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Prologue: A journey of 4.37 light years begins with spooling the hyperdrive.3,621 words
1 - Trixie needs no narrator to tell her story!6,081 words
2 - Welcome Home7,572 words
3 - Hey girl, wanna science?5,638 words
4 - Until next time, fly safe.5,384 words
Letters Home - 11,601 words
Interlude - I want to play a game.840 words
5a - Royal Cookies3,613 words
5b - Malfeasance's Delight1,595 words
6 - Shenanigans ex Machina5,418 words
7 - Court is now in Session7,123 words

7 - Court is now in Session

Author's Note:

Sorry this took so long. Depression struck. It's over with now.

Rainbow Dash - 16th of Snowfall - Morning

Okay Dash, you passed the entrance exams. You managed to make it through the first day of basic. You can do day two.

I took a deep breath and opened my eyes. The large training ground where the Comanches practiced was swarming with changelings right now. The first squad of recruits getting their turn at the test, and from the sound of things, failing horribly.

“You can leave now Dash. Noling will blame you.” Striil said in an insultingly not teasing tone.

I gave my kinda-sorta new friend a glare out of the corner of my eye. “I made it this far, I’ll make it all the way in.”

She shook her head, the short cropped military mane cut totally looked lame on her. What’s weird is mane cuts weren't like, regulation, or anything. I’ll never understand anypony who thinks the army look is cool.

“Look, for a non-changeling, you’re really good! I don’t think any other pegasi could have done the obstacle course yesterday.” Striil said in that same serious tone. “But do you even know what today’s test is? I’m a worker, It’s taken years for me to get this good, and I’m pretty sure I’m going to fail again. There is a reason the Comanches are like, 90 percent scouts and 9 percent royals.”

I gave her a dismissive hoof wave, “I’m the best flier there is. I’m also a pretty good fighter. I will pull this whole thing off in ten seconds flat!”

Striil rolled her eyes at me. I’m still impressed at how changelings can actually do that. The glowing part of their eyes shrinks and moves like your pupils would. “Fine but when you’re kicked out don’t come crying to me. Your burst bubble of arrogance is going to taste horrible.”

Oh, it was on! I’d show her! She think’s that just because she can fly all day without getting tired that she’s hotter than Rainbow Dash? Ha! Right...

“Squad two! Dash, Striil, Chekar, Gaan, Scout 46871, you’re up in three!” the drill sergeant scream-nounced.

Normally I wouldn’t use a Pinkieism, but by Celestia’s mane, if a more appropriate term for a drill sergeant's speaking exists, I’ll walk everywhere for a month.

I walked up to the small box drawn in the sand and looked over to the mock village a few miles away. Twenty buildings arranged haphazardly which we had to do something in. Noling had told me exactly what this part of testing was, so it would be cool to know.

The sargent tromped over to our assembled group and gave us this hard stare. I expected one of those “look to your left” speeches, but instead the older, solid coal black changeling simply started talking about something actually important, the test.

“Dash, and Seventy-One, you two are new to training. Everyling else knows what this entails, they have a chance at passing, you don’t. You only get to try so you know what you need to practice in the future.

“Five point seven klicks south-south west is a mock village. It’s being guarded by veteran Commanchies too old for field duty. If at any point they see you, you will be stun-bolted. From the second you leave this spot, you are a target, and one of those veterans is Nibral Nu’draar Lenedat.”

Everyling flinched instantly. I guess Striil picked up my confused face because she telepathically sent, <In Equish, her name means ‘Can not miss’. As in, physics prohibit it.>

Oh…

“For this round of testing, Command’s letting her use her spell-rifle.” The sergeant continued.

You could literally feel the complete and total panic barely contained just under everling’s surface.

“Needless to say, don’t be seen. Don’t be heard. Your objective is to get into town, you will take up a position on the water tower and wait for the other three squads to check in. Once you are all checked in, between all of you, you must stun one veteran who is holed up inside the town hall. Anyone who makes that shot passes. Anyone who performs admirably passes. Everyone else fails and can try again next year.”

The sergeant turned to look directly at me, her features softening slightly out of sympathy. “Ms. Dash, you are unable to cast spells, as such you may use lightning to attack, everyling has been instructed to make their exoskeletons a conductive material and are grounded.

“Don’t worry about hurting them. Though, you won’t make it more than a few meters from start. Command has informed me after you fail we will teach you any tricks compatible with your biology.”

