The End is the Beginning

+++++Transmitted: N/A

+++++Destination: N/A

+++++Origin:  Provisional Command Centre/exterior

+++++Decode Authority: Cyan

+++++Subject: Vox Recording:  0-943999M41

+++++Thought for the Day: Victory needs no explanation; defeat allows none.

+++++Time Remaining: null + 43 hours

+++++A shovel plants into the soil, followed by a long pause+++++

“Should someone say something?”

+++++Sound of Colonel Constantine clearing throat+++++

“I suppose now would be the time to pay our respects to our fallen as they repay their debt to our Emperor. It is the life of a soldier to die, and it is our decision to send them where they can fulfill that destiny. Being conscripted into the ranks of the Imperial Guard was probably the best thing that ever happened to these poor souls. Although service to the Imperium is a noble undertake and hazardous career, we all know the true reason why we left our homes. Unwanted for by their kin and uncared by their homeworld, the choice was simple to throw our lives for the greater works of the Imperium; all in the Emperor’s service. Although the freedom they win for His citizens will go un-thanked and forgotten, we shall forever be grateful for the sacrifice so that we continue to hold our banner.”

“We may have prolonged out own lives for the time being, but it will no longer be spent in the warp infested planet where time will slowly leech our souls from us. However, being clear of the warp does not mean we are relatively safe. It is now apparent that we are not on a world that belongs to the Imperium. That much is certain, but we may not have been the only ones to have escaped Medusa V. We all know what happened before we arrived and we all know who was outside those walls. Stay vigilant and uphold the final command of our Lord Marshal.”

“The Emperor Protects!”

+++++Transmission Terminated

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In the throne room, Commissar Holt stood near the hololithic table scanning the device for damage. The guardsmen who hauled the hardware had already vacated the vicinity, not wanting to linger during the Commissar’s interrogation session.  Unfortunately, Commissar Holt was not progressing well in gathering any information, let alone getting her to speak at all.

The yellow pegasus remained rooted to the spot on the opposite side of the chamber, refusing to approach the Commissar. Holt allowed this to go on for a long while, hoping the pony would eventually get oriented, also to work up the nerve to accept that he is going to take to a pony.  As this standoff persisted, his patience began to deteriorate.

“You there, quit cowering and approach the table,” Holt ordered.

As expected, she behaved no differently from his previous summons. As she hid herself from Holt; he started to feel pity for the creature, an emotion that was rarely felt by a Commissar. Although he was deeply aware that his presence often invoked fear amongst his own, he couldn’t fathom how she could already be so afraid. He turned shifted his attention towards the inactive hololith, pondering on how to proceed. Typically his interrogation methods were more direct with no regard to collateral damage, but the unusual circumstances surrounding this session commanded a tactful amount of delicacy on a subject this fragile.

Ultimately, the Colonel wants to seek a mutual standing with their kind, given that their preliminary investigations warrants this as a viable goal. Because Holt was assigned the eldest of the subjects, his duty to collect a more reliable wealth of intelligence rests on the Commissar, and his most difficult task thus far was to get her to even talk.

From the corner of his vision, Holt noticed the creature glanced up at him again. Unlike her previous efforts, she didn’t retreat back behind her hoofs as she had done before. It dawned on him that her name probably held a higher significance than merely for namesake. Placing an emphasis on ‘shy’, he noted that making direct eye contact had probably discouraged any dialoged with Fluttershy to begin with. Adjusting strategy, he began fabricating his next course of action to test out his assumption.

“You go by the name ‘Fluttershy’ am I correct?” Holt said, taking caution as to not look directly at her.

A squeak emitted from her general direction, and he accepted it as an acknowledgement. Satisfied by the first steps of progress, Holt processed additional follow up responses, searching for those that would result favorably.

“I am Commissar Holt. I understand you had been escorted here by Sergeant Verticora from your home; from somewhere outside the forest I assume,” the Commissar asked, presenting this as a statement instead of a question to provoke an answer or substance he would work with.

“Yes.”

“May I ask where?”

“Ponyville.”

“I see,” Holt said, pretending it was a perfectly normal name for a town. “What would you describe to be your occupation?”

What followed was incomprehensible mumbling from Fluttershy for approximately ten seconds. Not thinking it was necessary to know the specifics of what she was muttering, or asking her to repeat herself clearer; he acted as though he understood her.

“Very well,” acknowledged the Commissar.” Might I ask how you made contact with Sergeant Verticora.”

“He was at my front door,” she said apprehensively. “So I welcomed him inside.”

Glad to finally get a clear reply out of Fluttershy, he thought of something more difficult to answer. Perhaps something to give an insight about what they think of humans.

“Tell me, what were your thoughts in regards to the Sergeant’s appearance?” He asked slowly, to deny any room for misinterpretation.

As she constructed her response, Commissar Holt was already processing follow-up responses. If she had never seen any human prior to that moment, then this would confirm their suspicions of this world. However, if there were others like him, then that would be an entirely different story.

“I thought he seemed like a nice person,” she finally said. “I was a bit surprised by the sudden visit, but it was alright, I guess.

“No doubt we are the only ones of our kind in this land,” he said, masking his irritation from the lack of anything useful he can work with.

Like last time, there was a delay in between the exchange of words, but notably longer than before. Holt was about to speak up when Fluttershy took a different tone with her next reply.

“He mentioned that you are not from this world,” she said with more confidence than her previous answers. “What do you plan on doing here?”

Surprised by the sudden shift in direction, Commissar Holt accepted this and searched for a way to exploit the moment. Maybe even see if Fluttershy can comprehend the dire circumstances behind their arrival.

“We are just as unsure of how to proceed as you are. No precedent exists for the displacement of Imperial forces under these conditions, so what we learn from you shall dictate our next course of action,” Holt said, finally turning to face they pony before him.

“How about an exchange,” Holt inquired. “I’ll share something about myself; in return you share something about yourself.”

Pleased that she ceased flinching from his gaze, he was about to prepare his first question when Fluttershy took the initiative.

“May I ask you the first question, that is, if it’s alright with you Mister Holt,” she asked, stumbling as she asked his permission.

“Commissar Holt if you please,” he said, trying to act politely, as opposed to the other time someone forgot his title.

“You may ask, but choose your words with exceptional care, for what I may share might not settle well with you,” Holt added as a caution.

