It was early December in New Alexandria. A light coating of snow covered the city as life continued unabated. Daniel sighed contently as he looked out the waiting room windows. Slowly, the captain limped over to a nearby couch and continued to wait. Today was supposed to be the day of his release from the hospital. For nearly two months, he had gone through a fairly intense physical therapy, all designed to get him moving again.
While he wouldn’t be rushing off into combat any time soon, he was at least functional enough to move on his own. Now that he was free of the hospital, there were quite a few loose ends to deal with. The biggest one being his lack of a starship or crew. Daniel chuckled dryly as he ran through a mental list of things that needed to be dealt with.
However, his train of thought was soon interrupted as the doors to the patient wing opened. Emerging from them were none other than Jonathan, Celestia, and Luna. Daniel slowly rose as the three signed their discharge paperwork at the front desk before walking over to him.
“Well, I for one, am glad to be getting out of here,” Zerom said with a nervous chuckle.
“Agreed,” both Luna and Celestia replied.
“I hear that. Anything we want to do today?” Daniel asked as the group stood by the elevator doors.
“Well, we should stop by and check in with the Director at some point,” Zerom offered.
Daniel nodded as his phone vibrated in his pocket. “True, all we need to do now is find a ride there.”
“There’s a motor pool at street level we could use,” Zerom said as he reached for the elevator call button.
“Actually, it seems we have a ride waiting for us on the landing pad.” Daniel announced as he put his phone away.
“Oh?” Luna asked with curiosity.
The four entered the elevator and began their ascent to the landing pads near the roof. As the doors to the elevator slid open, they were greeted by an idling Pelican with a man leaning against the side.
“Well, well, well, looks like you four could use a ride outta here,” Andrew called out as he walked over to the group.
“Wow, I’m surprised you’re here. Figured the Director would hang you up by your thumbs after what happened,” Daniel teased as he hugged his friend.
“Nearly did. I made some quick deals and got out of anything too painful. Can’t wait to tell you all about it,” Andrew said with a chuckle. “Princesses, you’re both looking splendid, despite everything that’s happened.”
“You’re too kind, Mister Traxus,” Celestia replied in near perfect english.
Andrew looked at Celestia with a clearly impressed expression. “Now that’s something. You’ve been here for a few months and you’ve already mastered the english language.”
“It’s surprisingly similar to equish. Many of the roots and verb conjugations are nearly identical to english and german,” Luna replied with a smirk.
“While I would love to stand here and discuss language all day, I would really prefer not to be standing in the snow while doing it,” Zerom stated as he looked to the sky.
“Ah, right. Climb on everyone. We’ve got dinner plans at eight, and I figured you all might want to freshen up before then,” Andrew said as he climbed into the pilot’s seat.
Daniel cocked an eyebrow as everyone took seats in the aircraft. “Dinner plans?”
“Yup. I figured you all might want to have something other than hospital food, so I got us reservations at Club Errera,” Andrew replied as the Pelican took off.
Zerom’s jaw nearly hit the deck. “You got reservations there? How? Their usually booked weeks in advance.”
Andrew chuckled as he weaved around the numerous skyscrapers of the city. “The guy who owns it was a college buddy of mine. We had a lot of the same mechanical engineering classes.”
“Huh, good to know.” Zerom muttered, fairly surprised.
“I’m sorry, but what kind of place is Errera?” Luna asked.
Daniel leaned over as he spoke. “Errera is a pretty famous night club here in the city. It was even used during the fall of Reach as a staging point and a signal jammer by the Covenant.”
“You said you wanted to see the nightlife,” Jonathan chuckled.
As the Pelican continued it’s flight, Daniel noticed a few smaller aircraft were starting to follow them. “Hey Andrew, looks like you picked up a tail.”
Andrew looked to a monitor feed from a rear facing camera on the hull. “Ah hell, figures they would catch on sooner or later.”
“Is something the matter?” Celestia asked as she too looked through the small viewport at the back of the Pelican.
