//------------------------------// // Season 2 Mini-Episode 5: "Raktajino" // Story: Star Trek: Phoenix // by Dewdrops on the Grass //------------------------------// STAR TREK: PHOENIX S02ME05 “Raktajino” She’d never admit it out loud, but a small part of Adagio Dazzle had come to see her banishment from Equestria as a positive event in her more than thousand years of life. Not only did it rid her and her sisters of those meddlesome, perfectly prissy pony princesses, but it opened her eyes to an entire universe she never knew existed. She’d traveled through the stars at unfathomable speeds, aboard vessels brimming with technology not even her genius mind could comprehend. Truly wondrous worlds lay before them, filled with treasures to satiate desires both subtle and gross.  Yet none of that could compare to the sheer joy of hot water on demand. She fumbled with the small control panel until the water was nearly as hot as it could go, then stood there and let it melt away every bit of grime from the disgusting hovel those mongrels down below had called a palace. The white silken gown they had forced her and her sisters to wear was an uncomfortable dirt magnet, and far too skimpy for her tastes. Adagio was no stranger to flaunting her figure. It was part of her nature after all. But she preferred subtlety over wanton displays. The soaps and shampoos that had been provided smelled weird to her, but Adagio couldn’t argue with the results. Her skin felt silky smooth again, and her hair had regained nearly all of its shine and bounce. She stepped out of the shower and toweled off, not yet trusting whatever that 'sonic dryer' was just yet. As she dried off she hummed a simple tune, letting her magic wick away the rest of the moisture from her hair. That done, she admired herself in the full length mirror for a few moments, taking time to pose and preen, and smiling approvingly as she ran her hands all over herself. "Ah, looking as good as ever." Stepping out of the bathroom, she searched these new "quarters" for her clothes, finally finding them inside of some piece of furniture the creatures running this ship had called a "dresser.” Instead of putting them on right away, she put the stack of clothes down and took a better look at the room. It was spacious, more so than its name would seem to imply, and while not as opulent as her personal chambers in the palace, in most other ways it was far superior. The dog-like officer that escorted her here informed her the blue slot on the wall could make any food she wanted, for instance. She’d have to explore the depths of that at some point. For now, clean clothes would suffice. So she picked up the clothes, slipped them on, then went to stand before the mirror. Her mouth curled up in disgust as she beheld the two piece grey shirt and trousers plus accompanying underwear, like some kind of basic one size fits all clothing. Everyone else she’d seen aboard the ship wore one of three variations of a grey shouldered black uniform with a colored collar, so maybe this was what passed for civilian clothing. “Clearly I looked better naked than in this… trash.” She glared at the mirror again and sighed. “At least they’re clean.” And it was better than going nude, as no humanoid society she’d yet come across was comfortable with such things. It was the one thing she missed from Equestria, their very lax views on nudity. So she swallowed her disgust and resolved to find something more suitable as soon as possible. At least they’d included comfortable shoes. A bizarre chime startled her. She searched the area for the source, and when the chime repeated she snorted as she realized it was some sort of doorbell. “Get in here.” Her sisters meandered in, each wearing a similar outfit to her own. Aria gagged as she tugged at the shirt, shaking her head over and over, while Sonata, the brainless idiot as always, seemed unperturbed. “Do they seriously expect us to wear this?” Aria growled. “Aww, it’s not that bad. See?” Sonata lifted her shirt and pulled at the strap of her bra, snapping the elastic against her skin. “Funny!” “You idiot…” “Quiet, morons,” Adagio barked. The two silenced immediately. She nudged for them to take seats at a nearby sofa. “Look, I think we can agree that so far we’ve been treated pretty well, like that pony promised. But we don’t know what anyone else here