These Are the Unusual Voyages...

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Another show, another Bit. Another show, a few more Bits. Maybe after a few more shows, she’d have even more Bits. After that, maybe she’d be able to finally settle down, find a nice place to live, and retreat from the public eye and recuperate, at least for a while. That was the life; no worries, no Bit-hunting, and no more endless miles made every day, fueled by nothing more than sheer determination. No more Bit-grabbing, no more Bit-grabbing…

Who was she kidding? As it stood, Trixie once again found her life in a less-than-perfect state. All the while, she looked for something, anything on which she could lay the blame. In her eyes, there was only one, one body against which she directed her rage.

The ‘humans’ and their ‘Federation’. Their so-called ‘technology’, those accursed tools of Tartarus that once they’d made planetfall those years ago, had nearly put her out of business. She didn't know, nor did she care about how it appeared; all she knew for sure was that the line between eking out a modest living and falling into complete and utter destitution was growing dangerously thin and the showmare worried greatly about which side she would find herself. That’s what spurred her to find the largest population of potential customers she could and with any luck, amaze them with a career-salvaging performance of a lifetime. At last! No more worrying about where her next meal would come from, no more anxiety over what trick the humans and their ‘Federation’ would use to pull the proverbial wool over everypony’s eyes. Indeed, if there was anything Trixie trusted less than wheels, it was the humans and their ‘Federation’.

With that in mind, she embarked on her journey from Ponyville to Canterlot, emboldened by determination. What she found, however, shattered whatever delusions still existed in her mind. She could only stare in shock and bitter disappointment when, upon her arrival to Equestria’s capital, she saw them.

The humans had several names for them. Vessels, star-ships, or some other nonsense. They were everywhere, all shapes and sizes dotting the skies above Canterlot and the new Federation research center therein. ‘Federation research center’; in Trixie’s mind, one would never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. She sighed, her face contorting into a visage of pure anger before finally settling on one of annoyance as she approached the city.

“Eep!” she squealed out quite uncharacteristically, surprised by the hum of a shuttle as it soared just a little too low overhead. Her brow furrowed and she huffed in frustration but soldiered on regardless, determined not to allow a few off-worlders to deter her.

A few off-worlders? The showmare had barely entered the greater Canterlot area when she realized how ridiculous and hopelessly optimistic such a statement was. It seemed as if Celestia was operating some kind of intergalactic cabaret and all of humanity was invited. All around her, ponies and people alike mingled peacefully, happily. It was enough to make the showmare want to violently vomit, so much so that she neglected to watch where she was going…

“Oof!” she grunted as she crashed head-on into…she shook her head and re-focused her attention… “Watch it!” she snapped as the man returned to his feet as well. She looked him up and down in disgust. Everything about him foreign, felt…dangerous. Everything from his strange, alien attire to his pointy ears. It was all so…wrong!

“My apologies,” he replied in a monotone voice completely devoid of any emotion whatsoever. “Are you hurt?” As Trixie dusted herself off, she noticed him produce a small, rectangular device from a side pocket on his uniform and her eyes widened as he pointed it at her, emitting a series of beeps as he studied her.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie is fine, no thanks to you!” she spat as a nasty thought suddenly entered her mind. With that, a blue glow suddenly enveloped the pointy-eared man and levitated him into the air. With a smug grin, she flicked her head and suspended him upside down. She frowned as the man’s expression remained the same as before; she could see no trace of panic or fear on his face and he addressed her thusly.

“I apologize for earlier but I must inform you that this is most illogical…”

“Shut up!” Trixie shouted, giving him a few shakes for good measure, taking no notice of the crowd gathering around her. “Maybe this will teach you some manners!” There was a clattering sound as the man’s equipment fell from its pockets, eliciting a few concerned murmurs from the crowd.

“You there!” Trixie froze as the gruff voice of a Royal Guard met her ears. “Stop that at once! He is a guest of the Princess and nopony is to bother him! Release the Ambassador immediately!” Trixie gulped; she may not know much about humans or their cohorts but the word “ambassador” was instantly recognizable. Frustrated and exhausted after the stress, she set the pointy-eared man down, gently so as not to attract any more trouble. It seemed that Celestia valued her new pets quite a bit and as much as Trixie loathed them, she wasn’t willing to risk any disciplinary action over them, not when she had a show to put on. She simply could not risk jeopardizing her chances by invoking the ill-will of any of the city’s higher-ups. “There’ll be no more of that,” the guard added as the man dusted himself off. “You’re lucky he wasn’t hurt.” He turned to the pointy-eared hobgoblin. “Are you alright, Ambassador Vitok?”

“I am quite unharmed,” he replied curtly. “There is no need for alarm; this mare was simply unfamiliar with me and as such, saw me as a threat, prompting her to react the only way she knew how.”

“Um…are you sure we shouldn’t report her, sir?” the guard asked. “How do you know all this?” The man shrugged.

“It is only logical.”

Logical? What part of any of this was ‘logical’? As much as his summation confused her, Trixie thought it best to simply keep her mouth shut and thank her lucky stars that the situation hadn’t ended much worse.

“Alright, if you say so,” the guard replied with a shrug of his own. “Pleasant day, Ambassador.” The man gave him a curt nod and continued on his way. “As for you,” the guard continued, centering his gaze on Trixie. “Showing a little more respect towards the Princess’ guests wouldn’t kill you.” That was it. If there was anything Trixie couldn’t stand, it was a lecture on good behavior. Apologizing to Twilight and her entourage had been difficult enough but the line had to be drawn somewhere.

“Hmmph!” Trixie replied, as she about-faced and walked away with her nose in the air. The guard rolled his eyes and left as well, leaving the showmare to her own devices once again.

The rest of her journey into Canterlot was considerably less action-oriented, which suited the exhausted showmare just fine. Towing one’s cart from sea to shining sea on a constant basis would make anyone tired and Trixie was certainly no exception. Despite the use of magic to ease her burden, the showmare found herself searching for a quiet place to rest for the night.

A quiet place to rest seemed like an impossible dream at first. Canterlot had always been a bustling city but thanks to the addition of several thousand humans, the activity had been doubled. Everywhere she turned, they were a step ahead and it wasn’t long before she had been turned down by every inn and bed & breakfast in the city, prompting her to explore other options.

It wasn’t until the sun was setting that she finally settled on a place to stay, at least for the time being. A small grassy field about a kilometer out of the city beckoned to her and by nightfall, she had made it. It was quiet and surprisingly secluded, the perfect place to sleep and maybe even practice a few tricks for the upcoming week. With a yawn, she parked her cart, placing a couple logs in front of and behind each wheel to secure it. She wiped her brow with a front hoof and collapsed onto her back on the soft grass, letting the cool blades tickle and cool her.

Trixie had always liked the stars. Luna’s handiwork never ceased to amaze her, which ironically, increased her trepidation. A shooting star was a rare treat, even by Luna’s standards. As such, Trixie held the phenomenon very close to her heart. Now, despite the streaks of light above her, she found no solace in her favorite time. So many of those damned star-ships came and went that she could never be sure if the star she found herself admiring was because of the moon princess or one of…them. Why couldn’t they just leave, disappear, go back to their own world? It almost seemed like they had some ego to stroke, given the way they flaunted their so-called ‘technological prowess’. It was that ‘prowess’ that on more than one occasion, had almost landed her in the poorhouse.

Trixie wasn’t exactly a fan of technology. As a purveyor of the art of prestidigitation and home-spun illusions, she felt the threat of the Federation’s technology firsthand, their ‘holograms’ and other assorted nonsense making her best work look like nothing more than common card tricks and sleight-of-hoof. Her pride was the first casualty, followed swiftly by her pocketbook. And now, it seemed, the stars, the once-unreachable treasures that she cherished so much, were now, like her, at the mercy of the humans and their ‘Federation’.

If there was anything the Great and Independent Trixie loathed, it was being at anyone’s mercy.

With a frustrated sigh, she got up and looked over at the lights and general excitement emanating from Equestria’s capital. Part of her envied the other ponies for living in such a happening locale while another part hated what had become of it. No, no, I refuse to involve myself with such awful creatures, she thought, shaking her head. For a time, she considered practicing her new routine. It certainly could use some sharpening up, especially if she planned on impressing the Canterlot crowd who had already been spoiled by the technology possessed by the Federation. Ah, the wonderful burdens of the famous and talented. At least, that’s what Trixie told herself as she tried to escape the onset of depression.

That’s it, she thought, shaking her head once again. I can’t just sit here all pathetic and whiny. I am a showmare! I am the greatest talent ever to grace Equestria! I am the Great and Powerful Trixie! With her patented grin of infinite smugness and renewed vigor, she trotted off towards Canterlot, determined to size up her opposition…or at least find a half-decent bar. She gave the stars one last quick look and started down the path to the city.

A slowly-building hum persisted as she walked, growing louder and louder with every second that passed. Trying to swallow any fear, Trixie stopped walking and directed her attention towards where she thought the noise was coming from. Seeing nothing around her, she looked up just in time to see a large shape descending from the stars. Her eyes widened upon realizing that it was heading straight for her.

She took off running as fast as her legs could carry her, hoping to escape the incoming Object of Certain Doom. Behind her, all manner of lights and signals flashed as if Tartarus itself had just opened its hungry maw, eager to snap her up like a terrified animal cracker. Although she dared not look back, the lights were intense, so much so that they nearly blinded her as she kept running. Finally, after sprinting a fair distance, her legs seized up and refused to go any further, forcing her to take a quick breather. A talented showmare she was but a track star she most decidedly was not, a trait for which, at this time at least, she was not particularly proud.

Fortunately, whatever it was seemed content with simply settling down in the clearing and not pursuing her any further. On that note, a hiss followed by a sickening and familiar crunch grabbed her attention as she realized what she’d left behind in her panic to escape her untimely demise. Fear suddenly forgotten, she gathered what little strength remained and took off towards the clearing.

***

Another happy landing, I thought as the ship came to rest on its four landing skids. I wiped my brow and breathed a sigh of relief. Most of the time, I was more than happy to sit back and let the ship’s computer handle the small stuff like the logistics of getting anywhere. I sat up from the captain’s chair, a seat I surely did not deserve, and winced as almost every bone on by back cracked. Ah, sweet relief. It was a small price to pay for comfort after a long and harrowing flight. With no one else on board as per usual, I was free to come and go as I pleased, which was exactly what I intended.

Until, that is, I heard something over the ship’s exterior communication array. I ran over to the COM console and turned the volume up. Sure enough, an angry and very effeminate voice reached my ears. Eager to satisfy my curiosity, I activated the external sensors and brought up a visual on my ship’s viewscreen.

“Oh bloody Hell,” I muttered as my eyes took in the sight of a light-blue pony mare yelling some extremely unflattering colorful metaphors that I couldn’t help but think were meant for me. And to what end? Why was she so angry? “That figures,” I said to myself as I grabbed my jacket and headed to the nearby turbolift. “I’d like to make planet fall just once without one of the locals pitching a fuss. And here I thought Equestria was the ‘land of love and tolerance’.” I exited the turbolift after a few moments and made my way to the starboard loading ramp. Due to the planet’s so-called ‘persistent magical residue’, beaming wasn’t an option. Too much radiation from all the ‘magic’ or whatever it was called. Basically, it made beaming extremely dangerous.

It was a short walk from the turbolift to the starboard receiving area. At 165 meters long, it was hardly a chore to travel from one part to another, a feature for which I was always grateful. I disliked large ships for the most part, especially since I had acquired this one with relative ease. After all, who was I to be picky? It wasn’t every day that Starfleet auctioned off a decommissioned but still very useable starship for relatively cheap. Well, I use the term ‘cheap’ loosely here; I’ll run naked through a Borg Cube before I ever work for a Ferengi ever again. It was simple and small but quick and smart, as Nova-Class science vessels were known to be. I wasn’t the greatest operator in the world but I knew the basics and usually let the ship’s computer do the rest. I simply jaunted about from planet to planet, doing odd jobs and eking out a living. It wasn’t especially glamorous or lucrative but it was exciting and that’s all I really cared about.

And now I had a furious magical talking horse outside kicking the hull and just waiting for a moment in which she could kick my ass.

I shrugged; I’d had worse. Far, far worse. Dealing with an angry local was the least of my problems. As it stood, I had a slow power drain to deal with and no idea of how to fix it, which is why I found myself and the Ranger on the outskirts of Canterlot after being told by every dock engineer at the Federation base that, on account of the high traffic volume that day, I had to find somewhere else to land. So I picked the most open-air location my damaged sensors could find and did as instructed.

I hit the button to lower the cargo ramp and took another deep breath, this time of fresh and clean Equestrian air, a real treat after being trapped in a glorified tin can for a fortnight. As I strolled out into the moonlit world, an extremely irate voice hit me like a tonne of bricks and I could only assume that is hailed from the mare in question.

“…and furthermore, the Great and Powerful Trixie does not appreciate…”

“Yeah, yeah, I heard you the first 163 times,” I replied with a dismissive wave as I walked down the ramp. “I get it; I interrupted your stargazing and you’re pissed. I understand but… hey!” I yelped in as manly a fashion as I could manage as she ran and tackled me to the ground the second my feet touched the ground. “Alright, alright, I’m sorry I scared you or whatever, just get the Hell off me!” With that, I gave her a firm but not too hard shove and she fell onto her haunches with an annoyed huff. “Okay, now that that’s settled, let’s discuss this like adults. Who are you?”

“Your flying trash heap crushed my cart!” the showmare cried, gesturing to a half-hidden pile of broken wood nestled under one of the Ranger’s footpads. I face-palmed; as I suspected, my already-shoddy sensors had also been nearly blinded by the residual 'magic', resulting in such an embarrassing (and probably expensive) oversight.

“Nice to meet you, ‘your flying trash heap crushed my cart’. I’m ‘guy who owns this flying trash heap',” I replied, only slightly annoyed.

“Well?” The blue mare tapped a front hoof impatiently and looked at me expectedly.

“Well what?”

“What are you going to do about this?” she demanded, gesturing to what remained of her cart once again. I shrugged.

“Well, that is…I, um…y’see, I don’t actually have that many Bits on me so…” It was true. Sure, I felt bad about wrecking her property. Really bad, actually. There was nothing I wanted to do more than help her but my hands were more or less tied at the moment. All I had were a few credits, the closest thing to money the Federation would accept, and I needed them to get my ole’ crate space-worthy again. I reached into my pockets and grabbed the two Bits I possessed and showed her. “See?” I jumped as a light-blue glow enveloped them and whisked them away to the blue mare.

“Hmmph. It’s a start.”

“Well, I’d give you my two bits on the situation but since you already took ‘em, I’ll just be on my way now.” I replied, heading in Canterlot’s direction.

“What?” the blue mare demanded in disbelief. “You can’t go! You haven’t reimbursed me for my trouble!”

“Look, it’s hard to explain right now so let’s just say that once I get my ship fixed, I’ll have a hope in Hell of helping you but for now, I’m kinda stuck. You’ll just have to wait ‘till I get back, alright?” I offered, knowing full-well that they weren’t terms with which she would agree. Too bad she didn’t have a choice.

“Oh no you don’t! You’re not leaving me here!” With that, she galloped over to me and gave me an expression that practically screamed “I’m watching you”. “I’m going with you. Trixie has to make sure that you don’t try anything funny before you pay her back!”

“Did you…did you just refer to yourself in the third person?” I asked incredulously.

“Maybe! What does it matter? Somepony as great and powerful as I ought to show it!” The only reaction I could think of was the ever-useful face-palm, which I immediately put to good use.

“That’s not much of a reason.” I mumbled.

“You doubt the talents of the Great and Powerful Trixie?” She narrowed her eyes at me. Now it was just getting weird.

“Ugh, no!” I replied with a groan. “Look, I wasn’t trying to…y’know what? Why don’t I just grab what I need and…you just shut up?” I smiled as she tried to come up with a clever retort. Failing to do so, she simply “Harrumphed!” and walked quietly beside me.

I couldn’t believe how long she kept her mouth shut. I figured that it was either because of my early explanation finally sinking in or because the presence of the Federation was making her very uncomfortable. Her reactions seemed to suggest the latter when, as we passed a group of chatting and laughing ensigns, she changed sides to avoid walking too closely to them. I decided to let her off the hook.

“You don’t like us very much, do you?” I asked as gently as I could. The last thing I wanted was to have one of the locals freak out at me and wreck my chances of fixing my ship in a timely fashion, not to mention running the risk of pissing off the local constabulary.

“Was it that obvious?” she spat.

“Okay, okay! Just chill! You’re gonna blow a gasket or something. It was just a question. If you don’t wanna answer, then that’s just fine.”

“…No.”

“Okay, that’s fair,” I replied, trying not to rile her up any more than I already had. Surely, pragmatism was my best ally at the moment. “May I ask why you hate humanity so much?”

“Well…” she began, having calmed down a little as if the conversation was helping her get it out of her system. “I…I don’t hate all humans…” I nodded slowly. “…just the Federation and you.” There it was. Looks like pragmatism was a one-way street after all. I groaned.

“Okay, I’m sure that not everyone was glad to see them but…what did they do to you? I mean, Starfleet came here to protect your world, right?” She gave me a blank look. “You do know what Starfleet is, right? It’s a peacekeeping and humanitarian armada…”

“You done?” she interrupted.

“Yeah, I’m done. Look, let’s just get what I need from Requisitions and then we can get outta each other’s hair and never see each other again, capisce?”

“That’s fine with me! Hmmph!”

As one might expect given the circumstances, the only part of that entire evening that went smoothly was parts requisitioning. Thanking my lucky stars that I had enough, I exchanged what few credits I had and we were soon on our way back out of Canterlot. All the while, the blue mare said nothing. The silence gave me time to think. As rude and self-centered as the mare was, I couldn’t deny my responsibility pertaining to her troubles. She was right; I had an obligation as a human to show her that we weren’t all as bad as she plainly thought we were. Plus, I did feel bad about crushing her cart. Damn sensors; how did they work? Once again, I cursed my lack of technical ability.

“Just so you know, it’s gonna take me a little while to make this repair,” I said as we reached the ship. “Are you hungry? You want something to drink?”

“Trixie doesn’t want anything from you,” she shot back with her nose in the air. Her cheeks suddenly went red as a low rumble emanated from her stomach.

“Maybe but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t need anything,” I replied, opening the starboard cargo hatch at the top of the loading ramp. “Look at it this way; if you starve to death, how will I ever be able to pay you back? You might as well have something to eat.” I gestured for her to join me. As much as she tried to hide it, I could see the wheels turning and after a few moments, she approached the ramp…and stopped. I smiled in spite of everything. Of course she’d be hesitant to come aboard. “Look, why don’t you just wait right there and I’ll bring you something, okay?” I offered. Her stomach grumbled one more time and she nodded, but just barely. “I’ll be right back.” With parts in hand, I headed to the turbolift and after a few seconds, wound up in the small ship’s galley, whereupon I raided the meager storeroom. More than once, I had to stop myself and wonder what she could eat. Good thing I had the perfect tool for these situations at my disposal.

“Computer,” I exclaimed, my command followed by a beep of acknowledgment. “Um…okay, here’s the thing. I’ve got a hungry…pony-thing out there. What do I feed her?”

“Analysis indicates that like most equines indigenous to Earth, Equestrian ponies are partial to hay, oats, and apples in particular.” the computer replied.

“Seems simple enough,” I muttered, going over to one of the galley’s small replicators. “Hmm…” I hummed, checking the power levels necessary for replication. There wasn’t much but it was probably enough for at least one meal. One meal. That was it. Then what? “Screw it,” I decided as my stomach growled in protest. “Computer, three Red Delicious apples on the double.” I exclaimed to the replicator. There was a beep and after a moment, the fruit appeared in a wave of blue and white light. I knew that they probably weren’t as good as the ones found locally but they’d have to do. Besides, I doubted very much if the hungry mare would refuse free eats even if they were reconstituted recyclables.

I returned to the clearing shortly after, apples in hand. I found the blue mare sitting patiently a couple feet away from the ramp, looking at me expectedly.

“Well?” she demanded.

“You’re welcome,” I replied, setting them down in front of her. There was silence, save for some crunching noises and various om nom nom sounds as Trixie made short work of…no, scratch that…devoured the small snack provided for her. It was as if she hadn’t eaten a proper meal in days. I made a metal note to check back with her after my repairs were done in case she was still hungry. After all, in my mind, feeding her until she exploded was the least I could do for wrecking her cart. “Hey,” I said. She looked up at me mid-chew. “I’ve got a couple things to do but I’ll be back in a half-hour or so. If you like, you could come on inside and…” She shook her head vehemently. “…never mind. If you wanna stay out here, it’s cool. I just thought that you might be bored or something.”

“…thanks…” I paused and turned to her.

“What was that?”

“Didn’t you hear me the first time, human?” Trixie demanded. Ugh, ‘demanded’. I know I’ve probably overused that word a lot but man, was she ever demanding!

“You bet your sweet ass I did. I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating.”

“Bet my sweet what?” I couldn’t help but smile at her apparent outrage at such a bold and crass statement.

“Never mind. I’ll be back,” I replied, following my outdated-yet-still-functional tricorder to the source of the problem. A power conduit in need of some patching up, nothing too serious and fortunately, nothing I couldn’t handle. Anything more and I was pretty quick to schedule a trip to the nearest Starbase.

I finished in a fairly timely fashion, mostly due to the fact that it wasn’t a very involved repair. It was then that a small but nagging thought wormed its way into my head. I returned outside to find the blue mare sitting on her haunches, staring glumly at the remains of her cart. What began as a small nagging thought began to grow as I looked at her. She might have tried to hide it but I could see right through it. That cart was all she had. It was her shelter, her stage, her pack-mule if need be, and I had destroyed it in the blink of an eye. For the first time in quite a while, I felt like a first-class heel.

It was then that a strange yet strangely interesting idea popped into my head.

“Hey,” I called, walking down the ramp to join her on the grassy knoll. She looked up at me but didn’t say anything. I could see the inner struggle taking place simply by studying her facial features; it was 'cry vs. bitch' and although she tried to hide it, I’m pretty sure 'cry' was winning. “Look, I’m really, really, really sorry about your cart,” I began, hoping for any gauge-able response.

“Why…why should you care?” she sniffed, clearly losing the aforementioned battle. “You’re just…you’re just…”

“…just what? A ‘human’? Y’know, you may not have noticed but we’re not all the same. I don’t know who got your tail in a knot but trust me, some of us are actually half-decent.”

“Hmmph, I’ll believe it when I see it,” Trixie mumbled.

“What do you mean “when you see it”?” I asked with a smile. “As far as I can see, I’ve been a shining example of humanity ever since we met. Um, besides crushing your stuff, of course.”

“I…I guess you haven’t been too terrible…” the showmare replied hesitantly.

“There. Was that so hard? Now, I have an idea. I don’t know if you’ll like it but…”

“Ugh, would you please just get to the point already?” Trixie interrupted, clearly irritated.

“Of course, my queen,” I replied, complete with a low, sweeping bow. “I was just about to suggest that, unless you’ve got something holding you back here, you could come with me.”

There was a pause, during which Trixie’s facial expression changed several times. She went from surprised to skeptical to something that screamed “you’ve got to be kidding” in (insert obligatory “10 seconds flat” reference here).

“You’ve got to be kidding.” Can’t say I was too surprised to hear that.

“Just think about it!” I continued, ignoring her obvious disgust with my suggestion. “You’re a traveling magician, correct?”

“I am the Great and Powerful Trixie! I am no mere ‘traveling magician’!” she protested far louder than necessary.

“Yeah, yeah, I know, you’re like the Siegfried and Roy of Equestria,” I replied, rolling my eyes. “‘Cept without the tiger. Look, if what you’ve told me is any indication, you don’t have much keeping you here, especially now that I’ve demolished your RV. Sorry again, by the way,” I added as she glared at me. “Just think; you could travel almost anywhere in the galaxy performing in front of thousands of different worlds! You know how many people that is? You’d become the most famous pony who’s ever come outta Equestria! Wealth and fame are just a warp away! So…whaddya say?” I extended my hand towards her. She was quiet, obviously giving the idea some thought.

“So…let me get this straight…” she began. “You want me to travel all over…up there…” She gestured up at the stars. “…with you…and you’ll just take me…wherever I want to go just so I can perform my routine?” Her expression conveyed a look of doubt so I answered quickly to alleviate as much of her anxiety as I could.

“That’s what I said. And you don’t have to worry about food or shelter or anything,” I assured her, still holding out my hand. “I’ve got more than enough room and the ship’s replicator can make you anything you want to eat.” It was true. Out of the Ranger’s eight decks, my habitat used up maybe half of one so I had room to spare. As for food and supplies, Trixie was a small pony and a mare at that. I seriously doubted she’d ever eat me out of house and…ship. I watched as she looked up at me and slowly extended her right front hoof…and slapped my hand away.

“Ugh, I can’t believe I even considered going up there with you and that…that…thing,” she exclaimed defiantly. “Now I suggest you leave. Trixie has had quite enough of you and your…human-ness.” I sighed and shrugged.

“Suit yourself,” I replied nonchalantly, heading back up the ramp. “Getting outta your hair sounds just fine to me. Man, I can’t decide what to do first! Maybe I’ll take a nice, hot shower. Or will I eat first? Or should I take in a children’s card game on the holodeck? Decisions, decisions…” I reached the top of the ramp and prepared to close the cargo doors. “Well, it was a pleasure meeting you, Trixie. I hope you find what you’re looking for.” With that, I closed the doors, watching her disappear from sight until all I saw was cold, grey metal. With a sigh, I made my way back to my bridge and prepped the Ranger for takeoff. Ensuring that she kept her distance from the departing starship, I switched the viewscreen on and focused on the starboard side of the ship. Fortunately, Trixie had moved far enough away and I could take off safely.

As I slowly rose into the air, I happened to look down at the starboard camera and a strange and most unexpected sight greeted my eyes. Standing on her hind legs and waving her front ones as frantically as she could, Trixie desperately tried to get my attention. It seemed that she had reconsidered. Smiling, I wondered how I should deal with the situation. I wasn’t leaving her, no way. A gentleman never rescinds an offer of kindness. That wasn’t the Starfleet way. I mean, sure I wasn’t in Starfleet but over the years, they had taught me a thing or two. I guess being a bleeding heart was one of those things. Either way, I couldn’t seem too eager, not with her. She’d never let me hear the end of it if I swept back down as if summoned by an Egyptian Pharaoh. No, if we were to get along in the future (and by “get along”, I mean not tearing my face off around her), a couple of rules needed to be established here and now and I had a pretty good idea of how I was gonna do it.

I waited until I was a few hundred meters above the planet’s surface and activated helm controls, switching to manual. I eased the nose of my ship towards the horizon as if I was about to blast up into space and leave her forever. As I did so, I glanced at the starboard camera to do a quick check-up and, to my amazement, found her still reaching up towards the ship.

“Alright, I think I’ve made my point,” I exclaimed to no one in particular. “Computer, let’s try something new.” A chime told me to continue. “Try to determine her magical frequency using a spectral analysis. When you do, isolate that frequency and beam it directly to the bridge.”

“Acknowledged.” the computer replied. I know, impossible, right? Well, this was a science ship. Maybe it had some kind of gizmo that could pierce the magical radiation surrounding the planet. At least, I hoped so. My hunches were usually pretty good. They had to be. My technical knowledge sucked. “Unique radiation signature isolated. Commencing transport.”

Meanwhile…

Hard as she tried, Trixie couldn’t fight the small sniff that escaped her the second the Ranger disappeared into the starry ocean. He was gone and with it, her chance to be something else, something more. She looked over at her crushed cart and fought back tears. It was her fault. Her fault for being rude and obstinate with someone she hardly knew, someone who only wanted to make things right for wronging her. True, she was scared but that had never stopped her before. Since when did she cower in fear of the unknown? That didn’t sound like the Trixie she knew.

So, in order to better cope with the situation, she did the only thing she could think of: she got angry.

“Yeah, you’d better run, you big…you big…jerk!” she cried, rearing up onto her hind legs, only this time not trying to get his attention. Well, not in a good, positive, happy-go-lucky way anyway. “I’m better off without…without…” She suddenly felt cold and shivered in place, the very embodiment of clichéd misery.

Wait, was she getting…warmer? The sensation spread quickly as if someone had come from nowhere and wrapped her in a warm embrace. The sensation only lasted for a moment as she felt her body get tingly and light and she almost felt like she was floating.

“Wait, what’s going on? Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh…!” With that, a bright blue and white light surrounded her and she whisked her away into the darkness.

***

“…aaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh…ooof!” Trixie grunted as she felt her body gently hit something metal. She rubbed her eyes and quickly looked around in disbelief. Shaking, she looked up to find a familiar face staring back down at her, a face wearing a smug smile.

“Have a good trip?” I asked, unable to keep a degree of satisfaction from infiltrating my voice. She looked at me in shock and then with realization as it began to click.

“You…you did that on purpose, didn’t you!?” she demanded. I couldn’t help but notice that she did not refuse my attempt to help her up.

“Again, you bet your sweet ass,” I replied, pulling her to her feet.

“But…but…you…” she sputtered, clearly bewildered at the sudden turn of events.

“Hey, I wasn’t just gonna up and leave you there,” I assured her. “That’s not what us humans are all about. Someday, I hope you’ll believe me.” If not today, then when else, I wondered.

“Oh! Well…I…” Trixie stammered. I put the ship back on autopilot and gently wrapped my hoodie around her.

“It’s okay, you’re safe. Everything’s gonna be okay now.” I felt her stop shivering and tied the sleeves about her neck to keep it on. Seeing the look of uncertainly still present in her eyes, I gently led her to the starboard viewport. “Look out there,” I said, pointing out to space. “What do you see?”

“It’s…it’s the stars…” she replied quietly. I nodded.

“That’s right. Something tells me you’ve spent a lot of time just…looking at them, wondering what was up there.” Okay, I know that was lame but I had to calm her down somehow so I took a shot in the dark. Sue me. “Am I right?” She nodded slowly, so slowly that I almost missed it. “Well, that is what we’re gonna figure out; we’re gonna travel to those stars and see what they’re all about. Sound good?”

“…yes.” Her answer was so quiet that I almost didn’t hear it but I wanted to be sure that she was okay with it.

“One more time?”

“Yes. I want to see the stars.” I have to admit that I was quite surprised. There must be something about the night sky that fascinated her and something told me that sharing some of the universe’s majesty with her would do us both a lot of good. Who knows? It’s a big universe. There was bound to be something for us out there. After a minute or so of staring out at the stars, I carefully placed a hand behind her neck and guided her to the turbolift.

“T...Trixie demands to know where you are taking her!” There it was. I had been wondering when her dominant personality would make its appearance.

“Relax, would ya? I’m just showing you where you’ll be staying.” We entered the turbolift and after a moment, wound up on the lower deck and my humble abode. “As far as I know, these are the officer’s quarters,” I explained, gesturing to the small row of private rooms. “They’re bigger than the regular crew quarters so you’ll have plenty of space for…well, for pretty much anything you want. Um, there’s a bed, a table, even a personal replicator so you can have a bite to eat whatever you like…” I trailed off as I saw her studying the row of door intently. “Oh, I stay in that one right there, that captain’s room,” I added, pointing at the door just across the hall. “At least, I think it’s the captain’s room.”

“Trixie does not recall asking where you slept.”

“Well, Cole was just trying to be polite and let you know, in the very likely scenario that you’ll need my help with something.”

“What was that?”

“What was what?”

“What did you say?” she asked impatiently.

“I said you’ll probably need my help and that’s why I…” She shook her head.

“No, before that. I…I think you said your name.”

“Oh yeah, I guess I did. My name’s Cole,” I replied, holding out my hand by way of a somewhat belated introduction. “Cole Stevens. It’s nice to meet you…officially.” There was another pause as Trixie considered her options but eventually, she relaxed and tentatively allowed my hand to gently grip her hoof. She retracted almost immediately and gave me a stern expression as I let out a small chuckle. “How many times do I have to say it? You can relax! No one’s gonna hurt you!” I reminded her, hoping that would alleviate her fears. “Now, if you’re done being all scared and stuff, why don’t you go ahead and pick out a room?”

She did just that. It didn’t take her long before she settled on a commander’s room across the hall and to the right of my own. After that, we spent some time discussing what we could do to make it feel more like home. I suggested some plants to make the room greener like Equestria and less Spartan like the rest of the ship. Unfortunately, due to an overall lack of supplies and considerable shopping hiatus, anything fancier than a few ferns and shrubs would have to wait. She didn’t seem to mind, though, and it wasn’t long before she collapsed on the bed and fell asleep, exhausted from the day’s excitement. I smiled and gently tucked the covers around her. I took her hat, which had fallen to the ground along with her forgotten cape, and hung them up on a couple of nearby hooks.

With that, I turned the lights off and returned to the bridge.

My bridge. My home. I watched Equestria become a tiny speck as we slowly cruised away and yawned. Ever the cautious one, I made sure that the deflector shields were active; satisfied that they were, I yawned once more and allowed the turbolift to take me back down to my quarters. The door opened for me and I shuffled in, nearly collapsing upon reaching my spacious bed. I propped myself up on my elbows and laid back against my pillow and looked out at the stars. They really were beautiful, even if we didn’t really just ‘look’ at them anymore. Like Trixie, there was something about them that beckoned me, dared me to discover their secrets.

“Space; the final frontier,” I murmured to myself, mirroring one of Starfleet’s greatest as sleep began to overtake me. “These are the voyages of the starship Ranger…”

Starships and Tsundere-Storms

View Online

“Mmm…” Trixie murmured, squeezing her eyes tightly despite the semi-frequent beeps that echoed through her room. “Go ‘way…” she muttered, pulling the sheets over her head with a quick shot of magic. Although she’d never admit it, her first ‘night’ aboard the Ranger had been one of the best sleeps she’d had in quite some time. And now that human jerk wanted to spoil it for her. Well, that just wouldn’t do, now would it?

“Wakey-wakey, eggs and bake-y,” a singsong voice called over the room’s communicator.

“I’mnothungry…” Trixie murmured even as her stomach betrayed her.

“Come on now, even the communicator picked that one up,” the persistent voice added, clearly a smug grin on its face. That did it.

“For the last time, leave me alone!” Trixie shouted. “I don’t want to get up and you can’t make me! Hmmph!”

“I guess you’re right…” a dejected voice replied. The showmare grinned and rolled over with a content sigh. The bed was so warm. It was as if the sheets were actually getting warmer for her. In fact, it seemed like her entire body was slowly heating up. There was even a slight tingle right where…

Wait a minute, she thought as her expression changed from contentment to suspicion. Where have I…

By the time the all-too-familiar ‘tingling’ sensation had finally worn off, it was too late and Trixie landed with a soft thump on the floor of the galley.

“‘Morning, sleepyhead,” I greeted with a yawn as I grabbed a box of cereal and held it out to her with an innocent and heartwarming smile. “Crispy Chex?”

At this point, it’s probably a good idea to remind you all that in space, no one can hear you scream. Or run for your life. Or howl in pain. Or beg for mercy. Let’s just say that I was grateful that no one would ever hear me shriek like such an infant diaper baby. I guess it’s true what they say; you can’t spell ‘overreaction’ without ‘ovary ‘and both of that mare’s must’ve been in full swing that morning. Combine that with some admittedly impressive telekinesis and you’ve got a cocktail fit for the criminally insane. Seriously; anyone passing by would’ve though the ship was having a seizure. It’s like another old saying I know; if the starship’s a rockin’…except that this time, it most assuredly was not in the ‘good’ way.

“Hey! I said I was sorry!” I yelled, ducking behind a mess hall table as something flew over my head, hitting the wall behind me with a splat. “Besides, I heard your stomach over the COM! Would you rather I let you sleep all day and starve to death?”

“You snatched me up from my own bed like some kind of sick foalnapper!” Trixie shouted, readying another apple. “More apples!” she added, directing her shout at the nearby replicator she was camped out beside. There was a beep and another pile of ammunition appeared.

“Alright, Jesus that’s way too much!” I protested. “You have any idea of…yipes…” I ducked again. “…how much energy the replicator uses? You probably just used up a week’s worth of replicator power!”

“Trixie doesn’t concern herself with your issues!” Oy vey, I thought, rolling my eyes.

“Just wait ‘till we run outta power, then we’ll see whose issues are whose!” To my surprise, that caused the blue mare to temporarily stop her assault. She looked down at the levitated apple and with a sigh, began to eat it. “That’s better,” I said, brushing myself off. “We cool?”

“Hmmph!” she replied with her nose in the air. I sighed.

“If you need me, I’ll be on the bridge. You do remember how to get there, don’t you?” Trixie scowled at me but said nothing. “Okay, just follow the sign that says 'turbolift', step into it, and say 'bridge'. Easy enough, right?”

“I don’t care about how ‘easy’ it is.”

“Milk’s on the table!” I called from just outside the door. I smiled, imagining the dumbfounded expression on her face thanks to my sudden absence and the fact that I had just completely shut any attempt at an argument down. It was my ship. I was the acting captain, meaning that there was no way I was gonna play her little games. I suppose that begs a question, doesn’t it? Why would I use the title of ‘acting’ captain when I was clearly the only one in charge of the ship and had been for some time? I think it was some sense of honor I possessed about certain things, things like entitlement and earning one’s way in the universe.

Um…let me explain what I mean.

When I first purchased/requisitioned (Starfleet term there) my ship, I was, as you might expect, quite curious as to who had captained the ship before me. Who were they, what were they like, what did they do? In the beginning, I was obsessed with learning everything I could about the ship formerly known as the U.S.S. Asimov, registration number NCC-2865. I knew full-well that it had been a science ship so I had no illusions of grandeur about its missions. I mean, it was a nifty little ship but it sure as Hell wasn’t the Enterprise or the Repulse. Those had been everywhere and done almost everything. It was never my intention to live up to them so I didn’t. I just lived, doing what I needed to do to survive and live a half-decent life while staying (usually) on the straight and narrow. Well, there was that one Klingon incident but I’d like to think that that wasn’t all my fault. Seriously; have you ever met a Klingon? They’ll get angry at anything. It’s like their job or something.

Sorry ‘bout that. I’ll get back on track now.

As I was saying before I rudely interrupted myself, I apprised to learn all I could about my new home and although the excitement factor wasn’t exactly an 11, the ship’s accomplishments nevertheless impressed me and I soon grew very proud of what I had. I won’t go into the specifics of their missions because most of what I had read might as well have been gobbledygook and scientific jargon that only a renowned scientist like Spock or Twilight…Spackle or whatever her name was, could comprehend. So I resigned myself to just being happy with what I had.

I had to stop and chuckle to myself after a strange yet amusing image popped into my head as the turbolift carried me to the bridge. Twilight Spockle…oh dear God…

“Alright, look alive, Daddy’s up,” I announced as I stepped out of the turbolift and onto my beloved bridge. “Computer, how long ‘till we reach the wormhole?”

“At our current speed, we will reach the wormhole in 20 minutes.”

“Ah, good,” I replied. “Maintain current course and speed. Oh, and don’t forget to hail the installation when we arrive. Starfleet doesn’t like it when you don’t share your travel plans.”

“Acknowledged.”

I took a seat in the captain’s chair, a position I surely did not deserve as of yet, and brought up the sector map on the main viewscreen.

“Hmmm…” I murmured as I studied it. For the first time since I’d offered for Trixie to accompany me, I began to ponder the implications. Where should we go? Preferably somewhere useful to both of us to keep it simple. I liked simple, which is why I scraped enough Energy Credits together to upgrade the ship’s computer to…well, pretty much run everything for me. I guess a couple of classes at Starfleet Academy wouldn’t have killed me.

I shook my head and forced myself to concentrate. The wormhole leading to the Equestria System was located in the Azure Sector of the Tau Dewa Block, not a section I was terribly familiar with. I knew how to get there but had never explored it to any degree. Besides, it was just a little too close to the Klingon border for my liking, especially after the…incident. On the other hand, it might actually be the best choice in which to begin our partnership. It was nice and close to Trixie’s homeworld and there were bound to be at least a couple places that could benefit from a little temporary help and entertainment. Maybe a local bar that needed an entertainment pick-me-up or a merchant who needed another hand to deliver some goods. Being an intergalactic courier actually appealed to me a lot; the only thing that stopped me was the fact that it was quite dangerous. I didn’t exactly feel like taking on the Orion Syndicate in a Nova- Class. Sure, she could defend herself in a pinch but not much of one. Turning her into a battle cruiser wasn’t on my priority list nor was it even remotely within my budget. Still, maybe if just stuck with the inner trade routes, I could manage. I put the idea on the back burner and hailed the mess hall.

“Attention crewman Trixie, report to the bridge on the double.” I smiled and closed the com before she could sputter a response.

To my immense surprise, I heard the doors to the bridge slide open with a gentle hiss shortly after. Looking considerably more awake, Trixie stepped onto the bridge and immediately shot me a dirty look.

“Nice to see you too,” I ventured.

“You dare make demands of the Great and Powerful Trixie?” she began angrily.

“Man, you weren’t born with a sense of humor, were you?” I asked. She wore a slightly confused look on her face. “I was just kidding back there. We’re supposed to be working together from this point so I want you to know that until you wanna leave, this ship is as much your home as it is mine.” I wasn’t 100 percent certain but I could’ve sworn that her expression softened just a bit before returning to its previous state. “I want you to feel safe and secure here, I want you to succeed as a showmare and get ridiculously rich and famous,” I added with a smile. “But most of all, I want you to feel welcome. This may be my ship but as far as I’m concerned, you’re my guest. We could even be friends if you want but if you’re not feeling that, it’s all good. I just want us to get along at least.” Trixie stood in silent contemplation.

“I…I guess that would be acceptable,” she replied after a minute or so.

“Hmm? What did you say?” I asked, cupping a hand to an ear. “Didn’t quite catch that.” Trixie scowled at me for a moment then softened again.

“I said…I wouldn’t hate the idea…of us…getting along.”

“Glad to hear it,” I answered, giving her a thumbs-up. “I hate tsundere-storms.”

“What’s ‘tsundere’?” Trixie asked.

“Oh, it’s an overused and obnoxious plot device found in far too many works of fiction,” I explained without missing a beat. “But I don’t think we’ll have to worry about that. At least, I hope not.”

“Oh…” There was a pause as I racked my brain to find a way to kill the silence. An alert from the computer made me sigh with relief. Saved by the bell, I thought as I polarized the viewscreen. There it was, plain as day; the wormhole station, dead ahead.

“Hey, check that out,” I said, getting up from my chair. I pointed towards the screen at the fair-sized installation, directing her attention as I did so. “You see that? That’s Sigma Station. It monitors all the traffic that travels through the wormhole.” Trixie gave me another confused look. “Right; a ‘wormhole’ is like a tunnel through space. It takes you really, really far in a very short time. It’s kind of like…”

“…teleporting?” Trixie piped up, much to my surprise.

“Yes, kind of except that it’s not instant,” I explained further. “Close but not quite.”

“So…where will this one take us?” she asked nervously, and for good reason. In just a few short minutes, she’d be farther than practically any other member of her species (as far as I knew, at least). I was nervous the first time I left my homeworld. Ah, the memories. It had been almost eight months since I’d last laid eyes on my little blue and green piece of terra firma. I could only hope she wouldn’t get too homesick.

“We’re going to a sector of space called Tau Dewa. There’s a few planets there I wanna check out, see if anyone’s got any work available,” I replied. “Maybe there’ll be some opportunities for you to perform and make some decent cash, huh?”

“M…maybe…” Trixie answered nervously.

“Don’t worry, I know that it all seems scary right now. It sure as Hell was for me. But you know what the nice thing is?” She looked up at me as I smiled. “You wake up every day and you see these right out your window.” I pointed out at the stars. “I look at those and all I see are opportunities, chances to see and do things that few others will ever have the opportunity to do. That’s what I live for.” I looked at her anxious expression and gently placed my hand on her head, ruffling her ears. I felt her jump slightly but she soon relaxed.

“It’s a long way from Equestria, isn’t it?” I asked. She nodded. “I know. As long as we watch each other’s backs, we’ll be fine. We’re gonna take this galaxy by storm, you and I. You’ll see.” I knew it was a rather ambitious statement but it was a big galaxy. I was sure that we’d be able to make our marks somehow. She cleared her throat and I removed my hand from her mane. “Right. Sorry ‘bout that.” Nice timing, I thought as a hail from the station broke the silence. I wandered over to my chair and put it on-screen.

“Starship Ranger, this is Sigma Station. We have received your request for travel through the wormhole. It will open again in approximately five minutes. Please stand by and proceed only when instructed to do so.”

“Acknowledged. Ranger out,” I replied with a nod. “Well, looks like we’ve got five minutes until it’s our turn to go through. Care to take one last look before we leave?” I asked, bringing Equestria up on the view screen and enlarging it slightly.

“It’s…it’s so…small,” Trixie murmured. “I…I never knew…”

“Most planets look like that from this far away. You’ll get used to it.” For a moment, I wondered if she was having any second thoughts. I sighed, realizing what I had to do. “Are you…are you sure that you want to go? I mean, if you’d rather stay on Equestria…I’ll take you back and when I make enough to repay you, I’ll drop by.”

“Are you that eager to get rid of me?” she demanded.

“What? No, absolutely not! I just…don’t want you to get too upset when you look out the window and your home isn’t there.”

“Hmmph! The Great and Powerful Trixie doesn’t allow a mere rock to upset her!” Well, she puts on a decent front, I thought as she tried her best to look unattached even though her body language said it all. She was staring hard at the small blue dot among the stars and I could hardly blame her. I cried like a little bitch the first time I left Earth’s orbit. Trixie didn’t strike me as the type to cry like a little bitch, though. Still, she was hurting; there was no hiding that.

“So...that’s a ‘no’ then?” She nodded. Once, just once. It was all the reassuring I needed.

“That’s good ‘cause it’s our turn,” I replied as the station’s signal turned green a second after I switched the view to the wormhole as it suddenly burst into view like the maw of a massive ethereal serpent. “Now, try not to freak out. These wormholes look scary but it’s perfectly safe. Well, mostly.”

“Mostly!?” Trixie shouted.

“Don’t worry, no one’s disappeared in years!” I assured her, doing a very poor job of it.

“Wait! I wanna go back!”

“Too late! Here…we…go!” To my credit, I couldn’t have turned back even if I tried. The gravity well had us in its clutches, meaning that the only thing to do was to go straight into it, which we did. Of course, true to my word, Trixie’s scream hadn’t even reached its peak by the time we blasted out the other end. Fortunately, returning to normal space seemed to calm her down considerably. She was still shaking but her breathing had finally evened out.

“See? That wasn’t so bad, was it?” I asked, hoping she’d agree. My answer came in the form of a light-blue blast that sent me spiraling out of my chair and singing my shirt. “Okay, so a little warning next time, gotcha,” I groaned as I slowly got back up. “Ah, ah!” I yelled, putting my hands up as Trixie prepared another shot, her horn glowing threateningly. “I surrender! Cease fire, cease fire!”

“Trixie does not like surprises!”

“Yeah, I get that!” I replied, dusting myself off. “But look at it this way; now you’ve officially boldly gone where no mare has gone before!”

“Forgive me if that’s not the best news I’ve ever heard!”

“Then why’d you agree to come with me, huh?” I shot back. “Wouldn’t you feel safer back on your world? Maybe I should just turn around and bring you back.” Another awkward pause. These were becoming a habit and not one I enjoyed.

“No.” I heard her just fine but knowing her, the blue showmare needed to repeat herself if I were to coax anything out of her.

“Sorry, what was that?”

“Trixie…doesn’t have anypony…there for her.” Ah, so that was it. Even after all the new and frightening experiences in the last little while, the thought of being alone trumped them. My expression changed to an understanding smile and I nodded slowly. “She is…alone.” A soft sniff went unchecked and I could see the emotion in her eyes.

“Then what am I, a piece of meat?” I asked with a chuckle as I went to stand beside her. “Relax, I know what you meant. I also know that you’re not alone anymore. We’ve got each other now, right? Let’s look out for each other.”

“O…okay.”

“That’s better,” I replied. “Now, we’ve got some time before we reach the nearest system so…how ‘bout telling me about yourself? Then maybe I can share some stuff with you.”

“Your life does not interest Trixie at this time,” she replied haughtily.

“Suit yourself,” I replied with a shrug. “But that’s not gonna stop me from asking you about your life.”

“And what if Trixie doesn’t feel like sharing?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Then I hope she feels like listening ‘cause we’ve got a bit of a journey ahead of us and personally, I’d rather spend it doing something useful.” The more I pressed the issue, the more she stiffened until I gave up with a sigh. “Okay, fine. How about…a tour of the ship? Y’know, so you can find everything and never get lost. Sound like a plan?” Trixie thought about it.

“I…I guess that would be acceptable.” I was finally starting to get a grasp on how my new companion…is that the right word…okay, how my new associate, ticked. So far, I had deduced that in any situation in which she was angry or felt threatened, she’d switch to speaking in the third person, in contrast to when she felt safe or calm and therefore spoke normally. I considered myself very fortunate that, as emotionally volatile as she was, I had a way to reliably gauge her responses and act accordingly.

“Cool. Shall we?” I asked, motioning for her to follow me. She did and once inside the turbolift, I began my explanation. “Okay, first things first. This ship is called a Nova Class. It's a science vessel used for short-range research and analysis missions. As far as Federation ships go, this is a fairly small one. It’s got eight decks and each one serves a specific purpose. With me so far?” She nodded as the turbolift reached our first destination. “The deck that we spend most of our time on is called Deck 1. It’s got the bridge, my ‘ready room’ or whatever the Hell it’s called, and the escape pods. Usually, our rooms would be on Deck 1 but since this one’s a refit, they moved the crew quarters down a deck and used that space up on this deck to enlarge the computer core.”

“So…the ‘bridge’…is one Deck 1?” Trixie asked, pleasantly surprising me. I didn’t think she’d stay awake, much less ask questions.

“In this case, ‘bridge’ pretty much means ‘control room’,” I explained. “I control most of the Ranger’s functions from that room. Please, this way.” She followed me out of the turbolift and onto Deck 2. “This deck is called Deck 2. It has our rooms, the mess hall…” Trixie gave me a strange look. “Um, ‘mess hall’ on a ship means ‘kitchen’ or ‘eating area’. Anyway, Deck 2 also contains the upper cargo bay, impulse engines, some of the computer core, and more escape pods.”

The rest of the tour went much like the previous bit and inside of an hour, I had shown her the entire ship from stem to stern. As we toured, I shot the occasional glance at her, trying to determine what she thought about everything. Was she overwhelmed, scared, surprised? She wasn’t saying much (for a change), which didn’t exactly satisfy my curiosity. As we returned to the bridge, I took a seat in the captain’s chair and motioned for her to join me on the other seat.

“So…what did you think?” She looked up at me.

“Of what?”

“You know, the ship. You were pretty quiet during the tour. Were you bored or something?”

“I…I don’t know,” Trixie replied. “I wasn’t really thinking about it too much.”

“Ah, still thinking ‘bout home, huh?” She nodded. “I understand.” I pressed a button on my seat’s console and brought up a map of the galaxy. “Okay, we are here,” I added as a ship-shaped icon appeared, denoting our location. “Equestria is located in a ‘pocket sector’ of Tau Dewa. Right now, we’re close to the Klingon Empire so I think it’s best if we don’t get any closer. That means our options are…” I had to think about it. What we needed was a place that she would get used to more easily, somewhere that wouldn’t freak her out, somewhere tame.

Then it hit me.

“Starbase 24!” I exclaimed, making Trixie jump.

“What kind of place is that?” she asked somewhat suspiciously.

“Well, a Starbase is like…” I tried to think of something she might recognize for comparison’s sake. “I guess it’s like a city in space. All kinds of people live and work there. It’s a military outpost, a place to hang out…it pretty much does everything.”

“M…military?” I face-palmed. I should’ve known how the blue showmare might’ve felt about a military installation, especially a Federation one.

“Don’t worry, it’s nothing we have to worry about and that includes you,” I assured her with a gentle nod. “Besides, as crazy as this probably sounds, Equestria might be part of the Federation someday. Then we can help each other out. You pickin’ up what I’m throwing down?” Trixie nodded. She’d been very quiet and I was pretty sure I knew why. We needed something to do, something fun yet constructive at the same time. I suppose that’s when my second idea hit me. “Y’know,” I began again. “There’s a nice little lounge at the Starbase and I’m sure that Starfleet wouldn’t mind forking over some Energy Credits for a little entertainment for the stressed-out starship crews. I mean, everyone deserves some R&R, right?” I offered, hoping she’d agree. Once again, she pondered it, even placing a hoof under her chin as she thought.

“Trixie has decided that your idea is…acceptable.” Her answer felt labored and for a moment, I wondered if her hesitation was because of the new situation in which she’d soon find herself or the fact that she agreed with me.

“I’m glad you think so,” I replied with an inward sigh of relief. “‘Cause that’s where we’re headed. Computer, set a course for Starbase 24, warp 6.” There was a beep and before Trixie even had time to breathe in protest, the Ranger jumped into warp, leaving Tau Dewa in the proverbial dust. “Just so you know, it’s gonna be a little while before we get there. You wanna go check out the holodeck? It’s a great way to pass the time and I’ve got a few holonovels and games you might like.”

I was taken aback by the fierce scowl Trixie shot at me at the mere mention of the word ‘holo’. After a moment of realization, I wanted to slap myself for my stupidity and lack of sensitivity.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bother you,” I stammered hastily. “I lost my head there for a minute.”

“Hmmph! Have you no shame at all?” she demanded. “Those blasted ‘holo’-whatevers are the very reason Trixie was forced to leave her home!” As much as I wanted to remind her that she chose to come with me, I decided to stay quiet and focus on removing my feet from my mouth.

“I know and I’m sorry, I won’t bring them up again,” I assured her. “Okay, like I was saying, we’ve got some time to kill before we get to the station so feel free to take a nap or something.”

“Well, seeing as Trixie was so rudely woken up from a most wonderful sleep, she will return to her quarters for some proper sleep!” she replied indignantly.

“I’ll wake you when we get…” The hiss of the turbolift door cut me off. “…there.” I sighed and reclined in my chair. This was gonna be a long flight…

***

“Are we there yet?” Trixie asked over the COM, nearly making me spill my drink.

“You figured out how to use the COM?” I asked in surprise once I had composed myself a bit.

“What? Didn’t think a poor, backwater pony could figure it out?” Even though it was audio only, I could see the pout on her face.

“Well…” I scratched the back of my head nervously. “…yeah.”

“Hmmph!”

“Relax, I’m kidding,” I assured her. “I knew you’d get it eventually.”

“Well, now that I’ve got this stupid thing working, are we there yet?” she repeated.

“We’ll get there when we get there,” I replied, throwing in a fake yawn for kicks. “I told you before; this ship’s only rated for warp eight. I can’t just snap my fingers and get us there. Not like some people…” I grumbled as certain excerpts from Captain Picard’s autobiography came to mind.

“I thought warp was supposed to be fast!” I sighed inwardly. I didn’t exactly feel like explaining warp physics to a pony who loathed technology of any kind, besides the fact that I wasn’t even sure how it worked.

“It is but warp has different…speeds,” I replied hesitantly. I knew enough to be aware that warp wasn’t just going really fast. It was more like…pinching the space in front of your ship to lessen the distance and some ships could do that better than others. “The Ranger’s not bad for what it is but she’s definitely not the fastest ship you’ll see.”

“Then make it faster!”

“Damn it mare, I’m a traveler, not an engineer!” I answered, my expression as gruff as I could manage. “I mean, pulling a brand-new warp core out of my ass is all fine and dandy but as for installing the thing; that’s the kicker.”

“Well, you never will with that attitude! I thought you people could do anything with your ‘technology’.” I rolled my eyes; it wasn’t a very solid argument coming from a member of a species that used ‘magic’ in the most literal way possible. Instead of immediately rebutting her, I decided to just hang tight and ride the debate out, hoping it would distract her long enough to get to our destination.

“You’re right,” I replied, my voice absolutely dripping with false repentance. “I’ll talk to Starfleet immediately. We’ll get this straightened out right away, don’t you worry.”

“That’s better!” I snickered quietly enough to escape the prying ears of the COM system but loudly enough to provide a little self-satisfaction.

“We have arrived at Starbase 24. Now dropping out of warp.” the computer exclaimed. Saved by the proverbial bell again. I made a mental note to promote it at a more convenient time.

“What was that?” the blue mare asked.

“We’re here,” I answered as Starbase 24 came into view. “You might wanna come to the bridge; the view’s pretty nice right now.” That was my secret weapon and Trixie’s Achilles Heel; she simply could not resist a star-filled vista. Those glittery lights seemed to call her name and beckon her to join them and from what I’d seen, she was happy to oblige. I had to admit that her fascination with the phenomenon was making my job much easier, not to mention the enlarged viewscreen I had installed a few months back when I wasn’t ridiculously poor. I mean, that single modification is what landed me in the poorhouse in the first place but damn was it ever worth having to subsist on Tribble Treats for the better part of a month!

Okay, maybe I was exaggerating just a bit there. Anyway, Trixie soon joined me and, as predicted, began to admire the view before her. Starbase 24 was known for being in one of the most visually appealing locales that wasn’t considered lethal, like the Briar Patch or the Badlands. Did I ever tell you the story of how I made the Badlands Run in 12 parsecs? Another time perhaps.

Like most Starbases, 24 looked like a giant mushroom floating peacefully through the cosmos. It had a long-metallic ‘stem’ topped by a cap-like structure indicative of Starfleet design. I suppose that’s one of the traits that made my ship fairly unique among the traditional Federation vessels; instead of a round ‘saucer section’, the Ranger’s ‘saucer section’ was triangular with the pointed end facing the front. It was just one of those things I liked about my little ship.

“Starship Ranger, this is Starbase 24. Do you copy?” The voice of a Federation officer shook me from my thoughts.

“This is Cole Stevens of the Ranger. Permission to dock?” I asked hopefully whilst sending the necessary ship registry information while we waited for the go-ahead.

Ugh, I hated waiting in line at a Starbase.

They were huge but not gargantuan and there was nothing worse than having to lollygag around with your thumb up your ass while you waited for some hoity-toity Admiral to finish his fourth cup of tea. Fortunately, that was not the case and I was issued docking instructions without delay, which I immediately fed to the computer.

“Alright computer, just land this crate, would ya?” A beep of acknowledgement met my request and I leaned back in the chair as we slowly made our way towards the station.

***

“Well, here we are! Pismo Beach and all the clams we can eat!” I exclaimed as we exited the docking umbilical tying the Ranger to the Starbase. I gave Trixie a glance and found a strange expression waiting for me. “Never mind. Alright first things first; we should probably head over to Administration and see if there’s any work available.”

“I thought we were going to see if the bar needed any entertainment,” Trixie pointed out.

“We’ll do both, don’t worry,” I assured her. “Of course, if you want, we could check out the bar first and get you sorted out.”

“I…guess that would be okay.”

She looked nervous as we walked, no doubt split between knowing what she had to do and where she had to do it. While the Klingons, Romulans, Andorians, and Ferengi we passed were completely normal for me, I’d wager anything that Trixie didn’t feel quite as comfortable. My suspicions were confirmed when she absentmindedly bumped into a Jem Hadar soldier. He growled at her and she let out an eep, something I was sure she wasn’t very proud of. Fortunately, he wasn’t predisposed to death or dismemberment at the time so I offered a quick apology and we continued, the blue mare watching where she was going much more closely.

Starbase 24 wasn’t the biggest station so we reached the Administrations office in a fairly timely fashion. I immediately requested an audience with the commander in charge of long-range deliveries (beaming was good but not for the distances they’d be using me for) and while he wasn’t available at the moment, the ensign in charge of the front desk assured me that he would return in just a few hours. That gave us plenty of time to check out the bar and employment prospects within.

So that’s what we did.

The bar itself, while nothing too fancy or special in any way, was nevertheless relaxing and had a pleasant enough atmosphere about it. Like most Starfleet institutions, this one was simple, Spartan, symmetrical, and very open-air. The bar itself consisted of several shelves and replicators and a small server. Numerous tables and chairs orbited the bar and to my delight, a small stage met my gaze, situated just to the side between the two seating areas. It seemed like an ideal place for one to begin a career in entertainment and I hoped Trixie felt the same way or we might’ve made the trip for nothing.

“So…whaddya think?” I asked as she gave it a once-over, than a twice-over, followed by (as I’d come to expect) a thrice-over. Finally, she stopped.

“I…suppose it will do. Hopefully, Trixie won’t have to perform in such…simple conditions too much.”

“Well, give ‘em a great show and with some luck, you won’t have to,” I encouraged. “Still, try to remember that no one starts at the top. You might’ve been somebody in Equestria but out here, you’re just another random alien trying to make their way in the universe. Think you can remember that?”

“Why do you talk like that?”

“Talk like what?”

“It’s somepony, not somebody. You’re not speaking to a body, you’re talking about a person. Honestly, who taught you how to speak?”

“Um…” She actually caught me off-guard with that. “My human parents who had never seen an Equestrian pony, much less heard one speak?”

“Hmmph! They should get out more!” Trixie replied indignantly, apparently having missed my referring to my parents in the past tense. That issue would be addressed later. “Why else have these fancy star-ships?”

“Don’t worry, I agree,” I answered with a nod. “But you see, starships are giving you a serious advantage.” She regarded me with a mix of confusion and skepticism.

“Trixie doesn’t follow.”

“Look at it this way. As far as we know, you’re one of if not the only Equestrian who’s ever gone this far from your home planet. That makes you unique and different. Even someone who’s been all over the Quadrants…” She raised an eyebrow. “…all over the place will be interested in what you can do. It’s a big galaxy out there. Anything new and exciting will be welcomed and appreciated, especially entertainment. If you can knock ‘em dead at these smaller venues, it won’t take long before word gets out! They’ll be, like…” I threw my hand up to accentuate my next point. “…Oh my gosh! Did you hear about the Great and Powerful Trixie? Oh, you mean that super-talented Equestrian who made the entire population of Vulcan wet themselves from smiling and laughing so much?”

Okay, it was a labored example but it got the job done. Despite the residual anxiety present on the showmare’s muzzle, she seemed to have warmed up to the idea considerably.

“Relax, you don’t have to say I’m right or anything,” I assured her with a cocky grin as she opened her mouth to say something. “I know that would just kill you inside.”

“I…that wasn’t…Trixie was going to say no such thing! Hmmph!” I smiled and quickly ruffled her mane.

“Whatever you say, princess. Oh, there’s the barkeep. Let’s go have a word with him, shall we?”

***

I waited until we were safely out of earshot of the esteemed barkeep before letting out a sigh of relief. I had to imagine that my light blue companion felt the same way. Negotiations couldn’t have gone better and after about 15 minutes, Trixie had her first gig. Now all we had to do was wait until later on when the bar was most likely to be busy. That gave us a couple of hours in which to find me a job as well, which prompted Trixie to raise an interesting point that in all my excitement, I had not considered.

“Well…what about you?”

“What about me?”

“…Never mind.”

“Oh no you don’t,” I countered. “What did I say about tsundering, hmm?” Trixie rolled her eyes.

“That it’s a tired and overused plot device and you will have none of it?” she replied correctly.

“Uh huh, damn rights,” I confirmed my position with a nod. “Now, what were you going to say?”

“Um…well, if you’re going to be working…how will you…watch…me…” It was my turn to roll my eyes.

“Sorry, didn’t quite catch that.”

“Trixie said, how will you watch her if you’re working somewhere else!? You need to pay better attention to what Trixie says, human!” There we go, I thought with a smile, though a short-lived one. I had to think about that.

“Well, I guess there’s only one option, then,” I replied with a shrug.

“Ha! Trixie knew it! You’d rather get your own Bits rather than help Trixie earn any herself! That’s just like a human, too! You’re nothing but a…”

“As usual, you didn’t let me finish,” I interrupted as gently as I could, given the parameters of the conversation. “I may be human but I’m not a complete bastard. If it means missing your first show, then how could I even consider doing anything else? I’d like to be there for you ‘cause I know it’s gonna be scary performing so far away from home. I mean, what kind of friend would I be if I didn’t support you?” The look on the showmare’s face was a mix of confusion and bewilderment, bolstering my theory that even back home, she wasn’t exactly overwhelmed with company.

“You…you mean it? You’d better not be lying! Trixie hates liars!”

“Hey, if I’m lyin’, I’m dyin’,” I assured her, putting my hands up defensively. “I’ll be right there, I promise,” I added, pointing to a seat fairly close to the stage.

“You’d better be…” she muttered.

“Is there anything you need?” I asked after a pause.

“For what?”

“For your act. Props, that kind of thing.”

“If you recall, you crushed everything Trixie owns when your ship landed on her cart!”

“Oh yeah, that’s right,” I half-mumbled. “Still feeling kinda bad about that.”

“Kind of?”

“Aaaanyway, is there anything you need for the show tonight? I don’t have much left in the replicator ‘cause somebody went Rambo with the last of the food but I might be able to synthesize a little something.”

“Trixie will be fine even without her props and especially without any help from you.” Her tone said it all; that was the end of that.

“Alright, if you’re sure,” I capitulated, throwing my hands up again. “If you change your mind, you know where to find me.” I instinctively headed for the bar.

“Trixie won’t change her mind.” She didn’t need to say it; I realized her changing her mind about anything was about as likely as the Borg performing a flash-mob polka.

One interesting aspect of living or otherwise operating in space for any decent amount of time is that time seems to go by much more quickly than if one spent it on a planet. I think a physicist explained it to me once but I’m waaaaay too dumb for advanced astrophysics. I can barely run my own ship for Christ’s sakes and even then it takes an advanced computer to do most of the dirty work. Anyway, what I have realized since then is that they were right; before we knew it, the place had just about filled to capacity.

It was then that I noticed the clientele…and gulped nervously.

It was almost all Klingons, a species known for barbarism, a love of honor, and an insatiable appetite for war. I could only imagine what they would think of a pastel pony trying to do magic tricks, and simple ones at that. Sure, there were a few humans and even a couple Romulans but the fact remained that Trixie needed something worthy of an old Michael Bay motion picture to get any reaction from this crowd, much less a favorable one. Even though I didn’t know anything about my frie…er, cohort’s routine, I knew Trixie had her work cut out for her.

If she was nervous, she didn’t show it. I was sure it’d be different once all eyes were on her instead of their Bloodwine and Synthale. After a few tense minutes, it was time for the show to begin.

“Good luck out there,” I whispered, patting her head. “Remember; if you need me, just…signal or something and I’ll help you as best I can.”

“Like Trixie will need it.” More than you know, I thought as I turned to leave.

“Um…one more thing. There’s something you should know about Klingons…”

“Trixie knows what she’s doing! Go away!” she hissed as the lights dimmed. I shrugged and scurried off, locating a seat close enough to the stage but far enough to blend in with the crowd.

“Alright, ladies, gentlemen, and everything in between, let’s give it up for the…” the barkeep checked the pad to make sure he was reading correctly. “…The Great and Powerful Trixie!” How’d she make that fanfare go off, I wondered. I don’t remember her requesting any sound equipment.

“Watch and be amazed as the Great and Powerful Trixie…amazes you with feats of…”

“What is this petaQ?!” I groaned as a Klingon interrupted her…loudly. Fortunately, Trixie managed to stay professional and kept going.

“…amazes you with feats of prestidigitation and magic the likes of which you’ve never seen!”

“More like the greatest chalth we have ever had the displeasure of witnessing!” another called, much to the delight of his compatriots. They roared with laughter and sneered at the struggling showmare, much to my dismay. I wondered how long she’d be able to hold up…and hoped she wouldn’t say something stupid and rile them up. I shuddered as I remembered the incident. “Tell me, entertainer, how do you plan to ‘entertain’ us, hmm?”

“Well, I…” Damnit, I thought as I saw Trixie’s usual bravado begin to crack. I cursed the fact that I could only watch as she slowly descended into uncertainty, beaten before she’d even begun. That’s when I decided that just because she didn’t need my help, it couldn’t hurt.

“Yeah, let’s hear it for the Great and Powerful Trixie!” I shouted, hoping that my slow clap would encourage others to offer their support. Not many did but it was a start. I hoped that it would be enough to reinvigorate her.

