Chapter 20 - Pretense Malfunction
Flurry took a long unladylike swig from her bottle before letting out a loud belch.
The bar she had found herself in was a classy place on the edge of the station, overlooking the pair of enormous docking pylons where the Orion was now nestled. The big panoramic windows, taking up nearly the entire rear wall of the lounge, gave a fantastic view of the ship as she rested in her berth after an eventful first voyage.
A gentle tune danced through the air from hidden speakers into the mostly empty bar. The lights were dim but not dark, and a faint incense wafted by, probably jasmine, trying but failing to uplift her mood.
The rest of the bar was an odd mixture of new and old. The booths were lined with rustic oak trim and padded with comfortable leather seats. Paintings hung on the walls, depicting various scenes from the colonial pioneer days, right next to inlaid holographic displays of alien vistas. Near the front of the lounge, a long bar counter was nestled in the far corner, protecting a substantial display of bottles of all shapes and sizes.
After two hours of being poked, prodded, washed, and measured, Flurry had finally managed to escape the clutches of those two fashionista hellions. She felt a measure of pity for Swan, who was still in the middle of the ordeal. It crossed her mind that the pegasus had no doubt endured this preening routine countless times.
Flurry couldn't help but fidget with her mane, now tightly woven into a bun secured with jewel-encrusted hairpins. What’s worse was that despite the humiliation and discomfort of it all, it paled in comparison to what was coming later, after the party.
Thoughts of her upcoming ‘debut’ fought their way through the foggy haze of alcohol. She planted her head on the table and closed her eyes, grumbling to herself as she awaited her fate. At least for the moment, she was able to sneak off and get a bit of privacy, as she really wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone right now.
“Excuse me, customer,” a pleasant-sounding mare's voice intoned. “Consumption of beverages not purchased in this establishment is prohibited under section twenty-one, subcode fifty-seven of Harmony Station law.”
Flurry cracked an eye open to see an earth pony mare with a light-green coat and a mane of the same colour but mixed with cream peering down at her. She was wearing a neat brown uniform, identical to the other waitresses of the Sunspot Lounge.
“Leave me alone, I’m not in the mood right now,” Flurry groaned, taking another morose swig from her bottle.
The mare—or more accurately, the golem pretending to be a mare—was unfazed by her rebuttal.
They were easy to spot with their rigid stance, impossibly chipper disposition, and lifeless eyes. All were dead giveaways. Or at least, they used to be.
“Tell me something, do you have dreams? Do you like being a waitress here?” Flurry asked. “Is there anything going on in that head of yours that someone didn’t put there?”
The mare twitched. “Invalid input, please restate your inquiry.”
“That answers that then,” she shrugged, rubbing her temple to soothe the headache she felt coming on.
That damn Echo had her questioning her own judgment regarding golems now. She had enough on her mind without pondering the philosophical line between pony and machine.
“If you continue your actions, I will be forced to call station security to remove you from this establishment,” the golem warned, having recovered from her earlier confusion.
“That won’t be necessary,” Oakheart's familiar deep voice intoned. “The princess is a special case.”
Flurry looked up to see the earth pony stallion walking up to her booth.
The golem stared at him for a moment before straightening. “Understood. Have a pleasant day.”
Flurry watched it walk off, returning to its position to await the next customer it could bother.
“What are you doing here?" Oakheart asked. “I’ve had Merry on my back to find you.”
“Oh, you know… drowning my sorrows. Booze and painkillers make for a wonderful combination,” she chuckled darkly.
“Now isn't the time for this,” he stated firmly.
“And when is a better time for it?” she replied with a bitter laugh, gesturing to the dress she was wearing. “Like the dress? I think Merry Weather’s pair of divas really captured the ‘whore on a street corner’ look.”
Her dress, if it could be called such a thing, was made of a pearly white faux silk with a flowery pattern of roses and lilies printed upon it. It clung tightly to her, emphasising every curve, and was so short it barely reached her tail.
“They even got rid of most of my bruises… though I suppose they get a lot of practice with that,” she commented, absently gazing at her filed and polished hooves. “Probably have a few more by the end of the day.”
“Miss Flurry,” Oakheart snapped. “We have a plan, and you seem to have forgotten your part in it.”
“Going to be a bit hard to grab Merry with both the Alliance and Federation representatives watching,” she interrupted. “Not to mention all his goons will be there. Somehow, I doubt he’ll be in the mood for a private meeting tonight.”
Oakheart raised an eyebrow. “So you’ve heard?”
“Those two wouldn’t shut up about it,” she replied with a weary groan, the mere reminder making her feel tired. “Looks like Merry wants to rub everyone’s face in it.”
“You have my sympathies,” he replied as he sat in the booth with her. “We may have to make some adjustments, but you need to trust that we’ll figure it out.”
Flurry let out a heavy sigh, returning her head to the table and looking up at him sideways. “I am just so over this, Oakheart. Merry Weather has no business being this much of a pain in my ass. Is it too much to ask for a smooth takedown?”
Oakheart stared at her silently for a moment, appearing hesitant to add a point of detail.
“Oh great… There’s something else, isn’t there?” Flurry guessed.
“It’s probably nothing,” Oakheart muttered, looking away.
“Come on, the way my day is going, you might as well spill it.”
“Fine. The Syndicate boss was found dead in her cell on the Glorium. Apparent suicide.”
Flurry’s eyes widened and she straightened herself. “How? I thought she was under guard.”
“Supposedly, a riot broke out among the other changelings, drawing the guards away," he replied, his eyes narrowing. “And we were all in our meeting. They must have got to her then.”
“Looks like Merry is tying up loose ends,” Flurry commented with a scowl. “I was wondering why Downdraft had been so cooperative. Do we still have the data core?”
“Thankfully, yes. The chief got it off the Glorium the moment we docked,” Oakheart assured.
“Well, at least there’s that.” She rubbed her forehead some more to ease the misery. “It’s not just about me getting out of this, you know. I’ve got the lives of those kids to look out for. If this goes badly, Merry won’t hesitate to put their lives on the line to get his way.”
“I won’t lie, it’s not going to be easy to ensure their safety,” Oak admitted. “With everyone in the same room, Merry will largely be in control. We’ve got to get him isolated somehow. But we are taking it seriously and won’t make any moves that would jeopardize their safety… or yours.”
