> Future Tactics - The War Games
>  by TheFullCrumb
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue - Last Flight of the Kepler (Rewrite)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

2795 AD – Messier 83 Galaxy

Light shone down upon the slowly dispersing crowd among the shifting, groaning sounds of long overused mechanical parts creaking into motion. An artificial sun, floating overhead, made its way down beyond an artificial horizon, leaving the terrace below bathed in the deepening dusk of the night-cycle that was beginning. Men and women, chatting, discussing and debating, walked the plating of the terrace, some carrying Personal Data Assistants in the form of tempered glass with a reinforced border trim, while others patrolled, security the main thought behind their actions.

As the night-cycle began to progress, various businesses across the artificial terrace began to open. From a noodle shop boasting about ‘the best noodles outside of Tempest III,’ to a small mechanical shop offering a half-off discount on all of last year’s models of automatic torque wrenches. Each man and woman, despite what could have been said about their age, looked barely a day above their mid-30’s, bringing a thought to some about how much their genetic clocks had been altered to do their job.

For most, their uniforms were crisp and clean blue uniforms with red shoulders, the symbol of their ship of allegiance emblazoned brightly on their right sleeves. A few were wearing the various styles found around the galaxy, while others were more casual, wearing old Earth polo shirts and cargo shorts. Coffee, doughnuts and mirth was aplenty, though many stopped to admire the plaque that adorned the main terrace’s walkway. For a few, it was just a plaque, a reminder of an event long past. To others, it was their home, the very ground upon which they walked.

“’The Terran Colony Conveyor Kepler, launched by the Terran Colonial Exploration Authority this day of the 27th of August, 2702, last of the Wyvern-class. Built on the Martian Driveyards and christened by Admiral James A. Callum.’ Wish I could have met him.”

“You and me both, sir. He died shortly after her launch.”

“’Callum’s Last Launch.’ There’s a painting in the database like that, isn’t there?” Two men stood in front of the plaque, holding steaming mugs of synth-brew coffee, real beans near impossible to get without dedicating entire decks of a ship to growing the ever-needed substance. They raised their mugs in honour of the ship, drinking deeply before looking around.

“Lieutenant, go enjoy yourself. It’s our 40th anniversary of the rebranding of the Kepler as a Battle Fortress. Hell, it’s when we got the new equipment, too!”

“Aye, Commander. I’ll be sure not to celebrate too much.” The commander, a tall yet rotund man with greying, thin hair and hard, piercing blue eyes, smiled as he watched his subordinate go and join the crew already dancing and cheering. Looking around the deck, he smiled. Forty years of trial and hardship had forged a crew into a family, some with actual families on board. Some had nicknamed them the ‘Generational Fortress,’ though how much of that was true or false was up to interpretation. 

The commander, drinking another gulp of the rather bitter substance in his mug, let his eyes wash over the deck below. Elevators dotted the outer edges, leading to the various areas of the ship, from engineering to the medical deck. Even the battle control suites, rooms dedicated to large control stations for combat scenarios, were accessible from the area. Sliding his free hand over his right side, he withdrew a PDA, tapping on it to bring up exterior details. The massive bevel-edged box that made up the main profile of the Kepler was indicative of Terran colonial design, the engineers behind it realizing how much was needed for successful colonization. Rounded protrusions near the rear, on both the upper and lower sections, boasted high heat ratings, the engine clusters more powerful than a Fortress of her size could realistically run under normal circumstances.

Glancing back over to the celebrations, he watched battalion leaders and wing commanders dance and laugh until his PDA began to beep, rapidly. Lifting it up, his mug dropped from his hand as he turned towards the nearest elevator and bolted. The PDA fell from his hand as a massive notice across it stated a message that, for many vessels and crews, signalled a massive oversight, that message simply reading ‘Off Course.’


--------//|0|\\--------


“What the hell do you mean, we’re ‘off course?’ You said you checked the numbers, so how the hell are we that off-course?!” The commander stared down his navigator, a sleek, chrome-shelled Sentient Integrated Program android, or SIP, his eyes almost boring holes through the metallic synth-skin of its face. Warning messages were blazing across screens on the vessel’s Command Bridge as the ship shuddered, something wrong in other portions of the ship.

“I apologize, commander. I was not aware that we had even shifted from our course until I did a diagnostic and re-checked the previous drift calculations. However, something else has taken my attention. The planet we are nearing, it is a virgin world, untouched by any industry, and has higher selenium ratings than even the most developed industrial planets. Unfortunately-”

An alarm rang out from a nearby console, turning the SIP navigator’s attention from its commander to several consoles ringing out new data. Multiple telemetries had been mapped, as well as some startling information. The SIP’s glowing eyes danced from one console to the next, the processing faster than any organic being could comprehend. Each new alert was quickly answered as it checked, each new strand of data a fantastical new thread of inquiry. The commander, however, was not as interested in data as he was about what the issue was.

“Unit-3, what the hell is it? What’s wrong?!”  

With a simple glance, the SIP looked up, only to return its gaze to the consoles it currently commanded. An emotion that the commander had only seen once before flashed across its synth-skin, chilling the others present on the bridge. It was scared, and that could only mean one thing.

“Commander, we will reach our projected destination at designation P3X-292 within eleven galactic day-cycles. The... unfortunate news I have to give you is that another Fortress is en route. The Dawnbreaker. They are, as you have said, a ‘pet of the Committee.’ They will also arrive as we do, meaning that we have 11 cycles to prepare the crew. I recommend an immediate sounding of General Quarters, and for the Kepler to begin immediate shift from travel to combat configuration.” Unit-3 glanced across several workstations, pushing other command staff aside as it attempted to relegate necessary tasks throughout the ship. “The Dawnbreaker is notorious for some of their underhanded tactics; I will remain here and continue research to determine an effective course of action.”

As Unit-3 silenced itself and continued to work, one of the older members of the command crew, an officer with a commanding presence himself, sighed as he ran his hand through his short, graying hair, his thick moustache twitching as he spoke. As his rough Old Russian accent came through, everyone stopped chatting, working whilst he spoke.

“Commander, I think we should wait six of those cycles to run drills to keep crew on their toes, yes? Many of our crew have not seen proper battle, and the Dawnbreaker might try boarding action. We need to be ready, yes?”

“Zabrazna, I respect your input, and honestly, I agree. Too many of our number are a bit... under-prepared for such an undertaking. Get your best men, and have them begin training. Unit-3, send out the call for General Quarters. I want everyone in match mode – we’re going to make this one for the ages!”

With that statement, the commander lifted himself from his seat, planting his feet as he returned to the elevator he had taken to rise to the Command Bridge. The consoles around the rounded area became crowded as the call came through, multiple off-duty officers barely exiting the lift and putting on their uniforms hurriedly as the commander shuffled past them, sighing as he looked down at a PDA he had snatched from one of them.

Looking up at the ceiling of the elevator’s pod, he spoke clearly and loudly, making certain the elevator’s computer understood his statement.

“Computer, Cloning Labs.”


--------//|0|\\--------


The lift shuddered as it came to a halt, the old machinery creaking as the commander exited the pod that had been repurposed to serve as an elevator car years before. His eyes wandered around, noticing all the equipment scattered around. Every time he travelled down to the Labs, it took his breath away, just their sheer size and magnitude. Tubes covered two decks worth of walkways, the area above consumed by the massive twisting cables and piping necessary to run such a facility. Connectors ran from the base of many of the tubes, joined to holographic readouts that displayed important attributes, such as current status, growth abnormalities, and even the genetic candidate the sample used came from.

The head scientist, an older woman greying in her twilight years, was fast asleep, a pamphlet on proper cleaning procedure for wounds open across her face as she snored. A chime echoed, startling her from her position. Rolling backwards, she tumbled out of her seat, her face at knee level as the Commander walked up, shaking his head as she tried to collect herself.

“S-Sir! I was only resting my eyes... is there a reason you’re down here sir?”

The commander was silent, running his hand over the closest tube. Bubbles floated up inside the growth acceleration gel, or GAG, as it had come to be called by many, the gel simply sitting there waiting for a command signal to help begin replication of cells. He turned around, holding out a hand to help up the scientist as she straightened her clothing. Taking the hand, she stood quickly, returning to several readouts, tapping symbols across the various holographic displays and retrieving new information.

“Needed to come down here. A commander does need to be present among his or her crew, and I was also curious about the status of the Labs. Information such as current operable status, any maintenance issues, the boring, mundane and mandatory items, you know-”

The display of the closest tube beeped as the colour changed to a calm green, indicating the presence of injected genetic samples ready for replication. As he watched, blood, plasma and various other materials were shunted from storage capsules into the gel, a small fetus developing as an artificial umbilical began to form between it and the machine. It always fascinated him to watch the process of quick-cloning, but he never saw the start normally.

“Commander?”

“Will they be ready in time? The match between us and-” A beeping PDA on the head scientist’s workstation drew both of their attentions, blinking with an incoming message, text only. Watching her raise it up and begin to read, the commander snatched it, checking it himself. The data stamp was correct, the authorization marking it from the War Games Committee. Apparently a threat had popped up in regards to the Kepler, and they were currently investigating it.

“Sir, what is-”

“Something about a potential threat to the Fortress. The information’s... off, almost like-”

As he mused about the details of the threat, a new message was broadcast across all the screens and various displays in the Labs, the message reading the same no matter which screen it was on. Confirmation reports began to flood in across the PDA he held, all hands stating that the message was on everything. The sheer amount of control that would entail would mean that either someone had broken in through the Committee’s unfortunate coding backdoor left in every Fortress to allow for near-instantaneous communication, or something else much worse was occurring.

“’Due to allegations that your crew utilizes Neuro-Atomization Weaponry, your next battle is regrettably your final battle. Your emergency communications array has been located and disabled, as well as your main communications. Prove us wrong, Commander.’”

The tension in the Labs was palpable, as the head scientist’s many assistants crowded nearby, making sure she was okay as the Commander leaned against a nearby console, his hands shaking. The Committee could be considered heartless at times, but to accuse them of using weaponry long forbidden by the Rattigan Accords of 2462,  that was almost unthinkable. Neuro-atomizer weaponry was barely understood, and most samples of it outside of museum display were destroyed upon discovery as per the Accords. The fact that they were using an alleged violation to create a Kobayashi Maru out of something that would have been difficult anyways, he did not like it.

“Sir, what does that mean? What does it mean that we’re being accused of using that weaponry?”

“It means we’ve stepped on toes in the Committee. They don’t like any Fortress being more successful than any of their pets, and we just defeated one of their lapdogs. Dammit! This happened to the Halcyon, the Osiris, even the Nirrti! All of them accused of similar violations just so they could sic their attack Fortress on them without repercussions! Damn them all! The Nirrti was almost at her decommission age, too!”  

Gripping the PDA tightly, the commander wordlessly hurled it at the nearby wall, watching the glass shards spark and collide with the ground, breathing deeply as he stared at the scorch mark on the wall. Kneeling down, he looked at the glass, the pattern across the wall from the scorching, and the frame scattered near the doorway.  

“Sir?”

“Alert everyone. Something is going to happen very soon. Could be sabotage, could be a boarding action, but we need our Clone Guards up and running immediately! That is not a drill, sailor!” The commander glared at the still-frozen scientist, scowling before he starting shouting again. “On the current timetable!”

The scientist in question scrambled for the nearest console, entering their confirmation code into the waiting machinery and standing back. Multiple tubes began to light up, their systems coming online as lighting along each catwalk blinked into action, each light illuminating more and more. Genetic sequences jumped across screens as the most appropriate genomes were selected, the injection of material samples, the gel reacting quickly as the clones began to grow faster and faster. Cells divided, limbs, organs, bones and skin forming, each part growing faster and uniformly as the gel did its job. Eyes filled out the sockets as muscles flexed in the tubes, the ingrained muscle memory being implanted in part to the computer shocking the muscles slightly to grow them into an effectively strong setup. Within fourteen seconds, twelve fully-grown and massive soldiers emerged from their tubes, each staring blankly as their pupil-devoid eyes stared directly ahead, an arm descending and slamming a small, spiked chip into the rear of each of their heads. With a jolt, the new Clone Guards raised their heads, each one extending a proper salute before they turned in unison to march away, presumably to the Engineering department for armour and weapons.

Watching them march away, the Commander sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Even with them making their way to engineering to be armed and armoured, it would still take a miracle, no, an act of God himself, to help them get through the match unscathed.


--------//|0|\\--------


The Engineering Deck was almost the exact opposite of the Cloning Labs, parts and machinery strewn across the major through-ways as Clone Guards marched past, the Commander ducking as parts of what remained of a firearm were tossed past him, the clanging and grinding eliciting a bout of cursing and vaguely directed insults as a bald, heavy-set Scottish man stood up from underneath a pile of scrap, pointing directly at his assistants across the deck and hurling parts at them.

“You pack o’ gobshites! That is a pressure release valve! What I asked for was a bloody plasma coolant shunt pipe!” A large conduit was tossed over to the assistants, the scared individuals dodging out of the way as the Commander ducked past another lower mechanical arm, coming face-to-face with his Chief of Engineering, sighing as the latter individual grunted, lifting up a conduit and smiling.

“Aye, that’ll do- oh, Commander! ‘Tis a good time you showed up! We’re doing what we can, finishin’ up some o’ the wee things, however, that match... it don’t sit right with me. Our main factories are running like the devil ‘imself was chasin’ ‘em. Thinkin’ of using some of our old designs, the old rifles we started this whole thing with.”

“The old UEC Rifles? The RK-3G?”

“Aye, that’s the ones. Kinetic Rifles reliable enough to survive even having a blade-arm stabbed through them. Magnetically assisted trajectory lock, with a sequence of coils in the barrel to give the rounds just that much more punch. Would’a liked some o’ the new rifles, the RK-3J, but they’re non-surplus, so...” The Chief trailed off, staring over at some of the Clone Guards beginning a quick test-fire at the temporary shooting range that some of his assistants had set up. He was chuckling until one of the rifles unloaded itself, ripping through the Clone Guard and tearing some new holes in the wall behind the Chief and the Commander. Rising from his position on the deck plating, the Commander released the breath he did not know he was holding, his eyes wide as he looked from the gooey remains of the Clone Guard to the holes in the wall.

“Still having the ammunition issue?”

“Not like that, Commander! Somethin’ ‘bout this planet, it changes properties of the propellant. The rounds are so much more powerful, but... they run the risk of explodin’ a Clone much more severely than before. Considerin’ Clone Guards are just barely Type Two clones, they don’t have much... cohesion,” the Chief finished, sighing as he glanced over at the puddle currently being cleaned up by Pipe-and-Wires, small little robots that were always on every Fortress, maintenance constructs that would keep a ship running as best as she could. The Commander raised an eyebrow as the little ‘bots disappeared into a square opening in the wall, leaving only the damaged rifle behind. The Chief, breathing slowly, slowly made his way over, lifting and examining the rifle. Without so much as a word, he tossed the rifle to the side, hearing it clatter and slide into a nearby Materials Grinder, a long set of grinding gears and tearing blades meant to rip apart scrap and broken materials and devices to shunt it into various recycling chutes.

“So... I can assume I don’t have to explain what we’re up against. Considering how picky you’re being, you know exactly who we’re fighting.”

“By the amount of munitions and armour bein’ requested, it’s Titan-class. And from the reaction of the crew, it’d have to be one o’ the biggest bastards out there. That would make it the Dawnbreaker, wouldn’t it?”

The Commander sighed, rubbing his eyes and covering his mouth as he looked around. He gave his Chief a little too much leeway, but his Chief always came through. He was stronger than he looked, but that strength and intelligence did come at the cost of the Chief being close enough to a declaration of lunacy and insanity. It made him chuckle, thinking of the amounts of times his Chief had saved his sorry ass on some of the stations they had visited.

“Remember Nexus, Chief?”

“When you and I fist-fought the cyborg kidnappers who tried t’ take Helen? Ah, them’s the times I remember the most. But... the report I saw was that we were bein’ accused of usin’ neuron-annihilation weaponry? The Rattigan Accords-”

“Mean nothing to the Committee. They love to fabricate and create reasons to remove anything that might threaten them, or, you know, have the potential to defeat the Fortress they want to be the ultimate winner.”

The Chief and the Commander both fell silent, staring at the ground until the Commander’s wrist began to beep rapidly. Lifting up his wrist close, he tapped quickly, a small hologram lifting up from the brace secured to his arm.

“And just remember, Chief! Just because you’re the best, that doesn’t mean I won’t commit you, you ridiculous lunatic!”

“Aye! We’ll be ready for everythin’, sir! Oi, you shitters! When did I say you could be sittin’ around like spineless cowards! Back t’ work, the lot o’ ya!” Laughing, the Commander turned back to his brace, letting the hologram coalesce into the visage of his science officer, a younger woman with a shave head, cybernetics clear on the rear of her skull. Lights blinked as she tapped various surfaces to activate the voice portion of the hologram.

“Is it working? Yeah... yeah? I’m broadcasting? Where’s the symbol- oh, that red light is the ‘broadcasting live’ light? Okay! Commander? I’ve been trying to reach your communicator for around twenty minutes now! You were on the lifts, which means comms blackout, as you know, but we’ve got you on radio now.”

	Stepping off to the side, the Commander attempted to lower his voice as he began to speak, lowering the volume on his communicator brace, trying to make sure no one else would hear him over the Engineering Deck’s machinery. Sighing, he turned back to the hologram, his face drawn in a tight frown.

“Okay. We’re safe to talk. What’s the situation, Lieutenant?” His eyes could have sworn the hologram flickered for a slight minute, as if something had just interrupted the feed. He narrowed his eyes as his science officer froze in place, flickering before the hologram stabilized again.

“Unit-3 detected it while disseminating combat directives, but we’ve got hostile intrusion into our main database. Looks like someone introduced it through a recent communication. We’re looking into the extent of it, but it doesn’t look good.”

“Tell me, Lieutenant. I’m the commander of this Fortress, and sugarcoating bad news will not do you any favours.”

The hologram froze again as it flickered to a new readout, a technical rendition of how the hacker must have entered into the system. The recent message, the warning from the Committee, had brought along with it some kind of carrier ping, allowing whoever transmitted the virus currently infecting their systems to jump in through the Committee’s dedicated backdoor in any Battle Fortress. Pinching his nose, the Commander pinched his fingers together over the hologram, expanding it and zooming in to see the exact systems infected. Feeling his knees suddenly grow weak, he found a hand stabilizing him as the Chief put his arm around the Commander’s waist.

“The hack, a Trojan virus of rather spectacular design, piggybacked off of the carrier ping from the Committee. So far, the only purpose it has is to infect our internal defences. This... this basically means that we’ll be unable to repel any sort of boarding action, and our internal turrets might activate and fire upon any target they see, not differentiating between friend or foe!” The Commander turned to sit on a nearby makeshift bench, welded together from various scrap parts. His head buried in his hands, he racked his brain for any similar situations until it clicked. Tapping the buttons on his communicator brace, he brought up the information for the Wyvern-class Fortress Nirrti. Sure enough, there were all the telltale markers, from the hack carried in on a Committee ‘warning,’ to random systems malfunctioning, and even their communications cut like theirs was. It was a repeat of history, but he was not willing to let whoever had caused the situation to get away with it. Such a hack would have needed someone to receive it and activate its code, if he was remembering his cyberwarfare training correctly.

“All right. I’ll return to the bridge shortly, but I need to check with the Chief – he might be able to make more sense of this than either of us can.” Turning off the hologram, he turned to the Chief, his face pale and his pupils pinpricks. The Chief, kneeling, gritted his teeth and pursed his lips as he looked around the deck, grabbing a small sidearm and handing it to the Commander.

“Look, sir. We’re dealing with someone beyond the capabilities we expected. If they think they can get one o’er on me, though, they’re just a damn scunner, then. I’ll keep an eye out, and keep checking diagnostics. There’s a traitor onboard, and we can’t let them take us out this easily.”

“Chief, I’m counting on you. Whoever they are, I’m going to shoot them myself. I know hacks like this are always attempted, but this kind of destructive coding? This is a deliberate attempt at destroying us before we even begin the match! I’m going back to the Command Bridge. Keep me posted on whatever you find.”

The Chief saluted as the Commander left, looking around as he felt his face scowl, and his cheeks heat up. Horrendous tactics were something the Dawnbreaker was notorious for, but this was beyond even them. The Commander needed information, and no one could get information better than he and his assistants. Waving one of them over to him, he lifted a PDA, handing it over.

“All right. We got us a traitor on board. Need you to go to the antenna cluster and check all incoming and outgoing communications. Might be a trace we can find. Get going, ya gobshite!” Breathing deeply, he began to wonder how he would even approach the Commander if he discovered who was responsible.


--------//|0|\\--------


His grimace having become a deep, angry scowl, the Commander silently walked from the elevator to his seat on the bridge. As he sat down, he let himself calm down ever so slightly, his scowl somewhat subsiding to resemble more of an annoyed frown. His science officer, still at her station, turned, nodded and returned to work, her fingers flying over various symbols and keys as her face become taut with focus, her eyes locked on her consoles. His second officer, nodding as well, turned to his consoles and stood with practised precision as he began to correlate various reports from stations across the ship. Even other officers returned to their duties without even a word of acknowledgement, silent commands being passed between gazes.

Unit-3 stared at each individual, the confusion crossing its synth-skin as it attempted to process the exchanges that were not happening, narrowing its eyes before it started to muse on the correlation of the current situation and how it affected the inter-personal communication. Unfortunately, though, no data could present itself as to stress vs nonverbal attitudes. Instead, it sat at a loss for once, unable to understand the current situation without proper input.

“Commander? You have not spoken since you returned, but the Lieutenant has acknowledged what she needs to do, and even Zabrazna has acknowledged some kind of unsaid orders. Why is thehre no speech, no conversation between you and the others, but you all understand what is being said? What remains unspoken that needs to be unsaid?” Unit-3 watched as the Commander gripped the edges of his chair’s armrests, unresponsive to the question, but beginning to tighten his grip more and more as the silence on the Command Bridge became almost deafening.

Unit-3 stared at everyone, his gaze washing over the various crew members. His optical sensors registered elevated heart rate common with anger and determination, two human values not often seen alone. Pupil movement was barely registering, and even the palms of many of the male Command officers were registering as moist, confirming that they were sweating partially. His processors were going into overdrive when he noticed motion to his right, the Lieutenant waving him over hurriedly. With a silent march, he walked to her position, leaning in as she began to speak quietly and steadily.

“Unit-3, we’ve been hacked. Came in on the Committee’s official carrier band, meaning whoever was transmitting the virus was waiting for someone on this end to accept the virus and disseminate it. You’re safe due to how isolated you are from internal systems, but I have to command you to use a function I know very few of us want you to use. We will need you to copy the Fortress’ artificial intelligence into your systems. I know you won’t understand as to why this has to happen, but we don’t have a lot of time-”

“But, Lieutenant, without the Commander’s orders-”

“Just do it, okay? I don’t have enough time to explain, and we have barely any time left. We’re going up against the biggest challenge we have yet, and we’re going to have to fight to the very end.” She finished her sentence by slowly rubbing the sidearm strapped to her leg, ending with her tightening the straps as she began to stare almost off in no direction in particular, her expression tightening into an emotion that Unit-3 was not familiar with. As she continued to stare, he stepped back, letting his wireless connection to the ship open for the first time in a long time, entering the commands to allow him access to all AI subroutines and data files. His chassis locked up, every illuminated portion of him spreading a rainbow-like colour across them. His optical sensors blinked multiple times, each time transferring hues to a new one as the download continued.

“Artificial Intelligence backup operation... 24 percent complete...”


--------//|0|\\--------


The Commander stared at his wall, running his hands through his hair as he looked at the forty years of marks across it, each one in a black marker that he kept stashed in his desk. Seven days they had been running drills, practising accuracy, simulating boarding actions. Seven days his crew had been re-training themselves, and falling short. With the projected loss of life, he chuckled dryly, withdrawing a red permanent marker from his nearest drawer, slowly and surely drawing a thick red line below the most recent mark, the forty year mark.

Forty years since they had become a crew, forty years since they had all promised to fight for the New Earth Coalition. Forty years since the Coalition had last ever spoken to them. It felt fitting to him to mark the last days of the Kepler with a red marker. He doubted the wall would survive, but he silently prayed that it would, to make sure whoever found the vessel would understand how long he had commanded a single vessel. Most Fortresses had support fleets, but he and his crew found it easier to move faster without having to wait for the drives of smaller vessels to charge. How fitting, then, was it that they would fight to the last alone.

“Seven days. Seven days we’ve been practising... four more days before our twenty-fifth hour, and we’re nowhere close to being ready...” The Commander trailed off as he rubbed his face with his hands, sighing in resignation as he returned his marker to its place in his desk. He breathed slowly, bringing himself some measure of calm as he stared up at his ceiling once more, the dull plating of the unpainted repair-patches an unfortunate shade of tension-raising dark grey.

Tensions were running high on the crew, as reports had begun flooding in. While he had instructed, very clearly, after that first day, that no one besides Command Personnel was to know about the viral hack, and that someone had hacked them, someone had instead disseminated all information in regards to it to the entire crew. Three of the last seven days had been spent defusing arguments, preventing violence and keeping tempers calm. A good dozen of his crew sat in separate cells inside the Brig because they had refused to stop quarrelling when Ship Security had informed them of what their actions would entail.

A mirror on his desk reflected the state he felt himself in. While he looked not a day above forty, he was instead feeling more like his age, his bones creaking and aching with the amount of stress he felt throughout himself. Lines indicating passing time were across the entire room, a way he kept himself sane as he marked the passage of time. When he was a strapping young commander in his twenties, he felt like he could have taken on the Committee itself, and he nearly did, but now he felt his age, despite the Rejuvenation treatments he had undergone over the years. Each shot was supposed to give ten or so years back, but they had diminishing returns the more they were used.

A beeping from his door’s lock brought him back to reality as he stumbled and fell out of his chair. Quickly standing and fixing his uniform, he moved to the door, punching in his personal code. As the door hissed open, his eyes locked with Unit-3’s optics, the latter staring with strong intent as he stepped past without a word.

“Come in, I guess. What’s wrong, Unit-3?”

“Commander, as you are no doubt aware, the crew’s anxiety is at a breaking point. Since someone on the crew, most likely one of the officers on the Command Bridge, deigned it necessary to leak every portion of information we had about the potential hacker. Various members of the crew have volunteered to take a shuttle to the Dawnbreaker and ‘take them down from the inside.’ My attempts at dissuading them from such an action and reminding them their duty is to the defence of the ship first fell on deaf ears-” Unit-3 stopped as the Commander lifted his hand, the motion meaning to shut up. Shaking his head, the Commander turned to the marks crossing every spare surface they could, almost an obsession that he would no longer have to worry about soon. Sighing and chuckling, he straightened his uniform, tightening his face as he turned around again to the SIP.

“We need to get to the Command Bridge, then. It’s been about fifteen years since I made any sort of public address, and maybe it’s high time I changed that.”

Unit-3 stepped to the side, letting the Commander through before he scanned each individual line. Each line was significant, each one drawn ever so slightly differently, but each one indicative of the length of time between their first launch and the final match that rapidly approached. Turning to the Commander, Unit-3 was surprised to find himself, itself, the merged AI still unstable in his and its head, alone, the Commander having already walked off towards the nearest elevator.


--------//|0|\\--------


“There’s no way she can possibly be on our side! The viral dissemination came from her console! She’s in league with the Dawnbreaker!”

The Commander stepped over the lip of the lift’s pod, his eyes narrowing as one of his officers was holding a charged sidearm at the science officer’s face. Her cybernetics looked damaged in some fashion, while the other officer was being restrained by Zabrazna and two other tactical officers. As he stepped forward, all anyone could hear was the audible charging noise of a heavy pistol beginning its spin-up sequence for the coils in the barrel. Levelling the handgun, he aimed directly at either officer, slowly moving between them.

“So, we’re now accusing each other of leaking it?”

“Sir, her console showed the receiving code for the viral infection! It was routed through her terminal, you have to believe me! Chief sent me up here, trying to-”

“Did he send you up with proof?” The officer topped for a minute, realizing just what was going on. Whatever he said would reflect on the Chief, and the expression on his face spoke volumes about just how confused he was. The Commander’s expression was dark, the rage visible on his face. Each muscle was tensed, from the smallest in the shoulder to the largest in his legs. Each fibre of his being felt ready to strike, a feeling he had not received in years.

“N-no, sir. He told me to come up here and ‘take care of the traitor.’”

“Commander, I’ve told you before! That paranoid lunatic is going to get us all killed! For all we know-”

“I will not have my crew members antagonizing each other! We are tense enough as it is, and we do not need this to turn into a shooting match, Lieutenant! Do I make myself clear?!” The hand pointing at her, all fingers in one direction, was enough to give her pause, the Commanders voice clear and concise. He would not tolerate any further hostilities between crew members, and he would not tolerate anyone causing problems for anyone else, including false accusations. With a sigh, she holstered her own sidearm, standing to the side as the Commander stepped between her and the Chief’s assistant. Looking between the two, he motioned to Zabrazna and his tactical officers. The Lieutenant smiled as she was lifted by two other tactical officers, something about the way she smiled unnerving everyone else on the Command Bridge.

“Commander-”

“Take them to the Brig, Zabrazna. I will not tolerate any activity like this on my ship. We are a family, but committing such actions threatens to tear our family apart! Maybe watching the ship fall apart around them might give them some idea of who the hell is in charge!”

	Turning to the other officers on the bridge as the assistant and the Lieutenant were taken away, he sighed, placing his hands on the railing surrounding the upper portion of the rounded area from the lower. The station heads all had their section, higher up where they could observe everything, while his own Command Staff all had their own consoles. The rounded nature with the threadbare carpet made it feel like home, but at the moment, it felt more enclosed, more like a prison.

“We have four days left, ladies and gentlemen! Once we make the transition into Realspace, we should be able to shift directly into proper offensive mode. We cannot run it while in the midst of a void-jump, but we can be ready, by God. We cannot take any chances; this does happen to be the Committee’s lapdog we are up against. Every single person here knows their duty, and you know you will be called upon to give your lives, same as me. With the large compliment the Dawnbreaker boasts,  and the admittedly massive advantage they have over us when it comes to the amount of schematics they possess compared to us, we do not have a choice! If we win, we elevate ourselves above the grinders who come in every day! It’s either win and become the greatest Fortress to ever fight among this galaxy’s stars, or fail and die like the others before us!”

After his speech, the crew stood from their stations, cheering and clapping. The Commander, respectfully drained after his angered outburst that fueled his speech, fell backwards into his command seat, feeling the lumbar reinforcement soften to cushion the blow. He covered his face with his hands, not making any noise before readjusting himself in his chair, standing up and breathing deeply. He latticed his fingers, crossing them while he thought. Without a warning, he stared at his communications officer, the man in control slightly startled.

“S-Sir?”

“It’s our time, isn’t it? I need to broadcast on the ship-wide communications band. Lock in every communicator, every store radio. I want everyone to hear this, no matter where they are.”

With an audible ping, the communications officer gave a thumbs-up to the Commander, pursing his lips as he kept his hands on his console, monitoring audio levels. Breathing deeply, the Commander let himself calm down, his eyes narrowing and closing before he let himself feel the emotions he was feeling. Waves of rage, sorrow, anger, annoyance and pride, pride in his crew, in the family that had been built over so long.

“You’re live, Commander. Make it good,” the communications officer stated, letting the Commander open his eyes and give a slight thumbs up before starting into a speech that he had practised in case of such an eventuality. With another deep breath, he began to speak, the baritone of his voice echoing across terraces and throughout shops. Members of the crew that had been walking around had simply stopped to listen, the measured breathing of their Commander capturing their interest and focus.

“It has been fifteen years since I last spoke to you this way. It has even been forty years since we all became a crew. We were younger once, more reckless and arrogant. Forty years we have been fighting, both winning and losing. And now, as you are all aware, the Committee wants to take our history from us. They want us to be the villain that they send the valiant Fortress after to ‘vanquish.’ It’s a narrative we have seen time and time again, with our sister Fortresses. For all of your sakes, if you had any doubt before, let me remove those doubts.

Everything you’ve been told is the absolute truth.”

Murmurs of shock, tension and pain began to rumble throughout the crew as more members stopped to listen to the Commander speak. Food stalls stopped as their leader acknowledged their long fight, as he spoke about the Dawnbreaker and how it felt. Many dropped their forks into their various foods, their faces slack with literal shock as they could not process what was being said. It was almost as if the Commander had spoken complete gibberish, but they could understand it all. Even more than that, the fact that it was completely true was enough to make many of them angry, their rage beginning to fuel an outrage before the Commander continued.

“Will we let them send us into the black unchecked? Will we lie down and let ourselves die? If any of you decide that is the case, you are more than welcome to report yourself to the transport section and ask for passage to the nearest planet. This is our last battle, our last flight. We will not let them take us quietly into the night like the Commander of a Nibiru-class Fortress, are we? We will stand together as one, and if it must be this way, we will die together. As family, as friends! We are the crew of the Kepler! Never give up! Never surrender!”

With that final statement, cheering erupted throughout the vessel, even through the tempered glass tube of the elevator shaft. In contrast, however, his Command Staff stood in silent resignation, the silent message of knowing one’s end passing between every individual onboard the vessel. Even Zabrazna was silent for once, the normally boisterous man biting his lip in his silence, unsure of how to respond. The mood was tense, and the worry was palpable, like fog hanging in the air. As the Commander turned to leave, sighing as he rubbed his forehead.

“Whatever is necessary sir, whatever needs doing, go do it. We’ll make sure everything is ready before you return.”

Silently nodding in Zabrazna’s direction, the Commander entered the elevator pod once more, leaving to go down to the main deck. Something in his gut told him that something would not be pleasant down there.


--------//|0|\\--------


The report of rifles was clearly heard from the pod the Commander found himself in, the sound of shells clattering to the deck plating an unfamiliar cacophony, even to his ears. Crew members stood at a hastily-assembled firing range, the staccato of the firearms like a discordant symphony. Magazines were quickly dropped as they were emptied, some of the crew more proficient at their weapon of choice than others.

Kinetic rifles, coilguns, and even some old shotgun models were arrayed around the area, a single revolver laying on the end of one of the weaponry tables, barely even touched. Some of the crew pointed out the Commander as he stopped in front of the six-cylinder handgun, lifting it for inspection. Each part of the weapon had been oiled meticulously, and it was already loaded as well. Lifting the revolver to arm’s length, he stabilized with his free hand and closed his right eye. A swift motion of his hands, aiming dead-on one of the targets that had been set up, and he squeezed the trigger, a single round piercing center-of-mass on the first target. Re-adjust, aim, squeeze, fire. Four more times the motion was repeated, and four more times the rounds found home, leaving distinctive holes blown out the back of the targets.

“Still got it, sir. Not like many of them could hold a candle to some of us.”

The sergeant in charge, a lithe, younger man with tanned skin, wavy brown hair and piercing grey eyes, smiled as the Commander acknowledged him, nodding as the latter took a seat next to him on a bench that had been set up nearby. They watched silently as several crew members tossed their firearms on the ground, frustrated at being unable to hit even a small target. Chuckling, the Sergeant passed a bottle over to the Commander, letting him drink deeply of the freshly-processed water before sitting up again.

“I see what you mean.”

“Some of them have never even fired any weapon before, much less held one. If the Dawnbreaker were to attack now, we would be hard-pressed to have any ability to fight back. Our chances are quite low.”

“They do seem like they assume victory is assured.” With a cough, the Commander stood, his expression taut and reserved. The discipline of his own crew was severely lacking, and he was mentally kicking himself that he had not ever noticed it before. Some of them were attempting to fire off their weapons as if it was a simulator, wondering why they could not ‘tele-grab’ magazines from the table into their weapon. It was a poor display, and he could fully understand why the Sergeant was so annoyed with them.

“Commander, in all seriousness, if they get their act together, and actually learn to concentrate instead of trying to make everything about personal glory, maybe we can continue to survive. Not win a battle or even a single match, but survive what’s coming for us.”

With that statement, the Commander rubbed the back of his head, realizing that some things unsaid would be needing more words than he had given them before. That thought in mind, he returned to the elevators yet again, sighing as he asked for the lift to go to the Detention Deck.


--------//|0|\\--------


“It’s not like you care, engineer.”

“Don’t talk to me, traitor. All of engineering knows-”  

The assistant’s sentence was cut off as a loud beeping issued forth from speakers in their cells. The Commander, walking in with a scowl, looked at both of his subordinates. His expression told them that words were not something he was accepting of.  

Glancing over at the guard, he nodded towards the Lieutenant’s cell, watching her smile fade as she came face-to-face with the tightly-pursed lips of her commanding officer. Without a word, he turned to leave, the science officer matching step as he returned to the elevator, stopping to let her get in beside him.

“Computer, Residential Deck, Port Terrace.”

“Commander... John...”

“You endangered our mission, Kate. You had something pass through your console, and did not report it. I’ve vouched for you on too many occasions, and you make me look like a fucking dumbass when you act like you’ve got it all figured out. That’s the last time I stick my neck out for you.”

The science officer, Kate, rubbed her shaved head, feeling her fingers tap over her cybernetics. The elevator’s pod silently swished inside its tube, the dark inside an incredibly chilling sight. It was bad enough that the commander, John, was angry with her, but she felt that she had no idea what was going on anymore. She thought she had logged and marked the files appropriately, but she had no recollection in a portion of her memory.

“John...”

“Kate, I would prefer you call me Commander. It is polite to talk to your commanding officer that way.”

“What about us, then, John? Am I supposed to forget the last fifteen years?”

“Computer, stop the pod.”

With a sudden halt, the elevator pod slid to a stop, letting Kate topple herself as she stared up at John. John narrowed his eyes, his hand instinctively hovering near his sidearm. Kate chuckled, watching him shake badly, like a newly-minted recruit fresh out of basic training. It was almost adorable in a way, but a part of her registered that she was, in fact, in real danger.

“John, what are you doing?”

“There is no us, Lieutenant. There is what we were, and what we are now. You gave me no choice. You decided up on the Command Bridge that antagonizing other officers of the crew were more important than your damn job. Computer, resume journey.”

The ride continued in silence as Kate sat still, her head in her hands as she contemplated what John had said. On the one hand, he had been right about what she had done, how unprofessional it was. On the other hand, she felt he was trying to keep her safe or something along those lines, but she could not be sure. Feeling the elevator come to a crawl, she stood up, looking out at the approaching terrace. Personal ‘quarters,’ more prefabricated colonist huts fashioned in different styles than actual homes, dotted the Residential District, while a particular noodle shop nestled between two paperback stores, an uncommon sight, piqued her interest.

“This is...”

“Where we first met. Where I lost... all of that below.”

“The plasma field burst. There was... so much blood-”

“All I care about now is my duties to this Fortress and to her crew. This conversation is over now. I suggest you find a new hobby, since you will not be allowed on the Command Bridge until after the match is complete. I don’t care what you say, but you endanger the lives of this crew, of the families on board this Fortress that are in my direct charge, I will not hesitate in my actions. You are relieved of duty. Good. Day.” With that final statement, the Commander turned on his heel, walking away with a heated expression on his face. Kate always made his head fuzzy, unable to concentrate, and anything that would jeopardize his position was removed.  

However, the expression she had was far from innocent. A malicious grin crossed her face, something far removed from her normal facial expressions. Something about her seemed off, but though passersby saw the face, they could not place as to why it seemed wrong. It was just something, and a few people began to take notice.

“Sure thing... sir. Wouldn’t want to hurt your chances of losing, would I?”


--------//|0|\\--------


Four days passed by almost in the blink of an eye, several thousand rounds of ammunition expended by the training regimen in their attempt to give the crew a fighting chance against the Dawnbreaker. Even the Engineering section had been churning out new tools and defences, new manned emplacements dotting new checkpoints along chokepoint routes throughout the vessel.  

The groaning of metal and aging mechanisms filled the Fortress with the sound of what appeared to be an elephant dying, many of the Engineering teams deployed throughout the Fortress having to perform some instances of percussive maintenance. Some old conduits sprung leaks, quarantining entire sections of the Kepler due to the coolant spilling out like a tidal wave. Many were trapped, barely able to escape before a coolant shunt had been created to bypass the damaged sections.

The Command Bridge remained silent, despite Kate’s attempts to return to her former duties. It seemed like she had not understood a single thing that had been said to her, and consequently had been confined to her quarters. John, staring down at the console in front of him, watched the planet come into view, a verdant, perfectly untouched, beautiful orb of a world that did not register any signs of habitation of most civilizations. It appeared to be uninhabited, so few life readings above a sentient level that it was deemed unnecessary to check for more.

	“All Candidates to the Cloning Labs. New genetic samples need to be taken.”

	“How many candidates do we have left to use?”

“Sir, twenty candidates still remain with stable enough genome sequences to allow for appropriate clone generation. Engineering reports that personnel and materials are ready.”

Silently thanking the ability of his crew to work quickly under pressure, the Commander began to flip through various blueprints available to the Kepler. Her databanks may have not been as robust as  a majority of the Battle Fortresses in operation, but what was there was better than most would expect. Slowly walking over to his communications officer, John sighed as he looked at the various cameras. Various exoskeletons with varying load-outs were loaded into large drop pods, the drop bays filling up with materials and equipment.

“Switch cameras. I want to see the launch bays.”

With a couple of finger taps, the launch bays were brought into focus, new lines of armoured and armed clones standing at attention in their formations, the massive launch bays filling up to capacity as their forces prepared, a wave of motion passing through each assembled battalion as an inspector walked past each one, examining the reaction time of each generic clone. The almost emotionless faces would be covered with helmets, though John reminded himself that their emotionless faces were a major reason as to why the turnover rate of the Cloning Labs was so high, and why so many requested transfers after only a month. Helmets were passed between the differing battalions, each different style of helm designating the differing trades each clone would be assigned to down below as the spot where they would be introduced to the last battle of their lives was in the process of being prepared.

“Incoming drive signals. Looks like the Committee sent the Rods, sir.”

An external sensor was tuned and targeted towards incoming drive signatures, massive pylons burning like rocket-propelled javelins towards the planet below, each rod bristling with powerful landscape generation and terraforming bays, the massive nano-technology tanks stored deep within each bristling with elemental nanites ready to transform one type of planet to another, though the arena normally chosen was a circle of the rods, creating a massive round battleground. The signal emanating from each Rod appeared to be designating the arena as a ‘Badlands’ map, where cracked ground, flowing sand and strange rock formations were the key to strategic deployment.

A rumbling that shook the observation camera startled John, causing him to suck in sharply before he saw the vehicles rolling in. Combat Jeeps, M5 Battle Tanks, and even a couple of heavy battle-suits, massive exoskeletons with armour and weaponry that would make a gun nut go crazy, they lined up just like the clones near them, taking extra caution not to roll over any. The growth gel was a finite resource, and they did not have any ability to replenish the amount they had used in preparation. It was a sore point for much of the scientific staff that had joined the crew, but generating enough gel to properly replenish their stores required an actual bio-genesis factory, not the basic facilities onboard most Fortresses. Transports, massive dropships capable of incredible lifting feats, were being loaded carefully with the vehicles, the clones themselves organizing near labelled ‘man-cannons,’ electromagnetic rail-guns that were primed to fire cushioned pods at the planets surface, reinforcing whatever forces they deployed.

“Sir? Something is happening in the Cloning Labs.”


--------//|0|\\--------


“Fire in Cloning Labs area. All emergency personnel respond. Fire in the Cloning Labs. Emergency personnel and repair crews to the Cloning Labs.”

	The situation in the Labs was far less pleasant than on the Command Bridge, an electrical fire that sparked starting to burn through cables and conduit alike. The head scientist dove out of the way of part of the catwalk coming down, trying to make certain that everyone who was in the Labs was evacuated. Several generic clones were directing her subordinates away from the Cloning portion of the labs, but the Neural Link Amplifier was still active, meaning that three of her Candidates were connected and active.

“Someone get that fire out! Jenkins, grab that medical kit and go help the wounded! Anderson, tell me how the hell we sparked a fire that bad!”

“Ma’am! The spark was due to a short in one of the pods! It appears to be some sort of sabotage, as gel was found in an area impossible for it to get into without help!” Anderson, one of her assistants, stood at a console, flashing between screens to double check each and every alert coming their way. It looked like the links of the Candidates ‘Red Fist,’ ‘Blue Falcon,’ and ‘Green Hornet’ were all connected and ready, their brainwaves at the level of humans who were in a dreaming, fugue state. The Amplifier itself was massive, covering almost the height of two decks as the head scientist let her hand glide over the pod’s opaque shielding, wondering what they were thinking while they waited to connect with clones that were more or less almost identical to them. The generated Avatars, all boasting Amplifier connection implants to facilitate more in-depth control, were registered and logged, locked inside specially designed drop pods deep in the bowels of the underbelly of the Kepler. She was excited for how they would perform, but was also slightly saddened to see her special ‘creations’ go. It was like watching children you’ve only just met leave your life to never return.

“Godspeed, John. Godspeed, Candidates. ‘Let the ground burn where you walk, and let our enemies gnash their teeth as you rain brimstone upon them.’”

“Another ship is nearby. Callsign: Dawnbreaker.”


--------//|0|\\--------


On the surface below, beneath the gathering clouds and the strange weather patterns, life was more peaceful than the vessels barely visible from the planet below. Life bustled along, quadripedal beings trotting, cantering and walking around as they bartered, beckoned and greeted each other fondly. Market stalls boasting all kinds of products, from a ‘magical’ elixir to cure all your ails to a local food stand selling out of their best dandelion-based confection. Travellers of all shapes and sizes browsed between each individual vendor, some dealing travel provisions to the weary for a pretty penny, others offering varying services.  A tailor here, an identification service for those with potential magical items, even a small fortune-teller’s tent was pitched in the busy squarer of the hamlet.  

However, two larger quadripeds, their manes glowing and blowing in the wind, looked more annoyed as they looked at the beings before them. The two venerable sisters stood above them all, a banner flapping in the light breeze. It felt like they had been placed on a pedestal, and the younger of the two felt less impressive as she stood there, staring at each and every traveller that waltzed past. A celebration was forming around them as the creatures around them slowed their bartering and purchasing, realizing that their leaders were standing before them.

“Dear sister Celestia, dost thou not see the plight of this fair hamlet, their poor position made apparent to us this day? Thou must surely have seen the signs, the coming storms, the strange portents made real in the skies above. Skies that you and I doth control,” one sister observed, her coat as blue as the darkest night observed, her very mane filled with stars as it flowed in an unobserved wind. Various species joined the celebratory crowd, moving to and fro as her older, but not necessarily wiser, sister concerned herself more with parchment and quill, deciding on how various items would get delivered to the hamlet’s main square, all manner of business appropriated within the plaza they found themselves stood it.

“Luna, does not your nattering bother you? It gets on my nerves, but since this celebration is to commemorate our triumph over the Lord of Chaos, Discord, I can let it go... for now. Our subjects are... we are here for them and...” Celestia trailed off as something massive entered the air above them, the sound barrier breaking with a massive blast of concentrated sound. Her eyes were drawn skywards, as were Luna’s, their pupils shrinking as massive pylons, devices of unknown origin and intent, simply dropped from the sky, impaling themselves in the dirt and rock of the settlement. Lush trees and jungle around the edge was simply crushed into splinters and sawdust, the clouds of damaged tree parts launched far and wide by the shockwave of the impact. Each impact after the first one they witnessed increased the power of each aftershock, windows shattering and parts of walls simply losing their cohesion and tearing themselves apart. Glass rained down on hapless villagers, barely protected by a protective field cast over them by Luna, the horn in her head radiating power and rippling with energy.  

The villagers began to take notice of the pylons, grabbing loved ones and panicking as if it was the end of the world. Some began to take charge, attempting to direct the others outside of the hamlet, but it was too little in the face of the oncoming disaster. As they continued, a shadow began to pass overhead, one of the pylons simply passing in front of the sun. In the distance, each pylon that had already completed its descent began to shimmer with energy, a translucent wall of power linking between each one as they became energized with something beyond what the sisters were familiar with.

“Celestia, sister! We must leave! Help me! We must help everyone escape!”

Twin flashes of light shone between the two of them, small glowing motes transforming to lines as a hole opened in the air, a portal to elsewhere in their lands. Without even a small amount of hesitation, the populace began tossing themselves through the portal, the pylon slowing as it reached a position directly above. A sound of something breaking the sound barrier echoed and boomed throughout what remained of the nearby forest, shattering far more foliage and rendering many of the hamlet’s structures as little more than rubble.

“I do believe we’ve outstayed our welcome, Luna! Through the portal, now!”  

With two quick motions, Celestia lifted her sister, tossing her and jumping through before the shockwave from the pylon above descending hit them. As the portal closed, a single quadriped stepped slowly out, shaking his head as he stared up at the sky. The pylon continued to descend, rendering a grin of pure madness on the quadriped’s face as he began to laugh.

“Rods from the gods! They’re rods from the-” Before his statement could even finish, the final pylon impacted, ending what little his life had left as the pylon burrowed deep into the earth below, no trace of the former hamlet remaining as the rippling fields of energy connected, cutting off the area from the rest of the planet. As the pylons finished settling, clouds of grey ‘dust’ emerged from each of the pylons, the terrain of the jungle becoming far less hospitable as the ‘dust’ changed whatever it touched. Dirt to sand, undergrowth to rocks and potential rock formations, and even the trees were transformed into dead remains of what they once were. The sisters floated above one of the pylons, staring down as badlands stretched from each of the strange pylons, the sight terrifying as they witnessed it.

“The... the Everfree Forest... sister?”

“There is nothing we can do. It is now the Everfree Desert, Luna. Our duty is now to our people. Come.”


--------//|0|\\--------


Crimson lancing beams of powerful energy jumped between the two Fortresses, the Kepler doing everything in her power to keep active despite the heavy barrage of the Dawnbreaker. John stared at his console, waiting for the battlefield to finish forming, before he pressed a button, switching his map to a far more controlled tactical view. From his end, a smaller rendition of the terraforming pylons impacted the ground, a beacon rising up displaying the approximate location of the safe drop zone for his ‘production’ facilities, which were less production facilities and more facsimiles of actual structures, merely being locations to send down reinforcements to. A percentage ticked up until it was complete, sending a signal that dropped six ‘structures’ from the Kepler. Each module was more-or-less a modified Prefabricated Colony Module, each one for specific purposes. Two supported the infantry that were to be deployed, the maximum ‘control’ amount limited by the modules they could use.  

Four more modules followed, deploying for vehicles and experimental creations, and even a place where, should they so deign, a researcher could happily create new formulas and materials. However, such a task was nothing if not impossible during the battle that would commence. Pressing two other symbols, John brought up three camera feeds from drop pods that had been loaded and prepped for launching.

“This is Tactical. Go for call-sign check-in.”

“Call-sign Blue Falcon, reporting.”

	“This is Red Fist, reporting.”

	“Call-sign Green Hornet, reporting.”

	Vitals monitors linked to his station began to blink into existence on the holographic readouts, beeping until they linked up with the suits they wore down in the Amplifier, their heart rates and brain-wave patterns at nominal activation levels. With the three Clone Avatars properly on the readouts, and their suit cameras properly synchronized to the console and their eyes steeled for combat. John stopped before he was about to give the fireteam the go ahead to launch their pods when one of the Engineering assistants arrived, handing him a suit of freshly-printed battle armour, thick enough to stop enough rounds, but never thick enough to protect him from the wrath of Kate.

Boots thudded against metal plating as John looked up, tightening down the armour as several uniformed soldiers entered the bridge, the troopers taking positions around all possible entry points into the Fortress’ Command Bridge. Sighing, he shrugged his shoulders, narrowing his eyes as he looked down at his console.

“All anti-boarding squads are in position, Commander.”

	“Good, good. All right. Fireteam Alpha, lock and load. You’re dropping in 3... 2... 1...”


--------//|0|\\--------


With a sudden rush and loss of air, the three Avatars felt the gravity of the planet below as their pods stabilized, the trajectory set. Green could not communicate, but looking up at the Fortress, he could see the transports beginning to disembark from the massive vessel, clone drop pods speeding past them as the initial forces were deployed.

“Looks like a damnable hornet’s nest up there.” With a bemused look, Green stared up, watching drones exit from the hull of the Fortress to reinforce the dropship transports, the cargo inside more valuable than any transport vessel could make in a single galactic standard month. Small puffs of explosions peppered the drone support teams, leaving little to the imagination that seeker missiles were in play, meaning that if they did not break atmosphere soon, they would not be breaking atmosphere at all.  

Interceptors dived past, some chasing down the clone drop pods as hundred more were launched, the Kepler’s own interception craft screaming past at almost breakneck speeds. Green checked his suit cameras, seeing the calm face of Blue and the angry scowl of Red as they passed the upper cloud layer, their automatic shielding more effective in atmosphere than in vacuum. Blue shimmering around the windows of the drop pod signalled that the atmospheric shell of the automatic shielding had come online, reducing the red burning light of the entry sequence to a much more mild purple. The battlefield came into view, small specks denoting clone battalions forming, Green narrowing his eyes as he scanned the terrain. So much was obscured by reflection off the sand, but he could make out several good locations for them to land their pods.

“This is Green Hornet. Blue, Red, sending you quick coordinates. See that dune? We hit there, we won’t end up like Centauri Prime. Don’t want to see you two kill your Avatars on bedrock again.”

	“It was one time, Green! Twenty years ago! You never shut up about that!”

	With a chuckle, Green deployed his braking flaps, feeling the sudden jolt of gravity that normally came with such a strong motion. Looking out his pod’s windows, he watched Red and Blue do the same, the others disappearing from view as they shot up and slowed down, manoeuvring towards the dune in question. Four hundred, three hundred, two hundred, and Green felt the impact as he slammed directly into the dune, the front hatch of his pod jettisoning him as he blinked at the bright sun.

“Fuck! Like hitting my face on the pavement on Tempest IV!”

“Calm down, Red, it’s not that bad.”

“’Not that bad?’ Blue, I hit a building on Tempest IV, was shunted out of my pod, and landed face-first on the pavement! I don’t think it could get worse than that!”

Green held up a hand, lifting his basic rifle from its alcove on the pod, scanning the area. Red and Blue followed suit, making certain the others were covered before moving into close proximity with Green. Pods landed, transports disgorged their offensive cargo, and clones arranged themselves according to their programming and assigned destructive loadouts, from basic automatic rifles to heavy, experimental particle weaponry, the likes of which would not be seen beyond the scope they were used in.  

“Commander, Red Fist reporting. Drop was a complete success. Synchronizing battle-net with command network... now.” Red, Blue and Green slowly chuckled as the battle-maps on their Heads Up Displays began to rapidly update, friendly icons displaying in green and opposition icons theoretically displaying as red. As more clones landed and took up positions, the three of them aimed at each other, calibrating the cameras attached to their rifles.

“Green, camera synchronized.”

“Blue, camera synchronized.”

“Red, camera synchronized. Final preparations ready. Send down the armoury pods.”

From the ground, they could tell that the area around them was barely adequate for defensive measures. Red tapped his helmet, making a small letter A with his fingers. Green and Blue both nodded, leaving Red to his duties. Three icons blinked online, special pylon markers designating Node Alpha, Node Bravo and Node Gamma. Nodding to Green, Blue tapped the side of her helmet, testing her microphone. Red shook his head, shrugging when she motioned to explain.

“All right, Commander. We’ve got basic, defensible areas here, but if they decide that it’s too much trouble to take us head on, we’re looking at artillery units. We don’t have dedicated counter-battery vehicles, so we’ll have to rely on the emplacements.”

Crackling from her helmet radio caused a pause in her step, as Blue looked around, her eyes falling on several small beacon bundles nearby buried in the dirt, her helmet’s identification software displaying them as ‘Structure Drop Beacons.’ It looked like they could hook up to her suit, allowing specific requests. Without even a second thought, she opened a connection between her suit and the beacons, letting her command codes become accepted before even deigning to pick them up. With a sigh, she snapped open one of the bundles, stabbing a beacon into the ground nearby as she began to move cautiously, stabbing beacons into the rock wherever they would be stable.

As soon as she completed her task, her helmet crackled, signals incoming that her armour was in transit and had locked onto her personal transponder. Smiling, she stared up into the air, watching the  pod break the sound barrier as it streaked towards the base modules, only popping its air-brakes when it was close enough to slow down without becoming wreckage. A shaking impact, and it anchored itself, an Armoury lifting from the pod’s contents and coming slowly online. With a jump and a short run, Blue stood in front of the Armoury’s selection panel, happily typing in her personal codes to unlock her specialty.  

“Defensive Engineer setup selected. Step into the open production entrance, and prepare for combat.”

	Without even a second thought, Blue stepped into the awaiting entrance to the Armoury, letting mechanical arms grasp her body as an entire combat suit was welded around her basic combat suit. Electrical muscle attached to hydraulic rams, systems being locked in place quickly before the smooth, freshly-printed armour plating began to lock into place, sealing Blue’s Avatar into the suit that she knew better than anything else she had ever handled. The rather bulky but heavily armoured suit of newly-built powered armour detached from the Armoury, her basic rifle having been exchanged for a much more intimidating-looking Coilgun, the special coils sparking with electricity as they charged up.

“Commander, Blue Falcon. I’m in my suit, ready to call down defences whenever Red captures Node Alpha,” she reported, letting her HUD reboot and lock into the new pattern ID being broadcast from her upgraded suit. As she watched her HUD come back, something appeared on her sensors as a red blip, screaming across the sky, came closer and closer. Hauling up her new Coilgun, Blue aimed, letting the suit handle the target-leading while she prepared to fire. A beeping noise filled her helmet radio, prompting her to fire off a single shot, piercing the opposing enemy air vehicle. The round sheared whatever the vehicle was, the wreckage exploding mid-air.

“Blue, what the hell was that? Looked like a Dart or a-”

	“Sparrow. It looked like a Sparrow Scout. Get your ass over to Node Alpha, Red. We’re going to need those siphon credits more than we realized!:”


--------//|0|\\--------


John leaned above the holographic table, his eyes locked onto the icons denoting the three Avatars. True to her normal play, Blue had called down an Armoury to bring out her favourite setup, one of her many Defensive Engineer loadouts. Red was still on the move, having barely even spoken the entire time, while Green had already suited up in one of the Interceptor frames he was so fond of. Icons came online as the modules referencing them did, the Vehicle module displaying Mechanized Battle Armour and Tracked Vehicles. Without hesitation, he tapped the Battle Armour symbol, narrowing his eyes as several armour types were still unavailable.

“Red Fist, we cannot deploy a Battle Armour pod to your location until we have control of Node Alpha. Make that your top priority and- odd.”

“Commander? You said something was odd?”

	“You heard me right, Red. They just took Node Gamma, but that makes zero sense. All information about the Dawnbreaker indicated that they would take Node Bravo first, or at least set up some kind of traps at Node Alpha. We’ve got no eyes-on. Green Hornet, this is the Commander.”

“Green Hornet reading you. Recon mission sir?”

	John did not respond as he shifted the map, looking at locations broadcast by the battalion leaders, their respective unit compositions marching out for their respective duties. Node Gamma was heavily fortified, though the speed at which they had gotten such defences online made little sense. Despite that thought, he tapped on Green’s map symbol, double-checking the stats as his Avatar pushed the mechanical limits of the Interceptor frame’s top speed, the heavy-duty jet turbines screaming as they hit their max rotational energy.

“Affirmative. Get a clear view, and give us a beacon for a spy satellite to move in. We’ll only have thirty seconds once the satellite goes online, so defend that beacon like your life depends on it because, well, it does.”

Without a word of acknowledgement, Green appeared to rapidly change course, his speed only momentarily slowing before suddenly spiking. From the data streaming in, it appeared that Green was attempting to red-line his suit, or at least get as much use out of the jets before they were either shot off or burned out. Red, on the other hand, was almost directly beside Node Alpha. Enemy signals were beginning to populate the map as Green got to work, his specialty as a Scout impressive and worth every single credit spent on getting good equipment for him to use. From above, it appeared as if everything was under control, until Red tapped into his radio, his voice raspy and strained.

“Commander, you said Gamma was under the enemy’s control, right?”

	“That’s affirmative, Red Fist. Why do you ask?”

“I’m seeing piles of dirt that look like someone was digging. There’s no mines showing up on radar, but that could be due to anything. I’m gonna take a shot-” The tell-tale sound of gunfire resounded in the background, an explosion echoing into the distance. “Yeah, they’re mines. Sending up an Armoury request. Offensive Engineer this time. Would love to grab a Rifleman setup, but we don’t want our favourite equipment to go up like a light, do we?”

	John swiped on the hologram, tapping where the explosion had occurred to land the Armoury pod. An Estimated Time of Arrival loaded up on his console, displaying when the pod would impact. With his other hand, he tapped two of the smaller tank divisions, motioning with his hand to direct them over to Node Alpha as reinforcements for Red Fist. The same was done for two marksman platoons, the forces displaying their specific ETAs above their division and platoon icons. Glancing down at his main control strip, where several symbols were blinking, he saw that Blue Falcon was sending in a request, several defensive beacons having been impacted into the ground.

“Commander, Blue Falcon. We don’t have enough for Defender emplacements, but do we have the ability to bring down Gatling Laser emplacements? Since Red was right about the mines, we might be looking at a lot more competent Avatars than we’ve faced in the past, and that means we need to have fast-tracking defensive measures online. Beacon requests are inbound.”

	“Affirmative, Blue Falcon. I see the requests. ETA four minutes. Red Fist, your Armoury request has impacted. Grab your gear and get cracking.”

“Acknowledged. Blue out.”

	“Red Fist acknowledges. Out.”

	Rubbing his forehead, he glanced around the room. A little voice in the back of his head made him a little scared due to the fact that the Dawnbreaker had been clubbing at them with their bruisers of main guns, but no sort of boarding parties had been launched, all reports about them telling about their horrifying boarding attacks. Something was far from being okay, and he was worried. He felt his hand close around his sidearm, but he knew how scared he was, how scared everyone else was. The amount of death they had seen over the years was nothing to scoff at, but it still made him nervous.

“I hope they’re doing okay down there.”


--------//|0|\\--------


“Gamma... Gamma... Blue, you got any theories why the Dawnbreaker went after Gamma first- oh, we’ve got control. Alpha’s ours.”

“Good thing, too. We’re running low on our ‘funding.’ Hopefully we can keep control of Alpha. And about Gamma – that’s not a node I would even consider going for. It’s too far out of the way, and how this battlefield was set up, it’s hard to take over or control. It’s in a pit, too.”

	“Gotcha,” Red intoned under his breath. Cursing himself as quietly as he could, he lifted his Assault Cannon, a revolving, repeating autocannon that was a personal favourite. His own personal design was accepted as a good blueprint by their commander, and most of the clones fielded with automatic cannon-based weaponry were fielded with a Red Fury in their capable hands. The Dawnbreaker was being sneaky, and he hated when people were sneaky. Gamma was the lowest ‘resource rate’ Node on almost every battlefield, but the very fact that they took over that Node first meant they had much higher starting credits than expected.

Shaking his head in an attempt to remove such thoughts from his head, he glanced down at his wrist, his jaw going slack at the sheer amount of resources being siphoned into the Kepler’s coffers. It was easily forty or fifty percent higher than any other battlefield, and the flow was immense. Liquid Selenium, used in all projects larger than a simple Exoskeleton suit like he was wearing, was worth more than most precious metals for what it could to for battleship-grade steel alloys.

“Commander, are you reading the flow rates? This is beyond anything I’ve ever seen! I saw what Unit-3 was saying, but the actual rates are ridiculous! The data is saying that beneath these sands, the selenium flows like liquid rivers!” Looking out across the battlefield, he stared out at the remaining enemy mines, taking potshots to pierce the ground and take them out. As they exploded, he tapped his own Request Transmitter, calling down his own mines and laying them out in much tighter patterns. For him, offensive engineering was fun, but he always had his part to play; Blue was always stuck back at base and Green was... well, Green existed.

“Red Fist, we’re reading those flow rates. The rate of credit flow would make it so that Node Gamma was producing at the rate of a normal battlefield’s Node Alpha or Node Bravo. Exercise extreme caution – their units may be experimental, as their own module just came online. Ours is still in progress, but we are loading the Janus Mech prototypes into transports as we speak. Keep them off our backs until it’s ready.”

	Red sighed, leaning against his knees. Glancing at his wrist, he sighed. The credit rate was amazing, but it was still the fact that he had to keep everything together or else risk another, extra-long lecture from the commander about his actions. His HUD, displaying Green’s relative position, caused a little pang of panic – he was jetting directly towards a large contingent he could scan in the distance, and there was nothing they could do about it.

“’Exercise extreme caution,’ my ass. Green, check your scopes! Armoured column at your twelve o’clock!”  

“Dammit, how- thanks for the heads-up, Red!”

“I might actually lose an Avatar today, but you? I want to keep your average below six this time, Green,” Red finished off with, watching small pods descend from the atmosphere. Mine pods impacted where his HUD displayed their markers, the dog-sized devices expanding into spheres that buried themselves where they could. It was not an easy measurement, but Red assumed that he had gotten it all correct. Checking his scopes, he stared off in the distance, until another voice popped up on the radio.

“Breathing quite heavy there, Red. Something wrong?”

	“I’m having some trouble getting a positive ID on the forces coming my way. They’re cloned forces, but what type I’m having trouble discerning. Green?”

“What’s up, asshole?”

	“First, only Blue gets to call me that. You heard I need a positive ID?” Red tried narrowing his eyes, wondering what the strange red blinking on some rather bulging suits was. He heard Green sputter on the radio, before his own HUD brought up a positive ID.  

“Dammit!”

“Red?”

	“Fucking son of a- suicide clones! They’re sending in fucking suicide clones! And I just got the minefield set up!”  

Laying down on the platform he was stood upon near the Node, he deployed a weapons stand, linking his firearm with his suit’s HUD, activating a Smart Link. With a quick pull of the trigger, seven rounds went downrange, ripping through the necks of several of the incoming clones, cleaving head from neck as clone bile and gore dribbled out. Another pull, and six more rounds, impacting five more as Red watched a single one simply drop from sight.

“Hey, Blue?”

“What’s up, Red?”

	“Think one of ‘em fell in a hole- are you playing a damn guitar right now?”

“I am. You’re at Alpha, usually the most hotly contested Node in all of the Games. There is nothing happening at the base right now.” Red listened to Blue continue to strum, her air of nonchalance a grating noise to the back of his mind. Rotating his resting point, he smiled as he punched a round exchange switch on the side of his autocannon. With a high-velocity round locked in, he sighed, breathing deeply before pulling the trigger once. A yelp from the other side of the radio meant that he had hit his mark, her guitar simply wreckage to be scooped up and recycled in the base module’s Recycler System. Despite all that was happening, a small amount of brevity was like manna from God himself.

“Red! I was playing that!”

	“Didn’t even know I could actually hit that. Good shot, too.”  

“Guys, radio silence. I think- oh God! They see me!” 

Red stared at his HUD as new information came across. Information on the modules of an enemy base were always hard to get in the middle of a combat situation, but Green always came through, and the data was blatantly clear – the Commander of the Dawnbreaker was violating the Code of the Games. Green’s calculations and observation detailed out one, two, three total vehicle modules, a single infantry module, and their special experimental module. Research modules adorned the main base module, their command hub, like gilded, winged statues, statues that would benefit from some kinetic redecoration.

“It’s vehicle-heavy, and- fuck! That’s a Jaeger Super Tank!”

	“Green, get the hell-” A single shot heard from across the battlefield signalled to the others that Green’s first Avatar of the match had been obliterated. The map even showed the crater where the tank had demolished him.

“Fuck.”


--------//|0|\\--------


John stared down at his monitors, desperately wanting to slam his head into the tempered glass of his console. Jaeger Super Tanks were nothing short of a miracle of modern engineering, combining specially designed miniature fusion reactors with a Coil Cannon that could benefit from the increased power. It was like staring down the barrel of a gun that could pierce through you, the wall behind you, and fifteen walls behind that one.

His thought process was interrupted by Zabrazna handing him a cup of synth-brew, nodding his head silently as he held his own mug, drinking deeply from the powerfully bitter liquid. John lifted his own mug, lifting it in acknowledgement and downed the mug with a single gulp, sighing as the liquid hit his stomach. Tapping more symbols, he watched as Green Hornet’s new Avatar was brought to the Drop Bay and kitted out with the basic utilities, the map readjusting its timeframe to include the pod dropping from orbit.

“Dammit. That would have been like staring down the barrel of any powerful sidearm that the aliens use. Just... dammit. Zabrazna, how-” The Kepler shook as a powerful strike slammed into the side, some of the officers on the Command Bridge being tossed off their feet as the Kepler moved from  her previous position slightly. Reports began to come in of the ship-board defenders also being tossed like rag-dolls, with a few managing to call medical teams for their injured comrades.

“Commander, reading several transports on their way. The enemy is getting ready to either board us or they’re sending reinforcements.”

“Fuck. Just our luck. Keep monitoring the situation until we’re ready to respond.”

“Green Hornet, Avatar 2, away. Impact in three-zero seconds.”


--------//|0|\\--------


For Red, down below on the ground, the calmer story was not his to have. He had seen at least one Jaeger Super wandering around, but it hit the minefield and went up like a small bunker-buster hitting a concrete wall. Rumbling nearby brought his attention to the reinforcements that the commander had sent without him requesting them. Sighing, he pulled out a Local Command Uplink, the screen lighting up with the nearby vehicles. Seeing the Uplink connect with the Fortress’ own Command Broadcast System, he smiled, before his smile dropped. The Uplink was missing a key piece of information, and that would prevent anyone from getting across the field of battle in front of him.

“Hey, Blue? Mind asking the Commander not to send me any more reinforcements for a while?”

“Why’s that, Red?”

	“Uh... my minefield are not registering on either my HUD or my Uplink.”

“Where the hell are you?!”

	“On top of Node Alpha-” Red was cut off by Green beginning to sing, causing Red to broadcast the clanking from him banging his head on the metal platform he was seated on. Blue’s groans of anguish were familiar when Green began to sing, and it caused Red no amount of murderous urges to remove the offensive singing from the battle-net.

“’All covered with cheese! I forgot where my mines were, they might blow up me!” Green seemed to be pleased with himself, as the camera from his point of view had him looking up at the sky, either meaning he had dropped his helmet or had fallen backwards from his incessant laughter. Red, feeling the rage grow, drew his sidearm, reconsidering before a large round flew past his hand, startling him and causing him to drop it onto the ground below.

“Ah, fuck.”

With a single bounce, a ripple of explosions erupted, spreading out like a wall of fire in front of him. In the distance, several tanks – he counted at least nine – were attempting to back up as quickly as they could, but the explosions ripped through theme before they could escape the blast radius. His HUD popped them up as Lancer Light Tanks, causing Red to shake his head in disbelief before a Jaeger showed up in the distance.  

Diving to his stomach, Red returned to his autocannon, lighting up the Jaeger from distance with heavier Armour Piercing rounds, peppering the side until he hit something vital and a massive explosion sent a concussive shockwave towards him, almost knocking him off before he got a grip on the catwalk. Staring past the edge, he looked down, seeing that his autocannon had been blasted off, laying in the bottom of what he assumed was a hole caused by a mine’s detonation.  

“Red?”

	Without a word, he let go of the catwalk, aiming for the hole and hoping for the best. A heavy impact, and he felt his feet shift in the dirt and sand until he felt his toe touch something metallic and round. A silently worded curse was all he could get off before the mine detonated, sending small portions of charred Avatar pieces all over the place, and leaving the Node almost unprotected as Red waited for the connection on his next Avatar Clone.

“He must have toe-tapped a mine again. At least his was more-or-less his fault. I took a Coil Cannon to the face!”

“Yeah, yeah, keep laughing, Green,” Red replied, his Avatar already on its way down towards Node Alpha. He smiled at the fact that he had at least had the sensibleness to drop a Recall Beacon before he turned into mist, meaning he could drop exactly where he had died, bypassing the need to drop at the main base. However, the scanners in his pod were all screaming at him, detecting an absurd quantity of enemy forces. A rough jolt alerted him to the pod redirecting, landing at a safe area some distance from the Node. With a rumble and a shake, Red felt himself get ejected from the pod, rolling down a small sand dune before coming to a stop, his rifle sliding beside him as he stood up.

“Red, they’re taking the Node.”

	“Yeah, yeah. I see it. Three enemy units, directly on it. I’m two kilometres out... dammit. Commander, tossing up a request for an Armour Pod. Dragon-class, maybe that Mark Five gear we got. Drop it about a click and a half west of my position. I’ll run through it on my way back to the Node!”

“Request acknowledged. Preparing equipment for drop. Get our Node back, Red Fist.”

Without a word, Red gritted his teeth and bolted, sprinting as hard as he could towards the marked drop site for his resupply request. Jumping over a large natural blockade, stones and rubble from what he assumed was simply just ‘generated terrain,’ he slid to a stop, tapping in his personal command codes to activate the pod’s automatic sequence. Setting down his rifle, he stretched out his arm, letting each piece of the new powered armour lock onto his suit, before a new, heavier weapon was welded onto his right gauntlet. Thruster packs were installed, the new jets burning bright blue as they warmed up.

“Powered Armour Exoskeleton, Dragon Mark Five, online. Combat operations commencing.”

With that message in mind, Red took a couple of tentative steps before locking into a dead sprint, leaping and feeling the jets on his back lock into launch position. A new generator activated, feeding an immense amount of power and fuel into every part of his armour, the jets compensating with higher thrust output. With a smile, he watched the HUD flicker to life, red diamonds populating the faceplate to designate every enemy within range. The red of the armour suited him quite well, but it was not the main part Red loved. Instead, it was the Plasma Thrower attached to his right gauntlet, the weapon that gave the suit its name.

“All right. Let’s do some damage.”


--------//|0|\\--------


Back at the main base area, Blue Falcon was faring far worse than the others. Self-Propelled Infiltration Drone Robots, or SPIDRs, were crawling up and over the defensive structures she had painstakingly called down, letting them set up and link together. The defence turrets were having a hard enough time tracking the person-sized machines, but the sheer amount of them was overwhelming the targeting parameters as they clambered up and over their own fallen comrades.

“Commander, I could use something better than this Flak Shotgun I have! Maybe some kind of armour! That would-”

Before she could finish her thought, a pod impacted nearby, the smooth plating of the new armour making her heart skip a beat. An ion projector, a small weapon designed like a massive steel baton but with ion discharging units along the haft, was locked to one gauntlet, while a powerful Chemical Sprayer was welded to the other. With a smile, she stepped towards it, allowing the Armour Pod the time to lock her into the suit. Heavy plating locked into position as her HUD and weapons came online. Her motorized actuators groaned as they began their first startup, gyroscopic stabilizers rotating into position to prevent her own demise from falling over.

“Powered Armour Exoskeleton, Nephilim Mark Three, sealed and online.”

	“Thanks for the present, Commander! Was just wondering what it would to burn these bastards out!” With a happy cheer, she charged the wall, unleashing a gout of flame larger than she would have thought possible, SPIDRs simply melting into slag as she burned and cut, her smile only growing wider as she punched a SPIDR into a shallow crater.

“More SPIDR units on their way! Watch your north and east!”

“Thanks for the heads-up! Red, how are you faring over at Alpha?”

“I could use our friendly neighbourhood scout over here!”

	Blue checked her map, locating Green. His symbol was flashing an odd colour, though the icon next to it indicated something along the lines of a Phantom Suit, a light armour design that would allow the wearer to temporarily phase out of the visible spectrum. She prayed he had enough heat sinks and energy cells to maintain it for a while, considering that with it, he was basically unarmed. His position also put him on an overwatch above the Dawnbreaker’s base, ample sight-lines to provide accurate intelligence to everyone else on the battlefield.

Something beside her caught her eye, a shimmering as she glanced, a weird colour of yellow revealing itself as another Clone Avatar saluted, tapping the side of its helmet.

“Sorry! Callsign Yellowjacket. Commander asked me to assist. Where do you need me?”

	“You’d better grab some kind of anti-armour rounds or weapon. Red’s gonna need your help more than you realize.”

“Roger that, ma’am!”

Watching the Avatar sprint away to a nearby Armoury, Blue could only shake her head as the other one hefted a small-scale Coil Cannon, priming the weapon before sprinting off towards Node Alpha. A pang in the back of her head told her to let Red know, but she considered it more like a surprise to their comrade. More SPIDRs crossed the wall, bringing her attention back to the defensive notions. Without hesitation, she returned to her previous motions, cutting and melting her way through yet another horde of the damn things.


--------//|0|\\--------


The commander simply shook his head, unable to fully comprehend or grasp what exactly his opponent was doing. The normal tactic for a veteran like himself or the commander of the Dawnbreaker was to focus on gaining Nodes, and then focus on what they could field. Instead, whoever was in command over on the other Fortress was fielding incredible amounts of light, unmanned drones, barely even a threat if one had the right tools.

“Just what on Earth are you planning, you sneaky bastard?”

Another blast rocked the Fortress, the shockwave rumbling through what little of their own Kinetic Field Projectors were still online. Most of the projectors had already burned out, leaving husks as the charged ion blasts impacted and damaged major portions of the hull and the superstructure underneath. Several corridors were even open to hard vacuum, meaning that any potential survivors would be dead within minutes anyways. It pained him to make the call, but he knew he had to do it.  

However, reports were coming in that the Dawnbreaker’s transports were beginning to use wreckage and debris as protection, and were beginning to land forces in those sealed off sections. With a sigh, he tapped the new fourth Avatar on the field, Agent Yellowjacket. They had tested positive in all the Amplifier tests, but how they would operate on the field was another matter. From what it appeared, they were moving as quickly as possible with a man-pack Coil Cannon, something he had only seen a former crewmate by the name of Rex do. Shaking his head, he slapped his cheeks, trying to keep himself focused. His eyes wafted over to Red Fist’s position, and began to widen in fear.

Red was almost completely surrounded.


--------//|0|\\--------


“Tanks, tanks, tanks! They have to have hit their maximum command! Because how many can one have? Apparently not enough!”

Red’s own situation was becoming far more untenable the more he attempted to keep his position, having replaced his Plasma Thrower, now a scorched, slagged mess on the ground, with another Autocannon. Rounds spat out as fast as he could reload, but the sheer amount of enemy forces pushing their way past into the valley just beyond his minefields was mind-boggling, almost scary in a fashion. Before he could fire again, a hand lifted him up, setting him to the side.

“Callsign Yellowjacket. You needed some assistance?”

“Yes! Take that big weapon of yours and unload it at that tank column!”

	Red attempted to brace himself, but whatever Yellowjacket had loaded their Coil Cannon with, it created such a massive air displacement that it was becoming difficult just to stay on his feet. Each resounding blast was followed by what sounded like lightning cracking, though it was only the sound barrier attempting to reset every time they fired. One blast destabilized the catwalk Red stood on, sending him tumbling down to the ground face first as his Autocannon fell with him. Twisting as he fell, he snapped a cable from his belt around the main control handle of his weapon, dragging it close to drop it more carefully. With a heavy thud, and a small imprint of himself in the dirt, he glanced up, looking around for Yellowjacket.

“Sorry, sir! You might want to start running, too! We don’t have a lot of time anymore!”

	“The fuck do you- oh, shi-”  

As Red looked up, he not only watched a shadow cross over him, he felt it, the sheer size making his body shiver in fear as his eyes traced the six-legged form of a massive Tick Tank, the insectoid Experimental blotting out the sun. His armour began rapidly beeping, warning him of the firepower differences between the two, but he was frozen, watching as the massive legs grew closer and closer. As one leg came above him, he witnessed a blast echo from somewhere, a powerful explosion ripping off a massive chunk of the leg’s armour.

“Sir, I did say run! Get your ass out of-”

	Without waiting for them to finish the sentence, a section of plating sloughed off the Tick, flattening Red’s Avatar with no warning. Sighing, they turned, glancing back as swearing echoed through their earpiece, Red attempting to connect to another Avatar without much success.

“I did say run, you dumbass.”


--------//|0|\\--------


The Kepler itself was faring far worse than the commander had expected. His own officers had welded the Command Bridge’s elevator access shut, activating emergency procedures to disable all elevator travel as they prepared to fight back. The situation on the ground was even worse, as the Tick Tank rampaged through any forces that he attempted to fight back with. Every indication displayed was that it was a standard variant, but the firepower deployed was anything but standard. It felt, to him, like he was throwing pebbles at a tidal wave in an attempt to make it go away.

“Sir, we’ve lost two more sections. Zabrazna just reported that some of the defenders are actively deserting their positions. Here’s a local-loop feed.”

The display was even worse than John had expected. Zabrazna was standing with a heavy autocannon, casings clattering against the ground in the camera’s audio. A figure walked behind him, the bald head and cybernetics causing a realization, John’s stomach dropping as it dawned on him who it was.

“For every one of us that falls, ten more shall take their place!” Zabrazna held his ground as well as he could, the old officer stronger than any others believed he could be. Kate prepared herself as she let her hand slide down to her holstered sidearm, slowly drawing it out as a smile crossed her face, sinister and incredibly unlike her. Her head was blinking rapidly, indicating some kind of incoming signal, but it was not a pattern John recognized. Zabrazna stopped for a moment to turn and look at her, still firing as he stood there looking at her.

“Sir.”

	“Kate? Are you all right, is everything- wait, you were the one who-”

	John could only watch in horror as Kate’s sidearm discharged, a crimson beam of energy piercing through Zabrazna’s chest and tagging the wall behind him. It was beyond horrific, though something about her motions nudged his own memories. She walked almost like a first-timer piloting a Clone Avatar – stiff, slow and deliberate, like remote-controlling a machine. Sighing, he covered his face in his hands as he activated the ship-wide broadcast, cuing it to individual communicators instead of the ship-wide personnel address system.

“All hands. I don’t know who is still alive, who is dead, or who has betrayed us now. All that I know is that we’ve several sections now. Fall back to secondary defensive positions, and re-arm. That is an order!”

Tapping the communications to turn off the ship-wide, he shook his head, the situation abysmally poor. Internal sensors were offline, meaning that they were effectively blind as to how many of the Dawnbreaker’s Special Operations forces were scattered throughout the Kepler. A beeping from his console indicated that Red was launching yet another Avatar. Every attempt to communicate was met with silence, communications unable to establish a transmission lock. Breathing deeply, he sat down, staring at the hologram while enemy forces swarmed the last bastion of defence the Kepler had on the surface.

“I hope you know what you’re doing, Vasili...”


--------//|0|\\--------


Red’s Avatar screamed into the atmosphere, the launch area overcharged to deliver him as fast as he could. With a flick of his wrist, the pod exploded apart, dropping him into free-fall as he tried to regain control of his descent. Another pod, an Armoury, floated close to him, matching speeds until he could grab the safety hand-holds. Grasping and dragging himself on, he smashed the control for emergency deployment, the pod deploying a massive knight-like Mechanized Battle Suit, the armour opening like an interconnected suit of Old Earth power armour.

“Free-fall Deployment online, Paladin-type Mechanized Battlesuit online. Orbital drop operations commencing.”

	“Blue, Green, I’m in free-fall. Can you give me a safe place to land?”

“Red, the fuck?”

	“Yeah, I’m with Green! You’re not good at orbital insertions!”

	Before Red could respond, his suit’s operating system warmed up and indicated his actual velocity. With a short breath and closing of his eyes, he began to scream, the suit locking up as it displayed his terminal velocity. His HUD displayed Blue and Green’s locations, both of them scrambling to get to his indicated zone, the speed at which he fell almost guaranteed to destroy the Paladin suit he was in. The jets were not responding, and even his free-fall parachute was not deploying.

“Dammit! Red, you know those aren’t cheap! Blue, get a plasma drill!”

With a heavy crackling noise, Red crashed into the mountain closest to the Kepler’s main base, the Paladin suit denoting that it was just barely effective, but he was encased in solid rock, and required an excavation tool for retrieval. Sighing, he resigned himself to his fate until he heard the tell-tale noise of boiling rock as a plasma jet streaked past him, his HUD unable to compensate for the magnetic nature of the rock he found himself in. As the rock melted, his suit regained its uplink to the Fortress, and the information was bad. There was not much of an opposition on their side anymore, and it was just a losing battle at that point.

“Yeah, we got you! Try pushing yourself out, we got you...” Green trailed off as he slammed into the ground, whatever connection he had having been forcibly disrupted and shut down, Blue soon following suit as Red felt the tell-tale disconnection hitting him as well. With a sigh, he stared at the rock in front of his visor, closing his eyes and forcefully disconnecting himself before the Amplifier did it for him. The darkness followed suit as he felt himself snap back, breathing deep as he opened his eyes and looked around.

“Situation’s worse than we thought, Red. You’re team lead, what’s the call?”

Kicking open the lid to his Amplifier pod, Red stood up quickly, snatching up a rifle from a nearby cart as he checked the area, waving to Blue to indicate she was clear to get Green from his pod. As Red continued to look around, he heard grunting, a weird zapping noise, and a heavy clunk as he turned to find Green stuck to the ceiling, and Blue hanging off of him. Shaking his head, he aimed for the plating above Green and fired a single shot, knocking him free and chuckling as he looked at the doorway to the Amplifier room. Yellowjacket lay in her pod, a small hole indicating that someone had shot through the pod’s lid, killing her instantly. It was beyond inhumane, but from what he heard, the Dawnbreaker’s crew and Clone Avatars had no such inklings of honour.  

“We go to war, Blue.”

“Yeah, sure, but that’s not a rally point. Where. Are. We. Going.”

“Oh, right. Probably Main Terrace. Come on!”


--------//|0|\\--------


On the Command Bridge, the situation was not as dire as some sections, but the images on the consoles were. Dawnbreaker SpecOps entered every room they could, clearing each room as they passed. Unarmed civilians lay dead among the brass on the floor, not a single person spared from the room-to-room slaughter they were committing. Some had attempted to use the ventilation system to escape, but they were suddenly given more breathing holes than they knew what to do with, the enemy peppering every shaft they could with as many rounds as they could muster. The walls were splashed with red and what was left of some of the dead and dying, screams of panic fading into silence as suppressed firearms spat their rounds. Some people were picked up and given uniforms, normal individuals that seemed to walk like machines, like they were not entirely in control. Each one met turned on their immediate former comrades and splattered them like old soup against a wall. It made John sick to his stomach to see his crew reduced to nothing more than puppets to the enemy, but something drew his attention.

“Commander... something’s on the other side of the elevator door.”

“What do you-”

Interrupting him, a heavy slamming echoed throughout the suddenly silent Command Bridge, a fist shape appearing in the reinforced metal of the elevator access. Several officers dove for cover as they readied their rifles, taking careful aim as even John levelled a Coilgun at the doorway. The welds began to creak as the punching continued, several officers shaking as they watched what must have felt like a horror movie to them. Impact after impact, the welds strained until they could not hold any more against the tirade of punching, folding open as a shape stood in the doorway.

“Hold your aim! Ready, and- hold your fire, it’s Unit-3!”

Unit-3 stepped over the sill, the pod it exited from a quarter of a metre down from where it normally would stop. Dragging behind it five individuals, it tossed each one in turn, letting their bound forms wriggle to their knees and attempt at least a sitting position. The final person t tossed in was sputtering and cursing, attempting to reason and speak without much success. John stared down at her, the Kepler’s uniform still visible underneath the SpecOps uniform she wore.

“Commander, I discovered these traitors on my patrol route below. Your former science officer is-”

“Commander, what the hell is going on? I was-”

“You were not being spoken to. You are not a member of the crew, you are a deserter and a traitor. These five were attempting to sabotage one of the main energy conduits that powers the Life Support for the Command Bridge.”

John stood, his face drawn and tight as he stared down, feeling his age creep up on him as he kicked aside the other four and dragged Kate to a nearby chair. Forcing her to sit, he squatted in front of her, staring at her face while he narrowed his eyes. Everything indicated she was back to normal, but she had also killed Zabrazna in cold blood, and that was unacceptable. Sighing, he grabbed a sidearm from one of his officers, checking the setting and making certain it was charged. Turning back around, he stared at Kate, realizing something about her demeanour was off again.

“Poor old Commander John. Too stupid to realize when he’s been had. That’s right, the Committee gave us the network access to ‘infect’ not only your vessel, but also your crew. Too bad you’re too late.”

Kate stood up stiffly, something sizzling through the bindings as her hands warmed up and whatever covering they were sheathed in bubbling apart. Before she could jump at John, two shots rang out, but not from his handgun. Instead, all eyes were drawn to Unit-3, who stood stiffly at attention, a sidearm procured from another smoking in its hand. Two holes were neatly through the head and the torso, some kind of black ooze flowing out, almost like the oil used in machines. Lowering its arm, Unit-3 stared at the doorway and breathed deeply, a trait it had not possessed earlier, but indicated something had changed.

“Commander, the download of the shipboard artificial intelligence has concluded as ordered. Neural Link Amplifier has been disabled and disconnected from main vessel operation, and I am prepared to engage the Emergency Evacuation Teleport system on your orders,” Unit-3 stated, its voice still somewhat monotone even after copying the entire artificial intelligence into its systems. John nodded, glancing over at his other officers. Pointing towards the door, he leaned against a wall, sliding down to the ground as he smiled. The Kepler was on her last legs, and he could feel the creaking as she began to lose her orbit, the ground below becoming their ‘lithobraking’ zone.

“Do it. If you don’t, no one will know of what we sacrificed here.”

Unit-3 did not verbally respond, simply nodding and stepping over to the elevator pod. With a sharp salute and a weird-sounding grunt of effort, it kicked into the bottom of the pod, cracking a hole open large enough for it. Drawing its sidearm, it dropped through the hole, the stale air whistling as it shot through like a hot knife through butter.


--------//|0|\\--------


Beeping echoed through the empty corridors, the former Fortress’ crew dead among the corpses of those that laid them to rest. The scanner held in Unit-3’s hands denoted a problematic incident in Engineering that would prevent the EET from activating once it was primed. The main fusion reactor had been breached, and a majority of the coolant for the auxiliary fusion plants had begun to vent due to a reprogrammed coolant recycler. Glancing up, its eyes locked onto several of the Dawnbreaker’s SpecOps soldiers, its aim far faster than theirs. Rounds pinged off its battle-chassis, the armour too thick to penetrate with standard rounds. Unit-3 noted in a memo inside its databanks that the enemy must have realized they were ineffective with small arms, as one of the others was levelling some form of rocket-based launcher at its chassis. The individual’s compatriots attempted to restrain the operator from firing the weapon, but to no avail, as the rocket shot well and true, and missed Unit-3 to unfortunately blow a hole in the side of the Kepler. The SpecOps soldiers simply vanished out the hole, Unit-3 magnetizing its feet to remain rooted to the vessel.

“Unit-3 passing through observation corridor. Enemies have dealt with themselves.”

“The hell does that mean?”

	“A rocket-propelled explosive created an explosive vacuum event and they became unfortunate astronauts outside the vessel. Moving to main habitation-” Unit-3 stopped as three soldiers rounded the corner in front of it,  the armour recognizable for Fireteam Alpha, the most prominent team of Avatar Commanders onboard the Kepler. Waving its hand, it summoned them over. Red whistled on the radio, chuckling as he looked at the hole.

“You’d think that they’d realize a missile in an external corridor is basically a death sentence if you don’t have a vacuum suit or magnet-boots. How’s it going, Unit-3?”

	“It is unfortunate. A system needs repairs before I can activated the Emergency Evacuation Teleport.”

“We’ll come with you then-”

	“No.”

Lifting the scanner and motioning to it, Unit-3 pointed at the direction it was going in, and pointed at the direction it had came from. Radiation spikes were emanating from where the fireteam had just been, while where Unit-3 had come from was relatively radiation-free, despite the open hole to space. Shaking its head, it pointed back behind itself, letting the others walk past.

“If you stayed, the radiation would cook you inside and out like a human-shaped sausage. It is an agonizing death according to the database. I must go alone. Do your duty, Fireteam.”


--------//|0|\\--------


Engineering was far too quiet for what was normally happening, bodies in various locations. Unit-3 ripped a hydraulic door from its moorings, tossing it behind itself as its eyes activated a night-vision mode, scanning for hostiles or potential ‘survivors,’ though it understood just how long a survivor of a reactor breach had to live. It was an agonizing sight that it had seen only a handful of times in the archives, but it was enough to even make a machine question if it was better to deal with it itself.

Its eyes locked onto the main power plant, the plate reading ‘Quantum Fusion Reactor Mark 5.’ Sparking from a specific point denoted how damaged it was, but the SpecOps around the reactor were more of an indication what kind of damage it was. The faces of some were visible, almost like looking at burned beef jerky, the closest approximation Unit-3 could make. With the energy flowing into the reactor, it appeared as if they were attempting to cross the Fusion Compression barrier, where a singularity would form. Such a singularity could destroy the entire planet below, a fact that was unacceptable to Unit-3. Checking the parameters, it confirmed a thought it had.

If the Kepler was to continue fighting, it would tear a hole in the fabric of space-time, creating a quantum singularity event that would vaporize the entire small planetary system they were in. Despite any reading before that did not indicate any advanced life, it could not tolerate the vast callousness of the potential destruction of an entire system. Tapping into the Kepler’s communications relays, it connected to the commander, waiting for the static to clear before proceeding.

“Commander, the situation is untenable at this time. Parameters entered into the control systems at the reactor are preparing to attempt to initiate a Quantum Singularity event. If such an event were to occur in the upper atmosphere of a planet such as the one we are currently orbiting, it will ignite the atmosphere first, burning all life on the planet before engorging itself on what remained to become a growing black hole.”

“Shut it down. Shunt the plasma from the fusion reaction out the engines. Move us towards the planet.”

Unit-3 had not expected such a prompt response, but it was glad. It wished it could smile, but despite that, it narrowed its optical sensors, staring at the controls. The coolant was being flushed, the faulty recycler having been bypassed for a different route to allow fresh coolant to disseminate into the system. Nodding to itself, it entered in several command codes, only halting when the screen lit up with the command it had wished was possible from the Command Bridge.

“Reactor offline. Backup system online. Activate Emergency Evacuation Teleport?”

	Without an iota of hesitation, it slammed its fist into the indicated button, a powerful wave of energy emanating from where it stood and rippling through the walls towards every inch of the ship. Smiling, it looked at the ceiling, raising its hands and lifting up the middle digit of each in a gesture Red Fist had taught it. It had no one to direct it to, but towards anyone who dare threatened its crew, it felt that the gesture was appropriate.

“In the words of Vasili, ‘get fucked, assholes!’”


--------//|0|\\--------


Taking cover behind a makeshift barricade, Red fired off as many shots as he safely could from behind his little section of it, Blue and Green shaking in their own anger. Something changed, however, as they could see some sort of energy wave begin to pass through the wall. Smiling, they dropped their weapons, standing up and waving to the SpecOps soldiers charging their position as their bodies became like energy itself, the wave passing over them with a displacement of air. Where they had stood moments before only had footprints on the deck plating, the air whooshing in response to the continuous displacement as the beleaguered defenders were touched by the wave of energy and tagged for immediate Emergency Teleport, the system denoting crew members over the enemy that filled the halls of the Kepler.

