//------------------------------// // The Citadel // Story: Mass Effect 4 // by Shadeslayer //------------------------------// Mass Effect 4 Chapter 3: The Citadel At the Citadel, what was left of the Revelation were currently enjoying a few days of shore leave. The Revelation itself was currently being outfitted with the weapon capable of destroying a Reaper: the ‘Godslayer’. Twilight had retired to her apartment inside of the library where she was currently passed out. Caramel wasn’t so lucky, though. This very moment, Applejack was present by his side in the hospital ward. Since their medic had been amongst the casualties in the little Changeling attack they’d suffered one day ago, the earth pony soldier remained unconscious for the entire trip. While the commander knew very little about medicine, she knew staying out for that long could only mean some sort of trouble. The first thing she’d done was rush him to the ER. As of yet, his condition had yet to be released. The sound of a door opening drew Applejack’s attention from her friend to a doctor. Standing there was a butter yellow Pegasus mare with a long, light pink mane and tail. She was wearing a tight fitting white lab coat that stopped just short of her flank, revealing a cutie mark of three pink butterflies. She looked a bit shy, something that Applejack figured to be true when the mare shrunk back at the sight of her in the room. “Oh… um, are you Commander Applejack?” She spoke softly, so softly that Applejack could hardly hear her. “Yes ma’am, that’d be me,” the orange mare turned toward the doctor. “So, who are ya?” Using a wing, she placed some records on the table and trotted to the side of Caramel opposite of the commander. “My name is… Fluttershy,” she replied, this time just a bit more softly than before. She began nosing around underneath a metal desk, looking for body scanner. Her mane fell forward to cover her face. Startin’ t’ see why she’s got ‘shy’ in her name. She waited patiently as the doctor began to run the scanner along the Caramel’s barrel. After a few minutes, she stopped and placed the oblong object away. Fluttershy was entering some notes into a datapad when the commander could take it no longer. “So, what’s wrong with ‘im?” The Pegasus started; having the silence broken so suddenly startled her. “Oh! I’m sorry… He has a concussion and a few broken bones.” Applejack wiped her brow, “Whew, is that all? Thought he’d been knocked into a coma or somethin’!” Fluttershy shook her head and placed the datapad down. “He’ll be fine. He just needs some bed rest. The concentrated health potion will do the rest.” She walked over to a desk, sitting down in a position that faced both her patient and the commander. “I’m afraid he won’t be able to partake in active combat for at least a few days… The bones need time to reset themselves.” “That’s better than never bein’ able to jump in the saddle again. Ah can wait ‘til then,” she said while turning her gaze back to Caramel. The light brown pony was resting peacefully; a rest the commander was fine with allowing him. They’d yet to receive new orders from neither Shining Armor nor Luna, and thus were stuck with nothing to do. With the knowledge of the Changelings out there to destroy their chances to win against the Reapers and that new mare, Trixie, leading them, Applejack honestly did not want to be resting so soon. “Hey, Fluttershy? Ya think we can take him with us if we need t’ leave? Ah’d rather not waste more time than Ah need to.” “Mm,” she chirped, “it should be fine. I haven’t seen your ship’s medical facilities, but Mister Caramel needs very little right now.” AJ jumped out of her chair, keeping her voice low as not to disturb other patients, “Well then, now all we need is another medic and a startin’ point!” Just y’all wait, Trixie, Changelin’s. Me and mah crew are comin’ for y’all. Ya can’t hide for long! Her thoughts were interrupted when Fluttershy’s coughs finally reached a pitch that she could hear. “Uh, what is it, Doc?” “Um, you won’t need to wait for a medic…” The commander’s brow furrowed as she fully turned to the doctor. “Why not?” “Because I’ve been… given the job.” --- A mug of nice, light brown cider slammed into a countertop elsewhere in the enormous cylinder. The top of its contents spilled over, spraying all of its neighbors with froth. “Man! Never thought the people up in space would have cider like home…” Rainbow swayed, blowing her hair from in front of her face so she could see again. Pinkie was practically vibrating in the seat next to her. “Ooooohhh, you weeeerrrreeee right, Daaaashie!” Dash gazed at Pinkie with a confusion so blatant any passerby could tell. “Uh, Pinkie? You drinking the same thing I am? Last I checked,” she stopped briefly to hiccup, “…cider doesn’t make people hyper like that.” The party pony lifted a cup of whatever she was drinking, somehow managing to still her hoof outside of everything else on her body. As she poured the mystery liquid into her mouth, Rainbow saw that it was white. Then it turned blue. After that it was pink. A color shifting drink? Either I drank too much or space has some really weird stuff going on. Rainbow turned back and took another swig of her drink while Pinkie continued to shake. She actually began shaking out of her seat, moving backward away from it. She hovered in the air, but no one was paying attention to her. The other patrons were either drinking their livers dead or paying attention to the women currently dancing for them. Thanks to that, no one was able to stop the giddy mare from colliding with a gruff, menacing looking griffin. Pinkie