"You are advised to vacate the system immediately," spoke a flickering hologram. "By the Pancreator's will, we will exterminate this threat before it spreads and joins other menaces that plague us."
Paul considered the figure. If the church felt it could brush them aside, he felt certain they would have already. They knew what was on the planet, and surely the church was aware of that. It was an attempt at intimidation. "We did not request your assistance. We haven't allowed anything off this planet save your own vessels."
"Your service is appreciated." The figure met Paul's eyes. "But no longer required."
"That planet is under Hawkwood protection," spoke Paul more firmly. "We have a landed noble already with a recognized domain. We can police our own people."
"I have spoken what must be said." The hologram faded away, leaving the warning behind.
Paul slammed a balled fist against the metal wall beside him. "Is it too ironic to wish the church be damned?"
"By half," admitted an assistant. "Any word I should be conveying?"
"Yes." Paul crossed his arms as he turned to a great clear port to the space outside, where the planet hung on the fabric of the universe. "We're going into alert. There's a good chance we'll be wetting our blades before this mess is done."
"How do you feel?"
Laud swung his feet over the side of his bed, sliding upright as if the motion were proof enough of the healing received. "You said you came to talk."
"To administer, then speak." Gregor rose himself. "You are looking at a cast out priest." He laid those cards nakedly on the table. "The church will not stand behind me, and is ready to remove me along with the taint they have decided this world has."
"You're alone then?" He began dressing himself, less a patient and returning to his warrior status, unconcerned that the priest was there. "What did they declare, exactly? How bad does it look?"
"Not entirely." Gregor's fingers danced, tips to tips. "There are some few loyal enough to me to stand against the very church we swore to. Amalthea's oaths weighed more strongly in their hearts, may the Pancreator smile on our decision."
"I need to learn more about that saint." Laud strapped his sword into place, letting out a little breath. "I feared a time of quiet humiliation at being shown up, but it seems there's no room for that."
"You are a warrior," observed Gregor. "It comes as little surprise that the gentle ways of Amalthea did not call you. Still, it is by her teachings that I cannot ignore what I have seen. The people of this world, as inhuman as they are, as bewildering their forms, as inscrutable as their ways, shine with such an intense light that those who cannot see it clearly have shut their eyes in fear."
Laud suddenly clapped Gregor's shoulder, grabbing the priest firmly. "Yes! That... You have a way with words, but that puts my thoughts out in a way I struggled to. Even the most violent of them shine with a child's wonder. They are all worthy of protection." He released Gregor then. "Sorry."
"In this dark time, I will not complain that my companion has fire in his chest, burning bright and directed in the right way." He turned to the door. "Someone approaches."
He was wrong, several someones approached. Hoofsteps clattered and the room was suddenly filled with the trotting forms of Laud's entire collection of equine wives. Also Spike. Speaking of him, he was gesturing at them. "They all, hey, you're standing. Feeling better?"
Lyra nuzzled into one of Laud's hanging hands. "Hey there, Hubby. I heard you got hurt and came down to keep you company, and you're all better? Not complaining!"
Bon Bon looked smugly satisfied. "I knew they couldn't keep you down." Her eyes moved to Gregor. "We meet again. What are you doing here?"
His prayers had given him the speech of ponies, said before he approached the hospital of ponies. He transitioned from the human tongue to theirs, softly nickering and huffing. "The sides have been set. I either help, or admit I lacked the bravery to stand behind my words. They have declared the children of this world unfit for the universe."
Twilight's eyes widened at the words. "Our foals?!"
Bon Bon raised a hoof. "Pretty sure he means each and every one of us, foals included."
Lyra withdrew from the hand she had been enjoying nuzzle times with. "What? That's harsh. What'd we do?"
Laud's hand came down on her head, her horn poking up between two fingers as he rubbed and massaged her like a favored dog, not that she was complaining one bit. "They have decided what I feared when I first arrived, that this much magic can lead only to worrisome places."
"And they're ready to hurt people, because they saw magic?!" Twilight clopped a hoof down before it hit her. "Oh, you look much better than they said you did. If you're all better, we should get out of here. They could use this room."