“Ahem…of course! How does this grab you?” she exclaimed, creating a shower of sparks and glitter that rained down upon the stage and anyone seated close-by. She grinned in triumph as bored expressions looked back. Someone even yawned, which was nothing compared to the heckling Klingons near the front.

“Ha! Is that all the ‘Great and Powerful Trixie’ has to offer?” one demanded. “I’ve seen targs do better tricks in their sleep!”

“T…then how about this one!” I had to give credit; that girl did not like to give up, which she proved by creating an admittedly impressive fireworks display, lighting the dimmed deck up in bright flashes of color. Surely, that must’ve…I looked around the room…damnit, tough crowd.

“F…fear not, everypony,” Trixie assured them as she sweated. “That is but a mere sample of Trixie’s power! My next trick will…”

“Make us what? Fall asleep?!” a Klingon roared, met soon after with raucous laughter. My hands balled into fists as I tried to control myself. Getting involved would be a stupid thing to do, I silently told myself. Especially with Klingons. The smart thing to do would be to leave them alone and hope they pass out from the tankards of Bloodwine they’d been consuming for the past several hours.

Have I mentioned that I’m kinda stupid sometimes? I cleared my throat.

“Why don’t you shut your mouth, foul petaQ, before I do it for you!?” I shouted at the offending Klingon.

You could’ve heard a pin drop. The Klingon turned slowly and his furious eyes zeroed in on me. I tried to look brave and stoic as he slowly walked towards me, pushing other patrons out of his way as he approached.

“You say something, qoH?” he growled as he leaned forward, towering over me.

“You’re damn right I did,” I replied with all the courage I could muster. “Those who torment anyone smaller than themselves surely have little honor.” I regretted it as soon as I said it, even before he grabbed me by my shirt and hoisted me into the air.

“I will make you regret those words…” he growled. I prepared myself for the unfortunate and thorough beating that was sure to follow.

“Hey!” a familiar voice shouted. I gingerly opened one eye. Was that…nah, couldn’t have been. “Are you too afraid to challenge the Great and Powerful Trixie by yourself?” she asked with her trademark smirk. The Klingon growled and dropped me as he turned to face his accuser.

“You dare call me a ‘coward’?” he shouted, pointing at her. I watched in amazement as Trixie didn’t even so much as flinch.

“I dared! If you’re so brave, then come on up here and prove it in front of everypony!” the blue showmare challenged.

“Oh, it is on,” the Klingon growled as he stepped onto the stage. Trixie held her ground as he took a fighting stance. “Vay cho!” With that, he dashed at her with the speed of a Klingon warrior.

I’m pretty sure that he didn’t expect what happened next. Hell, I’m pretty sure nobody saw it coming. I had a hunch but couldn’t be sure until I actually saw him rise up off his feet, elevated by a blue aura surrounding his body. The look on his face was priceless! Rendered immobile, he floundered about in the air like a pissed-off Magicarp before Trixie sent him to the floor on his ass. He growled and tried again but Trixie was ready. As he neared her, she deftly stepped aside and conjured up an oil slick just in time for the angry Klingon to step on it. With a cry of surprise, he skidded off the stage and landed unceremoniously in a dazed heap.

“Trixie, behind you!” I yelled as one of the Klingon’s entourage leapt out of his seat wielding a Bat’leth. Before I could ask myself why no one else in the audience seemed to care about the epic rumble brewing around them, the warrior launched himself at the blue mare. Not to be outdone, Trixie jumped out of harm’s way and quickly conjured up a Bat’leth of her own. The blades clashed and sparks flew as they fought onstage and I suddenly realized why no one was stopping them; from the looks on their faces, it was probably the best show they’d seen in a while. Surprisingly, Trixie was holding her own, parrying and striking with a level of skill that must’ve shocked her opponent.

Suddenly, there was a gasp as Trixie’s weapon flew over her heads, dislodged from her magical grip by the warrior opposite. Without missing a beat, the showmare snatched the Bat’leth and caught the Klingon’s wrists with it. The audience watched in awe as she swiftly shrunk the Bat’leth until it clasped the Klingon’s wrists like a pair of handcuffs. Finally, the scene became too much and the crowd erupted into laughter and cheers as one Klingon kept trying to get to his feet, failing each time while the other danced about in a rage, unable to use his hands.

“Well? Anypony else want some?” Trixie demanded of the Klingon group. They shook their heads, realizing that brawn was no match for magic.

“Everybody give it up for the Great and Powerful Trixie!” I shouted, running on stage to raise her front hoof victoriously. She looked up at me in surprise as I smiled at her. After a moment, a small smile graced her muzzle and she waved back at the crowd with renewed enthusiasm.

***

“Man, what a night,” I exclaimed as we collapsed against my bridge chair. “I’ve gotta say; that definitely went better than expected.” Too exhausted to start another fight, Trixie simply settled for scowling at me. “C’mon, admit it; we kicked ass back there.”

“Trixie…I…guess we did okay…” she admitted. “How did we do?”

“Oh right, your pay,” I dug out my pad and checked the numbers. “Yup, the Energy Credits have already been transferred to your account.”

“My…account?”

“Well, yeah, how else are we supposed to manage what you earn? I set one up for you, like, eons ago.” She narrowed her eyes at me. “Actually, it was more like this morning but you get the…” I stopped as she suddenly hugged me. It was quick but got the point across. I ruffled her ears affectionately.

“If you ever tell anypony about that, Trixie will end you.”

Mirror's Edge Part I

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Flying high on the success of Trixie’s first show outside of her homeland, we decided to stay on the Starbase a few extra days, during which time she performed in front of a few more eager crowds while I wore myself to the bone scrubbing plasma manifolds. If there was a Hell, I’m sure even the denizens within would call my job cruel and unusual punishment. Nevertheless, the thought of survival and even perhaps some sweet new gear someday kept me going and I persevered. Not that Trixie was having an easy time either; each crowd brought a different mix of species, tastes, and sensibilities, which kept the showmare on her toes, to say the least. Regardless of the challenges, she did pretty well and had soon amassed a semi-respectable amount of credits, which led to the inevitable…

“What am I supposed to do with these?” Trixie asked as she levitated a datapad before her eyes, studying the figures on the screen.

“These what?” I asked as I took another look at the menu.

“This money…what I’ve made doing these shows every night.”

“Hmm…” I rested my chin in one hand. “Well, you could start by paying for dinner.” She gave me a look that said “really”, so I gave up on the admittedly childish fantasy. “Just kidding. That’s a good question; what did you spend it on back home?”

“Well, if you must know, any money I made went towards my living expenses and anything I might need for traveling or performing.” She said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Yeah, I figured but since you’ve got me helping you with that…well, is there anything else you can think of?” She thought about it for a moment.

“Trixie sees where you’re going with this.”

“Um…okay, then could you tell me?”

“You’re going to ask her if she’ll take pity on you and share her new-found wealth, obviously,” she replied haughtily. “You’ve made it quite clear to Trixie that you have trouble taking care of yourself.” Oh brother, I thought as I rolled my eyes. So that’s what this about; an ego trip. I shoulda guessed.

“I dunno; I’ve done a pretty good job so far…”

“Well, from this point on, ‘good’ will simply not cut it! If you’re going to accompany the Great and Powerful Trixie, your efforts will have to be much better than just ‘good’.”

“So…is that a ‘no’ to splitting the bill?” I asked hesitantly, unsure of what else to say.

“What do you think?”

“Right. Sounded smarter in my head before I said it.”

“Trixie imagines that’s a familiar occurrence.” Okay, that did it. I could handle rudeness and abrasiveness just fine; it’s a big galaxy and being pragmatic and patient can take you a long way. However, I drew the line at condescension and that line was the one that the blue mare had just stomped upon.

“You know what?” I snapped, setting my menu down with a snap as Trixie’s eyes flew open. “You’re impossible! Just ‘cause you did okay performing some little magic tricks which, by the way, humans have been doing for hundreds of years, you think you’re so high and mighty! Well, guess what?”

Looking back, I now realize how fortunate I was to have the sense to stop talking at that particular moment. In my rage, I hadn’t noticed that at some point during my rant, I had stood up rather abruptly, drawing the attention of many of the bar’s patrons. I felt their eyes on me as I looked about and then down at Trixie. To my immense surprise, the expression she wore was not of anger or overwhelming self-confidence; nay, it was more along the lines of…confusion mixed with just a sprinkle of regret. At that moment, I just didn’t care. I pushed my chair back into its place and took off towards the docks at a fairly quick pace. I didn’t hear the clattering of hooves behind me but I didn’t care; I wanted to be alone for a while.

Trixie just sat there in total silence, trying to process how the evening had regressed from a pleasant dinner affair to a ridiculous clash perpetrated by the overexposure of a certain human to a certain mare’s ego. She huffed and rested her head on one hoof and took a deep breath. Maybe, just maybe…she had been out of line.

Of course, the only reason she even entertained the notion was because it had happened before. Her last trip to Ponyville had ended on a similar but slightly happier note, a note that Trixie, despite her boasting and general lack of sensitivity, had to admit was an improvement. Now she had gone and messed it up with someone who had done nothing but help her to the best of his abilities since they’d met. Granted, he had also destroyed everything she owned but his determination to make things right was beginning to really show.

“Maybe…maybe Trixie was the one who screwed up…” she mumbled, hoping no one (including herself) would hear. As one might expect, such an admission caught the attention of the nearby barkeeper, who wasted no time offering her a drink, something he called ‘Romulan Ale’, supposedly the best source in existence for ridding oneself of their troubles, if only temporarily. Confound these humans, they drive me to drink, Trixie thought as she accepted it, shrugging off the barkeeper’s warning to keep the transaction under wraps.

Several pints of Liquid Problem Solver later…

“…so ‘e jus’…jus’ stormed…right outta here…” Trixie stammered to a bored-looking creature dressed in a padded brown one-piece outfit. Trixie couldn’t explain it but there was something about his blank stare that intrigued her and spurred her to keep talking as if he possessed some kind of infinite wisdom. That there was something extraordinary about the understated being on the stool beside her, an iron-clad fact that even her alcohol-addled mind could comprehend. “I…Trixie…didn’t do nuthin’…e’s jus’…e’s jus’…wha was I sayin’?” The creature gave her a glance. “Yeah…tha’s right…so wha’ should Trixie…buuuurrrrp…should I do?” He gave her another glance. “That’s it, that’s exactry hic wha’ I should do…thanks, yer a real hic…a real hic…a real pal.” Her business concluded, the blue mare clumsily signed her bill and stumbled out of the bar on her way to the dock.

“Sheesh, the crowd we get here sometimes,” the barkeep commented, shaking his head. “Another round, Morn?”

***

“Alright, computer, is that everything?” I asked as the last of our supplies transported into the cargo hold.

“Affirmative.”

“Perfect.” I paused; something was missing from the manifest. “Computer, where’s Trixie?”

“Trixie is approaching the loading ramp.”

“About time,” I muttered as I hurried out of the cargo hold. That mare had some nerve! Imagine going drinking and carrying on, all the while leaving all the heavy transporting to me! Still, as much as I wanted to, I couldn’t stay angry with her, not for just being herself. Although it was difficult, I had to give her the benefit of the doubt. I headed to the bridge and did one last systems check; everything looked to be in order, although the crew manifest wasn’t quite complete. I panned around the station’s cavernous hanger and focused on the small blue speck slowly stumbling its way over. With a sigh, I activated the transporter.

Big mistake.

She had barely materialized on the bridge before losing her both her lunch and dinner all over the nice, clean floor. She seemed to realize what had just happened and looked up at me apologetically.

“I’mma…hic…sorry ‘bout that,” she stammered. I could naught but sigh once again and pat her head.

“It’s okay. Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.” With that, I led her to my room and positioned her under the shower. I never liked sonic showers so I had had (at considerable cost) a real water-based shower installed. I was of the opinion that there were few woes that could not be cured by a nice, hot shower. Apparently, Trixie thought so as well, murmuring happily with her eyes closed as the warm water ran down her fuzzy body, cleansing it completely after a few minutes. “Hey…” she protested when I shut the water off. “Don’t…don’t…feels…nice…”

“I think it’s time somepony went to bed,” I replied as I grabbed a towel and began to dry her off.

“Heh heh…” she giggled. “You said…you said…some pony…”

“Very good. You get a gold star.”

“I wanna blue one!”

“I thought you might. Fine, you can have a blue one. Tell you what; if you got to bed right now, I’ll give you a silver one, too.” She cocked her head to the side and looked to be deep in thought.

“‘Kay.”

I ushered her into her own bed a few minutes later after I’d finally finished drying her off. She fell asleep almost immediately after hitting the pillow and I could only imagine how tired she was after the excitement bestowed upon her by the past few days. I yawned and made my way back to my room, glancing out the window before throwing myself onto my bed and promptly falling into a sleep-like coma myself.

***

It’s funny how healing a good night’s sleep can be, and I don’t just mean in the sense that you feel re-energized and ready for another round with Life. I also mean that a good night’s sleep has the power to alter one’s perspective, usually to something like “I will never drink again”. As a certain blue showmare staggered into the mess hall at approximately 1:30 the next day, I was pretty sure that my theory on a good night’s sleep was valid. Not to mention the fact that I had spent a few minutes scrubbing further ‘validation’ off the bulkheads and my pants. One thing was for certain; whatever that poor pony had ingested the previous evening, it definitely did not agree with her; my friend Mr. Tricorder and I had a feeling we knew what it was.

“Romulan Ale?” I asked nonchalantly through a bite of Pop Tart as she rubbed her eyes and winced.

“Romulan Ale.” she confirmed with a slow, single nod.

“You know that stuff’s illegal, right?”

“Trixie can see why.”

“Have we learned a little lesson?”

“Buck off.”

I smiled and returned to my Pop Tart as Trixie helped herself to the replicator, selecting a bowl of Crispy Chex, her new favorite breakfast item. I had offered her Trix the day before but in a fit of delightful irony, she declined, citing the cereal’s almost intolerable sweetness.

“This will never do,” she had assessed through a mouthful. “It’s far too sweet. Trix are for foals.” While I agreed with her to some degree, the cereal still held a special place in my heart, prompting me to keep at least a small supply of it around at all times.

After breakfast/lunch, we made our way to the bridge for a routine scan and to plan our next destination. Wanting to keep our streak of good fortune alive and well, I suggested another Starbase, and a fairly close one at that. Okay, maybe not that close, I realized soon after bringing the galaxy map up on the viewscreen.

“So…whaddya think?” I asked as Trixie studied it. “You think you could handle another Starbase?”

“Perhaps,” she replied as I accessed the Federation datafile related to 39-Sierra. That was yet another advantage of buying used from the Federation; even though the ship was no longer in Starfleet hands, the Federation continued to update the Ranger’s computer files with all non-military information or anything else deemed confident. It was like having a massive encyclopedia that updated itself to include new information as soon as it was released. “Will it be…similar…to the last one?” she asked.

“Well, let’s take a look,” I replied, accessing further details. “Okay, it says here that “the Starbase was the base for rescue and relief efforts after the destruction of Romulus. By 2409, it was commanded by Admiral T'nae, and was the primary base of operations on the Romulan Front”. Hmm…”

“What is it?” Trixie asked, having detected my hesitation.

“Nothing, really,” I replied. “It’s just that…well, let’s just say that there’s a few Romulans who aren’t exactly buddy-buddy with the Federation around there. It might be…”

“What, dangerous?” Trixie asked, trying to hide the anxiety in her voice. “But aren’t these…Romulans…your friends now?”

“Where’d you hear that?”

“Weren’t there some in the bar a few days ago?”

“Yeah, that’s right. Still, suffice it to say that not all of them are that friendly. Even though their leader disappeared a while ago, the Tal Shiar are still a threat and if they got their slimy claws on us…I don’t even wanna think about it.”

“The…who?”

“Tal Shiar. During the time of the Romulan Star Empire, they were an elite intelligence agency whose purpose was to protect the Empire from its enemies, like the Federation. Since the Empire crumbled with the destruction of Romulus, they’ve basically turned into a militant organization who violently opposes Romulan cooperation with the Federation. They attack Federation ships on-sight. They’re essentially terrorists now.”

“Then why would you take Trixie anywhere near them?” the blue mare demanded.

“Well, if you wanna hit up another Starbase, we don’t have much of a choice,” I pointed out. “Besides, that part of space is usually swarming with Starfleet and Romulan Republic ships. We should be fine.”

“I hope so…” Trixie muttered. “For your sake. Trixie needs a nap.” With that, she left the mess hall, leaving me to clear her dishes. I sighed and put them into the replicator for recycling before returning to the bridge.

***

Trixie yelped in surprise as something threw her from the comfort of her bed onto the cold floor. She grimaced and held her head as the shrill pitch of an alarm went off like a hydrogen bomb in her poor hung-over noggin. She cursed a blue streak as she hastily got up and headed for the turbolift, determined to give that ornery human a piece of her mind and if necessary, a righteous ass-kicking.

“Hold on!” She had scarcely set hoof on the bridge before a familiar voice shouted at her. Instinctively, she grabbed the nearest computer console as the ship lurched again and momentarily went dark as the power fluctuated.

“What the fuck is going on?” Trixie yelled at the human furiously hitting buttons on the helm controls.

“Good, you’re up! I’ll congratulate on your first proper use of a colorful metaphor later! We’ve got a problem!”

“Really? I hadn’t noticed!” she shouted. “What is it!?”

“Some kind of…anomaly! We’re getting pulled in!” I replied as I tried in vain to get my ship to cooperate.

“Like a wormhole!?”

“Kind of but this time, we don’t know where it goes! Hang on!”

Trixie opened her mouth to respond as another toss of the ship whipped her around to face the main viewscreen. Her eyes widened at the large tear in the space in front of her. It writhed and contorted like some kind of strange special hurricane, even shooting out bolts of yellow energy. As it pulled them in, she buried her face into her hooves and closed her eyes, ready for the inevitable conclusion to her underwhelming existence.

***

“Trixie…”

She groaned and tried to move; everything hurt and she grimaced in pain as a voice met her.

“Trixie! Are you…are you alright?” the voice asked, clearly concerned. She slowly opened her eyes and beheld a human face.

“What…what happened?” she asked groggily. “Did we…did we…” She shuddered at what the answer could be. Maybe whatever it was had simply consumed them and spit out the pieces, granting them a one-way ticket to the Afterlife. Figuring that she had nothing to lose by asking, she continued. “Did we…make it?” To her surprise, I smiled.

“Yeah, everything’s okay. You’re okay, I’m okay, and the Ranger’s just fine. A couple o’ bumps or bruises but that’s all. Guess that spacial anomaly was all back and no bite. Lucky us huh?”

“Yeah…so lucky,” Trixie groaned as she got up, aided by her friend’s helping hands. “Where are we?”

“Hang on, I’ll check…” I muttered. “Computer, what is our exact location?” I asked.

“Argelius System, Argelius Sector, Regulus Sector Block.” The computer replied.

“What does that mean?” Trixie asked.

“It means that whatever hit us back there, it didn’t take us an inch away from where we last were,” I replied, just as perplexed as Trixie. “Whatever that was, I think it’s gone. It should be smooth sailing from now…”

A sudden hard lurch interrupted me and sent us both to the floor once more. I shook my head and ran to my seat, bringing up the viewscreen immediately after. Trixie’s shocked gaze accompanied my own as a strange starship I’d never seen before hovered in front of us. From our view, it appeared to be an elongated curved diamond with flame-like wings bisecting it at its center. A long drill-like shape protruded from the pyramid-shaped bow of the strange vessel and two large yellow eye-like lights casted an eerie glow against the darkness. It felt like the ship was staring right at us. Doing the only thing I could think of, I opened a channel.

“Attention unidentified ship, this is Cole Stevens of the starship Ranger. Who are…” Another impact interrupted me as a shrill shriek over the communicator forced both Trixie and I to cover our ears.

“Shut up!” a feminine yet deadly voice on the other end shouted. “You’re trespassing in restricted Solar Imperium territory, the punishment for which is immediate execution!”

“Whoa, just wait a minute, okay?” I answered quickly as he heart began to race. I could only imagine how Trixie felt. “There’s no need for that. We’ll get out of here right now, you’ll see. Just take it easy!”

“NEVER TELL ME TO ‘TAKE IT EASY’!” the voice screamed, causing us to cover our ears yet again. At that moment, the viewscreen came to life, providing us with the identity of our attacker.

“No way…” I murmured.

“But…how?” Trixie gasped.

We stared in fascinated terror at the face of a yellow pony with a long pink mane cut into jagged lengths. She looked strangely familiar, though I could not for the life of me figure out why. I looked over at Trixie, who stared with an even more shocked expression than myself.

“F…F…F…Fluttershy?” she asked nervously. The yellow pony glared at her.

“That’s Commandant Fluttershy!” she hissed. “How do you know who I am? Tell me right now or I’ll destroy you right now!” Wow, this bitch made Trixie look like Mother freakin’ Theresa.

“But you’re…this…this isn’t right!” Trixie muttered.

“You wanna fill me in here?” I whispered. “Since when do you guys have a space program?”

“We don’t!” Trixie hissed. “This…isn’t right!”

“So what are you saying?”

“Shut up!” the Commandant yelled. “Now, if you’ll be so kind as to die, we’ll get this over with!”

“Computer, shields!” I shouted as the Ranger rocked again. I routed helm controls to my station and ‘floored it’, to use an archaic term. The ship lurched again as the Ranger swerved to avoid another shot. “Computer, what’s the status of our weapons?” Trixie gave me a look of horror.

“Weapons are online.”

“Good! Use ‘em! Attack pattern…I don’t fucking know! Just shoot the damn thing!”

“Acknowledged.” Using her superior speed and maneuverability, my little Nova weaved around the much larger vessel, her phasers going to work on the ship’s engines.

“What’s their status?” I shouted before a blue blur tackled me.

“You were shooting at them!” a hysteric Trixie screamed.

“They were shooting at us!” I yelled, trying to fight her off. “Get off me! I’m trying to get us outta here in one piece, not several!” I winced as we took another hit.

“Weapons are off-line.” Shit, I thought as another hit rocked us. “Shields down to 19 percent.” Trixie looked at me with abject fear in her eyes and just as we were supposed to get vaporized, something drew the attention of our assailant. Through the viewscreen, we watched as a Starfleet ship appeared and fired a full phaser spread, causing noticeable damage to the enemy vessel.

“Curse you!” Commandant Fluttershy growled as her own ship shuddered. “This isn’t the last you’ll see of us!” With that, they jumped to warp, leaving us alone with our rescuer. I wiped my brow and settled back into my chair as Trixie relaxed as well, although not as much. I could only begin to imagine how harrowing the ordeal had been for her. I made a mental note to take her to Risa in the near future for a vacation. We’d definitely need it.

“Computer, hail them,” I exclaimed as the channel opened. “This is Cole Stevens of the starship Ranger. Thanks for your…what the Hell?” I shouted as another blast shook the ship. “Man, what is it, ‘Pick on the Ranger Day’? Hey, don’t shoot! We’re on your side!”

“Oh really?” a voice sneered from over the communicator. “Then why were you fraternizing with an enemy of the Terran Empire?” At that, my heart sank into the pit of my stomach and I face-palmed…hard.

“Oh shit.”

“Now what is it?” Trixie demanded.

“Um…remember how I said that not all humans are assholes?” She nodded. “Well, these are the ones that are.”

“Oh shit.” she muttered.

“Did you really think you could get away with siding with the enemy?” The viewscreen came to life again, showing a smirking Starfleet captain with an eye patch on one side of his face and a long scar decorating the other. “Not only were you conspiring against the Terran Empire, you’re also harboring a fugitive!” He motioned towards Trixie. “Normally, the penalty for your transgressions would be an immediate death but in your case, we’ll make it slow and painful! Prepare to be boarded!” With that, he was gone, leaving us to ponder our plight. I took a deep breath and sighed. That’s when I noticed her.

The mare was terrified. Unable to say a word, she huddled on the floor of the bridge in a near-catatonic state, wrapping her front legs protectively around her head. I got up and knelt beside her, stroking her mane and her ears affectionately as I tried my best to calm the poor thing down. She sniffled and quivered under my touch and I whispered gentle words of assurance to her.

“Ssh, it’s okay, it’s okay,” I murmured. “Everything’s gonna be okay. I won’t let them lay a finger on you, I promise.” To this day, I’m not entirely certain of whom I was trying to convince but it was all I could do at the moment. “You’ll be fine, you hear me? You’ll be fine. We’re gonna get out of this, we’re gonna get out of this…”

“Another ship has entered the system. It is on an intercept course.” the computer said, making us both jump a little. Great, I thought as my heart sank even more. “Computer, prepare the escape pods and…” I stopped and looked out the viewscreen in amazement as the other ship, a Klingon Bird-of-Prey, fired on the Terran vessel, taking it completely by surprise. I watched with bated breath as the Terran ship replied in kind, firing back at the Klingon ship and directing its attention away from us. I had to act quickly.

“Computer, what’s the status of our engines? How fast can we go?”

“One-half impulse.” It was a start.

“Get us out of here!” There was a beep and the ship lurched forwards and a little further out of harm’s way. I didn’t know who was in command of the other ship or why they were helping us but at the moment, I didn’t care. The only thing I cared about is that with some luck, I’d be able to keep my promise to Trixie.

“Oh, what the somersaulting Christ!” I shouted as another hit buckled the ship. Although it didn’t feel as severe as the last salvo, I was still pretty pissed about it. “Computer, hail the Klingon ship! Don’t they know we’re all friends now?” A second later, a Klingon captain appeared in the viewscreen.

“We have chased off your Terran friend!” he growled. “Give us one good reason not to destroy you!”

“Because we’re not with them!” I replied frantically. “And we’re most definitely not with the Solar Imperium either!”

“Then why do you have one of them on board your vessel!?” he roared, pointing at Trixie, who had returned to the fetal position.

“Take it easy, she’s a friend!”

“Their kind is no friend of the Klingon Empire!”

“Ahem!” I watched as everyone on Bird-of-Prey’s bridge suddenly fell silent, including the captain (to my surprise). My eyes widened as a dark-blue unicorn sporting a magnificent pair of wings made her way onto the bridge and stood beside the Klingon captain. “What was that about ‘our kind’?”

“I…I meant no disrespect, your Highness,” the captain replied, bowing to her. “I was simply trying to negotiate our enemy’s surrender.”

“That sounded more like a threat,” the pony…thing answered sternly. “Or did you simply forget that mere seconds ago, that Terran ship fired upon this one. Why do you suppose that is, hmm?” I sighed with relief; finally someone pragmatic enough not to slit our throats at first glance. However, it wasn’t the fact that we’d just avoided an early death that surprised me; it was Trixie’s reaction. She had gone from scared out of her wits on the floor to standing up and staring before she dropped into a low bow.

“P-P-P…Princess Luna?” she asked incredulously.

“Hello, little one,” the Princess said with a warm smile as she took notice of the blue mare. “You haven’t been hurt, I trust?”

“N-no, your Highness.”

“That is a relief,” Lune replied, turning her attention to me. “And I suppose we have you to thank for that?”

“Um…I suppose so, ma’am. Thanks for the rescue. I thought we were toast back there.”

“Yes, I can imagine,” Lune answered. “Now, would you care to explain what a human and a unicorn are doing all the way out here by themselves?”

“I would be glad to, your Highness,” I assured her.

“Perhaps that can wait,” Luna interrupted, looking at Trixie again. “The poor dear looks exhausted and terrified. Perhaps we should return to the base before…”

“Your Highness! Surely you don’t intend to allow them to come back with us freely!” the captain protested.

“I’m sorry, captain, but do they look like they could put up a fight right now? Do you honestly look at their sorry state of affairs and fear for your life? I thought better of you, captain.” Luna replied calmly but coldly.

“O…of course, your Highness.” The captain relented.

“Now then, if you would follow us, we’ll escort you somewhere a little safer.” Luna added, returning her attention to me. “I’m sure we have much to discuss.” I nodded.

“Yes ma’am. I’ll tell you anything you want to know.”

Mirror's Edge Part II

View Online

Acting captain’s log, Stardate…something, something point something. I’ve decided to start keeping a record of travels, mostly for myself, but also for Starfleet just in case. I mean, you never know, right? Maybe I could even trade the info for some new gear or credits or something useful. In any case, that’ll just have to wait. According to Princess Luna, we’re on our way to a secret base, the home of some kind of ‘resistance’ against the Terran Empire and the Solar Imperium. I don’t know much about the Mirror Universe but it looks like we’re about to become better acquainted with it whether we like it or not. (End Recording)

“Come in!” I called from my bed as I ended the recording. The door opened with a hiss and in stepped a certain blue showmare. To say I was surprised to see her would be an understatement; judging from the way she was acting mere minutes ago, I thought her sanity had taken a sabbatical. “Something I can do for you?” I asked as she slowly approached. She wore an expression of anxiety and although I hated to see her worried, I was pleased that she no longer seemed all that terrified.

“The princess wants to see you,” she said quietly, almost whispering.

“Guess I’d better get going, then,” I replied, stretching as I sat up. “Wouldn’t wanna keep royalty waiting, ‘specially after she was nice enough to let me nap first.” I looked over at Trixie, who still hadn’t moved. “Is there something else?”

“Oh! It’s just that…Trixie’s never…seen anything like this before and…she’s wondering if we’ll be okay…” I smiled and ruffled her mane. She seemed to like that; a good mane-ruffling usually calmed her down and I had a feeling that starting now, I’d be doing it a lot more often.

“Don’t worry, I’m sure we’ll be fine,” I assured her. “We’re just gonna follow them, tell ‘em what we know, and be on our way. We’ll find another rift and be outta here sooner before you know it.” The line between convincing myself and her was growing more and more blurred at every turn and I wondered if it would be so easy.

“Trixie hopes so,” the blue mare replied with a hint of stubbornness. “If you get us killed, Trixie will never let you live it down!”

“Now there’s the Trixie I lo…tolerate,” I replied, giving her a somewhat condescending pat on the head. “Well, I’ve got a bridge to get to. Feel free to lay down here or whatever. I don’t think I’ll be too long.” With that, I made my way to the bridge, upon reaching which I immediately activated the viewscreen and hailed the Bird-of-Prey.

“What do you want?” the captain snarled. I smiled; this was an excellent chance to practice some Klingon inflections and (hopefully) get away with it.

“Listen to me, petaQ!” I growled, baring my teeth. “Her Highness, Princess Luna, has requested that I speak with her and I’ll be damned if some honourless dog is going to stop me!” Okay, maybe I overdid it a bit but if there was one thing I knew about Klingons, shoving them after they shoved you was a great way to earn their respect. Or get yourself killed. I was hoping for the former.

“You dare order me about?” the Klingon demanded.

“No, but I think she does,” I replied, gesturing towards the entering princess.

“Ha! You are a fool if you think that lame trick will get the better of me! I am of Duras! It will take more than that to…”

“Ahem.” The look on his face was priceless! I had to hold myself back as he went white as a Dividian and slowly turned around. “I’m sorry, captain, am I interrupting something?”

“N…no, your Highness. I was about to alert you…”

“It’s quite alright. I was the one who requested an audience with him. Please, carry on with your duties, captain. I promise you that we shall not occupy your bridge for too long.” Luna assured him, defending her title of ‘Universe’s Most Pragmatic & Patient Pony Princess’. He bowed to her and vacated the room, leaving the Princess and a handful of bridge crew.

“You wanted to see me, ma’am?” I asked, taking a seat in my chair. In hindsight, I probably should’ve remained standing but I was exhausted and didn’t think she’d mind. The princess looked like she had more important matters to worry about anyway.

“Yes, I did,” she replied. “You don’t mind, do you? I know how exhausted you must be after your harrowing arrival.”

“That’s for sure,” I agreed. “Still, I am in your debt. We both are. If you hadn’t rescued us…” I shivered involuntarily. “Anyway, what can I do for you?”

“I was hoping you could enlighten us as to why you’re here.” Wow, straight to the point, I thought.

“I’d be happy to, Princess, although I’m not sure I even understand it myself.”

“Please, call me ‘Luna’. In these truing times, one hardly has the time for such formalities, especially since I am not your superior.”

“That’s fine with me. So…what do you want to know?”

“Care to start at the top?”

“You betcha. See, my friend and I…”

“The unicorn, I presume?”

“That’s right. We’re travelers, y’see. I’m basically a worker for hire and she’s an entertainer. We met about a week ago on your home planet…” I paused, realizing how ridiculous that sounded, judging by the state of affairs that had befallen her world. “I mean, in my universe, of course.’ I added hastily.

“Yes, I thought that might be the case,” Luna replied thoughtfully. “I was wondering why your ship didn’t have the same markings as the Terrans.”

“So…you believe me?” I asked, just to make sure we were on the same page.

“What kind of magic practitioner or leader would I be if I did not consider any and all possibilities, as unlikely or absurd as they may be?” It was a good question, one that I did not possess and answer to.

“Not a very good one, I suppose,” I replied with a chuckle, hoping she had been born with a sense of humor.

“No, I suppose not,” she answered with a chuckle of her own, mitigating my concern. “In any case, how did you two wind up here of all places?”

“I wish I knew,” I replied, unable to hide a degree of wistfulness. “All the computer was able to gathers is that we got pulled through some strange kind of spacial anomaly.”

“Has that happened before?”

“Yes, actually. I’m not sure if you’ll know who I’m talking about but Captain James Kirk visited the mirror…I mean, this universe in 2267 and Captain Sulu and the U.S.S. Excelsior went through about 12 years later. Any other information is really hard to come by. Starfleet likes to keep it kind of hush-hush.”

“I understand,” Luna assured me. “And that’s when the Solar Imperium attacked?” I nodded.

“That’s right. They must’ve thought we were part of the Terran Empire. I have to admit that by the time the real Terran Empire showed up, the poor girl had already taken a beating.” I finished, giving my armrest a hard pat.

“Why were you unable to overcome them?” Luna must’ve sensed my change in mood as I looked down at my feet, a deep frown etching my face. “Oh…I’m sorry. I didn’t mean any disrespect.”

“It’s okay. It’s just that…the Ranger’s a great ship for basic transportation and even a little exploring but she’s no battle cruiser. We were outgunned, simple as that.”

“I’m sorry. I wish we had arrived sooner.”

“Well, don’t be too sorry. If you’d arrived any sooner, you probably would’ve had two enemy ships to deal with. The only reason I didn’t get vape-d by the Imperium is because of the Empire and the only reason they didn’t get us was because of you, Princess. Have I mentioned how grateful Trixie and I are yet?”

“You might’ve mentioned it once or twice.” Luna replied with a smile.

“Well, I mean it,” I continued. “And I’d like to help. Please consider myself and the Ranger at your disposal.” The princess’ expression surprised me; it was as if she didn’t expect me to reciprocate. I mean…how could I not? While I didn’t like the idea of intervening, especially in a ship so ill-equipped for combat, I couldn’t just stand by and let the Empire and the Imperium have their way. It wouldn’t be very…well, very Starfleet at all, now would it? Okay, I know I’m not part of Starfleet but that wasn’t the point. Ever since I had acquired the Ranger and learned its history, I felt compelled to emulate those who commanded her, called the ship home, and lived their lives for the betterment of mankind. Not doing so when faced with an opportunity to make a difference was just wrong. I knew that it was dangerous…okay, really dangerous but if my contribution helped to bring all the insanity to a speedy conclusion, then it was well-worth it.

“That is...most generous,” she replied. “But please do not feel obligated to help. We did what was right.”

“And now I’d like to do the same,” I answered quickly. “No offense, Princess, but I’d be willing to bet everything I own that you could use all the help can get. She’s not exactly a Galaxy-class but she’s quick and smart. I’m sure you could use us.”

“Well, there’s no turning you down, is there?” Luna asked with a hint of amusement. “Very well! Cole Stevens, you and your ship have just entered the service of the Lunar Republic!” She needn’t have said anything more; I was well-aware that Lunar Republic was the antithesis of the Solar Imperium, and definitely the side I wanted to fight for.

“Thank you, ma’am!” I replied with a swift salute. “I’ll do my best.” Luna smiled.

“I know you will.” She glanced down at a computer console. “We’ll be arriving soon. Please make any preparations necessary for docking. Luna out.” She shot me one last smile and the stars once again occupied the viewscreen.

“Think I’d better check on Sleeping Beauty,” I muttered, heading to the turbolift. I wandered into my room seconds later to find her still curled up on the bed. I sat down and gently brushed her mane out from in front of her face. “Hey,” I whispered.

“Mmm…daddy…?” she murmured.

Dead silence.

I was floored. Like, floored. Not a peep out of her about family or any relations at all and now…this. Her simple, innocent question sent me reeling. That was something I had never even considered, and now I was forced to face it.

Trixie’s family.

Her sleep-addled answer raised a lot of questions. Who were they? What were they like? What was their last name? Do they even have a last name? It was almost too much to process. I took a deep breath and hugged her, gently so as not to wake her from her peaceful slumber, and did the only thing I could think of.

“I’m here, Trixie. It’s okay. Just…relax and sleep. Everything’s okay, everything’s okay…” My heart pounded as a small smile appeared on her muzzle and she moved up against me with a sigh of contentment. Up until that point, I had never considered myself much of a softie. From a young age, I had been out on my own, left to seek my fortune in hoped that I could fulfill some dream I had yet to identify and make my late parents proud. As I gazed down at her sleeping form, I felt that previously unexplored side begin to manifest. I don’t know how or why but I suddenly had the urge to sooth and be near her, almost like some kind of…guardian.

“Hush, little strider, for the stars bloom o’er, watching, smiling, e’er closer,” Don’t ask me where that came from. I suppose I was feeling poetic…or something. “Now rest and watch as the starlight sings, a lullaby for you, you sleepy thing.” It felt…I don’t really know how to describe it. All I knew is that it was right. So I continued, barely missing a beat. “For as long as you rest in your little bed, may your dreams embrace you, sleepyhead.” I smiled as Trixie murmured something unintelligible but it was a pretty safe bet that she enjoyed the little ditty I’d composed.

Fighting back a loud yawn of my own, I crept out as quietly as I could and headed for the bridge, my mind racing. It seemed that not only was I tasked with protecting my new compatriot’s life, I had another responsibility, one just as great and likely just as challenging. I finally had something to prove.

Trixie wasn’t as alone as she thought.

***

I didn’t have much time to think about that sort of thing before we arrived at the Lunar Republic’s base of operations. From first glance, it looked a lot like Starbase K-7 but that’s where the similarities ended. First of all, it was much bigger. The station consisted of a large central hub with several dome-like pods connected around it like the spokes of a wheel. Each pod bristled with docks, ships, and activity and as I gazed about in awe at the action around us, several vessels that I had never seen before caught my eye, including a few captured Terran warships. Like the fleet itself, the station appeared to be cobbled together from the parts of several races, each lending its own brand of style to the collaboration.

There were a lot of ships, which genuinely surprised me. Look at it this way; most of the time, when you think about a rebellious fleet, a ragtag group of half-eaten ships or any manner of mothball fleets comes to mind. That definitely was not the case here. Although quite varied, the fleet looked as ready for action as any I’d ever seen and it was almost enough to convince me of our chances.

We docked shortly after and I took the opportunity to rouse the sleeping showmare. She was still out to the world, curled up under the sheets like a child…er, foal. She almost looked…adorable, in the way a kitten looks when it’s taking a catnap. I leaned over her and ruffled her mane.

“Hey, wake up, we’re here.” I whispered. She stirred a bit and rolled over away from me.

“Mmmsgfafushmnnmnm…” she murmured.

“Hello to you too,” I replied. “Come on now, the princess is waiting for us.” It was hard not to laugh as her eyes suddenly opened and she sat bolt upright, sending the sheets flying off the bed.

“P…Princess Luna’s waiting for us?” she asked with an air of panic. I was finally starting to figure Trixie out; she loved the stars, right? By that logic, meeting the one who, in their world, was responsible for the night sky, would be like meeting Jesus or something. I could only imagine how she felt about being in the presence of not only her ruler but her idol as well.

“Yeah, she wants us to go…” There was an actual whoosh as she leapt to her hooves and sped out. “…to the meeting room…” I trailed off.

I caught up with her shortly after, mostly because she had no idea of where to go but also because she outright refused to leave the relative safety of the Ranger without me. Truth be told, I was a little nervous too; the thought of proving myself to several species, most of which I’d never even met, was daunting to say the least. As we made our way out of the Ranger and into the station, I saw many familiar faces, namely Klingons, Andorians, and even some Romulans but then we passed a group of…gryphons. I did a double-take; I mean, it’s a big galaxy but still. Nothing quite like seeing a beloved mythical beast in the flesh and blood, amiright? Trixie, on the other hand, didn’t seem quite as enthralled.

“Will you stop staring?” she hissed, some of her bravado having returned. “You look like a tourist.”

“Yeah okay, I’m the tourist,” I replied, rolling my eyes. “I’m kinda surprised that Luna…”

“Princess Luna! Show some respect!”

“Okay, okay! Anyway, I’m kinda surprised that Princess Luna wasn’t there to greet us. Meh, maybe I’m asking the impossible. She’s probably super busy, what with trying to stage a revolt and all.”

“You said we were going to help her.” I looked at her concerned expression with a raised eyebrow.

“How did you know?”

“Well, what else would we be doing here?”

“That’s true. So…are you…okay with that?” I asked. She looked at me suspiciously.

“Okay about what?”

“Okay with helping. I mean…we’re going up against ponies. Your kind. Doesn’t that…bother you?”

“What do you think?” she spat rather suddenly. In hindsight, I probably should’ve expected it. “Oh wait, Trixie was just supposed to sit back and watch like she always does, wasn’t she?” she demanded, attracting the attention of several others. “Am I supposed to just sit and watch you kill my own kind?” she screamed as I opened my mouth to interject. Her fur was standing on end as she stared at me, angrily, desperately, waiting for an answer that I simply did not have. “If we’re supposed to be a team…like you keep saying…then…why would you choose to hurt others like…like me?” she sobbed, wiping a tear from her eye. Her question stung bitterly as I tried to formulate a response, which eluded me once again. I was dumbstruck. I didn’t know what to do or what to say.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, kneeling down to wrap my arms around her. She pushed them away and looked at the floor, tears dripping down to the cold metal.

“I knew it,” she muttered. “You’re all the same.” And then she was gone, running as fast as she could to some undisclosed location. I stood up and with a deep breath, headed for the conference room.

Even as I sat with the other members of the Princess’ entourage, my mind spun. I could not get over how quickly Trixie had flipped. I mean, I knew why she did but still…she must’ve felt really overwhelmed. I was at a crossroads; the last thing I wanted to do was hurt anybody but at the same time, Luna was adamant that our assistance was absolutely necessary. She wouldn’t tell me why but all I know was that she was rather insistent that Trixie accompany us when the time for our little chat arrived. Given what had just transpired, that didn’t seem like a very likely scenario. I could only hope that by the end of the meeting, Trixie didn’t feel like strangling me with my own entrails.

An impossible dream, I know, but it was all I had.

***

Trixie sniffed and fought to hold back tears as she huddled up in her hiding place. Every fiber of her being hated her for it but the only place she could think of that would offer her any semblance of privacy was her living quarters aboard that accursed, weak-sauce tin can that Cole doted upon like a spoiled child. Was she being a hypocrite by hating everything it represented only to return their in an emotional rage?

Certainly not. More like…ironic. Yeah that’s the word. It was Trixie’s reason and by Tartarus, she was sticking with it. His reasons didn’t matter, not after he’d basically pledged to harm her fellow ponies for a cause he knew next to nothing about.

Even as she lamented her sorry state of affairs, one inescapable fact still haunted her. The Princess had asked for their help. Not just the human’s but hers as well. Surely the Princess knew what was best and wouldn’t allow a single pony to get hurt, right? There was simply no alternative. Trixie flat-out refused to believe that the monarch of the moon could be anything less than benevolent.

Of course, history showed the naiveté of such sentiments.

Trixie shook her head and curled up even tighter. It was cold aboard the Ranger, even colder with the absence of…she shook her head again. No matter what, she wasn’t going to devote a millisecond of thought to that selfish, lying, incompetent…

“Trixie? You in there?” The showmare froze deer-eyed as a gentle voice met her, accompanied by a soft knock. Stupid, she thought, refusing to answer. The door’s locked; where else would I be? “Look, I know how you feel right now but…”

“No you don’t!” Trixie shouted. “You have no idea of how Trixie feels! You’ve never lost everything you worked so hard for! You don’t know what it’s like to miss your home every day! You don’t know what it’s like to be alone!” At that, she broke down completely, sobbing and howling into the sheets. All the while, there was silence, save for her sorrowful ministrations. Lots of time to let it out.

“My parents were on Romulus when the star exploded.” The blue mare paused and perked one ear towards the door, surprised by the sudden revelation.

“Y…y…you mean…when it…”

“Yes. They were part of a Federation diplomatic corps trying to negotiate with the Romulan Senate to ease tensions between them and Earth.” Although doing his best to stay calm, it was abundantly clear to the showmare that I was fighting back tears of my own.

“So…that’s why you didn’t want to go to…to…”

“Yes. There are…too many memories and I’m just not ready to deal with them.” I explained, my voice significantly heavier than before.

There was a hiss as the door opened, revealing a considerably calmer blue pony. It was as if sharing such personal history put us on even footing. For the first time, we could appreciate each other on a personal level, a phenomenon that while new to the showmare, was not unwelcome. She looked up at me with a sympathetic expression and slowly placed a front hoof over my shoulder as I knelt down before her. I returned the hug, squeezing her tightly as if we’d just overcome a seemingly insurmountable obstacle together. For all intents and purposes, I firmly believe that we did.

“I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you before I told the Princess that we’d help,” I whispered. “I just…wanna do something, y’know?”

“I know,” Trixie replied softly. “I suppose…Trixie is sorry as well.” I couldn’t help but smile at her attempt to save face. I slowly pulled away and placed my hands on her shoulders with a smile.

“Wanna go see the Princess? I’m sure we’ll be able to work something out. Believe me, I don’t wanna hurt anypony either but I still want to do something. Anyway, let’s just go see her and we’ll see what happens. Okay?” Trixie nodded and with that, we headed out, both feeling as if a heavy burden had just been lifted.

***

“Come in,” the moon princess called over the door’s COM. “Ah, I thought I might see you two tonight,” Luna exclaimed with a smile as we entered the princess’ quarters. I was pleasantly surprised to see that although they were spacious, her quarters were also Spartan and modest. All that power and yet, she preferred simplicity. It was a trait I’d come to respect about her.

“What makes you say that?” I asked.

“Just a feeling,” she replied nonchalantly. “Don’t take it the wrong way, Mr. Stevens, I was hoping for the opportunity to speak with you both. You seemed rather…distant during the meeting today.”

“I apologize for that, ma’am. Let’s just say that this is all a little overwhelming for both of us. We needed some time to sort things out.”

“I understand,” Luna assured me. “Hello, little one,” she added, peeking at the shy blue mare behind me. “I have to say that I’m rather relieved to meet a member of my race that hasn’t fallen prey to that…that…sister of mine…” A light went off in my head and judging Trixie’s reaction, the same occurred in her head as well. Of course that was the case. This was a mirror universe, after all.

That didn’t change the fact that it was still really, really weird. From what Trixie had told me, it seemed impossible for Celestia to be anything other than an omnipotent mother hen.

“Say something,” I whispered, stepping out of Trixie’s way, forcing her to look directly at the Princess of the Night.

“I…I’m…glad to see you, too…Princess.” Trixie stammered, still quite overwhelmed.

“Please, do not worry so much,” Luna said with a warm smile. “You are safe here.” I wanted to point out that I had said the same thing hours ago but then my more intelligent side kicked in and reminded me that I wasn’t a demigod who could control the cosmos just by thinking about it.

So I kept my mouth shut and simply watched.

“I know that you’re wondering why I have requested your presence,” Luna continued. “As you probably know by now, two of the Alpha Quadrant’s major powers are at war with one another, the Terran Empire and the Solar Imperium…our, er, my home. We were once a peaceful race, free from the ravages of war and disaster. We used magic to better ourselves and advance, and so we did…for a time.” At that, her horn began to glow and the sparse room was replaced by an incredible scene, much like a holodeck, only this time, everything felt incredibly real. We watched in amazement as Luna’s magic took us on an aerial tour of her home, soaring over the great capital of Canterlot and then dipping down to overlook the valley, then the forest, and then the great apple orchards, then finally circling around a small, familiar town with a large tree at its center.

“Eventually, our subjects grew restless and sought to answer the age-old question of what was out there, just beyond the reach of the mightiest airships. They grew fascinated with the sky, especially the night, and wished more than anything that they could get closer.” The scene changed to show a research laboratory filled with ponies in lab coats with one in particular standing beside a large object half the size of the room, covered by a white cloth. The others gasped and stomped their hooves as the lavender unicorn whipped the sheet off, revealing a large machine glowing with a purple light. “At long last, they had finally done it. They had achieved the means to explore and reach what was once thought to be unreachable. It was a momentous achievement. Sadly, my sister did not see it the same way.” We watched as the scene changed yet again and we found ourselves in the middle of what looked like a throne room in the dead of night.

“You see, the Sun Princess, Celestia, had grown jealous of her subject’s fascination with the night and tried to stop any progress she could. I simply could not allow such dedication and effort to go to waste but she would not hear it. I tried to reason with her but it was too late. The jealousy and frustration had corrupted her and transformed her into a power-starved shadow of her former self. Radiant, yes, but still a shadow.”

“The Solar Empress?” I asked. Luna nodded sadly.

“Yes. It wasn’t long after before the Terrans came. They detected a surge of energy and immediately sent a battle fleet to investigate and if possible, retrieve the source of the surge. They arrived in the middle of our battle and saw it as their chance to take our peaceful world from us.” The scene changed again, this time to one of violence and mayhem. Ponies ran screaming as Terran fighters and starships bombarded the planet with torpedoes and razed the towns and landscape with phaser beams. “My sister and I, embittered as we were, temporarily stopped our feud and concentrated on fending off the attack. Even then, I watched in horror as my once-gentle sister mercilessly annihilated our foes, gleefully ignoring any attempts to surrender. It was only after I intervened did she finally stop and allow the few survivors left to escape with their lives. Unfortunately, the Terran attack had left me weak and Celestia soon gained the upper hand, forcefully imprisoning me on the moon.” I involuntarily shivered as the scene of battle shifted to the moon, cold and lifelessness.

“I watched helplessly as Celestia rebuilt our great world into something foul and violent, twisting and perverting it until the last shred of Equestria was gone, replaced by the iron-fisted Solar Imperium. From there, they constructed machines of war and destruction, determined to avenge their losses and strike fear into the heart of the Terrans. And strike fear they did, retaliating with all their might until both sides began to consume each other in the broils of all-out conflict. There was nothing I could do but watch, Celestia’s new dark magic preventing me from escaping my banishment on my own terms.” Luna took a deep breath as the scene changed once more, showing a familiar green bird-like ship approaching the moon.

“One day, after Celestia committed nearly all of her forces to the frontlines, a lone Klingon Bird-of-Prey snuck into our system on a mission of espionage. Not knowing what else to do, I contacted their captain telepathically and asked him to take me away from the horror I was forced to witness day after day. He agreed but only if I would provide him with tactical and strategic information. Reluctantly, I agreed to his terms and he took me from my prison in hopes that I could supply him with a way to stave off or conquer the encroaching Terrans. While our ‘relationship’ was rocky at first, we were united by the fact that both sides needed to be stopped before one side gained the upper hand and enslaved the galaxy. We searched for others, others who believed in a free and peaceful galaxy for all and although we found many, the forces of both the Terrans and the Imperium were too great and we could not best them. Then when all hope seemed lost, a Gryphon patrol stumbled upon an out-of-the-way planet referred to as ‘Iconia’ by nearby systems. On the planet, they found a strange item, an ancient amulet containing incredible magical power, power comparable even to that of myself and my sister. As it depicted an Alicorn, we named it the ‘Alicorn Amulet’. We soon realized that if we could harness its power, we could turn the tide and end the conflict once and for all. However, it only reacted in the presence of a pony and although I tried to tame it, it rejected me and I could not control it. We needed another, a unicorn, one with enough magical potential to harness it.” Luna looked up at Trixie and I. “That’s why you’re here. I’m sorry but as soon as I saw your ship, I saw an opportunity to end the war. I apologize for my deception but I assure you that it was necessary.”

There was a pause as we attempted to absorb and comprehend what we’d just been told.

“Is that…is that why you…wanted me?” Trixie asked quietly. Luna nodded.

“Yes, little one. You’re the only one who can wield this power. You’re the only one who can save us.” For a moment, I almost expected Trixie to look smug or proud of the fact that she’d just been handed the chance of a lifetime, a chance at fame and fortune. I was sadly mistaken, however, as she turned and without a word, galloped out of the room.

Mirrors's Edge Part III

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I had expected a more ‘involved’ search. That’s not to say I wasn’t pleased to find her sitting in the Ranger’s mess hall, staring blankly at an apple; rather, I was merely commenting on the irony of finding her aboard the ship once again, despite the fact that it wasn’t exactly her favorite means of conveyance. I sat down across from her and let the silence hang over us like an awkward raincloud for a while.

“Look at us,” I said in an off-hand sort of way. “We’re like an old married couple.” Trixie shot me a dirty look.

“Go away…” she replied in a tone that simply refused to mask the uncertainty of her words. “Leave me alone.”

“What makes you think I’m here to see you?” I asked nonchalantly as I got up and walked over to the replicator. “I just got hungry after the batshit insane week we’ve been having and wanted a snack.” Trixie cocked her head and looked over at me.

“Trixie thought…you might be here to talk to her about…earlier…” Her confession came a little too easily; I knew I’d have to handle things very carefully.

“Nah,” I replied, taking a bite of my freshly-replicated apple. “I’m not here to bug you. Besides,” I took another bite. “You made it pretty clear about how you felt about helping.” Okay, a little mean I know but I had to trigger her defense systems if I was gonna coax anything out of her.

“That’s not what Trixie meant!” she cried defensively.

“Then would you please tell me what’s going on?” I asked. “We’re supposed to be friends and friends help each other with tough shit, and it seems to me like you’ve got alotta shit on your mind!” Silence reigned again as I awaited her response. “So please…tell me what’s going on.” I asked, my tone considerably softer than before.

“It’s…the Alicorn Amulet.” Aha, so that was it. That was a lot of pressure to put on someone…er, somepony. Drat. Another credit in the jar.

“Look, if you’re nervous about using it, I’m sure you have nothing to…”

“I’ve used it before.”

“Um…what?”

“I said, I’ve used it before.” I was flabbergasted.

“How is that possible…?” I mentally face-palmed. Mirror Universe. Duh. Things were starting to make sense again. She must’ve had a really terrible experience with it and it spooked her for life. “I’m sorry; I had no idea.”

“‘It's okay...you deserve to know. The last time I used it was back in Ponyville, a small town a few hours away from Canterlot. One of my previous shows had gone...poorly, and I blamed it on Twilight Sparkle.”

"Isn't she a princess now or something?" I asked. "I mean, I listen to the subspace feeds but not as often as I'd like."

"Yes. Back then, she was still just the princess' student and I was...well, let's just say that I made some questionable decisions. One of those decisions was to use whatever means necessary to show everyone that I was the most powerful unicorn in the world." She paused and looked down at the floor. "I was jealous, Cole. Jealous that she had everything and I had...so little. There she was surrounded by friends and ponies who loved her and here I was...alone. I was angry and when I heard about the Amulet, I thought it was the perfect way to get back at her her and prove myself." She took a deep breath. "While it did enhance my natural abilities a lot, it had...another effect." She shivered, prompting me to gently put my arm around her. "It corrupted me. It took over and drove me mad for power and turned me into a tyrant. It's only thanks to Twilight and her friends that I returned to normal."

More silence.

“I...wow." I replied, unsure of what else to say. "Do you…wanna talk about it some more?” I ventured.

“Not really...”

“I understand. If that’s how you feel…then I won’t pressure you.” It was Trixie’s turn to look surprised.

“But…what about Princess Luna?”

“What about her?”

“We already promised we’d…” Trixie trailed off and looked dejectedly at the floor.

“No, I promised we’d help, which was a really dumb thing to do. I should’ve talked to you about it before I volunteered for both of us. It wasn’t right and I’m sorry.” I could understand Trixie’s shock at my words; no doubt she had been expecting some bullshit line like ‘my ship, my rules’ but that wasn’t my style. Besides, were supposed to be equal partners and even if the showmare didn’t fully believe it, I was gonna try and convince her of it.

“Thank you.” As much as I wanted to push her into saying something so rare again, my ego could wait.

“You’re welcome.” I yawned and stretched my sore muscles. “Why don’t you have a hot chocolate or something?” I suggested, making my way out of the mess hall.

“Wait, where are you going?” Trixie asked, almost urgently.

“I’m gonna see the Princess and tell her that I’d still like to help but she’s gonna need another volunteer for the whole ‘ancient artifact’ deal.” I replied with a smile.

“But…what if she gets angry?”

“I don’t think it’ll be that bad,” I answered, trying to convince myself. “I mean, she’s still got me and the Ranger so she still has some cannon fodder, right?” The blue mare’s expression told me quite plainly that my little ‘joke’ was not appreciated. “Ah, so you know what ‘cannon fodder’ is. I’m sorry, it was just a joke.”

“Well, it wasn’t very funny!” Trixie replied haughtily. That’s better, I thought with a smile.

“I know, I know, and when we make it out of this, I’ll make it up to you, I promise. Look, I’ll be back soon so just sit tight, alright?” Trixie nodded. “See ya in a bit.” With that, I left the mess hall.

***

“I see…” Princess Luna mused a she paced about in her room. “And you’re sure about this?”

“Absolutely. She’s just…too terrified that it would corrupt her again. If you ask me, ma’am, that’s a pretty good reason to be scared. From what she told me, it might as well be called the ‘Phazon Amulet’.”

“Phazon?”

“Long story,” I replied quickly with a dismissive wave. Good story, though, I thought. “Anyway, to be completely honest with you, I just don’t feel comfortable coercing or forcing Trixie into anything that she’s this afraid of. It just wouldn’t be right.” I was pretty firm and I hoped the Moon Princess wouldn’t take exception to my tone.

“I understand,” Luna assured me after a pause. “I was just…hoping that she would be willing.”

“I know and I understand that, believe me,” I replied. “She does want to help. We both do. That offer’s still up for grabs. Think of it this way; you’ll have two more bodies to help with the preparations and one more starship for when the shit hits the fan, right?” I was trying to make myself sound like less of a liability, especially where battle was concerned. That being said, the Ranger could fight…just not very well.

“I suppose you’re right,” the princess conceded. “I guess this is like…how does the saying go? ‘Beggars can’t be choosers’?”

“Well, that’s one way to put it,” I replied thoughtfully. “Still, you don’t look much like a beggar, especially that fleet of yours. You’ve got a lot of ships, ma’am. Good ones, too.”

“The question is, Mr. Stevens, will they be ‘good’ enough?” Luna asked mused.

“Good enough for what? A battle? I would think so.”

“I certainly hope so. It’s not just you and I depending on a favorable outcome. If we are not victorious, then I don’t even want to think about who we’d be letting down. The gryphons have been all but enslaved and the Klingons long ago lost the battle for their homeworld. If we are defeated…then the rest of the Alpha Quadrant will surely fall.” Luna’s head dipped and anxiety hung heavy in the air. Simply seeing her like this would’ve been more than enough to convince me to render my assistance but I was extra-determined now. “I’m sorry; I know it’s late.”

“It’s fine, Princess,” I assured her, simultaneously failing to prevent a yawn from escaping. Luna chuckled.

“I think we could all use some shuteye,” she replied. “I’m sorry to have kept you up so late. Please, if you don’t mind, join myself and my compatriots tomorrow for breakfast. We still have much to discuss.”

“I’d be honored, Princess. Mind if the ‘little one’ tags along?” I asked. Luna grinned.

“Not at all, though I’m not sure I’d want to call her ‘little one’ too often. She looks more than capable of taking care of herself.”

“Yeah, she’s feisty but she’s definitely not stupid,” I agreed. “I just hope that we’ll actually start getting along some day.”

“I’m sure you will soon,” Luna answered as I bowed and headed for the door. “One moment, please!” My hands instinctively cupped in front of my chest as something shiny levitated towards me. Into my hands fell the Alicorn Amulet. I looked up at the moon princess in surprise. “I’d like you to hold on to it for now,” she explained. “Just in case.” she finished with a wink. Yeah, just in case Trixie changes her mind or I can strike some kind of deal, I thought as I pushed it into my jacket’s front pocket. I nodded and with a small wave, slipped out.

***

The next day found us hard at work. Well, maybe me more so than my blue cohort. It was really the first time I envied her; magic had to be the most useful…well, anything ever discovered. Under the directions of the various engineers and tacticians under Luna’s leadership, we built a fleet of war. Ship after ship docked at the station, was refitted with the best equipment available at such short notice, and took off to make way for the next. By midday, I was pretty sure that the entire station envied Trixie’s ability to effortlessly levitate and manipulate heavy objects, although even she needed a break every so often.

Without a doubt, the high point of my day was when it was the Ranger’s turn for an upgrade or two. While they couldn’t do much about my deflector systems, they did have a few disruptor beam arrays, allowing them to switch my pathetic phasers for something with considerably more punch. I even received an upgraded targeting scanner courtesy of a captured Terran Empire battleship. I’ll say this about the Terrans; their foreign policy sucked but they sure had some decent tactical tech.

Now that my ship actually stood half a chance in a shitfight, I felt a little better about the situation in general. I looked over at Trixie, currently engaged in a conversation with Princess Luna, and wondered what she thought. She’d been distant the night before and had retired early. I knew she needed her sleep and was crazy-nervous but I still wondered if there was something even more serious on her mind than what awaited us. If there was, she was hiding it well.

This went on for the next four days and on the fifth, we were finally done. Trixie and I didn’t see each other much other than a brief ‘good night’ or ‘good morning’. All in all, I think it was for the best. We needed a break from each other and I figured that the less time we spent snug as a bug in a rug on Deck 2, the better. Ha, yeah right. Us? Snug? Like that would ever happen. Even in a universe with so many possibilities, being ‘snug’ with the showmare was not one of them. She barely even let me ruffle her ears! I didn’t really mind, though. Besides the fact that she’s a pony and I’m, well, me, and even if one could ignore the near-steady stream of abuse and pseudo-tsundering, the interest just wasn’t there.

But I was okay with that. Sure, there were times when I could’ve used some female company. I mean, who doesn’t? That’s the most common element in the universe; the desire for companionship. I grinned at the thought of the universe as a giant troll sticking me in a confined space with an eccentric and occasionally violent unicorn. All in all, Trixie was a pretty good traveling companion. We watched each other’s backs and that was good enough for me.

That night, the one before the enacting of her grand plan, Luna summoned us into the meeting room one last time. I took what had become my usual spot between Trixie and a gryphon by the name of Gilda Hawk, First Admiral of the Griffonian Alliance, and captain of the Griffonian War Vessel (GWV) Bladebeak’s Typhoon. She’d been through a few in her day and was eagerly looking forward to raising her ‘Terran ship kill count’ to an impressive 43. The Klingons and Romulans sat across from myself, Trixie, and the Griffins and at the table’s head sat Luna.

“Welcome, all of you,” she began warmly. “I know that this week has been one of the most challenging that we will ever face and I would just like to say…thank you, for facing and overcoming every obstacle you came across.”

“Here, here!” I exclaimed, raising my glass. The others did the same, coaxing a smile from the moon princess.

“I…I lament that by tomorrow’s end, I may not see all of you at this table. The knowledge that I cannot myself protect all of you from what is to come wracks my heart with grief. I can only place my faith in you and hope that your courage and wisdom brings you and your compatriots home safely.”

After a few more heartfelt words and promises of victory or death (mostly from the Klingons), we discussed the plan one more time, trying to ensure that all the bugs got worked out. Intelligence supplied by secret listening posts along the Terran Empire and Solar Imperium’s borders informed us that both Empress Celestia and the Terran Emperor were to meet for a conference in a neutral system between their respective borders. We also knew that, as a show of ‘good faith’, both would arrive with minimal escort. Our mission was to quickly overwhelm them, capture them, and force them to surrender. If all went according to plan, Luna would then return to Equestria and dismantle whatever pony-fied Hell Celestia had cooked up. Afterwards, a unified Equestria along with their Klingon, Gryphon, and Romulan allies would be able to push the Terrans back to their little pocket of space and hopefully keep them there. It was an ambitious plan but it was all we could do. It was only a matter of time before one overpowered the other and absorbed the entire Alpha Quadrant. As unappealing as the thought of fighting my own species was, I came to the conclusion that any reality governed by humans that were complete assholes was not okay. Still, I hoped that we could accomplish our goal without inflicting excessive harm on either species.

Strangely, Luna made no mention of the Alicorn Amulet or who possessed it at any point during the meeting. Hell, it wasn’t even brought up. I wondered if that was her ‘secret weapon’, one last gambit just in case things went south. Still, wouldn’t it be better to share that knowledge with a bunch of allies about to follow you into battle?

Then I looked over at the Klingons and basically answered my own question.

After the meeting, I returned to the Ranger, upon reaching which I was stricken with a sudden hankering for some hot cocoa. Trixie had long since returned to the ship and I figured she was either asleep or practicing her routine. After all, she was a showmare at heart and a civil war was no excuse not to practice one’s trade. Of course, I also knew that she needed a break so I headed to her room and rang the bell.

“Hey Trixie, I’m making some hot chocolate,” I exclaimed into the door’s communicator. “You want a cup?” The door opened and I wandered inside to find her curled up on her bed, gazing out at the stars. “Hey,” I said softly as I sat beside her. “Everything okay?”

“Trixie is doing just fine, thank you.” Her response was curt and typical but unconvincing.

“Don’t worry, you can say it. If you’re nervous, that’s okay. To be honest, I’m a little scared too.”

“Trixie is not scared!”

“Me neither. I just thought you could use some company.” We sat in silence for a minute or so. “So…about that hot chocolate…” I suggested.

“…Yes, please.” Trixie replied, moving to get up as I returned to my feet.

“It’s okay, I got this,” I assured her. “Just relax. I’ll be right back.”

I returned a few minutes later with two steaming mugs of my favorite beverage. Hot chocolate was one of the few food-related items that I never used the replicator for. There was something to be said about homemade hot chocolate, especially after adding a shot of real Irish cream liquor. Oh yes, the real stuff. I disliked alcohol for the most part and couldn’t stand synthale but for those rare occasions during which I felt like a nightcap, I liked having some of the good stuff within reach.

This was definitely one of those occasions.

We drank our hot chocolate in relative silence. I was happy just to let Trixie sit, sip, and think. If it meant helping to clear her head and or peace of mind, she could sit for as long as she wanted. I was curious but unwilling to badger her simply to satisfy my curiosity.

“Thanks for the cocoa.” I smiled at her.

“No problem.” I replied. “Y’know, I’ve been thinking,” I mused, causing her to look up at me. “I can’t really think of a reason for you to come with me tomorrow.” Her eyes widened in surprise. “I mean, I’d hate myself if something happened to you and since I can handle the tactical stuff, you really don’t need to come with me if you don’t want to.” Almost instantly, her expression turned sour and her demeanor, defensive.

“What are you saying?” she demanded. “Are you saying you don’t want me along? You think I can’t handle it?”

“Well, I wouldn’t put it like that per se but that’s pretty much the gist of it.” I knew I needed to be completely honest with her if she was ever gonna trust me.

“Well! That’s…that’s where you’re wrong! The Great and Powerful Trixie can handle anything!”

“How about death?” She just looked at me with wide-eyed horror as if I’d just sentenced her to eternal damnation. “Can you look in the mirror and honestly tell yourself that you are ready to see someone die right in front of you? Can you tell me with a straight face that you could watch members of your own species scream and perish as you watch helplessly?” I looked down at the floor. “Because I can’t. I hate death more than anything. The only reason I’ve agreed to help is that without our intervention, more will die needlessly. I can’t have that. To allow that to happen without doing anything to stop it, even if I failed, violates every principle I possess. Besides, we’re going up against my race. You have no quarrel with them, so…you can leave it up to me.” I felt a soft hoof on my hand and looked over at the blue mare.

