Of Starships and Golden Armors

by Devona

Act I, Chapter 3: Developments - Part 1

Luna watched as the creature slowly disappeared inside the metallic container, shrouded by the shadows inside. In this moment of silence, she could not cease to marvel at how capable it was. Images from before flashed in her mind, first its composure, then agility, and finally...

The moment of attack. What the alien was hit with was most probably a concentrated magic beam, and it just shrug it off like it was nothing, without any lasting effect. Luna shuddered at the sheer thought of that; a reaction like this gave her the vibe of her sister, Starswirl the Bearded, maybe King Sombra all that time ago. Such a beam wasn't any ultimate weapon, but no reaction at all definitely granted a place in the pantheon of Equusian legends, at least if assembled in terms of pure power. The creature was knocked back, sure, but it was still quite impressive. If all members of this species were that durable, then the matter at hand might definitely prove... most peculiar.

As rustling ceased to fill Luna's ears, she finally found the will to turn around, and with relief discovered that the Royal Guards were done getting into formation, the grey-coated rogue unicorn still floating by Night Lightning's side in his petrified form. The masquerade was over, it was safe to look again. Marvellous. Truly marvellous.

As the final pieces of equipment were tallied and double-checked, Luna saw Celestia leave the living flock that was the Guard contingents and head straight towards her with an honest smile, contrasting greatly with her tired and yet genuinely relieved eyes.

"Admiring our new guest, Lulu?" she asked, getting to Luna's side. The Lunar Princess rolled her eyes.

"I am just thinking, sister. Perhaps we are a bit too open? Have you seen its reaction to the magic beam?"

"I have seen it, and I'm glad it didn't try to hurt us as a response," Celestia chuckled.

"You know what I mean, Tia," huffed Luna. "Do you really trust it already?"

Celestia sighed. "And you don't?"

"It is too early, we have only just met."

"Exactly," Celestia nodded. "We cannot restrain it just because it might be dangerous. So far, we gave it one perfect reason to attack, and yet it decided not to."

"I still think it would be wiser to be careful, sister," replied Luna. "If what we have seen is any indication, then the creature's prowess is something not to be reckoned with," she paused, looking at the treeline in front of her in thought. "I do not wish to antagonize it, but perhaps we should at least ask its purpose? We know nothing about it."

"It gave us its purpose," replied Celestia smiling, as she embraced her sister with her giant wing. Luna looked at Celestia with a confused frown. "It stated its priority was to go back. It means that, just as you said, it crashed."

"Oh... right. But how do we know it is truthful?"

"We don't, but that's something we cannot fix for now," Celestia rubbed Luna with her muzzle before retracting her wing. "I appreciate your concerns, Lulu, and you're right, but for now we should also make a good face. There will be time for questions during the trek - a time we will certainly use," Celestia winked.

"So what shall we do once in the Castle?"

"We'll give it a quarter, but separated from the public and under watch. I agree that we should be careful, but we need to try and establish good relations. A... lot might depend on this," replied Celestia. She almost shuddered at the thought.

"But there is also a lot to gain," Luna sighed. "I'm sorry, sister," she added after a moment. "This is all simply too confusing..."

"We couldn't have prepared for this, Lulu. But I'd say we handled the situation pretty well so far," answered Celestia, chuckling. Luna smiled. "I'm confused too. We know nothing about it, but this will change. Let's hope we are both capable of facing the alien if the need arises, and how our species will get along, only time will tell."

Before the talk could continue, a bright light emerged from behind a mountain top, which had previously hidden it from Equestrian west, and forced Celestia to turn her head away. "Speaking of time, let's hope our guest is ready to depart soon," she stated calmly, moving to shield herself from the blinding sun.

"And that it does agree to come with us. It has not stated its response just yet," replied Luna, taking a look at the alien contraption. "But I believe we shall not worry about the former." Celestia followed her sister's gaze.

There, in the middle of the clearing, the same black blob from before scrambled out of the machine, before turning towards it once again. Celestia winced as the alien proceeded to devastate presumbaly its own creation, making a few small metal plates fall off.

But demolished it did not get. Before she knew it, the process of destruction was over, and yet far from complete. Only one or two parts of debris joined their kin on the ground, as now the creature searched for something in their former place with one its limbs.

Oh, Celestia thought with a sigh. A relief to be sure. Maybe we will be able to get along... Just maybe.

It wasn't long before the alien achieved its goal, pulling out a small rectangular bag with some markings on the sides, its contents hard to judge. Then, with a hiss, it opened a... hole in its back, right next to the cannon-like machinery, and put the pouch inside.

Uh, it must be a type of device. Admittedly, it does look a bit more shiny than the rest of its body...

