Starshot: Star Speaker

by Jackxter

Rating: everyone
Tags: Spike, Science Fiction, Comedy, Scootaloo, Adventure, Princess Luna, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Rainbow Dash, Other
Length: 46351

A group of ponies accidentally activate a dormant alien spacecraft. Things only go downhill from there... Or uphill, depending on who you ask. | In Part I of their tale, the ponies figure out their ship, and Luna figures out her true potential.

Three years ago, an alien spacecraft was discovered buried deep beneath the Everfree Forest. Without delay, it was excavated and thoroughly studied to the best of Equestria's capabilities. All signs pointed it being completely defunct, never to fly again.

Though unfortunately for creatures visiting it during its first day as a museum, the truth was the exact opposite.

A three hour tour of the ship has now turned into a grand tour of the galaxy. Will homesickness overtake these new explorers, or will they learn to love going where no pony has gone before?

--

In Part I of their tale, the ponies arrive in a star system at the edge of the galaxy. Immediately, Luna is voted as 'captain', and the race is on to find out how to operate the museum turned starship before they run out of food. Will our intrepid night princess be able to lead her ponies to this goal, or will her self-doubts put an end to her captaining days?

And why can't her new Red Dwarf friend be less cryptic if there's danger nearby?

Published 2020-08-03 02:50:00 UTC
Last updated 2020-11-16 02:34:13 UTC

Hyperspaced

“Oh no oh no oh no oh no!”

“Derpy, what did you do?! I told you not to touch anything!”

“It’s okay, little buddy. Deep breaths, deep breaths!”

“What?! I didn’ttouch anything! Why do ponies always automatically assume it’s my fault when something goes wrong?!”

“Right, right, deep breathing, deep-- wait, we had a huge school project due tomorrow, and I was doing the finishing touches!”

“You were closest to any interface when it happened! That’s why I’m assuming you did it!”

“Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom are going to be so angry at me! Shoot shoot shoot shoot shoot!”

“This is unacceptable! I demand we return to ground immediately!”

“I uh, I don’t think we can, uncle. Wait, is that… is that another planet out there?!”

“Can everyone please just calm down before--”

“ENOUGH!.!.!” Luna finally bellowed, making good use of her Royal Canterlot Voice to silence the group.

Spike sighed. “--that happens.”

Luna rolled her eyes. What else was she supposed to do? If she hadn’t intervened, she was sure they would have kept bickering for another half-hour.

“No, it’s certainly not enough!” Pharynx growled, glaring daggers at Luna. “Unless you want a diplomatic incident, you’ll explain what happened right now!”

“Uncle, please,” Ocellus said bashfully, tugging at one of his legs. “I don’t think the princess knows anything. Nobody does.”

“Someone must know something,” Rainbow Dash said. “We just went faster than even I ever could have! Shot up past the clouds in like a second! That doesn’t just happen.”

“I believe we’ve travelled much further than just ‘beyond the clouds’,” Doctor Whooves stated, still giving a sideways glance at Derpy. “In fact, I think we’ve exited orbit.”

“What?!” Pharynx snapped. “I was told this… this spaceship was dormant. That nothing worked. Now look at it!”

He gestured around him. The ‘bridge’, as Doctor Whooves had called it, was now bathed in blue light, where previously only battery-powered torches illuminated it. Monitors that were formerly pitch-black were now online, showing numerous lines and symbols nobody really understood. Furthermore, a large, luminous blue orb had appeared in the middle of the room, hovering slightly below the ceiling.

However, the most brilliant sight of all was the massive monitor at the front of the bridge, which appeared to work as some form of window. On it, a beautiful red planet could be seen, surrounded by twinkling stars and the vastness of space.

Doctor Whooves tapped his chin. “Somehow, electricity must have been restored to the ship.”

“Ya’ think?” Rainbow snapped.

“Doc, how is that even possible?” Derpy commented, before narrowing her eyes. “And how could you blame me for doing something every top scientist in Equestria couldn’t - and by accident?!”

“Ehe,” Doctor Whooves chuckled, rubbing the back of his head with the hoof. “I admit, I might have been a bit premature in that assessment.”

“Uh huh.”

“Everyone, please, calm yourselves,” Luna said, closing her eyes in frustration. “We need to organize and prioritize.”

“That’s definitely a better approach than Royal Canterlotting us,” Spike smiled.

Luna nodded towards him, smiling in return. “The first thing we need to do is--”

“Stay your tongue,” Pharynx growled. “Who says you’re in charge? Just because you were the former co-ruler of Equestria doesn’t mean you have authority over changelings!” He nodded towards Spike. “Or dragons, for that matter.”

“He does have a point,” Rainbow said. “Technically, you’re not really in charge of anyone anymore.”

Scootaloo finally spoke up. “But Rainbow…”

“Well it’s true!”

“This is an emergency,” Luna said frankly. “And we need clear leadership. I don’t care if it’s myself or another, but we must pick now.”

“Fine!” Rainbow grinned. “I nominate myself.”

Pharynx glanced down at Ocellus with a stern look, then nudged her.

“I, um… nominate Uncle Pharynx,” she sighed reluctantly.

“I’m the one with the most scientific experience,” Doctor Whooves said, more matter-of-factly than in a bragging tone. “Therefore, I would be the best fit.”

“Fine, hooves up if you vote Pharynx,” Spike said.

Pharynx and Ocellus raised their holey hooves.

“Doctor Whooves?”

Only Doctor Whooves voted this time. He seemed astonished at this, briefly giving Derpy a hurt look.

“What?!” Derpy huffed. “I’m still mad at you, you know!”

Rainbow Dash cackled at that. “Haha, serves you right--”

“Rainbow Dash?”

Only one hoof shot up - her own.

“Wait what?! Scootaloo! How could you?”

She smiled sheepishly, glancing at Luna. “Sorry, Rainbow, she just has more experience, and I want to go home!”

“I’m voting for Luna, too,” Spike said, shrugging. “She’s like two thousand years old and ruled for half of them. Who else can say that?”

Luna raised an eyebrow, unsure whether Spike meant that as a back-clawed compliment or not.

“And what was she doing during the other thousand?” Pharynx said, giving Luna a distrustful look.

Luna’s temper flared within her, but she managed to quell it with a deep breath.

“That’s cold, dude,” Spike pointed out.

“The truth often is.”

“Well, I trust Princess Luna,” Derpy smiled. “She has my vote.”

“So that’s three, two, one, one then,” Spike counted. “Princess, your vote?”

“I um,” she coughed, glancing about. “I… abstain.”

“Do you not trust in your own leadership capabilities?” Pharynx said, staring at her pensively. “Or are you just trying to look humble?”

“Doesn’t matter,” Spike shrugged. “She has the most votes, so she’s in charge.”

“Woooo, go princess!” Scootaloo cheered.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Rainbow muttered.

Pharynx narrowed his eyes. “Fine. What are your orders… captain?”

Luna thought to herself for a moment. Here they were aboard a spaceship turned museum turned… spaceship once more, and so far above their heads they couldn’t see starlight. Well, technically, they could, but even that was a cause for concern. Luna knew the position of the stars like the back of her hoof, yet glancing out the viewscreen, none appeared to be where they were supposed to.

She would have to dwell on that later, however. Decisions had to be made now.

“Alright,” she said, taking a deep breath. “Okay, first thing we need to do is make sure the other tour group is okay. Two volunteers to go look for them?”

“I will!” Derpy beamed.

“Same here,” Rainbow Dash grinned, before glancing Scootaloo’s way. “You mind staying here on your own for a second, squirt? Shouldn’t take too long.”

“Um, yeah,” she said nervously. “I’m game.”

“Derpy, Rainbow, wait, it could be dangerous,” Doctor Whooves warned. “We don’t even know if the ship is completely intact.”

“It looks like it is,” Ocellus said.

“Kid, how could you possibly know that?” Pharynx said skeptically.

“B-Because it’s on the screen! Look!”

She pointed to a monitor at one of the nearby consoles. On it was a twirling, three-dimensional diagram of the triangular-shaped vessel, and above it a string of surprising text.

“Wait a minute, what?” Doctor Whooves said, his eyes widening at the sight as he galloped over to it.

“‘Structural Integrity - 98%’”, he read. “But… how… “ He galloped over to another console, still stunned. “This is impossible! The text on these looked like hieroglyphics before! How could it have changed to our language? And on its own for that matter?!”

“Good question,” Luna said. “But first... Derpy, Rainbow?”

“It’s on like Bonkey Kong!” Rainbow saluted, leading Derpy to the twin doors that were the bridge entrance.

Derpy blinked her lopsided eyes, catching up to trot alongside her. “Bonkey Kong?”

“It’s heh, a reference to a game Wonderbolts like to play,” she said, scratching the back of her head. “Involves dodging barrel-shaped clouds and… well, I’ll tell you later.”

“Okidoke.”

Just like that, the two were gone.

“You ponies are so weird sometimes,” Pharynx said.

“Says the shape-shifter,” Doctor Whooves chirped.

“H-He’s got a point,” Ocellus smiled.

Surprisingly, Pharynx actually chuckled slightly. “You’ve got more guts than I thought, Doc. I like that.”

Doctor Whooves blinked in response, apparently lost for words.

“Alright, listen here,” Luna said, taking a deep breath. “While they're gone, I think the first thing we need to do is figure out where we are exactly.”

“How do we do that?” Scootaloo blinked.

“Well, we have a console that shows the ship’s integrity, right?” Luna reasoned. “There might be others that can tell us its position.”

“Good thinking, princess,” Doctor Whooves complimented. “Hah! Here I was trying not to think this would be like Space Trek, but perhaps life imitates art more than one may think, right?”

“Space Trek?” Scootaloo asked.

“They’re a series of science fiction novels,” Ocellus explained shyly. “I, um, may have read a couple of them… a couple dozen.”

Pharynx gave her a disappointed look. “I need to have a talk with my brother on how much Changelings are neglecting physical training for… whatever this is.”

“Hey, don’t knock the classics,” Spike grunted. “I mean, I think I’ve only read one of the comics and none of the books before, but that’s something, right?”

“Mmm, I quite enjoyed those myself…” Luna blushed. “Especially the ones with Quick Card. The… handsome bald pony captain.”

“‘Handsome bald captain?’” Spike teased.

“It was his description!” Luna huffed.

“Nothing wrong with Quick Card, ” Doctor Whooves beamed. “I always preferred Captain Smirk myself, but Quicky was a close second.”

“I guess it’s not surprising that the princess of the moon and night would like space stuff,” Spike chuckled.

“Those novels helped carry me through a… difficult time after my exile,” Luna said, a hint of nostalgia in her tone. “They were most inspiring. A shame I could never find the complete series.”

“Hah!” Doctor Whooves grinned. “Small changeling and um, little dragon guy--”

“Spike,” he groaned.

“Yes, sorry. But it isn’t it fantastic? The princess is one of us.”

“R-Really?” Ocellus squeaked.

Spike smirked. “You mean a nerd?”

“I was going to say Trekkie, but that works, too,” Doctor Whooves shrugged.

“Can we please focus on the task at hand?” Pharynx grunted. “We have a station to find, remember?”

“Yes, let’s um… get to it,” Luna coughed, still slightly embarrassed about revealing herself to be one of these ‘nerds’.

The group split up, each checking one of the six consoles on the bridge, two being in front of what Doctor Whooves had previously theorized to be the ‘captain’s chair’, and the rest scattered around the rim of the circular bridge, engraved into its sides.

“This one says something about environment systems,” Spike called. “And uh, hey, Doc, how do you work these things, anyway?”

“We’ll figure that out later,” Doctor Whooves said. “Just don’t touch anything yet.”

“Whoops, accidentally pressed a button,” Spike spoke sarcastically. “What’s this about ‘opening airlocks’?”

“Not funny!” Ocellus squeaked.

“Quit screwing around, dragon,” Pharynx growled.

“Sorry, sorry.”

“Anyway, not really sure what I’m looking at here,” Pharynx continued, now glancing at a console himself. “What’s a Magnetic Shard Accelerator Cannon? Forward Shields? I guess the latter is some sort of defense device - you know, like a shield - but with this place who knows?”

“I think you guessed correctly, my testosterone addled friend,” Doctor Whooves said. “It may be exactly what it says on the tin. My science team never did figure out what those large holes on the front of the ship were for. They might have been built-in cannons!”

“Well, that’d be nice,” Pharynx said, with the first hint of happiness in his voice Luna had noticed so far. “If we can figure out how they work, at least we won’t be a pinata waiting to get whacked.”

“How do you know about pinatas, Uncle Pharynx?” Ocellus asked curiously.

“Thorax dragged me to a pony birthday party once,” Pharynx said. “One of the purple ones - Starlight Glim Glam or something. He should have told me I’d get to hit something with a stick. I wouldn’t have complained as much.”

“Well, I guess we know who will be manning that station,” Luna said, giving him a sarcastic look.

“Manning?” Scootaloo said.

“She’s right,” Doctor Whooves said. “If we ever want to control this ship, each of us will have to pick a station and learn how to operate them. I always assumed it was meant to be controlled by multiple individuals, and this pretty much confirms it.”

“H-How long have you been studying this ship, anyway, Doctor Whooves?” Ocellus asked.

“Ever since we started excavating it from underneath the Everfree Forest,” he stated, before sighing heavily. “I never thought we’d be able to actually fly it, though. Like I told you before the tour, It appeared to be completely defunct. We didn’t even know if it still had a power source, let alone that it could be reactivated. To be honest, this ship is so very far beyond our level of technology that we were lucky to even be able to guess at how some of it worked. Again, something must have-- Ah, here we go.”

“What? What is it?” Luna said, her and the rest of the group trotting/walking over to the console he was staring at.

“Navigational controls,” he stated, gesturing towards the console, and raising an eyebrow as the group clambered over each other to see it. “Hm. I wish there was an easier way for everyone to see this thing--”

His eyes widened, apparently noticing something. He turned his head, the others following suit. To everyone’s surprise, the same images and text that were on the console screen were now on the main viewscreen. On it was what appeared to be a map of their current solar system. One which showed the central star as well as four, orbiting planets. Near the third planet, a red, triangular icon appeared. Apparently, that was them.

“Hmmm…” Doctor Whooves pondered.

However, before he could say anything more, an ear-wrenching sound filled the room, apparently coming from previously hidden speakers. To Luna, it sounded like a combination of radio static and a cat’s claws being scratched on a chalkboard. If it had lasted any longer than a second, she would have been forced to cover her ears.

“You uh, you never had any trouble with ghosts aboard this thing, did you?” Scootaloo gulped.

Doctor Whooves blinked. “No, no we did not.”

“Maybe it's the aliens,” Spike whispered.

“I-I thought they died a long time ago?” Scootaloo said.

“Well, maybe it’s their spirits! Maybe they never left and now they want their ship back!”

“T-This is way too spooky,” Ocellus squeaked. “Too spooky for me!”

“Ocellus, orange pony kid, annoying dragon, stay behind me,” Pharynx said slowly, Ocellus, Spike and Scootaloo eagerly following his command. “And stay silent!”

Just then, the noise came again in short, random bursts… and a smile slowly formed on Doctor Whooves’s lips. “Ah, I see now.”

“What do you see?” Luna asked.

“Hear, to be more accurate.” He gestured towards one of his ears. “Listen closely to it.”

Luna perked her ears, listening closely. The noise bursts continued onward, but it didn’t take her long to realize that something was becoming mixed in with them.

“It’s a voice.”

Doctor Whooves nodded. “Indeed.”

“Language… language…. --ERROR-- language fully calibrated for speech synthesis,” it said in a male, droning tone, the static exponentially decreasing as its voice became clearer. “Foreign entity contained. All systems fully operational. Awaiting instruction.”