“My race is part of this,” she replied, surprisingly not angry. “So I am too.” I was taken aback at her openness and pragmatism, if not outright impressed.

“I…wasn’t expecting that,” I replied honestly.

“Well, I did promise the Princess I’d help, right? Besides, you might need somepony as great and powerful as myself to watch out for your sorry flank.” she added in a hopeless attempt to save face.

“Yeah, yeah, I might,” I mused, taking another sip of cocoa. “I just might…”

***

“I must admit that, for a Terran, you’ve got some guts to show up here,” Celestia mused as she suspended the human in the air. Lavender, pink, blue, orange, white, and a familiar yellow pegasus sporting a jagged pink and black mane surrounded the human. “Especially after we destroyed your ship and executed your crew. Why, one could almost say you were brave, if they did not know you and your species as I do.”

“A ship and crew can be replaced,” the human replied with a grin. “I’m here for something much more ‘interesting’.” The Solar Empress scrutinized him closely.

“And that would be…?”

“A simple proposition. You see, we share a common enemy. It’s bad enough that that sister of yours escaped imprisonment but now she rides around with those Klingon dogs trying to police the Quadrant and keep it under her hoof. The Empire is sick of it and I’d bet everything I have that you are too. As such, I suggest that we…form an alliance to ‘take care of’ our mutual problem…your Highness.” His subsequent bow was met by a chorus of whispers and angry words courtesy of the other six.

“He’s lyin’, Empress!”

“Send that tacky little bag of un-fabulous skin to the sun!”

“Just let me at ‘im, Empress! I’ll take care of this!”

“Let’s see if he bounces! Ahahahahahaheeheeheeheeheeheehee!

“Ooh, can I ‘study’ him, Empress? Please? I promise not to disembowel him before I’m done this time!” Celestia ignored them and turned to the yellow one.

“Commandant Fluttershy, you’ve had the most experience dealing with the humans and my sister’s forces. What do you recommend?” The yellow pony grinned.

“We crush them.”

“That’s all well and good, Commandant, but have we any need for Terran assistance?”

“As your Commandant,” Fluttershy began. “While we are perfectly capable of dealing with this rebel scum without help, I find the idea of Terran assistance…intriguing. Perhaps we should accept their, ahem, generous offer.” Then we’ll just crush them right after we’re done with Luna, she and Celestia thought simultaneously.

“Very well. I shall meet with your Emperor and we shall decide on a pact that serves both of us. Now go and make the arrangements.” Celestia ordered, releasing the human.

“Right away, your Highness.” he replied with another bow.

“See that you do,” Celestia added, accepting the human’s handshake.

“Pleasure doing business with you.”

“Same to you…Admiral Cole.”

***

To this day, I’m not sure I was ready for what was coming or just stupid enough to think I was. As we disembarked from the base, I wondered if anyone else was thinking the same thing. Maybe but probably not. Everyone else in our little fleet was way more combat experience than I did and while that itself didn’t bother me, the fact that I possessed so little experience did.

The day began as soon as the communique arrived informing us that both the Terran Emperor and Empress Celestia were en-route to the meeting point. With only a handful of ships each so as not to appear overly aggressive at such a delicate juncture, the rendezvous was ripe for the picking.

There were a lot of us, a fact that gave me a little comfort amid the ruinous apprehension which gripped my heart. It was very difficult not to show it; I’m sure the little mare had enough on her mind. I sincerely hoped it was something along the lines of ‘what the flying fuck am I doing here with you in the middle of a Goddamn fight’ but history will show that I was rarely that lucky. I was worried for both of us but even more so for Trixie. I’d been in battle before, however briefly, while Trixie had not. I mean, not like this.

“Is everything alright?” Luna asked over the COM channel, which every ship had left open for convenience. “You were drifting out of formation.”

“Uh yeah, I’m fine,” I replied, correcting our course. “Just a little distracted.”

“I understand but I must ask you to keep yourself together. None of us can afford to lose our concentration.” she replied gently yet sternly.

“Yes ma’am. It won’t happen again.” I assured her. She nodded and the viewscreen returned to normal. I sighed and looked out the viewscreen at the stars streaking past. She was right; the whole reason I’d worked by ass off to earn my ship was to feel like someone, to maybe do something important. Why else buy a starship and travel all over the place? It had finally dawned on me as we headed into the inevitable clash. I cleared my throat and sat up straighter in my chair and brought up the Ranger’s tactical options just as Trixie walked in.

“What are you doing?” she asked, hopping up into the chair closest to mine.

“Looking at our options,” I replied. “Just making sure I’m as ready as I can be for when the shit hits the fan.” I instinctively patted my breast pocket, feeling the outline of the mystical Alicorn Amulet within, reduced to nothing more than a far-fetched contingency plan. There was a pause.

“If this is the last time Trixie…”

“It won’t be.” I cut her off.

“…but if it is…Trixie thought you should know…she did not hate the time she spent…with you.” I smiled and nodded slowly.

“Man, you’re just one walking, breathing cliché, aren’t you?” I asked with a chuckle.

“Jerk!”

“Relax, I get it. For the record, I’ve really enjoyed our time together too.” I gripped the hand rests of my chair tightly. “And that’s why I’m gonna make sure we get out of this.”

“You’d better! If you get Trixie killed, you’ll never hear the end of it!”

“Alright, alright already! No pressure, huh?”

“Just…do your best, okay?” She was scared, that much was certain. I was too.

“I will. Still, just in case things get bad…I want you to head for the nearest escape pod. Once you’ve cleared the ship, it’ll take you to the nearest safe friendly ship.” It took a moment for her to realize what I’d just told her.

“But…what about you?” she asked quietly.

“You’ll never make it if I don’t fight them off. I promised you’d be okay and damnit, I’m gonna keep that promise. Besides, I’ve always wanted to go out with a ‘bang’!” I smiled and gave her a thumbs-up, assuring her that I had made peace with my decision. It was true; space was dangerous, a fact that I knew from the very beginning, something that I had long since come to terms with.

“Trixie…can do that.”

“I know she can.”

We were shaken from our thoughts a moment later as the fleet-wide Red Alert sounded, bringing us out of warp. I wasted no time doing a scan; sure enough, there they were, ripe for the picking. I smiled; we’d caught both the Terran Emperor and the Solar Princess with their thumbs up their asses.

“Alright everyone, remember the plan; capture the Emperor and the Empress. Do not let them get away! We need both for our plan to succeed! Now let’s end this war!” The princess’ brave and bold words roused quite the excited reaction from her Klingon crew and even I felt a little better.

Our first wing attacked, swooping in from the side, surprising the enemy vessels, who moved to block or intercept. 12 ships up against about 57; our odds were good. Not even the mighty Solar Empress’ magic was all that powerful so far from her homeworld. At least, I hoped that Luna’s report on the subject was accurate. I didn’t relish the thought of getting flung into the centre of the nearest star. Held back as most of the fleet was, Trixie and I watched as our Klingon allies along with one captured Terran warship attacked, focusing most of their fire on the two enemy flagships. Klingon disruptors rained green death as Terran phasers razed their shields in one swift move, scattering the enemy combatants. Unable to stay in formation, they took off after their nearest attacker, unaware that they were being led into Luna’s waiting hooves.
As glad as I was that everything was going smoothly, at least for the time being, something nagged at me. Maybe it was the way the Terran and Imperium ships had scattered so fast and against relatively little pressure from us. I wasn’t certain what compelled me to feel that way but all I knew for certain is that Trixie felt it too.

“Something’s wrong,” Trixie muttered, her brain on overload. I looked over at her; where she may have lacked in knowledge of tactical situations, she more than made up for it with intuition and healthy superstition one often attains when utilizing such traits every day to survive.

It was at that moment that my ship’s proximity sensors went berserk, dozens of little red lights appearing on the small map on the bottom of the Ranger’s viewscreen. I immediately hailed the princess.

“Ma’am! Incoming enemy vessels and lots of ‘em!” I shouted, wincing as the Ranger’s shields absorbed a hit.

“Your Highness, more Terran ships approaching! 40 kilometers and closing!” a Klingon reported frantically.

“Reading additional Imperium warships on an intercept course!” Gilda Hawk added as a video feed of her bridge showed up on the viewscreen’s top right-hand corner.

“It’s a trap!” Luna cried as a veritable swarm of Terran and Imperium ships bore down on us, flanking our small battle-group immediately. “All ships, engage the enemy! Fire at will! We have to hold them off until we capture the Emperor and Celestia!”

“Yes ma’am!” I replied, saluting smartly before settling back into my chair. I cracked my knuckles and looked over at a frightened but still with it Trixie. “Time to get to work,” I muttered as I focused my attention on a nearby Terran Miranda-class. “You might wanna hang onto something!” I shouted, pushing the Ranger up to pursuit speed. Seconds after entering weapons range, I fired. Green beams courtesy of the Klingons impacted the ship’s shields as it returned fire, trying to shake us off. I persevered and braved several incoming phaser attacks, determined to score my first ‘contribution’ to our noble cause. “Computer, target their engines! Fire photon torpedoes!” I yelled, pointing angrily at the enemy ship with a triumphant expression.

“There are no photon torpedoes on this ship.”

There was an awkward pause as Trixie turned and gave me a scowl.

“Oh, come on! You don’t even know what photon torpedoes are!”

“Well why didn’t you get some?” she demanded.

“I don’t know! I didn’t think of it!”

“Well then think about it next time!”

“It’s a little late now!” I exclaimed, swerving to dodge an incoming torpedo, but to no avail. Trixie cried out as the ship shook. I glanced at the shield meter and cursed under my breath. One stupid torpedo had almost completely wrecked the Ranger’s shields. I cursed again. You know that your shields suck when it only takes one torpedo to nuke them and that wasn’t even what they were meant to do. That’s what beam weapons were for!

I breathed a sigh of relief as the shields recharged. Weak as they were, one of the few perks about the Nova-class was the relatively short recharge time. When brought down, the shields would recharge after 45 seconds so long as we incurred little to no damage during that time. I ‘hit the gas’ and we soon found ourselves on the outskirts of the battle. As bad as I felt about sticking on the outskirts, we needed to pull ourselves together.

I had to admit that despite the terrible odds, Luna was putting up a Hell of a fight. The Klingons and Romulans were proving themselves to be valuable allies as they fought tooth and claw with the Terrans and the Imperium. Still, after a while, the odds were beginning to sway in their favor. We were losing ships faster than they were.

Well, it was now or never. I took a deep breath and gritted my teeth before accelerating back towards the fray. I looked over at Trixie.

“Look, I know this sucks but…”

“Less talking, more shooting!” the showmare yelled, forcing me to concentrate on the viewscreen.

“You heard the lady, fire, fire!” I shouted at the computer as we approached a Terran battleship. We soared over the saucer section, firing every weapon the Ranger possessed…except torpedoes, of course. “And BOOM goes the dynamite!” I yelled victoriously as the ship exploded behind us, the fact that it was loaded with less-than-reputable members of my own species notwithstanding. I guess I just got caught up in the heat of battle.

“Cole!” Trixie exclaimed, catching me off-guard.

“What?”

“I can’t pick up the Empress’ magic aura!” I paused.

“What?”

“The only magic I sense is Princess Luna’s!”

“So we’ve been had?”

“Obviously!” I jumped on the COM and hailed Luna’s ship.

“Your Highness! Celestia’s not here! It was a ruse!”

“I know!” she exclaimed, wincing as a shower of sparks rained down on the ship’s bridge. “We have to get out of here but they have us surrounded! We can’t break through!” The ship shuddered again, cutting off the COM feed.

“Damnit!” I shouted, slamming my hands on the chair’s console as something rocked the Ranger. “Fuck! What the Hell do we do now?”

“How would Trixie know!?”

“I have no idea! We have to get to Equestria! That’s gotta be where the Empress…”

A particularly hard impact rattled the ship, throwing me off my chair and to the floor in a hail of sparks from the burning equipment of my dying ship. Dazed, I slowly got up and looked around at my damaged bridge before another hit tossed me like a rag doll. I caught a brief view of a light-blue aura just before I hit the floor. Despite the red stream leaving my head, I smiled weakly as Trixie’s protective barrier prevented her from suffering the same fate as myself. She shook her head in an effort to clear it before she saw me.

It may have been the loss of blood causing me to hallucinate but I could’ve sworn I saw the showmare run towards me with a look of abject horror on her muzzle. It was almost as if she was…afraid for me.

Nah, that couldn’t be it.

“Cole! Cole! Get up!” she demanded through some very betraying tears. “You can’t…you’re not done saving us!” Wait…did she just say “saving us”? I had to be hallucinating; there was simply no other explanation.

“Trixie…” I managed to groan. “Get to…the escape pods. Go…to Luna…”

“Trixie isn’t going anywhere! You haven’t kept your promise to me!”

“Whaa…?”

“You were supposed to make Trixie rich and famous! Trixie can’t do that if you screw up and die!” She looked at me with desperation as I lay on the cold, hard tritanium floor.

“Yeah…real sorry…’bout that…” I replied with a small smile. Trixie hung her head and to my immense surprise, held mine in her hooves with uncharacteristic gentleness.

“Trixie…is sorry too.”

“You…are?”

“Yes. She…should've done more.”

And that’s the way we stayed for a while. I’m not sure how long due to the fact that I was losing consciousness at an alarming rate. Still, I was glad that the last thing I’d ever see was someone…somepony’s caring face.

Another hit, a minor one just to change things up, shook the ship, sending the Alicorn Amulet out of my pocket. It slid just passed the seated showmare, grabbing her attention. Amidst the growing blackness slowly eating away at my field of vision, I saw her look at it, fearfully at first but then with something…different. It was a mix of confidence and anger and to my great surprise, she levitated it over to herself and clasped it around her neck before gently setting my head down.
Even if I could’ve spoken, I did no possess the words necessary to convey my shock at the scene before me. As if suddenly filled with renewed courage and faith, Trixie stood defiantly in front of my chair, staring out at the carnage on the barely-functional viewscreen. Give ‘em Hell, I thought as her horn began to glow.

The ethereal light emanating from her horn began softly as first as light-blue light began to illuminate the bridge. Her eyes squeezed shut as she concentrated deeply, putting as much energy as she could into whatever she had planned. After a few moments, the Amulet began to glow as well, a bright red melding beautifully with the blue until it swirled as one unified force, bathing the bridge in rich, amazing hues of blue and red.

Suddenly, it burst as streams of red and blue bounced about the bridge, bringing the ship’s damaged viewscreens back to life. I watched in awe as they soared out of the bridge and into space, where they shifted and grew into near-perfect representations of Klingon, Romulan, and Federation ships! A tear rolled down my cheek as our ‘reinforcements’ wasted no time engaging our enemies. I smiled as not one but three massive Romulan Warbirds brought their forward arsenal to bear against several unfortunate Terran ships, obliterating them effortlessly while a wing of Klingon Birds-of-Prey descended on the remaining Terran warships, scattering them and breaking their formations. I gasped as a massive Galaxy cruised over us, flanked by two Akira escorts, ensuring that no one could touch us in our weakened state.

Well, I’ll be damned, I thought. It’s a Photonic Fleet!

Somehow, Trixie had learned enough about Alpha Quadrant ships and how to harness the mystical powers of the Alicorn Amulet in order to combine that knowledge and power. And now, it was saving our cabooses.

Having been caught with their trousers down, both the Terrans and the Imperium ships turned and fled, the Terrans heading for their homeworld while the Imperium left for Equestria. Immediately, the COM channel opened, revealing an amazed Moon Princess and jubilant Klingon crew. I looked over at Trixie, panting and sweating as she held what had to be a massive spell for as long as she could before finally collapsing. Fortunately, she rolled over so we could see eye-to-eye. I smiled weakly.

“Nicely done…” I murmured, hoping she’d heard me.

“Thanks…” she whispered before passing out. It wasn’t long before I followed suit and finally succumbed to the darkness.

***

I wasn’t sure of much when I woke up; all I knew is that I’d been out for a while and that my calves were still asleep. I slowly opened my eyes and rubbed the sleepiness out of them as I sat up. I looked about at my surroundings and although I wasn’t 100 percent sure of my location, there was only one aspect of my venue that genuinely interested me.

Curled up at the foot of my bed, fast asleep, was Trixie, her head resting on my calves. So that’s why my feet were asleep, I thought with a smile as I carefully leaned forward to ruffle her ears. She smiled and let out a cute little sigh at my touch.

“Thanks for saving us,” I whispered, relieved that the extreme stress she’d experienced had not permanently hurt her.

“Trixie wouldn’t have had to if you didn’t suck…” she murmured.

“You’ve been awake the whole time?” I asked, somehow not too surprised.

“Maybe…”

“Okay, then. Why are you curled up on my bed? I thought you didn’t like me.”

“I…Trixie likes having her ears scratched! That's all!” She sat up and brought her hooves to her mouth bit it was too late. The damage was done and I had a shiny new weapon for my arsenal. Perhaps it was fatigue that clouded her judgment and made her less wary. Whatever it was, I didn’t care. I was too relieved and showed it my assaulting her ears with gentle scratches and massages. Defiant as she was, she succumbed almost immediately, lying flat on the bed like an overgrown cat, mewing with happiness at my ministrations. I couldn’t help but wonder if her admission earlier had been accidental at all or if it was just residual tsundere.

“How long have you been here?” I asked as my hand finally began to cramp, ending the massage.

“Where Trixie is and how long she stays somewhere are none of your business! Hmmph!” Oh brother, I thought, rolling my eyes.

“You’ve been here the whole time, haven’t you?” I deadpanned.

“Maybe…”

“Well, even if you haven’t, thank you for being here. If you hadn’t decided to pull a miracle out of your hat, we’d probably be space dust right now.”

“Trixie doesn’t even have a hat thanks to you!” Anyone else would’ve been pissed but given that she’d just saved our necks, I decided to let some tsundering go unpunished.

“I know and trust me, I’m gonna make it up to you real soon.” I assured her just in time for the Princess and Gilda Hawk to enter the room.

“Mr. Stevens! It’s good to finally see you awake!” Luna exclaimed.

“Finally? How long was I out?”

“You’ve been asleep for two days, Mr. Stevens.”

“Seriously? Man, I must’ve been really messed up.”

“Oh, you were. If we hadn’t beamed you both to sick bay immediately, the results would have been much worse. You both recovered just fine.”

“Wait…you beamed us to sick bay? Then what about…” I sat up in a panic. “The Ranger!” Luna smiled at me.

“Repair Bay One,” she replied. I breathed a huge sigh of relief. “She was in bad shape but it’s nothing our engineers can’t fix. She’ll be back to full strength in about a week.”

“Thanks, Princess. I don’t know what I’d do without her.” I turned to Trixie. “Of course, I don’t know what any of us would’ve done without her.” I added, motioning towards Trixie and making the blue mare blush.

“Indeed; we owe both of you our most sincere thanks,” Luna replied. “Because of your combined efforts, we managed to defeat most of the Terran fleet and forced Celestia’s forces back to Equestria. It will be a long time before either of them can threaten us or each other again.”

“I…I’m glad, your Highness.” Trixie stammered, still star-struck. “It…it wasn’t all me, though. The Amulet…did most of the work…” Luna gave her a gentle smile.

“Little one, it was you who harnessed its power and controlled it so expertly! As far as I’m concerned, you did all the work on your own.”

“B…but…Trixie doesn’t have that much strength!”

“There is more to power than raw strength, little one,” Luna explained. “True power comes from within. It comes from your heart and determination to do what you feel is right. You allowed that to happen and the Amulet helped you.”

“So it did help me.”

“Only so you could realize your potential. Other than that, it was all you.”

“Thank you…Princess.”

“Please,” Luna invited. “Call me ‘Luna’.”

We spent the rest of the week helping where we could while occasionally checking up on the Ranger. Trixie and I did every job you could imagine, spending the majority of our time running supplies around for the inevitable day when Luna and her allies could finally save her home from its tyrannical incumbent. While Luna expressed her disappointment that we could not join her, it would not be for quite some time and by then, perhaps we’d be in better shape to lend a hand. She could tell that Trixie and I were homesick and bore us no ill will for wanting to return to our own universe. It was that combination of support and business that allowed the week to pass quickly and before we knew it, we were cruising alongside a Klingon escort ship on our way to a spacial rift that matched the first one we’d encountered. After one last goodbye to Luna and the rest of the station, we entered the rift.

***

“Well, that was something, huh?” I asked as Trixie joined me on the bridge. “If I ever see another Terran ship, it’ll be too soon.” I looked over at Trixie, who sat silently. “Hey, something wrong?”

“Trixie…doesn’t deserve it.”

“Deserve…what?” I asked, curious by her admission.

“Deserve what the Princess said. You know…about Trixie being a ‘hero’.”

“Are you kidding me?” I asked in shock. “If you hadn’t conjured up that Photonic Fleet, those assholes would’ve wasted us!”

“It’s not that…” Trixie replied quietly.

“Then…what is it? What do you possibly have to feel guilty about?”

“Trixie…I…didn’t help you.”

“What are you talking about? You saved all of us, remember?” I’m pretty sure ‘all of us’ includes me.”

“You got hurt because of me!” she cried.

“I’m pretty sure I got hurt because of a Terran phaser…”

“You don’t understand!”

“Well, you’re right about that!”

“Trixie saved herself! When that Terran ship attacked us, I shielded myself with my magic! I…I let you get hurt…”

“…by not sharing the shield with me…” I mused, finally understanding what she meant. Then it came back to me. She was right; as we were getting pounded, she managed to protect herself but did not extend it to me.

“What’s so funny?” she demanded as I let out a chuckle.

“Don’t blame yourself ‘cause I was too damn cheap to buy a personal shield generator!” I replied, shooting her an assuring smile. “I don’t blame you for protecting yourself. Besides, if you hadn’t, we wouldn’t be here right now. By saving yourself, you saved us all.”

“I…I guess so.”

“Still, that was big of you,” I added, wandering over to her before lightly scratching her ears in appreciation. “Not many individuals from any species could admit something like that. I respect you for that.”

“Thanks.”

“Well, now that we’ve gotten the obligatory angst out of the way, where to?” I asked, bringing up the galaxy map.

“You…you’re letting Trixie decide?”

“Why not?” I replied with a shrug. “This is a team effort, after all.”

“Well then…” she mused whilst studying the map. “How about…there?” I nodded with approval at her selection.

“Excellent choice,” I replied, taking my seat. “Computer, lay in a course, Starbase 39…” I pointed towards the space on the viewscreen. “…engage.” Trixie gave me an odd look. I shrugged. “What? I’ve always wanted to do that.”

***

Admiral Cole coughed and sputtered, trying to clear the smoke from his eyes. All around him, his bridge sparked and burned, his once-mighty warship reduced to a mere shadow of its former self by nothing more than a pseudo-fleet of galactic ragamuffins. They’d just barely escaped destruction, having made a blind jump to…somewhere. It was difficult to tell without a functioning navigation console and messed-up scanners. Most of his crew was dead, the few survivors clinging to life amidst the wreckage. The Admiral spat in anger as he paced about the bridge and cursed as the ship’s proximity sensor alerted them to an approaching vessel.

“Sir…there’s a ship heading our way,” a crewman informed him with a groan of pain. “It’s on an intercept course.”

“Hail them!” the Admiral shouted as the strange, cube-shaped object on the viewscreen grew steadily larger.

“Channel open, sir.”

“This is Admiral Cole of the I.S.S. Revenge! Transmit your identity immediately or we’ll…” A transmission from the ship in question interrupted him.

“We are the Borg. Lower your shields and surrender your ship. We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Resistance is futile.”

Our Mare, Trixie

View Online

Acting captain’s log, Stardate…damnit, I can never remember how this works. Meh, whatever. We’ve been at warp for two days now, on our way to Starbase 39. I’m pleased to report that both Trixie and I are doing just fine at the moment. The Ranger still needs a few repairs done as the facilities at Luna’s base weren’t exactly Starfleet standard. For now at least, we’re making pretty good time. We should be there…

“Computer, end recording,” I exclaimed as I felt the ship drop out of warp. “Oh man, what now?” I grumbled as I quickly got up and headed for the bridge, running into Trixie en-route.

“What’s going on?” the showmare asked as we entered the turbolift.

“I don’t know. We just randomly dropped out of warp. I’m gonna check it out right away.” I replied as the turbolift doors opened, revealing the bridge.

“Computer, why’d we drop out of warp?” I asked, taking my seat.

“Plasma conduit 47 has ruptured. Containment field is holding.” I breathed a sigh of relief.

“What does that mean?” Trixie asked. “Is that bad? It’s bad, isn’t it! Trixie knew it! We’re going to die out here and it’s all your fault!”

“Easy, easy, lemon squeezy,” I interjected. “We just blew a gasket, that’s all. Nothing a few parts can’t fix. I’ll just find a place to grab some parts and do some work and we’ll be on our way before you know it.”

“Trixie hopes so,” she grumbled, crossing her front legs as she sat pouting in the first officer’s chair. “Trixie has far too many fans out there for her to be stuck somewhere because your tin can is falling apart.”

“Hey, here’s a question,” I replied abruptly. “Why are you sitting in the first officer’s chair?”

“I…Trixie doesn’t see how that matters!”

“It’s just that, I thought you didn’t like sitting close to me. Don’t tell me that’s changed,” I continued with a wry grin.

“Wh...what are you implying?”

“Hey look, I found something!” I exclaimed as I double-checked the navigation computer. “Ha! Check this out! There’s a small trade station really close by. Looks like they’ve got a repair service too. Perfect! Computer, set a course. Full impulse.” I looked over at the pouting mare. “Well? Pretty lucky, eh?”

“Yes, how lucky can Trixie get? Now she gets to waste who knows how long slumming on some wreck in the middle of nowhere. She gets to go from a grubby little ship to a grubby little station. Trixie feels so lucky right now.”

“Y’know, you keep calling everything ‘grubby’ and stuff. I’ll have you know that Starfleet ships are considered pretty shiny by most standards.”

“Why do you keep ignoring everything Trixie says?” she demanded.

“Because it’s irrelevant,” I replied calmly with a shrug. “You can bitch about how much your life sucks at the moment as much as you want but that doesn’t change that fact that we need to stop for supplies and repairs.”

“B…but Trixie…”

“Ska-da-boosh!” I exclaimed, cutting her off with a sharp wave of my hand. “Look, if you catch some awful disease that slowly liquefies your organs while we’re there, I’ll gladly listen to you whine until we both go out of our minds. For now, let’s just try to stay optimistic and get this over with so we can keep going, alright?”

“Fine…” she grumbled. “Maybe you’re right.”

***

“Trixie takes it back,” the showmare admonished as we neared the station. “You’re not right. In fact, Trixie can’t think of a single time in which you were right…about anything. Ever.”

“Okay, so the place is a bit of a…” I scratched my head, trying to come up with an appropriate description for the looking station.

“Dump?” Trixie finished for me.

“Well, I was gonna say…actually, that sounds about right. Computer, take us in.” I exclaimed as I hailed the station. “This is Cole Stevens of the starship Ranger…”

“We know who you are! We already scanned your ship!” a brutish voice replied as he appeared, a pudgy green face skewed somewhat by the screen’s static. “You may approach but not too fast! Nice an’ easy…” He grinned and disappeared.

“You heard him,” I exclaimed with a shrug. “Computer…what he said.”

“Specify.”

“I dunno…fly casual,” I replied, slightly exasperated.

“So…” Trixie began, no doubt wracking her brain for the perfect way to berate me for my rather lousy choice, necessity notwithstanding. “What you’re saying is that the only place in the universe we can stop at right now is this pit we’re flying to and if we don’t…we’ll blow up?”

“That’s pretty much the long and short of it,” I replied with a shrug.

“Trixie should’ve expected as much,” the showmare grumbled. I sighed.

“Hey, not everyone can be an engineer.” Trixie ignored me. “Okay, fine. Let’s just get in and get out, okay?”

“Fine,” Trixie replied in a tone that reeked of exasperation, complete with an eye-roll. “But if you don’t buy more Crispy Chex, Trixie will never forgive you!”

“Far be it from me to deny an addict their fix,” I replied smugly, causing her to blush in embarrassment. “Relax; I’ll grab ya a box as soon as I can.”

***

As I suspected from the very first moment I laid eyes on the station, locating a box of Crispy Chex was going to be the least of our worries. Once we arrived and berthed in the outer docking ring and opened the hatch, a musky and unpleasant odor hit us and I was fairly sure that the rest of the place would treat our olfactory sensors the same way. I was about to ask Trixie how she was until a light-blue barely-visible aura surrounded her. I had a hunch that I knew what she was up to; of course, the smug smile and lack of gagging or coughing on the foul air helped.

“Magical air filter?” I asked as Trixie stuck her nose in the air.

“Trixie is prepared for every situation!” she replied proudly. “What’s that?” she asked, changing gears quickly as I strapped an object around by waist, partially hidden by my light jacket.

“It’s a phaser pistol, just in case we encounter someone…unpleasant,” I replied quietly, hoping she’d take the hint and shut up about it lest it be discovered by less-than-reputable folk.

“Do…do you think that…” she gulped. “Will there be…people like that…here?” At least she had the presence of mind to switch to her inside voice.

“If my suspicions are correct, we should watch our backs,” I cautioned.

“Hey, you’re the one with the gun! You should be watching Trixie’s back!” she hissed.

“How about we watch each other’s backs, okay?”

“Fine!”

“Oh, and one more thing,” I added, locking the ship down. “Don’t get separated. If you need to go somewhere, make sure you tell me so I can accompany you. Trust me on this one; we’re way better off if we stick together. Understand?”

“Trixie understands,” she replied with a less-than-convincing sigh.

We made our way deeper into the station as casually and as carefree as we could manage, deftly avoiding anyone who looked like bad news, and navigating the various, dingy shops and stalls that lined the station’s interior. Fortunately, it didn’t take me long to find the parts I needed, and at a fairly reasonable price, though it would’ve been even less had the merchant not been a Ferengi, and cheaper still had I possessed a first-born child. I paid him quickly, anxious to leave and continue on towards our next destination. I shoved the conduits into my pack and turned to Trixie.

You have got to be kidding me right now, I thought with a face-palm as I stared at empty space. How hard is it to stay put, especially when she bloody knows how dangerous this place is! For a fraction of a second, I considered leaving her to her own devices and continuing on, seeing as she hated my interference above all else. I rolled my eyes, realizing what I had to do. Ducking into the bustling crowd, I whipped out my little tricorder and did a quick scan. I sighed with relief as the machine located her a mere couple hundred meters away. Trying my best not to come off as rude and/or a threat, I gently pushed my way through the crowd, following the tricorder’s signal.

Meanwhile…

The Great and Powerful Trixie doesn’t need him to look after her, Trixie thought as she boldly and somewhat obtrusively made her own way through the throng. What nerve, thinking he can just tell Trixie what to do! I’ll show him that even in a dump like this, Trixie is more than capable of handling herself! Hmmph!

“Oof!” she grunted as she absentmindedly walked into something. “Watch where you’re…going?” She looked up, ready to give whoever it was a Trixie-approved tongue-lashing…and stopped. The towering green-toned brute of an alien looked down at her with a rather perturbed expression.

“Watch it, runt!” he growled, the exact reaction necessary to prompt a similar one from the blue showmare.

“Runt? Do you have any idea of who you’re talking to?” Trixie demanded.

“Um…no, actually,” the giant replied, scratching the back of his head nervously.

“I am the Great and Powerful Trixie and you would do well to remember that! Now get out of my way, oaf, or Trixie will make you!”

“Oh, she will, will she?” the alien replied with a dark grin as he suddenly grabbed her, covering her muzzle as she squealed in protest. “You’ve got some spunk, runt! You’ll serve someone well!” Going white with fright, Trixie tried her magic but found it useless; the large hand covering her mouth was depriving her brain of much-needed oxygen, forcefully suppressing her ability to think straight, much less cast spells. She could do little save for black out as her captor shoved his way through the crowd and towards the docking ring.

Oh man, why does that bloody mare have to make everything a Goddamn hurdle, I thought as I anxiously followed her signal. Panting from the effort of wading through a crowd of smelly and etiquette-retarded denizens in my quest to locate my bitch of a traveling partner.

I wound up in the outer docking ring about a half hour later and frantically looked about as the reading disappeared. Wherever she was, it was out of the tricorder’s range. My mind raced with possibilities, the most likely of which was the uncomfortable notion that she’d simply been carried off. It was certainly plausible; a creature as ‘unique’ as herself could theoretically be worth her weight in gold-pressed latinum to…

“Slavers…” I muttered, giving a nearby bulkhead a swift kick, an action I instantly regretted. Hopping about on one foot, I tried to figure out how to proceed. The galaxy was full of slaves and slave-owners (save for the Federation, of course) but none were more infamous or dangerous than the Orion Syndicate. Those fat green hobgoblins took a certain perverse pleasure in subjecting others to lives of servitude as they feasted, gambled, and fornicated upon the profits of their twisted enterprise.

I had few options and the task of deciding which one best suited the situation at hand was hampered by a combination of anger and sympathy for my friend. I could only imagine the horrors her captives were putting her through. My hand involuntarily clenched into a fist and I grew steadfast. I had made a promise to keep her safe to the best of my abilities and no force was going to stop me.

One trait that comes with living a life like mine is that one inevitably acquires what you would identify as ‘street smarts’. That being the case with me, I knew instinctively that the most accurate way of finding anyone (or anypony in this case) in a rat-infested Hellhole when technology was insufficient was by talking to people. And by ‘talking’, I mean speaking the language of credits, latinum, or a phaser pistol set on ‘liquefy’. Needless to say, I chose Option Number Three. Eyewitness accounts were usually the most accurate way to track something or someone down, especially given Trixie’s ‘unique’ traits.

Thus, I began my (admittedly) frantic interrogations, learning little until I reached a small Tribble salesman near the edge of the market towards the docking ring, giving him an excellent view of anyone coming or going. The fact that he wasn’t busy and didn’t appear to be at any point during the day suggested that his bored, prying eyes might’ve caught sight of a small blue horned pony being carted away by the Jolly Green Asshole.

At least, I hoped that was the case as I approached him and his table laden heavily with purring puffballs.

“Can I help you?” he asked as I pretended to care about his merchandise. I watched him carefully out of the corner of my eye. I had never liked the Yridians; they had the dubious honor of being well-known as smugglers and information merchants. The bitter irony of that was that information profiteering walked hand-in-hand with the ability to be observant, leading me to believe that this ‘merchant’ had seen something pertaining to my situation. “Perhaps I can interest you in a Tvell Tribble? Finest in the Quadrant!” I rolled my eyes; everyone knew that the best Tribbles were the T’roll Tribbles bred on the Klingon homeworld of Quo’nos.

“Look, I’m gonna cut to the chase,” I exclaimed, cutting off any chance of an extended sales pitch. “You look like an…observant fellow, am I right?”

“Well, that depends…” he replied before leaning in closer. “…how observant are we talking about?”

“I’m looking for someone,” I continued.

“Well then, may I recommend the Orion Market over there?” the Yridian replied, gesturing over to the line of green-skinned women clad in garments that left little to the imagination by a large tent.

“No, not that,” I exclaimed. “I need some information. I was wondering if you happened to see a big green guy carrying a small blue…” I paused, unsure of how to describe my friend in a way that the merchant might understand. “…a small blue creature with four legs and a horn on its head?”

“Hmmm…” the Yridian mused, stroking his chin. “My memory’s gotten a little slow in my old age but the sale of a Tribble might give it a boost…” I sighed and dug out my wallet. As much as I wanted to force him to talk, I had to remember where I was. Starting a brawl right in the middle of a slaver-owned pit in front of every type of scourge the galaxy has ever known would’ve been an astronomically stupid thing to do. I had to be…tactful.

“There,” I exclaimed impatiently, grabbing a nearby Tribble, which purred at the sudden contact. “Now how about you make with memory?”

“Hmm, I’m afraid that’s still a little foggy,” the alien replied, closing his eyes and pretending to strain his so-called ‘brain’. “I’ve almost got it but I think if I sold just one more of these adorable little critters…” he drifted off, looking up at me with a crooked grin.

“That’s all the cash I’ve got right now,” I replied, dangerously close to knocking him on his ass. “We had a deal.”

“Your deal no longer interests me,” the Yridian said with a yawn, waving his hand dismissively. “Too bad for your little blue…ah, ah, ah hold on, wait a second!” he added suddenly, putting his hands up as I grabbed the back of his head and shoved my phaser into his face.

“How ‘bout this deal?” I hissed, poking the side of his head with the phaser for good measure.

Y’know, it always amazes me how quickly someone will answer any question so long as they’re staring down the barrel of the Universal Diplomat. It was difficult to make out over the stuttering but the hapless vendor managed to provide me with a name, the name of a well-known slave ship that made regular stops for supplies and…additional candidates.

At this point, it is also important to note that as with many other cases involving a traumatic experience, the full seriousness of the situation takes a while to hit. It just creeps upon you until it damn near weighs you down and occupies your every thought. That’s exactly what was happening to me as I ran like a crazy person to the docked Ranger and dashed inside as soon as I’d released the security protocols. As soon as we were free from the docking ring, I made a sharp turn away from the station and called upon the computer.

“Computer, can you access the shipping logs of the station?” I asked with a hint of panic even as I tried to calm down and keep a level head. I had a name but I needed to see the ship’s cargo logs if I was to be sure. After all it was an Orion station, so surely they could at least be honest with each other.

“Stand by.” I waited nervously for the computer to answer. “All shipping logs are encrypted.”

“Can you bypass the encryption?”

“Affirmative. Caution; the encryption codes are based on an anti-hack feedback-based alert security system.”

“Damnit, I’m a traveler, not tech support! What the Hell does that mean?” I demanded.

“Bypassing the encryption could result in detection. It would allow the user to trace the bypass to its source.” Well, how about that? It was either break their code and risk exposure or not and risk never finding Trixie. It was an easy decision.

“Computer…” I took a deep breath. “Access the shipping logs and cargo manifests.” As the computer beeped a response, I waited with baited breath, praying that the next sound I heard was the ship telling me that it had found the ship carrying Trixie, and not a Red Alert alarm.

“Logs accessed.” I breathed a sigh of relief.

“Great. Display them on the main viewscreen.” I carefully but quickly studied them. Fortunately, most were just normal cargo vessels, which narrowed my search down, not to mention the fact that it wasn’t a very busy station (for obvious reason). “Wait a minute…” I added as one ship in particular caught my eye. “Computer, what is the location of the Briganhound?”

“It is currently 27,000 kilometers from our current position.”

“Can the long-range sensors detect the cargo of that ship?”

“Affirmative. Scanning now.”

“Well?”

“There are 25 Orion life signs on board.”

“Wait…only Orion life signs? No ponies?”

“Affirmative.”

“Great,” I muttered, rubbing my temples. Not only had I alerted the entire station by hacking them, I had no way of confirming whether or not that ship was in fact making off with my friend.

Then it hit me like a tonne of bricks.

“Computer, scan the ship one more time but this time, scan for Equestrian energy signatures.” I smiled; perhaps if we could isolate Trixie’s energy signature and track it, we could find her.

“Acknowledged. Scanning now.” I anxiously drummed my fingers against my chair’s armrests. “Scan failed. Unable to detect trace radiation due to localized dampening field.”

“Damnit!” I cursed, slamming an armrest as I tried to think of something else. Fortunately, my brain was running on adrenaline and panic-driven overdrive and I soon had another idea. “Computer, isolate the energy signature of the Alicorn Amulet.”

“Acknowledged.” It was a long shot but maybe the Amulet contained enough power to be detectable through the dampening field. “Scan successful. Residual Amulet radiation detected.” Perfect, I thought. The ship was still in one piece so it was a safe bet that Trixie and the Amulet had been separated upon their capture. I was relieved to finally have a lead but as for actually rescuing her…well, that was another story. Even with the upgraded weapons bestowed by Mirror Universe Princess Luna, an Orion ship, even a transport frigate, made a tough target. Still, I was fairly sure that if I could catch them by surprise, I had a chance of damaging them enough to beam Trixie out. Fortunately for me, they didn’t know I’d caught on, which gave me the advantage.

“Computer, lock in a pursuit course but leave some distance. I don’t want ‘em to think I’m following ‘em.”

“Acknowledged.”

***

A resounding crash derailed the Orion slave master’s train of thought once again as he struggled to finish his paperwork. He growled and slammed a fist against a bulkhead before getting up and opening the door to his ‘office’.

“What is going on out there!?” he roared as a subordinate ran around the corner, panting nervously. “You!” the slave master grabbed the smaller pirate by his shirt. “I thought I told you to shut them up! They’re children! Surely you don’t expect me to believe that such small beings are giving you this much trouble!?”

“It’s…not…the children!” the pirate gasped as the slave master’s grip tightened.

“Then what is it?” the larger Orion growled.

“It’s…the new arrival! She’s been very…uncooperative!” Another crash followed by a “Watch where you’re putting those disgusting paws of yours or the Great and Powerful Trixie will turn you inside out!” met them. The slave master released the smaller pirate and face-palmed. “Come with me!” he suddenly ordered, motioning for the subordinate to follow. “Let me show you how it’s done!”

They made their way to the nearby cargo hold; theirs being a small ship, it wasn’t a far walk. Inside the dark and dingy cargo bay sat a large number of boxes and crates and beside them sat two large cages, one empty, and one holding eight small children of varying ages. They huddled together in fright as two hulking Orions fought tooth and claw with a stubborn flue four-legged creature with a sharp spike atop its head that simply refused to be encapsulated.

“Trixie…said….NO!” the blue quadruped yelled as sparks flew from the spike and flew like magic missiles at her assailants, striking one in the seat of his pants, eliciting a howl of pain as he grabbed at the affected area. “You wanted a fight? Well then, Trixie will give you a f…”

She froze as an energy bolt whizzed by the group of frightened children, barely missing them. A large pudgy green alien slowly approached them, tucking a weapon into his belt. The lull allowed her captors to re-assert their hold on her and she struggled vainly as they cuffed her neck with some kind of device.

“You try that stunt one more time and the kids get it,” the large Orion said with a low growl. “Understand?” Defiant as she was, Trixie couldn’t allow her own recklessness to endanger the children. She nodded slowly and let out a surprised yelp as she was thrown unceremoniously into the cage. The cage door slammed even before she hit the cold metal floor and she shook her head and looked around at her surroundings. It was dingy, smelly, and practically radiated misery. It was difficult to make any details out in the dark and she couldn’t risk using magic to illuminate the room. For the time being, she could only sit and evaluate…and hope that somehow, Cole wasn’t far behind.

Her attention soon turned to the children, still huddled together, unsure of what to make of their guest. She tried to recall what species they were, using the small scrap of knowledge Cole had managed to teach her. She did a mental count and came up with three humans, two Andorians, and three…the name eluded her so she gave up and laid down on the cold, unforgiving floor. Several hours went by, all quiet and devoid of movement. It was as if the little ones were frozen in time, although Trixie was sure that they were simply frozen in fear having borne witness to her ‘capabilities’ and were therefore too nervous to approach.

“Um…hi…” a small voice reached out to her from the corner of the cage, emanating from somewhere within the huddled group. The voice was quiet and almost undetectable and Trixie’s ears perked up at the sound. She stood up and looked over towards the children, who shrank back away from her gaze.

“Who said that?” she asked as gently as she could manage, given the circumstances. Nary was a peep heard in response, as if the speaker had lost their nerve. “It’s okay, I’m not going to hurt you,” she assured them, taking a small step towards the pile of squirming, anxious bodies. “Now then…who said that?” she repeated, keeping her voice low so as not to rouse any guards.

“I did,” the small voice replied as a young Andorian girl slowly emerged from behind the nervous wall.

“Oh…hello,” Trixie whispered. This was something new to her, something she’d never dealt with before, and it wasn’t simply the fact that it was an alien with which she exchanged salutations. It was the fact that she found herself conversing with a child. Trixie wasn’t sure of how to proceed but something deep inside compelled to continue their discourse.

“What’s your name?” the child asked innocently. Almost immediately, Trixie felt another sensation begin to well up inside her. It was a mix of sympathy and anger, directed at the ones who’d so mercilessly imprisoned them. The feelings were new and rather unsettling as Trixie did her best to manage the sudden rush of emotions.

“My name is…Trixie.”

“Oh. That’s a really pretty name…” the Andorian replied with a small smile as she twiddled her thumbs nervously. The showmare paused, taken aback by the young one’s display of such raw sincerity. Never had anyone sounded so…earnest to her before, and especially not towards her. It only increased the emotional influx within her, forcing the mare to redouble her efforts to keep her composure.

“Th…thank you,” Trixie answered with a stammer. The child looked up at her expectantly, forcing Trixie to remember her manners. “What’s your name?”

“Um…my name’s…Marensa.”

“You have a beautiful name, Marensa,” Trixie replied, earning a small smile from the child.

“Thanks…” the child blushed and turned away for a moment.

“Marensa…” Trixie began, grabbing the child’s attention. “…may I ask what you’re doing here? Where are they taking us?” Above all, she hoped that the question wouldn’t offend or frighten them and felt a small pang of guilt for asking in the first place.

“They took us…” Marensa answered hesitantly. “They said someone wanted us more than our parents…that they were gonna sell us…” Inside, Trixie seethed. What kind of monster would forcefully take such young and innocent beings away from the ones who loved and raised them? She found herself surrounded by the answer to her question and momentarily wondered how she could ‘remedy’ the situation. A sniffle from the child calmed her down and she stepped forward, nuzzling the child as Marensa instinctively wrapped her small arms about the showmare’s neck in an embrace.

A loud bang against the cage startled them and they quickly separated and sat down.

“Shut up in there!” someone shouted before stomping off. Exhausted and stressed, Trixie curled her body around the small Andorian, who rested her head on the mare’s stomach in response. Emboldened, the other children gathered around them and snuggled up together as best they could, each absorbing as much warmth as Trixie’s body could produce and within moments, all was quiet.

***

I was having trouble staying awake as the Ranger followed the Orion ship, the Briganhound. They seemed pretty confident in their ability to hide the true contents of their vessel, a trait to which I attributed our easy pursuit. If they had any suspicions at all, they didn’t show it and fortunately, neither had the station. For all intents and purposes, we had gotten away scot-free.

My sigh quickly turned into a yawn and I absentmindedly pet the Tribble sitting on my lap. As much as I despised his previous owner, I bore no such ill-will towards Gremlin himself. I still think it’s a cool name, by the way. I didn’t know much but I was aware of the Tribble’s voracious eating habits; having said that, I figured that as long as I kept his food intake under strict control, I wouldn’t end up with a Tribble plantation. I also vowed never to feed him after midnight…just in case.

As I fought off the onslaught of fatigue, I ransacked my brain for a way to actually stop the Orion ship when we did finally meet, hopefully within the next few hours. I made a mental note of what myself and the Ranger could bring to the table. It wasn’t much but the computer seemed to think it was enough to at least disable and/or disarm it. Whilst downloading the shipping records, the computer had also retrieved some ship specifications, which luckily included the technical manual of the Briganhound. After some diehard sleuthing (and the computer’s help), I finally had a workable ‘strategy’. I use the term ‘strategy’ loosely here because it was more like ‘jump out in front of them, fire a few rounds, and hope we have enough punch to bust their weapon and shield subsystems’. If we could do that, I was sure that they’d let me transport Trixie to safety. They weren’t likely to chase us with no offensive or defensive capabilities so we’d use that opportunity to slip away, never to be seen by them again! It was the perfect plan!

By the time I’d finished drawing it up, I wasn’t sure who I was trying to convince; myself or the computer. I glanced at the time, although a huge yawn pretty much rendered the action moot. I needed to rest otherwise I’d be less than useless when the time came for me to be useful. I grabbed Gremlin, retreated to my quarters, and practically fell asleep the second I hit the pillow.

***

Trixie awoke in a cold sweat, shivering as she regained her bearings. A quick look around confirmed that everything was as it had been several hours ago. She was still trapped in the metal cage and she was still surrounded by children. The only aspect of her situation that had changed was the temperature. It was freezing. All around her, the young ones shivered as well, her body heat no longer sufficient to keep them comfortable. A simple warming spell is all it would take but after the Orion captain’s earlier threat, Trixie understandably felt uneasy about using any magic at all in such close proximity to their captors. Still, she couldn’t just them freeze and the possibility of getting sick was an ever-present danger.

Trixie knew what she had to do.

Another quick scan of the room made her breathe a sigh of relief; no guards, at least none she could see. She took a deep breath and cast the spell, hoping that no one would see the gentle orange glow that covered the children. Her racing heart slowed as the glow began to dissipate and smiled, knowing that the spell would likely last the night. They looked much more comfortable, as if they were back in their homes in their own beds, wrapped up in layers of soft, welcoming sheets as their parents watched them lovingly from the doorways.

All the while, Trixie wondered what that would be like.

“AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!” she suddenly screamed as the collar around her neck activated, sending volts of electricity throughout her body, wracking it with incredible pain. She fell to the cold floor and writhed in anguish as her screams roused the children, who stared at the horrific scene in front of them, unable to do anything. The showmare felt as if her blood was boiling as her nervous system begged for mercy under the onslaught of agony.

And then it stopped, leaving her panting and sobbing on the cold floor as the Orion captain emerged from the shadows. He looked down at her and smiled, tossing and catching a small device in one of his stubby hands.

“I warned you, you stupid animal,” he exclaimed with a proud smirk. “It’s called a ‘Hirogen Tamer’ and it activates whenever whatever’s wearing it tried to use kinetic energy stored in their bodies.” He opened the cage door and walked up to the shivering mare. “Now, that was a mild shock. Try that one more time and…well, I’ll let you find out.” Trixie’s eyes flew open in shock and she gasped for air as the Orion gave her a swift kick to the midsection before walking out of the cage. “Get everything ready for delivery. We’ll be arriving within the hour.” he ordered as he left the cargo hold. There was nothing Trixie could do save for cry and try to get her breathing back to normal. Pain…no, agony, shame, regret all swirled within her like a storm.

And at the eyes of that storm…anger. Pure, unbridled fury welled up inside her. She had let them do that to her. If she’d only fought harder, she wouldn’t be in this mess. She could’ve handled them with ease. They got the jump on her; it was as simple as that. They got lucky. She should’ve fought harder, she should’ve fought better, she should’ve been stronger, she…

…should’ve…

…listened….

…to Cole…

The pain of admitting it to herself approached the agony bestowed by the infernal contraption clasped around her neck. Cole had been right all along. He knew the galaxy better than she did, so why hadn’t she just listened to him? Instead of resting peacefully in her spacious bed aboard the Ranger, here she was shivering on a cold metal floor while her body was trying to die. Hell of a way to learn a lesson.

Then she felt it.

One at first, followed shortly by two and then many as the children made their way over to her as they gently rubbed her and ran their hands over her body, trying their best to warm her up. She blinked back tears as she realized it and slowly raised her head, coming face-to-face with Marensa. The young Andorian girl gave her a small, albeit caring smile and gently stroked her mane, massaging her neck and shoulders undoubtedly in an effort to alleviate some of the residual pain.

“Thank you.” Marensa whispered, planting a soft kiss on Trixie’s nose. A tear fell from the mare’s eye, not of pain but of gratitude as she nuzzled the child. She felt their weight as they fell asleep one by one either against her on draped over her and after a few minutes, the cold began to fade into warmth once more.

***

“Alright, computer, wake up, it’s go-time,” I exclaimed as I entered the bridge. It had been about six hours since my pursuit had begun and we were finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Any minute now, the Orion ship would stop at pre-arranged coordinates and wait for another ship to pick up their ‘goods’.

Not if I could help it.

We had dropped out of warp on the opposite side of the planet after making a teensy course adjustment right before warping after them, and ended up hiding within the planet’s ring system, which contained enough magnetic rocks to hide the Ranger from their sensors…at least that’s what I hoped. A quick study of their assigned route had allowed us to arrive first, get into position/hide, and simply wait for our prey to come to us. Unfortunately, the rings also interfered with my sensors so I had to position the ship so we could physically see them. Needless to say, I kept the viewscreen on high zoom. As we waited, I wondered what else the ship carried that would justify purposefully scrambling everyone’s sensors just for the sake of completing a transaction. I concluded that whatever they were hiding had to be of great monetary value or importance.

We didn’t wait for long. Right on time, I thought as they arrived on the scene and came to a stop just beyond the asteroid belt. As much as I just wanted to run up and shoot the stupid thing, I had to be careful. I had to limit the amount of shots I fired, lest one of them go awry and inadvertently hurt Trixie. I didn’t need her falling prey to collateral damage.

Not wanting to waste any more time, I grabbed the manual controls and slowly inched our way out of the rings, creeping up on the unsuspecting Orion ship. So far, so good, I thought, wiping sweat from my brow as I carefully maneuvered, keeping in mind that I had weapons to bring to bear. I angled the ship one last time as we got within 10 kilometers.

“Computer, target their weapons and shields and fire on my mark. Three…two…one…let ‘em have it!”

And thus began an orange light show as the piercing beams razed the enemy ship, courtesy of my two forward phaser banks. Immediately, they hit the gas and made a bid for freedom but as hard as they tried to shake us, Ranger followed close behind, pelting them with phaser fire. Unfortunately, I had been too caught up in the excitement to notice that we were doing a lot less damage to them than I thought, a little fact I realized after we left the disorienting field of the rings and our scanners came back online. While the initial salvo had done some damage, it wasn’t enough to put their weapons or shields out of commission.

It was too late to turn back; I had made my bed and now found myself chained to it. There was nothing I could do but grit my teeth, hang on, and hammer the ‘Fire All Weapons’ button.

Meanwhile…

If it wasn’t the sudden tremor throughout the ship shook Trixie and the others awake, it was the frantic yelling and barking of orders that did. They watched as large green aliens ran back and forth as they fought back against their attacker, who according to some chatter, had managed to sneak up on them and take them completely by surprise. From what Trixie was able to gather, it had been a good plan but not good enough as they counter-attacked, sending whatever had attacked them into desperate evasive maneuvers, one of which happened to occur right outside a nearby window.

Her eyes widened and her heart raced as she recognized the ship. She couldn’t believe it. Somehow, against the odds, he had found her. Not only had he found her but here he was risking everything to save her! She wiped a tear from her eye, vowed never to tell him about it, and took another, closer look around. She had to help him somehow. As far as she could tell, the fight wasn’t going well for her friend. She needed to even the odds somehow.

She gulped when the realization hit. If she had any chance in Hell of assisting her friend, she needed her magic. She knew what would happen; the second she tried anything, the machine would detect it and overload her body with excruciating pain. It might even be fatal. She shook her head, trying to dismiss any and all doubt. It was worth a try, even more so if she succeeded. It was time to test her willpower and prove that she was worth the title of ‘Great and Powerful’.

She began to concentrate, building as much magical energy as she could without setting off the machine. It had to be gradual or the machine would certainly activate. If that happened…Trixie forced herself to ignore that particular detail as she built up as much energy as she could. Finally, it was time. Focusing on the Amulet, she channeled her magic through it, feeding off the rapid and dramatic boost it granted her…and winced as she awaited the inevitable as she unleashed a stream of power.

It hit her quickly and mercilessly. Searing pain shot through her once again as she struggled to stay on her hooves and direct the energy stream. She cried out in pain and anger as they white-blue beam made a mess of the cargo bay, setting consoles on fire and destroying equipment as the crew ducked for cover. All the while, the machine continued to punish her. Still, she persevered, even as the shock to her system threatened to shut her down completely and resign her to blackness. Through sheer determination and pride, she held on and fought off the clouding darkness as she displayed the force of her will.

Finally, after one last scream of utter defiance, she pushed even harder and the device around her neck disintegrated. Her eyes glowed red and a crimson light encompassed her body as she slowly stepped out of the cage, much to the horror of her captors. The expression on her face turned into one of pure blood-lust as she spotted the captain cowering behind two of his subordinates. A shot from one of their hand weapons glanced off the energy surrounding her body and she grinned at them, taking another step closer.

A sudden and rather violent tremor rocked the ship, sending everyone to the floor except for Trixie. As if momentarily shaken from her rampage, she whipped around to check on the children, thanking her lucky stars that they were unharmed, albeit shaken up. Remembering what she had to do, she took a step towards them, only to have them shrink away. Confused, she looked at them and at Marensa in particular.

She could see it, the reason why they now shrunk away from her. It was fear. Her display of power and aggression had spooked them, turned her into a being just as savage as their captors.

“Please…” she pleaded with them. “I’m not…that. I only want to help you. Please trust me…” There was a pause in the din as if the universe was waiting with baited breath to see what would happen next.

She suddenly felt a small hand reach out and touch her cheek. She opened her eyes and met Marensa’s gaze. While clearly frightened, the child’s courage and faith in their friend overcame her doubts, a sign that became the warm gesture bestowed upon the showmare.

“I trust you…Trixie.”

Meanwhile…

“Computer, gimme an update!” I shouted as we came about for another attack run.

“The enemy ship’s shields have failed.”

“Perfect! Hail them!” There was a beep as I waited for them to answer. I grinned as a large green face surrounded by fires and debris appeared on the viewscreen.

“What do you want?” it demanded.

“Trixie will take it from here!” another voice cut in as the Orion flew out of view, replaced by the visage of a familiar blue showmare. “About time! What took you so long?” she demanded.

“Nice to see you too!” I replied excitedly, happy to see her safe…relatively speaking. “You look like you could use a lift!”

“You think?” Trixie yelled.

“I’ll take that as a ‘yes’! Computer, beam Trixie directly to…”

“Wait!” she interrupted. “There’s more! Please…we can’t leave them behind! Just do it!” I nodded.

“Gotcha. Computer, isolate all life signs except the Orions and beam them directly to the mess hall.”

“Acknowledged.”

***

Acting captain’s log, supplementary. After rescuing the children and disabling the Orion ship, we hightailed it to Khallos IV, where we are currently working with the Federation office there to reunite the children with their parents. Fortunately, they all live fairly close by and now there’s only one child left, the young Andorian, Marensa. (End recording)

Trixie and Marensa exchanged smiles as we sat in the office of the Federation office awaiting the arrival of her mother and father. I could tell that despite the success of our little ‘adventure’, it was still a bittersweet result. As usual, Trixie wasn’t hiding her true feelings nearly well enough. I could see the pain in her eyes at having to leave her new friend behind. I understood the reason very well; in a relatively short time, they had bonded through a terrible yet unforgettable experience and become very close as a result. Having to separate after finding such wonderful friends in each other...well, that had to be heart-wrenching.

It wasn’t long before Marensa’s parents arrived and I must say a happier moment, I have yet to witness. The sheer joy radiating from them as they held their daughter again was indescribable and I felt extremely fortunate to be part of it, as did Trixie, if their goodbye was any indication.

“Trixie…thank you so much for rescuing us,” the child murmured as she buried her face in the showmare’s mane. She sniffed and Trixie felt tears soak her mane. Smiling as best she could give the circumstances, the blue mare gently placed a hoof under Marensa’s chin and lifted it.

“You were so brave, Marensa. The bravest girl I’ve ever seen!” The child blushed and looked at her feet with a small smile. “I’ll miss you.”

“I’ll (sniff) miss you too, Trixie!” the child sobbed, wrapping her arms around Trixie’s neck.

“I’ll miss you too, little one,” Trixie whispered, gently pulling back. “Now, why don’t you join your mommy and daddy? I’m sure they’d like to take you home.” Marensa wiped a tear from her eye and nodded, giving Trixie one last hug before re-joining her parents. As they slowly walked away hand-in-hand, the girl suddenly paused and looked back at us, waving with a huge smile on her face.

“I love you, Trixie!”

With that, they were gone.

The showmare just stood there absolutely dumbfounded. I think it’s a pretty safe bet that she hadn’t heard those words for a long time. I could only imagine how she felt.

“I love you too…little one.”

I smiled from within the Federation office. Having already said my goodbyes and received a considerable amount of gratitude from Marensa’s parents, I was content to stand by and let Trixie have her moment.

We left shortly after as the small station didn’t have the facilities necessary to repair my ship (again) so we had no choice but to press on for Starbase 39. I didn’t really mind, though. The battle with the Orions hadn’t been too hard on the ship thanks to the reinforced shield and weapons array and we were soon underway at high warp. Trixie had long since retired to her room, presumably to pass out, and I was getting close myself.

“Computer, deactivate tomorrow’s alarm,” I exclaimed with a yawn as I entered my quarters. “I have a feeling that we could both seriously use some extra sleep.”

“Acknowledged.”

I was out like a light.

***

“He’s quite the character, isn’t he?” Marensa’s mother chuckled as they relaxed on a large patio underneath the stars.

“Yes, humans never cease to surprise me,” her husband replied, taking a sip of his drink.

“It was the strangest thing,” her mother continued. “I mean, he goes through all that trouble and all he asks for in return is a box of Crispy Chex.”

“They must not have it where he’s from,” her father concluded.

“Maybe,” her mother mused. “Good thing it’s Marensa’s favorite, otherwise we wouldn’t have had a spare box for him and that would’ve been a shame.”

“I agree,” her father added. “I agree.”

The Haunting of Deck 4

View Online

Trixie’s personal…journal, diary…whatever. The only reason Trixie is stooping this low is to record the amazing exploits of the Great and Powerful Trixie as she becomes the most famous mare in the galaxy. It most definitely does not have anything to do with her missing Crispy Chex, although if she finishes this stupid exercise and Cole does not reveal their hiding place, he’s in for a one-way trip into the nearest star.

Trixie still can’t believe she agreed to this. Apparently, recording her thoughts on a daily basis will help her ‘relax’ or some nonsense. How is complaining to some ‘machine’ supposed to do that? Just because that human wastes 20 minutes of every day with this nonsense doesn’t mean Trixie should have to as well! Hmmph!

“An accidental vocal cue resembling an ‘audible sigh’ has been recorded. Do you wish to delete it from this recording?”

“Yes!”

“Acknowledged. Resume when ready.”

Ahem! As Trixie was saying, the last two days have been some of the most boring she’s ever had. Well…maybe it’s not so bad. I…Trixie has had lots of time to practice her spells and prepare new acts for her routine so when they do eventually get to Star…whatever that place is, she’ll be ready to amaze and enrapture. At least Cole…Trixie means, that human, has been smart enough to stay out of Trixie’s way. Trixie doesn’t know what he does with all his time but she doesn’t care. All Trixie cares about is becoming the most famous unicorn in the galaxy!

Still…even Trixie has to admit that Cole…human…has been rather…‘accommodating’ since Trixie came on the ship. He’s not really that bad…for a human, that is. There are things Trixie wonders about him. Why is he happy spending his life doing one menial task after another with little reward to show for it? Trixie asked him that once and his response was something like “You see, the acquisition of wealth is no longer the driving force in our lives”. Then he added some nonsense about “wanting to better himself through many different experiences” or something. Trixie doesn’t really get it but she also doesn’t really care. Ha ha, look at Trixie! She’s tsundering and there’s nothing he can do about it! Wait…what did ‘tsundering’ mean again? Whatever, I’m sure it doesn’t have anything to do with Trixie anyway. (Recording paused)

Trixie sighed again and looked out the window at the stars streaking by. Her proud grin faded as realization slowly began to creep up on her, the unexpected by-product of living in a confined space with such a friendly human. To put it bluntly, Cole really wasn’t that bad…period. Simply put, he looked out for her, making sure she always had enough to eat, a place to sleep, a job…Hell, he’d even gone as far as risking life, limb, and ship for her! Somewhere along the line, one must dispense with the tsundering bullshit and as much as Trixie hated to admit it, that time was approaching.

“Computer, resume recording.”

“Oh my, is that a change of heart I smell?” the computer replied in a very different, light masculine voice that possessed an air of superiority. Trixie jumped off the bed and looked frantically scanned the room for an intruder.

“Who’s there?” the showmare demanded as her horn began to glow. “Show yourself!”

“Oops! What I meant to say was “Affirmative, recording resumed”. Or is it just “Affirmative”? I can never remember. The nuances of such primitive forms of communication often elude me.” With that, there was a flash of light, forcing Trixie to shield her eyes. As she lowered her hoof, her gaze fell upon a strange yet familiar creature dressed in a Starfleet Command uniform, leaning against a nearby wall.

“What…how…what are you?” Trixie stammered.

“You mean you’ve never heard of me?” the creature asked incredulously. “Even with that…cousin of mine running amok in the cosmos, doing whatever he pleases?"

“…What? What are you talking about?” Trixie demanded as some bravado returned. “Tell Trixie at once or you’ll be sorry!”

“I already am,” the dragon-like creature replied with a yawn. “Human constructs are such bothersome things. I could look 6,000 years into their future and their ships would still bore me to tears. There’s just no accounting for taste anymore.” The creature sighed as a blue energy bolt reflected off his uniform. “Must you?” he asked with an extremely fake expression of lament. “Where would I find a tailor at this time of night should you inadvertently set my garment on fire?” With a snap of his claws, Trixie’s horn disappeared. Her eyes widened in panic and just as she was about to cry out in alarm, the creature appeared beside her and gently closed her mouth, pinching it shut between two claws. “Easy now, just relax. I’ll return you to normal just as soon as you hear me out. Deal?” With a look of cold fury, Trixie nevertheless nodded and the man relinquished her.

“There; was that so difficult? Now, I’ve come here on a mission of mercy.” Trixie just looked at him. “Aren’t you going to ask me what the mission is?”

“Trixie doesn’t care!”

“Well, you should. This particular mission involves you, that human, myself, and anyone else who might be watching this inconsequential tale unfold,” the creature added, gesturing away from them as if addressing an unseen audience. “You see, I’ve been rather bored lately so I thought, what better way to alleviate my condition than to pay a little visit to some dear friends and invite them to play a little game?” The man snapped his fingers again. “Oh, of course! How rude of me! My name…” He grinned at her. “…is Discord.”

Meanwhile…

“Mmmm…issall good…saving the universe is what I do…why, I would love six dozen Orion slave girls…yeah put ‘em in my room next to the chocolate fountain ‘n’ the snow blower…” I murmured happily as I slumbered. “…okay. Fine, I’ll be Vice Admiral…but only if…they… (snore) ask nicely…heh heh, why don’t you ladies come over here for a while…damn, girl, you’re so sexy in green…”

“Ooh, Cole baby, why don’t you tell me if my ass is as nice as Trixie’s?”

“Waaaaaahhhhhhhh!” I yelled as he sat bolt-upright in a cold sweat.

“Oh shucks, and just when it was getting good,” someone pouted. I slowly looked to my left and my eyes widened in shock as a tall man with a head of short dark hair looked back at me with a tired smile. “Oh honey, why don’t you go back to sleep and let me take care of the baby this time?” I face-palmed.

“Ugh…what the Hell are you doing here?” I asked groggily, rubbing my eyes.

“So you’ve heard of me?”

“Who hasn’t? I must’ve read Ambassador Picard’s holobook like 20 times,” I replied. “I know all about you, Q.”

“Trust me, boy, if you knew all about me, your little misshapen head would explode,” Q retorted as he snapped his fingers and appeared at my bedside.

“I don’t have a misshapen head. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to go back to sleep.” I mumbled, rolling over emphatically.

“Ah yes, you must be eager to return to the U.S.S. Hey Ladies, NCC 6969, flagship of the ‘Ultra Super Special Awesome Mega Cool 1337 Invincible Imperial Empire of Cole’,” Q mused as my eyes shot open for the second time that evening/morning.

“You…you can see my dreams?”

“Yes, a dear friend of mine taught me how to do that a few centuries ago,” Q explained nonchalantly. “It’s not something I use very often but it’s handy to have when the occasion calls for it. By the way, what need have you for six dozen Orion slave girls? I would think that three dozen would suffice.”

“What do you want, Q?” I repeated with a groan.”

“I was in the neighborhood,” Q said with a shrug. “Actually, I was visiting Sunbutt and Moonpie but that’s another story. I’m here to help you.”

“I highly doubt that,” I muttered as he got up and headed for the replicator, not even bothering to ask who ‘Sunbutt’ and ‘Moonpie’ were.

“But I am. I’m here to help you help me. You see, one of my compatriots just finished a fascinating conversation with a little blue friend of yours and let’s just say that…”

“You leave Trixie alone!” I shouted angrily. “Whatever sick joke you’re planning, leave her out of it! Computer, water, cold!”

