Chapter 18: Water World
Luna could see the door to the quarters she was occupying in the reflection of the massive window she was star gazing from. So she didn't turn when Shepard entered the room and approaches from behind. "It is... very different. Seeing it like this. Being among the stars. Sailing them in a ship."
"Yeah. Every kid feels the same thing the first few times they go up in a ship I think." Shepard was almost brazenly bare compared to her usual head to toe covering. Wearing a tight fitting tank top that exposed much of her upper half.
Luna turned to face her, lips quirked up in a smile. "You seem in very high spirits, Eliza."
"Well Elezzia and I had a talk. I didn't even break her nose this time."
"Well. That is an improvement." She noted the half empty bottle and pair of empty glasses in Shepards' hands. "What's this?"
"A drink. I figure I'm half drunk why not get all the way drunk, right?"
Luna snorted in amusement and took a seat. Shepard sat next to her and poured two glasses. "Such logic is truly infallible."
Shepard offered a shrug as she raised her glass, clinking it to Luna's. "I know we're on the run from the Citadel and about to be racing off into heavy combat but... I feel good, Luna. I feel like myself for the first time in a long time."
"Your memory is returned fully then?" Luna took a light sip of the alcohol, and wrinkled her nose slightly. It was no Apple family brandy.
"I think so, more or less. But that's not what I mean exactly. On Equestria I felt lost. I don't like not having a purpose. Does that make sense?"
"Indeed. You are a mare of action."
"Woman. But yeah. It sounds insane but being hunted like a criminal while I try to focus on a mission it... feels comfortable. It feels right. You know?"
"I am afraid I cannot empathize with the exact situation but I understand the core concept, yes." She took another sip from the glass, finding herself suddenly desiring the pleasant burn of the alcohol. "So once we affect Celestia's rescue and you clear your name so to speak... I presume you'll resume your works here among the stars?"
Shepard stared into her glass, swirling the liquid languidly. "Elezzia and I talked about something. About my settling down. I told her I planned to be military my whole life." She didn't look up to see Luna's crestfallen expression. "But... I suppose if I'm in a serious relationship with a Princess she could probably find me something to do in her military, right?"
Luna nearly dropped her glass in surprise. "I... well... I suppose so. Yes, of course I could. But... is that what you want? I cannot fathom someone who has all this willing to settle for... Equestria. Pleasant though it is, how can it compare?"
Now Shepard raised her eyes to meet Luna's, wearing a soft smile. "Earth, Palavan, Thessia, Sur'keh... Tuchanka, Khaje. They're nice planets, there's nice people there. But they don't have you on them."
Luna's wings fluffed and threatened to snap open as her cheeks darkened. "You are making fun of me."
"You'd know if I was making fun of you."
Now Luna locked eyes with Shepard's again. The woman's fire, steel like intensity drawing her into them. She'd never met anyone like this. Nor, she suspected... would she ever meet someone like her again.
As Shepard set her glass aside and pressed her lips to Luna's. the Princess found her musings banished instantly.
***
"This is gonna be a piece of cake."
"If that is the attitude you're going to have about this, you may return to the others, Rainbow Dash. This is not a toy, this is not a piece of cake. This is extremely serious business."
"Okay okay... jeez. Sorry." Dash settled in the co-pilot's seat next to SADI. "Sorry. I just... that's just how I am."
"I understand, and some enthusiasm is warranted of course but you are not playing pretend. Once we gear up at Khaje we will be going into an extremely dangerous situation. I'm worried you and your fellow Equestrians aren't understanding the gravity of this situation."
"Giant bug monsters abducted Princess Celestia. We get it's pretty serious."
"Why?"
Dash frowned. "Why what?"
"Why did they take her? And so many others?"
"Uhhh... don't you know that better than we do?"
"I know why the Collectors were abducting humans en masse in the past. Ideally they are simply collecting unique specimens out of habit more than directive."
"Well it doesn't matter 'why' they took her. We're still going to kick their butts."
SADI transferred rudimentary controls to the co-pilots station. "We are going to kill them, Rainbow Dash."