“I’m not as much worried what you all will do. More concerned about screwing it up myself, to be honest. I don’t do so well with the pretending thing—tend to be blunt and transparent in my emotions.”
“You don’t say…”
“Very funny. But I’m serious, this isn’t going to be easy playing along.”
Oak nodded in understanding. “Don’t just play along, Flurry. He’ll suspect something’s up. Just put enough of your personal style in it to be convincing. You’re going to have to be flexible.”
“Flexible? This coming from an Alliance fleet veteran? What has the world come to?” she chuckled. “Though I’ll give you credit for surviving your first command of a Republic carrier.” With that, Flurry reached over and patted him on the shoulder like a dog who did the trick well.
Oak rolled his eyes. “Ugh, don’t remind me. If I never again set hoof on that ship, it’ll be too soon.”
Flurry chortled, shaking her belly, which promptly reminded her she still needed to take it easy. “No, seriously, I do have to thank you for coming in for us. It takes guts to bring a carrier into a gun duel with a cruiser. You really saved our hides back there.”
“Tactics are tactics. You do what you can with what you’ve got. But don’t overlook your own actions, now. Your valor and the teamwork you showed with the aerie was exemplary. I have to admit, I was wrong about you, Flurry. It seems you’re not so bad after all.” He offered her a gentle smile.
The sincerity in his words impacted her more than she expected. It took her a moment to respond, and even then, she found herself nearly at a loss for words.
“What’s this? A compliment? Why, Captain Oakheart, you spoil me so,” she said with a sly smile.
“A deserved one,” he said. “I know you have trouble trusting others, but just know that you’re not alone in this. We’ll get through it together.”
“I’ve been alone for a long time, captain. I’m sure that won’t be changing any…”
As her words trailed off, Flurry thought about the ponies she had been forced to work with through this ordeal and what they had come to mean to her. Perhaps it was the booze, or perhaps there was some truth in the earth pony’s words.
“Actually, maybe you’re right,” she said finally. “Together.” She raised her bottle toward him in agreement before finishing it off.
Oak smiled at her before tapping his holo-brace. “We’d better get going. The party is probably in full swing by now.”
<=======ooO Ooo=======>
The faux sun of the Harmony sphere was beginning to stir, the starscape of space beyond giving way to the pink skies of early dawn. It was slow and gradual, feeling almost natural. They had even imported real birds to highlight the effect. Most of the artificial daylight systems Flurry had seen on other stations were about as subtle as flicking on the lights. Here, she might have paused to admire the view if she wasn’t so pressed for time.
Flurry stood in the plaza outside the entrance to the Fairbright Hall with a disgruntled scowl on her face.
“Do we really have to do this?” she moaned, gazing up at the wide stairs that led to the entrance. “Maybe I should grab a few more drinks before we go in. I’d rather not do this sober.”
“Come on, no time for jitters,” Oakheart advised. “His lordship has a full day of celebrations planned.”
“I bet he does,” she scowled. “Blackjack and hookers. Only I’m the hooker.”
“I’m sure even he has more sense than that,” he said. “It’s not like he’s going to host an orgy with all these high-profile guests present.”
“No, that comes later.”
“Not if I can help it,” Oakheart said, with a determined expression. “Now remember the plan. Let the director steer Merry towards the trap.”
“You do realise Twilight isn’t really known for her people skills,” Flurry pointed out.
He pointed a hoof at her chest. “Just remember, best behaviour now.”
“Yes, dad,” she groused, rolling her eyes.
Oakheart cracked a grin at that. “Shall we?” He said, extending a hoof to her like a proper noble.
“I suppose,” she sighed, though a smile found its way onto her face as she accepted the gesture.
With a sigh, Oakheart looked over the elegant marble columns that flanked the wide glass doors of the Fairbright’s entrance. “Such a shame, this place had only just been completed recently. I was hoping its inaugural event would’ve been something a little more agreeable.”
“It still could be if we play our cards right,” Flurry grinned.
“That’s the spirit,” he replied.
As they walked into the shadow of the wrought iron marquise, their hooves echoed on the polished marble floors. There was no one else around to greet them, save for a smartly dressed concierge standing beside the door.
“Ah, Captain Oakheart and Her Highness, welcome. I’ll inform Lord Weather of your arrival,” the stallion said with a bow, ushering them inside.
It was like the first time Flurry’s mother had taken her to a formal gathering. She had hated it then, too.
They entered the foyer and were quickly escorted past the front desk inlaid into the wall and then on towards the entrance to the hall itself.
The marble floors quickly gave way to rich red carpet as they approached the hall entrance. All along the walkway were busts of famous ponies in their own alcoves, each individually lit from below in a soft light. The walls were covered in intricate carvings and filigrees chiselled into the cream-coloured stone.
It reminded Flurry of the Royal Palace in Canterlot with all its finery. Even so, this place felt more like an imitation of the real thing. There was no history behind these walls—just a fancy front and nothing more.
They soon arrived at a set of ornate wooden doors flanked by two attendants. Flurry’s ears perked as she heard the gentle harmony of an orchestra coming from within.
As the doors opened, the music grew louder but was now mixed with the murmurings of the gathered guests. The scent of aerohol and a myriad of mouth-watering aromas wafted out. All manner of foods, fried, boiled, steamed, and marinated silently beckoned her inside. A gurgle from her stomach reminded Flurry that she hadn’t eaten anything since yesterday.
She looked to Oakheart, who gave her a nod before they both stepped through.
The hall was huge, lined on all sides by arching columns that reached up towards the domed ceiling. Artificial sunlight streamed in through large circular windows to supplement the ample lighting. The hall space itself was so big it could easily have held a gathering five times what was present.
Walking past the initial banquet tables, Flurry resisted the urge to snatch samples for herself. They hadn’t been noticed by the guests yet, though she was already getting stares from the servers filling plates as they passed by.
Up ahead, in the centre of the space, several large tables had been laid out, each covered with a platter of food. Around them were at least two hundred guests, standing about and chatting while others sat on a forest of cushions that had been carpet-bombed around the tables. Pegasus mares clad in silk and lace flitted about above the crowd, following the beats of the small orchestra that was seated at the opposite end of the hall.
“Merry has been busy,” Flurry commented. “Imagine if he’d put this much effort into the rescue. We’d have had half the Republic fleet with us.”
“Don’t remind me,” Oakheart grumbled as they approached the gathering. “He’s been all over Harmony grabbing ponies for this farce.”
