Mass Effect: Shades of Twilight

by Loyal2Luna

Arc 1 - Part 2: Clearing a Path

Clearing a Path

Active Log: 42 of 50 - Day 6 A.E.

Present location: New Ponyville Docks

Status: monitoring developing situation

M.P. Sparkle currently in “meeting” with Expanding Reaches CEO Jex Kailer

“Is that so?” Twilight Sparkle, Madam President of the Equestrian Herd, allowed her expression to fall flat, clearly unimpressed by the alien’s posturing. “Well, in that case...”

The metallic changeling drone watched as the purple mare shifted her weight, her haunches set back to the cold metal floor and tail brushing around to her side and out of the way. She pulled up her forelegs and folded them across her chest as she looked straight into the optics of Jex’s suit. Her voice was as steady as her decision.

“...no.”

The volus stepped back, haughtily raising his chin in the pony’s direction. “And just what... is that supposed to mean...?”

“It means no,” Twilight leaned forwards, her tone surprisingly even. “This district belongs to us, and I’m not about to give it over to you just because you claim it as your own. Quite frankly, I don’t recognize your authority in this matter.”

“Do I look like I care... what you recognize...!? I paid for this property...!” Jex shook his head, his outrage seeming to grow in the face of Twilight’s calm defiance. “You’re barely more than... an animal...! I don’t think you comprehend... how many credits it takes... to acquire something like that...! Do you know how long I’ve waited...!? How many other buyers I had to...”

“I’m sorry your plans didn’t work out the way you wanted,” Twilight stated before the alien could resume speaking after a long breath, although her tone and expression indicated it was a hollow apology.

“BAH!” Jex flailed his arm in the air in a dismissive manner as he proceeded to pace up and down in front of the unicorn. “Spare me your feeble platitudes...! You clanless creatures have no business... being on the Citadel...! At least the Quarians have the decency... to keep to themselves on their... grubby flotilla...! But you... You show up at the station... shamelessly posing for the cameras... and in less than a week... you think that the galaxy... owes you so much...!? Hiding behind the Council... and some ridiculous wildlife law...!? Pathetic...! You’re no… different from... the humans...! Wanting... what you… never earned...! I’ve... I’ve had...”

The volus seemed to be struggling to speak, the interruptions caused by his breathing apparatus growing more frequent even as the gasps grew shorter in length. Taking a step back, Jex Kailer hunched forwards, the red light on his faceplate blinking intermittently as he attempted to recompose himself.

Twilight remained in place, her forelegs crossed over her chest as she watched him impassively like a parent waiting out a child’s tantrum.

“Are you done?”

“You... impertinent...” Jex managed before the speaker cut out again, perhaps some sort of safeguard in the environment suit, and the ammonia-breathing volus leaned forward, hands on his hips as he struggled to catch his breath.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Twilight sighed, unfolding her forelegs and leaning forward, returning to all fours. “Mr. Kailer, I apologize if I sound insensitive, but I really don’t care what you have to say.”

The volus glared at her wordlessly, whether it was from the fact that he was still catching his breath or because he was absorbing what she said, Twilight wasn’t sure. Regardless, she pressed on.

“New Ponyville is now the property of the Equestrian Herd, which I represent. My primary concern is for the wellbeing of the ponies that are now living in this district. So you can rant and rave until your ammonia tank is exhausted, but we are staying right here. It’s just that simple.”

The alien investor glared at the mare, although she somehow doubted that the illuminated plastic lenses of his suit translated his expression adequately.

“Do you have... any idea... who you are dealing with...?” Jex seemed to be teetering on the edge of unadulterated rage, clearly unused to being so bluntly denied. “Do you know... what I could do... to you and your precious... ‘Equestrian Herd’...!?”

“I’m afraid I don’t, to be honest,” Twilight pointed out, her eyes betraying no sense of being intimidated. “But by all means, feel free to elaborate.”

Jex raised a hand, one of the claw-like fingers directed at the pony as if he wished he could smite her where she stood. He took a single, large breath, preparing to give his reply, when he unexpectedly paused, slowly turning his head to look at the shiny black mech standing just a few feet away.

The mech was standing impassively, completely motionless, yet as the volus observed, its green crystalline eyes were trained directly on him.

“Oh... I get it...” Jex’s voice was calmer now, bearing no hint of emotion save for an undercurrent of simmering distaste as he slowly lowered his arm. “Do you really think... that I’m stupid...?”

“Thus far, you have done nothing to dissuade me from the idea,” Twilight snarked at him, although she was internally cautious of the sudden change in the alien’s demeanor. It was too sudden to have been a result of him realizing that his shouting was getting him nowhere. No; this was a tactical withdrawal, which signified that he had surely taken notice of the Madam President’s trump card.

“Perhaps I misjudged you...” Jex shook his head, although his tone hardly sounded like an apology. “However... Just because the Council... gave this district to you... doesn’t mean it’ll stay that way...”

His posturing had grown less aggressive, as had his tone and the nature of his remarks. All sure signs to Twilight that the volus had realized that, as per her instructions, Forty-Two had been recording the entire encounter.

“I think it would benefit you… to find another place to settle... The Wards can be... a very dangerous place for the unwary...” Jex told Twilight with a defined degree of condescension in his tone. “As unfortunate as it is... bad things happen... to innocent beings... all the time...”

And in a tone barely low enough for her to hear, Jex delivered his last line.

“And often... when they least... expect it...”

Twilight’s eyes narrowed dangerously, a clear sign that he had struck a nerve.

“Is that a threat, Mr. Kailer?”

“Of course not, Madam President...” The volus shook his head, though the faux-saccharine nature of his response clearly indicated the opposite. “I am merely... stating a fact... I’m hardly the type... to go around threatening... endangered animals...”

“I would hope so...” Twilight scowled, taking note of how the alien all but spat out her title, before she followed it up with an ultimatum. “And just so we’re clear: If you or any of your associates ever try something like this again, I promise you will regret it.”

“I see...” Jex shrugged his squat shoulders, far from intimidated by what he determined to be a threat as baseless as his accusations. “In that case... I wish you nothing... but the best of luck... in your business...”

He then turned his back on the pony and her assistant, steadily marching back to the edge of the docks, where his transport awaited him.

“Especially considering... that you shall be having... none of mine... And the same goes... for my friends... in the banking industry... and the Ward markets... Good day to you...”

Twilight’s eyes didn’t waver as she watched Jex move up to his shuttle; a gaudily-colored transport that appeared to be specially modified for his species. The door in the side swung upwards automatically while a series of steps extended from the lower edge, allowing the short-statured volus to easily clamber inside.

As the door closed with a hiss and the shuttle’s eezo-powered engine started up, causing the vehicle to rise smoothly into the air, Twilight’s posture slumped, and she let out a heavy sigh as she closed her eyes and considered her position.

Just as she thought: Jex was nothing but a bully. More than willing to threaten and throw his weight around when he thought he had the upper hoof, but quick to change his tone at the first signs of a challenge, and the chance that he could be punished by someone with actual authority.

However, as she had to reluctantly admit, he was also cunning enough to cover his tracks. Going over what had been said in her mind (something she would surely double-check Forty-Two’s recording to make sure of) he had never made any direct implication of violence. Instead, he chose to hide behind a wall of insinuations and thinly-veiled insults when he realized the dangerous line he was walking.

She also had no doubt of his intention to make good on his last promise, but Twilight wasn’t particularly bothered by it.

He was not the sort of creature that her people needed to get wrapped up with in any way. And anyone who would so readily resort to such deplorable and underhoofed tactics to get what they wanted wouldn’t have found their business welcome in New Ponyville regardless, no matter how many credits they offered.

“You know, Twilight,” her assistant offered, his voice noticeably less mechanical and taking on the more casual nature he used when there was nobody else around. “All you had to do was say the word, and I wouldn’t have hesitated to... ‘escort’ the guy back to his shuttle. Roughly, if necessary.”

Twilight let out a huff of amusement as she watched the shuttle turn once it was clear of New Ponyville’s obstructing bulkheads and zip away, leaving a slight blue distortion trail behind it as it ascended into the traffic out towards the center of the Wards.

“Tempting, Forty-Two. But as much as I would like to have just sent him packing, we don’t need to create any more trouble than we already have.” The unicorn shook her head. “His claims were baseless and he knew it. If I had to guess, he was trying to intimidate us into giving him the district without a fight, and failing that, incite us into doing something he could turn to his advantage... I’m just glad I was able to keep my cool.”

“Maybe so... Still, the Volus are shrewd businessmen. He might’ve have been open to some sort of arrangement that didn’t involve him blacklisting us.”

“Not a chance in Tartarus.” Twilight said immediately, and with conviction. “We are not about to start capitulating to the demands of megalomaniacs and tyrants just because they raise their voice.”

“I understand. But I’m afraid of what might happen if Jex intends to make good on his threats,” the mech stated with certainty.

“Yeah, I kind of doubt this is the last we’ll see of him, but for now at least he’s a problem for another day.” Twilight lowered her head, using a hoof to rub the base of her horn. “I have enough of those on my plate right now.”

“For what it’s worth, Twi; I think you did the right thing,” Forty-Two offered, raising a hoof comfortingly to her shoulder.

“I wish I had your confidence...”

“Well, here’s something that might cheer you up.” Forty-Two tilted his head, his optic lights shifting to represent an expression approaching pride. “While you were talking, I managed to wirelessly datamine his omni-tool and gained access to his contact lists and employee rosters. The data has been transmitted to all changeling units, and now, should anyone working for Expanding Reaches or its affiliates set foot in New Ponyville, all units are ordered to... ‘escort’ them off the premises.”

Twilight turned on the mech, surprised by this admission, and getting the feeling that if Forty-Two had a mouth, he would be smirking deviously.

“Just in case,” the robotic pony added, clearly pleased with himself.

“Forty-Two...” Twilight smiled, shaking her head as she once again found herself grateful for the artificial intelligence’s aid. “I don’t know how I would do this without you.”

“Me neither.”

The blatant smugness of the declaration only served to help relax Twilight, finding herself once again reminded of just how her new assistant was so much like her old one... for all that was worth.

The Madam President then nodded curtly, intent to return to the task at hoof: getting New Ponyville situated.

“Alright, so what’s next on the agenda?” Twilight asked, feeling reassured as she turned and started back towards the entrance of the district, the mech falling into step behind her as the two other changelings that had been there the whole time resumed their task of guarding the docks.

“There would seem to be some conflicting claims between several families involving the utility layout,” Forty-Two related, masking his personality once again as he followed his mistress back into their new home. “In that regard, Miss Drops has come up with a proposal for the living arrangements that you may wish to look at...”

——————

Active Log: 42 of 50 - Day 9 A.E

Present location: New Ponyville, Administration Level

Status: idle

Forty-Two of Fifty stood stock still as he had for hours, his eyes dark and apparently inactive, beside the automatic doorway that led into Twilight Sparkle’s personal apartment. As much as the changeling would have preferred to be inside the apartment to keep watch over the leader of the Equestrian Herd, her insistence on privacy during the all too short periods of rest she allowed herself were both understandable and easily accommodated.

If Forty-Two had one envy of organic beings, it was the ability to sleep. The ability to completely tune out the outside world for hours at a time, free from life’s constant struggles, only to wake up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.

It was one of the few organic traits that he could not experience.

Sure, he could enter a state of hibernation; set to reactivate on a timer, audio-cue, or even voice command, but it wasn’t the same. In any case, it was a moot point. Since the meeting with Jex Kailer three solar days earlier, Forty-Two felt that anything less than constant vigilance opened up the risk of something getting past his notice. Such a scenario was simply unacceptable, as the wellbeing of his mistress was top priority.

And yet, it was times like this, when the constant barrage of demands for the Madam President’s attention mercifully abated, that Forty-Two could allow himself to devote a portion of his processes to reviewing the events of the past few days. Such reflections allowed him to keep in mind just how much weight stood on the shoulders of the mare he faithfully served.

After the first supply shipments had been received and accounted for, Twilight had issued her decision allowing Applejack to go ahead with her plan to put ponies to work, much to Sterling’s chagrin. The Treasurer of the Herd may not have been altogether pleased with the choice, but she had at least been amicable enough to offer her services to Director Applejack in maintaining the accounts of her initiative. To their credit, there was no shortage of volunteers, particularly among the Herd’s stallions, who wanted to contribute. Surely the promise of doubling food rations to those who volunteered helped, but still, it was the thought that counted.

Unfortunately, the initial returns had been… lacking.

Applejack had been trying her hardest, but the foremen of the crews throughout Tayseri Ward were being cautious. Some cited that the ponies had no previous experience that could be verified, while others were put off by the now well-circulated information that the Herd was protected by various wildlife laws. Regardless of what the ponies’ individual strengths could offer, many of those in charge of hiring were concerned that associating with the new species on the Citadel opened them up to an uncomfortable degree of liability.