"It does not help that there was a demon involved." He released Lyra and began to move, striding from the place of healing. "We should try to contact the Hawkwood forces. We'll have need of them. Did the merchants already flee?"
"They were there when I walked past," reported Gregor, following a bit to the side and behind Laud. They all left the hospital in a great cloud of forms, drawing wide-eyed stares from the ponies there. It wasn't that common to see so many important figures all at once, looking so serious and speaking of unknowable things.
Bon Bon suddenly thudded against Laud's side as he walked. "How many of your people do we have, and how many of theirs do we face?"
Twilight waved a hoof wildly as they emerged from the hospital. "It's not a matter of numbers. There's enough on either side that an outright fight will mean people get hurt, badly. There's no way around that." She looked to Gregor. "You know them. You... were them until shortly ago. Is there not someone we could speak to?"
"Many someones," he sighed out. "But those close at ..." He caught a moment, his faith magic refusing to let him finish the term in a clash of communication. "Hoof," he completed. "Have already declared what they believe. Getting past them to reach other ears is basically impossible."
Bon Bon rolled her eyes. "It's a galaxy-wide thing. Somecreature out there agrees with us. One of them's right here." She pointed at Gregor. "You argued for us, didn't you? That's why you're here. They didn't like it, not one bit."
"Not one bit," he admitted with a wry expression. "I am no longer a priest, cast out."
"That's a big fat lie," protested Lyra. "Can not-priests do that prayer thing and magic happens?" She advanced to Gregor's side, looking up at him.
"Not typically, no."
"And it comes from the, what was it, Pancreator?" pressed Lyra. "So if the Pan Guy was really upset at you, he'd take away your magic, and you wouldn't be talking to us without a collar because you never learned how to talk horse, and here you are." She whipped her head around to look at Laud. "And you made Laud all better! Thanks for that." She pressed her face against Gregor's hands from below. "You're a good human, and Pan Pan obviously agrees."
Gregor smiled, the expression hard to fight off at the innocent explanation of things given by Lyra. "That was heavily blasphemous, and yet entirely innocent. You are why this world needs protecting." He gently rubbed the side of Lyra's neck as one might a horse. "And you are one of magic, are you not?"
"Not as much as Twi or Star, but sure." A lyre popped into being beside her head and began to play itself, glowing with the same color magic as surrounded her horn. "You do magic too, crazy human magic. It's kind of cool. Twilight, how have you resisted studying it?"
"Considering the fact that we are at the edge of something terrible," she replied with a nervous smile. "So, there is someone here, who doesn't like us, but they are in charge. Can't we... try to talk to them?"
Spike pointed up. "They're all up there, the, uh, church and Laud's family. Is this going to be one of those space battles, lasers going pew pew pew?" He made little sound effects as he made guns with his hands, then a loud explosion, throwing his hands apart.
Laud clenched his teeth at the thought. "The loss of even one of those ships would be a tremendous loss for the side it happened on. I am guessing that is why it hasn't happened yet. All sides could cause it to the other, but fears it happening to them. It's a stalemate, but not one that will endure for long." He gestured vaguely where he had landed on that world untold months before. "The tiny ship I arrived on, lamentable, but not a considerable loss to the forces at play now. Ships that large are barely made in this day and age."
"Laud."
He raised a hand to his ear. "Laud Mountbatten. Who's this?"
"Comms from your family upstairs," explained the voice. "Paul sends his regards and advises you be on the lookout. The church looks ready to do something stupid, and they may try to be sneaky about it."
"Already worrying about that. You don't need me to say it, but try to give us warning if they send another ship down here." Lyra was circling him as he talked to himself, which he was ignoring.
Twilight closed with Gregor. "Equestria is far from perfect, but it isn't a bad place, is it?"
"It is a terrifying place," he spoke calmly, hands moving back together rather than his usual jovial sway. "But not one in need of the purification they have in mind."
