit her in a few hours. I’ll be needed on the bridge first, once we exit hyperspace … Which shouldn’t be long now,” Soban paused and sighed. “I’m not looking forward to explaining this to Luna. I should get going.”


“Hyperspace successful. Welcome home, everypony,” Midnight announced.

The Captain began a countdown “Luna in three … two … one …”

*POOF*

“Ma’am,” Soban nodded at Luna. “One moment. Shipyard Nabaal, Harmony has returned, and the fleet is in one piece.”

“Is it done?” Nabaal replied simply.

“It is. Stand by, transferring data now. Take this evidence back to Hiigara. The sooner our government knows, the better.”

“What of the rest of Paktu’s fleet?”

“There were too many to engage, so we left them. I’ll leave their fates up to you. Fleet Command.”

Nabaal stammered. “I—oh that just took me by surprise. Fleet Command Nabaal …”

“It suits you.”

“Still, pretty big shoes to fill. I don’t think anything I’d ever do would truly live up to what S’jet did. Anyway, data transfer complete. Before I leave, I should also mention your hyperspace inhibitor grid is fully operational, thanks to the help of your new carrier. We also finished that transport ship you requested.”

“Thanks Elohim. Anything else you need?”

“Well if you don’t need them anymore, can I take my guys with me?”

“They’re your ships. Take them.”

“Right. Cor, Jasah, Arth’an Saari and Kapella, assume formation and prepare for hyperspace. Nabaal out.”

“That’s that, then. Apologies, Princess. Oh, and I’ll leave naming the carrier up to you.”

“I shall look into suitable names in the near future,” Luna’s voice remained neutral. “I trust your mission was a success?”

“Ahh, I’d be lying if I said we had no trouble, but yes, it was a success,” the Captain hesitated.

Luna’s gaze hardened, and her eyes narrowed. “And exactly what kind of trouble are you referring to … ?”


“Out of my way, OUT OF MY WAY!” Luna galloped into the sick bay, knocking over an IV stand, with Soban barely keeping up. “Where is she? Where is—oh my stars, are you alright, dear?”

“Princess Luna?” Firelance looked up from beside Zenith’s bed, while she remained silent.

“I came as soon as I heard,” Luna visually examined the patient. “What happened? How severe is the injury? Are you in any pain?”

Zenith smiled softly. “I’m fine, Princess. Everything is fine, thank you. The doctors said the wound was only a few centimetres from being something more serious, but I should make a speedy recovery with the drugs I’ve been receiving.”

Luna whipped around and shot a look at Soban that made him take a step back. “You should consider yourself lucky,” she hissed. “You and I will have a lengthy conversation after this.”

“Please, Princess, in his defence, I would have put myself in the same situation again and again, if need be,” Zenith moved herself further up the bed, masking a wince. “It’s unfair to place such responsibility on him.”

Luna pawed at the floor, while contemplating her next move. After a long, defeated sigh, she fixed her eyes back on Soban. “As much as I hate to admit it, Zenith is right. It is unfair to expect this much from you, given your line of work. I shall have to look into this matter further, but I trust this did not come about as a result of negligence.”

“I understand, ma’am. It’s like you said before. You’re just concerned.”

“Indeed. However, I would still like a word with you, once you are finished here,” Luna’s voice lightened slightly. “If there is anything you need, Zenith, please let me know.”

“I could probably go for a holiday,” Zenith laughed to herself. “Wouldn’t mind being planet-side again.”

“I shall wheel you out myself.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t want to be a burden, Princess. Regardless, I’m supposed to remain mostly immobile for the rest of this week, if I want to recover as soon as possible. Not exactly going to make for a decent holiday. I might as well make myself useful and go over some paperwork while I’m stuck here.”

“I admire your dedication, Zenith. If you require nothing else, I shall take the Captain with me, then. I wish you a rapid recovery.”

“Sorry for the short visit, Zenith. I’ll swing by later on,” Soban escorted Luna out.

“That was nice of her,” Zenith wiggled further down her bed, a twinge of pain shooting up from her flank. “Arrgh!”

“You okay, Zee?” Firelance shot up. “Anything I can do?”

