We shall aid our princess...
Twilight shook her head, and tried to get a feeling of what happened.
She couldn't move. That was bad. She was stinging from several cuts and bruises and had a throbbing headache. That too was bad. She was in a dimly lit room with a changeling. As if things couldn't get worse.
The changeling smiled. "Ah, the lady awakes." he hissed.
Twilight scowled, trying to think clearly. She remembered that they were on a train or something, and she was grabbed, and an explosion...
"If your wondering where you are," the changeling spat, "Don't bother. I won't tell you. What I will tell you is that it's aboard an Empire ship."
Twilight shook her head. "If we're on board an Empire ship, you wouldn't be in your true form. Only one ship is small enough for a crack team of changelings to use and not need a backup crew. A Cockatrice-Class Stealth Ship mark one."
He changeling raised an eyebrow. "Well, you are smart, that much my employer told the truth about."
Twilight smiled. "Who is your employer?"
The changeling shrugged. "By now, Twilight Sparkle, you should know that."
Twilight frowned in thought, although, truthfully, she already knew the answer, but she just wanted to play dumb, lure the changeling into a false sense of security.
"Chrysalis?"
"No."
"Shining Armor and Cadance?"
"The poor pair of the Crystal Empire, which are nothing to the Solar Empire? No."
"My parents?"
"No."
"Princess Celestia?"
The changeling smiled. "Oh, close, but no cigar."
Twilight sighed. "The demon in possession of Celestia?"
"Bingo!" shouted the changeling. "Yep. He wants you dead. Out of the way, removed. Thus, we're bringing you to Earth for formal execution."
"So, we're not at Earth yet, simply on route?"
The changeling recoiled. "Oh, well then, you're trying to figure stuff out, aren't you?"
Twilight nodded and grinned, which frightened the changeling considerably, although he tried (unsuccessfully) to hide it.
Twilight spoke "Yes, but I have figured almost everything out. You never left New Equestria. We are still in orbit, as the entire system is under lockdown, no jumps in or out, after the disappearance of my company. It is the standard procedure of all interstellar governments. Thus, your ship can't power her teleport drive up, less you draw attention to yourselves. You are working for money, nothing more, to help your own government get back on its feet. At the same time, Celestia can use you, mold your government into what she, no, the demon, wants. Only one question remains. What's the name of the demon you work under?"
The changeling was visibly sweating gallons at this point. "Still, once the lockdown is loosened, we may get away, and you still have no way to find out about the name of our master!"
Twilight grinned even wider, causing the changeling to take several steps back. "Indeed, you will get away if the lockdown is loosened. True, I have currently no way to figure out your masters name. But, in the meantime, you should realize I am the most powerful non-Alicorn magician in the galaxy. While we've been having this chat, I used my magic to examine your ship. While I did so, I opened up your comm and intercomm to all channels, and any scanning this area would pick up the conversation we're having right now. Now, you may think I'm lying because of the singular demon you have aboard to oppose my magic. If you check on this demon, he is naught but a pile of ash. Anyway, on the subject of the comms, you still believe that this ship can't be detected by New Lunar Republic scanners, so they can listen in, even talk if they want, but they can't see or shoot you. And you're right. They can't see or shoot at you. However, Solar Empire scanners have the key to finding a cloak ship, isn't that right, Twelfth Fleet?!?!"
Another voice came over the comm, that of the captain of the Solar battleship at the front of 12th fleet. "Yea, Twilight. That is true. So, to the Solar Empire stealth ship. We are relaying your coordinates and the key to cloak scanning to the Republic fleet. If you try to run, your dead. Drop all power to your engines and weapons now, or be destroyed!"
The changeling was up against the door right now, and a growing puddle was by his hooves. He was an unusually light shade of black.
Twilight looked at him, smiling maniacally. "So, any last words?"
The changeling was on his knees begging before you could blink. He was blathering for mercy, forgiveness, etc.
Twilight sighed, the sympathetic performance actually soothing her nerves. Wow, it felt GOOD to act bad for once. She always acted the goodly librarian and student of the princess, but this felt exhilarating. She rolled her eyes. "Why don't you start on the way of forgiveness by disengaging my restraints.
"B-But of c-course!" the changeling blathered, presssing a button.
Immediately, her bonds were released, and she stood. "Good. Now, do as the good captain said."
The changeling nodded vigorously, and Twilight wouldn't have been surprised to see his head fly off, he did it so violently. "Sure." he pressed another button and said "Hey, guys, could you please lower weapons? And engines? So we can live? Please?"
Thirty seconds later, the sound of a boarding latch clamped onto the ship. As the Republic marines stormed the ship however, all they found were a dozen traumatized changelings and one smug looking Twilight Sparkle.
She was not so smug, however, when she noticed her new-found friends were not among the rescuers.
"Where are my friends?" she asked.
The commander of the boarding party flinched, and answered her as truthfully as possible.
....
"Mayday mayday!" Gilda sputtered.
It had been hours. Absolute radio silence besides the echos of her own message. She peered at Luna. She was bloodied, but she seemed stable. She would probably be ok.
Gilda, on the other hoof, wasn't so sure of herself. She was openly bleeding from several wounds, by the feel of her head she had a concussion, and probably had uncountable broken bones. She was feeling faint. Just as she finished relaying that last message, her eyes started to go blurry.
No! I can't die. I can't! she yelled at herself. Luna will die, I don't know about Fury, and Drake,
She could think no more, as the wondrous embrace of sleep enrapped her...
And then, a knife cut through that veil, and a voice startled her.
"No you don't!" Drake grunted, placing pressure on Gilda's major wounds. Gilda's body exploded into pain, but she was alive. And she had never been happier to see an Empire admiral in her entire career.
She smiled weakly as the pain continued to turn her headache into a dagger being thrust into her brain. Pain meant she was alive. The more pain, the more alive.
Drake looked at her, and Gilda realized that this rear admiral was scared. "Don't worry, we'll get through this."
With that, Gilda nodded, and fell into a fitful, painful, ALIVE slumber.