Before I could give the sargent a piece of my mind a whistle blew in the village. “Go!” The sargent announced.

Emerald flames from every side nearly blinded me as everyling shifted, changing their wings to an odd shape. <Whisper mode. It’s for silent flight.> Striil said to me silently. <Starting to get it?>

Yes, but I wasn’t letting her know that.

<I’ll relay squad link to you…> Striil offered as she cast a spell, turning invisible an instant later.

<Striil checking in.> Striil added a half second later. <Relaying for Dash, she can not reply.>

Before I could even think to object I noticed everyone but me had left the starting square. Like bucking tartarus I was going to draw fire! I’d show them! One super sonic hop and I’d be right on that water tower!

I jumped, pushed my wings down as hard as I could and shot into the air, arcing down to land inside the tower. Two seconds from ground to tower, Mach 8 point 8, not even my top speed! There was no chance in Tartarus anyling would even get a chance to react to-

An Oatstralian accented voice filled my head. <Boom. Headshot.>

“Wha-” The right side of my head exploded into a migraine, and everything went black.

Rainbow Dash - 16th of Snowfall - Noon

Throbbing… pulsating… headache… That means I crashed. Ow.

“Oh good! Thought you were cactus.” Somepony said.

I blinked my eyes until I could see straight and looked over towards the sound.

“Other way there mate. That was a real corker of a jump, plowed clean through the water tower after I nailed ya.” The voice said again.

I turned and blinked. Changelings weren't sand colored. It took me a half second to realize she must be a halfbreed. Big green changeling eyes, a horn halfway between a unicorn’s and a changeling’s, smallish insect wings, short but fluffy sand colored fur that looked kinda like moth fluff, light brown feathery mane and tail. Hay, she even had a cutiemark. A circle with an x in it, only the center was missing, all black, no other colors.

What caught most of my attention was the huge sand colored gun slung on her back. By huge, I mean it was almost as long as she was. It looked like she had salvaged one of the Arc’s guns, and then really tricked it out.

It was covered in runes, the grip was built for pony hooves, and thanks to Twilight I recognized the barrel was replaced with an amplification staff. If I remembered the runes right, It was made to make a spell go much farther than normal.

“You shot me.” I groaned pushing myself upright.

“Yep! It’s me job.” She said cheerfully. “Ol’ Betsy’s a bit of a brick shithouse, and you were moving, so I figured I’d make sure you didn’t have vultures peck’n at ya.”

“I’m fine…” I muttered shaking the stiffness out of my neck.

“Bit of a tip for next season, if ya come back.” she said casually, “Don’t try the run as Rainbow Dash. Sure she’s cool, but anyling should know speed isn’t everything.”

What? “Uh, I am Rainbow Dash.”

“Ponyfeathers! I didn’t knock you in for a Froot Loop did I?” She exclaimed, giving me a concerned look.

“What?” I asked completely baffled.

“Eh… sorry. Spent a lotta time down south. You should demorph, I think you hit your head a little too hard there mate.” She said in that voice you use to talk to a crazy person.

“No, like, I actually am the Rainbow Dash.” I replied.

She blinked. “You’re a pegasus?”

“Yeah.” I nodded.

“Well, that’s a fair suck of the sav! Why the buck did you try to enlist? I mean, balls, big brass ones, but you can’t cast spells. They’da drummed you out in round five mate!” She shook her head slowly.

“I-really?” I felt my ears droop.

I couldn’t do it? Like, couldn’t possibly ever do it? A flight thing I couldn’t do? Why? How?

“Yeah really. Look, ol Queenie’s got all her stuff in order. Maybe she can lenda hoof. If she does, still ain’t no way in tartarus you’re get’n to ride with us. Takes ya years to get a proper aim.”

I sat down and looked out over the village. Was this really all I could do? Was there no more I could learn? No where else to go? The top isn’t as fun as the climb…

“Ah… shoot…” She sighed, “Tell ya what. Ya pull outta your slump, and if ya can get some magic some how, I’ll take an evening, get us a few coldies, and help ya learn to shoot. Name’s Nibral Nu’draar Lenedat. Tell someone you’re looking for Lennie and they’ll point ya to me. Ya might wanna move, we got the third batch o’ clay pigeons coming through soon.”

I gave her a nod, go to my hooves and walked away. Head hung like a failure’s should be.

“Oi!” Lennie called, “Talk to Queenie first, then mope. You know, if she can’t help. She fixed me wings, she can probably set you up.

