CHAPTER 15
The sound of Princess Celestia’s hoofsteps echoed off of the marble walls of her castle, filling the otherwise empty space with sound. The light of the morning sun streamed in though towering windows on the walls, casting its orange glow over the troubled princess.
One hundred. That is all that the zebra could spare to fight Cerberus and their indoctrinated griffons. The aliens had around five hundred, meaning that Equestria hosted the largest force of sixty thousand. In total, sixty thousand and six hundred soldiers would march on Gryphonia, and face a force of over a million, all of whom were large and armed with advanced weapons. Celestia shook her head. It was suicide.
The princess stopped her pacing and sighed, trying to clear her mind. She needed to maintain absolute focus in order to create an effective battle strategy against the griffons. She screwed her eyelids shut, and counted down from ten. When her countdown was complete, her eyelids slowly reopened, and Celestia found her mind was far clearer.
The princess knew that they main objective was to stop Cerberus from escaping the planet. If that meant sacrificing her own life, then so be it. She would not let them unleash the indoctrinated griffons onto the galaxy. Despite this knowledge, Celestia could not help herself from thinking about Legion. He had been captured, and was likely being experimented upon at this very moment. As risky as it was, he deserved a rescue mission.
“Your highness,” a voice said from behind the princess, breaking her train of thought. Celestia turned around to find a guard standing a few meters away.
“Yes?” Celestia asked.
“The last of the Equestrian military is arriving from the south,” the guard reported. “They will be within the city in minutes.” Celestia nodded, offering a somewhat-forced smiled. She had received similar reports over the course of the previous night. Garrisons of pony soldiers from all across Equestria had been recalled to Canterlot, with the exception of the northern forces, who would wait for the rest of the army to come to them.
“Thank you, I will be right out.” The guard saluted, then spun around and began walking back the way he came. Celestia walked over to one of the windows, and looked down at the display below her. This section of the castle overlooked the training wing, which consisted of a large field surrounded by barracks. The field had been emptied of training equipment, and soldiers were pouring into it to prepare for battle. Heavier armor was being distributed, as were coats for warmth. In Gryphonia, they would be needed. Celestia sighed, frowning. She hated war, but she was being left little choice. Many ponies would die today, but even more would perish if Cerberus was allowed to escape. This was something she had to do.
“Sister…” came the voice of Luna from behind the sun princess. Celestia turned around, forcing yet another grin. Luna frowned, seeing right past it. “How are you feeling?” Celestia sighed as she felt her smile disappearing.
“I have had better days,” she answered. “I have also had worse. We will get through this.”
“I know we will,” Luna said, trotting closer to her sister. Her azure eyes looked out the window, down at the field of assembling soldiers. “But what of them? What of the zebra, and the humans, turians, and asari?” Celestia’s only response was a shake of her head.
“… When was the last time you and I fought a war, side by side?” Luna asked.
“It must have been… the yak conflict, eleven hundred years ago,” Celestia replied, recalling the memory. “A quick war, and a clean one.” The princess wished she could say the same about the coming battle.
“What was it you said to the yak leader?” her sister asked with a nostalgic smile. “Something about—“
“Highnesses!” a voice cried out from down the hall. Both princesses’ gazes were diverted to the source of the call, which was a guard running toward them down the corridor. As he got closer, he stopped in his tracks and offered a quick salute.
“What is it?” Celestia asked, her expression grave.
“Something is coming this way,” he said. “Something massive.” The sisters shared a concerned glance before quickly returning to the window. Sure enough, on the horizon was a rapidly-moving group of creatures. From this distance Celestia could not tell what they were, but there were thousands of them.
“Prepare the soldiers,” she ordered. “We may be in trouble, here…”
EARLIER
A current of cool air flowed through the rounded stone corridors of the changeling hive, creating a comfortable climate for Erebus to walk. His rough black hooves made little sound on the stone floor, allowing the changeling to clearly hear the sound from below. A cacophony of whispers filled the air around Erebus, growing louder the closer he came to a doorway. The door was collector technology, left here by its previous owners after their defeat at the hands of Equestria and the geth. It slid open at Erebus’s presence, revealing a massive chamber beyond. Months ago this had been filled with pods designed to hold ponies. Now it held thousands of changelings, all of whom were using their magic to form a new queen.
In the center of the room sat the motionless form of a young changeling. Every so often its body would quiver, and its eyes would move behind the eyelids as streams of magic flowed into its body. A sticky green resin had formed around the changeling, rooting it to the stone floor and preventing it from thrashing around in the later stages of the ritual.
“How goes the ascension?” Erebus whispered to a nearby changeling. The changeling hissed, keeping his eyes closed in concentration as magic flowed from his body.
“We are close…” he whispered back. “The effort of the past months is coming to a close. It is happening.” Erebus lifted a leg to cover his eyes as a bright green flash engulfed the room. The changeling in the center began screaming as it was lifted from the floor, the magic forces tearing against its body, changing it. With a sickening crack, the changeling’s exoskeleton fell from its body, and the form beneath began to grow. Its arms and legs extended to nearly three times the original length. The body stretched out, and the head became elongated as a twisted horn burst through the flesh. A new exoskeleton formed around the changeling, and as the green glow began to fade, her green eyes opened wide. She majestically lowered to the floor, landing on all four legs with the grace of a true queen.
At once, all of the changelings in the room lowered themselves into bows, Erebus included. They dared not look upon the new queen until she ordered them to do so. She took a few steps forward, each step echoing loudly off of the stone walls of the chamber. She circled around, observing her subjects, until she finally came back to the center of the room.
“Rise!” she said in a booming voice. The changelings did as they were told, all of them finally looking upon their queen. She was slightly taller than Chrysalis had been, and her long blue mane fell all the way to the floor. Her large insectoid wings were flared, and her glowing green eyes passed over the crowd.
“Where is Erebus!?” she asked. Erebus stepped forward, bowing.
“I am here, your excellency,” he said. The queen examined the smaller changeling, before she took a step back.
“Come!” she began walking out of the chamber, Erebus not far behind. She led him through the winding labyrinth that was their hive, all the way to her personal quarters. As soon as they arrived, she crossed to a desk, retrieved a piece of parchment and a quill, and began writing a letter.
“What do you require of me, your excellency?” Erebus said when she was finished. The queen rolled up her letter, and sent it to Erebus with her telekinesis.
“We are going to assist the ponies,” she said. “We will fight the griffons, and this “Cerberus” group.” Erebus’s eyes widened in confusion.
“You wish to ally with them?” he asked. “Why?”
“Equality,” the queen began. “They may claim to want an alliance with us, but it would be one only advantageous to them. However, if we come to them in their time of need, and show them the power we possess, they will have no choice but to see us as equals.” Erebus nodded in understanding.
“It will be done, excellency.” He took the letter in his own telekinesis, and placed it on his back.
“You will take what forces we have now,” she said, turning away. “I will begin… producing more. The changelings will once again be known as a force of power in Equis!” Erebus bowed, then turned and ran from the queen’s quarters, ready to rally their forces…
Princess Luna looked out over the fields below Canterlot, the dark mass of creatures coming closer and closer to the city. Their march had lasted several hours now, and the army had grown from a small spot of darkness on the horizon to a massive horde of movement. It had also become quite clear that the creatures in the horde were not griffons, but changelings. With how many there were, Luna could think of very few reasons for their visit.
“Your highness,” a guard said, stepping up behind the princess of the night. “One of the changelings has broken ahead of the group, and the army is coming to a halt. The stray is heading for the castle gates.” Luna turned away from the window and began walking slowly to the door.
“Thank you,” she replied. “Prepare the army. If the changelings come with cruel intentions, we shall meet them appropriately.” The guard left with a quick salute, leaving Luna to walk to the courtyard by herself. No doubt Celestia would also have heard the news, and would be headed there as well.
Her assumptions were confirmed as she exited the castle’s hastily-assembled temporary gate, and entered the courtyard. Celestia stood in the center, and next to her was Kaidan, wearing a set of reflective blue armor. They both appeared to be speaking, but at this distance Luna could not hear them. Their conversation ended as Luna approached, and both sets of eyes were focused on the moon princess.