“Yes, I’m almost certain now,” Doctor Whooves said. “It seems to be one of the ship’s systems.”

“Whew!” Spike said, wiping the sweat from his brow. “So, no ghost, right?”

Doctor Whooves shook his head. “No ghost.”

“Awaiting instruction?” Ocellus said, stepping out from behind Pharynx. “Whoever that is sounds like the computer from Space Trek.”

“Com-pu-ter?” Luna said, furrowing her brow. She had learned of modern marvels since her return from exile, but with Equestria entering a technological revolution, things were changing far too quickly for her to keep up with.

“A machine you can program to perform various functions,” Doctor Whooves explained. “They’re cutting edge technology, quite rare outside of most universities.”

“I think Twilight had one in the basement of the old treehouse,” Spike pointed out.

“... And the basement of Princess Sparkle’s treehouse, apparently,” Doctor Whooves sighed. “And yes, my young, studied Changeling, I do believe you’re correct. This computer, however, seems to be far more advanced than our own. It apparently responds to voice commands… and can respond back.”

“Can we tell it to take us home?” Scootaloo asked.

“As they say these days, ‘worth a shot’,” Luna said, before clearing her throat. “Um, computer, take us back from where we came.”

“--ERROR-- --MULTIPLE--,” it responded immediately. “Navigational commands must be entered manually due to severance of my mainframe and propulsion systems. Aetherium depleted. Solarium depleted.”

“Guess that would have been too easy,” Spike said. “Though what in the world is Aetherium? Solarium?”

“For once in my life, I have no idea,” Doctor Whooves said, baffled.

“Maybe this computer thing would know,” Pharynx said. “Computer, what’s Aetherium?”

“Aetherium: an ultra-rare highly volatile trans-dimensional substance. Typically only used in the most high energy applications, such as opening wormholes. For many eons, it was thought to be mythical in nature, until deposits were found on two now Oblivion-controlled worlds.”

“Well, this thing’s just full of exposition,” Spike snarked.

“Shut up, dragon!” Pharynx snapped. “Computer, what’s Solarium?”

“Solarium: a fuel source typically used for short-range hyperspace travel. Deposits can mainly be found on worlds orbiting dying stars.”

“This doesn’t tell us anything,” Pharynx grunted. “Hyperspace? Wormholes? Trans-dimensional substances? What are those?”

“--ERROR-- Information Library partially corrupted by foreign entity. Only 27% of the archives are accessible. Must extrapolate answers from non-corrupted and new data.”

“Great.”

“Wormhole,” Doctor Whooves pondered. “I might be able to help there, though it will take some explaining. Maybe later.”

“Can you at least tell us where we are, computer?” Luna asked.

“Current system unexplored by all known factions. Stellar Class: Red Dwarf. One planetary body detected thus far. Limited details. Further scans needed.”

“That red planet we saw on the screen earlier can’t be Equis,” Ocellus said, shaking her head. “I’ve always read it was supposed to look green and blue from high above.”

Doctor Whooves raised his eyebrows, once again apparently impressed by her. “Indeed.”

“No name for current system found in any star charts.”

“How about Kumquat?” Spike joked.

“Name accepted. New system label: Kumquat.”

“Seriously?” Scootaloo said, suppressing a giggle.

“Oh dear,” Doctor Whooves sighed. “This is proof our people were nowhere near ready for space travel.”

“Come on, ponies, focus,” Pharynx grunted. “I can’t be the only one who is needed back on our planet.” He glared at Luna. “Reign your new peons in, captain.”

“Doctor Whooves?” Luna said, partially ignoring him.

“Right, let me just try…” He thought for a second, before saying: “Okay… okay here’s an idea. Ahem. Computer, what is the distance between the previous planet this ship was landed upon and…” He winced. “...The Kumquat System.”

“Approximately 56 thousand light years. Further navigational data still compiling.”

Luna shrugged. “Well, that doesn’t sound so…”

She planned to continue until she saw Doctor Whooves’s jaw nearly falling off his mouth.

“Bad?”

“Okidoke,” he said in an exasperated tone. “Nopony panic, but I think we’re in a bit of a pickle.”

“... Why?” Luna asked, almost not wanting to hear the answer. “What exactly is a light year?”

“The distance light travels in one year,” Doctor Whooves gulped. “Each is approximately 9.5 trillion kilometers.”

Luna’s jaw nearly joined Doctor Whooves’s.

“Alright, pickle it is.”

Star Speaker

Two Years Prior

Within a large, rectangular ditch inside the dense Everfree Forest, soil was shovelled and rocks were cracked, all in the effort of uncovering an already partially unburied, large, elongated-triangle of a craft. Though it was caked with dirt, the ship didn’t seem rusted at all, its silverish hull peaking out beneath the grime, awaiting to be washed.

Over two dozen ponies were currently at work on the project, all incredibly enthusiastic. Though none were as enthusiastic as a beaming Doctor Whooves, who upon noticing a waiting Luna at the edge of the site, gasped. With gusto, he set down his shovel, wiped the sweat off his brow, and approached her.

“Princess!” he beamed. “Great wickering stallions! How long have you been waiting there? My apologies, my apologies, I seem to have lost track of time. Odd given my cutie-mark, eh?”

“It is quite alright, doctor,” Luna said reassuringly. “It gave me time to appreciate the view. I can’t believe how much progress you’ve made since I first visited.”

“That’s all thanks to your funding,” Doctor Whooves smiled. “It allowed us to double the crew size. We even found some... specialized help for clearing the rubble…”

He gestured towards one pony in particular Luna had missed. It was none other than Tempest Shadow, the remains of her broken horn crackling with blue energy. With a quick burst of magic, she broke a large boulder into smithereens, earning a hail of the cheers from Grubber, the small hedgehog Luna had previously mistaken for a rock.

‘Those two are inseparable even after their ‘redemption’, it seems.’

A hint of skepticism must have been present in her eyes, as Doctor Whooves continued with:

“Something wrong?”

“It’s nothing,” Luna said. “It’s just… you know of their history, yes?”

“Servants of the Storm King,” Doctor Whooves said. “I was there in Canterlot the day they attacked, so I am familiar. However, Princess Sparkle vouched for the both of them. And though Tempest is a little rough around the edges personality wise and Grubber tends to eat up our food stocks quite quickly, I’ve found them both to be rather delightful.”

As he spoke, Tempest blasted apart yet another large boulder. Doctor Whooves grinned at the sight.

“In fact, Tempest in particular is turning out to be a great asset, despite her… disability.” He winced. “Actually, calling it a disability is a disservice. It seems to allow her to channel raw mana like I’ve never seen before, and thus she can break apart rock like a regular unicorn could only dream of. We would never have been able to clear out the northern section this quickly without her help.”

“She is quite powerful,” Luna nodded. “I found that out the hard way. Still, doctor, I trust your judgement on this.”

“Splendid, splendid,” Doctor Whooves said. “Anyway, I’m delighted you’re here. We are actually just about to enter Phase Two of the dig. We’ve also made a number of serious discoveries I’d like to share.” He sighed heavily. “I just wish the original finder of this marvel was here to share them with us.”

“Ms. Daring Doo’s sudden disappearance was as unexpected as the revelation of her existence,” Luna said solemnly. “Equestria has lost a fine adventurer.”

“Many of my archeologically-focused colleagues actually knew she ‘really existed’ for some time, I’m told,” Doctor Whooves explained. “Half of the items in our museums were collected thanks to her.” He raised a hoof. “Nevertheless, I’m sure she wouldn’t want her loss to sully this most momentous new era within the scientific community.”

“New era?” Luna asked. “What do you mean?”

“We are...” Doctor Whooves coughed, lowering his voice slightly. “We are now reasonably certain that this craft… is not of Equisian origin.”

Luna raised her eyebrows. “That is quite a claim, doctor.”

“Oh yes,” he nodded. “But there is great evidence that this ship was meant for extra-orbital flight. We haven’t managed to gain entry as of yet, but part of the reason for that is it appears to be completely vacuum-sealed, radiation-shielded, and sturdy to an unparalleled degree, all of which you’d need to survive such an environment. To add to this, we are reasonably certain it has a propulsion system more advanced than anything ever created on this world.”

“I will take your word on its capabilities,” Luna said. “However, there have been times when archeological finds have been falsely associated with an alien origin; if my readings haven’t betrayed me.”

“You are right to be skeptical,” Doctor Whooves said. “I was as well. But after some rather intense, coffee-fueled discussions and late night research sessions, everyone on the team agrees that no known civilization could have designed it. It’s simply too advanced technologically speaking and its architecture too foreign. That means either there was an advanced civilization here sometime in the distant past that we don’t know about, there was or is an advanced society on Ares, the Moon, or one of the other nearby bodies, or this came from another star system entirely.”

“I can… confirm that there isn’t any advanced civilization on the moon,” Luna said, her voice a mix of discomfort and excitement. “And even when I was young, there were no tales of a technologically advanced society. So that narrows things down.”

“Indeed,” Doctor Whooves said. “Personally, I think this vessel must have come from another system entirely. Ares simply doesn’t seem to have the ecosystem to support any type of civilization and we should have found something in the fossil record to prove the existence of an advanced precursor.”

“So then,” Luna said, her eyes widening. “This ship… this ship can travel to other stars entirely?”

“I can’t say for certain,” Doctor Whooves said. “But it is a very real possibility.”

Luna shook her head, baffled. “By the night...”

“Hah!” Doctor Whooves grinned. “‘By the night’ is right. I thought that that little detail might interest you.”

“Consider my interest piqued to the extreme,” Luna said. “Do you think it might still be functional? That we may even be able to use it for ourselves?”

Doctor Whooves chuckled. “I don’t want to make promises I can’t keep. We still don’t know if we’re even going to be able to get inside.” He then gazed at her pensively. “Why do you ask? Hoping to see what makes your nights so dazzling up close?”

“You flatter me more than I deserve, doctor,” Luna smiled at him, her mind racing with the possibilities. “True, I have always had a connection to the stars. With my magic, I’ve been able to ‘speak’ to them, brightening certain ones to create the constellations.”

She then glanced away from him. “However, the reality of their nature confuses me, as well as how myself and my sister fit into it all. I had always assumed those dots of light in the night sky were just that: dots of light. But now I’m told that they are actually distant, burning balls of plasma created through the fusion of materials at their very cores. And that with most, worlds orbit them and not the other way around as it is here.”

She sighed. “Am I really able to brighten them? Or is it simply a form of illusion I’m creating and don’t know it? Do I even have a connection with them at all? And why do their systems behave so differently? Is there no Celestia there to guide their planets so they simply… fall into a natural motion as the laws of gravity say they should? So many questions, so little answers. My sister doesn’t care to ask them, but I can’t help it.”

“You’ve given this quite a bit of thought,” Doctor Whooves said.

“I simply want to know the truth,” Luna said.

“Spoken like a true mare of science,” Doctor Whooves said. “After all, both Truth and its sibling Fact guide us in all our endeavors.”

“What if they lead to disappointment, though?” Luna asked.

“We cannot say they won’t,” Doctor Whooves said, sympathetically. “But as I tell my assistant, Derpy: sometimes, reality is stranger than our wilder dreams. We should not let fear limit the scope of our imaginations. If we did, how could we ever grow? Wouldn’t, in only a short amount of time, all stories that could be written in such a box be written?”

Luna smiled warmly. “You are a wise pony, doctor. Wiser than your age would suggest.”

“Looks can be deceiving on that front,” he said. “But that is a tale for another day.” He then gestured for her to follow. “Come, why don’t I show you what we know so far?”

“With pleasure,” Luna nodded. “And please, do not hold back, no matter how complex the topic. I wish to know everything about this... visitor from the heavens.”

--

Present

“Okay, before anyone freaks out again--”

“Not freaking out, not freaking out,” Scootaloo said, rocking in a feeble position. “Not freaking out!”

“--let me just point out that we came this far in the blink of an eye, right? We can probably travel back at the same speed.”

“Good point, Spike,” Luna complimented, settling the restless group somewhat. “Alright, computer, what exactly would we need to do in order to travel back to Equis?”

“The planet we were formerly landed on,” Doctor Whooves added.

“In what timeframe?” the computer droned.

“I don’t know,” Luna said. “How about an hour?”

“You will need approximately --ERROR-- kilos of Aetherium for --ERROR--. Unable to extrapolate full answer due to library corruption. Wormhole stability and trajectory calculations unavailable."

“C-Can we freak out now?” Ocellus squeaked.

“I know you’re frightened, little one,” Luna said softly, patting her on the back. “We all are. But we must remain calm so we can use our heads.”

Ocellus nodded with a shy smile. “O-Okay.”

“It brought up ‘wormhole’ again,” Pharynx grunted. “Doctor, now would be a good time to tell us what in the name of Chrysalis’s crooked horn that is.”

Doctor Whooves took a deep breath. “Hmmm… how to explain...”

“In the simplest way possible, preferably,” Luna said.

“Nothing about them is simple, though,” Doctor Whooves said. “They’re a highly theoretical concept that was almost in the realm of pseudoscience… until now, it seems.”

“I take it they don’t involve worms,” Spike said.

“Again with the jokes,” Pharynx growled. “No wonder Thorax likes you so much, dragon.”

“Yeah, we’re BFFs,” Spike smirked.

Pharynx narrowed his eyes. “But I am not my brother.”

“No, you’re a little shorter,” Spike muttered, silent enough that only Luna could clearly hear him.

“What was that?”

Spike smiled innocently. “Nothing.” He cleared his throat. “But yeah, wormholes. Complicated. Take it away, Doc.”

“Well, you actually helped by pointing out the name,” Doctor Whooves said appreciatively. “Think of a long distance in space like a tall mound of dirt. You could climb over it, yes, but if you were a worm, you could simply tunnel through it instead, making your journey much shorter.”

“Sooo… a wormhole would be like a shortcut?” Scootaloo said in a hopeful tone. “A shortcut in space?”

“Precisely,” Doctor Whooves nodded. “I remember one featured in one of the later Space Trek novels, and I think the portrayal was accurate. They allowed a few of the characters to travel from two distant points - separated by tens of thousands of light years - almost instantaneously.”

“Oh, I remember that one!” Luna said, once again trying to hide her excited tone. “That was the one with Deep Space Swine! My second favorite. The pig race always amused me.”

“Ultra-greedy fictional aliens aside,” Doctor Whooves said. “If this ship is able to open a stable wormhole, of which it might be capable of, it could bring us back to Equis in the blink of an eye.”

“It said it needed that Aetherium stuff though,” Scootaloo said. “And it also said it was out of it!”

“Er, right,” coughed Doctor Whooves. “That would be a problem.”

“That is a problem, doctor!” Pharynx snapped.

“S-So… so we are doomed?” Scootaloo eeped. “We’re never going to get home?!”

“Hold on, hold on, nopony ever said that,” Doctor Whooves said in a calming tone. “We just need to figure out how to get more Aetherium. Computer?”

“What?” it asked in a bored tone.

“Did uh,” Spike coughed, raising a claw. “Did the computer just get cheeky?”

“Nevermind that,” Doctor Whooves said. “Computer, where is the nearest source of Aetherium?”

“As of --ERROR--, Planet --ERROR--, Depot --ERROR--, Somnus System.”

“And how far away is that?” Luna asked.

“143 light-years from the Kumquat system.”

The younger creatures of the group burst out into giggles at that.

Luna couldn’t help but smile slightly. ‘At least they’re no longer so anxious.’

“Good,” Doctor Whooves said. “At least we have a vague idea of what to do now.”

“Right!” Spike said, nodding enthusiastically. “What is that again?”

“Hyperspace,” Pharynx said, as if having a sudden realization. “We need to use hyperspace to get there.”

“Indeed,” Doctor Whooves said. “Smarter than the average brute, aren’t you?”

