My Little Reclaimer: Friendship Never Diesby Honey LavenderChaptersRoll Call [ALL]A Walk in the Woods [UNSC, MLP]Heretic, Hero (Part 1) [UNSC, MLP]Roll Call [ALL] 0945 hours, July 25th, 2552 (Military Calendar) \ Aboard UNSC vessel Aurora Star \ Sol System, near planet Earth Nothing is normal on the Aurora Star. The normally quiet Cryo Bay is bustling with twice the crew that it was designed to handle as teams work to pack away supplies: munitions, rations, specialty equipment, tools... just about anything that HIGHCOM has deemed necessary. Granted, the situation wasn't exactly orthodox, either; Reach was falling. It was full-on mobilization mode, with HIGHCOM redirecting any available Spartans to assist in the planet's defense; if humanity loses Reach, then there is nothing standing between the Covenant and Earth. Failure is not an option. Jane S-343 checks over her two teammates. Neither of them are showing any signs of stress in their vitals, but in the interest of redundancy she opts to confirm that visually. Seth S-382 is twirling a knife in his armored gauntlet with deft precision, just as he always does before a mission. Satisfied, she turns to check on Alice S-219, who is inspecting each team member's weapons for flaws that might compromise the mission's success. It's an odd habit, but Alice doing this has saved Jane's life repeatedly over the years, so she welcomes it. Satisfied, she retreats to her cryo pod to await her technician to arrive and put her down for the mandatory nap while travelling in slipspace. "Alright, Green. You know the drill; nap time!" 2 green lights wink an acknowledgement on her HUD in response, indicating in the affirmative. Suddenly, a trio of odd events transpire. Off to her right, Seth drops the knife. On her HUD, she's alerted to a radiation spike- originating from the direction of the reactor compartment. Finally, under her feet, the ship lurches in what can only be described as an unscheduled jump, sending her flying across the room and into a wall headfirst and immediately being met by nothingness... Eighteenth cycle, eight units (Covenant Battle Calendar) Aboard Cruiser, Truth Behind All Lies; in high orbit above planet Equus (local designation) - System: Equus (local designation) Ship Master Zovu 'Nadomee paces his bridge, causing the Mgalekgolo1 pair nearby to shift anxiously. He had arrived almost 3 units ago, and the indigenous lifeforms on the mysterious planet below had still not acknowledged his ship's presence. Normally, he would send a scouting party to the ground, and let a specialized team of his fellow Sangheili2 retrieve the holy artifacts that were said to be here by any means necessary. These are not normal times, though. Truth has taken a special interest in the population of this planet for the fact that their home world resides in neutral space, greatly reducing the chances that they have come into contact with the heretics. Therefore, Zovu's mission has a second, lesser known objective: convince the population to join the hegemony. Since the beginning of the Ninth Age of Reclamation, the Covenant has sustained heavy losses, and the hierarchs know that they can use every able body they can get if they are to finally begin the Great Journey. All of this taken into account, Zovu is forced into a strategy that does not come easily to the Sangheili: diplomacy. Thus, the mighty warrior was reduced to playing a waiting game. And he hated it. "What are we waiting for, Ship Master? Is this not the point in time where you would normally send our retrieval team in?" Zovu's good friend, Major Kura 'Haramee finally asks from his post at the Operations station, clearly uncomfortable with seeing his friend troubled by whatever secrets he's pondering. "Or is there a tactical advantage to be gained by our current inactivity?" Zovu regards his friend carefully; if it were anyone else to address him in such a way, they would likely find themselves in the brig faster than they could consider their actions. Kura, however, he respects and trusts to have the ship's best interests in mind. Kura has never led Zovu wrong before, and there was certainly no reason for him to do so now. "Nothing, Kura. We've waited long enough; ready a diplomacy crew for descent. Fifty Unggoy3, twenty-three Kig-Yar4, and the two of us should do the trick." He chuckles at Kura's puzzled expression, something one rarely witnesses a proud Sangheili express. "Yes, I said diplomacy crew. The hierarchs have given us a different objective this time." Looking to the monitors, Zovu steels himself for the task ahead. Compared to where the rest of the Fleet of Valiant Prudence was headed, this should be a milk run. Early morning, several days after the Summer Sun Celebration Equus System \ Planet: Equus \ Canterlot Castle Mornings in Canterlot are a very predictable affair, especially for Celestia. Every day, it's the same dull routine- wake up, raise the sun (even as Luna lowers the moon), then try and relax for what little time she would have before Day Court begins, and she'll be forced to resolve increasingly trivial quarrels among squabbling nobles. With a sigh, the alabaster alicorn coaxes the sun into position, subtly adjusting the star's exact location in the sky. Satisfied with her handiwork, Celestia pauses to soak in the calm of the morning. After a few minutes, she returns to her chambers to finish her morning routine. Just as she's closing the door, she catches a glimpse of lavender out of the corner of her eye, in the general direction of Ponyville. Thinking nothing of it as Twilight had made a habit of flying the same route every morning as of late, she closes the door and carries on normally. Several minutes later, though, there's a knock at her door. Frowning, Celestia opens the door to a pair of her guards, who appear to be panicked. "Your highness," the elder of the pair begins as they bow. "Your presence is needed in the throne room. You have guests... and we can't understand them." Celestia narrows her eyes, not so much towards the pair of armor-clad unicorns so much as the news that they bear. "What do you mean by 'guests,' Corporal? And has my sister also been alerted?" The guards share an uneasy look. "Yes, Princess Luna has been alerted." Celestia relaxes ever so slightly, releasing the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "As for your other inquiry, perhaps it would be better if we showed you..." 1437 hours, July 25th, 2552 (Military Calendar) \ Aboard UNSC vessel Aurora Star \ Uncharted space, near Equus System All that Jane can perceive is pain- pain in her head, pain her neck and back, pain in her limbs... pain is good. Pain lets Jane know she's still alive. Her vision clears and she checks TEAMBIO; Seth and Alice are still alive. According to the machine, at least. She opens TEAMCOM for confirmation. "Green Team, status check." Slowly, two amber lights illuminate on her HUD, indicating that their owners are checking for signs of injury. Seth's winks green first, followed shortly by Alice's. "Excellent. Once you're on your feet, form up. We need to figure out what the..." Jane trails off as she activates night vision, taking in the utter ruin that once was the Aurora Star's cryo bay. Pods are ripped clean from their mountings, having found a home on top of several unlucky marines and crew members, killing them instantly. The various crates of supplies are now scattered around the now-open area, their contents tossed haphazardly in the ensuing chaos of whatever had happened earlier that day. "New plan, Green. Lock and load; we're headed to the bridge." Dead. The entire crew was dead, either killed by the flying debris (if they were lucky) or by radiation when the Star's slipspace drive had become improperly mounted that morning. Of the more than 500 lives on board the Stalwart-class5 Frigate, only the Spartans and the ship-borne AI, Eden remained, and that made Jane livid. If the UNSC hasn't begun moving to retire the often-faulty Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine as of yet, then accidents the likes of this one will be the reason that they do. As for the overall health of the Aurora Star, she's crippled. Unable to transition to slipspace, and barely able to limp along on her main engines, it's apparent to Jane that the Star is essentially a sitting duck. "So... any thoughts?" she asks her teammates, who appear to be as pissed as she is. Pissed at the unnecessary death in this already too-bloody war, and especially pissed at the fact that they are now stuck, unable to do anything. Without stopping twirling the knife that is his go-to pastime whenever there's a lull in the action, Seth pipes up. "I say we move out of the open. I mean, we've been drifting in relatively empty space for a while now, that planet getting bigger on the main screen the whole while..." He pauses, stalling the knife on one armored gauntlet as he stares in the general direction of said screen. His posture suggests that he's curious about something. "Say, Eden, where the hell even are we?" Almost as if on cue, a holographic projector spins up in the center of the bridge, creating an image of tidy man in a perfectly tailored suit, with a stars and stripes