The Koprulu Sector

by TheKopruluSectorUnion


Chapter 12: Exile

FINALLY! One moment please.

Sweetie Belle felt a tingling sensation in her head, followed a few seconds of dizziness. When she regained her coordination, she saw the stallion in front of her coming to his hooves. He was a young grey unicorn about her age with a mane that was a grayish white. His eyes were a grayish blue, and he had a strange mark on his side that gave him away as a member of the Khala. The mark was not natural, but a brand. His cutie mark was two broken shackles. His most distinguishing feature was his horn, the majority of which had been cut off.

When he finally came to his feet, he looked at Sweetie Belle for only a second before receiving a buck to the forehead. "Ow! Why in the void did you do that for?!"

“You’ve had that coming all week!” she said.

The stallion again slowly returned to his feet for a second time. “You know… you’re lucky all that time in stasis put my body in a bit of a disoriented state at the moment. You wouldn’t have been able to get away with that otherwise. By the way, my name is Sovereign Grey Horn. It’s nice to finally meet you too.” Before the conversation could continue, alarms started going off through out the sublevel.

Sweetie Belle knew it wouldn’t be long before the security detail made it's way over. “Well, now that you’re out of my head, I should get going. Good luck getting out of here.”

“I’m sure I’ll manage,” he replied. Sovereigns form faded into a black mist, then disappeared entirely.

“Well… that was a neat trick. Still, nothing I can’t do,” Sweetie Belle activated her suits cloaking and also vanished. Before she left, she closed the stasis pod so that the security team might not notice as quickly that their prisoner had escaped. Since the pods glass was covered in frost, no one would be able to see inside unless they took a particularly close look.

Unfortunately for Sweetie, the elevator was now on a lock down, so she would have to find another way to escape. She had seen enough movies to know the best way out was through the air vents. Unfortunately whoever designed the sublevel must have seen the same movies, because each air vents entrance was too small for anyone to fit through.

Sweetie Belle considered using her HFB, but the noise of the diamond saw cutting against the metal might attract attention. Before she could consider any other options, the metal began to turn red hot and melt. Something was cutting a nice box shape into it, creating a hole big enough for a pony to fit through. Sweetie Belle turned on her goggles which revealed Sovereign cutting through the metal with some kind of laser blade. He was also no longer naked, and instead covered in a black robe. “Sovereign, where did you get that?” she asked.

Sovereign looked back at Sweetie Belle, then took a second to show off his blade. “This old thing? It’s a warp blade. Your Dominion friends were trying to figure out how it worked. I decided to help myself to what’s mine and took it back.”

Sovereign moved the cut metal slab, then the two of them carefully made their way into the vents, making sure not to burn themselves on the edges. Sweetie Belle put the slab back in place to help cover their foot prints. If someone took a close inspection, they’d notice the melted edges. Hopefully by then, they’d be long gone.

After navigating their way back to the surface, Sweetie Belle was pleased to see there was no lock down on the first floor. Apparently the security wanted to keep their little breach a secret, though there were a number of security teams rushing to the elevators.

It took a while, but the pair finally found an exit to the vents that lead to a clear hall way. Sovereign kicked out the grill, turned invisible again and started making his way out. Sweetie Belle was upset with the amount of noise he had just made. If anyone were around the corner, they surely would have come to investigate. She placed the grill back on the vent so no one would notice, and then walked out the hall way uncloaked. If a ghost found her cloaking through the hall, it would attract attention. She figured the best way to escape now was out the front door and in plain sight. The security detail relied mostly on the neural inhibitor implants in order to keep students in check; they didn’t seem to have much of a contingency plan for when a ghost takes their implant offline.

Sweetie Belle returned to her room, grabbed a duffel bag and filled it with whatever food and clothing she had. To her surprise, Twilight still wasn’t looking for her yet. That sleep induced on her must still be in effect. Next Sweetie went to the armory and began putting whatever equipment she could get a hold of into her duffel bag. The quartermaster recognized her since she’s been here on an almost daily basis, so he didn’t ask questions.

