The group of friends and dragon went inside the ship, to the right they saw the pilot, and to the left they saw a hallway. They went through the hallway to see a triangle like shape with a map of the galaxy floating over it. Twilight was amazed of how much ponies advanced to the future that she wanted to learn more about and asked.
“This ship is so… amazing.”
“Yes, that’s because it’s was co-developed by the ponies and my race.” A voice said behind the group. They turned around and found that the voice came from a pony like creature that its head looked like a type of insect would have, even its hooves were insect like. They just stared at him till he said. “Are you going to keep staring or are you going to ask me a question?”
Twilight regain composer and answered. “Sorry we didn’t mean to stare at you.” Twilight then looked at her friends that were still staring. “Right?”
The other mares and dragon regain composer for they wouldn’t offend the alien any further. Applejack trotted to him and said. “You must be Neylis, the captain said that you are a uh...” Applejack tried to remember what his species name is but was cut off by Neylis.
“Turian, yes I am and you must be the ‘Elements of Harmony’ I recently heard of.” He looked at all of them that even though they gave nervous smiles he still could see that they still can’t believe that there seeing an alien. “And don’t worry about the stare part. I can only imagine what you seven are going through.” All six mares a dragon sighed in relief that he wasn’t angry at them for their rudeness earlier. “Well you should buckle in. This ship is about to lift off in three minutes.”
With that he left them and the group went to the lower deck to get ready for the Ponyvilles departure. They sat in their quarters when they heard a humming noise from the lower deck then suddenly the ship began to lift off into the sky. Twilight looked out of the window seeing that they are going through Trinity’s atmosphere and into space. The rest of the mares minus for Spike for being a little air… Space sickness looked out of the window seeing their entire solar system. They saw the planet Marez and then the planet Unicornus. Twilight was so excited seeing the planets that in the past could only observe them by telescope, and then she saw a strange device nearby the dwarf planet Plutail. The device looked like a giant horse shoe with two circling rings spinning around a blue energy sphere in the middle of the horse shoe. The mares were wondering what it is till they realize that the ship was getting closer to and then the pilot’s voice came out of the ship’s speakers.
“Approaching the Mass Stalray, all crew standing by.”
The ship got closer and then the energy from the Mass Stalray stretch out to the Ponyville and surrounded it into a blue ore, and then in a blink of an eye the ship went into faster than light jump to their destination.
*******************
Somewhere else Shepherd in his N7 armor trotted up to the pilot room to see what’s happening. He stopped and looked at the stallion in the cockpit and was going to ask him a question till Neylis came and spoke first.
“How’s the ship’s speed helmsman Monstal?”
“15 knots and stabilizing. And call me Joker.”
“15 is good, your captain would be pleased ‘Joker’.”
Neylis then trotted out of the pilot room. “I hate that stallion.” Joker said, the stallion next to him replied.
“Neylis gave you a compliment, so you hate him.”
“Hey copying your flank on a copier without getting caught is good Hayden.” Joker said while concentration on flying. “I just went through FTL jump without slowing down for a second, so that is worth a compliment. I know, because I did both.”
Then the com from captain Antlerson came up and asked. “Joker how long will we get to Eden Octimus?”
“About 15 minutes or less captain.” Joker replied to Antlerson. “Oh and Neylis is coming down to see you captain.”
“I know Joker he’s right next to me.”
With that captain Antlerson com went silent and Shepherd said. “He sounds angry.” He then trotted out of the pilot room. “Something must have gone wrong.”
“He always sounds like that when talking to me commander.” Joker said.
“Don’t know why?” Hayden sarcastically said.
*******************
In the quarter deck of the Ponyville the 6 friends and baby dragon began to trot around the Ponville when they heard two ponies speaking with each other. They trotted up to the two ponies and Twilight asked.
“Um excuse me but can you tell us your names?”
The two ponies turned to face the group and the young stallion of the group answered. “I’m Jump In and this is Bandage heart.” Twilight was about to introduce themselves till Jump In spoke. “And you’re Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy. The bearers of the elements of harmony.”
Twilight was quite shocked knowing that word of their presence have already spread in just a short amount of time and said. “Um yes that’s us.” She wanted to ask him how he knew them but she decided to brush it off and asked another question. “So what were you two talking about?”
Jump In was going to answer but Bandage heart answered first. “We we’re just talking about Commander Shepherd.” She then glanced at Jump In. “And about the Spectres, right private Jump In?”
“Come on doc you have to admit that Shepherd would make a good Spectre.” He also glanced to the doctor. “He proved he can after he lost his entire unit on Ahooves.”
Rainbow then poke up and asked. “Who’s this Commander Shepherd?”
“The commander is one of the legendary marines in the Pony Alliance military.” Jump In proudly said. “He’s the only survivor the came out of Ahooves.”
“What yal talking about this Ahooves, is it some kind of place?” Applejack asked.
“It’s a planet that was going to be colonized until a Pony Alliance unit of 50 ponies were killed by dozens of thresher maws, and is now considered to hostile that the Pony Alliance decided to abandon it.” Bandage Heart said.
