//------------------------------//
// Confrontation 
// Story: My Little Pony: StarBlaze 
// by BlackWater 
//------------------------------//

        Slam!
        The guard pony roughly shoved a heavy suitcase off of the stack in the suspicion that somepony was hiding on the other side. It was just a false alarm. However, another nearby guard that was also searching the cargo bay thought it important to criticize his actions.
        “Careful! I don’t want our names drawn when somepony starts asking why their luggage is damaged.”
        The guard was less interested however. “This is ridiculous! There’s nopony down here. That hauler is just seeing things...again.”
        A third guard shouted from across the opposite side of the bay, “Nothing here either! That’s a wrap up! Everypony back to stations!”
        That sounded like the security chief. It was practically time for take off and nopony wanted to be in the cargo bay when that happened, as the only harnesses were for the luggage. They had already finished two search grids and there was no trace of anything unusual. It was highly probable at that point that the pegasus who had made the claim of sighting something would receive a harsh work review.
        What the guards failed to notice was one particularly large crate in one of the corners of the bay. Its seal was broken but was carefully placed so that it was hard to discern that fact. A single pale yellow feather laid beside the crate with thin streaks of red nestled within the color pattern.


·               ·               ·               ·               ·


        “I’m sure they didn’t find anything,” Lifeline attempted to calm the unicorn next to him. It was not that the dark green pony was upset or worried but rather that he was very curious. He didn’t see many unusual things happen and the thought of an incident in the cargo bay made him want to investigate himself. Perhaps the mix of boredom from awaiting take off and the excitement of traveling across space didn’t go well with him.
        “I guess it’s better if they didn’t but that makes me wonder. Does anypony ever try to catch a free ride on a shuttle?” It was a valid question but the answer was precisely what Synch was expecting.
        “Not really. At least I’ve never heard of anypony doing that. Neb’s never mentioned it...”
        “Well it is space after all. I imagine it’s way different than catching a ride on a mag-train,” he concluded. Following that line of thought, what would a pony even do after catching the flight? It was not like it was possible to exit the craft whenever desired and it would take unthinkable gall to attempt hitchhiking throughout Equestria - at least as far as space was concerned.
        A loud whine started to fill the passenger compartment before it started to drown out again. Seeing the look of both annoyance and confusion on Synch’s face, Lifeline quickly answered with something about automatic noise suppressors and the shuttle’s engines. Synch just mentally dismissed it as he noticed that the craft had started to move. The ground was passing by slowly as the craft began to maneuver towards the take off ramp.
        “Shouldn’t they have told us to strap in?” he asked his companion.
        “Well, it’ll actually be a few minutes before we get off the ground and this thing is so slow right now that-”
        A speaker rang out, “Please fasten yourselves in using your seat’s harness. We will be achieving lift off in a few moments. Thank you for choosing PegaStar SpaceWays.”
        Lifeline shrugged and proceeded to strap in. Synch did likewise but had to spend an extra moment to figure out the harness, as it was slightly different than others he had used before on other vehicles. Thankfully he managed to finish strapping in before one of the flight attendants could appear to assist him. He despised it when others thought he needed help on anything he considered to be “trivial.” A few more moments and the attendants also strapped into their own harnesses.
        The shuttle was making the final turn onto the ramp and it was only half a moment before Synch felt something shudder through the frame of the craft. It must have had something to do with the ramp. Maybe a rail lock?
        The speaker spoke one more time, “We ensure the ride is as smooth as possible, but please be sure your back is aligned with your seat.” 
        That sounded ominous, but the unicorn had no more time to think as the shuttle rocketed forward. It started slow but it quickly accelerated and Synch finally grasped the weight of the speaker’s advice as he was pressed backwards into his seat. He lost his view out of his window when the force of the acceleration held his head in a forward position against the seat. The pressure built until it was almost uncomfortable, but that’s where it stopped. It slowly decreased again and he stole a glance back out of his window. Clouds streaked by in an instant while the blue of the sky grew darker and darker.
        Lifeline piped up as the stars faded into sight, “Finally getting back home.”
        The remark begged the question, “You live in New Ponyville?”
        “Well I do now but I wasn’t born there. I can’t think of anypony that was.”
        If it really was a newer colony that had undergone bios (various methods to make the planet inhabitable) then it wouldn’t have had any natives yet. Of course, with all of these topics now in mind, Synch had long forgotten about the earlier situation with the supposed hitchhiking. Out of hoof out of mind as one saying went. It was a variation of a saying that meant that if something was beyond one’s control than it was not worth worrying about. 
