To say I was pissed would be an understatement. Looking back on it all I had every reason to be. Our target had virtually vanished AGAIN, we were attacked by sentient locals unprovoked, AND one of those locals got away to blab about us. Gryphons too no less. I tried to take a deep breath to calm myself which caused a small smile to grace Rebecca's features. Yes she was following me, and the reason she was smiling was that I had taken many of her anger management lessons to heart. They help, ALOT. Deep breathing exercises especially. Meditation was something she taught shortly after. I was seriously considering taking a short break to do some of said meditation. In any case it helped and I managed to chill if only just a bit. I walked onto the bridge and looked at Karish.

"Talk to me man, what's happened since we left the surface?" I half asked half ordered.

Karish frowned. "Could be better. Orbital imagery shows no sign of Malcovitch or his Titan which indicates that his stealth module might be a longer lasting variant. We may need to find other ways to detect him. Thermal imaging is out of the question because of the vast amount of life on the planet. So many heat signatures and some larger than Titans."

"Whoa whoa whoa LARGER than Titans?" I stopped in my tracks.

Karish pulled up a thermal silhouette image. The shape was immediately recognized. "That looks almost draconic in shape."

"Because it is," Karish started as he put an image next to the first, this one taken with normal optics. I couldn't believe my eyes.... I was looking at a dragon, a fucking massive dragon. The full wing span looked around a fourth or a third of a kilometer. This beast was fucking HUGE.... easily big enough to turn a Titan into lunch if metal were in its diet....

"That's not the best part," Karish explained. "Multiple cultures, multiple cities and villages." He pulled up image after image after image. "We're looking at a diverse ecosystem with a partially advanced alien society right in the middle of it. Some of these images show possible industrial or digital age technology. We even spotted some tanks."

He wasn't kidding. Villages big and small were scattered across multiple continents and there was even a large vessel that looked like something from the late 20th century US Navy. Yes I remember some history teachings. Call me a bookworm all you want. Then I saw the tanks. They were unique, angular, and wide in shape.... the dust plumes in the images indicated that these tanks were FAST.

"These creatures have some advanced military...." I concluded.

"Not all of them but yes some do. Most of the regions still look to be industrial or pre-industrial, definitely a hodgepodge. Some railroad tracks are there too. Science division is having a field day," Karish finished.

"In other words we've truly encountered an alien species...." I sat in the captain's chair, looking somewhat shocked.

"Yes," Karish answered. "We also managed to spot structures that look vaguely like observatories or radar domes. It is unclear for now but one of those nations might have the ability to spot us up here. Carriers can't use optical cloak after all."

Rebecca chose that time to speak up. "Maybe we could find a remote location on the surface and hide there?"

One of the senior officers spoke up, sensors by the looks of him. "Uh.... thaaat may not be an option......"

"Explain," I ordered immediately.

"I've got some kind of radar pulse and a radio signal being shot our way periodically. Frequent, pretty noticeable. Coming from a very different local from the one you deployed at sir. I think someone is trying to contact us..... and I can almost guarantee they know where we are. Those radar pulses are pretty uniform. No randomized pattern. This is an artificial signal sir."

We all paled and looked at each other. The entire bridge went completely silent.

(About an hour prior)

Luna sighed and looked around. It seemed everything was prepared. She looked about the observatory which was now abuzz with activity, only the most trusted members of the council nations in the room to work on things. The entire council had attended as well. Valiance looked excited and at the same time scared as hell as the transmitter and radar powered up. Iron Hoof and Red Wing looked slightly apprehensive. Terrana and High Wind seemed to simply be waiting patiently, somewhat disbelieving at the moment.

Valiance soon ordered the room to quiet down once the communications screen and programming were fully set up as well. "Alright everypony. Today is a pretty historic day. I'm horrible with speeches sadly but I will say this. Remember to be strong, be brave, and try to be welcoming." Almost every head nodded and there were many audible affirmatives on the part of the crowd.

She powered up the radar and radio pulse and directed it at the alien vessel. "Here goes nothing....."

Thirty minutes passed as they periodically upped the power. Another thirty minutes and Celestia and Luna were starting to worry that they weren't getting through. Celestia was about to order a stop when a beeping was heard.

