This Ain’t No Place For No Hero

Previously on Starfleet: MiB…

The Land of Nevernever, the twisted, alien homeland of Titania and her Fae kin, was not a place Lightning Dawn, Andromeda Aquila, and the rest of their Starfleet team ever imagined they would travel to. But fate, much like life, is a fickle thing, and that is precisely what happened. Summoned home in order to discuss demands Horus had made of Titania’s parents, Queen Mab and King Oberon, the Fae Princess guided the team through the various twists and turns of her home. The alien morality of the Fae became apparent during the time the Solarans spent in the royal palace, where Titania’s murder of a Changeling servant who had stumbled and spilled wine on Lightning led to him striking her. Fortunately for him, a creature, constructed by Horus, arrived before the vengeful Fae could hunt Lightning down. Intent on stealing Titania away to be his bride, the sorcerer received a nasty surprise when Titania easily killed the creature, ruining his plans for her. After taking out his rage on Cassiopeia, he stormed out of his throne room. Unbeknownst to Horus, his long record of abusing his three minions has finally pushed all three of them over the edge into rebellion. Now, Kratos, Erebus and Cassiopeia, the former driven by a desire to be free to find worthy foes, the latter two driven by love for each other, and a desire to be free from the shackles of immortality, became bound by the same purpose: Bide their time, then kill Horus when the day of reckoning came.

So, the three of them will wait, pretending to still be loyal, and Lightning Dawn will continue to train under the harsh eye of Andromeda…

Five days after the failure of the Golem to seize Princess Titania, Erebus was pacing. Horus was not in the room; the living shadow could hear him loudly berating Kratos in another part of the fortress. So, Erebus was free to move about as he wished for the time being. For once, he noted with bitter humor, his suicidal melancholy had been replaced by boredom. He didn't even notice Cassiopeia enter.

“Hello, my love.” she whispered, stroking the spot where his mane would have been. “You seem bored. Is something the matter?”

“I am bored.” He said dryly. “Standing guard for five days straight wears down the nerves very fast.”

“As does having to put on a facade of vanity and applying makeup.” Cassiopeia muttered. “That’s all Horus thinks I’m good for, anyway…”

“What he thinks doesn't matter, my love.” Erebus said. “What matters is that you and I know there is more to you than that.”

“Like what?” she asked rhetorically.

“Well, there's your smile, which is the first thing that I fell in love with about you.” Erebus replied, well aware the question was rhetorical, but responding anyway. Cassiopeia smirked.

“Oh? What else?” she continued, this time taking a more playful tone.

“Hmmm...I love hearing you laugh.” Erebus said. “I could go on and on, but I am sure you get my point.”

“Indeed I do. Thank you for feeding my ego, darling.” she said half-jokingly, hugging him.

“Oh, my dear, it's what I live for.” He replied.

“I wonder why Horus is taking out his aggression on Kratos this time.”

“Who knows?” Erebus said, shrugging. “I doubt our esteemed master really needs a reason. At least, that's what he would claim.” Cassiopeia rolled her eyes as Kratos exited Horus’ chamber, bruised and bloody.

“...I...despise him…” he growled. “I did nothing wrong.”

“Of course not.” Erebus said. He didn't fear Horus overhearing them; the sorcerer never emerged from his chambers after a rage until several hours later. “He thinks of you as a dumb brute, Kratos, and nothing more, which shows just how little he knows about you.”

“It is the same with all of us.” Kratos said. “Reduced to only one trait in his mind.”

“Indeed.” Erebus said, snorting. “To him, I am a silent assassin, devoid of any emotion, Cass here is a vain, air-headed sorceress, and you are a violent, ignorant brute.”

“I am not the smartest one out of all of us, that is true.” Kratos said.

“But you are intelligent, Kratie, love.” Cassiopeia remarked. “When it comes to fighting and everything related to it, you know more than Erebus and I.”

Erebus nodded in agreement. “You do not deserve the brutal treatment Horus forces you to endure, my friend. Soon enough, he will bleed for it.”

“Yes.” Kratos nodded as well. “But we must plan first.”

“Of course.” Erebus replied. “For now, we bide our time, and play the parts Horus expects us to. We will plan in secret, and when the time is right…we end his miserable existence.”

Meanwhile, Lightning Dawn’s training continued. It was as harsh and brutal as ever, with Andromeda not relenting in the slightest. She and Lightning were sparring in the library once again. He could hold his ground a bit better, but he was ultimately still hilariously outmatched. He charged at her once more, attempting to use his wing to deliver a flying punch, but was knocked onto the floor by a block, then a punch, from Andromeda.

“Get up!” she growled after he didn't rise. “We're not done.”

“Yes we are.” Lightning insisted. “I’m tired, and I’ve been training non-stop for a week…”

“Get. Up.” Andromeda said, her tone eerily calm. “Now. Or I will cause you pain beyond your wildest nightmares.”

This would have caused Lightning Dawn to, under normal circumstances, bolt upright out of fear. Instead, he continued laying on the floor, not moving. This made Andromeda more than a little angry. It took a fair amount of restraint on her part not to begin kicking him.

“Do you think your enemies will care if you are tired, Dawn?” She asked him. “No, they won't. They'll use your fatigue to their advantage and cut your throat while you are unprepared.”

The alicorn prince, despite being tired, got up and back into a fighting stance. The next round of sparring didn't last long before he was knocked down again. Andromeda could sense the disapproving stares she was getting from the other members of her team, along with her aunt and Propheta.

“What?” She snapped at them.

“Don’t take that tone with me, young lady. You need to let him rest, Andromeda.” Libra said. “You’ve put him through the wringer long enough.”

“Yeah.” Nitro agreed. “He can’t train 24/7, otherwise he won’t be able to fight.”

Andromeda let out a frustrated sigh, sitting in a nearby chair.

“I should have told the Grand Ruler to go fuck himself. Why should I be saddled with a new recruit, green as grass, when I also have to deal with the return of Horus?” The pressure from having to train non-stop for a week had caused Lightning untold amounts of stress, but that statement finally made him crack like an egg.

“Who are you to disrespect my father the way you do?! YOU DON’T CARE, YOU JUST WANT TO KILL HORUS AND BE DONE WITH IT, DON’T YOU?! THERE HAS TO BE A REASON FOR THAT, HUH?! TELL ME, OFFICER AQUILA, WHAT REASONS DO YOU HAVE FOR PUTTING YOUR DUTIES BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE? AS YOUR PRINCE, I ORDER YOU TO SPILL THE BEANS!” Lightning was never one to excise his authority except when necessary, but his exhaustion had made him incredibly temperamental and on-edge.

Andromeda was silent for a moment, before she drew a knife and slammed it into the arm of the chair she sat in.

“I do not care that you are the Prince of the Imperium. If you command me again, Lightning Dawn...you will be fucking your future bride with a wooden cock. Understand? I do not give your father respect because he does not deserve it. He has done nothing for me. Nothing.”

“...And that just proves my point, Officer. You care for nothing but your duties and yourself. All I want to know is ‘why?’ What made you into a jaded shell of a young mare?”

Rosebud cut in before Andromeda could speak, her tone unamused, “Do not imply that she doesn't care about anything but herself and her duties. You don't know Andie. Not like I do.”

“Must we argue like this?” Titania interjected, the three birds she had adopted sitting on her shoulders. “Can we be civil, and give everyone here a chance to speak without being attacked?”

“It’s ‘everypony’, Titania. But she has a point.” Trini replied. “So let’s all just calm down, and talk like civilized ponies.”

Titania blinked, but didn't reply. Andromeda sighed, crossing her arms.

