> Shadow > by SprocketProductions > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > An Unanounced Proclamation > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- I was on the bridge of my not-so-unassuming behemoth of a frigate which served as the flagship of the Illuminati, my organization. This was not the largest star ship belonging to this organization, mind you, but being my own, it was indeed the most important. The Cipher, as we called it, as my two higher ups were completely obsessed with an old human cartoon, was shaped like a triangular prism, the only openings being for the eye shaped multitool on the underside and the thrusters and maneuvering engines at the rear. Everything else was done through teleportation and electromagnetism. I was pondering what civilization I should terrorize next when one of the ponies indentured to me entered the bridge uninvited, with a kitten, barely big enough to walk, and barely old enough to talk. The stallion had an urgent expression on his face as he exited the lift with the small quadruped following him. "S-sir! Your love interest S-Sapphire has p-passed away!" The officer struggled to get out. I looked at him, "I see. Is the little one the pitiful result of our ordeals?" "Y-yes sir! Do you w-want me to find a n-new home for her?" Asked the stallion. I glared at him, "Good heavens, no! I can make her so much more! Now get out of my bridge and please, for both of our sakes, work on your stutter." "Y-yes sir!" The stallion exited the bridge, leaving the two felines alone. I examined my daughter, "You have your mother's eyes..." "I remember ponies telling me that. What does that mean?" She asked. I smiled at her in remembrance, "Your mother had beautiful eyes, they caught the light differently everywhere. Sometimes they would appear golden, other times, an emerald, even sometimes they might have touches of blue towards the pupil." "So I have eyes like that?" She probed. I nodded, "Indeed you do. What's your name, little one?" "Mama named me Shadow cause of my black coat." She answered. I looked at her glossy black coat, "An apt name for a cat who will grow to be stunningly beautiful." A frequency started a contact process to the ship's communications system. I hid Shadow under the console before answering the frequency. The image of a higher up I had grown to know well, but still wasn't fond of appeared on the screen. A puzzled expression was on his face as I answered. I dreaded the horribly unintelligent question he was very obviously preparing to ask. "Hello, mister Fuzzball. What exactly brings you to this part of the galaxy?" He asked. I rolled my eyes, "I felt like overseeing this sector, so I traveled here." "Oh." The pony unintelligibly grunted. Shadow peeked above the console at the screen, "Who's that?" "Oh my moon, is that your new daughter?" He admired Shadow. I glared at the screen, "Lightning Strike, I have multiple reasons to kick you out. Don't give me another!" I watched him recoil as I snapped. An expression of true shock only a pony this dumb could make appeared on his face. He ended the transmission and I sighed frustratedly. "Why'd you yell at that nice pony?" Shadow asked me. I looked at her and spoke with a softer tone, "Some ponies here don't do a good job of following orders, he happens to be an example of one of those. I don't like him, at all. And that's saying something, because I usually at least like something about some of those ponies." "So you yell at ponies you don't like?" Asked the kitten. I sighed, "Occasionally." "Do you like me?" She asked. I looked at her beautiful little eyes, "Shadow, you came from one I loved. You are my daughter. I would tend to say that those would be grounds for liking you." "So you do like me?" She looked for clarification. I chuckled at the young kitten, "Yes, little one. I do. But do try to stay out of my way." "Okay, mister Fuzzball!" She acknowledged. The small bridge shook for a second as the screens went to white. I looked around, startled for a moment. When I regained my composure, I realized we were under attack. Enforcers were more than likely in the sector attempting to retake control. They must've soiled themselves in pure joy when they noticed they had a chance at taking it all back. I had to think quick, my vessel's views were completely blinded, so it wasn't like I could put the weapons to use. I pressed a keypad combination to make the iris fire out an electromagnetic pulse, rendering all ships in the immediate vicinity useless. They could have this sector if it meant I could survive. I used the approximated numerical maneuver system to turn the Cipher 180 degrees around before entering warp speed, firing the ship several sectors away before the warp drive shut down, causing it to have to reboot. We sat in the sector as the vision slowly returned. Something wanted me and/or my daughter dead, and while I assumed it was Enforcers, there was no telling what the enemy really was. We would have to keep on guard for some time. "M-mister Fuzzball?" Stuttered Shadow. I looked at her, "Oh, right. I'm sure you're fine, it was just an emergency warp. There'll be plenty more where that came from." "I-I need a hug..." she requested. I replied, "Ask one of my crew members. I don't do hugs." "W-where are we?" She asked. I answered, "Appears to be... Omega... We're orbiting Earth. And under jurisdiction of Equestrian authority, we're here illegally, and we don't have enough firepower alone to take this sector."