The creature then went on to repeat the process with two more similar packages and a weird transparent cylinder, before shutting the small hatch and finally heading towards the waiting Princesses, covering rather large distances with each step... for a bipedal creature, that is. The sisters exchanged uneasy glances.

Well, this was it. Truly this time. If the alien agrees to leave the Everfree with the ponies, then the first part of the affair can pretty much be declared over. Successful. Somewhat. If it doesn't though, the case may become... problematic. So far time, although certainly not an ally, seemed to be content not causing larger problems. Sadly, this was now changing. Rapidly. Very rapidly.

Celestia already had a few modes of action pre-planned if she had to negotiate, but that lack of time meant she had to be quick. And ruled out many possible concessions.

If there was any moment the thousand-year experience in diplomacy could be useful, it was now. More than ever.

Meanwhile, the creature had already mostly covered the distance separating it from the Princesses, and was just making the final steps. Wincing its head almost unnoticeably, it soon broke the echoing silence.

"I am happy to announce that my superiors have given a green light. The... government wishes to establish diplomatic relations with... with the..." the alien stuttered.

But Celestia didn't notice. All was gone now.

Was this true?
Just one thing. One revelation.

'The government wishes to establish relations...'

Celestia released a breath she didn't even realise she'd been holding, as waves of immense relief travelled through her body almost making her lose feeling. It was over. It really was. A short endeavor, but oh how important.

But no. It wasn't completely over, not yet. Not just yet. After a while, Celestia finally pictured what the being had said and went on to fill the blank space.

"With the Kingdom of Equestria," she finished for the creature with an involuntary smile. "And what government might that be, pray tell? Forgive me, but I would at least like to know who I am negotiating with when doing so."

"It would be the Republic of Sol," the alien responded after a while. It wasn't long enough to raise a red flag for Celestia, but she made a mental note to remember the reaction regardless. "Although you can probably expect more to express interest over time."

"I see. Now, I understand you are ready to march off? Forgive me, but time is of the essence today."

"I am," the creature replied. "But there is a condition. My pod has to be taken with us." Luna sent it a confused look, her head slightly tilted. Celestia was sure she could hear the alien sigh. "The... mechanism... construct... there in the center," it said pointing at the metallic cylinder.

Celestia tapped her chin. They had to take it anyway, she couldn't allow something like this to be discovered, that one thing was certain. The small shrapnel could be left, it may be anything after all, but not such a gargantuan piece of technology. The problem was, if the 'pod' was so important for the being, it would probably demand to have constant access to it once in the Castle, and that complicated things, especially as they had no idea what it really was. But on the other hand, truth be told, it was something that could very well have been predicted. Deciding it'd be better to think it all over while on the move not to waste time, Celestia put her hoof back on the ground.

"That could be arranged. Let us," she said, smiling. Following her train of thought, Luna turned around and gestured at a group of unicorn guards to come. It went better than expected, and soon the entire contraption was floating above the pony contingents.

"Now," continued Celestia, as she turned and walked towards the treeline. "I think everything is ready, so we should set off at once. Welcome to Equestria... mister?"

"Yes, mister. Stanley Martin, Lieutenant Colonel," the alien replied blankly. Not resentfully, just completely neutrally. Only now did Celestia really notice that detail: every time it spoke, the tone was almost the same, very formal, barely any emotions heard. She decided to ignore that for now though, as the alien had already reached her side. It could've been natural for them, after all. Not necessarily something bad.

With these thoughts, Celestia resumed her trot, cathing up to her sister who had already entered the lush vegetation.

---

Communications. Working in the section on a warship is one thing, not comparable to how the job looks on designated stations. Outposts. Bases. Zones.

All these things, whether it be a comm center floating in interplanetary space or a small part of a military installation, spend their whole days on massive data transfers, reorganisation of orders, relaying them here and there, and back again, to archives and the High Command. Calling anything and everything about everything, but most importantly, reducing chaos in force coordination. Reducing to zero.

But now, all of that changed. Now, in the morning hours Capital Universal Time, many, many comm centers received a simultaneous order.

All ongoing undertakings were handed over to unaffected bureaus. They were to contact the Cyanosian Empire.

Which basically meant bombarding them with calls until they respond.

Data networks were established for coordination, and the daunting job began.

At first, it was decided to focus on embassies and military units already stationed near the frontlines, as well as stations manned by Cyanosian crews. Option one failed quickly, as it had already been tried, even in person. The stations and ships either ignored the calls or gave laconic replies, the likes of 'personnel here is not authorised to make a response'. With unwavering determination, the bombardment moved on to its next targets.

These were, of course, larger Cyanosian facilities. Their colonies, administration centers, military installations inside their territories, Cyanosian equivalents of comm stations, even the capital ecumenopolis of Kuher itself, but it wielded similar results. Still determined, the people of Communications worked on.