“Very well.” She said. “I haven't told any of you much about myself, have I? Rosebud already knows the tale. She and I grew up in the same neighborhood, after all.”

“You did?” Bridge said. “I never knew you were from Redwood Meadows, Andie.”

“Indeed, I am. The place is a shithole.” She said. “Unless you live in one of the fancy mansions owned by the rich stallions and mares who staked their claim on the best real estate, Redwood Meadows is a terrible place to live.”

“If I may ask,” said Lightning Dawn. “Did you grow up in one of the mansions?”

“No, she didn’t.” Libra said. “Despite the beauty of the place, no doubt due to how it has a stranglehold on the florist enterprise, it's absolutely terrible.”

“And even then, only the rich have flowers.” Andromeda said. “I didn't see my first flower until I was 12.”

“So what happened?” Bridge asked. “How’d you get involved with the Adeptus Spatium and all that?”

Andromeda leaned back in her chair. “I suppose I should start by telling you about my parents. Or, at least, my mother. I never knew my father. You see, I have the honor of being the child of a whore. My mother was a whore. As you can imagine, growing up in that particular household wasn't easy.”

“It was not. My sister, her name was Aquarius, didn’t care that she had a daughter from one of her clients. All she cared about was screwing whoever paid her, mare or stallion.” Libra elaborated.

“As you can imagine, I was picked on a lot.” Andromeda said. “I remember one particular day, one incident that really stands out. This was the day I met you, Rose. Remember?”

“I do. Several colts were teasing Andie, calling her things ranging from ‘geek’ or ‘nerd’ to more vulgar and personal insults like ‘Mommy’s little slut-in-training.’”

Andromeda chuckled a bit. “You got to witness me snap, didn't you?”

She turned to the others. “I was 11 years old, then, but make no mistake, I was far from harmless…”

Andromeda Aquila, dressed in a ratty old sweater, moth-eaten pajama pants, and unwashed, smelly shoes, walked through the rain. Her mother had kicked her out of their small apartment ten minutes earlier, giving Andromeda a few coins and sending her out, welcoming in a middle-aged stallion who smelled of sweat and piss. Andromeda was young, but she was far from stupid. She knew very well what her mother did for work. She could hear it through the paper-thin walls while she tried to sleep.

Andromeda shivered, her clothes providing very little warmth. There was a stallion a few blocks from the apartment building she lived in that sold bread and cheese. Her stomach growled at the thought. It wouldn't be much, but she hadn't eaten in almost two days, and food was food.

Then, she heard footsteps from behind. Of course. She should have expectedthemto follow her.

“Oh, lookie here, boys.” a colt three years older than her, with pink fur, blonde bangs covering his eyes, a wide smirk on his face. He was dressed in a black jacket with a skull pattern, which showed off that typical ‘edgy’ characteristic of young stallions his age. The fact that his fur was pink did nothing to make his bullying ways less effective. “It’s Andie the Nerdy Slut. I wonder where she’s off to?”

“Leave me alone, Blaze…” Andromeda said softly. “I'm just going to buy food.”

“I’m not letting you go anywhere. That is, unless you show me what you’re mom’s been teaching you.”

Andromeda knew what he meant. She knew the things her mother did for money. She also knew how angry her mother got if Andromeda was seen or heard by the clients that came to the apartment. Her fists clenched.

“I'm not doing anything of the sort, Blaze.” She said flatly. “Why don't you have one of your buddies do it for you instead? I'm sure they'd enjoy it.” Blaze’s smirk turned into a frown, and he shook with rage.

“...You’re askin’ for it now, filly…” he growled out, raising his fist. As he moved to punch her, Andromeda caught his arm, snapping it at the wrist. She then drove her knee into his balls. Blaze let out a yell of pain, alerting the stallion who she’d been going to in the first place.

“...I should’ve known it was you, Blaze Brand…” the stallion, named Sourdough Loaf, said flatly. “And frankly, I say you deserve it.”

What Andromeda did next was a little less deserved. She pushed Blaze to the ground, before getting on top of him and beginning to beat his face in. The building resentment that his years of bullying had caused finally exploded. She was restrained after a solid minute of this, by Sourdough and a filly she didn't recognize, leaving Blaze a broken, bleeding mess, but not before she bent her head down, tearing out a chunk of skin from his right cheek with her teeth. Sourdough kept her restrained as he called for an ambulance to take Blaze to the hospital.

Andromeda spat out the chunk of skin, turning to the filly who had pulled her away from Blaze.

“Who are you?” She asked.

“Rosebud Flora.” the red filly responded. “Nice to meetcha.”

“Yeah.” Andromeda said, chuckling as she sat back in her chair. “It wasn't the most traditional first meeting between future best friends, was it?”

“Nope. Though, Sourdough said your actions were ‘uncalled for’. As if Blaze didn’t deserve it.” Rosebud laughed.

“He ended up overdosing on ‘floor polish’ two years after that, if memory serves.” Andromeda responded, a smirk still on her face.

Lightning winced. “Dead at 16...rough way to go…”

“Yup.” She said, her tone making it clear she felt no sympathy for Blaze. “Killed himself with heroin. He must have been taking it to dull the pain. He never did quite recover from what I did to him.”

“...Heroin...as in...opiates?” Lightning questioned. “How a kid like that got his hands on that stuff, I’ll never know.”

“Trust me, you don’t.” Rosebud said. “Anyways, Sourdough was angry at Andie, but he hated her mom even more.”

“So, instead of telling her what I did, he sent me on my way. I went to another part of town to find food, and Rose here tagged along.”

Andromeda, fifteen minutes after nearly killing Blaze, was, once again, trekking through the rain. Now, however, her hands were covered with blood, she had a metallic taste on her tongue, and she had a companion. Rosebud Flora. Andromeda wasn't sure what to make of her.

“So…” she said. “How did you happen to come across me beating the piss out of Blaze Brand?”

“I live a bit further down, and I had heard that little horseapple shouting for you not to hurt him.” Rosebud explained.

“Ah.” Andromeda responded. “So...um…I suppose you'll be on your way then, right? You helped me, did your good deed, and now you're off.”

“...No. You’re my friend now, Andie. And friends don’t turn their backs on each other.” Rosebud said firmly.

Andromeda was stunned. She had never had a friend before; No one had ever called her ‘Andie.’ Not even her mother, who preferred more...rude names for Andromeda. She pulled Rosebud into a tight embrace.

“Thank you.” She whispered. She didn’t notice the latter blush, but Rosebud hugged her back nonetheless.

“Thanking me? For what? Being a decent pony?”

“For being my friend.” Andromeda replied. “I've...never had one before.”

“You haven’t, huh?” Rosebud said. “Well, I’m glad to be your first.”

Andromeda smiled, before pulling away from her.

“Come on. I would like to eat, and I'm sure you do, too.”

“Yeah, I do. Where’re we gonna go?”

“I know a place that has really good food. It's not far from here.” Andromeda replied. “You and I are going to steal as much as we can carry.”

“Wait...stealing?! But that’s wrong!” she protested.

“Which is worse: Stealing enough food to fill our bellies, or starving because our so-called loved ones don't care enough to feed us?” Andromeda retorted.

“I guess you have a point.” Rosebud said. “Let’s go.”

“We then did just that.” Andromeda said. “We stole enough food to last us weeks. Rose distracted the mares who ran the place, while I took as much as I could carry from their kitchen.”

“Boy, did we feast, she and I.” Rosebud said. Andromeda grinned.

“That, we did.” She replied. “That, we did. I felt quite sick when I finished, but I would take that feeling over intense hunger any day. I'm sure you agree, Rose.”

