Chapter Thirty Eight- From the mouths of Zebras and Vulcans...
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
FROM THE MOUTHS OF ZEBRAS AND VULCANS…
...Pink radiance faded from my eyes and I blinked at the light panel in the ceiling above our bed. Something tiny and screaming in Tyllaes’ elfin voice thumped down onto my chest. My right hoof did some non-verbal screaming of its own as I scramble to catch her!
I hissed in pain and surged into a sitting position, cradling the writhing form to me as Sunny, in a flurry of hooves and wings, flailed her way upright. I turned partway to the side, shielding the screaming Fey from her windmilling wings and swung my legs over the side of the bed. I would have stood but for the presence of Stimbolts’ body stretched out on the deck…
“Get it out, get it out, get it oouutttt!!!” Tyllae shrieked and sobbed, almost convulsing in her frantic agony. I crossed my legs and laid her on my leg, trying to steady her against my already swelling right hoof as I tried to see just what was wrong.
Sunny hit the deck on the opposite side with a muffled thud having stumbled over, as I later learned, Dazzles’ unconscious form. She scrambled to her hooves and circled ‘round the foot of the bed.
“Wait!” She cautioned urgently. “See where ‘tis! If it’s in her lung ye’ll decompress it fer sure if ye take it out!”
I did my best to look the writhing little form over. The pin was two-thirds of its length into her left shoulder on the chest side. Discord… or the Prism… had been aiming at her heart and may or may not have made it. There was no blood in her mouth and I took that as a good a sign as I could hope for under the circumstances. I noticed with a shock that the skin and fur around the pin looked charred and singed! A tiny curl of smoke rose from the wound.
“We’ve got to get it out and now!” I held Sunnys’ eyes with mine. “It’s killing her just being there!”
Tyllae was weakening as we watched. Her wound aside, that teleportation spell had to have taken a lot out of her. Her writhing began to subside into a horrible prelude to the final relaxation of death while her cried had softened to mere breathless sobbing.
“Take it out! Take it out! Take it out! Pleeeaaassee! Hurts, hurts, hurts sooo bad!” The little Fey moaned, her tears burning my wounded hoof.
“Hush ye now, Tyllae Dear!” Sunny crooned to her. “We’re here, Darlin’! Hang on n’ be a brave, wee elf!” She shot a glance at me.
“Right! Try n’ hold her still. ‘Tis now ‘r never!” With that, her horn fired up and a nimbus of pearly white formed around the pin impaling the poor Fey. As I held the weakly struggling form as tenderly as I could, it slid straight out and back until it came free. Sunny flung it to the floor as Tyllae’s body arched and quivered. She gave forth a long, quavering wail and collapsed into a twitching heap unconscious at last.
Tyllaes’ form became englobed in shimmering white magic, the aura rippling with layered healing and life-support spells as Sunny wafted her into her own hooves.
“I’ve got t’ get her t’ Sickbay! Will ye no let them know I’m on th’ way?” She gathered up the wounded Fey and held her close, her lovely eyes tragic and troubled. They came up and looked into my own and we both held our breaths.
“Oh, Starry! I’m so sorry…” She paused, trying to find the words. I wanted to kiss her so much, but I stayed rock-still.
She came to me, instead, leaning in quickly and pausing only for a second before our lips met. Whatever physical changes were wrought between us, it was good to know our heart of hearts were the same. I hugged her with my good arm as we kissed, tears coming to both our eyes. As she stood I gave her a swat on her bottom as well as the most heartfelt, grateful smile of my life!
“Come on, we’ve got work to do!” I said, more hoarsely than I intended. “Hubba-hubba one time! Time and tritium and all that!”
“Bugger yer tritium!” She blinked away tender tears with a wink. “N’ I’ve got yer bloody ‘hubba-hubba’ right here!” Her lovely tail came up and flicked me on the cheek before she sprang away, crowding the door until it opened and allowed her to hurry away.
I twisted my torso and thumped the comm panel next to the bed.
“Priority message for Sickbay!”
“Sickbay here.” Doctor Willowbark replied at once.
“Doctor Solar Cross is on her way with one critically wounded. Tyllae has been injured. We need a Medical Team to deck three, cabin seven. One wounded, one unconscious… and one dead.” My eyes fell upon the calm face of poor Stimbolt.
“We’re on our way!” Willowbark said briskly, then, “Who are you, Crewpony? I don’t… quite… recognize your voice.”
“This is Commander Starry-Eyes, Doctor, and I need help now!” I said wearily, then added. “You’ll get the details soon enough. Just hurry!”
“Acknowledged. Sickbay out.” …If he thought my readings were weird before, I couldn’t wait to see his face when he got here!
I tabbed the comm again. “Captain Caper on the Bridge.” I told the duotronic paging system and winced as my hoof, tired of being ignored, stabbed me mercilessly.
“Bridge ‘ere!” Merry spoke up. “Whatcher need, Mate?”
“Merry! It’s me! We’re back onboard.” I decided against telling her about Stimbolt yet. “I need to talk to Caper. We’ve got to break orbit while we have the chance!”
“…’Oo the ‘Ell is this? Look, choom, clear t’ line and sleep it off!” She made a disgusted noise and continued in what passes for a whisper for her. “If ya can’t ‘old yer likker, save it fer those of us ‘oo can! Bloody snot-nosed…”
“Damnit, Merry! It’s Starry! Also known as your Commander!” The pain put extra urgency and grumpiness into my voice. “Put Caper on the line now!”
But Merry wasn’t having any of it. “Roight! An Oy’m lil’ ol’ Tilly ‘erself! Yup, yup, yup! Now piss off an sober up!” In my minds eye I could see her reaching for the disconnect.