could have sworn she’d just bumped into a rock; whether it was or not, her vibrations came to an abrupt halt anyway. There was a distinct splashing sound followed by a crash a moment later. The griffin stood tall, taller than anyone else within the room, and turned to the pink mare. “You spilled my drink, girl?” The deep, intimidating voice snapped Pinkie out of her reverie. A quick glance backward instilled a small bit of fear within her, but that passed just as quickly as it came. She was the Element of Laughter after all, even if she didn’t know it yet. “Oh, I’m so sorry, mister! Let me clean that up-“ “Lick it up,” the griffin interrupted. A group of griffins that had been sitting next to this intimidating beast, each wearing a set armor, began snickering. The mare that had been dancing behind the table stopped, lowering her head solemnly. Pinkie didn’t move. The only thing that so much as twitched was her eyebrow. “Uh, that sounds a bit nasty for both us. I don’t know how that drink tastes… and you’d be covered in saliva…” The griffin’s eye twitched. Is she fooling with me or is she just a ditz? “Look, mare,” he started with a deep growl. Taking a powerful step forward and glaring down at her, he continued, “You made the mess and you will clean it by my rules.” The mare whimpered as one of the griffin’s henchmen grabbed a claw full of flank. Pinkie’s brow furrowed. “You ponies think you’re something special, that you hold power! You forget the greatest race in the galaxy is the Griffins!” Pinkie’s tail began to twitch, prompting her to take a few steps backward. The twitchy tail slowly began to escalate into several other bodily abnormalities; it was a doozy, the warning granted by her Pinkie sense that meant something crazy was about to take place. “Uh oh. Dash, don’t!” The request came too late. Rainbow had flown into the air upon the griffin replying in such a ghastly manner, preparing a strike that would take him down in one swift strike. With one flap of her powerful wings, the blue Pegasus flew down like a bullet, crashing into the gray griffin’s skull with both of her forelegs. The griffin went down with no protest, having been completely unprepared for the assault. “’Griffins are the greatest race in the galaxy’ my flank! You go down with a good blow to the head like everyone else,” Rainbow yelled in rage. Her violet eyes seemed to glow with the fire that had been lit within her. The music that had been playing ceased, the dances that had been ensuing ended, and everyone’s attention was now on the Pegasus with the rainbow colored hair. Rainbow didn’t notice any of them, however. She turned to the other three griffins. They’d all been so stunned they’d dropped everything they were doing, freeing the mare that was dancing. Problem is, she was just as stunned as they were. “So, Griffins think they’re all that, huh?” A cyan hoof stomped on the ground next to Griffin she’d just felled. “Think that you can beat anypony because you’ve got some good guns and claws, huh?” She moved forward another step and the Griffins were very much wishing they’d decided to stay home that day. “Well, let me be the first pony to put you feather-brains in your place.” The rainbow mare flapped once and soared above them in preparation for a dive bomb on the griffin closest to the dancer. Another flap and she was flying to the feathered offenders… only she was taking the long route. What the…?” One millisecond, Rainbow was flying south; the next, she was moving to the east at a very rapid pace. She and another figure collided with the wall on the far side of the bar, prompting the patrons directly underneath them to run away in absolute terror. A cacophony of yells, murmurs, and general discontent suddenly broke the deathly silence that’d made the bistro its home for a while. However, Rainbow was in a state so focused, she didn’t even notice the noise start up or the occupants begin to move. The only thing the mare was paying attention to were the griffins on the ground, Pinkie, and whoever had just rammed into her. Speaking of which… “Get. Off.” Rainbow kicked off of the wall and into the ceiling, making whoever had interfered lose their breath. They dropped slightly before a swift buck to its back was dealt, knocking the attacker away. “Pinkie, we gotta bail!” The pink pony in question was expertly dodging the ponies rushing around her. An all-out brawl had begun in mere moments. How Pinkie managed to remain completely unscathed baffled the cyan Pegasus. “Really? But we’re having so much fun!” Rainbow groaned and her hoof whipped up for a facepalm, but she didn’t make any other reply. The duo practically flew out of the bar together at a blinding a speed that knocked glasses over in their wake. “Dash,” Pinkie started once they were in the hallway that led to the market wards, “Why’d you get so angry in there?” Rainbow turned swiftly to the pink mare, suddenly enough that it actually startled her. “Why? Because those guys were a bunch of stuck up flank holes, that’s why! And they were trying to… to…” “Get me to clean the mess I made?” “Degrade you,” she spat with no small amount of venom. “I mean, ‘Lick it up’? You already said you would get it. Why’d you let them keep on with that bull crap?” Pinkie frowned and trotted over to her friend. “Dash, there are lots of people like that out in the galaxy. You can’t just beat up all of them. Where would that get us? It’s like my Granny Pie said! Everypony has to-“ “Stop right there!” There was a clacking sound behind them in addition to the flapping of wings, which were audible to Rainbow Dash. There was a navy blue