On the fifth day, a news rocked through the section that a certain officer, Edward Lockham, had made indirect contact with a Cyanosian ambassador, but not to any state, but the Coalition High Command's Civilian Advisor Council instead, and was told he'd be granted the desired information. Whether the story was true, noone knew, but brief cheering ensued anyway. But as hours passed, then days, no official update came, and soon enough someone bright distributed data once and for all disproving the existence of Edward Lockham. Unshaken, the Communications section continued its work.

On day seven, the Secretary of State for Intelligence tapped into the network and announced, that 'if a gigantic military communications structure cannot contact anyone in an enormous empire, then it's no wonder the Cyanosians do not cooperate.' Asked how he imagines they should do it, he said to 'call the civvies.' And so call the civvies they did. Multiple times.

On day eight, the Sarlaan Ingenious Monarchy joined in on the party, contributing their own officers. And so, the section's internal network got expanded by nearly a hundred percent. And so did their resources.

On day nine, another news rocked Communications.
Contact had been made with a Cyanosian border outpost, and the line is still on!
After previous experiences, cheering was limited, but champagne did explode after an update came - an update that they were now all to boost the connection and not let it fall.

But hours passed, then a day, and nothing changed. The connection was still on, yes, and occassional talks occured, so they didn't regress. But nor did they advance. Tensed, the Communications section waited, their resolve still unwavering.

---

Sunlight shone brightly through the green canopy as Stanley kept moving through the dense forest. His companions, a total of forty seven aliens, had asked him to walk at the very front of the column next to the two 'Princesses', and so that was exactly where he now stood. At first, the trooper was about to object, as in his eyes this was nothing less than a direct order from an unauthorised person, but ultimately suppressed the desire and agreed, deciding that something so insignificant was not harmful at all - especially as the vegetation around them was, in some places, incredibly dense, to the point where it was hard to see anything hidden even a few meters behind it. Naturally, various escape plans already flooded Stanley's mind.

The trooper sighed with resignation. They had only just left the crash site, and he already wanted to act like he was in the field. It was nothing unexpected, and at its core wasn't a bad thing - Stanley highly doubted he could ever forgive himself if he let his guard down - but even the sheer difficulty he had making some sentences sound formal meant his new job would be a hard one. There seemed to be a reason he wasn't a diplomat after all. A reason besides his de facto birthplace.

A metallic debris impaled into a trunk briefly brought Stanley out of his thoughts, forcing him to lower his head. He had wondered how much damage his drop had caused, and even though the scanners had already given him the answer, this was the first time he got a broader picture - the damages were substantial, but luckily irrelevant. Which was a relief. Unless these aliens valued nature differently than most of the galaxy.

Ehhh... I really hope the Corps arrive here ASAP

To be fair though, even Stanley was competent enough to see this was likely not the case - the horses paid little attention to their surroundings, both now and back in the clearing, and no damages were even mentioned during his talk with Celestia and Luna. Of course, they could've just omitted it on purpose to gain his (or, more likely, his species') favor, but this was highly unlikely - overall, their reaction just didn't suggest that might've been the case.

But cultural differences may not always be that easy to judge, especially with little experience in the matter besides common knowledge.

Stepping over a fallen trunk, Stanley took some time to analyze his new companions. Just left of him, leading the column, were Celestia and Luna, who he'd already had the opportunity to talk with. Stanley knew little about either of them, forcing him to weight his words, but it wasn't like their situation was any different. What he could make out however was that they were both diarchs - which they had explicitly mentioned, so he couldn't have just misinterpreted what they said. And that was weird - why would any ruler ever go in person into potential danger? There had to be something more to it. Something he had yet to figure out. For now Stanley could go with a little less knowledge than he'd desire, as his orders were basically to lay ground for the negotiations proper - and as the aliens were definitely in a hurry, questions could wait a while more. No need to anger them.

But a while's a while. And it would not last forever.

Turning even more to his left, Stanley's sight was filled by a bright blue aura. In it, the grey equine from before floated... paralyzed? Petrified? Either way, trapped. A similar aura also encased the horn of another alien - a large, equally grey horse a bit ahead of the main column, adorned with reptile eyes and bat-like wings. These last characteristics placed it within one of the main groups (subspecies, maybe?) of the aliens Stanley had managed to make out. And the most peculiar one, at that, as none of the features suited the race's equine nature. Evolutionary leftovers, probably, or adaptations to something Stanley couldn't come up with, but the sight was still quite peculiar. Even in a galaxy of a million worlds, this was about as unique as one could get.

In other aspects though, the horse blended in quite nicely with its kin, standing out only due to its slightly larger size and a more ornate armor. Despite that, something about it was just... menacing, somehow. One could tell it wasn't a newbie, but why, Stanley couldn't say. A scar? No. Damaged armor? Hah! Never. Just something. Something in sight, something in scent, something in the noise... just something somewhere.

