//------------------------------// // Chapter 18: Private Meeting at the UFF Spaceport // Story: Prisoner and Savior: Part 2 // by efug25g //------------------------------// In 6 days of traveling through the Contarium System, Zeck's ship has finally made it out of Sectanium territory and reached the closest UFF port which happens to be a small space station orbiting around a dark-green planet. Upon seeing the planet in his sights, Zeck makes his announcement on the PA. "Attention all aliens and crewmembers. We have arrived at one of the UFF military ports on planet Xarilius. Please stand by as we will prepare to dock for resupply and debriefing." Upon hearing Zeck's announcement, Twilight still isn't able to understand to much of the voice coming from the public speakers. However, Xul is able to relay the message using the translator just so that Twilight doesn't freak out or feel too worried. Twilight is still feel nervous to think that she might meet up with new creatures from the UFF at the military port. It's a shame that Twilight is the only pony alien onboard Zeck's ship that still couldn't stay social very often due to the language barrier. Xul may be carrying the translator while escorting Twilight on the ship, but no one else is carrying the translator other than the Sectanium woman. "Are you feeling nervous, Twilight?!" Xul asked, showing some sympathetic concern with the alicorn pony. "Well, I'm not sure if they would take me seriously." Twilight said, feeling a bit anxious. "I'm pretty nervous too. I may be a spy working for the UFF but it's not easy for me to fit right in since they still despise most of my people of their tyranny." Xul added in. "I hope you could forgive me for everything that happen when you were brought into Terram." "As much as I accept your apology, I'm not the only pony here that you need to beg for forgiveness to." Twilight said, sternly. "I already have other ponies who declared their loyalty to me. So, they will be expecting an apology from you and Ash later on. Also, they may want answers over the story of your so-called ruler as well." "I understand. Though, I just wish it wasn't like this!!" Xul said, feeling self-pitied by the sins of her people. "Now that you mentioned it, I did hear a bit of mumbling earlier as if you had problems with this so-called Empress in front of Ash, right?!" Twilight asked, clarifying Xul's conversation with Ash. "If that's the case, why would you be helping us instead of her even though you're a Sectanium as well? Because, Zeck still hasn't understood why did you betray them." "Perhaps, I can explain things about the Empress too!" Another female voice spoke from behind Xul, surprising Twilight by the sound of her voice. As the female alien appeared in front of Twilight, she is seen as another female Sectanium on Zeck's ship. Unlike Xul, she has a yellow-skin color. Earlier, she happens to be one of the prisoners that Twilight also freed. Once she was onboard Zeck's ship, she discarded her prison jumpsuit with a much more better set of clothes. As of now, she was wearing an orange, sleeveless dress with blue shoes. Unfortunately, despite how pretty she is with both body and what she is wearing, Twilight notices a disturbing appearance. For some reason, the female Sectanium has scars all over her bare shoulders, arms, and legs. Worse, she was bald with nothing but a massive red burn mark on her head. "Who might you be??" Twilight asked, feeling a bit nervous to meet another Sectanium under the same roof. "My name is Pamela Kimi Herath. You must be Twilight Sparkle. I also happened to be another Sectanium on this ship." The female alien said, introducing herself to the purple alicorn. "It's been a pleasure to meet you, Pamela." Twilight said with a happy squeal. "No problem. But you can call me Pam for short; that's what most of my friends address me as." Pamela said, expressing herself personally before noticing Twilight's adorkable smile. What a cute little pony!!! Pam thought. "Where do your loyalties lie, Pam?" Twilight asked in a curious manner. "I don't know anymore. I used to serve in the Sectanium Army as one of the Empress's finest soldiers while under Trine's command but just like Xul, I betrayed them both." Pam said, in a fearful, reluctant tone. "Really? Why??" Twilight asked further. "Well Twilight, the Empress isn't always this tyrannical or ruthless; she didn't really meant to enslave any creature or dominate any planet. She was almost just like you, Twilight; to think that she would rule over her homeland when learning how to get along with other nations peacefully. Not for her, however. She couldn't really do what you did when she