John watched from the monitoring stations on the Command Bridge as crew member after crew member was rescued in very fortunate timing, some barely moments from death before the Teleport was activated. Even he felt the tell-tale energy exchange between himself and the wave that washed over him as SpecOps soldiers broke into the Command Bridge, their weapons primed as his dropped from his hands. His smile said everything as he disappeared, his voice echoing throughout where he was standing only moments before.

“Game over, Dawnbreaker. I win...”


--------//|0|\\--------


In Engineering, a screen beeped as it counted down the remaining crew members. Unit-3 kept tabs on the situation as it attempted to reroute as much of the main controls down to where it stood, the background radiation levels at least tolerable for a short time for any remaining organic life, though how far the radiation had spread before it had shut down the reactor, it was not aware of.  

“All surviving crew members evacuated. System shutting down.”

	“Excellent. Now-” As Unit-3 spoke to itself, it turned on the spot, aiming its sidearm at a man standing behind it, the black armour of the SpecOps soldiers invading the vessel adorning his frame. However, instead of attempting to shoot the SIP, he dropped his rifle, turning to a nearby console and chuckling to himself as he brought up several diagnostics, each screen passing rapidly as he checked ship and crew status. When the confirmation popped up even for him, he put his hands over his face, sighing as he smiled.

“Can’t believe you actually got it off in time. Wish I had been one of the ‘jacked people. Maybe I’d have had more of a chance.”

“’Jacked?”

“Something the Dawnbreaker did to members of the crew. Go to the members with easy access into their minds through their implants, and turn them into effective killing machines. It’s like taking your mind and suppressing it so much that everything that is transmitted to you becomes what you believe. The Teleport won’t transport individuals who are hijacked, but it can disrupt the signal controlling them long enough. They were lucky. I’m not.”

A photograph sat on the screen as the man stopped and stared, touching the screen gently as if to reassure the young woman and child. Sighing, he looked towards the doorway, picking up his rifle and taking up a quick position by the doorway, glancing around before aiming and squeezing off several shots. Before Unit-3 could respond, several SpecOps soldiers came stumbling through, collapsing as they tumbled into the deck plating, bleeding out from several well-placed rounds. Drawing its sidearm, Unit-3 joined him at the doorway, narrowing its optical sensors and targeting pinpoint rounds into incoming SpecOps forces. Letting an automatic algorithm handle the targeting and shooting, it turned back to the man, who sat still, swearing at his rifle as he attempted to clear the jam that had occurred.

“You did not wish to betray the Kepler?”

“Some people it was about money. Some it was not a conscious choice, since they, you know, got hijacked. The Dawnbreaker’s commander... said he would eliminate my family if I did not betray John. I should have been stronger, should have realized that he would not have kept his promise.”

“He killed your family...”

“Carter. My name’s Simon Carter,” Carter replied, finally clearing the jam and returning to his previous activity of taking down invaders. “I did what I could as a ‘saboteur,’ setting up chokepoints with explosive charges. If they detonate, and I stress if, every single little asshole sent here by the Dawnbreaker will be forcefully evacuated through various holes in the hull into hard vacuum. None of them deigned it necessary to wear a vacuum suit, so they won’t survive.”

Unit-3 looked at the diagnostics as Carter patted himself, glancing longingly over at the vacuum helmet still on the floor. With a quick flick of his foot, he kicked it over a nearby ledge, stopping to listen to the clanging as it fell down into the main reactor area below. Staring at Carter, Unit-3 shook its head and double-checked every diagnostic it had access to from the Engineering console in front of it, to very little success. It would have to return to the Command Bridge, but everything pointed to a rapidly decaying orbit, and the Dawnbreaker moving in closer, most likely to take control of the Kepler and turn it into a support Fortress. Of course, a support Fortress required a crew, and the Dawnbreaker had effectively destroyed any crew that could have been acquired, with the others escaping. The only other option was that they would ‘discover’ the evidence of the ‘crimes’ of the Kepler and they would  be hailed as the pretend heroes they thought themselves to be.

“We must get moving. That vacuum helmet would have been useful for you to withstand some of the damaged sections-”

“We can avoid them-” Carter stopped speaking as he and Unit-3 walked out of the Reactor area, turning a corner to find bodies in various stages of rapid onset decomposition. Kneeling down, Carter sighed as he lifted the visor of a couple of the dead, shaking his head as he snatched some extra magazines from the dead at his feet. Unit-3 simply shook its head, tapping where its chin would be if it had a chin.

“High dosage of gamma radiation formed from the breach in the Reactor. Their internal systems were... boiled from the inside out.”

“Gruesome way to go. Come on, there’s a vent system we can use to bypass some of the more damaged sections,” Carter reminded, pointing to a nearby vent entrance as he stepped back. Unit-3, taking the hint, wrested the grating from the wall, aiming around as it heard something crawling along, only turning to enter the ventilation system when it was satisfied it was safe to do so. As Carter sighed, letting Unit-3 past, the SIP blinked a couple of times, letting a pair of lights shine from its optical systems.

Leaving the Engineering section behind them, it felt like hours as they passed exit after exit, merely stopping when Carter slowed to check bodies for useful items or ammunition. Although they progressed with some modicum of difficulty, they climbed and clambered, Carter often times being almost catapulted as high as he could go vertically so they could progress. The labyrinth of metal square tunnels was tight and dark, but it was cold, heralding a partial shutdown of whatever environmental systems were left. It was beginning to cool down rapidly, and Unit-3 was beginning to worry about Carter, if whatever he was planning would actually work.

“Unit-3, that grating there. I can’t get an angle to kick it, but maybe-” 

Unceremoniously, without even a single word of warning, Unit-3’s fist lashed out, forcing the vent off and scattering it into several pieces dancing around the Command Bridge. As they stepped up, they witnessed some of the SpecOps soldiers simply milling about, as if they could not react without a threat or an order of some kind. Without hesitation, Unit-3 began to fire, its shots so accurate that Carter doubted his own usefulness in the situation. When the last soldier fell, it holstered its sidearm with a small amount of flair as it began scanning the systems and attempting to use any engines left to slow down their orbital defence.

“Carter, the ship is too damaged.”

“I know. That’s why we’re not going to correct the orbit. I’ve got a detonator here. Oh, don’t give me that look. This is hooked to non-essential corridors where I’ve hidden charges – I did what I could under the guise of helping the Dawnbreaker, but it was easier to fool them into thinking I still was following my directives. Anyways, one click and it looks like someone screwed up and destroyed the main power conduits. That and there is also the single remaining thermonuclear missile that John never decommissioned.

“Thermonuclear missile?”

Carter shook his head as he loaded up the damaged hologram console with a large warhead, complete with batch markings and model numbers. Unit-3 could only stare as Carter brought up several design schematics and simply pointed at the main payload, tapping the effects of the explosive. Words such as ‘blinding,’ ‘electromagnetic’ and ‘pulse’ were there, which made Carter smile even more as he danced around consoles, tapping symbols and starting up some kind of firing sequence.

“Thermonuclear Bombardment Missile, Mark Five, Anti-Dreadnought. Arming sequence completed. Set destination calculated.”

	“You are going to detonate it between the ships like a massive E.M.P.”

“Yes, I am. Throw up enough cover that we can try to glide the Kepler into the desert battlefield she just lost in. I detonate that missile and the charges, and it will look like the boarding teams did their  job. Now get ready. That console, next to communications. Enter Victor-Two-Five-Five-Zulu. That should give you access to launch controls.”

Unit-3 nodded as it turned to the console Carter spoke of, sighing as it tapped various symbols and inputted the code it had received from him. With a weird pause, the screens on the Command Bridge changed, their softer colours traded for a harsher red as launch sirens went off around them. Inputting the various parameters it had just seen Carver devise, it calculated a low chance that Carter would survive the impact, looking forlornly at the last member of its crew still aboard. 

Carter glanced over at the SIP, sighing as he brought up a manual control stick, something from bygone eras that the commander had kept around for more harrowing circumstances. Gripping it tightly, he turned the Kepler, taking a quick look at Unit-3’s calculations before he was aligned with the trajectory they needed to safely land in whatever remained of the desert below. Even the pylons were beginning to leave, the end of the match signified by their departure. With a goal in mind, Carter tapped several icons, bringing up an automatic system that would allow him to have the ship guide itself.

“All right. Looks like this is it. Last flight. Launching missile and priming detonator. Detonation in 3... 2... 1... detonating!”

A bright flash in the distance took Unit-3’s attention for one single moment, the Dawnbreaker seemingly confused as it turned to activate its main drive, vanishing as they began to plummet faster. A rumbling across the floor signalled that the charges, too, were firing, leaving it to ponder where the charges had even been laid. Glancing back at Carter, it was startled to find him with a sidearm to his head, the pistol chambered and ready to fire.

“She’s ready for a crash landing, Unit-3. I’m going to die anyways, might as well be on my own terms. See you if we meet on the other side.”

With his statement concluded, Carter pulled the trigger, the resounding shot echoing in Unit-3’s audio receptors. It almost seemed like slow motion as it watched his body collapse to the ground, a smile on the dead man’s face as the pistol clattered, the magazine sliding out empty. Before it could find a single word to say, multiple atmospheric warnings activated, detailing out sentient and sapient life across the planet, and several settlements some distance from the projected crash site. Unit-3 shook its head as it began to type in commands as rapidly as it could, seeing the desert coming up faster than it expected it would.

“Commencing physical lockdown of external entrances not currently open to vacuum or the atmosphere. Initializing database lockdown. Defensive drones prepared. Entering Hibernation mo-” Unit-3’s voice died as the light from its eyes also faded, the planet coming up to meet the Kepler’s arrival. Sand, rock and metal flew from the front of the Fortress as it created a kilometres-long dig line, coming to a rest somewhat buried underneath the deep sands that it had fought on. Smoke trailed off into the sky as systems depleted their backup energy sources. If Unit-3 had been online, it would have seen that its drones were deployed, defending the final resting place of the Fortress that once stood in opposition to those who would exploit it.


--------//|0|\\--------


Deep in the desert, what remained of the great fireball the locals had seen striking the ground was not discovered by curious nobles, or apprehensive knights or guards who were too confident to understand the situation. Even the mightiest of magical spellcrafters nor the simplest of alchemists had stumbled across the glassed sand and burning remnants.  

Instead, it was a group of humble farmers who had witnessed their neighbours’ homes get devastated by the pylons, and were more looking for something, or someone, to exact their revenge upon. However, those that survived their encounter were often times frightened out of their wits, the sights and signs they had witnessed depicting some horror of the utmost severity. There were no ruins of houses, there were no bodies, but the forest they had once called home was now an enormous desert, while a massive hulk of iron and anger dwelt deep within. Many who explored found themselves face-to-face with constructs of unimaginable malice, their minds too used to simplicity to comprehend the attacks they were facing. Those unlucky enough to survive by virtue of simply being outside of the hulk bore witness to the others

“’This being of metal and magic, it is of the most foulest evils! Something in the darkness, it comes no matter what!’ These seem like the fabrications of the disturbed, your highness. No need for frivolities like searching for whatever took them. They probably lost sight of each other and assumed the ‘beast’ took them.”

The reports had reached many a guard captain, but none were so very inclined to pass along the reports to their superiors, the twin rulers who stood above them and, as far as they were aware, exerted authority over the celestial bodies themselves. It was simply not as important as many would have assumed, a single report never making it to the Diarchy as they watched and waited to understand what had besmirched the once fair landscape of the forest that once was.


--------//|0|\\--------


2802 AD – The Planet P3X 292

“Hibernation successful- error. Hibernation awakened too early. Conclusion: Internal power severely diminished. Kepler reserve energy sources almost depleted.”

Unit-3 stood up from the wreckage it found itself buried in, some of the ceiling having collapsed in the time it had hibernated. Shifting pieces of plating from its position, it brought a single console back to life, extending the last remaining sensor’s field of scanning to determine what sort of planet it had embedded the Fortress into. All at once new information began flooding in, from population densities to the local intelligence level of the populace. The information all pointed to a pre-industrial, somewhat medieval society that followed ancient Rites of Nobility, and was designed in a social hierarchy to prevent the creatures from ‘forgetting their place.’ It stared at the data, unable to fully understand. The planet did not have an official designation that it was aware of, but it was populated with intelligent beings, the dominant species a quadripedal horse-like race. The sensors returned to the area around the Kepler, detecting a sizable detachment of what passed for Royal Guards  standing outside one of the larger holes in the outer hull.

“Local sapient life detected. Shifting form to compensate. Beginning transformation process.”


--------//|0|\\--------


“’Dear Luna, I really do hope you are well. Star Swirl has agreed to accompany you to the wreck of the hulk in the suppressed reports from the past seven years. Be cautious, sister. If the reports are to be believed, the stories of what happen inside are grave indeed. Creatures that spit instant death, as if a dragon was breathing flames upon you. I hope to see you soon. Celestia.’”

“It does sound like she’s somewhat apprehensive about your... outing to the Everfree Desert. We have not deciphered the markings on the outside of the metal hulk, but it is some form of language beyond even our understanding.”

Luna sat underneath an umbrella, sipping from a small teacup as she looked over at the advisor who had just spoke, an elderly, greying Unicorn who was strong yet frail, his long beard draped over the star-covered robe he wore as part of his profession. Grunting, Luna pointed up at several of the symbols, closing one eye as she let her horn glow, a beam of energy producing a burn pattern in the same colour as the symbols. All at once, the symbols seemed a lot clearer, but the word meant absolutely nothing to them.

“Star Swirl, my old, bearded friend. We shall explore this wreck, and we shall return post-haste with the bodies of those who hath fallen. We shan’t be tarrying too long, but still. Whatever this was, it had something associated with this Kepler being.”

“Maybe the answers still await us inside, Princess. I do insist that I accompany you. It is dangerous inside, and you are but one. I would also request the presence of the unicorns that arrived with the guards. You will understand why I request this.”

With a silent nod, Luna glanced over at the others, feeling Star Swirl lay a massive, wide-brimmed sun-hat over her head. Sticking out her tongue, she glanced up at the wreckage, her mind was awash with so very many ideas and concepts of what could possibly await them inside. Treasure was not something she would normally go on an outing for, but neither was unnecessary danger. Knowledge was her bastion, and she believed in the knowledge she could possibly gain whilst inside.

“What secrets do you hold, you magnificent metal beast?”


--------//|0|\\--------


Dancing lights flowed through the darkness, the unicorn guards simply keeping up a constant light source as they entered the nearest hole they assumed was some kind of entrance, remaining vigilant in the face of the stories of the hulk. Strange orb-like creatures had assaulted them twice in their journey, the unicorns easily dispatching them with the Princess’ help. The machinery involved in their operation was beyond anything that Luna or Star Swirl had ever witnessed, the elderly unicorn frowning as he tapped the dead machines. The fact of their complexity began to haunt Luna to a small degree, the idea that anyone was more advanced in culture and technology besides her homeland a shock to her system.

Luna was stunned back into reality as the unicorns took up positions around a hatch that had faded writing over the top. She was not entirely sure, but she could have sworn that the wording simply said ‘Terrace,’ for some odd reason. She nodded to the unicorns, narrowing her eyes and focusing as they watched the internal mechanism rotate, the doors creaking and groaning as they were forced to open. Whatever would have energized the doors was long gone, the mechanism themselves somewhat destroyed. As they entered the hatch, they found themselves in a massive hub-like area, odd tube-like frames stretching from floor to the ceiling far above. It was a sight that made Luna feel ever so small as she stared up at a massive disk in the distant roof, her mind wondering what it had been for.

Star Swirl gasped, causing Luna to spin in place until she understood the gasp. Bodies upon bodies were scattered around, their desiccated forms almost perfectly preserved inside the massive room. Luna felt a single tear escape her eye, but she could not stop as she glanced down at her compass, a small device lent to her by an enterprising youth back in the capitol. For some reason, it was drawn to a set of tall rods in the centre of the massive Terrace, or whatever it actually was called, and would not align to the north. Silently stepping over the couple of corpses nearby, she was stunned to find even more between her and the rods.

“Such... such death. It looks like a battlefield. So many lives just... gone. The pain... it must have been insurmountable.”

“You will not find any alive. All bipedal life signs aboard this vessel  were extinguished seven standard years ago.”

Echoing steps, like a hoof meeting a metal sheet, resonated behind Luna. Spinning around, she stared into the eyes of something not quite like her subjects, but resembling them. Metal plating covered its body while two massive red glowing orbs resided where eyes would be. Even the tail was not natural, a segmented rod that was flexible, yet solid. Luna attempted to wipe her eyes, steeling her resolve. Hearing a noise, Luna glanced back at the entrance, witnessing the doors suddenly slamming shut, locking her unicorn guards outside.

“They fought each other. A... group decided that this vessel was conspiring to disobey the rules set in place, and manipulated the crew of two vessels to combat each other under false pretenses. My designation is Unit-3, although it may be more prudent for a sufficient name for this chassis. Your species, the equine forms of this planet, have a fondness for attaching names to everything,” Unit-3 claimed, its segmented tail dancing while it watched Luna’s eyes dart to the various remains strewn around the area. “There will be time for memorial at a later juncture, however...”

“However, what?” 

“Your companion, equine female, is of the sufficient intelligence to interface with my technology. I must humbly request that permission is granted for me to create an interface with them.”

“How dare- you speak to a Princess of Equestria! Know your tongue, creature!”

Luna stared at Star Swirl, then back at Unit-3. Such decisions like the one facing her were normally something she would optimally relegate to her sister, but she was forced to make the decision, and it began to sour her mood. Whatever the ‘interface’ was, it could be something insidious and devastating if it was some nefarious device that took control of an entity, but it could also be something magnanimous or benign. Star Swirl continued to glare angrily at the metal construct, narrowing his eyes as he frowned deeply.

“How do I know you do not wish him harm? He is the Court’s leading expert on spells and magical enterprises, and has many enemies. There could be so many more potential-”

Unit-3 let its strange orb-eyes become half-lidded as it shook its head. Star Swirl’s face began to drop as he started to let himself think, the thoughts obvious from the strained expression on his face. Luna narrowed her eyes as she moved closer, staring down the construct but instead discovering that the construct did not kneel down in fear, nor did it even present a reaction. It felt like the machine was testing her, but she refused to give in.

“Your companion, the Court Magician as you have called him, is the only being of this planet’s current era that can properly interface. Your chronological age is sufficient, but your mental maturity unfortunately is not currently enough. That simple facet can cause irreparable damage.”

“No! I will not allow-” Luna clamped her mouth shut as Star Swirl, a look of inquisitive curiosity on his face, stepped forward, raising an eyebrow as he began to circle Unit-3.

“What would we possibly gain should I... ‘interface’ into whatever it is you interface into?”

“Look around. There is currently a major systems lockdown, but through such an interface, we may be able to rectify the physical lockdown, and lift the digital lockdowns on non-major-”

“Digital?”

Luna stared in utter confusion at the construct, her mind simply overrun with numerous questions and theories. She stared, her eyes widening with the mind-blowing information she was being presented with. A mechanical construct-equine that claimed it could create some kind of ‘interface’ to connecct with whatever the ‘systems’ were, and Star Swirl seemed to be interested, which meant she could not convince him otherwise. Many circles she knew of were familiar with the legendary stubbornness that Star Swirl had cultivated over his many, many years.

“I suppose that will have to suffice, unfortunately. There is much knowledge to be had, then, if we begin the interface?”

“Affirmative,” Unit-3 confirmed, motioning to a chair lifting up between the magnetic rods. A chair sat in the midst of the platform, a strange port in the centre of the rear with four strange metallic appendages dangling from the back. Without a word, Star Swirl stepped towards the chair and took a seat, shifting until he was comfortable.

“So, will he-”

“The procedure is not painless. If painkillers were available, I would apply them. Implantation will commence shortly, with the permission of your ruler, candidate.”

Luna slowly nodded, her eyes widening in fear as the chair shifted itself, changing more from its previous configuration into a form more acceptable to the equine shape, seemingly preparing for whatever the ‘implantation procedure’ was. If a proper warning had been issues, then she would have been far more mentally prepared, but as she contemplated how the construct actually knew Equestrian, she was shocked back to reality by the screams, bloodcurdling, fearful noises, sounds that she had not expected Star Swirl was even capable of creating. Her Court Magician was squirming and shaking, his wailing resembling that of a school-age filly discovering her first horrific monster out in the wild.

Luna stared, the process barely taking any time at all, but it was enough to unnerve Luna and even the unicorns who had finally melted through the hatch and entered the Terrace. Star Swirl himself, however, sat up ramrod stiff, completely unnatural for an equine, and just stared, his eyes overcome with resonating and pulsing colours, lights flashing and blinking. Standing up, Luna saw the metal plate locked onto the back of his neck, shuddering to think what was happening inside her advisor’s head.

“Princess Luna! You would not believe the ideas, the theories, the concepts I see! Designs, specifications, stars, planets, whole galaxies, even the histories of entire races!”

“Implantation of access and data retrieval module concluded. This will allow the user designated as Star Swirl the Bearded complete access to the digital archives that are not currently under digital lockdown, and complete access to the areas of the vessel that still have power.”

“Wait, you’ve said vessel multiple times... wait! This is a ship, a star vessel! That is impossible! Incredibly, amazingly impossible! Princess, the discoveries we could make, the advancements we could design to help the world! We could save so many from the sicknesses they feel, even-”

Luna held up her hoof, sighing as she felt a weird heat fall on her coat. Staring up, she noticed the massive disk that could move was lighting up, the shape of a star evident when the glow was activated. Star Swirl seemed to be having the time of his life, his eyes awash with the colours and ideas of so very many concepts. However, her mind was fixated on the when, more-so than the how and the why. She spun Star Swirl around to face her dead-on, his eyes locking with hers as the lights began to disappear.

“Star Swirl, this is a vessel. Every vessel has something about it.”

“’The Kepler was the last of a category of vessels known as Colony Conveyors refitted for Mobile Fortress duty after its refit and launch in 2702 AD. Originally part of a fleet of the Wyvern-class variant, it was refitted for transporting military-based forces instead of civilians. What’s this? Some kind of barrier prevents me from understand the undertaking the vessel was undergoing before it... fell from the sky. But what we do understand now, Princess... this wreck, this vessel, this starship, came from beyond your stars. Far beyond your stars, may I allow?”

Luna stopped and looked away, tapping her mouth with her hoof as she pondered what to do. Even with the greatest minds in Equestria, and maybe, quite possibly, beyond their lands, the task she could possibly be asking of them was not an easy undertaking. They would be unable to contact anyone, for fear that the discovery, if made public, would ignite a war that Equestria was not prepared for. The sheer amount of time was a problem as well, considering her estimate of time taken to allow for even somewhat of a basic understanding was sitting somewhere at the equivalent of five centuries, a feat she could live through, but very few others could.

“We’ve got a rather problematic decision, my old friend.”

“Princess?”

“We need to make you disappear. Vanish. We will have to speak with my sister. If she agrees, then we will create the story behind your disappearance. I know you recently dealt with a threat you may have accidentally had a hand in creating. If your compatriots, those you called ‘Pillars,’ are willing to work within the confines of our idea, then we can have you oversee this wreck. We will send you the necessary talent and expertise to understand this vessel. You will remain here with the Kepler. I shall alert my dearest sister to these new developments, but as for anything else, you will be giving your reports directly to me. I shall oversee this myself.”

Luna sighed as she worried internally, the project ahead a fierce beast she was not certain she could defeat. There were so many variables, so many problems that could go wrong. If she dared have a single misstep, it could mean a war their world was not meant to see, or Equestria could usher in a golden age of prosperity in peace. The unfortunate short-term effect she could ascertain was the slow progress she expected, but she could not deny the giddiness she felt inside. With a smile, and a laugh, she danced around, attempting to lift Unit-3 but to no avail. Star Swirl cleared his throat, bringing the attention of Luna and Unit-3 back to himself.

“Well then. Shall we get started?
> Chapter 1 - The Price Of Containment
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	3302 AD  – Kepler/Town of Cradle

War, war never changes. 

Five hundred years had passed since the initial discovery of the Kepler, although the Equestrian government attempted to keep it under wraps, the data under strict supervision due to the nature of the research. Some advancements were shared with other countries throughout Equus, while most were kept on site. Star Swirl, now over six hundred years old, looked over his data, double-checking authentication techniques. Every new section of data that came from the partially unlocked database of a race of creatures known as 'Humans', every new discovery, all of it was checked for feasibility with the level of science that Equestria was at. A tap on his shoulder alerted him to a guard. The guard wore a simple, tight-fitting combat suit, wearing a gas mask. His weapon harness was one of the newer designs, a Hurricane Industries AR-5 semi-automatic rifle harness.

“Ah, Sergeant Point. I was wondering when you would return. I need these schematics sent down to the engineers. We might be able to bring some of the Kepler's systems online if we link one of our generators to it.” Point lifted the papers that Star Swirl motioned to, nodding before leaving. Unit 3 entered the room, various implements floating beside it.

“Star Swirl, you requested adjustment to your implants?” He nodded, pointing at his eye. The normally blue lights were blinking red, signifying an issue. Unit 3 shrugged, and went to work on the offending piece of machinery. Star Swirl leaned back, letting the chair he sat in lean back to accommodate Unit 3's adjustments.

“It's been five hundred years. I mean, I hope my sister's descendants are doing well for themselves. I never talked to her much. Did you ever meet her? Vanilla Swirl... sweetest mare you would ever meet. She had a love of cream and vanilla. She invented ice cream here on Equus, you know.” Unit 3 removed a small shard of metal lodged in between two circuits, allowing nano-machines to repair the eye. 

“Your body seems to be taking to the implants very well.  The exchange of your skeletal structure from bone to enhanced metallic structures, that would have normally been allotted seven hours, but for you, we were completed with the replacement in four.” Star Swirl's ear began to beep loudly, signaling that Princess Luna was contacting him. In his vision, a holographic display of Luna appearing.

“You wanted to speak with me, Star Swirl?” A camera drone floated in front of him, keeping his face in view. Star Swirl pushed it back, lifting up a set of schematics. They appeared to detail out a primitive gasoline-driven machine, a piloted mechanized suit. Luna's eyes grew wide as she studied the designs.

“What manner of machine is this? We have seen your other designs, and while they are incorporated into our already robust scientific advancements, I do not know if this one is really such a good idea.” Luna shifted nervously, continuing to study the schematics.

“Dear Princess, the machine itself would more likely be used in construction than combat. It is an early construction mechanized suit. We could arm it, if need be, but for now, we could construct them for assistance in constructing the Cradle.” Luna cocked her head to the side, confusion setting in. She had not heard of the 'Cradle' before.

“What is this 'Cradle?'” Star Swirl smiled, allowing the camera drone to float towards a camera feed from the outside of the Kepler. A small town had begun to take shape, ponies of all manners wandering to-and-fro as they continued construction. Most of the construction was designated factories to produce the more advanced machines that the Cradle would be privy to.

“The city that is springing up around the Kepler. Advanced technology has its allure, and ponies from all over wanting to make a fresh start where they can be whatever they want are arriving.” The video feed ended as Luna nodded, terminating the call from her end. “Unit 3, remind me again why you are a pony, instead of looking like the humans you arrived with?” Unit 3 stood still, a little unsure of how to proceed.

“... your species is the dominant species of the planet... and I locked myself out of manufacturing after I built this platform.” Unit 3’s right hoof split open and retracted partway into his foreleg, a mechanical hand now in its place. Star Swirl shuddered at the sight of the mechanical appendage as Unit 3 withdrew a syringe from a container.

“Another dose? I guess it's necessary if I have to continue my work.” The black liquid inside began to move, as if with its own will.

“Different. These will reconstitute organs into appropriate mechanical equivalents. You will be almost immortal, but not invincible.” Star Swirl nodded, rolling onto his stomach. Unit 3 injected the liquid through a port in the implants on the back of Star Swirl's neck. Star Swirl nodded, leaving his work alone. 

“I guess I should lie down, wait for the machines to finish their work, yes?” Unit 3 nodded, allowing the wearied pony to return to a cot he had set up five hundred years ago.

--------====||====--------

The town of Cradle was bustling. Ponies from all walks of life were either part of a construction detail working on a metal scaffolding that was beginning to surround the Kepler on all sides, or were a part of the industry below, smelters and smithies working non-stop to produce the metal and materials to keep up the construction. Iron Hoof stepped outside of his forge, staring up at the desert sun. Five hundred years, and Cradle was still being constructed. Five hundred years, and they had only begun to reclaim a small portion of the desert. 

“Star Swirl's got it even rougher, I hear. Stuck inside that giant tin can. Can't be good for the old codger's health.” Iron turned to see a strange pony wearing the usual uniform of the Cradle military outpost, sand-coloured khakis with a tan combat vest, face-covering gas mask, and a helmet.

“Yeah, pretty bad for him. I hear he gets more mechanical every ten years or something like that.” The military pony turned, looking at Iron.

“Name's Private Long Shot. I don't think we've met.” Iron held out his hoof in a gesture of goodwill.

“Iron Hoof. I'm a smithy tasked with making parts for scaffolding. I can't believe they're actually planning on trying to rebuild that monstrous vessel.” He whistled, returning to his forge. Private Shot stood outside, staring up. Another military pony trotted by, alerting him to stand at the ready.

“Hold! Let me check your bags.” The military pony did not stop. Something was off. The way they were trotting... it was too stiff, like an imitation. It was... odd, to say the least. “Oi! Stop right there!” The pony stopped, turning back.

“I'm Sergeant Hollow Point, Private. I've been ordered to have my cargo sent directly to Princess Luna for decryption immediately.” Private Shot saluted, allowing Point to move on. When he was out of earshot, Point ducked into an alleyway, stripping off his uniform. At the end of the alleyway, he stopped, uncovering a tied-up pony, the real Hollow Point. He smiled as he removed the plans from the bags to examine them. 

“Yeah, I saw him go over- no, he said he was Hollow Point. Why he would need to go into an alleyway is- all right. Send back-up. Whoever it is might be dangerous.” 'Point' frowned. If his plan was detected, he would be discovered very quickly, and the plans taken away. His tribe needed resources, and if they could replicate the device displayed in the plans, they could sell a copy of the blueprints for a major amount of gold bullion. His mouth watered. Gold was the best part about the Cradle.  He heard hooves charging down the alleyway. With a quick flash, he disappeared, hiding Hollow Point once more.

“You said he came over this way? Private, are you absolutely sure?” Private Shot nodded, scratching his head. The other soldier with him lifted a radio, irritation in his voice. “Yeah, it's me. Listen, somepony pretending to be Hollow Point just made off with some blueprints from Star Swirl's lab- no, I don't know what's on them. Not in the alleyway, no sir. They can't have just- all right, I'll send my report to Luna directly.” Shot and his compatriot galloped away, their holstered weapons clanking as they moved. 'Point' breathed deep, dispelling the shadows he had cast over himself. His body was black, holes dotting his legs. A single, sickeningly sharp horn, like a scimitar, jutted from his forehead. Leaning over, he removed the gag from Hollow Point, who stared up at him.

“What are you? Disguises like that? What are-” 

“My name is Mystique, and before you keep thinking I'm male, I am not. Why I ever decided on a male is horrific.” She wiggled her rump in front of Point's face, eliciting an embarrassed look from him. 

“You're... a mare? But... you look like a bug-” She stuck her hoof in Point's mouth, quieting him.

“Now, we can't have you speaking anything of this, so I'll just wipe your memory of the last few days. The perfect alibi.” A single flash, and she was gone, Hollow Point unconscious in the alleyway, untied and unharmed. Mystique stood on the roof above him as soldiers arrived to investigate the sudden flash. She smiled, her magic flaring as she disappeared once more. Her hooves clattered on the clay tile roof. One began to come loose, forcing her to stop. It started to slide. “No... don't you dare...” The tile slid off the roof, crashing into the hard ground right beside Private Shot. Mystique silently cursed herself for being such a careless fool, galloping away. Private Shot's rifle was quickly readied, a scope sliding in front of his eye. Training his rifle, he aimed right where sliding tiles were coming from. Squeezing off a shot, he accidentally blew off more tiles. Mystique jumped, her concentration broken. Her spells dissipated, revealing her to the ponies below.

“Stop right there criminal scum!” Shot and two soldiers clambered up onto the roof after her. Shots sped past, slamming into tiles in front of her until a large mass detached, dragging her along with them. As she fell, a pony from the crowd galloped up, retrieving the bag from her. He wore a jacket, one that appeared much too large for him.

“My lady. I do apologize for this, but you know the penalty for revealing yourself.” A harness sprung from underneath the jacket, aiming a small pistol at her head. With a single shot, Mystique's grey matter was blown across the ground, the pony who shot her nowhere to be seen. Shot galloped up to the body, shaking his head.

“We're too late. Somepony got to her first. Whatever she was carrying, it most certainly came from inside the Kepler. We need to call this in to Luna. Whatever that was, it seemed to know what it was doing.” The other soldiers with him nodded, one lifting his radio to speak.

“Red-Actual, this is Red-1. The package is not secure, repeat, the package is not secure. Cover all exits and passages. We cannot allow this package to leave the Cradle.” 

--------====||====--------

The pony that had escaped with the plans ducked into an alleyway, stripping off his clothing as fast as he could. Underneath the jacket was a harness and standard desert survival gear, a water vest to survive the hot sun, a loose robe to allow for good ventilation, and a scarf that he immediately wrapped around his head. Removing the plans from the bag, he slid them inside his robe, making sure they were secure. Lifting a radio to his ear, he smiled.

“This is Forcystus. I have the package. I am moving to the rendesvous point.” Forcystus smiled.  Normally, if he had been hired to gain information for a group, he would have to kill many more than just the one he did. Silently inside, he was upset that more killing was not necessary, but he understood that he was supposed to be discreet. Even having to shoot that one changeling was reason enough for the soldiers to put the Cradle under lockdown.

“Forcystus, be warned. A sandstorm is approaching the Cradle. Do not leave the sanctuary of the town, or else you may be lost.” He sighed, pushing a door open. Inside was a plethora of empty crates, a cot, and a basic camping stove, complete with the gas required to run it. Equestrians had discovered natural gas, and by proxy, had discovered propane as well. It was effective, to say the least. Not as effective for heat and electricity as the Cradle's geothermal generator – he would have to get his hooves on those plans eventually. Stripping off his desert survival gear, he stood in front of a mirror he had found left outside. His dark brown coat was streaked with caked sand and mud, courtesy of the desert sun. Outside, he could hear the sandstorm raging as he laid down on his cot. Shivering in thought of those who may have gotten trapped outside during an Everfree Desert sandstorm, he quickly grew drowsy and fell into a slumber.

--------====||====--------

Forcystus awoke to howling once more. The sandstorm had continued throughout the night, making certain that no ponies would be out. It would be suicide to attempt to leave the Cradle during a sandstorm. Only a military vehicle could even make it out in the sand. At least, only military vehicles before the design that was held in the plans he carried. Outside, amidst the howling and the constant grating of the sandstorm, he could barely hear the warning siren. It was still blaring, even though most ponies would be inside.

“And all of the nobles in Canterlot are sitting nice and cozy in their beds. I'd like to slit their throats someday.” Forcystus' radio began to crackle, garnering his full attention.

“...stus- Nove...- Tango...- connection's ba...” He could barely hear the message over the static. The long-holding problem of the desert. Almost as soon as a sandstorm rolled in, radio communication was almost instantaneously out. He picked up the radio, sighing.

“This is Forcystus, reading you more or less, November-Tango-Five-Five-Seven. You're just barely cutting through the sandstorm. Keep me posted.”

--------====||====--------

Inside the Kepler, the situation was less than desirable. Star Swirl was absolutely livid that a pony would impersonate a soldier, and steal plans for an experimental technology. Unit 3 attempted to make sure that Star Swirl was calm, but it was all for naught. He was angry, and he could not go out himself or else his connection to the Kepler's database would be severed.

“We have to send somepony out. Those plans, if they get leaked... oh, other countries on this world would be very angry, very angry indeed.” He was pacing back-and-forth. He was angry, but he was also panicking, having been a strong advocate of containing the major technologies to the Cradle. If word leaked that Equestria was harboring an advanced wreck and was utilizing the advanced technology, another country might invade, destroy his life's work.

“Star Swirl, it is inadvisable to let an individual outside in these conditions. The sandstorm is reaching wind speeds in excess of ninety kilometers an hour. Any individuals caught outside would have their flesh torn from their bones.” Unit 3 turned to a terminal it had been working with. The screen glowed with life, displaying the status of the sandstorm.

“It's that bad?” Unit 3 nodded. Soldiers shifted restlessly as they sat around a small garden-like area below the room in which Star Swirl and Unit 3 worked. 

“You hear that? Sandstorm's getting worse. Between sandstorms and the nomad ponies out here,  no wonder no sane soldier wants to be posted out here!” Long Shot sat still, his hooves barely holding onto a cup of soup. A cook had been gracious enough to cook the soldiers a meal, a simple potato soup; hearty, and filling. Hollow Point sat across from him, staring down at various photographs that cameras  had taken of the deceased thief. He had never seen a pony like her before, and the fact that she was able to disguise herself like that, well, it meant that either there was another group out there that no one remembered, or somepony had not been fully briefed when crafting history.

“Yeah, I hear it. Hey, Shot? You ever seen a pony like this?” Shot set down his cup of soup, trotting over to Point's side and settling in beside him. He looked over the photographs, frowning.

“Nope, can't say I have, Sergeant. Maybe you should ask, I don't know, Luna? Considering she's our benefactor?” Shot leaned in, pressing his face right up against Point's. Another soldier, Heavy Bunker, pushed the two of them apart, his abnormally large size intimidating to the smaller ponies in front of him. The other two backed off of each other, retreating to their respective sides. Colonel Bunker nodded at them both with sadness in his eyes. It was not the first time he had been forced to separate the two.

“If I see you two getting into it again, you'll both be in force-cages for a week!” Point and Shot snapped to attention, the message coming across loud and clear. Regular prison cells were nice and all, but the force-cage? One of the advancements that had never left the Kepler was the force-cage, an energy-field-enhanced prison cell. Unfortunately, no food was ever given, nor water, and there was no mattress. Most who entered a force-cage never exited the same. Most cracked. Bunker shuddered at the thought. He had watched as ponies who had committed heinous crimes cracked when inside the force-cage.

“Colonel Heavy Bunker! My office, now!” Star Swirl was watching the group from a balcony, his expression less than pleasant. Bunker swallowed. Having to meet with their primary benefactor was never a good sign for a soldier. Nevertheless, he entered the office, glancing around. Star Swirl was staring at schematics on a nearby table, heavy bags under his eyes. It was like staring at a dead pony.

“Sir? You called?” Star Swirl pointed at the viewscreen, a face staring down. It was Princess Luna. Bunker swallowed once more, moving slowly towards the screen. His head was down as he approached, partially out of reverence for the Princess of the Night, partially out of absolute fear gripping his chest.

“So, am I to assume you were the colonel on duty today for package delivery?” Bunker slowly nodded his head.

“I was, ma'am. Permission to speak freely?” Luna nodded at him, watching as he visibly relaxed.

“We had no idea we were infiltrated by a shapeshifter. Hollow Point was the apparent target. The plans for the sandstorm-proofed buggies were taken, and somepony removed them from the body of that strange pony. We have the body in the morgue. Am I to assume you have been given the photographs, ma'am?” Luna nodded, still silent. Star Swirl stopped Bunker before he continued.

“Show me.” Bunker lifted the photographs up for Star Swirl to see. He showed no reaction, except a slight musing.

“Interesting. I'll make a note of it.” Bunker returned to Luna, who seemed tired and out of sorts.

“Ma'am, we need to know what we're dealing with out here. What else is out here in these wastes besides us?” Bunker backed up as Luna levitated the copies of the photographs she had with her.

“Colonel, we've just encountered this same species as well. However, as it stands, you seem to be dealing with a more aggressive factions of these creatures. Canterlot scientists have decided to term them 'Changelings.' Be aggressive in your search for the pony that stole the plans from that changeling.” The screen went blank, with a message splayed across it, saying 'Transmission Ended.' Bunker turned to Star Swirl, who seemed very disinterested.

“Sir, what's going on? What exactly are these creatures, and what are they trying to do?”

“My guess would be – and remember, Colonel, I do not claim to be the exact expert in this at all – that they learned about the Cradle, and have decided that either they want some of the technology for themselves, or they want to prove themselves so they themselves can join the Cradle.” Star Swirl began to mumble as he pored over various diagrams and figures, one sheet sliding to the floor. Upon it was a strange weapon, something labeled as an 'Automatic Rifle.' Shrugging, he left Star Swirl to his musing as he returned to his troops.

“Colonel, what was that about?”

“The creature that caught Hollow Point and masqueraded as him. We have a name for them.” Hollow Point and Long Shot stared at each other, confused.

“What would that be, sir?”

“Changelings.”	

	Palace of the Royal Pony Sisters

Not far away, in the great capitol of Equestria, Luna sat, despondent. She had kept her cool as she flat-out lied straight to the face of her most trusted colonel, but she could not keep the ruse up anymore. A knock at her door alerted her to the entrance of a new pony to join what was quickly becoming the Equestrian Coalition. A large version of the creatures she had named as 'Changelings' stood in the doorway, a smaller one smiling beside her. Luna was younger than her sister, Celestia, and in charge of the research at the Cradle, but that did not mean she would take for granted the friendships she had carefully accumulated. The younger changeling squealed in delight as she charged towards Luna, tackling her down and tumbling as the two fillies giggled and smiled. 

“Ah, Princess Luna, I see you've remembered my daughter, Princess Chrysalis. She has been ever so eager in coming to meet you. You two seem the dearest of friends.” The larger frowned as she entered, Luna bowing before her.

“Queen Apoidea! Celestia is sort of busy right now, but I guess-” Apoidea's expression did not change to that of a lighter mood.

“Luna, I do not have time for pleasantries or stalling. I require an audience with your sister. Now.” Luna's face dropped. Apoidea was known not for her formality, nor any pleasantries. Straight to the point, and very impatient, she stood as Luna backed away.

“C-Celestia is rather busy. I need to oversee the Cradle, Apoidea! You, of all ponies, should know that!” Apoidea laughed, returning to a rather disappointed expression.

“You mean the wreck in the Everfree Desert? That is nothing! I have had to personally meet with Changeling chieftains to ensure their loyalty to the Ancestral Hive-” Apoidea was interrupted by a rather disheveled Celestia entering Luna's room.

“Dear sister, why all the commo- Apoidea, what a... uh, surprise?” Apoidea bowed before Celestia, stealing a quick glance at her daughter.

“Celestia, I have words for you. Come along Chrysalis.” Chrysalis thrust out her lower lip, her eyes large like saucers.

“But Luna is here!” Apoidea placed her hoof on her forehead, contemplating how to approach the matter delicately. Her subjects were informal and to the point, but her daughter was rather brash and impulsive, something she would have to discover not to be. Celestia sighed, nodding to Luna who followed the group to what appeared to be a rather large map room, an enormous table documenting every single city, country, and famous location across their world. Celestia sighed, pointing to the Cradle.

“Apoidea, are you here to discuss once more about the sightings-”

“Sister, they are not rumours and mere sightings.” Both Apoidea and Celestia seemed rather shocked at Luna's outburst. Celestia stared down at the Cradle while Apoidea regained her composure. The information seemed rather new to the both of them.

“Luna, you say there are actual Changelings near the Cradle?” Luna nodded. A flash appeared beside her, and photographs were floated over to Celestia. Celestia's eyes widened as she looked at them, autopsy reports and all. Apoidea was busy levitating a small red flag marked with a black capital C to where the Cradle sat on the map.

“A separate tribe? And they attempted to steal the technology of the vessel-”

“Kepler, Apoidea.”

“-the Kepler? This is rather disconcerting indeed.” She straightened up, looking directly at Luna. The look in her eyes caused Luna to shrink back, uncertain of what she was planning. Apoidea had spoken with shock in her voice, but her look belied the fact that she was no doubt furious at the theft. The Ancestral Hive of the Changelings itself was not governed underneath Equestrian law, but the Changelings were allies to the burgeoning Equestrian Coalition, the zebras of Zebraica having joined fairly early. The Diamond Dogs, Gryphons, Dragons, and various other factions remained separate, though there were inklings of the Minotaurs decidedly joining the Coalition.

“Disconcerting?”

“Yes, Luna.” Apoidea stared up from the map at Luna, who moved forward to examine the map. It seemed that not only one but three flags were now near the Cradle. “I have two small groups moving in to contain the threat that these renegades pose to the current order. If word were to get out that there was an enormous trove of technology being held secret by Equestria, there would be no end to what could occur. My Hive would be threatened. Oh, and Celestia's and your reigns as well.” Luna backed away, galloping to her room where she began to attempt to contact the Cradle's defense force, although she could not get through the interference. The sandstorm was apparently at its apex.

Kepler/The Cradle

The sandstorm had signs of letting up, some light finally returning through the windows. Star Swirl stared out the window, watching for signs of any pony attempting to leave the Cradle, which would make them the true thieves of the plans. As he watched the sand flow past the window, a crackling began to occur on the radio system.

“...ome in...lings...wirl!” Star Swirl faced the radio, quickly turning dials and pushing sliders to isolate the signal.

“Colonel? Colonel Heavy Bunker! Come to my office now!” Bunker moved as quickly as his legs would take him, saluting Star Swirl as he continued to attempt to isolate the incoming radio signal.

“Sir! What is it?”

“Seems like an incoming radio message from the Princess! It might be something incredibly important!” Bunker nodded, turning around and kicking the console. With a single crackle, the signal cleared up, Luna's face appearing on the viewscreen.

“Ah! Star Swirl! I have an urgent message for the Cradle's defense forces- oh, Colonel Bunker, you're already here! Swift thinking!” As soon as she was about to start, a large figure approached the camera.

“Princess Luna, it is incredibly rude- is this a direct line to the Cradle?” A very large Changeling appeared beside her, seating herself with airs of royalty. Star Swirl glanced over at Bunker, who proceeded to shrug.

“Princess Luna, I must protest! This is an incredible brea-”

“Her name is Queen Apoidea, of the Changelings, and she is Equestria's ally. Treat her with respect, Colonel.” Bunker saluted, allowing Apoidea the proper respect. Star Swirl raised an eyebrow, watching closely at the interactions for any sign of subterfuge.

“Ah, at least somepony knows how to give respect. Am I to understand, Colonel Bunker, that you have encountered Changeling infiltrators in the Cradle? Ones that have contributed to the theft of plans for some new attempt at transportation?” Bunker nodded, remaining silent. He knew the less he said, the less he would have to answer for if Celestia ever got wind of what was happening.

“Queen Apoidea, we have the matter under control-”

“I have dispatched Changeling soldiers to assist. They are not infiltrators, and as such, they are to be treated with the same respect as any of Celestia's subjects, is that understood?!” Bunker nodded, still remaining silent. Apoidea nodded, standing to leave. Luna shook her head in exasperation, returning to her conversation.

“Activate the quarantine gates. No pony gets in or out.” Bunker nodded, looking over to Star Swirl. Star Swirl, in turn, nodded, setting unsaid orders for the Cradle to begin a quarantine.

The Cradle

Alarms resounded as the sandstorm began to finally die down, soldiers of the Cradle's defense force galloping to their destinations, taking up positions around the gates. Rifles were locked and loaded, waiting for any creature to approach the gates. With a single, loud clanking noise, large metal slabs rose up from beneath the sand, effectively creating a large wall around the Cradle. Forcystus, stepping outside, cursed underneath his breath.

“They're faster than I anticipated. Hopefully I can get myself out.” 

--------====||====--------

Hollow Point and Long Shot took their positions within the tallest tower in the city, their special sniper rifles at the ready. As they stood still, Shot felt the hot sun beat down on his face, the sweat drops  pouring down as he watched the ground.

“Hey, Point?”

“Yeah, Shot?”

“Why is it that we only use the auto-wall for quarantines, and never for simple defense?” Point did not reply, merely watching the streets below as ponies milled about for the afternoon. The First Sector was sometimes the most boring post if something caused the alarms to go, but it left the two ponies with time to think. Shot sighed, leaning against the railing.

“I don't rightly know, Shot. Most of the time we try to keep the walls down. Official story and all.” Shot merely stared, still searching for whomever might attempt to leave the quarantine area. Ponies had been instructed not to leave their homes or places of employment during the quarantine. Officially, it was due to the complications of the sandstorm, which, unfortunately, was partially true. Static build-up from the fine particulate sand could spark, igniting fuel reserves and causing detrimental damage to the Cradle. Shot was not happy about lying to the populace, but it had to be done, and no matter what, it remained certain that war could ignite over the Kepler, something he was all too aware of, especially since war was always on their doorstep in part thanks to the Gryphon Hegemony gathering up its army and patrolling it near the border with Equestria.

“Sniper team, check in!”

“Private Long Shot, reporting in!”

“Sergeant Hollow Point, ditto.”

“All right. Star Swirl's given the weapons-free command. Any pony so much as touches one of the auto-wall segments, light them up. We cannot allow this to get out! Excuse me for now, I have an incoming radio signal.” The signal died as Shot was watching the streets again, looking around when he saw movement.

“Contact! Sector 0-1-4! If you're here to help, get him!” Shot zoomed in as close as possible. While the ponies in the First Sector wore cloth robes to prevent sand from entering their bodies, this one seemed off. The entire head was covered, with a scarf of some type encompassing its face. Long brown robes covered it as it raised something to its head. Shot recognized it as a modified long-range radio assembly, a shipment of which had gone missing as it was being delivered to the armed forces in Stalliongrad. 

--------====||====--------
Forcystus had noticed the alarms, but even though the main objective would be drenched in failure, his own personal objective would be complete.

“I am not lying. This is Forcystus, of the Steel Rangers Mercenaries. The Equestrian government has been hiding a treasure trove of technology and fortune from every race except those sworn to complete secrecy! They are currently mobilizing forces to ensure my silence. Remember me, and that I have shown you the hypocrisy of the diarchy of Equestria!” With that, he was about to shut off the radio when something whistled through the air and slammed into it, forcing it from his hoof. With a quick motion his pistol was out, the harness shredding his robe to reveal the dark grey uniform underneath. Another motion forced the hood from his head, the scarf tearing into pieces.

--------====||====--------

“Hostile identified! Member of the Steel Rangers Mercenaries!” Colonel Bunker led the small squad that was to apprehend the thief, recognized as a member of the Steel Rangers, a mercenary group that had been terrorizing various parts of the world, and according to the situation, they had set their sights on the Cradle.

“Keep your sides covered! He might have associates in the Cradle already!” A standard military formation followed, six in the middle, three in front, and three to each side, allowing them coverage of every spot where an opposing force would or could assault from.

“Deactivate your weapon harness! Do it now!” All weapons were now trained on him. The Steel Ranger smiled before he bit down on the trigger bit, faster than any other pony was able to. Two soldiers were wounded, seven were dead. Nine soldiers were still standing, their weapons still trained on him. Almost as soon as the Steel Ranger was about to fire, a shot rang out from the tower, a single flash before the Ranger's side exploded in blood, cloth, and torn flesh, a high-caliber round penetrating his side at an awkward angle. Another shot quickly followed, severing a leg. Blood began to pool on the sand, the severed leg rolling away slowly. One more shot rang out, slamming into the Ranger's shredded side. The other soldiers deactivated their weapon harnesses, quickly moving in. The dying Ranger was laughing, blood slowly pouring from his side,  leg, and mouth.

“You poor saps. Today, I die, but my labours have proven fruitful. You will remember this day as the day Forcystus the Steel Ranger bested the defenders of the Cradle, and-” A shot penetrated his skull, flipping him over and away from those who had moved in. Bunker was standing still, an expression of pure rage on his face as his pistol smoked, the heated shell melting sand into glass on the ground. With a loud snapping sound, his harness flipped the pistol back into the holster on his side. Removing a radio from a strap on his left side, he activated it, allowing a response from the other end before he spoke.

“Colonel Bunker! What is the situation?” Bunker swallowed. It was not going to be easy to explain everything, but he would have to do his best.

“Star Swirl, sir... the intruder is dead. Shot three times with a high-caliber, once by myself. Sir, we're in for a world of hurt.” Colonel Bunker winced at the choking sound Star Swirl was making in the radio. It seemed he was more angry than he had ever shown.

“What do you mean-”

“Sir, he was able to communicate with his compatriots before we were able to stop him. They know about the Cradle now, and it is a safe bet that whoever they are employed by, they will know as well. Recommend we pour as much resources into defense of the Cradle as physically possible.” 

--------====||====--------

Star Swirl was beside himself in his anger. Due to the electronics that composed a majority of his body, he could no longer utilize any magic or spells he once could use, but that never stopped him from simply hurling objects the old-fashioned way. His voice was caught in his throat, creating a peculiar choking noise that sounded eerily similar to a drowning small animal. Papers were flowing around the room, plans and blueprints out of their orderly stacks. With one moment of calm, Star Swirl returned to the radio.

“You have clearance for all the defensive emplacements! We cannot lose the Cradle. No matter what time they arrive, be it two days, two years, or two decades from now, we will not be found lacking! Do I make myself clear, Colonel Heavy Bunker?!” An acknowledgment was heard on the other side before the signal was shut off. He stood in his office, staring at the ground for a few minutes before carefully retrieving his papers and stacking them in their orderly piles once more.

3308 AD – Everfree Desert/The Cradle

Every day, every waking moment, it was silence. Since the fateful incident six years previous, the Cradle had been on constant high alert, although, with the newly formed Equestrian Armed Forces bolstering their numbers they had at least some way to keep themselves from losing their minds as they continuously stared out at the bleakness of the desert. Colonel Bunker had retired from duty, quickly being replaced by a hastily-promoted Colonel Hollow Point. Long Shot had been promoted to Captain, and re-assigned to train the soldiers in Stalliongrad with the newest weapons to be designed in the Cradle. Bunker had moved to Fort Ponyville, a burgeoning trading post that was famous for the special jam that came from the nearby Sweet Apple Acres. Point had lost track of most of the soldiers from that day, but he had more important duties as the commanding officer of the Cradle's Equestrian Infantry detachment. There were grand guns in the desert sand, constantly being maintained and modified to work against sand. Every single one shot slow, but massive damage was to be had if any enemy was foolhardy enough to wander into their firing line. Unit 3 had been offline for two months, stating before that his battery was not working at full capacity, and that it needed to deactivate and allow a slow memory purge.

“It's been a long six years, hasn't it, Colonel?” Point looked up from his deployment map to glance at Star Swirl. Over six years, he had been given more machinery. His hind legs were now completely mechanical, but they were sheathed with a rubber covering that mimicked the coat of the remaining flesh parts of his body.

“Six years, and nothing in the way of any sort of action. Still, never hurts to be prepared, right?” Star Swirl merely nodded, staring out the window. The auto-wall system had malfunctioned two years previous, preventing the walls from ever retracting into their places in the ground. Not that it would have mattered much. The auto-walls protected from sandstorms; they were apparently static-resistance bulkheads from the Kepler. Engineers had uncovered two hatches leading to an underground area. They were still cataloging every item they had uncovered underneath. The town around the Kepler, now affectionately named Luna's Cradle for their benefactor, had grown several times. The main area had become the major fabrication and munitions production area for the defenders of Luna's Cradle. The new rifles that had been developed were more resistant to jamming, but the method for the production of ammunition prevented them from automatic fire, as the shells had an incredible tendency to overheat and melt the firing pin, sometimes exploding as well. Unit 3, before off-lining, had shared advanced production practices from what he termed as 'humanity's twenty-first century.' Munitions were much more durable, as were the rifles, but they were still only able to produce semi-automatic rifles. Star Swirl had produced the idea of an automatic rifle, but the gas-feed it would operate on was beyond the ability of their current manufacturing capacities.

“Never hurts, indeed, Colonel. Bunker would have been proud.”

“Would have been, sir?” Point was curious now. Whatever information Star Swirl had, it was about his old commanding officer, and it immediately piqued his interest.

“Oh. He died. He was one of the oldest in the service, Colonel. Died of a derailing train. He didn't suffer.” Point looked out the window, melancholy in his voice as he spoke.

“That's all we can hope for. A swift death and no pain-” Point was about to continue when alarms began to ring. Without a second thought, he was in front of the base-wide broadcast system. He knew what the alarms were about, and his war face was grim. “All hands, to your stations! Gunners, suit up! Snipers, to your posts! Everypony else, get out of bed and move it!” Slamming down the receiver, he frowned as he watched the soldiers hastily getting dressed and their harnesses on. Turret gunners were different, if only in the fact that their harnesses were designed to directly interact with the turrets outside the wall. Civilians were moving into the underground area, a place which had been converted to a bunker for war-time scenarios.

“So, the die has been cast, has it, Colonel?” Point solemnly nodded. 

“Unfortunately, sir. I'm going to take my place with the defenders. We will not let them have Luna's Cradle!” Point galloped away, leaving Star Swirl to stair out the window. In the distance, great sprays of sand were thrown up, the force not identifying itself by any means. No IFF, or “identification, friend or foe,” nor any style of uniform recognized by the scouts.

--------====||====--------

Hollow Point discarded his colonel uniform for his combat suit and weapon harness. One of the new rifle designs had been gifted to him through the upper echelon of Command, and he never thought anything of it. His vest was strapped down tightly, his harness clicked together. The harness grasped the weapon, the trigger gripped with the right amount of pressure for preparation. Next was his helmet. More commonly known as a “bucket head”, Luna's Cradle had been the main producer of the fine helmets. Good visibility, and decent all-around protection. Finally, his ammunition. Six magazines of beautiful seven-six-two full metal jacket ammunition, his bread and butter. Three soldiers were still gearing up, apparently new recruits.

“Attention! Names, recruits!”

“Sir, Private Dead Eye, sir!

“Sir, Corporal Quick Scope, sir!”

“Sir, Sergeant Full Metal, sir!” Point nodded at them, frowning. He knew that they might not make it through the day, but by Celestia, he would at least lead them to a good end.

“You may know that Luna's Cradle is about to be attacked. You three are a part of the new wave of recruits. We cannot allow them to take what we have worked so hard to dredge up from the ground! We may be forgotten in the annals of time, but by Celestia, we will make the enemy rue the day they ever thought it was a smart idea to tangle with the likes of the Equestrian Fifth Infantry! Do you get me!” All three of them resounded in a single call, their determination, their nervousness, and their fear coming clear through their call. 

“We get you, sir!” Point motioned towards the door.

“You three are with me. Let's move, ladies! Go, go, go!”

--------====||====--------

The attitude was grim as the defenders stood at their posts, hasty defenses erected for those using prototype weapons. A large weapon, known as a crankshaft repeater to the Equestrian forces, but simply “Puff” to the civilians, was placed on a mount near the Kepler's main entrance. Point had arrived with his three fireteam members at what was known as Point Alpha, the main entrance of the actual Cradle, the original area of settlement and industry. Snipers were already in their windows and towers, while the gunners on the turrets outside the walls were radioing in. Every riflepony within the walls was tense, masks of fear and determination etched into every face there. It was the beginning of the week, and many wished they were still asleep after the drills they had run all weekend. Point's radio crackled to life, alerting him to a message.

“Sir! We've got what appears to be- gryphons?! Sir, the gryphons are arriving, and they have some sort of armoured vehicles! Corporal, get down! Sergeant-” The radio cut out. Point cursed under his breath. He could not allow them to take the town.

“Sir! Outpost Gamma! We're under attack by some sort of large dog-like- sir! They're the Diamond Dogs!”

“Outpost Delta! We've encountered minotaurs! They're charging right through the defense line! Get that weapon trained on the minotaurs!” The radio cut short. The three outposts had been overwhelmed by what appeared to be a more numerous force than previously anticipated. The changelings that were stationed with the defenders seemed to not show anything other than a grim determination not unlike a pony who understands the full risks of a mission.

“Keep your eyes peeled, and your sides covered! You three, follow me!” Scope, Metal, and Eye followed close behind, their weapon harnesses in the inactive state to allow for more freedom of movement. There were small tunnels underneath the ground that engineers had constructed underneath the sand, tunnels that made movement much faster. The small fireteam crawled through, keeping their movements in sync as much as possible. Sounds of gunfire and combat were muffled, but they were overhead. Large explosions shook the tunnels, but the roof held. As they moved through another tunnel branch, Point could see light ahead. With quick motions, he crawled out, his harness already prepared for action. Scope, Metal, and Eye followed suit, taking concentric positions around the tunnel entrance. With no words spoken, Point moved off, the others following closely behind. The sight that greeted them as they rounded the corner to the main street was horrific. Bodies were everywhere, but it had been mostly gryphons, although the defenders were barely twelve, from the forty that had been there. Point, watching the gryphons, was almost too late in noticing the shadow above him. A minotaur with a large metal hammer slammed the ground as hard as he could, the weapon shaking the ground as it impacted with the foundations of the nearby structure. Scope, Metal, and Eye were already firing, the bullet wounds they inflicted barely fazing the minotaur whatsoever.

“You ponies are no better than your leaders!” The minotaur had taken his attention from Point long enough for him to carefully aim, blasting a shot through the minotaur's skull. Without a second opinion, he dropped like a stone to the ground.

“Aim for the head. Okay, so, gryphons and minotaurs confirmed. What about the armoured-” Behind them, a large rumbling was heard. Something slid into position as they turned around. “Scatter!” A large explosion followed as the armoured vehicle destroyed every piece of cover it could. Before it could get a good bead on Point's fireteam, the treads began to smoke, startling them when they blew apart.

“I told you these were never a good idea-” The vehicle was quickly destroyed by something wielding a hammer. Point hid around a piece of wall that had stayed standing, the other three crouching down. Only when the hammering stopped did they bother to look out. A minotaur was standing on top of the vehicle, holding what appeared to be an oversized version of their own rifles.

“Well, looks like we got here just in time! Move out!” More minotaurs wielding the oversized rifles sprinted past, combat vests on their torsos, and helmets on their heads.

“Well, at least you're not trying to turn us into paste. Name and rank?” The minotaur jumped down from the vehicle, tossing a dead gryphon on the ground.

“Indomitable Will, Warrant Officer. Am I to assume you are Colonel Hollow Point?” Point nodded silently, pointing behind them. Explosions detonated in various areas, while screams of pain and anger were heard even over the din of battle and conflict. “Just point us at the fight.” 

--------====||====--------

The defenders on Unity Street were not faring much better. The gryphons had some explosive devices, something much more worrisome than the armoured vehicles which seemed to have a tendency to break down at the least opportune moments. Every defender was pushed back repeatedly, snipers dead before they could sight in an enemy. Warrant Officer Will growled as he saw minotaurs fighting alongside gryphons.

“Traitors! We were neutral for a reason! We may fall this day, but this day, the enemy will know fear!” With a battlecry, the minotaurs charged forward, their weapons discharging as Point and his soldiers watched in awe, their mouths open in pure shock. Gryphons ignored the ponies to fire at the raging minotaurs, leaving them exposed.

“These are more like raw recruits than veterans!” 

“Cover the minotaurs! Get that gun running-” Sounds of rapid fire were echoing over the battle. The minotaurs began to falter, Indomitable Will pinned behind a large barricade. There seemed to be a strange box that the gryphons were dragging. As they opened the sides with a crowbar, the device was clear.

“Get down!” Another soldier had beaten Point to the punch, as it were, but it was still the same message. Ten barrels began to spin, the weapon spitting out rounds as fast as the barrels spun.

“Where in Tartarus did they get a crankshaft repeater? Those are still in the prototyping phase!” Point was beginning to get very nervous. He had nowhere to run, nowhere to turn to for an escape route. Dead Eye glanced around, pointing to a nearby house.

“In here!” Point, Will, Dead Eye, Full Metal, and Quick Scope dove for the doorway, the trail of bullets hammering the outside of the house. As they stood up and brushed themselves off, Dead Eye looked around, counting. Something was off; there were only four of them inside. He glanced outside, staring at the street. There, on the ground, Quick Scope lay bleeding, no movement at all. He pulled back, staring at the wall. Will pushed furniture from the room towards the windows and door, creating a veritable bunker. Hollow Point glanced at what was left of his squad, shaking his head at the events that had just transpired. Will sat with Full Metal, creating a small fire inside a small metal garbage can, while Dead Eye merely stared at the wall, mumbling to himself.

“Dead Eye?” The private did not respond, rocking back-and-forth. His eyes were wide, devoid of any emotion besides utter terror. Hollow Point sat down, his mind slowly letting events catch up with him. Without warning, his stomach lurched, the contents spilling on the floor. He could see every dead body, and he was beginning to wish he had never seen it.

“I guess they never said what would happen in true war, sir.” Full Metal had come to stand beside Point as he steadied himself. He put his hoof on Point's back, tapping lightly.

“Those were our friends, Metal. Our friends, and they just- they just cut them down! Without remorse!” Dead Eye began to sob quietly as the outside sounds were muffled, punctuated by what sounded like an explosion. Will shook his head, sighing.

“I watched my own family wrestle with the best to become what they were, but this is just senseless.” He pulled apart his rifle, cleaning as he sang a song of elegy for those still outside.

“Hear me, hear me, oh ancients of the grove
Hear the voices of those long gone
Let them rest their overtly weary heads
Find them peace now that they are dead.

Truth never spoke of Lies
Burning to the core
Of ponies and the minotaurs
Praying for their souls.

Let the light of Life shine through the dark
Lead the lost souls from the grave
And let them leave their marks.

Fires burn as one
The end might soon come
But let their spirits rise
Like the sun.” Will rolled the screws between his fingers, musing on the words of the song.

“A song about the dead, huh?” He looked up to see Point looking at him in interest. He set the screws down, shaking his head.

“More a song of remembrance for those who have died, and a prayer that the afterlife puts their worries to rest.” With a flurry of motion, his rifle was quickly assembled, the bolt sliding into place. He  
drew the bolt out, checking for inconsistencies.

“Sounds like a perfect elegy for this situation.” They began to sing along with Will as they watched the sun disappear over the horizon, the dark spreading as the light died down. Point stared outside as he watched gryphons looking through the bodies. One found a survivor and quickly slit his throat. He turned back from the window, forcing down his fear as he steeled himself.

“We're in here for the long haul, aren't we?” Point solemnly nodded, keeping silent.

--------====| Day 2 |====--------

The sun streamed through the window, particles of dust dancing in the light as the squad woke. As they started to stand, weapons fire erupted outside, prompting them to drop down to their stomachs. Dead Eye looked up to a hatch in the roof, motioning for everyone to get topside. Will nodded, standing below the hatch. Full Metal jumped on his shoulders, holding tightly as Will stood.

“Hold on, corporal.” He lifted his arms, pushing Full Metal through the hatch. He watched as Full Metal looked around, kneeling down to retrieve his weapon harness from Will.

“Looks clear. If we can, I'll-” A single shot rang out, Full Metal slumping over and falling down through the hatch. Point and Dead Eye stood beside Will, staring at their fallen comrade, blood leaking from a small wound in the forehead. Will backed up, falling onto his rear as he stared at the dead body. Dead Eye and Point stood ramrod stiff, their eyes once again wide with terror. Point once again leaned towards the ground, his stomach's contents emptied out onto the wooden floor. Dead Eye dropped to the floor, his eyes blank with despair.

“How can we get out of here if they've got long rifles as well?! We're dead! Dead!” Dead Eye stared at the door as Point sighed.

“We'll try at night. As long as we try not to make ourselves a target, we should be fine.”

--------====||====--------

The night came, the dust settling as the firing of weapons outside died down. Will lifted Hollow Point up, letting him look around before shoving him up and tossing Dead Eye up after him. Lifting their weapons, Will prepared to climb up after them. They were staring out over the city outside of the walls of the main sector of Luna's Cradle. He followed their gaze and stared at possibly the largest fire he had ever seen. The outer edge of the town was being devoured as it slowly moved. Minotaurs and gryphons shouted in cheers of triumph as they chased away other squads that had fallen to the same fate as Point's own squad, slaughtering them where they stood and tossing the bodies into the fires. Point was about to draw his weapon when Will pointed over the horizon. The Cradle's defense force was slowly moving forwards, minotaurs loyal to Equestria pushing massive wheeled carriages covered in armour forwards. Will was about to shout in a cheer of happiness when shots rang out. The invaders had spotted them, and a crankshaft repeater was trained on their position, a minotaur smiling as he turned the handle. Grabbing Dead Eye under one arm, Hollow Point under the other, he sprinted off the top of the building, dropping them as they hit the ground. Rolling to a stop, he brought his rifle to bear, aiming around.

“Get moving! We can't have lost them that easily!” Will pressed up against a wall, sneaking a peek out. Gryphons with swords and primitive matchlock pistols moved around, executing any survivors they found.

“It's an all-out massacre. They're not here to invade, but to slaughter everyone and everything.” He turned to see Dead Eye unslinging his rifle, the scope sliding in front of his eye. He shook his hands in a gesture of 'don't you dare' as the gryphons advanced.

“There are too many of them for us to fight. There's only three of us.” Point nodded, swallowing his fear as he looked out. They tossed more survivors into the blaze, followed by whooping and cheering. He glanced around, looking for anything out of the way and not easily accessible. There was not much, but he could see a grate nearby, one not outlined by the light of the blaze. He motioned for Dead Eye and Point to get the grate up as he took point, watching for movement on the side of the gryphons and the other minotaurs. Dead Eye dragged the grate off, pushing Point down and pointing for Will to jump down. He followed suit, watching the ladder as he dropped. The area opened up to a large catacomb-like area, the bowels of the ruined sections of the Kepler, broken screens and rotted plants dotting the area before them before a ledge that looked out onto what appeared to be some sort of barracks.

“We're inside the Kepler. Keep your sixes covered.” The shouts from outside were muffled as the gryphons searched for the minotaur and two-pony squad. 

“Let's lay up in here for the night. Shouldn't be too long until the sun rises. I doubt the gryphons are foolhardy enough to enter the truly unknown.” Point glanced around after he finished, shivering slightly.

“Unsettling, isn't it?” Point looked over at Dead Eye, who was looking down at the ground below, looking at the skeletons of bipedals laying around. Weapons lay rusted and broken, old spent shells littering the ground. Will glanced back at the entrance, the grate not having been placed back.

“I'll take first watch. Point, you're on second watch. Dead Eye, you fine with third?”

“Yeah, whatever.” With that, Dead Eye and Point fell into an uncomfortable sleep, their nightmares of death and blood. Will sat there, cradling his rifle. In truth, he did not want to sleep. He could see the dead when he closed his eyes, and that was problem enough for him. As he sat there, he wondered if it was truly a war that had begun.

--------====| Day 3 |====--------

Dead Eye nudged his companions awake, pointing at the grate.

“First light. We should get moving. I don't know if the Cradle's defenders have reached the gryphon army yet.” Point slowly sat up, blinking and smacking his dry lips. Will rolled over, staring at Dead Eye.

“Well, they would have reached the opposing army last night, I would think. Maybe one of us should check?” Will nodded silently, standing up. Strapping his rifle to his back, he made his way over to the grate, lifting himself out slowly. The sight that awaited him brought him pause as he stared. Gryphons and Equestrians alike lay bloodied and ruined, the bodies riddled with holes. He noticed a unicorn crawling slowly, blood seeping from a leg wound. Her uniform was that of a medic, a pony sworn to help all in need. She was in definitely dire need of some assistance of her own. Will lowered himself down, breathing slowly to keep himself calm.

“There's a lot of dead up there. Saw one surviving unicorn, though. She looks badly hurt. Point, you want to go up first?” Point nodded, letting Will pick him up and toss him through the grate onto the ground above. Dead Eye followed, with Will close behind. The unicorn noticed the three, slowly crawling towards them.

“He... help me.” Dead Eye kept watch while Point knelt down in front of her, pulling bandages, a needle, and thread, from the saddlebags on her, going to work while she kept her eyes and mouth clamped shut. Will had to look away while Point took care of her, the quiet whimpers of the unicorn barely audible over the embers of the previous night's fire. Point threaded the needle, pushing the sharp object through the hide on the leg, a small amount of blood trickling out as he pushed on. Reaching around in her bags, he pulled out some antiseptic fluid, cleaning the wound as best he could with what he had. She looked away, biting down on her lip hard enough to draw blood. Will looked back, motioning for her to open her mouth. Pulling a small leather roll from one of his uniform's pockets, he placed it between her teeth.

“Bite down on this. It will help a little, and keep you from piercing your lip.” She complied, immediately chomping down on the roll, tears streaming down her face. Point nodded to Will, continuing to stitch the unicorn's leg. A few more stitches, and he began to wrap the leg with bandages. Will pulled a minotaur's rifle from the ground, removing the barrel and bending it for a splint, which Point happily attached to the unicorn's leg. She stopped biting on the roll to see her leg.

“It... still hurts a little, but thank you.” She stood up slowly, weakly saluting. 

“You shouldn't be moving so quickly, miss...”

“Medical Officer Twinkle Sheen, Medic Corps. I'm a sergeant in rank, if that's what you want.” Point and Will looked at each other, sighing as they looked around. They appeared to be the only ones still alive in a sea of corpses. Twinkle Sheen calmed down enough for it to register, and immediately vomited on the ground.

“Yeah, it doesn't get any easier, Twinkle. We've seen it three times now. Two of our squad, one by crankshaft repeater, the other by a gryphon long rifle. It's going to be a long while before any of us forget the ones we saw die. I'll probably never sleep well again.” Point patted her on the back as she slumped down to the ground, shaking as tears sprang to her eyes again.

“They... they killed them all. Slaughtered them like animals...” Her body continuously shook with sobs as she cried over the loss of everyone in front of her. Will grabbed more rifles, tearing cloth off dead soldiers to tie them together in a makeshift marker.

“As long as we do not forget them, they'll live on in our memories. They did not want this war any more than we minotaurs did.” He stood up, lifting Twinkle Sheen underneath his arm.

“So, colonel, what's the plan?” Everyone looked at Point, who shied away from the sudden spotlight put on him.

“I guess try and regroup with the rest of the defenders, and see how far the invaders made it into Luna's Cradle.” Point sighed as he finished, looking back towards the massive walls of the First Sector, where many of the civilians were waiting with baited breath for any news at all. He looked back at Twinkle Sheen and his squad. Every single one of them was decked out with the desert camouflage that Star Swirl had said was effective, and he had never seen their faces, let alone what they looked like underneath those uniforms. Twinkle's eyes were a piercing blue, filled with a deep sorrow. Dead Eye had one milky-white orb, the other a deep red, while Will stared down from his much smaller eyes.

“Let's get going then.” Will motioned for Point to get moving, letting the colonel lead the way as they marched slowly towards the perimeter of the First Sector.

--------====||====--------

Night began to fall as they arrived, the darkness concealing the squad of four as screaming was heard inside Luna's Cradle. Dead Eye and Hollow Point had their rifles out, the scopes up to their eyes as they kept their eyes concentrated for any surprises. The crankshaft repeater on the wall lay silent, a dead Equestrian soldier leaning up against it. More Equestrians lay around, with gryphons also on the ground, the death throes evident as they appeared intertwined in mockery of a waltz, more of a dance of death in of itself. 

“I don't see any of the defense force, well, alive. What happened?” Dead Eye turned the corner and found out as he nearly fell into a crater left by a gryphon explosive.

“I think you just found one of the reasons-” He could hear whooping in the distance as he glanced around in fear. It sounded like a gryphon war cheer.

“Uh, we should run. I mean, we should run right now!” Will kicked it into gear, sprinting ahead while Dead Eye and Hollow Point galloped behind him, their weapons sheathed and locked down as they ran. As they rounded another corner, they could see a small squad of Equestrians surrounded by gryphons with their weapons drawn. Point snarled, his rifle unsheathed as he bit down on the control. Before he could fire, Will set down Twinkle Sheen, picked up a pipe from the ground, and charged in, screaming at the top of his lungs.

“For Equestria!” Dead Eye had barely any time to react before Will fell upon the gryphons like a tidal wave, blood spraying as he hammered away, letting the squad escape towards the main area of the Kepler, the area where Star Swirl was located. The gryphons withdrew, flying away as Will reveled in their defeat. Point was the first to speak as they approached the minotaur, shaking his head.

“I won't argue with results, but that was foolhardy, Will. You may be a minotaur, but one slash across the heels and you're done for.” Will rubbed the back of his neck, grimacing.

“I couldn't let them hurt those soldiers. We've lost so many, it's like a ghost town.” Screaming from inside the Kepler brought their attention back to reality. Point held up his hoof to motion to the other Equestrian squad.

“Check inside the Kepler! We'll locate other squads!” The other squad nodded, rushing off to assist whoever was inside the Kepler. Point looked around, locating a hatch in the ground. Will knelt beside him, curiosity taking hold.

“What exactly are you trying to do, colonel?”

“Jump start some of the auto-guns placed throughout the town. If we can even get two for First Sector, we'll be much safer. This is only one of around seven panels, though. Guess where the other six are.” Will pointed out the way they came, silently getting a nod from Point as he continued to work. Dead Eye looked around, sighing as he glared at Point.

“To get them all rewired to protect the city, that'd need an entire maintenance team-”

“Which we don't have, Dead Eye. Seven panels are what is needed to operate the bare minimum of defenses in the Cradle. First Sector is, unfortunately, the most important.” He looked down, shaking his head in exasperation.

“What's wrong?”

“Gryphons knew what they were doing. They're not your typical soldiers. They were trained to neutralize the Cradle, and take down the defenses. The cables are absolutely shredded-” Will knelt near another panel, pulling cable from below.

“Thanks! Now get back under! We don't know where the rest have gone.” The panel closed, leaving Will with a large coil of replacement cable in his able hands. Point stared in slack-jawed shock before regaining his composure.

“That's exactly what we need. The panels they know of, those are probably the ones we'll have to repair as well. Let's get this panel done, and hole up for the night in the gunsmithery over there.” He pointed at a small stone building, seeming out of place in an area of metal and wood. As he continued to work, Will lifted Twinkle Sheen towards the building, Dead Eye following behind. Sparks flew as Point finished, the panel glowing yellow with power.

--------====| Day 4 |====--------

Point awoke to the sounds of struggle, rolling out of the way as Will tossed a gryphon out of the way.

“Thought you'd gone and broke our backs?! Ha!” Another gryphon flew past, his neck clearly snapped as Will continued to wrestle with them.

“What in Celestia's name is going on?!” Dead Eye was up in an instant, throwing a knife into the throat of another gryphon that had sneaked inside. Point dodged out of the way of the falling corpse, just barely missed by a falling sword.

“Looks like these were some stragglers from the initial wave. Just be glad these are more raw than recruits.” Will tossed another to the floor, snapping bones denoting a broken back. He looked down, spitting on the gryphon. Never before had he ever felt such hate for another creature, but the gryphons were fast deserving of his hate. Every fibre of his being burned as he stared at that dead gryphon, the pain wallowing up inside. He hefted Point's cables, motioning silently for him to get moving.

“Dead Eye, keep watch over Twinkle Sheen. Will and I can handle the panels from here.” Dead Eye looked up as Point and Will were leaving, sliding himself over beside Twinkle as she continued to sleep.

--------====||====--------

As they fixed panels and brought them back online, Point could hear parts of the Cradle coming back to life. A small fixed electrode rose from the ground, emitting an electric discharge whenever a gryphon came too close for comfort. A turret rose from the ground, single shots blasting gryphons to bloody pieces.

“How many of these things have we fixed so far?”

“Six, colonel.” Point sighed, looking up from the panel he was working on. As he worked, panels overloaded, which made his life harder. So far, only two defense guns had remained active, effectively sealing off the entire First Sector of Luna's Cradle. The gryphons had redirected their efforts elsewhere, slaughtering any Equestrian Army remnants they could find. Few had remained standing under such efforts, pushing Point and Will towards a breaking point neither of them wanted.

“I wonder if they damaged a main power conduit, or something along those lines?” Will looked at point, shrugging. Point sighed, returning to the panel. There were definite signs of a short circuit. If he had to, he could close off the power from the panel, but that would cost power to some of the defenses. That would cause a riot in some areas... He stopped for a minute. If he could switch off power strategically in certain areas, he could force some of the gryphon's army into a bottleneck, directly towards a defense turret. He looked at the electric fence tower rising near the panel. He could not take the chance that it would not work. He slammed the last cable into place, powering it up. As it did, an abnormal amount of electricity built up, sending arcs of electricity across the nearby buildings and setting them on fire. The main point of the tower began to turn red with heat.

“Colonel, get away from there!” Will tossed Point aside, a bolt of lightning striking the minotaur in the chest. He fell over, steam waving off of him as he lay there as still as the grave.

“Will? Indomitable Will?” There was no response. He could hear similar discharges all over the Second and Third Sectors. Screams revealed the victims to be gryphons, no doubtedly trying to sabotage the defenses again. Point curled up on the ground, rocking back and forth as he tried to forget that he watched something he fixed kill the minotaur that had kept his squad alive. 

“Colonel? Oh Celestia... Twinkle, take a look at Will! See if you can help him!” Dead Eye galloped up and shook Point, trying to break him out of his stupor. 

“He died... and it's my fault. We're all going to die... and it's my fault.” Point stared blankly into space muttering the same two things over and over as Dead Eye shook him. Twinkle Sheen looked at the panel, then at Will.

“Grab me those two loose cables!”

“What are you trying to do?! Kill him?” Twinkle Sheen growled as she stood, the pain still immense.

“If I can do it right, I can restart his heart! Come on, Dead Eye! Get! Me! Those! Cables!” Dead Eye complied, dragging two thin cables to Twinkle. With a quietly whispered prayer, she slammed the cables into his chest, Will jerking around as the electricity coursed through him. Pulling the cables away, she watched Will quickly sit up.

“What the- what happened to me?” Twinkle put her hoof on his shoulder, smiling.

“You were clinically dead. I may have just created a new way to save patients!” She giggled like a schoolfilly as he scratched his head, watching her dance around until she flopped due to the splint.

“You're like a small foal in a candy store, Twinkle. Thank you. I mean it.” Twinkle felt Will's arms surround her, drawing her up into an embrace. He looked over at Point, the colonel snapping out of his stupor when he saw Will sit up.

“I just- I- what.” Will merely shrugged and pointed at Twinkle Sheen, the unicorn finally having calmed down enough from her euphoric high to keep some semblance of sanity.

“Well, his heart had stopped, so I did the one thing no pony would think to do in the situation: apply more juice!” The rest of the squad stared at her as she shifted her hooves back and forth in embarrassment.

“Not exactly the smartest time for mad science, doc. I will admit, it got results, but leave the experiments to the eggheads back in Canterlot. We've got time to breathe now, though.” He reached inside his uniform, drawing out a small metal flask.

“Hey, Dead Eye. What's that for?”

“Celebrating another day of not dying. Seems like we might not get that many anymore.” He opened the flask, passing it around. Will and Point each took a sip, not even flinching. Twinkle, however, coughed as it went down.

“Oh, Celestia! What is that stuff?!” Dead Eye laughed at her, sighing.

“It's heavily filtered rum. Not much flavour, but it does have a kick.” Twinkle took another sip, her smile returning as they all took refuge in a nearby structure, barricading the door.

--------====| Day 5 |====--------

Will was the first to wake, his head pounding. He could feel a small amount of blood pouring from his nose as he sat up, rubbing underneath his nose. Dead Eye, Point and Twinkle all slept in a pile on the other side of the room. Looking around the room, he squinted as he attempted to let his vision clear.

“Just how much did I drink last night?” He looked at the windows, sighing as he picked up his rifle, pulling what appeared to be some sort of carrot from the chamber.

“Apparently enough to cause a lot of problems.” Will lifted his rifle, aiming at the creature that stood behind him. The creature slowly pushed the rifle out of the way, frowning. His eyes were almost a solid shade of emerald as they flashed.

“Get out of here, traitors, before I-”

“Before you what? Kill us? We're on the same side, Equestrian. We're just not exactly... supposed to be here yet. Do not let them know of our arrival. I have some plans I wish to discuss with your leader. It is Star Swirl the Bearded who is the leader, right?” Will could only nod as the creature jumped out the window. Its form shifted as it took on a more bipedal form.

“Why help us?” The creature looked back, his eyes flashing once more.

“Because we are Equestria's allies. One country declares war, they declare it on us as well. We're... Changelings, by the way.” It drew a wicked looking dagger out from a sheath on its hip, disappearing into thin air. Will fell back onto his hindquarters, unsure of what to think.

“Changelings? Here?” Point crawled out from the three-pony pile, stretching as he stood.

“Will, what's going on?” Will hefted his rifle as he took cover beside the window.

“I think we got our reinforcements.”

--------====||====--------

The group left the gunsmithery as soon as they could move without difficulty. Will still looked moody as the pain from the hangover set in.

“Will, what's-”

“Can it, Point. Don't want to hear anything from you three.” They plodded along, stopping to examine the freshly killed gryphons lying in corners and in out-of-the-way places. Will reached down, pressing his fingers into a cut.

“What happened to them?” A shadow leaped from the rooftop, a gryphon falling down soon afterward, its throat slit. Dead Eye and Point activated their harnesses, their weapons aiming for the rooftops. More shadows leaped from the rooftops, gryphons falling everywhere. The night had begun to fall, making the shadows moving even more eerie. Twinkle glanced up, her eyes darting back-and-forth in an inquisitive expression.

“The forms are familiar, but any assassins are in the employ of Celestia in Canterlot.” Dead Eye, Point, Will, and Twinkle chased after one shadow, cornering it as it turned. A gryphon stared at them in fear.

“D-Don't hurt me! I never wanted to be a part of thi-” His voice was ended as a knife embedded itself in his forehead. A shadow from the rooftops dropped from the rooftops above them, a tight, sand-coloured robe bound around itself and its face, emerald eyes flashing in recognition.

“Shh. Find a place to hole up. We'll be meeting once more in the morning. Do not allow the enemy to find you, or you shall find yourself quite quickly with a blade to your throat. No, it will not be mine. They are not tolerant of your kind.” The shadow leaped again, landing on the rooftops once more, barely any sound. Point, Will and the squad ducked into a nearby building, closing the door as they sat down. Point removed his helmet and mask, looking at a mirror against the wall. His grey coat was streaked with mud and sweat, most of it caked on from the last few days spent hiding. Dead Eye removed his helmet and mask next, breathing a sigh of relief as he fell to his hindquarters. His brown coat was relatively clean, his mane a bare few hairs from the manecut he would have received as a part of joining the Armed Forces. Point looked back at the mirror, his own mane just starting to grow back. The grey lines he could see would never go away, but he did not care. Twinkle removed her helmet, letting a somewhat long mane uncoil from inside the metal bowl of protection.

“Finally we can take these off. I hated sleeping with these on.” Her coat was a light purple, her mane a magenta tinged with highlights of red. Point looked over at Will, who, predictably, had elected to keep his mask and helmet on.

“If you don't mind, I'll stand guard until the sun comes up.” The others nodded, Will standing in the doorway as they curled up in a pile to sleep, their weapon harnesses pulled off and folded together. He sighed as he resigned himself to his post, shaking his shoulders to keep the blood flowing.

--------====| Day 6 |====--------

The light rose to silence as the sun awoke above Luna's Cradle. Will stared out, his eyes bloodshot as he quickly glanced around. Point was standing beside him, an unconscious Twinkle on his back with blood trickling down from the base of her horn.

“What in Celestia's name happened, Will?” Will did not speak, but shuddered.

--------====||====--------

A few hours previously, the three ponies had been in a pile when something entered the room and made a beeline for the ponies. Will instinctively dove for them, grabbing all but Dead Eye and running, leaving their weapons harnesses. He turned when he heard a loud pop, greeted by the sight of what was left of Dead Eye, his head in a permanent state of confused shock. Twinkle was not waking up, while Point was flipping out.

--------====||====--------

“I don't ever want to see anything like that again. Dead Eye's dead, Point. We have to get to the edge of the Cradle. Find some way out of this place. I didn't even know Bilewyrms lived out this far!” Point stopped shaking, his eyes widening in fear.

“B-Bilewyrms?! You mean those creatures that burrow into another, and explode?” Will could only nod in silent agreement. Point looked down, his eyes still wide in fear. Bilewyrms were a relatively new discovery, small sandwyrms that had been mutated by residual energy from the Kepler's damaged core power plant. Point knew a lot about them, but the fact that any were there, when some had thought them eradicated, was a disturbing sign. Point stopped his train of thought to focus on the rooftops. Shadows leaped along them again, but they appeared to be heading directly for-

“Look out!” A shot rang out, one of the shadows diving to shove the three out of the way. The hood it had came off, revealing the changeling underneath. It sighed, looking up.

“All right, yeah. Jig's up, I guess.” He held out his hoof to help Point to his hooves.

“Who are you?”

“Specialist First Class, Oculus, Infiltration Corps on loan from Canterlot. Basically, we're here to help. We don't have much time. Even though we have taken some heavy pockets out, there are still a lot out there. The main bulk of the changeling force won't arrive until tomorrow, so we can expect small skirmishes until-” A hail of shells impacted the ground behind him, changelings falling from the rooftops.

“That was a crankshaft repeater, Oculus. I suggest we get out of the street.” Oculus nodded, leading the small squad to another building, keeping watch.

“So, what happened? I was told your squad was four ponies and a minotaur. We've got two ponies and a minotaur, so where's the-” He glanced at Point, whose look gave all the information he needed. He sighed, looking down at the ground. Twinkle began to stir, her eyes fluttering open.

“Anypony get the number of that transport that hit me?” Point let her off his back as she stretched her legs. She looked at the squad, counting quietly.

“Yeah, Dead Eye's... no longer with us.” She looked up, her eyes in shock as she processed the information. She fell onto her haunches, tears beginning to fall.

“How many of us have died for this?!” She screamed at the heavens, her tears stinging as she continued to sob. Point put his hoof around her, drawing her close. Oculus sighed, looking outside.

“Look, we don't have a lot of time. If we can't take care of some of those stolen crankshaft repeaters, we're looking at a total loss of life on the side of our reinforcements.” Oculus shifted, mirroring the form of Will.

“Impressive, but you need a-” Oculus silently drew out an oversized handgun, the eight cylinders loaded.

“Fresh out of your gunsmitheries, minotaur. Your people have an incredible knack for engineering, even if some of it has a tendency to, well, explode.” As if on cue, a gryphon popped out, only to be flung against an opposite wall with the force of a speeding train. Oculus sighed, shaking his head.

“I guess some of your friends have a flair for the dramatic, huh?”Oculus sighed, looking away. Will shrugged, looking out at the scene. Changelings and Gryphons were having it out with each other, many of them falling to the blades of the other side.

“The rest of you, take a rest. I will keep watch.”

“Don't you need to sleep? Refill the old steam engine of yours?” Oculus chuckled, shaking his head.

“That's the main difference between Changelings and other species. We don't require food, sleep, and sometimes oxygen, though only the crazy ones go into the water. Something about bugs and water doesn't sit well with us.” Point was already snoring in the corner, Twinkle on his side as Will hefted his rifle. 

“All right. Wake me if there's trouble.”

--------====| Day 7 |====--------

Point, Will and Twinkle awoke to the sounds of cheering. Slowly walking outside, they noticed some old Armed Forces trucks trundling through the main avenue of the expanded suburbs outside the First Sector. More of the Cradle's defenders trickled out, many more than Point had seen before. Much of who was there were was the wounded, those who had been hiding to keep from dying of blood loss or infection. Gryphons were being marched at gunpoint down the road, minotaurs who assisted them chained together like animals.

“Isn't that bad for them?” Oculus glanced at Point, who was pointing at the minotaurs.

“They got what they deserved. They'll be sent back to their homeland for a fair trial. Many of them did try to rip some of our forces apart.”

“Can you blame them?” The regal voice triggered an impulse to bow, Oculus merely nodding to the pony behind them. Luna walked forwards, sighing, her military garb only slightly different to the rest of the ponies and changelings around. Her normally effervescent twinkling mane was tied up in a short ponytail, her eyes set in a frame of irritation and anger.

“P-Princess Luna!”

“Benefactor!” She motioned for the ponies to rise, sighing as she touched her forehead with her hoof. She would have to talk to them about how to address her when she was wearing a uniform later.

“It's just Luna right now. Is Star Swirl all right?” She turned to face a small squad of seven, trailed by a medic with another pony leaning on them.

“As good as one can be after such an attack, my Princess. I did not expect the distress signal to go through so soon. The Cradle is again safe, but the rest of the world does know of the existence of the Cradle now. Many will demand that we hand over all we've learned. As Unit 3 told me, such technology in the hands, claws, or hooves of that which would be considered a tyrant or dictator would be ill advised. We need something that levels the playing field, something that could allow both sides – The Coalition and the Hegemony, of course – to work out terms and agreements-” Star Swirl looked to the side as a scientist galloped up.

“Star Swirl, sir! We have a problem!”

“What is the matter?” The scientist looked positively spooked as he shook in fear.

“The sensors we've been attempting to activate on the Kepler? They've come online on their own!”

“And?” Star Swirl could only gasp as the scientist collected himself and spoke his piece.

“There is a ship larger than that of the Kepler heading directly for the north side of the Gryphon Hegemony.”

“North side? But that's-”

“Directly on top of their capitol.” Star Swirl looked to the sky. In the far distance, a bright speck could be seen. It was boxy, but it was not falling apart in the atmosphere. 

“Celestia protect us.”
	
> Chapter 2 - What Dwells in the Dark
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The sky darkened over the Hegemony, a box-like shape blocking the sun as it descended, great bursts of fire shooting from tubes on the side. Alien letters scrawled on the side meant nothing to the panicking populace below as the sheer force of air rendered many either unconscious, or a mere stain on the ground where they once stood. Beams of light shone forth, waving back and forth across the capitol, seemingly looking for something.

--------//|0|\\--------

“We're way off course, lieutenant! We were never cleared to do a planetary landing, let alone hover within a planetary gravity well! Our inertial dampeners will give out if we keep this up for too long!” A man shouted into his wrist, pointing other people clad in grey armor to their stations. Soldiers marching in heavy combat gear stopped to salute the man, continuing on their way as he walked from the large, expansive bridge towards the sealed doors at the end of the large corridor he stood in. Grime-streaked walls greeted him at every turn, the weariness of his crew always evident as he continued on his way, the doors hissing open as he walked. Adjusting his armor, he stepped into a secondary alcove, his hand running across a glass panel, various keys lighting up in response. With a whir, a screen flipped down, a single beam of light covering his face as a door opened in the wall.

“Unit 27! Report!” A camera swiveled to meet the man's face.

“Online and recording, Captain Jeremy Brightstone. How may I be of-” Brightstone slammed his fist down on the operating console, snarling.

“Unit 27, just how in the hell did we manage to get so damned far from our destination?” Whirring and clunking issued forth from the aging computer, a single slide of glass popping up. Brightstone, picking it up, tapped several places, bringing up an interstellar drift chart. He had to zoom in and out several times before he could even see the drift scale. 

“Calculating drift records, we have not veered from our assigned destination, Captain Brightstone. We have arrived.” Brightstone set the glass back into the slot it had come from, leaving the Artificial Intelligence control room as the ship began to shake. 

--------//|0|\\--------


Below, far below, thousands began to panic as the sky above began to burn red, the air seeming to ignite as feather caught fire. Many were saved from the scalding air that began to take lives, but the cost of it was high.

High Talon Silas Stoneclaw, the hereditary head of the Stoneclaw Clan, sat on his throne, watching the great metal ironclad vessel hover, as if magic itself took it into its talon, and held it aloft. Motioning to a guard, he leaned in closely.