“What’s a thresher maw?” Fluttershy asked. “Is it some kind of animal?”
“Thresher maws are like giant worms that are similar to quarray eels, just a lot more aggressive.” Bandage answered.
“Yeah and Shepherd was in that unit when it happened.” Jump In said. “The commander is the only one that made it out of Ahooves after witnessing his entire unit die in front of him, isn’t that awesome!”
Rainbow Dash then flew in front of Jump In with a frown on her face and said. “I don’t think he feels awesome about what happened to him.”
Jump In back away a few steps and said. “Sorry didn’t mean to disrespect the commander. I’m just saying that he earns to be a Spectre.” Jump then poked up again. “He did get his cutie mark after Ahooves.”
“Wait he got his cutie mark after Ahooves, how old is he?” Twilight asked. “And what is a spectre?”
“The commander is about a couple of years older then you, he was a very late bloomer, trying anything he can to get his cutie mark till he was sent to Ahooves.” Bandage answered again. “And the spectres are agents that work for the counsel. You can ask Neylis for more questions about them, he is one of them.”
“Nah I’ll tell them doc. Spectres are top of the line agents that do secret missions for the counsel.” Jump In proudly said. “They are also above the law so they can break any rules or laws to get the mission done.” Applejack then perked up and said.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea putting someone with the power to break laws.”
Bandage Heart then stepped in and answered. “Maybe but sometimes necessary, and the Pony Alliance been trying to get one of their own in the spectres for years.”
Twilight was going to ask another question till Joker spoke through the com system of the entire ship.
“This is your pilot Joker of the Ponyville telling the elements of harmony and commander Shepherd that captain Antlerson would want to see all of you in the board room on the command deck.”
*******************
The mares trotted up to the command deck and saw at the entrance of the board room a light brown earth pony stallion
waiting for them. He stood attention with a salute and said.
“I’m Commander Shepherd of the Pony Alliance, I’ll be guarding you till we reach the Citadel mams.”
Twilight smiled and said. “It’s good to finally meet you Shepherd.”
Shepherd smiled as well and responded.
“Likewise princess.”
“Please call me Twilight.”
“Alright Twilight let’s see what the captain wants.”
With that Shepherd and the elements went in and instead of Antlerson they see Neylis in the room looking at a screen of a valley and asked. “Shepherd what can you tell me about Eden Octimus?” He then turned around to look at the group and Shepherd answered.
“I heard it’s a paradise in these parts of the galaxy.”
“Yes a paradise that is beautiful, peaceful, and safe.” Neylis said while pacing around then stopping. “But how safe is it really?”
“What do you mean?” Shepherd asked raising an eyebrow.
“You ponies are new to the galaxy Shepherd, and the galaxy can be a dangerous place.” Neylis answered.
Then Antlerson came inside the room and said. “I think it’s time to tell the commander why he’s here.”
“I knew there something that didn’t fit.” Shepherd responded.
“Shepherd your second part of the mission is to extract an Eochippus beacon that was found on Eden Octimus.” Antlerson said. Twilight raised an eyebrow and asked.
“What’s an Eochippus beacon?”
“An Eochippus beacon is an artifact from an ancient alien species called Eochippus’es that ruled the galaxy 50,000 years ago but then suddenly vanished without a trace.” Neylis answered. “They also build the Citadel and the Mass Stalrays making intergalactic space travel possible.”
“This isn’t the first time a beacon was discovered.” Antlerson said. “232 years ago we ponies found an Eochippus beacon on Marez that advanced our technology by 300 years, and if we didn’t found it, ponies would still be stuck in our solar system.”
“Yes, and who knows what this beacon could hold.” Neylis replied. “It might even hold blueprints of a super weapon. And that’s why this is top secret.”
Shepherd was still confused and asked. “I still don’t know why I need to do this mission.” Shepherd then looked at the 6 mares. “And why they are also a part of this.”
“This mission is also one out of many tests for you commander, because you were recommended by Neylis to be the first pony spectre.” Antlerson said, and then he turned his gaze to the 6 mares. “And the elements of harmony would also recommend you as spectre to the counsel, hopefully raising the chances.”
Neylis stepped forward and said. “Your captain is right; I’ll be observing you for several-.” Neylis didn’t finish his sentence when Joker’s voice suddenly spoke from the com.
“Captain, we just received emergency message from Eden Octimus, playing the message now!”
Everyone then looked at a large screen that showed a fire fight on a field with a soldier speaking into a camera. “Mayday mayday, were under attack we need help right-!” The soldier got shot by an unknown enemy. The others kept fight till they heard a load horn and the soldiers looked up to see a giant tentacle coming down out of the clouds. The screen went into static and Joker said.
“That’s where the message ends sure.”
Antlerson then spoke to the ship’s VI and said. “Play the video again.” The video played again till Antlerson said. “Stop.” The video stopped at when the tentacle came down. Antlerson gazed at the image and said. “Everypony suit up!” He then turned to look at the others. “This mission just got a lot more complicated.”
Shepherd still stared at the image thinking. ‘I have a bad feeling about this.’