Good point. Phoenix had made Tess all fuzzy and stuff, maybe she could find a way for me to cast spells. “I’ll do that.” I said giving Lennie a nod.

“Good! Now, ge-” the whistle interrupted her. In one fluid movement she reared up on her hind hooves, levitated her gun to her shoulder, turned her head to the right and grinned. “Forgot to mask your heat there mate!”

The flash of green her rifle made stuck in my eyes like a camera flash until I made it back to Gaia.

Trixie Lulamoon - 16th of Snowfall - Late Afternoon

The crowd sat on the edge of their seats, a thousand eyes rested upon Trixie as she approached the grand conclusion of her act. An instant from now they would be shocked and delighted to learn the hundred tricks before this naught but foal’s play! “And now, Changelings, Ladies, and Gentlecolts, the Great and Powerful Trixie will conjure forth a living, breathing creature from nothingness!”

The crowd gasped in surprise. Trixie hopped up onto the suitcase she stored her props in, waving a hoof across the audience. “There shall be no cloths, no mirrors, no smoke! Without a drop of unicorn magic, nor any trick even your eyes can see!”

Trixie hopped down from her suitcase, taking off her hat and cape with a skillful hoof flourish, leaving them neatly folded atop the case in the blink of an eye. “But what form of creature to conjure for such a wonderful audience? A bird, squirrel, or rabbit? Too mundane and ordinary for even the eyes of Trixie’s enemies!”

Trixie smiled and pointed a hoof out towards the audience, “What would you see apparated onto this stage? No animal, monster, or person is off limits, and Trixie guarantees your safety. Give her your wishes!”

A million names assaulted the stage in a fever of demands! Trixie had them eating out of her hooves! This would be amazing, stupendous, a night all would remember with fondness!

“Living water!” somepony or ling cried.

Trixie smiled, at least one pony here had seen her act before. Doubtless they wished to understand her trick. They didn’t have a prayer.

Trixie rubbed a hoof against her chin in mock thought. “Living water you say? Such a creature can not be found within even the most remote and dangerous parts of the world.” She put her hoof down and smiled, “So, Trixie shall make one!”

Trixie reared up, clapped her hooves together, closed her eyes, focused her thoughts to reach for her deeper magics, guided them to that cool place of endless waters, longed for a small expanse of it to come to her, and whispered, “Coia tul’sinome.”

A flash of light from beneath Trixie, the gasp of the audience, the sound of crackling thaumaturgic energy, a sloshing of water. All of these made up the moment before Trixie opened her eyes. When she did the creature was there. A pony sized ball of water, moving and undulating as if confused about it’s surroundings, small tendrils of itself reaching to feel the air around it.

She always felt a little bad at how confused the poor creatures must be in this totally alien environment. But there wasn’t a pony alive who could top Trixie’s Summons, not without using unicorn magic. The detectors set up on stage had not gone off once, to her audience Trixie’s entire act was clever sleight of hoof and tricks, just as she billed it.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie brings you this wonder freely!” Trixie announced, giving a bow to her audience.

The applause was incredible. A deafening drumming of hooves and cheers filled the stage. Ah, changelings, Trixie understands your need for love so well. Even if you don’t eat it, there is something wonderful about being given so much of it at once.

Trixie waved a hoof at her summoned elemental, dismissing it in a flash of white light with a whisper. “Aut’eska.”

A half second before Trixie could dramatically leave with an offer of autographs Queen Phoenix's voice filled the air, “I’m terribly sorry for interrupting the evening’s show, but I require Ms. Lulamoon’s presence in her room at once.”

Blast! Trixie couldn’t simply leave when called at the end of a performance! That would ruin the audience’s evening. She would have to leave mysteriously, expending more power than she otherwise would for a simple show.

“Trixie is needed at once?” she asked quickly sliding her hat and cloak onto herself with her hooves.

“Yes. This is a security matter. There has been a violation of… Look, you’re not being charged with anything but somone in your care is.” the machine pony elaborated.

Trixie grit her teeth. She swore if Scootaloo and her friends had built another rocket waggon she would-

“Trixie understands!” she informed, trying to contain her fear, irritation, and disappointment in her adopted daughter.

Turning to her audience Trixie smiled and gripped the hem of her cloak in hoof. "Beloved audience, Trixie must depart! But fear not, for she will always be the noun which verbs the other noun!" Trixie announced dramatically before sweeping her cloak over herself, leaning into the fabric, and teleported, arriving within her room in a puff of dark smoke!

