//------------------------------// // Season 3 Episode 3: "The Phoenix Rises" // Story: Star Trek: Phoenix // by Dewdrops on the Grass //------------------------------// STAR TREK: PHOENIX S03E03 “The Phoenix Rises” First Officer’s Log, Stardate 51832.1. Today marks the seventeenth day since we landed on Equus, and the repair list looks only slightly shorter than it was on day one. The damage to the ship was far more widespread and severe than our initial assessments, in some cases extending into the core superstructure of the ship itself. While we’ve been able to use our replicators to create the more delicate parts, particularly isolinear chips, EPS conduits, and ODN cabling, the hull breaches and superstructure damage is another matter entirely. We've discovered plentiful deposits of iron, titanium, and aluminum, but without the industrial replicator capacity of a spacedock, putting them to use seemed all but impossible. That is, until Wattson stumbled upon some data on twenty-second century refining methods buried in a forgotten corner of the ship's computer library. And of course Pog wasted no time reinventing the refining wheel a few times to transform these natural minerals into stacks of duranium and tritanium. SCE would have a fit if they saw how rough these alloys are, much less the way we're having to put it all together. Hell, my inner engineer cringes at some of it too. But we don't have a choice. Not if we want to have any hope of getting this ship off the surface and back into space. But at the same time, it’s heartening, seeing all the pony assistance we’ve received. To help us conserve replicator power, the locals have been providing meals to us all, with a whole galley set up outside on the ground complete with a dining area for the crew to get locally sourced food. Crew response to the mostly herbivorous meals has been surprisingly pleasant, though there’ve been an incident or two where a well-meaning pony made something with hay and no one was able to eat it. Eh, that just means more hay bacon strips for me and Twi. But apart from that, the locals have been all smiles, and supremely generous of their time and treasure. As far as crash landings go... things could be far, far worse. We– I paused in my recording of the log as my combadge bleeped at me. “Shimmer here.” I heard nothing. Glaring at my reflection on the nearby terminal, I repeated, “Shimmer here. Who’s contacting me?” Still I heard nothing, until finally a voice filtered through. “This is ridiculous, Tiberius. I placed those scrolls right over here. Why can I not find them? Did you hide them from me again? You silly rascal, you did, didn’t you?” A flush crossed my cheeks as I realized who it was. “Uh, Princess Luna?” “What? Who’s ther– ah! How did I– oh dear. Apologies, Sunset Shimmer,” answered the voice of Luna. “It seems I accidentally activated this device while searching for a scroll.” Resisting the urge to roll my eyes, then giving in when I remembered she couldn’t see me, I answered, “That’s okay, Princess. Just try to avoid using it if you don’t need to.” “Of course. Erm, Luna… out. Yes, out is the wo–” the channel closed before she could finish speaking. Shaking my head, I gave up on finishing my log entry and left my quarters, heading for a nearby turbolift, which I took to deck nine to check on some of the repair work there. “Commander,” said Pog, working alongside an earth pony I didn’t immediately recognize. “Pog,” I said, nodding to him in greeting. I turned to the pony, a stallion with a goldenrod coat, two-toned mane of burnt orange and mustard yellow, and two shining green eyes peering out from under a stetson. “Pardon me, sir, I don’t believe we’ve met.” “Aww, howdy there, Commander,” said the pony, whose accent reminded me strongly of Smith, sending a brief wave of nostalgia rolling through me that I quickly suppressed. “Ah’m Braeburn, from Appleloosa.” “Really?” I chuckled. “Well, welcome to Phoenix. Though I must say, that's quite a long train ride just to patch together metal panels.” “Shucks, twas no problem at all, ma'am,” he replied, tipping his hat. “Most of the iron you've been getting has come up from Appleoosa, and I heard rumors y'all needed extra mechanics. I've got some family up in this neck of the woods anyway, so I thought I'd come up and lend a hoof.” “He’s been useful,” Pog said, which was high praise from the Tellerite. “Look at how he’s applying the new deck pieces. Show her, Braeburn.” Braeburn proceeded to do so, using tools in a manner I’d never seen from an engineer or an earth pony. “That is impressive,” I said as I watched him complete the task in half the time it would usually take. “How’d you manage that?” “Reckon it'd take me a bit to explain it all, ma'am,” he said, stopping to wipe a bit of sweat off his brow. “But we did much the same when constructing the first bits of Appleloosa. Weather out that way gets fierce in no time at all, and we needed to be plantin' crops, not hammering boards. So we just found ways to get it done quicker, I guess.” I glanced at Pog. “And it’s holding?” “It is,” he confirmed, showing me a tricorder reading. “He’s not the only one either. All the ponies we’ve brought aboard have been able to work this quickly. Pog is no longer surprised you were such a good engineer yourself.” I laughed, knowing that from Pog that was friendly ribbing... which of course I was obliged to return. “Yeah, yeah. Well, keep up the good work, both of you. And nice to meet you, Braeburn.” As I turned to leave, I called back over my shoulder. “Oh, and Braeburn? Don't let Pog make you do all the work either.” I laughed as I heard a few choice Tellerite words fly in my direction as I left. I made my way further down the corridor, where I suddenly came across a section where the floor had been stripped out and panels removed from the walls, exposing the innards of the ship’s wiring. A pair of pegasi were laying ODN cables and EPS conduits while being monitored by Wattson. “Ah, Sunset, there you are,” Wattson said from her vantage point at the edge of the stripped out section. I watched the pegasi work for a moment, smiling as they managed to slot everything in with only minimal direction from Wattson here and there. “It’s amazing how quickly they’ve all learned,” I said, keeping my voice down. “It really is. These ponies were working on things like telephone wires and hydroelectric dams before they came here, and they've taken to it with surprising ease. A few of them are so good you'd think they were Academy trained,” Wattson said. She nudged me. “I wanted to give you my latest estimate on when we’ll be done. With the superstructure repairs mostly done, we're finally moving ahead of schedule for once. I think by this time next week, we’ll have the Phoenix in the air again.” “I hope so,” I replied as I watched the two pegasi briefly argue over how to plug in one of the larger cables before one of them pointed out the fact that it’s keyed to only work in one direction. “We’ve barely had time to investigate the planet at all, save for a few short range scans and my tricorder. The sooner we can get this ship back to the Federation and bring back some proper science teams, the better.” Watson sighed. “I just wish we could get the Princesses a definite answer on how long they’ve got before that satellite’s fusion reactor fails. The shielding is so strong it’s been more or less opaque to our sensors on the ground, and the shuttlepod we sent up…” I winced. “We were damned lucky we didn’t lose it or the crew piloting it,” I murmured. “I still can’t believe the satellite fired on them.” “It was an authorization code issue,” Wattson explained. “The sensor data confirms it. If we can locate that mainframe the AI you spoke with mentioned, I'm guessing we can get the authorization code we need there. But to your point, all we have to go on are a few hazy energy signatures beneath the planet's surface.” “And we haven't had any time to search for any of them, much less decipher which ones might be mainframes,” I concluded. “Which means it’ll be up to the science team we leave behind.” “You still sure it’s a good idea?” “I’m certain,” I said. “I know we haven’t spoken to the Princesses about it yet but I can’t see them saying no. But we’ll find out later at the meeting.” Wattson nodded. “Hope so.” “Sparkle to Shimmer.” “Shimmer here,” I answered, tapping my badge. As I recalled, Twilight was currently aboard the ship. Which meant this was likely about that. “What do you need?” “Ma’am, may I speak with you privately?” I thought about that for a second before replying, “I’m closest to Main Engineering, so meet me there.” “On my way. Sparkle out.” That had been unusually formal, given that ranks had relaxed a little bit while we were on the surface, especially between the two of us after Twilight’s near death experience. “What’s this about?” Wattson asked me as I turned to head for the nearest turbolift. “I’ll find out.” Personal log, Stardate 51832.1. It’s been two and a half weeks since the Phoenix landed on Equus. Since that time I’ve been mostly isolated, save for the occasional visit from my crewmates, as well as Preta, who’s taken every chance she can get to be by my side. I’m looking forward to finally being able to meet my biological family, as Princess Luna feels it’s safe enough now with my magic that I won’t immediately age them into dust or outright kill them if I so much as touch them with it. I’m also scared. I… I haven’t seen them in so long, I had to have Princess Luna remind me what their names were. Well, except for Shiny of course. I’ll never forget his name. But… god, what will they think of me? What will they say when I explain that I, I… I still think of Mother and Mom as my parents rather than them? When did that even happen? Maybe when I spent most of my life as a member of the Federation. God I was so young when the mirror took me, I still can’t hardly believe it. Who would I have been? That question’s been on my mind ever since I ran into that one pony at the wake, the one who blithered on about cupcakes being life choices. Like I’m supposed to know how things would’ve gone if I’d stayed. What could I have accomplished? The Nightmare claimed I was destined to be the Princess of Magic. Celestia herself admitted as much... that she had plans for me to take up the Element of Magic and use it to free Luna from the Nightmare's clutches. A small part of me wants to be jealous when I look at Starlight Glimmer, as if she's somehow usurping my entire life or something. But that's not fair to her. It's not her fault I was sucked through that mirror. Neither is it Celestia's. But still... why? Why me of all ponies? What can I possibly do that all these other heroes of Equestria cannot? … I went silent for a good while, sighing repeatedly into the recording, before I finally found the wherewithal to continue. Forget it. I shouldn’t be dwelling on that. Were she here, Belle would probably remind me that living in the past is what got me into so much trouble in the first place. Besides, there’s more important things to worry about, like how I told Preta right away that I was planning to stay, but I haven’t bothered to tell Sunset that. At least not yet. She’s been so busy with repairs and planning shuttle expeditions for the planet’s technology and so on that I’ve been giving her space. I think before I go to Canterlot, I need to tell her. My ears flattened against my skull, the force of her shout sending me reeling to the point I almost bumped into the desk of the chief engineer’s office, which was being used as a temporary ready room while the ship was being repaired. “You want to what?!”` I stood my ground, looking right into my sister’s eyes to show I was neither afraid nor intimidated. “You heard me. I want to stay on Equus when the Phoenix leaves.” Sunset’s scowl seared my skin, or would have had it possessed the actual heat I could see burning in her eyes. “That’s not— You can’t— I-I won’t allow it!” “Why not? We already know we’re going to have to leave some crew behind! You told us yourself last night that you planned to leave a science team behind to study the planet in preparation for the Phoenix’s return. So what's wrong with letting me stay? Even if this wasn't my home planet, I'm easily the most qualified science officer left onboard, which makes me the ideal person to lead the science team!” “No!” Sunset thundered. “Yes, I understand what I said last night. But leaving a team behind is risky enough as it is. You staying behind is out of the question. It’s not happening, and that’s final!” “Damn it, Sunset!” I snapped. My magic briefly hovered over my combadge, ready to fling it to the desk in a gesture of resignation, but I already knew Sunset wouldn’t accept it. Crisis protocols, and my sister's hard head, wouldn't allow it. So instead my magic went into my voice. “Why won’t you listen to me?!” “Because I don’t want to lose you again!” I stomped my hoof in frustration, a chill wind surrounding the air around me. At the same time Sunset slammed her own hoof down, the air around her heating up into flames. Carpet disintegrated at our touch, our magic warring with each other, threatening to overflow. That was until we both stepped back, gaping in shock at each other as our magic dissipated. “Oh... oh my god…” Sunset mumbled. “I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to, to do that,” I said in a near whisper. Sunset rested a hoof on my shoulder for a moment before drawing me in for a hug. We stayed like that for a minute, just trying to calm down. Finally, Sunset pulled back a bit and looked at me. “Neither of us did. I'm just... I'm just scared of either of us losing the other again, sis. Even for a moment.” “But you won’t be losing me,” I replied as I leaned over and draped a wing over her shoulders. “I’ll be right here, on Equus. One of the safest places in the universe.” “We don’t know that anymore though,” Sunset insisted as she leaned into me a bit. But though her words were sharp, her tone was soft and careful. “We still don’t know how far we are from the Federation, or how long it will take us to get there and back again. And in the meantime we also don’t know how long the solar satellite will last. It could last for another hundred years, or it could die days after we leave and we come back to nothing but a cloud of dust.” “We also don’t know if the Phoenix will even be able to make the journey,” I pointed out. “The repairs might not hold up. More problems might pop up that leave you stranded. The Dominion or some