        There were oo’s and ah’s exhaled throughout the passenger compartment as the stars came into clear focus and they gently soared through open space. Synch was beside himself in wonder and Lifeline thought to keep silent in lieu of the moment. Only that moment lasted for quite a while and the Earth pony got more than his expected length of quiet time. That being true, the voyage was completely uneventful and entirely typical of a tourist space cruise until Lifeline had experienced his fill.
        It was not that he was impatient but rather that it seemed that Synch was perfectly content with interacting no more with Lifeline until after their arrival at New Ponyville. Now Lifeline was quite used to the standoffish nature of other ponies, as practically everypony he met had that particular trait. He had hoped Synch would have kept up his mostly friendly attitude but it seemed the limit had been reached. After all, it would be foolish to think that the pony he had met only yesterday would have changed his depressive outlook already.
        Of any pony, Lifeline might know the best how touchy it was to bring up life-outlooks directly, but he was not about to tip toe around the subject. It was obvious that Synch was in dire need of friendship - of hope even - and the pony to offer it might as well be him.
        “Friendship isn’t some mythical thing that requires years of work or coincidence...”
        Synch was stirred from his obsession with the window but only managed a “huh” as he obviously tried to determine if he had only picked up the middle of a longer sentence or conversation.
        Lifeline continued, “I know few ponies ever have friends now - at least in real life. Everything being masked and controlled on the ‘Net...it’s hard to tell if the other pony is being sincere.”
        Synch gave an unexpectedly sharp reply though. “But isn’t trust essential to friendship?”
        It took the Earth stallion off guard but he was still glad that the unicorn was responding. “Trust is vital. I think it’s some combination of loyalty and honesty, which are both elements of friendship. But anyways, my point is that...” he paused as if trying to remember his point. “You consider me your friend already, right?”
        The unicorn gave a skeptical look before giving a slow “sure.”
        “That doesn’t sound very hopeful.”
        It seemed the unicorn was starting to get defensive, “I just met you. You’ve been pretty nice - but still. I wouldn’t say ‘friend’ until we’ve worked together enough so that I know I can trust you.”
        “I understand but I have a question now. Do you think friendship is earned or given?”
        Obviously Synch was no mental lightweight as he immediately saw the implications carried with both answers. “I see what you’re doing. I should say given because that’s the cheery answer but you know I think it’s only earned by what I just said!”
        Lifeline caught the sour grape so to speak, “No, I’m sorry. I didn’t intend to set it up like that. I just mean to say that friendship is a gift and not something you buy.”
        An eerie smile flashed across Synch’s face, “But you sure tried to buy mine.” He motioned to his satchel.
        Lifeline let out a curt laugh and before he could speak, Synch assured him, “I know what you’re saying. So how about I just say that I give you my friendship and we move on?”
        The words would have sounded mean out of context but Lifeline could tell that the unicorn’s voice had softened. He took the liberty of believing that Synch was being legit and simply didn’t know what else to say or do. “Well then, I accept. But we will be moving onto more important matters than the stars outside of the window.”
        Lifeline had been conspicuous in his understanding of his fellow project worker. He knew that Synch would be content to drop everything there and resume his internal contemplations while staring literally into space. 
“Like what?” Synch asked.
        “Like what else friendship is about...”
        Synch was quick, acting as if it was a game, “Kindness and generosity.”
        “Certainly, but it’s also important for the friendship to have laughter. I don’t mean courtesy laughter - I mean genuinely joyful laughter.”
        “That will have to match the mood...which isn’t this one. I think I’m beginning to see what ‘Neb’ meant by your ‘quote book.’”
        There was an elongated silence and stillness between them before they both laughed. Lifeline decided to take the jab for the benefit of their enjoyment while he mentally noted that Nebula would receive a thorough lecture later on not belittling him. In reality, the pony would never get around to it and even enjoyed being poked at because it made him happy to make the other pony happy - even at his own expense. Perhaps that was one of the rare traits that made Lifeline seem so different from most other ponies. Even so, Synch silently believed that Lifeline had his “pushable buttons” so to speak.
        Lifeline continued after their bout of laughter, “They say there is another element. Magic I think? It’s rather vague but maybe that’s the point. You can have all the right stuff and still not make friends without that something special. I just wish I could figure it out so that everypony wouldn’t be so down all the time.”
