//------------------------------// // Chapter 35: Center Stage // Story: The Koprulu Sector // by TheKopruluSectorUnion //------------------------------// A computer screen is turned on onboard Tom, as Jet Stream, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom watch an urgent news update. Terrorism! It has been a week now since the devastating psychic attack against our fair capital, and the citizens still ask the question, "Who is responsible?!" Fortunately the mares and stallions of Dominion Intelligence have found the stallion behind the heinous attack against Imperial civilians. Would you like to know more? The traitor responsible for the attack was none other than the Dark Templar, Karn'aziim. He was tried and sentenced earlier this week. Karn is shown being presented before a judge in a courthouse. The judge began reading the accused the charges he is facing. "The defendant is accused of 328 counts of murder, and 282 of attempted murder. How does he plead?" "Not guilty your honor," replied Karn. "Defendant is found guilty of 328 counts of murder, 282 counters of attempted murder, and one count of perjury. Sentence is death," announced the judge as he slammed the gavel. Now that's justice citizen! Would you like to know more? The execution will be taking place on the Dominion allied world of Cadia. And who better to carry out the execution than successor candidate Shining Armor Stone Hoof! Campion of Cadia, husband to Princess Stage Stone Hoof, and current leading candidate for successor to the throne, Shining Armor will be carrying out Imperial justice for the sake of building a stronger unity between the people of Cadia and the Dominion. Execution next Friday, all networks, all stations! Would you like to know more? Nobody loves violence more than the Cadians, and boy do they know how to celebrate the death of a traitor. Leading to the execution, there will be special appearances and live performances by renown celebrities. Among the list of entertainment will be an air show performed by the Wonder Bolts, generously provided by the Imperial family. A live performance by Sapphire Shores. A special appearance by Princess Stage Stone Hoof. All of this and much more! All concluded with a climatic gladiatorial battle between the Champion of Cadia, Shining Armor, and the despicable traitor Karn'aziim. Don't miss it citizen! "Shining armor is going to be at Cadia!" shouted Apple Bloom as she shut off the screen. Scootaloo was breathing heavily in excitement. "I can't believe it either. And I was actually complaining about having to go to that frozen hell hole," commented Scootaloo. "We're all in agreement we're watching that right?" "Damn right we are!" said Jet Stream. "Hey, maybe that's why Rainbow Dash wanted us to go? To celebrate our escape! Think she might have tickets so we can watch it in person?" Apple Bloom had her doubts about that. It was unlikely she would know about the execution ahead of time. Though she still hoped they would get to meet the legendary Shining Armor while they were there. While Scootaloo had seemed to calm down, she could still really use a distraction to help cheer her up after losing her father so recently. As the three mares filled with excitement, Rainbow Dash entered the room. She had just finished up a conversation with her least favorite mare in the sector, who had given her updated details on her next assignment. Unlike the three Imperials, she cared little as to who Shining Armor was, nor did she understand just how big of an event a Cadian execution was within both Cadia, and the Dominion. "Uhh girls. This is going to sound kind of strange but... we're going to an execution." In perfect unison, the three mares gave off a scream of excitement at the sound of the news. Twilight was busy packing her bags as she prepared to leave Korhal and pay a visit to Cadia. As she had just finished packing, Hawkens entered the room. "That's funny vice admiral, it looks like you're going somewhere. I don't recall you requesting any leave," said Hawkens as he entered the room. "Must have slipped my mind," replied Twilight. "That process can be such a hassle at times," she said as she started walking towards the door. "The criminals we're looking for left the planet a few days ago. Somehow, they managed to acquire legitimate documents allowing them to bypass security at the starport, by authority of Dominion Intelligence," said Hawkens. Twilight smiled and shrugged before replying with, "A traitor among us? That's just horrible! Well I guess you better find out who was responsible and make them pay right?" "I would, but apparently whoever is responsible destroyed any logs from that day that could lead us to the traitor. Only someone at the highest level of DI would have that kind of access," said Hawkens. "I guess you have quite the mystery on your hooves," replied Twilight. "I'll be going now sir." "Not so fast vice admiral," said Hawkens as he revealed a small remote. Twilight's heart skipped a beat when she saw what he was holding. She recognized what kind of