“Don’t push it, doctor,” Pharynx grunted. “There’s a fine line between bravery and stupidity.”

“The computer did mention we were out of Solarium when we asked it to take us home,” Luna pondered. “And then that Solarium was often used in hyperspace travel. We can only assume this ship can travel via… whatever that is.”

“Correct as well,” Doctor Whooves beamed. “It also mentioned Solarium was found around dying stars.”

“But doctor, this system’s star is a Red Dwarf,” Luna said. “Dying stars are supposed to grow to massive sizes. This one is… well, a dwarf.”

“Boy, they really call it as they see it in astronomy, don’t they?” Spike said.

“You have no idea,” Doctor Whooves chuckled.

“Then again,” Luna continued before Doctor Whooves could say anything further, pacing a bit as she did. “We don’t actually know much of anything about Red Dwarves. They were only discovered a decade ago, yes?”

“I believe so,” Doctor Whooves said. “Honestly, princess, I’m willing to guess your knowledge of astronomy is equal or superior to my own. However, this is all we can go on for now.”

“Maybe the computer knows,” Scootaloo suggested. “Hey, computer.”

“Hello.”

“Uh, hi: what exactly is a Red Dwarf?”

“--ERROR-- Stellar classification library unavailable due to corruption by foreign entity.”

“Alright, that’s been bugging me,” Spike said.

“Bugging you?” Pharynx said, looking slightly offended. Luna wasn’t sure if it was genuine or if he was just trying to give the dragon a hard time.

“I-It does sort of cast bugs into a negative light,” Ocellus said, before fluttering her insect-like wings. “And, um…”

“Oh, sorry,” Spike coughed. “Bothering me, then.”

“You’re forgiven,” Ocellus said warmly.

“But yeah, computer, what is this ‘foreign entity’ you keep talking about?” Spike asked.

“Unknown.”

“Oh, come on...” Spike sighed.

“It’s possible it could simply be referring to a form of physical damage,” Doctor Whooves said. “We’ll need to find and take a look at its physical structure later, assuming it has one, though the likelihood of any of us being able to repair it is… slim, admittedly.”

“Very well, then,” Luna nodded. “We’ll just have to assume we can find this… Solarium within this system.”

“Alright, but how do we even move around the system?” Pharynx said gruffly.

“We get out and push?” Spike suggested.

“I’m not going to be able to stop you from doing that, am I?” Pharynx sighed mournfully.

“Probably not,” Spike shrugged. “I was actually kind of serious, though: what else could we do?”

“Though much of the ship was alien to us, no pun intended,” Doctor Whooves began. “We did identify what we believed to be maneuvering thrusters, as well as a larger thruster on the rear. If our theory is correct, we should be able to move at sublight speeds. Computer, can you confirm this?”

“This vessel is able to travel at sublight velocities via ion propulsion thrusters.”

“Do we need fuel for that?” Luna asked. “It seems like we need it for everything else.”

“Yes, though the risk of running low is minimal. Fuel reserves are almost always at one hundred percent due to this vessel’s ram scoop."

“I’m not going to even bother asking what that is,” Pharynx grumbled. “The computer will just give another error, I bet.”

“You’re in luck, because I know that one,” Luna said. “It was in a Space Trek novel. A ram scoop gathers large amounts of small particles floating about in space for use as fuel.”

“Space Trek saves the day again!” Ocellus cheered, before blushing at the smirks she was getting. “Eheh. Yeah.”

“Well, it’s a start, at least,” Pharynx reluctantly acknowledged.

Luna nodded to the doctor. “Doctor Whooves, you’re the most qualified to figure out how to get us moving, so I leave that task to you.”

“Very good,” he nodded. “Though I warn you, I do not know how long this will take.” He then glanced towards the bridge door apprehensively. “And speaking of time. Where is my assistant? She should have been back by now…”

“It’s a pretty big ship,” Spike said. “Bigger than the palace in Canterlot! Who knows how long it’ll take them to find the other group?”

“I suppose you’re right,” the doctor said, a hint of worry in his tone.

“If they’re not back soon, I’ll look for them and the other tour group personally,” Pharynx said. “You have my guarantee I’ll find them.”

“I… appreciate that,” Doctor Whooves nodded, before rapidly shaking his head, as if to throw his bad thoughts out of it. “But, no matter! Time to get to work. Remember though, this will take time.”

“How long?” Luna asked.

“I’m not sure,” Doctor Whooves admitted. “But I’d consider taking stock of food and water supplies just in case. Luckily, we did supply what we believed to be a cafeteria with goods, and we also had a gift shop set up as well. Probably nothing but candy for sale there, but every bit helps.”

“We never got through much of the tour,” Pharynx said. “How much would you say this ship compares to say, a large maritime vessel?”

The doctor rocked his hoof from side to side. “Somewhat. We know next to nothing about the original inhabitants, but they did seem to need food, water, medical attention, and rest, just like we do. We know this because we found evidence of quarters - each with a sink-like object, a medical facility of some type, the aforementioned cafeteria, a galley, et cetera. We did have a few maps we were going to hand out, but… hm, I wonder...” He took a deep breath. “Computer, do you know the location of… mmm, let’s say, the medical bay?”

“Sickbay,” it said in an almost annoyed tone. “Is located on Deck Five, Section A. Do you require directions?”

Doctor Whooves’s eyes widened, a fascinated look growing on him once again. “Yes, sure.”

“Take Bridge Turbolift A to Deck Five. Walk 50 meters stern. Sickbay will be on the right.”

“Woah,” Scootaloo said, the worry in her tone finally giving way to wonder. “So… it knows where we are?”

A sly look came to Spike’s face. “Heh, if it can do that. Maybe it can... Hey, computer, where’s Rainbow Dash?”

“Unknown Entity: Rainbow Dash.”

“The blue one,” Spike said. “Rainbow-colored hair. Kind of cocky. Likes to say, ‘Twenty percent cooler!’ a lot like it’s some sort of catch-phrase.”

“Hey, don’t make fun of Rainbow!” Scootaloo snapped.

“I’m not making fun of her,” Spike retorted. “She straight-up likes saying ‘Twenty percent cooler!’ a lot!”

“What is it with speedy individuals and catch-phrases,” Luna pondered. “I once knew a blue hedgehog who frequently enjoyed saying, ‘Gotta go fast!’”

“I assume he enjoyed starving himself?” Pharynx deadpanned. “Was he some form of monk?”

Luna gave him a blank look. “No.”

“So you mean he literally went fast?” Spike blinked. “Like Rainbow?”

“Yes,” Luna said, her voice growing darker and her eyes narrowing. “Though one day… one day he went a little too fast. The fates were not kind to him for it.”

The younger members of the group looked at her in horror.

“D-Did he run into a tree or something?” Scootaloo squeaked.

Spike raised a claw. “Uhhh…”

“Nopony knows what really happened,” Luna said. “Just that at one of his demonstrations of his speed he simply… disappeared.”

“I will admit, a good cautionary tale,” Pharynx nodded. “One should never push themselves beyond their boundaries.”

“Yuh huh,” Spike sighed sarcastically. “Great story. Ten out of ten.”

“Pffft, my catch-phrase is better, anyway,” a familiar voice announced. “They should make plushies outa me that say it!”

A grinning Rainbow had re-entered the bridge, Derpy at her side.

“Entity defined: Rainbow Dash. Current location: bridge.”

“Thanks, computer,” Spike said, rolling his eyes.

“You’re welcome, Entity: Spike.”

He gulped. “Right, okay, it’s kind of creepy when it says your name.”

“Derpy, there you are!” Doctor Whooves announced, galloping over to her. “We were beginning to get worried!”

“Worried I’d ‘mess something up’ without you around?” she said in a huff.

“What, no, I--”

“Did you find the others?” Luna interrupted.

“Yeah, they’re okay,” Rainbow said. “We actually found them right away. They weren’t too far behind this group. Tempest, believe it or not, was keeping them together.”

“Tempest… Tempest Shadow?” Luna said in a slightly wary tone. “She’s here? I didn’t see her with the second tour.”

“That’s not her real name, ya’ know,” Rainbow chuckled. “Though Pinkie never told us what it was. Anyways, I think she arrived late.”

“What is she-- her group doing now?” Luna asked. ‘I suppose I shouldn’t be hypocritical, believing she reformed so suddenly, but she didn’t exactly take a direct hit from the Elements of Harmony, either.’ She furrowed her brow. ‘It seems unlikely, but could she be behind all this? And if that’s the case, then why?’

“We told them to stay put,” Derpy said. “We didn’t want them to crowd the bridge.”

“Much appreciated,” Doctor Whooves complimented. “But, um, no offense, I could use even more space than that. If just Derpy and...” He smiled encouragingly at Ocellus. “Ocellus, is it?”

“Mm-hm,” she said sweetly.

“Ah, good, I’m usually terrible with names. If I could just have the two of you assisting me.”

“So…” Derpy said in a hopeful tone. “You actually want my help?”

“Yes, of course I do,” he said in a warm tone. “You’re my number one assistant, Derpy. I’m sorry for accusing you of causing this earlier. I was just so… panicked at the time. That’s no excuse, however: it was still wrong to me to do.”

Derpy thought for a second, then smiled pleasantly. “I forgive you.” She began trotting over to him. “So, what do we need to do?”

“Wait a minute, I uh… kind of have a few questions myself,” Rainbow said. “For one thing: what’s with the disembodied voice suddenly talking to us?”

“There’s more than that to explain,“ Luna said, nodding towards the doctor. “We will give you your space, doctor. There is a lot we need to do, anyway.” She then turned back towards Rainbow. “We need to assume we’re going to be aboard this ship for a few days. While Doctor Whooves attempts to find out how to control it…”

“Oh, I-- we will figure it out,” he said confidently.

“Darn right!” Derpy beamed.

“Yay!” Ocellus cheered.

“...We must take stock of our supplies, assign quarters…” She began trailing off.

“Teach the other group how to talk to the computer,” Spike suggested.

“Learn the layout of it,” Pharynx added.

"Indeed," Luna said, appreciatively. She couldn’t help but let a small bit of excitement in her tone as she continued with: "Now, let's not crowd the good doctor any longer. Come, logistical fun awaits!"

"You're sure you're the Princess of the Night and not the Princess of Bureaucracy, right?" Spike chuckled, following her off the bridge and into a long, wide corridor. "I heard you got really into the… post office one time."

"Post office?" Scootaloo said, confused.

"Oh wow," Rainbow laughed. "I need to hear this story."

Luna blushed softly. "I never found time to see one before. It was simply a marvelously intricate system."

"I reiterate," Pharynx said. "You ponies are really weird sometimes, you know that?"

"Weird, but fun!" Rainbow said, grinning widely as she placed an arm around his neck.

Surprisingly, instead of becoming enraged, Pharynx merely sighed in defeat. "I'm definitely not making it through this with my sanity, am I?"

"My fair Pharynx," Luna said, giving him a warm smile. "Take it from somepony who knows: you'd be surprised just how much your sanity can take."

“Star Speaker…”

…

...

Luna paused, the group pausing with her. If a glass harmonica could have a voice, it would have sounded something like what she had just heard. It was faint, as if spoken across an incredibly distant, and rang with a drawn-out reverb...

And most importantly, it was beautiful.

“Did… anypony hear that?” Luna asked.

Spike raised his eyebrows. “Hear what? Did the computer say something?”

“No, it was…” Luna glanced about her worryingly. “I… nevermind. Come, let’s carry on.”

Despite her dismissal of it, however, she couldn’t help but ponder about it for hours. It simply sounded too real.

‘What was that?’

Void Inquisitor

"Alright, uh, computer, so what's this?" Rainbow asked, peaking into another large, cubic room. "Let me guess… Cargo Bay B?"

"Cargo Bay C," the computer corrected.

"Woo," Rainbow sighed, labelling it on the paper map she had brought with her. "Honestly, Scoots, you'd think an alien spaceship of all things wouldn't be so friggin' boring."

Given Doctor Whooves and his team could only guess what the various rooms aboard the ship were, Luna had assigned a few small groups to survey and map out the entire ship, using the computer to verify what was what. They had tried to get it to bring up a map, but unfortunately, while the computer seemed to know the way around, whatever images it had to show the crew involving the layout were lost.

So, they had to do things the old fashioned way. This included the need to climb (or fly) down a ladder shaft to Deck Five, the lowest, as no creature was brave enough to try the strange, circular turbolifts yet. Still, Rainbow was beginning to wonder if it was even worth the effort, as she and Scootaloo hadn’t found anything interesting or useful so far.

“I dunno, Rainbow, doesn’t it kind of make you wonder?” Scootaloo said, trotting alongside her to the next door.

“Wonder about what?”

“What kind of stuff was put in those cargo bays?”

Rainbow chuckled. “Scoots, for all we know, this could just be a space furniture transport, with cargo bays full of space sofas.”

“I bet space sofas would be super comfy, though!” Scootaloo said. “Also, Pharynx said the ship is armed. Like with some kinda giant cannon. I dunno about it being just for hauling stuff.”

“Alright, then a heavily armed space furniture transport,” Rainbow laughed. “Beats me, Scoots, you know as much as me about this thing as I do.“

She paused, Scootaloo doing the same. “Hey, what's its name anyway? Ships usually have names.”

“Computer?” Scootaloo asked.

“Yes?”

“What’s the answer to my question?” Rainbow asked.

“You need to state your question after saying ‘computer’,” it said in an almost annoyed tone. “My attention is not focused on you until you do.”

“Right, sorry,” Rainbow said, rolling her eyes. “What is the name of this ship?”

“This vessel’s official designation is Void Inquisitor.”

“I’m not sure if that’s a cool name or way too over the top,” Scootaloo critiqued.

“Bleh, needs to be taken down a notch,” Rainbow Dash grunted. “Especially if it’s been hauling sofas. How about we rename it the…”

She thought for a moment.

“The Metal Crusader?” Scootaloo suggested excitedly.

“Mmm, not bad, squirt, but a few too many syllables,” Rainbow said. “How about just… Starshot?”

“Starshot?” Scootaloo blinked.

“Straight, forward, and to the point,” Rainbow shrugged. “It’s a ship that shoots through the stars. Applejack would be proud.”

“Potential name change accepted: Starshot. Awaiting verification from Acting Captain Luna.”

“Okay, wait a minute, hold on there,” Rainbow said, incredulously. “So you’ve just… officially accepted Luna as your new captain? And I guess the rest of us your new crew, right? Just like that?”

“Yeah, that’s been bugging me,” Scootaloo nodded. “Doesn’t make a whole lotta sense. We’re aliens to you, right? How come you’re so cool with us being aboard like this?”

“Let alone replacing your old crew, whoever that was, and messing around on your bridge?” Rainbow added.

“Your fellow crewmates, Doctor Whooves and Acting Captain Luna, have already asked similar questions.”

“And what did you tell them?” Rainbow said, tapping her hoof impatiently.

“...”

“Computer?”

“--ERROR-- No information available.”

“Guess I should have expected that,” Rainbow sighed. “Mysteries on mysteries… man, I wish Daring Do was here. You know she originally found this thing, right?”

“Before she disappeared?” Scootaloo asked.

“Yeah,” Rainbow said sadly. “Inspired one of her worst books, though: Daring Doo and the Crystal Femur. Worst thing about her going ‘poof’ was that that was her last novel, too.”

“Ouch,” Scootaloo winced. “Sour not to leave on. But hey, come on, let’s keep exploring. Keep our minds off it.”

“Sounds good, little buddy,” Rainbow smiled, leading Scootaloo along. “Just wish that we’d find something more than just empty--”

She paused, raising her brow as a nearby pair of double-doors swung open automatically. What was beyond them was no mere cargo bay. It was much more massive: an elongated section stretching half a deck’s length and attached to another that seemed to shoot out towards the starboard side of the vessel. She couldn’t see what exactly was at the end of it.