wants with us, so we’d better start figuring out what we’re going to do here.” “Uuuuh, I think that one security guy said the captain wanted to see us in a few hours,” Sonata murmured. Then she glanced at her stomach. “Oh but I’m really hungry though. Can we eat first? Can we?” “Uuugh, I’d rather take a nap,” Aria moaned as she limply smacked Sonata on the shoulder. “We were up all day.” “Pfft, but we slept while we were waiting for the pony to show up,” Sonata said. Her eyes burst wide open. “Wait! Do you think they have coffee here?” Aria froze, her eyes going just as wide. “Do they?” Adagio slapped a hand to her face and groaned, but inwardly she was just as intrigued. She could barely remember what coffee even tasted like, having not had any since their banishment. The lowly societies they'd stumbled upon since had only been able to brew weak teas or other strange brews that tasted as foul as they had smelled. But if any society might have it… “Let’s find out,” she said as she wandered over to the food slot, or whatever it was called. She frowned at it, poked at it a couple of times, then rolled her eyes as she remembered the dog had told her she needed to speak to it. “Uh… coffee.” “Please specify variety and temperature.” “Aaaah!” Sonata leapt from the sofa and rushed over, bouncing in place as she waved her hands excitedly. “They do have it, they do!” Aria rose languidly and trudged over, but she was no less excited judging by her expression. “I’ll take coffee over a nap any day.” “Shut up,” Adagio hissed. She turned back to the replicator. “Alright then… what kinds do you have?” “There are over three hundred and fifty seven varieties of coffee programmed in this replicator. Please specify.” The three of them looked at each other, then looked back as one at the replicator and echoed, “Prench Roast.” “That variety is not available. Please select another.” Adagio rolled her wrist and snorted. “Fine, just give us three of whatever’s the most popular kind. And make it fast!” “Affirmative. Three raktajinos.”  “Raktajino…” Adagio tasted the unfamiliar word, rolling it around her tongue. It didn’t sound the same as the other words these Starfleeters used. She watched, bemused as three steaming mugs swirled into existence, which she proceeded to pull out and hand to her sisters before taking her own. She sniffed at the drink. It smelled real enough to her. The cup felt real and warm to the touch. Hesitantly, she took a sip. And her world exploded with flavor, with heat and sweetness. Her eyes propped open almost instantaneously by the sudden burst of caffeine and other stimulants. A soft moan escaped her as she guzzled it down, letting the letting the pleasant warmth radiate through her entire body. “This is... heavenly,” she gasped. “So good,” Aria seconded, her eyes fluttering as she took another sip from her mug. Sonata mechanically drank without making a sound, seemingly too overwhelmed to function. Adagio drained her mug in a hurry, and briefly considered grabbing another. But she managed to restrain herself. Whatever was in that coffee already had her feeling slightly jittery, and the last thing she wanted was to lose control. That was for the pathetic fools who fell sway under their song, not the Sirens. Sirens never lose control. The door chime sounded again, drawing her attention. “Who is it?” “Cadeneza and Sparkle.” “Sparkle?” Adagio arched an eyebrow. “What do you want?” Her keen ears caught a quiet snort before the response came. “The Captain wanted us to show you around the ship, help you get settled.” Adagio exchanged a look with her sisters. Aria seemed disinterested, flicking back her hair with a mutter of “Whatever,” while Sonata continued to drink her coffee, paying her no attention. “Fine, come in,” she grumbled. The doors swished open, and Adagio took an unconscious step back. Cadeneza looked nothing like the way she had before, pale peach colored skin with blonde hair and shining purple eyes. Accompanying her was another pony, this one smaller than Sunset Shimmer, a plain unicorn with colors resembling a mixture between Aria and Sonata. Ignoring the pony for a moment, her eyes locked on Cadeneza. “Hmph, not bad. For a moment there I was worried your real faces were even worse than those filthy mongrels down there.” “Well not everyone on board can be as gorgeous as me, but I get your