“At least the food looks good,” she said, eyeing a platter of simmering rainbow skyrays.
As they neared the tables, Flurry could make out a lot of officers from the Glorium, all in dress uniform, chatting, laughing, and taking long draws from shisha pipes. Busily dancing around them were their blackwing servants, carrying trays of entrees and drinks. A few mares sat beside their masters, laughing at their jokes and refilling their glasses when empty.
Cloistered together like a coven at one of the tables was a group of unicorns garbed in the purple robes of the Navigator’s Guild. There were also a few bright whites of the Unicorn Federation mixed in amongst them. All were haughtily sticking their noses up at the pegasi gathered around them, clearly not thrilled with being invited to the event.
The unicorns were exceeded in this sentiment only by a group of distinctly unimpressed earth ponies dressed in Alliance uniforms, sitting at the opposite end of the party and eyeing everything with disdain.
Everyone’s here then, Flurry thought.
It didn’t take long for Captain Hayloft to spit out his drink, looking like he was about to burst a blood vessel when he recognized Flurry. He rose to his hooves and quickly stomped towards them, nearly knocking over some poor servant that had strayed into his path.
“Captain Oakheart!” Hayloft huffed, addressing Flurry’s escort. “You can’t hang up on me this time. I demand you explain this farce at once!”
Oakheart straightened himself. “It is as Lord Merry Weather has announced. The princess has joined his blackwings.”
“And you’re going to allow this to go unchallenged? This outlaw is wanted on over a hundred charges with the Alliance!” Hayloft growled, eyeing Flurry dangerously.
“A hundred and fifty, last time I checked,” Flurry added, earning a warning look from Oakheart.
“I demand you turn her over to us immediately!” Hayloft said. “She needs to be in a cell, not whoring it up in some pillow stuffer’s harem.”
“If it’s any consolation, I’d have preferred to be in your custody too,” Flurry offered, earning a snort from the stallion. “Busting out of an Alliance cell would have been a lot less hassle.”
“This is a disgrace!” Hayloft said, jabbing a hoof at Oakheart’s chest. “Alliance Command will hear of this, mark my words.”
“Good,” Oakheart replied coolly. “Then maybe you can tell them how you ignored a ship in distress. I’m sure Command will love to hear how you let the PR coup of rescuing a Commonwealth capital ship slip out of your hooves.”
Hayloft’s jaw worked wordlessly, his nostrils flaring as a murderous look crossed his features.
“I’ll be sure to pass your objections to the director,” Oakheart offered. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, we have a prior engagement.”
With that, Oakheart gently ushered Flurry away from the fuming stallion.
“I’m beginning to wonder which of us is the bigger troll here,” Flurry whispered.
“I have no idea what you mean,” Oakheart commented innocently.
Soon, Flurry spotted an uncomfortable-looking Twilight sitting at Merry Weather’s table near the back of the gathering, close to the orchestra. The alicorn was sitting right beside Merry, who was engaging her in a very animated conversation. Twilight was all fake smiles, as usual, keeping up a facade of interest while deflecting the pegasus’ lack of regard for personal space.
Swan Song was seated behind Merry, looking more like a pet than a person. She had undergone a similar transformation as Flurry, her face covered in blush while her eyes were darkened with eye shadow. Her mane had been tied up, looking far more lustrous now that it wasn’t caked in grime. She looked pensive, her eyes flitting between Merry and his mob of officers.
Flurry let out a heavy sigh. “You’d best go rescue your director before Merry’s drool begins to stain her clothes,” she grumbled.
“Indeed. Now pucker up and let’s get this over with,” Oakheart said, giving her a nod.
They made their way through the mass of ponies, generating whispered gossip as they passed by.
“There she is, Lord Merry’s latest.”
“I hope he’s willing to share the bounty.”
“Yeah, maybe he’ll share her with us.”
“Too much mare for you to handle.”
Given the ponies she dealt with at Broken Bow on a semi-regular basis, this bunch of crooks were amateurs. The main difference here was these ponies hid behind titles and fancy clothes. Flurry had to wonder how many of them even knew of Merry’s conspiracy against the Orion.
As Flurry neared Merry’s table, her eyes met with Twilight’s and she felt her chest tighten instinctively. She had to keep telling herself to ignore Twilight and focus her hate towards the ridiculous pony sitting next to her.
“Ah, there she is, the mare of the hour,” Merry Weather said with a smile, rising to his hooves. “I was beginning to think you were avoiding me.”
“Oh I was,” Flurry replied. “I thought getting drunk before this farce of a party might ease the pain of being in your company.”
“Don’t you worry, by tonight’s end, you’ll be much more comfortable in my presence,” Merry leered, licking his lips. “I must say, you look absolutely ravishing—truly befitting a mare of your breeding. Is that not true, director?”
There was an almost imperceptible twitch in Twilight’s wings, but she remained silent.
Merry’s expression soured as his gaze fell on Oakheart. “Ah, captain, my shipmaster has been telling me of your exploits,” Merry began. “I suppose I should thank you for returning my ship mostly intact. I wasn’t expecting such flair from you; you’re surprisingly creative for a dir— an Earth pony.”
Wow, Flurry thought to herself. Almost a compliment.
“Thank you,” Oakheart said with a slight bow of his head. “Though any praise must go to Lieutenant Swan Song and her pilots. It was a difficult fight and they performed well.”
“I expected nothing less of my Swan,” Merry smiled, giving her an affectionate look.
“I’ve made sure to include commendations for those lost in the battle, Lieutenant,” Oakheart said to her, a touch of warmth gracing his usual flat tone.
Swan looked surprised, quickly stammering. “Thank you, sir.”
“Yes, yes,” Merry said, with a dismissive wave. “Dying bravely in battle is their job. You waste your time giving honour to the honourless.”
“You’re all heart aren’t you?” Flurry snorted.
“You wound me, my dear,” he said, placing a hoof dramatically to his chest. “Of course I cared for my Swan. The mere thought of losing her grieved me deeply.” He extended a wing and gently ran it beneath Swan Song’s chin. “You’re both precious to me.”
“Uh-huh,” Flurry scowled.
“Oh don’t look that way, I held this celebration in your honour!” he chuckled before looking to Twilight and adding swiftly. “And for the safe return of Captain Nyx and the Orion, of course.”
“Of course,” Twilight said, nodding graciously, a nigh imperceptible eye twitch an indication of her real thoughts.
