//------------------------------// // Chapter 11 // Story: EXECUTIONER ONE // by Hurgusburgus //------------------------------// Gauge flittered through the hall, zooming from one note sheet to another, scribbling tirelessly onto them – a line of twenty-four 'f' letters below the last section of the music piece, and repeated the motion until every last sheet of tuba players had been... edited this way. Letting out a gleeful chuckle, she zoomed off, towards Royal Castle, making sure to leave no evidence of her presence. Truly, this would be a concert remembered throughout the ages... Celestia blinked as the small metal bug set down on the bookshelf, then gave Gauge a little wave. Her appreciation of the artificial being had grown once she'd heard of Blueblood's reappearance in Stalliongrad – Gauge had disposed of him during the previous Night Court, and he'd reappeared in Stalliongrad about two hours earlier today, soaked in machine oil, and babbling incoherently. From what she'd learned, he'd insulted Luna. Gauge had taken offense at that, and forcibly removed him from the Night Court. Now, Celestia looked more favourably upon Gauge – the small machine was essentially safe from any retaliation – not only would any would-be aggressors risk Luna's ire, there was also the matter of a very destructive machine of war that maintained a subtle vigil not so far away in Ponyville. And it was an amusing sight, to see Luna's surrogate daughter zip down the hallways, shouting 'this one can has moon sugar?' “Hello, Gauge. How are you doing?” Her miniscule conversation partner chirped before speaking. “Like an Xbox in a room full of PlayStations!” “Buh?” Well done, Celestia, some eloquent princess you are. “Uh... What does that mean?” “Iunno.” The curt response drew a chuckle from the alicorn. “Gauge, you've got the brain of, like, five supercomputers, don't give me 'iunno.'” She mentally patted herself on the back for remembering that little tidbit of lecture from Twilight. “So, what've you been up to, little one?” “Iunno.” “Snerk~” Celestia made a noise, shaking with suppressed laughter as she decided to take a break from her paperwork – she was in no condition to do anything else than laugh right now. So she laughed – loudly and carelessly, banishing the burdens and worries from her mind. For a couple of minutes, she was simply a pony named Celestia. Princess Celestia had been put in a time-out for being all work and no fun. “Rainbow Dash! Where did you- what is that thing you're lounging on?” Rarity exclaimed indignantly, making the snoozing pegasus jolt upwards, nearly falling off the odd, hovering device. “Gah! Don't scare me like that, Rarity!” Rainbow sat up, yawning. “Oh, this? Borrowed it from the Executioner. Here, look at this.” She tapped a button on a side panel of the device. Letting out what seemed to be an annoyed noise, it thrummed to life as the cyan pegasus on top of it laid down on her back. “It just feels so good on my backrrrrrrnnnnnggg~” The mare let out a content noise as she lay there, leaving Rarity to shake her head disapprovingly. “This is just an accident waiting to happen...” Fluttershy tentatively landed on the wide expanse of dully-glittering metal, looking around – she soon spotted the nesting birds that had taken up living in the various crevices of Executioner's hull. The birds chirped, approaching her without fear, recognizing their butter-colored patron. “Oh, hello, little birdies!” Fluttershy smiled warmly as she pulled off her saddlebags, removing satchels of seeds and two loaves of bread from them. Immediately, the birds flocked around her, chirping eagerly as the pegasus offered them the foodstuffs. As they pecked up the chunks of bread and seeds, Fluttershy looked around, enjoying the view – it was rather quiet on the top of the alien machine, despite the hum of its powerplant, subtle as it was. She could see her cottage from here, too. Looking down, she timidly poked her hoof at the sun-warmed armor plating – at first, she'd been intimidated by the otherwordly mass of metal. Her and the rest of Ponyville, to be fair. She'd been afraid even so much as to look at the mech for fear of upsetting it somehow. But, as days passed, everypony got over their fear, and didn't regard the machine with suspicion or worry. Now and then, a pony or two would head over to it to ask it a question. Most ponies would see it as weird, but, then again, Ponyville was a magnet to all kinds of odd occurrences... She strode up the winding stairs, her eyes tiredly examining her surroundings – despite the best efforts of the castle staff, there was still dust and cobwebs to be found in the Castle of the Rebel Queen. Before the war it had been a museum. Many years earlier still, it had been the seat of power used by her ancestor, the previous Rebel Queen – Liiyah Tavrian. And now, it was the nerve centre of the Rebellion once more. The power lines had been refurbished, the shield generators were brought up to date, and the once-dormant estate was bustling with activity for the first time in more than five hundred years. Of course, Lieia knew all of this and more – a distant descendant of Liiyah Tavrian she may be, but she did her research before starting her uprising, curious to find out whether there was anything more to her mother's words... “My parents did not respond to Thed's proposal well, to put it lightly. A noblewoman marrying a commoner? Unheard of! I imagine Mother and Father had a fit of epic proportions once they found out I'd run off with a simple mechanic from Alatho province...” Ah, the words leapt to her mind quickly and without hesitation, and brought a smile to her lips. Her moment of happiness did not last long, however – she still hadn't found out what had become of her