These Are the Voyages... [edited!]
The Alicorns of Equestria are mysterious creatures at best, and can often be described as the beings closest to achieving full godhood whilst still maintaining a physical form. They age at an incredibly slow rate and have lifespans that stretch for many dozen millennia, not to mention the almost unbelievable amount of power that they have at their disposal: enough to sway the hearts of nations with mere will or move celestial bodies with but an errant thought. But the most curious aspects of these mysterious beings was the effect that their very presence has on the world around them.
For the thousand years of Princess Celestia’s rule after Princess Luna’s banishment {Circa 1,000 BR}, Equestria stagnated in a pseudo-industrial stage of development that made little sense to the casual observer. All the technology was there for Equestria to undergo a massive industrial revolution the likes of which would change the lives of every creature on Equis. And yet, for some reason, it did not happen. It was as if the driving force behind technological innovation had been suppressed (or perhaps imprisoned?), leaving the world to wait for just the right moment to explode into action.
Upon the return of Princess Luna {Circa 0 AR} and the ascension of the Princess of Friendship, Twilight Sparkle {Circa 4 AR}, Equestria experienced a technological boom the likes of which had never been seen before or have been seen in the 100 years since. The nation progressed from fossil fuels to self-sustaining Arcano-Antimatter reactors to power the country within the span of fifteen years. Within seventeen years Major Charging Dawn of the Celestial Air Brigade was the first pony to set foot on the moon through means non-related to the usage of the elements of Harmony.
The Ministry of Arcane Sciences was born of a collaboration between Princess Twilight and the top minds in every scientific field known to sentient beings across Equis. Griffons, Zebras, Minotaurs, Diamond Dogs, Dragons and Ponies came together in an unprecedented show of solidarity and formed the United Equis Government, agreeing to a Representative Tetrarchy with the four Alicorns serving as the Executive branch. (This author posulates this event is related to the effect of the Princess of Friendship upon the world, though this inference will be further studied in Chapter 3.)
Within twenty-five years, the first warp drive was created by a team comprised of all the sentient, peaceful races that comprised the UEG, though major credit is given to Twilight Sparkle, who first discovered the formulae for achieving a stable warp field and, thereby, FTL travel. The first test was a resounding success, and a mad scramble to develop a better, more efficient drive was commenced at the same time that the construction of the first Selene-class starship began. An orbital shipyard was being crafted piece by piece in geosynchronous orbit over the Equestrian mainland during the construction of the original warp drive, and was used to build the new starship, which was designed to fill an exploratory role.
The Lunar Fleet was founded as the spaceborne arm of the UEG at this time, as well as Twilight Sparkle’s Officers Academy to train the wave after wave of recruits signing up for the program. This period, known as the “Second Age of Exploration” by many scholars, marked a very long period of colonization of nearby star systems and a significant boom in many of the planet’s populations as environments were found where each species could flourish. As the colonies grew they demanded a say in governmental affairs, so the Equestrian Interplanetary Alliance was founded {Circa 75 AR}. More and more starships began to be built as an economic boom from all of the new materials and resources came flowing into the Alliance, and faster, more efficient warp drives were built to facilitate faster travel.
Within a hundred years, where we stand now, the universe has expanded in a way that none could have predicted before the return of Princess Luna and the ascension of Princess Twilight. It is this author’s humble opinion that the Princesses exerted a kind of pressure on the creative and innovative sparks of the beings of the world, whilst Princess Twilight increased their predilection for working together in friendship and harmony. The two elements, when combined, resulted in the massive explosion of technology that has been observed over the last century. The effects alicorns exert over the collective psyche of the world can be further observed in--
“Attention Shuttlecraft Hydra, this is docking control for UES Everfree RN 1301. We've got you marked on approach vector, prep your ship to accept docking tether. We're gonna set you down in docking bay Alpha-1, Captain Storm Rider," a mare's voice interrupted my reading, causing me to look up from my new paperback copy of Alicorns: A Study. Just something I had picked up at Equis One for some light reading that had actually turned out to be rather engrossing. I used my kinesis implant to shut the book and set it aside, allowing me to operate the controls of my shuttlecraft to put it into a proper docking maneuver.
