Sparkle's No. 1 Assistant

by Wanderer D

Loyalty Mission 5: Derpy's Quest Pt.10

[Ryd—Sunset] SAM said, [we have two incoming transmissions. One from Director Tann, the other from the approaching pirate fleet. Which do you wish to address first?]

"Wait, there's an approaching pirate fleet?" Liam asked. "Why are we only finding out now?"

[The Pathfinder thought it was unimportant to mention them until they were close enough to be a threat.]

"The Pathfinder," Cora drawled, "needs a bridle to steer her out of trouble." 

She was sitting down with Liam, going over information that had been wired to them by the Charlatan.

"Not a carrot on a stick?" Liam asked.

"Have you seen her eat bacon? No way a carrot would hold her attention past the first star cluster."

Liam shrugged. "Point. Either way, we need to decide what to do about the pirates. Oh, and Tann."

Sunset considered her situation, her brow darkening as her thoughts focused on the pressing matters at hand.

[Sunset?] SAM repeated.

"Sunset," Cora repeated.

"Dammit, can't you guys see I'm trying to decide what sandwich to choose?" Sunset asked, turning around holding a pack that read: BLT, and another that simply read: Bacon Sandwich. "Just put them both on, I don't care. I'm hungry, and I could've sworn there was a Roast Beef Sandwich here."

"Ryder, explain yourself!"

"Ryder, prepare to die!"

Sunset didn't turn around when there was a pause, then Director Tann spoke up. "Who is this?!"

The unnamed pirate, a batarian, looked from Sunset's back to Tan. "This is Dray Sepgeros! We have laid claim on the bounty for Ryder's head, I don't care what syndicate you work for, Salarian, but—"

"I am Jarun Tann," Tann interrupted, "and I'm the Director of the Initiative, at the Nexus. Do you really want to continue that line of thought, Sepgeros?"

"And I am Sarah Ryder, these are Liam and Cora," Sunset said, finally settling for the straight bacon, since someone had stolen all of the roast beef. She turned around, sandwich in hand, to face both of them. "You'd better have a good reason to interrupt my meal."

"W-we know you attacked our ship, Ryder!" Sepgeros jumped in before Tann could. "We demand that you release Elora to us! If you do not comply we will destroy your ship!"

"Listen Gero-gero…"

"That's not—"

Liam leaned over to Cora, whispering loud enough to be heard by everyone, including Tann and Sepgeros. "Aren't Batarian names supposed to be almost sacred to them?"

"Yes, so mispronouncing it is a serious insult that cannot go unchallenged," she replied, brushing her short-cut hair out of her face. "Wars started in their homeworld over that kind of thing."

"Do you think S-Ryder knows this?"

"Oh, I'm sure she does. But I don't think she could care less if he was named 'Puppy Swag'."

"He looks more like a 'Froggy McMoustache' to me," Liam said helpfully.

"Guys, guys," Sunset interrupted, "Gero-gero already introduced himself, let's not make his name sound even more stupid than it already is." She cleared her throat and looked back at the batarian, who was turning an unhealthy purple in the face. "In any case, I can't help you with that, we don't have her. Plus, last I saw, her spaceship blew up. You might want to comb that sector of space in order to find her pieces."

"Ah," Director Tann said, "that won't be a problem, the terrorist, Elnora, has already been arrested and brought to the Nexus."

"Wait, Elnora? I thought it was Elora?" Sunset said, pausing her munching.

"Apparently she was a member of Eclipse at the time and changed her name in order to avoid detection," Tann clarified.

"So she changed it from Elnora to Elora," Sunset deadpanned. "That is… just moronically stupid. It's almost as bad as saying that your legal name is Dick because you're trying to hide that your parents named you Richard. What a coward. I've heard of stupid choices before, but that takes the cake. Hell, even Gero-gero here owned up to his own name. I admire him for that."

"You do?" Liam asked.

"Yes! So what if his name sounds like the clinical definition of the breeding practices of some sort of subterranean crossbreed between a worm and a toad? He wears his name with pride." She took a bite of her sandwich.

"In any case, that should save us some trouble. Their leader is alive, and we can't do anything about it," Cora pointed out.

Sunset shrugged, turning to face the batarian. "See? Not my problem, Gero-gero." She ate the last bits of her sandwich, which she had been chomping away at while the pirate spoke, and took a drink of water.

"That's not my name, and it will be your problem!" the batarian cried out, his voice breaking a little due to outrage. "I can't believe you would DARE mock my name! I'll have you know that the name Sepgeros has always been held in great regard by my people, and it shall be feared here too!"

"No, it won't," Sunset countered. "As I said, just stay out of the way while we sort this out. I have something actually important to do, and it has zero to do with your name problems." She sighed when the communication was cut. "Rude." 

