About Face
The Federation Starship Hyperion pulled up five hundred meters from the Pegasus that was in orbit around Harpagornis, a gas giant of the Chakastra system and its biggest planet. Communications were exchanged and Boyce made his way to the main transporter room. Shortly after he had arrived, the transporter technician activated his console, and soon a sparkling column of energetic material formed over the platform. It coalesced into the form of Port Admiral Namatjira whose eyes immediately latched onto Boyce and he frowned.
“Why is the alien ship parked in orbit here, Kline?” he asked without preamble.
Boyce stepped up to Namatjira and gave him a snappy salute which the visitor returned. “Your orders, sir, were to prevent the Cosmic Lotus from approaching Chakona at all costs. Because the ship was already on a high sub-light course through the Chakastra system, it seemed the simplest solution was to tow it into a stable orbit around Harpagornis where it can be readily located. There it would not approach Chakona and has the Dinornis Asteroid Belt between it additionally. Working with their engineering crew, we verified that their shielding would be able to handle the high-energy electron and ion radiation there, and the crew of the Lotus were happy to spend some time investigating the planet, as it seems that there are no gas giants where they come from.”
“I’m not interested in what the intruders like to do, Admiral. I also ordered that their officers be detained – have you at least done that?”
“The Captain of the Cosmic Lotus is aboard and waiting for you to interview him, sir.”
“Good. Bring me to him. Let’s get to the bottom of this once and for all!”
Boyce nodded and led Namatjira from the transporter to the nearest trans-lift. They entered it and Boyce said, “Deck two”.
The Port Admiral frowned. “That isn’t the detention level.”
“No, sir. Captain Path is not being held there.”
The high-speed lift opened up onto the atrium of deck two and the pair stepped out to see Wandering patiently waiting for them, dressed in his most formal uniform. He inclined his head briefly and said, “Port Admiral Namatjira, I presume? I understand that you wished to talk with us?”
Rather than answering Wandering, Namatjira glared at Boyce. “Why is this alien not confined?”
“Captain Path is our guest, sir. Your orders were to detain him, not incarcerate him. As he has not, in fact, committed any offence that was not a reasonable response to our actions, I could not justify any more than requesting that he stay aboard the Pegasus until you arrived, with which he complied.”
“You’re treading on dangerous ground, Kline. You know what I meant.”
“I think that this was the wiser course, sir.”
Namatjira was about to retort when Wandering cleared his throat to gain attention.
“If you gentlebeings are ready, we would like to begin negotiations.”
The Port Admiral’s glare returned to the pony. “We? Negotiations? What are you talking about?”
“Please follow me,” Wandering said. He turned and trotted away without waiting for an answer.
Feeling somewhat out of control of the situation, Namatjira followed with Boyce bringing up the rear, a slight smile on his face. Wandering paused in front of two double doors and his horn began to radiate a light purple glow. The Port Admiral visibly flinched when the same glow encased the two doors and they gently opened. The glow shut off around the doors and Captain Path’s horn simultaneously and he walked forward, followed a moment later by the halting steps of Admiral Namatjira and the more confident ones of Admiral Kline. They entered the conference room and the Port Admiral came to a startled halt when he saw what was awaiting him.
Three of the creatures described as alicorns stood facing him. While Namatjira was not a tall man, Captain Path still had to look up to meet his eyes. Not so with any of these. The largest had a white coat with a hint of pink, and a mane like a flowing aurora with twinkling points of light within. The one on his right had a dark blue coat and a mane like a nebula filled with stars. On the left, the third one was a stallion with blue coat and a fiery mane. Each had their wings spread, and the sheer power they exuded left him gaping in awe. The stallion had a serious look on his face, the dark-colored mare seemed slightly amused at the human’s reaction, while the huge white alicorn gave him a benevolent gaze.
Boyce spoke up. “Port Admiral Namatjira, may I introduce you to Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Prince Destined Path, the Triarchs of Equestria.”
As expected, when Twilight Sparkle had learned of the status of the Cosmic Lotus and its crew, she had wanted to immediately visit to see them for herself. Destined had managed to get her to wait until he updated his co-rulers and the leaders of House Path, who in turn had to bring the news to the Equis World Council. Twilight had to be content with talking with Wandering and Starry via crystal comm when the new ones were installed, and until all of the world leaders were informed and an initial course of action agreed upon.
While Twilight had the power to complete a long-range teleport, she still required the guidance of her son, so she and Destined arrived on the Cosmic Lotus nearly two days later. Due to the difficulty imposed by relativistic travel, Twilight had not been able to visit her family members during the entire journey to the Far Star. She was determined to make up for the lost opportunities, and Wandering, Starry, Eon, Skye, and Moonlit Path gathered for a private party with her and Destined. It was an emotional reunion, but predominantly joyful one. The troubles of the moment were forgotten for a few hours as they celebrated.
