Mass Effect: Shades of Twilight

by Loyal2Luna

Arc 2 - Part 4: Chasing Shadows

Archived Log: 42 of 50 - Day 63 A.E.

Location: New Ponyville, Residential Level

Status: awaiting instructions

Twilight Sparkle’s eyes stared straight ahead, unfocused, like her mind was a million miles away. Of all the decisions she’d made thus far, this had to be the heaviest. On the one hoof, her friend’s health -- maybe even her life -- hung in the balance. While on the other…

The unicorn closed her eyes shut, feeling like a dagger was pressing into her heart. With barely a whisper, she made her decision.

“...I’m so sorry, Rainbow…”

Twilight breathed in deep to steady herself, and as she opened her eyes, her face was a mask. “Instruct Twenty-One to follow the ion trail,” she managed in a flat voice, fighting not to betray the pain she was feeling. “I want those ponies found.”

“At once, Madam President,” Forty-Two stated mechanically, displaying no sign of judgment as his antennae lit up.

“Twilight...” Fluttershy looked to her friend, aghast and clearly concerned, but unable to bring herself to object.

“Forty-Two, stay in constant connection with Twenty-One,” Twilight continued. “Maintain a direct video feed, and notify me of any further developments.”

“But what about Rainbow?” Fluttershy asked, her voice quiet, almost fearful as her wings twitched in agitation, having difficulty comprehending Twilight’s decision. “You’re just going to leave her there?”

“I know you’re worried about her, Fluttershy. I am too, and I wish things could be different,” Twilight offered, trying to keep from looking her friend in the face at the moment. “But right now there’s just too much at stake. For now, I need to track down Doctor Stable. If we’re going to help Rainbow we need to get him into the tunnels as quickly as possible. Fluttershy, you go with Pyres and help coordinate with C-Sec. We need to be prepared to handle whatever Twenty-One encounters down there.”

“But--”

“Now is not the time to argue, Fluttershy!” Twilight snapped, her voice raised as a moment of weakness allowed her frustration to show through.

Fluttershy, for her part, managed to stand her ground. No longer the weak, easily intimidated doormat that Twilight had first met what felt like a lifetime ago, the Director of Interspecies Relations regarded her friend and leader not with fear, but a very visible concern.

Taking a deep breath to steady her frayed nerves, Twilight simply sighed, her voice growing softer. “We can’t waste time debating this. Just do what I say, alright?”

After a tense few seconds more, Fluttershy acquiesced, looking down as she swallowed back whatever it was she might have been preparing to say. “...Yes, Twilight.”

“This way, Madam President,” Forty-Two chirped, as if unaware of the tense moment of emotion that had passed between the two ponies.

Neither mare said another word as the changeling took wing, leading his mistress off to find the Doctor as Fluttershy remained, forlornly staring after her and wondering to herself how everything could have gone so wrong...

For Forty-Two, reviewing the final transmission sent out from Twenty-One of Thirty was a haunting experience, to say the least. He was, in effect, witnessing the “death” of one of his own kind. Though Twenty-One wasn’t nearly as sophisticated as himself -- it was only a drone, after all -- he still couldn’t suppress the dual feelings of loss and regret; yet another piece of the Equines’ legacy, lost.

Had Twilight made the right call? Forty-Two pondered, before immediately chastising himself for even asking that question. Of course she’d made the right call, given the information they had to work with at the time. And who knows how it all could’ve gone differently had Twenty-One not been ordered to pursue? Compared to the lives of Rainbow and the other abducted ponies, the fate of a single unintelligent drone was insignificant.

All things considered, things could’ve ended up a lot worse.

With that, Forty-Two’s thoughts turned once more to Director Dash, who, at that very moment, was busy recovering from her horrible ordeal elsewhere in the hospital. Wondering if there was an update on her condition, the changeling pinged Huerta’s patient directory for an update on her status.

Huerta Memorial Patient File: 30017-82
Name: Dash, Rainbow -- Species: Equestrian -- Gender: Female -- Age: 22
Location: Room #205-B, Recovery Ward, VIP Area
Attending Physician: Dr. L’mari, Ciali, PhD (XenoBio)

Cause for Admittance: Complications due to multiple gunshot wounds.

Initial Diagnosis: Patient suffered severe damage to two locations near the base of her wing joints, stemming from two individual bullet wounds caused by high-impact ammunition. The resulting physical trauma caused multiple compound fractures in the bones in and around the impact sites. Extensive injury to blood vessels and nervous system tissue in the immediate area also occurred, leading to significant blood loss.

Treatment: Medi-gel applied on-site to affected areas in order to stop the bleeding. Once patient was transferred to emergency medical services, transfusion of donated blood from volunteer Equestrian pegasi commenced. Following the advisement of Dr. Stable, E-PhD/E-M.D. (outside medical specialist in Equestrian physiology and care, see attached xeno-biology accreditation) reconstructive surgery of equine-avian limbic joints was commenced once patent stabilized. Application of Type-7 medi-gel and anti-contaminant measures taken to prevent infection. Procedure completed without complications after three and a half hours of surgery.

Post-Op Report: Patient remains unconscious, but is in stable condition. Initial reconstruction of wing joints proved successful following application of nanofiber structural mesh to fracture sites. Provided there are no further complications, bone structure is expected to make a full recovery. However, full extent of neuromuscular damage to the wings themselves is unknown. Nervous system tissue may be permanently impacted from prolonged lack of blood flow, possibly resulting in partial or complete paralysis. Due to lack of previous medical records, general prognosis is difficult, though full restoration of flight capabilities appears unlikely.

Current Status: Patient is currently being kept under sedation until her vitals return to safe levels.

If Forty-Two had the capacity to sigh, he would have. Rainbow’s condition was the same as it had been the last time he’d checked only a short time ago. Still, he supposed, no news was good news, especially since the surgery went as well as it had.

Surgery that Rainbow wouldn’t have needed to undergo in the first place, had she not been so rashly quick to act back in the Keeper Tunnels, Forty-Two thought to himself. But he was hardly surprised by her response, considering the data he’d gathered on her before and after their escape from Equestria. He could only hope she’d take something away from all this, aside from the battle scars.

However illogical or foolhardy, it did not change the fact that what was done was done. And Forty-Two came to the conclusion that now was not the time to worry about what could or could not have been. Instead, the changeling decided to resume his summary of events, continuing where he left off after Rainbow’s recovery from the tunnels.

Twilight Sparkle stood stock still as a pair of salarians, an asari, and the beige-coated, brown-maned Dr. Stable rushed past her, speaking back and forth in a quick medical jargon that the Madam President was having a hard time keeping up with.

“We've got her stabilized, but she’s lost a lot of blood,” the asari stated in a rush, her fingers flying over her omni-tool as she jogged alongside the pony. “We’ll need a donor with a compatible blood-type.”

“That won’t be a problem. Any healthy pegasus pony will do,” Dr. Stable explained. “Is the emergency shuttle stocked with transfusion equipment?”

“It is. I can have it ready to go in less than a minute.”

“Do it. In the meantime, I’ll find us a willing donor. It shouldn’t take long; we’re a close-knit group.”

Twilight heard them, but her eyes were fixated on the rolling gurney that was being pulled along quickly by the foremost salarian. Laying there on her belly was her friend, her skin badly bruised and her cyan coat matted with sweat and blood. Her jacket had been cut open and removed to allow improvised splints to be placed against her wings, forcing them into full extension. Right near the base of each of them were a pair of neat, round holes, colored dark red with what appeared to be a liberal application of medi-gel sealing them closed.

Although the bleeding had stopped, it was clear from the stains on her fur that Rainbow Dash had been suffering greatly for the six additional minutes it took for the drones to reach her with adequate medical supplies, administered remotely by Dr. Stable. It was almost impossible for Twilight to believe that just a short time ago, her friend had been healthy and whole, and now...

As the paramedics, Dr. Stable, and Rainbow approached the ambulance shuttle, Twilight’s eyes fell to the metal flooring at her hooves, regret and pain gnawing at her as the weight of her choices came crashing down like a wave.

It had been less than an hour since the attack began. Now, eight of her ponies had been snatched from their homes and one of her closest friends horribly maimed by the same unknown assailant. And on top of that, there was the unexpected loss of one of their irreplaceable changeling mechs. Taken down in the tunnels by what appeared to be a trap, as it raced to track down the abductor instead of doing what it could to help Rainbow.

And for what? They were no closer to saving the victims now than they were before, and Rainbow’s dire situation had been made all the more difficult because of Twilight’s decision. Had she been blinded by the desire to chase down the one who had done this, neglecting her friend in vain hope for a quick resolution?

Had she been wrong?

“Make the call… and stand by it.” Twilight took in a deep, steadying breath, and exhaled as she remembered her all too brief discussion with Commander Shepard aboard the Normandy. “That’s what leaders do.”

...But it still doesn’t make it any easier.

"Madam President?"

Twilight's head snapped to one side, the voice of Lt. Pyres drawing her attention just as the Citadel Emergency Services ambulance was preparing to take Dr. Stable and his patient to Huerta Memorial's state-of-the-art medical facilities.

"Please tell me you found something, Lieutenant." Twilight tried to keep the sense of pleading out of her tone, hoping she was maintaining a strong front. Somehow, she rather doubted it.

"Local patrols heard the explosion about a minute before the call went out. They’re cordoning off the area now while heavier C-Sec forces move in to secure the Hashita Shipping Warehouse in District Five-Fifty-Three. So far, the property manager is cooperating, as are his employees, and an investigation is underway."

"What about my changeling?" Twilight perked up hopefully.

"We haven't found it yet," Taxar said, shaking his head regretfully. "The entrance to the Keeper Tunnel was completely collapsed. The mech could have been buried under the debris from the bulkhead, or it might have been thrown back into the tunnel by the explosion."

"What are the odds someone could’ve scavenged it from the wreckage before your officers arrived?" Twilight asked, loathe to imagine the attackers managing to add one more prize to their collection.

"Hard to say for sure until we know more about what happened," Pyres admitted, unwilling to dismiss the possibility. "We’ve at least confirmed that your people are not being held at Hashita itself, but anything more is going to take time."

Twilight wanted to snap, wanted to demand results at any cost, to do whatever it took to bring her ponies back home. She wanted to rant and rave and vent her frustrations, but she knew it would do no good. This wasn't Pyres’ fault and she knew it.

"...Please keep me informed," she said in a dull tone.

The turian nodded, finding nothing else to say before returning his attention to organizing the local C-Sec presence maintaining security and preventing any further complications.