point.” She jabbed a thumb towards the unicorn. “This here’s Twilight Sparkle.” “Hello,” said Twilight with a smile that screamed “trying too hard” to Adagio’s eyes. She held out a hoof. “It’s nice to meet you.” A half smile crossed Adagio’s face, and she found herself shaking said hoof despite herself. As much as she hated to admit it, seeing native Equestrians brought a level of comfort to her, even if they were saccharine sweet ponies. Whatever hatred she’d held for ponies had long since fizzled away… oh she’d still curse Starswirl’s name if it ever came up, but she didn't care about ponies in general. “You must be Sunset Shimmer’s sister.” Twilight nodded as she withdrew her hoof. “That’s right. It’s so wonderful to meet someone else from Equestria! You must have so many stories to tell. Are you the original sirens that Starswirl banished? Or are you their descendents? How have you survived for so long? What–” As Adagio’s fist slowly compacted one finger at a time, Cadeneza intervened by shoving a hand across Twilight’s muzzle. “Woah, okay there, Sparkie, let’s save the questions for the briefing.” Snorting, Adagio unballed her fist. “I’m not here for story time, pony.” She glared at Cadeneza again, eying up her leg. “Weren’t you injured?” Cadeneza glanced down at her leg and touched it. “What, this? Doc fixed me right up.” She beamed at Adagio. “I’m totally riding painkillers right now.” “Uh huh,” Aria sniffed. As if only just now noticing they were in the room, Sonata blinked and gasped, pointing at their guests. “Pony!” she shouted gaily, her mouth spreading in an excited, wide smile. “Hurray!” Before Twilight could react, Sonata rushed forward and picked her up, squeezing Twilight tight against her chest. "Oh it's so good to see more ponies! You have magic just like we do and it's so awesome, I'm totally gonna adopt you now." "Adopt?!" Twilight blurted as she shook out of Sonata's grasp. "No thanks. I've already got one set of adopted parents." "Whuh?" Sonata muttered, gazing at Twilight with dull, almost dead eyes. Then she shook her head like a dog shaking off water. "No no no, silly. You'd be like, my teacher, duh!" Twilight's eyebrows rose. "Teacher? I don't understand." Adagio groaned, slapping a hand to her face. "Nevermind Sonata. She's an idiot. We've got better things to worry about."  "Yeah, like these gross clothes," Aria groused, picking at her shirt sleeve. "Ugh. So embarrassing." Cadeneza held a fist to her mouth. “I wasn’t gonna say anything, but… yeah let’s get you something better. We’ll take you down to the quartermaster’s supply room and use the industrial replicators.” Aria blinked and jabbed a thumb in the direction of the wall. “You mean like the blue shelf thingie over there?” “Yeah, but built for stuff other than food,” Cadeneza answered. “It can make any kind of clothing you want.” “Anything?!” Sonata screamed, slapping her hands to her cheeks. “Well… anything we’ve got designs for,” Cadeneza said, taking a step back from Adagio’s dumbest sister. “Look, just follow me and you’ll see.” “Fine, lead the way,” Adagio grumbled as the five of them left her quarters. As they did so, Adagio did not fail to notice they stepped past two severe-looking yellow-uniformed Starfleeters, who proceeded to follow slowly behind them, keeping a fair distance. She snorted, not worried in the least. If she wanted, she could kill them before they could open their mouths to scream. Cadeneza kept up a flurry of conversation between herself, Twilight, and Sonata as they walked down the corridor, took a turbolift to another deck, then walked some more. To Adagio’s irritation the whole time during the turbolift ride both Aria and Sonata acted impressed, despite them having ridden one before. “Here we are,” Cadeneza said, as she made an abrupt left turn toward a plain looking door. As it swished open Adagio barely caught the word “Quartermaster” printed across it as she stepped inside. The room was smaller than her quarters, and seemingly every free bit of space had been filled with shelves and consoles that she could only assume were these big replicators the Starfleeters had mentioned. A young, dark-skinned humanoid looked up from a desk in the far corner as the door swished closed behind them. Adagio noticed the single gold dot on his collar, then looked quickly at the two dots on Cadeneza's collar. Clearly some low-level grunt then.  “Ma’am?” he asked, looking right at Cadeneza. Cadeneza shook her head. “Don’t mind us, Ensign. Just helping our three guests here get some extra clothes.” The ensign fluttered his eyebrows once, grunted, then returned to staring at a screen on his desk, occasionally tapping buttons on it while muttering. “Inventory guy,” Cadeneza whispered. “Hardly ever leaves this room.” She puttered over to a table with a glowing octagonal panel in the center. “Here, this is the replicator.” “Over here is a database,” Twilight added, stepping up to a screen hanging in the air next to the table. “It’s voice activated, so you just ask it what you want to see. Computer, show me popular dress designs, late 24th century Earth.” A series of eye-searing, nauseating outfits appeared on the screen, looking to Adagio like nothing so much as someone spilling cans of paint all over a set of blinds while on a drug-fueled trip and then sewing them into gowns. “I think we’ll pass on those,” she said, fighting off the urge to vomit. “See, this is why going nude is so much easier. No need to worry about looking like...that,” Aria added, her face turning green. Twilight let out a bark of laughter. “Yeah, trust me, that doesn’t fly out here either, unfortunately.” “Lemme work on this, Sparkie,” Cadeneza said, patting Twilight on the shoulder. “Looking at you three, I’m betting you’d look good in leather.” Twilight instantly took a few steps back, her muzzle curling up. It was all Adagio could do not to burst into mocking laughter at the pathetic pony. “Oooh, I haven’t worn leather in ages!” Sonata burbled. “At least, not anything good.” “Maybe as an accessory, but that’s it,” Adagio mused. “Oh, pfft, definitely,” Cadeneza said, rolling her eyes. “No one wears all leather. Not unless they’re going to a BDSM club.” “Lieutenant!” Twilight cried, her face flushing a brilliant crimson. “I-is that really something we should be talking about?” “How long have you been away from Equestria, pony?” Adagio asked, her mouth quirking. “About sixteen years, why?” “Hmph. Still as prudish as ever, then.” Twilight took a step forward. “Excuse–” “Anyway,” Cadeneza continued, “I’m thinking something a bit more… 21st century for you three. Something cool, casual, but in control. You prefer pants or skirts?” “Pants,” Aria answered. “Skirt, skirt!” Sonata chimed in. Adagio pursed her lips as she rubbed her chin, considering. “Shorts,” she answered finally. “With leggings. And boots.” Cadeneza continued to refine their selections until she finally produced a trio of outfits and submitted the request to the replicator. “Here, you can try these on in the head across the hallway.” “The what?” Sonata muttered. “The bathroom,” Twilight said with a small sigh. “It’s called a head aboard ships.” “Oh. Neat!” Once the replicator was finished, Adagio took her bundle of clothes and hurried off, eager to strip herself of the grey two piece. As she emerged from the changing area, she admired herself in the full-length mirror. “Not bad… not bad at all.” She’d opted for traditional blue denim shorts that ran halfway to her knees, a pair of royal purple leggings bedazzled with stars, an off white tank top with spaghetti straps and an open black leather jacket laid atop it. She’d even gone the extra mile with spikes on the boots, the jacket, and a tiara-like hair accessory, leaving her with an outfit that Cadeneza pronounced “looked like it rode right out of a biker gang holonovel.” Maybe it was a bit much, but considering the usual clothing she’d worn for centuries, Adagio was aching for a change. Sonata and Aria joined her after a few minutes and once again Adagio found herself mildly impressed by the Starfleeter's fashion sense. Aria sported form fitting purple capri pants, an off-yellow tank top and a blue denim vest with deliberate wear and tear built in. She also wore spiked boots, albeit in a dark shade of brown rather than Adagio’s midnight blue. Sonata meanwhile, like the idiot she was, chose a dark blue sundress lined with horizontal white stripes that bent and shuddered like ocean waves, along with matching flats. And unlike Adagio or Aria, her outfit came with some jewelry, a pair of twinkling sapphire studs in her ears plus a small ruby in the shape of a diamond hanging from a leather strap around her neck. When Adagio saw