Star Trek: Phoenix

by Dewdrops on the Grass


Season 2 Episode 5: "A Dazzling Introduction Part 2"

STAR TREK: PHOENIX

S02E05

“A Dazzling Introduction”

 Part 2

Ask most anyone in Starfleet, and they’ll tell you that you only visit the ships’ armory for one of two reasons: either your standard issue hand phaser needs maintenance, or something bad is about to go down.

I'm pretty sure our poor armory officer thought I was prepping for the apocalypse, but with the sirens involved I wasn’t about to take any chances. I grabbed a freshly overhauled type-two phaser and three extra charge packs, enough to keep the phaser running at max setting for hours if I had to. Wartime conditions mandated the addition of an array of non-standard equipment to all ships mainly to support special ops teams, commonly called MACOs, should they be posted to a ship to conduct an operation. I took full advantage of that, snagging a tactical tricorder that was hardneed against both physical damage and electronic interference, as well as a pair of programmable goggles that could switch between over half a dozen scanning modes.

After promising the quartermaster a dozen times I’d bring the gear back in pristine order, I snatched everything up in my magic and sped to deck six, where the rest of the team was gathered just outside the main transporter room.

“What’s the hold up?” Cadeneza groused. “It’s gonna be local night in less than two hours.”

“Sorry, had to grab some extra gear,” I answered blithely. “You know, in case I have to come save your ass.”

Cadeneza grinned as she led us all into the transporter room. “Fair enough. So while you were up there, Maia and I were talkin’ out what we’re gonna do to get ourselves arrested.”

“We reasoned that fighting was insufficient, based upon our encounter with the pottery seller,” Maia added, her face a picture of neutrality. “So we’ve come up with another idea.”

“What is it? You’re gonna break as many clay pots as you can find?” I asked. The grin on Cadeneza’s face worried me. I knew that grin all too well, and I could only hope whatever she had thought up wasn’t entirely reckless.

Cadeneza reached into her toga and pulled out a small hammer made from rough-hewn materials, presumably replicated to resemble similar tools from the planet’s surface. “We’re gonna smash up the statue.”

I could feel my face crumple as I glared at her. “You’re trying to get arrested, not incite a riot.” I shifted my gaze to Maia. “And you approve of this plan?”

A small smile briefly formed on Maia’s face, then vanished just as quickly. “It seems to make the most sense. It’ll get their attention quickly.”

“More’n that, it’ll guarantee they’ll wanna bring us before their goddesses for divine retribution,” Cadeneza added as she tapped the end of the hammer against her palm.

“Or they’ll execute you on the spot,” I countered. But it wasn’t as if I’d come up with a better plan. So I turned to the transporter chief. “Chief, I want you to keep a lock on us at all times. You’ll lose it when we cross into the barrier around the palace, but you are to keep a watch out and be ready to transport us out the instant we reappear.”

“Aye, ma’am.”

“And monitor our vital signs while you’re at it,” I said as I stepped up onto the transporter pad. “I expect they’ll get a bit roughed up, but if it looks like they’ve been seriously injured, beam them directly to sickbay without delay.”

Cadeneza snickered as she and Maia joined me on the pad. “What, you think they’re gonna stab us or something?”

“Considering you’re about to tear up their prized statue, they just might,” I said. I closed my eyes to focus and summoned up my invisibility spell, cloaking myself from view. “Chief, you still have full lock on me, correct?”

The chief eyed his console for a moment then nodded. “Yes ma’am, I do.”

“Good. Energize.”

The world around us dissolved and reformed into a back alleyway stuck between a pair of stone buildings. The instant the transporter beam faded out a vicious stench slammed into me like a train. The foul mix of cooked meat, trash, and excrement attacked my nose all at once and left me doubled over against the wall, gagging and wheezing.

“You okay there, Sunny?” Cadeneza asked, looking in my general direction. She had the biggest grin on her face. “The smell a bit much for you?”

“You… you jerk, you know I have a sensitive nose!” I growled back, though it was tainted by a touch of laughter.

“Yeaaaah… figured you’d appreciate the full experience.” Cadeneza snickered, her clawed hand shooting to cover her mouth before she broke into raucous laughter.

Now somewhat inured to the stench, I shot a fiery glare at Cadeneza, before remembering she couldn’t see it. “That’s enough, Lieutenant.”

Cadeneza straightened up at once and cleared her throat. “Um, yes ma’am.”

I pulled out my hardened tricorder, grateful that my spell allowed me to see it clearly even if no one else could. “I’m keying this into your lapel cameras now,” I said as my magic danced across the tricorder’s keypad. “I’m going to feed my own magic into it too, so I should still be able to see and hear everything you do, even inside the palace.”

I waited for the confirmation beep from the tricorder then returned it to my pack for the moment. “Now hold still. I need to cast the message on you.”

“What’re you writing on---aaah, that tickles!” Cadeneza burst into giggles, twitching and convulsing as she grabbed for her chest. “G-gah, Sunset! Watch where you’re pointing that thing.”

Just a reminder, ma’am, but we can still hear everything you’re saying aboard the ship,” said Twilight through our combadges. I could hear the deep levels of sarcasm and a touch of scorn in her voice, or at least that’s what it sounded like to me.

“Well then tell your sister to stop tickli--there we go.” Cadeneza brushed off her toga and glared at a section of alley wall nowhere near me. “Why didn’t you warn me that it would tickle?”

“Side effect of the magic,” I said, somehow keeping the amusement out of my voice. Of course it was a side effect only because I did it on purpose, but I wasn’t going to admit to that. “Figured you’d appreciate the full experience.”

Cadeneza rolled her eyes and stared down at herself. “I don’t see it.”

“She said we wouldn’t, remember?” Maia interjected as she stepped forward. “Commander, I’m ready.”

“Right,” I muttered as I lit up my horn again and duplicated the message across Maia’s body, taking care to make the sensation as minimal as possible. Even so, I saw Maia twitch more than a few times, her expression cracking. Either she was really sensitive or it was harder to control my magic than I thought. “Done.”

I stepped back to admire my work. I’d written the same message on both of them. It was plain, simple, to the point, and most importantly, written in High Old Ponish, a language sure to get the Siren’s attention. I’d eschewed anything too specific in favor of the following: “Ponies. Magic. Meeting. Rescue. Tonight.” Hopefully those five words plus the language they were written in would be all we’d need.

“Alright, I’m going to wait here,” I said, finding the nearest semi-clean spot to sit down on. “I never thought I’d say this, but… you two go out there and get yourselves into some trouble.”

“Right. Shall we, Ensign?” Cadeneza said, grinning as she took out her replicated hammer. 

I saw Maia’s mouth curl in amusement as she pulled out a matching one. “Let's be bad guys.”

I took out the tricorder again and synced it to their camera feeds, also hooking the audio into my universal translator so only I could hear it. The image fuzzed slightly as they approached the fountain, but not nearly as much as the camera feeds on the ship had..

The plaza was much less crowded than it had been earlier. A smattering of locals shopped at the few vendors who were still open at this late hour. A rather shady looking pair were hunched over near the fountain itself, quietly exchanging what looked to be satchels of goods. If they were smugglers of some kind the dozen guards still present didn't seem to notice, or care.

They scurried away as Cadeneza and Maia sauntered up to the statue fountain. In the distance I saw the closest guards stiffen, their holds on their spears intensifying. But like they had no care in the world, Maia and Cadeneza looked directly at the guards, waved at them cheerfully, then hopped into the fountain itself and started climbing on the statue.

Then Cadeneza raised her voice. “Ladies, hear me!” she cried out, getting the attention of all of the guards in the plaza, along with everyone else in the area. “What is wrong with us? You see these sexy fish people? Do they look like you and me? No? So why’re we treating them like goddesses, huh?”

“Oh good grief,” I moaned, slapping a hoof to my face. Cadeneza’s instant religious attack sure was drawing attention. I saw guards close the distance at a steady pace, already shouting out orders.

“Here’s what I think of the latest bout of insanity to grip this city of ours!” Cadeneza said as she raised her hammer. Then she brought it down, right on the face of the middle siren, hard enough to shatter the stone nose and send pieces falling into the fountain with soft little plops as they hit the water.

Maia raised her own hammer to strike, but the first hit was more than the guards could stand. As a unit, they all screamed for Cadeneza and Maia to stop, brandishing their weapons while rushing in. Two of them dragged Maia and Cadeneza off the statue and hurtled them to the ground, caring not a whit for how their bodies hit the cobblestone. I winced at the sight, then cringed again as I saw one of the guards kick Maia in the stomach.

“Blasphemers!”

“Sinners!”

“Unbelievers!”