“And how.” she said. “Now, I’m sure Lightning here is wondering how you and I got involved in the Adeptus Spatium...now that’s quite a story.”

“It is. It's also a story he isn't hearing yet.” Andromeda said. “I feel I should tell you all about the fate of my mother. It was rather fitting, if I do say so myself. One of her clients shot her in the head, then turned his weapon on himself.”

“What’d he use?” Bridge asked.

“Laser blaster.” Rosebud said matter-of-factly.

“When I was told what had happened, I remember my response: ‘Good.’” Andromeda said flatly. “By that point, I hadn't stepped foot in the apartment for almost five years. Rose and I were sixteen when it happened. By that point, we were stealing a lot more than food. If we could grab it, carry it, and sell it, we took it.”

“We were living on the streets, but with the money we were making, that wasn’t too big of an issue.” Rosebud explained.

“I tried cocaine, which we sold a lot of, for the first, and only, time not long before my mother died.” Andromeda recalled. “That was an interesting experience.”

“Yeah, it was!” Rosebud cheered. “Then we kinda...sorta...experimented…”

Bridge, who had finished brewing some tea for himself, did a spit take. “Say what?!”

“We experimented.” Rosebud repeated, her blush growing deeper. “I mean, I already knew I liked mares at that point, but I still wasn’t so sure.”

“We were young, hormonal, and living free of rules.” Andromeda said simply. “This turn of events really isn't all that surprising. I wasn't quite sure which I preferred at that point, stallions or mares. I knew I liked Rose a lot, though, and the bit of cocaine I did removed my inhibitions for a while.”

“I thought you said you were as straight as a ruler, in your own words?” Libra asked, grinning mischievously.

“That wasn't a complete lie. I do prefer stallions for the most part. Rose, however...well...let's just say she was an exception to that rule.” Rose grinned.

“Awww, thanks, Andie.”

“Yeah, yeah, don't let it go to your head.” Andromeda grumbled. “Anyway, we practically ran the streets by that point. Nothing happened without us knowing about it. Every drug deal, every murder, every mugging…Rose and I learned of it within minutes of it occurring. How, you may ask? Street urchins. We learned that not only are colts and fillies practically invisible to stallions and mares, but they'll do just about anything if you feed them when they're hungry. We kept them fed, the little ones spied for us.”

“Ruling Redwood Meadows single handedly was fun while it lasted, but then we met Libra and Propheta.”

“That didn't change a damn thing, though. It wasn't them that pushed us to join Starfleet.” Andromeda snorted. “I told the two of them as much the day we met.”

Andromeda, not long after her sixteenth birthday, learned something quite surprising: She had an aunt, an aunt who lived in one of the mansions that loomed above Redwood Meadows. Andromeda learned this after one of her filly spies came back and told her that a mare named Libra was looking for her, claiming to be her aunt. So, she met Libra in the center of town, taking Rosebud along with her.

“So, you're my aunt, huh?” Andromeda said, the three of them seated at a table.

“Yes. Your mother and I never got along, though I’m still saddened by her death.”

“I'm not.” Andromeda said bluntly. “I'm only sad it was quick.”

“For somepony your age, you’re quite jaded, aren’t you?”

“Not all of us get to grow up in fancy mansions.” Andromeda spat. “I've had to fight for survival my entire life.”

“I can see that.” Libra said. “But what if I could get you out of this damned place into somewhere better?”

“Interesting…” Rosebud muttered. By this point, she had developed into a shapely young earth pony mare, with curves and the right amounts of muscle in all the right places. “What’s in it for us?”

“A nice home, clean beds, hot meals…” Libra began. “...and a place in the Adeptus Spatium.”

“...And what of the other ponies here?” Andromeda asked. She had also developed a lot by this point, her form lean and muscular, with curves that could draw any eye. “What of the young colts and fillies we keep fed? I can't just abandon them. The gangs here will rip them apart if Rose and I aren't here to keep them safe.”

“I have connections in the Administratum. I can get them into the best Solaran orphanages where they can find good homes.”

“Thanks, but I'll pass. Take your offer with you and fuck off.” Andromeda said, venom in her tone.

“What is wrong with my offer?” Libra asked, her tone reasonable yet inquisitive.

“Where were you when my mother was whoring herself out while I was trying to sleep? Where were you when she beat me? Where were you when I was nearly raped[/i ]by colts two or three times my age because they thought I was a slut like her, huh? Tell me, auntie. Where the fuck were you?!”

Libra stared at her silently. “...You’re right. I wasn’t there when you most needed me. Why should now be any different?” she said apologetically, then began walking away. “My offer still stands, though you will not need it for now.”

Andromeda snorted, before giving Libra a crude hand gesture as a farewell.

“Part of me still hates you.” Andromeda told her aunt. “I think part of me always will.”

“I understand completely, and I don’t blame you.” Libra said. “Part of me, no, all of me will always regret not being there for you sooner.”

“We never did take you up on your offer.” Andromeda recalled. “We were focused more on each other for a while than anything else. Sound about right, Rose?”

“Oh, yeah.” she replied, before kissing Andromeda on the cheek. Andromeda blushed a bit, grinning widely and putting an arm around Rosebud.

“Now, you want to hear about Starfleet, Dawn?” She asked. “I'll tell you about Starfleet. The day that changed everything, the day that set Rose and I on the path to becoming Starfleet officers...the day I killed for the first time...was the day the stallion who would become the closest thing I have ever had to a father arrived in Redwood Meadows. Any guesses as to who I am talking about?”

“...Cortland Andrus.” Libra guessed.

“Wait.” Lightning interrupted. “Isn’t he dead? He was incredibly old the last time I saw him.”

“I met him for the first time nine years ago.” Andromeda replied. “I met him for the last time three years ago, just before he set out on his last mission. He was quite old, yes. However, age, as I quickly learned, didn't dull old Cort’s senses one bit…”

About a month after Andromeda first met her aunt, a grizzled old earth pony stallion named Cortland Andrus walked into Redwood Meadows. He wore a black trench coat, trousers, and boots that went about halfway up his shins, with a wide-brimmed hat resting on his head. His fur and mane were both a steely grey, and a jagged scar crossed the left side of his face, running from his chin to just above his eye, which was a milky white. The only clue anypony looking at him would have about his allegiance was a small patch on the right arm of his coat, bearing the symbol and motto of Starfleet. Another symbol, just below the Starfleet one, marked him as an officer. He strolled through the streets, idly chewing a wad of tobacco as he went.

Rosebud had been eating a peanut butter, jelly, and daisy sandwich when she had seen Cort strolling along the streets. “MMMFFFF!” she greeted him with a wave and her mouth full of food.

Cort snorted. “Well, isn't that a greeting?” He said dryly, his tone deep and rough. Rose chewed her food, then swallowed.

“Apologies, sir.” she said. “I was just saying hello.”

“Next time you greet a stranger, I would do it when your mouthisn'tfull of food.” Cort replied dryly. “My name's Cortland Andrus, miss. Greetings.”

“Greetings, Mr. Andrus. My name is Rosebud Flora, but everypony calls me Rose. What brings you into town?”

Cort spat onto the ground near his feet, but before he could answer, he heard footsteps behind him. It was more than one pair of feet, and to his trained ear, they didn't sound very friendly. He turned around, curious to see who was approaching. A mugger, drunk by the looks of it. “OK, popssshh…” he slurred. “Hand over yer shit, and you don’t get hurt…”

His group of friends, Cort noted, looked less drunk, and more angry. He snorted, before speaking, “You all look unhappy to see me. What is it you don't like? Is it the hat? The coat? Or my officer patch?”

