Daniel rubbed at his eyes, trying to ease the strain on them. He had been cooped up in the archive room for... he didn't know how long for. No one had set up a clock in there, so keeping track of time had fallen to the wayside. Sleep deprivation didn't feel like it was setting in, so he wasn't on one of his longer sessions; he took a moment to think, letting his notebook hang at his side, and recalled that one of his assistants had brought him 4 meals. Nodding to himself, he returned his attention to the console. Missing one night of sleep was nothing for him; he'd start getting worried if he was close to breaking his record. Daniel hit a few buttons on the console, loading up a video clip he hadn't seen yet.
The lights dimmed and a scene appeared before him: a pony, specifically a unicorn stallion, sat curiously at a table, looking this way and that. A smiling Shangrian appeared, 'greeting' Daniel with a bow. "My name is Bashirr, and this," he gestured over to the pony, "is an amaqinae by the name of Uru'baen."
The pony's ears perked up, and Uru'baen replied in a language Daniel couldn't quite make out. It did consist of spoken words, but seemed to include whinnies and other vocalizations natural to equines. He had to contain his natural urge to find a way to translate the dead Equestrian language. Carter had only given him so much time until the holoroom was shut down.
"Uru'baen has agreed to help us learn about the ability his kind possesses that they have dubbed 'magic,'" Bashirr continued. "This will be the first of our demonstrations. Now, amaqinae like Uru'baen call themselves 'Uru'corti.' Their horns allow them to manipulate magic directly, unlike the other amaqinae groups."
Uru'baen puffed up his chest and spoke in his strange language again, ending on a long whinny.
Bashirr chuckled. "The 'Uru' is also a sort of 'clan' name, denoting the 'tribe' an amaqinae belongs to." Turning to Uru'baen, Bashirr gestured to a few items on the table. "We will start with some simple manipulation." Clearing his throat, Bashirr spoke in Uru'barn's language, somehow reproduced the whinnies and nays.
Uru'baen smiled a little, and lit up his horn. He picked up one of the items on the table which Daniel recognized as a life-sign detector.
"As you can see, Uru'corti can easily manipulate their environment through magic. By our own research, it seems that they can pull energy from subspace." Bashirr spoke another word, gesturing to Uru'baen's horn.
Uru'baen nodded and gently put the scanner down before cutting off the connection to his magic. He then got up and let Bashirr get a better look at his horn.
"All amaqinae have a previously undiscovered variant of naquadah in their bodies. They call it 'alicor.' In Uru'corti such as Uru'baen here, the alicor is concentrated in the skull and horn." Bashirr spoke a few more words to Uru'baen, making a few motions with his hand.
Uru'baen got up again and returned to his previous spot. Then, he lit up his horn, simply letting it glow without disturbing anything in the room they were in. Upon Bashirr's instructions, Uru'baen zapped the life sign detector with a bolt of magic, changing its normally grey casing to a deep shade of red.
Bashirr waved a hand over to the detector, "As you can see, this subspace manipulation allows the amaqinae to even alter the physical characteristics of objects. Our current projections are unable to determine the limits of this manipulation, but some of us speculate that there might not be any such limit as long as enough of this 'magical energy' is allowed to flow."
The demonstration continued for several more minutes, though, it was clear that Uru'baen's magic was nowhere near as potent as or well controlled as a modern unicorn. The video did prove that tribalism among the pony race had its roots back at at least ten thousand years. Daniel made a note to inform one of the Equestrian researchers.
Tapping his earpiece, he connected to his assistant, "Hey, Amelia, if you get a chance, can you check something for me?"
There was a crackle signalling that there was a connection to the other line before he heard his assistant's chipper voice, "I've already finished my work for today, what do you need me to do, Doctor Jackson?"
"Nothing too important. Just see if you can't get a search going in the database. Probably under 'Amaqinae language' or something."
"I can get right on that," Amelia assured him. "Are there any other key-words you want me to try if that one doesn't pan out?"
"Go with 'Uru'corti.'"
"Thank you! I'll let you know the instant I find something, Doctor Jackson!" There was a pause for a moment before she added, "In the meantime, you should probably take a shower. You've been cooped up in that room for nearly two days straight."
Daniel blinked. Had he really been in there for that long? "You're probably right. If you need anything in the meantime, contact the general. Just don't tell her how long I've been in here."
