> Seizing The Stars (phase one) > by keithsterling > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Chapter 1 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alysia carefully makes her way through the connecting corridors of the Citadel Class Space Station, known as 'The Infinity Palace 'in the Infinity Star Sector of Celestial Alicorn Space. She and forty Terran Ponies of various species made it through the intense Space Force training of Principality of Dream Valley to be allowed to go into space aboard 'The Cardinal' Imperator Alicorn designed patrol class warship to be transported to Infinity Star Sector. She and the forty Terran Ponyauts will be the first Terran Ponies to every visit and work at 'The Infinity Palace.' As Alysia walks through a long, tough transparent corridor, she pauses for a moment to watch an Imperator Alicorn Jumpship transport a newly build Bastion class Space Station. Being sent to the Milky Way Star Sector to claim it as a Protectorate of the Infinity Star Sector and Empress Galaxy Cosmos, the ruler of the Celestial Alicorns. After watching a Jumpship creates a wormhole and disappears into it. Alysia continues down the corridor; she reaches the turbo lift. And a moment later, she takes the turbo lift to officer's wing on the second floor of Living area module of the Citadel Class Space Station. She walks down the corridor to one of the many Officers Quarters on the floor until she reaches her living quarters. As she approaches the door, it whooshes open, and Alysia walks into a spacious living area divided into two bedrooms, a large living room and large study with connecting holographic crystal data cube library. She passes through the living room and sticks her head into the large study sitting behind a desk looking at several reports from the other star sectors. Wearing a navy blue form-fitting space suit with white edges was her Grandfather Emperor Justice Silverlight. "I am home, Grandpa," Alysia said friendly as Justice set the reports down on the desk and gestures his grandchild to enter and sit down. "Are you able to find your way around the space station yet, Granddaughter?" Justice inquiry as he removes a pair of reading glasses from his snout and watches his granddaughter sits down on the chair in front of him. "Yes, Grandpa," Alysia answers as Justice remembers something. "Oh, Alysia, go take a quick sonic shower and put on your best dress and Princess's regalia," Justice said as Alysia blinks with surprise at her grandfather's request for her. "Of course, Grandpa, but why?" Alysia asked a bit puzzled as she scratches her head with her hand. "Great Grandmother was finally able to free up time to meet you, Alysia," Justice explains as Alysia breath catches in her throat with that; she's quickly headed to her room to take a sonic shower. A few hours later, waiting outside, Alysia's room was Justice wearing his Solar Empire dress uniform with black dress boots. Soon the door to Alysia's bedroom, whoosh open and out steps Alysia wearing a finely made blue violet-colored slightly below the knee length dress with white ankle strap flat sandals on her lavender-colored slender and smooth bare feet. To round out her outfit, she's wearing her Princess regalia, Justice's face brightens upon laying his eyes on his granddaughter. Alysia nods her head, allowing her grandfather to do a thorough inspection of her. She can't help but chuckle as he asks her to sits down on the sofa, at which time he unbuckled both her sandals and remove them to inspect her feet. Usually, her grandfather is not this thorough with her. Still, she knows the mare she going to meet for the first time is her grandfather's great grandmother, and he wants her to make the best impression of a half Terran Alicorn. With the inspection is done, Justice washes and dries his hands before slipping on a pair of white gloves. At the same time, Alysia re-buckles her sandals on her feet. Justice presents his forearm to his granddaughter. She politely curtsies to him before placing the flat of her hand on his forearm to walk her to the throne room/command center of the station. At the entrance to the Command Center/ Throne Room Justice kisses and tells his granddaughter that she must walk in by herself as the Empress has asked. She shakes her head and walks through the portal into the room. The Command Center/ Throne Room is' a huge area filled with view screens and monitor screens. Various space station functions are monitored here and change continuously over time. Standing toward the back of the room was a captivating, ageless, light blue Celestial Alicorn mare with an imperial red mane and tail. Her elegant athletic 6ft 12in figure was encased in a yellow-green colored below the knee length dress with the knee-high boots of her spacesuit on her bare feet. Resting on her back were the most beautiful jeweled bio-mechanical feathery bird wings of her species. Her emerald green eyes look toward the nervous half Terran Alicorn mare walking gracefully toward her. Sitting on her head behind her horn was a jeweled imperial tiara. This Celestial Alicorn mare was Empress Galaxy Cosmos, the All-Mother of the Celestial Alicorn species and supreme ruler. She puts her arms behind her back and walks with confidence toward the frozen young Terran half Alicorn mare in the center of the room. She walks around the frozen mare a few times, looking her over, taking every detail in about this young mare that stands before her. "I must say your highness. I can sense that royal and noble bearing that a hallmark of my family." Galaxy comments a bit upset that Alysia willn't reply to her. "Your Highness, I can sure you that I don't bite, well not recently." Galaxy said joking, trying to get a laugh out of Alysia, suddenly Galaxy's face harden. "Great Grandson! Get in here right now and take this granddaughter of your out of my sight!" Galaxy voice bellows as Justice ran inside. "If this Terran half Alicorn Mare was the reason you married that Princess. By the first star, I want you to dissolve that marriage, and I am going to forbid you from ever returning to that mare of your Great Grandson!" Galaxy said ruthlessly as it snaps Alysia out of her frozen state. "NO! don't take my grandpa away from grandma! She the happiest went he around!" Alysia screams sad as she quickly composes herself and assumes her royal persona surprising the two Celestial Alicorns. "Please forgive me, Your Imperial Majesty. I was overwhelmed with the power you were giving off. I rarely do meet and greets as my father and my aunts handle that part of the job. (Curtsies) My name is Solar Princess Alysia Ara Silverlight. Granddaughter of Empress Celestia Silverlight and Emperor Justice Silverlight. Please don't take my grandpa away from my grandma; without my grandpa, grandma will become sad. I can allow that to happen; they are both precious to me." Alysia said, loving as Galaxy turn to face Alysia hiding the smile on her snout with her hand. "If you hug me, your highness. I will allow your grandpa to return to your grandma anytime he likes." Galaxy said diplomatically as Alysia walks up to Galaxy and hugs her. Sometime later back in the large study of their living quarters, Justice continues to align the Hyper wave pulse communicator with the Old Grand Royal Palace in the Solar Empire on the Planet of Sol. Slowly the holographic head of Empress Celestia Silverlight spring to life in front of him, seeing his beloved wife's smiling face quickly lifts his spirits. "Hello, beloved. How did the first meeting for our granddaughter go with your Great Grandmother, the Empress?" Celestia inquiry as Justice forced a smile on his lips. "Good, my beloved."Justice answers as a dubious expression appeared on Celestia's face. "You are lying to me, Justice. Like you, I can read you like a book." Celestia said bluntly as Justice cracked a real smile before breaking down and laughing. "Oh, Justice, sometimes you can be very spiteful. For that trick next time you are back on the Planet. You are going to rub my feet for an hour. I'll make sure my feet are suitably smelly for you." Celestia said hotly snorted at him as Justice's stomach knots with that thought. "But getting back to our granddaughter first meet, Tell me what happen?" Celestia asks as Justice started to explain what happens at the meet with his Great Grandmother to her. (A few moments later) "I see Justice, well it is true that Alysia doesn't handle meets and greets like Aurora, Somnus and Blueberry do. But hard to believe she froze like that. Our granddaughter has a lot of confidence went it come to being royalty so that Great Grandmother is powerful being to do that to our granddaughter, I have request, Justice." Celestia comments as Justice's eye blink with surprise. "Yes?" Justice answers "Can you set-up a meeting for me with your Great Grandmother. I would like to know why it happened to our granddaughter." Celestia ask as Justice's jaw dropped. "She can contact you went she finish her court today, Celestia." Justice explains as Celestia shook her head no. "In person." Celestia comments as Justice's breathe catches in his throat. "In person? Celestia. You know my Great Grandmother never leave 'the Infinity Palace'. Unless it state of emergency which mean 'IAS Limitless' her command class warship is dispatch with the Royal Battle Fleet." Justice explains as Celestia shook her head. "I know Justice; a few months ago I reapplied to intense Space Force training. The First time I tried I failed. It was kind of point of pride to me that I didn't make it through the training. But this time I passed with the highest scores of any pony or Alicorn on Sol. I been earmarked to command the next shuttle mission to space station went it come fully operational. I also know that patrol class warship will be bringing key personnel from Infinity Star Sector for the station. In next few day I'll go talk to your grandmother see if she can get me aboard the patrol ship to transport me to 'the Infinity Palace'." Celestia explains as Justice shook his head. "All right Celestia. Let me call you back after I talk to my Great Grandmother about meeting you." Justice explains as he stops transmitting from the Hyper wave communicator. It 365th Space cycle later as a Royal Long-range shuttlecraft glide into landing bay one of 'The Infinity Palace' aboard the shuttle was Empress Celestia Silverlight the Ruler of the Solar Empire. After Justice told his Great Grandmother that Celestia want to meet her, she agreed to the meeting on one condition. His wife must work at 'The Infinity Palace' for 2 1/2 space cycles before she allow her to meet her in person. Celestia agreed to the condition put forth by Empress Galaxy Cosmos. In the docking bay waiting at the foot of the rolling staircase were Royal Shogun Justice Silverlight and Royal Shogun in-training Alysia Silverlight. Slowly the hatch opens and out steps Empress Celestia Silverlight wearing light pink form-fitting space suit with white edges and knee-high boots on her plushy bare feet. Upon laying her light gray magenta-colored eyes on her husband and Granddaughter, a smile form on her snout. She quickens her pace to reach them so she can embrace her family. After kissing his wife Justice asked Alysia to show her grandma to their quarters as she will be living with them for the time she work here at the station. "There are three periods you must remember, Grandma." Alysia said as the two of them ride the turbo lift up to the officers' wing. "Those are Granddaughter?" Celestia asked "Awaking periods, Rest periods and Sleep periods." Alysia said as two of them get off the turbo lift on officer deck. "Awaking Period?" Celestia said "Awaking Period is normally 12 Space Cycles that you will be at your job here at the station. You can short that to 8 Space Cycles if you wish. Anytime during those space cycles you may take 8-10 Space Cycles rest period to eat or just rest. Grandpa has designated 9th evening Space Cycles as begin of the Sleep Periods. So we try to eat dinner together at 4th evening Space Cycles breakfast is served at 7th morning Space Cycles every day." Alysia explains as Celestia was dumbfounded with her granddaughter's extensive knowledge of Imperator Alicorn military protocol. "Granddaughter, how do you know all this?" Celestia inquiry as she leads her through the officer's quarters large living room toward the second bedroom, which she's be sharing with her husband as they are married. "Military Etiquette is part of my training, Grandma." Alysia comment as she passes her hand in front of a camera in the wall to call up a holographic keyboard and control panel. Celestia watches in amazement as her granddaughter's fingers glide effortless over the holo keyboard. Slowly two large doors in the floor next to her grandfather's bed slide open revealing a hole from that hole raises mattress and spring set. Once at floor level the two doors close and the bed rest on top of it. Alysia gestures her grandmother to lay down on the bed, so she can adjust the firmness for her. After a few more adjustment her grandmother signals the firmness is perfect for her. Once done Alysia passes her hand in front of the camera once again deactivating the holographic keyboard and control panel. Next she walks over to a machine recessed in the wall with display screen with few button presses on the screen. White bedding appear in the recess under the screen. She picks it up and asks her grandmother to help her make the bed. Once done Alysia walks back over to the same machine and open small door on the machine to retrieve a small gun. Celestia didn't object went her granddaughter proceeded to remove one of her boot from her long, wide, thick and plush foot. She held down the trigger of the small gun it projected a solid red line on her foot. Slowly she ran the red line down top of her foot till she reaches her toes. From her toes she ran the red line along the bottom of the foot till she reaches the heel and released the trigger. Once the trigger was released several numbers appear on the small screen on top the gun. She enters the numbers into the machine, before putting the gun back in place. A moment later a pair of light pink slippers appeared in the recess. She picks them up and set them on the floor beside her grandmother's bed. "I missed you Grandma. It's wonderful you decided to come to 'The Infinity Palace' to live with me and Grandpa. For little a while" Alysia said loving as she hugged her grandmother. "I missed you to grandchild (wiping a tear-off Alysia's cheek with her finger) Now why is my grandchild crying like that. All this is only possible because a teenage filly trust her heart on Sol, long ago." Celestia said loving as bell rings on Alysia's MCV rings reminding her if she doesn't leave now, she going to be late for her next shift. Celestia watched as her granddaughter leaves the officer's quarters before proceeding to remove her other boot and slip on the slippers Alysia made for her as a sign that she home with her family in a strange new place. "Come out of hiding, Justice. I sense your presence the moment you enter the quarters. Being away from you has not dull my senses. You said yourself because you are my mate. I will always be able to sense you." Celestia comment as Justice appear before Celestia and kiss her on her lips. "Anyway, Justice can Alysia sense your presence like me?" Celestia inquiry as she returns the kiss. "She can, but I mask my presence went she around. I want her to sense the presence of the other Celestial Alicorn around here and not just me. That one of the basic skills she needs to master. All classes of imperator warships can cloak themselves during space combat. If she can't sense the other shogun went he/she is hiding their ship, she defeated and her life is over." Justice explains as Celestia's eyes widen with alarm. "But she our grandchild, how can you let her die like that?" Celestia said her voice breaking as tears runs down her cheeks. "To put your mind at ease, Celestia. I have to will, myself to stay mask went Alysia is around. She can sense the presence of other Celestial Alicorns better than a pure Celestial Alicorn can. I am quite proud of that granddaughter of ours." Justice said with pride in his voice. "Still, hearing that, it doesn't keep me from worrying about her." Celestia said, worried as Justice hugged her. "You wouldn't be her grandmother if you didn't worry about her, Celestia." Justice said, caring. "But trust me, she good, very good." Justice said, trying to ease his wife's mind about their grandchild. "All right, I will trust you." Celestia said somewhat at ease. > Chapter 2 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- In a remote section of the Spindle Galaxy Star Sector, an alone Fortress Class Space Station maintains a continuous listening post searching for any unknown transmission from a distant galaxy. In the communications room of this small space station, six Celestial Alicorn mares' communications engineers go about their duties monitoring the transmission lines for any unusual transmissions and record them for later analysis. For the past few Space Cycles (days), the post has been picking up strange signals from a recently discovered dead planet in a very distant galaxy. The fallen world has been pinged several times, each returning ping deepening the mystery of this fallen planet. Two Space Cycles ago (years), a small science class vessel from The Pillars of Creation Institute, the primary super-science division of Imperator Alicorn space, sent several research probes to the dead planet to investigate the signals. After traveling through the space ways for those cycles, the research probes finally made it to the dead planet. They deployed their AI drones to begin collecting data on this planet. So far, the images sent back to the post reveals a world ripped with ruins of a lost civilization, which were able to send messages into space via large, very primitive satellite dishes. That continues to broadcast into space even after they disappear and remain unanswered. The Field Scientists from the Pillars of