that, she was reminded of her old gem, which she’d long since absorbed into her body to prevent it from being harmed. Adagio wanted to be angry at this Cadeneza for daring to even try to copy the design of one of their gems, but the fury fizzled as fast as it had risen. There was no way the Starfleeters could know about their gems, even if the two ponies were smarter than they looked. “Wow, you three look… neat,” Twilight said, holding a hoof to her mouth and coughing. “Neat?” Cadeneza grumbled. “I spent two hours helping them put these together and you’re calling it neat? Why not awesome? Amazing? Truly haute couture?” Twilight shot Cadeneza a flat look and did not deign to respond. Sonata’s stomach chose that moment to grumble, loudly. “I’m starving. We should get something to eat.” “Sounds like a plan,” Cadeneza said. “Alright, follow me, everyone. We’re off to Ten-Forward!” Sonata’s hands clutched the curled shell, cradling it like she would a child. “This is the most amazing creation ever!” she whispered as she held it up. “Breaded fish, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese… sour cream… all together in a single shell you can hold!” “Pfft, she didn’t even know what any of those were two minutes ago,” Aria stage-whispered behind a covered hand into Adagio’s ear. Adagio openly laughed. Ignoring the mocking of her sisters, she brought the shell up to her mouth and took another slow bite. As the flavors exploded on her tongue again, she let out a quiet moan, her eyelids fluttering. The crispness of the shell and lettuce, the sour tang of the cream, the acidic sting of the tomatoes and above all the fish, it all swirled around in her mouth to fill her with a heavenly aura of pure bliss. The crunch though, that was the best part. Hearing the crunch of the shell reverberate through her skull sparked fireworks in her brain. She couldn’t help but take another bite, and then another, and another, until she almost bit down on her own fingers trying to take the last chunk in one large bite. Only then did she let out a sigh and look up at Cadeneza and Twilight, who watched her with amusement and horrified fascination respectively. “So, uh, I guess you liked that, huh?” Cadeneza said, chuckling behind her hand. “Yes!” Sonata wailed, throwing up her hands and waving them in the air. “That was the best. Food. Ever! What did you call it?” “...a taco?” Twilight ventured, her eyes darting to look up at Cadeneza in a manner that Sonata found adorable. But then Sonata liked seeing fear in people’s eyes. It made them so much cuter when they were afraid, just a little. Much more fun to play with that way. “Yes, tacos!” she cried, balling her hands into fists. “I’ve never had anything like it before… it was sooo gooood!” She brought her fists up to her lips and curled them into a pout. “Can I have another? Can I? Can I?” Cadeneza beamed. “You can have as many as you like.” “Oh don’t tell her that,” Aria groused, slapping a hand to her face. “She’ll order way too many and a few hours from now she’ll be complaining about how sick she feels.” “Nuh uh!” Sonata retorted, sticking her tongue out. Aria was always so mean to her, but she gave back as good as she got. “I only want, like, three more. No wait, four. No! Five!” “Why don’t we start with two and see how you feel after that?” Cadeneza suggested as she flagged down a server. “Hey, two more fish tacos please. And some more buffalo popcorn chicken for me.” “Certainly,” said the server, whose bald head and blue skin looked to Sonata like he was a resurrected drowning victim. “Anything else?” “Oooh, ooh, I want more of this root beer stuff!” Sonata said, holding up her mostly empty glass. “It’s sooo tasty.” Sonata grinned at the sight of Twilight’s extremely unimpressed flat look. “I’ll take a beer, if you don’t mind.” Cadeneza frowned. “You sure, Sparkie?” Twilight shrugged. “Just synthehol. Don’t worry, I’m not touching the real stuff.” “Of course you aren’t,” Aria said, her smile turning devious. “You ponies always were total lightweights. One drink you’d probably be out for the rest of the day.” “Fight, fight, fight!” Sonata cheered in a whisper as she watched Twilight’s hackles rise, her lips pulling back. “Excuse you,” Twilight growled, “but I’m actually–” “Settle down, Sparkie,” Cadeneza said, patting her on the shoulder. “She’s just having some fun.” Twilight