Chapter 12: Rust Bucket
Chapter 12: Rust Bucket
“Sigma has it all. Whatever your mortal heart desires, if you’re desperate enough.”
The ship had become increasingly active since the announcement of our docking in Sigma. Word traveled fast on a ship as small as the Normanedy, and the responses were mixed. Nopony seemed too keen on traveling to a place known to be a dwelling for gangs, cartels, and other undesirables of the galaxy. I myself was a little wary about going somewhere where the dominant power was a mercenary group comprised of carnivores. Emphasis on the plural. One Manticore was bad enough, but Mutts and even Gryphons too? Things were starting to get a bit out of hoof. Perhaps the reason the crew was so busy was the rush to strap down everything we owned, for obvious reasons.
But I didn't have time to worry. Our evidence leading to the Blood Claws was tenuous best, but I trusted Firestorm’s judgement. Our main obstacle would be the sheer size of Sigma, which would make a difficult task of finding the right Manticore, Mutt, or whatever to talk to. We had a possible solution to that problem, but it relied on what South’s sister knew of the planet.
South had been, so far, very tight-lipped about her family. I had managed to get her to open up occasionally, usually from persistence on my part . Whenever it happened, the look of fondness in her eyes when she told me of her siblings was undeniable. Whatever reason she kept her life to herself, I had a feeling it was from something far more than a family quarrel. With not much to do until we arrived on Sigma, I decided to try my luck at getting some more answers.
After the impromptu meeting with the Council, I resigned myself to ensure everything was in order before we landed. Performing my commander’s duties was easy enough, even with an ulterior motive. While I made sure the ship was in perfect working order, I took every opportunity to find South, but she was being surprisingly elusive. After an almost an hour of dealing with status reports and general schmoozing from the crew, I finally ended up back in the cargo bay.
For once, Depot was not lounging at his desk. From the elevator, I saw him pacing around the boxes, while a holographic display followed around his head. Every so often, he would pause and closely examine the crate and make a note on his roster. I stepped out of the lift and walked towards him. He turned at the sound of my hoofsteps on the metal, stopping his task to salute.
“Shepard!” he said swiftly. “What can I do for you?”
I returned the salute, while glancing around the room. “I’m looking for South; have you seen her?”
He nodded. “Yeah, she’s down here somewhere. Probably checking out those charges Granite left us.”
“Oh, ok. I’ll just to look for-” I stopped, glancing nervously at Depot. “What charges?”
“Y’know, the T-Sixes. They never ended up being used on the asteroid, and Granite didn’t want to lug them around, so we kept em’. South was actually pretty pleased about it. That mare sure loves explosives.”
“She likes explosions,” I corrected. “A bit more than I’d like, but so far her skills have been helpful.”
Depot shrugged. “I wouldn’t worry about it- uh, Sir. Her qualifications are rather impressive.” He waved his omni-tool, and the holographic screen floated over to me. A picture of South’s dossier was displayed, as well as a rather long list of commendations. I knew she was a good soldier, but I felt a little ashamed that I never took the time to look into her career on my own. It was one of the perks of being Commander after all.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if she could make an explosive out of a toaster if she had the time,” he continued.
“That would be something to see.” I turned away from Depot into the room. “I’m gonna go see if I can find her. As you were, Depot.”
He saluted again. “Of course, Sir.”
I left him to his duties, trekking deeper into the stacks of crates and supplies that lined the walls of the Normanedy. I peered intently around the boxes, but still found no trace of South. Frustration nearly took over as I contemplating giving up, when I heard a voice. It was not one I was familiar with, and it came from behind one of the work benches along the far side of the room. As I got nearer to the source, I could make out some of the words, coming from a deep, thickly accented voice.
“...now yew be good to your sisters, y’hear?” It said. “And Ah’ll see ya back at home.”
I glanced around the bench, catching a glimpse of a white cowpony hat poking over the top. South was sitting on the floor, leaning against it as she was talking to...somepony. I heard her mutter something under her breath, but I couldn't pick it up as the other voice continued.
“Ya make me proud, mah little prairie princess. Don’t ever forget that.”
I stopped moving, just as the voice stopped. South was quiet, sitting motionless on the cold metal floor, until I announced my presence.
“South?”
Her head popped over the table. She stared at me with a weak smile. “Uh, hey Shepard. Somethin’ wrong?”
“No.” I shook my head. “I was just looking for you. Are you ok?”
She shakily got up to her hooves, yawning in the process. “Yeah. I was just gettin’ some quiet from all the ruckus upstairs before we got tuh Sigma.”
“I heard you talking to somepony though.”
She looked away. Her eyes quivered, before she looked back. “Ah, jus sendin’ word back tuh the homestead bout me goin’ tuh see East on Sigma. It’s been awhile since Ah seen her last. It’ll be quite the surprise.”
“You haven’t told her already?” I questioned.
She waved a hoof at me. “Aw, shoot, no sense spoilin’ the surprise. Ah can’t wait tuh see the look on her face when we show up.” She chuckled, as an impish grin made its way onto her face.
“Are things ok back home? You seem a bit...well, different.”
She glared at me. “Ah’m fine. Jus’ been a while since I called home, is all.”
I stepped back at her sudden anger. The angry look in her eyes made it apparent that she didn’t want to dwell on it any further. Not wanting to deal with an angry South in close quarters, I had to think fast of something to diffuse her sudden temper.
“I can see why you don’t like ponies calling you princess.”
Her face flared in confusion. “Whut in the hay are you talkin’ about?”
“Remember back on the Corral? You broke that stallion’s arm? Before Razor shot him.”
She stared out into space, scratching her chin, until realisation dawned. “Oh right, him. Ah don’t see what ya mean by that though.”
“Well, that voice I heard called you princess. ‘Prairie princess’ actually. Was that your dad?”
Color flooded her face, and her deep brown coat began to turn red. “Ah heh,” she managed weakly. “Yeah, that... wuz mah pa alright.”
“Are you...actually displaying an emotion other than anger South?” I teased. “I might have to record this for the history books.”
She shot me a look, one that didn’t dissuade me in the least. I kept chuckling to myself while she bored through me with a caustic glare.
“It’s nice to know that somepony in this galaxy can get through your prickly personality, South. Heavens know I’ve been having a hard enough time.”
“Ah don’t...” she started. She lifted her hoof and pointed it at me accusingly, as if trying to retort what I had said. She paused, and slowly a befuddled look overtook her. Her head tilted side to side, increasing the sheer focus on her face as if she were actually trying to prove me wrong.
“Well, Ah’m not that bad.” She looked at me with a defeated grimace. “Ah’m ah?”
I gave her a playful punch to the shoulder, then tugged at her to follow me. “You could be worse. You could be the Ambassador.”
She burst out laughing, almost falling over in our slow trot towards the elevator. “Ah guess yer right Shepard. Ah don’t think Ah’ve seen a pony that rude since, well, trainin’ Ah guess.”
“Don’t remind me,” I groused. We enjoyed a few bits of random conversation as we crossed the room. It was mostly idle banter, I guess, not focusing on anything particular. One thing, though, crept up in my mind. Something I felt I had to ask.
“...I think if you just talked about yourself a bit more, everypony would at least see that you aren’t just walking gun.”
“Eh...” she mumbled. “A gal’s gotta have her secrets don’t she? Ah ain't one fer that girly ‘lure nonsense, but Ah got’s tuh keep somethings tuh mahself. Or else, where’s the mystery?”
I stared blankly at her. “That’s a scary level of deep, coming from you South.”
She grinned slyly. “There’s a lot more where that came from.”
She trotted ahead towards the elevator, tapping on the call button. I stared incredulously at her for a while, as the lift slowly made its way down to us. Depot was humming to himself as he continued his task, whatever it was, but I swear I caught him glancing over at us.