Creation institute have named this lost civilization 'Echoes.' Due to the sound that satellite dishes make went, it broadcasts into space. Meanwhile, back in the Infinity Star Sector in the central communication block of the command module, monitoring the communications lines at her assigned station was Galactic Technician Celestia Silverlight. Watching from the command pod was Royal Shogun Justice Silverlight standing next to him was sculpted white-bodied Celestial Alicorn mare with a blue mane and tail. Her 6ft 1in athletic equine figure was encased in a tan-colored space suit with knee-high boots on bare feet. Folded on her back were her bio-mechanical feathered silver bird wings. This Celestial Alicorn mare was Galactic Technician officer Cassandra Chasm the commander of 'The Infinity Palace' central communication team. "So how is my wife working out, Cassandra?" Justice inquiry as Cassandra finishes the last bit of her afternoon duties and is replaced by another communication officer. "Will you join me for lunch, my lord? I have not taken my rest period." Cassandra asked as Justice agreed to join her for lunch. ~A few moments later on recreation deck~ At a small bistro on the recreation deck, Galactic Technician Officer Cassandra Chasm and Royal Shogun Justice Silverlight sit at a small table on the patio of the bistro talking and eating their lunch. "If I am candid, Justice about your wife. She needs to improve quite a lot in her communication protocol. At this rate, she willn't meets the minimum requirements the Empress set for her to meet." Cassandra explains, taking a drink from a small glass. "Is it that bad, Cassandra?" Justice exclaimed, taking a sip from his glass. As the waitress pick-up the dirty dishes from the table. "If I was not your friend, Justice. I wouldn't be telling you any of this. I would be handling it myself you know I hold very high standards for the Galactic Technicians under my command. We are the vital link that makes all this possible." Cassandra said with pride in her voice as the two Celestial Alicorns stand up to take a walk in the nearby park as she still has some time to kill before going back to the central communication block for her evening shift. "But anyway, Justice. Where that granddaughter of yours? She was not with you." Cassandra inquiry as she sits down on the edge of the lake in the park before pulling her boots off her feet and sticks them into the lake. "She is training with my mother today on the 'IAS Terminator' her cruiser." Justice explains as he sits down on the ground in front of a tree next to the lake. "I see you still like the lake, Cassandra. That how we met." Justice comments as Cassandra chuckled, and she splashes her feet in the water. "Well, the habitat I was born in is mostly a dry area; we create water but not at this ratio. So this large body of water is rare in my habitat. So I was never able to do something like this in my habitat went I was grown-up." Cassandra said as she brought her foot out of the water and set it down on the soft green grass by the lake. "Went, we first met it my first real assignment as a fresh communications engineer. I heard the stories that the personnel at 'The Infinity Palace' were hard-nosed and unfriendly. After finding my Quarters, I wandered around the station for a little while until I found this lake. It was a wonder to me after not having anything like this back home. I splash around in a shallow part of the lake, getting my space suit soaked." Cassandra explains as she quickly checks the time on her MCV. She still had a little bit of time to kill. "A few minutes later you arrived at the lake I was in such a state of panic because I didn't have time to return to my quarters to change into a dry space suit before being late for my first shift. You ask me my size and unit, I told you, and you left. You return soon after carrying a dry space suit my size. I quickly changed into the dry space suit and kissed you to thank you for getting me a dry space suit. I told you my name and left." Cassandra explains, pulling her foot out of the water before joining Justice by the tree to continue talking. "After finish my shift in the central communication block, I return to my quarters and found my clean and dry space suit. Along with a note asking me to come back down to the lake to meet you. Because of your kindness, I did as you asked and return to the lake. Once there, we walk through the park and just talked until two of your pilots arrived, and I found out you were a Royal Shogun. You told me your name was Justice Silverlight. I was shocked; I was talking to a member of the royal family. Since that time, we have been friends." Cassandra said affectionately as she stood up, and Justice floated her boots to her as the alarm went off on her MCV. Several hours later, an exhausted Galactic Technician Celestia Silverlight stumbles her way into the Officers' Quarters after finally finishing up her shift in the central communication block. Standing in the dinette area of the quarters preparing dinner for him and Celestia was Justice. He was slicing up some vegetables from the food replicator, the beginning of very hearty stew. After dropping the first batch of chopped up vegetables into the stew pot with vegetable stock, he watches his wife collapse onto the sofa. He begins to chop up the next batch of vegetables. "Good day at work, Honey?" Justice said, teasing as he tasted the stew before adding more seasoning to the broth as Celestia shoot daggers toward him. "This you're revenge for all the times I say the same thing to you, Justice." Celestia said sourly as Justice stirred the broth a few times with a large wooden spoon. "Now, why would you think that, Celestia? I didn't work as hard as you did your highness. Is that what you said to me numerous times?" Justice said, knowing with a triumphant smile as he drops the final batch of chopped up vegetables into the stew pot before cover it with a top and lets it simmer. "I am sorry, Justice. You work just as hard as I did." Celestia said apologetic as Justice sat down on the sofa, and she rested her head on his lap. "Anyway, where our granddaughter at? She should be home by now?" Celestia asked as Justice ran his fingers through her soft mane a few times. "She away on a training mission with my mother, she be back next week. So we have the place to ourselves for the week." Justice explains as he notices that his wife is still wearing her boots. An idea comes to his mind. Carefully, Justice lifts Celestia's head off his lap and push a pillow under it to rest her head-on. She watches as Justice's head down toward her feet and begins to pull her boots off. In her current condition, their little she can do if he begins to tickle her plushy feet but endures it till he done. Celestia blink with surprise went Justice come out of their bedroom carrying her slippers with him. He puts her slippers on for her and helps her to sit up. "What are your planning, Mr. Silverlight?" Celestia inquiry suspicious as the timer goes off, and he removes the pot from the fire, to let it cool down for a little while. "What I am planning Mrs. Silverlight after dinner, let watch a movie together. Like we did went, we were still dating. If my memory serves me right, you enjoy snuggling up close to me, my gorgeous Sun Princess." Justice said, loving as he touches Celestia on her snout with his finger, and a smile spread across her snout. After finishing dinner together, Celestia and Justice walk over to the sofa; Justice sits down toward the end of the sofa. As Celestia kicks her slippers off her feet and draws her long legs onto the sofa. She snuggles up close to her husband well aware that the deep-set arches of her plushy bare feet are fully exposed to the slight tickling done by her husband's crafty finger. As Celestia makes herself comfortable, Justice sneaks a kiss on his wife's lips cause her to blush. Back in the Solar Empire, it was next to impossible for Royal Couple to do anything romantic in public like kissing without it end up in the tabloids of Equestria as a sensational story. As he was about to starts the movie for them to watch their very soft neighing coming from his wife, the fatigue has finally caught up to her, and she falls fast asleep on his shoulder. A knowing smile form on his snout as he sneaks another kiss on her lips before picking her up to carry her to their bedroom, so he can put her to bed. With his wife safely in bed, he begins to wash the dirty dishes in the dinette area with that done he heads back into the study to finish going over the latest Intel reports of a strange signal detected by a listening post. Peeking out from the corner of the bedroom door were the incurably sad eyes of Celestia; her being so tired spoiled the plans her husband had for them. A single tear runs down her cheek as she walks back into the darkened bedroom to change into her nightgown to go to bed. The following morning Celestia rises from her slumber as the tiny bells on her alarm clock ring at 6:00 am. Her pale magenta-colored eyes are haunted by some inner pain as her husband's bed with empty and made. She was hoping to talk to her husband before they both started their morning shift at the station. She wanted to apologize to him for falling asleep on him and ask him if they could try it again, but with him gone, she can't do that. Slowly Celestia makes her way into their private bathroom to take a sonic shower and get dressed for her morning shift. In one of the passenger accommodations aboard a long-range shuttle bound for the Swan Nebula Star Sector was Justice he was talking vie a holographic Hyper wave communicator to a beautiful light pink colored Alicorn mare with moderate violet, moderate rose and pale gold streaked mane. This light pink Alicorn mare was Princess Cadence Sparkle, his adoptive niece and the original Princess of love. "Now uncle, it no one's fault. It couldn't be helped, from what you told me. Aunt Celestia was tired. Sure, she would love it, but you don't want to get Aunt Celestia sick from exhaustion. You love her too much to do that. My advice to, you uncle, try again and keep trying. You both will find the right time to be together that the nature of love." Cadence said encouraging as Justice's face flushed with happiness with Cadence's advice. "Thank you, niece. It always a pleasure to talk to you. Besides, you said you had more news to tell me." Justice said pleased as Cadence had a smile on her snout. "I'll be heading up to 'The Infinity Palace' in the next few months to spend a tour of duty up there as part of this joint cooperation agreement. I am going into this agreement as a Medical Tech Specialist. So I am currently putting all my Royal affairs in order, so my replacement has nothing to worry about." Cadence explains as Justice blink with surprise with the news. "That wonderful niece. If you like, you may stay with Alysia and me. The quarters we share are very spacious; you can stay in the same bedroom as Alysia. Military regulations only allow a married couple to live in the same room. All another must be share with a second crew member or second officer." Justice explains as Cadence has a smile on her snout. "Plus their few pieces of Specialty Equipment you will need on the station. I can acquire them for you and have them in the quarters waiting for you." Justice explains as a huge Cheshire cat smile form on Cadence snout. "You are doing so much for me, uncle. I am obligated to pay you back name it?" Cadence said pleased as the two Alicorns just talk for the remainder of the time till the transmission is out of range. Meanwhile aboard 'IAS Terminator,' an Imperator Alicorn designed cruiser class warship Royal Shogun in-training Alysia make her way through the connecting corridor of the vessel heading to the Captain's Quarters. As she reaches the quarter, she stops in front of the door and presses a small button on the wall next to the door. A soft chimes sound in the quarters, grabbing the attention of extraordinary looking dark blue Celestial Alicorn mare with crimson red mane and tail. Her slender 6ft 10in equine figure was encased in a red spacesuit with green trim. Resting against her back were her gold bio-mechanical feather bird wings. This Celestial Alicorn mare is Royal Shogun Shimmering Diamond Silverlight and Alysia's other Grandmother. "Come in, Alysia!" Shimmer calls as Alysia walks into the room and bows to mare sitting behind the desk. "You sent for me, my lady." Alysia said as Shimmer did a deliberate cough into the back of her gloved hand. "I mean grandmother." Alysia said as Shimmer nodded her head and gestures her to sits down in a chair in front of her. "I am very impressed with your evaluation, Alysia. You have few places you must improve on. But overall very impress my grandchild. I'll be return to Sol very soon, Alysia. But no worry a new pony will be arriving for her tour of duty and you will be training aboard her ship." Shimmer explains as Alysia's eyes brimmed with joy with her evaluation from her Grandmother. "Who the pony, Grandmother?" Alysia inquiry as smile form on her snout. "This particular mare. Has trained me and my sister, your grandfather and your aunts. So she very tough but at the same time fair and understanding." Shimmer explains as Alysia begins to get excited. "Who the pony, Grandmother? Who the pony?" Alysia's inquiry was more excited. "That pony is Warlord Ophelia Silverlight. My mother." Shimmer said as Alysia swallowed a huge lump in her throat. "My great grandmother Ophelia Silverlight is coming for her tour of duty, and I'll be training under her." Alysia said, her voice breaking as her excitement turn to nerves. Shimmer slowly stand-up and walks around her desk, she kneels in front of Alysia before placing her gloved hand on her knee. "Yes, my mother is a very imposing boss mare being the head of our family clan and the Imperial Princess of Infinity Star Sector. Just shows my mother the same thing you show me. Why under my training you should be fine, Alysia. If you didn't know Alysia, she adores you." Shimmer said in a calm and soothing voice as Alysia's nervousness lessened, and she hugged her Grandmother. > Chapter 3 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, back in 'The Infinity Palace,' the door into the officer's quarters whooshes open and tired Galactic Technician Celestia Silverlight walks into the quarters. Her pale magenta-colored eyes blink with surprise; the lights in the quarters are dimmed, and soft music permeates the room. Sitting in the center of the dining room table was a lit candelabrum with two places set for dinner. From their bedroom exits Royal Shogun Justice Silverlight wearing a gray plaid classic fit suit with shiny dress shoes. He was straightening his tie went he spotted a stupefied Celestia wondering what was going on. Before she can ask a question, Justice grabs her by her hand and leads her to their bedroom. He gestures her inside they room, her face glazes with shock lying on her bed was one of her finely made black cold-shouldered beaded shift dress with black heeled sandals. She quickly picks up the dress and heads into the bathroom to change clothes. Once changed, she quickly buckles her heeled sandals on her feet. As she exits, the bedroom Justice is waiting and hands her a beautiful bouquet of flowers. This caused tears to come to Celestia's pale magenta-colored eyes. She never realized just how much she truly loved Justice even after these many years together. He gently takes hold of her hand and walks her over to the table. He pulls out the chair for her, and she gracefully sits down on it, before he pushes it up to the table for her. After tenderly kissing her on her lips, he walks around the table and takes his seat. So they may begin their romantic evening dinner together. During the dinner, the two ancient Alicorns reaffirm the love they have for each other. With the clinking of two fluted champagne glasses half full of soft apple cider, they reaffirm their wedding promises they make went they were first married. As their romantic evening dinner come to an end, the two Alicorns reconvene in the living room of the quarters. In the living room, Celestia lies down on the sofa and stretches her long legs out. As her husband sits down on the floor by her head and he sneaks a kiss on her lips, which she happily accepts. "Dear, could you remove my sandals for me?" Celestia asked affectionately as Justice slides down to her feet. He begins unbuckling and removing her sandals from her perfectly shaped large plushy white with a hint of pink feet. She wiggles her white with hint of pink five shapely toes a few times as Justice return to the side of her head. "Justice, why do we do things like this to our relationship? I was hurt because I fell asleep on you, you wanted to spend time with me. But I spoiled it went I fell asleep on your shoulder." Celestia said, apologizing and wondering as Justice's caresses her soft mane with his fingers before placing a second kiss on her lips. "A pony once told me 'it the nature of love.'" Justice answers as Celestia couldn't help but chuckle. She grabs hold of his hand with her and plants a tender kiss on his gold wedding band. "Our adopted niece, Cadence, told you that, Justice. What else did she say?" Celestia asked as Justice caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. "She also said, 'try again and keep trying. We both will find the right time to be together'." Justice answers as Celestia had an animated smile on her snout, and she turns her head to kiss Justice before he tries to sneak another kiss on her lips. "I hope this, not a limited time offer, my love, because we will be together for a very long time. I don't want to lose the love between us again." Celestia comments as she sits up and pick-up her sandals from the floor. "It will never be my beloved Sun Princess," Justice said as he stares adoringly at his precious Alicorn wife. Before glancing down at her shoeless large perfectly condition plushy pristine white with hint of pink feet with light red nail polish. Celestia once again