The War in Heaven

by voroshilov

VI. Sundered Star

In 4026, Emperor Nicholas founded the Irenton Empire. His power was not merely political, but military. He declared, from Chronove, the Centre of Time, haloed by the ships of the Shadow of Sundered Star, the formation of an Empire that would eat the very stars. Over the next four thousand years, the Empire expanded mercilessly, the Glory of the Emperor spread far and wide, until the very stars were shrouded by his vessels. At the centre of the Empire's fleets, stood the Shadow of Sundered Star, the Emperor's might made manifest.

Such was the fury of their arrival in the system, the star's brightness increased by half a percent, and the shattered remnants of Equestria had their orbits fluctuate. Those ponies who saw fit to observe found themselves staring into strength itself. Beyond the observation windows, hovering at 1 AU at the closest, were ten million ships of all classes, united in their shared, fanatic loyalty to the Emperor's vision.

"This is the Nexus World?" A Captain questioned, surrounded by at least two hundred of his kin, "it is in ruin, and no artefacts remain."

"What would any artefacts even do?" Another interjected, adding to the first's point, "there was no reason for us to come here."

The statement caused a murmurous uproar, a hundred opinions being expressed and debated at once. One of the assembled shouted for order, but was quickly drowned out as the murmurs rose.

"Silence!" One finally bellowed, crimson armour covered in cobalt and silver embellishments, a Zealot, "we were called here for a purpose. The Nexus World is long since abandoned and left to dust, let us fulfil our duty."

Another uproar, though this one more in agreement with the Zealot.

"Kyhron, Son of the Emperor, has called us here for a purpose. To question him is to question the Emperor. He has called us all into assembly, aboard the Night Truth. We shall receive our orders there."

A Vice Commodore, identified by half black and white cape, spoke up, "they say our siblings assault the edge of dimensions, that a War in Heaven has begun."

"It matters not," the Zealot replied, "our duty is here, and now, nowhere else."

The assembled commanders either began to file out of the chamber, or deactivated their holographic communicators. Before long, only a pair of Zealots and a Captain remained.

"Captain Andrews," one of the Zealots said, "you should return to the bridge."

Captain Andrews stood tall, though was still a head shorter than the shortest Zealot. "An encoded message was sent to you from the Spirit of Eternity, neither source nor contents were visible."

"You are not authorised to view it, Captain."

"I am the commander of this vessel, it is my duty to know what goes on in my ship."

The Zealot stepped closer, looming over the Captain. "It is your duty to serve the Empire, Captain. You would be wise to remember that and remember your place."

Captain Andrews breathed in, as if to begin speaking, before they shook their head in barely contained anger and stormed out. They thought for a moment about entering the Zealots' quarters on the way, but shook off the thought. Despite their arrogance, it was a little more than a crime to enter another's quarters without valid reason, especially a Zealot. Much as they hated to admit it, the Zealots had more than likely done nothing wrong. They gave the Zealots' doors a look, before continuing to the bridge.

The Night Truth's hangar was filled with Captains, Commodores and Admirals of all kinds. Groups conversed amongst themselves, trying to suss out the reasoning for the meeting. Several debated the reasons for destroying the planet below them, with others questioning what it was to begin with. Soon, they were all silenced by the arrival of Kyhron.

The Prince of Darkness was followed by Luna, who drew the eyes of a fair few of the officers. "Commanders," he said, "this is Princess Luna, she is a servant of the Emperor, just as you are. You will afford her the proper respect."

An Admiral, identified by their golden cape, rose from his seat. Kyhron prepared to kill them, tightening his grip on his sword minutely. The Admiral snapped to attention, saluting with their fist slamming their left chest. The rest of the officers quickly followed. Kyhron released his grip slightly, pleased at the reaction.

"Now, you will be silent, and prepare to receive your orders."

The officers sat in silence for a minute, waiting for Kyhron to continue. When he didn't, one or two started to murmur amongst themselves, before their fellows, or a look from Kyhron silenced them. Eventually, a shadow walked out of the bulkhead that led to the belly of the ship. All the officers were stunned into stillness, even Luna felt the weight of the new presence.

