//------------------------------//
// 12:15, 28th February 2016 - Lunch Break 
// Story: Research Project: Sparkle 
// by Axquirix 
//------------------------------//

1215, 28th February 2016
The doors to the canteen swung open. This, in itself, was an event that happened once every ten seconds at this time of day, and so the sound of it didn’t garner much attention. The sight of a winged purple unicorn entering through the doors, flanked by and chatting to a pair of soldiers, though, drew the attention of everyone in the canteen. Or at least, everyone who was looking the right way and not too engrossed in conversation.
Twilight Sparkle, for her part, didn’t even look around as the vocal noise in the room lowered; she was still talking to Popov and Santiago, neither of whom had actually told her their first name yet. The three of them joined the back of the queue at the counter.
“So, Miss Sparkle,” Popov continued as he took a plastic tray, “any family?”
Twilight nodded. “My parents live in Canterlot, where my dad runs a bookbinding business, self-employed. Mum’s tried her hand - hoof, I mean - at writing, but not full time. My older brother Shining Armour is captain of the Canterlot Guard, and recently married my old foalsitter, Princess Cadance.”
“You became a princess and your brother married one?” Santiago raised an eyebrow, “Your parents have got to be proud.”
Twilight’s breath caught for a moment. “I’ve been gone a month,” she noted, “right now they’re probably worried sick.”
Santiago shrugged. “At least you don’t have to worry about them being safe, eh?”
Twilight cleared her throat before replying, “True, it’s not like there’s a dire threat to Equestria every two months that only I and my friends can resolve.”
Santiago and Popov looked at her silently for a moment, before turning to look at each other. “Snarkle,” they said in unison, before Popov chuckled and Santiago shook his head.
“What-” Twilight began to ask, before feeling another consciousness press up against her own. She sensed mainly concern and inquisitiveness from it, but still pushed back against it, preventing it from entering her own mind properly.
“Something Fireteam Foxtrot came up with,” Popov replied, “but look, I’m sure your family are fine.”
“Mmm,” the alicorn mutely agreed, focusing more on defending herself; whoever was trying to push into her mind, they were stubborn. “Hopefully while I’m gone my friends can deal with- Gah!” Twilight winced, her ears flattening, as a second thoughtstream battered into her mental defenses, this one radiating something more akin to fearful determination. She redoubled her efforts, focussing on fortifying whatever space she could within the inhibitor’s allowance.
“You okay?” Santiago asked, moving to kneel down to her level, but Twilight didn’t respond. More came, maybe seven in total, all pressing upon her, probing her mind for weaknesses. She couldn’t fight back. She couldn’t hold them off forever. Their intent, together, was stronger than hers.
One of them broke through, and Twilight’s mind began to ache as it started scouring her memories for something. She quickly moved to address it, only to have another force its way in before she had started. She could hear voices, but couldn’t make out what they said.
The rest moved. Thrashing, prying, scrabbling at her mind. Twilight lost focus as panic began to grip her thoughts, which the second thoughtstream was quick to intensify.
Another dug into her memories, pulling at them.
A third joined them.
Twilight pushed back, trying to chase one out.
One of them jolted her, forcing a migraine.
One attacked, trying to wrest control of herself away.
Twilight’s legs went from shaking to collapse.
Her memories flashed before her rapidly as they were searched.
Something caught her fall.
Her body was turned to try and fight back against it.
STOP! she mentally screamed, the feedback of its volume stunning her assailants for a moment. One of them was forced back to their own mind for a moment, before reprojecting. She felt her body go limp again before it managed to lash out at anyone.
What are you doing?! she asked, panic and distress still filling her mindscape.
We need to know what you really are, one of the intruders replied, even as some of them resumed their search, right now we don’t have a lot of solid evidence of anything.
You’ve been in contact with Bradford, Vahlen and Shen, another chimed in, pausing from rooting through her memories to do so, and you could have them controlled or implicated somehow.
You’re up to something, you alien scum, a third loudly accused her, and we’re going to stop you.
I can answer everything, okay? Twilight replied, which caused most of the intruders to pause for a moment. Just, just let me get my bearings straight first.
The minds pressing into her were silent for a moment, before the third one replied. No! You're going to change your memories or something! Erase the evidence!
She’s causing a scene right now, another psion chimed in, which will draw attention back to us. Let’s let her get out of the queue first.
We’re not fully backing off yet, though, another noted, Just to make sure you don’t try anything.
Alright, Twilight agreed, as she felt control over her own body beginning to return, give me five minutes to get seated somewhere.
Well, Moreau’s ahead of you, a voice noted, she turns around and you’ll need twenty.
Twilight was mildly pleased that she actually frowned slightly. Now finding the ability to focus on something outside of her own head, she realised that it was Santiago who’d caught her when her legs gave out. He looked concerned, but seemed to relax a little as she blinked and looked at him. “Are you alright? What happened?” He asked as she shuffled upright in his grip.