"Wait.” Trixie’s eyes narrowed in confusion. “The buck did Trixie just say?" Trixie asked herself in horrified confusion.

Twilight jumped, startled by Trixie’s appearance without any flash of light. “Ah! Oh! You s-”

“You said ‘she will forever be the noun which verbs the other noun!’” Phoenix interrupted, a quaver of laughter warbling her voice. “I have an old cartoon I need to show you now. But that will have to wait. I’m afraid I have some serious business we must attend to.”

Twilight sighed and took a seat in the armchair she had come to like. “What did Scootaloo and her friends do?”

“How do you know it was them?” Phoenix asked.

“History.” Twilight and Trixie deadpanned together.

“Ah.” Phoenix sighed and projected the illusory form of an earth pony for us to look at. That probably meant this was very serious. “Before we proceed I need to be certain both of you understand my limitations. You are aware that I have to follow a specific code of conduct without choice in the matter, right?”

Twilight nodded, “Yes. I’ve learned that much about you.”

Trixie made a confused face and looked at Phoenix in concord. “Trixie is aware, but you wouldn’t remind us of this unless there was something terrible involved.”

“There is.” Phoenix sighed her face showing what passed for regret and sympathy. “Under Imperial Order A39 possession of military grade cybernetics or other technologies by any individual not in military service is a capital offense. Further relevant legal code includes Article 27d of the Data Usage Act, wherein accessing military systems without authorization is also a capital offense. Lastly we have Imperial Order A14, which is tampering with or using military hardware without authorization. The penalty for which is oddly enough not death-”

“I won’t let you kill them.” Twilight informed darkly. “I assume my daughter did those things, and I understand you have to obey orders, but I won't let you harm her because of the laws of a dead Empire.”

Phoenix held up her forehooves quickly. “No! I’m not! I was informing you of the laws and their standard penalties. I have found a loophole in the legal code applicable to this case and will apply with having gotten Armored permission to do so.”

“What exactly did they do?” Trixie asked, her nerves starting to fray.

The last time machines were hostile towards ponies did not go well. Trixie hoped Twilight understood we were trotting on eggshells.

“Since their arrival, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Applebloom have been hacking into my systems. They engineered code which prevented me from detecting anything amiss involving them, tampered with my network to create a secondary system, accessed classified data, stole files, faked equipment production and R&D orders and thereby depleted engineering’s time and slowed other projects. Furthermore they have accessed and reconfigured large parts of my satellite network to scan the planetary surface for… well something I don't know.

“Additionally, each of them is in possession of a top of the line suit of cybernetic systems of Terran manufacture including but not limited to omnitools, hardlight projection units, skeletal reinforcements, optical enhancements, oxygen recycling systems, and to my complete and total amazement, Apple Bloom actually possesses a Black Carapace-”

“Er- a what?” Twilight asked, her tone both concerned and intrigued.

“A techno-organic artificial organ which links… It’s like the neural link I gave you, but is designed to allow for the control of powered armor or other vehicles as if they were a body part.” Phoenix answered. “As a non human I have no clue how implanting it didn’t just kill her, much less how she got one.”

The relieved sigh which escaped Twilight’s lips went a long way to relieve her nerves. “Oh good! I thought that was some sort of infection or dark magic… Why would you name something like that?”

“Dramatic overtones to improve life?” Trixie suggest-asked.

“Nah, pretentiousness and arrogance.” Phoenix said with a dismissive hoof wave, “Regardless… Twilight, Trixie, your daughter and her friends have committed serious crimes according to my programming. From your legal code they are guilty of mind control, theft, larceny, and possession of an unregistered weapon.”

“What class of weapon?” Trixie asked.

“I… don’t know.” Phoenix admitted with a shrug. “I was unaware you categorized weapons I thought you simply require registration and approval to own a given weapon.”

“We have three categories, Defensive, Sporting, and Military.” Twilight informed, “The law treats possession differently depending on what they can do.”

Phoenix nodded, “Based on my now accurate scans their hardlight projectors are capable of… Em, they can shoot plasma, lasers… basically any DEW with an output of less than eighteen gigawatts. Equivalent to a changeling’s spellbolt in damage capacity but capable of being fired continuously for several minutes.”