The Director of Labor insisted that all that was needed was time to find someone who could appreciate their talents, but as Sterling was quick to point out in nearly every fiscal meeting with the Madam President: time was not a luxury they had in great supply.

Neither, it seemed, were credits.

Their initial funds were already dwindling as food and basic necessities were acquired, along with approved requests for raw materials or equipment needed to get a few ponies to start setting up shops. There was still a slow stream of private donations helping in that respect, but it was petering off little by little as time went on and was certainly far from reliable.

On that note, Forty-Two found himself reminiscing; datafiles long since archived to antiquity opening randomly as he remembered his formative years on the Epona Estate.

This never would have been a problem in those happier times.

All it would have taken was one sad look from either of his beloved granddaughters, and Lord President Solarius would have poured a planet’s worth of resources into helping a newly-discovered species in need.

If only...

“Dozing on the job, Forty-Two?”

The mech’s eyes immediately lit up, resuming their full illumination as he shut down all of the archived files now flittering through his digital mind and spent a few nanoseconds berating his lapse in attention. Now that he was fully aware of his surroundings, he realized that the door to Twilight’s apartment had slid open, allowing her to pass him unnoticed and situate herself right in front of him.

He couldn’t let himself fall into doing that again... especially now that he had somepony actually depending on him after so long.

“Not at all, I’m completely alert!” Forty-Two offered in a brash tone, offering no hint of the momentary internal conflict as he calculated the best way to react. “Always on guard! Ever vigilant!”

The changeling’s shoulder then slumped and he drooped his head, his eyes winking out as his speakers emitted a slight beeping sound that emulated snoring.

Such behavior might have seemed incredibly bizarre for a synthetic being, regardless of its intentions, and indeed, was not something the mech would have considered normal practice during his time of service in the Equestria Facility. Yet, ever willing to go to any length in assisting his mistress, Forty-Two found that speaking and behaving more in line with what Twilight used to expect from Spike, the virtual entity based on his own processes that served her within the system, did a great deal towards easing her into her new position.

The transparent antic had the desired effect, eliciting a soft, much-needed laugh from Twilight for a moment before Forty-Two’s eyes lit up again, looking her over and making out minute details about her appearance.

In particular, he noticed how she still looked tired in spite of an uninterrupted six hours of rest, with visible grey lines under her eyes that marred her otherwise amused expression.

“Hard night’s sleep, Twi?”

“N-no, I’m fine,” she answered quickly with a wave of her hoof. “It’s just this blasted twenty-hour solar day and the perpetual light cycle in the Wards. Even when I turn all of my own lights off, it’s like I know in the back of my mind it’s still ‘daytime’ out here.”

Forty-Two observed her mannerisms: The slight tick of an ear, the way her withers and tail twitched, a quickened heart-rate, an eagerness to explain away her condition... These things were not just the result of a few hours’ lost sleep.

The mech made a note in his list of priorities to investigate further at a later time, as the first matter on the day’s agenda was superseded by an automatic door on the far side of the building flashing green and then opening, followed by the stomping of hooves thundering across the metallic floors of the building’s foyer. The noise heralded the arrival of a very irate-looking accountant as she slid to a halt, not bothering with pleasantries before saying what was on her mind.

“Madam President!” Sterling Silver glared, her mane something of a mess as she panted slightly, probably having rushed straight there from her office in the newly-opened “Administration” building next door. “Executive authority aside, you can’t simply do what you like without consulting me first!”

“I just woke up, Sterling.” Twilight, clearly surprised by the approach, tilted her head in a bemused fashion. “I know I’m still new to this ‘Head of the Herd’ thing, but do I really need to consult you about what I decide to have for breakfast?”

Sterling seemed ready to speak up again before remembering herself, taking a deep breath and pushing her recently acquired black-rimmed glasses back up her snout.

“This is no laughing matter, Twilight,” Sterling started again in a more reasonable voice. “We can’t be throwing what few resources we have away like this!”

“What? Do you think we splurged on the alfalfa and oats?” Twilight let out an annoyed sigh, clearly having already lost whatever good humor her night’s sleep and short break with Forty-Two provided. “I told you, I know we’re tight on money but we can’t get by on just hay! I’ve already had to deal with complaints about the lack of fruits and vegetables and--”

“I’m not talking about food!” Sterling stomped a hoof. “I’m talking about the eight metric tons of technical equipment, twelve hundred kilos of Element Zero, assorted raw metallic resources, and the bulk purchase of colonial grade omni-tools that have all been delivered to the lower levels over the last two days! I just got the bill!”

Twilight recoiled, her ears folded down with a worried expression on her face. Sterling didn’t have any of those datapads she was using for record keeping with her, but even without them, her list sounded dangerously expensive on its own.

“What’s all that for?”

“...You mean to tell me that you didn’t know?” Sterling sounded suspicious, as if doubtful that this had been done without the unicorn’s knowledge. “I’ve been keeping track of every request for funding from everypony who wants to try opening up their own business interests, but somepony has been tapping directly into the Herd’s account without any approval and it has completely thrown off my budget!”

Twilight’s eyes widened in realization. Only herself and five other ponies, as well as Sterling, had direct access to the species’ financial account, and she already had a pretty good idea of who was responsible.

“Technical equipment.”

“Yes!”

“Delivered to the lower levels?”

“That’s right.”

“Care of ‘Sugar Cubed Technologies’?”

“So you do know about this!” Sterling’s glare became more accusatory as Forty-Two lowered the sensitivity of his auditory sensors just in time to avoid the oncoming outburst from the pony whose face was now flushing crimson and whose eye had begun to twitch.

“PINKIIIIIEEEEE!!!”

——————

Sugar Cubed Technologies (or, as the makeshift sign over the door read: Sugar³ Tech) was situated inside the largest of the warehouses on the lowest level of New Ponyville’s shelf-like structure. With an unassuming boxy facade that fell back into the bulkhead under the shelf right above it, the ramp leading down into the newly re-purposed “freight holding” facility could have been easily overlooked by any of the other ponies who were going about their business, sorting through the supplies that were still being distributed to the rest of the Herd.

Twilight didn’t mean to be rude as she ignored the occasional wave or calling of her name, trotting at a steady pace towards that one specific warehouse, but she had to deal with this issue immediately. With everything else going on, nopony had paused to think that the manic former party-pony of Equestria might still need supervision.

“What could that mare be thinking!?” Twilight shook her head, trying not to grit her teeth as she steeled herself.

“According to her pre-Exodus records, it may be a futile effort to apply logic to Director Pie’s actions, Madam President,” Forty-Two chirped, having reverted to his “professional” tone now that the two were out in public.

Twilight didn’t respond to this insight as the pair turned into and started down the ramp leading to the inside of the warehouse. At the bottom of the ramp was a set of double doors, in front of which a changeling mech was standing guard. In an alcove slightly off to the side was a desk that had not been there days earlier when Pinkie had toured the building with the Madam President while she petitioned her for its use.

And behind that desk sat a mare, but not just any mare, as Twilight was surprised to see that it was somepony she instantly recognized, yet hardly expected.

It certainly wasn’t Pinkie Pie, as the unicorn, clearly enthralled by the datapad held carefully in her hooves, wore a pair of purple tinted goggles over her horn, nestled between a rich blue mane which offered a contrast to her pearly white coat.

“Vinyl?” Twilight realized, having to rack her brain to remember the former disk jockey’s real name, having been introduced to her on a few occasions, but mostly knowing her by her stage name: DJ-Pon3. “Vinyl Scratch?”

Looking up with her stunning red eyes, the mare all but jumped out from behind the desk upon realizing who had arrived.

“Hey there, Boss!” The mare grinned, moving forward to wrap the stunned purple unicorn in a sudden hug. “I’m surprised to see you here! Welcome to Sugar Cubed, bee-tee-dubs!”

“Uh... thanks,” Twilight replied awkwardly as she patted Vinyl’s shoulder. “It’s good to see you too, Vinyl. But... what are you doing here?”

“Oh! Check it!” Vinyl stepped back, making a grand gesture with one hoof. “I’ve totally upgraded from lowly record spinner! Standing before you is Vinyl Scratch: Acoustic and Harmonic Engineering Specialist, and Number Two Gearhead at Sugar Cubed Technologies!”

“I... see...” Twilight nodded, attempting to maintain her pleasantness in spite of the reason she had come down here. “So, what exactly are you doing?”

“Nothing spectacular at the moment; just making sure we got all of our stock set,” Vinyl admitted, her mood quickly shifting away from enthusiasm a moment before as she rubbed the back of her head with one hoof. “Actually, I’m kinda glad you stopped by. I was starting to think I should, I dunno, talk to somepony about the head honcho ‘round here.”

“You mean... Pinkie, right?” Twilight asked, drawing a quick few nods from the former DJ. “Why? Are you worried about something?”

Vinyl gestured to the mech standing guard.

“This wing-nut bot won’t let anypony into the lab,” she explained, rolling her eyes. “‘Administrator’s orders’ it tells me. I’ve been out here managing the stuff that gets dropped off, and whenever I’m not around, that thing brings it all inside. Unless Pinks has got another exit from the lab I don’t know about, she’s been locked up in there since we got our first shipment. It’s really bizarre.”

Twilight’s brow furrowed in concern. Come to think of it, she hadn’t seen or spoken to Pinkie since that first meeting. As far as she knew, Pinkie wasn’t even aware she had an apartment all to herself in the building shared by her and the other Directors. Twilight had been so busy she hadn’t even stopped to ask about her absence.

“Don’t worry, I’ll get to the bottom of this.”

“Much appreciated, Boss,” the wild-haired unicorn said with a salute of her hoof.

Twilight cringed at the new title being casually thrown out at her, but didn’t say anything as she turned to face the mech, who stared straight ahead with the unwavering intensity of a statue.

“Stand down,” she gave in her best “commanding” voice.

“Primary Administrator authority recognized,” the drone replied, side-stepping out of the way and leaving the door clear.

The doors slid open as Twilight moved past where the mech had been standing.

Two steps in, she nearly tripped over a pile of mechanical equipment, causing Forty-Two to rush forward in order to prevent her from falling into another mess of supplies that were haphazardly piled a few steps away; many of the components appearing quite sharp.

Twilight’s eyes had to adjust to the somewhat muted lighting inside what had been christened “the lab” and felt the overwhelming need to voice her immediate observation as she steadied herself.

“This place is a disaster!” The Madam President shook her head in disgust, her nose crinkling as she looked around.

Half-opened crates sat all around, some of them also being used as tables with devices and paper-thin circuit boards laying out over them. Arranged all around the floor were piles of what looked like sensitive (and likely expensive) technical equipment lumped together with chunks of stone and metallic ores.

On one set of makeshift tables were what looked like a set of hastily-constructed clockwork and gear devices that moved and churned automatically, sending sparks and electrical arcs up and around themselves at random intervals.

What method there may have been to this madness was beyond Twilight, but as she gritted her teeth, the bubbling frustration that had been mounting since Sterling had brought this to her attention finally boiled over.

“PINKIE PIE!” she shouted, moving forward and past a small wall of obstructing crates before she caught sight of a long, straight, bright pink tail swaying around in the air. The pony attached to it was currently bending over, her entire front half obscured underneath one of the improvised shelves, and the shuffling noises she was making made it obvious that she was searching for something. “What in the name of--”

“Twilight!?” the fuschia mare called out suddenly, and her body tensed up, causing her to bang her head on the table with a cringe-worthy clang. With an exclamation of pain that was quickly forgotten, Pinkie exhumed herself from the pile, pulling herself up to face the unicorn as she continued to talk at a blistering pace.

“You’re here already!? Oh, I’m not ready yet am I? Wait, I am? Perfect! Perfect timing! Did I call you? I don’t remember calling you. Oh, wait, no I didn’t! You must have known! That’s why you’re here!”

Her ears slowly lowering, Twilight’s frustration fizzled out as the heat in her chest was replaced by ice water at the sight of her friend’s disheveled state.

Her mane now lay flat against her head, as opposed to the puffed-up, out of control nature it sported in the Equestria simulation. But that wasn’t what concerned her, as this was the state of her mane and tail all the time now that they had exited the virtual world. No, there was much more to her appearance that worried the lavender unicorn at the moment.

Her eyes were wide; wider than usual, twitching intermittently with bright red lines encroaching on the irises, and the dark, puffy bags underneath them made the ones on Twilight’s seem like beauty marks. Her words were rushed, her tongue tripping over itself at a breakneck speed that was a bit too much even for the usually garrulous pony, indicating she was barely keeping track of herself. Her coat was unkempt and stained as well, making it clear that she had taken little time for her own personal upkeep.

Most disturbing of all was the wide, toothy smile that she directed at Twilight, which made her feel incredibly uneasy, and left her scrambling for an explanation as to why her friend was behaving like this.