“Your whole stinkin’ body.” a mare replied, spitting at him. “Why don’t you go preach about friendship and rainbows, or some other babyshit?”

“Oh, what's the matter, love?” Cort asked mockingly. “You don't want to be my friend? I'm hurt. Really, I am.”

“Oh, you’re gonna be hurt after I’m through with you, One-Eyed Willy.” the mare replied, cracking her knuckles.

“Alright, you lovely bastards, I'll cut this short. I'm not here to preach about friendship and harmony. I'm also not afraid of picking fights, so if you don't sod off and stay out of my way, you'll be eating food through a plastic tube in a hospital bed for the rest of your lives.” Cort said, his tone no longer containing any amusement, mocking or otherwise. “I'll give you all one chance to depart. Otherwise, this will get ugly, and believe me, you don't want it to.”

“Oh, really?” the drunk stallion challenged. “Try *hic* usshh…”

“Yeah, what are you gonna do?” another stallion asked mockingly. “You're old, and there's only one of you.”

“By the gods, are you rhyming?” Cort asked, his tone incredulous. “Why are you rhyming!?”

“I rhyme because I am good with words. Who’s to say that they are like songs of the birds?”

“SHUT THE FUCK UP, RHYMEY!” the mare shouted.

“Are those stars in your mane?” Cort asked her, his tone mocking once again. “I suppose your parents named you something witty and original, right? Let me guess: your name is Starla. Am I close?”

“Starla Shine, yes. My drunk coltfriend here is Lightning Dawn.” she lied. As if he were the Prince, Cort thought with a snort.

“Nice try, but the Prince is a fair bit younger than your penis of the month here. Also, he doesn't smell like dog piss.”

This made ‘Lightning Dawn’ try to punch Cort. For his troubles, he ended up on the ground, both of his arms snapped cleanly at the elbow. Cort had barely moved.

“Anypony else?” He asked as the drunk stallion howled in pain. “I haven't had a good scrap in days, so if you wish to fight, it's your funeral.”

The others backed away, running off like a chicken with no head. That was, until they were all hit with a strange bout of courage. After all, maybe the old stallion had just gotten lucky? He couldn't possibly take them all on at once...right? Starla and the others charged at him, roaring. A fight broke it, and it went very poorly for Starla and her companions. Rhymey, who was better suited to writing bad poetry than fighting, ended up getting his lower jaw and three of his ribs broken. Starla lost several teeth and had her skull fractured. She would live, and make a surprising recovery, but she would never be able to look at the Starfleet symbol again without shaking in fear.

The closest any of them came to killing Cort was near the end of the fight, when a stallion named Arthur, nicknamed Artie by his friends, tried to shoot him with a laser blaster. Before he could fire, however, an arrow pierced his throat. He burgled briefly before collapsing. Andromeda stood just up the street, a bow in her hand.

“ANDIE!” Rosebud shouted, hugging her friend. Andromeda hugged her back, before drawing another arrow, pulling the bowstring back to her cheek.

“Does anypony else wish to die like him?!” she shouted.

The others fled, all without saying a word. She put the arrow back in her makeshift quiver, slinging the bow across her back. Cort was impressed.

“I came here looking for recruits.” He said. “Would either of you be interested in joining Starfleet?”

Andromeda considered it. “As long as you give me your word the colts and fillies here will be taken care of.”

“Ah, so you are protective of innocents, are you? Admirable. You have my word.” Cort said, and the two shook hands. Andromeda and Rosebud formally joined Starfleet two days later.

“And that, as they say, was that.” Andromeda said. “We left Redwood Meadows behind, and joined Starfleet. It was informal for the first two years, as the official recruitment age is eighteen, but for all intents and purposes, we were officers-in-training.”

“I was a bit younger, but I know where you come from. Granted, I didn’t pay attention…” Lightning said.

Rosebud snorted. “Oh, we know...it was brutal training under Cort. He slapped me when I called his transformation device a ‘changing doohickey.’”

“Humor the Fae who has no idea what you are talking about.” Titania interrupted. “What is this transformation device?”

“All Starfleet officers get them when they complete their training. It’s how they get those color-coded uniforms on.” Lightning explained. “From what I understand, they’re all personalized, but nopony knows how they work exactly, other than they’re voice-activated.”

“Getting back on track, training under Cort was, indeed, very brutal.” Andromeda said. “You never got to see his ugly side, recruit. I still remember when he would have us walk across hot coals...barefoot. Ring a bell, Rose?”

“Oh, yeah. I actually asked him what it has to do with friendship, teamwork, and faith in yourself.”

“I heard the smack to your ear from the next room.” Andromeda replied. “You were bleeding for quite a while. I was balancing a board with bricks at each end on my head when you were crossing the coals, I remember. What was it he said to you after he hit you?”

“‘You will learn about what the core values of the Adeptus Spatium are all about in time, maggot.’”

“Ah, yes. The old ‘maggot’ nickname.” Andromeda said. “That was part of the reason Cort was so legendary. He called everyone maggot if he was teaching them something.”

“Remember our first lesson in teamwork?” Rose asked. “Now that was brutal.”

“Yep.” Andromeda replied. “It was.”

Andromeda, six months after joining Starfleet, was locked in a room with Rosebud. This was, Cort had said, their first teamwork lesson. They were to find the key that unlocked the door as quickly as possible, and would have to work together to find it. Andromeda knew it wasn't that simple. With old Cort, it never was. So, when the room gradually began to flood, she wasn't all that surprised.

“Shit.” was her only verbal response to what was happening.

“...What we we gonna do?” Rosebud asked, eyes widening.

“We have to find the key that unlocks the door.” Andromeda replied. “Come on, let's look around.” Rosebud nodded, and began looking in the same directions as her best friend. The waters steadily rose, and the two mares were soon knee-deep, their shoes and socks completely waterlogged, their trousers quickly becoming soaked.

“Come on.” Andromeda said. “There has to be something we’re not seeing.”

“Hmmm…” Rosebud pondered, looking in the nooks and crannies of the room. “Cort is incredibly crafty.”

Soon enough, the room was completely flooded, the two mares forced to hold their breath. Then, Andromeda realized something: One of the light fixtures, which they couldn't reach before, was loose, and could be pulled off by hand. They would have to work together to get it off. She began pulling on it. Rosebud followed her example, and pulled on the light until it came off, catching the small gold key hidden inside. This didn't unlock the door, but it did fit in a small drawer on the ceiling, which they had to work together to find due to their dwindling oxygen supply. This drawer contained another key, which unlocked the door. The mares were swept out of the room as the water flowed out, and were left, coughing and gasping, on the floor in the hallway. Andromeda smiled tiredly at Rosebud after catching her breath, gently kissing her lips.

“We did it.” She said after breaking the brief kiss, still smiling.

“You can say that again.” Rosebud replied, kissing her once more. The footsteps of Cort interrupted them.

“Good work.” He said, standing next to them. “You've learned your first teamwork lesson: Sometimes, like it or not, working alone isn't an option. You try it, you die. Now, you two lovebirds go and get some rest. I'll see the two of you in the morning.”

“It was rather funny.” Andromeda said to Rose. “Despite how long we had been underwater, your lips still felt very warm when we kissed. I find that amusing.”

“T-thanks.” Rosebud replied.

“Don't mention it.” She said, before turning back to the others. “Cort was very brutal, yes, but his often sadistic methods served a purpose.” Something began to click in Lightning’s head, and his lips twitched into a grin.

“...Just like your methods.” he told Andromeda. “They’re brutal, yes, but they have a purpose.”

Rosebud rolled her eyes. “Ding, ding, ding! We got a winner, folks!” she proclaimed with an unrestrained amusement in her voice.