“Luna, it is good you are here,” Celestia said. “If the changelings are going to try something…”
“It would make sense,” Luna admitted. “Our standing army is quite small, and with all focus on the griffons in the north… now would be the best time to exact their revenge.”
“If that’s why they’re here,” Kaidan said. “But just in case, Garrus is watching our backs…” The major turned around and looked up to one of the castle’s many towers. At the very top, Luna caught sight of a blue-armored alien looking down on them.
“I feel safer already…” Luna whispered.
“Here it comes!” cried the voice of a guard. Sure enough, a regular-sized changeling flew over the courtyard, angling down to come to a landing right in front of the princesses. On his back was a rolled up piece of parchment. He looked up, his blue eyes scanning over the three figures present. Immediately, a number of spears were aimed at the changeling, who continued to stare at the princesses, unamused.
“… Erebus,” Celestia said after a pause, recognizing the changeling. “Welcome back to Canterlot.”
“Thank you, Princess,” Erebus said, his eyes breaking from the princesses and looking at the spears surrounding him. “I come bearing news.”
“I assume it relates to the army you have at our doorstep?” Luna asked accusingly. She glared at the changeling, not trusting the creature.
“Indeed it does,” Erebus replied. Luna was not sure, but she thought she sensed more emotion in his voice. He sounded almost… happy. “After months of work, I am pleased to announce that the changelings have successfully created a new queen. As such, we can begin reproduction again, and start to replenish our lost numbers.” Celestia stared at the changeling inquisitively.
“I am pleased to hear it,” she said. “But what is your purpose for coming here?” For the first time, Erebus smiled, and bowed his head.
“I come to offer our aid. Equis is our world too, and Cerberus is a threat to all of us. We will help you defeat them.” Using his telekinesis, Erebus pulled the letter off of his back, and presented it to Celestia. The princess unfurled the letter and began to read aloud:
“To the esteemed Princesses of Equestria. As a gesture of good faith, and future friendship, I have sent Erebus with three hundred thousand changeling drones. Another three hundred thousand are headed north to meet your army on the border, and within days I will have thousands of reinforcements. In return for this aid, all I ask is that the changelings are treated as they deserve. That we are respected, and kept equal in world politics. With respect, and hopes for the future, Queen Instar.”
Celestia rolled the scroll back up, barely able to contain the smile on her face. Her magenta eyes focused on Erebus, and she nodded.
“Your offer of assistance is gratefully accepted,” she said, teleporting the letter away with a burst of magic. “I will inform the guard that your changelings are to be allowed in the city. We are finalizing preparations, and will be marching for Gryphonia in a few hours.”
“Understood, Princess,” Erebus said. “I will relay your acceptance, then return here to discuss battle strategy.” The changeling flared his wings, then launched himself into the sky and disappeared over the courtyard walls. Celestia watched him go, then turned to face her sister and the Major.
“We have a chance now…” she said quietly. “Come. We must go to the meeting room.”
Kaidan sat down at the meeting room table, sinking into the rather sizeable chair beneath him. Given that the only other bipeds on Equis were minotaurs, the chairs meant for biped anatomy were quite large, providing ample space for the human to sit. He looked around the room, eyeing the other people present; Princesses Celestia and Luna sat at either head of the table, while President Malkia sat to Kaidan’s right. Across the table sat Senator Proudwing and Erebus, both of whom had their eyes focused on the Princess of the sun.
“What is the battle strategy, Princess?” Proudwing asked, his impatience clear. “I wish to liberate my people as soon as possible.” Celestia paused, then produced a map with her magic, laying it out on the table for all to see. The map lacked any landmarks, save for a single spire in the center.
“This is the area around the Cerberus base,” she began. “It is far to the north of Gryphonia, with no notable landmarks for hundreds of miles. This is where the battle will take place.”
“The battle will have three objectives,” Luna continued. “First, engage the griffons and prevent them from boarding the ships. This will be completed by the bulk to our forces, as it will be the most demanding task. Second, we will need to eliminate the ships. As such a task would require expertise beyond that of anybody on Equis, we were hoping that somebody from the Normandy could handle that.” Kaidan paused for a moment, thinking to himself.
“… James, Javik, and Garrus will help,” he finally said. “They’ve got experience is destroying things.” The two princesses shared a glance, then returned their gazes to the major.
“Actually…” Celestia said. “We were hoping that you could find some way of disabling the ships, other than by blowing them up…”
“Why?” Kaidan asked, raising an eyebrow.
“We… wish to limit griffon casualties,” the elder princess replied. “They are not in control of their actions. We are trying to save them, after all.” Kaidan paused again, trying to think of an alternative.
“… Entering every ship and disabling them from the inside would take too long, not to mention the added risk,” the major said. “However, destroying the engines from the outside may work. We would need heavy weapons, but I think we have that covered.”
“If that is what it will take, then so be it,” Luna said, nodding. “We will offer the assistance of Twilight Sparkle’s friends, to cover them.”
“Hold on,” Kaidan interrupted, raising a hand. “They’re not soldiers. I don’t want civilians out there.”
“Major, Twilight’s friends have faced threats far worse than Cerberus,” Celestia said, standing. “They are some of the most talented ponies I have ever met, and they will not fail you.”
“… Fine,” Kaidan finally said, sighing. “But know that destroying the engines won’t result in zero casualties. They are sensitive components, with highly volatile fuel. The entire ships won’t be destroyed, but they will be damaged. I think I can guarantee that at least some of the griffons onboard each ship will not survive.” The princesses looked to Proudwing, waiting for a response.
“… If that is the best you can do, then so be it,” the senator sighed.
“Right, then,” Luna continued. “The third objective is the recovery of Legion, and the apprehension or elimination of Foster. We would like you to lead this, Major. Additionally, we would like you to take Twilight Sparkle with you.”
“Understood, Princess,” Kaidan nodded. “I’ll also take Tali and Liara with me. Their skills could be useful in that base.”
“Then I would advise that you prepare your people, Major,” Celestia said. “In the meantime, I will continue to coordinate with the other leaders here. Meet in the courtyard in two hours. Then, we march to Gryphonia.”
“I’ll see you then, Princess.” Kaidan stood from his chair and saluted, then turned and exited the room. As he walked down the long castle corridor, he activated his omni-tool and sent messages to the rest of the Normandy squad, telling them to meet him in his guest quarters. His task complete, he began walking to his destination, prepared for battle…
“Ten minutes to LZ,” the pilot reported from the shuttle cockpit. Some turbulence gently shook the back of the small craft, and Tali’s grip tightened on the ceiling handle. Her other arm was held before her, omni-tool active and showing a map of the area. The main attack force was not far behind Tali and her squad; those who were not capable of flight were being transported in an armada of shuttles and chariots to make the journey to Gryphonia far quicker. And in under an hour, the battle would be underway.
But Tali would be seeing very little of the battle on the surface. Her objective was clear: infiltrate the base, find Legion, and kill Foster. Or apprehend him, as the princesses had stressed. But Tali knew how this had to end. He was Cerberus, and they were not known for being useful prisoners. Twilight Sparkle stepped up to the quarian, struggling to remain steady on the deck of the shuttle.
“You ready, Tali?” she asked, barely managing to avoid bumping into Kaidan, who stood nearby.
“As I’ll ever be,” Tali replied. “What about you?”
“I… yeah,” Twilight said, taking a deep breath. “It’s just… been a while since my last battle.” Tali nodded, deactivating her omni-tool.
“I wish I could say the same…”
“After this, hopefully things will be quiet for a while,” Kaidan said. “With Cerberus out of the way, that will effectively eliminate any major threats in the galaxy. Everybody else is too broken or disorganized from the Reapers to start a war.”
“I hope you are right…” Liara said from her seat against the wall of the shuttle. Silence filled the craft, the only sound coming from the howling winds outside. A storm was blowing, which gave the allied army the advantage of a covered approach. However, once actual fighting began, each side would be equally disadvantaged. Low visibility and temperatures would make combat difficult.
