After taking the short walk through my Quarters which seemed entirely too huge even if it was only a bedroom and giant fountain room... which it wasn't. There were two other huge rooms there, equally full of opulence, but I'll take a closer look later. For now, the ship needed me. After a short ride on an elevator, the doors opened, and I could see the bridge of my ship, The Mercy of the Stars, for the first time... in a manner of speaking.
If I thought my Captain's room was gigantic, I hadn't seen anything yet. The bridge was a massive hall, topped with murals, which led to pillars crowned by that same iconography I saw at the top of my bed, accompanied by what I could only guess was my very own heraldic shield, complete with a stylized "H". I looked around the bridge, taking it all in.
I had arrived from near the exit, which was a tall set of double doors to my left. To the front and right of me stood the bridge proper, and it was massive. It seems there were two levels of stations and seats, forming a double U, and in the middle? My own Captain's chair... or should I say... my Lord Captain's Throne. It was the biggest chair around, crowned with the very iconography that guards the top of my bed. The throne itself was raised above all else, with steps that led to it.
Computers with screens giving off green light were everywhere, manned by humans, ponies, those with no horns, no wings, or both. griffons, a dragon or two, and even a few races I did not immediately recognize. I saw Seneschal Spike, surrounded by what clearly were other Naval officers. I saw Magos Polarscale, surrounded by his equally-augmented colleagues. I saw Amber, previously chatting with her own colleagues, all psykers. That word made my brain itch. Was I remembering already? I even saw Ameliki, standing with two others of his own associates, all carrying themselves as if they were royalty. Perhaps they were. I even saw a huge hologram of a series of globes sitting above a table-like computer just before the stairs to my throne. Finally, the walls to the room were in fact giant, gilded windows that gave a fantastic view of the sea of stars outside.
I tried not to notice the scorch marks and the bullet holes.
But even those who I already knew, upon sighting me, bowed to me. All of them did, even to their knees, or equivalent. I hesitated, even as the ponies on my lift walked out, save for Twilight, who extended a wing and bumped me on the back to encourage me to walk. So I did, but not before I addressed my crew.
"You may rise."
They did, but all kept their eyes on me as I walked, first to the table, and then towards the fifteen steps of stairs that it took to get to my stinkin' throne. This place is too big. Who made this place? Twilight noticed my grimace at the stairs and said, quietly, "You okay? Need help with the stairs?"
This only deepened my scowl. No stairs were gonna get the best of me. I placed one foot in front of the other, in intense concentration. I climbed the stairs, no matter how shaky my legs got. Five... six... seven... legs wobbled. Nine! Too far. I slipped but was steadied by Twilight and Silver, casting their magic to get a grip on my arms and steady my step.
"Damn stairs!" I shouted, much too loud for my intention. I saw Silver and Twilight's ears fold back, but I needed to keep... going. Ten... eleven... twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen. At this point, I was glad for the stupid throne. I pivoted and sat down unceremoniously, glad that it, at least, was still very plush. Even if I had to spread my arms out to reach the armrests. Twilight Sparkle and Silver Sword climbed up onto the throne, laid down underneath my now raised arms, followed by the rest of my pony... harem. Nope. Not using that word again. This makes a lot more sense for the throne to be this big, honestly.
I leaned back, still able to look... down upon my bridge and my crew. Everyone was expecting me to make a grand speech of some sort, but I was honestly out of breath, still trying to keep my legs from shaking. I nodded towards Spike, expectantly waiting for me. "Tell them," I said, almost hoarse. He nodded and turned to the bridge, and gave his best officer voice.
"The Lord-Captain survives!" The bridge erupted in a cheer. To my surprise, even Polarscale allowed himself some revelry, puffing out his chest in pride, allowing me to see some more augments, along with a cog/dragon skull insignia. "Edo von Hassia is still recovering from his injuries, as you can see, but will be able to resume his regular duties shortly. As soon as we conduct final ship and shield checks, we shall get underway again."
He was trying to conceal my condition from the crew. Why? I raised my eyebrows, then leaned forward on my throne. "Spike," I said, louder. He whipped back around, clutching a tablet with a grip that was too tight. "Tell them," I ordered. His jaw hung open for a second, grimaced, and then set his jaw closed again. He turned around and addressed the crew again.