other hostile race might attack and destroy you and neither we nor the Federation will ever know it happened at all.” Sunset looked away from me, even as she wrapped a wing of her own around us both. “I know that, Twilight. I know, I just… I’m scared for you. You don’t know what it’s like to—” “I don’t?” I interrupted, a note of warning in my tone. She winced with her whole body. “No, that's not what I'm saying. I know you know, sis. What I mean is, I don't want either of us to have to go through that a second time.” Any anger within me evaporated as I relaxed into her embrace. “I get it, Sunset. I don’t want to have to face that either. But I need to do this. I… I need to know what I missed. I hate to use the same phrasing, but it's the best way I can think to put it when I tell you that you don't know what it's like to miss your entire foalhood. You at least got the chance to grow up on Equus. I didn’t. I was yanked from my life before it even properly began!” She pulled away, the shock at my vehemence evident in her eyes. “Did I miss something?” she asked after a moment. “Please, if I've made a mistake don't let me continue making it. Did I say or do something to make you feel this way?” “No, it wasn't you,” I replied. “Remember the wake?” I used my horn to project an image of what I remembered that pink pony looking like. “I spoke to this pony… I want to say her name is Pinkie Pie? She made me realize that I’d spent all my life with only one real path to choose from: Starfleet. And you know I’ve always had a hard time fitting in with Starfleet. I love the science, the discipline it’s taught me has been endlessly valuable, but…like I said, it's all I've ever known. I know Starfleet me, but I haven't a clue who Equestrian me is.” I looked at her with pleading eyes. “I need to stay.” She watched me for a while, not saying a word, till finally a breathy sigh slipped through her lips. “Okay.” My eyes popped open as I stared up at her. “You mean it?” Sunset bit her lip, frowning heavily. “Part of me still hates leaving you at all… but you’re right. You deserve the chance, and you are indeed the most qualified officer to lead the science team. And, well… I had a feeling something like this might happen if we ever did find Equus.” She helped me to stand up. “Alright, Lieutenant Sparkle, you’re officially in command of the stay-behind science team. I expect to see you at the meeting at 1600 later to go over whom you’ll be keeping behind with you.” Jubilation burst through me like an exploding torpedo, sending waves of excitement sizzling over my nerves as I bounced up to hug her. “Thank you, Sunset… thank you… BSBFF.” Sunset’s gaze softened as she hugged me back. “You’re welcome, LSBFF.” She chuckled under her breath as she let me go. “By the way, isn’t it almost time for you to go see them?” “Yes, I know,” I said. “Did you decide whether or not you’re coming with?” She raised an eyebrow, a smile tugging at one side of her muzzle. “You sure you want me along and not Preta?” “Yeah. One big hurdle at a time. Besides, they need to know who’s been my sister these past sixteen years,” I said. “Alright… let’s go, then.” As we left the office, Sunset informed Wattson she’d be in Canterlot with me. We made our way for the gangplank, opting to take the local transportation circle rather than waste power on the ship’s transporters. They still hadn’t quite fully worked out the kinks in the system and most of the ship’s power was being used on trying to run what few industrial replicators we had to make critical small components. At least deuterium was no longer a problem. Last week, Sunset and a team took a shuttle over to Baltimare to rig up a small distillation plant. While not generating a massive amount of deuterium by any stretch of the imagination, it was more than plenty for our purposes, and we used the local train system to deliver it in the form of heavy water. As we teleported into Canterlot Castle, I felt the nervous apprehension I’d managed to fight off take hold of me, making me tremble. I wasn’t the only one; I could see it in the way Sunset’s ears kept swiveling, her feathers rippling and her hackles rising. Part of me took a sliver of comfort in knowing that she was as scared out of her mind over this as I was. Leaving the castle only heightened the apprehension as we boarded a pony-drawn taxi, paying the driver with a bit of local currency we’d been granted. Apparently even if we didn’t take the crowns we were offered – which we still hadn’t decided on – we were still owed a stipend by the Equestrian government. It was more amusing, given we could just as easily have replicated any gold or other valuable metals onboard the ship, but I wasn't about to say that out loud and possibly implode the global economy overnight. As the taxi would through the cobblestone streets toward the Noble District on Canterlot's northeastern quarter, waves of nostalgia began to hit me like pounding surf. Memories flooded my brain, each one stronger and more visceral than the last. Playing tag with my foalsitter here, reading books under the shade of the trees over there, fighting off a stupid bully over that way. Flashes of a childhood I’d all but forgotten kept coming back, more and more and more, till we finally stopped outside the gates to my family home. Sunset hoofed over a good amount of currency to the driver. “For your trouble to wait for us,” she said, before giving me a look. “Ready?” “No,” I murmured, but I got out of the taxi anyway, putting one hoof in front of the other, passing through the gate, walking along the stone path carved through the grass, till finally we reached the front door. I raised a hoof to knock. And the door flew open. “TWILIGHT!” screamed a unicorn mare, one I recognized as my birth mom. Twilight Velvet. She all but tackled me, squeezing me so tight I could hardly breath. Moisture dampened both my shoulders as she held me, her sobs loud and happy. “Oh thank Celestia… oh, my baby, my sweet little daughter… I can’t believe how long they kept you from us…” “Is it her? Is she here?!” I heard an excited male voice cry, before an older unicorn stallion with a deep blue mane and lighter but still dark blue coat emerged. My birth father, Night Light. His eyes locked onto me and his smile lit up the world. “Oh thank Celestia!” He joined Twilight Velvet in hugging me. “Guys,” I gasped. “I can’t breathe!” “Oh, sorry, dear,” Velvet said as she loosened her grip substantially. “I’m just so thrilled to see you, I…” she squeezed me tightly once more before letting go, and her eyes turned to Sunset. “Oh! I almost didn’t see you hiding back there. You must be Sunset Shimmer.” “That’s right,” Sunset said, her voice taking on that slightly higher pitch I recognized as her “this is awkward” voice. “Well, you have our appreciation for being there for Twilight all this time,” Night Light said as he strode over and offered a hoofshake. “I can’t imagine how much worse it might’ve been for her if she hadn’t had some sort of family to turn to.” “Please, please, come in, come in!” Velvet encouraged as she waved for us to follow her into the house. “Night Light has a lovely brunch all set up for us in the dining room, and I’m sure you’d like to see your older brother.” “Shiny is here?” “That’s right,” Night Light said. “He’s setting the table right now.” I gingerly followed them inside. I froze not far past the foyer. On the wall, hanging alongside various framed photographs, was a painting… a painting of me, as a filly, reading under a tree in the park we just passed by a few minutes before. A much smaller photographed version lay in a frame next to it, the clear inspiration. Surrounding it were many photos of me; as many as they had, no doubt. There was even a bookshelf, which had all my favorite books as a little kid sitting on it. “Shit,” Sunset whispered. “I guess Mother and Mom aren’t the only ones who like to make a memorial.” My face burned like fire as the embarrassment dug its way into me. Night Light caught my expression immediately, and a matching blush suffused his cheeks. “Ah, uh… I told Velvet she should take some of this down so it didn’t look so… shrine-like.” “I understand,” I said, smiling politely. “You… you missed me.” Night Light’s blush faded. “Missed you is putting it mildly. We thought we lost you, honey. We thought you died. Princess Celestia told us you went through that mirror portal thing, but she also showed us the wreckage. Your mother wept for weeks afterwards, and I wasn’t much better.” He shook his head, and his smile returned. “But that doesn’t matter now. What matters is, you’re home.” He led us to the dining room, where Velvet fussed with bringing in the last few serving dishes from the kitchen. Two more ponies waited for us there, one a slender pink alicorn with a crystal heart adorning her flank that I didn’t recognize. But the other, I’d know anywhere. His brilliant white coat contrasted with the electric blue shades of his mane, and his hulking form bore more muscles than ever. He turned to look at us, brilliant white teeth glistening as he opened his mouth. “Twily!” he blurted, exactly like how I remembered he used to do. “Hi, Shiny,” I said, giving him a little wave. “Oh you can do better than that,” he said as he rose from his chair and trotted over to give me a powerful hug, using a hoof to tousle my hair. “I missed you so much, LSBFF.” I sank into that hug, so much more familiar than Velvet or Night Light’s. “I missed you too,” I whispered. He held me for a bit before he pulled away and gestured with a hoof to the other alicorn in the room. “Twily, this is my wife, Princess Cadance. You remember her, right?” I gingerly stepped around him and towards her, blinking in confusion. “Am I supposed to?” Shining’s smile dimmed. “Twily…” “No, no, it’s okay, she was really little when she last saw me, I don’t blame her,” the alicorn said as she rose from the table. Even for an alicorn she was short, barely taller than Sunset or I, and yet she seemed to loom over me, even as she smiled. “Maybe a little thing will help spark your memory. Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake…” My jaw fell open. “Clap your hooves and do a little shake,” I whispered. “You’re my foalsitter!” “I was, that’s right,” Cadance said, her smile growing substantially. “Wait, you had an alicorn for a foalsitter?” Sunset said, looking archly at me. “And you never said anything about it?” “I didn’t remember she was an alicorn,” I answered. “Besides, to me she was always just my foalsitter.” “That was the idea,” Cadance said, extending her smile to Sunset. “Princess Celestia had me foalsitting for a number of noble pony foals, but Twilight was always my favorite.” She held out a hoof. “You must be Sunset Shimmer. It’s wonderful to meet you.” Sunset nodded politely as she shook said hoof. “Likewise.” “Alright, everypony, let’s all sit down to eat!” Velvet said as she set the last serving dish down. “And please, eat as much as you like. We have plenty.” Sunset and I sat down at the table with the others, with me seated in the same spot I remembered I used to sit as a child, oh so long ago. Even the chair felt the same. “Princess Luna didn’t tell us much about what you two were up to while you were away,” Night Light said as he ladled some food onto his plate. He pointed at our respective uniforms. “What exactly are you wearing?” “Starfleet uniforms,” Sunset answered. She pointed to her rank insignia. “This indicates our rank. I’m a Commander, and Twilight is a Lieutenant.” “Oooh, just like the Royal Equestrian Navy,” replied Shining between bites of a hay and alfalfa sandwich. “So, would that make you the first officer, Sunset?” “Yes, although at the moment I'm the temporary captain too,” Sunset admitted. “Our captain is still unconscious, after the battle with the Dominion.” “A battle?” Twilight Velvet gasped, her eyes widening with panic. “Nopony said anything about a battle!” “It’s… a long story,” Sunset said, her smile straining to remain in place. “But I think it's Twilight's story to tell.” “Yes, please!” Night Light said, excitement overriding the concern. “Okay, this is a bit of an abridged story,” I said, “but it started when I first arrived on Earth…” I patiently began to explain, trying to shortcut details where I could or keep things from requiring too much explanation. Eventually, long after we finished eating and retired to the living room, I reached something of a conclusion. “Wow… just, wow!” Night Light exclaimed. He gave me a look that was half pride, half understanding. “So… Mother and Mom, huh?” “...I thought I’d never see you again, and they’re the ones who adopted me and raised me,” I said, bowing my head. “I’m sorry if it hurts.” “Not at all, sweetheart,” Velvet said as she patted my shoulder. “If anything, I’m happy… though I hope someday we get to meet this Teelona and Ahminha.” “T’Lona and Amina,” I corrected gently. Shining gave Sunset an appraising look. “Honestly, I’m more interested in how close you two became. BSBFF, huh?” he said, his eyes falling on me. “...can you blame me?” I asked, a feeling of melancholy taking hold. His chuckle rang through the room, brightening my spirits. “No. I can’t. Like Mom and Dad, I’m just glad you had someone you could count on. Someone there for you, through thick and thin.” “Sunset’s definitely been that,” I replied with a smile. A smile that almost immediately dimmed. “Though we've had our rough patches here and there. Like those first few months aboard the Phoenix…” Sunset visibly winced as everypony seemed to glare at her at once. “Err, that was a complicated situation. And we were both at fault, right Twilight?” “Yes, definitely,” I hurried to correct myself. “It wasn’t just Sunset. In fact, it was mostly my own damned fault.” “Honey, language,” Velvet said with a frown. “We do not curse in this house.” I blinked. “We… we don’t?” “Nope,” Shining answered, clapping me on the shoulder with a hoof. “Though trust me, I get it. Mom was after me for weeks after I finished my first tour of duty with the Royal Guard.” “So you did get in!” I said, a smile crossing my muzzle. “I always hoped you would.” “That’s right. Made it all the way to captain of Celestia’s personal guard,” he said, preening with pride. “It was through that assignment that I reconnected with Cadance. We started dating, and well, here we are.” “Speaking of Cadance,” Sunset said as she briefly eyed Cadance’s pink wings, “when and how did you become an alicorn? You look closer to my age, or what my age should be.” “Well,” Cadance