chuckles into the back of her hand and nods. "All right, Justice for a little while," Celestia said in a very welcoming voice as she sat back down on the sofa and gestures Justice to join her on the sofa. The moment Justice sat down on the sofa, Celestia rest her plushy white bare feet with deep-set arches on his lap. Before long, the Quarters are filled with unrestrained laughter as he assaults the deep-set arches of his wife's feet. Through all of it, Celestia never loses that strong sense of enduring love that fills her heart and true love that transcends time itself. Slowly fatigue and the unrelenting assault on her very ticklish arches cause her to drift off into peaceful sleep. Moments later, she feels her husband carry her in his arms, most likely to their bedroom. To put her to bed as most of their romantic dates went, they were secretly dating ended with him putting her to bed because of her very demanding royal schedule she kept as a Princess of Equestria during that time. She felt her dress and bra being removed from the body; a very quick and deliberate tickle on the underside of her perfectly large white breasts causes her to shudder a bit. She started to feel a soft and supple fabric being pulled over her head. It felt like her favorite nightgown she like to wear in bed. The very last thing she felt was a very warm kiss on her cheek and her husband saying, 'Good night, my dearest mate.' It one month later once again Royal Shogun Justice Silverlight stands in docking bay one but this time alone as his wife and his granddaughter were busy with their space station duties for today as a Long-range shuttlecraft glide into landing bay one of 'The Infinity Palace' aboard the shuttle was the Alicorn mare he been waiting for. Slowly the hatch opens and out steps a beautiful light pink Alicorn mare with moderate violet, moderate rose, and pale gold streaks mane and tail. Her 5ft 9in curvy and graceful equine figure was attired in a frosted green form-fitting space suit with tan edges and knee-high boots on her slender and silky bare feet. Dangling from her shoulder was the strap of a small medical kit, and her gloved hand was wrapped around the handle of briefcase. This Alicorn mare is Galactic Medical Technician Cadence Sparkle and Justice's adoptive niece. "Welcome, niece." Justice said friendly as he walked up to her and hugs her. A sudden audible sigh of disappointed filled docking bay one as every single stallion aboard the long-range shuttlecraft was hoping to get to know this curvy equine goddess. With that, the two equines leave docking bay one and take the turbo lift up to officer's wing. It a few moments later, Justice has finished adjusting the bed's comfort level for his adoptive niece, Cadence Sparkle, as she was lying on it. Before she gets up, he's smile at his adoptive niece and her response with a knowing smile. She scoots further up on the bed so she can rest her head on a pillow. With that, Justice grabs hold of the heels of both her boots the smoothness of her lower leg and feet allow the boots to easily slide off. Once Justice sets his adoptive niece's removed knee-high boots on the ground in front of the bed. Sitting on the bed was a slender gracefully rounded shaped pair of light pink bare feet with bright red toenail polish. Her feet were slightly smaller than his wife's wider white plushy bare feet, and her arches were shallow but with a smoother curve to them. The balls of her feet also had a smooth curve to them, a top by five slightly plump elegant looking toes. Went she scrunches her toes down, the silky smooth soles easily wrinkle before smoothing out once again. Justice had a gleeful smile on his snout as his adoptive niece had kept her promise to him by arriving with fresh crystal pedicure. Using his magic, he plucked a feather out of Cadence's wing to use it to tickle her. "Now uncle that just plain mean, using my own feather to tickle me," Cadence said sourly as Justice drag her feather through her arches following the contours of it. Until a smile form on her snout and she has broken into laughter, this went on for several minutes till Cadence screamed with laughter. Sometime later, a calm and barefooted Cadence sits in the living room of the officer quarters drinking soft apple cider and talking to her uncle after he welcomes her by tickling her well-pedicured feet with her own feather. She opted to remain bootless as she enjoys walking around in her cushy light pink bare feet. "I didn't see Auntie or Alysia with you uncle, went you met me at the docking bay. Why?" Cadence asked, sipping her soft apple cider from a glass. "Well, Celestia has been here for a few months now, it took her some time, but she is now in charge of a communication shift here at the 'The Infinity Palace' we should be expecting her home pretty soon. As for Alysia, she was asked by the Empress to escort two VIP imperator Alicorns from Seven Sister Star Sector around 'The Infinity Palace.'" Justice explains as the door into the officer's quarters whooshes open and in entering a tired Celestia, but not exhausted like before. She smiles at her husband sits on the chair as she's head toward the bedroom to take a short nap before the 4th evening space cycle went dinner is served as her next shift, it not till 9th follow morning space cycle. Celestia's eyes widen with alarm the moment she spotted the light pink Alicorn mare sitting on the sofa with a knowing smile on her snout as she sips her soft apple cider waiting for her uncle to initiate. Slowly Celestia turns her head back toward her husband, who was sitting on the chair behind her his wings are slowly unfurling off his back. Celestia knows what is coming next a double team assault on her unbearably and hopelessly ticklish large white bare feet. She knew it bad with just her husband, but adds Cadence to the mix; it makes things worse. Because her adoptive niece fingers as smaller then, her husband's fingers and she can get in areas that her husband couldn't (like stems of her toes). Plus, the pair's favorite target was her. Back home, Celestia stuck to the area of the palace that she couldn't be snuck up on went Cadence was visiting. It was the only way to keep Justice and Cadence from grabbing her and tickling her silly for the sheer fun of hearing her laugh. One good think about the tickling of her, it was only done went she was done with all her royal duties and lasted for a few hours. Pretty much the tickling would happen anytime, as Justice being her Captain of her Royal Security Force knew her Royal schedule inside and out, they planned accordingly. Back in the officer's quarters, Celestia takes a hesitant step toward the bedroom and is quickly tackled by Justice, who suddenly rips her boots off her feet. He quickly wraps his arm around her ankles, securing them for Cadence to begin teasing them. "EeeeK! Pleeheeaseee let me Gohohoho!" Celestia screamed with laughter as Cadence digs her smaller fingers into stems of her adoptive aunt's shapely toes. In feeble attempt to close off that area of her plushy white barefoot, she scrunches down her shapely toes. "Jjjjusticeee! Deearrr! Ahhhehahahahhh!" Celestia screams once again with laughter as her husband tickles her deep-set arches forcing Celestia's toes to unroll and splay, allowing Cadence to not only assault the stems of her toes but the between her toes. The area between her toes cause Celestia's to unleash throaty laughter. Once Celestia unleashes the throaty laughter, a satisfying grin appeared on the snouts of her two tormentors who release her and allow her to recover from the assault on her long and plushy feet. Justice rolls her onto her back and plants a kiss on her lips that she begrudgingly accepts. "You two are so evil," Celestia said, sourly remaining lying on her back on the carpeted floor to allow the tingling sensation on her feet to subside. As both Justice and Cadence sit on the floor on either side of her. "Please tell me you two; you have done the same thing to Luna. Its point of pride for me." Celestia asks as Justice and Cadence look at each other before chuckle. "That Alicorn of the night is one slippery pony. Don't you think niece." Justice comment to Cadence as she shook her head as Celestia's heart begin to drop. "Indeed, uncle. But it even more, satisfying went she begins begging us to stop tickling those wonderful, sensitive toes of her's. At the same time, making her promise, she will not see revenge on us in the dream world, or next time we get her, no letting up till she crying." Cadence explains as Justice helps his wife to her feet, and three Alicorns walk over to the sitting area of officer's quarters to talk. It a few months later as a reconnaissance group from royal battle fleet glides through the darkness of space on their way to the southern pinwheel star sector, a remote star sector on the other side of Seven Sister Star Sector. A Celestial Alicorn listening post has failed to report in after numerous pings sent from the infinity palace that remained unanswered. The Empress decided to send the reconnaissance group made up of the 'IAS Binary' Battleship class warship, 'IAS Stellar Eclipse' Super carrier-class warship, 'IAS Spectrum' Destroyer class warship and 'IAS Supernova' Destroy class warship as well as six patrol class warships to investigate. Aboard the bridge of 'IAS Stellar Eclipse,' the Super Carrier Class warship the holo conference breaks up as Warlord/ Imperial Princess Ophelia Silverlight briefed the other Royal Shoguns of the mission and lays out her plan went they arrive in the Star Sector. With that, Royal Shogun Justice Silverlight downloads the mission brief onto a Crystal data cube so he can take it down to Galactic Knight Erato Aureola, the commander of Crown of the light group. "Captain departing the bridge! The first officer has the con!" Alysia calls as Justice leaves the bridge. A moment later, the turbo lift deposit Royal Shogun Justice Silverlight on crew quarters level of 'IAS Stellar Eclipse' he walks down the connecting corridors toward the fighters pilot's quarters adjacent to Aerospace storage area for quick deployment. He soon arrives at a door and presses a small button on the wall inside the room, the bells jingles, and light flashes. Lying on the single bed inside the room listening to some music through her ear buds was stunning looking dim gray imperator alicorn mare with orange, yellow mane, and tail. Her 6ft 2in fit equine figure was attired in the top half of periwinkle colored space suit. A pair of knee-high boots rest on the ground beside the bed. She was tapping her five-toed dim gray barefoot in time with the music. Why folded on her back were her silver bio-mechanical metal bird wings. This Imperator alicorn mare was Galactic Knight Erato Aureola, the commander of Crown of light aerospace fighter group. "Music ceases," Erato said as the music stop went, she noticed the light flashing above her door. "Come in!" Erato calls as the door slide open and in walks, Justice. "Greeting captain, what is up?" Erato inquiry as Justice sits down on the edge of her bed by her exposed dim gray bare feet. "Your mission brief, Commander Aureola," Justice comments as he gently tosses the Crystal data cube to her. "You want to talk for a little bit, Justice," Erato suggests touching the infinity star sector patch on the shoulder of his spacesuit with her toes. With that, the two Imperator Alicorns begin a long conversation. Meanwhile, a large planetoid in the Seven Sister Star Sector travels through the darkness of space went largely shaped ripples striking the planetoid with such force that it shatters it. For a moment, a badly damaged large steel hull is revealed of some strange alien vessel as it continues on its way. > Chapter 4 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile back aboard the 'IAS Stellar Eclipse' Royal Shogun Justice Silverlight made his way down the connecting corridor heading to the Captain's Quarters. Upon arriving at the quarters, the door whoosh open and Justice walks in. He makes his way through the living room toward the bedroom. Lying on the bed was a sickly galactic technician officer Celestia Silverlight; she was inflicted with a bad case of space sickness being a Terran Alicorn. Justice sits down on the edge of the bed as Celestia rolls over onto her back. "How are you, Tia?" Justice said, running his fingers through her mane, moving the strands of her mane out of her face. "Not any better beloved, I am still feeling nauseated, and my stomach is spinny," Celestia said sickly as Justice caressed Celestia's cheek with his fingers. "I know a treatment I can try," Justice Comments as the blood drains from Celestia's face with the word treatment. The memory of Daybreaker holding her hostage in the palace dungeon tickling her feet to keep her weak, spring into her head as she shook. "Please-please don't tickle my feet," Celestia said in a panic as Justice hugs her to calm her down. "Celestia, please calm down, I have no intention of tickling your feet. What I want to do is press pressure points on the bottom of your foot to heal the space sickness you have." Justice explains as he's moved down to the foot of the bed. He uncovered his wife's large perfectly condition plushy pristine white foot and set it on his lap. Due to her foot being much larger than his younger daughter's foot, he used both his hands to press pressure points across her foot. Soon Celestia's stomach settles, and nausea disappears. She slowly sits up in bed, and her stomach growl, this causes her to giggle. Sometime later, Celestia walks out of the bedroom wearing her spacesuit and knee-high boots. Sitting on the table was something light but hardy for her to eat. She sits down at the table and begins to eat. A second later, Celestia notices the dark blue aura forming around her husband's horn and something tugging on the end of her boot under the table. "On the first anniversary of your death, I became unexpectedly depressed; that feeling allowed my evil alter-ego to form in the real world as a real pony. She captured me and held me in the dungeon of the palace for several months. To exist in the real world and pose as me, she tickled torture me on my feet till I passed out, which allows her to keep me meek and weak. The only reason was to destroy our foals. My strong maternal instincts toward our babies suppressed her, and she didn't like it." Celestia explains as tears came to her eyes, soon Justice lifts his hand up, telling her to stop. "I always knew you had strong maternal instincts, Celestia. So went I died, I knew you would protect our foals and raise them as you did." Justice comment as he stood up and kissed Celestia on her lips before picking up the empty plate on the table. On the border of the Horsehead nebula star sector, a small flight of FF-41 interceptor falcon fighters on routine patrol skirt the border of the star sector leading the flight was a gorgeous light blue half Terran alicorn/Unicorn mare with crimson red mane and tail. Her 6ft 6in shapely equine figure was attired in a form-fitting blue, green spacesuit with yellow trim. On her light blue bare feet were knee-high boots. On her head was helmet; her horn stuck through the front of the helmet. This half Terran alicorn/Unicorn mare was Lieutenant Colonel Aurora Silverlight, the oldest daughter of Royal Shogun Justice Silverlight. After failing the qualification for super carrier warship landing by a single point, Grand Princess Aurora Silverlight was not sent on the reconnaissance mission with the Crown of light aerospace group aboard the 'IAS Stellar Eclipse.' Instead of sending her back to the planet of Sol Empress, Galaxy Cosmos offered Aurora garrison duty for her tour of duty. Plus, it would allow Galaxy to get to know her great-grandson's oldest daughter. In the darkness of space, a large, strangely shaped ripples cross over the border went the patrol flight comes into range of the ripples a half-mile long strange alien vessel reveals itself. A moment later, several laser turrets flip up on top of the ship before long; the area is filled with anti-aerospace fighter pulse fire. The flight easily dodges the incoming pulse fire as it seems that the laser turrets are on auto fire. Because the moment the flight is out of range, the alien vessel disappears, and all weapon fire ceases. With that, the flight heads in pursuit of the alien vessel, the flight follows the vessel for quite a few light-years. Till one of Aurora's pilots' reports that long-abandoned imperator Alicorn habitat is in the path of the alien craft. That should force the alien vessel to stop by crashing into the habitat. For the next few light-years, the pilot counts down till the alien vessel impact with the abandoned habitat. As the last second's ticks down, the alien vessel reveals itself once again. The flight watches in horror as two appendages slide apart reveal a nozzle it quickly gathers energy into the opening. A huge energy ball forms between the appendages and fires. The energy ball disintegrates the abandoned habitat with one shot. But soon, the alien vessel goes dark and stops moving from firing the main gun using up its emergency energy. Its 213 space cycles (months) as the Empress recalled the reconnaissance group from the royal battle fleets that she sent to investigate the lost contacted of a listening post. Went the Empress received the report of the alien vessel vaporizes an abandoned habitat, she thought better to recall the reconnaissance group. As each of the warships in the group makes up the heavy mecha units in the Royal battle fleet. On the bridge of the 'IAS limitless,' Empress Galaxy Cosmos watches the main view screen as the remaining warships from the Royal Battle fleet arrive on the scene. Slowly the 'IAS Terminator,' the cruiser class warship takes its battle position beside 'IAS Stellar Eclipse,' the super carrier-class warship followed by 'IAS Solar Nebula' the frigate class warship. On the bridge of the 'IAS Stellar Eclipse,' the holographic head of Royal Shogun Shimmering Diamond Silverlight appears, followed by the head of Royal Shogun Jamila