He knew she was Twilights student, and he knew very well not to get on Twilight's bad side. As always, she walked out the front door of the academy, and no one said a word. She didn’t like to admit it, but she had come to enjoy the respect and fear that the uniform demanded. It wasn’t the same as the love and adoration she was used to receiving when she performed a song back at the colony, but it might be what helped her make her way off world.

She then came to a realization. What was she going to do now? It wouldn’t be long before Twilight went looking for her. She couldn’t go home, that’s the first place Twilight would look. Reality just set in. She was no longer welcome in the Dominion. She would have to leave Dominion space, as well as all her friends and family.

The first thing she needed to do was find somewhere to change her clothing. Walking around in ghost armor wasn't exactly the best way to keep a low profile. When she was certain no one was looking, she activated her cloaking then, ran off to an alley to change. It wasn’t much, just a plan white skirt, but it would do.

As she was about to leave the ally, she turned the corner and was knocked over. Something was pressing down on her. That something was an invisible Sovereign. “What are you doing?” she asked, “Korhal security might not be able to see you, but that doesn’t mean Dominion Intelligence can’t!”

“Those idiots let you walk out the door. I doubt I have anything to worry about,” replied Sovereign as he got off her.

“That’s because I didn’t draw attention to myself!" replied Sweetie. "How could someone with the ability to turn invisible know so little about keeping a low profile? When you turn invisible, you leave a psionic shadow. Dominion Intelligence agents have equipment that can see it!”

“It’s better that a ghost MIGHT see me, rather than knowing Korhal security will see me.”

Sweetie Belle face palmed. “Was I this stupid when I showed up? No wonder Twilight caught you the first time. If security sees you, you’re just another pony. If DI sees you while your invisible, you’re a spy. Do you understand?”

“Alright I get it,” said Sovereign defensively. “But I don’t have any other clothing, and walking naked on Korhal isn’t exactly keeping a low profile either.”

“Ok, we need to get you some new clothing. I’ve been outside the academy enough to know of a mall not to far from here. I need you to turn invisible, get some clothing on, and then sneak out,” ordered Sweetie Belle.

“Didn’t you just say not to turn invisible?” asked Sovereign.

“DON’T START THAT AGAIN!" warned Sweetie. "It’s just for a few minutes. It’s better to risk taking action instead of waiting around to be caught. Remember; keep your psionics to a minimum. In fact, give me that blade.”

“No! How do I know you won’t run off with it?” asked Sovereign.

“Would you rather leave it behind a dumpster and pray it’ll be here when you get back?” she asked. "Walking around with that thing will definitely attract attention. Let me keep it in my bag." Sovereign hesitantly handed her the blade which she then put into her duffle bag.

“Remember, just walk in, grab something, then sneak out. Let's get to it. Follow me to the mall, do what you need to do, then meet me at the bus stop by the malls entrance,” instructed Sweetie.

Sovereign did as Sweetie Belle asked, eventually making his way into the store as stealthily as he could. A part of him just wanted to leave that mare and try his luck on his own again. Then he remembered how easily Twilight was able to spot him when he was hiding in Consortium space after less than a month’s time. He simply didn’t know enough about the other cultures to blend in. Without her, he knew he’d just be easy pickings again.

With so many other shoppers moving around, he had to be careful not to bump into anyone. As soon as Sovereign could, he grabbed some shirts and made his way into the changing rooms. Now that he could walk freely, since the shirt also helped to cover his markings, he decided he might as well grab something for Sweetie as well. Partly because she was willing to help him, and partly because he was feeling a bit guilty for being such a rude roommate during the two weeks he was trapped inside her mind. He picked out a nice white dress with a light purple trim he was sure would match her coat and mane perfectly. Now it was time to escape

Sneaking out with his invisibility would be easy, but carrying the boxed dress would prove difficult. He remembered how Sweetie Belle managed to simply walk out of the academy by pretending she wasn’t doing anything wrong. Perhaps if he simply acted like he wasn’t stealing, no one would notice? As he passed out the doorway, he heard an alarm go off. “Hey! Are you going to pay for that?!” shouted the mare at the counter.