Heh, thought Stanley. Seems like Jona just got himself a new friend. Not even knowing it.

How that aura of experience translated to actual performance was, of course, a whole another topic. Obviously, Stanley couldn't find much to back his assumptions with, but just by looking at the horses' armor, his guess was that probably poorly.

From time to time, the grey alien turned around in its march, showing something to the rest of the column. Out of formation, positioned with the leadership, giving 'orders'... certainly a commander of sorts.

And a commander of a force, that is. A truly... mighty force.

Truly... actually truly. Or not.

Stanley had serious problems forging his opinion about these 'soldiers'. He mentally went through the intelligence gathering training, re-training and almost seven decades of experience, but nothing seemed to apply. His options were too limited, considering his situation and orders, and he quickly realized that what he'd experienced so far may be everything he'll have to work with for a while. Unless he manages to get something out of the Princesses in the near future, that is.

For now though, there was only so much he could conclude.

For starters, the alien armor was pathetic. There was no doubt about that - pathetic, period. It was golden, the worst substance to use - heavy and soft, limiting mobility and offering little protection. For a while, Stanley had doubted the nature of this material, even despite years of working with gold in other applications, because it was simply hard to believe someone would actually go with it. These doubts had however faded when Selina confirmed his suspicions - it was gold. Not all of it, but a significant portion.

That, coupled with the fact that the only weapons he'd seen so far were simple spears (and not that well designed at that), meant that this race - or at least this faction - was not experienced in warfare.

Or they were, and this was just a representative company with little combat value. But why send a representative company to contain an alien life form? It doesn't make sense...?

Well, excluding billions of possible cultural differences that may've very well caused that, as they basically determine the core of every reaction after all, one theory immediately found its way to Stanley's mind.

Everything instantly starts making sense if one simultaneously positions the proper force in cover, granting themselves a distraction while not nullifying overall combat capabilities.

Which, surprise, was what the aliens did, in the form of the dark-armored bat-equines now walking next to their golden brethren. And this time, according to Selina, their plating was devoid of asinine material choices.

But they still carried spears, indicating low technological level of this species. Most likely. Or maybe it was all a representative force.

Stanley sighed under his helmet, careful not to give any reaction away for now. It was all just speculations, with any means to confirm them a long way off. Still, they were necessary.

What wasn't speculation however was Stanley's second observation.

The energy beam. The damn energy beam. Such a weapon was something he himself would happily work with, as a possible choice that is. But the worst part was that, according to the admiral, it was not technology per se. It was an 'ability', whatever that meant, and Stanley had no way of knowing what else it could be used for. Nikolai claimed it was nigh-incomprehensibly powerful, but in what way, he failed to say.

So he had no idea if the force before him was an accurate representation of equine military potential and thus couldn't really decisively confirm their technological prowess. In addition, the capabilities of that force were impossible to determine anyway, as the unknown factor successfully prevented that.

Brilliant, damn it.

At least supposedly Selina had some information about this 'ability' the laser beam had been created with. Stanley may not have known a lot about these aliens, but he knew perfectly well he would assault the AI with questions as soon as he got an opportunity - an opportunity that both suits him and doesn't hurt the mission.

So certainly not now.

Soon the debris beneath Stanley's feet all but disappeared and the ground became much less rugged. Damaged trees also vanished, replaced by their much healthier and more majestic counterparts, as the column gradually entered a new area of the forest, one untouched by Stanley's drop. Crossing a few more enormous bushes, the group came into a fine gap between the gigantic trees, a natural path of sorts. The sun shone even brighter through their sparse upper branches.

Looking at the small, creased plants on the ground, Stanley concluded the aliens were probably going back the way they came.

After all the 'guards' had firmly entered the new area and were once again surely marching forward, Celestia cleared her throat.

"I think it's now safe to say we are firmly under way," she stated with a smile, supposedly to both Luna and the trooper, but it was quite clear to Stanley he was the only true recipient.

"How long do you think it will take? To reach the... 'Castle'?" he asked calmly, looking at the Princess.

"We should arrive at the forest's edge before the sun reaches it's zenith. The way to the Castle will be about as long," Celestia answered. Stanley nodded quietly, prompting an awkward silence, broken only by the indigo Princess.

"So... thou had mentioned you wished to establish relations with our Kingdom, but how exactly does your government wish for the affair? Might we expect more of your kind will come?" she asked a little too quietly, whether because of shyness or the desire to conceal the conversation. Luckily, Stanley's enhanced receivers were more than enough to catch it.

"Yes, the Diplomatic Corps are already underway, but it will take some time," the trooper stated matter-of-factly. "Interstellar travel may sometimes... take a while", he lied, deciding it was better not to start his mission with the reveal of humanity's, and the Coalition's as a whole, biggest weakness. It will yet be due time to tell them the real reason. Actually, as Stanley thought about it, that time was likely not so far away.