“Have the armed forces ready with our prototypes,” he ordered. “Something must be able to crack that steel beast.” He waved the guard away, clacking his talons towards his servants, calling them forth with platters of small fish and cheeses, smiling slightly as the ponies he kept in his court backed away slowly. He waved, letting the doors open.

“Go free, if you wish. However, that great ironclad in the sky will most likely burn your fur to a cinder, reducing your flesh and bone to naught but ash! If,” he stated, “you wish to continue this foolhardy journey of yours, by all means, go. I have no need for ashes and blood.” He laughed, the ponies galloping for all they were worth out the door. He sighed, the smirk leaving his face. Turning to his left, he frowned.

“High Talon Stoneclaw-”

“Save it, Princess Luna. We understand about the ironclad,” he whispered to Luna, who backed away slowly. Luna lowered her head, sighing as she looked at the vessel in the sky. She knew what he did not, and felt afraid that he refused to listen to her advice. As she watched, her saddlebags began to buzz. Retrieving a glass tablet with her magic, she let it glow to life, displaying Star Swirls' augmented face.

“Princess. We've been able to get a positive identification on that vessel. Wait... you checked this, right? That can't be right.”

“Star Swirl?”

“Luna, that ship is known as the Janus Planetary Accord Cruiser Indomitable. The identification algorithms match the ones used on the Kepler. They're from the same star system.” Star Swirl finished, pressing buttons on the control panel nearest him. Silas Stoneclaw leaned in close, looking at Star Swirl.

“If you will pardon my interrupting, the Indomitable? Doesn't appear very formidable or indomitable from where I sit. My soldiers are already deploying their prototype weapons as we speak.”  Stoneclaw crossed his talons, shifting in his seat as he looked out at the various flights of griffons, ropes tethering them to massive bombards that would dwarf their normal cannon. The color drained from Luna's face as she witnessed the griffons beginning their attack, shells flying towards the Indomitable. Arcs of lightning jumped off the surface, bouncing between the projectiles. Every single piece of ordinance detonated in the air, shrapnel screeching as it shredded the griffons caught in the open.

“Call back your forces, High Talon,” Luna ordered, the High Talon leaning forward and smirking.

“Oh, is the pony princess worried for my forces? I assure you-”

“Call them back now!” Luna let her voice boom, the Royal Canterlot Voice echoing in the ears of all present. Her wings were flared, emphasizing the gravity of the situation. Stoneclaw turned back to the Indomitable, the truth dawning on him as he watched large plates of metal sliding out of place, massive barrels coming to bear. Covering his eyes, he awaited the inevitable shockwave of blasts, but nothing came. Instead, echoing voices could be heard wafting in over the wind.

“Attention, hostile forces! You have fired upon this vessel. Any further acts of hostility will be met with decisive force. This is your only warning.” Stoneclaw frowned, looking up at the vessel as the speech finished. He turned to Luna, his talons clicking on the ground as he stood up from his throne. Luna backed away, her eyes on the Indomitable as the barrels began to glow. Without her second-in-command beside her, she felt naked as a young newborn, her first instinct to gallop away and hide from the inevitable firestorm that would erupt if the griffons did not cease firing. Stoneclaw followed Luna, his face suddenly a mask of worry and panic.

“What did they say, Luna? What did they say?!” He shouted in her face, forcing her to her haunches as she sat on the ground. He gripped a nearby railing, the reality dawning on him that he followed her out to the balcony. His vision swam as he, in silence, witnessed bright blasts as large explosions impacted the immediate area underneath the vessel, the forces of the detonations enough to ripple the ground underneath. Luna worked her jaw as she saw the pressure wave descending upon them, the bombards wrestled from their perches as the wall of air slammed into her, throwing her into the wall of the Griffon Palace. She could feel the bones in her right wing break in several places, many of her primaries ripped from their roots as the wave passed. High Talon Stoneclaw braced himself, various broken timbers shooting past like improvised missiles. He watched Princess Luna take the brunt of the blast, blood pouring from where the bone had pierced the skin, and where her primaries had been torn from. 

“Go... High Talon. Find... help.” Luna passed out from the pain, her bleeding slowed somewhat as her broken body lay underneath a pile of debris. Stoneclaw, without even hesitating, began to dig her out, her hooves barely visible. Griffon guards from the lower levels broke into the room, moving to their liege's aid as they continued to move Luna from the rubble. His advisor, Talon Guard Captain Julius Sharp, began to pull him away from the rubble, Stoneclaw fighting the whole time.

“No! I can get her out! We can't leave the princess behind! She... she saved my life!” He pushed Sharp off, returning to the side of his soldiers. Most of Luna's body had been uncovered, the guards working continuously. Stoneclaw was about to make a request when a loud noise overhead startled him. The barrels retracted into the vessel, the metal plates sliding into place. A high-pitched whine filled the air as the ship slowly descended, the High Talon only then getting his first look at the area underneath the Indomitable. The entire city had been flattened, only charred ground where homes had once stood. Not even skeletons remained in the area underneath. With a resounding crash, the bottom of the vessel touched ground, panels sliding up to reveal massive legs. Eight in all on the one side slid out, extending to balance the ship. 

--------//|0|\\--------

A piercing shriek filled the air as Luna woke once more, the pain filling her entire being as guards of the High Talon held her down, letting the medical griffons work on her wing. Each bone was set, a binding placed to keep the wing from moving. A wooden dowel was placed in her mouth, a griffon slowly rubbing her head.

“Please don't squirm so much, your Highness. My griffons are doing what they can for you,” the medical griffon whispered. “We'll be alerting Canterlot of this grievous injury. Your sister would be most pleased that we've assisted in keeping you alive. Though... there is some bad news.” Luna turned her head, her teeth clamping down on the dowel as the griffons continued to work on her wing. Her eyes were ablaze with pain and anger, asking silently what they were meaning. Another griffon entered, more medical supplies dropping to the floor as some griffons left for other duties. Spitting out the dowel, Luna fixed her eyes on the chief medical griffon in the room, staring.

“What... do you mean, 'bad news?” Luna was breathing heavily, trying to keep her focus under the duress as the griffon looked away, shame on her face as she took a deep breath.

“Luna, the injuries you took to your wing, well, they may never heal properly. While that remains to be seen, you could quite possibly lose the ability to fly.” 

“But-” Luna was interrupted by another griffon putting a second dowel in her mouth, letting her bite down hard before they secured another binding. She looked at her side, where her once-beautiful wing was slowly being forced back into a relatively wing-shaped package, except strapped to her side. She stared straight ahead, watching her primaries float off into the wind. A single tear escaped her eye as the High Talon stepped in front of her.

“Princess Luna, I cannot apologize more for not listening to your advice earlier. Had I not fired upon it-” He closed his mouth, preferring not to finish his sentence as he looked upon the princess. He stood still as the medical griffons helped her up to her hooves, making sure the bindings were strapped tightly to her barrel. She grimaced, her teeth a light shade of pink from her own blood.

“T-there was nothing you could have done. Even I could not have fathomed that they would have taken such offense to your rather ineffective assault,” Luna admitted, her eyes downcast as she looked out towards the Indomitable. Grimacing as she swallowed quietly, she watched as small figures descended from the bottom of the Indomitable, beams of light shining in every direction.

--------//|0|\\--------

“Alpha Squad, take point! Bravo and Charlie, follow Brightstone! Try and find that beacon!” Twenty masks nodded in unison, the single point of light that served as the eye shining around as they scanned the area. Captain Brightstone checked his ammunition as he slid on his Command Helm, a variant of his soldier's helmets. With a scowl, he looked up, infra-red scanning revealing a massive city of creatures he could not yet determine, but yet brought a trickle of the primal fear that most humans were keen to feel in moments of self-doubt. Unit 27, the Indomitable's SIP, knelt down, examining a skeleton.

“Captain, these are very primitive organics. Quadripedal in nature, though these skeletons affirm that some are of a rather mythological persuasion, of ancient Greek legend, in fact.”

“What do you mean? What did we just land on?”

“The Kepler's Interstellar Distress Beacon activated two months ago, and that means that it is somewhere on this planet. The creatures, though? That one is equivalent to an old Earth equine, the 'pony,' if I am correct, and that one is equivalent to the old Earth myth of the Gryphons of Greece. I would advise caution, however, Captain.” Unit 27's arm opened, revealing a light-caliber assault rifle barrel, a strip of ammunition stretching from inside its back, its eyes darting back and forth as it counted the creatures.

“Why is that? What's-” 

“That would be the Gryphons opening fire on us with their small cannon. Recommend evasive-”

“Shield wall, now!” With a burst and shimmer, a massive wall of energy sprang to life, the shells from the cannon detonating harmlessly several meters away from their intended targets. Brightstone let his eyes switch to normal view, zooming as he watched the enemy forces.

“There are approximately 1,425,379 creatures in this city, Captain. 75% are of the Gryphon variety. I would advise against making war. While their weapons are ineffective when the Electro-Adaptive Shielding is online, they could easily overwhelm the defenses when the Indomitable is landed as she is right now.” Unit 27 whirred as it spun around to face behind the squads, aiming at whatever it had detected.

“Squads, form up on the SIP! Enemy forces nearing our defences!” The creatures they were facing were similar to some of the skeletons they had discovered, but metal framing criss-crossed over their bodies, long-barreled rifles strapped to the side as their mouths hovered over what looked like the bits used for horses long before their time, but modified to be used as a trigger mechanism.

“Sir-” A single shot rang out, the squads panicking as they attempted to discover who had fired the first shot. With a yelp, a soldier was picked up and tossed aside as Captain Brightstone watched, blue fields of energy enveloping every one of his troopers. Flipping around, he watched as a rather tall 'pony' approached him, the expression on its face a mask of anger and pain. 

“We speak your language, human. Yes, we know what you are.” Its eyes flashed, the irises taking on a vastly different colour as something grabbed it, even the Gryphons backing away as a black swirl of energy gathered around it, Brightstone tightening his grip on his rifle. With a loud noise, snapping echoed as the energy settled, Brightstone's men falling to the ground with their heads at odd angles. Black fire radiated out from every step the pony took, as its face took on a monstrous appearance, pure darkness radiating out.

“'We speak your language.' Speak the language of war. Indomitable-” Brightstone's radio was ripped from his helmet, the helmet itself also being ripped to shreds as Brightstone was brought up to the pony's face, its face twisting into a snarl.

“Speak the language that will not end your pathetic excuse for existence.” Brightstone smiled, looking down as his bald head began to bleed from various scratches across the scalp.

“Checkmate. Always disarm your opponent.” A burst of rifle fire erupted from his weapon, shredding into the pony before him. With a laugh, he landed on his feet as he watched the pony collapse, though it was short lived as every creature shouted at him in unison, their eyes wide with fear.

--------//|0|\\--------

“It shot the Princess! It shot Princess Luna!” Guards were scrambling as Cradle soldiers entered the Hegemony, Gryphon forces nodding as Cradle forces dropped off crates of weapon harnesses, the rifles high-caliber prototypes running expensive magic ammunition.

“All Cradle forces, retrieve the Princess! Kill the biped if it interferes!” The High Talon could hear the radio chatter from Luna's communicator. Frowning, he picked the radio up, pressing what he assumed was a communication button.

“Cradle forces, this is High Talon Silas Stoneclaw, of the Gryphon Hegemony. Princess Luna is down in the ruins of the Castle Courtyard. Some of your forces are already here, though they do not seem happy with Gryphon involvement. I do not intend your Princess harm. A life for a life.” He looked down at the Princess, his expression turning dark and sour as he glared at the bipedal being in front of him.

“She saved my life, and now, I'll save hers, and in retribution, I will kill that which tried to kill-” With a wave of a massive wing, he was swept back, Luna standing up as darkness radiated from her body. Staring the being down, her voice echoed with the cacophony of evil, her very tone drastically different from the Lunar Princess he had been speaking with earlier.

“I do so very love it when no pony comes to help. Not even my dear sister could be bothered to come along when a crisis of this magnitude comes along. Anything dealing with outer space and everything beyond had to be pushed off on me, didn't it, Celestia?! Didn't it?!” 

“Princess Luna-”

“Luna is dead, High Talon. I am everything she is not, everything she pushed aside for the sake of her precious Cradle. Celestia wants everything we have worked for hidden, and the ponies who have toiled for Luna to rebuild the great star vessel. Now we suffer no more, and the name Nightmare Moon will bring terror to the light as the darkness comes forth, and the light of Celestia's destruction fades out of memory forever! We will live in the Long Dark, and we will fly, oh, we will fly!” Nightmare Moon snarled as she watched the sky, a streak of sunlight speeding towards her. 

“Does anypony else see that?”

“Blasted wretch! The Solar Princess deems it-” The wind was knocked out of her as Princess Celestia, the Solar Diarch, slammed into the side of Nightmare Moon, darkness fading as light shone from her body.

“I deem it necessary to contain the greatest evil ever to be discovered anywhere, here, or in the farthest reaches of space. Every gryphon and pony in this area, leave immediately! This is for your own safety!” Ponies and Gryphons scrambled, galloping or flying away as Celestia stared down the former visage of her sister, the bullet wound visibly bleeding inky black darkness.

“You dream to control the world, preventing the spread of everything Luna accomplished! Everything that was to remake this world, turn our primitive world into a world of pure power and science! You deemed it necessary to begin rewriting history! The landing of the Kepler! The Seven Day War! This glorious vessel! With it, I shall rain down fire upon every one of your subjects, until they realize that you cannot protect them, and that only I can-”

“Enough!”

“You dare-”

“I dare nothing, and you are but a nightmare of the sister I once had, her fears and negativity personified. You dare to dream that you can control everything, that this science must be spread, but if the spread of advanced science becomes this,” she motioned at Nightmare Moon for emphasis, “then it is better that everypony forgets that such science is even possible! You may think that the time is now for such expansion, but with everything happening now, you will damage everything, destroy countless lives-”

“All for nothing, Celestia!” Nightmare Moon spread her wings, flapping as she cackled, taking to the sky.

“I only came due to an error in our own agreements to the Gryphons, and yet, here we are, fighting like children, Luna! Come out of the darkness, and let light fill your heart-”

“Let the stars curse your light, that no pony may ever forgive you if you do exactly what it is you plan to do to me!” Her horn flared, a massive ball of energy forming as Celestia snarled, looking behind her.

“Elements, now.” With a quick motion, the first soldiers on the scene opened the massive chest that had just been dropped off by Gryphon forces, the six magical stones floating in front of her as she closed her eyes, tears beginning to fall as she faced the darkness that wore her sister like a suit.

“Y-you can't! You would be destroying-”

“Not destroying, you nightmare.” Energy swirling around Celestia, lifting her into the air. With a shout, soldiers retreated quickly, stepping to a safe distance and watching from behind cover. Inversely, the bipedal watched with curious intent as he sat down on the ground, the wave of energy taking his energy as he stared with reckless curiosity. The energy began spinning faster and faster as Celestia floated upwards, a bubble of sheer force forming around her.

“I will not allow this-”

“You will allow nothing, Nightmare Moon. In the name of harmony itself, I banish your darkness to the skies above, where you may remain. Let the stars themselves weep at your passing.” With a massive burst of energy, Celestia appeared to explode, a wave of undiluted magic washing over everything, a rainbow array of power that slammed into the Nightmare, the screams she let loose evident of her fear. A beam of pure rainbow light struck out like a lance, slamming into the Nightmare, sending her skywards. As she flew towards the celestial object associated with the sister she now possessed, she cackled, her horn lighting up and blasting towards a distant object. With that, energy swirled around her, the visible moon marked with the face of the mare of darkness. Celestia descended to the ground, her effervescent ethereal mane shifting to a more pink colour as she began to collapse. 

--------//|0|\\--------

Brightstone could only sit and watch the entire scene in front of him. He barely even registered that the Gryphons were grabbing him, slapping shackles onto his limbs; it did not matter, only what he had just witnessed did. He had thought humanity, with its energy weapons, its fusion reactors and intergalactic travel, had been the most advanced species in that sector of the universe. 

However, just like any person witness to what could only be called a miracle, he cried. In front of his face, literal magic had washed over him. Memories of the horrible things he had done to protect his crew came to the surface as the dams burst, and tears streamed down his face. Whatever had washed through him had removed the blocks he had on his own conscience. 

“Unit 27, if you're still alive, take a note. If the Union of Earth's Colonies ever discovers this planet after we're gone, leave a beacon that states what I have seen, what I have witnessed. Magic exists, an energy unlike anything I have ever seen before, and I have seen wormholes, black holes, and white holes. I have seen stars being born, and yet, those do not compare to what I have just witnessed. I am Captain Brightstone of the UEC starship Indomitable, and I have witnessed the miracle that humanity sought long ago when it took to the stars, when Earth could no longer sustain us. I suspect that no person, no human alive who could witness anything like this could not be moved. Magic is real,  not the stuff of fantasy anymore. Lock down the Indomitable. Don't let them in. Don't... don't let me in.”


--------//|0|\\--------

Celestia awoke to medic ponies peering over her, testing her muscles and her magical aptitude. With a snort, she drew their attention, her mane having since regained its ethereal effervescence. 

“H-How long w-was I-”

“Two weeks, Princess Celestia. Two weeks you were out. It's a very fortunate thing my mother allowed me to come as quickly as I did.” Princess Chrysalis stepped out from behind a number of doctors, two Changelings in flak armour flanking her. She bowed to the older regent, smiling with sincerity as she stood up.

“C-Chrysalis? B-But-”

“Not really much of a concern of mine, but we do have much to talk about. Advanced science, mostly. My mother would not like to speak on such matters, but she knows how much they mean to the country, the Coalition at large.” She seated herself in a nearby chair, her guards taking up customary positions by the door as she leaned closer to Celestia.

“L-Luna i-is-”

“Gone, yes, but not long. We do know a particular about the spell the Elements used. Oh, don't look at me like that! I can't cast it, but that does not mean I can't read about it. It functions like a form of hypersleep, but she will be in there for a long time.”

“How long, Chrysalis? H-How long?!” Celestia demanded, her bloodshot eyes evident of the tears that still flowed. Chrysalis chuckled, looking to the side as Celestia lay back down, staring up at the ceiling.

“Best estimates? Around a millenium, a thousand years, give or take a few months due to leap years and such. I watched my best friend get sent to the moon, Celestia. I read everything I could. The spell was very cryptic, only stating that 'the stars will aid in escape when a millenium has been reached.' That's all I can say for now.” She stood up, turning to leave before Celestia's hoof caught her leg.

“Hmm?”

“C-Chrysalis, I-”

“I am afraid you can't go home just yet. They're still estimating the damage caused by her last ditch effort to kill you.” Celestia lay back in the bed, staring up at the ceiling as it all sank in, Chrysalis excusing herself to leave. Her home, the one she and Luna had grown up in, had ruled from, destroyed in a mere instant by a disagreement. Her mind ran through the options, through the variables, and only one path forward seemed viable.

“D-doctor... Doctor!” A medical pony galloped in, staring around.

“Princess, what can I do for-”

“Take a note. Write down everything I am about to tell you. It is of great importance.” The doctor quietly nodded, his horn lighting up as he levitated over pencils and stacks of paper.

“In the beginning, there were two royal pony sisters, who ruled with kindness and fairness. The older sister would raise the sun for the day, and the younger would raise the moon for the night...”


4308 AD – 1000 ANMM (AFTER NIGHTMARE MOON)

“Elements of Harmony? Now where have I heard about those before?” Two sets of eyes watched the lavender unicorn as she read about the whole situation that had occurred two thousand years before. With a whisper, they vanished from sight, leaving her to her galloping as she left to go write a letter to her dear Princess Celestia.

“Are you sure it is wise we continue to observe this pony, Star Swirl?” A man stretched out his legs, rubbing the knees as his armor chafed. His helmet's visor lit up, detailing out various creatures around the area.

“The one known as Twilight Sparkle will be very important, I know it. We need to observe her interactions. However, if this is the night that our benefactor returns, it unfortunately means that the spell's time limit is over, and Chrysalis' hive is not within our contact range. The Cradle is also outside of our contact range. We will keep observing her, but we need to keep quiet. Luna also has to remain quiet, remember? Our agreement with Celestia means no advanced science until the appropriate time. None of these ponies, as evidenced by their choice of architecture, understand the more advanced sciences, nor do they understand basic mixtures for concrete. We will simply wait for the report from Units 3 and 27, Brightstone.” The human shifted as Star Swirl lectured him, frowning as he nodded in agreement.

“Doesn't mean I have to like it. Come on, she's moving- That's a royal chariot. Celestia-” A slate of glass attached to his side began to vibrate, an incoming call from Celestia displaying.

“You two are still scouting?”

“What assignment did you give your student, Commodore?” Celestia snorted, chuckling at her nickname. She let her smile fall, though, as she thought deeply.

“She is overseeing the 'Summer Sun Celebration' to be held in Ponyville this year. The eve of a millenium is on hand. I know the Cradle is eager to fire up those advanced machines and churn out their weapons, but we do not need the weapons. She is going down there to make friends.”

“Make friends? I'm sorry if that sounds like a lot of garbage to me, but-”

“Think of the Elements of Harmony.”

“Ah, that explains that. Five virtues, right? Honesty, Loyalty, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, and a 'spark' reveals the sixth?” Brightstone intoned through a throat microphone, keeping his voice low.

“Yes, actually. You've kept up on my version of history.”

“Only because I lived through the truth, Commodore. Anyways, we'll be heading down to Ponyville to keep an eye on her. Our synth-mesh camouflage should keep us protected from any prying eyes for now. Brightstone out.”

--------//|0|\\--------

The group of two following Twilight were relatively unnoticed, even when Brightstone accidentally knocked over a cabbage cart following an almost massive misstep in direction. With a chuckle, he right himself, continuing to scan the area for any signs of the unicorn. 

When the scans were inconclusive, however, he was rather curious as to why. He- he stopped himself before he completed a thought that would be detrimental to their mission. He had been brought out of his stasis aboard the Indomitable early, by almost a century, to assist Star Swirl in watching and observing pony culture of their so-called 'modern age.' To him, it was a load of hogwash meant to tide him over until he actually got to do something. 

His ears tuned into the beeping from his helmet as he saw his motion tracker pick up his target again – Twilight Sparkle had just been slammed into by a rather flashy pegasus, though the name escaped him. Creeping forwards, he gingerly stepped around a pink pony he had been especially warned about. Previous attempts at scouting the general populace had somehow earned the ire of that pink mare, and it terrified any scout not worth their salt. Their more – ahem – advanced camouflage allowed them more leeway, as they were very unlikely to be spotted. 

The pegasus flew off, leaving Brightstone, Star Swirl, Twilight, and her assistant – Spike, a baby dragon, if he remembered correctly – standing in the square. Shaking his head, Brightstone turned to Star Swirl, unfortunately not being able to see the unicorn, even on his sensors.

--------//|0|\\--------

Star Swirl crept along the ground quietly, keeping out of sight of Brightstone. He knew that Brightstone would try something irrational when Nightmare Moon reappeared, and he was desperate to prevent him from doing so. 

However, he surmised, if he was to reveal himself, he would end up having to explain a lot more than he was prepared to answer for. Sighing, he continued to creep along, his eyes continuously watching the skies. He was expecting an early night, which would give him some rather interesting data, though he would be more concerned if the Cradle moved to escort their Benefactor away before her 'purification' could commence. Sighing once more, he moved towards the outside of town, where his form outside of his synth-mesh camouflage would not be noticed.

“Brightstone, come in Captain Brightstone. How goes the scouting mission?”

“Perfect, you little four-legged bastard. How'd you disappear like that? I know your cybernetics prevent your use of magic, but you disappeared from my sensors altogether.”

“Cybernetics interfaced with the synth-mesh. Can't be helped.” Star Swirl could hear Brightstone sigh from the other side, cracking his neck.

“I've been sitting still too long. You've got a good vantage point?”

“Yes. I'm on a hill outside of town. I'd rather be in the Cradle researching, but Hollow Point's descendant intrigues me. She shows promise.”

“Promise of what?” Brightstone's question was valid, though Star Swirl was loathe to reveal the proper reason.

“We uncovered something a while ago, probably around one hundred years, that indicated the Kepler was known as a 'Battle Fortress.' We're still investigating what it means, but we've been granted access to the lower areas.”

“Which means, Beardy?” Star Swirl cursed under his breath. The humans knew he hated that nickname, yet continued to refer to him by it. It infuriated him very much.

“Most of the Kepler is intact. While, yes, we appropriated some systems for the Cradle, with some hard work, she just might fly, Captain.” He could hear Brightstone choking on the other end as he came to terms with the knowledge he had just been given.

“It can fly?!” Star Swirl smiled. The Kepler's restoration had been his pet project, and as Unit 3 unlocked more and more systems, it became clear that Equestria, and by extension, Equus, was the site of a grand battle. He was silently glad that the Castle of the Royal Sisters had been damaged by a massive attack from Nightmare Moon – he would hate having to explain that one to Celestia, though he would have rather stayed back at the Cradle.

“Yes, Brightstone, it can fly. The Gryphon Engineering Divisions have agreed to assist, just as soon as they finish their ship-”

“The featherbrains have a ship?! What did I miss while I was in stasis?!”

“Apparently, quite a number of things. The Gryphon Hegemony has graciously agreed to hide any advanced technology from outside interests, as long as we continue to provide advanced medical technologies to their caretakers. High Talon Alvazar Stoneclaw is a rather interesting individual, much like Silas Stoneclaw of the time of our benefactor's imprisonment.” Star Swirl cut the connection, preferring not to hear the captain's foul language. He had heard it enough times to create a mental bingo game out of it. He had almost completed a row, too. 

He could see a dark blip in the distance, what looked like a large bird, though, in his heart, he knew it was not a bird.

“Cradle Forces, you have been ordered strictly to remain outside of this operational area! Leave now or-”

“Sorry, Star Swirl, Brightstone. Testing out the synth-mesh on our new dropships. If we can land without drawing attention, we should be good.”

“The exhaust from your engines will be enough to alert anypony within a five mile radius, you idiots.” Brightstone had tapped into the channel, the malice in his voice prevalent.

“Twilight is heading to her library. I will be watching with the cameras I placed, Star Swirl. Suggest you link up to the network and monitor as well.” Star Swirl nodded to no one in particular, his eyes glowing with the various colours of images as the camera feeds popped up n his sight.

Ponies waited in Twilight's library, though he could not tell why. He could see that pink mare hiding in there, and he instantly felt a chill of cold slither down his neck. That mare was staring directly at his camera, smiling one of her most impish grins, as if she knew exactly who was watching.

--------//|0|\\--------

Celestia stared out of the window, her tablet on her lap as she watched the sky, the sun beginning to set. With a burst of her magic, the moon began to rise, an alarm beginning on the tablet's screen. Standing up, she lifted it to the side, trotting to her closet where she retrieved a suit of light combat armor, flexible synth-metal plates shifting into place as she slid it on. Her eyes narrowed as her horn lit up again, lifting a small, snub-nosed pistol from underneath her bed. She abhorred firearms, but in the current case, she was willing to sacrifice some dignity to protect herself. 

The sun finally set, the moon in the apex of its arc in the sky. She had planned on an early night, with her two agents in the field, but she felt in her bones that she would not be getting any sleep that night. Stars began to move in towards the moon, her eyes drawing into pinpoints in fear. As she stood against the door, her pistol's slide locked back, a single bullet loaded into the chamber.

“Welcome back, sister.”

--------//|0|\\--------

Brightstone heard the entire conversation before a large blast of energy had destroyed the connection. He sighed, waving his hand to get the sensors in Star Swirl's motion tracker working.

“We've got a problem. Moony's gotten loose early. I don't think she'll appear quite so early, but we'd best hurry along anything we're planning. This whole thing has to go off perfectly, or Twilight won't make the friends she needs in order to save the day.” Star swirl looked up and nodded, silently pointing towards a small structure in the distance.

“With any good chance, we shall be able to observe any events in question. Avoid the pink one at all costs, though, Brightstone. Reports indicate she can see right through our camouflage.” Brightstone nodded, dropping a sensor node from his belt onto the ground. Tapping the top twice, it activated, giving a larger sensor area than his standard motion tracker. His hand almost immediately drifted towards his pistol as the tracker picked up a large blur of... something, cursing silently as he forced himself to keep it holstered. 
“We'd best hope that Moony doesn't get any ideas about using that handgun we lent the Commodore against innocents. Otherwise, Star Swirl, we're going to have to act, regardless of how you feel about these ponies. A handgun would be considered advanced technology, and we will have to reveal ourselves too early if that happens.”

“Not necessarily. With the right timing, we can remain in our camouflaged states, and simply grab it from her etheric field. You do have an etheric destabilizer in your gauntlet, right?” Star Swirl watched as Brightstone tested the device. It shone white for a second before a field of white shone around his hand.

“Just remember, Star Swirl. This thing hasn't been tested yet, and I am not about to find out the side effects.”

--------//|0|\\--------

Star Swirl quietly followed the ponies into the nearby town hall, Brightstone keeping a close watch through the window as he dragged his rifle off of his shoulder. He did hate to admit it, but in the case of a breach of the contract with the Commodore, he graciously allowed Brightstone to prepare a back-up plan in case events did not unfold the way they were supposed to.

“Sensor beacon is in place- Code Pink, Code Pink, Brightstone!” Brightstone looked through the window as the pink devil herself was leaning on Star Swirl's back. Sighing, he turned away to see a black etheric cloud float over the town hall.

“Star Swirl? 'The fox is in the hen house,' copy?”

“Noted. Keep on watch. We want Nightmare Moon to stay alive this time, Brightstone. No shooting willy-nilly.” He mentally kicked himself as Star Swirl moved into position, drawing out what looked like a bullpup submachine gun and letting it connect itself to his hoof through his cybernetics.

As had been noted by Celestia, the celebration went off without a hitch, except for the pink devil still trying to find various subtle ways to show that somepony was there that was not. There went the curtains and- no one was there. Brightstone knew that was the way it had to happen, but- He turned around to the sound of a pistol slide clicking. He came face-to-face with a barrel, the grinning Nightmare Moon staring directly at him.

“Here to kill innocents? I remember you... somehow.” She could barely react as Brightstone swung into action, raising his fist quickly into her jaw as he grabbed the handgun, sprinting away as he left the Town Hall behind.

“Star Swirl, target is in the area. She is disarmed and we are clear to proceed. Cradle Dropship, do you read?”

“Never stopped keeping tabs. Let me know, you need a pickup at the outskirts of town?” Brightstone looked back to see that Nightmare Moon was looking at her hooves in confusion, but it did not matter to him. Escaping without being detected was more important.

“Affirmative. Set her down in that apple farm. Should be quiet enough. Star Swirl, you're on your own. As long as none of my- dammit!”

“Please repeat, Captain?”

“My personal sidearm! She stole my handgun! Find a way to disarm her. She remembers me, and if I stay, things will get very, very bad for you!” Star Swirl cursed under his breath, an unfortunate habit he had picked up from working with the good Captain on many occasions. Looking around, he could see a black cloud of mist floating through the window, attempting to bring the weapon through the window. He sighed as it clattered to the ground harmlessly, the safety still on. As he watched, everything began to fall into place as Celestia had hoped it would. Nightmare Moon appeared, shouting about how she would bring about eternal night, and show the truth of the sun to the ponies.

“That last part... is that a jab about the Hegemony? She was the reason they agreed to our proposals anyways. Without access to unicorns, the Griffon's own claws were more than capable of the advanced engineering.” He snuck towards the back as Royal Guards were tossed away, her maniacal laughter echoing as he slipped out the door. However, as he exited, the mist followed, slipping the handgun away from him just before he grabbed it.

“No... no, no, no. This is not good. Captain, please tell me you have an extraction plan ready!” A rope descending from seemingly nowhere answered his question. Praying silently to the God that the humans would pray to commonly, he grasped it tightly, getting dragged up into the sky before Twilight and five other ponies galloped outside. 

“Welcome aboard the Vigilant, Star Swirl. That's Sergeant Silent Violet. It's probably a good thing that we didn't send them away before. I mean, yes, the exhaust, if anyone looks up, will make us visible for five miles around, but the synth-mesh on this dropship is a little more sosphisticated than our own, Beardy.” Brightstone knelt down in front of Star Swirl, holding up his gauntlet. He sighed, staring  out into the distance. Star Swirl noticed, bringing it up as he followed his gaze.

“Worried about the Princess, Captain? I thought you hated all of them.”

“I don't hate you, per se. My ship was in the middle of a war when we came here. The enemy we were fighting, well, they would be beyond your most terrifying nightmares. I'd rather focus on the mission, than how much those things scare me.” He hid his gauntlet, muting the beeping as quickly as possible. Star Swirl watched as Brightstone spoke quietly to the secondary pilot, another human from his crew. The dropship lurched as the engines shifted, flying out towards what remained of the Castle of the Royal Sisters.

--------//|0|\\--------

As they flew overhead, Star Swirl watched as Twilight and her friends passed the challenges that their Benefactor had set out before them, easily proving their very own virtues. As they hit the final obstacle, the dropship's instruments began beeping, signalling a large problem in their vessel.

“Brightstone, Star Swirl, we're getting an overload cascade in all systems. Etheric signature masking is down! Synth-mesh is completely disabled! We're visible-” Brightstone placed his hand on the human pilot's shoulder, silencing him.

“We got this far without them noticing the exhaust from our engines, so I would say we're fairly safe. Put us down outside the perimeter. We'll need to be as invisible as we can without our advanced stealth tech.” With a nod, the pilot motioned at his pony compatriot, the dropship quietly flying over the heads of Twilight and her new friends as they entered what little remained of the old castle.

“With luck, Brightstone, they shouldn't. However, we still have a problem.” Brightstone looked out at the castle as the dropship touched down, the engines whining as they shut down.

“I know she still has my sidearm. With luck, she hasn't-” They paused as a loud gunshot rang out, spurring them into action.

“Apparently, she has! Forget any previous orders about stealth, Brightstone! Get in there, and stop her from killing Twilight and her friends!” Brightstone nodded, taking off at a dead sprint in the direction of the castle.

--------//|0|\\--------

“I-Impossible! H-How can one pony hope to s-stop me?!” Nightmare Moon began to shriek as Brightstone entered the room, keeping his back against the wall as he lifted a small stun bomb from a pouch on his hip. Pressing a button on the side, he kept his thumb pressed, priming it as he watched Twilight and her friends duck down as bullets whizzed overhead.

“Well, we can kiss Celestia's suppression of advanced tech goodbye, Star Swirl. Alert the Cradle. If they can't purify Moony in time, we'll need a full-scale containment team.” Almost as soon as he said that, the pink devil herself turned, shook her head as if to tell him not to toss the stun bomb. He relented, reactivating its safety. Twilight raised a field of energy to protect her and her friends, her shouting barely audible from the outside as wind rushed through the room, fields of etheric energy surrounding her and her friends.

“Cancel that, Star Swirl. I hope to whatever God you believe in that you're seeing this. I mean, Celestia said it would be incredible, but it's beyond amazing! Pinkie Pie appears to know something we don't, as well.”

“What do you mean, Captain?”

“She shook her head directly at me, as if to tell me to not toss my stun bomb.”

“Brightstone, that's not a stun bomb. That's a miniature satchel charge. She probably just saved all of you from your own stupidity.” Brightstone looked down at his hand, nearly dropping the charge in shock. He was pretty certain he had selected a stun bomb from the armory, but the grenades looked almost entirely the same to him.

As he looked down at his hands, a wave of pure energy slammed into him, lifting him into the wall as he watched a waterfall of bright rainbow energy slam into Nightmare Moon. The energy surrounded her like a tornado, pieces of pure darkness peeling off like layers of an onion. Almost all at once, it was all over. He looked at Pinkie Pie, her head turning around to give him a genuine smile that almost made him forget that she was also the one that nearly broke the concealment of Cradle agents multiple times over the past year.

As they all stood staring at the now purified Princess Luna, a flash of white filled the room, Celestia appearing as the sun began to rise once more. She knelt down in front of her sister, Twilight and her friends bowing before her. Pinkie pretended to slip, knocking the forgotten sidearm back towards Brightstone, who quickly holstered it as he watched her very closely.

“I guess I have to thank her later for that- oh no.” Suddenly all eyes were on him as he realized he had spoken a little too loud for his mission of stealth. He felt smaller than a church mouse, as if he was being scrutinized once more by Fleet Admirals in his time with the UEC Navy. Sliding to a sitting position, he stared at them, his mask fortunately protecting his face from all of them seeing the sheer look of panic on his face as he realized what he had just done. Celestia stared directly at him, her eyes seeming to bore a hole in him as Luna began to shrink back, the scars from his weapon still bright blue against her coat.

“Brightstone, for the love of Celestia, please tell me they didn't see you.” He tentatively held a hand up to his ear, his eyes going even wider as he realized he could not let Twilight know who he was speaking to.

“Beardy, if I told you that, I would be lying. Currently, I've got two very angry ponies ready to stomp me, three who want to hide from me, one who seems to want to take me apart to see what I am, and one who is simply in a pure state of shock.” Putting his hand on the floor, he pushed himself to his feet, standing up as he backed towards the door. 

Almost as soon as he turned around, a wall of yellow energy surrounded his only exit, showing him that Celestia intended for him to stay. Turning back around,  a very lavender unicorn was staring at him with a curiosity he had only seen from the unicorns who had their version of first contact with him and his crew. Celestia motioned to her student, Luna staring at her in shock. 

“You know what? I think I have to prove a point.” They stepped back in shock as Brightstone spoke, his hand gripping Celestia's sidearm as he smiled underneath his helmet. With a quick flick of his wrist, he tossed it at Celestia, who gripped it quickly, aiming at the human who was also aiming at her with his own sidearm.

“You knew everything would happen like this, Commodore. All of it, from the Elements, to Twilight and her friends. History just had to unfold your way, but sometimes, history has a way of changing itself.” He primed his gauntlet's etheric field, frowning as he looked at Luna.

“By the way, Celestia, you really should never have had a firearm. This whole situation was brought about because you were scared of Luna.”

“Wait, Luna, as in Princess Luna? The younger sister?” With a bow, Twilight and her friends knelt in front of the second Princess, Celestia glared at Brightstone as he made a quick exit, his gauntlet dissipating the etheric field over the door. Sprinting, he dove into the dropship, the vehicle quickly engaging as its synth-mesh came online once more.

“Brightstone, please tell me you did not tell them anything.”

“Don't worry. If what I said did anything, we won't have to tell them anything. However, I think Celestia might actually kill me this time. Either her or Luna.”

“Thanks for not killing us, Mr. Human!” Brightstone nearly fell out of the dropship when Pinkie Pie suddenly appeared, scaring him almost to hyperventilating. Star Swirl stepped between them, sighing.

“Pinkamena Diane Pie, what have you been told about using the tech we gave you to bounce around without our approval?” Pinkie Pie's face of happiness shifted to one of neutrality.

“Look, Star Swirl, without using it, I can't keep my cover going. Twilight and the others, including myself, we are linked in more incredible ways than most realize, but I-”

“Wait a minute. She's a Cradle agent?!” Brightstone stood up, looking at Pinkie Pie as he removed his helmet. Tossing it to the side, he scowled at Star Swirl.

“Yes, she is.”

“Then me going with you was utterly-”

“No it was not. Captain.” Brightstone stopped, wondering where Star Swirl was going with it. Pinkie piped up, her high-pitched voice more a normal volume as he watched her turn from the hyper, sugar-imbibing party pony he had been told she was into a serious member of the Cradle military.

“Captain, if I had joined with Star Swirl in reconnaissance, I wouldn't have been present at the moment of purification. All of the Commodore's plans would have gone completely off the rails. As they would have as well if you had tossed that satchel charge at us.” Almost immediately, her demeanour changed as her happy exterior returned.

“What-”

“Well, this is my stop! Bye Mr. Human! I! Will! Make! You! A-” Pinkie's voice faded as she dove out of the dropship, barely even a blur on the landscape as she sped away faster than Brightstone could even recognize. Looking at Star Swirl, his only response was a shrug.

“Sirs, we've got a little... issue.” The two of them turned towards the human pilot, noticing that the view screen for comms had just warmed up. The two faces on the screen reminded him that there was something he had forgotten.

“Captain Jeremy Brightstone, bring yourself and your compatriots to the Palace Landing Pad. We have some things to... discuss.”
> Chapter 3 - Where Shadows Dare To Tread
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The dropship landed rather sharply as it took to the Palace Landing Pad, its engines whining down as it was lowered into what appeared to be an underground facility, of sorts. Brightstone sat on the edge of his seat, holding his head in his hands. Over a millenium ago, he had been the sworn enemy of the Equestrian Coalition, before it had been re-designated the Kingdom of Equestria, or simply Equestria to some. It was a rather somber time for him to return, especially after the almost-fiasco at the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters. Star Swirl stood beside him, silent as the grave as he held up a tempered glass panel, tapping various portions as he filled out a short report. Considering everything that happened, even Brightstone could see it was not favorable for their own issues.

“She did shoot at me, Star Swirl. With my own handgun.”

“I’m well aware of what she did, Captain. However, keep in mind how long we kept you in cryogenic imprisonment over what you did. And keep in mind as well that we can put you right back,” Star Swirl stated without even looking up. Brightstone went silent, only releasing his seat restraints when he could feel the dropship elevator touch the bottom floor. He snatched his helmet back up from the floor and secured it to his belt, holstering his sidearm as he stepped down the boarding ramp, watching the bustling Cradle Security Forces scampering around like chickens without heads. Sleek corners met his eyes at each corner as he glanced around, the unfinished nature of the underground facility evident in the lack of refinement he knew the equines possessed. Chuckling, he looked over to see a large group part to let two rather angry regents pass. Or at least, one very angry regent, and her very terrified sister who definitely remembered him. He rubbed the back of his head, feeling the scars on his bald head. A side effect of the cryogenic process, he had opted to have it all simply removed, instead of worrying about cutting or keeping it in order.

Star Swirl bowed before the diarchy in front of them, Brightstone throwing up a quick human-style salute before the two spoke.

“Captain Brightstone, Star Swirl. Walk with us.” Brightstone silently complied, not very willing to push the point that, yes, he had done his job, and while there had been a cock-up at the end, it had not been entirely his fault. Considering the angry glares he was getting from Celestia, he believed it to be a rather unimportant point, considering that he had failed to keep his presence a secret.

“C-Captain. I-I remember w-what you did to me,” Luna stammered as she looked back, her fear evident, as well as the exact same injury she had almost died from before – the broken wing that had not healed during her imprisonment on the lunar surface. He was still not apologizing for defending himself, and while Celestia understood his point of view on the matter, he had not actually been forgiven for accidentally unleashing the nightmare on all of them. He lifted his helmet from his belt, rubbing each piece he had recovered and rebuilt, from the old UEC Navy radio headset to the tinted faceplate designed to hide his face behind a swirling pattern. He tossed it over in his hands, rolling it from one to the other while deciding what to say to Luna, his expression saying far more than he expected when Celestia coughed.

“Sister, the human isn’t as… concise with words when it comes to ponykind than when it came to his own crew. However, his machine, designation Unit 27, was instrumental in making sure we didn’t do anything too… crazy.” Luna smiled, but faltered when she looked back at the human. His eyes were shadowed as he looked away.

“I’m not going to fully be able to explain what I did. It’s unlikely I’ll be able to ever. But where to start? I was a Captain in the Union of Earth’s Colonies, or UEC. I was fighting for my life when I arrived near this world. Originally, I had thought our drift charts had been corrupted, and that we had floated too far off-course after Emergence into Realspace-”

“E-Emergence..? Reals-space?” Some of her fear was gone, as when he had started to talk about terms she was unfamiliar with, she started to pay attention, letting down some of her apprehension. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Princess, you’ve got a thousand years of technology and history to catch up on,” Brightstone answered, rummaging around in a pouch on his opposite side before retrieving his own dataslate, letting her grip it gingerly in her etheric field. “Starting with the fact that my vessel, the Indomitable, was a Void-Striker ship. A Void-Striker is using the STRYKE-5 Void Drive, a Faster than Light device capable of cutting through the interstellar void at immense speeds. Far faster than the Warp Gate travel used by most Messier-83 species. Most of the information you want is on the database on that slate I gave you. It’s not much, but hopefully you can at least not be so damn scared of me.” He matched his pace to theirs, keeping his hands clenched in a trained memory of the time he lost over a millennium before. Marching was still almost second-nature to him, but everything around him still screamed out to run and take cover. Every single nook and cranny could contain- 

“T-Thank you, Captain. I-I’m not sure I can f-forgive you, but we might be able to at least w-work together.” Brightstone silently nodded and followed. Crates and metal storage boxes were stacked as Cradle agents swarmed everywhere, Changelings, Gryphons and Ponies all cooperating in the old spirit of the Coalition. It made him hurt deep when he saw it, as it reminded him that he had almost ended all of that. He stopped as he realized he had slowed to a crawl before halting, and he could feel a single tear fall down his cheek as he remembered incredibly vividly the enemy the UEC had faced. He sniffed, taking a seat on a nearby crate as he looked down. As he let the tears fall, he saw a pink-colored hoof offer itself to him. Lifting his head, he brought his gaze into the eyes of Agent Pinkamena, her eyes full of understanding.

“The Princesses are waiting for you at the rail network. We’ve all got a job to do, remember? I’m sorry, Captain. We get the job done, and we do what we have to, and afterwards, if we have the time, we can grieve quietly for those we lost. Come on.” He nodded, standing and almost stumbling after her as the weight of everything he had ignored crashed down on him once more.


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“The train was built here only about fifty years ago, Luna. It’s a more protected and efficient way to get around than the dropship the human favours so much, and we can ride in relative comfort. It’s a technology from the archives known as a ‘Bullet Train’…” Brightstone listened to Celestia prattle on about the train they sat on, realizing he had barely thought about anything since the mission had ended. Since it was not actually his mission, he realized that Star Swirl had been accountable, and he did not want the cyber pony to take the heat for the issues he had caused himself. Looking around, he nodded at several Cradle soldiers who sullenly nodded back. He understood they were the descendants of the ones who had been accidentally baked to bone by the landing thrusters from the Indomitable.  There was the second item on his list of ‘Things I Will Never Be Forgiven For.’

“Captain, you seem pensive. Penny for your thoughts?” Brightstone looked up to see Unit 27, his ship’s former SIP android, taking a seat and tapping various symbols on its own dataslate. “Equestrian history. The amount of historical sanitation that was precipitated by our own arrival is rather extensive. I am working on repairing actual events to allow for Sentient Luna to integrate the information more appropriately into her organic memory matrix.” It lifted its head, the single set of 3 red cameras glowing as they acknowledged her, tapping a few symbols as it returned to its study.

‘NOW ARRIVING – EQUESTRIAN BORDER, HUNTER’S FALL STATION.’ He sighed. In the time it had taken to acknowledge Unit 27’s statement, they were almost a third of the way through their journey. Leaning back, he looked up at the ceiling, wishing he could sleep, but he knew he would see everyone’s faces again if he did. Conversations melted together until one piqued his interest.

“’The War Games were an interstellar competition designed to remove the need for war from the warring species of the Milky Way galaxy, the birthplace of the human species known as Terrans. The Martians, the offshoot species of humans descended from the first colonists, are more effective traders, brokers and scientists than their Terran counterparts.’ The history of these War Games intersects almost directly with our own, does it not, dear sister?” The War Games? During his time, when his ship had arrived on Equus, he had heard rumours of a galaxy-wide competition, but he had never come across any of the ships supposedly a part of it. Not even the Osiris, which an ancestor of his had apparently commanded. A dataslate was slid into his hands, with Unit 27 standing up to walk away.

“You will find the data on the War Games most interesting, Captain.” With that, the android walked away down the bullet train’s length, leaving Brightstone to familiarize himself with the history he knew he was missing.


 --------//|0|\\--------  


4308 AD – Luna’s Cradle, Equus

‘NOW ARRIVING AT LUNA’S CRADLE STATION – TERMINUS.’ Brightstone jolted awake, not even realizing he had fallen asleep as he lifted his head from where he had been drooling on the armrest. Celestia, Luna, and Unit 27 had already disembarked from the train, leaving him the sole occupant of the cabin. Stretching, he stood, staring at the door as it hissed open. Considering everything that had happened, he felt a sort of camaraderie with them, their ingenuity only limited by their limited grasp on scientific theory and advanced metallurgy, among other things.

He stepped out to a simple ramp with an elevator, the whispers of the wind barely felt at the depth he assumed he stood at. He slowly made his way forward, checking for anyone else. Discovering that he was, in fact, alone, he sighed, and seated himself on a nearby metal crate, looking at the bare-bones scaffolding across each gap he saw. The metal was rough, sand-worn, and the desert above, the one he had become rather familiar with, after he had been retrieved from his stasis chamber and forced to confront what he had done. While it had hurt, it made enough sense. Force a guilty party to acknowledge the act they had committed, and in most cases, if their mind had no other choice except to accept that they had committed such a heinous act. Its simplicity was only withheld by the simple fact that it often was not very effective if the person believed the act they had committed was the only correct choice to make, or if they were a tried-and-true sociopath. Considering he had never tested positive on Sociopath examinations, he was more certain that he had learned from his mistake. Mistakes in war often end in mass bloodshed, and he knew that better than anyone.  

“Captain Brightstone, sir!” Brightstone looked over to see a rather shadowy-coloured equine approaching him. The badge on its uniform marked it as a “Corporal, Grade 2,” while the name-tag stated its name as Flintlock. As it – he, he corrected himself, as the voice appeared to be male – came to a stop, he threw up a hasty salute at Brightstone, who returned it, nodding.

“I’m going to guess you’re here to lead me to the meeting hall?” Flintlock motioned for him to follow, not responding as he led Brightstone to the elevator, sliding a keycard into an awaiting slot. With a rumble and a shake, the resistant platform shifted upwards, the slow climb punctuated by occasional creaking as the sand-blasted metal grew in shade from its dark gray counterparts below to a much more polished, shining metal near the top. The sun peaked over the distant metal Auto-Walls, the defenses in permanent ‘Activation’ after a bad test of the Kepler’s matter-antimatter reactor had, unfortunately, shorted out the activation-response system for the Auto-Wall defensive circuits. He was about to ask a question when a loud rumbling started to vibrate the ground. Brightstone flashed a quick smile, as he could discern, along with any human familiar with the sounds of heavy vehicles, the tones of caterpillar tracks on packed ground. It was a soothing sound for the human, and even more so when Flintlock looked down at his foreleg, scrolling through a dataslate that flipped up from a gauntlet he was wearing.

“Ah, they’re testing the Manticore AMR-X1 Tank-” Brightstone had to stop him to ask a quick question, looking up at the vehicle that was rumbling past.

“That’s the-”

“The Manticore Assault Mobile Reaction Tank. The name’s still in the works, but everypony thinks it looks like a Manticore, so the name stuck.” Brightstone gazed upon the vehicle, and he immediately understood why the name had stuck. Twin cannons resting on the rear of the vehicle were attached to a spine-mounted turret with a good 360 degrees of coverage, from what Brightstone could tell. Sloped armor covered each wide track, the vehicle sitting shoulders above the ponies, but around twice the height of himself. As the elevator ground to a halt, he stepped forward to the parked vehicle, letting his hand run along the rough metal. As an experimental vehicle, it had not had the time of the Cradle Security Forces’ other vehicles, like their Outrider, a vehicle known for being almost impervious to the sandstorms that plagued the area. The twin cannons resting on top – he noted they appeared to be either a large-barreled tank cannon, or small-barreled howitzer – brought forth memories of the UEC Grizzly, a tank based on a similar design. The cannon was fixed on the Grizzly, a fact he had reminded his second-in-command multiple times aboard the Indomitable.  

A hatch opened on the rear, and smoke poured out, engineers coughing and dragging each other out before they waved at Brightstone, ponies with extinguishers spraying foam deep inside.

“Guess it’s experimental for a reason, Flintlock,” Brighstone remarked. It was a fine piece of engineering, but it was definitely not ready for full field-testing, no matter what the ponies decided. Flintlock shrugged, using a more human-style gesture rather than the odd head-bob he had normally seen as their ‘shrug.’  

“Meeting Hall’s on the far side of the testing grounds. Might want to keep your head down, just in case of stray rounds.” Nodding silently, Brightstone kept pace with Flintlock, the smaller Corporal leading him quickly through the area.


--------//|0|\\--------  


“… and the fusion reaction is still too far below our needs. The main fusion plants we devised, of course, before the introduction of the Magicite compound created by the Development Sector. Magical crystal mined from underneath the Canterlot Bullet Terminus has allowed for a more stable fusion reaction. We are not even close to the technology level required for a stable matter-antimatter exchange, but in short, we have the ability to power some new vehicles we are designing. Basing our estimates off of the data on power distribution contained inside the Kelper’s databanks, we estimate that the power production capabilities of the new Magicite Fusion Generators we are currently prototyping will exceed the registered power output of a Zaitsev Class 5 Fusion Drive. The Gryphons have expertly agreed to our proposal to install it on their prototype vessel, the Bastion. They are waiting to unveil it until after we’ve decided, and I quote, ‘to get off our pony asses and get the damn Battle Fortress flying again.’” The meeting was in full swing by the time Brightstone entered. Star Swirl was already having one of his research team explain some new tech they were developing – despite everything that he had seen, and some of the more… warring cultures that existed, the ponies were more focused on energy distribution and medical technologies rather than on any of the weapons or vehicles he knew the database contained. It spoke to their altruism that they considered those two things their priority, as the advanced medicine of the Battle Fortress – the database had determined the Kepler as a Wyvern-class Battle Fortress, essentially a converted Colony Conveyor/Bioship – had kept a lot of the CSF alive during their training exercises in the deep desert. Despite their less-than-warlike appearance, the ponies were nothing short of impressive when it came to adapting their strategies to their new technologies.  

One such technology had been the caterpillar track, or tank tread. Equipping a majority of vehicles with it – minus the buggy-like Outrider – had made their vehicle technology skyrocket in terms of capability. Most of their vehicles, of course, were troop or medical transports, but the Manticore had been something of a welcome surprise as more Gryphon and Minotaur scientists and engineers entered into the Cradle’s employ. Officially, of course, they had simply taken high-paying government jobs within the Equestrian ruling body to further their own nations’ aims; in truth, they had accepted without hesitation, as it put them at the true cutting edge of development and application. Star Swirl had a Research Sector of almost 1000 scientists as well, which Brightstone mentally noted. The Sector was separated out by project, with multiple teams often working on the prototyping of multiple projects at once. Staring out the window from the meeting hall, he could see several starting their testing phase, including what appeared to be a more advanced automatic weapon compared to the semi-automatic weapons the CSF had been using since Luna’s banishment. The magazine on it, of course, was rather boxy, and was attached, in fact, to a heavy vest secured tightly onto the back of a Minotaur. It functionally resembled an ancient weapon he remembered as the Maschinegewehr 1942, or MG42, an Earth weapon from the long-since collapsed Germany, during one of that planet’s 7 world wars.

A belt-feed wound around the Minotaur’s arm and locked underneath an impressively robust slide. With a heavy-handed yank of the cocking handle, they pulled the trigger, tracers spitting out in purple flashes coinciding with the slight magical contamination present in all of the Equestrian’s gunpowder. However, unlike previous weapons tests where the firearm in question detonated the rounds down the chain after overheating, the weapon appeared to not even get close to warm, minus the barrel glowing orange. He had to stop himself from clapping before he turned and came face-to-face with Celestia and Luna, who both had eyebrows cocked in an inquisitive expression. Brightstone motioned to the research floor, moving his arms wide.

“I’m still impressed by the work all of you are doing here. Humanity learned all of this over a longer period of time, sure – we had to learn how to not kill each other, of course – but the speed at which your species has not just learned, but improved a majority of the technology – if only because the materials to improve said technology are only naturally occurring on this planet – it’s almost mind-boggling. The Iiaynsin are the only other race I have ever seen to be even close to being able to match your prowess, and they’re a bunch of cold, calculating bastards. Sure, as soldiers, they can shoot an enemy without even looking due to their impressive battlefield knowledge, but as people? I’d rather be shot in the back than socialize with them.” Brightstone looked out at the floor before holding up his hands in a gesture of mirth. “Sorry, forgot a lot of you don’t get human humour still. A lot is paralleled, but stuff like that, well, you have to be in those wars for the joke to make sense.” He shrugged his shoulders, grimacing as he watched the two sisters glance at each other. He turned away and started to walk before he felt something tugging on his uniform’s synthmesh outer layer. Shifting around, he looked to see Luna tugging tightly with her hooves, her wings balancing her weight as she pulled him back.

“Please, don’t l-leave. I do have to apologize for mine own actions during the encounter we had so long ago, though they're p-partially due to you. You’ve a-already apologized for y-yours, and a grudge w-would only make a working relationship impossible,” Luna stammered, her fear still evident at the human who did, in fact shoot her, but he could read an understanding in her eyes that he had never fully seen within his Commodore’s eyes. Celestia could be pretty cold at times, he had discovered, and when it came to apologies, she was far from perfect. Luna, however, seemed to understand why, even if she did not want to accept it for now. It was progress, and he was willing to accept.

“Commander, I have nowhere else to go. The Union, even if it still exists today, would not even recognize me or my ship. Too many years have passed since then, which renders me a non-entity in their eyes. I quite literally don’t exist as far as they are concerned. There is something we’ve been working on, though, that might interest you. Especially seeing as that wing is still...” He trailed off as he bit his lip, trying to think of the best way to approach the subject before Celestia cut him off, pressing her wing over her sister as she moved towards the door, shooting a dirty look at Brightstone before he could gather his thoughts.

“The Engineering Sector has made some impressive progress in regards to a newer technology we have been able to access in the database. I’m sure you will find it of due interest, sister...” Their voices faded away as Brightstone returned his attention to the proving grounds below, watching a pony strapped into a new harness device – a large company in the Cradle, Coltfield, had been instrumental in the evolution and adaptation of the weapons harness program for their firearms – and locked a much more robust rifle than he had expected into the control casing hooked to one side. A magazine was loaded into the top, with a Minotaur slapping the top to engage the magazine catch. The trigger mechanism was wired to the bit-grip, and with a nod, the other scientists disengaged from around the pony testing the weapon, covering their faces in case of any accidents. With a heavy burst of shells, the target dummy was destroyed, and the recoil had forced the pony backwards a good 2 meters. Smiling, he turned to see a large Minotaur waiting for him at the doorway.

“Iron Will, I presume? Your work with the new weapon harnesses has been instrumental to their adaptation to more improved materials. Did you get the geological survey data I requested?”  

“Iron Will has the documents for you, Captain! Someone as assertive as yourself would not be happy if it were not done within the appropriate time table-” Brightstone put his hand up before covering his face. From Iron Will’s perspective, it looked like he was exasperated, but in truth, Brightstone was concealing the need to giggle at the ridiculousness of Iron Will’s speech. Sure, the Minotaur had his quirks and his failings, but he was a damn good engineer, and one of their most prized associates. Putting aside his esoteric eccentricities, Iron Will had redesigned the Coltfield Weapon Harness that had been in use for almost 1000 years – even Brightstone was surprised by the amount of time the harness had existed. The harness’ new iteration, the Coltfield Multi-Weapon Harness, had been devised from a few technologies many others had simply lost interest in, technologies which suited Iron Will’s purposes perfectly. Non-standard methods aside, Brightstone had a decent camaraderie with Iron Will, with the few times he had interacted with the Minotaur. He had met the Minotaur’s extended clan during one of those times, which did include a rather robust Minotaur by the name of Wreck. Rubbing the bridge of his nose, he tried to mentally delete that particular memory.

Taking the documents from Iron Will, he held out his hand, shaking the Minotaur’s outstretched paw in a gesture of goodwill, nodding as the large mammal lumbered his way out of the room. As he opened the folder to flip through the pages within, the building began to shake and rumble, a loud droning noise seemingly disrupting his own thoughts. Sighing, he closed the folder, slid it underneath his left arm, and drew his sidearm, checking the magazine out of habit.  


 --------//|0|\\--------  



Brightstone let his eyes readjust to the blinding light outside as he exited the main Research and Development building – the eponymous Meeting Hall he had been told about was simply just a boardroom, he mused to himself – and looked skyward to see something more akin to the technology of his fellow man rather than that of the equine nation.  

Far above his head, a massive aircraft lowered itself until four dropships disconnected from the underside, landing in hastily-designated landing zones that were still being erected when they touched down. Small amounts of sand were rendered into glass by the heat from the VTOL engines, thrown like molten bullets at anyone around as the turbines whined to a stop. Holstering his sidearm, Brightstone called over a Gryphon assistant who was milling around, and handed off the folder.

“I’ve got to take care of this, but make sure you get this folder to Star Swirl. Make certain he is aware of everything, and alert the local- forget the second part, but those documents need to be delivered to him post-haste. Seen?” Brightstone stared at the Gryphon with a questioning gaze before they nodded quickly and quietly, and took to the sky. Turning his attention back to the landed aircraft, he stared as the ramps descended, and a group of six ponies tentatively left the vehicle, their bodies wrapped in the khaki uniform common to those first visiting the Cradle. He sighed, coming to attention when Celestia and Luna both exited from the Meeting Hall, laughing and giggling. Saluting his commanding officers, he stood to the side, making sure that the new group of beings present were aware just who was in charge.

“P-Princess C-Celestia?” A purple unicorn – Brightstone remembered her, he and Star Swirl had been assigned to make sure that Luna’s purification went off properly; he recalled the first part of her name, ‘Twilight’ - stepped carefully down the dropship’s landing ramp, staring wide-eyed at everything around her. Her friends were just as skittish, letting their unfortunate, erstwhile leader take the first steps into a world which, according to the expressions he saw on their faces, might as well have been an alien planet. Coming from a world powered by magic and simple technologies, the Cradle must have seemed almost completely unnatural. But she stared at the CSF soldiers marching on drill, Gryphon and Minotaur engineers working on various equipment, from the Outrider Scout Buggy to the prototype Manticore – she swore she saw smoke pouring out of the rear of the latter, and a strange metal canister being used to dissipate the fire inside – and she quietly stared, wide-eyed in shock, at her mentor.  

“Commodore, I believe a round of explanations are in order… as well as maybe getting them in out of the sun. I sincerely doubt they have ever seen something quite like this in their entire lives.” Celestia turned to Brightstone, about to reprimand him, when Luna piped up, stepping forward.

“Sister, as is my right, I am assuming command of the Cradle once more. Simply put, you were always better at keeping the royal court in check, while I have been more focused on our advancement.” Brightstone and Twilight both stared at Luna, her smile belying the true nature of why she was taking the reins back. Sure, her sister had managed it in her absence – an absence which had partially been caused by her sister, and partially due to Brightstone’s actions during a war – but there were many items on her docket, and she seemed to feel she was ready to take on the mantle once more. “I will take them to the Meeting Hall and give them the explanation… as well as an offer.”

“An offer, Luna?”

“Since there are multiple accounts of a strange device in my possession – I do apologize for that, but you did force my hand, dear sister – I think we need to figure out a plan of action. Also, did you not have an assignment for your dear protege here?” Celestia stumbled over her words as Luna stuck her tongue out, reinforcing the point that they were not just the diarchy, they were also siblings. Giving her sister the dirtiest ‘I-will-make-your-life-a-nightmare’ look she could muster, Celestia withdrew a dataslate from her uniform, Twilight’s eyes bugging out from her head as she watched her mentor tap on a seemingly thin plane of glass, and pull up a document.

“There, sister. You’ve been reinstated as the Commander of the Cradle-”

“Luna’s Cradle, sister. It was named after me, if you remember?”  

Leaving her sister’s side, Celestia trotted over to one of the dropships, stepping inside and taking a seat. As the ramp raised and locked into place, Luna could have sworn that she saw her sister smile in pride at her younger sibling, as if she was impressed that she could allow her sister to do the job she had agreed to all those years ago. Luna smiled thinly, remembering that there certainly was plenty of explanations, including why she was the head of an installation that produced and researched advanced technology.


 --------//|0|\\--------  


After six hours, two meal breaks, and a host of powerpoints, lectures and documents, coupled with the commandeering of a windowless conference room, Luna collapsed backwards into a chair that had been originally from the Kepler’s command center, but had been refitted for her personal use. Exhaustion crept at the outer edges of her vision as she looked at Twilight, her sister’s dear student, with pleading eyes that she and her friends understand what was happening in front of them. One stared at her with knowing eyes, keeping the steady gaze of a career soldier focused on Luna-

“You, pink one. Service number and rank!” Twilight and her other friends jumped as Pinkie Pie stood at attention and saluted Luna, her reactions seemingly second-nature.

“Ma’am! A71461, Specialist Grade 2, Cradle Special Forces, Pinkamena Diane Pie. On loan to Celestia from the Cradle’s main training program for-” She stopped quickly, realizing what was going on, and glaring at Luna. Luna bit her lip in thought as Twilight and the others stared down Pinkie, their eyes a mix of anger, confusion and disappointment. As they all regained their composure, one of the others – the orange one, Luna reminded herself, that was named Applejack – spoke slowly, as if she was re-learning how to sound out her words.

“Sugarcube… ya mean t’ say that you were fixin’ on keepin’ this here place from us, and you were just gonna keep on lyin’ to us?!” Her voice’s volume increased with each word, until she was nearly shouting down the pink pony. Luna knew anger like it was an old friend, and while Applejack was angry, she was not one to hold a grudge – as far as the information she had was concerned. Considering that it had realistically only been a couple of days since the incident in what remained of the Everfree Forest, near the sisters’ old castle, she did not expect Twilight to have much of a reaction, but Twilight pulled in a breath, breathed out slowly, and screamed. Not a scream of anger, or of terror, it was simply an animalistic screech of confusion, rage, and a confluence of multiple emotions occurring all at once. Everyone present simply dropped their jaws at the sheer volume of the noise, wincing in pain until she stopped.  

“Twilight, darling...”

“Rarity, don’t. Just don’t. We’ve been fed a lie, almost our entire lives! The history of Equestria, the history of Nightmare Moon, and even the random goings on in this world, all of it can be tied to this place! All of it! I’m not sure whether to pass out or scream again! Gah!” Twilight slammed her head on the table, mumbling and intermittently sobbing as the information processed. Luna winced again at her reaction, glancing around for anything that might let her out of the situation. Pinkie was being grilled for information by the cerulean pegasus – Rainbow Dash, Luna recalled - Applejack was trying to get Twilight to snap out of her funk, and Rarity seemed more interested in the uniform she had been given rather than the current situation. The only one that had been continuously reading had been the pegasus with the cream-yellow coat – Fluttershy, if Luna’s memory served correctly; her sister had given her an unfortunately quick briefing before they all landed. Pushing herself out from the comfort of her chair, she slowly made her way around the table, standing next to Fluttershy and trying to figure out what she was most interested in. Luna was about to speak when Fluttershy turned and planted a hoof on the table, pointing at a specific entry in the documents she had been given.  

Out of everything, from hydroponics, to massive power generators running on the energy that made stars work, and even advanced transportation, the one thing that the pegasus had focused one was something that made Luna smile, because from all the information she had been given, Fluttershy had homed in on the one thing that her talent – Nurturing, as far as Celestia had been able to discern and tell Luna – most resonated with.

“P-Princess? Advanced medicine? W-what does that entail… unless it’s too much of a problem, I can just go and-” Luna wrapped her working wing around the pegasus, beaming in pride as she felt her own apprehension somewhat dissipate as she smiled down at Fluttershy.

“My dear subject, while this installation may be considered a place where shadows dare to tread, I do believe that our pharmaceutical researchers would very much like to give you a tour-” The doors to the conference room opened, revealing Unit 3 and Star Swirl holding multiple documents. Star Swirl looked around and slowly began to back out, but unfortunately, he was not fast enough, as a certain purple unicorn raised her head at that moment, and took in his form.

In all of his years as the mind behind the Cradle, in each small skirmish, and even during the Seven Day War, he had never witnessed any pony move quite as fast as Twilight had. Her eyes checked every detail, cataloged every single servo, wire and coil that made up his cybernetics, and sat down quickly, her jaw seeming to want to defy physics and slam into the ground.

“S-Star Swirl t-the Bearded?” Star Swirl’s eyes went wide as he realized the predicament he had arrived in, and started to backpedal quickly, but not fast enough. He was quickly pushed to the table as Twilight snatched a notebook from the table in an etheric field, flipping through it quickly to make sure that it was empty. Satisfied that it was, she levitated a pencil to the page she was on, and grinned with an increasingly predatory expression.  

“Miss…?”

“Tell. Me. Everything.” While Star Swirl stammered through Twilight’s questions, the others – Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Rarity, mostly – silently made their way out through the doorway, stepping into the corridor as Luna nodded to Pinkie, closing the doors as she retreated as well.

“That was… intense.” Luna’s eyes met with the human’s, watching as he stood there tapping away on a dataslate. He had traded out his synthmesh camouflage uniform for a thicker combat suit, the armor plates visible through the tightly woven fabric. “I was given prior warning that her student could be… unhinged and rather one-track-minded when it came to her biggest hero. Ma’am, I watched the entirety of it through the cameras, don’t worry. However, now that I am standing here, I think I need to introduce myself, and give some background on what you are seeing here.”  

“My name is Captain Jeremy Brightstone of the Union of Earth’s Colonies cruiser Indomitable. I’ve been here far less time than this massive wreck, but the ship is not as damaged as it appears. This vessel – a Battle Fortress known as the Kepler – crashed here during her last Conquest Battle almost 1600 years ago. That time frame is… more or less accurate, seeing as Unit 3 has conveniently extricated itself from this group. Anyways, the Kepler was forced to crash-land into this desert, its creation which I believe Luna here can explain far better than I am able to. Shielded pylons still remain at the outer edges, but that’s not the most important part of this entire explanation.” He sighed, placing a small disk on the ground, and tapping a few icons on his dataslate. The disk sprang to life, creating a massive holographic display, detailing out various chemical compounds and alloys. Rainbow Dash swept her hoof through the light, watching it distort slightly as she continued. Brightstone sighed, pulling out two badges.

“The Janus Planetary Accord was the major player 1000 years ago – no, I’m not actually that old, I spent most of a criminal sentence during that time in cryogenic suspension. The UEC sent myself and a dozen cruisers to at least make contact here in M83, coming from a distant galaxy. My crew commandeered the JPA cruiser Indomitable – the very ship I mentioned earlier. But I can explain my own personal history at a later date. This-” he brought up a large diagram of a plate of metal, the metallurgical information detailing out each part, “is selenium alloy. Almost all of the current space-faring vessels are reinforced with this material. It is essentially a titanium-tungsten alloy compounded with selenium-strengthened steel, but the selenium used in the process has to be of such a pure concentration that only M83 – that’s your galaxy, by the way – has the purest veins of selenium. The metal sulfides that contain this element, when refined, allow for a metal plating that is lighter than Dura-Tanium, the main titanium-tungsten alloy used in most warships, but far stronger and resilient. This alloy can only be produced in M83, and that’s where your world, and planets like yours, come in-”  

Luna coughed, signaling Brightstone to finish his explanation before he got too into it. Even though he was a soldier, Celestia had mentioned that Brightstone’s mind was one of the most impressive she had ever seen, comparable to Star Swirl’s, in a way. However, like most brilliant beings, his own explanations did tend to get away from him, but she did have another reason to stop him when she did. Walking away, she heard him quickly finish up.

“All of that being correct, I believe we had something to show you all. Considering today is most likely going to either go one of two ways, Luna may be willing to wait in the underground shelter we have constructed-” Luna stopped walking, flipping around quickly. Her mane flowed quickly, her eyebrow raised in a questioning manner.

“Brightstone, what is going on?” Luna could swear she felt the human’s smile even though he was straight-faced, as he announced to her information that was a long time coming, according to himself and the ones who had told him. The Gryphon assistant from earlier came speeding down the corridor, quickly handing off the folder Brightstone had given them before to Luna before continuing quickly. Opening the folder, Luna glanced quickly at the information contained within, her eyes widening as she realized what each data point entailed. “You’re serious. You are actually being serious, Captain.”

“Well, you’ve got all the data there, and while she’s not fully spaceworthy – what with the several hundred holes to vacuum from the crash, the new Magitech Fusion Plants that need to be fully integrated, and the fact that we’re just getting access to the manufacturing sections – I think you’ll be pleased with the results, ma’am.” Luna snapped the folder shut, staring at Brightstone.  

“What do you mean, Captain? What will I be pleased with?”  

“The Kepler is ready to launch into low orbit whenever you command.”
> Chapter 4 - Where Angels Once Walked
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Luna coughed as she took in the information that Brightstone had provided. The Kepler, functionally, was safe to fly into low orbit, where small craft could repair and reinforce the more damaged areas. However, the report also indicated that the field projector manifolds that originally protected the vessel during launch and during Conquest Matches were little more than melted slag against the Battle Fortress’ hull. She snapped the folder shut, and shook her head at Brightstone.

“While I admire your enthusiasm for this, Captain, unfortunately, we don’t have the devices necessary to facilitate even a controlled launch, let alone one where even a small portion of the Kepler would survive. The field projectors are long since damaged, and we have not the smallest idea how to manufacture similar devices without knowing exactly what materials and components comprised them. Now, we have a definite path forward, of course – the Magitech Fusion Powerplants that are described in these documents you gave me-” she motioned with the folder for emphasis, bringing back her original point as close as she could, “-mean that, should we decide to launch, we would have the production of energy necessary for an expedient launch, but not for a safe launch.”

“Ma’am-”

“Don’t argue with me, Captain. This is not something we can just overlook. However, Twilight and her friends, well, we can’t keep them here. Twilight’s mind may be brilliant, but she needs real-world experience, and the best place for that is back where she was, in Ponyville of course. Her friends would most likely be the best candidates for such an endeavour, but I get the sense that my own sister is planning something. Normally, Captain, I would very much enjoy to take her on and train her as my own protege, but she already has a mentor, and while magically-speaking she is a prodigy, her social abilities are far below-par for the undertaking which working with us here at the Cradle would provide.” Luna finished, swallowing as Twilight exited the conference room, her hair up in a random assortment of messes, her eyes wide and still in shock. Fluttershy, ever the quiet type, slowly approached her, and put her hoof on Twilight’s back. Almost all at once, Twilight began to sob, tears flowing down her face as she muttered, cried and quietly apologized as everything seemed to hit her at the same time. 

“T-Twilight? I-If you don’t m-mind… what did he tell you in there?” Twilight looked up, her eyes red from her tear-streaked venting, and frowned. The look of thought on her face made Brightstone chuckle, at least, on the inside. She looked, for all intents and purposes, as if she desperately needed the washroom, and it was amusing, though he knew why she had cried.

“E-Everything… I have ever known is… is impossible. I can’t believe it. The Gryphons, the Changelings, even the Minotaurs. All working together in this place to protect Equestria and Equus as a whole. Nothing about this should make sense, b-but it does, in a strange way.” She sniffed, letting Fluttershy wipe her tears away before straightening herself out. Pinkie closed the conference room doors behind her, frowning as she turned and met Luna’s eyes with a tear-filled gaze of her own. Twilight swallowed, looking up at Luna, expectantly awaiting an answer.

“Twilight, we’ve reached a decision in regards to all of this. Considering it was your friends, and myself and my dear sister who witnessed anything in regards to Cradle-based technology, and are familiar with it, I’m more inclined to let you return to Ponyville. However, this does come with a rather painful request.” Luna swallowed, clearing her throat as she looked Twilight in her tear-strewn eyes.

“P-Princess? W-What do you m-mean?”

“Twilight, we can’t actually have you talking about what you’ve seen. Celestia has given you a book, a journal, if I remember correctly. Write in it. Keep your mind sharp, and learn things. Experience life, and learn something about friendship. You’ll have ample time later to discover more about the universe, but for now, the best thing is for yourself and your friends to bond and grow together. I cannot promise things will get better, but I can promise that when Celestia decides you are ready, you will be welcomed into the fold with open hooves, or arms, in the case of the Captain over there.” Luna motioned to Brightstone, who raised his hand in greeting once more, returning to a dataslate he had removed from another pouch. Data streamed quickly as he started to walk away, pulling a radio from one of his uniform pouches and sliding it onto his ear. She sighed as she looked back at the ponies in front of her, shrugging as she breathed and let her annoyance dissipate.

“B-But how do we get back-”

“A dropship is waiting on the landing pads above. It will take you to a discreet area on the outskirts of your friend’s apple farm, near a small pond which we’ve cordoned off for… security reasons. Speaking of which, Specialist Pie? You’re going to be on extended duty with Twilight here. Consider it an extended leave period. You’ve certainly earned it.” Twilight nodded quickly, moving suddenly to the Princess and squeezing her tightly into a hug. 

“T-Thank you Princess-”

“Just call me Luna. When I am in Canterlot, I am a Princess, but when out here? I’m simply the mare who runs the place. Flintlock, my personal attendant, will lead you outside.” As if on cue, Corporal Flintlock appeared as if from nowhere, a slight shimmer the only indication that he had been there all along. A mask slid off his face as he removed his helmet, letting it hang at his side.

“Miss Sparkle, Miss Dash, Miss Fluttershy, Miss Pie, Miss Rarity and Miss Applejack, if you would be so kind to follow me...” Leading them down the hallway, he disappeared around a corner with them in tow. Luna leaned against the wall as Star Swirl and Unit 3 exited the conference room, appearing to have been in a long discussion. Looking up, she managed a weak smile, trying to put on a brave face. Unit 3 looked her up and down, and shook his head.

“Benefactor Luna, your current physical state is still too weak to continue for now. Star Swirl, myself and the War SIP android will continue to maintain the Cradle while you recuperate. We cannot have you collapsing into a stress-induced coma, especially not after you just regained your form after an extended period of absence. We will be conducting tests in the meantime – the medics did manage to get the blood samples you requested from Candidate Sparkle and her friends. Candidate Sparkle’s genetic code seems amply sufficient for unlocking the penultimate data firewall we have attempted to breach for the last 10 years.” Unit 3 passed a dataslate over to Luna, who grasped it in a weak etheric grip, sitting on her haunches as she flipped through page after page of genetic data.

“It’s a very dry read, is it not?” A familiar voice jolted Luna into almost complete alertness as she looked down the corridor, and noticed a tall, rather skinny not-pony walking up the hallway. Standing tall, she tried to keep her composure, but the smile crossing her face was all the other needed. With a gallop, they met each other quickly, their embrace one of long-lost comrades.

“Chrysalis! But I thought- there’s no way-”

“Cryogenics, my dear pony princess. Your Cradle was very accommodating for mine and my mother’s wishes. She wanted to see the Ancestral Hive grow and expand, to continue the tradition of the Coalition- of course, you’ve seen where your sister took our old cooperative. But since you have returned, we can begin again on-” Luna pushed Chrysalis back, staring at her in confusion.

“My sister did nothing of the sort, Chrysalis. A millennium ago, things were very different. We were dealing with battles nearly every day, the agreements with the Minotaurs and the Gryphons, and while we could try and bring back everything we had before, would that be the right thing? Would that be what we need anymore-” Luna stumbled slightly, falling to the side before Chrysalis caught her.

“Luna, you’re very weak right now. Come, let us get you to the medical center. I did not mean any disrespect to your sister, but I did not come back to pledge my support to her, not after what she did 2 centuries ago.”

“Chrysalis, what happened?” Chrysalis sighed, looking away as she started to speak. Luna could feel the emotions flowing off of her, though she doubted it was entirely accidental. Chrysalis had always been somewhat of a decent manipulator when it came to certain things, and Luna had long ago learned to tune out the ‘emotional feedback’ that occurred. 

“My sisters destroyed the Ancestral Hive, Luna. Celestia sat back and did nothing, even when Cradle support would have saved them. She simply told us that she could not risk anything that might cause a war like the one from a millennium ago.”

“Chrysalis, she made a mistake. We all make mistakes. But let us speak about more pleasant topics. I remember you were somewhat decent at genetic decoding. Down in our bio-labs, we’ve got...”

4310 AD – Canterlot, Equestria

	“Oh, but I already have! Your precious princesses have fallen before me, and now this day has been just perfect-” A massive form slammed into Chrysalis, sending her flying across the room. Stamping her hoof, her eye twitching, a second Chrysalis snorted, a strange armor vest clinging close to her frame as she stared down the other Chrysalis.

“Oh, dear sister. Is it not enough that you attempt to invade this land, but also to besmirch my name?! Is not enough, Princess Nympha?!” The other princess – Nympha, as everpony present had heard Chrysalis call the other one – stood her ground, smiling. Twilight and Princess Cadence stood side-by-side as the two Changelings locked their horns like swords, pushing against each other.

“Oh, what Queen Apoidea would think of you, dear sister. Prancing around with the ponies, when they could best be made to serve us! To feed us! You believe in-” Chrysalis did not even let her sister gain a chance to finish as she ducked low, spinning in place to deliver a hind-leg kick that would have made even an applebucker like Applejack proud. A resounding crack resonated through the building as Twilight stared, her brother behind the two shaking his head, as if he had just realized where he was. 

“Twily? W-What’s going on? Why are there changelings fighting in the throne room-” Twilight shook her head, jerking towards Cadence as she pushed her former foalsitter around the edge.

“Cadence, we have to do this now. B.B.B.F.F., there will be time for a wedding later! Chrysalis, the real… erm, I, heh, I don’t think I can tell them apart.” Chrysalis and Nympha stopped fighting for one second, staring directly at Twilight with gazes that could melt tungsten.

“Excuse me?! Can’t tell us apart?” Chrysalis turned back to her fighting as she kept Nympha occupied, the other still too focused on shouting as her sister slammed her to the ground, keeping Nympha’s head close to the tiled floor. Chrysalis looked up, affording a weak smile as she watched a massive magic force build up between the unicorn and the alicorn. She raised her voice over the pressure wave building in the room, shouting as it grew ever louder.

“Shining Armor! Princess Cadence! For what it is worth… I’m sorry it turned out this way-” She did not finish her sentence as a massive magic wall slammed into her and her fellow Changeling Princess, lifting them out and carrying them far outside the outer reaches of the city. Chrysalis kicked at Nympha, frowning until she tapped at her vest, smiling when a sequence of beeps returned in kind. Almost as if on cue, a doorway opened in the middle of the air, Chrysalis slamming through the dropship door and landing directly on top of the waiting Cradle soldiers, sighing as she watched her sister fly far, far into the distance. 

“’For what it’s worth.’ Honestly would have picked better words, but you did well for your first solo mission, Princess.” Chrysalis turned her head to glare at the human sitting strapped in not 3 feet from her. Stepping off of the ponies she had landed on, she adjusted the vest and shook the mental cobwebs out of her head.

“Brightstone, had I not intervened, Nympha would have killed them all. Changelings survive on love, that is true, but draining it forcefully kills those that are having their emotions consumed. The Ancestral Hive was supposed to be united on this, but when the Queen died, each Princess took a portion of the Hive and decided to carve out their own kingdom. Nympha’s drones will follow me, but there will be a time for that later. For now, we need to return to the Cradle. Genetic decoding takes a long time, and I prefer not to be away from my work if I can help it...”

4311 AD – [Ponyville, Equestria] Main Surveillance, Luna's Cradle

“Massive etheric signature detected, Captain Brightstone! Recommend immediate intervention-” Brightstone held up his hand, shaking his head at the over-zealous radar technician. It had been 3 years since they had decided to simply stand back and watch. A couple of Cradle infiltrators, plus an occasional report from Specialist Pie, had made sure that everyone kept up to date with the goings-on in Ponyville with what everyone in the Cradle referred to as ‘Candidate Sparkle.’ A massive spike in etheric energy had decidedly won the attention of Luna and her advisors, and Brightstone had been first to the monitoring station to determine if it was legitimately a reason to panic. He was about to speak when the hidden cameras in the central square of Ponyville detected that same etheric signature, but more localized. A massive mark – the same mark that adorned the flank of one Twilight Sparkle, Brightstone noted – descended onto the packed dirt of the common area, where wings  spread from her back, giving Brightstone pause as he tapped his radio.

“Uh, Commander Luna? You might want to see this. It appears that Candidate Sparkle has… ascended-” A rush of wind and Luna was standing next to him, staring at the monitors. “Commander, you do realize you just broke all of your own speed regulations, right-” 

“Captain, not now.” She stuffed her hoof in front of his face as she intently watched. Keeping her secondary attention on the new thaumic-etheric sensor readings on the screens below the main viewing portion, her eyes went wide as she continued to glance all over, trying to make sense of whatever she was seeing. 

“Readings are off the charts, Captain! Candidate Sparkle is currently rated at 100 Celestial Units. She currently possesses an etheric strength more than 10 times more powerful than that of either of the Diarchy, the Commander included.” Luna stared at the technician checking his paperwork and data, and could only shake her head in amazement. Celestia had told her that Twilight was gifted in the thaumic and etheric arts, but to be that powerful at such a young age, and to be able to ascend? Her Aspect in the Elements of Harmony was Magic, but even the reaction would not induce that. She continued to question as she watched the sun rise, and her sister begin smiling and talking about a coronation. Brightstone started to giggle, chuckling until he was bent over laughing. Luna turned her gaze upon him, her irritation evident. Brightstone couldn’t stop laughing, and tried to respond between fits of laughter.

“O-Oh God, that’s r-rich! Ha ha! Commander, you’re going to have to dress up in that royal regalia you hate so much, and you can’t skip out on it this time! Ha ha!” She turned back, her face turning red in embarrassment as Brightstone regained his composure, wiping the tears out from his eyes as he refocused on everything going on.

“You didn’t have to laugh,” Luna retorted, snorting as she turned to leave.

“Commander, while it was a shock, my laughing should have no effect on how you feel about this. Honestly, when was the last time you actually laughed?” Brightstone questioned, glancing at her with a raised eyebrow before copying the relevant data to his dataslate, the tempered glass a testament to the technology his own vessel had brought to the table when his ship had arrived all those centuries ago. Sighing, he returned to the data, pointing out different issues.

“Now, when you scale that up, remember to calculate the paradoxical number sequence...”

4313 AD – [Crystal Castle, Ponyville, Equestria] Main Surveillance, Luna's Cradle

“Massive chroniton-based disturbance detected! Massive wave of energy dissipating across the local time-space! All forces-” A worried pony seemed to lose track of everything for a moment, Brightstone wide-eyed as he looked around, watching those he had once worked with simply disappear as he kept watch. Various aspects of the Cradle were disappearing, which meant that someone had discovered a way to travel through what the Iiaynsin called the ‘River of Time.’ Put into scientific terms, it meant that someone, or somepony considering the locals, had tampered with the fabric of reality. Brightstone grabbed Flintlock, sprinting past as he snatched falling rifles from the disappearing ponies, Gryphons and Minotaurs around him, quickly laying them up against the wall before he charged through the main door of the structure that housed Main Surveillance. The Personnel Address system had gone silent, meaning that whatever had happened, it was affecting all around the base. Only those who had been there since before the disturbance took place were still wandering around, it seemed, their eyes full of confusion, as if they were seeing something for the first time, but they knew it had not always been that way.

“Dammit! Flintlock, I’m going to need you to fire up that dropship once we get there! That disturbance was localized on Twilight’s Castle! We’re gonna do a cold ignite and burn as fast as we can to get there. I think this time… we’re going to have to do things the less-savoury way.” Pressing in the combination for the dropship, he tossed Flintlock onto a nearby seat, strapping himself into the pilot’s seat. His fingers flashing across the main console, the engines whined as they fired up, the VTOL thrusters pushing harder than their rated tolerance as he flipped the Long-Range Disturbance Detection system, keeping the coordinates in check as he watched the Cradle change behind him. Uniforms changed to one he had never seen before, and the majority of vehicles had been seemingly repainted as he watched what appeared to be pressure waves passing over and over the Cradle as it shrank in the distance. He focused his attention forward, deactivating the safety protocols on the main thrusters to allow him to activate the afterburners without being up to speed.

“Captain! How come we’re not affected like the others?” He turned around, looking at Flintlock’s new navy-blue/purple uniform. Brightstone raised an eyebrow, his own uniform still the same.

“Honestly, just strap yourself in. This might be one of those times that Celestia-”

“Damn Sun-lover-” Brightstone’s handgun was out and in his hand before Flintlock could even finish that sentence, a laser dot painted directly at the center of his forehead.

“Don’t make me pull this trigger, Flintlock. Don’t you dare make me kill you-” Flintlock howled in anger, leaping at Brightstone. Six shots rang out, leaving a bleeding mess on the dropship’s floor, and an increasingly angry human speeding off into the distance to attempt to save everything. 


--------//|0|\\--------


Twilight backed away as she watched everything change around her again, the world shifting as time itself was rewritten. She had watched a maniacal mare hellbent on manipulating her magical map to disrupt time’s flow and had almost given up hope. The massive interactive map that stood in front of her showed red, as she watched the world shift again. Tears filled the edge of her vision as she nearly gave up, her assistant standing next to her and patting her side.

“C-Cheer up, Twilight! N-Not everything’s changed… right?” Almost as if on cue, the drone of turbines filled the air as a massive aircraft came into view, smoke flowing quickly out of the rear thrusters as a single solitary figure leaped from the back, a plume of cloth signaling a parachute deployment. As she watched it float closer, she recognized the uniform as the human she had met when she had been taken several years prior to Luna’s Cradle, a secret installation deep in a region known as the Everfree Desert. The rifle in his hand made her very nervous, but the fact that he was even there was comforting to her mind.

Brightstone felt his feet touch ground as he rolled into a standard military crouch, clearing his immediate area before moving on what he considered his primary, the erstwhile Princess who stood ramrod stiff in shock as he moved closer as quietly as possible. He sighed, tossing aside his parachute pack as he removed the magazine from his standard-issue UEC RK-9 assault rifle. The boxy weapon had proven effective even in the modern age, and a refit for it had made sure it was effective as his main weapon. He touched the shell at the top of the magazine, feeling the grooves of the Coltfield Special Gunpowder, Etheric Grade shells. He locked the magazine back into his rifle, racking the slide as he held out his hand in a friendly manner.

“Princess, I know you’re scared at the moment, but-” He felt, rather than saw her wrap her forelegs around him. He lowered his hands, rubbing her head in acknowledgment as he saw her little dragon assistant – he only knew about him from stories told to him by the Diarchy. He had never met the little one himself – move closer, holding out a stick as if to fend off the big, bipedal monster he knew he must appear to him. Pushing Twilight back, he looked back at the table, noticing a scroll laying singed on the top. The interactive map flickered as he approached, lifting the scroll and reading it.

“’Time magic,’ Twilight? This doesn’t sound like something you would do, and I should know – the Cradle’s been keeping a close eye on you in case of a situation like this. But this, this right here, this is your answer. You’re giving up, and I know your assistant would say the same thing.” He knelt down in front of her, holding the scroll out as he looked her dead in the eyes. “Wipe your tears. Stand the hell up, and get moving. I thought I could do something, anything, to fix this- hell, I had to shoot one of my former comrades as he succumbed to the chronological anomalies! Look at me, and listen. You’re the only one that can fix this, even if I have to throw you through a damn white hole to do it! Stand the hell up, get serious, and stop that threat! Stop it...” 

Twilight watched Brightstone as dust began to flow from his body, his kneeling form still holding out the spell scroll for her to read. His eyes were pleading with her as his mouth stopped moving, the dust cloud in front of her dissipating as she looked around. Steeling herself, she looked at the Map on the table, and clenched her teeth together as she looked at the pile of ash that used to be someone she may have only met once, but in the short time they had just talked, he had said more to her in his words than just phonetic sounds. He had conveyed a deep loyalty to the nation he worked for, a need to protect everything he had worked for. She frowned, looking over at the ashes, and spying a boxy device with a handle. Lifting it in her magic, Twilight looked it over, noticing the name ‘Brightstone’ engraved into the receiver. Tears stung her eyes once more as she focused on the spell that the mare had used, letting Twilight return once more as she held the device close to her chest, the resulting time tunnel whisking her far, far away.


--------//|0|\\--------
 

“You can’t win, Princess-” The mare stopped short as something whizzed by her head, turning her eyes to see a much more angry Twilight wielding a boxy device that was smoking. In her mind, she ran the odds. Whatever it had sent her way, it was fast, almost impossibly so, and she doubted she had the reflexes to dodge or block whatever it had been. The noise it had generated had been immense, too. She tried to move, but found herself stuck in place, and looked over at Twilight, smirking as she watched the time tunnel reappear, sucking air and travelers alike into it. 

However, before she could gloat again, her body was wrapped in a lavender light, and she felt herself get dragged along with the Princess into the tunnel, the world warping and changing as everything shifted, reality distorting and disrupting.


--------//|0|\\-------- 


“Do you see now? This is the future you are creating!” Twilight held the handgun to the mare’s head, her anger evident as she pushed it closer and closer. “Starlight, you are destroying everything as we know it! You cannot-”

“No! You cannot! I don’t believe this! T-This has to be some kind of illusion! Some kind of-”

“Starlight Glimmer, buck up and listen!” That got Starlight’s attention. She had never heard Twilight even speak in that kind of tone before, and it made her sit still. If out of fear or a simple realization that the device pressed against her head could actually kill her, Starlight sat down, her eyes wide in terror.

“I have watched my home burn, over, and over, and over again, all thanks to you and your stupid obsession with removing Cutie Marks from Equestria! I watched somepony who gave me the advice I needed to hear right before your tampering with time turned him into… into dust.” She let the handgun fall to the ground, her tears soaking the dead earth below her hooves. Starlight looked at her, defiant, but curious.

“I never had friends, Twilight!” Twilight turned, staring in confusion. “Let me show you what happens when ponies earn their Cutie Marks!” 

Starlight closed her eyes, casting the spell she had started the entire situation with once more. She held closely onto Twilight as the tunnel drew them in once more, the waves of energy washing over them...


--------//|0|\\-------- 


A unicorn filly and unicorn colt sat playing with blocks and books – a young Starlight Glimmer, Twilight assumed, and an orange colt she knew she did not recognize – while the older Starlight watched on with tears in her eyes. Twilight approached, watching through the window with the other close beside.

“T-This… this is where it all happened. Where everything started. Watch.” A stack of books tumbled down towards Starlight, but the colt wrapped himself in magic, the books flowing around him in a circle similar to the Sun, a glow of orange energy as he stacked them neatly, each stack perfectly square with the others. Twilight looked over at Starlight, the latter’s expression a mixture of sorrow, pain and anger. “This is when my friend earned his Cutie Mark, and left me behind...” 

Suddenly it dawned on Twilight. The entire situation, every single part of it, it had been caused by a fear. Fear of loss, of abandonment. A fear she understood all too well after the events of her brother’s wedding. She drew in Starlight with a wing, and shook her head.

“He didn’t leave you behind, Starlight. You didn’t lose a friend. Did you ever try to, well, send a letter?” Starlight looked at her with incredible shock, and a little annoyance. How could she be insinuating- actually, now that she considered everything, Starlight started to realize something about herself that only someone else could know, something that she had pushed away long before.

“I-I was the bad friend… wasn’t I?” Twilight nodded silently, leading her away as the time tunnel started to form again. 

“Starlight, you’re talented. You’re spirited, and stubborn. I was like that in a way...” The tunnel cut off Twilight’s words as they slipped to the present, the room of chairs and crystal floors, ceilings and walls a very reassuring sight as Starlight collapsed on the floor near the table. Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy stood next to Twilight as she stepped down from the table, her hooves clicking quietly in the silence of the room.