“Pinkie, you’re a mess! When was the last time you slept?” She paused for a moment, looking the pink earth pony up and down again before continuing. “Or ate... or bathed... or even brushed your coat...? Are those burn marks!?”

“No time! Well, of course there’s time, there’s always time. Time is everywhere! Unless you bottle it... Can you bottle time?” Pinkie tilted her head to the side, looking away thoughtfully as she rubbed a hoof to her chin. “Hmm... Possibly... Maybe if we... No! Can’t start a new project now! Things to do! Gotta get this place going! Care for some coffee?”

“Coffee?” Twilight drew back, now far more worried than before. “What the hay is coffee?”

“Human beverage,” Forty-Two took the liberty to explain. “Originating on Earth, the term covers a large number of dried bean products that are used to create a uniquely flavored drink in much the same manner as tea. Due to the typically high level of caffeine, it is generally used as a stimulant.”

“Good stuff. Great stuff! The best stuff!” Pinkie nodded, reaching out for a large mug and putting it under one of the machines whose purpose had escaped Twilight. The earth pony pressed a tiny button on the top, which caused a stream of something black, steaming, and quite strong-smelling to pour out of a nozzle and into the mug. “Taste takes a little getting used to, but it works! It works so good!”

Pinkie pulled the mug from its place before the machine was even done dispensing, downing the beverage in one quick chug. She then breathed out heavily, her expression relaxing like a junkie getting her fix. “Want some?”

“What...? No!” Twilight’s eyes narrowed, having to shake her head as she remembered why she was even there in the first place. “Pinkie, please! You need to calm down! There’s something important that I need to--”

“OH, YEAH!” Pinkie dropped the mug unceremoniously to the ground before rushing over to a nearby table and sifting through the pile of debris on its surface. “You’re gonna love it! I’ve got it all set up! Just finished working the kinks out of the prototype.”

“Prototype? Pinkie what are you--”

Twilight had no time to respond as Pinkie turned and rushed at her. Her pink friend, carrying some kind of weird, tube-shaped device in each hoof, sidled uncomfortably up close and around the unicorn in the span of a second.

“Don’t move. You might feel a pinch,” she said quickly, and Twilight could feel the tip of something cold press against the base of her neck, as well as near the end of her left foreleg.

“What?”

*chink-hisssssss*

“AH!” Twilight winced as a sharp pain shot down from the back of her neck and another ran up her leg, causing her eyes to clench shut before she felt Pinkie release her. “Ouch! That hurt! Pinkie, what did you just do!?”

“Don’t worry. The medi-gel should be kicking in right... about... now.”

Almost instantly, Twilight felt the pain fade away, replaced by a dull soreness that radiated out from the spots where Pinkie had done... whatever it is she just did.

Looking at her foreleg, Twilight took note of the small discoloration on her fur that indicated a small incision that had been made right along the edge of her fetlock joint. Even now, there was almost no evidence of a wound at all, as the miraculous healing properties of the medi-gel, commonly used throughout the galaxy for a number of medicinal applications, went to work erasing the damage.

Staring at the spot, and at the two discarded metal canisters that now laid on the floor, Twilight felt a renewed wave of heat rush through her chest as the pieces fit together.

It was an implant.

“What the hay is this!? What did you just... inject me with!?” Twilight raised her hoof, her tone just shy of complete outrage.

Pinkie, to her credit, never wavered as she sat back on her haunches, bringing up her own foreleg. The unicorn couldn’t hide the baffled expression on her face as her friend’s leg lit up in a bright orange glow, encapsulated in the kind of holographic panels she had observed in use by the other aliens on the Citadel. It looked almost exactly like the device known as an omni-tool, yet conformed perfectly to Pinkie’s form, almost like a leg-warmer.

“Aaaaaand activating!” the pink pony said excitedly, as she looked up expectantly at Twilight while pointing at her with her other hoof.

The Madam President was momentarily distracted by a slight tingling at the base of her skull, before nearly jumping backwards as her own outstretched leg also spontaneously generated a series of orange panels similar to the ones on Pinkie’s.

“Congratulations, Twilight!” Pinkie nodded, grinning widely. “You are now the proud owner of the second ever omni-hoof, version one-point-two!”

“I... Wow...” was all that Twilight could say as her earlier anger was overcome by sheer curiosity. She marveled at the high-tech display, flexing and moving along with her leg as if it was a part of her own body.

“It’s a fairly basic model, but it still comes complete with a full micro-manufacturing suite and omni-gel dispenser, as well as standard personal computing software,” Pinkie explained, her tone going quickly from creepy and sleep-deprived to one of academic enthusiasm. “Kinda light on the apps right now since I still need to program them to work with the neural transmitter. But give me a couple more weeks and we should have access to most of the usual features. Good thing we evolved to make that sort of technical interaction easy or changing the interface configuration for hoof use would have been a whole different curve-ball.”

“Neural transmitter?” Twilight’s free hoof went to the back of her head, feeling the slightly-raised portion of the skin beneath her fur where the new technology now resided. Despite the implications, the sensation of the foreign object only served to reignite the anger she had felt at this very personal violation of her body. “You put something in my head!?”

“Of course not, silly! That would be dangerous.” Pinkie Pie smiled. “The transmitter's in your neck at the top of the spine.”

“That’s beside the point!” Twilight managed to draw herself away from her new tool, stomping her hoof with enough force that a few of the scattered bits and pieces of tech surrounding them shuddered where they sat. “No matter what your intentions were, you can’t just... just... do something like that without my permission!”

The withering glare Twilight shot at the other pony, accompanied by her very visible indignation, finally seemed to break through Pinkie’s off-putting behavior, and the smile slowly slid down her face. The mare’s ears drooped slightly, and she lowered her head along with her leg, which blinked out as Pinkie disabled her own gadget.

“Twilight, I... I didn’t realize that...” The pink mare’s speech slowed down for the first time during the encounter, and she sighed heavily, clearly remorseful. “I’m sorry... You’re right. I shouldn’t have done that without asking you first. I can remove it right away, if you want. It won’t take long.”

The unicorn’s next words seized in her throat upon hearing the tone of Pinkie’s voice, and she allowed her emotions to gently deflate, realizing that her friend’s actions, while poorly thought out, nonetheless came with the best intentions. She couldn’t truly stay mad at her; after all, there appeared to be been no lasting damage, and now that she thought about it, the possibilities this new “omni-hoof” presented could very well be worth it.

“Pinkie... No, you don’t need to do that...” she stated calmly, bearing no hint of the frustration she had felt before. The unicorn pressed forwards, patting Pinkie gently on the shoulder as she seemed to be on the verge of tears. “I was just surprised, is all. I really like it.”

Pinkie sniffed loudly, bringing her gaze up to look at Twilight as her face began to lighten.

“...Really?”

“Really. Why don’t you go ahead and show me what it can do?”

Staying true to her manic personality, Pinkie’s mood instantly brightened, and the sparkle returned to her otherwise bloodshot eyes as she restarted her omni-hoof and brought it up for Twilight to see, launching headfirst into the details.

Sitting at rapt attention, Twilight observed as Pinkie made her invention run through several applications without so much as touching it. Among the images that flashed across the transparent holograms, Twilight saw pictures of Pinkie taken from the awkward angle of her own hoof, along with a couple of video sequences apparently grabbed off the extranet. She even demonstrated that the omni-hoof was capable of playing sounds, as one of the videos came accompanied by a thumping bass arrangement that reverberated in the unicorn’s large ears. After displaying a number of other nifty features, she went on to explain how exactly her miraculous gadget worked.

“It’s a perfectly safe, non-magnetic, one-way implant,” Pinkie explained sagely. “The transmitter up near the brainstem translates direct thought processes into coded instructions and sends them down to the projector near the base of the hoof. I only have the most basic commands online so far, but software updates can take care of the rest. Once I get the apps designed and streamlined, we’ll be able to access them without the complicated manual interface that the original uses. Our evolution inside Equestria made it simple since our brain patterns are designed to be easily read.”

“So...” Twilight looked down at her upraised leg, still wrapped around in the glowing orange lines and surfaces. “To turn it off, I just have to think about--”

The holograms shut down at once, leaving the unicorn’s hoof looking unremarkable and plain as she carefully set it back down on the ground, as if afraid she might break it.

“Now you’re getting it! Way more convenient than how other species use it, right? You know how they hold their limb at a certain angle and it turns on? That’s why you see them all hold their arms so awkwardly to use it. There are a few apps that use neural cues, but those are mostly on top-grade military models; like for weapon systems and whatnot. But we’re Equestrians! We don’t need no stinking buttons!” Pinkie giggled, before her shoulders slumped slightly and her face drooped again. “You know what this calls for? More coffee! You have got to try this stuff, Twilight!”

Pinkie turned, but was suddenly stymied as a glowing purple aura engulfed her, gently lifting her hooves off the floor and preventing her from moving forward.

“Woooah! Okay... very funny, Twilight!” Pinkie mused for a moment before she turned in the unicorn’s biotic grip. “Couldja please put me down now? I need to get back to work.”

“Not now, Pinkie. In fact, that’s what I’m worried about,” Twilight replied, having spent enough time going over the fruits of Pinkie’s labor and turning her attention to the effect it was having on her friend. “First off, what could’ve possibly possessed you to raid our budget in order to buy all this junk?”

“You told me I was free to get anything I needed, and I need all this junk!” Pinkie shrugged her shoulders as she remained floating in midair. “None of it’s going to waste, really, so it’s not an issue, right?”

“That doesn’t mean you can abuse your privileges as Director to access our account without telling anypony!” Twilight said sternly. Then, she closed her eyes, gently releasing her pink friend from her biotic grasp while allowing herself a steadying breath through her nose. “But you’re right. It’s not the real issue at the moment. The real issue is you!”

“Me?” Pinkie tilted her head with a degree of confusion as she steadied herself on the floor. “That’s crazy-talk, Twilight! There’s nothing wrong with me; I’m fiddle as a fit! Wait... that’s not right. Donkey-horey? No, all systems at one cent per hundred!”

“Listen to yourself, Pinkie! You’re practically falling apart at the seams! You need to take a break and get out of this lab! Get some real food, take a shower, and for Celestia’s sake, get some sleep!”

“Sleep?” Pinkie seemed almost offended by the concept as her own eyes narrowed. “I’ve been sleeping my whole life! And now that I’ve found a way to really contribute to the Herd, you want me to just stop? The omni-hoof is just the beginning! We need this technology to work if we’re going to get anywhere! So what if I pulled one teensy allnighter?”

“An... allnighter?” the unicorn asked dubiously. “Pinkie, do you have any idea how long you’ve been cooped up in here?”

“Uhhh... Lemme think...” The pink pony paused, taken aback by the question. “You... left for that meeting with Miss Bossybankerpants about eleven hours ago, right?”

“It has been approximately fifty-two hours, twenty minutes, and seventeen seconds since the initial meeting with Treasurer Silver concluded,” Forty-Two spoke up helpfully from his position behind the Madam President.

Pinkie turned and squinted at Twilight’s assistant, deepening the lines under her eyes as she appeared to notice his presence for the first time.

“…Are you suuuure?” Pinkie asked the mech flatly in a disbelieving tone.

“Ugh!” Twilight set her hoof to her face, amazed that Pinkie could have lost track of time in such a manner. “Look, don’t get me wrong. I appreciate your dedication, Pinkie. You’re an absolutely vital asset to the Herd right now and we all know it, but you won’t do anypony any good if you run yourself into the ground like this! This place is in shambles! I don’t even know how you’re getting anything done in your condition, and don’t get me started on how much it’s costing us with you ordering all of this equipment, especially since it’s all just lying on the floor!”

“I can’t help it!” the party mare blurted out suddenly, and her legs began to buckle as she burned through the last of the coffee in her system. “I was so excited to get the omni-hoof project underway, then I got a new idea and I needed new materials to work on that... then another idea needed to be hammered out, so--”

Twilight reached up a hoof, setting it against Pinkie’s lips and silencing her as she sighed.

She knew this pattern all too well; one that she herself could admit to having fallen into during her various studies. A question about an obscure reference led from one book to another... then another... then another, as the younger filly Twilight would eagerly devour tome after tome until the moon had long set and the sun had risen again.

“It’s obvious what the problem is...” the Madam President said, shaking her head slowly. “You’re just one pony; you can’t do everything by yourself. Find some assistants and work out a plan. I can tell Vinyl’s only too willing to help, and I’m sure there are other technically-adept ponies you can ask. Then, you need to prioritize. Pick one... one project, and stick with it.”

“But--”

“No buts! Now, you have all of this equipment and we can’t exactly send it back, so what were you doing with it?”

“Research and development, what else?” Pinkie shrugged, unable to stop a huge yawn that escaped her muzzle. “We need our own tech to make it easier to deal with the rest of the galaxy, as well as something we can sell to the other species for a profit. But I was also wanting to see if I can tinker around with the Changelings a little... But then again... I just...”