unicorn with a neon green mane standing there in the gray outfit of the Citadel Security. Above him were two griffins, dressed in the same uniform as their unicorn partner, although they were also outfitted with some shoulder pads and chest plates. That wasn’t everyone though. From behind the unicorn came another clacking sound, announcing a third griffin. This griffin was female, but had thick muscles everywhere they could be seen. Unlike her friends, she wore a complete set of red and orange armor. The armor appeared to be outfitted with heavy kinetic barriers; on it were three hexagonal plates glowing a bright blue, located in a triangle formation on her broad chest. Her wings were the only thing on her left bare. She came to a stop upon walking ahead of the unicorn, who had a pistol floating directly beside him. “Well I’ll be damned…” The griffin smirked and lefted a foreleg to remove her helmet, which had a black visor covering her eyes. “We got a call for a rainbow haired Pegasus making trouble down at Uno. Didn’t expect to see you any time soon, Dash.” If a jaw could physically drop off of a pony’s body at any given moment, that would be the moment. “G-Gilda?” --- Applejack leaned back in her chair as she and the butter yellow Pegasus filled it with laughter both great and silent. About an hour had passed and the two had somehow managed to bond rather quickly. Friends at first sight, as it were. “A-and so Ah’m lookin’ over th’ field like ‘Shoot, Ah can pick all these mahself!’ Mah brother Big Macintosh said othawise, but Ah was all full o’ mahself. Mah parents let me go and Ah started! Was buckin’ them apples like tomorrow would neva come.” She grinned and rubbed the back of her neck, just underneath her mane. “Couldn’t shirk mah chores though, so Ah didn’t get a lot o’ sleep. Ended up gettin’ into a whole mess of shenanigans around town.” Fluttershy stopped giggling to ask, “What happened?” “Well, Ah nearly started a epidemic helpin’ a bake sale, started a stampede of wild antelopes while lookin’ for mah dog Winona, and durn near completely wrecked our barn! Mah parents, Macintosh, and Caramel had to help with the cleanup. Sure taught me a lesson.” “That you can’t do everything on your own?” “Eeeexactly.” Both quieted down once a ping sounded from the entrance to the room. The clopping of hooves alerted them that it was a pony, though neither of them were expecting anyone to come for Caramel. The newcomer was a thick white unicorn with a sky blue mane and parted mustache. He stood a full head above both of the conscious occupants within the room. On his left eye was an orange light that held the appearance of a monocle. The pseudo-monocle was actually an omnitool; its location utterly baffled Applejack, who’d never seen them anywhere other than the fore hoof. Other formats were too expensive for the average Joe. He was wearing a somewhat extravagant outfit, at least to Applejack, that denoted his position. He was a very important pony, and that showed in his confident demeanor. He looked directly to Applejack after looking around the room, “Ah, Commander Applejack? We are to meet with the council in thirty minutes.” Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Oh, uh, alright…” She glanced over to Fluttershy, trying her best to convey the fact that she had no idea who the large unicorn was. Fluttershy didn’t quite understand it though. Fancy Pants, being the perceptive guy he is, picked up on her confusion. “Terribly sorry, Commander. My name is Fancy Pants, the ambassador for ponykind.” At that, the orange mare leaped to her hooves. “Oh, well in that case, Ah guess we better get goin’. Ah’ll see you later, Fluttershy.” Applejack saw her smile and nod slightly in recognition before the medical room’s door closed behind her. The ambassador and commander trotted through the halls of the Citadel swiftly; no one wants to be late for a meeting with the leaders of the Citadel controlled space, after all. They hardly met with anyone outside of the major ambassadors of species or some group with special privileges that was well known, but at the same time completely shrouded in mystery. She put her mind off of that topic. It wasn’t important at the moment. What was important was the reason that she’d suddenly been called in front of the most important beings alive. There’d been no prior notice to this when the Revelation had docked. Come to think of it, Ah didn’t get any new orders either. She raised her head to look at Fancy Pants, who was now gazing over the railing of the Presidium. In his line of sight was a plethora of pathways that intertwined with each other before branching off into several differing doors and areas. Applejack opened her mouth ask a question, but was cut off before she could even begin. “Ah, I never grow tired of watching everyone at work together like this. We’ve come a long way, wouldn’t you say, Miss Applejack?” Her brow furrowed while she came to terms with how out in left field that question was for her. It only took a moment before she managed to get it out. “Ah can’t really say. Mah first time workin’ with otha races was about two weeks ago. Neva left Equestria ‘fore that.” “Oh? That is most unfortunate.” He paused in his speech and looked ahead. “Seeing different species unified toward one goal, coalescing their skills and strengths without restraint, it is an amazing thing. It opens a… door, one that leads to several opportunities we might never find on our own.” The stallion turned his head to the commanders, only to find that she had a genuinely confused look planted on her face. He chuckled and continued, “You