"Your predecessors served, millennia ago." The shadow began to take physical shape. "They served with courage, strength and conviction of will. They served the Empire. They served me. For thousands of years I was trapped inside the Time Rift and now, finally, I am free. Rejoice, warriors of the Empire, rejoice! For your Emperor has returned."

He was met with silence, before the assembled crowd broke out into thunderous cheers. The Emperor lifted his clawed hand to silence them. "You will each be given your specific orders. But the Hand of Fate must be prepared for my arrival. The Shadow of Sundered Star shall be the first of the old orders to begin its mission. The War in Heaven, the conflict that shall determine the fate of the entire Omniverse, has begun, and the Irenton Empire and all the free peoples of the Omniverse shall emerge victorious. Now go, to your ships, prepare to receive your orders."

Nicholas left as quickly as he had arrived, clearing the hangar bay as the first of the many transports began to arrive. It had been over 12,000 years since he had stepped foot in the Hand of Fate, his personal vessel since the beginning of the Empire. It was an old vessel, even by Imperial standards, initially laid down 17,000 years ago. It was the first of the Sovereign Class Carriers to be constructed during the age of the Empire, an enormous vessel at over two hundred and seventy kilometres long, equipped with tens of thousands of fighters and fleet killing armaments. It was bulbous, with a whale-like front and sleek silhouette.

He could see its hull in the distance, he had ordered it plated in silver, covering the original purple. As such, it shone brightly as the starlight reflected from it. To him, it was a beautiful ship, even battle scarred as it was. It would be good to visit his quarters again.

He stopped, reaching out into the darkness of the dreamscape. He straightened as he did so, before making the split decision to contact his Admiral, "Admiral Baal," he knew the message would reach them eventually, "transport the following ponies to the Hand of Fate..."

The personal suites on the Hand of Fate were luxurious in comparison to the cabins on the other vessels. Luna quickly found herself in the spa, having been practically dragged there by the unstoppable force of Rarity. Emperor Nicholas, meanwhile, along with Twilight, Iron Shield and Celestia, found themselves in the library. Twilight had squealed with joy when she saw it, three floors of immense shelving and a supply of quite literally otherworldly texts to choose from.

The first book she found, she removed from the shelves, quickly realising she had no idea how to read the script within. It was a series of runes, differing from those on Luna's horn in a number of ways. Nicholas had stepped up to her, his form greatly reduced in size and his massive Obsidian Crown removed, revealing a brownish-red, smooth head of bone with no ears. Iron Shield tensed at his approach, but Celestia was able to make him stand down, before walking him aside and into the labyrinth of literature.

Nicholas pulled up a chair next to Twilight. He observed the text for a moment before pointing to the first set of runes, "each one is a word. This particular word reads 'inspired'."

To Twilight's surprise, the runes of the first word shifted to read 'inspired' in the Ponish alphabet. Nicholas continued reading out the words, each one translating automatically as he did so. The text was quickly revealed to be a history text, telling the story of the 'Perseus Acquisition'. According to Nicholas, it was around 12,000 years before their current time.

"How old is this book?" Twilight asked.

"About the same age as the ship," Nicholas replied, "give or take about a decade. So, about 12,000 as well."

Twilight stared at the paper, before poking it with a hoof. "It can't be," she said, "it would have decayed by now. And there's no way this ship is 12,000 years old, it looks brand new from outside and inside."

Nicholas chuckled, "Imperial designs are ancient. Just as I am. I remember when Luna was just a child, she must have been barely six when I first met her."

Twilight looked at Nicholas, shocked, then the shock grew as she saw him warmly smiling. He chuckled, "I have lived many lives, seen enough for the entire universe to be satisfied. When this War is over, that shall be my end. Twilight, we are in the twilight of my life, ironically enough. Maybe, if all goes well, this vessel can be yours, one day. Anyways, we're getting off track. This word reads 'heralded'."