Bon Bon suddenly thrust a hoof at him. "You seemed pretty ready to use that word before. Mind telling us what 'purification' means to you?"
"A heavy question." But the pony kept looking at him, waiting for an answer. "Its meaning can vary, depending on the subject. A living person could perform penance and be cleaned both literally and through re-conviction in the oaths we have sworn."
Twilight inclined her head. "That isn't what you're scared of. Only a few ponies would be that hard to convince to take a bath and we wouldn't be treating this as a crisis moment. Go on, please."
Bon Bon suddenly closed in on Twilight from the side. "Are you that daft? He means burn it to the ground and build something better on top once you're sure it's gone."
"Where did you learn to think in such a way?" miserably allowed Gregor. "In a world of cherubs, you are an angel, flaming sword grasped firmly and a deadly conviction in your eyes. What she says is true. The purification of a world is far more violent than any one person, often with few survivals. It is... a means not used in some time, but its purpose is clear. Raze it to the ground, everything."
Twilight began to go pale at the tips of her ears and end of her snout. "Raze... You must be kidding! You're a galaxy-spanning creature. How have you come this far and... That's barbaric!"
"There are times when it can be better than the alternative," admitted Gregor, his eyes turning to the strange sun that Equestria had, though not looking at it directly. "There are forces insidious and pervasive, that can corrupt a populace with uncanny skill. This is not such a case, I do not think, but let us not lay accusations on the tool, but the one wielding it improperly."
Laud pointed towards the landing pad. "If the merchants are here, we need to have a talk with them. They either need to get out of here while they can, or we have another ally."
Lyra twanged on her lyre. "Or another enemy, but hope not! I liked their stuff."
If ships like that aren't built anyone they'll have a Bad Time at an empire-level once Luna goes woosh with the moon. Twilight's going to be hankering for those debris after the fact, hard
Gregor is demonstrated that you can define any enemy just by their actions.
And his prior bosses are truely showing their actions to imagined threats to their power?
If the ships have shielding, then generally mass intersection dont work too well until theyre large enough. If the ships dont have shielding, take a lot more pebbles teleported into their orbital path to wear through them?
If there are complex details to spell casting, theres an awful lot of safeties in targeting that can be left out for non safe operation?
10265816
And when Luna goes woosh with the moon, the moon will go r/woosh to the zealots.
10265816
That's never going to happen. That SHOULD have happened much MUCH earlier when the Aliens first invaded, when Laud warned them they would be coming. They KNEW they were all going to die and fight by whoever exited that portal after Laud. They didn't then, cause the author wanted to make a massive plothole in the story. And guess what? Now there is a massive plothole, cause he's a fucking idiot who didn't think things through like we warned many many chapters ago. Fucking idiot. Could have been a great story, but just had to fuck it up with forced conflicts and then forcefully taking the most stupid and worse choices just to prolong the conflict he himself created.
10267039
Oh, you're still here. Hiya. Figured you left after Chryssie.
10265816
On top of that, well, I do wonder what Equestrian magic could do in terms of building more of those. Because if the former applies usefully to the latter as I suspect it might, well, House Hawkwood might find that they have the newest capital ships in the known galaxy and a ready supply of more of them. House Hawkwood's enemies might also find this out, but probably more briefly!
Though as for going woosh with the moon, I don't know. I mean, there was a point, last chapter, about the moon maybe getting damaged. Now, on the other hand, if it was, say, a gigantic ball of superheated plasma and/or magical fire...
10267071
Yeah, regarding what I understand the complaint to be... I don't really see a problem with the Sisters not immediately jumping to blowing up anyone who comes through the gate? I mean, as you'd characterized them here, at least. I mean, so far, yes, there's been an attack on the dragons, and there's another attack building, but most of the contact so far has been positive. The Sisters, as I recall, will close the system off if they have to, but they'd much rather have peaceful relations with the rest of the galaxy, something much easier, particularly given Equestria's apparently terrifying magic, if they make allies and demonstrate that they'd prefer peaceful diplomacy, only fighting when pressed.