South and I entered the elevator in silence. When the doors shut again, and we began to rise, another question came to mind. “I’d like to hear more about your dad. It sounds like you care about him alot.”
“Ah do. North wuz only a few years older that Ah wuz, so when he was old e’nuff to learn the work on the farm, Ah ended up followin’ ‘em around. Pa wuz real happy tuh see his little filly want tuh learn the work of th’ farm.”
“Happy enough to let you drive a Titan?”
“Heh. It wern’t like he wasn’t watching or nothin’. He was always right there beside me. Once Ma found out she put a stop tuh that real quick.”
The doors opened again, and we stepped out into the command center. Westward was idle nearby, interacting with one of his consoles. He lifted his head to the sound of the elevator, glancing at me.
“Ah Commander,” he said. “We’ll be arriving on Sigma in just a few minutes. I believe we’re at the end of the jump now.”
The Normanedy groaned quietly, as the hull gave a gentle wobble. A loud whirring noise pulsed through the cabin briefly, and the galaxy map began pulsing brightly. Westward turned to the map, smiling.
“Ah,” he observed in satisfaction. “Right on time.”
He turned his attention to South. “Miss South, I believe it was you who knew somepony on the surface?”
South nodded, and Westward continued.
“Would you know the best place to dock then?” He pointed out the map, which had shifted into the image of a dark looking planet. The surface was a dull rocky grey, but as the image slowly rotated, I saw a glimmer of light crest on the planets horizon. On the far face of the moon, glittering lights began to swarm the entire eastern face of the world. Even from a spatial view, nearly half of the planet was covered in an enormous cityscape.
“That’s Sigma?” I asked, shocked.
“Eeyup,” South replied. “Nearly half the planet is one big city. The rest is just desert and rock.”
She moved over to the map, and regarded the image with a piercing stare. “We’re lookin’ fer a place called Specs Salvage. It’s one of the bigger salvage yards on Sigma.”
She typed something into the computer, and a series of lights began flashing on the surface. The lights were grouped around a small portion of the city, which the computer quickly centered to. Westward stepped up to the computer.
“It seems these are the closest ports to our destination, which one do you think we should attempt to dock with, Shepard?”
I looked at the three flashing lights, which were scattered around what looked like an industrial sector. I wasn’t too thrilled about landing a ship as expensive as the Normanedy in such a place, but we had to land somewhere. I pointed at one of the ports near to the edge of the city limits.
“Lets land there. The edge of the city will give us the best chance of being unnoticed by anypony who doesn’t care for the Corral, or Stable or that matter.”
Westward nodded. “Very well, Commander.” He walked over to his station and his assistants, and descended into his work quickly and quietly.
South continued staring at the map after Westward walked away. I nudged her, and she shook her head out of her stupor and glanced at me.
“Well, now whut?”
I shrugged. “I dunno. We could go pester Pipsqueak while we wait.”
“Sounds like a plan.” She grinned.
We walked away from the galaxy map and towards the pilot nest. The doors slid open, and we stepped into the darkened room. One of these days I was going to have to do something about Pipsqueak and his grim lighting. The pony in question was in his usual place, idly tapping on the consoles in front of him. He turned to us when the door shut. He did not look all that pleased to see us.
“I’m not saying I’m expecting trouble or anything,” he commented dryly. “But if anypony I don’t know gets too close to the Normanedy, I'm siccing the autocannons on them.”
“Sheesh,” South grunted. “It’s not like the Normanedy’s yer little baby.”
Pip scrunched his nose at South. “She’s not a baby. She’s an incredibly expensive piece of military hardware, and I’m the one who gets to pilot her. I don’t need some backwater junk trawler scoping her out for parts.”
South smirked. “Like Ah said, not yer baby.”
Pip didn’t respond, instead turning to me. “How long exactly do we plan on staying here?”
“Why’re you asking me? Firestorm’s the one who came up with this idea. Why don’t you ask her?”
He crossed his hooves, not happy at all with my reply. “Like I said: Autocannons.”
I rolled my eyes and glanced past him out the window. I could see the dark planet approaching in the distance. It looked even more depressing when not displayed as a hologram, despite the glittering lights that flickered on the surface.
“We’re landing near the city edge, so we shouldn’t get too much trouble as far as the ship’s concerned.”
“I’ll believe that after we leave.”
The console behind him began to beep, and he spun in his chair to address it. A few taps on his controls, and the Normanedy began to tilt towards the edge of the giant city. Another button press, and the crackling noise of a radio channel began to hum in the small cabin.
“Attention, Sigma port A-Forty Seven. This is SEV Normanedy requesting permission to dock.”
After a while, a gravely voice replied. “What is your purpose on Sigma, Normanedy?”
Pip pressed down on something, then looked back at me. “What should I tell him? I think saying we’re on Council business might not bode well for us.”
Before I could come up with a suitable lie, a voice from behind me answered instead. “Tell him trade and resupply.”
Firestorm entered the room, with Dexter just behind her. She had a determined look in her eyes, and even Dexter had a stern expression of his own to match. Pipsqueak shrugged and parroted Firestorms response to the radio.
“We’re looking to trade and resupply. Standard twenty-four-hour turnaround.”
The channel was silent for a while. We all exchanged glances of varying worry. I for one was considering the chance that they were lining up their anti-air guns at this very moment, when finally, after a stagnant pause, the voice replied.
“Very well. Dock in hangar seventeen.”
I sighed in relief, but, everypony else was busy staring out the window at the slowly approaching cityscape in the distance. Towering buildings rose up on the horizon, and clusters of small ships swarmed around the sky. From the surface, it appeared to be approaching evening, at least on this side of the planet. The bright neon lights of the city core were even brighter from ground level, and led me to wonder exactly how bright this dark, depressing colony of scum was actually going to be.
The Normanedy banked up over the outer shell of districts, and slowed to a lateral hover over a series of open-topped hangars. She glided lazily in the air, before coming to a stop overtop the one labeled seventeen. Pipsqueak spun the ship round, as we slowly descended into the hangar. The sound of metal rattled from outside as we entered the vaulted space. A series of metallic arms and pistons climbed out of the surrounding walls, and began the noisy procedure of clamping down on the Normanedy’s hull.
When they finished their task, Pipsqueak hesitantly reached over to another set of controls. His hoof hovered over a single command, quivering slightly a moment before finally pressing down. With that, the engines began to quiet down, and the humming of the EX core began to dwindle into silence. With the engines stopped, the pilot slowly turned around to face the rest of us.
“I’m really hoping we can keep to the twenty-four hours. I feel dirty just sitting here.”
“Well, nopony’s forcing you to sit there while we go about our business,” Dexter commented wryly.
“Uh-uh,” Pip retorted. “I’m not setting one hoof outside this ship while we’re here.”
I walked past Firestorm out of the room, and turned towards the airlock. The others followed, and stepped into the next room after the door slid open. I caught Pipsqueak staring in my direction, waiting. “Try not to get killed down there.”
“No promises.” I smiled, and followed my friends out of the ship.
It didn’t take long to realise why exactly Pipsqueak was so against coming to Sigma. No sooner had we left the hangar, I was assaulted with the powerful odor of sulfur and scored metal. Heavy industrial sounds poured into the streets from all directions, bringing with them smoke and choking gas. I fought against the urge to wheeze, the others didn't seem affected by it at all. They trotted along easily, not hindered by the thick, depressing atmosphere the city limits were exuding, making me shudder to think how much worse it would be deeper in the city.
Part of me wanted to believe this place reminded of me of my foalhood, that this place was just another slum-sprawled backwater, another pile of refuse and debris littered with subjugated citizens, lawless cartels and orphans aplenty. But something about this place made the life I lived on Earth seem so much better in comparison, something I couldn’t put my hoof on. All I felt was an overwhelming sense of dread and chaos permeating this city, and I just wanted to get out as soon as possible.
