The Frontier Militia discovers the world of Equestria three months after the Battle of Typhon. However, the conflict in the stars above threatens to shatter this peaceful if not fragile world......
With the destruction of the IMC Fold Weapon and the collapse of Planet Tyhon, three months before now the Frontier Militia has achieved another decisive, if not pyhrric, victory against the IMC Remnant Fleet. Despite the near-total loss of the Sixth Militia Fleet and countless lives, the Remnant Fleet is in retreat once again, with the Militia close behind.
However, they did not expect to find the mysterious if not fantastical planet Equis along the trail that the IMC left behind. As the Frontier Militia's best learn to navigate a world full of magic and mysteries, those with dark ambitions lurk in the shadows. If the two years already spent fighting the IMC were only the beginning...what does the end hold for the Militia? What secrets still remain in the hands of the Remnant Fleet?
All Pilots...standby for Titanfall. ==== Titanfall 2 crossover, set after the campaign's end and during Season 4 of FIM. A roster of OC pilots can be found here.
It was a peaceful, clear evening in Ponyville, and under the brilliant night sky, the six bearers of the Elements of Harmony made themselves comfortable on a large blanket. A special meteor shower had been arranged by Princess Luna, and Twilight had spent the day organizing a stargazing session with her friends.
Twilight had set up a special, magically enhanced telescope nearby to aid her and her friends’ experience, and as she adjusted its internal lenses, Rainbow Dash looked over to the lavender Alicorn with an impatient sigh.
“Are you done yet?” she asked with a groan.
“Rainbow, I told you earlier that this process takes time. I have to get everything exactly right so the image will be clear enough.” Twilight responded, her horn faintly lit with magic. “I should be done momentarily, though. Don't worry.”
“Well, I for one, am glad that we’ll all be able to see through the telescope at the same time.” Rarity smiled. “How’d you get that to work, Twilight?”
“Advanced projection magic, some trial and error, and a bit of help from Princess Luna.” Twilight responded. “Well, it seems that everything’s good to go, and just in time!”
As the other Element Bearers moved to sit behind the telescope, Twilight used her magic to project into the air what was in the telescope’s field of view, like a movie projector at the Manehattan Theater. It was an impressive feat by itself, but what came next made this a particularly special event.
The meteor shower soon commenced, and plenty of “oohs” and “aahs” filled the air as the Element bearers watched the sight before them. Countless streaks of red, orange, and brown flew downwards towards the earth, in a seemingly-endless cascade.
Rainbow Dash, however, soon found herself drawn to the upper left side of the projection, a short distance away from the meteor shower. In that singular moment, she could’ve sworn that she saw something moving up there…something that wasn’t exactly a meteor.
It was quite hard to make out, but from what she could tell, it was big and moving across the sky at a slow speed, towards the moon. Rainbow furrowed her brow, trying to get a better look with her eyes, with little improvement. She would’ve tried to investigate further with the telescope, but as she reached over to move it, Twilight picked it up with her magic and began to secure it in a special case. Rainbow Dash quickly made it look like she was stretching, though the confused look on her face remained.
“You okay, Dashie?” Pinkie Pie questioned, seeing her expression. “You kinda zoned out on us.”
“I’m fine.” Rainbow Dash replied. “Just got a little distracted.”
“By what?” Fluttershy asked.
“Nothing. I just…I could’ve sworn I saw something up there, moving, and it was too big to be a shooting star, that's for sure.”
“Huh.” Applejack mused. “That is odd. Can’t say much else than that.”
“Well, if I may interject…” Twilight added. “ Princess Luna didn’t summon anything besides the meteors tonight. It was maybe a trick of your eyes or something like that. Or, you're just seeing things.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right.” Rainbow conceded, before she gave off a yawn. “I’m gonna hit the hay, I have a flying routine that I need to finish.”
“No problem.” Twilight affirmed. “See you all tomorrow!”
As the Element Bearers each headed to their respective homes, Rainbow flew off towards her loft in Cloudsdale, pushing what she had seen to the back of her mind.