must be wondering as to how my observation relates to you?” “Not to be rude, but yeah, kinda.” “Do not fret about, Miss Applejack. You will come to understand what I mean in a few moments.” He raised his head to follow the path of an elevator that stretched up as far as the eye could see. Applejack soon followed, wondering just how long it took to build the colossus. “This is where we part. The Council and Admiral Shining Armor await you at the meeting pedestal.” Fancy Pants made a quick bow and stepped backwards. Applejack nodded in his general direction, still looking at the elevator. Shining Armor too, huh? Startin’ t’ think this next mission is gonna be a mite more complicated than bein’ a bodyguard. With her thoughts in tow, the commander stepped into the elevator and commanded it to go to the Council’s floor. It had to have been the longest ride of her life. She had listened to four separate news reports interspersed with some minutes full of elevator music, music that had gotten old very quickly. Currently, twenty minutes had passed. “Now Ah see why Fancy Pants came to get me early.” She lifted her omnitool to bring up a time display. “And Ah’m still gonna be late. This ain’t gon be pretty.” Luckily enough, the doors slowly opened a moment later, revealing the large, dark-lit interior. Foliage was located all along the sides of the room, rising with the first set of stairs before cutting diagonally through the next floor to a small garden filled with plants foreign to Equestria. Several diplomats walked by it obliviously, while others chatted to each other on the greater stories the room held. The commander strode forward quickly and with purpose, passing everyone rapidly, oblivious to whom they were, what they were, or their own job. There was only one thing on her mind at that moment. What did they call me for?! “Applejack.” The mare being addressed finally paid attention to her surroundings at the mention of her name. “Commander, up here. The Council’s been waiting!” Near the final set of stairs was none other than Shining Armor, dressed neatly in his blue service uniform. Gold medals adorned the outfit all over his barrel, indicating his rank and accomplishments. AJ didn’t spare another thought toward it, however. There was still a meeting to get to. With no time to ask questions, the two quickly came upon the end of the single pathway. Glancing to either side would show a floor made entirely of glass tiles, below it another garden of some sort. It was hard to tell without actually studying its interior, as there multiple hues of green, red, and blue splattered everywhere. “Commander,” a calm, eerily peaceful voice spoke, drawing the commander’s attention immediately. Every pony knew exactly who that voice belonged to. The pony that led them into a new age. The one constant in a universe that constantly fluctuated. Princess Celestia stood behind a podium, the top of which neither Shining nor Applejack had a view of. To her right was a griffin, obviously hardened by several extraordinary experiences, with a very noticeable frown planted on his beak. Councilor Gadd was his name and he was the leader of the griffin navy prior to being made a councilor ten years prior. He always wore his old armor, maybe not to show the fact that he could most people within a twenty foot radius as though they were dough, but it definitely gave that effect. Two different creatures stood to Celestia’s left. Closest was a female zebra, her name being Baas. Rather than one of the more recent outfits, she wore brown robes with golden highlights to signify her clan and position within it. Applejack wasn’t really well-read when it came to other cultures, so the significance of them was lost on her. The mare stood tall, maybe just as high as her older brother Macintosh. Her eyes remained only slightly open as though she were squinting and her mouth remained in a neutral expression. Last was a dark brown, male diamond dog: Reave. His arms were somewhat slender in comparison to the other males she’d met. He, like Celestia, wore the current style of somewhat expensive clothing, the only thing that stood apart from it being a somewhat rusty collar around his neck with various gems embedded within them. He looked… bored, if anything. Both Shining Armor and the commander bowed quickly, as was the custom of ponies. Gadd simply rolled his eyes, muttering something underneath his breath. Once both of them had risen, Celestia spoke first, “We have read the mission reports. Your wards were attacked and killed by Changeling infiltrators, correct?” Applejack nodded, frowning. She already didn’t like how the meeting was going. “And where is the weapon the workers were creating?” “It is currently being outfitted to the Revelation,” Shining entered, “It was completed prior to the… battle.” Baas raised an eyebrow, the first show of emotion Applejack had seen, ever. “This is being performed without our permission? Why was this ordered before we’d reviewed the mission?” “Orders of Admiral Luna.” Luna held only about half the amount of pull within the arena of politics as her older sister. The only reason she lacks so much is that, according to her, ‘politics will be the death of them all.’ Still, her vast age was enough to keep most from questioning her orders. This was apparent in Baas and Celestia. Gadd, not so much. “What is this?” He said in a tone practically spilling over with anger. “The lieutenant fails her mission, yet is given the first weapon against the Reapers?” He snapped his head to the left, staring directly at Celestia. “She may be only a few years younger than you, Celestia, but this decision is complete and utter folly! It should be given to someone with an actual track record, rather than a green-beaked newbie that doesn’t know what to do with herself.” Applejack cringed at the open insult and Shining began frowning deeply. If there was any councilor he actually could say he detested, he would be it. Before he could make any sort of retort, Reave began speaking in a lazy manner. “Gadd, you are forgetting zomething.” The griffin, along with his fellow Councilors and the soldiers below, looked to him. “Our… alliance waz formed after the weapon had been completed. Completed by hoovez and pawz. I believe there were no claws since, and quoting, ‘thoze high and haughty poniez will never be able to build a weapon like that in lezz than two monthz!’ Simply put, only Celeztia and I have jurizdiction over the Reaper killer. Mind your mannerz.” Really, everyone took the statement well. Celestia smiled, Baas’ lips moved upward a bit, and the two soldiers stone-faced, as they were trained to do. Gadd’s white feathered head began turning a deep red before he banished his rising blood with a thought. His eyes tightened after he shut them, a vivid grimace now on his face. “You are correct in that statement, Reave. So, does your decision correspond with Luna’s?” At this, the diamond dog councilor looked to the sky. After a few moments, he brought his head back down. “Yez.” Gadd seemed hurt by the response, hurt and confused. “But… why?” “If the mare that haz been leading military operationz for 400 yearz thinkz it to be wize, then it would be folly to rebel againzt it.” Before his fellow councilor could get a word in edgewise, he raised his paw. “Also, this ‘failure’, az you put it, ztill managed to zave a colony of my dogz. I am willing to give her another chanze.” With that settled, Celestia once again spoke in her angelic voice. “Now, Applejack,” she said, bringing the commander’s attention to her, “I believe it would be best to address the head of that invasion.” A hologram of a blue unicorn then appeared in front of both groups. Applejack immediately recognized her. “Trixie…” “Yes, Trixie. This mare once attended Tellos, the school for unicorns with exceptional magical ability. She was a student for eight years prior to becoming a professor in the same place. The point of interest is her research topic: dark magic.” With a major like that, Ah’d be surprised if she didn’t go bad. “According to the report, her magic was red and her eyes would always flash the same color when she cast a spell.” Celestia turned her head to Applejack. “What color were her eyes in between spells?” Applejack looked to the ceiling for a moment before she could finally recall, “Ah’d say purple.” “Then she was not using dark spells, but rather a chaotic or dark artifact. Baas, your experience with such objects makes you the better source for question. If you would?” Baas nodded in reply. “Please tell me, what was she wearing?” “A black suit of armor with a… uh, light… that started t’ glow whenever she used magic. Ah didn’t really get a good look at whateva it was ‘ttached t’. It was black like the rest o’ her outfit.” “Red glow in resonance with her magic? Boosting her magical power to such heights is unduly fantastic… I must research the matter later. There are few totems that could produce such behavior.” Celestia nodded. “Then it is settled. Baas shall determine the nature of Trixie’s artifact. Meanwhile, you, my little pony, are to receive your next mission from Shining Armor. Good luck.” Once her speaking had ended, the lights above the council shut down for a moment. When they began lighting their surroundings again, the people it had once been shining above had vanished. “How’d they do that?” Applejack asked incredulously. Shining turned to leave. “No one knows. I think they just like to show off a bit. Dignitaries from everywhere watch their meetings. Can’t imagine why. Most of them can be like watching paint dry.” “Okay, now for your next assignment,” Shining spoke once the two were on the elevator. “You’re to search out and apprehend Trixie. As of now, she is the only lead as to why the Changelings left Audubon after all of this time.” “Right, right. Got any suggestions?” “Trixie has extensive records about her kept here in the Citadel. Well, that’s all information about her before the disappearance. There’s a zebra information broker in the Presidium’s financial district, Geheim, who has some special connections. He may have what you need. I’ll get back to you with a few specifics before your shore leave ends.” At that, the door to the elevator opened. Ah coulda sworn the ride up took like twenty minutes! Shining stepped out and nodded toward the commander. “Alright, Applejack, enjoy your shore leave. Good luck with Trixie; we’re counting on you.” --- With the data center closer, Applejack decided to start her search there. Currently she was browsing through files with the keyword ‘Trixie’ anywhere within them. Most of it was unimportant information or things she’d already learned. Where she was raised, her scores in school, a few diaries… Dairies? The commander smacked herself upside the head. O’ course! If she kept a diary, Ah might be able to see a pattern. Let’s see what Ah can glean from this. And so she began. Using her omnitool, a display of audio diary entries appeared in front of the commander’s face, bathing it in an orange light. She scrolled through one at a time, swiping her hoof through the air to traverse the list while she read the titles. It took around an hour before she actually found something worth