The guards spewed epitaph after epitaph as they continued to beat up on Cadeneza and Maia. The beating went on for so long I started reaching up for my combadge to beg for an emergency beam out.

Fortunately, one of the guards, the one in charge judging by her fancier armor and sigil pinned on her left breast, ordered them to stop. “That’s enough! Pick them up now. We’re taking them to the goddesses. Crimes like this are far too grave for us mere mortals to pass judgement. Take them to the goddesses immediately!.”

One of the guards sneered and raised her sword, ready to plunge into Cadeneza’s side, only to choke and gasp as a spear punctured her clean through the chest and out the back. She tried to speak and only managed to splutter a spray of blood as the spear was ripped out of her body and a kick sent her flying. She collapsed, blood pooling around her as she twitched, convulsed, then lay still.

“Fool. What did I just say?” growled the guard captain as she wiped the point of her spear off on the dead guard’s uniform. “Anyone else gets any bright ideas, that’s the fate that awaits you.” 

She turned to Cadeneza and grabbed her roughly by her hair. I switched to Maia’s feed so I could see Cadenza. Trickles of blood ran down her face from her nose and the side of her mouth. Bruises and welts decorated her body, and from the way she clutched at her side I had to hope it was just an injured rib and not something worse. “I hope they order you burned alive, you disgusting heretic. I’ll draw it out as long as possible, trust me.”

“Yeah, well, I’m too ho–” the guard captain belted her across the face.

“Shut it. No more blaspheming from you.”

The guard captain unceremoniously tossed Cadeneza into the waiting arms of two others who proceeded to drag her by her arms, subjecting the rest of Cadeneza's body to even bumps and bruises along the way. I switched to Cadeneza’s camera feed just in time to see another pair hefting up Maia in the same manner. Maia was far less injured than Cadeneza, probably thanks to her extra training letting her absorb blows in just the right way to avoid taking as much damage. Her face was still peppered with bruises and blotches though.

The twin gates opened with a mighty creak as the wooden beams groaned under the strain, pulled open by teams of slave men tugging on ropes. As the gates closed behind them, I made sure to keep my eyes peeled and memorize every bit of area I saw, even as the image fuzzed up with static.  Cries of pain and the cracks of whips followed them past a courtyard lined with interior walls topped by crenelations, an archer stationed by each one. While none of us could see them, I was almost certain there were murder holes above them, ready to pour hot oil onto intruders.

I can’t see anything more, ma’am,” said Twilight, causing me to jump. “We’ve lost sight of them on our sensors.

“They’re fine for now,” I reported, keeping my voice quiet. “I’ll let you know if anything changes. For now I’m asking for radio silence.”

A double tap echoing through my combadge confirmed her agreement as it went dead.

I refocused my attention on the tricorder. Most of the guards had split off, presumably returning to the gates as Cadeneza and Maia were carried by a pair each, with the captain overseeing them. They passed through a smaller interior gate, inside a stone corridor just wide enough for the two disguised officers to be dragged abreast.

I swapped over to Maia’s feed just in time to see her looking over at Cadeneza, giving me a better look at her injuries. Despite the clear signs of pain in her face, Cadeneza looked directly at the camera and gave a slight nod, as if to say she was okay.

The innards of Canterlot Castle this wasn’t. Rough hewn stone formed every surface, while torches hung in sconces, burning what had to be a foul form of pitch, judging by the thick black smoke they were belching into the air. The occasional tapestry hung from the walls showcasing what I could only guess were family or clan banners, ranging from stylized images of the lizard beasts to splashes of color surrounding a pair of slash marks and a variety of other animals and vegetation I didn’t recognize. It was an oddly medieval sight amongst what up till now had appeared more Roman.

Then the corridor emptied into a foyer similar to the one before Celestia’s throne room, only without even a shred of the grandeur or cleanliness. Great wooden tables lined with piles of food stretched across the room, with dozens of people sitting at them, most of them wearing some kind of green tunic and trousers combination that must’ve formed the underclothing for the guards. Shouts and cries of merriment mixed with the clacking of wooden goblets and steins together as ale flowed and meat was swallowed.

They fell quiet as Cadeneza and Maia were dragged past them, eying them suspiciously. “What’s all this then?” asked one sitting at the head of the longest table. Unlike the rest, her tunic and trousers were dyed purple and blue, and she openly carried a greatsword strapped across her back, despite wearing no armor beneath it.

“A pair of blasphemers, Centurion,” spoke the guard captain as she came to a halt and raked her claw tips against her chest in some odd version of a salute. “They tried to destroy the statue of the goddesses.”

The Centurion’s face broke into a deep, dark scowl as she rose from her chair and approached them. “Is that so?” she said, her voice low and full of danger as she reached forth to wrap a hand around Cadeneza’s throat. “Tell me, heathen. What possessed you to be so foolish?”

“They’re no goddesses… plus I’m prettier…” Cadeneza choked out as she wheezed, desperate to draw in air.

The Centurion backhanded her across the face, releasing the grip on her throat at the same time, sending Cadeneza sprawling to the ground. The Centurian turned to Maia. “And what about you, hmm? Did you have the same flippant reason? Or do you possess a modicum of intelligence that your cohort so clearly lacks?”

Maia’s gaze turned stone-cold, frozen in time, unmoving as a mountain. She and the Centurion engaged in a staring match for several long moments before she was abruptly backhanded as well.

“I’ve seen enough. Carry on. Our goddesses could use some entertainment for their evening meal.” The Centurion fell back into her chair and returned to rending a piece of flesh from a bone.

The guards wasted no time picking Cadeneza and Maia up again and resumed dragging them. Through Maia's camera I saw them pass by what looked to be a throne room before turning down a side corridor and up a flight of stairs. As they reached the top of the stairs the decorations shifted noticeably. Elegantly carved marble replaced the rough hewn stone, while cheerful and well ventilated fireplaces replaced the crude pitch torches, allowing us to see far more magnificent tapestries and other decorations.

Unfortunately the image also began to get fuzzier the further they went. I was unable to make out too many details save for them approaching yet another large set of double doors, these guarded by a quartet of beefy, towering women carrying wicked large axes. These doors were made of some sort of richer material, judging by the carved silver and gold on the door handles.

“Halt,” said the largest of the four guards, holding her axe forward. “The goddesses will see no more criminals today.”

“They will see these,” insisted the guard captain as he dragged Cadeneza forward by her hair. “They tried to destroy the statue of the goddesses, and this one–” the captain yanked Cadeneza’s hair again, causing her to yelp. “–dared claim that she possessed more beauty than them.”

Rather than say something back, the guard bowed her head, whispering quietly to herself. I caught, at just the edge of my hearing, a rising and falling note, like someone singing, before she opened her eyes again. “They will see them.”

She backed away, allowing the guard captain and those carrying Cadeneza and Maia to enter.

Whatever the source of the interference, it must’ve been something in that room, because the image instantly became so fuzzy I could barely make anything out past the static. I did catch sight of three familiar looking humanoids, dressed this time in flowing white gossamer gowns, and heard what sounded like running water and a soft hum.

Then a trio of voices harmonizing together hit the audio, and my head spun like crazy… falling… listening… all I could hear was the music… listen to them… obey…obey...

Struggling against the implicit command I managed to slap the mute button on the tricorder, cutting off the flow of magic in an instant. This left me with little to see save for flashes of clear images amidst the static, but it was enough. I saw the sirens approach. One raised a hand in Cadeneza and Maia’s direction which started to glow, only for another one to pull her away, her eyes widening in surprise as they danced up and down Cadeneza and Maia’s bodies, right where the magic words were written. The two exchange words, then they join the other one in a huddle together, whispering, arguing amongst each other.

Then one of them, the one with the bush of orange hair, approached and looked directly at Cadeneza’s lapel camera. I switched on the audio just in time to hear her say, “...come meet us in three hours. We will be waiting.”

She stepped away and held up her hand, palm outward, her index and middle finger raised and glowing with an eerie white light while the rest were curled. “These two will be imprisoned for tonight,” she declared. Heard clearly I discerned this was the one with a voice like rich chocolate, deep and sensuous. “They will die at dawn, roasting over an open fire. Begone with them!”

The guards wasted no time in dragging Cadeneza and Maia out of the siren's sight. They went back down the same staircase as before only now they turned down a different corridor, one that quickly emptied out into a cramped, stone-walled chamber that was pretty clearly set up as a holding cell. A barred door of iron and wood slammed shut, sealing them inside a dark room lit only by the slightest of light emerging from a few slits in the wall near the ceiling, allowing the twin moons of this planet to shine down.