remote that was. It was the kind used to activate neural inhibitors. She also had a good idea whose inhibitor that remote was set to. "I think I already have a good idea who was responsible." "Well sir, I'm sure you have all sorts of evidence to back up your claim. At least you should before you consider pushing that button. I would hate for there to be any retribution against you should you act on an unfounded claim," warned Twilight. "You're right," said Hawkens as he put the remote on desk by her printer. Twilight calmed down as he put down the remote. Then he picked up a stack of papers from her desk. "By the way, I need to borrow some printing paper- woops!" Hawkens "accidently" dropped the stack of papers on top of the remote, which pushed down on the button. Twilight quickly fell to the ground screaming in agony as the inhibitor started sending waves of painful torment into her brain. Through Twilight's screaming convulsions, Hawkens said, "Damn slippery hooves. Can't all be born unicorns I suppose. Well have fun on your vacation," Hawkens said as he left the room. As he closed the door behind him, the last thing he saw was Twilight still rolling on the ground. The inhibitor wasn't set to kill, it would merely inflict pain on the maximum setting. It was a rather juvenile move and he would surely be reprimanded for it later, but at least it made him feel good. Cadia was a heavily fortified world, sitting between the border of Consortium Space, Dominion Space, and Confederate space. While once a backwater not worthy of attention, the position of the borders made it a world of great strategic importance. For that reason, it was heavily fortified in both orbit, and on the surface. Its people were famous warriors for being the only group to successfully resist Confederate occupation following the rise of the New Equestrian Confederacy. In orbit were four space platforms. One belonged to the Dominion, the other three belonged to the Cadians themselves. All four were heavily fortified. A formidable Dominion fleet orbited the world at nearly all times, along with a large detachment of Dominion marines, keeping a watch out for the ever present threat of Confederate zerg raids, as well as the occasional pirate attack on ships leaving and entering the system. Neither threat was very uncommon given their location in the sector. The fleet, as well as the marine forces, technically belonged to the Dominion and were all Dominion trained. The crews however were mostly of Cadian descent, as part of a treaty between the Cadians and the Imperials. It was not uncommon as many Cadians would join the Dominion military, the marine corps especially, in search of adventure and combat. While technically independent of the Dominion in terms of government, the Cadians were the second largest supplier of infantry volunteers for the Dominion Marine corps, right behind Korhal itself. Though their governments were under different leaderships, the two worlds were closely joined by sharing much of the same military forces. The Cadians provided the stallions for the defense of their world, while the Dominion provided the hardware they would use. While an allied world of the Dominion, they welcome just about any outsider to walk the surface of their world, provided they were unarmed. The only exception to this were Dark Templars and Ghosts, who were generally killed upon discovery. A private "transport" had just docked with DSP in orbit. The transport was actually a Dominion capital ship. It was the Emperor's private flag ship, a minotaur class battle cruiser called the "Iron Will." The ship was among the most heavily armed in the Dominion armada, and normally reserved specifically for carrying the Emperor himself. But trips to Cadia always presented somewhat of a danger, and given the VIP on board, the Emperor made an exception to loaning out his personal floating fortress. The interior of the Iron Will seemed like most other military vessels, with the exception of royal quarters reserved for the Imperial family. The mare who was currently occupying those quarters was Stage Stone Hoof, daughter of the current, and soon to be retired emperor, Maximus Stone Hoof. The mare hesitantly answered an incoming call. As she turned on the monitor, her father's face came on screen. "Yes father?" she said trying to hide her annoyance. "You arrived late again..." said the stallion not hiding his disappointment. "I told you I had to attend another event. Don't worry, I'm not going to miss the stupid execution," she said defensively. "This execution is important to the Cadians, and given the stallion's crimes, it's important to our people as well. They'll want to see their future Empress attend," he demanded. "So show up, stand by your husband and force a smile. I don't want you causing a scene. People are already starting to talk. There is concern if things within the Imperial family are going poorly." "Well you forced me to marry a stallion from a world of flesh eating savages, whose idea of a romantic date is me watching him drench