“Yes, we do.” Andromeda said dryly. “Did you figure that out all on your own, recruit?”

“Yes.” Lightning Dawn replied. “After hearing all that, I finally get what you’re trying to do. Starfleet is less ‘being a goody-two shoes’ hero, and more of ‘being a hero, but having to be a soldier.’”

Andromeda snorted. “You missed your calling. The propaganda division could use someone like you.”

“I appreciate the offer, but no thanks.” Lightning snarked back.

“I wasn't being sarcastic. If I wanted someone to preach things at me that I already know, I would go look at the ‘motivational’ posters scattered around.” Andromeda replied. “I've seen enough of them to last a lifetime.”

“I’m sure you have, but that isn’t my point.” Lightning replied. “I’m sorry for snapping at you the way I did, and I will take my punishment like a stallion.”

“Hmmm…” pondered Rosebud. “How should we punish the recruit for backsassing you, Andie? I was thinking an extreme exercise regimen.”

“You're lucky I'm not Cort.” Andromeda said to Lightning. “He wouldn't have had a conversation with you after you snapped at him like that. He would have lashed you until you couldn't move.”

“That’s true.” he replied. “But getting back on track, how will I be disciplined?”

“I think a few days without any food should help the lesson you learned sink in.” Andromeda said. Lightning’s eyes widened, but he gave a small nod. He did say, after all, he would face up to what he did.

“Of course, that's not the end of the story I am telling.” Andromeda said. “I haven't gotten to the fun parts yet.”

“Fun parts?” Walter asked, raising a brow.

“After Rose and I finished training, we began our proper work as Starfleet officers.” Andromeda replied. “It was around this time that I learned something about myself: Not only am I good at fighting, I also really, really enjoy it.”

“Oh, boy…” Trini muttered with a big grin. “Here we go…”

“This was supposed to be a routine mission.” Andromeda said. “A baptism by fire, if you will. Rosebud and I were sent after a bandit gang known as the Crimson Hands in order to prove ourselves. We were to get in, steal as much information about them as we could, kill their leaders, and get out. I assume you remember this too, Rose.”

“Oh, do I. The mares were pretty cute.”

“Glad to see you had your priorities straight.” Andromeda snarked. “Anyway, it didn't go exactly as we planned…”

Andromeda, 19 years old and a freshly-minted officer of Starfleet, dove behind a rock to dodge laser fire. This was supposed to be a routine mission. She and Rosebud had two very simple objectives to achieve. But, as a wise stallion once said, “No combat plan survives contact with the enemy.” This plan was no exception. The Crimson Hands encampment had been more heavily guarded than expected, and she and Rose had gotten ambushed. Now, they were trapped behind cover as hostile bandits rained laser fire down on their position.

“Well…” she said dryly, nocking an arrow in her bow. “This is quite the shit show, isn't it?”

“No kidding.” Rosebud replied, lathering her whip with a fresh coat of poison. “Being a Starfleet officer is hard, but somepony out there needs a hero to inspire them.”

“I'm not worried about being a hero right now, Rose.” Andromeda responded, shooting a Crimson Hands raider who had come around the rock they were hiding behind in the throat. “I'm worried about staying alive. Save the encouraging words for later, will you? I'll gladly hear them during the sex we're going to have if we make it out of here.”

Rosebud grinned. “You got it, boss!” she said. “I’ll try and get one of them close so I can hit ‘em easier.”

Andromeda carefully peaked around the side of the rock, trying to catch a glimpse of just how many enemy combatants they were dealing with. “Fuck. There's more than thirty of them out there, all armed to the teeth and loaded for bear. I don't think our current weapons will cut it.”

“When all else fails…” Rosebud said. “Lasers.” She then pulled out a laser blaster, firing at several of the raiders. Andromeda noted with morbid humor just how wrong the depictions of lasers seen in movies was. The shots Rosebud had fired caught the raiders by surprise. One unlucky stallion lost his left leg, the laser fire that had hit him blowing it clean off just above the knee. A mare near him had her mane and fur set on fire, the laser rounds melting the skin on her face. The other raiders that had been shot suffered similar gruesome deaths.

“Nailed it.” Rose bragged. A moment later, the other raiders resumed firing at them, forcing Andromeda and Rosebud into cover once again. After a few minutes, the laser fire lessened slightly, giving Andromeda an opening. She began firing arrows at the raiders with deadly precision, each one hitting its intended target, either killing the enemy in question or leaving them badly injured. Once her quiver emptied, she slung her bow across her back, drawing a pair of blades from sheaths, one on the inside of each leg. Andromeda gave them a few twirls, before turning to Rose.

“Time to go to work, and give the device I was given a try.” She said, before pressing a button on the left arm of her uniform. Instantly, Andromeda vanished, the cloaking device she had activated working perfectly.

“Wish me luck.” She said to Rosebud before exiting cover and disappearing. She snuck in behind the bandits, catching brief snippets of conversation as she crept closer.

“What’ll we do, boss?! They’re creaming us!” a stallion said to the lead raider.

“We keep shooting. They have to run out of ammo eventually, and when they do, we-”

He was cut off, quite literally, by Andromeda. She had moved up behind him, before decapitating the lead raider in one clean strike. She caught his head as it fell, holding it up for all his underlings to see, before she dropped, drew her second blade again, and began slaughtering raiders. As Andromeda did this, her blades cutting through flesh, muscle and bone like a knife through butter, she felt an unexpected emotion: joy. She began to laugh as she massacred the raiders, relishing the thrill of combat, moving gracefully among their numbers and casually dodging laser fire as she did, her blades opening up throats, stomachs, and skulls. In no time at all, the battlefield was strewn with the entrails of Andromeda’s foes, the mare herself coated in blood.

“LET THIS BE A LESSON, CRIMSON HANDS!” Andromeda shouted. “DEATH IS A DEBT NONE CAN AVOID PAYING!”

The remaining raiders ran like the wind, terrified for their own safety. Andromeda let them go. Her hunt would continue another day.

“So, while our mission did not go the way we expected, that particular band of Crimson Hands ceased to be a problem.” Andromeda summarized. “After that, I went after the rest of them, and spent several months hunting and killing all of their leaders. By this point, I had a few new recruits along for the ride.”

“Namely Bridge, Walter, and me.” Nitro said. “Trini didn’t join until later.”

“Trust me,” said Bridge. “Our first few missions were pretty gory.”

Andromeda nodded. “After all, you were helping me and Rose wipe out the Crimson Hands. I was more than a little brutal towards them, especially their leaders.”

“And that’s putting it lightly.” Walter said. “You gave me their blood to use as paint.”

“I also mounted their heads on that gunship I, ahem, ‘borrowed.’” Andromeda responded.

“Wait, you guys had a gunship?!” Lightning said, practically squealing.

“Yep.” said Rose. “The Dai-Gurren.”

“Of course, since that was a shitty name, in my humble opinion, I renamed it.” Andromeda said. “It was a prototype Wraith-class stealth gunship, armed with a top-of-the-line cloaking device and the most advanced weapons system money could buy. I called it Crimson Bane.”

“What happened to it?” Lightning asked.

“Orcs. Orcs happened.” Rose muttered. Andromeda nodded.

“That was quite the shit-show, wasn't it? The two of us were shot down by a band of Orcs, and ended up having to blow up the gunship in order to keep them from stealing and repairing it.”

“Oh, yeah...Orcs are basically huge green scavengers.” Lightning said. “Hell, even their language is scavenged.”