A compromise with captured personnel was typically frowned upon, even more so if sensitive information were to be surrendered in the process. But ever since they’ve arrived on this world, the only Imperial directive they’ve unquestioningly obeyed was their hierarchy. Therefore, if the Colonel wanted to learn more of this world, then it would seem reasonable to disclose some details in order to draw a comparison. Also, the conversation with a pony seems to have a rejuvenating effect on him, almost as if he was feeling calmer, despite what had gone on in the last few days.

“Mister Verticora hinted that you were in a conflict before you arrived. I am interested in knowing about what happened, and how you ended up here,” she asked. “If that’s okay with you.”

The Commissar paused. He hadn’t fully expected her to ask for any details regarding their campaign on Medusa V, but he will try to make this interesting for the both of them.

“If you wish to know about the world we hail from, then you must know why we were called to it in the first place.”

“You were there to evacuate the planet, weren’t you?”

“Correct, I assume Sergeant Verticora was the one who informed you of this.”

“He also said that you succeeded,” she added, hesitating for a moment before continuing. “But then they forgot about you.”

“Aye,” he said reluctantly, not forgiving what had unfolded in the closing days of the campaign. “And I don’t blame them. With the warp storm approaching, it would seem reasonable to cut their losses and salvage what they can.”

“They knowingly abandoned you?” She said with genuine shock. “But how could they do something this terrible?”

Intrigued by Fluttershy’s compassion, Commissar Holt’s mental illustration of the pony civilization was beginning to take form. Revealing parts of his world was proving to be an interesting method of investigation.

“The soldiers of the Imperium are an expendable commodity. It is the way of life for the Imperial Guard that we will inevitably be sent to die in battle.”

“But no pony is expendable,” she exclaimed, horrified by the term being used so loosely. “I don’t know why you would think that, but many of our own would gladly go out of our way to make sure everypony is well.”

“Understand this, from where we come, survival is no birth right, but a prize wrestled from an uncaring galaxy. To be among untold billions, living under the cruelest conditions is the way of life for the greater part of the Imperium. ”

“That doesn’t sound fair at all.”

“All is fair when on the brink of extinction.”

“How can you bear to live like that?”

“We endure,” Holt said firmly.

“Have you ever wanted to leave? I’m sure you will find peace on our world or somewhere, relatively speaking,” she asked, trying to think of a solution to the misfortune. ”If you like to.”

Throughout the many decades of service as Commissar, the thought of retiring crossed his mind in some occasions. Although the Departmento Munitorium hosts post-campaign lotteries to be discharged from service, that ticket is never offered to the Commissariat. Not that he didn’t want to be dismissed, there has yet to be a world that he felt an affinity towards. Still, the thought of not being in the Imperial Guard was a little unsettling.

“A generous offer, but I am not at liberty to accept. We have all made an oath to the Imperium that we shall serve till we are triumphant, or fall into oblivion.”

“So, what do you want with us then?”

“It all depends on what you are willing to disclose with me. Now that I’ve shared something about myself, would you kindly return the favor?”

“S-sure, what would you like to know?”

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Catching up with the Colonel in the entrance hall, Doctor Graff delivered what he thought was a matter of great importance.

“Colonel Sir, I think I may have something you want to know,” Graff said, breathless after his flight.

“Well, let’s hear it then,” Constantine replied. “We’ve just restored power and I’m in a hurry.”

“I have a suspicion that these unicorns might be harboring powers equivalent to that of Psykers,” Graff said returning to his professional tone.

“And what proof do you have to that fuels your concerns?”

“The specimen I’ve been observing spoke of elder unicorns harnessing powers that they call ‘magic’ and that word is common when describing the capacities of Psykers.”

“I’m sure you are also aware that ‘magic’ is not mutually exclusive among other cultures,” said Constantine, hoping for something concrete. “Do you have any other evidence other than the anecdotal description from a child?”

“Yes, when I removed Karos’ protective gear, the specimen had a strange reaction to his presence. Said something about hearing voices, but that was all I can get out of her.”

“Right,” Constantine said, thinking hard about what to do next. ”Keep her away from Karos. I don’t know what influence they have with the warp and I don’t want to find out at this time. I’ll send for Dale to relieve you from her so you can continue with your duties.”

“On it,” Graff said as he dashed off.

“Disregard that order,” Constantine shouted before the Doctor got far. ”Here he comes now; take him with you to so he can retrieve the pony from you.”

Disembarking from the Chimera; Dale Anders and Apple Bloom were greeted by Doctor Graff. Surprised by the Doctor’s presence, Dale was the first to approach him.

“Hey Doc, you weren’t waiting on us were you?” Dale asked.

“No, I’ve only just arrived,” Graff said, speedily. “Come with me, you’re going to be in charge of my specimen from now on.”

“Your what?” he asked, then he realized that’s what he’s calling them. “Oh yeah, the ponies. How come? You’re finished with them?”

“Because our Sanctioned Psyker might complicate things with the specimens, or at least with the unicorn type,” Continued Graff. “Since Karos’ well being depends on my skill, the Colonel thought it would be best to transfer responsibility to you. And since you’re getting help, I don’t think this would be a problem for you, would it.”

“Yes Sir”, Dale said compliantly.

Before leaving with Graff, he turned to Anders to issue directions.

“Find out where they’re setting up the mess hall and get them to help you haul those barrels. It’s not a big place so I think they should be close by.”

Leaving Anders alone with the pony, he followed Graff through the stronghold. Being that this was his first time inside the castle, he was impressed by what had been done to the place in the last twenty hours or so. There was already a barracks set up in one of the chambers they past, as well as an armory and munitions storage. Passing by in opposite direction were other guardsmen, rigging the place with power cables or lining the halls with light fixtures.

“And here we are,” the Doctor said, pushing passed the mesh screen of the medicae ward.

“Excuse me Doctor, but you forgot this,” said something close to the floor holding up Graff’s re-breather.

“Uh, thanks,” Graff said, snatching his mask.

“Aw, the little pony cares about you Doc,” Dale mocked.

Embarrassed, Graff walked past the unicorn to resume his work on the Psyker. Switching on monitoring equipment without even glancing back at Dale, or Sweetie Belle.

“Sweetie Belle, he said distastefully now that someone else was in the room to hear him address her by that name. “You are now under the supervision of Dale, you’re dismissed.”

Doing his best to not laugh at the way Graff said her name, Dale gestured for her to follow before he lost it.

“Let’s be off then, your friend’s waiting with my comrade.”

It didn’t take long for them to find the mess hall. After a few referrals and awkward stares, he was surprised to find that there was a floor below ground level. What was shocking to Dale was that it closely resembled the holdout shelter back on Medusa, switch the stone masonry with concrete and it would be spot on. Inside the mess hall, along with Anders and Apple Bloom; Brennr, Sketch, Samson and Larn were also present. Some occupied themselves with watching the ponies enter the room while the others continued with what they were doing as if it were any other day.