himself in another stallion's blood. Yes I'd say things are going poorly," retorted Stage. "Now is not the time for your attitude girl! The people love Shining Armor, and this union is what will finally make Cadia a permanent member of the Dominion. Stop being selfish and do what needs to be done!" he demanded. Stage knew what he was referring too. "I'm not ready for children yet father. My producer just landed me a role in-" "-I don't care about your stupid movie career! You're an Empress first and above all else! Your acting can wait!" shouted Maximus. Stage gritted her teeth in response to his attack. "Look father, I just want this one thing. After I finish this last project, I promise I'll put aside all personal aspirations, lay in bed with my legs spread open, and just let Shining Armor go at me all day. I'll populate a whole planet of grand children for you if that's what you want. Just let me do this first. Just let me leave behind my own legacy," "The Dominion is your legacy," said Maximus. "No! It's your legacy. A generation after I die, no one will even remember I was part of the Imperial family. I'll just be Shining Armor's wife, that one mare who he slept with now and then." Both her and her father knew what she meant. It was no secret between the two of them that Shining Armor's heart laid with another mare. "Be careful when you say things like that around! The last thing we need is a scandal. Shining Armor has to win this election, and saying things like that don't help," warned Maximus. Stage rolled her eyes. "One more project father. Then I'm done," she cut off communication and prepared for what she was certain would be a rather cold reception when she landed on the icy planet blow. The mare's coat was of a yellowish shade of a light tan. Her mane and tail was six shades of grey and black, and her eyes were a bright violet. Her cutie mark was a gold compass rose with a green background, as she was always somewhat of an explorer as a child. She was a Pegasus due to her mothers lineage. Stage dressed herself in a white camouflaged artic suit with that was similar to an outfit she wore on an earlier movie she starred in, "Daring Do and the Frozen Hive." She had a large fan following who always loved to see her in one of her movie outfits, even if her father preferred she wore a regalia more befitting a princess. As the princess left her quarters, a group of elite Imperial Guard were already at the door waiting to escort her to her shuttle, which would take her to the surface below. Unlike most ships which had to dock at a space platform, then transfer to a shuttle to launch passengers to the planet's surface, the Iron Will came equipped with its own shuttle bay. While she could take her private shuttle directly to the planet's surface, Stage always liked to make an appearance on camera, and she knew there would be reporters waiting for her when she stepped off. She opted for the more public form of transportation. As she stepped off the Iron Will, she was immediately assaulted by the flash of cameras. The Imperial Guards immediately started shooing away the photographers and cleared a path for her, while random questions were being sent her way. One stallion immediately shouted, "Mrs. Stone Hoof, your last Mare Do Well movie brought in four hundred million across the sector, what do you plan to do with your share of the money." "As always, a large portion of my income will be donated to the war orphan fund," answered Stage. Another mare asked, "Ms. Stone Hoof, will you still be making an appearance at the next Injured Veterans Charity Drive taking place in the capital a week after the execution?" "I'm afraid I'll be busy, but I'm sure Daring Do can be convinced to attend," she replied. The audience that gathered around the reporters gave off a round of cheers at the news. A final stallion asked a question as she made it to the elevator. "Mrs. Stone Hoof, there have been unconfirmed rumors you will be going through a semi permanent change to your mane and fur, changing them to brown and grey respectfully for your new movie project, "Fallout Equestria." Is it true you will be going through this alteration to play the role of Little Pip?" "I'm afraid I'm bound by contract to keep any information regarding Fallout Equestria strictly under wraps," announced stage. The audience gave an collective groans of disappointment when she refused to answer their question. Stage followed up with a, "But on a completely personal note, yes you can expect to see a change in fur and mane soon, which may or may not have anything to do with a certain upcoming project. In fact, I may even be wearing a unicorn horn. " The reporters barraged her with a series of follow up questions, but the elevator closed before they could ask anything else, leaving her alone with her guards. Hours later, on the other side of the planet's orbit, a luxury liner had docked in one of the Cadian controlled space platforms, as Sovereign, Sweetie Belle and Rain Sight disembarked the ship. They didn't make it far before a group