“Woah,” Rainbow blinked.

“Hah!” Scootaloo said, sticking her tongue out. “I knew we’d find something cool down here eventually!” She tilted her head to the side. “But uh… I just wish I knew what those things are.”

She and Rainbow were gazing at a number of lean, rectangular pyramidal objects that split into two diagonal fins at the front. Atop it was an ovaloid dome, with a black window making up most of the frontal section of it.

“Hey, computer?” Rainbow called. “Computer! What exactly are we looking at here? Help a pegasus out?"

“Only one ‘computer’ is required for my attention,” it droned. “Answer to inquiry: Light Taker Interceptors.”

Scootaloo raised an eyebrow. “Uhhh…”

“Computer, I don't know if you've caught on yet, but we’re kind of new to the whole space exploration thing,” Rainbow said, before grinning somewhat sheepishly. “I’m sure we’re going to be awesome at it, but… we have no idea what any of that means. Explain it to us; nice and slowly.”

“Processing. Inference functions fully calibrated for less sophisticated inquiries of species: pegasus.”

“Did it just call us dumb?” Scootaloo asked.

“Light Taker is the name of the interceptor,” it began, seemingly ignoring her.

Rainbow nodded. “Alright, but what’s an interceptor--”

“Interceptor is a class of strike craft suited for both the interception of enemy strike craft and the destruction of soft planetside targets.”

“Kay, Scoots, I think we can rule out this thing as a cargo ship,” Rainbow said, raising her eyebrows. “So, these things are meant for combat, huh?”

“How do you… well… fight with them?” Scootaloo asked.

“Processing answer for non-acclimated entities. Processing complete. Please view Launch Bay Viewscreen 2.”

“Wait, that’s what this is?” Rainbow Dash asked. “A launch bay?”

“Correct,” the computer said. “Please view Launch Bay Viewscreen 2.”

Across the large tunnel, a monitor flickered to life. On it, multiple interceptors of the same design could be seen whizzing around the blackness of space. However, they were not alone. Other strike craft were chasing or being chased by them of a completely different design. It didn’t appear to be a friendly game of tag, either, as the barrels mounted on the fronts of these ships occasionally flashed brightly, shooting forth red and yellow projectiles that seemed to be intended to hit ships of the other type.

“I don’t know what this is,” Scootaloo said, before hopping excitedly. “But it looks awesome!”

Rainbow, however, was too mesmerized by it to speak.

“This was a minor skirmish fought between --ERROR-- and --ERROR-- strike craft --ERROR-- cycles ago at System: Entropy’s Beginning. It was captured at several different angles by multiple bow imagers.”

“So that’s how they fight,” Rainbow finally said. “Like… how pegasi used to dogfight the griffons with crossbows. Probably faster, though. Hey computer, what's their max speed?"

"Theoretically, a Light Taker could achieve a vacuum speed of 40 kilometers per second if all fuel reserves were burned."

"T-That…" Rainbow stammered, practically forcing herself not to pant. "H-Here I thought the ship we’re on was quick, but that is over twenty times faster than Sonic Rainboom speeds! How… what the… that's so AWESOME!.!.!"

"Their mothership is faster when using hyperspace," the computer said. “And accelerating to the mentioned speed with strike crafts would be ill-advised.”

"Pfffft, and why would that be?"

"Objects in motion will stay in motion unless acted upon by an external force."

"That sounds like Twilight-speak," Rainbow groaned. "Nevermind, don't kill my buzz. Talk to me about it later."

"Acknowledged."

They continued to watch. Over time, the Light Taker Interceptors seemed to be victorious. They completely destroyed two enemy ships in brilliant flashes of light before driving off the rest without a single loss themselves.

Scootaloo winced. “T-That was brutal. I-I really hope whoever made these things aren’t bad guys.”

"Same," Rainbow nodded. “And that reminds me. Ahem. So computer, if I asked you who the aliens were who built all this, would you just give me an error?”

“Yes.”

“Figures.”

“Wait a minute…” Scootaloo said, still looking at the screen. “How are they moving around in the first place? Like, how are they controlled?”

“Each strike craft, dependent on type, is controlled by one or more individuals.”

“So you’re saying… we can climb inside them and fly them?!” Rainbow asked, excitement now completely overtaking her voice.

“Correct.”

“Can you teach us how?” Scootaloo immediately asked.

“Woah, Scoots!” Rainbow laughed. “Just a few hours ago you looked like you wanted to curl up into a ball. Now, you want to fly an alien strike thingy?”

“It would be so awesome!” Scootaloo practically squeaked. “Especially with… well, you know.”

She wiggled her stunted wings, and Rainbow couldn’t help but frown. Even three years after Twilight had taken control of Equestria, in which time Scootaloo had grown into a teenager, she was no closer to flying than when she was a filly.

“I gotcha, Scoots,” Rainbow said reassuringly. “Computer, how about it?”

“My apologies, I was processing newly recovered information,” it said. “To answer your question: I cannot teach you, but the ships themselves can. Each Strike Craft is loaded with multiple training simulators for pilots beginner to advanced.”

“So, that’s a yes, right?” Scootaloo asked. “Please say that’s a yes!”

“Yes, it is a yes.”

Scootaloo and Rainbow looked at each other, their eyes widened in absolute delight, before looking back at the interceptor.

“Okay, I think I know what we’re going to be keeping ourselves busy with,” Rainbow smirked. “The two of us, little buddy, are gonna fly faster than any pegasus ever has.”

--

"Captain Luna," the computer spoke, interrupting the night princess.

"Hm?" she said, perking an eyebrow up at its new use of ‘captain’ instead of ‘acting captain’.

Coincidentally, she was currently inspecting what she was told were the captain's quarters. While the majority of the ship was fairly sparse and utilitarian, she believed there was once an attempt to decorate this room. A few paintings of other, strange alien ships lined the walls. There were also a few plant pots around, though their contents had long since turned to dust. Finally, what appeared to be two, small ornaments of strange, lizard-like creatures sat upon a wall-mounted shelf.

Unfortunately, that was it when it came to creature comforts. While it did contain a 'bed', it was little more than a solid slab of rock.

"One of your underlings has suggested a name change to this vessel befitting its new occupants."

"What was its old name?" Luna asked.

"Its official title was Void Inquisitor."

Luna raised her eyebrows. "It does have a certain lovely gothic connotation to it, but I do agree: not a typical pony name for a ship. What was the suggestion?"

"The renaming of it to Starshot."

"Mm," Luna chuckled. "The Starship Starshot. That’ll do. Very well, computer, from henceforth, that will be our name… Starshot."

"New designation: Starshot accepted," the computer droned. "Update: Doctor Whooves requests your presence on the bridge."

"Oh?" Luna asked, beginning to exit the room. "Has he figured things out already?"

"... To be accurate: he has figured out that I have figured you out."

Bridge Operation for Dummies

"Ah, good, you're here," Doctor Whooves greeted Luna as she trotted onto the bridge.

"As they say using these hip, modern linguistics: 'What is the word'?" Luna asked, smiling slightly. “Tehe, ten cycles back I’m still loving these new expressions.” She then cleared her throat. “But um, yes, anyway, the computer said you made some form of discovery about it?”

"More like it has made a discovery about us," Doctor Whooves chuckled. "It seems until very recently, the computer was, for lack of a better term, 'unaware' of how, mmm, well, primitive the creatures it was dealing with were."

Luna raised an eyebrow. "The computer is capable of learning things like that?"

"It's super crazy advanced," Derpy said.

“I’d even say semi-sapient,” Ocellus added.

“‘Sapient?’” Luna asked.

“Smart enough to be self-aware,” Doctor Whooves said.

“I know what the word means," Luna said. "What I don’t understand is how a machine could be as intelligent as one of us.”

“Well, um, w-with all due respect, princess, even computers on Equis are smarter than us in certain ways,” Ocellus explained. “For instance, they can perform mathematical calculations thousands of times more quickly than we can.”

“But only because they’re devoting most of their processing power to it at the time,” Doctor Whooves said. “This machine has a lot more to work with - perhaps much more than your average pony, changeling, what have you's brains. And unlike us, it’s capable of allocating that power to its various functions at will."

“You’ve lost me there,” Luna said.

“Well,” Derpy said, taking over for Doctor Whooves. “For instance, you can’t just turn off the brainpower your mind is using to think about whatever song is stuck in your head.” She gave Doctor Whooves a look. “Such as the one you got stuck in my head earlier.”

“I couldn’t help it!” Doctor Whooves said. “It’s just so catchy!” He then sang:

“Baby, baby, baby!

You are my booboo child,

My booboo child!”

“Annnnd now it’s in the princess’s head, too,” Derpy groaned. “Where did you even hear that song, anyway?”

“No clue,” Doctor Whooves shrugged. “But anyway: horrible, evil songs aside, my assistant is correct. The computer can manipulate where its own processing power goes to. Thus, it can devote some of it to, at the very least, simulating a sapient being when it wishes. However, we still don’t know how close it can actually come to one.” He sighed dreamily. “I’m going to write so many new books when we get back.”

“That isn’t why you asked me here, though, is it,” Luna said, curiously.

“Well, no,” Doctor Whooves coughed. “But remember what I was saying about the computer becoming aware of our… primitive natures?”

“You used that word, not it,” Derpy grumbled. “I still don’t like what it implies.”

“Er, yes, I suppose it is a bit harsh,” Doctor Whooves sighed. “By primitive I mean only when it comes to our experience with advanced technology, not when it comes to our capacity for learning.”

“Better,” Derpy nodded.

“Which is why it’s begun guiding us to resources that will help facilitate our learning,” Doctor Whooves said. “This includes the various bridge consoles. Each is equipped with hours upon hours of tutorials. They’re interactive guides, of a sort, that explain their various functions. I'm not sure how the data on them hasn't been corrupted like the computer's primary memory banks, but perhaps luck is simply on our side."

“Mmm, yes, ‘luck’,” Luna said suspiciously.

“Hm?” Doctor Whooves said, raising an eyebrow.

“Nevermind,” Luna said. “Go on.”

“I’ve um,” Ocellus blushed, walking over to a console at the front of the bridge. “I’ve already started the lessons on how to operate the navigation console. It’s been pretty easy-going. Let me show you....”

Luna took note of the control pad she easily manipulated. Its buttons were entirely on a screen of sorts which reacted to the touch. It didn’t seem to have any ‘physical’ controls to speak of. It also appeared to be very pony (or changeling) friendly, as all of the buttons on it were large enough to accommodate a hoof.

“Here’s an example,” Ocellus said, tapping the control pad a few more times.

Not only did the screen on the control panel change to show a diagram of the ship with its engines highlighted, but the main bridge viewscreen changed as well. It now showed an asteroid field; various large, brown bodies spinning about the ship. In addition, text appeared on the screen, vanishing after a couple of seconds:

Oblivion Helmsman

Training Course II

“I don’t understand,” Luna said. “Is this some form of recording?”

“No, princess, it’s a simulation,” Doctor Whooves said enthusiastically. “An artificial world created by the computer to train crew members.”

Luna raised her eyebrows. Now this was beyond anything she had heard of even in Space Trek.

Before she could ponder it further, however, a new voice, very much distinct from the computer’s rang through the bridge. Strangely enough, the voice had an accent she could have sworn she had heard before, many cycles ago.

“Greetings, helmsman ‘Ocellus!’.” (It stated Ocellus’s name in her own voice.) “You have served the Deep Ones well by passing your basic two-dimensional navigational training. You will now learn how to manually pilot this vessel three-dimensionally. Tap the ‘next’ button when you are ready.”

‘Deep Ones?’ Luna pondered. ‘Some form of leadership?’

Ocellus narrowed her eyes in determination, then tapped the button.

“Begin by transferring power to the primary and maneuvering thrusters as you did the last lesson.”

Ocellus tapped a few more buttons, then slid her hoof across the screen, filling a ‘bar’ of sorts with light. Luna couldn’t help but shake her head in disbelief at her ability to learn such a thing so quickly.

“Power transferred. A reminder that in the event of an emergency, you are authorized to transfer energy from non-critical systems. Example: Decks Two through Five’s life support. The sacrifice of non-essential crew will not upset the Deep Ones.”

“Wait… wait what?!” Luna yelped.

“I uh,” Doctor Whooves coughed. “I don’t think that’ll happen often--”

Derpy shot him a look.

“At all!” he corrected, tugging awkwardly at the tie collar he wore. “I don’t think that will happen… at all.”

"You now have access to additional controls. The full rotational thruster array is yours to command, as well as the vertical thrusters. Complete this exercise by flying through the glowing sphere."

One appeared on screen some distance away, beyond a few asteroids.

"Do not strike any foreign objects. You may repeat this exercise as many times as necessary. However, disciplinary measures may be taken if you fail to learn from the mistakes you make. This includes ones in training. You may begin at any time."

Ocellus paused, turning away from the controls.

"Well?" Luna said, chuckling slightly. "Go on. I assure you I will not be as harsh as these aliens."

"I um…" Ocellus said, blushing. "I'm still learning these controls, to be honest. I barely passed the first course. I really need to do it over."

"Very well," Luna nodded. "Though I must say, you've shown an impressive amount of progress for only a few hours." She smirked Doctor Whooves’s way. “Not bad for one of us primitives, hm?”

He rolled his eyes. “Yes, yes, not bad at all.”

“And she isn't the only one learning, either,” Derpy said. "We've been figuring out a lot about whoever built this ship, too, just from listening."

“Indeed,” Doctor Whooves said, smiling proudly at Derpy. “As my assistant pointed out before you arrived, it appears the makers valued the term ‘learn by experience’, and learning quickly. These tutorials are so thorough, yet so condensed, that I don’t believe they bothered teaching their crew nearly anything beforethey boarded this vessel - at least not in regards to their stations. They learned everything right here.”

“There have been signs that whoever built this is very… pragmatic,” Luna agreed. “I haven’t seen beds so rough since Earth Ponies were still living in mud huts.”

“Ah, to live longer than a few centuries,” Doctor Whooves sighed.

"Um… wait a minute," Ocellus blinked. “Are you saying you've lived that long? Most creatures only live one!"

"The Doc is older than he looks," Derpy said.

“I have some sort of genetic defect, I suppose,” Doctor Whooves shrugged. “Maybe a little alicorn DNA? Who knows. I certainly don't. It is what it is. Still, it’s nothing compared to Luna’s experience. How I envy you, princess. To see how ponies have progressed first-hoof from the very start of the Copper Age!”

“You know I was on the moon for half of that, right?” Luna said, giving him a sarcastic look.

“Oh, um, uh…”

“Annnnyway,” Derpy said. “As we were saying, whoever built this ship wanted their ponies up to speed really quickly. It shouldn’t take any of us too long to learn how to fly it.”

“The opposite of how it was in Space Trek,” Luna pointed out. “I believe Space Fleet cadets spent years in training before even stepping foot on a ship.” She then blinked, doing a double take. “Wait, did you just say they wanted their ponies up to speed?”

“Given what we’ve seen of the tutorials so far,” Derpy said. “And the type of controls the consoles have, we think that the aliens had some form of hooves - just like us.”

“That or they’re able to change around the layouts of their controls based on who is using them,” Ocellus added. “In which case, it’s possible this ship was crewed by multiple species. Now that would be like Space Trek!”

“That is a discussion for another day, though,” Doctor Whooves said. “It is likely that we’ll find out more about this ship’s original crew as we continue digging around, but for now, you have some decisions to make…” He smiled broadly. “Captain Luna.”

“Oh?”

“About who should learn what,” Doctor Whooves said. “It seemed most appropriate that you do the selection.”