Just like the night when the warp storm trapped them on Medusa, Brennr, Sketch and Larn were busy with preparing the victuals. Dale stopped and looked up at the ceiling, almost expecting to see the platoon banners where they had been on that night. Of course there were none, without the usual bantering amongst the guardsmen, the chamber felt hollow. Knowing that he will not be whole with a regiment or never again see his friends; for the first time in what felt like centuries, he felt a little grief for the fallen.

“I’m going to miss those poor bastards,” Anders said, placing a gloved hand on Dale’s shoulder catching on to what he was thinking.

“Yeah, I forgot how many tens of thousands of us they sent us to that misbegotten planet. It’s amazing that we are all that’s left. I suppose the Emperor was smiling at us when we took a Deathstrike warhead on our heads,” Dale said gloomily, focusing on the empty tables around them. “I haven’t a clue on what’s going to happen next, or what the Colonel wants with the ponies.”

“Me neither, but I suppose those things in the forest would give us something to get occupied with,” Anders replied. “Anyways, I’m going to get something to eat.”

Removing his re-breather, Anders went ahead; Dale heard the mechanical rasping of something approaching from behind. He turned to see Enginseer Voltis approach him.

“For you,” Voltis simply said. “It will be many years before she learns from the might of machines.”

Dumbfounded, he was about to ask what the Enginseer meant, when an orange pegasus rushed from behind him to meet up with the other two ponies under him. Before he could answer, the Enginseer was already gone.

“That metal moron!” he said out loud. “We’re supposed to learn from them, not the other way around!”

“Maybe switching him off and on will fix lord chips-for-brains,” Anders wondered jokingly.

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Commissar Holt had lost track of time when probing for anything Fluttershy shared about this world. Many of the things she talked about were uninteresting to him, but didn’t find the heart to interrupt after taking so long to get her to even talk at all. Ponyville, Canterlot, Princess Celestia were all keywords he mentally stored as potential items of interest to pursue. After a while, she stopped talking to listen to the new sounds coming from the stairs.

Briggs, Mathias, Enginseer Voltis, Lieutenant Dalia and Colonel Constantine entered the throne room, carrying electronic equipment for the hololith in the center of the room.

“Continue with what you’re doing Commissar Holt,” Constantine said, his upper half hidden by the crate he carried. “We’re only here to install our hardware.”

“Right, come this way miss,” Holt directed at Fluttershy who hid from the others. “It’s going to get loud in here.”

Consolidating down the stairs, Commissar Holt took a moment to observe the progress that had been taking place during his interrogation session. He felt vulnerable being outside in the open and wanted to get indoors. Eventually they found themselves back inside where the other guardsmen have already established a mess hall. An awkward silence ensued as every occupant stared as the Commissar entered. It was typically rare for Commissars to have any interaction with the common guardsmen, whenever they do usually spells trouble for at least one of them.

“At ease guardsmen, my business does not concern you,” Holt said, trying to reassure everyone in the room.

Before the few occupants could resume to their meals, three fillies shot out from under the tables to meet up with Fluttershy.

“Fluttershy!” the three said in unison.

“Everyone here is really nice,” said Apple Bloom. “I got to ride that Chimera thing again.”

“And one of them can talk to machines,” added Scootaloo. “He’s a big hulky scary thing, but he’s alright.”

“I saw the Doctor take of his mask,” Sweetie Belle interrupted. “Something freaked him out, but I’m not sure what.”

“Okay,” Fluttershy answered, trying to keep up with their rambling.

“I got to ride that contraption again,” Sweetie Belle said hopefully.

“That’s nice, but-“

“This machine spirit thing is kind of interesting, had to sort of sing to it for it to turn on.”

“So was that guy in the black coat cool too?”

“That guy in the black coat could hear every word your saying,” Commissar Holt intervened, seeing that Fluttershy had no control over the fillies. “Perhaps you can show some decorum and take turns instead of spilling your experiences all at once.“

In the background, some of the guardsmen were quietly laughing. The sight of the Commissar arguing with a bunch of ponies invoking humor in those who dared.

“Oh, alright,” all three said.

“Fluttershy, want to sit with us?” asked Apple Bloom.

“I -,” she started. “I suppose I can. Are you coming too?” she asked the Commissar.

“Fine, but I won’t linger for long,” Holt said, as the laughs from the guardsmen switched back to silence.

If the ponies joining the guardsmen in the mess hall weren’t strange enough, the Commissar’s presence was more than enough to put everyone on edge. Acutely aware of his surroundings, he chose to seat himself close to someone he could exchange information with.

“So, have the natives been giving you trouble?” Holt said to Dale.

“No, of course not Commissar Holt,” he replied, nervous that the Commissar was speaking directly to him.

“Is there anything you’ve learned about the particular one assigned to you?”

“Well, I suppose the most interesting bit of info we got out of her is that her kin specializes in agriculture. I know, weird huh?” Dale said, trying to sound more confident.

“Apparently there is a whole city of them just outside this forest,” he continued. “And about the forest, they said something about it being dangerous, particularly at night.”

While Dale disclosed what he learned in the last couple hours, Anders kept watch over the ponies as they clumsily accepted the victuals offered to them.

“What is this paste?” Scootaloo asked, staring at her tray.

“Looks sort of like oatmeal,” Apple Bloom answered. “But it’s so tasteless and feels sandy.

“It doesn’t seem too bad,” added Sweetie Belle, struggling to open the ration bar.

“It’s all the essential nutrience needed to keep a guardsman healthy, nothing more,” Anders said, assuming they were dissatisfied by the blandness of the foodstuff.

“And you’re alright with this?” Apple Bloom exclaimed, shock at their apathy towards good food. “Just wait to you see Ponyville, the variety of treats they have don’t compare to what you guys have.”

“Uh, Apple Bloom, it’s not nice to complain,” Fluttershy whispered.

“It’s alright, none of us truly like the stuff anyway,” Anders said dismissively. “We see it as more of a necessity than a luxury.”

“Hey Anders,” Samson said as he walked behind him. “When you guys are done, how about helping us out front with our dugout.”

“You’re finished with the interior already?”

“Yeah, this place didn’t seem that bad after we shoveled out the debris,” Samson went on. “Add a roof, board up the windows and ‘bam’ instant holdout shelter. The Engineer corps would laugh at our faces if they saw how sloppy it looks, but if the Colonel is satisfied, then I’m satisfied. And we can’t really do anything else while the cement dries, so some of us are headed outside.”