"Come on, Dash…" she said to herself. "It's not like it's anything important, or anything at all. I just saw something weird…not like it means the end of Equestria or anything like that. Besides, I have that flying routine to finish, and I got my…lunch date with Soarin in two days."
Rainbow blushed slightly at the memory of her acquaintance from the Wonderbolts asking her if she was available for lunch in Ponyville sometime soon, and her trying not to blush as they arranged the time.
When she did reach her home, and promptly crashed on her couch, she was asleep within moments, happily dreaming of her upcoming plans.
However, had she stayed outside to watch the sky for only a few minutes more… she would've realized that the thing she had seen was not a trick on her eyes, and it was now orbiting at anchor in front of the moon…
—— Six Hours Earlier… —— The Frontier, Planet Harmony Frontier Militia Orbital Shipyard, Alpha Dock Aboard the Supercarrier MCS MacAllan II Pilot’s Barracks ——
It was quiet as could be aboard the ship, and that was how veteran Pilot and Militia Captain Daniel McKenna preferred it. Right now, the Frontier Militia fleet was in drydock for repairs and resupply, and all inactive personnel were on shore leave on the surface.
McKenna was not among them, for he preferred the quiet side of things. His Pilot’s helmet and gear lay in his nearby locker, and lying next to him was a paperback copy of “The Silmarillion” by J.R.R Tolkien.
It was rare to see paperback books anywhere, as holo-copies of practically any book ever written were freely available on the Frontier’s Inter-planetary commerce network. It was one of the few establishments in the Core or Frontier that had not been hijacked by the IMC prior to the current War in the Frontier.
McKenna had picked it up at a curio shop during his last shore leave, and was now about a third of the way through.
As he continued to sleep, the door to the barracks opened. Another Pilot walked in, carrying a glass of water…that was soon splashed onto Captain McKenna’s sleeping face. McKenna was instantly jolted awake, and he drew and aimed his P2016 sidearm at the new arrival…only to sigh and holster the weapon a few seconds later.
“Walker?” Daniel groaned, wiping his brow clear with his sleeve.. “Couldn’t you have thought of a better way to wake me up?”
"Maybe.” replied Lt. Sean Walker, the other Pilot in the room. “That’s not important right now, I needed to get you ready ASAP. Command's just gotten a lead on the Remnant Fleet. Briggs just gave the order for all hands to ready up for action. We're leaving in two hours.”
“If that’s the case, then let’s get moving.” McKenna replied, as he put on his jumpkit, grapple hook, and combat gear. “When's the briefing?"
“Due in ten minutes.” Walker said matter-of-factly. "Something big's going on, since Commander Briggs is gonna brief us herself, and introduce our newest team member."
"Then let's not waste any more time."
As the two Pilots headed out of the barracks, alarms began to blare, and the once-empty hallways of the ship were soon filled with Militia Grunts and Specters going about their assigned tasks. At one point, both Pilots had to step to the side to avoid two Grunts pushing a large cart, which bore several racks of Militia ordinance, such as Frag grenades and R-201 carbines.
Once they reached the briefing room, the two of them saw that the rest of Captain McKenna's unit, Kilo Team, was waiting for them. Apart from the five expected Pilots, an eight Pilot stood to the side. He had dark, rough hair and beard and brown eyes on a lean frame, and his rank insignia designated him as a 2nd Lieutenant, alongside the MCOR/SRS patch on his shoulder.
"Captain!" he called as McKenna approached. "2nd Lt. Jack Cooper, reporting."
"You're our rookie?" McKenna replied. "It's good to meet you, Lt. I've read your profile and records, by the way. You did some impressive work on Typhon during Operation Broadsword."
"Thank you, sir." Cooper replied.
The two Pilots shook hands, and at that, Field Commander Sarah Briggs entered the room. The eight pilots present saluted as she headed over to the briefing room's data-screen.
"At ease." Briggs said. "Captain, I take it you've become acquainted with Lt. Cooper?"
"Yes, ma'am." McKenna replied. "We're all set."