flag lapel pin on the jacket. "If my charts are accurate, we don't appear to be in any known sector of space." Eden pauses, flaring in color from cyan to a strange shade of violet. "However, based on preliminary scans, the planet that you refer to appears to be similar to Earth, even to the same degree as Reach." This gets Alice's attention. "Wait... you said similar to Reach?" Alice tightens her grip on her holstered M6-G sidearm. "But this system appears to be geocentric; surely those conditions can't coexist?" Eden scowls, turning a shade of green that's darker than even the three sets of MJOLNIR armor surrounding him. "Upon further analysis, it seems that Alice makes a valid observation. Not only is this system geocentric, but the astronomical scale is off by a ridiculous margin." Seth voices the entire team's thoughts: "And your point is?" "My point is either my readings are incorrect, or this planet that shouldn't be habitable is anyway. Regardless, it warrants a closer look, if you'd allow it." Eden seems to be glaring at Jane as he finishes his statement. "You mean we can move?" Jane asks, pleasantly surprised at the AI's nod. "Finally! Full available speed, current heading!" "Aye, answering quarter slow at one zero five by three five," Eden beckons to Jane. "You're not taking me with you, are you?" Jane pats the projector, then brings two fingers across her faceplate- the Spartan equivalent of a smile. "No, we're not. I'd prefer to have at least one party I can trust overhead, just in case we need orbital support. You know how to handle yourself, right?" Eden shifts back to his customary shade of blue, before waving his holographic hand to dismiss the Spartan. "Of course, of course. Just be careful; for all we know, this could be Covenant controlled space... pack one of the few remaining M-808s, will ya? Something about this incident just isn't adding up." Jane gives him a thumbs up- can do. Within minutes, the Spartans have packed one of the only surviving Pelican dropships, hooked up the last remaining Scorpion tank, and packed all the ammunition they can carry. A green status light reserved for Eden winks on, alerting Jane that the Aurora Star has settled into geosynchronous orbit above the mysterious planet. The shuttle bay doors open, and Green Team's journey is underway... Author's Note 1: The Elites' name for the Hunters' race 2: The Elites' name for their own race 3: The Elites' name for the Grunts' race 4: The Elites' name for the Jackals' race 5: Stalwart-class Light Frigate A Walk in the Woods [UNSC, MLP] 1652 hours, July 25th, 2552 (Military Calendar) \ Unidentified Planet \ Unidentified System Upon landing, the Spartans had decided on a stealth recon. That's how decisions are often made on Green Team whenever possible- democracy. Otherwise, Jane had become the defacto leader over the years, thanks to her repeated split-second decisions that kept the entire team alive. Stashing the Pelican and the Scorpion, they had elected to take their usual setups, plus a little extra ammunition. Taking point is Seth. He's always shown a propensity for close quarters (hence the obsession with his knife), so in addition to the mandatory MA5K assault rifle and M6G magnum, he carries an M90 shotgun, which is currently slung over his back. In the rear is Alice, who is a crack shot, second only to Fred and Linda, who are assigned to Red and Blue, respectively. She carries an SRS99-AM sniper rifle slung over her back, which only sees action when she sets up a sniping post. Seth holds up a fist, telling the Spartans behind him to hold position. A quick gesture to Jane brings her forward to see what he's seeing. The Spartans have arrived at the opening to a pass in the mountain range they had landed in, which overlooks a large, elaborate city built into the side of the mountain. The sheer scale causes Jane to gasp involuntarily, even as she increases the magnification on her faceplate to get a better view of what had caused Seth to order the hold. What she sees causes her to do a double take. Below, at what appears to be the entrance to a large castle, a small Covenant force is engaging a much larger group of quadrupedal creatures. The battle is mismatched, but is oddly at a stalemate, with the Covenant firepower being stopped by intermittent shields that are being conjured by the defending forces, even as the Covenant is able to dodge all of their energy beams while slowly moving back towards a waiting Spirit. Letting out a low whistle, Jane turns to Alice and makes a rapid series of hand gestures- orders to set up a post on one of the nearby outcroppings and offer support. Alice winks a Green light in acknowledgement, and promptly switches weapons while heading off. Jane then turns to Seth, and gestures between the two remaining Spartans before pointing at the firefight below with two fingers. Seth winks green, then wastes no time moving in. Adjusting her grip on her M392 DMR, she beams a quick sample of the firefight back to the Aurora Star for Eden to analyze. The AI wastes no time in commenting, in the form of text that appears on her HUD. This certainly clears up quite a bit, but not without raising more questions. First, this clearly isn't Covenant-controlled space, otherwise they wouldn't be in a firefight. Likewise, those Covenant forces are wearing the same variants of armor as when they first made contact on Harvest, meaning that this planet's atmosphere is indeed breathable for your team. I'll begin scanning surrounding space for whatever ship that Spirit is registered to, though. I find it highly unlikely that a lone dropship would find its way into a sector of space where it might get fired upon. Good luck, Green. I trust you not to do anything unusually stupid. Burying any shred of doubt about the situation in a far corner of her mind, she rapidly flashes her green status light 5 times. Not a half second later, the first shot rings off, the sniper round burying itself in the head of one of the jackals. Then, all hell breaks loose. Late afternoon, several days after the Summer Sun Celebration Equus System \ Planet: Equus \ Friendship Castle It had been a normal day in Ponyville. By all accounts, it still was, save for that strange U-shaped flying object that had passed overhead that morning, headed for Canterlot. But Twilight hadn't paid it any attention- if anything, she's learned over the years that if she and her friends are needed, then Princess Celestia will contact them. No, instead Twilight had opted to take her friend Rarity's advice, and join her at the spa (albeit reluctantly, and only after Spike had promised to continue working on her royal duties while she took a break). Celestia knew she could use the chance to relax, and a fairly recent family vacation had proven that taking a short break to relax and clear the mind could do wonders for a pony's productivity when she returns. Fate, however, seems to have other plans. Twilight settles down in her throne in the map room, and picks up one of the many measures that require her attention to read through what was being requested of the Crown this time. Before she can start reading though, the door bursts open as Spike sprints in as fast has his little legs can carry him, carrying a scroll with the Royal Seal on it. "Twilight!" He yells, desperate to get her attention for whatever must've come up. "Twilight, you need to read this! It's from Princess Celestia, and... and... well, just read it!" Sighing internally, Twilight sets down the missive she had been about to peruse, and grabs the scroll that Spike is carrying in her magic. "Don't worry, Spike! I'm sure everything's o-..." Twilight trails off as she reads the letter. Her eyes narrow in disbelief as she reads the letter again, and then a third time. Finally, her eyes widen as the dispatch's contents finally register. "On second thought, do worry. I'll be back soon; sorry, Spike!" Then, she teleports from the room with a flash, leaving Spike rubbing his eyes. She reappears in the cave where the Tree of Harmony resides, and promptly sets to work warding the tree against anything that might try to steal the Elements of Harmony, which had been returned shortly after Twilight and her friends had helped the Pillars save Stygian from the clutches of the Pony of Shadows. "It feels so wrong, but if Princess Celestia is right, and they're after the Elements... we can't let that happen. These spells are necessary... I hope." Her work complete, Twilight exits the cave and casts a perception filter over the entrance, making it near-invisible. Then, she pictures the throne room in Canterlot in her mind, and fires off another teleportation spell, hoping she's not too late. 1702 hours, July 25th, 2552 (Military Calendar) \ Unidentified System \ Unidentified Planet \ Covenant- contested territory As soon as the jackal that Alice had shot hits the ground, chaos erupts. "Demons!" A grunt yells, only to eat a dose of buckshot as Seth breaks cover to open up the bloodbath. A few hundred meters away, Jane opens fire on the jackals with her DMR, shooting them first in the arm so that they flinch and expose their vulture-like faces, then putting them out of their misery with a deliberately placed