Hand of the Ancients

by Starscribe

Chapter 18

Lyra settled into her captain's chair, poised at the exact center of the battle formation.

Through the screen of her ship, Lyra could scarcely judge the scope of what she saw—the other ships were each incredible in scale, each their own mountain of frozen metal and bristling weapons.

With a few months of study, her crew no longer wandered from seat to seat, without ever contributing anything at any specific place. Now everyone had their station—Muffins at sensors, Time Turner at communications, and Bonnie at weapons. Lyra rested her fingers on one of the manual joysticks, though she released it just as quickly.

Just because she knew how to use the ship didn't mean she had any intention of superseding the commands of Computer's control.

"We'll be decisive this time," Bon Bon said. "We protect our home. If that gets messy, history can be the judge."

Easy for you to say. I'm the captain. You can just say you were following orders.

"All carriers report green for jump," Computer said. "As I hold the only living crew, The first wave will precede us into the system. Then we wait exactly five minutes, and warp in as part of the second wave. The reserve will join us a few moments thereafter."

It wasn't Lyra's plan, but Vulcan's, something it had seen their ancestors try in some ancient engagement in a long-forgotten system.

If it was good enough for the ancients, it was good enough for Lyra.

"Final tactical feedback from Equestria?"

"Unchanged," Muffins said, after a few seconds. "One prison transport, one cruiser. Both in orbit of the Sylphgate."

"With those odds, we shouldn't need to kill anymore," Lyra said. "These are my orders going in. Relay this to the other ships. We're not going to slaughter. We will take only the lives absolutely necessary. We are not going to get revenge for our ancestors, or to retake all of space in their name. We're protecting our home. Disable their ships if possible."

Time Turner gave her a thumbs-up from his seat. "Orders acknowledged by the carriers. Each of them has a name, but... perhaps it would be simpler not to get into specifics. Lead group is in position for warp."

"Celestia protect them," Lyra whispered. "Go."

Lyra leaned forward in her seat, squinting at the waiting ships. She'd never had the chance to watch a ship leave before.

There was no overwhelming magical blast—just a faint shimmer from where the ship had been, then a trail of sparkles.

"Teleport successful," Computer said. "Sensors confirm phase shift. Spooling accelerator." The ship began to hum, rattling faintly under their feet. Lyra reached down to buckle herself in, though she suspected the Captain's Mantle wouldn't allow her to come to serious harm. Better to confirm it than gamble.

The others shifted in their seats. Bon Bon looked back at her, holding out one hand. But the weapon console was too far away to reach. "You ready, captain? For what we're about to do?"

She shrugged. "Don't really get to say no at this point."

Time Turner leaned back in his seat, twisting to glance back at her. "I wonder what they'll say when we trot into the Historical Society. Do you think Equestria noticed the launch? After all this time missing, they might've sent search parties... I wonder if they've pronounced us dead yet."

"Captain..." Even with her greater abilities, Muffins still sounded perpetually timid. "Do you have a sec? Something... something's not right."

Lyra looked up. "What is it, Muffins?" Computer wanted them all to use titles and ranks—something about being “professional” while on duty. Lyra had thoroughly dismissed the motion, at least so far. "Go ahead."

"Phase-shifts are instantaneous, right? No distance, no travel time. We vanish from one place, and appear somewhere else without crossing the distance in-between. Like unicorn magic."

"That's... what the records say," Time Turner muttered. "It's exactly the same technique as a unicorn's magic, in fact. The pony tribe derives its ability from this technology."

"What's wrong?" Lyra pressed, speaking over the stallion. If she didn't, Muffins never would.

"The first five ships aren't showing on Equestria tactical," she said, words tumbling over each other. "Not even debris. No energy signatures, nothing."

"It's probably—" Her dismissal faded on her tongue, as she realized what Muffins already had. "Computer. Get all ships ready to jump. We go in together, all at once. Don't prompt for confirmation."

"Phase-shift charging in reserve carriers," Computer answered. "Though I do not believe your concern is rooted in any real danger. There is no possibility that the Republic has subverted the Sylphgate's sensors. Even after all these years, they have never cracked a persona's core integrity."

She shrugged. "If that's true, it shouldn't matter anyway."

Bon Bon spread out in her seat, resting each hand on a control surface. "You think we're flying into a trap, Lyre? We could send the empty ships and wait for them to tell us it's safe."

Lyra shook her head. "If it wasn't Equestria through there, I would."

They couldn't trust a machine to make the choices they would want. A pony had to be there.

Lyra had no warning whatsoever for the incoming transit. She had already instructed Computer to go as soon as it was ready—so they did.

Somehow, Lyra's time in that motionless eternity felt far faster than her last passage. Maybe it was the painful knowledge of Equestria's danger, or the pressure of ships that never reported back. Maybe it was just greater experience with the technology.

"I hope Equestria is okay." Her thoughts moved, rushing forward through space. "We'd know if the Republic attacked them, wouldn't we?"

Computer answered the same as it always did. "We should. There are systems on the planet's surface still causally entangled with this ship. If it had suffered a neutron bombardment, or other catastrophically destructive attack, I would be able to inform you."

Able, but willing? She opened her eyes, and they were through to the other side.

It took Lyra a few long seconds to realize what she was looking at, or how she had gotten there. Lights filled every screen, along with rumbles and bangs that some part of her knew must be produced artificially to better capture the emotional impact of the struggle taking place outside.