ruled over the Sectanium race back there." Xul replied back. "Look, we'll tell you everything we know but only in your private quarters alone." "Wait Xul, did you say that she is like the Empress?" Pam asked, trying to clarify with Xul's speech with Twilight. "Sorry Pam, but I learned from Zeck that she's actually a pony princess ruling over her own homeland Equestria." Xul explained to Pam briefly much to her astonishment. "Wait, what?! Seriously??" Pam exclaimed. "You heard her, Pam." Twilight said, pointing out her life's purpose to the yellow-skinned Sectanium. "I'm not abandoning my friends or my subjects just because of some foul alien Empire." "Well, I'll be. It's an honor to meet you, your majesty!!" Pam said, taking a bow towards the young alicorn. "You don't actually need to call me that. Just call me Twilight." Twilight said, as she made a small blush across her face. "I understand. Thanks for the acquaintance, Twilight." Pam replied, feeling a bit confident in socializing with the alicorn. "Anyway, what we you two saying about the Empress again?" Twilight continued, allowing Pam and Xul to resume their story of Empress Vanista. While Xul and Pam did their best to explain Twilight her story before running into her on Terram, Zeck switches the communication lines in hopes of reestablishing contact to the military port in front of him and his ship at the command bridge. "Military Port 53FR. This is Captain Zeck Stone of the Blue Lightraider. I have arrived outside of the UFF port. Requesting our ship to be docked!" In the next minute or two, Zeck could hear a male voice coming from the communication channel he is currently using. "Captain Zeck, this is Commander Fenirius Vreni of Military Port 53FR. I accept your request. Please proceed into dock station 19. Our fighters will safely escort you on the way there." The male voice spoke. "Thank you, Commander." Zeck replied as he ordered the helmsman to proceed towards the Military Port, decreasing the ship's speed to a minimal. Several meters outside of the loading docks, Zeck's ship known as the "Blue Lightray," has slowly proceeded into the military port's hangar bays while being escorted by a squad of small fighters. All around the military port, several UFF ships are seen docked in both left and right which all happen to be very similar to that of Zeck's ship. Most of them are standing by, while its crew members and their ship captains remained on guard for any suspicious activity outside of the military port. Once the ship was 5 meters closer to the Dock Station, Zeck turned off the ship's engines while the bridge connector latches itself onto the ship's starboard side. "Captain, we have landed at dock station 19!" One of the ship's operators reported to Zeck. "Good work, men. You all take five. Me and Chmone will be attending a debriefing with the other UFF leaders inside the military port." "Yes sir!!" All of the crew members acknowledged in unison, feeling relieved that they're out of enemy territory for now. While seeing most of his crew men leave the bridge, Zeck and Chmone head down to the exit of the ship only to be greeted by two other UFF leaders. "Captain Zeck, it's been awhile hasn't it?" A deep, gruntled voice spoke in front of him and Chmone. "I never thought you'd still be alive after being held prisoner for three months." He was seen as a tall, 10-foot, wolf-like humanoid alien with brown-grey fur all over his face with big furry claws seen as his hands. He is wearing red coat uniform with black straps around his waist. He was also wearing a gray-blue beret on his head and is armed with the same projectile weapons as Zeck is. On his shoulder, he has a red patch embroidered with the "UFF" insignia on it. Zeck recognizes the wolfman alien species as one of his fellow starship captains serving under the UFF. "Fenirius, I-I...." Zeck replied before he was immediately smacked in the face by one of the UFF Leaders standing on Fenirius' left. "Captain Zeck Stone, what the hell were you thinking back there?!!" An elderly human approached him in a stern voice, glaring at Zeck with disappointment. "Your reckless act of violating direct orders has left you POW for like three months ago." The older man is seen wearing a white, naval dress uniform with red linings and has several ranking patches on the upper right of his uniform. His face is filled with old wrinkles and has a long scar on his left cheek. "Admiral Wellington, please!! I was just helping our people escape from the Sectanium Fleet after they took over one of our planets we were struggling to defend when it went down south." *Flashback: Three months earlier* In the orbit of the red planet, a