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// 23 - Eclipse 
// Story: Fading Suns: A New World 
// by David Silver 
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Blueblood fixed Laud squarely in his sights. "You understand, I presume, that favors come with prices."

"A favor for a favor," replied Laud easily. "I will not compromise my virtues, but the returning goodwill is a basic thing. Besides, this is a great opportunity for you." He waved a hand to the side. "Just imagine it, countless new markets suddenly available, hungering for the product of your people. It will take talented ha--hooves to see it done right."

Blueblood turned his eyes skyward a moment before returning them to Laud. "Princess Twilight has been most... verbose about her theories and thoughts on the matter. I'm sure she would love to be the very first, preaching friendship to each new visitor as they arrived." His lips turned up into a faint smile. "But that won't be why they're here, I imagine. No, they'll want to get to business. So, all you have to do is have me be one of their first contacts, before Twilight. We can get the proper business out of the way before she and her friends make fools of themselves."

Lyra blew a raspberry at the whole thing. "What's wrong with Twilight? She's a good mare, and gets results."

Blueblood frowned at the interruption. "What 'results' are you referring to? She's done precious little in the capacity of her new role."

"What about the yaks?" Lyra rolled her eyes. "They don't count?"

Blueblood burst into laughter. "There is a reason no one else bothered with them. They are allies now,  yes, but to what end? They export basically nothing, and import even less. As trade partners, they may as well not exist. Their culture is backwards and aggressively insular. Their leadership is a running joke with no punchline." He swat her across the withers. "As amusing as you may be, allow the adults to speak here. What say you, Sir Mountbatten?"

Laud had no ill will towards Twilight. She and her friends had been pivotal to getting him as far as he'd come. Still, she did not strike him as a business... mare? Maybe Rarity. "I will speak highly towards Celestia in regards to you being given first bid for the position. If they grant my request, then I can give you proper consideration myself. Have you dealt with interracial commerce before?"

"Oh, I have." He smiled confidently. "And I look forward to doing it on a larger stage. Let's not waste further time." He turned away and began trotting. "If I know Auntie, and I do, she's enjoying a moment to herself between hearings." He perked his ears at each interaction they passed, swerving them around. "No... No...." He stopped and turned. "Here we are." With an energetic trot he approached a door, cleared his throat, and called through it, "Auntie, dearest, I have a most interesting guest for you."

"Blueblood?" came a female voice through the door. "Come in."

His horn glowed and the door opened at the bidding of his magic. "Good afternoon. I apologize for troubling, but this is a guest that deserves it, I should say. Princess Celestia, meet--" He waved at Laud grandly. "Laud Mountbatten, of the Hawkwoods."

Celestia leaned to the side, her long neck coming into view as she peeked at Laud and Lyra both. "I've heard so much about you. Please, come in. Good to see you as well, Miss Heartstrings. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

Laud stiffened. Celestia was large! She was larger than any other pony he had seen so far, and he thought Big McIntosh was as large as they came. Large, likely physically powerful, with a horn and wings. Luna had these traits as well, but she wasn't as large. Still, it wasn't the time to quail. He stepped forward. "A pleasure to meet you, your majesty. Your people speak highly of you and it is nice to put a face to the words."

Lyra trotted alongside Laud. "Heya Celly. Good to see you too."

Her impertinent words got a smile from Celestia instead of summary punishment. "I see you haven't changed. Are you still practicing as a musician?"

"When I'm not being an alien guide." She waved at Laud. "I dunno, it's growing on me. I could get used to this."

Laud took advantage of his proximity to consider their ruler. She wore a crown and a large necklace. She had ornate horesehoes at the ends of her legs. Most striking was her hair. Both mane and tail wafted with an unfelt breeze, giving the impression of a sunset, or perhaps a sunrise? He took a seat across from her. "What do you already know?"

"Straight to business?" She looked him straight in the eyes. "I know you represent a sizable potential economic interest that could come with, or be, a military presence. You are not of the hooved races, but we have been friends with others who aren't. You've met Spike, our envoy with the dragons."

"I have." He did not know he was an envoy to anything. "You don't... seem bothered."

"Should I be?" Her horn glowed as a cup rose from the table and was swiftly filled with tea. "Would you care for some?" She set it in front of Laud on a little saucer. "I know this must be overwhelming. There is a reason I left you to your own devices. If Twilight was reporting accurately, it seemed a sure thing you would come here, eventually. I saw little reason to rush it along. You have caused no harm to my little ponies, and have even aided them at the risk of your personal safety. I do appreciate that." She made a small dismissive wave of her hoof and Blueblood took the hint, making himself scarce. "Now, tell me of yourself. I'm to believe you're a noble of your people?"