"Tell her how long you've been where?" Amelia asked a little too innocently. "I just saw you in the mess hall."
"Thanks, Amelia." Daniel stood up from his chair, stretching out. Making sure to shut everything down, he made his way out into the hall. As he worked his way to his room, he made an effort to not get too close to anyone before he had a chance to shower. Letting his mind relax, he sighed in relief as he stepped into a teleportation booth.
His relief was short lived, as Carter's voice crackled over his earpiece, "Daniel, I just wanted to let you know that we've picked up the Odyssey on the long range sensors. They should reach us in a few days."
Daniel tapped on his earpiece, establishing a connection, "That's good news! We should let the princesses know so we don't catch them off guard." He then took a moment and chuckled, "Wait until the Odyssey crew sees what all we've found."
"Meet with me in my office after you've gotten cleaned up. We still need to discuss a few things."
Daniel winced for a moment; somehow Carter knew he'd been on one of his research binges. He sighed and pushed the screen in the boot, and in an instant he felt himself being taken to the teleportation booth nearest his quarters. He sighed again, chalking up her comment to how long they had known each other. Daniel stepped out of the booth, heading down the hall and toward his quarters.
Once he was in his room he made sure to clean up as quickly as he could. Satisfied with his appearance, he headed back out into the hall and towards the gate room. The room was busier than usual, with people monitoring the gate in case the training teams ran into any complications. The risk of this was slim though, since scans of the planet they were on showed no abnormal lifesigns. However, the SGC had learned from experience that one could never be too cautious. Daniel stepped up to the doors of Carter's office, pausing as they slowly slid open. Once he was inside they closed behind him.
Carter looked up from her desk, manilla folders and stacks of paper covering nearly every inch of its surface. "Glad you could make it so quickly," she said.
"I see you've been busy." Daniel took a seat, glancing across the table. "What's on the agenda first? The cooks run out of golden potatoes?"
Carter chuckled and shook her head, "No, the kitchen is something that we don't have to worry about right now." She grabbed a manilla folder and slid it over towards Daniel. "The primary concern is getting the Odyssey crew briefed and acclimated to Equestria. Housing them won't be much of an issue, but we'll have to take into consideration our power drains."
Lifting the folder up, Daniel scanned through it. "That is why we brought the Mark VIIs, isn't it? That should keep us going for awhile."
Carter nodded, rubbing her eyes. "You're right, it shouldn't be too much of an issue if we continue to act as we have. But the biggest issue comes from the potential of a shadow pony attack. I warned the captain of the Odyssey to avoid planets aside from Halla, but the potential of the shadow ponies following them here is something to consider."
Putting the folder down, Daniel tapped his fingers on the table. "At least we don't have to wait a year," a smile tugged at his lips, "or go back in time to steal a ZPM."
Carter chuckled, nodding in agreement, "It is a good thing we've learned what we have from the Atlantis expedition, otherwise I'd have Shangri-La on high alert already." She shook her head and added, "Actually, if it weren't for the Atlantis crew, we'd probably still be under the ice."
"Aren't we supposed to be returning those jumpers soon?"
"Yes, we'll be returning them once the Odyssey arrives," Carter said. "I'm sure Shepherd will be glad to have them back."
"It's kind of funny, really: after ten thousand years, the two cities are finally going to start talking again." It was entirely possible that they had been talking before the Lantean empire crumbled, but Daniel doubted it. In the waning years of the Wraith War, the Lanteans had all but thrown morals out of the window. He shuddered to think what they would have done, if they had discovered Halla's existence.
A smile graced Carter's lips. "I'm pretty excited for it too. Who knows what we'll be able to accomplish once the two cities are in full communication with each other." She then paused and started to laugh.
Daniel crooked an eyebrow. "What's so funny?"
Carter collected herself and coughed into her hand. "Sorry about that, I just realized that we're going to connect the Pegasus Galaxy to a galaxy with actual pegasi in it."
A chuckle escaped Daniel's lips, "That is rather amusing. Just wait until they see one of the ponies."
Carter nodded, "I think we should keep McKay away from any of the foreign leaders. I'm not sure they'd appreciate his..." she paused, searching for the right word, "blunt attitude."