Nebula. "Terminator in battle position, my lord." Shimmer said "Solar Nebula in battle position, my lord," Jamila said "Perfect mother and auntie," Justice said. "Did your great Grandmother actually call up the whole Royal Battle Fleet, Justice?" Jamila inquiry looking toward Justice. "She did, the report from my oldest daughter said the alien vessel vaporize an abandoned habitat in one shot. So Great Grandmother is taking no chances with this alien vessel." Justice explains as the two mares gasps. "Sister, did you get the latest Intel report?" Shimmer inquiry "No, sister, should I?" Jamila comments as Shimmer notice her son's face. "It seems that the echoes are getting louder and are focused on this alien vessel. It looks like the echoes are searching for it. So far, the echoes have stayed out of Imperator Alicorn space. Plus, a listening post on the other side of Imperator Alicorn Space has picked up similar chirping to the echoes. But went that chirping is pinged it response by answering in a unknown language. The linguistics wings of the Pillars of Creation Institute are trying to translate it." Shimmer explains as the three Royal Shoguns continue their conversation. Meanwhile in a distant galaxy on the planet of ARK several animal morphs tribe's representatives arrive at United Animal Council building in the North American Sector of ARK for an emergency UAC Security Council Meeting, as well as the Animal Exploratory Council for Research safety to discuss the pinging from an Alien species. On the largest UAC peacekeeper Military base in the North American Sector, a gorgeous reddish-brown male wolf morph with short reddish-brown hair looks out the window of his office on the top floor of the administration building. His 6ft 1in muscular canine figure was attired in the bluish-gray standard uniform of a UAC officer. On his socked pawed feet were black dress boots. Sitting on his desk was a bluish-gray peaked cap with a gold wolf headpin. His reddish-brown torpedo-shaped tail hung lifeless behind him. This male morph wolf is Wolf Knight Lord Keith Sterling, the commanding officer for the UAC New Sirius Military base. Soon the door into his office is opened by a gorgeous rusty, reddish color vixen morph with shoulder-length red hair. Her 6ft even superb looking feline figure was attired in bluish-gray standard skirt uniform of a female UAC officer. On her bare four-toed pawed feet were black pumps. Sitting on top, her head between her ears was a bluish-gray peaked cap with gold wolf headpin. Her rusty, reddish colored long, bushy tail with white tip whipped back and forth behind her. This vixen morph is Wolf Knight Lady Krystal Sterling, Lord Sterling executive officer at UAC New Sirius Military Base and his wife. "You sent for me, my lord." Krystal said as she salutes him. "I did Krystal; it looks like the UAC is going to send us up to Star Wolf one naval base in orbit over ARK. The UAC Animal Exploratory Council for Research safety has picked up that alien signal once again." Keith explains as Krystal gasps. "So does that mean that the 'UAC Beast Lord' the prototype Jumpship is going to be prepped for launch?" Krystal inquiry as she sits on the armrest of the small sofa in Keith's office. "Yup! The bridge crew is going to be the crew we chose for the mission. We are also taking along twenty-five Research Scientists from the Animal Exploratory Council for Research safety and twenty-five UAC Marines. This time whom every tries to stop us from downloading the memory core is not going to get the chance." Keith said sharply growling under his breath as Krystal's heart wrung with pity. "But love, is it essential for our species to know where we came from? I mean, there no guarantee that the memory core has that information in it. Besides, we have been trying to have puppies of our own." Krystal said, her voice quavering as tears streak her muzzle. "Huh? What is it to do with us having puppies?" Keith's inquiry puzzled as he turns to see his wife crying. "What if the information contained in memory core says we are not compatible with each other and can't have puppies." Krystal's voice edged with tension as Keith walked over to his saddens wife and mate. "Now Krystal doesn't start to think like that if it turns out we are not compatible with each to have puppies. It fine their other ways for us to have puppies think about all those orphans from the last tribal war on ARK." Keith said, reminding as the pair return to discussing the upcoming UAC mission. Meanwhile, in the area of space known as the collective, the echoes gather in a huge energy cloud to discuss and debate the current situation with 'athenaeum,' a mobile archive spaceship launch into space before the fall of echoes planet. It was to ensure that assembly doesn't destroy the dark secrets of the echoes or hide them. The hope was that the 'Athenaeum' would be found by the Guardians, a race of alien beings. That can punish the echoes for their misdeeds in life. "The 'Athenaeum' the mobile archive spaceship is in the hands of the Imperator Alicorns species." A female voice comments as colorful light blink in the energy cloud. "Yes, we know that. Has the Guardian been located?" A male voice inquiry as colorful light blink in the energy cloud. "Um? We are unable to lock in on the Guardian's energy signal, too much interference." A second male voice said hesitant as blue light blinks in the energy cloud. "Excuses! That all I am hearing! You don't know if the Guardian exists! But that scientist echoes sure did! He made contacts with the Guardian in different dimension! He told the Guardian about the misdeeds, and that ship has the records!" A male voice said angrily as a bright red light blinks in the energy cloud. "What the harm in letting the experiments know who they are? It not like they can harm us! The experiments have a kill switch in the cells!" A second female voice said coldly as bright pink light flashes in the energy cloud. "This whole new generation of experiments has naturally defeated the kill switch in their cells. But to make things worse if the experiments come into contact with Imperator Alicorns. The experiments can find us, and Imperator Alicorn can destroy us. Making the echoes the hunted." A third male voice said as green light flashes in the energy cloud. "It not like our experiments can space jump to Imperator Alicorn space." A third female voice said arrogantly as purple light flashes in the energy cloud. "You are so out of the loop; our experiments have just finished building a Jumpship in their Star Wolf one naval base. The experiments have grasped the concept of intergalactic travel. By taking apart the instruments, we left on the planet." A fourth male voice said as light blue light flashes in the energy cloud. > Chapter 5 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- It 730 Space Cycles since the strange Alien vessel penetrated Imperator Alicorn spaces after vaporizing an abandoned habitat in the sector the Empress calls up the whole Royal Battle Fleet to secure and police the area of the alien vessel to keep the rest of the Imperator Alicorn Space safe. During that time, numerous small Imperator Alicorn space stations have pop-up to houses the Pillars of Creation institute personnel sent to study the Alien vessel and the artifacts contained within the belly, as well as the needs of the working population at this site. To free-up the 'IAS Limitless' the command class warship of the Royal Battle Fleet Empress Galaxy Cosmos handed over command of the site to 'IAS Spiral Nebulas' the largest Imperator Alicorn Science Class space ship in the Imperator Alicorn space fleet under the command of Galactic Technician Administrator Sylvie Solstice the new head of the Pillars of Creation institute. To keep from taking military ships and personnel away from the Royal Battle fleet protection detail, the commander of the military aspect of this site falls to Warlord Ophelia Silverlight. Galactic Technician Sylvie Solstice worked under Imperial Princess Ophelia Silverlight on Sol and is friends. In the observation deck conference room of the 'IAS Spiral Nebulas' entering data into the archives on main Crystal data cube was an angelic-looking chocolate brown Celestial Alicorn mare with copper-colored mane and tail. Her shapely 6ft 10in equine figure was attired in Forest green spacesuit with brown trim. On her bare chocolate, brown feet were knee-high boots. Why folded on her back were her silver metal wings. This Celestial Alicorn Mare was Galactic Technician Administrator Sylvie Solstice. A moment later, Warlord Ophelia Silverlight arrives at the conference room. "Greetings Sylvie, you wanted to talk to me?" Ophelia asked as she stopped and looked toward Ophelia. "Yes, your imperial majesty. I am hoping you can send a large Aerospace escort detail with this shipment to the main laboratory at the pillars of Creation Institute in Omega Nebula Star Sector." Sylvie explains as Ophelia rests her chin in her opened gloved hand. "Sure I can, may I ask why, Sylvie?" Ophelia inquiry as Sylvie shook her head. "We retrieved this artifact from a heavily secured area of the ship. We believe it might be a memory core for its main computer. So I am sent it to the main laboratory at the Pillars of Creation Institute. To let those Galactic Technicians go through it with a fine-tooth comb." Sylvie explains as Ophelia gasps. "Is there any particular pilot you want me to send with the escort detail?" Ophelia inquiry as she chuckles softly. "Now, why would I tell you how to do your job, Ophelia?" Sylvie said joking as Ophelia laughed. "But anyway, I think I'll send a new pilot for this assignment," Ophelia comments as Sylvie gasps. "A new pilot?" Sylvie exclaims as Ophelia begins to chuckles. "You might remember the name of the pilot that I am going to assign to the mission. Brigadier General Luna Silverlight." Ophelia comments as Sylvie gasps with the name. "Luna Silverlight, the younger sister to Celestia Silverlight and your grandson sister-in-law. She a pilot!" Sylvie said as she blinks with surprise. "Yep! She scored the highest in aerospace piloting and combat. She didn't score high in leadership like her sister Celestia. But put her with the right pilots she can command them." Ophelia explains as she walks out of the observation deck conference room. It a few hours later on the flight deck of 'IAS Stellar Eclipse,' a heavenly looking dark blue Terran Alicorn mare with midnight blue mane and tail inspects an NF 6C Combat nova fighter. Her elegant 6ft 3in equine figure was attired in Malibu blue spacesuit with white trim. On her bare dark blue feet were knee-high boots. Her dark blue feathered bird wings were folded on her back. This Alicorn mare was Brigadier General Luna Silverlight. Once she is finished with the inspection, she flaps her wings once and lands in the cockpit of the fighter. Slowly the tough transparent bubble of canopy closes with a low whoosh makes it airtight. In the cockpit, Luna places her helmet on top of her head and begins to sequentially flip switches and press buttons on the control panel. Once she grabs holds of the two yokes on the arms of the pilot seat. A giant claw from the ceiling of the flight deck lowers grabs her fighter around the fuselage. The claw lifts her fighter three feet in the air and deposits her plane on one of three launching catapults. As the visor lower on the helmet in front of her eyes, the tinted glass begins running through the diagnostics of the Aerospace fighter. Soon the outline of the fighter appears on one side of the visor; it says all armor is 100% across the fighter. On the other side, it shows all armaments are ready. She activates her pilot body armor as the four-point harnesses hold her to the seat. Luna gives the thumb-up to the shooter the Imperator Alicorn mare ducks and signals to launch. With that, Luna is thrown back into her seat with force as the fighter accelerates down a glowing tube as it reaches the end of the tube, it shot into the darkness of space. "Moon one, clear of the carrier. All reading optimal. Engaging the pilot control system. The pilot has control. Inputting rendezvous coordinates for detail." Luna report as the fighter banks and takes the leading position. As Luna's fighter takes the leading position in the formation, the visor rises back into her helmet as several small holo screens appear on canopy each screen has a face of one of the other pilots in the formation with the pilot call name and type of Aerospace fighter. Soon the holo screen with the face of the transport driver appears. "All right ponies, we have to protect this transport all the way to the Pillars of Creation Institute in Omega Nebula Star Sector. This artifact could be the most important thing found on the ship or not. But anyway it our job to guard it. Move out." Luna orders as her visor lower back into place, and formation begins to move forward. It has been 517 days since the 'UAC Beast Lord,' the prototype Jumpship launched from Star wolf one naval base in stable orbit over the Planet of ARK with well-timed jumps. This has allowed the vessel to cover several light-years in a moment inching them closer and closer to the alien signal. Along the way, the 'UAC Beast Lord' has come under attack by Buzzers the echoes unmanned assault crafts (look like typical UFO disc-shaped) trying to stop the Jumpship from reaching the alien signal. The UAC thoughts of that and armed the Jumpship with rapid-fire small pulse beam turrets that can take down a Buzzers quickly. After the latest attack by Buzzers, Captain Keith Sterling sits in the captain's quarters at his desk, writing in the captain's log. A moment later, the door into the captain's quarters whooshes open and in entering an exquisite looking smokey topaz brown female mink morph with shoulder-length smokey topaz colored hair. Her 5ft 8in striking mustelid figure was attired in Spanish blue colored spacesuit with white trim. On her bare four-toed smokey topaz brown feet were knee-high boots. Her long bushy tail moved back and forth behind her. This female mink morph was Supreme High Archangel Joanne Archer and commander of the only all-female unit in the UAC military and ships counselor aboard 'UAC Beast Lord.' "Greeting captain, would you like to talk?" Joanne asked in her soothing voice. "Did Krystal ask you to do this, Joanne?" Keith inquiry as he closed the captain's log and set his pen down on his desk. "No, she didn't. Don't forget, captain. I sit next to you on the bridge along with Krystal as the command crew." Joanne comment sitting on the armrest of the nearby sofa as Keith whimpered under his breath. "Before we were transported to Star Wolf one naval base to board the 'UAC Beast lord.' At my office at New Sirius Base, Krystal brought up the subject of us not being able to have puppies, if the memory core aboard the ship says it so. At the time, I thought nothing of it, but after the attack of echoes buzzers, I started to think about it." Keith explains as Joanne starts to rud her chin with her gloved hand. "First off Keith, stop thinking like that went we don't know what the memory core contains. Next, you and Krystal are top predators; you control your environment. If you can't have puppies because of your species. You both will find another way to have puppies." Joanne said, reassuring as all the alarms aboard the ship go off at once. The turbo lift deposits Keith and Joanne on the bridge of 'UAC Beast Lord' quickly they take their seats on the bridge. The main view screen shows a huge battle several light-years in front of the Jumpship. "Maximum Magnification on the main view screen, tech!" Keith orders as the picture get bigger and bigger till through the special filters on the main view screen reveal cloaked buzzers attacking some kind of formation. "Those are echoes buzzers! Are they attacking something out here?" Krystal comments, puzzled. "You know captain those things that the buzzers are attacking look like fighters." Joanne comments. "Tech! Scan those small ships in formation." Keith orders as the tech scan the small ships. Suddenly on the main view screen, the technical readout for NF 6C combat nova fighter appears. "They are Nova fighter. but this schematic doesn't match any of the UAC Aerospace fighters being produced." Keith said, shocked as he snaps out of it. "Krystal! Joanne! Gather your pilots we have four WF 1MP Wasp-class fighters in storage in cargo bay two. It will take too long to load up the multi-missile systems. So make do with the triple-barreled auto cannon on the fighters to shoot down those buzzers. Plus, get eyes on the pilots of those Nova fighters." Keith orders as the Vixen and mink morph quickly head down to cargo bay two. Meanwhile, Luna and her small flight of NF 6C Combat Nova fighters are hard-pressed to try to defend themselves from an invisible foe that attacking them from every direction. However, still, the special armor plate of the imperator alicorn has allowed them to endure the unrelenting attack on the flight. Suddenly four blips appear on the head-up display of Luna's fighter coming in hot. As the four fighters speed overhead, they release a tachyon curtain that reveals the invisible foe. "Attack them! They are unmanned! We will take out the cloaking device and the main ship!" A female voice said in Luna's helmet radio. "Krystal, are you nuts! We have no bombs on this fighter!" Joanne exclaims angrily as the unmanned mother ship is revealed by the tachyon curtain. "I might be Joanne! But you better hope that equine pilot is part of a herd!" Krystal comments as Joanne gasped. "She is what?" Joanne exclaims "An equine Joanne. One difference between the lost horse tribe from ARK is that this equine had a horn in the center of her helmet and what looks like wings on her back." Krystal explains as the four fighter's line up to take out cloaking device on the mother ship. As the four fighters fire simultaneously onto the cloaking device on the mother ship blowing it up, the fighters pull up and away. Just as heavy pulse fire starts to hit the unmanned mother ship from a cruiser