“A sound idea, alright you lot,” Anders turned to the ponies. “We’re going to head outside.”

“Wait, they’re with you?” Samson asked, stopping as if he hit a wall. “On second thought-“

“Nope,” Anders firmly said.  “We’re coming with you. Dale and I had put up with them for the last couple hours and it’s your turn to have that burden shared with you.”

“Fine, just be sure they don’t get in the way.”

“Go ask them yourself, they are good listeners.”

“Oh right,” said Samson, surrendering to Anders demands. “I forgot they can talk.

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“Honoured Enginseer, are you certain that there is nothing else you can do to enhance the map?” Briggs asked, looking at the empty map.

“The cogitators are only translating what information it currently knows,” Voltis replied. “The insufficient data is not the fault of logic engines but the lack of radar instruments.”

The Throne room had been busy with guardsmen delivering, installing and activating the essential electronics for a minimally adequate command center. The hololithic had just come online, displaying an empty plain. The only entities being displayed were the Chimera and Valkyrie; the castle they were held up in was completely invisible.

“This is what to expect when reformatting the machine spirit to take into account that we are on another planet,” the Enginseer continued with his expressionless tone. “Once we have a broadcast relay established, we would be able to start recording data on the map.”

“What’s with the delays?” Constantine had just walked in, unimpressed with what he saw on the hololith. “Is anything else missing in this picture?”

“The Enginseer says we need more eyes out there to record the terrain. Until then, we are stuck with a blank map,” Briggs replied, addressing the Colonels dissatisfaction.

“If the need is urgent, I could provide a rough scan of the immediate area if I had access to a vox caster.”

“Did someone say they need a vox caster?” Korin said dropping her task to see if her talents were needed elsewhere.

“Right, go with the Enginseer and follow his directions,” the Colonel ordered.

As Korin and Voltis left to seek a vantage point, Constantine stayed with the hololith, idly adjusting the instruments.

“Colonel Sir, have you learned anything from the natives?” Briggs asked.

“I did, but I’m not sure whether to be encouraged or disturbed.”

“I don’t follow,” Briggs said apprehensively.

“Encouraged in a way that suggest that these creatures don’t display any hostile intent; disturbed that these creatures don’t display any hostile intent,” Constantine said, leaning against the hololith. “Let alone speak low gothic.”

“I still don’t follow.”

“In my service, I’ve learned that respect had to be earned, and not taken for granted,” Constantine said. ”Seeing that these individuals only seem to respect us because we are different doesn’t settle well with me.”

“Could it be possible that these ponies are only anomalies within their society,” Briggs asked, now that he was familiar with what the Colonel’s concerns. “If you ask me, that yellow pegasus acts like a scrub.”

“Perhaps, we shall find out in due time.”

“Might I also ask what your next course of action is?”

“Currently developing as we begin to know more about this world the warp dumped us on. Obviously we cannot go back, and unless there is an Imperial vessel orbiting this planet, the possibility of linking up with Imperial forces is practically zero.”

He paused for the moment. Everyone knew they were marooned on this world, and no rescue attempt will be made since they are supposed to have died on Medusa. And because so few of them made it off that rock, the worries are not about the short term as it is more of a long term concern.

“Technically with a regiment decreased to barely a handful of personnel, we are to be disbanded and absorbed by a successor,” the Colonel continued after a moment of thinking. ”Since there is no regiment to be absorbed into and disbanding is out of the question, we would have to fabricate our own alternative.”

The hololith began to render outlines of the castle. The chunks were choppy and littered the map with broken vectors, but it was enough to work with to be able to see the scope of the perimeter.

“I was able to use the vox caster’s broadcast signal to produce a rough survey of the immediate vicinity,” Voltis returned from his tinkering. “Unfortunately, this method is only effective for a radius estimated at a hundred meters.”

“I appreciate the effort. What would you recommend for a broader survey?”

“Our Valkyrie can be fitted with an array of sensors and other devices required for a thorough scan of any medium to long range missions. The auspex scanner mounted on the hull will not be adequate due to the task and will require additional instruments to replace the heavy bolter mounts.”

“Are you suggesting that we strip some of the armaments off the aircraft to fit these devices?”

“That would produce a more favorable result. It is understandable that sacrificing fire power for a more detailed survey of the region is a risky endeavor, but is necessary if you want a full rendition of the region in a timely manner.”

Constantine thought for a moment on his choice. A survey of the region would be very helpful to devise any long term goals. But if they encounter any hazards on the way, losing the Valkyrie would be a disastrous set back they may never recover from. On the other hand, being marooned on an alien world was already a dire enough.

“Very well, as for the crew required for the mission?”

“The competencies are similar to that of operating a heavy bolter, one crewman each to hold the device steady and one to manage the data flow, preferably a vox castor operator.  The minimum personnel requirements is three plus the pilot and co-pilot.:

“If I am not mistaken, we haven’t a co-pilot.”

“Then the Lieutenant will need to find a proxy.”

“Right, I’ll let her know of the mission right away. We shall reconvene at daylight, I want fully rested soldiers for the operation so I’ll be assigning shifts for the evening.”

Voltis nodded and return to his duty while the Colonel went about the throne room, ordering personnel to retire for the night.

“Briggs, Korin; take the rest of the night off.”

“Sir,” Korin said, holding out her headset. “I think I’m receiving a transmission.”

Without hesitation, Constantine snatched the ear piece to listen in. There was only a light static that persisted for several seconds when he heard something penetrating the background noise.

‘…count…the…seven…’

“Turn off your caster and immediately inform Derrick and Sketch to turn off theirs.”

“Is something wrong?”

“Just vox ghosts,” he lied. “I’d encourage you not to think about it too much. Radio silence would probably be the best thing to exercise for the time being.”

Taking the hint, she dashed off to search for the vox caster operators in the camp. While the Colonel left Voltis to work on the command center.

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Near the hastily constructed bridge, a pair of guardsmen was digging a fortification to watch and defend the chasm if things were to go that way. Larn and Alicia had just finished lining the foundation of the dugout and had started filling sandbags with the soil they had just unearthed. Approaching from the stronghold, Dale, Anders and Samson had come to join their efforts.

“It’s about time you’re back,” panted Larn. “Grab some nine-seventies and start filling sandbags.

“Yeah, slight problem,” Samson said, jumping into the dugout. “They are here too.”

“They who?” Larn asked, but knew straight away when he looked up and saw who trailed behind them. “Why are they here?”