“If you switch off,” I said hastily. “I’m gonna get on the public address system and tell everypony about what really happened at Altair Station between you and that young ‘buck’!”
I heard a gasp and a gulp at the other end. When Merry spoke again it was in a very low whisper indeed!
“Oy was drunk an she was all done up loik a bleedin’ retro rock singer, she was! She set me up, she did! …Starry? Wot t’ ‘Ell?”
“Caper. Landing Party Report. Now!” I ground out, laying my broken hoof onto the bed with a hiss.
“Roight! Boss Feller in two! … An a winks as good as a nod t’ a bloind bat, roight?”
“My lips are sealed! Now move it!”
The signal went on ‘hold’ for a second before Caper came on-line.
“Starry! Where are you? What is status of Landing Party?”
I gulped and offered a little prayer. “Dazzle is unconscious but in good health, Sunny’s on her way to Sickbay with Tyllae who may or may not make it. I’ve got a broken right hoof. …And Stimbolt’s dead, Caper. I’m sorry. … Look, we have to break orbit! Discord is down there and there’s no telling…”
“You… are Commander Starry-Eyes? Please to understand that I have hard time believing that, da?” He sounded distracted and I feared the worst. I could just see him making hand signs for Security… not that I wouldn’t have done the same thing in his place!
I sighed and tried to remain calm. “Look, Caper, I’ve seen him face to face! He did… insane things to us! He’s real, he’s down there and he’s a couple loop-the-loops short of an Air Show! Tyllae bought us some time maybe at the cost of her life. We’ve got to move off and figure out what to do next before he pulls his pieces back together!”
“Is so?” Caper’s voice was mild but terrifyingly intense. “And where do you suggest we go? Back to Federation Headquarters, maybe? Where is rest of Landing Party…Starry-bubula?”
The damning thing was, I could really empathize with the Old Pegasus! Given the nature of the foe we faced he had every right to be suspicious. I wondered how trusting I would be in his horseshoes…?
I rose to the bait. “What happened to ‘Starry-pushka’? Or did I get demoted? Tyllae disobeyed your orders when she felt us in danger. She was too late to save Stimbolt. Discord attacked her. Her last act was to bring us back to the Hermes, to our cabin. She felt safest here, I guess. Dazzle is with me… and Stimbolt. Sunny took Tyllae to Sickbay. I don’t know if she can save her. Look, she’s probably already there. Call her and see what she has to say about it all. But in the meantime I strongly suggest that we get the ship out of here. This is the first place he’s gonna look when and even if he comes back to his senses and I’d rather we were somewhere else!”
There was a long silence from the comm panel. I was just on the verge of saying something more desperate when the screen on our terminal lit up, the visual pickup enabled.
Caper peered out from it and his eyes widened fractionally as he focused on me. It would hurt too much to move closer so I stayed where I was on the bed; my legs arranged straddling the corpse at my hooves.
Caper took in the scene, his eyes flicking to Dazzle and lingering for a long second on Stimbolt before returning to me. He was looking at me from the visual information screen above Merrys’ station. As he weighed what he saw I saw Merry peek around his body. She froze and blinked.
“Croike!”
Without taking his eyes off me, Caper reached behind himself and rapped her on the top of her head with one knuckle! She squawked and ducked out of the picture. I couldn’t help but grin… it took my mind off the pain in my hoof!
Caper rubbed his chin slowly and grunted.
“Medical Team will be there soon. You will wait there until escort arrives to take you to Brig. If you are who you say you are I will apologize, am nothing if not magnanimous Pony, da? If you are not…” His eyes bored into my own. “You will have much to answer for.” He finished darkly.
“Damnit, Caper!” I spoke quickly. “We don’t have time for Rushin paranoia…!” but the screen went dark even as I spoke.
I paused and shut my eyes, using my Augment disciplines to calm my emotions and block the stabbing, throbbing pain in my hoof. I sprang up after a moment made for the door… it didn’t open.
I didn’t waste time seething, instead, I made my way to the terminal and accessed the computer. I’ve got an A-5 rating on the new systems, the only other Pony on this ship as good was Jerry and he no doubt had his hooves full still with keeping the ship running. It took me almost a minute to override the Security protocols. As the door slid open I ran for them!
I made it into the hallway and was on my way to the nearest access ladder, the turbolift was out of the question, when the klaxon began sounding.
“Intruder Alert, Deck Three. Officer’s Quarters! Security seal off deck three! Intruder wearing Commanders’ uniform is attempting escape.” Capers voice rang throughout the ship. “Use whatever force is necessary to subdue!”
I rounded a corner and there, halfway between me and the ladder I was making for, stood Willowbark and two nurses with antigrav gurneys each with a small pile of supplies. They dithered, caught by surprise at the Security Alert. I decided to bull my way through, I dog-trotted for the ladder as if I had every right to go there. I tried not to favor my bad hoof as I moved.
“You guys better get to your stations!” I winked, trying very much to look like an old pro to the newer faces. “There’s an Alert on!”
The nurses gave me barely a glance and were nervous enough they’d already begun swinging their inertialess burdens back toward the turbolift as soon as they heard me. Willowbark though, zeroed right in on my broken hoof. Doctors are made that way, I guess.
“Good grief! What happened to you? Hold on, this will take just a moment! Just lay your hoof down here and we’ll have a look…”
He guided my hoof down onto a gurney and broke an imager out of the medical pack, unrolling the parchment-like synthetic and holding it over my damaged extremity. Just before he activated it, his gaze took in my uniform.
“Crewpony… are you wearing a blouse?”
I broke out into a sweat, not so much because of Willowbark as the sounds of booted hooves hurrying up the way I’d just come!