“Well, not really. You see, your presence here is no secret, nor is what you did on Avalon. As such, the press have been clamoring for every scrap of information out there. Hell, ONI had to put a no-fly zone up around the hospital to keep those leeches away. Also why we are flying in a company aircraft and not an ONI one,” Andrew replied as he banked around a skybridge.
“What do they want from us?” Luna asked.
“Anything, everything, you name it. The four of you are quite the hot topic in the media right now. Besides, the prospect of getting photos, or even a few words, from an alicorn princess is just too much of an incentive for the media. The station that gets an interview with the two of you will see their ratings in the fucking stratosphere.”
“Guess we weren’t as subtle as we thought,” Jonathan replied.
“Yeah, in this regard the two of you were about as subtle as nuclear detonation. Everyone knows your stories, now they want to hear your takes.” Andrew said as he flew into the company hangar at the Traxus complex. “Besides, the war on Avalon is still at the forefront of the media. Public support hasn’t dropped below ninety percent since open military operations began.”
The group dismounted the Pelican and began to follow Andrew through the maze of corridors and elevators that made up Traxus Industrial Complex. Soon enough, they found themselves standing outside of Andrew’s office. With a nod to his secretary he opened the door.
His office was, for lack of a better word, homely. The wall across from the door was made of large, curved glass panels that flowed with the curved shape of the building. Inside the office was a large wooden desk with a executive chair behind it. Along one of the side walls sat a couch that was pulled out to make a bed. Celestia was the first one to mention anything odd about the office.
“I see you keep a bed in your office,” Celestia mused as she looked at what appeared to be a small closet built into the wall next to the couch.
Andrew rubbed the back of his head nervously. “Well... yeah. I kinda live here.”
Both ponies looked at the engineer with interest. “You... live here? In your office?” Luna asked with disbelief.
“Yeah, I’m here most of the time anyway, so owning an apartment didn’t really make sense. So when we rebuilt the tower after the war, I made some design changes. A pull out closet over there, a small bathroom through that side door, and I can always just hit up the cafeteria for food,” Andrew stated as he looked around the room.
While Andrew was giving the tour of his home/office, Daniel and Zerom were looking out over the construction yard. One of the shipyard bays caught their attention. While it was mostly a skeleton of a ship, the shape was unmistakable.
“Hey Andrew, whatcha got going on over there?” Daniel asked while motioning to the shipyard.
“Oh, that? Just a new commission from ONI. She’s a prototype Prowler. First UNSC ship built with magic in mind. Hell, even her weapons have been redesigned,” Andrew said proudly.
“Built with magic in mind?” Zerom asked.
Andrew nodded. “Yeah. We learned a lot from the loss of the Tuscany. She was brought down with magic, something that our countermeasure systems were not prepared to handle. So, in light of that, we began working on ways to defend against magical attacks. Her hull plating and superstructure have been enchanted by teams of unicorns, all designed to mitigate the impact of magical attacks.”
Daniel looked at Andrew with a surprised expression. “Huh, quite the improvement. And all her other systems work normally?”
“We think they will. Small scale testing says everything will work. So now we just gotta build the damn thing and see if it works at full scale,” Andrew replied.
“Seems like a lot of effort to build an entirely new ship,” Luna added as she sat next to Daniel at the window.
“It would be the same amount of work to dismantle an existing ship, enchant everything, and then reassemble it. Besides, with the Tuscany gone, there’s an open spot in the Prowler corps,” Andrew answered as he put on a new jacket. “If you all want to shower or whatnot, feel free to use mine. It’s just through that side door.”
~~~
The group of five relaxed in their seats as the Pelican lifted off from the cargo port and quickly zoomed off toward the heart of the city. Andrew had opted to take a regional delivery aircraft in order to sneak past the waiting hordes of the media. Their pilot was careful to stick to the appropriate skylanes in order to keep their ruse in tact. With any luck, they would make it to Errera without anyone noticing.
“So, Andrew, is there a reason you’re not flying this one?” Zerom asked as he leaned back against the bench seat.
“Uh, yeah. I doubt any of us will be in a condition to operate complex machinery after tonight. Besides, the delivery guys run this route all damn day. No one is going to look at this Pelican and say, ‘Ya know, that looks like a delivery craft, but I think it has two alicorn princesses and two ONI operatives.’ People generally don’t think like that,” Andrew replied with a chuckle.