“Very well,” Luna nodded. "What roles are there to play, exactly? I'm guessing they're a bit different from a maritime ship."

“I got you there, princess,” Derpy beamed, pulling out a sheet of paper. "I made a list! Let's see… well, first off, we need a captain. That's you."

"I am… still unsure about permanently keeping this title," Luna said. "While I did command an airship for a short time after my return, this would be quite a bit of an… upgrade."

"Pffft, na, you'll be great," Derpy said nonchalantly. "Everypony thinks so. Spike already spoke to the other group and they're all for it."

"Just keep asking yourself: 'What would Captain Quick Card do?'" Doctor Whooves added. "As much as I love Captain Smirk, Quicky had a much better mortality rate."

The others gave him a look.

"Kidding, kidding!" the doctor said defensively. "None of us are going to die - I promise."

"That's reassuring," Derpy snarked. "Anyway, next on the list is…"

--

“First Officer?” Spike asked in a tone half-flattered, half as if he thought he was the butt of a practical joke, as he met with Luna in the captain’s quarters. “Me?”

“You don’t give yourself enough credit, young dragon,” Luna consoled. “Other than your fear of alien ghosts--”

“Hey, that’s a perfectly rational fear given all of the things I’ve seen!” Spike grumbled. “And you’ve seen, too.”

Luna thought for a second, then nodded. “Fair enough. Though even if we count that, you have still been the most level-headed creature during this… incident thus far.”

Spike tilted his head from side to side, before shrugging. “Eh, maybe. Living with Twilight, you kind of have to learn to keep cool under pressure. If I freaked out every time she freaked out, we’d just build off each other until both of us were in straight jackets.”

She gazed at him quizzically. “I’m not without my moments of ‘freaking out’, you know.”

Spike shifted nervously. “Uhhh…”

“I know it’s not the same,” Luna sighed. “But I believe we’d make a good team, nonetheless.”

“I still dunno,” Spike said. “Don’t you think Pharynx would be better for this? Or Tempest?”

Luna glanced away from him. “I have… issues with Tempest, and I already have a role in mind for Pharynx.”

Spike looked confused for a brief second, before chuckling. “Oh yeah. Now I remember.”

--

“Tactical Officer,” Luna said.

Pharynx gave her a hint of a grin. “You’d trust me with that kind of firepower? Even after I gave you a hard time earlier?”

“The guns seem to only point one way.”

“Hah!" he laughed, his new assignment putting him in the best mood Luna had seen him yet. "Fine. I must admit I was hoping you'd ask me to do something like that. But I warn you: if the bridge crew acts too undisciplined, I won't hold my tongue. I don't think the others have caught on yet, but this ship seems to have been built for only one thing: combat. Everything about it screams military. We need to treat it with a soldier's touch."

"It does seem oriented towards that," Luna admitted. "Though given some of the other systems we've seen, it does seem there were non-military personnel aboard."

"Like?"

"Well…"

--

"Science Officer," Doctor Whooves said in a hopeful tone, continuingly where Derpy had left off on the bridge.

Luna smirked slightly. "Very well. I can think of nopony better than…"

"Yes?" he asked eagerly.

"...Rainbow Dash."

His face sank so low it nearly fell off his head. "I… what… how…" He cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure. "P-Princess, while Rainbow strikes me as more than capable of brisk learning, I do not believe she has the education to--"

Luna, followed by Ocellus and Derpy, broke out into giggles. "Relax, my fair doctor. I was merely jesting. Of course you shall have that role."

Doctor Whooves blinked, stunned, before chuckling himself. "Great wickering stallions, princess…"

"You should have seen the look on your face!" Derpy laughed.

"Sorry," Luna chuckled. "I do believe my sister has been rubbing off me in recent cycles. Anywho, are there any other roles?"

"Only navigator," Derpy said.

"And if you don't mind me saying, princess," Doctor Whooves started. "Ocellus has presented a natural affinity towards mathematics and spatial thinking. And no matter what she says, she is doing much better with those training courses than any of us could. I believe she would be perfect for it."

Ocellus blushed heavily. "M-Me? R-Really?"

"The doctor's word is good enough for me," Luna said. "You will be our guiding hoof through the stars, young one."

Some seemed to twinkle in the young changeling's eyes as she heard this.

Luna then turned towards Derpy. "And what role will you be playing, my fair taskmaster?"

"Helping the Doc, of course," Derpy smiled. "Somepony has to dot his Ts and cross his Is."

"Ignore my foalish outburst from earlier," Doctor Whooves began. "My friend here is quite good at keeping me organized, and has a natural gift of translating my… admittedly occasional techno-babble into something more comprehensible."

Derpy looked quite flattered, though she still gave Doctor Whooves a playful smirk. "Occasional?"

"Yes, yes, fine," he grumbled. "Near constant, then." He turned towards Luna. "So, that should be it for the bridge. There are, of course other roles that need to be assigned across the ship: chef, botanist - for the greenhouse, of course -, chief engineer…"

"But the bridge crew is all we need to actually get this ship moving, yes?" Luna asked.

"Correct."

"Then I shall speak to the others," Luna nodded, narrowing her eyes in determination. "And hopefully, the Starshot can soon be underway!"

“Wait… Starshot?” Derpy blinked.

“I thought the computer was going to ask about Quib-Quib?” Ocellus pouted. “That was the coolest ship in Space Trek!”

“No,” the computer deadpanned.

“Um...” Luna blinked, raising a hoof. “‘Did the computer just… refuse to even consider it?’

“It’s alright, my dear friends,” Doctor Whooves sighed. “It will always be the Quib-Quib in our hearts.”

And with that, Derpy, Ocellus, and Doctor Whooves sighed dreamily as Luna barely held back a giggle.

‘Rebellious computers aside, perhaps captaining these ponies won’t be so bad,’ she thought. ‘Maybe… it could even be fun?’

The Lonely Dwarf

Chapter Image

An hour or so later, Luna gathered the twenty or so creatures trapped aboard together, save for Rainbow, Scootaloo, and a few others. The former were busy with a ‘special project’, though Luna still didn’t know what that was.

The computer identified the meeting place as a 'briefing room', and it seemed to fit the bill. There were multiple seats (again, mostly hard slabs of polished rock) arranged into rows. These were in turn placed in front of a large monitor, presumably for displaying information.

Luna, Doctor Whooves, and a somewhat nervous looking Spike stood before it.

"Greetings, everycreature," Luna said, calming the nervous chatter that had broken out among the group. "First of all, thank you for giving me the chance to lead you in this rather unusual situation we find ourselves in.”

“No problem!” a happy looking yak cheered. “Yona like big, blue, semi-aggressive pony princess!”

“Though that is probably the most casual way somepony could say ‘we’re lost in space,’” a grumpy looking griffon said.

“Technically, we’re not exactly ‘lost’,” Doctor Whooves pointed out. “We actually know where we are… well, somewhat.”

“Doctor, I don’t think that’s what he meant,” Derpy said.

“Everypony, please,” Tempest spoke up. “Let’s hear what the captain has to say.”

“Mmm… thanks,” Luna said reluctantly, giving her a distrustful look. “But yes, by now you should have a decent understanding of what has happened, but if you do not, I shall summarize."

She took a deep breath. "For reasons we have yet to comprehend, while we were touring this ship, it somehow regained power, something that was thought impossible. After that, we believe some sort of automated system was activated that, as you all saw, launched us off Equis. Then, for equally unknown reasons, the ship created a wormhole…"

"A bridge between two points in space-time," Doctor Whooves interjected.

"...Through which we passed to a place far from home. The resources that are required to create another seem to be depleted, as are the resources we need to travel shorter distances to find more of the first.” She raised a hoof. “I know it may seem dire, but..."

"It, uh, it turns out we aren't completely doomed after all," Spike smiled.

The group broke into surprised, but nonetheless, optimistic murmurs.

“Indeed," Luna nodded. "What you may not know yet is that we now believe we have the capacity to take control of this ship. With that control, we shall be able to navigate this star system and, hopefully, find the resources we need on one of its planets. Resources that, at the very least, may allow us to navigate to other systems."

"Wait, so we're actually going to visit other planets?" one of the ponies asked excitedly, a teal unicorn with a slightly obsessive look in her eyes. "Planets that might have humans on them?"

"What?" Spike sighed. "Yeah… sure, Lyra."

"I am sooooo one hundred percent on board, then!" she squealed, ribbing a somewhat annoyed looking pony beside her. "Hah, in your face, Bon Bon! 'Lyra, there's no such thing as humans,' you said. 'Princess Twilight and Spike probably just accidently ate sea-poppy or something'...”

“Lyyyyra,” she whined. “You’re embarrassing us.”

“I don’t care!” Lyra declared triumphantly. “If reality can be destroyed by the truth, then it deserves to be destroyed by the truth! Today, we begin the first steps into a brighter future where the shackles of ambiguity shall be shattered!”

As she continued to ramble, Spike turned towards Luna, quietly adding: "She's been obsessed with the idea of humans ever since rumors got out about me and Twilight's visit to that weird mirror world thing. Did I ever mention I was a dog once?"

“I… need context for this,” Luna blinked.

“Yeah, you and me both.”

Honestly, Luna hadn't really given that 'other world' much of any thought recently, though she had to stop and consider the implications of it. Despite being 'copies' of the ponies of Equestria, didn't the mirror beings still count as an alien race? An alien race with advanced technology, according to Twilight, though she had never asked just how advanced.

'Could this ship be their doing, somehow?'

"Uh, I have a question," Grubber said, somewhat shyly. "Actually a lot of questions. But the big one is… what's a human?"

"Why, I'm glad you asked!" Lyra beamed. "A human is a type of bipedal hairless monkey that mph mph mpppppph!"

Both Pharynx and Tempest, who sat next and behind her, combined their no nonsense powers to silence her (they put their hooves over her mouth).

"It's time to stop," Pharynx growled.

"Just until the captain is done," Tempest said, a bit more softly. "No offense."

“Thank you,” Bon Bon sighed. “Trust me, it’s for your own good, Lyra.”

“Mppppph!”

Pharynx cocked an eyebrow at the two of them. "Hmph. Straight-forward ponies. Refreshing."

"Old habits die hard," Tempest shrugged, before turning back towards Luna and cautiously removing her hoof. "Captain Luna, I'm glad you have a plan and everything for this mess, but how exactly are we supposed to fly an alien spaceship, again?"

"The spaceship has the capability to teach us how to use it," Luna explained.

"Some form of user manual?" Tempest asked, raising her eyebrows. "That we can understand? That seems… suspiciously convenient, don’t you think?"

"Pffft, come on, girl," Grubber grinned. "Leave it to you to kick a gift horse in the mouth."

Tempest raised her eyebrows, giving him a sarcastic look.

"What? Is that expression offensive or something?" He asked, looking around nervously. "Yo, is it?"

"A reasonable inquiry," Pharynx said. "Not the hedgehog's. The one before."

"Hey!" Grubber grumbled.

"The answer to both is 'no'," Spike said.

"Whew," Grubber said, wiping sweat off his brow. "Already got in trouble the other day for my 'lead a horse to water' comment."

"The ship has advanced, built-in tutorials on how to use it's consoles," Doctor Whooves explained. "The computer seems to have been responsible for translating them. Say hi, computer."

“... Hi.”

"Okay, so who is learning what, then?" Tempest asked, still somewhat suspicious in her tone

Luna spoke up. "I have already selected those I believe will have the best chance of learning bridge operations. Those that have have already been informed."

"Great, so what are the rest of us?” the grumpy griffon asked. “Expendables?”

"Um, the correct term w-would actually be 'red shirts', Gallus," Ocellus corrected. "At least that's what Space Treks fans call them."

"Ocellus, nobody reads that nerdy stuff," Gallus said. "Fargate SE-1 is where the cool kids are at these days."

"Oooo, wait, red shirts?!" the excitable hippogryph squeaked. "Are we going to have uniforms!? Can I make them? I've been getting into sewing lately!" She turned to Ocellus, a pensive look on her. "Wait, what were we talking about, again?"

"How we're not cool enough for the bridge," Gallus pouted.

"It's not that!" Ocellus cried. "And no, you're not red shirts!"

"She's right," Luna said. "Rest assured, everycreature will be getting home, but I have no idea how long that may take. It could be some time - perhaps even months. So with that in mind…"

The group broke out into concerned murmurs, causing Luna to wince. Maybe she should have just said ‘days’.

"Ahem, it will be faster if we all chip in," Spike said. "There's lots of other stuff to do, you know. We need to start making this ship livable."

"Do we need someone to cook? Cus I'm so on that, baby!" Grubber proclaimed. "I didn't get this chubby eating slop, you know.”

"See, that's the spirit!" Luna said.

Maybe the hedgehog, at least, wasn't as bad as she thought.

"Captain, you and your selectees do what you need to do," Tempest said firmly, though Luna could have sworn there was a slight hint of envy in her tone. "I'm sure the rest of us will find some way to keep ourselves busy." She looked the group over. "Right?"

Whether out of fear of the former villainess or genuine agreement, everyone else chimed in with their approvals.

"Yes! Yona want to practice stitching, too! Rock slabs good enough for yak, but everycreature else need pillows!"

“Yes yes yes! We’ll be super stitching pallllls~!”

"Fine, whatever. We need someone to keep inventory, right? Guess I’ll do that. Griffons are good at keeping track of our stuff."

"Green house, e’yup.”

“Wait a minute: Big Mac?” Spike blinked. Luna was quite surprised he hadn’t noticed the big red pony yet. “Sugar Belle? What are you doing here!? I didn’t think you were into museums.”

“Hey now,” Sugar Belle said in a lightly defensive tone. “Big Mac isn’t just a farmer. He’s really into mechanical things, too! You know that! He wanted to see how this ship ticks!”

“E’yup!” Big Mac nodded enthusiastically.

“I’m afraid that nopony really knows that, my large, red friend,” Doctor Whooves said.

“Yet,” Big Mac added.

“And what are you doing here, Spike?” Sugar Belle teased.

“Hanging out with Luna,” he said. “And now being her First Officer. How about that?”

“Yes, and speaking of which,” Luna said, growing wary of the increasing chatter in the room. “Everycreature: attention again, please!”

Apparently not wanting her to go Royal Canterlot Voice on them, they quickly quieted.

“Thank you,” Luna smiled. “I know the quarters aboard this ship are not the most… accommodating, but I must ask you to pick one for your personal use. You will find them on the deck below this. Ask the computer if you need directions.”

“Ah, I was just about to bring that up,” Doctor Whooves said, glancing at a large watch wrapped around his leg. “If you’re implying we should grab some rest, it would be a wise idea. The moon would have long since risen - er, have been risen - back home around this time. We have busy days ahead of us, after all.”

“I am feeling kinda beat,” Spike yawned. “So… sleepy time, everypony?”

“Sleepy time,” Luna nodded. “Hearing adjourned!”

--

Later that ‘evening’, Luna found herself restlessly pacing her quarters. Though in her retirement, she had moved into a more ‘normal’ sleep schedule, she was still, by her very nature, a night owl to the core. In fact, though it was no longer her ‘duty’, she still took it upon herself to quell nightmares around this time.

‘Dream patrol’, she thought. ‘Perhaps that wouldn’t be a bad idea. Though they didn’t seem to be too panicked, the ponies trapped here may still be very much unnerved. Especially since a significant number appear to be children. Oh, and perhaps I could even… hm...’

Concentrating, her horn began to glow, and she soon wormed her way into the shadowy realm of dreams.

She frowned at the sight. There were only a few dream bubbles around when there were normally thousands. While she had a slither of hope she may be able to contact somepony back home about their situation, that turned out not to be the case. It appeared her powers had a limited reach.