Pinkie yawned again, her eyes growing half-lidded as her body and mind were clearly giving up the fight against the inevitable.

“Okay, Pinkie: Here’s what we’re going to do,” Twilight nodded, her eyes closed as her tone booked no argument. “You are going to get some sleep. After you wake up, take a shower and make yourself presentable. When you’re done with that, you, Vinyl and I will have a meeting over breakfast tomorrow and we can narrow down our options.”

“Madam President,” Forty-Two interrupted, but he was unheard by the unicorn as she continued.

“You’re one of my best friends, and I’m not about to let you drive yourself crazy over something like this just because you can. What we’re doing here is too important to just--”

“Twilight!” Forty-Two spoke up again, more sternly, drawing the unicorn’s eyes for a moment before nodding at the pony lying on the ground at her hooves.

Pinkie Pie’s eyes were screwed shut, her body curled up tightly as her chest rose and fell at a steady, slow rhythm. Her unicorn friend let out a sigh, her worried heart put at ease by the sight of the hyperactive mare actually sleeping soundly, while only occasionally mumbling to herself in her dreams. As quietly as she could, the unicorn turned and gingerly navigated her way back to the laboratory entrance, careful not to knock over any loose equipment.

As Pinkamina Diane Pie, Director of Technology, slept, Twilight left her in the capable hooves of Vinyl Scratch, relating to her their plan of action and reassigning Pinkie’s mech to follow the more levelheaded unicorn’s instructions. The first of which was to fetch the Director a blanket and to make sure nopony disturbed her for at least a full twelve hours while the Madam President carried on with her own duties.

The second of which was to find an appropriate place to “dispose” of Pinkie’s coffee machine.

Before they left, Forty-Two took a moment to enter a new log.

Sugar³ Tech meeting scheduled. Division assets frozen pending proposals for the laboratory’s first priority.

*Updating Codex*

*Director Pinkie Pie: updated*
*Sugar³ Technologies: updated*
*Omni-hoof: updated*

——————

Several hours had passed since Twilight and Forty-Two had left Pinkie Pie in Vinyl’s care back at Sugar Cubed, and to the Madam President’s delight, for once, things seemed to be running smoothly as ponies were finally getting their own affairs in order.

She had even managed to get through lunch without interruption by some crisis or concern that needed mediation, allowing Twilight some peace and quiet to familiarize herself with her new omni-hoof’s functions over a humble meal of vegetable broth with a side of oats.

“Madam President,” Forty-Two suddenly spoke up with an air of hesitation.

Well, she almost made it through lunch.

“What is it, Forty-Two?”

“Was Director Dash given approval to bar entry of alien civilians from New Ponyville?”

“...Noooo,” Twilight drew out the word, dreading the answer to the next logical query. “Why?”

“Because Changeling Unit Twelve of Twenty is reporting that Director Dash is currently barring entry of alien civilians from New Ponyville.”

“Unngghhh...” Twilight allowed herself a soft moan as her work beckoned, leaving her half-full bowl of oats behind.

——————

“Rainbow... what do you think you’re doing?”

Twilight and her assistant approached the prismatically-maned mare a short time later, shaking her head and amazed by the intensity with which her pegasus friend was glaring at the elevator that connected New Ponyville with the neighboring District 1285. This was in spite of the two mechs already having taken up position at either side of the door.

“Standing guard!” Rainbow Dash answered, her demeanor stern. “Ever since AJ started heading out into the other districts looking for work for everypony, we’ve had multiple attempted security breaches!”

Twilight blinked once.

“Security breaches?” she asked incredulously.

“Yeah! There were these shady-looking humans that were trying to get in this morning just to
‘see what was going on.’ Likely story! And then there were a bunch of alien kids at the other elevator standing around and gawking at us like we were some kind of sideshow!”

Rainbow shook her head with a disgusted huff.

“One of them had the nerve to ask if they could ride me! I mean, come on! This isn’t a petting zoo, and I’m not an amusement park ride! Sheesh!”

“Aaaaaand...” Twilight gave her friend a worried look, trying to figure out why she was trying to sound like Commander Hurricane from the old Equestrian Hearth’s Warming stories. “...this is what you’ve been doing with your time?”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Rainbow Dash shot back at the unicorn testily. “I’m trying to keep potential threats out of New Ponyville, Twilight!”

The pegasus huffed aggressively, clearly taking offense to the insinuation that her valiant efforts were being wasted.

“We have to protect what’s ours! Isn’t that why you made me Director of Defense?”

“Oh, for the love of...” Twilight shook her head, feeling a headache coming on as she set a hoof to one temple. “Defending the Herd doesn’t mean literally defending the gates, Dash! We aren’t living in a bubble here, and just because somepony isn't one of us doesn’t mean they should be turned away outright!”

“I’m just trying to keep us safe! I heard about what happened with that Jex guy!” Rainbow threw a hoof up as she turned back towards the unicorn. “We have to be ready for anything! Who knows what that gasbag might be planning?” Rainbow’s voice dropped, causing her to shake her head. “This is supposed to be our home now, Twilight. What good is it if we can’t protect it from aliens?”

“Rainbow, we are living on a space station. An alien space station. We are literally surrounded by aliens!” Twilight pointed out. “Said aliens are not our enemies here, and in case you didn’t realize, we need to generate an economy!”

“What does that have to do with anything?” the blue mare asked, clearly not understanding the connection.

“Think, Rainbow! Why do you think we’re putting so much effort into starting up local industries? It’s not for us, it’s for visitors! If we don’t have any hoof traffic through the district, then we’re not going to get any business!” the Madam President lectured for a moment, lamenting the fact that apparently she needed to impress the situation into her friend’s thick skull. “No visitors means no credits. No credits means we can’t provide for ourselves.”

“I thought going out to make money was Applejack’s job.”

“To generate capital, Dash!” Twilight shook her head, attempting to point out the basics of economics for her friend. “She’s trying to get us enough to get started! The goal of her efforts isn’t to generate profit, it’s to help set up an open market so that we can actually afford to feed and equip ourselves.”

“Oh yeah, because an open market will be sooo helpful. Especially when the Reapers come knocking down our door. Or did you forget about those--”

“Rainbow Dash!” Twilight raised her voice in a manner that immediately set the speed-demon pegasus back a step.

There was a moment of tense silence between the two as violet and magenta eyes held one another in a lock. Much to Rainbow’s surprise, she found herself drawing back and away from the former scholar’s hardened expression.

“Don’t you dare think for a second that I’ve forgotten about that,” Twilight stated through clenched teeth, her tone sharply edged. A barely perceptible shiver ran across the length of her body as she was reminded of just what was at stake. “But our priority for now should be securing our future in the galaxy. Then we can start preparing for--”

*Ding*

The elevator a short distance away emitted a cheerful chime as the green holographic symbols in the center blinked once before fading out, indicating that the elevator had just finished ferrying its occupant from the neighboring district, which sat lower on the Ward arm. Taking both pony’s attention as the door opened, an alien form exited with two steps of his long, backwards-jointed legs.

Towering over the gathered changeling mechs and nearby ponies was a turian; the first that Twilight had seen since the pilot she had met days earlier. This was also the first one that the Madam President had ever seen without some sort of armor, instead clad in a simple blue outfit with white stripes running horizontally down either arm. His angular, predatory face, which was really the only part of his body actually exposed due to the gloves and leggings of his outfit, was a ruddy brown color that immediately reminded Twilight of tree bark, marked by several bright red stripes that were painted down the sides of his face in an odd geometric pattern. Strapped over one shoulder was what looked like a heavily-packed duffel bag, his other clawed hand holding a metallic case that was stamped with a blue symbol that neither Rainbow or Twilight had ever seen before.

Much to the Director of Defense’s surprise, neither of the changeling mechs moved into his path or challenged him as the turian stepped out of the elevator and onto the floor of New Ponyville.

“Oh jeez, not another one!” Rainbow huffed, a very slight cyan aura wrapping around her body as she levitated from the ground and zipped forward in front of the turian. “Hold up! What do you think you’re doing?”

The turian tilted his head as he looked over the pony that was now at eye level with him, his expression impossible to read by the two Equestrians.

“Excuse me?” the turian uttered, put off by the obstruction as he shifted slightly, setting down the metal case.

“Rainbow!” Twilight chastised, her tone drawing an agitated snort from the pegasus, who rounded about in midair to face the Madam President. “Forget what he’s doing! What are you doing?”

“Look at him, Twi! He’s pretty much packed up and ready to move in! Next thing you know we’ll have some nutjob waltzing in here with a...”

Twilight’s eyes widened suddenly, drawing back half a step with a gasp as a fearful expression ran over her face that not even Rainbow could have missed.

Eyes glued to the corner of her vision, the pegasus angled her wings to slowly turn back towards the turian.

And found herself staring down a device composed of cold black metal and grey plastic, held up by the biped at arm’s length. The design was as organic and alien as the creature that was holding it, but there could be no doubt: Rainbow was staring down the barrel of a pistol.

"...gun," the pegasus uttered.

There was a tense silence in the air for a few moments as nothing and nobody moved.

Rainbow, her wings flapping noiselessly to keep her body stabilized and upright, didn’t even flinch, narrowing her eyes and looking her would-be assassin directly in his own.

“If you pull that trigger, you’d better hope it does the job...” the pegasus growled, a dangerous edge in her voice. “Because if my friends don’t take you down, I will.”

The turian held her gaze for a moment more, his mandibles moving reflexively, before he blinked, and followed it up with a throaty chuckle.

“Well, I’ll be damned,” the alien spoke in the strange, reverberating tone indicative of his species, while he shook his head, clearly amused. “The ponies have some steel in their spines.”

“You’re half right. It’s Element Zero,” Rainbow remarked calmly, while never once taking her eyes off of the turian or his weapon. “Uh... Twi? Feel free to jump in at any time.”

“You’re safe, Rainbow,” Twilight assured her friend, although the scowl on her face that was now directed towards the turian indicated she was far from pleased with the situation. “There’s no thermal clip in that gun. He couldn’t fire it if he wanted to.”

“Observant too,” the alien remarked, lowering the weapon as he took a more relaxed stance. “Good to know.”

Rainbow Dash was up in the turian’s face almost the instant that he had lowered the weapon, nearly snout to nose as she fought off the urge to do something which would result in him needing medical attention.

“WHO THE HAY DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, COMING IN HERE AND WAVING A GUN AROUND!?” she shouted, although the target of her anger still wore a placid expression even in the face of her words. “IS THAT HOW YOU SAY ‘HELLO’ IN TURIAN!?”

“As a matter of fact, it is,” the alien stated stoically, a calm admission that caught Rainbow by surprise as he collapsed the pistol and set it into a hidden holster at his hip. “At least that’s how I was raised. You can learn a great deal about any sentient creature by gauging its reaction to sudden and imminent danger. It’s how I get to know people.”

The stranger’s left arm drew back to his side, causing Rainbow to rear back in preparation to dive forward and plant her hooves in his chest, before she realized his three-fingered hand was wrapped around a small case.

“As for who ‘the hay’ I think I am, as you so eloquently put it...” The turian opened the case, revealing a shining silver badge in the shape of the now-familiar icon of Citadel Security. “Lieutenant Taxar Pyres. C-Sec Enforcement Division. I’m Twelve-Eighty-Six’s new station officer.”

Rainbow’s wings stopped beating at the introduction, and the realization of who she was dealing with caused her to plant herself on her hooves.

“And who might you be?” the turian continued.

“Rainbow Dash,” the pegasus nodded, a small grin forming at the corner of her mouth. “Director of Defense of the Equestrian Herd; your new boss.”

“Sorry to burst your bubble, Director, but that’s not how this works.” Pyres shook his head, keeping his tone level and professional. “I’m a liaison officer. I’m supposed to work with you on security matters, not for you.”

“I wasn’t expecting you until tomorrow, Lt. Pyres,” Twilight stated, her tone icy.

“Technically, I’m off duty today. I decided it was probably best to go ahead and bring my gear over before things became official,” Pyres explained with a bored expression. “Just direct me to my security station and I’ll get settled.”

“Of course...” Twilight turned to her friend, who was still clearly fuming over the turian’s introduction. “Rainbow, there are some things I need to discuss with Lt. Pyres. Could you let the other Directors know that he’s arrived?”

“One of the changelings can relay the message.” The pegasus waved a hoof dismissively as she kept her eyes trained on the turian. “I, on the other hoof, have a few more questions for Mister Sensitive over here.”

“Rainbow!” Twilight’s voice became edged again, which did draw her friend’s attention, the change in the blustering winged pony’s demeanor obvious to the C-Sec officer.

“But--”

“I need to speak with the Lieutenant... privately.”

The two ponies were quiet for a few seconds before the blue furred mare nodded, reaching up to run her hoof down the back of her head.

“Okay, Twi. Just... let me know if you need me.”