“On a different note...you want to know why I'm such a jaded, cynical, hard-assed bitch?” Andromeda asked him, her tone suddenly somber and a bit sad. “Well...this is actually really hard for me to recount, you know. But it was the day you and I took the first steps towards ending our relationship, Rose. Remember? There was more to it than that, but this event is a big part of it.” Rosebud immediately began tearing up, and held onto her best friend, tears flowing down her cheeks.

“I-I’m sorry…” she whispered. “It was all my fault…”

Andromeda held her close, before turning to the others. “It was a normal enough day, I suppose. At least, in the beginning. Then, everything took a sharp turn for the worse…”

Andromeda, age 23, a veteran of three wars, part-time teacher and astronomy enthusiast, was making coffee for herself and Rose. The two of them shared a home when not on duty. It was rather modest, as they weren't exactly rolling in money, but the two of them made it work.

“Morning, Rose.” She said as her best friend entered the room a minute later. “Coffee?”

“As always.” Rose said, pouring herself a cup. “So, what’s the plan for today?”

“Well, I have a couple of classes to teach this afternoon, but other than that, I'm free for the day.” Andromeda responded.

“Oh, really?” Rose smirked playfully, sipping her coffee.

“Really, really.” Andromeda said, smirking back at her. Rosebud put down her coffee and kissed Andromeda with fervent passion. The rest of the morning was very enjoyable for them both. That afternoon, Andromeda went to teach her first astronomy class of the day. She sat at her desk, waiting for her students to enter. Her students entered quietly, sitting at their desks like obedient little soldiers. She frowned at this; Andromeda had always prided herself at keeping her no-nonsense soldier personality out of the classroom. She only acted that way towards her students if she was pushed too far. After all, she wanted them to be able to get the most out of their education, as she had never been able to get the most out of hers. As she had never taught this particular group before that day, she supposed they had heard of her from previous students of hers that disliked Andromeda.

“Hello, students.” She said. “Welcome to my astronomy class. Now, I'm Ms. Aquila, but you can call me Andromeda, or Andie, whichever you prefer. Calling me by my last name makes me feel old.”

“Heh...heh…” one colt muttered. “Ass-tronomy…” Another proceeded to hit him in the back of the head. Hard.

“I remember when I was your age.” Andromeda said. “When you are young, sexual innuendos are the highest form of humor. Anyway, a question for all of you: How many of you are actually interested in learning about astronomy, and aren't simply here for the science credit?”

Only a few raised their hands, including the young stallion who’d slapped his friend. Andromeda sighed.

“Really? That many of you don't enjoy astronomy? Wow.”

“HEH, HEH! ASS-” the immature colt who’d spoken before, but this time, his friend punched him hard enough to knock him out.

“You were saying, Andromeda?” the other asked.

“That many of you are just here for the science credit?” She asked. “I must say, that stings a bit.”

“Yeah…” the stallion, grey coated and with an orange mane that appeared to have a yellow streak through it, replied. “Nopony appreciates good studies anymore.” He appeared to be a senior, on the cusp of graduation. Before Andromeda could even think of a reply, an explosion ripped through the school. This happened so quickly Andromeda had little time to react, and she was thrown headfirst into the wall behind her, the impact knocking her unconscious instantly. When she came to, there was a hole in the roof above, rainwater gently landing on her face. She was pinned down by a wooden beam and bits of debris, and her left leg hurt like hell.

Slowly, she was able to push the debris off of her, wincing as it brushed across open cuts on her legs. Once she was freed, she tried to stand, but cried out in pain, instantly falling to her knees. Andromeda was forced to crawl after that, moving through the devastated, burning remains of her classroom, trying to find her students. She found the colt who made the rather bad joke about astronomy buried under a few feet of rubble, a section of the wall he was sitting near having fallen on him. She felt for a pulse. Nothing. His eyes were open, but did not see. She hoped he wasn't awake when it happened.

Andromeda found his friend a moment later. The poor colt, so close to graduation and adulthood, was dead, as well. His head had been crushed by a chunk of falling debris. She felt her eyes welling up with tears. He didn't deserve this. Her other students had met similar ends, she discovered. All of them had been crushed under debris, or lacerated by broken glass, or impaled on sharp bits of rebar, or...she couldn't bear to look anymore. Her hands cut to the bone, her mind permanently scarred, Andromeda blacked out.

Andromeda stared at her hands, not knowing what else to say after that.

Lightning, without question, pulled her into a tight embrace, now crying himself. The others had followed suit, turning it into a group hug. This was a bad idea, as Andromeda was currently suffering from a post-traumatic flashback, which Rosebud knew enough about to avoid hugging her. Being embraced so tightly by so many ponies at once made Andromeda panic.

“GET THE FUCK OFF ME!” She shouted. “ALL OF YOU, GET AWAY!” Frightened out of their minds, the rest of the team obeyed. Bridge recognized what was going on immediately upon seeing Andromeda’s face, and went to go get her something to breathe into.

His name, she remembered, was Bringer. Legend Bringer…

Why couldn't I have died in his place? She thought. Why didanyof them have to die, while I lived? She remembered, oh so clearly, how devastated his marefriend, one of the school’s top athletes, a yellowish earth pony with blue and red hair, had been. Andromeda didn’t know her name, only that others called her ‘Ath-Lita’ for her sportiness, and go-getter attitude.

“She killed herself two weeks later.” Andromeda muttered. “Ath-Lita killed herself two weeks later. The last fatality caused by that damned bomb…poor thing…”

Bridge soon returned with a brown paper bag. “Breathe, Andie...breathe…”

She took it, breathing into the bag until she felt a bit better. After she finished, Andromeda said, “It was a bomb, as you may have guessed. I still have no idea who planted it or why, but thirty-five students and seventeen teachers died in the explosion, with countless more injured. Five more students would commit suicide in the following days, not wanting to live without a friend or lover they had lost.”

“...Is that what caused you two to...you know…” asked Nitro quietly.

“Yes and no.” Andromeda said. “We both decided we were better as friends the day I attacked her with a chair during one of my...episodes.”

“...It was my fault...I accidentally pushed your button…”

“She startled me.” Andromeda explained to the others. “I didn't want to risk that happening while we were making love, or cuddling, or anything like that, so we broke off our romantic relationship. We both wanted to wait until I recovered a fair amount, and then see how things went from there in terms of where we stood.”

“I’m so sorry…” Bridge whispered. “I never knew you had, for lack of a better term, a mental illness…”

“It is alright.” she said softly. “As for how this day made me more cynical and jaded? I realized that death, much like life, isn't fair. It doesn't care one whit about your age, or your hopes, or your dreams, or your fears...it will snatch you away from the ones you love in an instant without any mercy. I also realized that the organization I fought and bled for wasn't as infallible as citizens like to think. That bomb could have been stopped before so many students were killed, but Starfleet. Did. Nothing. They did nothing but preach at the funerals about how the grieving ponies there needed to find it in themselves to forgive whoever planted the bomb that killed their loved ones.”

“...So, you hate Starfleet, then?” Lightning asked. “I can understand if you do, but what I can’t understand is why you’re still a member if they did nothing.”

“I don't hate Starfleet.” Andromeda said. “Without it, the Imperium would collapse within days. I just learned then that their ideals of harmony and friendship and believing in yourself are a load of dog-shit in reality.”

“You’re not wrong,” Lightning said. “But those values are inherent in everypony.”

“They didn't save my students, did they?” She retorted, her tone bitter. “Friendship didn't save Legend Bringer. Harmony didn't keep his marefriend from hanging herself two weeks later. Believing in myself didn't help when I was cradling the corpse of a five year old filly who came to visit her sister at school as a surprise.”