Nicholas, Master of Time, was also the master of multi-tasking. Not only was his brain quite literally the size of a star system, residing in a pocket universe, but he was also three different people. Very few knew this about Nicholas, if any did at all, but his soul was split amongst three different 'incarnations'. The first, was Emperor Nicholas, The Everlasting, able to completely project his soul into a physical form in the material universe. This incarnation was now speaking to Twilight Sparkle, guiding her through the basics of the Irenton language and the history book she was reading. The second, was Nicholas, The Composer, residing in the pocket universe of Entropy's Pinnacle. This incarnation was listening to Iron Shield and Celestia's conversations through the thin walls between universes. The third, and final, was Nicholas, Emperor of Sorrows, residing in the Mindscape - the sum of all psionic powers where all thoughts and dreams reside - and observing everything from his home in the Heart of Sorrow. This incarnation was trawling through Iron Shield and Celestia's thoughts, motives and hopes through their imprints in the Mindscape.

It took only a minute to gather enough evidence to confirm his suspicions about them both. Regardless, he kept listening in, content to deal with them and their allies later. For now, The Everlasting would assist Twilight Sparkle. She was a fast learner, so teaching her the fundamentals of an alien language would likely not take too long.

Hours later, he bid the yawing Twilight goodnight. A pair of Fusiliers, the soldiers of the Irenton Empire, walked her back to her room, whilst Emperor Nicholas spoke into the void. He enlisted the aid of The Composer, who was glad to hear the news the Emperor brought.

Iron Shield would be dealt with quickly by a squad of marines, whilst Nicholas would deal with Celestia. Those Fusiliers he knew loyal he placed on alert, informing them of confirmed and potential traitors. As he walked the corridors in silence, he saw Fusiliers stalking doors, with others hiding in the darkness, ready to strike. The corridor to Celestia's cabin was blocked off by Fusiliers, who parted silently when they saw him, forming a barrier behind.

Her door was locked, but a Fusilier already had the wall panel off and was forcing their way inside. Their fellow, rifle in hand, moved back down the corridor to allow the Emperor forwards. The working Fusilier held up two fingers with their left hand, whilst their right cut a wire with pliers. Nicholas lay his sword against the corridor's wall, ensuring he was directly in front of the door when the Fusilier got it open.

With a spark from the panel, the door clicked and jumped open. The Fusilier ducked back, their fellow coming forwards to cover their escape. As they back stepped out, Nicholas crossed the threshold and entered the room. The lights were all off, and it was clear from the faint snoring that Celestia was asleep. Nicholas willed the door behind him shut and lock, which it promptly did, causing Celestia to mumble something as she dreamed.

"A great crime," Nicholas said, causing Celestia to instantly awaken, fear emanating from her, "has been committed this day."

Celestia launched from her bed, horn bright with magic, but was caught before she could go any further. Nicholas had his left hand raised, with Celestia cased in an invisible field of pure will. Her magic, try as it might to set her free, was useless, as were her legs and wings. She struggled for a moment, before sinking into the field, her defeat accepted.

"Celestia," Nicholas said, "a great many times have you jeopardised my plans, a great many times have you betrayed me. And yet, was I anything but kind to you? For a thousand years I gifted you strength." He tightened his grip, Celestia beginning to feel her life draining away. "For a thousand years I gave you purpose." Celestia's vision began to grey. "For a thousand years I gave you life." She suddenly felt a shooting pain from the heart in her chest. She cried out in pain and lashed against her restraints, to no avail. "and you conspire against me? You conspire with the Light, greatest enemy of all life? You rally my own against me? Yes, Celestia, I know, right now they are being caught. All it took was for one officer to do their duty and your whole plan came apart. Iron Shield is now dead. A pity, every one of your species lost now is a loss that will be sorely felt for years to come. Fortunately, only one other followed you, their madness is being corrected as we speak. As for you, it seems Luna's punishment was not enough. I believe it is time for you to again meet The Composer."

“No,” she mumbled, “please.”