By that time, the Pegasus had towed the Cosmic Lotus into orbit around Harpagornis and research had begun. Wandering had received a request from Boyce to allow Xeros to work with Chakat Sparks on a little project that they had begun during the shindig, to which he readily agreed as the result would likely benefit both parties. Of greater surprise was the request from Ortzi to visit one of the crew of the Pegasus. Under the circumstances, Boyce could not allow that as yet, but he did give permission for Helen Baines to go over to the Lotus if she wished. He would be the last person to suppress a budding inter-species relationship, however unlikely it seemed.
As the get-together wound down, plans were made to send a delegation to the Pegasus to coincide with the arrival of Admiral Namatjira. While the Equians had every intention to cultivate a friendly relationship with the Federation, they also intended to do so from a position of strength. The orders that Boyce had been forced to carry out were an indication of how Star Fleet intended to proceed, and that was unacceptable, but with the permission of the Equian World Council, the Equestrian Triarchs would open initial diplomatic relations on behalf of their world.
With the guidance of Destined, Celestia and Luna had arrived on the Cosmic Lotus and Boyce had been invited over to meet them. While Luna was still a bit miffed at his treatment of Wandering, she and her sister had nevertheless given Boyce a warm greeting, and they spent some informal time together discussing how they would present their case to the Federation. Thus they were more than prepared when Namatjira had arrived.
From off to one side, standing unnoticed alongside Wandering up until that moment, a purple alicorn stepped forth. She spoke up, drawing the attention of the dazed admiral. “I am Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship, and the Triarchs and I are here to open diplomatic relationships with the Stellar Federation.”
Namatjira noticed that this latest alicorn was slightly shorter, and while her mane stirred a little in an invisible breeze, it was nowhere near as bizarre as the other three despite the stripes. Her expression radiated a genuine friendliness, living up to her title. He nodded, overwhelmed by this encounter, recognizing that he had completely lost the initiative. Shaking himself free of his stupor, he glanced at Boyce and said quietly, “We’ll talk more about this later.” He then turned back to the visitors and gave them a tight smile and small bow. “Welcome to the Stellar Federation, Your Highnesses. Shall we begin our discussions?”
Presented with a fait accompli, Namatjira made the most of it. Despite his intention to be stern with the Equians, Celestia’s calm, almost motherly way of easing his concerns made him feel more like a foolish child rather than the second-most powerful man in Star Fleet. With all his questions answered and the alicorn princesses willing to consult on further actions, he made concessions for the Cosmic Lotus crew before winding up the meeting. Since he did not have members of the Diplomatic Corps with him, he could do little more than make an official agreement to the opening of relationships between their two sides and set a timetable for further formal talks. He did take advantage of their offer to investigate the nature of the Swarm’s mysterious weapon though. If they were intending to be allies, he would make the most of it. At this stage in the war with the Swarm, he would take any help, however unlikely, begrudgingly admitting that Boyce had been correct from the start. It did not stop him from giving the lower-ranked admiral a tongue-lashing later for his creative interpretation of his superior’s orders. In the end, all parties left with a certain degree of satisfaction with the outcome of the meeting.
As the four alicorns made their farewells and prepared to leave for Equis, Wandering made his way over to Destined.
“I’ve been meaning to ask, Des – what’s with the mane?”
Destined grinned and tamed his fiery mane and tail down to its normal, albeit slightly wild, red locks. “Gotta dress to impress, bro,” he replied. “It’s starting to wave like Mom’s and Aunties’ anyway. I just amplified it somewhat. Even I was a bit surprised at how much like flames it became. My future self must have suppressed his mane while we were there and then, and also because it’s a little over the top. Yours will probably start doing the same eventually. Hopefully you’ll do something about that dorky mane-cut before then.”
“What’s wrong with my mane-cut?” Wandering objected. “I’ve had this look for decades, and I like it.”
“There’s your problem,” Destined said with a snicker. “You’re decades out of fashion! Seriously, get a professional to look at it.”
Starry said, “I’ve been trying to convince him to try something new, but for a shape-changing alicorn, he’s unusually stubborn about changing that.”
Wandering just stuck his tongue out at them both, and they chuckled in amusement.
“It’s been good to see you all again,” Destined said, “but it’s time for us all to get back to our regular duties. I have no doubt that you’re going to be very busy now that you’ve arrived at the Far Star – or should I say Chakastra?”
Wandering laughed. “Yeah – Techbird is going nuts already. Anyway, see you soon, Des.”