blushed, her whole face turning a deep shade of crimson. “Err, right. Sorry.” “Awww,” Sonata moaned, her face falling. The server politely coughed for attention. “Anything else?” Adagio waved him off. “We’re fine. Go.” Sonata snickered at the scowl he sent Adagio’s way before slinking off. Then her eyes focused on Adagio’s plate of food. “Oooh, Dagi, how’s your food, huh? Is it anywhere near as good as a taco?” Adagio peered at the plate, which held a piece of flatbread folded into a cylinder, dripping with melted cheese atop and leaking some sort of red sauce. She picked up her fork and carved out a piece, popping it into her mouth. “Not bad at all. What did you call this?” “An enchilada,” Cadeneza answered. “They’re pretty tasty, but too messy for me. I almost always end up spilling some sauce on my uniform or something.” Giggles erupted from Sonata as she pointed at Adagio’s face. “She’s right, Dagi! Look, your face is all red.” Growling under her breath, Adagio brought a napkin up to her face and wiped away the stray sauce. “Stop calling me Dagi. You know I hate that.” Sonata’s bottom lip curled up as she blinked. “Really? But Aria said–” “Nothing, stupid,” Aria intervened, cuffing Sonata on the shoulder. “Hey, don’t hit me!” Sonata protested. “Then don’t say stupid things, stupid.” Aria leaned back in her chair, her eyes suddenly scanning the room like she was looking for something. “Wish there was some entertainment here. Don’t you people have musicians?” “Well, yes, we do. A number of people onboard are musicians in their spare time. We just don’t get a lot of spare time lately,” Cadeneza answered with a vague wave of her hand. “This isn't a cruise ship, so it's not like we have rock bands on standby every day.” “No, it’s military,” Adagio said with a nod. “Erm, Starfleet isn’t a military,” Twilight interjected. “We’re explorers.” Sonata stared blankly as both her sisters gave Twilight the flattest look imaginable. "Surely you're not that blind, Sparkle," Adagio said. "Look around. You call each other by rank, not name. Ranks which you wear on your uniforms, which you wear onboard a ship armed to the teeth, and if I'm overhearing chatter correctly, you're in the middle of a war. If that's not a military, then I don't know what one is. Don’t waste time pretending otherwise.” “Eeeh…” Cadeneza waved a hand in the air and shrugged, glancing down at Twilight. “She’s not wrong, Sparkie. Much as we like to pretend otherwise.” “But, Starfleet’s primary mission has always been exploration,” Twilight countered, her voice taking on a slight whine that caused Sonata to cringe. “We only use our weapons in self-defense!” Cadeneza patted Twilight on the shoulder. “Oh you sweet summer child,” she said, grinning at the instant glare Twilight shot her way. “Don't believe everything you read in Federation History 101. There’ve been plenty of times the Federation used Starfleet like a bludgeon to get what it wants. We’re not any better than the Klingons or Romulans when it comes to that. We just put on a good face and pretend like we are. You know, offer one hand while arming the other.” “But…” Twilight’s face fell as she slumped in her chair, pouting in a way that made Sonata want to pick her up and squeeze her and pat her head until her mood improved. “Fine…” She picked up her fork in her magic and went back to eating. “Anyway,” Cadeneza said, turning back to Sonata and her sisters. “We might not have any live music, but if you want.... I could sing!” Twilight’s fork dropped to her plate with a clatter as she choked on her food. She reached out clumsily with her magic for her water glass and gulped some down, then slammed it to the table with a thump. “Are you crazy?!” Cadeneza’s eyes twinkled with mischief. “What?” “The last time you tried to sing,” Twilight replied, her voice raw, “You literally made my ears bleed.” “Oh come on, that wasn’t my fault. You were getting a haircut from the barber.” Sonata grinned eagerly as she watched Twilight’s rebuttal. “Yes, I was. And when you sang he twitched so hard he shoved his scissors right through my ears!” Twilight’s whole body shuddered. “Your caterwauling gave me nightmares for a week.” As Cadeneza reeled back, Sonata sighed in delight, enjoying the taste of her negative emotions. “But… but I can’t be that bad. I mean, how could I be? I did a year of choir in