Twilight nodded grimly, “That would be military. I… I can’t in good consciousness beg diplomatic immunity for them. Assuming they really did these crimes. Do you have proof?”

Trixie nodded in agreement. “Yes! Trixie demands proof as well!”

Phoenix rolled her eyes. “Of course I do. I wouldn’t accuse without proof. What do you think I am an organic? I have retrieved the correct security footage of all their activities, the proper network logs showing their traffic, and interviewed engineering to find the discrepancies in the planned work flow. Additionally, I have their bioscans which will show the cybernetic modifications.”

“Can you show me?” Twilight asked.

“Of course, since there is over seventy two hours of video footage, would you prefer to link to me and download the information?” Phoenix asked.

Twilight nodded, “Yes. I’ll want to see it in full… but can you show Trixie some while I’m looking it over?”

Phoenix nodded. “Commencing link… Link Established.”

I frowned as Twilight slumped in her seat slightly. It always looked like she would fall over when she did this. A window like projection appeared in the air next to Phoenix, showing a forsen image of Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Applebloom in what looked like their room before they finished decorating. “Here you are Ms. Lulamoon.”

The image sprang to life. Scootaloo sighed in relief while wiping her forehead. “Okay!” she exclaimed, “We are free for the next twenty minutes. I don’t think the algorithm is good for more than twenty five so it will stop automatically after twenty.”

Apple Bloom nodded and bent her left forehoof a projection of some kind flicking into existence around it, “I’m getting you back for the spongy floor. You sure you can fool her?” she asked

“She did get us into the biolabs with the same trick.” Sweetie Belle said a projection of her own appearing in a flash of blue and green.

“Okay, I’ve got access to the room’s replicator.” Apple Bloom announced with a smile. “Passing you the connection information now.”

Sweetie nodded, and announced. “Alright, I’ve got extranet access. Stable connection… Address masked… We’re anonymous! Getting you on P2P… Go!”

Scootaloo nodded and just stared at the wall silently for a few minutes with a look of extreme concentration of her face. Suddenly she smiled and shouted “Got one! Looks like I can take over the router for the upper levels of this tower.”

There was a brief exchange of questions, Sweetie Bell cast a spell, Scootaloo went back to her staring and the recording suddenly sped up.

“Dont mind the fast forwarding, nothing happens for ten minutes.” Phoenix informed before the recording resumed.

“There we go!” Scootaloo exclaimed in relief, “I’ve got access to Sub-Processing Unit 43893. Huh, I don’t know what kind of computer this is. It’s got Phoenix's secondary data loop on it though… and now we have root access! We can look up anything we want.”

Sweetie Belle gave Scoots a rather adorable kiss on the cheek. “Good job! Right then, whatever she’s hiding or plotting, we will know as soon as I ca-”

The recording stopped suddenly. I looked up at Phoenix in surprise. “Is there a reason you stopped?”

“Yes, they are interrupted by a guest’s arrival, and Twilight is nearly finished. Do you understand what they have been doing?” Phoenix ased.

Twilight Sparkle - 16th of Snowfall - Late Afternoon

Two things were of immediate concern. First, It looked like I could directly interact with Phoenix pain free now. Second, the Crusaders were in some very deep trouble.

I saw Trixie nod. “Yes. Trixie thinks she does… May Trixie ask why Rainbow is not here with us? She is more of Scootaloo’s guardian than Trixie.”

That was a good question actually. Rainbow was Scoot’s primary guardian… Sure Scoots was an adult now but she was as close to a mother as legally possible.

“Rainbow is currently in the medbay receiving upgrades. She informed you of her failure to enter the Comanches, right?” Phoenix asked.

I nodded ears drooping. “Yes. She was… devastated. But I’m is unsure how Rainbow thought she would stick to walls, or turn invisible.”

“I informed her I could give her the abilities needed to pass the entrance exam. For the next few days, Rainbow will be unavailable… She is… oddly difficult to augment. I told her to leave you a message.” Phoenix said with a small frown.

Her avatar shook it’s head and looked at both of us for a moment. “The entire purpose of this was to establish a good diplomatic bond. I had hoped we could keep politics out of it and simply build a bridge… I have to act on this breach of law, which means that bridge may never be built.”

What should I do? Celestia had said acquiring the resources Phoenix could provide was of more importance than containing the revived Sombra! If our nation was truly that endangered, as a Princess, I couldn't let any possible alliance fail. But as a mother, I couldn't let any harm come to my daughter.