The older alicorn joined up with Celestia, Luna, and Twilight, and with a parting wave, they disappeared.
Wandering turned to Starry. “Well, now that I am no longer being ‘detained’, I think it’s time we have a break and take some time for ourselves.”
“Sounds great.” They started heading towards their stateroom. “What happens next?”
“Care for a trip to another star system?”
Starry gave her mate a surprised look. “How are we going to do that?”
“Boyce has suggested that we travel with him to the front line of the battle with the Swarm and see for ourselves what is happening. He’s hoping that we can get a better idea of what is being used against them. Besides being happy to help him, I’m not a little excited about travelling faster than light and seeing another star up close.”
“And what about the danger?” Starry asked with a frown.
“He’s promised to keep us out of harm’s way, although he might not be able to keep to the exact letter of that vow.”
“Why not?”
“Because I intend to get up close so that I can get a good read on the Swarm’s weapon. At worst, my shield should be able to handle protecting the fighter ship that we intend to use at the battlefront.”
“Should? That settles it – I’m definitely coming to keep your plot intact.”
Wandering grinned. “My hero.”
“We both know who is the stronger at shields, and the real scientist,” Starry retorted. “A-n-d you’ve pretty much suckered me into coming along instead of doing studies here, haven’t you?”
The stallion’s smile grew wider and he nodded.
Starry sighed. “I suppose there’s a reason why you ended up as the head of his expedition instead of me. Oh well, I suppose it’ll be fun.”
“Don’t worry – I’m sure that there will be plenty of science left for you for when we get back. Phase Two of the Cosmic Lotus expedition has only just begun.”
Boyce entered his stateroom with a sigh of relief. Although Namatjira was definitely unhappy with him, his gambit had paid off. He gave the Equians some credit for rolling out their big guns for the meeting. Even though the Princesses had been most gracious and friendly, it was hard not to be in awe of the power that they radiated. The more that he learned about these ponies, the more he became fascinated with them. And the fact that they might hold the key to turning the tide against the Swarm was heartening after all the years they had spent merely trying to hold the line.
Rosepetal was already there, and she brought a mug of his favorite brew out and placed it on the coffee table. “How did it go with Admiral Namatjira?” she asked.
“I’ve burned through every favor after this by taking the risk that I did, but I think we’re cool now. He just didn’t like getting his nose rubbed in the fact that he had overreacted to the situation.” Boyce settled onto the sofa with a weary groan and picked up the mug. “I think that if the Equians hadn’t been able to identify the mystery energy and committed to study it to aid us, things might have turned out a bit differently.”
“I think the entire Federation will gain a lot from what the Equians can show us. Short of giving them warp drive technology, I don’t think they lack much that we could give them in return.”
“Maybe not even that. That Techbird person is scarily intelligent. She might figure it out for herself just from hints and what she can observe.”
Rosepetal chuckled. “Better make a deal fast before she does then.” She sat beside him and snuggled up to her husband with a soft purr. “Or maybe I can find a Sixthwife among them for you instead.”
Boyce gave his Firstwife a long stare. “Darling – I’m only human. I can barely cope with five of you, and then only because Zhane is normally stationed at Star Base Three.”
“I don’t hear you complaining though.”
“Never!” he replied and gave her a kiss. “Good thing those Rakshan deities gave me stamina to match a male Caitian as well, right?”
“Yes, and speaking of which, we might finally be able to get an answer to how they managed to change you so much.”
Boyce nodded and thoughtfully took a sip of his hot coffee before replying, “That may be true, but I long ago stopped caring. It gave me several beautiful children with mates whom I adore. I’m not going to question my good fortune.”
“Neither will I, but I’m still curious.”
“Curious as a cat.”
“I’m a Caitian, not a cat.”
“A difference that makes no difference, is no difference.”
“Hush, you, or I’ll not be so careful with my claws tonight in bed.”
“Promise?” Boyce asked with a leer.
Rosepetal rolled her eyes. “Humans!”
Wandering left Bluequill in charge of the Cosmic Lotus and Galena in charge of the changeling network while he was absent. The changeling princess was especially delighted to have full responsibility for the first time. Boyce assigned one of his ship’s larger auxiliary craft to watch over the Equian ship while the Pegasus headed toward the battle front with its two new observer/advisors. The Admiral allowed the two ponies onto the bridge as they departed, and Wandering and Starry were fascinated by the differences and similarities to their own ship. For starters, the bridge was much roomier than their own, but it also had several more stations where the crew monitored every aspect of the starship’s performance. It also had a highly polished look to it that indicated decades of development and refinement, while the Lotus was the first of its kind and had improvements made on the fly.