of Dominion marines quickly surrounded the three of them. "Hold it right there!" their leader shouted. "Under the authority of Director Hawkens of Dominion Intelligence, you are under arrest." None of them were armed at the moment, so they were at a severe disadvantage. Not only that, but if they tried to fight on this platform, the entire area would be swarming with militia aiming to kill them. Sweetie Belle was about to start whispering a song in hopes of putting them to sleep, but Sovereign warned her that they didn't want to attract that kind of attention yet. What are we suppose to do?! she replied. I am not going to jail! Maybe Twilight thought of something for this as well? he suggested while sitting down and putting his hoofs up. You want to put your faith in her?! she replied still not putting up her hoofs. Before things got out of hand, a group of Cadian militia, who were responsible for security on the Cadian controlled platforms, showed up. They were also sporting full power armor and gauss weapons, so they would be able to go toe to toe with the marines if things escalated. "What's going on here?" asked the militia commander leading the group. "We're under orders to arrest these three," replied the marine leader. "We haven't received any such orders," said the militia. "This matter doesn't concern you." said the marine as one of his men grabbed Sovereign. "This space platform is our jurisdiction, only we're authorized to make any arrest," argued the militia. "You'll make an exception," the marine insisted as two more of his men grabbed Rain Sight and Sweetie Belle. The militia immediately pointed their rifles at the marines. "Don't force my hand brother. We don't want to kill you, but we will not let the Dominion circumvent our authority on this platform." The marines quickly returned the gesture, as now both groups where poised for a fire fight in close quarters. "These three aren't worth it," argued the marine. "We're under orders from Dominion Intelligence themselves." "DI has no authority on this world." countered the militia. "Though out of curiosity, what did they do?" The marine paused for a moment before answering. "We don't know. We don't question orders from DI." "Brother, you are outnumbered here. We don't wish to kill fellow Cadian's, but if you force our hand, you will not leave this place alive. Just turn around. If anyone asks, they were already gone before you got here," pleaded the militia commander. The marine commander thought about the situation. He, and most of his men who were also Cadian's, didn't want to fight their own people. That and his group would never be able to fight their way off the platform if they did. His men would die for nothing, as would some of the militia as well. "Let them go," he ordered. The other marines released the three ponies, then return to their shuttle. "Thanks," said Rain Sight. "So, what are you doing on this station?" asked the militia commander. "Must be something pretty big if Dominion Intelligence is after you." Rain Sight however presented another set of documents. "I believe this exempt us from any further questioning," she said. The commander's visor opened up as he inspected the documents. "You're guest of Shinning Armor?" asked the militia commander. "Yes, now if you excuse us, we really must be going. My husband and I are expected on the planet's surface," announced Rain Sight. "I'm terribly sorry for the delay," said the commander. "My men will escort you to the nearest shuttle." "Thank you very much kind sir," said Rain Sight bowing in respect. As the three of them were escorted to a shuttle, Sweetie Belle asked, "You know Shining Armor?" "Not me, but apparently Twilight does. I'm as surprised as you are," replied Rain Sight. "Who is Shining Armor?" asked Sovereign. Sweetie Belle sighed at the question. "You have a lot of catching up to do," she said as she began explaining the political situation. It had taken a while, but Twilight eventually gathered the strength to knock the stack of papers off the remote that was pressing down on the button. She had no idea how long it had been; minutes, maybe even hours? She was still trembling from the ordeal, and drenched in sweat as well. Just wait you bastard... just wait Twilight slowly rose and gathered her bags before walking out the door. Stage made her way to the hanger bay to secure a shuttle for the surface. Very much to her somewhat delightful surprise, a shuttle had already been prepared for her. The Imperial Guard escorted the princess to the shuttle, and on board was a familiar unicorn stallion. He wore a white coat of fur, a mane and tail of three shades of blue across five stripes. His cutie mark was a blue shield, with a pink six point star in the center. His eyes were a shade of light bright blue. For clothing he was wearing a red coat, with a gold collar and cuffs, as well as a blue sash around his chest. "Shining! I didn't expect you to meet me personally!" she said in a very surprised and joyful tone. "You're usually busy." In truth, Shining Armor wasn't