"I GOT SOMETHING!" one of the listeners exclaimed. "It's faint but.... yeah YEAH it's a signal!!! Patching it through to main audio."

The main screen was showing an audio diagnostic and signal diagnostic at that point

A voice was bleeding through the static. Male, somewhat young adult, that was all they could glean until..... "R...t.... Does anyo.... opy?"

Luna snickered at another slight pun she detected in there, and Valiance stuck her tongue out in response for a second. The transmission continued.

"..is is Frontier Militia Comma..... Anthony Dumont attempting to cont..... nknown entity, please respond...."

"Anthony Dumont?" Celestia pondered.

"Frontier Militia?" Luna added.

"This is Ambassador Valiance of the United Deer Provinces and the Council of United Nations to alien vessel," they heard their "deer" friend say into the microphone. "Does anyone copy?"

"Whoa.... didn't expect a response in a language I know...." came Anthony's response.

"Well I'll be, it worked far better than expected. Half expected to hit a language or culture barrier there." Valiance laughed.

"Right.... culture barrier.... Perhaps you would like to explain why me and my partner were attacked without provocation on your world?" Anthony retorted.

"Would you be referring to a squad of four gryphons trying and failing to ambush two large bipedal machines?" Valiance asked.

"The very same incident."

"You were in a region that was globally declared an active war zone barely a fortnight ago. There's a bit of a terrorist insurrection underway and that was one of their squads that attacked you. Spy networks picked it up."

"What are you doing?" Luna whispered to Valiance.

"What you wanna lie to them and possibly get attacked by big robots?" Valiance shot back, also whispering.

"I see your point...." and Luna backed off.

"Terrorist insurrection....?" Anthony asked after a minute, "What gave them that label?"

Celestia spoke up. "Without provocation, the Rebels we refer to have attacked undefended civilian population centers. They shot down all attempts at peace even. They were the first to strike out and so far those loyal to true Gryphon leaders have faced fierce resistance."

"I suppose there is a pretty huge difference between my Rebellion and the Gryphon Rebellion then.... wait that was a different voice who spoke, who was that?" Anthony replied.

"Princess Celestia, diarch of Equestria and Raiser of the Sun." the princess replied.

"Raiser of the Sun? Might need a little evidence before I believe THAT claim. Where I come from, the planets orbit suns and move based on the dictations of celestial physics.... uh no pun intended...." Anthony chuckled.

"I understand that. Our observatories picked up this major difference between our solar system and those surrounding us. In any case we are drifting off topic. You said you were part of a Rebellion of your own, what is the difference between you and the Gryphon rebels that you indicated?"

"How bout the guys who left us out in the Frontier for a few years deciding to come back after being gone so long and trying to take all we had worked so hard to build with little or no compensation for us colonists. Executed a man down the street from my own home when I was a kid just for not listening to these guys, same guys who call themselves the IMC. They call us terrorists but they struck first, claiming all that WE mined and harvested and all that WE worked so hard to build was theirs even though they made no effort to contribute other than telling us "go here and expand." You want more out of me in that regard, we're gonna have to meet face to face. Signal strength is starting to drop."

There were quite a few shocked faces at the revelation he gave. An alien war really did land on their shores. After a moment of silence, Celestia continued. "Alright then, are you able to trace this transmission?"

"We are, and we have orbital images of where the transmission is coming from by now. Big castle on the mountain side right?" Anthony again shocked everyone in the room.

"Y-yes, the very same," Celestia began to explain. "Come to the side closer to the mountain peaks and look for the Royal airship docks. If any of our own images are correct, you have vessels small enough to fit there."

"Spotted em. These images are pretty high rez. Got any way to make a docking berth stand out? Wanna land in the right place." Anthony was very thorough it seemed. Celestia was starting to like where this was going if only a little. Maybe negotiations could go in a more peaceful direction?

She explained. "We'll mark one of these docks with a vivid red border and illuminate it. Come in the dead of night. That should be in about nine or ten hours. It should somewhat hide your approach from the populace until we are ready to reveal your presence."

"Sound's good. I'll be there. I'll bring my partner too if that's alright. She's second in command on my ship," the commander clarified.

"Helloooooo," a second, pleasant, and somewhat bubbly female voice said through the channel.

"Yeah that's Rebecca Thorne," Anthony sighed.

