The Star Sisters: Journey of the Cosmic Warriors

Request Denied

The cold, female voice rasped across the com link that was in Spark's ear.  He rolled his green eyes and decided to ask the obvious question.

"What do you mean "Request Denied"? I come here all the time!" He tapped the mic that was protruding from the link. "In fact, I know the owner."

Doesn't matter. The voice replied, Your ship's too big for the port. Spark Plug slammed his head into the console.  He heard a slight whine in his ear as the mini speaker jostled around in his hearing cavity.  It was like this every time he came here.  His ship would be hailed, he'd argue with the officer, then he'd explain to her that he had a smaller ship, two in fact, that he could use to get to the small shop and grill that was simply dubbed as "Mac's Place".  Spark sighed and opened his mouth to, once again, begin his explanation of his smaller vessels, when the chat was interrupted.

What's the hold up FT?  A new voice spoke in the distance.

Just some guy with a frigate of a ship. The first voice replied.

"Hey!" Spark complained, "Cosmo is not a frigate!  It's a mobile garage that-"

Yeah yeah..... The first voice said, It's still too big to come in to port.

Wait......is tha' Spark Plug? Spark recognized the voice then, even from the static, from the heavy accent the owner had.

No. It's this-

"MAC!"  Spark suddenly yelled into the mic, "GET THIS FEATHER BRAIN TO LET ME DOCK!"  There was a short scuffle at the other end for a second, probably Mac wrestling the headset off of his assistant, before his familiar voice echoed into his ear.

Hey Plugster He said in a slightly muffled voice, Pen's already here.  Jes' park Cosmo somewhere close by and get yer rear in here.

"Thanks Mac," Spark said with relief, "Is "Sweet Tooth" there?"

'Fraid not. Mac replied, Pen told meh that he had tuh take care oh some......what did she say....some frogmylers or somethin like that.....

"I get it Mac.  That guy's always doing one thing or another.....I'm coming in now.  Tell Pen not to worry, and that I'm sorry I'm late."

Will do boyo.  Over and out.  The channel went dead with a simple click, letting Spark lean back to admire his good luck.  Not wanting to waste it anymore, he took off the com link and turned to CAB, who was floating just out of reach from the pilot's chair in which Spark Plug sat.

"Keep Cosmo a safe distance away from the station and remember to keep Hanz from fiddling too much with the engine." He told the cube.  CAB spun around once to acknowledge the order and flew over to a square port on the front of the wheel.  The cube plugged itself inside and took control of the massive ship, leaving Spark to freely get to one of his smaller crafts.

It didn't take him long to get to his personal hanger in which two ships lay.  One of them was pretty basic in shape and was mostly fit for travel, but the other one, shaped like a lightning bolt of all things, was made for combat.  They were christened The King and The Knight respectively, and was The King that Spark got into.

After putting another link into his ear, he pressurized the ship and took off outside of his mobile garage.  He flew once around the large ship and inspected its hull, and smiled as he saw no new noticeable dents.  The massive, rust colored vessel was about have the size of an average space station, and even though it looked like it was more of a floating junk yard, Spark was proud to call it his home.

After CAB blinked a signal at him to say everything was fine, Spark drove his ship towards Mac's.  As he approached the docking bay he gazed in wonder at it's simplicity.  It looked like a floating house really, with a large parking garage beneath it.  A clear bubble shield encased the actual building, and thanks to a combination of magic and technology, it kept the inside cool and aerated from the harsh vacuum just outside of it.  Unlike the kind of barrier that was on the garage of Cosmo though, this one was clearly designed to help view the one object that the station was most famous for.

Mac had always wanted to retire from his old job in a way that would keep him busy, but would also help him keep up to date on the latest news across the galaxy.  That's why, in a stroke of genius, or perhaps insanity, he decided to build a restaurant that would orbit an iconic space object, which ended up being a massive sun.