"Uh, well yeah."
"That doesn't bother you?"
"Nope."
"Hm. I expected some hesitation on your part based on the idyllic nature of your homeland."
"Yeah we get that a lot. There's a reason Equestria is idyllic. It's because ponies fight and bleed and struggle all the time against monsters, griffons, minotaurs, and dragons. Mostly pegasus ponies fight and bleed. We're sort of the military tribe."
"I did ascertain as much from my research with Twilight Sparkle but records of border conflicts are all but non-existant."
"Yeah, I asked Twi about it once. I guess the Princesses uh... suppress... is that the word?"
"Suppress the information? Yes that's the word. It makes sense I suppose."
Dash's hands eased onto the control consoles. Lighted prompts guiding her where to put her hands. "Right. I was accepted into the Wonderbolts Academy so I got to know some of this stuff. It was a surprise at first but the more I thought about it the more it makes sense. Most places outside of Equestria kinda... suck."
"One would assume the presence of Celestia, Luna, and Twilight Sparkle would deter any hostilities against your peoples."
Dash shrugged. Her brow furrowed with surprising focus as her eyes roved the console. "Yeah you'd think, right? But the Princesses get kidnapped so much I guess it kinda ruined their rep?"
SADI switched full flight control to Dash's console and the ship gave a lurch. The rainbow haired woman's eyes widened and she jerked her hands away from the controls for a brief second, before recovering with impressive speed and placing them back down. The ship leveled out and resumed it's flight path.
"Nice recovery."
"Heh, thanks. It feels... different than I thought it would. Like I can feel the whole ship right under my pokers."
"Fingers."
"Whatever. I get what you're saying though. We actually talked about that one time. Twilight thinks Celestia actually 'can't' use her magic to attack anymore."
"What caused her to come to this conclusion?"
Dash's attention never lifted from the control consoles. SADI was still giving her lighted prompts but the pony turned woman was picking things up with almost alarming speed. "Well think about it. How strong do you gotta be to raise the sun every day?"
SADI shrugged. "I've no idea but it's safe to assume 'very'."
"Right. So how does a bug Queen get the better of her? How do a bunch of black vines get the better of her?"
"Fair questions I suppose."
"Well Twi thinks it's because if Celestia really y'know... kaboomed at them she might explode the whole world or something."
"Like opening a flood gate to far. Opening enough to allow a trickle out they can be closed again. Opening them fully and letting everything rush out at once, it may be impossible to reclose."
"Yeah pretty much. Hey can I shoot the guns?"
There was a brief pause as SADI considered. "Yes, but I get to fire the torpedos."
***
"Must admit, very impressed by your species, Twilight Sparkle."
Twilighed raised her eyebrows at Valin's comment. "Oh? Thank you? May I ask why? Not that I don't think ponykind is great of course." She tittered a nervous giggle. "But all these other species are so much more impressive."
"Mmm. Depends on definition of 'impressive'. Set aside impressive energy manipulation abilities..."
"Magic."
"...hrm. Yes. That. Setting aside that your species may be toughest I've ever encountered."
Twilight furrowed her brow. "That can't be true. What about those krogan people? With all their back up organs and redundant systems and such."
"I said toughest, not necessarily most durable. Skeletal, musculature, and organ structures all considerably more dense than those of any other species encountered thus far."
"Hm. Rainbow Dash did crash into the ground at nearly the speed of sound. And I there was the time I had a piano dropped on my head. And I once saw Big Mac pull an entire house behind himself..."
"Piano?"
"Moving company hired the wrong pegasus."
"Your world sounds like a magical place. Sincerely hope the opportunity to visit arrives. Assuming we survive upcoming assault on collectors."
Twilight brightened. "Well of course we're all going to survive. And of course you're welcome to visit! I live in a library you know, I bet you'd love it. Oh but... are you allowed time off from your work?"
Valin shrugged. "Been at it almost six years now. Time for a change I think."
Twilight's brow furrowed in confusion. "That's not very long for a career."
"Ah. Perhaps for most. Salarian life span averages thirty years. Already nineteen you know?"