Celestia looked like she was about to inquire further, but was quickly interrupted by Luna. "Interstellar?" she asked, much more vividly. "Art thou saying your origin is besides our own... sun?"

Stanley could not help but smirk a little. That was huge. Now, the answer was of course obvious. That is, it would be obvious to any race that had achieved space age, or even just atomic age. On the other hand, the Princess seemed to be aware of the existence of solar systems, which, coupled with the info from before, significantly narrowed down the possibilities of their knowledge level, at least in astronomy.

Heh, thought Stanley. Maybe I'm not the worst in this after all. Ehh...

"Yes, well, it is. I thought you were aware of my... foreign nature?" Stanley asked, just to make sure.

"Extra-equusian and interstellar art not one and the same."

"Hmm. I understand."

"Before these Corps arrive then, what are your plans, if I may ask?" chimmed in Celestia, taking advantage of the short pause. Luna once again moved away from the trooper as her sister took the talk over. "As your arrival here doesn't seem intentional, I don't suppose you are a diplomat yourself?"

Stanley sighed inwardly. It had to come to such questions sooner or later, he just hoped he'd have a bit more time. The trooper didn't conceal his occupation before, clearly stating his rank, so he decided to stick to that decision. A quick question about its correctness briefly crossed his mind, but it was quickly discarded, as he concluded that at some point they'd have to learn the truth anyway.

"Not a full diplomat," he began slowly, thinking how to word the response best. "But I do have diplomatic power." With that, Stanley wanted to wrap his answer up, but then admiral Stratoi's words from before started to ring in his head.

'Tell them about us, but don't negotiate.'

'Tell them about us.'

Alright, chief. Just don't be angry at the results.

Sensing an excellent opportunity to initiate such conversation, Stanley went ahead and expanded his reply a bit, although he could not help but involuntarily hope the aliens won't fall for the bait.

"Ordinarily though, you are right, I'm just an RSU Lieutenant Colonel."

Please don't ask.

"I understand. But what might the 'RSU' be, pray tell?", replied Celestia with a glimmer of curiosity in her eyes.

Damn it...

Rolling his eyes in resignation and sighing, Stanley braced himself for a long and most probably difficult talk, as the various ways this conversation might go already formed in his mind, and they did not always omit the aspects sensitive for the Republic, to say the least. But everything for the service, after all.

"The RSU is an acronym for 'Republican Strike Units', an elite shock infantry the Republic of Sol utilises to provide support for its main ground forces or conduct special operations of unmatched danger and importance in the heat of battle," he eventually responded, proud at what he had managed to come up with. It was nothing but truth, just incredibly vague and sounding much too impressively.

Celestia however did not look impressed. She retracted her head a little, before looking at Luna who only sent her an 'I told you' look. At first, Stanley thought it might be because it decisively confirmed he wasn't qualified for any more serious talks, although Celestia did state thay had already pretty much figured that out. That impression however faded as soon as she spoke up.

"So, you are a soldier after all. We suspected so after you revealed your rank, although we weren't sure if it coincides with ours," she replied slowly shaking her head, more with pity than disapproval, blowing Stanley's hypothesis away.

"Umm, well... yes, that is true," the trooper replied, holding himself from saying anything else. He didn't really know what to say anyway - making his response, he had wanted to paint the Republic in the best light he could, paint a picture of a mighty state with powerful military and economy, and only later proceed to talk more openly about humanity's war with the Swarm, to influence the horses' reception of galactic situation in his favor. Stanley anticipated such narration might make them anxious later on, but he concluded that if he's friendly overall it will make the diplomats' work easier in the process.

But now? Now he had barely just started and he already got a negative reaction.

As a result of him... yeah, what exactly? Saying he's military? They said they suspected so eariler, although it might be just that this was the final confirmation. But the Princess did say they had such ranks themselves. So what, describing human military in superlatives? And himself as a 'proud' member? Kind of? That was a probable theory, actually, and would explain a lot.

Remember, Stan, it's all about culture. Don't assume too much, or you're screwed.

The trooper decided it best to stay quiet thus preventing himself from saying anything stupid, and waited for one of the Princesses to react. Thankfully, none of them seemed to be eager to push the subject either. Eventually, Luna broke the silence, going back to her previous topic.

"If thou art not from beneath our sun, then where exactly is your origin? Do my stars widely host life, just as it is on Equis?" she asked slowly but eagerly, seemingly trying to suppress growing curiosity.

Stanley smiled once again - he was starting to like this 'Luna'. So far, she'd been providing him with more information about this species than all other aliens combined.

Information, but also questions. 'My stars'? What the hell is that supposed to mean?