and a frigate coming into view. Soon the mother ship is swarmed by several aerospace fighters from a carrier. Unable to take on so many targets at the same time, the mother ship goes dark and explodes. Sometime later, Wolf Knight Lady Krystal Sterling sits in an interrogation room of the 'IAS Stellar Eclipse,' the super carrier-class warship. After the four Aerospace fighters were escorted aboard the 'IAS Stellar Eclipse,' Krystal quickly steps forward to allow them to do what every examination they want to do on her. As long as other pilots were left alone and looked after. The tall, dark blue stallion agreed to it, and to show sincerity, he took the other pilots to empty crew's quarters to hold them. "So your name is Krystal Sterling from these medical report you are some kind of red fox or a vixen to be more precise." The stallion comment looking at the report on his MCV. "That is correct stallion, and you are Equine. But some kind of weird equine. All the equine I have seen in books don't have a horn and wings. What are you?" Krystal inquiry looking at the stallion a bit puzzled. "I am Alicorn, and my name is Justice Silverlight. Not stallion." Justice comments as the door burst open and in enter a wolf morph follow carefully by a white alicorn mare that stands next to Justice. "What in the goddess name! Are you doing? I just barely open dialogue between Justice and me here, Keith." Krystal said sourly. "Please forgive my husband here, Mr. Justice. I can only guess he was worried about me." Krystal comments as she's noticed the mare chuckling into the back of her hand. "I can certainly understand, Miss Krystal. You see, this mare that came in with your husband is my wife. I to would be worried about her." Justice explains as the two married couples sit down to talk to each other. ~Back in the collective the home system of the echoes~ "Well, what we feared. The experiment has made contact with the Imperator Alicorns." A male voice said in the energy cloud. "Do you know how much it going to cost to rebuild unmanned mother ship and how much resources it going to take!" An angry male voice said in the energy cloud. "Those experiments were a huge mistake!" the same angry male voice said in the energy cloud. "Those experiments were not a huge mistake! We never dreamed that the experiments would evolve so fast. Within four generations, the experiments defeated the kill switch in their cells and build a viable civilization on ARK." An excited female voice said in the energy cloud. "Only a scientist echo like you would thing an experiment was a success. Think of all the wasted funds poured into the ARK project." The angry male voice said again in the energy cloud. "Silence all of you! We have more pressing manners. That dark blue Terran Alicorn duped us. The shipment she was protecting was a fake; all that was in the crate was a heavy metal ball the same size as the memory core. The real memory core arrives at the Pillars of Creation institute two hours ago. It only manner of time before they translate it. The memory core is too deep in Imperator Alicorn space to send a ship to get. Plus, with the information our experiments gave them. Tachyon curtains are going up across Imperator Alicorn space." A forceful male voice said in the energy cloud. > Chapter 6 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- In a different region of the collective, the home star system of the Echoes, several smaller energy clouds gathered far away from the main assembly area of collective. This smaller assembly is made up of Echoes, who oppose the current leadership of the Echoes. After the dark assembly seized control of the main assembly, the ruling body of the Echoes, turn the Echoes into a very aggressive race. Several smaller echoes groups join the light assembly to oppose the dark assembly and take control of the main assembly. As their numbers are small, the light assembly has seized control of many assemblies in the collective. Those light echoes that have seized control have pretended to go along with dark assembly at the same time opposing the dark assembly. "Light assembly comes to order." A respected female voice said as the light blinks in an energy cloud. "Yes, my lady." The light echoes said simultaneously as the lights blink in the energy cloud. "Very good. How does the plan proceed?" the respected female voice asks. "We have control of over half the manufacturing assembly in Echo space and total control of all the resource assembly in echo space. We have been able to slow the dark echoes plan for universal expansion by causing resource disruptions." A male voice said in the energy cloud. "Very good." The respected female voice said as a blue light blinks. "As for the financial assembly, the dark echoes have a stronghold of that; we have been able to seize some control of the financial assembly. But not enough. But on a good note, more and more military assembly has joined the light echoes. But still not enough." A second female voice said. "So My lady, how does project phoenix go? I hope good news." A male voice asked "Project Phoenix is ahead of schedule. The Morphs have made contacts with the Imperator Alicorns of deep space. As for the guardian, the dark echoes are still looking for it. My hypothesis is that the guardian is still monitoring the situation gathering more information on it. I believe if the dark echoes move against the Imperator Alicorns or the Morphs, the guardian will make itself known. That why the dark echoes is moving very carefully." the respected female voice said as the secret meeting continues. It has been 17 months since the 'UAC Beast Lord' was launched on the deep-space mission to track down the alien signal sitting in front of the long-range communication array on the command deck of the 'UAC Star Wolf one naval base' was exceptional looking sandy brown she-wolf morph with sandy brown shoulder-length hair. Her very physically fit 6ft even canine figure was attired in the bluish-gray standard skirt uniform of UAC female officer. On her bare four-toed pawed feet were black pumps. Why on top her head between her ears was the bluish-gray peaked cap with a gold wolf-headed pin. Her sandy brown long, torpedo-shaped tail hung limply behind her as she waited for transmission from 'UAC Beast Lord.' This she-wolf morph was UAC General of the Peacekeepers Jennifer Sterling, the overall commander of 'UAC Peacekeepers,' the main military power of the United Animal Council on the planet of ARK. She is also the Matriarch of the Sterling wolf clan on ARK, plus the mother of Wolf Knight Lord Keith Sterling, the commanding officer for the UAC New Sirius Military base. ~17 months earlier a few hours before the launching of 'UAC Beast lord' aboard the 'UAC Star wolf one naval base'~ "Do you know what prototype means, Keith!? It means it has not been tested! You are going to risk your life and the life of your mate on a test!" Jennifer said, her voice bellowing ferociously, shaking her hand towards her son angrily as she growls loudly. "You are as reckless as your father! Donovan Sterling! Look what happen to him killed in Aerospace prototype accident! Leaving me as the sole alpha of our clan and the Matriarch!" Jennifer voice carried to the edge of indignation, slamming her fist on the table in front of her. "Object all you want mother. I am still going on this mission with Krystal and the crew. Yes, father's death was a tragedy for the Sterling clan as a whole. But in the wake of that tragedy, the Matriarch has held our clan together. Despite the attempts of the other wolf clans to take control of the most powerful clan on ARK. Because we are an Alpha clan." Keith said calmly and unfazed as he walks out of the locker room in his spacesuit. ~Return to the present~ 'I always hated my husband saying I have the drive to run the Alpha clan Sterling as a single matriarch. Most of time I bowed to the patriarch will like a good little she-wolf. After the death of Donovan my clan looks to me to lead them. I was just a simple she-wolf an Alpha without a mate. Then a PI wolf clan tried to say my clan was not an Alpha clan, it angered me. I dug through ancient records search for my family name and my husband family name as an original founder.' Jennifer thoughts slipping her bare pawed feet out of her pumps to give them a break from the shoes. 'In the most ancient records ever I found the name Pack Sterling and Pack Talbain. This confirmed that my family and my husband’s family were indeed original founders of the planet of ARK. I gave the judge the ancient records he flip through the book till he found Pack Sterling and Pack Talbain listed as an Alpha Pack. But not just as a normal Alpha Pack. These ancient records stated I may run my pack as a single Matriarch. I need not have a mate; the pack is solely my responsibility.' Jennifer thoughts as she crossed her leg over the other one and reach down to rub her sore pawed foot with her pawed hand. "Star wolf one...Please respond...This is pathfinder." The long-range communicator crackles to life in front of Jennifer on the command deck of the space station. "This star wolf one...General Sterling here...respond Pathfinder." Jennifer reply over the radio. "Mother? Is that you? Are you on Star Wolf one?" Keith inquiry as a tear runs down Jennifer’s cheek. "Yes, Keith...it is me your mother...How are you and the crew?" Jennifer asked her voice constricted as she wiped the tear off her muzzle with the back of her hand. "Please mother listen, quickly realign the main satellite dish to receive a compressed video communication. Make the beam as narrow as you can. Feed it into the holo camera at your station, mother." Keith explains as Jennifer follows her son's directions. With that done a tight laser beam strike the main satellite dish and feeds directly into the holo camera. Slowly the holographic head of her son appears in front of her. He smiles at his mother as tears streak her muzzle. "Greeting mother." Keith said as Jennifer face flushes with happiness. "Greeting baby, how are you doing this? The 'UAC Beast Lord' doesn't have this capability." Jennifer comment a bit puzzled. "We are not aboard 'UAC Beast Lord' we encountered an alien species who technology level is superior to the United Animal Council and the planet of ARK. This alien species would like to open diplomatic channels against a mutual enemy 'the echoes'." Keith explains as Jennifer gasps. "But why contact me, baby? I am no diplomat; I am just a simple soldier in the service of the 'UAC Peacekeepers'." Jennifer comment as Keith sighs. "I know that mother. But you are the Matriarch of Alpha Sterling Clan. One of the original founders of ARK. Who better to talk to United Animal Council General Assembly then one of the original founders. They will have to listen to Lady Sterling." Keith said as Jennifer blink with surprise. "If you want me to speak on behalf of that Alien Species to UAC General Assembly, Keith. Is they someone in charge of the species that I can speak to?" Jennifer inquiry as Keith shook his head. "The being that our ship encountered is the great-grandson of someone in charge of this species. She has just arrived at the request of her Great Grandson to talk to you, Mother." Keith explains as his head fades away. Slowly the captivating face of light blue female equine with an imperial red-colored mane appears in front of Jennifer. On her head behind her horn was gold imperial tiara. "Greeting she-wolf. I am Empress Galaxy Cosmos the overall ruler of my Imperator Alicorn species and the all-mother." Galaxy said as stress line forms on Jennifer's brow and her stomach knots. "My-my-my name is Lady Jennifer Sterling, the Matriarch of the Alpha Sterling Clan. Greetings, your Imperial Majesty. Are you an Equine?" Jennifer asks as Galaxy giggles a little bit. "From what your son told my Great Grandson equine morphs on the planet of ARK went extinct long ago. If you are wondering if my Imperator Alicorns is that lost horse tribe that I am unsure of Lady Sterling. As far as I remember my Imperator Alicorns have spend they life among the stars." Galaxy explains as Jennifer ears droop on top her head, hoping to finally discover the fate of the lost horse tribe of ARK. "That is fine your imperial majesty. It just deeping the mystery of the lost horse tribe on ARK. Beside that your imperial majesty you want to open up diplomatic channels against our mutual enemy 'the echoes'. As the overall commander of the 'UAC Peacekeepers' forces I would relish the help against 'the echoes'. Those echoes have for generations been abducting morphs from various tribes of ARK. Those that are taking are never seeing again. Among the taking was my very own mother Lady Victoria Talbain." Jennifer said as she growls under her breath and slamming her fist on the control panel. It two months later as the 'IAS Stellar Eclipse' holds position in Andromeda Galaxy Star Sector waiting for the arrival of 'IAS Bastille' the Imperator Alicorn prison/transport ship on it regular route. After the initial contact with Lady Jennifer Sterling, the Matriarch of Alpha Sterling Clan, one of the original founding tribes on the Planet of ARK. Empress Galaxy Cosmos called a meeting of the other rulers of Imperator Alicorn space and their representatives from the Planet of Sol. She lay out the circumstances of the first contact with morphs from the Planet of ARK. The consensus among the other rulers of Imperator Alicorn space and their representatives from the Planet of Sol was skepticism with the first contact with the morphs from the Planet of ARK. It was not until the subject of 'the echoes' came up that the rulers of Imperator Alicorn space took an interest for the pass few months, several buzzer mother ships have been attacking Imperator Alicorn habitats along with ship that they named retrievers. As the patrol class warships from that star sector space fleet have been able to sink numerous retrievers and buzzer mother ships. The purpose of the retrievers was unknown till now, went they learn that they are meant to collect Imperator Alicorn civilians and take them away, never to be seen again. ~Back aboard the IAS Stellar Eclipse flight deck~ "You know, Cadie. You do not have to go with me to free prisoner 22626PTS. Your job will begin went that prisoner arrives aboard the 'IAS Stellar Eclipse.' Her capsule is in the same section as prisoner 20526PFHS." Justice said with great concern for his adopted niece's feelings. "I appreciate your concern for my feeling, uncle. But I have to go if I don't face the reason my marriage broke up with Shining Armor. I will never get over it." Cadence said with a hitch in her voice as she held tight to Justice's arm. "All right niece, if that what you want. Anyway, do you want me, Celestia and Alysia, to stay with you in our living quarters went we get back to the Infinity Palace, niece? So you will not be alone?" Justice asked as Cadence shook her head yes. ~A Few minutes later~ Slowly the short-range shuttlecraft glides into the single landing bay aboard the 'IAS Bastille' after getting off the shuttlecraft Cadence, and Justice walks up to the first guard station Justice being a Royal Shogun from the Royal Battle fleet is quickly scanned for contraband and viruses. But on the other hand, Cadence is escorted to a separate room and asks to completely strip so they may do a full scan of her looking for any kind of viruses as she an alien species. "Here the royal release papers for prisoner 22626PTS." Justice comments handing the papers to the warden/captain of the 'IAS Bastille.' "Oh yes, we receive the prisoner release form en route. I sent our techs to prepare prisoner 22626PTS for thawing and being placed in a warming incubator. It should take several hours for the prisoner to fully awaken. So as soon as that pink mare that comes with you redress. I'll take you both to the section to claim the prisoner's incubator." The warden explains as Cadence joins them. The clicking of boot heels echoes loudly in this multistory cavernous belly of the 'IAS Bastille.' Each level of this prison ship has an equal number of used capsules and unused capsules. In a small section of this prison ship, two alone capsules stand next to each other. The prisoner in the left capsules has been remove and placed in the warm incubator. As Justice finishes up the paperwork to take possession of the prisoner's incubator. Cadence walks up to the capsules on the right side she calls up the holo screen with all the vital stats of the prisoner. All the vital stats read stable. The name on the screen reads: Princess Flurry heart Sparkle: Terran Alicorn mare Crime: Usurping the Crystal Empire and murder of a crystal maid Sentence: Life "Leave her be captain, the prisoner in that capsule is her own daughter." Justice said as Cadence climbed up to her daughter's capsule and begins to cry. As her tears fall onto the capsule, they freeze. "Cadence, we have what we came for, lets go. Your daughter is just as much a victim to manipulations of Daimyo Harmonia Strife. As anyone." Justice said as Cadence shook her head. "No uncle, my daughter, chose this path. No one forces her to take this path. She took this path with her own free will. Now she must pay for her choice to take this path. Abandoning the path I set for her." Cadence said her voice wooden and distant. > Chapter 7 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- In Princess Twilight Sparkle's subconscious mind, her very soul remains trapped in an unbreakable four-pointed star crystal prison of her own making. Since being frozen in suspended animation, Princess Twilight Sparkle has been unable to break free of this crystal prison to seek forgiveness from the First Star. "This is where you belong, Princess Twilight Sparkle, or should I call you Nightmare Sparkle. The destroyer of harmony and killer of innocent life. You were jealous of your sister-in-law's Crystal Empire. Why could I not do the same for my Friendship Kingdom? The answer to that is because I am so weak. My mentor should have never ascended me to the rank of Alicorn Princess." Nightmare Sparkle said viciously