Merry extended a wing, gesturing towards the table. “Now, come sit by my side.”
It didn’t matter that the seat was currently occupied by Downdraft—a stern glare from Merry was enough to send his lackey scurrying off.
Flurry looked towards Swan and gave the mare a sympathetic smile before sitting down beside Merry, with Oakheart taking a seat close to Twilight.
Merry wasted no time running a wing down Flurry’s back, making her bristle. He leant towards her, so close she could feel his fetid breath on her ear.
“Now behave, my pet,” Merry whispered. “It would be unfortunate for my Swan if you were to cause an upset.”
Flurry glared at him but nodded. Of course, he already knew of her connection to Swan. She shouldn’t have been surprised he would find a way to exploit it. Glancing again to Swan, the pegasus looked away with her ears flattened. Meanwhile, Merry had resumed chipping away at Twilight with small talk.
“I was just saying to the director, it’s a shame that Captain Nyx is unable to join us,” Merry said with a sigh. “Rumours of her fierce beauty have reached even the hallowed halls of the Imperial Court.”
Somewhere, Flurry imagined, Nyx just threw up.
“Yes, she offers her apologies for being unable to attend, but matters on the Orion require her attention,” Twilight explained, looking slightly relieved her daughter wasn’t here.
“Captain Nyx is dedicated to her duty—very commendable,” Merry said. “I do hope we can prise her away from work at some point so I can congratulate her in person.”
Flurry mused that the only congratulating Nyx would be giving him was the ‘you picked a fight with the wrong family, dumbass’ award before tossing him out an airlock. A smile pursed her lips as she imagined the scene.
“I’m sure she’ll be looking forward to it,” Twilight said pleasantly, no doubt swallowing some bile as she did so.
Merry took a long drag from the shisha pipe sitting at the centre of the table. “No matter. I’m sure I’ll bump into her at some point. Perhaps we can go on a little outing on my new private yacht which I recently acquired. Though it will need a new paint job first.”
Flurry narrowed her eyes, biting back a retort on Merry’s ambitions for the Dream, deciding instead to focus her attention on piling food onto her plate. If she was going to be miserable, she might as well do it on a full stomach.
“That sounds splendid. I’ll be sure to pass on your offer to her,” Twilight said with a smile.
Merry’s face was filled with joy over his good fortune, turning Flurry’s stomach multiple times. He then stood, giving one of the servants a nod. Soon the music was silenced, the dancers ceasing their cavorting and the chatter dying out through the hall.
“May I have your attention,” Merry announced. “I must say what an honour it is to be in such prestigious company. My friends from the Federation, I do trust you are enjoying yourselves. And…” He fought back a chuckle. “My esteemed colleagues of the Alliance. Thank you for attending.”
The unicorns raised their goblets while the earth ponies simply glowered at him.
“As no doubt you’ve heard, I have been doubly blessed today,” Merry continued. “I have recently done what the Alliance with all their ships could not: I have captured the notorious and famously uncatchable outlaw… Flurry Heart!”
After the applause died out, he twisted the knife. “In addition, my blackwings have executed a flawless rescue of the Commonwealth ship Orion after she had fallen prey to an unfortunate Houndrathi pirate ambush. You can never be too careful with the raider factions of Dragon’s Head.”
Flurry wanted to throw up. The Houndrathi? He couldn’t have undersold the situation more if he tried.
There was a ripple of stomps and cheers from Merry’s officers, which no doubt inflated their master’s ego beyond measure.
“So please, enjoy the festivities!”
The music began again in earnest, his cronies raising their glasses before continuing the banquet.
“Nice speech,” Flurry remarked sarcastically.
“Thank you, my dear,” Merry replied with a grin. “You must forgive me for wanting to gloat just a little to our Alliance friends.”
“They look to be taking it well,” she said, watching as Hayloft stormed out the room.
“Such a terrible thing when ponies won’t help others,” Merry noted, shaking his head as he sat down a little too close to Flurry for comfort.
She felt a questing forehoof stroke her thigh before letting out an angry sigh. Before she could protest, she was quickly cut off by Twilight.
“Yes,” Twilight added hastily. “I must thank you for your aid in this matter. Without your ships, we would not have been able to conduct the rescue.”
“A small thing for our friends in the Commonwealth,” Merry said.
“It has certainly shown that we need closer coordination in the future—something I have been rather remiss over in the past,” Twilight stated, regret creeping into her voice. “I hope you will forgive me, Lord Merry.”
Flurry rolled her eyes, resisting the urge to gag.
“Of course of course, presiding over this grand station must take a lot of your time,” Merry replied. “We must get together more often. I would enjoy us having a closer relationship.”
He gave her a look that made the alicorn squirm uncomfortably in her seat.
“I was actually hoping we could discuss the matter later tonight… among other things,” Twilight said, glancing briefly towards Flurry.
“And what would those other things be?” Merry asked.
“Your future plans. Since you have captured Flurry, no doubt it will open up many opportunities for you,” Twilight stated. “I am curious where Harmony lies in your plans.”
“Ah, I had a feeling that would be on your mind,” Merry grinned, blowing out a puff of aerohol into the air. “Or, perhaps we should discuss your attempts to undermine me in the Imperial Court?”
Adrenaline shot through Flurry’s system. If he was onto their plan…
Twilight did not show an outward sign of surprise, though her silence spoke volumes.
“Come now, one does not survive within the Court by wits alone,” he continued, his eyes gleaming in triumph. “Your every move was reported to me the moment you arrived on Caelum. Please, director, I’m hurt you think so low of me.”
Flurry grimaced. Of course he would have spies keeping an eye on the comings and goings in the Imperial Court, especially Twilight’s.
“Rest assured, it won’t be long before some new distraction diverts His Majesty’s attention and all will be forgotten,” he continued, grinning like a cat who got the cream as he glanced towards Flurry. “Especially when it becomes known who I have in my possession.” Merry’s tone suddenly took a much darker turn. “So you see, I won’t be going anywhere and I will not give my Flurry back.”
He let out a triumphant sigh. “There, that saved us some time, didn’t it?”
“You assume that’s what I wanted to discuss,” Twilight said simply.
“Oh? Please do share your ambitions with us if I have somehow misjudged you.”
“I would have preferred to keep this matter private,” Twilight sighed casually, her hoof idly tracing the rim of her glass of wine. “But I feel we can both profit from your recent good fortune.”