"I... you..." Twilight stared, aghast. "Thirty? THIRTY years? That's all?! How do you get anything done??"
"Quickly."
"But that's... that's so short a time, Valin." The young Princess sounded immensely sad.
"Hm. Not an uncommon point of view. Will posit another. Is a life worth less because it is shorter? Is it not what is accomplished in that life that matters?"
Twilight twisted her fingers in her lap. "Well of course that's true it's just hard to imagine saying goodbye to a friend in so short a time."
"More than a decade before you have to worry, Twilight Sparkle. Though I find the sentiment touching."
The door to the medbay hissed open as Applejack entered glancing between the pair. "Oops, sorry. Y'all busy in here?"
"Not at all." Valin went back to examining the findings of his tests on the ponies.
The burly woman helped herself to a seat next to the examination table Twilight was seated on. "So you two rut yet or what?"
Valin's eyes widened and he sharply looked up from his work. "What??"
Twilight huffed. "No, Applejack. We've been a bit busy for something like that."
"Shepard an Luna ain't been to busy."
"Hm. You have a fair point there."
Valin raised his hands to interject. "Apologies. Friendly jest I assume? Very blase about intercourse with new species you've only met."
Applejack and Twilight shared a look. At length both shrugged. Twilight Sparkle tilted her head. "What's that got to do with anything? It's not uncommon for a pony to be in a relationship with a non-pony back home."
"We've only just met."
Brow furrowed she tilted her head. "Well yes, but we do like each other."
"Hm." Valin opened his mouth, then closed it again. "...assume sex does not hold same taboo's for your people as most others."
Applejack shrugged. "What's to be taboo? Sex is sex. Don't gotta mean anything."
"Not worried about accidental impregnation?"
Twilight shook her head. "No, we don't get 'accidentally' pregnant. We only ovulate when we're in season. Usually in the springtime. It happens more often for some mares but not really."
Valin 'hm'd' again. "Makes sense given equine physiology. So physical intercourse is what? Hobby? Way to pass time?"
AJ shrugged again. "More or less. Ah mean, it's special between you an yer special somepony a'course but sometime's a mare's got an itch she wants scratched."
"Fascinating. Xenobiology never a focus of study for me, suspect your species will be extensively interview and examined when current troubles have settled."
"What's it like for your people, Valin?"
The salarian glanced toward Twilight at her question. "Intercourse? Utilitarian. Relationships not built on romance, rather necessity. Families with desirable traits arrange mated pairs between members of the line to produce favorable off spring."
Applejack huh'd. "Kinda takes the fun outta it, don'cha think?"
"Don't disagree. I'm something of an outcast among my family for refusing an offered mate. Spent to much time among asari I think. Wanted it to be 'special'. Developed something of a romantic streak."
Twilight wore a soft smile. "I don't think there's anything wrong with that. Maybe when you come to Equestria I could show you a bit of pony romance." She finished with a faint blush creeping into her cheeks.
"Betcha Pinkie'd be all over that. The perfect date b'tween a Princess and an alien."
Twilight snorted a soft laugh at the thought. "Think everything's okay back home?"
"Course it is, don't fret none about that. Princess Cadance an yer brother got everything in hoof Ah reckon."
***
Princess Cadance's eyes drooped slightly as she read over yet another document, gently levitating a mug of steaming coffee to her lips and having a soft sip. Let her aunt keep her tea, she wanted real caffiene. She had NO idea so much went into running Equestria. The Crystal Empire more or less took care of itself. Keep the heart spinning, ponies are happy. It's all good. Here though...
Turns out Princess Luna worked tirelessly with the night guard to keep monster attacks under control in the kingdom. While the impressive thestral tribe was still doing their best, wthout Luna's guidance it was difficult to stop every rampaging beast before any damage was done. She had half the day guard out patrolling with them at this point.
Then there were the nobles. The endless parade of whining, complaining nobility. When she was just a filly at her aunt's side she never paid them much mind. Now with perhaps three exceptions she wanted to just banish them all to the moon.