“Who else is going to keep an eye on them?” Dale retorted.

Larn was about to propose an alternative idea to get rid of the ponies, but abandoned the thought.

“Fine, just make yourselves useful,” Larn pointed to a nearby crate. “In there are the empty sacks; be sure to apply plenty of cover and leave an opening for the heavy bolter.”

“Right,” Alicia spoke up for the first time. “Need to grab one of those.”

She climbed out of the dugout and headed towards the stronghold.

“I’ll be back in a few with the heavy weapons,” she said as she walked past the ponies without showing any interest.

“Is she not surprised by them?” Anders asked, puzzled that she didn’t react like everyone else did when they saw the brightly colored ponies.

“We’ll, she was with us when we found Verticora,” Dale answered. “Suppose she gotten used to the idea quicker than others.”

“Yeah, or just indifferent,” Larn said. “Get going, I’d be more comfortable if we had descent cover.”

“Anything we can do to help?” Apple Bloom asked hopefully. “Ya know, following you guys is alright and all, but when will you let us go home?”

After being dragged here and there all day, with very little choice offered to them, the CMC’s restlessness and fatigue are beginning to tax their resolve.

“Yeah, it would be cool to go back to what we had planned for earlier in the day,” added Scootaloo.

“I wouldn’t say what we had planned would get us any closer to earning cutie marks anyway, but I would like to head back home, now that it’s dark,” said Sweetie Belle.

“Perhaps you can bring that subject back up at daylight. For now, the hazards in the forest are too dangerous to navigate through,” Dale said without pausing construction.

“He’s right,” Apple Bloom said, seeing the logic behind waiting for morning.”There are ‘things’ out there that go bump in the night.”

Larn looked up at Dale. Trying to convey his concern about what these hazards are. What he got was Dale nodding ‘no’ to discourage the question.

“Forget about it. Once we have a heavy bolter covering the bridge, nothing will get by,” Anders said to ease the mood.

“What’s a heavy bolter?” Sweetie Belle asked, peeking in the dugout to see what their talking about.

“It’s a heavy caliber weapon,” said Larn as if reciting from a manual. “With its high rate of fire and stopping power against light and heavy infantry, the heavy bolter would be the ideal anti-personnel weapon.”

Seeing the confused expression from the ponies, Dale proceeded to fill in the blanks.

“It’s a huge gun that fire bolts the size of your hooves,” he said trying to make it simple for them to understand.

“Alright, so what do they do exactly?

“It’s a little tough to explain what if does if you’ve never seen how we conduct warfare,” said Larn, realizing his explanation went completely over their heads.

“You see that tree down yonder,” he pointed towards the forest. “A single burst fire can tear the tree from its trunk. Though, we won’t be demonstrating anytime soon; it’ll give the whole camp a scare.”

“That and give away our position to anyone listening within ten or twenty klicks away,” Alicia said, entering the dugout with the weapon they were talking about.

Assisting Alicia with lifting the heavy bolter was none other than Commissar Holt. Larn stiffened and stood at attention the second they saw the Commissar.

“Commissar Holt,” Larn said confidently. “We didn’t expect to see you out here.”

“Spare me the formalities,” Holt said promptly. “How soon can you get a canopy set up to cover your nest?”

For reasons beyond the guardsmen’s comprehension, the three ponies giggled at the word the Commissar used to describe their fortification.

“As soon as we sandbag the foundation, we could hang up a canopy.”

“Excellent,” Holt stepped down to check the visibility of the bridge. “I feel that we should mask our position as best as possible this evening. To that, we are ceasing most of our non-critical operations for the night and shutting off all exterior lighting. Furthermore, those who are not tasked with something at the moment are ordered to retire for the night.”

The four guardsmen’s spirits were lifted at the thought of finally getting some sleep after being deprived for nearly two days.

“Larn, Anders; once the canopy is set up, you are dismissed for the evening. Dale, Alicia; you two will have to stay out here and guard the bridge,” Holt said. Sensing their disappointment, he added,” you two are welcome to alternate in between rests if you wish.”

“Yes Sir,” the four said in unison.

“You three,” Holt addressed the ponies. “At the request of your associate, you are to join up with her inside for the rest of evening operations.”

“You mean we’re going to be with Fluttershy?” Scootaloo asked, assuming that’s what the Commissar meant by ‘associate’.

“Yes of course,” he said hastily. “Come with me.”

It was a few moments before anyone spoke again after the Commissar left.

“If I were a suspicious man,” Dale started. ”I’d say the Commissar is weirded out by the ponies too.”

“Who wouldn’t be,” Alicia said after deploying the heavy bolter. “It’s not like we encounter talking equines every day.”

“You seem to have gotten over it quicker than most,” Anders said, amazed by her indifference about them moments ago.

“Yeah, well I’m not going to be reluctant about accepting reality, even if they a bunch of multicolored ponies. But hey, as long as they don’t try to kill us, I don’t care.”

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Adjacent from the room designated as the barracks was a room with equal size, but less congested with kits and cots. Inside, Fluttershy paced from one end to the other, listening to whatever chatter leaked from the other room. Although she trusted them enough to know they wouldn’t harm any of them, she still wanted to learn more about these foreigners. Not wanting to look like she was eavesdropping, Fluttershy kept a reasonable distance from the threshold, occasionally picking out keywords like ‘missions’, ‘ponies’ and ‘chaos’.

The first two key words, ’mission’ and ‘ponies’ she thought were self explanatory, but the word ‘chaos’ had a more troubling meaning behind it. Based on what she learned from Commissar Holt and Sergeant Verticora, she strongly doubted whatever Discord can do is nothing in comparison to a force capable of destroying worlds. Even though her confidence in her friends and the Princess was unyielding, she couldn’t help but be greatly disturbed by ruinous powers.

“Fluttershy!” said three familiar voices.

“Girls, I’m so glad you made it back.”

“So, where’ve you been all night, we only say you for a minute in their cafeteria, or something.“

“Well, um, I was with their Commissioner and we sort of just talked the entire time.”

“Isn’t it pronounced Commissar?” Apple Bloom corrected her.

“Oh yeah, that’s what I meant,” Fluttershy said apologetically. ”He seemed interested in making contact with everpony, so we shared stuff about each other’s background and a little bit about what they’re going to do next.”

“Did he say anything about how they got here,” Scootaloo asked. “Or who were they fighting to begin with.”

“Oh, I can answer that,” exclaimed Sweetie Belle. “Something about a Psyker, who sounds like they have magical abilities like unicorns, brought them all and everything around them to Equestria; but he’s unconscious right now.”