“...I see your point, but that doesn’t mean I’ll stop being an idealist.” he fired back. “You may have given up the ideals we live by because you’ve been dealt a bad hand, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t too late to rediscover them.”

“I have little regard for the ideals of Starfleet, but I am committed to protecting those who cannot protect themselves, no matter how much it hurts, or how little difference it makes.” Andromeda replied. “I don't need to be an idealist to be able to do good.”

“Sometimes, a little idealism goes a long way.”

“Save it, recruit.” Andromeda said. “I don't need a pep talk.”

“Yes you do.” Lightning said firmly. “Do you know what I see right now? Not Andromeda the cynic. I see an Andromeda who’s been crawling through shit her whole life, and is angry at the world because of it. I see a mare who’s in desperate need of not only teammates, but friends as well. I see you for who you really are underneath the shell: somepony who just needs a shoulder to cry on. Well, guess what? I’m happy to lend you mine, Officer.”

“And do you know what I see right now?” Andromeda asked him. “I see a naive young stallion who has never known pain. I see a stallion who has been pampered his entire life, and has never had to worry about starvation, or having his throat cut while he sleeps, or being raped by ponies twice his age. I see a recruit, green as grass, who has no idea what the world is truly like, and has no knowledge of what it truly means to fight a war. I see somepony who has been spoon fed the idealistic propaganda pumped out by Starfleet his entire life, and has been convinced that friendship and belief in yourself will solve every problem.

Guess what, recruit? That is a lie. Having friends is great and all, but it won't stop those friends from dying horribly without you being able to do a damn thing about it. I do have friends, Dawn. My teammates are my friends. Hell, they're family. We have fought and bled and nearly died together. So, do not sit there like the hack psychologist Starfleet shoved down my throat two years ago and pretend I'm some fractured, weepy mare you can say a few magic words to and I'll magically open up and be your best friend.”

“She has a point there, Lightning.” Rosebud said. “Trust me, friendship can’t solve everything.”

“Yes, but you can’t throw it away either.” Lightning said. “But I understand what Andromeda is saying, and I will respectfully stand down.”

“Good.” Bridge said. “Because trying to convince Andromeda is like trying to convince an Orc that ‘the red ones do not go faster.’”

“Or like trying to melt a glacier with a lighter.” Propheta chimed in.

“Or like trying to explain love to a Fae.” Titania said dryly. “Or like trying to explain to me why you mortals say everypony instead of everyone.”

“Alright, I get it.” Lightning stated.

“Seriously, why do you mortals say that?” Titania asked.

“Nopony knows.” Trini shrugged.

Andromeda got up, stretching. “Well, this has been fun, but I need food.”

“Yeah, I’m feeling hungry myself.” Rosebud said. “Who wants some salad?”

“I DO!” cheered Lightning.

“Eh, I’m not hungry right now.” Bridge said.

“And I have half of a hayburger I started yesterday.” Walter said.

Nitro shrugged. “Why not?”

“I'll go with you, Rose.” Andromeda said. “I'd like to have a chat, anyway.”

The former nodded, walking into the kitchen. Andromeda followed her, sitting on one of the counters as Rosebud made the salads.

“I didn't think I'd be dredging up those particular memories today.” She said.

“Neither did I…” Rosebud said. “You know I still love you, right?” Her voice lowered into a whisper.

“I know, Rose.” Andromeda replied. “And, if I'm honest…well, do I even have to say it?”

“...No.” Rose said, kissing her passionately, rubbing her hands up and down Andromeda’s back. Andromeda returned the kiss, pulling Rose close. After several minutes, Rose pulled away, euphoria in her eyes.

“I missed this.” Andromeda whispered.

“So did I…” Rose whispered back.

Andromeda smiled at her, before kissing Rose again. The latter did the only thing she could, no, wanted at that moment, and kissed back. Considering the two of them hadn't enjoyed each other’s embrace in two years, what happened next was quite natural to them, and quite unexpected for the others, who were still waiting for salad. At first, it sounded like Andromeda and Rosebud were screaming bloody murder, which, naturally, caused a bit of a panic. Bridge, Walter, Nitro, Trini, and Lightning went to check on them, only to immediately back away without saying a word. A wise move on their part; the sex Rosebud and Andromeda were having was quite good for the both of them, and it was unlikely they would appreciate being interrupted.

Meanwhile, on Tenebris, Horus had come out of his chambers. Erebus stood perfectly still by the throne, silent and unmoving. “What is your plan for this week, my Lord?” Kratos asked.

“The creature Cassiopeia is crafting will be sent after Andromeda Aquila, the wretched whore with the bow.” Horus replied, sitting on his throne. “At the moment, her pathetic emotions are dominating her. She will be quite vulnerable when this creature arrives to kill her.”

“What, exactly, is this creature?” Kratos asked, but he got his answer as soon as Cassiopeia entered with her Golem. This one looked much different than the previous creature. It had thick skin, covered with white and black fur, four legs, each ending in a foot with five clawed digits, four leathery wings, and a large round head. The Golem had a chin that rounded to a point, a nose resembling that of a pig, a jaw filled with razor-sharp teeth, and two eyes, each of them white as snow. Horus looked the creature over, nodding once.

“Very good. Perhaps you aren't as much of a failure as I thought.” he said to Cassiopeia, much to the annoyance of Erebus.

“Thank you, my Lord. I promise that my Golem will not fail you this time.”

“It had best not.” Horus said dangerously. “For if it does, you will not like the punishment I will inflict upon you.”

Cassiopeia nodded, but she mentally cursed Horus out. Erebus, for his part, had to resist the urge to draw one of his blades and drive it into the back of the sorcerer's skull. Kratos had to urge to stab him in the stomach. Horus, of course, knew none of this. For all his boasting, he was unable to read minds, and he was blissfully unaware of the treacherous thoughts his underlings were having. Cassiopeia looked at her Golem, and sent it on its way.

Andromeda, meanwhile, was eating a salad. Sex always left her quite hungry, and this time was no exception. Rosebud sat next to her, eating her own salad.

“I love you, you know that?”

“I know.” Andromeda said, grinning. “You've told me that five times in the past hour.”

“Do you think we could...you know...get back together?” Rosebud asked softly. “Not at this very moment…but soon?”

“I think the fact we just had sex kind of answers that question, don't you?” Andromeda replied. “And why not now? I love you, and you love me.”

Rosebud looked at Andromeda. “I just don’t feel ready yet. I love you, Andie, but I need some time to know if I’m really making the right decision.”

“We broke up two years ago, Rose.” Andromeda responded, a bit hurt. “How much more time do you need?”

Rosebud sensed Andromeda’s hurt tone. “Don’t worry. We’ll be together again soon enough. I promise.” she assured.

Andromeda snorted. “Whatever. Why did we bother with fucking, then? What was that, a free sample? Trying me out to see if I'm still as good as you remember, without the messy commitment of a real relationship?”

“N-no...I...I…” Rosebud stammered, panic on her face. Andromeda sighed.

“I'm sorry, Rose. That was uncalled for. I just...I've been waiting two years to have you in my arms again. I don't want to wait any longer.”

“I know you can’t. I can’t either, but I’m scared it’s gonna bite me in the ass.”

Andromeda snorted. “The only thing that will be biting your ass isme, Rose.” She snarked. “Come on. You and I, we're badasses. After everything that has tried, and failed, to kill us, what could possibly go wrong? Just keep me away from any chairs, and we'll be good to go.”

“Are you sure you want to go through with it?” Rosebud asked. “Like,absolutelysure?”

“More sure than I've been about anything else in my entire life.” Andromeda said sincerely. “Trust me, Rose.”