“I’m fine,” Twilight confirmed as she glanced around, spotting Popov looking outright worried and a few other men and women crowding around, “just a little startled. Someone in here just decided to strike up a conversation with psionics, and I wasn’t ready for them.” Who’s Moreau? She mentally added.
Why not ask Santiago? A reply came back quickly. Twilight thought there was a mischievous undertone in there, but wasn’t entirely sure.
“Using psionics like that stops you doing anything?” Santiago asked, a perplexed look on his face as he let go of the now standing alicorn.
“Well, no,” Twilight admitted, “I could normally concentrate on a mental conversation and act normally at the same time, only the others were being a bit more forceful than I’m used to. Which makes sense, given that they’re used to using it offensively against hostile minds,” she added.
“Others? Plural?” Santiago frowned. “How many and who?”
“About eight, but I don’t know who,” Twilight replied, before feeling some of her visitors signal caution. “One of them mentioned the name Moreau?”
“Moreau?” Popov exclaimed, scratching at the side of his head, “but she isn’t even a-”
“Mon Dieu!” Twilight heard a woman’s voice shout, before yelling herself as she was grabbed around the chest, wings pinned to her back, and pulled completely off of the floor, hooves flailing.
“Il est trop chou!” The woman cried again, as Twilight felt herself being swayed side to side as she struggled, her legs kicking vainly at the air, “Je veux le garder et lui brosser la crinière! Où puis-je obtenir un?”
“Uh, Captain Moreau,” Santiago said, placing both hand on Twilight’s shoulders to stop the woman swinging her, “This is Twilight Sparkle. The one-of-a-kind magic horse alien everyone has been talking about.”
Twilight felt the grip on herself loosen a little. “Donc, je ne peux pas le garder?”
The alicorn herself stopped squirming to look at the two soldiers before her. “Is she going to put me down?” she asked exasperatedly.
Moreau gasped. “Il parle aussi?” she practically squealed, before tightening the hug again.
“Captain, you couldn’t put her down, could you?” Santiago asked,as Twilight started to get a little giddy from being shaken around so much, “S'il vous plaît?”
Twilight heard the woman sigh, before feeling herself be lowered to the ground as delicately as if she were made of spun glass. Relieved to have her hooves back on the floor, she turned to face her ‘attacker’. A fair-skinned woman with loose dark hair and narrow shoulders was kneeling down to the alicorn’s eye level, her crossed arms propped up on one knee. She was wearing a loose white tee shirt, dark blue jogging bottoms, white trainers and a look of absolute endearment on her face. “Vous êtes adorable,” she whispered, glancing between Twilight’s eyes and muzzle.
Twilight cleared her throat before holding out a hoof. “Pleased to meet you, Captain Moreau,” she said, also spotting a man stood a little way behind the woman, holding two trays of food and waiting patiently.
“C'est agréable de vous rencontrer,” Cpt Moreau replied, taking Twilight’s hoof in a firm grip, “je vous présente mes excuse pour le câlin.”
She said hello, and apologised for hugging you, one of Twilight’s mental guests informed her, Moreau understands English perfectly but doesn’t ever speak it.
Thanks, Twilight replied in her mind, before replying out loud, “Don’t mention it, you just surprised me a little.”
Moreau looked a little shocked herself, but Santiago cut in before she could speak again. “Captain Moreau is one of XCOM’s more experienced soldiers,” he explained to the alicorn, “she’s lead Fireteam Echo on more successful missions than some of us have seen.”
“Et je n'ai jamais eu un seul soldat mort,” the Captain added, “Je prends soins de mes gars.”
“That’s really impressive,” Twilight agreed, “how do you do it?”
“Il faut courir vite et bien,” she explained, “et porter une arme balaise.”
“Moreau’s trained as one of our Assault-class soldiers,” Santiago divulged further, “specialising in close-range combat against the aliens. As such, she pulls a lot of the attention away from the rest of her squad, giving them a little more room to breathe.”
Twilight’s ears drooped in concern. “That sounds pretty dangerous,” she noted.
“J'esquive bien,” The captain said with a shrug, before giving Twilight a curious look. “Vous ne parlez pas français , mais vous le comprenez?” she asked.
“Not really,” Twilight admitted after having the question translated for her, “I’ve got someone telling me everything with psionics right now, but I’d like to learn to speak it for myself.”
“C'est peut-être quelque chose avec lequel je pourrais vous aider?” Moreau suggested, before a cough from behind her caught her attention. Twilight glanced around the french woman as she turned, and noted that the entire lunch queue had cleared save for the man holding two trays, who was looking pointedly at the captain. “Désolé, mais je dois partir. Je vais vous laisser à votre déjeuner, c'était un plaisir de vous rencontrer Madame Sparkle.”
“Say au revoir,” Santiago instructed.
“Au revoir, Captain Moreau,” Twilight said with a smile, which Moreau returned before turning and walking towards her squadmate. “Well, I think that’s enough excitement for one lunchtime,” the alicorn said with a sigh.
“Popov seems to agree,” Santiago nodded, “he’s already sat down and eating.”
