Big Macintosh eased the harness onto his shoulders, accustomed to its weight. Adjusting it only once so it was aligned with his back, he began pulling his plow through the time-worn earth of the Sweet Apple Acres soil. He walked forward, pulling the plow at a steady pace so that that the plow didn't rest in the dirt, making the line it carved an even depth from beginning to end. His hooves barely made an imprint in the loamy soil and were quickly erased by his pulling as the plow created another row for new planting. It would be one of many he made that day.
The ground under his hooves shook a little as he reached the end of the field. He turned, readjusted his harness and plow and walked in the opposite direction, making another row. The soft dirt under his hooves did not settle.
It was time to rotate the crops at Sweet Apple Acres, which meant a lot of lay ahead for Big Mac and his family. Of course, not all of his family were going to be involved in the current crop rotation because of recent events. But, that was something Big Mac had grown accustomed to, as well; every so often, Applejack and her friends were needed to save Equestria and restore harmony and balance and whatnot. He knew it was necessary, what an important role his sister played in the peace of their world and by extension, their farm. Without her and the magic of the bond she and her friends shared, their farm could be destroyed by any number of evil villains, monsters or malcontents. What AJ did was necessary.
He pulled the plow parallel to the other rows he'd made, carving another one. This field was designated for a new crop of jumper carrots- special carrots that leapt out of the ground when they were ripe. Tilling the ground was necessary to make it sure the soil stayed nutrient-rich before the carrots were planted. His rows were nice and even but weren't as deep as they should've been.
Stopping somewhere in the middle, he sighed. His sister may have had an obligation as the Element of Honesty but honestly, Big Mac wished more of her obligations kept her closer to home. Her family needed her here. Even though she wasn't usually gone long, some problems interrupted their busy schedule of farming. There was always some situation that needed her attention.
And the next one had come.
A giant shadow approached him. The ground beneath his hooves began to vibrate, shaking like a stampede was nearby. But Big Mac already knew where the noise was really coming from- it was directly above him and headed his way.
The machine rustled the tops of the trees as it flew low overhead. Big Macintosh didn't know what it was called but it was about the third one he'd seen in two days. Equestria had joined something called the "Galactic Republic" in recent years, a decision made far above his head in more ways than one. What it had meant was that Equestria, his home, had become part of a much larger community in the grand scheme of things. For himself, that meant he occasionally saw one or two of the weird airship-like machines flying about overhead. For his sister and her friends, it had meant their obligations had just become that much greater.
The craft flew directly over the field Big Mac had been plowing. Even though it was several meters above him, whatever force was keeping it airborne shook the ground just slightly causing his rows to almost disintegrate back into an even level of half-tilled soil. It didn't even pause as its shadow passed over him, leaving him behind in his field. He sighed heavily; he didn't think he would ever become accustomed to the visits made by their new galactic neighbors. Hopefully, one day they'd be able to show up without messing up his day's work, though. Knowing that he'd only half to re-plow the field when the visitors left, he unhitched himself and decided to head for home.
Granny Smith was sitting on the porch when Big Mac got home. She was gently rocking in her chair, contented smile on her face and seemingly oblivious to the flying contraption sitting in front of the farmhouse.
She waved as she saw him approach. "Hey there, dumplin'! Coming in for an early break?"
"Eeeyep," Big Mac replied. As with his grandmother, he paid little attention to the shuttle or the bipedal armed guards standing casually beside it. The early morning sunlight reflected off the black visors of their helmets and made their white armor almost shine. The ship itself was about half the size of their barn, resembling a cross between a bumblebee and a swan with its wings clasped together above it. "Have you seen AJ this morning?"
"Mm-hmm. She's inside talkin' to the space folk again. I reckon they're here about the trip," the elder pony said. She said, casting a long glance at the space craft. "Seems like the world's gettin' bigger all the time. Never know who or what's gonna show up next."
The world hasn't gotten any bigger. It's just that we keep finding out there's more to it. Those were the words he wanted to say to his grandmother but he didn't. Instead, as he stepped through the door, he nodded and uttered his trademark, "Eeyup," and closed it behind him.
"-and of course, we offer the same compensation we agreed upon to you and your family."