Her ear perked at the sound of a nearby teleport. "My my my... a fellow leaves on vacation for a few weeks and what does he come back to? More chaos than I've ever cause in my life."
Cadance's heart skipped a beat. Discord. Discord was HER problem now too. Deep breath. Don't crack. Don't show him a weak point. "Discord! So nice to see you again."
The lanky draconequus slithered into her aunt's office and coiled atop the desk, ending up nose to nose with her. "...Celestia you've gotten much pinker."
Despite herself, Cadance couldn't help but snort softly. "Very funny. Please tell me you haven't been harassing our visitors."
Discord gasped as a knife materialized and plunged into his heart. Keeling over backward dramatically. "Princess Mi Amore Cadenza! You wound me! And I thought we'd become such good friends!"
"I don't know about good but I thought we'd become something akin to friends, until you betrayed us all to Tirek."
Now Discord did look genuinely hurt. "I have apologized. A lot. To a lot of ponies."
Cadance sighed. "Yes, I'm sorry Discord that was cruel of me. I'm just more than a little frazzled."
"Well!" Discord's broad smile was back in place. "Today's your lucky day. I'm here to help! Point me at a problem!"
Cadance opend and closed her mouth. Then did so again. Images of loosing the draconequus on the Canterlot nobility dancing merrily through her mind. "...can you check on Ponyville?"
Discord's eyebrow rose. Off his head and through the ceiling. Cadance sighed as a bit of plaster fell onto her desk. "Check on Ponyville? Why is something wrong? Fluttershy's alright I hope?"
"Well we've received a few letters of some sort of disturbance but I haven't had the guard to spare to send there and see what's going on. It's Ponyville so I'm sure the element bearers have things in hoof but I can't help but worry."
"Consider the matter checked on!" With a bright flash he vanished.
***
Discord appeard in the sky above Ponyville, gazing down at it with a scrutinizing eye. Three clearly humanized ponies, all of them easily recognizable by their hair styles seemed to have subjugated the entire town. Rarity laughing manically yelling about how 'they' like being thrown into a cage now to a pack of ponies she'd herded into a hastily crafted (but still quite attractive) paddock.
Pinkie Pie was dashing about town, stark naked and raving about all the parties she wanted to throw for the various aliens. And how everypony who thought it was a good idea to toss her and her friends in a cage were going to help, or else.
He spied his dear Fluttershy near her cottage. The dulcet mare seemed a lot less dulcet as a human, ravenously devouring various meaty goods with a decidedly more carnivorous entourage of critters.
Discord stroked his beard a few times before returning to Cadance's office in Canterlot. "Everything's fine! The girls have it well in hand just as you predicted."
"Good! Thank you Discord. That's a weight off my mind." She sighed in relief and went back to her papers. Before looking up again. "Wait, hand?"
But Discord was already gone.
***
Twilight breathed a sigh of relief. "You're right. You're right! Everything is just fine."
Valin's fingers danced across his omni-tool before looking toward the two girls. "Approaching Khaje now. May wish to move toward the bridge."
"Aren't you coming with us?" Twilight asked.
"No. Don't care for Khaje. Hanar rub me the wrong way, but do enjoy. Told many find the world beautiful."
Applejack rose to her feet departing first, with Twilight close behind. "Well that Javik fella is what, the Prince there? He seems an alright sort."
Twilight simply hm'd under her breath. "Maybe. And I think they said his title was Chancellor? That sounds right." The pair of equestrians stepped onto the elevator as it began to hum and rise through the ship. "So... are you doing alright, Applejack? This all must be very um... out of your element."
AJ's eyebrow rose. "Because Ah'm just a helpless little farmpony?"
"What?! No no! I just... I mean well you um... rustic and..." The flustered Princess trailed off, cheeks burning with embarassment.
Applejack rolled her eyes. "Yes, Ah'm fine. Yes this ain't exactly my comfort zone, Twi but Ah'm a big filly. What we're doin' here is important. Am Ah gonna be happy to see home again? Sure as shootin'. But that don't mean Ah ain't enjoyin' myself an havin' a good time while Ah'm here."
