Hegira: Rising Omega

by Guardian_Gryphon

Chapter 10

Earth Calendar: 2117
Equestrian Calendar: 15 AC (After Contact)
Twelfth Month, Ninth Day, Celestial Calendar

Carradan

I glanced furtively over first one shoulder, then the other, before rapping sharply on the door with my hoof. Wouldn't do to get caught early on by an eager comrade in arms.

One short, two rapid-fire 'longs,' and another two shorts.

After a moment of tense silence, the supply room door whipped open, and I was practically yanked inside by the guiding grip of a familiar set of talons. The second the door had been closed once more, a lantern shutter opened with a soft 'snick,' and the room was illuminated with dull candlelight.

I exhaled deeply, stretching first one wing, then the other, as I removed my blue crested golden helmet, and cracked my neck from side to side.

"What a day... No one besides her Majesty there has ever worked me that hard in a training sesh."

I inclined my head towards IJ with a smile as I spoke. She offered only a tiny smirk in response, then returned to her previous activity; Sipping small, constant draughts of water from a large stone tankard.

My gaze lingered a moment, and I smiled more widely inwardly. I was finding IJ's return to such a familiar shape to be comforting. It made her seem more approachable, though I didn't dare say that aloud, on pain of death for my poor ol ribs.

With Shining Armor, Sildinar, Kephic, and Varan also in attendance, our group filled the dimly lit supply room near to bustin', occupying nearly every square meter of the cobblestone floor.

Kephic proffered a newly filled tankard of fresh, frigidly cold water, which I accepted gratefully. In spite of that base instinct to begin guzzling the refreshing liquid, years of time spent with Gryphons, and Changelings, had taught me more than a few useful tricks about the way my body worked.

Instead of indulging, I copied IJ's slow, steady, small sips as Shining Armor spoke, switching his gaze between each of us in turn.

"Given how much experience you two have, I wish you could be instructing, instead of drilling. You've both had years to adapt everything we're trying to teach here to make sense for Equine form, and function. It would make things go much more smoothly."

Varan raised an eyebrow, chiming in with his usual deadpan.

"That would be self-defeating with regard to our more critical objective."

Kephic shrugged with his wings, a Human-like gesture he had picked up from Fyrenn, that I still found tremendously funny. So much so that I had to choke back a splutter of laughter, disguising it with an enormous belch.

The speckled Gryphon ignored the sound, giving voice to his own thoughts without so much as a pause as he glanced at the Unicorn Prince.

"Well, you might get your way soon enough."

Kephic's gaze shifted to Sildinar, and all our eyes followed. The roan Gryphon nodded slowly, and his tail swished from side to side in anticipation.

"We can't afford to draw this out. Our enemy has a distinct advantage, being one among thousands, with any conceivable route of attack open to them. We have the disadvantageous position, being few in number with many different weak points to secure."

Sildinar stood, and shook his head slowly as he began to pace in what little floor space was left for movement.

"We have to be more intentional about this. Set a proper trap. An opportunity not to be passed up, that will funnel our enemy directly into our line of fire. Force them out into the open. Use what few advantages we do have to force a confrontation as soon as possible. Trade an unknown risk, for a known one."

Shining grimaced, and shook his head, a note of weary acceptance, tinged with more than a bit of frustration creeping into his words.

"I doubt I'm going to like this suggestion."

Sildinar grinned wryly.

"No, indeed you will not."

Somehow I knew I wouldn't either.

Earth Calendar: 2117
Equestrian Calendar: 15 AC (After Contact)
December 9th, Gregorian Calendar

Hutch

Illumination bars sprang to life, one after the other, casting an antiseptic white glow over two rows of identical gray cylinders, each roughly the size of a loaded duffle bag. Fourteen in all, filling two long tables that took up most of the ordinance lab.

Martins whistled, and shook her head slowly. Fyrenn stepped forward and cautiously hefted one of the devices. I noticed, as he spoke, that it had a sticker like each of its thirteen other twins, denoting it had been safely disarmed.

"How did you accomplish this in such a short time? These could have been hidden *anywhere,* and it would take a lifetime for two people to search just one of those ships..."

Skye smirked, and glanced cross-eyed up at her horn before answering.

"Science. Magic. Admittedly a little guesswork and inductive reasoning. And Neyla's very sharp eyes, and instincts. I got us close, to within five square meters, she nailed the actual bag-n-tag within three guesses. Every single time."