“Eh, heh, heh, heh…” I stammered. “Damn replicators! Nothing’s worked right since the computer screw-up! Look, Doc, I’ve got to get to my station but I’ll come by to see you as soon as the alert is over. You know what a prick the XO can be about these things!” I added from behind my good hoof.
Willowbark quirked one of his crooked grins. “Well she has a lot more on her plate than the rest of us, now doesn’t she? If she gives you any grief ask her to see me and I’ll vouch for you. I can even write you…” His voice trailed off and he peered at me closely.
“… Didn’t I just speak with you on the intercom?”
The booted hooves rounded the corner behind me. I turned my head just far enough to see the red uniforms of Little Rock himself and one of his Security Mares, a red-and-brown Filly named Habanera. Both had phased-balefire pistols in their hooves as they skidded to a halt, covering me from two angles.
“You…!” Little Rock’s gun stared at me, locked on a point right between me eyes. He didn’t shout, he never has to, his tone of voice alone is enough. “Freeze.” He suggested. “The rest of you move away now!” His cool eyes had already sized me up as he thumbed the safety off his weapon.
Willowbark and his ponies scurried away, halfway to the turbolift in an instant! Little Rock’s reputation had preceded him, no doubt.
“Little Rock, it’s me! Starry! I’ve got to see Caper. We’ve got to get out of this area at once…”
“All you’ve got to do is put your hooves behind your neck, get on your knees, and be quiet.” He said in a reasonable voice, his gun never leaving my head. Even a standard stun shot at this range directly to the head could have devastating consequences that no magic or medical science could overcome. I began easing my hooves up, being careful of the injured one.
“I know how it looks.” I strove to keep my own voice calm and reasonable. “We ran into Discord down on the planet. Discord! He’s real, Little Rock! He changed me into Luna-be-damned buck as one of his twisted jokes…”
“You can keep quiet voluntarily or I’ll do it for you.” He stepped forward one pace, increasing his chance of a direct hit from one hundred percent to about one hundred and seventy-five percent. He’s that good… and he’s all business!
His eyes never left me and his finger took up the slack on the firing stud. “Doctor Willowbark? Use your tricorder…from where you’re standing… and get me a reading. What am I looking at? One of you others get to a comm panel and advise Security we’ve got the Intruder and we may need back-up… or a cleanup crew. Move it!”
I didn’t dare turn my head toward Willowbark as I heard the wavering whistle of his Medical tricorder. The fact that he was willing to give me a scan gave me hope. I eased myself to my knees.
“Rocky, we’ve got to get the ship out of here! Every second we stay here gives…”
“On your knees and conscious or flat on your face brain-scrambled, it’s your call.” His eye, over the sight of his pistol, betrayed no emotion whatsoever. “I’ll let you know when you can talk."
Willowbark cleared his throat quietly. “Ahem.” He displayed the Feinberger pickup he held in his hoof, the salt-shaker like device that passed information to his tricorder. “I’m showing readings for a male Equestrin equivalent to a twenty-four year old Terran Earth Pony. Extensively Augmented, of course.” He added.
“What’s more this individual, aside from having three broken fingers on the right hoof as well as a fractured wrist, shows signs of recent damage to the lower ribs on the right side as well as indications of regenerated tissue and nerve damage to the thigh. The damage is exactly where I operated. I recognize my own work.” He eyed me up and down clinically. “I’m at a loss to explain the, um, glandular differences but for my money that is Commander Starry-Eyes. And, if the K1 and K2 readings are any indication, he’s in extreme pain from his injuries and needs treatment.” He re-packed his tricorder and picked up a medical bag from the antigrav and waited expectantly.
“Is that so?” Little Rock regarded me over his gun sight, then, “What’s Starry-Eyes middle name?”
I cocked an eyebrow at him.
“I don’t have a middle name, Rocky… and neither do you.”
Neither his eyes nor the gun wavered. “When are you going to pay me that twenty-five credits from the poker game last week?”
I blinked! “You owe me fifty credits from playing dominoes, you fink! Don’t try to weasel out of it now!”
He considered me thoughtfully before thumbing the safety on his weapon.
“Damn.” He said quietly. Then, to Willowbark, “Patch her… him up, Doc, quick.” He drew his communicator from behind him and flipped the lid up. “We need to see the Captain!”
* * *
I fidgeted with the light splint and the bandages that bound my hoof. Willowbark used what Magic he could to heal me but there is a strong anti-magic bias in Equestrin physiology, as he discovered, and he was no Tyllae. I contemplated my numb extremity and wondered if the little Fey was still alive as I sat at the table in the Briefing Room. I heard the announcement go out over the ships public address system.
“All decks secure from Intruder Alert. Secure for Time Warp Drive!”
I counted the Warp transitions. The fifth, and last, one was more pronounced in that characteristic way the Hermes had. One hundred and twenty-five ‘c’, one light year in two days, twenty-three hours and twelve minutes, a pretty fair clip… I hoped it would be enough.
I know I’d felt worse before… I just couldn’t remember when! I was sore, exhausted, and felt lower than the grit under a maglev bed. Whenever I shut my eyes I could still hear little Tyllaes’ scream and see that last, desperate appeal on Stimbolts’ face as the phased-balefire gun centered on his chest. I’d lost Ponies under my command before but that had been during a War, not the result of mean, petty sadism on the part of an insane wannabe god. It was so pointless… I’d never been so helpless in regards to doing something about it before and that’s what hurt the most. I’d been made into a freak, my Love recoiled from my touch, an innocent young buck had been killed, the little Fey that occupied such a large part of our hearts had been wounded, perhaps fatally, and all I could do amounted to nothing!