Eh, probably just an expression, Stanley eventually concluded. But still, should keep that in mind. Might have something to do with this society.

"Stars are no different than your sun. They can host life, but its rare for one to do so. Extremely rare, actually. Beyond comprehension. Yours just seems to have been among the lucky ones," Stanley chuckled, answering Luna, as he decided he was basically giving away common knowledge. Still, the Princess almost fell over at the revelation, and had to briefly slow her trot down. "As for my origin, well, it depends."

"It depends? How... does it depend?" Luna asked, tilting her head, shock now replaced with confusion.

"It depends on whether you mean my origin or human origin," the trooper clarified.

Celestia, having previously largely retracted herself from the talk, suddenly turned her head towards Stanley with interest. "There is a difference, then? How so?" she asked in place of Luna, who, quite amusingly, sent her an annoyed glare. "I believe my sister only inquired about your home... sun."

"Yes, well, I believe so too." Stanley was glad he had his helmet on to hide his wide smile. From what he'd heard so far, what he was about to say would be like an atom bomb for the horses, although he did briefly wonder what they'd do with the information. Names of human systems couldn't mean anything to the aliens, even provided they didn't know that none of them was even in their own dimension. "These are still two different things. Humanity originated in Sol, and my homeplanet is in Eterne. Kind of."

Well, was in Eterne, but screw it.

"So, what you are saying is..." began Celestia, shaking her head in bewilderment, already knowing the implications, but was interrupted by her sister mid-sentence.

"You have done more than achieve 'interstellar travel', as thou had called it, by however mysterious means. Your kind has spread!" exclaimed Luna with fascination. It seemed as though her desire for knowledge and Stanley's exotic origin overcame her, sensible at that, caution and prejudices for the moment. Stanley just made an exaggerated nodding gesture, making sure the horses see it despite his pitch black faceplate.

"What do you mean by 'kind of', if I may ask?" answered Celestia instead, once again changing the topic. Luna once more temporarily moved away from the trooper, allowing her sister to talk. "Is there more to human origin?"

Stanley chuckled. "No, that's it, I was referencing my own 'homesun', don't worry. You see, it's technically Sol as well, but I don't even remember it, I got resettled very early. Nothing more to it," he said more freely, a bit disappointed at the lack of any question regarding the extent of human expansion and the likes. Then, he had a subtle impression, he could really drop a nuclear charge with his answer.

But there was one thing his lack of focus during the answer made him omit.

"Resettled?" Celestia asked with concern, but also a tinge of curiosity as she moved closer to Stanley.

The trooper felt his blood freeze.

Fuck...

Oh, how stupid he was. However normal it may have seemed to talk about, he should have realised it was only a product of the war after all. What had he been thinking!?

After a few moments of silence, Stanley sighed loudly, closing his eyes. It seemed like his plans for the talks had just changed. Or, more accurately, vanished.

Okay, say the truth early on, and then try to smoothe it out... or not, it will make it impossible to smoothe out... or- fuck! I don't know, dammit! Screw it, just... just go with your gut! Or... ehh... I'm not a negotiator...

"I... Indeed," he finally said, naively hoping that would end the topic, but Celestia continued to give him an asking look. The trooper sighed once again - there was no avoiding it now. He decided to keep his answer short. "The Republic resettled a few million people to other worlds, since that's where we were needed. My family had to go to the military planet of Eterne II, hence why I consider it my homeworld. I can't remember Sol at all," Stanley said, focusing on implying multiple worlds and the vast population in hopes of changing the topic. When he finished though, he could see Luna straighten her lips and slowly nod to noone, blankly looking forward into some unseen abyss, seemingly deep in thought.

Celestia meanwhile did not fall for Stanley's bait. "You were needed? Why so?" she asked about the admittedly more important thing.

Okay, new plan. If they ask, answer and eventually smoothe it out later... Yes, let's go with it for now. And hope for the best...

Stanley kept walking in silence for a while, to give the impression that he doesn't want to talk about the subject, before finally making his answer. "They... they needed people." He turned around, briefly looking at the rest of the guards, who'd been keenly observing the trooper ever since they'd left the clearing, before glancing back at Celestia. She immediately got the message, and after gesturing something at the alien soldiers, trotted a bit forward to help distance them both from any unwanted ears. Luna though, immediately sped up to join the pair.

Stanley meanwhile did not hurry. He patiently waited for the second Princess to catch up, before sighing with resignation and, having moved closer to the diarchs, quietly speaking up.

"I'm going to be honest with you," he began. "I shouldn't say that, but the Republic has seen better times than now. We... have our problems, and sometimes it just so happens that people don't get to choose their role. That's my place," he said, before slowly looking up at the Princess, trying to show helplessness, but he quietly suspected he failed miserably as he had virtually no advanced expressions at hand to back him up.

Please, tell me I assumed their values correctly...