“My, my, aren’t we protective?” Q said with a smile. “Don’t worry, neither of you will come to any harm…so long as you both play by the rules.” I sighed; when it came to Q, a being who literally held the fabric of time and space in his hand, there was little anyone could do besides batten down the hatches and hope for the best.

“Fine,” I replied with a sigh as I took another sip of water.

“Excellent! I knew you’d say ‘yes’! But then again, how could you not?”

“Get on with it and get off my ship!”

“Fine, no need to get rude! You see, I’ve got this friend and recently, he’s been bored silly watching Sunbutt’s critters frolic about in blissful ignorance. It’s positively revolting. So, he approached me recently and asked if I knew anyone doing anything interesting. Of course, my immediate answer was ‘no’ but then I thought about it and lo and behold, the topic of you came up!”

“Wait…” I interjected as I finished the glass. “The Q Continuum is talking about me?”

“Not just you. That little mare of yours has been stirring up quite the buzz lately. I’ll be the first to admit that as soon as I saw you get sucked into the Mirror Universe, I was sure you’d be a goner but I must say that you two pulled through rather well for such…simple creatures.”

“What’s so interesting about us?” I asked. “Surely, the almighty Q have better things to do than keep tabs on a single human and a magical pony.”

“Under normal circumstances, yes,” Q replied. “However, a unicorn and a human traveling the galaxy together is something of a rare sight these days and we wondered if it might not offer us a chance to learn something.”

“Learn something? Are you sure you don’t mean ‘troll’?”

“Oh please, don’t insult me,” Q exclaimed. “If I wanted to troll you, I’d do something like this.” With that, he snapped his fingers and gestured to the window.

“Jesus Christ!” I yelled as a fleet of Borg Cubes materialized out of nowhere and headed straight for us.

“You called?” Q asked with a wry grin.

“Okay, okay!” I shouted frantically. “I get the picture! Now what is it?”

“Very well,” Q replied, making the Borg fleet disappear with a snap of his fingers. “Mr. Stevens, are you aware of what an ‘estrus cycle’ is?”

“Sure,” I answered with a shrug. “It’s also called ‘heat’, right?”

“Good. Just checking.” Shooting me one last grin, he disappeared with a flash. I slowly made my way over to the bed, sat upon it, and paused, trying to figure out what he could possibly mean.

“Um…what?”

Meanwhile…

“Of course Trixie know what ‘estrus’ is, you lunatic!” Trixie answered indignantly, shooting Discord a glare. “Trixie’s not a foal anymore, in case you haven’t noticed!”

“Oh yes, I have noticed,” Discord replied with a mischievous grin. “The real question is, has he?”

“What are you going on about?”

“Oh, you’ll see,” Discord replied with yet another shit-eating grin. “You’ll see…” He disappeared in a flash, snapping his fingers just before doing so.

Trixie gasped as a sudden ‘tingling’ sensation down south began to occupy her thought process. She jumped back into the bed and ducked under the covers as the tingling feeling slowly evolved into a warm and very familiar feeling. It was a feeling that she recognized well but there was something…wrong. Oh nooooo, she thought as realization hit. But that…that was impossible! You can’t just artificially induce…there was no way! As much as she tried to deny it, there was no point. Somehow, for reasons the showmare couldn’t explain, Discord had succeeded.

Trixie was in heat.

***

Another huge yawn escaped as I tried to decide on a suitable breakfast. In my fatigue-addled stupor, my initial request had been a tablet or two of methamphetamine. Having denied said request rather bluntly, the computer nevertheless sought redemption for its actions by providing a holographic selection of recommended breakfast foods for those suffering from sleep deprivation.

Memories from the previous night were ‘fuzzy’ at best. I knew that I had been woken up and my sleeping pattern disturbed but I could not for the life of me fathom why or how that had taken place. Seeing Trixie stumble into the mess hall in a similar state only compounded the mystery, as did her ‘unusual’ behavior. Behavior that she tried to hide, mind you, but all for naught; throughout our travels, I had grown accustomed to seeing through her ‘walls’ and ‘projections’. Well, maybe not that accustomed but I did have a pretty good grasp of when she was hiding something. Of course, I also knew when not to press the issue, which was most of the time. Still, what harm could a friendly morning salutation do for my physical well-being?

“Morning,” I said with a yawn as she wandered over to the replicator.

“Methamphetamine, two tablets.” she declared sleepily.

“Already tried that.”

“Oh.”

“The Crispy Chex are in the cupboard over there,” I added, pointing in the general direction of food storage. Usually, if one had access to a replicator, they never bothered with keeping fresh food. I was much more of a traditionalist in the way that an experienced drinker who could discern between real alcohol and synthale loathed the artificial stuff. As such, I preferred my strawberries fresh, my milk straight from the cow (after a little processing, of course), and my Crispy Chex non-replicated.

“Thanks,” she replied, helping herself. I shook my head. Thanks? I wondered what she meant by that. Usually, her response was something like “The Great and Powerful Trixie commands you to retrieve it for her at once”! Okay, maybe that was a slight exaggeration but she wasn’t known for being overly polite, at least not to me, hence my fascination with her response.

“Um…you’re welcome?” I ventured as I returned to the replicator, having returned from my quest to acquire a glass of chocolate milk. “Two waffles, Belgian, topped with a dusting of confectioner’s sugar, easy on the syrup.”

“Maple, blueberry, or Nesquick?”

“Maple…hold on, make it blueberry today.” There was an affirmative beep and my meal appeared on a small tray. I carried it over to another table…and looked over at the blue showmare as she ate silently, using her magic to operate the spoon. Living dangerously, I altered my course and tentatively took a seat across from her.

“What do you think you’re doing, human? This is Trixie’s personal space and you are not permitted to be in it!” is what I heard in my mind. However, reality kicked in and I was rewarded with silence for my brave effort. She seemed quite preoccupied with her cereal and as scrumptious as the little pieces of honey-flavored goodness were, it was still unusual for her to ignore me completely.

“So…” I began, unsure of how to begin our morning conversation. She looked up at me, not with anger or annoyance but with a sort of gentle curiosity, the second surprise of the morning thus far. “I’ve got a question.” There was a short pause, during which I sipped my chocolate milk and made a mental note to buy some more, although I was sure that I’d had more the last time I checked. Knowing Trixie wasn’t fond of it, I could never figure out how it kept disappearing.

“Yes?”

“How the bloody Hell do you know about methamphetamine? Decided to give the magician thing a rest and break bad for a while?” I asked jokingly.

“Trixie has been reading the database.” I nearly choked on my waffle.

“Seriously?”

“Yes? Is that so difficult to believe?”

“Just a little. So…drugs, huh?”

“Why are humans so fascinated with pharmaceuticals that possess no beneficial effects, only detrimental ones?” Trixie asked. Under normal circumstances, the question would’ve sounded like a vicious accusation and considering the subject matter, an accusation would’ve been justified. This time, however, it sounded like genuine curiosity. Either that or she was just fishing for another way to hate on humanity.

“That must’ve been a really old entry you read,” I replied, hoping to salvage a little reputation on behalf of my species. “Humanity hasn’t seen the widespread use of recreational drugs for almost 200 years. We almost destroyed ourselves with them so as soon as the Eugenics Wars were over, the new Earth Government ordered all drugs that did not have a pharmaceutical use to be immediately destroyed.”

“Oh…well, that’s good I guess.”

“For sure.”

More awkward silence.

“Thanks, by the way.”

“For what?”

“For the Crispy Chex. I…Trixie didn’t actually think you’d get her any.”

“Why wouldn’t I” I asked with a shrug and through a mouthful of waffle. “We’re friends, right? Friends look after each other. Like I said, you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.” Trixie immediately became flustered and quickly moved the cereal box to obscure any view of her reddening cheeks. I, of course, was too busy trying to enjoy my breakfast to notice.

“S…scratch my back?” Trixie half-whispered as another wave of warmth visited the land down under. She stood up suddenly, knocking over her empty bowl as I looked up at her. “I…Trixie has to go…for…reasons!” With that, she flew out of the mess hall. I watched her leave, shrugged, and went back to my waffles.

“What the Hell was that about?”

***

Knocking down Trixie’s door would have found the showmare upon her back, sweating and panting with her legs splayed and a suspicious residue on one of her front hooves. She had just woken up from a very long sleep and yet, here she was, exhausted after rubbing herself into a near-stupor, all because of that accursed heat.

The fact that her cycle had literally sneaked up from out of nowhere and bit her on the behind wasn’t what bothered her the most. No, that dubious honor went to the mental image that alleviated her ‘neediness’…at least for the time being. She cursed it, oh, how she cursed it! The fact that a simply, brief, and completely innocent and meaningless conversation was responsible for her current state was aggravating. Why him? Of all the beings on all the planets in all the star systems, why did it have to be Cole? It had to be the universe’s idea of a sick prank, it just had to be! From her perspective, Cole was about as unattractive as she thought possible. Those long arms, those gangly legs, those slightly-larger-than-average ears, the small tuft of mussed-up jet-black hair…the gentle features that assured her that everything would be okay in times of crisis, the kind heard that always went back for her…yessir, no attractive qualities at all. Not. A. Single. One.

Trixie shook her head, trying in vain to dismiss the thoughts as she felt another wave of heat to her nether region. She sighed and resigned herself to her situation; it would be troublesome but if scratching the itch was the only way to think straight and come up with a way to avoid any problems, then so be it.

Meanwhile…

I wiped some sweat from my own brow as I returned to my room. For reasons I could not explain, my brain had switched ever-so-gently to a topic to which I’d never given any thought.

The sultry sway of a certain blue flank. It simply flat-out refused to leave my mind. It was the strangest thing, especially considering my liking for females of my own species. Even in a galaxy in which inter-species relationships were quite popular, I had never even considered the idea. And now, here I was, sitting on my bed, my head donating quite a bit of blood to the Land Down Under whilst seriously considering leaping onto my blue friend and doing unmentionable things to her.

I wasn’t completely gone, however. It was difficult but I still retained some of my common sense. Something wasn’t right and it wasn’t just because the only thing I wanted to do was tap Trixie into next week. There was something at work here, some force that had no business messing around with us. I decided to think it over and make note of any ideas I could come up with as I went about my usual routine. Given my current blood flow, I thought it wise to busy myself with activities unrelated to the blue mare and if possible, by myself. I was sure that something needed recalibrating or scanning or whatever starship captains did in their spare time. With that in mind, I set my plan into motion and headed for the bridge.

***

“So, who do you like?” Discord asked as he and Q watched Cole from on the bridge, hidden by invisible fields.

“The human. He looks desperate.” Q replied immediately. Discord let out a huff.

“You continue to underestimate the powers of a mare in heat. “She’ll have him by dinner, you’ll see.”

“I hope so for your sake,” Q replied, chuckling as Cole accidentally pushed the wrong button, triggering ship-wide Red Alert. “I’m confident that Cole will cave a lot faster than that the pony. I’ve seen his dreams, you know. He’s quite ‘open-minded’ for a human.”

“For now at least,” Discord mused. “Don’t you find it rather ironic that we bet against our respective…spheres of influence?”

“Implying that my sphere of influence only encompasses humans,” Q replied.

“You know what I mean. Ah, such entertainment!” Discord exclaimed. “You were right, dear cousin. This is so much more fun than listening to Sunbutt prattle on about friendship and love and all those gag-worthy things she dedicates all her time to.”

“I quite agree,” Q declared. “Chocolate milk?” he asked, offering Discord a glass.

“Mmm, what vintage?” the draconequis asked, sniffing and studying the beverage.

“The human’s personal storage, of course!” Q replied, earning a laugh from Discord. With that, they clinked glasses, sat back on two vacant bridge seats, and watched.

***

This is getting ridiculous, Trixie thought as she panted from yet another round of ‘stress release’. Okay, three times a month maybe but three times that day? She’d been through heat before but never like this. She needed to find something more effective than simply riding it out, otherwise…she shivered as a particularly detailed image of her and Cole flashed through her mind.

“Augh, come on, Trixie, get a hold of yourself!” she admonished. “But not like that!” she added as though someone might be listening in. “This isn’t your first heat!” She let out a sigh as an idea popped into her head. Maybe this ridiculous computer-thingy can help me, she thought. It seems to know everything anyway.

“Computer!” she exclaimed much louder than was necessary. “Where can I find something to…” She sighed. “…suppress the sex drive?”

“There are several anaphrodisiacs in Sick Bay.”

“Will they…work with me?” Trixie was no fool; she knew better than to take medications that she wasn’t sure about, although the itch between her hind legs was starting to get the better of her and she could practically feel her common sense begin to wane.

“There is insufficient data on the physiology of Equestria-based life-forms to make that determination.”

“Damnit!” Trixie cursed. Fuck it, she thought as yet another weave of need began to overcome her faculties, this one greater than the last few. “Computer, where is Sick Bay?”

“Sick Bay is on Deck 4.”

“Trixie demands that you take her there at once!”

“Follow the lit panels on the bulkheads. They will lead you to your destination.” Trixie took a deep breath, ran to her door, opened it, peeked around for any signs of Cole, and darted off.

There was something about Deck 4 that made it seem much larger than the ones Trixie spent the grand majority of her time on. Apart from being a little unnerving, it was also quite alien to her, having almost never been there before. Nevertheless, the showmare pressed on, determined to find some way to rid herself of her symptoms. Usually, when heat happened, it felt more…natural, like it was time. This cycle didn’t resemble her previous ones at all, making Trixie suspect that something was afoot. As such, she felt no remorse about staving off the effects using artificial means, despite the possibility of harmful side-effects. The showmare simply refused to be a slave to her own desires, especially when they transpired at the wrong time. The Great and Powerful Trixie was nobody’s slave.

“Now where was Sick Bay again?” she mused. “Computer?” She raised an eyebrow as the computer didn’t reply. “Computer!” she exclaimed. “What’s wrong with this stupid…?”

She paused mid-complaint as the lights momentarily flickered. She opened her mouth to complain but closed it as the lit panels suddenly deactivated, slightly darkening the corridor.

“Uh…Computer?” she asked hesitantly. There was no answer save for the flickering lights. She shivered, feeling a drop in the ambient temperature since Deck 3. Cautiously, she surveyed the corridor before taking a few tense steps forward.

She stopped after a couple of steps and froze as something flickered near the opposite end of the hall. It wasn’t the lights, which had since stayed slightly dimmed. Trixie craned her head forward, peering intently at the end of the corridor.

It was then that she saw it again. An image of a man, darkened like a shadow, appeared at the end of the hall, writhing and fading in and out of view as it slowly approached her. Trixie’s eyes widened in fear as it stretched a hand out towards her, a garbled, pained sound emanating from the strange figure. She gulped and took a step back, hoping that it was merely a figment of her hormone-infected imagination. It wasn’t until an eye opened to reveal a crimson pupil to mark the face of the figure did she scream and take off down the opposite end of the corridor, away from the two-legged monster. She heard a series of howls and cried behind her as she ran blindly in the direction she hoped was the turbolift. She rounded a corner at full-speed and shrieked again as something grabbed her and refused to let go.

“No! Leave me alone! Go away!” she cried out, keeping her eyes glued shut.

“Trixie!”

“Please don’t hurt me! I promise I’ll never come down here again so please just let me go!”

“Trixie!”

The firm yet gentle voice persuaded the blue mare to finally stop struggling. She slowly opened her eyes and found herself staring up at a familiar face.

“Cole?” she asked in disbelief as sweat soaked her face.

***

I’m not entirely sure of what surprised me more; the screams that could curdle milk or the hopeful expression on her muzzle. Either way, I was fairly sure she was happy to see me.

“Trixie, what’s wrong? What happened?” I asked as I gently set her down onto shaking hooves.

“Th…there was…s…something…” the blue mare replied, pointing down the hall from whence she’d come with a quivering foreleg.

“You mean…down that way?” I asked, gesturing in the same direction as Trixie’s hoof.

“No, I meant under the floor!” Her cocky attitude returning swiftly, Trixie glared up at me. I sighed.

“Want me to take a look?” I asked as my hormone-enriched brain jumped for joy at the opportunity to prove myself a worthy mate, a notion for which it was mentally chastised. Nonononono, there’s a lot of reason why this isn’t right but the most important one is that THIS ISN’T HER. She doesn’t even like to hug me for fucks sakes. I knew what the effects of heat were and this wasn’t how it was supposed to happen. Her ‘affectionate intentions’ were to be reserved for members of her own species only…right? For a moment, I wondered if Equestria heat might be like Vulcan Pon Farr. Vulcans had been known to endear themselves to other humanoids when afflicted with the condition. I shook my head violently, trying to stop my mind from justifying any reciprocity on my part. Besides, we had a ghost to deal with.

“O…only because Trixie doesn’t know her way around the deck yet! She most definitely isn’t sc…” I couldn’t help myself. Her insistence on being unafraid was cut off as I knelt down and hugged her. There was a pause as both of us tried our best to simply take the gesture in stride, a difficult task when both parties are hornier than a two-peckered Billy goat. Showing her that I genuinely cared was worth the risk.

“Hey, it’s okay, I know you’re a brave girl…pony,” I added, thankful that I had enough sense left to correct myself. “There’s nothing wrong with asking for help once in a while.”

“Trixie…doesn’t need help…” she muttered even as her body betrayed her and she gripped me tightly. For a moment, I could’ve sworn that I felt her nuzzle my neck, complete with an almost inaudible sigh. Afflicted as I was, skepticism nevertheless overruled hormones and I slowly leaned away from her and got to my feet.

“Now let’s go deal with this ‘ghost’.”

We soon returned to the ‘haunted corridor’, Trixie hiding behind me as we slowly proceeded down the hall. Well, it was more like ‘standing behind me, trying to look brave’ but I knew she was scared. Good; now I‘ll look like a hero and she’ll want to reward me with…will you STOP it already? I wiped away the incoming grin and proceeded a little faster, anxious to show her that all was well. At her request, I brandished my hand phaser, though I doubted how useful it would be if the Ranger really was infected with vengeful apparitions.

“Alright, we’re here. Where did you see this ‘thing’?”

“Over there,” she pointed from behind my legs. “Right by the door.”

“The door to Sick Bay?” I asked, turning to glance down at her. She nodded. “By the way…what were you doing down here? I’ve never even seen you go anywhere besides Decks 1 and 2, unless it’s with me. What gives?”

“That’s…that’s none of your business!” Trixie exclaimed haughtily as her hind legs pressed together nervously.

“You did hear me tell you at breakfast that there’s no methamphetamine aboard this ship nor any way to synthesize it, right? Otherwise, I’d have to rename my ship the U.S.S. Heisenberg, heh heh.” I chuckled at my own lame joke while Trixie scowled up at me. “But seriously, what’s going on? Are you hurt?” I knelt down to her and gently cupped her chin with my hand. “You can tell me if there’s something going on.” Yeah, just admit that you actually secretly want me so we can go back to my quarters and bang like there’s no…SHUT IT!

“Well…” Trixie stammered, nervously glancing at the floor as my heart leapt (along with another part of my anatomy). “It’s like…well, it’s like…THAT!”

“Like what?” I asked, unsure as to why she’d suddenly pointed behind me whilst wearing a look of abject terror. I turned about and my eyes widened at the sight. Moving towards us making horrible guttural sounds, was a man with a single blood-red eye, fading in and out of sight. “Holy shit!” Horny-ness temporarily forgotten in lieu of surprised fright, I jumped back up to my feet, dropping my hand phaser in the process. Wasting no time, Trixie picked it up with her magic, clenched her teeth, and fired at the apparition.

“TRIXIE ORDERS YOU BACK TO TARTARUS, FOUL DEMON!” she cried as she fired shot after shot, covering the floor with sparks of molten metal. “NOW DIE! DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE…”

“Give me that before you blast a hole in my damn ship!” I exclaimed, trying to wrestle the weapon away from the panicked showmare. For such a relatively small creature, she was strong, and it took me a good minute or two before the weapon was back in my hands. I glanced at it, then back to her. “Seriously? 10? That’s maximum setting. Do you like your ghosts well-done or something?” Speaking of ‘well-done’…cut it out already!

“It’s still there!” Trixie shouted, making a grab for the weapon.

“I think you’ve played around enough with this,” I replied, holding it out of her reach. I sighed, realizing what I had to do. “Look…just sit tight for a minute, alright? I’m gonna try something.” With that, I approached the flickering ‘ghost’. “Hmm…” I mused as I scrutinized it closely.

“What are you doing?” Trixie hissed. “It’ll eat your soul!”

“Well,” I turned to her with a small smile. “The good news is, our immortal souls are quite safe. The bad news is, most of the holo-emitters are outta commission until I can get ‘em fixed at the next stop. I can fix the one on Sick Bay but that’s it.”

“H…holodecks?” Trixie stammered.

“Aye, holodecks.”

“You mean…that was…”

“Y’know, for someone who uses holograms so much, I thought you’d be able to see them…hey, take it easy!” I exclaimed as a piece of the wall sizzled behind me. “It’s just a malfunctioning holo-emitter!”

“Well then…fix it so I don’t have to see this ‘thing’ anymore!”

“Alright, alright! I’ll see what I can do.”

***

Acting captain’s log, Stardate…you know what, screw it. Current date: October 31, 2378. I’ve managed to replace the busted emitter in Sick Bay but the others will have to wait until I can acquire some more heavy-duty replacements and some engineering talent to install them. For now, everything’s pretty well back to normal. Trixie buggered off as soon as I began the repairs. I don’t know what’s going on with that mare but I suppose she’s right; it is none of my business, although I wouldn’t mind knowing what that musky scent in the air was. It was damn persistent; I practically had to vent Decks 1 through 4 just to get rid of it! Whatever, I’m sure it was nothing to worry about. I’m just about to head back down to Sick Bay. I’ve been in the mess hall for the past 15 minutes looking for my chocolate milk. I just don’t understand it. One minute, the jug is full and the next, most of it is gone! If Trixie actually liked chocolate milk, I’d blame it on her but that’s not the case here. Guess I’ll just have to requisition more at the next Starbase. The mess hall is a surprisingly peaceful place to record a log. I often find myself thirsty after such an oral ordeal and being in such close proximity to fresh beverages is certainly a blessing. Anyway, I’d better go wake Trixie up. She seems rather insistent about procuring some type of medication, yet she won’t tell me why. Ah well, as strange as it sounds, I trust her not to do anything stupid. I’m pretty sure our last encounter with the Orion Syndicate taught her a very valuable lesson about messing with things you don’t know anything about. (End recording)

“Trixie?” I asked, knocking on her door. A bit old-fashioned but the showmare disliked the sound of the ‘doorbell’. Too high-pitched or something; apparently, her ears didn’t agree with it, so I refrained. “You ready to go?”

“J…just a second!” came a hurried and breathless response from the other side. “She appeared shortly, panting a little as if she’d spent the last half hour partaking in some kind of vigorous exercise.

“Umm…are you sure you’re okay?” I asked, just for my own edification.

“Yes…yes! Why wouldn’t I be? I am the Great and Powerful Trixie, after all.”

“Fair enough,” I replied as we left for Sick Bay.

We arrived a few minutes later. That was one advantage of having a small ship; it didn’t take very long to get anywhere.
“Please excuse the mess, I don’t come down here very often.” I informed the blue mare as we entered the Ranger’s medical wing. “Guess I’m lucky that all I ever needed as a small tissue re-generator for cuts and bruises, huh?” Trixie stayed silent as she looked about the room. “By the way, I’d like you to meet someone.” I cleared my throat. “Ahem! Computer, activate the EMH.” There was a slight buzz as a balding man with a square face and a bored expression appeared in the middle of the room.

“Please state the nature of the medical emergency.” I turned to Trixie with a smile.

“Trixie, I’d like you to meet our ‘ghost’. Apparently, during our fight with the Orions, the managed to damage the ship’s holographic systems. The damage wasn’t as bad here, though. In fact, what we were seeing was just the result of a partially burnt-out emitter. As for why the unresponsive computer and the temperature drop, it was just a busted power conduit. Nothing serious.”

“Excuse me, but I’m a doctor, not a specter of the night. Is there anything I can help you with?”

“She’s the one you’ve gotta ask, doc,” I replied, gesturing towards Trixie.

“I would think so,” the doctor mused, scanning her with a medical tricorder. “This mare is suffering from premature estrus, and rather extreme at that.” There was a pause, during which time Trixie blushed and face-hoofed as I tried to make sense of the situation. So that explained her strange behavior and why she wanted to be alone so much! To be honest, I wasn’t sure what to think, other than how glad I was that I hadn’t acted on any of my impulses, as difficult as they were to control. The last thing I wanted was for us to do something together that we’d both regret.

“Fortunately, your condition is quite manageable,” the doctor continued. “I can easily synthesize a treatment. One dose of Medroxyprogesterone should do the trick.”

“I’ve got a question, doc,” I interjected, raising my hand. “Why the Hell do you have that on board?”

“Medroxyprogesterone is a drug often used by human women as a hypospray contraceptive. Fortunately, it also happens to be a powerful anaphrodesiac.” The doctor looked over at Trixie. “Don’t worry, it’s perfectly safe for Equestrian ponies.”

“Well…okay,” Trixie replied quietly as the doctor administered the drug to her neck via hypospray.

“There, all done!” the doctor exclaimed with a smile as he prepared another one. “According to my scans, you could use a dose, too,” he added, turning to me. Trixie gave me a look of doubt.

“Is that why you were staring at my…”

“Great idea, doc! I’d love a shot of…whatever you’ve got there!” I announced as Trixie gave me a look of venom.

“Here,” the doctor explained as he administered the hypospray. “This Hydrocodone should mellow you right out. If you experience any nausea, vomiting, constipation, drowsiness, dizziness, euphoria, light-headedness, fuzzy thinking, anxiety, abnormally happy or sad mood, dry throat, difficulty urinating, rash, itching, or narrowing of the pupils, just give me a shout. I don’t see any other medical staff so I assume I’ll be on duty for a while.”

“Great,” I replied, breathing a sigh of relief. “I’m glad you’re finally up and about, doc. If one of us had gotten hurt, we would’ve been screwed. I feel a little safer having you around.”

“That’s kind of you to say but it is simply my programing.”

“Still, don’t overwork yourself. I don’t exactly like the idea of either of us getting hurt while you’re too damaged or unstable to save our asses.”

“Don’t worry, I will be sure to deactivate my holo-matrix regularly to prevent any degradation of my program.” the doctor assured me.

“Excellent. By the way, I noticed your matrix flickering outside Sick Bay. When I get those ship-wide holo-emitters back up ‘n’ running, feel free to take a walk around the ship whenever you feel like it. Being cooped up in here doesn’t sound like much of a time.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. If you require any further assistance, you need only ask.” I nodded and the doctor disappeared.

“What was that?” Trixie asked quietly as soon as we were clear of Deck 4 as if afraid the hologram could hear her.

“That was the ‘Emergency Medical Hologram’, or ‘EMH’ for short. He’s a holographic character designed to supplement a starship’s medical staff in the case of an emergency.” I explained.

“…Oh.”

“Don’t worry, I know it’s a lot to handle right now,” I replied, trying to comfort her after the Hellish day we’d both just lived through. “Now, I don’t know about you but I could sure go for a bowl of Crispy Chex before bed. Would you care to join me?” I was pleasantly surprised as Trixie looked up at me and offered a small smile.

“Trixie would like that.”

***

A cry of “Oh, come on!” greeted us as we entered the mess hall a minute later. I shook my head in disbelief as my eyes took in the sight of two instantly recognizable beings seated at our usual table. One was a human male dressed in a Starfleet uniform while the other looked like someone had stuffed a goat, a chicken, a dragon, and a pony into a blender and hit the ‘on’ button.

“Ah ha! You see?” the horned one exclaimed triumphantly. “Neither of them tried to mate with the other! The bet is off!”

“You’re just saying that because you were so close to losing!” the man retorted.

I think that’s when it dawned on us; why the sudden hormonal onslaught seemed so out-of-place and why I hadn’t slept well the night before. I face-palmed as I realized that both Q and Discord had taken up residence in my little ship for the better part of a day.

“Let me get this straight…” I mused, finally getting their attention. “You guys messed with us and made us crazy horny and made a bet on who would fuck the other first?”

“We were bored! Sue us!” Q replied nonchalantly as he…helped himself…to my…chocolate milk…and…finished…the jug. My eye involuntarily twitched but I decided to allow the disturbingly dark aura emanating from the showmare at my side to do the talking for both of us.

“They…did…what?” Trixie hissed as her horn began to blow. “You mean…the reason Trixie went into heat…was because you two were bored?” all the while, she slowly and dangerously approached the laughing unsuspecting pair of divine miscreants.

“Just…try to remember that this is still my ship so try not to go…”

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!” Trixie’s cry resonated through the ship as an incredible blue and red light lit up the ship, catching the two pranksters by surprise and somehow casting the from the ship, sending them hurdling into space.

“…overboard.” I finished as Trixie stood panting at my side, the Alicorn Amulet smoking around her neck. “Nice shot. Even if they are semi-omnipotent, I doubt they’ll be back for a while. Why’d you bring that, by the way?”

“In case that ‘thing’ on Deck 4 turned out to be something way worse than a doctor.” Trixie replied with a cocky grin.

“Good thinking,” I agreed with a nod as I retrieved the Crispy Chex.

***

Trixie let out a small sigh of relief as she laid on her soft bed. The day’s events had run her ragged, making her appreciate the comfort of her personal living space that much more. She could finally relax, now that her mating instincts weren’t trying to coerce her into Cole’s bed. She smiled as she thought of their time together. It had been fun, in a strange way. Their adventures certainly took strange turns and although they seldom conformed to the showmare’s idea of a good time, she had to admit that it had been an effective, albeit awkward, bonding moment.

She finally realized that when she felt something akin to her condition that morning return. However, the warm feeling spread to her entire body and didn’t limit itself to her nethers and instead of fighting it, she relaxed and let it wash over her. She could deny it no longer. Every time she felt the warm sensation travel from her core to her extremities, one face came to mind. Trixie smiled and blushed as she closed her eyes and let her mind wander and show her something for which she had gained a real and unique appreciation; a young human yearning to make his mark on the galaxy, willing to bet everything to reach his dream…and kind enough to include her in it.

Meanwhile…

“Another fine idea, cousin,” Discord exclaimed with a sigh as he and Q floated through space. “How did that mare expel us like that, anyway?”

“I don’t know and I don’t care,” Q replied nonchalantly. “On that note, I could go for something a little more ‘relaxing’ right about now. Any suggestions?” Discord considered it.

“We could go visit the Borg and play ‘Assimilation Tag’.” It was Q’s turn to think it over; usually, the demigod refrained from messing around with one of the galaxy’s most notorious and dangerous species. Finally, he shrugged.

“Fine. But you’re ‘it’ this time.”

The Menagerie

View Online

“Hang on to something!” I shouted as another blast rocked us. “Computer, execute evasive maneuvers and return fire!”

“How did they find us?” Trixie demanded, grabbing a nearby railing for support.

“Those bastards we took down a few days ago must’ve…” I steadied myself as we absorbed another shot. “…must’ve spread the word!”

“Great! What do we do now?”

“That’s an easy one! We make ‘em pay for it! Computer, what's the weakest point on that ship?” I yelled over the bridge alarm.

“Scans show that the Orion vessel’s weakest point is their propulsion system.”

“Target it and fire phasers, full spread! Maybe that’ll slow ‘em down long enough for us to get away!”

“The Orion ship has been disabled.” I breathed a sigh of relief.

“About damn time. Computer, damage report.”

“Extensive damage to starboard nacelle and weapon systems.”

“Oh, that’s just perfect,” I groaned, adding a face-palm for good measure. “I don’t suppose we can go to warp.”

“Warp power is off-line due to extreme stress on relevant power systems. Unable to engage warp drive until power levels return to regular levels. Estimated time is five hours, 11 minutes.”

“Yeah, I figured. Do we have impulse?”

“Affirmative.”

“Good. What about weapons? Can we defend ourselves?”

“Phaser banks are operating at 31 percent. Shields down to 46 percent.”

“Well…at least we can still move,” I declared, falling back into my chair. I held my head in my hands as I tried to decide what to do next. It was incredibly frustrating, to say the least. Stranded in the middle of nowhere with the Orion Syndicate after us was the last place I wanted to be, especially when it placed Trixie in so much danger. “I suppose that’s something.”

“Oh yes, at least we can move!” Even knowing Trixie’s attitude as well as I did, the sharpness of her statement caught me off-guard. I mean, sure, we’d just been through a harrowing situation but we had prevailed, hadn’t we?

“W…what?” I asked, lifting my head out of my hands to look over at her.

“So we can move! Big deal! What’s gonna happen when those thugs come back to finish us off! What’ll we do then, huh?” she shouted accusingly.

“Look, just calm down. First, I’m gonna…”

“Gonna what? Look at you! You can hardly fight, you can barely fix anything, and you’re always getting Trixie into some kind of mess! What can you possibly do?”

That stung.

Like, really stung.

I just stared at my feet with a shocked expression, tears forming as her words embedded themselves in me like harpoons. One fell and hit the cold metal below, forming the beginning of a small, salty puddle between my feet. Another joined it and soon, there was a small stream running down my face as I lamented over how right she was. I was inept. What business did I have, trying to be something I wasn’t? I was no starship captain. Hell, I didn’t even deserve the lofty title of acting captain. Here I was trying to emulate the brave officers who kept the entire Quadrant secure, yet I was failing to keep one individual safe, a friend no less.

At the sight of my tears and the small lake forming on the floor, Trixie’s angry, frustrated expression softened, although it was hard to see through the salty waterfall. I wiped my eyes, choked back a pathetic sniffle, and walked dejectedly over to the turbolift. Her gaze followed me as I made the slow and painful journey past her.

“Cole…” she began, her tone considerably softer than before.

“No…you’re right,” I quietly cut her off. “What can I do?” With that, I entered the turbolift and upon reaching Deck 2, headed for my quarters.

***

Trixie’s heart raced as her mind swam with regret as she paced nervously outside Cole’s room. The words had just…escaped her and without meaning to do it, she had hurt him, and hurt him badly. Sure, he wasn’t perfect and did possess some strange traits and lacked the skills he probably should’ve acquired long ago…but that in no way justified the cruelty she’d subjected him to.

“You’re right. What can I do?” His words repeated themselves in her mind as she desperately sought a way to reconcile with her friend. Even as the scathing statement left her mouth, she wanted nothing more than to replace them with kind words of gratitude and encouragement, to let him know that she still believed in him. Most of all, she wanted to remind him of how thankful she was for always making her well-being his top priority.

And still, she paced, unable to knock on his door for fear of instant rejection of her olive branch. The last thing she wanted was to agitate the situation any more. He probably needed some time alone anyway. Running a hoof slowly down the door to Cole’s room with a sigh, she turned and headed for her own quarters.

***

My fitful sleep was cut short several hours after I’d fallen onto my bed by the ship’s alarm, forcing me to take a deep breath, wipe my tears away, and hurry to the bridge.

“Computer, report!”

“We are under attack.”

“Who this time?”

“The Orion ship.” Damnit, I was sure I’d bought us more time than that, I thought as I braced myself.

“Computer, target their life support systems! Let’s see them try to fight while they’re suffocating!” Had I been in a better frame of mind, I might’ve been appalled at my own actions. Taking a life was not something I ever wanted to get used to, so I kept the confrontations to a minimum whenever possible. However, in this case, my raging mind assured me that the ends completely justified the means.

“Transfer all available power to the weapons! Make them pay!” I cried as the Ranger maneuvered into position and bore down on the already-damaged Orion ship. Just a few more kilometers and they’d be in weapons range and I could finish this…10…7…5…

“What the…” I muttered as a strange rift suddenly appeared just off the Orion’s port bow. I watched in confusion as a vessel emerged. At least, it looked like a vessel. It didn’t resemble anything I’d ever heard of or seen before. It resembled an enormous metal ribcage slanting forwards, with a pointed spade-like bow and purple clouds emanating from the stern, obscuring the rest of the ship. “Holy shit!” I exclaimed as a piercing red beam obliterated the Orion ship in a single shot, reducing it to a floating pile of slag.

“Warning. New contact has weapons lock. Recommend evasive maneuvers.”

Damnit, I thought as I tried to execute a plan to save our asses. Nothing I tried seemed to do any good; the strange ship just kept advancing. Finally, I collapsed into my chair and simply stared at the viewscreen as it approached.

“Cole…?” I whipped around to face the source of the voice.

“Trixie? What are you doing here?” I asked in a tone of panic. It was then that I noticed the glowing Alicorn Amulet around her neck. Even though I had never seen her take it off, this was the first time I’d ever seen it shine with such…intensity. So powerful was the light that it nearly blinded me. I did my best to shield my eyes as I slowly made my way over to her. As I neared, I caught the look of fear in the young mare’s eyes and when I was but a couple feet away, I gave her a small smile and held a hand out to her.

“Cole! What’s going on? I’m not…what’s happ…aaaaaaahhhh!” she cried out as a strange light encircled around her.

“Trixie! No! What are you doing?!” I demanded as she began to fade. I ran at the encircling light but was thrown back to the floor. I could only watch helplessly as she tried desperately to fight the intrusive beam, closing her eyes and concentrating as hard as she could in an effort to defeat it. My eyes widened as she cried out and vanished completely, leaving me alone on my bridge.

“TRIXIE!” I yelled, slamming my fist on the floor as I sank to my knees, nearly overcome with emotion. Fortunately, I didn’t let myself wallow for too long. After a few moments, I slowly returned to my feet and went over to my chair. “Computer, find her! Now! Full spectrum scan!”

“Acknowledged.” I waited with bated breath as the computer did a deep scan of all nearby objects. Finally, a beep signaled the end of its search. “Trixie is on the unknown ship.”

“Where is it going?”

“The vessel is on a course towards the rift.”

“Follow it!” I ordered as the unknown vessel headed back to the portal. As the damaged Ranger followed, I tried my best to gather my thoughts. They could’ve easily destroyed us just like the Orion ship…but they didn’t. I wondered if the Alicorn Amulet had anything to do with it. Maybe they sensed its energy properties and didn’t want to risk damaging it by destroying the ship carrying it. But if that was the case, then why take Trixie? Why not simply transport the Amulet itself?

A horrible notion came to mind. What if they…wanted Trixie as well? Were they collectors of unique or rare species, or slavers, or simply wanted something to experiment on? Whatever the case was, there was no way I was gonna let them get away with my friend.

“Warning. Spacial rift will collapse in 10 seconds.”

“Computer, route all available power to engines! Get us through that rift!” I gritted my teeth as we came face-to-face with the spacial anomaly. Setting any fear and apprehension aside, I took a deep breath as we entered the portal.

***

I didn’t know what to think as the Ranger emerged from the rift. The second we’d passed through the anomaly, my eyes beheld a sight that was simultaneously amazing and terrifying.

The dock-like structure was enormous, spanning so far away from a large central hub that it seemed to stretch on forever. The central hub itself resembled a massive dome composed of rib-like supports curving inward, shrouded in purple clouds, much like the mysterious ship, which was nowhere to be seen.

“Computer…what is this?” I mused as I gawked at the magnitude of the construct that took up most of the viewscreen.

“Origin unknown. Design does not match any known structure in any Federation database. It appears to be a large dock for vessels of many different configurations.”

“Get us closer. I’ve gotta get a look at this thing. While you’re at it, do a complete scan of the entire structure and its…tenants. I’m sure someone will find this information really useful.” The computer beeped, signalling the start of its scan as we approached the long line-up of ships. “Computer, how many ships are there connected to the docking structure?” I asked.

“There are 793 different vessels docked with this station.” I nearly did a double-take.

“Any Starfleet?”

“There are two Federation starships. U.S.S. Revere, Excelsior class, and U.S.S. Musashi, Sovereign class.”

“Any life-signs?”

“Negative.”

“Computer…” I paused as one particularly large Cube-like ship came into view. “…is that a Borg Cube?”

“Affirmative.”

“Any life-signs?”

“Negative.” I breathed a sigh of relief.

“Is there anyone alive on any of these ships?”

“Negative.”

“What about on the hub itself?”

“There are 793 unique life-signs.” I paused to consider the implications of the statement. Apparently, whoever had built the station intended to collect starship technology, the pinnacle of a specie’s development, and study it…without the consent of presence of the respective crews. My hand made a fist as I thought about all the individuals who had perished for the sake of such perverse research methodology and I hoped with all my might that Trixie was among the 793 that had been spared. There was only one way to find out.

“Computer, scan for any signs of Trixie.”

“Equestrian life-signs located. Unable to pinpoint exact location due to extreme level of shielding around the structure.”

“Transport her out of there!”

“Unable to acquire sensor lock due to extreme structural shielding.” I forced myself not to scream in frustration and managed to keep a cool head.

“Computer, are there any other ways into the hub?”

“There are personnel umbilical tubes on each ship dock that lead directly into the central structure.”

“Any signs of automated defenses or living defenders?”

“Unable to determine with current information.” I took a deep breath, knowing what question had to be asked.

“Is there a breathable atmosphere in the structure?”

“Affirmative.” I sighed with relief; not a lot but a little.

“Good. Park us as close to the hub as possible.”

***

I thanked my lucky stars that we found an open slot so close to the hub. Well, relatively close. I took a deep breath as I exited the Ranger and walked through one of the thousands of conduits connecting the structure to the other starships. I glanced out the long windows that lined the umbilical and felt my heart begin to race. To our left, a Romulan Scimitar and to my right, a Borg Cube. Not exactly ideal company but at least they weren’t trying to turn us into dust. Nevertheless, even a vacant Borg ship sent chills down my spine. I quickened my pace, checking if my tricorder had finished mapping out a route to the hub. Fortunately, the design was highly centralized and the only way to get to the center from the docks was direct path, meaning that at the very least, I wouldn’t get lost forever on an alien station 100 miles long.

I was also extremely lucky that the tricorder wasn’t picking anything up that might be less-than-hospitable station personnel. Nevertheless, I kept my hand phaser at the ready, just in case whatever lived on the station didn’t show up on the tricorder’s scans. That’s when I began to ponder the age of the station. The smooth, shiny, well-lit, and curving light-blue and white architecture suggested that it was quite new but something told me that it had been around for a long time, perhaps even before the creation of the Federation. With Trixie firmly on my mind, I could think of little else as I broke into a run down the long, straight corridor towards the hub. I hoped that by some miracle, she was okay. That and that alone was my greatest concern. Still…

“Computer, how old is this station?” I asked through my com-badge. I waited while the tricorder sent its own scans to the Ranger’s computer.

“Unknown, although carbon dating places the structure’s age at approximately 600 years old.”

“Holy shit,” I muttered.

After what felt like hours of walking, running, panting, and sweating, I arrived at the central hub. Or more precisely, the door between the docks and the hub. While the complete absence of any other doors had struck me as odd, the fact that the only one stood between me and my destination didn’t surprise me at all. Of course, the fact that it was the biggest and most solid-looking door that I had ever seen surprised me even less.

“How the Hell am I supposed to open this thing?” I mused as I examined the huge metal structure in front of me. I wandered up to the door and cautiously placed the tip of my finger against it. “Crikey!” I shouted as the door suddenly opened with a speed that provided a momentary blast of cool air. I dashed to one side and peeked around into the darkness within, phaser at the ready just in case I’d inadvertently woken up a hive.

Nothing. Nary a peep, save for a low hum, met my ears as I waited for the shit to hit the fan. I took a deep breath and slowly entered the room, hugging the wall as I scanned one last time. Judging my how long it took for the tricorder to create a cartographic representation of the room, the scale had to be absurd. From what the tricorder could tell, the room was one gigantic square with two ways in; one on my side and one on the opposite side. Great, I thought. More walking. Is this a rescue mission or a marathon?

I had little time to complain, though, as the room suddenly became lit. Dimly mind you but at least I could see reasonably well.

“What the…?” I murmured as I took in my new surroundings. The room was filled with tall transparent tubes that originated from a base on the floor and extended about 15 feet upwards, capped by a series of tubes that disappeared up towards the ceiling, the only part of the hub that remained shrouded in darkness. While I’d see a few advanced science labs before, my ship possessing a couple itself, I’d never heard of anything like this. I tried to walk quickly but my pace was slowed considerably by curiosity as I regarded the life-forms encapsulated within each tube. Although the grand majority were completely foreign to me, I did recognize a few.

“Romulan…Borg…Hirogen…Vulcan…Klingon…Cardassian…Bajoran…whoa, is that a…Devidian?” I stared in awe at the ghost-like being suspended by unknown means within the tube. “Let’s see…” I muttered as I continued. “Andorian…Reman…”

My ‘survey’ lasted for quite a while. I found that I could recognize one species roughly every 20 or so tubes and even after several hours of searching, I still had not located Trixie. Not even the tricorder could make heads or talks of the situation and complained of ‘too much unknown interference’, severely hindering my ability to find my friend. It would find her but only when I got close enough to cut through the interference. I was growing more impatient and more anxious at every tube. I needed something to happen, a clue, anything.

As these situations often go, I walked right into it, too deep in thought to watch where I was going. I rubbed my forehead and stepped back from the tube before I looked up…and gasped.

A child. A single human child suspended within the tube. She couldn’t have been more than seven or eight years old, possessing fair features and long auburn hair. Besides her age, I took note of another disturbing fact; her attire. They resembled mid-21st century children’s clothing and it made my mind race with questions. Who was she? Had whoever built this place actually abducted other aliens as early as pre-Federation? Judging by the age of the station, it was undeniable. I held the tricorder up with shaking hands and scanned the girl, sending the results to the Ranger for further study. Such is the role of a science ship, after all.

“Computer…” I hesitated, unsure of whether or not I wanted to hear the answer. “Is she alive?”

“Negative. Subject has been dead for exactly 468 years.” I felt my heart sink as the cold words stabbed at me. Whoever had built this monstrosity had to be stopped. It pained me to admit to myself that my meager resources could not but perhaps in the future, Starfleet could shut the place down. The fact that I had been scanning methodically for hours grabbing every bit of information I could mad me feel a little better as I offered her a minute of silence.

Moving on from that was tough and I found myself shaking as I continued to explore the horrible mausoleum. For about 40 minutes, I continued to weave my way through row after row of tubes, none of which contained my pony friend.

Then suddenly, in the middle of one of the last few rows, my tricorder began to beep. I followed it at a run as it led me to a specific tube, a tube that held what I had been so desperately searching for, a tube that I thought I might never find, a tube that held…her.

There she was, pale blue, hovering within the transparent cylinder as if in a trance, the Alicorn Amulet still around her neck. Her eyes were shut tight and I hoped with all my might that the mare was merely sleeping.

“Computer, is she alive?” The next few moments were the longest and most nerve-wracking of my life.

“Affirmative.” Had I been calm enough to even breathe a sigh of relief, it surely would’ve been gale-force.

“I need to get her out. What’s this tube made of?”

“Stand by.” I waited as the Ranger analyzed the tricorder’s material scans. “Alloy unknown. Scans suggest that a high-yield personal explosive device such as a phaser overload might damage the material enough to breach the container.”

“Will the explosion from an overloaded hand phaser hurt her?”

“Negative. The explosion will be too localized to cause injury. Simply reduce the splash setting before setting self-destruct sequence.”

It was good enough for me. I set my hand phaser to ‘Overload’ and narrowed the splash to the bare minimum. I set the countdown timer to 10 seconds, placed it against the base of the tube, and ran like Hell, taking refuge behind the nearest one.

There was a brief flash of orange as the weapon exploded. After making sure the disturbance hadn’t set anything off, I emerged from behind the tube to check my handiwork. My heart leapt as I beheld a gaping hole in the tube, more than large enough to mount a rescue. I ran to the tube and, minding the jagged edges stemming from the damaged portion of the tube, gently lifted Trixie up and out. Holding her close, I sat down on the floor; if I had to carry her out, I needed to be well-rested first. Fortunately, as I slowly stroked her mane, a small murmur escaped her and after a moment, her eyes slowly opened.

“You…you came for me…”

I wiped a tear from my eye and sniffed, hugging her even closer. She made no move to stop me, instead opting to wrap her front legs around my neck and return the gesture.

“Of course I did.”

“W…why?” I was taken aback at the question.

“What do you mean?”

“I…I said all those awful things to you,” she whispered, looking down at her hooves.

“Ssshh, that’s not important. Don’t worry about it,” I assured her. “I’m just glad that you’re okay.” She sniffed and looked up at me with tear-filled eyes.

“I’m…so sorry...that Trixie put you through all this.”

“Don’t worry, it wasn’t your fault. Don’t blame yourself.”

“Still…please forgive Trixie.” I offered her a small smile and ruffled her mane affectionately.

“I already have. Now come on, let’s get you out of here. Can you walk?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Follow me.” I instructed as we got up. “Computer, is there a closer vacant dock to our location?”

“Affirmative. Proceed out east entrance to Docking Bay 6.”

“Good. Set a course and meet us there ASAP.”

“Acknowledged. ETA 20 minutes.”

“Alright, let’s go,” I said as Trixie and I took off at a run towards the exit.

***

As we raced full-tilt towards the docking bay, I wondered what had happened to the showmare upon her capture. My tricorder scan showed nothing physically wrong with the mare; judging by the way she was running, it was like nothing had happened at all. While I was glad that nothing far worse hap transpired, my curiosity remained. That, however, could wait. For the time being, I had to focus on getting us back to the Alpha Quadrant.

Which brought me to my next problem; without an alien ship to open a spacial rift, I didn’t know if it was even possible to get back. This represented a major problem, a problem best solved in the relative safety of the Ranger. As we finally entered the docking section, I glanced out one of the long windows and managed a small smile as the Ranger cruised by and began to position itself next to a nearby docking umbilical.

“Proximity alert. There is an unknown vessel approaching, ETA 10 seconds.” My smile faded and Trixie looked up at me.

“What is it? Is there something coming?” she asked nervously.

“Yeah, the Ranger just told me another ship’s heading straight for us. We’ve gotta move,” I replied as we finally reached the umbilical. We wasted no time getting to the bridge, upon reaching which Trixie jumped onto the First Officer’s chair whilst I selected my usual, a the Captain’s seat. I hit a button and safety straps suddenly ran across our bodies, holding us snugly in our chairs. Trixie looked at me in surprise.

“Cole, what are you doing?”

“Just a precaution,” I explained as we maneuvered free of the docking structure. “If we get hit again, I don’t wanna go flying onto the metal floor at 100 miles an hour. Not again, anyway,” I muttered.

“Warning. There is a spacial rift opening off the port bow.” I looked over at the port viewscreen; sure enough, there it was, a pseudo lightning storm/purple cloud hybrid.

That’s when I had one of those nasty little things sometimes referred to as an ‘idea’.

“Computer! Take us directly into that rift!” I exclaimed.

“What? Are you crazy?” Trixie demanded as her cynical self returned with a vengeance. I was about to fly us through a spacial anomaly while another ship was attempting to enter from the other side. If I was right about my theory, we’d probably, maybe, kind of, perhaps, possibly, hopefully be okay. If I was wrong…that wasn’t important. The important thing was that I had a way to get us out…probably, maybe, kind of, perhaps, possibly, hopefully.

“Don’t worry! It’ll be like…squeezing past somebody to get through a door!” I explained as best I could.

“Yeah well that doesn’t work very well if the other person’s really fat!” Trixie countered.

“Hey, did you just call me ‘fat’?” I asked semi-seriously.

“Really? You’re gonna do this now!?”

“Okay!” I exclaimed, clapping my hands together loudly. “Computer, take us through on my mark! Three…” We watched as the rift suddenly expanded and the tip of a hull began to emerge.

“Two…” A little more revealed itself.

“One…” The emerging ship looked identical to the first and it was about halfway through when I took one last deep breath.

“Now!” With that, the Ranger’s impulse engines propelled us towards the rift. Trixie squeezed her eyes shut and I gritted my teeth as we zipped along the hull of the alien ship, so close that if I had rolled down one of the widows, I could’ve written ‘Cole was here’ on the hull with a Sharpie. Streams of energy whipped around us, violently jostling the ship as the Ranger fought to get through. Trixie kept her eyes firmly shut and even I wondered if my old sky bucket had enough in her to not be shaken apart by the incredible forces pelting it from every possible angle. Finally, there was an incredible flash and all was quiet.

***

“Ugh…are we dead?” The showmare’s groan was the first thing I heard upon slowly opening my eyes. “You killed us again, didn’t you?” I couldn’t help but smile as the safety belts disengaged.

“No, but I gave it my best shot,” I replied, sighing with relief that the Ranger and her passengers were still in one piece. “You can open your eyes now.” I heard another sigh, this time from the blue mare.

“How about that? Your plan actually worked!” Trixie exclaimed, giving me a smile.

“That’s ‘cause I’m a freakin’ boss!”

“Ha! Trixie wasn’t worried for a second!”

“I’ll take that as a compliment!”

“Better do that ‘cause that’s the only one Trixie’s ever going to give you! Hmmph!” I smiled at the sincerity hidden behind the smirk. I shrugged.

“I’ll take it. Computer, where are we?” I asked.

“Sierra Sector, Alpha Centauri Sector Block.” I did a small fist-pump.

“What is it?” Trixie asked.

“Apparently, that little ‘detour’ actually brought us closer to Starbase 39. We’re only a few hours away, assuming my baby’s got enough in her to make the trip. That adventure of ours really took a lot outta her.” Which brought me to my next order of business. “Computer, give me a full damage report.”

“Weapons are off-line. Long-range scanners are off-line. Shields down to eight percent. Plasma conduits two and three have ruptured. Hull breaches on Decks 5 and 6. Emergency force-fields are holding.” I face-palmed; I’d had a feeling that it would be ugly but not to that extent. We had to get to a Starbase fast.

“It’s bad isn’t it?” Trixie said flatly.

“Yep.”

“How long will it take to get to Starbase 39?”

“Good question. Computer, do we have warp?”

“Affirmative. Power drain has been dealt with.”

“Good. How fast can we go?”

“Primary systems have sustained too much damage to exceed Warp 2.3 without breaching matter-antimatter containment.”

“Well, at least that’s something. Computer, lay in a course for Starbase 39 and step on it.”

“Acknowledged.” I breathed a sigh of relief as the ship jumped to warp, bringing us closer to our destination and hopefully out of trouble for a while.

“Well, I don’t know about you,” I declared as I got up from my chair. “But I could sure for some chow. Care to accompany me to the mess hall? I think there’s a bowl of Crispy Chex with your name on it.” As if answering my question, Trixie’s stomach gurgled, prompting her to blush. I smiled. “Come on, let’s grab a bite.”

***

Acting Captain’s log, Stardate…why do I even bother with this? Anyway, we’re less than six hours away from the Starbase, which is good news because I could literally throw a rock at the hull and the whole thing would fall apart like a Jenga tower after 20 turns. Trixie’s napping right now and as soon as I’m done this log, I’m gonna take a page from her book and do the same. I’m exhausted. I’ve told the computer to wake me when we reach the Starbase but not a second before.

I’ve deliberately held off asking Trixie anything about what happened. It’s not that I’m not concerned for her but I feel that I should wait for a more appropriate time. I think we could use some time away from the insanity for a while. I wonder how she’d like Risa. I’ll do some research later and firm up some details. For now, I’m just glad to have her back safe and sound.

I’m also intrigued by the station we encountered. Fortunately, I managed to collect quite a bit of data and I’ve got the computer cross-referencing my information against all known cultural databases, including those said to be extinct. It’s just a funny feeling but one of the lessons I’ve learned over the years is to trust my gut and right now, my gut is telling me to find out as much as I can about those aliens and give that information over to Starfleet immediately. I’ve made that a top priority when we get to Starbase 39. (End recording)

I yawned and got into my bed, grateful that my sleeping area hadn’t been wiped out in the chaos like the weapons and shields. Phasers and shield emitters were one thing but the perfect pillow was quite another. Losing that would’ve probably driven me over the edge. I smiled and snuggled into the bed.

“Computer, lights off.”

***

“Cole?” Trixie asked quietly, poking her head through the door to his quarters. “Cole?” Convinced that he was sound asleep, she crept over to his bed, pleased that as usual, the door had been unlocked. She took a deep breath and leaned down to his sleeping face.

“Thanks for everything.” she whispered, planting a soft kiss on his cheek.

Along Came a Spider Part I

View Online

Acting Captain’s log, Stardate ‘screw you, I’m not learning how that crap works’. We’ve finally reached Starbase 39 and just in time, too. I don’t think we could’ve gone another light-year without something else falling apart. That fight with the Orions really did a number on the ole’ girl, although I’m confident that a few days on the station will do us all some good.

I have also decided to get my life on track. Instead of simply gallivanting all over the quadrant looking for menial work and table scraps, I have elected to hand in my resume to Starfleet and apply for a courier position. As much as I value my independence, I also value the perks that come with working for one of the largest interstellar organizations around. A job with Starfleet means guaranteed credits, repair and resupply whenever we need, and most importantly, safety. Starfleet looks after those in its employment very well, a perk that Trixie will undoubtedly like when I tell her. By becoming a courier, I still retain quite a bit of freedom to move around, allowing Trixie to perform pretty much wherever we go, should she decide to. (End recording)

“Come in!” I called from my desk as the door chime rang. “I’m almost ready to go, just putting the finishing touches on my resume,” I added as Trixie entered.

“How does it look?” she asked, walking over to look at it.

“It’s not bad…” I mused, grabbing my light jacket from the back of my chair. “I haven’t made a resume in a very long time so I’m a little out of practice.”

“Do you think it’ll be enough to get the job?” Normally, anything resembling concern or pragmatism coming from Trixie would warrant Red Alert but after expressing her support for my endeavor, I had no reason to worry.

“It might be,” I replied as Trixie levitated the pad up to me whilst we departed. “At least, I hope so. That would solve a lot of problems, wouldn’t it?”

“As long as it helps Trixie reach fame and fortune, you can do whatever you want,” the showmare answered with a cocky grin. I chuckled.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

***

Like most other Federation Starbases, 39 Sierra was absolutely massive. In similar fashion to Earth Starbase, Sierra resembled a gigantic metal mushroom with a very long stem and a city built atop the cap. The station could hold a lot of space-faring vessels of many different configurations simultaneously and I hoped that they would have room in the cavernous repair bays for my little starship.

The fact that Trixie wasn’t impressed by the scale or sophistication didn’t surprise me. Having come from a much smaller and less dense population center, she wasn’t the most comfortable mare when it came to large places or crowds. I had asked her about that one day.

“Cities and crowds at Trixie’s shows are a different story,” she informed me. “When she’s on stage, there could be a million ponies watching all around me and it wouldn’t matter. Ah, such is the life of somepony as Great and Powerful as myself!”

Yeah, something like that.

Despite the sheer size of the installation, it didn’t take us long to find the Starfleet Employment & Enlistment office. Once there, I handed the datapad containing my resume to an Andorian ensign and was soon sent on my merry way to our next stop-Engineering. I breathed a sigh of relief as a cheerful Commander assured us that repair work on the Ranger would begin within the next few hours. Hearing that got rid of a heavy burden and I felt better knowing that my precious ship was in capable hands.

“Well that was a lucky break, huh?” I asked as Trixie and I left the Engineering department. “I remember during the Dominion War trying to get even simple routine work done. With all the Starfleet, Klingon, and Romulan ships in the war effort, there wasn’t much room for us…well, whatever you’d call me.”

“Dominion…War?” Trixie asked. I could see the discomfort written all over her face and immediately apologized.

“Sorry. I know you don’t like hearing about fights. I’ll try my best to keep anything like that to myself from now on.”

“Thanks. After her last…encounter in Ponyville and everything we’ve been through, Trixie isn’t exactly the biggest fan of conflict.”

“I hear ya,” I agreed. “I’m getting pretty sick of it myself. Hopefully, after the Ranger’s all patched up, we’ll be able to stay out of trouble, huh?” The showmare nodded.

“Trixie hopes so.” We walked in silence for a bit, working through oncoming foot-traffic on our way to the civilian decks for some food and well-deserved R&R. “By the way, did you talk to the…”

“…Captain?” I guessed, pretty sure I knew what she was about to ask.

“Yeah, the captain. Did you give him the information you gathered from the alien station?”

“The lady at the desk managed to make an appointment. Apparently, things have been nice and slow ‘round here lately. That’s probably how I was able to get the Ranger fixed so quickly. I’m gonna meet him in four days.”

“So, until then…Trixie can relax?” I nodded.

“You bet, although it’ll be closer to a week before the Ranger’s back to full strength. In the meantime, have you thought about doing some shows here? Even though there’s not much going on, I’ll bet that there’ll be a few weary starship crews in need of some top-notch entertainment that only a mare with your talents can provide…” I smiled and gave the blue mare a gentle nudge. She gave me an odd look. “Sorry, that probably sounded really bad.” Trixie rolled her eyes.

“To answer your question, yes, Trixie plans to amaze as many crowds as she can while we’re here. Otherwise, I’d be bored out of my tree.”

“That’s a good reason, too.”

“Oh, and because money.”

“Ah, of course.” I nodded sagely. I grabbed at my stomach as it suddenly growled at me. “Oh man, I don’t know about you but I’m freakin’ starving. Feel like grabbing a bite?”

“Trixie has a figure to maintain, in case you haven’t noticed. Nopony wants to watch a fat showmare, after all.” Her stomach disagreed and loudly voiced its displeasure, causing her cheeks to redden. “Maybe just a bite,” she added sheepishly.

“I thought you might,” I replied with a grin. “So…what do you feel like? Restaurant or replicator?”

“You can’t be serious. All Trixie eats is replicated food! No, that won’t do this time! Trixie needs something new, something fresh, something delicious to cleanse her Great and Powerful palate!” She held a hoof up to her chin and surveyed the large dining deck, studying the dozens of different choices. Many Alpha Quadrant races had food stands on the Starbase, something like a galactic food court. With that, of course, came several different dining tiers for those more affluent than others. Just because the Federation didn’t use money in the traditional sense, didn’t mean that no one else did. Thus, there were dining choices for those with and for those without currency and as one might expect, the most extravagant ones required latinum or copious amounts of credits. “Something like…” she continued. “…that!” she finished, pointing excitedly at the swankiest place on the deck and most likely the station itself. “An establishment of that caliber is exactly what Trixie needs!”

“Y’know, I actually like Ferengi snail steaks,” I declared. “I don’t like the Ferengi themselves but I’ve gotta admit that they’ve got some tasty snails.”

“Were you even listening to Trixie?”

“Yep.”

“And?”

“And you’re crazy! We can’t afford to eat there! These repairs are gonna eat up most of our credits as it is.”

“‘We’? Speak for yourself,” Trixie replied haughtily. “You may be a peasant at the moment but the Great and Powerful Trixie has more than enough to enjoy a proper meal!”

“Yeah, for now,” I cautioned. “You’ve gotta remember how hard you worked for that and what we went through to earn it. Do you honestly think that blowing it on one dinner is the best way to use it? I know you’re sick of replicated food and believe me, so am I. Still, there’s a lot of places here to get a good fresh meal. Why don’t we keep checking places out until we find one that’s good and budget-friendly?” Trixie gave me a sour look.

“Fine…” she replied with a pout.

“Good. Anyone ever tell you you’re cute when you pout like that?” I added, gently scratching behind one of her ears.

“H…hey! Where did that come from?” the showmare protested, trying in vain to hold off a blush.

“That was for calling me a ‘peasant’!” I exclaimed with a chuckle. “In case you’ve forgotten, the only reason I’m poor is because I’ve got a ship to maintain. A ship that both you and I live in. Actually, on that note, dinner’s on you, right?” I laughed at the ridiculousness of the statement, knowing that Trixie would rather go planking strapped atop the Ranger whilst traveling through a temporal rift.

“Okay.”

I stopped mid-chortle.

“Sorry, didn’t catch that.”

“Trixie…wouldn’t mind paying this time.” To say I was merely pleasantly surprised would be an understatement. “What? Is that so weird?” she asked, seeing the incredulous expression on my face.

“No, not at all!” She narrowed her eyes at me. “Okay, fine. I just…wasn’t expecting that.”

“Well, don’t get used to it,” she replied indignantly, tossing her head. “Trixie has no plans to make that a regular occurrence.” Oh brother, I thought, resisting the urge to face-palm and ruin the moment.

“You’re tsundering again!” I responded in a light sing-song voice.

“I…Trixie is not tsundering!” she hissed. “Stop saying that she is!”

“Then stop doing it!”

“Just shut up and pick a restaurant!”

“Ooh, letting me choose now, huh? This just keeps getting better and better!”

“Trixie will end you!”

***

“You are aware that every time I catch you tsundering, I’m gonna call you out on it, right?”

“Just shut up and eat,” Trixie mumbled, levitating another forkful of Andorian green salad into her mouth while I enjoyed another bite of snail steak. I know that it sounds gross but it actually had the texture and taste of really, really tender beef. I realize that they probably seasoned it to taste more appealing to local palates; needless to say, I was rather enjoying my first non-replicated meal in quite some time and from the look of her empty plate, Trixie was too.

“Good salad?” I asked.

“Trixie finds it…satisfactory.”

“Good enough for me. Hey, how about desert?” I suggested. “I spotted a cool-looking place on our way here that sells all kinds of traditional Earth deserts. I’m sure I could find at least one to help you wash down that salad.”

“Sure.” Trixie replied as our waiter returned. True to her word, the blue mare took the waiter’s datapad and paid, even leaving a tip. “Shall we go?” I smiled, seeing her rarely-seen friendly disposition begin to surface. I guess a good meal what just what the doctor ordered after all; I know I felt batter at least.

“You bet. Somewhere on this deck is a pastry with my name on it.”

Later…

“Om nom nom nom nom…” I grinned as I watched Trixie eagerly munching on a hot, fresh strawberry turnover. There times when I loved being right, and this was definitely one of those times. She had been skeptical at first but as soon as the delicious smell of fresh pastry reached her nose, the showmare had practically raced towards the small café.
At first, Trixie had opted for an apple turnover but eventually decided on a fruit she’d never tried before; the God-tier of berries, the one and only strawberry. Combine that with some of the finest pastry available this side of the Neutral Zone and you had a desert that the blue mare simply couldn’t get enough of. It wasn’t until her third one that she remembered to ‘watch her figure’. I myself settled on a traditional Swiss Roll, having quite liking for Swiss chocolate cake and real whipped cream. Between the company and the food, it was the perfect way to wrap up our first night on Starbase 39.

“Had enough?” I asked as Trixie levitated a napkin to her muzzle and wiped it clean.

“Trixie is…quite pleased.”

“Hmm, from the way you were scarfing down those turnovers, I’d say you were more than just ‘pleased’.”

“Okay, okay! You were right! They were one of the most delicious things Trixie has ever eaten. Happy?” she finished with a mock glare.

“Yep!” I exclaimed, leaning back into my chair. A couple moments went by, during which the showmare looked at me with a quizzical, scrutinizing expression. “What?”

“You’ve got some…cream on your face…” she said quietly.

“Oh? Heh heh, whoops. Guess I was enjoying that desert even more than I thought, huh? I’ll just take care of that…”

“No! I mean…Trixie can get that for you…” she replied, quietly again as if embarrassed.

“Alright, if you really want to,” I answered with a shrug.

What happened next was easily one of the most unexpected moments of our time together thus far, which by the way, includes the Mirror Universe Incursion, the Orion raids, and our little jaunt to the space station in the middle of that spacial rift. Instead of simply levitating a napkin over and wiping the small dollop off my cheek, she leaned forward and softly licked it away, making a slow pass with her soft tongue. While it felt very pleasant, I wasn’t sure what to think. I didn’t even think of what the other patrons or onlookers might’ve thought but I didn’t really care. I was too busy trying to figure out why she had selected such an intimate way of accomplishing a task that could’ve been performed with a napkin. As if sensing my confusion, Trixie took a step back and looked to the side.

“Y…you kept talking about how good it was. I…Trixie, just wanted…to try some…for herself,” she stammered, clearly embarrassed at her own daring, and in public no less. It had to be customary for Equestrian ponies to assist each other with their personal grooming or something. I’d heard about how pegasus ponies would help preen each other’s wings; this must’ve been the same thing but for earth ponies and unicorns.

“Well, I can’t blame you, although you could’ve just told me if you wanted one. I may be poor but a Swiss Roll for a friend is definitely in the realm of possibilities.” I offered.