"Heaven forbid, people don't like Rodney McKay," Daniel stated, rather mockingly. He grabbed another folder. "Let's set the office gossip on the side, and see if we can't get through some of this."
Carter sighed as she picked up a folder of her own, "You're right, I'd like it if I could be on top of the paperwork for once."
"Makes you wish we were still in SG-1 doesn't it?"
Carter chuckled, grabbing a pen as she looked over documents. "I'd enjoy being that young again, at the very least. Maybe once Floyd's done his training we can get him to do to us what he did to O'Neill?"
"I wouldn't mind getting the band back together." Daniel scrounged around his own pockets, recovering a pen. "I found a pretty interesting log. Apparently, ancient unicorns called themselves 'Uru'Corti.'"
Carter looked up from the paper she was working on for a brief moment before returning her attention to it, "Sounds like the pony language was pretty different before meeting the Ancients."
"Full of whinnies and neighs," Daniel explained. "It's rather amusing to see an Ancient sound like a horse."
Carter smiled, clearly trying to imagine it. Her pen started to move, scratching on the paper, "I wonder if ponies are actually forming words today when they make those kinds of sounds, or is it just an instinctive reflex?"
"Maybe a little of both? I had Amelia start a search or the language in the database. I was planning to share whatever we find with one of the Equestrian researchers." Pausing for a moment, Daniel tapped his pen against a form. "So when are the Princesses dropping by?"
Carter finished the form in front of her, quickly moving on to the next one. "Within the next day or so. They'll probably tell us how the initial findings of the joint research team are progressing. You know, Celestia wrote that a lot of reporters want to see the city."
Daniel nodded, starting to fill out his own form. "I remember the last three times that happened. Doubt we'll get another magic camera man out of this one."
Carter chuckled. "That's true, we sort of lucked out on the last one." She was quiet for a moment, her expression falling slightly. "At least it won't be as bad as the first time we had to deal with journalists."
"Yeah." An uncomfortable silence filled the room, and Daniel cleared his throat, "Jack certainly thinks Floyd has potential."
Carter nodded slowly. "I hope O'Neill's gut is right about him, I'm not sure how I feel about sending Floyd out on missions. I'm starting to doubt if I should've extended the offer to join the teams."
"We'll just have to wait and see, won't we?"
Carter nodded again, quickly turning her focus to her work. "We can only hope he's actually working hard on his training. At the very least, he might try just because it's gotten him out of the infirmary."
"You've put him in a team with a former secret agent," Daniel pointed out, "I don't think he'll have any other choice but to work hard." He added his signature to the last page in the folder he was holding, replacing it with another folder. "You don't like him, do you?"
Carter's face scrunched up, putting her pen down to rub at her eyes. "That's a rather difficult question to answer. I know I haven't liked his attitude recently, but I can sympathize with it. I mean, how many times have we been put into quarantine or confinement and reacted similarly?"
"More than I want to recall."
"Exactly," she replied, picking up her pen again. "I think I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt for now. He's in a new world and where just about everything he's seeing is new to him." She quickly signed a form and placed it with the other completed forms. "Of course, that can only let him get away with so much."
Daniel closed his folder, rubbing at his eyes. "Well, Jack wasn't wrong about Shepard. If he thinks Hendrix can do it, I'm inclined to agree with him."
Carter nodded, pulling another file in front of her. "You're right, and I do want Floyd to succeed, but that doesn't mean I'm going to suspend my caution." She frowned and let her pen dip in her hand, "I can't afford to, given the job he's accepted."
Ember grunted as she picked herself up, rubbing her head. Zebras, she was finding out, hit like boulders. According to her CO, it was standard practice for gate teams to train in melee combat. That was fine with her, dragons were strong and fierce. What she didn't take into account was her sparring partner using fancy moves to make her look like a hatchling.
"That was a good move," Anansi complemented, bowing his head as a cut on his cheek trickled blood down his muzzle, "you are starting to improve."
"I'll show you improvment." She snorted, flaring her wings. Tensing her body, she sprang forward, letting out a growl.
Anansi spun on his hooves, causing her lunge to whiz by him. He then tensed his body and bucked his hind legs into her side. Ember grunted, tumbling to the corner of the mat. She picked herself up again, nursing her side.
"You are letting anger cloud your mind," the zebra warned, getting into a low stance, "Don't forget to take your time."
