//------------------------------//
// Chance Encounter pt2 
// Story: Star Trek Equestria: The Fall of Harmony 
// by NightmareTRXY32 
//------------------------------//

Krang was gone, his body limp in Twilight's hooves. She could only look down at his now cold body and wonder if there was something she could of done to save him, to try and heal his wounds. But she came to the conclusion that there was nothing she could of done except be there for him in those last moments. She hated it, that death was so finite, and that there was no way to prevent its occurrence. 

The memories were still fresh in her mind as she continued to stand there in front of Krang's body. The Klingon had passed on some time ago, but left her not only his memories, but one last gift. He imprinted a telepathic thought into Twilight that brought a soft smile to her face. She smiled as she could see him stand before her and kiss her on the forehead, and thanked her for finding him in his last moments and still leaving him with at least one happy thought before dying. She told him back telepathically it was the least she could do, and she was happy to have been there for him. 

On the outskirts of Equestrian space The Absentia came across another derelict ship after Twilight and the away team beamed back from the Klingon wreck. This one was different, but it strangely matched a design she had seen Celestia show her once when the Absentia was first being designed and its future systems tested in the Canterlot Equestrian Space Labs. SHe remembered Celestia describing a meeting of humans several hundred years ago during her early years of ruling Equestria. These humans had come in an interstellar ship called the NX-02 Columbia, Captained by one Rachel Ramierez.  They had traveled to this part of the galaxy through a subspace corridor that had been discovered some time ago. The ship on the Absentia's sensors matched the configuration to a T. Had this ship been adrift in the vacuum of space all this time? 

The only to find out was to try and board her. When they boarded the ship, lifesupport was offline, and there were bodies still manning their posts. It looked as if the vacuum of space had preserved them in perfect condition. Twilight activated her suits gravity boots and walked over to the nearest console. The device she had with her would let her access their systems to determine just how long the ship had been out here and how long the crew had been dead. 

The last remnants of the crews voices could be heard as she played back one of the audio logs. She went pale as she heard people screaming and sounds of phaser fire. She looked up to see the others were worried she had heard something horrible so Twilight decided to play it out over the ships nearest console. 

Flashback- NX 02 Columbia-

"Captain Ramirez to the bridge, we've detected a mysterious ship on Sensors and its not answering any of our hails". The helsmman said over the ships intercom. The NX 02 Columbia had come across a distress call from a cargo ship that did regular trade runs to the Terran system. The only words that could be made out were, " under attack... Metal Cube.. Systems failing." That was it as far as the distress call said. 

"Let's get over there," Captain Ramirez told her crew, they were the second-best ship in the fleet compared to the Enterprise, Columbia's sister ship. As soon as they got there the ship was being attacked by a large Cube-shaped vessel. As soon she saw that, something that Johnathan had told her years came to the forefront of her mind. It was about Cochrane's first warp flight and that the images that been taken by the Phoenix. Images that even now still existed in a Starfleet database were filed under Classified by Starfleet Security. 

One of the images had shown a large black metal Cube with integrated lattices on the outside of its hull. It had been described that this " race" of cybernetic beings had come to assimilate earth in the past, thus changing the outcome of history. From his own description, he had stated the sight of terrified him to no end. 

Once the cube detected Columbia, they received a hail," Columbia, Registry number NX 02 , secondary unit to the Starship Enterprise, you will be assimilated, Resistance is Futile." The Cube began probing Columbia's defenses and once locked on , engaged their tractor beam. The Columbia opened fire, taking out the tractor emitters before the Cube adapted. 

"We've been boarded, Section 32 C Deck,"The helmsman turned to the captain, the fear in his voice was evident. This was the same tactic they had used on the Enterprise. Disable the ship's power grid before eventually assimilating the rest of it. She ordered that they keep firing to try and distract the Cube further. It didn't work as she had hoped. The Cube fired several torpedoes that took out the engines, leaving the ship adrift in space. 

Once the Cube had determined that Columbia was no longer a threat, it entered what appeared to be a green warp conduit before disappearing off of sensors.