"Then listen up." she ordered as the Pilots stiffened, keeping their attention on their commanding officer. "At about 0300 last night, we intercepted an encrypted IMC transmission, containing planetary data, and coordinates to this planet's location in the Frontier."
"As you are well aware, since Operation Broadsword, our fleet is still recovering from the losses we took, including the three ships that comprised the Sixth fleet. As such, we're taking this particular lead slowly."
"Admiral Graves has now authorized Operation Battlestar. The MCS MacAllan II, alongside the cruisers Wilcox and Baron, are deploying to this planet to investigate this signal, and if this lead on the Remnant fleet is worth pursuing. Kilo Team, as some of my best Pilots, once we arrive, you'll be the tip of the spear."
"Your orders are as follows. One we arrive, deploy to the planet's surface and establish a FOB, and we'll proceed from there."
"Any questions?"
"Are we expecting any native presence?" asked Sasha Voryunov.
"We do know the planet's inhabited, but not by what." Briggs replied. "If a First Contact situation develops, take it slow and diplomatically. It's better to have a potential ally than a known enemy."
"Will Titan support be available?" Daniel called.
"Only if necessary, or if you're engaged in combat. Which, under all circumstances, you should try to avoid." Briggs replied. "Keep your safeties on and check your aim. Anything else?"
"Then get moving." Briggs said upon seeing there were no further questions. "I want you ready as soon as we arrive, and Hangar 3's got a Crow dropship ready for you. Don't waste any time."
The eight PIlots nodded, and headed out for the hangar. Briggs soon followed, returning to her post at the Bridge to plan the three Militia vessels' imminent departure. Once she arrived, and saw that each of the three ships was prepped and ready via the command table, she gave the order to depart to the helmsman.
As the MacAllan II and her escorts exited drydock, and soon vanished into a Space-Time fold jump, Commander Briggs steeled her expression.
The next morning, as Rainbow Dash headed to Sugarcube Corner to meet with Soarin, her calm and brave facade concealed a nervous interior. She had never really gotten to know Soarin’ before now, and to be asked on a date out of the blue was exciting yet nerve-wracking.
“Hey there, Rainbow Dash! I’ve got a table ready for us.”
She jumped out of surprise, and turned to see Soarin waving at her from a nearby patio table, already set for two.
“Hey, Soarin.” Rainbow Dash smiled brightly, sitting down across from her date. “Thanks for meeting me here. How’ve you been?”
“Just fine.” Soarin replied, offering Rainbow a menu. “That meteor shower last night was really something, wasn’t it?”
“For sure.” She nodded. “I don’t know what it was, but I kinda saw something odd last night.”
“What might that be?” Soarin sounded rather curious, which surprised Rainbow.
“I was looking up near the moon, and I saw something that wasn’t a meteor. It was moving away from us, and from what I could tell, it was really big. Twilight and the rest of my friends didn’t really believe me, but…I know what I saw.”
“Well, now that you mention it…” Soarin said quietly, making Rainbow Dash raise an eyebrow. “I kinda had a similar experience, only I got a much closer look.”
“Really?” Rainbow Dash asked. “What did you see?”
“I was doing some high-altitude flying last night, while also trying to work on my breathing exercises, when I saw this giant metal bird flying over the Everfree.” Soarin said, his brows furrowing as he moved in close. “It wasn’t anything I’d seen before in Equestria, so I followed it.”
“After a while, it began to glow bright blue, and it just…vanished.” Soarin finished. “There were a bunch of blue and white lights that it left behind, but those went away after a few moments. I was sure I was hallucinating, until I saw that there were lights over in the Everfree, near that really old castle. I think I also saw a campfire or two.”
Rainbow Dash was stunned, but she soon found her voice, and asked Soarin if he had told anyone about this.
"Not yet," he admitted. "I mean, I kinda wanted to tell Princess Twilight, but it was so late at night, and I didn't think she'd believe me."
"Well, I believe you." Rainbow said, giving a reassuring nod. "Hey…why not see for ourselves what's going on in that castle in the Everfree? We could fly over and be back in no time flat."