“Breaking off from the main group,” the pilot finally said. “Touching down in three… two… one.” There was a dull thump as the shuttle landed on the snowy ground. Tali pulled a pistol off of her hip and held it at the ready, making for the shuttle door. Liara and Kaidan were close behind her, with Twilight getting in position last.
“Ready?” Tali asked. Her three squadmates responded with quick nods, and Tali reached out and pressed the door control. The door slid open, and immediately the temperature dropped significantly. Tali’s environmental suit quickly began to adapt to the colder temperatures, but even on maximum heating she still felt the cold bite of the wind. Liara raised a hand to shield her uncovered face, and took a step out into the snow.
“We should hurry!” she called over the roaring winds. Nodding in agreement, Tali, Kaidan, and Twilight jumped out after the asari, and began trekking through the snow toward a blinking beacon, under a kilometer away. The top of the antenna alternated flashing between green and red, and as they got closer, Tali began to hear the rumble of engines. The further into the storm they went, the more she began to see more blinking lights through the snow. Soon it became clear that they belonged to ships; at least seven, all of them fully operational. Each one had an open ramp, inviting in the army of indoctrinated griffons. Her eyes wide, Tali noticed the shapes of griffons walking up the ramps and entering the vessels.
“They’re evacuating now!” she cried.
“Garrus and his team will need to hurry!” Kaidan noted. “But let’s let them do their jobs, and we’ll do ours! Come on!” A few minutes later, they came to the base of the antenna. There were no visible doors or markings. The only notable feature was a “Warning: Sensitive Electronics” sticker on the side, which had begun to weather away.
“What do we do now!?” Twilight asked, struggling to be heard over the wind. Kaidan paused, then sat down.
“We wait,” he said, sinking slightly into the thick snow. “They’ll have to come out at some point.” Choosing to humor the major, Tali sat down next to him. She was joined a moment later by Liara, then Twilight. The four of them sat in silence, waiting for the attack to begin…
Princess Celestia’s chariot touched down in the thick snow, the glowing lights of their target under a kilometer away. A heavy storm blew around her, though a heating spell prevented the sub-zero temperatures from affecting her or the ponies under her command. Several more chariots touched down, joined by shuttles provided by their alien allies. Behind them, the combined army of over six hundred thousand forces began to converge on the Cerberus base.
“Are we ready?” Erebus asked, flying down next to the princess.
“We have to be,” Celestia replied. “Despite the storm, there is little chance that our approach has gone unnoticed.” A pony unicorn, clad in thick gold armor, quickly sprinted to the princess.
“Your highness!” he said. “One of the human shuttles is detecting several hundred griffons converging on this location!” Celestia nodded.
“So it begins…” she said. “Have the shuttles take off. Prepare the attack.”
The pony nodded, and ran off to fulfill his task. A moment later, the shuttles took off, their weapons at the ready. They came to a hover a few dozen meters ahead of Celestia’s position, then suddenly several flashes illuminated the sky around them. Missiles from the shuttles streaked downward, impacting in the heavy snow with large explosions that lit up the environment. With the explosions were screams from griffon soldiers, and the sound of shouting soon replaced them. More were coming. It was time for battle…
Kaidan had been correct. As soon as the shuttles began their attack, thousands of griffons diverted from the ships to the other side of the base. Their forces were supplemented by Cerberus soldiers, who began streaming out of a door that had opened in the base of the antenna. Kaidan, Tali, Liara, and Twilight remained hidden behind the door, waiting for the last of the soldiers to exit. When the door became silent, the squad crept forward, inching their way towards the entrance. It was not difficult to see through the storm, as a steady stream of light shined through, illuminating the way. The squad quietly slipped inside, pausing to wipe the snow from them.
“Alright,” Kaidan said, bringing up his omni-tool. “Our objectives are to be carried out in no particular order. I say we go for Legion first, given that he will be easier to find. And, if we’re lucky, we might find Foster with him…”
“Good idea,” Liara nodded, preparing her SMG. Tali swapped her pistol for a shotgun, and nodded as well.
“Ready when you are,” she said. Twilight lit her horn, and motioned for Kaidan to lead the way. Keeping his omni-tool active, the major began walking down a sloped hallway, taking them deep underground and into the upper levels of the base. On the major’s omni was a scanner, searching for any signatures that matched their geth friend. So far, there was nothing. With no other choices, the squad descended further and further into the Cerberus base…
James fired from the open door of the shuttle as it flew over the battlefield, taking several griffons down with each burst. The battle had escalated quickly; one moment it was quiet, the next there was chaos. Gunfire erupted from either side, evidence that the griffons had been armed with modern weapons. Mixed among the griffon forces were a few Cerberus soldiers, which the Alliance marine prioritized as targets.
Less than half a kilometer away were his targets: seven large Cerberus cruisers, all of them outfitted to carry thousands of griffons away from Equis and into the galaxy. The engines glowed a bright blue, making them rather easy targets through the quickly-fading storm. As the shuttle drew nearer to the ships, it began to take fire from a few griffons on the ground. James attempted to return fire, but found it difficult.
“Hey Esteban!” he called over the din of battle. “Try and hold her steady, will you!?”
“I’m trying, but we’re taking fire!” Cortez replied from the cockpit. “Rifle fire, but still fire!”
“We’re approaching the first ship!” Garrus noted, firing a few shots from his sniper rifle. “Get the munitions ready!”
“We will provide cover!” Javik said from James’ other side, firing a few beams from his weapon. Nodding, James ceased fire and retreated to the back of the shuttle, where numerous other weapons were stored. Standing nearby were Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Applejack, all of them wearing sets of light armor. Stepping past the ponies, James looked over what was available: an M-920 Cain with two shots, a Cobra missile launcher with three shots, and several boxes of remote-detonated explosives. The plan was to use the ranged weapons first, then have the ponies help with planting the charges on the rest of the ship engines.
James grabbed the Cain and put down his assault rifle, then returned to the open door of the shuttle where his turian and prothean companions continued firing
“Ready?” Garrus asked.
“Ready!” James said eagerly, holding the Cain in front of him. “Lieutenant, get us into position!”
“Copy that,” Cortez answered, bringing the shuttle closer to the first ship. More gunfire impacted on the hull of the shuttle, but it did little damage against their thick armor and kinetic barriers. Aiming the Cain at the engines of the closest ship, James waited until he had a lock, then fired. The 25-gram slug shot from the barrel of the weapon at 5 kilometers per second, flying up into the air before coming back down onto the starboard engine of the Cerberus cruiser. It exploded in a brilliant flash of light, completely bypassing the kinetic barrier of the cruiser and destroying the engine as intended. The explosions spread to the aft of the ship, and there was a second massive explosion as the cruiser’s stabilizers failed. It crashed onto the snowy ground, kicking up a massive cloud of snow and dust. A thick cloud of smoke billowed from the damage, and James looked with satisfaction at the crippled vessel.
“First takedown successful,” the marine said with a smile. “One down, six to go. Let’s get into position for the next one!” The shuttle pulled away from the downed cruiser and began to head for the second. James reloaded the Cain, and got into position…
Foster stood in his command center, looking with a grimace at the screen before him. The screen showed a map of the region; in the center was the antenna that served as the entrance to his base, and to the north were their seven – now six – cruisers. A massive army had appeared, using the storm to cover their approach, and was now engaging the even larger griffon army on the surface. Cerberus had the advantage of numbers, but it was not enough. The battle was going in the favor of their enemies.
Turning his attention to another screen, Foster found that the remaining ships were only fifty percent full. The evacuation process was a long one, and would take multiple trips to get every griffon off of Equis. That would not matter if the ships were destroyed. Pressing a few buttons on his omni-tool, the doctor ordered the ships to begin flight preparations, and take off as soon as possible. The allied army might prevent him from getting every griffon off of this world, but he would still try.
“Doctor!” a technician called from a nearby station. “We appear to have intruders…”
“Show me.” The main screen switched to a security camera view, showing three non-Cerberus personnel – one human, one asari, one quarian, and one pony – creeping stealthily through a hallway on level three.
“Mm…” the doctor sighed. “No doubt looking for their geth friend. What is its status?”
