A nun sat beside the meditating priest. "Does the fight go well?" she asked in an even tone.
"We dance on a razor's edge," admitted the priest truthfully. "At any moment, our resolves will be found sufficient, or wanting. Only the Pancreator knows, and he is not known to share at a time like this."
"Does it have to be this way, Father?" There was a quiet moment. "They are not human."
"That is what I said!" fumed the priest. "No human souls reside within them."
"Then, not being human, they may follow different paths, but must they be wicked ones?"
"Your tail is showing." He glanced to where a dark purple tail emerged from her robes.
"And you haven't drawn your sword." Luna inclined her head. "May we speak then? That is all I desired. You are a creature of great will. Use it freely, make a decision, but I must insist I at least speak my peace."
He raised a hand, a screen flickering before them. "Our fighter compliment is being torn apart. Without it, they will focus fire. With two capitals and two landers and the remains of their fighting fleet, we're doomed." He glanced aside at the tailed nun. "We have lost, it is simply a matter of time. Why do you bother speaking to me? I will be glittering dust in a short while."
"It was never my goal," she lied in part, pushing aside visions of dashing them with the moon as a weapon. "Your religion, it is a curious one, but not one we were pushing away. In fact, some ponies were eager to learn more of it. It is, perhaps, a comforting idea, a creature of infinite brilliance, your Pancreator."
"And yet, you will have your victory." A lone finger tapped at his knee. "And the traitors will gladly teach you their version of things. What use have you of me?"
"We would not wish, ideally, for even enemies to be reduced to 'glittering dust'." She turned an ear to him, long fuzzy thing awkwardly poking out of her habit. "If you are admitting failure, then perhaps... we can end this? It need not be until death. If it helps, I have failed before. We all have, by merit of not being perfect."
"I am a man of faith. How do I claim that, and take a cowards way out?" he sternly rebuffed.
"To protect those beneath you." She inclined her head. "Even if you are ready to die, surely some of them would rather see tomorrow. Blame them, if you wish, but also do not doom them." She gently smiled. "If you insist, we will shield them, forbid Hawkwood from exacting whatever revenge they would desire."
The world around them shuddered violently, and he awoke.
He was thrown from the cushion he had been seated on, the room calming from the violent shaking. "Status report," he barked out, climbing back to his feet.
"Shields are failing," came the worried reply. "What are your commands?" The meaning there was more than one. They were hoping he had some way to victory, to survival.
He took a slow breath, bringing his hands together. "Patch me to their ship."
"The shields are inoperable," came the stern report of a crewman over the radio. "I'm surprised I can even talk to you."
"Half the weapons are inoperable," joined another voice. "We're using the ones we can."
The ship was an imperfect copy, by far. No shields? One solid hit and that was it. They were worse off than even the little fighters that at least had speed and maneuverability on their side. Laud worked over the controls, trying to be evasive. "We can ill afford even one strike then. But we didn't come up here just to surrender. Fire everything that can be fired."
Paul looked to the floating vision of their enemy. "Come to threaten us?" he asked. "We're ready to stand to the end," he confidently reported, trying to ignore the flashing red lights that were announcing the imminent failure of their defenses.
"The Pancreator put us here for a reason, to test our wills." He spread his hands slowly. "To measure our resolve." Those hands came back together. "And to see the true quality of our characters."
"And what has the Pancreator found, in these tests?" Paul let a brow raise. "Did someone pass?"
"Failure." The priest sighed and dipped his head. "I surrender. I will, perhaps, pass this one measure. Take any man or woman who seeks safety. If she spoke truthfully, the ponies have sworn protection of them."
Paul's confidence cracked. Ponies? "You spoke to them?"
"Have you not as well? I surrender. You may take me hostage. Others are free to act as they see fit."
"Incoming fire decreasing," informed a crewman.
Paul raised a hand. "Let's return the favor. Radio out, recall the fighters, though we'll need one for a special task."
"Insufferable fools," came a small voice from atop Laud's head. He swatted it away and Chrysalis landed on the control panel. "My steed knocked herself out, so you're stuck with me." She frowned at Laud. "Fighting those zealots? Good, destroy them!"
"My job is to make sure we are not the ones destroyed."
"Incoming fire is decreasing rapidly," came a crackling voice.
Laud could see it as well. The sky was clearing. Lasers and missiles both were slowing to a crawl from both sides. The battle was ending? "Pancreator above, I'm not complaining, but what's going on?"
"Exterior radio's not operational," noted another voice. "No idea."
Laud raised a hand towards his ear to use his own, but Chrysalis was already speaking, "Now's your chance. While everyone's guard is dropped, deliver a telling blow and make them regret doing this to me." She waved wildly at her small form.
"You are on probation." He easily booped her on the nose. "Mind yourself. I owe you far less than whatever debt Starlight had towards you."