The orange flames of the massive star behind the complex hurt Spark's eyes, but he knew the ponies and other creatures inside the bubble shield was calmly staring at it through the barrier's protective film.  The sight was temporarily lost to him though as he entered the garage below the main part of the station.  There were several ships dotting the various landing pads inside, but there was an open one near the back.  Spark slowly maneuvered King into the spot before he depressurized the cockpit.  He quickly jumped out and made his way towards a pair of large doors that led to an elevator.  A short ride later, and he was walking down a short hall that led to his and his friends favorite hangout.

"Aye!" A friendly yet rough voice called out to him when he walked inside of the diner, "There he is!"

"Pluggy!" A second voice called out, this one a mare's, as Spark looked around for their source.  He soon spotted a purple unicorn waving him over to the bar where an orange pony, also a unicorn, was serving drinks.  Spark quickly trotted over to meet up with his friends.

"Long time no see."  He told them both.  The unicorn smiled and hugged him, her black glasses going askew as she did so.  Spark hugged her back and saw her cutie mark, a simple pen on a piece of paper, and he pushed her away before smiling.

"Pen," he said, "What's with the hug?"

"I haven't seen you in two months," She replied, "Of course I'm going to hug you!"  Spark chuckled and looked at the bartender.

"Hey Mac."  Mac smiled and brushed his fiery mane out of his eyes.  His orange coat, still slightly charred from his old job, shone brightly in the dim lights.  He picked up a dirty mug in his yellow magic and, in a classic bartender move, began to scrub it with a cloth.

"Hello thar," He said in his usual accent, "Been a while now hasn't it?"

"You bet!" Spark replied.  He sat down in one of the swivel chairs and ordered a root beer while Pen, who sat down beside him, ordered some hay fries.  Mac poured Spark's drink and gave it to him and then he left to get Pen's fries.  While he was gone, Pen and Spark started to catch up.

"So....." Spark began as he sipped his drink, "Why did "Sweet-"

"I don't know ok?" Pen immediately said, "He just told me he had to go somewhere and left.  I made up an excuse to Mac so he wouldn't worry."

"Ah......" Spark said understanding why.  Mac didn't like ponies breaking appointments without a reason why.  He gets a bit mad if they do.  No need for him to trash the place when Sweet decided to return.

"What have you been doing for the last two months then?" Spark asked, changing the topic. Pen relaxed and pulled out a piece of paper from a pouch on the counter.

"See for yourself." She said as she passed Spark the paper.  On it was the beginning of yet another of her stories.

"You're joking...." Spark said while he read it.  Pen smirked and took it back before he could finish.

"You're just upset that you can't write."  She told him.

"I can write!  My dad taught me!" Spark said defensively.

"I meant you can't write well." She said with a slight giggle.

"Can't write what well?" Mac asked as he came back from the kitchen.  He gave pen her fries and a cup of water to wash them down before turning raising an expectant eyebrow.

"Write pretty much anything." Pen said before Spark could reply.  He drooped his eyes in annoyance.  Mac chuckled before resuming his glass cleaning.

"Tis true old friend," He told spark without looking at him, "Your writin can get a tad.....confusin."

"Oh come on!" Spark complained, "It's not-"

"So how's yer big ship?" Mac interrupted, "Still runnin alrigh'?"

"Yeah Mac, Cosmo's fine." Spark replied, still a tad annoyed at them both, "Why?"

"Well....." He said, "I'm just a bit upset that such a......marvelous vessel.....would have such a sad crew...."

"You got a crew now?" Pen asked while munching on a fry.

"Of course I have a crew." Spark told them, "I've always HAD a crew."

"Robots don't count," Pen said, They're just pieces of moving metal."

"She's right yeh know."  Mac agreed.

"Are you both against me today or something?" Spark asked, unamused by his friend's comments.  They both looked at each other.

"Yes." They both said at the exact same time.  Spark rolled his eyes for the second time that day and downed half his root beer.  He was about to ask them why, when a bottle narrowly missed his head and smashed into the counter.

