Under normal circumstances, the meeting room for the Phoenix's senior staff was a warm and welcoming environment. A long table in a room on the side of the ship, accompanied by a lengthy window that looked out at the side. On the opposing wall was a painting of their home system, artistically depicting all nine of their planets, from Hermes all the way to Hades. Today though, no amount of familiarity was going to help the mood of the situation. For while five of the ship's top officers were present, there was one notable absence and that was Captain Shimmer herself. Worry was across all other faces as they looked to an adjacent door, which led to the captain's personal office. There was a lot of voices being heard on the other side, and none of them seemed happy. There were no specifics that could be made out, but all of them could feel the gist of what was being said to their commanding officer. Eventually though, there was silence, and the doors of the office opened to reveal Sunset, who now walked in with a restrained yet still unhappy expression, before taking her place at the head of the table. Once seated, she exhaled deeply, burying her face in her hands. After a while, and after a great deal of discomfort, Twilight broke the silence. "So...I take it Command isn't happy?"
"No, Twilight," Sunset eventually answered. "No they are not." Leaning back into her chair, Sunset took a moment before laying out the problem. "Long story short, I overstepped my authority. Regardless of the circumstances, I had no right to allow Gallus to stay without consulting the Council. And they made their displeasure very clear to me."
All of them felt that, but then Applejack, who had made sure her face was grease-free for this meeting, cleared her throat. "Well...ah'm sure they'll understand once things cool down, right?"
Sunset frowned. "I'm afraid 'cool down' is the last thing that'll happen." Seeing her staff look to her, she explained. "It seems my decision has provoked a response in the Gryff Empire. Once they caught wind of us involving themselves like we did, they took action."
Fluttershy clasped her hands over her mouth. "You mean...war?"
Sunset shook her head. "No, thankfully. But they've definitely shown that they're not happy with us. Usually, our long-range scanners can see their ships dispersed across their entire territory, but yesterday there was a mass shift. At least half of all their vessels are now lined up on the border closest to Equis. It's not war, but it's definitely a message that we're their primary sore spot now."
Rainbow slammed her fist against the table. "I say let them come! They want a fight? Fine! We'll show them they can't be a bunch of kid-soldiering bullies and get away with it!"
Sunset shot her pilot a serious look. "We don't fight if we don't have to, Rainbow! Equis' diplomats are doing all they can to alleviate the tension. And..." She paused, gulping. "They've actually managed a compromise."
Rarity took on a fearful look. "Captain...Sunset...please don't tell me that you've been ordered to hand Gallus back over to them?"
All eyes were on the captain now, as it seemed all of them were fearing that exact thing. Luckily, they saw her shake her head. "No. Councilor Celestia was able to convince the rest of the Council that, given the certain fate that awaited the boy, just giving him back would be an unconscionable decision on our part."
"Then...what?" Twilight asked, maintaining her sense of nervousness.
Sunset took a deep breath. "The official stance of the Council and the Equis government...is that Gallus, legally, has no asylum status with us. The word sent to the Gryffs is that I acted beyond my station, and that my decision was not supported by the rest of Equis." Seeing the shocked looks on her officers, Sunset got up from her chair, looking out at the stars beyond the nearby window. "However...we have still been given authority to ensure the boy's wellbeing while he is with us, with no orders given as to how long that should be."
Thinking on that, Twilight understood. "I see. Clever. Equis gets to wash its hands of this diplomatic incident, and Gallus still gets to be saved from what he would have been put through back home."
Applejack frowned. "This ain't right! The Council's gotta know you did the right thing, right?!"
Sunset hung her head slightly. "The right thing? Sure. But it's a right thing that's caused a lot of headaches for our leaders. And now I have to contend with Gallus' situation." She turned to look to her crew. "We haven't been ordered to return him, but if he ever leaves this ship, we'll no longer be able to protect him if the Gryffs decide they're going to come for him."
"So he's trapped," Rainbow concluded. "This is bogus!" she declared angrily.
"Yer right about that," Applejack concurred.
"Remember, we have to tread carefully in times like this," Rarity tried to explain to them. "Even if it's a noble cause, if Equis starts going around and involving ourselves with others against their wishes, we'll make a lot of enemies very quickly."
"When did doing the right thing become so difficult?" Fluttershy asked quietly as she looked down at the table.
"It always has been," Twilight answered her. "We, out here on the frontier, might act in the moment to save a life or involve ourselves for good reasons, but it's the leaders back home who have to grapple with the fallout of it. As harsh as it is, those back home in the council chairs have to think about the big picture." She frowned as she looked to the side. "No matter how bitter that might be for the little pictures."
Sunset relaxed a little, content that her crew was coping with this news better than she expected. But then, her thoughts turned to the subject at the heart of this incident. "Where is Gallus now?"