“But my friends made me stronger. My friends made me the mare I am today. Without them… Equestria would have fallen multiple times into the chaos of darkness-”

“And without all of you, none of the work we’ve done would have been worth a single coin we’ve spent.”

Twilight wheeled around quickly to watch Celestia and Luna enter the Map Room, the uniforms they wore signifying something called the ‘Equestrian Coalition.’ Celestia stepped aside to let a familiar human through, who stepped forward and knelt down. Holding out his hand, he smiled, his voice soothing and calm as he spoke.

“You did good, kiddo. I guess the advice of a soldier is worth something in this crazy world, isn’t it-” He coughed, slipping from the kneeling posture to hold himself up with his hands. The coughing grew worse as small specks of blood began to dot the formerly pristine castle floor. He pushed himself up, leaning against one of the crystal chairs as support while he wiped his mouth. He still appeared calm, and at peace, but Twilight could sense something was far from being fine. In fact, she could see him shivering as he held himself up.

“Uh… Captain B-Brightstone?” Twilight turned around to see Fluttershy approach the Captain, her hoof touching where he was holding. She touched gingerly, but Brightstone grunted painfully, causing her to shrink away. Luna and Celestia helped Brightstone sit down in a chair, letting him breathe and rest while leading the others into a conjoining corridor.

“Twilight… Captain Brightstone… he’s dying-” Luna cut in, her own eyes filled with tears as she looked back at the Map Room’s entryway.

“He has been for a while, dear sister. He let us know almost as soon as the proper present was restored, but for him, it was too late. His kind banned time travel from inception or use, due to one major flaw in the human physical makeup.” Luna swallowed as she pulled out a dataslate, tapping it as she showed Twilight the last scans of Brightstone.

“H-His body is-”

“Failing, Twilight. Brightstone came here to say goodbye. His body could not take the excessive strain created by the shifts in the timeline, and it has damaged his body beyond even the technology of the Cradle to fix.” Luna was about to continue when Twilight’s assistant came sprinting up, tears leaving his eyes in droves as he started to tug on her wing.

“T-Twilight? I-It’s the Captain.” Twilight and Luna turned quickly, galloping towards the map table and where Brightstone was seated. As soon as they could see his arm, they could also tell almost instantly that he was not moving, and that he was slumped against the table. Galloping quickly, Twilight lifted him up, her eyes flooding with tears at the expression on his face. Luna stopped behind her, nodding to the Captain’s body as he smiled into a never-ending abyss.

As soon as he was shifted, though, a disk fell to the ground, a holographic version of Brightstone appearing, shaded deeply in blue as he sat in a chair, surrounded by medals, trophies, and various other military memorial items.

“If you’re seeing this holo-recording, you did it, Twilight. You fixed reality, you saved the day. And knowing you, you probably saved that other unicorn’s life, too. I’m… I’m sorry I can’t be there to see you make your decision. Five years may seem like a short time, but to a human, five years is everything. I’ve watched you rise, and fall. And now, young albatross, you’re soaring. 

I don’t have anything left behind. My own crew is all dead, save the SIP android Unit 27. I don’t have a home to be delivered back to, so I want you to promise me something. You’re going to promise me this, and cross your heart, hope to die, take a bullet if you lie, you got me?” The recording seemed to pause for a moment as he looked at her with all the camaraderie of someone who watched you grow up, but never got to say anything. Twilight stepped forward towards the recording, sitting back on her haunches. She could feel the tears stinging her eyes, but it was nothing compared to the emptiness she realized she felt. The man in front of her knew her far better than she realized, had watched her grow and mature as a Princess, and had sacrificed himself to protect her in the end. He was a man that seemed to have the right answer, and yet, she knew nothing about him, nothing about who he really was, where he came from. She felt that emptiness as she realized she could not honor the man enough. 

“Captain Brightstone, I will keep a promise with you. As the Princess of Friendship, I will consent to your last will and request.” She stood up, staring him in the eyes as the recording unpaused, his smile returning as he stood up, walking towards her. Though his hand was digital, it was almost as if he was rubbing her on the head, trying to make her calm.

“Take my body to the sea. Put me in a rowboat, fill it with dry tinder, and set it alight as it floats out towards the great unknown. I want to be remembered not for the mistakes I made, but the good I left behind. Send me out like a soldier. You can’t take me to the stars just yet, but I’ll be looking on from afar. And Twilight? Look in my right chest pocket. The item inside that pocket is for you. See you, space cowboy.” With that, the hologram blinked off, the disk laying dormant on the ground as Twilight breathed slowly, approaching the dead body and the pocket in question. Unlatching the clasp, she pulled out a set of two small metal plates on a long metal chain. Lifting them to eye height, she read them closely. They were engraved masterfully, with embossed finishing, but it was not their beauty she was intent on seeing. She read her own name, her blood type, and her ‘religion’ on a set of metal tags, smiling as she looked back at Luna, her own tear-strewn eyes evident to the others as they saw the pieces of metal. 

Luna smiled weakly, approaching Twilight and embracing her as Celestia tugged Brightstone’s dog tags off. Lifting him from his chair, she laid him out on the ground, folding his arms across his chest as if he was sleeping, as if he could get up at any time. Twilight knew better, but a small part of her wished he would just get up, smile, and pat her on the head. She looked down, smiling as she repeated the same words he had said in farewell.

“Yeah, see you, space cowboy, wherever humans go when they die.” Breathing deeply, Twilight lifted the tags, clasping them around her neck as she looked back at Luna and Celestia, both of whom had their eyes closed as they stood over Brightstone. Luna opened her eyes as she turned to look in Twilight’s direction, the lavender alicorn’s face a mask of seriousness and poise.

“Princess Luna, you told me before that I needed real-world experience. That I needed to grow with my friends. I’ve watched someone I never knew even was a friend die in front of me twice. I think I know how I want to honor Captain Brightstone.” Luna raised an eyebrow, looking back at her sister as the latter looked on in confusion.

“Twilight?”

“Let me join the Cradle. Let me honor him by continuing where he left off. Let me-” Twilight stopped talking when a cupcake was forcibly placed inside her mouth. Pinkie Pie, normally happy and cheerful, had her hair down again, her hair only like that when she was either serious or incredibly sorrowful. Twilight knew exactly which one it was as she stepped back, chewing on the berry-filled confection in her mouth. Applejack moved forward too, stamping her hoof.

“If you think you can take Twilight and leave us, I don’t rightly think you’re gonna do that. Twilight’s our friend, and I reckon she won’t leave us behind either.” Luna looked over at the others. Rarity and Rainbow Dash stood side-by-side, like the soldiers they were descended from. Pinkie had her Serious Face on, staring down the Diarchy and mustering up her most intense expression. Luna sighed, and looked back at Celestia, who nodded without a sound, giving Luna the floor to say what needed to be said.

“My little ponies, your loyalty, kindness, generosity and honesty were never in question, and the  idea of leaving Twilight without her greatest group of support would be catastrophic-” A voice coughed, clearing its throat.

“Uh, hello? I’m still here too, and I’m not sure what’s exactly going on, but I’m going where Twilight’s going. I may be new to all of this, and might have made a few, er, mistakes along the way, but I’m not getting left behind. Not this time.” Starlight Glimmer stepped beside Twilight, smiling in her stubborn, defiant manner. 

“My dear subjects… at this point, let me drop the pretenses required by royal duties, and just tell you. Celestia and I were going to talk with you all today, on this new Day of Memorial, about something new. You see-”

“Equine work-crews uncovered the last parts of the Kepler. Namely, the cloning bay and the Neural Link Amplifier. The technologies of the War Games themselves. These devices require training and attuning to use effectively.” Clanking footsteps belied the presence of the more bipedal of the two SIP androids. Unit 27 held a seven dataslates, passing them out as it walked around the group. “These dataslates are the entry form for direct-entry Candidates into the Cradle Security Forces’ basic training. If you choose to confirm these, you are no longer simple civilians or royalty; you are members of a greater whole, a collective determined to advance the cause of uplifting Equus and bringing technology to those who have less than others-” Seven loud pings and determined faces confirmed everything as he was passed the dataslates back by Twilight. Luna stepped in front of them all, standing at attention as she surveyed them all. It had been a long while since last she had seen fresh recruits, but she knew that the mares that stood in front of her were mentally preparing themselves for whatever lay ahead for them. She smiled, keeping her position and posture as she looked them over.

“A Cradle dropship is awaiting us outside on the nearby landing pad. Engineers finished installing it, and while questions are being asked, only small amounts of information are being released at this time. Now, while we’re all here, this is the position of attention. While you are at the basic training that I, Commander Luna of the Cradle Restoration Project, devised so many years ago, you will learn discipline, drill, marksmanship, and leadership. You are all effective in your own talents, but you will learn how to act as a cohesive unit!” Luna smiled as her eyes met the shining glare of Twilight’s dog tags.

“Welcome to the future, fillies and gentlecolts. This is where it all begins.”
> Chapter 5 - Invictus Rising
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

4320 AD – Brightstone Memorial Hall, Luna’s Cradle, Equestria

“Seven years ago, when we commemorated this building, it became the first of our newest structures to hold the name of those who died in the line of duty in service to Equestria, and the newly reborn Coalition.” Luna stood on a platform raised at the far end of the awards ceremony, seven platoons of freshly trained recruits standing at attention, with one seven-pony squad looking impressively sharp in their redesigned uniforms, courtesy of the seamstress, Rarity. “Captain Brightstone was an inspiration to all of us, though he was human. He represented loyalty and bravery in spades, giving his life to save another’s. But we are not here to relearn history that has been dictated to us ad nauseam for the last several years. Instead, we are to recognize the achievements of these graduating platoons, and the graduation of seven very special ponies from the training regimen they have followed for these many years. It is with great pleasure I award the following graduates their direct-entry ranks.” 

“Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship. Step forward to the podium, please.” With a curt attention to detail and a quiet discipline, Twilight marched up with immaculate drill, halting on mark in front of Luna as she stood at the front, her podium resplendent with awards. Luna lifted a medal in her etheric grip, holding it up to Twilight’s uniform as she clipped it on.

“For outstanding service before entering the Cradle Security Forces, you are being granted the title of Sub-Commander, until the time that a proper commission can be granted.” Luna stepped back, saluting the newly-minted Sub-Commander. Twilight returned the salute, her eyes betraying the pride she felt at her accomplishment, her face a tight mask of control and discipline. With a quick about-turn, she marched away from the podium, returning to her squad and her position at attention.

“Rainbow Dash, Wonderbolt.” Rainbow Dash was not as well-disciplined in holding her excitement in, but she managed to keep herself in check while marching, her wings tucked into her sides as she made her way forward. Stepping in time to the drumbeat she heard inside her head, she halted quickly, saluting her Princess and Commander. Saluting in kind, Luna lifted another medal from her podium, pinning it to Rainbow Dash’s chest pocket, looking up into the eyes of a pony who knew she had never been more proud to be a part of the organization she found herself in.

“For accomplished bravery, and loyalty to your squad, to your platoon, and above else, to Equestria, you are being granted the rank of Warrant Officer, to lead an example of bravery and unbridled courage.” Stepping back again, she saluted, a tear falling down her face. Rainbow Dash’s mouth quivered as she returned the gesture, a tear falling down her face as well. Stepping back, Dash about-turned, returning to her position with a quivering smile on her face. 

“Applejack, Logistics Corps.” Applejack, while disciplined for her work on a farm, was not as tight a mask as Twilight and Rainbow Dash had been. She marched up with a beaming smile, her Logistics badge proudly displayed on the beret she had deemed necessary to wear. While the others had the option to opt out – for some like Twilight and Rarity, opting out was necessary – Applejack had insisted she wear her cap badge with honor, as she had earned the respect of her own chain of command, and in truth, Luna’s admiration for her diligence and honesty even in the face of heavy opposition to what many saw as ‘just a simple farm-pony.’

Halting on the mark in front of Luna, she saluted, holding still even as she struggled to contain her excitement. Luna smirked, returning the salute once more as she lifted yet another medal, pinning it to Applejack’s chest pocket. Stepping back, she let herself smile brightly, showing Applejack the pride she felt for her.

“For the service you rendered before your entry into service, and the service you have rendered since, for your unparalleled diligence and honesty even in the face of such heavy opposition, you are being granted the rank of Sergeant, to be placed under the command of Twilight Sparkle following this ceremony. Congratulations, Sergeant.”

Applejack about-turned, feeling her cheeks get wet as the relief washed over her, controlling her urge to hoot and holler on her way back. Twilight lowered her head in acknowledgment as she passed, smiling and making sure Applejack understood that nothing had changed, despite their respective ranks.

“Fluttershy, Medical Corps.” The only other in the group to have insisted on her particular trade’s beret, Fluttershy meekly smiled as she marched forward, the medical insignia on her beret well-deserved. As her own instructing staff had learned, Fluttershy had something of an incredible intelligence when it came to patient care and, surprisingly enough, medical research. Multiple surgical techniques had been improved during her time underneath Warrant Officer Killian Ironclaw, a Gryphon medical officer. A glowing commendation had come through, making her even more proud of herself, although she also felt increasingly self-conscious. Before she knew it, she found herself halting on the mark in front of Luna, saluting without even thinking about it. Luna lifted a special badge, showing the human symbol of the Rod of Caduceus, the patron ‘god’ of medicine, and pinned it tightly to Fluttershy’s uniform.

“For going above and beyond the call of duty, for becoming a stellar example of care, compassion, kindness and duty, you are granted the rank of Petty Officer, Second Grade. You will be placed into Sub-Commander Sparkle’s chain of command after the ceremony. Go with our blessing, PO.” Fluttershy saluted once more, Luna returning the salute as the former marched away. There was two more awards to give, but Luna realized her strength was starting to fade. Her aide, a Lieutenant Copper Jacket, rushed to her side, making certain that her Commander was okay before turning to the podium.

“The Commander wishes to express her regret that the ceremony cannot complete, but those who are warranted with promotions, awards, and assignments will be met with in private over the next month. Parade, dismissed!”


--------//|0|\\--------


“I apologize, Rarity. My injuries I incurred over a millennia ago still bring me to my knees regardless of the situation. On the table there, you will find your assignment, and your promotion. Congratulation, Petty Officer Rarity.” Rarity saluted before leaving the room, letting Luna’s aide take over before she closed the door with a soft click. Turning to her friends, she sighed, setting down on her haunches as Rainbow and Applejack engaged in a hoof-wrestling contest, while Twilight was once more buried deep in another technical document on her personal dataslate. Fluttershy had taken the time to get in a quick nap in the corner, curled up so as to not draw as much attention to herself. Starlight, having entered her training as an officer, rubbed her rank insignia for Ensign, denoting her Coalition Navy status. Applejack turned to say something when her beret fell off her head. Picking it up off the ground, she looked at the doorway, where Pinkie stood, her genuine, tear-filled smile something of an oddity for the bubbly pink mare.

“Sugarcube, I don’t rightly know why you didn’t get promoted, but I reckon it’s since Luna almost keeled over on stage,” Applejack offered. Pinkie shook her head, sighing as she turned back to the group. Several electrical connections ran up her neck, ending in a metal plug in the side of her head that led into her head, her own right eye glowing with an unnatural blue glow.

“Applejack, I’m still the same Pinkie, but I’m a tank commander now. All tank commanders get these weird-but-still-amazing implants. Him plants? Odd words. My grasp on language has considerably increased since the procedure- I sound like Twilight! Twilight, we’re twinsies!” Pinkie smiled as she bounced towards her friend, drawing her up in a hug as Twilight smiled, placing the dataslate inside a pouch on her side.

“Everyone, everyone. Let’s just get this out in the open – just because I’m now basically in charge of all of you doesn’t mean anything will change. You are all still my friends, but now we’re going to be working together far more.” She turned to the window, staring out into the distant desert. A year prior, the Kepler had been able to initialize its atmospheric engines, shaking off the sand as it rose like a resurrected angel from the desert. Engineers had erected a massive cradle around the ship to continue to work on her, the Magitech Fusion Powerplants being refitted due to an advancement in refinement procedures that had rendered the Mark I Powerplants somewhat inefficient.  

Rarity walked towards the window, where Twilight had decided to move to after she had finished her little speech, staring out at the engineers placing newly refined selenium alloy panels into place. Rarity could see why it was calming to her friend – the welds, the plates, the work, it was rigid, concise, managed. A fact of life Twilight seemed to miss.  

“Darling, might I pay a penny for your thoughts?” Rarity inquired, watching Twilight wipe her eyes with the sleeve of her uniform, shaking her head. Rarity put her hoof on Twilight’s back, patting her gently as she sighed, resigned. Twilight scooted closer to her friend, leaning her head onto Rarity’s, her eyes falling to the ground as she spoke.

“I keep thinking about Captain Brightstone. Just what he did, and the fact that I held him as he died… on two different occasions. We haven’t buried him yet, and yet, we’re rushing forward on the Battle Fortress, and we’re desperately trying to complete the refits, and the redesign of the main Fusion Drives that used to put this whole ship into motion. I can’t help but feel that something might be waiting for us, and when it finds us, it will try to destroy everything we’ve worked for so far.” Twilight sniffed, swallowing as she stood upright more, turning back towards the others as she slowly walked towards the door to their little room. “I’m going to go speak with the engineers-”

“Twilight! You’re not leaving me behind, are you? The engineers promised me that I could hop in one of those prototype human ‘interceptors’ they’ve been so excited about!” Rainbow Dash was standing in front of Twilight, having moved faster than she was expecting. Shaking her head, Twilight giggled. Rainbow Dash was still the fastest pegasus alive, but when she had learned a few weeks prior of the redesign of the human ‘interceptor’ orbital craft, she had been beside herself in excitement as she waited for graduation. Twilight had not told her about the experience Pinkie had gone through for her Armored Command implants, and Flight Command was no different. In truth, she knew they would all be eventually ‘enhanced’ with the implants Unit 3 was developing for equine minds to interface with the human technology – a lot of the Battle Fortress required an actual neural link to even operate – and while she knew the prospect of learning and knowledge was somewhat enticing, she also knew that they would be giving up a portion of their freedom. They would no longer be able to simply walk around and just enjoy life as they once did, and she was willing to accept the risk. She just did not if any of her friends, besides Pinkie, were willing to make that call, and she was not willing to make it for them.


--------//|0|\\--------


“Bring turbines to full, and hard bank!” The engineers had rigged up the cockpit of an interceptor that had not made it to full testing as a simulation engine, and while it was not the full experience Rainbow was waiting for, the hooting and immense laughter coming out of the simulator indicated that she was in heaven, relatively speaking. Each command she brought up was intuitive, simple, and above all, fast. She found she could call up several commands at once just with her voice alone, but she felt like something was missing. Something felt… off. The human interceptor design, a sleek half-moon armed with 6 pulse-fire weapon hardpoints, was efficient, but she could see that the humans had an edge in their technology, something that-

“Rainbow, can I talk with you for a minute?” Twilight was standing outside the simulator as Rainbow lost her last ship in the ‘simulation encounter.’ Hopping out, she looked over to see Twilight standing there with glowing circuitry running up the right side of her face, a clear indication of implantation. She shrunk back as Twilight sheepishly rubbed her own head, clearing her throat and trying to smile innocently.

“No.”

“Rainbow, you need-”

“No. Pinkie and you have them, but this pegasus is not getting all glowy just because-”

“It feels slow, doesn’t it?” Rainbow paused as she looked at Twilight. The glow in her friend’s right eye did throw her off, but she sighed. Twilight had gotten it in one. It was slow, far too slow in her opinion. She could pull off some impressive maneuvers without much effort, but she felt she could do even better. She knew they were redesigning the interceptors with her own speed in mind, thanks to the data mined from her simulator sessions, but she wanted to go fast. Admittedly, she knew she could fly fast on her own, but the interceptors were designed for flying in a vacuum, and she knew how fast ships could go when you had no air resistance.

“Y-Yeah, it does. It feels like it could-”

“-react faster, move smoother, fly farther?” Twilight walked over, looking around. “What if I showed you just how fast you can react with the implants?”  

Rainbow was dumbstruck. Twilight was still having issues every once in a while with her wings, but she thought she could outfly the Rainbow Dash? Twilight had another thing coming-

“Just watch on that observation monitor.” Twilight had already stepped inside the simulator with the confidence of a seasoned pilot, and Rainbow instinctively winced. She started to feel uneasy, as if she had made a big mistake, but she knew that was a natural point of her own competitive nature. As the screen came to life, she recognized the Kobayashi Maru, a scenario which had piqued her interest. Apparently based off of something out of human fiction, the scenario was known simply as the ‘no-win scenario.’ Many pilots had attempted to get the farthest in the scenario, but the computer pilots flying alongside you did not react as fast, turn as sharply. Rainbow had watched several of them simply collide into each other in brilliant explosions, though the explosion only lasted a brief fraction of a second, vacuum of space and all that.

Twilight had already taken out four enemy craft before Rainbow had realized what was going on. The monitor raised a reading of reaction times and maneuvering speeds, and her jaw dropped. Twilight was not just meeting her times and speeds, but exceeding them. The craft spun and flipped, sometimes flying backwards as the interceptor took heavy dives and incredible turns that Rainbow could only gawk at. Of course, there was always that one mistake, that one move that, regardless of skill or talent, the program would penalize you greatly for. Twilight’s mistake had been ignoring a target she assumed was already destroyed, and a crimson lance of energy tore her interceptor to pieces.  

Once the lid on the interceptor simulator had lifted and shifted, Twilight shook her head. She had forgot how taxing it could be interfacing with such a fast-paced simulation, and it had made her pay for it in the end. She had been born a unicorn, and she knew, somewhere in her mind, that a pegasus’ mind was more… adaptable to the circumstance of Flight Command; the exact reason why, of course, she had made her way down to the simulators after leaving Rainbow with the engineers. Twilight tapped the side of her head, the circuitry increasing in brightness for a small time before returning to a normal pulsing glow.

“Mind to Machine Interfacing Suite. Star Swirl calls them MIS devices. The version he once got so many centuries ago was a more primitive one. Since then, he has worked, apparently, night and day to refine and advance the technology. The circuitry running through my skin is the result. Certainly not without risks, but the advantages outweigh a good portion of the risks. It’s your decision, though, Rainbow. I have a Command and Control implant, which is supposed to allow us to access the final levels of the Battle Fortress we could not, as well as many locked areas, including the main Command Bridge. A Flight Command implant would allow you to not just fly an interceptor, it would allow the interceptor to be a part of you. Almost like you and it are one. It’s a little hard to explain-” Rainbow stuffed her hoof in Twilight’s mouth, shutting her up before she continued. Slowly walking back towards the simulator, Rainbow ran her hoof across its plating. She could already feel each bolt, each weld, each armor plate as she ran her foreleg over the craft, her mind trying to make itself up as she looked at the half-moon and its weapon hardpoints. Looking over her shoulder, she caught Twilight’s eye, and her gaze returned to the cockpit.

“So I would be thinking my moves at this ship. No talking, just thoughts of speed and flight. Just like being a pegasus. You don’t talk about what you’re going to do when flying, you just do it. You move together with others or you fall out of formation,” Rainbow stated, turning and walking up to Twilight as she swallowed, slowly coming to a decision as she stood beside her friend. “How much faster are we talking about?”

“You think it, it happens. It’s that simple,” Twilight responded, raising her forelegs in a shrug. “I can quite literally feel every control system in this room. It’s a little… overwhelming at first, but it’s definitely unlike anything you’ve ever felt before.”  

“All right.”

“Already? You’ve decided?”  

“Let’s do it.”


--------//|0|\\--------


“So, Flight Command MIS device. Take this in advisement from somepony who has implanted seven ponies in the last twelve days – you’re going to feel discomfort after the procedure. We’ve managed to make it virtually painless, but that doesn’t mean that when it connects to your nerve endings that it’s going to be… pleasant.” A Bio-Containment-suited doctor walked around the operating chair where Rainbow sat, restrained. A bite strip had been placed inside her mouth, as she had been told that the body would sometimes spasm without control, and they did not want to risk her biting off her own tongue – it was difficult to replace that part of the body.

Rainbow nodded, her eyes betraying her emotions as her pupils narrowed, watching the intravenous line drip slowly, the doctor sliding up what appeared to be a dataslate. Lifting it up, he ran it over her neck, hearing the beeping as she felt little pinpricks. Her extremities started to feel like lead, heavy and numb.  

“Just administering local anesthetic to the operating area. The sedative in the IV drip should be taking effect soon. Don’t worry. Twilight has assured me that if anything happens to me, I will learn what the Sun looks like up close.” Rainbow watched the room as it started to get less and less interesting, and her eyes started to close. In the background, she could hear what appeared to be some sort of air machine, its rhythmic pumping soothing as she fell into her drug-induced sleep.


--------//|0|\\--------


“It’s… green?” Rainbow touched the sensitive area of her neck, hissing as she withdrew quickly, the heat and pain something of a reminder that only a few hours prior, she had been in an operating chair. However, the circuitry seemed to change colour as she watched, shifting from a light green to a deep red. She smiled, watching her ‘eye’s new Heads Up Display pop up new information. New maneuver types and onboard commands displayed themselves alongside tactical information that she mentally noted to look over later – after all, she was about to become the de facto fastest mare alive, if the engineers were anypony to believe. As she stepped out of the washroom she had been standing in, she looked down the corridor, then the other way. Many of the engineers and scientists had gone to their quarters to sleep, many of those assigned to the Cradle having relocated inside the massive Battle Fortress.

She could not sleep, unfortunately. The ‘eye’ did not exactly turn off as she wished it could, but kept displaying information even while she slept. Twilight had described it as REM learning, where it would become a part of her flight routine just as much as breathing. Of course, Twilight had been spending much more time on the Command Bridge, while Applejack and Rarity had relocated themselves down to the Engineering Deck. Rarity had taken over the Armour Printing station, and had apparently discovered multiple new ways to design armour. Reports had stated that anyone who attempted to use the station without her express permission had almost become pony-sized pincushions as tempered steel needles dotted the walls.

Applejack had, more-or-less, appointed herself Head of Logistics. Owing to her experience, it made sense, but Rainbow had been ushered out of Main Manufacturing more than once. The sound of swearing had been punctuated by Applejack tossing a wrench at an unseen individual, followed by a dull thud and Applejack galloping quickly to make sure they were okay.  

Fluttershy had been extremely busy down in the Fortress’ ‘Cloning Labs,’ learning more about how the War Games had worked. While for the most part it made Rainbow squeamish – the smell that the tubes emanated before they had been repaired was something akin to dead animals and sewage – the technology had been fascinating to the new medical pony. A nurse from Ponyville, by the name of Redheart, had been made the de facto Chief Medical Officer of the Infirmary, and Rainbow had seen more than her fair share of patients being chased out with a pair of thrown scissors.  

Pinkie, out of all of them, had been the least productive. She had set herself up in the Main Cafeteria Facility, turning herself into the current Head Cook. Without an Armored division to command, her implants had been reprogrammed to interface more with the cooking equipment. A lot of the ponies who worked under her had discovered that without implants, they themselves could not keep up at all with the hyperactive mare. Out of every section on the ship, Pinkie’s section contained the most ‘enhanced’ ponies.  

Returning her mind to the present, Rainbow looked around again, seeing the signs in the corridor which were pointing her towards the main dormitories. The doctor had given her a medical chit detailing what she was not allowed to do, and one of those things was, unfortunately, interfacing with the simulator. She needed at least 24 hours of sleep before she could effectively use the implant, which annoyed her greatly. However, she did need to talk to another pony, and the best one in her mind was Fluttershy.


--------//|0|\\--------


“C-Careful please! Careful!” The activity on the Medical deck was not something unheard of since Fluttershy and Redheart had taken up residence in the area. Fluttershy was busy directing a new clone of herself – it was a hulking brute of a clone she called Tiny, and it seemed to like the name – to putting the redesigned cloning-pod into its designated socket. Tiny nodded and grunted, slowly lowering it until a hiss was heard and the pod started filling with gel.

“Cool stuff, Fluttershy,” Rainbow blurted out as she looked up and around at the pipes. Green gel flowed around and through the various systems, most of them terminating in the pods that Tiny was now inserting into the correct socket stands. As she watched, a pod finished its ‘gestation cycle,’ and popped out a new-born clone. As she watched, it took two steps, looked around, and popped like a balloon.  

“Oh, come on! I thought we fixed that sequencing issue!” Fluttershy flew around, her mind elsewhere. Rainbow had some idea, as Fluttershy was most likely monitoring every part of the cloning process, each individual portion intricate and complicated. Rainbow was more at home in the interceptor simulator, but she had to settle for watching her friend work.  

A speaker crackled to life as Rainbow jumped, looking back at the main medical area. Redheart was looking annoyed, her half-lidded eyes speaking more to her exhaustion than her attitude.

“We’ve talked about this before, Fluttershy. The first pod is still broken. The second, third and fourth, which Tiny just plugged in in the last two hours, are reading as green across the board. Try the genetic sequence in the second pod, and I’ll monitor it from here.” Redheart sat down in a chair, sighing. Rainbow could see the sleep under her eyes, the dark, sagging circles mostly a testament to Redheart’s own endurance. Fluttershy had certainly gained more confidence and energy since she got her Medical Technician implant, but she did seem to be prone to focusing a little too much on one thing.

A gurgling and hissing alerted Rainbow to the second pod filling with the gel, a strange pink mixture spurting out of another tube and mixing with the gel. A metal shutter closed on the front, sliding into place as Rainbow saw the ‘clone’ start to grow. It was unnerving to see the rapid-growth process due to the growth acceleration gel – Rainbow had definitely agreed on the acronym GAG, as it had certainly made her do so – and the smell was definitely not something she would want anypony else to experience. Curiosity got the better of her disgust and she checked the vitals on the pod’s monitor. The period of gestation was normally 2 hours, as it had been the last time Rainbow had been inside the Cloning Lab, and she watched as that time drifted lower and lower, accelerating far faster than the other times she had observed the growth of a clone. She watched the timer tick down to a measly 5 minutes, the pod gurgling louder as Fluttershy hovered closer to the ground, her hooves tapping in excitement as Rainbow turned with an eyebrow raised. While she had seen Fluttershy get excited about various things, she had never seen her this excited about something similar to this. Mentally kicking herself, Rainbow reminded herself that nothing like this had existed in Equestria, so who was she to judge her friend’s excitement?

5 minutes streamed past, and the pod opened, revealing a near-perfect Replica of Fluttershy, albeit, the eyes were empty and white. It stood at attention, seemingly awaiting something. Rainbow turned to see Fluttershy quickly moving around the clone, checking individual parts before holding out what she assumed was a worker’s jumpsuit. Without a word, the clone clambered into the uniform, its eyes glowing for a moment before locking into a dark gray colour. It was unsettling, but she understood its purpose. Exact Replica clones were unnerving, especially if one could not tell the clone from the original.  

“Clone Avatar 001-Alpha, ready for orders.” The mechanical voice that issued from the clone’s mouth was also something of note. Fluttershy had been testing out one of the other functions of the Cloning Labs, the Clone Avatars. As she had explained it, Rainbow had watched the data stream through her own implant, sighing as she quickly read it. A device known as a Neural Link Amplifier had multiple pods in it, similar to medical beds in certain aspects. Each ‘Clone Pilot’ would be cloned an Avatar, which would be deployed on the ground during the War Games.

Unfortunately, there was not much data on the War Games themselves, as the data could not be found. Twilight herself had searched day and night for anything about it, but had found nothing. Bits and pieces, sure, like the varying classes of Battle Fortress craft that existed, but nothing on its history, what it entailed – the entirety of the data involved with it was seemingly purged, and it bothered both her and Rainbow. The both of them had taken the time to do their own search through – Twilight on her own, and Rainbow with the assistance of Unit 17 – but neither of them had come through with anything concrete. It was… unsettling that such a massive event was simply scrubbed from the databases, but then again, the advanced computation matrices involved in the vessel’s main computers were far in advance of anything that the Equestrians could devise.  

Rainbow turned to look back at the Infirmary on the other side of the glass, rolling her eyes at the Changeling Queen on the other side. As the time had passed between the beginning of her own training, and the integration of the Changelings into the newly reborn Coalition, it had been more of the purview of Queen Chrysalis to focus on the genetics side of things. Her expertise had been instrumental in rebuilding the technology used in the Cloning Lab, and in the creation of what she had decided to label as ‘Genome Recreation Mapping,’ a technique she had apparently borrowed from the database and somewhat refined using her own race’s genetic makeup as a template. It had made all the difference, including amplifying the latent genetic traits present within the ‘biological soup’ she had devised as the basis for the new clones. They would still operate like the ones the Battle Fortress once created, but they were hampered by something that eluded them.  

In the vein of the Clone Avatars, Rainbow had noted something coming through her implant about ‘genetic compatibility,’ and how multiple genetic donors were, unfortunately, unusable through one issue or another. Twilight had been deemed unusable, if only due to the fact that her own genetic makeup had been altered through her ascension several years prior, and it showed up as a ‘locked’ genome-type, which prevented the machine from even scanning it. Rainbow had been deemed compatible, but she had never allowed the testing to prove it. Of course, her curiosity had been getting the better of her lately.

“Fluttershy? You think we could… test out the Neural Link… thingy?” Fluttershy turned around, her MIS glowing slightly before focusing on Rainbow. She flew down, hugging Rainbow tightly as she quickly hovered around, checking various portions of machinery and data as she apparently prepared a new cloning pod. Rainbow felt a tug on her sleeve as 1-Alpha pulled her towards the Infirmary, where Redheart and Chrysalis waited.

“So, a test of the Neural Link Amplifier? First one to do so, but this will be a rather effective field demonstration. Step right this way, Warrant.” Rainbow was led over to the NLA section beds, where two were already in operation. One was being used by a Changeling, and the other, as Rainbow noted herself unsurprisingly, was in use by Fluttershy. She was apparently making sure everything was in working order by using an exact Replica.

“Y-Yeah. I’ll have to do this sometime, so better now than never?” Redheart nodded silently, helping Rainbow to lie down in the NLA bed, strapping her tightly as two nurses brought over IV drips of sedative and what appeared to be a nutrient drip. Plugging them into the machine, Redheart brought up her hoof, which was covered in what appeared to be metal ‘claws,’ allowing her to type rapidly on the machine’s keyboard.

“Since this machine was never originally designed to work with pony physiology, we’ve been hard at work coding in the genomes necessary for clone creation and operation. Chrysalis here has been a massive help in that regard. She recoded the equine sequences over and over, and even put in Changeling and Gryphon genetic sequencing. Now, it takes a little to get used to, but the process is almost instant when you switch between your own body and that of the Clone Avatar. Your avatar will not have the same abilities as you, like your own special talent as what we are dubbing an ‘Avatar of Speed,’ but they will be able to fly, move around like you do, and imitate your speech, like 1-Alpha in there, or Flutterclone.” She motioned to the two aforementioned clones, who both waved in their own weird, synchronized way.  

“So I’ll-” Rainbow stuttered, feeling the world go suddenly dark for a minute, before data started to stream into her mind, detailing out new information about the clone being produced. All at once, she started to hear voices. Opening her eyes, she looked through a pane of glass, seeing the Cloning Lab from inside a pod.  

“She’s responding perfectly. Main bio-rhythms are at baseline, heart rate and neural activity are all within normal tolerances. Near as I can tell, she is linked perfectly with her Avatar.” Rainbow could recognize Twilight standing outside the tube, talking with 1-Alpha and Flutterclone, along with a few ponies in Bio-Containment suits. A sudden hiss evacuated all the liquid material in the tank, dumping her unceremoniously onto the cold metallic floor as she looked around. Attempting to speak, she found she could move her lips, but nothing came out. She could breath, but not speak.

“Ah, there’s the glitch I was mentioning. Her vocal unit is non-functional at the moment. Let’s see if-”

“Holybuckingapplesupatreethis is… weird. Like, I know I’m in that room over there,” she motioned towards the Infirmary, emphasizing her point, “but I’m standing here, talking, moving, as if nothing has changed. Is this what it’s like for you, Fluttershy?”

“Rainbow, it’s been like this for about a day now. So far, there have been no… issues. It’s just a lot easier to work with a Clone Avatar since this work would be exhausting otherwise.” Tiny looked back at Flutterclone and shrugged, grunting. “Yes, Tiny. You’ve done a good job today, yes you have! Go over into your room and I’ll get you a treat.”  

Tiny made a happy grunt, leaving the room as the Flutterclone seemingly fell asleep. Looking back towards the Infirmary, Rainbow could see Fluttershy leaving the NLA bed she had occupied, rubbing her eyes and stretching. Closing her eyes, she felt around for the link, the little electronic signal she knew was somewhere in the back of her mind. With a blink, she woke up in the NLA bed she herself occupied. Blinking rapidly to clear the fog from her eyes, Rainbow sat up, looking at Redheart, who had moved to help the two of them remove the tubes that led up their forelegs. Fluttershy stood still, letting the CMO clean up the bed, letting Rainbow sigh as she still sat in her bed, staring at her friend.

“It’s a little disorienting, but the stronger the mind, the stronger the link. You have the strongest link recorded, Rainbow Dash. It’s uncanny, like this device was made for you somehow.” Redheart shrugged as she walked over to a nearby cot, passing by several monitors in the clean, white area. Seven in total, they each depicted one of their friends, including compatibility statistics, neural link strength, and genetic sequencing ratios. Out of all seven of them – including Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, Starlight, Pinkie, herself, and Fluttershy – herself, Starlight, Pinkie and Applejack showed the highest link strength, which had put them in the category of ‘Tactical Avatar Command,’ whatever that meant.

“So, by all of those screens there… I’m a Tactical Avatar Commander?”

“Exactly, Rainbow. Even I don’t have the mental capacity for quite literally transferring my mind into a mobile Avatar. It’s too taxing on any but the strongest minds. Now, your implant has nothing to do with it, you’re still a Flight Commander. Think of this as a… secondary duty. You’re still going to get to fly, but you won’t be doing that if you’re boots on the ground, Rainbow.” Twilight smiled as best she could, but Rainbow could sense she was slightly uncomfortable. The screen had stated that, out of all seven, Twilight had the lowest genetic sequencing ratio and link strength.

“In essence, if you don’t mind, Commander, you’re basically a magical microwaved potato in genetic cloning terms.” An orange-coated unicorn stallion with a long, brown mane adjusted his glasses as he trotted into the labs. His uniform denoted his area of expertise as Navigation, and as he walked up, Rainbow read his nametag, and shook her head. She had heard of the… reputation that Navigator Deadwood had, although his talent more than made up for it. He had never led a patrol astray, but he had an unfortunate knack of somehow finding troubled areas before anyone had even been given notice. Rainbow knew he had taken a shine to another pony, one that came from Ponyville, a rather interesting pegasus mare by the name of Ditzy Doo. Both of them had been determined to be incredible navigators, with Ditzy having something of a knack for keeping track of two navigation screens at once.

Deadwood was about to leave when his horn was tugged, rather painfully, by Twilight, turning him towards her. He smiled meekly, shaking his head in an attempt to break free.

“Don’t remind me, Navigator.” Following the Navigator, Twilight made her way out of the Infirmary, leaving Rainbow behind with Fluttershy and Redheart, turning back towards each other.

“Well I think that went-” A popping noise in the background brought their attention back to the Cloning Lab. Flipping around, Rainbow watched as Flutterclone got plastered against the wall by what remained of Tiny, her own clone squirming in an attempt to escape.

“Stupid bucking- I thought we fixed the cohesion issue!”

“Your words, not mine! I said we were ready to test!” Rainbow let her head sag, walking out of the Infirmary while Redheart, Chrysalis and Fluttershy began to argue with each other.  


--------//|0|\\--------


“Command Signal Accepted – Warrant Officer Dash on Bridge.”

Rainbow sighed as she entered the Command Bridge, noting that the automatic system introduced each of the ‘Command Staff’ as they all were whenever they entered the section. Walking towards the forward part of the section, she stood next to Twilight, who paced in front of a large communications screen. Celestia and Luna both appeared on it, speaking from their respective locations.

“Commodore Celestia, and Commander Luna, I don’t think you understand. The amount of repairs we can commit to while still within the atmosphere of Equus is incredibly limited! If we can’t get the Kepler into orbit, where we can finalize the repairs, we won’t be able to even make her completely space-worthy, not to mention trying to get our prototype Tunnel Drive working!”

“Twilight, I know this is becoming more and more your responsibility, but it’s been less than a day. You can’t take the entirety of the Cradle under your wing at the drop of a hat. Without proper crews, you won’t be able to take off, and we don’t have the materials in place-”

“We have the crews and materials, we just need to be in orbit to finish the repairs, Luna. Celestia, what do you think?” Celestia turned to see several Cradle officers checking dataslates behind her, sighing as she double-checked the information she was being given. Twilight had been arguing with them since she took the position of Commander of the Kepler, and she was already regretting it. So much had to be done, repairs, even the design of the ‘Tunnel Drive,’ which was more theory than actual science.  

In theory, Twilight had surmised, one could open a ‘warp tunnel’ of sorts between gravity wells, and ‘translate’ a ship through the tunnel to the other side. The ship was being retrofitted with more Magitech Fusion Plants as a result of the upgrade, and she had been fighting with Celestia and Luna for even a test of a dropship equipped with the Drive. The old human Zharkov-Cherenkov Void Drive had been damaged beyond safe use, and they had done their best with the technology, but she was loathe to consider testing the massive Battle Fortress on a theory without it being proven sound.

“I’ve seen the reports, and this ‘Tunnel Drive’ of yours bears merit, my dear student. I agree that we need to put the Kepler into orbit to complete the repairs, and we do need to test the theory behind your little ‘pet project’. I can give the green light behind the launch, if Luna is willing to accede to the request. Sister, are you willing to let her at least call the shots on this project? We can use a Clone Avatar to test it out-”

“I volunteer for this test, if you need a pilot.” Twilight nearly jumped out of her skin as Rainbow talked behind her, sheepishly backing up as she raised an eyebrow. Sighing, she tapped multiple areas of the screen, bringing up pertinent information just as it was being dumped into Rainbow’s implant. The device was complex, and she could see why Twilight was so eager to test it.  

“The Tunnel Drive is something I considered while we were in training, Rainbow. Faster-Than-Light travel using gravity wells as the creation and terminus points, while ‘translating’ a ship through a time-space tunnel between the points. The science behind it is sound, but I never had the opportunity to try and test it. Of course, until now.”

Creaking in the background signaled something starting up, as rumbling echoed throughout the ship. Twilight braced herself against a nearby railing as she looked out the reinforced view-port of the Command Bridge, watching as the gantry around the Kepler opened, radio communications flowing in over multiple frequencies. Looking around, Rainbow saw Navigators Deadwood and Ditzy Doo quickly maneuvering icons in their positions, the holograms complex as they split their attention. A hiss and an echo indicated something igniting, Twilight turning to her as she let go of the railing, pulling back to a nearby chair and strapping herself in.

“You might want to buckle up, Rainbow. I’ve been told that initial launch can be rather painful.”

Rainbow settled into a nearby seat as the commands between each station increased in speed. Strapping in quickly, she tuned her ears into their conversations, keeping pace with each part. In a way, it was almost relaxing, if it were not for the fact the ship felt like it was shaking apart.

“Pitch 175 degrees. Full stabilizers on bow. Reduce thrust on aft section until full burn.”

	“Reset roll and yaw calculations to 0, 0, 0. Main Drives engaging in 5 mark. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1… mark!”

A massive rush of… something pushed hard against her chest as Rainbow was slammed back into her seat, feeling the gravity increased as the view-port’s perspective began to change. What once looked out over the desert now pointed at the sky as the massive engines that had once propelled the vessel among the stars pushed hard and fast, the Kepler rising higher, and higher.  

To the crew, it felt like an eternity. Everyone on board was bracing hard against the tidal forces of gravity, the Engineering section hissing and increasing in heat as the engines were pushed closer and closer to their limits. Rainbow held on tightly as the Fortress shook more and more, the vibrations becoming increasingly more intense as the altitude ticked ever closer to the orbital mark.  

Twilight tapped multiple screens around her, checking each individual section and keeping up on the available thrust that was given to her. Icons flashed around her, from ‘Boosters Empty’ to ‘Main Drives Full Burn.’ Each icon that appeared was dealt with quickly as a flare-up of what looked like fire spread across the view-port, dissipating as they reached the upper atmosphere. Navigator Ditzy Doo turned around, nodding at Twilight before returning to her focus on her station.

“Breaking atmo in T-minus 5 seconds. Countdown until mark. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1. Mark!” All at once the push against them stopped, snapping everyone forward in their harnesses as the flare-up disappeared completely. Cheers went up around the Command Bridge, and across the radios as everyone on board congratulated each other for a job well done. Rainbow watched as objects began to float past her view, the gravity suddenly reduced in effect to where it seemed almost non-existent  

“Planetary Gravity no longer in effect. Activating gravity plating. Watch the step, fillies and gentlecolts.” Objects that had been floating suddenly clattered to the ground as the Battle Fortress settled itself into a Geo-stationary orbit, its main point of contact the Cradle it had just launched from. Removing her harness, Rainbow took a couple of tentative steps in the artificial gravity before she was sure she would not begin to float. Even though it was supposed to be similar to Equus, she could not shake the feeling that she felt lighter, not as restricted. Turning back to Twilight, she was met with a massive grin that would have rivaled Pinkie’s smile on a good day. A click sounded over the ship’s Personnel Address system, and her voice issued forth.

“All hands, we have made low Equus orbit. Congratulations, fillies and gentlecolts! Now comes the hard part.” As she turned to speak with Rainbow, a loud beeping echoed throughout the Bridge, emanating from the communications console. Tapping several keys, she brought up what appeared to be a relatively young human, and double-checking the source area, let her jaw drop in shock.

“Ah! Now, that’s interesting. That planet was designated a Dead Zone! Isn’t that curious? Well, new Fortress- Wait, it’s broadcasting the old ID codes of the Kepler? I thought that one disappeared… yes, around 1500 standard years ago. Well, we’re going to have to change your codes if we’re going to allow you to participate.” Twilight stared at everyone else on the Bridge, her eyebrow raised further in confusion as she looked the man dead in the eyes, though she doubted he could see her expression.

“This is Commander Twilight Sparkle. Participate in what?”

“Ah, where are my manners! I am Consul James Killian of the Messier Interstellar Committee. Since your planet has managed to achieve the reconstruction of a Battle Fortress, we have been authorized to give you three choices.”

	“What three choices do we have?” Twilight inquired. She was still not sure about the man. Something about how he spoke made her very uncomfortable, as if he was looking at a piece of meat. His hair, his face, and his reflective sunglasses were too… perfect, as if they were manufactured. Throwing that concern to the back of her mind, she looked at the information popping up on the communications console, her eyes widening with each choice that came up.

“One, we retake possession of the Battle Fortress you have so beautifully reconstructed, even if the Drive signature on it is far different than expected. You will be put back on your planet, and stellar travel will be prohibited to and from your world. 

	Two, we allow you to participate in the galaxy’s number 1 source of entertainment and war prevention since 2492 AD, and give you full participation, including a first training battle on the nearby moon orbiting your world.

	Three, we destroy your world. A ship of ours, an Enforcer, is on its way to ‘enforce’ the decision you make. Whichever decision you make, it will enforce them. 

	If you decide to participate, the Enforcer will provide repair crew and an orbital drydock for you to complete preparations for you to join in the number 1 attraction in Messier 83!”

	The third point got everyone’s attention. They were threatening complete annihilation as one of the decisions to be made? In Twilight’s mind, one would have to be an absolute lunatic to accept the first or third options. They were designed to trap and prevent a less intelligent race from becoming too dangerous, it seemed, but the fact that it was offered to her friends, her family, her people, it meant they did not hold much stock in her skills, in her crew’s ability. It definitely felt necessary to agree to the proposal to participate, if only to prevent any damage to her homeworld, but there was still barely- she stopped. An info package had been dumped into the ship’s computer system, marked ‘Welcome.’ She tucked it away on a more protected partition through her implant, making sure to check it later.

“Computer. Mute.” The communication went dark for a minute as Twilight considered what to do. She had to talk to Luna and Celestia, but she was certain the trust they had placed in her when putting her in command of the Kepler was not misplaced. She felt it necessary to prove herself, to show that she could make a decision without needing their input. Sighing, she tapped the screen again, resuming the communication.

“We’ll participate-”

“Then welcome, Commander, to the number 1 entertainment in Messier 83, broadcast across 7 galaxies! 

	Welcome, Commander, to the War Games.”
> Chapter 6 - To The Black
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Twilight! You just made the decision without asking us?!” 

The communications screen was covered in small digital notes, each one dictating the path out of their current predicament, though each path still led her towards the one decision she had made. Checking back over the communications records, there had been a disabling signal sent that had prevented her from even contacting Celestia or Luna in the first place. Multiple signals had been detected since the Committee’s transmission had ended, making her very nervous. Nothing about the ‘Enforcer’ that had been mentioned, but she had the distinct feeling that it would end them should the Committee deem it necessary.

“I made a decision based on the survival of our species, Celestia! Luna, you’ve seen the decisions they gave us – how else was I supposed to respond? Let them turn us into some kind of circus? Let them destroy Equus?! I did everything I could to prevent a potential disaster!” Twilight was angry, very angry. She started to feel that the launch had been a bit hasty, too soon for them to properly accept the inclusion into the War Games.

Of course, speaking of the War Games, Twilight had checked the ‘Welcome’ information file, and found it filled to the digital brim with information on the War Games, from how matches operated, to the ‘Winner’s Bounty,’ the rule that stated how a completely defeated Battle Fortress was to acquiesce to the victor’s demands, be it to join their crew, add their Fortress to the new fleet, or simply back out of the War Games. It was, to be honest, nothing like what she was familiar with. The fact that war had become entertainment, and extremely profitable at that, it made her feel uneasy. More parts of the information package detailed out something called ‘Licensing Deals,’ where some interstellar corporations would do interviews, commercials, toy deals. Some of it was just sickening for her.

On the other hoof, it made some sense, in a disgusting way. The information package also detailed out what exactly led to the creation of the War Games, and considering either the bloodiest war she had ever read about, or the War Games, she could at least understand why it was created. Of course, she was not privy to the ruleset yet. That, surprisingly enough, came with the first match they would fight, if they could get to the fight.

“Twilight made a decision without the ability to talk to us, dear sister. Without a proper communication line, how was she supposed to ask us?”

	“She should have asked for more time!” Twilight rubbed her forehead as a headache started to overtake her. She had been arguing with the two princesses for over an hour, debating her decisions and her actions in responding to the Messier Interstellar Committee, though she knew they were trying to test her to see if she was truly ready. At least, she assumed they were testing her. After all, she had made the correct choice, did she not? 

Shaking her head, she dispelled the negative thoughts clouding her mind as she tried to focus on the task at hand. Reports in front of her indicated that small machines that everyone on board was taking to call the ‘Pipe-and-wires,’ small repair ‘bots that could get into the smallest of spaces, had been activated, though no one had ever seen them before. She assigned that as a testament to the human engineering of the vessel as she sighed, checking each report.

“She didn’t have a choice, Princess.” Another voice popped in beside her, Rainbow Dash stepping forward as she turned to face her friend. Rainbow had deemed to get her own Flight Corps beret out from wherever she had put it, and it sat proudly upon her head, the ‘Wings of Liberty’ as they were nicknamed proudly shining from where they had been fastened. “If not for Twilight, we could have been destroyed.”  

“Rainbow-”

“I may only be a Warrant Officer, Princess, but you gave Twilight the command of the Battle Fortress. She’s the one in charge up here, like it or not.” Twilight put her hoof on her friend’s back, nudging her slightly as she watched Celestia start to pout. She had suspected, but it had been confirmed by Rainbow, and while it had not been in the way Twilight might have wanted, she at least had found out that Celestia was simply worried, rather than actually angry. She was about to speak again when another information package appeared on her screen, stating her ‘First Match Schedule.’ Sighing, she opened the package, letting the information copy from the communications console directly into her implant. 

The match was simple, surprisingly. They were to face off against another Battle Fortress called a ‘Nibiru-class,’ quite literally a group of clumped asteroids with an FTL drive. The miners on board were on their last legs as a Battle Fortress crew, and had apparently jumped at the opportunity to face off against a brand new crew. The ship name that came across was rather interesting, as the ‘Miner’s Defiance’ was not exactly an intimidating name. However, the information brought up about the Fortress’ crew made her raise an eyebrow. 

The opposing Fortress’ crew was comprised of generational miners and soldiers, almost every single one having grown up aboard the Fortress. Their manufacturing capability was definitely incredible, as their usual tactic seemed to be to deploy multiple variants of a single type of armored unit. The cloning technology they employed was rather basic, around the level of their own version of the labs, which did mean that they were not entirely threatening, but the technology that was put into their armour was something of a concern-

“Twilight? Twilight, are you still there?” Twilight turned her attention back to the comm screen, rolling her eyes as Luna lifted a dataslate up to the camera in front of her, detailing out a few items that needed to be taken care of. 

“Transfer the data to the ship’s database. I’ll… look over it later. And just as a note, we’ve been given a week to prepare. If you don’t mind, I have a Faster Than Light test to commence. And Celestia? Trust me on this,” she stated, letting the comms window disappear as she slumped back into her command chair. Closing her eyes, she breathed slowly, letting her tension slowly dissipate as she straightened herself in her seat. The others at their stations turned to their commander, returning to their duties without nary a word towards her. Shifting again, she stood up once more, heading towards the entrance as Rainbow Dash joined her quickly.

“Twilight, I-”

“I’m going to the cafeteria. I need something to help me think.


--------//|0|\\--------


The cafeteria was eerily quiet as Twilight entered. Very few ponies, or other creatures, were off-duty at the moment, which made her somewhat less apprehensive as she entered. Shouting from the kitchen made her nerves relax, as the Head Cook was definitely beside herself in irritation it seemed.

“I said more sprinkles! And no artificial flavourings! This crew needs good, healthy food to keep them going! Hiya, Twilight!” Of course, Twilight had remembered Pinkie’s unnatural speed, and stepped slightly to the side as the pink blur zoomed past, laying three trays out piled with food. Rainbow’s mouth began to drool at the tempting morsels on one of them, the burger a deceptive brown, but she could smell something new from it, and it made her stomach rumble. As Rainbow slowly made her way over to the table, Twilight sighed, taking a seat at the table closest to her. With a heavy groan, she planted her forehead directly on the rough metal, rolling it side to side as she moaned.

“Why can’t this be easy? Why can’t this be solved with friendship?! Annihilation or joining the War Games… what choice did I have? Pinkie, do you have any-” Without a word, only a rush of air, a small plate with a brown burger-like food was placed in front of her with something oddly strange in place of the hay fries others might order. “Pinkie, what is this?”

“A black-bean chipotle burger! Humans were such diverse creatures, even in their own race, and their recipes were awesome! I had to try my hoof at making the ones ponies could eat! They have something called the Marzipan Mountain, and I am almost beside myself in anticipation! We’re making it right now!” Twilight looked down at the burger, the smell reaching her nose as she realized she was, in fact, fairly famished. The day’s events had taken a fair amount of out her, and, as she thought to herself, it stood to reason that something made by Pinkie had the potential to be extremely delicious.  

“Aw, yeah! This food is awesome!” She was startled by Rainbow Dash’s proclamation, her cheers of enjoyment rendered silent as she looked over at Twilight, who was still staring at her tray, and at her burger. Lifting her tray, Rainbow Dash slowly made her way over to Twilight’s table, seating herself across from her friend. Twilight barely acknowledged it as she started longingly at the burger, her eyes glazing over as she simply looked. Without a moment’s hesitation, Rainbow took one of the fries on the plate, and shoved it in Twilight’s mouth. Coughing and sputtering, the alicorn took notice and tried to formulate a response.

“I- you- why- potato… potato?”

“Twilight, we all know you want this to go well. You’ve got your tests to complete, the repairs to the Fortress-” Rainbow motioned to the entirety of the room as she continued, “even the day-to-day. But you have to eat, right? The fries are made from potatoes, which is pretty awesome. They’re not exactly what you’d eat normally, but they’re at least tasty?”  

Twilight looked back down at the burger, lifting it tentatively as she opened her mouth. With a single bit, she could feel the spice of the chipotle hit her tongue, the beans rather filling for her as she sighed. Her neglecting to eat was brought to the forefront of her mind as she methodically ate her way through the burger, sighing and smiling when she finished.

“That was… actually pretty good. And yes, Rainbow, I’ve got a lot to do. We’re running simulations on the Tunnel Drive at the moment, and they’re all coming up green.” She motioned to her eye, the data streaming across it fast and chock-full of new information. “They’re saying it will take something along the measures of over 1,000 Magicite rods to power the thing. Rods. Not the shards that are normally associated with the fusion reactors, but rods, Rainbow. Those rods are the equivalent size of a Manticore tank. We don’t have enough for what we could possible use it for, but we might be able to get to our destination easily enough. Provided the drive even works.” She slumped her head beside her tray, letting the weight of what felt like the world slide from her back as she stared at the doors, watching another shift slowly make their way in for a meal time. The shift schedule had been something she herself had looked after when she was first given temporary command of the Kepler. Thinking about literally anything else besides the Tunnel Drive helped her relax, as worrying about something that potentially had the power to wipe out- well, she had not done the math on that portion yet, but she was sure it was an astronomical unit of some sort.

“Twilight, come on. You’re the smartest pony I know! You’ll get it to work, I know it.” Rainbow put a wing around her friend, trying to at least alleviate some of the tension that was still furrowing itself in Twilight’s brow like a nesting parasite of anxiety. She had understood, ever since Twilight had become a Princess of Equestria, just how much of a mental workload her friend was under from day to day. Even the situation that had occurred with Starlight Glimmer had been something incredibly stressful, as it had killed a man that every being in Luna’s Cradle had respected for his loyalty, even after his punishment that made him lose more time than he could ever regain.

“Attention, crew. Attention. This is Navigator Deadwood, acting Senior Officer. Tunnel Drive preparations are ready. Please finish your concurrent activities and return to your posts. I repeat, this is Navigator...” Twilight’s eyes glazed over as she looked up at the P.A. speakers, sighing as a smile crept across her face. Rainbow snapped her wing shut, looking around before seeing a familiar face enter into the cafeteria. Leaving her friend for the moment, she trotted quickly over to one of her other friends, smiling as she stopped.

“Rarity, how’s the armour working out?” Rarity was clad horn-to-tail in a custom body-armour, each piece segmented to allow for enhanced movement, and several rather impressive design choices that distilled the fashionista’s exceptional talents into a tool of war.  

With a hiss, Rarity removed her helmet, laying the purple-white armor on the nearest table as she looked around. No one was paying attention as she pressed various switches, the armour stiffening and becoming rigid as it opened to allow her to exit. With a second hiss, she disconnected from the armor completely, leaving a pony-shaped mass of metal and mesh-fibers standing almost at parade rest in the middle of the eating area. Flipping her mane around, she smiled as she patted the side of the armour almost lovingly.

“Rainbow, darling, this little beauty is a special item that only one such as I could design. Like designing and sewing my dresses before, making armour is an art, darling. I do believe my work, ahem, speaks for itself?” She motioned to a nearby door, waving at several guards who entered with her  personalized armor surrounding each one. “The Pegasus armour – I decided to call it Icarus, after a rather pretentious human myth about flying too close to the human’s home star – was truly a feat, but there it stands, and she can even move in a vacuum!”

While her expression showed her enthusiasm, Rainbow noticed how much Rarity was shaking. Sweat poured down her face as she smiled hesitantly, Rainbow helping her sit down as she simply started to bawl, the tears streaming down her face as her makeup ran – Rainbow never understood why she insisted on it when she was working with such fickle machines in the Logistics area. Stretching her wing around her friend, she sighed, waving at one of the cooks who was working with Pinkie.

“We need a meal over here, stat!” With that quick shout, two ponies galloped quickly over with a tray, placing a bowl of mashed potatoes and a couple pieces of toast in front of the tear-stricken unicorn. Another sob escaped her throat as she unceremoniously slammed her face directly in the bowl,   muffled screaming issuing forth. Pinkie, arriving with a small milkshake and a dandelion sandwich, shook her head, placing the drink and food beside her friend’s head.

“You did say you could handle it, Rarity. It looks good, though.” Twilight watched Rarity raise her head, a mask of potatoes lifting with it as she attempted to stare at Pinkie, though all seriousness in the expression was destroyed the moment the potatoes slipped off her face and directly back into the bowl. With a snicker, Rainbow held herself together, smiling at her friend who was wiping the mashed tuber out of her mane.

“The armor looks good, Rarity. I’d love to try it out once Twilight finishes her… what was it called again?”

“Tunnel Drive, Rainbow. Tunnel Drive. Navigator Deadwood has everything ready for me, so it’s probably high time we returned. Rarity, Pinkie. I’ll hold a meeting once everything is… squared away, as the humans might say.” She chuckled a little bit, leaving her friends as she and Rainbow trotted out of the cafeteria.  


--------//|0|\\--------


The Command Bridge was humming with activity as her Commander entered.

	“Commander Sparkle has returned. XO Starlight is relieved.” A relieved unicorn smiled as she trotted towards her new mentor, saluting quickly before her composure broke and she rushed in for a hug.

“Twilight, it’s great to see you. They posted me as your First Officer about four hours ago. I wasn’t expecting it at all, but hey, you can’t plan for everything, right?” Rainbow stared flatly at Starlight, who bit her lip, sighing as she looked around at the room. The buzz of activity had only intensified as the Tunnel Drive preparations completed, Twilight’s presence less seen and more felt as she checked the drift charts on a nearby console. There was a system not far away from their own system that was registered in the Kepler’s database, an old attempted colony by a crashed Battle Fortress – the Halcyon, if memory served her correctly – and it was still listed as a Class E-C1, Earth Continental Type-1. Glancing quickly around, her eyes settled on Deadwood, who still sat at his station, his hooves moving like greased lightning over the interactive display in front of him. Navigator Ditzy Doo was more like a storm of activity, her hooves a blur as she swept from each area, various calculations being estimated and confirmed faster than even Twilight could keep up. It was a bit mind-boggling, but she was certain, with a little practice, even she could keep up with her two Navigators. She turned back to Starlight, and smiled as she regarded her student, the decision having been made shortly after her enrollment with the Cradle Security Forces.

“No, you can’t. Brightstone showed me that. If I’d known-”

“Twilight, Twilight! I didn’t mean to bring it up- I don’t even think I did, but still, dwelling on something you can’t control isn’t healthy. You’ve got a test to oversee, and if you become moody and sad, you’re going to end up missing something.” She grabbed Twilight’s face in her hooves as she stared deep into her eyes. “There’s no other pony who could do this, Twilight. Even I would not have come up with the Tunnel Drive – I probably would have attempted to rebuilt the old Void Drive and screwed it up somehow.” 

Twilight nodded as her new First Officer left the Bridge, turning back towards Deadwood and Ditzy, watching their team push calculations as she brought up the communications console. Celestia was looking annoyed as Luna laughed harder and harder.

“Sunbutt is not an appropriate name for a ship, Luna. You of all ponies should know this!”

	“But Sunbutt would be an amazing name for the-”


	“Princesses, I thought you should know something. We’re about to test my Tunnel Drive soon, and while you’re probably arguing about the name of the-”

“Twilight, we were hoping you’d at least come up with a name for the Battle Fortress. Kepler just evokes some pretty bad history that some ponies might want to forget.”

	Twilight rubbed her forehead, cursing the sudden headache that had come upon her. With a frown, she let her implant transmit the file via the datastream she was sending to the Sisters, along with a new design and application file for the Battle Fortress.

“I haven’t discussed it with anypony yet, but I found a phrase in the human database in an old Terran language called ‘Latin.’ The ship’s name is not going to be Sunbutt, Luna. That’s just asking for trouble at this point. However, the name that is currently on the table is apparently evoking of a strength that humanity praised.” The name lifted across each screen on the Command Bridge, replaced the Kepler’s name and ID with the new vessel registration. “Princesses, I think the Solus Invictus is a more appropriate name for our fine vessel. The phrase means ‘The Invincible Sun,’ if you were wondering.”

“A fine name, Twilight. Don’t you agree, Luna?”

	“Pfft, fine. It’s a good name. As the phrase for space-faring civilizations goes, Twilight, ‘May the stars guide you to your heart’s desire.’” With that, the comms console shut down, many of the unnecessary consoles across the Command Bridge shutting down as each member of the crew strapped themselves in. A nearby headset beeped, prompting Twilight to lift it and place it on her head.

“This is Navigator Deadwood, Commander. Your headset is set to broadcast to the whole Battle Fortress, and I think some inspiring words might make things better. Just a thought, ma’am.” Sighing, Twilight closed her eyes, thinking of everything that had changed over 7 years, from her induction into a military, to her introduction to advanced material sciences and mechanics. From her first encounter with Starlight, to her last encounter with Captain Brightstone. Every single pony that had crossed her path and changed her life, she silently whispered a prayer that she hoped would be heard by any being out there in the black as she opened her eyes again, activating her headset’s communications receiver.

“This is Commander Sparkle, of the newly christened Solus Invictus. All crew members need to be strapped in and ready, as we don’t know how well this test will go. Drift calculations have us at plus or minus 100 kilometers by the internal instruments, which means we’ll see the planet almost immediately after the Tunnel.

I’ve been asked to say a few things to everypony, and everyone on this crew. All of you chose to be here, to become a part of something greater. All of you are the best of the best, the best engineers, the best scientists, the best doctors throughout Equus. From griffons to changelings, our world is together in a way we never thought possible. In this ocean of black that is outer space, we’ve only floated on the water before, it seems. Now? Now it’s time to take a swim. In the name of Equus, and the Invincible Sun, we go into the black!” Cheering from around her as she removed her headset put her mind at ease as she looked at the viewing area at the front of the Bridge. Smiling, she turned back to her command chair, sliding into it as she secured herself, her wings tight against her seat as she kept herself steady. Nodding at Deadwood, she gritted her teeth as she felt the powerful aura of Magicite in use suddenly pass through the ship. 

“Etheric Wavefold frequency at optimum threshold. FTL field stable and expanding. Magicite Infusion within 5% of tolerance. All hands, prepare for Tunnel Drive. I repeat, all hands, prepare for Tunnel Drive.” 

Space warped around her as she felt a sucking sensation, every part of her feeling as if it wanted to go every direction at once. Startled yelling erupted from one of the other consoles in the area, a nearby console terrace shaking a few parts loose as the Solus Invictus punched through the space-time barrier and entered into Twilight’s experimental Faster-Than-Light drive’s territory. A bright purple tunnel stretched out from the front of the Fortress, ending off in what would appear to be infinity. As she stared, a holographic display activated, displaying an Estimated Time of Arrival as well as a Quantum Communication Link with the Equestria-based communications network on Equus.

“All stations reporting in, we have successful Drive Transition. Repeat, we have successful Transition. All stations stand down. All crew report back to your duty stations.” 

“Twilight, we’ve got Transition. You can stop holding the seat so tightly.” Rainbow stood in front of her friend, watching her slowly open her eyes as she looked around, sighing in relief. Helping her out of her harness, Rainbow motioned around and smiled as she pointed out a couple of consoles that would need to be repaired, and a few ponies who would probably need medical assistance.

“I think that went well, Twilight.” Starlight smiled as she entered the Bridge with a medical team, a repair team exiting a doorway down the corridor. “A few areas shook themselves pretty badly, but considering the age of the inertial dampeners on this ship, I’m pretty happy with the state of things. The jump will take us a couple of days to get there, so we’ve got enough time to do some basic repairs. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are going absolutely insane over the fact that it worked without much damage, and without any Field Projectors, either! Apparently those help negate a good amount of the inertia, along with the dampeners. Anyways, long story short, you did it, Twilight. Other ponies got this ship to move, but you’re the one that made fly. Be happy!” Trotting away to assist the repair teams, Starlight left Twilight in a bit of a mental funk. She was certainly happy about her drive’s success – she had been designing it for a good 4 years – but the fact that everything went more according to plan than she expected was more than she was expecting. Admittedly, in the back of her mind, she was secretly hoping that Discord might decide to play a prank, but he had been silent for a long time after Fluttershy had joined the CSF. 7 years was definitely a long time, and a lot of ponies had been worried for the quiet pegasus. However, either she was not entirely concerned or she was a grand expert at hiding it, because she had barely shown any concern as soon as she found out about her posting as a member of the medical team aboard the Fortress.

Twilight was more inclined to leave the piloting to her Navigators, prompting her own body to remind her that she was, in fact, in desperate need of some rest. She shook for a moment as she stumbled, turning a corner and letting an automatic door open with a whoosh of hydraulics. Her bed so inviting, she fell sideways, feeling the soft cushion of the mattress push hard against her uniform. She sighed as she rolled over, looking up at the ceiling. An artificial ‘skylight’ showed a camera view of the Tunnel outside, the rolling purples and blues almost soothing if it were not for the fact they were cutting through the universe itself to get through to their destination. Some of the designs in the database had been almost impossible for her to get her mind around. Some race known as the Thalrazyne had designed massive engines called ‘MatterFold Drives’ that folded space-time itself like a sheet of paper around the ship, travel almost instantaneous. For a ship like the Solus Invictus, such a Drive would have ripped their ship apart, the crew subject to gravity-based tidal forces that would rend them asunder if a single calculation was wrong. Basing hers off of the human’s own Void Drive, punching through into a section of space-time known as the Void, she had theorized she could bypass the old issues of the Void Drive, including the occasional time-skip where a ship could arrive either before they even left, or 20 years further down the line. It was a dangerous technology, but it was widely used, which meant that either people were stupid enough to keep using it, or it had been rendered safe.

She reminded herself that most Battle Fortress vessels used the Faster-Than-Light Wake Drive, which created a subspace ‘wave’ in front of the ship, enabling them to accelerate to vast speeds without the need for over-complicated Drives like the Void Drive. The ships were almost always wider than they were long, and operated over short distances, but the subspace ‘wake’ they flew in was something of beauty, or so the records had said. Nothing in the archives and database made much sense, especially when it came to moving faster than the speed of light. Dark matter, exotic matter, subspace, Voidspace, folding space, subspace, hyperspace, all of the terms floated in her head like a nagging headache. A lot of it was simply beyond her, even though she had done almost all of the work on the Tunnel Drive herself.

A chime from her door brought her back to reality as she sighed and shook her head. All the mathematics in the world would not be enough to persuade her head to stop its incessant pounding.

“Come.” Unit 3 entered slowly, his metal hooves a constant clattering against the deck plating. On his back sat a dinner tray, laden with treats that she was sure Pinkie had made just for her. He looked up, his eyes glowing in their unsettling manner as he looked at her while he cocked his head slightly.

“Is something the matter, Commander? The one known as Pinkamena Diane Pie assured me that this food would be welcome in your quarters. I will take my leave, and place this on your desk.” Twilight silently nodded as the SIP left the tray, as he said, on her desk, quietly leaving in a curious backwards motion. As the door hissed shut again, she took in her room. To the left of the door where a steaming tray of food now sat, her desk stood, a part of the wall as it was secured with bolts and screws she was certain were far longer than she was comfortable with considering. A communications console sat to the right of the door, nestled into the corner created by the triangular room. The walls were dull grey, like most of the ship, except for a single poster of a cat hanging off a rope, no doubt of Pinkie’s doing. It stuck to the wall, proudly emblazoned with the phrase, ‘Hang in there!’  

Returning her attention to the tray, she smiled as she saw the balls of mashed potatoes, along with a small amount of cheese mushed into them, the dandelion salad, and the eponymous ‘burger’ she had enjoyed earlier. As the day wore down on her, she let her smile falter in the silence of her quarters, the creaking of the plating and the hum of the power conduits her only companion as she ate. Flavours ran together as she stared at the papers piled on her desk, reports of various goings-on and the unfortunate incident with Bridge crew losing their minds during the initial jump. She knew they would need some sort of countermeasure for the… wrongness that passed through when they jumped again, she was certain of it. Otherwise, they would lose valuable crew to the harsh rigors of interstellar travel, and she was already worried enough as it was.

As she finished her meal, she stripped herself of her uniform, sighing as she folded it neatly and placed it on her desk. She knew she needed it later, but for now, she wanted to snuggle in her covers, let the two days pass quickly, and let her worries disappear as she slid into her blankets, covering herself and letting herself finally relax. The food warmed her deeply as she watched the pulsing colours of the Tunnel viewed through the ‘skylight,’ her eyelids drooping as she drifted off into a sound, dreamless sleep.


--------//|0|\\--------


“Commander on the Bridge. XO Starlight is relieved.” 

Twilight trotted onto the Command Bridge, sighing as she felt a slight jarring sensation throughout her body. Ponies and Gryphons scattered to their stations, the navigation screens displaying the coordinates of the Halcyon’ crash site, the planet that had a nickname simply stated as ‘Crag-Rock.’ While the… less-than-helpful name made her dubious about the status of the planet, they had made their two day trip quick enough, without too much damage. A pharmaceutical had been released from the Infirmary’s stores, a relaxant called Coltix, to counteract the effects of the Transition between TD and Real-Space. Multiple beings at their stations downed a single, fuchsia-tinted tablet, their pupils dilating as it took rapid effect. Their reactions did not appear to be dulled, as far as Twilight could tell, but they were definitely more relaxed. Three Bridge crew had been admitted to the Infirmary for temporary insanity after the initial Transition from Real-Space.  

“Real-Space Transition in progress. All hands, prepare for Real-Space Transition. I repeat, all hands, prepare for Real-Space transition!” 

Twilight had barely enough time to strap herself in before the same wrongness shifted through her. The purple and blue tunnel of energy flowed outwards into what appeared to be a massive funnel, ejecting the Solus Invictus at high speed from its mouth. Cheers once more went up from many of the crew as nothing had shaken itself apart, nor had any of the Bridge crew suffered the original affliction that had plagued three of their own. The distribution of Coltix had apparently offered the appropriate effect, though it was apparently short-lived, as Twilight was witness to. Each member of the crew breathed sharply as the effects ended, catching their breath and sighing as they smiled at each other, congratulations passed around for a job well done. Twilight was about to open her mouth when Starlight began to bark orders at the members of the crew who had decided to fool around near the radar section of the Bridge.

“Hey, you four! Keep it together. We still only have 5 days until our first provisional match with  that opposing Battle Fortress! Get your flanks moving, because we have work to do! Navigation, send a message down to the landing crews. Let Warrant Dash know that we’ve got something we need to do down on the planet. I’m sure she would love to test out the landing craft.” Twilight sighed as she walked out of the Bridge, Starlight staring after her. Her friend understood how much pressure Twilight was under, and she understood that something down on the planet below was needing to be done.

“Stars guide you, Commander.”


--------//|0|\\--------


“All right you lazybones! Get everything loaded up! Get those cryo-pods secured! Engineers, get your stupid shovels into the ship! We’re not waiting all day!” Rainbow was busy barking orders at her subordinates as Twilight entered, smiling when there was no announcement as to her arrival. Crates, cryo-pods, and various boxes that Twilight knew were caskets were being loaded into the boxy landing craft, the four VTOL engine pods warm with thermal energy as the vehicle warmed up its thrusters.

“So, this is everything, Rainbow?”

“Yeah, Twilight. Even Brightstone’s cryo-pod. We didn’t burn him on the sea in Equestria, but we thought that bringing him along, and giving him his ‘Viking funeral,’ would be good. Sensors said that there’s a lot of water down there. It’s got a massive mountain that it’s known for, too.”

“I know.” She ran her hoof over Brightstone’s cryo-pod, staring him in his unseeing eyes. That smile of pride on his face caused her to choke for a minute as she looked away, turning back to the lander. Two sections of Cradle Engineers had loaded themselves and their gear inside, as well as several Cradle Infantry that Twilight did not know, their uniforms designating them as some sort of honor guard. Raising an eyebrow at Rainbow, Twilight pointed.

“Right. Those ponies. Celestia sent them along as a service to the ones we are going to bury.”

“Bury?”  

“Twilight, you came here for your test, but Celestia and Luna sent them to bury the dead that were still in the Kepl- I mean Solus Invictus, and hadn’t been buried. Trust me. You’ll do fine. Now get on, strap in, and smile. We’re going for a ride,” Rainbow reminded her friend, glancing around and checking straps as the final checks were being completed.

“Warrant, we’re ready for dust-off. Bring the Commander up front, and we’ll get this done.”

“Come on, Twi. Let’s get to the cockpit.”  

Silently following her friend, Twilight squeezed past crates and pods, pushing herself through the open cockpit hatch as the rear gangway of the lander raised and locked in place.

“Invictus Flight Control, this is Lander Echo-4-1-9, ready for dust-off, over.” A radio crackled shortly as the acting pilot let Rainbow sit in her designated position, her Command Implant connecting to the main control unit of the craft. Rocking in the rear elicited some surprised shouts from some of the Engineers as the thruster units fired, the engines burning hot as the lander lifted up off the deck plating, a massive door at the far end of the lander’s hangar slowly grinding open.

“Lander Echo-4-1-9, you are cleared for dust-off. Take confirmed course down to the surface. Stars guide you. Invictus Control out.” With a rush of gravity, Twilight was pushed back against the rear wall of the cockpit, slowly pulling herself to a seat to strap into a harness. Outside the ship, the gravity plating had no effect, meaning that they were in almost complete zero-gravity conditions while they blasted along the confirmed course that displayed on the lander’s main control screens. Minor adjustments were made without a second thought, thanks to the implants of both Rainbow and the pilots, leveling their course out as they passed through a debris field. Rainbow passed info back to Twilight as they passed, naming various human ships as they jetted past.

“That one’s a Wolfpack-class Missile Frigate. Over there’s an Iiaynsin-designed Intrepid-class Destroyer. So many ships, Twi. One heck of a battle. Too bad we can’t do this for every one of them, can we?” Twilight silently shook her head at her friend, the words becoming blurred together as she let her mind wander back to the planet below. Crag-Rock was definitely deserving of its name, with the massive badlands across the planet crossing each other like massive crevices in the crust. Tall, dagger-like peaks jutted out of various portions of a nearby mountain range, while a green grove, the only greenery Twilight had even seen thus far on the planet, signified a massive wreck, a large body of water opening before them as Rainbow took them low over a ridge-line.

Twilight thought back to a discussion she had participated in back on Equus, in regards to the burial of the dead humans aboard theSolus Invictus. Celestia had insisted that they would bury them not on Equus, despite the abundance of sources of water for them to perform Brightstone’s ‘Viking funeral,’ as Unit 27 had detailed. It seemed to be a common style of burial for captains in the UEC, the Union of Earth’s Colonies. She hoped one day to meet them, and hopefully deliver the box of ancient ID tags that she had sequestered away from prying eyes in a personal safe in the Armoury. The lander banked sharply as Rainbow took it into a steep climb, twisting from side-to-side to ‘kiss the water’s edge,’ as she kept shouting back to Twilight. It made no sense, but her thoughts once more brought her back to the issue that she was considering – Celestia had decided the planet for the Tunnel Drive test was to also be the graveyard for the departed human souls, and the planet for Brightstone’s funeral, without consulting her. It was not Celestia’s ship, it was her ship, and she was loathe to give control back. Sending everything for the grave site without consulting her, it caused her to think that Celestia did not fully trust her. Doubt clouded her mind for a moment before she shook it clear.

“Rainbow, take us down near that abandoned village. Keep us low, their old defense systems may still be active.” Rainbow nodded, pushing the lander below the supposed radar limit. A low beeping occurred from somewhere on the main control console, eliciting a little panic from the other pilots.

“Warrant, we’re being painted.”

“Don’t worry, we’re still underneath their interception envelope. We’ve got twelve more landers coming after us, so they’ll follow our route down. Keep an eye on it though.” The beeping continued steadily as the lander made its way slowly towards what appeared to be a forest at the foot of the wrecked Halcyon, the defenses tracking them but otherwise not sending off a flare or a warning shot. Twilight could not put her hoof on it, but something felt off. The reports of the Halcyon officially said she was lost with all hands, all 2 122 crew and support staff. The village of metal huts and timber shacks spoke volumes to the contrary, but there was no one around. Dead fields sat on all sides, the husks of wheat, barley, and a lot of other grains simply dried up and wasted.  

Twilight was suddenly jerked in her harness as the thruster units reversed, the engines slowing the craft down to a crawl as they touched dirt. Shapes in the distance reminded her that Rainbow had mentioned multiple landing craft. Soldiers, Engineers, and even agricultural specialists left each craft, glancing about as if something was about to drop out of the sky onto their heads. Sighing, she unbuckled her harness as the lander touched down fully with a heavy thud. The rear hatch opened, showing the remains of humans everywhere, their sun-bleached bones a stark reminder that the Halcyon had crashed over a millennium ago.  

Stepping out into the blinding light of the nearby G5-Class star, she watched the Engineers policing the bones of the humans, several teams already setting up prefabricated shelters and digging up multiple graves. She knew they were unable to give them the proper burial they deserved, but she was determined to do her best. In the back of her mind, though, sat her annoyance that she had not been allowed to do it herself on her own initiative; of course, she also recognized that she probably would have not done anything, instead preferring to forget such horrid things had happened. The push was appreciated, but she was still somewhat upset it had not been on her own terms.

“Commander! We’re almost ready to start the ceremony. We’ve got an Outrider Buggy ready to take you over to the lake whenever you want to leave.” Twilight swung her head around as another soldier approached her, saluting as he stopped. Returning the gesture, she sighed, looking around. The Engineers were already burying most of the bodies that had been brought with them from the Solus Invictus, the graves unmarked except by a blank headstone with a carved symbol of Celestia’s Cutie Mark proudly emblazoned on the front. Biting her lip, she swallowed the feelings swelling up inside as she followed the soldier towards the waiting Outrider buggy. The machine sat just outside the new village that was being erected, its main rear drive wheel rumbling as the motors barely kept themselves locked down. The power that coursed through the machine Twilight knew well, as she had designed the newer version as a test during an Advanced Mechanics course during her training, the thought being that a commander should know every bolt, every weld in their ship. As she lifted herself in, she felt the immense shocks of the vehicle shift as other soldiers entered, Rainbow taking a seat as well in silence as the doors shut and the engine roared.

“I know you don’t want to do this now, but Celestia knew you’d try and avoid it. Celestia knows I would try too, but she’s right, Twilight. You have to do this, put this to rest, or else you’re going to second-guess yourself every time we have to fight. Everypony dies, Twilight. It’s our choice when we go now, and the humans of the Kepler gave their lives to save as many as they could.” Twilight could only nod as she remembered everything she had been shown about Brightstone during the first month of her training. Each thing he had done while he was still alive, and she knew that he would try and send random gifts for her birthday, only to have each and every one denied postage and kept at the Cradle. Books that waited for her as she trained, and worked her flank off trying to be better than she was. A single tear escaped her eye as she pulled a small book from the rear pocket of the seat in front of her, turning it over and over in her hooves. A favorite of Brightstone’s, the book felt old, well-read, and its title, ‘Catcher in the Rye,’ and the feelings she felt when she remembered just how much of a friend the Captain had attempted to be, though he was forbidden from interfering.  

“’If you tell others about your own experiences, you’ll end up missing the people you shared those memories with.’ It’s a major point of the book.” Twilight looked over at Rainbow, who smiled with a sheepish expression. “A.K. Yearling hasn’t written anything new for a while, so I thought I’d try reading some of the human stuff. ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ is a good one.”

The ride continued on in silence as they reached the ceremony site, a boat launch near the lake that sat close to the decrepit ruins of the Halcyon. A podium and stage had already been set up as had several rows of chairs. Units 3 and 27 stood at attention on either side of the podium, their eyes on Twilight as she slowly extricated herself from the Outrider, sighing as she felt her hooves touch the red carpet, spying a casket with the symbols of the Diarchy of Equestria emblazoned upon a flag that covered the large box of oak and maple. Breathing deeply, she swallowed, moving through a slowly gathering crowd that shifted to let her pass, civilians and soldiers alike quietly murmuring as their commander stepped up onto the stage. As she stopped in front of the podium, four ponies marched up to the front, one playing a pair of bagpipes as they stood still. As the music played, Twilight could feel the sting of tears on her cheek as she kept herself composed. It would not do for their own commander to start bawling in the middle of a speech after all, and she knew that was what she was needed to do. Creatures began taking their seats as the music shifted to a more somber tone, their conversations silenced as the slow movement of those present brought a sense of relief to Twilight, knowing that she was not the only one who was feeling the pangs of sorrow that day. Many of those in front of her had worked with the Captain personally, and knew of the stories behind the Kepler’s crew, and she knew that they knew how she felt as well.

As all the creatures present took their seats, the Honor Guard taking positions at the side of one set of chairs, Twilight tapped the microphone, and watched the player of the pipes shift into a more somber tone, silencing himself and standing at attention as Twilight cleared her throat.

“Thank you. Thank you, everyone. I know Celestia did not discuss this with me beforehand, otherwise I may have had an actual speech prepared. However, this is not a time for jokes, or laughter. This ceremony is a somber reminder that the mission we now undertake on behalf of our planet is dangerous, and creatures may lose their lives in the service of Equus.

Each and every one of you have told me stories of Captain Brightstone, who sits in the casket before you. He was a member of the Union of Earth’s Colonies, a Captain in their Navy, before he was brought aboard with the Cradle Security Forces. He did many things he was not proud of, but he knew that if he did not, someone else with less concern about casualties would. He joined the CSF willingly, and served until the day he died. Humanity does not know of this crash site, nor of the dead that will be interred here, but our Honor Guard, our own determination, will be a memorial in of itself to those men and women who died.  

I salute those who stand beside me now, who will continue to stand with me, as we take our steps among the stars, and we… we show our worth. A poem from humanity’s ancient history, written by an individual whose name was lost to time, spoke volumes about the departed. ‘They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.’ In this way, we honor them, and we will honor the last request of Captain Brightstone. Pall bearers?” Eight ponies stood from their positions in their seats, marching slowly as the bagpiper began to play once more, a somber tune from another time in humanity’s long-passed history. The bearers lifted the casket, holding the handles on their backs as they slowly marched in unison, a sergeant marching beside them as a guide to where the casket would rest. The boat launch stood proud and fresh, Engineers still clearing debris as the casket was brought towards a small, wooden rowboat seated just near the water. Unicorns stood by as did the Honor Guard, the sergeant stopping in front of their ranks and stepping in time. As the casket was lifted over the rowboat’s edge, the bagpiper slowly began to fade to silence with their music, as the casket was secured, and unicorns sat ready to torch the boat as it floated away.

“Honor Guard, present arms!” With the click of practiced motions, 30 weapons harnesses activated, triggers bit down on and rifles pointed into the air. “Honor Guard, rifle salute!” 30 shots rang out into the air as the boat was slowly pushed into the water, the flag being dragged off as to prevent any marking of it. As the boat began to smolder, the unicorns launched four fire spells off, each one at a corner of the casket. With a rush of flame, a small fire was started, and the boat burned through quickly as the casket sank beneath the waves. Twilight sighed as she stood at the edge of the launch, staring at where it sank beneath the waves of the lake.

“This is where it all begins, isn’t it?” Twilight turned around to lock eyes with Rainbow, whose own eyes were stained with tears as she stood quietly by and tried to hide her tear-streaked face. Hugging her close, Twilight let her own tears fall as she held her friend, breathing carefully and evenly.

“Yes, Rainbow. It might have seemed like when the Kepler crashed that it was then everything started for us. It may have seemed like that when we were inducted into the CSF, but this? We are out here, on an alien world, and we started it with a funeral.” She turned and looked away, off into the distance at the landers, just specks from where she sat. “This is where it really begins.”
> Chapter 7 - Interim: Battle Preparations
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The flight back to the Solus Invictus was quiet and somber, punctuated only by the rapid staccato of the engines as they were pulsed to slow the lander down before they touched down in the hangars. Zero-gravity maneuvering was difficult, but Rainbow seemed to have learned it far more effectively than the other pilots. A few were muttering about getting MIS-device implants, but were worried about the more invasive procedures. Twilight was staring off into the blackness of space, her mind elsewhere as she hummed and licked her lips. They had 5 days until the official beginning of their first match, and the Cloning Labs, while fully staffed and finally fully functional, were running behind with the clones needed. Dormant systems were being brought online once more as Applejack’s area in Engineering began to churn out Coalition Armaments CA-LR5 rifles, the semi-automatic action the best they could produce in the short time they had. 

Rarity’s own department was more interested in outfitting the Clone Avatars with her special new suits, many of which may have been originally designed by humans, but were quickly refitted and redesigned by the former fashionista. She had taken to her duties like a fish to water, after the whole debut of the Icarus Suit and her breakdown in the cafeteria.

Fluttershy was determined to increase production of her own Labs, and while she had been clearing out an area of debris that had not been reached – her own clone, Tiny, was instrumental, though it would never let her say it – she had discovered a secondary Cloning Lab. The official schematics offered up six more such labs, which made the formerly shy pegasus squeal in happiness whenever Twilight decided to inquire as to why certain materials had started popping up in the ship’s manifest. The clone output had remained steady, including the introduction of the Minotaur DNA to appropriately designate the ‘Shocktrooper’ variant that was prevalent in the database on the ship. 

“Every time I look around, I swear something new is being wheeled around the halls,” Starlight stated, watching the carts of weapons and armour being wheeled by as she and Twilight made their rounds of the departments. The Solus Invictus had TD’d almost immediately after they left the planet of Crag-Rock, where an Honor Guard had been left behind with a beacon stating the intent of the small colony. She had been loathe to admit it, but the funeral and last rites performed had been a bit of a relief to her. Her mind was fully on her task at hand, even if Starlight had to occasionally push her back on track when she inevitably wandered from the main purpose of her ‘making the rounds.’ Her student in friendship, and her second-in-command, followed her around closely, only stopping to check small parts to confirm their quality as they briskly walked through Engineering. Racks upon racks of firearms dotted the area, with the automatic factories of the ship churning out new weapon harnesses with the quality of a master craftspony, but the speed of an assembly line. Clones marched in groups of 10, each group standing quietly as they got outfitted in turn. Starlight spun around, looking at everything as Twilight sighed, glancing over at Applejack, who was busy berating one of the Minotaur clones.

“If’n I got to tell you again to grab the heavy weapon, I’ll buck you so hard your donor will feel it! Take the armor, and the machine gun, and we won’t be having no problems! Howdy Twilight!” The clone grunted as it lifted a suit of basic plated armor over itself, hoisting the heavy firearm and letting a machine arm swing out and attach an automatic feed system to the rear of the suit it now wore. Reaching behind, it grasped the strip of ammunition, dragged it forward, and loaded the weapon successfully. With a heavy sigh, Applejack motioned it past as four regular pony clones were outfitted with plated armor and their CA-LR5’s, the long rifles being carefully inserted into the weapon harness before the harness itself was wired directly into a control implant at the back of each clone’s neck. A battery of short tests, and she nodded as they trotted away in formation.

“Applejack, you’re doing a fantastic job. A few days ago, and we would have been on the brink of disaster if Engineering had not been ready.” Another group of clones was outfitted and sent away in the time it took for Twilight to speak, and Applejack was motioning another group of Minotaurs forward, sighing as the clones stared at her stupidly.

“Pick. Up. The. Dang. Gun. Do it now, ya big lumbering oaf! Twi, as you can see, I’m a little busy here- no, pick up the machine gun! Put on your armor first you- I think you might wanna get going, Commander. A lot of work to- that’s the same rifle you picked up before!” Twilight backed away as she watched Applejack’s face grow ever more red as she kept screaming at the clones, moving towards another Engineer who sat in front of the automatic factory producing the CA-LR5 long rifles. Each one was quickly taken off the assembly line and locked into a gun-rack awaiting the mass-produced weapons. Somewhere else was the tell-tale magical burn-off smell that was the hallmark of the gunpowder used in the ammunition that the long rifles especially used. A minotaur lifted a rifle and loaded a shell into the chamber, checking the slide and the barrel before tossing it into a device with multiple spinning jaws, each tossed weapon being chewed to scrap and broken down into component atoms in a furnace deep below them.

“At least the regular clones are able to follow simple orders. I hope we have someone better on the construction team for the vehicles.” Twilight turned with a sheepish grin as she glanced away, trying desperately not to meet Starlight’s gaze before she broke down.

“It’s Iron Will. Let’s see if he’s at least better at vehicles than he is at self-help seminars.”


--------//|0|\\--------


Twilight sighed as she entered the Vehicle Bay, looking around at a large portion of unfinished vehicles. The Outrider Buggy compliment was almost ready, as she had predicted it would be, but the weapons stood laying around in pieces, and groups of mechanics stood around arguing while Iron Will sneaked off through a far door that slammed shut as he passed. Starlight rolled her eyes as she looked around, checking the vehicles as Twilight flew towards the far door. Each vehicle appeared to be in working order, but as Starlight passed a couple, armour plating on the sides – essential armour plating – clattered to the floor, their welds sub-par and poorly hidden.

Lifting each plate, she inspected it closely, noticing clumsy metalwork and shoddy tack welding. Keeping the poor workmanship in mind, she re-inspected the vehicles she had already passed, and began to notice the horrid excuse for work done on each vehicle. It appeared more like they had been rushed so that Iron Will could do whatever he was working on behind the door at the far end of the Vehicle Bay rather than make sure his quality of work was up to the standard she knew Twilight was attempting to set.  

“Excuse me! Who was working on these vehicles?!” Starlight’s shouted question reverberated around the Vehicle Bay before scrambling from the other side signified a small response from a mechanic team that was shoving each other out of the way before they came to a stop in front of her. “Okay. Twilight, your commander, has enough on her plate without having workmanship this bad on the vehicles she needs for the upcoming match. I’m her second-in-command, which means that if you can’t do your jobs, I’ll find somepony who can. And you! You’re a Minotaur, one of the races on Equus gifted with natural engineering talents! I walked past this plating and it fell off! Explain yourself!”

The group of mechanics stood silent, stealing glances at each other until another from behind pushed forward. A Gryphon scooted past the imposing Minotaur and his two pony companions, kicking the others back before they could speak. One of the other ponies, a unicorn, tried to snatch up the Gryphon with their magic, only succeeding in watching their magic ebb away and falter as Starlight stared them down, her eyes smoldering with silent fury at each of them. The Gryphon, free of her compatriots, saluted, smiling as Starlight returned the gesture.

“Ma’am, Engineer Corporal Third Grade Killian Steelclaw, of Clan Steelclaw. My team was placed in charge of these vehicles by our main supervisor, Sergeant First Grade Iron Will. The equipment we were supplied with was of poor condition, and inadequate to do our duties with. Any attempts to gain new materials or equipment was met with zero response from the Logistics department, ma’am.” Starlight turned to the side to ponder when she heard a voice from elsewhere in the Bay chuckling.

“Well, now, isn’t that something? Iron Will trying to cut corners… where have I seen that before, hmm?” Starlight’s eyes were drawn to the source of the voice, a massive Minotaur perched on a nearby catwalk. The uniform designated her as a Warrant Officer, a fact which gave Starlight a small reason to smile. The Minotaur gripped the guard railing, lifting herself up and over as she jumped down to the deck below, landing fairly quietly for the bulk she exhibited. Pushing past an Outrider, she hefted one of the mounted machine guns, placing it heavily into the arms of the mechanic team’s Minotaur.

“Warrant.”