"TAKE THAT BACK!"  A loud voice yelled.  Spark and Pen looked behind themselves and saw a furious pink mare with a wild, red mane, drunk by the looks of it, glaring at a hooded figure.  Judging by the way the figure was sitting, it looked like a pony, but it was hard to tell what kind due to his cloak.  The mare, however, was clearly a pegasus since she was wearing some light armor that allowed her wings to freely move around.  They were currently flapping up and down in a furious fashion.  Mac shook his head and nodded to another figure in the far corner.  As the second figure came over to the scene, the drunk mare screamed again.

"Hey!"  She yelled, "Buddy?! Did...did you...DID YOU HEAR ME?!"

"I did," He replied, "You don't have to yell.”  The mare rose higher into the air and looked like she was about to dive at him, but she was interrupted before she could.

"Is there a problem here?" The second figure from earlier asked from the shadow of the gathering crowd.

"YES!" The mare exclaimed.  She landed and jabbed an accusing hoof at the hooded stallion.  “THIS one….” She said, “claims the princesses…..never even existed! Can….can you believe that?!”

“I never said that,” The stallion replied, “I just said-“

“SHUT IT!”  She yelled again, spinning back towards him.  The mare then reached into her armor, her drunk, bloodshot eyes dripping with hate.  Spark rose up from his stool to try to stop the fight, but at that moment the second figure burst into the air with her own pair of wings and tackled the drunken pegasus to the ground.  Long, yellow claws curled around the mares neck while a sharp beak was poised above her face.  It looked like she was about to strike, but Mac intervened before she could.

“That’s enough Scarlet!”  He yelled at the griffin.  The large bird creature didn't move for a moment.  She just glared at the frightened pegasus beneath her claws for a second before backing off, but she kept her grip on her neck, just in case.

Mac walked around the counter to get to the scene.  As he did so, two more griffins glided down to keep an eye on their companion.  Spark and Pen relieved that nothing too bad had happened got up to assist the gathering griffins and Mac with the situation.  Spark looked around him and noticed a few more of the feathered creatures stationed around the complex.  Some of them were wearing armor, a few even had a weapon or two hoisted on their shoulders, but each were unique in their own way.

"Are you all right?"  Mac asked the hooded stallion when Spark and Pen got close enough to listen.  The stallion simply nodded his head and drank some water from his mug.  He had covered himself up so well that Spark didn't even see his coat color.  The stranger shifted his weight, and a slight clunk was heard above the low din of the dissipating crowd.  Mac asked him if he needed anything, but he didn't answer, so the bartender instead walked over to another table.

Around this table was two other pegasi.  One of them, a stallion, was jet black, mane and all, while the other looked just like the drunken mare that was pinned to the ground.  Mac acknowledged them with a slight bow, but neither of them returned it.

"I take it tha' the little one belongs wit' you two?"  He asked them.  The black one just smirked at the comment while the other mare rolled her eyes.

“Of course she does,” the mare said, “She’s my little sister.”

“Aye….that she is….” Mac replied, “I’m a tad curious as to why you didn’t stop her earlier…”

“She gets into fights all the time,” The stallion said in a deep voice, “and she’s very passionate about the old tales…says they ring with-“

“ARE YOU BOZOS GOING TO HELP ME OR NOT?!” The younger sister yelled just then.  The Griffin holding her down tightened her grip slightly and shut her up. The mare at the table started to look a tad concerned, but smirked a second later.

“Like Blight said…” she told Mac, referring to the stallion “Little Feather there gets into a lot of fights.  She can handle herself, even when drunk.”  The drunken mare, apparently named Feather, struggled a little in the griffin's grasp.

“Hmmm….” Mac pondered.  He placed a thoughtful hoof to his chin. “What would you have done if she had attacked?”

“He deserved it.”  Was all the one named Blight replied.  If the hooded stallion heard the remark he didn't acknowledge it.  Spark started to wonder just who the stallion was, and so was Pen by the looks of her expression, but they stayed back and let Mac do his job.

“You’re the owner of this joint right?” The older sister asked, “Your name was…..Ironwright was it?”