        “Well, if it’s magic then it makes sense that you couldn’t figure it out,” Synch motioned to his horn. “You’re an Earth pony.”
        The other stallion’s expression saddened, “Yeah.” 
He was silent long enough that Synch thought he might have unintentionally stopped the conversation there but then Lifeline spoke up again. “There have been times when...I wished I was a unicorn with some great gift for magic or even a pegasus like Neb...but I realized that I can’t change who I am and I should be happy that I’m an Earth pony. Although few ponies ever say it, most think that being an Earth pony is inferior to being a unicorn or a pegasus. But nopony is better than another just because of the body they were born into.”
Synch did agree with part of what the pony was saying. After all, he too had unintentionally considered himself superior to others because of what he could do. But he likewise was hurt by that same sentiment that others held against him. He could not fly and sometimes a pegasus would look down on him because of it. Even in his job there were others with similar abilities that would look down on him because he either didn’t do things exactly like them or didn’t know some specialty that they did. It was a cruel reality to live in and it was only one small part of life that had, most likely, led to his inherent distrust of others. Synch would think at this point that he and Lifeline were on good terms, but deep down he still held the old mistrust.
Lifeline obviously had more to say as he continued, “I have something that no other pony has and it’s not because of horns or wings.”
When he didn’t proceed to say what that thing was, Synch had to ask, “What is it?”
However, the Earth pony was not so forthcoming in his response. “You’ll see eventually. I mean, we’ll be working together quite a bit on the project. Anyways, why haven’t I seen any magic? You’re a unicorn but I haven’t seen so much as a pencil levitate since I met you.”
That was the one question that could have stopped the entire shuttle that they were careening through space in. It was beside his lack of a cutie mark in painful subjects. He had to give an answer though, even if he didn’t want to with every fiber of his being. “I haven’t been able to use magic since I was born. I just can’t do it just like I can’t get so much as a pebble for a cutie mark.” Though he wanted to be blunt and be over with it, his tone carried that sharp note to it again that made him seem like he was going to explode.
“I’m sorry. I was being insensitive again. Actually, if what my boss says is true than just because a pony is a unicorn doesn’t mean they have the use of magic.”
“So I’ve heard.”
“Well, I won’t bring it up again,” Lifeline leaned towards Synch to get a view out of the window. “Looks like it’ll still be awhile before we get there.”
“How can you tell? The stars don’t move,” the deep green unicorn puzzled at how things seemed so stationary in space.
“They don’t move because they are so far away, relatively. But if you look carefully you can see some particle clouds out there. They’re close enough to judge speed and distance by and, generally speaking, they don’t move either.”
“How can you tell?”
“Neb tells me...and I’ve been through space enough to watch them.”
“Considering how long this flight is, I think it would take only one trip to memorize all those clouds.”
Lifeline laughed a bit, “Bored?”
“I would be if you didn’t keep going on and on,” Synch’s voice was obviously light now.
On the other hoof, Lifeline mustered a skeptical look and tone, “You’re sounding an awful lot like Neb...”
Now Nebula hadn’t necessarily been the loudest bird, so to speak. Synch didn’t think he had a perfect understanding of the pegasus as Lifeline seemed to. However, there was a certain directness in Nebula’s demeanor that the unicorn might even consider some form of merciless honesty. Regardless, Synch was not satisfied being compared to some other pony whom he considered above him. It left him feeling inadequate because, after all, it was Nebula Swirl who was navigating the ship. It must have been the mention of his name that made Synch spill out another question.
“I don’t know about that but I am curious about one thing now.”
Lifeline tilted his head and his short cropped mane followed the angle, “Huh?”
“If space is that predictable then why do they need Neb to navigate? Wouldn’t the path be the same each time?” Synch had to consciously cut the pony’s name short according to how he had preferred to be addressed. It felt odd coming out of his mouth.
“Another sharp observation,” Lifeline praised. “It’s true that some things tend to remain still, but there are plenty of other things that don’t. Anything from drifting junk to an unexpected asteroid can be fatal. The navigator has to repeatedly scan along the flight path to detect dangerous anomalies - anything that shouldn’t or otherwise wouldn’t normally be there....” He almost stopped before adding on, “Nebula Swirl: Navigation 101...in 30 days...pocket edition.”