(Oh, and I liked the new chapter, as usual. :))
10267071
Not many stories have been updating, so been reading anything that updates to have something new to read. Still pissed at that. It's a massive plothole that Chrissy some how survived that, and the characterizations and 'reactions' shown in the next chapter to not match the reactions in the previous chapter. I meant they KNEW she was Sentenced to death and were ok about it. Then next chapter it's suddenly a big problem and they are freaking out. It's not very consistent.
10267356
Death was brought up, and shot down within a minute. Then it happened anyway, but psyche! Equestria sucks at killing people.
10267331
How the heck do you damage a giant rock by hurling it at something with less than 1/1000000 of it's mass? Speed doesn't count for that, if it can stand being moved like they do it can stand a non-relativistic impact of that order.
Maybe a couple new craters, but still! Luna could even turn the moon as to draw with them, now that I think about it
10267764
Consider the speed at which the moon is moved. Add an object so large it cannot safely land on a planet without massive damage to itself and the planet in the process.
Put the two together.
10267793
Well, big crater then. It does depend on how fine is her control though...
How many km long of a ship are we talking about?
10267821
There is also the assumption being made that the moon is equal in size to the earth moon. The sun was already explicitly noted as being wayyyy smaller (and way closer) than its earth cousin.
10267825
Fair enough. Still better than orbital bombardment though!
10267944
Or use the sun. Heck, park it in front of the gate. Big flaming ball of magic plasma, even one vastly smaller than its regular brethren, is still a big flaming ball of magic plasma. You don't exactly fly through that.
10267968
10267944
That would require Celestia's sign off, and she is a good pony and would like to not murder countless thinking beings. It helps that, thus far, no one has made grand threats in her direction.
10267976
That shouldn't be long in the waiting, though. The news that Equestria is about to face an organization intent on razing the whole world to the ground would be something that is going be shared with the leaders of said world.
10268213
Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't that... something that literally just happened? News travels fast, but there is a limit.
Except Pinkie. She probably already knows, her and Discord.
10268224
Oh for sure, I was talking more in terms of "when the fighting starts" not in the right now.
Ok so the unintelligent rubes want to destroy it all
10267764
10267793
Also, besides the kinetic energy, I don't think we know just what sorts of weapons and power sources these ships might have, and I don't think the Princesses know either.
10269162
They should send Shining Armor to space so he can give the Hawkwoods a bonus to their shields. If one or both of the princesses went too, victory in the space battle is 99.9999% assured I'd think. Of course, they can't leave the planet's surface undefended, but that's a thought that occurred to me when I started reading this chapter. Or, if they could put a shield tightly on the enemy ships, they wouldn't be able to fire without doing damage to themselves.
As far as using the moon goes, even if it's small, it would have to be large enough to pack a wallop and might possibly be an object through which magic could be channeled for additional effects, but Luna would be none to happy if it's damaged or destroyed. So I think it's pretty last resort.
10271458
Hm, a lot of unknowns about both sides' capabilities here. We'll see how it goes!
Lyra may be crass but she didn't precisely blaspheme. She simply doesn't know the protocol of how to be religiously-correct when speaking of such things. Still, she does have a point, the rules of the Pancreator should demonstrate Gregor's worthiness.
Wouldn't it be great if Twilight was able to cross-channel through Gregor and summon over our little fearful church dudes? They might be a little less willing to glass the planet they're on, but it might be seen unfavorably. 🤔
We're just waiting for the "Laud, m'boy, what have you gone and got yourself into now?!" to drop.
Twilight, prep the Elements, looks like the Light of Harmony may be needed...
Keep going! ;)
10269162
This is a good point. Space craft can have a lot of really toxic stuff on them. It could be very harmful to the people on the planet if bits of wrecked battleship start raining down on them.
10277679
Oh, I hadn't even thought about the possibilities of pollution, just explosions; good point.
10279595
A properly designed reactor or weapon system should be difficult to set off accidentally, though considering the Fading Suns universe the quality of construction or maintenance might be poor.
10279695
Right; they ideally would be, but we don't currently know how close to that ideal these ships come.