Turning back to the dock, Twilight watched as the ambulance sealed its rear cargo hatch, finally ready to leave. Its engines lit up with a bright blue glow, lifting it up into the air and directing it to the main lane of traffic. With her injured friend in tow, it then sped off towards the Citadel Presidium, way off in the distance. She watched it go as it grew smaller and smaller, to the point where she couldn’t see it any more. And yet, she remained as she was, unable to look away until something else demanded her attention.

"Twilight!"

The cry accompanied the sound of hooves hitting the metal flooring of the port as none other than Applejack came up to her at full gallop.

Even though her recent dealings with her orange earth pony friend had ended with leaving a bad taste in her mouth, the only thing Twilight felt at the moment was a brief spark of joy at seeing a familiar, friendly face. At that moment, the whole situation regarding Patricia Hern was the farthest thing from her mind -- she was just glad Applejack was safe.

"It’s good to see you, AJ," Twilight managed as the mares met, Applejack breaking her run forward and throwing her forelegs around her friend's shoulders in a much needed hug.

"Ah'm so sorry, Twi," Applejack started, her tone frantic. "We got here as quick as we could, but scroungin’ up enough transport for everypony was hard enough with traffic closed off."

"It's alright Applejack, it's okay." Twilight brought up a leg to pat along the back of her friend's neck, sharing the embrace. "You did well. You got the ponies in your care home safe, that's what matters."

"Ah… Ah heard ‘bout what happened..." Applejack pulled back, wearing an expression of worry. "The mech told me what it could. Scootaloo? Caramel? All those others?"

"We'll find them, Applejack," Twilight tried to assure her friend with all of the confidence she could muster.

"And what about Rainbow?"

"She’s being taken to a hospital on the Presidium. Doctor Stable is with her, and there are pegasi lining up to donate blood. She’s a fighter, she'll pull through."

"R-right. That’s… that’s good." Applejack nodded, taking a breath of her own to steady herself. "Right now it’s important that we stick together. We can't leave anypony off on their own. And the sooner we work with C-Sec to catch whoever’s responsible fer this--"

"It's already being done," Twilight interrupted. "Pyres is coordinating with Tayseri's security forces. They’re already following some leads."

Applejack stared hard into the eyes of her friend. She thought she detected a hint of impatience in Twilight’s voice, and immediately assumed it had something to do with her.

"Twilight… Ah know…” The orange mare trailed off, rubbing one of her forelegs against the other. “Ah really messed up with Patch. Ah won’t deny it. Ah betrayed yer trust in me, an’--"

"Applejack, that doesn't matter right now."

"But Ah--"

"It doesn’t matter." Twilight said more forcefully, grabbing Applejack’s attention. "You made a mistake, yes. A big one, but that’s all it was. I know you only had the best of intentions."

The two held their mutual gaze for a moment before Applejack looked away, nodding slightly.

"The only thing that matters right now is the safety of the Herd,” she continued. “I don't care about anyone’s reputation, and I don’t care about the Council, or their protocols. I don’t care about anything apart from getting our people back."

The ferocity of Twilight’s statement did not go unnoticed, and Applejack tilted her head, slightly taken aback. “Twi, Ah understand yer upset, but y’all gotta calm down a bit. We need ta keep a level head about this, especially you, our leader."

“...I know, AJ. I know." Twilight sighed mightily and closed her eyes, reaching up to rub her temples with her hoof. After a few moments of concentration, an idea suddenly popped into her head. The solution was quite literally standing in front of her. “And that’s why... I am officially naming you Head of the Equestrian Board of Directors and Acting Vice President of the Herd."

"Wh...whuh?" Applejack took a step back, confusion plain in her voice. "Care ta run that by me again, sugarcube?"

"You made a mistake, Applejack, but you never betrayed my trust,” Twilight said with conviction. “In fact, you’re probably the one pony I trust the most. Not just with my own life, but with the lives of everypony else in the Herd. I know I can count on you to do the right thing, and I need you to watch after them while I work on bringing our ponies home."

"Ah..." Applejack hesitated, shocked by both the admission and the sudden show of confidence Twilight was offering by giving her what sounded to be a position of authority. Then, a determined expression transformed her features, bringing back the gleam in her eye which had gone missing since the events of the day before. "Thank you… Ah won’t letcha down, Twi. Never again. That’s a promise."

"Glad to hear it." Twilight smiled grimly at her friend, able to take comfort in their quick reconciliation despite the circumstances.

"Madam President!" The two mares looked up and turned as Pyres once again made his way over to them. He briefly spared a nod to the pony wearing the stetson. "Director," he offered, only slightly masking the hint of disapproval he still carried against her for her earlier actions.

"Lieutenant," Applejack said back, though her tone was much more respectful.

Without another word to Applejack, the turian redirected his attention to Twilight. "We have something."

At this news, Twilight’s ears perked up while Applejack leaned in, likewise surprised. “Didja find ‘em?” the earth pony asked hopefully.

“Not yet, but we did find the industrial loader that we think was used to move them, as well as an eyewitness who claims he saw a suspicious cargo shuttle leaving the area shortly before the explosion.”

“And how does that help us?” Twilight was quick to ask.

“The loader was stashed in an empty shipping container nearby, probably dumped there in a hurry after your people were moved to the shuttle. If it wasn’t for that drone of yours, it might’ve sat there for days before anyone found it.”

In the time it took for Pyres to take his next breath, Twilight let a brief flicker of vindication sweep through her. Twenty-One’s sacrifice hadn’t been for nothing after all. It gave them a chance.

“The registration number was still intact, and Investigations is running it now. Between that and the eyewitness account, there’s a good chance we’ll find whoever supplied the abductors.”

“And then we get the supplier to tell us who they’re working with,” Twilight said with satisfaction, nodding her head.

Pyres raised one of his hands in a steadying gesture. “One step at a time, Madam President. We still don’t know if--” The turian was interrupted by a pinging sound from his omni-tool, and he directed his attention to the holographic interface, reading the incoming message. “...We got a match. That was fast.”

A couple of seconds passed before Pyres’ expression noticeably soured, obviously not liking what he was seeing.

“Somethin’ wrong?” Applejack asked, tilting her head.

An annoyed sound escaped the turian’s mandibles, like a cross between a groan and a scoff. “...This guy,” was all he had to say.

Archived Log: 42 of 50 - Day 64 A.E.
Location: Tayseri Ward Central Precinct

"Tono Shaloobo."

Twilight remained silent while she and Pyres watched the holo-screen in front of them, depicting the inside of one of C-Sec’s interrogation rooms. From what she gathered, the layout of the rooms was a recent development, owing to the influx of humans into the ranks of the agency since their numbers were decimated two years prior.

Featuring nothing but dark walls, a desk, a chair, and a single lamp overhead, Twilight could definitely understand the intimidating effect such an environment could have. She certainly didn’t envy the poor sap now sitting in that chair, across from the only other occupant of the room: Captain Inastri, the asari head of Tayseri’s Citadel Security branch.

As for the interrogatee, Twilight wasn’t sure what to make of him. He was a salarian, his three-fingered hands folded together in front of him and a smug, disinterested expression on his reptilian face. He didn’t look like a criminal, as his dull brown skin and reasonably well-kept tan and black outfit made him appear no different from any other salarian Twilight had seen since coming to the Citadel.

In fact, she had to consider it strange just how “normal” he appeared. Certainly not what she was imagining as the kind of person who associated with ponynapping terrorists.

"Who is he?" Twilight asked, not quite sure that she wanted to hear the answer.

"He's what the humans like to call ‘small potatoes,’" her chaperone and liaison officer explained, clearly less than pleased himself as the video feed showed Inastri continue to calmly question the salarian. "Tono was just like any other dumb punk on the station, always getting into trouble with C-Sec for petty stuff. But his family owned a fairly successful shipping and storage company in Tayseri, and they always bailed him out. At least, until his parents and most of his siblings were killed during the geth attack. Tono inherited the family business, and he didn’t waste any time running it into the ground. Nowadays, he rents out the warehouses and other supplies to his friends in the criminal underworld -- smugglers, drug dealers, you name it.”

While Pyres spoke, Twilight kept her eyes on the footage from the interrogation room, taking a moment to absorb the new information before curiosity got the better of her.

“And what does someone like him have to do with my ponies?” Twilight tried to keep the impatience out of her voice, continuing to watch the feed as Inastri paced back and forth, still speaking to the salarian.

"Consider him a facilitator for shady people," Pyres answered. "We've raided his warehouses on a few occasions and busted some of the lowlifes conducting their business there, but Tono’s always managed to keep his own nose clean. He doesn't do anything elicit himself, he just rents out his equipment and property. He even has a little extra charge on the lease in exchange for turning a blind eye to the seedier among his clients. He says it’s a ‘confidentiality fee.’"

"And this is legal?"

"It’s in a gray area. He's smart enough not to get greedy by asking for a cut of his clients’ profits, and he can pass a biometric lie detector test just by saying he had no knowledge of what they did after the lease was signed. We’ve never had enough concrete evidence to book him, even though myself and every other officer in the Ward have been waiting for the chance to nail him to the wall like he deserves."

Twilight's eyes hardened. "Well, today might just be your lucky day, Lieutenant."

"It is in your best interest to cooperate, Mr. Shaloobo," the asari officer stated sternly, while keeping her mounting irritation firmly in check. With more than two centuries of experience in C-Sec, Captain Inastri operated her precinct by the book, unwilling to compromise the integrity of the Tayseri Department by resorting to the kinds of shortcuts and harsh tactics some of her colleagues were known for.

"I am cooperating, Captain. I agreed to come here at your department’s request, didn’t I?" Tono replied in the high pitched, rapid-fire manner indicative of his species. There was also the hint of a slur, as if his tongue was a little too big for his mouth. "And frankly, I’m insulted by the insinuation that I’m involved in whatever it is you’re accusing me of this time. We’ve been through all this before."

"This time is different." Inastri shook her head, her voice level with equal parts calm and confidence. "We’ve confirmed beyond any doubt that it was your Nebula-Class repulsorlift found at Hashita Shipping."

"Stolen by Hashita Shipping, you mean. And I expect it to be returned to me when this farce is over. Nebulas are expensive, you know."

"I wasn’t finished. We also have an eyewitness account from someone on the scene who claims he saw a cargo shuttle the exact same size and configuration as the ones in your company’s stock."

"Really? That’s your evidence? A stolen repulsorlift and some random bystander who claims he saw one of my shuttles? A shuttle which, for all anyone knows, could have been driven by any one of my competitors." The salarian seemed to relax a bit more, the smug grin on his face seeming all the more genuine. "If that’s all you have, then there’s no more reason to waste my time here. Unless you want me to call in my lawyer, that is. I seem to remember him thoroughly embarrassing you in front of your whole staff last time."

The asari's eyes narrowed into a glare for a moment, although it seemed to have no effect on the salarian. "Oh, trust me, you’re gonna need him... But before that, we have someone else who’s interested in talking with you.”