“Then...Andromeda Aquila, will you be my marefriend?” Rosebud whispered. “...Again?”

“I will.” Andromeda replied. “I won't leave you again.”

“Promise?”

“You have my word, Rose.” Andromeda said. Rose’s response was yet another passionate kiss. Andromeda purred, pulling Rosebud close and kissing her back. She moaned slightly, grinning against the kiss. Their embrace was suddenly interrupted by an alarm going off. Something was outside. Something big. The rest of the team ran out to see what was going on, and came face to face with the Golem. Andromeda ran outside as well, Rosebud right behind her. She stared the Golem down, completely unfazed by it being there.

“Hello, Horus.” Andromeda said flatly, knowing the sorcerer was listening.

“Hello, whore.” the sorcerer greeted. “Are you ready to face death?”

“Are you?” She asked. “I don't fear death, bastard. Can you say the same?”

“Oh, I cannot die. I will not allow myself to do so.”

“You fancy yourself a god, don't you?” Andromeda responded, snorting. “There are no gods. You, just like your father, are a stallion with an a fuck-ton of power. Nothing more and nothing less. I look forward to gutting you.”

“I! AM! HORUS!I! AM! GOD OF ALL!” Horus roared through the Golem, charging at Andromeda. She smiled serenely.

“All of you, go inside.” She said calmly, before drawing her blades and leaping at the Golem. The rest of the team resisted the urge to jump into the fray, and did as Andromeda commanded. Her blades plunged deep into the Golem’s face, blood spraying from the wounds. The beast roared, blindly trying to grab at Andromeda as red liquid spewed forth from it like a geyser. She pulled her blades free, this causing even more blood to spray from the wounds. Andromeda hung onto the Golem’s snout as it thrashed around, trying to throw her off. The beast kept roaring in frustration, more and more blood spewing out of it as it kept trying to grab at its target.

“HEAR ME, HORUS!” Andromeda screamed, plunging one of her blades into the Golem’s left eye. “I AM ANDROMEDA AQUILA, THE CRIMSON BANE, DESTROYER OF ARMIES, BREAKER OF ORCS! YOU WISH TO KILL ME?! GOOD LUCK!”

“TELL ME, AQUILA!” Horus challenged. “IF YOU BELIEVE THAT FRIENDSHIP IS USELESS, THEN WHY DON’T YOU ALLY YOURSELF WITH ME?!”

“That is where you are wrong, Horus.” She responded, her voice suddenly calm, though it was quite evident she was angry beyond belief. “I do not believe it to be useless. If I did...I would not have fallen in love with Rosebud, my marefriend.”

This sent Horus into a rage, as he had incredibly outdated views on relationships, which was rather ironic considering his views on love itself. He began spewing curses and slurs at Andromeda in every single language he knew, all the while trying desperately to make the Golem attack her harder. Andromeda casually avoided each attack, continuing to taunt Horus by describing every time she and Rose had had sex in explicit detail. This made Horus even more enraged, as the idea of sexual relations between two mares angered him to no end. It soon became clear Andromeda wasn't taking him seriously at all; she wasn't even attacking the Golem anymore. All she was doing was taunting Horus. The Golem eventually bled out, falling over...and then somehow exploding, possibly from Horus’ rage.

Andromeda spat on what remained of the Golem. “Go to Hell, Horus.” Rosebud ran out, and hugged her marefriend.

“Are you OK, Andie?” she asked, looking her in the eyes.

“I'm fine.” Andromeda replied. “I just want to disembowel that smug sorcerer and stick his head on a pike.”

“So do I. But as long as he’s in that damned moon palace of his, we can’t do a thing.”

“I know.” Andromeda said, sighing.

“Come on. Let’s get inside. You need some R&R.”

“You're right.” Andromeda replied. “Rest does sound nice.” Rosebud smiled, and led her back into the base.

Lightning Dawn, meanwhile, pulled out a small holocommunicator, and was trying to get in touch with his father. Something was on his mind, and he needed answers. After a few moments, the Grand Ruler answered.

“Yes, Lightning? What is it you need?”

“Well, two things. First off, I think I learned something today: it’s better to appreciate your teachers’ methods than argue with them, because a lot of the time there are good reasons as to why they have those methods in the first place.” Lightning said. “Though, that isn’t the only reason I wanted to talk.” The alicorn prince paused for a moment, trying to choose his next words carefully. “...Dad, what happened to Mom?”

Silence for a moment, then his father replied, “...That is a very simple question with a very complicated answer. I'll start by saying this: Your mother isn't Solaran.”

“She isn’t?” Lightning asked, a mixture of shock and realization hitting him.

“No. Your mother, Lightning...is one of the Fae.” Lightning very nearly dropped the communicator, his mouth wide open. That explained why Titania had suddenly appeared after his mother had left when he was only five; it couldn’t be, no,[ i]wasn’t a coincidence at all.

“I met her in a forest.” his father said. “I was going for a stroll, trying to get away from all the pandering nobles and advisors under me. As I walked through the sunlit woods, I saw her. She was stunning, and I was taken by her beauty almost instantly. It took me a while to earn her affections, but my efforts paid off, and she became pregnant. If I am honest, I wasn't even sure at the time whether having a child with her was possible. But, it was, and you were born, healthy and whole. She doted on you, you know. She loved you dearly, but as you have likely learned with Titania, the whims and fancies of the Fae are ever changing, and she eventually grew restless. On your fifth birthday, as you know, she left, but promised that someone would come after her departure, someone who would be a companion and friend to you. A few days later, Titania arrived, and the rest, as they say, is history.”

Lightning listened intently, then thought about what he should do. On one hand, he wanted to see his mother again. On the other, what if she didn’t know who he was, much less care?

“I can see the turmoil within you, Lightning. Part of you wants to find her, but you're also worried she won't remember you, right?”

“Yes, Father.” he answered. “To say I’d be worried is an understatement.”

“I think you should do whatever you feel is best, my son.” The Grand Ruler replied. “If you wish to leave this mystery unsolved, I will not fault you. But I get the feeling you won't rest until you get answers from your mother, will you?”

“No. I won’t. I intend to venture to Nevernever once again so that I can find her.”

“Bring Titania along. She will guide you.” his father said. “Good luck.”

“Thank you. Goodbye for now, Dad.”

His communicator shut off, the call over. With that, he went to inform Titania of his..rather unexpected return trip to Nevernever. She led him back to the portal stone in the forest, and the two of them placed their hands on it, venturing into the unknown together.

Next time on Starfleet: MiB…

Lightning returns to the Nevernever to meet his mother after 13 years of being apart. Horus, however, is not content with letting either the Fae or his younger brother be. Deciding to forego the Golem strategy, Horus ventures into the land of the Faeries himself for a confrontation with Prince Lightning Dawn. However, can Lightning Dawn put his training to the test against a 10,000+ year-old sorcerer?

Author's Note

This chapter. This chapter, I think, is one of the most emotional things I or my co-writer have ever written. The cameos by Legendbringer's OC and Ath-Lita (AKA "Mykan Demonizes Cherry-Lei") were the most emotionally draining scenes to write, mainly because A) I consider the users in question to be some of my closest friends here on FimFic, especially the former, whom I met when I still supported Mykan and B) I feared these "Death by Cameos", as TV Tropes calls them, would be seen as unintentional Take Thats. So, I ran the idea by them, and both of them liked it, especially Legendbringer.

But, getting back on track, this chapter is one of the most emotional things I've written. Ever.. As an sidenote, we finally find out what happened to Lightning's mother, and the next episode will not only explore that idea, but also show Lightning actually doing something! :D

As always, feedback and constructive criticism is welcome.