space battle was occurring right outside of its doorstep as several Sectanium warships are closing in on three UFF battlecruisers. In the middle of the fight, the UFF captains are ordered to keep the Sectanium Fleet at bay while the inhabitants of the planet are leaving in droves via dropships. However, the fight is slowly turning against the tide as one of the Sectanium warships started firing a barrage of heavy laser cannons at most of the drop ships leaving orbit. "All units, fall back. Escort the dropships at once!!!" The Admiral's voice spoke on the public speaker on all three battlecruisers. As the battlecruisers reversed their engines, they stayed closed to the fleeing dropships. However, they did not realize that the Sectanium warship armed with the laser cannons is making every accurate shot count as they are destroying more innocent refugees instead of letting them escape their demise. In one of the UFF battlecruisers "Blue Lightray", Zeck Stone, who was wearing his naval uniform at the time, notices that the escaping refugees aren't going to get away in time. So, he ordered his men to ram at the warship that is firing its laser cannons at the escaping refugees. At the same time, Zeck's ship is immediately received a call from one of the other battlecruisers. "Captain Zeck, what are you doing?! Get back into formation!!!" "Sorry, Admiral but their firing upon our dropships overhead. I'll distract them, you get the rest of the refugees to safety." "Don't be a fool, son!! Get back into formation. That's an order!!!" Ignoring the Admiral's orders, Zeck's battlecruiser rammed right into the Sectanium warship at full speed. Upon impact, the battlecruiser opened fire at the warship's heavy laser cannons at point-blank range with its missiles and ballistic cannons. In just minutes, the laser cannons are completely destroyed, making the warship completely crippled and stripped of its weaponry. At first, Zeck was able to succeed in taking down the warship that nearly massacred the surviving refugees. However, in the next minute or so, the other Sectanium warships all armed their weapons at Zeck. The Captain desperately activated the ship's shields to ward off as much enemy firepower as they could before regrouping with the rest of the UFF fleet. However, as soon as the enemy ships stopped firing upon Zeck and his crew, one of the warships immediately activated a tractor beam that restrained his ship from moving any further. Before Zeck knew it, his ship gets boarded as her hears shots being fired from the corridors outside of the command bridge. As soon as he took out his firearm, the Sectanium Warrior appeared at the doorway to the bridge and engulfed the entire area with a massive, screen of light. The moment Zeck felt the light engulf him, he losses his consciousness as he immediately dropped his weapon. All of this occurred before he was locked up on Terram. *End of Flashback.* "Well, you may have gotten most of our fellow refugees out thanks to your heroic actions. But it doesn't change the fact that it was a reckless plan of action." Wellington added in, scolding Zeck further. "I would've have you demoted for charging at the enemy ship head-on without my permission. Besides, I already tried contacting your ship after they got a hold of you and your crew but with no effort. What's worse, more enemy ships have arrived from the Mandorian Fleet. So, I had no choice but to pull out our remaining ships away from our conquered planet. Thankfully, I was notified by the operator of that message that you just recently sent here." "With all due respect sir, he was able to escape from Terram in one piece, didn't he?" Fenirius said, proving to a point. "Silence!!!" Wellington snapped, making the wolf commander flinch in fear. "Since, your efforts, however, helped saved most of the escaping refugees and that you finally hear yourself out to our comrades, I will let this slip by. But, next time notify me in advance before pulling anymore reckless acts." "Yes sir, it won't happen again!!" Zeck said, bowing down before the Admiral. "Now then, let's go over a debriefing inside the military port, shall we?!" Inside the meeting room at the military port, Zeck and Chmone are sitting in front of Wellington and Fenirius. On the left, there is another alien that happens to be another commanding officer of the UFF, who is a female creature that isn't like Xul or Chmone. The female alien happens to be a pink-skinned alien with big yellow eyes and long strands of tentacle-like hair appendages coming down from the back of her head. She is seen with long, skinny arms and legs, which are also pink. Just like Admiral Wellington, she is