“N—no, thank you,” Zenith grimaced. “You’ve done plenty for me already. I just need some rest.”

“You know you haven’t had anything to eat since you came out, right?”

“I’m not hungry.”

“Bah! I’ll look around for a snack, at least. Stay right there.”

Zenith rolled her eyes, as the pegasus darted off around the corner. Moments later, Firelance returned with three oranges.

“Wasn’t much choice, but hey, it still beats the hospital food they serve in Canterlot,” he peeled an orange and offered it to Zenith, before peeling one for himself. “They serve this … soup thing. It’s bitter, and the vegetables are clearly cooked incorrectly.”

“So you’re a culinary expert now?”

“Surely you don’t think I order pizza every day! Gotta learn something. Some salad, the occasional omelette, a bit of pasta. But that’s beside the point. Simply put, even a diamond dog would make for a better chef than whoever’s in charge of food at that hospital.”

“What were you in for, anyway?”

“Flew into a billboard on my way home from the pub,” the pegasus crudely recreated the event with his hooves. “Woke up in the hospital with a minor concussion, and I was told I had to stay overnight for observation. Y’know, in case of a neck injury, or something.”

“Does everything you do somehow end up related to alcohol?”

“Probably,” Firelance shrugged. “It’s magical stuff. Here, you can have the last bit of orange.”

“That’s alright, you can have it.”

“Aww come on! Open up! Here comes the interceptor, requesting clearance to land!”

“Seriously?” Zenith deadpanned.

“Oh fine. The interceptor will make an emergency landing in my mmmph …”

Zenith shook her head. “You are one … unique individual.”

“So I’m told,” Firelance smirked. “Anyway, you should probably get some rest,” he pulled a couple of chairs together into a makeshift bed for himself. “Just poke me or something if you need anything.”

“You’re going to sleep on that? I’m fine, really. You can go back to your quarters.”

“That’s okay. Besides, I’ve slept on worse. No biggie for me.”

“Well, if you insist, then”—Zenith turned off the bedside light—“good night.”

“Nighty.”

Zenith watched the darkened outline of the pegasus, as he curled himself up into a ball and balanced precariously on the chairs. After a minute or so of silence, she sighed. “Oh what the hay, you can sleep here,” Zenith shifted to one side of her bed. “At least you get a blanket.”

Firelance lifted his head. “Wha—? You mean—”

“Yes, there’s plenty of room for two. You don’t snore, do you?”

“Even if I did, would it have made a difference where I slept?” Firelance hesitantly went under the covers.

“Of course. In that case, I would have insisted on you sleeping in your quarters.”

“Heh, you should hear the Captain, then,” the pegasus turned onto his stomach. An awkward silence followed, before Firelance spoke up once more. “So … does this mean that—”

“Shut up.”

“A—alright. G’night.”


“What about this one?” Corona flipped to another page in the Book of Gaalsien. “Paktu’s notes are all over it.”

“Read it aloud for me,” the Captain swung on his chair. “Slowly.”

Corona cleared her throat, pausing momentarily. Soban stared off into the blackened void of space, as the unicorn recited the text.

The test of time, the stronghold passed,

Its watchmen gone, all vaporised,

Though battered and bruised, it achieved its goal,

Deep within a most turbulent Shoal,

Yet He whose hand shapes all that is,

Returns to claim what is rightfully his,

The price of our insult to Him is high,

Repent, repent, the End Time is nigh

Soban remained silent. He tapped a finger on his armrest, as he tried to process the text. “Well, the second half is obvious, but the first part? What do you make of it, Corona?”

“Me? I’m no expert on—on this sort of thing. You probably know more than I do.”

“I’m just as clueless. I’m hoping you might have another perspective or interpretation of the text.”

“Well, you said Khorsabad is a fortress where the Progenitors made their final stand and fled to another galaxy, right? Perhaps that is the ‘stronghold’ mentioned here,” Corona tapped her hoof on the first line.

“It’s a likely possibility I considered as well. Let’s assume it is. Next line. That has to be about the Progenitors that manned the fortress. Next line. Battered, bruised, yeah, yeah, this is just filler text. That just leaves ‘Deep within a most turbulent Shoal’. If this text hints the location of Khorsabad, this would be the line.”