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Soarin replied. "I mean, if one of us gets hurt or something, or we run into whatever's out there…I'd rather not have to carry you out injured or worse, Rainbow Dash."
"Good point." Rainbow conceded. "Well, I'm starving, so let's get something to eat and actually have the date we came here for."
"Perfect!" Soarin replied, and as Pinkie Pie zipped over to take their orders, all activity in the restaurant came to a screeching halt, when a loud blast of sound echoed above them. Then, a winged object flew over and past the town towards the Everfree. Soarin flinched visibly at the sight, realizing it was the exact same object he had seen the night of the meteor shower.
He then reasoned that Rainbow Dash must've made the same connection, because she looked at him in shock, with her jaw agape.
"Did you just see that!?" she said all too hastily.
"Yes." Soarin replied.
"And..." Rainbow then ventured.
"Yes again." he nodded in a stupefied manner. "What happens now?"
"Now, I'm going after that thing for sure." Rainbow said determinedly, as she stretched her wings to engage in pursuit. "Are you coming along for the ride?"
"Yeah. Let's go!" Soarin nodded, and the two pegasi took off towards the Everfree. However, in the process of doing so, they didn't notice Princess Twilight Sparkle running towards their now-vacated seats, along with the other Elements of Harmony.
====
"Great, just great!" Twilight admonished as she watched the two pegasi fly off and out of earshot. "The one time I'm actually alerted to an emergency by Princess Celestia before said emergency happens, Rainbow Dash takes off before I can talk with her!"
"Well, that is kind of par for the course in Rainbow's case." Rarity sighed. "I do share your frustration, Twilight. What are we going to do now?"
"Let's just focus on getting everypony off the streets and inside, wherever that's possible." Twilight replied. "Celestia also did say she would be arriving shortly with Solar Guards, and she did stress that we are to not do anything until she arrives. Unfortunately, Rainbow seems to have missed the mark on that one…"
"Well, as long as Soarin's with her, I think they'll be okay." Fluttershy added. "I mean, he is a Wonderbolt after all."
"That is true." Applejack nodded. "Still, I am worried about them both. Twi, should we go after 'em?"
"Not at the moment, no." Twilight turned to head back to her castle. "I'll get Spike to send another message to Princess Celestia to let her know she should expedite her arrival. Everypony else, get the citizens inside."
"Right!" Pinkie Pie and the other Element Bearers responded. As they dashed off in different directions, Twilight shook her head before running back towards her castle.
====
At the same time, Rainbow Dash and Soarin stopped to a hovering stance in the air above the gorge that lay near the old castle. The metal bird had managed to lose them, and their eyes were peeled searching for it.
"Where'd it go?" Rainbow Dash gasped, out of breath. "How was it going so fast?"
"Dunno." Soarin responded. "We should head back soon, if not now. I bet there's ponies in town that are looking for us."
Rainbow Dash turned, and then her eyes caught a glimpse of something on the ground that was aiming at them like an archer with a bow and arrows. Then, a red line of light appeared through the clouds, and landed directly on Soarin's chest.
"MOVE!" Rainbow Dash screamed as she shoved Soarin away from whatever it was that was aiming at them. Soarin spun around a few times in the air, but was otherwise more startled than harmed in any way.
Rainbow Dash wasn't so lucky. There was a strangled cry of pain, a spray of blood, and Rainbow's right wing collapsed. Soarin immediately saw the three small holes that were not previously there, and dived to catch her.
At the last possible moment, he saved her from a direct impact, but in doing so, he slammed into the ground at a bad angle. His own left wing was now dislocated from its socket and he groaned in pain for a few moments before he summoned his voice.
"HELP US! PLEASE HELP!" he screamed, pushing his wing back into place at the same time. The resulting agony made him fall over Rainbow's limp but still-breathing body, and the last thing he saw were several pairs of bipedal legs emerge from the treeline. Before he could catch a glimpse of their rescuers, he felt a pinprick on his left side. A sudden rush of cold resulted, along with the pain immediately dissipating.