Alone and in the privacy of the Briefing Room I slumped until my forehead rested on the table. I shut my eyes and let the nightmares come out to play. I squeezed my eyes shut against the sudden tears; it was actually easier to do in this new form. So this was what it was like to be a stallion. I felt dirty and wanted a shower and some clothes that fit my new anatomy. I also wanted to punch something or someone… preferably someone with one deer antler and one goat horn over his smirking, loopy face. Whoop-dee-do.
I wanted to cry and I just couldn’t… and that was the worst of it all.
The door whooshed open and I slowly sat up as Caper came in. The old Pegasus looked at me gravely as he took his place at the head of the table next to me.
“Caper! How’s Tyllae? Did she make it?”
The Captain did not meet my eyes. “Others are coming soon.” He grunted. “I wanted to see you first. To say how sorry I am for what happened to you… and Stimbolt.” He met my gaze finally. “Of Leetle Pooka I do not know. Good Doctor is working very hard. We must hope for best, da?” He said softly.
I smirked bitterly. “You should have seen her, Caper. She wasn’t so ‘leetle’ when she came for us! She was all the way on the Other Side… and it wasn’t enough. He was just toying with us. When he made his move he just walked right through her Magic to get her and there wasn’t thing one we could do to stop him!” I paused to rub my face with my good hoof, my heart swelling fit to take my breath away. I managed a weak smile. “She was afraid you would be mad at her for disobeying you and leaving the Ship. I told her I’d put in a good word to you on her behalf.”
Caper grunted again, then smiled a tight, terse smile.
“Defiance of direct order is serious offense.” He nodded sagely. “Is in my mind to sentence leetle mutineer to eat Captain’s desserts for rest of voyage…after I hang medal on her, of course… even if posthumously.” He fell silent and chewed the inside of his lip for a while.
“She brought all of you home. That is what is important, Starry-pushka. I am in debt to Leetle Pooka for that.”
“Not all of us, Caper.” I reminded him quietly. “Stimbolt only came home in body and poor Dazzle may never be the same. I led them into a damn ambush. I should have gone by myself.”
Caper growled an obscenity. “Fooey that, Commander.” He fixed me with a bushy gray eye. “I gave order for Landing Party, is my responsibility.” His eyes flashed. “You want to play blame game? Whose fault is? Real Admiral Quicksilver, Galaxy Exploration Command, Federation President? Every Pony in Starfleet knows risk when they put on pretty shirt. Stimbolt and Dazzle both adults. Do not demean them by implying they were mindless robots! Please to stop engaging in endless game of ‘what if’!” He thumped the fingers of one hoof on the table, hard, then collected himself.
“Is very old Rushin proverb, Starry-pushka, which tells us there are two paramount rules of Command.” He ticked the points off on his fingers. “Number one is that Young Ponies die. Number two is that Officers cannot change rule number one. Is not fair, is not right… but is way things are until day comes when Starfleet is no longer needed and everything is all cutesy sweetness and light throughout entire Galaxy.” He shrugged in trademark Rushin fatalism. “Is better that we few wrestle with these problems out here so that loved ones back Home do not have to, nyet?”
“So Stimbolt is just the latest in a never ending series of Equine sacrifices on the altar of Peace for the sake of the Federation?” I fixed the old Pegasus with an angry glare. “That stinks in stasis, Caper! Haven’t we gone beyond trading lives for security? I can’t accept that. It’s the Twenty-bucking-Third Century already!”
“For us it is.” Caper retorted quietly. “Rest of Galaxy still lives in Paleopony Period, though. Federation is best bet to bring order and peace to vast majority of sentients, not just Ponies. In words of Pinkemenea of Sainted Memory, ‘Must care, must share!’.” He laid one arm flat on the table and regarded me levelly. “Is rough job, da? Too rough for just anypony. You don’t like it, hokay…then quit. Go home! Dig rocks, drink cider, pick flowers and dance naked under Moon if is what Starry-Eyes really wants. Let somepony else make hard decisions in places nopony ever hears of. Federation will go on without you… or me, for that matter. Is still free society! You’ve got better plan? Would love to hear it! Give up if is too much for delicate sensibilities. Choice is yours… because Ponies like Stimbolt die in lonely, dark places. Make choice! Stimbolt and thousands of others before him will not judge. They served so that you could have that right. Go back or go on.” He paused to eye me shrewdly as my pride was stung by masterful hooves.
The grief didn’t drop away any more than did the frustration and anger. There was never any chance that I was going to give up my commission, as if an Augment could be swayed by two-bit pop psychology! I slid the emotions into powerpacks like ammunition kept hot and ready to use when the right target presented itself. I owed Stimbolt that much.
There’s one thing you learn in the mines of Equestris, the Colony as a whole is bigger than any one Pony… but you dig for the sake of your shaftmates. Ship or mine shaft, it makes no difference. We all of us are here to do a job we signed on for in good faith and it behooves us to do our best and Get The Job Done. Earth Pony thinking… but good thinking nonetheless! Grieve later, work now!
I would be lying if I denied I was thirsting for some bit of vengeance for the sake of a young Pony killed before his time. I might be tempted to rationalize it as a need to see Justice done… but how do you impose your law upon someone who has none? By force? In the end might does not make right no matter the motivation. How would we be better than Discord if we simply sought to kill him… assuming he could be killed, that is! No, Discord had to be brought to see reason. Tyllae seemed to believe he could be and she was in a better position to understand the Lord of Chaos than any of us. …I wished we had her guidance just then!
I chambered a round of Faery-dedicated power into my metaphorical gun. If the Mare in my Head was still around she would have written ‘To Discord with Love’ on it. I raised an eyebrow wearily at the Captain who waited patiently.
“Laying it on kinda thick, aren’t you?”
“All the better to penetrate thick Equestrin skull, da?” He smiled grimly. “Must admit was effective, nyet?”
