//------------------------------//
// Chapter 117: Hesitation 
// Story: XCOM: Ranger 
// by Wanderer D 
//------------------------------//


Ranger


Chapter 117: Hesitation


By Wanderer D






Twilight walked into the communications room, carefully making her way around the engineers, who didn't give her a second glance. They were already used to her presence there, after all.

"We see them. We'll take care of it."

Annette's voice filled the room, and as Twilight took one step at a time to go upstairs to Chrysalis, she stopped to watch the image on the screen. A small patrol of ADVENT troops was coming into view behind a long set of box cars carrying some sort of containers.

It was an ambush about to be sprung, and under normal circumstances, Twilight might have paused on the stairway to witness it being executed, but right now, she had too many things in her mind to worry about watching the whole thing.

She hurried up to where Chrysalis was. The commander was leaning on the rails, looking intently not at the battle about to begin, but at the camera that belonged to Sunset, who was following Elena.

Twilight saw Angel take the first shot just as the Reaper and Ranger arrived and flanked the entrance to the building.

"Finally," Chrysalis hissed. Twilight wasn't sure if she was talking to herself or at her, but either way, the Commander's eyes were glued to the screen.

"Shen, make sure you record every reading you get when they step inside," Bradford ordered from the floor level of the room. He was pacing, keeping his eyes on all video feeds. "Tygan—"

"No need to tell me, Central," Tygan replied leaning over to type hurriedly on a keyboard. "I've got everything at my disposal focused on the facility."

The bridge grew quiet as Elena and Sunset snuck in, the silence only broken by the violent combat from the rest of the forces. Twilight could feel her eyes being drawn to the action… but what Sunset found completely killed her interest.

She covered her mouth in horror as the cameras revealed the grisly contents of the containers, the primodial soup they were being dumped and processed into for some unknown purpose.

Next to her, she noticed Chrysalis' knuckles going white, as her eyes narrowed and palpable anger emanated from her.

Twilight watched Sunset navigate the location, fighting the bile raising up her throat. She barely heard the exchange between Tygan and Lily, instead fighting a rising sense of guilt.

Here she was, bringing more problems to the table, when the people of this world were being… destroyed like this. Where the fight was desperate, every day. Where they didn't have the luxury of going out with their pets for a get-together among friends on a random day.

Who was she, to bring this to the Commander right now? She understood that Equestria was in danger, but could it possibly be as bad? Did they really need her so desperately as people here needed her knowledge and possible help?

She had a duty to Equestria… but could she do it? After witnessing this? How many people were there just now? How many people had been there before?
Another fight exploded on the screen. Sunset dashed forth and eviscerated a sectoid, quickly covering the entrance she found herself next to. Elena had ran up to the vial.

"Guessing that's not water in there." Bradford spoke up, his arms crossed and staring at the screen with a grimace of utter disgust. "Lily?"

Below, Shen had a multitude of screens, using every single sensor included in the armors and electronics of the ground troops to scan the vial even before Bradford spoke up. "Working on it… no signs of radioactivity, no significant energy signatures of any kind." She shook her head and looked directly at him. "Whatever it is, it's safe to handle."

It took less than a minute after that for Menace to evacuate, but regardless of the success of the mission, the whole bridge was quiet.

With visible effort, Chrysalis spoke up.

"Tygan, Shen, Bradford… my quarters now. We need to discuss what was happening earlier."

"Commander," Twilight said, hesitating as she approached Chrysalis, touching her shoulder gingerly. "If you want we can talk about this later…"

"No," Chrysalis shook her head. She slowly forced her hands open, and stepped away from the rail. "No… we need to sort whatever is happening now, Twilight."

She licked her lips. "I have the gut feeling that this is going to really change things going forward. For both us and ADVENT."

Twilight nodded mutely and followed Chrysalis into her room and office. It took mere seconds for the others to trickle in, and the door to close behind them.

To say the mood in the room was grim would have been an understatement, but nevertheless, Chrysalis brought everyone to attention by walking over to her safe, and extracting Twilight's crown, which she then placed on the table.

"Explain."

Twilight nodded, glancing at everyone. "I… just want to say I'm sorry that this is happening now…" She gulped and licked her lips nervously. "When I first felt the first magical wave, it was barely perceptible… I imagine that's when some people started feeling some headaches… as the pulses continued, however, it became obvious that there was something strange going on."

Twilight took a deep breath. "Princess Celestia and Princess Luna have disappeared. My friends, who bear the other Elements, are unable to find them, or fight back a magical invasion of some sort that we fear is related. I received a letter from Spike… my dragon assistant, who wrote to me as soon as they figured out the princesses were gone… that means that the cycle of day and night for the whole world, as well as the political power of Equestria is now in disarray.

"There are currently too few unicorns that have both the power and knowledge to move the sun and moon. I was one of them, and the rest are… well, old. They wouldn't have enough power, and the Elements of Harmony will not function by themselves without the Element of Magic.

"As it is, Equestria is crippled right now." Twilight cleared her throat. "I was initially going to ask to let me go back… but with what's going on with the vial and-and that building, I feel that my knowledge and skills are most neede—"

"Don't."

Chrysalis' interruption threw Twilight off. She turned to look at the commander, who had her eyes closed and her arms crossed. "I'm sorry?"

"You can't abandon your world's fate for ours." Chrysalis said. She looked up, locking eyes with the young woman. "That's not how it works. That's not what we stand for."

"But… commander, the Element of Magic is practically a nuclear device against the Elders!" Twilight stammered.

"But you have said yourself," Tygan spoke up, "That the corruption of its Harmonic influence would inevitably lead to the destruction of the Element and its wielder. And possibly everything around them for a… considerable radius."

"T-that's just a theory!" Twilight countered. "I-nopony has ever seen that happen, or has a record of it!"

"Twilight," Bradford spoke up. "Calm down. We aren't just giving up on a weapon. We have discussed this ourselves, on many occasions."

"If the means and the time had come to use the Element of Magic as a weapon had occurred safely for Earth…" Chrysalis spoke up slowly, making sure Twilight's focus was on her, "I would have used it. But right now… a friend needs help. And I know, sure as…" she bit her lip. "S-sure as hell, that we'll need help ourselves. Quid pro quo, Squaddie."

"But… I don't want to go and leave you without any help…"

"And you honestly think you will?" Lily asked, smiling at Twilight. "I don't think you have it in you to just leave us to die out."

Twilight chuckled, looking down at the crown. "Then…"

"You have a new mission, Sparkle," Chrysalis said. "So make sure you gear up. You'll assist our allies in saving their world. Ensure future diplomatic and humanitarian and techno-thaumic exchange is possible… and earn your promotion." She took a deep breath and glared at Twilight. "Understood?"

Twilight found herself saluting. "Yes, Commander…" she lowered her hand. "And… thank you."

"Go get ready."


o.0.o End Chapter 117 o.0.o