“I will,” the unicorn nodded as her friend propelled herself forward, sailing easily through the air and towards the upper levels while leaving a short wake of transparent cyan-colored energy behind her.

“And here I thought that was just special effects...” Pyres shrugged, before nodding. “Well, Madam President Sparkle. It’s good to--”

“Don’t you ever...” the unicorn glared, her voice a few degrees short of scalding and her teeth bared as she dug into the deck below them aggressively. “...do anything like that again!”

“A minor cultural faux-pas. Hardly worth getting upset over--”

“That’s manure and we both know it!” Twilight continued, her voice edged in outrage. “There is no such philosophy or cultural basis anywhere in Turian society that suggests pulling a weapon on a being you’ve just met is in any way a good idea!”

“And I suppose you’re an expert on Turian culture?” Lt. Pyres asked, and if he had any eyebrows, Twilight was certain one of them would be raised.

“As a matter of fact... I am!” the Madam President declared with confidence.

“Then I think I’ll go ahead and take off the kid gloves.” Pyres shifted his shoulders, setting his duffel bag on the deck. “As I’m sure you’ve noticed, I’m not exactly thrilled to be here. I’m here because I was the one put in charge of this district’s security.”

Crossing his arms, he continued.

“I’m here because some paper pushing desk jockey up on the Presidium doesn’t particularly care for my attitude, or my methods, even though I get results. This...” Pyres cast an arm out, motioning towards the rest of New Ponyville. “...is supposed to be my ‘punishment.’ So, here I am: The laughingstock of my entire division, playing with the colorful Equestrians while other officers are busy actually stopping criminals.”

Pyres leaned forwards, making his point by jabbing a finger in Twilight’s direction.

“But I still have my pride, so while I’m here, I’m gonna do my damn job, and I’m gonna do it well. I’ve worked ten years in the Wards, and I’ve won out in situations that would make your feisty blue friend soil her fur, so I’m more than qualified. But doing my job and liking it are two entirely different things, and there’s nothing in the regs that says I have to be friendly with the local conclave. If you don’t like it, by all means, call for a replacement.”

Satisfied that he had driven his point home, the turian resumed his relaxed posture.

“Get where I’m coming from?”

“Oh, I get where you’re coming from, Lieutenant,” Twilight nodded, her tone flat.

“Good.”

Twilight pushed herself up onto two legs, bringing her eyes nearly level with the turian and eliminating his need to look down on her.

Her expression was far from relenting.

“Now here’s where I’m coming from,” she declared sternly. “What you see here in this district is all that’s left my entire race. Two hundred and ninety-seven ponies who, until recently, had safe, happy lives, and a home to call their own. Now that’s gone, and all we have left is this space, and each other. And I don’t care if that’s something you find childish, Lieutenant. Because let me make one thing perfectly clear to you...”

Twilight bore down on the turian, who, as a credit to his discipline, neither flinched away or made some chiding comment while the unicorn vented a week’s worth of frustration at him.

“My people are not a joke, and this is not a foalsitting assignment!” Twilight glowered. “Whatever your impression of us may be, I want you to understand right now that I am not going to tolerate some gun-toting hard-case of a guard who thinks he’s a laughingstock because he’s forced to be around us! And I am certainly not going to allow you to degrade, disrespect, and humiliate my friends for your own amusement because you think we require kid gloves!”

“Madam President...” the changeling standing behind the unicorn spoke up, making its presence known and causing Twilight to catch herself as she realized that her horn had flared into a brilliant purple, motes of dark energy swirling around its base.

Taking a deep breath and dismissing the biotic energy before it could build enough to release, Twilight kept her eyes on the turian, who continued to watch her impassively as she continued on, ignoring the aching sensation her two-legged stance was producing.

“This Herd and everypony in it is precious to me, and I won’t hesitate to defend them from anything and anyone that would dare to threaten them. And just for your information: That little stunt you just pulled a few minutes ago? If I hadn’t been told you were coming and these mechs hadn’t been informed of your authority in this matter... you would be a corpse right now.”

Pyres’s eyes flickered for the first time... just for a moment to either side... towards the jet black mechs that were still standing impassively at his left and right. His expression remained unreadable.

“That’s where I’m coming from.”

Twilight, unable to hold her position any longer, fell back to all fours, although seriously disliking the fact that she had to crane her neck to look up at the turian again.

“Am I understood, Lieutenant?”

The two stared at one another for a moment longer before the alien answered.

“And my security station would be...?”

Twilight’s scowl intensified, but after several seconds with no confirmation forthcoming, she chose to end the confrontation now, before she did something she would regret.

“Top level. Building has a C-Sec insignia. I think you know it.”

The turian nodded, reaching down to retrieve his case and duffel bag.

“I won’t even bother unpacking,” he said simply in a monotone voice before moving past the unicorn.

“Twelve of Twenty, Nineteen of Thirty,” Twilight spoke up suddenly when he had managed to put a few paces between them. “Escort Lt. Pyres to his security station.”

“I don’t require an escort.” Pyres glowered as the two mechs from in front of the door moved to action, immediately placing themselves in flanking positions of the turian.

“It’s not a request.”

The turian’s mandibles clicked slightly before he let off a gruff sigh, apparently deciding not to argue with it as the two mechs remained in step with the turian.

Once he was out of sight and out of earshot, the Madam President let out a grating sound that was part groan, part scream of frustration which Forty-Two found he could not identify.

“The NERVE! Pointing a gun in Rainbow’s face and then trying to wave it off as a cultural misunderstanding!? Does he think we’re idiots!?”

“Apparently,” the A.I. answered.

“Forty-Two!” Twilight turned on her mech with a distasteful expression.

“You asked, I merely answered.” The mech shrugged, now speaking freely as the two were now alone.

“Why didn’t the changelings respond to the threat!?” Twilight demanded, trying to make sense of what she had explained away to the turian as a result of the mechs being informed of his arrival, which she now only considered part of the answer.

“The C-Sec Series M-7 Paladin is a standard thermal clip weapon. Without the clip in place, Director Dash was never in any real danger and thus retaliation protocols were never triggered.”

“It’s not that she wasn’t in danger, that’s not the point! He aimed a weapon at my friend! And he did it out of sport!” Twilight fumed, taking exactly one second to come to a definite conclusion. “Forty-Two, take a message and send it to whoever the hay is in charge of this region! I am not about to trust the protection of our home to that... that...”

“I’m afraid I can’t let you do that, Twilight.”

“Why not!?” The unicorn rounded on the mech, who hadn’t so much as raised his voice at all.

“You’re upset. Executive decisions of this nature should never be made while you are this emotional.”

“And you have the authority to prevent me from making a decision?”

“Given your current state, yes,” Forty-Two nodded. “As your Number One Assistant, it’s just another one of my responsibilities.”

“And do you think there’s some reason we should keep him around?”

“I’ll prepare an executive packet for your review tomorrow after you have had some time to calm down,” Forty-Two stated, neither answering Twilight’s query or relenting in his assertion. “At which time, you will be better able to make a more level-headed choice.”

Files relating to C-Sec Lieutenant Taxar Pyres, and all associated documentation, compiled for further review.

Addendum: Gauge Madam President’s emotional state before revisiting the issue to ensure fair consideration of given options.

*Updating Codex*

*Director Rainbow Dash: updated*

——————

Twilight’s foul mood following her introduction to New Ponyville’s C-Sec representative was not quickly forgotten. And several hours later, after a particularly tense standoff with the self-declared “Director of Culture” over the frivolity of her proposed “investment opportunity” ended with Rarity refusing to speak with the Madam President until she eventually came around, Forty-Two decided it would be prudent to cancel the rest of Twilight’s scheduled appointments for the next solar day.

“I don’t recall telling you that you could do that,” Twilight snapped slightly towards her assistant as she prodded the pile of bland, colorless sprouts that made up her dinner.

“Part of my function is to take initiative in regards to your well-being, Madam President,” Forty-Two offered evenly. “And your current emotional state is counterproductive to your ability to effectively offer mediation or administrative direction.”

“So you’re going to force me to take a break whenever I get upset?”

“No, but I’m going to attempt to ensure you follow your own advice to Director Pie, Twilight.” The changeling nodded. “You should get some rest. Even if you don’t sleep, perhaps you should spend time familiarizing yourself with the omni-hoof. Or if you prefer, I can find some reading material for you. There’s no limit of fictional works by human, turian, and asari authors. Although it seems the Elcor, Salarians, and Hanar have very little to offer in that respect.”

Twilight huffed with a bit of amusement, shaking her head as the mech continued.

“Also, as I understand it, your omni-hoof should have access to the extranet. There are several classic human vids that seem to have been inspirations for various Equestrian novels that could be downloaded. Or, you could--”

The mech dropped off suddenly, the lights on his antenna-like ears flashing.

“I could... what, Forty-Two?” Twilight asked. “Come on, those were starting to sound pretty promising.”

“Unscheduled shuttle is arriving at the New Ponyville Docks. Seventeen of Twenty is observing.”

“Ugh!” Twilight laid her head down on the observation level table that had become her usual place to eat. “Please tell me it’s not Kailer. I am so not in the mood to put up with him again”

“It is not Jex Kailer,” Forty-Two informed her.

“Now tell me that you’re not just saying that because I asked you to say that.”

“I am not just saying that because--”

“Forty-Two!” Twilight snapped, lifting her head with a huff and clearly not amused by the mech’s attempted humor this time. “Who is it already?”

“Vehicle matches the profile of a Citadel News Net dispatch shuttle. Driver identified as Emily Wong.”

At this, Twilight perked slightly.

“Miss Wong? The reporter that interviewed Pinkie? The one that knows Shepard?”

“Affirmative. Stand by, she is approaching Seventeen of Twenty. Opening direct audio feed.”

The light in the changeling’s green eyes shifted into a single horizontal line again, as Twilight has observed several days earlier, and Forty-Two emitted a burst of static that always occurred when he synced his own output to another of his fellow mechs.

“Hello?” the familiar human woman’s voice came over mech’s speakers, the lines across his eyes spiking in a manner to illustrate the received audio data. “I’m sorry, can you help me? I’m Emily Wong: Citadel News Net. I’m trying to get in contact with a representative of the Equestrian Herd. It’s urgent.”

“Please state the nature of your emergency,” came the response of the non-sapient changeling drone.

“Oh, no! I’m sorry, it’s not an emergency, I just don’t have a lot of time and I didn’t really have any other way to contact them.”

“Administration is being informed of your request. Please stand by,” the drone responded.

“Thanks! I’ll just wait over by my shuttle, then.”

Twilight found herself torn as she listened. Honestly, she wasn’t really feeling up for a face to face meeting, but on the other hoof she also didn’t feel like it was right to ignore the woman who had helped introduce her people to the general public.

“Forty-Two, can she hear me?” the Madam President asked curiously, unsure as to the extent of the connection that her own assistant shared with the less advanced changelings.

“If required, I can form a two-way audio-link with little difficulty,” the changeling nodded, his eyes shifting back to their usual glow as he spoke with his own voice.

“Okay, do it.”

Forty-Two nodded before emitting another burst of static and speaking up, his voice taking on a strangely reverberant quality as if speaking in duet with the more clipped prerecorded vocal option of the standard drone.

“Dual audio-link established.”

She was already quite familiar with the concept of comms and direct communication over distances; something that was taken for granted by the citizens of the galaxy. But this was still something of a novelty to her as she had grown up in a far less technologically advanced environment.

Actually, now that she thought about it, this wasn’t too different from one of Spike’s primary functions back in Equestria, sending messages directly to her one-time mentor.

She shook off that feeling of nostalgia however, realizing she had to focus on the task at hoof.

“Hello?” Twilight tried, testing out this new function.

“Huh?” Emily sounded surprised at first, but quickly realized what was happening as she suddenly spoke up. “Oh! Yes, hello. My name is Emily Wong, I was trying to get in touch with somebody... oh... would that be, somepony in the Herd’s Administration?”

“Well, Miss Wong, you won’t have any trouble there.” The unicorn allowed herself a slight smirk. “This is Twilight Sparkle. What can I do for you today?”

“Oh, Madam President... I didn’t realize I was getting sent straight to the top,” Emily sounded surprised, but quickly shook it off. “I wish I could say that I was here on a social visit, but there are some things I thought you should be made aware of and I didn’t have any other way of contacting you except to come out here myself.”

Twilight set her forehooves together, trying to steel herself for whatever the investigative reporter might be talking about.

“What seems to be the problem, Miss Wong?”

“Well, as I’m sure you know, News Net and a few other media outlets have been carrying footage of the Herd’s arrival, my interview with Miss Pie, your Council sessions, and some analysis point-counterpoint debates involving the Herd, all of which have been the highlight of the last few news cycles.”

“I was aware we had made the local news, but I didn’t think that it was still that big of a deal. I mean, it’s been over a week since we arrived.” Twilight shrugged, although she wasn’t sure why as the human couldn’t exactly see her. In fact, Twilight found herself musing about how awkward it might have been for Emily to be speaking with the mech that was emitting her voice. “I kind of figured we would have been bumped off the presses by something more interesting by now.”