“Yeah.” I admitted, rubbing my face with my good hoof. “I’m with you, Caper. We’ve got a job to do and this isn’t helping.” I squared my shoulders and sat up a little straighter.
“Da. We never forget but we grieve later… when we have time.” Caper nodded and reached to pat my hoof. He changed his mind halfway there and clapped me on the shoulder instead… like he would a stallion!
I quirked an eyebrow at him and he shrugged. “New you takes leetle getting used to. So send me to Gulag!”
The entry buzzer sounded for attention once… twice!
“You locked the door?” I cocked my eyes at Caper.
“I wanted few moments alone before Dog and Pony show begins. Captain to Commander, eh? For reasons that are now moot, da? Am nothing if not considerate Captain!” He smiled winningly at me.
“You’re a real Prince among Pegesai!” I said sarcastically, and then became serious. “Thanks, though, for giving me a few moments to… collect myself.”
“Da, da!”He flapped a hoof dismissively as he rose and headed for the door. He paused and turned back just before he got there. “You want minute to fix mane, maybe put on make-up?” he gave me a slow wink with a twinkling eye.
“Get back here before there are any witnesses, you old Pirate! I’ll tie your wings in a granny-knot!”
“Is good to see you retain trademark sense of humor! Welcome back, Starry-pushka!” He waggled his eyebrows at me before composing himself and unlocking the door.
Bors crowded in at once… he’d been the one buzzing the door… followed by the grave Mr. Sekkack. This being nearly the end of the second Watch, Jerry, Evee, Guiding Star, Little Rock and Merry filed in behind them. Instead of Sunny, though, Doctor Willowbark came in last behind Xantippe and her ever-laden tray.
The Rumor Mill had been grinding away, apparently at Warp Speed, since our unorthodox arrival. The hushed buzz of conversation ended as the door opened and Everypony hurried to find a seat. I was the subject of a series of stares, some covert, others more blatant as Xantippe deposited her cargo of coffee, tea, and some snacks on the table before taking up her place behind the Captain. As she passed me she paused to lay a hoof on my shoulder, her enormous eyes brimming with sympathy. I reached up to pat her hoof and gave her a smile I didn’t feel.
“Fillies and Gentlecolts,” Caper took his accustomed seat, as well as a cup of coffee. “As you already know our Landing Party has returned under most unfortunate circumstances. We will now hear report from Commander Starry-Eyes.” He took a sip then nodded to the Doctor. “Doctor Willowbark will confirm that this is indeed our Good Commander despite indications to otherwise.”
Willowbark coolly took in the stares directed at him before speaking up. He cleared his throat.
“I’ve had the opportunity to run some scans on the Commander. My readings are an exact match with those I made during recent surgical procedures I performed. Brain activity patterns, Kirlian fields, and synaptic responses all correlate. Aside from the unaccountable dominance of the ‘y’ chromosome this is Commander Starry-Eyes. This is not a clone or some sort of synthetic lifeform, I’d stake my Degree on that statement.”Willowbark looked out at the audience with an air of defiance.
Little Rock spoke up while everypony and every alien stared openly at me.
“I just want to add that I had the chance to talk to this, um, individual. He knows things only the Commander would know, personal stuff. For my money, it’s Starry.” He smiled tersely at me.
“Thanks, Rocky.” The crowd started at my new, deeper, voice. “… But you still owe me those credits!”
Merry slapped Jerry on the shoulder hard enough to make him wince. “Told ya so! Good job ya didn’t take the bet, eh? Eh?”
Bors studied me closely for long moments. “Until I hear from Doctor Cross and Tyllae I will refrain from making a decision. Speaking of whom, where are they? You’ve been very close-mouthed on that subject, Dr. Willowbark. Why aren’t they here at this briefing?” He squinted his piggy eyes accusingly.
Willowbark had never gotten on the pro-Bogan bandwagon. His gaze, as he locked it with the truculent Tellarite, became several degrees cooler.
“I chose not to say anything in the hallway because I thought the Captain had the right to hear this firsthoof. He is the Commanding Officer, you know. This is a Starship, not a High School!”
“Is stipulated to, Doctor.” Caper rumbled. “Your discretion is appreciated. Now please to tell what you have heard from Good Doctor Cross.”
Willowbark nodded deferentially to Caper. “The best of the news is that Chief Dazzle is sedated. She began coming out of the anesthesia spell put on her earlier and was quite… agitated… for reasons that the Commander will relate shortly.” He paused and folded his hooves together on the table. “I wasn’t there when Tyllae was brought in, though I was able to check in prior to coming here. I was on my way to the Commander’s quarters in response to her… his call.” He darted me an apologetic glance. “Tyllae’s condition is critical and almost certainly fatal, I’m sorry to say. The trauma from the physical injury was severe though not irreparable with modern medical techniques. The greatest threat lay in the fact that the weapon involved came within a centimeter of her heart and missed a lung by half that distance. In anypony else’s case she’d be on her way to a full recovery… however…” He squared his jaw and looked up into everyone’s eyes. “There are complications. Doctor Cross indicated that whatever was happening was akin to a massive toxic reaction as if she had absorbed enough systemic poison to kill a full-size Pony. When I left her organs were failing. Doctor Cross was utilizing every life-support and chelating spell in our arcanopharmacopia and was being assisted by two other Doctors and the Nursing Staff. Doctor Cross, uh, advised me that I would not be needed and was delegated to attend this briefing. I’m sorry, everypony, but Tyllae is probably dead even as we speak.”
Willowbark has a cold personality. He is very professional, if almost callously detached. I can certainly attest to his surgical skills but it had to be admitted he is not the most personable Pony. I was privileged to gain an insight into his personality and this gave me the ability to look under his façade and see the pain there as he spoke.