“The research team is actually contacting you now, sir,” the technician replied. “They are is reporting some levels of success, and request your presence at once.” Smiling at the small victory, Foster stepped into the elevator at the back of the command center, and pressed the button for one of the labs two levels below. It descended quickly, and when the door opened, the doctor stepped into the occupied technical lab. In the center was a metal bed, on which was the immobile form of the geth. It remained secured to the bed, and the arc projectors remained trained on the platform at all times. They would take no chances.
“Status,” the doctor commanded, stepping up to the bed. One of the engineers on the team approached Foster, looking over the geth.
“We have successfully accessed the geth’s processing core,” he said. “An automated self-termination program activated, but we were able to stop it in time. We’re lucky that this platform was rather hastily-made, otherwise its defenses would be far, far stronger.”
“Hm…” Foster placed a hand on his chin, nodding. “Can we upload a program of our own?”
“Yes, sir.”
“… Create one to mimic its actual behavior,” the doctor began. “Then release it. Have it find its friends, who have infiltrated our base, and lead them into a trap.” The engineer nodded, crossing to a terminal.
“We’ll start right away, Doctor,” he said. With a satisfied grin, Foster turned around and exited the lab. This plan would not stop the attack on the surface, but it would at least solve some of his problems…
Tali was beginning to grow worried. They had been searching the base for nearly an hour, meticulously checking every single room of the upper levels, and ducking into hiding spots when Cerberus personnel came near. Still they had found no signs of Legion. And while they searched, the dull sounds of explosions from above reminded them of the battle raging on. They had limited time, and Tali knew it. They needed to be fast.
“Anything on your omni-tool?” the quarian asked Kaidan, who walked ahead at the front of the group.
“Negative,” the major shook his head. “Base is well shielded, I doubt we’ll pick him up until we’re very close.” Frowning behind her mask, Tali continued to follow the human, simultaneously looking around for threats. Her three-toed feet made little noise on the glossy white floors, allowing her to clearly hear her heart pounding in her chest. Something felt wrong… She did not know why, but she suddenly developed a feeling that they needed to leave.
“Kaidan,” she began. “I think—“
“Hold,” the major interrupted, raising a hand. Liara, Twilight, and Tali stopped in their tracks, looking around.
“What is it?” Twilight whispered nervously, her horn glowing with energy.
“I’m… picking up a signal,” Kaidan replied. He lowered his omni-tool and deployed an Avenger from his back, holding it at the ready. His aim was focused at the end of the immediate hallway, where a closed door sat, completely motionless. Twilight took a few steps back, getting behind a doorframe and poking her head out. Tali and Liara did the same, holding their weapons ready.
“Be ready…” Kaidan began. “If it’s Legion, he might be under guard. We need to—“
The major was interrupted as the door opened, and Legion ran out, alone. He slowed to a halt as his bright blue optic came to rest on the infiltration squad, and the flaps around his eye widened.
“Alenko-Major,” he said. “We were not expecting you.” Breathing a sigh of relief, Kaidan lowered his weapon and stood up, crossing over to Legion.
“Could say the same to you,” he said, smiling. “We came here to rescue you. What happened?”
“We were incapacitated by Cerberus engineers,” the geth began. “They began to examine us, looking for a way to access our processing core. When they did, security measures activated. We shut down the computers they were using, and disabled power in that part of the facility. In the confusion, we were able to escape.”
“It’s good to see you intact,” Tali said, crossing to her friend. She placed a hand on his shoulder, though the feeling of discomfort was still in her mind.
“We recommend haste in escaping,” Legion said. “They will be searching for us.”
“Right,” Kaidan agreed. “Elevator to the entry area is back this way.” The Major turned around and began walking back down the hall, when Legion held up his hand.
“That is unwise, Alenko-Major,” he said. “Our escape will not have gone unnoticed. They will have soldiers posted at the entrance. However, when escaping, we remotely accessed one of the Cerberus terminals, and found an alternate escape.”
“Oh?” the major raised an eyebrow. “Where?”
“A ventilation shaft, which has an opening two hundred meters from the base. It is small, but we should all be able to fit.”
“Then let’s get moving,” Liara said as the ceiling shook, the result of another explosion on the surface.
“Lead the way, Legion,” Twilight said, happy to see her friend again. Nodding, Legion began walking down the hallway, stepping past the infiltration squad and taking the lead. His head was on an almost constant swivel, watching for hostiles or other threats. As he led them through the halls of the Cerberus base, Tali quietly moved up next to Kaidan.
“Kaidan…” she began. “I have a bad feeling about something…”
“What do you mean?” the human asked, raising an eyebrow.
“I don’t know… I just feel like we’re… walking into a—“
“Freeze!” Tali froze in place at the sound, and tore her attention away from Kaidan to examine their surroundings. They had entered a large circular room, around the circumference of which were dozens of Cerberus soldiers. All of them had their weapons trained on the squad, fingers over the triggers.
“Drop your weapons,” one of the soldiers – a centurion – stepped up to the squad, his Mattock held at the ready. The squad did not move, nor did they follow the orders of the centurion.
“Major… I can form a biotic barrier around us…” Liara whispered.
“My drone is at the ready…” Tali said. “Just say the word…” Kaidan paused, then shook his head.
“No,” he replied. “Do as they say.” The major threw his assault rifle to the ground, then followed it with his pistol. After a pause, Liara and Tali did the same, and Twilight dispelled her magic. A few soldiers ran to the squad and took the weapons away, while the centurion came closer, and patted Legion on his back.
“Good work,” he said. Legion nodded, then his platform went rigid, and the optic light went out. The centurion stepped past the geth, coming face-to-face with Kaidan.
“Don’t move,” he commanded. “My superior wishes to speak with you.” A few more Cerberus soldiers approached the squad, each one carrying a pair of omni-handcuffs. They placed them around the wrists of the infiltrators, and one placed a metallic ring around Twilight’s horn. The alicorn frowned at the device, huffing. When they were properly secured, the Cerberus soldiers stepped away, keeping their weapons ready. The door behind the squad opened, and each member turned around to face the newcomer.
“You!” Kaidan spat, recognizing the man from the hologram as he approached.
“Major Alenko,” Foster said, his arms wide. “Welcome to my base. I do not recall inviting you…” Kaidan remained silent, not wanting to humor the Cerberus commander.
“Still, your coming here provides me with a useful opportunity,” he continued, beginning to pace about the room. Finally he stopped his pacing, an inch from Kaidan’s face. “Call off the attack. Have your army fall back, and allow Cerberus to leave. Equis will be left alone, as long as nobody follows us.”
“No,” Kaidan said, without even a pause. “Why would they even listen to me?”
“You three served with Shepard,” Foster said. “You are just as much heroes as he is. Can you imagine the effect it would have on the galaxy if all of you were to die? And you, Twilight Sparkle. You are a princess of Equestria. More than that, you are Celestia’s personal protégé. That must be worth something.”
“My answer is still no,” Kaidan said. “If we do let you go, millions will die. Millions who are far more important than us.” Foster sighed, shaking his head.
“Shall I start executing your friends, then?” he asked, approaching the nearest Cerberus soldier. He held out his hand, and the soldier placed his sidearm in it. Wrapping his hand around the gun, Foster returned to the squad, walking past each of them. He ended on Tali, and gave her a smile.
“Admiral Zorah,” he said. “I understand that Commander Shepard’s condition has yet to improve. I am sorry to hear that. Had he stayed with Cerberus, he would have been a valuable asset…” Foster circled behind Tali, and raised his pistol. He put it against the back of her head, his finger over the trigger.
“Last chance, Major,” Foster said, looking to Kaidan. “Call off the attack.” Tali turned her head slightly, just enough to see Kaidan.
“Don’t do it,” she said. “I’m not worth it. Continue the attack.” Kaidan paused, but nodded, sadness in his eyes.
“I’m sorry…” he whispered. “Still no, Foster.”