as tears begin to run down Twilight Sparkle cheeks splashing on her average-sized breasts. "Twilight Sparkle, you don't belong here; if you did, you wouldn't be crying feeling guilty about what you did. Yes, you destroy many innocent lives and damage your relationship with your sister-in-law Princess Cadence. But all that can be fixed all you have to do is break free of this prison and ask for forgiveness from the first star." Twilight sparkle said encouraging as Twilight soul touches the Crystal prison with her hand, and it starts to fracture and crack with her slight touch. "No pony will forgive you, Princess Nightmare Sparkle, and your sister-in-law will never forgive you." Nightmare sparkle said, undermining her confidence, making her feel weak and alone. "Twilight's don't listen to her! I know one pony that will forgive you, Lord Justice Silverlight! The husband of your mentor Princess Celestia Silverlight!" Twilight Sparkle said reassuring tying to boost Twilight's confidence to break free of her guilt. "Princess Twilight Sparkle, did you not promise me your heart and soul! So you may not remain in this place! I order you to break free!" A strong stallion voice said as Twilight shatters the crystal prison that held her. Slowly the moderate violet color eyes of Princess Twilight Sparkle open up through her sleepy blurred vision; the very bright lights of unknown sterile white room greets her sight. On instinct, she brings her arm and hands up to shield her eyes from the bright light. She suddenly gasps, and tears come to her eyes as she can now move all her extremities went she wants. As she quickly sits up, she gets a nasty brain freeze. "Whoa Twily, take it easy. You are suffering from freezer sickness after being in suspended animation for five years. The effects of freezer sickness are only a temporary affliction. So lay back down." A pink alicorn mare with a surgical mask and face shield on her snout said as she lay her back down on the bed. "Cadence?" Twilight comments as the mare remove her surgical mask and face shield. "Yes, it is me. Welcome back, Twilight." Cadence said her face flushed with happiness. "Shining Armor?" Twilight asked as a lump form in Cadence's throat. "I don't know, Twily," Cadence said her voice a lifeless monotone as she turns to check the multitude of medical monitoring instruments by Twilight's hospital bed. "We will talk later, Twilight, right now rest," Cadence said as she covers her with a sheet after giving her a very light sleep drug to help her rest and help her body beat the freezer sickness. Sitting on her bed in the officer's quarters of 'the infinity palace' was Galactic Medical Technician Cadence Sparkle, her eyes bloodshot from crying. After finish her shift at the Infinity palace hospital in the large medical control module of the Citadel Class Space Station. She made her way back to the living area module of the space station. She was surprised to find her uncle Royal Shogun Justice Silverlight in his study looking over the latest intelligence reports of the movement of 'The echoes.' Sense his niece's distress, Justice locked the top-secret intelligence report in his safe and followed Cadence into her room. Once in her room, Cadence's started to beat on Justice and said all stallions are the same; they toss aside a loving mare like garbage. As the initial anger began to subside, Cadence sunk to her knees and admitted that everything she said was a lie to make herself feel better about her marriage breaking up. Justice gently picked Cadence up off the floor and carried her over to her bed and sat her down on her bed to talk. "Our marriage started to sour after we discover my missing Shining Armor barely alive in a cell deep in Crystal Palace. It seems that our own daughter Flurry Heart couldn't control the power of the Crystal Heart. Because her heart became black with Dark Crystal Magic. So to remedy this, she created a love siphon based on Queen Chrysalis ability to suck the love out of a pony." Cadence explains as Justice hand her Kleenex for wiping her tears. "With me missing for nine years, the only other pony was her father, Shining Armor. Who the Crystal Heart would respond to. Then one night, Flurry's heart drugged her father and took him down to the dungeon. She placed the love siphon on him. Anytime she needed to get the Crystal ponies to work for her, she siphoned a small bit of love out of her father, and the Crystal Heart would respond. To the crystal heart, love energy is love energy. It could not tell that it did not come from Flurry Heart. After her father recovered, I told him it was our own daughter that did it to him. He accused me of trying to destroy our daughter's ascension to the throne of love I show him the evidence against her. He refused to see it." Cadence explains as Justice returns a moment later with a glass of water for Cadence. She takes a drink and continues. "What shatter my marriage was the attack by the Friendship Kingdom and Princess Twilight Sparkle. Like our daughter, Shining Armor refused to believe the evidence against his own sister. He once again accused me of opposing his sister's ascension to the rank of Alicorn Princess. That finally broke the pony's back, I told Shining Armor he so blinded by his own vision of ponies that he thoughts he knew so well. That anything I say about it would be the meaningless and only way this will be solved. Is to file for divorce from him and remove him from the throne of the Crystal Empire. So he can go on with denying everything. Without me." Cadence said coldly as she slams her fist onto the mattress with a loud thud. Meanwhile, back at the Infinity palace hospital in the large medical control module of the Citadel Class Space Station, an extraordinary attractive light sepia-colored brown vixen morph with shoulder-length light sepia hair makes her rounds in the hospital. Her 6ft even elegant feline figure was attired in orange, yellow form-fitting spacesuit with yellow, green trim. On her light, sepia-colored four-toed bare pawed feet were knee-high boots. This vixen morph was UAC Medical Tech Specialist Veronica Sterling. UAC Medical Tech Specialist Veronica Sterling has earned the respect of her Imperator Alicorn Galactic Medical Technicians colleagues, to the point that her colleagues appealed to the Empress to loosen some of the restrictions on her. Before the Empress would do that, she put Veronica to the test by simulating a mass casualty situation. Even those some of Galactic Medical Technicians would not listen to her. She calmly took control of the situation and used the Galactic Medical Technicians that would listen and take control of the situation. In the end, all the restrictions were lifted from her, and the Empress gave her all the rights of one of her Imperator Alicorns. "Greeting your highness. How do you feel? Any symptoms of freezer sickness?" Veronica asked with a compassionate voice as she calling up the medical report on the holo screen of the computerized clipboard. "You are not a pony!" Twilight said as she blinks with surprise. "That is correct, your highness. I am a vixen morph from the Planet of ARK." Veronica explains as she uncovers Twilight's average size purple barefoot from the sheets of the hospital bed and places her heel into the palm of her hand. Veronica's hand felt a bit strange to Twilight with the minimum of pressure she had a firm grip on her heel, she could feel what felt like soft pads on her hand. Twilight watch as Veronica took what look like a small rod with round tip on the end from the pocket of her lab coat. She brought the rod up, placing the tip against the bottom of Twilight's big toe. She quickly pokes that toe, causing Twilight to gasp with surprise and continue the same test on all her toes with the same result. To complete the test, she flipped the rod over, revealing a small metal ball on the other end. She places the metal ball at the base of her toes on the bottom of her foot. She dragged the metal ball down the full length of her foot, causing her to yelp. She proceeded to minister the same series of tests on her other foot with the same results. She quickly grabs the computerized clipboard from the end of the bed and enters the results. Next, Veronica moved up to Twilight's head and took a small penlight out of her pocket and checks her pupils to see if they reacted. She enters the results onto the computerized clipboard. She quickly placed the ends of the stethoscope into her ears and listened to Twilight's heart and lungs. As she enter the results onto the computerized clipboard an Imperator Alicorn mare nurse arrived pushing a small rolling table with Twilight's lunch on it. She sets the table up beside Twilight's bed, so she can eat. As the nurse leaves, Veronica sighs, relieved. "Please forgive me for not talking to you, your highness. That particular nurse has already scolded me for taking too long to examine a patient. She tries to feed the patient at the same time every day." Veronica explains as Twilight begins eating her lunch. "You said that you are a vixen morph from the Planet of ARK. What is morph? And the planet of ARK?" Twilight inquiry as she opens a small carton of milk and takes a drink from it. "Unfortunately your highness what a morph is kind of hard to explain, on my planet that what we call ourselves. Other than that, I have no idea what morph means." Veronica explains honestly as Twilight takes another drink from a carton of milk. "As for the Planet of ARK. That is the planet I am from. The planet of ARK is a beautiful green and blue orb with plenty of territory for any kind of morph to live happily in. I come from an area called the North American sector; I live in the largest city in the North American sector called New Sirius. I work as New Sirius Seraph Emergency Service Paramedic." Veronica explains as she looked at the watch on her MCV. "Well, farewell, your highness, my shift is over," Veronica said as she leaves Princess Twilight Sparkle hospital room to head home as Twilight watches the vixen morph leave her room a feeling of a cold fist closes over her heart. Before tears begin to stream down her snout. 'This not my time anymore. Why did they release me from suspended animation into this world with morph from the planet of ARK? And my planet of Sol under the command of the Imperator Alicorn space. Now I know how Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Princess Cadence feel went they awoke in a futuristic Equestria after nine years. I don't belong in this time, and I will never belong in this time.' Twilight thoughts as tears soaked her pillow as she cries herself to sleep. Meanwhile, is specially designed living module for morphs from the planet of ARK living at 'the infinity palace' Wolf Knight Lady Krystal Sterling pitter-patter angerly in her bare pawed feet in the living room of the officer's quarters. Her younger sister who works as a secretary for an ambassador at the United Animal Council building in the North American sector. Has just informed her sister that the United Animal Council General Assembly is dragging their feet over ratifies the join cooperation treaty with the infinity star sector. Her boss is frustrated with the other members of the UAC General Assembly not ratifying the treaty. One half of the UAC General Assembly doesn't believe the echoes exist. Why the other half of the UAC General Assembly fights over which Sectors will be giving the glory for the first contact. On the recreation deck of 'the infinity palace' in a favorite bar frequented by both Celestial Alicorns and morphs. Royal Shogun Justice Silverlight and Wolf Knight Lord Keith Sterling sit having a drink together after talking for some time; the two commanders come to the realization that they have a similar lifestyle went growing up. Both come from a very powerful family-run by a powerful Matriarch; both have older sisters who were hard on them went they were small. Both never thought they would find a wife like the one they married. "You should try kissing your girlfriend in public without a camera going off and the headlines saying 'Royal Guard kisses princess news at 6'. But still, my sun princess is the best thing to happen to me." Justice explains, taking a drink from his glass. "Justice, you keep referring to your wife as your Sun Princess. Who is Celestia Silverlight that you would call her your Sun Princess?" Keith inquiry a bit puzzled, taking a drink from his glass. "I don't call her Sun Princess as general term Keith that is her rank or more to the point Empress ruler of the Solar Empire on Sol," Justice said nonchalantly as Keith spits his drink out of his mouth. "She is actually royalty!" Keith exclaims, drying his lips with a napkin. "If she up here who rules the Solar Empire?" Keith inquiry "That would be our oldest daughter Grand Solar Princess Aurora Sol Silverlight," Justice explains as Keith jaw drops. "How old are you, Justice? If you have the oldest daughter?" Keith inquiry "That one thing about Alicorn likes Celestia and me. We are immortal. As a matter of fact, we have three grandchildren from our only son Grand Prince Somnus Justice Silverlight." Justice explains as the two continue to drink and talk. ~At that same time~ "How goes the joint cooperation treaty in the United Animal Council on ARK, Lady Sterling?" Empress Galaxy Cosmos asked, talking to the holographic head of Lady Jennifer Sterling during a holo conference. "That the reason I asked for this holo conference with you, your imperial majesty," Jennifer said, her voice edged with tension as Galaxy noticed Jennifer's face grows haggard with worry. "We have met with heavy resistance from the South America sector, the northern Euro Sector, and the eastern sector. The African Sector and Far East Sector are on board with the Joint Cooperation treaty with the infinity star sector. That the good news, your imperial majesty." Jennifer explains as Galaxy unleashes an audible sigh. "What is the bad news, Lady Sterling? I can read it on your face." Galaxy comments as Jennifer's facial muscles twitch nervously. "You are too good at reading my face, Galaxy. The bad news is if the United Animal Council General Assembly continues to drag their feet over ratifying the join cooperation treaty with the infinity star sector. The African Sector with absolve their support for the motion and become a neutral party in this. As for the Far East Sector, I have been friends with Prime Minister Oichi Usagi for many years. She will remain to support the ratification of the treaty. Plus, Usagi and I have been discussing an alternate plan if the UAC fails to ratify. If you don't mine your Imperial Majesty, I would like to bring the Prime Minister of the Far East Sector in so we can discuss the Alternate Plan." Jennifer comment as Galaxy shook her head. A moment later, a second holo camera spring to life in front of Galaxy. The holographic head of a beautiful gray she-wolf morph with shoulder-length raven black hair bows her head before Jennifer introduces her to Galaxy. "Your Imperial Majesty, I would like to introduce the Prime Minister of the Far East Sector Oichi Usagi," Jennifer said as Galaxy nods her head. "Please to meet you, your Imperial Majesty, I am Prime Minister Oichi Usagi, and thank you, Lady Sterling. Before we start, my Emperor extends his greeting to you, your imperial majesty. He also as authorized me with the backing of the Far East Sector government to go ahead with the back-up plan. If the first plan fails." Prime Minister Oichi said as Galaxy nod her head one more time and the conference continues. > Chapter 8 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- In a small garden at the center of Infinity palace hospital in the large medical control module of the Citadel Class Space Station, Princess Twilight Sparkle attired in robe and slippers on her average size purple bare feet stands as single tear run down her cheek. Joining her in the garden wearing his spacesuit was Royal Shogun Justice Silverlight. "I don't belong in this time, Justice," Twilight said, her voice quavering as a second tear runs down her cheek. "Why are you saying that, Twilight? This not like you. The old Twilight Sparkle would be excited about this time. She saw all this in her books at the Castle of Friendship. Now everything she read has come true." Justice said positive as Twilight's face flushed with indignation before turning and runs back into the hospital. A moment later, older beautiful unicorn mare with a moderate indigo blue corkscrew curly mane with a hint of gray and corkscrew curls tail arrive in the garden of the hospital, she walks up to Justice and hugs him. Her light gray 5ft 7in slender and elegant equine figure was attired in a very fashionable tangerine-colored spacesuit with blue trim. On her light gray bare feet were knee-high boots. This unicorn mare was Top Fashion Designer and owner of the global fashion house Carousel Boutique Rarity Radiance and dear friend of Justice. "Greeting Justice, I must thank you for filing an intergalactic visa for me and my privately-owned space shuttle to visit the 'Infinity Palace.' It would have taken years to get it approved with all that red tape I would have to go through." Rarity explains as Justice returns her hug. "You are very welcome Rarity, what about the others?" Justice inquiry as Rarity sighs. "Super busy, Applejack is opening her fifth or sixth apple plant, Rainbow Dash is the top sports agent busy re-negotiating a contract for one of her clients, Pinkie pie's company is busy planning a huge party for one of the Star Sector. As for Flutter shy, who knows where she is after the breakup of her and Discord. She disappeared from the public eye. But her rescue is running all over Sol, saving animals." Rarity explains as the Imperator Alicorn stallion and unicorn mare walk toward the main hall of the hospital. "What about you, Rarity?" Justice inquiry as Rarity tee-hee. "Being the Top Fashion Designer and owner of the global/intergalactic fashion house Carousel Boutique. I am pretty much free to do anything I want. Plus, it doesn't hurt that I am the riches mare