"Ah, and here comes the fun part," Tono said with a healthy dose of bored sarcasm. "Go ahead, send in the other half of your ‘good cop, bad cop’ routine."

Inastri's lips pressed thin, her scowl hardening at the obstance in the young salarian's tone as she fought to suppress any other outward sign of her chagrin. Without another word, she turned to leave the room, slipping out past the automated doors, which snapped shut behind her.

If Tono was feeling at all unsettled by his current situation, he hid it well as he leaned back slightly in his chair. It was clearly no surprise to him when the door opened again, admitting a turian in full C-Sec Enforcement Armor. But his eyes did widen a little when he happened to recognize the turian’s face.

"...Pyres?" Tono smirked, managing to suppress a small chuckle while his tone took on an almost mocking familiarity. "Sergeant Taxar Pyres? What are you doing in Tayseri? Still chasing down Red Sand dealers in the Wards? I thought that you’d been fired for that little to-do down in Aroch a while back."

"It's Lieutenant Pyres now, Tono." Taxar showed no signs of joviality as he crossed his arms and set his back against the door frame, keeping it open.

“Ah! My mistake,” the salarian said, playfully knocking on his head. "I forgot that in C-Sec, you fail upwards.”

But Tono’s smile faded away to genuine surprise for the first time during the interrogation as a new figure moved up into the room with Pyres letting the door close behind her. Like most residents of the Citadel, he’d seen the Equestrians all over the extranet, but this was his first time meeting one in person. Then recognition struck after only a few seconds of study.

"You… You’re the...?" Tono's composure slipped, unprepared for this kind of eventuality. "Wow. If I had known I’d be meeting royalty, I would’ve worn something nicer. Heh!"

Twilight didn’t even feel the urge to correct him as she silently positioned herself at the other end of the table, glaring all the while.

"Oh, Tono. Poor, oblivious Tono," Pyres said condescendingly as he shook his head a few times. "You really have no idea how big of a pile you’ve stepped in, do you? I always warned you what would happen if you kept doing business with criminals."

"This again? Look, I’ll tell you what I told your boss: whatever it is, I had no part in it.”

"Hiding behind a contract isn’t going to save you this time.” Getting serious, Taxar leaned forward and placed his hands on the table. "You’re not down here because some deadbeat went on a joyride in one of your transports, or because of drugs we happened to find in one of your warehouses. We’re talking kidnapping. Destruction of property. Attempted murder. Terrorism."

“T-t...terrorism? Kidnapping? Murder?” The shock on Tono’s features was plainly evident, as his carefully constructed facade of confidence faltered slightly in the face of these extreme accusations. “Are you mad? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

"Enough of the charade. Where are they?" Twilight spoke up suddenly, with a voice that could cut steel.

"Where are who?" The salarian gave her an expression of disdain before returning his attention to Pyres. "Taxar, if this is your idea of a joke, it’s not very funny."

Pyres leaned in closer, lowering his tone intimidatingly as he replied, “Do I look like I’m joking?”

With both Pyres and Twilight staring daggers at him, Tono was suddenly very aware of how little space there was in the tiny interrogation room. Unable to come up with another witty response on the spot, he just gulped silently.

“What’s the matter, Tono? Varren got your tongue?” Pyres allowed himself a brief smile, then pushed himself up off the table and started slowly pacing the length of the room, just as Inastri had done. The difference this time was that Pyres had managed to get the salarian’s full attention. “Well then, allow me to go ahead and spell out exactly why you’re here.”

"Ninety-seven minutes ago, a number of incendiary explosives were set off in Tayseri District Twelve-Eighty-Six, which, as you may already know, is the designated endangered species habitat of my purple friend here and the rest of her people. In addition to setting several buildings ablaze and injuring more than two dozen civilians, eight Equestrians were abducted during the confusion. The perpetrator or perpetrators then fled into the Keeper Maintenance Tunnels beneath the district, where they grievously injured the Equestrian Director of Defense before making their escape," Taxar explained at length.

He paused for a moment to gauge Tono’s reaction thus far. Judging by the way the salarian’s skin seemed to be a shade paler than before, he figured he was on the right track, and continued laying out the grim details.

"The kidnappers used your equipment to facilitate the abduction. That may not sound like much, but it’s enough to have you tried as an accessory for a violation of the Protected Species Act. Best case scenario, you’re looking forward to at least twenty years in a maximum security penal colony -- and that’s only if the abductees are recovered alive and unharmed. If not, and one or more of them ends up dead because of this, all sapients indicted in connection to this crime are likely to face genocide charges, which is considered a Class A Felony."

By this point, Tono was sitting so still, Pyres couldn’t be sure if he was still breathing or not, so he decided to finish strong and really nail the point home.

"If I’m not mistaken, the sentence for that is still death by spacing." For added effect, the turian stepped towards the table and slammed his fists into it, instantly jarring Tono back to his senses. “Now then… With all that in mind, is there anything more you’d like to say?”

"I… I-I... want my lawyer." Gone was the bluster and bravado in the salarian’s demeanor, replaced the dawning realization that he was now in more dire straits than he had ever anticipated.

"I suppose that’s your right, isn’t it? But let me tell you, no matter how much you’re paying him, when he hears about the odds you’re up against, he’ll be running for the nearest transport off the Citadel.” Pyres raised himself up and crossed his arms. “Unless you want to spend the rest of your miserably short salarian life rotting in prison, you’ll tell us everything you know. Who was using those transports? What do they want with the Equestrians? Where are they now?"

"I don’t… Never meant… I mean, n-never wanted to… I mean…" Tono squeaked out, though the fear in his voice was enough to show that he knew more than he was letting on. Then, suddenly, he blurted out, "You have to believe me, Pyres! This wasn’t supposed to happen!”

Something about the way Tono said this, along with the fact that her patience was finally reaching its end, was enough to spur Twilight into action right then and there. Without warning, the unicorn bared her teeth as her horn lit up in a biotic glow, and a similar aura wrapped itself around the table in the center of the room. In a single violent act of frustration, she wrenched it free from the bolts holding it to the floor, and flung it against the wall with the sound of screeching metal and a resounding crash.

Uttering a high-pitched squeal of utter terror, Tono shot up out of his chair and went right for the corner of the room furthest away from the incensed Twilight. And with her head lowered and her lips pulled back in a snarl, she took a single step towards him, her horn still swirling with motes of energy.

“This is your last chance! Where are they!?” she demanded, her voice nearly deafening in the confined space.

“Get away from me, you crazy bitch!” Tono spat out, meekly holding his hands out in a gesture of defense. With fear in his eyes, he looked to the only other being in the room who hadn’t gone completely nuts. “Pyres! Tell her to back off, or I’m pressing charges!”

“Pressing? I’ll show you pressing!” With that, Twilight flicked her head forwards, and Tono felt a wave of pure force shoving him back and up against the wall as he too found himself encased in a purple biotic field.

"You can't do this! I have rights!" Barely able to move under the intense pressure, the salarian struggled nonetheless, his almond-shaped eyes darting around the room. "Pyres, please! Do something!"

"You honestly think I can do anything to stop her? You saw what she did to the table." Pyres allowed himself a small smirk as he gestured to the mangled scrap sitting on the floor underneath the dented wall. “Either you start talking, or I might just step outside for a bit to get some fresh air while you two take a few minutes to work out your differences.”

“One minute is all I need,” said Twilight, as she lifted her hoof and brought it down hard on the metal floor, which groaned in protest.

Tono winced, but not just because he was scared out of his wits, nor because it felt like an elcor was sitting on his chest. It was because he was about to do something he seldom ever did: tell the truth. "Okay, I’ll talk! I’ll talk! Zakera! She's in Zakera! Please, please don’t kill me!"

While Pyres grunted in amusement, Twilight let up -- just a little bit -- on her biotic onslaught. "Who is she?" came her next question.

"An asari. I never got a name, and I didn’t ask after she paid me triple for her privacy," the salarian told her, rambling, the words spilling out like a waterfall despite how difficult it was to breathe. "Said she needed someplace quiet and out of the way, with its own docking bay, so I set her up in a private facility in Zakera I keep off the books. She had mechs -- a lot of mechs. And guns. And a whole lot of fancy tech. That’s all I know, I swear! I don’t know why she took your people! It wasn’t my idea! I didn’t know what she was up to in there! You gotta bel--"

“Shut up, Tono. We get the picture,” Pyres said, finding it hard to think amid Tono’s gibbering. “...A warehouse with a docking bay… That must mean--”

"She's trying to take them off the Citadel," Twilight finished his thought, well aware that if this asari had a ship, once it hit the Relay Network and left Citadel Space, tracking it down would be nearly impossible.

“Is she alone, or is she working with someone?" Pyres demanded, now acutely aware that time was of the essence. "Slavers? Eclipse mercs? Someone in the Terminus Systems?”

“What does it matter? I gave you what you wanted, now let me go!” pleaded Tono.

"First you tell me who’s behind all of this!” Twilight shot back, letting off a slight discharge of energy from her horn as a threat.

“I don’t know!” The salarian's voice went up another octave as he withered under Twilight’s smoldering purple glare. "N-not for sure, anyway. People like me don’t ask those kinds of questions!" That not being the answer she wanted to hear, the unicorn’s brow furrowed a little more, causing Tono to swallow nervously before continuing. "B-but I did hear some rumors. Some of the... p-people I deal with on occasion. They say… Th-they say she's an agent for... the Shadow Broker.”

For the first time, Twilight’s features softened to one of more general confusion, and she turned to look at Pyres for some kind of validation. And with his eyes cast down, he crossed his arms together and let out a long sigh, summing up his feelings about this new development succinctly:

"...Fan-fucking-tastic."

Once the door to the interrogation room slid closed behind them, Twilight and Pyres barely had enough time to plan their next move before they could hear the hard clomping of Captain Inastri’s boots heading straight for them.

“Is that what you call an interrogation?” the asari asked in a hard voice, her face pressed into a scowl. “Lieutenant, I expected you to soften him up a bit, not fucking tenderize the poor bastard.” Inastri’s gaze shifted to Twilight, and she extended a blue finger at her. “And you. You’re paying to repair that wall. I should’ve known it was a bad idea to let you in the room with him, given how involved you are in the situation.”

“It got the job done, didn’t it?” Twilight responded, looking up and mirroring the Captain’s expression. “And I didn’t hurt him… much.”

“Here’s the location of the warehouse Tono mentioned, along with all the other information he could give us.” Pyres stepped forward and offered a datapad to his superior, who snatched it up and looked it over carefully. “If we act now, there’s still a chance we can stop her before she leaves the station.”