shot between the eyes. Blue blood splatters all over the minuscule force as the Spartans overwhelm their otherwise unprepared foes. Meanwhile, the strange creatures that had been defending the castle don't question the sudden assistance from their unexpected allies, and continue to press the attack. In no time, the group has shredded through the almost two dozen jackals, and roughly half of the grunts, causing the two Elites to activate their camouflage and retreat to their Spirit, which departs immediately, shelling the forces on the ground with its plasma turret during its retreat. Lacking leadership, the remaining grunts begin to frenzy, only to quickly be cleaned up by Seth and the contingent strange quadrupeds, who have lost a few of their own in the skirmish. Flashing her green status light 3 times, Jane pauses to observe the strange creatures more closely. They are vaguely equine in shape, with a large horn jutting out of their foreheads. This causes Jane to think back to her training, when Déjà had taught them about the mythological creatures of old- she's reminded of one creature in specific: the unicorn. Opening up TEAMCOM, relays her observations. "Well, the Covenant know we're here, so there's no point in being radio silent. Tell me; do those creatures remind you of anything Déjà taught us?" "You're joking, right? You mean that you think these things are unicorns?" Seth asks sarcastically, knowing full well that Jane wouldn't propose such a thing for no reason. "I don't know, Jane. I'll admit that the semblance is uncanny, but still... it seems like a bit much," Alice reasons. "I feel like there's more to this than we know." The "unicorns" approach Green Team where they have gathered, conversing over COMs while appearing completely silent and stoic to any bystanders. The one that seems to be the leader of the group nickers at the Spartans, getting their attention. When it becomes clear that the Spartans don't understand them, he gestures for them to follow with a flick of his head. "I think they want us to follow them inside," Jane observes. "Who knows, maybe we'll finally find out what the hell is going on here." A trio of green lights wink acknowledgement on her HUD, with Eden's coming later than the other two. Somehow, knowing that Eden is watching what's happening through Jane's suit's camera comforts her. Creepy or not, there's just something about knowing that someone has her back makes her that much more confident as she follows the "unicorns" inside. Early evening, Several days after the Summer Sun Celebration Throne room, Canterlot Castle With a flash, Twilight materializes in the throne room. Before she can say a single word, she's immediately wrapped up in a hug from Celestia and, surprisingly, Luna. Upon being released from the embrace, Twilight is finally able to indulge her urge to ask questions. "Princesses! I got your letter; what happened?!" Luna is the first to respond. "Failed negotiations," she spits bitterly. "That's what happened." Twilight turns to Celestia with a puzzled expression. "This morning, a group of what we initially believed to be extraterrestrial diplomats arrived in our throne room," Celestia explains. "Unannounced. At first we couldn't understand a word they were saying, which seemed to visibly anger them, so we cast a translation spell. It's still in effect, operating only in this room for the time being." She adds, answering Twilight's question before she can ask it. She opens her mouth to continue, but is interrupted by the door opening for a guard to relay news. "Your highnesses, I have an update about the skirmish at our front gates." The tan unicorn rises from his bow, only to see Celestia indicating for him to continue. "The invaders have been driven off, two of them leaving in the same craft the whole group arrived in. However, it wasn't us that finished the fight; a trio of armored creatures came down from the cliffs of Mt Canterhorn and opened fire on the invaders." Celestia frowns as she does the math in her head. "There were seventy-five of them this morning, yet you only said that two escaped. What happened to the rest, Private?" The guard shifts uneasily. "They're dead, you're highness. Systematically wiped out by the armored trio without prejudice." As the Private speaks these words, Twilight's blood runs cold. How could any creature be capable of such a mindless act of violence? Then, Celestia addresses the guard in her coldest "to-the-sun" voice yet, making Twilight further uncomfortable. "Bring them here," She orders. "I'd like to know what that type of approach was all about." "Of course, your highness. Right away" The guard bows, and makes a hasty exit. 1758 hours, July 25th, 2552 (Military Calendar) \ Unidentified System \ Unidentified Planet \ Mysterious Castle The Spartans approach a large set of double doors, which appear to be large enough to fit an entire Longsword through without any damage. All around them, the creatures seem to be conversing in what Jane can best describe as "horse noises," which, of course, none of the Spartans can understand. What happens next, however, Jane would never have been able to predict would happen. The doors open, and as the group passes over the threshold, everything shifts. Suddenly, the strange noises register as perfect English. "Did everyone else just hear that?!" Seth asks over TEAMCOM. "Yes, I did," Jane comments dryly. "And I don't like it; what is this nonsense?!" "I don't know, but I have a feeling they might be able to shed some light on the subject." Alice gestures at the three creatures near the center of the room, who seem to be looking at the Spartans expectantly. The one in the center is staring so intently that Jane instinctively checks to make sure her shields are still at full strength. Then, the creature in question speaks. "Welcome," she begins, in a regal, and very feminine voice. "To Equestria. I believe you have some explaining to do..." Heretic, Hero (Part 1) [UNSC, MLP] Late evening, several days after the Summer Sun Celebration \ Throne room \ Canterlot Castle "Welcome to Equestria," Celestia greets the armored trio, her voice only getting colder by the minute. Truth be told, it's scaring Twilight how unforgiving her mentor's tone is getting; she'd never seen Celestia get this upset before. "I believe you have some explaining to do. But first," Celestia gestures to the creatures' armor, "if you would be so kind, please reveal your faces and introduce yourselves; I prefer to know who I'm speaking with." Twilight observes the group of creatures with bated breath. A thousand different scenarios play out in her head as the trio of strange creatures stand silently in the center of the room. Based on their body language, they appear to be communicating with one another somehow. Then, the one in the center shrugs and removes the head of it's armor, revealing its face. The other two that are flanking it follow suit. Then, in a voice that clearly belongs to a mare, the one in the center speaks in perfectly fluent Equish. "Figures. Always to the point, even in the midst of utter nonsense." Turning to address Celestia, she finally introduces herself. "Well, might as well indulge you. You can call me Jane, I guess. Although it's interesting that you say we need to explain ourselves, Ms..." she trails off, looking to Celestia for guidance. "You may call me Princess Celestia," the princess provides. The creature in the green armor mouths the words a few times, almost as if she is tasting them. "Right... anyway, Princess Celestia, I don't know if you're aware of what's been happening elsewhere in the galaxy, but the bastards we helped your soldiers out with kind of want us dead. We simply returned the favor before they could get their wish." At this snarky declaration, the ponies in the room grimace in near unison. Even Celestia seems to lose her famously calm demeanor over this revelation. "But cold blooded murder? How can you justify such a thing?" This time, the one on the right speaks up, in a voice that establishes it as a stallion. "We do what we need to survive, ma'am. It's us or them; they want to see our race extinguished, no matter the cost. We want to carry on living. Believe it or not, the UNSC tried diplomacy first, back on Harvest. You know what those alien bastards did? Killed everyone on the planet- women, children, all of them." As the armored stallion speaks, Twilight shudders at the images put in her head by his story. What kind of monsters were capable of such a thing, harming innocent foals like that? The stallion continues, oblivious to the adverse reactions of Celestia and Luna. "Then, to make sure that the job was done, they fired plasma at the surface from orbit, turning the entire planet's surface to nothing but glass. They did this to planet after planet, slowly working their way towards our home world. They could do this to your world, ma'am, and they wouldn't even have a second thought." He pauses for a moment, chin resting on an armored fist. "Heh, almost forgot. Name's Seth, and don't forget it." "Surely you're exaggerating--" Luna begins, only to be cut off by the last armored creature, this one also a mare. "No, we're not. As much as we wish