"Captain's Star Log: Equus Date: 3/6/2274: Alliance scouts have reported strange Terran activity in the Badlands. They claim that the vessels have only appeared occasionally and would leave almost as soon as they would arrive. They also said that their scans on the intruders show a high amount of chronitons on each of the ships, meaning that this must be the work of more temporal interlopers assisting the Empire. Considering the provided data and the fact that the Terrans have been made aware of the Universal Alliance even before it's formation, I feel that it would be best for us to lend a hoof and find out what these Imperials want before it's too late."
The stars shifted to small dots once more as the Lightbringer dropped out of warp, the large orange cloud that was the Badlands filling our view out the window. The area was dominated by several tall vortexes that could tear a ship apart if one got too close, and, surprisingly, there were a few planets in the area.
As I sat up in my seat, Calamity's console beeped as he turned to me. "Looks like we're here."
"Indeed, and it looks dangerous." I replied as my friend looked back to examine the sight on the screen before Velvet Remedy's console beeped.
"I'm not detecting any other vessels on sensors, but my scans show several anomalies around the area." The charcoal mare said before I looked to the screen. As I squinted my eyes, I could see a few small wormholes farther out from our position.
"Calamity, bring us to the closest anomaly. Velvet, prepare to take a scan." I said as I turned to my two friends, both of them nodding as they began doing their work. I felt the ship jump slightly as we started moving forward, the anomaly getting closer as we neared it.
The Lightbringer kept going towards the small yellow anomaly for a few seconds before coming to a stop, a blue light emitting from the bottom of the ship a moment after. As the scanning field vanished from sight, Velvet looked to me. "This anomaly seems to be just another interdimensional gateway for Terran starships. I'm not detecting anything on the other side, but we should close it before continuing onward."
I nodded in agreement as she tapped her console, which beeped before I turned to face the screen. A gold energy wave fired out from the Lightbringer, the portal shifting before shrinking and popping out of existence.
"Now that that's been settled, let's head to the next one." Calamity nodded as he turned to his console and began his work. The ship shifted forward again as we flew towards the second portal, several small pieces of debris becoming visible as we got closer.
As we came to a full stop near the debris and the portal, I heard Velvet tapping her console before I saw a blue energy wave pass over the debris. Once it faded away, I heard Velvet's console beep as she spoke to me. "The debris seems to be from a vessel of unknown design. I'm also getting a high amount of energy that has a similar signature to the multiversial anomalies."
I raised an eyebrow at my friends words before I replied. "Must be some kind of lure for us. Close the portal before they can send anything through." I then turned to Calamity, who looked to me as I continued. "Calamity, once the portal's closed, take us to the last anomaly."
The rust-colored stallion nodded as he turned back to his console, another gold energy wave passing over the small yellow portal before it began shrinking. As the wormhole disappeared, Calamity tapped his console before the ship jumped forward and turned to the right slightly, the final anomaly up ahead getting closer as we flew to it. As the portal came closer into view, I noticed another object near the portal. It was a small probe that had several arms around it's upper section and red lights all over it's hull.
After a few seconds of flying the ship slowed as it reached the portal, Velvet Remedy tapping her console the moment the ship came to a complete stop. I heard a beep from my friends console a moment later before she turned to me. "Besides the interdimensional portal, that probe near us seems to be of Imperial design. There's no weapons, but it has a single tractor beam mortar on it. I'll see if I ca-" Velvet was cut off as the ship shook slightly, a blue glow emitting from the small probe on the screen as it locked onto us with it's tractor beam.
"Lock weapons and fire at the probe, then we'll close the anomaly!" I said as the ship's alarms blared loudly, Calamity tapping his console as he did his work. A few seconds later a single pink beam of energy fired from the front side of the Lightbringer, striking the satellite for a few seconds before it exploded into flaming pieces of metal.
As the blue glow faded, I heard Xenith's console beep before she turned to it. "I'm detecting a large starship exiting the anomaly, it is a Terran cruiser." I looked to the screen to see a large Sovereign class starship fly out of the portal, it was relatively the same as the Sovereign class ships from our realm, except it bore yellow markings all over it's hull.