“Y…you don’t have to…”

“I want to. Come to think of it, do they have chocolate on your world?” Trixie nodded. “Well then, this’ll be a perfect opportunity to see how Earth chocolate stacks up against Equestrian chocolate. I’ll be right back.” With that, I went over to the counter and a few moments later, returned with two more of the chocolate treats. “Ready to go?”

“Trixie is if you are.”

“You bet. Let’s go check in with the Doctor and see how those repairs are coming along.”

***

“What do you mean we can’t go in?” I asked as reached the Ranger’s repair bay.

“I mean you can’t go in,” the Engineer replied as he went back to button-pushing on the console next to the large window through which we could see the Ranger surrounded by gantries and robotic arms, all working diligently to fix her up. “There was extensive damage to the power couplings, relays, plasma conduits, and that’s just the minor damage. 40 percent of the hull needs new plating, 60 percent of the ship needs new superstructure, you need a new starboard nacelle, your phaser banks are kaput, the shield emitter’s fried, half the turbolifts are fused from plasma scoring, and your warp core’s had it.” He wiped his brow. “I’ve never seen anything like this before in my life.”

“Oh man, I knew it was bad but…level with me here,” I replied nervously. “She’s gonna be okay, right? I mean, you can fix this, can’t you?”

“Relax, we’ll get it done,” the Engineer assured me. “This Starbase is home to some of the most sophisticated starship repair and augmentation equipment around. Something like this is no sweat for this station’s repair systems.”

“I’m glad to hear it. So…why can’t I go in again?”

“In order to properly repair your damaged power systems, we had to shut practically everything down.”

“Guess we’ll need some accommodations, huh?” I asked, turning to Trixie.

“If you need a place to stay, just head over to the Starbase quartermaster. He’ll get you both settled in.” the Engineer explained.

“Thanks, we’ll head right over there,” I said. “Shall we go? There’s not much we can do here.”

“Yes, we should probably find somewhere to spend the night,” Trixie agreed. “And somewhere for Trixie to prepare for her shows.”

“Yeah, now that we don’t have access to the Ranger’s holodecks,” I mused. Although averse to using them at first, the showmare soon found them quite useful. With a holodeck, she had access to a reasonably realistic audience and a venue. Everything else, she provided for herself. “I’m pretty sure a station this big will have a holodeck or two for you to practice on.” I turned to the Engineer. “Can I access datafiles from the Ranger’s computer?”

“As a precaution, we transferred your ship’s data to our own database. You can access anything you want from that console,” the Engineer explained, pointing to another nearby console.

“Thanks. By the way, I didn’t catch your name.”

“Commander Richards, Chief Engineer of Starbase 39 Sierra.”

“Cole Stevens,” I replied, shaking his hand. “And this is my companion, Trixie.”

“Ah, so the rumors are true,” Richards replied, kneeling down to the showmare. He extended his hand and to my surprise, Trixie shook it. “When I heard that there was an actual Equestrian among us, I have to say that I was skeptical. Personally, I was unaware that an Equestrian had yet made it this far away from their homeworld.”

“As far as we know, Trixie’s the only one,” I answered.

“Well, from the looks of your ship, it must’ve been an interesting trip.”

“You could say that. Thanks again for looking after us, Commander. Ready to go?” I inquired of the blue mare. She nodded. “I’ll drop by later tomorrow to check up on her.”

“Right. See you then.”

***

“About time!” Trixie declared as we entered our room. “Trixie was growing weary of trotting about this metal monstrosity!”

“You and me both,” I replied as the door slid shut behind us. “I don’t know about you but I’m exhausted. Let’s get some shuteye.”

“For once, Trixie agrees,” the showmare added as we looked about for the other bed.

Awkward silence.

“Um…” I mused. “Is it just me or…”

“Why is there only one bed?” Trixie demanded. “Why did that officer think we only needed one bed?”

“I dunno, maybe he thought you were my pet or something,” I answered with a shrug.

“Wh…why would he…what did he…a PET!?” she yelled, forcing me to cover my ears.

“Well, you were pretty quiet at the office,” I offered. “And don’t forget that you’re new around here. Not everyone knows who the Equestrians are. Or maybe he just thought we were a couple or something.”

“A…WHAT?” I covered my ears as another audible onslaught washed over me. “The Great and Powerful Trixie is nobody’s pet and she could certainly do better than you!” She looked over at me as I gave her a confused expression.

“Not sure if tsundering…”

“TRIXIE IS NOT TSUNDERING!”

***

“Begin night watch,” Captain Wright exclaimed as he stepped onto the Starbase’s bridge before heading to the replicator for some much-needed caffeine. The lights dimmed and bathed the large control centre in a warm blue glow, signaling that night watch had begun. Grabbing his coffee, the captain did a quick walkabout, ensuring that everyone’s stations were operating normally, before returning to his chair. Thus far, the week had been rather uneventful; very few starships had approached for help. In fact, the only one that had within the last couple of days was docked in the new Repair and Augmentation facility, where it was undergoing some much-needed work.

Wright had always made a point of knowing the intimate details of the goings-on aboard his station. As such, he knew very well who the owner of the small Nova-class was along with its intriguing passenger. He almost didn’t believe it at first; although the princesses had accepted the Federation and allowed Starfleet a research base on their world, the Equestrians had never expressed an interest in interstellar travel. That begged the question; what was one of their own doing so far from her homeworld? It was strange yet encouraging; Wright saw great potential in the Equestrians and hoped that someday, they would realize their potential and enlighten themselves by traversing the galaxy.

The captain chuckled at his own idealism. He’d been in Starfleet too long; the organization’s lofty ideals had long since made his head their summer home. For the time being, all he could hope for was that someday, he’d personally receive a docking request from an Equestrian vessel. Huh, that’ll be the day, he thought as he got up to stretch his legs.

“Sir? I’m picking up something strange on the proximity sensors,” an ensign informed him.

“What is it, Ensign?” Wright asked as he made his way over to the sensor terminal.

“I don’t know, sir. There’s nothing…wait a second, I’m getting more readings. It looks like some kind of spacial anomaly. It’s generating a massive amount of gravimetric particles!”

“You mean…something’s coming through?” Wright asked amid the anxious chatter around him.

“I think so, sir!”

“Bring it up on the viewscreens!” The viewscreens flickered to life and Wright beheld the massive panoramic view of the space around 39 Sierra. “Isolate it!” A reticule appeared around a rapidly-expanding orange ‘tear’ in the space a mere 50 kilometers from the Starbase. “Magnify, times four!”

At once, there was a collective gasp as the crew witnessed the emergence of dozens of elongated pyramid-shaped vessels.

“Sir, something’s jamming our communications!” another officer cried from her station.

“Red Alert! Tell all Starfleet ships to repel attackers!” Wright exclaimed as everyone worked frantically.

“Sir! The Merrimack and the Cygnus have been destroyed! There aren’t any more ships in the area!” another reported. Wright slammed his fist against another console.

“Damnit, already!? Route all available power to the shields! Keep those things out at all costs! Send a station-wide alert! With the exception of Starfleet personnel, everyone is to return to their quarters and stay put until this is over!” the captain ordered.

“Attention all Starfleet personnel, report to stations immediately and await further orders. All civilian personnel are instructed to return to their assigned quarters until…” The Lieutenant’s message was cut off by the sudden appearance of an alien face on every viewscreen on the station, accompanied by a text-based message.

Your base is now under the jurisdiction of the Tholian Assembly. Surrender peacefully and submit to us. Be correct; we do not tolerate deceit.

“Well, they don’t want much, do they?” Wright mused as the station shook.

“Sir, why have the Tholians attacked us? We haven’t had any contact with the Assembly in 30 years.” another crewman asked.

“I don’t know but I’m damned if I’m going to lose this station to them,” Wright replied gruffly. “Order all Security teams to prepare for possible boarding parties and contact Chief Engineer Richards; tell them to keep our shields and hull integrity up no matter what. Keep trying to get a message through their interference. They’re not getting my station.”

“Yes sir!”

***

“Wake up!” Trixie yelled, rousing me from my slumber.

“Aaaaack!” I shouted in shock as I sat bolt-upright just in time to feel the entire station shake. “What the Hell’s going on?”

“You tell me!”

“Are we…are we under attack?” I asked of no one in particular.

“Attention all Starfleet personnel; prepare to repel boarders. Repeat, prepare to repel boarders. All civilians should proceed to Engineering decks. Repeat, all civilians proceed to Engineering decks.”

“I guess that answers my question,” I muttered as I hurriedly dressed myself. “Come on, let’s go!” I exclaimed, signalling for Trixie to follow me. “And stay close this time! I don’t want to lose you in the crowd!” Remembering all-too-well what happened last time she didn’t heed his warning, Trixie made a mental note to stick to me like glue.

“Why did they tell us to go to Engineering?” Trixie asked as she raced alongside myself and several others.

“It’s the safest place on the station,” I explained. “Along with the repair facilities, Engineering is buried deep within the Starbase. That way, there’ll be a lot of armor between us and whoever’s attacking.”

“So we’re just supposed to duck down and wait for someone to rescue us?” Trixie inquired, clearly unhappy with the plan.

“That sounds about right. With any luck, Starfleet will already know we’re in trouble and is bringing the cavalry as we speak.”

“With any luck?” I couldn’t blame Trixie for her frustration; we just couldn’t catch a break. I took a deep breath.

“Look, I know you’re upset and believe me, I am too and when we got out of this, we’re taking the most epic vacation ever but for now, we’ve gotta obey the safety protocols.” She stopped and looked up at me, her expression laden with uncertainty. I knelt down and gently held her shoulders. “I’m not asking you to trust them, I’m asking you to trust me. Have I ever let you down?”

“No. No you haven’t.” Trixie quietly conceded.

“Then come with me and I promise we’ll get out of this just fine,” I encouraged, hoping that I could deliver on such a claim.

We eventually reached the Engineering section of the station. Thankfully, the vast section was more than adequate to house the displaced civilians and I hoped that the brave Starfleet defenders were having as much luck as we were. It is was also fortunate that Trixie and I wound up very close to the Ranger’s repair bay and I was relieved to see that the grand majority of the repairs were already finished.

“Commander Richards!” I exclaimed, sighting the black and yellow-clad officer. He and several other Engineering personnel looked up.

“Mr. Stevens! Glad you could make it,” he replied. “I’d love to chat with you but we’ve got a bit of a situation here!”

“I see that! Is there anything we…” I paused and looked over at Trixie. “…anything I can do to help?” I asked, moving to join the other staff. I felt a tug on my jacket and looked down to see an annoyed yet determined showmare.

“Trixie wants to help, too...”

“Really?” I admonished.

“Yes! Is that so hard to believe?”

“Y’know, it’s actually not,” I replied with a grateful smile. “Commander! Cole Stevens and Trixie reporting for duty!” I exclaimed with a salute.

“Trust me, as much as I could use a hand, you’re not exactly trained Engineers,” Richards replied as he frantically pushed some more buttons.

“I realize that but there’s gotta be something we can do!” Richards paused and thought about it.

“Who am I to refuse an extra hand? Alright, get over to that station and tell me if the deflector power level exceeds tolerable limits!”

“Right!” I shouted as I ran to the console with Trixie in tow. The job itself wasn’t difficult; after all, I’d been monitoring ship functions on the Ranger since day one and this was no different.

“What is Trixie to do?” the showmare asked urgently. That was a tough one. I thought about it as I gazed around the deck when something caught my attention. A group of frightened children sat against one of the tall wall-like windows between Main Engineering and the hangar. It gave me an idea.

“Trixie, you see those kids out there?” I asked, pointing out towards them. “They look pretty scared but I’ll bet some cool magic tricks would make them feel a lot better. Actually, if you wouldn’t mind entertaining the entire crowd, a show might calm everyone down, doncha think?” I suggested. Trixie nodded immediately.

“Trixie will do her best.” I nodded and ruffled her ears; she was nervous but stoic and I felt a real sense of pride as she left to undertake her mission of crowd control.

“Captain on deck!” someone exclaimed, prompting everyone in Main Engineering to salute. The man in red offered them a quick salute/wave and hurried over to Richards.

“Mr. Richards, how long will the shield keep them out?”

“We’ve got about six hours…” An explosion from somewhere interrupted him. “…five hours until the shields collapse.”

“Have you figured out a way to get a message out?”

“Negative, the Tholians are still jamming everything we try.”

“Damn! I need options, Commander!”

“I know that, sir, and we’re working on them but they caught us with our trousers down. We’re gonna be hard-pressed to mount any kind of resistance.”

“If we could only get a message through,” the Captain exclaimed in frustration. “Starfleet would boot those arachnid bastards back into whatever web they crawled out of!”

It was then that I had another one of those awful things sometimes referred to as an ‘idea’.

“What about a ship?” I asked, surprising the two officers.

“What did you say?” the captain asked.

“I said, what about a ship? If we could get a ship through that fleet out there, they could make a run for the nearest Federation base and get help!”

“We don’t have any ships right now,” Richards explained. The only Starfleet vessels around were the Merrimack and the Cygnus and they were both destroyed outright.”

“Then what about…” I mused, looking over at the newly-repaired Ranger. Richards followed my gaze and his eyes widened as he realized what I meant.

“Are you insane? That’s a Nova-class, not a battle cruiser! You wouldn’t make it 200 kilometers!”

“What is he talking about?” Captain Wright asked.

“Sir, this young man has just volunteered to run the Tholian blockade and mount a rescue! I know it sounds like a great idea and it is but the fact of the matter is that his ship just isn’t equipped for a mission like that! He would not survive.” Captain Wright placed a hand on my shoulder.

“I appreciate the thought, son, but I can’t ask you to take a risk like that, especially when the odds of success are practically zero.” A particularly hard shock threw us to the floor.

“Sir! Power relays have ruptured in Junctions A, B, and E! Shields are down to 65 percent!” someone cried.

“They just cut our time in half, didn’t they?” I asked. Richards nodded. I turned to the captain. “Look, I know the risks; I’m no stranger to them.” Especially lately, I thought. “The Ranger might not be very tough but she’s pretty quick.”

“Even if you’re faster than the Tholians, it wouldn’t take much of a shot to disable you,” Richards countered. “Unless…” Both the captain and I leaned closer, anxious to hear what the Engineer had in mind.

“Unless…what?” I ventured. Richards glanced at the captain.

“Sir. Permission to disclose classified technical data?” My eyes widened as Wright gave me a visual once-over.

“Proceed.”

“Mr. Stevens, what you are about to see is classified Starfleet information. Should you at any time disclose any of the following details to anyone who does not possess the necessary Starfleet clearance, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent. Is that clear?” I took a deep breath.

“Yes sir!” It was Richard’s turn to take a deep breath.

“Then come with me.” With that, he led us to a more secluded part of the Engineering deck, a small office to be exact with a large holo-projector in the middle of the room. I heard the door close behind us and as the lights dimmed, Richards directed our attention to the projector. “After our encounters with the Borg, we began an ambitious project that we hoped would be able to defend us more effectively against them and any other race, faction, or species that meant to do us harm. We called it…the Aegis.”

“The Aegis…” he continued, activating the central holo-projector. “…is a starship modification set composed of three pieces of modular equipment designed for superior performance during space combat operations.” With that, the projector lit up, displaying the components as 3D models, complete with animated demonstrations. “The first is a highly specialized Covariant Shield Array, a little something we borrowed from the Collective. Basically, it is an extremely resilient shield that quickly adapts to whatever energy type is attacking it, much like a Borg ship. The second is the Hyper-Impulse Engine, designed for superior speed and maneuverability. Last but certainly not least is a sophisticated Graviton Deflector Array that adds even more shield strength, increasing recharge rate and speed. With these equipped, it is conceivable that you would survive running the Tholian blockade.”

“I’m sold,” I replied almost immediately. “This is the most incredible gear I’ve ever seen and believe me, I’ve seen a few things. If you throw that on the Ranger, I’ll make a break for the border and have reinforcements here before the Tholians can say “oh shit”.” Richards sighed and turned to the captain.

“Sir…permission to equip his starship with the Aegis Modification.” After a pause, Wright nodded.

“Permission granted.”

***

Acting captain’s log, supplemental. According to Chief Engineer Richards, it’s only taken about a couple of hours to equip the Ranger with the Aegis technology. I know it doesn’t sound like a long time but during a battle, two hours is an eternity. At least they’re pretty much done. While I’m obviously psyched about it, the fact remains that I’ve got a Hell of a task in front of me. I hope I haven’t bit off more than I can chew.

I wonder how Trixie’s gonna react when I tell her what I’m up to. I hope she doesn’t want to go with me. Ha, who am I kidding? She’ll wanna stay in the safest place and right now, the Starbase most definitely is. Even if the Tholians did manage to break in, the emergency force fields and small army of Starfleet security would keep them busy for quite some time. Heh, there she is with some more kids…wow, she’s actually drawn a sizeable crowd! Good for her. I’m really proud of how she’s been progressing lately. When we got out of this, I’m gonna reward her with the vacation of a lifetime and I don’t care how many plasma conduits I have to scrub to pay for it. Trixie’s totally worth it. (End recording)

“Cole, what’s going on?” Trixie asked as I gently took her aside, much to the chagrin of her audience. “Don’t worry, for the Great and Powerful Trixie will soon return!” she assured them as I led her to the projector room for some privacy. I took a deep breath.

“Remember when I said that I wanted to help in any way I can?”

“Yes?” Another deep breath.

“Well, Captain Wright, Engineer Richards, and I have a plan to deal with the Tholians but they need me an’ the Ranger to pull it off.”

“You’re not…you’re not seriously thinking of going out there, are you?” Trixie asked in a hushed yet worried tone.

“Guess you got that, huh?” I asked with a helpless smile.

“You can’t go out there!” the showmare insisted. “It’s too dangerous!”

“Look, what if I told you that I have a way to pretty much guarantee my survival?”

“I don’t care! You’re not going out there!”

“I know that it sounds scary and believe me, it is, but I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t think it would work. This plan could save a lot of people, Trixie, including your little groupie friends out there.”

“I…I don’t care! Trixie…doesn’t want you to go…” she sniffed, letting her gaze fall to the cold metal floor. I knelt down before her and gently placed my hand on her head, slowly petting her silvery mane.

“I know you don’t, but I need you to be strong right now. I know you can be, Trixie. I’ve seen it.”

“But…fine, then Trixie’s coming with you!” I shook my head.

“No. Not this time.”

“Yes she is!”

“Trust me, right now this station’s the safest place for you to be.”

“B…but…”

“I’ll be okay, Trixie, I promise!” I offered her the most confident smile I could muster under the circumstances, although it diminished as a tear rolled down the showmare’s cheek. I gently wiped it away before firmly embracing her. She returned the gesture, wrapping both front legs around me and hugging me with all her might. We stayed glued to one another for several silent minutes before I slowly pulled away, leaving her to stare at me with heartrending and tear-filled eyes.

“Please…come back safely.” she whispered, nuzzling the side of my face.

“I will.” With that, I stood up, Trixie wiped her tears away, and we returned to Main Engineering where both the captain and chief engineer were waiting for me.

“The Aegis set has been successfully integrated into the Ranger’s systems. She’s ready to go when you are,” Richards said as we entered.

“Alright. I guess this is it, then.” I nodded at Trixie, who paused before nodding back.

“Good. Now, one thing you need to know is that the Aegis set is designed to integrate seamlessly into your existing systems, therefor requiring no operational knowledge beyond what you already have. Good luck, Mr. Stevens.” Richards concluded, shaking my hand.

“We can’t thank you enough, son,” Captain Wright added, shaking my hand as well. “When this is all over, the Kanar is on me.”

“Sounds good, sir. I’ll be back before you know it.”

“Ensign, prepare to transport Mr. Stevens to his ship.”

“Aye sir. Ready on your command.” I took a deep breath, taking one last look around. My gaze lingered on a certain blue pain in my ass. I smiled at her and nodded towards Richards.

“Let’s do it up!” With that, a familiar sensation enveloped me and moments later, I stood on the Ranger’s bridge.

I hardly recognized the place. Everything was so clean and shiny; it was a shame that I had so little time to appreciate it. Ah well, first things first. I had a mission to accomplish and I wasn’t gonna rest until every citizen on board that station was safe. I took my seat and laid in the quickest route out of the system. I wasn’t much of a pilot but at least the Ranger was; as such, I had no qualms about leaving my life in its hands. It had always come through in the past, after all.

“Course is laid in,” I announced via the COM to Main Engineering. “Send me out.”

“Roger that. Opening repair bay doors.” Sure enough, my ship wasted no time getting into a position in which, after the doors opened enough for me to slip out, my ship and I could rev the engines and blast out full-tilt, hopefully taking the Tholians by surprise, allowing us to escape.

Which is exactly what I did. The second those doors opened, I pushed the throttle and let the Ranger do the rest. I felt the sudden and unexpected speed push me back into my chair as we blasted by a nearby Tholian ship. I couldn’t believe the speed! Richards wasn’t joking when he was describing the Hyper-Impulse engines. Those spider freaks didn’t stand a chance in Hell of catching me.

That’s when I felt something rock the ship…but quite a bit more subdued than usual. In fact, I barely felt it at all. Must be those new Covariant Shields, I thought as they absorbed another hit. Numerous warnings went off as Tholian ships surrounded the Ranger, pelting her with weapons fire from every angle, and yet, she pressed on, undeterred.

“Shields holding at 84 percent. Covariant system activated. Now adapting to tetryon energy weapons.” I grinned.

“Alright, enough of this,” I muttered. “Computer, target the nearest Tholian ships. Let’s show ‘em that we can fight, too.” I watched the viewscreen as one of the Tholian ships flew right in front of me, only to be scorched by a phaser beam and destroyed by a second. Richards must’ve done a number on the weapons as well, I thought, quite pleased with the result. “At least I’m giving everyone a good show,” I said to no one in particular as we neared the edge of the system. “Time to get the Hell outta here.” With that, I laid in a course for the nearest Starbase and the Ranger jumped to warp.

Please…be safe, a frightened blue mare wished as Cole and his ship disappeared from view.

Along Came a Spider Part II

View Online

I wiped my brow as the stars flew past, scarcely believing that I had just taken a leisurely cruise straight through a Tholian armada and lived to tell the tale. As bad as I felt about leaving Trixie in the care of complete strangers under siege, I had done my homework. Those damn Starbases were built like nothing else; what they lacked in the offensive department, they more than made up for such a weakness with sheer impenetrability. It would take the Tholians a week to breach those shields and armor and even then, the base itself was full of highly-trained Starfleet security forces, each armed with phasers set on ‘HOLY CRAP’. Still, a small, guilt-ridden part of me berated my conscience for what I had done.

I shook my head and re-focused. I had a job to do.

“Computer, scan for the nearest Starfleet ship,” I exclaimed.

“Starfleet vessel located. It is currently en-route to Sierra Sector, warp 5.”

“Shit,” I cursed. That ship was heading straight into a Tholian trap. I knew what I had to do. “Computer, can we intercept them before they reach their destination?”

“Affirmative.”

“Good. Set an intercept course, maximum warp.”

“Acknowledged.”

***

Of all the ships in the vast Federation fleet, the Galaxy X-class dreadnought cruiser Repulse was easily the captain’s favorite. From the classic shape of the famous Galaxy-class to the extra nacelle perched on the hull peeking over the saucer section, the vessel appealed to many a Starfleet officer. On the other hand, perhaps its appeal had nothing to do with aesthetics. Perhaps the presence of a cloaking device and the fearsome Phaser Spinal Lance were the most significant reasons. Whatever they were, positions on board such a mighty vessel were highly coveted, a fact that Captain Remy was well-aware of. And now, they were on their way to Starbase 39 for some much-needed shore leave. Patrolling systems all the way from Eta Eridani to Alpha Centauri was a long trip even at warp, making the Starbase the perfect destination for his tired crew, not to mention offload the last of their cargo.

“Sir, there’s a ship approaching at high warp on an intercept course,” the tactical officer announced from his station on the bridge.

“An intercept course?” the captain asked, getting up from his bridge chair. “Can you identify the ship?”

“‘U.S.S. Ranger, registry number NCC-1337, owned and operated by a ‘Cole Stevens’.”

“Sir, he’s hailing us,” another ensign reported.

“On-screen,” the captain ordered. The ship’s viewscreen came to life, providing a look at their pursuer. “This Captain Remy of the Federation starship Repulse. What can we do for you?”

“I have urgent news from Starbase 39 Sierra!” my anxious voice replied.

“Is that why you intended to intercept us?” Captain Remy asked. “We were just on our way there to deliver some new industrial replicators.”

“Yes sir. I’m sorry but I have to speak with you and I’m not sure it’s something we can discuss over an unsecured channel. Permission to come aboard, sir?”

“Permission granted. Drop out of warp and prepare to beam over.”

“Yes, sir.” I replied just before the viewscreen returned to normal

“Take us out of warp, ensign,” Remy instructed, feeling the ship slow as they returned to normal space. He turned to his security officer. “Mr. Kauffman, you’re with me.”

“Aye, sir.” With that, they headed for the transporter room.

Minutes later…

The meeting with Captain Remy and his senior staff went surprisingly smoothly, considering I was interrupting their mission, shore leave, and delivering grave news. After a brief but thorough question and answer session regarding my identity and occupation, we finally addressed why I had contacted them.

“Tholians? Are you certain?” Captain Remy repeated incredulously as he, myself, and several of his senior staff sat in the Repulse’s ready room.

“Yes sir,” I confirmed with a nod.

“The Assembly hasn’t launched a campaign of aggression in over 75 years,” Kauffman pointed out. “Why choose now to attack and why a Starbase so close to Alpha Centauri?”

“I agree that if what Mr. Stevens says is true, it is a very strange move,” Remy agreed, slowly stroking his chin. “Mr. Stevens, do you have any proof of this ‘incident’?”

“Yes sir. I’ll have the Ranger’s computer send over a damage report. It should indicate that the shields were hit by Tetryon-based weapons recently to support my report.” I offered, not really sure how else to prove it.

“Hmm…” Captain Remy hummed as he considered Cole’s proposition. “Mr. Kauffman, you’re in charge of analyzing the report. If Mr. Stevens’ assessment is correct, we have quite the situation on our hands.” He turned back to me. “Mr. Stevens, transmit the report directly to my tactical officer and stand by for further instructions. I don’t intend to spend more time than I need to on this enterprise, at least until we have verified the report. Dismissed.”

“Yes sir,” Kauffman and I replied in unison.

Eager to mount a rescue to relieve the besieged Starbase, I wasted no time in transmitting a complete tactical report containing every single byte of information I had gleaned from my encounter with the Tholians. As expected, the captain and his staff poured over the information with great interest, which prompted them to come to an ideal conclusion.

We were going back to Starbase 39.

And we weren’t going alone.

***

Trixie tried her best not to show a single hint of fear as the lights flickered once again. She breathed a silent sigh of relief as the power returned after a few tense moments, the gentle ‘hum’ of the nearby machinery providing a good deal of comforting background noise. The irony was not lost on her; rather, the fact that the machination that had contributed so much to her general misery in the past now served as a source of comfort wasn’t so much a revelation as it was a realization. The showmare had, at least in part, become accustomed to the world of the Federation. Granted, she wished it had been under less-hostile circumstances but she was grateful that even under such pressure, she could still do what she did best.

Of course, there wasn’t much else she could do. Keeping the children (and some adults) entertained and out of panic mode was just what the situation demanded as the Tholians continued to punish the station, inside and out. As much as the reports made her sick to her stomach, she couldn’t help but strain her ears in an attempt to pick up anything she could regarding her human counterpart. She wondered if he had actually escaped cleanly and not been followed, hunted down, and subsequently destroyed.

She felt her stomach tense up at the thought and shook her head in an effort to banish the notion. Cole may be an incompetent pain in the ass but he was resourceful when he needed to be. Or just extremely lucky; Trixie wasn’t sure which it was. Either way, he had his work cut out for him but something told the blue mare that things would work out somehow, and within a couple of days, they’d be on their way to Risa for Cole’s promised “best week of their lives”.

Despite the insanity of the goings-on around her, Trixie managed a small smile and for a moment, wondered why she had chosen that moment to do so. Perhaps it was the annoying confidence he had when issuing such bold statements and as Trixie briefly reflected on it, she realized that he had every intention of keeping his promise. After all, he had so far. Time and time again, they had reached out and saved the other from peril and even though it was usually Trixie who caused it, Cole never once hesitated to reach for her and take her hoof in his hand.

She missed him.

It was useless to deny it; the redness of her eyes, the steady thumping of her heart, the nonstop racing of her mind. Every sign was there, screaming at her that even in spite of every little tick and quirk the human possessed, there was something she missed. It was a feeling she had not experienced for a very long time. She had been cold, detached, and defiant, and at her core, deathly afraid of what she now felt. The feeling of uncertainty and a complete lack of control, not knowing if he would return safely, cavalry in tow, or if the void of space would claim him as it did so many others.

She felt something warm at her chest and looked down at the Alicorn Amulet as it glowed softly, as if sharing in her revelation. As she looked down at the floor with the Amulet barely within her field of vision, her mind seemed to calm down and she felt her heart slow as well. What began as gentle whispers mingling with her nervous thoughts became louder and louder as they sought to usurp her anxiety. After a few moments, they spoke to her, gently yet confidently, much like the one who’d made such sentiments such an integral part of her new life.

We’re a team. We watch each other’s backs. I’m here for you. Cole’s words echoed as she stared wordlessly at the frightened populace of Main Engineering. She wanted to do something, something to prove to herself and to Cole that she was worthy of being part of his “team”. But what could a frightened pony do against such a fearsome foe, a foe that drew closer as time passed?

It was then that a nearby reflective surface caught her eye. At the center of the slightly-warped reflection, the Alicorn Amulet shone brightly as if responding to her thoughts, spurring her to pursue them. It was dangerous, that much was certain, but it didn’t seem fair to squander potential in the face of such adversity. Trixie recalled an interesting colloquialism that Cole seemed to be fond of, something along the lines of “if you’re in the Kentucky Derby, you don’t leave your prized stallion in the stable”. While Trixie was certainly to stallion, the message rang true nonetheless. Irony, it seemed, could be quite persuasive and it was enough to convince the blue mare that her idea, however risky, was a good one.

Spotting the station’s captain and his senior staff, she ran over to them before fear could get the best of her and change her mind. As expected, they discussed ideas and options in tones one might describe as a mixture of excitement and anxiety. At least, that’s how Trixie interpreted their chatter as she nervously entered the circle of humans gathered around a large circular computer console.

“Excuse me,” she began, a little too quietly. “A-hem,” she tried again, clearing her throat to no avail. “HEY! OLD GUYS!” she shouted, causing everyone to jump and look down at her.

“Something I can do for you?” Captain Wright asked, trying best to reign in a considerable degree of irritability. Trixie couldn’t exactly blame him. The last thing the beleaguered captain needed was a distraction from the task at hand, although Trixie hoped that her willingness to help would be interpreted as something more than a mere “distraction”. She wasn’t one hundred percent sure about what she could do but there was something about the glowing piece of metal clasped around her neck that coaxed her into action and granted her a growing amount of confidence that she couldn’t explain.

“I…Trixie would like to help…sir!” the showmare replied as confidently as she could, keeping a stiff upper lip. The captain sighed, a gesture which surprised her.

“I appreciate the offer but I’ve got enough on my plate without worrying about another civilian getting hurt. I’ve got some of the best officers and personnel available on top of…”

A loud crash interrupted him as a tall four-legged spider-like creature clad in armor burst into the engineering section through the blown-out reinforced doors, eliciting a less-than-calm reaction.

“Sir! Get down!” a Starfleet security member cried, firing his phaser rifle at the alien. The creature returned fire, knocking the man down right before Trixie’s eyes, whereupon he lay still. Acting on instinct, Trixie momentarily concentrated, focusing power from the Amulet into her horn, which began to glow with a vibrant blue hue. Taking aim at the intruder, she released the built-up power into an energy bolt, which sent the offending Tholian to the floor in a lifeless heap. Both the captain and chief engineer looked at her in surprise.

“Alright, you’ve convinced me. Report to…”

A particularly hard shudder shook the station, throwing everyone to the floor.

“Report!” Captain Wright shouted as he, Trixie, and Engineer Richards returned to their feet.

“That last attack knocked our shields! We’re vulnerable!” the chief engineer exclaimed as he frantically pushed buttons.

“Get them back! We won’t last long against that armada without our shields!” Wright ordered.

“Don’t worry sir, I’ll get ‘em back in a…” The engineer’s promise of a miracle was cut short as the computer console he had been working on exploded, sending him flaying back onto the floor as sparks rained down upon him. A nearby medic ran over and scanned the engineer’s unconscious form.

“He’s suffered from second-degree burns but other than that, nothing serious. We need to get him to Sick Bay immediately.” the medic informed.

“Acknowledged.” the captain answered with a nod. “Get any available engineers down here immediately!” he added, tapping the combadge as he addressed his other officers scattered about the station. The captain’s attempt to remain stoic despite the loss of quite possible the only sane individual on board the station was not lost on the showmare, nor was the fact that he was using it to cover up his anxiety. Trixie couldn’t blame him for that, especially when it was a trick she often employed herself.

Maybe that’s what compelled her to consider something she’d never tried before, or at least to the scale necessary for her hastily-formed plan to work. Moving away from the group of engineers and officers working frantically to get restore the shield system, Trixie began to concentrate like before. She worked with the Amulet, tapping into its power and it wasn’t long before she felt an immense amount of energy building up within her, even more so than the photonic fleet entailed. No, this particular spell required vastly more raw magic to work and while Trixie was having no issues with gathering the necessary power, keeping it stable under pressure wasn’t something she was 100 percent sure about.

That didn’t matter now. What did was the fact that there were thousands of people on the station that were at risk and in true Trixie fashion, she wasn’t giving them up without a fight. Scraping every bit of confidence together that she could, the blue mare cast the spell.

The first to notice the sudden burst of blue was the captain and his staff, followed closely by the entire Starbase as an enormous translucent blue bubble formed around the station, encapsulating it in a mighty force field. Startled by the unexpected development, the Tholian fleet brought their weapons to bear against the new shield, only to have their shots dissipate along its shimmering surface. Trixie grunted as she struggled to reinforce the affected areas, restoring the shield’s integrity whenever a part of it was damaged. After several minutes, the Tholians stopped firing and started scanning, searching for a way through the perplexing obstacle.

Trixie sighed with relief and sat down on her haunches, visibly fatigued from the effort. She couldn’t rest for too long, though. In order to stay in effect, a shield spell needed to be re-cast periodically. While Trixie had managed to stabilize the enormous energy field, she wasn’t sure as to how long she could keep casting the spell. It required a staggering amount of energy to maintain and although the Amulet was providing all the raw power she needed, channeling it was an entirely different matter. Exposure to such a large amount of magical energy was hard on a unicorn’s body, especially one used to only using relatively small amounts.

She looked around as the sudden near-silence began to sink in. All around her, people stood and sat wide-eyed as they tried to grasp what had just transpired. She looked up as Captain Wright approached.

“In all my years of being part of Starfleet, I’ve never seen anything quite like that. I have a hunch but still, I’d like to hear it from you. What exactly did you do for us, ma’am?” he asked, kneeling down in front of her, enabling them to speak face-to-face.

“Trixie…I…used a protective spell to make a shield around this station,” she replied somewhat nervously under the captain’s scrutiny. She winced as the captain’s hand moved towards her but stopped as he felt it gently ruffle her mane. Inwardly, she sighed, the captain’s gentle touch reminiscent of a certain someone’s.

“Thank you, Trixie,” Wright responded with a small but proud smile. “I would ask you more about it but I think it’s better if we just leave you to concentrate. That can’t be an easy trick.” He turned to his staff. “Gentleman, I need you to ensure that nothing hinders, disturbs, or agitates Trixie. Secure this area and post security personnel along the perimeter. Keep her safe and bring her whatever she needs. She’s our best hope right now; I suggest we keep that hope alive.” There was a chorus of “Yes sirs” as the captain’s officers hurried to follow Wright’s instructions.

“Thank you,” the blue mare answered quietly, grateful of the captain’s pragmatism. He was right, of course. Less distractions equalled better results and to pull her latest and greatest off, Trixie needed all the concentration she could get her hooves on. She gritted her teeth and repaired another damaged section as she wordlessly urged Cole to hurry back.

***

The hours stretched into the longest day Trixie had ever experienced, and then stretched some more, becoming two days until, like the mare herself, it stretched itself thin. While the station’s personnel, Wright himself, and even some worried civilians had done everything in their power to make good on the captain’s promise, Trixie could feel herself slowly breaking down from the effort. Even though she had only had to re-cast the spell a handful of times, every instance necessitated a superhuman (superpony?) effort on her part. Exhaustion and constant hunger plagued the showmare as she struggled to make good on her promise. While the shield hadn’t collapsed as of yet, the Tholians certainly weren’t helping. The bombardments came in experimental waves as the Tholians tried to make sense of the proverbial fence keeping them from their goal.

Much of whatever food and supplies the station could spare was dedicated to keeping Trixie from falling into a coma but even their efforts weren’t enough. Trixie didn’t know exactly how much she had left in her but it wasn’t a lot. Re-casting the spell was taking its toll on the poor mare and although her indomitable will and general stubbornness fought on and in some cases, kept her conscious, even those were beginning to wane. Maybe she could close her eyes for a minute, just enough to shake off the fatigue. Just one second of relief, then she’d be okay. Trixie took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

And immediately opened them as she felt yet another impact weaken the shield. Mustering up the necessary energy, she focused it onto the weakened point and let out a small sigh as the field stabilized.

Or so she thought. Her eyes widened in surprise as she felt the exact same spot weaken once more, this time by a considerably larger margin. And still, she managed to repair it. Again and again, the Tholians beat the shield like a drum, hoping that concentrating their efforts would thwart the unicorn’s attempt to do the same. Every time, the shield held fast, reinforced by the sheer power of will and dedication.

Still, Trixie felt herself begin to fade away. She didn’t have much time left before the raw power of the Amulet would finally get the better of her, shredding her body from the inside out and guaranteeing the fate of the people under her protection.

“Aaah-aah!” she cried out as she felt a sharp pain in her…well, everywhere. This was it; her body was slowly succumbing to the effort of keeping the shield up. It won’t be long now, she thought, acknowledging her likely fate but still unwilling to give up. It’s too bad that idiot isn’t here to see this, she thought with a small smile despite the pain that wracked her dying body. He’d…he’d… A tear fell from her eye as she came to a realization, her second one in as many days.

He’d be proud of me.

Allowing herself just a smidgen of imagination, she instantly saw his smiling face and felt a hand softly cup the back of her head and ruffle her ears and mane in the manner he knew she loved. It was too bad that she’d never get to bask in his kindness again. Perhaps out of everything her mind threatened to spill out should her concentration lapse, losing someone she had come to truly like and appreciate was the most difficult. After all, they’d faced death before but never so apart from each other. Someone had always been there to watch the other and that was what caused Trixie to shed more tears.
Having heard her anguished cries, several Starfleet medical personnel ran over and began their usual routine of scan and offer. Once more, Trixie motioned for them to stay back and allow her to maintain the spell for as long as she could. This was it; she’d done her best but as usual, it hadn’t been enough.

No.

Trixie doesn’t go out like that.

“The…Great…and…Powerful…Trixie…doesn’t…lose!” she muttered, digging deeper than she ever had before. She cried out and her horn flashed brightly, temporarily blinding the rest of the engineering section. Viewed from outside, one would’ve witnessed a blue shock-wave emanate from the shield’s surface, impacting several Tholian ships unfortunate enough to be too close. It flung them back and there they remained where they ended up, sparking, burning, and adrift as the great blue orb of protection finally dissolved.

“Sir!” one of Wright’s officers suddenly exclaimed as he studied a communications console. “I don’t know how she did it but she just knocked out the Tholian jamming signal! We have communications!”

“Send out a distress call immediately, all bandwidths, all channels!” Wright ordered.

“Sir! We’re receiving a transmission!”

“Already? Patch it through!”

“…en-route, I repeat, this is Cole Stevens of the U.S.S. Ranger. We are en-route…” The transmission suddenly ended as static overcame the signal once more.

From in her small corner of the station, a light-blue ear twitched, the only part of the mare’s body capable of any movement. It took a few moments for the captain and his staff to notice the mare lying still on the cold metal floor. Her fur was faded and her breathing was labored. The captain knelt down beside her and gently cradled her head, taking note of the small smile on the mare’s muzzle as she drifted away.

“Sir?” a nearby officer asked. “You’d better take a look at this.”

“Do everything you can to keep her alive,” Wright ordered of the medical team standing by before joining the other officers beside a flickering monitor. “What is it?”

“Sir, we managed to regain control of one of the short-range senor arrays during that transmission. We only caught a little bit but take a look for yourself, sir.” Wright leaned forward to examine the sensor reading.

“Well, I’ll be damned…”

At that moment, the space just beyond the Tholian blockade came to life as dozens of starships of every configuration dropped out of warp and headed straight for the enemy fleet. Phasers and torpedoes lit up space around the station as the two forces clashed. Among them, a small ship slipped unnoticed through the screen of warring vessels, heading straight for the station. Before the Tholians could respond, the Nova-class took aim at the large jamming device attached to the Starbase’s communication array and fired, careful not to hit the station itself. The device exploded, permanently restoring the station’s communication capabilities.

***

“That should do it!” I exclaimed over the Ranger’s communicator, hoping that the Starbase and more importantly, Trixie, could hear me. The reunion could wait; for the time being, I had another job to do. We had a Tholian fleet to crush.
And crush it we did. We caught them completely by surprise, as if they actually had not been expecting us in the first place. Guess they figured one little ship wasn’t much of a threat. Lucky us.

The battle was over in less than an hour, which had to have been some kind of record. During the fight, the Tholian armada only managed to disable a few Starfleet vessels, thanks to some excellent tactical coordination courtesy of Captain Remy aboard the mighty U.S.S. Repulse. I had never seen a Starfleet ship with more firepower and judging by the speed of the Tholian retreat, neither had they. As we mopped up a few stragglers, I wasted no time in returning to the station and it wasn’t long before the Ranger was docked once again. At this point, Trixie’s well-being was my main concern.

“Computer, where is Trixie?” I asked as soon as I entered the station. Having registered both of us as guests three days prior, the computer had us on record, hence my inquiry.

“Trixie is in Sick Bay.”

To this day, I’m sure that upon hearing the computer’s answer, my heart momentarily stopped. I suddenly felt light-headed and I staggered up against the bulkhead and pressed a palm to my forehead while I waited for the dizzy spell to go away. My mind raced with one awful scenario after another until I finally forced myself to focus and seek her out like I’d planned. With that, I took off towards Sick Bay, letting the computer guide me.

I arrived, panting, at the entrance to the Starbase’s large medical facility deep in the heart of the station, the safest place next to engineering. After a brief but frantic series of questions, I was brought to intensive care and found myself outside of a small room with a bio-bed in the center.

Upon the bio-bed lay the still form of Trixie.

I nearly vomited. It was surreal in a sick and twisted way, the way she just…lay there, almost completely still. Only the slight rise and fall of her chest stopped me from having a panic attack. The attending physician let me in and I stood silently at her side.

“What happened?” I croaked.

“Her body has suffered considerable internal trauma along with extreme physical and mental exhaustion,” the doctor replied with a somber expression. “If it’s any consolation, the only reason she’s here is because she saved the station and everyone on it from the Tholian attack.”

“Wh…what?”

“To my knowledge, she used that ‘device’…” the doctor explained, pointing to the Amulet. “…to create a force-field around the station, stopping any further damage. From what I read in the report, nobody’s sure how she did it but it put a tremendous strain on her nervous system. I’m not an expert on Equestrian physiology but suffice it so say that whatever their body uses to channel pure energy has been badly damaged. I’ve done all I can for her. All we can do is hope that her body systems recover.”

I fell to my knees and stared into Trixie’s closed eyes from my position on the floor. Even if they were squeezed shut, I still wanted to look at her. Her expression was surprisingly calm, all things considered. It was almost a ‘satisfied’ expression, as if she’d succeeded at what she’d set out to accomplish. I hoped so. It wasn’t much but it helped.

“Can I…can I stay here with her tonight?” I asked in a half-whisper.

“Normally, we ask any close friends or family to stay in the courtesy rooms down the hall. However, I think we can make an exception this time, if you don’t mind the small space,” the doctor assured me. “I’ll have someone bring in a cot. You won’t have much room but at least you’ll be close.”

“Thank you, doctor,” I replied, wiping my eyes.

***

Three sleepless nights will take their toll on a person. I figured that out firsthand during Trixie’s harrowing recovery. While I mindlessly wandered about, pretended to eat and sleep, and staved off panic attacks, she slept peacefully in the bio-bed. Doctors and medical staff worked diligently to make her as comfortable as possible and ensure her recovery but even their efforts did little to alleviate my anxiety. What had been a safe haven only a few short days ago had become a nightmare, one I was eager to escape.

One activity that gave me at the very least a few minute’s respite from life was vacation planning aboard the Ranger. I had pored over every major tourist destination in the Alpha Quadrant and examined my accounts closely to see what I could pull off without selling the ship or myself. Like many brain busters to which we often dedicate far too much time, the answer to this one was pretty obvious. I had never been to Risa but I’d heard good things. It was beautiful, fun, and most importantly, fairly affordable…like a good woman. I saved my research and promptly fell asleep in my chair.
I awoke to an incoming hail several hours later.

“Mr. Stevens?”

“Captain?” I asked in surprise.

“How are you?”

“Been better, sir.”

“I understand. How is Trixie?”

“Still in a coma.”

“I see,” the captain replied with a hint of dejection. “She did us all an incredible service. She is truly an exceptional individual.”

“Thank you, sir. I know she’d love to hear that herself.” I wasn’t wrong about that. Receiving praise was Trixie’s favorite pastime.

“Do you have a moment? There’s a few things I’d like to discuss.”

“Should I report to you, sir?”

“No, it’s quite alright. I hate to say it but I’ve got a very interesting report to file and I just don’t have the time for personal visits. On that note, I wanted to inform you that Starfleet has accepted your application. Congratulations, Mr. Stevens. You are now an official Starfleet courier.”

“Thank you, sir.” Under normal circumstances, I would’ve been elated. Sadly, these were not normal circumstances.
“I’m happy about it, really. It’s just that…well, you know…”

“I understand. I would be lying if I said that the report you included about that Iconian installation didn’t help. You’ve shown some promise; it’s a shame you hadn’t enlisted in Starfleet years ago. You’d probably be serving aboard the Enterprise or the Valiant by now.” That got a small smile out of me.

“I appreciate that, sir, but honestly, there’s nowhere I’d rather be than here on the Ranger.” I replied, patting the console embedded in my chair.

“That’s the mark of a good captain; considering their ship their home. Report to the quartermaster for your uniform and further instructions whenever you’re ready.”

“Yes sir!”

“Good. Wright out.”

I sighed with relief as the viewscreen went dark. Knowing exactly what I wanted to do next, I headed out.

Later…

“Hey,” I murmured as I stood beside the sleeping Trixie. “Guess what? I got the job. I’m officially a Starfleet courier.” I didn’t care if she couldn’t hear me; I felt compelled to share the new with her regardless, if only to feel like I was including her in something. It added a much-appreciated albeit brief semblance of normalcy to the day’s mindless routine. I hadn’t had much to share with her before save for self-pity, which I had elected to keep to myself. Still, it felt therapeutic to talk to her again even if she couldn’t answer back.

“You were right, you know,” I continued. “That report about the Iconians really sped things along in my favor.” No response. Even though I knew I wouldn’t get one, it still hurt. I sat on my temporary bed beside hers. “I finished planning our vacation, too. I think you’ll really like Risa. It’s supposed to be one of the most amazing destinations in the Alpha Quadrant. I just hope that you’ll be around to enjoy it with me.” There was a pause as I closed my eyes and sat in torturous silence, hoping I wasn’t fooling myself with unjustified optimism.

“Haven’t you learned by now?” a small voice murmured. “Trixie’s always right.” My eyes flew open and I shot up to my feet. I stared in disbelief at the yawning and stretching blue showmare. She looked up at me expectantly with a hint of irritation present in her expression. I smiled and wiped a tear from my eye. Same old Trixie.

“Guess I haven’t, huh?” I replied.

“Well, luckily for you, it looks like Trixie’s gonna be around to…h-hey!” she stammered as I suddenly (but gently) picked her up like one would a newborn child. Despite her initial surprise, she didn’t struggle; rather, she wrapped her front hooves around my neck and nuzzled it as I lightly rested my head on hers.

“I missed you,” I whispered. “I just…you have no idea…I thought you were gone.”

“Sorry to disappoint,” she whispered back. I smiled as I felt her grin into my neck.

“Don’t be,” I replied, giving her an extra squeeze.

Obviously, the doctor wanted to perform one last follow-up scan before he allowed us to leave. The good news was that none of the damage was permanent and was almost completely healed over. The bad news was, at least as far as Trixie was concerned, his order for her to rest for at least a week before even attempting to use magic. As one might imagine, Trixie’s response was an ill-times endeavor to prove them wrong by attempting to levitate a nearby (thankfully vacant) mobile bio-bed. The ensuing splitting headache convinced her of the doctor’s assessment and she grudgingly agreed to refrain from using magic during the coming week.
It was good to have her back.

***

Acting captain’s log, Stardate…whatever ‘Vacation Time’ is. After a short repair session for the Ranger and a visit to Chief Engineer Richards, who is recovering well by the way, we left Starbase 39 in order to pursue a well-deserved vacation. I have to admit that I feel much safer traversing the quadrant now that the Ranger’s no longer a total wimp. I’ll never be able to repay Captain Wright for letting me keep the Aegis set AND the new phaser banks, not to mention the photon torpedoes. He assured me that while the safety of every Starfleet member is important, I should exercise prudence and discretion, especially where this new gear is concerned. I assured him that I most certainly will and I have every intention of doing so and making everyone back there proud, although after what Trixie managed to pull off, it’ll be a tough act to follow. Of course, that’s exactly what makes her so special, at least in my eyes. She is a tough act to follow, damn near impossible if you ask me. I think that’s just one of many reason why I care so much about her.

“Computer, pause recording,” I exclaimed as the mess hall viewscreen came to life, showing a Great and Impatient Trixie.

“Since when does it take two hours to make hot chocolate?” she asked with yet another hint of irritation.

“It’s only been 20 minutes,” I replied nonchalantly, realizing after that that didn’t really help my case.

“Well, hurry up with it! Trixie doesn’t have all night!”

“Yes, your majesty.” I answered, rolling my eyes.

“Hmmph!” With that, the screen went dark. I smiled and shook my head.

“Computer, resume recording…”

What Happens on Risa...Part I

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“I have to admit, Trixie, this is a surprise,” Cole declared as they sipped ice teas under the cover of night. The waves lapped at the shore as they sat under the stars, enjoying the peace and tranquility.

“A nice one, though…right?” the showmare replied somewhat hesitantly.

“Of course! There’s nowhere I’d rather spend a vacation and no one…I mean, pony I’d rather spend it with.” The statement made Trixie blush, though she quickly fought it off.

“Y-you don’t mean that…” she half-mumbled.

“Hey, just ‘cause you like to tsundere on a regular basis doesn’t mean I do,” Cole teased, knowing full-well that he’d get a reaction out of her.

“Trixie does not tsundere!”

“Relax, I’m just teasing. You’re right, though,” Cole added, looking up at the stars. “I haven’t heard you tsundere for quite a while.”

“That’s cause…” Trixie’s next statement caught in her throat and refused to budge, prompting Cole to ask about the strange expression on the mare’s face. “Never mind.”

“Nuh-uh, you’re not getting away that easily,” Cole teased, leaning partway over the table. “C’mon, say what you were gonna say. I promise not to laugh.”

“It’s nothing, really!” Her blush wasn’t overly convincing. Cole sighed.

“Y’know, I don’t have to buy Crispy Chex every week…” Cole delivered with a smirk, wondering if his ultimatum would be enough to wrestle an answer from her.

“Did you just try to blackmail me with breakfast cereal?” she asked incredulously and with a hint of doubt.

“Would you rather clean Gremlin’s cage?”

“You can’t seriously believe that Trixie would…”

“Well, unless I’ve been living under a rock for the last month, it’s still my ship you’re living in…” Cole left the statement open-ended, thereby allowing her to think it over as he silently enjoyed her panic.

“That…that’s…what is wrong with you?” she sputtered, forcing the restrained laughter out of her friend's system.

“Relax, I’m just playing with ya!” Cole assured her as she scowled at him. “You know you don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to. A girl’s privacy is her prerogative.”

“Thanks,” Trixie half-mumbled, glad that she had avoided a potentially awkward situation.

“Another Cardassian Iced Tea?” They both jumped as their waiter returned.

“I’ll take one, sure,” I replied as he took our empty glasses.

“Trixie will have another,” the showmare declared. Cole couldn’t help but smile at her. Thus far, the entire evening had been more or less perfect; the weather, the locale, the companionship…it truly was the vacation they so rightly deserved.

They sat in silence for a little while, satisfied to simply sit back and enjoy each other’s company. All the while, Cole couldn’t help but think that despite her insistence to the contrary, something was amiss concerning his blue friend. He respected her privacy but this was supposed to be a vacation, a time in which she could let out everything on her mind and with any luck, find whatever resolutions or revelations she had been seeking.

“Trixie, I…”

“Cole, I…” They paused, each trying to regain our bearings after such a strange coincidence. While the fact that they had spoken at the exact same time was interesting, the meaning behind what they each wanted to say was vastly more so.

“Ladies first,” Cole offered. Trixie shook her head.

“No, that’s okay. You go first.”

“You sure?”

“Yes.” Trixie took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself for the next step, leaning in to meet Cole as he drew closer still. Before she knew it, he was right there, so close, close enough to…

“Trixie, I…”

“Computer, freeze program!” the showmare suddenly exclaimed as Cole’s face came within a hair’s breadth from hers. She panted as her heart raced at warp speed, still in disbelief at what had been mere moments away from transpiring. She took several deep breaths, thanking Celestia that the entire scenario had been nothing but photons and force fields.

Still, she couldn’t deny how real it felt. Everything from the sights to the smells to Cole’s hot breath momentarily mingling with hers was almost enough to convince her that it was actually happening. She sighed and got down from the chair; enough was enough, at least for one day. Cole had been quick to warn her about the pitfalls of the holodeck, particularly holodeck addiction.

Originally, Trixie had scoffed at the idea. After all, who ever heard of a master illusionist getting hooked on other illusions? Still, even Trixie had to admit that three hours on the holodeck replaying the same program was becoming tiresome. While Cole had walked her through holodeck program creation in detail, the grand majority of the work was research. She had done her best to collect as much information as she could regarding Risa, human culture, and especially Cole himself.

She looked up at the holographic representation of her human companion. She’d nailed his physical features and even his mannerisms for the most part but there was something, one glaring detail that separated her creation from perfection.

It wasn’t him.

No matter how much she practiced, everything felt off. It may have looked, felt, smelled, tasted, and sounded real but the fact of the matter was that it was still just an illusion. While Trixie appreciated a good illusion, this one just wouldn’t cut it. She had no choice. In order to pursue the source of the warm feelings that had awakened inside her, she had to do so the right way. And what better way than in one of the most beautiful and romantic vacation hotspots in the galaxy?

Not that Trixie particularly minded being cooped up with her friend for the last three days. It was a fair journey from Starbase 39 to Risa and Cole had spent most of the trip in solitary confinement researching a broad variety of topics that ranged from Aegis specifications, to his new job, to Starfleet Academy literature. In short, Cole was a busy bee. Even so, he still managed to remind Trixie of his presence. They were small reminders but did the trick nevertheless. Whether it was making sure she had a decent meal, fixing the occasional blown-out holo-emitter, or preparing her nightly hot cacao, Cole made himself known from time to time and Trixie appreciated every gesture. The new feelings welling up inside her made sure of that.

Oh, those new feelings. The showmare wasn’t sure of when they’d taken over a considerable portion of her thought process but the undeniable fact was that, despite initial efforts to banish them forthwith, they were here to stay. Understandably, the mare had been confused at first; why a human? They were so strange, so alien. Cole’s being divided her; one side told her to stay at a safe distance while the other continuously shortened said distance, proven rather literally by their proximity on the holodeck. The fact that she had so willingly leaned towards him surprised the showmare. Cole could be so…disarming, even when he didn’t mean to be. Perhaps it was his simple and genuine nature that appealed to the showmare. He offered no ‘illusions’ nor did he expect any, even for his ego’s sake, a stark difference between them. Maybe that’s what was so appealing; the fact that he was real, more real to her than most people and ponies she’d ever met.

“Hey Trix, you wanna come to the bridge? There’s something you should see.” Cole’s voice over the Ranger’s COM derailed her train of thought and made her jump.

“B-be right there!” she answered, trying (and failing) to cover up her nervous tone. With that, she left the holodeck and headed for the bridge.

***

Acting captain’s log, Stardate ‘who cares, we’re on vacation’! After an uneventful three-day journey at warp 4, we’ve finally made it to Risa and are currently in orbit. Just from looking at the beautiful blues and greens of the planet, I can already tell that this place is something special. I hope that my dear friend thinks so as well. Obviously, I’m gonna do everything I can to make this a week neither of us will ever forget and I’ve spared little expense to do so. Captain Wright made sure to add a few credits to the ole’ account just before we left Starbase 39 as a kind of ‘vacation pay advance’. He said he’s never seen two people that needed some time off more than us and although that might be a bit of an exaggeration, I’m sure as Hell not complaining. (End recording)

“You wanted to see me?” a familiar voice asked upon exiting the turbolift. I turned to find Trixie approaching.

“I did. I thought you might like to see where we are,” I replied, activating the viewscreen.

“Wow…” Trixie murmured at the sight of the lush world a mere 40 miles below us. “Is that…?”

“Risa? You bet.” I acknowledged with a nod. “I don’t know about you but I think we’re in for an awesome week.”

“Trixie hopes so,” the showmare declared. “After everything she’s been through, Trixie has never needed a vacation so much in her life.”

“Well, that’s why I booked us the best of the best of everything Risa has to offer!” I exclaimed. Trixie gave me a look of severe doubt. “Okay, maybe the tenth or twelfth best but that’s still pretty swanky. I’m telling you, these vacation resorts don’t half-ass anything.”

“As long as Trixie doesn’t have to eat any more replicated food,” the mare weighed in. “She can see why you buy fresh whenever possible.”

“Well, I’ll be damned,” I replied, looking at her with a smile. “Am I hearing things or do we actually have something in common now?”

“S-something in common?”

“An appreciation for fine home-grown cuisine, of course!”

“I…Trixie guesses so.”

“Well, that’s something we’ll have to explore a lot more thoroughly when we actually get down there. I could use some fresh food, too.” My stomach voiced its approval as we received a hail, courtesy of a pretty young Risan woman.

“This is Risa docking control. We have received your registration and are pleased to welcome you to Risa. In the interest of maintaining a stress and worry-free environment for all guests, we would like to offer your vessel a safe berth planet-side for the duration of your stay, free of charge.” Trixie looked over at me with a questioning look, which I momentarily shared.

“Uh, that’s great and all but why do I need to land? Can’t we just orbit?” The girl smiled endearingly, making Trixie scowl.

“You see, sir, Risa is one of the most popular getaways in this part of the galaxy. Because of that, there are as many as several hundred starships orbiting the planet at one time. Providing a safe place to land and if need be, service one’s vessel, greatly decreases the chances of an accident while the owners or operators are down here enjoying the countless activities Risa has to offer.” the woman finished with a warm, reassuring smile as Trixie’s scowl grew.

“Um…okay, sure. No problem. Just send me some landing vectors and we’ll be right down!” I had to admit; given the service we’d just received, my excitement and anticipation only grew and I found myself anxiously inputting the coordinates into the navigation system moments after receiving them.

“There we go. Now, please just sit back and allow our guidance computer to link with yours and lead you down to your berth.”

“Affirmative. Ranger out.” I turned and gave Trixie and grin. “Can you believe this? It’s official; we’re officially sitting in the lap of luxury and we’re not even there yet!” Okay, I know it didn’t make much sense but at the time, I didn’t much care. We were on vacation!

“Trixie’s happy if you’re happy,” the showmare replied half-heartedly. I paused and turned to her.

“Is something wrong? You don’t sound very excited.”

“Trixie is fine! Don’t worry about her!” Even though we’d already been travelling together for little over a month, her ability to do a complete 180 never ceased to both amaze and annoy me. Of course, having lived with her had also taught me to mind my distance.

“Alright, if you’re sure,” I replied with a shrug. “If you change your mind, let me know.” I added, knowing that there was something on her mind. I let it slide for the time being; hopefully, whatever was gnawing on her noggin would reveal itself during our stay. It was either that or force the mare into bankruptcy by virtue of the soon-to-be instigated ‘tsundering jar’. “Computer, lay in a course according to the docking instructions they sent.”

“Affirmative. Course laid in. Prepare for descent.”

“Try not to smash anypony’s belongings when you land this time,” Trixie added with a smirk. I rolled my eyes and smirked back.

“Here’s an idea; why don’t we paint a bulls-eye on your ass, beam you down, and then try landing? I’ll even switch to manual controls to keep things interesting.” I offered.

“Hmmph! You’d just love to land on Trixie’s flank, wouldn’t you!?” she accused, pointing a hoof at me.

I had to. The opportunity was too perfect.

“Oh, you have no idea…” I replied with a deeply suggestive grin and eyebrow waggle, chuckling to myself at the implication. Momentarily, the blushing showmare’s glowing blue rebuttal caught me square in the chest, knocking me out of my chair and onto the cold floor of my bridge. I groaned and gave her a thumbs-up, simply for the sake of being cheeky even in defeat. “Still totally worth it…”

***

“Y’know, you didn’t have to blast me clear across the bridge,” I declared as we waited for the docking umbilical to attach to the Ranger’s hull. From the docking receptacle down on Deck 8, I could take in the massive docking structure as it attended to the dozens of other ships coming and going. I was excited; any second now, the umbilical would attach to the ship and we could race down the walkway into the resort and officially begin our vacation.

“Then you shouldn’t have implied that…well, that! As if somepony as great and powerful as myself would even consider doing…that with the likes of you!” she exclaimed haughtily.

“Overcompensation, thy name is Trixie.”

“Trixie is not overcompensating!” The ship rocked slightly as the umbilical connected us with the docks.

“Mares first,” I invited, gesturing for her to take point as the door opened.

“Hmmph!” she exclaimed as she strutted by me with her nose in the air. I sighed, picked up my overnight bag, and followed her down the metal tunnel.

“Whoa…” I murmured, a goofy grin creeping onto my face as a resort staff member flanked by two gorgeous, smiling Risans met us as we disembarked.

“Welcome to Risa, Mr. Stevens,” they exclaimed in unison as they placed a chain of exotic flowers around my neck. I almost giggled like a schoolgirl as they finished the greeting with a kiss on each cheek. Loving the gesture though I was, I couldn’t help but shiver as a sudden wave of cold fury suddenly swept over me. I wondered who in such close proximity would be incensed enough to literally slap me in the face with righteous fury but I shrugged it off and gave Trixie a grin, to which she rolled her eyes and pouted. I knelt down to her and offered the mare one of the flowery wreaths.

“Come on, I know how much you love exotic flowers…” I waved them in front of her temptingly. After a second, she leaned forward and took a bite. She tried to hide her enjoyment but I knew better; Equestrian ponies loved flowers and Risan varieties were simply unmatched in quality. Trixie’s mouth had just become ground zero for the food-gasm of the century.

“Trixie’s still mad at you…” she grumbled through a mouthful. I couldn’t for the life of me figure out why but I was sure that after one look around the resort, she’d forget about whatever ailed her.

“Mr. Stevens, on behalf of the Risan Executive Resort, I would like to welcome both you and your friend to Risa.” the young man exclaimed as I shook his outstretched hand. “My name is Edric and if you’ll follow me, I’ll be happy to show you both around the resort.”

“Thanks,” I replied, picking up my bag. With that, we made our way into the resort.

***

“Can you believe this room is all ours?” I practically gushed as I marveled at the luxury of it all. Even the lobby had been an accurate representation of what to expect; if the incredible marble work and four massive cylindrical fish tanks running the height of the hotel didn’t do it, the room sure did. “It’s crazy! I mean, marble, gold trim? We even got separate bedrooms and bathrooms! This isn’t a hotel room; it’s a palace!” As I curiously inspected every square inch of our temporary lodgings, even Trixie finally seemed to relax and soon joined me in some good old-fashioned ogling. “Hey,” I said, taking a seat on the nearby couch as the showmare turned to me. “Is everything okay?”

“W-what makes you say that?” she replied with an oh-so-slight stammer. I sighed.

“Look, I know that irritability is normal for you but lately, you’ve really kicked it up a notch. What is going on? Why are you so out-of-sorts?” I asked, firmly yet gently at the same time. There was a lengthy pause as Trixie looked at the floor, as if unhappy with the confrontation. It was either that or she was building up a magical blast with my name on it but when that didn’t transpire, it made me reconsider my approach. Impatience and impudence, sure, but genuine sadness? That was different. Familiar but still fairly out-of-character. “Hey, it’s alright,” I added, putting my arm around her. “I didn’t mean to sound so accusatory. Whatever’s on your mind is none of my business.”

“I’m sorry.”

My ear perked up.

“Huh? Didn’t quite catch that.”

“Trixie said…I’m sorry…for acting like a bratty foal.” She looked over at me with a small smile. “She…I really appreciate what you’ve done for us.” I returned her smile and pulled her in for a hug, a gesture she reciprocated (surprisingly). Even though her 180 was uncharacteristically fast, I appreciated it nonetheless.

“I know,” I assured her. “Let’s try to make this vacation one we’ll never forget. Sound good?”

“Sounds perfect.” Trixie murmured from the crook of my neck.

***

“…and what better place to start our week than dinner by the ocean?” I suggested as we made our way to the resort lobby, from which we managed to catch an excellent view of the sunset over the water. “I don’t know ‘bout you but I could sure go for a medium-rare snail steak right about now.”

“Trixie still doesn’t understand how you can eat those things,” the showmare replied, her nose turned up slightly. “I mean…it’s meat! Kind of…”

“Really? That’s the deal-breaker for you? The fact that it’s a meat dish?”

“I don’t eat meat, remember?”

“Yeah, I know. I’m just surprised that the fact it’s a snail isn’t the deal-breaker.”

“Well, there’s that, too.”

“I thought as much. Now, according to the ship’s computer, there are over 150 places to eat within walking distance. What do you feel like chowing down on?” I asked.

“Hmm…” Trixie mused as she thought about it. “I could go for a fresh salad.”

“Of course you could.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“We’re on Risa! They’ve got some of the most exotic and delicious dishes in the galaxy!”

“What’s your point?”

“The point is to try new things! Expand your palate! You never know what you’ll like, right?” It was Trixie’s turn to sigh.

“If it will make you happy…Trixie will be ‘adventurous’.” I smiled and ruffled her ears. “H-hey!”

“That’s the spirit. Now let’s go gorge ourselves on fresh, non-replicated food until we explode.”

Out of everything we’d experienced and accomplished together thus far, finding a restaurant was by far the easiest task. The database wasn’t lying when it said ‘over 150 different places to consume nutritional supplements’. There was food from every corner of the Quadrant and beyond and my stomach grumbled in anticipation as we strolled down the boardwalk. The entire dining ‘region’ was like a gigantic upscale food court with restaurants, cafes, bars, and everything in between beckoning to us and every other hungry vacationer. More than once, I had to remind Trixie and myself that while I could afford a vacation, we still had to be sensible in how we enjoyed it and blowing all our credits on the first fancy place we saw was not the way to accomplish our goal.

Fortunately, the sheer number of eateries of all shapes and prices favored us and we soon found ourselves in a relatively simple yet elegant dining establishment. We traded simplistic yet satisfying conversation as I enjoyed a delicious Bajoran Larish Pie while Trixie indulged in an extremely tasty-looking fruit salad, all under the warm Risan air and early evening sky.

“What is Larish Pie, anyway?” the showmare asked, eyeing my nearly-empty plate.

“No idea,” I replied with a shrug, taking another bite. “But it sure is awesome.” She gave me a strange look. “What? We’re on vacation! Remember what I said about ‘adventurous’?”