  “Thank you Sweetie,” Fluttershy said gratefully. “So I’m not sure who they were fighting with, but they sound really scary.”

“So what makes them so scary?” said Scootaloo.

“I’d rather not talk about it. It’s getting late and I want you three to try and get some sleep. Apple Jack and Rarity are probably worried sick about you being gone, so I want you to be up bright and early so we can get home.”

“Aw, but we’re not tired yet,” Apple Bloom said. “Ah still want to know what a heavy bolter does.”

“No buts. They were generous enough to provide us some bedding and it would be rude to refuse.”

“ Oh alright,” the CMC said simultaneously.

“So since they want come see Ponyville, do you think they’re going to follow us or something?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Or ride that tank in,” Apple Bloom exclaimed. ”Ah love to see the look on everypony’s face when they see a machine spirit roll into town.”

“The machine spirit is actually the life energy within the vessel, not the actual vessel itself,” Scootaloo said, going back to what Voltis told her.

“What? I can know stuff,” she added after receiving stares from everypony.

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Morning arrived without incident. Between preparing the Valkyrie and managing the command centre, the Imperial Guard was gearing up for their first mission over Equestria. Fluttershy and the CMC were brought up to the control room to observe the activity. They were huddled around the hololith, fascinated by the projection of the castle they reside in.

Enginseer Voltis had left to fit the aircraft with all the necessary components for the mission, leaving Briggs in charge of the installation of other essential devices.

“Korin, I need you to fasten a vox sensor amplifier to the highest place you can reach in this castle,” he ordered, gesturing towards an antenna leaning against the wall.

“Once you have it fixed, hardwire it into the secondus console, I’ll give you the com-codes when you get back.”

Without hesitation, she packed the antenna and left to seek a high place to deploy the device. It didn’t come to her immediately that the most obvious place was the roof, and seeing how there wasn’t any stable area to climb, Korin thought for a moment about how to get around this.

“Pegasus, can I get some help here?” Korin asked, stomaching her pride.

“Uh, sure,” Fluttershy said, hesitating as to whom Korin was talking to.

“Hold on, I think she was talking to me,” Scootaloo said, capitalizing on the vagueness of Korin’s requisition.

“I don’t care who, I just need one of you pegasi to fly this antenna to the roof,” Korin held up the device in emphasis.

Nearby, Constantine was on the radio with the pilot, relaying details and procedures.

“I know Derrick is not a qualified co-pilot, but we need eyes on radar for the duration of the mission,” Constantine said into the mic.

“Understood Colonel, but the role of co-pilot also adopts the role of gunner and I don’t want some chickenshit amateur unloading my rocket pods on impulse.”

“This is why I want you to lock down all armaments, Lieutenant. I have confidence that the Corporal will be competent at what is asked from him,” Constantine continued. “If all goes according to plan, we wouldn’t need to resort to using our weapons.”

“Yes sir” Dalia said, reluctantly.

“I appreciate your cooperation; now patch me through to the cabin.”

“Sketch here, terrain probing devices are secured and ready for calibration.”

“Synchronize broadcast code: ‘breaker eco red zero zero niner’,” Constantine said, reading off the console.

“Acknowledge, ‘breaker eco red zero zero niner’.”

The hololith began to render additional lines and vertices around the Valkyrie; even refining the rough image of headquarters.

“Very good, continue with preparations and we’ll get this mission underway in a few moments.”

“Sounds good Sir. Sketch out.”

It took another ten minutes before ground personnel vacated the area around the Valkyrie. Some left to go watch the events inside while the others continue to monitor from the outside. In the end, nearly half the all Imperial personnel chose to be in the command centre to observe the events unfold.

“Tempest Two-Five on stand-by. Control, how’s the signal strength,” Lieutenant Dalia said over the vox.

“Reading you loud and clear Tempest Two-Five,” Briggs responded. ”Logic engines are designating magnetic north; establishing connection to electronic cartographers.”

Being the only logistics officer on duty, Briggs had been bestowed the role of mission coordinator. Constantine stood nearby along with Commissar Holt, ready to offer any input on his progress.

“Connection green; Tempest Two-Five, you are clear for takeoff when you’re ready.”

“Copy; Derrick, your en charge of monitoring the transmission output and auspex scanner devices. “

“Yes ma’am.”

“Everyone else buckled in?” the Lieutenant directed towards the cabin.

“That affirmative,” Sketch replied.” All kits and personnel secured.”

“Copy; warming vertical thrusters, hold tight and remain seated during takeoff.”

The turbojets began to rev up, directing power to the vector thrusters located at the end of each wing. The Valkyrie began to lift off slowly and surely, only after they were a good distance over the tree line did they started to pick up speed. Reaching cruising speeds, they began to circle around, heading back to base.

“Gear up; speed’s up. Crew, you are clear to activate surveyors.”

Unbuckling from their restraints, Brennr and Davir slid open the fuselage doors. Swinging out the mounting bar, replaced by scanning devices, they fixed them to a position with an excellent vantage of the ground below.

“HQ, we are beginning to transmit data from the surveyors. Requesting feedback.”

“Acknowledged, signal strength is looking good. Circle around the base and standby for the logic engines to translate the data.”

As the Valkyrie flew over the castle ruins, rapid clicks could be heard from the Surveying devices monitored by Brennr and Davir, transmitted back to base by Sketch. Inside the control room, the electronic cogitators processed the feed before creating a 3D rendition on the hololithic table. The hologram became more detailed and refined after each cycle the Valkyrie flies.

“Excellent, the map generation looks like it’s in order,” Constantine commented. “Proceed with mission, direct the Valkyrie north by northwest.”

“Tempest two-five, you are go for release; turn heading three-four-zero,” Briggs translated to the pilot.

“Two-five copies, bearing three-four-zero. Derrick keep your eye on the auspex scanners. Sketch, be sure we keep transmitting and warn us if we begin to exceed our range.”

For the next several minutes, the Valkyrie streaked over the forest, gaining altitude as they add distance between them and the base.  Apart from the oddly shaped hill tops they pasted, there wasn’t anything note-worthy about the region. They had reached the altitude where they were about to penetrate the cloud cover when the craft began to shake violently as the turbojets choked.

As if landing in water, but in the opposite direction, the clouds behaved like a thick sheet of noxious gas produced by heavy industry trying to repel the Valkyrie’s climb. But these clouds appeared natural and the Lieutenant was bewildered as to why the clouds were resisting them this aggressively. The craft was on the verge of stalling when Dalia blasted the vertical thrusters to finally breach the clouds. Only when they were above the cloud layer did the shuddering cease.