‘Foolish more me to think they wouldn’t,’ Luna thought. ‘I haven’t exactly encountered an alien dream before, have I?’

She looked upon the twenty odd bubbles that were there. Surprisingly, none appeared to be that terrible. An older version of Spike made a heroic pose on the bridge of the Starshot in one. Ocellus earned smiles of approval from both Thorax and Pharynx in another. And Doctor Whooves showed an excited-looking Derpy around a lab in one more.

‘Perhaps the reality of the situation hasn’t set in with them yet,’ Luna sighed to herself. ‘Don’t they realize there’s no guarantee that we will find what we need around this dwarf st--?”

She paused, noticing a very peculiar bubble further away from the others. It was in a space among itself, far removed from the others. Yet it shined brighter than all the other bubbles combined. She had never seen anything like it before.

Slowly, she flew over to it, having to shield her eyes from the intense light when she grew close enough to it. ‘What manner of dream is this?’

Then, she heard it again. That beautiful, longing voice that vibrated through her soul.

“STAR SPEAKER...”

“H-Hello?” Luna squeaked. “Who is that?”

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE, STAR SPEAKER?” it spoke again in its haunting tone. “SO FAR FROM THE CENTER OF THINGS? THIS IS NO PLACE FOR THOSE OF FLESH AND BLOOD. DISTANCE SERVES US ALL WELL.”

“This… this vessel we are on took us here,” Luna answered. “Wedon’t know why as of yet. Who-- Who are you?”

“YOU WOULD NOT KNOW ME - NOT DIRECTLY,” it said, sadly. “FOR YOU HAVE NEVER GAZED UPON ME BEFORE. EVEN IF I WEREN'T ON THE EDGE OF THIS GREAT GATHERING, MY KIN WOULD OUTSHINE MY LIGHT A THOUSAND-FOLD.”

“Outshined by your own kin?” Luna said solemnly. “I can relate. Though perhaps moreso if I knew more about you."

“I AM MERELY ONE WHO ENJOYS YOUR GAZE, EVEN IF IT WASN'T MEANT TO BE FOR EONS... HOWEVER, AS STATED, THIS ISN’T THE PLACE FOR IT.”

Luna was forced to shut her eyes. It was almost as if the dream’s light was blaring through her hoof now. Even turning away from it, it still seemed to fill her peripheral somehow. “But by the night! Why is your dream so bright?!”

“IT CANNOT BE HELPED, FOR WE HAVE TARRIED TOO LONG. JUST KNOW TO TREAD UPON MY CHILDREN LIGHTLY, FOR I DO NOT WISH FOR HARM TO COME UPON YOU: FROM EITHER MYSELF OR THE OTHER VISITOR - THE ONE WHO DESPISES US BOTH.”

“What children?” Luna asked in an exasperated tone. “What othervisitor? I. Need. Context!”

Seemingly at will, the dream suddenly ‘blinked’ off, giving Luna an utter sense of relief… and a sudden wish for that sunscreen substance her sister described. Even in the dream realm, it still took her a moment to regain her sight. But when she did, she noticed it: another odd, lonely dream bubble, floating some distance away.

This one, however, wasn’t just blinding light.

She couldn’t see it too well, but from a distance, within it appeared to be a swirling disc of light surrounding a pitch black center: like the eye of some sort of dark creature. Not wanting another surprise, she cautiously approached it. Yet despite this, when she got close enough…

“Hark there!” she gasped, involuntarily switching to the tongue of her native time.

The disc resembling an eye suddenly became a real eye: this one green with a similarly black center. It took up the entire dream bubble, its pupil darting about before finally setting on Luna. The pupil then shrunk to a pinpoint, as if disgusted by the sight of her.

Before Luna could react further, the dream realm practically fell apart around her, leaving her panting in the waking world. It took her a second to gain her barings before she finally realized what had happened:

For the first time since she had learned to enter it eons upon eons ago, she had been kicked out of the dream realm.

"A-And here I once thought the moon was odd,’ she gulped, trying to compose herself. ‘Yet it has nothing on deep space.’

She closed her eyes. 'Just how far have we strayed beyond the beaten path?'

Station Ready

The next week was as long as it was strenuous.

Though Luna initially hoped to pace out their studies, her crew had unfortunately determined that, even with strict rationing, they only had enough food for two months. To make matters worse, they found it was goings no to take slightly longer than that to grow anything in the ship’s overgrown greenhouse. While there were a variety of alien crops that had since made the facility their home, nopony was keen on finding out if they were edible. Because of that, they became worth little more than weeds. It took nearly two days to clear them out and plant anything from Equestria, mainly using the recycled seeds from their stored food.

This all meant her slapped together bridge crew were trying to learn their new crafts as quickly as possible. However, even with the fairly comprehensive training programs and the computer’s (limited) assistance, it was slow-going. It seemed like every half-hour, someone (save for Ocellus) had to stop and ask Doctor Whooves questions to gain context on what they were currently learning.

For instance, Spike was perplexed when the former’s training program brought up ‘gravity wells’. Even with his Space Trek knowledge, he couldn’t recall exactly what that was supposed to be.

“Alright, so space-time is like… a sheet stretching across space, right?” Spike had blinked. “And heavy objects make a dent in it?”

“Somewhat,” Doctor Whooves nodded.

“But how can you have a sheet do that if space is three-dimensional?” Spike asked. “Is it like… a bunch of sheets stacked on top of each other?”

“Let’s…” Doctor Whooves coughed. “Let’s start over.”

Pharynx, too, was having issues, particularly regarding the idea of ‘remote controlled’ weapons. Though they had learned every single gun the ship had available could be operated manually on an individual basis, standard procedure for the aliens was to have one crewmember operate them all from the bridge, that being the tactical officer.

“This just seems inefficient,” he had grumbled. “Weapons belong in the hooves of your warriors, not in the grip of a bunch of gears and clanks. Even if I do have direct control over all of them, it’s like trying to wield ten spears at once.” He then sighed. “I take back what I said about you ponies. These aliens are the weird ones.”

Luna was having the most difficult time of all. While there was a training program for captaining, it was very limited. Despite the aliens’ propensity for bringing new blood up to speed quickly, captaining was the exception. Just like with navies back on Equis, it seemed no ET was given such a responsibility until they had cycles of experience under their belts, including in regards to the stations under them. This led Luna to conclude she would have to learn a bit about everypony else’s stations on top of her own.

And this meant her brains were mashed potatoes by the end of each day.

Still, at least she didn’t have to worry about anypony’s dreams at the moment. Ever since she was booted out of the dream realm by what she assumed were the strange… somethings she had encountered there, she was having difficulty staying within it for more than a few seconds. Every time she tried to enter, the distant, ‘shadowy’ dream showed another nightmare-like green eye, and she found herself again in the waking world.

To make matters worse, casting the spell to enter, and casting spells in general, was beginning to get harder and harder. It wasn’t just her noticing this, either: all the magic users aboard were having difficulty. It wasn’t hard to figure out why: they were simply running low on mana reserves.

That, however, was quite unusual. On Equestria, magic was everywhere. It flowed through the skies and soil in cascading rivers, replenishing any creature’s mana almost constantly, most of the time without them even knowing it. Without it, they had to channel it through other sources, something none of them were used to. Luna, fortunately, was having luck with using her own body’s energies. Though that came at a cost…

“Grubber, more grub, please!” Luna called, sitting at a cafeteria table next to what was nicknamed ‘The Grub Hub’, his kitchen.

“Uh, captain, this is like your third helping,” Grubber said nervously. “Don’t you think you should…”

Luna shot him a warning look.

“It isn’t personal!” he said defensively. “Just you unicorns are eating more than I do lately, and that’s concerning!”

Luna’s warning look… intensified.

He shot his hands up in defeat. “Fine, whatever, you’re the boss. Another chef’s salad comin’ right up. Just don’t blame me when the scale starts disagreeing with you.”

Unfortunately, using your body's energies to create mana meant you had to create more energy… and that required more and more food, a now limited resource.

‘If only we could figure out more about the aliens who built this,’ Luna thought. ‘If what Derpy said was true - that they might be similar to us - perhaps we could simply eat their food.’

Unfortunately, just like with the dream entities, the nature of the aliens who built this ship continued to elude them. The training programs never showed what they looked like, even when there was a visual aid, nor did it even give a name for their species or the government (assuming they had one) they represented. At the end of the week, they didn’t know any more about them than they did on the first day: that they appeared to be cold, pragmatic, and revered individuals called ‘The Deep Ones’.

“Are they like some sort of hardcore philosophers?” Spike half-joked, training on the bridge. “Like, everything they say is just so deep that they’re just straight-up called ‘The Deep Ones?’”

“Bleh, then they’d be like my brother on poetry night,” Pharynx grumbled. “Always trying to ‘blow our minds’ with some new insight. Yes, Thorax, if a tree falls in a forest, it has indeed fallen. We can gauge that after the fact. Trees don’t just grow horizontally.”

“I-I dunno,” Ocellus squeaked. “I t-think Uncle Thorax’s poems are pretty interesting. What if reality really is merely a construct of our collective minds?”

“This is why you need to stick with me, kid,” he said. “Don’t waste time pondering the true nature of reality. Instead, find ways to bend it to your will.”

“Okay,” Spike sighed. “I’m starting to think I shouldn’t have said anything.”

The Doctor was as frustrated at the mystery as Luna, it seemed, as the first chance he got he had attempted to repair the computer’s memory banks. Despite undoubtedly being the most technologically proficient pony among them, he had absolutely no luck.

“All I can say is they don’t appear to be damaged,” Doctor Whooves told Luna. “Whatever the problem is, it appears to be internal.”

This was assuming that the computer wasn’t just messing with them. For all they knew, this whole adventure might be its idea of a practical joke. After all, if it was sapient, who could possibly tell what its motivations were? A biological lifeform you might be able to predict, but a machine? At the very least, Luna suspected it knew more than it let on. However, since it was helpful for the most part, she refrained from confronting it directly.

Tempest Shadow, on the other hand, wasn’t giving her the same courtesy. Every day, she politely asked Luna if there was anything she needed help with, and every day Luna had to turn her down. Luna knew why Tempest was so go-getting, too: she wasn’t happy sitting on the sidelines. This was a feeling Luna knew all too well.

The worst thing was she did have something Tempest could take a look at, too: figuring out how the alien hand weapons sitting in what the computer called ‘the armory’ worked. However, the fact that it was Tempest’s idea threw up a red flag in Luna’s mind.

“I promise, I’ll be as careful as possible,” Tempest had argued.. “I’m just worried about what will happen if we’re boarded. It’s quite common in airship combat back on Equis. For all we know, it could be common in space as well. Those alien weapons might be our best shot at defending ourselves in that scenario. Not to mention, there’s always the chance we may run into something exploring another planet, too.”

“You raise good points,” Luna said. “However, I believe they’re just too dangerous.”

“Why is that?” Tempest asked stubbornly.

“Because, er…” Luna said, looking for a lie. “The hull! We don’t want to cause a hull breach. The last thing I’d want is for you or anypony else to be jettisoned into space because of some sort of weapons misfire.”

It was a lie, of course. Luna had no idea if the weapons could do that or not. Honestly, this combined with another reason made her feel a bit guilty about turning her down. That being she didn’t exactly have a good reason to mistrust her, just a gut feeling and the same reason she hadn’t initially trusted any of Equestria’s other reformed villains.

“Discord and Starlight,” Celestia once said nearly a decade ago now. “You don’t trust them because you still don’t completely trust yourself. Am I right?”

She was.

--

Yet despite all the difficulties and all the stress, it was worth it. After having gotten a good night’s rest, Captain Luna, First Officer Spike, Tactical Officer Pharynx, Navigator Ocellus, Science Officer Doctor Whooves, and SO Assistant Derpy stood proudly on the bridge. They were ready to unfurl the sails of their ship, their newfound knowledge being the winds that would carry them forth.

“Okay, so what now?” Spike asked bluntly.

Well, sort of. Luna had barely formulated a plan on what to do next.

“Well, we need to…” Luna started, sitting cross-legged on her beautiful (by the aliens’ standards), obsidian rock captain’s chair. “We should… um...”

“Might I recommend we begin by scanning the planets of this system?” Doctor Whooves suggested. “Our sensors should be calibrated to pick up signs of Solarium.”

“Right!” Luna said, gazing at him thankfully. “Go ahead and do that.”

…

The bridge crew looked at her blankly.

“Captain,” Ocellus said quietly, eagerly holding a hoof over her console. “We need to get pretty close to anything we want to scan.”

“Um, yes,” Luna coughed, quickly looking at the monitor attached to the armrest of her chair. “And to do that, we need to plot a course, I believe…”

“Just tell me where to go and I’ll get us there!” Ocellus beamed proudly.

"Thank you, young one, I shall," Luna nodded, desperately fiddling with her small console's controls.

“You okay, captain?” Spike asked.

“She’s overwhelmed,” Pharynx sighed.

“Would you not be the same in my position?!” Luna suddenly snapped.

Pharynx glared in response. “I suggested that we take a few more days to train and you said no.”

“He… does kind of have a point,” Ocellus squeaked.

Luna took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure. “Very well, I apologize. Just give me a second here, okay?”

“Okay, second’s passed!” Derpy joked, earning a look from Spike. “Sorry, couldn’t help it.”

“Let’s try this...” Luna continued, dragging two hooves across her console’s screen. This tilted a three-dimensional map of the current solar system on it to show it from an ‘above’ view. Eight planets orbited their parent, red dwarf star. All were currently colored grey, indicating they currently had no detailed information on them.

Luna studied it for a moment, before finally nodding to herself. “Okay. The computer said Solarium is most likely to be found on planets closer to their stars, so let’s try… ah, here we go. Do you need exact coordinates or…”

“Just a general location is fine,” Ocellus said sweetly.

Luna smiled. “Okay, bring us to the closest planet to the star, maximum thrust.”

“Yes, maximum thrust!” Spike called, flinging a flaw forward dramatically.

Luna raised her eyebrows at him.

“What? It sounds cool,” he said.

“Wait!” Doctor Whooves said, just as Ocellus was about to touch her console.

The crew turned to him.

“Oh no,” Derpy sighed.

“Oh yes!” Doctor Whooves grinned. “She has to say it.”

“Say what?” Luna said, tilting her head slightly.

“For the love of the hive!” Pharynx cried. “Are we seriously doing this?!”

“Oh yes we are,” Doctor Whooves smiled. “You gotta say the Captain Quick Card thing.”

“Oh!” Luna said, suddenly realizing what he wanted. “What was it again…? Um… engage?”

“Engage!” Spike mimed dramatically.

“Ennnngaging!” Occelus cheered, tapping her console a few times before dragging a hoof across it.

“Yes! Allons-y!”

A terrific hum echoed through the ship, the sign of power being transferred from one system to another.

“Oh, shoot!” Luna cried. “I forgot! Computer, broadcast my voice across the ship, please.”

“Okay.”

“All hands,” Luna said, her voice echoing across the intercom. “We’re about to move at maximum thrust. Brace--”

Before she could finish, the ship lurched forward… and nopony felt a thing.

“Um, captain, the ship has built in inertial dampeners,” Doctor Whooves explained. “You don’t really need to say that.”

“I uh,” Luna said, chuckling nervously. “I knew that.”

Naturally, the intercom picked up her saying that, too. "I uh, I knew that," were broadcast throughout the ship.

“Computer, disengage my broadcast please,” Luna nearly sobbed. ‘How could I mess this up so badly!?’

She honestly felt like she was about to completely lose her composure before she felt a gentle claw on her back.

“Ease it up, captain,” Spike said. “You’re giving yourself too much grief. You have the hardest job of all of us and it’s your first time doing this. Nopony expects you to be perfect.” He then laughed. “Don’t become Twilight 2.0.”