said, “it’s also a long story, but it all started when I was adopted by a pair of earth ponies…” She went on to tell a tale about some evil unicorn named Prismia who cast a love-stealing spell on her hometown. Cadance was able to steal Prismia's magic-enhancing necklace and reverse the spell, which triggered her ascension. “At first I thought I’d died… I felt like my whole body twisted apart when I reversed her spell, like I was somehow wielding magic I wasn’t supposed to be able to use.” “That tracks with our experiences,” Sunset said with a nod. “It’s looking more and more like death, or some form of it, is a key part of Ascending to alicornhood. So what happened next?” “Well after I arrived in the ethereal realm, Princess Celestia found me. She was super surprised to see me there, and ended up adopting me as her niece. This happened around… thirty years ago? I was barely more than seven.” Sunset’s smile turned wan. “Sounds like if I hadn’t left, we might’ve become friends.” “Nothing says we can’t be friends now,” Cadance said, her own smile growing as she extended a hoof to Sunset. Sunset bumped it and chuckled. “Guess not.” Velvet abruptly sat up. “Oh, shoot. I almost forgot. I planned to serve coffee and cake; I lost track of time. Let me go get it.” She winked at me. “It’ll be your favorite blend.” Sunset and I looked at each other, then back at Velvet and as one blurted, “Prench Roast?!” “That’s right!” As Velvet disappeared into the kitchen, Sunset and I bounced with excitement. The castle so far had only served tea for breakfast, as coffee was banned due to Luna having had one terrible experience with the stuff early on in her return. “It’s just coffee, Twily, relax,” Shining said with a chuckle. “Oh, I don’t blame her, son,” Night Light butted in with his own laugh. “Your mom’s coffee always tastes better than anything they serve even in the fanciest of coffee shops. It’s worth getting excited for.” “I have wanted to drink Prench Roast for sixteen years, Shiny,” I said as I hopped off my chair and playfully stomped a hoof. “Sixteen. Years. Don't you go deflating the moment on me.” “God, me too,” Sunset added, visibly salivating. “Just imagine how strong it is.” “The depth of its flavor!” “The way it goes down so smooth yet feels so hearty.” “How it energizes you just right like nothing else.” We sighed in unison. “Aaaaah…” The look in Shining’s eyes said we were clearly insane. The smell of freshly roasted beans steeping in hot water hit our nostrils soon, along with the sound of slicing cake and the clatter of plates and cups. Soon Twilight Velvet returned from the kitchen, a tray full of cups and plates, with a large platter holding the promised cake and a carafe of steaming fresh coffee alongside saucers of milk and sugar. “Here you are, dears,” she said as she poured two mugs of coffee and floated them over to us. “I have milk and sugar if you need it.” We both shook our heads. “No, straight black is fine,” Sunset said as she held the cup up to her face reverently. A similar sense of awe filled me as I held my own to my nose, taking in the full body of its scent. “Ready, Sunset?” I whispered. “I was born ready,” she vowed. “On three. One.” “Two.” “Three!” We both knocked our mugs back, sipping on the hot, acrid liquid. The flavor of it burst onto my tongue, filled my mouth, and… And… And I found myself smacking my lips as I swallowed. “Wait, that’s it?” I said. Sunset stared at her own mug, her eyes screwed up in concentration. “This can’t be right… this is Prench Roast, yes Mrs. Sparkle?” “Of course. Top of the line, imported directly from Prance,” she said, confusion evident in her voice. “I don’t understand.” “Me either,” Night Light added as he sipped his coffee. “It tastes just fine. Are you two okay?” “No, no, I'm fine," I said, staring at Sunset with pure confusion blazing in my eyes. "It's good! But it's…” She nodded. “Not what I remembered at all.” She gasped, drawing back, a hoof coming to her lips. “Oh no…were we ruined forever by raktajino?” “We can’t have been,” I argued, shaking my head. “Raktajino is good but it’s not that good, is it?” “Sorry, a rakta what?” Night Light asked. “Klingon coffee,” Sunset answered absentmindedly as she reached for her tricorder and scanned the coffee. “This is authentic alright. But why doesn’t it taste the way we remember it?” “I don’t know.” I swished mine around the cup, then reached for the milk and sugar, adding small amounts of each and tasting it again. “Still not even close,” I moaned. Velvet, Night Light, and Shining kept exchanging looks while we tried to experiment. “Um, excuse me,” Night Light interjected. “What’s the problem? Did she do a poor job with the coffee?” “Night Light!” “What? It’s a worthwhile question.” After a moment of furrowed brow concentration, I shook my head. “No, you didn’t do a bad job at all. But it’s… it’s not what I remember it being. At all. It’s not bad, it’s just… there.” Sunset sipped it some more. “But it’s still good for what it is,” she said. “Oh, definitely,” I agreed as I sipped some more coffee. My expression softened considerably. “Sorry if we, err, offended.” Twilight Velvet smiled warmly. “No, don’t worry about it dear. You’ve been gone a very long time. And while I’m not sure what a Cling-on is or what a, um, raktah-jino might be, I’ve taken a few long trips myself to know it can change you, make you forget things. And that was just with me being gone for a couple of months! You’ve been gone for nearly two decades.” From there, conversation drifted to a number of other topics, including the subject of love. Sunset briefly mentioned Cadeneza, but I could hear the choked back sobs in her voice as she spoke, and I didn’t blame her… we still had no idea what happened to her. Either she made it back alive, or… she didn’t. I mentioned Preta, and both Night Light and Velvet were quite excited to meet her. “Will you bring her along the next time you visit, sweetie?” Velvet asked me. “I’ll try,” I said. Sunset’s badge beeped twice. “Unfortunately, that’s our cue to start heading back to the ship. But this has all been wonderful.” Shining, Nightlight, and Velvet stood, and soon I was inundated with hugs. “Remember dear, if you end up tiring of staying in the castle, you’ll always have a place here with us,” Twilight Velvet said. She smiled at Sunset. “And that goes for you too.” “Err, thanks,” I said with a slight chuckle. “We should… we should go. But this was great.” I bit my lip and looked at Sunset. “Right.” She tapped her badge. “Shimmer to Phoenix. I’m on my way back. ETA is fifteen minutes.” “Understood, ma’am.” She bowed her head to Shining, Night Light, and Velvet. “It was a pleasure to meet you all. Please, excuse us.” They gave us a series of waves as we headed up the path and out the gate, boarding our taxi back to the castle. During the whole trip I found myself stiffening up further and further, like pressure building up behind a crumbling dam, and only once we’d been dropped off at the castle and teleported back to the ship did the dam break, and I burst into tears. “Whoa, whoa, Twilight, are you okay?” Sunset asked me, wrapping me up in her wings as I crumpled to the ground mere steps from the gangplank. “I… I didn’t even once think of them as Mom and Dad,” I blubbered between my sobs. “Or-or think of Shiny as my BBBFF. They felt like… like total strangers.” My sobs rose in pitch and strength as my body shuddered. “They’re supposed to be my family and I felt like I was meeting them for the first time!” “Hey, hey. Sssh… sssh…” Sunset held me close, her feathers stroking down the length of my neck and onto the middle of my back. “Hey, hey, it’s okay, Twilight, it’s okay. To be honest I kinda expected this would happen.” “What?” I whispered, looking up at her with tears running freely down my face. “But… why?” She used her magic to brush away the tears from my eyes, a light warmth suffusing my cheeks to dry up the moisture. “Because you’ve spent two-thirds of your life elsewhere. You were just a filly when you came to Earth. You’ve changed, in a lot of ways, ways I don’t think could’ve happened if you’d stayed on Equus. So they’re gonna feel like strangers at first. It just means you gotta get to know them again, that’s all.” “Heh… hehehehe…” I chuckled a little to myself as I managed to stand back up. “I guess you’re right.” I found myself laughing even more. “It was that stupid coffee that did it.” “Hey, it caught me by surprise too,” Sunset said with a matching laugh. “Guess we’re not programming that one into the replicator.” “Probably not,” I agreed. “God, we set ourselves up with that one, didn’t we?” “We really did.” “May to Shimmer.” Sighing, Sunset released me and tapped her badge. “Shimmer here. What can I do for you, doctor?” “James is awake.” We gaped at each other. “On our way!” Sunset shouted, and we barrelled our way up the gangplank. I raced through the corridors, a fine froth forming on my coat even as I barrelled out of the turbolift like it was the start of the Academy’s Championship Relay Race. I swerved left and right, barely avoiding collisions with several groups of people and ponies working on repairs. “Sorry, excuse me, coming through!” I shouted. I looked back just long enough to see Twilight rounding the bend in the corridor just a few paces behind me. The strain was evident on her face, but the fact that she was mostly keeping up spoke to how focused she had been in every aspect of her recuperation. After weaving past a few more officers, we both skidded to a halt in sickbay just seconds apart from one another. Doctor May awaited us, a half smile, half frown on her face, worry lines creasing her cheeks and forehead. “Whoa there, easy now, you two,” she said, holding her hands up like any number of horse wranglers I remembered seeing on Earth. “Relax. Take a breather for a second. I won’t be lettin’ you in there if you’re gonna overwhelm him. He’s not got a lot of energy right now.” “How is he, doctor?” I asked after taking a moment to breathe and calm myself. “What’s his condition?” “Stable for now,” she said as she brought up her pad. “He’s gonna be drifting in and out, so don’t be expectin’ him to have too much to say. I really should only let one of you in there.” She eyed Twilight. “But since you’re here, Lieutenant, I’d like to do a quick physical, see how you’ve been improving since I last scanned you.” Twilight hung her head. “Sorry, Twilight, but she’s right,” I said with an apologetic frown. “We can't clear you for duty on or off-planet without it anyway.”. “I know,” Twilight said with a sigh. “Look at it this way, Twi, you galloped all the way here. It’s a good sign,” I said, giving her a small smile. Twilight smiled in turn. “Where do you want me, Doctor?” “Over here,” May said, pointing to a biobed near the opposite wall. She glanced back at me. “You can go on in. Don’t push him now. If he starts to flag, let him fall back asleep. He needs his rest.” “Understood,” I said as I faced the oversized door leading to the ICU. Taking another deep breath to steady myself, I tapped the adjacent panel to unseal the door and stepped inside. Unlike the discretely separated surgical bays, the ICU in ward was really one larger space that was subdivided into six alcoves, each designed to afford a reasonable level of privacy. A display on the wall to my left showed three patients still in ICU protocol. The Captain was listed as being in the first room, and as I slowly made my way over, I took another sharp breath, seeing him sitting up in bed. “Number One,” he said, his voice weak, hoarse, almost unrecognizable at first. “It is good to see you. Though, I'm not quite sure this is what I had in mind when I asked you to keep my ship in one piece.” “It’s good to see you too, sir,” I said, my voice choking up. “The saucer is still attached to the engines, so we are still in one piece technically.” He started to laugh, only to break into a coughing fit. I raised a hoof to try to assist him, but he waved me off. “No, don’t,” he said through his coughs. “Let me do it. I didn’t… didn’t let myself become an invalid with my last injury. I won’t with this one.” He let out a longer cough and sat back, his breathing steadying. “Though… this is a bit worse than last time.” “Indeed. We thought we had lost you for a while there. Did Doctor May explain the situation to you?” I asked him after a moment. He shook his head. “Not exactly. She told me my overall condition, said I would be laid up for a few months.” “Well… we won the battle, but we’re not exactly in Federation space anymore.” I briefly explained our circumstances, prompting him to smile, of all things. “So, we found your home planet.” He closed his eyes, and to my utter shock, when he opened them again, there were a few tears with his smile. “I’m so happy for you and your sister, you understand. Even with the circumstances as dire as they are… this is something to celebrate.” “We’ve had moments here and there to enjoy it, more or less,” I said. My own smile slipped away. “But not everything is well. Escaping the nebula exacted a huge toll on our ships and our people.” Liang nodded shakily. “What’s our situation?” “I can have a copy of the full reports sent here for you to read, but to sum it…” I briefly went into how the Phoenix was the only ship to survive the battle, the loss of half the crew, and the current work on repairs. “We’re hoping to leave fairly soon, thanks to ponies volunteering to help. But we’ll be leaving some crew behind. Especially those for whom the mental scars might not heal.” “I see. Leaving a team behind is a good move. Especially given the grave issues facing your home world." He broke into another coughing fit. "It boggles the mind. An artificial world with an equally artificial but dying sun..” “Well, from what we can tell the planet itself isn’t fully artificial, but it was definitely terraformed. We've yet to locate a mainframe access point, or any other access points for that matter. With all of the repairs, we simply haven't been able to spare anyone for a real search effort. However, I'm confident that Twilight can lead the science team in our absence and find some answers.” “Oh she will, will she? Good. That’s precisely what you should be doing.” He lifted a trembling, shaky hand to set on my shoulder. “Listen to me, Sunset.” I nodded, leaning in closer. “Yes, sir.” He shook his head. “No, no. You can’t call me sir. Not anymore. Not while I’m like this. Call me James.” After a moment’s hesitation, I nodded again. “Alright, James.” He chuckled, a weak little sound