Explosions, ships in combat—a battle!

That was expected—they'd seen the corvettes waiting for them through the tactical system, and knew what it would mean. But subduing those ships would take less than a single carrier's firepower, and that wasn't what she saw now.

Instead, the five ships in the initial wave had deployed in an arc, spilling all of their smaller ships to fill the space with intercepting chaff. Ships detonated in waves, swallowed by the oncoming assault of incomprehensible scale.

Then her ears stopped ringing, and her mind caught up with what she was seeing.

"Engagement across all ships!" Computer shouted. "Deploying remaining carriers! Estimating enemy fleet strength..."

Every screen in the bridge shifted, replacing a scenic view of space with various statistical displays, damage readouts, munitions counts, and projections of enemy strength across different strategic approaches. The battle raged in slow motion, as enemies firing bullets and rockets met with the energy weapons and magical assault of the carrier fleet.

Thousands of automated fighters rushed out to meet the enemy, which she soon saw had deployed around the Sylphgate in an arc. Not two ships and a prison barge, but hundreds of little metal objects, each one uglier and more irregular than the last.

"Ships exploded on both sides, though far more among those surrounding the Sylphgate than the dense formation of Equestrian vessels. Yet they were far more numerous, at least a dozen to every ship they had brought.

"How are there so many?" Muffins asked, horrified.

"Few," Computer said, almost instantly. "They learned to imitate the technique as the war progressed, engaging as few human resources as possible in any conflict. Their strategy was always to rely on concealment, masking ships with live crews among many that did not. By contrast, we rely on fortification. The Equestria is far better protected than any of our carrier escort."

That did little to reassure her. Few real ponies or not, many ships were exploding out there in the void. Even Equestrian telescopes were bound to see this. What would they think of the catastrophic war in heaven? Would Canterlot Observatory be rushing to tell a princess yet?

"One vessel is disengaging from behind their formation," Computer said, dulling the sound of distant weapons and raging, empty ships. "It is moving for Equestria."

"Prepare all weapons," Lyra said, without thinking. "We'll defend ourselves if we have to."

"No," Computer said. "Not me—the planet."

"Buck me," Bon Bon whispered, fingers slumping to the control surface. "There's a war between us and the surface. We can't just—"

They could. Lyra settled her fingers into the controls, gripped hard, and activated the phase shift. For the second time they moved through an eternal nothing, without even a flicker of time. She spent a lifeless eternity in the captain's chair, preparing for the order. No matter what happened, she would not allow their enemy to reach her home. If all her friends had to die to make that happen, then they would die.

They slammed back into real space, bombarded with more sound, more dazzling light from the screens. Only now the space below the Horn of Celestia glowed a faint blue-green, reflecting on the living atmosphere.

Familiar continents passed slowly underneath, broken by mountains and oceans and rivers she had known her whole life. Yet she never could've imagined putting herself between their life or death.

My fault. All of this is my fault. No evil empire would want to kill us if they didn't think we were aware. They would never have a reason.

"That ship is special..." Muffins said, the second to recover from their brief jump. "Different from the others. Really big."

"Imperial Supercarrier," Computer answered. "Royal nobility is here. That too is expected, where such enormous fleets are concerned. Someone of rank must command it."

"Weapons charged," Bon Bon said. "Say the word, captain."

From another angle, they saw distant carriers closing in on a Sylphgate. Yet even light would take time to get back to them with the outcome. For now, she would need to rely on the constantly-updating display of tactical information flowing back across the divide.

"Incoming transmission," Time Turner said. "Identifies itself as the Hammer of Royal Victory. Demanding to speak with us."

"Open it!"

A brief hiss of static, then voices and sound all together. Just like the last time, there was no image to accompany the sound. But as the seconds passed, one appeared. A ship's deck took shape, then filled with griffons and other creatures. Rushing pipes of fluid appeared, sparking consoles, and a small fire burning in the background.

At the center was a golden throne, and atop it an old bird, so old his feathers had gone stark white. He had only one real eye, and one faintly glowing mechanical replacement. Nor was he the only one to have artificial parts. Yet he spoke, no one else. "Human vessel—you will not harm the creatures on the surface of that planet. If you do, I swear to extract swift and ruthless judgment from you and every ship you send. You will pay for their lives a thousand times."

"What is he talking about?" Bon Bon asked. "We're defending Equestria..."

Lyra stood up. "Hammer of Royal Victory. Order your ships to cease fire!"

The griffon tilted his head to one side, looking as confused as Lyra felt. He muttered something, not quite audible, then demanded, "Why should I do that, human vessel? You've come to slaughter innocent members of my republic. I will punish all those who inflict such evil, no matter how many relic ships they build."

Comments

[Lockrime]

Well. It appears a diplomatic solution is possible, huh?

Or at least I assume it is. If both of them desire to protect Equus... there isn't much of a reason to be fighting.

[DrCygnus]

confused screaming ensues!

[ShadwSonic]

So that's why the "enemy" look like griffons... their descendants ended up on Equus too!
This opens up some possibilities... it's not like Griffinstone considers itself an enemy of Equestria... nor are they likely to trust aliens that share their shape over the neighbors they know.

[Zobeid]

11852203
Maybe, maybe. . . But protect the planet as what? A reservation? A prison?

[FanOfMostEverything]

Ah, the perils of assumption. This is going to be very complicated. Assuming the griffons don’t make it horrifyingly simple.