“Commander Shimmer, come in,” Cadeneza groaned as she fell against one very damp looking wall, slipping into the slime at the bottom. “Come in, damn it.”

“I’m here, Cadeneza,” I responded, keeping my voice quiet. “Looks like we succeeded.”

“Oh yeah? Is that what happened?” Cadeneza glared directly at Maia’s camera, her head lolling. “I couldn’t understand a damned thing. Soon as we went inside all I could hear was… singing… the voices… like they took control of my every thought… all I could do was listen.”

“The same thing occurred to me,” Maia chimed in. “I was able to resist long enough to see them clearly, but… I gave in.”

“Don’t worry about it, Ensign,” I said. “Their magic was strong enough that it came right through the tricorder. I almost gave in till I managed to shut off the sound. I should’ve been more prepared for that. They’re sirens, their voices are their magic. Good thing they stopped when they did.”

“They did?” Cadeneza rolled over and groaned, clutching at her stomach. “God damn, they really did a number on us, you know.”

“You have at least two broken ribs,” Maia declared as she squatted down to poke at Cadeneza. “Numerous contusions as well. But, you’ll be fine.”

“Easy for you to say, Miss I-trained-for-this-shit,” Cadeneza snorted. “Forget it. Look, Sun--err, Commander, what were you saying about them stopping?”

“They stopped singing when they saw the magic written on your bodies,” I answered. “You must have been sufficiently under their spell it didn’t matter, but they figured out pretty quick you weren’t from around here. Looked right into the camera and everything. They want to meet us in three hours.”

“Great. So I guess that part of the plan’s a success, huh?” Cadeneza let out a pained chuckle. “Wasn’t banking on the ass kicking though.”

“What did you think would happen?” Maia asked, amusement clearly written all over her face. 

Cadeneza raised both hands for long enough to flip Maia off. “Screw you, Ensign.”

“Okay, settle down, you two,” I ordered. “We’ll need to play our next move carefully. I’m going to approach the palace here soon, try to find a way for me to sneak in, and for us to sneak back out.”

Cadeneza snapped her fingers. “Wait. Wait a damn minute. Why don’t we just ask them to turn off their dampening field or whatever the hell it is once we’re meeting with them?”

“They can’t do that,” I answered simply. “I didn’t see what was projecting it while you were in there, but for it to be as strong as it is, it’s got to be a permanently enchanted artifact. Once it’s turned on you can’t just switch it off. It keeps going until it’s deactivated by the one who enchanted it… or destroyed.”

“I’m guessing shattering it on purpose is out of the question,” Maia said, “or else you would have suggested we do so when we were planning.”

“That’s right,” I said, nodding even though I knew full well she couldn’t see me. “It’d be like breaking open a fusion reactor core, or overloading a phaser.”

Cadeneza sighed and held up her hands together, miming an explosion. “Big boom?”

Big boom,” I agreed with a snort of laughter. “As in, enough to blow up half the city boom.”

“Great. Just great. That’s a good thing to leave around. What could possibly go wrong?” Cadeneza groused.

“Forget about it,” Maia suggested with a shake of her head. “There’s little to nothing we can do right now. We can suggest a plan to the sirens when we speak to them. I suggest for now that you and I get some rest. Commander Shimmer will need silence to track us down safely.”

“Why didn’t we bring some kind of first aid kit with us,” Cadeneza groused. “Or maybe a sandwich or something.”

“You really want to eat something in this dirty filth?” Maia inquired. As if to emphasize her statement, some sort of rodent creature poked its head out of a hole in the wall, its nose twitched in their direction before it disappeared.

“...no.” Cadeneza shifted against the wall. “Fine. Just… I’m gonna nap then. Wake me up when our ride gets here.”

“Understood, Lieutenant,” I said, keeping the grin out of my voice. “Return to radio silence. You’ll see me next when I’m busting you out.”

I switched off the camera feed and double tapped my combadge, shifting it to a silent vibrate so it wouldn’t chirp and blow my cover. I took a moment to switch the tricorder back to a more basic mapping and life detecting scan mode, I floated it up just ahead of me and quietly trotted out of the alley.

Save for a few tall poles topped with clusters of those same foul smelling pitch torches, the city had been plunged into nighttime. Most of these clustered around guard posts, letting them see clearly around their positions while drowning most of the street in shadows.

I slipped on the goggles and toggled over to night vision. Under other circumstances I might’ve used a spell to achieve this effect, but with the siren’s nullification charm I didn’t risk using magic to augment my vision, especially not when I would be struggling just to maintain my invisibility spell.

Peering out into the streets, I was again reminded of just how large the technology gap was between Equestria and Earth, where the mirror had sent me to all those years ago. The concept of night vision had just been introduced to Equestria when I left. I recall watching the scientists demonstrating the product on Princess Celestia herself, and I remember failing to hold back my comment of how adorable she looked with the magic-gem enhanced goggles strapped to her head.

But those simple goggles could only show the world in an odd shade of green, and any light source other than a candle would blind you instantly. Not so with the Starfleet version. These goggles used a variety of sensors to transform the low light around me into standard visual light, giving the appearance of normal daylight without the sun.

Still, the technology was almost too good. The goggles could replicate light but not shadows, giving everything an almost 2D impression, like the world was nothing more than cardboard cutouts that could be flipped or tipped over at will.  The end result felt far too artificial and rubbed my pony instincts the wrong way, making my ears swivel around like satellite dishes and my tail elevate to the point of sticking straight up.

“Come on, Sunset, keep it together,” I murmured as I clamped down on myself with a combination of various meditative techniques to keep quiet, minimizing noise. Even the guards were few and far between now, many of them looking like they were half awake at best. The only building I saw with signs of activity looked to be an inn or pub of some kind, judging by the raucous noise coming from its open windows.

I quickly crossed the fountain plaza and approached the front gates, where a larger group of guards still stood watch, grimacing and occasionally letting out quiet yawns. Going in through the front door was stupid, even with my invisibility spell, so I backed away and trotted down along the walls in both directions for a while. In both cases I reached a dead end of buildings too short to reach the top of the walls.

Out of options from the ground level I took to the air, using careful, gentle wing flaps to keep myself aloft as I surveyed the wall from above. “Damn it,” I whispered. “They’re smart.” The interior side of the walls were all uniform in size, and I didn't see any way to get over or through them that didn't require either a ladder or a passageway that would be easy to block off. "Ponyfeathers. We'll need something different for sure.”

I quickly checked the time on my tricorder then brought up its survey mode. It was dead useless beyond five meters, just like it had been in the Dominion base, but as I drew closer to the ground I was able to map out the wall's dimensions, which only confirmed my visual observations. I’d have to land to get anything from below the surface.

So, taking a deep breath to calm my nerves, I came in for a quiet, gentle landing just inside the gates, within plain sight of two guards. One narrowed her eyes and sniffed the air. “Do… Do you smell that?”

I froze, my heart hammering in my chest as the other guard replied, “Yeah… smells… weird. Like a lizard beast without its scales. And furry.”

“I dunno what it is, but it smells good.” The first one licked her lips. “Making me hungry.”

The other one snorted. “You’re always hungry.”

The two guards jabbered on as I slowly slunk away, but now every step I took made my body twitch in fear. Every pony instinct in me screamed to fly away, run away, get as far away from these aliens as possible.

So I stopped in a shadowed area just outside the palace and took a moment to focus. I drew upon one of T’Lona’s meditative techniques, a basic method of controlled breathing, one of the only ones I’d kept up practicing with. Within a couple of moments I’d managed to slow my heart from a full gallop to a brisk canter. Not perfect, but it was enough for now. “Starfleet officer, Sunset,” I whispered. “Starfleet. Remember that.”

I brought my tricorder out again and pressed it down to the dirt, trying to scan for underground passages. There were a few my tricorder could make out, most centered around the palace itself, but nothing too obvious. No boltholes or maintenance hatches I could discover.

My tricorder flashed at me insistently, reminding me two and a half hours had elapsed. I didn’t have time to keep searching. I’d have to hope that the sirens knew the best way out… assuming they wanted to leave at all.

I hurried to the interior gate and slipped inside the heart of the palace. From here, I followed my memories and the recordings the tricorder took to wind my way towards the dungeon where Cadeneza and Maia were trapped. The inside of the palace was about as quiet as the streets outside, making it relatively easy to sneak by the few guards I saw milling about.

Fortunately, the dungeon itself only had two guards, both looking bored out of their minds as they sat at a table playing a game of dice underneath the light of a torch. After considering my options for a moment, I decided the brute force approach was best, and brought out my phaser, switching it to a wide-beam stun setting. I made sure the door behind me was closed to hide as much of the phaser noise as possible, lined up my shot, and squeezed the trigger.