After a few seconds of reading the contents of the datapad, Inastri exhaled loudly through her nose, and gave the turian a curt nod. “We’re still going to have a talk about this later. But you’re right, we need to move quickly. Lieutenant, escort Miss Sparkle back to the Visitors’ Center. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a raid to coordinate.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” Pyres said with a salute.

With nothing more to say on the matter, Captain Inastri then turned on the spot and headed off further into the C-Sec compound while raising a finger to her comm.

“Contact Captain Bailey in Zakera and notify him of the situation. Tell him we need any support he can offer -- Enforcement, Special Ops, anything. And get Citadel Control on the line, I want details on every ship that’s launched from that area in the last hour, and a grounding order on all space-faring vessels effective immediately.” Both the pony and turian remained behind, silently watching her march off until she spoke up in reply to whoever it was she was communicating with. “Then get the Executor’s authority! I don’t want a single ship taking off until we secure those hostages!”

Soon after, she rounded a corner and went out of sight, leaving Twilight and Pyres in the junction alone, save for a few plainclothes officers diligently performing their work at their desks nearby.

“Well, you heard the lady. Follow me, Madam President,” Pyres spoke up, motioning with his head down the hallway opposite the one Inastri went.

Twilight gave him an annoyed look as he started walking away. “Lieutenant, you can’t honestly expect me to sit on my plot in some Visitor’s Center when I could be helping save my own people.”

“I understand, Madam President, but orders are orders,” Pyres calmly argued back. “This is a C-Sec operation now. The Captain’s the one calling the shots, and despite your prodigious biotic ability, you’re still just a civilian. What do you want me to do?”

Twilight opened her mouth, about to protest further, but soon decided that it probably wasn’t worth forcing the issue. In fairness, the trained professionals in C-Sec were equipped to deal with this kind of thing; she was just a politician with very little combat experience to speak of, as much as she hated to admit it.

But she still had questions -- ones that she hoped the streetwise turian would be able to answer for her.

"Who is the Shadow Broker?" Twilight asked, having felt a sense of foreboding in the back of her mind ever since she heard Tono utter the name. “I’ve heard mention of him before on the extranet, but I don’t really know anything about him.”

"‘Who?’ indeed. Nobody knows for sure who he is, if he’s even a ‘he’ at all. There’s even a rumor that the Broker is actually a group of people working under a single name,” explained the Lieutenant. “Whoever he is, he’s really good at one thing: information. It’s his currency. A whole galaxy’s worth of secrets and he’s the one you contact if you’re interested in buying -- or selling.”

"Secrets? What kinds of secrets?"

"The kinds that entire governments would pay big to keep hidden. From the mundane dalliances of minor political figures to insider info that could crash a planet-wide economy. Knowledge is power, Madam President, and the Shadow Broker knows more than anyone else."

“I see…” Twilight mulled this over for a bit, more than a little disconcerted by what this “Shadow Broker” seemed to represent: near-limitless power and influence with virtually no reproach. Like a king, using the entire galaxy as his own personal chessboard. She shuddered at the thought.

“One thing’s for sure: If the Broker’s involved, then this is a lot bigger than we thought,” Pyres mused in an uncertain tone. If Twilight had to guess, she would think he sounded worried.

“But this whole thing doesn’t make sense,” she put forth, as the two of them neared their destination. “My ponies aren’t ‘information,’ they’re sentient beings! What could he possibly want with them?”

“I haven’t the slightest idea,” Pyres admitted. “Maybe he wants to use them as leverage in exchange for something of the Herd’s. Or maybe he plans on selling them to the highest bidder. I’m sure nobody but the Broker himself knows for certain.”

Twilight couldn't help but huff in frustration as they exited the main section of the District Headquarters into a modest waiting room. The space was large and accommodating, with a receptionist desk, plenty of benches and tables, public extranet terminals, and multiple vid-screens tuned to different channels -- mostly news outlets. It was busy, but by no means crowded, as a variety of Tayseri residents waited to have their affairs attended to by the local police.

"I don't like this… These are my people we’re talking about. I should be doing everything I can to find them and bring them home." Twilight snorted angrily in consternation. “By the time Captain Inastri gets everything in order for her raid, that asari could be halfway across the galaxy! I… Wait a minute.” Twilight stopped, squinting into the distance after catching a glimpse of a familiar, particular shade of fuschia. “Is that Pinkie Pie?”

It was. Off in an empty corner of the Visitors’ Center was the labcoat-wearing mare herself, sitting on her haunches while her eyes were glued to one of the news stations. Accompanying her was Forty-Two, who, due to C-Sec regulations, was not allowed past the entrance for security reasons.

As Twilight and Pyres made their way over, Forty-Two made note of their return, immediately getting up and marching to her side.

“Madam President, there is new information regarding the one who attacked New Ponyville and injured Director Dash,” he spoke up in his clipped public measure. “Further examination of video evidence gathered from a disabled mech at the confrontation site indicates an asari--”

“We already know, Forty-Two,” Twilight said, cutting her assistant off. “We also managed to find out where she’s hiding. One way or another, this will all be over soon.”

“That sure is a relief,” piped up Pinkie, who was still mostly focused on the screen in front of her. “Oh, and hi, Taxar.”

Pyres gave a respectful nod to the Director, but not much else. Twilight, on the other hoof, was momentarily distracted by whatever had her pink friend so entranced, and she too turned to look at it. At first blush it didn’t seem all that relevant, just some ongoing news coverage about a shopping center that had been bombed on some asari world, thousands of lightyears away. They’d apparently just finished putting the fires out.

“Really makes you think, doesn’t it?” Pinkie mused contemplatively. “I mean, with everything that’s happened, it’s hard to remember that the galaxy keeps on spinning and spinning, and everyone else in it is busy just doing their own thing.”

Twilight tilted her head, eyeing the mare curiously. Then she shook herself out of it, wanting to get back to the matter at hoof. “Um, sure, Pinkie... So, what are you even doing here?”

"Oh, I came to turn in those bombs I disarmed back in New Ponyville, and to let C-Sec know what I found out about ‘em," Pinkie replied, her usual upbeat tone a bit muted as she turned away from the news report and looked to her friend, almost gasping at the sight. "Oh, wow... Twilight, are you feeling okay? You look positively beat."

"Never mind what I look like." Twilight shrugged off the comment and tried to focus on the more immediate problem. "What else were you able to find out about the bombs?"

Pinkie instantly snapped to attention, getting back on track. "Right, bombs. Just like I thought: aerosolized Magnesium-Phosphorus compound powders. Dangerous stuff that burns just about anywhere, even in zero atmosphere, which is why it took us so long to put them out even though the docks were mostly made of metal. I was talking to a C-Sec munitions expert about them a while ago, and he said he’d never seen anything so fancy. Chemicals from the Terminus Systems, metal mined on Palaven, and custom parts with no manufacturer’s markings. You can’t just go out and buy this stuff."

"Sounds about right," Taxar mentioned offhandedly, answering the question he knew was coming. “If we really are dealing with an agent of the Broker, then of course she’d go to great lengths to avoid leaving anything that could be traced back to her."

Twilight nodded, following the logic. “And the plan would’ve worked perfectly, except she didn’t count on Rainbow and Twenty-One interfering… Something to be thankful for, I guess."

"So, what do we do now, Twilight?" Pinkie asked, watching her friend with those big, blue eyes of hers.

"Now..." Twilight sighed, defeated. "We wait, Pinkie. We wait and let C-Sec do their job."

Pinkie’s ears lowered, and her posture sunk. "Really? That's it?"

"I'm afraid so, Director," Taxar told them, cracking his neck and readjusting his armor. "Of course... C-Sec being the bureaucratic nightmare that it is, we can only hope someone can stop that agent in time."

Twilight founder herself looking up at the turian. There was something odd about the way he said it that gave her pause. “Lieutenant...?”

Pyres threw his hands up in a shrug. “Anyway, I should probably report back to the Captain. She’ll be needing all the help she can get.” With that, he turned and started walking back towards the entrance to the main building. A few steps in, though, he stopped, looking back over his shoulder. “Oh, I almost forgot: I forwarded the information from Tono’s brief to your omni-tool, in case you wanted to examine it more closely. And it should go without saying that the information is strictly confidential. I’m serious, don’t tell anyone.”

Then, the turian did something Twilight would never have expected. He winked at her. It was quick, but noticeable, and Twilight’s mouth fell open slightly as the realization slowly dawned on her. Her lips turning up in a roguish grin, she returned the subtle gesture.

“Thank you, Taxar.”

“For what?” Pyres smirked in response, then turned his back, raising a hand to wave farewell. “Stay safe out there, M.P. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

And without another word, he was gone, leaving the two mares and one changeling to contemplate the significance of his words.

“Forty-Two, hail us a cab,” Twilight directed to her assistant.

If Forty-Two could smile, he would have. “Right away, Madam President,” he answered, already queuing up a command to summon one of the Citadel’s automated Rapid Transit shuttles.

“Let’s go. There’s no time to waste.” With her mind set as she turned and started forward on her way out to the main thoroughfare, Twilight was surprised to hear an annoyed clearing of the throat from behind her.

“A-hem.” Pinkie Pie coughed into her hoof, while directing a cross look at the unicorn. “And just where do you think you’re going?”

“To get our people back, Pinkie,” Twilight said, surprised to be encountering this kind of resistance from Pinkie Pie, of all ponies. “Why? Do you think I can’t handle myself?”

“In circumstances like these? I’m afraid so.” The pink pony maintained a steady poker face as the two mares locked eyes. For a brief second, there was tension in the air between them… but it was lifted the moment the corners of Pinkie’s muzzle opened up in a playful smile. She then reached up to the top of her head, and pulled her thick goggles down over her face. “Which is why I’m going with you.”

The drive inside the cramped space of the autopilot sky car had been a quiet one, Forty-Two would later recall. Twilight said nothing, looking out the window of the driver’s seat as they flew across the vibrant cityscape below, quietly reflecting over the past day’s events, and likely psyching herself up for the coming confrontation.

Pinkie Pie, meanwhile, was busy in the back of the car, dividing her attention between her omni-hoof and her goggles, the lenses of which were constantly flashing as various bits of data floated across her vision. It was a crude but effective means of replicating the kind of heads-up display she’d been fond of using in the Equestria Simulation, and Forty-Two couldn’t say for certain what it was she was studying, but figured it would be wise to avoid tapping into her datastream in order to sate his curiosity.

Regardless, he knew there was no denying the tension inside that cab as their transport closed in on the general location of the asari’s hideout in Zakera Ward. The two mares had certainly weathered dangerous situations and risky scenarios before, but that was in a past life, and during all that time in Equestria, they were never truly in any danger. This was different. They were going up against a new breed of enemy: a cold, calculating criminal with an army of mechs at her disposal and a demonstrated willingness to fight dirty.