we were, we're not. The Covenant doesn't do anything halfway... especially in combat." She pauses, scratching the back of her bare head with an armored claw. "Come to think of it, Elites normally don't retreat. Something's not adding up here... anyway, please call me Alice. It is my name, after all..." Twilight looks from the one that calls itself Jane, to the ones flanking her, Seth and Alice. Without the helmets, they almost seem approachable. Friendly, even. But if they are the good guys in the fight that they've described, then how could they be capable of the mindless killing they had displayed earlier? Were they really so desperate that they couldn't find a less violent solution? With a pained expression, Twilight turns to Celestia, who seems to already be on the same page. "If you three will excuse my sister, my student and I, we need to discuss a few things." Celestia turns to the door hidden behind her throne; the one that will lead to her private quarters, and beckons Luna and Twilight to follow. "Don't think that you're off the hook yet; we still have quite a bit to chat about." Then, Twilight follows her fellow princesses through the door. 1827 hours, July 25th, 2552 (Military Calendar) \ Unknown System \ Unknown Planet \ "Equestria" (Local Designation) As Jane watches the creature calling herself Celestia and her two counterparts retreat through a hidden door to "discuss things," she can only shake her head. So far, this "Equestria" place is on track to have the most demanding leadership she's ever come across, and that's saying something. It's not easy to outdo Mendez's drill instructors in that department. Fortunately, Jane doesn't have long to brood on such thoughts, as a flashing light inside her helmet grabs her attention, and she quickly slips it back on. "New intel obtained; standing by to deliver." Jane chuckles, wondering just what Eden must've thought about the conversation with this Celestia character, if it could really be called anything other than an interrogation. "Oh, look. You finally decided to put your helmet back on. I said the air was breathable; I did NOT say to break every protocol in the book..." Jane rolls her eyes. "Well, you have my attention now, so why not get on with it?" "Either way, we can discuss this later. For now, get the rest of Green to get their helmets on as well. You're all going to want to see this." Raising an eyebrow, Jane decides to play along. She opens the COM channel that lets her speak normally to those around her, without the need to remove her helmet. "Green, helmets on. Eden says he has something for us." Once all the helmets have found their owners' heads, she continues. "Alright Eden, what have you got?" "Quite a bit more than you did from that little chat you had with the locals, I daresay. Speaking of which, how could you even understand them? They weren't even speaking English!" Seth chuckles dryly. "I wish I could say we knew, man. One moment, all we could hear was snorts and whinnies. The next, it was like the world adjusted itself so we could understand everything... fucking bullshit, if you ask me. I'd almost rather take an energy sword to the gut over dealing with all this nonsense." "I see. Well, I can tell you the same happened for those two Elites you let escape- nice work, by the way. All sarcasm intended, mind you. The idea is NOT to paint a target on your skulls, which is exactly what you did by letting that Ship Master and his buddy escape." This time, Alice butts in. "Hey, it's not like we could've expected that would happen. You know as well as we do that the Covenant doesn't retreat, Eden." Jane can't help but admire Alice, especially in moments like this where her inner badass comes out to play, usually followed by some insanely wise statement. "Besides... there's no point in crying over what's been done. We can't change it, so it's time to face the music." "Yes, that is a very astute observation. Regardless, they couldn't understand what happened, either. Turns out that it spooked one of their Grunts so badly that the thing opened fire. The skirmish you interrupted is what ensued." "I guess the old saying is true; our enemies aren't that dissimilar from us," Jane muses. "Tell me; got anything, oh, I don't know, usable?" "You know I don't appreciate that kind of snarky reply, Jane. However, the answer is yes, I do. Not much, though; for some reason this particular crew has some insane level of OpSec- even the religious rhetoric is toned down from what we'd normally expect. Let's start broad; we are currently located in the Equus System, with you being on the aptly named planet, Equus. Got it so far?" "Well, I think I can start to see the theme," Seth snarks. "Technicolor horses, all the names of places so far being horse-related puns, black magic fuckery all around... come to think of it, that would explain quite a bit. Either we're tripping balls right now, or these horse things are doing some kind of hoodoo-voodoo black magic to make some of the things we've seen happen so far." He cocks his head to one side ever so slightly, as far as his armor will let him. "Which reminds me; their ruler is a princess, this place is far too colorful to be real, and to top it all off they referred to open combat as 'cold blooded murder' like they've never been at war before. I wouldn't be surprised if we were in the middle of some fucked up variation of a children's story right now, to be honest." Jane and Alice stare blankly at Seth, who is now shifting his weight back and forth uncomfortably. "Something wrong, Seth?" "No, I'm fine," he shrugs. "I certainly as hell don't feel like I just broke some kind of fourth wall right now." "Right... I'll just pretend you didn't say that, and continue like nothing happened. Regardless, based on what I've been able to glean from the sparse communications among the Covenant forces around here, it seems that they're looking for some kind of weapon. There's talk of some other objective, but not enough to determine what said objective would have been. Either way, it seems that they failed that one because the Grunt with the itchy trigger finger." "Is it just me, or does this Celestia character have more to explain to us than vice versa?" Alice asks nobody in particular. "Celestia? You mean the white one?" "Yes," Jane responds. "The white one. And yes, I think that she has some explaining of her own to do. Anything else, Eden?" "Not at this time. I'll continue scanning; I haven't quite locked onto a position for whatever parent ship that Spirit was returning to, nor have I gotten a name, but as soon as I know more I'll pass it along. Good luck." Jane takes a moment to absorb the new information she's been given. The Covenant are looking for something, but what? Still pondering, she turns around to face the raised dais with the throne on it once again, where the trio of winged, horned equines are just standing there, watching them. Jane removes her helmet once more, and Green follows suit. "So... the Covenant are looking for a weapon" Jane begins. "What do you know?" Celestia bows her head with an expression of defeat, and remains that way for several long, awkward minutes of silence. Finally, she raises her head and begins speaking, but not to the Spartans. "Twilight, gather the Elements and your friends... I only want to have this conversation once." The lavender one, now identified as Twilight, disappears in a flash of light. Author's Note This chapter is the last one I'm releasing before entering the marked hiatus. Part 2, when I get around to it, will loop back and tell the midsection from the Princesses' perspective, before actually going forward with the story. Also, blah blah blah, no editor, if you see a glaring mistake feel free to point it out in the comments. To explain a few things, the Spartans' personalities are a few different combinations of parts of the Mane 6's personalities, with some unique things tossed in. However, certain aspects of their characters couldn't come out to play before they came to Equestria, so they're unaware of these aspects of themselves until they DO come out to play (yadda yadda yadda, something about magic, we all know the trope that this is an attempt at an original interpretation of). I'll be pulling a similar stunt with the Ship Master, but you'll have to wait for him to appear again for me to explain what I mean. Seth shares Rainbow Dash's fighting spirit and Pinkie Pie's perceived ability to break the 4th wall. His fiery temper and tendency to make decisions on the fly are only countered by his undying loyalty to his teammates, and his desperation not to disappoint Jane. (Chaotic Good) Alice shares Fluttershy's trademark shyness and Applejack's perceived wisdom (when it decides to come out to play, that is; we've seen AJ make some pretty dumb decisions over the years). She wants nothing more than to see her team return from each and every mission safely, and that desire WILL be her downfall. (Lawful Good) Jane is a natural born leader, sharing an odd combination of Twilight's propensity for planning and Rarity's perceived ability to improvise under pressure. She tends to plan things far enough ahead that she has contingencies for her contingencies, although usually not enough ammo to act on Plan D. (Neutral Good)