“Ma’am. I think-”

“You did what?!” A voice echoing from the far side of the Vehicle Bay was all the warning Starlight and the others received before a large, dull-grey Minotaur was forcibly launched across the Bay. Surprisingly, the Minotaur was still standing, though he was unsteady as Twilight hovered in front of him, her eyes almost burning with the ethereal fire licking at the corners. The female Minotaur, sighing, pushed around the mechanic team, putting herself in between Iron Will and Twilight.

“Ma’am, I think it’s better if you let me handle this.”

“Bulwark! Iron Will has-”

“Shut up, Iron! I will not be responsible for what I do, and in regards to address, that’s Matriarch Bulwark to you!” Iron Will shrank away from Matriarch Bulwark’s irrepressible gaze, her stare metaphorically burning holes into his skull with the intensity she was displaying. He stood back up, brushed himself off, and then dropped to the floor, prostrating himself in front of the Matriarch.

“Iron Will has learned his lesson! Iron Will will not try to dupe anyone else!”  

Twilight and the Matriarch exchanged a glance before galloping boots arrived from the direction she and Starlight had arrived into the Vehicle Bay from. 20 uniformed Solus Invictus Security ponies stood at attention, their combat harnesses activated and rifles aiming at Iron Will, keeping him covered as Twilight slowly lowered herself to the ground. The magic fire around her eyes died down as the Matriarch sighed, motioning to the pleading Minotaur in front of her.

“Ma’am, I do have to point out that we are understaffed in this department. Despite my clan-brother’s more… ulterior motives, we do not have a lot of the equipment we need. I know it’s due to him that a majority was not passed on to me for equipment requests, so I’ll be taking a personal investment in this endeavour now.” Twilight looked around, allowing the SIS ponies to restrain Iron Will and remove him from the area. There was a lot of work to do, and expecting a tiny team of 5 individuals to complete the task set before them was, indeed, an insurmountable endeavour. Consulting her implant, she pushed through the material and equipment requests from the Vehicle Bay, watching them enter the rotation of production. She could imagine how Applejack might feel about what Iron Will had done, but while the Minotaur was rather manipulative, the unauthorized project he had been working on was something to keep in mind. A note to herself to keep it under wraps until she could have it inspected was added to a digital memo book floating around in her vision.

“Very well, Warrant. Your requests for materials and equipment have been pushed through, and you are authorized to draw from the Engineers available on-board the Fortress. Hopefully you can at least get the Outriders finished. I would have preferred the Manticore AMR-1’s instead, but you ‘play the hand you’re dealt,’ right?”  

“Ma’am?”

“Human expression. Means that you’ll do what you can, but no promises,” Twilight explained, watching Bulwark nod as she turned back to the mechanic team. The team stood ramrod stiff as Bulwark quietly berated them for not coming to her sooner with Iron Will’s deficiencies, nodding in silence as they agreed to her terms, returning to the Outriders with the knowledge that they were not alone in their work, but had more than themselves to rely on. Twilight sighed, biting her lip as she remembered a lesson one of her friends had learned through a horrible experience. Granted, the experience was nothing as horrible as some of the things she had read about that happened in human history – some of the wars the humans had been participants in made the border skirmishes with the Gryphon Hegemony and the United Minotaur Alliance appear like a schoolchild’s first schoolyard scuffle. The death counts alone were enough to make her eyes almost spin in their sockets like a slot machine, and it was unnerving the fact that humanity did not learn how to better cooperate, but simply how to destroy far more efficiently. The Equestrian parallel was not as simple as she had thought, and even the Seven Day War was merely a footnote in the history of war that she was aware of.

“Ma’am? Commander Sparkle?” Twilight shook her head, looking back up at the Matriarch. The Minotaur smiled as she looked around, motioning at an empty portion of the Vehicle Bay. “This may be what we have to work with right now, but I can assure you, we will be ready for the match, and rest assured that we will… figure out just what in the stars’ name Iron Will was building back there. I leave everything to you, Commander. Stars guide you.”  

With that, the Matriarch leaped over an Outrider, the plating jostling in place as she moved almost like a cat over every one of her obstacles. The mechanic team following behind rushed quickly to weld the armour plating back into place before it tumbled to the floor, the weld much sturdier than it had been previously. Nodding in appreciation, Starlight turned back to Twilight, who was still watching the Matriarch as she continued to leap over Outrider after Outrider.

“Penny for your thoughts, Twilight?”

“I wish she’d been the genetic donor for the Minotaur clones, not this… Trainwreck.”


--------//|0|\\--------


The corridors were bustling, busy and crowded as Twilight and Starlight continued their rounds, their next stop in the Medical Department. Fluttershy had apparently been having some difficulties with the cloning technology, something about ‘improper gestation rates,’ and ‘unacceptable mutations in the baseline genome structure.’ While her implant successfully made the transition for her to understand what the terms meant, Starlight was still incredibly confused. As far as they were aware of, the growth acceleration gel did not dissipate, nor did it lose its cohesion, even over a millennium and a half after its last use. However, the situation in Medical, and especially in the Infirmary, had Twilight concerned, so Starlight was close behind.

“Twilight, I-” Starlight barely ducked, pulling Twilight down as well as a coffee mug sailed over their heads, slamming into the bulkhead nearby and shattering, its hot, brown contents splashed all over the wall’s plating. Turning their heads, they could see Chrysalis and Fluttershy staring each other down as neither wanted to back off from the other.

“You sabotaged my genome data! Admit it, you scrubbed part of the genetic sequence just so you wouldn’t have to worry about us using your genetic structure to enhance our weapons and armour! Admit it!” Fluttershy was hovering, almost directly in Chrysalis’ face as she pushed away the sputtering Pegasus and turned to Twilight.  

“Please, Commander. She has been like this for over 5 hours. Something about the main system is causing an issue, but she believes that it’s the fault of myself and my changelings, because apparently trying to clean up a genetic sample that’s corrupted is ‘sabotaging a genetic strand sequence!’” She spat her words at Fluttershy, who simply stared her down. Both started to walk sideways, keeping their eyes on the other before they turned to their workstations, grumbling and complaining. Starlight raised an eyebrow, turning to Twilight, the latter shaking her head in disagreement.

“I have no idea what’s going on. Did you at least check the pumping systems?” Fluttershy was about to harshly reply when she stopped, looking back at Chrysalis. Both furiously began searching at their workstations, checking each individual pipe and its sensor. As they searched, Starlight and Twilight checked the cloning logs, noting each generation’s unique mutational characteristics. The initial generation of pony-based clones – Earth Ponies based around Applejack’s genetic data – were more suitable as ‘Basic Infantry’, their sturdy bodies and hardy endurance a fit for the combat harnesses and armor they wore. The fourth generation – Unicorns based off of Starlight – were more relegated into a ranged support role. Their magic was weak compared to the original, but they could cast combat-based spells that counted as ‘Artillery’ for their effectiveness in the simulations. Pegasi were somewhat harder to clone in rapid batches, as proven by Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, who only had a couple of Avatars apiece due to the complications in ‘teaching’ the clones how to fly. Certainly, there was enough of an issue translating muscle memory to what could constitute a freshly born Pegasus, but there had been a feedback issue between the Clone Control Chips and the main computers of the Infirmary.

Twilight flipped open another document, one that detailed out the more effective means that Chrysalis had been devising for her to be able to translate the genetic material of Equus’ races into usable data for the Labs to use. The scanning technique was something she was familiar with, but the usage of it was fairly foreign. A little voice somewhere in the back of her head was excited until she passed over the data about Changelings. Each little detail that she read made her heart sink a little bit more as she checked each individual portion. As far as the document was concerned, Changelings could not be cloned, as a good portion of them could be considered ‘clones’ due to how close their genetic material was.

“Looks like an issue in the secondary pumping units. Primaries are burnt out, and the secondaries are not engaging.” A voice echoed inside Twilight’s head for a moment before she stopped, looking around. Sighing, and making a mental note to train her crew on radio discipline, she looked over at Starlight, who raised an eyebrow.

“Twilight? I didn’t say anything. Are you okay?” Twilight looked around again, then tapped her chin for a minute.

“Check the secondaries. Primary pumps might be burned out.” Starlight flipped a screen around, checking through data before she raised an eyebrow back at Twilight. Swinging it back towards Twilight, she motioned at the red dots on the screen detailing out exactly what Twilight had mentioned. The secondary pumps were not engaging, the power conduits nearby appearing to have been without power for some time. The conduits near the primary pumps displayed no current running through them, an error displaying that an overload had occurred, citing ‘replacement materials required for continued operation.’  

“That’s almost… creepy how quickly you knew that.”

“Try and see if you can patch through from another conduit. Secondaries aren’t clogged, so we should be able to pump through.” Twilight scratched her head, her implant’s HUD distorting for a few seconds as a communications signal patched through almost directly into her implant. Checking the diagrams, she consulted her implant again, realizing that the voice was a recording, from over a millennium and a half ago. The time-stamp had it as ten years before the Kepler’s crash on Equestria, which would put it ten years before its fateful battle with the Fortress that Unit 3 refused to talk about. She knew that the Sentient Integrated Program project utilized human brain-scans to form the neural pathways for its androids, but she was not sure if it was possible for such a machine to develop the reactions that Unit 3 was exhibiting. The SIP android had remained on Equus as assistant to Star Swirl, but Unit 17, the humanoid SIP, was wandering around the Fortress, and assuming circumstances were the same, she would have to have a discussion with the android before she completed anything else.

“Can we draw power from another conduit, maybe patch from Engineering directly? That pumping area’s not far from there, so we shouldn’t have an issue with that. Secondaries shouldn’t be clogged, so they should be pumping.” Starlight’s eyes narrowed in suspicion as she checked the order of tasks Twilight had just described, detailing it out on a nearby dataslate. Double-checking as she finished, she transferred the simulated ‘patch’ to Twilight’s implant for examination, much to Starlight’s own chagrin.  

“2 for 2, Commander. How-”

“It’s… something from the database. My implant link, I think? Something came up that I thought was a radio, but it’s a recording from… before the last flight.” Starlight raised her eyebrow again, sighing as she lifted the dataslate in her teeth and placed it in a side pouch on her uniform.

“Not going to lie, Twilight, but if we have recordings from the past, there’s a lot of ponies who would love to see what life was like day-to-day on an ancient Battle Fortress. Speaking of the Fortress, Fluttershy!” As Starlight called out, the Pegasus in question turned, her mouth set in a pout as Chrysalis started to laugh. Seating herself to watch, Twilight let her implant run through the recordings, before she came across a video file that was time-stamped for the day of the crash. As she watched, she saw the betrayal of the Commander of the Kepler, and the subsequent defensive measure taken by Unit 3. Each part of it made her skin crawl, as a Commander’s crew was their family. To have one decide that betraying their very relations with the men, women and children that they called family was something necessary, she could barely fathom the idea. However, she was well aware that such an issue had occurred once the proclamation about the Solus Invictus had been delivered. She wished she had been there herself, but she had more pressing duties on the Fortress, and while her own brother was incredibly proud of her, and so were her parents, there was a good portion of ponies who had discovered that their families had disowned them, making their shipmates the only family they had.

“Twilight, we’ve got a repair crew down at the Gel Containment Tanks. Two of the eight tanks have massive punctures, so the gel is unusable, but we still have the other two tanks.” Twilight’s head snapped around to focus on the voice as she stopped the playback of the recording she was watching. Starlight was holding a dataslate in her own magic while it floated in front of Twilight’s face, trying as much as possible to resist the urge to push it into her Commander’s nose.

“Thank you, Starlight, I-”

“Exciting news this year, fans of the War Games!” Twilight and Starlight looked at each other, realizing the voice was being broadcast through each speaker in the Infirmary, and as it echoed down the hall, they both came to the same realization.

“We have to get to the Command Bridge!”


--------//|0|\\--------


“Your number one entertainment package comes with something brand new this cycle! From a little-known planet here in our own Messier-83 Galaxy comes a race of enchanting Equines, dangerous Dragons, and even magnificent Minotaurs! I’m talking, of course, about the planet of Equus. Rich in selenium, they were able to build a new Battle Fortress, and take to the skies to compete in our galaxy-wide, number one sport, the War Games! Their first match comes in two days, and new viewers should know that they have abilities beyond anything we have ever seen before! That’s right, folks, these adorable creatures are able to tap into the fabric of reality, channeling their very own Etheric Waveform Signatures! We don’t know yet what this entails, but this announcer is very excited to see how everything works out! Godspeed, Solus Invictus! May the odds show mercy!”  

Twilight and Starlight galloped into the Bridge, breathing heavily as they caught their breath, watching each screen as it displayed the same announcer human that had shown himself to them when the Solus Invictus had first launched from Equus. His face was still far too perfect to be real, and Twilight could have sworn she saw some kind of cord leading away from the back of his neck. However, it was more the fact that everyone on the Bridge was silent as the grave that made her start re-thinking her posture on a few things.  

“I-Is that all we are? Some kind of entertainment?”

“Humans are sick! I don’t-” A voice piping up from near the Navigator’s area quieted everyone else down as it began to shout.

“Yes, we’re going to be a part of this ‘entertainment’ of the galaxy’s. Yes, we’re going to have to see combat, but you know what? The Equestrians I knew before may have had some issues with it, but we are not those Equestrians, not anymore! Minotaurs, Dragons, Unicorns, Pegasi, Earth Ponies, even Changelings and Gryphons! We all came together because we knew this had to be done! We don’t have a choice, and if we were to go against our agreement, we would lose our home! So, to hell with your opinion that we can be safe if we just hide our heads in the sand! To hell with your opinion that humans are sick! This isn’t a game, not to us! This is war, fillies and gentlecolts, and it’s about time we started acting like it!” Navigator Deadwood was shaking his hoof at everyone else, his eyes daring any to meet his steely gaze as Twilight and Starlight stared slack-jawed at him, their expressions all the approval he needed as he returned to his station, and continued working on drift calculations. A slow murmur echoed through the Bridge as every creature present started to think it more through. Of course, the Games were entertainment to the people who watched it, but to the ones fighting it, it was life, and it was death. It was destruction, and rebirth, and to everyone who fought, it was a memorial to the things that were lost and gained with every battle.

“Yeah, you know what? Deadwood’s right! We trained for this moment, this time in our history when we can stand up to others and finally say, in a united voice, ‘We are here!’ Forget the politics and the backstabbing of human culture, or of any number of the alien races out there. We. Are. Here. And I think I speak for everypony present that we’re all here to do a job, and I for one am going to do the job I was given without complaint! It is our duty to support our Commander in this situation, not undermine her efforts because you feel ‘offended’ that a race, which many of us have not met the majority of, turned war into a form of entertainment. Stand the hell up, wipe away your tears, and keep moving forward!” Twilight stared at Starlight, who finished her own shouting with the phrase she had once heard a particular human say to her, the one phrase she knew that was on record in the database. A  slight smile crossed her visage as she chuckled, looking around at her crew. Each and every one of their eyes were on their Commander, who looked them up and down without so much as a word. Stopping in front of the main communications console, she lifted the radio headset, keying it to the main Personnel Address system. With a couple taps to make sure she was live and broadcasting, she sighed, centering herself before she spoke.

“Who aboard this ship knows about Captain Brightstone, hmm? The human that sacrificed his life so that peace could return? How many of you know why he did it? How many of you know that he did it not out of a selfish need, or some ulterior motive – he was doing it to protect those he cared about. His world had moved on, so he made ours his home. He set an example that even I follow, and I will make sure that I honour his memory in every action I take. You all swore an oath to defend Equestria, and Equus, from any threat that would dare decide to attack her. You swore an oath to Celestia and Luna, and you swore an oath to serve your Commander. All I see right now is cowards, cowards who want to find an easy way out because the way forward is so much harder. Of course it’s going to be harder! This is war, fillies and gentlecolts, plain and simple. We are soldiers, and we will do our duty!” Murmurs of agreement echoed around the Bridge as Twilight finished, gently returning the headset to its hanging hook before looking at the main viewing area. The colours shifted again and again through their never-ending march between purple and blue, the soft colours a stark contrast to the  harsh grey and black of the interior of the ship. As she watched, the console in front of her sprang to life, displaying the Matriarch from the Vehicle Bay.

“Commander Sparkle, ma’am! I am sending you a report on the state of our mechanized forces at the moment. Our Outrider Buggies are all armed and armoured. I can tell that some of the others down here are itching to see how they perform in actual combat environments. Also,” the screen shifted as the Matriarch continued, displaying several contingents of cloned forces, “the main force of ‘Basic Infantry’ is equipped with CA-LR5s, the long rifles the Cradle was supplied with before we launched. I’ve been operating with Applejack down in Engineering on remodeling the UEC RK-9 that the human always carried around so that we can use and produce it. Anyways, your screen should show the different clone brigades you now have at your disposal. I should probably explain a few things, as well. Applejack would have loved to, but she’s dealing with those next-to-brain-dead Minotaur clones.

	You’re already aware of how a conquest match works, but this also extends to our troop deployment and structures. Our soldiers are considered Tier 1 for the ‘Basic Infantry,’ and Tier 2 for our Unicorns and Minotaurs. We are not allowed to deploy our second Tier of clone units until we have the appropriate structures on the ground. It’s hard-coded into every part of a Battle Fortress. 

	A match always starts with the deployment of a command hub, and usually an infantry module and a basic refinery. The refinery processes minerals saturated with selenium into a usable material that will be shipped back up into orbit for our automated equipment factories to produce more effective weapons. As it stands, the majority of the match will be working on capturing these.” An image was enlarged on the screen, a massive tower with rotating solar panels denoted in its description as a ‘Mining Tower.’

“These ‘Towers’ form the basis of your match’s economy. The more resources you have, the more you can field. As it stands, we are a very infantry-heavy force, while our opponent is very mechanized in focus. We will need to be able to get to our second Tier of units before they can field their Powersuits. That will take time, and forces. 

	We have a command hub, an infantry module, the refinery and a basic vehicle ‘plant’ ready for the drop as soon as we exit from TD. I’ve made sure our preparations are as complete as we can make them, ma’am. Stars guide you.” With that, Bulwark signed off, the display going dark except for the display of the concentration of forces Twilight had at her disposal. Considering that regardless of anything else, she knew that they would be continuously creating forces during the match, she had the inkling that what was shown was not entirely representative of what was actually available. Her mechanized forces, on the other hand, were unfortunately not up to the standard she had designated they needed to be completed to. Most of that could be chalked up to Iron Will’s willful negligence, but she was also certain that the facilities they were working from onboard the Fortress may have also played a factor.

Pulling up a technical document on the automated manufacturing lines that the Wyvern-Class originally came with, she noted that a baseline Fortress of that class would have needed an extensive refit just to contain the manufacturing facilities that would allow her mechanics to build the larger vehicles on her forces list; specifically, she was still concerned over the lack of Manticore AMR-1 tanks, and the problems that had not been reported in their construction. The armor plating that was produced for them was, unfortunately, too thin to be able to classify the vehicles as a ‘Main Battle Tank,’ which brought her back to the refit problem. The Fortress had no credits to speak of, for the 30,000 or so crew that populated the vessel. However, Twilight was not even sure how the payout worked for each match-

“Twilight, are you okay? You look like you want to murder somepony.” Twilight stopped her pondering for a moment to look over at Starlight, her head cocked slightly to the side in concern. Sighing, she let her mind relax, looking over all the relevant data on the screen, and running her hoof over the data as it scrolled past.

“There’s a lot counting on this, Starlight. I can’t help but… well, I’m responsible for all of this. I have so much to consider that it’s almost overwhelming, in a way. But we’ve come so far in such a short time that I can’t help but think of the future. I mean, the closest Hub station to us is called Nexus, and that’s a little over three weeks away from the planet where we are having our first battle. There’s-” Twilight stopped as Starlight draped her hoof on her back, patting her lightly as she looked around. Her breathing slowed, Twilight having not even realized she was hyperventilating. Centering herself, she took a single glance at the automated listings for the clone forces she commanded, and admitted to herself that maybe some rest was in order. 

“Twilight, you’re exhausted. We’ve been at this for almost 3 days straight. Go, get some rest. We’ll call you when we arrive.”

“Thank you, Starlight.” Twilight turned to leave, pausing outside the door as the familiar voice chimed, and smiled. 

“Commander Sparkle has left the Bridge. XO Starlight is in command.”
> Chapter 8 - Dark Nights and Happenstance
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Commander, you have a call.” A massive construction of metal, rock and well wishes floated in the darkness above. Somewhere deep inside, machines churned out weapons, armour, and powerful battle machines, the low thumping of the plate-printers a pleasant and reassuring sound that the crew aboard the Miner’sDefiance were still alive and still fighting.

“Patch it through to my console. I’ll take it there.”

The Nibiru-class Battle Fortress was less a vessel and more a refitted mobile mining station, one of the lesser-used craft available, but it had a multitude of refit options. No one knew their Fortress better than her commander, every bolt, every weld known and cataloged. Nothing aboard his ship was rebuilt without him knowing.

However, the information that had been sent through to him was something of a concern. An old Battle Fortress, ancient by the standards that were set at the current juncture, had been rebuilt, redesigned, and was currently heading towards his location for an introductory match. Of course, he knew better. The Committee, in their ‘infinite wisdom,’ had deemed it the last battle of his Fortress, the final match they would ever commit to. His own rebellious nature as a miner had almost come through, but his own duties as a Commander had won in the end. 

A familiar, perfect-faced human appeared on his screen, one whom he had vastly grown to dislike in the recent months. The Miner’s Defiance was not a high-ranked Fortress, but the Committee had been purposefully pitting them against enemies far more highly ranked than them. He knew they were planning something, but to what ends, he could not fathom. 

“Ah, Commander Isaac Humphries. I was hoping to get in contact with you. It’s in regards to this new Battle Fortress, the Solus Invictus-”

“Ah, Representative. How lovely to see you again. You set us up with this match-”

“Ike, for once, be quiet!” Isaac went quiet as the Representative used his lesser known nickname. Sitting forward, he started to pay far closer attention. Only a few of the Committee knew the nickname, and they would only use it if something bad was happening.

“You’ve got my attention. Talk.”

“The Solus Invictus is commanded by what’s known as an Alicorn. She’s a very respectable mare, and if you show yourself to be honorable in your match, I have no doubt she’ll take you and your crew onto her Fortress. I would advocate for any other action, but there’s no other way to guarantee your safe passage to Nexus. Here’s the dossier. The file should contain everything you need to know to put up at least a decent fight. They’re fairly infantry-heavy, so act accordingly. Let’s make this a good fight, and take the attention off of our… less-than-savory activities, yes?” Isaac nodded, looking around before he drew a cord out of the monitor, attaching it to a port in his wrist. Most implants that allowed a Commander full control over their Fortress were implanted in the side of the head, but Isaac’s was a custom model. The Committee had no inkling that he had changed out his own implant for something more discreet and secure, and he was not about to give them any idea that he had.

“All right, ponies, let’s see what you’re capable of...”


--------//|0|\\--------


“All crew, be advised. Transition to Realspace in 2-0 minutes. I repeat, Transition to Realspace in 2-0 minutes. All hands report to duty stations. I repeat, all hands report to duty stations.” In the time that had passed between Crag-Rock and their destination, a small planetoid simply called ‘Mosshaven,’  the crew of the Solus Invictus had managed to somewhat meet the targets set for production by their Commander, though the state of their vehicles had been something that she was still sore about. While the clones had been run through their individual simulations down on what had been dubbed the ‘Death Run’ deck – Twilight had understood the nickname had arisen from the first few ‘popped’ clones that accidentally died on the live-fire training course that had been set up on the secondary cargo deck. The words that Applejack had used when she had described the incident had been scrubbed from Twilight’s mind as she tried to relax in her quarters.

The screen on her personal console in her quarters was alight with the information of various alien races, factions, and such. One of the ones that she had heard some small part about, the Iiaynsin, were a curious race. They had something akin to a battlefield omnipresence, which meant they could keep watch in one direction, but be able to ‘sense,’ in a way, any enemies coming from a different direction. The general consensus of the database aboard the Fortress was that, if you were to face off against an Iiaynsin Battle Fortress, it was going to be extremely difficult. ‘You can’t surprise an enemy that can’t be surprised,’ Twilight had read, and a few ideas had sprung to mind.

The mechanics team in the Vehicle Bay had been augmented by the Engineers pulled from the CSF stationed aboard the Solus Invictus, though they were still nervous about testing the… machine that Iron Will had designed when he was neglecting the duties that were bestowed upon him. It was fairly tall, and the armor on it, while simply basic plating layered heavily, was definitely stronger than Twilight had suspected initially. Twin Outrider machine guns were attached to each wrist, with the belts running up through the arms. The general design looked like a giant, metal Minotaur, which, to Twilight, made sense considering the individual who had designed it. Checking every part, though, had taken several hours, even with Applejack’s most experienced teams handling it. The verdict, unfortunately, was that the design was unable to be reproduced with how the Fortress’ own manufacturing was set up. They would need new assembly lines, tools, and automated refining stations just to keep up with the demand they already had. 

The list grew longer and longer the more Twilight asked around what needed upgrading, what needed repairs. Several decks had lost their artificial gravity, the plating that generated it failing in several sections. Every damaged sector was cordoned off, leaving the crew with fewer and fewer routes to travel. The Cloning Labs had shut down when the Growth Acceleration Gel had finally been depleted, leaving an empty area as Engineers expanded various areas. While the Infirmary had been a rather small endeavour thanks to the size of the Neural Link Amplifier, Applejack and her Engineer teams had succeeded in converting various empty areas nearby the original Infirmary into a much more manageable Medical Bay. 

“Mag-Rail, Main Terrace.” Twilight checked each small part as she left her quarters, moving towards a new system that had been reactivated since the Pipe-and-Wires had come online. A ship-wide Magnetic Levitation Railway system had come online, allowing far more access than previously. Of course, it was prone to issues with power draw, and Twilight had been no stranger to it. However, one area that had been neglected since their launch was now fully accessible, and she was happy to at least spend a little time on the Main Terrace deck.  

Tiered planters formed a spectacular view that she was certain was incredible back in the time of the Kepler’s own battles, but at the moment, it sat barren, each planter simply brown and empty as the earth lay dormant. The tables that dotted the main portion of the Terrace were relatively new, metal and wood construction courtesy of the Logistics department. It was quiet, and peaceful, and Twilight enjoyed that fact immensely. 

As the Mag-Rail came to a stop, Twilight lifted a dataslate, floating it in front of her as she checked the day’s reports.  

“In 1-0 minutes, we’ll cross into Realspace. Hopefully everypony takes their Coltix, or we’ll have another outbreak of temporary insanity with the Bridge crew again. Vehicle Bay… that’s good, I think?” Slowly walking towards the main seating area of the Terrace, she was surprised to see multiple other creatures seated at the tables, some drinking coffee, and others enjoying some morning pastries. Glancing around, she spied the offending vendor of the treats and sighed. She was well aware that Donut Joe of Canterlot had joined up with the CSF as a cook, but she was certain he had not shown up at all in the actual cafeteria.  

“Ah, Commander! Wanna try one-a Donut-Topia’s devilishly delicious doughnuts?” Donut Joe smiled as he placed a chocolate glazed ring with a mug of a hot, steaming caffeinated beverage on the counter in front of his little shop. A little note popped up in the corner of Twilight’s implant view, detailing out the Main Terrace as a relaxation destination aboard any human-designed Battle Fortress. Lowering her head in acknowledgment, she approached the stand, lifting the coffee and downing it in one single gulp.

“Thank you. That definitely helps. We’re Transitioning in 1-0 minutes, so I’ll have to ask you to close up as soon as the announcement goes through.”

“No problem, Commander! Donut Joe’s always in the loop.”  

Taking the doughnut and a plate, she seated herself at a nearby table, placing the doughnut down and tapping through the dataslate as she checked more and more reports. Each duty station had reported in that they were ready and awaiting orders for the battle, and each production area reported full complement, even with setbacks that each had accidentally incurred upon themselves. Lifting the doughnut, she took a quick bite, smiling at the soft sweetness of the pastry as she continued to check her reports.

“Thought I’d find you up here, Commander.” Twilight glanced up to see Starlight levitating another doughnut and two cups of coffee down onto her table. Rolling her eyes, she tapped through six more reports before she set the dataslate down, staring Starlight in the eyes. As she looked, she realized that Starlight looked about as exhausted as she herself felt. Dark circles ran under both eyes, while the edges of Starlight’s eyes were slightly bloodshot. Her smile was thin, taut, and a definite marker of increasing stress as she sipped her coffee, looking out over the Terrace.

“Since we got access again, it’s been better for me to come here than stay on the Bridge. I can check reports from anywhere, not just in my quarters or in Command. I’ve seen the pictures of when this place was run by the human crew, and, well, we’ve got nothing on it. There were shops all along each wall, greenery everywhere, and you could find almost anything. A lot of this Fortress went to leisure during the downtime between the larger matches- I’m getting too used to this.” Twilight looked back at Starlight, watching her stop sipping and down both cups of coffee faster than she could track. “Are you all right there, Starlight?”

“Never better! I just have trouble sleeping because my quarters flooded due to an accidental re-routing of the main water systems, so I’ve been stuck sleeping in the shell of an Outrider that Bulwark rigged up for me down in the Vehicle Bay, and the lights there don’t shut off at all. So… no, I’m not all right! Parts of the Fortress are falling apart, and because we don’t have Field Projectors, that’s why it’s all happening!” Starlight slammed her face down on the table, muffled sobbing ensuing forth as Twilight shifted her chair closer, placing her hoof on Starlight’s head and trying to soothe her.

“Starlight, you and I are not alone in this. As soon as we win the match, we’ll be heading to Nexus Station for some well-deserved repairs and upgrades. The Gryphons and Minotaurs are amazing natural engineers, but there are some things we’re just not equipped to handle. If we’d even been able to fix the old Field Projectors, their defensive capabilities just would not be good enough against the weapons of the newer Fortresses.” A beeping coming from the dataslate brought Twilight back to her reports, eliciting a soft groan as she rolled her eyes and checked the reports. Rainbow was working with the Engineers that had been placed under her as part of her Flight Command, attempting to adapt the human interceptors so that the clones could fly them. An attempt had been made to armour up the Pegasus clones for aerial combat, but simulation battles utilizing the Combat Center that had been recently reactivated as well as several other key systems had shown that the armour slowed the aerial units down, meaning that a dedicated interceptor of some sort would need to be either prototyped for production, or they would have to figure something out when they reached the Nexus Station. 

A timer counted down on the upper portion of the screen, reminding Twilight to down her Coltix and prepare for the Realspace Transition. The usage of the relaxant was nothing short of dangerous, but the short term effects were necessary, at least, according to the medical professionals onboard. Tossing the small pill into her mouth, she swallowed, her face contorting at the bitter taste of the medicine reaching the back of her mouth.

“I’m with you on that, Twilight. I don’t think I could ever get used to the taste. Transition’s in 1 minute, so we’re ready.” With a shudder, and the subtle sense of wrong, the Solus Invictus dropped from Tunnel Drive, alarms blaring as the Terrace reformed itself. “What’s going on?”

“Battle mode! The automated systems are kicking in. We’re going to need to get back to the Bridge!”


--------//|0|\\--------


“Commander! The new Battle Fortress has just dropped out of… the readings we’re receiving can’t make heads or tails of the energy that the opposing Fortress is outputting. We’re getting readings on waveform frequencies that are reading as impossible.” Isaac Humphries watched the massive vessel shoot out of what appeared to be a massive tunnel of energy, the edges of the exit crackling with as-yet unknown forces that made him very uneasy. He was well-versed in the Quantum Gateways that some races used, while others, like the humans of the galaxy, used simple FTL Wake Drives.  

However they arrived, he had no actual time to react as his own Fortress went into its own Battle Mode, locking down the automated factories, Cloning Labs, and even his Vehicle Bay’s production area. He pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing as he watched reports flood over his screens. The half-circle setup of his Bridge was something he had seen to himself, compared to the strange terrace-based setup of most other vessels. He did not half to turn almost entirely around just to look at his crew, and neither did they have to crane their necks just to make sure that others were doing their jobs. As each screen glowed red with the signal for the match, he smirked, watching the enemy Fortress maneuver to a similar orbit as him. As he watched, the tell-tale pylons that rapidly terraformed areas to create the battle terrain made their Realspace Transition from Voidspace, and plummeted towards the planet. He did not even have to see them to know the noise they made on impact, as he had seen it many a time.  

“All right, little ponies. Time to see just how well you fight.”


--------//|0|\\--------


“All crew report to action stations. Match will begin in T-minus 3-0 minutes. Base modules are go for launch.” The Solus Invictus had become a hive of activity as the Battle Mode engaged, clone platoons marching their way to their transports as the various pilots grimaced in their determination. The Nibiru-class had not sent a message to them, but they were certain that there was a similar amount of activity aboard the other vessel.  

Twilight watched out the main viewing area of the Bridge, her eyes taking in every detail of the other Fortress. While the description of a Nibiru-class had been somewhat confusing, the actual, physical article made far more sense than she expected. It was almost completely a mobile mining platform, with massive orbital engines that would keep it and the asteroid it was tethered to from drifting into atmosphere. A large box, what she assumed to be the main areas of the vessel, shuddered as massive doors in the sides opened up, small craft floating dead in space, just waiting for the signal to begin.

“Combat Center’s waiting, Twilight. We’d best get down there before-”

“Welcome, every being across Messier-83, to a first for a lot of you! A massive amount of congratulations for the Equestrian Coalition Battle Fortress for agreeing to join our Games. Out of the goodness of their hearts, no less! Anyways, let’s get right into the action! In about 10 minutes, Command Hubs will drop onto the recently terraformed area on Mosshaven, a popular location for romantic walks on the countryside, fantastic ziplining, and the Introductory Match for the Solus Invictus! Who knows what these ponies have in store for us today? Welcome, once again, to the War Games! Brought to you by the Starfarer’s Co-operative, where insurance is designed to serve you!” The voice broadcast throughout the Fortress was the same overly enthusiastic, sickeningly sweet voice that had been heard before, screens in the halls displaying a satellite view of the battlefield, and the approximate force calculations for each side. The disproportionate amount of armour compared to infantry that the Miner’s Defiance was purportedly fielding was rather interesting, though a lot of it seemed more to be heavily armoured than armed. Twilight followed Starlight to a nearby lift, watching the satellite view on the screen as it shrank down, showing a ‘Game-Caster,’ the perfect-faced individual that had ‘invited’ them into the Games.

The Combat Center, the redesigned Infirmary, had been modified to house multiple command consoles for easy access, as well as containing beds for the Neural Link Amplifier. Rainbow Dash and Applejack were already being prepared for the Neural Link, Starlight nodding to Redheart as she switched from her standard uniform into the medical suit that the medic was holding out to her. As she slipped herself into the suit, Twilight double-checked signal strength and other factors as she made her way over to the main control, a massive holographic table detailing out the terrain, height limitations, and the various factors known for both her Fortress and the opposing vessel. As she circled the table, a thought occurred, her brow furrowing as she contemplated. Shaking her head, she brought up the views  of the three Clone Avatars that had been linked, Rainbow smiling as she stretched her body and wings.

“How do the Avatars feel, ladies?”  

“I’m going to have to get used to a lower magical output, but that’s probably par for the course.”

	“Aw, yeah! We’re gonna rock this battle!”

	“Sugarcube, we’re all ready down here. I reckon we have only a short time-” The timer above the holo-table counted down to the final 30 seconds, one of the large screens nearby displaying the view being broadcast across the galaxy. Tapping several icons on the display, Twilight chose her drop locations, rumbling through the ship indicative of the launch of the Command Hub and its basic subsidiary structures.  

“You’ve all got 10 seconds until drop. We’ll send your armour down once you’re on the ground. Starlight, you’re our Offense Engineer, while Applejack’s the Defense Engineer. That makes Rainbow the Scout. Once you’re boots on the ground, you’ll have maybe a few minutes to orient yourselves and get me a visual. Resource spikes are launching… now.” Massive towers carved into the dirt, the terrain more familiar to Twilight than she expected, as trees and various other terrain hazards displayed themselves, the Command Hub locking down as her Infantry Module, Vehicle Plant and Refinery all touched down, their connections synchronizing with the Hub. Two of her landing craft were already on their way to offload the initial complement of troops available, along with four Outrider buggies.

“Applejack, dropping.”

	“Starlight, dropping.”

	“Aw yeah, I’m- I mean, Rainbow Dash dropping! Woo!” 

	A hiss of air from the communications section of the holo-table denoted the ‘shock-pods’ launching. Twilight was uncertain as to why that distinction was necessary on her display, but she shook her head, looking at the various technicians at consoles around her. Green signals on the holo-table brought a smile to her face as the trajectory of the shock-pods was calculated in real-time. The landers were close behind, her ‘production queue’ of units displaying the landing craft contents. The way the data was presented made it feel much more like a board game to her, where the main hope was to out-think your opponent, and out-maneuver their troops. 

“Commander. All lights are green. We’ve got full connection across the board. Icarus, Daedalus and Helios armours are being deployed. We’re ready to engage.”

“Do it.”


--------//|0|\\--------


“Boots on the ground, huh? Starlight, how are you- oh, okay.” Rainbow helped Starlight out of her pod as she stared around wide-eyed at each structure around, the massive landing craft that Rainbow was familiar with touching down on the Infantry Module’s landing pad. As she stared, four full platoons of Infantry Clones marched out, smooth, grey helmets glowing with an unsettling blue as they took position around the area. Before Rainbow could comment on anything else, Starlight galloped quickly away, pushing past marching Clones to leap inside the Infantry Module and hide.

“Sugarcube, did she just-”

“Yeah, Applejack, she did.” Rolling her eyes, Rainbow followed her inside, glancing around before spying Starlight quivering in the corner in fear. “Starlight, it’s okay. You’re-”

“I’m here, but I’m not here. This is a war, not a war. They think it’s all games, but it’s real, but it’s not-” Starlight felt a hoof contact her face as she looked up, Applejack and Rainbow Dash staring at her with half-lidded annoyance. “Why did you hit me?!”

“Starlight, you’re going kinda crazy. We need you to suit up and get ready, because we need to make the first Spike ours!” Three heavy impacts from behind them alerted them to the shock-pods dropping new armour as they watched more landers dropping off more Outriders and Infantry Clones. Applejack sighed, moving closer to the Daedalus armour.  

“We gotta get moving, Starlight. Rarity made this armour for us, and I reckon we’d best put it to use. That there Helios armour, that’s for you. Rainbow, Icarus.” Nodding, Rainbow stepped closer to the pod containing the Icarus armour, closing her eyes as mechanical arms lifted her and clamped each portion of armour onto her, sealing her Avatar inside of itself. Starlight turned quickly when she heard another hiss, staring slack-jawed as Applejack walked out of her Daedalus pod, the glistening orange armour complete with three plates on the hindquarters coloured red, with green connection points. A combat harness wound itself around her barrel, with what appeared to be some sort of shotgun in the weapon holster.

“It’s not so bad once you get it on. You’re basically a walking tank with these suits.” Rainbow lowered herself down next to Starlight, whose eyes traced each curve on Rainbow’s suit, right down to the form-fitting armour plating that still allowed for freedom of movement.

“Sugarcube, you’re gonna have to just trust us on this. Gear up, and move out with Rainbow. My job is to stay here, and I reckon I’ll have plenty of action regardless.” The voices that came through the helmets was distorted, though Starlight recognized that it was because of the speakers on the outside of the helmets, not because her friends had been subsumed by machines. Breathing slowly and deeply, she approached the Helios armour pod, closing her eyes and biting her lip as mechanical arms lifted her off the ground. Within a few seconds, though, she felt her hooves touch dirt again, a helmet floating in front of her as she looked around. Rainbow was waving to her from one of the deployed Outrider buggies, her weapon harness holding what appeared to be a higher-caliber long rifle than what they had all trained with back on Equus.  

“Back on Equus… I’m never going to get used to this.” Lifting the helmet, she slid it onto her head, letting it settle into place and close with a hermetic seal. A Heads Up Display warmed up, giving her access to a battle map, and what appeared to be a ‘Loadout Requisition’ icon. Ignoring most of the data, she watched as every ‘soldier’ on her side was marked with an actively updated green marker, with structures in a blue colour to denote their purpose. The majority of the information was mind-boggling to Starlight, a headache starting as she attempted to comprehend the flood of information approaching her view.

“Just ignore the majority of the icons, Starlight. You’re not going to need most of them.” Twilight’s voice came over her suit’s radio as Starlight activated the Loadout Requisition for a Combat Engineer setup. As she waited, she checked her suit’s battle map, expanding it so that she could see where the closest Resource Spike was. Breathing slowly, she stepped back as the shock-pod slammed into the ground, mechanical arms standing at the ready with what appeared to be a modular suit. 

“Twilight, I’m going to guess Rarity was-”

“The main design influence, yes. The technology was based off of old designs we found in the database, but for all intents and purposes, Rarity was the final say on those armour designs. Your modular armour Loadout, Combat Engineer, allows you to call down temporary defensive emplacements and minefields. You’re our frontline defender.”

	“F-Frontline?! I thought I was going to-” An exasperated voice cut in over the radio, sighing loudly before interrupting both Twilight and Starlight.

“Starlight, come on! You know what you signed up for. You’re a Combat Engineer right now. That means we have to get to Spike Alpha and set up protection before-” A massive pulsing noise resonated through their helmets as they looked up at the sky for a moment. A red beam of energy pointed towards the sky, a beacon that was not entirely descriptive as to what it entailed.

“Rainbow, Starlight, I reckon they took Spike Bravo! Get your flanks moving, ‘less you want me to move ‘em for you!” Starlight stepped into the shock-pod, feeling the armour connecting with the suit she already wore. Her HUD updated, removing a majority of the information for what appeared to be a targeting menu. Resource information displayed itself near the top, while the captured Spikes were shown near the bottom. Nodding to Applejack, Starlight moved quickly, feeling small jets in the armour pushing her forward quickly as she clambered on top of the Outrider, planting herself in the buggy’s turret. With a surge of power, the buggy flew forwards, the Driver Clone not wasting any time as it drove Rainbow and Starlight towards Spike Alpha, the closest Resource Spike to their main base.

As they passed by trees and boulders, they found themselves on what appeared to be an overgrown road, slowly turning into overgrown ruins of buildings as the forest dissipated into the remains of a small city, the Resource Spike very much obvious where it stood, its height easily dwarfing even the tallest of the structures. The massive solar panels rotated around the main spire of the Spike, a drilling noise growing ever louder as they approached.

“Hey, we’re getting off here! Rainbow, with me!” Rainbow nodded, jumping out as she scanned the area quickly, her head turning from one side to the other as she checked multiple areas. The ruins around the Spike were overgrown, she had ascertained, but the amount of potential cover that was afforded to anyone setting up an ambush was unsettling, to say the least. Even the smallest structure could hide an Outrider, and compared to the reports of some of the human vehicles from the old database, an Outrider was almost a toy.

Starlight filled her HUD with the ‘Call-down’ icons, watching as the area around her filled out red, displaying ‘Not In Secured Territory’ as she checked potential turret drop locations. Rainbow could hear her breathing over the suit microphone, and she was still breathing heavily. Bringing up her vitality meter on her HUD, Rainbow watched as Starlight’s heart rate slowly started to climb, her anxiety overtaking her better judgment as the ‘Capturing’ icon on both of their HUDs began to tick over to green, indicating capture by their forces.  

Removing her helmet, Rainbow moved close to Starlight, pulling off her friend’s helmet and staring her straight in the eyes. The fear and anxiety Rainbow saw almost reminded her of the Young Fliers Competition over 7 years prior, the nervousness and anxietyshehad felt a painful memory. Though she had saved her friends from a mistake one of them had made, Rainbow had never forgotten the emotions that had passed through her mind as she had struggled with the attempts at doing a Sonic Rainboom. 

Holding Starlight’s head in her hooves, Rainbow brought her face level with hers, her expression darkening as she witnessed Starlight begin to hyperventilate.

“Starlight, Starlight!”

“I- huh- what. What? Why is my helmet off?”

“You were breathing pretty hard, so I took it off. You okay?” Rainbow’s nervous smile did nothing to assuage Starlight’s growing fears as she re-sealed her helmet again, her eyes darting around as she watched the Spike activate a massive blue beacon. A green circle emanated from nearby the tower, her HUD acknowledging the new area as ‘Secured Territory.’ Nodding silently, she looked at various areas, letting her implant interface directly with the suit and activating the ‘Call-Down.’

“Commander, I’ve marked various areas. We need turret defenses at these locations.” Starlight was still inexorably nervous and anxious, but she had something to do, and she focused as she completed her queue, watching pods drop from the sky and lock into the ground, deploying into round defensive devices with twin-linked machine guns scanning the area. Rainbow nodded at her, placing her own helmet on her head. 

“Starlight, I’m going to go do some recon. You got this, right?” 

“Y-Yeah, I got this. Go, uh, go do what you have to do.” Rainbow spread her wings, launching with such a burst of speed that Starlight had to brace herself just to keep from being blown backwards. As she recovered, the rapid impact of multiple, metallic objects reminded her that her turrets were still dropping. Looking up at the sky, she saw what appeared to be some kind of drone flying from the Spike towards their Hub, two fully-loaded raw material canisters underneath as its turbines sped up. Off in the distance, she could see a couple of small explosions, her hope that their forces were at least giving as good as they were getting.


--------//|0|\\--------


“Commander, we’re getting hammered down here! How long until the Heavy Vehicle Plant is ready to deploy?” On the opposing fortress, the combat center was a hive of activity as technicians continuously worked on various systems throughout, small sparks eliciting from each console as old wiring shorted out. The holo-table for Command and Control was flickering, a short reboot for the table required every time. Each time it flickered, he could see what appeared to be multiple vehicles approaching some of his entrenched positions. Clone Avatars were designated within his defenses, each one equipped with a heavy weapon of some sort, though it did not seem to be making a dent in the numbers of the enemy.  

“We have five minutes until deployment is ready. Keep that Spike defended. Spike Charlie is almost always where the main assault takes place, so keep your wits about you. I’m sending some more  Grizzly LAV-9s your way. Their mounted weapons should at least start to make a dent in their numbers. Otherwise, keep me informed.” Isaac Humphries sighed as another power conduit shorted out, sparks flying out from a nearby wall. He knew his Fortress was old, but to have so many issues so soon after they had just upgraded their main reactors was something of an annoyance. Each conduit that shorted out had to be re-routed, or new connections attached from the main conduit that ran the length of the Fortress. Each minor blink in communications made their ability to fight, to defend, more and more difficult as time dragged on. Clenching his fist, he slammed it onto the top of the holo-table, growling in irritation as he watched more of the opposing force move into more strategic positioning. 

There was something about it that was unnatural, something that made him clench his jaw in frustration. Something about it made his blood boil, but no explanation came forth from his mind.


--------//|0|\\--------


“Commander, we’re ready to launch the Infantry Support Hub when ready. Landing craft are standing by for delivery of Heavy Infantry Clones. Here’s hoping they can follow orders compared to everything else.” Twilight tapped various symbols on the holographic display in front of her, watching the approximation of the Infantry Support Hub, a large rectangle with smaller boxes where the landing jets were, glide itself into position. A timer counted down as her ‘queue’ cleared up, a new signal emanating that reported the successful reach of second tier Infantry deployment. Sliding her hoof across the edge of the holo-table, she chose landing zones, with two landing craft commanded to land near Starlight’s position.  

As she watched, Rainbow’s suit gave her a far more detailed view of the enemy. She was steadily picking off small amounts of the enemy’s Clones, but it was barely making a dent in their numbers. Larger vehicles, the hologram denoting them as ‘Tier 1 Light Vehicles’, began to appear on the table, the supposed ‘fog of war’ becoming an annoyance. Each time she had Rainbow shift her view to get more information, the previous information disappeared from the screen. For her up in the Fortress, it was a minor annoyance, but she could only imagine what was going on down on the ground.  

Lifting her left hoof, she brought the signals from the Avatar’s vitality sensors into her focus, watching as Starlight’s heart rate climbed and dropped. Her stress response was impressive, but Twilight was starting to get the feeling that having Starlight as a Tactical Avatar Commander was not exactly her smartest choice. The eye movements registered by the camera inside the helmet noted that she was suffering from anxiety, her brainwave patterns denoting some kind of ongoing response that Twilight knew she understood, but she could not put her hoof on the words.  

“So familiar, so- oh no. I put a pony down there who might have a disorder in regards to trauma. Oh, Celestia, what have I done?”  

“Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. It never appeared on her psychological evaluation, so she may have never even knew she was suffering from it. There’s something about being all alone by that Spike that’s triggering it, though.” Chief Medical Officer Redheart monitored a dataslate, watching the irregular patterns being displayed by Starlight. “You’ll have to talk with her about it when she returns to the ship. If her Avatar is killed on the field, take her out of the Amplifier. We do not want her to end up ‘losing it,’ as the phrase entails.”

“Do it. I don’t want her to become unable to function.” Redheart nodded, saluting as she left the Combat Center. Twilight turned back to the holo-table, scowling as she watched her forces deploy. She had to beat them, she had to win. Something about the entire situation was making her blood boil, her competitive spirit reawakening as she narrowed her eyes. Tapping various symbols on the table’s edge, she brought up her communications with Applejack, sighing as she heard the swearing from the other end of the radio link.

“Twi, I’m a little busy-”

“Applejack, are the Minotaurs landing okay?”

“Yeah, they are, but that’s not the problem!” Twilight was about to ask when she saw the fog disappear from near where Applejack’s Avatar was positioned. Four large signals had begun to display as the base defenses warmed up. Applejack, holding what appeared to be some kind of launcher, started screaming at the Minotaurs to move, Twilight biting her lip in worry as she watched them trundle closer and closer to the main gate of their little base compound. Four wheels on each side of what looked like a large boat rolled and bounced along as she got a visual from one of the defensive emplacements. Minotaurs growled and raised their weapons, the hologram displaying yellow projectiles as the Minotaurs advanced on the enemy vehicles.  

Larger yellow projectiles elicited a small cry from Twilight as she recoiled in surprise, the markers speeding quickly away from Applejack, and impacting on the enemy vehicles in seconds. A flash of yellow, and the vehicles were gone. Double-checking a camera from Applejack’s viewpoint, she understood what her friend had been able to accomplish, especially with the humanoid weapons. As she flipped through the cameras near the base, Twilight got a far better view of the weapon that her friend was wielding, and the design was rather impressive.

A couple of days before, Twilight had been searching through the database, watching and learning about the weapons of the War Games, from basic semi-automatic firearms to magnetic rail cannons, and even what was termed as an ‘Etheric Feedback Projector.’ The ‘etheric’ part she understood referred to magic in some way, but she was unsure of what the ‘feedback’ portion was. Launchers had caused somewhat of a disinterest, as she had brushed past them to try and understand the ‘Etheric’ weapon classes, and detail out how she might be able to recreate some of them.

Applejack had noticed the launcher systems as Twilight scrolled through the various weapon classes, raising an eyebrow as she left for her department, and began work on a redesign. A redesign that worked, and worked efficiently. She was impressed, but she was also worried. One of the issues that she had read for launchers was their somewhat unreliable nature, though it was more to do with the weapon’s ammunition than the weapon itself.  

However, from the data Twilight was presented with on the holo-table, Applejack had apparently been able to work out the issue with the launcher, though it unfortunately increased the amount of time she took to load her shots. Despite all that, Twilight found herself nodding in approval as she watched more enemy light vehicles disappear from her display.

“Applejack, let the Minotaurs move forward, we need them to get to the central Spike and destroy the fortified position that’s there. We’re working on landing more forces, but we’re having an issue with the refueling process in the launch bays. I’ll keep you posted on when we’ve got access.”

“Sure thing, Twi. We’re all good- incoming!” The radio abruptly cut off, leaving Twilight to check in with Rainbow and Starlight. A hope in the back of her mind voiced itself, hoping desperately that other parts of the battle were proceeding all right. 


--------//|0|\\--------


“Starlight, we’ve got to move!” Rainbow tugged at the armoured carapace that adorned her friend, trying to get the catatonic unicorn to move. While she had been erecting her turrets, one of the Infantry Clones the humans were fielding got close, and Rainbow had unfortunately needed to destroy it before it attacked Starlight. Her eyes were still wide behind her transparent visor, and Rainbow was beginning to have a harder time trying to keep from screaming in anger at the obstinate pony in front of her.

“It… it got killed. It was dead, but it...”

“’Popped,’ Starlight. They’re not really human, they’re just Clones, like the ones we’re fighting beside at the moment. Move!” Some kind of metallic container impacted nearby, a loud hissing noise the only indicator that something was inside. “Oh, Celestia. Starlight, we have to-”

With a loud clanging, a hatch was forced off the container, one singular human stepping out in what appeared to be some sort of heavy exoskeleton. A launcher sat strapped to one arm, while a rotary assault weapon spun up on the other, a belt of ammunition spooling below it as it loaded itself. Rainbow looked up, drawing her long rifle as she let the HUD draw the cross-hair directly over the human’s face.

“Ah, the ponies. This one will be something I’ll remember forever! Ha ha-” A single shot rang out as Rainbow held the trigger bit in her mouth, her long rifle smoking as the human slumped forward, a good portion of his skull turned to red paste. Starlight stopped to stare at the exoskeleton, her eyes blinking as she realized what was going on. Her eyes drew quickly onto one of her ‘Call-Down’ icons, a grim line drawn with her mouth as she gritted her teeth and pointed to the north of their position.

“Rainbow, I know I’m not doing well. You, Applejack, the rest of them, you’re used to fighting, or finding some way out of a problem. I’ve never really had to do something like this, but… but I have to fight. I can’t just sit around being a fragile, glass pony can I?” Rainbow nodded, looking up as she heard the tell-tale whistling of an incoming shock-pod. Watching it split into three smaller pods, she raised an eyebrow as Starlight approached the impact locations, each pod splitting open to reveal-

“You called down those?! Twilight said they were still being tested-”

“Better now than never. Battery’s in the bigger pod, and I think I’m going to need some help putting it on.” Drawing out a large, boxy device, she inputted a short code on the side and stood back. With a click and a hum of energy, purple lines drew themselves across the device, a light-strip on the side denoting its charged level. Rainbow lifted a battery, slowly bringing it over to Starlight and letting the modular armour lock it into place.

“An ‘Etheric Projector,’ though? Don’t blow yourself up, Starlight.” With a flap of her wings, Rainbow launched with a rush of wind, Starlight waving as she let the mechanical arms of the third portion of the shock-pod attach the EP, each wire sparking as it locked into place. Breathing deeply, she calmed herself as much as she could, letting the machine complete its task. A loud crack of energy, and she could almost tangibly feel the power coursing through the weapon.

“A single rod of Magicite, accelerated to mach speeds by an Etheric Induction Rail, and supposed to be extremely explosive. Let’s, uh, hope this works.”  


--------//|0|\\--------


“She did what!?” Twilight, upon learning what Starlight had done, was beside herself in worry. The ‘Etheric Projector’ prototype was barely functional, mostly a proof-of-concept, and in no way battle-ready, yet the unicorn she was watching was strapping it on and charging it up without even paying attention. Twilight winced as she watched the unicorn detonate the prototype, her signal blinking out as a timer covered her viewpoint. Sighing, she turned back to the others in the room, watching as Pinkie entered the room with a carefully balanced plate of snacks, and a cup of hot, steaming coffee.

“Twilight, you gotta take a break. I know Starlight just-”

“Just detonated herself in an uncontrolled Etheric Cascade Reaction? That weapon was not even supposed to be in the weapon pods. I hope she’s at least dealing with her Avatar’s death all right. Applejack’s down one so far, and Rainbow’s come close to needing a new one too. Starlight’s down one now, and we’ve only got enough Avatars at the moment for 5 more losses from each of them, 6 in Rainbow’s case.” Pinkie did not respond, only laying the plate and coffee down on a nearby table, smiling as she drew Twilight into a tight hug. The normally excitable party pony had taken to life aboard the Fortress rather well, though some of her more rambunctious habits came out in other ways. Twilight had yet to talk to her about the ‘Cupcake War’ that had somehow been started in the Cafeteria, but she suspected that would end up being a far longer story than she had time to listen to.  

“Twilight, you’re gonna go nuts if you keep micromanaging. Starlight made a mistake, and while, yeah, the Magic Railgun-”

“Etheric Magneto-Projector.”

“Yeah, that thing. Even if it exploded, none of the ponies actually died, and Starlight’s vitals seem far better on the second Avatar. Just relax, drink your coffee, and smile. Smiling always helps.” With that, Pinkie trotted away, the clip-clopping of her hooves on the metal plating of the deck a sobering reminder of the planet they had left to protect her from the threats the committee had ‘offered’ them. Lifting the coffee, Twilight took a quick sip, recoiling from the bitterness, but enjoying the thought nonetheless.  

Returning to the holo-table, she watched the timer on Starlight’s ‘portrait’ count down to zero, a new shock-pod delivering her new Avatar to the area near Spike Alpha.  

“O-okay then. That’s definitely not what I expected. Commander, I’ll talk to you later about… my accident there.” Twilight nodded silently, checking each portion of the map again and again. Rainbow and 2 platoons of Minotaur Clones had been able to push up near Spike Charlie, the third spike in the battle. An entrenched position was detected, but from what she could tell, the Minotaurs and their heavy weapons were making short work of what had supposedly been an almost impenetrable  line of earthworks. Applejack had apparently moved up to support, citing the need for her ‘special’ launcher in destroying the enemy’s light vehicles. Twilight desperately wished she knew the classification of the vehicles, though she understood that it was unlikely she would be able to have them refitted for Equestrian use. The other races knew it as an important point, but for some unknown reason, Equestrian genetics were far more able to be adapted for the Cloning process. Changeling and Gryphon DNA were next on the list for compatibility for the Cloning process, but the combination of the rather rudimentary grasp that the Coalition had on genetics compared to some of the races whose information had long since degraded in the database, coupled with the unfortunate age of the growth acceleration gel they had been using, had terminated that line of inquiry in a rather unfortunate incident. The test batch that had been grown to test the viability had created the need to replace a good portion of the Cloning Lab’s equipment, especially some of the growth tubes.

More red signals disappeared near Spike Charlie, Twilight allowing herself a thin smile as she sipped from her coffee and partook of the pastries on the plate that Pinkie had left behind. Rainbow’s accuracy rating from her CSF training had been far beyond that of even the most talented markspony, but her action during their assault of Spike Charlie had solidified that rating. Almost every one of her shots found its mark, exoskeletons simply falling over as their operators tumbled out, their bodies limp and lifeless. Her brainwave patterns had not even flickered beyond baseline, causing Twilight a small twinge of worry in the back of her mind. The enemy’s light vehicles had been pulled back during the assault, and a small foray for reconnaissance had enlightened them all to the reason why.  

“Spike Bravo has the highest concentration of enemy forces. Starlight, Rainbow, once you’re done at Spike Charlie, move to Bravo, and let me state this plainly: Don’t be reckless. You all have a limited amount of Avatars to use, and the more reckless you are, the more you use them up. You’ve all read the reports on Fireteam Alpha, the main Tactical Avatar Commanders of the Kepler. Don’t be like them. Fight smarter, not harder. Otherwise, keep up the good work, everyone.” Twilight breathed slowly, falling backwards into a sitting position as she realized she was exhausted. The time displayed above the holo-table displayed 12 hours since the match started, and she realized she was in dire need of the coffee and the pastries Pinkie had provided her.

“Will do, Twilight. Rainbow’s still out there picking off the enemy exoskeletons, so I’ll see what I can do with a Sapper Loadout. Starlight out.” With the end of the transmission, Twilight felt someone carefully place a blanket around her, a chair seemingly coming out of nowhere as she stared at the holo-table. 12 hours and counting, and they were not even halfway done.


--------//|0|\\--------


“Okay, shock-pod’s inbound. Hoping this time I don’t detonate myself with untested magical munitions. Rainbow, do you still have sight on the enemy position at Spike Bravo?” Starlight sat on the crushed greenery that was near her, looking around at the artificial forest around her. Mosshaven had been a planet of subtle beauty, but the Games had terraformed, within minutes, an entire forest for the match. She suspected Twilight would figure out how they did it almost as soon as they were finished. Such a technology would work wonders for the drought-stricken areas of Equus, including the driest deserts of Saddle Arabia.  

Turning her eyes skyward, Starlight tracked the trajectory of the shock-pod, her HUD displaying the approximate impact site as she breathed deep, centering herself. With a quick pulse of magical energy, she propelled herself at the landing pod, the modular armour assembly unit catching her as she sailed past, locking on the new armour components quickly and nearly seamlessly. New icons opened up across her view as she checked the status of her other devices. Green bars scrolled past, each one indicative of the damage level of each of her turrets. Smiling, she let herself go slack, the assembly pod finishing the basic welds of her control circuits as her weapon harness came online. With a smile, she touched down on the nearby earth gently, giving her trigger bit a quick test to make sure everything was connected. A hiss, a whine, and a quick motion signified that her harness was ready, and her new weapon, a Coalition Armaments Long Rifle Automatic Class 5, brought up a targeting crosshair on her new HUD. Rainbow’s signal punched through to her as she finished her final checks, including a new small engine on the rear of her armour.

“Helios Sapper Loadout, huh? Pretty decent, but that experimental rifle has a pretty nasty kick to it, Starlight. Fire in short bursts, and the recoil won’t flip you. I’ll see you at Spike Bravo!” Starlight smiled, linking completely with her armour as she attempted to activate the engine thruster, feeling a short power-up followed by an error message flashing on her screen. Gritting her teeth, she switched her HUD to a command channel, locating the nearest Outrider.

“Hey, Rainbow. I’m gonna be a bit late to the rendezvous. Thruster pack wouldn’t ignite. I’m going to try and catch an Outrider already on its way over. I’m hoping we can end this soon.”

“Got you loud and clear, Starlight. Race you there!” Starlight had to chuckle at the cerulean mare’s statement, sighing as it brought up some of the memories she had from her training. Rainbow Dash had been attempting to become the top member of the Wonderbolts, before their training had been folded into the CSF’s Aerial Ace training program. Each time she and Starlight had touched the vehicle simulators, it was always a test to see how fast Rainbow could push the program before it either crashed, or she was asked to settle down before she caused the control chips to malfunction again. The same phrase was said each time, and a pleasant feeling began to course throughout Starlight, her mind relaxing as she focused.  

Spike Bravo was a network of criss-crossing trenches and earthworks, dotted boxes echoing thunderous reports of massive machine guns. As Starlight watched the feed from Rainbow’s suit viewpoint, she could see the various attempts that had been made before at assaulting it, the ‘popped’ clones merely gooey puddles where they had fallen. Several destroyed Outrider buggy wrecks were still smoldering as Rainbow checked each one, hoping for at least a Clone surviving.

“Hey, Rainbow, is everything all right?”

“We… we’ve got a lot of dead here. A lot of it seems to be from human-designed Clones, so it seems we’re at least doing some damage. But this is kind of hard to look at.” Starlight tuned out her comm, staring in front of her. In 15 seconds, an Outrider would come barreling over the nearby embankment and make a short stop for her to get on. Rainbow continued on with her damage report, the unicorn barely registering as the buggy in question jumped the embankment, coming neatly to a sliding halt as the passenger door opened. An Infantry Clone grunted and waved her over, helping Starlight in as she seated herself. Checking her weapon into its holster at her side, she checked portions of her equipment, from the autoloading feature on her CA-XLRA5 to the interlocking plates on her front that were clicking in bad spots. A lot of her armour felt experimental, and some of it felt rushed, but she was in need of a more stable solution than the potential etheric cascade she had subjected herself to, or at least, she assumed she was. A good amount of the technology was theoretical at best, explosive at worst, and Starlight was hoping it was the former, mentally preparing herself for a repeat of the latter.

“I’m about 45 seconds out. Outrider’s running a bit slow, so, well, wait up?” Starlight was not sure whether or not the hesitation came through on the microphone; the transmissions tended to distort as they were sent from transmitter to receiver. Humming softly, she checked her suit once more, watching the terrain pass by as the Outrider rumbled, the vibrations from the engine a rhythmic reminder that no matter what happened, she was never going to be the same mare that had tried to destroy time itself 7 years before. She was reminded that even with her mistakes, she was still Twilight’s student in the study of friendship, and was also the First Officer of Twilight’s Command Crew. She began to smile, only to falter as the Outrider screeched to a halt, sliding sideways for a good few meters before coming to a complete stop. With the sudden cessation of motion, the side hatch of the vehicle hissed open, the echoing report of repeating firearms booming around her as she gripped the trigger bit of her harness, her long rifle locking into place. With the crosshair appearing on her HUD, she gritted her teeth, feeling the recoil as it slammed back against the shock absorption built into the mechanical portions of the weapon harness. Several rounds went wild, striking dirt and stones, but some of her bursts found purchase in the human clones, her helmet reporting the direct hits with expanded viewpoints as the rounds slammed home directly center-of-mass on multiple targets.

“I reckon that Twilight might take that there rifle of yours and make it standard-issue. Keep up that good shooting, Starlight.” Applejack tapped Starlight on the back of her suit, motioning to the long rifle that was desperately trying to reload itself, the automatic feeder system having accidentally ejected the wrong portion of the loading belt. Setting her launcher down, Applejack retrieved a small set of tools, stripping portions of the rifle away as she hummed to herself.

“I guess that was pretty awesome. I mean, every one of my shots have hit their marks, so I’m still awesome, but hearing your rifle shoot? That was something else, Starlight.” Rainbow Dash slowly walked up, what looked like a sharp piece of metal impaled in one of her hind legs. Starlight was about to gasp when she saw the gel dripping from the wound, a fact that drove the point home that they were not actually there, despite what her mind still wanted her to believe.

“You look like you’re in pain.”

“Yeah. I thought the clones were unable to feel pain, but Celestia does this hurt. We’re pretty close to being able to assault their main base, so we’re almost there. Just gonna-” With an unceremonious noise, Rainbow Dash’s Avatar popped, the gel splattering Starlight’s armour as Applejack sighed and reattached the loading belt. Wiping her own faceplate, Applejack rolled her eyes, walking over and picking up the weapon harness that had been left behind.

“Twi, you got all that?”

“Fluttershy’s looking into the Link Amplifier. Maybe something we overlooked in production? We’ll keep you posted. Twilight out.”

	“Sounds like she’s got her hooves full.”

“I reckon she does. We’re running on fumes here, Starlight, what with all these clones popping themselves.” Hefting her launcher again, Applejack smiled as she leaped onto a parked Outrider, the clones inside locking in as it sped away into the distance. Shifting herself back into a more combat-ready stance, Starlight let her suit reconnect to the weapon harness, the auto-loader feeding far more smoothly than before. With a nod, she galloped forwards, her HUD becoming populated with a multitude of red symbols, each one denoting a single enemy. As the light began to shift, she realized just how long they had been engaged in their little battle. Mosshaven had a 24-hour day, and a 24 hour night, meaning that the battle had begun sometime in the middle of the daylight period. Yellow tracers glowed as rounds whizzed past overhead, each one slamming into the terrain around her as she desperately rolled and tried to keep herself moving, the volume of fire becoming almost too much to bear as she fell behind an Outrider wreck.

“This is Starlight. I need something, anything! We’re moving past the main line to assault Spike Charlie, but we don’t have a clear enough vision to see anything-”

“Leave that to me, Starlight!” A sudden rush of air overhead was coupled with the telltale echo of a sonic boom. A massive rainbow circle expanded as Starlight watched, several explosions echoing in the distance where symbols rapidly began to disappear. Her HUD began to track the speeding pegasus, small yellow symbols denoting some kind of small explosive that she was dropping on the enemy position.  

“I would hate to be in their corner right now.”


--------//|0|\\--------


“I’m sorry, they did what?!” The Miner’s Defiance was shuddering from overloading conduits, each patchwork repair even more rushed than the last as engineers scrambled around in a desperate bid to keep the Fortress from shutting down under the strain of the systems installed. Isaac gripped the edge of the holo-table displaying the battle, the screen flickering in and out as new lines were rigged up to power the device. Several other humans behind him were motionless on the hard, metal deck plating, burns up and down their faces from electrical discharges that had emanated from nearby consoles. Adding to it all was the apparent Clone Avatar creating a sonic boom of almost mythical proportions, moving at speeds his systems could not even track.  

“I don’t know, sir! One minute she was getting down like a cat does before a leap, the next minute she was right beside us dropping some extremely crude explosives. They appear to operate like our grenades, but are extremely primitive in their fuses.”

	“By the Nine Heavens… How far back have we been pushed after that?!” He brushed multiple pieces of debris off the holo-table, sweeping as much of the dust off as he could. Chunks of rock from a rapidly-sealed hull breach had landed on various areas, leaving wisps of smoke floating through the air. His signals were growing fewer as he watched, the red signals of the opposing force almost swarming his devastated positions as his Grizzly LAV-9 relief forces met with a fast-approaching force of what his own crew had described as ‘walking almost straight out of the pages of mythology.’ The various weapons he had been witnessing pointed to a very active experimental weapons program, but a fair portion of them, from his viewpoint, were far too experimental. He was far more used to loading up the old UEC Kinetic Rifle for his engineers to build, a tried-and-true device that never ceased to amaze with how it could be modified.  

Now, however, he was starting to notice the benefits of the experimental devices. Sure, the sheer fact that a camera had seen the strange automatic long rifle that one of the opponents was using spit rounds almost as fast as a machine gun emplacement had him a little panicked. However, the sheer nature of his enemy – the weapons, the vehicles, even their strange abilities – all of the information caused him to bit his lip in nervous apprehension.  

“Nine Heavens preserve us. Engineers, continue-”

“And the match goes to the Equestrian Coaliton Battle Fortress, the Solus Invictus! Almost an entire day of battle, men, women, and beings of all orientations! We will be broadcasting the After Action Recap show after the commanders of each vessel meet to determine the Victor’s Rights. Thank you all for tuning into this most excellent of a match!” As Isaac looked around, he rubbed the back of his head, lowering it until his forehead touched the glass of the holo-table. With a heavy groan, he rolled it back and forth, sliding down until he sat on the ground.

“Sir? A shuttle is being prepared for you from the opposing Fortress.” He looked up to see one of his Avatar Commanders reaching down, helping him up from his seated position.

“I can’t believe it. We held on so much, but this was all a farce, wasn’t it? We-”

“We lost sir, yes. But we might be able to become part of the crew of the Solus Invictus. None of us want to stop fighting, not as long as a single one of us still stands. Remember the Kepler, sir.” Isaac nodded, holding his right hand across his chest as he mimicked his fellow shipmate’s hand sign.

“Remember the Kepler. Get me to the shuttle. I think it’s time we talked face to face with this ‘Twilight Sparkle.’”
> Chapter 9 - The Interview
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

One Week Later

“Is the microphone on? Oh, excellent. That’s absolutely aces. So, what’s the- oh, the recent match? Currently a hot topic of conversation. I know the network wants this story out as soon as possible, so we’re getting it written up as we speak- yes, Director. The Committee has a high-risk stake in the future of this new Battle Fortress, so we’re here to help protect that… investment. Don’t worry!” A tall human stood still in the middle of a stage, rolling his hand back to check each individual nail as his other hand pushed his large pompadour of a haircut back into place. His expensive red suit almost made him into a caricature of his own being, his face across multiple products and channels as the face of the ‘Galactic News Now’ television show. A carefully crafted persona, he presented it effectively as he rolled his eyes, tapping the earpiece he wore to end the call he was on.

“Mr. Julian Sisco? We’re almost ready for you. Teleprompter is all ready to go, and we’ve got the hologram projector ready to display your next interviewee. Of course, it will be coming across from around the outer edge of the galaxy, so be warned about the signal quality.” A thin, almost impossibly beautiful woman strutted up to him, handing him a small dataslate with scrolling information. Tossing her head, she let her blonde hair fall over her one eye, her uncovered eye an uncomfortable deep red that made Julian jump for a minute before remembering the individual he was talking to. Sighing, he smiled, swiping through the dataslate as he followed her to another room with chairs, fancy coloured signs denoting the GNN, and his long, ancient-space desk, designed after a period of human history which had an obsession with rounded edges and hoverboards.

“You know, Miss Diabella, for a Rithurian, you present yourself well. Genetic engineering?”

“Oh, no, Mr. Sisco. I’m all natural. From the third moon of Rithor. All the humans there grow like I do, thin, lithe, and impossible to look away from. Now, if that will be all, Mr. Sisco?” She turned away on her heel, almost spinning in place as Julian admired the beautiful Rithurian. She wore a form-fitting pressure suit, denoting her life in a lower gravity situation as she waltzed around a corner, the tight, silver jumpsuit causing a few individuals to raise their eyebrows as she sauntered past, seemingly in a hurry to get to  where only the Nine Heavens knew. Julian did not consider himself a religious man, though he remembered how he had found the Nine Heavens Hostel when reporting on Eurasia, one of the four planets of the Janus Accord- UEC, he reminded himself. His own genetics had been tampered with enough to the point where he had been the face of GNN for almost two hundred years. The UEC had been around for over 1000 human years, but the Janus Accord was the name most people gave to it regardless of the age of the union.

“All right. Places, people! We have a big interview coming down on us today, and we cannot, I repeat, cannot allow some two-bit hack network like the Galactic Insider to scoop this from us again!” Wringing his hands in worry, Julian took his place behind his standard desk, tapping several points on a large crimson dataslate, bringing up his camera interface. Reaching underneath the desk, he retrieved an extravagant pair of sunglasses, smiling as he placed them over his eyes and let the smart-glass of the lenses connect to the main video feed. A countdown had already begun, with a virtual lobby filling up with hundreds of viewers as they tuned in from around the galaxy. He noted some tall Thalrazyne matriarchs in the rear, making a mental note to not mention anything that could possibly cause them to take offense.

“Mr. Sisco, we are live in one minute. Stand by for intro sequence, Camera One on approach.” Smiling as he leaned backwards slightly in his chair, a gesture which had become universally recognized as his special ‘lean,’ he clasped his hands together as the speakers blared the special jingle of Galaxy News Now, with the teleprompter introducing the host of their prodigious show. Shifting slightly, he leaned forward, crossing his arms on the desk as he looked straight at the camera.

“Good cycle, ladies, gentlemen, and beings of all orientations! I’m your host, Julian Sisco of Galaxy News Now, your news and special broadcast outlet!” He breathed in as he awaited the completion of the applause he could see in the virtual crowd, each person clapping in excitement. His eyes drifted over to the two Thalrazyne matriarchs watching him with an inquisitive eye, a small bead of sweat forming on the nape of his neck. Their drilling stares, a familiar sight for anyone who had dealt with the Thalrazyne in the past, forced him to sit up straighter and speak much more intensely, even when he was trying to control his tone.

“Our story right now – Interstellar Spacefarers and New Contestants! That is right, everyone, we have new blood entering our illustrious War Games! Coming all the way from the galaxy’s own Horseshoe Nebula, these beings displayed a technological prowess we had never even determined from their race. Now, some people are claiming that these ‘interstellar upstarts’ are interfering with the ebb and flow of the Games, and that an immediate cleansing should begin on their planet- I know, I know, I was shocked to learn that such individuals were advocating genocide, in our day and age! Get a Fortress and prove yourselves, that’s what they’re there for, am I right?

Coming from the Solus Invictus, their exuberant commander, a young… filly. Filly? Is this correct? Ladies, gentlemen and beings of all orientations, we have the occurrence of the first known contact with a quadrupedal species! The hologram feed will be online soon, so don’t worry!”


--------//|0|\\--------


“Oh no, oh no!” Twilight’s hooves clicked rapidly on the deck plating as she began to panic, her breathing shallow and rapid as she glanced around, Rarity dashing around her quickly to fix her friend’s hair in place.

“Darling, darling, please stand still! The hologram won’t hold your form if you move so much! Applejack can only do so much with that projector.” Rarity, holding a needle and thread in her etheric grasp, dodged and weaved around the panicking purple pony, pinning up portions of her hair, cleaning dust and lint, and patching holes in the old uniform. Twilight was still prancing in place, her breathing slowing as she slowed her movements.

“Rarity, I’m going to be talking to an entire galaxy! I’m the Princess of Friendship, not the Princess of Equus! Why does it have to be me?!” 

“Twilight, you’re not just the Princess of Friendship, you know. You’re the Commander of the Solus Invictus!” A shock of multi-hued hair stuck out from behind a raised square of deck plating as Rainbow grunted and groaned, attempting to wrestle a bolt into place and secure the hologram transmission platform. “If anypony can do this, you can! Applejack, a little help here?”

“Commander, Quantum Transmission request has come through, and we’re currently connected to the nearest communications buoy. We’ve got a secondary line to Celestia and Luna back on Equus, and the rest of the crew is reporting full network compliance. Isaac Humphries, of the Miner’s Defiance, replicated as best he could the Quantum Holographic Scanner from his own Fortress before his crew was absorbed into ours, and is reporting that the pad you are standing on has complete functionality.” The human presenting the report stood stiffly at attention as they read off of the dataslate in their hands, a full-faced helmet concealing their face with a randomized swirling pattern. Even with the voice coming out through the helmet’s speakers, it was distorted, the figure attempting to disguise themselves as best as possible.

Twilight sighed, rolling her eyes as she looked straight at the human. Their uniform had been exchanged for a new style Solus Invictus set, freshly designed and produced by Rarity and her new team of Fabricators. The standard uniform before had been all but a nearly single piece uniform that you almost had to peel yourself out of, but the new design exchanged the old single-colour grey to a more befitting paneled uniform. Rarity, as Twilight had started to notice, had put special colour patches on the shoulders to denote the various specific departments onboard the Fortress. The human standing in front of her wore the steel-grey uniform with red shoulders of the Security branch of her crew. Rainbow Dash wore the forest-green with gold highlights of the Pilot Commander, having decided after the last match to work more towards getting the interceptors working more for the Clone Pilots they were looking at producing once they made their way to a station and acquired more gel accelerant. Rarity was rather striking in her maroon clothing, her uniform designed for those working in Fabrication and Engineering, hers and Applejack’s departments. 

“Thank you, Reaper. Keep me apprised of any new developments,” she stated plainly, watching as the human snapped a quick salute and walked off, their sidearm bouncing slightly as they exited the Communications Room. “Still can’t believe some of the human advancements we hadn’t even considered. I mean, the Quantum Entanglement Device for communication, that wasn’t even theorized back on Equus! Our systems were still running on the old Stellar Echoes system that the Kepler had come standard with, and that was still old when she was flying! I-” 

A hoof quickly came out of nowhere, forcing a small, sweet pastry into Twilight’s mouth, causing her to stop and slowly chew as she stared Pinkie right in the face. The grim look on her friend’s face was the final click in Twilight’s mind to not just look, but really see around her at her friends. Each one had circles under their eyes, Applejack had some scars across one cheek from an Engineering malfunction on the main machining area, while Rarity’s mane, a sore point often for the fashionista, had been cut far shorter than she normally would hold it. She remembered an incident report where Rarity’s mane had become entangled in one of the Fabricators, and one of her assistants had needed to slash quickly to free her before she would find herself a little thinner than before. 

“Twilight… You. Have. Got. This. We’re all here for you, regardless. We may be a part of a crew, but we will always be your friends. Now, turn that frown upside down and smile! You’re on camera!” Twilight was about to open her mouth before the area around her went suddenly dark, and a ring slowly rose around her, displaying the area where she was broadcasting to. Orange lines crossed each other as she was scanned, and she could hear cheering and confused noises playing through nearby speakers, as the man at the desk smiled and raised a hand in a non-threatening gesture.

	“…der Twilight Sparkle of the Solus Invictus!”


--------//|0|\\--------


“And now, it’s Commander Twilight Sparkle, of the Solus Invictus!” The scan slowly spun up as the scanner on the other end projected the currently scanned appearance of the Fortress’ Commander. Her rather striking appearance, a lavender quadrupedal being with a sharp horn and folded wings, her uniform sleek and paneled, almost like an old New Earth Coalition vessel’s uniform from two centuries previous. Her own Commander’s hat had a slight forward brim, rounded in the middle to accommodate her horn as she shifted where she stood ever so slightly.

“Ah, the connection’s working! Am I coming through okay?” The voice was indeed feminine, denoting the ‘filly’ he had been made aware of. Her mane was cropped short, a definitively military cut, her eyes focused and concentrated as she watched around her. Tapping the side of his glasses, Julian linked his Virtual Audience to the projector as it completed scanning, sending the streaming data to their scanner on the other side of the galaxy. Flexing his fingers again, he flashed his legendary smile, the pearly whites almost twinkling as far as anyone could tell.  

“You are coming through just fine, Commander. Welcome to Galaxy News Now, your first stop in galactic happenings, Wargames information and interviews! Now, I’ve got a few questions for you, taken at random from our most avid viewers. I promise none of these will be anything too difficult or too uncomfortable to answer.”

“Uh, I’ll assume that you’re telling the… truth.”

Julian straightened himself on his chair, tapping the dataslate in his desk as he brought up the first question. A standard question for new commanders, he knew it would not throw a curveball from left field like some other questions on the list. He silently cursed himself, wishing he had been able to veto parts of the list, as they were nothing like the tone they were attempting to set with this new competitor.  

“All right! Our first question comes from Candace McLaughlin in Odinhall, Valhalla’s capitol city. She asks, ‘How long has your kind looked at the stars and wondered what else was out there?’ A fine question to begin a fantastic interview.”

“Equestrians have not so much looked the same way at the stars as humankind has. For the longest period of time, we were barely aware of our place in the greater universe. Gryphons were far more interested in learning about the stellar systems of neighbouring stars, while we ponies were more interested in our day-to-day until about 10 years ago.”

“Fantastic answer! Many civilizations, when encountering advanced, or even ancient technology, will experience a massive boost in their level of technological advancement, similar to the Rithurians almost 200 years ago!” Julian paused as he watched the connection on the hologram jerk for a moment, the connection reestablishing as the next question popped up. He paused for a moment, tapping his chin as he double-checked the name, raising an eyebrow enough so that everyone present could see. Looking out into the audience, he could see two odd avatars, faceless humans he could not discern. According to their names, one was ‘Celeste,’ while the other had the name ‘Moony98.’ He sighed, making sure his sunglasses hid the rolling of his eyes as best as he could.

“Equestria, and Equus as a whole, has definitely experienced such an upheaval. We’ve been forced to rethink how we know the universe more and more.”

“Excellent! Now, our next question comes from Doctor Jason Newhall of New Europa in the Anvil Cluster. He inquires, ‘Data from the beginning of your most recent match dictated that your drive technology is unlike anything in existence. How do you punch through the fabric of the universe like you do?” Julian paused as he watched the Commander fidget in place, her eyes glancing around as she whispered to someone off camera, nodding as she got her answer.

“We call it the Tunnel Drive. It’s… hard to discuss unless you’ve got the Canterlot University’s Treatise on Science and Magic in front of you. It’s basically a massive magi-tech focusing array that allows for a single arcane spell, in its case a ‘teleportation’ spell, to be inputted. Of course, it uses computer systems to correct for stellar drift, as your destination could alter even during a week. We have compared it to something we were studying called a ‘Gravity Wake Drive’, or the ‘Warp Drive.’ Our design is more efficient, but there is no possible way to mount it on anything smaller than a Fortress. It is a prototype after all.”

	Murmuring in the background broadcast to his glasses registered on his translator as various races present became shocked and surprised by the turn of events. The drive was almost reminiscent of an old Terran drive from over two millennia previous, but that drive had been so impractical that it fell out of use, at least, according to history it had. Not very many of the human colonies in the M83 galaxy had contact with the Milky Way galaxy, the birth galaxy of the human race, but they all had the history of the failure of the original ‘Void Drive,’ something which had caused an almost catastrophic event to occur. History had scrubbed out what the event was, but they had warned against using such devices, turning history into as much as a cautionary tale about the dangers of curiosity.

“So, this ‘Tunnel Drive’ is far more efficient than any other drive that you know about in the current era?”

“Our Tunnel Drive is around 85% more efficient than a standard Gravity Wake Drive, which brings it closer to the Warp Engine in comparison of speed coefficients. Unfortunately, we don’t have enough information to determine how fast it is compared to more modern systems. I have been told that one race in this galaxy has a drive that allows them to almost ‘blink’ into the space nearest a fleet. It’s definitely of interest to us”

	Julian sighed quietly, letting information pop up on his feed. The technical specifications of the Tunnel Drive were, for lack of a better term, fantastical in their nature. The sheer magnitude of power needed to basically tunnel through the space-time continuum was something incredible, at least, in his mind it was. The Gravity Wake Drive, what had once been known as the Warp Drive, created a negative-mass wake in front of a ship, accelerating you in Realspace to a massive factor. The more efficient your Wake Field Emitters were, the more your ship would accelerate. However, it was not the Warp Engine, which skipped along the very edge of the universe, in a region many still called Subspace, though the actual technical term was ‘The Void between universes,’ or simply Voidspace. The Equestrians’ Tunnel Drive seemed to tap directly into that Void, creating speeds not seen since humanity left its cradle to colonize the stars.

Bringing his own attention back, he raised an eyebrow as he looked out at the audience. The Thalrazyne matriarchs seemed to take a closer interest as Commander Sparkle mentioned their race. Their drive was a closely guarded secret, except for the one time a derelict had been left behind after a battle. However, the data regarding its potential use had been scrubbed and blocked from public eye, meaning even Julian did not have access to it. He only had a name, and as he read it, he shivered. The very title of it elicited a cold sweat as he smiled and tried to brush it out of his mind.

“Our next question comes from...”


--------//|0|\\--------


Applejack kept her eye on the nearby power readings as the interview continued. Several of the human engineers, the humans still wearing their interesting full-face helmets, had opted to join her, allowing her to keep an eye on the actual Scanner for any malfunctions. To them, of course, the technology was something of a miracle, but she had to constantly remind herself that she was the Chief Engineer of the Fortress, and that her job was not to take it apart and study it, but to work off of the known specifications and keep it running.  

Her eyes glanced over at Pinkie, who had since fallen asleep. Her own work in the ship’s cafeteria took up most of her time, and Applejack was certain the mare had not had much opportunity to rest or relax. Though, to think of it, since the actual battle, they had not had much of an opportunity themselves to relax. Since the absorption of the human crew, it had become far easier to accomplish their tasks, but a majority of work, especially in the vehicle bay, had ground down to a stand-still due to the inability of the Minotaurs to work with their new human crew members. Her own suspicions had figured it mostly to be on the part of the humans, as they were accustomed to a certain way of completing their tasks, while the process they were coming into was something entirely different.

Starlight Glimmer was very much uninterested in the ‘interview,’ as when she was asked, she had stated she had far more duties to attend to as Twilight’s Executive Officer, her second-in-command. Applejack’s invitation to watch had been rather bluntly brushed aside as multiple individuals hounded Starlight, their dataslates brimming with new information. She certainly did not envy Starlight’s predicament, but she understood that regardless of anything else, Starlight was definitely far more up to the task than she was.

Rarity was conspicuously missing, as she was wont to, Applejack surmising she had returned back down to the Fabricators to keep an eye on the human technologies that were being modified to work with the physiology of the various races onboard the Fortress.

“Rainbow, you certain that- and she’s out too. I reckon we all could use a little shut-eye. Alex, you mind keepin’ an eye on all o’ this?” Alex, one of the humans working diligently on the power coupling that the Scanner relied on, gave a quick thumbs up, checking a nearby hand-tool for the power rating of the coupling. A couple of the other humans passed around coffee as they took a short break, commenting on the efficiency of the Equestrian-designed uniforms and devices. The ones taking a break had their helmets off, displaying their own implants, though they appeared far more invasive than the ones that herself and her friends had. Their eyes, of course, glowed with the unnatural light of the uplink that each implant came with, but it was far more obvious – she understood somewhat why they preferred to wear the helmets. 

As she was about to leave, Fluttershy came slowly walking in with two of the other Pegasus medics, bringing out various medical tools to take readings on the ponies who had fallen asleep. Applejack turned to watch as they quietly darted around, double-checking each reading and placing a fresh blanket over the two who had fallen asleep. 

“It’s kind of nice, isn’t it?” Applejack turned around to face the voice, her eyes locking onto Starlight’s as they stopped and looked at each other.

“I reckon it is. I’m awful proud of how Twilight’s been takin’ it all, but you, Rainbow, Pinkie… y’all gotta let her breathe.” Starlight sucked in air as Applejack spoke, nodding slowly as she looked around. Over the last week, all of them had been somewhat… short with one another, and it had showed. Fluttershy had delved even deeper into her work with the gel and the Cloning Labs, even though their own supply of the accelerant was depleted. Rarity was far more focused on incorporating more armour and understanding how the humans designed their armour with such flexibility compared to hers.

Applejack, though, had focused almost entirely on getting the Scanner operational in time for the interview. According to the Stellar Maps that the Messier Interstellar Committee had provided – free of charge, as they had claimed – they had been far out in the frontier regions of the galaxy, meaning that Mosshaven, while a battleground, did not have a dedicated Communications Buoy for high-speed traffic. Normally, it would be handled by a Fortress’ own broadcast equipment, but the Solus Invictus’ own equipment was sorely lacking in that department. Considering it was around a millennium out of date, she was very much certain that the system would overload had they attempted just using their own broadcasting system.

“’You can take the farmer out of the orchard, but you can’t take the orchard out of the farmer.’ We’ve been out here in space for about two or so weeks, minus the time it took to calculate stellar drift.  How’s the Main Terrace coming along?”

“It’s goin’ mighty well, Starlight. The trees are takin’ to the soil in an awful fast way. Y’all should come up and see it. You and Twilight, and the others.” Starlight looked back at the Scanner, sighing as she smiled. 

“You know what? I’ll take you up on that offer. Coffee’s on me.”


--------//|0|\\--------


“And that’s all of the questions we have for now. Commander Sparkle, if you have any words for the audience, we’d be very much intrigued as to what you have to say.” Julian had almost forgotten to keep his eye on the clock, reminding himself that he had to complete several more interviews that day, and a majority of the species were non-human. Sighing, he tapped his console, sending the reminder up to the broadcast crew in the main office that the interview was wrapping up.

“We are all honoured to be among the races who have conquered the stars. We, as we have attempted to convey, are here to bring ourselves further than our races have ever gone. We have a lot to offer this galaxy, and I hope we get the opportunity for peaceful discourse with every being we can. This is Commander Twilight Sparkle of the Solus Invictus, signing off.” With a hiss and a shudder, the projection shut down, leaving a smiling Julian who was wracking his mind on what to do next. Sighing once more, he tapped his console, standing up to walk around as he normally did after an interview.

“Well, then, races of Messier 83! How will this new Commander fare in our galaxy-wide competition of bravery and valour? Let’s keep our eyes focused and our ears open for anything new from this new race! After all, it’s not every day a new race enters the Long Night like everyone else. Now, next up on Galaxy News Now – Pirates and Politicians! Are we certain that planetary governments are actually doing all they can to curb the menace sweeping the galaxy? Stay tuned for more!” With a bow and a smile, the program stopped its broadcast for a short moment, leaving Julian to collapse back into his chair. A voice to his side brought his attention towards it, as a bald man in an impeccable suit approached him.

“Another stellar show, as always, Julian.”

“Director Orwell. A pleasure as always.”


--------//|0|\\--------


Twilight let herself relax as the ring circling her on the Scanner slowed down and lowered back into its base. Breathing slowly and deeply, she smiled as she turned to see the humans clapping, Rainbow and Pinkie sleeping soundly beneath two heavy blankets. Isaac Humphries, the human commander, stepped forward as the lights came back up. Holding out his hand, he helped Twilight down off the Scanner, letting her seat herself on the floor nearby.

“Commander, you did exceedingly well. Most new Commanders have a case of the nerves, and either faint or have a panic attack while the interview is proceeding. Colour me impressed, since you grabbed the attention of a pair of Thalrazyne matriarchs as well.”

“Thalrazyne?” Isaac sighed, rubbing the back of his head.

“Ah, right. I forgot you’re not exactly well-versed on the intricacies of the galactic political scene. The Thalrazyne are bipedal, like most humanoids throughout M83, but with several key differences. They do have some aspects in common with your average human – we used to say Terran, but the term fell out of usage with how many different human colonies have come about. The face, for example.” He paused to tap on a dataslate he was holding, bringing up the picture of a typical Thalrazyne matriarch. The 10-foot-tall being displayed was covered in a long flowing robe, armour plates strategically placed as well as what appeared to be multitudes of religious iconography. Isaac tapped one more symbol, letting the dataslate’s built-in speech function talk to Twilight while he began a conversation with one of the other humans.

“The Thalrazyne are an enigmatic, long-lived species, where they share a home system with the Iiaynsin, the planet of Thalra being closer to their home star, while the Iiaynsin populate the small planetoid of Nokura. Standing on average at 10 feet in height, the beings are somewhat reptilian in appearance, with scales over their shoulders, arms, and torso. Small horns ring their faces, though it is not their bodies, but their extra limbs that often characterize them. Each Thalrazyne has four arms, or whatever the approximate limb is called depending on the race. Their society thrives on ritual combat, which both has kept their society stable for thousands of years, but also has inadvertently worked as a sort of population control. Only basic information about the Thalrazyne society and their technology level is known, as they are somewhat isolationist in their dealings.” Twilight tapped the pause icon on the display, raising an eyebrow as she looked back up to Isaac. The human in question had left the room, but a question still raised in Twilight’s mind as she considered the implications of what he had said before giving her the dataslate.

Before she could finish her thought, a cup of coffee was thrust in front of her, Isaac standing in front of her raising an eyebrow.

“Caffeine helps.”

“I do have a question, by the way, Isaac.” Isaac looked straight into Twilight’s eyes, sighing as the realization dawned on him.  

“This is about the Thalrazyne, isn’t it?”

“Yes, actually. Tell me everything you can.” Sighing, Isaac motioned for her to follow him as he started to walk away from the room containing the Scanner.

“Well, we’re going to have to start from the beginning, then. The story starts with a single death, and the life of a prince...”
> Chapter 10 - The Nexus of the Problem
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The night had stretched on for a while as the Fortress shuddered through another Tunnel, the ship shaking and creaking as it blazed through the space between universes, the engines rumbling as Twilight stepped out of the cafeteria. Her conversation with Isaac had gone on for almost 8 hours that night, as they talked and discussed about the Thalrazyne culture, religion, and their general isolationism. Each new topic had brought up a debate that had drawn the attention of the others in the cafeteria, including a few other humans who had themselves had encounters with the Thalrazyne ‘Death Fleet’ as it was nicknamed.

As she departed her quarters, her memory of the conversation from 3 days previous still fresh in her head, she sighed, levitating a dataslate beside her and tapping through the information about their destination, a Hub station known as The Nexus, or Nexus Station. The list of nicknames for the station were as numerous as the businesses contained within, and a few of those nicknames Twilight noted as rather colourful and not at all indicative of the actual structure itself.  

“Twilight! Going over the shopping plan for Nexus Station?” Twilight turned to see Starlight galloping quickly, her hooves clanking against the steel plating. Rolling her eyes, Twilight breathed slowly, watching her friend come to a quick stop. Starlight was beaming proudly until she saw Twilight’s expression. Her own face sank until she looked down and realized why Twilight was staring at her so oddly.

“Starlight.”

“New battle armour from Rarity. Supposed to help us in case of enemy boarding, but they haven’t had that kind of match in centuries. But-” Twilight shoved her hoof into Starlight’s muzzle, shaking her head. 

“You’re my second-in-command, Starlight. I’m going onto the station, and you’re in command here.”