“We are experiencing some minor turbulence,” the Lieutenant said, disregarding what had just happened. “Increasing altitude to avoid further anomalies.”

Back at base, the ground team observed hololithic map expanding in real-time as the Valkyrie recorded the region. Eventually the data returned with fewer and fewer trees, indicating that they were nearing the end of the forest.

“And you mentioned that your home town is this direction,” the Colonel asked Fluttershy.

“Y-yes,” she said without taking her eyes off the map. “It should be any second now.”

Back in the Valkyrie, Dalia began to notice an exponential decrease in the overcast, eventually flying into a region with very few blots of scattered clouds. Ahead of them, she noticed the unmistakable signs of civilization.

“Two-five here, we’ve spotted an indigenous settlement. “

“Circle around the perimeter of the settlement,” Constantine ordered. “I want to know the size of this city.”

“Two-five, modify flight pattern to record the circumference of the settlement. Check back when you’ve completed your objective.”

“Two-five acknowledged,” replied the Dalia. “Also, our spotters have sighted indigenous flyers in the city limits. What are our rules of engagement?”

“Ignore them, we’ll deal with the situation as it develops, for now focus on reconnaissance.”

“Copy, beginning first pass now.”

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Rainbow Dash was lying in bed when she heard the penetrating roar of a turbojet passing over head. Bolting from her slumber, she flew outside to get a good look at what was making all this racket. Expecting to see a dragon, she was troubled to see something other than a giant flying reptile. It was roughly the size of one, but looked so unusual that she was anxious about get a closer look. She then became aware that everypony she saw had stopped what they were doing to stare at this aircraft.

Forcing herself to look away, she wanted to do something a little more proactive than idly staring at the metal box thing. Dropping to ground level, she dashed off towards the library. The logic driven unicorn will probably have the best plan of action, or at least instructions from the Princess about what to do.

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“Pass complete, Tempest two-five awaiting results.”

The hololith had finished rendering the city. Initially, they thought they would discover a thriving metropolis, but to their disappointment the settlement seemed no larger than a mere village.

“I could see my house from here,” Fluttershy said, pointing at a tiny representation of her cottage.

Her statement went unnoticed as the guardsmen’s attention was directed at the largest structure in the village, the town hall. It appeared no bigger than the castle they currently reside in. Surely the size of the village would warrant a structure with more volume to fulfill the administrative duties as any other town they knew. However, these were ponies they’re talking about, but the similarities they shared were astonishing.

“Right, we shall proceed with the primary objective,” Constantine announced to the Briggs before turning to Fluttershy. “So Miss, using this map as a reference, which direction is the Throne of your Princess?”

Hesitating for a second to process what the Colonel just said, she suddenly got the hint that he was referring to the map.

“Oh, um,” she said as she looked at the holographic city, trying to find the location without the mountain range assisting her sense of direction.

“Somewhere about here,” Fluttershy said, pointing at a blind spot on the hololith.

“Tempest two-five, realign route, bearing zero-six-zero,” Briggs commanded.

“Tempest Two-five, vector course zero-six-zero.”

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“An incredible technological masterpiece,” Twilight Sparkle exclaimed, scrutinizing the Valkyrie from her telescope. “Its power plant looks like it’s running off some kind of highly potent fuel. No magic what so ever.”

“Yeah yeah Twi, so do you know what it is, or where it came from?” Rainbow Dash asked, not getting a word she’s said. ”Because I’ve never seen anything like it, at least to my knowledge.”

“No, I’m not sure where they come from,” Twilight said, not taking her eye off them. ”but what I do know for certain is that they are not ponies.”

“Have you received any mail from the Princess or something?”

“Not yet, but I think I might get one very soon,” Twilight stepped away from the telescope. “Looks like their headed straight for Canterlot!”

“Right, I’ll follow them for a while and see if I can get a better look at them,” Rainbow Dash said, zooming off without hearing Twilight’s objection.

Watching her scurry after them, Twilight sighed and returned inside the library. She was about to go look for Spike when she heard a knock at the door.

“Good morning Twilight,” Rarity greeted. “Might I ask if you’ve seen Sweetie Belle around?”

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As the hololith rendered the Valkyrie’s flight path, the data feed returned a gradual rise in elevation. Abnormal peaks and impossibly steep slopes began registering on the map. Cloud cover was minimal like the previous village, which translated into fewer inconsistencies on the reading. Watch towers began to appear on the map and a rail link trail, the Valkyrie must be very close.

“Command,” the Lieutenant said, breaking the silence. “We’ve spotted some kind of structure on the face of the mountain. Starting perimeter sweep now.”

“Be advised, Intel suggests that this is their capital city. Keep your distance while you scan the site. If you provoke a reaction from the garrison, disengage immediately to a randomized heading until further notice.”

What data the Valkyrie transmitted was exceedingly fascinating than the reconnaissance of Ponyville. The castle that rested on the mountainside was a marvel of engineering and ingenuity. Although the structure could never hold a candle to Imperial Architecture; for ponies, this stood as a testament to a sophisticated civilization.

As the occupants of the control room watched as the details rendered with every pass the Valkyrie made, some of the personnel made comments about the structure. More notably were the comments made by the Enginseer, whose profession provided a more credible analysis than those who are judging it by appearance.

“The architecture suggests an inadequate resistance to prolonged defense,” Voltis said in his indifferent monotone. “Drawing comparison from Imperial construction protocols, a structure this delicate can only establish itself considerably far from hazardous regions; the materials composites are adequate for proximal zones of conflict; or had been fabricated through unconventional means.”

“Or it could be a palace,” Holt added. “Seeing how we’ve yet to see the military might of these ponies, or anything than inept comprehension of warfare as we know it from the ones we have in our custody, this castle could be the administrative arm of their sovereign. However, that is no reason to assume they are not dangerous.”

“Indeed, Commissar Holt,” the Colonel said, pointing at some moving objects indicated as a red icon. “I’m sure they are quite capable of defending themselves against invaders.”

“Auspex scanners are picking up activity!” Derrick said over the vox. “The natives are mobilizing, flyers incoming!”

“Two-Five disengaging, plotting vector two-seven-zero,” replied Dalia.

“Copy Two-Five, proceed with heading; we’ll inform you of your next course of action after we review the data.”

As they flew off through the open sky, the Lieutenant mentally began to review the last tense moments at their capital. She allowed herself to exhale after enough distance was put in between them and the castle.  Never in her whole career had she flown a mission this easy and free of incident. Although the most damage she received on what she previously thought was her easiest was minor shrapnel, this was the only mission she flew with absolutely no perilous hazards.

