• Published 11th Jul 2015
  • 3,742 Views, 134 Comments

Homeworld Conflict - Lily Lain



After a galaxy-encompassing journey, for which over three hundred million of us gave their lives, having laid a mighty galactic empire to ruin, we are home. But we are not the only ones who wish to thrive here.

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In the Name of Science

“All right, I’ll be leaving you here. Someone should show you things and places.”

Someone did. While Celestia walked forward with her eyes wide open, Luna examined the inside of the starship. She cast a few longing glances at the Mothership, but soon found herself enraptured by the controls and shining consoles that seemed to promise intricate science and huge, colourful explosions.

“Welcome, welcome. I bow to you in servitude.” A white-gowned scientist bowed before the Princesses. He had the aura of a typical nice, old man, given to him mostly by his smile, many creases and milky mess of a hair. “Well, without further ado, follow me. The sooner we begin, the better.”

Celestia found themselves in spacious, separate white chambers situated right next to each other, with a window to the same console room overseeing both. “All right, I hope you’re not too discouraged by separation. We can’t have any distortions now, can we?”

Celestia nodded understandingly. Luna looked at the window impatiently.

“If you turn around, you’ll notice a set of blocks of varying mass and volume we have devised to use for this experiment. But let us begin with a simple ‘spell,’ as you call them. You’ve said you can generate light. Please do that now.”

Luna and Celestia’s horns flared with bright light. The lead scientist walked to each window and nodded in appreciation.

Fluctuations in the psychic field noted in greatest altitude around the horn.
Colour of the light corresponds with the colour of the psychic ‘aura’ of the equine.
Inhibitor system set.

“All right, you may turn the lights off now.” The chambers went dark. “No, not you, idiots! The Princesses.” The chambers were lit again. Luna chuckled slightly. “Great, now turn toward the blocks and try lifting the smallest one and holding it in the air.”

Calculating energy needed in comparison with the fluctuations of the field.

“Good, now set the block down and lift the next one.”

That block was bigger by a significant measure. It was almost as big as Luna herself, though she and her sister lifted it without a problem. A few scientists at the monitors frowned and nodded in respect.

Calculating the energy needed for inhibition.
Energy calculated.

“All right, now lift the biggest block.” Both of the Princesses did. “Is it hard for you to do that?”

“Not at all,” answered Celestia. Luna laughed.

“Very well, now try to hold it in the air.”

Suppression field activating.

“Do you feel the block getting heavier?”

Celestia nodded. Luna chuckled.

Suppression field magnifying.

“What about now?”

Both of the Princesses didn’t need to answer. Their blocks fell down a bit before they caught them and lifted them to the position they were in. “You’ve managed to heighten the gravity of that block remotely! Magnificent!” said Luna with a grin at the window.

The scientist chuckled. “All right, now hold it with everything you have.”

Celestia’s pupils shrank. Luna’s grin turned from a friendly to a competitive one.

Suppression field magnifying.

Gradually, the strain could be seen in both of the Princesses’ muzzles. Celestia’s block gradually descended first; Luna’s fell a few seconds later and slammed the floor loudly. “Too...” Luna said in-between panting, “heavy...”

“All right, have some rest. We’ll have the next turn in a minute.” Plush-etched benches extended from the ground.

Both of the Princesses occupied their respective bench eagerly. Celestia looked at the console room window suspiciously. “Are you testing our level of power?” While Luna couldn’t hear her, the lead scientist could.

“Only as a secondary result. Our main goal is devising what ‘magic’ actually is. We’ve come to the a conclusion that you can somehow manipulate energy through the use of your horn, which generates physical exertion on you. The problem is that the metabolism of your bodies simply can’t generate enough energy to lift that block. You take it from elsewhere. There might be a possibility that you have some kind of perpetuum-mobile in your horns.”

While a spark of recognition showed in Celestia’s eyes at the term, she remained silent. Magic in Equestria, as she had stated before, has never been analyzed scientifically. The science of that world itself relied on magic.