Celestia looked at the trooper with a tinge of compassion in her eyes, previous temporary resentment now seemingly all but gone, whether because she understood human situation a little better or for some other unknown reason. Then somehow, even through the pitch black military visor, she looked Stanley straight in the face for the first time since they'd met. The trooper couldn't really tell why, but Celestia's eyes were unlike anything he had ever seen in his life. Glimming with experience and age-old wisdom, justice, understanding and compassion, but also sheer prowess, both intellectual and physical. It was magnificent, but also terrifying. Terrifying how Stanley could not explain a thing he was feeling, very much so.

Luna on the other hand, walking on the other side of her sister, looked at Stanley with a faint smile, her sight continuously escaping direct contact with the trooper despite repeated attempts, as if she was unsure whether to keep to her own thoughts or to try and share them. Whatever was the case, understanding beemed from Luna's oddly human expression.

That was another thing Stanley had to make a mental note on - the horses' expressions seemed weirdly similar to his own, in spite of their undeniably equine nature. The alien facial musculature must've been alike to human one.

"I... understand," Celestia finally responded with a small nod, breaking the momentary silence. "I also see we indeed have a lot more to learn about your... realities," the Princess cast a small smile.

"That you do," replied Stanley as he turned back forward, releasing breath with relief. "But don't worry, that works both ways."

---

The rest of the walk was relatively uneventful. The column kept on marching through the slowly thinning forest, as the trio up front exchanged words here and there. The talk at large however had mostly died out, as all of them seemed to quietly agree it would be better to explain everything once there is no time pressure anymore. Stanley in particular already knew he would basically be spending the next couple of days on loose conversations about nothing, so he had no problem with that at all - he just hoped he'd be able to return to Sazana as soon as the Corps arrive. Playing all nice with everyone seemed more weird than anything, and the lack of both allied and enemy contacts was simply confusing. It was obviously just a matter of getting used to, but the trooper doubted he'd be able to fully do it before his mission is over, especially after so many years of service in another field. Stanley's finger itched on the trigger, even though his AR's safety was of course still on.

Before the group reached the forest's edge, they had to halt their march several times in order to 'avoid dangerous wildlife', as the aliens had put it, causing Stanley to once again reevaluate their overall strength. In the end though, these breaks didn't cost the column a lot of time and they were ultimately able to exit the woods after a little under an hour, at least according to Stanley's clock. There, just behind a few last bushes, truly vast tracts of plains stretched out to the horizon, limited only by monumental mountain chains cutting the steppes off on the right. The sun shone brightly over their tops, giving the vegetation behind the group a flashy luster.

Stanley however didn't care as much about the sight itself as he did about its implications - first, no clear destination was visible, but that was understandable, it could've been obscured by either the forest's edges or even the mountain tops. More importantly however, if the aliens wanted to walk through these vast plains, that meant he'd soon have virtually no way to escape anymore - the visibility there was effectively a few kilometers. He could use the limited vegetation present, small hills here and there, his armour's Intelligent Patterns function and his own combat skills to an advantage and probably be somewhat successful, but it still made such an undertaking considerably more difficult. Granted, for now there was no indication he'd have to resort to an escape at all, but if it did come to that and these laser-equines cornered him in the open - so, essentially, anywhere - he would basically be screwed, as there was little way to obscure their line of fire in these plains, meaning Stanley's armour would likely succumb to their concentrated barrage. It wasn't long before the trooper concluded that none of that likely mattered though, as the aliens surely wished to avoid marching through such open space. Their destination was thus presumably not that far away, just obscured for the time being.

After a few more minutes of walking along the forest's edge, a number of bright-coloured shapes suddenly appeared behind some smaller trees, and soon enough Stanley realised they were actually chariots, about a dozen of them in fact. The trooper's face froze at the revelation.

The species was equine in nature - okay, that was entirely possible. But if so, why would they use chariot-like vehicles? What would they use it on? Maybe some other animal, sure, but nothing like that seemed to accompany the carriages. Slavery was also a posibility, but once again, all horses currently with the trooper were uniformed in the same way, so clearly none of them was of any lower class, and the four new aliens waiting for the column, now quite amusingly frozen with their mouths agape, also fitted into that statement. And there was no way in hell any monarchs would ever be accompanied solely by slaves, for safety reasons if for nothing else.

So... were they going to pull these themselves?

Well, thought Stanley. This will be interesting.

Meanwhile, the forty five returning guards abandoned their formation and began hastily packing themselves into the parked chariots. The trooper's floating pod settled on one of them as well, making the vehicle bend worryingly under its monumental weight. One of the horned horses noticed it though, and, enveloping the chariot in a familiar aura, straightened its floor anew, making Stanley once again raise an eyebrow at the peculiar ability. Other than that though, one thing stood out: some of the aliens were actually attaching themselves to the carriages, confirming Stanley's theory - yes, it was them who were going to pull the vehicles.