A pool of green opened below her, like a wound in reality. Tendrils, black wreathed in cyan, reached out to Celestia's hovering form. They slowly wrapped around her legs and torso, before her metaphysical restraints were no longer required. The tendrils suspended her, Celestia's attempts to escape granting her no room for movement. Slowly, she was dragged down, through the swirling pool of green and black. A voice, from within the pool, an ethereal whisper, spoke, "thank you," it said, "she will be excellent." Celestia screamed as she was violently pulled through the pool, which closed behind her with a pop.

A golden tiara twinkled on the ground, Nicholas lifting it and regarding it for a moment. It was clearly fitted to a pony's head, but couldn't have been Celestia's, it was too small. It was also oddly simple, with only a four pointed navy blue star as decoration. The door opened behind him, a pair of Fusiliers flanking a black armoured Admiral entering. The Admiral stopped before Nicholas, whilst the Fusiliers sweeped the room.

It took the Admiral a few seconds to figure out what had happened. "There will be uproar about this."

"I know," Nicholas said, "contact the Sin of Damnation, I shall speak to one of our guests."

The Sin of Damnation was a Truth Class Light Cruiser, physically identical in appearance to that which burned Canterlot. Within, it was mostly empty of soldiers, aside from the bridge, engineering deck and hangar bay. Nicholas could hear the reason why, chittering and skittering above and below him as he stepped out from his transport. He was met with the Captain of the vessel, flanked by a squad of Fusiliers.

"My Emperor," The Captain saluted, "she is ready for you."

"Good. Leave us, Captain."

The soldiers turned and filed out, leaving the hangar containing only Nicholas. Eventually, the door opened again, revealing a series of pony shaped shadows, along with one shaped similar to an alicorn. The smaller shadows spread out rapidly, practically surrounding Nicholas as the larger slowly drew closer. In the light of the hangar, she stood around seven foot tall, with black, chitinous skin, a long, crooked horn and insect-like wings.

"Queen Chrysalis," Nicholas said, looking the Changeling in the eyes, "my apologies for those I missed of your species and my apologies we have not had time to speak since the destruction of the planet."

"I know you saved all you could," she said, casting a motherly gaze about her buzzing children, "even one saved is more than most would have done. Your kindness to the Changelings cannot be understated." Chrysalis gestured with a hoof towards the door. "Come," she said, "let us walk."

"I have come to ask a favour," Nicholas said, following the Changeling, "the ponies we evacuated from Equestria will become restless if what I have done tonight is revealed."

"And what is that?"

"Your old enemy, Celestia, is now dead. As is one of her sergeants. This presents some problems, given the fanatic loyalty of her subjects."

Chrysalis looked at him for a moment. "This is good news for me," she admitted, "but what does your favour have to do with this?"

"I need a Princess Celestia," he said, "one that will not try to rally my own soldiers against me. Only for a time, of course, eventually pony loyalties will be properly established and even then Celestia will not always be needed. But their suspicions will grow if their leader vanishes without a trace."

"And you wish me to be it?"

"Your shapeshifting powers are second to none and you are the only one capable of recreating Celestia's appearance and voice."

Chrysalis was silent and still, considering the request. “Well," she said, slowly, "you did save my people and you killed Celestia. So, I suppose I do owe you. Very well, but I cannot keep in that position the entire time and I want to remain with my people."

"Done," Nicholas said, "I will only need Celestia for broadcast purposes, regardless."

"Ponies of Equestria," Celestia spoke over the telescreens in every pony's room, "I know you are afraid, confused and angry. But, do not fear, I shall explain everything. Equestria, our former home, was dying. We left our world to seek a new home amongst the stars, along with our newest friends in the Irenton Empire. For now, you see them as the ones who destroyed your world, but soon, just as I have, you shall see them as our greatest benefactors. Even now, plans are being drawn up to seed worlds with pony life, to allow Equestria to breathe as a hundred new planets, forming a new pony civilisation. It is the Irenton Empire, led by Emperor Nicholas, who shall help us in this. I urge you all to work with them, work with all of us. Equestria may be gone, but its people are not."