In a remote section of the Spindle Galaxy Star Sector, an alone Fortress Class Space Station maintains a continuous listening post searching for any unknown transmission from a distant galaxy. In the communications room of this small space station, six Celestial Alicorn mares' communications engineers go about their duties monitoring the transmission lines for any unusual transmissions and record them for later analysis.
For the past few Space Cycles (days), the post has been picking up strange signals from a recently discovered dead planet in a very distant galaxy. The fallen world has been pinged several times, each returning ping deepening the mystery of this fallen planet. Two Space Cycles ago (years), a small science class vessel from The Pillars of Creation Institute, the primary super-science division of Imperator Alicorn space, sent several research probes to the dead planet to investigate the signals.
After traveling through the space ways for those cycles, the research probes finally made it to the dead planet. They deployed their AI drones to begin collecting data on this planet. So far, the images sent back to the post reveals a world ripped with ruins of a lost civilization, which were able to send messages into space via large, very primitive satellite dishes. That continues to broadcast into space even after they disappear and remain unanswered. The Field Scientists from the Pillars of Creation institute have named this lost civilization 'Echoes.' Due to the sound that satellite dishes make went, it broadcasts into space.
Meanwhile, back in the Infinity Star Sector in the central communication block of the command module, monitoring the communications lines at her assigned station was Galactic Technician Celestia Silverlight. Watching from the command pod was Royal Shogun Justice Silverlight standing next to him was sculpted white-bodied Celestial Alicorn mare with a blue mane and tail. Her 6ft 1in athletic equine figure was encased in a tan-colored space suit with knee-high boots on bare feet. Folded on her back were her bio-mechanical feathered silver bird wings. This Celestial Alicorn mare was Galactic Technician officer Cassandra Chasm the commander of 'The Infinity Palace' central communication team.
"So how is my wife working out, Cassandra?" Justice inquiry as Cassandra finishes the last bit of her afternoon duties and is replaced by another communication officer.
"Will you join me for lunch, my lord? I have not taken my rest period." Cassandra asked as Justice agreed to join her for lunch.
~A few moments later on recreation deck~
At a small bistro on the recreation deck, Galactic Technician Officer Cassandra Chasm and Royal Shogun Justice Silverlight sit at a small table on the patio of the bistro talking and eating their lunch.
"If I am candid, Justice about your wife. She needs to improve quite a lot in her communication protocol. At this rate, she willn't meets the minimum requirements the Empress set for her to meet." Cassandra explains, taking a drink from a small glass.
"Is it that bad, Cassandra?" Justice exclaimed, taking a sip from his glass. As the waitress pick-up the dirty dishes from the table.
"If I was not your friend, Justice. I wouldn't be telling you any of this. I would be handling it myself you know I hold very high standards for the Galactic Technicians under my command. We are the vital link that makes all this possible." Cassandra said with pride in her voice as the two Celestial Alicorns stand up to take a walk in the nearby park as she still has some time to kill before going back to the central communication block for her evening shift.
"But anyway, Justice. Where that granddaughter of yours? She was not with you." Cassandra inquiry as she sits down on the edge of the lake in the park before pulling her boots off her feet and sticks them into the lake.
"She is training with my mother today on the 'IAS Terminator' her cruiser." Justice explains as he sits down on the ground in front of a tree next to the lake.
"I see you still like the lake, Cassandra. That how we met." Justice comments as Cassandra chuckled, and she splashes her feet in the water.
"Well, the habitat I was born in is mostly a dry area; we create water but not at this ratio. So this large body of water is rare in my habitat. So I was never able to do something like this in my habitat went I was grown-up." Cassandra said as she brought her foot out of the water and set it down on the soft green grass by the lake.
"Went, we first met it my first real assignment as a fresh communications engineer. I heard the stories that the personnel at 'The Infinity Palace' were hard-nosed and unfriendly. After finding my Quarters, I wandered around the station for a little while until I found this lake. It was a wonder to me after not having anything like this back home. I splash around in a shallow part of the lake, getting my space suit soaked." Cassandra explains as she quickly checks the time on her MCV. She still had a little bit of time to kill.
"A few minutes later you arrived at the lake I was in such a state of panic because I didn't have time to return to my quarters to change into a dry space suit before being late for my first shift. You ask me my size and unit, I told you, and you left. You return soon after carrying a dry space suit my size. I quickly changed into the dry space suit and kissed you to thank you for getting me a dry space suit. I told you my name and left." Cassandra explains, pulling her foot out of the water before joining Justice by the tree to continue talking.