that barely reached my ears. “Better. Now… you said that you don’t know how far you are from the Federation?” “Not yet, but we’re working on it. Long range sensors should be back up soon though. If I'm honest, I'm just praying we're still in the same quadrant right now.” He looked up at me, his eyes focusing. Strong as ever, those eyes, despite the frailty of his body. “Lean in closer,” he ordered. Blinking, I did so, not entirely sure why. I had to place my hoof on the side of the bed to brace myself, lest I fall over. The hand he had on my shoulder moved away, shaking and quaking as he struggled to reach up to his collar, finally plucking one of the pips off. It was everything I could do not to gape as he brought it back over to my own collar and reached up. Despite the trembling in his nerves, he managed to perfectly put it into place. “You’re in charge now, Sunset,” he said. “I can’t do a damned thing from this bed. And I accept that. I-I’m sure you’ve already rearranged your crew, but in a situation like this, a crew needs a sense of certainty, in both the plan and the people asking them to make it happen.” He coughed again, then his eyes briefly looked up at the ceiling. “Computer!” An affirmative bleep sounded in the room. “This is Captain James Liang. As of this date, I am officially granting Sunset Shimmer a field promotion to the rank of Captain.” “Field promotion logged.” “James?” I gasped, reaching my hoof back up to my collar as if to strip the extra pip away. “I… I don’t know that I deserve—” “Don’t you dare finish that sentence, Sunset,” he growled, his voice regaining some of its usual depth for just a moment. “You know damn well this is what you deserve. You’ve wanted that center chair for as long as you’ve been in Starfleet, and by god, you’ve earned it.” He managed to smile at me again. “Besides, those stuffed shirts back at HQ would’ve taken forever to do this. I’m just expediting matters.” He glanced at the ceiling again. “Computer, transfer all command protocols to Captain Sunset Shimmer, authorization Liang One One Echo Lima.” “Transfer complete. U.S.S. Phoenix now under the command of Captain Sunset Shimmer.” My vision swam as tears threatened to burst forth. “I… I’ll make you proud, James.” “I know you will.” Liang’s hand rested on my hoof, his strong eyes boring into mine. “It’s up to you, Sunset,” he said, stifling a yawn. “Keep them safe. No matter how long it takes, you must get them home.” I swallowed and nodded, the emotions swelling within me threatening to burst. “I will, James. I promise you.” He smiled back. “And I expect you to keep that promise… Captain.” All of a sudden, he went slack, falling back against the bed. A momentary flash of panic ran through me, till I realized the vitals monitors hadn’t changed, and a soft snore escaped his lips. He just fell asleep. I briefly stood at attention, giving him a respectful nod, before leaving the room. As I emerged into sickbay, a hush fell over everyone. I nearly made it to Twilight before one brave ensign shouted, “Captain on deck!” causing everyone to stare at me. “A-As you were,” I ordered, quickly walking the rest of the way over to May before I died of embarrassment. “Let me guess. He told you he was going to do this before we even got here.” “No, actually,” she said, her mouth quirking with amusement. “But he might have keyed the shipwide intercom just before you went in to see him.” “Well, it saves me having to announce it myself,” I said with a bemused sigh. “One of these days I’ll have to get him back for his sly little tricks though.” “Congratulations, sis,” Twilight said as she hopped off her biobed and gave me a quick hug. “How am I looking, Doctor?” “Mmm, some of these readings are still fluctuating a bit more than I'd like, but overall you look to be in much better health than when I scanned you two weeks ago,” May answered. She folded her tricorder away. “So definitely good progress. But I’d like to run some deeper scans.” “Then I'll leave you to it, Doctor,” I replied. “I'll see you both at the meeting in an hour.” Precisely one hour later, I returned to the same holodeck we used for the previous meeting. This time it was just the senior staff plus the Princesses, along with Starlight Glimmer. “Thank you for attending, your highnesses,” I said to the three of them as I took my seat at the head of the conference table. “Of course… Captain,” Celestia said after she eyed my collar and grinned. “Am I reading your rank insignia correctly?” “You are,” I replied with a wry grin. “Captain Liang awoke from his coma a few hours ago. I spoke with him briefly and he surprised me with a field promotion. I'm glad, yes, but more so because he is back with us.” “Huzzah!" Luna clapped her hooves on the deck a few times. “Truly it is wonderful to hear he is improving. I have been hoping to speak with this James Liang before your departure.” “Well, you still might. We’re not quite ready to leave just yet. Speaking of which, Wattson, you’re up. How’re the repairs coming?” Wattson tapped a few controls to bring up reports on the central display. “Repairs to the ship's inner structure and critical bulkheads are complete, as are all outer hull breaches. Bridge consoles are still in work but we should have everything back online up there within two days. We’ve also restored most of the EPS grid, and I’m hoping to bring the warp core online by the end of the week.” I nodded as I perused the reports. “What about shields and weapons?” She shook her head. “There’s only so much I can do with the resources at hand. Shields will be at fifty percent of nominal at best, and we won’t have the strongest phasers. Frankly, to be honest, we’ll be able to take on some minor pirates, but we’re toast if a Dominion patrol finds us.” “What about torpedoes?” Zhidar inquired. “Those, at least, we still have most of our complement, and both forward and aft launchers are fully operational.” “Engineering to Wattson.” She glanced at me as she tapped her badge. “Go ahead.” “We’re ready to test the long range sensors, ma’am.” Smiles surrounded the table, apart from our Equestrian guests, who merely appeared quizzical at the sight of us seemingly talking to the air. “Perfect timing. Get them on and get the scans sent up here ASAP.” “Aye, ma’am.” “While we wait for the results of that,” I said, turning to face the Princesses, “my staff held another brief meeting last night where I made a decision that I hope will meet with your approval. With your permission, I would like to leave a science team behind when the Phoenix leaves. They'll be equipped to perform a range of tasks, from monitoring the satellites' condition to continuing the search for the access points we've spotted on our earlier scans.” “Ah, yes, it would not be an issue for you to leave a team behind,” Celestia responded. “Do you already know who will be on it?” I gestured to Twilight. “Twilight Sparkle will be leading the team, giving it an Equus native perspective… and she wanted to remain behind regardless. Twilight, your team?” She passed over a PADD. “These are the likely candidates. I’ll need to speak with them to confirm their willingness to remain behind.” “Understood.” Celestia took in a sharp breath, shaking her head softly. “It is still so difficult to believe that we have been mislead for so long.” She smiled, but it was weak, with little energy. “Though it helps explain why I was unable to defeat Queen Chrysalis during her first invasion, or how Luna and I were so easily overcome by her in the second. We are not as powerful as we thought we were.” “In truth, I find it a comfort,” Luna added, brushing her sister briefly with a wing across the shoulder. “It speaks to a greater history to our people, to our world, than we truly know. It means there is so much more to learn.” She chuckled without mirth. “Ironic too, the more I think about it. Just last night I found myself staring up at the sky and wondering if actual stars look anything like the ones I thought I had been looking at for so long.” Doctor May raised a hand. “Captain, if I may?” I turned to her. “Go ahead, Doctor. Is something wrong?” “No. Truth is, I’ve been givin’ this a great deal of thought, ever since you said you were plannin’ to leave a science team, and I’ve decided...” She gave me a plaintive look. “I need to stay behind too.” I nodded, having expected something like this. “It’s because of the Captain, isn’t it?” “Not just him. We have a few other crew members in similar condition, all of whom could be usin’ a starbase. Now I know we don’t know yet how far away Federation space is, but unless it’s less than a week away, I just can’t justify takin’ the most injured with us. They need more stable care than we can give ‘em on board. And the sunshine and clean air would do them a world of good.” Before I could respond she tossed me a scowl and held up her fingers to make air quotes. “And yes, I know it’s not a ‘real’ sun. But it sure feels like one when you stand out in it, and that’s what matters.” “I wasn’t planning to object, Doctor,” I replied, giving her a reassuring smile. “I was going to agree, actually. It’s an excellent idea.” I rubbed my chin. “What about adequate facilities?” May smiled in turn. “I had an idea for that. What about the captain’s yacht?” “What about it?” She pressed a few buttons on her terminal, then turned it to face me. “Accordin’ to the damage reports, it’s in perfect workin’ order. It might not have warp drive but we won't be needin' it if it's instead used as a kind of semi-permanent housing. And unlike the Phoenix, it's built for landings, so in some ways it'll be like leavin' behind an extra shuttlecraft for the science team to use.” I took a good look at the specs, as it had been a while since I bothered to examine the yacht. It was still the original yacht that had been part of the saucer when it was part of the Enterprise-D; we hadn’t even bothered to rename it from its old name of Calypso, though its internals had been overhauled during the Phoenix rebuild. It's unusual design made it look like a true flying saucer, but because it was designed for a Captain's holiday, it was far better equipped than even our best shuttlecraft: a full sensor array, high resolution replicators, a small sickbay, multiple living quarters, a galley, and an upgraded impulse drive. “Wattson, your opinion?” I asked her. She glanced over at me. “I don’t see why not. Though if we’re leavin’ the Calypso, I recommend leaving some engineers as well. They could pull double duty with the science team, and affect repairs to any of the shuttles if they need to. Maybe they can help the locals too, in case the satellites get worse while we're gone.” “How many do you recommend?” “I'm thinking two, maybe three. Can't spare more than four though.” Starlight perked up at that. “Are you suggesting something along the lines of sharing technology?” Wattson and I frowned, exchanging a look. “Err, not exactly,” Wattson admitted. “But I thought you said that this Prime Directive of yours didn’t apply to Equus,” Starlight said, her own expression matching ours. “Since the nature of our planet is, err, artificial, and we were able to summon the Phoenix to us.” “Yes, but even outside that, the Federation isn’t quite in the habit of accelerating technological development, even with species that we have contact with. It can be extremely dangerous, and the last thing I want to risk is something that could cause my own planet to go to war with itself,” I answered. Starlight snorted. “Oh please. Like that’s even possible.” I met her eyes and stared deep into them until she was swallowing nervously. “With all due respect, Starlight, you have no idea how bad it can get. The Federation has ignored this tenet more than once over its long history, and nearly every time it played witness to the self-destruction of an entire species. Don't think for a moment that it can't happen here, because it can.” I glanced back at Wattson. “Besides, I'm sure the Commander had an entirely different intent in mind there, right?” “Right. I was referring more to ways in which we could help you cope with the changes in the solar satellite output, to help safeguard your society while we work on solving the crisis. Like better food storage or farming techniques, things along those lines. Emergency measures.” Starlight opened her mouth, but Princess Celestia held a hoof out for silence, and stood. “I understand precisely where you are coming from, Sunset. I have closely monitored our society and its development for one thousand years. In that time I have seen our ponies achieve marvelous things, but I also helped moderate those discoveries so they helped instead of harmed society.” “Like the train system,” I said with a nod. “If I remember your stories correctly, you ensured its introduction was spread out over a lengthy period of time, with tracks expanded only as needed.” “Indeed. No matter what we do here, all of Equus will be exposed to an abundance of technologies they have never seen before. Moving too quickly now would only compound the risks we already face.” She sat back down, her expression defrosting into her usual friendly nature. “With that said, we welcome your science team, engineers, medical personnel, and anyone who wants or needs to stay behind.” “Furthermore,” she continued, flashing a smile towards Wattson, “Miss Wattson's suggestion of a more permanent structure is a splendid one. With your permission, I will assign a team of our best architects and builders to assist your engineers in constructing an outpost of sorts. If I may, I'd suggest placing it close by, along the local rail line.” “That would be wonderful. Thank you very much, Princess,” I said, giving her a small bow. “One more thing,” May said before I could leave. “I’m recommendin’ that Counselor Hendricks stay behind for medical reasons. She’s not in a good place, hasn’t been since we got here.” “Do it,” I sighed, letting my ears droop along with the rest of me. “She'll be a liability otherwise, as much as I hate to say it.” “I only met this Belle for a moment, soon after your arrival,” Celestia said. “I did not realize she had been injured.” “It's... not a physical wound, princess, but a mental one. Psychological. Belle was forced to kill multiple intruders during the battle, but not before they slaughtered her best friend right in front of her.” I smacked the desk lightly with my hoof. “Damn it, I wish there was more we could do to help her.” “There is, Sunset, by doin' this for her,” May answered. “She always did prefer it planetside