The farmer lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "Truth told a break from th'farm is kinda nice. Don't get me wrong Ah love it t'death but th'same thing day in an day out well... let's just say you an yer craziness were a welcome distraction in mah life."
Twilight frowned gently. "I had no idea you felt like you were in such a rut, Applejack."
"Now Ah didn't say that-"
"Actually you just did."
AJ snorted in irritation. "...alright s'pose Ah did. No sense gripin' though. The farm needs me. You saw what happened when Pinkie took over."
"Mmmm. I have a sneaking suspicion that was as much Pinkie being there as you not, Applejack. We should talk about this more when we have the time. Maybe I can... I don't know, find something official for you to do for me in my position as a Princess."
"Hehe, like what? Secretary a'Apples?"
"Well obviously not apples, maybe Minister of Agriculture?"
Applejack blinked a bit taken aback. "Pretty sure they got one'a them in Canterlot, Twi. Minister is a fancy title for a fancy noble."
"Well I'm a Princess and frankly it's high time you and the other girls received some proper recognition. How many nobles have saved the kingdom three times?"
"Settin' the Princesses aside Ah'm assumin' zero."
"You assume correctly."
"Huh. Well like ya said, we can chat about it when our Princess ain't captured by giant bug monsters."
The lift came to a stop at the bridge. No one was in sight but the two could hear Dash and SADI Talking at the front of the vessel and made their way up there.
"We're cleared to land, now just follow the beacons carefully. The tiniest error could result in the deaths of not only your crew but the vessel you collide with as well."
Rainbow Dash bristled at SADI's comment. "I got it, I got it. I'm being careful jeez." Despite her flippant words Rainbow's brow was furrowed in intense concentation as she brought the ship along the indicated landing course.
"You're lettin' Dash fly this tub? Yer a mighty brave uh... robot, SADI."
"Synthetic, thank you. And bravery has nothing to do with it. If she deviates from the indicated course I can sieze control of the ship. Worse case scenario is I will simply transfer my conciousness along the extranet to a safe terminal or mech frame."
Applejack blinked and looked at Twilight, who shrugged. "She'll put her brain somewhere else if we're about to die."
"Huh... reckon Ah can get in on that action?"
SADI shrugged. "Certainly. I can digitize your conciousness and place you in a mechanical frame, then we can incinerate the organic remains." A long pregnant pause hung in the air as all three equestrians stared at SADI. "...that was a joke."
***
The current crew of the Normandy minus Valin Solus had gathered around the galaxy map. Shepard and Luna both seemed a trifle breathless and disheveled leading to a fair bit of snickering at the pair. Which was silenced from a stern look by Luna.
Javik cleared his throat to get their attention. "We will be disembarking at the palace. I have sent a message ahead to have more modern arms and armor ready and waiting for you. We will also perform some quick upgrades to the Normandy itself. They will work throughout the day and night and the ship will be ready for departure tomorrow morning."
"What kind of upgrades?"
Javik turned his attention to Shepard at her question. "Commander you have been absent for three hundred years. There have been 'some' advancements in ship design since you've been away. Faster engines, more powerful weapony, sturdier plating."
Luna tilted her head. "While I am far from an expert in the field of space ship construction, that seems an incredible amount of labor."
The prothean shrugged. "I am worshipped as a god here. If I tell them to work quickly and efficiently they will take shifts and work without pause for me." He crossed the bridge to the departure ramp. "Now you have no need for a disguise. The inhabitants have been informed a new species is visiting. You will be questioned perhaps, but politely. The hanar are not given over much to excitement."
Shepard smirked. "Except when you showed up I bet."
"It was an impressive day of celebration, yes. Now come along. If any of you wish to tour the capitol I will arrange a guide for you, otherwise we will remain at the palace until the Normandy is prepared to depart."
Valin and SADI both elected to remain with the Normandy, while Shepard, Jack, Javik, and the equestrians departed. The ponies in their natural forms. The group was on what appeared to be a broad strip of land surrounded on all sides by pristine blue water. A large domed pavillion stood ahead of the group. Shepard squinted toward the horizon and could just barely make out more land masses off in the distance. "Guess it makes sense it's mostly water?"