"After finish my shift in the central communication block, I return to my quarters and found my clean and dry space suit. Along with a note asking me to come back down to the lake to meet you. Because of your kindness, I did as you asked and return to the lake. Once there, we walk through the park and just talked until two of your pilots arrived, and I found out you were a Royal Shogun. You told me your name was Justice Silverlight. I was shocked; I was talking to a member of the royal family. Since that time, we have been friends." Cassandra said affectionately as she stood up, and Justice floated her boots to her as the alarm went off on her MCV.
Several hours later, an exhausted Galactic Technician Celestia Silverlight stumbles her way into the Officers' Quarters after finally finishing up her shift in the central communication block. Standing in the dinette area of the quarters preparing dinner for him and Celestia was Justice. He was slicing up some vegetables from the food replicator, the beginning of very hearty stew. After dropping the first batch of chopped up vegetables into the stew pot with vegetable stock, he watches his wife collapse onto the sofa. He begins to chop up the next batch of vegetables.
"Good day at work, Honey?" Justice said, teasing as he tasted the stew before adding more seasoning to the broth as Celestia shoot daggers toward him.
"This you're revenge for all the times I say the same thing to you, Justice." Celestia said sourly as Justice stirred the broth a few times with a large wooden spoon.
"Now, why would you think that, Celestia? I didn't work as hard as you did your highness. Is that what you said to me numerous times?" Justice said, knowing with a triumphant smile as he drops the final batch of chopped up vegetables into the stew pot before cover it with a top and lets it simmer.
"I am sorry, Justice. You work just as hard as I did." Celestia said apologetic as Justice sat down on the sofa, and she rested her head on his lap.
"Anyway, where our granddaughter at? She should be home by now?" Celestia asked as Justice ran his fingers through her soft mane a few times.
"She away on a training mission with my mother, she be back next week. So we have the place to ourselves for the week." Justice explains as he notices that his wife is still wearing her boots.
An idea comes to his mind. Carefully, Justice lifts Celestia's head off his lap and push a pillow under it to rest her head-on. She watches as Justice's head down toward her feet and begins to pull her boots off. In her current condition, their little she can do if he begins to tickle her plushy feet but endures it till he done. Celestia blink with surprise went Justice come out of their bedroom carrying her slippers with him. He puts her slippers on for her and helps her to sit up.
"What are your planning, Mr. Silverlight?" Celestia inquiry suspicious as the timer goes off, and he removes the pot from the fire, to let it cool down for a little while.
"What I am planning Mrs. Silverlight after dinner, let watch a movie together. Like we did went, we were still dating. If my memory serves me right, you enjoy snuggling up close to me, my gorgeous Sun Princess." Justice said, loving as he touches Celestia on her snout with his finger, and a smile spread across her snout.
After finishing dinner together, Celestia and Justice walk over to the sofa; Justice sits down toward the end of the sofa. As Celestia kicks her slippers off her feet and draws her long legs onto the sofa. She snuggles up close to her husband well aware that the deep-set arches of her plushy bare feet are fully exposed to the slight tickling done by her husband's crafty finger. As Celestia makes herself comfortable, Justice sneaks a kiss on his wife's lips cause her to blush. Back in the Solar Empire, it was next to impossible for Royal Couple to do anything romantic in public like kissing without it end up in the tabloids of Equestria as a sensational story.
As he was about to starts the movie for them to watch their very soft neighing coming from his wife, the fatigue has finally caught up to her, and she falls fast asleep on his shoulder.
A knowing smile form on his snout as he sneaks another kiss on her lips before picking her up to carry her to their bedroom, so he can put her to bed.
With his wife safely in bed, he begins to wash the dirty dishes in the dinette area with that done he heads back into the study to finish going over the latest Intel reports of a strange signal detected by a listening post. Peeking out from the corner of the bedroom door were the incurably sad eyes of Celestia; her being so tired spoiled the plans her husband had for them. A single tear runs down her cheek as she walks back into the darkened bedroom to change into her nightgown to go to bed.
The following morning Celestia rises from her slumber as the tiny bells on her alarm clock ring at 6:00 am. Her pale magenta-colored eyes are haunted by some inner pain as her husband's bed with empty and made. She was hoping to talk to her husband before they both started their morning shift at the station. She wanted to apologize to him for falling asleep on him and ask him if they could try it again, but with him gone, she can't do that. Slowly Celestia makes her way into their private bathroom to take a sonic shower and get dressed for her morning shift.