“I’m so, so sorry.” He finished quietly. “She will be missed.” Willowbark sat back, wooden-faced as a Vulcan.
The rest of the table sat, stunned. Caper frowned direly, Rocky’s eyes hardened. Evee shut hers against the tears as she gasped and Star put an arm around her. Sekkack’s face remained unperturbed, though his gaze seemed to turn inward. Jerry dropped his eyes to the table, looking troubled while Bors’ face fell. All by herself behind the Captain, Xantippe closed her eyes and clutched her amulet, mouthing silent prayers.
“Wot the ‘Ell?” Merry, more angry than sad at the moment, exclaimed. “Oy saw ol’ Tilly shrug off ‘em Klingon disrupter shots loik nuthin’! An she took out a Klingon warrior a hundred times ‘er soize with just one hit! ‘Ow could any-bloody-pony lay a ‘oof on er?”
“It was a pin.” I said flatly. “Discord stuck her with a pin.”
Merry stared incredulously for a moment. “Get outa ‘ere! A bleedin’ pin? …Loike she was a bloody balloon animal?”
“Ancient legends have much to say of the effects of iron on the Fey. A Faerie’s life and Magic would be undone by a steel pins prick.” Xantippe murmured quietly.
I dredged up a memory of Tyllae on the Bridge. “… She got upset when that Klingon tried to get her with that steel sword. Turns out she had good reason, didn’t she?”
“Discord, eh?” Merry cracked her knuckles suggestively. “Bloody wanker’s got sumpin’ comin’! Lemme git ‘old of ‘im! Oy’ll run a bloody railroad spoike right up ‘is…”
“He’s not a Faery.” I cut her off. “He’s… something else entirely different. Something from another reality… and he isn’t very susceptible to physical assault.” I displayed my bandaged hoof to her.
“You have actually seen him, then?” Sekkack looked at me curiously. “You are convinced that this creature is the Discord of Equestrian legend?”
“I didn’t have the luxury of running detailed tests on him.” I gave the Vulcan a wry look. “But he certainly fits the profile!”
“Then, logically, if this is the same being we need to emulate the strategies that foiled him in the past by taking advantage of his behavior patterns.” The Vulcan suggested patiently. “From my research I’ve noticed that, while he is a bizarre, random personality he can be dealt with.”
“There’ve been some changes in the ensuing millennia.” I said grimly, then launched into an account of our Landing Party, the Gorn, their ship and the advent of the Lord of Chaos and his descent into madness. I spared them nothing concerning the cruelties played upon any of us. To this day I don’t know how I kept my composure relating the execution of Stimbolt, remembering that look of horrible awareness in Dazzle’s face in that last second as she pulled the trigger. I told them how Tyllae came and spurned Discords’ advances and his terrible revenge afterwards.
“Tyllae saved us that much I know.” I concluded. “She brought us back to the safest place she knew of… with her last strength, it seems.” I sighed, Tyllaes’ scream echoing in my head yet again when I closed my eyes. “She seemed to think there was hope for him even now. She thought we should pity him. After what he’s done, after what he’s become, I don’t know if I can. I don’t know if I even want to for that matter.”
“Leetle Pooka had luxury of being in position to grant pity.” Caper said softly. “I do not see how we can afford to be that lenient. Is clear to me that Discord is too dangerous to be allowed to act at own leisure. While his attention is focused on us we must do all within power to destroy him before he turns attention to Earth or rest of Federation.”
“But why us?” Evee asked plaintively. “Why doesn’t he just go to Earth in the first place?”
“Is sixty-four thousand credit question, Comrade Lieutenant.” Caper said before turning to me. “Any insights, Starry-pushka?”
But it was Xantippe who spoke up. “Much lore has been lost in ages deep, but I seem to recall a tale that says Discord had a promise to keep.” The Zebra blanched nervously as all eyes turned her way, her hoof coming up to touch the amulet she wore. She dropped her eyes and folded her hooves in Zebrican modesty almost at once.
“Tyllae mentioned something about a ‘Compact’ between Celestia and Discord.” I prompted her. “Is that it?”
“There are legends and tales from time out of mind that are still kept alive among my kind.” Xantippe said softly. “We who have lost so much over the years have little else to comfort us against modern fears. What Ponies have chosen to forget may now be cause for them to regret. The pursuit of science and intelligence have led you into arrogance. The wisdom of the old tales you have forsaken may yet serve, if I am not mistaken.” She looked up briefly before dropping her eyes again.
“Roight!” Merry said, thumping the table. “Let me pop down to the Bar fer a tick. This’ll make more sense after a point or two!”
“The tale I’ve heard concerns the given Word to Celestia from the errant Discord.” Xantippe continued. “From his stony prison Discord was free at the behest of Celestia’s majesty. The Lord of Chaos sought, as he will, to run amok. He wrought a careful bargain with one Fluttershy to avoid becoming, once again, a stone block. He pretended in his falseness to be her friend to gain her trust and avert his end. Yet that what he scorned at the time turned out to be genuine! For the sake of his new-found friend he agreed his reign of Chaos to end. For the good of all he pledged to work and never more be such a jerk.”
Merry dug in her ear with a little finger and shook her head. “No offence, Tippy, but Oy think it comes through clearer when the Ol’ Doc tells it!”