“Ain’t this place great?” South exclaimed.
She was leading the group with a bright expression on her face. She took in the modest sights around us, somehow enjoying the endless views of foundries and workshops that littered the metal lined streets. Dexter also shared a similar sentiment, regarding our surroundings with a nostalgic look.
“This place reminds me of Andravida Station,” he commented. “I spent five years there; wasn’t too much different than this.”
“That’s the place that’s pretty much a bunch of salvage ships welded together, right?” Firestorm asked.
He nodded. “Yeah, it was a bit dicey there too, but the ponies there took care of each other.” He smirked. “You couldn’t really get a gang started there, not with rumors of a Magitech floating around anyways.”
“You were stationed on Andravida?” South added. “I spent a year there mahself, b’fore I ended up on Prime.”
“Heh, small galaxy.”
South then turned to me. “Whut about you Shepard? Did’ja serve anywhere special ‘fore all this?”
I remember thinking up a suitable answer, but before I could respond, I ran into something. A sharp pain shot through my side, as I toppled over and hit the ground hard. My head shot up after my landing to see what I had ran into, only to find out that it was a who. An angry-looking equine scowled at me with a burning look in his eyes. He had a mottled brown coat, buried under thick plated armor that looked like it had been welded piece meal together. He had large, drooping ears, one of which looked like it had been chewed on by something far larger than himself, and they were bent in such a way that enforced his angry glare.
“Watch where yur goin’, pony,” he growled, before he turned and walked away.
South dashed beside me, shaking a hoof angrily after my aggressor. “Ya better watch yurself ya gol’derned mule!”
She helped me up, muttering under her breath. “Damn Donkeys, haven’t met a polite one yet.”
“Don’t take it personally, South.” Firestorm cautioned. “They have it out for all ponies. For some reason they pick on Earth ponies the most, but they seem to hate us all just as much.”
“Probably cuz they ain’t exactly th’ prettiest things tuh look at. An’ Ah thought Manticore’s wuz ugly.”
“I’d rather not go about insulting a dominant power while we’re still in the Everfree Systems,” Dexter warned. “Maybe we should just get moving.”
I glanced in the direction that the Donkey had traveled down, but he had disappeared into the crowd. A crowd that comprised of many other Donkeys, as well as other ponies, Mutts and the occasional Manticore. Aside from the ponies, it seemed the the malcontents of the galaxy were the dominant power here, making Dexter the one to be listening to.
“I’m with Dexter,” I said, looking to South. “Do you know which way we need to be going?”
South began looking around, hoof to her chin as she thought quietly to herself. “Ah think it’s this way.”
She pointed down a less populated alleyway. I didn't notice it at first, but some of the milling crowds seemed to be actively avoiding that particular area. Some passer by would wander by, before stopping suddenly to take note of where they were, and quickly turned around. I eyed this area critically, before looking uncertainly at South.
“Are you sure?”
She nodded. “Ayep, that’s whut th’ map said. Don’t look like anypony will get in our way too much that way anyhow. Should be a short trip.”
Of course South didn’t see the deserted alleyway the same way I did. I wasn’t exactly enthusiastic about going that way, but we did have guns and armor. Whatever this planet could throw at us, I doubt much of it couldn’t be dealt with a well placed shot.
“Well, no sense waiting around. Let’s get going.”
We walked down the quiet street, ignoring the cautionary glances from onlookers. It was hard not to feel out of place with everything staring at us, but the others didn’t appear bothered by it. We managed to keep a strong stride through the darkening city, only I lingered behind as I kept a careful eye on the shadows around us. If anything, the indifference of our group alone seemed to be enough to keep any gawkers at bay, for now. I doubt it would be long before we ran into a group of gang members, maybe even the Blood Claws themselves, and have them challenge us for no other reason than to assert their dominance.
But, we didn’t find any. I considered a stroke of luck that we managed to keep going without being jumped, but that still wasn't enough for me to lower my guard. We did run into the occasional civilian, but they were incredibly jumpy, and took off the second they noticed us. Any one of them could be alerting their far more dangerous friends of our presence, either to rob us or just kill us for encroaching on their territory, but no retribution came. For now, we were in the clear.
As we entered a new area, South stopped suddenly. She was staring at a very large plated door on the far side of a wide street. It was flanked on both sides by an proportionally large wall that circled what appeared to be a very large, sealed compound. A crude sign was hung above the door, with neon lighting affixed to it that read: ‘Speccs Salvage.’
“Looks like we’re here.” South drawled.
“Doesn’t look like anypony is home.” Firestorm quipped.
“Won’t hurt none to check.” South moved to the door, and knocked loudly. And she continued knocking for almost a minute before something finally replied. A small metal latch slid across the door, almost half the height of a pony. I leaned down to peer through, meeting a pair of bespectacled eyes on the other side.
“Who are you?” It blurted quickly. “Blood Claws not allowed!” The latch shut agian before any of us could utter a reply.
South banged on the door again. “We ain’t with th’ Blood Claws ya fool! We’re with Stable!”
“South!” Dexter hissed. “We’re supposed to keep that quiet around here, remember?”
Before South could say anything, the latch slid open again. “Stable? You mean the Earth-Clan military?”
“Y-yes,” I replied. “We aren’t here to cause any trouble, we’re just looking for somepony.”
The latch slid shut again. I groaned in frustration at the runaround the voice from the wall was giving us, when the door began to grind open. It slowly slid aside, opening the inner yard of the salvage pile to us, and the stout Mole that was guarding its door. He was wearing a leather apron, and a heavy set welding helmet on his head. His nose twitched quickly, as he stared at us through his thick glasses.
“You are Earth-Clan!” he exclaimed. “No stinking Blood Claws here. Come. Come! Please step inside. Welcome to my humble salvage yard.” He gestured at us to enter, and we complied appreciatively. He was quick to shut the gate behind us, but his hurried stance to show us in told me that we was very pleased to be in the presence of non-violent company.
“So, yer Speccs?” South asked him.
“You may call me Speccy if you wish. It is a tad childish, if you ask me, but I must say it has grown on me.”
We followed Speccy as he guided us through the piles of junk and metal. Inside was a stark contrast to the outside areas, the place filled with a hoofful of busy, diligent workers. Many of them were busy cutting through stacks of metal, or just moving it around with heavy machinery. A lot of them were either Moles or Earth Ponies, and they all were working together rather well.
“So you say you were looking for someone? Why would you be looking here? Is one of my employees in trouble?”
“Oh no,” I remarked. “We’re looking for some information on the planet, and we happen to know somepony who works here that might be able to help us.”
“Yeah,” South cut in. “We’re looking for a gal named-Oof!”
South was cut off when a pony covered in grease and tattered overalls tackled her to the ground. There was a bout of cursing and shouting as South and her attacker rolled around on the ground trading blows. Occasionally, her attacker reared up for another strike, allowing me to catch a glimpse of her face. It was covered in black smudges of engine refuse that stained her golden coat. She wore a blue bandanna, but it didn't do a very good job of tying back her blonde mane that tangled in the air with South’s.
We watched in bewilderment as South wrestled against the mystery mare, too shocked to intervene or even ask if she needed help. Suddenly, the blonde mare lost her grip on South, allowing the soldier to issue a powerful reversal. She had swiftly and precisely pinned her attacker to the ground. Her victory assured, she placed a hoof on the head of the pony underneath her and...
Gave her a noogie.
The subjugated mare began to giggle and shriek with laughter, as she pounded the ground. “No!” she shouted. “South! Stop! Ah give, Ah give!”
South was chuckling. “Maybe that’ll teach ya to try an’ git th’ jump on yer big sister, huh?”
Satisfied with her victory, South stood back up, helping the other up as well. They hugged quickly, before the both of them turned to us.