Then, he felt his body being moved off of Rainbow Dash, and he saw who it was that had become their salvation.
The seven beings there were bipedal, each about twice as tall as he was, and they had hands like a minotaur's. Five of them wore strange armor, almost like a Royal Guard would, only it was more sci-fi looking and colored gray, tan, and green. Two of them that were kneeling next to Rainbow Dash had a red cross visible on their shoulders.
He saw they had light beige skin and some had a more tanned skin tone, but their intelligent eyes were what caught Soarin off guard. He turned to see that the other two beings were more heavily armored, and both wore a strange helmet with a glowing visor.
The first had a short two-tailed scarf around his neck, made from white fabric, and emblazoned with the words "MCOR" in black on the right tail, along with a wrist-pad that bore a black, glossy screen. The other wore an orange jacket under his armor, along with what appeared to be some sort of wristwatch.
As the two beings with the red crosses began wrapping bandages around Rainbow Dash's right wing, Soarin's face was gently moved towards the sky, where the first being with the scarf could look at him.
Then, the being reached up and took off his helmet, revealing a fair-faced being with intelligent blue eyes, a brown crew cut with a longer, curled section on top, and a small scar on his cheek.
"Hey there. It's okay, you're safe now" the being said in a masculine voice, while also speaking perfect Equish. "Can you understand me? Can you even hear what I'm saying?"
"Yeah…" Soarin grunted, as his voice returned. "Who are you? What happened?"
"That's a long story." the being replied, as he helped Soarin stand up. "As for what happened, one of our sentry turrets targeted you as hostile for some reason, and fired a few warning shots. Once we heard you screaming, we moved in to see what was going on."
"Your friend over there saved your life, just so you know" the being motioned to Rainbow Dash, who was now conscious and being helped up by the two red-cross beings. "By the way…Doc, how's that one doing?"
"She'll pull through!" the first of the red-cross beings replied. "The bullets went clean through, so the wing should be fine once the punctures heal. She won't be able to fly for at least a few days, though. Four at the most if I had to make an educated guess."
"Good work!" the lead being called back. "What's your name, sir?"
"Oh, it's Soarin. Soarin Skies." Soarin responded once they realized they were referring to him. "That's Rainbow Dash."
"Good to meet you both." the lead being nodded. "My name's Daniel McKenna. I'm a Pilot in the Frontier Militia's Marauder Corps, Special Recon Squadron. This is Second Lieutenant Jack Cooper, Sergeant Dawson, and his squad. We're here in peace, just so you're aware."
"Good to know." Soarin said as he let Rainbow Dash, who was still walking rather unsteadily, lean on him. "What are you doing in Equestria?"
"That's…complicated." Captain McKenna replied. "We were pursuing a lead as to the location of our enemy's Remnant Fleet, and it led us to this world. In all honesty, we were supposed to be surveying the area, and keeping a low profile while we were at it."
"So why'd you attack us, then?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Okay, first, we didn't attack you. Our camp's automated defenses did because it saw you as a threat, and I can assure you it won't happen again. Second, we just saved your life and patched up your friend, so you can thank us for that as well."
"And third…we weren't expecting aliens to scream in english for help." ' "You mean Equish?" Soarin asked. "I guess it doesn't matter, since we can understand each other. Would you take us back to Ponyville? It's not far, and I think that Princess Twilight would like to talk to you about what happened."
"So this Princess Twilight's in charge around here, or a representative of whatever government you have?" McKenna queried, and both Rainbow Dash and Soarin nodded.
"Alright then, I'll call for a dropship and we'll take you to this Ponyville. You'll have to direct us there, but it shouldn't be too much of a problem, right?" McKenna asked, and again, both of the pegasus ponies nodded.
"Okay, then." McKenna sighed before barking out, "Cooper, get Commander Briggs on the line, let her know that we've secured a first contact! Dawson, get back to base camp and get everything packed up, including the sentry turrets. I don't want any more accidents, am I clear?"
"Sir, yes sir!" the other beings replied, and as a metal bird descended from the skies and set itself down in front of them, a door soon opened on its side.
