//------------------------------// // Chapter 7 // Story: Old Family and Older Wars // by Hope //------------------------------// Celestia strode into the new Command Center of the Equis Orbital Defense Platform as Twilight, Shining Armor, Cadance, Tempest (now a Crystal Pony), and Luna sat around a central table, pausing their conversation to acknowledge Celestia's arrival. "I'm glad to see all of you," Celestia sighs in relief as she sits and sips some tea. "Catch me up to speed, please." "We've developed a list of the primary, secondary, and tertiary factions in the war," Twilight said immediately, laying out a chart she'd developed. "The primary forces are Imperium, Tyranid, Tau, Ork, Eldar, Necron, and the forces of Chaos." "Thanks to our diplomatic outreach, we can count the Tyranid out of the war as they attempt to reclaim themselves from the Endless Hunger, and possible allies in a few years," Shining Armor stated. "The T'au will support our efforts," Luna said simply. Celestia hesitated to question her sister, but she needed more information. "Their 'greater good' didn't take priority?" She asked curiously. Luna sighed, but actually smiled a little. "It became a philosophical debate, really, one which I won. The Greater Good is better served by being able to dedicate all available resources to it, rather than war forcing false dichotomies and necessitating brutal action. Our entry into the war changes the dynamic, and allows for more effective strategies to be employed. Much less wasteful as well." Celestia returned her smile and relaxed. It seemed like good news so far. "The Eldar are also willing to take our side, but they are reluctant to promise any aid until we've shown we can stand up to the Dark Eldar," Tempest said. "So that leaves the Dark Eldar, the remaining half of the forces of Chaos that still oppose us, the Necron, Ork, and the Imperium of Man," Celestia listed. "Correct. Once these primary factions are removed from the war, then the secondary factions will be much easier to control," Twilight nodded. Celestia looked over the information, before sighing. "Are there any signs that the Necrons are sentient? Even a couple of them?" Twilight stood and laid out several pages of detailed notes, grimacing. "The Necrons, both according to historical data and according to the study of four we captured, are mechanical creatures controlled by planet sized machines embedded in actual planets, called Tomb Worlds. They are incredibly old and use technology not understood by any of the other races to recall their soldiers or destroy them remotely. The Necron seem not to have any real personality or Self underneath the all consuming commands issued by their Tomb Worlds, though the tomb worlds themselves have enough distinctiveness to occasionally go to war with eachother. The only recommendation that we could reach was to neutralize the entire system." Twilight paused to press a button, bringing up an image on the screen behind her. It showed a tomb world, with detailed analysis of the crypts, facilities, and energy sources. "The tombs were asleep for sixty million years. This appears to be the only function universal across all Necrons, the great sleep. It was ended when the tomb worlds reached a consensus that they had healed enough to seize control. We believe that if every known tomb world was damaged at once in a specific way, they would recall all troops, lock themselves down, and resume hibernation to fix it. That would give us enough time to arrange the… devices Celestia made, and terminate the tomb worlds." Celestia nodded, looking at the data. "How dangerous would the initial missions to damage them be?" She asked. It was clear Twilight didn't like the answer as she looked away, and switched to a slide detailing the damage that would be needed. A significant explosion in a deep section of the tomb, where automated defenses were prepared. "We estimate that only half the strike teams would be successful," Twilight whispered. "And less than ten percent would be able to return." Celestia grimaced and shook her head. "There must be a better solution. Reach out to all of our new allies, see if they can provide ways to cause the initial damage that won't risk so many lives." Twilight nodded in agreement and sat back down as Luna got up and began to pace. "I've been studying the Orks," she began with a grin, making everyone else nervous. "They're remarkable, really, a sort of vast interconnected fungal subspace hivemind that has no idea what it's doing, but was left behind by the Old Ones long ago. They were actually designed to fight the Necrons originally! They have what we call Magic, and they're actually remarkably similar to ponies, though a different shape and purpose. In the same way our Harmony Magic is powered by belief, almost everything they make and use is based on belief as well. While traveling with a war band, I removed the power core from a vehicle they were using, and it continued to function until they noticed the core was gone! I think that the solution to their involvement in the war is really quite simple. We convince them that the war is about to end, and that they are capable of peaceful existence. It will take some time, yes, but the more we convince of this, the more true it will become!" "Wait, harmony magic only works because we believe it works?" Twilight asked softly, stunned. But she was a bit drowned out by Luna's excited explanation. "That is great news, sister!" Celestia said brightly. "So the Orks may yet become our best allies in all of this, if we can properly convince them of it. You didn't find them dangerous to travel with?" "So long as you don't take sides, and are willing to prove yourself tough enough, they'll let anyone join in a war party," Luna shrugs. "Then I would ask you return to them, and try to convince them, if you can," Celestia said. "Gladly, sister," Luna nodded. "But I'm still not sure how you plan on dealing with the imperium of Man, and they would slaughter the Orks without hesitation." Celestia's expression became grim as she stood. "I'll deal with them myself, immediately. I've finally acquired accurate Intel on the current state of their leader, and I believe I owe him a visit…" ----------------- "What do you call it?" Celestia asked a unicorn, long long ago, before her name had been Celestia. "The rainbow bridge," the unicorn replied breathlessly, her eyes literally shedding motes of light as she looked up at the gleaming spectral doorway that stretched out. "It's… pure. I can only open it when I'm thinking of all the good and happiness that Megan brings with her." "And only she can travel through it?" Celestia asked, stepping closer. "Hah!" A Pegasus barked as she landed, skidding slightly. "No way, I went through it first! I'm the one that found Megan, and brought her here to help." "But she is special, Firefly!" The unicorn insisted. Celestia tuned them both out as she evaluated both of them. Firefly was pure of heart, so much so that she had not a single trace of Chaotic desires in her mind. The unicorn was close, but still tainted by vanity and greed. But Megan… Megan might be a Sage, if Celestia's theory was right. Which changed a great many things, and reframed all of Humanity's potential. "Thank you. It's very interesting," Celestia said with a smile as she slipped away and back to her remote cottage, where Luna was carving a small figurine with a sharp knife. "I think that the humans are capable of developing more sages," Celestia declared as she started getting dinner ready. "Humans are irrelevant," Luna replied in monotone. "Megan has been helpful, but we didn't plan on her interference, and overall we won't be allowing humans to visit once she stops visiting." Celestia sighed, rolling her eyes as she chopped vegetables. "But in the larger scheme of things, this means the supposed consolidation and purity of the Anethema is a lie, in every way. He's not pure, he's not their only hope." "Don't care. I'm a pony," Luna retorted, holding up her wooden figurine of an earth pony to inspect the tail before resuming her carving. "It's still worth considering," Celestia grumbled, frowning.