Many of the bridge crew had not seen the ponies in person up until then, and many a curious glance was sent their way. However, when Boyce gave the order to proceed, they became completely professional and attentive to their tasks.
Starry gasped when she saw the main screen display what seemed to be stars leaping towards them and passing at an incredible rate. “Are we really travelling light years in seconds?” she asked.
Boyce chuckled. “No, we’re not quite that fast. It’s an artefact of travel in hyperspace. No one is totally sure what all those pseudo-stars are, although some may indeed represent stellar objects. Navigation under these conditions is accomplished purely by instruments. The light effects are quite impressive though.”
“How fast can this ship go then?”
“Hmmm… I’m not permitted to tell you exactly the maximum speed of this starship, but to put it in perspective, the trip that took you ten years subjectively to make, and forty-two according to those on Equis, would take us only a few days.”
“Amazing. Did any of your species travel between the stars like we did?”
Boyce laughed. “If they had tried, they would probably be still on their way! We never came up with a good means of accelerating a solar sail type craft to close to the speed of light as you did. So, no. None of the Federation’s members left their home system before the advent of warp drive. Thankfully none attempted an Alcubierre drive, and treaties have been signed preventing its use as a weapon. I’m sure that our scientists are going to be fascinated with the technology… or magitek I suppose, that enabled your voyage.”
Starry grinned wryly. “Well, we’ve done it now, and I’m sure no one will be sad to move on to a faster-than-light drive. I may be immortal, but a decade is still a large chunk of my life.”
Boyce said, “Destined mentioned that you alicorns are ageless. May I ask how old you are?”
“Oh, Wandering and I are both youngsters by alicorn standards. We were both born 140 years ago, but due to relativistic time dilation, we’re actually only about 108. My mother and auntie are about fifteen hundred years old though.”
“Is that why they are so big?”
“Yeah. We keep growing, albeit very slowly.”
How many alicorns are there?”
“There are three more that you haven’t seen,” Wandering replied. “My uncle, Prince Shining Armor; his wife, Princess Cadance; and their daughter, Flurry Heart.”
“So few? How can a sub-species exist that way?”
“Well, while some are born, not all children of alicorns are also an alicorn. However, ponies can also ascend.”
“What do you mean by that?”
The stallion explained, “My mother, Twilight Sparkle, started life as a unicorn. She accomplished something unprecedented in magic and ascended to alicornhood. So did Uncle Shining, and Auntie Cadance ascended from a pegasus.”
“Does that happen very often?”
“Definitely not. However, alicorns seem to be born or ascend in times of great need. We serve the needs of Harmony, and we might not see another new alicorn for centuries.”
“I’m almost afraid to ask what you mean by serving the needs of Harmony. I can see that there’s going to be a lot to learn about your world and its people.”
Both alicorns laughed. “The feeling is mutual, Admiral,” Starry replied, “but that’s why we made this journey.”
“Now that is something we have in common,” Boyce said with matching good humor. “Anyhow, now that we are under way, may I offer you a tour of the ship? An official one this time,” he added with a pointed look at Wandering.
The male alicorn’s ears drooped and he gave a weak smile.
Starry chuckled at seeing her mate’s reaction and replied, “I think we would enjoy that, Admiral.”
“Excellent. Commander Silpurr – you have the bridge.”
“Aye, sir,” Rosepetal replied, taking the command chair that Boyce surrendered.
As they boarded the trans-lift, Boyce said, “Deck Three.”
The trans-lift disgorged them onto what proved to be the deck where the crew ate and recreated. With a crew of several hundred, this meant extensive facilities to keep the personnel happy and healthy. Boyce encouraged the ponies to take advantage of anything that took their fancy.
“Won’t they question our presence?” Wandering asked.
“Those Fleet combadges that I gave you automatically allow you to go anywhere that you’re authorized to do so,” Boyce said, pointing out the plain gold badges pinned to their uniforms. “Those are usually reserved for ambassadors and other dignitaries, which essentially matches your official designation. So the only thing that you will have to deal with is the curiosity of the crew.”
Starry replied, “That’s fine with us, Admiral. It will give us the opportunity to get to know each other and make some more friends. After all, friendship is magic.”
Boyce chuckled. “Now that kind of magic I understand! Anyway, considering the food that you provided for us at the party, I’m sure that you will be able to find something adequate for your needs and desires, although you may want to consult with the cooks if you have any special requirements. That said, my wives have invited you to dine with us for this evening’s meal.”
“We’d be delighted to accept,” Starry said without hesitation.
“Excellent! I’ll let Forestwalker know – shi wants to prepare something special. By the way, Rosepetal requires meat in her diet – will that bother you? There did not seem to be much concern at the party.”