There was still time; they still had a chance to turn back... And while Forty-Two doubted Twilight would back out now, surely she must have at least considered it. He wondered if she was thinking about Rainbow, and the sight of her injured and unconscious friend being rolled away on that gurney. He wondered whether it made her imagine herself or Pinkie ending up the same way, or whether it merely fanned the flames of her desire for justice...or revenge.

Whatever the case, the Madam President kept her thoughts to herself, right up until the end. There was no reversed course, no second guesses. For better or worse, they were set on their goal as the cab approached its destination.

"Now arriving at Zakera Ward District One-Thirty-Nine," chimed the amiable voice of the shuttle’s VI. “Thank you for choosing Citadel Public Transit, and have a pleasant day.”

"Too late for that," Twilight grumbled sardonically under her breath, shifting her shoulders as the shuttle came to a slow stop at the end of the empty docking platform.

With a series of clicks, the doors to the shuttle smoothly raised up, allowing the three equines to awkwardly clamber out of the transport and onto the platform. Once they were clear, the automated taxi sealed itself back up and swiftly peeled away, with the whine of its engines receding as it rejoined the lanes of traffic nearby.

Tono had been right about one thing: this was an excellent place for anyone who was looking for some privacy. Visually unappealing even by Wards standards, this section of Zakera was located several levels below the “surface” of the Ward, sandwiched uncomfortably between two bulkheads. There were no stores, no advertisements, no obvious residential buildings, even the illumination came mostly from lights set along the walls and in the high ceiling, instead of natural light from the Serpent Nebula. And apart from Twilight and her friends, there was no other living being to be seen -- not even a Keeper.

From the place where they had been dropped off, a long suspended platform led to a series of recessed doorways that each in turn led to the massive storage warehouses built in close contact with the outside wall of the Ward Arm. It was behind one of those doors where their objective lay.

“Let’s go. Keep quiet,” Twilight whispered before taking the lead, with Pinkie and Forty-Two taking up either side of her flank, both on high alert for any sign of danger.

Even though they were stepping carefully, the sound of their hooffalls echoed ominously around them as Twilight’s eyes scanned the walls for the building address they were looking for.

After a couple of eerily calm minutes, the unicorn stopped directly in front of one of the entrances, peering up and squinting at the simple metal plate that was stamped into the wall.

“Three-eighty-two-dash-one-two-eight…” she breathed out, reading the numbers set into the plate that were the exact same as the ones in the file Pyres had given her. “This is it.”

Like the other such entrances they’d passed by, this one was similarly unremarkable, consisting of a large circular security door recessed inside an otherwise featureless wall. And just like all of the others, projected in front of it was the typical holographic locking interface, colored red to show that nobody without the proper authorization was getting in.

Twilight twisted her neck around, looking to either side along the same wall. “I can’t see any other way inside… I guess we’ll be going through the front door.”

“Wait, Twilight,” Pinkie spoke up. “We don’t know what’s on the other side. It could be another trap.”

“I’m well aware of that, Pinkie, but it doesn’t look like we have much of a choice.” Twilight turned her attention to her assistant. “Forty-Two, what can you tell us?”

“Very little, Madam President. Auditory and thermal scans indicate zero activity in the immediate area,” Forty-Two relayed, his antennae blinking as he searched for any kind of signal. “I am also unable to detect any open broadcasts or wireless hardpoints. This door in particular appears to be running as part of a closed system. I will not be able to bypass its security remotely.”

“That won’t be a problem,” said Pinkie as she casually stepped up to the door, her goggles starting to emit a dim blue light. After scanning over its surface for a few seconds, she nodded to herself, powering down her eyewear and lifting a hoof to point at a single rectangular panel in the door. “Mind giving me a hoof with this, Twilight?”

“Sure thing,” Twilight answered, focusing her biotic energy on the panel as her horn started to glow. With a quick yank, she effortlessly tore it off and placed it to the side, revealing the complex circuitry within. “Whatever you’re doing, be careful, Pinkie. We don’t want to set off any alarms.”

In response, Pinkie rolled her eyes and condescendingly waved a hoof at her friend. “Puh-lease, Twilight. I could design a better system than this with my eyes closed. Trust me, I know what I’m doing.”

With that, Pinkie sat down on her haunches in front of the exposed wiring and switched on her omni-hoof, holding it close to the opening. All of a sudden, pieces of the holographic orange interface split off from the main device into a sort of circular pattern of odd wedges and shapes, all circling around the base of her hoof in a confusing display that Twilight just couldn’t make sense of.

A few seconds in, the locking hologram on the door started to fizzle as the occasional burst of sparks leapt from the open panel. Then, it shut off completely, accompanied by a harsh buzzing sound, only to be reactivated a short moment later, though it was now colored a welcoming bright green.

“Piece of cake!” Pinkie smiled winningly, deactivating her omni-hoof and stepping away from the door. Making an exaggerated bow, she leaned forward with her hoof held out in a beckoning motion. “After you, O’ fearless leader.”

Twilight gave her pink friend a look that said, “Really?” before shaking her head and staring directly forward. Breathing in deeply, she said, “Okay, everypony, here we go. Be ready for anything.”

Every muscle in Twilight’s body was tensed up as she moved forward into the door’s detection range. With a soft tone, the hologram disappeared, and the raised circle in the middle of the door spun around three-hundred and sixty degrees. With a sharp clack and a subtle grinding sound, the door split down the middle and smoothly slid into the walls on either side.

Once done, Twilight could breathe a momentary sigh of relief, as the room beyond appeared to be completely empty. The group took a few cautious steps inside, examining the area to find it almost as disappointingly bland as the outside. All there was was a single curved desk against a wall in the back, which was bare and had nothing behind it. There was also a hallway off to the right that went for some distance before turning a corner.

Without saying a word, Twilight flicked her head in that direction, and the three of them continued onwards down the only path available. After a peek around the bend to make sure the coast was clear, Twilight led the group further down the hallway, which they could see opening up into a brightly lit area further ahead. As they grew closer, they could start to hear the low hum of industrial machinery, and other sounds indicating movement of some kind. With the utmost caution, they approached the exit, and upon getting their first glimpse inside, there was little doubt that they’d come to the right place.

The first thing that Twilight was able to take in about the area was the sheer size of the warehouse, easily big enough to fit the entire length of New Ponyville’s Docks and twice their width. Clearly, this kind of place was meant to store a large amount of cargo. Right now, though, it seemed remarkably empty for its size, with only some areas blocked off by massive shipping crates while the rest of the floorspace was dotted with smaller ones that would barely reach up to the average human’s chest.

“Warning: motion detected, thirty-seven yards away and approaching. I recommend we find cover,” Forty-Two alerted just loud enough to hear. Immediately, the two ponies crept from the hallway opening over to a nearby a stack of crates, followed by Forty-Two.

They heard the mechs before they saw them: two of the bipedal LOKI-type security droids common throughout the galaxy, apparently following a pre-programmed patrol routine. Thankfully, they didn’t notice anything suspicious before walking right on past where the three intruders were hiding.

“I think we’re in the right place,” Pinkie offered, keeping her voice low and her ears perked up as they waited to hear for any more signs of danger.

Checking to see if the coast was clear, Twilight hopped on her hind legs and propped herself up against their cover, poking her head up just enough to see. Now that they were inside, more details of the warehouse were revealed. There were more LOKIs wandering around, as well as a few others hunched over in a deactivated state, but the asari agent was nowhere to be seen, nor any other organics. Off in the distance against the far wall was a big rectangular door, the only other apparent exit from that room. But that wasn’t nearly as important as what was to their left: a docking platform for interstellar vessels. And sitting in the berth, with the docking clamps still in place and the airlock terminal still extended, was what was obviously a ship.

“Forty-Two, do you see that ship?” Twilight whispered down to her assistant, who stuck his neck out to see what Twilight was pointing out.

“Identifying...” Forty-Two replied as he quickly looked over the ship and cross-referenced the details on the extranet. “Kowoon-Class modular cargo freighter, human design. Standard crew compliment of six. Registered under the name: MSV Rodrigo.”

“Hmmmm...” Pinkie also peeked her head out, making observations of her own with those goggles of hers. “I’m not getting any readings to indicate that the drive core is active. They’re not taking off any time soon.”

“What are the chances our ponies are already on board?” Twilight asked.

“I’d say pretty good. The cargo ramp is retracted and I don’t see any of the crew around. Odds are they’re still prepping for launch.”

“How long do we have, Pinkie?”

“Judging from their current state?” Pinkie’s eyewear flashed a couple of times as she ran the numbers. “About ten minutes, assuming they follow proper preflight procedures. Six minutes if they skip all that stuff and just gun the engines.”

“Okay, good. Now we need a plan.” Twilight nodded, putting her formidable powers of deduction to use. “The mechs don’t seem all that smart, and there’s only a few of them. Maybe we can sneak up--”

Twilight was suddenly interrupted by a high-pitched noise coming from alarmingly close by. The sound that cut her off was quite strange to the two ponies, who both had to look up and around for a moment before locating the source of the odd electronic wail. Even Forty-Two was taken aback as a quadrupedal, dog-shaped mech -- a FENRIS model, to be precise -- announced its presence on the far side of the crates they were hiding behind. As they watched, the FENRIS’ optic lights turned red with aggression, and it wasted no time in charging forward with obvious intent.

Reacting out of a mix of shock and panic, Pinkie Pie threw herself between the mech and her friends, extending her hoof out in its direction. With a single thought, her omni-hoof activated, and right after that, a crackling blue ball of energy formed at the base of her hoof and shot directly at the attacker.

A direct hit. The effect was almost immediate, with the FENRIS stopping in its tracks as the electricity from Pinkie’s attack caused its circuits to crackle and smoke. With a whine of burnt-out machinery, the mech’s optics went dark and it clattered to the ground, dead.

“Yes! It worked!” Pinkie hissed triumphantly. But the victorious grin on her face dropped like a stone when a new sound blasted into the air: the unmistakable blaring of an alarm siren. “Uh-oh.”

“So much for stealth!” Twilight lamented, looking back over their cover to see all the mechs within sight suddenly activate and turn in their direction with unsettling unity. Their optics flashed red as they reached for their weapons, each uttering some permutation of “Hostiles detected.”

Knowing that her Overload program needed time to recharge, Pinkie’s head snapped around, wearing a worried expression. “How about that plan, Twilight!?”

Forced to think quickly on the spot, Twilight put together the only logical course of action. “Pinkie, take Forty-Two and get to that ship. Do whatever it takes to keep it from leaving!”

Pinkie nodded in understanding. “And what about you?”

At that, Twilight flashed her friend a dangerous grin. “I’m gonna show these tin cans just who they’re dealing with.”