"It is... to my immense regret," he stated. "That I must report that the Lord-Captain, along with his other extensive injuries, is suffering from a form of amnesia. He has... lost all of his memories." It was a hard thing to see the bridge react to this news, but I really couldn't help it. I also logged a note of Spike's little act of defiance. They looked towards each other, their hearts broken, eyes uncertain. Had I done the right thing? I had to say something, stand up for myself. Placing my hands on the Throne, I stood back up again and cleared my throat.
"Yes," I said, in as authoritative voice as I could muster. "It is true that I no longer remember who I was before, nor do I remember who everyone around me is. Nor do I remember what our current mission is, nor where to go from here." I thought about everybody who's counting on me right now. My Princesses. My bridge crew. My ship. My voice became more confident, more bold. "But that is not important right now," I declared.
"What is important is what I do now, to repay the loyalty and kindness that you all have shown to me. If I repay even half the patience and understanding that you all have shown me, then I know that we'll be just fine." The bridge crew stood silent. Not the sort of thing I would've liked from a rousing speech. Perhaps it wasn't. I continued, "I hope I will remember all who I was, but until that time, I ask you for your further patience and cooperation. We'll hope for the best, but I still plan to act as if this... is a whole new beginning for me and you all." I smirked and hummed. "Hello. My name, as it's been told to me, is Edo Von Hassia. It is my hope that I'll be as good a Lord Captain as I was before, if not better." The bridge crew exchanged unsure glances. I bowed, a difficult motion to carry out, then sat back down. Twilight pressed a switch on the throne, and it started to turn, a motion accompanied by mechanical whirs and clicks.
As the throne swung around, I could see a command console approach, accompanied by no less than four screens and keyboards, and in the middle? A genuine ship's wheel, grand and imposing, inlaid with gold and studded with exotic jewels. Was I expected to fly this thing? No, surely not. There were way too many people on this bridge for that. I even see more levels to it, below my perch. Just how big is this place? How big is this ship?
From the huge round windows of the front of the bridge, I could see two rows of spires along the spine of the ship, as if my Captain's quarters were not the only ultra-deluxe apartment in this place. Below those, I could see a battery of turrets on both sides of the ship, massive weapons which I could only guess would make for an awesome light show. Below the—brain itching—additional gothic architecture, I could not see, but I could only assume that more weapon batteries would lie below the lance batteries. In front of the spires, and behind my bridge, I could only guess what form the ship took, but I had no doubt that it would also be ostentatious, just like everything else around here.
I felt a nose in my neck, and heard Twilight Sparkle's soft voice, saying, "You did good. We just have to hope you recover from this." The mood amongst my little Princesses was one of hope, so I shared in it. I rubbed Twilight's neck. I became the center of a group hug, and it was one that I welcomed wholeheartedly. No matter what, it would now seem with greater certainty, that at least my little Princesses would be here for me. With a hum, I grabbed hold of my hat and set it down on the console, and I felt one of the Princesses rest her head atop mine.
A new voice, one that made my brain itch. "Rogue Trader." It came from behind, at the bottom of the stairs to my throne. Male, with a twinge of... upper-crust-ness. Twilight flicked the switch that controlled the chair... throne, and the panel retreated, leaving the throne to swivel back around, with the same whirring and clicking that would probably sound more natural in a factory than a starship bridge, but who was I to know that, huh? As the throne reached the stairs, I could see the pony who had wanted my attention. I leaned forward.
It was a pony, alright, but as I watched him bow before me, I saw him extend leathery wings to add to his display, one curled around his front, the other extended behind himself. His light gray fur, dark cyan mane, and emerald green eyes made my brain itch, as did the black collared uniform he wore, embroidered with a pair of capital "I"s. The uniform was decorated with what I can only describe as spy movie gadgets. From the brace of knives on his fore left ankle, the wire leading to a batty ear, and the utility belt he wore, I was sure he was all ready to go sneaking past a few guards, hack into some mainframe, and steal goodies and secrets from some vault.
He introduced himself as he rose, saying, "Sir Agent Reginald VIII, Imperium Intelligence."