“Quite the contrary.” Sekkack admonished her. “The nuances of the rhyming cadence aside…” He nodded politely to Xantippe who bowed her head in acknowledgement. “The message is quite clear. Discord made an agreement with Celestia in the past to never more trouble Equestria. It would appear that he is honoring that promise to this day, in letter if not in spirit. We are fortunate to have another source of data to supplement what the official records fail to tell us.” He squared his shoulders and went on. “It is clear that we cannot afford to dismiss the evidence of folklore any longer. The existence of Discord argues for the existence of Celestia and Luna who, if I am not mistaken, were responsible for bringing him under control in the first place. Indeed, the fact that Discord feels compelled to honor his bargain seems to indicate that at least one of the two still exist. Since we cannot cope with Discord with the means at our disposal…”
“Don’t write our technical know-how off yet, Mister!” Jerry put in. “Stimbolt gave him a hotfoot using unfamiliar equipment on a ship with less power available to it. With that as a guide I think we can do a lot better!”
Sekkack waited patiently until Jerry was done. “I was not denigrating either the late Mister Stimbolt or the capabilities of your ship, Chief Engineer. But Discord, having been injured before, is not likely to risk himself a second time in the same way. He may be insane but he is not ignorant. That he will come for us again is a given and it is certain he will be more on his guard the next time. I should think his next attack will be more devastating and will minimize his direct exposure to us. Make no mistake, we are in grave peril. Therefore, as I was saying, it behooves us to attempt to find the whereabouts of either of the beings who are capable of dealing with him of old.” He regarded the rest of us placidly. “It is the only logical option for us to pursue.”
“Roight! I’ll just nip up to the Bridge an’ put a call in to ‘Er Hoigh Mucky-Muck ‘Erself! Easy-peasy!” Merry snorted.
“You are being facetious.” Sekkack said calmly. “I submit that you consider the timing of the events. After all these years of silence Discord appears only after this ship finds Tyllae who put us on the trail of the Goddesses. The odds of such a thing being a coincidence are less than one in…”
“Existence of one is proof for the other, eh, Comrade Sekkack?” Caper grunted. “Leetle Pooka has made believer of you in the end, nyet? Can die happy now, having seen everything!”
“It is not a matter of belief, Captain Caper, but fact. One does not waste time arguing with facts; one accepts them and acts upon them. That is logic.”
“Feh! Transcendental numbers are facts but one does not spend eternity working them out to the last decimal place!” Bors looked the Vulcan over as if he’d just taken a roll in a waste container. “Logic works fine for computers but it doesn’t work for understanding a mad thing! And as far as calling up supernatural beings on subspace radio…!”
“I did not mention using subspace communications, Doctor Bogan. I was attempting to use logic to determine our most productive course of action. May I continue?” Sekkack folded his paws on the table and waited patiently.
“Bors! He’s right.” I cautioned the truculent Tellarite. “We need to think this through. We may only have one chance at this. Without Tyllae we’ll need all the help we can get and I’m curious to see where Mister Sekkack is going with this.” I nodded to the Vulcan, bidding him continue.
Sekkack nodded gravely. “Thank you, Commander. To put it as succinctly as possible for the sakes of those less patient…” He quirked an eyebrow that somehow took in both Bors and Merry. “As I perceive the logic of our situation, the existence of Discord presupposes the existence of at least Celestia. One cannot be without the other. Therefore if we find Discord I believe Celestia will be nearby. It is not irrational to propose that Discord’s cutting us off from communication with the rest of the Galaxy has the dual purpose of hiding us from her or them. They may not be aware of our plight. Could we but get close enough we should be able to get their attention despite Discord and the Prism. As for Discords’ location I would suggest we proceed with all speed for the astronomical anomalies in the Pegasus Sector. I believe he is herding us in that direction already.” Sekkack stirred not a finger during his dissertation. Now he sat back in his chair and folded his paws in his lap. “That is my recommendation.” He concluded simply.
We all regarded the Vulcan in varying degrees of shocked silence. Predictably, Bors spoke up first.
“Your recommendation is to jump into a Rowrgs’ Den to send up a smoke signal for help against the rowrg? Vulcan, you are truly insane!” He shook his fuzzy head pityingly.
“How do we foight this ‘ere Prism?” Merry demanded.
“We don’t.” Little Rock said simply.
“I concur.” Sekkack agreed. “We cannot match its raw power therefore we should not try. It is Discord we must contend with. We must use his madness and irrationality against him.”
Jerry pursed his lips in thought. “He can’t hit what he can’t see. Tyllae taught us some tricks to keep under his radar. I think we can get by with adapting her spells to our electronics, I wish she were still around to lend a hoof but I think my Unicorns can pull it off. I can get us started on the modifications right away!”
I nodded thoughtfully. “The same goes for Sensory. I could dedicate some of the subspace sensors, beef them up and reinforce them to use as a method of keeping him off us until we nail down his location. It’s what happens at that point that has me worried. How long can we keep him talking… and what do we do when he starts swinging?”
“We cross that bridge when we come to it.” Caper said decisively. “Hopefully we have time between then and now to come up with brainstorm.” He sighed, not the sigh of a defeated warrior with no hope, but the sigh of a Pony setting himself to a heavy task. “Leetle Pooka has bought us this time, let us make best of it, da? Plan is audacious. As Comrade Sekkack reminds us we are in great danger, indeed! But is no better plan to hoof I can see.” He nodded brusquely. “Until better one is devised this one will do!” He drained his coffee and stood to gather us all up with his eyes.
“We have our jobs to do, everypony. Starry, please to ready recorder marker with current logs, use same procedure as before. Starfleet will hopefully get message and maybe succeed if we fail. Let us make Leetle Pooka and Stimbolt proud of us. Dismissed!”
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M*A*S*H reference, and a good one.
Tyllae may or may not make it. Worst. Cliff-hanger. Ever. dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/misc_RageFace.png
3090658 Ha! It was a line that always stuck with me as one of the best lines I've heard on TV...right after, "Space. The Final Frontier..."
3090742 There is no may or may not about it. . .
3090742
One of the worst cliff-hangers, anyway. There was also...