“Very well,” Foster said, sighing. He put his finger on the trigger, and pushed the barrel of the gun into the back of Tali’s hood. “Goodbye, Admiral Zorah.” Tali closed her eyes and regulated her breathing. Her mind cleared, she began to think about her life. Her mother’s death, her pilgrimage, stopping Saren and Sovereign, her father’s death, the collectors, the Reapers… Shepard. Tali could not help but smile. Her life had been an eventful one, and for a twenty-five year old, she had experienced more than she ever thought she would. And though she knew that it was the end, her death would be for a good cause. Tali was at peace.
“Sir!” a voice cried out. Tali’s eyes opened as the gun dropped away from her head, and she looked around in confusion. A Cerberus technician was approaching Foster, an alarmed look on his face.
“What is it?” Foster asked, annoyed.
“The attackers have destroyed three of our ships,” the technician reported. Foster cursed, and threw the gun to the ground.
“Okay…” he said quietly. “… Begin the evacuation. We are getting out of here with the griffons we have. Hurry!” The Cerberus soldiers began running out of the room, and in only a few seconds the infiltration squad was alone with Foster.
“Looks like I won’t be killing you,” Foster said, stepping in front of Tali. “Don’t worry. The self-destruct will do that for me.” He smiled and patted Tali on the head, then turned and walked briskly out of the room. The door closed behind him, and the green “open” button turned red.
“So…” Twilight began. “… What do we do?” Kaidan sighed, and shook his head.
“We’ll… think of something,” he replied. “I hope…”
“Okay, go!” Rainbow Dash dove from the open door of the shuttle and, dodging gunfire and crossbow bolts, flew to the engine of the nearest ship with a bag of remote explosives. As the pegasus made her way there, James, Garrus, Javik, and the rest of the ponies provided cover fire from the shuttle. Cortez joined in as well, firing explosive rounds from the shuttle weapons. In their mission of destroying the Cerberus cruisers, the shuttle had gained quite a bit of negative attention. Almost all of the Cerberus soldiers were working on bringing it down, and several griffons had joined in as well. The kinetic barriers had taken a beating, and numerous bullet holes marked the metal hull.
When the explosives had been placed, Dash flew with alarmingly high speeds back into the shuttle. She nodded at James, who pressed down on the detonator in his hand with a satisfied grin. As with the first five cruisers, the engines erupted in a massive fireball that soon consumed the entire back half of the ship, and the vessel crashed to the ground, crippled.
“Nice work!” James complimented, reloading his thermal clip. “Ready to hit the last one?”
“Yes, sir!” Dash exclaimed, giving a salute. She jogged to the back of the shuttle and grabbed the final bag of explosives, and tied it tightly around one of her arms.
“Cortez, get us into position!” James yelled into the cockpit, hoping that the pilot could hear him against the din of battle and gunfire. Cortez nodded, and pulled the shuttle away from the wreck of their latest victim. One final ship remained, and it sat a little over a kilometer from their current position. Cerberus’s plan was effectively ruined, but James still knew that one ship full of griffons could cause considerable trouble for the rest of the galaxy.
“We’re almost in position,” Cortez said. “Get ready!” Rainbow Dash nodded and flared her wings, moving to the open door.
“Be careful, Dash,” James said as they came closer and closer to the ship. When they were a few dozen meters from the engines, the lieutenant nodded, and prepared his rifle. “Go!” Dash jumped out and began flying to the engines, while James continued to provide cover fire with the help of the rest of the squad. Every few seconds he would look to the pegasus, making sure she was okay.
Suddenly, a shot rang out. The sound of the shot elevated itself over the rest of the battle as a single bullet rushed toward Dash, and impacted on her side. With a scream, her wings stopped flapping, and she dove to the ground, hitting the snow and skidding to a halt several meters away. The ponies saw their friend go down, and each one gasped in fear. James, eyes wide, turned to the cockpit.
“Set us down!” he screamed. “Dash is hit! Set us down, now!” Nodding, Cortez pulled the shuttle away from the ship and swung it down by the motionless form of Rainbow Dash. James jumped out, followed by everybody else in the shuttle, and Cortez took off again, getting to a safe distance. Garrus and Javik began to provide cover fire, while James ran to the pony, turning her over to inspect the damage. The white snow had been stained red by blood, and more continued pouring out of the entry wound.
The bullet had cut straight through Dash’s light armor, hitting her in the side and embedding itself somewhere in her torso. Her breathing was ragged, and her eyes struggled to stay open.
“I…” she stammered. “I’m sorry… I didn’t make it…”
“Stay quiet, Dash,” James said urgently, reaching into one of his armor pouches for medi-gel. “Save your strength.” He applied the gel onto the wound, and watched as it sealed itself on her coat. He turned around to face the ponies, all of whom wore expressions of fear and worry.
“The medi-gel will stabilize her, but it won’t heal everything,” he said. “We need to get her back to the shuttle, and it needs to take her away from the battle.”
“What do we do about the cruiser?” Javik asked, stepping up to the lieutenant.
“… We’re going to have to destroy it ourselves,” James decided. He activated his comm, looking around for the shuttle. “Cortez, we need a medevac, now!” A moment later, the shuttle settled back down, taking fire from numerous sources. James quickly picked up Dash and placed her on one of the seats, securing her to it with straps.
“What’s her condition?” Cortez asked, looking back at James from the cockpit.
“Stable, but the megi-gel won’t do everything,” he replied. “Get her to the outskirts of the battle, where the rest of the wounded ponies are being kept.” Cortez nodded and fired up the engines, taking off again as soon as James had exited the shuttle. The lieutenant watched the shuttle go, then turned his attention to the cruiser about a hundred meters away. Light streamed from the ventral loading bay, and James saw the forms of griffons moving up a ramp and into the ship.
“Wait…” he said, squinting as he saw something else moving among the griffons. He could not be certain, but it looked like a squad of Cerberus soldiers, and one unarmored human.
“What is it?” Applejack asked, stepping up next to the human.
“I think… Foster is boarding that ship!” James exclaimed, activating his omni-tool. He opened a communications link with Kaidan, prepared to tell his commanding officer. “Major, do you read? Major, come in!” There was nothing. Only static came through.
“What do we do?” Garrus asked, reloading his sniper rifle.
“We must attack!” Javik said. “He cannot be allowed to escape!” James paused, thinking to himself. He looked around him; his squad members stood in a circle, waiting for orders. All around, the battle raged on. Every second that it continued, countless people lost their lives. Javik was right. It had to end.
“… Let’s move,” James decided, preparing his assault rifle. “I’ll take point. Javik, I want you up front with me. Ponies take the middle, Garrus cover our flank. We’ll board that ship, and we’ll kill that monster…”
“I’m with ya,” Applejack said, nodding. Pinkie Pie and Rarity both nodded as well, while Fluttershy gave a meek nod of her support. Their goal clear, James began running through the snow toward the boarding ramp…
Princess Celestia watched the battle as it progressed from her position at their staging area, occasionally firing a burst of magic at a griffon who came too close. All the while, she listened intently to her military commanders as they were fed reports from the battlefield. From what she could tell, it was going relatively well. They were suffering heavy losses; most of the zebra were dead, the ponies had suffered considerable losses, and the changelings were being eliminated left and right. However, most of the Cerberus ships had been destroyed. Even if they lost this battle, Cerberus would be unable to carry out their plan.
A shuttle flew over the princess, and she noticed it as belonging to the Normandy. Her brow furrowing in worry, Celestia stepped away from her observation area and began trotting after the shuttle, waiting for it to land. One Cerberus cruiser still remained, this shuttle should not be returning… Unless something had gone wrong. The craft touched down in a clearing near the hastily-assembled medical area, and the door slid open. A moment later, Lieutenant Cortez ran out, looking around. His eyes settled on the princess, and he began jogging over to her. Celestia trotted to the human, meeting him in the middle with an expression of worry.
“What’s wrong, Lieutenant?” the princess asked.
“Rainbow Dash was hit,” Cortez explained. “James stabilized her with medi-gel, but she needs treatment, and fast.” Nodding, Celestia motioned to a pair of nearby medics, who quickly sprinted into the shuttle. A moment later they jogged out, one of them carrying Rainbow in his telekinesis. They disappeared into a tent filled with several other wounded soldiers, and zipped up the flaps.