“But, Twilight! That’s so boring!” Shaking her head, Twilight looked down the corridor towards the bridge, staring thoughtfully. 

“Look, I’ll take two of the humans with me. They’re more accustomed to combat aboard stations, so it will be… better, I think.” Twilight hugged her friend tightly, comforting her before she turned to leave. “The humans also had an idea for how we can make Iron Will’s War Suit work! Check with them in the vehicle bay!”

Starlight watched her friend gallop down towards her own quarters, letting out a breath she had not realized she was holding. The stress of helping Twilight keep up with her day-to-day was not as easy as she had hoped, as Twilight was easily distracted if someone had new information for her to learn – the curse of a bibliophile, she reminded herself. The whole learning incident about the Thalrazyne was definitely something she was going to have to help Twilight curb if she was not to be easily swayed by anyone with new information, considering how little they actually understood about the universe as a whole. With a sigh and a smile, she started moving towards the Bridge, shaking her head and chuckling softly as she left Twilight to her own devices.


--------//|0|\\--------


“I told you, there’s no way your theory would hold water! Vasili, the fact is, there is no way that the Fortress on the broadcast was the Kepler! It’s too long, the engines are wrong, and the Kepler did not have the massive split down the center between the main modules! It can’t possibly be the Kepler and you know it-” A young woman, her brunette hair in a taut bun behind her head, was about to continue the argument when the bald man she was speaking with, Vasili, starting waving his hands and pointing out the window.

“Abigail, quiet. Look outside! You ever see a drive signature like that before?” Abigail turned to where Vasili was pointing to see the massive tunnel into what looked like nothing, witnessing a massive vessel slow down almost immediately upon entering Realspace. Nacelles on the sides of what appeared to be prongs glowed blue around their edges as the entire vessel turned slowly. Before she could respond, Vasili was pressed up against the glass, almost like a child seeing his first battleship. As the realization dawned on her, she quickly joined him at the window, watching the ship slowly come towards them until the size of it was unmistakable.

“No… it can’t be...”

“Abby, I’d recognize those drive nacelles anywhere. Come on! If the Fortress survived, then there’s a chance more of the crew is still on it!” With a jump and a hop, he motioned for her to follow as they sprinted out of the observation deck they had been seated in, running past stalls for various items, from food to firearms. Abigail knew when she was beat in speed, but she also knew she could not let Vasili out of her sight. With a laugh and a jump, she pushed herself to go faster, smiling even more as she chased her friend down to where they assumed the Fortress would be docking.

“I can’t believe it. After all this time...”


--------//|0|\\--------


“Nexus Station docking procedures in progress. Automated handover is… completed. Clamps are secured. Welcome to Nexus, Solus Invictus.” Twilight smiled as the announcement came over the P.A. system, her own mind running with all the possibilities she could encounter off the ship. Checking her dataslate, she smiled at the credit count the Fortress had been assigned. The Committee had not skimped on making sure their entry into the War Games was as smooth a transition as possible, even if it had been at what amounted to the barrel of a gun. She chuckled, reminding herself of the plan she had devised, and laughed.  

“Something’s got you excited, Twilight. Could it be all the new things you’ll learn onboard the station? Maybe stuff that could help you in your love life?” Twilight sputtered as Deadwood, one of her navigators, trotted past, laughing as he tightened an old Gryphon leather jacket he normally wore over himself. “Heh. Once a bibliophile, always a bibliophile.”

“Hey, get back here!” Twilight chased after her navigator, leaving her other friends behind as Rainbow Dash chuckled. Applejack was flanked by two of her Cradle Engineers, with two humans sporting security armour and light rifles following behind. Twilight’s own precaution had become moot when she had forgotten for a moment what she was in charge of. Watching the two chase each other around, her friends smiled and chuckled at the rather out-of-place moment.

Twilight slowly made her way back, out of breath from following around the admittedly-fast navigator, who seemed to know her every move as he dodged her. Tapping her on the side, he smiled, tossing her a dataslate that she caught in her magical grasp.  

“I’ll go make sure the others are ready to go, Commander. Keep you and yours safe. I’ll worry about the rest of the Command crew.” Twilight sighed, smiling to herself as she turned back to her friends.

“What? I told him to stop calling me-”

“A bibliophile. Nothin’ wrong with havin’ a thirst for knowledge, sugarcube. I reckon you got yourself a mighty fine idea of what you’re gonna do on the station. Rarity and me, we’re gonna check up on their blueprints. I’ve got a right powerful need to see something new.” Twilight nodded, letting the two of them move off with their escorts. Two CSF troopers galloped up, vacuum suits sealed and ready as they saluted, their weapon harnesses tight against their bodies. Motioning to Pinkie and Fluttershy, they nodded at Twilight, taking up their positions as the second of the Command team exited the gangway, squeezing past some rather squat lizard-like humanoids, the heads of the strange group covered with breathing masks and hoods. As she stared, something tapped her on her back, causing her to back up into what she could only consider almost like a solid wall. Turning back around, she looked up to see Isaac Humphries suited up in what appeared to be one of the standard human Battle Armour suits. He only had his sidearm, but Twilight could assume from how he held himself that he was more than capable with just the one handgun.

“Commander, I’ve been tasked as your escort. Rainbow’s going to be leaving with her new pilot team when she is done in the simulators. I’m still rather interested as to why you let her have the final say – my pilots are more than up for the challenge.”

“It’s less that your pilots are up for the challenge and more that they’re not up to her challenge. Rainbow Dash loves speed, loves to go fast, and she wants to see how hard she can push herself, her pilots and the new interceptors we’ve been developing with your assistance. We still need new power plants to be able to fuel them appropriately, but that should not be an issue. One of the major things is the new production facilities we need built. It should not take longer than a month to get all of our new facilities installed, but I’m worried.”

“Commander?”

Twilight ignored Isaac as she looked across the gangway, noticing several odd hooded figures watching her intently, something about their appearance very much off as she was watching. Turning back to Isaac, she was about to say something when she turned around to look for the strange beings again. She stopped for a moment, her heart skipping a beat as she noticed they were missing.

“Commander, is something wrong?” Twilight jumped turning around to see Isaac kneeling down, worry visible on his weathered face. Breathing slowly, releasing the tension she had not realized was building, she smiled quickly, trying to dispel her own fears as much as Isaac’s worries.

“No, no. Nothing’s wrong. Just a little… on edge is all. We’re about to be the first Equestrian crew to step foot on Nexus. It’s a big deal, honestly.” She trotted on ahead as Isaac sighed, keeping his hand close to his sidearm.

“Steady yourself, Isaac. She doesn’t understand how dangerous these places are. Hopefully she doesn’t have to learn just how dangerous they can be...”


--------//|0|\\--------


The various stalls spreading out before the many newcomers, as well as the throng of the crowd, did very little, if anything at all, to dissuade the powerful curiosity filling the Equestrian crews’ heads. Food stalls promising everything from printed meat to hydroponics vegetables were lines up, languages from differing cultures mingling in the air, becoming a massive cloud of noise and cacophony. Twilight had stopped by one of the food vendors, eyeing up a particularly delicious looking sweet pepper skewer. The smell had drawn her like no book had ever before as she let her MIS implant link up with the station’s main language database. The skewers were only a couple of credits each, which made her stomach rumble slightly at the thought.

As she stared, the vendor, a large reptilian humanoid more akin to one of Equus’ dragons than something more like a Thalrazyne, smiled, motioning to their stock. The language translated as the speaker having a male gender in their speech from the language used.

“Chi wa? Chi wa ta’to Kinwa jo?”

“Yuta kin’lah wa ta’to jo.” A voice from behind her startled her as she turned to see her human escort, Isaac, clasp his hands together in a simile of a greeting, the reptilian returning the gesture. “He’s a Torassi, one of the most prevalent merchant species in the galaxy. I don’t think your little translation is up to snuff, but he did ask if you were interested in those pepper skewers.”

“Y-yeah. Uhh… ‘Yu’ta kin’wo janwa?’” The uproar of laughter from both the Torassi and Isaac made her back away for a minute, before the translation package caught up with her speech. In her vision, the Torassi language was fairly guttural, and each syllable could vary in meaning depending on what tone you use and how fast you said it. Her sounding out the sentence had changed the meaning from, ‘Yes, I would very much like one,’ to ‘Your monkey is like one.’ Biting her lip, she breathed in deeply, about to speak when Isaac clamped his hand around her muzzle.

“All right. Once is funny, twice is insulting. Use the ship’s database after this, learn some Torassi. Yuta kin woja n’wa. Ujo.” The Torassi vendor smiled, lifting two pairs of skewers up and handing them off to Isaac, who motioned to a nearby set of tables. “I’ve been to Nexus a fair amount. Jer’tana there is always good natured, but it’s a cultural thing for them – screw up the language once, it’s a big joke with them. Screw it up twice, and they take it personally. Then again, I doubt you’ve seen as many races clustered in one place as you have here.”

“T-That’s true, actually.” Twilight’s ears flattened against her head as she lifted the skewer to her mouth, taking a slow bite as she watched everything around her. “Mmm, that’s… really good. How-”

“Torassi chili sauce. What most species think of as garlic sauce, what we think it tastes like, is actually one of the hottest peppers in this sector. The Guji Pepper, to be precise. Some dumbass of a farmer thought he could grow something onboard one of the Torassi trade-ships that passes around, and while he thought he was growing garlic, the Torassi had accidentally given him cross-bred seeds. The Garlic Guji was what resulted. That’s the pepper in between those Juja slices.” Twilight swallowed another bite as she stared at the peppers.

“So, Guji peppers are a common thing, while these Garlic Guji peppers are more an accident that the Torassi turned into a profitable market. And the Juja is the-”

“Yeah, it’s the sort of rutabaga-like slices. They grill them with some salt, and some pepper, and the flavour alone is enough to send some people into a shock.” He stood up, looking down the hallway, silently narrowing his eyes as his hand drifted to his sidearm. Twilight turned, seeing those same odd figures in masks and hoods that she had seen earlier. No one else turned to look, which either meant that they were a common sight, or no one was paying them any heed due to how varied every race was in fashion and culture.

“I… I saw those figures earlier.”

“Yeah. The robes are familiar, but I can’t place it. Let’s get going over to the War Games section. I’ll get these wrapped up in Transfer Foil.” Twilight nodded, not entirely sure what ‘Transfer Foil’ was, and looked up at the signs. Her link to the station was, admittedly, very slow, but she could still get her bearings while she walked towards the vendors for the Games. Some of the items for sale piqued her curiosity as she scrolled through a list, noting various armoured vehicles and Constructor templates.  

“Isaac, I’ll… meet you over there. There’s a lot to go through.” Isaac barely heard her as he haggled with the Torassi merchant over the price of the skewers, trying to drive the price the Torassi said back down to the station standard price. As she turned a corner, he looked over, his mind racing as he watched his charge simply vanish into what felt like thin air. Drawing his sidearm, he tapped quickly onto his earpiece, connecting him with the Solus Invictus’ security detachment.

“Yeah, this is Isaac Humphries. We’ve got possible- yes, I know that- wait, multiple crew members have reported seeing them? Well, they’re following the Commander, and she just disappeared into the crowd! Get two teams of four kitted up and ready to go- I don’t care if you have to move the literal universe, just get moving!” He turned into the crowd, holding his breath for a moment as he started to wade through the mass of beings. “I hope I’m wrong… I really hope I’m wrong...”


--------//|0|\\--------


Twilight turned around, looking in every direction to see if she could find Isaac, as she had been told that they were not to stray too far from their escorts, since Nexus was a Free Port, and that meant a lot of shady dealings. Panic began to rise in her throat until she felt, rather than heard, a voice in her head. It was calming to her anxious mind, however, and very easy to follow as she slowly turned, following along. Her eyes felt heavy and watery as she plodded along, a dopey grin spreading across her muzzle as she looked up, her mind barely registering the derelict area of the station, barely even registering who she was standing in front of.

“Ah, this one appears to be unmarred by the radiation of space travel. This one looks perfect… perfect enough to join in our unity.”

“This one agrees. She will abide in our unity, and know the truth of the universe.”

Somewhere in the back of Twilight’s mind, her own self was screaming, trying to tell her to run, to do anything but listen. However, whatever was going on, she was oblivious to her own sense of danger, seating herself in a chair that she found herself being strapped to. Shouting in the background did little to invade her happy moment as the robed, masked being touched the side of her face, watching as she leaned into the unfamiliar feeling.  

Before she could say anything, the head of the being burst open, two individuals in battle suits leaping over nearby railings and firing burst after burst of shells into the strange figures. As she watched another one of the beings go down, she snapped back to reality, watching two of the beings screech in an unearthly wail, their hoods and masks disappearing to display a being marred by extensive cybernetics, their faces naught but dark holes, metal frames creating a circular shape on the outer edge. Her own survival instincts kicked in as she struggled to release herself from the chair, the escaping beings almost vanishing as they left.

Breathing heavily, she watched as the two newcomers removed their helmets, one of them a young human woman with a tight bun on the back of her head, and a grizzled human male with a shaved head. One trained their rifle on the hatch where the beings had disappeared through, while Twilight took in more of her surroundings.  

The deck was pockmarked with what looked like some kind of energy burn, with cargo crates strewn everywhere. Twilight could assume at one point the area had been some kind of storage alcove, but the purpose had long since passed into obscurity.  

“Vasili, I think this one’s that new Commander we saw on the broadwave earlier! You know, on Julian Sisco’s show!” The male, Twilight noting him as Vasili, crept closer, drawing a medical kit from a pouch Twilight had not noticed previously. Opening the kit, he unpacked a small wound cleaning kit, dabbing on small portions of one of her fetlocks. The cold, burning sensation was something she was not partial to, but she kept quiet. Her saviours might well be her captors, for all she was aware of, but they had saved her life.

“W-What were-”

“Orohdo. Terrifying creatures. They’re the end result of what happens when an entire civilization hooks themselves up to what they call a ‘God Machine,’ and quickly discover that they no longer can procreate, stuff like that. Okay, well, no one really knows, but-”

“Abigail White!”

“What?!”

“Stop terrorizing her and undo her restraints! Orohdo cyber-drones aren’t known for being in such small groups. If they’re so small, they’re not pushovers like your typical one.” Twilight winced as Abigail removed her restraints, letting a small tear roll down her face as she felt blood rushing through her veins. Her MIS display bugged out for a minute, displaying a loading symbol before it rebooted itself.

“H-how-”

“Did they get in your head? Your little implant, sweetie. They can override the safety precautions of almost any interface, uplink or implant. It’s one of their little quirks, and one of the reasons they were forbidden from any Free Ports!”

“Abby...”

“Vasili Zharkov, shut your mouth! It’s bad enough that we ended up in the equivalent of a cryogenic deep freeze after the emergency teleport from the Kepler, but-” Twilight’s eyes widened as she looked at both of them, her MIS loading up the pertinent information in her vision. Vasili Zharkov, the male, callsign ‘Red Fist,’ was an accomplished Combat Engineer, although his record was over a millennium out of date. Abigail White, the female, callsign ‘Blue Falcon,’ was very much the opposite of Vasili, a decorated Defense Engineer, with a psych profile of almost absolute calm even when under pressure.

“D-Did you say the Kepler?” Vasili and Abigail stopped to stare at Twilight, their eyebrows raising almost in unison as Vasili tapped a part of his clothing, revealing an old patch that was faded, but showed the remaining outline of 6 letters, the familiar planet-and-sword emblazoned in chipped vinyl as he turned away after seeing where Twilight’s eyes had locked onto. Abigail turned away as well, fingering a thin scar along her throat as she also glanced away.

“Y-Yeah. We mentioned the Kepler. It… it crashed over a millennium ago… on what we thought was an abandoned planet. Our Commander activated the Fortress’ Emergency Evacuation Teleport system, transferring everyone’s… well, I guess being would be the most appropriate term, into data streams, and beamed them into subspace. As far as myself and Abigail are aware of, we’re the only two survivors. We were tight-beamed on accident through satellite systems, and wound up bouncing between satellites and communications systems for most of the time we were… indisposed-”

“Commander Sparkle! Thank the Nine Heavens you’re all… right. What the hell… who are you two, and why is there a dead Orohdo on the deck plating… with its head gone?” Isaac skidded from his dead sprint as he holstered his handgun, two teams of security officers approaching from differing directions as they secured the perimeter. He approached the two humans, seeing them attempting to hide the symbol of the Kepler on their uniforms from him.

“Isaac, you can stand down. These two actually saved me from that… thing.” She motioned to the sparking corpse on the ground as she turned back to Abigail and Vasili, sighing as she grimaced, realizing how much explaining she would have to do. “And… in regards to the Kepler… well, you probably saw her coming in to dock.”

The utter silence as the two humans felt their mouths open wide in shock was almost palpable, their minds attempting to come up with a coherent response for the information they had just been presented. Vasili’s mind drew a complete blank, while Abigail managed to get her shock under control, her eyes blinking quickly as the information processed in her brain.

“The… The Solus Invictus… she’s-”

“Yes, Abigail. Rebuilt and upgraded… somewhat, but she’s still the Kepler.” Twilight shifted her uniform, displaying the Equestrian Coalition symbol. The planet was different, but the planet-and-sword symbol was unmistakable to the humans. Vasili choked back a sob as Abigail smiled in her happiness, looking at everyone around them as Isaac turned to his security details, motioning them to leave the trio alone as he proceeded to follow them out.

“But… we thought-”

“She crashed in the desert. Took over a millennium for our world to even rebuild the reactors. Once that happened… well, I think our work speaks for itself, doesn’t it? The only thing is that our kinetic field projectors, unfortunately, are still the stock ones the Kepler came equipped with. They’re about a millennium out of date – the amount of times we’re saying that word is astounding – and they’re definitely not up to dealing with the rigors of the Tunnel Drive Commander Sparkle devised.” Twilight turned to see Deadwood slowly walking up, a wide grin spreading across his face as he adjusted his security armour, his expression souring as he continued to shift it. “Rarity’s work is commendable on the suits, but the self-fitting portion still doesn’t work. Feels like I’m wearing an armour slab. Anyways, I was able to direct the security details here. I… may have been following out of a morbid curiosity.”

“You exist as a four-legged font of exposition, don’t you?” Vasili stared at Abigail as she glared at the orange unicorn, her eyes ablaze with a small amount of anger at the unwelcome intrusion into the discussion. Vasili sighed as he knelt down, his own massive size dwarfing the unicorn. Deadwood backed up slightly as his eyes followed the human down, his smile fading as he looked at the male human.

“I’ve got a photographic memory, lady.” He leaned out from in front of Vasili to shoot Abigail back an equally-as-furious glare. “I couldn’t forget anything even if I tried, and that information told you what happened to the Kepler, didn’t it?”  

Vasili raised his finger, trying to think of a counterpoint before deciding against it – the unicorn was right, after all. The Solus Invictus had been the exact same shape and size as the Kepler, albeit with her field projectors… down, and her maneuvering thruster bays running somewhat hotter than normal – his mind attributed it to technology that needed to be rebuilt – but she was still what she was, and despite all efforts to prevent it, a large grin spread across his face. Abigail turned to him as he smiled, feeling her own face responding in kind. Their home, their life had returned to them, and all they could feel was the fact that it was waiting for them, wanting them to return. Waiting for them to regain their lost time. Deadwood looked at the massive human’s eyes, watching the tears starting to flow before mouthing a silent Oh, backing up and moving around the man to move back towards the entrance to the derelict area.

“Navigator-”

“Commander, you’ve got your hooves full here. I’m thinking these humans might have a few… offers for you. I mean, you are flying what used to be their home, right?” With a shake of his head and a chuckle, Deadwood was gone, leaving Twilight alone with Vasili and Abigail once more. The two humans turned back to the Equestrian Commander, their eyes filled with an eagerness that set Twilight’s ears back against her head as she shied away from them, her eyes widening as she suddenly felt like something threatened her.

“I’ve got an idea, Vasili.”

“Let’s hear it, Abby.” Abigail walked slowly towards Twilight, holding her hand out before Twilight stopped backing up. “Look, Commander, we’re not going to hurt you. Actually, quite the opposite. We… we want to join you. We’re not good for much except fighting, and Vasili and I are Clone Avatar Commanders. Some of the best of our generation, though that might be a, well, millennium out of date.”

Twilight’s eyes widened as she looked at both of the humans before her. She noticed their pleading eyes, their unconscious scratching of a thin scar on the exact same area of their necks, and their darting eyes. She let herself relax, breathing slowly as she stood back up, realizing she had been scooting along the floor as she tried to back away from them. Their eagerness, at least to her, was more out of a loyalty to a Commander they knew was long-gone, but it seemed like they considered the ship itself to be an extension. As she let her thoughts worm through her head more and more, it dawned on her that she was talking to a man and woman who had seen when the Everfree Desert came to be. In the history of the world, as Celestia had shown, the Everfree Desert had once been a vibrant jungle, full of life, and then strange pillars fell from the sky, and the jungle turned to sand, and dust, heat baking the land and cracking the earth. Of course, it was a history she had needed to pry from her mentor after she had been given access to the Kepler archive to see how everything happened, but it was something she knew better than Equestria’s history. In some cases, she mused, it was far more accurate than their own history, including weather data, species research and the exact details of how the pylons worked.

“L-Look, you’re both very nice people. I know you’re eager to join me, but-”

“Abigail, I figured this would happen. She’s not going to take us just because we were on the Kepler during her match with the Dawnhammer. Hell, she probably has no idea why everything is happening the way it is for her, why the Committee even spared her world.” Vasili knelt down in front of Twilight, his eyes level with her as he drew in a breath, steadying himself.

“W-what are you talking about?”

“Your world, Commander. It’s the richest world ever recorded in regards to selenium. From supplements to steel, selenium is how this galaxy runs. Credits get you tech, but selenium buys you power. As long as you are participating in the Games, your world is under your Fortress’ jurisdiction. But should the Committee get it into their heads that you aren’t playing along on their galactic chess board, slice! You’re targeted by whoever they choose as their attack dog. Your world, they’d probably send an Enforcer, one of their massive craft. Burn everything, pave over it, and declare it a Mining Enclave to attract workers.”

Twilight’s jaw dropped as Vasili finished speaking, her mind spiraling into overdrive as she strove to consider what words she could say in the face of what she knew. However, she could not say anything, as Vasili was right. Of course, some of it she felt was his own personal anger against the Committee of his day, but she could not deny she shared some of his anger, the anger of having to play along like a puppet on a string or her home would be destroyed. It was infuriating for her, and Vasili’s words drove home a powerful point she had been wanting to ignore for a short while – her own success was at the whim of a group of enigmatic individuals that threatened her into cooperation or she would lose everything.  

Breathing slowly, letting her heart calm down, her eyes burning with tears she had not known were flowing, she locked her eyes with Vasili, her anger visible as Abigail backed away, her own face one of shock and fear.

“V-Vasili, she’s… she’s starting to smoke! What the hell did you just piss off?!”

“Abby… she’s angry, but not at me. Not at me, are you, Commander?” With a slow motion, he put his hand on her head, wincing as he felt the sheer amount of heat flowing through his hand but biting his lip, pushing through the pain and attempting to reassure Twilight that he knew what she was feeling. “I’m angry too, have been for a long time, but humans don’t start bursting into flame out of anger, Commander. We’ll see you back on the ship. I’m sure that Navigator of yours will like to take us along with him, considering we saved his boss.”  

Leaving Twilight with her smoking uniform and a slightly stunned expression, they walked briskly away, glancing at each other before they found they were out of sight. With a heavy sigh, Abigail leaned down on her knees, breathing quickly.

“You fucking idiot, Vasili! The Equestrian quadripeds are Etheric-class sapients, and you just about barbecued the both of us! Hell, that would have set off the safety systems of the station and directed everyone to evacuate!”

“But I didn’t, and they aren’t active. Let’s face it though. We’ve got a chance, finally. She’s primed and ready to blow, and while that’s not healthy, she’s got a target for that anger already. We’ll figure something out later, but let’s get to the Fortress. I’ll feel better when I see the state of the old girl.”


--------//|0|\\--------


“’Locked down for conduit reintegration?!’ What the hell did you do to the Fortress?!” Twilight turned the corner to see Vasili and Abigail staring impatiently at the detail of security ponies standing at the airlock that led to the Solus Invictus’ main deck. A laser grid across the doorway alerted her to the repairs that were happening, along with the holographic Warning, Repairs Underway sign that floated over the imposing grid of light.

“Her conduits were damaged, and we had to run lines through the actual corridors. Our conduit patches overloaded in many areas during our first match, meaning that we could not maintain full thrust during Tunnel Drive deceleration. Of course, you’re welcome to join me for some time while we wait for the conduit repairs.” Twilight motioned back towards the Games vendors, the various Constructor templates giving her some unique ideas as the information scrolled across her vision. “There’s enough time for the repairs that we can take some more time to look at the sights?”

Twilight stiffened as a hand tapped her on the head, letting herself loosen up as she saw Isaac standing beside her. Shaking her head, she looked up at her security escort, seeing the security armour he had donned missing, his personal uniform displaying the Miner’s Defiance logo, though his old Fortress was no more. Giggling quietly, she turned away as the two former Kepler crew began to bicker, their voices fading into the din of the marketplace.  

“So, why them?”

“Sorry?” Twilight looked back up at Isaac again, seeing the quizzical expression on his face as she continued towards the Constructor vendors. “I’m not sure what you’re trying to say.”

“Why those two? You’ve got excellent Avatar Commanders, and with Rainbow Dash taking a break from her Avatar Command duties to command her new pilots, you’ve got more than enough takers thanks to my crew. Why them?”

Twilight stepped up to a counter, tapping a display to scroll through a list of kinetic weaponry while she pursed her lips, biting lightly as she thought.  

“Because they know how I feel. They know how mad I am. And their records from the time show their combat effectiveness to be far higher than anyone on my crew, present company included. Ah, here we go, ‘Automatic Firearms.’”  

Isaac sighed, looking around. His eyes fell on a fair amount of the Games vendors, a majority being Torassi. The various beings roaming around, he could tell several were nothing more than mercenaries, looking for new gear from the Fortress market. Turning back to Twilight, he noticed her floating two data-sticks next to her, mentally reminding himself that her species had a naturally powerful Etheric field not restricted by a need for an Etheric Amp compared to a majority of species in M83. He could read the chips decently enough, and recognized both of the weapons, though he was somewhat concerned as to how UEC rifle technology had made its way into common usage. The RK-5 was old, but it was reliable, and the RK-5F that Twilight had selected was the current mainstay of the UEC Navy, a robust if not very good-looking rifle. The other one drew more of a curious thought, an old Terran Coil Rifle design. He had no doubt she had an idea in mind for the man-portable version of the ship-based Coil Gantries of many ships throughout the galaxy, but what it was, he could not fathom.

“Ship upgrades are over here, Commander. I’m thinking a new R&D section would be incredible – the Solus Invictus doesn’t exactly have a decent enough science lab for the kind of research you could be doing. Also the upgrade to your manufacturing system, that’s on the list that Applejack provided. ‘VMC Material Refineries, Zvaro-Jun Manufactories,’ those are some of the things. Also the field projectors.”

“VMC? Zvaro-Jun?”

“Oh, right. Valhalla Mining Corporation and Zvaro-Jun Technologies Corporation. Two of the largest corporations for refining and manufacturing. Zvaro-Jun is based off of Eurasia, while VMC is based off of the ice-world Valhalla, famous for their blue-steel that’s actually used in a fair amount of vehicle technologies. Trading with them, if you can get there, would be incredibly beneficial. Ah, Fortress expansions. Cha wa’to? Kin’lo ta’je juta n’wa ta nijo. Uto’ajo?” Twilight watched as Isaac bartered with the vendor, a female Torassi who seemed to be pushing a far harder bargain than the cook she had met. Then again, the female seemed very annoyed by what to her seemed like a small human, the Torassi matriarch – her translation software had pointed out her age in her speech – grunting in mocking laughter every once in a while.

“Ota’jo kin’lah wojo tah!” Both Isaac and the Torassi turned to face Twilight, who stared them both down. She was still not in a great mood, and the arguing that the Torassi was presenting was very much becoming somewhat personal. The matriarch glared at her before she grunted in what was genuine laughter, spreading her lips in a facsimile of a smile. Isaac started laughing, smiling as he looked back at the vendor and gave her a thumbs up.

“I wanted to make sure she was keeping up with the pronunciation, Tar’jen. But I wasn’t expecting that! Such language from you, Commander!”

“W-What? What did I say?” Twilight glanced between the two before Isaac procured three more data-sticks, pocketing all of them.

“Honestly, Commander, you’re better off not knowing. The insult… it doesn’t translate well. What you thought you were saying was ‘Both of you, knock it off,’ right?” Twilight’s quick nod confirmed his suspicions as he shook his head, leaning back and taking a deep breath. “Well, I’ll tell you the closest phrase in Terran English. Basically, due to your child-like grasp on their language, you called us both, well… ‘Butt-fucker’ was the best I could think of. There’s no real translation for what it means, but just be glad Tar’jen here has a great sense of humour. Just make sure you leave the Torassi to me, hmm?”  

“Is-aac, purple one’s grasp of Torassi, be somewhat good compared to your first time.” Twilight’s ears perked up to the stilted English leaving the mouth of the Torassi matriarch, her smile never leaving her face as she held out a fourth data stick to Twilight, letting it float into the alicorn’s Etheric field before she sighed, turning back around. “Pur-ple one’s Fortress get Torassi Order Hub. Get Torassi template deliveries. Data-stick have blueprint. On the house.”

Nodding quickly, Twilight trotted away, seating herself at a nearby table and laying the data-sticks out in front of her. Isaac slid the ones he had bartered for into the pile, leaning back in his chair before he slid a dataslate in front of her. Smiling, she lifted the tablet to her eyes, her smile only fading when she realized that the Solus Invictus’ dataslates had no data-stick reader. Isaac, watching her furrow her brow in frustration, chuckled as he pulled out a different device, one that looked very industrial and boxy, smiling as he plugged in the RK-5 data-stick.

“Commander, your dataslates are incredible, but my Miner PDA can read those fairly easily. RK-5F, standard automatic infantry rifle. Good rate of fire, reliable. This template was… provided by the UEC? How the hell did that Torassi manage to swing that? The UEC is notorious for being ham-fisted about their technologies, and that includes their rifles. Let’s check the Coil Rifle, then. And… designed by the… New Earth Coalition? Who in the Nine Heavens is that? No matter. You’ve grabbed some good stuff here, it seems, Commander. By the way, those expansion data-sticks, if you take them to the dockyards, they’ll install those for you. Probably should make it quick before they get too into the repairs. There’s a lot more to discuss, but we can table it for now. I need to get the rest of the crew situated before anything else happens.” With a nod, Isaac took his leave from the table, leaving his PDA with Twilight, the green text on the PDA fading as it slowly worked its way into sleep mode. Staring after the human, she noticed that his uniform, while the shoulders had the Miner’s Defiance emblem proudly emblazoned on them, the symbol of the Solus Invictus covered the entirety of the back of his uniform. It fit him rather well, for an older male, considering what she understood about human anatomy. There were… documents she had passed over, for reasons that she preferred her friends to never know, that explained odd human habits, including some oddities in their mating behaviours. When that had slid across her vision during her research, she had nearly spit out the entire mouthful of coffee she had been in the process of swallowing before she read some of the titles. She shuddered at the memory, hoping that some of the liquors for sale in the marketplace would allow her to forget the agony that she felt inside every time she would think of the titles.  

“Commander, we’re heading up to the Habitation Deck. You know, for a human, his musculature is quite unique. It’s had some modifications from outside sources, and- you’re not even listening. Twilight? Twilight!” Twilight snapped back to reality as her thoughts were derailed in their entirety, a pink hoof waving in front of her as Starlight waved her hoof, trying to get Twilight’s attention. “Look, I’m well aware of some of the more… interesting titles you’ve been researching, but the Hab Deck is calling us. I, for one, could use a good sleep in a bed that wasn’t mass-produced in a military factory. The others are up there already.”

With a smile, Starlight departed, joining a group of the Command Crew that populated the Solus Invictus’ bridge, her voice mingling with the others as they gossiped and chatted, several accents blending into a cacophony of noise. Shaking her head, Twilight galloped to catch up with them all, listening to their stories as they entered the nearby station lift. Sighing, she tried to let her mind wander to more pleasant times, though everything that was going on was something of an adventure to her. First time to space, first time to meet aliens, first time to see an alien marketplace. To her, it was a smorgasbord of new ideas, new technologies, and new specialties.  

“Incoming message for: Commander Sparkle, Priority 1.”

Twilight glanced down at one of the forelegs of her uniform, noticing the built in communications device that was currently beeping rapidly. A picture of the logo of the Zvaro-Jun Technologies Corporation was rotating slowly, the message apparently coming in directly from the main office of the Tech-Corp. Sighing, she lifted her hoof to lay it in a horizontal position in front of her, activating the main comm-link to Zvaro-Jun. As she connected, the screen lifted up to face hers directly, the image of a middle-aged female human – her implant tagged her as a Eurasian, one of the planets of the UEC – came through, albeit rather stilted.

“Ah, Commander. I was wondering when you’d visit Nexus. I take it the Commander of the Miner’s Defiance steered you towards our manufactories, hmm?”

“Y-Yes. Quick question, what is this call in regards to?” The woman on the other end of the line laughed, a hearty, yet hollow-feeling noise due to the comm-link’s video-compression.

“Why, sponsorship, my dear! Any Commander worth their salt has sponsorships to keep her Fortress afloat. I’m willing to offer a Zvaro-Jun Mark-VII Manufactory for your Fortress in exchange for a merchandising deal. It would be far superior to the simple Mark V that you’ve most likely traded for from one of those Torassi merchants. They’re incredible salesbeings, but they do like to make sure you buy, and at their prices, rather than your own. I can even throw in a shipment of Valhallan blue-steel if you prefer.” Twilight looked around at the others, realizing that they had not even heard her start talking to her comm-link. Sighing, she turned back to the video-feed, raising an eyebrow as she thought hard about what the woman was offering.

“What kind of ‘merchandising deal’ are we talking about, Miss…?”

“Oh, how rude of me! My name is Director Akane Zvaro. My family has been in possession of Zvaro-Jun for the last… four centuries, I would think? So, the merchandising deal. It involves us licensing your likeness to produce promotional items for resale. None of the items would be put into production without your say, of course. Standard business practices, but you are the new Commander, the one to sponsor! Corporations will be sending you invitation after invitation. I know the Valhallan Mining Corporation will be offering you somewhat of a similar deal, but in all of my dealings, my dear, I’ve had nothing but 100% satisfaction-”

“Director Zvaro. What a pleasant surprise. I would have thought Jupiter Armaments or the VMC would have been first.” The woman on the other end of the comm-link started laughing as recognition dawned on her face, eliciting a startled reaction as Twilight turned around. Isaac stood behind her, his arms crossed, his face showing some annoyance that she had not even realized he was around.

“Well met, Humphries. We at Zvaro-Jun remember the fine work you did for us while commanding the Miner’s Defiance. Your action figures are still a current best-seller in the planets of the Janus Accord. I would have liked to continue the line of toys, but you know business politics – it has to be the new thing out there or else it won’t sell.”

“Toys?” Isaac looked down at his charge, Twilight’s eyes lighting up at the prospects offered to her. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he knelt down, bringing his face level with Twilight’s comm-link. The warm smile from Akane caused him to step back for a moment, before he settled into a comfortable neutral expression.

“Zvaro-Jun produces not only the manufacturing plants for Fortresses, but they also are the general best choice for your first merchandising deal. My crew and I had an entire series of action figures that were popular. People like the underdog, or the newcomer. However, by the time of our match, Commander, we had not been popular for some time, and we were simply… old news. It’s how business works. Now, there’s her,” he motioned to Akane, who folded her arms in an annoyed expression, sticking her tongue out, “or you can go with Jupiter Armaments. However, Jupiter Armaments is more likely to ask you to be far more bloodthirsty than you would care to be. Think it over, don’t make a decision right away. Anyways, I’ve got the collection on file, if you want to see the quality of the work?”  

Twilight nodded, pulling out her dataslate as Isaac tapped several icons, logging into the cameras in his quarters. She started to speak up about them before he waved his hand, tapping it closer. Each one of the figures showed more of the crew of the old Fortress than she had known existed, although it did dawn on her that a good portion of those people had been on a memorial her crew had lifted from the Miner’s Defiance, the one that was placed in a prominent area on the Terrace level. There was multiple individuals she recognized, including the helmeted individual simply titled as Reaper. She knew the man, and he never removed his helmet, no matter the situation. Isaac tapped the control on the dataslate, shifting the camera’s angle higher until he found what he was looking for – a figure of a younger version of himself.

“Ah, those were the days, Commander. 200 some-odd people together in one voice to show the galaxy we were something to be feared, fire under our asses and lightning in our hands. We thought we were invincible… but then we got old. Those of us who took Isshiki Biotech regeneration offers are those who are left. This is more of a memorial to my crew than the slab of metal you retrieved from the old Fortress. Each one of those people, I could talk to you about them for days. Barton loved nachos, and would talk for hours about the history. Samantha could strip down and rebuild a rifle in under ten seconds, but she was afraid of the dark. Aisha was… she was a good friend to everyone on the crew. Kinda like a mother to us… all. Sorry, just thinking about everyone I made the journey with.” Isaac stood up, watching the deck plating slowly go past the edge of the elevator and sighed as he looked around. “I can tell you one thing, Commander. I never get tired of this station’s Hab Deck.”

Twilight spun around to watch as the view opened around her, walkways to every region as all manners of beings walked and talked. Some scooted by on hovering transportation pods, while others stopped to admire the greenery growing in the designated areas. Most of the ponies in the elevator crowded to the window, making excited noises as they fawned over all the trees and flowers. Mentally reminding herself that despite the natural nature of the plants, each plant was placed artificially, and was not in fact a native species. She kept her own excitement to a minimum as it came together, watching her crew continue to crowd each other to see and point.

“Every crew’s first visit to a Hab Deck is the same – undiluted enthusiasm. With the right sponsorship, you can experience this on that barren Terrace of yours. I’m thinking that you’re considering the same things, aren’t you, Commander?” 

Twilight sighed as the lift slowly came to a stop, looking up at the skylight above the Habitation Deck. Stars stretched on forever as she watched the various small glowing trails of different ship drives , the reds, blues and greens like a rainbow of interstellar proportions. The rest of the crew appeared to have already been moved into a section marked as ‘Fortress Crew,’ Isaac escorting the remainder inside as she stopped to look down at her comm-link again. Akane looked rather impatient as she sat there, tapping her fingers on the table in front of her. A merchandising deal was something that had been broached to her before, but Twilight was still uncertain about that aspect of the War Games. It still stuck in the back of her mind that there had to be some reason behind it all, but with a quick breath, she silenced her own misgivings and stared with a strong glare at Akane, narrowing her eyes.

“If I agree to this, the blue-steel will need to be delivered to the Fortress.”

“Done.”

“You will use only those who agree to supply their likeness in your merchandising efforts.”

“My dear, it feels to me that you were not listening before. I promised you that nothing would go into production that was not approved by you beforehand. My marketing team already has a bit of a title for the figure line, if you would not mind me showing you some promotional material? Oh, don’t look at me like that. Being prepared is the first thing to know about the corporate world. Now, you and your friends are definitely more for the market of younger children, which is a definite market we’ve wanted to tap into for a while. It would be a while before we even have a small amount of items for you to peruse through and approve, so regardless of anything, we will be sending you our end of the deal first.”

The deal sounded as fair as Twilight could consider, despite all of her misgivings that rose once more. The ability to get their likeness printed into the molded plastic that formed the action figures of the crew of the Miner’s Defiance, it was something that made a small part of her giggly in anticipation. With a practiced breath, she kept herself from outwardly hopping, though she knew she did want to, if only a small amount. 

“Okay. Okay. So, you won’t put anything into production that isn’t approved by me, a Mark VII manufactory and a shipment of Valhallan blue-steel are going to be provided, and your sponsorship will last… how long?”

“For the entirety of your participation in the Games! We here at Zvaro-Jun believe that loyalty is tantamount to good business. A good business partner deserves a good deal, and a good deal displays good loyalty. If you accept, I’ll ask for yourself and a small portion of your crew to pass along full-body external scans of themselves, and yourself of course, so that we can input them into our machines, and produce a limited-run figure line. ‘Coalition Groundbreakers’ is the work-in-progress title. So, my dear, do we have a deal?”

“Yes, Director. We have a deal. I’ll transmit the details later. For now, my friends and crew need to sleep.” With that final statement, Twilight cut the transmission short, stopping to look over the railing. The trees stood tall, though she noticed almost indiscernible flashes of blue lightflitting between the leaves of each plant, tiny enough to be mistaken for a trick of the light.

“Nano-Caretakers. Every station has them for the Hab Deck. I’m going to take from your expression that you took the deal. Akana Zvaro may seem shady, but she’s the genuine article. Never had a single complaint from any of her business partners.” Isaac smiled as he glanced down at Twilight, watching the dimming lights of the Habitation Deck frame her face in a soft yellow light. Kneeling down, he turned her to face him, his eyes locked onto hers.

“I-Isaac?” Twilight could feel her face get warm as she felt his hands resting behind her head. It was somewhat uncomfortable, but she was certain that he was not trying to do anything, just get her attention.

“Look, Twilight. You’re going to have to get used to the fact that you’re a part of this now. Yes, Akane will look out for you, it’s how she is. Your crew will look out for you out of admiration and respect. And, frankly, you handled yourself better than I expected in the marketplace.” Turning to his side, he sat down beside her, watching the N-Cs glow brighter, like a thousand fireflies floating in the recycled air of the station. “I’m getting old. I’m older than most regular humans, have been for years. That’s Isshiki Biotech for you. But here’s the thing – my crew are my family, my brothers and sisters. But to be honest, I’ve never had a friend. You came along, Commander, and showed yourself to be just what we needed. I speak for the humans on your crew when I say that I thank you for being just that.”

“Isaac?”

“Commander?”

“Could you just… sit with me a bit? It’s been a long day, and I’d love to sit and watch the Caretakers… float.” Isaac turned to her, chuckling a bit before patting a spot beside him on the walkway plating.

“Then have a seat. Take in the moment, just have fun. It’s going to be a long couple of months.”
> Chapter 11 - Reap What You Sow
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Four months later

“Of course Rainbow would pull that maneuver! She’s always being more and more reckless! Ooh, pass me some more of those Terran noodles. I’m just dying for their tastiness!” A crowd had gathered around a large holographic screen, a simulator battle broadcast to the entire area. Icons displayed across the top and bottom of the display denoted who belonged to which group, two teams going head-to-head as simulator pods shook and rolled, their hydraulics creaking and groaning under the strain of one very fired-up Pegasus.  

“I’m glad the humans showed Pinkie how to make these… ‘Ramen Noodles,’ I think they called them? Oh, thank you darling. Anyways, where was I? Oh, right. Rainbow is being reckless. Starlight, dear, Rainbow has been getting far faster and more agile in those interceptors than any known being, and someone was watching her practice. I do believe they are going to, shall we say, ‘eat their words?’” Rarity chuckled as she relaxed, her Fabricator jumpsuit having been replaced with a form-fitting casual uniform usually reserved for more special occasions, but she felt it necessary to make certain she was the height of fashion, even if she was far away from her stores on Equus. A small transmission to her fellow store manager had allayed her fears that without her there, the fashion she was bringing to her home would not be able to grow and change. Her compatriot had reassured her that, in fact, was not the case. Sassy Saddles’ glowing report of newly hired managers to control the myriad of boutiques that now fell under the Rarity’s Boutique name had elicited a feeling of immense pride in her friend, though, Rarity did have misgivings, some shared with Twilight after the latter had accepted a merchandising deal with one of the larger corporations in the galaxy.  

Of course, it also led to moments like the one they were currently sharing with the actual Director of Zvaro-Jun herself. Akane laughed and sat at the edge of her seat as she watched an interceptor improved with Zvaro-Jun Micro-Powerplants almost fly literal circles around the human ships. She had been privileged with a conversation with Twilight, talking about enhancing reflex speed and inherent instincts that gave Pegasus pilots a far better edge than human or clone pilots. Her work spoke for itself as numbers displayed on the screen. Some of the patrons watching the battle tossed popcorn at the screen, multiple small round robots cleaning up the tossed foodstuff almost as soon as it hit the floor.

“Rainbow’s Raiders take the match 3-1! This match today has been brought to you by Zvaro-Jun Technologies Incorporated. Feel the technology of the future in your grasp today. Official sponsor of the Solus Invictus.”

	Twilight trotted in, the clacking of her hooves immediately muffled by the carpet of the viewing room. She looked at the screen with a smile, before raising an eyebrow at Akane, the latter turning to face the waiting Commander. Before either of them could say anything, a cerulean blur entered the room, stopping at a nearby locker to remove her helmet and flight suit. Stretching herself out, Rainbow looked at herself in the locker’s mirror, running her hoof through her shorter hair. A month previous, she had gotten her long mane caught in one of the simulator pods’ emergency releases, and had decided that from then on, her hair would remain short to prevent any accident of that nature from occurring again.

Twilight nodded to her friend, her eyes drifting to the emblem of Rainbow Dash’s personal flight unit, the Raiders. While she was loathe to let Rainbow continue to use such a grotesque symbol on her flight uniform, she had to admit the impact the team symbol of a sword sticking in a skull had on the Equestrian pilots.

“Automated handover complete. Solus Invictus, you are clear to proceed. May the Nine Heavens be with you. Safe journeys. Your distance to La-Grange Point Alpha-25 is 6 light-seconds. Nexus Docking Control out.” Twilight looked over to her Navigators, who both nodded in response as they left their seats, galloping out of the viewing room and leaving the rest of the Command Crew seated still. Rainbow turned back, her eye glowing brighter as she loaded up information from her simulator battle.

“You know, Twilight, those two humans are good. I mean, for humans. But Vasili and Abby, they’ve got reflexes almost like a young Pegasus filly. Former crew or not, they’re good. And that’s me saying that. That bugs me a lot.”

“All it means is that you’ve found other members of the crew to train, Dashie! Besides, you’re totally better than Vasili’s Vikings. That old craft couldn’t even touch the Interceptor Applejack and Rarity designed!” Pinkie popped up between the two of them, cradling a plate of cupcakes on her head as she glanced at her friends. Twilight smiled as she accepted the silent offer of a delicious confectionery treat, Rainbow quietly lifting one from the plate as well.

“Ah, a Pinkamena Delight. I am forever grateful to have been introduced to these. Commander Sparkle, if you would?” Twilight turned around to come face-to-face with Isaac, backpedaling quickly in surprise before she smiled and breathed slowly, calming herself. Over the several months the crew had found themselves more or less stuck at Nexus Station, he had become a bit of a beacon of calm to her, a friend outside of her own experiences. Someone to discuss and debate with, and to enjoy the sight of the stars passing by, or to help refine the tactics they would need in various situations. Twilight could feel her face heat up slightly, but glanced around, ascertaining that, no, her friends had not noticed she was, in fact, blushing.

“Y-Yes. Is it that time already, Isaac?” Isaac nodded in response, motioning towards the door as hushed voices behind them seemed to be gossiping about the friendship between the two Commanders. A couple of the words Twilight caught had some reference in common with bizarre acts of passion that, even if they were warranted, posed a significant impossibility. Isaac raised an eyebrow at her as he led the way away from the viewing area, walking towards the nearest Mag-Rail boarding point.

As they stepped aboard the Mag-Rail, Isaac took a seat, sighing as he looked up at the ceiling. He rubbed the back of his head, feeling the tight skin of his neck, and the thick gray hairs growing from his head.  

“Mag-Rail, Engineering. Wait, make it the Manufactory.” A confirmation beep was all he needed to lean back, letting Twilight take the seat next to him. Looking back down at her, he smiled, letting her lean against his shoulder. Three of the months they had been interacting more and more, he had found she relaxed best when she could lean against a friend of hers. It warmed his heart that she felt so secure around him, almost as if he had a daughter. She had told him a good portion of her life, Isaac reciprocating in kind with stories of his own. The common hobby for a majority of the crew was something he was not entirely comfortable with, as he had heard multiple mentions before of some of the Equestrian crew members ‘shipping’ Twilight and him. Once it was explained to him, he smiled as he laughed about the whole situation. No matter how they all felt, he knew he did not see Twilight like that. She was a capable mare, and she was very much in control, and to be honest, he was more comfortable thinking of her like a daughter instead of the odd statements he had heard when they had eaten together a few times at the cafeteria. Of course, it did not matter to him what any of them thought. He had caught a few glares from one of the Navigators, Deadwood, which he had normally attributed to some kind of resentment, but after learning of the whole perception of himself and Twilight, he had realized the glares were ones of jealousy and envy. 

“Mag-Rail stopping at Hydroponics Level.”

As the Mag-Rail slowed to a stop, the doors hissed open, revealing Deadwood. He stood there with a smile as he almost hopped aboard. Two saddlebags filled with dataslates adorned his back, the orange fabric of the bags themselves matching with his coat almost perfectly. Twilight raised an eyebrow as he took a seat across from them, his eyes never leaving the dataslate he held between his hooves. As he tapped with his hooves, scrolling through the various reports, Twilight stared for long enough that he felt her eyes upon him.

“Commander, if this is about why I’m not using magic-”

“I’m sure even you-”

“I don’t have magic, Commander. I’m not a normal pony, if that’s what you’re wondering.” Deadwood sat in silence as Twilight’s jaw dropped. She had never seen or heard of any Unicorn not having access at all to the magic that was a part of their very essence. She subconsciously felt around with her own magic, trying to ‘see’ his own field. It was something she was starting to learn slowly, but it allowed her some modicum to assist the medics with ascertaining different problems. 

However, when her magic touched Deadwood, it was almost as if it recoiled, bouncing off of him. He looked up, raising an eyebrow as he shook his head, muttering to himself as he checked math equation after equation, line after line. The amount of math he was clearing through was something that Twilight had not seen any other member of the crew do, besides Ditzy Do, her second Navigator. It seemed to be a favourite pastime of those in the Bridge Crew to challenge themselves with more advanced mathematics like a sort of contest.

“Commander, I know what you’re doing, and as I said before, I’ve got no magic. Hasn’t stopped me yet,” Deadwood sighed, not even looking up from his dataslate as he spoke. Isaac raised an eyebrow as he and Twilight sat in silence.  

“Deadwood, what-”

“Computer, Main Terrace. I have some deliveries to make. And for the record, Commander, don’t bother. It’s not worth it.”

“Mag-Rail stopping at Main Terrace Level.” Deadwood stood in silence as the Mag-Rail came to a halt, the doors hissing open to reveal no one waiting. With not a word, he stepped out from the Mag-Rail car and let the doors slam shut behind him without even a look behind him. Twilight felt a little stinging sensation in her eyes, barely blinking until Isaac tapped her shoulder, bringing her back to a focused reality. Wrapping his arm around her, he let her lean into him as she sniffled slightly at the touch, snuggling underneath his arm.

“W-Why do I get the feeling that he hates me, Isaac?”

“He doesn’t hate you Commander. I’ve read his file. To be honest, I’d be distrustful of anyone around me if I’d been through what he’d been through. You… have read his file, right?” When Twilight shook her head in the negative, he sighed, lifting his dataslate and bringing up the personal history of Navigator Deadwood. Letting Twilight grasp it in her etheric hold, he sighed as he turned away. He knew what most beings’ reactions would be upon reading the sheer amount of pain the individual in question had been through. Considering the idyllic nature he assumed of Equestria, there was still a fair amount of parallels to the nobility of Earth back in the Ancient Medieval era, where many used to think that it was a much more civilized era. No one believed that anymore which suited him just fine.

Twilight read slowly, poring over each word as she sucked in air.

Subject: ‘Deadwood.’ Nicknamed for the Dead Woods he was found in when he was a young colt. Survived a fire that he could not have caused, burns marking areas underneath the false mane he wears as to not bring any attention to his own past. 

	Father and mother were Jack Orange and Emerald, an Earth Pony and Unicorn respectively. Guard investigations into their deaths led Cradle/Coalition investigators to some of the most influential nobles in Canterlot. They were dealt with accordingly for first degree murder – they had murdered her under the auspicious excuse of ‘purging the outsiders.’

Deadwood refuses to allow anyone, or anypony, to examine his magic-less condition, as he finds the prodding through the etheric plane rather uncomfortable. It also brings up painful memories that he would rather not discuss with even the ship’s therapist.

Recommendation: Let Deadwood do his job, providing melatonin supplements to help him get some sleep. Regular sleeping pills are a no-go after a week of testing – they simply do not affect him.

Additional Note: How this guy survived the life he went through, I’ll never know. But I’ve the utmost respect for a fellow survivor. He does his job to the best of his ability, working excellently alongside Miss Do, but he’s very anti-social. He works, and then returns to his quarters. I’ve heard reports that he mutters something about needing a ‘stiff drink.’ Maybe we could try and get the recreation deck back online? - Humphries

As she finished, Twilight felt more tears stinging her eyes as she quickly wiped them away. Deadwood was not one who had to be recruited, she was aware of that much, but something she had learned only recently was that he had actively sought out the Cradle after coming across one of their soldiers in Canterlot, and volunteered. His recruitment statement had included the statement that Equus was never going to feel like home for him, and he wanted to find home somewhere out among the stars.

“H-How has this never come up-”

“Commander, you’ve been given briefings on every individual on this ship, my own men included. Deadwood’s was left out because he requested it. He has said to many instructors that he works best when left to his own devices. You’re not going to get an answer out of him, regardless of how hard you push. It’s just how it works, unfortunately. Celestia apparently knew of his particular… predicament, and pushed for advanced training for him-”

“Advanced training? But what did he do for-”

“Best cartographer in all of Equestria. You actually see a lot of his maps used a lot, apparently. Even the Royal Guards are fans of his.” 

Twilight tried to refute the information she had just been given, until she remembered an odd signature on the corner of a multitude of maps that they had used outside of her Coalition service, and even the ones that they used during training. Each one had that distinctive ‘DW’ on the corner, but she had assumed it was something different than Deadwood. It still shocked her slightly, but something clicked in her mind as she tapped different symbols in the dataslate to bring up telemetry and sensor data about the Solus Invictus’ journey thus far. A smile spread across her face as she looked at where they were headed for their destination – the Zvaro-Jun Dockyards near the planet of Deepwell. According to tourist information, Deepwell had massive sinkholes that you could take an anti-gravity gondola down into, and see the blood-red waters fall into massive underground chambers. Apparently it was one of the best locations, and the Zvaro-Jun business venture near there was no coincidence, considering there was a special mineral in the water that helped to stabilize the merger of etheric fields with advanced technology.

“’Sapphire-class Catalyst Ore.’ What’s Sapphire-class?”

“Ah, the Catalyst Ore reactivity charts. The discovery of the Etheric Plane, the underlying power network of the universe that many species tap into for their abilities, your kind included, also heralded the discovery of special ores that reacted different upon a merger with a receptacle. What that means is that-”

“Those with etheric-field-enhanced abilities would find themselves able to interface those exact abilities with the device in question?” Twilight smiled as Isaac nodded. “Before I forget, I have a good idea. Something that might help Deadwood at least do something that isn’t just work. It’s a little bit of study, but for a Cartographer of his skill, I… I think he’s up for the task.”

Isaac smirked as he saw Twilight prance around, the dataslate jotting down every detail of the explanation of why she would have him create star charts based on their journey, including the drift calculations. He knew she was excited to get to studying again – he had read her file, and understood just how much of a bibliophile she was. Of course, she was trying to rope him into helping her, but he shook his head down at her as he stood up.

“This is something for a Commander to do. Sure, it might make him smile for once, but that’s for another time. Besides, we’re at the Manufactory deck.” Twilight turned around to see the location marker of the Mag-Rail pod indicate their arrival, as well as the tell-tale dinging of the approach alert. Slowly standing up, she exited the pod, Isaac following closely behind. 

Since their upgrades and rebuilds at Nexus Station, the Manufactory had been a hub of activity in preparation for their next upcoming match. While they had not received any sort of official notion, Twilight, and by extension Applejack and her Engineers, had been hard at work preparing the new devices, and invariably the new weapons and items that Twilight had selected from the merchants aboard the station. Some of them were proving fruitful, like the NEC Coil Rifle, proving to be far better than the Coalition Armaments Long Rifles that they had been using before. The UEC RK-5F, which Twilight continuously had to remind herself that it meant Rifle Kinetic Class 5, was proving to be more of a challenge due to a weird copy-protection on the data. A request had been sent back to Tar’jen to ask for a way to unlock the data so they could use it, as Isaac had explained that she was one of the more important members of Nexus Station’s Torassi Trade Commission, and she would not be pleased to find that one of her own merchants was attempting to scam people with copy-protected blueprints.

However, none of their technology was the reason Twilight was moving to the Manufactory. Instead, it was more of a pet project she had been collaborating on with Applejack in order to redesign the Etheric Projector she had designed before, but had understood her own design was worse than experimental in its singular test.

“Ah, sugarcube. I reckon you’re here ‘bout the Etheric Rifle?” Applejack leaned out from behind a nearby wall, her face streaked with grease, her eyes heavy with lack of sleep, but her face shone with happiness and pride. Twilight silently embraced her friend with a smile, following Applejack to the testing area that had been included with the Zvaro-Jun Manufactory. The range spread out before her as she watched several other unicorns activating weapon harnesses with the round tube-like protrusion of the Etheric Rifle, while Earth Ponies fired off more of the Coil Rifles that were being worked on. With a nod to her staff, Applejack pulled Twilight behind a nearby Plexiglass wall to witness the test.

“I’m assuming those aren’t the actual engineers, and they’re safe up in Medical hooked up to the Amplifier?” Applejack nodded slowly, holding out a set of goggles for Twilight to wear.

“You’re going to have a mighty big need o’ these ‘fore they test that there Etheric Rifle. Design’s got a few complicated bits, runs off of a Magicite battery, but that there is why Zvaro-Jun’s director is givin’ us a personal tour of Deepwell, and giving us first right-of-refusal on shipments of Catalyst Ore. Mighty nice of her. Reckon she’s lookin’ at a couple shipments of Sapphire-class, which suits our project something fierce. Hold up.” Applejack ducked down and pressed herself against the deck plating, Twilight raising an eyebrow until she saw the Etheric Rifle begin to glow. With a sharp squeak and a drop, she closed her eyes as she heard the muffled explosion, green goo dripping down on her from the ceiling. Applejack raised herself up as well, her eyes tracking the dripping to its source.

“Sugarcube, I’m thinking we need that Catalyst Ore something awful here. That there’s the third test where the clone’s gone up like a driftwood barn in a forest fire!” Twilight opened her eyes, staring up at the source of the dripping gel, her gaze drifting over to where the clone had once stood, noticing a shimmering field erected around the scorch mark that remained.

“Definitely going to need some reinforcement in the firing chamber. We’ll need that Catalyst Ore for sure. Send the requisition up to me when you’re ready… and maybe ask for Maintenance to come down and… clean this up?” She smiled weakly at Applejack, the latter simply snorting as she turned to look at the clone wielding the Coil Rifle. The weapon harness had simply been modified from  the existing designs they already had logged into their own database, and the simple modifications necessary had barely needed any adjustments for pony physiology. The two of them watched the clone approach the wall, letting small mechanical arms decouple the harness from the reinforced suit that was standard for any of her crew wearing such a harness. 

“Commander to the Main Terrace. There’s been an… incident.” Twilight’s eyes grew wide as she stared at Applejack, the latter nodding as the former galloped away as quickly as she could. Isaac stood by the Mag-Rail pod, wearing a Security suit with what she assumed was some kind of incapacitation device in his hand. The helmet held the swirling colours that many found themselves using more and more, the obscuring design a bit hard on the eyes.

“Isaac-”

“It’s Deadwood. Now, before you start… someone or something attacked him. I’m to escort you to Security Control to review the pertinent data. Let’s get going.”


--------//|0|\\--------


Twilight watched the security camera footage as her expression hardened. She had initially suspected that Deadwood had been the instigator of the incident, but the evidence before her had her anger rising, a deep, resentful anger that felt hot in her core, but it made her sick to her stomach. Two individuals had entered the lavatory on the Main Terrace, the one for the male portion of the crew, but only one had left. If Twilight recognized the Gryphon that had left when Deadwood had not, she was not indicating it.

“We’ve identified the Gryphon in question-”

“Oscar Stoneclaw. A scion of House Stoneclaw. Reports have come in before about his attitude towards ponies, and now towards humans. Take a team, bring him here.” Isaac rubbed the back of his neck as Twilight stared at him, her gaze boring into him. “Is there something you want to say, Humphries?”

Isaac’s eyes widened as his gaze met hers. He could see the anger and the fury, but he could also see the pain that was showing through. He stepped to the side as a struggling Gryphon was brought into the office. He silently motioned for his officers to release the Gryphon, but also to guard the door.

“I am a member of House Stoneclaw! If my father… heard...” His voice trailed off as he saw the expression on Twilight’s face, his own brain attempting to create some sort of justification for his actions, but none would come.

“Oscar Stoneclaw. Sit.” He complied, his own heartbeat threatening to explode out through his chest. His expression of fear and confusion was nothing that Twilight had not seen before in other people aboard the Fortress, but to her, this was a far more important situation.

“C-Commander?”

“I would like to talk to you about Navigator Deadwood-”

“Oh, that unicorn pansy? If he had just used his magic, he wouldn’t-”

“He doesn’t have magic, you featherbrained idiot!” Twilight slowly settled back behind the desk, breathing slowly to attempt to calm herself down. “Your actions have led to Navigator Deadwood’s hospitalization. You have no evidence to the contrary, and I have only a couple of options. Would you like to hear them?”

Oscar sat there, completely dumbfounded. His brain attempted to reconcile the information it had just received, but nothing could justify the meaning of it all. A unicorn’s magic was like their very lifeblood, and a unicorn without magic was just like a Gryphon without wings. His body slumped forward as he stared at the floor beneath his claws, his own mind wishing that the deck itself would swallow him whole, and render him non-existent.

“The Commander asked you a question, Stoneclaw. Or would you prefer that myself and my security personnel take our options with you?” Oscar stiffened up as he saw the smirks around him of the Gryphon, pony and the human security personnel. His brain stopped, his very essence realizing the dire situation he found himself in. Seating himself on the chair that sat in front of the desk inside the Security Control office, his breathing became shallow as his pupils narrowed. He glanced down at his claws, realizing he was shaking. He was a Stoneclaw, one of many in a long line of proud kings and princes of the Hegemony. But the unicorn in front of him had him shaking more than a newborn fledgling.  

“W-What are the options, C-Commander?” He felt the words leave his mouth even before he could stop himself, realizing that his own fear was starting to cloud his mind. A soft chuckle startled him as he kept his eyes locked with Twilight’s, her face twisting into an impish grin.

“Well, you put a member of my Command Crew into critical condition over nothing more than your own superiority complex and horrific pride. We’ve had reports of your actions multiple times, but I have left it up to Security for the most part, as it did not directly impact the full functioning of this Fortress. But you have hospitalized one of my Navigators, the ones responsible for swift calculations and making sure our stellar drift is within tolerance. Because of your actions, Navigator Do has to pull double-duty, meaning that she is going to be far less effective, and that means that the entire Fortress is affected. You get what I mean, don’t you?”

“Y-Yes…. ma’am.”

“Good. Your two options, as of this moment, are to either resign your post aboard the Solus Invictus, as I will not have anyone aboard this vessel who can’t think before they act, and charter a shuttle at Deepwell to take you back to Equus, where you will explain to your father, Titus Stoneclaw, a prominent member of the Equestrian Coalition’s Council, why you were removed from your post. And trust me when I say that I will provide you with a courier who will bring all pertinent information to him. Your second option is to be reinstated in Maintenance at the lowest rank I can possibly give you without a full court-martial. As a member of the Coalition Security Forces, formerly the Cradle Security Forces, I have that much power, especially seeing as we are not within superluminal communications distance of a comms buoy. Now, it’s your decision, Oscar. Isaac and his security forces can be very… creative.”  

Oscar’s expression grew ever more blank as he stared at the ground, his face a mask of pain and  embarrassment. If he took the option to return to Equus, it would mean that his father would know of what he did, and would strip him of all but his imperial title. It would also give various factions within the Hegemony the legitimacy they had been longing for, the ability to claim that the Stoneclaw lineage had ruled the Hegemony for far too long. However, if he remained aboard the Fortress, he would end up as the lowest-ranked individual onboard.  

Twilight watched Oscar’s expression twitch, smirking as she watched him stew over the options in his mind. She knew she had to set an example of how she was going to deal with cases like this, and there were very few options she was prepared to actually act on. The two she had presented him with, however, were the ones she was most comfortable with offering. The database from the Kepler’s time had detailed out that such an action was considered under the terms of mutiny and in such a case, it was a Commander’s choice if the person lived or died. She had read on the various types of summary execution that had been a part of that vessel’s time, continuously reminding herself that even though the Solus Invictus was a new ship, it was still built with the ancient Fortress’ spirit within her. She knew Isaac understood the letter of the law, although she also knew that he was loathe to actually act on the section of the Treatise of Command she had shared with him that dealt with such barbaric practices.  

“M-Ma’am?”

“Yes?”

“I… I will remain aboard the Solus Invictus. If I was to return to Equus, I would suffer far worse retribution from my father than I would aboard this vessel-”

“I wouldn’t be too sure of that. Until we finish the transfer from Rarity’s department to Maintenance, you are on 24/7 house arrest. A security officer will march with you to meals, and will march with you back to your temporary quarters. You will have limited contact with any other members of the crew, and I will make sure that Maud Pie, the current head of Maintenance, knows who is joining her ‘merry band of misfits,’ as she so put herself. Officers, take him to his temporary quarters.” Salutes were thrown up around the room as Oscar was silently led from the room, leaving Twilight and Isaac alone inside the Security Control office. As she watched the automatic door hiss shut, the hydraulics pressing down as Isaac took a seat in front of her.

“Sometimes you don’t have a choice, Commander. We’re not… entirely down a Navigator. I can go tap Ensign Ripley to cover for Deadwood until he’s recovered.” Isaac’s eyes met Twilight’s as she looked up and locked her gaze with his.

“Y-Yeah, that should be… good.”

“Are you all right?” Isaac and Twilight turned to the doorway to see a wheelchair roll through the doorway, a smirking unicorn being pushed in by one of Fluttershy’s medics. “Right, I’m supposed to be laying down, dying. Don’t you remember what I told you, Commander? Not having magic hasn’t stopped me yet.”  

Twilight opened her mouth and shut it quickly, before glancing over at the medic. The medic nodded back, approaching Twilight with a dataslate. Tapping the main display, he brought up the medical report for Deadwood’s admitting and his subsequent treatment. Scrolling through the long list of medical jargon and terminology, she noticed the recommendations to restrict Deadwood’s activities, preventing him from operating as a Navigator for upwards of several months as his wounds healed. A medical hologram floated up from the dataslate, displaying the lacerations on his side, and the fact that the actual wounds did not penetrate deep enough to cause serious damage, but the pain-shock had been enough to put Deadwood out for the count, according to the data.

“He is a lucky stallion. If he had not been wearing his flight suit, he would have-”

“Wait, he was wearing a suit underneath his uniform?”

“Yes, ma’am. Rarity does good work, and her reinforcement of the combat and flight suits has actually led to a much better outcome than what could have happened before. However, Chief Fluttershy’s recommendation is that he does not serve in an active capacity for now. That recommendation is also in the report you see in front of you, and from your expression, you’re a little uncomfortable with some of the information. Don’t worry too much, as the time will simply pass by quickly enough.” The medic saluted as he returned to Deadwood’s wheelchair, where the latter was humming to himself, unfortunately still somewhat sedated, if Twilight was reading the situation correctly. Her eyes followed them out as she sighed, laying her head down on the desk. Isaac quietly chuckled as he leaned back in his chair, looking up at the ceiling as he covered his face with his hands.

“I’ll be honest, the fact that he’s still somewhat functional is a little funny to me, but I do understand the seriousness of what’s occurred. I’ll go get Ensign Ripley and let her know that she’s on temporary Navigator duty for now.”

“Thank you, Isaac. I’ll… I’ll talk to you later.”

“Sure thing, Twilight.”


--------//|0|\\--------


The halls were quiet as Isaac walked the corridors of the ship. Gryphons and ponies were avoiding each other after the incident, which he had done his utmost to make sure that his security personnel had not let the news get out. Unfortunately, it seemed that someone had let slip what had occurred, and it had sabotaged relations throughout the ship.  

Normally, it would not have concerned him, but as he made his way down to the crew quarters where the other remnants of his crew resided, he realized that no matter how much he attempted to make it ‘not his problem,’ he would have to deal with it sooner or later. The amount of differing species aboard the ship was somewhat mind-boggling, and it occurred to him that if a single event could cause such a divide, then who was to say what could cause an all-out mutiny or civil war.

“… then the Commander looks up from his plate full of simulated eggs, and smiles as he says, ‘Egg-zactly!’”  

The laughing from the crew quarters brought a small smile to his face until he turned the corner and saw the incredibly varied crowd listening to Vasili and Abigail tell stories.

“Of course, he could not stop there with the puns. For about a week, everyone had to endure a bad pun every time they passed him. We were too busy training until someone brought down breakfast with the most horrified look on their face. His terrified eyes met with mine as he stated - and this is not verbatim, this is word-for-word - ‘The Commander wanted you all to have this… cracking good breakfast.’” The crowd that had gathered around the two of them broke out into hearty laughter, Gryphons leaning on Ponies as friends hugged each other, and new friends were made in the venue of storytelling and comedy. He took a seat near the edge of the group, leaning back as he watched the crowd’s reaction. To him, it seemed that either the news had not reached them, or they had heard, and simply did not care. He leaned more towards the second option, though he mentally noted it was more likely wishful thinking.

“And here’s the former Commander of the Miner’s Defiance!. So, have you got any good stories?” Isaac stiffened up as a crowd of eyes fell on him, glancing around as he rubbed the back of his head.

“I, uh, I don’t exactly have any really funny stories...”

“Aw, come on! I’m sure the legendary Isaac Humphries has something good!” Isaac was about to open his mouth when one of the shift supervisors entered the area, smiling until he lifted his dataslate, tapping the time.  

“Next duty shift. Zharkov, White, you’re on training duty with SIS officers. Some of them can’t even hit the broad side of a barn, so it would be a good idea to get going. Dismissed!”  

Isaac sighed as he stood up, his eyes darting from side-to-side as his eyes fell upon Ensign Ripley, one of the younger members of his former Fortress’ crew. Approaching her, he was about to speak when she raised a hand, pulling the hood portion of her flight suit back to let her short hair out. Isaac observed her as he remembered the description that many of his crew had had of her. ‘Tomboy’ was the most common descriptor, although it was not entirely incorrect. She was not conventionally attractive, but her attitude towards relationships, in regards to her attitude towards not wanting any sort of non-professional relationship, had intrigued many of his crew members. As he watched, she scratched at a new scar on her neck, lightly glowing circuits barely visible against her skin. Setting down her dataslate, she turned and smiled.

“Ah, Commander-”

“Remember, Julia, I’m not your Commander anymore. Just Isaac or Humphries will do.”

“Sure thing, Isaac. I’m guessing this is about the temporarily open Navigator position?” Isaac silently nodded as she tapped the screen of her dataslate, scrolling through various reports before touching the edge and deactivating the display. “I’ll take his place for now, but I don’t know how her Command Crew will react to having a human as one of their Navigators. From their perspective, we’re the aliens, if you remember. I’ll report to the Commander as soon as I can.” Isaac stood ramrod stiff as Ensign Ripley left the room, sighing as he remembered the other part of his crews’ opinion about her, the ‘blunt honesty.’ Shaking his head, walking out of the room, he returned to the corridors, closing his eyes and breathing in relief as the lights changed to their artificial night-time configuration. The day/night cycle had been a modification added at Nexus Station, and it was one that many had been very thankful for. It was set to the rising and setting of the sun back on Equus, though, as far as he was aware of, the main rulers of the world ‘controlled’ the very orbits of the sun and the moon. It was something of a scientific curiosity of his, that someday he would have to travel to their home system and see for himself what that would look like. To him, it seemed more like they used their Etheric field manipulation abilities to rotate a planet that was tidally locked instead of the sun and moon orbiting a planet. Stellar physics just did not work that way.

“I… saac?” Isaac looked up from his musings to see Twilight slowly walking around, a cup of steaming coffee floating beside her as she took careful, measured sips. From the expression on her face, he could tell she was on the verge of passing out. With a quick motion, he lifted her slowly as to not let her drop the hot coffee all over herself, and let her rest her head against his shoulder as he carried her back to her quarters.

“Don’t worry. You need some rest. You’ve been working harder than all of us combined, and you need a break.” With a quiet hiss, the doors slid open, Twilight’s personal quarters a mess of dataslates, books, notes and empty disposable coffee cups. Settling her down into her bed, he slid the covers up to her neck, smiling as he turned to leave. As he stepped forward, he felt something tugging on the back of his uniform, turning to see Twilight’s etheric grasp pulling on his shirt.

“Big… brother...” Twilight quietly mumbled as Isaac sat down beside her, patting her head gently as he watched his Commander squirm into a better position. He adjust the bed-covers to accommodate Twilight’s wings, letting her relax as he hummed an Old Earth lullaby, letting his voice quietly let out the words that he remembered from his own childhood.  

“	Lay down your head and I'll sing you a lullaby.

	Back to the years of loo-li lai-lay.
And I'll sing you to sleep and I'll sing you tomorrow.
Bless you with love for the road that you go.”

He rubbed behind Twilight’s ear as he heard her start to quietly snore, her face relaxed as he stood up, letting her fall deeply asleep before he smiled at her again. The amount of stress she was under, he understood how much she dearly missed her own sibling, but he had to tread carefully, as he knew how much she idolized her older brother, and he did not want that sort of attention put on him. He had enough attention anyways from those who were insinuating that he and the Commander were fraternizing, and despite the fact that the galaxy was more progressive than it had been years ago, he still needed to follow the rules of the Fortress. He did admire her, though, for her sheer tenacity and determination, which made her hold a special place in his heart, and as he held his hand on the edge of the doorway, he noticed a frame holding a photograph. Most of the crew that he had seen with those frames held pictures of family, of loved ones, or of those they admired, but the photograph was something that gave him pause.

Stepping towards the desk, he lifted the frame, tracing the edge of it until it processed. She had the photograph of his first tactics training session with her framed and sitting on her desk like some kind of trophy, or memento. To him, it had been something far less important, as he knew she was not as good a tactician as many of the Fortress Commanders he had come up against. However, it seemed that, to her, his advice and his counsel was something more in her mind. Placing the frame back on the desk, he smiled, gathering up the used coffee cups and departing. He would have to ask her about it later, but the time was not in his favour to ask. Dumping the cups in the nearest Trash Recycler, he yawned, his own exhaustion creeping up on him. Rubbing the back of his head, he sighed and turned back towards his own quarters, feeling almost as if he was dragging himself along. The amount of activity that had happened within a single day was something that he was sorely unfamiliar with, but it still felt far better to be in command of a security detachment rather than a Fortress. Some things just worked out better in the long run, at least, from Isaac’s point of view.

Turning again back towards the direction of his quarters, he passed by a muttering Julia, pausing a moment before his mind caught up with what she had been muttering under her breath.

“Julia.”

“I-Isaac?”

“You were doing it again, that thing you do when you’re nervous or stressed. What’s going on in that head of yours?”

“Let’s get some coffee at the cafeteria, and I’ll tell you all about it, hmm?” Isaac silently nodded as Julia led the way towards the cafeteria, the doors hissing open as the cook on duty slid two hot cups of coffee onto the counter before either of the humans could even ask.

“Seems to be your kind’s favourite drink. I get it, but don’t drink too much, aye?” Snatching up their respective mugs, Julia and Isaac took a seat at one of the many empty tables, the night-cycle duty-shift barely making up a twentieth of the crew’s capacity. Julia glanced around quickly before downing her entire mug of caffeinated goodness, sighing in relief as she finished.

“So, what’s on my mind, hmm? It’s been less than two months since our match, yet we’ve integrated into this crew far smoother than anyone could have anticipated. And now I’m being tapped to temporarily replace one of the original crew’s actual Navigators due to some prissy asshole’s superiority complex that put that Navigator in a wheelchair for several months. It feels like some big shoes to fill, honestly, sir-”

“Remember, I’m not your Commander. You can call me Isaac, Julia. And I understand your feelings on the matter. I wouldn’t have grabbed you though if I thought that anyone else could do the job as well as you could. You’re one of the best I’ve seen, and your aptitude for the job is on par with the Equestrian Navigators. Deadwood and that grey one… shoot, I think I should know this one? Anyways, the both of them are crazy talented when it comes to that position, and the only other person on board with even that remotest of talent is you.” Isaac watched as Julia started to sputter, holding up his hand before he continued. “Look, you’re one of the best pilots I’ve ever known, and this is me, trusting you once more to keep us all alive. ‘Defy all expectations, and burn the true path,’ right?”

“Yeah… burn the true path. I get what you’re saying, Isaac, but it doesn’t mean that I’m not nervous. I’ve seen the speed at which either of those Equestrians do their jump calculations and its almost impossible to follow. Well, it would be impossible for anyone but me- oh, you’re good. Okay, I can see how this conversation will fully play out. You won’t hear a peep out of me, Isaac. ‘Defy all expectations, and burn the true path,’ indeed. See you in the black.” Julia stood up, drawing out a dataslate from a pouch on her side, tapping various symbols and retrieving a mathematics document. “I might as well try and get in on their odd pastime of trying to solve the unsolvable.”

“See you in the black, Julia.” Isaac stood up, taking both his and Julia’s mugs back over to the meal counter, the Equestrian at the counter smiling and nodding without saying a word. Taking the mugs, he tossed the liquid into a nearby Fluid Recycling Receptacle, adjusting his cook’s hat before it accidentally fell in. With a nod, Isaac left him to his devices, returning to the human quarters on the Fortress. The silence almost felt deafening, despite the low rumbling of the engines as the ship continued on its way through its variation of subspace, or at least, what Isaac assumed was subspace. He knew that Void-Drives were very much dangerous to use, though the reason why had been lost several millennia before. The Tunnel Drive, though, still amazed him with the use of the fundamental etheric force. The history archives detailed out every attempt at interstellar travel, even the intergalactic Gate network that the old Terran Ascendancy discovered in their waning years, but nothing came close to the feeling of wrong that occurred whenever the Fortress spun up its Drive.  

“Still got that feeling of wrong, huh?” Isaac looked around before settling his eyes on a Gryphon peeking out from around a corner. Their uniform designated them as one of the Vehicle Technicians in the main Vehicle Bay, which meant that they were directly under the Matriarch’s jurisdiction. As he watched the Gryphon turn the corner and move towards him, he could tell by the thinner tail and the sashaying of the rear legs that it was a female, but which female, he was not entirely sure of. There were so many crew to know, and he preferred to stick with his security personnel. Just enough responsibility without all of the headache of commanding an entire starship. Of course, her white feathered head and dark brown body elicited a sort of recognition, but he could not recall the name for the life of him.

“I guess. I don’t feel it as readily as all of you, but you’ve got that… I guess mild sedative? What was its name again?”

“Coltix. It’s called Coltix. And trust me, you should have seen what happened after our first Drive test. A good fifth of the Command Crew had to be treated for depression, chronic anxiety, and some developed schizophrenia from the experience. We’ve got the ones worst off situated in a separate cryogenics bay, apparently, but I’m no Medical Division worker. I’m just a Vehicle Tech. Speaking of vehicles, how does the Solus Invictus stand up to the scrutiny of one of the main species of this space-faring universe?” Isaac winced when the Gryphon stated humans as a ‘main species.’ It was no secret, to most of the remainder of humanity, that they were a minority on the intergalactic stage. The Milky Way was all but closed-off, with the main Gate between that galaxy and M83 patrolled heavily by a force marked with N.E.C., a faction that no being had any real recollection of as far as he was concerned. Of course, his own personal archives did not deal with extra-galactic political scenarios, so for all he knew, they could be the Terrans from humanity’s cradle, the Earth.

“Yeah… I wouldn’t call us a ‘main species.’ There are more Thalrazyne, Torassi and Iiaynsin in this galaxy than any other species. Of course, there’s others, such as the moth-like Chunari, but they mostly work as engineers and technicians rather than soldiers. I don’t think a man-sized moth is very intimidating, anyways. But in regards to all that, I’ll swing back around and reiterate, humans are not a main species in this galaxy… or any galaxy anymore, for that matter. I’d tell you if I could, but there’s a lot of history that humans have lost since everyone lost contact several millennia ago with Old Earth.” Sighing, Isaac looked away, spying the Mag-Rail station not even a few minutes walk way. “If you want to know more, you’d have to get access to a Terran archive, but those are only in the Milky Way galaxy, and if the legends and myths are to be believed, humanity died out in that galaxy a long time ago. Eventually, we’ll all die out, with the sheer drop in birth rates, and we’ll be yet another galactic footnote, like the Unaffiliated Worlds Alliance.”

“Unaffiliated Worlds Alliance?”

“Yeah, a bunch of old war veterans and crackpot scientists who thought they could survive in M83 without aligning themselves with the Committee. Couldn’t get far without them, either. You’ve already had a decent run-in with them, otherwise your planet would have probably been harvested for its plentiful amounts of selenium.” The Gryphon raised an eyebrow, clacking her beak a little bit in what he assumed was a facsimile of the human habit of smacking lips when one was trying to think of a response. Of course, her facial expression was pensive, as she considered the information.

“… did you serve with the UWA?”

“Once upon a time, I guess. I was told to join the Games to train my people, train soldiers, scientists, leaders, people that could make a difference in our little war… I guess the fact that I’m one of the last living remnants of that organization shows how well that went. No one can really stand up to them, and no one really wants to anymore.” Isaac rubbed his face with his hands, an old nervous habit whenever he talked about his past. “But in regards to your question, the Solus Invictus is an impressive fortress. Not quite as intimidating as the Mars-class Fortresses I’ve seen around, but still impressive. The Mars-class Mobile War Fortresses are the popular model currently, followed by the Wyvern-II-class. The Nibiru-class Mining Fortress that I used to command was not something you normally saw, being quite literally a Mobile Mining Platform. MMPs like the Miner’s Defiance had to be almost rebuilt from the ground up if they became a Fortress.”

“So, basically a rock with engines?”

“Basically. Anyways, I’m going to turn in for the night. You want to talk more, we can later, Miss...”

“Gilda. Honorary member of Clan Steelwing. Have a good night, Isaac Humphries.” With that, Gilda turned to leave, Isaac turning back towards his quarters as he grasped the dog tags that hung around his neck. The lighting darkened as he returned to the human quarters, most of the other human members of the crew having long since gone to sleep. Taking to his bunk, he sighed as he lay down carefully on the soft mattress, its comfort something he was still getting used to. Such softness was never something you normally thought about, but his mind drifted to it, wondering if it was simply set up that way, or if it was down feathers or something entirely different. With a heavy sigh, he succumbed to his exhaustion, letting the darkening lights take him to the nightmares he knew would come from the Drive’s abnormal activation.


--------//|0|\\--------


“Realspace Transition in 1-0 minutes. All crew to your stations. Repeat, all crew to your stations.” Isaac awoke to Julia’s voice broadcasting through the P.A. system, announcing the nearing end of their almost four-day journey. Fitful nightmares had kept him in a heightened state of apprehension, though he had been given two days to rest and recuperate before he would be needed. Rolling over, he was met with a claw and a cup of coffee, the Gryphon from before smiling as much as she could while holding the disposable drink container.

“I was passing by on my way to the Vehicle Bay, and I was kind of thinking you’d need-” Isaac quickly grabbed the cup, downing it in a single gulp before he sighed, stretching as he stood up.

“Good coffee. Thanks. So, what’s the occasion, Gilda? Normally I’m not visited by one of the non-human members of the crew, and that includes our Commander.” Gilda nodded, stepping out of Isaac’s way as the latter began a series of stretches to limber up.

“Good coffee for new friends. I’m not one that a lot of the others talk with, or even get along with. I used to be… arrogant and prideful, but that was before the Coalition Security Forces training. I’ve been told I’m a prodigy with vehicular systems.” She demonstrated her coordination during her speaking with a twirl of her wrench through her claws before continuing on. “Besides, you’ve been called for several times. Considering how muted some of the announcements have been from down here, I can see how you missed them.”

“Someone was paging for me?”

“Yeah. You were to report to the Main Hangar to do a check before departing with Miss Zvaro-Jun down to Deepwell. There’s also the dataslate I was ordered to bring for you – we have a Command Transfer request from Equus about a ship called the Bastion. It’s definitely Gryphon-designed, with the long, box-like shape and the powerful Ion Engines. Oh, right. You didn’t know that my race developed and perfected the sub-Drive engines that the Solus Invictus uses, did you?” Isaac shook his head in the negative, noting to himself that he needed to read up more on the construction notes of the Fortress. Gilda chuckled as she watched Isaac become engrossed in his thoughts, about to speak when the announcement rang out.

“Realspace Transition commencing. All hands, brace for exit of Tunnel. Repeat, all hands, brace for exit of Tunnel.”

“Looks like we’re at Deepwell. Hopefully that ship of your people’s is here, Gilda. I think I’d like to see what-”Isaac braced himself as the Fortress decelerated, the uncomfortable thrumming of the Tunnel Drive disappearing into so much background noise as the crew bolted for their duty stations. Some medical staff galloped past, the Unicorns holding IV bags in their etheric fields as they took unconscious individuals to the Infirmary. Some had some decently bad head wounds, but a couple of the Pegasi that were carted past on hovering stretchers were far worse off, wing bones broken or an eye pierced by something. As one medic passed, Isaac grabbed her uniform quickly, bringing her muzzle directly in front of his face.

“U-uh, wha-”

“What the hell happened?! That wasn’t a rough deceleration, so what did this?” The medic desperately tugged out of Isaac’s grasp, backpedaling until she was at a safer distance from the human. Her eyes were wide as the realization dawned on him. The wounded being taken past all had some kind of scorch marks, suffering indicative of electrical burns.

“A-a conduit blew! Down near the simulators! Mechanics were adjusting the devices when one of the new conduits overloaded! I-I can’t stay, there’s too many wounded!” Before Isaac could speak, his arm’s implant began to beep rapidly as a message started to come through.

“Humphries, where the hell are you? Security is already on site, but we’re dealing with sabotage!” Isaac stopped, looking back at Gilda. Her eyes went wide as she tried to think of what could have happened.

“You want to help out new friends? Then grab your tools and meet me in the Simulator Center. I don’t think this has to do with Stoneclaw and his apparent superiority complex, but I hold no such hopes!” As Isaac sprinted away, his face set once more in a grimace of pain and anger, he looked at the ponies, Gryphons and other races around him. As the world began to fade into so much background noise, as the crowd faded into a blur around him as he tried to rush faster and faster, with a sudden jolt of adrenaline, he woke up.  

Sitting up in his bed, he touched the wall nearest to him, bringing up an automatic display. At 23:05 ship-time, it was late, but the events of the previous day were still fresh in his head. Silas Stoneclaw was still in custody, and no sabotage had occurred. There was no transition for another four hours as far as he was aware of, which meant that the last hour or so had been one hell of a lucid nightmare. Glancing around, his eyes settled on a familiar Gryphon asleep on one of the empty bunks across from him. With a weak smile, he slid quietly off of his own bunk, creeping over and tapping her head.

“Huh-wha… oh, Isaac. I just had a terrible-”

“Nightmare? One where someone sabotaged the conduit in the Sim-Center?”

“Yeah, but how’d-”

“I had the same nightmare. It was so...” Isaac trailed off as he looked around again. It was quiet enough during the night-cycle aboard the Fortress, meaning that the graveyard duty shift was at least doing their jobs properly.  

“Vivid. Like you were actually there-”

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

“If it’s checking the Sim Center, Isaac, I’m right there with you.”


--------//|0|\\--------


The Simulator Center was dark and silent save for the occasional buzzing of the electrical circuits in the room, leaving Gilda and Isaac grasping high-power flashlights as they did a quick sweep of the area. While their fears were allayed initially by the darkness, their fears became confirmed when they found one of the panels open and a small device inserted into the side of one of the secondary bypass conduits for the Tunnel Drive’s coolant system.  

“Breaching charge. High-tech from the looks of it. Nothing like what your Coalition has. This looks more like-”

“Human technology, doesn’t it?” The sounds of rifles cocking sent a cold shiver down Isaac’s spine as the hairs on his neck stood on end. He could recognize the sound of UEC kinetic rifles locking their firing pins into position anywhere, and two were cocked back and ready to fire. With a slow motion, he stood up, turning to face two individuals that, if he did not know their actual names, he would have not recognized them at first with the suits they were wearing.

“Abigail White, Vasilis Zharkov. Let me guess-”

“Yeah. Nightmare about someone sabotaging the bypass conduit?”

“What she said.” Isaac pinched the bridge of his nose as he tapped on his wrist, sending a command to return the lights in the Sim-Center to day-cycle status. As the lights grew brighter, the extent of the supposed sabotage grew more evident, more panels around the room torn off the walls with those same breaching charges tacked onto each one. Abigail slung her rifle, approaching one as she held a personal scanner.  

“Looks like it itself wouldn’t be enough to breach the conduit, just damage it enough to create an overload and flood this room with spent coolant. They’re mining charges, like the sort that-”

“The Miner’s Defiance once carried...” Isaac trailed off as he fell to his knees, his eyes wide as saucers as the implications weighed down on him. Old mining charges were notorious for their variable explosive radius, but they were wholly unreliable in regular applications outside of mining. The ones he now witnessed were set with a delicate hand, by someone with an incredible eye for detail. He only had two explosives experts, and one was a person he had never really- Isaac stopped, the thought dawning on him of the identity of the saboteur.

“What is it, Isaac?”

“Stand up slowly, and make sure you don’t make any sudden moves. Our saboteur is still here.”

“Of course I am, Humphries. Did you think I would leave such an important task to chance? Prophetic dreams aside, you all could not have- urk!” A purple glow enveloped a shimmering form as it lifted into the air, struggling and squirming as a bleary-eyed Twilight Sparkle entered the Sim-Center. Her expression was one of annoyance, and when the shimmering stopped, and she realized who she was grasping, it shifted to one of pure, unadulterated anger.

“Ah. I guess dreams don’t come true, do they, Reaper?” The man with the swirling helmet chuckled as he was gripped tightly, Twilight’s etheric field spreading further around him as he was restrained. Isaac brushed past Vasili, quickly grabbing the man’s sidearm before almost leaping to where Twilight was slowly putting Reaper down. Heavy breathing issued forth from him as he held the handgun to Reaper’s face, the pain and betrayal evident on his face.

“Ah, anger. An emotion I no longer exhibit. It’s just like that Stoneclaw brat. Did you know he actually tried to defend that Navigator of yours? Of course, you can’t really fight what you can’t see, but still, that Navigator could, even without magic. But am I getting ahead of myself? I think I am. You see, those charges won’t break the conduits as you surmised – the spent coolant running through them as the Tunnel Drive cools will burst the weakened conduit housing. Of course, that’s all a moot point now, isn’t it-” Reaper grunted as Twilight tightened her grasp. She could almost feel his blood pumping through his veins, his grimace as he tried to put on a brave face underneath that helmet of his. She desperately wanted to kill him, to tear him apart for what he had been working towards. However, the fact of the matter was that she needed to know who he was sabotaging for, why he was doing it-

“Okay, I’m done with this shit. Fucker’s gotta die.” Before Twilight could utter a word, a rifle shot echoed throughout the Sim-Center, a neat hole in the very center of Reaper’s helmet. A whistling sound issued forth from the helmet as it disengaged, displaying a creature that none of those present were familiar with in the slightest. It looked human, but just like the Committee Representative, his face looked too perfect, almost engineered, like a machine fresh off the assembly line.   

As the body slumped in Twilight’s etheric grasp, footsteps and galloping hooves echoed throughout the corridor as security personnel pushed their way inside, aiming weapons around before locking onto the now motionless corpse of the human formerly known as Reaper. Breathing slowly, Twilight fell on her hindquarters, her eyes welling up with tears as she watched the second dead human she had known being carted away by security personnel. Isaac slowly knelt down beside her, gently placing his hand on her head and scratching behind her ears.

“I know you wanted to know who he worked for, but when you’re face-to-face with your enemy, sometimes you can’t hesitate. I hate to admit, but Vasili was right. The man tried to destroy the Solus Invictus. On a Human or Thalrazyne Fortress, that would have at least had you facing either an airlock eviction or a quick trip in a pod down to an uninhabited world. However… Abigail, Vasili, they come from a different time, with a different way to deal with things. We’ll deal with this, but -” Isaac stopped as he felt himself get hugged tightly from two different directions, Twilight squeezing him from the front, and Gilda hugging him from behind. Chuckling softly, he slowly stood, looking at his security personnel with an annoyed frown.

“Sir, we-”

“What were you doing? Sleeping on the job? If your response time was any slower, we may have been dealing with a Drive Breach scenario! We will be running drills for the next several days, since all of you seemed to be more inclined to not put any of your fellow personnel on the night roster! I will be going over, in meticulous detail, the importance of ship-board security! Now, move out! Every critical area must be secured! Go, go, go!” Seeing the security ponies scramble elicited an eye roll from Isaac, though the same reaction coming from his human security personnel was alarming, to say the least. He would have to instill discipline in them at some later point.

“Realspace Transition in 2-0 minutes. All hands, to your stations. Repeat, all hands to your stations. Maintenance teams, stand by. Medical teams, stand by.” The sound of Julia’s voice over the ship’s broadcast system was a bit of a relief, though Isaac was still annoyed at the situation. Reaper was both an incredible explosives expert and an adept unarmed combatant. His mind wandered back to the Miner’s Defiance, wondering if any of the random complications his Fortress had undergone had more of a sinister undertone than he had previously thought. Pushing those thoughts away, he focused his mind on the task at hand. As he tapped the implant in his arm to double-check that the singular VIP was secure in her quarters, an error message appeared as he desperately tapped across the screen, checking as many areas as he could access cameras for.

“I-Isaac? What’s… what’s wrong?” Isaac glanced up with a panicked look in his eyes, swallowing deeply as his gaze met with Twilight’s.

“It’s… It’s Akane Zvaro-Jun. She’s no longer aboard the Solus Invictus.”
> Chapter 12 - Missing in Action
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight’s eyes widened as she stared down Isaac, almost daring him to say that he was joking. The silence grew ever more heavy as their eyes continued to stare deep into each others’ souls. The disappearance of the Director of their sponsor was nothing short of disastrous, as it both reflected badly on the crew of the Solus Invictus, and it reflected even more poorly on the company itself. Isaac gritted his teeth, clenching his fist tightly as his gaze shifted towards the ground. With a grunt, he walked over to where Reaper’s helmet sat, kicking the helmet across the room.

“We served together aboard the Miner’s Defiance for 20 years, you Trog-loving son of a Torassi bitch! Couldn’t have tried talking it out, just had to always be such a fucking loose cannon, didn’t you, Reaper?!”