The phaser lanced out with a screech that sounded all too deafening to my pony ears in the small space, but it lasted barely a heartbeat, just long enough to send both guards toppling to the floor. I swiftly grabbed them in my magic to keep them from injuring themselves, and pushed them aside where they could lay against the wall.

After taking a second to listen out for other approaching guards, and hearing none, I approached the door and knocked quietly on it. “Cadeneza! Maia!” I hissed. “It’s me! Sunset!”

The sound of boots on stone preceded a whispered shout through the door. “Yeah, no shit it’s you, Sunny. A phaser’s kind of unmistakable.”

“Okay. I’m unlocking the door now.” I took the key from one of the sleeping guards, slipped it into the lock, and cracked open the door.

Maia and Cadeneza fled the dungeon cell so fast they nearly toppled me over, with Cadeneza taking a deep breath of fresh air even as she continued to clutch at her injured side. “Oh god that’s better,” Cadeneza said. “It stinks in there.”

I glanced inside, gagged at the sight of filth and scum coating the walls, and quickly closed the door. “I can see that. How’re your injuries? Can you move quietly?”

“I can, ma’am,” Maia answered, despite the occasional flash of pain crossing her otherwise impassive face. “I’ll be fine till we return to the Phoenix. However, the lieutenant might be a problem.”

“It’s my ribs,” Cadeneza agreed with a grunt. “I can move but… I dunno if I can sneak. Or run.”

“Damn it,” I muttered as I took a closer look, running my tricorder over her. “You’ve got two fractured ribs and one’s completely broken. Your right ankle and knee are sprained too. I don’t know how you’re still standing.”

“Cause I’m a tough bitch,” Cadeneza snorted, though I noticed her casting a longing gaze at the nearby occupied chairs. “Just gimme some meds. You got a hypo, right?”

I reached into my uniform pockets and pulled out the single hypospray I’d brought along. “Yes, but this isn’t really an analgesic. It’s more of a sedative.”

“Gimme that.” She snatched it out of my magic and examined it. “Triptaceredine? Why’d you load it with this?”

“In case I needed to knock out any guards with it and my magic or the phaser didn’t work,” I muttered.

Rolling her eyes, Cadeneza adjusted the settings on the hypo to dial down the dosage, then pressed it to her side and activated it. The hiss of the hypo was followed by an immediate sigh of relief from Cadeneza. “Aaugh that’s better…” Her face drooped as she handed the hypo back over to me. “Minimum dose. I’ll… I’ll be fine. For now.”

“Alright then. Stay close,” I ordered. “I’m going to make us all invisible. Don’t forget: this is visual only. They can still hear you.” I shivered. “And smell you.”

“Great,” Cadeneza groaned as she and Maia closed around me.

Closing my eyes, I called upon my magic, forming the spell matrix. Our proximity to the source of the nullification spell amped up the difficulty significantly, but thankfully my alicorn magic pushed through it and after a few moments we were all invisible. “Let’s go. Follow my lead.”

“Uh, how? I can’t see you,” Cadeneza said.

Rolling my eyes, I snapped my tail out till it brushed her. “Hold my tail. Maia, you hold onto Cadeneza’s uniform.”

A low chuckle, more like a purr really, burbled from Cadeneza’s throat. “As you wish, ma’am,” she said.

“Lieutenant,” I said in a warning tone.

“What? I didn’t say anything.”

“Would you like me to switch places with her, ma’am?” Maia inquired.

Scoffing, I replied, “No. We need to move. I’m going to walk slowly. Keep up.”

To say progress was slow like this would be like saying a novice’s chances against a grandmaster of Strategema weren’t very good: a drastic understatement. Over and over I cursed myself for not taking time to enhance the spell beforehand so we could at least see each other while under its effects.

A few whispered directions from Maia got us through to the sirens' room relatively quickly, and the lone guard was easily knocked out by a single application of the hypospray set to maximum. Then we opened the door and entered the siren’s chamber.

I’d thought the passageways around the siren’s room were immaculate and elegant, but they were nothing compared to this chamber. Marble walls and elegantly carved columns soared at least ten meters above us to a ceiling virtually covered in tile frescos. Large fur and silk rugs dotted the equally polished stone floor, which gently reflected the light provided by the standing torches arrayed along the walls. 

A ruby red run of carpet formed a path to a raised platform on the right side of the chamber, where a trio of four-poster beds with silken curtains sat clustered around a large, ornate fireplace. Opposite them was a large bath that could more accurately be described as a small pool, the water continually steaming thanks to the layer of glowing coals beneath it.

What caught my eyes the most, however, was the large obelisk at the far side of the chamber. Carved from what I could only guess was obsidian, it rose nearly to the ceiling, and seemed perfectly positioned to catch the soft light of the planet's twin moons that streamed through a large window.

And the sirens themselves, still wearing the gowns I’d spotted them in earlier, lounged about on a set of bronze wrought chairs with gold and silver filigree, piled high with various cushions. One of them, the one with the bushy orange hair, looked up at the sound of the door opening and sniffed the air. “They’re here,” she pronounced.

“About time,” groaned another, the one with the scratchy voice and purple and aqua hair. “Party tricks may work on those pea-brained guards, but not with us. I'd drop the invisibility act if I were you, pony.

“I’m so ready to finally see ponies again!” said the third one. “This place is nice and all but, but… magic!”

“Alright,” I whispered. “Stay calm, you two. Let me do the talking.”

Resigning myself, I let the invisibility field surrounding myself, Cadeneza, and Maia drop away. Instantly the three sirens were on guard, hopping off their furniture. The lead one approached warily, one hand glowing softly at her side. “So. There really are ponies here.” She circled around me, her eyes running over every inch of my body. “Aren’t you a little short to be an alicorn? They must be lowering their standards, because I don’t recognize you.”

“You wouldn’t. Just got my wings recently, actually,” I answered as I stared her down. Those cat-like eyes, with their vertical pupils, threatened to drown me in them. I made sure to stay on my guard. “I’m Lieutenant Commander Sunset Shimmer from the Federation starship Phoenix. These are Lieutenant Cadeneza and Ensign Maia.”

The siren turned up her nose, her lizard tail lashing out with a crack. “Hmph. Starship, huh? When did ponies become so advanced?”

“Technically, we haven’t,” I said. I glanced back up at Cadeneza and Maia. Maia stood stock still in a readied stance, prepared to fight if necessary. Cadeneza, though… to my supreme irritation she’d started making goo-goo eyes at the sirens. Either the meds were beginning to kick in, or just being this close to the sirens could put humanoids under their spell to a small degree.

Or it was just Cadeneza being her usual horny self.

“...so we’re not the only exiles, then, I take it,” the siren said. She grinned, showing off her wicked fangs. “So tell me. What crime did you commit?”

“No crime. Just a mistake with a mirror.” I shook my head. “Nevermind that. It’s not important right now.”

“I beg to differ.” The siren circled me once more, deliberately putting a sway into her hips, prompting me to stiffen in preparation to defend myself. But she stopped just in front of me and squatted down to look me in the eye. She reached out two fingers to stroke me under my chin, and it was all I could do not to shudder. “The only reason I’m not enrapturing you right now is that you’re a genuine curiosity. You’re the first magic user outside of ourselves we’ve seen in a thousand years. Surely you understand that we'd like to know more about you.”

“Fine,” I said, struggling not to grit my teeth. “Have you heard of Princess Celestia?”

The siren stood up, gripping her fists by her side, “Vividly. I take it that the old nag is still alive then?”

“That nag is the leader of Equestria, by the way, and I was her personal student.” I brushed a hoof against my chest. "So I'd kindly ask you to show some respect.”

The siren’s lips rippled in a snarl. “She gets the respect she deserves. You spoke of a mirror. Continue.”

Snorting, I obliged. “There was a magic mirror deep underneath Canterlot Castle. Turned out to be a portal of some kind. I touched it and it dragged me to Earth, the planet these two are from.” I nodded to my fellow officers. “Their society, the United Federation of Planets, is the one with the technology. We were sent here on a mission to find you.”

“Aaaah, now I understand,” the siren said, with a low, rich chuckle. Her laugh filled my ears and left my whole body tingling, filled with a warmth I recognized as touched by her magic. I forced the sensation to subside, despite how nice it was. “Well, found us you have, pony. Now tell me, what would possess this Federation, much less an alicorn far from home, to want to find us?”

“After seeing what you three did to that Dominion base? We knew we had to make contact with you as soon as possible.”