anyway.” “That sure is the truth. Alright. Doctor, send me your report once you’ve chosen your medical team that’ll stay with the injured crew.” “Aye, Captain,” she said, her eyes twinkling. Wattson’s badge bleeped again. “Engineering to Wattson. Ma’am, you should see the scans immediately. We have a… problem.” Wattson tapped her badge. “Acknowledged. Please transfer the readings to Holodeck two.” She tapped a key and the scans appeared on the central display a moment later. My heart sank, and I could see a similar reaction from the rest of the staff, as well hear a few whispered comments of, “Damn it,” or “This is bad.” “Engineering, are you sure these scans are accurate?” “We’re getting the same results each time, ma’am.” “I don’t understand,” Celestia spoke up. She hopped out of her seat and walked around the table to get a closer look. “What is the issue?” “Me either,” said Starlight, who joined her in examining the readings. The two of them made such puzzled expressions it took an effort of will not to laugh. I examined the scans another moment before answering. “Well, between the effects of the atmosphere and the surrounding nebula, the readings are still pretty hazy. But we've been able to at least determine our rough location in the galaxy. The good news is, we’re still in the Alpha Quadrant. We’re not in the Delta Quadrant or anything like that.” At her blank stare, I added, “this means we’re much closer to Federation space than we might’ve been.” Starlight raised an eyebrow. “So what’s the bad news, then?” “The bad news… is that we’re in an uncharted section outside of Federation space, on the far side of a few minor but still very nasty powers…” I bit my lip. “And we’re not going to be moving at a fast clip either, so we can’t just speed right past them either. Wattson, has our estimated top speed improved any since you last checked?” She winced as she answered. “Unfortunately not. Still looking at warp four; four point five, tops. Assuming the scans are correct, the closest Federation starbase is Starbase 395, which at warp four point five… is almost a year away.” A hush fell over the room. “Y-you said that was the initial scans… can we be sure there isn’t a faster way?” Danielle asked, voicing the question on all our minds. “Stellar navigation is tricky under even the best conditions… there are places we can cover more ground more quickly, but we’d need much more detailed scans than we’re going to get from within this nebula, especially while planet-bound,” Wattson answered. “It’ll be an on-going thing, in other words. The other bit of good news though, again assuming the scans don't change much, is that at maximum warp the same trip should only take around two weeks. So once we get repaired, the return trip will be a lot faster.” “But in the meantime,” Zhidar concluded, his expression one of resigned irritation, “we'll be outgunned by most foes we might encounter, and so slow that no friendly starship would ever hear a distress signal if we tried to run.” Wattson sat back down and folded her arms across her chest. “I know, Zhidar. I know. But you know as well as I do that there's only so much we can do without a proper shipyard. We're making all kinds of compromises as it is just to get this ship flying again.” “I guess I’d better bone up on my knowledge of how early long-distance starships did business,” I said with a slight groan. “We’re going to need every bit of experience and then some.” “I’ll see what I can put together from the NX-01 Enterprise’s mission to the Delphic Expanse,” Twilight said. “Their experiences should be especially helpful.” Princess Luna raised a hoof. “Sunset Shimmer, there is another matter I wish to address.” “Oh?” Luna frowned, seeming to choose her words carefully. “I have been receiving some requests ever since your ship first landed… it seems there are many ponies who wish to join your crew, to aid you in your travels. As it became clear the ship would fly once more, the number has increased substantially. I had chosen not to mention this, thinking it was an unnecessary risk, but given what we have just learned…” “Right.” I steeled myself for reactions. “The simple truth is, the Phoenix is understaffed. Between the losses we suffered to the Dominion and the people we’re leaving behind, we’re going to be shortstaffed in nearly every department. So, in fact, I’ve been harboring similar thoughts.” “Wait a minute,” said Maia. “Captain, are you seriously suggesting we recruit local volunteers?” “Some, yes,” I answered. “To help out where they can. We’ve already had medical personnel working on board assisting Doctor May, and, well… we’re going to be racing back to the Federation to help this planet. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it would appear there are more than a few locals who'd love to help with that.” I looked directly at Princess Luna. “It’s a relief to hear you’re thinking the same thing. And, if I may be so bold, the Federation always welcomes diplomats to help make cases like the one we will need to make to the Federation Council for assistance.” Luna nodded in understanding. “I would be more than happy to act as an ambassador in such a role.” “Sister!” Celestia objected, scowling briefly at me before turning to face Luna. “Are you certain that’s wise?” Luna smiled back at her. “Celestia… you ran Equestria for one thousand years in my absence. I am certain you can run it again for another year or so while I am gone on what we both know is a mission of the utmost importance. The words of Sunset and her crew will surely carry great weight with this Federation, but in the end, it is we, the citizens of Equus, who must make the appeal.” “Agreed. But we could send someone else. Cadance, perhaps, or Starlight Glimmer.” “We could,” Luna admitted. “But both Cadance and Starlight Glimmer are desperately needed here. We cannot break up the Elements of Harmony, not when their abilities could be crucial in the days ahead. Cadance is needed to help maintain the Crystal Heart for the Crystal Empire; without it, they would fall to the abysmal cold of their surrounding climate. We can run through every possibility, Celestia, but it would always come back to me. I am the most logical choice.” Celestia’s expression shifted through a myriad of emotions, before settling on sorrowful acceptance. She wrapped both wings around her sister and held her close. “As you wish, Luna. You’re right.” “Captain, if we’re going to do this, we’ll need to vet every possible candidate,” Zhidar said. A soft canine growl escaped his lips as he frowned deeply. “With due respect to our hosts, we still have protocols we must follow, especially if we're going to be taking on volunteers.” “Totally understandable,” Luna said. “I would be doing the same were I in your place. I will be glad to assist Miss Maia and your security staff to thoroughly screen every volunteer.” Rodriguez raised a hand as well. “Captain, I am thinking there may be a few other considerations for this journey. If we are to be traveling for a long time, we will be needing to conserve resources, yes? Especially if we are to avoid running into any dangerous adversaries.” “He’s right,” Zhidar grunted. “Almost everyone in our path will be hostile towards us; we cannot rely on finding a safe port to take on supplies.” “What are you suggesting, Rodrigo?” I pressed. He tapped a few buttons and brought up a picture of a plant. “Hydroponics. We can grow food on board to help substantially reduce the need for replicators, especially if we take on some supplies here.” “That’s a great idea,” Starlight said, nodding. “In that case you might want to check the volunteer list, see if there are any earth pony farmers among them. They can help make the crops more productive and grow even faster.” “I’m going to second that suggestion, Captain,” Wattson said. “The crew has so far taken to the local cuisines pretty well, and the more energy we can save from the replicators the better.” “I thought deuterium wasn’t going to be an issue,” I said, frowning. “Deuterium, no. Antimatter, on the other hand, is a different story. We don’t have the facilities needed to make more, so we’ve got to hold onto what we’ve got. Replicators use up a lot of energy. Turning Ten-Forward and other lounges into galleys has helped, but even that minimal usage draws substantial amounts from the fusion reactors. The numbers I’ve been running show that isn’t sustainable in our current state, especially not when we need every bit of energy we can to get what speed we can out of the warp drive. We’re going to have to cut corners somewhere, and the way I see it, growing and storing food is the least disruptive way to do it.” “We can always implement a replicator ration system,” suggested Danielle. “Even in limited use, keeping the replicators available will be good for morale.” “Sounds like we’ll need some cooks too, then,” I said, nodding. “Danielle, I’m assigning you the task of constructing a kitchen in Ten-Forward. Inventory the equipment we have, and replicate more if you must, but keep it to a minimum. Source anything you can from the locals, especially plates, bowls, and silverware. If you need any local currency let me know and I'll draw it from my personal stipend.” “Aye, ma’am,” Danielle said, pulling out her PADD to make some notes. I glanced at Wattson. “Are we going to have to worry about water as well?” “No, that shouldn’t be an issue, thankfully. We can use the Bussard scoops to collect enough hydrogen and oxygen from the off-gassing of any comets we pass by. Worst case we can manufacture it on board using existing supplies of both. So long as we conserve energy where we can, life support issues like that will be a non-factor.” I let out a sigh of relief. “Still… I’d like to convert some of the currently unused space on board into extra storage facilities for basics like that. Just to have some backup. Whatever we can take with us from Equus, we should.” I glanced at Princess Celestia. “Of course we're happy to offer up trade goods as well to help offset anything we take.” “No need; I will fund everything directly from the royal treasury,” Celestia said, an amused smile on her face. “Besides, as large as your ship is, it is still only one ship, and will have fewer people aboard than there are ponies living in Ponyville. I believe we can handle supplying it without breaking the bank, so to speak.” “Thank you, Princess,” I said, feeling confidence swelling in my breast. “I appreciate everything you’ve done for us.” “It is the least we can do, especially as you and your crew may be the key to saving us all,” Celestia said with a slight shrug. “We will give everything we can and then some to see this ship make it back here.” “Very well.” I stood. “Then we have our courses of action. Wattson, Sparkle, May, have your finalized list of personnel remaining behind for me by week’s end. Princess Luna, I will have Commander Zhidar work with you directly on our volunteer selection. Wattson, if you could please have the numbers of how many volunteers we should take on for each department, including food production by this time tomorrow, that will be ideal. Dismissed.” Between the various new duties assigned and the plans established for the ship, the next few days passed like a blur. Hours and hours of coordinating with department heads and princesses alike, with regular interruptions of even harder labor to knock out the remaining repairs. You don't realize how big a Galaxy-class saucer really is until you have to re-install EPS conduits that span the entire width of a deck. As the final days began to tick away, the make up of the planetside crew began to take shape. Twilight's science team would be the largest, with seven science officers joining my sister. Pog would be leading a team of four on the engineering side, while May tagged three med-techs to join her team. All told, that stretched our ranks even thinner, especially in sickbay. Even with the E.M.H., Doctor Selar was going to need more help. With the teams finalized and the repairs finally reaching completion, I shifted gears to help Luna and Zhidar vet some of the new pony personnel coming aboard. Most of them met with my automatic approval, including Doctor Redheart, a former nurse practitioner from Ponyville General who’d gone on to become a full Doctor and had just completed her residency in Fillydelphia when we arrived. But there were a number that I wanted to speak with directly before approving them. With the bridge finally repaired and fully operational, I met them in the ready room. The first stood before me, a pegasus with a butter-yellow coat, hiding her face in her rose pink mane in a manner that was, frankly, adorable, albeit it did not speak well as to her self-confidence. “This is Doctor Fluttershy,” Luna informed me, reading from the PADD she held in her magic. “She is a veterinarian operating in Ponyville.” “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Doctor Fluttershy,” I said, holding out a hoof. Fluttershy trembled, but she managed to raise her eyes to look at me, if only for a moment, before sticking her hoof out. “Um, nice to meet you too, C-Captain Shimmer.” I briefly glanced down at my own PADD, which showed me Fluttershy’s application. “So, I will admit, I was a little concerned when I saw a veterinarian applied to work for the medical team. It says here however that you were top of your class at Cloudsdale University, and you’re highly regarded as the best in the area. What made you want to come on board the Phoenix?” “Um, well, I, I… I really want to help out,” Fluttershy said, her voice as shaky as her body, which worried me. “Of course,” I said with what I hoped was a disarming smile. “It’s okay… you can relax. You’re safe here.” She cringed. “S-sorry. I um, I have a lot of, um, anxiety… I’ve been working to control it, a-and I’m usually much better than this, I promise…” I glanced at Luna, who nodded. “It’s true, she was much more confident when she first submitted her application, and I can personally vouch for the quality of her veterinarian work. She has treated my Tiberius on more than one occasion.” “He’s such a good opossum,” Fluttershy said, perking up at the mention of the animal. “And if there are any other animals on board, I-I can help with them too.” “That likely won’t be needed, but that’s alright.” I leaned forward at my desk. “Are you sure you feel up to the task of helping creatures that are arguably more complex than birds or opossums?” “Oh, o-of course!” Fluttershy insisted with a quick little nod. “My cutie