~Two Hours after Enemy Engagement~
Slowly, the Imperator Alicorn long range shuttle, glides into the shielded docking bay of the mid-sized, steel, spheroid shaped space stations orbiting a Neutron Star at the center of the Dark Star Sector (The Shadow Palace). As the landing gear lowers, the shuttle makes a picture perfect landing on the deck of the docking bay. Rolling to a stop, two automated coolant bots spray foam on the shuttle to cool it down and disburse the radiation on the skin of the shuttle. Once finished, a rolling staircase is pushed into position in front of the wing. Slowly, the side hatches on the shuttle open up and out steps Daimyo Harmonia Strife.
As she descends the staircase, a ruckus and rowdy cheer goes-up from the gathered Imperator Alicorn military personnel that now fill the docking bay. As the cheering dies down Daimyo Harmonia Strife is approached by a majestic looking, amber colored, Imperator Alicorn mare with an orange/pink mane and tail. Her athletic, 6 ft even, equine figure was encased in a form-fitting orchid colored space suit with knee high boots on her bare feet. Resting on her back, were black, metal, bio-mechanical, feathery bird wings. This Imperator Alicorn mare is Warlord Callisto Le Fay the commander of the Dark Star military and Seneschal of the Dark Star Sector.
“Welcome home, my Lord, .I hope your long imprisonment didn’t dull your senses?” Callisto comments as she bows to Harmonia.
“I see you sensed the Alter Time spell that was cast by an inexperience teenage Terran Alicorn filly and sent that robotic long range shuttle to pick me up on Sol. I thank you, Warlord Callisto.” Harmonia said grateful as Callisto stood back up and stood beside Harmonia.
“It was my pleasure, my Lord. The effects of that Alter Time spell caused no lasting effects in Imperator Alicorn Space. It was a minor annoyance as the timeline in Imperator Alicorn Space is unchanging.” Callisto explains as the two mares take the turbo lift to the command center on deck 2 of the bridge deck.
As the turbo lift stops on deck 2, the two mares get off the elevator and walk down a long steel hallway heading towards the command center. Finishing her shift in the central communications block was a glamorous looking fire brick red colored, Imperator Alicorn mare with a charcoal black mane and tail. Her striking, 6 ft even equine figure was encased in a form-fitting peach, orange colored space suit with knee high boots on her bare feet. Resting on her back were black metal, bio-mechanical, feathery bird wings. This Imperator Alicorn mare is Galactic Knight Thalia Rill the newest Communications Engineer at the Shadow Palace.
As Harmonia and Callisto pass Thalia, she bows to them in respect to their higher rank then she continues on her way to the turbo lift, taking it down to the bridge deck crew quarters to begin her first rest period. The door whoosh open on to her private quarters. The moment the door whooshes closed the black colored wings on her back fade and are replaced with silver wings.
‘How I hate bowing to that Warlord mare of the Dark Star Sector. But, I must stay undercover as an Infiltration Operative for the Infinity Star Sector and Empress Cosmos. And keep my eyes on the politics of the Dark Star Sector and subvert Warlord Callisto Le Fay commands.’ Thalia thought as she sat down on the edge of her bed resting her chin in her gloved hands.
‘But that other mare with Callisto. Looked like Daimyo Harmonia Strife, the ruler of the Dark Star Sector. If it is, I must taper back my subvert activities with the Daimyo now back.’ Thalia thought as she stretched out on her bed in her quarters.
“Galactic Knight Thalia Rill, report to the War Room to run the holographic tactics table for a war council.” The loudspeaker blared in the corridors outside her quarters.
Quickly, her silver wings changed back to black wings and she quickly makes her way to the war room on the third floor of the bridge deck. It takes her only a few minutes to arrive on the third floor of the bridge deck, but she arrives an hour later for her assignment to run the holographic tactics table for the war council. The reason for her lateness was that she was told by security to strip, so they could do a thorough search of her as the Daimyo, Warlord and all of the Shoguns were in attendance at the War Council. Thalia takes her position behind a holographic computer work station in one corner of the room and is handed by the Daimyo a crystal data cube. She inserts the crystal data cube into the work station after covertly making a copy of the data when she was handed the cube.
For the next few hours, Thalia goes about her assignment, running the holographic tactics table for the war council. During the meeting, the Daimyo, Warlord and Shoguns speak in codes as dictated by protocol as they plot strategies and tactics using the provided information on the Crystal data cube that Harmonia gave to her. Being trained in cryptography Thalia easily understood what the war council was talking about, but without the context of the Crystal data cube provided by Harmonia, it was all gibberish.
As the war council comes to its conclusion, as, dictated by protocol, Thalia was dismissed first and, as before security tells her to strip, so they could do a thorough search of her, once again. She re-dresses in the upper part of her space suit, followed by sourly grabbing her knee high boots from the guard’s hand. She walks back to her quarters in her barefeet.
~It’s an hour after the War Council in Daimyo’s Quarters on the second floor of the bridge deck~
“Harmonia? What makes you think that the plan you proposed to your war council would benefit the Dark Star Sector in the least. This plan seems to be a way to save face for you. After a young terrain Alicorn out played you.” Callisto comments, questioning the validity of her plan to start a war on the planet of Sol.