Most ponies would just trust the computer to do the job, but I preferred the more hooves-on approach.
My feathers ruffled and my wing joints twitched as I piloted the craft, ancient flight instincts trying to guide my body through the changes in momentum that the small, one-pony craft experienced in zero-G. The little Falcon-class was light on the modern inertia dampening spells and magical feedback regulations that would allow me to feel nothing as I piloted the craft, but I preferred it this way. I could really feel the ship I was flying, if that made any sense.
At any rate, it didn't take long for me to attach my ship to the docking tether that lowered from the belly of my new ship, the newest ship in the Lunar Fleet, actually. The Everfree. 300 meters from bow to stern, with long, sweeping nacelles that stopped just short of the half-moon saucer section and a thick, sturdy body, designed to bring into mind the three races of pony working in harmony. And it did a fine job of that, I thought as I finalized the docking procedure and the bay doors were closed, allowing the room to re-pressurize.
In the time it took the computer to equalize the pressure between the shuttle and the room outside, my CMO had apparently already sensed that I was onboard, because the little spitfire of a Zebra was already waiting when the door opened.
"Stormy, ya know I hate to bug ya--"
"No, you don't, Rafi," I snarked immediately, a quiet smile finding its way onto my muzzle. Commander Rafisa was my oldest friend--we had grown up together in Manehattan after my parents took her in, which explained her not rhyming like every other zebra I had met--and she had no problem telling me when I was being an idiot. She'd saved my life more than once like that, actually.
"Oh, shaddup. Ya know yer overdue fer a checkup. Check in with the bridge, then report to medical, or I swear I'll declare ya unfit for duty 'til ya do," she promised, stomping her hoof down in a show of seriousness. I pinned my ears back at the threat, knowing that she actually meant it. The mare was serious about this kinda thing, even if I thought it was a total waste of time. I was healthy as an Apple!
"Alright, alright! Sheesh, Rafi, I'll show up to medical first thing after I get us underway, I promise," I assured her, getting a snort and an eyeroll from my friend that roughly translated to 'You better, buster,' before she turned and brushed my snout with her tail. A little teasing thing that she'd done since we were small--and something I really hoped none of the new crew would see anytime soon. I had to at least appear intimidating at first, after all. I shook my head and snorted before I made to follow her into the ship, headed towards the lift.
I made my way through the hallways, the full moon pip on my collar causing ponies to make way and salute over their chest with their right hoof--or claw--as per regulation.
"Wrong hoof, Ensign," I called to a nervous-looking unicorn with one star on his collar, causing him to quickly change the hoof covering his heart with a blush. I hid my smirk until I was past him, enjoying the little blunder maybe a bit too much. But, I mean, could you blame me?
First time commanding the flagship of the Lunar Fleet! Had to make some fun, or else I was gonna burst!
I stepped into the lift and studied myself in the reflective glass, making sure I looked totally presentable. Grey mane perfectly spiked up? Check. Stormy grey eyes looking the right mix of intimidating and trustworthy? Check. White coat groomed to a fine sheen and a proper luster? As always, check. I gave myself a quick nod and brushed a stray black hair that had fallen from Rafisa's tail away from the deep lavender fabric of my uniform before the lift doors opened, allowing me my first sight of the bridge that would become my home for the next four years.
"Captain on the bridge!" a voice called out from the tactical station, shriller and more piercing than any pony's could hope to be. The griffon snapped into an immediate salute, her talons curling into a fist as she raised her right claw over her breast. Her name was Hilde, I believe, Lieutenant Commander Hilde Steelfeather. Earned several medals and commendations, as was evident by the glittering gold and silver on the plain grey sash that overlaid her lavender uniform, by defending a pony colony from some other Griffin raiders. Outcasts who couldn't crack it in the Griffonian Defense Force and decided to go pirate--a common enough occurance, sadly.
The rest of the bridge crew followed suit shortly, and I let my eyes roam over every one of them. A Minotaur, a few Unicorns, Pegasi, and Earth Ponies, even a thestral stood in salute of me. This ship was one of the first truly collaberative projects by every major species in the Equestrian Alliance, combining the skills and knowledge of every race into something greater. And... While I'm waxing poetic, these fine crewmen looked to be getting uncomfortable. Smooth, Captain.