mark talent, it, um, it lets me speak with animals, so I’m used to being able to understand what’s wrong. It’s what makes me so good at my job.” “Wait, hang on, are you saying you’re an empath of some kind?”I asked, raising an eyebrow. Fluttershy stared at me blankly. “I, um, I don’t know what that means, but I’m able to understand them, especially when they need help. A-and I’m used to handling many other species, and most of the species on-board this ship are, um, well, more foreign than the doctors would be used to.” “That’s a good point,” I admitted. “Alright, well, I need to make something clear: if you choose to come along, you’re making a big commitment. We haven’t had many pegasi volunteers because of the closed quarters situation on board the ship. We have holodecks that can simulate a larger environment, but we'll be able to use them sporadically at best. Is claustrophobia an issue for you?” “No,” Fluttershy said, her voice firm this time. “I’m not like most pegasi… I prefer the ground.” “Fair enough,” I said. “But you’re still committing to something dangerous. I won’t lie to you: there is a real possibility you could die on this mission, if something goes wrong. I see here you have a spouse, a… Rainbow Dash, it looks like. You’ll be away from her for at least a year, probably longer. Is that going to be an issue?” Fluttershy’s reaction to that surprised me; she chuckled. “Oh, I’m used to spending long periods of time away from Rainbow; she’s a Wonderbolt.” She blinked, then shrank away. “Um, do you, do you know what that is?” I smiled. “Yes, I do remember the Wonderbolts. Now that you mention them, I definitely have to see a show when we get back here.” I flipped over my PADD and slid it off to the side. “Well, alright then. One last thing I need to make you aware of before I can accept you: there may be times where you will have to follow orders. In a dangerous situation I can’t have ponies wandering all over the place or debating what they should be doing. Will you have a problem with that?” She drew herself up. “No. I-I can manage it. I promise. I know I’m risking my life, b-but I feel like it’s worth it. No, I know it’s worth it.” I nodded. “Very well then. In that case, Doctor Fluttershy, welcome to the crew of the Phoenix. You’ll be assigned quarters and a uniform. There will be a training session led by Lieutenant Twilight Sparkle for the volunteers before we leave for the ship; it is critical you attend that. In the meantime, please see to your affairs, and report back at 0800 tomorrow morning.” Fluttershy stared blankly at me. “Um, eight hundred what? Do I need to bring eight hundred of something?” “She means early in the morning, at eight o’clock,” Luna said. “Oh!” Fluttershy’s face lit up. “I got it.” “Oy vey…” I groaned, shaking my head. She stuck her hoof out to shake again, which I took and shook with gusto. “T-thank you, you won’t regret this!” “I sure hope not,” I murmured as soon as she left. I’d have to keep an eye on that one. She struck me as someone who might panic in the heat of battle, which was the last thing we needed. “Who’s next?” Luna opened her mouth to answer, but before she could speak, the doors swished open and my face filled with pink. “Hi, hi, hi! I’m Pinkie Pie, and it’s great to meet you!” I reeled back from the pudgy pink earth pony sticking her face in mine, and tried to give her a simple hoofshake instead. “Err, good to meet you, too, Mrs. Pie. What’s your specialty?” Pinkie shook my hoof so enthusiastically I thought it would fall off. “Ooooh, nothing special, I’m just one of the best bakers in all of Ponyville, and I make lots of other great food too, like mashedpotatoesandburritosandfriedriceandpaninisandsubsandchimicherrychangas! And I’m a party planner, and I like to make ponies smile, and—” Luna’s magic wrapped around her muzzle. “She will be useful for morale. We hope.” I clipped a hoof on the desk. “Wait a tick, I remember now, you’re the one who planned the wake for the funeral. I'm sorry I haven't had a chance to meet you yet.” I smiled softly at her and waved for Luna to take her magic away. “I wanted to thank you personally for it. It was perfectly tasteful, and it made a huge difference for a lot of the crew.” Pinkie grinned up a storm. “You bet! Sooooo, what made you want to meet me, huh?” “Err, well, I was primarily concerned by… ahah, here.” I turned my PADD around to face her and pointed at the screen. “You’re the sister of one of the Elements of Harmony.” “Thaaaat’s right! Limestone’s the best. Sometimes I wish I could shoot rainbow lasers like her, pew pew pew!” Pinkie’s laughter was infectious, bringing a smile to my own face. “Aww, but I guess I don’t need to do that to make people smile. And when I heard you could use some cooks, well… I’m good at more than just sweets. Here!” She reached into her mane and withdrew a plastic container of food. “Try this.” “Wait, did you just pull that out of your mane?” “Yeah! It's way easier than bulky saddlebags most of the time. Here, give it a taste!” Grimacing slightly, I opened it up, my nostrils instantly filled with delicious aromas. It appeared to be something akin to mashed potatoes and cheese, but mixed with vegetables. I took a bite, and moaned as my mouth exploded with flavor. “Oh my god, that’s incredible!” Pinkie beamed. “I don’t usually make a lot of non-baked goods. I leave those to my hubby. But he's taught me a thing or two about savory dishes anyway, so I've got your crew covered no matter what they're craving!” “Right, yes, that was another concern of mine, your husband, Cheese Sandwich.” “What about him? Wait, do you need a polka band? Because Cheese can totally do that.” “N-No, we definitely won't need a polka band for this trip,” I chuckled. “Or ever,” I heard Luna mumble from the far corner. "Reason I ask is, since we've had so many volunteers, we're trying to discourage too many ponies with families from joining up. Not that we don't want them, to be clear. It's just that, well, space is a risky place on a good day, and the trip we have to make is going to be long and extraordinarily dangerous for all of us. A year plus is a long time to be away from one's family, assuming we make it back at all.” Pinkie seemed to deflate ever so slightly before perking back up. “I know I’m gonna miss him. We were just talking about having foals too, buuuut I guess we’ll have to wait a while on that.” She looked right up at me. “But this is important. You’re important. My Pinkie Sense made that clear. I gotta come with you. You’ll need every bit of good food and happiness and cheer you can get.” “She does make a fair point,” Luna admitted. “And, though I hate to bring this up again…” “There’s the fact that most ponies will have a hard time adjusting to being on the ship long-term, I know.” I looked back at Pinkie Pie. “Alright, Mrs. Pie, so long as you can settle things with your family, and it won’t create any issues, welcome to the Phoenix crew.” I gave her the same spiel I had given to Fluttershy. “And thank you.” Pinkie’s grin spread ear to ear. “You got it! Woohoo!” She spread her hooves and confetti seemed to explode out of nowhere. She pronked right out the door like some kind of ninja, leaving me and my desk covered in a cloud of glittery paper shards. “What... was that?” I finally asked, blowing another clump of confetti out of my mane. Luna gave me a look. “Chief Cook and Morale Officer, it would seem.” “Oh what are we getting ourselves into…” I groaned. “Alright, next!” We went through several more, including a dragon named Smolder that struck me as being a bit too young, but she was quite insistent that she had skills that could help. Plus, Luna highlighted the value of having non-pony volunteers among the crew too, so in the end I let her on board. After bidding farewell to the last volunteer on our list, I got up from the desk, cracked more than a few sore back muscles, and promptly slumped onto the nearby couch. “What a day…” “Indeed,” Luna replied, stifling a small yawn. “Even I am beginning to flag a bit.” She quietly stepped over and sat near the end of the couch, leaning against the side. We sat in silence for a minute or two before I spoke up again. “You know… I really should’ve said this sooner, but are you absolutely certain you want to go? You’ve heard what I’ve been telling everyone. We're a year away at best, assuming the repairs and our energy reserves hold up long enough to get more than a crawl out of these engines. And with minimal shields and weapons, even a ragtag band of pirates could blow us to Tartarus.” “Don't forget, we ponies can smell danger a mile away. Yet all these volunteers showed up anyway. Believe me, Sunset, they know the risks they're undertaking.” “Exactly, which is why I was so hesitant to bring up the idea myself. Equus residents putting their flanks on the line for aliens they've just met is hard enough to swallow. But risking one of the Princesses?” Luna sat up straighter, smiling in understanding. “I thought you might make such an objection. But I disagree. On the contrary, seeing one of their Princesses step up to go is why we’ve seen so many volunteers. That we are willing to, as you say, put our flanks on the line too and not just sit back and hope for the best inspires them all. After all, if the sun dies, so do we.” I nodded. “Okay, fair, but remember what I told Fluttershy and Pinkie. They’re not just going on a long trip. They have to leave behind family, loved ones. And they aren’t the only ones to be doing that either. And, well, you… look, I know you’ve been gone a thousand years, but take off the crown and you’re just a pony leaving her sister for god knows how long.” “As are you, my dear,” Luna said with a deep, melodic laugh, one that admittedly sent shivers down my spine. I hadn’t missed how beautiful she was, or the furtive second glances I'd see thrown her way by a few ponies here or there. Not that I could blame them, of course. I shook my head a bit and refocused. Damn my libido lately but I was missing Cadeneza something fierce. Luna continued, “But like you, I share your confidence in your sister to find her way in our absence. Just in these past few weeks, Twilight Sparkle has made remarkable progress. She has much further to go, true. But I choose to believe in her abilities.” I sat up, feeling a bit of weight fall off my shoulders as I did so. “That’s reassuring to hear, thank you.” Luna stood and turned to leave, but paused a few hoofsteps from the door. “And for what it is worth, I can empathize with Fluttershy, Pinkie, and the others with spouses. Leaving one for an extended period is never fun.” I stared at her slack-jawed for a moment. “Y-You’re married?! Wha, I, who–” Luna laughed again. “Indeed. Just over two years now, in fact. It is not publicly known, save for Celestia and a small group of close friends and colleagues. Even a fake planet has geopolitics to consider, you know. But I will ensure you two meet before our departure.” When I agreed to teach for the training session, I hadn’t quite anticipated just how big the class would be. Or that I would be teaching Princess Luna herself. But Luna thought it critical that she not lead the session in any way, especially with such a varied group of volunteers. And varied they were. Looking at the assembled crowd was like looking at a nearly perfect group photo of Equus itself. Zebras, Dragons, Griffons, and Yaks were all represented, along with Hippogriffs, the newly reformed Changelings, and the normally reclusive Kirin. Even Equus' rare bipedal species were present in the form of a bright green parrot and an Abyssinian feline named Capper, who would not stop winking at me, probably because he could smell Preta’s pheromones all over me. Speaking of Preta, she’d been beside herself when she found out there was a feline species native to Equus. And even more surprising was how similar they looked to Caitians – so much so that I asked Doctor May if the two species were somehow related. Turns out they aren't, at least not more so than every other humanoid species. Still, put this Capper in uniform and I doubt anyone at Starfleet Headquarters would think he wasn’t a Caitian. Still, it didn’t stop her from expressing a desire to visit a community of Abyssinians at some point while staying on Equus. She’d been assigned as the primary pilot for the stay-behind teams, so I wasn’t sure how much free time she’d get for such a thing, but I told her if we could manage it, we’d try. I took it as a good sign that everycreature on the roster was present and accounted for inside of Ponyville's Town Hall when the small clock on my PADD ticked over to 0800. Rapping a hoof on the stage, I brought the room to attention and, after a brief introduction and administering the traditional Starfleet Oath of Enlistment, launched right into things. I focused the first few lessons on basic starship procedures, the chain of command, and general discipline. Over and over again I stressed the importance of following orders, but to not do so blindly. “In a way, this isn't that much different than joining the Royal Guard. You're all starting off as enlisted crew, which means basically everyone else has seniority over you in some manner. Following their orders is crucial to a ship's day to day operation; doubly so in a crisis.” “But remember,” I continued, “you're not mindless robots either. If you have an idea, speak up. If you sense a risk that others have not mentioned, point it out. We follow orders but we also work as a team. That's the only way a ship of any size gets through even the simplest mission, much less one as fraught as yours will be.” Fortunately with rare exception almost everyone present understood this, as it had been a majorly stressed point in the recruitment. “We cannot afford anypony to maverick their way through a crisis, such as a battle.” “Indeed,” seconded Princess Luna, who cast a foul glare at two ponies in one of the back rows who’d started sniggering in response to my statement. “I need not remind all present that in giving their blessing for me to represent them, the leaders of all the races represented here also charged me with overseeing the conduct of everycreature as well. Any who disrupt the safe completion of our journey, especially in a moment of crisis, will have to answer to their Starfleet superiors and me.” That shut those two ponies up instantly. We then spent the next few hours running through some basic drills. Sunset authorized the use of the holodeck for this, and I took full advantage, working with Maia and