“I mean, my lord, That insignificant Planet of Sol is light years out of our sphere of influence. Not even the Empress and her Infinity Star Sector is interested in that unowned Milky Way Sector, If she was, she would have sent an Imperator Alicorn to establish a Palace in the Sector to bring it under Imperator control, But she didn’t.” Callisto comments her voice strained taking a sip of Apple Cider from her glass.
“Unless, My lord. That Planet of Sol has something special about it, It’s a waste of our space fleets resources. Those resources could be better used against the war with the Eagle Nebula Sector. That fairly young and aggressive Imperator Daimyo from the Eagle Nebula Sector, has slowly been chipping away at our northern border with skirmish tactics.” Callisto explains her face flushed with indignation.
“If that northern border falters, it’s a straight shot to our manufacturing sector, If that sector falls, The Dark Star Sector is effectively dead, It would take several space cycles to rebuild our manufacturing sector in a new location. During that time, our provision sector would be targeted next and cause wide spread hunger. we have already experienced several uprisings in the smaller habitats on the periphery, those habitats have allied themselves with the Infinity Star Sector. In other words we can’t forcefully take those habitats back without going to war with the Empress and her Infinity Star Sector. Going to war with her means fighting the whole Royal Battle fleet. No way can Dark Star Battle fleet stand-up to that kind of firepower. Not to mention, the other Star Sectors would join the war against us.” Callisto explains as her eyes rake the room several times before her face hardened.
“I can easily replace you, Warlord Le Fay, with another Shogun who will not question my orders. Do I make myself clear.” Harmonia said threatening as Callisto slams her glass down on her desk and storms out of the quarters.
“You are different a Warlord Callisto Le Fay. you can see what would happen if Daimyo Harmonia Strife takes even a small portion of the Dark Star Battle Fleet to satisfy her ego. This entire Dark Star Sector will fall and who would be blamed for the collapse, You!” A mysterious mare voice said through the ear piece in her ear as she presses the side extending a mic to her mouth.
“You are probably the one that’s been inciting rebellion in the periphery habitats.” Callisto said hotly as the mysterious mare voice giggles.
“I can’t take all the credit for that. Being forced into a food shortage and heavy taxes, It kind of makes the population a bit upset, All they need is an alternative to rebel. That’s all I do.” The mysterious mare voice said with a little bit of pride in her voice.
Slowly, Callisto makes her way down the corridor using the transmission to track down the source of the message at a door into someone quarters. She draws her standard pulse pistol from her holster. The moment she enters the room she begins to cough as smoke fills the room. She quickly calls for the fire crew who quickly extinguish the small fire and renders the room safe.
As Callisto searches the empty room, she discovers a holographic computer inoperable for many space cycles (years). So this lead was a dead end. Watching her through the security cameras from the safety of her own quarters was Galactic Knight Thalia Rill who was wearing her nightgown as she was going to turn in for her sleep period. She was going through the copy of the crystal data cube with Harmonia’s plans on it.
‘Damn that mysterious mare is right. if the Dark Star Sector falls, it’s my head on the block and not Daimyo Harmonia Strife. She will simply make her escape from the Dark Star Sector and leave her Sector to be defeated. Her ego is so big that being out played by a lower life young terran alicorn mare really stings her ego. But as of right now, I have the loyalty of all but one patrol class warship from the Dark star Space Fleet Group. But that’s easily remedied. Maybe I should relent and allow Harmonia to take that loyal patrol class warship with her. To begin that war she wants.' Callisto through as she assume a posture of superiority and quickly communicated with her loyal Shoguns and called a secret meeting with them.
~An hour later~
Holding position just outside the main docking bay of the Shadow Palace was ‘The Ardor’ 198 meters long patrol class warship, the smallest of the Imperator Alicorn designed warships. It sacrifices firepower and defense for speed and maneuverability, making it ideal for skirmish tactics when deployed in small groups. The one weakness of this patrol class warship is that a small fighter craft from the carrier class warship can sink them fast if caught by surprise. The ace pilots of ‘the Stellar Eclipse’ a carrier class warship within Royal Battle fleet have racked up several sunken patrol class warships victories. This makes those ace pilots the most feared Aerospace fighter pilots in all of Imperator Alicorn Space.
A moment later, from the shielded docking bay, a 20 meters long, wingless, shuttle craft glides across to the ‘The Ardor’ ferrying Daimyo Harmonia Strife to the patrol class warship that will take her back to the Planet of Sol. As the shuttle craft lands in the small docking bay of the ship, four, wasp class, aerospace fighters, take their position around the patrol ship to escort the warship to the Planet of Sol.
At which time, they will assist Harmonia in the attack on the Planet of Sol. Unknown to Harmonia, their shogun gave them a different order from Warlord Callisto Le Fay. They are to sink ‘The Ardor’ and let it crash on the Planet of Sol; if they survive, the ship will be so badly damaged and no way to return to the Dark Star Sector. To accomplish this mission, each fighter has been armed with a single proton torpedo, held in the belly of a fighter, replacing the multi-missile system of the standard load out.