“Guys, this is my little sister East.”
‘East’ giggled. “Shucks, ya still doin’ that silly compass thing, South?” She approached me first, extending a hoof. “Name’s Tinker. Nice tuh meetcha.”
“Shepard,” I replied, returning her hoofshake. I then pointed out the others with a quick wave. “And this is Dexter and Firestorm.”
Tinker tilted her head at me, one of her eyebrows raised. “So yer this Shepard Ah’ve been hearin’ about on the Stable news.” She turned to give South a mischievous grin. “An’ mah sister didn’t think tuh tell me that she wuz workin’ with ya.”
South shrugged. “Y’all woulda found out sooner or later, Tink. No sense gettin’ all fussy ‘bout it.”
The blond mare grimaced at her sister, sticking out her tongue for good measure, then looked back to the rest of us. Her eyes fell on Firestorm, who was observing the siblings with quiet amusement. It took awhile for her to notice that the mare was staring at her, shaking her head when she eventually did.
“Ya don’t see many Pegasi down here on the rock,” she commented. Tinker stepped around Firestorm, glancing critically at her from every angle.
She frowned when she finished her circling, stopping in front of the confused Pegasus.
“That armor don’t look too easy tuh move in. How can ya fly with all that padding?”
Firestorm chuckled. “It’s lighter than it looks kid, don’t worry. But yeah, it is a pain in the flank to move around sometimes, but when you get shot, its nice to know it works.”
Tinker seemed to be as curious as South was belligerent. She frequently accosted either Firestorm or Dexter with questions about their equipment, while South and I just watched. The mole that had escorted us had long since disappeared into the junk piles, leaving us alone with our little family reunion. I caught South staring fondly at the scene before us. I looked away, if only to let her continue enjoying whatever happy thoughts that might have been going through her head. Who knew how long she had gone without a moment of happiness?
I wondered though, how Tinker, who was related to South, had no aversion to Firestorms presence. When South met her, it was hostility from minute one, but for Tinker, it was like a puzzle for her to solve. Her inquisitive questions almost rivaled mine when I was her age, and it was a pleasant reminder at that. It was only when Firestorm pumped her wings to get airborne did Tinker finally believe her claims.
“So,” she started again, now aiming her questions at me and South. “Whut’re y’all doin’ here anyways? Not that Ah don't appreciate the visit, South, but Ah didn't think Stable had much business out here in the outskirts.”
“We’re looking for something here on Sigma.” I replied. “South thought you might be able to help us navigate around the planet a bit.”
“Well...” she chimed. “Ah do know most of the industrial sectors round these parts. Mr. Speccy sends us out tuh pick up salvage from all over the place, an’ Ah think I know most of th’ best spots. Whut exactly were ya lookin’ for?”
“We’re looking for the Blood Claws.” Firestorm added.
Tinkers cheeks ballooned, and her face contorted in an angry scowl. “Ah don't like much talk about them varmint’s round here,” she said darkly. “Those no-good teeth gnashers ha’been no end o’ trouble for this place, even before Ah got here.”
Tinker glanced up to the walls of the compound, pointing at the towers that separated the enclosure at uneven intervals. “It wasn’t till Ah helped Mr. Speccy set up those guns when they stopped tryin’ as hard to git in here.”
“What would the Blood Claws want with a salvage yard?” Dexter asked.
Tinker huffed. “They claim it’s their territory, jus’ like half the damned planet. Plus it ain’t no secret that Mr. Speccy’s got the best salvage around.”
“I guess that explains why the alleys outside were so deserted,” I mentioned.
She nodded. “Ayup. Folks round here know that the Blood Claws spend half their time tryin’ to pound their way in here. Can’t use ships tuh climb over the walls unless them Mutts and ‘Cores suddenly learn tuh fly. And Gryphons might be the kind to throw their lot in with the Claws, but they ain’t nearly as stupid as Mutts and Manticores. If them guns keep a dropship down, their armor ain’t gonna do much either.”
“That’s mah little sis,” South lauded.
Tinker grinned at her sisters praise, before shifting back to confusion. “But ya’ll’re lookin’ for the Claws? Shoot, just keep trottin’ down the road, you’ll run into one of ‘em eventually.”
“Well,” I intoned. “We’re looking for specific ones, leaders mostly.”
Tinker’s eyes went wide. She gasped, and slowly released a calm, but seething breath before continuing. “Now, Ah can understand looking to wrangle up some of the little fish, but y’all want tuh take on the whole lot o’ them? That’s ten different kinds o’ crazy.”
“Oh hush now, Tink.” South chided. “How bad can a bunch o’ blood barks be? Certainly nothin’ yer big sis’ can’t handle.”
Tinker shook her head sharply. “Ah doubt even North would want to deal with them, South. Yew know what Ah mean by that.”
South stared stony-eyed at her little sister, who seemed to be trying really hard to make her point. I wasn't about to step in and interfere with a sisterly quarrel, but knowing what I did about South, I knew she wasn’t going to back down easily.
“Now,” she continued cooly. “Ah don’t reckon there is much that North wouldn’t handle on his own, but Ah ain’t about to run tail ‘tween my legs cuz o’ some gang of misfits and scoundrels. Ah aint callin’ you a liar, Tink, but ya gotta trust me and mah friends that we can handle this.”
Tinker took a second, and far more critical glance at us. “Ah don’t know, South. Ya ain’t seen what the worst o’ them do tuh some o’ th’ ponies down here. Some of em are mah friends, an’ every day Ah worry that some of ‘em won’t be comin’ by anymore.” Tinkers mood had dropped far below the initial glee of seeing her sister again, and the whole scene was becoming far too depressing for me.
“Look, Tinker. “ I stated calmly. “If you don't want to see us get hurt, I understand that, but this is something we have to get done. There’s a lot riding on this, but if you don’t feel comfortable helping, then we’ll find another way.”
There was a weak look in her eyes as she stared straight through me. Part of me felt that I had only made her shame of not wanting to help us worse, and grimly considered what South would do to me for it. She opened her mouth to say something, but the sound of the gate opening and closing from far away interrupted her. We looked in the direction of the entrance, and saw a grey Earth Pony stallion running up to us.
He was covered in a comparable amount of engine grease and drab mechanic-ware as Tinker, but the worry and dread on his face was something new. He galloped hard, screeching to a halt only feet from us, panting heavily, trying to speak through haggard breaths.
“Tink...it’s......its not good...I...”
“Spit it out, Ratchet!” Tinker shouted. “Whut’s wrong now?”
“It’s....Melody!”
No other words were necessary at this point. Tinkers face went through a stages of fear, panic, worry, dread, and countless others in the span of seconds. Her eyes were wide in terror, and her lips were quivering. After another second, she took off in a cloud of dust, racing towards the place that her coworker had come from.
Not wanting to be left out of whatever was going on, we chased after her, hoping that what whatever it was, it was something we could handle.
The center of the yard housed a small, warehouse like structure. It was the color of rust, which matched beautifully with its surroundings. Tinker had a considerable distance ahead of the rest of us as she galloped towards this building, not so much as an explanation or a hello to any of her coworkers as she dashed pass them.
She almost crashed into the door as it struggled to open with her presence, slipping between the narrow opening. My mind was racing frantically as to what possibly could have happened to illicit such a worried response in what initially was a sweet and polite native Prairieland territories. The rest of us waited for the door to open properly, and followed the sound of loud and worried shouting.
We navigated the warehouse, coming to a small office. Speccy was already here, as well as Tinker and a few other of the workers. They surrounded a section of bedding against the wall, and were tending to a pale Unicorn mare that was lying on it. As we got closer, I could see why everypony was so worried. The Unicorn was covered in blotches of blood all over her white coat, some of which was probably hers. She was covered in bruises and cuts, and her face was streaked with the evidence of recent tears from her sapphire eyes. Her charcoal mane was tattered, and hung scattered over her face. Speccy was in the process of applying bandages to the injured mare, while Tinker tried to ask questions in the middle of ranting sentences.