Ember scoffed, fumes rising up from her nostrils. Tensing her legs, she jumped over Anansi, swinging her tail at his legs. He jumped to avoid her legs, turning in mid-air to keep her in sight. He then bit down on her tail, pulling back on it with all his strength.
Digging her claws into the mat, Ember pulled against the zebra. She pulled him off his hooves, swinging him around. Anansi released her tail from his mouth, sailing towards the wall of the gym. He brought his hooves up and kicked off the wall before rolling back onto his hooves and resuming his stance, swaying slightly.
"You're starting to annoy me," Ember said as she flexed her claws, stalking closer.
Anansi didn't respond, keeping his stance as he circled the dragoness with a calculating gaze.
Ember juked to the left before leaping at him, throwing a punch at his jaw. He ducked underneath the punch, letting her sail over him before kicking the same spot he had before. A sharp cry of pain escaped Ember's maw and she rolled across the ground. Getting to her knees, she inhaled slowly, clutching her side. Anansi relaxed his stance slightly, giving her time to recover.
"Alright, I think that's enough," Colonel McDowell called over. "Ember, let one of the docs check that side of yours."
Ember brought herself to her feet, grunting as she kept a hand to her side. "Is that an order, sir?" she asked, frowning at the thought of getting prodded at by one of the medical staff.
"Yes, it is," he replied, motioning towards the small station the medical team had set up. "I'd rather we don't break anything."
She forced herself not to groan as she nodded at the colonel and turned towards the medical station. "Yes sir," she said, gritting her teeth for a split second. Making her way over, she glanced at the doctors. "Just make it quick."
"Okay, what is it I can help you with?" the closest doctor asked, standing up and walking over to Ember.
"My side." She laid down, adjusting her wings there would be unobstructed access to her side.
The doctor nodded, grabbed a pair of gloves from beneath the examination table, and put them on. She then gingerly put her hands on Ember's side and applied a bit of pressure to several spots.
Ember hissed, her claws digging into the bed. "Damn zebra. Hits like a boulder."
"I can only imagine," the doctor commented, pulling her hands away and turning back to a set of counters. "I know I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of a pair of hooves. Especially since I don't have a set of protective scales." She grabbed a jar and opened it. She then turned back to Ember and applied a bit of an ointment of some kind to the dragoness's side, covering it with a white bandage.
"It doesn't look like there's any bone damage, mostly likely some bruised muscles."
"Dragons don't break bones easily," Ember bragged, releasing the bed from her grasp. "Comes from eating so many gems."
"Sounds pretty useful," the doctor said, stepping back from Ember and pulling off her gloves. "That cream should keep the muscles beneath your scales from swelling and numb the pain. If you have any other problems with your side, come see me again, okay?"
"Thanks," Ember eased herself up, brushing off any aches from her side. Nodding at the doctor, she stepped out of the tent. The compound was busy as always, various teams working away at a number of activities.
She idly wondered if she should return to her team. She frowned at that, the thought of getting beaten by Anansi again appealing to her about as much as tearing off her wings.
"I don't want to hear him yelling later." Resigning herself to another round of sparring, Ember made her way back to the gym. Peeking inside, she spotted her team off to the side. Another group had taken the mats. Specifically, Floyd's team.
Floyd and the earth pony she recalled being named Bon Bon were circling one another. Floyd was concentrating intently, but it was obvious that he wasn't confident about beating the mare. Bon Bon moved like a predator. Head low to the ground, taking long, deliberate steps. Floyd looked like he was trying to copy her movements, though his steps were more jerky and stiff.
Like a striking snake, Bon Bon lunged forward, running into Floyd's legs. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she heaved him off the ground, tossing him over her head. Floyd grunted in pain as his back struck the mat, his head bouncing on it as well before snapping back to its normal position. He rolled onto his hands and knees before standing up.
Bon Bon circled him again, eyes locked on him. She stepped slowly, breathing steady and slow. Without warning she struck at Floyd again. Rising up onto her back hooves, she brought a hoof down on his shin. Floyd sharply inhaled air, using his uninjured leg to try and kick her away. Batting his leg away, she jabbed her hoof into his stomach several times. With a heave, she shoved him to the ground. Straddling his hips, she jabbed a hoof at his jaw. There was a loud thwack that filled the room and made Ember wince as Floyd's head bounced on the mat again. He put his hands up, trying to lift Bon Bon off him.