on Sol, or I should say second riches mare next to Applejack. Even after the dissolving of the Friendship Kingdom and Friendship assembly, we went back to our old life. We have remained friends and meet once a month at my place in Los Ungulas. So we can update each other on our lives." Rarity explains as the pair continues walking down the hallway heading to Twilight's hospital room. "Besides, I might be a old mare, but I am still ticklish. I wouldn't mind being tickled by you, Justice. I have found no one on Sol who can make a mare like me laughs like you. But business, before pleasure. Is it true that Twilight has been reawaken?" Rarity asked as Justice shook his head. "Yes, she has. That one reason I filed an intergalactic visa for each of the members of the old Friendship assembly to come to the 'Infinity Palace.' Went or if we decided to reawaken her from suspended animation. It looks like she feels a little bit out of place at this time." Justice explains as the pair continued walking down the hall. "If that so Justice, then see me an older mare. Might reinforce that out of place in time more. Are you sure about this, Justice? I don't want to hurt Twilight's mental state any more then I have to." Rarity said a little bit worried as Justice places his hand on her shoulder. "It fine, Rarity. I have a feeling that she is really more worried about what happened to her friends. Since she has been frozen, so see you older or not will help a little bit. Plus, if you do this, Rarity. I'll tickle you till you can take it anymore." Justice said as Rarity smiled at him. "Excuse me, Great-grandson, May I speak to you?" Galaxy asked as she walks up to Justice. "Yes, Great grandmother?" Justice said as Justice and Galaxy walk further down the hallway to speak. "I notice you filed intergalactic visas for each of the Friendship assembly members to come to the 'Infinity Palace.'" Galaxy comments as Justice had a troubled look on his face. "Did I do something wrong in filing the intergalactic visas, Great Grandmother?" Justice inquiry worried. "Not at all, Justice. It just that an intergalactic visa only works once per trip to 'Infinity Palace.' So, in other words, you would have to file a new intergalactic visa every time one of the Friendship assembly members what to visit 'Infinity Palace.' That a lot of paperwork for a visit to the palace. So what I propose Justice is having the visa agent here at the shuttle port, stamp Miss Rarity Radiance Passport with the royal seal, and do the same for the other members. As long as they have their passport, they can come to the palace anytime. It would be perfect for visiting Princess Twilight Sparkle. As she would have to stay here to keep her safe from those that are still mad about the second Crystal war." Galaxy explains as Justice shook his head. "Is their more you want to talk to me about, great grandmother?" Justice asked as Galaxy shook her head. "Yes, did you finish going over the intelligence report I send you, Great-grandson?" Galaxy asked. "I did Great grandmother. Is there more about it?" Justice asked "Yup! The echoes are slowly moving toward the Sombrero Galaxy Star Sector. The other thing is that UAC is not going to ratify the treaty. So Lady Jennifer Sterling and Prime Minister of Far East Sector Oichi Usagi are going ahead with Plan B. Plan B entails using the Far East Sector Space centers to launch long-range shuttles into space. It going to be the job of the carrier-class warship to collect those shuttles and bring them to Imperator Alicorn space. The first shuttle to go up will contain Lady Jennifer Sterling and representatives from the Far East Sector government. So your carrier class warship will collect that shuttle. That mission will begin in the next few days. Besides, your mother told me your history with Miss Radiance over there, and it looks like she waiting for you." Galaxy comments as Justice turn to see Rarity standing just inside the door looking up and down the hallway for him. "Understood your Imperial Majesty," Justice said as he heads back down the hallway to meet up with Rarity, who has a huge smile on her snout went Justice told her if she doesn't have anything to do at the palace. He can make her laugh right now. ~Back on the Planet of ARK~ In an office at the United Animal Council building in the North American Sector, one of the representatives from the Northern Euro Sector, a tall Eurasian male brown bear morph align the Hyper wave pulse communicator with the area called the collective the Echoes home star sector. "Dark Echoes infiltrator, calling the Dark Echoes assembly. That insufferable matriarch of Alpha Sterling Clan with the help of the Prime Minister of the Far East Sector has set a plan into motion. To deliver the matriarch and Prime Minister into space to meet up with the Imperator Alicorns. Eliminate that shuttle will end the threat of the United Animal Council." The Eurasian male brown bear morph said as a sudden bright flash light up the office. "Understood infiltrator will eliminate the shuttle with the Matriarch and the Prime Minister. Dark Echoes assembly out." The communicator reply as a pawed finger flips off the device. As the scene widens, standing with her finger on the toggle switch was Lady Jennifer Sterling, standing next to her was stunning looking green Celestial Alicorn mare with orange mane and tail. Her athletic 6ft 2in equine figure was attired in Navy blue Space Suit. Folded on her back were her silver metal wings. Why on her green bare feet were knee-high boots. This Celestial Alicorn mare was Galactic Vanguard Melissa Star glow an Imperator Alicorn imperial scout. During the last holo conference with Empress Galaxy, Lady Sterling offhandedly mentioned that the dark Echoes seem to be several steps ahead of them, which annoyed Lady Sterling to no end. Empress Galaxy suggested that there might be a Dark Echoes infiltrator on ARK. She told Lady Sterling that it not unheard of as her Imperator Alicorns has eliminated many Infiltrators in their space. With that Lady Sterling started to investigate the United Animal Council ambassadors in the guise of getting the UAC General assembly to ratify the treaty. Once Lady Sterling zero in on the ambassador from the Northern Euro Sector, she contacted Empress Galaxy to ask what she can do to Eliminate the infiltrator. The Empress sent an Imperator Alicorn imperial scout that specializes in eliminating dark echoes infiltrator. "My lady," Melissa said, pressing the earwig in her ear with two fingers. "Yes, Miss Star Glow?" Jennifer inquiry "It sounds like the other Imperial scouts have eradicated all the Dark Echoes Infiltrator cells on ARK, and it looks like each cell was strong-arming the leader of that sector to not ratify the treaty with Imperator Alicorn space. Because we eliminate the cell, the leader of each sector will ratify the treaty now." Melissa explains as Jennifer had the biggest smile on her muzzle. "Very good, Miss Star Glow. Please send a message to your all-mother. That we can now accept the newly build factories' stations and shipbuilding yards stations from Imperator Alicorn space. Along with the Galactic Technician engineers that will be working alongside our engineers to design morph ready warships to join the Imperator Alicorn Royal battle fleets. Plus, tell her I am looking forward to joining my son at the 'Infinity Palace' as the Supreme Fleet Admiral for the ARK space forces." Jennifer says as Melissa sends the message to Empress Galaxy. ~Back at the dark Echoes assembly~ "Damn it! Every last dark Echo infiltrator cell has been eliminated on the Planet of ARK. We are blind to what goes on the planet of ARK. Plus, the imperator's Alicorns are putting up a space net to stop any Echoes trying to land on the planet." An angry male voice said as a red light blink in the cloud. "That is fine; the dark Echoes infiltrator cells on the Planet of Sol are still active. Those cells can keep an eye on the battle plans of the Imperators Alicorn and the ponies of Sol." An arrogant female voice said as pink light blink in the cloud. ~At the light echoes assembly~ "Well-well-well who know that the experiments on the planet of ARK. Has planned this far ahead. I guess they knew that something was out there in space for them. And with the backing of the whole planet of ARK. They have started to put together a space fleet with the help of the Imperator Alicorns. Proud doesn't give them Justice." The respected female voice said as blue light blinks in the cloud. "My lady, what about the dark Echoes infiltrator cells on the Planet of Sol?" A respected male voice asked. "Oh? Do you really think that the Imperator Alicorn doesn't know about the dark Echoes infiltrator cells on the Planet of Sol? I'll bet you they are using the cells to feed misinformation to the dark Echoes assembly. That arrogant female that runs that part of assembly probably has no idea they are doing that to her." The respected female voice said. ~In sub-basement of Canterlot Grand Royal Palace in the old Solar Empire~ "Your Imperial Majesty, All dark echoes infiltrator cells have been identified, and the Solar Guard and Lunar Guard have been placed on surveillance duty." Grand Solar Princess Aurora Silverlight reports to Empress Galaxy vie holographic communications to the Infinity Palace. "Thank you, my Great Granddaughter. I'll send you a couple of Imperator Alicorn Imperial Scout to help you eliminate those cells. By the way, where are my other Great Granddaughter and Great Grandson?" Empress Galaxy Inquiry as Aurora's eyes brimmed with joy with her Great Grandmother's question about her siblings. "Well, Great Grandmother Solar Princess Blueberry is busy going from sector to sector on Sol visiting her hospitals. I expect her back at the palace by tonight. I have a routine doctor's appointment with her tomorrow. Solar Prince Somnus is out on training mission with a small group of Royal Guard for about a week." Aurora explains as Galaxy smiles at her great-granddaughter. > Chapter 9 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ~ A Few hours later in the Officer's Quarters~ In the living room of the Officer's Quarters in the officer's wing on the second floor of the Living module of the Citadel Class Space Station, a pair of very fashionable tangerine-colored knee-high boots with blue trim lay removed on the floor by a sofa. On the couch with her long, light gray legs stretch out was a pair of very well pedicured light gray bare feet. That belongs to very exhausted Miss Rarity Radiance she gulps much need oxygen to replenish the depleted air in her lungs after Justice's unrelenting assault on her feet as she asked. "Here you go, Rarity," Justice said politely, handing his friend Rarity a small glass of water for her to drink, and she takes a drink. "By Celestia's light! I forgot just how unrelenting those fingers are on sensitive mare's soles like mine. (Intentional cough into her gloved hand) Went I was in my prime." Rarity comments as she takes another drink of water from the glass. "Now come on Rarity, you don't look that bad. (Intentional cough into his gloved hand) For a unicorn, you're advanced age." Justice comments as Rarity chuckled, taking another drink of water. "It quite all right, my friend. I have come to terms that I am not in my unicorn prime. But that doesn't mean I am going to stop taking care of myself. A lot of the younger ponies that work for me at my global/intergalactic fashion house Carousel Boutique often ask what they can do to look this good went they get to my age. I tell them you don't stop taking care of yourself and stay positive if you want to look this good." Rarity said with a little bit of pride in her voice as Justice sat down at Rarity's feet. "I must say, Rarity, your foot care is impeccable their no flaws anywhere," Justice said complimenting as he held Rarity's heels in one hand as he examined every inch of her flawless light gray bare feet in his hand. "I thank you, Justice. Taking care of my feet goes along with taking care of me and staying positive. I couldn't believe went I was younger I stressed over minor details. I was surprised that I didn't die of stress." Rarity comment as Justice gently put Rarity's feet back down on the sofa. "But enough about me, Justice. I have a few questions for you, Justice." Rarity comment as Justice filled Rarity's empty water glass with soft apple cider as it been some time since Rarity visited him since he left the Planet of Sol to return to his position in the Infinity Star Sector Space fleet. "Sure, Rarity ask away," Justice said, floating an empty glass from a nearby shelf to himself and fills it with Soft apple cider for the visit of his friend Rarity. "First question, Justice, went you left Sol; you told me you are returning to your position in the Infinity star sector space fleet, and that position is what?" Rarity asked as she takes a drink from her glass. "I am upper Rear Admiral in the Infinity Star Sector Space Fleet," Justice explains as Rarity spits her drink out of her mouth with the shock. "So all these Imperator Alicorn warships are under your command, Justice!" Rarity exclaims drying her mouth with a napkin Justice floated to Rarity. "You are partially correct, Rarity; I am one of three space fleet commanders. The other two are Admiral Ophelia Silverlight and Vice Admiral Shimmering Diamond Silverlight." Justice explains as the chimes on the officer quarter's door rings as an angelic smile forms on Rarity's snout went Justice went to answer the door. As the door whoosh open standing outside was good looking older earth pony mare with pale, light golden blonde mane with a hint of gray and tail with a broken-in old cowboy hat. Her 5ft 10in very physically fit brilliant yellow-orange body was attired in a blue, green form-fitting spacesuit with yellow trim. On her yellow-orange, bare feet were knee-high boots. This older earth pony mare was President Applejack Apple, the owner of the Sweet Apple Acres Company and a second old friend of Justice. "Well howdy Mr. Justice, It been sometime since I have come to visits you went you were on Planet of Sol. May I come in?" The earth pony mare asked politely as she hugs him. "Sure come on in Miss Applejack. Yes, it has been a long time." Justice said as he returned the hug. "Hey, Applejack! I didn't think you were coming up!" Rarity calls remaining in her position on the sofa with her bare feet on the cushions. "Well, after you message me Rarity confirming that Twilight was reawakened. I checked my schedule. It seems that my secretary flubbed an appointment for me today. It's a good thing. I know that client very well. He told me I could forget the appointment for today. We can talk next month about it. So I boarded my privately-owned space shuttle and head up here to see Twilight." Applejack explains as she sat down on the same sofa as Rarity and chuckled, noticing that Rarity was barefooted. "Showing off that stellar pedicure of your's Rarity." Applejack said teasing as Justice handed the mare a glass and filled it with apple cider. She cocks her head to one side to thank Justice for giving her a drink. "You are one to talk, Applejack. I have seen your name quite a few times in the day spa appointment book. Justice, if you please, could you pull Applejack's boots off for her. So all ponies can see what her pedicure looks like." Rarity asked as Applejack brought her feet up, and Justice pulled her boots off. Revealing a pair of yellow-orange bare feet with a stellar pedicure with the only exception that nail polish was slightly a bit darker, then the lighter nail polish on Rarity's nails. A moment later, the three ponies break down in laughter as Applejack crossed her leg over the other. "That was quite fun; it been a while since the three of us have a casual visit together, Rarity and Mr. Justice." Applejack comments as Rarity placed her bare feet on the ground and crossed her leg over the other. "That was for sure, Applejack." Rarity comments whirling the apple cider in her glass as the ice cubes clink the side of the glass as she takes another drink before lifting her glass, asking for another drink. "I think the last time we had a casual visit together was went you told the Friendship assembly members that you would be leaving the planet to resume your position in Imperator Alicorn Space Fleet." Rarity said as Applejack whirl the apple cider in her glass as the ice cubes clink against the side of the glass. "Hey Applejack, did you know that Justice is upper Rear Admiral in the Imperator Alicorn Space fleet." Rarity comments as Applejack reel with astonishment. "Well, howdy, I didn't know that. But it does make sense Justice did establish Princess Celestia's elite protection unit, the Solar Guard and Lunar Guard for Princess Luna. Both those units are still very active run by Grand Solar Princess Aurora." Applejack explains as Justice refills her glass with apple cider. "Getting back to our earlier discussion. If my memory serves me right. You took me leaving the planet the harder than any of the Friendship assembly members, Rarity." Justice comment floating the apple cider pitcher over to Rarity filling her glass up again. "Well, of course, I did, you were the first stallion I had for a friend. That didn't hit on a beautiful unicorn mare like me. I could truthfully call you a friend and some of the things we were partners in. Was the most fun I had with you?" Rarity comments pointing the top of her glass toward Justice as Justice chuckles as the visit continues. ~It a few days later aboard the 'infinity palace' in medical control module~ Standing outside Princess Twilight Sparkle's hospital room wearing the light gray New Lunar Republic formal women's dress uniform was Captain Alysia Ara Silverlight. Her muscular lavender-colored legs and slender/smooth bare feet were encased in black sheer stockings with polished black high heel pumps. On her head behind her horn was a light gray peaked cap with a gold half-moon pin in the center of the cap. Today is the day that they will transfer the former Princess of Friendship Twilight Sparkle from the