“We grew up around griffons, Admiral. I doubt that anything any of you could do would be worse than their everyday table manners. Besides, we Paths are known to partake of lean meat occasionally too. We have weird parents.”
With that sorted out, the tour continued. Boyce showed them all the non-classified sections of the ship and the room that was to be theirs for the duration of the trip before ending up at his stateroom. As it was close to the end of shift, it was simpler to go there directly. He let them into the living room and said, “Make yourselves comfortable. I’m just going to check in with the bridge first. By the aroma that I can smell coming from the galley, I think Forestwalker has the food well under way. I’ll let hir know you’re here.”
“Whatever it is, it smells delicious,” Starry said as Boyce headed for the galley.
Moments later, Forestwalker emerged, smiling happily upon seeing hir guests. Shi wore nothing but a kitchen apron that had printed on it: ‘KISS THE COOK IF YOU WANT TO BE FED.’
“Welcome to our home away from home. Feel free to remove your uniforms, if you wish. We’re very informal in the privacy of our quarters.”
Wandering glanced at Starry before replying, “You’ve seen for yourself on the Cosmic Lotus our idea of informal, and we’ve seen what it’s like on the Pegasus. Are you sure about that?”
Forestwalker grinned and indicated hir apron. “Let me put it this way – I’m currently overdressed. I’m only wearing this for protection in the kitchen.”
“Okay, it would be nice to get out of uniform.”
Both ponies lit up their horns and their ship uniforms opened at the seams to allow them to simply step out of them. Forestwalker watched the procedure with a grin on hir face.
“I never get tired of watching you do things like that. You can put your clothes over on the shelf by the door.”
The alicorns’ magic folded the uniforms and levitated them onto said shelf before they turned their attention back to the chakat.
“So – do we really have to give you a kiss in order to eat here?” Wandering asked with a grin.
“If I’m doing the cooking – you bet! I’m quite into hugs too.”
Starry said, “Ponies are known to be incurable huggers, Forestwalker.”
“Then for the furthering of beneficial relationships between our species, I insist that we hug!” the chakat said emphatically. Shi crouched down and opened hir arms to welcome them in.
Starry and Wandering accepted the invitation and they had had a warm three-way hug. Then both kissed hir on the cheek, making the chakat giggle.
Boyce walked in at that moment, having taken the opportunity to divest himself of his uniform top in favor of a T-shirt. He rolled his eyes and smirked. “I figured you were up to something when I saw you wearing that apron, Forest.”
“Worked fine on you too,” shi pointed out unabashed.
“But I don’t need an excuse,” he retorted as he leaned down to kiss hir.
Forestwalker giggled again and smooched him back.
Both ponies were a bit bemused by this much more relaxed human. Admiral Kline was far more formal than their current host. He noticed their looks and smiled reassuringly.
“I wasn’t exaggerating when I said we are informal in the privacy of these quarters. We make it a strict point to keep family and work separate. It makes for a clear delineation of when to be relaxed and when to be strict members of Star Fleet. With that in mind, please call me Boyce.”
Wandering said, “Call me Wandering or Wander for short.”
“I’m still just Starry – it’s short enough already,” the alicorn mare added.
“Great! Starry, Wander – can I offer you a drink? I have a fine selection of wines and spirits.”
“How about hard ciders?” Wandering asked.
“I have an apple cider brewed on Flinders Continent on Chakona that I quite like.”
“Sounds good. I’ll try that.”
“Make that two,” Starry said.
“I’ll get back to my cooking while you three chat,” Forestwalker said, padding off in the direction of the galley.
Boyce went over to a large cupboard which opened to reveal a small wine rack, mini-fridge, and shelves with spirits and liqueurs. He found the bottle that he was looking for and selected three glasses which he proceeded to fill with the cider. He then brought two of the glasses over and placed them on the table in front of his guests. Wandering and Starry picked up one each in their magic as Boyce went back for the final glass which he raised and said, “To your good health.”
“I’ll drink to that,” Wandering replied with a smile, and they each drank some of the amber liquid.
“Mmm, that’s nice,” Starry said. “Almost as good as the cider that they brew at Sweet Apple Acres.”
“I take it that they’re big in the cider business?” Boyce asked.
“In the apple business, actually. If it has to do with apples, they have a hoof in it. Best in Equestria, and perhaps all of Equis. The Apples are friends of the family too.”
“Then I’m glad that ours compares favorably.” Boyce settled down in a chair. “Midnight, Rosepetal, and M’Lai should be joining us soon. Meanwhile, is there anything more that we can do to make you comfortable?”
“I think that Starry and I are pretty happy with things as they are,” Wandering said with a glance at Starry to confirm that opinion. She nodded and he continued, “It’s a big turnaround from our previous encounters.”