Stepping away under her own power, Bon Bon looked down at Floyd, saying, "Just lay there a moment and catch your breath. I didn't hit you too hard did I?"
Floyd held out a finger as he put a hand beneath his jaw and moved it around for a moment. He winced for a moment before speaking, "I'm achy, but I don't think you broke anything."
"Good," Bon Bon sat down, wiping a bit of sweat from her brow. "You humans aren't as durable as ponies are."
Floyd hauled himself into a sitting position, wiped at his own brow and turned his head to the rest of his team. "Whose idea was it to pair me up with the trained badass again? I think the head trauma made me forget."
"Someone has to babysit you and the dorks," Bon Bon replied, chuckling a bit. "Lyra might know a bit of Standing Way, but that doesn't mean she actually knows how to fight."
"I'm sorry, did you just call your CO a dork?" Higgs asked, smirking as he crossed his arms over his chest. "That's a quick way to land on latrine duty."
Ember watched the group carry on, moving over to her own. She dropped onto a bench, a long sigh escaping her lips. Her people watching session was interrupted, as Anansi took the seat next to her.
"Humans are curious creatures aren't they?" he asked, watching as Floyd attempted to grapple with Bon Bon. "They're far more stubborn than even Earth ponies."
"Sad thing is, that's probably their best quality," Ember joked, looking over to the zebra. "By the way, I had no idea you were a skilled fighter. I thought you said you were a shaman?"
"So? That doesn't mean I can't practice the martial arts," Anansi smiled at her. "You, on the other hand, fight like an angry bear: brute force and no thought."
Ember kept herself from frowning at the comment. "It's worked for me so far. Dragons don't exactly have strict fighting styles."
"Until a little zebra like me sent you tumbling to the floor," Anansi continued his smile. "You should learn to think before you act."
Ember let herself frown. "I think I've made some improvements in that department. Not too long ago, I'd have punched you in the throat for a comment like that."
"Ah, good, learning restraint is crucial in life. Of course, even if one cannot master it, they are better for having tried."
Ember arched a brow at him, "Do you ever get tired of giving me life advice? 'Cause it feels like every one of our conversations eventually turns to you trying to dish out one lesson or another."
Anansi clicked his tongue, "Am I that transparent? You are the daughter of the dragonlord, with a high chance of being the next one. Why should I not try to impart lessons I think would help the dragons?"
She felt her chest swell a bit at the compliment that he believed in her ability to win the trial. "I'm not complaining. Usually I like your lessons." She smirked a little, "I definitely wouldn't complain if you added fighting lessons to the mix. You've got some good moves."
"I would like that," Anansi patted her shoulder. "A question, Ember. Why are the dragons here?"
"They're here because I appealed to their sense of greed," she told him. "My father was very reluctant to work with other races, but I hinted that we might be able to get rare treasures from across the stars."
"Do you think that's why they should be here?"
"No," Ember replied, tilting her head to look down at her lap. "There are better reasons than just getting treasure out there. After seeing Elmis and her drones I can't help but wonder if there are other dragons out there that live different lives from the ones here."
"An admirable idea to hold." Anansi reached over, grabbing a bar of candy. He offered it to Ember, "Is that why you are here?"
"That's part of it I think," she replied, quickly thanking him as she grabbed the bar. She unwrapped it and took a small bite. "But I also want to get away from my father and prove myself here. He thinks that strength and size are all that matters," she pointed the bar at him, "but you prove that there are other things that matter too. I mean, I'm bigger and stronger, but I hardly touched you when we were sparring."
"I noticed I'm not the only one you think of as such," Anansi gestured to the mats. Giving her a sly smile, he rose from his seat. "If you find yourself in need of any life lessons, you can always come to me."
Ember watched him trot away, left as confused as always. "What did he mean by that?" She quirked a brow and followed where Anansi had pointed. This only confused her further as she saw Floyd and his group. "That zebra is so weird," she muttered.
The Adjudicator trotted through the halls of Mu, paying no more mind to the morbid decor than she usually did. She walked back the long decayed bodies, long sense having grown used to them. The appearance of Lanteans was taxing her thoughts. They had no doubt discovered the fate of their Shangrian counterparts, and there was no other place for them to be besides the lost city; Mu had the only other gate capable of intergalactic travel, and was under Umbrum control. Luckily, there had been no other sightings of the Lanteans since their first encounter. The Adjudicator adjusted her course, making her way to the control room.