wearing a UFF naval uniform, except that hers is with a magenta-yellow color. She is sitting down with both of her hands held onto each other while looking at Zeck in a calm manner. She happens to be a medusa-like alien species that formed their allegiance to the UFF after being raided numerous times by the marauding Mandors in the southern sectors of the Ramton. The female commander addresses herself to Zeck and Wellington as Lady Calaria Monet, Captain of the Battlecruiser "Star Banshee." Her name is seen on her badge. Just like Julius, she too is wearing a naval uniform which is dark-red. On the right of Wellington, Fenirius is seen sitting down as well while putting both of his grey claws on the table in a formal setting. "Okay everyone. Now that we're here, we might as well go over what happen over the past two months during the time Zeck was captured by the enemy." Wellington spoke, who became the first to start his announcement to his fellow UFF officers. "Right after we got most of our drop ships away from the battlefield outside Planet Vinclair, I was able to help escort our surviving refugees to my planet, gaining approval from our native government to seek sanctuary for now." Captain Calaria explained. "So far, we hadn't faced off any attacks from the enemy fleet for a couple of weeks." "That's good to hear, Calaria." Wellington replied, congratulating the Captain Monet for her actions. "I did manage to get the surviving Battlecruisers at the Military port near Calaria's planet for refueling and resupply. Other than that, the other planets in our territory as still having fragile defenses and security. We still have 28 battlecruisers and 2,455 fighters and troops holding out the defenses so far. Unfortunately, we haven't made enough recruits yet. Our Fleet is slowly taking losses every time we fight against the Sectaniums and Mandors." "The worst part is, I received reports from my spies that the Sectanium Empire has deployed 12,000 soldiers and 50 Warriors onboard 300 warships from inside their territory. The Empress is making a statement of trying to finish us off as soon as she is ready." Fenirius told the group. "So Zeck, about this alien named Twilight. Do you think you can explain to us what kind of alien she is? More importantly, why would you think she can help us even out the odds against the alien invaders?" Wellington asked, getting straight to the point. "Well Julius, this is going to sound pretty crazy. You all may have a hard time trying to understand this but she was the real reason why me and my remaining crew were able to escape from Terram safely." Zeck said, feeling pretty anxious on what is he going to bring up in front of his fellow officers. "She did accepted my hospitality onboard my ship so far." After a few minutes of explaining, the officers felt totally confused on what is Zeck and Chmone are getting at. In fact, the Admiral himself isn't really what to make of this "Ruler of her Native Homeland of Equestria." Instead, he just made a spit take out of drinking a sip of his favorite wine on the table our of disbelief. "You're joking, right?! You expect to believe that some alien leading another country would get involved in helping our rebels push back the invaders. All because she displayed some strange powers on Terram that you aren't able to comprehend yet?!" Wellington asked, trying to get all of Zeck's facts straight. "She may have been pretty reckless facing off one of the Sectanium Warriors at that Fueling Station back there, but she gave all those miscreants quite the scare. I would never been able to make it here if it weren't for her." Zeck added in. "Are you sure we can trust this Twilight?!" Fenirius grunted in anxiety at Zeck, who is feeling nonchalant and confident. "If we can learn from her and her kind and how we can counteract the Sectanium's mind controlling abilities, we might as well take our chances with her." "Does anyone else have any other ally aliens that might help us turn the tide?" Wellington asked Julius and Monet. After a few minutes of silence, neither Fenirius or Monet could come with any other ideas. "Zeck, can you bring in Twilight? I do want to see her myself if she is even worth forming an allegiance with." Wellington said, giving out orders to Captain Zeck. "Right away, sir!!" Zeck acknowledged as he stood up from his seat and saluted the Admiral. As for Chmone, he felt a bit nervous on how would they react when seeing Twilight. He feared that if they see her as an ordinary pony, they may start laughing at them as if he and Zeck were both fools to make up such a hoax. Worse, they'll try to throw out Twilight as if she were to be useless trash.