"Oh! I can answer that one!" answered the unexpected and bubbly voice of Pinkie, prompting all of them to look up at the ceiling. After clearing her throat, which was especially odd since she didn't even have one, the AI explained matters. "Since he needed a place to stay I assigned him to one of the spare quarters. It's not the prettiest room, but given what he's used to back home it's probably the best room he's ever had."
Sunset nodded. "Understood." Placing her hands upon the table, she looked to each and every one of her senior staff. "I'm not going to sugarcoat this for any of you. The Phoenix is in hot water because of what's happened. Our standing orders remain the same, explore and study. But between this and our pursuit of Caballeron, we've gained something of a reputation for exceeding our mandate."
Rainbow leaned back into her chair, smirking. "Heh, nice." After seeing the scowls she was getting from the rest, she changed her tune pretty quickly. "Um...not nice?"
Sunset exhaled. "Bottom line...I won't blame any of you if you see me as an irresponsible leader."
All of them looked to one another, and for a time Sunset had no idea what they must have been thinking right now. Did they resent her for tarnishing their own reputations? Would they fear being associated with a captain who now had a history of overstepping? After a while, Twilight got up, then adjusted her glasses and looked her friend right in the eye. "Sunset...none of us here will ever condemn you for what you did. If any of us had been in your chair, we'd have done the exact same thing."
"Well said, "Rarity remarked with a smile.
"Here-here," Applejack called.
"Nobody will ever look down on you for trying to save a life, Sunset," Fluttershy added.
"And if the council have a problem with it, they can kiss my beep!" Rainbow declared, before suddenly realising that her final word had been censored. "What the?!"
"Sorry, Dashie," Pinkie said to her. "Automatic censorship protocols. Can't be having any bad language, now can we?"
Sunset, who had been feeling a great sense of dread over how her crew might see her, smiled to all of them. "Th...thank you. Thank youall. I really am the luckiest captain in the fleet to have a crew like you."
"And we're lucky to have you as our captain," Twilight offered back.
Though still grateful at the response her crew was giving her, there was still the present situation to consider. So, after taking a moment to gather her thoughts, she began to make her way to the door leading out of the meeting room. "You're all free to return to your duties."
"You're goin' ta tell him, aren't ya?" Applejack asked.
Sunset nodded solemnly. "He deserves to know."
"I'll come with you," Twilight said, getting up from her chair. Sunset looked to her briefly, then nodded again. Together, the two headed out of the room while the others went about their respective business. As they walked down the hallway, Twilight elaborated on her reasons for accompanying her. "The quarters Gallus is in. It's the same place I decided to house Spike."
Sunset looked to her. "How's he doing by the way? I haven't had much of a chance to really catch up on him."
Twilight smiled. "He's doing well. I was truly surprised at just how quickly they grow at that early stage, but I suppose, given how dangerous a world Volcanus was, it makes sense they'd need to mature quickly to defend themselves."
Sunset chuckled drily. "The child who can't ever go home and the child who doesn't want to go home. What a pair, eh?"
Before long, they were at the quarters in question, and after a few seconds of steeling herself for yet another uncomfortable conversation, Sunset entered. Gallus was in view immediately, standing beside the window of the room and looking out at the stars. Unlike the tattered garb they found him in, they'd instead given him the uniform of a junior crewman. A lighter shade of blue than what the full-blown officers wore, and lacking any of the colouring that denoted a specialty in any field. But, as Twilight had said, he was not alone here. Spike, who now broadly resembled the image of a toddler, was on the floor, looking at a colourful picture book, which he seemed to enjoy. As adorable an image as that was though, Sunset's attention was once again placed on Gallus when the boy finally noticed the two of them. "Oh! Captain Sunset. I wasn't expecting you."
Sunset smiled as she and Twilight entered in earnest. "Are you settling in okay?"
Gallus smiled back. "This place is great. I don't think I've ever seen a ship that looked so...nice," he remarked, looking around what he did not yet know was his new home.
Twilight giggled. "Well, we do try our best to keep our ships in good condition."
Looking back to them, Gallus appeared awkward for a second, before finally asking the question they knew he would. "So...what's the word?" A silence fell after he asked that, and while he might not have been privy to all of the details, the flicker if discomfort that crossed Sunset's face told him all he needed to know. Immediately, he looked crestfallen, looking away from them. "They'd didn't agree, did they?"
Sunset sighed. "Gallus...I'm sorry."
Gallus held himself, taking a few steps back towards the window. "I...I knew it was a long shot."
Here, Sunset's expression firmed, and she approached him, placing her hand on his shoulder. "Listen to me, Gallus. You might not have official asylum, but I promise you, you are not going back to that place." Her face softened when the kid looked to her. "You're welcome to call the Phoenix your home, if that's what you want."
At first, Gallus didn't really know how to respond. But, as the situation was mulled over in his mind, he seemed less unhappy than he was a moment ago. In fact, he even perked up a little. "I guess...that wouldn't be so bad."