"Cautionary: This is predicated upon our immediate departure, specifically within this rotation. The project-"
"HK, you really don't need to repeat yourself. I think she understands."
"Statement: Very well, master."
The two voices were coming from the kitchen, one he recognized and the other he didn't. Either way, he knew they were here for AJ.
"I understand what y'all are doing is important for a lot of folks. But I was scheduled to be there in two weeks, now somethin's gone wrong and y'all need me to be there sooner," the voice of Applejack said.
"Statement: You are correct, master."
"What you're not telling me is what happened," she said sternly. The two other voices were silent.
Big Mac walked into the kitchen, not bothering to introduce himself to the guests. His sister, sitting at the kitchen table across from the two guests gave him a smile as he entered. "Mornin' Big Mac."
"Mornin'," he replied. He went over to the tap, filled a cup with some water and grabbed two cubes out of the icebox. Taking a sip from his beverage, he turned to walk out the way he came.
"Uh, Big Mac?" AJ stopped him.
He sighed. "Eeyep?"
She walked over to him, placing one of her hooves on his shoulder. "You wanna sit for a while? I was just discussin' things with these gentlemen about the trip me and Twi are takin'. Care to join us?"
Not particularly. "Sure," he said. He took a long drink from his glass and sat down.
"So, this here is Miss Saresh," AJ said, sitting down, "and uh… what was his name again?"
"HK fifty-five, organic relations and negotiations, at your service," the droid replied.
The woman next to her was a green alien with two long tentacle-like tails hanging down from the top of her head. She extended her hand across the table to shake his hoof. "Governor Leontyne Saresh, the Republic's officially appointed representative of Taris. Or, more accurately, what little of Taris we've reclaimed so far."
"Statement: That includes members of the resettlement initiative located on Taris and off-planet as well," HK-55 said, bowing his own head slightly in a show of respect. Big Mac returned both of the nods.
"Anyways, like I told ya and granny last week, me and Twi and the others signed up to help out with the Republic's new resettlement program," AJ explained.
Big Mac nodded, remembering the similar conversation they had last week. "Eeyep."
"And now, seems somethin's happened and they need me a little bit earlier," Applejack said, glancing at the two across from her. "And that was…?"
Governor Saresh cupped her hands on the table. "Unfortunately, the resettlement program has run into some… unexpected difficulties. We have several groups right now on the planet trying to resettle areas where it's safe. But the environment of Taris is making things harder for each group than we could've anticipated. And now, several of our expeditions are wanting to leave."
Applejack raised an eyebrow at that. "So, let 'em. I thought y'all said this operation was voluntary?"
"To be blunt, that is part of the difficulty," Saresh said, leaning forward. "We're running out of volunteers."
"Commentary: The environment of Taris has always been one of exceeding danger from many sources. The planet is mostly covered in ruins and is rampant with disease, pollution and hostile wildlife." The golden machine blinked.
The governor placed her hands on her comrades' to quiet him. "Which the volunteers were informed of before they arrived. And we are getting more but for some reason, the larger and more established groups are threatening to leave. Specifically, they're not cooperating with us or each other. It's almost as if each one has become independent but they still need our resources and those of the other teams."
HK-55 nodded, removing his hands slowly. "Statement: This counter-productive behavior is threatening the entirety of the resettlement initiative. This malfunction must be corrected for the project to continue through either the repair or removal of the organic meatba-"
"HK!" Saresh raised her voice, surprising both Big Mac and AJ. "I'm sorry, but they get the picture. There's no need to go into detail."
AJ and Big Mac looked at each other, then back to Saresh. "Malfunction?"
She smiled. "I'm sorry, you'll have to forgive my companion. He tends to think in more mechanical terms than some are used to."
"I'm sure," Applejack said. "So, y'all want me to try and foster some teamwork between your volunteer groups, is that it?"
The green alien nodded. "Yes, in a manner of speaking. The four groups we have working on the surface right now include a detachment from the Republic military, an enclave of Jedi, a convoy of freelance spacers and a group of civilian refugees, contractors and other volunteers. They each have their own base of operations and outposts on Taris and were working together efficiently until things broke down." She leaned forward, eyes to the table. It was clear she was going to ask for something very crucial. "We hired a negotiator, someone who came to us very recommended but… it appears they went missing."