“Local news?” the reporter said with a laugh. “Well, I understand that you’ve probably been busy, Madam President. But to put it mildly: The Equestrian Herd story is running through Council Space like wildfire. Ratings and viewership are the highest they’ve been since the Battle of the Citadel, and the extranet is all but overflowing with commentary on the subject. There’s talk that my interview with Pinkie may be put in for this year’s Meteoria Media Award. ”

Twilight was taken back for a moment, having hardly realized that the arrival of her people on the Citadel could have caused such an impact on a galaxy of trillions. She had hardly expected them to be noticed at all beyond the Citadel’s local audience, let alone become a galaxy-wide sensation. Although in retrospect, perhaps that explained the flow of charity donations that was still coming in, even though they had made no attempt to capitalize on it.

“Oh... Uh... Congratulations?” Twilight offered, unsure what else to say before she decided simply to voice that fact. “I’m still not sure I understand why you felt the need to come up here to New Ponyville though.”

“Oh, that’s right! I’m here because, quite simply, the people want more!” Emily explained, her smile coming across clearly in her tone. “You’re big news, Twilight Sparkle. And my producer and I think it would be a great opportunity for us to indulge our audience’s desires.”

Twilight leaned back in her seat, taking a moment to consider the human’s proposal.

On the one hoof, they were still getting settled, and as Rainbow had put it earlier that day, they were not there for the rest of the galaxy to gawk at. She appreciated that Emily had the courtesy to ask permission rather than just rush in with a camera drone to get whatever footage she could for as long as she could get away with it, but at the same time, it might be in the Herd’s best interests to simply turn her away for the time being or at least reschedule for a later date.

On the other hoof... Emily made a good point. After Pinkie’s interview, the interest generated resulted in the Council’s agreeing to meet with her after they had originally refused. Without that extra boost of public awareness, she might have never been able to argue the Herd’s case or gotten consideration enough to get so much as a building to call their own, let alone an entire Ward district. And besides, free press might also help bring that hoof-traffic that she had been so animatedly telling Rainbow that New Ponyville needed.

“What did you have in mind, Miss Wong?”

“A raw look at the Equestria Herd,” Emily continued, clearly pleased to hear that the unicorn was considering her proposal. “My producer and news editor are just waiting for your approval and I can perform on-the-spot interviews with the everyday Equestrian. Give the general galactic public an idea of what your citizenry is like up close and live so that our viewers know nothing is being hidden.”

Live?

As in unscripted? Unrehearsed? With no time for editing or correction?

The concept took a moment to sink in as Twilight considered the implications. Asking questions among the average, random members of the Herd?

On one hoof, that might not be so bad.

On the other hoof, it could be utterly disastrous.

Twilight knew all too well that their position on the Citadel was precarious at best and, above all, dependent on the goodwill of at least a majority of the Council. And part of that goodwill was maintained by an agreement she had made to keep quiet about... certain subjects. In particular, it was known that her people had been rescued from a long period of suspended animation after their civilization was decimated some untold number of years ago by an as-yet unmentioned disaster.

But beyond that, any mention of the words “Reaper,” “Equestria Facility,” or “thirty-six million years” had been purposefully kept under wraps to prevent unnecessary issues.

An unwitting slip of the tongue or an unexpected answer could cause any number of problems.

“I’m... not entirely sure that’s a good idea,” Twilight offered. “I mean, my people are still getting settled and... I mean, if you wanted to do an exclusive, I am sure I could oblige.”

“I appreciate the offer, Madam President, but that really wasn’t what my news editor was aiming for.” Emily’s voice sounded a bit put off, but still understanding. “You’re probably the best-known Equestrian in the eyes of the galaxy and an interview with you would probably be seen as something of a governmental address, I’m sure. What we were hoping to get is some time on camera with other members of the Herd.”

“How about a compromise?” Twilight spoke up, an idea striking her suddenly. “I can get in touch with a few of the other members of the Equestrian Board of Directors for a series of live interviews.”

“You mean like Pinkie?” Emily sounded as if she was taking this counteroffer into serious consideration. “That... might just work out. Are they all quite so... lively?”

“Well, no... Pinkie Pie is one of a kind, but I assure you they are all characters in their own rights.” Twilight found herself smiling, thinking about how viewers might react to Rainbow’s outrageous brashness, Fluttershy’s demure softness, Rarity’s cultured tone or Applejack’s farm-raised charm. “I’m afraid that Director Pie is... indisposed at the moment, but the others would likely be more than happy to answer your questions.”

“I think I’d be up for that, though it’ll take some convincing to have my bosses see it your way,” Emily’s repeated her stance. “But really, in the end, it’s your call, Madam President. The last thing I want to do is cause trouble for you.”

Twilight leaned forward, her forelegs on the table as her gaze dropped, considering her options in the matter carefully while the changeling acting as a mouthpiece for both sides of the conversation watched silently, his own voice set aside as he contemplated his mistress’ next words.

——————

Log Entry: 42 of 50 - Day 9 A.E

Assets Acquired:

-10: New Ponyville - The sudden refusal of services and business relations from several volus and turian firms have put a damper on initial attempts to set up Equestrian industries. Given that this is likely due to the influence of Jex Kailer among his business associates, it may be for the best. Other venues are being assessed, but this still has a clear negative impact on New Ponyville's stability.

+10: Sugar³ Technologies - Operated by Director Pie, Sugar³ is a firm that specializes in both development of new Equestrian tech and the rediscovery of ancient Equine artifice.

Update - The omni-hoof ver. 1.2 has been developed by Director Pie in the opening days of New Ponyville’s settlement. The omni-hoof is a modified version of a standard omni-tool designed specifically for Equestrian physiology. Its functions are currently basic.

Codex Update: Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Omni-hoof, Sugar³ Technologies

Author's Note:

Directive Decision
In the Name of Science

After recovering from working herself to a point beyond any organic definition of exhaustion, Director Pinkie Pie is set to attend a meeting with the Madam President to discuss and plan the future of Sugar³ Tech. After gathering research and accepting input from both the Director of Technology and her second in command; Vinyl Scratch, the Madam President has been able to narrow down their options to three possible avenues of development.

Option A: Develop Equestrian Tech - As Pinkie has shown with the development of the first omni-hoof, the Equestrians have not lost their gift for designing new and innovative technologies of their own. Director Pie has several projects in the works that will certainly benefit the Herd in order to “level the playing field,” so to speak. Along with focusing on upgrades to the omni-hoof, this direction would also likely lead to improvements in our people’s personal productivity and protection as well as advances in various galactic fields.

Unfortunately, this would also prevent us from capitalizing on Pinkie’s inventions as the specific tailoring of this research to Equestrians would present a barrier to selling it to other species.

Option B: Develop an Arsenal - Vinyl Scratch may have once been a humble (and somewhat loud) DJ, but despite her upbeat personality, she clearly has not forgotten the events that occurred before being released from Equestria. Vinyl has been adamant in her assertions that the Herd would be best served preparing for the storm to come by developing less-specialized equipment that could be shared with the other races.

Creating new forms of armaments, mods, and supporting technology could easily become a lucrative option as there is always a market for such things. However, while such a pursuit is not strictly speaking “illegal” so long as we follow Citadel conventions and procedures, it could certainly paint the Herd in a poor light.

Option C: Develop Equine Artifice - Aside from the omni-hoof prototype, the only technology the Equestrians truly “own” would be my fellow Changeling Class drones. While currently limited in scope and function, they are nonetheless the last remaining pieces of original Equine technology available, and their value can’t be overstated. While I have chosen to remain impartial in the matter, it has been mentioned that upgrades to our stock of drones would undoubtedly make them even more valuable.

However, research into this field would be unpredictable at best, as even Director Pie is not wholly familiar with her ancestors’ engineering. Tinkering with my fellow drones could lead to unseen, and perhaps unfortunate consequences, should things progress in an unwanted direction.

Not to mention the fact that it was difficult enough to get the Council to approve of their continued function, given this galactic civilization’s history with artificial beings and the outright illegality of A.I. research. Wholesale improvement of their functions could cause the public to draw unhealthy parallels with the situation between the Quarian race and their rogue A.I. creations, the Geth. Such scrutiny may not be worth the risk.

Directive Decision
The Reluctant Sentinel

Lieutenant Taxar Pyres, a turian C-Sec officer, has been assigned to New Ponyville as its live-in liaison. He has also made it clear that this was not an appointment of his choosing, and following a tense standoff with the Madam President and a personal dislike of his attitude, Pyres seems to be expecting, even anticipating, dismissal.

While his personality may be somewhat confrontational, his record tells another story. A ten year veteran of Citadel Security, Pyres has been commended on multiple occasions for actions above and beyond the call of duty. The turian has also declined multiple promotions in order to maintain his position of working directly against the Wards’ criminal element. His record also indicates that he has something of a problem with authority, having disobeyed the orders of superiors officers on multiple occasions in order to pursue personal leads. At disciplinary hearings, he has been quoted as saying: “I’ll follow orders right up until they get in the way of protecting innocent people.”

After reviewing C-Sec Protocols, I have determined that as the leader of the local conclave, you are within your rights to request a new district liaison and have already prepared said report to his superiors should you decide his attitude is not worth putting up with.

Authorize Report - Inform C-Sec of dissatisfaction with Lt. Pyres and make formal request for a replacement.

Withhold Report - Lt. Pyres will remain as current district C-Sec official for the foreseeable future, his superiors unaware of the events taking place at his arrival.

Choice
Media Hounds

Cameras and reporters again? It looks as if Citadel News Net is wanting to know more about us.

While we could easily decline media access, Miss Wong has proven herself to be sympathetic to our cause with her previous work, which was instrumental to our eventual settlement in New Ponyville. However, this was unexpected. She wants to do live, unedited interviews with a lot of ponies, apparently at random. It could be a chance to be heard and perhaps show some faith in our fellow Equestrians, but a single mistake might result in something being said that probably should not be said. A slip of the tongue at this crucial juncture could lead to negative results.

Twilight is clearly concerned about allowing cameras into New Ponyville, yet the smashing success of Pinkie Pie’s moment in the spotlight lends credibility to her compromise of exclusive interviews with the other members of the Herd’s leadership. At the very least, the Madam President trusts her friends to be able to handle themselves in front of an audience.

Running predictive model of the Madam President’s reaction.

Decline all Interviews: “I’m sorry, Miss Wong. Maybe another time.”
Approve Media Access: “Our doors are open. Feel free to begin right away.”
Exclusive Interviews: “My friends will be happy to answer your questions.”

VOTING IS CLOSED

::Results::

In the Name of Science

——————

Develop Equestrian Tech: 83.8%

Develop Arsenal: 10.4%

Develop Equine Artifice: 5.8%

====

Reluctant Sentinel

——————

Authorize Report: 1.7%

Withhold Report: 98.3%

====

Media Hounds

——————

Decline: 0%

Allow Media Access: 28.2%

Exclusive Interviews: 71.8%

The Madam President has signaled her belief that the Equestrians could benefit the most from scientific research geared towards improving their lives and capabilities.

Twilight has decided that Pyres’s experience and dedication outweighs his abrasive personality. He will remain as the district’s liaison.

The Madam President has faith in her friends’ abilities to represent the Herd in a positive way.

Comments

[Chaos Nightmare]

C.Authorize Report..Approve Media Access

[Infinite Carnage]

A - Equestrian tech sounds like the way to go. The other options seem to unstable.

Withhold Report - I think he'll turn out to be a benefit in the end.

Approve media access - It would be interesting to see.

[deadmax]

the herd need money fast so I pick Develop an Arsenal,as for Lieutenant Taxar Pyres he sound like Garrus and he's my favorite so Withhold Report,as for the Media give the Exclusive Interviews.

[Obsidian]

I'm going to have to vote.

1. A - Ponies need to become as self-sufficient as possible, as fast as possible. Developing these tools would help them approach the galaxy at large with a more equal footing.
2. Withhold for now. The Lt. is brusque, but maybe just what we need. Better the devil you know now, than one you know later. Worst case, he can be watched via Changeling Drone.
3. Exclusive Interviews only. More exposure would be a good thing potentially, and the executive committee is a fairly wide range of personalities. This gives a good cross-section of the Herd without potentially compromising their position with the Council. AJ's honesty may be an issue though...

[2dextreem]

I'm gonna have to go with Option A, as the ponies have a lot of catching up to do if they want to be on equal footing with the rest of the Citadel Races. Stuff like the omni-hoof, and other tech like kinetic barriers for ponies, and pony-based utilities (I bet Sterling is getting sick of all those datapads) would be more immediately useful now, rather than building weapons to fight the Reapers or taking a gamble on the changelings.