I stepped back as a flash of fury from the mere mention of the Dominion contorted the siren’s face, turning it from gorgeous and stunning to twisted and ugly. “They stole us from our world, where we'd been living for so long. They took us to their base in the stars and interrogated us, screamed at us to give up our magic!”

“We gave them our magic alright,” snorted the purple and aqua haired siren.

“Hah! Yeah we did!” echoed the third siren. “Pop, boom, splat! It was really gross, but they totally deserved it.”

“The one in charge wouldn’t shut up about ‘Starfleet’s ponies,’” said the siren leader. “That’s you, I presume.”

“Yes. And my sister, Twilight Sparkle.” I glanced around the room, then back to the door leading out. “We really shouldn’t linger around here. We came here to rescue you.”

The siren leader rippled with laughter, so rich and sensuous it wormed its way into my skull like a burrowing beetle, refusing to get out of my head. “Rescue? What for? Do you not see this palace they’ve given us? It took us centuries to rise to this level of power on the first world we lived upon. Here, they gave it outright. Why give up such opulence?”

“Oh come on,” Cadeneza scoffed. Whatever spell had taken hold of her must’ve faded, because she looked at the siren with scorn in her eyes. “You’re not stupid. You know the Dominion will track you down eventually. I mean, we did.”

In response, the siren leader backed away from us and strutted up to the obelisk. She leaned against it, stroking it with one hand. “I’m sure you know what this is, pony, even if your lackeys don’t.”

I nodded. “It’s a very powerful nullification charm. I can feel it trying to clamp down on my horn as we speak. It made scanning this place impossible as well.”

“Precisely. You see, we know something of the technology most advanced races in the galaxy use,” said the siren as she backed away from the obelisk. She approached me once more, swaying her hips with every step. “The home the Dominion stole us from? That world had forsworn such technology in favor of a totally agrarian society. But the technology was still there, hidden away in ancient bunkers and abandoned underground laboratories. Force fields, transporters, subspace scanners, even warp drive. All broken and abandoned, but also free for us to study, and learn.

“Though we did blow up the first reactor we tried to mess with,” said the scratchy-voiced siren. “That was a laugh.”

The third siren giggled hard enough to snort, doubling over with a hand held up to her mouth. “Yup! Aria set off a volcano! Destroyed an entire island, hahaha!”

“Aria?” I asked.

The siren leader sighed and slapped a hand to her face. “Yes, I suppose some introductions are in order. That’s her. Aria Blaze. The stupid one is Sonata Dusk. And my name?” She lowered her hand and smiled at me, a smile brimming with menace. “Adagio Dazzle.”

I nodded to each of them in turn before continuing. “Then if you understand this technology, Adagio, you must realize that Lieutenant Cadeneza is right. The Dominion would figure out where you went eventually. We tracked you here via your shuttle’s ion trail, and believe me, they can do the same.” A lie. I left out the mention of magic sensors for now. No need to give everything away.

“What?!” Adagio growled, her head snapping to face Aria. “I thought you said you’d disguised it!”

“I did!” Aria insisted, throwing up her hands. “I wiped it clean! There’s no way they could’ve tracked it.”

“We have our ways,” I said. “But that’s not my point anyway. My point is, if they found this planet, they'd find you in a heartbeat. That nullification charm is more like a beacon than a cloaking device. You might as well be screaming your position to the heavens.”

“I told you!” Sonata said in a sing-song voice. “I told you they’d see us.”

“But it still accomplished its goal,” Adagio countered. “You couldn’t just transport us aboard your ship. You had to pull this deception just to get inside the palace.”

“Right. That’s because Starfleet respects worlds like this,” Cadeneza said. “We don’t mess with worlds far behind us in technology. But the Dominion? They don’t respect shit.

“They would land troops. A lot of troops,” Maia added. “If they had to destroy the palace and kill every living being in this city to get to you, they'd do it without a second thought.”

Adagio’s face twisted up into that ugly scowl again. When she opened her mouth, every word came out as melodic, just like a song minus the tune. “They took us by surprise last time. But we won't let them take us again. Do you hear me, pony?” Both of her hands glowed with an eerie light as her eyes turned solid crimson. “We won’t let them take us!

“Woah,” Cadeneza whispered as we all stepped back from the sight of the angry Adagio. “Chill out there, Adagio. No one’s taking you anywhere. Unwillingly, I mean.”

Adagio whirled, raising one hand to point at Cadeneza. An aura of orange light wrapped around Cadeneza and yanked her off the ground, sending her hurtling into Adagio’s grip. “So you claim,” Adagio sang. “We have been lied to before, and by far more imposing figures than you whelps. We are sirens, and sirens bow to no one.”

Maia dropped into a fighting stance as I in turn brought my horn forward, a small glow already forming around its base. “Let my officer go, Adagio. Now.”

Adagio gestured to her sisters, prompting both Aria and Sonata to take on similar transformations, with glowing hands and crimson eyes. Before I could react, Maia was suspended in the air between them, a mixture of purple and dark blue auras surrounding her throat, ready to squeeze. Adagio looked back to me, a deep malice burning in her gaze. “Give me one good reason we shouldn’t kill you all.”

Briefly I considered my options. I could try to overpower them, but this close to that obelisk even alicorn magic might not be enough. But if I did that, I’d cement the siren’s opinion of the Federation as no better than the Dominion. Even if we got away, we’d be making powerful enemies.

So rather than make myself a threat, I powered down my horn, dumped all my gear, phaser and all, on the ground, and sat on my rump. “Because we’re not here to hurt you. We’re here to offer you sanctuary.”

For several long moments, Adagio continued to gaze back, the hostility in her eyes blazing like twin infernos. I swallowed down the fear bubbling up in my chest, knowing I’d put my fate, all our fates, in her hands. Either she relented… or we’d die.

Then to my relief the glow faded from Adagio’s eyes. Her grip on Cadeneza vanished as Cadeneza crumpled to the floor, groaning from the impact. “Sanctuary?” 

“Yes.” I pointed at my collar. “Like I said, Starfleet and the Federation respect the rights of all sapient beings. We’re not like the Dominion at all. In fact, we’re at war with them because they’re trying to conquer us. If anything, we could use your help.”

Adagio stared at me for a long moment, her eyes studying me in a cold, dispassionate way. Then with a bemused frown she nodded to Aria and Sonata, who released Maia. “Fine. Let’s say I believe you. What’s the catch, pony?”

I hesitated before responding, remembering Starfleet Intelligence's order to Liang to collect the sirens and bring them in for interrogation, but I shoved that aside for the moment. If we were to build any trust with these mercurial creatures, now was the time. “No catch. We’d take you aboard our ship and leave this place. You could either stay with the Phoenix or be transferred to a planet deep inside the Federation. There you can lend whatever support to the war effort you’re willing to lend, but otherwise you'd be free to live your lives as you see fit. Citizens or not, you'd still be under the care and protection of the Federation.”

She sneered. “As if we really need protection, when we have our powers. Still…” She smacked Cadeneza on the shoulder, jerking her to her feet, then sauntered over to me. “If your Federation is as advanced as you seem to be, then even I see the odds for our survival only increase if we agree to go with you.”

“Besides, this world is creepy,” Aria complained. “And gross. So primitive.”

“Yeah, even the last one was more advanced than this,” Sonata added.

“Great,” Cadeneza said as she stood up, rubbing her throat and her bottom where she’d hit the floor. “So you’re coming with, right?”

Adagio turned away from us and gestured with her head to one corner. Her sisters followed her over, whispering intently among themselves.

Cadeneza and Maia came back over to me as I strapped my equipment back on. “Pretty sure that means they’re coming with,” Cadeneza said.

“I hope so,” I murmured. “We’d have problems if they didn’t.”

“Eh?”

“Nevermind.”

The sirens finished their discussion and approached us as one. Adagio placed a hand on her hip and leaned over to look down on me. “We accept your offer.”

I breathed a strong sigh of relief. “Good. One question: where’s the shuttle you took to get here? We need to get it off planet. We can’t leave it around for the locals.”

“I don’t see how that’s our problem,” Adagio snorted. “But if you must know, it’s in the palace, in a hidden chamber on the far side.”

“We crashed nearby,” Sonata said with a nod and a wide smile. “Fell out of orbit ‘cause Aria messed up.”

Aria reached out and smacked Sonata across the back of her head. “Shut it.”

“Owww… that hurts, Aria!”

“That’s the idea, idiot.”

“Is it still functional?” Maia interjected. “If so we can use it to escape.”

“And if it’s not we need to scuttle it,” I added. “Like I said we can’t leave it here. It could negatively impact their culture, causing them to advance too quickly.”

Adagio scowled at both of her sisters before turning back to me. “Yes, it’s functional. But we won’t be able to get to it.”