As the shuttle craft returns to the space station, the engines of five vessels start up and begin to move toward the wormhole points to open up to the Planet of Sol. Using a pirate point, and watching from a small observation deck during her break was Galactic Knight Thalia Rill; her contacts on the docking bay have told her that the four fighters have been armed with a single proton torpedo to sink the ship once it reaches the Planet of Sol.
~two hours since emerging from the wormhole tube~
“My Lord, we just exited the Wormhole portal, Planet of Sol is in front of us, Now setting reentry planetary coordinates.” The patrol ship pilot reports as he begins to set the coordinates.
“Understood Pilot! Begin entering planet’s atmosphere.” Harmonia ordered sitting in her seat.
As the patrol class warship enters Sol’s atmosphere, the two lead aerospace fighters open a wormhole escape portal and exit the atmosphere before reappearing back in space. Suddenly, the ship is rocked with an explosion. The two following aerospace fighters’ fire their single proton torpedoes, taking out the engines before opening a wormhole portal to escape the atmosphere. To finish the job, the two lead aerospace fighters launch their single proton torpedoes destroying the navigation and wormhole generator. Watching on the main view screen of the command center/ throne room of the Shadow Palace was the new Daimyo Callisto Le Fay of the Dark Star Sector. A ruckus and rowdy cheer goes-up as the patrol class warship containing Daimyo Harmonia Strife disappears into the atmosphere of Sol.
“Dark Star Sector forces! The ex-Daimyo Harmonia Strife is no longer the ruler of the Dark Star Sector! The Dark Star Sector is now ruled by Daimyo Callisto Le Fay, Long live La Fay!” Callisto exclaims as the cheer echoes through the Shadow Palace.
“Begin, bring, on-line the rest of our Battle Fleet. ‘The Singularity’ carrier class warship will be sent to the northern border, to protect the manufacturing sector from the Eagle Nebula Sector.” Callisto orders ‘The Singularity’ carrier class warship wormholes to the Northern border to defend the manufacturing sector from the Eagle Nebula Sector aggression.
“The remaining Patrol Class Warships. Begin spreading throughout the sector on maximum patrol duties. Report any aggression toward the Dark Star Sector to your shogun.” Callisto commands as the Patrol ships begin worm holing in every direction.
At that same time, passing through the Dark Star Sector, on a regular intergalactic trade route was ‘The Shell Star’, a medium sized, trade vessel captained by Free Trader Melissa Star Glow, a member of The Virgo Cluster Trading Company based in the Infinity Star Sector. In the cockpit of ‘The Shell Star’, a bare, green, foot flips a toggle switch with her toes turning on a secret communication line.
“Galactic Vanguard Melissa Star Glow reporting to the Infinity Palace, Dark Star Sector patrol ships are on the move from the Shadow Palace, Your order, Your Imperial Majesty?” Melissa reports over the secret communication lines as she looks over her cargo manifest on her MCV.
“Continue on your current assignment, Galactic Vanguard Star Glow. The Galactic Vanguard assign to the Shadow Palace, Just informed me of a major power shift within the Dark Star Sector Daimyo Harmonia Strife has been deposed by Warlord Callisto Le Fay. Callisto is now the new Daimyo of the Dark Star Sector.” Galaxy answers as Melissa gives a startled gasp with the news from the Empress.
“Understood, Your Imperial Majesty. Galactic Vanguard Star Glow returning to current assignment. Over and out.” Melissa said flipping off the toggle switch with her toes once again.
~Back on the Planet of Sol a few minute later~
Gliding through the clear blue skies of the old Equestria, making her way back to the Capital City of Canterlot, in the Solar Empire, was Empress Celestia Silverlight. She just finished an inspection tour of a new factory just opened in the City of Aubade, a mile from the capital city.
“Huh?” Celestia exclaims watching a huge meteor shower rain down on an uninhabited part of the continent.
Her eyes widen in alarm as huge pieces of debris breach the atmosphere of the planet, heading toward the uninhabited part of the continent. As it impacts the ground, a bright flash engulfs the uninhabited part of the continent in blinding light. Only a moment later, helicopters from every land lift off and head toward the impact site to investigate the debris. A second later, Celestia hears a loud whistle grabbing her attention. From the side opening of the helicopter of the Solar Empire was her eldest daughter Grand Solar Princess Aurora Silverlight. Once her mother is safely inside the helicopter Aurora closes the side door.
Before long, the helicopter from the Solar Empire catches up to the two lead helicopters. The first lead helicopter belongs to the New Lunar Republic. Through the side window, they can make out the shapes of President Luna Silverlight and Moon Knight Somnus Silverlight. The second lead helicopter belongs to the Crystal Empire. Through the side window, they can make out the shapes of Princess Cadence Sparkle and Solar Princess Blueberry Swirl Silverlight. Soon the helicopter from the Friendship Kingdom catches up to the three lead helicopters and through the side window they can make out the shapes of Princess Twilight Sparkle and member of the Friendship Assembly.