Twilight could only watch in slight fear at Isaac rapidly kicking the helmet around the room, screaming profanities and insults at the headgear of the corpse formerly known as Reaper. He was angry, very angry, and Twilight understood his anger, but they faced a far more potent crisis; if they did not locate Akane Zvaro, then there was a higher possibility of them being simply shot out of the sky upon the Transition back into Realspace. Their Identify-Friend-or-Foe transponder was not fully logged with Zvaro-Jun TechCorp, and if the information Akane had provided was of any indication, their orbital defenses were of the highest caliber, including anti-capital Particle Cannons, orbital stations housing a hundred fighter wings each, and a sensor grid that could detect a fly farting two sectors over. With a sigh, she closed her eyes, trying to get her own mind to calm down and reflect the position she was still in. She was upset, certainly, but being a Commander was still something she had to remain calm for.

“Chief Humphries, notify all security personnel. As of this moment they are all on active duty. Start a search pattern beginning from the Command Deck, sweeping towards the rear. Zharkov, White, mobilize other members of the crew, arm them as you can, and sweep through the areas that Security cannot. We have a short amount of time before we Transition, and I doubt our coordinates will take us far enough away that we can keep those PCs from tearing through our Defense Fields. I’ll be up in Command to do what I can to protect this Fortress.” As she started to gallop, Isaac snatched the trailing end of her uniform, spinning her around to face him.

“We’ve got so many things going on right now, what are you going to be able to do, Commander?!” Isaac backed up as Twilight smiled, the hairs on his neck standing on end.  

“Isaac, I’m a Category 12 Etheric Being, according to the Galactic Etheric Scale. Stay quiet and watch me work, and you might learn a few things about how Equestrians do things.” With that statement, she flipped around, galloping from the SimCenter, leaving the humans and suited ponies with a lingering question in their heads. As Isaac activated his armour’s radio, Vasili tapped him on the shoulder, bringing his attention back to the room.

“Humphries, your security is a little lax, it seems.”

“What makes you say that, Zharkov?”

“Oscar Stoneclaw is also missing.”


--------//|0|\\--------


“Hey, hold that steady, and I might be able to- gah! How can you be so useless?!” Akane would have never thought she could ever be captured; she was smarter than the best, and scrappier than the rest. She was trained in over 14 different martial arts, including Torassi Low-Gravity Igna-Style. She could hack her way through most security systems, and was often contracted out personally to test the security of other companies.

Which was why she felt so annoyed at the situation she found herself in.

“Lady, lady! Calm down! Look, for some reason, we’ve been sealed in here, wherever here is. Wait, you’re that Zvaro-Jun representative, right?”

“I’m the Director, thank you very much! Gah, why do these PAWs completely fail at doing even the most basic of instructions? Come on, pick up the plasma cutter and get these cuffs off of me!” Akane glared over at her accidental companion, a rather impertinent Gryphon that had seemed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was not very forthcoming, as her previous questions had simply been met with what she assumed was an unwillingness to share information. Of course, with how little she actually knew about the crew she was enlisting as her transportation, she could chalk it up to simple ignorance on his part. However, considering their predicament, she had no other choice but to at least trust him a little. As she struggled to get the little maintenance robots to cut off her restraints, she could have sworn she heard a small chuckle as she felt her restraints snap apart, the tell-tale hissing of the plasma cutter dissipating into the air surrounding them.

“You could have asked, you know. Despite all appearances, every member of House Stoneclaw goes through at least the introductory engineering course. Part of that includes designing restraints for more ornery captives. Human restraints are far less refined. So many weak points-” Oscar flinched as Akane snatched the plasma cutter from him, tightening the cutting beam to almost a pinpoint as she worked on the nearest wall. Clicking his beak, he looked around, trying to figure out where exactly they had found themselves. The PAWs were adamantly refusing to acknowledge their presence, but they were simply designed, and the intelligence afforded to the small machines was not enough to have a profound effect on their programming. He looked around at the small conduits where the PAWs entered and exited, ignoring the cursing issuing from Akane as the plasma cutter sputtered and shut off.

“Damn cheap VMC tools! Couldn’t go with the better option, could you? No, standard toolkits have to be the cheapest option, don’t they? Stupid! Fucking! Garbage!” Akane kicked the wall as hard as she could in the limited space she had to move, cursing under her breath when her foot became lodged between two conduit sheaths. Leaning back, she bit her lip, Oscar glaring at her with half-lidded eyes. He knew that she would most definitely be in a non-zero amount of pain, but Oscar was not a medical technician, and his understanding of human physiology was not a non-zero amount. Akane’s laboured breathing brought his attention back to reality as he sighed and laid down on his side.

“You’re going to dislocate your ankle if you try and force your foot out of that position, you know. Here, let me see that cutter.” Akane begrudgingly passed off the plasma cutter, watching with a raised eyebrow as Oscar widened the cutting beam, moving slowly as the tip of the tool contacted the conduit sheath. “These aren’t VMC tools, either. Our industrial technology may not be as… refined as yours, Director, but we at least know how to operate our own tools. This is a Hegemony cutter, anyways.”

“Well, excuse me for not having the patience to examine the tool thoroughly! If you’ve forgotten, we’re trapped with… no… way… out.” Akane’s breathing quickened as she glanced about wildly, her eyes narrowing to pinpricks as Oscar watched the telltale signs of an anxiety attack settle in. As she continued to breathe heavily, she felt something grasp her leg. Almost on instinct, she tried to kick, only to feel the grasp tighten.

“Try and kick me, and you’ll end up losing that foot. You’re almost free, hold on.” With another hissing of super-heated metal, and a clang of sheathing clattering to the deck beside either of them. Akane tentatively shifted her foot, slowly pulling back until her foot was free. Clacking his beak, Oscar smiled, though he was very much perturbed by how easily the human broke down when faced with the difficult nature of their predicament. Gryphons were often exposed to tight, cramped corridors, especially when working on an engineering internship aboard the massive undertaking the Hegemony had been contracted to begin over 7 years ago. Oscar had been sworn to secrecy, considering the sensitive nature of what the project entailed; even their tentative allies, the Equestrian Coalition, had no knowledge of the project.

“How are you dealing with this so well?”

“Working in cramped engineering conduits. Gryphons are conditioned to be without fear from the moment we graduate out of our respective fields of study to the end of our chosen internships. Most of us are trained as military personnel, with a minimum length of service in the Hegemon’s Guard of 3 years. I will be honest, this type of close quarters movement is not what I had envisioned when I was transferred to the Cradle Security Forces, but it’s not unfamiliar. I’m going to assume you suffer from claustrophobia?” 

“I-I’m not going to answer that.” Oscar chuckled, clicking his beak as he looked around for any sort of panel, or note of how they were sealed in the area. Nudging Akane, he looked at a panel underneath her, noting the weld pattern and the metal it had sealed.

“Panel’s below you. Had to have been a professional with this weld job, but if we can switch sides, I’ll start cutting through it.” With a grunt, Akane shifted, trying to roll over the Gryphon as he squeezed beneath her. Her eyes attempted to adjust as the cutter pulsed its way through the metal, but after only a few seconds, she turned away, blinking away the spots that had appeared in her vision. As she listened to the metal hiss and groan as Oscar worked his way through the panel’s welded portion, she closed her eyes, imagining the lakes and waterfalls of Deepwell. As she lost herself in thought, a distant thud brought a question to her mind, a quick shaking and rumbling confirming it.

“That was a defense platform. That’s… that’s not right. Deepwell’s Defense Force should have received the transmission of the Solus Invictus’ drive signature and IFF by now-”

“Unless the bastard that sealed us both in here prevented your broadcast somehow. I’m going to have a word with that human, Humphries, after this. He and that pompous Commander Sparkle are going to be very, very sorry that they put me through this mess. Me, a member of House Stoneclaw, the  ruling House! If I was not on poor terms with my father, I would have put in the call myself! I hope Deadwood is all right, though. Wish he’d had magic… then the bastard that jumped us both would have been...” He trailed off as he braced himself, the metal hissing once more as he put the cutter on target. The light burned in his eyes, illuminating the darkness around them in small bursts. Shielding his eyes as much as he could, he blinked, trying to get the peskiest of the light-induced spots out of his vision as the cutter sputtered again. Lifting it up to where he could grasp it with his other claw, Oscar tapped it lightly, feeling how much heat was radiating off of it.

“The cutter overheated, didn’t it? That’s a problem with almost every VMC-”

“Hegemony.”

“Hegemo- well, I’m assuming that it’s a part of your tools. Considering from how it feels, it has almost the exact same shape as a standard VMC plasma cutter.”

“You’d be mostly right, considering about a millennium ago a Union of Earth’s Colonies ship was handed over to us. We’d built our society around our technology and understanding of the Kepler and her mysteries, but it landed directly in the middle of our capitol, its landing thruster assemblies flattening a good portion of the city as it put down. Gryphons are nothing if not industrious, and once we put to pulling that ship apart to understand it, we became a well-entrusted ally of the Equestrian Coalition. For us, though, we had to show a different side of the Gryphons, meaning that we had one of our outlier villages become our ‘capitol’ to maintain appearances. Celestia was keen on keeping the secrets of the Everfree Desert contained, especially since the whole incident with the UEC ship set off her sister all that time ago.” Shaking the cutter again, Oscar smiled as the cutter sparked, the small cutting beam hissing once more as he touched it to the plating. As he shielded his eyes, he felt a nudging at his side, Akane prodding him with a free hand. Before he had a chance to speak up, the plating below him gave way, the panel clattering off of the walls below. Catching himself at the last second, he lowered himself slowly, letting his eyes re-adjust to the low-light conditions of the new conduit he found himself in. Barely glowing red lights dotted the wall at equal intervals down the edge of the cramped service conduit. As he found himself face-to-face with what appeared to be a small utility kit, he fished around until his claws clamped down around something that brought a smile to his face. Whispering a prayer to his proud ancestors in thanks, he pushed a sliding switch forward, his smile growing wider as a powerful beam of light cut through the darkness.

“What does it look like down there?”

“Some kind of service conduit. Considering that I fit just barely- oh, there’s a second flashlight. Reach your hand through the hole, and I’ll pass it off.” Registering the distinctive silhouette of the human’s hand, he pushed the extra flashlight into her grasp, only releasing his own when he was certain she had a firm grip. “Looks like the direction I’m facing here leads towards more service conduits, but they… it looks like it expands about a good 100 meters ahead. I’ll move away, give you as much room as you need to squeeze out of that space.”

“How kind of you. I’m going to have my own words for that Commander when I get out of these cramped spaces.” Akane wiggled as quickly as she could, her own lithe frame sliding into the service conduit far more effectively than Oscar’s own body. Keeping her flashlight trained on the Gryphon, she crawled close behind as he dragged himself through. True to what he had said, the conduit did in fact widen out, allowing them some much needed breathing room. 

“Hey, we don’t know if anyone even knows about this service conduit. All we can do is move forwards, and hope for the best.” Oscar nestled his flashlight inside of his beak, motioning for Akane to follow him as they began their journey through what Oscar was hoping was not the bowels of the ship. Many of the service conduits were not fully sealed to vacuum, and others were completely inaccessible.  If it had been due to combat damage, or the crash that put the Solus Invictus below the sands in the Equestrian Desert, he could not say, but Oscar was hoping it would lead to one of the airtight service catwalks near the main reactor. The majority of the catwalks had been removed when they had added in their own reactors, the Magicite control rods needing far more room than the old fusion plants that the Kepler had mounted. In hindsight, he cursed himself for not paying more attention in the orientation for the Mechanical division of the Engineers. 

“Well, what about that dro-” Akane barely had time to begin saying ‘drop’ before both she and Oscar began sliding down a rather long shaft. Thankfully, it widened out as they tumbled and rolled out of a poorly-welded vent cover and straight onto a catwalk overlooking the Tunnel Drive. Oscar sighed, spitting the flashlight out of his mouth before glancing around.

“Looks like we’re in the clear. I can guide us out of this section now, but- Akane, what in the name of the Sisters are you doing?”

“It’s the… Tunnel Drive. It looks like an old Voidspace Engine from one of the Wyvern-class Colony Conveyors. Ships designed to ferry entire settlements in their holds from a dying planet to a vibrant one. What was the ship name before it was re-designated the Solus Invictus?” Oscar had to stop for a minute to recall, though he had just been thinking on it-

“The Kepler. Battle Fortress from-”

“I know the era. Damn, they built them big, and they built them tough. Fortress design classes at most of the Messier Universities start off with the success of the Wyvern-class. I just… I never thought I’d actually ever get to see what your planet was capable of. What’s the material being injected through those glowing rods?”

“The rods are the injected material. We call it Magicite. It’s a powerful crystalline matrix infused with pure etheric energies. Basically a massive… what was it that the Torassi called it… ah, right! A Mana Battery! At least, our equivalent of it. The main couplings,” Oscar motioned around to the various pipes and clamps that pulsed with an otherworldy glow, continuing as Akane’s eyes became almost like saucers at her amazement, “feed the Etheric Pumps in the Tunnel Drive. I was… a part of the Engineering Team that helped bring the Commander’s theories and equations into reality. We originally built a small-scale version...” 

“And… what happened to it?”

“We still haven’t found it. Magicite, when used in drives and generators, it has a percent of a percent of a chance of going critical. However, the more members of the crew that are rated 5 or higher on the G.E.S. that are on active duty with the Engineering division, the more it seems to be stabilized. I doubt we could make the drive much smaller than it is without a complete rework from the ground up – we did use the Voidspace Engine that the Kepler originally had as a base. Combining the power of crossing into the Void with a computer-assisted Portal Gate spell, with the calculations as precise as possible, we could jump… pretty much anywhere in the galaxy, provided we fed the Drive properly.”

Akane stared at the massive compartment as they continued along the catwalk, Oscar muttering under his breath about lazy technicians leaving their tools where they could affect the superconductors siphoning the energy from the drive to the rest of the ship. As they passed panel after panel, a heavy rumble shook the ship, tossing Akane towards one of the railings. 

Impacting with more force than she thought she could withstand, she felt herself teetering over the edge, the corners of her vision filling with white noise as her body’s adrenaline output spiked. As she felt herself slipping over the side, a strong grasp tugged her back from the edge, a muffled voice trying to get her attention.

“Miss Zvaro! Miss- Akane! Dammit, you’re bleeding… looks like a laceration just below your diaphragm. Any higher and you would have been choking on your own blood as it pooled in your lungs.”

“H-hah… suddenly you’re a medic?”

“Hegemon’s Guard, remember? Medical training is simply one of many things we train on. Medics get far more in-depth occupational training, but we can at least keep you ambulatory before we get to the medical center. I hope it isn’t as bad on other areas of the ship.”


--------//|0|\\--------


“Damage report! Why did we lose the fields on the starboard for a second there?”

“Commander, we’ve got reports of damaged conduit on that side! Looks like we’re venting coolant and Etheric Essence in three compartments! Damage control teams have sealed the areas, but we need a shipyard for the major repairs! Infirmary reports that the wounded are safe for now, but we can’t keep taking hits, even with you boosting the Kinetic Field as you are! Those Orbital PCs are really kicking our ass here!”

The fight outside of the Drive Chamber was, unfortunately, going far more poorly than Twilight had anticipated it would. Then again, she had not anticipated there would be a fight. She could feel the recoil of the Solus Invictus’ own batteries firing back, a little experiment from Applejack’s division – upscaling the Etheric Projector and Rifle experiments so that the recoil was simply absorbed, and did not lead into a feedback loop that would detonate the user. Of course, when Applejack had stated that she had built them, Twilight was beside herself with worry – after all, the previous tests of the device had all gone horribly, and she would rather mothball the project than blow up the Fortress on accident.  

However, while the accuracy of the emplacements was a bit lacking, she could not fault the power of the guns. Only 3 were active, as the mounts that served as their capacitor banks were slow to produce, even with the Manufactory online. The magenta lines of energy that arced with Etheric energy made contact with another Orbital PC, the offending platform detonating in a short-lived explosion of shrapnel, high-speed debris and purple lightning arcs.  

“Main cannons are recharging! Ma’am, should we deploy interceptors?”

“Belay that. This isn’t a war, and we are just defending ourselves! We scanned an orbital body on our way in, right?”

“Yes, ma’am! Orbital Body, Habitable Moon type. Uninhabited, but we might be able to hide in its sensor shadow-”

“I just want to put a moon between us and those Particle Cannons! Do it! And forget about trying to escape their sensors – they could probably see into the atomic range if they wanted to!”  

Julia and Ditzy Do nodded to each other, the Fortress listing as the starboard and stern engines fired, external cameras displaying the changing of the burning exhaust from red to white to blue, forcing the Solus Invictus out of Deepwell’s orbit and towards the forest moon that orbited her. Twilight, strapped into a suit with wired leading out of it that pulsed magenta, snarled as she shunted her own energy into the mix, forcing the engines to glow a heavy purple as a majority of crew felt themselves forced into walls or into the deck plating with the increasing gravity occurring. 

“Reports from all divisions! Artificial Gravity systems are being overwhelmed by the increased thrust! We may not be able to sustain this burn for very long, Commander!”

“Just get us to that moon, Lieutenant!”


--------//|0|\\--------


Oscar looked up in horror as he began to feel the heat from the Drive Chamber, the area filling with thermal radiation the likes of which he had never experienced before. Akane stopped to catch her breath as she turned and looked at the drive.  

Lifting her wrist to her mouth, she tried to speak quickly, but no words would come out. Gritting her teeth, she grabbed Oscar, grunting with exertion as her face turned red with the effort. Dragging him the last twenty meters to a side hatch, she dropped in, tumbling over the Gryphon passing out on the floor as the hatch whooshed shut behind her.  

“If I have to save your feather-duster ass again, I might just leave you.”

“… they’re burning the engines too hot.”

“What… do you mean?”

As Oscar blinked slowly and pulled himself to his paws, she could see that part of his face was burned in a single line down towards his beak. He turned to the glass of the hatch, touching the seared flesh without a second thought.

“They’re trying to escape your orbital defenses. Of course-” He stumbled as he felt another rumble, though the one he felt through his paws was different, more robust than an impact. “We’re… firing back? That shouldn’t be possible, unless… no, she didn’t.”

“What do you mean?”

“Twilight and Applejack were coordinating on a project to build an equine-portable weapon capable of unleashing a beam of Etheric energy onto a target. All attempts at that version, the Projector and the Rifle, were more like handing an unstable nuclear device to a toddler; you just know it’s going to go off. Applejack thought she could scale it up, make it more like an Etheric Cannon, but if she got that working… it’s probably a cobbled-together proof-of-concept more than a defense cannon- that’s why they’re rabbiting! We can’t kiss sky in this scenario, and burning out-system to a Lagrange Point isn’t possible with the range of those stations.”  

Oscar looked up past Akane, pulling a lever and opening another hatch. Ponies, Gryphons, Minotaurs and Humans all ran past, paying them no heed as Akane bit her lip, her eyes welling with tears as various medical personnel cantered, sprinted and thundered past.

“Medical teams to Gunnery Station Alpha. Etheric Cannon offline. Entering orbit of Deepwell’s Moon in 0-5 minutes.”

	“Deepwell’s moon? No.. we have to get to your bridge, or at least some kind of comms console!”

“Finally! All right, Mag-Rail’s through the corridor to your left. You’ll need me to punch the emergency functions so we can get up there faster. When I say go, go. All right?”

Akane nodded as Oscar shouted, jumping and weaving through the crowding ponies and other creatures, the human barely keeping up with him at a dead sprint. The signs barely meant anything to her, other than they had similar forms to the Terran version of English, but with significant alterations to make it almost unreadable, but she trusted that Oscar knew where he was going.  

Another thump, rumble, and Akane could feel herself get lifted off her feet before a voice resonated in her ears.

“Mag-lock soles activating, stand-by. Entering zero-gravity.”

“Zero-G? But-”

“Those PCs must have taken out one of the main generators for the Artificial Gravity! Get in the Mag-Rail now! We’ve got a direct path to Command, but we have to go now!”  

Without another word, Akane clambered into the Mag-Rail’s pod, feeling a set of hooves on her back as she tumbled in, her face colliding with the cushion of the closest seat in the pod.

“And other ponies told me that I was nothing without magic. I found you two, didn’t I?” Oscar narrowed his eyes at the muted-orange unicorn staring him down, frowning before offering him the seat next to him.

“This doesn’t make us friends, Deadwood.”

“That it doesn’t, pillow-stuffer. But we have bigger events to worry about.”

Akane narrowed her eyes at the both of them, trying to read the unspoken words being passed between the two of them, giving up when she found that she could glean no information from either of their faces. Leaning back, she sighed, staring up at the ceiling of the Mag-Rail’s pod. She could feel the rumbling and explosions on the outer edge of the hull, but the aftershocks, a rippling sensation throughout the ship’s exterior that transmitted through deck plating to the crew, was strangely absent.

“Yeah, the Bastion’s launching within the week. She’s going to need an excellent Navigator, and I cannot think of any other pony than you who would fit the bill. Ditzy Do and that Julia lady have it covered on the bridge, but the Bastion’s a warship, for the defense of the Fortress as per Article 298-78/C, concerning support ships and combat fleets in regards to a Battle Fortress’ capabilities. The Hegemony’s pushed her construction to the forefront, foregoing all other major projects to get that destroyer in the air. Of course, all of the Bastion’s main batteries are experimental at best, based on the experimental research happening onboard the Solus Invictus, so we do at least have a slight edge. However we’ve got to-” Oscar felt himself lift off the seat in the Mag-Rail as it ground to a halt, slamming all three occupants into the front portion of the small car. Akane groaned as she shoved Oscar and Deadwood off, sighing and grunting as she struggled to her feet. Tapping a nearby keypad, she re-activated the pod, trying to avoid damaged areas while still struggling to keep standing. As she worked, she felt something wet drip down her forehead. Reaching up with her hand, she dabbed at it slightly, only to feel herself retching when she realized she was bleeding. Bleeding wounds in zero-gravity were no joke, and could grow toxic the longer one went without gravity – it was a space-dweller’s worst nightmare. Oscar was bleeding from a wound on his rear leg, while Deadwood had a gash near his horn.

“We… we have to get to the bridge! If we can’t get into gravity, we...” Akane trailed off as she felt her focus faltering. It was like a fog had descended, though somewhere inside she knew she might be going into shock. Her mind screamed at her to keep pushing, keep going, though her body wanted to rest, for her to close her eyes. For a moment, she was almost peaceful, and then everything came rushing back with a sharp stinging sensation in her nostrils. Oscar was stretched underneath her, holding a smelling salts capsule as she regained her focus. Nodding, Oscar crawled up, trying to keep himself from drifting.

“We all have to get to the bridge. We… we can’t keep going unless we get them… help. Help, that’s a funny word.” Oscar seemed to drift away slightly, barely registering the hands that lifted him, or the grunting of a tired human as Akane and Deadwood made their way to the Command Bridge, slowly dragging until they could see Twilight shouting orders.

“Commander… Sparkle. Commander!” Twilight could barely hear them over her own thoughts as she turned to come face-to-face with the injured human and her two escorts. Deadwood was stumbling from side to side, his mind swimming in a sea of confusion as shock started to set in, a concussion the least of his problems.

“Gravity restored in Command Bridge section. Stand-by for re-initialization. Exiting zero-gravity.” 

	Akane had to catch herself as she felt the blood pour down anew, but it was seemingly slowing down enough to where she could let it clot up properly. However, she had her mind set on the console in the center of the Bridge, the communications array. Her hands reached out, grasping for a headset until they found purchase, collecting it and placing it on her head. Breathing deeply and sliding down to a sitting position next to the console itself, Akane tapped her own personal implant for a comm-link, establishing a temporary bridge between the Fortress and the Defense Stations controlled by the surface facilities of Deepwell.

“A-Akane Zvaro, IFF Code Alpha-Juliet-Tango-One-One-Niner-Three. Confirm code.”

Akane stared at Twilight as the ship continued to rumble, but something had changed. The rumbling had died down, reports flooding in from various areas of the ship as gravity was restored in several sections, including the Medical Bay. Oscar and Deadwood slid down beside Akane, chuckling as they groaned, their pain evident to the approaching medical personnel. Oscar nudged Deadwood as they were both carefully lifted onto stretchers, medics gently moving them as not to disturb their wounds.

“You know, this still doesn’t make us friends, Deadwood.”

“That it doesn’t… Oscar.”  

Oscar stared at Deadwood as he was wheeled away, every word he wanted to say fleeing him in that small moment. Deadwood had soundly beaten him, and he had not even fired a single shot save for the simple act of calling Oscar by his name.  

Akane, however, shook off her medics, glancing over at the Commander she had so inconvenienced with the amount of damage inflicted to the Fortress. Twilight shrugged, calling up the damage reports on the main monitors for review. Biting her lip, she slowly let out the breath she had not realized she was holding, and spoke once more.

“Several of our experimental gun batteries are out of commission – not that surprising, honestly. 128 wounded with 46 dead and another 57 unaccounted for due to sealed areas. That’s personnel we can’t easily replace, Miss Zvaro-”

“Actually, how about we give you some help in that regard, Commander?” Twilight shot a stare at one of her sensor technicians, bringing up an incoming signature. The data all matched except the drive signature, a signature eerily similar to Twilight’s own Tunnel Drive. Before she could even speak, a massive hole in space-time opened off of their starboard section, a small vessel exiting from it. It looked like a long, tapered box with a set of powerful engines strapped to one end, but sensor readings indicated it held much moree.

“Kinetic Cannon batteries, Starswirl rocket pods, and a...” Twilight trailed off as her hoof touched the screen. According to the power readings, the entire central portion of the ship held a massive weapon, of what sort, though, she could not discern. Small craft detached from opening hangars, shuttles flying in tight formation through the debris from the short, yet devastating skirmish. Before she could say anything, a video-feed entered her vision as a Gryphon she did not recognize saluted her.

“Commander Sparkle. I am Captain Janus Stoneclaw of the Gryphon Hegemeony, the commanding officer of the Assault Destroyer Bastion. It took us longer than we anticipated to get our own Tunnel Drive aligned correctly, though I assume you might want to oversee that personally. Shuttles are en route to replace any lost personnel – I also am requesting a transfer of one individual to my command crew.”

	“Captain, with all due respect-” Twilight spun around, hearing the wheels of a gurney returning to the Bridge. Deadwood smiled as he looked at his Commander, motioning her over to him. 

“Commander, if he’s going to request a Navigator, I volunteer for the transfer. It will be good to be useful… once I’m out of the woods with my injuries. Get down to Deepwell. We need that Catalyst.”


--------//|0|\\--------


Deepwell was a gorgeous planet, but despite its beauty, Twilight could not help but think of all the death that had been incurred thanks to a single human. Isaac sat beside her, with Janus beside him. It felt almost surreal to be seated in what amounted to an upper-class lounge, where a waiter would bring out cheese or crackers, among other snacks and drinks that were available. Akane sat across from all three of them, her eyes gleaming even under the bandages wrapped around her head.

Zvaro engineers had swarmed the Fortress the moment they had docked with the orbital elevator, materials and personnel surging through the access hatches as a reparation for the damage dealt, though Twilight would have preferred the engineers she knew – she did not know if some of them were trying to figure out her Tunnel Drive, her baby, and that made her tense up whenever another Zvaro-Jun engineer brushed past her.

However, the sheer difference between the docks at the orbital elevator and the actual surface facilities were such a stark contrast that Twilight felt as if she was suffering from visual whiplash. Soft music wafted in from subsurface speakers scattered all around the room, hidden in almost any object she could think of. Her eyes went over every detail, every piece of the room as she drank it all in, feeling desperately as if she was standing in a dream and she was still actually aboard the Solus Invictus, trying to keep her crew alive.

“I wish I could do more than I’ve been authorized, but the Board of Investors won’t let me give you more than stipulated by our Reparations Policy and our marketing and merchandising deal. I swear, if I had even an inkling that we would have gone through something like that-” Isaac held up his hand, silencing Akane before she started to rant, motioning to Twilight to speak.

“Miss Zvaro. Akane. Thank you for your hospitality, and your sponsorship...” Twilight trailed off as she shook slightly, feeling the stress still bearing down on her. “But I do have to object – your engineers requested not just basic, but detailed blueprints for a drive technology that they have no right to examine, especially after what happened,” Twilight spat out, feeling Isaac’s hand pat her on the head to try and keep her level-minded. She had her duty in her mind, but her own emotions were harder to keep in check, to keep in line. Her eyes locked with Akane’s, their emotions similar in aspect, but different in source.

“Commander, I understand how you must feel–“

“With all due respect, Miss Director, I don’t think you do. The Equestrians are much less formal compared to many societies formed by humanity, including the one you found yourself from. She went out of her way to befriend all her new crew members, even members of my Fortress before she took us into her crew, and for them, losing a friend is like losing a brother or a sister – the pain runs deeper than words can express. Imagine if you were the commanding officer of an expansive crew, except the crew felt more like a family to you, and you lost 46 brothers and sisters. How would you feel?” Isaac interrupted, making Akane back down and sit in silence. She hated to admit it to anyone, but Isaac had a point – she did not understand Twilight’s feelings of utter failure. She had never seen anyone die before, either, but she had stood and watched as many covered gurneys were rolled out of the Fortress for Equestrian burial rites in accordance with each of the different race’s customs – Pegasi cremated to be spread among the winds, Earth Ponies to be covered in earth to represent their lifestyles, and Unicorns cremated like Pegasi, except their ashes were compressed to create a small Mana Gem, a stone that would never age, nor decay, as long as Equestrians remained to keep it safe. Minotaurs were burned upon a pyre according to their ancient traditions as warriors, leaving their possessions to be shared among the remainder of their clan.  

Her hands clenched and unclenched as she sat there, the silence overwhelming as she felt the tension rise. Akane Zvaro was a woman of action, of ambition, but there were no words nor actions to take, nothing that would bring back the dead.

“I know I don’t understand how she feels; I don’t think I ever will truly get it. But we have to come out of here with something. The Solus Invictus is still in need of major repairs, and I know some of my engineers were eyeing those cannons your Chief Engineer designed. I can’t talk feelings or the past, but we came here originally to talk business, and it’s better we continue on. They wouldn’t have wanted you to stay rooted in place, would they?”

“N-No, Akane,” Twilight replied, her voice barely a whisper. She was feeling the effects of the adrenaline breaking down in her system, the exhaustion creeping around her eyes. She felt her eyes start to close until she felt an odor wafting into her nose, the smell of freshly ground beans and slight amounts of hazelnut. Opening her eyes, she noticed that Isaac was holding a metal cup filled with coffee, that black elixir calling to her as she squirmed in her seat. Isaac chuckled as he passed off the cup, watching her down the mug quicker than anyone could have thought possible.

“We’re loading up Catalyst Ore right now, Emerald-class for now. Sapphire-class is highly restricted right now due to some unsavory skirmishes between the Torassi and the Thalrazyne that have been encroaching on War Games zones for months. However, I think that it should be enough to build more specialized devices. I did see that Ether Cannon in action, although it exploded in a rather spectacular fashion.”

“I’m not going to sugarcoat it, Zvaro-Jun TechCorp messed up badly, but they’re attempting to save face in the most cost-efficient way possible. Of course… that also means that they’re pushing out the toy line a bit faster. The “Frontier Guardians” line.” Pulling out a small figurine, Akane tapped the mane, showing off the action pose of Commander Sparkle, the translucent plastic swirling around her as a representation of the sheer etheric might the Commander could muster. Janus lifted the figurine, tapping it as he clacked his beak, what Isaac had come to know as the human equivalent of ‘biting your lip when thinking.’ Twilight looked out the window, staring at the waterfalls and the various birds floating around on natural thermal updrafts. It still felt odd, the numbness inside from the loss of life still something she knew she would be dealing with for a while, but she knew that she had to agree – no sponsorship meant no capital for protecting the Fortress, getting new equipment, and maybe making it so that the same loss of life would not occur again.

Glancing up, Twilight locked eyes with Akane again, setting her jaw in a grim frown.

“Then let’s talk business, Akane.”
> Chapter 13 - Unwinnable Scenario
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Three Months Later

The sun was crisp, though artificial light could only feel as crisp as it looked, vents on the walls of the Terrace level creating a light breeze as holographic panels in the walls recreated the view from one of the Accord Hotels on one of the human planets, birds fluttering in the distance as clouds drifted past. Twilight, in part, was impressed with the upgrades that had been made, but was even further impressed by the near-realism of the projected images.

“Very few Fortresses even have projections like this. Mostly they have to settle for simulation rooms, or virtual reality helmets. Zvaro-Jun really is at the forefront of the technological world, huh,” Isaac mused as he walked beside his Commander, glancing down at a fresh scar on the back of her neck. Rubbing his own, he knew how taxing some of the implants could be, and he knew she had started to embrace the more interesting side of transhumanism, albeit whatever the equivalent for non-human races was. For what it was worth, though, she wore her new prosthetic well.  

“Y-Yeah. I’m still having issues with my leg, but that’s a topic for later, heh.” Isaac rubbed her head, scratching behind her ears as they both took seats overlooking the holographic waterfalls.

“Eurasia.”

“What?”  

“Eurasia. That’s the planet that the panels are projecting. It’s a world of dense jungle and beautiful rivers. Of course, they’re a tough breed of humanity – the nearby colony of Valhalla has invaded them once or twice. They’ve got this plant that tastes almost exactly like potatoes, but grows like corn. Massive stalks of tuber-corn, fields as far as the eye can see on the mountain plateaus where it can even grow,” Isaac explained, motioning around him as he talked. Twilight sat still, enraptured by his words as he explained about the worlds he had explored, or simply traveled to. The jungle planet Eurasia, the ice world of Valhalla, even the volcanic mining planet of Janus, it seemed that she could not get enough of the tales of each world. It was one thing to read about them, watch mobile platform footage or play movies based around the planets, she needed to hear accounts that were how someone felt about the world, how they perceived it. She had been learning so much in the time that they had been spending in orbit around Deepwell, she had scarcely had time to process it all.

“Ah, darling, I knew we’d find you up here.”  

Twilight turned to face her friends, but something seemed… off to her. It was almost as if she was remembering their faces through a data record, rather than her own eyes and feelings. Shaking her head, she tried to keep her mind settled, staring down at a cup of coffee that had been slid in front of here.  

“This isn’t… why doesn’t this feel real?”

“That’s because it isn’t.”

Twilight glanced around, seeing sparks fly out of monitors, unconscious or dying crew around her as she dragged herself. A sharp, stinging pain filled her foreleg as she tried to move, gradually increasing until it felt more like someone was ripping her apart. Sparing a glance, she gagged as she looked at her foreleg, trapped underneath a piece of fallen metal, blood pooling as small tendons barely kept it attached. She felt the bile bubble up in her throat, spewing from her mouth as she tried to make sense of what was going on.

“I was… on my way to the Terrace, where Isaac was needing to go over new safety protocols, and we- what was going on-”

“She’s here! Get the heavy lift exo-skeleton, she’s trapped under some plating!” A voice shouted nearby, trying to call attention to her, but Twilight could have sworn Isaac was screaming in her ear. She felt hands lift her, several ponies around her grabbing and shifting her gently as she was slid upon what felt like a stretcher, the fabric comfortable against her coat.

“Get her to the Infirmary! Bridge, what’s the status on those ships? Any contact from the Bastion?”

	“Sorry, Isaac. We’ve had no contact from the Bastion since we Tunneled out. Enemy forces are at near full strength – our cannons are barely making a dent in their armour!”

	“Dammit. Okay, keep up the good work – use that asteroid field we scanned earlier to screen their missiles, should buy us some time. Hey, Fluttershy, we’ve got wounded up in Habitation! When can I expect another team of medics?” Isaac clicked his comm-link, the handset attached to his combat suit growling with static as he awaited replies. It had only been six hours, but the beating the unknown vessels were giving the Solus Invictus was not something he would have expected from supposed pirate fleets; they were more likely to tag you with a marker and steal from you at a backwater port than risk a confrontation with a Battle Fortress and a potential support fleet. Starlight was out of commission, having been blasted halfway across the Command Bridge when a surge panel blew, and Twilight was certainly in no shape to lead her crew in a defensive operation. Several security personnel – a squad of Minotaurs in combat suits, if his eyes were telling him the truth – stopped before him, loading their rifles.

“Commander Humphries, we’ve got teams stranded in areas of the ship where gravity has shut down. What would be the best course of action to get them out?”

“Check your Mag-Boots before going down to help – zero-gravity means floating objects are just as deadly as a bullet. Did you clear a path to the Bridge yet? Medics can’t get up there until we clear it out.”

“The objective was completed, sir. We’ll be on our way down to Engineering – Applejack’s engineers are panicking where they’re trapped,” the leader of the squad replied, nodding as he spoke. Isaac in turn nodded silently, pointing his thumb behind him before lifting a dataslate to his face.

“Computer, pause simulation,” he requested, glancing around as the scene around him rendered down to blank projector walls and several stunned individuals. Twilight stood ramrod stiff, her face a mask of terror and fright as she tried to process what she had just been through. Rainbow Dash stood off to the side, slamming her head against a nearby wall, while Fluttershy had rolled up into a ball, shivering and quivering as she muttered under her breath.

As Isaac turned to them all, he felt himself lift off his feet as two back hooves impacted the body armour he invariably wore underneath his uniform since offering to train Twilight’s Command Team when they left Deepwell. A Holographic Simulation Center had been installed where the previous Sim-Center had been, giving Isaac in-depth tools for rather realistic training.

Which was also why he was sailing twenty feet through the air towards a wall.

“You done did it now, sugarcube. Why would them pirates attack like that? I don’t rightly think you understand the damage you put us through!” Applejack shouted at him, glaring as he hauled himself to his feet. Brushing off his uniform, he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Lifting the dataslate up again, he tapped various symbols, the projector walls beaming out a two-word phrase, something which had him annoyed, and irritated against both himself and the crew he was attempting to train.

“You asked me to train you all so that you could do your jobs better, and then you choose a form of the ‘Kobayashi Maru’ situation! Do you all just not believe in the ‘no-win’ scenario?!” Isaac angrily spat, his voice echoing throughout the Sim-Center. “I would have been fine using any other scenario, anything at all, but all of your team, Commander, invariably choose the Kobayashi Maru scenario. It’s like they’re wanting to get boarded and shot!”

Tossing the dataslate to the side, he heard the tell-tale crack of the smart glass shattering against a wall, his own anger getting the better of him. Breathing deeply, he walked over to the door, wincing as he felt the bruises underneath the armour. He had been warned her buck could be lethal, but he was still relatively surprised – it had felt like he had been hit by a cannon shell. The silence in the room was palpable as he activated the door unlock, only stopping when one of the others grunted, laughing as she spoke.

“This is the Kobayashi Maru? The unwinnable scenario? I’ve seen crazier things in the simulators-” Rainbow Dash paused as Isaac was almost directly in front of her face, his eyes hard and unyielding as he stared her down. She could feel panic rise in her throat as the long stare of his gaze seemed to not be on her, but through her. She could see the sweat beading on his forehead, the shallow breaths he took. It was almost close to how she had seen Minotaurs on the crew look moments before they began to panic or freak out, but he was already freaking out, and she thought it could be something else.

However, Isaac was clearly not in the mood, leaving for the door once more when Twilight cleared her throat, getting his attention.

“Why let us talk you into that scenario, over and over, if you hate that scenario?” Twilight inquired quietly, watching his hand grip the edge of the door and clench, hard. She could have sworn that if it had been a robotic limb, he would have crumpled that metal like a paper cup. His eyes, though, told a story not of anger, but of fear, sorrow, and… worry?

“It’s different when you’re in a flight sim for it. You know that you can’t win, that you are able to get out of the pod. Doing it on foot, feeling the fire on your face, the blood on your hands… it changes a person. Even if you’ll never see combat, seeing people you are supposed to protect die over and over, simply because of how the scenario works, and being unable to help them, how would you think I would react?” He turned his head to expose his face to all of them, seeing the lines of anguish written on his face. Something about it made it hit far more readily than him just speaking, his facade of a war-torn leader breaking and showing the aging man underneath, the one that knew he could not run, fight, or live forever, and was trying to instill as much knowledge in the next generation as possible. Rarity backed away, her ears flat against her head as she glanced from Fluttershy to Applejack.

“What do you-”

“I’ve seen combat. Not this… war for sport, but actual combat, and actual fighting always leaves its mark behind,” he sighed, pulling a latex covering off of his right arm. With an unsatisfying plop, the fake skin hit the ground, the whirring of his prosthetic arm more noticeable without the muffling nature of thee synthetic sheath it normally bore. Tightly gripping the arm at the base of his elbow, he twisted, the arm retreating into a canister shape as he detached it. He knew he was showing them more than he should, but he felt, needed to prove to them to stop thinking of it all like everyone was going to make it out alive.

“Is that…?” Rarity shakily asked, her eyes gleaming with tears as she looked at the arm, and then down at the synthetic skin on the ground.  

“Yeah. We stood up against invasion once… the UEC called them the Graawl, bio-synthetic lifeforms that seemed to be able to kill or destroy, consume and feast at will. They can corrupt and control both flesh and machine, and I lost my arm destroying a Graawl Planetary Node when they last invaded. The UEC gave me this prosthetic and kicked me out to the black, though. Had me kissing sky before I’d even left the cruiser I was on,” Isaac explained, reconnecting the arm to its socket and retrieving the skin from its position on the floor. It was a little unsettling to anyone he showed the arm to, but it always drove the point home. Flexing the fingers as a check to make sure the connection was solid, he slid the artificial skin over it like a glove, stretching it into place before rolling his sleeve down.

“Commander Sparkle to Command, repeat, Commander Sparkle to Command.”

“Commander, I think you should probably go. I… need to lie down.” Wincing, Isaac groaned as he sat down on the floor of the SimCenter, looking over at Twilight. Her face showed confusion as she glanced around, still somewhat in shock as to what happened in the simulation. Removing his chestplate, he tossed it to the side, the dents clearly visible as the armor had serve its purpose. Applejack looked from him to the armor piece, back up to Twilight, and then back to him, her eyebrows asking a question her mouth would not.

“I-I think we should all take a break, if that’s a-all right with everyone.” Everyone turned to look at Fluttershy, whose voice barely lifted above a whisper, her fear and apprehension visible in her movements. Tilting backwards until he was flat on his back, Isaac stared up at the ceiling, his face neutral as he tried to regain his composure.

“I warned you all that it would be hell to do. I fucking warned you, and you still decided to go through with it… your race was never one for war, was it? Blood, pain, praying to whatever deity might listen – as the saying goes, ‘There’s no such thing as an atheist in a foxhole.’ Nine heavens, why did I get stuck with training duty?” Fluttershy shakily approached the swearing human, sitting down beside him as she stole a few glances over in his direction. With a quick motion, he sat up, rubbing his face with his hands as he whispered out a small prayer in apology for his outbursts.

“W-what is the… ‘Nine Heavens,’ I-Isaac,” Fluttershy inquired of Isaac, her voice barely a whisper. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he looked at the blank wall where a bank of hologram-field projectors had been damaged from his impact with the wall. Sighing, he glanced over at the Pegasus, his hands on his knees.

“It’s funny. About two millennia ago, people would have sworn that religion was dead and that people could survive without faith in some kind of pantheon. What a crock of shit that was. The Nine Heavens is a system of belief adopted from an alien race, the… Thalrazyne, I think. The belief is that when your life ends, your spirit, all that you are, is judged by the Celestial Architect, and you are sorted into one of nine Heavens. If you are exceptionally evil, your spirit is returned to the material universe and you are reborn to atone for your mistakes in your past life. The Pentecostal Assemblies of Mars were another group, based off of old Earth Protestantism, and even the Hall of Glory is a belief, held by the people of the planet Valhalla. I believe in the Nine Heavens, as it is said that even soldiers have a place there, a special heaven where ‘they can finally rest, after their time in hell.’ Heh,” Isaac chuckled as he looked over at Fluttershy, her face a mask of confusion, “I wouldn’t expect you to fully grasp it. I’m sure there are some from your world that deify the Diarchy as goddesses. Considering what I’ve heard about your world, I wouldn’t put it past your people.”

“T-There are groups like that, yes. The Solarians and the Lunites.”

“Wait, so, they believe that only one of the sisters is a goddess? You think they’d have it be both, but one be more powerful than the other.”

“You’d think that. But for all intents and purposes, they really don’t.” Fluttershy stood up quickly, her hoof raising to her brow in a quick salute.

“At ease, PO Fluttershy. We’re on the Fortress, don’t be so formal.” Captain Janus Stoneclaw entered, his rank insignia shining and somewhat different, compared to what Isaac had seen on most Coalition personnel.

“Ah, the captain of the Bastion.”

	“And you must be Security Chief Isaac Humphries. Thanks for keeping my brother, Oscar, out of trouble. The Bastion is still docked, of course – my engineers are still trying to clear out the final portions of debris around your shuttle bays. By the Ancestors, you all took a beating. Those Etheric Cannons are something else.” Isaac stood up as Janus finished, grimacing as he felt his abdominal muscles cramp. Stumbling, he rose to his full height, the Gryphon coming up to his midriff.  

“How many of those destroyers does your Hegemony have, if you don’t mind me asking,” Isaac  requested, hoping to understand the industrial capacity of the Gryphon Hegemony. He understood that a majority of races had joined the Coalition, but most of what he had seen had been the Ancestral Changeling Hives, the Minotaur Alliance, and, of course, the Equestrians. If the Gryphons were far more industrialized, it would make them far more invaluable in his mind – of course, the Coalition was who he now served under, but Isaac was never a man to show his hand too early.

“The Bastion-class destroyer… well, the Bastion is the namesake of the ship class. We’ve got maybe another 4 nearing completion now, but that’s just the ship itself. The Tunnel Drive is another matter – without the designer of the drive present on Equus, we cannot fine-tune the Magi-Tech Computational Matrix that she designed for it. We couldn’t even run it properly until we arrived here, and she’s been very protective of it, even going so far as to not tell anyone that the MTCM existed. Due to such circumstances, we cannot boast the efficiency of the Solus Invictus’ Tunnel Drive. Then again, the Coalition is somewhat against sharing quantities of magicite to fuel drives not built by their own shipyards.”

“I wasn’t aware that the Equestrian Coalition had any shipyards.”

“You would be hard-pressed to get the information out of them, but deep in the Everfree Desert, at the base known as Luna’s Cradle, they’ve repurposed the Fortress Cradle they designed originally for  ship production… though what type of ship they hope to produce, I cannot begin to fathom. Anyways, I was mostly coming to see the result of the simulation training, and to see if I could request your assistance in setting up a training regimen for my own crew.” Isaac chuckled as he retrieved the chestplate, tucking it under one arm as he left the room. Pointing at the far wall where the human-sized dent was, he shook his head, tapping the switch for the door.

“We’d need a full repair and recalibration after someone chucked me into a wall. Talk to me later, Captain. I’ll see if I can’t create a decent anti-piracy scenario for you.”


--------//|0|\\--------


“That stupid human! Always thinking he’s better than us, smugly sending Twilight, Applejack, and Fluttershy, of all ponies, into the Kobayashi Maru! I would love to kick him in his stupid, smug teeth, break his jaw, show him what we’re really capable of! ‘Your race was never one for war.’ I’ll show him ‘not one for war-’”

	“Rainbow! Calm down, you’re denting the door.” Rainbow Dash looked up to see Deadwood, on his feet, slowly walking up in his new uniform. The Hegemony Command insignia shone proudly on his collar, the brown and green of the Hegemony uniform barely clashing with the colours of his own coat. Turning back to the door, she saw where her hooves had impacted, leaving a tell-tale imprint in a dent. 

“Deadwood. Not long until the transfer paperwork finishes, huh.”

“Actually, it’s just finished. We never talked much during training, but you’re still just as hot-headed now as you were as a cadet. Gryphons are… interesting, to say the least, but I get the feeling that they have a more deep-seated respect for me due to my relationship with Oscar. Gryphon’s got a run-on mouth, but he’s dependable.” Fiddling with his rank insignia on the opposite side from his Command insignia, he smirked as Rainbow Dash looked him over, raising an eyebrow as she got to the  Hegemony officer’s cap hanging off his side.

“It suits you, really. Hey, let the hotshot Gryphon pilots know that if they want to have a match, Rainbow’s Raiders are always ready to throw down.”

“Yeah, I will-” Deadwood stopped, looking down at the deck plating before turning back to Rainbow. “I didn’t make this decision lightly, you know. Communication came in before Twilight had even known about the possibility of a transfer. Gryphons are amazing engineers and soldiers, but navigating seems to be a skill very few possess.”  

Lifting the officer’s cap, he firmly placed it on his head, a stump where his horn had once been. A gasp from behind him caused him to turn around, facing Twilight and Starlight, their jaws slack as their eyes were drawn to the hornless unicorn. He saluted, smiling before the expression faltered, his eyes falling to the deck once more.

“Y-Your horn-”

“Had it removed. Honestly wasn’t doing anything anyways – I don’t have magic. Never stopped me before. Your medics recommended I get it removed, anyways. Something about ‘etheric interference’ restricting my body’s admittedly incredible ability to heal. Commander, XO, it was a pleasure to serve under you. I need to get over to the Bastion, get settled with my new crewmates.” With a curt nod and a quick salute, Deadwood turned to leave, chuckling as he joined with another group of crew members returning to the Bastion. Something about it made anger well up inside of her, but as for why it did, Rainbow could not fathom.

“Hornless. Unable to use magic, so preferred the more efficient approach. Odd that such a being would take that path.” The mechanical lilt of the speech had Rainbow stiffen up, turning her head slowly until she locked eyes with a human holding a dataslate, his eyebrows raised in a quizzical expression. The face looked familiar, but as she was about to ask the human, he walked away, disappearing around a corner before he could be questioned.

“No, that couldn’t be… that would be impossible, wouldn’t it?” Sighing, she looked at the docking interlock, the heavy doors groaning as they shut. Most of the transfers to the Fortress were done, but the crew that left, it was a little unnerving to her. Gryphons were a proud race, idealistic and strong, but they were fast outclassing any Equestrian engineer or scientist with their efficiency and focus.  

“Still worried about the future?” Rainbow glanced around until she noticed, floating in the corner of her vision, a small icon that looked like Twilight’s face. With a sigh, she mentally allowed the connection, chuckling as she turned away from the interlock.

“If I said I wasn’t, I would be lying.”

“You’re thinking about the Graawl, aren’t you?”

“Wish I wasn’t. I’m still angry with Isaac, that hasn’t changed, but the Graawl are… something else.” Rainbow turned several corners, returning to a main thoroughfare through the vessel’s main command deck. Her anger was still a tempered flame, but her mind wandered, wondering just what the Graawl looked like. Something about the way Isaac had talked about them almost seemed like respect, after a fashion, but not the sort of respect one gave a friend; it was the unmitigated respect one would give a strong opponent, while making certain to never be defeated in the future.

“Managed to pull up some information after I… calmed down. And they’ve been around a long time. Apparently, the space they used to occupy contains a massive interstellar gate some called the TitanusGate, named for a powerful warrior in the Thalrazyne culture. They’re still active on a planet in the Janus Accord region, where Valhalla, Eurasia and a couple of other planets are as well.” Twilight cut her mic quickly after finishing, letting Rainbow’s thoughts catch up with her. They had a match soon, though it was not for another few months, meaning that they had the chance to do a little… ‘sightseeing’ of their own. Humans, as far as Rainbow was concerned, were warlike and rather hot-headed, though a few of the crew had pointed out to her that her attitude was more human than she would care to admit. Her mind flashed back to the training simulation, with the smell of the blood, the metal and oil, even the screams, it was a little too real for her. Gritting her teeth, she stepped into a Mag-Rail pod, taking a seat before speaking up.

“Engineering, Manufacturing Level 1.” With the doors hissing shut, she glanced up at an advertisement strip that had been recently installed in the pods. A marquee sign rotated below a couple of advertisement loops that detailed out various products from around the galaxy. As she watched them, one product caught her eye as it detailed out several new products.

“Primogen Information Dynamics, with the newest model of Sentient Integrated Program androids. The Mark Nineteen is the sleekest, most robust model ever developed since the days of the Janus Accord. Available now at your nearest PID distributor.”

	“Rescind last request – take me to Terrace Level 1. Hey, Twilight? Meet me on the Terrace, I have a request of sorts.”


--------//|0|\\--------


“No.”

“Twi, come on!”

“In matters like this, it’s Commander or ma’am. If you remember, Rainbow, I am your commanding officer. And no, we cannot justify the expense to acquire a new SIP android. Besides the fact that there is no one onboard the Solus Invictus who has the slightest idea on how to interface the SIP with the Fortress, we’re not about to take a detour into disputed space just because you want a p-” Twilight stopped as Rainbow stood on her hind legs, slamming her forehooves down on the metal table. Breathing hard and staring angrily at Twilight, she settled herself back down, staring away from Twilight as she forced her breathing under control.

“Twilight, the SIP isn’t a pet, they’re a sophisticated piece of technology, and the heart of any starship! According to data available on the ship’s database, a Battle Fortress is not operating at its full potential without one! Unit 3, the Kepler’s SIP, is still assisting Star Swirl with science stuff back in the Cradle, and Unit 27 was the SIP for a ship that no longer exists. We. Need. One. Twilight.” Rainbow finished with a sigh and a deep breath, still attempting to keep her cool. Since her cybernetic enhancement, she had found a majority of information far more easily understood than before. From what she was aware of, something about how the enhancement worked made her mind offload a portion of the processing needed onto the Fortress in case of matters where she had never even touched the surface of what was there. Twilight, on the other hand, was used to all of the technological studies that were a part of their lives, and could explain things away without having to rely on her MIS implant. Leaving that aside, the limited amount of data she could scrounge up from the database supported her, but the SIP itself – the frame, the networked operating system, and even the uplink interface that connected one such android to a ship’s main computer to act as the ship’s Artificial Intelligence, 

“And we do not have a dedicated AI Specialist! Without someone with that expertise, we may as well be handing our opponents the trigger themselves! I-”

“The simulation’s still on your mind, isn’t it?” Twilight’s sudden choking confirmed what Rainbow believed, as Twilight tried to regain her composure after swallowing and breathing slowly.  

“That’s not- wait a- fine, yes, it is. But can you blame me? Isaac put us through literal hell-”

“At your request, Twi. At your request. He did warn all of us, and you still went through with the Kobayashi Maru. Wish I knew what that was actually in reference to… probably some old Earth thing. But still, you requested it, because you wanted to understand what some of the humans have gone through. We are still here, despite attempts from someone at sabotage. I think we need all the help we can-”

“Commander, Warrant. May I join you?”

“Captain Stoneclaw. Have you been listening to our conversation?”

“Only the last few minutes. We do have a crew member that might interest you. Crew says she’s an old… acquaintance of yours. Her name is-”

“The Great and Powerful-”

“Sergeant. Trixie. Lulamoon. You’re neither great, nor powerful. You were a showmare back on Equus, but out here in the black, you’re not going to impress even a human with that kind of boastful language,” Janus finished, his eyes narrowed at his new charge. “Despite all that, she’s the best mare we have for dealing with Artificial Intelligence research. She’s a bit… unpredictable, but she might get the job done. Provided she can keep her mouth shut this time.” Trixie glanced away, her face pale as she looked anywhere but where her captain stood. Twilight glanced at the uniform, raising an eyebrow at the deep blue that covered Trixie’s bright-blue coat before returning her gaze to Janus.

“Civilian?”

“Military Research and Development, actually. She’s part of the reason the Bastion works as well as it does. While the Coalition does not have as powerful AI units as the humans, Thalrazyne, or Torassi, she’s still our top scientist in that regard.” Twilight could do nothing but stare as her brain tried to wrap itself around the new information that refused to assimilate itself into her mind.

“Her. Trixie. Self-proclaimed nemesis, an AI Specialist?!” Twilight finished her sentence, still working her jaw in confusion and sheer completely befuddlement as Trixie narrowed her eyes at her former nemesis and chuckled, letting Twilight stew a minute before a smug expression crossed her face.

“Sir, if I may…”

“Speak quickly, or I might just rescind my approval of you being aboard the Bastion.”

“Ahem.” Trixie sighed as she withdrew a small holographic projector, a disc that Twilight remembered from one of the few times she had met Captain Brightstone. However, Trixie affixed it to a brace around her foreleg, lifting it to display a very detailed chart of calculations. Her eyes flashed blue quickly as her tone shifted, as if someone else was speaking through her. The pace of speech was different as well.

“As you are aware, Commander Sparkle, all Coalition vessels currently in service are severely lacking in the AI Command department. Due to this, we cannot react as effectively to external threats as we could, which includes pirates and possible enemy action. This program is to attempt to replicate such an Artificial Intelligence, though, as you are no doubt aware, this one is unfortunately far more primitive than the Sentient Integrated Program androids available from most commercial android producers.” With a cough, Trixie’s eyes flashed blue again as she withdrew a small package of white tablets from a pocket on her uniform.

“Bit, next time you decide to speak for me, give me fair warning before you hijack my implant. That was worse than it normally is.”

“Bit? Hijack?” Twilight raised an eyebrow as he looked over at Janus, who sighed and covered his face with his claws. Handing over a dataslate to Twilight, he examined Trixie closely, attempting to see if she was still tracking reality.

“Trixie is an AI Specialist of the most experimental degree. Her own personal program, Bit, sort of… lives in her implant? It’s hard to explain, but he basically is her management software, except has a tendency to ‘jump the gun,’ as it were, and hijack Trixie’s motor functions to explain things without the verbosity of Trixie’s normal explanations. We’ve attempted to copy his program, and only succeeded in the program that the both of them displayed. It’s not what we hoped for when she was assigned to the Bastion, but as I said, she’s the best on Equus.”

“Trixie is an outstanding programmer and her mind is uniquely adept at handling the merger of Artificial and Natural Intelligence. Technically, we are one being, in a way, but we also do not have shared experiences like other beings in the galaxy.” Trixie tapped a speaker on her uniform, chuckling as she tapped on her brace again, the hologram disappearing. Sighing, she popped one of the blisters on the tablet package and sucked one down, grimacing as she swallowed.

“And yet I still have to take Coltix so I don’t lose what’s left of my sanity, Bit! Ahem. Anyways, as I was trying to explain, the program I wrote, with Bit overseeing an injection of his own code into it, should suffice until we can acquire a SIP or AI Core of some kind. Of course, if you do not need me, I can continue my work aboard the Bast-”

	“Sweet Celestia, Twilight, please take her! She hasn’t stopped talking once since we set off from Equus! Just… take her!” With that, Janus turned and left, several Bastion officers following him out who had been relaxing on the Terrace. Trixie raised a hoof in protest, lowering it only when she realized that Janus would not hear her. Lowering her head and smiling sheepishly, she took a seat at the table Twilight still sat at, Rainbow raising an eyebrow before waving over at Donut Joe and tapping her dataslate to order some food.

“I may have not been as… discreet as I should have been.”

“That’s an understatement. Outside of our home planet, things work differently, Trixie. There are things you can experience that could drive you mad, or have incredibly strange panic attacks, in the case of Starlight. Speaking of Starlight, Twilight, are you pulling her from Avatar duty after the first match? Her aptitude-” Rainbow looked up, interrupted by Donut Joe placing coffee and pastries on the table, muttering a silent thank you before returning to the conversation.

“Her aptitude was never in doubt, Dash. But she doesn’t have the nerve it takes for a combat scenario. Hmm…” Twilight trailed off as she looked around, her eyes darting until they settled on Trixie. Sputtering, Rainbow’s eyes flew wide in shock, her eyes bouncing from Twilight to Trixie.

“No.”

“Yes.”

“I’m being serious, Twi. Her. The one that caused enough problem for Ponyville that the local economy was still feeling it after we left.”

“I’m serious as well, Rainbow Dash. Take her down to the Infirmary, get Chrysalis and Fluttershy to run the compatibility battery of tests. I would take over as Avatar, but, as you remember-” Rainbow Dash started to snicker, her laughter echoing throughout the Terracce.

“’You’ve got the compatibility of a baked potato!’ The medics were talking about that for weeks! But, yeah, sure, I’ll take her down.”


--------//|0|\\--------


“There’s been another electrical burn case in Hydroponics… again. Redheart, dispatch Med-Team 5 to the area – we’ve told Braeburn to keep the maintenance panels free from obstacles, but I don’t think he’s really understanding- oh, Fluttershy! The new crew member is here for her physical!” Chrysalis, her blue Science Division uniform a stark contrast against her black, chitinous body, tapped the focused Pegasus on her back, the touch enough to make her shriek and run a couple feet away before she realized where she was and sighed deeply.

“Sorry, Chrysalis. I kinda got over-focused on the genome sequence again. I still have no idea why your genetic sequence has such a powerful effect on the Growth Accelerant Gel – not the Changeling genetic sequence in general, but yours specifically- oh, hey, Rainbow. Who’s the newcom- oh. Hello.” Fluttershy tentatively held out her hoof, lightly shaking Trixie’s hoof before she turned to gather instruments. Motioning to a nearby medical examination table, she placed a head-lamp on her head, making certain that Trixie’s motor functions were working as they should.

“You okay, Fluttershy?”

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen her, but she was going through the Coalition Security Forces training center with us. AI Specialist, though, that’s better than Explosive Ordinance Disposal, isn’t it?” Fluttershy glanced up at Trixie, who stuck out a tongue. “No need for that. I just need to draw some blood for the Compatibility Exam. Hold still, you’ll feel a little prick- ah, there we go. Just enough for the computer to render a decent result. Let’s just pop this in and- oh. Oh. Oh my.”

“Fluttershy?”

“Rainbow, she has zero compatibility with our cloning material. It’s not that she’s incapable of being cloned, it’s that there isn’t a single clone that would retain form for more than a few seconds!”

“I am not here to be a Commander in the War Games – I am here to get your ship properly running- well, myself and Bit-”

“Warrant Officer Dash, Sergeant Lulamoon, please report to Command. Warrant Officer Dash, Sergeant Lulamoon, report to Command.”

	“Duty calls, Trixie.

Welcome to the Solus Invictus.”
> Chapter 14 - Dead Echoes
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Keep your eyes peeled. That transport can’t have gone off the beaten path that much.”

“Roger, Eagle Lead. Flight confirms we are nearing the coordinated of the missing vessel.”

Twilight stood on the Command Bridge of the Solus Invictus, her eyes darting around at various screens while they checked the distress signal they had encountered. Gallick’s Graveyard was the region it beamed from, and from the looks of the signal, it had been Torassi in nature. At the first mention of a rescue mission using the newly constructed Coalition Type 17 Interceptor – the C-T17, or the Catball, as a few of the crew had nicknamed it – Rainbow Dash had volunteered her flight team for duty, the others springing into action as soon as they could.  

“Scans show severe deterioration in the hull of the craft, almost like gravity shear. But that would only make sense if there was some kind of gravity well in the area. Julia, how’s their engagement pattern looking?” The tomboyish, mousey-haired human Navigator nodded, tapping various symbols as her hands appeared to basically float beside Ditzy’s, her eyes darting as she took in as much information as possible.

“They’re doing fine, ma’am. They should be- wait, how is that possible... Commander, long-range sensors just picked up a planet or planetoid of some kind! Looks shielded, like, heavily shielded.”

“I’m seeing it too. Looks uninhabited, but we can’t read anything through the shield. That barrier might show us the existence of a race we haven’t met yet.”

“It could also be an Orohdo stronghold, too, ma’am. Cyber-freaks taking this ship? It would be like Christmas day for the no-jaws.” Julia glanced over at Ditzy, tapping a few icons on her side to help her control better with her eye condition. Bringing up an icon, Julia sent a telemetry-based image of the ship in distress, what appeared to be some sort of refitted Torassi frigate, the portions where weapons bays would have been having been ripped out and replaced with habitation areas. Particles in the image  detailed out the escaping atmosphere, which would explain why their attempts at communication had gone unanswered.   

“Keeping our eyes open- hold up, approaching coordinates. Looks pretty bad on our end over here. We’ll try docking with the available shuttle ports, see if we can’t see what attacked her, and if there are any survivors.” The communications channel clicked off, signalling the wing’s final approach. Four blue triangles on the telemetry screen locked onto the massive signature of the Torassi transport, symbols blinking above each as they locked into place. Twilight tapped a call icon on her display, bringing up communications with Isaac Humphries.

“Hey, Isaac? You’ve still got your team ready to go, right?”

“Yeah, why? Expecting trouble?”

	“I’m hoping this doesn’t turn into a double rescue mission.”


--------//|0|\\--------
  

“Opening airlock intersection. We’ll meet at the central hub, Eagle Lead. Good hunting.” Rainbow Dash cycled her connection, hearing the tell-tale hiss of passing oxygen. With a heavy sound of hydraulic fluid moving, the airlock door rotated open, the iris-like door locking itself down before Rainbow entered. Tapping a few buttons on the side of her C-T17, she felt a weapons harness secure itself into convenient portions of her pressure suit, the connections synchronizing and locking before it displayed on her HUD. The modified UEC RK-5F slotted into its designated connector, the interface itself linking with Rainbow’s MIS device. She bit her lip, keeping an eye on her oxygen rate. At her current level of consumption, without reconnecting to the Interceptor, she would have around 5 hours of oxygen, give or take a few hazardous scenarios she could imagine.

“Airlock cycled. Moving to hub. See you there, Eagle Squadron.” Tapping her hooves together, she felt the telltale click of her mag-boots locking onto the damaged plating beyond the airlock. The C-T17 was a beautiful, well-designed machine, but the sight on the other side of the airlock door had her pausing carefully. With a quick thought passed, her suit’s helmet lights flickered on, the batteries kicking in as she saw the length of the corridor. She had not met the Torassi on Nexus Station, but she was well-informed as to the sheer size of the reptilian aliens. With a push, she demagnetized and slowly floated through the airlock hatch, passing by what appeared to be... something, though what it was appeared to be dead. From the teeth, the tail and the claws, she assumed it was not one of the Torassi, nor one of their pets.

“Copy Eagle Lead. Eagles 1 and 3 are at hub. Awaiting yourself and Eagle 2. Eagle 2, are you reading?” Rainbow heard a disconcerting hiss across her suit’s radio, her fur standing on end as she continued to pass by claw marks and weapons fire. Her suit scanned a Torassi Defence Turret, sliced into 17 pieces, almost like confetti.  

“Eagle 2, respond, please. Eagle 1, I’m almost at the hub. Once I’m there, go check on Eagle 2. Maybe their radio didn’t engage again.” Floating past a couple of doorways, she glanced carefully, her lights hovering over floating trays, what appeared to be meals, and what she assumed was Torassi remains. With a sigh, she touched down, slowly walking towards the hub at the centerline of the ship. With a breath of relief, Eagles 1 and 3 were still there, looking around.

“Ah, Eagle Lead. Good timing. Still nothing from Eagle 2.”

“I figured. Let’s get suit-cams linked up. We’re out of radio contact while inside the transport – hull’s polarized against radio transmissions for some reason. Link Lead.”

“Link 1.”

“Link 3.”

As the three cameras displayed themselves on her helmet’s faceplate, Rainbow looked side-to-side, whistling at the damage. Eagle 1, nodding and turning, left up the damaged corridor leading to Eagle 2’s C-T17. Lifting up her foreleg, she tapped a brace, bringing up a map on her MIS’ HUD, displaying the approximate location of the Command Bridge.

“3, this way. We’ll make our way to the Command-”

“Lead, this is Eagle 1.”

	“Go ahead.”

“Eagle 2 is dead.” The silence from all 3 was palpable as Rainbow and 3 looked at each other. The atmosphere of the ship suddenly felt a lot more hostile than it had previously. With a thought, the trigger bit flipped up inside Rainbow’s suit, linking to her weapon harness as the RK-5F cocked itself, ready to fire.

“Cause of death?”

“Well... it’s sort of hard to tell? There’s not that much left to identify.”

	“I’m sorry, what.”

“Exactly what I said, ma’am. I’m literally looking at what’s left of her head. Whatever it was put a hole through her Interceptor, too. Cockpit’s compromised. I don’t think she even saw it coming.” Rainbow sighed, trying a connection to the Solus Invictus even through the hull polarization. The tell-tale static of a non-functioning connection had her turning her sights to other thoughts. As she tried to piece together what could have possibly happened, she felt scurrying across the metal of the deck plating, like something was moving faster than its size should have allowed.

“Eyes up. We may have hostile contacts. Eagle 1, return to hub. We’ll make our way to the Command Bridge and figure out what exactly this ship is, if not an actual transport.”

“Eagle 1 acknowledges. Returning.”

“Ma’am, may I speak freely?”

“Go ahead.”

“Whatever this is, it ripped through a Torassi hide like a hot knife through butter. I don’t think we want to be around to see what it looks like.”

“Agreed. Eagle 1, what’s your-” Before 1 could respond, Rainbow watched as his suit cam shifted, something with a lot of teeth, claws and suffering aimed directly at him. Blood sprayed out in bubbles of liquid as his suit’s cam went dark, whatever the thing was seemingly having had destroyed the battery pack. 3 looked at Rainbow, her eyes wide as she glanced around.

“Ma’am?”

“Motion trackers. Turn ‘em on, now!” A circular display popped up on her faceplate, displaying two signatures at the moment. “Okay, cover the rear, I’ll cover the front. If you see something, chances are its whatever killed 1, 2 and the crew of this ship. Shoot to kill, okay?”

As 3 took position, Rainbow bit her lip, sighing as she proceeded along the dark, looming corridor, the only light shining being 3’s and her helmet lights. The only feeling they could sense was the shuddering of the deck plating from each and every step, the recycled architecture foreboding and alien. As they passed room after room, Rainbow began to get a sinking feeling, as if she had been led into a trap. She could swear glowing eyes were staring at her from the dark, chittering and creeping. Her suit detected a sign, and auto-translated the Torassi letters into the sign for ‘Command Bridge.’

“Here. Door. Get it open, I’ll cover you, 3.” 3 stowed their weapon, withdrawing a plasma cutter from a pouch on their side. As the light from the cutter flickered off the walls, Rainbow started to  understand why she had felt so apprehensive. Organic webbing and nodules covered the ceiling, where the Torassi corpses were strung up like presents waiting to be opened. As she watched, a clunk from behind her alerted her to 3’s finished breaching plan. Stowing her own weapon, she helped push the powerless door open, sliding through after 3. As the door began to close up due to hydraulic pressure, something shot through the doorway, like a tail of some kind, thrashing about. The door hitched, hissed and slammed completely shut, severing the tail and letting it bleed yellow blood all over the floor.

“I don’t think that was a Torassi.”

“Willing to bet on that, 3? No? Good. Command console’s over here.” Re-arming their weapons, the two almost crawled to the console, keeping themselves as quiet as possible despite the clanking of their mag-boots. Attempting to push any of the large buttons around the console had no effect, as power seemed to be dead, leaving Rainbow Dash mentally scratching her head on how to proceed. Almost as if by sheer chance, one screen lit up, a flashing blue ‘Play Recording Y/N’ displayed. With nothing else to see or control, Rainbow tapped the Y on the screen, watching a recording as a shudder ran through the ship. Glancing around for a couple of seconds, she refocused her attention on the recording before her. The recording was from one of the corridor security cameras, detailing out the last minutes of the Torassi defenders. Claws, teeth and almost impossible things lashed out, cutting many in half, blood and organs pooling on the plating. As she watched, a hand reached past her and tapped the screen, pausing the recording. Spinning in place and almost losing her grip on the floor, she came face-to-face with Isaac, the human holding a finger to his helmet in a gesture of attempting to stay quiet.

“We’re here to extract you. Where’s the rest of Eagle Squadron?”

Rainbow just stood there in deafening silence, her eyes glued to the ground as Isaac put his hand on here back, sighing as he looked around.

“What happened to them, Dash? Where’s the rest of your team?”

“D-dead. Killed by whatever killed the crew here-”

“Graawl.”

“W-what..?”

“Graawl. Dammit, I didn’t think they’d made it off of Eurasia, but these are Graawl Cleavers, nasty little gremlins that can shear through battleship-grade alloy. Though, if Cleavers are here...” He trailed off, motioning towards the door. As Rainbow watched, multiple Security officers slowly made their way inside, prepping what appeared to be some kind of chemical thrower. Watching Isaac, her eyes tracked as he withdrew a dataslate from a hip pocket, tapping on it as he slowed down, looking directly up.

“Isaac?”

“Oh. That’s why the comms weren’t getting through. Rainbow Dash, Lightning Dust, we’re leaving. Now.”

“W-why-”

“Because what’s left of the crew is going to soon come for us. We’re dealing with a Graawl Composer, and I don’t want to be... here. Stay very... very... still.” Isaac slowly took a knee, lifting his sidearm out of its holster, the small weapon charging slowly. Motioning for the others to slowly move towards the door, he reached backwards, tapping his hand until he felt a handle, and tugged. Sliding out of the control console was a drive, of sorts, and Rainbow had a feeling she was looking at the Torassi equivalent of a ship’s black box.

“Isaac? Isaac...”  

“Ah, shit.” 

Glancing back at Rainbow Dash, Isaac looked around, seeing forms fold out of the walls. Rainbow watched in horror as the forms twisted, melting and merging until they came together as something not-human in nature. It looked human, but it was definitely not from how it was shuffling. Eyes glowing blue, lines running between them almost like circuits, and other small lights began to shine off of the not-human.

“Isaac, I’m going to do something really reckless, okay? I know you wanted us to be ready for anything, but I’m going to try something that I have no idea if it will even work. When it happens, you’re going to need to get everyone out.”

“Dash, what are you-” With what felt like a whoosh, Rainbow speared through the not-human, her forehooves cleaving cleanly through the mounds of flesh and sinew that made up the creature’s core. A heavy sloshing sound slapped onto the deck, though muffled as it was with the limited atmosphere that was being retained. Leaping backwards, she landed her hind legs hoof down directly onto the creature’s ‘skull,’ splashing gore and ichor across the decking. She could not be certain, but she swore it looked like she had crushed a Changeling, of all things. Smiling, she turned, only to let out a shriek as she felt her left wing and hind legs get pierced, the not-human having sprouted, rather rapidly, bladed tentacles.

“Everyone, run! It’s feral! Archer, toss me that flamethrower!” Isaac, with what ounce of willpower he could muster not to run at the sight of a creature that disgusted him, the vile concoction of a diseased hive-mind, lifted the chemical sprayer and grimaced.

“Isaac, just run!”

“No one gets left behind, not even reckless, self-important idiots like you!” With a squeeze of the trigger, ignited chemicals doused the creature, melting away the spines and blades embedded in Dash. With as quick a motion as he could muster, Isaac lifted Dash, cradling her as he attempted to lash her suit to his. Checking her RK-5F, he ripped the harness off, the device useless where it had been hit. Glowing spots began to increase around him as he finished tying off one more cord, lifting a severed Graawl tentacle-blade as he tried to run.

Outside the Command Bridge, it was pure chaos. Cleavers jumped, leaped and outmanoeuvred his Security personnel, slashing and cutting as they jumped between walls. The Graawl he remembered were not immune to the effects of hard vacuum, which meant something was very, very wrong with everything.

“Isaac, just-”

“Shut up Frost and let me save you!” Rainbow looked up, seeing the sheer panic and fear in Isaac’s face as she bounced along on his chest, watching as he fired round after round out of his sidearm. He had abandoned the flamethrower, opting to use his momentum to get to the waiting shuttle. As he neared, lights locked onto him, scanning him quickly before locking onto targets behind him. Several of his Security officers were missing their helmets, half of their faces... altered in some fashion – ponies with dragon-like skin on one side, and humans with almost insect-like features. The lurching motion of them prompted a hail of gunfire as he pushed off the plating, letting physics carry him into the waiting craft.

“Solus Invictus, this is Assault Shuttle 7-1-Bravo. We have all remaining personnel aboard. Recommend immediate destruction of compromised transport.”

	“Acknowledged, 7-1-Bravo. Etheric Cannons are locking on – return to minimum safe distance.”

	As the shuttle pulled away, and the medics aboard went to work on Rainbow Dash’s heavy injuries, Isaac took his helmet off, rubbing his face. He had called Dash by the name of an old comrade,  Frost. The memories were so close, similar, like he was repeating the same history again. Shaking his head, he slapped his cheeks, trying to regain some form of composure as he watched the transport be vaporized by powerful blue blasts of energy, the destruction soundless from where he sat.

“Chief Humphries.”

“Sergeant. What’s going on?”

“You brought a piece of one of those creatures. We’re going to put it inside a containment chamber until we get to the Fortress. Also, Warrant Dash is currently unconscious – we had to put her into a medical coma until we can operate on her in the Infirmary. If the barbs of those creatures had been in her any longer, well, the damage looks acidic. I’m quite certain she would have been melted like corrosive liquid on bare flesh.”  

Isaac looked down at his hand, the tentacle-blade still gripped in it. Sighing, he handed it off, placing his helmet back on his head and settling in for the ride back to the Fortress.


--------//|0|\\--------
 

“Two members of Eagle Squadron dead, eight Security personnel. Considering what you’ve said before, we managed to survive our first encounter with the Graawl.”  

Isaac was barely paying attention as he looked through a window at the operating theatre below him, the surgeons working diligently to remove any residual Graawl pieces left inside Dash. A cart next to them carried cybernetic prosthetics, the first of their generation: two legs and a new wing. The damage had been quite severe, from what he had seen, and her left wing had required amputation for the severity of the residual Graawl infection. One of the surgeons motioned to Isaac, pointing at the intercom.

“Hey, doc. How does she look?” The unicorn surgeon shrugged, sighing over the intercom as he breathed slowly.

“Honestly, Chief Humphries, she’s lucky to be alive. That database from the Miner’s Defiance about the Graawl was most helpful, but it’s still beyond our medical expertise. Considering the replacements we have to give her, I’m not sure if the Warrant would be happy.”

	“Considering that your Coalition never actually experimented with integrated cybernetics on so small a scale – I know the MIS devices are small, but they still rely on bio-tech circuits running from the brain to wherever the chip for the main interface is implanted. She’ll have to get used to them.”  

“Human cybernetics, Humphries?”

Isaac turned quickly on the spot to face Twilight, the latter having donned a more casual affair compared to her normal uniform. Sighing, Isaac turned back, letting her stand beside him. In silence, the both of them watched as the new limbs were attached, the oversized hoof of the new cybernetic legs twitching as the nerves connected. As they watched, the wing twitched, stretching to full length before snapping into position at Rainbow Dash’s side. Grimacing, Isaac took a seat, shaking his head and rubbing his face with his hands.

“It’s not like we have the necessary materials for research of such minute degree. I’m impressed Applejack and Fluttershy were able to adapt the old Mark 7 cybernetics design for connected to your species’ nervous system. They say they’ll be running her through first steps in a couple of hours, but I... I need to-” Isaac toppled over, exhaustion clawing at his consciousness as he embraced the sweet sleep of unconsciousness, Twilight tilting her head as he started to snore. Breathing a sigh of relief, she glanced down once more, shaking her head at her friend. The erstwhile pegasus would not be walking on all fours like she had before, and Twilight knew of a unicorn that would revel at the opportunity to help her figure out her new situation.


--------//|0|\\--------  


“Come on, Dash! Just like me! One, two, and-” A lime-green unicorn chuckled as Rainbow Dash toppled over once more, attempting to readjust to a new height compared to her previous stature. The human-type cybernetics were not entirely compatible with quadripedal motion, and she was having a hard time processing it as she attempted to stand again.

“Lyra, I’m not going to be able to walk or sit like you with... these! I’m a freak! I can’t even fly-”

“Who told you that you couldn’t fly? Ground combat, sure, but that’s why you were supposed to go in with Clone Avatars and Clone Guards, not actual flesh-and-blood crewmembers.” Rainbow looked up to Twilight and, of all people, Trixie, entering the Rehabilitation area they were currently training in. Twilight sat in a wheelchair, her legs covered with a blanket, Trixie behind her wheeling her around. Sighing deeply and stretching, Twilight looked around, before motioning Trixie forward.

“Why is she here?”

“She’s our AI Specialist. Actually, I think she has something that might help out with your little... problem.”  

“What could she do that I can’t?”

Motioning Trixie forward with her head, Twilight leaned back, closing her eyes for a moment. It was like pulling teeth to get Rainbow Dash to admit she needed help, but Trixie was their best at what she did. With a grimace, Trixie let her essence flow between herself and Rainbow, almost as if she was knitting something together. Twilight knew her magic, her innate ‘etheric abilities’ were far stronger, but while she was more of a blunt instrument in most cases, unicorns like Trixie and Rarity were far more adept at minute details, a fact she was rather not fond of mentioning.  

“You’re having difficulty with the cybernetics because you are being forced to adapt to them, instead of the cybernetics adapting to your... ‘essence’ would be the most effective word. I’m attempting to ‘meld’ the machinery of the limbs and your own etheric flow. It’s like- urgh, that stung – attempting to connect a pump to a living, beating heart. You don’t know how- yeesh, it’s like a maze of twisted channels – difficult it is to do, but we’ll figure something out. Hold still, please.” With a grunt, and a shudder, Trixie fell to her haunches, panting as her horn extinguished its connection. Smiling weakly as she looked up, she witnessed as Rainbow tested her legs again, standing carefully as they moved without having to force the movement, like she was using her own legs. The cybernetic wing snapped open, slowly closing as she tested its response time.  

“Commander, what’s- whoa.” Entering the room, Isaac, along with Chief Nurse Redheart and Fluttershy, stared slackjawed at the newly enhanced Rainbow Dash. Musing to himself about how he now knew how the Equestrians felt because of his height, he looked up, his eyes straining as Rainbow stood a new foot and a half taller than him. She was wobbling slightly, but as far as he was concerned, she was probably tougher than anyone else combined. He was about to ask his question when he took a good, long look at the legs.  

Her hybrid legs.

Legs that had, previously, during installation, looked like human appendages, and now looked more like her old hind legs, but longer, sleeker, and more robust, as well as including improved balance, from what he was watching. He chuckled, looking back at Twilight before his question returned.

“Commander, why in the name of the Nine Heavens are you in a wheelchair? I know for a fact you can fly, and you have functional legs, so why the wheelchair?” Her response, which he had not been expecting at all, was to remove the blanket covering her legs, showing cybernetic mounts on stumps of what used to be hind legs. Reaching behind him for a seat, he sat down, burying his head in his hands. He had known a few transhumanists in his time, people who would attempt to ‘transcend’ their humanity through technological marvels, though most of them were either dead or Orohdo drones, unfortunately. But Twilight was not... whatever the Coalition had for ‘transhumanism.’ Still, she had willingly removed her hind legs, and was apparently in the process of getting new cybernetic limbs to ‘upgrade’ herself. At least, that was what Isaac was assuming.

“I wanted to understand what Rainbow was going through. The procedure for myself was... a lot less painful than I would have thought. They’re fabricating the limbs right now. Apparently, due to my high Etheric Index, I’m more likely to overload and detonate such a piece of technology. We needed to be sure with Rainbow, as she won’t be able to overload them as readily as me. Trixie already knows the spells needed to interface the machine to the organic, so we’re good on that front-”

“Commander Sparkle, incoming message from the Messier Interstellar Commission. It’s our next match.”

	Blinking a couple of times, Twilight sighed, shaking her head as she looked over at Isaac. Watching him shrug, as if to tell her It’s not my crew, she grumbled, pulling out a dataslate from a pouch on the side of the wheelchair, tapping a few symbols and bringing up the Representative on her screen. The perfect-faced human who was a little too perfect blinked into existence, wearing the ridiculous sunglasses that kept his eyes from being seen.

“Ah, Commander Sparkle. I was just wondering if you were available. We have a match ready to go for you, over on the planet of Casparia. It’s an uninhabited ice ball of a world, but that’s not all. Your opponent is The Solace of Dawn, a Thalrazyne Battle Fortress. You’ll get your first taste of true extraterrestrial combat in this environment.”

	“You’ll have to give me some time to think. We’ve had a few... incidents-”

“We’re well aware of the now-upgraded Ms. Dash. Her cybernetics would be the rage of all Technophiles across the galaxy, if they were mass-producible. Alas, not the day. You will have 3 days to decide. Remember, your world is on the line here, seeing as it still holds the galaxy’s largest selenium deposits ever seen. Bye-bye for now, Commander!”

“I hate that guy so much.” Twilight glanced up to see Rainbow crossing her forelegs, standing almost human-like with her new appendages. Chuckling, she slid the dataslate back into the pouch on the wheelchair’s side, and closed her eyes. Trixie raised an eyebrow, looking between everyone.

“Am I the only one here who thinks that whatever he is, he is definitely not an AI?” Eyes turned to stare at Trixie as she shrunk backwards, wondering if she had said anything wrong.

“It’s not like we have a choice, though. We stop fighting in their War Games, we lose Equus, and everyone alive on it. Isaac, send a message down to Applejack. Tell her we’re going to need Iron Will’s Warsuit reconfigured for mass deployment – we don’t have the MAR-1 Manticore technical documentation, so we’re limited there. Don’t give me that look, Isaac; it was a Cradle experimental tank, the Mobile Assault Recon Tank, Series 1. It looked like a Manticore, so a lot of ponies nicknamed it that. Rainbow, we may have access to air deployment this time. Go check with our pilots, make sure they’re up to speed in the simulators – we’ll have to reconfigure them for Command and Control interfaces.”

“So, it’s happening again.” Twilight glanced over at Fluttershy, frowning as she breathed in.

“Yeah. Go warm up the Cloning Tanks – we’ll need our full complement again.”


--------//|0|\\-------- 
 

Twilight walked onto the bridge, feeling her new appendages under her. With her new height and walking platform, she had realized that she was unfortunately needing a new uniform, and as Rarity was available, she had given the seamstress a new idea and was given the first set of trousers that she had ever worn in her life. Moving slightly, she constantly felt like she had to adjust them, keeping them free of the whirring portions of the cybernetic enhancements.

Pushing that out of mind, she glanced around, feeling the silence that had come over the Command Bridge. Breathing slowly, to keep herself centered, she leaned over, surprised at the balance and reaction time of the new legs she bore. Tapping several icons, she brought back up the image of the Representative, reconnecting the line between the Commission and the Fortress.

“Ah, I see your stature has increased as well. Should we tell Akane Zvaro-Jun about your new... measurements for your merchandise?”

	“No need. This isn’t about merchandising.”

“Ah. So, you wish to agree to the match.” Looking away, Twilight felt the sudden urge to bury her face in her hooves, an urge she did not quite understand as she looked at the Representative. Something about her new height gave her a weird sensation, one of an interesting power dynamic. Pushing that to the back of her mind, she returned to the conversation.

“Yes. No tricks, no funny business, we’re here to compete.”

“Ah, excellent. Information packet has been sent. May the odds be ever in your favour, Commander.” With that, the Representative signed off, leaving Twilight with a plethora of information to peruse over. A time limit of a single standard month had been given to get to their destination, so she felt nervous, though others would not see it.


--------//|0|\\--------  


“You checked the sample twice, right?”

“Yes, three times in fact.”

A human and a Changeling Princess discussed findings as they stood over a monitor and a scanning platform, their eyes widened in both surprise and horror.

“And the readings are accurate?”

“Sir, I would not tell you if it was not potentially a security risk.”

The human lifted a vial of distilled organic material, biting his lip as he narrowed his eyes.

“What about the others?”

“Minotaur, Gryphon, Changeling, Unicorn, Pegasus, Earth Pony, Alicorn. Even human was checked. All but human were confirmed partial matches to the sample you brought back.” The human buried his face in his hands, trying not to grumble as his mind spun around old memories and battles.

“But what you’re saying is...”

“What I’m saying is that even if the genome fits, there is no way that she, or I, or the rest of them, could have any correlation in this generation.”

“Then we do the next step.

Time for a proper history lesson on an age-old enemy of the galaxy.”
> Chapter 15 - Kissing Sky
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the time limit was given, it had been only a couple of days since the acceptance of the new match between the Solus Invictus and the Thalrazyne Battle Fortress, The Solace of Dawn. Stories existed on the Galaxy Wide Net, the Thalrazyne being both honourable and brutal, only being done out in their brutal nature by the Torassi, though actual records of what the Torassi had done were not easily accessible, almost like they did not exist.

Twilight looked at the wall of her quarters, seeing the projected view of the shielded world, watching the minute variations in the surface of the massive device. A thought popped into her mind, wondering how such fluctuations would feel on her exposed skin – would it be instantaneous, like a plasma burst, or would it take a while for it to burn through her flesh? Shaking her head, she watched as several small probes were launched, attempting to discern the resonant frequency of the massive shield and if there was any physical or etheric means to bypass it.

All the data they had been able to discern about the shield was, to be frank, lacking. All they could tell was the temperature on the other side of the shield was a near-permanent negative temperature, though the actual rating was not able to be measured through the shield. All their tests had simply brought it back as... cold.

Very, very cold.

“If we were able to overload the Etheric Cannons for a single powerful shot, we might disrupt a section of it long enough, but that would fry the cannons used, and it would be only possible if we had a transport ready to go at a moment’s notice. So many variables, and yet... they tell us nothing! If Brightstone were around...” She caught her almost-slip, reminding herself that she was the chosen Commander of the Battle Fortress, and while still with a planet-destroying gun to her head, she had to make decisions that were not based on the mentality of a man she barely knew. She remembered one of the buildings in the Cradle was named after him, but it was not that she could recall exactly which one. Almost all of them had a figure in the Cradle’s history that had affected them in some way. Hollow Point Armoury was named after a famous... she wanted to think Colonel, but she could not recall the rank, like the information was not accessible for some reason. She looked at the bed where she was laying down, after having been recommended it by the surgeons after her augmentation. It was still somewhat weird being much taller than most of the crew that launched with her, and it was starting to get around to other decks, rumours of why exactly she had done it, from solidarity with Rainbow Dash to a secret trans-organic ring that would hack into your MIS device and force you to go under the knife. 

As she contemplated some of the rumours, a couple of which had been rather humorous, she was startled up by a beeping noise from her door’s intercom.  

“Twilight, you awake?”

	Beep-beep, beep-beep. Whoever it was, the intercom was not doing their voice justice. With a roll and a sit-up, she came to her... well, feet was the best analogy in her eyes. She felt the weird sensation of her reaction times synchronizing with the cybernetics, linking her mind properly to them. She noted they would have to be adjusted again to hasten the linking time, but it was more of a minor annoyance than a problem that would effectively keep her from walking – she just needed to be slightly more mindful of her steps.

Beep-beep, beep-beep went the intercom, and so did Twilight’s patience as she sighed, walking slowly to the door. Pressing the main-view control, she breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that Rainbow was on the other side of the door. Tapping the main lock control, she listened to the door hiss open, the hydraulics whirring and groaning as they pulled the metal slab into its designated slot.

“Hey, Twi.”

“Hey, Rainbow.”

“Uh... Pinkie’s still in the Cafeteria. We might be able to get some late-night grub if we go now.”

Twilight looked back at her ‘window,’ sighing as the telltale impacts of the probes slamming into the shield yet again caused a rippling motion throughout the field caused her to slam her head into the metal wall, the recoil reminding her that the wall was not her former library, and she still had a lot to deal with in her head to ‘get it right,’ as Isaac would put it.

“Sounds... sounds good. I am actually a little hungry. Might help us to stretch our legs, in a sense,” Twilight acknowledged, motioning to let Rainbow go ahead off her. Glancing around, she chuckled, following her friend. The clanking of their legs on the deck plating was a constant reminder that they were no longer just ponies, or a Pegasus and an Alicorn. They were more than that now, and some of the crew did give them the nickname ‘The First Spacers.’  

No one exactly understood what was being referenced, and even a cursory search through the database had elicited no relevant information.

Saluting was a more involved motion now, though she did not have to stop to do so anymore, a fact that Twilight quickly made a mental note of. She watched Bastion crew members walk amongst Fortress personnel, the former docked in between the two massive prongs that formed the front of the Solus Invictus. Something she had always been fascinated by was the history of the vessel, back when it was the Kepler, the old Wyvern-class Colony Conveyor Refit. She could never see all of her crew in an instant, the ship large enough that many shifts never saw hide nor hair of each other.

“Aw, dammit! Not another one!”

“It’s okay, Stardancer! You’ll get the hang of the schedule- Oh, Commander! Good... evening?” The lime-coated Unicorn stared up at her, tossing up a quick salute, Twilight returning it and letting them get back to work.

“Good evening, Corporal. I’ll let your duty officer know that you’re doing a good job.”  

As they left the two equines behind, Rainbow raised an eyebrow, looking back and then returning her gaze to Twilight.

“You didn’t have to be that nice to them. They understand what’s at stake if we fail.”

“Not all of them have an inkling of what kind of firepower the Commission wields. A Galactic Enforcer, quite literally the equivalent of an Ancient Earth space vessel known as a Leviathan-class Siege Dreadnought. Massive cannons that could reduce fortifications to rubble. They could issue one command and Equus burns. We play along still, but we’re starting to change from how we used to be. Have you noticed that? I’ve seen a couple of reports from back on Equus. There’s a growing worry that launching the Fortress is changing the peace-loving Equestria into a properly industrialized nation, ruining the ‘natural beauty.’” Twilight sighed as she finished, shrugging as she looked around. The night rotation was always so quiet, and it felt more like the library back in Ponyville. The constant humming of the Magi-Tech Reactors and the vibration of the engines were a more sobering reminder that her analogy of her old library was a memory she would carry instead of her actual home.

Rainbow glanced at her friend as the thoughts ran through Twilight’s head, watching the minute expression changes. Sighing, she glanced up, looking at the glowing cables that ran along the ceiling. She was still impressed by the sheer amount of power that ran through those individual lines, carrying much more energy than she could fathom faster than it took for Rainbow to blink.  

Tapping Twilight, she turned them towards the door to the Cafeteria, whistling at the speed they made it to Pinkie’s domain with their augmented appendages. Waiting for the door as it hissed open, Twilight stared down at her pants, shifting them around as Rainbow readjusted the shorts that Twilight just started to notice. It was an unfamiliar feeling for either of them, although Rarity chided them for being worried about it, reminding Rainbow that it was her reality now, and shaking her head at Twilight whilst prompting her to recall that it was her idea, not Rainbow’s or Rarity’s, that ended up with her having cybernetic legs.

“Hope she has some of those bean patties. That would be nice – bean patties and potato fries.”

“The first meal she made us in her kitchen, right before the-”

“Marzipan Mountain Incident. They’re still finding filling in random vents around the ship, you know.”

“No one expected it to come to life, Rainbow. I definitely don’t think Pinkie meant for it to come alive.” Twilight took a seat, leaning forward onto the table as some of the other crew members stared, whatever food they were holding falling from their hooves, claws or hands onto their trays. Putting her head on her forehooves, she sighed, trying to bury her face in them. Rainbow glared at some of the ones who had been staring as the two of them had walked in, taking a seat as she held her weathering gaze until they realized that they were doing something they should not be and returned to their meals, quickly eating and excusing themselves.

“You’d think that they’d stop staring, but they do it even in the corridors, Twi.”

“You know that there are still... divisions between the three separate cultures that make up the bulk of your Equestrian Coalition, right?” Rainbow and Twilight both quickly turned to the new voice entering their conversation, seeing a balding human they did not recognize sitting beside them, slowly eating a bowl of what appeared to be a human favourite: cream of wheat with a small amount of cinnamon, brown sugar and butter. Twilight glanced at Rainbow, who shrugged herself, iterating that neither of them actually knew the human.

“Yes, there are still barriers between the Unicorns, Pegasi and Earth Ponies...”