In one of the passenger accommodations aboard a long-range shuttle bound for the Swan Nebula Star Sector was Justice he was talking vie a holographic Hyper wave communicator to a beautiful light pink colored Alicorn mare with moderate violet, moderate rose and pale gold streaked mane. This light pink Alicorn mare was Princess Cadence Sparkle, his adoptive niece and the original Princess of love.
"Now uncle, it no one's fault. It couldn't be helped, from what you told me. Aunt Celestia was tired. Sure, she would love it, but you don't want to get Aunt Celestia sick from exhaustion. You love her too much to do that. My advice to, you uncle, try again and keep trying. You both will find the right time to be together that the nature of love." Cadence said encouraging as Justice's face flushed with happiness with Cadence's advice.
"Thank you, niece. It always a pleasure to talk to you. Besides, you said you had more news to tell me." Justice said pleased as Cadence had a smile on her snout.
"I'll be heading up to 'The Infinity Palace' in the next few months to spend a tour of duty up there as part of this joint cooperation agreement. I am going into this agreement as a Medical Tech Specialist. So I am currently putting all my Royal affairs in order, so my replacement has nothing to worry about." Cadence explains as Justice blink with surprise with the news.
"That wonderful niece. If you like, you may stay with Alysia and me. The quarters we share are very spacious; you can stay in the same bedroom as Alysia. Military regulations only allow a married couple to live in the same room. All another must be share with a second crew member or second officer." Justice explains as Cadence has a smile on her snout.
"Plus their few pieces of Specialty Equipment you will need on the station. I can acquire them for you and have them in the quarters waiting for you." Justice explains as a huge Cheshire cat smile form on Cadence snout.
"You are doing so much for me, uncle. I am obligated to pay you back name it?" Cadence said pleased as the two Alicorns just talk for the remainder of the time till the transmission is out of range.
Meanwhile aboard 'IAS Terminator,' an Imperator Alicorn designed cruiser class warship Royal Shogun in-training Alysia make her way through the connecting corridor of the vessel heading to the Captain's Quarters.
As she reaches the quarter, she stops in front of the door and presses a small button on the wall next to the door. A soft chimes sound in the quarters, grabbing the attention of extraordinary looking dark blue Celestial Alicorn mare with crimson red mane and tail. Her slender 6ft 10in equine figure was encased in a red spacesuit with green trim. Resting against her back were her gold bio-mechanical feather bird wings. This Celestial Alicorn mare is Royal Shogun Shimmering Diamond Silverlight and Alysia's other Grandmother.
"Come in, Alysia!" Shimmer calls as Alysia walks into the room and bows to mare sitting behind the desk.
"You sent for me, my lady." Alysia said as Shimmer did a deliberate cough into the back of her gloved hand.
"I mean grandmother." Alysia said as Shimmer nodded her head and gestures her to sits down in a chair in front of her.
"I am very impressed with your evaluation, Alysia. You have few places you must improve on. But overall very impress my grandchild. I'll be return to Sol very soon, Alysia. But no worry a new pony will be arriving for her tour of duty and you will be training aboard her ship." Shimmer explains as Alysia's eyes brimmed with joy with her evaluation from her Grandmother.
"Who the pony, Grandmother?" Alysia inquiry as smile form on her snout.
"This particular mare. Has trained me and my sister, your grandfather and your aunts. So she very tough but at the same time fair and understanding." Shimmer explains as Alysia begins to get excited.
"Who the pony, Grandmother? Who the pony?" Alysia's inquiry was more excited.
"That pony is Warlord Ophelia Silverlight. My mother." Shimmer said as Alysia swallowed a huge lump in her throat.
"My great grandmother Ophelia Silverlight is coming for her tour of duty, and I'll be training under her." Alysia said, her voice breaking as her excitement turn to nerves. Shimmer slowly stand-up and walks around her desk, she kneels in front of Alysia before placing her gloved hand on her knee.
"Yes, my mother is a very imposing boss mare being the head of our family clan and the Imperial Princess of Infinity Star Sector. Just shows my mother the same thing you show me. Why under my training you should be fine, Alysia. If you didn't know Alysia, she adores you." Shimmer said in a calm and soothing voice as Alysia's nervousness lessened, and she hugged her Grandmother.