Hospital to her permanent living Quarters in the Living module of the Space station. To ensure that the transfer of the Former Princess of Friendship to her permanent Living Quarters will go on without a hitch, Rear Admiral Justice Silverlight instructed his granddaughter to wear her New Lunar Republic formal dress uniform for one good reason. On the sleeve of the uniform is a patch that features a full moon in the background and dagger in the foreground. This patch belongs to the New Lunar Republic special forces know as the Moon Knights. This unit has a reputation for being the toughest, the smartest, and the meanest special operatives in the New Lunar Republic military. As no pony knew which moon knight would be sent out for a mission except Luna herself, all republic's enemy sees if they see this soldier clad in black special force's combat body armor, they have seen their last moonrise. As the process begins first to exit, the hospital room was a unicorn soldier in black special force's armor armed with Custom pulse pistol; he is followed by a female unicorn soldier in same color armor armed with PMP 5. The whole process took about half an hour to complete as the group was on heightened alert until they delivered Princess Twilight Sparkle to her permanent living quarters. It a few hours later, after delivering the package in the living room of the officer's wing on the second floor of the Living module of the Citadel Class Space Station, Captain Alysia Ara Silverlight still wearing her light gray New Lunar Republic formal women's dress uniform sits on the sofa. Sitting with her on the couch was her grandfather Rear Admiral Justice Silverlight; her sheer stockings clad feet rested on his lap as he gives his granddaughter a well-deserved foot rub for complete the mail deliver duty. The one difference between doing the foot rub on his wife and other mares all of them softly neigh went they are contented. But his granddaughter softly chirps went she is contented; he figures it one of many sounds that the sea pony siren side of his granddaughter has. "How do you feel Granddaughter?" Justice asked, snapping Alysia out of her wonderful daydream from her grandpa's skilled fingers on her sore stocking clad feet. "Huh! Oh, I feel wonderful, grandpa. This is the first time you have given me this kind of treatment. I always asked grandma how it feels went my grandpa rud her feet. She tells me it is wonderful." Alysia said relaxed and contented as she allowed her grandpa to remove her stockings to continue the foot rubs on her bare feet. "So granddaughter?" Justice asked as Alysia's tee-hee, knowing what her grandpa was asking her. "It just as wonderful as grandma says it is, grandpa," Alysia said appreciatively as she slowly fell back into a fell good coma. "You know, granddaughter, this the first time I got a good look at these feet of yours. I am surprised by how smooth they are. A trait you might have inherited from your grandma. But anyway, granddaughter goes change into your spacesuit again. So we may start dinner. You're Grandma and cousin is doing a double shift for tonight. So it only us for dinner tonight ." Justice explains as Alysia pick-up her pumps and stockings. "Yes, Grandpa," Alysia said responsive as she pitter-patter in her bare feet to her room to change into her spacesuit. 'What a wonderful Granddaughter Celestia and I got. Despite all the terrible stories that were told about pure siren mares. All those terrible stories stem from the actions of three sirens that try to take control of Equestria and were banished long ago. Because of those three sirens, my Grandchildren were shunned by the general ponies' population. It was not until her grandmother return that our grandchildren have hoped to be accepted.' Justice thoughts as he looks over the menu in the food replicator as Alysia walked up behind him and hug him. > chapter 10 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ~It less than an hour later~ In the permanent living quarters in the high security Living module of the Space station, a charming light purple alicorn mare with dark sapphire blue, moderate purple and brilliant rose streak mane and tail walk about the sizeable single-occupant living quarters. Her toned 5ft 5in equine figure was attired in a blue-violet colored form-fitting spacesuit with titan white trim. On her small purple plush and smooth bare feet were knee-high boots. Folded on her back were her light purple feathered bird wings. This light purple alicorn mare was former Princess of Friendship Twilight Sparkle. After exploring her permanent residence, Twilight walks up to the front door of her Living quarters and presses a holographic button on a control panel in the wall next to the door. A very disagreeable buzz greets her every time she pushes the door open button so she may leave her living quarters. Before long, the unmistakable sound of a door locking causes Twilight's stomach to shrivel, and her legs give out under her. As she sits on the ground, tears beginning to streak her snout with her new position as a former prisoner as it begins to sink in. The front door unlocks as it whooshes open in walks an Imperator Alicorn stallion wearing the navy blue spacesuit of Military police officer on his chest was a gold badge. He walks over to the control panel in the wall next to the door; he enters an MP security code into the board. Once the optical scanner confirmed his security clearance via his Mini Computer Vambrace, the lockdown ceased, transforming the red light into green light. "Mmm, your highness, were you trying to leave your living quarters? Is that why the lockdown activated? If that the case you couldn't go without your security clearance, this area is a high secured block." The MP Officer explains as he takes hold of Twilight's arm with her MCV and opens a small door on the device to install the security chip into it. Once installed in her Mini Computer Vambrace, the security guard walks Twilight over to the optical scanner in the wall. The panel scans the security chip in the MCV and registers the security clearance in its memory. Once done, the panel dings allowing the front door to whoosh open went she place her MCV close to the device and shut went she take away the MCV with a ten-second delay to allow her to leave the room. ~It a few days later~ Two hours before the scheduled pick up of the long-range shuttlecraft from United Animal Council carrying Lady Jennifer Sterling and representatives from the Far East Sector government. Walking down the reinforced connecting corridor on her way to the Captain's Quarters of the 'IAS Stellar Eclipse' was a gorgeous light blue half alicorn/unicorn mare with crimson red mane and tail a single slender fairy tale pink color stripe ran through her mane all the way to her tail. Her shapely 6ft 6in equine figure was attired in a form-fitting green spacesuit with pacific blue colored trim. On her elegant shaped light blue bare feet were knee-high boots. Folded on her back were her delicate light blue feathered bird wings. This half alicorn/unicorn mare was Lieutenant Colonel Aurora Silverlight. She walks up to the Captain's Quarters and presses a holographic button on the wall next to the door, it jingles once inside the room a stallion voice said 'come in.' As the door whoosh open, she walks into the room sitting behind the desk looking over the mission brief date cube was Rear Admiral Justice Silverlight. "Admiral, you sent for me?" Aurora said as Justice stood up and walked up to Aurora, his metal wings unfolded off his back. As he approaches her, her light blue feathered bird wings begin to unfold off her back. He wraps his arms around Aurora, followed by his wings wrapping around her and she does the same. "Greetings, daughter," Justice said, loving as he hugged his oldest foal. "Greetings, father, you sent for me?" Aurora said, loving as she hugged him with that the two Alicorns folded their wings back onto their backs. Before Justice steps back and sits on the edge of his desk with a stern look on his face, Aurora clasp and unclasp her gloved hands nervously. "I am pulling you off the extraction team."Justice said steely as Aurora fixes a smoldering eye upon her father. "But!" Aurora said as her father intentionally cleared his throat, causing her to stop her next thought. "As much as I don't want to put my foal in danger as a father should. Your numbers are the best I have seen than any of my Imperator Alicorn Aerospace Fighter pilots who known how to fly a Shadow Cat class bomber fighter. You are being reassigned to the assault team from what Captain Sterling told me the buzzer's mother ship can't detect a cloaked fighter. Your target will be the center hump that looks like a giant eye. It is the brain for the buzzer's mother ship." Justice explains as Aurora shook her head. "Is their more you want to ask me, father?" Aurora said cordial sense that her father what to asks her something else. "I have never had to utilize stealthy units in my carrier before. All my Aerospace fighter pilots are top-notch aces from Imperator Alicorn Space. Are there any special preparations you must do to use stealth unit, Aurora?" Justice inquiry as Aurora lifts her arm up with her Mini Computer Vambrace and call up a holographic keyboard. With a few keystrokes, she changes the form-fitting green spacesuit with pacific blue colored trim she was wearing into a black form-fitting spacesuit with battleship gray trim. The transformation continues as her light blue pelt darkens, matching her father's dark blue hide perfectly. Her crimson red mane turns jet black, and her single slender fairy tale pink color stripe turn battleship gray. "That all the special preparations I have to do, father," Aurora explains, changing her spacesuit, mane, tail, and pelt back to its original color scheme. "Good luck, daughter," Justice said, worried as he hugged and kissed his foal on her cheek. "Like you tell mother...I always will return, father." Aurora said as she leaves the quarters to head down to the flight deck. ~One hour before the sortie begins ~ It few hours before the sortie on the flight deck of 'IAS Stellar Eclipse' Lieutenant Colonel Aurora Silverlight inspects an SCF 1PB Shadow cat bomber fighter. Once she is finished with the inspection, she flaps her wings once and lands in the cockpit of the fighter. Slowly the tough transparent bubble of canopy closes with a low whoosh makes it airtight. In the cockpit, Aurora places her helmet on top of her head and changes into stealth mode and begins to sequentially flip switches and press buttons on the control panel in front of her. Once she grabs holds of the two yokes on the arms of the pilot seat. A large claw from the ceiling of the flight deck lowers grabs her fighter around the fuselage. The claw lifts her Shadow Cat class fighter three feet in the air and deposits her fighter on one of three launching catapults. As the visor lower on her helmet in front of her eyes, the tinted glass begins running through the diagnostics of Aerospace fighter and double checks the cloaking system generator. Once it reads stable output, the system slowly begins to charge. Soon the outline of the fighter appears on one side of the visor; it says all armor is 100% across the fighter, and the cloak system generator is fully charged. On the other side, it shows three mini proton torpedoes are ready, and two rapid-fire ion cannons are prepared. She activates her stealth pilot body armor as the four-point harnesses hold her to the seat. Aurora gives the thumb-up to the shooter the Imperator Alicorn mare ducks and signals to launch. With that, Aurora is thrown back into her seat with some force as the fighter accelerates down a glowing tube as it reaches the end of the tube, it shot into the darkness of space. "Setting sun one, clear of the carrier. All reading optimal. Engaging the pilot control system. The pilot has control. Inputting rendezvous coordinates for assault team." Aurora report to flight control as she joins four other SCF 1PB shadow cat fighter bomber in V formation. As Aurora's fighter takes the lead position in the formation, the visor rises back into her helmet as several small holo screens appear on canopy each screen has a face of one of the other stealth pilots in the formation with the pilot call name and cloak system generator reading fully charged. "All right pilots, our jobs are simple to give that Cyclops mother ship a bad case of red-eye. Our shadow cat fighters are armed with three mini proton torpedoes and two rapid-fire ion cannons. Once the extraction team begins to defend the UAC shuttlecraft from the swarm of Buzzers. That is our cue to go in hot, deliver the torpedo into that eye, and get out. Stealth pilots move out." Aurora orders as her visor lower back into place and formation activates the cloaking system before it begins to move forward. It hour later, as a long-range UAC shuttlecraft comes into view flashing its lights aboard the shuttle was Lady Jennifer Sterling and representatives from the Far East Sector government for their meeting with Empress Galaxy Cosmos, the ruler of the Imperator Alicorns. From the carrier, a small flight (5) WF 1MP assault/combat wasp fighters fly out to rendezvous with the shuttle to escort it to the 'IAS Stellar Eclipse' so it can transport the passengers to the 'Infinity palace.' As the flight response to the flashing lights by flashing their own lights. Suddenly the shuttle comes under attack by a swarm of Buzzers. Instantly the fighters engage the large numbers of buzzer swarms attacking the shuttle. The blackness of space is lit up by triple-barreled auto cannons fire mix with triple-barreled pulse laser and dual auto cannons fire. A large number of buzzer swarms explode in brilliant bright flashes in an impromptu fireworks display that rivals the pinpoint starlight that is scattered in the darkness of deep space. As the badly damage UAC shuttle begins to smoke and lose forward propulsion, the largest Buzzers mother ship reveals itself. From the intelligence from morphs on the planet of ARK. This buzzer mother ship is called a Cyclops mother ship; this type of ship is equal to the lieutenant in the Echoes' unmanned assault craft space fleet. If you can take out the Cyclops mother ship, all other buzzer mother ships in the star sector will be sent a self destruct command from the Cyclops ship. The moment the Cyclops mother ship reveals itself, five shadow cat bomber fighters lead by Aurora drop their cloak and come in hot forward right of Cyclops’s mother ship. The AI system quickly responds by flipping up several small pulse laser turrets on the right side, filling the area with anti-aerospace fighter's fire. This causes the shadow cats bomber fighters to change their trajectory approach in an attempt to dodge incoming pulse fire. As the shadow cats re-cloak themselves, the AI system responds by revealing all its small pulse laser turrets and open fire in every direction trying to forces the cloaked fighters to reveal themselves. The constant anti-aerospace fire jostles the cloaked aerospace fighters causing their cloak system generator to begin to overheat. Quickly the fighters drop their cloak revealing themselves. "Pilots tight V formation at full throttle we are going down its throat. All pilots switch to bombing sights; we have one shot at its eye. Went lock-on fire and pull up." Aurora orders as the flight form a tight V formation. Quickly the pilots jam the throttle forward as pulse fire baffles the fighter all round them. Unfazed with explosions around them, the fighter pilots continue their attack trajectory toward the single eye within 100 feet the fighters launch their three mini proton torpedoes at the eye. All proton torpedoes hit their target; the eye turns red then become bloodshot. As the ship begins to an explosion inside, the AI last act is to lock on the lead fighter with its turrets. As the shadow cat fighters pull up and away from the mother ship. Using its remaining energy in the small pulse laser turrets, it unleashes an entire volley striking the shadow cat fighter being piloted by Lieutenant Colonel Aurora Silverlight. As the fighter was about to explode, Aurora launches the pilot's compartment escape pod. The shock of the launch knocks Aurora unconscious. As the escape pod floats in space, an Echoes retriever locks onto Aurora's vital signs and heads straight toward the escape pod. As a claw descends from the underside of the retriever, it suddenly stops as the vessel is impaled on a massive black spiral horn. The black spiral horn belongs to huge living Alicorn constellation; a shooting star falls from its eyes as it almost lost its foal to an Echoes retriever. The living Alicorn constellation carefully bites down on an escape pod and carries it back to the mission area. Before tossing the escape pod into the battlefield, it uses magic to activate the distress beacon. A second later, an Imperator Alicorn patrol class warship collects the escape pod and takes it to an Imperator Alicorn hospital ship. ~It a few hours later aboard the hospital ship~ Slowly Aurora's cobalt blue eyes open, and she finds herself staring into bright lights of hospital ward aboard an Imperator Alicorn hospital ship as Aurora turns her head. She spots her mother Celestia's sleeping on a chair next to her bed with her gloved hand wrap around her bare hand. "Mama," Aurora said, waking up her mother who pupils dilated upon seeing her foal's eyes opened. "By my light! You have comes to my dear Aurora. Do you know who I am?" Celestia asked hopeful but worried as Aurora shook her head. "You are my mother, Princess Celestia Silverlight, the ex-princess of the sun and ruler of the Solar Empire." Aurora answer as tears streaked Celestia's snout. "Thank the first star you didn't sustain any major brain damage went you ejected your pilot's compartment escape pod you were knocked unconscious. The force of ejecting cracked the canopy of your cockpit; it was leaking oxygen. With you unconscious, you couldn't activate your emergency oxygen supply." Celestia explains as Aurora recoil in horror.