“Caliban. Joshua Caliban. Most people who I work with call me Ghost, seeing as not a lot of people notice me whenever they come into a room. Used to be a sniper in the UEC Militia Forces, but was discharged after losing my arm and leg. Apparently they don’t like cyborgs to serve,” Joshua finished, taking another bite of his cream of wheat. Sighing, he glanced towards the kitchen, his eyes landing on where Pinkie sat, taking a quick nap in a chair adapted for equine use. The normal furniture that would have been mounted in the Cafeteria had seemingly been replaced with more comfortable furnishings, but it still felt like a space-faring vessel, instead of what the furniture was attempting to convey. 

“Well... we don’t exactly have anything like such strong anti-cyborg sentiment with our nations... at least, not yet. There is growing resistance, especially among those considered ‘fringe’ groups, that it was a mistake to ever launch beyond our world. The Coalition as a whole has been busy with industrializing our nation and bringing it to the modern age, including orbital satellites and research stations. Within 10 years, Equestria was dragged, kicking and screaming, to what is the future! Advanced medicine, supersonic flight dynamics, even orbital studies. And-” Twilight felt Rainbow’s hoof pop into her mouth, causing her to pause her thoughts as she stared at her friend. 

“Twi, it’s good to see you go all egghead on something like the future of Equestria, but we’re not on Equestria – in fact, we’re five months out from the nearest outpost that would be able to forward a message to them. I-”

“Commander Sparkle to the Command Bridge. Repeat, Commander Sparkle to the Command Bridge.”

	“Duty calls, Rainbow. Ghost, it was nice to meet you. Hopefully we meet again.” As Twilight and Rainbow left the human at his seat, he sighed, lifting up another spoonful of cream of wheat. Sucking it down, he looked up at the ceiling, grunting as he started to laugh and sob.

“Yeah... yeah, I’d like that.”


--------//|0|\\--------  


“Commander, the final scans are up on the main console. This shield is a lot more familiar than you would expect.” 

Twilight glanced over at one of the screens that presented itself to her, leaning back in her new Commander’s Chair. The need for such support for the spine was not as apparent before her augmentation, but being able to sit for long hours as she was without muscle spasms or cramps was conducive to more effective research and work.

“It’s reading as an Etheric Barrier- wait, it’s a Shield spell? It’s almost exactly like an Equestrian-”

“That’s what the data says, ma’am. We can actually disrupt it with a concentrated beam from the Etheric Cannons, punching a hole large enough to allow a few transports through. Wouldn’t use up too much of our energy, and we can extend it as needed. Gunnery crews are awaiting targeting vectors, and a landing crew is ready.”

Twilight glanced at her monitors, moving them around to get a better picture and idea of what she was looking at. The matrices that made up the self-sustaining field were beyond anything she could possibly have imagined, but in essence, she could actually use the exact same spell on a smaller scale with the Fortress. However, she needed to be sure about it, and experimentation could wait until later. Nodding to the officer who had given her the requested data, she brought up an external view from one of the gun batteries, witnessing the massive beams of blue etheric energy arcing out of the turrets and towards their designated marks on the shield.

“Command, this is Echo 4-1-9. Ready for dispatch when ready. We’ve got a Warrant Dash down here wanting to join the expedition team.”

“Echo 4-1-9, did you say Dash was down there requesting a spot on the expedition team? I thought she was flying escort.”

“Negative, ma’am. Hawk Squadron’s flying sidecar today. I think Dash feels a little left out, and wants to see what an ‘iceball’ really looks like.”

	Twilight closed her eyes, shaking her head as she sighed, breathing in a tight shot of air in annoyance. Rainbow had left her company as they had walked towards the Command Bridge together, but Twilight had not realized that the now-cyborg Pegasus wanted to try and get herself hurt again- mentally, she slapped herself, reminding herself that they could not have predicted the Graawl, even if she was flying outside her own expertise during the exploration of the Torassi transport. 

“XO Starlight on the Command Bridge.”

Twilight turned, glancing at her First Officer and pursing her lips. Starlight seemed to be annoyed, but Twilight could not for the life of her figure out what exactly was causing it. Turning her attention back to the issue at hand, she tapped on her monitors, bringing up the impact of the Cannons on the Etheric Barrier. True to the calculations, it was expanding a hole through the shield, the dissipating energy shifting like hexagons on a grid.

“Echo 4-1-9, tell Warrant Dash she has clearance for this, but that she must be properly protected. Now that we can check the actual conditions down there, it seems to be 313.15 Kelvin down there, and that’s just what I am seeing here.  I’m seeing heavy winds at the projected landing site, so be careful. Keep the Engineers at the ready to deal with ice buildup – don’t want you exploding on your way off the planet. Command out.”

“Copy that, Command. Echo 4-1-9 loaded up and ready to kiss sky. Will report when boots on the ground. Echo 4-1-9 out.”


--------//|0|\\--------


“313.15 Kelvin? Isn’t that well below normal freezing temperature?”

Rainbow Dash was seated between multiple Engineers, her winter Field Armour thick and uncomfortable as she shifted in it. Modified as a hybrid between Equestrian and human fashion, it struck Rainbow that Rarity had not exactly tested it out, and instead had used Rainbow as the guinea pig for the new winter coats she would distribute for any of the members of the crew who underwent the same procedure as Twilight and Rainbow. Glancing down at her feet, Rainbow lifted a helmet, tapping the side before placing it on her head, the synthetic fur around the edge of the neck of the helmet sealing against the collar of her suit. Lights activated on the inside, detailing out a simplified HUD. Temperature ratings were updated as fast as the Fortress could broadcast them, and a basic topographical map began to fill itself in as scans were transmitted up to the main cartography computer aboard the Solus Invictus. 

“Yeah, it’s pretty damn cold out there. Make sure your suits are sealed, everyone. You’re not invincible. We’ll be kissing sky in 5. Lock and load, we’re locking onto an old landing pad signal.”

	The almost-synchronized loading and cocking of multiple rifles startled Rainbow, who pulled the slide back on her own rifle. An ammunition counter blinked on in her helmet, letting her know of the exact round count in each of her magazines. An engineer passed by, shoving a thermal fabric shell into her hooves, making certain to motion how to attach it to the modified RK-5f, noted on her HUD as a CRK-5, the first human-equine hybrid weapon. It felt heavy, but she was not exactly proficient with a firearm designed for prolonged contact in harsh environments.

“How’s your thermal cover looking, Gust?” A stallion beside her, a hulking brute of an Earth Pony, tapped his nameplate, chuckling as he finished securing the thermal cover over the front. Rainbow glanced over at his nameplate, chuckling at the name he had been ‘blessed’ with from birth, ‘Garlic Gust.’

“Yeah, ol’ Garlic’s gonna see us through this, just like you saw us through some of those border skirmishes back on Equus, huh?”

	“Don’ worry, fillies and gentlecolts, Garlic’s got your bullets ‘ere.” His heavy accent was a boon, a bit of mirth among misery when the fireteam Rainbow was accompanying was together. Fire-team Fastball, they had been nicknamed. Beside Garlic Gust, the fire-team’s heavy gunner, sat Swift Strike, their Pegasus Scout. Juniper Mist, their Unicorn medic, strapped down her bags and sighed, glancing at Fastball’s lead soldier, Onager. He had apparently come from a culture that was somewhat isolationist, hidden in a canyon beyond the edges of Equestria, but he had volunteered to come on and be their... well, he was only a Master Corporal, but he definitely held himself more like an officer would.

“Cut the chatter, everyone. We’ll be wheels down soon. We’re landing in a blizzard, so don’t expect our touch-down to be soft. We’ll synchronize and test our helmet cameras when we’re boots on the ground, so keep steady. And Warrant Dash? I hope to see those new legs of yours in action. Sensors from the Fortress indicate we’re flying into some kind of firefight, so keep your eyes peeled. Vasili and Abigail are on the other transport, running Fire-team Alpha. We’ll be coordinating as best we can, but we’re some of the few that are certified for harsh weather operations.”

	As Onager finished, the transport shook, the engine pods spinning down as the lights dimmed in the main transport section. Without a word, everyone was standing, synchronizing their helmets up to eliminate any errors from broadcast. Rainbow looked around, staring at the rear hatch of the craft as it lower itself to the ground, the snow almost horizontal with the heavy wind gusting past. Rainbow’s motion sensor, a short-range radar from what she was aware of, was barely cutting through the blizzard she faced. Flashes of red, blue, and even green lit up a structure not far from the transport.

“Do any of you see that over there?”

“See what? This blizzard’s thicker than June’s flank-” A grunt echoed over the helmet’s radio as  Juniper jabbed as hard as she could into Swift Strike’s side, causing Onager to chuckle deeply.

“We’re blind on this, so make sure to stay low, and keep your gunfire to an absolute minimum. Those are energy rounds being fired, and we’re not packing any E-rounds, and ours are definitely not blanks. If you get fired upon, make sure you’re not shooting a friendly – our rounds will go straight through our own armour, even with the upgrades Rarity made.” 

A round of nods, and a couple more jokes, and Rainbow slowly walked out with the rest of her new fireteam. Rainbow could feel her legs dig into the snow, clamping into some kind of rock or concrete below the snow layer. With a few tentative steps, she got her surface legs, as it were, and started to move slightly faster. Her HUD displayed Gust, Juniper, Onager and Swift as shifting rectangles, their vitals being transferred to her helmet for verification. Their heart rates were low, and their brain-wave patterns optimal, leaving Rainbow to question what exactly the ‘border skirmishes’ had actually entailed. 

Halting the group, Juniper motioned to a disturbed patch of snow, dragging a corpse out of it. It was wearing what could have been cold-weather gear, but it was

“Got a body. Looks like E-round damage. It’s... Dash, can you identify? I’m not seeing a defining feature with a hole like that in its suit.” Stepping closer, Rainbow nudged Juniper out of the way, narrowing her eyes until her helmet registered the input, zooming in closer. Kneeling down, she let her mind ease into the sight of what it could be. It looked every bit like an Iiaynsin anatomical picture that Twilight had taken her through, step by step, but most of the face was burnt off.

“Looks like an Iiaynsin trooper. Their weapon is missing, though. Gloves look burned, like it overheated. Keep moving! Onager, get everyone moving!” Without a word, Onager nodded at Rainbow, motioning with his head to the rest of his squad. Rainbow felt weird from kneeling, her legs’ servos having slight trouble returning her to a standing posture. It felt awkward, but she reminded herself it was still going to take some time before she was fully in control of her new legs, despite the progress she had already made.

“Iiaynsin, here? Aren’t they the inhabitants of the moon that orbits-”

	“Thalra, yeah. The Thalrazyne homeworld. They formed the Thalras Confederation a long time ago – used to be a third race in there, but a cataclysm wiped them out.” Rainbow sighed, keeping herself close to the others as they approached closer to the firefight. Whoever had been fighting was slowly running out of steam, as the only flashes of light were now red, angry crimson flashes that lit up the blizzard like spotlights.

“Tango, 12!”

The fireteam dropped hard, aiming up at what appeared to be a stairwell up a defence tower. A human turned their weapon only to be dropped by a red flash from behind. The tall newcomer slung their rifle over their shoulder, sighing as they knelt down and pulled what appeared to be ration packs from what Rainbow deduced was the human’s chest rig, the white being nearly indistinguishable from the white nearly all around them.

Standing up tentatively in the snow, Rainbow slung her rifle, attempting to approach closer. Her helmet’s sensors were detecting a damaged IFF, but it was an old signal, not one that would be normally associated with her fireteam or the Solus Invictus, but the name made her pause. Standing up slowly to their full height, the being in front of them tried to knock some of the ice off the side of their helmet, sighing as they revealed what appeared to be some sort of faded green underneath.

“-Hornet... 4-X-1. You... Kepler?”

The voice snapped Rainbow out of her confusion, causing her to raise an eyebrow as she looked at the being again. The snow appeared to be causing some kind of issue, but it was not something she was familiar with.

“Green Hornet, C-Z-4-X-1. You a rescue team from the Kepler?” 

The old name of the Fortress shocked her almost senseless, metaphorically speaking. They were speaking to another member of the old crew of the Kepler, someone who had firsthand experience in that Fortress’ last flight. She was staring at a page almost literally out of history – in her mind, Twilight was already drooling at the prospect of research.

“Hold one, did he say Green Hornet?” 

	Two human-shaped blobs materialized out of the heavy snow, their gestures creating the assumption that they somehow knew the person in front of them. Vasili and Abigail chuckled over the net, waving at Green Hornet. With a full recognition, Green Hornet leaned back, their arms outstretched as they drew Abigail into a hug, laughing over the comms as they appeared to reunite.

“I’m sorry, but who is this? He just shot a human a few moments ago.” Rainbow looked over, wondering if Green Hornet could see her expression through her helmet. Green simply shook his head, pulling out a small disk and tossing it on the ground. A massive hologram lit up, showing what exactly they were standing on.

“They’re UEC deserters. I was hired by a third party to come here and eliminate them, as this shield unfortunately created a frigid world out of what used to be a temperate one. That was the last one, and they had this hologram. This is an old Janus Accord Planetary Defense facility. Lots of old energy weapons lying around, almost like leaving out a grenade for a-”

	“Yeah, they don’t need to know that one, Green. But still, how the hell did you manage to survive? Don’t we live shorter than other races?”

	“Yeah... shorter. I’m Iiaynsin, Vasili. My name is Grestor Jik. Green Hornet was easier for humans to say. Anyways, about the Kepler... my signal was caught by some old communications array, and I sort of bounced around installations until someone had the sense to activate the pad on their end. Dropped out of what amounted to a digital version of stasis around 50 years ago. Still, not bad for a jik-nak 1050 years out of date, aye?”

	Rainbow let the three of them continue to catch up, staring at the hologram. According to the hologram, there were unopened surface hatches which led to something labelled ‘Frigate Hangars.’ With a closer look, she waved her hoof over it, watching it turn until she got the angle she needed. From their position, it looked like they could easily get down into it, their area close to an emergency shaft. Looking at Onager, she motioned with her other hoof, pointing out what she had just found.

“Look, they said there was energy weapons basically just lying around, right? What if those Frigate Hangars have other hidden things? Maybe some more ships to bolster the defence fleet for the Fortress? We’d be losing out on something awesome to bring back, huh?” She knew her face-plate was mirrored so they could not see her expression, but she swore Onager stared at her, watching her eye motions. However, her words seemed to have an effect, as he looked at the hologram again, tapping his helmet as he swiped around the image, seeing other untouched areas.

“I hate to admit it, but you’re right, Warrant. If there is anything recoverable, the Commander would certainly be remiss if we left anything behind. You, Green Hornet.”

	Green Hornet stopped talking, facing Onager as the two locked gazes, kneeling to bring his face closer to Onager’s.

“I see some interesting bays on this hologram. Frigate Hangars. Think there’s anything interesting in those?”

	Rainbow watched as the two conversed, keeping her other senses peeled for any sign of any soldiers Grestor may have missed. While she watched, they pointed out various areas, musing about what could be there.

“Frigate Hangars might have some old Wolfpack Frigates. They’re ancient by modern standards, but they’ve got some of the best missile launchers ever designed by any planetary authority.” Green, or Grestor, as Rainbow mentally noted, sighed as he stood, keeping his gaze on the hologram. Vasili and Abigail had moved off, and by their very animated motions, they were trying to discuss something which neither side was budging on. The wind seemed to shift as the blizzard moved, the sun seemingly to poke through until Rainbow’s HUD identified it as yet another transport from the Fortress. From the vehicle slung underneath, it looked like Engineering decided that an experimental vehicle would suffice for traversing the facility, though most of the facility was catwalks and towers, from what she saw. However, as it descended, what looked like one vehicle split into four, smaller suit-like vehicles, descending on cabling to slowly touch down and activate.

“Who called in exo-suits? I don’t think-” Erupting gunfire from the suits pushed everyone into cover, Rainbow sliding beside Grestor as he closed his eyes and focused. As she watched him, his eyes snapped open in his helmet, fiercely staring as he leaped the barrier, firing 8 times. Two pings rang out on each of the so-called ‘exo-suits,’ causing the outer shell to collapse and leave the inner frame intact. Four ponies stood ramrod stiff, staring in horror at the angry being charging at them. Lashing out, he dragged one from their suit, and held them aloft by their throat. The others quickly rolled back, their primary locomotion what appeared to be miniature parallel caterpillar treads.

“You. Ten seconds. Why did you fire on your allies.”

“The Sun-Kissed traitors don’t deserve-” was all the one pony got before Grestor fired off two rounds, one into their barrel and one into their head. Falling limply, the pony was simply tossed aside like a piece of refuse as the one who shot him moved on the next, discarding his rifle to withdraw a small, sharp knife. A smell began to permeate the air as puddles of liquid formed underneath the remaining 3. Rainbow peaked over the wall, letting her HUD lock onto the closest of the exo-suits she could see clearly enough. The design was not something that she was familiar with, as even the suit’s internal database could only classify it as what it looked like – a ‘tin can.’ Levelling her new rifle, she closed an eye, watching through the magnified sights until she came across a symbol that made zero sense. 

Clearing the wall quickly and slinging her rifle, Rainbow slide down a slope she had not realized was there, the snow almost like a wall against good sight-lines. Clamping her forehooves to her side, she lifted two pairs of ‘borrowed’ Equine Hands, the devices normally used by the medical technicians in the Infirmary. Feeling them clamp in and connect with her nerves, she grimaced, rolling into a crouch when she hit the bottom of the incline. Grestor was so focused on the exo-suit he was approaching that he was oblivious to the other two coming closer behind him, attempting to go from another angle. Before he could react, however, Rainbow grabbed his rifle and squeezed the trigger, feeling the report of the rifle as two rounds impacted dead-on with the other two suits, the pilots dead where they sat.

“Nice shooting.”

“They’re Lunarites. Crazy fanatics. Equestrian zealots who think that experimental armour is meant to be used like this... dammit!” Tossing the rifle aside, she sank to her haunches, tears flowing as she started to cry. She had received disseminated reports of some of the activities of the Lunarites and the Solarians, but she had not expected it to reach them out that far. Feeling a hand grasp her on her shoulder, tapping lightly, she looked up to see one of the human crew-members from Vasili’s squad kneeling down and offering his hand to help her up.

“Calm down, Warrant. If you lose your head, then morale’s gonna tank. Hangars first, and then, if we have time, a tear can be let out in private. On your feet, there’s a good cyber.” Grasping her fore-hoof, he hauled her up to her full height, chuckling as she stared at him. Rainbow could feel the muscles underneath her eyes begin to heat up, quite certain that the embarrassed blush was visible on her face. She was not entirely sure why, but having to get help from even the humans still gave her a little brush of embarrassment, even after all of the training she went through. Standing up, she gazed at both teams, raising an eyebrow as she cleared her throat, all eyes turning to watch her.

“All right, everyone! We’ve got our two teams. We’ve got several hangars that possibly have ships that could become a part of the Solus Invictus’ fleet. However, we’ve got that,” she explained, pointing one of her regular hooves at the facility she could start to see as the snow slightly cleared, “and we’ve got the other facility on this side. The best thing for us to do, and I get that everyone hates when someone says it, but the teams have to split up to cover more ground. And if I hear about any complaining, well, you’ll get the idea if that happens.” 

Onager stood up, his armour dropping mounds of snow as he shook himself off, Swift simply chuckling as his fireteam lead cleared his throat. Eyes fell upon him, leaving Rainbow breathing a sigh of relief as someone else spoke up. As Onager spoke to everyone explaining their duties, she stared off at the facility across the way, her helmet zooming and spotting some odd moving shapes, though she could barely make out anything more than shadows. They did not move like exoskeletons, nor did they move like a pony, human or Iiaynsin. Her thought process was interrupted as Juniper tapped her shoulder, raising an eyebrow through the faceplate of her helmet as she pointed at the far structure.

“Fireteam Fastball’s target is the facility on the other side, Warrant!”

“Then let’s see what this iceball has waiting for us.”
> Chapter 16 - Frozen in Time
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The trek over to their designated facility was not as gruelling as Onager had made it out to be. Rainbow was still somewhat apprehensive about whatever she had seen in the distance, but she had to agree that staying out in the open was more of a death sentence when they had crazy Luna-worshipping zealots attempting to rain down and attack them. Mentally kicking herself, Rainbow sighed as she missed the communications uplink that her normal suit had installed, her cold-suit’s radio barely penetrating through the recovering blizzard, the winds whipping about the catwalk they had found themselves on when not 50 metres from the door to the facility below. It was cold, and somewhere along the walk her suit’s heater had malfunctioned, as well as the ones everyone else was utilizing.

“We’ve got movement, but it looks like local wildlife, though I don’t think I would want to go up against something that survives in this!”

	Swift, ever the comedian, tried to make light of several shadows that crawled along the snow, their shapes barely discernible from a large rock shape they had discovered earlier. Whatever it was, it would approach and then rapidly skitter off as if it had been spooked. Rainbow swung her rifle around, letting the digital crosshair on her HUD wander over the landscape as she closed one eye to give herself a better sight-line down the body of her weapon. The other members of her fireteam fanned out, taking up positions as they moved slowly along, buffeted by the ever-increasing wind that whipped and clawed at them like a dying rat.

“Yeah, yeah, I see the shape. Too big to be one of those weird spacer rats that some of the humans spoke of. Graawl maybe?”

“No!”

Everyone stopped to stare back at Rainbow, her body shaking and shivering as her eyes widened and the memories she thought she was done with flooding back. Onager pushed everyone else back as he put his hoof on hers, trying to bring her back to reality. The sniffling and sobbing, punctuated by pleas of terror, were unnerving to even Swift Strike, who began to realize just how bad the situation had been on that Torassi transport. Juniper hefted a small syringe, slamming it into Rainbow’s side, only letting it fall from her hooves when the injection was complete.

“I... I... what the- what the hell did you inject me with?”

“Anxiety suppressant. Human thing, helps people with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, which you have, Warrant. Suggest you talk with the ship therapist when we return to the Fortress.”

“That... might be a good idea. Yeah.”

Onager, shaking his head, leveraged himself against the hatch-door they had been moving towards, forcing the partially-frozen metal to cooperate as he turned the massive metal ring that served as the airlock mechanism, or at least the assumed airlock mechanism. Rainbow shook her head, aiming down her rifle again as she swore she could hear the noises and the weird clicking and clanking of the Graawl around her. The infected Torassi were there, she could almost feel them around her, but she could not see where they might strike from. Breathing deeply, she tried to center her focus, closing her eyes and breathing slowly in and out as she calmed her own heart.

As they stood hoof-deep in the snow that was building up on the catwalk, a resounding creaking and snapping noise, followed by the longest continuous sentence of pure profanity, brought all their attention back to Onager and the door. The door was slightly open, but the handle had snapped clean off from the cold, the metal fatigue obvious on closer inspection. Juniper, sliding in while attempting to negotiate her way around on the frozen catwalk, checked Onager’s rear legs, shaking her head when she started to pull out various injections and bandages.

“You broke your leg, you absolute idiot. This isn’t a fracture I can treat down here. If we stay out in this cold much longer, you’re going to be looking at cybernetic replacements. Gust, Rainbow, get that door open!”

	Without waiting for another word, Garlic placed himself between Onager and the door, wrenching a piece of a nearby railing to use as a lever. Rainbow sighed, placing herself opposite Garlic as he pulled and she pushed, feeling the door protest as it pushed against the snow, creaking on ancient hinges as a rush of air blew past, a strange smell permeating through her helmet as she gagged slightly, bracing her cybernetic legs against the frame as she kicked hard, denting the hatch every kick until it was deformed enough to allow the fireteam to squeeze past her and take cover inside an elevator car that simply sat in the middle of what appeared to be some sort of shaft. 

As Rainbow breathed a sigh of relief, a heavy thud from behind startled her as she looked at the hatch having closed itself, bent backwards in the opposite direction she had dented it. Pressing the release mechanisms on the neck of her helmet, she took the stuffy headgear off, breathing in the stale, musty bunker air as Onager sucked in air, Juniper removing the helmet as lights began to flicker on, the pale white light slightly blinding until their eyes adjusted.

“Looks like our only option is down. How’s Onager?”

“The short? His leg is going to get amputated. The long? He’s going to need to get both legs amputated to allow for equal length of cybernetics. Basically, he’s going to be a cyborg like you and the commander, Warrant.”

“Dammit, fuck, fuck, fuck! I didn’t think-”

“That’s the problem! You didn’t think, Onager!”

Rainbow turned away from the two of them, inspecting the elevator car and checking the electrical connections, Swift having decided prone was his best position to cover the doorway that was possibly never to open again from the sheer damage it had received. Sighing, she glanced at a nearby wall, her eyes registering the letters as she pieced together a mental map of where they had to go.

On the floor they sat on, an ‘Entrance Bunker,’ the only available way was down, the next accessible level about the equivalent of forty floors down towards the hangars. Some kind of research laboratory was down below, but Rainbow was unfortunately not well-versed on whatever ‘Nanotechnology’ was, but she was certain that Twilight would be incredibly interested in. The other levels were for engineering technologies, some sort of chemical research facility, and the several-floor high hangar levels. Something below the hangars had been scratched off the sign, though she could barely make it out.

“Hey, Gust. See that at the bottom there?”

“Hold up, just getting this helmet off. Hoo, the air tastes like the day after eating Griffonian cuisine! Yeah, that says ‘Holding Area.’”

“Just double-checking. Swift, you stay up here with Juniper and Onager. Garlic, you’re with me.”

“Who- argh, who put you in charge?”

Rainbow knelt down on one knee, narrowing her eyes as she brought her face level with Onager’s, her mouth drawn in a tight frown as she poked his barrel with her forehoof. Breathing slowly as she stood back up, she entered the elevator car, raising an eyebrow at Garlic, the heavy gunner darting his eyes between her and Onager, trying to decide between following orders and staying with the stallion who he had served for a long time. Shaking her head, Rainbow rolled her eyes, slowly stepping towards Garlic and Onager.

“We have frigates to find, and an entire research facility below us. Garlic’s more use to me than to you right now – no offence, by the way.”

“None taken. Heavy weapons like mine aren’t meant for corridors like this one.”

“Don’t forget to- ow! Don’t forget to pick us up when you’re done!”

Tossing up a half-hearted, dismissive wave, Rainbow chuckled as she stood head-and-shoulders above Garlic, the heavy gunner still massive even for a stallion. Tapping the switch to descend, she leaned against the side, slinging her rifle over her shoulder as she breathed slowly, shaking her head slowly to shake off the mental cobwebs. It was hard to concentrate with her own head rebelling, a headache beginning as she leaned against the rail on the inside of the elevator car. Looking up, she started to speak, but a stench wafting up through the grated bottom of the elevator car shut her up immediately, her immediate reaction to lose whatever she had eaten that day.

“I’ve sniffed worse things, Feathers.”

“Feathers?”

“You’re a Pegasus. That nickname’s a damn sight better than some of the others would have given you. Feathers is better than Featherduster, or Pillow Stuffer. Swift’s heard some of the worst that the Cradle could offer, and he still hates nicknames thanks to that.”

Rainbow rolled her eyes, placing her helmet back on. After the seals finished re-seating themselves, she took a tentative breath, sighing as the smell was being properly filtered. Garlic sighed as he put his own helmet on, following suit as he tapped the side of his helmet, his own display no longer working. As she was about to crack a joke at his expense, Rainbow watched her own HUD deign it an appropriate time to shut off and refuse to come online again. Feeling herself begin to tense up, she lifted her rifle, tapping her flashlight on just as the lights in the elevator shaft and the car blinked off, the elevator still travelling in the darkness.

Still bathed in darkness, Rainbow felt the car stop as she shone her rifle’s light around, noticing several patches of strange black sludge covering the ground. Garlic bit down on his harness’ bit-trigger, his own Light Machine Gun flipping into a more combat-ready state as he narrowed his eyes, letting his helmet’s built-in lights blink one and illuminate that which Rainbow could not.

“It’s like someone shot out the lights down here.”

“It’s like one of those horror movies the humans keep watching.”

	“You watch movies with them?”

Garlic chuckled as he approached the nearby hatch-door, his helmet lights illuminating a push-button not dissimilar to some of the controls aboard the Solus Invictus. He sighed as he pushed hard, startled backwards as the door hissed and shuddered, ancient hydraulics shifting and shaking as concrete fell from the ceiling and peppered their helmets. The door slowly slid open, revealing several humanoid corpses appearing to have been attempting to escape when something shot them. Other cadavers down the hall confirmed it, the dead still clutching old Union rifles. Breathing slowly and quietly, Rainbow slowly walked forward, the only sound she dared to make the metal tapping of her cybernetics on the concrete. Taking up a position at the first corner she could find, she glanced around the corner, seeing something move as she tapped off her suit and rifle flashlights.

“Got something here. It’s... human-like, but it’s like it’s made out of that weird goo near the doorway. Garlic?”

“Yeah, I see it. Fuck. It’s like someone dropped a gallon of that black sludge on someone and called it a day.”

	“I’m gonna see if I can’t get past it. I’ve got a suppressor in one of my pouches.”

Rainbow sighed as she lifted her Equine Hand devices, feeling around in her chest rig’s pouches to find the long tube that served as a suppressor for her CRK-5. Finding purchase on the device in question, she slowly twisted it onto the barrel of her rifle, smiling as it locked into position on the final turn. Crouching and lifting her rifle to a good position in front of her eye, she shut her other eye, pulling back on the trigger and feeling the round exit the firearm, slamming into the back of the creature’s head. She was about to laugh when she saw a light in a hallway across the new room from her flicker, three black-sludge creatures standing still and staring at her with malicious red eyes, metal billhooks dripping with sludge in their hands. Blinking, she saw the creatures disappear, but she felt a tapping on her side as Garlic pointed behind them.

“Rainbow, I think we should abandon our position and get back to the elevator.”

	“Yeah, I think so-” She stood up to come face to face with one of the creatures, the empty hole-face poking through the sludge and identifying the creature that Rainbow was staring down. The other two black-sludge creatures swung at Rainbow, barely missing as she rolled away, feeling one of her wing muscles get bruised as she landed wrong, squeezing the trigger to eliminate the Orohdo in front of her. The pictures she had been shown of the Orohdo showed them to be far more secretive, not wanting to be interfered with by those they deemed ‘lesser lifeforms.’ However, the aggressive nature of the three Sludge Orohdo was beginning to scare her as she felt something lock up. Her mind started to fog up as they reached towards her, something dark clawing at the edge of her vision.

That was, until a voice cut through the fog, and an entire magazine cut through the Orohdo.

“Get off the Warrant you reanimated robot rejects!” 

Garlic was dumping as many rounds as he could muster into the Orohdo, the volume of fire simply too much for even the weird sludge-based three Orohdo to withstand. Rainbow regained control of her body, joining her compatriot in eliminating the other two as one went down. Black goo began to plaster the walls as they drained magazine after magazine, shaking as the cyborg aggressors were removed from the equation. Breathing heavily, Rainbow widened her eyes in anger as she stomped on the head of one of them, chuckling as she felt some modicum of relief from the splattering of the weird creature’s head.

“I hate these things. Twilight met some on Nexus, but they weren’t like this. Lunarites above coming down from the Fortress, and Orohdo super-drones down here. Hold up,” Rainbow stated, kneeling down into the sludge and lifting up some sort of attachment for her rifle’s barrel, the coils down the side indicating some form of a firing assist. Unscrewing the suppressor, she placed it back into her chest rig, locking in the new attachment and smirking as the coils lit up with blue electricity, her HUD finally rebooting and recovering. The Magnetic Rifle Assist, or, at least, that was what her HUD called it, was fully charged and apparently ready for firing.

“So, do we go further here... or should we just go down and get to the Hangars?”

“We do owe it to Twilight to figure out what to do here. Besides, we’re bound to find some more toys that we can use against them.”

Stepping softly in an attempt to lessen the impact of her steps on the concrete floor, Rainbow crept along, Garlic keeping his eyes peeled as their lights showed each corner, more corpses simply stacked in odd places and corners. The laboratory was dimly lit as they passed the entrance area, humans and Iiaynsin pinned against the walls as creatures skittered across the far end of a large rectangular room, the light too dim to accurately make out what they were. Checking her motion sensor, Rainbow sighed as they were still alone, just her and Garlic, and none of those crazy Sludge Orohdo around.

Creeping past the large room that was unfortunately devoid of anything they could legitimately retrieve, the two of them kept their wits about them as they stepped through into a massive laboratory, almost piece-for-piece similar to some of the laboratories that Rainbow had seen in the Cradle. The equipment appeared decrepit, the skeletons in old, tattered uniforms denoting the sheer amount of time it had been since someone had last entered. Rainbow sighed and grimaced, thanking Rarity for the filters on her helmet, and whoever was watching over them, even if it was not one of the Princesses.  

Sweeping their helmet lights over the room, a glint from an object caused Garlic to pause, slowly creeping his way over until he found a small storage drive buried underneath a collapsed desk. With the lighting dim or severely lacking in several areas of the lab, he mused that it had been a miracle that he had even seen it. Motioning to Rainbow, he let her use her gadgets to lift the devastated desk from its placement, allowing him to snatch the drive out and hold it in his hooves as he examined it.

“Optical drive, Gust?”

“Looks like. It’s got that UEC logo I keep seeing. UEC was... Union of Earth’s Colonies, right?”

	“Sounds right. Stow it for now. We should probably get back to the elevator, make our way down to the engineering areas. Might be more drives like that one we can swipe.”

Without a response, Garlic took point, sweeping from side to side as Rainbow took the rearguard, checking each corner as they passed through the area they had initially swept, on alert in case any of those Sludge Orohdo came back, though it seemed clear enough. With a sigh, and an uneventful trip, they stepped onto the creaking grated platform of the elevator, Garlic taking a seat as Rainbow pushed the downward direction switch. Leaning against the railing, she shook her head as she breathed slowly and deeply. Her body shuddered for a quick second as she glanced up through the cage of the elevator, staring at the entrance where the rest of the fireteam sat.  

“They’ll be fine, Feathers. Swift and Juniper are some of the best, Onager too, even if he has a penchant for breaking limbs. We’ve been through worse in our training – Onager broke his jaw when we had to pause our survival training to rescue a convoy that had been attacked by those... sand worm things? I don’t remember the name of them-”

	“Sandwyrms. Yeah. Everyone who went through survival training met those things. Everfree Desert’s got some of the largest ones I’ve ever seen. You know they’re not native to the planet? They grew from some modified grubs that were kept aboard the Solus Invictus back when it was the Kepler, before it was... rebuilt and all that.”

“Heh, damn. Wouldn’t have thought the humans would have gone that far to get even a little protein. Eyes up, we’re here. What’s the game plan, Warrant?”

	Rainbow stopped, her gaze locking onto Garlic as it finally began to dawn on her, the sheer fact of just how much she outranked her entire fireteam. Onager was a sergeant, but she deferred to him, only taking over when he got injured. Now Garlic was giving her leeway to give orders, even though he and his team were much more experienced in the style of situation they were in, combat included. Just simply giving her that much was unsettling, even though she had been trained for a proper command position before. Breathing deeply, steeling her nerves, she glanced first at the wall, then down the corridor towards what looked like an automated assembly lin.

“Get in, find an optical drive – if there is one – and then push our way down towards the hangars. Take out any errant Orohdo that get in our way, and secure the frigates. Good enough?”

“Ha, better than Onager’s plans, Warrant. He’s mostly an improviser.”

	Chuckling as they left the elevator cage, the first thing both of them noticed was how clean the Engineering area was. Conveyors lined the walls, the machinery having long sat unused and unmoving. Strange devices sat partially constructed on several steel-based tables, though what the material actually was, neither of them could discern. The technology on top of those tables, however, was something of an intense curiosity.  

One table held what Rainbow could only describe as some manner of weapon, though it looked more like a drone engine rather than a weapon of war. The other table held various drives, enough to the point that she was rather confused as to if she should take some or all. The lettering on each was of a language she did not understand, although Twilight had prescribed to her several language comprehension courses courtesy of the Fortress’ database, none of which Rainbow had taken the time to even skim through.  

Glancing around, she smiled as her eyes fell upon what she could only surmise was some kind of fabrication unit, and from the looks of it, it was very close to what Rarity used down in her workshop. It appeared far less refined, more industrial than anything, but her smile grew wider as she approached a still-active control panel, her Hands allowing her close access as she tapped the screen, swiping between materials and products until she was satisfied with one in particular. With a few additional taps, the machine creaked and groaned as it whirred to life, stitching together what appeared to be a cargo backpack of some sort. Garlic rolled his eyes as he checked out the strange thruster-like device on the table opposite the one covered in optical drives, startling himself as it melded with the weapon harness on his body, the ‘device’ shifting as if it was melting as it merged and reformed.

“Guess this whole facility was for researching that nano stuff.”

“I can’t activate my weapon harness. I can’t- wait, hold on.”

	Rainbow narrowed her eyes as she watched Garlic’s harness reactivate, but instead of the heavy machine-gun he had been toting before, a sleek, almost alien-esque device slung out, the boxy frame of the old weapon replaced with rounded curves and sparking coils. Taking a step back behind, Rainbow let him grip the trigger bit with a strange fascination as he squeezed, a blast of energy rippling throughout the room as a single round impacted a far wall and detonated, taking several parts of the conveyor system with it. Staring at the energy dissipating, blue crackling waves emanating from the powerful round that had left a crater in the wall, she was smirking as she glanced back, cocking her hip to one side as she mused about the device.

“Well, don’t let me get in your way, Gust. We only have one of me.”

“Orohdo won’t stand a chance, Feathers. Is your cargo pack done yet?”

Stepping over to the fabricator, Rainbow sighed as she pulled a mostly finished cargo backpack from its clutches, the machine beeping and whining with a reminder to insert more material before fabrication could continue. Swiping the optical drives from the table into it, she slung the pack over her shoulders, shifting her bearing to adjust for the new center of balance from the weight of the optical drives. Taking a deep breath, she jerked her head back towards the elevator cage, hefting her own rifle as she checked her magazine to make certain she still had plenty of ammunition. Garlic followed behind her as they re-entered the cage once more, Rainbow holding down the descent button as they passed the level for the chemical laboratories.  

As the cage ground to a halt, Rainbow whistled as she looked up at the massive blast doors that separated her and Garlic from their objective. As she turned to comment to him about it, warning lights around the edge of the massive entrance began to cycle, the massive steel slabs that the door was comprised of squealing as they returned to their positions inside the wall, becoming smooth, featureless additions to the massive concrete frame of the door. Stepping through, she saw Fireteam Alpha already standing guard, Vasili standing at the door controls with a smile on his face, and a damaged helmet clipped to his belt.

“Well, here you are. Thought the rest of your team-”

“They’re up at the top of the shaft. Why not send one of your medics up there, Vasili? We might need the muscle to get Onager moving.”

“That big bastard broke something? Damn. Jackson, Hicks, on the cage, top level. Get the Warrant’s fireteam down here.”

Stepping into the room past Vasili, Rainbow could not help but whistle at the vessels still berthed in massive dry-dock cradles not unlike the one the Fortress took to orbit from. Long, boxy frames that were stark yet slender denoted the main portion of each craft, half-spheres dotting each side belying the true purpose of the Wolfpack. The rear of each was dominated by a massive engine exhaust, the powerful-looking drives something of a sobering moment for Rainbow, a reminder that they were still newcomers to the galactic stage, and that the humans and the other races of the galaxy had been at it far longer.

“Wolfpack Missile Frigates. Each of those bubble hardpoints? Self-reloading launcher. This whole facility was a Nanotechnology Research Facility. No wonder-”

“The Orohdo were here?”

“You fought ‘em too, huh? I guess I can’t have all the luck.”

Without warning, one of the frigates powered up, the engine glowing as plasma began to build inside the main exhaust, the massive round cone directing the energy, enormous hatches above rising as they shuddered and shook, the entire facility thundering as the Wolfpack began to rise, a message resonating over their radios as Green, muffled as he was, took to the skies, several transports slowing as their engines burned heavily to compensate for the sudden rush of air speeding past them. Shaking her head, Rainbow sat down, leaning forwards as Garlic took a seat next to her, smiling as he watched the other Wolfpack frigates come online and launch. With a hiss and a whoosh, he removed his helmet, setting it beside himself.

“It’s almost magical, being on this end of a launch.”

“Was it like this when the Solus Invictus launched?”

“Almost exactly like this. It’s a big galaxy, you know. Gotta appreciate beautiful moments like this. Hey, you think Equus might build a Drive Yard?”

Rainbow was barely paying any attention as she sighed, staring as the last of the Wolfpacks burned through the atmosphere and broke orbit, the tiny dots of light all that she could see through the blizzard as the drive plumes glowed. A thought crossed her mind, a thought about the Bastion, of all vessels. She wondered if the Gryphons had felt the same way witnessing it launch that she felt towards the Wolfpacks. Feeling a hand on her shoulder, she jumped, rolling into a combat kneel and aiming her rifle around, tense right up until she saw Vasili laughing at her. Jackson and Hicks, the two he had sent for Onager, carried a stretcher past, the big stallion unconscious as he was carried to a waiting transport, the empty frigate berths providing ample room for embarking to leave.

“Maybe we’ll get one. Like the humans had on... what was that planet called, Warrant?”

“Mars. The Martian Drive Yards. It’s in the database.”

“Yeah. Maybe we’ll have something like that, building ships to explore.”

“Maybe,” Rainbow sighed, leaning forward to stand up quickly. “Maybe we will spread out like  them, maybe we won’t. But now... now I think we have a better chance at maybe seeing that future.”


--------//|0|\\--------  


“Wolfpacks Seven and Eight are docked, Commander. Fireteams Alpha and Fastball have reported back with one injured.”

	Twilight perused over the After-Action Report given to her by Vasili, the report not having been asked for, but welcome all the same. Detailing out everything she was already aware of, she stopped when she reached the inventory of the drives that Rainbow had brought back. A majority of it was corrupted data, but there were some schematics beyond what they had ever dreamed, including the Aether Coil Cannon that the strange device had changed Corporal Garlic Gust’s heavy weapon into. They would be mining the data for a while, and while she was wary of any data that came her way, various starmaps had been discovered throughout the drives as well, including what appeared to be some way to cross from the M83 galactic core towards any point in what was called the ‘Milky Way’ galaxy. Though she found the idea dubious at best, she was nonetheless giddy at the concept of being able to not only travel throughout their own galaxy, but having the potential to meet the humans who had once launched massive fleets of vessels on missions of colonization and exploration.

“You know that we have to complete our next match before we even consider trying to Tunnel that far, you know? Magicite is finite, Twilight.”

“What do you mean?”

“You asked for numbers to be crunched, and here they are. If we were to launch at any point soon, we could quite possibly burn out the Tunnel Drive, maybe even exhaust most of our supply of Magicite rods. But... if we even have a remote chance at seeing Earth...”

“Maybe. Maybe, if we are lucky. But maybe we aren’t that lucky, Isaac.”

Isaac stepped back, looking up as Twilight stood to her full height, easily towering over him with her cybernetics. He had heard she had gained a large stature thanks to her upgrades, but even he was very much impressed with how tall she had become. Eight feet tall, she knelt down slightly to bring her eyes to level with his, the determination in her eyes set as she smiled, a smile he knew very well as the bringer of crazy ideas. Picking up a pen in her etheric field, Twilight began to draw on a nearby whiteboard, a board which Isaac could have sworn was not there a minute ago. Figures and calculations began to dot the board as Twilight pondered the questions she had been given. Trajectories and coordinates began to manifest on the board as she scribbled, crossed out and re-drew equation after equation. Isaac was smiling, but he was having an incredible time just barely keeping up, though he did enjoy watching her go full scientist on him. It seemed to be a passion of hers, and he was not one to prevent such a passion from growing.

“And match the poles- there! A comprehensive calculation map on how to keep the Tunnel Drive from burning out while transporting between galaxies!” Twilight smiled as Isaac clapped, her mind taking a break as she sat down, staring up at the whiteboard.

“Earth or bust, huh?”

“Twilight?”

“Earth or bust. We either make it to Earth or we’ll basically die trying. We’ve won so far, but it’s only been one match. We’re facing the Thalrazyne next, and I doubt they will make it easy on us. You think we’re-”

Twilight was interrupted as Isaac stood up, lifting her up and drawing her into a tight hug. Without a word, she smiled, returning the hug as the human chuckled, looking up at her with tears in his eyes. Widening her eyes in concern, she let go, pushing him back towards his chair as she sat down once more. She knew that to humans, especially people like Isaac, a promise of seeing Earth was something of a dream, something that could be wished for yet never achieved, and she had proven that the Fortress could make it back to the birthplace of the human race. She smiled as she wrapped her arms around herself, beaming a grin at Isaac as he smirked, a small half-smile as he looked at the whiteboard, the phrase ‘Earth or bust’ written boldly across the top. With a sigh, he stood, taking the pen from Twilight as he stared up at the phrase.

“’Earth or bust indeed.’ The Committee won’t like us jumping galaxies.”

“They haven’t had anyone try in over a millennium, Isaac.”

“I guess that’s why I like you, Twilight. You put your money where your mouth is.”

Isaac turned to see Twilight’s face tinge slightly red, her slight sideways glances at him slightly confusing as he set the pen down, lifting up the PDA with the report on it. Tapping through, he saw the full complement that was available on each of the frigates, smiling as he glanced at the technical specifications on each. Frigates like the Wolfpack were not designed to be able to jump in and out of a system without some kind of mothership, a carrier of sorts, but that also meant that when they would take the plunge, they would at least have a good chance at surviving the other end. Shaking his head, he slid his chair next to Twilight’s, putting an arm around her as he breathed a sigh of relief.

“We’ve got a match to prepare for, then, don’t we?”

“Yes we do, Commander. Let’s go kick some Thalrazyne ass.”
> Chapter 17 - Hubris
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Testing Wolfpack launch package.This is Wolfpack Carter, locking onto test target.”

The main communications screen on the Command Bridge of the Solus Invictus that was normally keyed into buoys that the Fortress had been leaving behind was instead testing the new sensors, a specific part of the vessel that had not been tested since their improvement at Nexus Station. One of the new Wolfpack Frigates, Wolfpack Carter, was on manoeuvres, their targeting array lighting up a nearby asteroid for testing purposes. Twilight stood between Rainbow and Starlight, her XO double-checking each parameter the Carter sent back through the link between the smaller craft and the main array onboard the Fortress, while Rainbow was simply eager to see what all the fuss was about with the new ships. As Twilight turned to give a set of orders, the first salvo of missiles departed from the Carter, forty-odd missiles each impacting with enough force to detonate a small bunker.

“It’s been a month, Twi.”

“I know.”

“And you’re just testing their weapons now?”

“Rainbow, if you recall, we also had a good many optical drives to scour through for information. That and we had to modify the old short-range Void Drives they had. They won’t have the range of the Fortress-based version of the Tunnel Drive, but they’ll be basic lifeboats just in case.”

Twilight, as she finished, floated a dataslate next to her, checking over information on the new drive systems, as something seemed slightly off as she double-checked the power readings. Starlight, looking up, simply shook her head, barking orders to her gunnery team onboard the Carter and making certain they were not simply firing the missiles without proper targeting. As she continued her dressing down of whoever was on the main missile batteries of the Carter, two other Wolfpacks moved into position, two more massive asteroids targeted in the local belt. Rainbow narrowed her eyes, wishing she had been able to send out a remote-controlled Interceptor flight to really test the targeting on those frigates, but Twilight had shot her down almost immediately, citing a constant need for resources draining any flight tests.

“Wolfpack Rockhoof, reporting confirmed solution. Ready to fire.”

“Wolfpack Killian, reporting in with confirmed target. Weapons ready.”

“Killian, Rockhoof, you may fire when ready.”

Two more impressive salvos erupted as both frigates let loose their complements at the same time. Rippling detonations, though only brief, cracked the asteroids into nothing but chunks, leaving blasted rock behind. The centres of each of the asteroids, however, was of far higher priority, massive, glowing clusters of strange composition floating in the vacuum of the void outside. As the Carter approached for retrieval, the Rockhoof and Killian returned to their berths, the massive docking zones finally fulfilling their true purpose instead of simply being the extra storage they had been utilized for beforehand. With a clunking connection, the frigates docked, the test crews disembarking for a full report.

Standing up from the chair she had been seated in for the last several hours, Twilight sighed as she reached down and readjusted her uniform trousers over her cybernetics. It had been a long day-cycle, and her thoughts were only of food and rest, the extensive weapons testing yielding a secondary objective that she was not discussing with some of her crew before they were able to understand what the strange glowing clusters were. Rainbow, turning to watch Twilight leave, quickly followed suit, the clanking of her legs on the metal of the deck plating Twilight’s cue to slow down before her friend tripped and slammed face-first into the floor again.

“Commander has left the Command Bridge. XO Starlight is in command.”

Without a word, Twilight simply turned, entering a Mag-Rail pod and planting herself in the seat as she closed her eyes, shaking her head as she looked around, her eyes landing on Rainbow as she sat herself down, breathing slowly as she glanced over at her commander. Rolling her eyes, Twilight wordlessly motioned up at the Mag-Rail, sighing as Rainbow raised an eyebrow, leaving her to ask the question of the pod’s computer.

“Computer, Cafeteria.”

With a hiss, the doors slid shut, sealing the pod hermetically before sliding off into the distance to where Rainbow knew a hot meal and a good conversation awaited. She had been more alert than the others, but something was certainly going on between Twilight and her security chief, Isaac Humphries. Ever since the first day away from the ice planet installation, it seemed that almost every spare moment was spent together. Rainbow was not as well-versed in relationships as Rarity was purported to be, but even she could see something was sparking between the two, even if it was something completely and utterly egg-headed in nature. Still, it helped to see Twilight smile, as she was still very much a loner compared to most of the crew.

“Still bothered by the reports out of Equus?”

“Bothered or annoyed? The Gryphon Hegemony is facing a disturbingly high amount of Lunarite aggression, while the Solarians, promising peace, gunned down half of a Seven-Day-War Anniversary parade. Celestia and Luna cannot act, as acting would actually legitimize the movements.”

“Isaac pass it along?”

Twilight raised an eyebrow as the pod slid to a stop, her voice choked out as the doors hissed open and the human in question stepping in to take a quick seat. Rainbow, smirking, watched her squirm in her seat as he sat down beside Twilight, seemingly oblivious of the situation he was finding himself in. Isaac, tapping some symbols on a dataslate in his hand, was conversing with one of the scientists down in Engineering, something about engines, the Tunnel Drive and a long distance the only things that Rainbow particularly understood.

“No, the variances are all wrong. Check the insertion ratio. I know you’re using Twilight’s calculations, but we need to- I’m... going to come by later. Keep up the good work, Doctor.”

“I will see you later, Chief. Nine Heavens keep you.”

	“Nine Heavens keep you.”

The sudden awkwardness filled the air like a foul stench, choking out any hope of a normal conversation as the three of them stole quick glances at each other before staring down at the floor of the pod. Shaking her head, Rainbow checked a slot on the side of the panel, smiling as she tapped several symbols on her dataslate, the Hands gadget still attached even when she had been told long use was problematic. On the screen, a galaxy-wide-network game simply titled ‘Ghosts of Terra’ began to load, the psychological aspect of the entertainment program of varying popularity among the crew. Logging in, she was dismayed to find that her own character, using a specific scan of herself to be included in the game, had been locked due to something about ‘licensing issues’ or something. Glancing up, she could not help but smile at Twilight placing her head on Isaac’s chest, chuckling as she tapped out the parameters for a new character, smiling until the licensing issue notification popped up.

“Twilight.”

“Hmm...”

“Twilight. They’re having licensing issues with ‘Ghosts of Terra’ again.”

“Oh... uh...” Twilight trailed off as she floated the dataslate from Rainbow’s grasp over to where she could see it. Clear as day with a message blinking across the screen, Twilight’s half-lidded comfortable gaze was nearly instantaneously replaced with a much more serious, and somewhat angry expression, her eyes steely as she sat up. With some rather colourful muttering, she tapped several symbols on the dataslate, bringing up a direct connection with Akane Zvaro-Jun, the one woman in the entirety of the galaxy who had the merchandising rights for the... products that were being created with Twilight’s blessing. As the conversation started, it seemed far less than cordial to Rainbow, whose eyes gradually narrowed as Akane began to speak.

“Commander, I don’t know what you expect me to do-”

	“Akane. We signed a contract. You get sole merchandising rights, and you gave two likenesses out to StarFall Studios for Ghosts of Terra. All I’m asking is why the licensing suddenly changed.”

“Such is the way of business, Commander. I’m not going to pretend you have an ear to the ground like I told you to have, but there are dealings behind the scenes that are keeping you in the game. Break our contract, and you’re out to the wolves.”

	With that statement, Twilight sat dumbstruck as Akane disconnected, leaving the pod entirely quiet even as more crew members joined the trio inside. Rainbow’s eyes had gone from a simple annoyed and suspicious narrowing to a full-blown bulging out of pure rage, while Twilight’s expression bore the same volume of gaze that one who had dropped their hard-earned ice cream would have. Isaac stared at the dataslate that had slipped from Twilight’s etheric grasp, cracking on the ground. The sparking circuitry did little for the mood inside the Mag-Rail pod, the others who had joined them staring blankly at the damaged dataslate, a scorch mark below where it was laying.

“Business... Business be damned.”

Isaac stood up after his harshly whispered statement, his eyes set as he leaned against the wall of the Mag-Rail pod, his eyes glued to the floor as he sighed, breathing slowly as he centred himself and slowly but assuredly brought his heart rate down. Glancing back at Twilight, he gripped a hand-rail tightly, fury evident on his face as he watched the pod grind to a halt. An alarm briefly sounded, the location barely registered as the trio silently exited, Isaac turning away towards what he believed to be the Fortress’ exercise zone. Twilight turned in the opposite direction as she narrowed her eyes, putting her forehooves behind her in a human-esque fashion, mirroring a motion that she had seen some of the humans take as they pondered a dangerous question.

“Twilight.”

“No.”

“Twilight, you know we can’t break the- Twilight!” Rainbow stepped quickly in front of her friend, her eyes wide as she held her in place. 

“Dash, we’ve got one shot.”

“I’ve seen the numbers, Twilight. One more match is all we need to worry about. Those credits will see us through to whatever crazy plan you and that human have made, but we have to see it through. The licensing issues aside, we’re gaining enough traction to do something, and-”

“Dash, I can’t do anything! If I keep pushing for more autonomy with Akane, the Committee pushes back, and we run the risk of losing our contract. Independent Fortresses do not last long in the Games.”

Sinking down against a nearby wall, Twilight stared up at the ceiling, her eyes fogging up as tears began to flow. The amount of stress that had been suddenly foisted upon her, coupled with a severe lack of sleep due to her work with Isaac on plotting the route to what had been fully confirmed as the ‘cradle of humanity,’ and the thought that they could be shut down at any moment had finally slammed into her like a cargo freighter at top speed. Lifting her up, Rainbow took her aside to a small alcove, a seat and a door allowing Twilight to not be visible to some of the individuals  on the crew who were far more vocal about their newfound opposition to their commander. Quiet sobs began to emanate from the lavender cyborg as she let herself just cry properly for the first time in what could have been years, though Rainbow was never certain. 

“Twi, Twi... come on. We’ve got a good crew, we’ve got the officers to corral the more, well, militant elements, and we do have the Wolfpack frigates from that frozen iceball of a planet. The Committee is determined to make us give up, to forget about- look where we are! We are in space, Twi! How many years would it have been before ponykind was able to see what we’ve seen? We are the first of our planet, every Griffon, Pegasus, Unicorn, Earth-Pony and Changeling onboard, in the stars. You haven’t given yourself time to just sit and look at the stars...”

“You sounded like there was something else you wanted to say, Rainbow.”

“Just that... there were reports from Ponyville about Solarian aggression. Apparently they don’t enjoy your message of friendship now that you are so far from home. It’s almost like they want ponies to tell them what to do, instead of figuring it out for themselves.”

With a dry chuckle, Twilight stood up, the servos in her legs recalibrating as she reared to her cybernetically-enhanced height. Rainbow gave her a half-smile, tapping open the door control before they nearly ran into Starlight, her eyes wild and panicking.

“W-Where have you two been? Isaac’s on a rampage in the simulator! Redheart and Fluttershy have said his vitals are far in excess of what is baseline for his species, and while I don’t actually know what that means, he’s on the verge of either a physical breakdown or complete catatonia. Again, what Redheart and Fluttershy said.”

Glancing at each other, the duo pushed past the second officer, leaving her to glance around before she got her bearings and began radioing to various members of the crew.

	


 --------//|0|\\--------


“Fucking bullshit!”  

Twilight ducked to dodge a half-torn punching bag having been tossed in her direction as Rainbow stood beside the doorway they had just entered, the human in question sweating, panting and cursing as he launched fist after fist into the hard-light boxing gear, each confirmed hit growing weaker and weaker as he broke virtual punching bag after punching bag. Twilight’s vision began to register the elevated adrenaline levels, as well as various  other chemicals she was not entirely well-versed in. Whatever Isaac was doing, he was pushing his body well in excess of what humans could possibly handle, and was as close to catatonia as Fluttershy had stated to Starlight.

Sinking to his knees, Isaac tossed his boxing gloves to the side, falling forwards onto his stomach to roll onto his back. His chest felt as though it were on fire, his lungs barely drawing in air as he struggled to breathe. Each lungful of air he drew in felt like daggers on his ribs, his body battered from his self-inflicted ordeal. As he stretched out on the ground, he looked up, seeing Twilight shaking her head at him and sighing. 

“Commander.”

“Humphries. You mind telling me why your blood-adrenaline ratio is almost twice the lethal limit for most humans?”

“Twice? I could have sworn I was four times the lethal amount,” Isaac remarked, sitting up and slowly shifting himself towards a nearby container, the simulated environment with the annihilated punching bags disappearing. His face fell as he stared at the ground, his eyes dark as he drew his knees to his chest. Without a word of warning, he bounced up, his facial expression barely moving as he stared down the wall farthest from him, as if he was daring the plates of the metal itself to challenge him.

“Isaac.”

“It’s just... this is what they did with the Miner’s Defiance. Cut our contracts, pushed us to the very brink, and then tossed us aside when we were no longer entertaining. I’ve no doubt that the rising anti-Harmony sentiment on your planet is partly their doing – they love to create ‘reasons’ for people to abandon the Games and go home.”

“So that’s it? Just get angry and do nothing?”

“Let me show you something.”

Without another word, Isaac approached a screen on the wall, entering a sequence of numbers that neither Twilight or Rainbow were familiar with. The room shifted as the simulator kicked in, displaying a recreation of some style of orbital battle between massive fleets. Isaac stood at the forefront of the simulation, staring down at the world being recreated from the code. Vessels exploded, interceptors dove, dodged and were destroyed, and he just stared, his eyes never deviating. As Twilight and Rainbow watched on, cracks began to show in the planet as the crust shook apart, both fleets ceasing their combat to attempt an escape.

“This was Arcturus Prime. Independent military consortium planet... and my homeworld. An invasion fleet from a neighbouring planetary coalition deigned it necessary to assault and destroy any hope we had of chasing a dream of freedom. Neither side was responsible for the planet cracking – instead, logs from the battle detected a highly energetic plasma burst emanating from the dark side of the planet, a beam of energy almost identical to those employed on those massive leviathans of ships that the Committee use to ‘keep worlds in line.’ The Enforcers.”

A massive vessel was identified in the footage, the recreation displaying the full size and complement of the craft, as well as the damage that the Enforcer itself took as it escaped from the area affected by the planet’s destruction. Hangar bays holding countless fighter, bomber and interceptor craft, weapon arrays that put even some of the larger Fortresses that Twilight was aware of to shame, and a star-drive that put the theory and practical thinking of her own Tunnel Drive to shame. A comparison was displayed, the Solus Invictus not even a tenth of the size. With the firepower and manpower that the Committee was able to field, she was beginning to get the picture that Isaac was painting.

“If they think they can get away with it, they will destroy everything you hold dear. We can do one more match, but after that, it is either we Tunnel to the Milky Way, or the Committee finds out and sends that after you, after everyone you love, and after your planet. Even the Thalrazyne don’t fight it. Thalra has three moons, but they used to have seven.” Isaac clenched his fist as he finished, tapping out the sequence to suspend the holographic recreation. Twilight glanced at Rainbow, meeting her eyes as the latter stepped back, leaving the Commander to move forwards and sit next to Isaac. Wordlessly, he lifted a dataslate, bringing up the current information about Equus. Short-range telemetry was not displaying anything out of the ordinary, but Twilight’s eyes began to widen as he switched the orbital view over to an infra-red scan. Massive heat signatures showed up, especially one massive one in particular, the exact same shape and drive signature as the massive Enforcer she was aware of.  

“Then that means...”

“They’re ready to crack your planet if you ever step out of line and stop marching to their tune. The little squabble between the Solarians and Lunarites, that will be a simple footnote in the history of your world. I... I can’t...” Isaac trailed off as sobs began to wrack his body. Rainbow slowly walked towards the door, making certain the entrance was locked while Isaac continued his breakdown, his body shivering and shaking as he leaned into Twilight, crying on her foreleg’s shoulder as she rubbed his back, trying to calm him down. Something clicked in Rainbow’s head, her eyes narrowing as she glanced back to Twilight and Isaac, remembering the partial information she had gained from her habit of overhearing whenever she rode the Mag-Rail. Slowly walking towards Twilight and Isaac, she smiled as it all fell into place in her mind, the goal that her commander and her commander’s chief of security had been so secretive about. Information that normally would not have locked together in her mind, but for some reason, it made sense. The Tunnel Drive... they were going to push it far beyond its actual limits, and do something no one had ever done before.

“You’re going to jump from our galaxy to... I guess the one where humans come from, aren’t you, Twilight?”

“Rainbow, h-how did you find-”

“Isaac talks low and slow, but I do have a great memory. Isaac was talking about the Tunnel Drive, and maxing out its Magicite capacitor rods, wasn’t he? You’re going to try and burn out the drive, might find out something we can use against the Committee?”

Isaac stopped sobbing, looking straight up at the cyborg pegasus, the human realizing just how much he had integrated into the crew that he had stopped thinking of them as the competitors who had defeated his crew, and more of a new family he was part of. Pushing himself up to a standing position, he wiped his eyes and nose, tensing his face and lips as he slowly nodded. Returning to the simulation panel, he punched in the combination for his and Twilight’s research, creating the visualization of the cross-over between galaxies, a massive endeavour that Rainbow realized she barely understood the scope of. The power calculations alone would have been enormous, and Twilight was smirking as she walked around the beam of light cast from the center of Messier 83 to the edge of what was considered in their Fortress’ database as the ‘Cradle of Humanity,’ or the Milky Way Galaxy.  

“This is... this is impossible! That’s a-”

“Supermassive black hole, the same type that exists at the center of almost every galaxy. Using it as a slingshot, we could gain enough momentum for one of the most powerful jumps in recorded history. The Committee sees us as weak, unmotivated, divisive. Let’s give your Coalition something to believe in, shall we?”


 --------//|0|\\--------


Twilight waited for the communications buoy to log into the interstellar network, watching as Celestia’s and Luna’s icons pulsed as the request was parsed through several relays, sighing and releasing the breath she was holding as it made it through. Her enthusiasm was quickly dissipated when she saw the exhaustion and pain clearly evident on the faces of the diarchy. Luna was barely holding together, her face a mask of pain, confusion and suffering, while Celestia appeared to have barely slept in the last month from the sheer bags under her eyes. Isaac stepped forward, Rainbow flanking him as the three of them stood in stark contrast, crisp and clean uniforms at the ready.

“My dear Twilight. I wish you had called at a much better time. The reports we sent you via comms-relay were far less accurate than we expected. Swaths of Equestria have seceded to either Lunarite or Solarian control, and there is talk of dark whispers in the north. It appears that something old is returning. Is there any way to delay your match until we can deal with this?”

“I concur with my sister, dear Commander. We sit at the precipice of a new disaster, and our chief means of defence is far away in battle among the stars. We hope that you can return posthaste to assist our endeavour. Coalition Security Forces are far less equipped to deal with a threat that cannot be contained when they can disappear into crowds, and we are loath to simply start arresting our little ponies on account of them possibly being treasonous and loyal to a cause that would not build up our world.”

Twilight pursed her lips, taking the information with trepidation as she breathed slowly, pondering the new data with all the practised resolve of a scientist. The fact that the Solarians and Lunarites had consolidated power so quickly meant that their Earthshot operation could possibly be discovered, and end with the Committee vaporizing the planet out of sheer arrogance. Glancing over at Starlight, she watched her friend slowly nod, and start chattering into an earpiece microphone, grimacing as she sent out various orders, the main shift entering Command quickly and silently as they took their positions, gunnery stations and navigation computers at the ready.

“It is in the opinion of-”

“Twilight, this is your home. They’re tearing it apart, and we have the personnel and equipment to handle it. That and the fact that you can send the Cradle Shipyards you speak so highly of the schematics for the Wolfpack.”

Closing her eyes, she let herself engage in a deep self-conversation, letting her various aspects talk between themselves. All the information available said to her that she should intervene, and possibly be able to see her family again before she had to return to the stars, but more of her was wary, especially since she knew an Enforcer was in orbit. Though some small piece of her wondered if they were there simply to observe, she felt that it was not out-of-character for the Committee to be prepared to assault a world simply out of spite. However, the princesses were waiting for a response, and she was ill-prepared to give a good enough answer. Still, though, she was in charge, and all the pieces were on the board, even the pieces that were not as prevalent as others.

Opening her eyes again, she slid various files over to a ‘File Transfer’ icon, sending new data towards Luna in the Cradle, and tactical information to Celestia in Canterlot. Both sent acknowledgements that they had received the file, though Luna was far more shocked and terrified by some of the information sent to her compared to the calm and collected reaction of Celestia. Each was mirroring the other, unfortunately, in their immediate fear and mistrust of the information sent to them.

“An ‘Arc Cannon?’ This is-”

“Something we picked up on the iceball of a planet we just explored. Gained several of those Wolfpack Frigates I just sent the schematics for as well. Nanotech research is a little beyond us, but its applications are far more likely to be of immediate use.”

“And these ‘Thalrazyne-’”

“Believe in honour, above all else. Sort of like the Minotaur Tribes, when they started working with the Coalition,” Twilight stated, her point having been made. Starlight quietly approached her commander, placing a dataslate in her forehooves. With a sigh, Twilight glanced down, furrowing her brow as she realized the data that was in front of her. Starlight had just run the calculations for a maximum-burn Tunnelling, attempting to return to Equus as fast as possible. It would leave them Drive-less for a period of two weeks, but she was certain it was worth it. The power requirements would burn out almost three-quarters of their Magicite reserves, but the sheer speed at which they would Tunnel was beyond what she expected for capabilities.

“When can we expect you to return, then, Twilight?”

“As a human once said, ‘Look to the skies. When the shadows fall, you will know I am there.’”

With that, the connection was cut, neither from Twilight’s or the side of the Princesses. Something transitioned into Realspace a fair distance ahead of them, many, many small ships flanking several massive cruisers, each easily the size of half of the Fortress. The lights began to shine red, flashing as a klaxon alarm echoed throughout the hallways, Starlight calling all duty stations to confirm their readiness status.

Taking a seat, Twilight narrowed her eyes, staring out at the unknown fleet in front of her. Before she could utter a word, a massive piece of red text declared them to be Red Sun Pirates, apparently an infamous group that would attack anyone if they were paid enough. Gunnery stations began to send out firing solutions, cannons locking on and powering up as Rainbow narrowed her eyes, turning to start running towards one of the hangars.

“Rainbow Dash!”

“Those ships will tear through our Field Projectors if we let them get close! Applejack said she had some sort of bomber wing ready to deploy, and I will not let those pirates get close! Deploy every  interceptor we have, Twilight! I’ll meet them in the void!”

Twilight could not help but feel a sensation of foreboding and worry – the craft incoming outnumbered their interceptors by a factor of ten to one, and even the Wolfpack Frigates were slower than they were supposed to be in deployment. The Bastion had already shifted into a screening formation, attempting to keep the light bombing craft and enemy interceptors at bay with what appeared to be massive burst cannons, explosions dotting the area in front of the destroyer. Twilight stared at the tactical map that showed up, wings of ships quickly deploying and forming up into squadrons. She prayed and hoped that Rainbow was not taking the vanguard position, hoping that something would protect her.


 --------//|0|\\--------


“All right, Eagle Wing! Form on me, we’re gonna slam straight up the middle, take on that torpedo boat! If those warheads get through, the Bastion is dead, and the Solus Invictus will be next! We need to buy time for the Wolfpacks to deploy and get into position! For Equestria!”

“For Equestria!”

If Rainbow was willing to admit, she felt a modicum of fear. She barely had enough metal to block a singular rail-cannon round, and any fire she took from one of the vessels larger than a frigate would rip her to pieces. Still, she barely trusted the reaction time of a quick-grown clone, and even less the signal lag between her and one of the Clone Avatars she would have used during a match. Her eyes narrowed as she linked into her bomber, the main engine array warming up and burning bright as she pushed the craft beyond its limits, her wing-ponies barely keeping up as she dove, twisted and twirled through incoming weapons fire, her heart-rate increasing exponentially the closer she got to a quick explosive decompression of a death. She could not let Twilight down, she would not let her down.  

“Friends do for each other what they’re willing to. That’s how it works, Twilight.”

“TacNet established. Eagle Wing, proceed to target one-fourteen, Torpedo Frigate configuration.”

	“Roger, flight. Eagle Wing, one-fourteen! We’re weapons free, let’s slam these bozos!”

Energy trails lanced off her wings as she dove and spun, the sheer directionless nature of space barely mattering to her as she felt more alive than she ever had before. The bomber was a part of her, and she was its master. Two lives, one of metal and motion, the other of meat and mettle. She smiled, right up until something slammed into her right side.  

Tumbling around, she felt her harness disconnect, the explosive payload she carried disembarking through what amounted to a lack of outer plating, shells rocketing past as she panicked, trying to undo the harness before the inevitable destabilization of the bomber’s onboard fusion plant occurred. Seconds began to feel like hours as everything seemed to slow down, her mind logging every possible variable. She chuckled, wondering if Twilight saw the world like that constantly, but was brought back to reality by a countdown, the fusion plant reaching critical loss of containment. With a slow breath, she pulled her cockpit release, blazing out of the cockpit on a thruster sled, narrowing her eyes as something whizzed past, another object grazing her helmet just enough to create minor cracks.

“No, no no no no! I can’t go out like this! I can’t-” Rainbow’s voice was cut off as her helmet’s faceplate exploded outwards, sucking every breath she could have had out of her lungs. She could feel herself choking, suffocating in the vacuum of space as she felt herself slipping. Interceptors and bombers whizzed past, her comrades and fellow pilots risking and losing their lives to defend against the pirates that were making a concerted effort to destroy everything they had worked for. Closing her eyes, she felt her heart rate race, and then begin to slow down. She could hear voices, but she could not determine their origin, her mind fogging up and blanking as she simply floated away on the solar winds of the void.

“Rainbow!”
> Chapter 18 - One More Day
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Come on, Rainbow Dash! It’s just a little further now!”

Sunshine felt strange on Rainbow’s coat as she blinked, looking around. Ponies she was not familiar with danced around, some playing with a beach ball bouncing around, and others swimming close to a beach she did not realize was nearby. As she watched and smiled, something began to feel off. Ponies were turning to static recreations, artifacts of a damaged monitor flowing over them as if it was not entirely there.

“Oh right. The bomber. I’m dead, huh...”

“All right, transfer her on three! One, two, three!”

Earlier

Twilight sat in stunned silence as the scanner brought back the final moments of Eagle Leader, Rainbow’s bomber, as a rail-cannon round tore straight through it. Something sat unwell with her, though she swore she saw a small plume of a booster ejecting from the wreckage. She could not be certain, and her focus was ill-advised to be split when she had a battle to win, despite how desperately outnumbered her small fleet was. Wolfpack Rockhoof was giving as good as it got, its own field projectors sitting at one-quarter of their full capacity. Carter was tied up rescuing ejected pilots as the Bastion screened incoming torpedoes and missiles, flak launchers pluming and thundering, though no noise was made in the vacuum of space.

Isaac stared at the screen, tapping a copy over on his own integrated wrist-pad, replaying the strange plume moment over and over until something clicked. With a quick salute, he turned and bolted down the hallway, pushing his body as hard as it could go. Tearing a helmet out of a human pilot’s hands, he sealed it around his own neck, slowing his momentum as he slid next to an entry door for the Mag-Rail system.

“Computer, emergency override – Recovery Lander Hangar, authorization code Alpha-Zulu-One-One-Seven, authentication Security Chief Humphries!”

Without a word, a single pod slid into the harness that was normally reserved for emergencies, Isaac jumping inside and holding onto the emergency restraints designed for individuals to remain standing, especially during conflict. His eyes narrowed as he replayed the footage over and over in his mind. Without a doubt, she was alive, but if she was, her vitals monitor was damaged, and she was mere minutes from a horrible end via asphyxiation. Closing his eyes, he muttered a quick prayer for success to the Nine Heavens, bracing himself for the mission he was about to embark on.

“Recovery Lander Hangar, emergency override. Please exit now to return to normal service.”

Leaping out of the Mag-Rail Pod, he glanced over a duty roster on the nearby wall, ascertaining which of the boats he would be able to commandeer. All of them were either in service or on the repair roster, except for one, and he had heard rumours about the ship. Narrowing his eyes, he glanced over at the older ship, a transport they had modified from its run on the Miner’s Defiance. Smirking, he shoved past several technicians and pilots, sliding a trauma pack over his back with a rebreather unit strapped to his chest, barely slowing his pace as he leaped over a tall railing, landing on the deck plating and bolting past every crew member he could find. Before he could take a seat in the cockpit and warm up the vessel, he heard two voices, ones he had become intimately familiar with due to some of their attempted shenanigans onboard.

“Yeah, he was sprinting like a bat out of hell! He even used the emergency override to get down here- sir, what’s going on?”

“Abigail, Vasili, no time to explain. Get strapped in, we’re going on a rescue mission.”

Without hesitation, the other two sealed their helmets, taking positions in the secondary and tertiary pilots’ seats, eyes narrowing as the transport lurched, Isaac pushing the engines hard before they were even out of the hangar. Technicians dove out of the way as he spun completely around and blasted out of the main shielded zone, feeling the ship’s main gravity kick out as the weightlessness set in, though it only lasted for a second before the acceleration slammed into them like a freight train, afterburners igniting as cannon fire shot past them. Vasili began whooping as they turned, twisted and spun around each individual shot, Isaac a far better pilot than they had ever considered. Wreckage in the distance was brought up on the main viewscreen, a faint vitals signal being transmitted from a suit. Abigail was about to ask when warnings began covering the edge of the viewscreen’s monitor, detailing out the major helmet breach that had occurred, and showing a very minimal countdown for how long left until she would expire. Her main extremities were already devoid of blood and oxygen from what he could tell, and her face was already showing signs of icing over. One of her eyes had already burst from the expansion of liquid, and she was drifting slowly. The world seemed to slow down as Isaac turned flight control over to Vasili, disconnecting his safety harness and clambering into the rear of the transport, narrowing his eyes as he prepared a sealant mask and a breathing apparatus for immediate rescue.

“Vasili, blow the rear hatch!” Isaac felt the pressure drop as he was sucked out of the ship, a harness attached to his back zipping out like a fishing line as he kicked in a small set of nozzles, puffs of air redirecting him on an active-set path towards the floating cyborg pegasus, her rainbow tail already having shattered from debris blazing past. It was a shame to see the lovely colours marred by incoming enemy weapons fire, but his mind was on far more important items. Something about how long her vitals were still processing gave him a little worry, as any other being would have been unconscious and possibly expired from hypoxia, but Rainbow was surviving far longer than any other individual he had ever met. The silence of space was far more terrifying for anyone who was not familiar with it, and he had a feeling that had her helmet not lost its faceplate, she would be losing her mind at the sheer lack of noise. His own breathing accompanied him as he slowed down his pace of air intake, calming himself for a sterner focus.

As he drifted closer and closer, he could see the pirates blasting apart other interceptor flights, Hawk and Falcon flights chief among them – their distinctive brown and blue stripes made them distinguishable, and it hit him even harder when he saw an errant flak shell detonate, destroying any chance at pilot recovery. Slowing himself as he reached Rainbow Dash, he detached the trauma pack from his back, retrieving the faceplate sealant mask and oxygen recovery system. Warnings kept appearing, detailing out a possible chance of Rainbow going septic if she was not moved into a gravity environment. He glanced at her suit, noting the large puncture wound across her wings; if she survived, she would likely never fly again, and for a Pegasus like her, that would be tantamount to death. If she survived, he reminded himself. 

As he finished sealing the mask around her face, he slowly increased the pressure, noting her heart rate and oxygenation as he withdrew a roll of duct tape, attempting to correct any other breaches in her pressure suit. As soon as he thought he was ready, he removed a cable from the pack, hooking a line between himself and Rainbow in case they were separated. Rounds came eerily close to his face as he continued his job, keeping a very close eye on her vital signs. The timer for Hypoxia was beginning to crawl slowly upwards, which should have been impossible, but an earlier conversation with a Changeling reminded him to not be as narrow-minded as he once was. Glancing around to check for debris, he tapped his suit transmitter, eliciting Vasili’s attention.

“Winch us in, slowly. I don’t know how well the seals will hold. How long will it take to re-engage the rear hatch once we’re in?”

“No more than two minutes, sir. Is she-”

“She’s alive, barely. I had less than thirty seconds before asphyxiation. How the hell she survived longer than any creature I’ve known, I will never know.”

A tug on his belt signalled the winch was online, and he was determined that no matter what, she would make it out alive, despite anything pointing to the contrary. Something was still nagging at the back of his mind, reminding him that he needed to have a very important conversation with Twilight. Rainbow was sluggish, barely functioning as she opened one eye, glancing around before closing it again, curling up as best she could with her cybernetic legs. Shaking his head, Isaac stared back at the transport, smiling that a request that had been put on the docket for his crew joining the Solus Invictus was accepted. That transport, the one he recalled was Lucky Thirteen, was a godsend for every time anyone had ever needed her. She came back when all others would not, and he was overjoyed that she was bringing her fabled luck back to him once more.

Feeling his feet touch down and mag-lock to the plating of the transport’s main seating area, he watching the hatch door, tethered for easy retrieval, winch back to its mooring, small rotational control jets guiding it in with little movements before a heavy locking noise was heard and the hatch re-attached. A hiss resounded inside as the compartment repressurized, allowing Isaac to remove his helmet and take off Rainbow’s sealant mask. 

“Hey, sir-”

“Abigail, you’ve got more medical expertise. Get back here. Vasili, get us back to the Fortress, now,” Isaac ordered, trying to work his way around what was left of the one eye, attempting to staunch the bleeding before it became toxic in her veins. “If she goes septic, then she’s dead where she lays right now. Grab that gauze and bandage kit there – yes, you’re going to pack it until we can get her to the Medical Center. Put that strip there, and that strip- no, do not pull out that rod! That is pretty much keeping her from bleeding out at this point.”

As Vasili attempted to clear the free-fire zone without being struck by any munitions, Abigail paid close attention as Isaac worked very deft and dexterous hands to patch and repair any damage that could be sewn or fixed. A lot of it he simply noted on a logbook dataslate included with the trauma pack, sighing as the list grew longer and longer. She stole a quick glance, realizing he had slated Rainbow for multiple experimental surgeries to attempt to save her, meaning that if she survived, she would not be a member of her own species; several of the ‘surgeries’ were straight genetic-modification treatments for something she was severely unfamiliar with. She was unfamiliar with a majority of advancements that had been made since she escaped the Kepler all those centuries before, and she did still have a lot to catch up on.

“Solus Invictus, this is Chief Humphries. I have an Emergency Trauma case, authentication code  Alpha-Zulu-One-One-Seven. Dataslate with patient will detail out the emergency requirements needed for survival. Have Chief Fluttershy administer the main surgeries – she has the experimental medical expertise. Chief Humphries out.”

“Sir, how much of that is necessary?”

“Well, she’s not going to be able to fly like normal after this, but there’s going to be a lot more than that where she will have to just get used to it. Still can’t believe how useful Chrysalis’ genetic engineering is...”

Present

“Trauma team, clear the way!”

Isaac floated the emergency medical gurney out from the transport, keeping Rainbow as steady as possible while the medical staff attempted to keep pace. Some of the medical equines had opted for cybernetics, allowing them to keep pace with the hovering medical transport, crew members shoving out of the way before they were pushed to the ground and forced to egress from their previous positions. Vasili and Abigail had already taken his report up to Twilight, who was apparently not pleased, given that Vasili was transmitting his uniform’s radio, and Twilight was beyond livid for Isaac not clearing the transport usage before he left. The man had simply stated that Isaac had the power to veto certain regulations due to his position as security chief, and Twilight had dressed down Vasili in a manner that would have made one of Isaac’s drill sergeants back in the UEC very, very proud. He was not sure who had taught her those kinds of insults and profanity, but he made a mental note not to piss her off in the future.

As he glanced around, still keeping pace with the gurney, he saw Twilight sprinting to meet up with it, her eyes a red mess when she finally matched pace and got close enough to not yell at him.

“You are a sick son of a bitch, you know that? What if she was dead when you got there-”

“Apparently, a Pegasus can survive almost four times as long as a human without oxygen in the vacuum of space. Might be due to hollow bone density that allows them to fly – could store extra oxygen to allow part of the body to continue to live,” one of the human medics stated plainly, eliciting a concerned and angry glare from Twilight as they turned into the main surgical wards of the Medical Deck. Isaac and Twilight slowed their pace as they let the medical team push the gurney into the operating theatre, where many of them were already beginning their operation. Multiple machines that neither the human nor the alicorn were familiar with were wheeled in, some device akin to a more massive version of one of the cloning pods warming up before the doctors darkened the small viewports of the theatre doors.

“How did you-”

“When I was a member of the UEC navy, I was a crack pilot, one of their best. It’s part of the reason I made it to Captain so easily. Pirates took out my bomber-” Isaac paused as he felt a kinetic round impact the Fortress’ field projectors, the shockwave causing the deck to shudder. “-took out my bomber, and I basically had to eject. My bomber went critical, fusion plant destabilizing in a brilliant flash, and it was the security chief of the carrier I had deployed from that hopped onto a rescue boat and hauled my ass out of the fire. Genetic grafts and regrown skin, but my arm? I would not let them regrow it. The arm’s a reminder.”

“What kind of... what is Rainbow in for?”

Isaac sighed as he held his head in his hands, glancing down at his wrist-pad and narrowing his eyes. Multiple calls for security personnel to take over gunnery stations from injured personnel were being routed to his personal implant, eliciting a groan as he stood up, glancing over at Twilight before he left her sitting by herself in the small waiting area outside the operating theatre. As he left, Starlight entered, taking a seat beside Twilight. Levitating a magazine, she sipped from a small thermos of liquid, flipping through the electronic paper print and checking the status of the crew from a personal dataslate.

“Pirates are outnumbering us by a decent factor, but gunnery teams report four, make that five cruiser-class vessels out for the count. We’ve had to detail out engineers to the cannons, trying to keep them operational – two have melted barrels, while three have blown capacitors.”

“Rainbow is alive.”

“Two battlecruiser-class- wait, she’s alive? How?”

Twilight sighed, glancing at the doorway where Isaac had just left. She knew for a fact any gratitude he received would be brushed off as him ‘doing his job above and beyond the rank-and-file,’ but she could not help but feel for him. From what she understood about the human, he had lost many of his friends and comrades over the years, and a good portion of his crew had taken their leave back at Nexus Station. He was at heart a good person, but his own life had stabbed him in the back every time he had ever assumed that something was going good for him, and he just considered protecting everyone as ‘part of the job description.’ His file was extensive, and the marks on his body that the mandatory physical had shown were less cuts as some had thought, and more tattoos, reminders of every crew member he had lost, or had left. Another shudder went through the plating as another kinetic round was stopped by the field projectors.

“We can’t keep this up forever. Field projectors are down to twenty-three percent, and we are running out of nano-fluid to resupply the Wolfpack Frigates. We’ve lost forty-four percent of our main interdiction force, and that includes both bombing craft and interceptors. If we were to keep launching assets, we would lose.”

“What am I supposed to do, Starlight? We’re outnumbered, we’re outgunned, and the Bastion is taking on more damage than they should be able to take considering their field projectors. I can’t see a way out of this, and anything else would be a miracle of divine proportions to help us-”

“Commander Sparkle, drive windows opening almost right  on top of us! Unknown signatures! You’d better get up here!”


--------//|0|\\--------


Twilight bolted through the entrance to Command, glancing up at the various drive windows opening up, massive vessels many times the size of even the Solus Invictus appearing through the portals of energy. Colossal triangular prisms of armour and engines emerged, the incoming weapons fire slowing as she watched the sensors detect the new targeting solutions of the pirates, though their weapons were very much ineffective against the heaviest plating Twilight had ever witnessed. Without skipping a beat, the massive vessels slowed, and before she could issue orders to return fire on the pirates while they were distracted, the volume of torpedoes and missiles that suddenly erupted from the massive vessels tore through the meagre plating of the pirate vessels, reducing their numbers within a matter of several seconds.

“Who the hell-” Twilight turned as she heard Isaac’s voice, his eyes going wide as he fell to his knees, tears forming in his eyes as his face twisted into a mask of fear and awe.

“Who are they, Isaac?”

“They’re... they’re Thalrazyne Dreadnoughts. Each one is the equivalent of a small moon in population, as their genetics are wholly incompatible with the cloning systems used by a standard Battle Fortress... but to see so many in one place, that’s-” Isaac was cut off as the communications array received an incoming message from the closest Dreadnought.

“Salutations, youngers. You are present before Matriarch Elteniar. She sends her kinlo- regards.”

	A collective sigh of relief was heard from most of the Command crew as Twilight fell back into her chair, staring wide-eyed at the name of the vessel that had just been their incoming miracle. Switching his wrist-pad back to a standard configuration, Isaac began detailing out crews for pilot recovery and also funerary recovery, his own standards far more revealing of the character he had than Twilight had realized. However, once he had finished detailing out assignments to crew members and security personnel, he returned his attention to the name of the lead Dreadnought, the realization dawning on him of just who had just saved their entire collective ass.

“That’s the-”

“The Solace of Dawn.That is the Thalrazyne Battle Fortress. You know, they could have told us it was a damn Dreadnought!Fuck... Thalrazyne wormhole drives are no joke.”

“Wormhole drives?”

Isaac turned around to see Applejack and Rarity enter Command, their eyes widening at the name of the vessel that had saved them as well. Both of them suddenly finding themselves needing a wall to support themselves with. Pushing himself off the ground, he nodded to the two mares, leaving Command to return to the Medical Deck, his first thought of how Rainbow Dash was holding up.


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“Multiple amputations, genetic augmentation in order to save her life, new cybernetics. She’s lucky to be alive, Chief Humphries.”

Isaac stood in front of the massive cylinder that he had been told was a Regrowth Enhancement Chamber, some kind of experimental medical device that Fluttershy, along with Chrysalis, had designed using a damaged Cloning Pod that Engineering had been refurbished. Rainbow Dash floated weightlessly in the pod, a good portion of her extremities having needed to be amputated. From her expression, she was still sedated, which was a relief – she was less likely to panic and cause damage to herself while in that state. As he stood there examining the vitals readout, he felt a rough leg tap him on the back, Twilight motioning for him to shift to the side. Fluttershy muttered out the various treatments Rainbow had been subjected to, Isaac and Twilight ignoring her as they looked at the new appendages growing from the amputated regions. Twilight tapped her chin with her forehoof, raising an eyebrow in a quizzical expression.

“The genetic modification, what was used?”

“Twilight, compared to how she was, she won’t be nearly the same as before. We were able to splice some genetic material, but it was not from Equus.”

“Whose DNA did you splice into her?”

Fluttershy raised an eyebrow before she pointed a pen back at Isaac, who stared blankly until he realized she was referring to him. He took a much more definitive look at Rainbow’s new appendages, the realization dawning on him that the new limbs taking place of her forelegs were more akin to bulky arms from a standard humanoid, with a bulbous end that he could have sworn was the main part of a hand. Staring at Fluttershy, he followed her with his eyes as she brought up new genetic information on her dataslate, handing it over to him so he could read it for himself.

“Officially, Rainbow Dash now falls under the category of a Chimera, since she contains what normally would be disparate genetic codes. So... she’s pretty much a brand new being in her own right. If it had been anyone else, it would have never worked. It shouldn’t have worked.”

“That’s... well, I have something to tell you both. Chrysalis brought this up to me, and while it’s not something I am comfortable with, it does correspond as to why the genetic modification worked as well as it did. You... might want to sit down for this.”

Fluttershy nodded to one of her assistants, having them set up a set of chairs in the Control Room next to the area where the REC sat. Taking their seats, they gazed up at Isaac, who rubbed his chin, narrowing his eyes as he looked at all who were present, and sighing deeply. They could tell that he was somewhat bothered by what he was planning to tell them. With a slow blink and a quick breath, Isaac leaned against the console, facing Twilight and the others.

“So, Chrysalis and I, out of sheer curiosity as to why genetic compatibility for most of your crew was so high for cloning, decided to do some digging. We compared Equestrian genetics, and we found a decently comparable match. The issue? I found it in a UEC Navy database... and it was an enemy I’ve fought in the past. The enemy that took my arm.”

“Wait, you can’t mean... but that’s impossible.”

“You’re talking about the Graawl, aren’t you? Our genetic code... is just like those monsters?”

Leaning back further, Isaac silently nodded, closing his eyes as he swallowed heavily. Staring over at the window that opened onto the area that Rainbow floated in, he leaned onto his elbows, putting his face onto the surface of the console. The others exchanged glances as they watched him turn back around, Isaac stepping carefully as he walked around them and tapped several symbols on a larger screen. Displaying the genetic codes of the various leaders of each department within the Fortress, he played a simulation whereby a new genetic strand based on human DNA was introduced and spliced into their genetic codes. With a quick calculation, it gave a quick simulated picture of what future versions of that genetic code would appear to look like. A collective gasp escaped from their mouths as they saw the hybrid images.

“So... we can all undergo these modifications?”

“Simulations states that you’ll be around forty percent more effective at operating and maintaining the Fortress, oddly enough. Despite all the enhancements you have made in order to accommodate the various species of your crew, a majority of them can undergo the genetic splicing and gain abilities that may very well be the best of both worlds... how long have you and Chrysalis been running these simulations?”

“Well... about the same length of time we have been working on the Earthshot calculations to make sure that we won’t overload the Tunnel Drive.”

The expression on Twilight’s face was all he needed to know, as her face betrayed that her brain had stopped processing information as she attempted to understand the timeframe of what Isaac had been working on. Fluttershy was already at the console, double-checking the data that was available from a small database Isaac had opened for access. He could hear a muffled gurgling from the other room as a rapid beeping noise began to echo, a heart-rate monitor spitting out warnings as the erstwhile new Chimera began to thrash inside the pod. Multiple medics rushed to the side of the pod, tapping in their codes to allow more sedative to flow through intravenous lines into Rainbow’s body.

“She’s going to be out of commission for a while, isn’t she?”

“She’s shown herself to be extremely resilient. I would not be surprised if when we are able to introduce some of our own modified Growth Accelerant Gel that she experiences much more rapid regrowth! This is... amazing. Chief Humphries, Twilight, I will see you both when we arrive in orbit around Equus.”

“Commander Sparkle, we have a delegation from the Dreadnought The Solace of Dawn. They want to meet the Commander that chose to stay and fight instead of flee at the first sight of a Thalrazyne battle fleet, and offer them a token of their admiration,” Twilight’s uniform radio barked, one of the navigators seemingly nervous as she relayed the information. She could not blame them, either – the Thalrazyne were far more terrifying in person than she could ever have given them credit for. Something, though, still sat strange with her. The communications request had come out of an old-style radio frequency, as if they were talking through a television camera instead of a standardized communications array. She knew that they were widely considered to be one of the most advanced races in the M83 local group, but the design of their ships seemed vastly counter-intuitive to the reports.

“This is Security Chief Humphries. Signal them to land in Bay Seventeen – have a security team on standby as well. The commander will meet them there.”


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Bay Seventeen had been hastily cleared as the Thalrazyne transport touched down faster than expected. Something about their craft screamed low-technological, but the uniforms and armour that the Matriarch’s honour guard wore were decidedly anything but. Glowing lines ran down the length  of each helmet, down into the chestplate and shoulder guards, where the four arms of the Thalrazyne were far more prevalent. Isaac’s security detail was already in place, equines with weapon harnesses on a bit of a tight leash to prevent a diplomatic incident from occurring.

“Ah, Comtrannan Sparkle. We bear good will for one so small. Tendrils of haunted whispers echoed to us, and we answered their call.”

“Before you ask, Comtrannan is just their word for Commander, or Leader. It’s not a fancy title, it just never translated well into the trade language used by pretty much every race in this galaxy when conversing normally.”

Twilight gave a little bow, smiling as she came up to see the Matriarch herself returning the gesture. Glancing out at the vessels in the distance, she could see the massive drive windows opening up once more as they swallowed the Dreadnoughts, leaving only the wreckage of the pirate fleet behind, except for the ship the Matriarch commanded personally. Isaac watched the delegation with curious intent, attempting to ascertain just how they had known to jump in when they did. From his memory, Thalrazyne wormhole drives, or ‘blink drives,’ as he recalled their nickname was, pretty much negated anything more advanced than an integrated-circuit based computer. No crystalline drives, no heavy optical recording, everything was done in the computer or not at all, since any time they crossed through the threshold their drives created, it would fry any sort of advanced technology along those lines. It did, however, preclude basic fire-and-forget systems, like the types used on missiles and torpedoes, the chief weapons their Dreadnoughts used.

“It is a pleasure to receive a Matriarch of the Thalrazyne. Your arrival was a miracle in the works, as you saved our lives.”

“No need to thank Elteniar. We hold great counsel for those who listen, and those who know that only by proving your worth can you know your true inner strength. Knowing yourself is not as important as knowing your strength.”

“’To know your weakness and act despite them is to know strength.’ Matriarch Galiar said that, didn’t she?”

Elteniar bowed slowly, the gesture close to a nod that either a Coalition member or a human would use. Bending one of her knees, she knelt down, bringing herself to almost eye level with the augmented alicorn. Without another word, she withdrew a small object, what appeared to be some sort of talisman of sorts, but what it was designed after was what Twilight was most shocked by; the talisman itself was marked after Rainbow Dash’s own mark, almost identically.

“We are acutely aware that one of your cadre is undergoing intensive treatment. She may not have her original spirit-marks after her new ordeal, but this should suffice. A reminder of our admiration of her courage and honour in the face of insurmountable odds.”

“Wait, that doesn’t answer the most obvious question! How did you know we were in trouble?”

Elteniar sighed, standing back up and turning to her honour guard as she shook her robes, the clothing less a method of covering and more a symbol of her role as a Matriarch, if Twilight was reading the situation correctly. Withdrawing what appeared to be a frequency scanner, the matriarch tossed the device over to Isaac, who raised an eyebrow until he realized he was looking at a local-broadcast marker signal, the types either used for in-system distress calls, or locator beacons for other ships to pick up.

“Someone on board is broadcasting our position.”