Synch inwardly snickered but outwardly gave nothing but an understanding nod. It made enough sense and his curiosity on the matter did not run so deep that he wanted painstaking details. He would already have to deal with such a level of tedium when he worked on New Ponyville’s greenhouse systems. Such jobs were always deceptive with the amount of time it would take and the simplicity of the work. Synch had taken enough jobs already to recognize a garden maze when he saw one. It was one term he occasionally used to refer to work that looked easy to beat when not doing it but frustratingly difficult once engaged.
“We still haven’t seen him.”
“He could be cooped up until we reach our destination. But if he is then you will need some earplugs for when he rants about this that and nicknack. He doesn’t talk as much normally but, when he’s upset, it’s hard to stop him.” That last remark came out in a grave tone and the Earth pony almost seemed to have a pale look about him.
“You two ever fight?” It was an odd and somewhat awkward question yet Synch was compelled to ask it in a subconscious effort to pull down the mask of the perfect friendship that the two other ponies seemed to have. It could have been jealousy of not having such friendship himself or perhaps it was a vicious mistrust of anything hopeful. Whatever the case, the unicorn had asked the question without hidden intention or complex reasoning. Any possible explanation for the “nosiness” would be left to psychologists to figure out.
Lifeline didn’t even seem to notice that the question might have been touchy. “Sure, but our disagreements don’t make us enemies. Sometimes it even helps us to be more understanding of other viewpoints...anyways, I wouldn’t want to ever get into a physical fight with him. I might be older but it’s not by much as there is this fire in his eyes that screams ‘tooth and hoof.’”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Just that he would probably evaporate into transdimensional thought before giving out in a fight.”
“...” Synch let his blank look and silence speak for itself.
Lifeline, however, failed to catch on. “What?”
“You lost me on the ten dollar word but I get what you’re saying.” Lifeline smiled and the unicorn thought he would have to defend his lack of obscure vocabulary, but the offense never came. At least there was one pony that didn’t associate “technician” with “metaphysics” or whatever it was that involved those complex terms.
One of the flight attendants trotted over to their row and asked if they required anything. The voice of the female pegasus was soft and sounded more caring than most voices Synch had heard throughout his life. Silently he wondered if it was the pony’s natural tone or the fact that she was changing her usual attitude to fit that of a first-class flight attendant. Perhaps he simply overanalyzed everypony’s motives. Regardless, he did ask to have a snack tray. He had seen a pony devouring one earlier and it looked quite good. He couldn’t tell from a distance but he was hoping that the tray included S.A.A. apples. It was a reasonable assumption since only the particularly “well-off” ever got any and this first-class shuttle screamed “well-off.”
After the attendant trotted back down the aisle to get the tray, he asked Lifeline why he had decided not to get anything. However, the Earth pony only replied with a “not hungry” and Synch shrugged it off. When the attendant returned and gave him the tray, he began to wonder if the word “tray” did the arrangement any justice. It was more of a plate and it might as well have been made of gold. He was delighted to see that it indeed had a few S.A.A. apple slices on it. Other than that, it was an arrangement typical of expensive dishes, sparse and overly decorated.
The attendant continued down to further rows after informing him about the service button next to his seat. Seeing how pleased his fellow pony was, Lifeline decided to mention that the shuttle they were on was not the peak of extravagance.
“You haven’t heard of the royal shuttles. I’m pretty sure Neb has navigated on a few because he loves to complain how ridiculous they are. Supposedly the entire passenger compartment is designed to hold only one pony. It’s like a shuttle palace.”
“What makes you think I haven’t heard of them?” Synch managed to question between his eating frenzies.
“The way you were surprised about the apple,” he raised his tone in such a manner as to make the comment sound obvious.
Synch didn’t grace the remark with an answer as he savored the taste of the seasoned oats. He had never thought such common food could be made to taste so good and, not being a chef, hadn’t a clue how it was done. His preoccupation with the monumental taste of the dish kept him from noticing that Lifeline had begun fidgeting.
Synch may have held his lack of trust for other ponies, but Lifeline was not short of his own reservations. What was truly on his mind remained a mystery, however. It wasn’t something that was on Synch’s mind or really any other pony’s. What nopony had cared to note was that Lifeline was not normally one to fidget and thus whatever it was that bothered him was significant. It may not have been some sixth sense informing him of imminent danger but then there were things only of the mind that were far more dangerous than even a ruptured hull while in space.
Synch eventually finished his snack - though it was really more of a meal. He had slowed down before finishing not from becoming full but rather because he had wanted to savor it. The apple slices were eliminated last. 
Lifeline had stopped fidgeting and continued the earlier conversation, “So is there something in particular that you really like to do?”