Huh. Now that's something.

As he turned left, Stanley saw another chariot, but one greatly sticking out from the rest. Just as them all, it was brightly coloured, with exposed patches of gold and white, but also considerably larger and more ornate. Next to it, Celestia was giving the trooper an expecting look, her sister mirroring her actions from inside the carriage. Beneath his helmet, Stanley grimaced slightly. It wasn't that he felt offended or didn't appreciate the gesture, no, nothing like that. But he was now apparently supposed to ride with the leadership. The monarchs of this land. The very rulers. Their position of course meant nothing for the trooper, as it wasn't even a Coalition state, but it obviously did matter to them, and then there was his mission, so the fact remained: he was being treated with utmost respect - if the Corps succeed in making the horses human allies, formally this ride would be the equivalent of meeting President Sloven in person.

And such treatment was something that just made Stanley wince. It didn't match. It was out of... sense, and... the very nature. Yes, yes exactly. It was. It was. He fought in the trenches and sturdy gunships, and nothing else existed. Period.

Period...

But the mission was obviously still there. And that overrides everything.

Well, I guess I do am an diplomat now. Heh, waddya know. Get used to it Stan, that's your new life for a few days. No way to change it anyway...

As the trooper finally boarded the clearly royal chariot, sitting himself next to the two Princesses, Luna gestured something at the harnessed guards up front. The four then repeated the gesture at their counterparts, and soon enough, one by one the 'caravan' carriages sped up. And sped up. And sped up.

A summer breeze blowing. A pedestrian walking. An athlete running. Equus Caballus galloping.

Huh...?

A cheetah crossing the vast colonial savannas. A light MP tank. A car.

Suddenly, the ride suspiciously straightened up. Subtly looking down to inspect the weird situation, Stanley discovered that the chariots had lifted from the ground. Before he even had a chance to raise an eyebrow, the whole vehicle suddently ascended at a sharp angle, flying to the bright blue skies.

Stanley involuntarily clung to his seat, once again today finding himself glad he had his faceplate to hide his confusion and pure shock. The Princesses looked completely calm, as if nothing special was happening, not even a frown on their faces, and that was understandable, it must've been a daily thing for them. But it only added to the omnipresent weirdness this place emanated with. Looking around, Stanley discovered that all the chariots in their column logically experienced the same, each packed with guards preoccupied with what seemed to be chattering, pulled by a quartet of equines with outstretched wings.

Well, no evolutionary leftovers there, as it seems... still, doesn't look like that's enough to support these guys, let alone while pulling such 'cargo'...

What confused Stanley even more though was that all of these horses, despite clearly being airborne, vividly moved their legs, as if they were still galloping on still ground. It wasn't long before explanation came however - from time to time, small, unspecified glimmering particles escaped from around the aliens' limbs, giving out magnificent shine, even in the middle of a day.

Particles somehow weirdly similar to the colorful auras from before.

I guess the admiral meant it talking about a 'great power', though Stanley. Ehhh... I'm already scared what else they can do.

Soon enough, the chariots levelled their flight, and moving above the nearby mountain range, sped up towards their destination, sunrays reflecting finely from their bright sheathing.

Author's Note:

Huzzah!

You though the story was dead, didn't you!? Well, surprise surprise, it's not.

In all honesty though, it's never died. And it won't, not in the near future at least.

So, let this be a small Christmas present for the New Year for you all. Happy 2020!

Also, can I just quickly say that we're getting close to a hundred bookselves?? That's actually amazing, I've never imagined I'd ever achieve it when I first posted this story. I know there's still a long way to go for me, but...

Thank you. Thank you all. Really, honestly thank you. I don't know what else to say.

Now, I feel like I need to address a few things. First, this chapter is inherently a two-parter, hence why it's a bit more open than the previous ones. Don't worry, the second part is coming (in fact it's already finished), but...

That's the second thing. Yes, I know the 'rough schedule' I posted before Christmas didn't really work out, for which I deeply apologise, but that doesn't mean I'm abandoning it entirely. I'm not. Actually, I'm still sticking to what's left of it when you throw out approximate dates.

And yes, that means that weekly updates are now coming. For real. I've decided to change my 'chapter policy' a bit (when I choose to end a chapter), so that I'm able to post more frequently. The chapters will be shorter, but they will come weekly.

Also, yes, Night Lightning is a thestral with a horn. That's not a mistake.

Rate, comment, tell me what you think! You have no idea how motivating that can be!

Anyway, I hope you have a good read! Stay pony, my friends!

Comments

[Earthpatriot117]

An awesome chapter!

[Devona]

10018159
Once again, thank you! Glad you liked it!

[RTK]

Lovely