Roll Call [ALL] 0945 hours, July 25th, 2552 (Military Calendar) \ Aboard UNSC vessel Aurora Star \ Sol System, near planet Earth Nothing is normal on the Aurora Star. The normally quiet Cryo Bay is bustling with twice the crew that it was designed to handle as teams work to pack away supplies: munitions, rations, specialty equipment, tools... just about anything that HIGHCOM has deemed necessary. Granted, the situation wasn't exactly orthodox, either; Reach was falling. It was full-on mobilization mode, with HIGHCOM redirecting any available Spartans to assist in the planet's defense; if humanity loses Reach, then there is nothing standing between the Covenant and Earth. Failure is not an option. Jane S-343 checks over her two teammates. Neither of them are showing any signs of stress in their vitals, but in the interest of redundancy she opts to confirm that visually. Seth S-382 is twirling a knife in his armored gauntlet with deft precision, just as he always does before a mission. Satisfied, she turns to check on Alice S-219, who is inspecting each team member's weapons for flaws that might compromise the mission's success. It's an odd habit, but Alice doing this has saved Jane's life repeatedly over the years, so she welcomes it. Satisfied, she retreats to her cryo pod to await her technician to arrive and put her down for the mandatory nap while travelling in slipspace. "Alright, Green. You know the drill; nap time!" 2 green lights wink an acknowledgement on her HUD in response, indicating in the affirmative. Suddenly, a trio of odd events transpire. Off to her right, Seth drops the knife. On her HUD, she's alerted to a radiation spike- originating from the direction of the reactor compartment. Finally, under her feet, the ship lurches in what can only be described as an unscheduled jump, sending her flying across the room and into a wall headfirst and immediately being met by nothingness... Eighteenth cycle, eight units (Covenant Battle Calendar) Aboard Cruiser, Truth Behind All Lies; in high orbit above planet Equus (local designation) - System: Equus (local designation) Ship Master Zovu 'Nadomee paces his bridge, causing the Mgalekgolo1 pair nearby to shift anxiously. He had arrived almost 3 units ago, and the indigenous lifeforms on the mysterious planet below had still not acknowledged his ship's presence. Normally, he would send a scouting party to the ground, and let a specialized team of his fellow Sangheili2 retrieve the holy artifacts that were said to be here by any means necessary. These are not normal times, though. Truth has taken a special interest in the population of this planet for the fact that their home world resides in neutral space, greatly reducing the chances that they have come into contact with the heretics. Therefore, Zovu's mission has a second, lesser known objective: convince the population to join the hegemony. Since the beginning of the Ninth Age of Reclamation, the Covenant has sustained heavy losses, and the hierarchs know that they can use every able body they can get if they are to finally begin the Great Journey. All of this taken into account, Zovu is forced into a strategy that does not come easily to the Sangheili: diplomacy. Thus, the mighty warrior was reduced to playing a waiting game. And he hated it. "What are we waiting for, Ship Master? Is this not the point in time where you would normally send our retrieval team in?" Zovu's good friend, Major Kura 'Haramee finally asks from his post at the Operations station, clearly uncomfortable with seeing his friend troubled by whatever secrets he's pondering. "Or is there a tactical advantage to be gained by our current inactivity?" Zovu regards his friend carefully; if it were anyone else to address him in such a way, they would likely find themselves in the brig faster than they could consider their actions. Kura, however, he respects and trusts to have the ship's best interests in mind. Kura has never led Zovu wrong before, and there was certainly no reason for him to do so now. "Nothing, Kura. We've waited long enough; ready a diplomacy crew for descent. Fifty Unggoy3, twenty-three Kig-Yar4, and the two of us should do the trick." He chuckles at Kura's puzzled expression, something one rarely witnesses a proud Sangheili express. "Yes, I said diplomacy crew. The hierarchs have given us a different objective this time." Looking to the monitors, Zovu steels himself for the task ahead. Compared to where the rest of the Fleet of Valiant Prudence was headed, this should be a milk run. Early morning, several days after the Summer Sun Celebration Equus System \ Planet: Equus \ Canterlot Castle Mornings in Canterlot are a very predictable affair, especially for Celestia. Every day, it's the same dull routine- wake up, raise the sun (even as Luna lowers the moon), then try and relax for what little time she would have before Day Court begins, and she'll be forced to resolve increasingly trivial quarrels among squabbling nobles. With a sigh, the alabaster alicorn coaxes the sun into position, subtly adjusting the star's exact location in the sky. Satisfied with her handiwork, Celestia pauses to soak in the calm of the morning. After a few minutes, she returns to her chambers to finish her morning routine. Just as she's closing the door, she catches a glimpse of lavender out of the corner of her eye, in the general direction of Ponyville. Thinking nothing of it as Twilight had made a habit of flying the same route every morning as of late, she closes the door and carries on normally. Several minutes later, though, there's a knock at her door. Frowning, Celestia opens the door to a pair of her guards, who appear to be panicked. "Your highness," the elder of the pair begins as they bow. "Your presence is needed in the throne room. You have guests... and we can't understand them." Celestia narrows her eyes, not so much towards the pair of armor-clad unicorns so much as the news that they bear. "What do you mean by 'guests,' Corporal? And has my sister also been alerted?" The guards share an uneasy look. "Yes, Princess Luna has been alerted." Celestia relaxes ever so slightly, releasing the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "As for your other inquiry, perhaps it would be better if we showed you..." 1437 hours, July 25th, 2552 (Military Calendar) \ Aboard UNSC vessel Aurora Star \ Uncharted space, near Equus System All that Jane can perceive is pain- pain in her head, pain her neck and back, pain in her limbs... pain is good. Pain lets Jane know she's still alive. Her vision clears and she checks TEAMBIO; Seth and Alice are still alive. According to the machine, at least. She opens TEAMCOM for confirmation. "Green Team, status check." Slowly, two amber lights illuminate on her HUD, indicating that their owners are checking for signs of injury. Seth's winks green first, followed shortly by Alice's. "Excellent. Once you're on your feet, form up. We need to figure out what the..." Jane trails off as she activates night vision, taking in the utter ruin that once was the Aurora Star's cryo bay. Pods are ripped clean from their mountings, having found a home on top of several unlucky marines and crew members, killing them instantly. The various crates of supplies are now scattered around the now-open area, their contents tossed haphazardly in the ensuing chaos of whatever had happened earlier that day. "New plan, Green. Lock and load; we're headed to the bridge." Dead. The entire crew was dead, either killed by the flying debris (if they were lucky) or by radiation when the Star's slipspace drive had become improperly mounted that morning. Of the more than 500 lives on board the Stalwart-class5 Frigate, only the Spartans and the ship-borne AI, Eden remained, and that made Jane livid. If the UNSC hasn't begun moving to retire the often-faulty Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine as of yet, then accidents the likes of this one will be the reason that they do. As for the overall health of the Aurora Star, she's crippled. Unable to transition to slipspace, and barely able to limp along on her main engines, it's apparent to Jane that the Star is essentially a sitting duck. "So... any thoughts?" she asks her teammates, who appear to be as pissed as she is. Pissed at the unnecessary death in this already too-bloody war, and especially pissed at the fact that they are now stuck, unable to do anything. Without stopping twirling the knife that is his go-to pastime whenever there's a lull in the action, Seth pipes up. "I say we move out of the open. I mean, we've been drifting in relatively empty space for a while now, that planet getting bigger on the main screen the whole while..." He pauses, stalling the knife on one armored gauntlet as he stares in the general direction of said screen. His posture suggests that he's curious about something. "Say, Eden, where the hell even are we?" Almost as if on cue, a holographic projector spins up in the center of the bridge, creating an image of tidy man in a perfectly tailored suit, with a stars and stripes flag lapel pin on the jacket. "If my charts are accurate, we don't appear