Again, he thought back to how Sweetie Belle just walked out the door at the academy. If he acted like nothing was wrong, she’d just ignore him… maybe. As he continued walking out the door, Sovereign heard her shout, “Security! We have a shop lifter!”

Sovereign tried walking away faster, but was quickly stopped by a security guard. “You have committed crimes against Korhal and her people. What say you in your defense?”

Sovereign thought up a lie quickly. “I… own the store?”

The guard wasn’t convinced. “You’re coming with me young man,” he replied. Sovereign surrounded himself with the black mist once again. The mist shot forward and he reappeared several yards behind the guard, then took off running. “Stop thief!” yelled the guard taking off after him. Fortunately Sovereign was already far ahead. He turned a corner, then teleported a far distance putting himself safely out of view.

Once he thought he was a safe distance, he casually made his way to the bus stop where Sweetie Belle said to meet him. “Mission accomplished! Now lets get out of here.”

“You sure are breathing hard. Why are you sweating? What’s with the box?” she asked

“Just a little show of appreciation. Go ahead, open it,” he insisted.

Sweetie Belle gasped as she opened up the box. She was deeply touched to see the beautiful dress he had gotten for her. But her joy quickly faded when she realized what he had done. “You stole a dress? Why would you do that?!”

“You’re welcome. You know I almost got arrested getting you that dress...” replied Sovereign.

Sweetie Belle calmed down. It’s not as if she could do anything about it now. His heart was in the right place, even if his head wasn’t. “Alright, I’m sorry for yelling. It’s just we really can’t afford to be taking unnecessary risk like this.”

“Well… it was just my way of apologizing for the way I acted during the last two weeks," he said. Again, Sweetie Belle was touched that he was trying to make amends. At least that meant he wasn't a total jerk.

"But we do have another problem," he continued. "One of the security guards saw my face.”

“I wouldn’t worry about that. I doubt they’re going to start a man hunt over it. Of course we can never return to that mall.” Sweetie Belle examined her dress again and noticed the security ink strip was still on it. “And I have to take care of this. No biggy. My sister ran a dress shop; I know how to remove them.”

Sovereign was a bit nervous for the next part he was about to say. “Right well… I might have been forced to use my magic and… well they’ve probably called it in by now.”

Sweetie Belle was angry, yet somehow unsurprised. “How did you even get caught? I said to sneak out, and you can turn invisible!”

“I… walked out the front door," said Sovereign. "I thought I could hide in plain sight like you did.”

Sweetie Belle was trying to hold back her laughter now. “Well for one thing, your shirt still has the price tag on it. Why would you… never mind." Sweetie Belle had to accept that this stallion was as naïve as a child. In a way, he reminded her of her very gullible air headed self when she was a filly. "Thanks for the dress, I appreciate it. But next time, let’s not do anything reckless. Anyway, the bus will be here soon. Whatever you do, don’t use any magic, and we should be fine. Oh, I got you this too.” Sweetie Belle presented Sovereign with a hat to help cover his horn.

“Did you steal this hat?” he asked.

“Well… yes," she admitted. "But that horn of yours is a bit conspicuous you have to admit.”

Sovereign smiled at the simple brown round hat. It wasn’t the fanciest fashion statement, but he did appreciate the thought. “Well… I guess that puts us even then doesn’t it?”

“Uhhh…”

Sovereign raised an eye brow. “What else did you steal?”

Sweetie Belle presented a number of small bills. “We needed the bits for the bus. Don’t worry, I wasn’t caught. And the guy was really well dressed, I’m sure he won’t miss 24 bits.”

Sovereign didn’t question how she got the money. He was more interested on surviving right now. The bus had finally arrived, and the two of them made their way aboard.

“So where are we going and what’s our next move?” he asked.

