Applejack kept a grip on the chain that hung from a pulley welded to the ceiling of the old starship as she gazed down into the open magazine, “How’re thin’s goin’ down there, sugarcube?”
“I think I’ve got the chains set right,” came the response from the twi’lek hidden from sight within the ship’s dark bowels, “You girls ready up there?”
“We’re all set up here,” Twilight replied as she stepped up to the edge of the well and ignited her horn.
“A’right then,” Applejack nodded as she took a firm grip on the chain, “On three … one … two … three, haul away!” with a rattling squeal, a missile slowly rose out of the shadowed hold, only to be guided over to a waiting wheeled cradle by Twilight, “An’ lowerin’, easy, easy, an’ we’re good!”
The farmpony wiped a bit of sweat from her muzzle as Twilight set about releasing the clamps holding the chain around the missile while Revan clambered out of the magazine. “Well, that’s one part-way done,” the grease-smeared Jedi observed as she tried to work a kink out of her shoulder, “Why don’t you girls hit the galley while I get this baby disarmed.”
Applejack shrugged and headed off to get some drinks while the unicorn lingered to watch Revan work, “Why aren’t you letting the Aeronautics Administration have the entire missiles? It’s not like they could actually launch them or anything.”
Revan looked up from the access panel she was working in to glare at the librarian, “And you just had to go and taunt Murphy, Twi’, I swear, I should start a Murphy jar for you girls.”
Twilight flushed slightly, her embarrassment not helped by Applejack’s snickering, “You were explaining why you are dismantling the missiles?”
The twi’lek sighed, “Look, I love you girls, and a lot of the ponies I’ve met have been wonderful people, but that just means that I’ve been having nightmares about all the things that could go wrong with just the drives and fuel cell, there is no way I’m letting any of you have the warheads and guidance systems. I can’t shake the fear that you’ll level the frelling palace or obliterate a couple of city blocks or something.”
“Swear jar!” Twilight frowned at her friend, “And I think you underestimate the abilities and professionalism of the Equestrian scientific community,” she added pointedly.
“Really, Twi’? In my own ship?”
“Consistent application is key to achieving behavioral adjustments,” the unicorn asserted, while Applejack’s laughter continued from the galley.
With a resigned sigh, the Jedi dug a pair of bits out of one of the pouches on her belt and tossed them onto the common room table, “Where were we? Right, the scientists’ competence. You’re probably right, Twi’,” Revan admitted as she reached over to scratch the librarian’s ear in apology, “But these missiles are way more advanced than anything in Equestria, and I worry.”
“Ah’m a mite surprised that any of tha missiles survived yer crash at all,” Applejack chimed in as she returned and deftly slid a tray of cups off her back and onto the table, “What’re ya goin’ ta do with tha, what did ya call them, warheads, anyway?”
“The magazines on these old Fireshark’s are reinforced and double-armored, inside and out, specifically to prevent ammo cook-offs,” the twi’lek explained as she gave the ship’s bulkhead an affectionate pat, “As for the warheads, eh, I’ll hold on to ‘em in case we ever need some heavy demolitions. You know, an old mine or dam needs to be collapsed, or we need a nasty surprise for an eighty-meter-tall, magic-eating monster, or something.”
“An eighty-meter-tall, magic-eating monster,” Twilight raised an eyebrow at the Jedi, “Seriously?”
“Hey,” Revan smirked cheekily at the ponies as she reached for one of the cups, “This is Equestria, I’ve learned that just because something is ridiculous, doesn’t mean it won’t happen.”
________________________________________
Twilight waved to her friends as they parted ways at the Ponyville train station; Applejack was headed for the Apples’ stall in the market, and taking the wagon they had used to haul the missiles into town along to help with carting everything back to the farm when they closed, while Revan was off on the train, escorting the five disarmed missiles to their new home in Canterlot.
As for Twilight herself, the unicorn was soon prancing across town as she headed for her library, the datapad that Revan had entrusted to her secure in her saddlebags, ‘So much to read, so much to learn! I know I’m supposed to meet Fluttershy and Rarity later, but it couldn’t hurt to just skim through it a little ….’
________________________________________
“Twilight, darling, are you in here? Is everything all right?”