Wattson to make the hull breaches, radiation alarms, and blown EPS conduits as real as possible. Not only did that help drive home just how hazardous and chaotic real emergencies can be, but I think for the three of us it was a bit cathartic to be on the other side of an Academy holodeck test for once. I feared that some ponies might get disheartened when it was made more clear just how dangerous being on board the Phoenix would be, but none of them faltered. Not even the pony who caught my eye early on, a butter-yellow pegasus named Fluttershy, who struck me as one of the possible weak links in this colorful chain of volunteers. After breaking for lunch, we added one more simulation, this one a suggestion from Rodriguez and specific to the small contingent of volunteers who had wings. The test itself was quite simple in comparison. No simulated warp core breaches or intruder alerts. All the recruits had to do was make one lap of Deck Seven, then go down a Jefferies Tube to Deck Ten and repeat the lap. But they had to do it without artificial gravity generators. If not for the Holodeck safeties, Doctor Selar would have spent the rest of the day applying wing splints. Also, under extreme circumstances, a group of panicked pegasi sound a lot like a flock of angry geese. The one exception was a young female dragon named Smoulder. She adjusted her approach after only a few minutes and quickly completed the test before the pegasi had made it through the first lap. Between her and some timely assistance from Sunset, we eventually got everypony gliding along reasonably well. A rather grueling day finally wound down after a thorough tour of the ship, and a stop by the Quartermaster to distribute uniforms and combadges. I dismissed the newest members of the Phoenix crew just in time for them to grab some dinner in the galleys and settle into their quarters. Thanks to the lower crew numbers everyone would still be able to have private rooms, for those who wanted them, though it didn’t stop a few from requesting to share quarters. That's us ponies… always making new friendships. While I was in my office afterwards punching in reports on their progress at my terminal, Fluttershy stopped by to visit. “Um, excuse me, ma’am. Can we speak about something?” “Yes, Crewpony?” I asked. I’d made a point of addressing them all that way, avoiding using names directly where I could on purpose to make a point about military discipline. Fortunately some of the ponies who’d served in the Royal Guard or Equestrian Navy helped the rest get used to it pretty quickly. The lone exception had been Princess Luna, due to her dual role as an ambassador and a kind of first officer for the volunteers on Sunset's behalf. Fluttershy shrank into her mane, taking a few deep breaths before she continued. “Um, actually, I’d like this to be pony to pony, not, um… crewpony to superior. If that’s okay, of course.” I let out a mild sigh and looked up into her eyes. She really was quite beautiful, in an ethereal, almost willowy way; not quite as naturally elegant and refined as Rarity, but still gorgeous in her own right. What was it about me and finding so many ponies attractive lately? I shook off the thought and managed to make myself smile. “Alright, Fluttershy. What is it?” “Well, it’s… it’s about you, actually,” she said, pushing her mane aside so I could see both of her shining, sapphire blue eyes. Pony eyes… so big compared to most species, so expressive. These contained such a plaintive, worried expression it tugged at my heartstrings. “What about me?” I asked, feeling myself go on guard. “Forgive me if this is prying, but, um, when I noticed it, I had to say something. Princess Luna agreed with me when I spoke to her about it. So, um, here goes.” She took another deep breath and straightened her stance, till she held herself with confidence. “I think you're too hard on yourself, Twilight.” I leaned back, my hackles rising. “What?” “Please hear me out,” she insisted. “You're an extraordinarily talented pony, and you work extremely hard. Nopony would ever doubt that. But you set almost impossibly high standards for yourself, which causes you to push yourself to the limit all the time. And even if you do meet that bar, you beat yourself up as if you failed anyway.” I shot up out of my chair, my eyes flashing with fury. “What the hell does that mean? And who are you to presume you know anything about me?” I hissed, gritting my teeth. She whimpered, shrinking back. “P-Please, don’t shout, Twilight. You're right, I don't know you that well. But Princess Luna does, and like I said, she sees the same things that I do.” “Then why is she not here right now then?" I shot back. "Because I decided to tell you all of this. She said I would be able to do this nicer than she could.” A huge breath forced its way through my lips like a steam engine letting out a cloudy puff, all heated and swift. I managed to force myself to sit back down. “Okay, fine. What exactly is this about?” She sighed in relief and stood up straight again, holding a hoof to her breast. “This is, um, this is really hard for me to talk about, so please, let me keep talking till I’m finished, okay?” I narrowed my eyes, my lips curling back. “Got it.” Fluttershy bowed her head a moment before she raised it again, her eyes focused on mine. “When I was a little pony, I hated myself. Really, really hated myself. I was weak, timid, scared of almost everything. I, I still am, in a lot of ways. You’ve seen how anxious I can be. My brother, Zephyr, is completely the opposite from me. Strong, confident, successful. Sure of his place in the world. He owns a series of barber shops in Manehattan and Fillydelphia, with plans to expand even further soon. Me? I couldn’t even make it through flight school.” I nodded as I listened, finding it odd how she was speaking with so much strength and conviction now. Like she’d found some core of herself to draw on. “Like magic kindergarten for unicorns, flight school is one of the most basic things a pegasus can attend. It’s almost impossible to flunk, but I did it. I fell off a cloud and dropped like a stone, completely unable to fly. I would have died, if it weren’t for a group of butterflies that caught me at the last moment. But right after I hit the ground, there was this loud explosion… it was my future wife, Rainbow Dash, doing something called a Sonic Rainboom.” I sat up straight immediately. “Wait, hang on. What’s a Sonic Rainboom?” “Oh, it’s when she flies so fast, she passes the speed of sound and creates a visible shockwave.” My eyes practically bugged out of my skull. “Faster than the speed of sound?! Are you serious?” And then I gasped all over again when a memory hit me. “Wait… how long ago did this happen?” “Um… about sixteen years ago?” Fluttershy eyed me. “Why?” “My magic surge…the one that made the mirror lock onto me and pull me through,” I whispered. “It was triggered by a huge explosion in the sky, and a flash of rainbow light.” “Oh my goodness,” Fluttershy said, holding her forehoves to her mouth. “That’s incredible. Um, you’re staying behind, right?” “Yeah.” She ruffled into her saddlebag and pulled out a picture of another pony, this one a cyan pegasus with the most prismatic mane coloraton I’d ever seen. “This is Rainbow Dash. When she's not traveling with the Wonderbolts, she's at home with me here in Ponyville. We have a house just east of Town Hall. If you get the chance you should talk to her sometime.” I made sure to memorize that face before I handed it back to her. “I will, thank you.” I sat back in my chair. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt your story. Please continue.” “Oh, right.” Fluttershy giggled, a quiet little laugh that made me smile despite the situation. “A-anyway, after the Rainboom happened, the animals in the area were spooked. I tried to calm them down and in that moment I realized that I could understand what they were saying, and they understood me too. That's when I got my cutie mark. I think that's why I'm such a good vet. Any vet can fix their injuries, but I can tell that so often what they really need is a little kindness. That's all.” “Kindness, huh?” “Mmhmm.” Fluttershy nodded. “And that’s what I needed too. It took me a long time after that to realize it, even as I started attending veterinary school. It took a lot of effort, but I finally learned to be proud of who I am and what I am capable of, even if it isn't what other ponies might expect of me. I can't always do what other ponies can do, and that's okay. It doesn't make me any less of a pony than they are.” “You showed yourself some kindness,” I whispered. "Exactly." she pointed a hoof at me. “And that’s what you need too. That's why I realized it so quickly... because at least in this regard I saw a lot of myself in you. You have a lot of anger and hatred for yourself, and I think you need to learn to let go of it, to forgive yourself. Show yourself some kindness… it’s the least you deserve. You’ll find you’re happier that way. Because you’re not happy, and we can all tell.” Another sigh escaped me, but this one was less angry and more resigned. “You… might have a point,” I muttered. “It’s a long story. A really long story that would take too long to tell right now, unfortunately. But… maybe I’ll give it some more thought.” “That’s all we ask,” Fluttershy said, giving me a soft smile. Then it vanished as she yelped in sudden surprise. “Oh dear. I should get to my quarters. I need to unpack if I want to have time to say goodbye to Rainbow Dash.” I nodded. “Alright. Dismissed. And Fluttershy? Thank you.” She fled, leaving me alone to my thoughts. Kindness for myself… Part of me wanted to forget about it, to simply toss it aside like I usually do when I'm told things I'm not willing to hear. Who did she think she was, telling me, or Luna for that matter, that I wasn't happy? But she was right. I wasn’t happy. Even with Preta a part of my life now… there were far too many things in the way of my happiness. Like how furious I still was with myself for how I’d acted for so long with Sunset. Or the trauma of losing her the first time, which still burned even now. The simmering anger that never entirely went away, even once we reconciled. The near brush with alcoholism. The ways in which Mother and Mom snubbed me while Sunset had been gone, even if they never fully realized it until much later. Losing the crew we did, especially a couple of colleagues. And now my Ascension... a twisted, dark cherry garnish floating in a cocktail of misery, stress, and self-loathing. Sure, I put on a smile when I needed to, but there was no denying that grumpy was my default state; had been for most of the last sixteen years. It all added up, in the end, to a cocktail of misery and stress that dragged me down and left me… grumpy, at the very least, as my default state. Sure, I put on a smile or two every now and then, but the stress kept getting to me. Perhaps it was just as well that I was staying behind. At least on Equus my duties were much lighter, albeit still important to the overall mission. I just hoped I wasn’t making a terrible mistake. I looked in the mirror, double checking all four pips on my collar were in place, and adjusted my uniform. Standing in the ready room on the bridge, in what I still thought of, in some respects, as Liang’s office, brought a sense of melancholy to the affair. Perhaps appropriate, since we were about to launch. A chime came at the door. “Enter,” I said. The doors parted, revealing an unfamiliar pony, a slender unicorn with a brilliantly shining white coat and a mane of pastel pale pink mixed with white. On her flanks was a fleur de lis symbol. She held her head high, but despite the expression, she had nothing but kindness in her eyes. “Captain Shimmer,” she said, an unusual lilt to her accent. “Apologies, but Luna was delayed speaking to some ponies on the bridge. “Not a problem, Miss…” I said as I held out a hoof to shake. To my surprise she leaned forward to kiss my hoof before backing off at the last second. “Oh my word, pardon me. Old habits; I am so used to doing that for nobles and officials at all the endless soirees and meetings I attend that I forget myself outside of them. Fleur de Lis, at your service, Captain.” She then shook my hoof normally. I chuckled despite myself. “I understand. I used to live in the castle; I remember what it was like, if only vaguely.” “Oh yes, Luna did mention your history,” Fleur said with a smile. Even as she spoke though her eyes were darting this way and that. “Oh, my, I still cannot believe how wondrous this ship is. The technology aboard is like no magic I have ever seen. Luna showed me this rather plain-looking wall panel. I thought it was merely a shelf, but then she spoke to it and conjured a glass of wine from nothing!” “That’s a replicator for you,” I said, suppressing the urge to frown at Luna’s replicator use; showing off once for a spouse before leaving was perfectly understandable. “I’m sure she’s showed you plenty of other technology.” “Oh yes, especially that unusual shower… sonic I believe she called it? I would love to have such a thing in my own home.” Despite her words, I noticed she continued to tremble or fidget every few seconds. “Something wrong?” “I’m deeply worried for Luna, to be honest with you, Captain,” Fleur said, rubbing a hoof on the floor. “But even so, while I will worry endlessly until she returns, I trust Luna’s confidence in you. If she says you will succeed, then you will succeed.” I straightened my posture. “Absolutely, we will do our best.” “Of course. One question, if I may.” She glanced back at the doors, then leaned in closer to me. “I don’t suppose there will be any way to communicate with Luna once you leave?” I sighed and shook my head. “I’m sorry, but no. Once we leave the nebula surrounding this planet, we’ll be on our own, at least until we can reach Federation space.” “Oh.” Fleur’s expression drooped. “More’s the pity, I suppose.” The doors parted suddenly, revealing Princess Luna. Or, as we’d both agreed while on board, Ambassador Luna. She wore an outfit similar to the sorts of things that Twilight and I frequently wore off duty, albeit fit for her frame, and suited to her position. She was the only pony volunteer who wasn’t considered a crewperson, instead more like a civilian contractor working with the authority of a Lieutenant Commander. It was the most suited way we’d both decided for her to serve while still respecting her position and intended role once we returned to the Federation. “My