Boyce grimaced. “Yes – Forest isn’t going to let me live that down for a long time. Facing Admiral Namatjira was nothing in comparison.”
“Never argue with your wife,” Starry said with a mischievous grin.
“I know. That’s a lesson you’d think I’d have learned by now. Anyway, I was wondering if you’re still experiencing that aversion to humans. You may have noticed that there are a fair number among the crew.”
“Constant exposure has dulled it to nearly unnoticeable levels. Don’t worry about it.”
“Did it affect the Princesses too?” Boyce asked curiously.
“Both Celestia and Luna have lived too long and seen too much to be bothered by it. They barely noticed it. Des and Mama Twilight made sure they had a good look at a human before they had to interact with any. They were able to mentally prepare for the encounter.”
“When did they get to see a human? I thought that they teleported straight over to the conference room from the Cosmic Lotus? Or did they just look at a picture?”
“I modelled one for them,” Wandering admitted.
The human blinked in surprise. “You have an atavistic fear of us but still shape-changed into one?”
Wandering snorted a laugh. “Yeah – and strangely I felt fine with that.”
“You have a pretty amazing talent there. How many other ponies can do that?”
“Shape-changing is a high-level spell, and only the most talented unicorns can master it. As for me – I cheat because of my genes; it comes naturally to me.”
“It’s an incredible feat though – Midnight tells me that hir scanner could not tell the difference from a real chakat,” Boyce said as the entrance to the stateroom opened.
“Alicorn-level shape-changing. It’s my special talent.”
“I’d like to put that to the test,” said M’Lai who had just walked in on the conversation.
“Welcome home, dear,” Boyce said, getting up to give her a kiss. “But try not to let your curiosity bother our guest.”
Wandering chuckled. “I’m sure we’ll find plenty of time to indulge the doctor.”
“Thank you,” the tall Caitian said. “You can call me just M’Lai. Pardon me while I change into something more comfortable.” She paused at the galley doorway to sniff for a moment before saying, “Something smells good.”
“You’re not getting a sample yet, Lai!” Forestwalker was heard to reply with a chuckle.
M’Lai pouted a little and headed off to change.
Both Starry and Wandering’s ears had swiveled in the direction of the galley, and they grinned at the interaction.
“This is so like our own family back on Equis, it’s making me a little homesick,” Starry said.
“They sound like good people to know,” Boyce replied. “I hope that I get the opportunity to meet them someday.”
“Are you sure that you’d survive?” Wandering asked.
Boyce’s eyebrow arched in puzzlement. “What do you mean?”
“A whole world that runs on magic – how would you cope with that?” the stallion asked with a smirk.
Boyce rolled his eyes. “Okay – I deserved that. But it’s not easy when your entire worldview is turned upside-down.”
“Tell me about it! We’ve gone through some very radical re-thinks over the course of this voyage.”
“I’m happy that we are getting the chance to restart our relationship. Still, things could have been worse.”
“I heard that you initially went to war with the Rakshani when you encountered each other. I’m glad that you found peace. It reminds me of how Equestria and Griffonia once were enemies. Now Griffonians vie for the honor of being part of the army of the strongest nation on Equis, or even a Canterlot Royal Guard. It was a matter of understanding them and adapting to their needs.”
“That sounds very much like what happened with us and the Rakshani. Our mutual experiences will hopefully smooth future relationships between our peoples.”
The stateroom door opened to admit Rosepetal and Midnight. They greeted their guests and both gave Boyce a nuzzle.
“Whose turn is it to cook tonight?” Midnight asked.
“Forest’s,” Boyce replied. “Judging by M’Lai’s reaction to the smell, I think shi’s making hir tuna casserole.”
Rosepetal’s smile grew. “Ooh, yes! My mouth is watering already. I had better get changed quickly.”
Midnight grinned. “Don’t worry, Rose – I’ll guard your portion from M’Lai.”
There was a round of laughter before the two wives went to change out of their uniforms and freshen up before the meal.
“So – do you all take turns to cook, despite being high-ranking officers?” Wandering asked.
Boyce nodded. “Yes – even me. Not that we do it every night, but we all cook for the entire family on a regular basis. It’s a good reminder that we are all equals in this relationship, and besides, we all have our favorites that we like to have more often. My specialty is Buffalo Wings.”
Wandering and Starry both looked surprised.
“Buffalos have wings on your world?” Starry asked.
Boyce chuckled. “No, they are actually chicken wings, but they’re called that because the recipe originated from a place called Buffalo in New York in what used to be known as the United States of America. That nation is long gone, but the dish remains popular.”