Stepping into the control room, she stamped a hoof, "What is the status of the fleet?"
A grey mare with a short, brick red mane turned from her seat at a console. "All ships are accounted for, minus the two gateships stolen by the Lanteans. They reported in a cycle ago and are in the positions you suggested."
"Excellent," the Adjudicator scanned the room before stamping her hoof again. "Send a message to Lemuria. Let the Inquisitor know that we are coming, and that I want an update on his process."
"What of the Keeper?" the mare asked. "She has reported in and is on standby in Taqar's orbit."
The Adjudicator paused. It had been at least a decade since all the praetors had been in one place. "Contact all the praetors. We shall met on Lemuria."
"As you wish, Adjudicator," the mare bowed her head and turned back to her console, tapping out a sequence of keys.
"Set a course for Lemuria," the Adjudicator ordered, taking her seat. They ship rocked slightly as it entered hyperspace.
A meeting of all the higher Umbrum. Not something that happened easily, or eagerly. She found herself dwelling on it, a bunch of headstrong Umbrum, arguing over how best to follow their lord's last orders. The Adjudicator leaned back in her seat, her brow furrowing. Perhaps she could use the appearance of the Lanteans to her advantage? Surely she could convince the others that cooperating with her would be in their best interest. A small smirk wormed its way onto her face as she started to consider what she'd say to the other praetors.
The ship lurched again, signaling the exit from hyperspace. It then started to rock as they breached Lemur's atmosphere, followed by one final lurch as they touched down in the ocean. Without waiting, the Adjudicator made her way up to the gate ship bay. She motioned to a pair of Umbrum stallions stationed at the doors of the bay and stopped at the end of one of the ships.
"With me, now," she ordered, opening the gate ship's door and stepping inside. Taking a seat in the pilot's chair, the ship came to life around her.
The pair of stallions fell in behind her, taking their own seats. Before they could even secure themselves, the Adjudicator brought the ship up and opened the roof for the ship to exit. With a thought, the ship took to the sky, making its way across the planet. The trip was spent in silence, her impromptu escorts not being the talkative sort. After an hour or so, the spires of Lemuria came into view.
Once in the city, the Adjudicator made her way down to the center spire. Lemuria shared its layout with the city-ships, though unlike Mu, it was a traditional city.
The Adjudicator stamped her hoof, getting the attention of the Umbrum at their stations. "Tell me, how many of the praetors are here?"
"As domineering as always, aren't we?" A tall unicorn wearing a cloak and circlet stepped into view. His horn was adorned with a sheath, the tip sharpened to a point. Deep purple eyes gazed upon her, a hint a malice behind them. "You never change, Adjudicator."
The Adjudicator snorted, glaring at the unicorn. "I simply don't like having my time wasted. Time spent observing niceties is time that could be spent finding the Overlord. Something you clearly don't understand given how much you primp and preen yourself." She waved a hoof over his attire.
Scoffing, the unicorn flicked his mane back. "I have done more than my share in finding our majestic master. That is Lemuria's purpose after all. A much better one than mingling with the lesser creatures of the galaxy."
The Adjudicator forced herself to not grit her teeth at that comment. "I am doing my part by maintaining our lord's empire." A wicked glint appeared in her eyes, "Besides, you never know when one of them might develop something to help us. There are some clever little bugs in our domain after all."
"On that we agree," he gestured out the window. "Why else put them to work?"
She let out a quick laugh, looking out the window with him, "It is quite rare that we can agree on something. Though I do wish we could get used to such a thing." The Adjudicator glanced back at him. "Inquisitor, what about the rest of the praetors?"
"They are on their way," he assured her. "I can't imagine any of us would ignore a call to gather. Not with how reluctant any of us are to make such a call."
"Am I the first to arrive?"
"That you are," the Inquisitor replied. "Considering the Keeper's last location, she should be the second closest."
The Adjudicator snorted. "She has always been an addle-minded buffoon."
He let out a laugh, tilting his head back for a moment, "I believe we've found another matter we agree on."
"A disturbing trend, if there ever was one."
He smirked and shook his head, "Yes, if this continues we could dare say that we get along. Perish the thought."