"Does it? Why is that?" Luna queried, head tilted.
In response Shepard just pointed to a large entourage of jellyfish that drifted out of the water and approached the group, held aloft of their own accord somehow. Javik took the lead and approached the hanar at the head of the group conversing quickly. A number of them bobbed lower in what looked like a bow, before drifting toward the Normandy.
The equestrians watched silently as the floating, bioluminescent alien jellyfish went to work alongside a number of other aliens. These were scaled reptilian humanoids who were more normal to what the visitors were expecting. Applejack nudged Dash as they watched. "Who'da thought big lizard folk'd be more normal huh?"
Dash shrugged. "I dunno, they kinda look like tall skinny dragons yeah?"
"They are called drell." Elezzia was lagging behind the others with the ponies. "They live here and work alongside the hanar. Though recently more have begun migrating to other worlds."
Twilight tilted her head curiously. "They left their homeworld?"
"Khaje is not the drell homeworld, their own world was ruined and the hanar rescued them, bringing them here to Khaje to live alongside them."
"Well that's mighty neighborly of them huh?"
Elezzia nodded at Applejack's comment. "It was a tremendous act of generosity in an oft less than generous galaxy. It resulted in other problems for the drell, but their species has made the most of their situation."
Twilight's wings unfurled and she flapped to move to eye level with Elezzia. "How many races are there in the galaxy?"
Elezzia frowned thoughtfully. "Well let's see. Asari of course. Salarian, turian, krogan, and human. Those are the council races. Then there are the quarians, volus, elcor, hanar, and drell. They're all a part of what's known as the Citadel races, as they all work alongside one another in and around the Citadel itself. There are a few others, vorcha and batarians most notably. The vorcha are a scavenger race, while the batarians are nearly extinct from the reaper war."
"How terrible."
Elezzia shrugged at Twilight. "Perhaps from a philosophical perspective. From a practical one the batarians are by and large extremely unpleasant people. Pirates, raiders, slavers."
The young Princess frowned. "Be that as it may, being unpleasant isn't grounds for extinction."
"I do not disagree, but you will find few people moved about their plight."
While the younger ponies mulled over this new information Luna and Jack were conversing together, leaving Shepard and Javik along at the head of the group. "So, resplendant great enkindler huh?"
"I felt it a modest title."
Shepard smirked. "Do I see a smile trying to get on that face Javik? Was that a joke?"
"I have 'chilled out' as Jack says quite a bit over the passed centuries. While I did not maintain the contact with our comrades in arms at a level she did, I have certainly become more sociable."
"Well I like it. It's nice to see that everyone else has changed along with me."
The group entered the large domed structure flanked by drifting hanar escorts. All but the locals started in alarm as the floor lurched beneath them, and began to move downward. "We're on an elevator?" Shepard hurried to the edge of the moving platform looking out the large windows passing by at the oceans outside.
"Indeed. Most of the hanar dwell beneath the water of course. My own palace is where we are headed now."
Shepard was barely listening as the prothean spoke. Her eyes fixated on the vast underwater world unfolding before her. She felt fingers lace with hers as Luna stepped beside her, taking her hand in her own. The pair saw Khaje in a way few but the natives do. The world below the waves was illuminated by strings of brightly glowing pearls. Everywhere she looked hanar drifted to and fro going about their business.
There were larger submersible transports, likely for the drell she reasoned. She squeezed Luna's hand a little tighter as the pair took in the sights of the watery world before them. The woman was keenly aware of Luna's presence as she pressed herself tighter against her side. "I think a long tour of your galaxy is in order when all this is over. Perhaps just the two of us, Eliza."
A shiver ran up Shepard's spine at the purr Luna added to the end of her name. "I think that sounds pretty good, yes." It really did. All sorts of new confusing thoughts and emotions had been rising up within Shepard of late. All of that seemed to quiet however when she was with Luna. A peace she'd never really known in her life came upon her when she was in the Princess' company. It was something she didn't want to lose.