high school for god’s sake!” Twilight patted her shoulder as Cadeneza buried her head in her arms on the table. “You keep telling yourself that. Whatever helps you sleep at night.” Sonata grunted as the flow of negative emotions from Cadeneza cut off. But she was totally unprepared for what she heard next. “Your sister,” Cadeneza said with a smirk. Twilight pulled her hoof back instantly. “What?” she said in a flat tone. “Your sister,” Cadeneza repeated, her smile widening till it stretched from ear to ear. “She helps me sleep at night. Especially last night.” Aria and Adagio openly burst into laughter as Twilight’s muzzle puckered up like she’d bitten into a lemon. “...Lieutenant,” she groaned, “Can you not hold your tongue for even a minute?” “No, I can’t. Just ask Sunset–” “Okay, that’s enough of that!” Twilight blurted, her face turning a peculiar shade of green. Sonata tuned out the rest of the conversation, because the server had arrived with her fresh pair of tacos, and the delightful smell was so mouth-watering she couldn’t resist it. She snatched up the first taco and took a huge bite out of it, letting the taste bedazzle her once again. “I love this place.” Aria collapsed face first onto the conference room table the instant Liang left. “Ugh, that was so boring.” “Sorry about that,” Cadeneza said, causing Aria’s scowl to deepen. Aria found Cadeneza’s apologies irritating...something about her voice made Aria want to shut her up. Preferably with a gag. “As briefings go, it could have been a lot worse.” “Worse?” Adagio groaned. Aria smirked at the sight of her older sister collapsing face first onto the table, even if she felt a similar level of fatigue. “Ignore her,” Twilight interjected. “Besides, you're our guests, and you've all been extremely helpful already. I doubt you'll be called upon for more meetings like this. At least not for a while.” “I dunno, I thought it was fun,” burbled the ever-irritating Sonata. “This place is pretty great. The food is awesome!” “It is far better than some places we’ve been,” Adagio allowed as she pushed herself off the table. “But I’m not convinced yet.” “Seriously,” Aria added as she stretched out her limbs, working out all the kinks that these rather uncomfortable chairs had put in her back. “What do you do for fun around here?” Twilight’s eyes lit up. “We have a very large selection of books you can read in our computer’s library. Millions, no, tens of millions of books spanning hundreds of cultures, from modern day to the beginnings of recorded history on most Federation worlds. And it’s all inside the computer.” Aria looked at her sisters, then the three of them looked at Sparkle. “Pass.” “Well… I think reading is fun…” Twilight grumbled. “That’s because you’re an egghead,” Maia said, a small grin forming on her otherwise impassive face. Twilight’s eyebrows rose as she looked at Maia. “You know I won our last four sparring matches, right?” Maia rolled her shoulders and grinned. “Only because I let you.” Twilight snorted. “Wanna make it zero for five then?” “Fight?” Sonata whispered, her voice sounding hopeful to Aria’s ears. Shimmer’s face paled. “Uh, Ensign, I’m not sure this is appropriate–” Cadeneza’s arm shot out. “It’s okay, Sunny. These two’ve been like this ever since they became roommates. ’Sides, I always love seeing Maia get her ass beat. Again.” “This I’ve got to see,” Aria agreed, grinning savagely as she lightly tapped her right fist into her left palm. “Fights are great entertainment.” “A unicorn against a… what was your species called again? Human?” Adagio matched Aria’s grin with one of her own. “I can’t see how the human could possibly win. But, I’d love to find out.” “I wouldn’t have a problem with that,” Maia said. “Me neither,” Twilight agreed. Shimmer blew a sigh out through her teeth as she briefly covered her face with her wings. “Hang on a moment. Computer, time?” “2137.” She let out another sigh. “Okay, okay, fine, we’re all off duty so we can do this. But let’s do this somewhere no one else can watch us. We’ll go to the holodeck.” “Holodeck?” Aria repeated, tasting the unfamiliar word. “What’s a holodeck?” “It’s complicated,” Cadeneza said as they all got up from their seats and headed for the door. “But it basically uses light, force fields, the replicators, and a few other tricks to simulate an environment nearly perfectly. When