Neyla grinned, and thumped the little tan Unicorn affectionately between the shoulders. Geez those two were scary together. Once again I found myself glad they were on our side.

"Don't let her kid you. Without her device, and her very unique skills, this whole endeavour would have been pointless. She found a way to use spooky interaction to trace the unique electromagnetic signature of the triggering device, in spite of all shielding and interference, based on nothing more than data reconstruction and recursion from the original blast site. Figuring out which un-creative hiding spot the bombers were using was trivial once we had it narrowed down to one or two compartments."

In spite of myself Igrinned, and raised a closed fist, which Neyla, and then Skye both struck with claw and hoof. I didn't do a thing to hide the admiration in my voice. They'd earned every lick of it, and then some.

"Damn fine job you two. You really pulled the bacon out of the fire on this one."

Martins nodded as Aston chimed in with her own thoughts. She was rarely impressed, so her compliments meant even more in that light.

"You two might have just revolutionized the fields of forensic investigation, and security, where explosives are concerned."

Neyla took the device from Fyrenn's claws, and held it up to illustrate her points as she spoke.

"Save the celebrations for later. Like the first device, these were all two kiloton yield particle-disintegration warheads. Unlike the first, their EMF shielding was packed correctly. Every single one was secreted close enough to the ship's engine core to cause prompt-critical failure of antimatter containment."

Skye's face fell into a dour grimace as she picked up the train of thought, her words as cold and hard as the steel surfaces of the room's tables.

"I did full digital and Thaumic-information-theory forensics on every digital access point the perpetrator or perpetrators needed to use in order to place the devices..."

An unpleasant pause hung over the group. I could feel what was coming in my gut. Martins crossed her arms, and exhaled, ending the stale moment with a wry observation.

"But you're not going to tell me who your suspects are. Too risky."

Skye nodded glumly. Neyla's eyes narrowed, and she placed the fourteenth charge back onto the table, pacing to and fro as she spoke, her tail swishing side to side in agitation, ears pinned back.

"We *have* narrowed the suspect list significantly. We are primarily concerned with the architect of the disaster. We're fairly sure they use several other infiltrators, both Human and Pony, on the base, to accomplish their tasks. The underlings don't have authority, nor the necessary command codes to act alone. If we cut off the head the body will, by necessity, die."

Skye picked up once more where the Gryphoness left off, in a similarly dour note. Things were just getting rosier all the time, I reflected internally with no small amount of sarcasm.

"The architect is deeply placed in the command structure. We have less than a dozen names on our list. But we can't just throw them all into a brig until after the launch. If they know we've recovered the devices---"

Alyra briefly interrupted, holding up a single talon. The kid was, I'm convinced, an undiscovered genius in her time.

"Which we're counting on, to bring them here in force."

The tan Unicorn nodded, and continued smoothly.

"...Then they will have taken appropriate actions to help ensure the forthcoming assault is successful. If we take them now, we have no guarantee we can extract the information we need in a timely fashion. Worse, one of their subordinates might take their place. But if we watch every name on the list as the plan is in motion, we might catch them in the act itself, and stop them before they can do critical damage."

Fyrenn nodded slowly, ears twitching agitatedly, as he added his own thoughts to the mix.

"By the time their subordinates are aware of what's happened, we might well have the chance to catch them too, based on what we learn of the architect's plan. That's a bold bet."

Grimacing, I drummed my fingers on one of the tables, glowering down at the defused bombs. Ugly little junk-heaps, but damn effective.

"And if the cards don't deal our way, there will be a lot of blood on our hands. Claws. Hooves. Whatever your front limbs end in."

Martins shook her head, holding up both hands to bring an end to the debate, her voice unwavering. Though I thought I spotted more than a little appropriate apprehension behind her eyes.

"We move ahead then. As planned. If we do nothing, or if we pull punches and half-bake this because we got scared, the blood will be all over us just the same. God protects fools, children, and explorers. We've got all the boxes ticked."

Neyla nodded emphatically, then inclined her head, ears perking up, wings shifting reflexively as she spoke.

"Then we launch today. Cryo tray loading is complete, antimatter fuelling teams are over two thirds finished."

The Gryphoness finally stopped pacing, turning to face the rest of the group, her beak set, eyes flashing.

"We launch at first light."

Earth Calendar: 2117
Equestrian Calendar: 15 AC (After Contact)
Twelfth Month, Tenth Day, Celestial Calendar

Carradan

"Eyes FRONT!"