“And what of the rest of the team?” Celestia asked, no less worried. “How will they complete their objective?” Cortez shook his head, shrugging.
“I don’t know, Princess,” he answered. “There’s no more ammo for the ranged explosives, and I’m not sure what happened to the bag Dash was carrying when she went down. They may have to board the ship and take it out from the inside.” Closing her eyes, Celestia nodded, frowning. That had not been part of the plan. But these soldiers were well trained and very capable. She hoped they could pull this off.
“Rearm your shuttle,” the princess said. “Then get back out there. They may need your help.” Nodding, Cortez ran back to his shuttle, waving down a few human technicians to help him with the rearmament. Celestia paused, then returned to her observation area, continuing to watch the battle unfold. That last ship had to come down soon. Despite their solid performance so far, the griffons still vastly outnumbered their army. If this came down to a war of numbers… Celestia knew they could not win.
Shaking her head, Celestia attempted to focus entirely on the battle. She needed to keep a clear mind if they were to win. However, the worry of defeat remained present at the back of her mind, growing with every second that the final cruiser remained intact…
Tali sat against a wall of the featureless circular room, her hands held firmly behind her back in the grip of the omni-cuffs. Liara sat against the opposite wall, her eyes closed and her mind in meditation. Legion’s mobile platform rested against the door, completely stationary and offline. The only two people moving were Twilight and Kaidan, who paced in circles around the center of the room.
“Self-destruct in ten minutes,” a harsh female voice said through an unseen intercom.
“We are going to do something about that, right?” Tali asked, annoyed at the silence that had lasted since Foster’s departure.
“Yes,” Kaidan answered, still pacing. “Just what we are going to do is up for debate…” Twilight shook her head in annoyance, and stopped pacing.
“Ugh, it’s no use!” she cried, exasperated. “I could try to get us out of here with my magic, if I didn’t have this stupid ring on my horn!” Liara stood up and crossed to the alicorn, examining the ring.
“Could one of us attempt to remove it?” she wondered, squinting.
“With your hands behind your backs like that, it’d be difficult…” Twilight replied. “It’s not exactly meant to just slide off. But, it’s a better plan than anything else we’ve come up with so far.”
“We haven’t come up with anything else so far,” Tali noted.
“Exactly.” Turning around, Liara worked her hands into position around Twilight's horn. She felt for the base of the ring, but found it difficult to get a grip with the omni-cuffs keeping her hands a set distance away from one another. Still, this did not keep her from trying, and she began clawing at the ring, hoping to get it to move even a small bit.
“If we can just get it off of the base of your horn, it should fall off the rest of the way, correct?” Liara asked, continuing to swat her hands against the ring.
“Yes,” Twilight nodded. “But the difficult part is getting it off the base. Like I said, it isn’t meant to slide off.”
“Try using your feet instead,” Kaidan suggesting, halting his pacing and crossing to the pony and asari. “They’re not cuffed, so you can bring them closer together. That, and you can actually see them.”
“Good thinking,” Liara nodded. She sat down on the ground, and Twilight lowered herself as well. Lifting her legs, Liara put each foot on either side of the ring, and began to pull them up.
“Ow!” Twilight exclaimed and Liara’s boots scraped against her horn.
“Hold still…” Liara grunted, focusing on the ring. “I think… it’s coming loose!” The asari was correct, and a moment later the ring moved up Twilight’s horn slightly, just enough to release its grip on the base. Twilight quickly pulled her head away and angled it down, allowing the ring to slide off and fall to the ground. Her magic now free, she quickly released the omni-cuffs on each of her friends, then ran over to the locked door.
“How do we get through here?” she asked, looking behind her at Kaidan.
“I’m open to suggestions…” the major said.
“Self-destruct in five minutes.”
“Perhaps some haste this time?” Liara suggested, looking around. Tali stepped up to the door, looking it over.
“Hmm…” she began. “No manual releases, and there’s no control panel on this side. The opening mechanism has been disabled from the outside, and I doubt I could hack it in time. There don’t look to be any access points nearby, but…”
“… But?” Kaidan asked.
“But an emergency would likely force the door to open!” Tali finished, smiling beneath her mask. “All we have to do is create an emergency situation! Twilight, can you create fire with your horn?”
“Of course,” Twilight nodded, grinning. “Everybody stand back.” The aliens did as they were told, and Twilight moved into the center of the room. She closed her eyes in concentration, and her horn lit up in a lavender aura. A moment later, the buildup of magical energy was released in a torrent of flame that fired from her horn and impacted on the wall across from the alicorn. Fire alarms immediately went off, filling the room with their shrill voices. As Tali had hoped, the door slid open, revealing the hallway beyond.
“Let’s get the hell out of here!” Kaidan ordered, motioning everybody through the door. He reached down and picked up the static form of Legion, draping the geth over his shoulder. When everybody else had exited, Kaidan took up the rear, running down the hallway.
“Follow the red lights!” Liara advised, looking down at the floor. Along the floor were sets of emergency lights, guiding their way to the nearest exit. It led them through several empty hallways to an elevator, its door open.
“Self-destruct in two minutes.”
“MOVE!” Kaidan yelled, running into the elevator. Once everybody was inside, he hit the button for the top floor, and watched with anticipation as the elevator began its quick ascension. As soon as the door opened, Kaidan ran out, beginning to feel the weight of Legion on his shoulder. A few meters away was the door, which was already open. Outside Kaidan could hear the din of battle; constant screams, gunfire, and explosions. He ran out the door, but did not stop upon exiting. The base was going to explode, and the damage would not be restricted to the area below the surface.
“Keep going!” he ordered, looking behind him. Liara was close on his heels, and Tali and Twilight were not far behind. In the distance, the major saw a shuttle taking off from what appeared to be a staging area. Setting that at his target, Kaidan double-timed it, trying to ignore Legion’s heavy platform on his shoulder.
Suddenly, the ground began to rumble. It started out gentle, but steadily grew in intensity. The gunfire stopped, as did the screaming and explosions. Everybody was focused on the ground, wondering the source of the shaking. And then, it exploded.
EARLIER
James sprinted through the corridors of the Cerberus cruiser, his breathing heavy and his legs burning from the sustained movement. The rest of his team struggled to keep up, with the exception of Applejack, who was able to remain next to the human at all time. As he ran, James’s head was on an almost constant swivel, looking for Foster. He had no idea where that monster went, and even if he did, he had no idea how to get there. This ship was foreign to the lieutenant.
“Vega, wait!” Garrus yelled, his plea going right past the human. “Stop!” Finally James listened, and he stopped to catch his breath, turning around to face Garrus.
“Where are we even going?” the turian asked, pausing to catch his breath as well.
“To find… Foster…” James answered, leaning over with his hands on his knees.
“And where is he, dear?” Rarity asked, wiping some of her mane out of her eyes. “We are lost. None of us have any idea how to navigate this ship, nor do we know the location of Foster.” James sighed, nodding.
“Yeah, I know…”
“Let’s narrow it down,” Garrus began, looking around for potential threats. “My guess is that he went to the bridge. He’d want to oversee everything, and that’s the perfect location for that.”
“I agree with the turian,” Javik nodded. The ponies nodded as well, with no better ideas entering their minds.
“Alright,” James agreed. “How do we find the bridge?” Garrus tapped his chin thoughtfully, looking around.
“If I recall correctly, the bridge of a Cerberus cruiser is two decks up, and a few hundred meters behind us,” he said. “So all we have to do is find a lift. Let’s go!” The turian took off down the hallway, his team close behind him, all of them on the lookout for any kind of elevator.
One was quickly located at the intersection of a set of hallways, guarded by two Cerberus troopers. They were quickly dispatched by the assault team, who quickly ran past them and into the open doors of the elevator. Garrus hit the button for two decks up, and the elevator began its quiet ascent.
“What’s the plan when we get in there?” Applejack asked, removing her Stetson to fix her mane, which had come out of its tie. The rest of the ponies nodded, having been wondering the same thing.
“The bridge likely will be guarded,” Garrus began. “I say we eliminate them first, as they’ll be the biggest immediate threat to us. After that, we can deal with Foster.”