“You can do the ‘adventuring’. All Trixie wants is a lounge chair by the beach for the next five days.”

“Do ponies tan?” I asked.

“What?”

“If you lay under the sun long enough, do you get a tan?” She gave me a ‘really’ expression and pointed at her light-blue fur. “Guess not. Then why would you wanna spend all our free time just…doing nothing?”

“What ship have you been on for the last month?” Instinctively, I opened my mouth to say something but closed it. I had to admit, she had me there. After everything we’d been through, I hardly felt like coercing her…or did I? Let’s face it; Trixie needed someone to help lift her out of her slump and whether she realized it or not, that someone was me.

“Alright, you win,” I replied, downing the last of my Chateau Picard. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. Just know that should you decide to accompany me on an adventure from time to time, I just might find Crispy Chex a little easier to procure in the future.” Trixie narrowed her eyes at me.

“Really?”

I leaned forward and grinned.

“Bet that jetpack lesson’s looking pretty good right now.”

***

It took a three-hour dinner, a carafe of wine, and the most gorgeous sunset we’d ever witnessed on an outdoor patio for Trixie to finally relax and open up. And open up, she did. She smiled, laughed, and chatted me up as if we’d known each other our entire lives. Suffice it to say, I liked this side of her. I smiled as my mind briefly lamented the fact that she wasn’t human; the setting, the fact that we were finally getting along…it was too bad, really. Still, that didn’t take anything away from the experience. We were having a good time and I was happy about that. I hoped Trixie felt the same.

“So…what next?” I asked after downing the last sip of our Chateau Picard.

“Huh?”

“The night is young and so are we!” I exclaimed, throwing my hands up into the warm night air. “Wait…how old are you anyway?”

“Excuse me?” Trixie asked incredulously with a small smile of disbelief.

“What? It’s just a question.”

“I know, I just thought you would’ve used one of your fancy machines to figure that out.”

“Well, I could’ve done that but that’s kinda rude. I wouldn’t want to violate your privacy by scanning you.”

“Well, aren’t you the gentlecolt!” There was a pause as Trixie’s cheeks somehow reddened whilst I tried to understand what she meant.

“Did you perchance mean ‘gentleman’?” I inquired, letting her off the hook.

“Yes! That is exactly what Trixie meant! What’s so funny?” she added as I chuckled and smiled at her.

“Two hours and 12 minutes. I don’t think I’ve ever heard you go that long without referring to yourself in the third pony.” I almost said ‘person’ but managed to catch myself just in time.

“R-really?”

“Yeah.” There was another pause.

“Do you…like it better when Trixie…when I speak like this?” I shrugged.

“You can speak however you want. I was just commenting that you sounded kinda different, that’s all.”

“Different…as in, different…how?”

“Nothing. Just ‘different’. It’s weird; for the longest time, I thought that you’d sound a lot more different if you changed how you talk. But then I heard you tonight and I realized that no matter how you speak, you always sound like you.” I explained. “I know, that probably sounds strange but that’s just what I noticed.”

“Well, thanks…I guess.”

“No problem. You ready to get outta here?”

“And go where?” the showmare asked. I shrugged again.

“Anywhere we want. What do you feel like doing?”

“What do you feel like doing?” she echoed.

“Hmm…bar?”

Trixie just grinned.

A couple of hours later…

“…and then Trixie was like…POW! Take that, you stupid…stupid…what was I talking ‘bout?” the showmare slurred before downing another shot of…whatever she’d shouted at the bartender.

“I believe it was something about an ‘Ursa Major’?”

“Yeah, yeah, that! Anyway, as I was sayin’…I was all “pew, pew, pew” an’ then it was all like, “hurrdurr, I am dead”. An’ then…an’ then, they (hic) made me mayor o’ the whole world!” I smiled and applauded as she clumsily bowed and tossed her mane, nearly falling out of her chair. Thinking quickly, I leaned forward and steadied her, easing the drunken mare back into the seat.

“Alright, steady as we go. I think that’ll do for tonight, huh?”

“You…you ‘ave rearry pretty eyes…” she murmured before immediately leaning forward as well, resting her head on her front hooves. I sipped my drink as she batted her eyes at me.

“Thanks, you too.”

“Wanna (hic) make out?”

“P’tooey!” The remnants of my drink made a prompt and not-overly-discreet exit.

“Wha-wha’s wrong?” she slurred as I quickly wiped my mouth.

“You know what you just asked me, right?”

“Yeah…” she replied, looking at me expectedly. “So?”

“Sooo…you don’t even like it when I hug you.”

“Yes I do…” Trixie grumbled, looking away.

“Okay…thanks, but I think we should probably turn in. It’s been a long day.” The last thing I felt like doing was carrying on an awkward conversation longer than necessary, especially when the source of the awkward was copious amounts of alcohol.

“Y-you think Trixie’s ugly…” she muttered as a small tear ran down her cheek. Damnit, I thought as I momentarily cradled my face in my hands. How was I supposed to know that Trixie of all people, ponies, whatever, would be an emotional drunk. If she was an angry drunk, I’d probably be a crater.

I had to be very careful here, although I really should’ve expected something like that. No, not a sudden drunken outburst of affection; rather, her reaction to being turned down. She may have been a mare but last time I checked, mares were female and Starfleet had yet to discover a race of females who could handle rejection without getting emotional (Vulcans notwithstanding). In that way, Trixie was no different from a human girl.

Oh, no you don’t. I know what you’re all thinking. While Trixie was no different on an emotional level from a woman, I still had no inclination to ‘get busy’ with or otherwise pursue her. Yes, I am well aware of the fact that inter-species relationships were common in our galaxy but those were primarily between species who are at least similar in terms of physiology, i.e. Vulcans and humans. A human and a pony, even an Equestrian one? Now that was an idea I simply could not wrap my head around. Sure, she was cute as far as quadrupeds went and quite intelligent, she was just…not what I was looking for in a potential partner. I think that’s perfectly fair.

Too bad the showmare didn’t agree. She sat and pouted, obviously waiting for me to cave and smash my lips against hers in a chorus of tongue and saliva. Good thing she was drunk; normally, I hate using inebriation as an excuse of justification but this was an exception. I could tell her that I didn’t feel right about taking advantage of her in her current state. I sighed and steeled myself for what I had to do.

“No, definitely not. You’re very cute,” I assured her, taking a hoof in my hands. “It’s just that…you’re also drunk.”

“Am (hic) not!” she protested.

“Um, yeah, you kinda are.” I replied, offering her a small smile.

“It is (hic) impossible for the Great and Powerful Trixie to…blaaaaauuuugh…” Oh man, I thought as she lost her lunch on the floor next to her chair. I waited for her to stop coughing and heaving before I got up and, taking a couple of napkins, gently wiped her muzzle. She looked up at me with tear-filled eyes, obviously upset that things had not gone the way she planned. “I’m (hic) sorry…” she murmured, trying very hard to keep it together. I gave her an understanding smile.

“It’s okay, don’t worry about it,” I replied gently as I carefully scooped her up into my arms. Fortunately, she didn’t weigh very much and I was able to carry her back to our suite without too much trouble…after apologizing profusely to the staff and leaving the most generous tip I’d ever left. It was the least I could do after making them clean up pony puke.

“Here we are, home sweet hotel room,” I said as I sat down on her designated bed with Trixie’s front hooves still wrapped around my neck. “Hey sleepyhead, we’re home…kind of.” I whispered. She groaned and slowly pulled her head off of my shoulder and looked at me sleepily.

“Hey…” she murmured, looking at me through half-closed eyes. “Are we (hic) back yet?”

“Yes, we’re back. Now you can get a good night’s sleep. We could both use one.”

“Mm-hm.” she muttered as I gently sat her down on her bed.

“Did you manage to get everything out of your system?” I asked, channeling my mother whenever I’d caught the flu. “Should I leave a bucket or something here just in case?”

“Nuh-uh.”

“Alright. If you need anything, just let me know.” I said as I got up. I stopped as I felt something take hold of the hem of my shirt. I looked down and saw the hem caught in a small blue glow. She never ceased to impress me; even in her alcohol-addled state, magic came just as easily and as naturally to her as walking or breathing.

“Don’t leave…” she whispered. I opened my mouth to protest but stopped after seeing the look of pseudo-desperation on her face. I took a deep breath and sat back down.

“Don’t worry, I won’t.” I promised her. “Would you like me to tuck you in?” She looked up at me quizzically. “Here, lie down under the covers and I’ll show you.” She did so. With that, I tucked the sheets close to her body, creating a soft thermal shield around her. “There. How’s that?” I asked.

“That’s…nice…” she murmured, a small smile gracing her muzzle as her eyes closed. Again, I got up to leave and once more, a small tug of magic stopped me.

“Guess you were serious about that after all,” I muttered with a yawn as I carefully laid down on the bed beside her, grateful that it was queen-sized.

I could’ve sworn I felt something snuggle up against me as I fell asleep.

What Happens on Risa...Part II

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When I regained consciousness the next morning, I was pleased to find a snoozing, smiling mare as opposed to an angry one characterized by awkward early-morning realization and tsundere-fuelled rage-mode. Careful not to wake her, I slipped out, showered, put on some appropriate tropical weather attire, and headed down to one of the half-dozen places close to the lobby for a morning bite. As I expected, it was an absolutely perfect day; the sun kept me warm but not too overly so and there was just enough of a breeze that when the day got warmer later, the ideal comfort level would remain.

As I sat and ate my eggs (over easy, as per usual), I couldn’t help but think about the events of the previous evening. I mean, who wouldn’t? Generally, when something unbelievably strange happened, such an event warranted some investigation or at least some thought. She was drunk, sure, but still. I wasn’t sure what to think. Had she been a human girl and not smashed out of her mind, I probably would’ve indulged. Of course, the only problem with that was the fact that in order to get to that particular juncture, complete and total inebriation was necessary, at least in Trixie’s mind. It was a situation that I was completely unprepared for, although I was fairly certain that I had reacted well, all things considered.

Meh, I thought as I finished my breakfast. If this turns out to be an issue down the road, we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. For now, I’m just gonna chill and enjoy the rest of the week. I smiled and reclined as best I could, hoping that my poor friend wasn’t too hung over. Hmm…I silently mused as an idea made its way into my brain and refused to go away.

“Excuse me,” I exclaimed as my waiter walked by on another round of dish-clearing. “Could I get an order of Andorian waffles and sliced fresh Terran strawberries to go, please?” He nodded.

“Right away, sir.”

“Thanks.”

Minutes later…

“Uuuuggghhhh…” the blue mare groaned as rays of sunshine seemed to actually pierce her brain. Rising slowly, she sat on her haunches and rubbed her eyes, eventually moving to her temples. “What did Trixie do last night?”

“I think the better question is: what didn’t Trixie do last night?” I replied with a sly grin as I entered the room.

“W-what do you mean?” she asked nervously as a slight yet noticeable blush spread across her cheeks (I often wondered how something with fur could blush).

“Well, you got a little tipsy last night, and by ‘a little’, I mean I had to carry you home after you puked on the floor of the bar.” Trixie groaned and rubbed her eyes.

“Please tell me that’s all I did…”

“I wish I could,” I replied without thinking. As she looked at me with rapidly widening eyes, I had a quick internal battle regarding whether or not to tell her about her wish to have pseudo-sexy time with a human, said human being me, no less.

“So? What else?” Trixie nervously demanded. I sighed; she was my friend and deserved to know the truth. I took a deep breath.

“You asked me to make out with you.”

Dead silence reigned as Trixie looked at me with extreme doubt.

“I…Trixie…asked you…to m-make out with her?”

“Well, told me is more accurate but…”

“Bahahahahahahahahahahaha!” I rolled my eyes as the showmare fell off the bed, practically crying with laughter. “Y-you can’t be serious!” she managed to choke before the apparent ridiculousness of the situation overcame her again.

“I am! You had about 16 shots in you at that point! I’m surprised you didn’t ask me to marry you!” That did it. Tears streamed down the mare’s face as she whooped it up at my expense, surely another little ‘victory’ to notch into her proverbial belt. “Okay, seriously, that multiple personality thing you’ve got going on is really freaky,” I pointed out, referring of course to her ability to go from tsundere, pissed-off, or annoyed to self-righteousness or self-satisfaction. I believe this was a display of the latter. “You don’t believe me, do you?”

“You sure it wasn’t you who was completely wasted?” she asked with a skeptical giggle, having taken a break from her earlier fit.

“Pretty sure.”

“Oh dear, I’m sorry,” the mare replied, wiping the last of her tears from her eyes. “I guess I can believe you. I mean, crazier things have happened!” And there’s the switch getting flipped again. “N-not that they’re going to, right?” Yep, just like a 21st century electrical switch.

“Ugh…just eat your breakfast already. I’ll be out on the balcony, seeing as you’re already on the cross.” With that, I left Trixie to attend to her morning meal and ablutions. I heard her stutter something before I closed the sliding door a little harder than I should have.

In my mind, I had every right to be angry. Hell, I was angry! This was getting ridiculous already! One would think that after everything I’d done for her, I deserved more than being her personal laughing stock for the duration of what should’ve been a very pleasant morning.

On that note, was I really so repulsive? I mean, disregarding the species difference for argument’s sake, I was pretty sure that her laughter was unjustified. I made up my mind right then and there that until that mare came to her senses and stopped acting like such a colossal bitch, I was gonna give her as much space as I could. We still had six days to spend on Risa and I was damned if I was gonna expend time and energy with somepony…someone (screw her and her corrections) who didn’t appreciate it.

…Which begged the question of what to do now that my schedule was essentially wiped clean. I considered the jetpack lessons but missing out on the showmare’s terrified screams as she tried in vain to control the machine strapped to her back made me reconsider. Maybe it was a small, stupid, optimistic part of my brain that hoped she would come to her senses and allow us to partake in such a thrilling escapade together. I shook my head and buried the idea as best I could; this was my time, not hers and I was gonna enjoy it. Doing my best to ignore the showmare, who had not yet emerged from her room, I headed out the door and slammed it behind me for good measure.

***

If there was any single motion superior to a face-hoof that conveyed the realization that one had just screwed up magnificently, Trixie surely would’ve knocked herself into a coma with it. The question was not why she had said it but rather, why she had said it to him, her friend and companion.

It was a question she simply could not answer, at least not enough to justify her response. It was rude in any case but especially in this one given the fact that a make-out session with her friend wasn’t a repulsive idea in the slightest. And yet, there she was, staring into a wonderful-looking and carefully-selected plate of food, alone, in tears, and completely without an appetite. Tsundering was one thing but outright mocking her only friend simply for telling the truth and taking care of her was unacceptable. Trixie knew that.

Or so she thought.

Maybe it was just her natural defense mechanism overreacting. That tended to happen a lot and usually, her friend simply took it in stride as if giving her the benefit of the doubt. So why had that not been the case this time? Seeing Cole truly, actually angry at her was a new experience, one with which the showmare felt very uncomfortable. Evidently, she still had a lot to learn about her new emergent feelings…and how to handle them.

As she sat on the bed staring at the now-cold breakfast, Trixie considered her next move. An apology was the obvious place to start but Cole was already gone, having left for parts unknown. She would either have to track him down and forsake a private apology or wait for him to return and do it then. Either way, the thought of him angry with her was becoming more and more difficult to bear and Trixie knew she needed to do something before the guilt drove her out of her mind.

She nodded in silent confirmation and got to her hooves; she had a human to find…and something important to say.

***

I didn’t overreact, no way. She had that coming, probably since we had started traveling together. I was 100 percent justified, yes sir. If she was gonna act like a spoilt child, then screw her. I didn’t need a walking, talking, abusive liability. That’s all she’d been so far, right? Getting captured by the Orions had almost gotten us both killed! I was sick and tired of her throwing me under the bus (to use a rather antiquated adage).

So why didn’t that nagging, persistent thought leave me alone? The idea that I had overreacted was ridiculous! Surely, my actions were necessary. Something had to be done!

Still, that didn’t make me feel any less guilty for being so harsh with her. Don’t misunderstand; I was plenty angry, and for good reason. Still, something told me that I could’ve been more diplomatic. I wondered what had me so on-edge.

I felt my hairs stand on-end as my nagging mind recalled the most awkward moment thus far: her ‘request’ for a lengthy kissing session. As guilty minds so often do, mine was asking me over and over why I was even thinking about in the first place. The more I refused to acknowledge the idea, the more persistent my mind became until it finally won and forced me to think harder. Of course, I tried to rationalize it; I had been on my own for as long as I could remember. My line of ‘work’ didn’t exactly allow me to pursue too meany prospective partners, given my usual lack of resources and time constraints. All I could boast to my name was a small ship that I barely knew how to operate. That had never bothered me much; I was a patient fellow and knew that if I just kept working, I’d put myself in a better position eventually.

Maybe it was that distinct lack of contact since the death of my parents that caused me to think about something that, up until now, I had never even considered. Was I that desperate for contact that I was actually upset that I had not indulged Trixie’s request? I mean, I’m glad I didn’t; she was drunk and not in her right mind. It would’ve been wrong to take advantage of her. Drunken consent was not consent, not to mention the fact that she wasn’t even close to being the same species, or even a similar one, and certainly not enough to justify…

Oh no, you don’t, I thought, firmly stomping on the idea before it could take root. As liberal as I was, I drew the line at such…exotic pairings, at least for myself. A human and a pony? It was the most ridiculous idea I’d ever heard. I actually laughed a bit under my breath.

…Before realizing with a cold sweat that the word ‘ridiculous’ didn’t necessarily mean ‘bad’. Damnit. I had said ‘ridiculous’, not ‘wrong’, like I should have. As these little ‘realizations’ continued to bombard my frazzled brain with barrage after barrage of confusion torpedoes, more questions began to pop up; uncomfortable questions such as ‘Am I physically attracted to her?” reared their ugly heads and forced me at Phaser-point to answer them. Was I slowly losing my mind or was there something about those consistently-naked blue flanks that was slowly melting my sanity with molten hormones?

I groaned and rubbed my temples; the whole stupid thing was giving me a headache.

“Hey…are you okay?” I slowly looked up from the cafe table, trying to focus my attention on the source of the light, pleasant voice that graced my ears. My eyes widened as they beheld a beautiful young woman dressed in a light-blue sundress looking down at me, a slight breeze keeping her shoulder-length dark-brown hair out of her matching eyes. I tried not to stare at the tantalizing figure in front of me and forced myself to respond with as much charm and wit as I could muster.

“Hurr durr?” She giggled as I blushed and returned my gaze to the tabletop.

“I’m sorry; you do speak English, right? Or are you just dressing up as a human today?”

“No! I’m human, 100 percent, down to the last chromosome,” I assured her as I rushed head-first into overcompensation. “S-sorry,” I mumbled, thoroughly embarrassed.

“Don’t worry about it,” she replied with a gentle smile. “I had just started my shift when I saw you sitting here all by yourself all mopey-like. So I decided to ask you if there’s anything I can do to make your day better.” I’m not proud to admit that a couple of less-than-sacred acts crossed my mind but I reigned them in before I could make an ass of myself. “My name’s Erica. What’s yours?”

“Uh, my name’s Cole.” I stammered.

“Cole, cool,” she mused with a slow nod. “It’s nice to meet you,” she added, extending her hand for me to shake. It was as soft as the rest of her features, a feeling that I tried my best to savor before reluctantly relinquishing her. “Actually, don’t tell anyone I said this, but it’s nice to meet another human from time to time,” she whispered, leaning close to my ear. “I swear, if one more Klingon tries to get me to sing another ridiculous drinking song with him or make me eat flaked blood fleas, I’ll put him out an airlock!” I couldn’t help but laugh along with her; whatever universal force (hopefully not Q) that had sent her to me in my time of need certainly had my gratitude.

“I know what you mean,” I replied, finally starting to calm down. “I’ve had my fair share of dealings with them myself.”

“Oh, so you’re on a starship, then?”

“Actually, I’m, ahem, a captain,” I said confidently, hoping by some miracle she’d be impressed. She whistled and nodded.

“Nice! What kind of ship? Are you with the Federation? How many crew do you have?” I laughed as she verbally smacked me with a tidal wave of curiosity.

“Yes, I’m a Starfleet courier, my ship is a Nova-class, and it’s just two of us, me and Trixie. Well, three if you count the EMH.”

“Who’s Trixie? Your girlfriend?” Erica inquired with a sly smile.

“Hell no!” I replied with a little more force than I had intended. “She’s just a friend. Purely plutonic. She’s also my maid.” Overcompensation, thy name is Cole, I thought as I wiped my brow.

“Really? It’s just you two all by yourselves in that ship?” she asked in disbelief. “How do you do it?”

“We manage,” I replied with a shrug. “Actually, if the Ranger’s computer wasn’t as advanced as it is, there’s no way I’d be in this line of work. I rely on it to run the ship and…well, pretty much everything else, too.”

“That’s impressive,” Erica said, nodding slowly. She glanced up and over at the large nearby clock. “Hey, my shift ends in a like, half an hour. Would you maybe like to…hang out for a while?” My mind was doing backflips but somehow, I managed to keep my cool.

“Yeah, that sounds great,” I exclaimed as my voice cracked a bit. I cleared my throat once more to compensate. “Should I just…wait for you here?” She smiled, causing my face to redden once again.

“Sure, if you want. Would you like something to drink while you wait?”

“That would be great. Um, what do you recommend?”

“Well…I’m a fan of the frutas pura, personally.”

“Pura…what now?” She laughed.

“Frutas pura. It’s Spanish for ‘pure fruit’. It’s basically a tropical fruit drink.”

“Spanish! I’m impressed. That’s not a language you hear very often out here.”

“Don’t be too impressed, the only reason I know what it means is because we serve it!”

“Is it good?”

“It’s amazing, actually. It’s made with real juice from fruits grown right here on Risa. No replicated stuff. Trust me, you’ll love it,” she assured me.

“Well, I’m sold. I’d love one of those, if you wouldn’t mind.”

“Gotcha,” she replied with a wink. “I’ll be right back with it.” With that, she turned and made her way over to the bar, procuring my choice of beverage from within a large cooler. Within the next few seconds, it sat before me, the sides of the glass bottle coated in small droplets of condensation. “Well? Try it!” she urged me.

“Cheers!” I exclaimed as I did so.

In all of my years traversing the galaxy and sampling food and drink from almost every culture I came across, the sheer freshness and general deliciousness of the tropical fruit juice overcame my taste buds with wonderful sensations. It only took one experimental sip to remind me why I had taken a vacation in the first place; as I rapidly consumed the beverage, it evoked a powerful feeling of relaxation and good health and by the time I had drained every last drop, I was fairly convinced that, had this been the 21st century, the drink could’ve cured cancer and brought about world peace. Erica must’ve tuned in to my enjoyment; as the empty bottle hit the table, I caught her looking down at me with a bemused expression.

“I take it you enjoyed that?” she asked with a knowing smile.

“Can I get a few crates of that?” I asked, eliciting a laugh. “Oh man, that was the single greatest beverage I’ve ever had, period. I’ll definitely be having more of those before this trip is over!”

“Sounds like a plan! Oops, looks like another table just walked in. See you in a bit!” With that, she wandered off to attend to the Deferi family that had just entered…but not before flipping me a small wave. I wasn’t sure if it was the gesture or the way her hips were gently swaying that made my heart start to pound but I knew that, despite the crappy morning, it was gonna be a good day after all.

***

Every smile and laugh that human girl emitted made the blue mare’s fur stand on-end. Stupid Cole and his stupid flirting and that stupid girl and that stupid…everything. With any thoughts of apologies now firmly buried, the showmare about-faced and headed for the nearest bar.

***

“…so let me get this straight,” Erica interjected as we strolled down one of Risa’s many beaches, enjoying the perfect weather. We’d been walking for hours, content to simply talk, share our thoughts, learn about each other, and generally enjoy each other’s company. “You walked into the galley and found Q drinking your…”

“Chocolate milk,” I reminded her.

“…yeah, that was it. And then…Trixie blasted him out with that…Ali-something?”

“Alicorn Amulet, and yes, she kicked him and Discord out at the same time.” At that point, any laughter that the young woman had been holding in finally escaped and I joined her soon after. It really had been one of the most absurd situations I’d ever been in. As one might expect, I had omitted certain ‘potentially amorous elements’ from my retelling.

“You’ve really had quite a time, haven’t you?” she asked after our laughter subsided.

“Yeah, you could say that…” I instinctively scratched the back of my neck.

“I mean, taking on the Orion Syndicate like that! You must be quite the tactician to take on pirates in a Nova.” She looked up at me and smiled and I couldn’t help but blush slightly.

“As much as I’d like to agree with you, I did have help. Plus, Orion frigates aren’t exactly top-of-the-line warships.”

“Still…the way you risked your ship and your life to save your friend…” My heart skipped a beat as she took my hand in hers and looked up at me. “I think that makes you a pretty loyal guy.”

“What can I say?” I replied with a shrug, trying to disguise my anxiety and excitement. “It’s just one of the elements that makes me who I am.”

“And would those elements include modesty?” she asked with a smirk, poking me lightly in the chest.

“Hey, I was kidding!” I protested with a laugh whilst holding my hands up. “The Ranger did most of the work. I just told it what to do.” There was a pause as we stood hand in hand, awkwardly smiling at each other any time our roving eyes caught a glimpse of the other.

“May I…may I…see it?” Erica asked quietly.

“See what?”

“Your ship. The Ranger.” I was taken aback; rare were the times when my simple home attracted any interest, especially from such a lovely young lady who had surely seen her fair share of much more impressive ships.

“Really?” I cursed inwardly; I hadn’t meant to sound so surprised. “You wanna see my ship?”

“Is that so hard to believe?”

“No…well, maybe a little bit.” My answer was hesitant; there was no disguising it.

“Why? Don’t tell me you’ve never given anyone a tour before.”

“Well, I have but never anyone like…like you.” She blushed and glanced down at the sand as a wave gently washed over our feet. “Um, what I meant was…”

“It’s okay, I know what you meant,” Erica assured me. I felt my blush return tenfold as she leaned up and pecked me on the cheek. “And I appreciate it.” Another pause hung over us, mingling with the wounds of the waves lapping at our toes.

“So…ship tour now?” I asked. She smiled at me and squeezed my hand.

“I’d like that.”

Meanwhile…

“Stupid Cole…” Trixie muttered, downing another shot as she stared daggers at the happy-go-lucky vacationers frolicking around her.

***

“Wow!” Erica exclaimed as we arrived at the Ranger’s berth. “That’s your ship?”

“You sound impressed.”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” she asked. “She’s beautiful!”

“Yeah, she is…” I murmured before shaking my head and cursing silently for doing something so bloody clichéd and potentially awkward.

“How did you get it so…shiny?” she continued.

“Oh, that’s the Aegis…” I stopped myself, my common sense making a brief appearance. For the first time since we’d met, I felt like certain details were better off kept to oneself.

“What’s ‘Aegis’?” Erica asked.

“It’s a…paint color scheme. Very expensive.”

“Oh…well, it’s very nice. It really brings out the Ranger’s details. Very stylish, actually.”

“Glad you like it. Would you…like to come aboard?” I don’t know why I was so nervous; mere minutes ago, she had suggested the same thing. Maybe she thought I was asking her to come aboard so I could…’come aboard’? The thought made my spine tingle and my blood flow south.

“Well yeah, that’s why we’re here, right?” she asked with a giggle.

“Yes. Yes it is.” I agreed with a small, nervous laugh of my own. “Ahem! Computer, two to beam up.”

“Oh my gosh!” Erica gasped as the light-blue glow of the transporter beam surrounded us, whisking us into the Ranger’s bridge, my usual destination. I looked at her with a concerned expression after we rematerialized.

“Are you okay? You sounded nervous when the transporter kicked in.”

“Oh! I’m fine, don’t worry. It’s just been a while since I used a transporter.”

“It’s cool; you should’ve seen Trixie the first time she ever got transported. I think she shrieked for a whole minute after she appeared on the bridge.” I said with a chuckle. “You’d think a being from a planet of magic where they can teleport whenever they want would’ve prepared her for it.” Erica looked at me quizzically. “Sorry, I may have forgotten to mention that she’s from Equestria.” Understandably, the next expression on Erica’s face was one of surprise.

“Really? Like, a legit Equestrian pony? I guess that explains the whole 'magic' thing.”

“Yeah, she’s quite the magician. In fact, I think she’s…” For the second time that evening, I paused and thought about what I was saying…and more importantly, why I was saying it. Throughout the extremely pleasant day I had spent with the beautiful and kind Erica, my earlier anger had abated considerably and I found myself wishing that I could spend such a day with Trixie. That was, after all, the whole point of the vacation. Don’t get wrong; spending time with Erica was all kinds of awesome but a small, miniscule, microscopic part of me felt guilty. Sure, it had been Trixie who drove the spike between us but I still couldn’t shake the feeling that we had to make things right between us as soon as possible. Erica noted my silence and apparent concern and took my hand.

“Hey,” she addressed softly. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, more or less,” I replied. “Just…I dunno, thinking ‘bout stuff.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“Maybe later; I’ll be fine for now.” I assured her. “Now, I believe I promised you a…”

My response was cut short as soft lips connected with mine, gently caressing them as we wrapped our arms around each other. New and amazing sensations bombarded my senses; the softness of her lips, her minty breath, the rise and fall of her chest as we breathed deeply, trying to experience as much of each other as we could whilst standing among the gentle, subtle light of the bridge. We kissed for what seemed like hours before finally parting and staring into each other’s eyes.

“…tour.” I finished breathlessly.

“I…I’m sorry,” she stammered, turning and looking down at the floor. “I didn’t mean to just…throw myself at you like that. What you must think of me…” she murmured nervously.

“Don’t be sorry. Please, please don’t be sorry. That was the most wonderful and perfect moment I’ve had in a very long time. Probably ever, actually,” I rambled, trying my best to alleviate her anxiety. “Don’t be sorry for being amazing.”

“T-thanks,” she replied, looking at me with yet another heartwarming smile. “Still, you’re the amazing one. Traveling around the galaxy on a ship of your own, working with Starfleet, taking on aliens! You’re definitely…”

Her eyes widened momentarily as I silenced her with a kiss, one she responded to immediately by brushing her tongue along my lips. It wasn’t long before our kisses deepened and we began to breathe even harder as moans and small gasps of pleasure filled the bridge.

“Maybe…we should…continue the tour…in your room,” Erica whispered, momentarily pausing our heated make-out session. At that point, I seem to recall my heart actually stopping as the weight of her words slowly sunk in.

“Are you…are you sure?” I asked, unable to hide my surprise. You’d think that after experiencing so many surprises in such a relatively short time frame, I would be used to them.

Clearly, I had not spent very much time around women.

“Yes,” she whispered, drawing me in for a deep, assuring kiss. “If you want me…”

“I’ve never wanted anything more in my life,” I whispered back. My raw honesty was somewhat disarming; standing on the cusp of such a milestone was both nerve-wracking and tremendously exciting. Fortunately, it was also good for my creativity. “Computer, beam us to my quarters.” Momentarily, we landed on my bed, prompting Erica to let out a surprised yelp. Unwilling to waste even a moment, she grinned and climbed on top of me, sealing my lips with her own, moaning quietly as I massaged and caressed her back, eventually reaching her trim bottom, which I cupped and squeezed subjected to further massaging.

I was a kid in a candy store.

She replied in kind, lifting the hem of my shirt, exposing me to the cool air and her gentle touch. Mirroring her actions, I encouraged her to do the same and we soon beheld each other in all our naked glory. We stared into each other’s eyes and without a word, began our tantric dance.

Meanwhile…

“Ugh…Trixie’s never drinking again,” the showmare muttered as she slowly ascended the stairs to the hotel room. While the bar had been very accommodating regarding her tastes, preferences, and frequent complaints, she was starting to see the wisdom beheld by the adage ‘too much of a good thing’. “Stupid Cole,” she added for good measure, finally making her way to her bed before promptly falling face-first upon it. “Wherever he is, I hope he’s hip-deep in trouble.”

What Happens on Risa...Part III

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I awoke the next morning to the beautiful sight of a partially-naked Erica as she dressed and fussed over herself. I couldn’t help but grin in spite of myself as vibrant and wonderfully graphic mental images of our romp ‘neath the sheets returned. I was either the luckiest bastard in the galaxy or…nope, that had to be it. There was simply no other explanation.

“Hey,” I said with a yawn as I slowly sat up and stretched my tired limbs. She continued her morning preparations and did so until fully dressed. She turned and offered me a heart-warming smile as she sat on the bed and allowed me to wrap my arms around her, giggling as I planted several soft kisses on her neck. “How’d you sleep?”

“Like a baby,” she murmured, squeezing my hand before returning to her feet. “What about you?”

“Oh man, I haven’t slept that well in ages,” I replied with a yawn, stretching out on the bed. “I could nod off again, no problem.”

“Well, I don’t know about you but I would sure love some breakfast,” Erica announced. She turned and gave me an inviting smile. “Care to join me?”

“I guess I don’t really have a choice since you probably don’t know where the galley is,” I teased with a smirk of self-satisfaction as I recovered my discarded apparel.

“You suck.” Erica replied with a false pout, softly punching my shoulder.

“You swallow.”

“Only if you ask me nicely,” she whispered, leaning in for a long, passionate kiss. She shrieked as I suddenly pulled her down onto the bed and laughed as I planted kisses along her neck and collarbone. “So…” she panted as I continued my ministrations. “…what do you think of breakfast?”

“Mmm, it’s delicious…” I murmured, making her giggle and push me off enough to kiss me once again.

“That’s not what I meant and you know it,” Erica exclaimed as we sat up. “I meant…” A gurgling noise from her stomach interrupted her. “…well, that.” she finished with a small blush.

“Now that you mention it, I could go for a big ol’ bowl of Crispy Chex right about now,” I agreed, grabbing the last of my clothes.

“You have Crispy Chex?” Erica asked as her eyes lit up. “I haven’t had those in ages!”

“Well, then I guess you’re in for a treat,” I replied, taking her hand as I lead her out of my quarters and headed for the galley.

Meanwhile…

“Uuuuggghhhh…” groaned a Trixie-shaped lump as it stirred ‘neath the luxurious sheets. After several minutes composed of pained groans and other assorted lamentations, a blue equine head slowly emerged, protecting slightly reddened eyes from the Risan sunrise. She rubbed her temples and tried in vain to alleviate the throbbing pain coursing through her skull. “Trixie is never drinking again…” she moaned emphatically. Forcing herself to get up and accept the pain, the showmare slowly made her way out of her room and into the rest of the suite.

“Cole?” she ventured, wincing as agony of her own voice hit her like a tonne of bricks. “Ugh…Cole?” she repeated, complete with another wince. “Cole!” she exclaimed, immediately regretting it as she nudged open the door to his room. There was enough lit steaming in through the large window for Trixie to tell that her friend had absconded for the night.

She remembered with whom he had disappeared, too. That siren-singing wench had all but enchanted him and whisked him away to her evil lair of depravity…or something. Although Trixie would never admit it, the thought of them tucked away somewhere getting cuddly or, God forbid, intimate, made her skin crawl. She was jealous. Completely, inescapably, undeniably jealous, not to mention frustrated. She knew she had no one to blame but herself, a hard realization drilled into her the second she’d caught them getting to know each other the day before. This time, it would take more than mere words to convey the message she needed him to hear. It was time for an apology with a side of confession…and maybe with a little luck, he’d reciprocate.

“He…they probably went back to the Ranger, that show-off,” Trixie muttered as she paced about the room. “Trixie could call him on the communicator…” She sighed and sat on one of the couches. Now it was simply a matter of steeling her nerves for what promised to be an awkward call.

***

“…and this is the bridge,” I finished as we exited the turbolift. After enjoying a tasty albeit simple breakfast of Crispy Chex, I had taken my guest on a tour of the ship. She had responded to my proposition with great eagerness and practically insisted on seeing every single part of the entire ship. As one might expect, I was more than happy to oblige her.

And it wasn’t just because she’d given me the most memorable night of my life.

We had begun the tour on Deck 8 and worked our way up, the entire journey lasting upwards of a couple o’ hours. All the while, I reveled in her company and committed each and every moment, be it big or small, to memory. However, what impacted me the most is that throughout the tour, I had caught myself wishing that it had been Erica and not Trixie who had accompanied me from the beginning. I know it sounds terrible but look at it from my point of view. Trixie was, more often than not, an irritable, selfish, and self-centered liability whose positive traits lay buried under her ever-present negative ones. Erica, on the other hand, was sweet, intelligent, funny, sexy as Hell, and from what I’d gathered thus far, quite genuine. She also possessed another major advantage over the egocentric equine: she was human. Beautifully, purely, indisputably human. She was normal as normal could be and trust me when I say that, when you live a life like mine, normalcy is a precious luxury.

“Cole? Yoo-hoo, Cole!” I shook my head and looked over at Erica as she leaned against the tactical station, a look of minor concern gracing her face. “You okay? You kinda spaced out there for a minute.”

“Yeah, I’m fine, don’t worry about it,” I replied, perhaps a little too hastily.

“Are you sure?” Erica asked, giving me a hug. “You looked like you were thinking about something important.”

“I did?” I asked, trying to play oblivious.

“Yeah. You were all pensive and stuff. Is there…something you’d maybe like to talk about?” she asked. I smiled and planted a soft kiss on her forehead.

“Nah, I’m alright. Spending time with you like this has been really therapeutic,” I replied. We suddenly jumped as the ship’s communicator alerted us to an incoming communique. “Just give me a second,” I said as we separated and I took a seat in the captain’s chair. “That’s funny,” I mused as I pressed a button to open two-way communications. “It’s audio only.” I cleared my throat. “This is Cole Stevens of the U.S.S. Ranger…”

***

“Where are you? Who are you with? What are you doing?” Trixie practically demanded over the room’s communicator. There was a pause.

“Trixie?” the voice on the other end asked with a hint of surprise.

“Yes!” she confirmed vehemently. “Why didn’t you come back last night?” She winced, knowing the answer already but needing confirmation as if in denial.

“I had a, um, a guest!” There was another pause. “Y’know what, screw it. Yes, I had a girl over and yes, she spent the night. Happy?” As much as Trixie wanted to fire back with a scathing retort or ultimatum, she remembered the reason for her call and allowed common sense to temper her temperament.

“Trixie…was wondering where you were and…well, she was hoping that…that you were okay…” she half-muttered near the end.

“Oh…” Cole replied after yet another pause. “Uh, thanks but I’m doing just fi…”

Trixie’s heart almost stopped as the familiar screech of a hand phaser suddenly cut him off. There was a soft thump in the background as if something had just slumped to the metal floor of the ship’s bridge and the showmare’s eyes widened as she realized what had just transpired.

“Cole!” she screamed into the communicator. “Cole!” There was another blast and after that, nothing but silence.

Trixie wasn’t sure what inexplicable force guided her actions within the following few seconds. She didn’t know what strange energy suddenly erupted within her, spurring her to race out of the room and through the hotel as fast as her tired legs could carry her. All she knew for certain was that a heartfelt apology wasn’t going to mean anything if the intended recipient was in no condition to hear it. The resort passed by in a blur as she raced through it, surging by confused staff and surprised guests like a mare possessed. There was only one destination on her mind and no force in the universe was going to keep her from it, an assertion well-justified by the bright glow of the Alicorn Amulet around her neck.

Meanwhile…

“Ugh…”I groaned as I struggled to make sense of the world around me. I was in a daze, one of several nasty little side-effects of a hand phaser set on ‘stun’. Light stun, mind you, but still one of the more unpleasant ways in which to experience a surprise. Silently lamenting my disorientation, my woozy eyes scanned the bridge for the son-of-a-bitch that had managed to sneak in unnoticed and interrupt my time with…

Well, fuck me sideways with a garden rake.

Standing a few feet to my left stood Erica, both hands grasping what appeared to be a standard Starfleet hand phaser. Her expression was a mishmash of several emotions, notably relief, uncertainty, and just a bit of…regret? I suppose that’s why I was only stunned and not dead. The shot had hit me in square in my right shoulder blade, making me grunt in pain as I writhed and accidentally placed a little bit of weight on it.

I’m not too proud to admit that for the next few seconds, my naiveté kicked in and I hoped that what had just happened wasn’t what had just happened. I silently and briefly prayed that it had been a mistake and that some mysterious force had compelled the weapon to fire on its own accord. Talk about grasping at straws, huh?

“W-why?” I croaked, attempting to nurse my aching shoulder.

“I-I need you to take me somewhere!” she exclaimed, training the weapon on me. It was almost comical; in my current condition, I was clearly no danger to her and yet, she didn’t dare point the weapon anywhere else.

“Ugh…” I repeated. In my weakened state, every word was a laborious chore, hence the lack of sense regarding the act of shooting first and asking questions later.

“I said, I need you to take me somewhere!” Erica repeated, almost frantically. It was as if she expected a squad of Starfleet tactical officers to come barging in, implying that I just so happened to have a garrison of troops stationed aboard my humble little science cruiser.

“W-where?” I managed to mutter. “Why?” Hey, you try orating half-decently when your entire body’s experiencing system shock.

“Just…get on those navigation controls and do what I tell you!” I wish I could’ve rolled my eyes. There was no question about it; this girl had never hijacked a place in line, much less a starship. Still, as ridiculous as the situation was, she was the one holding the gun. Even in the hands of a rank amateur, a phaser was a deadly tool. If I wanted to get out of this with nothing more than an aching shoulder and a blood-stained hole where my heart used to be, I had to be…pragmatic.

Fortunately, ‘light stun’ was already beginning to wear off, hence its name, and I could feel my ability to form intelligible words and sentences together finally returning.

“Where…do you need…to go?” I asked as I rubbed a temple.

“G-Ganalda Station.” she replied after a pause. I cursed inwardly; Ganalda Station was a shady place to say the least but that wasn’t the only problem with her destination. The killer was that it was nestled deep within Klingon space. Of course, it was also chock-full of Orion slavers, greedy Ferengi arms dealers, and Klingon dogs of war. While the Federation and the Klingon Empire were technically at peace, there was an unspoken rule that stated rather emphatically at times that Federation ships were to stay out of Klingon space except in the case of a dire emergency. To say that Klingons were territorial would be a terrific understatement.

“You can’t be serious,” I muttered as I slowly began to prop myself up and onto my elbows. A rather less-than-masculine yelp escaped me as a deadly orange beam made a black mark on the floor mere inches from my face.

“Do I look like I’m joking?” Erica demanded, just shy of hysterical. I couldn’t afford to underestimate her determination again, lest the next shot find its mark. “And if you try to transport me out of here, I’ll…” She didn’t need to finish her sentence; I could infer what she meant by context alone.

“Alright, alright!” I raised my free hand to show my capitulation. “I’m gonna assume…” I looked up at her and nodded towards my chair. “…that you’ve got a really, really good reason to go there.” Erica nodded. “So, before I surrender control of my ship and fly into the hornet’s nest, I’ve got a few questions.” I paused on my way up to my chair. “Y’know, you don’t have to point that thing at me.”

“Y-yes I do!” I sighed.

“You’ve been in too many holodeck programs. You have the gun. I’m unarmed. I can’t do anything to you and believe me when I say that I won’t risk getting killed over this. Besides, if I try something and you kill me, then your entire plan goes up in smoke.” The fact that she winced little every time I used the word ‘kill’ did not escape me. “Right?” I added for emphasis. She nodded and I took my seat.

“T-take off!” she exclaimed, brandishing the gun in my direction once again.

“I’m doing that but first I have to call docking control and get them to release the docking clamps,” I replied as my hand headed for the armrest communicator. “Jesus!” I yelled as another shot flew over my shoulder. “What the Hell!?”

“Y-you were gonna tell them!” Erica shouted, partially out of anger partially out of fear. Damnit, I thought. Maybe she’s not as naïve as I suspected. Now I was really stuck. Inexperienced in the fine arts of larceny and grand theft starship as she was, she had nevertheless given the entire caper a considerable amount of thought. If things didn’t shape up soon, I would have no choice but to indulge her.

“Look, I was just gonna ask them to release the docking clamps,” I assured her, trying to sound innocent. “I mean, how else are we supposed to get out of here?”

It didn’t take me long to realize the stupidity of my question.

“You have weapons, don’t you?” Erica asked expectedly. I actually did a double-take; did she seriously expect me to just blast my way out and risk damaging every other ship around me, not to mention risk hurting everyone around us? The worst part was that at the moment, I didn’t really have much of a choice.

“That’s not the point!” I exclaimed in frustration. “I can’t just…what if someone got hurt? Or worse? Could you live with that?” Another shot briefly heated the side of my face. Guess that answers my question, I thought.

“Try me!” she shouted.

“Alright, alright! Calm down! I’ll get us out of here!” With great reluctance, I took a deep breath and mentally prepared myself for what I was about to do. “Computer, lock onto…” I paused momentarily as Erica thrust the gun toward me in a threatening motion. “…the docking clamps and…fire phasers, minimum power as possible,” I finished sternly.

“Proximity warning; civilians present near affected target zones.” the computer warned.

“Then be careful,” I hissed as Erica thrust the phaser into my personal space. For a fleeting moment, I considered trying to grab it but with her finger hovering on the trigger, I couldn’t risk it.

Trixie would never forgive me if I died and she wasn’t there to see it happen. Har-dee har-har, right?

I closed my eyes as the sounds of the Ranger’s phaser beams accomplished their tasks, turning the machinery into slag. Only after the dock’s alarms begin to scream did I dare open my eyes.

“Computer…” I took another deep breath while my stomach turned. “Was anyone hurt?”

“Negative.” I breathed a sigh of relief and although it may have been hallucinogenic wishful thinking on my part, so did Erica.

“Okay…now take off take me to Ganalda Station,” she instructed in a tone of forced calmness. I was certain at that point that this was starting to get to her. I merely nodded.

“Computer, set a course for Ganalda Station. Maximum warp.”

***

Trixie had barely reached the docks when chaos erupted. An explosion followed by the sound of starship engines coming to life made the docking area vibrate underneath her hooves. Interestingly enough, the hints of danger that screamed for her to stay away went completely unnoticed by the emboldened showmare as she bolted by fleeing guests and confused staff. Trixie had a feeling that she knew which ship was causing the commotion.

“Move!” she shouted, pushing past two Starfleet security response personnel before they could stop her. Their warnings to stop and wait went unheeded as the showmare burst into the damaged hangar…just in time to see the Ranger rise up into the Risan sky and take off.

“Augh!” she yelled in frustration, stomping on the floor as if performing an angry dance. “Now what?” she demanded of no one in particular. ‘Now what’ indeed? By the time she got to the resort’s transporter pad, the ship would be too far away to reach. She had to think outside the box if she had any hope of helping…

She paused to reflect on the notion. It was a nice change from the usual arrangement of Cole coming to her rescue but that didn’t make it any less daunting. What if she messed up? What if she somehow got aboard only to realize that it was swarming with Klingons or Hirogen or any other awful creature Cole had told her about? What if she was too late and he was already…?

Trixie shook her head; now was most assuredly not the time to become mired in fear and self-doubt. Instead, she began to concentrate, closing her eyes amid the chaos around her. She felt the Alicorn Amulet infuse her with energy, nearly making her giddy at the realization that her magical ability was not gone, despite the injuries she’d incurred not long ago. All that was left was remembering how Twilight had taught her…

Trixie barely had time to grin triumphantly before disappearing in a bright flash.

***

“Alright, happy now?” I asked begrudgingly as we went to warp. “Oh, and just so you know, Starfleet’s probably already dispatched a ship or two to intercept us. And when they catch us, ‘cause they will catch us, you’re going to prison and then I’m losing my job for not stopping you from trying to hurt innocent people and with that, it’s back to the poorhouse for Trixie and I!”

“Shut up!” she shouted, pointing the weapon at me again. “You think this is easy for me!?” Okay, wasn’t expecting that. Guess I wasn’t just imagining things when I saw the regret in her eyes when she turned on me. “You’re not the one whose little sister got kidnapped!” There was a pause as she swiftly but futilely covered her moth with her free hand.

So that was it. It all began to dawn on me; Ganalda Station was a haven for allies of the Klingon Empire, allies that included our friends the Orion Syndicate.

“Erica…” I began as calmly as possible given the circumstances. “Did the Orions take your sister?” She remained silent but her hurt, furious expression told me what I needed to know. “Look, I know you probably won’t believe me but…that’s something we have in common.” I had to stay calm and civil if I had any hope of defusing the situation. “About a month ago, Trixie got captured by Orion slavers. I managed to track them down and disable their ship but it was way too close. I almost lost her and the ship in that fight. And that was just against one ship! You know how many ships are gonna be at the station when we come waltzing in there?” There was a pause as I let everything sink in. “Erica, they are not gonna be happy to see us! And they’re gonna show it by wiping us out!” She looked stunned as if her plan hadn’t included what I had just mentioned. “I think this would be a good time to tell me what happened.”

“Why would you care?” she shot back. She had a point; why should I care? I guess I’m just a softy at heart. The fact was that as long as she was the one holding the gun, I had to play it cool and to be honest, I sympathized with her. When Trixie was taken, I knew I wouldn’t rest until she was safely back on board the Ranger.

“Well, for one thing, you’ve put us on a collision course with potential catastrophe so in the interest of staying alive, I have to cooperate.” I replied with a shrug. “I mean, my hands are pretty much tied.”

“Oh, well that makes sense!” Erica shouted. “I should’ve known the only reason you’d help anyone was because of your selfish…”

It was an interesting turn of events that stopped her tirade. The first was a large magical blast that sent my captor to the floor, flat on her back. I had to duck as, sure enough, the phaser discharged, damaging a computer panel almost directly behind me. I turned in the direction from which the blast originated to find an angry Trixie powering up her horn for another shot. I leapt to the ground and recovered the weapon just as Erica scrambled to her knees in search of it.

“Alright, that’s enough!” I shouted, mostly to Trixie. I noted her disappointment but held firm on my position. Finally, her horn stopped glowing and she took up position beside me as we stood over the bewildered girl. “Trixie, watch her for a minute.” I instructed. “Computer, full stop!”

“Acknowledged.” I felt the ship slow until we finally dropped out of warp and came to a standstill.

“Plot a course for the nearest Starfleet ship, maximum warp.”

“What are you doing!?” Erica demanded. “I thought you said that you’d get in trouble, too!”

“Oh, I’m sure I will,” I replied angrily. “Except that I’m willing to own up to my mistakes. I screwed up and I’m ready to accept the consequences.” Trixie looked at me in surprise. “I’m sorry, Trix, but we might have to postpone our vacation a little longer.” I said apologetically as I placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. To my surprise, she wrapped her forelegs around me…whilst keeping a close eye on Erica.

“It’s okay,” she assured me. “Trixie’s just glad you’re okay.”

“Thanks,” I replied, returning the hug. There was a pause.

“Can we…talk?” Trixie asked, the vulnerability in her voice taking me by surprise, not to mention the fact that this was a strange time to have a heart-to-heart. Whatever she had to say must’ve been really important.

“Sure. Just let me do one thing.” I cleared my throat. “A-hem! Computer, transport Erica to the brig and establish standard prisoner containment protocols.” The girl didn’t even have time to react before being whisked away, leaving just Trixie and I.

“You have my undivided attention,” I assured her, giving her a small smile.

“I’m sorry,” she began quietly, pawing nervously at the floor. “I’m sorry for being so awful to you. You were just watching out for me and…trying to show me a good time…and…and…” Although she tried her best to hide it, the sniffles soon gave way to sobs, prompting me to lean in and hug her closely.

“Hey now, it’s okay,” I whispered, any resentment I might’ve held towards her thoroughly purged from my system. I was just happy to see her again.

“I…I’m always d-doing this…t-to you,” she murmured through her tears. “Even though y-you don’t d-deserve it.”

“Everypony makes mistakes,” I replied as I gently rubbed her back. “Still, if you’ve got something on your mind, I’m always here if you wanna talk about it.”

“T-thank you,” she murmured, nuzzling the crook of my neck with a relieved sigh.

To this day, I’m not sure what compelled me to plant a light kiss on her soft cheek.

I felt her grip around me momentarily tighten as her heart sped up, if only for a short time. When we eventually separated, I saw a small smile grace her muzzle, thankful that everything was finally right between us.

“So…what do we do now?” Trixie asked as I stood up and holstered the stray phaser.

“That’s a good question,” I mused, stroking my chin. I was at a crossroads. On one hand, I had a responsibility to ensure that Erica was taken into custody for grand theft starship and general stupidity. On the other…well, let’s just say that simply turning her in and calling it a day didn’t sit well with me. If what she said was true and her sister really was in danger…how could I sleep at night, knowing that I had had just sat and allowed her to exist in captivity? Of course, attempting a rescue was a dangerous proposition and I was pretty sure that I was already numero uno on the Syndicate’s hate list. I sighed as I realized what needed to be done.

“Proximity alert; Starfleet vessel approaching at high warp.” the computer announced.

“Identify,” I replied, taking a seat with Trixie at my side.

“Designation U.S.S. Repulse.” My heart skipped a beat. What luck! Not only did I have the chance to execute my plan, I actually had a hope in Hell of pulling it off! With the Repulse backing me up and my rapport with her captain already well-established, maybe with a little luck, I could turn this disaster around…for everybody.

“Computer,” I exclaimed. “Hail Captain Remy immediately. I’ve got a proposition for him.”

***

“I see…” Captain Remy mused as we sat in the Repulse’s ready room. “That’s quite the story. Don’t worry, I’ll be happy to testify on your behalf if this matter ever goes to court but I’m afraid that there’s not much I can do personally for Miss Erica’s situation. I’m sure that you’re aware of how difficult it is to maintain diplomatic relations with the Klingons as of late. Taking a Starfleet dreadnought that close to Quo’nos could have deadly ramifications.” He was right, of course. My plan was a long-shot at best and I was finally able to appreciate how long the shot actually was. “Besides, the Orions are allied with the Klingons. The Empire isn’t going to stand idly-by as two Federation ships sweep in and rob them of their, um…merchandise.”

“So…isn’t there anything we can do?” I asked as my heart pounded. “Captain, if this is about her, then I honestly don’t think she was lying to me. I mean, why else would she do all this just to wind up in a Klingon hotspot?”

“Mr. Stevens, while I agree that she was desperate and had no one to turn to, the situation is still too touchy for Starfleet to intervene directly, at least in Klingon space.” Captain Remy replied. I felt one of my eyebrows raise, the telltale sign that I had just come up with yet another hair-brained idea.

“What if they were in Federation territory?” I asked.

“Then they’d be in our jurisdiction and Starfleet could…” He trailed off, clearly aware of what I was thinking. “You do realize what you’re proposing, right?”

“Yes sir.”

“Good, just making sure. Look, I don’t like this any more than you do but are you sure this is what you want to do?” Remy asked. I nodded.

“Positive. According to Starfleet Security, the current head of the Syndicate, Hassan the Undying, is wanted by Starfleet for conducting slaving operations in Federation territory. I read about it after our run-ins with the Orions a few weeks back, just in case we ever encountered them again. I wanted to know what kind of help we could get if we needed it.” I paused for effect and looked over at Captain Remy. “Look at it this way; not only will we have the chance to arrest a dangerous criminal on Starfleet’s most-wanted list, we’ll be rescuing innocent people as well.”

“Well, it’s an interesting plan…” he mused once again, stroking his thin, white goatee. “Dangerous but interesting. You are correct about Starfleet wanting to apprehend Hassan and if we needed someone to check for slaves on Ganalda Station, I have a few friends on the Klingon High Council who might be persuaded to perform an impromptu inspection in the interest of maintaining diplomatic relations with the Federation.”

“Sounds to me like I haven’t been the only one thinking about something like this,” I replied with a knowing grin.

“Correct on that note as well. I abhor slavery with a passion so if I ever have the opportunity to stop it, I don’t hesitate. This galaxy needs to be completely free of forced subjugation otherwise we’ll never truly grow as a galactic society.” I nodded in agreement.

“So…does that mean you’re in?” I asked. Captain Remy took a deep breath.

“You’re on your own as far as luring them into our space is concerned,” he replied. “But after that, we’ve got your back.”

“Sounds good,” I affirmed.

“I do have one question for you,” Remy added. “How do you plan on incensing them enough so that they all come after you?” I grinned.

“Sir, trust me when I say that when it comes to getting chased by bad guys with guns, I’m kinda the expert.”

“Then I’ll leave that in your capable hands.” Remy replied as we rose to our feet and shook hands. “Good luck, Mr. Stevens.”

“Thanks, captain. With any luck, we can put an end to this for a good while.”

***

Having successfully concluded my business with Captain Remy, I made my way down to Deck 4 for a little chat with our ‘guest’ to apprise her of our plan. I didn’t plan on taking too long, not with the Hungry and Apologetic Trixie waiting for me up in the mess hall. Despite her knowledge of the replicators and the use of, she nevertheless insisted on waiting for me to return before eating. Usually, she just went and tucked in whether I was there or not, so seeing this new side of her was quite refreshing.

I entered the small brig to find Erica laying upon the cell’s small cot, staring blankly up at the ceiling.

“Thought I’d drop by and let you know what’s going on,” I began, leaning against a nearby bulkhead.

“Why bother? I already know what’s going to happen. I’m gonna get arrested and my little sister’s gonna rot in some sicko’s slave ring for the rest of her life.” she spat.

“Well, you’re right about one thing,” I replied. She didn’t look at me. “But not about your sister.” I saw her sit up out of the corner of my eye. “In fact, I just got out of a meeting with Captain Remy of the U.S.S. Repulse and he’s agreed to help me mount a rescue mission.”

“Are you serious?” she asked desperately, tears forming in both eyes. I nodded.

“Yes. In just a couple of hours, we will be arriving at Ganalda Station, at which time I will attempt to lure the Orion fleet stationed there, along with their leader, out into Federation space, where Captain Remy will be waiting to arrest their leadership.” There was a pause as she attempted to make sense of the news.

“Why are you doing this?” she asked quietly, scarcely believing the news. “After everything I did to you. After I took advantage of you and threatened to kill you! Why?” she practically screamed, clearly unprepared for such an unexpected turn of events.

“Because, like I told you before, I can relate,” I explained. “I know what you’re going through. Besides, it just so happens that Captain Remy and I share a particularly powerful hatred of slavery. That’s why we’ve decided to help. Slavery cannot be allowed to exist.” I stopped leaning and stretched my sore back. “You’ll be transporting over to the Repulse in a couple of hours, at which time you’ll likely be questioned by Captain Remy himself. He doesn’t usually do that so I highly suggest that you treat him with great respect. He’s a good man, Erica. I suggest you take that into consideration when in his company.” With that, I left the brig and headed back towards the turbolift.

“Hmm…”I mused as I passed the holodeck. “Why is there a program paused?” I wondered out loud. “Meh, no harm in seeing what program was running.” With that, I entered the holodeck.

I wasn’t really sure what to think, quite honestly.

A single table with two chairs and a small candle adorning it sat amid a vast beach and under a beautiful moonlit night. For a moment, I thought I was back on Risa…that is, until I noticed who was seated on the opposite chair and put two and two together. There I was leaning partway across the table, eyes half-closed as if about to kiss someone. I could scarcely believe my eyes. This was indisputably a date scenario between myself and Trixie.

And then, just like that, it all made sense. I suddenly realized why Trixie was behaving like a precocious teenager with a crush on that ‘totally gross and not at all cute boy across the room’. It was because she was the precocious teenager with a crush. On me, no less, not to mention coming from out of nowhere to boot.

Well, that escalated quickly.

“Computer, end program.” I exclaimed, and the room quickly returned to its normal state. There was no doubt about it; sometime in the near future, when I finished sorting out my own feelings, now more confusing than ever thanks to Erica’s brutal 180, Trixie and I needed to have a little chat. With that now firmly implanted in my mind, I left for the mess hall.

***

Dinner had been a quiet affair, with both of us using the downtime and relative calm to engage in some serious thought-sorting. I don’t think we exchanged a single word as we ate. I was more than happy to simply reflect on what I’d seen in the holodeck and truth be told, it made me view Trixie in a whole new light, almost as if whatever had prevented me from seeing her as an actual female had gone away.

She really was a girl like any other. Hell, besides the whole quadruped thing, she was just like any human girl. I began to notice certain ‘traits’ as we ate in silence. The curve of her body, while exotic, wasn’t unattractive. She possessed a certain ‘unique’ set of aesthetically pleasing traits, most notably her flanks, which had drawn my eye a few times simply because...well, there it was for all to see. Armed with a different perspective, my imagination began to wander. Was I physically attracted to her? If so, what had prompted such a change of heart? If anyone told me that it was the result of her sudden willingness to go out with me, I would be the first to call ‘bullshit’. Talk about a contrived and clichéd plot device, huh?

And yet, here I was, wondering what it’d be like to cuddle up to her while at warp while we watched one of those classic 21st century comedies that she seemed to enjoy so much. Imagined what it’d be like to rest my head atop hers and periodically run my fingers through her soft mane. Imagined what it’d be like to kiss her…

She was a pony.

A sentient, talking pony.

From Equestria.

And I was starting to get more than simply used to the idea.

What Happens on Risa...Part IV

View Online

Acting captain’s log, Stardate…whatever. It’s been several hours since we began our trip to Ganalda Station and I can only hope that our new mission doesn’t last too much longer than that. Despite my frustration, I hope that Erica’s sister, Karen, is alive and well…or, as well as she can be considering her company. No one deserves a life of slavery, especially an innocent civilian. Makes me wish I had a big, bad tactical cruiser at my disposal. Then I could ensure the safety of other civilian transports and this bullshit would happen a lot less.

I haven’t said anything to Trixie about what I saw on the holodeck and to my knowledge, she hasn’t gone anywhere near Deck 4 so I can only assume she doesn’t know that I know about…ugh, this damn drama is giving me a headache. I’m at a loss as to how I should handle the situation, being quite out-of-practice. It’s definitely not a bad thing. At least it probably won’t turn into another round of ‘wham, bam, thank you, Cole’. I hope not anyway. (End recording)

I sighed and reclined on my recently remade bed. In a fit of shame and regret, I had stripped the old sheets off, recycled them in the replicator, and fabricated new ones. They weren’t as soft and well worn-in as my old ones but it was a price I was willing to pay to rid my sleeping space of her scent.

Beyond that and the obligatory log entry, I was at a loss as to what to do next. We would arrive at our destination in about an hour but I still needed something to pass the time. Normally, I would plan what I was going to do but since all we had to do was piss them off, I figured I could probably ad-lib this one.

Of course, there was another reason I needed to occupy myself.
Bored and full of regret is a debilitating combination, and it was the condition with which I found myself afflicted. I needed something to do, something to take my mind off the feeling of betrayal staging an invasion of my heart. I had a dozen or so holodeck programs ready to go, there always diagnostics to run, and there was usually some annoying little technical issue to torture my less-than-technical mind with.

Or I could just get drunk…

The sound of my door chime shook me from my thoughts. I stretched and got up so I was sitting on the edge of the bed.
“Come in,” I called. “Oh, hey.” I greeted as Trixie tentatively entered. “Is there…something you need?”

“Trixie is…Trixie is okay,” she replied hesitantly before looking up at me, concern gracing on face. “Trixie…I, came to see…if you were okay.” I sighed and offered her a tired smile.

“Thanks, Trix,” I replied, ruffling her ears. “I’m okay, just…still getting over the shock, I guess.” There was a pause.

“You really liked her didn’t you?” Her tone was gentle, not at all accusatory like most of her inquiries, which was especially surprising considering her feelings towards me. So that was it, huh? She was gonna make come out and say it.

“Yeah,” I replied quietly. “I did.”

And that’s all it took. I began to bawl like a helpless infant. The dam shattered, letting loose all the latent feelings of shame and betrayal I had kept under wraps for the past several hours and quite possibly, years. First, my parents on Romulus, and now this; what could’ve been a wonderful and fulfilling companionship…gone because of some filthy injustice that I now found myself a willing part of. Irony is a cruel mistress indeed, to say the least.

I’m not sure how long we sat there, my face buried in Trixie’s mane while she gently rubbed my back with a front hoof. She never once hinted at being bored or disappointed or ashamed of me. She just sat and waited the storm out until the deluge turned into a small trickle at best. Having finally banished most of my emotional distress, I sat up and wiped my eyes for what I hoped would be the final time for a long time.

“Feeling better?” she asked quietly, continuing to rub my back. I nodded and set my hand on her free hoof, squeezing it.

“Yeah,” I replied, a little out of breath from the rather considerable outpouring of emotions. “Quite a bit, actually. Thanks for doing this.”

“Doing what?”

“Staying with me. You didn’t have to do that. But…I’m really glad you did.” I assured her, adding a hug for good measure.

“I just wanted you to know that you could…” She fidgeted nervously, although rather than pull away, she returned the embrace. “…y’know, count on me. To…be there for you.”

“I appreciate it,” I murmured into her soft mane, carefully resting my head atop hers. “We have to be there for each other.” I could feel her muzzle curve into a smile, even before she spoke.

“And we will be.”

***

“Computer, what’s our ETA?” I asked as Trixie and I entered the bridge.

“We will arrive at Ganalda Station in approximately 12 minutes.” I looked at Trixie and offered her a small smile that I hoped appeared at least somewhat confident.

“Ready for another round with the Orion Syndicate?” I asked. She grinned and nodded.

“Of course! Trixie is always ready for a challenge! Bring ‘em on!”

“Hey, easy now!” I replied with a small laugh. “I appreciate your enthusiasm but we’re trying not to fight them this time, remember?” The showmare rolled her eyes.

“Yes, yes, Trixie knows.”

“Are you sure?” I asked with a healthy amount of scrutiny. “I think we should go over the plan one more time.”

“Ugh, fine,” Trixie replied, slightly exasperated.

“Step one: show up right on their doorstep. Step two: Provoke them into following us into shared space and if we can, Federation space. Step three: hope that Captain Remy has enough friends in high places to support a possible confrontation with the Syndicate and rescue any slaves from the station.” There are some ideas that sound more outlandish when stated aloud rather than simply thought about in one’s mind. This was one of those ideas.

“Trixie doesn’t like this,” she muttered, her face contorted into concern and skepticism. “Just being the bait. At least in a fight, you know what’s going to happen. Either they’re gonna get you or you’re gonna get them.”

“Sounds like you’re speaking from experience,” I commented. Her ears flattened as she frowned at me.

“Once or twice…” she ventured cautiously. I could see it on her face; this was a particularly touchy subject with her and not one I wanted to broach, at least not at the moment. We had a job to do.

“Good enough for me,” I assured her. “Computer, tactical status.”

“All phaser banks and torpedo launchers are operating within normal parameters. All Aegis modifications also operating within normal parameters.” Trixie looked at me quizzically.

“Just feels good to know we’re ready,” I said with a shrug.

“I guess so but Trixie didn’t need the ship to tell her that.” she replied smartly, sending me a confident wink. I smiled and nodded.

“That’s what I like to hear.”

We dropped out of warp a few short minutes later, appearing exactly where we expected in the Archanis Sector, and as close as we could get to Ganalda Station.

“Dear Celestia…” Trixie murmured as we beheld the large cloud of Orion ships crowding the station, taking note of the titanic warship directly in the middle.

“That’s a lot of big green men…” I muttered. “We have to work quickly. Computer, scan all vessels and the station for any human females and pinpoint any that match the profile given by Erica.” The computer beeped and there was a pause as it performed its task.

“38 subjects in total and one match found.”

“Location?”

“They have just been transported aboard the Warbarge Dreadnought.”

“Damnit,” I cursed. “Guess anything else would’ve been too easy, huh?”

“How are we supposed to beat that thing?” Trixie asked, clearly unsettled by the presence of so many of our former ‘friends’.

“That’s the best part; we don’t have to. Captain Remy made it clear that he and whatever task force he manages to scrape together will take care of any warships that come after us.” I assured her, hoping it would turn out to be true. Starfleet reinforcements were one thing but there were a lot of Orions camped out by the station. As I gauged Trixie’s reaction, I couldn’t help but notice an expression of…regret? “Something up?” I asked out of curiosity.

“What do you mean?”

“You looked like you were actually disappointed that we wouldn’t have to fight them.”

“How are you not?” she countered. “They’ve been making our lives miserable for weeks! Trixie thinks we should return the favor!”

I had to admit that she did have a point.