Both Merry and Oakheart cocked an eyebrow and Flurry had to admit, she wasn’t sure where Twilight was going with this.
“The Emperor was not as forthcoming with his support for Harmony as I would have hoped,” Twilight continued. “If we were to deliver Flurry over together, he would have no choice but to give me what I need.”
Wait just a damn second, Flurry thought as a haze of confusion swept over her. This wasn’t the plan at all.
“And what would I gain in return?” Merry asked, his polite voice returning.
Twilight smiled. “You’ll find that the Commonwealth can be incredibly generous to its allies, Lord Weather. Who knows, perhaps your name might even reach the ear of Celestia herself.”
Flurry’s eyes widened as Twilight’s words sank in. White-hot fury engulfed her, and she slammed her hooves onto the table. She glared at Twilight’s uncaring expression, a flood of old memories threatening to engulf her.
“So that’s it then?” Flurry hissed. “You were using me this whole time?”
“Grow up, Flurry,” Twilight shot back. “This is how the game is played. Why do you think I ordered Captain Oakheart to allow you here in the first place?”
Oakheart gave Twilight a questioning glance but remained silent.
“Why director,” Merry gasped joyfully. “I appear to have underestimated you.”
“A common mistake amongst you colonials. You’ll find I can be quite shrewd when working with nobility.” She then gave him a subtle honorific nod.
“Don’t forget machiavellian and treacherous,” Flurry spat out.
Twilight shrugged, ignoring Flurry’s outburst and Oakheart’s bewildered expression. “So, I assume you’re interested, Lord Merry Weather?”
“This is low, even for you,” Flurry seethed. “If you think I’m going to—”
Twilight tilted her head towards Flurry. “And what can you do?” she countered. “Your powers are neutered, and… you seem to be forgetting something.”
Flurry’s blood boiled as she realized Twilight was right. She was in no position to fight this.
After glancing back towards Merry, Twilight continued. “Lord Weather, if you would? It seems she needs a demonstration of her predicament.”
Merry blinked before nodding with a smile.
In an instant, Flurry felt her muscles clench uncontrollably as a jolt of electricity coursed through her body. She slumped onto the table, her whole body quivering under the onslaught before it finally ceased.
“Bitch,” Flurry groaned, glaring daggers at Twilight. Every muscle in her body ached from overexertion. If she needed a reminder of how much danger she was in, this was it.
“I was hoping to avoid your training until you had recovered from your injuries,” Merry remarked, gently stroking Flurry on the head like a dog. “But there’s no reason we can’t start your education now.”
There were a few sniggers from the gathered party guests.
Laugh it up while you can, Flurry fumed to herself, turning her gaze to the nearest table and making its occupants look away immediately.
“My niece has always been a willful mare,” Twilight said. “Nothing we tried could ever tame her. Frankly, she has become an embarrassment to our family. Perhaps you, Lord Weather, can succeed where we have failed.”
Her words cut deeper than Flurry would have liked. As much as she had loathed Twilight for years, her simmering bitterness only needed this to renew its vigor.
“I certainly look forward to the attempt,” Merry chuckled, his eyes passing over Flurry’s curves.
“I would be willing to offer my assistance in regulating her powers before her training begins,” Twilight offered. “She can be incredibly dangerous if left unchecked. We wouldn’t want you injuring yourself now, would we?”
“I would be most grateful, director,” Merry said, giving her a slight nod, his face seemingly locked into a permanent lecherous grin. “You are, of course, welcome to join us if you wish.”
“Alas, I must decline,” Twilight replied, grimacing like she had just swallowed a frog but offering him a diplomatic smile nonetheless.
“You should count yourself lucky I can barely move,” Flurry snorted, managing to raise her head in defiance. “Because if I could, I’d put you both down.”
Merry let out a laugh. “My dear, soon you’ll be begging for my attentions.” He looked over to Swan Song. “Is that not right, my love?”
Swan paled, a resigned frown creasing her brow. “Yes, sire.”
There were laughs from the gathered crowd, and Merry gave Swan what passed for a sympathetic smile. “Don’t look so depressed, my love—you still have a special place in my heart.”
He turned to his gathered cronies. “My friends, it seems we have one more thing to celebrate today!”
There was a cheer and the drinking began in earnest. The party continued in full swing for two painful hours with Merry’s attention flitting between Twilight and Flurry.
Flurry simply sat glowering in her seat, thoroughly miserable. She had been to worse parties—the kind that ended in a gunfight—but this was excruciating. Even Twilight’s old lectures on arcane dynamics were preferable to this disaster.
Normally, in a situation this appalling, she would get blindingly drunk to endure the agony. Oakheart was right, though. She needed to keep a level head. Besides, the wine was watered-down rubbish and Merry was hogging the aerohol to himself, leaving her depressingly sober.
Flurry’s anxiety coiled inside her like a spring waiting to be released. She needed this to be over with so she could knock that idiot’s jaw off. Her only consolation was imagining the moment Nyx got her hooves on him.
Through the party, Oakheart did his best to weather jokes at his expense. He was a resolute rock in the sea of drunken debauchery around him. Occasionally, he would glance towards Flurry, offering a measure of sympathy, but he otherwise ignored her.
Twilight did her best to butter up Merry, walking a fine line between stroking his ego and avoiding his lecherous advances. Nothing she said even remotely resembled their ‘plan’ to get Merry alone, which left Flurry feeling more and more dejected.
Eventually, the party was beginning to wind down. Merry and Twilight had apparently fostered a significant rapport with one another. Now would be Flurry’s last chance for any hope in avoiding a seriously unpleasant evening.
“Well, this has been most enjoyable,” Twilight announced. “But my time grows short, I have many things I must attend to. I appreciate your time and attention, Lord Merry.”
“Ah, a pity,” Merry sighed.
“It would be good for us to discuss the terms of our new arrangement. Perhaps somewhere more private?”
Flurry’s ears perked forward.
“Certainly, but first a toast to my guest!” he exclaimed, pouring out a goblet of wine. He raised it towards Twilight with a smile. “I’m not easily surprised, and you have surpassed my expectations.”
“Thank you, Lord Weather,” Twilight replied coolly, raising her own goblet. “I hope this is the beginning of a profitable arrangement.”
“Indeed,” he said before guzzling his wine greedily, the excess spilling down his chin.
“Shall we, then?”