"It was your 'student' that stabbed me!" she fumed, but he was already turned away, hand at his ear.
"Laud here. What's going on?"
"Laud!" came the reply quickly. "We have an armistice. We were trying to radio you but you weren't responding."
"We're fortunate this ship is working at all." He took a moment to count the blessings that the ship hadn't exploded, or imploded, or somehow both. "I must apologize for arriving in time to do little."
"With all due respect, shut up," replied the radio man with no due respect. "They think you're fully operational. I'm pretty sure having you and the merchants here helped sway their view of the battle. Without you two, they would have pressed, mighta won too."
"Glad to be appreciated," came the merchant captain's voice, sharing the line. "We're in a similar state. Emergency repairs only go so far. We're limping over here."
Their victory was riding on a grand bluff he hadn't even realized he was taking part in. "I see... Well, we'll stand down." He waved wildly for the others, who were clearly already listening, to follow that order. "How long is this truce going for?" It felt a bit much to assume it was a forever thing.
Paul nodded at the flickering image. "Let it not be known that Hawkwood does things by half. We'll send one of our landed nobles to pick you up. I assume that's acceptable?"
A brief look of surprise crossed their face. "You have one of those nearby? Or do you mean yourself?" The operator of a capital ship could, in theory, be called a landed noble. It was a city of their ownership.
"He came up just to meet you. You've doubtlessly heard of him by now. Expect him shortly." With a wave, he dismissed the call.
With a quick motion, he changed his own radio. "Laud?"
"Sir," came his quick reply.
"You have an assignment. Draw in to dock with their main ship. You're accepting a prisoner of some renown, so treat them carefully."
There was a brief pause. "Who is that?" he asked, doubt clear in his voice.
"Their high priest. Surrendered, no terms given other than we be what we are. Hawkwoods don't kick a man when he's down. Take him and get out of here."
"Land?"
"You're a noble with a domain, get back to it," ordered Paul sternly. "We can keep watch in the skies without you."
"Sir."
"Rest of you, I know you're listening in."
"Pleasure to be here," replied the merchant captain. "You will be receiving an invoice after this is done."
"When the dust is settled." Paul had a bit of a smirk on his face. "Come in to dock and we'll conduct repairs ourselves."
"That settles part of it, but I'm pretty sure I lost years from my life during that, same goes for my crew."
"It was a blast," came the shout of the pilot.
"Except her, maybe. Either way, keep an eye open, over."
"Over and out," finished Paul, flipping channels to his fighters. "Come in and dock. Rest, get restocked and repaired. You all did great out there."
Cheering flooded that channel, raucous cries of victory as the sky began to move around them, the fighters hurrying to get back to their docks.
The airlock hissed as atmospheres between the two ships stabilized. It slid open, revealing a man standing with guards on either side in flanking position. He was advanced in years, with a pensive expression, fatigue warring with a need for poise.
On the other side, Laud stood. He too was flanked by religious folk. On his head, despite his best efforts, was perched a small angry insectoid pony. "He's like the others?" she whispered in the equine tongue.
"Which means you should be quiet," advised Laud. His translating collar was off. There was no need for it with Chrysalis being the only one he would speak to that used the other tongue. He swapped to human as he advanced. "Welcome aboard. Guest of Equestria, I will see that you are treated well and fairly."
The priest advanced. "By the authority granted to me by my title, cardinal, I accept your invitation." Laud tensed at hearing the title of his guest. "Pancreator bless us both, and perhaps we can see a better day." He raised a hand to either side, blocking the way forward for his guards. "I entrust myself to you. My people have His work to do. Allow them to progress on that path."
It was a bargain, a plea... "What is he saying?" she whispered in his ear, but he ignored it in favor of stepping aside to allow the cardinal entry.
"Your trust will be honored," he assured instead of addressing his unwanted guest. "Today was a day of conflict, but it ends with your crossing." All eyes were on the cardinal as he completed the act, setting foot on the brightly colored ship. "Welcome aboard. I've had a room set aside for you, and better accommodations await when we land. I apologize, but I do not believe we've been introduced. I am Laud Mountbatten, of the Hawkwoods."
"You are a confused man wed to a beast." Still, the cardinal advanced, accepting his part in things. "See that I don't regret this decision."
The priests on Laud's vessel, two of them, moved to join the cardinal in a flank much as his guard had done, showing him off to his quarters. Laud reached up, tapping his headset. "Laud here. Cardinal is on board and we're moving to land. He requested the ships be permitted to move on without him."
Unseen, Paul scowled. Much of him wanted to deny such a request, but made in that moment, it would be an open declaration of war on the church, the whole of it. That was not a fight he would take up that day. "Granted. I'll inform everyone else they are free to move as they want, provided weapons remain powered down."