“Bwah?” Twilight looked up from the technical readout she had been studying to see Rarity and Fluttershy entering the library, “Oh, fillies, hi! Wait … did I forget our spa trip? Oh, I’m so sorry! It’s just that Revan loaned me her datapad, and I thought I could just give it a quick glance over, but then I must have lost track of time, and --”
“Easy, dear, breathe,” Rarity placed a comforting hoof on the librarian’s shoulder, “So what fascinating little tidbits have you so distracted?”
“There is so much information in here,” Twilight held up the datapad eagerly as the other two mares sat down, “Technical readouts and ‘damage control’ manuals for the BloodWraith, social and legal guidebooks for dozens of worlds, bits of navigational charts, all of Revan’s stored music and pictures, and even ….”
Fluttershy and Rarity exchanged confused glances as Twilight suddenly trailed off in mid-sentence, her cheeks flaming. “What’s wrong, Twilight?” the pegasus asked in concern, causing the academic unicorn to blush even more.
“The datapad, it has Revan’s personal journals on it, her ‘logs’, it’s her diary!”
“Oh really?” the fashionista’s eyes glittered as she settled more comfortably into her seat, “And have you read any of them yet?”
“Rarity!”
Rarity raised a placating hoof as the other two ponies scowled at her, “Now hear me out fillies, does it make sense that Revan would just 'happen' to accidentally leave her diary on the datapad when she loaned it to Twilight, especially given how, well let’s be honest, obsessive, you can get when it comes to learning? Or it is more likely that Revan included it on purpose?”
“Well, maybe …” Twilight reluctantly conceded, as she studiously avoided looking at Fluttershy’s disapproving frown, “I suppose … it wouldn’t hurt to just take a little look ….” The unicorn’s magic enveloped the datapad for a second, and then an audio playback started:
“Log Entry 292:
The ship looks like chaos, and I’m honestly not sure how much point there is in actually trying to salvage it, given my initial inspection results. Eh, I’ll do an actual damage control accounting once the sun comes up. At least I found a working datapad to make this log entry in.
I did meet some of the local populace tonight. They seem all right, patched me up and didn’t try to quarantine or dissect me or anything. Also, they are just so damn adorable! Maybe it’s the cranial trauma and general injuries talking, but I swear I just want to grab them, hug them, and squeal like a youngling! Thank the Force no one is likely to ever hear these recordings, I don’t think my reputation would survive.”
“Oh my …” Fluttershy, her curiosity getting the better of her, brought a hoof to her muzzle as she shared a giggle with her friends.
“Let me see …” Twilight’s horn flared as her aura manipulated the datapad’s controls for a moment, “Yes! I’m pretty sure this is a recent entry ….”
“Log Entry 395:
Cloudy and Lyra were teasing me about my 'crush' on Twi’ again, I know they mean well, that they’re just trying to give me a 'push', but how do I explain it to them? I’ve been in lust plenty of times, but the only other time I’ve ever been in love … yeah, that ended well.
Shit, look at me, I’ll walk into death with a grin, but I’m too frelling terrified of messing things up to tell the girl I love how I feel about her, I can’t even work up the guts to ask her out … damn, I’m pathetic.”
The three mares sat in silence for a few moments after the audio log ended, “Twilight,” Fluttershy’s voice was surprisingly firm as she turned to the librarian, “How do you really feel about Revan?”
Suddenly put on the spot, Twilight blushed furiously as she stammered an answer, “I-I-I t-think I, no, I know that I love her,” the librarian turned a pleading gaze to her friends, her face still burning, “But what am I going to do? I don’t know anything about starting a relationship!”
“Tut, tut, darling,” Rarity waved off the purple unicorn’s concerns, “Since Revan apparently can’t bring herself to make the first move, which I suppose is not really surprising, all things considered, than you’ll just have to initiate the courtship, is all.” The fashionista leaned over to place an encouraging hoof on Twilight’s shoulder, “But not to worry, Fluttershy and I, and Princess Cadance as well, I’m sure, will make sure that you’re ready for the whirlwind world of romance!”
As she looked at Fluttershy’s happy smile, and Rarity’s almost predatory one, Twilight found that she only had one thing to say, “Meep!”