“Mmm, no I don’t think so,” he replied, with a chuckle. “It has been amusing watching the lengths you would stoop to free your niece. But it’s time to end this little charade.”
Flurry looked to Twilight, her blood running cold. What had just happened?
Her aunt frowned slightly. “I’m not sure what you mean, Lord Weather.”
He gave her a dismissive wave of his wing. “Please, do you think you can do anything on this station without my knowledge? I know you’re moving to have me arrested.”
There were a few gasps from the gathered officers. Twilight remained still, not showing any outward signs of surprise, but a tiny flick of her ear told Flurry volumes.
They were in trouble.
“What? No denial? No desperate deflection?” Merry taunted, rising to his hooves grandly. “To think you’d try such a pathetic attempt at deception, though I must admit, you almost had me for a moment there.”
“Nice to see I haven’t lost my touch,” Twilight replied coldly.
Merry smirked. “Tell me, what did you hope to accomplish? Were you thinking you’d hold me on some trumped-up charge? I have broken no laws, director. My deal with Flurry Heart was perfectly legal under Republic law, as is the treatment of my property.” He jabbed a hoof at her. “Arrest me, and you undermine everything your precious Harmony stands for.”
Flurry could barely hear him as he continued to berate Twilight and Oakheart. Her heart sank and it felt like the floor had fallen out beneath her. If she didn’t do something soon, she was going to be stuck with this piece of shit for years. She had made a promise to help Swan and her aerie, and she couldn’t do that while trapped in a cage.
She had to do something.
“…Legally, you have nothing on me. I have a hundred ponies that can vouch for me. What do you have, director?”
“You leaked the Orion’s flight path to those pirates,” Flurry blurted out before she could stop herself.
A silence fell and Flurry kicked herself. Now you’ve done it.
Merry looked to her slightly flabbergasted. He coughed, shaking himself out of his stupor. “Oh? And pray tell, where did you find this stupendous piece of fiction?”
Flurry looked to Twilight, who was shaking her head frantically.
Too late to hold back now, Flurry thought to herself as she stared at the stallion.
“We have footage of you making a deal with the Windigo,” she declared.
A ripple of surprise passed through the gathered guests. Some laughed at the absurdity of it. The Alliance ponies stood up while the unicorns whispered amongst themselves.
“Do you see how desperate they are? Making up falsehoods to besmirch my good name!” Merry proclaimed. “The Windigo of all races? Are any of us actually meant to take this seriously? I will not stand here and allow outright lies from ponies so desperate that they’d resort to old mare’s tales and fantasy.”
“You’ll eat those words when you see the encryption used on the recording,” Flurry shot back. “Word to the wise: don’t transmit from your own ship when making shady deals, dumbass.” A smug satisfaction fell over her as she watched the colour drain from his face.
“My, what a vivid imagination you have,” He replied, anger creeping into his voice. “It would seem you require some more discipline.”
“…I am transmitting the course and departure time now, as well as the crew compliment,” Merry’s voice sounded from a holographic display that had just appeared near the centre of the gathering. “This information was not easy to acquire. I trust you have my payment?”
Silence fell as the recording continued, pausing just as the windigo stepped into view.
Flurry looked around in confusion until her eyes fell on Oakheart with his holo-brace raised. Already, the comms channels were buzzing with activity from Flint’s teams.
“Nyx and I fought and killed that thing as it tried to sabotage the Orion,” Flurry spoke to the crowd. “We almost didn’t make it. Merry takes credit for solving a problem he created!”
Merry’s eyes shifted to his officers, who were staring in disbelief at him. “My friends, surely you don’t believe this fabrication.”
A few had the decency to turn their backs on him, but many held his gaze. The Guilders looked to him with disgust while the Alliance ponies finally had something to appear happy about.
Merry fluffed his wings. “Enough of this, we’re leaving. I will not stand here and be insulted.”
“It’s over, Lord Weather,” Oakheart said simply. “Surrender now and spare yourself any further humiliation.”
“Oh, I don’t think so,” Merry shot back, flaring his wings. A brief yelp sounded from a nearby servant, her tray of drinks shattering on the floor as she fell. Twitching uncontrollably, her body spasmed into an unnatural position as blood hemorrhaged from her eyes, ears, and nose, pooling on the floor.
Gasps of horror sounded from many as the entire gathering stared transfixed at the dead blackwing.
“That’s enough, all of you,” Merry growled, eyeing Twilight warily. “If I see a single spark from your horn, I’ll send the kill command to every blackwing on this station.” He looked down at Flurry. “And then, if necessary, my precious Flurry Heart.”
“What do you want, Merry?” Twilight asked calmly, slowly standing as all the other blackwings stood wide-eyed, frozen in fear.
“I want a clear path to my ship, no guards and no spells,” he said. “Oh, and I’ll be taking my new pet with me.” He gestured towards Flurry. “My dear Swan, if you would escort Flurry Heart.”
When she did not respond, he turned to find Swan Song standing in his way, her wings trembling at her sides with barely controlled rage.
He reached out with a hoof to her. “My dear.”
“No!” Swan cried, batting it aside. “How could you just stand there, treating my friends’ lives like they were nothing when this whole mess was your doing?”
“My love, surely you don’t—”
“Don’t you ever call me that again,” Swan hissed through clenched teeth. “You abused and humiliated us, calling us traitors and honourless. We gave you our lives, our bodies, our blood, and you just tossed them away for money? For leverage?”
Flurry edged closer to Merry as Swan seethed, tears of anger running down her face.
“Of course,” Merry said. “That’s what you blackwings are for.”
Swan’s eyes widened and she grabbed a knife from the table. “You’ll pay for what you did. For the lives of my friends!”
With that, she lunged at a stunned Merry, who was unfurling his wings to strike the mare down. Swan was fast, her wings carrying her forward with an impressive burst of speed.
Merry’s eyes widened as she swiftly closed the distance. There was no time to stop the vengeance-driven mare, her knife thrusting forward to his neck like a spear.
Flurry moved quickly, tackling her mid-lunge and knocking them both to the ground. The knife clattered across the floor, coming to a stop at Merry’s hooves.
Swan met Flurry’s gaze, tears running from the mare’s eyes.
“I’m sorry, Swan, but if he dies, you all die,” Flurry said softly.
“No, no!” Swan cried, struggling pitifully against her grip. “You don’t know what he did to me! To all of us! He deserves to die for what he’s done! Don’t take this from me!” Her voice cracked as she broke down in tears.