there to pick up his wife. He was here to pick someone else up, but it would still be a while before they arrived. News of his wife's arrival traveled quickly, so he thought it was best to make a good impression and meet her at the hanger bay personally. "Well I was in the area and..." he immediately regretting not simply lying and claiming he had come to pick her up. "You had no intention of meeting me personally did you?" she asked bluntly. Her happy expression quickly faded. "I had other business at hand, but I'm here now," he replied. "Right... because it was convenient," she added. Shining Armor sighed. "Listen, I'm here, you're here. Just put on a smile for the cameras when we land," he said bluntly. Stage sighed before saying, "Alright." There was a silence between the two for about a minute before she decided to end the awkwardness. "So... my award ceremony is a few days after the... execution," she said trying to hide her disgust. "Will you be attending?" she asked in a hopeful tone. "Oh that... we've been invited to dinner with a group of magistrates the same day. Your father will be there and he expects to see us both to attend as well," he answered. "But... I already accepted the invitation. I let you know about it months ahead of time. You even said you would try to make room in your schedule for it," she responded with much disappointment in her voice. "Well I'm sorry, but we can't make it. There will be eight prominent magistrates attending the dinner along with their families, and we want to stay on their good side if we want their support in the election," replied Shining Armor. Stage frowned as she looked down at the shuttle floor. "You never make time," she said. "Hey, I'm doing what I do for the betterment of my people. You should be doing the same for yours. Wasting time at some award ceremony isn't exactly important business," said Shining Armor. "It's important to me," she replied in a soft voice. Shining Armor rolled his eyes and looked out the window. "I always show up to events whenever you demand it. This is my fourth time this year visiting this world for the sake of this alliance. I was at that USO show you wanted me to attend. I was there when you wanted me to see off the new boot camp graduates at the ceremony. I'm showing up to your execution now. But you never come to visit me at Korhal, and you can't be bothered to show up to any of my events." "I visited Korhal last year," he said trying to defend himself. "Yeah, for a funeral ceremony. You disappeared the rest of the day, we barely said a word to one another!" argued Stage. "Because my presence was requested elsewhere that night," said Shining Armor. "They had just launched a new ship for the armada, and they wanted me to be there to see off the crew. The Lord Admiral of that region and his magistrates were going to be there." "I was attending an event to visit the war orphanage. You could have gone with me for that instead! Those kids would have loved to see you there. At least then we could have spent a few days together," countered Stage. Shining Armor stayed quiet and let his wife continue her rant. "You never visit, you never call, and if I didn't show up these events, we would probably never even see each other all." Shining Armor sighed and said, "I'll make time after this alright? Just calm down." "You always say that..." said Stage. Again she looked down at the floor with a depressed look on her face. "I'm supposed to be your wife but... sometimes I'm not even sure you care." Shining Armor growled in frustration. "You know what? Maybe I can't go to all your stupid events because unlike you, I can't waste time on worthless things like movies and award shows! I'm going to be expected to run your father's Empire in a few years, I'm going to be expected to do things that matter! I'm sorry I can't waste more time with my loving wife, who can't seem to get it through her head that there are more important things going on than her own personal life!" he shouted. Stage was quiet, and somewhat left terrified by his outburst. "I'm sorry," she said in a low voice. Shining Armor looked at her Daring Doo outfit. "Do you have to wear that thing in public?" he asked. "Find something else, it's inappropriate." "I'll change over when we land," she said as she turned away. Shining Armor paused as he heard her sniffing. Even though her back was towards him, he knew she was crying. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to-" "You're right!" she said looking towards him face to face, tears now running down her cheeks. "It is stupid. I should think about the Dominion more often. In fact... I'll cancel my next project. I don't think I'll have time for it anyway." Shining Armor felt disgusted with himself. He didn't want to make her cry, and he certainly didn't want to crush her aspirations. "No... it's not stupid," he said. He wrapped his hoofs around his wife and held her tightly. "I shouldn't have called your dreams stupid. You do whatever you want alright? Don't let me stop you." "Ok," replied Stage as she tried to forced back her tears. "I'll let your father we can't make that dinner," added Shining Armor. "I'll tell him it was my idea." "Really?!" she said with a smile from ear to ear. "I'll be at your award show, I promise" said Shining Armor as he wiped a tear from her face. "And don't worry about changing over. I don't want to be the reason you had to disappoint your fans." "Thanks Shining," she said. She closed her eyes and moved her face towards his hoping for a kiss. Shining however only responded with a hug. She was happy to hear he would be willing to put off the dinner, but at the same time, she was also upset about his refusal to become more intimate with her. She had her suspicions that there was another mare involved. Stage wanted to ask him about it later, but for now she didn't want to ruin the moment. He was about to perform a rather dangerous task, and the last thing she wanted was for her husband to be concerned about his wife's currently unfounded suspicions. Twilight Sparkle had been a bit delayed with her departure due to Hawkens' interference, but she eventually arrived on Cadia. She arrived a few days after Rain Sight's party, who should have already been made themselves comfortable in their accommodations planetside. It had been a long time since she had been allowed to return home. Being a ghost made landing on the planet's surface nearly impossible for her, but with her brother's recent rise to power, he was able to pull some strings. Twilight stepped out of the starport into the open. The icy breeze of her home world blasted her in the face. Spending so many years on a desert world like Korhal, she was less than prepared for the climate change. She practically dropped her bag and ran back into the starport to get warm again, but she somehow pressed on, ears stiff, and teeth chattering. It was somewhat annoying having all that snow stick to the fur on her face. She'd forgotten how uncomfortable life on this world could be, but that's why it breeds such strong soldiers. After making her way across the town, she finally found herself at a very expensive looking restaurant where she was expecting to met her BBBFF (Big brother best friend forever). "Name please?" asked the stallion at the front desk. "Twilight Sparkle," announced Twilight. The stallion took a moment to look through the names on a screen, then replied with, "Yes, here you are. Your companion is waiting for you at your table. This way please." Twilight followed the stallion through the restaurant. Even though it was heated, the temperature was still well below what she would call comfortable. The other ponies in the restaurant seemed perfectly comfortable, so she did her best to control her shaking. This was the kind of restaurant where only natives were allowed. While Twilight was born to this world, she probably wouldn't be very welcome if the other Cadian's found out she couldn't adjust to the environment indoors. "Here you go madam," said the stallion as he took her to the table. "Thank you very much," she replied as he took his leave. Sitting on the table was Shining Armor, who rose to embrace his little sister in a hug. "Good to see you sis! It's been way too long hasn't it?" "It has," she replied. "The last time I saw you was right after that funeral ceremony on Korhal last year when you were seeing off the ship's crew after the launching ceremony. I was surprised I was able to get you away from your wife so quickly." "Yeah... she wasn't to happy about that," responded Shining Armor. "So how are things going between you two?" asked Twilight. "Things could be better," said Shining Armor. A waiter came by and presented the two of them with large steaks, then took his leave. "Oh... you ordered for us," said Twilight looking down at the piece of dead flesh laying before her. Shining armor sliced off a piece of the meat and dug right in. "Yeah this place serve the best ursalisk in town. You'll love it," he assured her. Twilight grinned nervously trying not to offend her brother. She also didn't want to give off the impression that her years on Korhal had done anything to weaken her Cadian stomach. She picked up a fork and slowly prodded the flesh. Shining Armor could tell she didn't find the meal very appealing. "Oh... sorry. I guess all that time with the Imperials has softened up your stomach a bit." "No it's fine!" she said as she sliced off a piece of the steak and brought it near her mouth. "If you want, I could have them bring you some vegetables," suggested Shining Armor. Twilight put the steak into her mouth, chewed it as best as she could, then swallowed hard as the flesh slivered down her throat. "Very... juicy." she said feigning a smile to hide her disgust. "That's the Twilight I remember! Cadian born and true!" said a proud Shining Armor as he devoured another piece of his steak. "So, when is my wife going to finally be allowed to meet her secret sister in law?" asked Shining Armor. "Not at the moment," she said. "It's best only you, me, Hawkens and your father-in-law know for now. Key words