"Perfect timing, Hawkins!" McKenna called out to another pair of beings in the craft's front cockpit as the two Equestrians boarded, followed by the two beings. "We're heading to a place called Ponyville, these two here say it's not far."
"Check!" The being called Hawkins called back from the front right seat. "How far are we flying here?"
"It's a few miles to the southeast, five at the most!" Soarin called back as he helped Rainbow Dash strap herself into a seat. "It's near a lake and a large apple orchard. If you find either one, the town should be close by. It's kind of hard to miss, honestly."
"Roger that." Hawkins replied, and the craft shuddered as it took off to the southwest. However, far in the distance, several Solar Guard chariots could be seen descended from the east…
"Has there been any sign of Rainbow Dash or Soarin yet?" Princess Celestia asked Twilight, who shook her head. The two of them were sitting out on Twilight's castle's patio, as the Solar Guards secured the town and ushered the few remaining citizens that lingered inside. Two steaming cups of tea lay untouched before them, along with a teapot and warmer.
"No, Celestia. The Solar Guards checked the entirety of the Everfree's border, and nothing." Twilight replied. "I'm scared something might have happened to them."
"As am I, but we shall keep our wits about us, and not perseverate on the matter, shall we?" Celestia asked in a reassuring tone. "There is still time for them both to show up, and should our guests in the heavens make an appearance…maybe we can ask them for help."
"Maybe." Twilight admitted, as they turned back to the sky, the Princess of Friendship looked up at her mentor.
"How exactly did you find out that there were aliens near the moon?" she asked.
"Technically, it was my sister that first took notice of them when they appeared in orbit overnight." Celestia replied. "She told me as soon as she could, and I verified her claims shortly after. Once I got your letter about the object Rainbow Dash saw, I decided to come and see what was going on personally."
"Well, we're all glad that you did." Twilight sighed, as she began to sip at her now-cooled tea. "I just wish I was strong or wise enough to know how to deal with these situations on my own sometimes."
"Twilight, you are strong and wise, the only thing holding you back is your own fears and inhibitions. You and your friends have saved Equestria many times. So have faith in yourself." Celestia said kindly, yet with a dash of pride. "Come, let's see…"
Then, the sound of roaring machinery could be heard, and as Twilight and Celestia walked off the patio and back around to the front of the castle, the Solar Guards formed a protective half-moon formation.
A large metallic and winged construct had set itself down in front of Twilight's castle, and the flames coming off of its wings were slowly dying down, along with the noise reducing in severity as it did. Twilight realized the flames acted as a propulsion method, and she would've been fascinated had she not been intimidated at the same time.
Then, a hatch marked with a green and brown skull insignia on the side opened, and several strange beings stepped out. It would've been scary enough, but what made Princess Celestia finch was that Rainbow Dash and Soarin soon followed, both with bandaged wings.
No one dared speak as the presumed leader of the beings stepped forward, alongside the two pegasus ponies. Before Celestia could inquire as to what happened, the being reached up and lifted up his helmet, before offering an outstretched hand.
"Hello." the being said in Equish, making everypony present, minus Celestia, Soarin, and Rainbow Dash, drop their jaws. "I know you can understand me, so…I guess we should all introduce ourselves?"
"Indeed." Celestia said, mentally composing herself. "I am Princess Celestia, one of the two Royal Sisters of Equestria, Alicorn of the Sun. This is Princess of Friendship and Alicorn of Magic, Twilight Sparkle."
"Well met." the being replied ."I'm Captain Daniel McKenna. I'm a Pilot in the Frontier Militia's Marauder Corps, Special Recon Squadron. This is 2nd Lieutenant Jack Cooper, and Sergeant Dawson, who leads Razor Squad. We're here in peace, and I also understand you'd like to know how Rainbow Dash and Soarin were injured?"
"Very much so, and I'm surprised you know their names." Celestia said.
"I told them, Princess, seeing as they saved us both." Soarin said, coming forward. "They can explain it better than either of us can."
Celestia looked back at Captain McKenna, who cleared his throat and spoke.