It might have been less of a continuation than the start of an entirely new conversation. Synch thought nothing of it but was careful in what he said. “I get the feeling I’ve been asked this before...”
“It’s just your imagination. Or else I’m already going fruity.”
The unicorn actually considered that a possibility. “Well, if we’re going to talk about hobbies then I guess I should mention that I play games every now and then. Not as much as I used to though because work takes most of my time.”
Lifeline nodded and affirmed that he too had seen less of his hobbies that he used to be passionate about in his younger years. Getting older seemed to lessen one’s free time regardless of one’s profession or circumstances. So they continued talking for quite some time and Lifeline desperately hoped that the more relaxed mood that gradually emanated from Synch was a sign that he was willing to be his friend.


·               ·               ·               ·               ·


Their arrival at New Ponyville was less than notable, minus the first sight of the planet’s landscape that Synch stole after they entered the atmosphere. The planet was seemingly barren from a distant view but, the closer they got, it became apparent that they were headed for a green oasis. It must be where the project was underway. He wouldn’t be surprised if this New Ponyville was the only green and habitable part of the planet. In any case, the sea of green trees became more refined as they got closer. He could begin to see a small lake and a variety of greenhouses. They were large but transparent domes that contained jungles of plants. It made him think that they would be extremely humid inside and so he hoped he would rarely have to work within them. That was as much as he could see before they were touching down.
The trip did take a few days as Lifeline had first noted. Thankfully the quality of the shuttle made the obscenely long trip bearable. He and Lifeline had talked on end and he had begun to believe that the Earth pony really was as sincere as he was apparently trying to be. On the other hoof, there was still something off. The unicorn couldn’t place it but it was as if Lifeline had lied about one very important thing. It was disconcerting taking into account the rest of his sincerity. 
Synch was more willing to believe now that some pony had pulled serious strings to get such a high-class shuttle to even come near the new colony. After all, the landing was mere dirt and, though a lift-off ramp had been constructed, it didn’t look like the kind of setup a Canterlot shuttle would tolerate. Why in all of Equestria was it necessary to pay a premium shuttle to make an extra stop to some backwater colony? Well, backwater may have been a strong word but the contrast of the colony and the shuttle was quite great.
The shuttle pulled to a stop on the landing field and the exit scaffold was positioned into place. That was finally the moment when Nebula Swirl showed up in their passenger section. He was wearing a vest with several markings and insignia that made him look like some sort of high ranking member of the Royal Guard. Before he trotted down the aisle to them, he removed the vest and passed it to an attendant. They exchanged a few words as the navigator had apparently forgotten to remove the vest earlier when he was supposed to. 
When Nebula was finally at their row, Lifeline was already rising from his seat. The speakers throughout the passenger compartment had long declared their momentary stop but had not mentioned that anypony was disembarking. Synch started to realize that they were the only ones leaving and it made him feel awkward for some reason. Perhaps it was because of all the “high brow” passengers.
“This whole trip has been a bomb and, no, I don’t mean that in a good way. You wouldn’t believe how snobby the rest of the crew is. You didn’t have to spend the last few days having everypony treat you like trash.” It seemed that Nebula had gone through quite an ordeal considering those were his first words to them.
“Oh, I’m sure we will soon find out about it. But before that, are they unloading the equipment?” Lifeline took the more practical route of conversation.
“Yeah, but they wouldn’t have started unloading if I hadn’t mentioned it! They rolled their eyes when I asked about it but the pilot hadn’t even readied Security so it was obvious he had forgotten about it-”
“Excuse me,” Lifeline pardoned as he moved past Nebula into the aisle. Synch did likewise while Nebula took the hint to lead them to the shuttle exit. However, as they were the only ones exiting, the other ponies were giving them odd looks. Synch almost laughed when he pictured the other ponies imagining them as some sort of criminal group that was being extracted from the shuttle. The fact that the colony might have been mistaken for a prison only made it funnier.
The greenhouses were new and the greenery made it look beautiful but New Ponyville still had an unrefined aspect about it that could give the wrong impression. At least that was how Synch thought of it. Whatever the other ponies thought from what they could see from inside the shuttle was irrelevant. In fact, the unicorn soon changed his opinion as he got to know the colony better. There was a certain glow of warmth that made the town feel welcoming. However, he only realized that fact later. At the moment, he was taking his first breath of air on the new world as they walked down the scaffold.
Lifeline breathed deeply before he spoke, “Great isn’t it? None of that city air - no offense.”