A whole summer waiting to find out if Picard was going to make it or not. I hope we find out about Tyllae sooner! Somehow I don't think having the crew determinedly clapping their hands is going to help...
I caught a Monty Python reference, too.
“I’m showing readings for a male Equestrin equivalent to a twenty-four year old Terran Earth Pony. Extensively Augmented, of course.”
I thought we established she(he) is twenty four Equestrin years old, not terran. Shouldn't she(he) show reading for a thirty six terran year old earth pony?
Also I'd like to know the method you're using for warp speed calculations, mine came out differently to yours. By my reckoning at 125c a light year should take 2 days 22 hours 7 minutes and 40.8 seconds, assuming a 365.25 day light year. I could be wrong however which is why I'm curious as to your method.
3091546 'E's been makin' em since th' star', the bloody wanker. It's gettin' so bad yeh, canna find a camel!
Tis a shame they remember the poison of iron to a Fae but not the cure of it. the sisters heaven may remember if their absence can be ended
...Truly it is as the wise pony said, 'He that is
his own computer tech has a fool on the payroll.' It's time to face the awful fact that I know just enough about computers to be a menace.
I've just come off a less than salubrious five days of swapping out hard drives and struggling with un-help files. It wouldn't have been so bad if I didn't take my fillyfriend's computer back to her on day one.
In any event, I'm back and hope to get back on something like a schedule again. My apologies for my tardiness
3092239 As far as Starry's age...oops!
But I ran the numbers again. This time I came up with 2 days, twenty-two hours and 48 seconds. At 125c I show one LY at 2.92 days, 8/100ths less than 3 days. ...But I didn't use a 365.25 year.
Once again I am exposed as a derp
*Cues Starry who enters wearing a black armband bearing an Equestrin-size mug of cider and a plate with a memorial piece of Fairy Cake on it. She places it before you and musses your hair. "Keep him straight, kiddo! He never listens to me!" She sticks her tongue out at the author and leaves with a flick of her tail*
3097405 Prophetic words, indeed! Also, in regards to your avatar pic, huba-hubba!
3094195 'Ere! Oy'd walk a mile fer a camel... if the poor toike needed a drink an' a roid 'ome, that is!
3091546 Weeellllll.... I never claimed to be writing The Final Reflection!
Maybe Tyllae is happier this way. As The Last Faery in a rough Galaxy what future could there be for the Spirit of Hope....? Would you stay or go on to another, brighter Side?
*Cues 'Twilight Zone' music.*
3123432 True at 125c a light year takes 2.92 days assuming a 365 day light year (2.922 for 365.25 for the record) but I make that our as 2 days 22 hours 4 minutes and 48 seconds. Somehow you missed 4 minutes there, don't know how?
3123510 *quickly thumbs thru his compilation of TNG face-saving devices!* Um, local distortions in subspace, dark energy, superstring fragments... and Q!
3123907 In other words, you've no bloody idea.
And >> meerkat8472 is using TOS figures, which don't apply, as they're for non-magic-using humans, instead of magic-using ponies.
3124889 Yeah! What he said! ...wait!
3125526 "We'll be goin' 'round the bend soon, when we go. We'll be goin'..."
3123476
I think even if she lives elsewhere, she'd worry about her friends.
But that is absolutely not meant as criticism or disagreement of killing her off. David Weber wrote that if you only kill off the characters the reader doesn't care about, that's not military fiction; that's military porn.
Any hesitation in ackowleding that "she's dead, Jim" comes from this being Trek (how many times was Kirk or Spock declared dead?) -- with magic.
3123907 That's a lot of things to make up a 4 minute discrepency.
3124889 Yes I'm using TOS figures because that's what Alicorne said they use. It's a measurement system, it doesn't matter if they're ponies or magic users, if they choose to use that measurement system then that's what they use, simple.
3126507 I figured it out! The 4-minute discrepant comes from...*cue dramatic music*...Stardate Savigings Time!! Yeah, that's it! They crossed a time zone when they entered the sector! That's my story and I'm sticking with it!
Also I don't think that magic would alter the fact that a light-year is still a light-year now matter by which means you traverse it
3125705 Give that Pony a cider for prudence!
Death, in Trek, is malleable and difficult to be certain of... but it still happens. At least Tyllae wasn't wearing a red shirt! ...Though pink is a shade of red....
3125609 Been there, done that and bought a Tantalus Colony T-Shirt!
3129276 Exactly, it's just a measurement system, they could have kept using it in TNG if they wanted to.
3130938 I never understood why TNG felt they had to change it.
I used to have the TNG tech manual but they didn't offer much in the way of enlightenment. It's a pity the whole transwarp thing didn't pan out. I thought that was a nifty way to accommodate a growing Federation! 
3133201 Yes, transward is a nice idea. If I remember correctly the idea was to create a conduit in which you could manipulate time as well as space. So although you're travelling at warp you're taking less time to do it, thus you go faster. It's interesting how the Federation tried it on the Excelsior, but apparently it didn't work and they had to retrofit a standard warp drive to it later. Which means Scotty didn't have to sabotage the darn thing, it wouldn't have worked anyway.
I always found that hilarious.
3133247 As I recall.. standard Warp Drive was measured in the square of 'c'. Warp 3 was 3x3x3 or 27'c'. Transwarp 3 was the cube of 'c' or 3x3x9 or81'c'. Darned if I recall the treknology of it. It seems to me, though, that Warp Drive already manipulated space and time. I WISH I still had my TOS Tech Manual!!
3137077 I didn't realise transwarp had a speed scale of it's own, in Voyager it was never mentioned how they measured it and that's the main source of reference I have for it. Yeah warp drive must do something weird with time but I think the difference in transwarp is the conduit idea. That is generating a conduit in which time behaves differently then travelling at warp within that.