STS Manticore

The embers of my cigaret drifted to the ground. Looking around the smoky port of Manehatten I gave a happy little sigh. Back home. I'd been doing some planet hoping for the last few months. My small, but reliable transport ships, the STS Manticore, was docked behind me, getting fueled and some needed repairs. Back home again.

I couldn't help it. As I threw the finished cig on the ground, I chuckled to myself. Its funny. The one place where you should be yourself, is the one place you can't afford to, if you want to do business. I was Captain Red again, adopting a persona I had gotten a while back, during one of the smaller spats the Hive had with the Empire. Sure, it was all over now, but Equines have a long and sharp memory. For they were concerned, this was just a reprieve from the actual fighting.

“Cap!” I could hear Peter's boots on the metal gang plank. “I'm going into the main city to see if I can't find anything useful.”

“We leave at sundown.” I warned. “Don't make me leave you.”

Peter, my mechanic, was a tall kid, not quite twenty, but had the brain that seemed to run like an a super computer rather than a boy. His blond hair and light complexion made him popular with the ladies, although he was quite shy. All around, he's a good kid, for a human.

“Will do.” He started to walk off, before he turned back, as if forgetting something. “Oh, and, before I forget, I'm in the process of upgrading the tri-core dampener, so we've got more control with speed reduction. I've noticed how much you like to get chased, and make tight turns so I thought that might be helpful. Considering that I had to completely dismantle the spark intake and the fuel injector, I don't think you'll be taking off anytime soon, that is until I put it together.”

“Damnit boy! What did I tell you about playing with my ship?!”

He laughed, and waved off, leaving me to shake my head, hiding a smile. It was a game we played. I knew his father, and so he saw me more as an uncle he could mess with, but I made sure he understood when his 'messing' went to far.

“So, are we just making a pit stop, or taking on passengers?” Slick yelled down from the other side of the loading bay. Glancing over, I could see she was emptying out the trash. Slick, as she'd like to be called, was a Animite black fox we'd picked up a few years ago. I'll be damned if I'd ever found any creature, Changling, Pony, Human or Animite who could haggle like she could. She was also handy in a brawl, and knew her way around guns, making her a core member of the Manticore.

“We have room for a few, I suppose.” I called back, looked around the port. “But I don't want to be bogged down by too many civvies.”

She understood my reason why, and why I'd rather any passengers we take be non-Equestrian, if possible. She nodded and continued on freshening the place up.

I must have been lost in thought, just staring at the beautiful world around me, because it took a few polite coughs to get my attention. Lowering my few from the sky back to the earth, I saw an orange mare with a deep red mane and tail. She wore a tank top under an unbuttoned black and white plaid shirt, and work jeans, lugging a large suite case behind her.

“Can I help you?” I asked politely.

The mare smiled. “You all goin' to Kah'sbad?”

Kah'sbad was half way across the galaxy. If we did head that direction, we'd have to take a half a dozen stops on the way. I wasn't too keen to make plans for a long, and expensive voyage based off a potential customer, but considering the trade possibilities, and Slick's eloquent tongue, it may prove to be quite profitable.

“It might take a while.” I admitted. “My little puddle jumper doesn't take deep space travel well, but if you don't mind a month, maybe two, I could get you there.”

She looked a little uncomfortable with the idea of it taking so long. The way she looked at my ship gave me the impression that this would be her first space voyage. Princess's manes, I hate taking virgin travelers.

She finally nodded. “I reckin' I could afford that.” There was a note of reluctance, but that wasn't my concern.

“You'll find Slick inside. She'll point you to a room.”

As she passed me by, I caught a scent of apples from her mane. I'd only smelled that fragrance once before. “Hold up.” She paused and turned around, questioningly. “You're from Sweet Apple Acres?”

“E'yup!” She smiled. “Born'n'raised there!”

I let myself smile at her enthusiasm. “I'm a fan of that hard apple cider you sell. Got any one hand?”

She unzipped a pocket on her luggage and tossed me a little glass flask of some amber liquid. She gave me a cowgirl wink and headed up the ramp to find her new bed. She might not be as bad as I thought.

I waited around for a few hours, getting my fill of fresh air and swapping stories with other transporters. Peter had returned and was telling me how he got some kind of doohickey that would help out with our fuel economy for distance flights. Sounded promising, even though I didn't understand a word he said, other than 'save us money'.

I was thinking about packing up when a pony approached me. I could tell she was a unicorn. Unicorns radiate a certain. Fact was, that was the only way I could recognize her as one, for she wore a hooded cloak. It was by practice that I kept myself from rolling my eyes. Unicorns have a thing for trying to be mysterious.

“Is this a portal of safe travel?” She inquired in a voice that was rich and vibrant.

“Yup.”

“Could it be,” She asked, lifting a finger to place it at some point between her chest and chin, curling the others loosely. “That I am speaking to the Captain of the Manticore?”

Oh, this was a treat. Not only was she a unicorn, but she was trying the whole gypsy mystic thing. A unicorn their own aren't bad. A bit too elegant for my taste, and I do mean that in multiple ways, but a unicorn gypsy? If she wasn't acting, Celestia help me if she got on my ship. I hate mystics.

“If it weren't written on the barge, in big red letters, I'd almost be impressed.” I deadpanned. “Now, you have a place in mind that I can drop you off, or are you looking for a tour around the galaxy?”

Her hand dropped. “Oh. You're one of those times, huh?” She gave a heavy sigh, lifting her hood to reveal a beauty that I'd not seen in years. Her coat color was of caramel. Her mane was a smooth arch that ran down her left side, a mixture of purple and red stripes, but her eyes. Luna's Stars, they were stunning!

“Yes, I am one of those.” I smiled.

She gave me a wicked smirk. “Well, I'm glad to see a pony with some sense on his shoulders. Last few towns I preformed in thought very highly of me.” She scrunched her muzzle, like smelling rotten eggs or something. “Maybe a little too highly. I don't like names like which, and fire is bad for my complexion.”

I threw back my head and laughed. “I must admit, I myself am a bit allergic to the hot flames. My skin gets a little too dry and starts turning red.”

She chucked along with me, her eye's doing a quick size up of me. She held out a hand. “Bella. Bella Lulamoon.”

I shook her hand. “Captain Red. I'm gonna be heading to Ka'sbad. I can drop you off anywhere on the way.”

“Oh?” She thought for a moment. “I've been meaning to try my trade with the Anamites. Standard fee?”

“Unless you want to become permanent. Not often I find a gypsy with a sense of humor.”

She snorted. “I'm more of a show pony than a gypsy. It runs in the family. What would be your terms? I'm not looking to settle in any one place any time soon.”

“We can talk about that later.” I waved a hand to the storage ramp. “Welcome, oh Great and Powerful Bella Lulamoon.”

“Why thank you kind sir.” She laughed, making her way on board. I noticed that she didn't have a bag of any kind, but considering how useful unicorn magic can be to enchant objects, I assumed that she simply had a bag with a hidden space charm on it.

With that, there wasn't much else to pack up. It was unfortunate to only get a few travelers, but the next stop, Luninsa, was usually packed with people looking to move merchandise, and I had plenty of room. With a punch of a few buttons, the ramp started closing, as I pressed the cockpit intercom.

“Ready to go Soot.”

“Copy that.”

With a dull roar, the lifting thrusters kicked in. Soon, we'd be breaking the atmosphere. Guess it was time to met the new comers, and figure out what I could do about finding more work.