“Whut happened? Who did this? Are ya gunna be ok?”
The Unicorn pressed a hoof to Tinkers blathering mouth. “It’s fine Tink.” She croaked. “I’ve been through worse.”
Tinker swatted the Unicorns hoof away. “Worse nothin!” she barked. “Those damned bottom feeders ain’t got no right tuh to this!”
And I thought I was scared of South’s anger. Seeing the filly that was a head shorter than her elder sisters size was screaming loud enough to carry through the entire compound, while the mare of her focus was just playing it off as a regular occurrence. She just sat and waited patiently, while the the shouting continued.
“Ah’m gunna kill em,” she growled darkly. “Ah’m gonna take mah supplies and blow them into a crater so big they’ll need tuh dig through the planet tuh git out!”
Now I was starting to notice the family resemblance, with frightening detail. With her declaration, the golden mare turned to the exit, only to run into her big sister blocking the exit. South was staring sternly down at her younger sister.
“Now,” she said calmly. “Ah think some explainin’ is in order b’fore we go blowin’ anythin’ up.”
The Unicorn looked at South warmly. “Am I to assume you are the notorious big sister that I’ve heard so much about?”
South nodded at her. “Ah am, and y’all would be...?”
“Melody. I run a small club in the city.” She looked away sadly. “Or at least I used to.”
“What do you mean, used to?” I asked.
“The Blood Claws don’t take kindly to ponies, especially ones who say ‘no’.”
Tinker walked back over to Melody. “They’ve been harassing her for years. We’ve always done whut we can tuh help her.” She looked at her friend. “Whut happened Mel?”
Melody sighed. “The Blood Claws were smart enough to stay away from my place after the workers out here on the rim started offering their support. At least during business hours. I only have so many employees to keep the place in order, so I have to close down for awhile at some point. And thats when they came.
“They muscled their way in, spouting the same nonsense they always do. I said no, again, like I always have, but they weren’t going to take that answer any more. Dozens of them poured into the streets and overwhelmed my guards, I barely made it out of the club alive. Some of them followed me, and you see how that turned out.”
She grazed a hoof against one of her wounds, wincing in pain.
Dexter stepped forward. “Is there any other reason other than territory that they would do this?”
Melody managed a weak smile. “Probably the fact that my club is twice as popular as any of theirs. I don't much care for the kind of business they deal in at their ‘establishments’, but my kind of venue attracts it like moths to a flame. I just let my bouncers deal with it.”
“If you don’t like what your work brings in, why do you keep doing it?”
She looked solemnly at us. “Music is the rhythm in which I live my life. It speaks to me on a level beyond what words can. In such a place as this, it is the catalyst for sparking the independent spirit, and the Blood Claws know that. My patrons know of my refusal to kneel to those monsters, and have done everything they can to help fight back.
“Sigma has not known real leadership in millenia, but it does not mean we aren’t subjugated. If it isn’t by the Blood Claws, its some other gang, or just the presence of fear itself. Sigma is a mire of unhappiness and chaos only veiled behind the sheen of the nightlife, and the Blood Claws thrive on it. And thats why my presence was a threat.”
“So whut now?” South asked.
“Isn’t it obvious?” Firestorm remarked, her voice filled with fiery fervor. “We help them take back the planet. We’re here for the Claws anyways, there’s no reason why we can’t kill two storms with a single gust.”
“Iffin’ it means helpin’ mah lil’ sis and her friends, then Ah’m in,” South agreed.
“We are supposed to be doing the right thing after all,” Dexter said, nodding. “What about you, Shepard?”
The threat of Artemis getting further away from us was a strong presence in my mind, but solving not one, but two major problems on this beleaguered planet was too much to pass up, even if it was a borderworld. While I imagined taking out the gang entirely other than just pressing them information would take a bit more...finesse than we planned initially, but I doubted it would take that much more time.
“I wouldn’t be much of an engineer if I didn’t like efficiency.” I looked at Tinker and Melody, who stared at us with anticipation. “The crew of the Normanedy are here to help. Where do we start?”
Melody exhaled a sigh of relief, while Speccs gave us a very concerned look. The Unicorn chuckled softly at the Mole’s wariness, then returned her attention back to us.. “I do hope you are up to the challenge. The Blood Claws might seem like a pack of wild animals, but they control this planet for a reason.”
“We’ll see how good their numbers last against one of mah zap apple grenades!” Tinker piped up.
“Aheh,” South chuckled. “That reminds me, Ah need some more o’ those, if ya can spare the supplies Tink. Ah’m runnin’ a bit low.”
“Sure thing sis, Ah got more in mah storage shed.”
Tinker led South from the room, leaving us behind with Melody and Speccy. The Unicorns mood had brightened considerably since we first saw her, despite her injuries, while the Mole merely observed silently, although he appeared to have difficulty in restraining his excitement.
“This is quite the exciting day, isn’t it, miss Melody?” he said airily. “I never imagined we would ever take such direct action against the Blood-Clan.”
Melody nodded softly with a smile. “I suppose you are right, Mr. Speccs.”
Her gaze fell on us. “So, Shepard was it? What do you propose we do?”
I looked at the spot where South and Tinker used to be. The thought of those two collaborating their explosive skills together was a terrifying concept, but it might have its advantages. “Well I imagine South and her sister have the ‘what?’ already worked out. We just need a ‘how’ and a ‘where’.”
“I might be able to help with the ‘where’. Considering how much they wanted to remove me from my club, I have a feeling they might try to make a big show of it, or simply take it over as I assumed was their original intention. They may be still there.”
“Ok, thats a start.”
She held up a hoof, concern on her face. “But I must warn you. If this is your first time on Sigma, you must be on your guard within the city core. The influence of the Blood Claw is stronger there, as well as the level of ambient danger. There might be plenty of lights and noise to distract you, but I assure you it is there only to hide the darkness that slips between the cracks. There is filth everywhere, whether you can see it or not.”
“Noted. So how do we get there?”
Melody slowly lifted up from her resting place, and walked towards us, limping every few steps. Speccy tried to reseat her, but she brushed him away gently. She waved her hoof at mine, revealing her own omni-tool, as it exchanged data with mine.
“You may use the vehicle I used to get here, if you wish. Though it does not have auto piloting, and the city center can be...labyrinthine, to say the least. If Tinker’s sister would allow it, she would be able to take you there easily.” She smiled fondly. “I can tell Miss South cares a great deal for her family, as well as Tinker. She has been a dear friend to me, and I would hate to see her hurt.”
“The Belle mares seem to have a knack for getting themselves into and out of trouble pretty easily.” I chuckled. “And I bet South would sooner take a bullet herself then let anypony she cares about get hurt.”
“Well I certainly hope it doesn’t come to that.”
“Miss Melody?” Dexter asked. “What do you know about the Blood Claw’s leadership?”
“Considering how long they have been harassing me and my patrons, I’m nearly on a first name basis with most of their lieutenants. But I’ve never met any of their core leaders before, nor their Praetor.”
“Their what?” I asked.
“Praetor,” Firestorm interrupted. “Every Blood Clan segment has a Praetor, which is basically their toughest warrior. And since Sigma is their base of power, they would have their scariest Praetors here. Any one of them might be a problem if we have to fight them.”
Melody nodded in agreement. “Praetors are involved in nearly every possible excursion of the Blood Claws. The fact that I have never seen one of this planet is...worrying.”
“And I doubt we will have another plasma drill just lying around to deal with him.” I mused. “Hopefully South packs a few extra explosives with her.”
“Was that Manticore we killed back near Trawlis a Praetor?” Dexter asked.