Withhold the report. Pyres might have an attitude problem, but I think the ponies can put up with him if it means he gets to put his qualifications and experience to work protecting their district.

Exclusive interviews. I can't wait to hear what the Mane 6 have to say to the rest of the galaxy. :D

[megafan25]

I vote 1.Option A 2.withhold report 3.exclusive interviews

[Fire Cracker]

Okay this is entire situation is going to be one hell of a headache for Twi, I would like to be in her position.

I can see backfires in each of the the choices above but I guess you got to make the hard choices to get anywhere "nothing ventured, nothing gained" as the saying goes, so lets get to the options shall we:
On the R&D front I'm torn between options A and B so unsure really which to go with but I really seem to pulled more towards A
As for the C-sec officer I vote for Withhold report although his methods may seem excessive I get the feeling he could be just the type of guy that would be needed when the shit hits the fan

Oh boy Emily Wong I gotta say the only reporter in the game that didn't piss me the hell off, while I believe she has good intentions one wrong word could spell a whole lot of trouble, however having gone through every pro and con in my head I had to go with Exclusive interviews

[Cellin]

the Choices i select are as follows;
1. choice a. its the only thing i can see as safe. While it could have its own coat of paint for equestrians, its not the worst that can happen. and while the cash may offer problems, selling weapons is just begging for trouble.
2. authorize the report. this might not help with Dash, but that stunt cant fly. he may just want it, but sometimes you have to give the asshats what they want.
3. ...*sigh* go ahead and let the media in. they need to see everything as is, and Dash and perhaps even Pinkie would paint the equestrian's in a worse light then a slip up.

[Seether00]

'In the Name of Science'

Option A. The other two opitions are not worth the risk

'The Reluctant Sentinel'

Keep him. You're going to need an unflappable Turian on your side. And anyone who can put RD in her place is okay in my book. Also, Turians are awesome.

Media Hounds
Approve all access.

We need to keep the herd in the public eye. That will allow quicker assimilation.

[kingtiger666]

1) A. The ponies need as many big glowy things as possible, because that's the best part about the future.
2) Withhold the report. Pyres may be a bit of a dick, but with Jex breathing down everypony's collective necks, they need to be ready for everything.
3) Exclusive interviews. When John Q. Pony starts babbling about Star Daemons and his love of the Blasto movies, the ponies will look like they don't know what they're doing. Not to say they do, but it'll help with their reputation.

[Rated Ponystar]

In the Name of Science: Option A
The Reluctant Sentinel: Withhold Report
Media Houds: Exclusive Interviews: “My friends will be happy to answer your questions.”

[Minalkra]

Equestrian Tech, Withhold Report, Exclusive Interviews

Equestrian Tech - I play things safe. An armory might be too antagonistic though with the funds being what they are, the Armory option may be better. Still, i vote A.

Withhold that report! While he may chafe a bit, his record is exemplary. Hire on merits, not personality. Though as a liaison officer, his personality is important ... still, I'd keep him.

Exclusive interviews - We cannot risk having something leak out yet but we cannot just push them away. I'd love to do some open door stuff but I'd have to make sure the Herd knows what NOT to talk about (and no children interviews). Also, the 'open door' would be by necessity with certain limitations (all interviewees approving of the filming among other things). IF there can be SOME limitations/preparation on the Herd end, Open Door. If it's just 'come on in OH CRAP' then Exclusive Interviews only.

Also, you have an un-closed italics tag.

[Sukasa]

A. Work on equestrian tech. It gives the herd a leg up, and when developed there's always the option to make it available to other races and generate a revenue stream from the technology.

Withhold the report. We might not have gotten along with Pyres, but his methods and beliefs are too valuable to the security and safety of the herd to dismiss. Extending an 'olive branch' to him may be the best course of action.

Approve media access. Outside of the Mane 6, how many ponies really know about the reaper issue? All it would take is to divert some of the more... troublesome ponies away from the camera lights for a few hours.

Exclusive interviews.

[soronos]

A
Withhold report
Exclusive Interviews

[Tapkomet]

B, because income is needed and Reapers are coming
Withhold report, because the turian will be useful. He'll come around.
Exclusive interviews, so as to build a good image to compensate for B and to avoid sensisitve subjects.

[Rated Ponystar]

2112320
All of them know about the reapers when they got out of their pods and info dumped. Also, remember when Discord unleashed the Reapers program? They know about them. I think it's best to keep just the mane 6 for various reasons. 1, each main character is a personality that one alien species will find interesting and 2. Twilight can control them more and make sure they don't say something stupid. Although there is a possibility it could happen, who knows.

[ntfth]

1. A - Ponies need to become as self-sufficient as possible, as fast as possible.

2. Withhold for now.

3. Exclusive Interviews only.

[shyguy7829]

In the Name of Science: Equestrian Tech
If New Ponyville wants to start working, they need modern tools. Everyone else in the galaxy has an omnitool. The ponies need this. Besides omnitools can provide various function for defense as well.

The Reluctant Sentinel: Withhold Report
The lieutenant is very similar to former C-Sec Officer Garrus Vakarian. A strong believer in justice, but believes that due process can hinder progress. He isn't afraid to shoot and being the only officer on site, that's just what the Equestrians might need. Spending time with Pyres may help to temper his attitude towards his new district.

Media Hounds : Exclusive Interview
Opening up to the media may cause a threat to public safety since the Equestrians are still getting situated. If the rest of the Citadel sees how vulnerable the ward is right now, it may attract unwanted attention. That said, Emily Wong means well. The Equestrians should give her something.

[Dale]

im thinking for choise Exclusive Interviews , with hold report and idk

[Zanzibar]

Choices:
A,
Withhold Report,
Exclusive

Why must you make the choices so bloody hard? :)

If the technology report had been on anything Except weapons, I'd probably have voted for that. Going into the arms trade would just make them seem needlessly hostile, not to mention that it just seems like a dangerous trade overall.

As for the report, Garrus is a prime example of this kind of character. I bet Garrus would probably like him, honestly enough.

And yeah, exclusive interviews. Having random ponies speak up on the Reaper threat while on the Extranet would probably be a bad idea.

[OatBreeze]

focus on Equestrian Tech, withhold the Report, allow exclusive interviews.

Focus on equestrian Tech- It's what Pinkie knows and the Herd needs all the bonuses it can gather for themselves.

Withhold the report- He seems like an ass, but he had a good reason for acting like it.

Allow exclusive interviews- It's like the fic says -- it's a compromise.

[Professor Plum]

Equestrian Tech

Withhold Report

Exclusive Interviews

[Cadmium]

Option A for the first the technology currently in widespread use in citadel space gives considerable advantages to those that use it and is mostly incompatible with the ponies physiology so "leveling the playing field" should be a top priority. Research into Equine Artifice can still be done after they have a reliable base of technology to call their own.

For the officer i think the report should be withheld as long as he does his job and as the records indicate he does is very good. Regardless of how unlikable he seems he still does what his job requires and more.

For the Media, i doubt the ordinary ponies could be all trusted to not somehow screw up when interviewed live and outright declining the offer could also net negative results so i would go for exclusive interviews with the Equestrian authorities aka the board of directors.

[GBscientist]

Interesting chapter.

My votes are as follows:

Equestrian Tech. Once The Herd is on a level playing field with the other species, Pinkie will have more than enough helping hooves to produce an effective arsenal.

Withold Report. Give Pyres some time to get acquainted with the Herd and see if he can fit in. If not, then ask for a replacement. As to his discipline issues, maybe you could ask Shepard to send Garrus to talk some sense into Pyres the next time the Normandy swings by the Citadel.

Exclusive Interviews. As Twilight thought when talking to Ms. Wong, there's a bit too much sensitive information in the hands of the average Equestrian to allow free interviews. The info will eventually leak out, but spilling it accidentally on network television is a poor way to stay in the Council's good books.

[MustangII]

A - Equestrian tech sounds like the way to go. The other options seem to unstable.
Withhold Report - I think he'll turn out to be a benefit in the end.
Approve media access - It would be interesting to see.

[Seraphem]

Wow, lot of good choices this time.

In the name of Science Well, option A has no limit of possible uses. And could greatly help AJ with her job of trying to find work for ponies by helping to overcome some of the issue with pony physiology versus the majority of the rest of the galaxy. And while most of it isn't directly able to be sold to non-Equestians, there could still be the occasional discovery or bit of tech. Option B, meh, already tons of arms companies, would be a hard market to compete in, and not really a good idea to be seen that way by the galaxy. so no. Option C, has no real definite reward, it's a total gamble in if it will pay off or not, and has the greatest risks should it fail. The mechs are the greatest resource the ponies have, they shouldn't be risked. Granted they SHOULD learn more about them soon, if only to be able to manufacture more, but not till things are more stable.

Final decision:Option A: Develop Equestrian Tech

The Reluctant Sentinel Only two options. And while the guy is a jerk, and clearly hates the assignment. but his record speaks for itself. He is GOOD at what he does, which is protecting innocents. The Herd needs someone like that, and his preferring to simply be there for his job and protect them, without getting involved with them personally could be an asset, rather then someone who gets distracted being nice, and misses something. And most of his issues seem like ones that could soften once he settles in and sees it's not what he thought it was.

Final Decision::Withhold Report

Media Hounds Withholding all media attention is right out. The Herd needs to be seen, to have people see who they are, get used to them. The need good PR. So that options is a total NO. So between free access, and only talking to the Mane 6. Well Twi's only real concern for a free access is somepony letting something slip about things they aren't supposed to talk about. But, Same could happen with the Mane 6 talking, especially RD. AJ would be in big trouble if she had to hide something, yeah it's not QUITE as risky as a full access, but nearly so. Overall it would be better to let Emily do this her way, before a certain OTHER reporter tries to twists things. Get their version out first.

Final Decision: Approve Media Access

[Demose]

A
Withhold report
Approve Media Access

[Mister Morden]

I vote for C for Science. The Herd needs cash flow, better to have drones than be building guns. It ruins the Herd's image.

Withhold the report on the Turian. He is a brusque no nonsense officer. Exactly the kind of person you need when the chips are down.

Exclusive Interviews. As Twilight pointed out, one slip of the tongue can ruin things. Better to have interviews with ponies she knows to be able to handle themselves.

Great chapter!

[Todpole]

lets keep Pyres for now, he can be buddies with Rainbow
lets have a live interview javascript:smilie('');
though choose for pinkie...either weapons against the Reapers or upgrade changelings. someone else decide for me.javascript:smilie('');

[MagusBlack]

DD1'In the Name of Science'
B- Develop an Arsenal
We need the Capital this would generate and we have enough good PR right now to take a hit if it comes to that. Plus will help the rest of the galaxy prepare for the Reapers.
DD2 'The Reluctant Sentinel'
Withhold Report
I would rather stick with the guy who will actually do his job, rather than take the chance of getting someone worse.
Choice Media Hounds
Exclusive Interviews: “My friends will be happy to answer your questions.”

[harumph]

Equestrian tech
Withhold report
Exclusive intervews

[Lazo]

'In the Name of Science': B.
I was torn between A and B. I just feel like, in the end, we would end up needing weapons in the Reaper war, so as long as it generates revenue and the media doesn't go batshit insane over the developing of weapons by technicolor ponies (which it is still liable to) it would work out in the end.
I'm kind of hoping this gets outvoted though. Something in the back of my mind keeps screaming that it would be a terrible idea. Oh well, I don't really like the other options too much anyway.

'The Reluctant Sentinel': Withhold Report
I already love this guy! He reminds me of ME1 Garrus! Heck, isn't that “I’ll follow orders right up until they get in the way of protecting innocent people.” quote something Garrus said once in the game? It sounds awfully familiar. Regardless, I am convinced that this guy is the best for the job, even with his authority issues (in fact, better to have someone who won't get cowed by RD since the ponies don't know squat about security anyway) and the pole up his ass (par de course for a Turian).

'Media Hounds': Approve Media Access
Again, a voice in my head is screaming at me that it is a terrible idea, but I kind of want to see what the general Equestrian population have to say about the state of things. I also want to see how badly this could turn out. So yeah, morbid curiosity, for the most part.

Also, why do I keep getting this feeling that, somehow, Rarity is going to pull of a ridiculous fashion business stunt that will end up becoming the largest source of income for the Herd?

[Sukasa]

2112333

Ah, oops.

[ZeroForever]

good chapter/series/x-over/jigglypuff/etc...

Directive Decision
'In the Name of Science' -
Omni hoof - omni tool has the most direct benefit in general life, no need to skirt the lines of legality while your rebuilding. (kinda confused how they were communicating to other species before they had the omni-hoof though as omni-tools are also the translation devices between the races unless she/they had makeshift ones?)
realistically omni tools are tech weapons as well if you looking towards the weaponization end of it.

Directive Decision
'The Reluctant Sentinel'
Withhold Report - honestly so far he sounds like a Garrus in terms of turian personality, straight laced hard ass until you bro-friend him. Would realistically talk to him if you did withhold the report option.