"As you were," I finally said, doing my best impression of someone who didn't just realize that they had made a total blunder in his first five seconds as captain of the most advanced ship in the fleet. I spread my wings and flapped over to my chair, the vaulted ceiling of the bridge allowing me to do so with no danger of banging my head. Already a marked improvement over the Armor-Class ships. They were tough old birds, don't get me wrong, but they were built for defense, not comfort. The Sparkle-Class Everfree had every possible comfort without sacrificing defense or structural integrity--they were, after all, designed to be used in extended missions. They had to make allowances for comfort in something designed to be away from home for years at a time.
As I settled down in my seat I used my kinesis module to open up a panel in the chair and press the intercom button, setting the destination to main engineering.
"This is the Captain to Chief Engineer..." I trailed off for a moment, trying to remember the name of the mare that was in charge of the department, before I was suddenly cut off from the other end.
"Shim Sham, Cap'n," a Trottingham mare answered my internal inquiry, causing me to lift my eyebrows in surprise. "An' before ye ask, she's already purrin' like a kitten. Ready to go whenever you are. In fact, we've all been waitin' on ye. We're all eager to see what my girl can do!"
"Understood, Commander Sham. Thanks for the update," I said with a smile before I cut off the intercom, looking up to catch some half-grins on the faces of my bridge crew.
I rolled my eyes and looked up at the visual display, seeing the sea of stars that waited for us, daring us to explore it, to find out what was there. It was... Sublime. That's the word. Beautiful in the way a hurricane was beautiful, beauty that could bring you to your knees and sweep you off your feet at any moment. It was the reason that I had enlisted the day I became of age, the reason that I had drug Rafi along for the ride. To go and see what that sublime beauty had to offer.
And now? Now was the time to bring everyone else along for the ride as well.
I pressed a few buttons on the chair panel to open up the shipwide intercom and a loud whistle sounded throughout the ship, causing everyone to stop what they were doing and look up to hear the announcement.
"Attention, Crew of the Everfree. This is your Captain speaking. My name is Storm Rider. Some of you already know me, some of you don't. Some of you know each other, some of you don't. Right now, none of that matters. Look to your right and left. As of right now, everyone you see is your brother and sister. Whether they be pony, griffin, minotaur, or whatever. You all took an oath to uphold the values of harmony and represent the Alliance throughout the Galaxy. You're going to be together for four years--sometimes you will fight, sometimes you won't get along. But always remember that we are a family. And at the end of the day, we will always have each other's backs," I pontificated, trying not to feel every eye on the bridge turn to me. No pressure, or anything.
"Because you all knew what the paper said when you signed the release to go on this mission: nothing like this has ever been tried before, we have no way of knowing what we are going to find on this mission of exploration, and there is no guarantee of coming back. You knew, and you still agreed. But that's why you stallions and fillies signed up, isn't it? To explore, to see things and places that nobody has ever seen before, and damn the risks. Because you know, as I do, that true explorers can never be satisfied while there is still something out there to be discovered. You are the sons and daughters of seven worlds, grandchildren of Equis, and from this point on, you are family. Because this is..."
Space.
The Final Frontier.
These are the voyages of the starship "Everfree."
It's four year mission: To explore strange new worlds.
To seek out new life and new civilizations.
To boldly go where nopony has gone before.
Next time, on Star Trek: Harmonic Convergence...
"Captain Storm Rider, I'm picking up a distress signal... I don't recognize the language, sir."
"Sir, this ship design is unlike anything I've ever seen before. It looks to be at least the equal of our own ship, perhaps even its better."
"Unidentified vessel, this is Captain Nathan Calloway of the Federation Starship Maverick."
Tune in next time for this exciting episode of Star Trek: Harmonic Convergence.
Author's Note
Heyo! So, this is my first attempt at a Star Trek Crossover. Please, comment, tell me what you thought! If you think I can improve, please tell me how! I love criticism, and welcome it wholeheartedly. As always, if you're interested in being a Beta Reader or an Editor, just shoot me a message! I WILL get back to you.
Stigma, signing off.
Edit: I realized that I rambled too long, and that a story like this is better told from a first person perspective! So, leave a comment, tell me what you think of the new direction the story is going in!