“Oh hell no,” Firestorm scoffed. “You can’t buy Praetors, not even with Sleipnir funds. They fight for the strength of the clan, not its glory. You only see Praetors defending the clans interests or killing off their personal enemies.”
“So basically, we’re just inviting one to try and kill us then?” The Lieutenant chuckled with an air of sarcasm, earning a similar response from Firestorm.
“Let’s just hope we can get this done quickly. The less time we spend in one place, the better chance we have of not running into any of them.”
I heard voices speaking loudly from outside the warehouse. It sounded like South and Tinker we already on their way back.
“We should probably get going. Hopefully South is ok with Tinker driving us where we need to go.”
“You could just order her, you are her commander after all.” Firestorms expression suggested that she was being serious.
I shrugged. “I could, but I’m still hoping it won’t come to that. I’d rather she do it to be a friend than be forced by my rank.”
“Eh.” She shrugged. “Suit yourself, Shepard. Far be from me to tell you to assert yourself a little.”
I turned to leave the office. “Honey and vinegar, Storm. Honey and vinegar.”
As I walked down the hall towards the exit, I heard Firestorm ask Dexter something that made me smile.
“What does that mean?”
I heard Dexter laugh too.
South gave a sharp whistle at the impressive looking vehicle hovering in front of us. It was a sleek little air-car, with plenty of room for all of us. It had its share of battle scars though, some of them even looked recent. The hull was covered in blaster marks and holes. The only part of the vessel that wasn't noticeably damaged was the front, indicated that most of the damage was done while escaping.
“Well ain’t that purdy,” South exclaimed.
“Yeah, Ah had tuh make somethin’ fast fer Mel tuh git around the city.”
South glanced at her sister in amazement. “Ya made this yurself? With all this junk?”
“It ain’t junk!” Tinker huffed. “It just ain’t as pretty as some of the stuff you Stable soldiers git.”
“Well it certainly looks fast enough,” Firestorm observed. “No weapons though. That seems like a liability here on Sigma.”
Tinker shook her head. “Ah thought about it, considerin’ whut Melody has tuh go through. But somethin’ like that would just draw more attention tuh her. Better tuh make it faster so she can git away safe.”
South directed her attention at me. “So where we headed with this thing anyways?”
“Melody said the best place to start was her club. We might find some Blood Claws there.”
“Alright.” She nodded. “So whos drivin’?”
“Ah am.” Tinker announced.
South glared at her. “Like hell you are!” she barked. “No sister o’ mine is drivin’ into a gang war while Ah’m around.”
“An Ah suppose y’all know how tuh git there, South? I couldn’t find no auto pilot to install in this here air-car, an’ Melody ain’t goin’ nowhere till she rests. So that leaves ya with me.”
“This ain’t up fer discussion, little filly. Ya git your flank back tuh yer work, let the real soldiers figure out whut tuh do.”
“South,” I intoned. “I don’t like it any more than you do, but we can’t waste time wandering around a planet we aren’t familiar with.”
She tore her angered glare from her sister, only to direct it at me. “Are you suggesting we take her with us? Are you crazy Shepard? This is mah little sister!”
“Ah ain’t little! Ah can handle mahself thank ya very much.” The two siblings faced each other, scowling. As much as I didn’t want to do this to a friend, it was one thing I knew all too well from training that I had to act: duty calls. I would have to admit to Firestorm that she was right later, but for now, we needed to get moving.
“South, we don’t have time to argue about it.” I moved to separate the two sisters, who were forehead to forehead. South tried to speak, but I lifted my hoof to silence her. Tinker looked ready to celebrate, but I was quick to quell that as well. “Now before you get all excited for getting your way, Tinker, let me be very clear. I don’t want you getting hurt any more than South does. You are to take us to Melody’s club, and come straight back. You are not getting involved in this fight.
She looked dismayed. “But ah—”
“No buts,” I interrupted. “You will come straight here. You will not get involved. Am I making myself clear?”
Her gaze smoldered a while, before it slowly faltered. Her eyes fell to the ground. “Yes, Sir...” she mumbled.
“Good.” I smiled, looking back to South. She was a bit shocked at the whole exchange, regarding me with a curious look. “Does that work for you, South?”
“Ah suppose, so long as she drops us off a few blocks away, just tuh be safe.”
“Alright then, perhaps we should get moving then, I think we’ve wasted enough time bickering.”
We all climbed into the lofty vehicle, and Tinker took her place at the controls. She prodded at the console with a level of skill and grace that could rival Pipsqueaks. The vehicle hummed loudly as its engine began to awaken, and we slowly lifted from the courtyard. Out the window, I could see Melody and Speccy standing in the doorway of the warehouse waving at us, just before Tinker put us into gear and we sped off towards the city.
“So Tinker,” Dexter pressed. “What is the city core like?”
“It’s like the worst part of every big city back on Earth, mashed tuhgether like one big mess. Th’ nightlife is the middle o’ everything. Clubs, bars, yew name it, Sigma’s got it.”
I watched the many slummy districts of the outer city fly beneath us as we approached the denser city center. Towering buildings began to rise over the horizon, many of them glittering with bright neon lights. Tinker indicated the buildings with a wave of her hoof.
“Them big businesses don’t help much either. Bunch of ‘em sell weapons and stuff tuh the gangs, jus’ so they can keep ‘em killin’ each other. They say it’s tuh keep them in line, but Ah know its just so they can keep making bigger guns for each side of the war.”
“I can see why this place is outside of Council space.” Firestorm remarked. “The Pegasi would have bombed this place from orbit if they could be bothered to do so.”
It wasn’t long before we joined the flow of air traffic moving to and from the city. Tinker managed to weave us into the flow with little effort, joining the trails of similar vehicles dashing above the surface. The heavily tinted windows of the aircar was helpful in keeping us hidden, but it wasn’t enough to dull the blindingly bright lights that littered the city below. Melody wasn’t kidding about the city attempting to hide its less desirables. Even in the dead of night, I doubted finding my own shadow would be easy in the glamor below.
Earth wasn’t this bad, as least as I remembered it. As few times as I ventured into larger cities, the skyscrapers did an awfully good job of hiding the sun. Down in the gutters, the warmth of the sun was one of the few things that gave ponies hope. Hope that tomorrow would be better. Unfortunately, that hope rarely came, only twisted fates by twisted thugs, and somehow, this place just felt worse.
I could only imagine what life would be like here. I wondered how it compared to the slums back on Earth, if it was anywhere as bad as what I had to go through. What kind of things the inhabitants of Sigma had to deal with on a nightly basis just to survive? Certainly the red-light venues had their appeal, but that hardly seemed like a way of life that lasted long. Eventually you make a bad choice, and it ends up costing either your life, or worse, your soul. Thinking back on what some of the criminals I was forced to work for would do, I’d probably still choose death over the alternatives.
Up close, I could see the city was far larger than I expected, even by Earth’s standards. Most of the larger buildings seemed wholly independent from any others nearby, built on separate levels, and even separate platforms altogether. Entire neighborhoods were cordoned off with walls or maze-like walkways, cutting off each district into easily controllable bottlenecks. The largest of them all was the center of the city, which appeared to be one isolated platform, built around the towering skyscrapers. It was all I could do to look down from the aircar at the indecipherable pattern that this city was build in, only coming to the conclusion that chaos begets more chaos. I wondered if that was Sigma’s primary motto.
It was quite an experience to watch Tinker slide our tiny vehicle between various funnels of traffic, each one bringing us closer to the ground. It was a little harrowing to watch how she darted in between shuttles far larger than ours without incident, and made me realise that letting her drive was far more than just a good idea. I had enough trouble navigating cities like this on the ground, but in the air, that was something else entirely. I could see Pipsqueak having some trouble navigating down here, if he weren’t too much of a worrywart to leave the ship.