Murmuring, shuffling, and whispering ceased instantly across the assembled Guards-Ponies. With the dull rumble of hooves against turf, punctuated by the clank of armor plates, the assembled Equines came to full attention.

I wondered if the habits would stick with me once the charade was over. Even through the feathers I could still see Fyrenn's military bearing. 'Course he'd been doing it for decades.

Shining Armor waited until a solid, noticeable tension had set in, spurred on by the intensity of his words. Then he spoke, projecting to ensure all would hear clearly. Flanked by three Gryphons, he somehow still managed to appear intimidating.

Deep down, I was glad I didn't have to hate him for it. Having 'intimidating' on your side is a great feeling.

"Experience. It is both an excellent teacher, and a valuable reward. Today, it will be both, for fifteen lucky winners."

The Unicorn paced back and forth on the top step of the courtyard entrance, drilling into all of us with a steely gaze before elaborating.

"This morning, you will compete in a series of seven consecutive one on one elimination matches. The final fifteen individuals standing will spend this afternoon staffing the second shift positions in her Highness' personal bodyguard."

Sildinar nodded, and spoke out, adding further incentive to the burning anticipation rising in the assembled Battalions. I found myself completely caught up in it, despite knowing I was a complete and total impostor. Group-think is a heady tonic.

"Her Highness intends to take some time in the city this afternoon. In the interest of making a bold statement, and measuring public response, her personal guard will be fitted in the new regalia. This is a chance for some of you younger soldiers to be noticed by your superiors for exceptional performance. And a chance for ten of you, new or experienced, to get a taste of what your battalion is fighting for in these competitions."

Varan raised a claw, and an eyebrow, one ear perking up as he chimed in.

"Each of the winners takes a point in the overall competition for their battalion. So those of you assigned to me in particular? Don't disappoint."

Kephic nodded, and gestured expansively, completing the briefing with a grin that translated into his tone. Where Varan would probably meet death with a curt nod someday, I was convinced Kephic would greet him with a smirk.

"Simple rules. Do not intentionally cause serious injury that can't be easily healed by a reasonably talented magic caster. Your objective is to be the first to acquire a shot, or position that would guarantee you a kill. Referees will keep score. Eliminated combatants will proceed to the lower parade ground, where Varan will work you until you can no longer stand under your own power. Victors will proceed to the showers, and then proceed to the embarkation antechamber."

In the midst of the crowd, I exchanged the tiniest of sideways glances with IJ. We were both aware that only our target was our direct equal in combat, amongst the assembled Ponies.

It wasn't arrogance. Ok maybe a little, but not much. IJ was still a Changeling, imprinted with reams of combat knowledge from Spawn. I'd trained for years with Gryphons and Changelings. Far as I was concerned that made us the only real fighters in the guard. Us, and the assassin.

An opportunity to be on Celestia's personal guard was simply too valuable for the assassin to bypass.

IJ's skills, and mine, and a careful pre-placement in the lineup to ensure we never fought each other, would ensure that at least one of us would be there beside Celestia when afternoon came. Ideally both.

And so would the Assassin. The most dangerous variable aside from the killer, would be the twelve other Guards.

There was simply no way for us to know whether winners in games of one-on-one sparring would have the mettle to react wisely in a crisis. I held down a reflexive shiver as the word crossed my mind.

Crisis.

We were, I realized, intentionally creating a crisis. One that could either save a lotta lives, or end them messily in full public view. Unless by some miracle the assassin paired off with one of us.

Anyone in the group who could display truly equal or greater combat skills to mine, or IJ's could only be the assassin. In which case we'd all be aware almost immediately, and thus able to mercifully avoid further risk.

The odds weren't too good as to that outcome. And, I realized, the assassin would behave shrewdly, only exercising exactly as much skill as would be required to beat each successive opponent.

There would be no way to tell them apart from any of the other victors if they did their job right.

Until the last possible moment.

As dozens of Night Guards filtered into the courtyard to act as additional referees, seemingly appearing from within shadows, Shining barked a final series of commands.

"LINE UP! PAIR OFF! TAKE READY STANCES!"