Synch shook his head, though it was less in response to Lifeline than it was to clear his head. The difference in the air made him light-headed at first. The air was somehow sharp and the scents were staggering. It was a mixture of fresh grass and lack of pollution that he wasn’t used to.
“So what are we doing?” Nebula asked as he descended the scaffold stairs with the others. He was watching an unloading team remove equipment further down the fuselage where the cargo bay was.
“First, we get Synch to his quarters and show him the greenhouse monitors. The rest will be up to the boss,” Lifeline answered.
Both Nebula and Synch nodded as something flashed out of the shuttle cargo bay. At least Nebula thought he had seen something flash. It might have just been the morning light reflecting off some shiny surface. It had just looked a bit different than some minor reflection.
He filed the sight away in his mental shredder and looked back to the gate they were approaching. Because it was only a minor colony, there were no airports or airport terminals. Instead, there was just the scaffold of stairs to get off and a dirt landing field to cross before reaching an exit gate. A single guard opened the gate for them and they walked out onto a cobblestone path that lead into the heart of the town. He was an older Earth pony with a typical medium-cut mane. His body was a tone of gray that didn’t make him stand out and he had a cutie mark that resembled three horizontal lines. It was a pleasantly vague mark but Synch figured it had something to do with speed since the guard had a certain “racer” look about him.
“Welcome back, Life! You too Neb. I don’t think I’ve seen you before...” the guard pony began.
Lifeline picked up the introduction, “Yeah, this is Synch. He’s the new pony that will be taking care of those monitors. Synch, this is Hyperbeat. He’s a part of security around New Ponyville.”
The two exchanged greetings before Hyperbeat added that his job was general security. Apparently the town had little need for more than a single pony assigned to police and guard work. In any case, the Earth pony looked like he was able to handle whatever was thrown at him. Suffice to say, he was well built. Synch made the subconscious note not to ever get in a disagreement with the guard.
They continued walking towards the various town buildings after leaving Hyperbeat along the landing field fence. It wasn’t much longer before Synch could hear the blast of the shuttle lifting off once more. It was also interesting to note that, before they departed from the guard, he made a closing remark about the fancy shuttle. Hyperbeat hadn’t seen such a shuttle ever land at the colony and that told Synch that there was definitely something fishy going on beneath the surface.
Synch was still staying silent about his suspicion concerning Lifeline’s honesty. However, he suddenly realized that, since Nebula Swirl had been away during the entire trip, he knew little about the position that the pegasus held. Did he have anything to do with what was going on? Synch only wished he could figure out what the reason was behind whatever it was that was going on. The frustration made the unicorn let out an accidental sigh.
“Hm?” Nebula asked as he stretched his wings. They were still walking down the cobblestone path towards a cluster of greenhouse domes. Synch must have let out a significant sigh for Nebula to pick it up. The combination of their hoofsteps against the cobblestone and the bird chirping didn’t exactly make it easy to hear small sounds. Where were those birds chirping from anyway?
While usually silent about his thoughts, Synch’s attitude of occasionally snapping came to the front once again. “Is there something going on that I don’t know?”
Lifeline shot out the answer to that faster than Nebula could reply, “What are you talking about?”
The deep green unicorn definitely heard some caution in that tone. “I feel like there’s something I’m not being told!”
The pegasus cut off the Earth pony before he could answer and even added to Synch’s skepticism. “You mean you’re wondering why we got a top-class ride to the sticks? Yeah. I have to admit, Lifeline, I’m not convinced the boss ordered it because it was the only shuttle with enough cargo space.”
Lifeline wore a complicated expression. “There...um...there were delicate matters that had to be consider. I know you think it’s odd but the boss had to have us travel that way...”
“Will I be meeting this boss?” Synch furthered his inquiry.
“That’s who we’re going to right now. He’s your employer after all - though I hope you’ll stay on even after your original job is over.” The Earth pony was trying his best to give a pleading tone to keep Synch’s worry from breaking the bridge he had been trying to build ever since they met. Again, these motives were beyond Synch’s understanding and, though Nebula knew more about Lifeline, even he still couldn’t quite understand what the purpose was. Did Lifeline really need to try so hard to gain Synch as a friend? Besides that, did he need to try so hard not to tell them about the shuttle? Typical of “high-class” crews, Nebula never got any information out of his crewmates as to why the shuttle had been hired to make the extra stop.
Maybe that what this was all about. In reality, what was happening right that instant was little more than a confrontation.