At first, Celestia was reluctant to continue the study, but a message had arrived from the group of engineers, scientist and translators that were sent to Equestria. The patients treated with the new, alien methods had started showing first signs of improvement. She decided to persist the second the news reached her. Luna didn’t have such doubts in the first place, or simply decided not to voice them.

The second test also measured their raw power, among other things.

“You’re able to cast some form of solid object ‘spell,’ am I right? A shield spell, or something along the lines of that?”

“Not exactly solid; you’ll notice once you see it. You wish to analyze how magic can create solid objects?” asked Luna.

The lead scientist nodded. Celestia only looked with uncertainty at the enormous Ion Cannon pointing straight at her.

“Oh, don’t worry, Your Highness. That thing doesn’t really fire on its own. And we’re going to tune it down just for the experiment. It can punch right through our ship if we’re not careful. This allows for virtually the most beautiful of deaths – vaporisation.

“The target becomes stardust, completely one with the universe it came from. Oh, if I were to die, I wish I had the chance to die like that: turned into the simplest, smallest particles of matter, and perhaps become a part of a star one day.” The lead scientist wiped a tear from his eye with a kerchief.

Celestia scowled at the cannon, her wings twitching.

“All right, Princesses. Cast your shields, please.”

Shield analysis undergoing.

The shield is not a solid object, but rather a strong, fluid-like material of pure energy, reflecting or possibly absorbing all other energy and mass, while having no measurable mass of its own

Ion Cannon activated, 10% power.

“Don’t worry, ten percent won’t hurt even a fly.”

The shields withstood.

Ion Cannon at 70% power.

The shields withstood, but the Princesses looked at the cannons in their rooms with more respect.

“All right, now step to the side and keep the shield in place. We don’t want you to get hurt.”

Ion Cannon at 100% of power.

The shields cracked very, very slightly, but reformed themselves easily not a second later.

The material the shields are made of appears to have very high structural integrity.

“Could you make these shields reflective?”

“Not at this level of power. The reflective ones would shatter at that strike,” answered Luna. “They’re far less useful in an actual battle too. You can’t control where the reflected strike goes.”

“All right, would you mind if we bring in two more of these beams?”

Luna smirked cockily. Celestia looked at the exit longingly.

Two Ion Cannons, overdrive of both at 140%.

Three Ion Cannons, power level of both at 70%.

Three Ion Cannons, overdrive of all at 120%.

For the first time in millennia, as she described later, Celestia lost her composure. Her pupils dilated and she panted heavily when the three Ion Cannons pointed straight at her. Well, not exactly straight at her, but a mind perceives whatever it wishes in times of primal fear. To her credit, she didn’t scream, and found her composure quickly.

Luna didn’t. For the rest of the way back, she huddled close to her sister, her pupils wide and staring at each scientist and flashing light as if it were a mortal threat. She didn’t glance at the Mothership anymore, and merely tried to breathe deeply as a Corvette flew her and her sister home.

“What is the extent of the psychological damage done to the Princesses?” Fleet Command asked.

The psychological damage appears to be non-permanent: shock, fear and surprise are included.
No signs of trauma displayed as of now.
30% chance of the accident leaving permanent damage to the psyche.

“Organise a letter of apology, then allow them access to more of our medical technologies. Make sure that it wasn’t the Fleet’s intention to show the extent of our power in such a way. What are the results of the research?”

The shield can be broken with the use of three Ion Beams overdriven to 120% of their power;the exact energy required is being calculated. The tired state of the Princesses must be taken into account.

Amount of energy required calculated.

Multiple Inhibitors, or providing the inhibitor with more energy should be able to reduce the amount of shots needed to one, or remove the need for using the Ion Cannons whatsoever.

The amount of energy required for the Inhibitor to prevent the Princesses from casting magic was very high. The Inhibitor took the power of all of Research Vessel’s reactors and accumulators, and overheated to burning in the process.

The Inhibitor’s improvement is required, along with the creation of a suitable vessel, presumably a Capital or Super Capital class starship, to host one or two units of the Inhibitor and carry them into the battle zone.