We seemed to finally close on a single section of the city, as Tinker began to steadily slow down. We glided over a straightened path cut between a cluster of similarly shaped buildings, where flood lights cut through the murky sky, almost as if they were dancing in the air. Even from the ship, I could hear the sound of loud music pumping into the streets. Crowds gathered below, forming long lines near the entrances of these buildings. The groups of ponies and others jittered around excitedly to the loud bass, waiting patiently to enter the various venues all over the street. All except one.
One club stood out from the others, in a far darker tone. The front of the building was not lit as the others were, casting a dark gloom over its small corner of the street. Large shapes lumbered outside, and any nearby crowds were quick to change their direction when approaching the desolate structure.
“That’s Melody’s club isn’t it?” I asked.
Tinker responded by turning hard to the left, bringing us over the alleyways that webbed out in all directions behind the brightly lit streets. We descended slowly into the dark recesses of the city, but thankfully, it seemed like nopony, or no one, was around. The street was empty, only the noise of music pouring from the nearby clubs reminding me that it was not as devoid of life as it seemed.
We stopped just a few feet from the ground, and the doors swung open. The Tinker turned to us, giving me a slow nod.
“Yeah, that wuz her club alright. First time Ah’ve ever seen it closed, an’ it’s one of th’ most popular one’s ‘round these parts. Melody must be torn up real bad tuh’ve left it tuh those monsters.”
“Any idea how we can get in unnoticed?” Firestorm asked.
“Ya’ll can stick to th’ alleys. There’s a back door. Ah don’t reckon the Claws would leave it unguarded, but Ah figure y’all would cause of a panic with all those civvies out there if ya went the front way.”
“Sounds like a good idea to me,” Dexter agreed. “No sense getting anypony hurt if we can avoid it.”
“Cept them Claws,” South spat bitterly. We c’n hurt ‘em all we want.”
South clambered out of the car first, and the others followed after her one at a time, leaving me till last. As I stepped out, I turned back to Tinker, who sat silently in her seat looking at me somberly. I had a feeling I knew what she was thinking, but I had made up my mind, and I wasn’t about to go back on it now. It was less of a promise for her than for South.
“I trust you remember our agreement?” I reminded her.
She nodded glumly. “Well, since Ah doubt Ah’ll change yer mind, Ah might as well give ya this.”
She plucked a small data card from on of her many pockets, and tossed it my way. I caught it in my hoof and my omni-tool glowed at its touch. The small chip shimmered in my hoof, as my tool absorbed the storage device. I looked uncertainly at Tinker.
“Its a map of th’ street. Should help y’all git around a bit. It’s real easy tuh git lost down here, but that there map should lead ya right tuh Mel’s place.”
“That’s helpful; thanks, Tinker.”
She shrugged. “Might as well do something ‘sides jus’ drivin’ ya here, since ya won’t take me with ya.”
“You’ve helped more than you think. But South is right; this can get dangerous, and none of us want to see you get hurt, South most of all."
Her face brightened slightly at my words, finally coming to understand where I was coming from. Her task here complete, she proceeded to reseal the cabin. As the hatch closed, I heard her utter one last thing before it clicked shut.
“Good luck; y’all’re gunna need it.”
A gust of air rushed from the aircar as it began to take off again. The roar of the engines drowned out the club music as it lifted into the air, and once it cleared the buildings, vanished from sight in a burst of speed. We all sat quietly for a while, watching her leave. The loud music flooded back into the dim alleys around us, which we quietly listened to before South cleared her throat.
“No sense wastin’ time, right?”
“I’ve always wanted to crash a party,” Firestorm joked. “Looking forward to it.”
“I doubt the Blood Claws will be looking to do much dancing, Storm,” Dexter replied sarcastically.
“Ah’m sure they’ll learn quickly with me callin’ out the steps.” South withdrew a thermal clip and loaded it into her gun. Her gun whirred to life, and she began to smile wickedly.
“Now that’s something to look forward to.”
“Well then,” I added. “Let’s not keep them waiting.”
I opened the map Tinker had given me, projecting it in the air for the others. It was an impressive chart, detailing many levels and sections of the nearby district. The map showed our position only slightly off the dead center of the entire area, and what an area it was. The scale of the map suggested it was an hours walk in any direction if we wanted to even attempt to leave this district on hoof, and that was if we managed to find a straight line.
South tilted her head around the map, mumbling quietly to herself, before she started pointing at spots on the map.
“So we’re here,” she commented to nopony in particular while tracing her hof through the air. “An’ th’ club is this way. If we stick to th’ alleys.”
She turned her head down the darkened street. Sure it was lit, but the crude red neon lighting hardly made it a desirable place to be, even for me.
“Doesn't that look cozy,” she said dryly.
“I don’t even think the Warrens on the Corral were this bad.” Firestorm remarked.
“Everypony just keep an eye out,” I said quickly. “We don’t want to get caught by anypony who might not like Stable here.”
Dexter gripped his rifle in his magic and floated it in front of him. “I really hope nopony is dumb enough to try and mess with a fully armed group like us, Stable or otherwise.”
“No sense wasting bullets.”
“Uh, Shepard?” South drawled. “Our guns don’t use bullets.”
I facehoofed. “You know what I mean, South. Let’s just get going.”
I swore South giggled, but she quickly took up the front of the group to hide her face from me. I just shook my head and followed behind her and we began our trek towards Melody’s club. It would have been nice to be able to hear whether or not somepony was nearby, but the loud music pounding out of the nearby clubs was making it impossible. We could have a platoon of raving maniacs following us and we’d never know. Not to mention the headache the music was giving me as well.
We did run into the occasional civilian back here, but whenever we did, they didn't pay us much concern. Most of them lazily observed us, as they lounged against a wall or balcony, probably waiting for something exciting to happen. We got some foul looks from those not of the pony variety, but one look at our equipment was enough to put the tinge of fear, or at least caution in their eyes. Suffice it to say, we managed to move through without bother, for now.
Melody’s club was conviently the last one on the strip. The music slowly quieted the further we got from the other venues, as well as the chatter of the crowd on the other side of the buildings. The lighting, too, was getting worse the closer we got to our destination. Dexter had switched on his gun-mounted flashlight to combat the gloom surrounding us, but it made little difference. The gloom of Sigma surrounded us from every direction, and I hoped we would get out of here as soon as possible.
“Shh!” South suddenly whispered. She poked her head around a corner, leaving the rest of us patiently waiting. She turned back and gave us a stern nod.
“We’re here.”
We all took turns carefully peering around the corner. On the far side of the alley, there was a small group of Mutts huddled together around a darkened doorway. They were armed, the largest of them had a crude looking shotgun, but past experience told me it wouldn’t be hard for him to close the distance.
“Mutt’s and their scattergun's.” Firestorm commented bitterly.
“Think you can take him out before he becomes a problem?” I asked.
“I thought we were trying to be quiet.”
“Doesn’t hurt to be prepared.”
Firestorm took a moment to observe our surroundings, casting short glances in every direction. Her eyes stopped on a small building directly beside Melody’s place. She stretched out her wings and gave them a little flutter.
“I can probably get some good shots from up there, and keep any reinforcements from getting too close if things get hairy.” She looked down back towards us. “Think you guys will be ok in there without me?”
South stopped the ground, unfolding her weapon around her leg. She grinned fiercely at her rival as she inspected her equipment. “Ah reckon we’ll be fine. Can’t say a flyer will do any good in such a small building.”
Firestorm smirked. “I’ll take that as a comment of concern on my part. I didn’t think you cared, South.”
South snorted at the Pegasi’s needling, when the group of Mutts laughed suddenly. We all peered out again, taking stock of the changing situation. Some of the Mutts had disappeared into the building, leaving only two behind. Those that remained stood outside the door, which looked like it was stuck open. I could see the circuitry of the door fizzling nearby, with a metal pole jutting out of the console. The dogs were muttering quietly amongst themselves, but they were too far to hear.