“Aye.” Mac agreed, “But I go by Mac these days.  Tis an honor to-”

“Let GO of me you big beaked MORON!” The younger sister, Feather, yelled.  She had begun to thrash around in the griffin’s claws, apparently disliking the fact that she was being ignored.

“Keep her steady thare Scarlet” Mac told the Griffin, but before she could even say anything the restless drunk managed to buck her captor in her stomach and threw her off her.  The sister then tore into the air and reached into her armor once more, drawing out a long tube.

“Stop her!” Mac ordered the other Griffins, who were already taking off to take down the enraged mare.  Feather grabbed the tube and tugged on it, and with a slight crack one of ends erupted into a mini flail, which sparked with an electric blue energy.  Just as the griffins were about to catch her, Feather dove downwards and arced just outside of their extended claws.  She screamed a rampant war cry while spinning the flail around her head and raced straight towards the hooded stranger.

Spark opened his mouth to warn him of the danger, but as he did so he felt a strange feeling in the back of his head.  It was a weird, uncomfortable tingle and his face burst out in sweat, but most of all he started to feel a single feeling that simply boiled beneath his skin.  Spark faltered, and he nearly collapsed, but he quickly snapped out of it to witness the drunk strike out at her supposed foe.

Only to be beat back before she could.

In a swift movement that was too quick for Spark to catch, the stranger had reached into his cloak and swung out a hefty blade with both of his hooves.  It struck Feather's electric flail and, in a burst of flame that seemed to come out of the sword itself, sent her flying across the room and into her companion's table.

"Feather!" Her older sister cried out as the table collapsed when the drunken mare's body hit it.  Another Griffin quickly raced over to check on Feather while the now frantic sister fretted over her.  Blight, as well as the rest of the onlookers, stared in shock and awe at the fallen mare, but nothing compared to the looks they were giving to the stranger's weapon.

The blade in his dark blue hooves was shaped like a broad sword and it seemed to be made of rather shiny alloy.  The very center of it was slightly transparent though and a bubbling red liquid could be seen through it.  The two handled grip was a simple black and there was a diamond shaped ruby set in the guard.  Overall, the blade was very threatening and sent shivers down some of the crowd's backs.  Blight, however, was staring at the blade and its owner with a look that could send anypony who was unprepared for it running for their ship.

"You hurt my comrade....." Blight said, his voice dripping with venom, "You shall pay dearly for that......"

"She attacked me first," The stallion said.  He didn’t lower his sword.  Blight growled and got down from his chair.  He started to walk over to the stallion, but Mac walked between them before he could lay a hoof on him.

"Hold on there you two," he said, "I can't allow any more fightin' in here.  This is a family friendly joint now...."  Mac paused with a confused face.  He put his hoof to his chin again and said, more to himself than to anypony in particular, "Course....this is the bar part oh the station, but I digress...."  He clacked his hoof onto the ground and looked at the griffin that was knocked down.

"You ok Scarlet?" He asked her.

"....I'm fine..." She muttered.  Scarlet seemed a bit embarrassed that she had let Feather get the best of her.  Mac just nodded and turned towards the griffin that was checking on the drunken mare.

"How is she?"

"She's been knocked out cold," The griffin said, "but that's partly because of the alcohol.  She also has some minor burns, nothing too serious.  After a few hours of rest she'll be fine."  Feather's sister breathed a sigh of relief, and Blight seemed to have relaxed a bit as well, but he was still glaring at the hooded stallion.  Mac nodded again and looked at Blight.

"I know yer mad, but there’ll be no fightin’ now," he said.  Blight growled in frustration, but Mac raised a hoof into the air for silence.  Once the black pegasus quieted down, he continued.

"You can't fight here," he repeated, "but I CAN let you fight him in a duel on the front deck," he glanced at the stranger, "with yer consent of course."

"They wouldn't leave me alone if I refuse," he simply said, "so I accept." The stranger quickly spun the blade around and replaced it back inside his cloak, supposedly inside of a hidden scabbard of some sort, before getting back down on all of his hooves.  Mac nodded and looked back at Blight. He raised a questioning eyebrow at him, and Blight, seeing as he was surrounded by griffins, reluctantly accepted as well. The bartender smiled and stepped back.