"These two were flying over the forest, when one of our sentry turrets that we set up to protect our base camp here fired three warning shots at them. Rainbow Dash shoved Soarin away, saving his life, but she took the shots to her wing. Soarin caught her before they could hit the ground, and he was also injured in the process."
"Once we realized that we could understand them, after they screamed for help, two of Sergeant Dawson's medics stabilized them and treated their injuries. Their wings shouldn't suffer any permanent or lasting damage after a few days of rest."
"After we talked things out with them, we figured it was time to introduce ourselves." McKenna finished. "Please understand, Princess, that the turret was automated and thus not under our direct control, and we've taken the proper precautions to ensure an accident like this can't and won't happen again."
"You personally can assure me of that?" Celestia asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You have my word." McKenna replied.
There was silence between them for several moments, before Celestia nodded and took in a nervous breath.
"Very well, I'll consider this as nothing more than an unforeseen accident. However, I must ask you to refrain from using any similar weapons for the time being. I don't want any more of my subjects injured, or worse, Captain."
"We understand completely." McKenna nodded. "Grunts, stand down! Weapons low, safeties on, do nothing to provoke any sort of hostile reaction. First contact conditions are now in effect, am I understood?"
"Sir, yes sir!" Sergeant Dawson and his squad replied, and their weapons were soon stowed, with some even unloading their weapon's magazines for good measure. Both Princesses breathed a sigh of relief before telling the Solar Guards to do the same. As the Solar Guards stood in rest positions, the Solar Princess looked back at Captain McKenna.
"Before we proceed, may I ask what race you belong to?" Celestia asked. "Just so I may be aware of it?"
"We belong to the human race, or humanity." McKenna replied. Celestia seemed a little surprised, and soon she spoke in clarification.
"Forgive my reaction, many of our best scholars and historians have written off humanity as little more than an old pony's tale. We've never had solid, definite proof of the existence of humans before now."
"It's fine. In all honesty, we didn't consider that the first sapient race we'd encounter would be…ponies with horns and wings, or both." McKenna nodded. "If you don't mind, I'd personally like to continue this in a more private area. There'd be less chance of an accident between our respective sides."
"Sounds like a plan. My castle is open to you." Twilight replied.
"Alright. Cooper, with me. Dawson, let Commander Briggs know we've secured a First Contact, and she's welcome to come down when she's ready." McKenna barked at his men, and the man closest to the craft nodded back and stepped back inside. The other human that was near McKenna nodded and took off his helmet.
As the four of them entered Twilight's Castle, and sat down in a lounge not far from the doors, Twilight quickly retrieved a notepad and pencils as Celestia said, "please excuse me", and stepped out.
"Nice place you've got here." McKenna said, looking over the blue crystalline walls and furniture. "I've never seen a mineral or gemstone like this before."
"Well, first, thank you for the compliment. First, this castle wasn't really built in the conventional way, so there's a few things I am still finding out about. Second, I'm actually not sure what kind of crystal it is. I've tried to run a few experiments to find out, but I never found anything conclusive." Twilight said. "As for how I got it, that's a long story. The gist is that after a demon named Lord Tirek stole all of Equestria's magic, and then destroyed my old home in a rampage, this castle grew out of the ground as a replacement for me."
"We can get to that later, though. Like I said, it's a long story, and honestly explaining it all would take a lot of time." Twilight added. "Anyway, what exactly is the Frontier Militia, and what are their goals?"
"That's also a complicated story." McKenna said. "Simply put, we're freedom fighters, aiming to expel a force known as the IMC from the vast stretch of space that humanity knows as the Frontier. The war between us and the IMC has gone on for about two years now.'
"If you don't mind, we should probably wait until Field Commander Briggs gets down here, seeing as she can explain it better than us, and Princess Celestia will also want to hear what we have to say."
"Very well." Twilight said. "I guess I could tell you some stories from our history to pass the time."
"Sounds good." McKenna nodded, and as he and Cooper relaxed, Twilight began retelling the legend of the First Hearth's Warming.