“Look, if they need us to provide additional support, then I promise we’ll get right in there. For now, I think we should concentrate on getting their attention and setting this ridiculous plan in motion.”

“Warning: proximity alert. Hostile vessels approaching.”

“Trixie thinks we have their attention,” the showmare pointed out as dozens of ships, including the Warbarge converged on our position, blocking our view with sheer numbers.

“Computer, open a channel to all Orion vessels,” I instructed.

“Channel open.” I took a deep breath as the viewscreen filled with no less than 40 green faces, none of which looked too happy to see us. I looked over at Trixie, receiving a ‘go ahead’ nod. “Alright…which one of you wants to surrender first?”

My ‘ultimatum’ was met with riotous laughter. After a few seconds, they regained their composure and a particularly large face occupied the majority of the viewscreen.

“Who are you?” he demanded, his deep voice reverberating across the COM channel.

“Never mind that.” I knew they’d scan us eventually but I wanted to buy as much time as I could for Captain Remy. “I’m here for one of your captives, a human female by the name of Karen. Transport her to my ship immediately and I’ll be on my way.”

Just for the record, I didn’t expect to be taken seriously.

“You have some nerve, boy,” he growled. “Do you not know who you are addressing? I am Hassan the Undying!”

“I know,” I answered nonchalantly. Up and to my left at the tactical station, Trixie stiffened in anticipation and subtly moved her hoof until it just barely hovered over the ‘fire’ button. “The deal stands. Give us the prisoner and we’ll leave.”

“Oh, you’ll be leaving,” Hassan assured me. “But not as you are. All ships, target the Federation vessel!”

“Warning: multiple weapons locked on. Recommend evasive maneuvers.” the computer exclaimed.

“You should listen to your computer,” Hassan warned. “If you had, perhaps you would have lived to see another day.”

“Don’t worry,” I replied. “I plan to. Trixie, now!” She nodded and with that, a burst of phaser fire from the forwards arrays hit the first four ships, catching the overconfident vessels completely by surprise. The subsequent explosions, though not enough to destroy said vessels, provided the perfect opportunity to escape, which we did…after sending a photon torpedo at the Warbarge just before going to warp. If that didn’t provoke them into chasing us, nothing would.

***

Here's a little joke for you; how many idiots does it take to piss off an entire Orion fleet? If the answer is not abundantly clear, our warp trail was the black box. No sooner had the Targ manure hit the fan, we were scanned, subsequently recognized, and immediately fired upon. Fortunately, the Aegis system kicked in just in time, preventing any serious damage, and we were able to escape by the skin of our teeth. I had to admit that for a bunch of barbaric slave-keepers, they were pretty Johnny-on-the-spot and jumped to warp immediately after we had.

I looked over at the blue mare as we streaked towards the rendezvous point. She didn’t even bother to hide it; as a matter of fact, I could feel a thought working its way onto my face in the form of a disgruntled and frustrated expression.

We were tired of running. Turning tail and racing for our lives to the nearest friendly port was beginning to get to us, not that it hadn’t bothered us before. The difference was thanks to my new gear, we had a way to fight back and regain our honor, as the Klingons would say. I was finally starting to see the wisdom behind some of their ‘philosophies’. And by the expression on Trixie’s face, she was thinking the exact same thing.

We reached the meeting point and dropped out of warp with the Orion fleet right behind us…which really sucked for them. Awaiting their arrival was the dreadnought Repulse, the Multi-Vector tactical ship Prometheus, and at least two dozen other starships of various configurations, all stood ready to engage.

And engage they did. I immediately ordered evasive maneuvers, barely evading the ensuing crossfire as both fleets clashed. Beams and torpedoes turned the space around us into no man’s land. Surprised for the second time that day, they fought with desperation to escape the trap. If they hadn’t been such honourless dogs, I might’ve appreciated their tenacity. Instead, I scanned for their leader, intent on showing him just how sick and tired of the Syndicate we were.

“Over there!” Trixie exclaimed, pointing at the viewscreen.

“Damn coward!” I growled as Hassan’s Warbarge slunk away, a small but steady stream of plasma leaking from the port side near the stern. “Whaddya say?” I asked, turning to Trixie. “Wanna teach ‘im a lesson?”

“Let’s do it!” she exclaimed, a determined grin gracing her muzzle.

“Then let’s go to work. Computer, pursuit course. Configure manual firing control to fire all beam weapons and stand by.”

“Acknowledged.” I looked back up at Trixie and gave her a grin of my own.

“How’d you like to be my tactical officer?” Her eyes widened.

“Are you…are you serious?” she asked, clearly in disbelief.

“Look at it this way; not only were you trapped on one of those damned slave ships, you saved the lives of six children. You deserve a chance to get even.” Her grin quickly turned into a full-on smile.

“Trixie would love nothing more!”

It didn’t take long for the quick and nimble Ranger to catch up with our prey. In what would soon become an irony fetishist’s wet dream, we let loose with every attack pattern and weapons combination I could think of, ensuring that we only targeted weapons, shields, and engines so as not to inadvertently hurt the innocent people on board. While my tactical knowledge was limited at best, we’d had quite a bit of practice fighting the Orions, giving us a decent advantage. Using our superior maneuverability, along with the adaptive shields of the Aegis system, we both fought and survived, twisting, turning, and weaving, peppering the dreadnought with torpedoes and razing it with phaser fire. If nothing else, it was one Hell of a light show.

“Told you learning some bridge controls would come in handy!” I exclaimed as Trixie practically hammered the newly-minted ‘fire all weapons’ button.

“Shut up and steer this thing!” she retorted, staring intently out the viewscreen.

“Evasive pattern Delta 5!” I shouted, pleased that one of the two or three I actually knew was doing what we needed it to do. “How’s that?”

“Better!”

I spared a glance at our shields and hull integrity; despite our efforts and the capabilities of the Aegis, the Ranger was never designed to go toe-to-toe with a dreadnought. Try as we might to disable or disarm it, we just weren’t doing enough damage to make a serious enough difference. It was only a matter of time before they repaired whatever was leaking and went to warp. If we were gonna stop ‘em, it had to be really soon.

“Alright, Trixie, I think it’s time for Plan B!” I announced.

“What’s ‘Plan B’?” she nearly shouted.

“We need more firepower and with Captain Remy and the others occupied, it’s up to us to stop Hassan here and now! How about giving that Amulet of yours a squeeze?” Then, suddenly remembering what had happened the last time she’d used it, I backpedaled so fast I’m surprised I didn’t go flying out the shuttle bay. I sighed; Trixie paused and looked at me apprehensively. “I’m sorry.”

“What? Why?”

“Because of what happened at Starbase 39. I almost lost you last time you used it. I…I can’t…won’t ask you to take that risk again.” To my surprise, the showmare offered me a confident smile and placed a hoof on my shoulder.

“Cole, it was a risk I was willing to take.” She returned her attention to the viewscreen and the flying behemoth therein. “And one Trixie is more than ready to take again!” With that, her horn and Amulet began to glow. The bridge became enveloped with blue light before condensing into several spheres and flying out the bridge. We watched through the viewscreen as the spheres appeared in front of us and transformed into very familiar shapes.

“Aha! Yes!” I cried as the photonic fleet began a coordinated attack on the Warbarge’s shields, weapons, and engines. Trixie kept her eyes closed as she guided them and after a minute or two of overwhelming fire, the fleeing warship came to a dead stop and finally stopped firing.

“Target's shields, weapons, and engines have failed.” the computer informed us. Trixie opened her eyes and the magically-conjured fleet disappeared with a flash.

“Computer, casualty report. Are the captives alright?”

“Affirmative. Holding cells located deep in ship’s interior.” I breathed a sigh of relief and got up, wiping my brow as I did so.

“We did it, Trix,” I said as she came around and sat on her haunches beside me, panting and staring at the viewscreen.

“Eep!” she squeaked as I suddenly picked her up around her waist and hugged her, smushing the sides of our faces together. Blushing madly, Trixie relaxed and wrapped her front hooves around me. We leaned away from each other shared a victorious smile.

“Amazing as always, Trix,” I said as we watched the victorious Federation fleet surround the crippled Warbarge. “I don’t know what I’d do without you. Hell, I don’t know what anyone would…”

Her lips touched mine, rendering anything more I might’ve said completely irrelevant. As far as kisses go, it was chaste and felt like it ended prematurely but that did not in any way make it any less meaningful.

Or surprising for that matter. I mean, I knew she liked me but I wasn’t expecting…well, that to happen. How was I supposed to know how she would choose to show affection? After all, she was an Equestrian, a species about which I possessed little knowledge, to say nothing of their mating habits or courting preferences. Maybe it was the thrill of our victory. Maybe it was the teamwork. Maybe it was just a spur-of-the-moment gesture brought on by my equally spur-of-the-moment gesture. What I eventually concluded as we stood still, holding each other tightly was that none of that mattered. We had persevered and triumphed over incredible odds and staged yet another daring rescue.

“Mr. Stevens?” The voice of Captain Remy brought us back to reality. I quickly (but gently) set Trixie down and stood at attention as the captain regarded us through the viewscreen from the comfortable chair in his ready room. “I apologize for the interruption but the Admiral would like a word with you regarding Erica and Karen.”

“How are they doing, sir?” I asked.

“Shaken up but otherwise unharmed.” Trixie let out a huff. I scratched her ear absentmindedly and felt her relax.

“Thank you, Captain,” I replied with an appreciative nod before pausing. “Sir…what’s going to happen to them? Will Erica stand trial? And what about Karen?” Captain Remy nodded.

“Yes, Erica will have to stand trial. We have placed her sister under Federation custody for the time being.”

“What about their parents, sir?” I asked, wondering how I had not asked that earlier.

“According to the database, they were killed when the transport they were on was attacked by the Orion Syndicate. Apparently, Karen and Erica were the only survivors. They tried to escape when the ship made a stop at Risa but only Erica made it. From what I gathered during our discussion, she tried to go back for her sister but Karen insisted that she save herself and get help.” The captain sighed and drummed his fingers together. “It’s amazing what people will do in the face of a crisis,” he mused. “I don’t think her sentence will be very serious. While she did commandeer a starship, no one was hurt as a direct result and that allowed us to capture one of the Federation’s most wanted criminals. I expect that the evidence will absolve her of any serious trouble.” I breathed a sigh of relief.

“Well, that’s about as good as can be expected given the current situation, right?” I asked. Remy nodded.

“I would say so. The Admiralty has requested that you submit a full report on what happened to the best of your knowledge. I suggest you finish that sooner rather than later to make sure we have it by the time the trial comes along.”

"Yes sir. I’ll get to to as soon as I can.”

“I know you will. Best of luck to you and Trixie, Mr. Stevens,” Remy replied. “I’m sure we’ll meet again.”

“I hope so, sir.” I answered. “By the way; thanks for all your help. We’re in your debt…again.” Remy smiled and chuckled.
“It’s just part of my duties, Mr. Stevens, although if you feel so strongly about it, just buy me a round of Kanar next time and we’ll call it even.” I nodded curtly.

“Sounds real good, sir.”

***

Acting Captain’s log, Stardate something, something. After three days of repairs at Deep Space k7, we’re finally ready got get under way. Fortunately, most of the damage was fairly easy to remedy and I am pleased to report that the Ranger is ship-shape once again, although I’m now of the opinion that if insurance still existed in the Federation, I’d have a policy as long as my arm.

Things with Trixie have been…different. Don’t get me wrong; things between us are fine, probably better than they’ve ever been. It’s just that we obviously both need some time to really examine our feelings and thinks about where we want to go. I know I’m probably being overcautious and what have you but Trixie’s really important to me. I’d rather not screw things up between us.
Having said that, I’m starting to warm up to the idea of being in a serious relationship with her. We’ve both grown a lot since we started this journey together and I think we’re finally starting to meld. It’s a nice change from the hourly wars we used to wage, that’s for sure.

I think I’m ready to give this a try. (End transmission)

I yawned and stretched, grunting as my back cracked and loosened up. I glanced at the clock; almost three in the morning (Earth standard time). I got up and made my way to Trixie’s room to bid her good night.

“Computer,” I said, remembering how late it was. “Where's Trixie?”

“The Great and Powerful Trixie is on the bridge.” I couldn’t help but laugh; apparently, the sly showmare had instructed the computer to address her as she saw fit. Still, I suppose that after those last two photonic fleets, she deserved some opportunity to stroke her ego.

Upon exiting the turbolift, I found her sitting close to the main viewscreen, staring out at the stars beyond the station. She always did love the stars. In fact, if I wasn’t sure that the star on her flank was attached to a wand and therefore denoted magic affinity, I would’ve attributed her cutie mark to her love of the stars.

“Nice view, huh?” I asked, causing her to turn around in surprise. “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you. May I join you?”

“Sure. It’s your bridge.” I smiled; even in a pensive half-trance, she still retained her wit.

“Thanks.” I replied, taking a seat beside her. There was a silence as I joined her in her observations. “Trixie…is there something you…maybe wanna talk about?” I ventured. There was a pause and although I wasn’t studying her face, I could tell she was thinking very hard about her answer.

“Kind of…” she admitted, much to my surprise. Up until this point, she had been a very private mare and had kept me on a need-to-know basis. Nevertheless, I welcomed her candidness. “Trixie…I…kinda…maybe…you know…” she murmured nervously. I decided to let her off the hook.

“Look, Trix, it’s been a strange last four days so I understand if you need time to… y’know, think things over. I know I could. Still…that kiss was…it was really great.” I assured her, ruffling her ears.

“T-thanks,” she replied sheepishly, blushing. “It f-felt really good to me, too.” I smiled and put my arm around her. She let out a small, happy sigh and leaned against me, resting her head on my shoulder.

“Receiving incoming transmission from Starfleet Command, priority Alpha.” the computer announced, startling us. Trixie sighed and I rolled my eyes.

“On-screen.”

My eyes widened as I read the message, after which I absentmindedly rose to my feet. Sensing something amiss, Trixie read it as well before looking up at me with an inquisitive expression.

“Cole…what’s a ‘Dyson Sphere’?”

Omega Part I

View Online

There’s nothing quite like the fresh sensation of salty sea air as it permeates and rejuvenates the body. From my perch high up on the ship’s towering mizzenmast, I felt the wind wrap itself around me in cool yet comforting embrace. There was nothing to distract me from reveling in the feeling of undeniable freedom the openness bestowed upon me and the others as we traversed the great blue expanse. I took another deep, appreciative breath and…

“COLE!” a familiar, somewhat disgruntled voice called from somewhere below. Startled, I peered down from the crow’s nest and surveyed the brigantine’s main deck, searching for the source of the rather abrupt shout. “Cole! Where are you?”

For a moment, I considered ignoring the call and using the spirited sailing ditty being sung by the crew as justification for plausible deniability. Then again, the idea of dealing with an angry magic-wielder didn’t really appeal to me either. Indeed, Hell hath no fury like a disgruntled Trixie. My mind made up, I sighed and grabbed a nearby rope, gripped it firmly, and leapt out of the crow’s nest and into the air.

“Waaaaahooooooo!” I cried as I fell for a split second before swinging around the mast, keeping a firm grip on the rope as I flew over the bewildered faces of the crew. With a cocky grin, I waited until I was swinging towards the rear sails and let go of the rope. “Yeeeeeaaaah!” I yelled triumphantly as the sudden release propelled me into the billowing white sheets. Gripping the cloth as tightly as I could with both arms, I slid down the sail expertly, intending to land right beside my compatriot at the helm.

“Aaaaaugh!” I shouted as my foot caught a small hole and tipped me over, thus compelling me to land unceremoniously flat on my back exactly where I wanted but decidedly without any semblance of dignity or pride. “Damn, that hurt…” I muttered, wincing as I slowly sat up and rubbed my back. I got back to my feet and glanced down at Trixie, who looked at me with an unimpressed expression that somehow complimented her black and scarlet pirate captain’s outfit. “I mean…arr, that be murder on me keester!” She rolled her eyes.

“For somepony who wanted to play pirate so badly, Trixie thought you’d be better at staying in character!”

“Arr, what was that, matey?” I growled with a grin, leaning towards her whilst cupping my ear. “I could nary hear what ye were sayin’!” Trixie sighed.

“Ahem! Ye best listen t’ yer cap’n or Trixie’ll have ye strung up by yer ankles…" She sighed as I waggled my eyebrows. "...arr!”

“Right ye arr, cap’n!” I replied, replacing my lost hat. “What say we weigh anchor and hoist the mizzen?”

“What the hay does that mean?” the showmare asked. I looked at her expectantly and waggled my eyebrows. Trixie sighed and once again, rolled her eyes. “Arr.” she added unenthusiastically.

“Arr, I haven’t the foggiest, cap’n!” I exclaimed with a comically stoic expression. “I be just a simple rapscallion, ma’am! A salty dog who lives to sail the seven seas, arr. Now let’s raise the Jolly Roger an’ find us some booty, arr!”

“Some what?”

“Treasure, matey! Plunder, gold, silver, maybe a pair o’ the admiral’s knickers!” There was a pause.

“Can we do something else now?”

“Hey, you’re the one who wanted to be the captain!”

“It’s the role that best suits the Great and Powerful Trixie!”

“Cap’n!” one of the crew called from just below us on the main deck, halting the argument. “There be a ship comin’ over the horizon! She flies the flag o’ the East India Trading Company, sir!” I grinned and rubbed my hands together.

“Batten down the hatches! Bring ‘er round an’ prepare to fire all broadsiders, ye scurvy bilge rats! Shift yerselves, lads, or it’s you we’ll shove into the cannons!” I cried over the edge of the upper deck, waving my cutlass as I called out my instructions.

“Hey! Trixie thought she was the captain!” I knelt down and put my arm around her.

“Arr, if ye be wantin’ t’ wear the hat o’ the cap’n, ye best be showin’ me an’ the crew that ye be worthy o’ it!”

“Fine! You want a pirate captain? Then Trixie shall give you a pirate captain!” She cleared her throat, walked over to the staircase, proceeded down it, and continued onto the main deck. “Well? What arr ye waitin’ fer? Hoist the sales! Load the cannons! Come on, you lot, bring a spring upon her cable!” There was a chorus of ‘Yes sirs!” as she strutted proudly and determinately across the deck, pointing her hooves and barking orders. “Look sharp, ye theivin’ scallywags! No prey, no pay! Shiver me timbers, arr!” She looked back at me, to which I replied with a spirited thumbs-up.

“Quartermaster! They be turnin’ with th’ wind!” a man wielding a spyglass reported from my left side.

“Good! If it’s a fight they be wantin’, it’s a fight we’ll give ‘em!” I leaned over the rail and waved wildly at Trixie, who soon returned to the upper deck.

“What be the situation, Mr. Stevens?” she asked, adding a slight growl for good measure.

“The company ship be closin’ in, cap’n!” I replied as Trixie turned to another pirate.

“Mr. Gibbs! Be the cannons loaded an’ the men thirsty fer blood?” He grinned and nodded.

“Aye, cap’n. After two weeks o’ nothin’ save fer that Navy galleon we sent to Davy Jones, the men be ready fer anythin’!”

“Excellent!” Trixie exclaimed happily “Load photon torpedoes and prepare to fire all phasers on my mark!”

A cold wind graced the ship as everyone on board looked at her in confusion. I face-palmed as she took a look around before blushing and scooting back a few steps.

“Er…Trixie meant ‘prepare t’ fire all guns on her…my command’! Send ‘em to the briny deep, ye scallywags!” There was a raucous cheer as every man prepared themselves and the ship for battle.

“Nice save, Freud.” I muttered.

“Thanks.”

“If I didn’t know any better,” I continued as we paced about the deck, supervising the crew. “I’d say you’ve been learning from me.”

“Do you really think so?” she asked genuinely, surprising me.

“Well, look at it this way,” I offered. “If we ever get in a situation that rendered me unable to operate the ship, where would that leave you? Personally, I’d rather not take that risk. I know I’d feel better if you could handle yourself in the case of an emergency.”

“Um…Cole?” she said, jingling the Alicorn Amulet in front of me.

“Sure, there’s that but you still never know, right?” I replied with a shrug. “Ah well. There’ll be lots of time to discuss that later. For now, I believe we have a more pressing issue to deal with.” I cleared my throat and struck a pose, holding my arms behind my back as if deep in thought. “Arr, the ship o’ booty approaches, cap’n, an’ they’ve raised their flags! Those damned fools!” I declared, making a fist. “What be yer orders, ma’am?”

“After we bring the masts down with cannon fire,” Trixie…I mean, Captain Trixie, instructed. “We board ‘em an’ take what’s rightfully ours!” To this, she received a roaring reply be the crew, eager for plunder. “How was that?” she asked quietly.

“You’re getting the hang of it.” I assured her with a smile. “Ready?” She nodded.

“Ready.”

“Excellent! Mr. Jenkins!” I called, startling the man into hiding his flask. “Are they within range o’ the heavy guns?”

“Yes sir!”

“Good!” I turned to Trixie. “Care to do the honors, cap’n?”

“Of course! All hands, fire on my mark! Three! Two! One…”

The ship suddenly lurched from side to side, catching us off-guard and sending many of the crew to the deck. Hanging on to the railing for support, I made my way to the side and peered over the edge. Large ripples contorted the surface and for a moment, I thought I saw a large shape pass beneath us.

“Come about!” I shouted as my hunch swiftly turned into paranoia. Trixie gave me a quizzical expression.

“What is it?” she half-demanded, surprised by my sudden outburst. “What did you see?”

“I’m not sure,” I replied, kneeling down and beckoning her to do the same lest we be overheard. “Some massive…thing just cruised right under the hull. I didn’t get a very good look at it but I think we should get the Hell out of here.” There was a brief pause as Trixie looked at me rather strangely. “Here, I got this,” I added as I stood up. “Helmsman, turn us around! Get us out of here!”

“Belay that!” Startled, I turned to find Trixie with her front hooves perched on the railing overlooking the main deck. She turned to me and grinned. “Arr, what be the matter, ye lily-livered Jack Tar? ‘Fraid o’ a little fish?” Her grin dared me to offer a rebuke.

“N-no, cap’n! Ne’er!” I assured her whilst trying to assure myself.

“Very well! Resume our course to the company vessel so we may…”

She didn’t get to finish. Six gigantic murky-green tentacles erupting from the water around the ship saw to that. We stared in horror as the limbs began their terrible assault on the ship and crew, dragging them screaming into the deep, never to be seen or heard from again. The ship groaned and cracked as the monster tore at it, effortlessly cracking the masts, shattering the decks with repeated strikes, and punching through the hull in search of sailors to eat.

All the while, Trixie stood in silence with a growing gleam in her eye.

“Forward!” she suddenly shouted, much to the chagrin and terror of the crew. “Aye, ye heard yer cap’n! We strike while the beast is occupied!”

“Are you crazy?” I hissed as the crew voiced their displeasure…loudly.

“Can you think of a better idea?” Trixie asked. “Personally, I’d rather fight it while it’s busy than run and let it hunt us down!” I had to admit that, as crazy as it sounded, she had a point.

“Alright, you heard the cap’n!” I shouted over the deck. “Get those cannons loaded an’ arm yerselves, fer today we face the Devil ‘imself!” Galvanized into action, the crew replied with admirable efficiency as they prepped the guns and passed around guns, swords, pointy sticks, anything they could get their hands on. “Ready?” I asked, flashing the pair of custom pistols slung just inside my coat. Trixie nodded and smiled, levitating a miniature cannon, stylized with her colors and cutie mark in front of me. I grinned and shook my head.

“Show-off.”

With that, we charged as fast as the wind could propel us, straight towards the skyscraper-sized beast lurking ‘neath the waves. So focused were we on our target that none of us noticed the darkening sky above us, so focused on our target were we that only Trixie noticed something else emerge from the deep.

It practically exploded about 100 feet off our starboard bow, tearing up the sea as it leapt out before landing with a mighty crash, showering us with seawater. Trixie grabbed the spyglass and turned to the source of the disturbance. Her eyes widened as she beheld the terrifying sight of a man o’ war, ethereal, macabre, titanic in its proportions…and heading straight for us.

“Cole! We’ve got another problem!” she shouted. I whipped around and my eyes widened as well as I took in the scene. Bearing down on us, the colossal ship of legend brimmed with massive cannons and a demonic crew, laughing and shrieking into the blackened sky and howling their unholy praises at the full lunar eclipse overhead.

“Glory be!” I admonished. “It’s the Flying Dutchman!” Below us, the crew partook in a combination of screaming, demanding answers, and praying for their immortal souls.

“What is the ‘Flying Dutchman’!?” Trixie demanded.

“Arr, she be the greatest ship o’ legend that ever sailed! Aye, they say she be crewed by demons and captained by the foulest beast o’ the underworld, arr!” Try as I might to sound dire and serious, I couldn’t help but grin at some yet-unseen opportunity.

“Why are you grinning? I mean, sure, a sea monster’s all well and good but a demon ship?” she demanded once more.

“They say that whomever controls the Dutchman forever controls the sea itself!” I exclaimed. “Mighty appealin’…don’t ya think?” I added, giving her a gentle nudge. The showmare regarded me with a doubtful expression.

“You can’t be serious.”

“Aye, what say we take ‘er as our own an’ rule the seas together ‘till the end o’ time?” I asked with a cocky smile. Trixie lifted a hoof to her chin in thought.

“Will Trixie still be the captain?”

“Sure.” I replied with a shrug.

“Arr, listen up, ye scurvy Jack Tars!” Trixie yelled over the chaos of the main deck. “After we dispose o’ that overgrown sea rat, I’d say it be time fer a change o’ scenery! What say you?” Trixie sighed as the panic continued, her brave words completely unnoticed. She looked at me expectedly; I nodded and cleared my throat.

“Computer, modify the personality subroutines of our crew.” The computer replied with an acknowledgement chime. “Change them from ‘foolhardy’ to ‘recklessly courageous to the point of self-annihilation’.”

“Modifications complete.”

“Good!”

In an almost comical fashion, the once-panicked crew had turned into the most ambitious and fanatically brave group of brigands ever to set foot on a ship. They cheered and brandished their weapons as the three of us, the Kraken, the Dutchman, and ourselves, surged towards each other. I grinned as, to starboard, the Dutchman took aim with the veritable wall of cannons that covered its broadside. I watched in awe as, to port, the Kraken reared its head out of the water, its teeth-lined funnel-like maw staring us down like a vacuous eye before letting out a deafening…

“Alert; 10 minutes until arrival at destination.” I sighed and face-palmed.

“Computer, freeze program.” With that, both the mighty Kraken and the demon ship froze, each mere moments away from unleashing devastating attacks. “Awe man, just when it was getting good!” I complained as we exited the holodeck. “Sorry about that,” I added apologetically. “Next time we get a chance, we can just pick off right where we paused.”

“S-sounds great…” Trixie muttered.

“You okay?” I asked. “That wasn’t too much for you, was it?”

“Of course not!” she insisted.

“Hey, if you’d rather play something else, I could always grab another program,” I offered as we entered the turbolift. “Bridge.” I directed to the computer.

“Trixie was not scared!”

“Who said anything about being scared?” I asked with a knowing smile.

“Shut up.” she replied, pouting.

“For the record, you make an awesome pirate captain,” I assured her, giving her right ear a scratch and earning a small hum of satisfaction.

“Y-you really think so?” she asked, a small blush appearing on her azure cheeks.

“Yeah! You really caught on fast! You had the lingo, the mannerisms, everything!” Okay, maybe I exaggerated just a little bit but you know what they say; a mare’s ego is a fragile thing and I was determined to keep things going well between us.

“Thanks,” she replied a little more confidently. “You’re not a bad cabin boy, either.”

“I think you mean ’first mate’,” I corrected. Trixie simply smiled and swatted my face with her tail as I followed her out of the turbolift.

“Nope.” I rolled my eyes and accompanied her onto the bridge.

“Computer, status.” I exclaimed, taking a seat in my chair.

“Destination will be in visual range in 20 seconds.”

“Cole…what exactly are we doing here?” Trixie asked.

“Beats me,” I replied. “All the message said was that Starfleet was rerouting any spare ships to some place called the ‘Dyson Sphere Gateway’.”

“Haven’t you ever been there?” Trixie asked, apparently surprised to hear that there was somewhere in the universe I hadn’t already been.

“Can’t say I have,” I admitted. “I’ve heard of it, though. Starfleet’s kept the details more or less hush-hush so I think it’s safe to say that whatever’s going on must be pretty important.”

“What do you think is going on?”

“Again, no idea. If I had to guess, I’d say it has something to do with the…Iconians?” I offered with a shrug.

“There’s that name again,” Trixie muttered. “Trixie’s starting to think that everything has something to do with them.”

“Well, you’ve seen what they can do, right?” I reminded her, thinking back to that dreadful tour through one of their installations. “You’ve seen how advanced they are, even compared to us. In fact, I wouldn’t be too surprised if the massive extinction-level defeat they suffered was only a minor setback.”

“Let’s not talk about them anymore,” Trixie requested, trying to disguise the shiver that ran from snout to tail. “Trixie is...not exactly fond of them.”

“Fair enough,” said I. “Looks like we’re where we need to be. Ready for this?” Trixie nodded. “Good! Computer, take us out of warp.”

We gasped at what we saw.

We had emerged just beyond a large cluster of ships of every size and configuration. Klingons, Romulans, Federation…all the major players were gathered, their respective fleets mingling, gathering, sorting themselves into large formations. I had never seen anything like it before and as Trixie gawked at the sight, it was safe to say that neither had she. I mean, we’d seen fleets before but never like this. The numbers themselves were mind-boggling; how anyone could navigate without causing a major accident was nothing short of a miracle, to say nothing of the variety.

And there it was, smack in the middle of the assembling mega-fleet; the enormous white and blue ring-shaped gate, beckoning to us, daring us to enter. Practically giddy with excitement, I grinned and rubbed my hands together like a fanboy on Ritalin. I looked over at Trixie. Her reaction was difficult to read; her expression, while awed, didn’t seem to convey excitement or even fear. Rather, she seemed dumbstruck by the scale of the construct and was still trying to fathom the implications. Clearly, Equestria didn’t contain too many artifacts of such ‘galactic’ proportions.

“H-how can something that big even exist?” she murmured, having finally rediscovered her ability to speak.

“That’s what she said,” I replied with a wry grin. The showmare rewarded my shallow wit with a brief but venomous glare. “Sorry. To answer your question, if you thought that was big, you haven’t seen anything yet.”

“What!?” Trixie asked incredulously.

“Don’t you remember what I told you about Dyson Spheres?”

“Yes but Trixie didn’t think you were serious!”

“Well, as you can see, I was very serious. The galaxy is a big place filled with big stuff, to put it simply. When you imagine that our galaxy is one of millions in the universe, doesn’t it stand to reason that objects like Dyson Spheres can exist?” There was a pause as the blue mare mulled it over before nodding thoughtfully.

“Trixie sees your point. That must’ve been what your people thought of magic at first.”

“Exactly,” I replied, glad that she’d found something relatable. “Magic was thought to be impossible before we stumbled upon your world, although our technology probably seemed like magic to you as…” I stopped suddenly, remembering Trixie’s position on the issue. Wisely, I decided to abandon that particular tangent. “Sorry; got caught up in the conversation.”

“It’s okay.” There was a brief pause.

“Huh?” I asked in surprise.

“Trixie said…” She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and exhaled. “It’s okay. She’s not mad about that anymore.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really. Why do you think Trixie uses the holodeck and replicators so much even without you being there?” Of course; it was so obvious. I face-palmed; clearly, my observation skills were less than stellar. Granted, she was also a girl, which only served to compound my ignorance. “Besides…” she added, nervously rubbing her front hooves together. “That’s what brought us together.” she finished quietly.

“That’s true, isn’t it?” I agreed, getting up to give Trixie’s mane an affectionate ruffling, to which she grinned and murmured happily. “And I wouldn’t have it any other way.” I whispered, giving her a quick peck on her forehead at the base of her horn.

“Receiving incoming hail.” the computer stated, breaking the awed yet subdued mood of the bridge.

“On screen.” I ordered as I returned to my seat just in time for a familiar face to appear. “Captain Remy!” I exclaimed in genuine surprise whilst quickly standing up as a show of respect. “What are you doing here?”

“Nice to see you too, Mr. Stevens. I can’t explain much right now but long story short, I’m the most qualified man in Starfleet to lead this mission and right now, I need you to form up with the rest of Joint Group Gamma. I’ll send you the coordinates. Remy out.” With that, he was gone, his visage replaced by a flight plan.

“Computer, follow the flight plan we just received.”

“Acknowledged.” I turned to Trixie.

“I don’t know about you but I feel just a little better now about the whole thing.”

“You really trust him, don’t you?” she asked curiously.

“Why wouldn’t I?” I replied. “He’s more decorated than an art museum. We’re lucky to have him for this mission.”

“I hope you’re right,” Trixie replied as we cruised towards the designated meeting point. It was during said cruise that I made a point of identifying and describing the myriad ships we saw along the way. To my surprise (and delight, I’ll admit), Trixie seemed quite interested in what I had to say, even sending a few questions my way.

“…and that one over there?” she asked, pointing out the viewscreen.

“Oh, that’s a…holy crap!” I exclaimed. “That’s a…that’s a Jem’Hadar Dreadnought carrier! Whatever’s going on must be something else if the Dominion wants in on the action.” Remembering what little history I’d taught her, Trixie’s eyes widened at the mention of our fearsome former foe. “Don’t worry; we’re no longer at war with the Dominion. The Delta Quadrant must be quite the place right now for them to come see us.” We watched as it banked and headed in the opposite direction, flanked by a small swarm of Jem’Hadar attack ships.

“I see…” Trixie mused before pointing at another large ship.

“Ah, that there’s a Romulan D’deridex battle cruiser,” I explained as the massive green warship passed us by. “Mainstay of the Romulan Republic fleet…besides the Scimitars, I guess.”

“And that one?”

“Um…I think that’s the I.K.S. Bortasqu’. Awe man, the Klingons, too? It’s like a giant intergalactic kegger up here. Oh, a ‘kegger’ is basically a huge party that serves beer from a barrel,” I explained as Trixie regarded me quizzically.

“Oh, well then perhaps we should’ve brought Pinkie Pie.” she replied with a wry grin.

“Ain’t that the truth,” I agreed. “Not only would she probably make this a lot more entertaining but we can always use another ‘screw physics’ machine.” An alert from the computer redirected my attention to the viewscreen. “Looks like we’ve reached the meeting point for Joint Group Gamma,” I mused as we slowed to a stop next to an Excelsior-class cruiser. “Interesting…” I mused, stroking the non-existent goatee on my chin.

“What’s interesting?” Trixie asked.

“It looks like they’ve grouped us according to ship type. Ah, now I see how they’re doing this. You see, they’ve got the fighting ships over there to our left and what look like science and research ships to our right. Then there’s us, the auxiliary/support group that explains why we’re surrounded by cruisers and other engineering ships.”

“Wait…” Trixie interjected. “We’re on a science ship, right?” I nodded. “Then why are we with the engineers?”

“That’s a good question,” I replied, pausing briefly to consider it. “Probably ‘cause I’m not a trained scientist nor do I have any trained scientific crew on board. If I had to guess, I’d say that we are here in Group Gamma because I have a quick, nimble ship with room to spare. A little small maybe but still useful as a light transport.” Or cannon fodder.

“So they pulled us from doing delivery missions out here so we could go to this ‘Dyson Sphere’ and do delivery missions in there?” Trixie surmised.

“That seems to be the long and short of it.”

“Not the most exciting turn of events, don’t you think?”

“What I think, my good mare, is that we’ve had more than our fair share of ‘excitement’ lately so if they wanna stick us behind a wall of warships to deliver cappuccinos to Starfleet brass, that’s just fine with me.”

“Don’t they have replicators for that?”

“Hey. Stop ruining my dream.”

The awful truth of the matter was that, simply put, I was tired of fighting. Participating in a mission, long or short, was just fine and dandy if for once, someone else more skilled, more qualified, and better equipped could takeover. While the Aegis was a fantastic piece of defensive technology, it simply could not hold a candle to what the shiny new Federation escorts or Klingon Birds-of-Prey brought to the table, Trixie’s ability to literally pull a fleet out of a hat notwithstanding. I had seen what could happen if she overtaxed herself with the Amulet and was in no hurry to see that happen again. If that meant taking a break from combat, then so be it.

A notification courtesy of the computer shook me from my thoughts.

“Looks like it’s our turn,” I said, taking a deep breath for good luck. “Trixie, would you care to do the honors?”

“M-me?” she asked, eyes widening in curiosity.

“Well, unless there’s another Trixie using a cloaking device, who else could I mean?”

“B-but…why me?” I shrugged.

“Why not? This is easily one of the most fascinating moments we’ve ever experienced. And I’d like you to kick it off.”

“O-okay,” she murmured before clearing her throat. “A-hem! Computer…take us through the gate.” She looked at me for approval and I replied with a smile and a nod.

“Acknowledged.”

***

I have to admit that I never realized just how fast transwarp was until the gate spat us out and we found ourselves…somewhere. Man, and I thought we’d seen things before. They paled in comparison to the sheer size of the sphere. Even without scanning it, I could tell that this construct was on a whole other level of big. It was almost unfathomable, easily the largest biosphere ever encountered. I could just barely make out the star in the center of the sphere, the power source for the whole thing, the once-tameable phenomenon that had been tamed and managed to keep the sphere active for…no one really knew how long but estimates were in the ballpark of 200,000 years.

Nothing makes you feel small and utterly insignificant like huge structures and numbers to match.

Massive ivory-white towers and spires dotted the landscape, piercing the cloudy heavens and casting great shadows over the sprawling cities beneath them, separated by oceans and continents that numbered in the millions, stretching as far as the eye (and most short-range sensors) could see.

“Computer, panoramic mode,” I mumbled as I slowly rose from my chair. The computer replied with a series of short beeps and extra viewing screens slid down from the ceiling, covering ever panel and bulkhead from floor to ceiling, curving around the bridge all the way up to the door to the ready room. “Route visual data feed from sensors to the bridge.” I added. Immediately, we were surrounded by visions of the sphere. Trixie rose to her feet as well and we spent the next few moments marveling at the surreal sights all around us. Starships flew past us by the dozen, all heading for a massive arch-like structure with a city atop it about a hundred kilometers off our starboard side.

“Cole…” the showmare murmured as she slowly gazed around at the large screens. “Is this…?”

“Uh-huh…” I almost whispered. “Well, Miss Trixie, allow me to be the first to welcome you to the Solanae Dyson Sphere.”

“It’s incredible, Cole,” Trixie replied in awe. “How is this even…?”

“That’s what we’re here to find out,” I explained. “We need to figure out who built this thing and why.”

“Trixie is as curious as you are,” she admitted, doing one last walk around the bridge before returning to my side. “Who would build something like this anyway?”

“I’m sure we’ll find out someday,” I assured her, taking a seat. “It might not be soon but I hope it’s at least before we die.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Our scanning and science technology is only so advanced. Studying something this size is gonna take time and resources we never thought we’d ever commit to a single project. It’ll be slow going at first; it’s gonna be a learning experience for everyone but when the research gets going, we’ll grab enough information in a day to keep Federation scientists busy for years.”

“Or Twilight Sparkle for ten minutes,” Trixie added with a grin. I chuckled and absentmindedly scratched one of her ears.

“Receiving incoming transmission.” the computer announced.

“On screen. Oh, but disable panoramic mode first.” No sooner had the last screen disappeared, more directions filled the viewscreen, which I quickly read. “Computer, proceed to ‘Dyson Joint Command’, one-quarter impulse.”

“Acknowledged.” I felt the Ranger turn towards the gigantic structure and looked down at Trixie.

“Something up?” I asked. She looked up at me.

“Why do you ask?”

“You just looked…I dunno, deep in thought or something.”

“Oh! No, not really. I mean, it is a lot to think about but I’m not worried or anything.”

“Glad to hear it. Can I…tell you something?” I asked quietly, despite the fact that besides us, the bridge was empty. Trixie looked up at me with a gentle smile.

“Of course.” I took a deep breath.

“Before we came here…” I paused, trying to push past my pride. “I was…well, I was really nervous…and maybe just a little afraid. I wasn’t sure what to expect and…I don’t want to place us in any danger if I can help it.” To my relief, the showmare didn’t take advantage of the opening to tease or otherwise belittle me. We may have been getting along a lot better but that didn’t mean we didn’t still take the occasional jab at each other. Instead, she hopped up cat-like onto my lap and embraced me.

“Hey, it’s okay. You’ve got the Great and Powerful Trixie looking out for you.” she whispered.

“Yes and there’s no one…nopony I’d rather have here with me right now.” I felt her forelegs tighten around me as she rested her chin on my left shoulder.

“You’re pretty sweet…for a crybaby,” she teased, giving my earlobe a quick lick before pulling back and looking at me with a sly grin.

“I hate you sometimes, you know that?” I stated flatly.

“Yep!” she replied enthusiastically, kissing my nose before hopping off and returning to her spot beside my chair. A small blush added a dash of color to my cheeks.

We reached our mid-air ‘parking space’ shortly after, taking our place next to a Romulan Scimitar. Compared to what we’d seen of the sphere, the dreadnought didn’t seem quite as intimidating as before but it still left me wondering how many Novas we could cram between its wings. After ensuring that the Ranger wouldn’t go gallivanting off on its own the second we beamed off, we did just that, transporting to the coordinates we received with the flight plan.

***

Upon rematerializing, we found ourselves in a vast, open room that appeared to be some kind of central hub. Besides the room itself, the first thing I noticed was the lack of a sizeable crowd, which was understandably surprising given the sheer number of ships that had just arrived. Had we received different coordinates than the others and if so, why? It was the only explanation I could think of at the time and by the look on Trixie’s face, she was more than likely thinking the exact same thing.

“Cole, where is everypony…I mean, everybody?” she asked, sharing in my survey of the room. “Trixie was expecting…more.”

“That makes two of us,” I agreed. “Maybe we’re just the first ones to beam over but seeing as we were one of the last ships to arrive, that doesn’t seem likely.”

“Perhaps I can offer an explanation,” a familiar voice declared behind them. We turned to find none other than Captain Remy.

“Good to see you again, sir,” I greeted, shaking his hand. “We didn’t get to talk much at the gate.”

“Well, I’m sure we’ll make up for that in the near future,” he agreed before kneeling down to give Trixie’s hoof a gentle shake as well. “Hello again, Miss Trixie. How have you been?”

“Trixie has been excellent, sir.” she said with just a hint of pride before looking up at Cole with a smile.

“Glad to hear it. Shall we?” Remy asked, gesturing to the small nearby cantina. “I imagine you have a few questions,” the captain continued as we sat down at one of the more out-of-the-way tables.

“I imagine you’ll have a few answers,” I replied.

“Indeed.”

“Well, for starters…what are we doing here?” I asked. “Your earlier communique wasn’t exactly forthcoming.”

“The simple truth of the matter is that you’re here because we need you to be here,” Remy explained. “In fact,” he added, leaning towards me. “We need all the help we can get.”

“It’s that bad, huh?” I guessed.

“I’ll put it this way; if the Voth weren’t Hell-bent and determined to turn this thing into their own personal science experiment, the current situation would be much different and we might have made some substantial progress in our research.”

“Voth, sir?”

“You know about them?” I nodded.

“Yes sir. I grabbed Admiral Janeway’s holobook account of Voyager’s journey right after it was published.”

“Then you know what we’re up against.” Once again, I nodded.

“Excuse me,” Trixie perked up, raising her right hoof. “But who are the ‘Voth’?” We watched as Captain Remy produced a datapad from his hip pocket and set in on the table in front of us. He tapped a couple of buttons of the screen and twin green beams emerged from the device, quickly tracing an image. After a couple of seconds, a holographic creature stood before us.

I had seen them before, though not in person. Nevertheless, Admiral Janeway had been very precise when describing the bipedal dinosaurs. It was humanoid but that was where any similarities between us and them ended. Its reptilian scales were tinted orange and the back of its head curved downwards in a gentle half-arch. Her description of them as a ‘humanoid Hadrosaur’ had been spot-on; I only hoped that her description of their technology was little more than exaggeration, although I was well-aware of how futile such a hope was. The rapid build-up of allied forces in the Sphere, ironically, did little to assuage my fears. In all likelihood, it compounded them.

“The Voth are an extremely advanced race of reptilian humanoids who reside here in the Delta Quadrant,” Remy explained. “We’re still looking into what they’re true motivation for being here is but for now at least, it looks like they’re here to stay.”

“What do they want with the sphere?” I asked. “I mean, sure, it’s in their territory but there’s gotta be more to it than that for them to dedicate their resources like this. It’s not like the sphere is some kind of weapon…” I looked at the captain with an air of suspicion. “…is it?”

“It depends on what your definition of the word ‘weapon’ is,” Remy replied, making Trixie and I sit up straighter before leaning forward, not wanting to miss a thing. “What I’m about to show you is classified beyond top-secret but in order to perform your duties in the sphere to the best of your abilities, you ought to know the details. Understand that what I’m about to tell you does not leave this table. Understood?”

“Yes sir.” Trixie and I promised in unison.

“Good.” With that, the captain pressed another button and the Voth disappeared, replaced with a bright-blue sphere made up of many smaller connected spheres that resembled a glowing 3-dimensional snowflake with a brilliant white-blue core at its center.

“Wow…” Trixie marveled as she scooted as closely as she could without distorting the hologram.

“Your friend has good taste,” Remy said as we stared in wonder at it. “That’s what we call an Omega molecule.”

“Omega molecule?” I asked. Now there was something I’d never heard of before; despite that, I could tell by how cautiously the captain was acting that it was more than just a pretty blue ball of light.

“The Omega molecule is a highly unstable molecule believed to be the most powerful substance known to exist.” Remy explained in a hushed tone, shutting the hologram down. I looked over at Trixie, whose eyes had widened at the news.

“Most powerful…in existence?” she asked in a hushed, almost reverent tone.

“That’s right.” Remy confirmed.

“Well then, why don’t we use them?” Trixie asked as if it were the most obvious thing in the universe. “With something like Omega…couldn’t you do anything? Beat anyone?”

“It’s not about beating anyone or doing anything we want,” Remy replied. “Omega destroys subspace; a chain reaction involving a handful of molecules could devastate subspace throughout an entire quadrant. If that were to happen, warp travel would become impossible. Spacefaring civilization as we know it would cease to exist.”

“So…” Trixie began after a pause. “We should probably leave them alone, huh?”

“I wish it were that simple,” Remy answered. “This sphere is essentially an Omega factory.” I stared wide-eyed at the captain.

“You mean…this sphere makes Omega molecules?” Remy nodded.

“That’s right.” Remy confirmed. “That’s why the Voth are here. They’ve been stealing Omega molecules ever since they got here. Commander Arnold and his ground team have been holding them off as best they can at the main Omega production facility but they can’t do it forever.”

“And that’s where we’re here, right?” Trixie asked.

“No, that’s why Joint Group Alpha is here,” Remy corrected. “It’s their job to provide the firepower. Your job, and mine, is to support them and the science teams of Joint Group Beta.”

I’m not proud to admit that when I heard we weren’t likely to be in battle, I breathed a silent sigh of relief. Does that make me a coward, I wondered.

“How are we supposed to do that?” I continued. “Starfleet didn’t exactly send me a job description. Actually, on that note, what are we doing here anyway? The Ranger ain’t exactly a battleship.”

“Well, the short version is that right now, the Voth have more ships than we do. We’re bringin them in as fast as we can but suffice it to say that we need all the help we can get. You can help us by being a light freighter or, if we really need it, an escort. Might as well put that Aegis to good use, right?”

He had me there. How could I justify owning one of the most advanced pieces of tactical gear available and not give back to the very organization that had given it to me in the first place? I was starting to feel guilty about wanting to avoid fighting so much.

“Uh yes, yes sir,” I half-mumbled.

“Have you been here before?” Trixie asked.

“This is my second mission in the sphere,” Remy answered. “Last time I was here, the Voth had just arrived and we were in the middle of diplomatic negotiations when the spire we were all in was attacked. Turned out that the whole thing was just a ruse to try and take out as many Starfleet brass as they could at a time. Took out a few of their own as well.”

“Shit,” I muttered as my hands clenched into fists.

“I know it’s awful but right now, we just have to hold our breath and do the best we can,” Remy continued. “If we don’t, the Voth will eventually collect enough Omega molecules to destabilize the other quadrants and we’ll all be finished. No more warp travel and everything just…stops. We rely on each other too much; no one’s fully self-sustaining anymore. That is why you and I are here.”

We continued our conversation for a while after that, although it wasn’t long before fatigue finally set in and we indulged in a collective yawn. We made our way back to the transporter pad and were about to step onto our respective pads when…

“Trixie would like to help.” a small voice said. Remy and I turned to face the source, finding Trixie looking up at us with a strange expression of nervous determination.

“I’m sorry; what was that?” Remy asked.

“Trixie said…I said…I’d like to help.” She cleared her throat. “I, the Great and Powerful Trixie, hereby volunteers for anything she can do to help...sir!” My eyes widened as she finished her bold declaration with a salute. Captain Remy smiled and slowly but respectfully nodded his head.

“I appreciate the offer, Miss, but it’s not up to me.” He looked at me and continued. “Mr. Stevens, on the other hand, as a member of Starfleet, can make a recommendation on your behalf, should you wish to transfer to someone else’s command.” I knelt down before her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Trixie…is this really want you want to do?” I asked, still in disbelief. The issue wasn’t with her being on another ship; that was her decision to make. Hell, it wasn’t even about the Alicorn Amulet going with her. It was about giving her the freedom that I had promised her all those months ago. After all, she was a grown mare and had every right to make a decision like that for herself.

It was being on a ship that I trusted…which really left only one choice. I felt a hoof on my shoulder and looked over to Trixie, who wore a small smile.

“I want to do this, Cole,” she said, quietly but assuredly. “Trixie used to hate the idea but the Federation has been there for us…and that includes Trixie as well. Helping here where they need us…it just feels right.” I took a deep breath and took her hoof in my hands.

“Well…if you want to…then I’ll recommend you.” I turned back to the captain. “Sir! I hereby request that you temporarily transfer Trixie’s to the U.S.S. Repulse until the conclusion of our mission!”

“Request accepted,” Remy replied warmly. “Welcome to the Repulse, Miss Trixie.” He looked back towards me. “Don’t worry, Mr. Stevens. She’s in good hands.”

“I know, sir.” I replied quietly.

“Are you…are you really okay with this?” Trixie asked.

“I don’t really have a choice, do I?” I offered with a shrug. “The captain approved the transfer.” The showmare looked down at the floor as if regretful of her decision. “Listen,” I said, gently lifting her muzzle so she could face me. “You’re gonna be fine. Captain Remy’s one of the best there is and nothing short of a fleet can touch the Repulse. Besides, I’m sure we’ll be able to talk most days if not every day.” I chanced a glance at Remy, who nodded, making me feel quite a bit better out the situation. “I’m so proud of you,” I whispered, hugging her close. “That took a lot of guts. You’re gonna do great.” I hugged her a little more tightly and whispered “I’m gonna miss you”.

“Me or the Amulet?” she teased before giving me a quick peck on the cheek. As much as I wanted to kiss her properly, doing so in front of the captain wouldn’t have been proper. Besides, I didn’t want to take a chance and make him uncomfortable, not when he had more pressing matters to deal with. “I’m just kidding. I’ll miss you too, Cole. Be safe.”

“That goes double for you. Be good for Captain Remy.” I smiled and gave her one last squeeze for good measure before finally relinquishing her. She looked at me with such sincerity and affection that I damn near lost my composure on the spot.

“I will.” With that, Trixie and Remy stepped onto the transporter pad.

“Repulse, this is the captain,” Remy announced after a push of his combadge. “Two to beam up.”

A single tear crept down my cheek as Trixie offered me a small wave before disappearing in a shimmer of blue.

Omega Part II

View Online

Trixie’s personal log, supplemental. I’ve been aboard the Repulse for two weeks now. Not only is this the longest Cole and I have been apart since we started out together, this has been the most exciting and difficult two weeks I’ve ever experienced. While Captain Remy has been very good to me, he never seems to run out of tasks that my magic and I are, as he likes to put it, ‘perfectly suited’ for. I’ve done everything from levitating heavy cargo and equipment to healing minor wounds like cuts and scratches. The work is hard but it feels…good.

The captain always has something nice to say to me and he’s made it clear that he appreciates my help. He really is amazing…for a human, that is. And then there’s his ship; I’ve never been anywhere like the Repulse before. It’s huge and so complex! The fact that one man can keep it going is something I’m still trying to understand. I know he has a lot of help but he still has to coordinate it and make sure things run smoothly.

It’s also really cold and impersonal. Sure, it’s like the Ranger in some ways; confining and made of metal but that’s where the similarities end. The Ranger is a lot smaller. I know where everything is and how to get there. With the Repulse, I have to ask the computer to tell me how to get to a lot of places. Everywhere I go, the halls and rooms are full of unfamiliar faces. I can hear them sometimes, whispering, gesturing around me. I know they’re probably just curious but it still feels almost ‘accusatory’ at times, like I shouldn’t be there. It’s not like that on the Ranger.

Actually, it’s never been like that with Cole. I know it sounds strange but I’ve never felt unwelcome on his ship. Afraid, yes. Angry, sometimes. But never genuinely unwelcome. That’s what I miss the most; the warmth and familiarity that I have on that ship. I look out my window every night at the Sphere and wonder where Cole is and what he’s doing, hoping that he’s okay and hasn’t let our home become another casualty. He calls me whenever he can, which isn’t very often and any nonessential communiques have strict time limits. Still, it’s nice to see him occasionally and I look forward to rejoining him after our mission is done.

Maybe that’s when I should tell him…

“Receiving incoming transmission,” the computer stated, prompting the blue showmare to end her log entry.

“On screen,” she replied as the human’s tired but relieved face appeared on the monitor. “Cole!” Trixie exclaimed happily as though they hadn’t spoken in eons.

“Hey, Trix,” he said with a smile, evidently glad to see her again. “How are you?”

“Trixie is doing just fine, thank you,” she replied confidently with just a hint of smugness. “H-how have you been?” she added with a small blush.

“Oh, alright I guess,” Cole answered, trying and failing to stifle a yawn.

“You look tired.”

“You’re observant tonight.”

“Well, I am the Great and Powerful Trixie. There aren’t many things she doesn’t notice.”

“I’ll let you have that one,” Cole replied with another yawn. “Mostly ‘cause I’m too tired to argue.”

“Wow, they’re working you that hard, huh?”

“It never seems to end,” the human explained. “I’m always transporting stuff somewhere. Then to top it all off, once I beam the cargo wherever it needs to go, I usually have to stay and help carry it or sort it or whatever. I swear, if I never see that Supply Depot ever again, it’ll be too soon.”

Cole’s tales of his Dyson Sphere adventures usually went something like that. From what Trixie had been able to gather, every side, not just the Federation, seemed to be dangerously low on civilian and non-military personnel, hence Cole’s ridiculous schedule. It was no secret that the majority of the alliance’s able-bodied ships were at the frontlines, ensuring that the Voth didn’t simply sweep through Allied territory and claim the Sphere for themselves. Even a lot of the engineering and science ships had been brought to the contested zone to support their tactical comrades. In fact, with so many of its brethren redirected thusly, the Repulse was the highest-ranking ship behind the frontlines and as such, assumed even more responsibilities. Given Cole’s condition, Trixie had to assume that the Ranger was in a similar situation.

“But enough about me,” Cole continued after what looked like a much-needed stretch. “How’s life on the Repulse? Captain Remy still being good to ya?”

“He’s been very accommodating,” Trixie assured him. “Despite all the work on his plate. I really admire him for that. I can see why you do, too.”

“Glad to hear it,” Cole replied with yet another yawn. “I’m sorry, Trix, honestly. I want to hear all about your day, I really do, but this schedule…I barely get any sleep as it is.”

“It’s okay,” Trixie said with a gentle smile. “I don’t blame you. I’ve had a long day too and we’ve got a big day ahead of us tomorrow. Captain Remy’s leading a small fleet to one of the really, really, really far towers. I think they might’ve found something out about the Omega generators but nopony knows anything beyond that.”

“Well then, I guess you’ve got an adventure ahead of you, eh?” Cole asked. Trixie grinned.

“Looks like it.” the azure mare agreed as he smile began to fade. “I miss you.”

“I miss you, too.”

“Promise me you’ll stay safe?”

“Of course. That goes double for you.” Trixie’s smile returned, resuscitated by Cole’s reply.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie can take care of herself just fine!” Cole chuckled at her false indignation.

“That’s the mare I know and adore. Good night, Trix. Take care of yourself.”

“You too.”

With that, the monitor went dark.

***

I awoke the next day to an emergency transmission from Allied Control summoning me and several others to the Allied Tower. As I neared the gargantuan arch-shaped structure, it was clear that I wasn’t the only one. A veritable fleet has assembled around the tower and while that itself wasn’t an uncommon scene, it was the ships that composed the fleet that surprised me.

Usually, the three main classes (engineering, tactical, and science) traveled and worked within their respective classes, the only exceptions being tactical support for scientific and engineering missions and engineering support for scientific expeditions and so on. This flotilla, however, looked like the admiralty had picked ships at random, stuck them all in the same place, and called it a fleet before calling it a day. At the head of the pack sat the Vesta-class U.S.S. Hypatia, one of the Federation’s most advanced scientific vessels, and apparently the lead ship for whatever operation we had gathered for.

So it’s a scientific expedition, I wondered as I joined the rest of the pack, easing the Ranger into position beside a Mogai heavy warbird. I wonder if it has anything to do with What Trixie told me last night. But then why would they be scrambling ships like this? Captain Remy and his engineering fleet are already working on it…unless they didn’t get there yet or something. It’s a big place but still… As I pondered the possibilities, I couldn’t help but sweat. Something was up, I was sure of it. Either that or I was just being paranoid.

I hoped it was the latter.

“Incoming hail from Allied Command.” the computer informed me.

“On-screen.” I replied from my place in the captain’s chair.

“Attention all ships,” the grim visage of Subcommander Kaol exclaimed on the viewscreen. “Today at 0600 hours, we lost contact with Captain Remy’s expeditionary fleet. We don’t know the exact circumstances surrounding this sudden loss of communication but we strongly suspect that the Voth have something to do with it. Just before losing contact, we received a partial transmission from the U.S.S. Repulse, in which they stated that they ‘found something’ at one of the outlying Omega silos.”
My grip on the armrests tightened as I listened to the briefing, threatening to permanently inscribe my fingerprints into the metal.

“We do not know anything beyond that but we cannot allow any more vital information concerning Omega or this sphere to fall into enemy hands. We don’t believe the Voth attack to be a coincidence, which is why we are sending this fleet to the Repulse’s last known coordinates. Under the command of Captain T’lera of the U.S.S. Hypatia, you are to recover any and all information discovered by the Repulse and if necessary, engage any Voth ships in the area.”

My worst fears confirmed, I absentmindedly programmed the coordinates into the Ranger’s computer, unable to focus clearly. Every worst-case scenario my mind could concoct ran a marathon through my head. I could practically see the news; U.S.S. Repulse destroyed with all hands lost, Omega now controlled by the Voth…

Trixie…dead.

My hands shook as I struggled to remain calm and composed. This was a vital mission and anyone who couldn’t keep their cool wasn’t of any use to anyone. If I had any hope of rescuing Trixie or anyone else I could find, I needed to stay focused on the task in front of me, namely providing whatever support needed for the mission. This wasn’t my first rodeo, after all.
It would be the first one without Trixie, though. In a fit of madness borne of extreme anxiety, I actually chuckled as a strange thought came and went.

Not much of a rodeo without a pony.

***

We arrived at the designated coordinates roughly an hour later to find the area completely deserted. Not a single ships for those in our ‘armada’ showed up on our sensors…or any Voth ships, for that matter. I’d half-expected a fleet of cruisers and dreadnoughts waiting for us but fortunately, that wasn’t the case. On that note, nothing showed upon our sensors. It was as if something in the area was preventing us from detecting anything at all. Judging from the fleet reports, every ship seemed to be having the same issues. Even the Hypatia with some of the most advanced scanning equipment available was coming up short.

“I wonder…” I mused, resting by chin on an open palm. “Computer, scan for any Equestrian lifesigns.”

“Unable to comply. Local interference is preventing sensor penetration.” I sighed and wiped my brow.

“Thought so. Well then…isolate the Alicorn Amulet’s energy signature using the data aboard this ship and scan for that energy.” Heck, it had worked once; maybe it’d work again.

“Unable to comply. Local interference is preventing sensor penetration.” A dirty joke came to mind, eking a small grin out of me.

“What if we got closer?” I asked as another idea came to mind. The only thing any of us knew was that the entire general area was flooded with some kind of scattering field, preventing our scanners from picking up anything. I wondered if by landing on the surface, I could get close enough to Trixie and the others for the Ranger’s scanners to pierce through the field. It was worth a shot and with no Voth to be found, there was no better time in which to…

“Attention all ships! Battle stations! The Voth have returned” I looked up at the viewscreen just in time for a Voth fleet to initiate a terrifying light show with our own. That complicated things, to say the least; there was no way Captain T’lera was gonna let me land based on a hunch in the middle of a battle, especially when she needed every available ship to fight the Voth.

I was torn between jumping into the fight and potentially rescuing Trixie and any others.

Y’know, if you did land and find them, technically you’d have completed the mission, my mind informed me as I considered my options. I guess it wouldn’t hurt to ask, I thought as I hailed the Hypatia.

“This is Cole Stevens of the U.S.S. Ranger! Please respond!” I exclaimed, trying to get their attention.

“This Captain T’lera of the Hypatia,” the Romulan woman replied hastily as her ship shook. “What is it?”

“Captain, I believe I’ve found a way to get through the interference blocking our sensors. By landing on the surface, I’m sure I can find our missing people!” I kept it short and to the point; the middle of a battle was not the best time for drawn-out explanations. She’d either trust me or not and that was it. It was really all she could do.

“Request denied, Mr. Stevens. We need everyone in this battle.”

“Ma’am,” I began, unwilling to give up so easily. “Please listen; the Ranger is small and weak-looking. The Voth won’t care about what it does. I just need a few seconds to dip down and do a scan. A few seconds, captain! If this works, then our mission is done and we can get the Hell outta here!” There was a pause as Captain T’lera thought about it.

“Very well,” she said. “You have three minutes.”

“Yes ma’am!” I nodded and activated the viewscreen’s panoramic mode, allowing me to manually search for a decent landing zone, made necessary by the absence of working sensors. Usually, I relied on the computer to find a good LZ but since it currently didn’t know up from down (metaphorically speaking), I had to land the old-fashioned way. Fortunately, I soon found a spot flat enough with quite a bit of trees for cover (I should probably mention that I was praying for abnormally tall trees) and without delay, dipped the bow of the ship and headed for the surface.

***

To this day, I’m pretty sure I was holding my breath right up until I felt the Ranger come to rest on its landing struts. I looked about at the fortuitously thick vegetation around me, hoping that the forest combined with the unknown interference would hide my ship long enough for my mission.

“Computer, scan for any lifesigns on the surface.” I ordered, unwilling to waste any of my allotted three minutes.

“Unable to comply. Local interference is preventing sensor penetration.”

“Damnit!” I exclaimed, slamming my fist on the armrest of my chair. “Alright, calm down. We’re not done yet. Computer, scan for the Alicorn Amulet’s energy signature and pinpoint location.” I sat and sweated as the computer went about its task. It hadn’t told me “No” right off the bat, which I took as a good sign, but I was still nervous.

“Energy signature detected. Subject is approximately 100 meters north of this position.”

I immediately hailed the Hypatia.

“Are you kidding me with this shit?” I muttered as my attempt to communicate was met with nothing but static. “It must be this damn scattering field.” I took another look outside and sighed; there was no other choice. I grabbed my phaser pistol from its holster on the side of my chair and stood up. “Computer, beam me as close as possible to the source of the energy signature.”

“Unable to comply. Local interference is preventing transporter lock.”

“Of course,” I said, rolling my eyes. With that, I headed for the loading ramp.

***

My journey through the thick vegetation was quick, quiet, and surprising. Despite knowing that a lot of the sphere’s inner surface was covered in forest, the experience of actually being in it was not what I expected. I was on-edge but not because of the forest. Well, not directly. I had no idea of what might be waiting for me in it. My heart raced as I carefully made my way north and I wondered when an errant orbital strike might vaporize me or if there was a seven-foot spec-ops dinosaur under cloak waiting to put a blade through me. I’d heard the stories about the urban battle zone and I’m not ashamed to say that I didn’t relish the idea of wandering into a war on the ground.

I don’t know what witch doctor or whatever kept me safe for the majority of that trip but if I ever meet them, I’ll be sure to thank them. As I neared the supposed location of the Alicorn Amulet, and by extension, Trixie and the others, I utilized more and more caution, spending most of my time darting from tree to tree with my phaser drawn, ready to blast any Voth that got in my way.

Of course, the fact that my phaser was just a standard hand phaser and not an assault weapon, which surely would’ve been more useful, nagged at me something fierce. Needless to say, I kept it firmly at maximum setting, or as I liked to call it, “liquefy”. For all my bravado and dedication, I also hoped I wouldn’t have to use it. At least in space battles, you rarely saw the faces of those who you’d just condemned to death. The more impersonal war was, the better.

Eventually, I found myself in the immediate vicinity of one of many towering spires that dotted the sphere’s landscape. I quickly checked my tricorder and my heart skipped a beat; they were close. They must’ve headed straight for the tower, knowing that it would provide some cover and a landmark for search & rescue parties. At least, that’s what I was hoping was the case as I approached the tower, keeping my head down just in case they’d been followed by the wrong side. Voices and noises made my hair stand up on end and I instinctively darted behind the nearest tree. I took a deep breath and chanced a look.

There they were, both of them. Huddled behind a glowing barrier stood an exhausted Trixie and a barely-conscious Captain Remy. My blood boiled as the blue unicorn struggled to maintain the shield, barely able to stay on her feet as three Voth specialists unrelentingly pelted it with red antiproton shots. She glared at them, teeth bared in defiance even as the precious shield flickered and threatened to give out completely.

The next few moments were a blur, although I distinctly remember aiming my phaser at the closest one. I squeezed the trigger-button and watched as a streak of orange hit the orange-clad Voth square in the back. The bipedal reptile arched back in pain before falling to his knees and after a moment, to the ground. The others whipped around as I squeezed again, sending the one to the left off his feet as the orange beam impacted his stomach, sending him crumpling. I looked up at the last one as he aimed his own weapon at me. My eyes widened as a streak of red missed my head by mere inches and it took me a moment to gather my bearings and return the favor. Or, at least I would have, had he not dove to the right whilst taking aim once again. Once more, he missed, but not by much. I cried out as the shot knocked my phaser out of my hand, destroying it in the process. Disarmed and helpless, I could only watch as he aimed again. Nobody misses three times in a row. That sort of dumb luck only happens in holonovels.

I waited for a death stroke that never came. Instead, another orange blast hit the Voth in the back, sending him to the ground in a heap. My gaze darted to the source of the shot, soon falling upon a now semi-conscious Captain Remy as he struggled to keep his own hand phaser aloft. He took a deep breath before dropping the weapon and leaning up against a panting Trixie.

It was in the moment when we finally and truly noticed each other. Throwing caution to the wind, I raced as fast as I could to where the two were huddled. No sooner had Trixie wearily returned to her hooves did she find herself in my arms, crushed by my embrace. Had she an injury, I would’ve been a smouldering pile of ash after gently setting her down.

“H-h-how?” she stammered as grateful tears filled her eyes.

“I found you.” I replied simply. “Let’s just leave it at that for now. I’ll tell you how later, I promise.” She nodded as I took out my tricorder and performed a quick medical scan. Fortunately, Trixie was in good shape, aside from a few cuts and scrapes. The captain, on the other hand, was not so fortunate. Internal bleeding and a broken leg had more or less immobilized him, severely limiting the distance they could travel. All in all, it was a miracle that they’d been able to travel at all. For a brief moment, I wondered if Trixie had actually carried him.

“How is he?” Trixie asked quietly.

“He’s lost some blood and his leg isn’t looking too good but he’ll make it,” I replied, trying to convince myself as well as my azure companion. “What about you? Are you okay?”