The Adjudicator didn't reply, remaining completely silent as she stared out the window. A small sense of satisfaction welled up inside her. Somehow she was winning over the Inquisitor without mentioning the Lanteans at all. It seems the general mistrust of other praetors was another weapon in her arsenal. She would need to press this before the others arrived. Having the favor of one other praetor was something she couldn't pass up on if her ventures were to succeed.
"Your order to gather the fleet caused a bit of a stir." The Inquisitor stepped up beside her. "You know, we're going to lose territory."
"Did you hear the reason I gave that order?" she asked, turning her head to him. "The Lanteans have found their way to our galaxy. Without access to the Overlord's Plague, we would be sure to lose territory in confrontations to them. My thinking was to use our knowledge of this galaxy to our advantage and focus our efforts on locating the lost city."
The Inquisitor clicked his tongue. "I wasn't talking about the Lanteans."
"I'm thinking in the big picture," she said. "The Lanteans pose the greatest threat to our goal. We can reclaim planets that take advantage of our fleet's movements later. The Lanteans have access to the lost city and all the records contained in it. They are sure to learn of our lord and his fate."
"I'll remind you of that when we're fighting tooth and nail with that broken-horned cur."
"Inquisitor, I know you are many things, but stupid is not one of them," the Adjudicator said, sighing. "I did not make my decision lightly. Surely you can imagine what the Lanteans could be capable of after their millennia of separation from the Shangrians. The hornless mare is nothing but a cockroach in comparison to what the Lanteans are capable of."
"That may be true, but, that doesn't make her any less dangerous."
The Adjudicator smirked, a wicked glint in her eyes, "Rest assured, once we have purged the Lanteans from this galaxy, we will take care of her. A planet here or there is nothing compared to losing any hope of completing our lord's orders."
"Are you sure your crew agrees with that?" The Inquisitor matched her smirk. "I hear your troops aren't as well disciplined as you like to say. Such a shame."
The Adjudicator's smirk fell slightly. She took a deep breath, keeping herself calm, "I am quite sure the important crewmembers of Mu agree with this judgement. Especially after I made an example of that idiot Kovar."
The Inquisitor let out a dry chuckle, pushing part of his mane behind his ear. "I suppose there is a brutal efficiency to your might-makes-right attitude. Just do try not to go overboard, otherwise you might not have any crew left."
"I am not so foolish as to kill all of my crew." She put on a fake smile, "But thank you for your concern. If I want leadership advice, you'll be the first to know."
Before the Inquisitor could respond, the sound of rushing air and a dull thud could be heard coming from the hangar. A few moments later and a slightly short pegasus mare with grayish-purple fur came into the control room with a pair of guards following close behind. She had a purple, frizzy, curly mane that she had pulled back in an attempt to look respectable. Her purple eyes flitted around the room, taking everything in.
"Glad to see you could make it, Keeper," The Inquisitor greeted the newcomer, regarding the mare with an indifferent gaze. "How was Taqar? Can't imagine there was much to see past the ash clouds."
"You can see the sky, if you go high enough."
The Adjudicator never did like the Keeper. She wasn't like her siblings, and the Overlord had left out many common Umbrum traits. The Adjudicator had to remind herself that it made sense. Her fellow praetor was made for studying, not participating in their master's war machine.
"Hmm, and did you see any signs of ruins or anything useful? The Inquisitor pressed, taking a step towards the smaller mare. "You seemed so confident in your last transmission."
"I believe I may have found a cache of energy crystals," the Keeper replied. "The readings are a little off due to the ash storms."
"Hmm, seems like you're in the pursuit of something useful," the Adjudicator said, not bothering to hide her surprise. "I'm sure the Overseer will lay claim to those crystals the instant you find them."
"Of course."
The trio fell into the normal, festering silence that always joined the group when they met, broken only by the working of the Umbrum around them. It didn't take long for the remaining praetors to join them. The Inquisitor led them to a room with a long table and each of them took a seat; the Inquisitor placed himself at the head of the table with the other praetors spread out along the sides.
"So lovely to see all of you again," the Inquisitor began, leaning back in his chair. "Since the Adjudicator called us together, I will defer to her for now." He waved his hoof over to her.