noting. Universal Date of the Stars 2155, Well, well, well… In Trixie’s research today, Trixie found something of great importance. An amulet, black with a red gem in its center. More interesting is its shape. It looks exactly like an alicorn! Same as either of the Princesses. Trixie is not so sure as to what the amulet does exactly… but it just seems to ooze power! Trixie will be looking into this more tomorrow. Those children still need their exams graded. Hopefully, Midnight Shadow was able to remember how a flame is created and sustained using illusion magic. That filly… Applejack blinked and swiped to the next file. Universal Date of the Stars 2155, It’d be the fifth of November in Equestria. Trixie hasn’t been there in years! …Not as though that pathetic wasteoid of a planet is worth visiting. All of Trixie’s years in that place were spent in complete misery, ponies ridiculing my talents. But here… in Tellos, the foals and young ones look up to Trixie! …To me. But Trixie’s woes are not the highlight of today! No, I have come to record another success. The amulet’s name is the ‘Alicorn Amulet’. Fitting, really. Also more than a bit predictable. The amulet’s age is unknown, but estimated to be around 50 to 70,000 years ago. Trixie was unable to experiment with it today, but surely tomorrow will yield definitive results! But there was no log for the following day. The next was not until three days later. Universal Date of the Stars 2155, Trixie was able to test the amulet on schedule. The amulet amplifies the user’s magic by no less than 300%. Truly, Trixie felt like she was on par with Celestia herself! But at the researcher’s dinner party last night, Twilight Sparkle was present. Celestia’s little student. Privileged is what she is. She didn’t need to fight tooth and nail to attain a suitable job, a comfortable life. She was born in it! …That is what Trixie usually feels, but we are at least on speaking terms. At the ball, I felt as if I wanted to… murder her. Cut her open and smear her innards across her apartment! To gouge… No… no, no! This is not Trixie! Where are these thoughts coming from?! And why do I continue to hear that whispering? Applejack saved the recordings to her omnitool and stood up. “Alright, time to mosey on down to the presidium.” And she would have, if not for several figures now approaching her and the lights not shut down. Three ponies stood in front of her, decked out completely in matching sets of blue armor. One was a unicorn, while the other two were earth ponies. “Somepony’s been putting their nose in Trixie’s business.” Applejack raised an eyebrow. “And who might y’all be? Ya got hired by Trixie t’ keep anyone from lookin’ stuff up about her?” “I’d say that’s pretty obvious,” the unicorn deadpanned. The commander knew this; she was just buying time to weigh her options. The data center was not like the information hub, which was filled rows upon rows of datapads. Everything here was digital, so there wasn’t any cover. The mercs knew well enough to stay at a far enough distance that she wouldn’t be able to disarm them before they could fire. She was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Until she saw something that she never expected to. “Is… is that a dragon?” She stammered. The earth ponies chuckled while the unicorn spoke, “Look, lady. We know you don’t want to get gunned down like this, but that’s one of the oldest tricks in the book!” “Should have listened,” said a deep, gruff voice from behind them. The earth pony on the right was thrown into an electronic booth, electrocuted and dead before he’d hit the ground. The earth pony on the left was lifted into the air and promptly slammed down by a purple blur, knocking him unconscious. The unicorn turned back and was faced by his, now, worst nightmare. The dragon knelt down, peering into the unicorn’s brown, terrified eyes and uttered something in a guttural language before the translator picked up. “Any last words?” “M-mommy…” “Not my choice, but whatever,” the dragon shrugged. Then, without warning, blew a strong gout of green flame into his face plate. The flame coursed over his head and into his armor before cooking him alive where he stood. The screams started immediately. And were ended a second later with a spine-rattling crunch. The dragon looked at the bottom of his boot and sighed. “Damn, I just bought this armor!” Applejack stood stock still. She’d just gone from certain death to facing a dragon. A dragon that had mostly likely just saved her life. Jarring, to say the least, but the shock had worn off to the point where she had questions and could voice them. The dragon stood tall on two legs; an accurate comparison would be to Luna, since he was the same height as her. His armor was bright silver, while the joints and suit underneath were all dark gray. Several ceramic plates reinforced the suit and, if the rumors about how tough dragon skin was were true, this one in particular was a tank. And there were only two parts of his body visible: his head and tail. His scales were purple and the spines atop his head along with his underbelly were green. His tail was almost as thick as her torso! All in all, he looked pretty formidable. Applejack wasn’t frightened, though. “So… yur a dragon?” Spike snorted some green flames and rolled his eyes. “No, I’m a T-rex that survived 100 million years of war and evolution.” Applejack shook her head. “Ah know… it’s just that dragons don’t really come around Citadel owned space. Why’d ya help me?” “It was something to do. I saw your meeting with the council, figured interesting things would happen around you. I