Twilight nodded silently and headed towards the counter. She quickly selected a red pepper and courgette panini, and at Santiago’s insistence had mozzarella in it as well. Santiago himself had a six-cheese melt, the mere smell of which made the alicorn nauseous. He was, however, kind enough to carry her tray to the table for her, setting it down next to Popov’s. After maneuvering herself into the plastic chair next to the Russian, Twilight picked up her sandwich with her magic and began eating.
Except it didn’t budge.
Thinking for a moment, Twilight rolled her eyes as she remembered how the psi inhibitor she was wearing worked - she was at ninety-seven-point-five percent impedance while walking around the base, so she’d have to use forty times as much psionic power to lift the sandwich. That was a lot for one sandwich, but it was doable and she was hungry.
Still nothing.
Twilight frowned. This shouldn’t be this difficult. Still, perhaps she’d merely underestimated the weight of the panini, and so tried doubling her power usage.
Still nothing.
Aren’t you hungry? one of the voices in her head spoke teasingly. Annoyed, Twilight tried doubling the strength of the spell again, sweat beginning to bead on her brow with effort, only to be again met with no result.
Okay, who’s doing that? she thought, noting that Popov was now watching her glare at a sandwich with some concern.
That depends, the response came, Do you want to try again, or is that your limit?
I could go higher, maybe twice as high again, Twilight replied, but at this point it’s a lot easier to just ask Popov or Santiago to tape cutlery to my hooves. 
There was silence in her mindscape for a moment. Alright, I’ll tell Marquez to stop, another voice replied, I think the point was demonstrated well enough.
And that was? Twilight asked.
That inhibitor works, another voice replied, at least well enough that we can lock you down. Combined with your performance when you met Moreau, and the fact that the eight of us managed to break into your mind in the first place, I think we’ve proven that XCOM isn’t threatened because of you.
Sure, a more familiar voice continued, let’s go on evidence obtained while it knows we’re watching, that won’t make it voluntarily lose at all.
Twilight’s heart dipped a little. This whole lunch break had become an exercise in paranoia. Is there anything I can do to convince you that I’m not here to cause trouble? she asked the still wary soldier.
Probably not, a different voice replied, at least not yet. For now I’d suggest you just get used to someone watching you while you sleep. And Jason? I trust you’re smart enough to realise that if it took eight of us to get in here and that inhibitor doesn’t work, she’ll crush you if you do anything brash by yourself, right?
Twilight could feel the man’s simmering anger, but he relented, Fine. I’m watching you, alien.
I’ll add you to the list, Twilight replied as his projection vanished, which earned an undertone of mirth from two of her visitors.
I think the rest of us agree that XCOM isn’t under any serious threat from you, Twilight, a last voice spoke, even if you are secretly against us. We’d like to ask you more later, but for now we’ll leave you to your lunch.
Thank you, Twilight replied before attempting to lift her sandwich again. This time it lifted easily into the air, and she finally got to sink her teeth into the toasted baguette, blissfully enjoying the crisp crunch of the peppers as she bit down. The mozzarella actually worked very well, lightly complementing the tang of the courgette.
Nutrient paste was pretty awful, the alicorn was reminded again.
“So, what was all that about? Glaring at a panini?” Santiago asked, already more than halfway through his own lunch.
Twilight swallowed and rolled her eyes slightly. “Impromptu trial by every psion in the room. Do you mind if I give you the brief version?” She held up the sandwich to emphasize, and Santiago nodded as she began to explain.

***

The cool air of the abductor ship’s bridge troubled only one of its occupants, the Sectoids manning the consoles undeterred by either the cold or the discussion between their superiors.
I lost all of them, the Found One admitted sorrowfully, eyes damp, they followed my instructions to the letter, and I failed them.
They understood the risk they faced, the Ethereal replied, and they followed you faithfully. You also secured a number of the enemy for study. Their deaths were not pointless.
But they shouldn’t have happened! The Found One cried, We should have won! We should have at least forced them to retreat! Eight against six, and they slaughtered us!
Our enemy is persistent and adapt quickly, the Ethereal replied, there is no perfect strategy against them. You underestimated them, but you will not do so again.
One of them had the Gift, the Found One noted.
The Ethereal remained silent.
You told me only truly intelligent beings could have the Gift, the Found One continued.
Their leaders were able to learn, the Ethereal reasoned, perhaps they can project their Gift through their soldiers.
The Found One frowned. Or perhaps their soldiers aren’t the mindless drones you told me they were? They fought defensively, and targeted key units.
What we feared most is coming to pass - they are beginning to uplift their soldier caste, the Ethereal explained. Our new allies confirmed this, but we did not think it could grant them the Gift.
What of our new friends, the Found One asked, what were their terms?
Resources. Technology. Knowledge, the Ethereal surmised. They betray their own kind for power, but we can make use of that. They are ready to begin their task, to give us room for ours.
The Found One was silent, again reminded of past mistakes as tears fell to the floor once more.
Go, the Ethereal commanded, rest. You will have opportunity to avenge them soon.
The Found One nodded, and left the ship’s bridge.