Twilight also smiled to the lad, approaching him in a similar manner. "You have a place here, Gallus. And we won't just keep you here in this room. If you like, you can take part in what we do here. Our studies and explorations."
Slowly, Gallus again looked to the stars beyond the window, though this time he did so with a renewed sense of hope about his situation. "...I'd like that."
Sunset's smile widened, showing how happy she was that he was taking this news so much better than she'd feared. A gurgling sound to the side caught her interest, and she looked down to see Spike enthusiastically laughing at whatever the picture book was showing him. "And I hope you don't mind sharing your quarters with our other new arrival?"
"Nah," Gallus answered. "It's fine. I'm used to being around little kids." He shrugged. "It probably won't surprise you, but Gryffstone had a lot of orphans."
Sunset grimaced. "No, it doesn't surprise me." After pausing for a moment to take in the sight of Gallus becoming more at peace with his circumstances, Sunset gestured to him. "If there's anything you need, just let us know."
Looking to her, Gallus nodded. "I will, Captain. And..." Slowly, he smiled. "Thank you."
Sunset smiled back. "You're welcome."
That was the point when the two officers finally left him, closing the door of the quarters behind them. Once it was closed, Sunset exhaled, showing her relief, while Twilight took off her glasses to give them a wipe. "Well, that went better than expected."
"It did," Sunset agreed. "Now we just need to find something for him to do."
"We'll start with some archive work," Twilight suggested. "I've actually been needing an assistant to help me catalogue all the new information we've been getting from our missions."
Sunset nodded. "He can start in the morning. In the meantime..." She began to walk down the hallway. "I need to check in with Councilor Celestia. Let her know the new arrangements. Can't have the boy staying with us and not keep her informed."
"Ugh! Is there any time when you don't write home? Seriously, mission logs are so dull!"
A look of horror came to both of the young women, with Sunset in particular grimacing after having heard that voice. "...No. No, no, no, no, no! Please not her! That is the last thing I need today!"
A bright flash of light, and when it faded, there now stood before them the familiar yet entirely unwelcome sight of Eris, the mischievous denizen of Travel-Space that they had very much hoped to have seen the last of in their previous encounter. As befitting of this particular being, she was smirking. "Well, nice to see you too!"
Sunset mentally prepared herself for having to deal with this one, assuming a more professional stance and tone. "Why are you here, Eris? If I remember right, you were forbidden from coming here again."
Eris shrugged. "Meh, more a case of me being told I was doing too much. I mean, my kind love us some chaos, but we also don't wanna make any enemies of you mortals when we do it." Her smirk became more pronounced. "Speaking of making enemies, word on the grapevine is that you've been doing a pretty good job of that recently." She stepped forward, her tone a combination of mockery and some twisted admiration. "Barely a few months out of port and you've already enraged the criminal element of the local systems and an entire empire?! Bravo, Mon Capitan! Bravo indeed!" she declared with an enthusiastic clap.
"She did what she thought was right," Twilight countered, trying to defend her leader and friend. "She never set out to make things difficult for Equis!"
Eris chuckled as she regarded the scientist. "Oh Twilight. Sweet, naïve Twilight. You'll come to understand very quickly that the galaxy can be a harsh place. Being a bunch of do-gooders is a pretty speedy way to get yourselves in everybody's bad books."
"That's a cynic's belief," Sunset replied firmly.
"Hmmm, more of a realist's belief I'd say," Eris counter-argued.
Rubbing the bridge of her nose, Sunset was growing increasingly tired of this conversation. "Look, with all due respect, is there anything specific you wanted? Because we have a lot of things we need to do."
Eris folded her arms and seemed almost offended. "Hmph! That's the problem with people today. No time to stop and chat." She smirked again. "Can't a girl just check in with some old friends" After seeing the blank stares she was getting, she continued. "By which I of course mean people I've given headaches to which entertained me a great deal?" The other two continued to stare at her, causing her to finally relent. "Okay, fine! I came to check up on my actual friend on this ship!"
Though at first confused, the two soon understood what she meant when a beeping from a nearby computer panel caught their attention. "Hiya, Eris! How are you doing?" Pinkie asked happily.
Eris' expression brightened up considerably as she looked to the panel. "Pinkie! My girl! How's it been?"
"Oh, you know, still an AI in a ship. Still flying through space. The usual," Pinkie answered.
"Cool, cool," Eris replied. "Been keeping things lively for the crew, I hope?"
"Oh, you betcha!" Pinkie answered with enthusiasm. "Although, word to the wise, apparently it's not a good idea to materialise balloons in the engine room for the sake of someone's birthday. Something about having lots of popping sounds not being good to hear when working next to a ship's sensitive systems."
"Huh, weird," Eris considered.
Slowly, Sunset and Twilight looked to one another, before just turning around in unison and walking away from the two. "Twilight?" Sunset asked.
"Yes, Captain?"
"Out of curiosity, did you ever suspect this would be how our days would go when we first took on this assignment?"
"...No. No I did not."