to be in any known sector of space." Eden pauses, flaring in color from cyan to a strange shade of violet. "However, based on preliminary scans, the planet that you refer to appears to be similar to Earth, even to the same degree as Reach." This gets Alice's attention. "Wait... you said similar to Reach?" Alice tightens her grip on her holstered M6-G sidearm. "But this system appears to be geocentric; surely those conditions can't coexist?" Eden scowls, turning a shade of green that's darker than even the three sets of MJOLNIR armor surrounding him. "Upon further analysis, it seems that Alice makes a valid observation. Not only is this system geocentric, but the astronomical scale is off by a ridiculous margin." Seth voices the entire team's thoughts: "And your point is?" "My point is either my readings are incorrect, or this planet that shouldn't be habitable is anyway. Regardless, it warrants a closer look, if you'd allow it." Eden seems to be glaring at Jane as he finishes his statement. "You mean we can move?" Jane asks, pleasantly surprised at the AI's nod. "Finally! Full available speed, current heading!" "Aye, answering quarter slow at one zero five by three five," Eden beckons to Jane. "You're not taking me with you, are you?" Jane pats the projector, then brings two fingers across her faceplate- the Spartan equivalent of a smile. "No, we're not. I'd prefer to have at least one party I can trust overhead, just in case we need orbital support. You know how to handle yourself, right?" Eden shifts back to his customary shade of blue, before waving his holographic hand to dismiss the Spartan. "Of course, of course. Just be careful; for all we know, this could be Covenant controlled space... pack one of the few remaining M-808s, will ya? Something about this incident just isn't adding up." Jane gives him a thumbs up- can do. Within minutes, the Spartans have packed one of the only surviving Pelican dropships, hooked up the last remaining Scorpion tank, and packed all the ammunition they can carry. A green status light reserved for Eden winks on, alerting Jane that the Aurora Star has settled into geosynchronous orbit above the mysterious planet. The shuttle bay doors open, and Green Team's journey is underway... Author's Note 1: The Elites' name for the Hunters' race 2: The Elites' name for their own race 3: The Elites' name for the Grunts' race 4: The Elites' name for the Jackals' race 5: Stalwart-class Light Frigate
A Walk in the Woods [UNSC, MLP] 1652 hours, July 25th, 2552 (Military Calendar) \ Unidentified Planet \ Unidentified System Upon landing, the Spartans had decided on a stealth recon. That's how decisions are often made on Green Team whenever possible- democracy. Otherwise, Jane had become the defacto leader over the years, thanks to her repeated split-second decisions that kept the entire team alive. Stashing the Pelican and the Scorpion, they had elected to take their usual setups, plus a little extra ammunition. Taking point is Seth. He's always shown a propensity for close quarters (hence the obsession with his knife), so in addition to the mandatory MA5K assault rifle and M6G magnum, he carries an M90 shotgun, which is currently slung over his back. In the rear is Alice, who is a crack shot, second only to Fred and Linda, who are assigned to Red and Blue, respectively. She carries an SRS99-AM sniper rifle slung over her back, which only sees action when she sets up a sniping post. Seth holds up a fist, telling the Spartans behind him to hold position. A quick gesture to Jane brings her forward to see what he's seeing. The Spartans have arrived at the opening to a pass in the mountain range they had landed in, which overlooks a large, elaborate city built into the side of the mountain. The sheer scale causes Jane to gasp involuntarily, even as she increases the magnification on her faceplate to get a better view of what had caused Seth to order the hold. What she sees causes her to do a double take. Below, at what appears to be the entrance to a large castle, a small Covenant force is engaging a much larger group of quadrupedal creatures. The battle is mismatched, but is oddly at a stalemate, with the Covenant firepower being stopped by intermittent shields that are being conjured by the defending forces, even as the Covenant is able to dodge all of their energy beams while slowly moving back towards a waiting Spirit. Letting out a low whistle, Jane turns to Alice and makes a rapid series of hand gestures- orders to set up a post on one of the nearby outcroppings and offer support. Alice winks a Green light in acknowledgement, and promptly switches weapons while heading off. Jane then turns to Seth, and gestures between the two remaining Spartans before pointing at the firefight below with two fingers. Seth winks green, then wastes no time moving in. Adjusting her grip on her M392 DMR, she beams a quick sample of the firefight back to the Aurora Star for Eden to analyze. The AI wastes no time in commenting, in the form of text that appears on her HUD. This certainly clears up quite a bit, but not without raising more questions. First, this clearly isn't Covenant-controlled space, otherwise they wouldn't be in a firefight. Likewise, those Covenant forces are wearing the same variants of armor as when they first made contact on Harvest, meaning that this planet's atmosphere is indeed breathable for your team. I'll begin scanning surrounding space for whatever ship that Spirit is registered to, though. I find it highly unlikely that a lone dropship would find its way into a sector of space where it might get fired upon. Good luck, Green. I trust you not to do anything unusually stupid. Burying any shred of doubt about the situation in a far corner of her mind, she rapidly flashes her green status light 5 times. Not a half second later, the first shot rings off, the sniper round burying itself in the head of one of the jackals. Then, all hell breaks loose. Late afternoon, several days after the Summer Sun Celebration Equus System \ Planet: Equus \ Friendship Castle It had been a normal day in Ponyville. By all accounts, it still was, save for that strange U-shaped flying object that had passed overhead that morning, headed for Canterlot. But Twilight hadn't paid it any attention- if anything, she's learned over the years that if she and her friends are needed, then Princess Celestia will contact them. No, instead Twilight had opted to take her friend Rarity's advice, and join her at the spa (albeit reluctantly, and only after Spike had promised to continue working on her royal duties while she took a break). Celestia knew she could use the chance to relax, and a fairly recent family vacation had proven that taking a short break to relax and clear the mind could do wonders for a pony's productivity when she returns. Fate, however, seems to have other plans. Twilight settles down in her throne in the map room, and picks up one of the many measures that require her attention to read through what was being requested of the Crown this time. Before she can start reading though, the door bursts open as Spike sprints in as fast has his little legs can carry him, carrying a scroll with the Royal Seal on it. "Twilight!" He yells, desperate to get her attention for whatever must've come up. "Twilight, you need to read this! It's from Princess Celestia, and... and... well, just read it!" Sighing internally, Twilight sets down the missive she had been about to peruse, and grabs the scroll that Spike is carrying in her magic. "Don't worry, Spike! I'm sure everything's o-..." Twilight trails off as she reads the letter. Her eyes narrow in disbelief as she reads the letter again, and then a third time. Finally, her eyes widen as the dispatch's contents finally register. "On second thought, do worry. I'll be back soon; sorry, Spike!" Then, she teleports from the room with a flash, leaving Spike rubbing his eyes. She reappears in the cave where the Tree of Harmony resides, and promptly sets to work warding the tree against anything that might try to steal the Elements of Harmony, which had been returned shortly after Twilight and her friends had helped the Pillars save Stygian from the clutches of the Pony of Shadows. "It feels so wrong, but if Princess Celestia is right, and they're after the Elements... we can't let that happen. These spells are necessary... I hope." Her work complete, Twilight exits the cave and casts a perception filter over the entrance, making it near-invisible. Then, she pictures the throne room in Canterlot in her mind, and fires off another teleportation spell, hoping she's not too late. 1702 hours, July 25th, 2552 (Military Calendar) \ Unidentified System \ Unidentified Planet \ Covenant- contested territory As soon as the jackal that Alice had shot hits the ground, chaos erupts. "Demons!" A grunt yells, only to eat a dose of buckshot as Seth breaks cover to open up the bloodbath. A few hundred meters away, Jane opens fire on the jackals with her DMR, shooting them first in the arm so that they flinch and expose their vulture-like faces, then putting them out of their misery with a deliberately placed shot between the eyes. Blue blood splatters all over the minuscule force