"Brilliant!" he proclaimed, "In that case, I'll be the judge.  You two can go prepare yerselves in yer ships.  The duel shall begin in an hour!"  There was a clamor of applause from the crowd, satisfied that they would get to see a fight take place, especially if it was between these two strangers.  Blight just narrowed his eyes among the cheers, and muttered something to the stranger.  The stranger didn’t respond, so Blight just turned around and helped his companion take her sister to their ship.

The crowd dissipated soon after.  Some went to spread the news of the fight, others decided to get in one last drink with their friends, and a small betting pot was already being discussed.  The griffins also returned to their posts, once again scouting the station for any more trouble.  Spark just shook his head and watched Pen go back to the bar to finish her now cold fries.  Not wanting to waste any more time, he walked over to Mac with a questioning look.  Before he could utter his question though, Mac was already answering it.

“If I had not suggested that duel,” he started to say with grim look, “then those two would've gone after the lad later.  They might’ve killed the bloke, or he would've killed them……”  They both glanced at the stallion in question.  He had already gone back to his seat and was drinking his water once more.  It didn't even look like he cared about the coming fight.

"I have tuh get the deck ready fer the fight," Mac said after a moment's pause, "Why don't you talk to that fellow with the sword?"  It took a moment for Spark to realize who Mac was referring to.

"What?!" Spark proclaimed, "Why me?!"

"I told you," Mac said, his usual smile returning to his face, "I have tuh get the deck ready." He eyed the strangers cloak with an unfamiliar glint in his eyes, "and I want to know more about that there sword.....mighty interestin that blade oh his....."  Mac stared on for a moment more before quickly turning around.  Spark opened his mouth to protest at his thick accented friend, but he was already lost in the crowd.  Giving out a deep sigh, he reluctantly walked over to the stranger.  When he got to him he didn't know what to do.  The stranger paused mid sip after a time and glanced at him.

"May I help you?" he asked.  His voice seemed taught and rigid, but there was an underlying warmth about him, but that may have just been his strange sword.

"Um....is...." Spark stammered, "Is that seat....occupied?" The stranger didn't answer at first, but he then gestured towards the empty seat across from him.  Spark said thanks and sat down.  Again, the stranger didn't say anything else, so to break the tension, Spark introduced himself.

"Uh...." he began, "My name is Spark.  Spark Plug to....to be exact."

"What do you want?"  The hooded stranger asked.  Spark swallowed back his nervousness and tried to explain that he was a friend of Mac, the owner.  The stranger nodded and understood Mac's motive for sending Spark to talk to him.

"He wants to know if I can be trusted....."

"That...that's not true!" Spark proclaimed.

"Why is that?" The stranger asked.

"Mac trusts everypony he meets," Spark explained, "The only way he would ever distrust someone is if they gave him a reason to."

"Well I've got many reasons why he shouldn't put his trust in me." The stranger stated.  He slugged down the rest of his water and slammed down the empty mug.  "Don't get me wrong here.  I appreciate his will to set up that duel and everything, but it's still annoying to have to do it."

"He did that for your protection....and for...." Spark paused before he could finish the sentence, but the stranger finished it for him.

".....and for them?" he asked.  Spark slowly nodded and couldn't help but glance at the place in the stranger's cloak where the blade was.  The stranger chuckled at this and raised his hoof towards Spark.

"I like you Mr. Plug," he said, "it's a pleasure to meet you."  Spark Plug smiled and shook his hoof.  While they were shaking, the stranger whipped off his hood to reveal his face.  Spark gasped at the sight.  The stranger was a dark blue unicorn with a large black mane, but that wasn't all, for protruding out of the sides of his head were a pair of bright orange horns that curved up and pointed straight at the ceiling.  Spark nearly forgot to close his mouth from the shock of seeing the tricorn before the stranger spoke again.

"My name," he said in an amused voice, "is Guy."