"Your ability to annoy people and make enemies will never cease to amaze me," Tann said with almost hidden amusement.

"I have refined my people skills with the best of them, Director, you among them," Sunset said, grinning. "SAM, keep track of the pirates. Gero looked like a wimp, but he might get hyped by his henchmen."

"And it's a skill you seem intent on perfecting," The salarian on the screen grunted in acknowledgment. "In any case, Pathfinder, if your current project is related to a certain Dinky Do, I'm happy to tell you that we have her family here, as well as other guests."

Sunset spit her water. "Say what?"

Tann nodded and another screen popped up, with nothing less than a pony princess there. While Sunset gaped, Liam gave Cora a look, who quickly turned around and started saying something into her communicator as they both walked out of the room.

Sunset narrowed her eyes, studying the unknown princess for a moment before blinking in surprise. "Princess… Luna?"

The Princess nodded. "We are surprised that you recognize us, although we suppose that Dinky Do might have given you much information about Equestria."

"Something like that," Sunset replied. "In any case, I'm glad you're here, it was getting a little frustrating to find information that would help us out in tracking down Equestria from this Galaxy."

Another screen popped up, and a gray pegasus with a mop of blonde hair appeared on it, eyes wide and worried. "Is Dinky there? Is she okay?"

"She's fine, I promise," Sunset replied, wondering why Tann looked so confused. "She was understandably upset from getting foalnapped, but she's a brave little filly. I'll set up a channel for you and her to talk. SAM? Can you provide that for Miss Hooves?"

[Of course, Pathfinder.]

"Oh, thank you! Thank you!" The screen with the worried mother disappeared, leaving the Princess and the Director alone with her.

"Indeed, it seems your understanding of our culture and Equestria is already pretty impressive," the Princess continued as if she hadn't been interrupted by the filly's mother. "Verily, your Director was not exaggerating when he said you were a fast learner."

"Aww, you said that, Director?" Sunset teased, grinning at the salarian.

"What?" Tann asked, blinking in confusion.

"What?" Sunset repeated. "Wait, are we… am I—have I been speaking in Equestrian all this time!?"

Princess Luna grinned. "Indeed. And you have a lovely Canterlot accent."

"SAM!"

[Drack, I have a call pending for Miss Do.]

"Do you, now?" Drack asked, chuckling. "Well, that was fast. Let's hope it's not like the first call I got when I arrived in Andromeda."

"Why, Uncle Drack?" Dinky asked.

"Well," Drack chortled as he stood up with the sound of ancient bones popping and the slight whirring of servos. He started herding the little filly towards a small room where she would have some privacy if needed. "It was my daughter! Which I thought was nice until she started telling me I shouldn't have left the Nexus and taken up battle again in my old age!" he leaned in to stage-whisper to her, "I might be a thousand years old and very ancient, but that just means I got more time to get better at my job!"

Dinky giggled. "Who do you think is calling me? Do you think Sunset managed to contact someone who can help?"

"Who knows, kid? That one is one crazy human… pony. Whatever. Either way, she'll find a way to help."

"I sure hope so… I can't wait… to…" Dinky's voice trailed off as they walked together into the small office, and already there, on the screen was… "MOM!"

Drack stayed behind nest to the door as the little filly ran over to the communicator, and jumped onto the seat in front of the screen. He came from a time where similar encounters had played out in front of him after clans fought each other, before the Krogan Rebellions. It wasn't exactly the same, but the pride and love of parents when their young came back was ultimately similar… and then came the Genophage.

For centuries since, he had witnessed potential krogan families die before they even formed. Females would almost never come to term, producing stillborns that not only were painful reminders of what they had lost, but also, a brutally cruel to chip away at their resolve.

It was why the Nackmor clan had joined the Andromeda Initiative… it was why he was here, instead of staying in the Milky Way and continuing his life there as a mercenary or pirate. Or even going back to Tuchanka to check what that whelp Urdnot Wrex had been up to.

But he had his clan. And more importantly he had his grandaughter. Kesh had been close to him before, and after they had arrived to this galaxy, and now they worked together more than they ever did. It had made him re-evaluate a lot of choices in his life, and realize that there was a lot more to it than the next battle.

It was why he had decided to work with the Pathfinder in the first place. Because Andromeda represented more than just another place to populate: it represented a fresh start, where their old lives could be something different. Where family mattered.

And for someone who had witnessed so much heartbreak and loss, it was nice to see a young kid like that reunited with her mother. One day, his grandaughter too would start a family. Maybe with that softie, Vorn.

For now, he'd live vicariously through the filly and her mom while that lasted.

Then the ship shook as it was hit by what he could tell was enemy fire.

"Well," he grunted, "that didn't last long."