Earth Calendar: 2117
Equestrian Calendar: 15 AC (After Contact)
December 9th, Gregorian Calendar

Fyrenn

I glanced over my shoulder, smiling as I watched Alyra shadow Councilor Martins and Astris at the rear of the mission ops center. The assignment was as much for her own edification, and safety, as it was for Martins' protection. It was highly unlikely, in my evaluation, that any invader would be able to breach the safeguards around the room.

The majority of the domed roof was given over to a holoscreen showing orbital tracks, with the center of the room occupied by a holotank for displaying related flight data. The periphery of the chamber was ringed with dozens of duty stations; Vertical semi transparent screens with curved touch displays beneath.

I turned back to stare at my own display. On one side, pre-launch checklists sat in varying states of partial readiness, instantly updating as the launch crews throughout the room, and aboard the fourteen ships, completed final checks.

The remainder of the display was a map of the compound, showing troop placements, and automated defenses. Every unit, vehicle, and missile battery was tagged. The display could show the ten-thousand-foot view, details as small as heart rate for a single soldier, and everything in between.

I was intimately familiar with the layout. It was based on JRSF designs, which were in turn derived from the same ops panels I'd seen and used many times in the Marines.

Neyla arrived with nearly absolute silence, in spite of the new tactical armor she wore, which mirrored my own. She sat wordless, staring at the data for a long moment, then at me for what seemed like an eternity. Something about the way she was looking at me stopped me from speaking.

I just held the moment, content to lend her strength in any way I could, and receive it in kind.

At last, she spoke softly.

"One way or another, this will all be over soon. I find that comforting."

With a nod I exhaled deeply, my voice betraying exhaustion, and fear. I made no effort to cover it up.

"On the one claw, I'm looking forward to it. I hate the idea of all those sleeping Humans, Gryphons, Ponies, Zebra, and the rest... All completely defenseless. Sleeping peacefully, with no idea what's happened out here. And yet..."

Neyla glanced over one wing to ensure Alyra was completely absorbed in her own work, before lowering her voice to a near-whisper as she finished my thought for me.

"And yet you hold a similar hatred for the idea of the conversation you must have with Alyra when this is all over."

I nodded again slowly, then pinched the bridge of my beak just above the nares with a sigh. Neyla blinked, and grit her own beak as I replied.

She hated seeing me in pain. I had always hated seeing her in pain too.

"The future scares me just as much as the present. Her future. Mine. Ours. Earth's... And I feel no small measure of guilt. We're doing a good thing here, but it hardly undoes the damage Humanity is doing. Or the damage I've done..."

Neyla delivered a light smack to my shoulder, glaring, her tone dipping into a familiar icy measure.

"As you're so fond of saying; We will blow up those bridges when we come to them. Begin with today's problems, and deal with tomorrow's if we make it there alive. Only four hours left now."

I nodded firmly, and reshuffled the position of my wings, fixing my gaze back on the monitor.

"They'll make it. We will make it. We have to."

I wished I believed it with as much conviction as I was trying to project.

Earth Calendar: 2117
Equestrian Calendar: 15 AC (After Contact)
Twelfth Month, Tenth Day, Celestial Calendar

Carradan

I found my final opponent to be truly frustrating. After six consecutive bouts, I also found the Unicorn to be tiring.

It certainly didn't help that everyone was watching us. All three Gryphons, Shining armor, all of the referees, and every other victor, all nine of them, IJ included. Somewhere among the other eight, lurked the assassin; Likely picking apart every one of my moves, and strategies. Sizing up weak points.

I hated being sized up.

The Unicorn I faced was exceptionally talented. Our fight had been going on almost twice as long as the other final elimination rounds. Though the Unicorn was much older than me, and possessed of a lot less physical stamina, his magical abilities were nothing short of incredible.

Privately, I'd begun to wonder if my opponent was actually the assassin after all. The side of my chest-plate bore a wicked gray carbon score, where a bolt from the mage had barely missed knocking me halfway across the courtyard on my ass.

Avoiding my opponent wasn't a problem for me on its own. Managing to avoid being blasted by a simulated kill-shot, bypassing the Unicorn's defensive spells, and landing a hit, all at the same time, was the true challenge.

I could move at speeds the Unicorn could barely visually clock. By contrast, he was like an immovable stone. A stone with fortress-like defenses that seemed utterly unapproachable, without also exposing myself to unceremonious defeat.

I rolled to the left to avoid a bolt of energy, and wished in my heart of hearts, not for the first time, that I knew more about weather magic. It was a devastatingly effective tool for some Pegasi, and I was feelin' its absence, let me tell ya.