“Oh – that makes sense. I was having a hard time picturing a buffalo with wings.”
“Yes, it’s nothing like a pony with wings, is it?” Boyce asked drolly.
“Touché,” Wandering said with a smirk in Starry’s direction.
“You speak French too?” Boyce asked.
“It’s Prench, actually,” Wandering replied, intrigued that the human had recognized the word.
Boyce looked puzzled. “There are too many coincidences like that coming up.”
“I agree,” The stallion replied. “I have a feeling that it might all be part of the Answer that Techbird has been seeking for most of her life.”
“Let me know if she ever figures it out.”
They continued making small talk until all the others emerged from their rooms. M’Lai was wearing a skirt and a halter top to contain her generous endowments. Midnight also had a halter that was more like a sports bra in that it firmly contained hir more modest-sized breasts. Rosepetal came out wearing a loose-fitting robe which she explained was common casual wear for both genders back on Cait.
Forestwalker announced that dinner was ready and they all gathered around the dining table. Boyce had arranged to have a couple of pony-suitable chairs to be supplied, and Wandering and Starry were quite comfortable. Forestwalker entered with a huge baking dish which shi placed in the middle of the table.
“Boyce, dear, would you serve our guests while I fetch the salad?”
“Of course.” He looked at the ponies and asked, “I know that you said that you have had the occasion to eat meat, so will this fish be okay? Or do you want to stick to the salad?”
“Fish is fine with us,” Wandering replied. “It smells delightful.”
Starry added, “Pegasi are generally fond of fish, and as alicorns are part pegasus, we all tend to like it too.”
“I think Mom is practically addicted to smoked salmon,” Wandering said with a grin.
“Aha! That information will come in useful during tense negotiations,” Boyce said with an evil chuckle.
“Down, Evil Overlord!” Forest scolded as shi brought in a large bowl full of tossed salad.
There was a round of laughter before they all began their meal.
Starry and Wandering showered and combed each other’s manes before preparing to go to bed.
“If you ask me, I think that dinner did more towards good relationships between us than the party,” Starry said.
“An intimate family meal does have its advantages. That’s why House Path’s Informal Friday has lasted as a tradition all these decades. Everyone can let their mane down and be more natural.”
“So – can you see Equis being part of the Federation one day?”
“I don’t see why not. Unless we learn something drastically negative about it, that seems to be a logical step. However, that’s not up to either of us to decide. It’s also a bit quick. Like I said a while back – these kind of things normally take months or even years to sort through. We might be giving them a bit of priority due to their problems with the Swarm, but otherwise there are many aspects that need to be addressed first. Thankfully I don’t have to muddle through that. I just want to explore the worlds that have been opened up to us now.”
“Do you really think that we can do something about this Swarm?”
“Maybe. First we have to see for ourselves what is happening. We can’t rely totally on the Federation’s point of view alone. However, in a few days, we warrior-scholars may have to put aside our scholarly pursuits and fight on behalf of our new friends, and right now I can’t see any real reason why we should not.”
# # # # # # # # #
A word on Federation ranks. For those of you who might not be familiar with the Chakat Universe, Earth went through what became known as the Gene Wars which basically was World War III. Whole nations ceased to exist such as the U.S.A., and humanity itself came close to extinction. After rebuilding civilization, new countries arose which did things a lot differently in many instances. One of these is the naval ranking system that Americans may be familiar with. The Stellar Federation uses a slightly different system. With regards to the rank of Admiral, there are three levels - Fleet, Port, and Grand Admiral. The Federation is divided into sectors, and each has a fleet assigned to it. A Fleet Admiral is in charge of one fleet, and operates from a mobile base. Boyce is a Fleet Admiral of the First Fleet that encompasses Earth and Chakona among others, and his mobile base is the flagship, Pegasus, which is the largest starship type in Star Fleet, equivalent to an aircraft carrier. Namatjira is a Port Admiral, and he is in charge of coordinating all the fleets, and he operates from a fixed base (a port). Grand Admiral Tirarsk is the head of everything related to Star Fleet including his sub-admirals, the training academy, coordinating with the Star Corps, and of course dealing with the Federation Council. There is only one Grand Admiral and Port Admiral, and only one Fleet Admiral per fleet. There are no Lieutenant Admirals – this role is filled by Commodores.
The title of this chapter has a double meaning. Sometimes I think I'm clever. 
Many thanks as always to Airy Words for his feedback.
The alicorns art is by Kat Miller a.k.a. Foxenawolf.
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*ROFLMAO* OOOOOO I love the reaction when the port admiral walked into the room.
This role is filled by The Commodores?
So, close harmony soul during celebratory parties? Or popular with the common household for their computational assistance, and extra popular with the ultra nerds for the personal computaional assistant that they keep buried because its too good?