I put my hand on a knee and waited. Clearing his throat, Reginald said, "We need to talk."
With a raised eyebrow, I told the little spy bat pony, "So talk."
Grimacing, Reginald almost hissed, "Not here. Not with so many eyes and ears around."
I rubbed my knee, and said, with growing anger, "I just about fell down getting up here. You walk up here and talk to me."
Reginald, clearly swallowing his pride, bowed and said, "Yes, Lord Captain."
As Reginald ascended the step, I leaned in towards Twilight and whispered, "I'll be fine." Nodding, she and the other Princesses took off from the Throne, circling the roomy bridge on feathery wings. They ultimately disappeared from my sight, though I suspect that I did not disappear from their sight.
Now alone, Reginald walked up to me, and said, "Before I tell you our original course and mission, I have to ask; are you sure it a good idea to reveal to the crew that you have amnesia, master?"
To be honest, I wasn't sure. "Yes," I decided. "More trouble keeping this a secret than just dealing with the aftermath."
Reginald looked at me steadily, clearly making some mental calculations, and sighed. "It seems you would be correct, master. My apologies." I nodded, and he continued, "As to the nature of our current mission out here..." he sighed. "Search and rescue."
I blinked. "What?" I asked.
With a practiced voice, Reginald continued, "The Emperor, acting on recent reports from this new sector of space, has sent a ship from the Word Bearers Legion to investigate an alien artifact. They made first contact with it, but we lost communications with their ship. The one he sent ahead of us, the explorers and the experts of alien technology."
I blinked. A wild itch on my brain. I asked, "Are they unqualified for this recon mission?"
This caused Reginald to chuckle, darkly. "Rogue Trader, it was always you who said that Space Marines were better at conquering and destroying planets than exploring them and taking advantage of them. At least, not within earshot of any."
My brain itched just a bit more. I could no longer resist the urge to scratch my scalp, to no avail. I groaned. "Rogue Trader?" I heard Reginald ask with genuine concern.
I rubbed my temples and answered Reginald, saying, "I can remember... some things. Whenever I see or hear something familiar, my brain itches."
Reginald sighed with relief. "It is good to hear you are recovering already, master."
I cut Reginald off with a finger to the snout, and I looked up at him from my hunched posture, commanding, "Don't call me that."
Reginald took a moment, then nodded and affirmed, "Yes, Lord Captain."
I thought for a moment and shrugged. That'll do. Then, I straightened up and asked him, "Will that be all, Agent?"
He nodded. With a slight smile, I said, "Dismissed." Reginald bowed, then departed from my Throne. I looked up and froze. My Princesses had been staring at us from their perches on the columns of the room, atop the iconography of the Aquila and the Alicorn. I couldn't help but wonder if they overheard our little conversation. I chuckled, thinking of the almost predatory way they were staring at me and Reginald. Their wings draped over the wings of the Aquila as if they were trying to blend in, their colorful coats clashing with the golden reliefs. With those ears that twitched, they must've heard. I waved my hand to them, beckoning them back to my Throne.
All five of them dove off their perches and spread their wings. To be honest, it was a rather magnificent display. I couldn't help but smile as my Princesses descended upon me. They shared my enthusiasm, rubbing my face with theirs and stealing a few kisses for good measure. Maybe... maybe everything was going to be just fine after all. I took another breath of air on this ship... missing... something. "What's wrong?" I heard Forest say.
I smiled, sadly. "I'd just like some fresh air. Probably can't get any aboard this ship," I said.
I looked into Forest's brown eyes as she gave a sly smile. "As a matter of fact..." she retorted. "We have an indoor park."
Of all the places on board the Mercy of the Stars to receive the "over-the-top" treatment, I am... glad it happened to be the Temple of Nature... or, as Princess Forest Grace called it, the "indoor park". It seemed to be an entire section of the ship, in the rough middle, dedicated to a terrarium, filled with trees, grass, gardens.... if it wasn't for the glowing stained glass ceiling that curved down into the walls, also made of stained glass, I'd swear that we'd step foot onto a planet, not another room aboard this ship. Although, for me, "step" isn't exactly the right word for it.