mother. For a long time she had been fully convinced that she was the last of her family alive. She'd been proven wrong, however – her sister, Cara, had showed up along with the first wave of Asahi reinforcements as they had battled over the colossal Asahi construct, Nexus. Eventually, she'd received news of her father – he'd joined up with the military as well, and, from what she'd read in his latest message, he was proud of her. Those words had meant her more than the praise she received from those under her command. Alas, there was no news of her mother. It would be a trivial effort to devote her resources to finding her, but the cruel and unfortunate truth was simple – those resources could be used to better ends than finding a single person who may or may not be alive. With a sigh deeper than any gun barrel she'd ever stared down, Lieia Grisova resumed her trek upwards. There was an elevator she could've used, but taking the stairs gave her time to ponder on the various worries that plagued her mind. Eventually, she reached her target – her personal quarters. The doors opened and closed soundlessly as she walked inside. The sun was about to set, painting the skies of her homeworld in a succulent, lustrous red. The moon, Oramte, peeked above the horizon, a sliver of ice-covered sphere slowly growing in size. Lieia eyed the landscape for a moment before striding over to the wall covered with screens. She rummaged through her pockets for a moment before plucking out several datachips. Humming to herself, she plugged those in. Instantly, the screens lit up and she dragged a chair over, sitting down and typing away on the holographic keyboard that flickered into life on the table surface. Sleep tugged at her mind, beckoning for her to abandon the task, but she ignored it. With a quick mental impulse, her injector implant went off, deploying a small dose of adrenaline in her bloodstream. There. That should do it. I can't fall asleep now There's just too much at stake. I can't- I mustn't hesitate. I doubt we'll get another chance like this. It's now or never. Denaros and his Loyalist cronies are in for one helluva surprise. Told him Ayra Alexi was a fucking traitor, but he didn't listen. Well, he soon won't be in any position to do anything else but. Rubbing her eyes briefly, the war-weathered woman was about to resume her task when a photo caught her eye. She hesitantly pulled it closer – the sheet of paper was worn and tattered, held together by bits of tape. It displayed a small group of people, huddled together, smiling broadly at the camera, while the distinctive skyline of Galanthus filled the background. A phantom ache twinged where her heart once used to be as she gazed at the photo – the squad she'd been in charge of once had dwindled in the years since the Vasari invasion. Faye Dunbar, Jack Wellesley, Drolm Erthal, Hirram Kelthran... All had died for the Coalition. It was funny, really, in an ironic sort of way. Those who'd sworn to follow her during the Rebellion would often seek her out to beg forgiveness for some failed task or another. She didn't have to think twice to forgive. There was always another way to get what the Rebellion needed. Yet she herself wouldn't hesitate to prostrate herself in front of her dead friends to beg for their forgiveness – they'd been under her command when they'd died, yet she somehow felt that they wouldn't blame her for their deaths – it didn't exactly reassure her. Goddamn it, I feel like such a fuckup... Come on, Lee! Get a grip on yourself! Do you think they'd want you to mope like this? Fuck no! So quit whining and snap out of it! Billions of lives are riding on this, so you can't afford to screw this up. You may've gone AWOL for a completely different reason, but that doesn't matter now. There are people out there – your people, and they need your guidance. You promised them victory, so go give 'em a victory. She also may have gone slightly insane. Being a lab rat of the Vasari Flesh Moulders did that to you, and now there was a persistent voice that spoke up on the occasion. Or maybe that was her own subconscious. Who knows. Hrm. Grumbling to herself, she finished the encoder scripts. The data would piggyback across every comms array in range, courtesy of the Xalathii dataforgers. The consequences of doing so would be quite something to behold indeed. She'd worked so hard to make this a possibility. All that was left to do was wait. She leaned back in the chair, letting her tired gaze wander across the vast dome above her. The castle was one of the most ancient buildings on Linv, once housing the largely-forgotten monarch whom Liiyah Tavrian had overthrown. It was a vast structure, with no expense spared during its construction. Everywhere one looked, one would see some expression of art, be it in the stonework, stained glass murals, or paintingssszzzz... Two days later “There's so much oil in this pan that USA is going to invade it!” Gauge declared, weaving through the bustling castle kitchen, making the culprit re-examine his hoofwork. Oh, dear, the potatoes were positively drowning in oil. Grumbling, he drained the pan, and started anew. The Princesses were going to attend a concert at the Canterlot Theatre, and the kitchen staff had to get this order done as soon as possible. The Bearers of the Elements of Harmony would also accompany them, meaning that a banquet would have to be prepared for such esteemed guests once the concert was finished, not to mention the Canterlot nobility who'd also be there – either to suck up to the Princesses, or each other. Either way, this order had to be finished pronto-like. A couple of hours later, Canterlot Theatre The place was packed with ponies. All the seats were taken, and their voices rolled