The closest I'd ever come to using it was the time I'd taken a normally fatal electrical charge from an aircraft APU. My opponent in that fight had seemed unassailable too, but unlike me, had no natural biological protection from electrical current.

The Diamond Dog's spine had fused, and his brain had cooked-off, or so they told me. I on the other hoof had escaped with no injuries.

None caused by the electricity itself, at any rate. The bruising from having the gray clod hitting me full on, and then falling on me had stuck around for weeks. Might've been some fractures in there too.

I squinted, and beat my wings lightly, rising a dozen feet in the space of half a second. The foundation of an idea began to form unbidden in the back of my mind. Boy did I ever love those unbidden ideas. Usually suicidal nonsense half the time. I always chalked it up to the Gryphons' bad influence.

The Unicorn favored energy bolt attacks. That much was pretty obvious.

The attacks had started tentatively at first, but my opponent had gotten nothing if not more brazen as the battle wore on.

Maybe he knew that not all Pegasi shared the same skillsets.

As the next bolt issued forth, I concentrated. Hard.

Time seemed to slow.

The effect wasn't nearly as potent as the one the Gryphons described, but it was sure as shootin' a big advantage compared to any other being's perception of time nonetheless. Unicorns included.

I hadn't realized we Pegasi could do it, at first. Varan had taught me the basics, for which I breathed a silent word of thanks as I extended both wings fully.

Just before the bolt would have connected directly in the center of my chest plate, I beat my wings forward, and together, channeling every ounce of concentration and focus I had.

To my shock and surprise, the electricity did exactly what I'd hoped for it to do. What I'd needed it to do. Apparently there *is* a first time for everything.

Billowing back upon itself, as if the wind from my wings were propelling it, the bolt traveled back along its own length in a flash, slamming into the Unicorn's glowing shield, and blasting it into pieces.

I wanted to gloat. So badly. But I had no time for glee, smugness, or any emotional response at all. I folded my wings, and beat them backwards and down as hard as I could. The world accelerated into a blur.

I had only a tenth of a second to appreciate the Unicorn's shocked expression, and it was a very enjoyable tenth of a second, before I slammed directly into him, and sent him careening across the courtyard, flank over teakettle, tearing up clods of grass with the edges of his armor.

Beating my wings a third time, I zipped over the ground, hooves only occasionally touching earth. I had no idea how much I loved raw speed, until I'd finally learned how to coax more of it out of my own wings.

I arrived over the Unicorn not a moment too soon, extending my wings, and beating them down a fourth, and final time. Fyrenn had taught me that trick. Said he had always known wings could be deadly, apparently Swans used to crack unwary Human's skulls open with theirs, and he'd read about it in a documentary somewhere.

My wings were a heckuva lot better than some glorified goose.

The joints connected sharply with the Unicorn's skull, dazing him, and leaving me with a deep and painful sudden appreciation for the Gryphic idea of wing joint guards.

As the initial shock began to wear off, the Unicorn staggered to his feet, and his horn began to glow. I braced myself, but abruptly a shrill whistle filled the air, followed by Shining Armor's voice.

"ENOUGH!"

The Unicorn snapped reflexively to attention. Panted, I did the same, albeit with a bit less decorum, and precision. I frankly didn't care to give off the air that I was the cinched bootlaces type. I never was, and I liked it that way.

The group moved to surround us once more, and Sildinar spoke next, inclining his head with a smile.

"Well fought. But had this Pegasus not softened his blow, he would have broken both his wings, and your skull. Painful for him. But fatal for you."

Shining smiled, and nodded.

"Both of you to the showers. Only one of you can be named victor, but I think you've both earned a short rest."

The Unicorn sighed, and nodded weakly, clearly grateful that he would not face Varan's wrath on the training ground at the very least. So was I, to be honest. If IJ was a task-mistress, Varan was whatever is next worse on the ladder. R. Lee Ermy with wings and a beak. And even less sense of humor.

I smiled, and proffered a hoof, which the Unicorn gently tapped with his own.

"You *almost* had me there."

Inwardly, I shivered at the idea of IJ facing the assassin alone. 'Almost' was too close, as far as I was concerned.

Love does funny things to you. It wasn't that I didn't trust her to look after herself. I just didn't ever want to see her have to take a risk again without me.

With an inward sigh, I chewed on the comforting notion that, for the moment at least, we could face the crisis together.