“Our next move is to get money fast, the only way I can think of,” she replied. “We’re going to a very crowded place. There will be lots of security, and they will probably try to murder us if they suspect we are doing anything illegal. That said, keep your head down, and let me do all the talking. In fact, you might even want to just consider waiting at the bus stop until I come back."

“I’m not waiting on the bus stop.” said Sovereign. "Don’t worry, I promise I’ll behave.”

“Are you sure? Because these people aren’t like the mall cops,” warned Sweetie. "They'll break our hooves if we're discovered."

“I’m sure.” assured Sovereign.

The two were relatively quiet for the entire bus ride. Thankfully the bus made it to it’s destination without any problems from Korhal security. By now Dominion Intelligence was probably on high alert back at the mall, but there were only so many of them, and they had an entire planet to search. As long as they kept a low profile, Sweetie Belle was sure she could stay off the radar.

The bus eventually came to a stop at a busy avenue where all the streets were lined with casinos. Sovereign had been to a place like this before. They had many places similar to it back when he was living in the Consortium. He knew what she was thinking, because he had done the same thing while he was trying to fit in with “normal” pony society after separating from the Khala. It didn’t go too well. While it was easy for him to win, thanks to having the advantage of being able to see into the minds of others, his constant winning streaks were also what attracted the attention of Twilight Sparkle. “Sweetie, I don’t think this is a good idea. This is how I was caught in the first place.”

“Probably because you stayed at one casino and got greedy. I’m not going to stay at any one place for too long. We’ll hit up each casino, earn a couple thousand and be off for the night,” she said. Sovereign still didn’t agree with this course of action, but Sweetie Belle wouldn’t be convinced otherwise.

As predicted, Sweetie Belle managed to score quite the fortune at the tables. Admittedly she got just a little bit greedy, but by shifting from casino to casino, the pair managed to keep a low profile. Sovereign was also able to make some money as well, though not nearly as much. He was still a bit nervous from what happened last time. That and he never really understood the reasoning for acquiring vast amounts of excess wealth. In his eyes, the more money they had, the more attention it would bring.

After Sweetie Belle was satisfied, especially since she was able to get herself a nice sun hat to match her new dress, it was decided the two would finally retire and get some rest. Sweetie Belle got them a room at one of the hotels, and ordered some room service for dinner. She made sure to pay extra so that they wouldn’t ask for information. Now that they were finally alone, it seemed like they could talk without worrying if someone was listening in on them.

“Now that we have enough money to get off world, I’m thinking we should leave tomorrow. We can get ourselves some tickets and be on the first shuttle into Consortium space before noon,” suggested Sovereign.

“Consortium space? I thought you would be more interested in returning home,” replied Sweetie Belle.

“I have a life in Consortium space," said Sovereign. "At least I had one before your friend showed up and dragged me to this Imperial hell hole… no offense.”

“What were you doing in Consortium space in the first place?” asked Sweetie Belle.

Sovereign hung his head down in shame before answering. He wasn’t able to look her in the eyes as he said it. “I… kind of… ran away.”

“You ran away from home?” Sweetie Belle started to laugh at the embarrassed stallion. “Aren’t you a bit old for that? If you don’t agree with your parents, just move out,” she replied.

“No! It’s not like that,” said Sovereign.

“Then what? All I’m hearing so far is a grown stallion who can’t take care of himself. From what I’ve seen today, I’m surprised the Consortium didn’t eat you alive. Honestly who steals a shirt by putting it on while the price tag is still showing?” she said trying to hold back a smile. “And if you aren’t going back into Khala space, why the Consortium? That’s the worst of the five subsectors!”

“Well my choices are a bit limited," explained Sovereign. "The Vatican would have me killed on sight for heresy against Celestia, you’ve seen what your government wants to do to me, and the Confederacy would only let me stay if I enlisted. That kind of limits my options.”

“Well now that you’re about to be free, wouldn’t you rather just go home?” asked Sweetie Belle. An idea suddenly crossed her mind. How could she not have already seen it? “Are… you an exile?” Sovereign didn’t answer the question, he just looked away. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to-."