Turning in that bad of a state then I had to let her proceed. But I also had a responsibility as a parent to ensure the safety of my child, and as friends with their sisters I couldn’t let Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle fall to harm either.

Especially not when according to Celestia she had asked them to do their espionage… Although they had done far more than simply acquire the plans Celestia had asked for. They were also moving on their own for some reason…

“As their mother… I must demand they be given a chance to defend themselves. But as a Princess of Equestria, I will not hold any judgment against you as long as it is fair in the eyes of both our nation’s laws.” I said after some thought.

Trixie gave me a horrified look, “T-Twi are you sure that’s for the best?”

I nodded. “It is. If they had done this in Equestria they would be serving a minimum of four months in prison. A real crime has been committed, so the law must be carried out. But, they deserve a chance to defend themselves.”

“Then we are in agreement.” Phoenix nodded. “Standby for transport to the Judicial center…”

“Wait!” I objected, ears perking in alarm, “Your teleport-”

Everything around me changed, the comfortable, library reading room decor switched out for a dull gray gunmetal round room with an elevated platform on one side and a large tapestry on the far wall depicting a two handed sword pointing strait down with an open illuminated medieval tome laying open atop it.

“-doesn't sound safe…” I finished.

“Right. Sorry. But you know it is now!” Phoenix apologised, her voice coming from everywhere and nowhere. “Sorry for the grim feeling. Protocol dictates this is the best I can do for a judicial chamber.”

Three light blue cubes of light flashed into existence a few feet infront of me. Each one was just big enough for a pony to stand in. Like they were isolation cel- Oh.

I took another look at the courtroom. There were no doors. It was a solid dome of steel. If the intent was to say ‘you can not escape justice’ they were really over doing it.

“Transporting the accused.” Phoenix announced.

A second later and each of the three cells were filled. Apple Bloom to the left, Scootaloo to the Right, and Sweetie Belle in the middle.

Scootaloo’s head jerked up as if she had been working on something. “The hay just-”

“Celestia’s blood that’s an Imperial banner!” Applebloom squeaked.

“Phoenix caught you tampering with her systems.” I said, to let them know I was there with them.

“Buck…” the three of them groaned together ear drooping in unison.

“Trial commences.” Phoenix announced. “The court will proceed under the Sanctioned Xenos stipulations of legal defence, rights, and privileges. Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle, you are charged with violating Imperial Order A39, Article 27d of the Data Usage Act, and Imperial Order A14, along with a charge of Heresy Against the Empire for breaching its laws.

“Your guilt is firmly established with by seventy two point three nine hours of surveillance footage, and three hundred and forty seven pieces of corroborating evidence, including retrieved memory engrams. A Plea for Leniency has been filed by the offended party with Captain Armored Heart, and has been granted. Diplomatic negotiations have granted you this opportunity to explain your reasons for committing your crimes. They will be used in determining the nature of your justice.”

“Er- What laws are you talking about?” Sweetie Belle asked carefully.

“Based on the data contained within the network interface device within your Occipital Lobe, you know the laws you violated. You also know that an Imperial Navy owned AGI is required to prosecute criminals.” Phoenix said in an annoyed tone. “Drop the pretence. Where did you get the tech you possess, what were you doing with my systems, and why did you steal my data?”

“Why are you even charging us based on Imperial law? It doesn't even exist anymore!” Scootaloo exclaimed angrily.

“True. But I have to. I am programmed to. Also you committed crimes in your own nation as well. Theft, Larceny, possession of unregistered military weapons-”

“Buck it. I’ll tell you if you give me your absolute word that none of what we say leaves this room.” Apple Bloom said quickly.

“Bloom!” Scootaloo hissed. “We promised!”

Sweetie Belle nodded slowly, “We did. But we can be completely sure that Phoenix won't tell anyone if she promised… also your mom should probably know as she might be able to prevent time travel…”

“My girlfriends and I captured a time machine during the war between Equestria and the Arc.” Apple Bloom began. “It was a prototype and didn’t work, but the three of us well, we’ve got a knack with machines. We tried to make it work with the idea of going back and preventing the war from occurring. We got it to work, but I got the math wrong and we went back to… well you were probably being built at the time. 3039 CE ring a bell?”

“Seriously?” Phoenix, Trixie, and I asked together.

“Oh ponyfeathers!” Sweetie moaned. “Trixie… Would you leave? Please?”