Laud could hear the question there. She had little reason to assume any random strange creature that claimed rank. He would be just as suspicious. "Until my people finish repairing the gate that leads here, my rank means comparatively little, but they will. It's a matter of when, rather than if. Once they do, they will see a world filled with natural resources, with a pleasing temperature and breathable air. Clean water and arable lands, what more could one ask for?" Laud rolled a hand at her. "But it gets better. The land is populated by intelligent creatures that will make a fine workforce."

Celestia's smile faded almost instantly. "Your people are slavers?"

"Mine, no, definitely not." He set a hand on his chest. "To be noble born is to know the weight of the needs of your people. To see them succeed is to know success yourself. House Hawkwood believes that power is responsibility. The Pancreator saw fit that I be chosen--"

"--Pancreator?" She raised a fuzzy brow at Laud. "Who or what is that?"

"The Pan--"

The door that had been closed quietly by Blueblood was thrown open with a flash of darker magic. Luna stood there with a frown. "There you are!" She was looking at Laud. "You won't escape me that easily." Her magic wrapped around Laud abruptly, only to recoil away from his necklace. "Damn toys." Her arcane grip focused around it, tearing it free and casting it aside like the unwanted thing it was.

Lyra scrambled to her hooves. "What the hay?!"

Laud rolled back and came up to his own feet, sword drawn. "I don't want this to turn to violence, but I will defend myself."

Celestia's wings unfurled as golden magic sparkled into being between Laud and Luna, a wall of sunlight. "Luna, sister, please tell me why you've attacked our guest." Her voice was calm and even despite the tense situation. Laud's estimation of her increased.

Luna stalked towards the barrier. "You are everything we don't need in Equestria." Her wings were unfurled, spread wide as she growled like a threatened animal. "Go back where you came from, and tell your kin to stay away."

Celestia arched a brow at her sister. "None of that is telling me anything, Luna. Start speaking."

"What is there to speak?!" She stomped a hoof on the ground, her horseshoe making a loud metal ring. "It is just as it was promised. You believe your dreams without delay, well, these predate them by quite a degree." She lifted a hoof to level it at Laud accusingly. "When the sky opens and stars become woven, this world will be lost in a grand web, to become spider or fly. Shadow without form, darkness to the light, one world learns the sorrows of many." She glared at Celestia. "Does that sound like something you want, sister?"

Celestia glanced to Laud. "And your side of this?" Her magic wrapped around Luna, drawing her towards a cushion. "Sit and speak like an adult. We do not attack our guests."

Though Luna was still glaring at him nastily, he felt the immediate danger had passed. He put the blade away, lest the wrong impression be made. "Some of that is easily seen as truth." He crossed his arms. "When the gateway is restored, your world will become part of a 'grand web', the network that allows us to travel from star to star. Humanity will arrive, and it will seek to colonize this world." He gestured at Celestia. "I would rather the mistakes of the past not be repeated."

Celestia's ears swiveled to Laud entirely. "What mistakes, pray tell?"

That was when Laud realized he had said more than he should have. "There have been other... less than graceful encounters with other species, but others have gone quite well." He brought his hands together in a soft meeting of palms. "I would rather the latter. I came to offer my services, not issue any ominous threats or proclamations. If this world was already being administered by a Hawkwood, insofar as the rest of the systems were concerned, then there would be nothing to colonize. It would, simply, be already taken. Allow me to be your shield, sword, and mouth and I will protect this world."

Lyra suddenly began clopping her hooves together in a wild applause. "Look at you! I'd vote for you in a second. Is this a vote? He has mine."

Luna brought a hoof down hard enough to crack the table they sat at. "Simply make you the ruler? Is that truly your 'benign offer'?! Why are you even listening to this?" She gave her sister a nasty glare. "Why are you so calm?"

Celestia raised a hoof towards Luna. "He did not ask to rule. He asked to administrate, and a very specific administration at that. You do understand that this is not a unified world, do you not, Sir Mountbatten?"

Luna let out a petulant huff. "Far from it. As if you could administrate a thing for the world that the various nations would agree to."

Laud smiled at that. That, he was prepared for. "Which is why they won't deal with them. Equestria will be the nation with an operable receiving station for their trading vessels. Equestria will be the nation equipped to accept and deal with accepted currencies. Equestria will be the gateway between the rest of your world and the universe-at-large." He steepled his fingers, "Your people will profit immensely. I have other projects in progress that may put your nation in a unique position to compete directly with some of our oldest, largest, and most powerful guilds. This may be a fractured world, but Equestria will be the only nation that captures the eyes of those that matter."

Luna lifted an ear at him, her features softening just a little. "And you would have us charge our allies, and enemies, should they wish to take advantage of our expanded trade network?"

Laud snapped his fingers. "Precisely so. For allies, a simple and modest fee. A mild tariff to help fund our operations. Those that are in active opposition to Equestria's interests may have to pay more, if we permit them at all." He looked to Celestia directly. "Consider this another lever, a pressure you can apply to those stubborn souls that don't recognize the good example you're setting for them."