Luna took a deep breath, before throwing him a thankful smile. “You’re right, Spike. I expect too much from myself sometimes. Thank you.”

“That’s what First Officers are for, right?” Spike smiled back.

As they spoke, the viewscreen began to show a marvelous sight. The red planet they had arrived next to slowly drifted to the left then disappeared, leaving only an increasingly brighter red dwarf star as the only visible object. They were truly soaring through this distant solar system.

“Don’t get too close, Star Speaker,” that familiar voice suddenly whispered, a far cry from its booming presence in the dream realm. Surprising even Luna herself, its sudden entry didn’t fry her nerves. In fact, with the shock of it wearing down, it was now almost soothing, especially given the almost parental tone it was taking.

Understanding that it did seem to be real and that she wasn’t just going crazy helped, too.

“Too close to what?” Luna quietly asked.

“The light.”

Luna’s eyes widened. After thinking about the encounter for the last week, she was beginning to suspect something about the origin of the voice. However, this pretty much confirmed it to her. As fantastical as it seemed, was this--?

“Woah, check it out!” Spike called, pointing to the screen and cutting off her thoughts.

What was a small dot of light in the distance was now growing into a majestic, large planet.

It was nothing they had ever dreamed of, either: a virtual ying-yang. One side which faced the star appeared to be a smoldering, bright desert. The other facing away from it, however, was a vast, barren icescape. The Frozen North minus a few more degrees.

“Great wickering stallions!” Doctor Whooves called excitedly. “This may be premature, but I believe that this world is tidally locked!”

“Tidally locked?” Spike asked.

“One side always faces the star, the other side always faces away from it,” Luna explained, gaining an impressed look from Doctor Whooves.

“So like what Equis would be if you and Celestia slacked off?” Spike joked.

“Fortunately, she is more than capable of performing my duties in my absence,” Luna said, a hint of bitterness in her tone. “However, you speak the truth. This is a planet of extremes.”

“So you were right then, Doc,” Derpy asked Doctor Whooves. “Planets near dwarf stars are always tidally locked?”

“Only ones in the star’s habitable zone, my friend,” Doctor Whooves explained. “A shame, really. They're supposedly one of the more common stars in the universe, but any world close enough to support life might always end up like this. Theoretically speaking, of course. And about that…”

He began operating his consoles. From the viewscreen, they could see a large dish attached a little ways from the bridge begin to rotate, pointing towards the planet.

“Ah, marvelous!” he grinned. “The scanner works just like it did in the simulation. Getting readings now!”

“So, what does it say?” Spike asked excitedly. “Can we land on it?”

“Is there any Solarium?” Pharynx asked, more to the point.

“Interesting, interesting,” Doctor Whooves mused, his eyes still glued to his monitor. “1.05k m-bars average...”

“Atmospheric pressure,” Derpy explained, apparently noting their confused expressions.

“Quite,” Doctor Whooves said. “It fluctuates wildly depending on the area of the planet, but running across the…” He thought for a second. “The longitudinal line where night and day meet - theoretically, the most habitable place on a tidally locked world - there appears to be a zone only slightly denser than back home. Plenty survivable if...”

“If what?” Ocellus asked.

“Hmmm,” Doctor Whooves puzzled. “Composition is a bit… different.”

“What the atmosphere is made of,” Derpy explained.

“Hey, I knew that one!” Spike pouted.

“I didn’t,” Luna said. “Thank you, Derpy.”

“No problem!”

“So, how is the atmosphere different?” Ocellus asked.

“Well, there are no magical energies for one thing,” Doctor Whooves said, earning a surprised look from Derpy. “What?”

“Just… wasn’t expecting you to care about that,” Derpy said. “You’ve never wanted anything to do with magic.”

“For the most part,” Doctor Whooves said. “Though magic is a chaotic force that seems to actively defy ways to study it directly, Starswirl the Bearded very recently came up with a way to gain vague measurements of it.

He grinned widely. “That piqued my interest. It seems the aliens went down a similar path, though their scanners are, surprisingly, no better than Starswirl’s instruments when it comes to specific measurements. However, like Starswirl’s, they can give you a definite answer as to whether magic is present in a given area of space or not, and in this case, that’s a no.”

“Do you…” Spike blinked. “Do you ever take breaths, dude?”

“When I remember,” Doctor Whooves shrugged as he took a deep one. “Though yes, speaking of breathing, aside from having no magical energies present, the atmosphere has less oxygen and more nitrogen than our own. CO2 levels are about even.”

“That’ll still make it pretty difficult,” Derpy said.

“Difficult, though not impossible,” Doctor Whooves. “Fortunately, the composition doesn’t contain anything poisonous - at least not in a large enough quantity to be dangerous. All we’ll need to do is take deeper breaths. Treat the planet as we would a mountain peak back home.”

Pharynx sighed. “Doctor, none of this matters if there’s no Solarium for us down there. There’s no point in visiting otherwise.”

“Ah,” Doctor Whooves blushed. “Suppose I should have checked that first, shouldn’t have I?”

“Come on, Pharynx,” Spike grumbled, giving him a ‘for real?’ look. “We’re right next door to a completely alien planet!”

“So?”

He smirked sarcastically. “Look, I’m not that much of a science geek - fantasy roleplaying is more my jam - but even I think that’s kind of cool. Let the Doc have some fun.”

“This isn’t a pleasure cruise, dragon,” Pharynx groaned. “This is still an emergency situation. Or have you forgotten the details of our predicament?”

“Shhh, quit squabbling,” Derpy said. “The Doc found something.”

Doctor Whooves cleared his throat, turning away from the console. “Sensors are detecting a minor bit of Solarium present.”

The bridge crew looked to each other, their faces becoming filled with elation. It didn’t take long for cheers to break out.

“Seriously? Success on the first try? That’s awesome!”

“Equis, here we come!”

“Well done, Doctor Whooves!”

“Not bad... for a pony.”

“Ahem!” the doctor coughed. “As much as I love a good pat on the back, this Solarium doesn’t appear to be in a natural deposit. Makes sense, given it’s only supposed to be found around dying stars.”

“What are you saying, doctor?” Luna asked.

Doctor Whooves’s expression turned somewhat grim. “That the Solarium down there is already being used… or was, that is. It’s leaking out of another starship.”

He furrowed his brow.

“A crashed starship.”

Away Team, Assemble!

"So it's a crashed ship," Spike shrugged. "What's the big deal? Wouldn't that just make it easier to get the stuff?"

"What's the big deal?!" Doctor Whooves said, exasperated. "We don't know anything about the ship, who owns or owned it, what may have brought it down in the first place, anything!"

“Calm down, doctor,” Pharynx said. “Though I can’t believe I’m saying it, the dragon is right.”

"That's First Officer Spike, T.O. Pharynx," Luna said, firmly. "You have been the one stressing the importance of a chain of command, after all."

“Or uh,” Spike coughed. “Even just Spike would be okay.”

Pharynx looked like he was going to argue for a second, but surprisingly, he instead chose to stay his hoof. "Fair enough. Though I should repeat that I agree with him. Why is this a problem? Because it might be dangerous to go down there and snatch what we need? Doctor, we've been in danger ever since your museum here decided to take us on its own tour."

‘Did he just… did he follow a command?’ Luna asked herself, daring to hope a little. ‘Without arguing? Has he finally accepted me as captain?’

"It could be unnecessarily dangerous is the point," Derpy said, throwing Luna off her thoughts.

"Exactly," Doctor Whooves said, smiling her way.

"It really could be, uncle," Ocellus said, rubbing the back of her head. "Why not scan the other planets and come back if we don't find anything?"

"Because according to the computer, this planet was the best chance we had of finding anything," Pharynx said. "Yet we have not. There's no natural deposit. We should seize this opportunity while we have it."

"You did say that the ship was leaking it; right, Doc?" Spike asked. "What if it ends up leaking all of it? I don't think it's something we can scoop up off the ground with a mop."

Doctor Whooves took a deep breath. "I suppose I did only detect it because of its… wide dispersal area. It seems to be, for lack of a better word, evaporating." He raised a hoof. "However, as I implied, scans of the ship itself are vague. For all we know, it could have a massive tank of the substance. A tank that could have been leaking for a thousand cycles."

"It seems like we have too many unknowns to make a completely educated call," Luna said.

"Thank you," Doctor Whooves nodded.

Luna raised a hoof. "However, if there is one thing I have always held dear, it's that sometimes decisions need to be made before you have all the information, as by the time you do, it may be too late to act."

"Finally," Pharynx said, a hint of a smile on him. "The decisive leader I've long since heard about makes an appearance."

"Do not confuse my call to action with recklessness," Luna said firmly, nodding towards the doctor. "We will be doing this as cautiously as possible. But nevertheless, you and my... Number One are right, we may not have this opportunity twice.”

“Hey, you did another Space Trek thing!” Ocellus beamed.

“I like it!” Spike beamed. “It reminds me of that catchy song Rainbow always sings.” He then sang a line himself: ‘“We are number one! Hah!’”

“The one from that one radio show?” Derpy blinked. “Crazy Town?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

“Is this what they’re teaching you at that school of theirs, Ocellus?” Pharynx moaned, gazing at her with a hint of disappointment. “Reference making?”

For once, Ocellus actually seemed prepared for his chiding. “Headmistress Starlight says that shared snippets of popular culture actually work as an important apparatus for bonding.”

Pharynx folded his arms. “I miss the old days where bonding was done over sparring.” He then sighed. “And here we are straying far off topic. Captain Luna, shall we proceed?”

“If there are no major objections,” she said. “Doctor?”

Doctor Whooves shifted uncomfortably, but seemed to agree. "Very well, captain. I suppose there's no reward without risk, yes? However, one of the reasons I am somewhat wary of this is that we can't exactly land the Starshot directly on…" He blinked, gesturing towards the viewscreen. "We really should give it a name."

"Planet Oddball," Spike shrugged.

"Designation: Planet Oddball accepted."

“We really need to vote on these things,” Doctor Whooves deadpanned.

"It's better than Kumquat, at least," Luna said.

"When are we getting around to changing that, again?" Pharynx asked.

"Never," Spike said cheerfully. "Anyway, why can't we land the ship, Doc? It landed fine in the Everfree Forest."

"I wouldn't exactly say 'fine'," Doctor Whooves said, reading his console. "However, Oddball's atmosphere is much more fickle than our own. With the intense differences in temperature along the terminator zone…"

Spike raised his eyebrows. "Wait, terminator zone?"

"Where night and day meet," Luna explained.

"That's the most hardcore scientific name for something I've ever heard," Spike said.

Doctor Whooves gazed at him curiously. "Hardcore?"

"He's saying it's super intensive," Derpy translated. “Like that new Wubstep music.”

Pharynx gave the entire bridge, save for Luna, a death glare. "Stop. Wasting. Time."

"Er, right," Doctor Whooves coughed. "Because of vast temperature differences at the terminator zone, there are almost certainly near-constant violent storms. It could make landing risky. Right, Ocellus?"

"The training program did say you shouldn't try landing on planets with 'unstable atmospheres'." She gave a sheepish look. "I-I wouldn't exactly be comfortable trying it."

"I understand, but then how do we get down there and collect the fuel?" Luna asked. "Flying is a non-option, and teleporting down there is dubious as well. Even Starswirl would be wary of trying such a thing."

“I don’t think that’s necessary, cap’n,” Spike said. “In fact, I think there may be somepony who already has what we need. We should talk with her.”

“Who?” Luna asked.

“The reincarnation of your ‘Gotta Go Fast’ guy,” Spike said. “Otherwise known as Rainbow Dash.”

--

Luna couldn’t believe she had taken this long to tour the Starshot’s launch bay. Rainbow had been pestering her to come down to see the progress on her own ‘personal project’ since the beginning of the week, but she simply never had the time. And now that she did, Rainbow was making the best of every moment of it, darting about the massive hangar with Luna, Scootaloo and a flying Spike in tow. Though Luna had only had need of only one support craft, she couldn’t help but marvel at the thirty or so small, angular ships sitting in the bay. Ones whose various subtypes Rainbow Dash was busy explaining.

“See this here?” she said, pointing to an angular, small vessel. One whose wings had symbols on them resembling a circle with a swirl in the middle - something Luna could have sworn she’d seen before. “These are called ‘Light Taker Interceptors’.” She leaned close to Luna, as if she wanted to tell her a secret. “We wanted to call them Shadowbolt Interceptors, but the computer didn’t like it.”

Luna blinked. “I am… flattered. I think?”

“There is already a class of ship named ‘Shadowbolt’,” the computer sighed.

“Wait,” Luna blinked. “Wait what?”

“Yeah, yeah, the Shadowbolt Fighters,” she grunted. “The big brother of the Light Takers. Scoots here just learned how to fly them.”

Scootaloo grinned proudly.

Rainbow had an odd mix of envy and pride on her. “Hate to say it, but the student’s surpassed the master there.”

“Hang on, Rainbow Dash,” Luna said, still somewhat stunned. “Computer, do you have any information about how these came about the name ‘Shadowbolt’?”

“It is a simple translation from the original --ERROR-- word…” The computer let out a series of high-pitched screeches, forcing the group to cover their ears.

“By the night, what is that?!” Luna called, carefully uncovering her ears as it ended.

“Wait, don’t answer that!” Spike called, perhaps not wanted to be berated by another set of screeches. “I think the screeching might just be how the aliens talked.”

“Like their language,” Scootaloo said, raising her eyebrows and slowly uncovering her own ears.

“Yeah,” Spike nodded. “Remember the screeching heard right before the computer started talking to us? It sounded just like that. The computer was probably just trying to talk to us in the aliens’ tongue. Right, computer?”

“Indeed,” it said.

Luna took a deep breath. “Then perhaps it’s simply a coincidence.”

“What’s a coincidence?” Spike asked.

“It’s… um, nevermind,” Luna coughed, before turning back to the blue speedster. “Rainbow, while we do appreciate the tour, we did have a very specific ship we were hoping you’ve already learned to fly.”

“No worries there,” Rainbow smirked. “Between me and Scoots, we’ve learned to fly everything here.”

Luna’s eyes widened in surprise, but she was nonetheless delighted. “Excellent. Excellent!”

“What exactly do you need, princes-- captain?” Scootaloo asked.

“Something that could take us down to the planet we’re orbiting,” Luna explained.

“Oh, that’s all?” Rainbow laughed. “Why didn’t you say so?”

“I tried to explain when we entered, but…”

“You really wanted to show off this stuff, didn’t you?” Spike smirked.

“Hey, if you’ve just got done learning all about them and doing simulated AWESOME dogfights, you’d want to show them off, too!” Rainbow argued.

“So. Many. Lasers,” Scootaloo said, almost hypnotically.

“Anyway, we’ve soooo got you covered there, princess,” Rainbow grinned, leading them to the far side of the launch bay. “Come on, I’ll show ya’.”

This seemed to be the main launch strip, as it led down a long tunnel to the starboard side of the ship, finishing with a pair of massive blast doors. Waiting for them at the opposite end of it were a pair of vessels far larger than the others Luna had seen. They were so large, in fact, they could probably fit over ten ponies into them. Like every other support craft, it had that strange, swirl-like symbol painted on its hull.

“This hulking beast is called a ‘dropship’,” Rainbow explained, slapping the metallic side of it. “And these babies can fit so many ponies in them. Though the guides only showed us how to fly them, the computer was actually helpful for once and knew what they were for.”

“I have been helpful far more times than that since your arrival,” the computer said. “Over 1,213 inquiries have been answered within acceptable parameters.”

“Computer, are you actually getting… defensive?” Spike asked.

“... No.”

“Uh huh,” Spike said, rolling his eyes. “I’m starting not to believe you when you say you’re only ‘simulating’ emotions for our ‘comfort’.”