Before anything else could be said, the unicorn turned on the spot and shot out from cover, sparing a moment to dig her forehoof into the ground before leaping into a charge. All of the stress, all of the fatigue from the past few days was washed away by the rush of adrenaline now coursing through her system. And it was with a happy sort of feeling that Twilight realized something about the enemy she now faced: they weren’t even alive. These mechs were just piles of metal and wires, and they were in her way.

She had no reason to hold back.

The nearest mech was caught off guard by her sudden appearance. It wasted a precious second attempting to line up a shot, which was all the time the unicorn needed. "Hostile en--" it attempted to say as it followed her movement, only to be interrupted as she used her biotics to shove a crate off of a nearby stack and onto the mech, pinning it to the ground and crushing it.

Then, her grace period was over, as the fallen automaton’s allies took the opportunity to get her in their sights, and suddenly, the air was alive with the sound of gunfire and prerecorded battle cries. Reacting instantly, Twilight summoned up a barrier of pulsating lavender light in a quarter-dome in front of her, deflecting the hail of bullets while she examined the situation. Time seemed to slow down around her, but her mind was still as lightning quick as it had always been. Only now, instead of complex math and magical formulae, she focused on how to cause the most destruction with the least amount of energy.

Seventeen LOKIs, eight submachine gun, nine heavy pistol, she counted in her head, ignoring the tiny snaps of pain she felt in her horn with each bullet that ricocheted off her barrier. Two FENRIS models, each armed with a short-range electrical attack. Don’t let them get close. She tilted her head to the side just enough to catch sight of her friends in her peripheral vision. Pinkie and Forty-Two are skirting around the edge of the warehouse, which means these robots are all focused on me. Good. Let's keep the fight where it belongs.

With all variables in place in her mind's eye, Twilight blinked, took a deep breath, and surged forward.

Spotting a cluster of enemies coming around to her right near another stack of equipment, she used another biotic push to send it toppling over, incapacitating them and securing her flank. Sidestepping over while keeping her shield focused in the direction of the mechs’ fire, the “barks” of the two FENRISes alerted her to their attempt to rush at her. Her solution to this was to create a small pocket of zero gravity right in their path, and when the two doglike robots ran over it, they suddenly found themselves lifting into the air and hurtling harmlessly over her head. For good measure, she gave them another telekinetic nudge in midflight, boosting them even higher, and when gravity finally decided to kick back in, the fall was enough to take them out of commission with a satisfying crunch.

Another burst of gunfire against her barrier brought Twilight’s attention back to the remaining mechs. Her barrier was holding, but the steadily building pressure behind her eyes acted as a reminder that it was probably unwise to stay out in the open. She needed to find cover, fast.

Counting on the LOKIs’ limited mobility, Twilight kept her shield close to her side as she doubled back and put some distance between them and her, diving around the pile of debris she’d created earlier. Once there, she let her barrier fall, grateful for the opportunity to catch her breath, despite the sound of bullet impacts that continued to pepper her cover.

Now that she was able to take a break from the fighting, Twilight was quickly starting to feel the effects of her biotic expenditures. As powerful and resourceful as she was, even she could admit she wasn’t at peak condition going into the situation, and if she kept fighting like this, surely she would hit her limit, and she wouldn’t be of much use to anyone if she passed out from exhaustion. She needed a new strategy.

With the remaining mechs slowly advancing on her position, Twilight searched her surroundings for anything that might give her an edge. That’s when she spotted a discarded heavy pistol laying on the ground next to her, and without thinking, she immediately snatched it up in her biotic grasp.

Now, Twilight knew her understanding of standard galactic weaponry was far from thorough, but an ordinary pistol seemed simple enough to operate: Just aim at the thing you want shot and pull the trigger. Easy, right?

Taking a chance, Twilight braced herself and raised her head just high enough over her cover to see her targets, which were only twenty yards away now, and closing. Then she levitated the weapon forward, lined up her shot, and squeezed the trigger. Right away, she was surprised by the amount of recoil, and struggled to realign her aim after that first shot missed. She shot again. Another miss, and as a round from one of her enemies’ guns impacted mere inches from her head, the increasingly frustrated Twilight decided to forego subtlety altogether.

“Come on, you stupid gun!” she let out in a shout of primal anger as she squeezed off round after round in the mechs’ direction, finding it hard to compensate for the recoil and simply hoping for the best. But as she continued her onslaught, absolutely none of her shots connected, right up until she pulled the trigger one last time only to be greeted with a burst of hot steam escaping from vents on the gun’s sides -- her thermal clip was spent already.

Twilight ducked back under cover, scowling at the overheating firearm. “Useless!” she spat, tossing the thing onto the ground with a mix of rage and disgust. Now she needed a new new plan, and fast.

Come on, think, Twilight, think! The stress of battle was really creeping up on her now, making her heart race, and her fur to mat with sweat. Not even the cessation of the constant gunfire and blaring alarms did much to make it easier to… Wait… What happened to all the noise?

Indeed, it took Twilight a few seconds to realize that, despite the ringing in her ears, the cacophony happening around her had completely stopped.

Daring to see what the hay was going on, Twilight peeked out from cover again to find that the mechs had completely halted their advance. Their optic lights were red, and their weapons were aimed directly at her, but other than that, they were completely still.

“What the…?” Twilight tilted her head to the side, utterly confused by this new development, until a new sound broke the odd silence: the harsh static of the warehouse’s PA system crackling to life.

“That’s quite enough, Twilight Sparkle,” said the voice on the other end of the system. It was obviously female, sultry, and carried more than a hint of antagonism. It caused Twilight to bristle at the thought that she was now addressing the being who’d caused her and her people so much pain already. “That’s right, I know who you are. And I know why you’re here. What I can’t comprehend is what you were hoping to accomplish, coming all by yourself.”

By myself? The unicorn wondered in brief puzzlement before she realized: in all the commotion, the agent must not have been aware of Pinkie and Forty-Two!

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m here to take you down, and I don’t need anypony’s help to do it!” Twilight shouted back, putting on false bravado as she bought some time and discretely opened a communication link to Pinkie’s omni-hoof from her own. Whispering as quietly as she could in the direction of her hoof, she said, “Pinkie, where are you?”

“We’re almost to the ship’s airlock. Keep her talking!” came the pink mare’s hushed reply, and Twilight’s omni-hoof blinked off again.

“Eager to join your multi-colored friend in the hospital, eh?” the asari said with an audible sneer, obviously not buying it. And the way she talked so casually about Rainbow almost brought Twilight’s blood to boil. “You’ve put on an impressive show so far, but it ends now. I won’t let you get in the way of completing my mission, not when I’m this close.”

“Then why don’t you just get it over with?” Twilight eyes darted between the mechs, still pointing their weapons at her. While she was busy stalling, she also tried to think of where the asari could be hiding... Obviously not on the ship, or else they would’ve just tried to take off already. And it had to be somewhere close by, if the agent was able to keep tabs on her so easily.

“My orders were to limit Equestrian casualties as much as possible. It’s the only reason your Director Dash is still breathing, otherwise, those two bullets would’ve gone right between her eyes.” The asari’s words cut deep, sending another flare of white-hot anger up Twilight’s spine. “You should be grateful. I’m giving you the chance to leave now, before you end up doing something you’ll regret.”

Just then, Twilight’s eyes fell on the large door far down on the other end of the room. There, she thought. She has to be in there.

“And if I refuse?” she asked facetiously, already formulating her next course of action as her horn began to smolder.

“Then I order the mechs to open fire, and we’ll see how long you last,” the asari answered without a hint of remorse. If Twilight had to guess, she would think the agent was just hoping she’d refuse. “What’s it going to be, Madam President?”

Twilight took a deep breath and closed her eyes, trying to maintain her calm in the face of her rising anger. No doubt, this was a tricky and dangerous situation… but at the same time -- and as this agent was about to find out -- Twilight was a very, very dangerous pony.

“I think I have a better idea.”

Without warning, Twilight leapt up on her barricade, using the better vantage point to target precisely where her next attack would go. With a great surge of energy through her horn, she focused everything she had on a single, infinitesimally small point right at the center of the cluster of mechs, crushing and condensing the space until the very fabric of reality caved in on itself.

Also known in biotic circles as a Singularity.

At once, the point expanded into a ball of inky black darkness about a foot across, as the immense gravity given off by the event started to pull the mechs toward it. Those that were in its immediate vicinity were lifted completely off their feet and sent into orbit, banging into each other in a frenzy of flailing metal limbs. The rest struggled for purchase, unable to compensate for the shift in gravity.

And Twilight wasn’t even finished, as she had one more trick up her sleeve. She’d read on the extranet that mixing biotic techniques could be dangerous and unpredictable, but that was the farthest thing from her mind as her horn lit up with another charge of dark energy. Groaning with exertion, she then snapped her head forward, launching the bright, shifting violet mass of her Warp field at the center of the miniature black hole, ripping apart the matter in its path at the subatomic level.

Twilight’s ears flattened against her skull, but she did not look away as the field impacted the Singularity, negative and positive energy colliding with cataclysmic results. The subsequent explosion was enough to nearly blow her off her perch, sending her mane and tail whipping around her body. The mechs that were closer than that… weren’t so lucky.

Her ears ringing, Twilight managed a few short, quick breaths as she felt her withers twitch and her legs quiver under her. Delicately, she stepped down, careful to avoid the smoking and sparking LOKI pieces scattered at her hooves and everywhere else on the floor, some still burning with a ghostly purple flame.

Despite her fatigue, Twilight still managed a grin as she looked up and at the ceiling. “You’d better get ready, because you’re next!” she shouted tauntingly.

“...We’ll see about that,” came the asari’s flat reply, before a sharp click indicated that she’d cut off the PA system.

“Hmph!” Twilight scoffed, puffing out her chest and riding a little high with the idea that she’d stunned the asari into silence with her display of power. Sure, that stunt had left her pretty drained, but she was still more than ready and eager enough to put an end to all of this. All that was left standing in her way was a single door--

“Twilight, watch out!” came Pinkie’s voice coming in via her omni-hoof. “You’ve got YMIRs incoming!”

Pinkie’s warning made Twilight pause halfway to her destination, looking down at her hoof with a puzzled expression. “‘Eee-mer’? What the hay is an ‘eee-mer’?”

“Heavy mechs! Two of ‘em, coming in from the dock!” Pinkie cried out, her tone completely lacking any of the childlike enthusiasm that she had often displayed in dangerous situations of the past.

That was when she heard it: the whirring of machines, originating from somewhere up above her. Twilight’s ears pitched around, locking on to the source as she turned her head to see. Up near the warehouse ceiling, making their way from the dock area, were two big industrial winches riding a track, each one carrying what looked like a white metal box. She watched as they stopped just in front of the door and simultaneously released their payloads, which dropped to the floor with a pair of heavy clangs.