Look ma, celebrations and thanksgivings. Its like its Chrstmas or something.
Hmm with all that's going on I wonder if a certain cranky captain and his family will be making an appearance ?
8624261
It's a big galaxy, unfortunately he's probably busy on the other side of it, working on his colonies. Though, technically, given some of the later evidence, it should probably be 'hir' now.
8624348
Now that would depend on where in the timeline the lotus showed up now wouldn't it?
Hope the Council gives that Port Admiral a ton lashing for almost starting another war
8624348
8624354
Are we talking about the Folly?
And if so, when did the change of sex occur? I thought I'd read all of the stories about that ship.
8624477
It happens after the pirate attack that breaks folly's spine another gift from the traveler.
8624486
The short story is called "Powerless". There's also the story To Snare a Firebird, which takes place somewhat later still, and has a call made to hir.
I was wondering, Goldfur. just Where in the chakat universe does this story fall? within the already published stories, or in the future of them? Because I see a lack of their kids in this chapter. although I do realize they are at war. there isn't even a mention of them being back on earth.
8624698
From what I remember of the Forest Tales stories, this would be set in the future of the series, after the family would have moved to Chakona, which is why Boyce is so concerned with the Swarm getting there.
8625241
Sounds Logical. wouldn't mind knowing what the kids are doing!!! *WolfGrin*
8624698
Goldfur and Forestwalker's family move to Chakona on 6 June 2334. Forestwalker chooses to shift hir career path to Star Fleet to be with Boyce. Because shi does not take the officer's course, hir training time is kept to a minimum, and the family looks after hir children during that time. After being assigned to the Pegasus, hir children spend part of the time on the starship with hir, and the rest of the time back on Chakona. When the Swarm arrives mid 2337 and a state of war declared, all children on the Pegasus are removed to their home worlds. However, that is many years later. Twenty-one years later, the Cosmic Lotus arrives. That puts it in the future of everything except the Stargazer stories.
8625250
Thanks!!!! Happy Holidays to you! (I'm in the US so Christmas is around the corner for us)
8625253
I'm pretty sure Christmas is just around the corner for our friends Down Under, as well.
They still celebrate it on Dec. 25th -- they just don't get the snow to go along with it, since it's summer down there. 
8625320
And we get to celebrate it before you folk in the US do as well.
But yeah, it's the first third of Summer here, and we're getting temperatures close to the 40 degree celcius mark currently, depending where you are in Australia. Great for backyard barbecues and beach days, but hard on the electricity bills, with air-con going almost 24/7, if you have it. But we do think it's better than being buried in snow for a day to get out and have fun! 
I wouldn't mind seeing a reverse picture of what that admirals face looked like when He saw the Luna, Tia, and destined
8624477
Neal was transformed several times. Its in Second Chances.
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9807289/
Neal is Changed in this one also
http://www.furry.org.au/chakat/Stories/ToSnareAFirebird.html
8625250
Sooo....we're going to get a chakaverse story about the move to Chakona?
I could do with another chapter before Christmas - be it this crossover or a pure chakaverse or ponyverse story...
I like your titular wordplay. I've noticed it in other chapters too, but this one was just as good if not better.
Not unlike the chapter itself!
Keep up the good work. Kudos!
Would like to see Captain Neil's take on both the Swarm and The Lotus... Thumbs way up so far. keep up the great story telling Goldfur.
Namatjira was in for quite the surprise. It was great seeing him dragged down a peg. Celestia certainly has that effect on others - being calm and collected can work wonders.
So, Starry and Wandering are about to experience the front of the war. That won't be pretty, but they'll at least get first-hand (hoof) experience in what's going on and understand at least some of the reactions thus far.
8653705
Hence why I said really old, heh.
Well Goldfur, you never cease to impress. I've loved your stories since discovering Chakats den many many years ago. (I believe the latest chapter at that time was chapter 3 or 4 of Forest Tales.) I was wondering how or if you were going to merge your different universes. Loving it so far.
8626817
Now that would be interesting!
I've stopped reading here to say that this is a marvelous story, well done.
Next chapter:
Yes, yes. I know this didn't happen, isn't going to happen, but more like how it might have gone down in a slightly more twisted time line.
The Swarm are clearly... Uncaring Bears! From an evil parallel dimension! And they all have goatees!
She not shi thats just annoying me
9050608
Did you read the reason why it's "shi", not "she"?
9516561
Probably not, which is why it bothers them.
8624477
I know that this is an older post, but the site here has all the most recent stories involving a certain cranky captain and his extended family. It should be noted that the story has been rebooted, but the original version is still available.