"Missing?" Applejack repeated. "You're sure they didn't just up and quit?"
She nodded. "We're fairly certain they haven't deserted us. Actually, they are… someone you know."
Applejack slowly turned to the green alien. "And they are?"
The woman visibly swallowed. "I want you to know that she did volunteer of her own accord. She came highly recommended to us and was very enthusiastic about the project. We only lost contact a few hours ago and we have full faith that Twilight Sparkle-"
"Twilight's missing?!" the two siblings shouted. "Why didn't you say anything before?!"
Now trembling slightly, the alien averted AJ's eyes. "We-we thought the delicate nature of the matter-"
"Delicate?!" AJ said, standing, "my friend's gone missing and you didn't try to tell me right away?!!"
The robot also stood as soon as AJ did. Its eyes glowed red.
"HK!" The governor grabbed the machine's arm, pulling it back down. "We have informed all of your other friends and Princess Celestia. They are all aware of the situation."
HK-55's eyes blinked once, then returned to yellow. "Statement: The remoteness of your location made it necessary to come travel to you directly. All other contacts were informed via holocomm transmission."
Applejack calmed down but remained standing. "You should'a let me know the moment you got here instead of givin' me some sales pitch about how much y'all need help."
Saresh stood. "I am sorry. We did this only to prevent panic. Believe me when I say we are doing all we can."
The farm mare adjusted her signature hat. "Not here, you're not. Let's get a move on. Faster we get there, the faster we find her."
"You're coming with us?" Saresh said, visibly surprised. "There are a few formalities to cover first but I'm sure we could waive them given the circumstances. If you're joining the project, then-"
"I'm not agreeing to join anything," AJ corrected. "You're taking me this planet project of yours so I can find Twi."
The machine and alien exchanged glances. "I- absolutely. Before we can depart, there's just-"
"Now," the orange pony ordered, pointing outside. The two followed her out the door without another word. The door closed behind them and Big Mac once again found himself alone. He finished his drink.
The door opened again and his sister stuck her head in the kitchen. "Hey, you and Granny Smith gonna be all right while I'm gone?"
"Eeyep."
"Anything you think you'll need before I get going?"
"Nnnope."
She smiled at him. "Thanks, brother. I always know things'll be in good hooves with you here," she said, turning around again. "I'll be back as soon as I-"
"AJ," Big Mac reached his hoof out, "hold on."
"Yeah?"
He inhaled deeply and slowly exhaled. "Applejack… you know I'm not much for words," he said, shifting. It was difficult for him in more than one way and she could tell. Her brother had always been careful with his opinion for fear it wouldn't be heeded, would only cause trouble or something else. It was best just to stay out of things if you could, at least in his mind. But there were some things, some issues that if he felt were so important, he would voice his opinion. And now was that time, now more than ever.
"I know, Mac. But you can tell me," she said.
He looked to the front of the house as if he could see through the wall. "I know you have to go off and do these things every so often… but this one don't feel right."
She moved closer to him. "What do you mean?"
"Just that," he shrugged. "It don't feel right, you goin' off to this place alone."
"Hmmf, shoot," she scoffed. "Won't be no harder than Manehattan was. And y'all thought I'd have trouble there too, didn't ya?"
He nodded but remained firm. "We're not talkin' about Manehattan, AJ. This," he looked again, "this is bigger than that."
She nodded, too. Walking up to him, she took his hooves in hers. "I know. But this is important. It's bigger than just us and the farm, Mac. It's bigger than all of us."
He turned back to her. "No. It's not."
She didn't say anything for a moment. It was clear there wasn't much she could say to ease his mind. "I'll be careful."
"I know you will," he said back to her. "I just don't know if that'll be enough this time."
His sister gave him a confident wink. "Well, if it isn't, you'll just have to come get me outta trouble, won't you?"
Big Mac sighed. "You know where my place is, AJ."
"I know," she said, putting a hoof on his strong shoulder. She was just as strong as him, just in different ways. Something else they both knew very well. "I'll just have to come back soon, won't I?"
He finally smiled. "Eeyup."