Then the metal boxes, standing nearly a foot taller than she did, began to unfold. In an instant, a dreadful chill ran through Twilight, coming to the realization of exactly what Pinkie was talking about. Not even available on the civilian market, “YMIR” Class Heavy Mechs were considered the gold standard when it came to unmitigated destruction. Three meters tall, wrapped in layers of armor and kinetic barriers, and armed to the metaphorical teeth with high-yield targeted missiles and a main cannon that could fire more than a hundred rounds of ammunition in the span of just five seconds.

And there were two of them.

By the time Twilight even had a chance to process this information, the two beastly weapons were finished deploying. One turned its head towards her, similar in design to its smaller cousins scattered around the warehouse, but the red of its lights seeming all that much more menacing.

“Target acquired.”

Twilight's eyes widened in horror as it brought its right arm up, the flaps on the corners drawing back to reveal the barrel of an enormous gun. Not even her barrier would survive the imminent assault; it would get torn to shreds before the mech’s gun even started to overheat -- and that wasn’t even counting its equally deadly friend. Neither was there anything she could do to combat them directly, as kinetic shielding was particularly effective at nullifying biotics. She only had one option…

Run.

Coming to her senses, Twilight scrambled on her hooves, darting off to the side just as the spot she’d just been standing on became riddled with bright red holes. The trail of gunfire followed her, and it was probably her saving grace that the YMIR’s targeting algorithms were likely calibrated for bipedal targets, which tended to be slower on their feet than the average pony. Still, she could nearly feel the heat coming off those rounds as she ran around the side of a giant shipping container.

Her heart nearly bursting out of her chest, Twilight winced as she felt the followup impact of a rocket hitting the outside corner of the container. Thankfully, the metal was sturdy enough to deflect it, but the heavy clinks and clanks of the mechs’ footsteps were a steady reminder that she wouldn’t be safe for long. If she was to survive this, she wouldn’t manage it by herself.

“Pinkie! Forty-Two! I’m pinned down and need help!” she yelled desperately into her omni-hoof. “Oh, Celestia, they’re coming!”

“I’m on my way, Twi,” came her reply in the form of Forty-Two’s voice, which had dropped its robotic flatness and mimicked her own urgency. “Just hold on for a few more seconds.”

“I don’t think I have a few more seconds!” Twilight shouted back, as another rocket impact blasted her cover, tearing away a decent-sized chunk of it. She looked around, finding another suitable spot to lay low, but one that meant she would have to expose herself again.

I need some kind of distraction, she reasoned, when her eyes fell upon a nearby disabled LOKI that had survived her combined attack mostly whole. Twilight put together her plan right there and, with the mech’s footsteps almost upon her, she waited for a lull in the rapid patter of machine gun fire before dashing out again into the open.

One of the YMIR’s sensors picked her up immediately, and with the barrel of its right gun still white hot and steaming, it shifted back in preparation for launching another missile. This was exactly what Twilight had been counting on, as she pulled on her dwindling stamina to biotically lift up the wrecked LOKI and fling it toward its larger cousin. The timing needed to be perfect, and luckily for Twilight, she’d been damn near spot on.

“Firing.”

Completely ignoring the motion of the inactive LOKI as irrelevant data, the YMIR failed to account for where its trajectory was headed, and by the time it registered the obstacle, it was too late. The rocket it fired left the chamber and hit the robot corpse not even a foot away, detonating on impact.

It all happened so fast that Twilight didn’t have time to get far enough away, and the resulting shock-wave hit her side and tossed her to the ground. “Ungh!” she grunted, feeling a slight stinging across her skin where bits of shrapnel embedded themselves in the thick hide of her garments, but otherwise left her unharmed.

Her head was nearly swimming, but still she tried to get her hooves underneath her. Gasping for breath, she chanced a look over her shoulder to see what kind of damage she’d caused, if any. As the smoke cleared, Twilight could see she’d been at least partially successful, with a cascade of blue sparks indicating that her target’s shields had been taken down. Its left arm had also been mangled, the rocket launcher bent at an odd angle, and its optics flickered as it tried to regain its senses.

On the other hoof...

“Target acquired.”

Twilight gasped with the realization that the other of the two mechs had been far enough away from the blast to not suffer any real damage at all. In fact, it seemed to be in perfect working order as it swung its arm around, the barrel extending as Twilight could hear the chamber spinning up, ready to fire.

Twilight squeezed her eyes shut, preparing for the inevitable. If this was the end, at least she could be proud of the fact that she went down fighting. She hoped it would at least be over quickly.

Seconds ticked by, with the unicorn holding her breath, still waiting for the sound of the spinning gun to turn into the firing of shots. But when more than a few moments passed with Twilight remaining very much alive, curiosity got the better of her, and she opened her eyes a sliver.

What she saw almost made her jaw drop. The YMIR’s main gun was still pointed at her, but its optic lights were acting strangely, shifting from blue, to red, to off, and back again, almost as if it couldn’t decide what to do. Then, all was made clear when the lights snapped off once more… only to come back on in a shining, familiar green.

As Twilight watched, she felt her spirit soar as the mech suddenly turned on the spot, bringing its gun arm to bear on its unshielded twin.

“Target acquired,” said the mech, only this time, it wasn’t the tone of a dumb, emotionless robot. And then it opened fire.

With its shields down and its response still sluggish, the damaged mech didn’t stand a chance. Its armor plating was peeled away within the first second, punching its torso full of holes and blowing copious amounts of its “guts” out the other side. The path of the stream of bullets then travelled upwards, shredding the mech’s head into a shower of metal and clear plastic shards.

Then the bullets stopped, a rapid series of clicks indicating that the firing mechanism had overheated for now. Not like it mattered very much, as the hulk of scrap that used to be the first YMIR slowly fell back and collapsed under its own weight, bits of it giving off small explosions almost as an afterthought.

Coughing a few times, Twilight got up on her hooves, meekly looking up at her unexpected ally. “Forty-Two… is that really you in there?”

“Not quite,” came her assistant’s voice from an altogether different direction, causing Twilight to bring her head around toward the dock area. There, his wings buzzing as he floated up in clear view a fair ways from the MSV Rodrigo, was her steadfast changeling. “As if I would allow a single bit of my code inside that monster.”

In spite of herself, Twilight cracked a smirk, chuckling lightly. “Thanks, Forty-Two. You really saved my hide.”

“I wouldn’t celebrate just yet, Twilight,” Forty-Two cautioned. “As we speak, the YMIR’s processes are fighting back, attempting a hard reset of the system to regain control.”

Twilight gasped, instinctively taking a few steps away from the motionless behemoth.

“Not to worry. Before that happens, I’ll trigger the mech’s self-destruct sequence,” he assured her. “You may want to get to a safe distance.”

“Right.” The unicorn nodded, trotting away at a steady clip to take shelter behind another stack of crates. Once she was secure, she spoke up again. “Okay, I’m clear. Blow it to Tartarus.”

“With pleasure.”

All of a sudden, the YMIR’s optic lights began flashing on and off, and its limbs started twitching erratically, like it was possessed by a ghost. Its power core, located somewhere near its chest, was now glowing bright orange as it was pushed far beyond its limits into full meltdown. Then, as if sensing its own demise, the mech ducked down and pressed its arms inward, resuming its boxy, condensed form. A second of silence ticked by, then the YMIR was violently ripped apart from within, creating a small but bright fireball that extended up and into the air, making for an impressive sight.

“Woo-hoo!” Twilight shouted with barely-contained elation as the last of their opposition literally went up in flames. Then, her triumphant grin gradually melted away as she realized that their mission wasn’t quite over yet. She brought her omni-hoof up, turning it on and connecting to Pinkie again. “Pinkie, we’re all clear over here. What’s your status?”

“I’m almost done with the airlock door,” the earth mare said back through the link. “After that, knocking out the crew should be no problemo. I got a few more fun programs I’ve been itching to try.”

Twilight sighed with relief. “Just be careful, okay?”

“Will do!” Pinkie replied cheerfully, terminating the link. Meanwhile, Twilight looked back up at her assistant.

“You should go back to Pinkie. She might need help getting the ship under control.”

Forty-Two turned his head, giving his mistress a sideways glance. “If you think that’s best, Twilight… But… what about you?”

Twilight huffed, setting her sights on the door to the administration office that lay across a battlefield of smoke and debris, and narrowing her eyes. At that moment, she would really like to have laid down and taken a nap right then and there, but she still had more than enough energy left to take care of one last thing.

“I’m going to file a complaint…”

“Come in! Shadow Broker, come in!”

Standing over a bank of computers with an assortment of camera feeds and an open comm channel displayed on the screen, an asari clad in skin-tight black armor grit her teeth as she desperately attempted to contact the being on the other end of the comm-line.

“Shadow Broker, respond! I need orders, dammit!” she continued, bringing her fist down on the console in a mix of frustration and worry.

Worry that was entirely justified, as evidenced by the telltale warping sound of biotic energy coming from behind her. With her breath catching in her throat, the asari turned her head towards the heavy security door standing between her and the main warehouse complex. There, she could see glimmers of violet penetrating through the split in the middle as they gradually coalesced into a solid field that soon spread out along the outer surface. Then, there was a gruesome shriek of grinding metal as the sturdy locks binding the door in place were wrenched out of their holdings through sheer force. The door’s red holographic interface fizzled and vanished, and in confirmation of the asari’s dire predicament, it began to open.

The door mechanism continued to whine in protest, but there was really nothing more it could do, the two halves parting to reveal the haggard face and intense violet eyes of a dusty, disheveled, but still very angry unicorn. Once the opening was big enough, Twilight edged her way inside, keeping a shimmering barrier in front of her as she was expecting further hostility. The asari disappointed her, though, by turning around to face her with hands held up in the air.

“Now, Madam President, let’s not do anything hasty…” she implored in an attempt at a businesslike tone.

Twilight scowled, taking one step further into the room. “Really? Give me one. Good. Reason,” she growled lowly, her hackles rising in tandem with her anger.

“Alright, then…” Calmly, and without any sudden movements, the agent lowered her left hand around to her side, making it clear what she was doing. Then she placed her hand on the barrel of the pistol secured to her hip, and slowly disconnected it. With a flick of her wrist, she tossed it away, sending it clattering to the ground on the other side of the office. Next, she brought her hand up near her neck, to the base of her skull, and what she did next surprised even Twilight.

The agent clenched her fist, her face curling up in a grimace of discomfort, and in one swift motion, she yanked her hand back with the sound of something coming loose. In her palm, she now held what looked like a small translucent chip, which Twilight immediately recognized as a biotic amp. That too was tossed away, rendering the asari’s biotic potential to nearly zero at this point.