“But isn’t a shoal just an area of shallow water? That doesn’t make sense. Unless it’s just another one of those metaphorical things. Okay, if we ignore that bit, and look at ‘turbulent’. An unsteady or violent movement of something, or an area lacking calmness.”

“There are plenty of places in our galaxy that fit that description, I’m afraid,” the Captain shook his head. “It doesn’t really narrow it down for us.”

“Just thinking out loud here, but what if we look at ‘Shoal’ again? It’s related to water. Something turbulent is likely to be related to air or water. Put the two together, and … okay, I don’t know what I was getting at there.”

One of the speakers in Soban’s office became alive with Fluttershy’s timid voice. “Umm, I don’t know if it helps, but a shoal could also be a very large group of fish,” she suggested.

“Mmm, that still doesn’t help,” Soban shook his head. “If anything, that just further confuses me by making a stronger connection to water. What if Khorsabad is on a planet? That would make sense.”

Corona frowned. “What if it has nothing to do with water? It’s capitalised. Why?”

After a minute of staring at the page, the Captain leaned back in defeat. “Ahh, I don’t know. I’ve got nothing. Maybe we should call it a night.”

“It’s four-twenty, Canterlot time.”

“You know what I mean, Corona. We can continue after breakfast. Dismissed.”


Throughout breakfast, the Captain remained preoccupied with the Book of Gaalsien, scanning the text for the elusive answers. Even as he finished up and left for the bridge, he continued reading along the way, trying to find some pattern or meaning, even trying to read backwards, upside down, and in any other combination he could think of, out of desperation. Distracted, he did not notice the fiery-maned pegasus he nearly tripped over.

“Whoah, mate, reading and walking is a dangerous thing!” Firelance mocked.

“I was wondering where you’ve been. I could make a few guesses, though. How’s she doing?”

“She’s doing alright. Hay, better than alright. Whatever those fancy Hiigaran drugs are, they work wonders.”

“I’m guessing she’s getting administered one of our cellular growth treatments. I don’t really understand how it works, but it just speeds up the replication and growth of the cells near the applied area.”

“Still more than I understand. She’s bedridden for now, though. Can’t move that leg without immense pain. What about you?”

“Ahh, I’ve been up all night with Corona, trying to figure out where Khorsabad is,” Soban held up the book. “You try making any sense of this bit here. ‘Deep within a most turbulent Shoal’. What is that?”

“By ‘what about you’, I meant how’s your shoulder, but alright, I’ll take a look …” Firelance read the passage, scrunching his face. “Yeah, no clue. Maybe it’s just something silly.”

“Eh, I don’t know. Maybe I’m just trying to see something that isn’t th—”

“Wait a sec, gimme that again,” the pegasus re-read the text. “Maybe … Wait, does this mean I know more about your history than you do?”

“Huh?”

The pair entered the bridge and exchanged brief nods of acknowledgement with the bridge crew. Firelance continued. “Well on more than one occasion, I found myself reading up on Hiigaran history, which is quite fascinating by the way. And this is coming from me! I don’t normally care for all that boring historical crap.”

“Get to the point, ‘Lance.”

“Alrighty, patience. Do you have a map of the galaxy I can use? Great. Now zoom in on this part. You’re familiar with the line I’m drawing here, right?”

“Of course. One of the most important parts of our history. What about it?”

“Well here’s the start of the line. Point one. Then point two, three, four, five, and finally, six,” Firelance tapped each point as he mentioned them.

“That—that might just be it. Midnight, I need you to do some overtime for me. Set coordinates for that region, and send a transmission to Nabaal. Any Hiigaran vessel that has weapons should be put on alert and ready to drop whatever they are doing. I don’t care if they are in the middle of some battle with a Turanic Raider fleet. If Khorsabad is here, we’re going to need every bit of help.”

“Transmission underway. Do you want me to get the fleet into formation? Immediate departure?”

“Except the carrier. It should stay here. Engage hyperspace as soon as the fleet is ready.”