“What are we… going to do to him?” Fluttershy asked, looking at the ground.
“The Princesses said eliminate or capture,” James said, loading a fresh thermal clip into his assault rifle. “I doubt he’ll come with us, so… leaves only one option.”
“I am with Fluttershy, here,” Rarity said. “We should at least give him a chance.” Applejack and Pinkie nodded, then looked to the aliens.
“… We’ll see,” James answered. Before anybody else could speak, the door slid open, and a new hallway was laid before them. Like the last one it was guarded, but a few seconds later that problem was eliminated. At the end of the long hall was a door, also guarded, with a sign over it reading “BRIDGE.” At the death of their comrades, the two soldiers guarding the bridge door dove into cover, and began firing. Garrus made short work of them with his sniper rifle, and the team continued down the hall to the door. James and Javik stacked up on either side of it, while Garrus moved further down to get a clear shot with his sniper rifle.
“Hey,” James began, looking at the ponies. “Pinkie, Rarity, and Fluttershy. Head back to the elevator, keep it secure. It’s our only way out of here, and I’m not planning on going down with this ship.” Nodding, the three ponies ran back down the hall to the elevator, while Applejack remained with the soldiers. She nodded, signaling her readiness, and got into position behind James.
Javik pressed the door control, and the thick door slid open, revealing the bridge beyond. It was a large circular chamber, with control consoles around the circumference, and a holotable in the center. On the holotable was a map of the battlefield, showing the pony forces begin to retreat. James knew they had to move quickly if they were to be victorious.
The assault squad quickly ran into the bridge, dispatching the soldiers in the area and training their weapons on Foster. The doctor stood at the opposite end of the room, watching a live feed of the battle on a set of screens.
“Freeze!” James yelled, choosing to keep some distance between himself and the Cerberus leader. Not appearing shocked at all, the doctor turned around and looked between James, Garrus, Javik, and Applejack.
“Welcome aboard,” he said, and smiled. Behind the assault team, numerous Phantoms dropped from the ceiling, each one holding their palm blaster in front of them, and their sword behind them. They moved forward and quickly relieved each attacker of their weapon. Once the weapons were out of the way, each Phantom chose a target, and placed her sword on their neck. Foster stepped away from the screens and approached his now-immobilized enemies, a pistol held behind his back.
“Normally I like to give a speech to those who I am about to kill,” the doctor began, producing the pistol from behind him. “But time is of the essence, so I am just going to do it now.” He circled the group, ending up behind James. He pressed the pistol to the back of James’s head, finger on the trigger.
“… Coward…” James whispered, just loud enough so that Foster could hear.
“What’s that?” Foster asked, leaning down.
“You’re a coward,” the Lieutenant repeated. “You should at least be able to look the man you’re about to kill in his eyes.” Shrugging, Foster stood and circled around to stand in front of James.
“Happy now?” he asked. He lifted the gun again, pressing it against James’s forehead. James looked up, staring Foster directly in his eyes.
Suddenly, a dull rumbling began beneath the ship. It steadily grew in intensity, until a massive explosion appeared on the view screens. Pieces of debris flew hundreds of meters into the air, before beginning to rain back down. Large chunks of rock began to fall on the ship, impacting on the kinetic barriers. With Foster temporarily distracted by the explosion, James wasted no time in lunging forward. He tackled the doctor in a bear hug, wrestling the gun from his hands, and quickly spun around to use the man as a human shield. Before the Phantoms could react, James fired the pistol at the three holding Garrus, Javik, and Applejack prisoner, then turned it on the rest.
“Should’ve just done it…” James whispered in Foster’s ear, his strong grip keeping the man in place. Garrus, Javik, and Applejack quickly joined James on the other side of the bridge, keeping some distance between themselves and the remaining Phantoms. James look to Garrus, motioning with his head to the nearest control panel. Nodding, the turian jogged to the set of orange screens and began typing, bypassing the security and working on bringing the ship down.
“You cannot win,” Foster grunted, struggling. “Cerberus is more than an organization, it is an idea! And you cannot kill an idea!”
“Your “idea” ain’t possible,” Applejack said, stepping up in front of the human. “Nobody wants to live in a world where one race is on top. Equestria knows that all too well.” Foster shook his head, laughing.
“Idealists, all of you!” he yelled. “Your ideas of peace and equality are keeping the galaxy down! Imagine all that we could accomplish if nobody was there to complain!”
“We do not wish to hear your propaganda,” Javik said. “Perhaps we should simply kill you now.”
“I’m with Javik on this one,” Garrus said, still typing away on the console. “Too risky to let him live, he might get away.”
“Much as ah hate to admit it…” Applejack began. “It does seem kind of foolish to keep him around…” Suddenly, the rumbling beneath the ship began again, this time considerably louder.
“Um…” Garrus said, looking at one of the screens. “We might want to make a decision soon.” On the screen, a massive sinkhole was forming where the Cerberus base had been. It was rapidly expanding outward, consuming griffons, ponies, humans, and changelings who were not fast enough to run away.
“Yup,” James agreed. “Let’s get out of here.” He began inching forward, keeping his pistol trained on the remaining Phantoms. Garrus stepped away from the console a moment later, nodding.
“Engines are set to blow in five minutes,” he said. James circled around the Phantoms, always keeping Foster between him and them, and began slowly backing up to the door. Garrus, Javik, and Applejack were behind the Lieutenant, and Javik opened the door as soon as he was close enough.
“So, I take it this is goodbye, Lieutenant?” Foster asked, no emotion in his voice.
“Even though everyone else thinks you should die…” James began. “… I’m taking you in. Death is too good for you.”
“Hmm…” the doctor said. “I do not think that those plans agree with me.” Before James could react, Foster brought his elbow forward, then jammed it back into James’s side. The Lieutenant staggered back, and his grip on the doctor weakened. Foster squirmed free and ran across the room, back behind the safety of his Phantoms. He pressed a button on a console, and the door to the bridge closed shut, sealing the assault team inside.
“So, this is how it’s going to be…” Garrus said, raising his fists. Javik did the same, and Applejack got into an attack stance. James raised his pistol and fired, hitting the nearest Phantom directly in the head. It impacted on the kinetic barriers, thought the Phantom was stunned by the attack. Taking the opportunity, James dove behind a console, using it as cover against the attacks from the Phantom palm blasters.
“We need to make this quick!” Garrus yelled from his cover on the other side of the bridge. “Four minutes and counting!”
“Get to Foster!” James replied, checking the pistol’s thermal clip. “I’ll take care of those Phantoms!” Taking a deep breath, the human rose from behind his cover and fired twice more, killing one of the Phantoms. The second began running around the circumference of the room, cloaking to remain hidden. While she could not fire, Garrus, Javik and Applejack ran from cover toward Foster, who seemed surprised that his Phantoms were not doing their job.
Applejack tackled Foster to the ground, while Javik began charging his biotics. Meanwhile, James scanned the room for the Phantom, looking for the telltale flicker of a tactical cloak. Finally he found it, sneaking up behind Garrus.
“Look out!” James called, leaping over his cover and firing at the flickering light. The first bullet hit and disabled the cloak, while the second impacted on the barriers. James pulled the trigger a third time, but was met only with a click. The thermal clip couldn’t take any more heat. Throwing the spent pistol to the side, James lunged forward, tackling the Phantom and causing her to drop her sword. Curling his fist, James repeatedly brought it down on the Phantom’s mask, cracking and denting it with every strike. When it was loose, he ripped it from her head, and began beating the bloodied husk-like face of the Phantom.
When he was satisfied that the Phantom was dead, James stood from her body and looked at his bloodied knuckles. His eyes suddenly caught sight of a shining object, and he bent down and picked up the Phantom’s sword.
“Two minutes, James,” Garrus said urgently. “Whatever we’re going to do, we’ve got to do it now!” James turned around, his eyes settled on Foster, who was held in the biotic grip of Javik. He slowly began walking toward the man, sword aimed forward.