“Well, that made things a bit easier.” Firestorm begun to beat her wings and lifted to a hover over the ground.
“I’ll get a vantage point over these two, just send a signal when you need me.”
She pumped her wings and quietly rose into the air. We watched her disappear into the shadows, but I managed to follow her silhouette as she glided over the rooftops. South was the first to step out into the street.
“So, how do we deal with these jokers?”
I turned to the sound of creaking metal behind me. Dexter had his head in a metal bin, and looked like he was rummaging through garbage. He withdrew a small metal canister, and tossed it on the ground. There wasn’t anything interesting about it, but knowing Dexter, he already had an idea. A faint blue glow wrapped around the cylinder, and it began to roll along the ground on its own.
“I wonder if dogs are just as curious as cats,” he mused slyly.
With a burst of magic, he sent the can skating across the ground down the alley, towards the two guard dogs. I saw one of the dogs ears twitch as the projectile raced towards them, eventually crashing into a pile of refuse nearby. It collided with a tremendous clatter, and the two dogs were quick to leave their posts to investigate. They lumbered towards us, guns drawn.
“Stick to the shadows. See how close they get.”
We stayed still as they approached slowly, aiming their guns in our direction. Since they weren’t running or shooting at us, I guess they hadn’t seen us yet. I assumed being canines they would have stronger senses for tracking, but living in this polluted city, I doubted their noses would be much use. The Mutts split up as they got closer, taking different sides of the alley. South crept up to a corner and crouched behind it, waiting for the dog that was unwittingly wandering towards her hiding spot.
South gritted her teeth, as she perked her ears to the corner, waiting patiently. She looked down, and spotted a similar canister near her hooves. She smiled wickedly as she gently stuck a leg out and tapped the can into the light. The nearby Mutt noticed the can skitter across the ground immediately, and took slow, deliberate steps towards it. He bent down to inspect the metal object curiously, completely unaware of South leaning over top of him.
With brutal speed, South clamped her forelegs around the unsuspecting Mutt, grasping at his mouth and neck and hurling him into the alley. His eyes were wide with panic as he thrashed and wriggled in a vain attempt to free himself, but South easily overpowered him. His muffled screams didn't travel far as he slowly lost consciousness. Not wanting to watch South drain the life out of something, I instead joined Dexter in keeping an eye on the other Mutt, who still hadn't noticed his partner was missing.
Dexter, moving into the light of the alley, already seemed to have a plan of his own. His steps were quiet as he slowly walked up to the other Mutt, who was in the middle of searching through a garbage disposal. His gun was still floating near him, but he had sent it farther in the air than I would expected of him. It dangled in the air a good ten feet above his head, as he nonchalantly stepped behind the dog and tapped on his shoulder.
The Mutt tensed suddenly, and whirled around, pointing his gun at Dexter. I almost went to intervene, when I noticed the perplexed look in the dogs eyes, mirroring my own. The sheer audacity of a pony walking up to him had stunned him, if only for a moment. A moment Dexter used with great efficiency. He only lifted his hoof, pointing at his gun in the air. The Mutt looked confused, and slowly turned his gaze upwards, until he noticed the floating weapon, moments before it came flying down like a bullet and smashed into his face.
He let out a weak gurgling noise as he collapsed to the ground. Dexter delivered a quick kick to ensure his work wasn’t for nothing, then turned back to us. “Should be clear now.”
“That was pretty smooth, Dex,” Firestorm whispered over the radio. “You guys be careful in there, there’s no telling how many of them there are. Don’t count on it only being Mutts either. There’s bound to be a Manticore or two at least nearby.”
“Got it, Storm. Just let us know if anything tries to get the jump on us.”
“Ready to crash a club, guys?” I asked, anticipation taking hold of my voice.
“Let’s show these carnivores how we party, Earth style!” South said, ferocity in her eyes. It was strange, but seeing South raring for battle was almost intoxicating, and her own fervor for fighting seemed to take hold over me as well. Dexter too, seemed to be uncharacteristically enthused about this, his magic glowing brighter than I had ever seen before. I might have only had an omni-tool and a pistol, but for me, that was all I needed. I took the first step into the unguarded club, ready for the next encounter.
Codex Entry Added: Tinker Belle
Codex Entry Added: Melody
Codex Entry Added: Sigma
Codex Entry Added: Blood Claws
Family Comes First: Paragon Points Earned
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I think it should say tenous at best
for that matter
Donkeys!!!!!! of course
Batarians=Donkeys
I tottaly forgot about them good chapter, but I have to say it Tinke.r Belle really? LoL
pd: Random question i´ve seen that you use SEV and SSV for the Normanedy you should pick one and fix the diference on some chapters, I prefer the SSV if it stands for S.T.A.B.L.E Space Vehicle
First, it should be "I'm". And second, sick/sic confusion is really common; this should be the latter (siccing)
Missed a space
You dropped an apostrophe, but I would probably just have "sister"
I thought there were two c's in his name?
I think you mean "data"
Should be a capital m
Doesn't only Speccs call them Blood Clan?
Should be "at"
Dropped an L
Missed a quote
No apostrophe
Does Speccy the mole have an uncle named Jam Jars? I might be seeing a subtle reference where none exists though.
Sibling quarrels: gotta love 'em. This is shaping up to be the best party ever. Guns and explosives, ho!
Also, South is adorable when she is more open with others.
Ah, a good update, that i finally just got around to reading.
I had an idea that sigma would be similar to Omega, just because of it's name, but that's about all as far as it really went. I'm liking the unique take on each area now. They're based on locations in the game, but still different enough to be unique. I see Sigma as a hybrid of Noveria, Omega, and the wards districts on the Citadel.
I think i get it now, truly. Really as far as where i see this story going, boils down to it following the Mass Effect storyline loosely, but still hitting its major plot points, like Noveria, Omega, New Eden, etc. It appears that it will probably have it's own completely unique parts to inject into the Mass Effect storyline, possibly as 'secondary' missions or character development, like this little visit to Melody's club seems to be for South more than to advance the storyline to the next major point.
I can see you've put far more thought into this crossover, than i originally gave you credit for (in my head) Quillery, and for that i apologize for assuming it would be a generic 'Mass Effect w/Ponies' crossover.
I eagerly await more, and again wish to apologize,
ultra1437
1831035
No apology necessary.
In retrospect, after I'm already ankle deep into the story, I'm noticing that some parts of the story are too closely related to the original game for my liking. There is such a huge difference between a recognizable reference and following a plot point-by-point.
While I reword many parts in different ways, after a few months of them being published, I can't help but look back at them and feel that I could do better. And I know I can. At some point, I don't really know when, I will be going back to tweak the parts that bother me, and re-enforce more original plot devices. I will still be using references and such for that added bit of flavor and meta-humor, but I still want this to be something I could show the BioWare guys and have them say "Wow, that was a pretty good way to tell the story."
Besides, BioWare love ponies too. All hail Commander Pinkie Pie
google.ca/url?source=imglanding&ct=img&q=http://www.deviantart.com/download/299778201/commission__commander_pinky_pie_by_supadave_3-d4yhac9.jpg&sa=X&ei=r4HTUO3EDaSYiQK-moDYAQ&ved=0CAkQ8wc&usg=AFQjCNEmx1iBKChldNWVOVM5BNdk-htzuw
Great work man, I'm really enjoying it so far. Keep it up!
PS: Is Shepard male or female? I wasn't 100% sure.
1833997
It's a secret
Ok, some errors:
Chp.7
Sheppard could have problems dealing with Pegasi because some of his teamates had problems in dealing with them directly, but IMO it would be less confusing to say he 'hadn't'.
Chp.8
->attach
Loving the story so far, haven't read it all yet.