If I struggled to even march up 15 steps towards my Rogue Trader's Throne aboard the ship, there was no way I would survive the elevator ride and walk to the Temple with my dignity intact... so I didn't. I tried to look as lofty as I could from my new perch aboard my vehicle of choice... a wheelchair, of all things. My little ponies took turns pushing me around, a central path offering the least resistance to the wheels of my new chariot. It was Twilight's turn, so my other Princesses took this chance to spread their wings some more, laughing and hollering.
It caught the attention of the ponies and humans here, including what must be some very young kids and... my brain itched... foals. The leader of these kids was... something else, entirely, though an adult. I could see a sea-green shell on her back, her pale mane was bushier, reaching around her throat, her dark horn branched a little, and her tail was long but only had a tuft of hair at the end. I tilted my head at this new creature, this new world still offering me new surprises.
The kids and foals circled around us, chanting, "Lord Captain, Lord Captain!"
One cried, "See! I told you he was too tough to kill!"
Another shouted, teasing, "I saw how scared you were, just like the rest of us!"
Finally, the... itch, earthen-colored kirin approached, bowing before us, and greeted us, saying, "It is good to see you survived, Lord Captain. We feared the worst when General Quarters was sounded."
Clearing my throat, I admitted to the kirin, "My apologies, but my memory is not what it was. Could you give your name?" The little ones stood stock still at the sound of my voice as if I were a superhero coming to visit. Perhaps I was... just not right now.
Nodding, the kirin said, somewhat sadly, "I heard the announcement, as did the rest of your ship. Terrible. Just terrible. My name is Meadow Char."
Well, at least I wouldn't have to explain myself to the crew anymore. " Thank you. I remember just now that you are called a kirin if that helps," I said. At this, Meadow beams and nods her head.
She tells me, "That does make me feel a lot better, Lord Captain. Making steps like that tells me that you're on a swift road to recovery!" Her smile is contagious, and I take a deep breath of the air. It does smell really good, with all the trees and the grass. Twilight Sparkle leaned over the back of the chair and rubbed her nose on the back of my neck. I look at the gardens, with the small plots containing vines, colorful fruits... the beautiful arrangement of the stained glass seeming like a glass sky with glass clouds... I could almost fall asleep hete. It was just so peaceful here. My eyes closed...
A storm of hooves and feet thundered from behind me, shocking the little ones and scaring Meadow. Before I could turn around to see what the commotion was, I was surrounded by armed men and ponies, carrying a ragtag assortment of weapons, including knives, swords, guns, and who-knows-what else. They also wore plain civilian clothes, made somewhat unified by a common set of gray armored vests and helmets. I heard a thwack, and I saw Twilight Sparkle fall down at the side of my wheelchair, hooves cradling her bleeding head. My heart stops. Finally, who I assume is the ringleader makes herself known as she rounds the back of me to my front.
A unicorn, pale-furred and steel-haired. She wore a gray beret with an "HDM" on it. Her fiery orange eyes burrowed into mine, looking over every inch of me as if assessing the damage I had taken. Upon seeing me, she sighs. "Thank Celestia you are okay, Rogue Trader! The attempt on your life has left you scarred, I see. No matter. My name is Quartermaster Steel Mane of the 3rd Deck Militia, and you're safe with us!"
My brain buzzed. A name I should know? Not important right now. "What is the meaning of this?!" I demanded, teeth bared.
This display scared Steel and she bowed, apologizing by saying, "My apologies, Lord Captain, but after the senior staff didn't do enough to prevent this newest attack on your person! So me and the other Quartermasters got to talking, and we've decided to do something about it! I'll help you retake this ship from those meddling nobles and sycophants at the top, and we'll make sure no evil bastard harms you ever again!" A cheer from the Militia crowd.
I stood stock still. Shocked. Did I really inspire this kind of fanaticism in my followers? Should I... go along with her plan? Was the senior staff really to blame for what happened? As I thought, I could see the other Princesses, unnoticed by the militia, move into position around the bunch, ready to... oh, no. Should I call out to them, and have these Militiamen and ponies... executed? My brain itched. It was well within my power, after all. Should I try talking my way out?
What the hell should I do?