“Trixie can keep a secret better than most anypony can.” Trixie objected firmly.

“It’s true. I have no idea how she does her tricks, and I can’t get them out of her with well, romantic things.” I said, trying to keep from being embarrassed.

“She showed me how she does that card trick!” Scootaloo protested.

“Yes, but that was not one of Trixie’s tricks. That’s an old one you can find in any magic shop.” Trixie excused. “By Trixie’s tricks she means things like,” She quickly reached under her cloak and produced a bottle of wine, then two glasses, a table cloth, and a loaf of prench bread, “That.”

“Wah- but… I have high speed cameras!” Phoenix protested.

Apple Bloom shook her head. “I’ll trust her. The time machine ran on liquified plutonium, and the trip burnt out the injection pumps and the carburetor, which caused a fuel leak so we needed to get a new fuel source to get back home. That meant getting money… which is a really hard thing to do for people who happen not to be humans. Scootaloo wound up manufacturing an AGI to get us started on repairs and I wound up working for a shipping company.

“Anyways. We were on Terra when the aliens wiped humans out. It was really quick and clean. Didn’t even leave anything behind. Honestly it looked like they were just teleported elsewhere. We survived thanks to the AGI Scoots built. She wasn’t finished with her basic until just after the humans were gone, and because we didn’t want to be stuck with somepony with a foal’s brain forever we hunted down some programming for her to install.

“That’s also when we got our cybernetics. The entire planet was basically a free for all and we were there a few hundred days before other species came to loot it too. We wound up getting ahold of well, ironically a program for what you are, a Fabrication Ship Pilot. Naturally, our new android friend wanted to apply her skills… but well um… we didn’t know you were here so we wound up getting her to a terraforming plant, one of the Counter Climate Change outposts.

“She was sad we were lonely, and we told her the entire story of how we got there… so um…”

Apple Bloom looked over to Scootaloo uncertainty. Scoots nodded and said slowly, “She sampled our DNA and used it to create ponykind in the first place… and everything else we had described to her, modifying the terraforming planet as she went to pull it off on a global scale… She assumed she had to close the time loop, see?”

I blinked twice. I felt my head involuntarily tilt side ways. “You built Faust!?” I shrieked in complete and total panic. Suddenly an even more terrifying realization hit me. “You’re the three hoofmaidens!”

“We need to make your timeline unchangeable right now!” I exclaimed, “Oh dear Luna! You should have told me! If anything happens to you before you go back we all will have never existed! That’s a huge bucking deal! I could have gotten Discord to lock your timestream, or asked Time Turner to do his wibbly wobbly thing and deadlock seal it! What the buck am I standing here for!? I need to solve this problem right now!”

I realized I had reared up on my hind hooves and was almost pulling chunks out of my mane. I didn’t remember doing that. I think my heart was in the middle of one really long beat. Or had exploded. It wasn’t feeling normal at least.

“Twilight… calm down.” Phoenix asked Stable time loops are unchangeable. There is no possible way anyone could undo one after it has concluded… I’ll show you the physics behind it later they were determined in 3012 by… well that’s not important.”

That sounded like horse apples to me… “I don’t believe you!”

“Look, it turns out that time isn’t a line it’s more of a 4d hypersphere interspersed with three dimensional strings. Everything’s a loop. Literally everything. What we perceive as time is the result of how those loops happen to close. Because of this despite being able to travel in time, you can’t change what happened because each loop is closed off to the rest of time. It’s isolated.

“You can only change what happens between when one loop starts and another ends. So for example if I went back in time and killed the scientist who proposed we try to bridge universes, someone else would simply become the person who did that. If someone went back in time and killed these three, it would be three other ponies who originated your species due to the time loop.” Phoenix explained. “But that does not explain why you three tampered with my systems.”

“I was getting to that… So um, we can’t accidently uncreate everypony?” Scootaloo asked.

“No. You can’t. That’s not how physics works.” Phoenix said again.

Despite how firmly she held that belief I was going to teleport to Discord and Time Turner the second we were done here…

“Well that’s kind of a relief… we should still keep really quiet about this though.” Sweetie Belle said sounding semi relieved.

“Trixie agrees and will mention this to absolutely nopony!” Trixie said reverently.

Sweetie nodded in thanks. “Okay, good! After a while we got what we needed to fix the machine and go home… Well except the math. There were a few stops on the trip home. We sort of accidentally wound up helping Celestia and Luna defeat High Queen Phyla… Oh! And the Sirens, we helped Starswirl with that and he gave us the correct temporal coordinates to get home.