“Why not?” Cadeneza asked, spreading out her hands. “Can’t you just ask to get in?”

All three sirens turned quiet, bowing their heads. Finally Sonata spoke up, “No. They’re... there’s a reason we have this big huge room all to ourselves. They’re keeping us locked up here.”

“The guards they have outside are to keep us in, not others out,” Aria added with a scowl as she crossed her arms. “For our ‘protection.’”

“Whoa, wait, what?” Cadeneza blurted. “You mean to tell us you’re the real prisoners here?”

Adagio’s lips spread in a nasty grimace. “They don’t want to risk their goddesses leaving them, now that they have us.”

“Surely with your powers you could break out at any time?” Maia asked.

Her eyes flashing crimson, Adagio roared back, “Of course we can!” She gripped both fists tightly at her sides and her whole body shook before she managed to calm herself. “But unless we had somewhere else to go, there was no point. We may be trapped in this dirty hovel but at least they cater to our every whim.”

“And we’re not going to kill guards just to escape,” I said, putting my hoof down. “We get out of here with as little harm to the locals as possible.”

“Feh,” Adagio spat. “Ponies and their stupid obsessions with morality and ethics. You sound like that stupid old fool Starswirl, only without the hat.”

“Ain’t just pony morality,” Cadeneza countered. “It's kind of a thing with the entire Federation.” She turned to me. “So what do we do, ma’am?”

“We’ll have to sneak out,” I said. “Get to the shuttlecraft and get out of here. I’d prefer not to fly around with it clearly visible, but it’s better than leaving it here.”

“It’s not gonna be easy, not with six of us,” Sonata said. “If they catch us…”

“If they catch wind of what we’re doing, they’ll swarm us,” Aria said with a roll of her eyes. “They’ve got at least a thousand guards in this palace. ”

“And if they did that…” Adagio held up a glowing hand as her mouth split into a maniacal smile. “We’d have to blow our way through them. Would be such a grotesque display. So many dead.”

“Not necessary. We can do it without hurting them,” I said, tapping my horn. “But let’s try subtlety first.”

The three sirens exchanged a look and laughed in my face. “Oh please. Forget your invisibility spells,” Adagio said. “Allow us to take center stage.”

“Uuuuh, wouldn’t that hypnotize us too?” Cadeneza said. “Just sayin’.”

“Oh, would it now?” Adagio’s grin widened as she winked at Cadeneza. “What a shame that would be, having you completely open to my suggestion.”

Cadeneza swallowed noisily and stepped away, her face flushing crimson.

“We’re not interested in falling sway to your song,” I seconded, taking a firm step forward. “We’re working together on this.”

“Oh save your breath, pony, I wouldn’t waste my time on you anyway,” Adagio scoffed, waving her hand out dismissively. “We have other ways of hiding ourselves. Watch and learn.”

She took a deep breath, and sang a harmony of notes that slipped into my ears and caressed them, subtly pushing my vision away from her before fading away. When I could look back again, Adagio was nowhere to be seen.

I frowned and brought out my tricorder, instantly spotting her on a thermal scan. “Oh there you are. That’s pretty impressive.”

Adagio shimmered back into view. “Yes, well, it’s a useful trick for fooling primitives.”

“We were totally gonna use it to sneak out if we ever found a better place to go,” Sonata said with a wide grin. “And I guess we did ‘cause we are!”

“Shut up, Sonata,” Aria snarled as she cuffed her sister on the noggin.

Cadeneza raised a finger. “How does it work?”

“The same way as the rest of our magic,” Adagio said with a shrug. “It fools the listener into failing to see us.”

“Can you cloak all of us that way?” I asked.

“We can try,” Adagio said with a roll of her eyes. “Any other stupid questions before we get out of here, pony?”

“...my name is Sunset Shimmer,” I growled under my breath.

Adagio held a hand up to her fin-like ear and beamed at me. “What was that?”

“Nevermind,” I sighed. I trotted towards the door. “Let’s go.”

The sirens rushed past us. “We’ll lead,” Adagio said, glancing back over her shoulder at me. “You follow.”

“Fine.”

The three of them linked hands and sang. Each note rose and fell with perfect pitch, striking a chord in my heart that seized my attention and refused to let go. The melody wrapped around us like a cloud, suffusing us in musical mist. I glanced down at my hoof, but nothing seemed to change, nor did anyone else vanish.

And yet the song continued as the sirens walked together out the door. The notes tugged us along, keeping us within the circle of invisibility as we traipsed down the staircase. To my dismay, instead of turning down a side passage, they made straight for the main passage towards the throne room.

“Is this really the best way to go?” I whispered as we slowly marched along.

Aria whirled, her eyes flashing crimson, her mouth in the shape of a snarl even as she continued to sing.

I took the hint and shut my mouth, focusing instead on our surroundings. So far we’d been lucky, passing by only the guards I’d sedated earlier. But according to my tricorder it was nearing local midnight. If these people had any kind of regular shift rotation to their guards, that would be one time they’d do it.

As soon as that thought passed through my mind, the sirens froze in place, then immediately shoved themselves up against the wall. We followed suit, just managing to get out of the way of several guards sprinting through the corridor with their short swords out. “Prisoner escape!” one screamed as she passed us by. “Prisoner escape!”

I glanced up at Maia and Cadeneza, seeing Cadeneza mouth a silent curse. We needed to hurry.

The six of us scurried on, but we’d barely crossed an additional ten meters before we had to cluster up against the wall again as one of the guards came running back. “The goddesses are missing!” she cried, banging against the walls and making massive amounts of noise. “The prisoners have stolen the goddesses!”

“Oh no,” I groaned as the sounds of bells ringing filled the palace, followed by the footsteps of dozens if not hundreds of guards.

The sirens, for their part, seemed unconcerned, continuing to traipse down the corridor with their song echoing in our ears.

When we reached the foyer we all had to shrink up against the nearest wall. The room was full of guards, all of them armed to the teeth and standing at attention before their Centurion. “This is outrageous!” she barked. “Our prisoners free? The goddesses, gone?!” She turned to the captain from earlier. “You. Find the ones who were on duty and see that they’re put to death for their incompetence. The rest of you! Fan out and find them! They can’t have gotten far.”

“Wait, ma’am!” One of the soldiers pointed a finger our way. “What’s that?”

Gulping, I turned to the sirens, who bore a small look of panic on their faces. They doubled their output, struggling to keep their song going despite the number of people they were entrancing.

The Centurion looked in our direction, her eyes narrowed. “...there’s something there.” She pulled out her gladius and approached us. With a sudden lunge she stabbed it against the wall, missing Cadeneza’s arm by bare centimeters. Clearly unconvinced, she pulled her sword out and stabbed again, several times, until finally one wild swing scored a line of red along Maia’s arm even as she tried to duck.

Everyone froze as we watched the blood spill off the edge of the blade and splatter to the floor. The sight caused Sonata to gasp, which was enough to break the siren’s song. We all appeared at once.

“The goddesses! They’re here!”

“And the prisoners!”

“What is that thing?!”

“A monster! Kill it!”

The Centurion rushed forward with her blade, ready to gut Maia, only for the security officer to dance out of the way. “Come back here and die, heathens! You won’t get away with this!”

“Oh screw this shit,” Cadeneza said. “Run!”

I risked a brief glance at the sirens, but they’d heeded Cadeneza’s advice, rushing ahead of us back down the way we came from. Cadeneza and Maia swiftly followed and I was last. As the cries of the guards filled our ears I danced back, reared up on my hooves and spread my wings, my horn alight. “Begone!” I roared with a magically enhanced voice, then fired off a few warning bolts of force, blasting stone free from the walls around us.

With a single flap of my wings I turned and soared back down the corridor to catch up with my comrades, landing gracefully on my hooves as we reached the siren’s wing of the palace. “Is there another way out of here?” I asked, one ear swiveled to pick up the sound of thundering boots headed our way.

“Not one that we’re aware of,” Adagio replied. She gripped her fist as it started to glow. “We may have to fight.”

“No, wait, there’s a way,” I insisted, holding up the tricorder. “I’ve been trying to map the place as I go, and if I’m reading this right, we–”

“But what if it doesn’t lead outside?” asked Sonata. “We’ll be trapped!”

“We’re already trapped, idiot,” Aria growled.

“There they are!”

Several arrows pinged on the walls all around us.

“Move it!” Adagio barked. She gestured for the rest of us to go ahead as she turned around to face the group of guards. “You stupid fools. We never wanted to be your goddesses!” she howled in a song as her hands glowed to blast the entire area with force. I watched just long enough to see that she was targeting the walls around them and not the guards before I ducked inside the passageway. She joined me after a moment, rushing as fast as she could. “Don’t worry, pony, I didn’t kill anyone,” she snapped.