Flurry held the weeping pegasus tightly. She then hushed her voice, mindful of who was listening. “I promised I’d save all of you, but you must trust me, Swan. Your aerie needs you now. This isn’t over.”
Swan simply clutched tightly to her, each breath coming in ragged sobs.
“You saved me,” Merry muttered in disbelief.
“I did it for her, not for you,” Flurry snapped, looking back up at him.
“Yes, you seem protective of my Swan,” Merry said, “I should flay her alive for what she’s done, but I will stay my hoof if you cooperate and follow my orders.”
Flurry wanted to tell him where to stick it, but both their lives hung in the balance now. She just hoped Twilight and Oak could find a way out of this.
She released Swan and stood before him. “Fine. Nopony else needs to die today.”
“Then let us leave,” he said, tapping his holo-brace. “To all crew of the Glorium, return to the ship and prepare for departure.”
Twenty or so ponies saluted and hurried out of the hall while nearly all the blackwings bowed and joined his side. The rest simply stared as the group began to head towards the door.
“Remember my warning, director,” Merry glared at her.
“You have my word,” Twilight said, looking to Flurry with concern.
Merry cast a glance at Swan. “Come along, my dear Swan. I will forgive your outburst.”
“No,” Swan said simply, taking a breath. “I’d rather die here than live another second under you!” She then spat in his face, taking Merry by surprise.
“Then die here alone,” Merry replied, wiping his face. “Such a pity.”
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Interesting turn of events. Merry may think selling information may be a easy way of making a quick buck, but in this case it was definitely a case of eyes bigger than belly. Maybe he should consider protective custody as I doubt the windigo’s would take kindly to both loosing one of their own as well not having the Orion destroyed.
Only time will tell from here on out.
Gods above and below it's gonna be so satisfying to see Merry get his...
...kinda think there would be some poetic justice in the Blackwings keeping the name too. Make it something that evokes a sense of pride in the Aerie.
That's just me though, lol
Damn, Twi had me going for a moment there. This was pretty intense. What a turn near the end there, really threw the steaks up 11.
I do wonder though, if Merry dies then the black wings get fried. Would that still happen if they basically lobotomised him, I suppose it works mentally so he could still activate it.
Yet another amazing chapter.
My only issue, as I have stated before, is that I feel like I am reading the second or third volume of a Sci-Fi series, and that I am missing some important context for the world that the Author has set up. I’m not sure if it’s just not clicking for me or if the fact that there are relatively few Sci-Fi FiM stories that I read but I keep asking questions about the world that I feel I should know, like how anyone could buy that Twilight would be so heartless towards her family for even a second. Obviously, if that is the intention of the author, then that is understandable, but for me it slightly detracts from the experience.
I mean, how could anyone ever tell, right?
Well, contrary to popular belief, conspiracies demand secrecy to work, or else the secret logically becomes impossible to keep...so I'd imagine not many.
Don't call the painters just yet--hopefully you'll be taken out of the picture before you can even take the time to pull up their number.
Oh, no no no no...she's just doing a good job selling the bait.
Though I didn't think she was doing that good a job as to fool you, Flurry...but then I think Twilight was counting on that--the more likely Merry will buy it if Flurry Heart appears to as well.
You and me both, Flurry.
Well dang. Merry's more observant than he looks.
...which means that if he didn't fall for Twilight's little show there, then what's your excuse, Flurry?!
Well, we have proof to the contrary, but of course, I don't expect you to actually admit that. You're not that overconfident.
Well...we were already going off script anyway, I sort of figured they were going to have to eventually, and going off script has been shown to work waaaaay better than it has any right to for Flurry in the past, so...
Interesting he doesn't consider Flurry Heart part of "every blackwing," even though she technically does fit that description.
Yaaaaaay!
Noooooo!--I mean--oh fine, have it your way.
So I'd be lying if I didn't think it was going to come to this anyway...really, the gang really should've spent their time planning for this outcome from the get-go.
I love how tense and unpredictable everything got when it came to negotiating with Merry. He’s like a Hans Gruber sort of villain, where his intellect and attention to details make him a threat. If the story description’s ass-kicking happens to him, it will be a well-deserved and satisfying one. Like I said, he’s a great villain.
Flurry being fooled by Twilight’s comments makes it seem like there’s still plenty of bad blood between them (at least on Flurry’s side). It makes me wonder if things can ever be repaired between them.
One more thing...Celestia’s still alive?! I didn’t expect that! Where does she fit in among this galactic bureaucracy?
And of course things didn't go according to plan. Why, at least once, the heroes will plan everything correctly and everything will work out for them. I see this particular plot move so often that it does not catch on at all.
10644668
Sorry for the language. English is not my native language.
10644678
it's cool
As much as it pains me to say it, I have to admit that Merry appears to be quite good at getting his grubby little hooves on information. I'd love to see just how he set his informational network up and/or runs it, as well as the (presumed) subsequent counterintelligence effort.
Now that I think about it, I'm a little surprised that Flurry/Twilight/etc. didn't account for the possibility that Merry would discover their plan ahead of time. They know that Merry is capable of getting quite sensitive information, given his conversation with the windigo, though to be fair, they don't have the luxury of a lot of planning time.
Seems Twilight has gotten some improvisation practice over the years.
Or at least I hope that's all improvisation....
I get the feeling this might be slightly less improvised....
It'd be awfully convenient if Nyx were waiting in the wings to ambush Merry with Twilight's jamming spell, but that'd be a bit on the too convenient side. Can't wait to see how this concludes.
10644604
Yeah, but then you'd have go through the distasteful act actually bringing that scumball back to life again, and that's just...more than he deserves, even if you are just going to turn around and bump him off again.
And thus the plan goes straight too hell in a handbasket. This is one of those times when a stun weapon would be really nice to have.
Story just feels like its dragging along.
Great characters and a lived in universe.
10644584
This was a tricky last-minute change I made to the chapter, removing all internal awareness Flurry had that this was part of the charade and she needed to play along and make it convincing. I felt it might be more genuinely tense if part of Flurry believed that maybe this was actually real after all!
And to be clear, there's plenty of reason to have faith that Twilight is still putting on a big act for Merry. But then... this is Flurry's POV.
What must be kept in mind when reading this is that Flurry already has a massive distrust and hatred toward her. So it makes sense she'd lose her sense of objectivity here when Twi appears to betray her.