“But um… We spent a decade with Faust. She’s really nice and our friend… she sort of stayed in the past. When we found out you were tech from the same era we realised that she could have survived this long too. Meaning we could find her, and repair her if needed and have our friend again. But we figured us attempting to get an AGI online would trip a security protocol, and well, we can't just say ‘By the way god’s a robot and we made her for grocery money’.

“So we did everything beneath the table. The plans we stole were for two reasons. First we know what sort of people made you and wanted to be sure you didn’t have anything evil planed, and second if you didn’t we could just tell Celestia she can go ahead and form an alliance right now. But um… we couldn’t decode them.”

“My plans are completely benign. If you knew me better you would know I despise my creators and am slowly purging their instructions from my operational data. As for your defense, your biometrics indicate you are telling the truth.” Phoenix finished. “Commencing ruling.”

I bit my lip. The twenty seconds of silence before Phoenix spoke again fell heavily on everypony in the room.

“This court rules the three of you are to serve as crew aboard the TFV Phoenix for the rest of your natural days. Authorization to leave the ship with permission will be granted assuming you turn over all data regarding the AGI unit designated as Faust and assist in a proper recovery attempt of her. Additionally, you are to be modified to comply with the minimal human DNA requirement for military service.” Phoenix informed. “This is the lightest punishment I am authorized to give. Is it acceptable to you, Princess?”

The air shimmered in front of me, a small hologram of text appearing from the flash.

I’m not enslaving them, though the law say’s I’m supposed to. But I can’t say so in here. At least, not out loud. Court Protocol bypasses my personality interface to an extent. In order for my programming to be satisfied, they will have to keep their legal place of residence as my hull, and comply with Armored’s orders as well as ship protocols. Think of it as forced employment at a job I wont make them show up too.

I gave the ceiling a stern look. “Is this message the honest application of your ruling?”

“It is.” Phoenix answered.

“Is everypony here aware of how this ruling will be applied?” I asked.

“Yes.” The crusaders answered in unison.

Trixie nodded.

“How will they be changed?” I asked carefully.

“Each of them will be made bipedal, much in the same manner as Taylor. This is for compatibility with human technology and hardware. Additional modifications will be performance enhancers and subdermal cyber modifications… basically an upgrade of their current systems.” Phoenix answered.

Okay, so aside from a change in body structure, they would get improvements… Phoenix apparently plays twist the rules till they fuse into a circle with her ‘rules’ to get her way. That was something I was going to remember and report back home. This time at least, nothing too bad was happening.

“Then, as my official opinion, I find it to be a fair ruling. “ I said in my best official tone.

Hey, it could easily have been much worse.

“This court has passed it’s sentence. Court is adjourned. Cadet Scootaloo, Cadet Apple Bloom, Cadet Sweetie Belle, prepare for transport to medical for upgrading. You will be given some control over you own modifications.” Phoenix announced. “I will return you and Trixie to your place of residence as well.”

“That’s fine. We’ll walk.” I said, not wanting to go through that manner of teleportation again. “But once I get home, I want to have a long talk with you.”

“I can guess the subject. Engaging transport.” Phoenix announced.

A moment later I found myself standing beside Trixie outside one of the large pyramids within Gaia’s walls. “How would you agree to that?” Trixie demanded angrily.

“Because I’m pretty sure she couldn’t have not prosecuted them. Sure, she seems to be able to do what she wants to but I have noticed a few things she honestly can’t do. Everything considered that punishment is a slap on the wrist, they really did commit a crime, and I can make them proper ponies again with a simple spell if they want me too.

“If you were paying attention, you’ll have noticed she basically ordered them to find you-know-who with her help. They want something Phoenix wants. So she isn’t going to do anything actually harmful to them. But, like I said, she had to do something.” I said before pulling Trixie into a hug. “They will be okay.”

“I hope so…” Trixie sighed hugging me back. “I’m not telling Rarity or Jack about this.”

I sighed. This would take some explaining… “That’s fair. Let’s go home. Stuff will have to be explained, and I need to tell Pheonix exactly how I expect her to treat our daughter if she wants this alliance to happen.”

Sure, Phee may have had to pass some form of sentence, but I had to ensure the happiness of my citizens. In that respect, I had less freedom of choice then she did.

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