apologies for the delay, Captain Shimmer,” Luna said as she took up a position next to Fleur, rubbing her side against the smaller mare’s ever so slightly. “I’m afraid I was forced to approve a few last minute cargo alterations. It seems we did not have nearly enough pony-designed furniture aboard.” I smacked a hoof on my desk. “Of course, why didn’t I think of that?” “Not to worry. I dispatched a small group of ponies to a business in Ponyville, I believe the name is… Quills and Sofas? They should be able to get what we need there.” “...Quills and Sofas?” I repeated. “Really?” Fleur hid a laugh behind her hoof as Luna shrugged. “It is a Ponyville business. They have many oddly named businesses there.” “Luna swears it’s the Everfree Forest making ponies a little bit… what was the word you used, darling? Wacky?” Luna’s brief blush accompanied Fleur’s laughter, and I admit it was hard not to join her. “In any event,” Luna stressed, clearly done with that topic, “My dearest Fleur here will be assisting me with handling some of the more mundane administrative tasks of my position while I am away, in addition to her position as Director of Charitable Affairs.” “Songbird Serenade once tried to claim the position, due to her Element,” Fleur added. “But she gave up when she realized it would interfere too much with her publicity schedule and song touring.” Luna wrapped a wing around Fleur as pride creeped onto her face. “Indeed. My beloved is most capable.” The pride slipped away as her face tightened, her mouth twisted into a deep frown. “Unfortunately she must also be going, much as I wish otherwise. I will escort her to the transporter room.” “Understood,” I said, standing to extend a hoof in a shake once more. “It was wonderful to meet you, Fleur. Don’t worry. I’ll keep Luna safe.” “I trust you will,” Fleur said as the two departed the room. I watched them go and returned my gaze to the mirror just to the right of the desk. For just a moment, I saw a ghostly image of Cadeneza standing behind me, her hand on my shoulder and a proud smile on her beautiful face. It took all I had in me not to cry. Sighing, I nodded to myself, slipped on my mask of command, and stepped out onto the bridge. I could feel the energy in the air. It was the kind of buzzy, almost giddy feeling any crew gets on launch day. More of a re-launch in our case, but if that phased anyone on the bridge, I couldn't tell. “Captain on the bridge!” I heard Zhidar bark. For a moment, everyone stopped and snapped to attention. I smiled and nodded. “As you were, thank you.” As I made my way forward, I nodded at each of the bridge crew in turn. Rodriguez at the helm, Danielle at ops, Maia hovering above it all at tactical, and finally Zhidar, taking his seat next to the Captain's chair. My chair. “Report,” I ordered as I slipped into the seat. “Engineering reports the warp core is online and fully functioning,” Maia stated. “They’re performing final tests now.” “All members of the teams staying behind have disembarked, Captain. Lieutenant Re’l is standing by on the Calypso ready to launch,” Rogriguez said. “What’s the status of our cargo?” I asked. Zhidar checked the console next to him. “They’ve just finished loading the last of the stores. We’ve got a full inventory… it seems there were a number of last minute gift additions, including six barrels of cider and a dozen crates of apples from a local farm, and... hmm?" I glanced over. “What is it? And please don't say polka band.” “No, Captain,” he replied. "It's just, well, I wasn't expecting to see "six sofas" on the inventory list.” "Oh!" I chuckled. “I apologize, Zhidar. That would be due to Princess Luna. She noticed we were still lacking additional pony or, should I say, quadrupedal-friendly seating. So she sent a few ponies to pick some up from a store in Ponyville called Quills and Sofas." "Funny name for a furniture store," Maia quipped. "Indeed," Luna replied as she stepped out of the turbolift. "Starlight tells me she orders her furniture and her writing supplies from there all the time." Zhidar looked at us like we were crazy, but just shook his head and returned to reading off the rest of the list. After he was finished, I turned to Luna, who sat down in the chair to my left. "Status of volunteers, Ambassador?” “They are all aboard and prepared,” she said. “No last minute runners?” She smiled proudly. “None.” I nodded, pleased. “Good. Bridge to Calypso.” “Calypso here, ma’am.” “Lieutenant, you are go for launch. You know where to set her down.” “Yes, ma’am.” Rodriguez helpfully switched our view to our ventral section, allowing me to watch the saucer shape of the yacht detach itself from the lower saucer, floating gently like an old-timey UFO across the landscape to settle into its new docking port amidst the facility. Umbilicals linked in, allowing it to serve as one part of the core of the building, albeit one that could come and go as it pleased. The viewscreen switched to an image of Twilight standing in front of a console, flanked by Pog and May. “This is Equestria Base, reporting in. Calypso is docked and secured. We are live and online.” “Thank you, Lieutenant,” I answered, my voice catching briefly in my throat. “...Sunset.” I frowned ever so slightly at this breach of protocol, finding it harder to maintain my mask. “Yes, Twilight?” “I love you, sis. Good luck out there.” A single tear ran down my cheek. “Love you too, Twi. Take care. All of you.” The transmission ceased, and after taking a moment to get in a deep breath, I called out, “Contact Princess Celestia and her entourage. Let them know we’re prepared to depart.” “Acknowledged,” Maia said. After a couple of moments, she continued, “Princess Celestia reports that she, the Elements, the Pillars, and Discord are standing by, ready to assist.” It was a bit farcical to my science-oriented engineering mindset I’d cultivated in Starfleet, to have to rely on magical support just to get a starship off the ground. But the Nebula-class was never meant to land, so it was never designed to take off either. It simply lacked the ability to properly escape a gravity well from within an atmosphere, at least not without potentially destroying hundreds of square kilometers of surface by briefly jumping to warp. For obvious reasons that was a no-go. Additionally we’d need to thread the needle of the satellites in orbit. Due to their overlapping orbits we'd have to time our maneuvers tightly while avoiding passing too close to any one of them. After the experience we had trying to access the solar satellite I didn’t want to risk damage to the ship before we’d even left the system. “Understood. Helm, plot our course. Engage on my mark.” “Aye, ma’am.” I used my magic to tap the intercom, broadcasting to the entire ship. “Now hear this. All hands, this is the Captain. We are preparing to lift off the surface. But before we do, I want us to give thanks to the Equus natives who are willing to stand by us, and join us on this journey. I want us to be grateful to those who hosted us these many weeks, and gave us the resources we needed to repair our ship. We have a duty to them. As you all know, the Equus solar satellite is failing. While we cannot yet say for certain when it will fail, the available evidence suggests it is likely no more than a few years away. “And we are on a time limit ourselves. It will take us a year to return to Federation space, and during that time our resources will be limited. Tensions will run high, and it is paramount that we do not forget our duty to ourselves, to each other, to Equus, and to the Federation. The natives joining us do so not simply to assist us, but to help us help them. Equus is my home planet too, and my sister's as well. Believe me, I want to save it just as much as you all do. “But, whether you've been with this ship for a day or many years, I believe in you. The Phoenix has within its walls one of the finest crews in the fleet. A crew I am and will always be proud to serve with. We have weathered many storms together, and there are still many ahead of us. But we will persevere. We will survive. Together, we will return to the Federation and get Equus the help it needs, because we are Starfleet. It's what we do.” I stood and turned to look at the bridge crew, so many of whom had been with me since nearly the beginning and seen me through so much. “Today, the Phoenix rises from the ashes.” “All hands report to your stations. Blue alert.” I hit the button again to turn off the intercom, watching the alert lights flash blue, an unusual condition meant only for situations like this, where a ship might take off from a planet’s surface. “A good speech, Sunset,” Luna commented, startling me into looking at her. “I do not believe my sister could have done better.” My cheeks warmed as I waved off the compliment. “Thanks, but I don’t think it was that good.” She shrugged. “Perhaps not. But I have confidence in you nevertheless.” “Thank you.” I turned back to the viewscreen. “Helm… mark. Begin our ascent.” Rodriguez tapped a few keys as he shouted, “Aye!” The entire ship shook like a building rising and falling in a major earthquake, threatening to shake itself apart. “Structural integrity fields at eighty percent!” Danielle reported. “Steady as she goes, Mr. Rodriguez,” I ordered. Just as suddenly as it began, the shaking slowed to more of a steady tremble than a cataclysmic shaking. “The Princess and her helpers are using their magic to steady us,” Maia reported. “Altitude three kilometers and rising,” Rodriguez added. I watched the view on the viewscreen of the ground steadily peeling away, replaced by a layer of clouds. For just a split second I saw what looked like a huge flock of pegasi waving us off. “Ten kilometers.” The shaking increased once more, heightening the further we got away from the surface as the magic used by the Princess and the others was forced to travel a longer distance to affect us. Like a laser, the magic scattered the higher up we went, attenuating until its effectiveness was severely reduced. Fortunately the higher we ascended the less we needed it too. “Fifty kilometers!” “Structural integrity fields at sixty percent and falling!” I tapped my badge. “Bridge to Engineering. Wattson, I need more power to those SIFs.” “Doing what we can, Captain, but we’re using a hell of a lot of power just getting this ship into orbit.” “Forty percent!” “Ninety kilometers. Approaching the Kármán line!” I heard Luna whisper briefly, “What is a Kármán line?” but I didn’t have the time to answer her question. “Wattson! It does us no good to be in orbit if we break apart!” “Well aware of that, Captain!” “Twenty percent!” The ship’s shaking was so bad it almost knocked Rodriguez out of his chair, and Maia fell against her console, rolling along the deck before she managed to haul herself back to her feet by the wall. “Helm, tell me we’re almost there,” I begged. “Almost, Captain! We’re at one hundred fifty kilometers!” Danielle looked back, her eyes flashing with panic. “Ten percent!” “Warning. Structural collapse in thirty seconds.” “Thank you, computer,” I growled. “Wattson!” “I’m shunting all the power I can give you, Captain! I don’t have anything more!” Luna stood suddenly. “Sunset, I have an idea, but I will need your help. Join me, quickly!” I saw her horn ignite and I did a double-take. “Are you sure? Aren't our magics opposed to each other?” “Yes, but it need not always be so!” She replied. “Just follow my lead.” Biting my lip, I stepped closer to her and lit my horn, adding my magic to hers. The moment they touched felt like a rough jolt through every nerve, igniting a throbbing headache instantly. I pushed through it and followed the trail of Luna's magic with my mind as it raced through the innards of the ship towards the generators that powered the integrity fields. “Two hundred fifty kilometers.” Danielle’s voice took on an edge of wonder. “Integrity back up to thirty percent and rising.” “We’re almost there,” Maia said. “The Princess’s magic is falling off.” I merely grunted, trying to keep the SIFs stable with Luna, feeling less and less of a need with each passing second, until finally, blessedly… “We’ve reached a stable orbit, Captain, at four hundred kilometers.” As Luna and I let our horns go out, we heard a rising sound of applause from the other officers on board the bridge. “Well done, ma’am, your highness,” Rodriguez cheered. “I was thinking we were about to die for a moment there.” I held a hoof to my head and winced. “Almost feels like I did, damn.” The turbolift doors parted, revealing Doctor Selar, who examined Maia for injuries before coming down to see about Luna and myself. “Hmm. Major headache due to mana strain. I see.” She pulled out a hypospray and administered some pain reliever to myself and Luna. “This should alleviate the pain.” The medicine worked its way through my system, the pain melting away. “Thank you, Doctor,” I said, earning myself a respectful nod from the Vulcan. “Indeed, it is much appreciated,” Luna added. “Any other injuries to report, Doctor?” I asked her while she was here. “Only minor contusions and the occasional small laceration. Nothing major.” I nodded. “Bridge to Engineering, Wattson, how’re we doing for warp?” “Now that we’re not using all our power just to keep from falling to pieces, we’re doing just fine. I can give you warp four on your command.” “Acknowledged. Stand-by. Danielle, do you have a path out of the nebula for us?” “Yes, ma’am. I’m transferring it to the helm now.” “Any sign of a shorter way back to the Federation?” Zhidar asked. Danielle shook her head. “No, sir. Readings remain the same for now.” Zhidar grunted. “It was a long shot.” “Worth checking for, at least,” I said. “Helm, take us out of the nebula, full impulse. “Aye, ma’am.” As the ship pushed its way through the gaseous clouds of the nebula, I called up a smaller rear view on my personal console, watching Equus get smaller and smaller the further away we went, until it faded from view entirely. Once again, I was leaving my home planet for Starfleet. Once again I stood on the precipice of departing, never being certain I would return. But I would try. Damn it, but I would try. The clouds faded away from view, leaving a starfield glistening in space. “We’re clear of the nebula,” Danielle reported. “We are free to engage warp.” I hopped up out of my chair and held up one forehoof. “Helm, warp four, for Starbase 395.” “Warp four, aye,” Rodriguez answered. “Standing by.” I breathed in. Breathed out. And lowered my hoof. “Engage.”