Zerom raised his hand. “Well, technically I’m UNSC. Not ONI.”
“Pshhh, details,” Andrew said dismissively.
After a short ten minute flight, the Pelican lowered it’s landing ramp as it prepared to touch down on one of the landing pads. Even from outside the club, the throbbing bass could be heard coming from within. As soon as the wheels touched down, the five passengers disembarked and made their way toward the doors.
The exterior of the nightclub was unlike any building in Canterlot. Both princesses could only stare in awe at the mass of lights and holographic projections along the wall. The outside area of Errera looked as if it was designed to be used as additional space for patrons. However, the only sound was coming from the music inside.
“For a Friday night, you’d think Errera would be using the overflow patio,” Daniel commented as the group made their way toward the doors.
“Guess it’s an off day?” Zerom offered.
“No such thing. Errera doesn’t have any off days.”
Andrew was the first to walk into the interior of the club. As soon as the doors parted, the music stopped and the lights on the exterior stopped flashing, reverting to a casual slow pulse. The hallway leading inside was almost pitch black, illuminated only by faint light from mood lighting in the ceiling.
“Huh, who wants to venture into the dark spooky tunnel first?” Zerom asked with a chuckle.
“Hey, it could be worse. You could show up here and have to fight a pair of hunters and a bunch of other Covies, only to be forced into calling a SPARTAN team,” Daniel replied as he followed Andrew inside.
Zerom thought about that for a moment before shrugging. “Good point.”
Luna wasted no time in catching up to Daniel, while Celestia opted to stay a bit closer to Zerom. As Andrew was just about to walk through the final set of doors, he cast one last glance behind him. The group was now standing in the dark hallway waiting for the doors to open. Andrew smirked as he turned back to the doors and walked forward, to which the doors promptly slid open.
The club was packed as music blared and lights flashed. The group was stopped almost immediately by a hostess.
“Captain Ryan, if you would please follow me to your table,” the hostess said as she motioned to the stairs.
Daniel shot a curious glance back to Andrew who only offered up a shrug. With nothing more to say, the group made their way up the stairs. Errera was much larger than anyone would expect at first glance. While it wasn’t very wide, it did cover four floors with a massive atrium, giving everything a very open feeling. It was a very sobering sight for both ponies in the group. Night clubs existed in Equestria, but nothing of this size and intensity.
“Here we are. Someone will be right along to get your drink orders,” the hostess said before walking away.
Their table was on the third floor balcony, giving them a perfect overhead view of the main dance floor below. Situated around the table were four chairs and a pair of large plush cushions. Sitting at the head of the table was a single man who stood up as the others approached.
“Andrew, right on time,” the man said as he checked his watch.
“You know it. Everyone, this is Oliver Stanton. Oliver, you already know these two morons, but may I introduce Princess Celestia and Princess Luna,” Andrew stated as he motioned to the group.
“A pleasure to meet you, mister Stanton,” Celestia said as she took a seat on one of the cushions.
As everyone took their seats, Andrew leaned over to whisper in Oliver’s ear.
“Aren’t those the cushions from the couch in your office?” The engineer asked with a sly grin.
“Pffft, no. What would make you think that?” Oliver said in a sing-song voice.
Andrew could only chuckle as he leaned back in his chair. After everyone got settled in, and drink orders were taken, did conversation around the table begin.
“This is quite the establishment,” Celestia mused as she continued to look around.
Oliver chuckled as he looked to the holographic display in the middle of the atrium. “It really is. Though this place looked a lot worse after the war. Daniel here can attest to that.”
“What can I attest to?” Daniel asked as he leaned forward.
“That this place was barely standing after the war,” Oliver replied as he took his drink from the hostess.
“Uh, no. This places wasn’t standing after the war. The whole planet got glassed, remember?” Zerom said as he took a sip of his drink.
Oliver pondered this before nodding. “True. But anyway, I’m more interested in the pair of Princesses here; two of the most closely followed individuals in UNSC space.”