being for now." "Right, your plan. Are you sure you want to do this?" asked Shining Armor. "Hawkens is not the kind of stallion you want to cross." "And I'm not the kind of mare you want to use a neural inhibitor on just because you had a bad day with the media," grumbled Twilight. "He what?!" said Shining Armor almost shouting. "Just wait until-" "-Shining" interrupted Twilight. "I appreciate the protective big brother routine, but I want to get even with him in my own way." She smiled for a moment. "It's going to be a good to finally sit in his office." Shining Armor commented, "I still wish you didn't have to run off and work for Korhal. You could have been a powerful controller here," said Shining Armor. "I know, but being a controller is rather limiting." said Twilight. "I wanted to reach my full potential, and the Ghost Academy was the only place that offered the training I needed. Plus you have to admit, it was a lot easier for you to get to where you are with help on the inside right, Mr. Soon to be Emperor Shining Armor Stone Hoof." "True... though I wish I could have kept our last name," he replied. He was never too happy about the matrilineal marriage, but it was his only way into the royal family. "Family goes deeper than just names Shining. And once I'm director of Dominion Intelligence, you won't have to keep me a secret anymore. Not from your wife, not from your lover, not from anyone," she said as she poured herself a glass of wine. "Woah slow down there. What do you mean my lover?" asked Shining Armor defensively. "Do you really need me to go into detail?" asked his little sister. "You spend almost no time with your wife, and you're always being called away on convenient trips to Cadia. I've been involved in enough affairs to know an affair when I see one." "What?!" asked Shining Armor even more surprised than before. "I'm a spy. I do what I got to do and who I got to do. There is no better blackmail than angry wife and an affair scandal right?" said Twilight as she forced down another piece of steak. At this point, she was doing her best not to throw up the flesh she had just eaten, and washed it down with some more wine. "But don't worry brother. Your wife does not need to know a thing. Same name or not, we are still family after all right? And family doesn't rat each other out." "Of course," replied Shining Armor somewhat nervously. Family or not, there are things about her he just found out that he wished he didn't know, and there are definitely things about his marriage that he didn't want her to know. He decided to change the subject. "So, any special someone in your life?" he asked? "Can't say I'm looking," she admitted. "But let's focus on more important task. The two groups I arranged to arrive here, are they situated yet?" asked Twilight. "Your friends from Dominion Intelligence are. We've been keeping a close eye on them, but they don't seem to be going anywhere. The group from Torus still hasn't arrived, but should still show up before the execution," answered Shining Armor. "If all goes well, you'll be the next director of Dominion Intelligence." "And you the next Emperor of the Dominion," added Twilight. She rose a glass and said, "To success and family." Shining Armor did the same and tapped her glass, "To success and family." No matter how many times she came here to visit Shining Armor, Stage could never get used to the frigid cold of this world. She was hoping her husband would be willing to spend the day with her. No matter how many times he performed an execution, she always worried it might back fire. It wasn't as simple as putting a stallion's head on a chopping block. Cadian tradition dictated that their champion fight the condemned pony in honorable combat in a gladiatorial type match. While undefeated, there was always the risk he might not come out of it alive. Stage felt it was important to spend time with him now especially, wondering if it could be their last week together. Instead she hears news that he is currently on a "business" meeting, which was taking place at a high end restaurant. Stage walked up the snowy steps of the restaurant and entered. The stallion at the front desk asked, "Name please madam." "Stage Stone Hoof," she replied. The stallion took a look through a list of names on a screen, then replied with, "I'm sorry madam, but I'm afraid we can't be of service to you here." "What?" asked Stage. "Why not? What's the matter?" "Natives only," he replied. She could try using the, "I'm the princess," line, but she didn't feel like making a scene. She spent enough time around magistrates and Lord Admiral families who already make liberal use of their position, and decided she didn't want to reduce herself to such behavior. "Very well then sir," was all she said as she was about to leave. But at the corner of her eye, she saw him. Her husband Shining Armor, sharing dinner with a lavender mare. So there is another mare involved? she thought as she filled with anger. She bowed her head, took a deep breath, held back her tears and walked out.