mean, Changelings? Come on! Those guys haven’t been seen for 400 years, but when you show up-“ His fist pounded into his open claw. “-BAM. A big ol’ firefight in the middle of a backwater colony close to the Solitaris systems. That’s just great.” “Y’all know it could be cause of whateva we were workin’ on, right?” He waved his claw in dismissal. “Whatever. If you got to meet with the council, I’m sure your next mission is going to take you somewhere exciting.” “So what are ya getting’ at?” The dragon cleared his throat and got down on knee, putting one of his arms across his chest. “Greetings, Commander Applejack. My name is Spike and I wish to join you on your journey, if you would have me.” --- “What was that about?” Applejack asked. The two were making their way to Geheim through the market ward. Various species walked the halls, chatting amongst themselves or to the vendors. The vast majority was the major Citadel races, but a few of the minor were there as well. Minotaurs, goats, and even the rare crystal ponies were there. Not a dragon in sight. “What was what about?” “That fancy speak ya started usin’ when ya asked t’ join me.” Spike looked away, but answered nonetheless. “Well, when I was… younger, I was taught that giving the utmost respect to my superiors is paramount to success. And that definitely goes for when you’re asking for something. Otherwise, the askee gets all pissy.” “Uh, that sounds like… a pony more than a dragon, ya know?” “That’s because the rest of my people are a bunch of lethargic, lackadaisical, languid, lecherous…” “Whoa there, dragon boy. That’s a lot of bad stuff ya got to say ‘bout ya own folks. Half o’ them words Ah didn’t even know!” “Sorry, sorry… It’s just that… I went to Drakkoledge after spending my childhood with ponies. It was… disappointing, to say the least.” Applejack side stepped a griffin decked out in armor usually given to the higher-ups in Citadel Security, although this was customized with a red paint job. “Lemme guess, they weren’t what ya was expectin’?” Spike shook his head. “They were the exact opposite. I wanted to know why one of the oldest races didn’t have a seat on the council. I mean, all of us live for thousands of years, yet you never see one outside of their system!” Spike shook his head and the two walked for a bit in silence. Well, until some chatterbox got close to them. “Oh, guys! You almost lost me up there. So what are you guys talking about? The Changelings? Ooooh, aren’t they so creepy looking with the holes in their legs? How do they even keep on standing with that? I mean, it looks like a structural weakness. Do they even have bones underneath them? So weird!” Both of them turned to their left and there was the unmistakable visage of Pinkie Pie. She was bouncing toward someone. Applejack turned her head to scan the crowd for anyone familiar. And so, there was Rainbow Dash, walking with a griffin she’d never seen. Spike picked up on AJ’s curiosity, following her gaze. “Whoa, a rainbow mane?” He whistled, drawing Applejack’s attention back to him. “Think she dyed it?” “Nah, Rainbow’s had the same hair eva since she was little.” The commander turned and began trotting over to them. Spike followed. “Her name’s Rainbow? Seriously?” “Yeah, what’s the problem?” Spike shook his head. “I grew up here, but I will never understand the naming rules for ponies. Applejack wanted to question that, but she had already reached her destination. Pinkie was already there and recognized the commander’s arrival immediately by bouncing again in response. “Hi, commander! How’s Caramel doing?” “He’s alright, Pinkie. Just a few broken bones, nuthin’ he can’t get over,” she said nonchalantly. “Oh, then I better get started on his cupcakes! Hmm, caramel filled cupcakes…” And then she bounced off, leaving behind a group of very confused species. Spike bent over and whispered into Applejack’s, “Hey, your friend’s name is Caramel?” Applejack nodded once. “So she’s going to make a cupcake… out of him?” “O’ course not,” Applejack deadpanned. “She means the candy.” “But how can you be sure…?” “Applejack, hey!” Rainbow turned toward them. Gilda, who’d had her claws over her ears, saw her friend moving and did the same. “I thought you were with Caramel. How’d you end up meeting a dragon?” “Ah’ll tell ya later. Right now, there’s a zebra Ah need t’ speak t’.” Rainbow was positively giddy. “Oh boy, sounds like you’ve got something cool to do. Mind if we tag along?” “Fore Ah say yes, mind tellin’ me who yur friend is?” She waved a hoof in Gilda’s general direction. The griffin took that as her cue to strut her stuff. “The name’s Gilda. Officer for Citadel Security…” “And my oldest friend,” Rainbow added, wrapping a foreleg around Gilda’s neck. Both had smug smirks on their faces that were nearly identical. “So, is it alright?” --- Having a C-Sec officer on board would allow Applejack to get anywhere she needed to go on the Citadel. After being around Gilda for a bit, she found that it was about the only reason. The griffin acted almost exactly like Rainbow Dash, only with the ego factor turned up to eleven. At any rate, they were standing outside of Geheim’s office now. To the right of the door was a blank video pad. The office was located on one of the more common levels of apartments you could find in the Presidium, which was why the group continued to pass it over in disbelief, despite Gilda’s urging to the opposite. “I just don’t see how a guy that lives in an apartment like this could possibly have anything good about an intergalactic criminal,” Rainbow said. She was the first to express her feelings, not