“Thank you,” I said, trying to inject a note of sincerity even despite my panting as we ran at top speed.

The corridor we ran along was narrower than the others, and rapidly descended, then twisted around seemingly at random. The occasional torch was the only light we had. The sounds of marching boots forever persisted behind us, refusing to let us catch our breath.

We had just rounded yet another blind corner when Cadeneza abruptly collapsed, falling against the wall. “Damnit!” she howled as she clutched at her side with one hand and her ankle with the other. “Aw shit!” Tears ran down her face. “God damn it hurts…”

“What happened?” Aria barked. “What the hell is this?”

“She was injured by the guards trying to get in to see you three,” I said as I picked up Cadeneza in my magic. “Sorry, Lieutenant, I don’t have time to be gentle. Hold onto me.”

“This… isn’t the way I… oh screw it,” Cadeneza groaned as she fell against me. My legs shook briefly as I took on the weight, but as I’d so frequently been reminded ever since I got my wings, I’d grown a lot stronger. Especially once returning to the Federation. Cadeneza’s fifty-five kilos, while not nothing, was still within my ability to carry.

“No time to waste, keep moving!” Adagio shouted even as the first of the guards came into view behind us.

“Heathens!” the guard screeched as she hefted up her spear and threw it at us like a javelin.

I snorted and brushed it aside with my magic. “Nice try.”

Then I blanched as several more rounded the corner, each carrying several proper javelins. “Oh crap.”

“Oh for god’s sake, Sunset, put up a shield behind us and run!” Cadeneza thundered, clocking me in the head for good measure.

Wishing I had the time to smack myself in the head for my lack of thought, I did as commanded, throwing up a curved half bubble behind us, the width of the corridor. I winced as javelin after javelin smacked into it, but none of them struck with anywhere near enough force to harm it

The corridor before us rose up abruptly at a sharp grade, shifting to something more akin to a long ramp. I reshaped my shield to act like a bird’s tail feathers fanning out behind us as we rose up and up. We could see light at the end of the tunnel, and stars, so many stars shining down.

“We’re almost out!” I shouted. “Keep moving!”

Aria and Sonata reached the top of the stairs… and froze in place. Maia and Adagio similarly froze when they reached them.

Still wincing from repeated javelin strikes against my shield, I called out, “What’s the hold… up… oh you’ve got to be kidding me.”

In retrospect, of course the Centurion knew the palace better than we did. Of course she wouldn’t send everyone chasing after us. No, that was just to funnel us right into her lap. The entire rest of the palace guard awaited us outside, arranged in a phalanx formation with shields and spears at the ready, the Centurion leading in front with her gladius held high. “Well, hello again,” she sneered as she lowered her gladius to point it at us. “So nice of you to join us.”

I let my shield crumple as the guards behind us blocked our way. We were trapped. “Listen to me,” I said. “We just want to–”

“Shut your mouth, monster!” The Centurion roared. “I don’t know what you are or how you’re using the magic of the goddesses, but it ends here. You won’t take them away from us.”

“Oh you stupid fool,” Adagio snarled in turn, brushing me aside to take point. “Didn’t you hear me before? We're not your goddesses.”

“I know,” the Centurion replied.

That caught Adagio off guard, sending the siren into a blinking frenzy. “Pardon?”

The Centurion brought her gladius up and smacked it against her palm. “I know,” she repeated, her voice quiet, too quiet for her soldiers to hear. “You think I’m stupid? You may resemble the statues, you may speak and act like the ancient texts foretold, but I know you are not truly them. You’re too different. Too dark skinned. Your claws aren’t sharp enough. Your tails are far too scaly. Whatever you truly are… you’re convenient.”

“Convenient?” Adagio growled in a dangerous whisper.

“Yes.” The Centurion gestured to the palace rising up behind us. “Do you know how valuable you’ve been to the Empress since you were found? With you here to rally behind the old ways, her power has grown immensely. Before you arrived, her position was weak. Assassins struck at her every other day. Then you descended from the heavens and everything changed. The old prophecy rang true. My Empress–”

Adagio’s hand shot forward, enveloped in an orange glow. Her eyes burned fierce crimson as a matching glow surrounded the Centurion’s throat. “You dare,” she sang. “You dare use us like… like trophies!” She spread open her hand and then abruptly closed it, hard.

The glow around the Centurion’s throat squashed it like a slow turning vise, leaving her completely unable to breathe. She clutched at her neck for several long moments making horrific sounding choking noises until she collapsed, perfectly still.

Adagio whirled to face the other guards in front of her, both hands aglow now. “Stand aside, mongrels, or face our true powers.

A few guards bravely ran forward with their spears, shouting war cries. THey made it no more than a few steps before all three sirens, their hands and eyes aglow, snatched them up mid-stride and tossed them aside like ragdolls. I could see the fury enveloping Adagio as her chest heaved with her breath. If I didn’t act, she’d start killing. They all would.

So I stepped forward myself and used my magic to enhance my voice again. “Enough! Let us go free. All we want to do is leave.

I waited patiently until finally, slowly, the sea of guards parted to let us through. The sirens kept up their glowing act the whole way as we walked through the crowd and around to the area where the Dominion shuttle had been hidden. The guards opened the gates for us then backed away, none of them daring to get too close.

I sighed as I took in the shuttle. Fractures in the hull, scorch marks along every plasma relay, the front end crumpled inward like a tin can, and those were just the obvious bits of damage. But we boarded it all the same, a tight fit with six of us. “How functional did you leave this thing?” I asked.

“Enough,” Adagio muttered. “Get us into orbit. I’m sick of this planet.”

I gently set Cadeneza down next to Maia, who sat on the floor with her to keep her supported. “I hate Dominion ships,” Cadeneza groaned. “Never a chair when you need one.”

“Relax, Lieutenant,” I said gently. “We’ll get you to sickbay soon enough.” I turned to the control console and powered it up. Adagio wasn’t kidding when she said they’d left it just barely functional enough to get to orbit. The warp engines were shot and the impulse manifolds were a complete mess save for one, which would just barely provide enough delta-v to get us to orbital velocity. Plenty of fuel, at least. So much I’d consider dumping some just to save mass if I’d been able to.

“Okay, everyone hold onto something,” I said as I switched on the thrusters. “I don’t know how well the inertial dampers will hold.”

Thankfully the locals were smart enough to get out of our way as we rose, shot forward, then aimed up into the sky. I performed a few quick calculations in my head then changed course so we’d match the planet’s rotation, get some benefit from it and reduce the thrust needed. The damned shuttle careened more like a late 20th century rocket as we rose slowly up through the atmosphere.

I tapped my combadge once we’d reached an altitude of ten kilometers. “Shimmer to Phoenix.

“Phoenix here, Shimmer,” answered the voice of Liang. “I take it that’s you in the shuttle we’ve spotted.

“Yes, sir,” I answered. “And we have the sirens aboard.” I glanced down at Cadeneza, who was still groaning. “Sir, request to beam Lieutenant Cadeneza and Ensign Maia directly to sickbay. They’re both injured.”

Of course, Commander. We’ll see the rest of you aboard shortly. Liang out.

I turned just in time to watch my fellow officers vanish in a shimmer of sparkles and light, leaving me alone with the sirens. “What about you three?” I asked quietly. “Are any of you hurt?”

“Tch. No.” Adagio scowled down at me, then her gaze softened. “...thank you for rescuing us, pony.”

“Thank you for keeping the bloodshed to a minimum.” I turned back to the controls and fiddled with them, making sure we stayed on course. “I know it couldn’t have been easy.”

“Are you kidding?” Aria scoffed. “I wanted to rip their heads off.”

“Make ‘em go pop!” Sonata chimed in, bouncing in place, her gleeful smile disturbing in its blood thirstiness.

“Well…” Adagio shrugged. “...you offered us sanctuary. No one’s ever done that before. Least of all a pony.” She smiled, this one far more genuine than any other I'd seen from her thus far. “It’s nice to see an Equestrian again, after all this time.”

“...likewise,” I said, giving her a small smile back.

We allowed a comfortable silence to fill the air as the shuttle reached orbit and made a beeline for the Phoenix, finally settling down for a soft landing in the Main Shuttlebay.

Zhidar awaited us, along with a couple of other security personnel. “Captain Liang requested we meet you, ma’am,” Zhidar grumbled.

“Good,” I said, turning to the sirens, who stared at Zhidar with distinct wariness. “Zhidar, would you please see to it that our guests get some quarters and a fresh change of clothes? I need to meet with the Captain.”