Now summarily disarmed, the agent brought her hands up again in an open gesture of defeat. “...I surrender.”

Twilight drew back, obviously unprepared for this eventuality. “That’s it? After everything you’ve done, all the people you’ve hurt, and sending out those mechs? You’re just giving up?”

In response, the asari let out a brief scoff. “Are you really so surprised? I’m no fool, Twilight. I know I wouldn’t survive a direct encounter with you, after seeing what you’re capable of. I honestly never thought you would make it this far. I’m very impressed.”

Despite Twilight’s misgivings, she couldn’t deny the degree of sincerity in those words. She knew better than to trust this person any more than she would a predator in the wild, but her instincts were also telling her that the asari was no longer a threat to her.

Still, she wasn’t about to take any chances, as she motioned her head in the direction of the floor. “Get on your knees.”

This caused a sly expression to cross the asari’s face. “Don’t you think it’s a little early for that? We’ve only just met.”

“On your knees, now,” Twilight repeated, clearly in no mood for games. “And put your hands behind your head.”

“Alright, alright…” The asari acquiesced, doing as the unicorn asked and lowering herself to the floor. Twilight then glanced to the side, spotting a cluster of thin metal pipes along the wall. Using her biotics, she yanked one out and levitated it over behind the agent, sliding it underneath her calves before bending it around as easily as a piece of rope. She made sure to constrict the asari’s hands as tightly as she could, twisting the end into a knot, and when she was finished, she could finally relax, confident that the woman was now completely helpless. Twilight breathed out a sigh, letting her barrier fall now that it was safe to do so.

“So, now that you have me all trussed up, what is it you plan on doing with me?” the asari asked, managing a straight poker face that masked any apprehension she might’ve been feeling.

Twilight started walking forward, never taking her eyes off the asari. “I still haven’t decided yet… but for now, I’m going to ask you some questions. And you’re going to answer them. Got it?”

“By all means, ask away,” the agent replied flippantly. “As for the answers, you might not like what you hear.”

“Hmph.” Twilight stopped and turned, facing the asari directly. “Who are you?”

"Who I am is not important." The blue woman shook her head, sounding somewhat amused. "It’s who I work for that you should be more concerned about."

"...The Shadow Broker," Twilight stated, her tone making it clear that it was not a question.

This elicited an intrigued eyebrow raise from the asari. “Once again, you impress me." She shrugged, clearly having not expected that Twilight would know this and making no attempt to play coy. "It seems I’ve underestimated you in more ways than one, Madam President. You are correct."

“Why did you do this?" Twilight demanded next, the anger in her tone palpable. “What reason could you possibly have for abducting eight innocent ponies?”

"You mistake my intentions. I was only doing what I was ordered to." The asari shrugged again. "To be fair, it was only observation at first: gathering data, samples, monitoring you and your kind, and reporting back any useful information. But eventually, samples weren’t enough; the Broker wanted live specimens, and what the Broker wants, he gets."

“‘Specimens’?” Twilight tried to fight a shudder of revulsion. “Just what is he planning on doing with them?”

“I don’t know, and even if I did, I wouldn’t be telling you,” the agent said bluntly. “The Broker doesn’t guard his secrets lightly. His reasons are his own, and as long as the credits keep coming, that’s good enough for me.”

“Is that all that matters to you? Getting paid?” Twilight didn’t think it was possible, but she found her opinion of this alien woman being lowered even further. “The Shadow Broker tells you to steal ponies away from their friends and families so he can perform Celestia knows what kinds of sick, twisted experiments on them, and the only thing you care about is how much money you’ll get!?”

“Yeah, that pretty much sums it up.” The asari sounded a bit testy, annoyed at how this seemed like such a foreign concept to someone as purportedly smart as the leader of a whole species. “If it makes you feel any better, I assure you, none of this was personal.”

"Not personal?" Twilight all but exploded, baring her teeth. “And what about Rainbow Dash? I find it hard to believe what you did to her was anything but personal!”

“The Director got in my way. I did what was necessary to keep her from endangering my mission,” the agent explained matter-of-factly. “Come to think of it, you should be thanking me.”

“Thanking you!?” Twilight spat out.

"The Broker has many agents under his employ, and not all of them are as… professional as I am. I have no doubt that some of the more bloodthirsty ones wouldn’t have shown her the slightest bit of mercy if they were in the same situation."

Twilight was aghast. "You honestly expect me to believe that crippling Rainbow for life was an act of mercy?"

"Believe whatever you want. If you want to continue thinking I’m some kind of monster, go right ahead." The asari closed her eyes briefly, giving a contemplative smile. “In the end, it doesn’t really matter what you think of me.”

"And how do you figure that?"

“Well, the way I see it, you have two options on how to proceed.” The asari’s hard, cold blue eyes locked with Twilight’s, presumably to appear intimidating in spite of her situation. “The first one is quite simple: You let me walk out of here unchallenged… and we go our separate ways.”

Twilight’s response was immediate. “Absolutely not! If you think I’m just going to let slide everything you’ve done to me -- to us -- then you are sorely mistaken!”

“You didn’t let me finish.” The asari lowered her head, still maintaining eye contact. “By now I assume those sneaky allies of yours have secured the Rodrigo -- that ship, and everything on it, are yours to deal with as you see fit. As for myself, I will report back to the Shadow Broker everything that’s happened here today. He does not take kindly to failure, but regardless, I am still an important asset to him. He will know that the Equestrian Herd is not to be taken lightly.”

“So I’m just supposed to take you at your word?” The unicorn raised a skeptical eyebrow. “And what difference does it make what you tell him? I thought the Broker ‘always’ gets what he wants.”

“I have little to gain by lying to you now, Madam President,” the asari put it plainly. “As for the Broker, he is nothing if not cautious; he will think twice before trying something again, especially now that you’re aware of the threat he poses.”

“I’ll bet.” Twilight shook her head roughly, trying to dissuade herself of the asari’s argument. Of course she’d say anything she could to avoid the inevitable. “It doesn’t matter, though. C-Sec is on its way, and once they take you in, they’ll see to it that you answer for your crimes.”

“Ah, yes. I assumed as much. How predictable.” The agent let out a private chuckle. “I would advise against turning me over to the authorities, and not only for my sake, but for yours as well.”

Twilight’s ears shifted back, confused by the statement. “And why is that, exactly?” she asked, intrigued.

“First off, I should point out that the justice system here on the Citadel isn’t nearly as airtight as you seem to believe,” the asari went on, acquiring a playful smirk. “Oh, sure, I’ll be detained, thrown in a cell, I may even be put on trial. But as I said before: I am an important asset to the Broker, and the Broker takes care of his assets. Whether it’s by a few greased palms or the release of some ‘compromising’ information, eventually, I will slip through the cracks.”

Twilight’s eyes narrowed at the woman. “...You’re bluffing.”

“Maybe I am, maybe I’m not.” The asari’s smirk didn’t falter, making it clear that she’d played this game many times before. “But regardless of what happens, surely I’ll be questioned by more than one person of authority while I’m incarcerated, perhaps someone sent by the Council itself.” Her smile then turned predatory. “...And I’m sure they’d be very interested in hearing everything that I’ve learned about you.”

“About me?” Twilight was taken aback for a moment, for the first time feeling like she was being put on the defensive in this situation. “What are you talking about?”

“Everyone keeps secrets, Madam President, and the Equestrian Herd is no different,” the asari began to explain. “I’ve been monitoring you and your people for quite some time, and I’ve uncovered some rather tantalizing threads just begging to be pulled. Such as an upstanding C-Sec officer blatantly misinterpreting the law and covering up known associations with a member of a terrorist group in order to deny a man seeking justice. Or how about the illegal weaponization of civilian-grade omni-tools? Surely there are many people who would be interested in what else your Director of Technology has been cooking up in that lab of hers. And that’s just the beginning.”

Twilight felt a bit of dread settle into her stomach as she swallowed uncomfortably, which the asari took as her cue to finish strong.

“Let’s not forget the elcor in the room, either. Why you’re so eager to keep those curious little machines of yours -- Changelings, you call them? -- out of the spotlight.” The asari’s tone turned lighter, and yet somehow darker. “They seem very advanced. Some might say… too advanced? Goddess forbid if someone looked too closely at what they're capable of.”

It took all of Twilight’s concentration to resist the urge to look away and give the agent the satisfaction of taking the upper hoof in what she’d assumed would be an easy victory. The truth was, even bound and helpless as she was, this asari was still proving to be a threat to the Herd.

“But there’s no reason for any of that to happen, now, is there?” The asari’s voice resumed its friendly, disarming timbre. “Like I said, all you have to do is let me slip away. I promise you and I will never meet again, and you all can go on your merry way as if none of this unpleasantness ever happened.”

Twilight closed her eyes and breathed deeply to calm herself, a single thought crossing her mind that simultaneously made her emboldened… and nauseous. When she opened her eyes again, they were cast off to the side, at the discarded pistol laying on the floor.

“...There is a third option,” she told the agent, looking back at her and keeping her voice flat and neutral.

The asari looked over to where Twilight had subtly glanced, making the connection right away, and her response was not what the unicorn had expected. “Hah! Hahahahaha!” she let out in a fit of genuine laughter, obviously not intimidated by the overt threat. “You mean killing me, don’t you? You, the leader of a race of cutesy-eyed furballs, snuffing me out like a candle? Could you really bring yourself to do something like that?”

“Only if it was absolutely necessary,” Twilight told her. “I’m prepared to do whatever it takes to keep my people safe.”

The asari’s eyes glinted dangerously. “Are you really...?” she asked in a provocative tone. “Let me tell you something, Madam President: Ending the life of another is no easy task. It changes you in ways you can’t imagine, and that’s speaking from experience. If you think I’m a monster, what will everyone else think when you murder a defenseless prisoner in cold blood?”

The unicorn flinched when she heard the word “murder,” even though she tried to hide it. It was all the asari needed.

“There it is, I can see it in your face. You talk a tough game, but you’ve never truly hurt a single person in your life, and you’re not going to start with me,” she proclaimed boldly. Then, with a satisfied smile on her face, she cracked her neck and shifted her shoulders casually, like she was limbering up for a brisk run.

“So, Twilight Sparkle, what’s it going to be? I haven’t got all day...”

Log Entry: 42 of 50 - Day 64 A.E.

Assets Acquired:

-10: Equestrian Herd: The shocking abduction of multiple ponies and the assault of Rainbow Dash has taken a toll on the entire herd. Although Director Applejack, as acting Vice President, has done her best to mitigate panic and wild speculation, the Herd has still suffered a steep drop in morale.

Codex Update: Captain Inastri