as the Spartans overwhelm their otherwise unprepared foes. Meanwhile, the strange creatures that had been defending the castle don't question the sudden assistance from their unexpected allies, and continue to press the attack. In no time, the group has shredded through the almost two dozen jackals, and roughly half of the grunts, causing the two Elites to activate their camouflage and retreat to their Spirit, which departs immediately, shelling the forces on the ground with its plasma turret during its retreat. Lacking leadership, the remaining grunts begin to frenzy, only to quickly be cleaned up by Seth and the contingent strange quadrupeds, who have lost a few of their own in the skirmish. Flashing her green status light 3 times, Jane pauses to observe the strange creatures more closely. They are vaguely equine in shape, with a large horn jutting out of their foreheads. This causes Jane to think back to her training, when Déjà had taught them about the mythological creatures of old- she's reminded of one creature in specific: the unicorn. Opening up TEAMCOM, relays her observations. "Well, the Covenant know we're here, so there's no point in being radio silent. Tell me; do those creatures remind you of anything Déjà taught us?" "You're joking, right? You mean that you think these things are unicorns?" Seth asks sarcastically, knowing full well that Jane wouldn't propose such a thing for no reason. "I don't know, Jane. I'll admit that the semblance is uncanny, but still... it seems like a bit much," Alice reasons. "I feel like there's more to this than we know." The "unicorns" approach Green Team where they have gathered, conversing over COMs while appearing completely silent and stoic to any bystanders. The one that seems to be the leader of the group nickers at the Spartans, getting their attention. When it becomes clear that the Spartans don't understand them, he gestures for them to follow with a flick of his head. "I think they want us to follow them inside," Jane observes. "Who knows, maybe we'll finally find out what the hell is going on here." A trio of green lights wink acknowledgement on her HUD, with Eden's coming later than the other two. Somehow, knowing that Eden is watching what's happening through Jane's suit's camera comforts her. Creepy or not, there's just something about knowing that someone has her back makes her that much more confident as she follows the "unicorns" inside. Early evening, Several days after the Summer Sun Celebration Throne room, Canterlot Castle With a flash, Twilight materializes in the throne room. Before she can say a single word, she's immediately wrapped up in a hug from Celestia and, surprisingly, Luna. Upon being released from the embrace, Twilight is finally able to indulge her urge to ask questions. "Princesses! I got your letter; what happened?!" Luna is the first to respond. "Failed negotiations," she spits bitterly. "That's what happened." Twilight turns to Celestia with a puzzled expression. "This morning, a group of what we initially believed to be extraterrestrial diplomats arrived in our throne room," Celestia explains. "Unannounced. At first we couldn't understand a word they were saying, which seemed to visibly anger them, so we cast a translation spell. It's still in effect, operating only in this room for the time being." She adds, answering Twilight's question before she can ask it. She opens her mouth to continue, but is interrupted by the door opening for a guard to relay news. "Your highnesses, I have an update about the skirmish at our front gates." The tan unicorn rises from his bow, only to see Celestia indicating for him to continue. "The invaders have been driven off, two of them leaving in the same craft the whole group arrived in. However, it wasn't us that finished the fight; a trio of armored creatures came down from the cliffs of Mt Canterhorn and opened fire on the invaders." Celestia frowns as she does the math in her head. "There were seventy-five of them this morning, yet you only said that two escaped. What happened to the rest, Private?" The guard shifts uneasily. "They're dead, you're highness. Systematically wiped out by the armored trio without prejudice." As the Private speaks these words, Twilight's blood runs cold. How could any creature be capable of such a mindless act of violence? Then, Celestia addresses the guard in her coldest "to-the-sun" voice yet, making Twilight further uncomfortable. "Bring them here," She orders. "I'd like to know what that type of approach was all about." "Of course, your highness. Right away" The guard bows, and makes a hasty exit. 1758 hours, July 25th, 2552 (Military Calendar) \ Unidentified System \ Unidentified Planet \ Mysterious Castle The Spartans approach a large set of double doors, which appear to be large enough to fit an entire Longsword through without any damage. All around them, the creatures seem to be conversing in what Jane can best describe as "horse noises," which, of course, none of the Spartans can understand. What happens next, however, Jane would never have been able to predict would happen. The doors open, and as the group passes over the threshold, everything shifts. Suddenly, the strange noises register as perfect English. "Did everyone else just hear that?!" Seth asks over TEAMCOM. "Yes, I did," Jane comments dryly. "And I don't like it; what is this nonsense?!" "I don't know, but I have a feeling they might be able to shed some light on the subject." Alice gestures at the three creatures near the center of the room, who seem to be looking at the Spartans expectantly. The one in the center is staring so intently that Jane instinctively checks to make sure her shields are still at full strength. Then, the creature in question speaks. "Welcome," she begins, in a regal, and very feminine voice. "To Equestria. I believe you have some explaining to do..."
Heretic, Hero (Part 1) [UNSC, MLP] Late evening, several days after the Summer Sun Celebration \ Throne room \ Canterlot Castle "Welcome to Equestria," Celestia greets the armored trio, her voice only getting colder by the minute. Truth be told, it's scaring Twilight how unforgiving her mentor's tone is getting; she'd never seen Celestia get this upset before. "I believe you have some explaining to do. But first," Celestia gestures to the creatures' armor, "if you would be so kind, please reveal your faces and introduce yourselves; I prefer to know who I'm speaking with." Twilight observes the group of creatures with bated breath. A thousand different scenarios play out in her head as the trio of strange creatures stand silently in the center of the room. Based on their body language, they appear to be communicating with one another somehow. Then, the one in the center shrugs and removes the head of it's armor, revealing its face. The other two that are flanking it follow suit. Then, in a voice that clearly belongs to a mare, the one in the center speaks in perfectly fluent Equish. "Figures. Always to the point, even in the midst of utter nonsense." Turning to address Celestia, she finally introduces herself. "Well, might as well indulge you. You can call me Jane, I guess. Although it's interesting that you say we need to explain ourselves, Ms..." she trails off, looking to Celestia for guidance. "You may call me Princess Celestia," the princess provides. The creature in the green armor mouths the words a few times, almost as if she is tasting them. "Right... anyway, Princess Celestia, I don't know if you're aware of what's been happening elsewhere in the galaxy, but the bastards we helped your soldiers out with kind of want us dead. We simply returned the favor before they could get their wish." At this snarky declaration, the ponies in the room grimace in near unison. Even Celestia seems to lose her famously calm demeanor over this revelation. "But cold blooded murder? How can you justify such a thing?" This time, the one on the right speaks up, in a voice that establishes it as a stallion. "We do what we need to survive, ma'am. It's us or them; they want to see our race extinguished, no matter the cost. We want to carry on living. Believe it or not, the UNSC tried diplomacy first, back on Harvest. You know what those alien bastards did? Killed everyone on the planet- women, children, all of them." As the armored stallion speaks, Twilight shudders at the images put in her head by his story. What kind of monsters were capable of such a thing, harming innocent foals like that? The stallion continues, oblivious to the adverse reactions of Celestia and Luna. "Then, to make sure that the job was done, they fired plasma at the surface from orbit, turning the entire planet's surface to nothing but glass. They did this to planet after planet, slowly working their way towards our home world. They could do this to your world, ma'am, and they wouldn't even have a second thought." He pauses for a moment, chin resting on an armored fist. "Heh, almost forgot. Name's Seth, and don't forget it." "Surely you're exaggerating--" Luna begins, only to be cut off by the last armored creature, this one also a mare. "No, we're not. As much as we wish we were, we're not. The Covenant doesn't do anything halfway... especially