"Don't worry about it," he said.

Sweetie Belle felt terrible for poking fun at him. His situation was no laughing matter, considering she was going through a similar experience. “Is it alright if I asked what you did?”

“It’s not so much what I did do, but more what I was unable to do. I used to be someone of importance where I came from. But one day I was no longer able to fulfill my role. I was worried that if everyone thought I was worthless, they would get rid of me. So I ran.” said Sovereign.

“If you were so vital, why run? I'm sure they would have tried to work something out. Couldn't they have found another use for you?” asked Sweetie Belle.

Sovereign took a deep breath trying to come up with a good way to explain. “Do you know what the Khala is?”

“Some kind of mass psychic link right?” she answered.

“Yes. And when someone dies, a particularly small group of us absorb their memories. We’re called Preservers. We’re supposed to store every ones memories, and keep track of all events.” explained Sovereign.

“So, you’re like some kind of walking history archive for your people then?” asked Sweetie Belle.

Sovereign nodded. “It’s very rare for anyone to be born with the potential to be a preserve, as it requires you to be able to absorb peoples thoughts. Its how I was able to absorb Twilights thoughts, and how I'm able to see into the thoughts of others who aren't linked with the Khala. It's one of the greatest honors and responsibilities one can hold in the Khala.”

“That doesn’t sound to bad. Why weren't you able to be a preserver anymore?” said Sweetie Belle.

“About a year ago, I finally completed the training to become a preserver. It was horrible. On my very first day, one of our ships was destroyed in a raid, fighting over some planet I’ve never even heard of. Next thing you know, I have the memories of the entire crews last moments of terror jumping into my brain. I kept feeling their fear. I kept feeling their regret for all the family they were going to leave behind. All the things they would never do. Another ship was destroyed later that month, and again another flood of memories made their way in. Those memories… they wouldn’t go away. Not to mention the deaths of individuals on a regular basis. Every day I was haunted by the memories of another one of my people experiencing death.” explained Sovereign.

“Did you try to get help?” asked Sweetie Belle.

“I brought it up with my mentor," replied Sovereign. "She told me that I would get used to it eventually, that I would learn to deal with the pain of experiencing death time and time again. I wanted to believe that, but not everyone agreed.”

“If it's so terrible, why have preservers?” asked Sweetie Belle.

“It’s important we preserve the memories of our people. And the truth is that most preservers are able to handle it. We spend most of our youth getting ready for the emotional strain. I was told that what I was going through was completely natural, and that I would get stronger over time,” said Sovereign.

“Are you still receiving memories?” she asked.

Sovereign pointed to the stump on his head that used to be his horn. “In order to receive memories, we have to stay connected to the Khala at all times. After this was done to me, my link was permanently severed. That's when I realized I wouldn't be able to continue my duties as a preserver anymore. After that, I ran away from the capital to try to make a home on one of our other colonies. But it wasn't long before someone caught me.”

"Is it alright if I asked who did that to you?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"No," replied Sovereign firmly.

Sweetie Belle could tell that was the extent she was going to get out of him for now. “So have the nightmares stopped?” she asked.

“I haven’t heard a single voice in my head ever since, and slowly the nightmares went away,” he replied.

“But you’re still able to use magic. How is that possible?” she asked.

“A group called the Dark Templar discovered a source of magic called the void. You’d have to have an understanding of magic in the first place in order to use it," explained Sovereign. "Fortunately they stored their knowledge in memory crystals, and my friend provided me with one which had everything I needed to know after I lost my horn.”

“Wait, why did your friend have a memory crystal? You said you ran away when your horn was cut off. Did your friend just happen to be carrying something like that on hand?” she asked.

Sovereign glared at her, and it was obvious that Sweetie had struck a nerve. "I'm going to bed," was all he answered with.

Sweetie Belle couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. She could relate to losing her home, friends and family. If they had one thing in common, it’s that soon they would both be exiles.