For the first time since she flew over the spires of her homeworld, Dalia felt a little joy in flying the free open skies. As far as the eye can see, there were no signs of scars from war on the lands; no atmosphere choked by centuries of industry; and most importantly, no hive cities filled to the brim with lost souls who sacrifice their dreams on the altar of false hope. It all seems peaceful from way up here. ’But, looks can be deceiving,’ Dalia reminded herself.

“We’ve got company!” Derrick shouted, startling the crew.

“Emperor’s mercy,” Dalia shouted back. “What’s got you-“

“This one’s much faster than before! Possible incoming missile! Break right!”

Immediately after the Valkyrie evasion, a blue streak zoomed past the port side of the aircraft.

“Lock all doors and hold tight for evasive maneuvers! Derrick, do you have eyes on the bandit?”

“Negative, radar detects no airborne fighters. HQ did you see anything?”

“Nothing behind you, the only thing we’re tracking is the projectile at the forefront,” replied Briggs. “Wait, it’s decelerating. That wasn’t a missile!”

“Is that one of them?!”

The Valkyrie caught up with what they thought was a missile, turns out to be a pegasus. If it weren’t for the rainbow mane, it would have been invisible in the blue sky.

“That pony zoomed past us?” the Lieutenant said incredulously. “I want a good look at this creature!”

“Contact, starboard side!” Derrick informed the crew. “Command, are you seeing this?”

Brennr cautiously disengaged the door locks to resume recording. Opening only wide enough for his surveyor to see, he got a glimpse of the pony flying about fifty meters parallel with them.

“Acknowledged Two-Five we have visual,” replied Briggs, sounding distorted.” Break off and correct bearing one-nine-zero, your signal strength is getting weaker.”

“Tempest Two-Five copies, target is now pursuing us, will this present a problem?”

“If you can shake em’ off, that would be advisable,” Briggs suggested. “We cannot have them following you back to base.”

“Acknowledge,” Dalia replied, searching for a way to lose the pegasus.

Several minutes passed the Valkyrie’s size and agility proved difficult to shake off something small and just as fast with no signs of exhaustion. The pegasus didn’t dare fly any closer, as if it were monitoring them as they had to the terrain. Neither side able to do anything but continue the chase. In the distance, a massive cloud formation came into view. The Lieutenant suddenly had an idea and aimed the Valkyrie straight towards the clouds.

“Everyone hang on and expect severe turbulence!” Dalia announced to the crew. “We’ll see who the better flyer here is!”

As the Valkyrie approached the clouds, the pegasus broke off from the pursuit, letting the aircraft continue uncontested.

“Heh, must have tried out the creature, I knew they were weak,” Dalia said congratulating herself.

“Uh Lieutenant, these clouds don’t look natural!” Derrick said in a doubtful tone.

“Don’t be ridiculous, there’s nothing to fear from- Holy Terra!” Dalia shouted as a building whipped by. “Everyone brace yourselves!”

The rapid deceleration and inevitable impact threw the guardsmen from their restraints and scattered them all over the cabin. Somehow much of the energy was dampened by whatever they crashed into, leaving the fuselage intact. Emerging from the mess of displaced objects and gear, Sketch reoriented herself from the floor. Pulling aside what was left of her restraints, she slowly regained mobility in the cabin. Puzzled about what had just happened, she stumbled over to the side door to peer outside. Brennr and Davir were also recovering from the shock and shared a common concern.

“Are we stopped?” Davir asked, finding it bizarre for the aircraft to become stationary after going so fast moments ago.

“I think so; did anyone notice the heavy fog before we hit the ground?” Sketch asked, seeing nothing but a dense white mist through the crack in the door.

“No, could it have been concealing a mountain?” Davir replied, comforting his injuries.

“No way the Lieutenant’s that stupid to crash into something that ominous,” Brennr said as he crawled to his seat.

“Then what did we hit; and how are we still in one piece after a crash like that?” Sketch said, approaching the rear of the Valkyrie. “No matter, we must assess the damage; I’ll assist the pilots, you two can start examining the aircraft for any critical damage.”

Punching the release for the ramp, they were welcomed by scenery obscured by a dense screen of mist. Sketch paused when she didn’t hear the familiar thump of metal on rock, or whatever indication of the ramp resting on something solid. As she stood there in confusion, she started to wonder if they had crashed in snow. It would be sensible to think the snow cushioned the impact, but this was defiantly a gaseous substance. From a distance, she noticed some silhouettes materialize behind the fog. Immediately she reached for her lasgun and aimed at the approaching figures.

“Guys, we got company!” Sketched shouted back to her comrades.

The fog began to disperse rapidly, revealing what the shadows really were. Uncovering the Valkyrie from the fog, the aircraft was in full view of many pegasi. Speechless by what beheld her, Sketch looked beyond the first response teams, towards the structures behind the crowd surrounding the craft. Every structure bore the same color as the clouds, some even looked like they adopted the same texture. She was about to dismiss the thought if it weren’t the new arrival. The rainbow maned pegasus that had been chasing them had landed in close proximity to a soft puff of mist displacing where she landed.

Swiftly, Sketch came to realize they were resting on the clouds; they were still in the sky. The high pitched noises from the vertical thrusters entering her senses told her that they were still in action, and opening the ramp was a very poor decision.

“Hold onto something!” shouted Brennr as the Valkyrie leaned backward.

Before she could react, the turbo fans roared to life and Sketch was thrown forward as the Valkyrie accelerated without ample warning.

“DAMMIIIIIIIIIT-!” she shrieked, trying in vain to grab hold of something solid.

Tumbling as she fell through the cloud cover, Sketch caught a glimpse of the Valkyrie escaping, zooming away without her towards the horizon.

“Emperor, don’t let me die like this!” Sketch screamed to drown out the rushing of wind.

Hearing a faint voice, she looked up and saw that rainbow maned pegasus diving towards her.

“Hold still!” the pegasus shouted.

Sketch complied, followed by a sharp tug from her shoulders. The descent was slowed, turning from a terminal plunge to a steep glide, but the ground was still rapidly approaching, promising a dangerous landing.

“Whoever you are,” the pegasus hollered. “Hold on!”

Before Sketch could answer, she saw a tree in their path. Covering her eyes, she accepted her destination and was obliged with broken branches, fractured bones and drowned leaves before getting the wind knocked out of her after tumbling down to the ground where she promptly blacked out.