"We are here to deal with the Lanteans," The Adjudicator spoke, glancing across the table. "I have recalled our ships and tasked them with defending our most important worlds. We'll let the ape take the others, for now." She nodded back at the Inquisitor. "I was told Vox was getting close to finding our master's last coordinates?"
The Keeper nodded, "Yes, my crew are looking into Shangrian logs that could hint at where we might finally find him." A frown then formed on her face, "Except the logs are located on what you designated a non-priority planet."
The Inquisitor tapped a hoof on the table. "While having the location would be nice, I doubt that is where our master is." Lighting his horn, he sent off a message. "We would find nothing but an empty planet, perhaps with some ruins on it."
A stocky, grey earth pony adjusted himself in his seat, fixing his yellow eyes on the Inquisitor. "I take it you have a working theory on our master's true whereabouts, then?"
"If I did not, I would not be suggesting it, would I, Speaker?" the Inquisitor tsked. "I believe our master's fate lies in the source of his power." He paused as the doors opened, and a shackled griffon walked into the room. "But, I shall let Sinbar here explain. It is his theory after all."
Judging by the size and build it was a male. His feathers were a deep brown, with his leonine tail capped by a red shock of fur. Around his neck was a black collar made of leather from an unknown source. Despite being shackled, Sinbar didn't seem at all bothered by his position, his golden irises regarding the praetors calmly. After a brief moment, he stepped up to the table and bowed, letting his forehead touch the floor.
"Thank you, for hearing me speak," Sinbar spoke, keeping his head low. "As you know, the Shangrians used amulets to bolster their magical power, as did our lord's bell."
"So far I am unimpressed," a blood-red pegasus mare interrupted, turning to the Inquisitor with an irritated look. "I thought you said we'd be hearing a theory, not information we are all very well aware of."
The Inquisitor met her with an unamused glare. "Allow Sinbar to speak his peace." He gestured for the griffon to continue.
Sinbar bowed his head to the Inquisitor. "The amulets and bell do something similar to the astria porta, facilitating access to something the Shangrians called subspace. However, their end goals differ greatly. The astria porta can only access it to make travel between worlds simple, whereas the amulets and bell can access it to benefit the whims of the user."
"I believe the Shangrians used an effect similar to those artifacts and trapped our lord in some layer of subspace."
The Speaker leaned forward in his seat, "And what would that mean for our efforts in returning our lord to his throne?" He quirked a brow and tapped his hoof on the table. "Surely you have not come here without possible solutions?"
Sinbar shook his head, "Unfortunately no, I am still working with the Inquisitor in order to discover a way to free our lord from his confinement." He bowed again, "Forgive my failure, the astria porta is complex, even by the standards of Shangrian technology. My progress is also hindered because we have no amulets to study. I have a hypothesis that they may help expedite our goal."
The Inquisitor turned his attention to the Keeper. "Have you and your crew ever found an intact amulet?"
"It would have been easier, if the ones that took the cities and ships, took an inventory of everything," the Keeper explained, huffing.
The other pegasus mare sighed, shaking her head. "You're wasting your time complaining about that. I've suggested it countless times. My own work would've been made so much easier if all of you gave me inventory logs."
The Adjudicator barked in laughter. "My job isn't to make yours easier. Find one of those amulets, Keeper, and make yourself useful for once."
The Keeper's feathers ruffled at that. "Do I have to remind you that we wouldn't know how to use half of the Shangrian technology's capabilities were it not for my team? Not all of us were meant for going to the primitives and keeping them in line."
The Inquisitor tapped his hoof again. "This in-fighting has plagued us for far too long. We know what must be done. I suggest we get started. Adjudicator, you will make sure the Keeper gets those logs. Once we find the Master's world, I will begin construction on a laboratory there, to facilitate his return."
"Give me a detailed list of the materials you will need," the red pegasus mare chimed in. "I will make sure to gather them and have them delivered to the planet."
"Excellent," The Inquisitor threw on an easy smile. "Now that wasn't so hard, was it?"
The Speaker chuckled, running a hoof through his long beard. "Let us hope we can maintain this peace. The eve of our master's return is at hoof. It has been far too long since the galaxy has known his true glory."
The Adjudicator rose to her hooves, thumping her arm against her chest. "Glory to the Overlord."
The others followed her lead, rising out of their seats and pounding their hooves to their chest. "Glory to the Overlord," they chanted in unison.