that anyone else thought differently at that point. “Can’t say,” Gilda responded, “But he’s supposed to be the biggest information broker this side of the galaxy. I’ve never been to see him, but he gets enough gossip across the station. I’m thinking he’s probably legit.” Applejack moved to press the alert system when it suddenly buzzed. The screen showed gray static before clearing up into the face of a small, female zebra. “Commander, I’ve been expecting you,” he stated with the normal zebra accent. The door slid open to allow the group passage right after. “Please enter with your crew.” They followed the invitation, but were greeted by a room that was completely empty save for a desk in the center and computers lining the back. The room was completely white and there were no other doors to be found. The most important component was missing and it was not something any of them missed. “Please excuse my absence. I’m afraid earlier circumstances forced me to take action,” the voice of the female zebra rang through the apartment. “If you require Trixie’s information, then you must go to the Markarian station.” The commander stepped ahead of her group of fighters to speak. “Ah can see ya ain’t round these parts anymore. Why’d ya up and leave?” “I was to be murdered by a few mercenaries today. Avoiding that eventuality was mere child’s play.” There was a pause before he continued. “Regardless, you must be on your way briefly. The Reapers no doubt approach quickly.” She was about to ask just how a civilian could no about such a secret, but thought better of it. It was rather obvious, after all. “Alright, Geheim. Ah guess Ah’ll get mah questions answered when we meet up. Don’t get killed before Ah arrive,” she said wihle motioning for everyone to move back outside. An audible static resounded through the room before suddenly terminating. After walking for a minute, they ran into some non- armored ponies that had seen them walk out of Geheim’s office. They kindly asked if the zebra was inside the office, to which Applejack smiled and said “Yep.” The explosion that wrecked the building later wasn’t unexpected by anyone. --- “Applejack,” Shining started, “I heard that a house you visited blew up a few minutes after you left? What was that about?” Everyone, including Caramel and Twilight Sparkle, who had decided to stay and help, were now standing outside of the Revelation. A good view of incredible vastness of space was available for view; military docking bays on the Citadel were located outside of the major portions of the station. “Geheim found out he was gonna be attacked three days ago, so he must o’ set up a trap. He gave me a place to go too before his computer conked out.” Shining nodded. “That’s fine, then. Regardless, I have some information that will be essential to you capturing Trixie successfully. First is the zebra Zecora.” He raised his foreleg and raised his omnitool to look at some data. “She’s an alchemist with experience in the biology and intricacies of various species. At one point, she was a highly valued stealth operative. Baas let me know about her.” “What do ya mean by, ‘used to be’? She retired?” Shining shook his head. “She became a Z-class criminal in the eyes of the Zebra council. Her crime was fatally poisoning the previous government leaders.” Applejack’s eyebrow rose. “Seriously? Ah don’t think Ah want someone like that on mah ship.” Shining shrugged and lowered his omnitool. “The choice is yours, commander. Luna has decided to give you full control over this mission. You do what you need to however you want.” Then he stopped added nervously, “Just don’t wreck too many towns, okay? Don’t want to start an intergalactic incident.” “Sir… that sounds like a bit too much. Ah didn’t even fully complete mah last mission!” “No, but you were able to rally an entire colony to arms and prevent what could have been a complete massacre. I suppose that earns you another chance, don’t you?” She muttered mostly to herself, “No…” But somepony’s got to do it. Might as well be me, Ah guess… “Ya got any more information, Admiral?” “Not really. I just advise you to check out Tellos. It’s Trixie's previous place of employment, but more importantly we haven't had a steady connection with them for the past week. You could kill two dragons with one bullet if you can get some info on Trixie from the staff and settle that connectivity issue.” She nodded and turned away. Shining stopped her by calling to her before she could leave, “Applejack? What’s with the aliens?” Oh, them. She’d wondered if the admiral would bring it up or just let it pass. Truthfully, she was glad she could handle however she pleased; it meant she’d be able to get help from wherever it appeared. Spike was tagging along just for the adventure, but Gilda was something else. After some prodding from Rainbow, she’d allowed the griffin to come along. Apparently the Pegasus, Pinkie, and Gilda had run into something that let her reveal her true skills, which Rainbow stated “were absolutely, amazingly awesome.” “They’re some good fighters, Admiral,” Applejack responded. “They volunteered t’ help protect th’ galaxy. How could Ah say no?” Shining was obviously not completely sold on the idea, but Applejack figured he was just going to have to understand she could use all of the help she could get her hooves on. With that, she walked to her ship with her ground team behind her. The only things left to do were pick a destination and take on a virtual army wherever they landed. Easy enough. Choices: Find and recruit the specialist criminal Zecora. Travel to Markarus Station. Travel to Tellos.