I sat up in my chair as I watched the ship turn towards us, four orange beams firing at us as I turned to Calamity. "Evasive maneuvers! Return fire!" The Pegasus nodded as he worked at his console, the ship shaking as we were hit once more by the Imperial starship.
As a flurry of green torpedoes shot out at the Terran starship, Velvet shrieked in fear, myself turning to her as she spoke. "Our shields are down to 56%! Our shields can't take another hit like that!"
"Steelhooves, analysis!" I said to my armored friend as he tapped his console, the ship shaking once more as we were struck by a shield draining beam. As Steelhooves' console beeped with finesse, his voice sounded surprised as he gave his analysis on the enemy vessel.
"It seems those "interlopers" have given some impressive tech to our rival over there, their weapons are tearing through our shields like a hot knife through butter."
I gasped as the ship shook again, myself turning to the screen to see the front shield facing of our ship flickering out. Velvet cried out once more as a single red torpedo struck the hull of the Lightbringer, a section of the wall to my right exploding with sparks as I faced my unicorn friend. "Our forward shield is down! I'm picking up transporter signatures from the enemy vessel!"
Before I could reply, seven fields (maybe eight?) of blue energy faded into the room, Terran officers appearing in their place as we all stood up from our seats. As I examined the intruders, I became surprised at their appearance, instead of wearing the modern Imperial attire of the 25th Century, they wore gold armor and black uniforms, reminiscent of the ones in the Mirror Universe of the 2250s.
As Steelhooves turned towards the intruders, they all pulled out small devices from their utility belts before activating them, several bright green beams shooting out from each of the devices and striking us all in mere seconds.
But I didn't feel any pain. Instead, I was frozen in place, as well as my friends. As we all stood at our positions helplessly, one of the officers broke off from his group and jogged over to one of the wall consoles near Andromeda, who merely watched with worried curiosity as the officer worked at the console.
I heard a laugh from behind one of the officers as they slid to their left, a single charcoal grey unicorn with a white mane and tail trotting out of the group of soldiers as she smirked devilishly at us. I heard a gasp from Velvet as she looked at her, myself doing the same as her doppelganger spoke to us.
"Thank you all for giving us this information, with it, we'll take control of the Equestrian Wasteland without any annoyances from your friends in the Alliance." She looked to my friend with a nasty grin, Velvet (our Velvet) giving a fearful glance at her as she faced her evil duplicate.
"The download's finished, can we get the hell off this ship now?" The officer said with a hint of annoyance, Velvet's counterpart giving a faint glare at him before her horn glowed. The officer held his head as he crumpled to the ground, crying out in pain as evil Velvet's horn stopped glowing.
"Of course we will, but that kind of attitude is not one we will have when under such circumstances as these. Is that clear, Ensign?" The officer nodded slightly as evil Velvet's Pipbuck-shaped device beeped, the mare lifting it as she spoke into it. "What is it?"
"The shuttle is ready, Lady Remedy. Just give the word." A accented feminine voice said as the cruel unicorn laughed before replying.
"Excellent, beam us over there immediately, we have what my friend is looking for."
"As you wish." As the signal cut out, Velvet's evil duplicate faced me once more, blue fields of energy surrounding her and her team as she grinned sinisterly. The moment they all disappeared, the fields holding us firm vanished as they released us, Velvet looking to me as she spoke with a quiver in her voice.
"W-was that.... me?!" I nodded worriedly before I replied.
"And if she was here, then that can't be a good sign!" I then turned to face Andromeda, the blue alicorn examining her console as I spoke to her. "Andromeda, what did they take?"
The tall mare looked to me with worry before she gave her answer. "They've downloaded everything regarding the Mycelial Network, as well as data involving J'ula's weapon!"
I returned the fearful look as I heard Calamity speak up behind me. "Lil'Pip, Ah'm detectin' a single ship breaking away from the enemy cruiser. They're headin' fer the portal!"
I turned to look at the screen upon hearing my friend's words. I saw a small ship fly out of the back of the saucer section, it was too hard to get a good glimpse of it, but I could tell it was some kind of runabout.