"Theee one and only," they heard her say.

"Get off the mic!"

There was already some smirking and chuckling in the observatory at the sudden burst of antics. It was short lived but a pleasant surprise thankfully.

"A-anyway," Anthony cleared his throat, "We'll meet you in the indicated docking berth at the designated time."

"We'll be waiting for you," Celestia responded.

It was then that the transmission got cut.

The listener spoke up. "Lost it ma'am, radar is still showing them there but barely. However it looks like their ship is turning..... yeah they're turning towards us and are moving along the orbital plane now. Radar cross section is definitely growing. I'm starting to pick up other signals from the ship..... they're pinging our antenna.... huh.... must be a way to help them keep track. Either way, they're coming now and in contact range. I suggest we leave the antenna on."

Valiance spoke up. "I concur. I also suggest a team remain here to listen for further transmissions."

Celestia nodded. "Done and done. Let's make it happen."

The observatory telescope went into motion and an image of the alien vessel appeared on the main screen. Now they just had to wait.

"Huh.... that went well." I heard my partner say.

"Better than I could have hoped. At least the guys we killed were nothing more than terrorists..... but what the hell could have given birth to terrorists here....?" I wondered.

"Human history gives some possible answers," Karish began. "Perhaps religious zealotry, perhaps jealousy, perhaps a desire for world domination, the answer is unclear. Regardless we are stuck here and still have a psychopathic man to hunt down, striding about in a cloaked Atlas on the surface. If these creatures were able to reach out to and communicate with us, than perhaps we can employ their aid if we play our cards right."

"Hey I'm not a diplomat," I retorted.

"That you may not be, but being yourself may help in this situation. They said they had an insurrection to deal with and a growing one if our first encounter was anything to go by. They have organized outposts according to orbital imagery. You are a soldier and a commander. You have a military vessel under your command and a loyal crew who, I think at this point, can call one another friends or extended family at the very least. Offer our services, help them defeat the enemy, for all you know, that may even lead us to our quarry before we even have to ask for their aid. Also, be honest. Tell them the whole truth, why we are here, who the man we hunt is. If they found us, they certainly know about the crashed Destroyer too so explain that as well. You already started by giving a summary of who the Militia truly is."

I had to hand it to Karish. He was one wise man. It all made sense, and it seemed these creatures were more than willing to negotiate. Didn't mean I was gonna go to their front doorstep unprepared for a fight but I decided to loosen up and go on Karish's wisdom here..... pff no wonder racism died on Earth. All men made equal indeed.... same potential for wisdom, strength, ingenuity, and everything else under the sun. I liked to think Karish was one of the many examples of that on the FyreByrd. I shook those thoughts away for now though. Great as it is to remember how awesome my friends are and think about every way they are awesome, we still had a job and a plan. I nodded my thanks to Karish.

"I'll retire to my quarters for now then. I'll definitely think about your words though Karish." I looked at my Guardian chip and activated an interface on it. "Hey Jeeves."

"Yes sir?" A holographic representation of a British man in a formal suit sitting and having tea appeared above the chip from a small holographic display in the device. "How may I be of assistance?"

"If you could alert me when about eight and a half hours have passed that would be great. Make sure to alert the ship as well alright? Wanna have a jumpship ready to go and I wanna be punctual."

"Of course sir. Will you be jumping in or simply gliding in?" He asked.

"Gliding. I don't wanna freak any locals out yaknow?" I chuckled a bit.

"I completely understand," Jeeves chuckled as well, "I'll have our best pilot informed and prepared by the time we need to depart."

"Thanks buddy," I looked at Rebecca. "Try not to crash the ship while I'm gone alright?" I said in a playful jab.

"Oh come on I'm not THAT bad at flying." she retorted, somewhat amused.

"Tell that to the dignitary that threw up when you flew the rescue jumpship out," I snarked.

"THAT WAS ONE TIME!"

The whole bridge laughed, including Rebecca and I. I smiled and left the bridge, preparing my datapad for some work. I even decided to start on a short presentation I would give to our new contacts once we arrived.

Author's Note

Okay, first contact for real now. Pretty awesome stuff if I do say so myself. Anyways, expect the magic of friendship to really come into play soon LOL. Till then. PEACE!

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