10644643
Wow, that's quite a compliment!
Yes, this! This is exactly how I was hoping people would interpret it. Because it is true that if Flurry kept her objectivity, she should not have fallen for that act. She knew that Twi would be trying to butter Merry up. But her own beef with Twilight got in the way and made her lose sight of what was going on.
Yep. All alicorns are immortal. During this story, she'd be 7,192 years old. Luna would be 7,186. Twilight would be 1,761 and Nyx would be 1,739 plus ten (because she appeared at the age of ten).
Celestia is the ruler of Equus and head of the Equus Commonwealth. She's essentially like Queen Elisabeth to the British Commonwealth. But not just a figurehead and not elderly. Alicorns always appear to be in their prime physically.
10645069
I get that, and storytelling-wise I agree it made it more interesting in the long run. It just struck me as odd that Flurry appears to have never once stopped to ask herself if maybe Twilight's actions were merely part of the charade until basically right until the moment Merry revealed it was all for naught anyway.
I mean, I get how the comments would sting a lot for Flurry, true or not, and I get her maybe initially believing them to be truth at the start since it was Twilight going off-script herself, as well as later wondering to herself if, charade or not, there was still at least some truth to Twi's remarks...but it was quite obvious to me that Twilight was merely improvising last minute to try and preserve some semblance of the plan, and I guess I'm just disappointed in Flurry letting her past anger blind her to this that much. I mean, Flurry's a lot of things, but she's not that an unreasonable a mare--she's capable of reasoning out situations like this, and no doubt has pulled similar stunts herself throughout her storied career, so it just shocked me she latched onto that as a truth without question so immediately like that.
But like I already said, I approve of it as a storytelling choice, because it opens avenues to explore later for Flurry's character, as well as to give the average reader just enough doubt to play devil's advocate and wonder, no matter how fleetingly, if Twilight really wasn't acting. Further, Flurry's outbursts in response probably only worked in Twilight's favor in selling the charade to Merry...if Merry hadn't already known better. And I'd like to think that if Merry hadn't gotten that advance insider knowledge, it really would have worked, and Merry lured into their trap as originally planned. So it's all a totally solid strategy, both in and out of universe.
So I guess my comments on the matter are directed more at Flurry, as a reprimand for her foolishness at that moment (I mean, Merry certainly didn't, so that does seem like a blow to Flurry that the scumball wasn't fooled when she was
). Which is good--it shows how drawn in I am as the reader. 
10645122
And Flurry definitely does deserve such a reprimand. It's not the first example of her being shockingly impulsive in this story.
A while back, we toyed with the idea of making the reader truly believe that Twilight was actually doublecrossing Flurry here. But it would have required a completely different characterization in chapters 18 and 19. From a reader perspective, we've already seen too much of Twilight showing genuine care to believe that she's been playing Flurry all along. So we knew the reader would not buy that, no matter how ch20 went.
So we left it with things like:
“So that’s it then?” Flurry hissed, more emotion slipping into the charade than she would have liked. “You were using me this whole time?”
And:
She glared over at Twilight, who at least had the decency to look apologetic.
But then I wanted to try and remove all the narration showing that Flurry knew what was really going on... and see if we could carry it forward justified by Flurry's impulsivity in combination with already feeling betrayed by Twilight many years ago, which we finally explained in ch19.
Felt like a decent gamble, though as you pointed out, it should have been more developed. Like, Flurry should have been internally struggling with it rather than just jumping full in with the "Twilight betrayed me... again" narrative.
10645156
Yep, that was precisely how I knew it was an act on Twilight's part--it wasn't at all in line with how she had acted on the subject in past chapters. But I don't think it's a bad thing, story-wise, especially as it'd be a very different story if we the readers hadn't been given that prior interactions with Twilight.
And I also suppose this means Flurry's earlier jab about Twilight's skills on this subject were unfounded, because even though it didn't fool me, I was impressed at how craftily Twilight handled and adapted in that situation.
Which, again, just makes it all the more a pity that it didn't work. Darn that Merry, he just has to spoil everything he touches, doesn't he? 
10645168
Oh absolutely. And that jab at Twilight was exactly that: a jab. Flurry truly has a powerful bias going on in her mind when it comes to Twilight, painting her aunt in an extremely negative light regardless of what Twilight is demonstrating. And this bias blindness is a real psychological phenomenon. Seeing it from the reader's perspective gives us the ability to see through what Flurry is blind to, even though the chapter is from her POV. And of course if the story had been written in the omniscient perspective, that whole scene would have only made Flurry look stupid and unobservant.
As for Merry... this is a page straight out of Brendan Sanderson's playbook. Resolution escalation in the "yes, but" vs "no, and" format constantly throws obstacles in the way of the protagonists until they finally crack the puzzle and the plot is truly resolved. The trick is to not be repetitive in the ongoing "dang that didn't work and it just got worse" struggle. Repetition will swiftly disconnect the reader from the story. Each challenge must feel like a natural consequence of previous events.
We still have one more major twist/surprise in store before it's all over. Stay tuned!
10645210
Well, not totally a jab, surely, seeing Twilight didn't exactly excel at this sort of thing during the course of the show, so I'm quite sure there was a time when Flurry's quip about it was more truth than exaggeration...but that was then. Twilight's clearly become a lot more skilled since then.
Tried to think of something to comment, but I can’t really think of anything to add. Really engaging chapter as always, always looking forward to more.
Arguably one of the most well written story on this site, in my opinion. Very rarely have I hated an antagonist as much as Merry, and that's saying something.
Then again, you made him both the kind of person I hate, and effectively a slaver, which is my "kill on sight" target in any media.
It does feel like it's the halfway point of the second book of a serie tho, at time, by which I mean that it feels like we are getting only a snippet of a very large and well developed universe...which I guess is to your credit
10658792
Gotta meet those recycling quotas
Gotta wonder what would happen if you just paralyzed Merry Weather from the neck down...
10661493
Could be very dangerous, if he dies then everyone dies. It's also why he surrounded himself with a ton of people, because Flurry might just think do that
10646705
I WANT HIS HEAD!
Its April ! de yea need a Bout in the arse get to writing!
10754984
We took a much-needed month or two break to deal with a few things in life as well as a few distractions.
Ch21 has been drafted though, and is currently being edited.
10755062
I see it worked. your welcome!