in combat." She pauses, scratching the back of her bare head with an armored claw. "Come to think of it, Elites normally don't retreat. Something's not adding up here... anyway, please call me Alice. It is my name, after all..." Twilight looks from the one that calls itself Jane, to the ones flanking her, Seth and Alice. Without the helmets, they almost seem approachable. Friendly, even. But if they are the good guys in the fight that they've described, then how could they be capable of the mindless killing they had displayed earlier? Were they really so desperate that they couldn't find a less violent solution? With a pained expression, Twilight turns to Celestia, who seems to already be on the same page. "If you three will excuse my sister, my student and I, we need to discuss a few things." Celestia turns to the door hidden behind her throne; the one that will lead to her private quarters, and beckons Luna and Twilight to follow. "Don't think that you're off the hook yet; we still have quite a bit to chat about." Then, Twilight follows her fellow princesses through the door. 1827 hours, July 25th, 2552 (Military Calendar) \ Unknown System \ Unknown Planet \ "Equestria" (Local Designation) As Jane watches the creature calling herself Celestia and her two counterparts retreat through a hidden door to "discuss things," she can only shake her head. So far, this "Equestria" place is on track to have the most demanding leadership she's ever come across, and that's saying something. It's not easy to outdo Mendez's drill instructors in that department. Fortunately, Jane doesn't have long to brood on such thoughts, as a flashing light inside her helmet grabs her attention, and she quickly slips it back on. "New intel obtained; standing by to deliver." Jane chuckles, wondering just what Eden must've thought about the conversation with this Celestia character, if it could really be called anything other than an interrogation. "Oh, look. You finally decided to put your helmet back on. I said the air was breathable; I did NOT say to break every protocol in the book..." Jane rolls her eyes. "Well, you have my attention now, so why not get on with it?" "Either way, we can discuss this later. For now, get the rest of Green to get their helmets on as well. You're all going to want to see this." Raising an eyebrow, Jane decides to play along. She opens the COM channel that lets her speak normally to those around her, without the need to remove her helmet. "Green, helmets on. Eden says he has something for us." Once all the helmets have found their owners' heads, she continues. "Alright Eden, what have you got?" "Quite a bit more than you did from that little chat you had with the locals, I daresay. Speaking of which, how could you even understand them? They weren't even speaking English!" Seth chuckles dryly. "I wish I could say we knew, man. One moment, all we could hear was snorts and whinnies. The next, it was like the world adjusted itself so we could understand everything... fucking bullshit, if you ask me. I'd almost rather take an energy sword to the gut over dealing with all this nonsense." "I see. Well, I can tell you the same happened for those two Elites you let escape- nice work, by the way. All sarcasm intended, mind you. The idea is NOT to paint a target on your skulls, which is exactly what you did by letting that Ship Master and his buddy escape." This time, Alice butts in. "Hey, it's not like we could've expected that would happen. You know as well as we do that the Covenant doesn't retreat, Eden." Jane can't help but admire Alice, especially in moments like this where her inner badass comes out to play, usually followed by some insanely wise statement. "Besides... there's no point in crying over what's been done. We can't change it, so it's time to face the music." "Yes, that is a very astute observation. Regardless, they couldn't understand what happened, either. Turns out that it spooked one of their Grunts so badly that the thing opened fire. The skirmish you interrupted is what ensued." "I guess the old saying is true; our enemies aren't that dissimilar from us," Jane muses. "Tell me; got anything, oh, I don't know, usable?" "You know I don't appreciate that kind of snarky reply, Jane. However, the answer is yes, I do. Not much, though; for some reason this particular crew has some insane level of OpSec- even the religious rhetoric is toned down from what we'd normally expect. Let's start broad; we are currently located in the Equus System, with you being on the aptly named planet, Equus. Got it so far?" "Well, I think I can start to see the theme," Seth snarks. "Technicolor horses, all the names of places so far being horse-related puns, black magic fuckery all around... come to think of it, that would explain quite a bit. Either we're tripping balls right now, or these horse things are doing some kind of hoodoo-voodoo black magic to make some of the things we've seen happen so far." He cocks his head to one side ever so slightly, as far as his armor will let him. "Which reminds me; their ruler is a princess, this place is far too colorful to be real, and to top it all off they referred to open combat as 'cold blooded murder' like they've never been at war before. I wouldn't be surprised if we were in the middle of some fucked up variation of a children's story right now, to be honest." Jane and Alice stare blankly at Seth, who is now shifting his weight back and forth uncomfortably. "Something wrong, Seth?" "No, I'm fine," he shrugs. "I certainly as hell don't feel like I just broke some kind of fourth wall right now." "Right... I'll just pretend you didn't say that, and continue like nothing happened. Regardless, based on what I've been able to glean from the sparse communications among the Covenant forces around here, it seems that they're looking for some kind of weapon. There's talk of some other objective, but not enough to determine what said objective would have been. Either way, it seems that they failed that one because the Grunt with the itchy trigger finger." "Is it just me, or does this Celestia character have more to explain to us than vice versa?" Alice asks nobody in particular. "Celestia? You mean the white one?" "Yes," Jane responds. "The white one. And yes, I think that she has some explaining of her own to do. Anything else, Eden?" "Not at this time. I'll continue scanning; I haven't quite locked onto a position for whatever parent ship that Spirit was returning to, nor have I gotten a name, but as soon as I know more I'll pass it along. Good luck." Jane takes a moment to absorb the new information she's been given. The Covenant are looking for something, but what? Still pondering, she turns around to face the raised dais with the throne on it once again, where the trio of winged, horned equines are just standing there, watching them. Jane removes her helmet once more, and Green follows suit. "So... the Covenant are looking for a weapon" Jane begins. "What do you know?" Celestia bows her head with an expression of defeat, and remains that way for several long, awkward minutes of silence. Finally, she raises her head and begins speaking, but not to the Spartans. "Twilight, gather the Elements and your friends... I only want to have this conversation once." The lavender one, now identified as Twilight, disappears in a flash of light. Author's Note This chapter is the last one I'm releasing before entering the marked hiatus. Part 2, when I get around to it, will loop back and tell the midsection from the Princesses' perspective, before actually going forward with the story. Also, blah blah blah, no editor, if you see a glaring mistake feel free to point it out in the comments. To explain a few things, the Spartans' personalities are a few different combinations of parts of the Mane 6's personalities, with some unique things tossed in. However, certain aspects of their characters couldn't come out to play before they came to Equestria, so they're unaware of these aspects of themselves until they DO come out to play (yadda yadda yadda, something about magic, we all know the trope that this is an attempt at an original interpretation of). I'll be pulling a similar stunt with the Ship Master, but you'll have to wait for him to appear again for me to explain what I mean. Seth shares Rainbow Dash's fighting spirit and Pinkie Pie's perceived ability to break the 4th wall. His fiery temper and tendency to make decisions on the fly are only countered by his undying loyalty to his teammates, and his desperation not to disappoint Jane. (Chaotic Good) Alice shares Fluttershy's trademark shyness and Applejack's perceived wisdom (when it decides to come out to play, that is; we've seen AJ make some pretty dumb decisions over the years). She wants nothing more than to see her team return from each and every mission safely, and that desire WILL be her downfall. (Lawful Good) Jane is a natural born leader, sharing an odd combination of Twilight's propensity for planning and Rarity's perceived ability to improvise under pressure. She tends to plan things far enough ahead that she has contingencies for her contingencies, although usually not enough ammo to act on Plan D. (Neutral Good)