around, excited whispers echoing around the hall. The composer was rumoured to be an artist with a quill, and his work had been lauded all around the world, so the anticipation was to be expected. The guests of honor – the Princesses and the Element Bearers sat comfortably in their reserved alcove. Celestia retained her calm, serene composure. Luna was fussing over Gauge. Rainbow Dash attempted to remain somewhat attentive, and failed utterly at doing so. Fluttershy was, well... shy. Rarity screamed internally as she tested her chair's fabric with a hoof. Pinkie Pie was setting the world record for the widest grin as she waited for the concert to start. Applejack was playing Tic-Tac-Toe with herself. Twilight was glaring at her friends. But, a minute later, the lights dimmed and the stage curtains drew back, immediately making all of the spectators go silent as the orchestra was revealed. A quick, polite applause followed as the composer himself trotted on-stage – and he had the moustache of a stallion who had nothing to lose. Soon as the spectators quieted down, the concert began, and Gauge couldn't help but rub her forelegs together devilishly as the music started. The composer knew his stuff, that much was certain. A lot of the ponies present were certainly approving of the sounds produced by the orchestra. Soon, the conclusion drew near. Gauge, taking note of this, let out a quiet, gleeful chitter that went unnoticed by others nearby. The musical piece was drawing to an end. The musicians reached the end of their music notes and- COLOSSAL FOGHORN NOISE THAT SHAKES THE VERY FOUNDATIONS OF THE WORLD Immediately, the orchestra came to a screeching halt as the shockwave tore through the viewers, tossing wigs/ horn extensions/ monocles/everything not nailed down into air. As the noise died down, Rarity stuck her head out of the alcove and shouted irately. “Why is it so loud?! What is the bucking point? I am so upset! Do you want Saddle Arabia listening to your concert because guess what, that's what you're going to get!” With an indignant huff, she stormed off. Pinkie Pie was clapping enthusiastically. “Encore! Encore!” Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were both curled up in the corner, a thousand-yard stare in their eyes. Twilight was shaking her head furiously in an attempt to rid her hearing of the incessant ringing the COLOSSAL FOGHORN NOISE THAT SHAKES THE VERY FOUNDATIONS OF THE WORLD had caused. Celestia's mane had turned into a giant, tri-color afro, while Luna sported a wobbly mohawk. Both of them were quite unsure as to what just happened, while Gauge was laughing as much her tiny voice module allowed. One day later Linv Tick tock went the clock. Lieia let out a breath, and took another, her gaze focused solely on the holographic screen. Soon, it would begin. A couple of seconds longer, and she would know whether her meticulous, painstaking preparations over the last few months meant anything. Another minute passed before the wall-mounted speakers let out a single beep. Cocking an eyebrow, she brought up the notification. Veltarran Frontier had risen up in arms, rapidly overwhelming the Vasari who'd locked the sector of space down soon after the discovery of Asli. Beep. The systems of Farrasin Threshold also had rebelled, against the Advent who lorded over the populace there, and stood ready to join her forces. Beep. Beep. Beep-beep. Beep. The messages came in almost constantly now, too frequent for her to read them all right now. But it mattered not. Her gambit had succeeded. With a relieved sigh, she leaned back and brought the galaxy map up – it was updated in real-time, and she could see the factions' boundaries change shape, as more and more of former Trader territory was added to the Rebels' holdings – the Vasari and Advent holdings were shrinking at a truly astounding pace, while the Rebel-controlled space only grew. “My queen, Lord-General Wersian is trying to contact you. Shall I patch him through?” The voice of her aide broke through her victory high and she smirked. “Yes, please.” “At once, my queen.” A couple of seconds passed before the infuriated visage of the Coalition Loyalists appeared on the main screen. “Grisova! What in the hell have you done?” Almost casually, she reached over to a nearby bottle of whiskey – ah, Rit'ka-brewed. Nice. Pouring herself some, she downed the shot and gave Denaros the biggest smile of smug self-assurance she could muster without breaking into laughter. “More than you and your Loyalist cowards have done, that's for sure.” “You dare!?” He sputtered in impotent anger as Lieia poured herself another shot. “Damn right I dare. Well, for starters, I am the Rebel Queen. And I'm a queen that bows to no one. So take your complaints someplace else, because I'm done playing nice. I'll give you one standard galactic day to surrender to my forces.” Denaros could feel an aneurysm coming on by now. “Oh, that reminds me. If you're still not doubting Ayra Alexi's allegiance, you're about to receive a special packet. Should be there right about... now.” Denaros turned to look at the opening doors where a guard approached, carrying what was definitely a Vasari device – and those were a nightmare to duplicate. Fakes were pretty much impossible to create, too. The nanotech was a tad too complicated for that. Frowning to himself, he activated it and played the video files on it, and a couple of minutes later, he was well and truly speechless – the cocky woman was right. Goddamnit, she had been right all along! “Hey, Denaros.” He looked at the screen where a very self-assured Lieia grinned at him. “One day.” She cut the connection without giving him a chance to respond. Leaning back in her chair, she chuckled to herself. Man, that felt good.