Choice
Media Hounds
Exclusive Interviews - exclusive but wouldn't limit the interview's to the mane 6, other people like Derpy + kids would be more endearing for interviews. As noted realistically free roam interviews/coverage have way to high of a chance to going wrong. Though general rebuild news shots of the populace should probably be allowed as well if a interview option was allowed. Side note however would be other news stations requesting/pestering/paparazzi for coverage space as well rather then just the one news station.

[Cursori]

Develop equestrian tech
If they modify already existing technology as well as inventing some of their own, it might make it easier to get work in the other sectors as the playing field has been leveled with omnitools to all working ponies. Furthermore, more tech means more Pinkie, I'm okay with that.

Withhold report
While his methods may be unorthodox, I honestly like him. He seems like the type of person that would go to great lenghts for what's right, and might evolve into a great ally if treated appropiately and with the amount of respect he earns.

Exclusive interwievs
While a look at the pony race as a whole might be good for publicity, there's to great a chance of somepony slipping up or acting in a weird or unsettling way (Culture shock, most of them probably don't even know what a camera is). I therefore vote for exclusive interviews, but give the directors some time to think about what they want to say, we can't have rarity use the entire interview to talk about alien fashion.

[Game Salamander]

Directive Decisions:
In the Name of Science: Option A - Develop Equestrian Tech
Option B would make the Herd look like something akin to arms dealers. I feel that's not the impression they need to make, so this was the option I dismissed first.
Option C seems like a high risk option that could pay off big. And since I play Mass Effect as a Vanguard, that appealed to me. Like, A LOT. But the galaxy is still some time away before they even consider the Geth as allies (assuming Shepard pulls that off in this version of the Mass Effect timeline), so it's probably not worth the risk of adding another AI race to the galaxy yet, however beneficial I feel it may be. I just can't see the Council reacting in any way that isn't negative, even Anderson, so I can't give this option my vote.
And so, that leaves Option A as my choice. While things are still relatively quiet, the Herd may as well work to catch up to the rest of the galaxy in terms of tech so as to prepare for the Arrival of the Reapers.

The Reluctant Sentinel: Withhold Report
This guy has nice credentials. And if there's one thing I respect about the Turians, it's that they'll perform any job to the absolute best of their abilities. I can't really hold it against him that he's a little bitter about suddenly getting this assignment, that, at first glance, can look like babysitting, but Twilight made a very clear and strong argument. I'm willing to believe that he'll come around, and realize that the Herd is a prime example of those innocents that he would disobey an order to protect.

Choice Decision:
Media Hounds: Approve Media Access
Decline All Interviews: Emily Wong is trustworthy and the Herd could use press. Denying interview permission would be silly, and could just open the door for someone like Al-Jilani to wreak havoc on their reputation. (Hiding, refusing to talk, etc...)
Exclusice Interviews: This is the safe option, but it just feels wrong to me, for some reason I can't quite explain.
And that leaves the full approval option. I genuinely feel good about this one. It's true that one mistake might result in... unfortunate consequences, but I feel that viewers getting a close, unscripted look at the Herd can only help. And Twilight can always warn Emily beforehand that there are some questions she should keep clear from, reducing the risk.

[Wanderer D]

Option A: Develop Equestrian Tech: I'm actually torn on this one, but developing their own technology seems like a good way to go to prove that they are up to par with the rest of the universe. I've no doubt that once their technological advances are noticed, corporations like ExoGeni, Sirta Foundation, Ariake Technologies and even the military/defense corporations will take interest in adapting their products, with the Asari certainly striving to put an agent/internee to work under Pinkie.

Withhold Report - Turians are like Dwarves. Tough in the exterior... tough in the interior... and all around softies within a week.

Approve Media Access: “Our doors are open. Feel free to begin right away.” - Hard working ponies asking for work? Media exposure of the abilities of the ponies? Sure, their real origins might be slightly exposed, but Twilight could easily ask Emily to keep certain questions clear, promising a future interview when/if it becomes relevant.

[Rated Ponystar]

From where I'm seeing so far. People are mostly going for Developing Equestrian Tech and Keeping our Turian friend. Looks like the real big one is Exclusive Interviews or Full Media Access. This is getting interesting.

[Voltaje]

Exclusive Interviews: “My friends will be happy to answer your questions.”

[Natzo]

In the Name of Science:

Now this one is the hard one. While setting tech for equine use is useful in the short timeframe, helping the equines adapt to the galaxy, in the war I don't see it so useful, as the ponies are won't front line fighters... In fact apart from pinkie and the science ponies, I don't what roles they will fullfill. Adapting armor and shields shouldn't be too hard so I don't know if that should be the focus of the argument. I doubt they have the resources to make armor for everyone.

While dangerous and possible hostile looking, the development of weapons technology will be more useful in the long run, specially direct energy weapons. They could sell them to the Alliance if they are worried about dealing with the other races. Though that could be leaked to Cerberus...

Tampering with the drones is too much of a gamble, they are already in thin ice with the council.

I want to go with B, but A seems safer... I will hold my vote.

The Reluctant Sentinel: Withhold Report

They might end up with someone worse, and he might be what they need against retaliations from the volus.

Media Hounds : Exclusive Interview

----------

The Lt. confrontation with Dash brings something up. Her bravado. All their experience is based on simulations and has no real experience. They are totally dependant on drones, and while Pinkie is good at adapting tech, adapting guns for hooves, without sacrificing accuracy and firepower would be very hard. thats why the elcor use heavy weapons in combat. I simply don't see the ponies as front line soldiers, not here nor in the war, nor in any war fic. Dash would freeze up in a real gunfight I think. That's the impression she game in from the show, anyways. In reality they never experiences real threat of death in Equestria.

AJ and RD don't seem to be adapting too well to the reality of the galaxy. Maybe during a confrontation the LT will call out Dash role a director of security with her inexperience, rash behavior and lack of training and discipline.

While Dash intentions are well meaning, she is acting overzealous and that might bring more trouble than good. She threatens the wrong person, orders the drones to attack an innocent by accident, or attack someone outside ponyville, their jurisdiction, and all the compasion people felt for them will be lost.

Hell, imagine is a donator came to give them money with the best of intentions, RD threatens her "We don't need no stinking aliens here!" and bam, they lost a sizeable donation and the goodwill of the donator and their friends.

Nice to see you took my rants into account :P

[Maxman19]

Oooh, this is a touch choice to make here in terms of all of them

'In the name of science', I say Option A since the tech could be more beneficial. Making weapons is not the way to go just yet and tinkering with the mech doesnt sound like such a good idea at this point

'The reluctant sentinel', I say Withold the report. He may be gruff, but he's a turian, its natural among them. He sounds like the perfect guy in case problems arise. I get the feeling Kailer will be hiring mercs to retake 1286 and Pyres sounds like he could do a great job of holding them off.

'Media hounds', I never played ME1, so I dont personally know Emily Wong, but I'm going to say Exclusive Interviews. I imagine the Mane6 would be better composed than the other equines. I mean, this is all new for the other equines and they could easily say something wrong or something they didnt mean to say. I mean, with the foals already bothering the Keepers, they will need time to adjust. Plus, declining may seem rude, regardless of the reason, and its showbiz, so for now, exclusive interviews :D

I think what Pinkie could do is come up with a project that allows equines the use of mechanical arms attached to their backs via harness. I mean, all weapons are built for creatures with at least three digits and seeing as the equines have none, they need some way to use weapons at some point. Unicorns are covered with their biotics, but Earth ponies and pegasi will need them. Maybe the arms can also be linked to their nervous system so that they have full control over the arms.

The omni-hoof was a nice touch, btw

[bloodwolf432]

Option A. It's best to focus on the self before looking everywhere else. Better upgrades to the self would make it easier to do the other options, especially with the Drone upgrades since not much is known about them.

Withhold report. While not the best of introductions it's clear from his history that he'd be willing to do what is necessary to protect the innocent, in this case the Equestrians. To send him back would take the off chance of having someone even worse come by, a chance that an easily bribed C-Sec officer could let someone in that could just abduct a few ponies or even some drones and walk away with no one being the wiser.

Approve Media Access. I am kind of iffy on this decision so I would recommend using the Drones to spread the word around to not mention anything about the Reapers or anything else highly sensitive. That way the people could see the Equestrians in their daily lives while also avoid the risk of having any vital info exposed.

[appelpieman]

Develop an Arsenal- Would help improve financial standing as well as industry. This is vital to helping the long term prospects of the herd. Any negative reactions to this development would likely be minimal.

Withhold Report- Lieutenant Taxar Pyres is an experienced officer, if unconventional in his approach. This will likely prove useful in the long run if he warms to his position in the district.

Exclusive interviews- Media attention is unlikely to go away if ignored. Open access could be a disaster if it goes poorly. Interviews would satisfy the media as well as preventing any potentially dangerous subjects being breached.

[Gilgamesh King of Heroes]

'In the Name of Science

Withhold Report

Exclusive Interviews only

[Askr]

1. A
2. Withhold report
3. Approve Media Access

[Dragon Angel Knight]

I'd go with option B- create an arsenal. While, yes, it may be a bit of a risky maneuver, the Equestrians need a means of defending themselves other than their biotics and whatever tech abilities their omni-hoof gives them access too. While useful, the ponies will quickly become exhausted if they rely on them too much.

width hold the report- The C-Sec officer they have may be a bit of an ass, BUT he has the best interests of the innocent at heart, as proven by the disciplinary hearings against him. If there needs to be something done, have Twilight talk things out.

Exclusive interviews- Like Twily said, It's a compromise. Ms. Wong gets more info on the Equestrian Herd and the ponies themselves aren't making a problem with things they say or do.

[BaconHazard]

I vote Exclusive Interviews. I'd like to see how Rainbow Dash would react.

[CrowMagnon]

Yeah, I was worried that Applejack's route would have those sorts of problems to start with. Hopefully determination will see better returns in the future when the Herd's gotten more settled in.

In the Name of Science
Tough call here. I think that A would synergize well with Applejack's business plan, since improving the Equestrian's productivity would make them more attractive for employment. B, on the other hand, would not only secure a stream of revenue for the Herd, but help improve galactic readiness as a whole. The potential damage to their reputation could cause harm that might offset the benefits to the Herd, though. C is a total wild card, and while it could open the door to understanding the tech the Equines used to fend off the Reapers during their cycle, if even Pinkie isn't sure it's a good idea, then it's too much of a gamble for me. Taking the Herd's interests into account, I think I'll vote for 'Develop Equestrian Tech'.

The Reluctant Sentinel
Withhold Report, definitely. Pyres is an ass, but he sounds like exactly the kind of ass we want around when Jex Kailer decides he wants to make some trouble.

Media Hounds
Hmmm... I'm leaning toward Approve Media Access. There's the risk of something slipping out, but the sort of 'pony on the street' perspective could be more beneficial than exclusive interviews with the directors. Especially if Rarity's as upset at not being able to get funding for her projects as one can imagine. Besides, if you're going around interviewing random ponies, one would expect a few to say things that sound silly like 'Star Daemons'. Just imagine interviewing twenty random people off the street here on Earth.

[pchn00]

Name of Science: Definitely A. The last time Equestrians developed their own tech they ended up not needing the relays to travel and could kill reapers with rainbow cannons. Pretty boss.

Reluctant Sentinel: Withhold report. With that dude's record how could you not want him there? Who cares if he's a jerk personally, professionally he's a big thumbs up.

Media Access: Exclusive Interviews. This is the only tough for me this time around. The open access has a higher chance to get more sympathy/donations but definitely a higher risk. Better play it safe. Besides who couldn't fall in love with Fluttershy? :o

[Wasch]

Well, these are some hard choices!

Develop Equine Artifice
This is probably the toughest one. All three of these options address important concerns. Option A would probably be the fastest way to integrate, but who knows how long the Equestrians have? What's more, I feel like they need more than just a level playing field. With all the problems they've got, it's time to take a few risks. Option B would help with money, but I'd be leery of selling weapons tech to other species. So, Option C might be risky, but it's the best chance of giving them the advantage they need.

Withhold Report
This one's a much easier choice. Yes, Pyres is a liaison, so it's important to round off some of those rough edges. Still, his record speaks for itself, and I'd think it's better to have someone principled and abrasive than the other way around. Plus, I imagine that, once they get to know each other, he and RD will probably hit it off.

Approve Media Access
Withholding all access seems like a bad idea, right off. Choosing between the other two is hard. Exclusive interviews offers a good compromise, it's true. Still, word's going to leak out anyway, and soon. I mean, refusing unedited access to anyone in the Herd may slow it a little, but visitors are eventually going to start coming in numbers. How long is it going to take for some random pony to let it leak out during normal interaction anyway? Of course, this only works if Twilight lets the council know that there's going to be leaks soon. At least give Anderson the heads-up.