programmed well, it really feels like you stepped into another world entirely. Like an idiot, Sonata stared blankly at the human. “Uh, what? I… I don’t get it.” “In simpler terms?” Shimmer said. “Magic.” “Ooooh!” Sonata’s mouth spread in a grin that Aria ached to punch off her face. “Why didn’t you just say so?” Aria sighed quietly. “Idiot. Anyway, did you say any kind of environment?” “Yeah! Jungles, ocean, desert, beaches, coffee shops, ski resorts in the mountains, the dead surface of a moon, whatever you want.” “We’ve never heard of this technology before,” Adagio said, just as in awe as Aria from what Aria could see of her face. “Show us.” “Okay, this way then…” After a quick ride on that weird contraption they called a turbolift, Aria followed Shimmer as she led the group toward a large set of hexagonal orange doors that sat at the end of the corridor. “Have any kind of environment in mind?” she asked as the doors wheezed open to allow them entry into a black room filled with a grid of gold lines. “Ocean!” Sonata cheered, throwing up her hands. “I wanna see water!” “With a beach,” Aria added. “A lagoon,” Adagio chimed in. “Hmm, okay,” Shimmer muttered as she moved to touch the console sitting along an arch right at the entryway. “No, no, no… close, but no… that might work, except… no that’s full of storms…” “Ma’am, allow me,” Maia said. “Computer, load up program Maia 247.” “Program complete.” All around them, the black and gold faded away, blasting them instantly with a barrage of sights, smells, sounds, even tastes that left Aria completely stunned. Aria took a few steps forward, pressing her boots into the white sand. Sea salt spray filled her nostrils with a deep sense of longing as warm ocean waves washed up on the beach. The cries of sea birds filled her ears as she knelt down to touch the sand. “It feels real,” she whispered. “Woohoo!” Sonata cheered as she heedlessly ran out into the lagoon, soaking herself to the bone. “What’s with the buildings?” Adagio asked as she came to a stop next to Aria. Aria looked up. She’d been so distracted by the beach she failed to notice the several tall buildings just behind them, spaced out in a row that seemed to span the entire length of the beach itself. Each one was built from wood, painted white, with rows upon rows of windows, and various balconies full of furniture. But there were no people. “This is a reproduction of the Ko Olina Lagoon in Oahu, Hawaii, on Earth,” Maia said. “In real life there’s hundreds of people here every day. It's a very popular tourist destination. But not here. Here it's as quiet as you want it to be.” “It’s magnificent,” Adagio said, staring out at the waves. Aria joined her, watching the tide ebb and flow just as it should. In the distance she could hear rougher waves crashing against what had to be some kind of rock formation. Aria couldn't help but smile a true smile, one she rarely used. “Reminds me of home.” Shimmer trotted over and planted her rump next to them. “Earth is a beautiful planet, full of wonders and life. I still miss Equestria, but Earth… Earth’s a pretty good home.” “And you can visit it anytime without leaving your ship,” Adagio said, chuckling. “I think I’m starting to agree with Sonata. This ship… I think we’ll stay here for a while.” “And you’re more than welcome to,” Shimmer replied. “Just… you’ll have to make do without throngs of worshippers and all.” “After what we just went through?” Aria quipped. “I think we’ll survive.” Aria heard a whistling noise from behind her, prompting her to turn and see Cadeneza waving everyone over. “Hey, everyone. We’re here to watch Twilight kick Maia’s ass, right?” “More like see me kick Twilight’s ass,” Maia said as she picked a spot on the beach and started punching and kicking the air to warm up. Twilight stretched out her own limbs and lit up her horn, allowing lines of magical force to flare into life around her. “We’ll see about that.” Aria kicked off her shoes and sat down in the sand to watch the fight, eager to lap up any negative emotions from it. She watched the two competitors close the distance between each other and take up martial stances. While the human struck a pose, Twilight’s whole body crested with sparking light as it formed four spheres surrounding each of her hooves. Cadeneza raised a hand. “Alright ladies, here we go. Round one. Fight!”