Luna arched an eyebrow at the comment. “Seriously?”
“Of course. Equestria has been in the headlines since the announcement of it’s discovery. If you think I’m kidding, you should have seen the news coverage when it was revealed that Princess Celestia here was flown in for medical treatment. The whole galaxy wanted to know why,” Oliver said with barely contained excitement.
“I’m still not entirely clear on why either of us would be famous to your people,” Celestia replied between sips of her drink.
“You must keep in mind that you’re the first truly peaceful civilization we have ever encountered. And with us being only a few years out of a massive galactic war, people needed hope that the universe didn’t just want us all dead,” Andrew added.
“I guess. Though I can’t imagine everyone has been so enthusiastic,” Luna commented.
Oliver nodded slowly as he spoke. “This is true. There are some who are extremely xenophobic. Some of them want nothing to do with any other races. Others would rather bomb other civilizations into oblivion, for fear they might become a threat. Though the vast majority of humanity are supportive of an open partnership between the UNSC and races of Avalon.”
“That’s good to hear. Nice to know that I won’t have a lynch mob chasing me down with pitchforks and torches,” Luna said dryly.
Oliver chuckled. “The only mobs you might have to deal with are those looking for autographs and pictures. So replace pitchforks and torches, with pens and cameras.”
Luna seemed to mull this over for a moment. “Sounds preferable to the lynch mob. And how would one go about acquiring such a mob of adoring fans?”
“No,” Daniel said as he shook his head with his hand raised. “We’re not doing that. You’d be stuck here for the next six years signing autographs and taking pictures.”
“Don’t forget kissing babies,” Zerom pointed out.
“Now you’re making her sound like a real politician,” Andrew replied with a laugh.
“To be fair, both of our positions have very lengthy political responsibilities,” Celestia added.
Luna began tapping her chin as she thought aloud. “Hmmm, perhaps if this whole Princess thing doesn’t work out, maybe I could become an author and sell my books on human worlds. They already seem to adore me, so selling a book to them shouldn’t be that hard.”
Oliver’s jaw dropped but was soon replaced with a stunned smile. “I love they way you think. If you ever need a publicity agent, I know a few.”
Eventually, two servers came to the table with meals for the evening. The conversation died off as soon as dinner was set down, allowing everyone to savor their meal while the music from the club continued to pound from every direction. More than once, Luna found herself looking through the glass railing down at the dance floor below. The younger princess was mesmerized by the sheer volume of humans dancing through the night. While it wasn’t the most elegant of dancing, they at least seemed to be enjoying themselves.
“A bit different from what you’re used to, isn’t it?” Daniel asked as he twisted around in his seat to match the alicorn’s gaze.
“Very. Seeing everyone here enjoying the night, just as they would the day, is a welcome sight,” Luna replied as she continued to look at the dance floor below.
Oliver smirked as he noticed Luna staring down at the dance floor. With the motion of a hand, a server walked over. Oliver quickly whispered something into the server’s ear. After a few moments, the server returned with a microphone and handed it to Oliver.
As the princess continued to watch over the dance floor, Oliver took a spot standing at the edge of the balcony. The music slowly got quiet as he brought up the microphone.
“Welcome, everyone. I am so very glad to be sharing this wonderful night with you all.” The crowd around the club began cheering and clapping as all eyes turned to the third floor balcony. “Tonight, is a very special night. We have a number of incredibly special guests joining us.”
Oliver turned around and grinned before pointing to Daniel and Zerom. “First off, we have the heros of Avalon; Captain Daniel Ryan and Commander Jonathan Zerom!”
The two men tentatively stood up and walked up to the edge of the balcony. The entirety of Ererra burst out into thunderous applause and cheering as the two men came into view. The two found it a bit staggering to be regarded as heros. Even so, they were more than happy to fill the image, waving to the crowd below before turning back to their seats.
“And now, two individuals I know you will all be excited to see. I know I sure was. Allow me to present the Princess of the sun, and one of the two diarchs of Equestria, Princess Celestia!”