“I-I think so,” Trixie replied, giving herself a brief once-over. “Just…really tired after…holding that shield…and carrying the Captain all the way here from the escape pod.”

“That’s my Trixie,” I said warmly, kissing her forehead at the base of her horn. “I knew you’d look after each other if something happened.” I turned to Captain Remy and kneeled down beside him. “Captain Remy…can you hear me? It’s Cole, sir. Cole Stevens.” He slowly opened his eyes and looked up at me.

“Cole…is that you?” he asked, squinting.

“Yes sir. I’m here to rescue you.” The captain nodded.

“I’m glad to hear it,” he replied as he struggled to sit up a little straighter, wincing slightly as he did so. “We spent all Goddamn night in this jungle fighting Voth search parties and trying to find other survivors.”

“Did anyone else make it, sir?”

The captain slowly shook his head.

“When the Repulse went down…well, she took most down with her. Those of us who managed to get to escape pods on time…not many made it past the Voth ships. And then, if anyone did make it down with their pod intact…those Voth search parties….” My hands clenched into fists as images of our comrades mercilessly butchered by uncaring Voth soldiers threatened to overwhelm me. I shook my head, trying to banish them and focus on the task at hand. “My entire crew…” He held his face in his free hand and slowly shook it.

Luckily, that’s when my common sense returned and reminded me of our situation.

“Sir, I hate to rush you but we’re not safe here. We have to move, find some shelter, and get a message back to the fleet.” Remy looked up at me.

“The…fleet?”

“Yes sir. We got your message. There’s a fleet up there right now fighting the Voth. I landed the Ranger about 100 meters from here.”

“But…the interference…how did you…?”

“Long story,” I replied quickly. “For now, let’s get back to the Ranger. Can you walk at all?”

“Not without a shoulder to lean on,” the captain replied with a grunt as I helped him up. “Trixie managed to get us here but she’s exhausted and even if we were all fine, the forest around here will be swarming with Voth soldiers in moments. It’s amazing that you weren’t caught.”

“T-then what do we do? We can’t just stay out here in the open.” Trixie pointed out, worry written all over her muzzle.

“I…saw a door on the…east side.” Remy answered, gritting his teeth as we took a few experimental steps. “It looked like…the same ones…we’ve been working on. I might be able to open in…with your tricorder.”

“That sounds like our best option,” I agreed. “As long as we could keep the Voth out, we’d be safe. Alright, let’s move. Easy, sir, one step at a time.”

Between Trixie’s near-exhaustion and Remy’s injury, it was slow going. I kept a watchful, almost paranoid eye on our surroundings, and I was rewarded for my vigilance with the greatest reward of all: silence. Besides the group we’d brought down minutes before, we didn’t encounter a single Voth on the way to the door.

I was pretty glad to see that door. Now if the Captain could do what he promised and actually open it, that would be the icing on a really, really shitty cake. I handed him my tricorder the instant we arrived and within moments, he began his work, scanning, pressing buttons, and occasionally cursing. While I didn’t have a clue as to what he was doing, all I knew for certain that I was beginning to really appreciate Starfleet’s aptitude for ass-pulls.

Any second now.

Any second…

There was an awkward silence as we waited for the captain to work his magic. After a few tense minutes, I ventured an inquiry regarding his progress.

“Sir?” I asked, moving closer to see how he was doing. “Anything at all?”

“It’s not good,” he replied, handing the tricorder to me. “I don’t know what the deal is with these doors but they’re locked with some kind of software I’ve never seen before. It’d take a week with my best team and a starship’s computer to get this open.”

“Guess we’ve just gotta make a run for the Ranger and hope we don’t get caught, huh?” I asked as we leaned up against a nearby tree, anxious to get out of the open.

“Looks that way. It’s definitely not my first choice but right now, it’s the only one we’ve got. If my combadge was still working, we could call for help but until someone comes looking for us, we’re on our…”

“Um…Cole?” Trixie called from the door, a hint of shock in her voice. The captain and I turned towards her and our eyes widened in shock at what we saw. Shining like a beacon of hope, the Alicorn Amulet pulsed with blue light and after a moment, the frame of the door lit up as well, pulsing in synch with the Amulet. As quickly as the captain and I could hobble, we made our way back to the door and an astonished Trixie.

“Trixie…what did you do?” I asked, my gaze fixated on the glowing of both the Amulet and the doorframe.

“I…I don’t know!” she cried. “I just…thought about how much I wanted the door to open and then…this starting happening!”

“Was it your magic?” the captain asked as he leaned forward to study the phenomenon.

“No! All I did was think about it and then the Alicorn Amulet just sort of…took over!” I could scarcely blame her for being afraid; based on what she’d told me about the old Amulet, she had every right to be as unsettled as she was, not to mention the fact that up until this point, she’d always been able to control it without any trouble.

Before any of us could ask any more questions, a low rumble sounded and to our utter amazement, the door reluctantly slid open as if pried apart by giant hands. Then, as soon as it opened, it began to slide close again, prompting us to practically leap inside just before it slammed shut.

We clearly weren’t as concerned with what might’ve been in the tower as we were about the Voth patrols. As we clumsily shuffled about the darkness, I hoped that our haste wouldn’t be the end of us. Fortunately, the Amulet stayed came to life mere seconds after we entered the tower, providing a limited look at our new accommodations.

Well, limited until six enormous lights running the entire height of the tower’s interior bathed us in a gentle blue glow, matching the light from the Amulet. I immediately sat the captain down and knelt down to embrace our frightened four-legged friend, trying my best to calm her down. Not an easy task considering our complete lack of control as strange events unfolded before our very eyes.

“Hey, don’t worry, Trix. I’m sure there’s a reason for this. We’ll be fine,” I whispered, gently rubbing her back. I felt her heart rate slow somewhat and moved to relinquish her only for her forelegs to hold me against her. She buried her head in my shoulder, trying to hide from this strange world, her shame from being afraid…her memories of the previous Amulet. All the while I continued to whisper and massage her.

“Trixie,” a calm voice said, prompting us to lean away from each other. We turned to find Captain Remy’s hand on her shoulder as well. “I need you to calm down and focus.” I was about to open my mouth and ask what he was thinking but the look in his eyes told me not to worry. He wasn’t accusing her or implying anything; he was simply trying to help, and he was right. Sitting around feeling sorry for ourselves wasn’t gonna do us any good. “Concentrate…” he winced before taking a deep breath. “Take deep breaths and focus on my voice. I need you to calm down because we need your help. The only way we’re going to make it is if you maintain control. Look deep within yourself and remember how you did it every other time.” Whatever magic he was working seemed to have an effect; Trixie’s breathing became far less sporadic and her heart rate slowed to near-normal speed.

“That’s my Trixie,” I murmured, smiling at her. “Feeling any better?” She nodded and turned to the captain.

“T-thanks,” she whispered. “I…I didn’t know what to do.”

“It’s okay,” Remy assured her. “We all have trouble keeping it together sometimes and after what we’ve all been through, I certainly won’t hold it against you. Now, I think the first order of business is to figure out the purpose of this room. Judging by its size and location, it must be important. I, for one, would like to figure out why before the Voth do.”

“I agree,” I replied, returning to a standing position. “What do you think, Trix?”

“I agree with the captain. We should try to figure out what this place is. I…I don’t want the Voth to use this sphere to hurt anyone else.” I nodded and gave her a thumbs-up.

“Couldn’t have said it better myself,” Remy agreed, grunting in pain as his leg momentarily tormented him for the umpteenth time. “Shame you didn’t have a medical kit. This damn leg of mine’s determined to make this an unpleasant stay.”

“I’m sorry, sir,” I said, my head hanging low over such a blatant oversight. “When I heard about the Repulse…I guess I just rushed into this without thinking it through.”

“Well, rushed or not, I’m glad you did,” the captain assured me. “Better a forgotten med kit than two more corpses for the Federation to bury.” I nodded solemnly.

“I…I might be able to help…” Trixie ventured, taking a look at Remy’s outstretched leg. “I practiced a few healing spells on the Repulse just in case. I might be able to do something about the pain, at least.”

“That’d be mighty kind of you,” the captain replied, giving her a pained but grateful smile. Concentrating, Trixie focused some magic from the Amulet into her magically-fatigued body and after a few moments, her horn began to glow. Breathing deeply, she aimed a small beam of light at Remy’s leg, eliciting a wince from the captain. She maintained the beam for several seconds before that small amount of magic she’d been able to gather gave out and she fell onto her haunches, breathing heavily.

“Captain?” I asked after a few moments. “How are you feeling?”

“Well, I’ll be…” he muttered, gingerly touching his injured leg. “She damn near fixed it. It’s not completely right but I think…” Using my shoulder as a crutch, he slowly got to his feet and took a careful step. “Amazing! I can actually walk on this leg now. Thank you, Trixie. You’re certainly earning your nickname.” She looked up at us and offered a small smile, blushing slightly at the compliment. “Well, now that I’m mobile again, let’s do a quick check. We’ll start with that big column in the centre of the room. It must be a control for something.”

It wasn’t until the captain had issued his orders that I truly noticed the room around us. Like the tower, it was enormous and oval in shape, and looked to extend all the way to the top as if the structure was completely hollow. As we made our way to the control column in the middle, I snuck cursory glances at the Amulet. It continued to glow, although it had since stopped pulsating wildly, granting some credibility to my theory that Trixie had regained at least most of her control. It was almost as if…

I shook my head. That couldn’t be. Still, all the signs were there. What if the Amulet was reacting to the room and vice-versa? After all, the Mirror Universe’s Princess Luna had found it on Iconia and if the Sphere was reacting to it…that meant that they were all linked somehow! Maybe the Alicorn Amulet was the key to mystery of the Sphere! Maybe it was an actual, literal key and by bringing it here, we had accidently started something we couldn’t hope to control! A thousand and one theories bombarded my thought process until I kicked them all out and took a deep breath before hurrying to join my friends at the central column.

“Sir, I believe that the room and the Amulet are reacting to each other,” I informed the captain the second I’d joined them. “You see, the Amulet is…”

“Iconian, I know,” Remy replied in a surprisingly calm tone.

“You do?” I asked, dumbfounded.

“Trixie was kind enough to fill me in,” he explained. “I was curious and asked her to tell me about it. She was very forthcoming, a favor for which I was extremely grateful. Don’t worry,” he added, seeing the look of worry on my face. “I’m not going to report it to Starfleet or anything. As far as I’m concerned, that relic belongs in a museum but based on what I’ve heard about you two, I know it’s in safe hands…er, hooves.” he added for good measure.

“I have to admit I’m glad to hear Starfleet’s not gonna confiscate it,” I confessed. “Without Trixie’s ability to use it, I’d be space dust right now.”

“Indeed. Trixie, what do you make of this?” Remy asked of the azure showmare.

“It’s hard to say,” she replied, looking over some glowing control panels. “There doesn’t seem to be anything I can do here...” she mused, absentmindedly placing a hoof on one of the glowing panels. “Hey!” she cried as the panel suddenly lit up with incredible intensity. Remy and I looked just in time to watch Trixie jump away from the panel, her eyes wide with shock at what was happening.

“Hey Trixie, are you…o…kay?” I asked as the floor beneath us began to vibrate.

“Cole! Trixie! Look!” Remy exclaimed, pointing at the enormous lights. We watched in amazement as each one began to change color, beginning with purple, then orange, then blue, then white, then yellow, and finally ending with pink. Before any of us could utter a single word, we felt the floor begin to carry us up the tower like a gigantic elevator.

Curiously, we stayed silent during the surprisingly short ride up the tower. Maybe we were just too dumbstruck to speak. Maybe we were too scared to speak. Whatever the case was, the moment we laid eyes on what met us at the top we found our words again.

“What the fuck is that?” I murmured as we beheld the object in the centre of the room. Perched atop the central column, which, contrary to our expectations, did not extend all the way to the ceiling, was a tall, slender figure with a red body covered partially by sections of black metal. It stood about 10 feet tall and its jagged eyeless face seemed to stare down at us as with its arms outstretched, its hands flattened and level as if expecting some kind of offering.

It was then that the Alicorn Amulet began to pulse again, matching the glow of the figure’s hands just as it had the door.

“Any idea what this is, Captain?” Trixie asked as we slowly approached the figure.

“No idea…” Remy muttered, borrowing my tricorder. “The tricorder can’t even identify what it’s made of. I don’t think it’s likely to jump up and bite us, at least. But now we have another problem. I don’t see another console or anything up here, which means that statue is our way out. See if you can find anything that resembles a control mechanism on it.”

“Yes sir,” I replied, looking for Trixie. “Hey Trix, the captain wants us to…hey, what are you doing?” I ran over to the blue showmare as she walked towards the statue’s outstretched hands…almost hypnotically in fact. She stared up at the statue’s face as she approached, never taking her eyes off of its non-existent ones. “Captain! You’d better come here, quick!” I called as I ran over to the showmare, just in time for her to unfasten the Alicorn Amulet and place it in the statue’s hands.

Trixie shrieked as the statue’s hands suddenly grasped the Amulet. She ran and hid behind us as the statue raised its hands to its chest and held them there. Immediately, a force field encased the entire figure and we watched as bright blue specks began to bombard the Amulet. We watched transfixed as the radiance intensified until finally, there was a bright flash, followed by some kind of discharge that sent us tumbling to the floor.

“Ugh…” I groaned as I slowly picked myself up. I shook it off and frantically looked about for my friends. “Captain! Trixie!”

“I’m alright!” Remy replied as he attempted to haul himself to his feet. “Could use a hand, though.” I quickly complied, assisting him and very soon after, Trixie as well. “Is everyone alright?”

“I might need new corneas but besides that, I’m in one piece,” I replied. “Are you okay?” I asked.

“I’m fine,” Trixie assured me. “Cole, look…” she added, pointing at something behind us. “The Amulet…”

“What the Hell…?” the captain mused as we slowly made our way towards the statue, made easier by the absence of the earlier force field. The arms had since returned to their original position, granting us an easy look at the object resting on the outstretched hands.

The Amulet had changed. It no longer resembled the visage of an alicorn; rather, it had morphed into something completely different, something that looked remarkably like…

“Trixie…” I whispered as we all leaned forward to examine it. “It’s your cutie mark.”

Dead silence.

It was unmistakeable. A star-tipped wand flanked on the left by a ribbon-like quarter moon shone with crystalline blue light beckoned to us.

“It is, isn’t it…?” Trixie mused, looking it over from all angles. “Can I…I mean…should I…take it?”

“One moment,” Remy replied, scanning it with the tricorder. “Hmm…I can’t identify the material but it’s not radioactive. In fact, it’s not emitting anything at all. It’s actually identical to your energy signature, Trixie.”

“Then…can I?” she asked again, aiming the question directly at me as if seeking my approval.

“It’s your call, Trix. I mean, it is your Amulet.” After a brief pause, she nodded and slowly reached towards the Amulet.

Needless to say, we all breathed a sigh of relief when she clasped it around her neck and nothing happened.

“So…how does it feel?” I asked after a moment.

“It feels…like I’ve always had it,” Trixie replied as her face shifted from one expression to the next as if trying to decide how she felt about it. “It’s like…I can hardly remember not having it. I’m sorry; I can’t really explain.”

“It’s alright,” Remy assured her. “We’re just glad you’re okay. We’re dealing with technology here that no one knows anything about. I think we should just thank our lucky stars that everything turned out as well as it did.”

“I’m with the captain on that one,” I agreed. “We should probably get out of here as soon as we can.”

As if agreeing with my plan, the entire structure began to shake as if hit with an earthquake.

“Like, right now!” I added as we frantically searched for an exit, only to find none. “Captain! Elevator’s not working!”

“I know!” he shouted as we ran about the room in desperation.

“Trixie! Can you teleport us out of here!?” I shouted towards the unicorn.

“I don’t know! I’ve never tried that with more than just myself!” she cried.

“Well, maybe that new toy of your can help us out! I think we should try it!”

“Easy for you to say!” she rebuked.

“No time!” Remy interrupted, grabbing me by the arm and Trixie by a front leg. “Trixie, if we’re gonna try this, now’s the time!”

“Okay! Just…don’t let go of me or each other!”

With that, her horn flashed and we were gone.

***

“Oof!” I grunted as I hit something metal. I opened my eyes to find myself tangled in a pile of human and equine limbs, a pile that soon dissipated as we got to our feet. It was then that I noticed where we’d ended up. “Ha ha, yes!” I cried joyfully as I practically danced on the cold, hard floor of my beloved bridge. “Trixie, you did it!” I exclaimed, picking her up and planting a wet kiss right on her nose.

“Mr. Stevens, I’m just as relieved as your are, believe me, but I think we should save the celebrations for later. We’ve got a fleet up there that needs our help.” Remy reminded me.

“Oops…” I said sheepishly, gently setting a bewildered and tongue-tied Trixie down before sitting on the first officer’s chair.

“What are you doing?” Remy asked.

“You’re the ranking officer on board, sir,” I replied with a shrug. “I would be honored if you would take the con.”

“My ship is gone,” Remy said, shaking his head. “This is your ship, Mr. Stevens. That captain’s seat is yours and I would be honored if you’d allow me to take the tactical station.”

“Well, since you asked nicely,” I replied with a grin. “Tactical is yours, sir.”

“And I’ll take Engineering,” Trixie interjected, running over to the Engineering station.

“Excuse me?” I asked, taken aback.

“I’ll keep those shields up, don’t worry,” Trixie assured me. “Captain Remy was kind enough to teach me a few little tricks just in case you ever needed some help.”

“Trixie, have I ever told you that I freaking adore you?” I asked in disbelief.

“Once or twice…” she replied with a blush. I smiled.

“Alright! Let’s get this show on the road! Computer, take us up and rendezvous with the main battlegroup!” With that, the ship lifted off and it wasn’t long before we were just on the very edge of the battle.

To put it simply, we weren’t doing very well. We had been outnumbered from the beginning but without a strong dedicated tactical presence, it had turned into a damned turkey shoot. We were giving them a Hell of a fight for sure…just not enough of one.

More action for us, I guess.

“Captain! I need those phasers!” I shouted. “Trixie, route as much power to the shields as you can without impacting our offensive potential!”

“Roger that,” Remy replied rather calmly.

“Yes sir!” Trixie replied rather eagerly.

“Fire at will, full phaser spread!” I ordered. Captain Remy obliged and we soon found ourselves in the middle of the fight, firing at any Voth ships that came within range. “Damnit,” I growled as the powerful Voth shields seemed to simply absorb any damage we tried to inflict. “Captain, we’re not getting through! Any ideas?”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve,” he replied, hitting some buttons. “There! I set the weapons on a rotating modulation! We usually save that one for the Borg but it just might do the trick here!”

“Nice!” I exclaimed as a burst of phaser fire ripped right through the shields of a passing Voth frigate. A second barrage tore holes in the hull, reducing the ship to burning slag before it collided with a large Voth cruiser and exploded, crippling the cruiser. “Good shot!” I turned to Trixie. “Hey Trix! How’re the shields holding up?”

“The Aegis is keeping them up for the most part but we can’t do this for much longer!” I turned back to Remy.

“Suggestions?” I asked.

“How about asking them for a hand?” he replied, pointing to something on the viewscreen.

“Holy crap!” I exclaimed, rubbing my eyes in disbelief. “It’s the Enterprise!”

I don’t think I’ve ever seen the tide of battle turn so quickly. What was once shaping up to be a crushing, ruinous defeat, rapidly became the exact opposite. Flanked by the U.S.S. Prometheus and the R.R.W. Lleiset, the mighty Odyssey-class swept through the battle after unleashing a spread of quantum torpedoes, annihilating most of the smaller Voth ships in one fell swoop while the cannons of the Prometheus and the Lleiset finished the job shortly after.

“Receiving incoming transmission.” The computer announced.

“On-screen.” Remy and I replied in unison. We looked at each other and shared a laugh as the face of Captain Va’Kel Shon appeared on the viewscreen.

“Captain Remy. Good to see you alive and well.” Shon stated as Remy nodded respectfully.

“You arrived just in time,” Remy replied. “Things weren’t exactly going to plan.”

“They never do,” Shon said with a nod of his own before focusing on me. “We thank you for your assistance but I think it’d be best if you returned to Joint Command. Your ship could use a few repairs and by the looks of it, so could all of you.”

“That’s for sure, sir,” I agreed. “Would you like us to beam Captain Remy to the Enterprise?”

“If you would be so kind.”

***

Captain’s personal log, supplemental, Stardate “never want to see that stupid Sphere ever again”. Our goodbyes were brief. Heartfelt and sincere, yes, but brief. There was simply no time for prolonged partings, not with the Voth already regrouping for another kick at the cat. After Captain Remy had beamed over to the Enterprise, I set a course back to joint command according to Captain Shon’s recommendations. I attended the debriefing while Trixie slept corpse-like in her quarters, a privilege she rightly deserved. Her slumber gave me the opportunity to answer some big questions, questions like what to do next, where to go next, and so forth. I realize now that I need to do two things: concentrate more on allowing Trixie to build the career that she always wanted (and that I promised her), and finally tell her that I…(End recording)

“Hey,” I said, ending the log entry as a sleepy Trixie entered my quarters. Well, ‘stumbled into’ might be a better way to put it. “What’s up? Can’t sleep?” She hopped up onto my bed and snuggled ‘neath the covers with a happy little smile. “Alright, you can sleep here tonight. Just don’t hog all the sheets, okay?”

“Okay…” she whispered, although it was more of an exhale; I just like to think she agreed. I yawned and crawled into bed beside her and had barely finished the first half-dozen sheep when I too was out like a light.

Hey, Trixie

View Online

Acting captain’s log, Stardate…why can’t I ever remember how this works? It’s been two days since we left the Sphere and I have no trouble admitting that I’d rather never see it or the Voth ever again. The Ranger’s been docked at Starbase 234’s repair facilities for the past 36 hours getting a few odds and ends fixed up. The damage wasn’t bad (for a change) but still warranted a day or two of TLC.

Anyway, I think it’s time to cash in that overflowing Tsundering Jar and kick things up a notch. Well, I say that now but it all depends on whether or not Trixie feels up to my little ‘plan’. While we’ve been at Starbase 234, I’ve been in contact with/practically harassing the Federation embassy on Equestria trying to hunt down some information. It took two days and I probably owe those poor record-keepers each a sizeable chunk of my soul but it was definitely worth it.

I mean, doesn’t everyone deserve to be taken out for their birthday?

We live in a galaxy of fascinating phenomenon occurring around us all the time. I should know; we’ve been caught by some of those ‘phenomenon’ enough to write a damn book. Fortunately, this is also a galaxy loaded with incredible coincidences, this situation being one of them. Seriously, what are the odds that her birthday would coincide with our downtime? It’s like First Contact, when the Vulcan ship just happened to pass by while Zephram Cochrane was making his first warp flight.

Anyway, thanks to the testimonies of Captain Remy and Captain Shon during the debriefing, we’ve got a few days to ourselves before its back to business as usual and I intend to make the most of them, starting tonight. Right now, Trixie’s down on the Starbase talking to the station’s entertainment coordinator about doing a few shows over the course of the week, which gives me the perfect chance to plan everything out. Actually, there’s no other time I could’ve done it. Besides being unusually quiet and subdued, Trixie’s been really ‘clingy’ lately. Ever since Starfleet rerouted us back to the Alpha Quadrant, we’ve basically spent every waking moment together. I mean, I don’t mind at all, trust me. It just struck me as a bit strange for somepony who’s usually so independent to suddenly want to sleep in the same bed as me every night. Again, not that I’m complaining; she’s great to cuddle with.

In any case, I’m taking it as a good sign but part of me still worries about her. We all went through a lot in the Sphere but she’s the one who personally witnessed a whole ship full of people die. That fucks you up, trust me. You’re never quite the same after a traumatic event like that and I’m hoping that I can turn her mood around and lift her out of her funk. She refuses to talk about what happened on the Repulse and hasn’t said a work about her ‘new’ Amulet either and although I haven’t pressed either issue. I’m sure those are both weighing heavily on her mind. That’s why I need to make this as awesome as possible for her, if only to lighten her mood enough to have a heart-to-heart and help her sort things out. That’s why I recommended that she pursue something she really enjoys, which is also why I sent her to the Starbase to talk to the station’s entertainment coordinator about doing some shows. Hopefully, doing something she loves will help her recover. I only wish I knew what else to do…

“Computer, pause recording,” I stated before resting my chin on an open palm as I stared up at the ceiling. “Date, date, date…okay, who’s ever heard of a human and a pony going on a date? What should we even do?” I was at a loss; blazing a new trail for relationships was exciting and interesting but hardly easy and definitely not my forte. How exactly does one date outside their species? Maybe I was still preoccupied with that little detail; we weren’t the same species.

I shook my head and banished the traitorous thought to the darkest regions of my psyche, condemning it to boil for eternity in a pool of “who gives a shit”. That wasn’t important…anymore. I took a deep breath and told the computer to resume recording.

I’ve already researched a few likely spots but they’re either too expensive or too far away for my plan to work. We need to stay pretty close to the station; the farthest we could possibly go without messing up my totally awesome plan is New Romulus. The only problem with that is that New Romulus is still pretty wild right now. I mean, there’s the embassy and a few small settlements but not much else, at least not much that Trixie would be interested in. I’ll put that one on the backburner for now, at least until I think of something else. (End recording)

“Computer, music,” I exclaimed, stretching my tired muscles.

“Specify.”

“Something…I dunno, 21st century?”

“Specify.”

“What are my choices?”

“There are 687,394 songs in the database.”

“Okay, I get the picture, don’t get your plasma conduits in a knot. How about…something upbeat, something…inspirational to help me plan our date.”

“Specify.”

“Oh yeah, that’s right; I forgot you had a fetish for getting things spelled out for you. Alright, then. Play something popular from the mid-21st century. Something catchy.”

“Specify.” I rolled my eyes.

“Fine! Surprise me!”

“Acknowledged.” With that, the song began to play.

I felt a strange, inexplicable calmness wash over me as the tune began. Even when it soon changed to a faster tempo, that relaxing feeling did not leave as I might’ve expected. Instead, it took my hand led me into a state of near-perfect concentration, a state in which I could visualize the perfect evening with the mare of my dreams. That’s when the words I was hearing began to change. I found myself humming a set of alternate lyrics in time with the actual lyrics, which genuinely surprised me. I don’t know the first thing about music or writing it or anything like that and yet, here I was writing a different version of the song. Well, it was more like ‘adapting it to suit my needs’ but it was a start. And more importantly, it gave me a wicked idea.

I had a date with the holodeck.

Later…

“Trixie can’t believe you forgot about her,” the perturbed showmare huffed over her dinner. As an apology for completely neglecting to watch the time, I had promised her whatever she wanted to eat, a readily agreeable proposition due to the fact that we’d been eating nothing but replicated food for weeks.

Unsurprisingly, she selected the most upscale place on the station.

“Hey, I said I was sorry, right?” I replied, not overly concerned. After all, I may have annoyed her yet again but at least this time, I had a trump card. “Besides, 20 minutes isn’t that late.”

“You still shouldn’t have been late,” she mumbled, averting her eyes. “Trixie was getting worried…” Ah, so that’s what it was. I should’ve known she might still be spooked from the events in the Sphere. One of these days, I’ll finally learn how to talk without chewing on both feet at the same time. I leaned forwards and gently took her front hooves in my hands. She could be so cute when she tried to sit like a biped.

“I know and next time, I promise I’ll be super-early but if I could have your forgiveness for just a little bit, I have an idea that I hope will make up for it.” And the fact that I still haven’t told you how I feel. “No, scratch that, an idea that I know will make up for it.”

“You do?” she asked quietly.

“I do.” I confirmed with a nod. I cleared my throat. “A-hem! Trixie Lulamoon…will you go on a date with me?”

Aaaaand cue awkward silence.

Okay, maybe I was just a little too enthusiastic and just maybe I had accidently grabbed the rapt attention of nearly every patron in the comparatively quiet dining room. In any case, it was a combination of that ensuing silence and the shocked, rapidly reddening face of Trixie that prompted me to act and save us both from an awkward evening. I sighed and stood up, looking at all the patrons surrounding us as if daring them to say something judgmental or otherwise stupid.

“Oh yeah, like none of you have ever thought about asking an Equestrian pony out,” I exclaimed indignantly. It did the trick; unwilling to share the spotlight with me, the patrons quickly returned to their meals and whispered conversations. I offered Trixie an apologetic smile…only to find the seat across from me completely vacant. “Great,” I muttered. “Nice one, Romeo. She probably teleported to the ship and took off with it.” Can’t say I blame her, I thought as I quickly paid the bill and got up to leave. That was poorly-executed.

That’s when I noticed something amiss. Beginning at Trixie’s plate, I spotted a small trail of…you guessed it. Remnants of a mostly-eaten piece of bread formed an edible path off the table and, upon immediate inspection, out of the restaurant. Well, I guess that’s better than nothing, I thought as I followed the clues out and into the station’s promenade. Here’s hoping that the witch at the end of the trail’s not in an incinerating mood.

***

My journey along the trail of breadcrumbs eventually found me in a fairly secluded part of the station, the starbase’s observatory. I breathed a sigh of relief as I found the large, open room to be completely deserted…well, with one exception, of course. I mean, where else would she go if not to get a glimpse of what brought her peace of mind and soul? I could scarcely blame her; the stars were especially bright and mostly unobstructed owing to the lack of starships around. I heard a small sniffle and slowly approached the source, taking a seat on a couch directly across from where I guessed the showmare to be.

“Why didn’t you just teleport?” I asked gently. No response, save for a sniffle she’d obviously tried to withhold. “Would’ve been easier than cloaking and running, doncha think? Faster, too. Unless, of course, some small part of you wanted to be found. The breadcrumbs were a nice touch, by the way.”

“D-did you mean it?” a small voice asked from the space directly in front of me.

“Mean what?”

“T-that you…that you wanted t-to go…on a d-date…with me…?”

“Of course I did,” I assured her, gently ruffling where I thought her ears might be.

“Y-you mean like…a real “date”?” she asked, quivering slightly under my touch.

“Yes, Trixie!” I exclaimed. “I want to go on a real, actual, legit, genuinely romantic date with you! I honestly don’t know what else I could possibly mean!”

“It could mean a lot of things!” the showmare cried after rapidly de-cloaking. She glared up at me with angry, tear-filled eyes and my heart almost melted at the sight, especially since this was exactly what I had been trying to avoid. “You could be talking about going to lunch or the holodeck or some stupid planet or almost anythi-mmph!”

She had a point but that didn’t stop me planting a deep, reassuring kiss on her lips, a move I’d seen in countless holonovels and classic 21st century films, and one I’d always wanted to try. Hey, so I’m a romantic sap; sue me.

Lo and behold, it did the trick and she simply looked up at me with those big, lavender eyes that could turn steel into butter.

“So?” I ventured, taking her hooves in my hands once again.

“So what?” she whispered, trembling a little.

“So what’s your answer?”

“You didn’t meet Trixie on time…you humiliated Trixie in front of everyone at the restaurant,” she began, glaring up at me. “Then you chased her all the way here…” I wanted to remind her that technically, she wanted me to follow her but I decided to just shut my big yap and hold on for the ride. “Then you still have the nerve to ask the Great and Powerful Trixie something like…like that!?” she finished with a shout as her horn sparked.

“Um…yeah?” I replied rather lamely.

She pounced on me. Like, literally jumped on me with predatory intent. I would’ve been afraid for my life had she not attacked my lips with hers in what had to be the single greatest about-face I’ve ever seen. It was a surprise attack that I gratefully weathered, kissing her back as well as I could, given the complete lack of warning and awkward position we were in. After a minute or so of rather frenetic lip-play, she drew back and once more subjected me to those adorable purple weapons of mass capitulation.

“Yes,” she answered breathlessly but with a small smile. “I would love to go on a date with you.”

***

Now I’ve done it, I thought as we made our way back to the Ranger’s berth. Here I go making a grand spectacle of everything and I still don’t know what Trix and I are gonna do for our date! I mean, I need an idea and I need one fast; I mean, it’s not like I’m gonna just stumble into one…

“Aah-oof!” I hissed as I tripped and fell flat on my face. A series of frightened yelps emanated from somewhere around me and as I slowly got back up, I surveyed the floor for the one responsible. I didn’t wait long; moments after, I heard a “Gotcha!” from my blue companion. Levitated in a field of light-blue energy was a small, green animal the size of a kitten that looked like a cross between a rabbit, a pig, and a dog. I was sure I’d seen something like it before but another voice called out before I could remember.

“Please don’t hurt him!” Trixie and I turned to find a young Romulan girl running towards us as fast as her diminutive legs could carry her. She was panting hard when she finally caught up with us and looked up at me with a heartrending expression, complete with tears and quivering lips. “He didn’t mean to get in your way, I swear!”

Now, how could anyone in their right mind stay mad at such a raw display of unrelenting adorableness and concern for their furry friend? As you might expect by now, I practically melted.

“Of course he didn’t,” I replied with a warm smile. “He was just running around and enjoying life. I definitely can’t blame him for that. Besides, accidents happen.” After a moment, she looked up at me with a smile of her own. I knelt down to her level as Trixie gently levitated the little fellow to his adorable warden. “Here you go, safe and sound.”

“Thanks,” the girl replied softly, hugging the little creature. It made no effort to escape and seemed quite content to rest after the excitement a few moments ago.

“Does he have a name?” I asked.

“Subject E-384.” she replied a-matter-of-factly. Trixie and I exchanged surprised glances.

“That’s an…interesting name…” Trixie ventured.

“Not really,” the girl answered. “My mom named him. She’s in charge of all the epohh research on New Romulus so she gets to name all of them. See?” She gently loosened a grey collar around its neck just enough to read the number “384” printed on it.

“Ah, that explains it,” I mused, nodding my head in understanding as Trixie did the same. “Is that where she is now?” I asked, a plan beginning to form among the barren, ashen ground that made up my dating experience.

“Probably. She’s usually out at Epohh Fields all day working with the other scientists.” The girl explained with a shrug. “I’m Tari, by the way.” she added, holding out a small hand towards me whilst keeping her epohh secure against her side with the other. “What’s your name?”

“My name’s Cole. Cole Stevens. This is my friend, Trixie.” I replied, shaking her hand before gesturing for Trixie to do the same, which she did.

“It’s nice to meet you, Cole.” she stated, a hint of eagerness in her tone. “And you too, Trixie. You have really nice hair,” she added, studying the showmare’s mane with curious eyes. “It’s super-pretty. Like a star or something else that’s really shiny.” Awe man, could she possibly get any more adorable. Trixie didn’t seem to think so; rather, she slowly approached Tari and sat on her haunches next to her.

“You really think so?” she asked with a hopeful smile.

“Yup.” Tari confirmed with a nod before looking at me and then back to Trixie. “Hey, you wanna play some epohh tag?” she asked eagerly.

“Tari? Tari! Where are you?” the voice of an older woman called from somewhere behind us. Dressed in a white outfit with grey patches and sleeves, she looked every inch a researcher.

“I’m here, Mom!” Tari replied, waving her free arm. “I just had to grab Subject E-384!” She ran up to her mother and held the epohh up to her. “See?”

“Well, I’m glad to see he’s safe but why did he run off?” the woman asked. “I thought he really liked you.”

“Oh, he does,” Tari assured her. “He just gets really bored easily and really likes to run around. I was telling Commander Temer about them and kinda forgot to hold him the whole time.” She looked back at us and smiled. “But then Mr. Cole and Miss Trixie came along and caught him for me!”

“That was nice of them,” the woman replied, giving us a smile before approaching. “My name is Toreth. I’m the head researcher for Dewan epohhs, or New Romulus epohhs if you prefer. Thanks again for helping my daughter.” I nodded and shook her hand.

“It was no problem at all,” I assured her. “I’m Cole Stevens and this is my friend, Trixie.”

“It’s wonderful to meet you both,” Toreth answered. “May I ask what brought you here to Starbase 234?”

“Well, I work for Starfleet as a courier and Trixie here is one of the single greatest magicians and illusionists you’ll ever meet.” I gave the blushing Trixie a gentle nudge and a wink. “We’ve been travelling together for a few months now.”

“I see,” Toreth mused. “I must confess that I’ve never seen a live Equestrian before. As a scientist, this is rather exciting.”

“Ooh, can she show me a magic trick?” Tari interrupted, unable to withhold her excitement any longer, her pleading expression fixed firmly on the blue showmare. “Pleeeeeaaaaase? I’ll let you pet Subject E-384 as much as you want!” There was a brief pause, during which I gave Trixie another gentle nudge after her mother nodded in approval.

“O-of course she can!” Trixie exclaimed. “The Great and Powerful Trixie would be happy to entertain you!” With that, they relocated to a close-by table and Trixie jumped up onto it while a thrilled Tari promptly sat on the floor in front of it with her epohh in her lap. She squealed as a light shower of bright sparks showered the table, prompting Toreth to smile appreciatively.

“That is a remarkable friend you’ve got,” she said. I nodded in agreement.

“I know.” Alright, this is your chance. “Actually, I’d like to ask you about something, if you wouldn’t mind.”

“Of course. How may I be of assistance?” Toreth offered.

“Her birthday’s coming up tomorrow and I’d really like to take her somewhere special.” I didn’t think it necessary to divulge my personal business; regardless, I was glad I had another reason to put Toreth on the spot. “I know that New Romulus is probably the best closest place so…what do you recommend? What is there to do for fun on New Romulus?”

“Hmm…” Toreth thought about it. “To be honest, not much at the moment. We’ve been focusing most of our energy on getting the planet ready for large-scale colonization. As it stands, we don’t have much in the way of entertainment.”

“Darn…” I muttered, wondering what else I could do now that my best option was more or less gone.

“Although…” Toreth mused, instantly grabbing my attention. “While we don’t have much traditional entertainment, there are some beautiful places to visit if you enjoy the outdoors. Vastam Peaks provide some of the best views of the night sky while Epohh Fields in Isha Forest are a great spot to relax and be close to the local wildlife.”

It was then that I realized I had mere minutes ago, in every sense of the word, literally stumbled into the solution to my problem.

“So…Epohh Fields is nice, huh?” I mused, stroking my chin. “Perfect for say…a date?”

“Sure.” Toreth replied with a shrug. I nodded thoughtfully.

“Well then, if you wouldn’t mind, I would love to hear all about Isha Forest and Vastam Peaks.”

“Sure. What would you like to know?”

Meanwhile…

“Wow!” Tari exclaimed, clapping enthusiastically as another trick concluded. “You’re really good, Trixie!”

“Thank you, thank you, you’re far too kind!” Trixie replied with a smile and sweeping bow. She hopped off the table and sat beside Tari. “Trixie thought you’d like them!”

“Oh, I did!” Tari assured her, nodding vehemently. “Miss Trixie, can I ask you something?”

“Of course you can.”

“Could you maybe…come back here and do some more tricks some time? There isn’t much on New Romulus for the other kids to do and I know they’d all really like it if you did a show for ‘em!” Trixie was taken aback by the power of the girl’s words; never had she had anyone approach her so…selflessly. Usually, they just wanted more for the sake of getting the most out for their Bits, but with Tari…she was able to remember why she’d started doing magic and illusions in the first place.

If it wasn’t to see someone’s face light up with sincere wonder and admiration, then why do it at all?

The revelation, or possibly reminder, minor as it was, caused a tear to roll down one of Trixie’s cheeks, a detail that did not go unnoticed.

“Are you okay?” Tari asked quietly and with a look of concern.

“Oh, yes, absolutely!” Trixie replied whilst quickly wiping the tear away.

“Are you sure?”

“I’m fine. Please don’t worry. I just…thank you for your kind words,” the showmare answered with a nod. “They…meant a lot.”

“Here, give Snuffles a hug,” Tari offered, holding the epohh out to her. “I know you said you’re not really sad but that always helps me feel better.”

“I thought his name was Subject…E-something.”

“I changed his name,” Tari explained before putting a finger to her lips. “Ssh! It’s our secret!” she whispered.

“Our secret,” Trixie confirmed, also with a whisper. With that, she carefully beheld the furry creature with her front hooves, hugging it gently to her body so he wouldn’t slip out of her less-then-perfect grip. Sure, she could’ve levitated him but there was something intriguing about such tactile contact that felt somehow reassuring. In short, holding the admittedly cute critter felt good and Trixie made a mental note to do it again sometime. Maybe even get one of her own someday…

“Hey, Trix, sorry to interrupt but Toreth’s running late for her meeting and we should get moving, too.” I informed the girls after joining them with Toreth.

“Awe, do we have to go?” Tari asked as she pouted up at her mother, who smiled back apologetically.

“I’m afraid so. Besides, I’m sure Mr. Stevens and Miss Trixie have their own matters to take care of.”

“Afraid so, kiddo,” I added. “I’ve got a starship in the shop right now and I’m sure someone’s getting hungry for dinner right about now.” It was then that Tari wrapped her arms around Trixie’s shoulders in a warm hug.

“Thanks for everything, Miss Trixie,” she murmured happily before looking up at her. “You’ll come back again and see everybody…right?” The azure mare smiled and gave her a small nuzzle.

“Trixie wouldn’t miss it for the world.” I returned my attention to Toreth and shook her hand once more.

“Thank you for the information. I’ll definitely put it to good use.”

“It was my pleasure, Mr. Stevens. Good luck!”

“Bye, Miss Trixie!”

And with that, they were off.

***

While our dinners had been quiet as of late, something about this particular one had me concerned for my blue friend, and not just because she’d insisted on eating back on the Ranger. She had been staring at her bowl for several minutes, and rather intently at that.

“Hey…” I ventured. “Is something wrong? You’ve been staring at your food for like, 10 minutes. I know it’s just Crispy Chex but I didn’t have anything else non-replicated and I know how sick you are of the replicator. I could go to the station and see if there’s anything fresh I could get for you.” Trixie shook her head but offered me a small smile.

“It’s okay, really. I’m just…thinking.”

“Bit for your thoughts?”

“Oh, um…it’s just something Tari said. Got me thinking.”

“Way to answer the question, Trix,” I replied. “But hey, if you don’t wanna talk about it, that’s cool, too.”

“No, no, it’s just that…what am I doing here?” Her question caught me off guard.

“I dunno…eating?” I asked, unsure of her question’s deeper meaning, if it in fact, had one at all.

“No, I mean…what am I doing in general? Why am I going all over the place? Is it just to do shows or am I really only concerned with getting famous?”

“Why can’t you have both?”

“Because what if I’m doing what I love for the wrong reasons? What if the only reason I’m doing this is to get famous?”

“Wasn’t that the point, though? Isn’t that why you joined me for this crazy ride?”

“I thought it was, too. But now…” She paused and took a deep breath. “…I’m not so sure.” I slowly nodded and leaned forward on the small table.

“What’s going on, Trix? What’s on your mind?” I asked gently.

“I…I don’t know if…I can do shows anymore.” She saw my eyes widen and quickly continued. “I mean, for profit or fame. After what Tari told me about her homeworld and the other children…I feel…no, I need to do something for them. Even if it’s just doing some magic…as long as it makes them happy…then I don’t care about the Bits...or the credits.” I looked back at her in wonderment.

“Trixie, that’s extraordinary.”

“No it’s not.”

“Yes it is, and I’ll tell you why. When I met you, you would’ve laughed at the very idea of something non-profit. And now look at you; wanting to make people smile without any kind of reward except for their appreciation?” Before she knew it, I grabbed her in a hug, lifting her up and out of her seat, making her blush as she squeezed back. “You’ve really come a long way since then and I’m so incredibly proud of you right now that I just wanna hug you forever.”

Yeah, maybe I am just a big sap at heart.

“Thanks, Cole,” she whispered. “Of course…Trixie couldn’t have gotten here without you.” I felt her lips against my cheek and felt myself blush as well.

“Awe…it was my pleasure, Trix. Always happy to help.”

“Still…thank you…for everything.” I felt her lean back and adjusted so I could still hold her as she looked up at me with those beautiful eyes. “I love you, Cole.”

There was a pause as I struggled to voice a response that would do such an incredible declaration justice.

“I…I…”

“It’s okay, you don’t have to say it back,” Trixie added, her head dropping slightly. “Being with you lately has just…it’s made me realize how lucky I am. If you hadn’t come along and…and…”

“…crushed everything you owned?” I said, trying to lighten the mood. To my surprise, she actually smiled a bit.

“Yes, that. I…I know it’s a lot to think about but I just really wanted you to know before…something else happened and I…couldn’t tell you in time.” she finished in a whisper.

“Trixie?” I said, gently tilting her chin up. “I love you, too.” She involuntarily let out a small gasp before crushing her lips to mine, wetting our faces with the tears of joy running down her cheeks.

“Do you…really…mean it?” she stammered out between kisses, allowing us each a quick breath before resuming our tongue-dance.

“Of…course I do…you silly mare…” I replied when I could get a word in edgewise. She paused and looked up at me once again.

“You…didn’t say ‘girl’…”

“I know.”

“But that means…” I smiled warmly at her.

“I accept you for who you are, Trixie. Yes, I know you’re Equestrian. Yes, I know we’re quite different.” I paused to plant a soft kiss on her lips. “But you’re also the Great and Powerful Trixie…my Great and Powerful Trixie.”

It was all she could take. All the emotions she’d kept bottled up came spilling out in the form of more joyful tears as she hugged herself to me and simply cried. All the while, I held her. I gently massaged her back. I murmured reassuring words to her and told her over and over that I loved her. And all the while, she cried, although her tears finally began to subside after a few heartfelt minutes.

“Y’know,” I whispered. “I was gonna wait until our date tomorrow to tell you but I’m glad I decided to do it now.” Trixie sniffed, wiped her tears away, and smiled at me. Suffice it to say, I’d never seen such a happy, sincere expression in my life.

“Me too,” she replied. “I don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t said it back.”

“Hey, I would’ve said it eventually.”

“Of course you would’ve.”

“Are you teasing me right now?” I asked.

“Just a little…” she admitted with a small, mischievous smile.

“Now there’s the Trixie I know and tolerate.”

“Know and what?” she demanded, hitting my chest with a front hoof.

“Whoa hey, just kidding!” I exclaimed. “Know and love, know and love! There! Happy?” She smiled and nodded, resting her head on my shoulder.

“Never been happier.”

***

For the first time in what seemed like months, I woke up the next morning genuinely feeling like I’d had a proper night’s sleep. No nightmares, no cold sweats…nothing. Just the comforting softness of Trixie’s azure coat as she slept quietly beside me, exactly how she’d been when we had fallen asleep. Now, I know what you’re thinking; no, we didn’t ‘get busy’. That could wait, and to be honest, I don’t think either of us were clamoring to jump to that stage. That isn’t to say there wasn’t any mutual physical attraction; it’s just that intimacy would be a huge step for us, what with us being different species and all.

Despite the wonderful feeling that engulfed me whenever we were together, I was still hung-up on the idea of ‘doing the deed’ with someone so outside my…‘usual fare’. To say otherwise, I believe, is to utter bullshit. No one knows what they’d do unless placed in that exact situation. I smiled as I wondered how Kirk did it and whether or not he ever wrote a holobook about the subject of inter-species fun-fun time.

For the time being, however, I wasn’t gonna worry about it. Don’t misunderstand; I wasn’t gonna ignore it and was still perfectly willing to discuss the idea with Trixie if it ever came up but in the meantime, I was quite willing to cross that bridge if and when we ever ended up there.

I felt Trixie squirm around under the sheet beside me and quickly fixed the blanket around her, tucking it in gently around her sleeping form before getting up. I checked the time; it was just past 6 AM.

Perfect, I thought with a small smile. That gives me at least four hours before she wakes up. I think I’ll grab us some fresh breakfast from one of the Starbase’s restaurants and we can have breakfast in bed. I bet she’d really like that.

Funny how meeting the right person…Equestrian…whatever, can have such a profound effect on your priorities, huh? Usually, I would’ve headed to the holodeck for some Dead Space: Ultimate Trilogy Holodeck Edition or even planned my route for the day, where I wanted to go and so on. This time, however, I wanted nothing more than to start the day by putting a smile on Trixie’s face.

So that’s exactly what I did. Taking advantage of Trixie’s ability to sleep through a warp core breach, I dressed up and headed for the station in search of the perfect breakfast, making a mental note to pick up a few more boxes of delicious Crispy Chex, not to mention check up on a little side project I’d started soon after we’d docked at the Starbase.

That meant a trip to Station Engineering.

A couple hours later…

There, all set, I thought as I returned triumphantly to the docked Ranger. It was done; the plan I’d been toiling on was finally complete. I hope you’re ready for the best date of your life, I thought as I returned to my bed and gently stroked her head, having completed my morning tasks. Not only had Engineering come through in spades and given the ship a clean bill of health, I had found the one place in the entire sector that sold authentic strawberry crepes. Needless to say, the mess hall’s cooler, besides keeping my surprise dinner cold, also held a generous number of the delicious items.

Smiling, I set a plate piled high with still-warm crepes on my small bedside table, but not before waving it in front of her nose for good measure. Her snout responded with gentle sniffs before convincing her to wake up and investigate the source of the intoxicating aroma.

“Mmmuuurrgh…” she mumbled before stretching and slowly opening her eyes, which immediately widened when they beheld the feast in front of them. She looked at them and then up at me. “Cole…are these for us?” she asked somewhat groggily.

“No, they’re for Q,” I replied with a wry grin, grabbing one and taking a bite. “Of course they’re for us. I thought you might like some breakfast in bed before our date.”

“I…Trixie doesn’t know what to say…” she replied, apparently overwhelmed by such a simply gesture. Score one for me, I guess. She suddenly blushed as her stomach weighed in on the subject.

“By the way,” I added before giving her a surprise kiss. “Happy birthday.” She looked at me with an incredulous expression.

“H-how did you know?”

“I didn’t,” I confessed and her eyes narrowed slightly. “Starfleet did. See, I wanted to do something cool for your birthday so I got in touch with the Federation Embassy on Equestria. It took some doing but they finally got back to me a couple days ago. Guess you guys like keeping records too, huh?” I didn’t have the chance to say anything else as, for the second time in less than 12 hours, Trixie pounced on me with predatory intent.

Let’s just say that for a little while, she might’ve mixed me up with breakfast. Not that I was complaining, of course.

“These are amazing,” she exclaimed happily, finishing the last one just as I was about to reach for it. “Are these fresh strawberries?”

“Yep!” I replied proudly. “Asked about ‘em and everything.”

“That was one of the best breakfasts Trixie’s ever had,” she declared upon completion of our morning meal. “You’re the best,” she added, giving my cheek an affectionate, albeit surprising lick.

“Okay, I know for a fact I didn’t have whipped cream on my face this time.”

“You actually remember that?” she asked.

“Why wouldn’t I? That was one of the most unique and unexpected experiences of my life.” Thinking deviously, I dabbed my finger in some of the leftover whipped cream on the plate and smeared a bit on Trixie’s cheek.

“Hey! What are do…ing…” she murmured as I slowly licked the cream off her cheek.

“There. Now we’re even.” I whispered.

“You’re really strange, you know that?” she asked, trying to suppress a smile.

“I prefer ‘eccentric’, if you don’t mind.”

“Hmm…” she hummed thoughtfully with a hoof at her chin. “Nah, I’ll stick with ‘strange’.” she stated, sticking her tongue out at me.

“Hey, whatever floats your boat, oh Cute and Cuddly Trixie,” I answered, giving her a hug.

A somewhat awkward and foreboding pause ensued. I grinned innocently as Trixie gave me a ‘look’.

“Cute and Cuddly Trixie…?”

Oh crap.

And just like that, I was off like a shot, laughing like a crazy person and ducking under magical blasts on my way out. I braved a look behind me; sure enough, there she was, hot on my tail with a familiar gleam in her eye.

“CUTE AND CUDDLY TRIXIE!?”

“That’s right, tell the whole galaxy that you’ve changed your name from the Great and Powerful Trixie to the…ouch!” I yelped, grabbing my singed behind. “It’s a complement, Trix! YIKES!”

I grabbed the corner and practically swung around, making a bee-line for the turbolift. I dove in, shouted “Bridge!”, and slumped against the side of the turbolift, trying to catch my breath. At least from the bridge, I could seal off the turbolift and hopefully forestall my execution. Confident in my plan, I strolled out onto the bridge without a second thought as soon as the turbolift doors opened.

“SURPRISE!”

A flash of light momentarily blinded me and the next thing I knew, something fuzzy collided with me, knocking me down and using me to break its fall. I rubbed my eyes and soon found Trixie smirking victoriously at me as she sat on my stomach.

“Right…forgot you could do that…” I admitted, capitulating to her unfairly advantageous abilities.

“Ready to apologize?”

“Not a chance.”

“Then I guess it’s time for Trixie’s secret weapon…” she replied with an evil grin, her horn lighting up.

“Do your worst…” I dared with a smirk of my own.

“Very well! You leave Trixie no choice!” she exclaimed as her horn began to spark with power. “Ready?”

“Bring it!”

“Fine! You asked for it!” With that, she brought a front hoof up…and gently tapped me on the nose.

“Boop.” she whispered as her horn returned to its normal, non-sparking version.

“Boop.” I replied, returning the favor.

“You were scared.”

“Was not.”

“Was too.”

“You really think I was scared?” I teased, quickly standing up, making her yelp in surprise before clinging to me for dear life. “Now we’re even.”

“Fine,” she said with a sigh before giving me a quick kiss on the cheek. “Trixie accepts your terms.”

“Good. Now, if there’s anything you need to do before our date, I suggest doing that now. A soon as we’re clear of the Starbase, it’s not long to New Romulus.” I replied, earning a strange look from the showmare.

“Now? Isn’t it a little early?”

“Well, the thing is, I planned this date as more of an outing,” I explained. “See, I wanted to make it extra special for you today so I decided to make the entire day our date. Sound good?” Her face lit up and she nodded enthusiastically.

“Sounds great.”

***

Later, in orbit over New Romulus…

“I don’t think I’ve ever actually been on this part of the deck,” Trixie mused as I led her to a fairly unused part of the ship. Truth be told, it wasn’t an area I frequented either but this time, it happened to hold the key to our entire day. “Where are we again?”

“Deck 04, just in front of the auxiliary deflector,” I replied, examining a control panel. “Ah, here it is. Now I remember.” With that, I pressed a few buttons and the floor panel immediately in front of us slid open, revealing a short ladder going down a tube and ending in a small room. Trixie looked at me quizzically. “Ladies first,” I invited, motioning for her to descend.

“Cole…what is this?” she asked, hesitation present in her voice.

“Just trust me. You’re gonna love it,” I assured her. She looked at me for a bit longer before resigning herself to the task at hand, which she accomplished by carefully levitating herself down the tube. I followed soon after and took a seat in the front of the V-shaped room. Trixie jumped as several panels above us closed with a hiss. “It’s okay, really. Just…come up here with me and I’ll hold on to you, alright?” She nodded and did so, pressing her side up against mine. I put my arm around her and tapped a nearby control panel a few times.

Trixie gasped as the room came to life around her. Panels and screens lit up, displaying all kinds of data, but what got her attention the most was the sudden appearance of a joystick directly in front of me, previously hidden within the control panel. I turned to her and grinned and before she could protest, she felt a sharp lurch as if whatever they were sitting in had just been shaken loose. Her eyes widened as the visor-like front of the room suddenly filled with stars and the openness of space, and after a moment, the blue, purple, and green world of New Romulus.

“Trixie, I’d like to introduce you to the Waverider shuttle,” I exclaimed as she placed her front hooves against the window, staring out eagerly at the breathtaking sight outside. “Since I’m not allowed to actually land the Ranger where we’re going, I thought this might be more fun than just beaming down.”

“Trixie agrees…” she murmured, too busy staring at the sights to dedicate much time to acknowledge my creativity.

Which was just fine and dandy to me; after all, this was her special day. I was just there to make sure she got it.

“Pretty cool, huh?” I asked, easing the Waverider into a nice, smooth flight path towards the planet.

“It’s amazing, Cole!” Trixie replied happily before giving me a big hug. “You’re right; this is way better than beaming! When did you have the time to do…well, this?” she asked, gesturing about the chevron-shaped cabin.

“Well, I’d like to say that I bought it just for the occasion but the truth is that I’ve actually always had it. It just needed some repairs so I asked the Starbase engineers to give it a complete overhaul.” I looked about the cabin. “And I’d say they succeeded.”

“I love it,” Trixie replied, giving me a kiss. “Not that I’m complaining but why wouldn’t they let us take the Ranger?”

“I guess might as well tell you where we’re going. I thought it’d be really cool to spend the day in Epohh Fields, maybe do some hiking up to Vastam Peaks for some stargazing. What do you th-mmph?” For the second time that day, Trixie’s lips interrupted me. “Wow…” I said breathlessly. “Somepony’s in an affectionate mood.”

“How could I not?” she asked, blushing. “This is the sweetest thing anypony…anyone’s ever done for me.”

“Hey, I’m pretty pleased myself,” I added, giving her a quick squeeze with my free, non-piloting arm. “I get to spend the entire day with the most beautiful Equestrian in the galaxy.”

“Don’t forget ‘Greatest and Most Powerful’.” she reminded me, complete with a grin.

“That’s funny, I thought it was ‘Cutest and Most Cuddly’.” I laughed as she poked my side with her hoof. “Alright! Anyway, as I was saying, since we’re going to what they consider an important nature reserve, landing a starship in the middle of it could hurt the local wildlife. However, since small shuttles are allowed to land in those areas, the Waverider is the perfect way to get there and tour the planet at the same time.”

“Trixie has to hoof it to you,” the blue mare replied, nodding slowly. “This is a pretty great way to start a date.”

Aside from a little atmospheric turbulence, the trip to our destination went very smoothly. I took us on a small detour over the famed New Romulus Embassy and even dipped low over the ruins for some excellent sightseeing. It was my hope that we could spend some more time on the planet to explore and maybe even help out but it ultimately depended on what Starfleet had planned for us.

We ended up about a kilometer away from the main research camp in Epohh Fields, which meant that a bit of a hike was in order. Neither of us minded the walk, seeing as we had dedicated an entire day to our date and therefore had time to spare. As we hiked over the hills and across the plateaus of New Romulus, we chatted animatedly about anything that happened to enter our respective trains of thought. I told her about my time on Deep Space 9 working for that Ferengi, while Trixie regaled me with tales about the Elements of Harmony and her many travels. Truth be told, we didn’t share much we hadn’t shared before but neither of us were too concerned about that; instead, we simply listened, laughed when appropriate, and immersed ourselves in each other’s experiences.

“Eep!” Trixie suddenly squeaked, jumping in surprise.

“What is it?” I asked as she quickly scanned the area around her feet.

“Something touched my hoof!”

“Really? What was it?”

“If Trixie knew that, she wouldn’t need to ask!”

“Right. Maybe it was him…” I replied, pointing down at the space in front of her.

The showmare’s demeanor changed immediately the moment she laid eyes on the little creature sitting in front of her.

“Cole, look!” she exclaimed as the epohh cocked its head to the side, regarding her with curious eyes. “It’s one of those epics…epochs…”

“Epohhs?” I suggested.

“Yes, epohh!” I couldn’t help but smile as Trixie knelt down on all fours and leaned towards the critter, which replied in kind before giving her an experimental sniff and running off. “Aren’t they the cutest little things?” The follow-up squee almost gave me a heart attack.

“They certainly are, oh Soft and Sappy Trixie.” She looked at me with narrowed eyes and furrowed brow.

“Can’t really deny that one, can I?”

“You can’t really deny any of the new nickname’s I’ve come up with.”

“Trixie will forgive you for being a stubborn mule this time…but only because this is the best day of Trixie’s life.”

“Fair enough,” I replied with a shrug. “I guess this mean’s we’ve officially reached Epohh Fields.”

It was a landscape that lived up to its name in every conceivable way. Rolling, green hills made up the verdant environment in which hundreds of epohhs of every color and size played and ran about. Carefree and completely unafraid of us, they staged their investigation of us in a pattern of run up, sniff, and run away only to repeat the process. Trixie and I shared in many a laugh as we watched the spectacle and we soon found a perfect spot to relax and enjoy the perfect warm and sunny day.

“Y’know…” I began as we stared up at the clouds. Just to my left, Trixie turned her head and regarded me. “I really think my parents would’ve loved it here.”

“They were…diplomats, right?” I nodded.

“Yeah. As far as I know, they were the only members of the Federation diplomatic corps that actually liked their station on Romulus. They knew what their jobs entailed and how difficult, if not outright impossible it was. But they never gave up on the idea of a long-lasting peace between us and the Romulans. And now, being here surrounded not only by Romulans but hundreds of other types of people…I know my parents would be so proud right now.”

“I know they would, Cole,” Trixie replied softly, edging right up against me. “And I know they’d be proud that you’re here to see what they worked so hard for.” I nodded once again and slowly scratched behind her ears.

“This…this is everything they ever wanted, everything they worked for. It’s just…it’s just a damn shame that they’re not around to see it, y’know?” I rolled over to face the azure mare beside me. “I’m glad you’re here, though. I-I wouldn’t have wanted to come here alone.” I hugged her closely and planted a soft kiss on her head. “Thanks for coming with me, Trix.”

Trixie’s heart raced as she finally realized the significance of what was happening. Yes, it was her birthday, which made the date a fantastic coincidence and a very special day solely on that basis. However, the real significance lay in what had just been said.

She was part of his family now. It was clear to her; like countless others, he had lost his family when Romulus was destroyed and like those who were left, had travelled to the new homeworld to begin anew; to start new careers, to pursue new opportunities, to re-establish their family lines and continue their legacies and the legacy of Romulus.

To find love among their shattered hearts and memories.

Truly, their excursion was so much more than a simple ‘date’. It was a declaration of trust offered to the showmare by her companion, a sign that he was ready to begin anew as well. A sign that they were both ready. Cole had lost his family, Trixie had lost herself and way of life, and yet, there they were, stronger and more determined than ever…just like the world on which they took their first steps together as one.

They were each other’s New Romulus.

“Hey,” I murmured, making Trixie shake her head and open her eyes as if lost in thought. “Everything okay? You kinda drifted off there for a bit.”

“No…” Trixie replied with a smile. “Everything’s perfect.”

Mmrroooowwgurglegurgle…

“Oh, heh, heh,” I said as my stomach protested my lack of attention. “Time for dinner, huh?”

“Actually, that would be great,” Trixie agreed as her tummy rumbled as well. “Those crepes must’ve been hours ago.”

“Then shall we continue to Vastam Peaks? We can watch the sunset while we eat and stargaze from the top of Mt. Vastam.” I suggested. The blue mare smiled and kissed me.

“Trixie would love that.”

***

“See?” I exclaimed, pointing up at the sky as we finally reached our destination about an hour later. “We’re just in time for the sunset!”

“Okay, okay, you were right,” Trixie agreed, sitting beside me. “This place is pretty amazing.” Our perch overlooked the massive Vastam Canyon and was literally the last soft, grassy spot before the natural trail we’d been following turned into rocks and boulders. Thus, it was the spot I selected to watch the sun go down…and of course, to fill our growling stomachs.

“Hey Trix, wanna see a magic trick?” I asked, dusting off a nearby large, flat rock.

“I thought we were here to watch the sunset.”

“Why not do both?” I asked with a shrug. “You’re always showing me magic; I think it’s time to return the favor.”

“Oh, Trixie has got to see this,” she exclaimed with a smirk, sitting at the opposite end of the rock.

“A-hem!” I threw my hands into the air and slowly brought them downwards, wiggling my fingers as I did so, all the while exclaiming “Ordinateur, transporte les nourritures rapidement!” What? Saying “Abra Kadabra” would’ve been clichéd as Hell and I needed to maintain the element of surprise. Besides, I was pretty sure she didn’t know any French.

Just as I pronounced the last syllable of my impromptu magic chant, there was a bright flash, revealing two bowls of salad. I sat proudly as she stared at me with an incredulous expression.

“And voila!” I announced, gesturing towards the dishes. “Dinner is served.”

“Trixie knows how you did it.”

“Oh, does she?”

“You told the computer to beam that food down when you said…whatever you said.”

“Maybe,” I replied with a shrug. “But I’ll never tell. A magician never reveals his tricks. You should know that better than anyone.”

“You just don’t want to admit that Trixie’s right.”

“Just keep telling yourself that.”

“Trixie’s gonna eat now.”

“By all means,” I invited, gesturing towards the food once again. She took an experimental bite and chewed thoughtfully. I smiled as her eyes lit up.

“This is wonderful!” she declared. “What is it?”

“Ferasan Chag Salad.”

“Good thing it tastes better than it sounds!”

“I’ll say,” I agreed, taking a bite of my own. It actually wasn’t bad once you got past the fact you were literally eating grass.

“Not that I don’t appreciate it,” Trixie said through a mouthful. “But why are you eating it? I didn’t think you liked salad for dinner.” I shrugged.

“I wanted us to enjoy the same meal together on our first date.” I explained.

“You…really know how to make a mare feel special,” Trixie half-whispered, blushing as she looked up at me. “This may sound really…well, corny, but…I never want this day to end.”

“Well then, how could we do this tomorrow or next week or any other time if this day never ended?” I asked. “I, for one, would like to have many more days like this.” I looked up at the setting sun and smiled. “After all, the night always brings a new day, right?” Trixie nodded thoughtfully and joined me in my appraisal of the evening sky.

“Yeah…it really does.”

***

The stars were absolutely incredible that night. As we lay on the softest patch of grass we could find, Trixie marvelled at how clear the sky was, how different the night sky looked from the Ranger and her homeworld, and anything else that tickled her fancy. All the while, I simply listened and held her, adding little tidbits here and there. After sending the used dishes back to the Ranger’s replicators, we had decided to forgo dessert in favor of some stargazing, during which we actually nodded off for a while, waking up a short hour or so later. Unwilling to risk our lives in a search for the shuttle in pitch-black darkness, I ordered a beam-out to the Ranger, planning to retrieve the shuttle the next day.

“That was perfect,” Trixie said as we made our way to the last portion of my expertly-planned evening. “The walk, the food, the stars…just…perfect.”

“And it’s not over yet,” I replied as we entered the turbolift. “I know we’re both tired but I just want to show you one last thing before we pass out.”

“Trixie promises not to fall asleep until you’re out of things to amaze her with.”

“Then I hope you like insomnia.”

“Oh, aren’t you funny?”

“I try. Anyway, here we are,” I replied, motioning for her to exit the turbolift.

“Where are we going?”

“Holodeck.”

“What’s on the holodeck?”

“You’ll see. Don’t worry, you’ll like it!” I exclaimed, hoping I was right. I felt her head under my hand as she walked close beside me and I instinctively gave her an impromptu scalp massage. She grinned up at me.

“I’m sure I will.”

Upon reaching the holodeck, Trixie found herself ushered into a large circular room with a strange ceiling, strange mostly because there was no ceiling. Instead, the tall, ornate round walls extended up into an incredible starscape. Trixie couldn’t help but stare up at the dozens of shooting stars, bright nebulas, and other cosmic phenomenon as she slowly circled the room, eventually sitting on one of several round couches near the centre. Just as I’d planned, she hadn’t even noticed my disappearance until a spotlight focused on an elevated part of the room, revealing me holding an old-style microphone.

“Is this thing on?” I asked, accidentally causing a negative feedback screech that forced us to cover our ears. “Computer, lower volume by one-third!”

“Acknowledged.”

“Cole, what’s going on?” Trixie asked.

“Well, I was planning our date yesterday while you were at your meeting on the station and…”

“That’s why you were late?” she asked.

“Yes, exactly,” I replied. “I lost track of time when I heard an old hit from the 21st century and…well, allow me to show you what I came up with.” I cleared my throat. “Computer…hit it.”

“Acknowledged. Music starting in ten seconds. There will be no further audio warning.” Alright, this is it, I thought as a bead of sweat ran down my forehead. Hopefully, my terrible singing voice won’t make Trixie’s ears bleed. Maybe I should’ve selected an auto-tune filter...

I had little time to ponder the idea; the music made sure of that. Instead, I took a deep breath, waited for my cue…and hoped for the best.

Hey, Trixie,
There’s a galaxy to re-discover.
Hey, Trixie,
Come with me, we’ll see it all together.

The showmare’s eyes widened and her ears perked up at the mention of her name.