“Wait…” Foster began, a mild panic appearing in his voice. “You don’t want to do this. I can help you! I can—“
He did not get to finish. James effortlessly plunged the sword into Foster’s chest, pushing it all the way to the guard. It broke through his bones with ease, coming out the other side in a spray of blood. Foster coughed once, blood coming with it, then gave a deep sigh. And then, he stopped breathing.
James extracted the sword, and Javik released his biotic grip on the doctor. He fell to the metallic deck of the bridge, a sizeable pool of blood forming beneath him. James cast the sword away, and turned to the door.
“Can we make it in time?” he asked, rushing to the console he had seen Foster use.
“Minute thirty, we can make it if we rush,” Garrus answered, crossing to the door. James pressed a button on the console, and the door slid open, revealing Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie on the other side. They looked inside, worried, until their eyes settled on Foster’s dead body. The three ponies gasped and turned away as James approached the door.
“Let’s move!” he ordered, beginning to run down the hall. The elevator door was already open, and James jumped inside, pressing the button for two decks below them. Everybody else entered just as the door closed, and the elevator began its quick descent. When the door opened, it revealed a scene of chaos. Cerberus personnel ran through the halls of the ship, getting to evacuation stations.
They paid little mind to the seven hostiles running alongside them; rather, everybody was focused on getting to the loading ramp. As soon as they arrived, James jumped down the ramp, followed by the rest of his team. The sinkhole was still forming, and numerous other explosions were occurring from other parts of the base as they exploded. Dodging debris and trying to stay upright, James simply ran.
A piece of debris impacted on his back, and James fell to the snowy ground. He struggled to stand, but another piece hit him on the back of the head, and he knew no more.
Twilight’s amethyst eyes slowly opened, and the pony groggily tried to move her head. To her surprise, she found she could not move at all. Additionally, she saw nothing. There was only darkness. Beginning to panic, Twilight lit her horn and fired a burst of magic. The burst unseated several pieces of debris that had fallen on top of the princess, and Twilight was finally able to see and stand. Her eyes beginning to adjust to the light, Twilight looked around, confused. All around her was debris, and searching through the debris were several other ponies.
A nearby groan took Twilight’s attention, and she began looking around for the source. It was not difficult to find, as she quickly found a purple-suited three-fingered hand sticking out of a set of rocks. Pulling the rocks away with her magic, Twilight jumped down into a small pit, next to Tali. The quarian groaned again, struggling to sit up. The fabric of her suit was torn, and covered both in blood and dirt. A large crack had formed across her visor, and Tali sat up, cradling her head.
“Ow…” she said. “What happened…?”
“I’d say this is what’s left of the Cerberus base,” Twilight answered. “Are you okay?” Tali shakily came to her feet and looked around, examining the vastly changed landscape.
“Fine, for now,” she replied. “This crack isn’t very deep, and my suit is already fighting off infections. I will need to get it repaired, but that won’t be difficult… What about you?”
“I’m good,” Twilight nodded, finally taking the opportunity to examine herself. Her body was cut and bruised, but aside from a sharp pain in her left wing, nothing seemed to be broken. “Where are Liara, Kaidan, and Legion?” Shrugging, Tali climbed out of the small hole and looked around, trying to find their remaining friends.
“I am right here,” came the soft voice of Liara from behind them. Both Tali and Twilight turned around, looking at their friend with relief. She seemed primarily uninjured, though she looked quite fatigued. “Biotic barriers are quite useful. As for Kaidan and Legion… I have been looking, but—“
“I’m down here…” Kaidan’s muffled voice said. Confused, the trio began looking around, trying to find the source of the voice.
“To your left, Tali,” came the voice again. Following the directions, Tali limped over to an outcropping of rocks, where she found Kaidan’s half-buried head. She removed the first few rocks, just enough that the major could speak clearly.
“Thanks…” he groaned. “There is something… very heavy on my legs…” Looking down, Tali removed a set of rocks over Kaidan’s legs, revealing the immobile form of Legion draped across them. Twilight trotted over and pulled the geth out with her magic, leaving Kaidan uncovered.
“Can you stand?” Liara asked, concerned. She approached the major, ready to provide aid.
“I… don’t think so,” he replied. “I can’t actually feel them…”
“It sounds like they are broken,” Tali observed. “Twilight, I’ll carry Legion if you can get Kaidan in your telekinesis.” Nodding, Twilight released the geth platform into Tali’s arms, then gently lifted Kaidan into the air.
“I spotted a camp that way,” Liara said, pointing to the south. “I believe we should go there first.” Motioning for Liara to lead the way, Tali draped Legion’s very heavy body over her shoulder and began to follow the asari. A few minutes later they approached the camp; it was a set of tents, all of them bustling with activity. Medical ponies and humans rushed from tent to tent, working on treating the wounded. At the back was a larger tent, where Twilight spotted Princess Celestia.
“Over there!” she called, beginning to run toward the tent. Halfway there, Celestia herself caught sight of the younger princess, and a relieved smile broke out across her face.
“Twilight!” the princess exclaimed. “Thank goodness you are okay! We’ve been very worried…”
“I’m glad to be okay, too…” Twilight sighed, allowing a medical pony to take Kaidan. “What exactly happened?”
“We won,” Celestia said with a smile. “All of the Cerberus ships have been disabled with the exception of one, which was completely destroyed. The Cerberus base is, as I am sure you noticed, gone, and Doctor Foster is dead.” Twilight breathed a sigh of relief, and sat down on the snowy ground.
“It’s over, then?” she asked.
“This conflict might be, but our place in the galaxy is only just beginning,” Celestia began. “Joker has already contacted the Alliance. A second fleet is being sent to provide aid, and one ship will be taking our diplomats to Sur’Kesh. Luna will be going with them, and I would like you to join them as well.”
“You want me to go?” Twilight asked, surprised.
“Luna will be quite busy, and sending another princess with her would be most helpful,” Celestia continued. “The crew of the Normandy will be returning as well, and a different team will be responsible for repairing their ship.” Nodding, Twilight opened her mouth to continue speaking. However, she was interrupted as Luna touched down next to her sister, folding her frost-covered wings.
“Sister, we have confirmation that the indoctrination is beginning to wear off,” she said. “It seems that Cerberus sacrificed long-term effectiveness for faster control.” The princess’s blue eyes turned to Twilight, and she smiled. “Twilight, it is good that you are alright. We searched for hours, but… we feared the worst.”
“What are the losses?” Twilight asked, the thought appearing in her mind.
“Considerable,” Luna began. “The changelings lost nearly seventy-five percent of their forces, but their queen is already busy replenishing their numbers. All of the zebra forces were lost, and only twenty alien soldiers remain. As for the ponies… we lost close to forty thousand.” Twilight’s eyebrows turned up in sadness, and she frowned.
“Well…” she said. “It was for a good cause. Because of their sacrifices, Cerberus is defeated.”
“Your kind will be praised for this,” Tali said. “I promise you that. If people were not going to trust you before, this will go far to help build trust.” Celestia nodded, her eyes suddenly being drawn to the sky. Twilight followed the gaze of the elder princess, suddenly noticing several large ships descending below the clouds. Some looked similar to the Cerberus ships, though they sported blue highlights rather than yellow. Others looked more similar to the Normandy, with a long midsection and wings on the sides. Shuttles launched from the large ships and began flying to the ground, landing in a clear area nearby. The shuttle doors opened, and dozens of humans and turians streamed out, all of them carrying medical supplies and food.
“I shall coordinate with the relief teams,” Celestia said. “Twilight, Luna, you should find out which ship is taking you to Sur’Kesh.” Bowing her head, the princess stepped away and trotted to the aliens, beginning to speak with the nearest one. Twilight looked on, before feeling Luna’s hoof on her back.
“Come, Twilight Sparkle,” she said. “We have a job to do.” Luna began walking in the opposite direction, toward a shuttle that had landed away from the rest. Twilight followed her, her emotions clashing within her. She felt excitement at the opportunities that this would provide. But she also felt fear; fear that the ponies would not be accepted, that this would only lead to more conflict. Shaking her head to clear it of the thoughts, Twilight boarded the shuttle after Luna confirmed that it belonged to them. The door closed and it lifted off, heading for the nearest ship, and for the future of Equis.