The crowd exploded with cheers and applause as Celestia stood and walked up to the balcony, waving to the crowd as they continued to holler and cheer. The solar Princess was slightly surprised to be receiving such a warm welcome. She knew that humanity viewed her and her sister in a positive light, but to see it for herself was something different altogether.
After a few seconds of waving, she turned back to her seat. “And last, but definitely not least, the one and only mistress of the night, Princess Luna!”
The noise coming from the crowd below was staggering. If the sound from Celestia’s entrance was loud, then the sound greeting Luna was deafening. The Princess continued to look around in silent awe as the cheering continued. Eventually it started to die down as Oliver raised his hand, prompting Luna to take her seat once more.
With one final wave, Oliver turned off the microphone and took his seat. “Well that got everyone excited. If you need any more proof that humanity is behind you, just go take another look over the balcony.”
The two alicorns occasionally glanced over at the balcony, catching glimpses of the humans below. Everyone at the table continued their meals in relative silence until waiters came to take away the plates.
“That was awesome,” Andrew groaned as he leaned back in his chair.
“I must agree. I didn’t know you could cook eggplant like that,” Celestia added as she carefully levitated a glass of water.
Andrew then leaned forward to get a better view of Daniel and Jonathan. “So guys, now that you’re free from the hospital, what’s the plan?”
Daniel thought for a moment before speaking. ‘Well, both of us are being allowed to return to limited active duty. Basically we’re going to be sitting around a base all day doing logistics. We’re both restricted from any intense field work for the foreseeable future.”
“Last I heard, the UNSC was moving against the gryphon capital. Some soldiers I talked to said gryphon civilians were literally weeping with joy as the marines moved through smaller towns. They said is was scarily similar to the liberation of Europe from the Nazis,” Oliver added.
“Good to know there weren’t massive civilian casualties,” Zerom replied with a sigh of relief.
“Indeed. Seems support for the war wasn’t as widespread as first believed,” Daniel stated with a nod.
After a brief pause, Oliver spoke up. “So, when are you heading out?”
“Tonight,” said a voice from behind. Everyone looked over to see the Director standing along the wall.
“Director, I wasn’t aware you would be joining us. I’ll have another chair brought over,” Oliver said as he looked for the closest waiter.
The Director raised and hand and chuckled. “That’ won’t be necessary. I just wanted to drop by and check up on everyone. As well as to tell you that the Pony Express will be leaving dock tonight at midnight. So if you’re looking for your ride back to Avalon, that’s it.”
“Thank you, Director. For everything,” Celestia said with a bow of her head.
“It was no trouble at all. Just happy to help. Enjoy your evening.” With that said, the man slipped his overcoat on and turned to leave.
“Well, seems we have a flight to catch. I should probably swing by my apartment and grab some things,” Daniel mused as he looked to a nearby time display.
“Sounds good. You’re at the Oceannis Tower, right?” Andrew asked.
Zerom nodded as everyone got up from the table. “We both are.”
As the group said their goodbyes to Oliver, and made their way out of the night club, Luna couldn’t help but find herself already missing the fast paced nightlife. It was refreshing for the lunar princess to see so many out enjoying the night. Even if she wasn’t responsible for this one, it was still a nice feeling.
It was a short flight to the Oceannis Tower. The Pelican gently touched down on the rooftop landing pad, allowing the humans to disembark.
“Keep the engines running. This won’t take more than ten minutes,” Daniel called out as he summoned the elevator.
~~~
Daniel breathed a content sigh as he leaned back in his chain, rubbing his eyepatch. They were finally on their way back to Avalon, and would be arriving early in the morning. Even if he would be restricted to logistical and clerical work, it would be better than sitting around in a hospital all day.
Looking around the crew lounge, Daniel could easily see Celestia and Luna catching a nap on one of the couches. Zerom was busy reading through reports from around the nation. Most of them consisting of requests for supplies by the harder hit towns.
With a glance over his shoulder, the captain watched as the blueshift of shipspace suddenly gave way to the normal inky blackness of normal space. Daniel casually got up from his seat and walked over to the two ponies, before gently shaking them.
Celestia merely cracked an eye as Daniel crouched down.
“We’re home.”