//------------------------------// // Civilization // Story: Mass Effect: Element of Kindness // by CommanderApplejack //------------------------------// Chapter 184 Civilization Poll broken Comment consensus: Twilight Sparkle Gabby would be really useful here but she's also keeping the engineering teams ordered and running... Assuming there's ponies doen there Garrus would just stand out like a sore thumb... Twilight, though, could really use the experience and confidence boost that'd come from a simple recon mission. “Twilight, get your pistol,” Fluttershy stated, looking back at Luna. “I assume there is an armour set available on the Vindica for her?” “That there is. I will have one brought to your quarters immediately,” Luna replied typing a few commands onto a console. Twilight meanwhile was trying to stutter out an objection. “I-Is this such a g-good idea? I mean, s-surely there's someone more qualified!” she eventually managed to stutter out. “I-I mean, what if they don't even speak Equish?!” “Didn't stop Shy the first time around so why should it now?” Garrus chuckled. “I'll stay ready to come support you if things go south down there.” “Thanks, I'll try not to mess up though,” Fluttershy giggled, sticking out her tongue at her alien boyfriend. “We'll keep an eye from up here, if things really go badly we always have orbital artillery at the ready,” Luna also informed them, Fluttershy wanted to snicker until she saw how serious Luna actually was. “Let's hope we won't need it. Anyhow, Twilight and I will go prepare, if you could have us led to a shuttle when we get there it'd be appreciated.” “Of course, that's for granted,” Luna agreed. “ETA to planet is three hours, Princess,” the pony at the nav station reported. Fluttershy turned to Twilight who looked incredibly nervous, rubbing her left foreleg with the right as she stared down at the ground. “Come on, Twilight, let's go prepare.” Garrus wanted to follow and help but Fluttershy flagged him down, she wanted to talk to Twilight alone first. The moment the two of them got into a transport pod then Fluttershy sat her down. “Twilight, we're not expected to go fight. In fact, we're expected to really not fight at all.” “I... I just don't think I can do this. I don't even know what I'm supposed to do!” “Listen to and follow my lead,” Fluttershy answered. “Twilight, you're almost more on edge than I used to be. You're smart and can work through most situations, you just need to get a reminder of that. We're going down there and we're going to find this catalyst thing that'll allow us to beat the reapers, alright?” “A-Alright,” Twilight agreed. “Good, now let's go get you that set of armour.” “We're landing close to the largest settlement we could find as beside a few very radioactive zones there are no anomalies on the planet. No signs of advanced structures or any radio signals, we want Fluttershy to use her natural ability of being able to talk to anyone to see if the locals have any legends or stories of strange places,” Luna explained over the radio as the shuttle they were using was rapidly approaching the planet's atmosphere. Fidelis' analysis showed that whoever populated the planet was technologically maybe barely at the start of an industrial revolution, the Vindica's scanners having picked up what looked like bits of rail from its distant position nearly behind the planet's moon. Twilight and Fluttershy were both wearing a brown 'rag', as Rarity had decried in horor, over their armour, something that would hopefully help them blend in... This was of course assuming there were ponies down there at all. “Breaking atmosphere in one minute,” the drone controlled by a subroutine of Fidelis reported. “In two hours it will be dusk at our location, I will lose direct contact with my main processor at that moment. I suggest leaving this unit with the shuttle until you find something worth investigating.” “Sounds like a good idea. Cloak or not, you won't exactly blend in very well,” Fluttershy agreed. The shuttle rumbled a little as it hit the atmosphere before mass effect generators could smooth the vibrations out again. “Orbital insertion complete, lowering altitude and setting course for landing point,” Fidelis reported as Fluttershy looked out one of the Shuttle's windows. She could barely see the structures that lay far below them, but they were definitely there. “Say, Fidelis, how long can this shuttle stay airborne?” Twilight asked as she joined Fluttershy in gazing outside. “Indefinitely for the purposes of this mission. Why?” “Because Fluttershy can fly and I can teleport down. That way you can stick to these high clouds for cover instead of risking discovery on the surface,” Twilight explained, sounding a little proud of herself. “Good thinking, Twilight,” Fluttershy smiled. “Can you do that?” “That I can,” Fidelis replied, altering his trajectory slightly. “Updating mission parameters, get ready for a drop.” “Copy that!” Fluttershy put on her transparent muzzle cover as she'd need the extra oxygen at this altitude. Her heads up display also showed a waypoint as the shuttle painted the landing spot with a laser. “See you down there in just a bit!” Fluttershy called out as she opened the shuttle door and let herself drop out of it. Wind pulled at her mane as she fell down through the atmosphere, her pegasus magic making the extreme cold bearable. “I'm down,” Twilight reported as her beacon suddenly appeared next to the waypoint the shuttle had put down. “This place is... Remarkably like home.” a video feed of a clearing with grass and flowers surrounded by trees popped up up on Shy's HUD. “If Equis is made to resemble this place than that makes total sense,” Fluttershy wondered as she plummeted down in Twilight's direction. “Could you check- Twilight, look at your two o'clock, bushes at the treeline.” Fluttershy saw Twilight's heart rate spike as she swirved her head around. The pony armour's systems immediately tagged what Fluttershy had already spotted in the bushes. A very well hidden, brown coated, earthpony colt. His eyes were shrunk down to pinpricks as his eyes met Twilight's and he didn't hesitate to bolt the very next moment. “Was that-” “Yes!” Fluttershy called out as her mind was running at immense speed, trying to figure out what to do. Herself being a couple of minutes out if she wanted to avoid becoming pegasus paste. We have no clue what this place is like... That kid could be the first to inform us... Though stopping him may not be interpreted positively... but if we aren't welcome his warning could for all we know start a panic... But are we really scary enough to cause something like that? 1. Have Twilight capture him. 2. Shadow the colt. 3. Let him go and hide. [Vote link]