Zhidar rumbled wordlessly under his breath, then nodded. “Aye, ma’am.”

“Don’t worry,” I said to the sirens before they could be led off. “The security is standard procedure, nothing more. We’d do the same for any new guest who comes aboard. I’m sure the Captain will want to meet you soon. Figured you’d prefer to freshen up first.”

Adagio glared down at the now dirt-stained gossamer gown she wore and snorted. “I hate this dress anyway. Good idea, pony.” She looked up to Zhidar and matched him scowl for scowl. “What’re you supposed to be, some kind of dog?”

Zhidar bared his teeth. “I am an Antican, I’ll have you know.”

“Right. Whatever.” Adagio gestured to Zhidar. “Lead away.”

I sighed as I watched the sirens depart, then made my way to the nearest turbolift to join Liang in his ready room. I noted with only mild surprise that Twilight was with him.

“Oh, good, Commander, do sit down,” Liang said. “As much as I would like to hear your debriefing, we have more pressing matters.”

“...your orders,” I grunted.

“From Nechayev, right,” Twilight added. “The Captain… he told me. He asked me for help.”

I looked at her curiously. “What did you suggest?”

“I…” A guilty look crossed her face. “I gave him all the same options you did.”

I stared wordlessly, challenging her, but she remained defiant. “Twilight, what–”

“Nevermind that, Commander,” Liang said, tapping on his desk with his cane. “I’ve managed, barely, to wrangle a reprieve from Starfleet Intelligence for now. They’ll allow us to keep the sirens aboard, so long as we forward everything we learn.”

“...with all due respect, sir, how’d you pull that off?” I asked.

Liang’s face twitched as he rolled his mouth like he was chewing a cud. “With great difficulty, I assure you… I had to promise a few favors I would rather not. One of them… well.” He pulled a PADD off his desk and handed it over.

I glanced down to read it, my heart sinking like a stone. “We’re bringing Nechayev aboard?”

“She wants to meet the sirens personally,” Liang said, his words coated with bitterness. “We’re to return to Starbase 375 to await her arrival aboard the Enterprise.

“Great. Brilliant. Fantastic,” I said, tossing the PADD to the desk. “As if she doesn’t have enough ego, commandeering the flagship for herself. This’ll surely convince them we’re on their side.”

“I’ll expect the full details in your debriefing, Commander, but tell me.” Liang leaned forward and steepled his hands. “In your opinion, will the sirens be a problem?”

I pressed my lips together in thought, then shook my head. “Not so long as we respect their autonomy sir. From what I’ve gathered so far, all they really want is to survive and be left alone.”

“I see.” Liang leaned back in his chair. “That shouldn’t be a problem, so long as they remain on good behavior aboard my ship. They could turn out to be quite useful.”

“I’d be very careful about saying anything like that, sir,” I replied immediately. “They don’t like being used. If we want anything from them, we’ll have to ask. Politely.”

Liang gave me a flat look. “Please, Sunset, I think you should know I’m well aware of that. I had no intention of barking orders at them.”

“...of course, sir,” I said, nodding in contrition. “Sorry.”

“Oh don’t mind it, Number One.” He rose from his chair, prompting us to rise. “How injured were Cadeneza and Maia?”

I shook my head. “Not too badly, sir. They should be fine.”

“Good. Then I expect to see you in the conference room with the sirens, Cadeneza, and Maia in four hours for a debriefing. Dismissed.”

We departed his ready room. I made a beeline for the nearest turbolift and Twilight followed. “I’m coming off duty,” she admitted as she joined me inside.

“I was about to say, Ensign,” I said with a light grin.

Twilight looked up at me, frowned, and set a hoof on mine. “Right now I’d rather be Twilight, Sunset.”

A surge of happiness hit my heart hearing that. “R-right. Sorry, Twilight. Been a long day.”

“I know, I was watching, till your signal died out.” Twilight followed me as the turbolift came to a halt near my quarters. “Are you okay? How’d it go down there?”

“About as smooth as a Klingon’s spine,” I grumbled as I entered my quarters. “I was fine getting in, but after that… I just want to take a shower and get something to eat.”

Twilight lingered at the door. “Is it okay for me to come in?”

I resisted the urge to snicker. “Yeah, come on in. Make yourself at home, sis.” I winked at her direction. “I’ll just be in the shower.”

I hopped into the shower, focusing on ultrasonics this time, because I knew if I went for the real water shower I’d be stuck in there for an hour letting it soak all the aches out of my muscles.

When I emerged I found Twilight sitting at my table, a large platter of mini cheese sandwiches on sourdough and two bowls of tomato soup waiting, along with two large glasses of what I hoped was apple juice. “Please tell me that’s havarti,” I muttered as my mouth watered.

“Of course,” Twilight said. She floated her cup to her mouth and took a sip, then noticed my staring. “It’s just juice, sis. I promise.”

“G-good, good.” I sat down to join her, taking a sandwich off the platter and dipping it into my soup, letting the flavors mix together before popping it into my mouth. “Mmm… you know, it’s… it’s been too long since we sat together like this.”

“Yeah.” Twilight shifted in her chair enough that she could lean on my shoulder. “...I’m sorry.”

“Hey, hey, let’s not start down that road,” I said, rubbing a hoof along her wickers. “We’re here. Together. That’s what really matters.”

“... I know, it’s just…” She swallowed her sandwich and reached for another. “I spent months being a complete asshole towards you. Looking back now I don’t understand what I was thinking.”

I sighed and set my sandwich down. So much for light talk. “You were hurt, Twilight. You were hurt a lot. I realize that now. As much as I was looking forward to seeing you and Mother and Mom again… if our positions had been reversed? I might’ve reacted the same way.”

“Oh come on, no you wouldn’t have,” Twilight snorted. She glared at me for a moment before the hardness in her eyes vanished. “You’ve always been calmer than me. More in control of your emotions. You wouldn’t have let this get to you like I did.”

I laughed, tampering it down when she glared at me again. “Sorry, I’m not laughing at you, Twilight. I’m just remembering what I was like before I came to Earth. I was a total hothead, you know. Remember, it was my temper that got me sent here in the first place. It was Mother who helped me change. If I was still in Equestria right now? I'd bet you all the bits in the castle that I'd be an even bigger firebrand. A real villain. Hell I wouldn't put it past me to find some backwoods village to take over, bend all the ponies there to my will like some cult leader.”

“What? No way.” Twilight giggled and pushed at my shoulder with her hoof. “Not you. You’re Sunset Shimmer. You’re too good to be a villain.”

“Hey, you never know,” I said with a shrug. “Maybe somewhere out there in some other quantum reality, you and I were always enemies. Maybe we faced off against each other in some big battle or something.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Like that even matters. Who cares what might’ve been? Right now is what’s important. That… it took me a long time to figure that out.”

“You know, you never did tell me what changed your mind,” I said.

Twilight stared down at her plate and took a small bite of sandwich. “Lot of things. Smith’s message. My memories of us. Liang’s warning. Belle and Inanna giving me a cold reality check.” She sighed and reached for her soup. “They had this big talk with me. Scared the hell out of me into thinking I was being transferred. Then they revealed it was all a trick.”

“...I haven’t heard about either of them ending up in sickbay,” I said, only half-joking.

Twilight flashed me a flat look. “The point, Sunset, is that when they did that, they made me admit something I didn’t want to admit, but that I’d been thinking all along: that I couldn’t bear to lose you again. Once I said that? It all clicked, right in here.” She tapped the side of her head. “That’s what I was really afraid of. I’d finally managed to accept you were gone, and then you weren’t, and I… I don’t want to lose you again.”

I nodded in understanding. “So you pushed me away so that, what, because you were trying not to care? Trying to protect yourself?”

“Something like that,” Twilight admitted. She shrugged and devoured several spoonfuls of soup. “It wasn’t really conscious. All I could think about was how much I hated you for abandoning me like that. For making Mother and Mom pick you as a favorite, for leaving me stuck on the path you laid out for me.”

I winced at every sentence. “...I never meant for you–”

Twilight held up a hoof. “I know. At least, I know now.” She brushed her chest with that same hoof. “I still hate you a little bit, if I’m being completely honest. The anger, it’s still there. I’m pushing it away. I’m fighting it, but… it’s still there.”

I gave her a watery smile and reached out with one foreleg. She fell against me, allowing me to hug her. “I’m not the least bit surprised,” I said. “I’d be more surprised if you didn’t still hate me a little. We can work through this together, okay?”

“Yeah.” She smiled back, and held up her glass of apple juice, then clinked it against mine. “Together.”