As the small shuttle sped towards the blue portal, I saw a flash of blue appear near the Terran warship, several blue bolts of energy striking it's hull before the vessel blinked away. Then it appeared again, repeating the same tactic two more times before the Imperial vessel glowed a brilliant orange, the room shaking as the Lightbringer was struck by the destroyed ship's shockwave.
After the cloud of fire dissipated, another blue flash appeared in front of us, a large ship facing ours as it hovered in place. It was a modified Crossfield class ship, the most noticeable change being the nacelles. The bussard collectors were of a diamond-like shape, with a blue glow emitting from them.
I stared at the ship with wide eyes, but then looked to the right of the explosion to see the small shuttle fly into the portal, a tractor beam firing out from the large starship as it tried to catch it. The beam missed and faded away as the shuttle vanished into the anomaly a few seconds later. I broke away from the screen as I looked to Velvet, who looked to me as I spoke to her. "Velvet, get me a scan of our new visitors."
The charcoal grey unicorn nodded as she worked at her station, myself turning back to face the screen for a moment longer before I heard a beep. I then turned back once more to face Velvet, who looked puzzled as she spoke to me. "Littlepip, that starship has a Terran signature, and the identification signal is …intriguing." She looked to her console again with a raised eyebrow before continuing, my mouth opening wide in surprise as she read the ship's name. "I.S.S. Discovery, NCC-1031."
"Discovery?!" I said in shock as I faced the ship, my friends joining me as I continued. "But wasn't that ship sent back to it's own time during that incident at Pahvo?"
"And destroyed in the Prime Universe by Klingon attackers?" Steelhooves backed me up as Windsheer's console beeped, the brother of Calamity examining it before turning to me.
"They're hailin' us." I nodded for him to put them onscreen, the pegasus tapping his wall console before the screen shifted to show the bridge of the Discovery, a single human female sitting in the command chair.
She gave a faint smile as she spoke up. "Well, it seems we're a little late to the party, aren't we?"
"It would seem so." I replied as I gave a hopeful smile, the Discovery's captain standing up as she spoke once again.
"My apologies for the improper introductions, Captain. My name is Patel, formerly the Discovery's chief engineer. We've been recruited as new agents for the Temporal Initiative and are tasked with protecting you on your mission."
I raised an eyebrow at Captain Patel before I replied. "I assume you mean that shuttle that just escaped?"
The captain nodded in approval before she explained. "They've been trying to get ahold of that data for some time. They think that it can help them out in conquering another universe, one that I'm sure you and your friends are all familiar with."
I looked to my friends curiously, all of them returning my gaze as I asked them, "You all studied the data logs regarding the Mirror Universe, right?"
Calamity nodded as he spoke up. "Ayep, but Ah don't recall hearin' 'bout one similar to ours."
"Well, it seems we've been proven wrong about that, haven't we?" Velvet replied to her husband before we all turned to face the viewscreen, Patel looking stern as she continued.
"Indeed. It would seem that every universe has it's own mirror variant, and yours is being invaded by a battalion of Terrans from the present, the 29th Century, and some others from the 2250s." I saw Patel frown slightly as she finished. "I hate to rush, but we should get going as quick as we can, I'll explain on the way."
"No problem." I replied as Patel held a hand up, all of us stopping to listen to her.
"Also, if you don't mind, I'd like to send some officers over to install a cloaking device aboard your ship. We'll need it for where we're going."
I nodded in agreement as I replied once more. "Thanks, we'll be right behind you." Patel nodded back as the screen changed back to show the Discovery in front of us. As I sat back in my seat, I faced Velvet Remedy, the unicorn looking to me as I spoke to her. "Velvet, lower our shields and beam the officers and their gear over. Once that's done, take us into the anomaly."
My friend nodded as she returned to her console, tapping it for a moment as I looked to the screen again. The Discovery began turning towards the portal, the Lightbringer following after her as we turned towards the wormhole.
I turned towards Velvet again as her console beeped, the charcoal mare looking at it before facing me. "We have them."
"Good, tell them to get to the bridge once they've installed the cloak." Velvet nodded as she worked at her console, myself turning to face the screen once more. We formed up behind the Discovery as we neared the portal, the rogue Terran starship entering into the anomaly a moment later, our ship following suite.