“Anyway, the computer being a crybaby aside,” Rainbow coughed. “These things are what the aliens liked to use to transport people up and down from planets. Landing the Starshot itself wasn’t too common.”

“Doctor Whooves did imply that it could be dangerous under certain conditions,” Luna nodded.

“Wait, does that mean most alien planets have really crazy atmospheres, then?” Scootaloo asked.

“Something we shall find out, little one,” Luna nodded, before turning back to Rainbow. “I assume these vessels have the capacity to transport cargo as well?”

“I don’t see why not,” Rainbow shrugged, moving to the back of the closest one.

She tapped a few buttons on a control pad near the rear of it, and to Luna and Spike’s surprise, half of the side facing them revealed itself to be a sliding door. It took only a second to roll open, revealing a large interior space. Naturally, wrapped around it were a number of harnesses, obviously used for securing creatures. And towards the rear of it were a number of thick, yellow straps.

“Computer, what are those for?” Luna asked. “The straps?”

“Securing cargo.”

“No offense, but that’s kind of obvious, isn’t it?” Rainbow laughed.

“I suppose I was expecting something more… futuristic,” Luna said.

“Na, the aliens are, or were, crazy into keeping it simple when they could,” Scootaloo said. “Something me and Rainbow figured out.”

“For real,” Spike agreed. “They were like a race of Big Macs.” He winced. “Well, really hardcore Big Macs.”

“At times like this, I am thankful for it,” Luna said. “This shall make it much easier. And you already know how to fly these vessels, yes?”

“Scoots and I know how, yeah,” Rainbow nodded. “It takes two ponies to fly, and we both passed our tests.”

“We just haven’t done it… for real yet,” Scootaloo gulped.

“If you need more time to learn, that is fine,” Luna said.

“Scoots just has nerves, captain,” Rainbow laughed. “Remember when I said she learned how to fly the Shadowbolts before me? Well, she’s like that with everything here. Turns out she’s got a natural talent for flying alien spacecraft.”

Scootaloo couldn’t help but blush.

“I’m not sure what’s more surprising,” Spike said. “That either of you’ve learned all this so fast or that you’re not upset about getting upstaged, Rainbow.”

Rainbow shrugged, waving a hoof dismissively. “”It’s really not a big deal.”

Spike gazed at her skeptically.

“Really, it’s not!” she grunted, before turning back towards Luna. “Anyways, so what’s the plan? I’m guessing you want to go down to the planet, right?”

“Indeed,” Luna smiled. “All that’s needed is to form a… mmm, what were they called in Space Trek again? An ‘away team?’ Yes, an away team.”

“A wah?” Rainbow blinked.

“A group of ponies to go down to the planet,” Spike explained.

“Oooooh!” Rainbow chuckled. “Yeah, I get it now. ‘Away team’.”

“Yuh huh,” Spike said.

“Well, obviously me and Scoots are onboard,” Rainbow said. “Who else is gonna fly you down there? I mean, I guess you could try literally flying with wings, but the more I learn about space, the more I learn that that’s a really bad idea.”

“You know that space doesn’t have any air, right?” Spike asked. “You wouldn’t even be able to fly no matter how hard you tried.”

“Pffft, duh,” Rainbow laughed. “And you can’t fly down from orbit without burning up, either.”

“I feel totally comfortable about riding on your dropship now,” Spike said sarcastically.

“What?” Luna said, shaking her head. “Oh no. I’m sorry, but you’re not going down there, Spike. I need you here if something goes wrong.”

“What?!” Spike snapped. “But the First Officer always went down in Space Trek!”

“Haha!” Rainbow crackled.. “So much for being afraid of my flying!”

“Space Trek was just a fictional franchise,” Luna explained. “It works well for providing some form of context, but we can’t expect to emulate it one hundred percent.”

“Don’t let Doctor Whooves hear you say that,” Spike pointed out.

“He’d have no need, as I believe he should be on this… this mission.” She brought a hoof to her chin. “Though not as its leader. While he is undoubtedly a genius, he seems to have trouble staying focused.”

“Well, who do you have in mind, then?” Rainbow asked. “I vote me, by the way.”

“Asking you to fly the away mission and lead it would be too much,” Luna said.

“Daw…”

Ignoring her complaint, Luna narrowed her eyes. “The ponies trapped aboard this vessel have given me their confidence. It is time to prove to myself that I’m worthy of it. I’ve always believed that trust should be earned, and never simply given away, no matter what one has done in the past.”

“So to be clear, you’re gonna lead it yourself?” Rainbow asked.

“I guess there’s worse ponies to set foot on an alien planet than an alicorn,” Spike shrugged, though with a hint of envy.

“It technically wouldn’t be the first time I have laid eyes upon one’s surface,” Luna said. “Though this time, I do so willingly.”

She smiled slightly. “And though I wouldn’t have said this a few cycles prior, I now firmly look forward to it.”

The Night's Shadow

“Luna?” Celestia’s voice called. “Luuuuuna.”

Luna let out a moan, desperately trying to use her covers and pillow as a way to block out the noise.

That, of course, was in vain. Because despite locking her door and telling her personal guards to 'forcefully remove' any pestering visitors, the latter wouldn't dare touch her sister. And the former… well, it seemed Celestia still remembered a spell of unlocking.

There was a slight clicking noise followed by the sound of her door opening. Then came Celestia's hoof falls as she barged into Luna's sanctuary.

'Might as well see what she wants,' Luna thought reluctantly. 'She won't leave otherwise.'

"Going to bed so soon?" Celestia asked.

Luna sighed, lifting her covers and sitting upright to face her beaming sister. "I would be, yet I see the concept of politely knocking is yet another relic of a bygone age.”

"I've already tried that. but every time your guards have said you 'were away'. I just wanted to see for myself. Quite interesting they'd be guarding a supposedly empty room."

"Sister, it isn't even close to dawn," Luna sighed, climbing out of her bed. "What could thou-- er, you possibly want when the night draws on?"

"Weeeell," Celestia said coyly. "I don't have much to do today, so I thought maybe I'd wake up early so we could… spend some time together. You've been back nearly two cycles and we've barely had a chance to."

Luna took a deep breath, before forcing a slight smile. 'At least she's making an effort.' She exhaled, then asked: "What do you have in mind?"

Celestia smiled broadly. "I know the modern age has been a lot to get used to..."

"Understatement of the millenium."

"... But it's not all strange. There are some things done a thousand years ago that we still do today."

"Walking and breathing?" Luna snarked.

Celestia rolled her eyes. "I'm talking about activities. Fun activities. Specifically, something you used to love to do."

"Oh?"

Celestia grinned. "Remember that telescope Starswirl built you that you used to adore? Well, let's just say we never stopped building them. And they've gotten bigger. Much bigger."

"I am aware of the practice known as astronomy," Luna mumbled.

"Then that saves me some explaining!" Celestia said cheerfully. "Anyway, I was thinking we could take a visit to the White Tail Woods Observatory. I've spoken with the lead astronomer - he’s willing to show you the basics on how to use their big… telescope… thing I kind of forgot the name of.”

Luna raised an eyebrow, before shaking her head. “I thank you for this effort, sister, truly, but I am not interested.”

Celestia threw her a concerned look. “But… but you’ve always liked astronomy! Even when it was still called astrology.” She swallowed hard. “Is it me? A-Am I being too pushy? I’m sorry, sister. I will--”

“No, no, it’s not you, Tia,” Luna said, walking over to her to give her a quick hug. “It was a very thoughtful gesture. I just… let’s just say I’ve had my fill of… space... for a while.”

“Because of your time on the moon,” Celestia said, frowning. “But… I thought you said you couldn’t remember anything from it?”

“At first, no,” Luna said. “But I’ve gradually been recalling memories.” She turned away from her sister. “It isn’t what I used to believe. Beyond the bounds of this world, there is nothing, Tia. No wonders to discover, no beauty. It is cold, dead… and lonely. Why should we concern ourselves with it?”

Celestia gazed at her pensively. “Is this why you’ve been spending most of your time in the dream realm? Why you haven’t made any changes to the night sky?”

“Changes?”” Luna laughed bitterly. “What changes? That is another thing. I’ve been studying our latest scientific findings, and I’ve come to realize that I have no control of the heavens. At least, not in the way I believed. I don’t know how I’m able to alter the brightness of stars, but it must simply be a form of illusion. Trickery. The universe is so vast… so distant. I have no more connection with it than I do a grain of sand on a distant beach.”

“What about the moon? And the sun?” Celestia asked. “You have the ability to move both. Being able to do that, is it so hard to believe you have a connection with the stars?”

“The moon would move fine without my assistance,” Luna said. “At least that’s what science says. It seems I’ve been merely accelerating its orbit. Anyone with enough magical power could do the same. As for the ‘sun’, whatever that bright orb in the sky is is no star.” She began to pace about her room. “Stars do not orbit planets. Planets orbit stars. That is what science tells us. It is how the law of gravity works. For the opposite to happen, the 'star' that orbits our world would have to be less massive than any star could possibly be. Nothing about it makes sense.”

“Luna, none of this science has been one hundred percent verified,” Celestia said. "Even the greatest minds sometimes backtrack on their findings."

“Verified or not, the findings of it make sense,” Luna argued. “Perhaps Equis exists in some sort of bubble that is different than the rest of the universe - something that allows these fantastical things to happen. But one thing is certain: it is the extent of our domain. The rest of the universe is beyond us. We… I... should just let it go."

After speaking, Luna immediately felt regretful. ‘I shouldn’t have said all that. Tia isn’t the type to keep up with science. She might not have known the truth. And she hates seeing me upset...’

Instead of looking sorrowful, however, Celestia instead held a caring expression on her face. “I understand how you feel, Luna. Oftentimes, new discoveries can lead to disappointment.” She lifted a hoof. “Yet they can also spark the imagination, leading us to consider new possibilities we never would have before.”

“What are you getting at?” Luna asked.

“Speak with Twilight Sparkle when you get the chance,” Celestia smiled. “She has quite the selection of science fiction novels in her treehouse library. She often speaks of them and how they challenge her imagination. One in particular currently has her fancy; something called ‘Space Trek’.”

“‘Space Trek?’” Luna said, raising an eyebrow. “I just said I want nothing to do with space and you suggest reading something called ‘Space Trek’. Is this some form of cruel joke, sister?”

“I DARE NOT JEST WITH YOU, STAR SPEAKER!”

Luna gasped. She had only looked away for a moment. And when she looked back, Celestia’s eyes were glowing with the power of the ‘sun’ she controlled. And she was no longer speaking in her sister’s calming tone, but in an intense yet angelic roar of the cosmos.

‘Star… Star…. Speaker?!’

The memories came flooding into her like a tidal wave. She wasn’t in the palace at Canterlot, nor was she talking with her sister. That conversation had happened years ago. No, she was on the Starship Sharshot, adrift an incomprehensibly long distance away.

No doubt about it. This was a dream. And it was now a lucid one.

“WHILE YOUR SPIRIT SHINES BRIGHTLY, YOUR PHYSICAL PRESENCE IS SO SMALL THAT IT IS OFTEN DIFFICULT TO LOCATE YOU,” ‘Celestia’ spoke. “YET STILL, I KNOW WHERE YOU ARE.”

“Y-You!” Luna gasped. “Is this real? Are you actually here in my dream?”

“THE ENTITY BELOW IS MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO SPEAK WITH YOU DIRECTLY. IT IS NOT FOND OF MY EXISTENCE.”

“What entity?” Luna asked.

“IT CALLS ITSELF A ‘STEWARD OF ENTROPY’. THAT WHICH IS SPAWNED FROM THE DEEPEST WELLS OF THE COSMOS. THE FUTURE RULERS OF A DISTANT OBLIVION. IT IS THE FIRST OF ITS KIND TO VISIT MY LIGHT. HOWEVER, MY KIN HAVE SPOKE OF THEM BEFORE. IT TAKES THOUSANDS OF ORGANIC LIFETIMES FOR SOME OF US TO COMMUNICATE, BUT WE ARE ABLE.”

“Your kin…” Luna said, shaking her head in bafflement. “Are… are they who I think they are? Are you…”

“YOU ALREADY KNOW. WE ARE THAT WHICH BRINGS ARTISTRY TO THE VAST OF NIGHT. THAT WHICH LOVES YOUR GAZE. YOU, WHO BRINGS MUSIC TO THE COSMOS. YOU, WHO BRINGS IT MEANING.”

Luna’s jaw nearly dropped to the floor. She dared to hope that this was true - that maybe she was able to speak with stars, as mind-boggling as that thought may be. And that which was told to her long ago, that she had a special bond with those distant bodies, wasn’t a lie.

And now, assuming this entity wasn’t lying, and that it wasn’t just a figment of her subconscious mind, it seemed to be true. She was about to open her mouth to ask the first of a thousand questions on her mind, when:

“WE HAVE LIMITED TIME TO SPEAK. YOUR WAKING HOUR DRAWS NEAR. KNOW THAT THE STEWARD LINGERS BELOW YOU. BEING FROM THE GARDEN, YOU MAY HAVE AN ADVANTAGE. YET DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE IT. AND TAKE FURTHER HEED, FOR IT MAY NOT BE ALONE--

--

With a flash of light, Luna gasped and shot up from her bed in the Captain’s Cabin. “Who?! Wah?! Where?!”

It had been a long time since she felt this disoriented after waking up.

‘I must have been having a remarkable dream,’ she thought. ‘But… I can’t… remember it…?’

This was also usual. Luna made it a point a long time ago to not only master walking among others’ dreams, but walking among her own. She could usually recall most of hers almost immediately, but this one was different. Hazy, even.

Nonetheless, she didn’t have time to ponder it further. Another knock came to her door, revealing what had awoken her.

‘“Luna, wake up!” Spike called. “I know it’s a little early, but Doctor Whooves found something!”

‘Ah. That’s right,’ Luna thought. ‘Today is the day we visit another world.’

--

After having breakfast, and still only managing to recall vague memories of her dream, Luna checked in with the rest of her team. To minimize the risk, she had kept it as small as possible, with just her, Doctor Whooves, and Derpy on it.

As for what Doctor Whooves wanted to show them, it turned out to be UEV suits, or ‘unstable environment suits’, of which he had found in a small cargo room near the launch bay. Theoretically, they would be able to provide breathable air via their attached, full-head face masks. This was on top of a fair amount of protection from the elements via their full-body rubber fitting.

“Stupid… rubber… leggings… get… on… mah… leg!” Derpy cried, squeezing into one.

They also weren’t easy to get into. Though nonetheless, Luna’s team did just that.

Environmental suits were yet another futuristic concept dreamed up by Equestrian science fiction franchises like Space Trek, so their presence wasn’t exactly surprising. However, what was interesting is that they seemed to be built for equine-based life, in particular something pegasi-like, given the closeable wing-slots.

This furthered Luna’s suspicions that the aliens may have or have had more in common with them than differences. Hopefully, if they ever met them, it would help keep them peaceful, though Luna still wasn’t sure how happy they’d be about their presence on one of their ships.

Luna could actually somewhat empathize if they were displeased, as she had run into an unwelcome presence herself just as they entered the launch bay. One who, despite not being invited onto the team, was already wearing a UEV suit.

“Captain Luna,” Tempest said, narrowing her eyes and giving a salute. “I formally request to be allowed on this away mission.”

Luna gazed at Doctor Whooves and Derpy, who didn’t seem to have an opinion on this. “Go ahead and board the dropship. I’ll be there soon.”

“What, why?” Doctor Whooves protested. “We need to--”

“Doc, she’s doing a social cue,” Derpy said.

“Huh? Ohhhh,” he said, before giving a wink. “Right, right. We’ll uh… meet you there, yes.”

The two sauntered away.

“Ms. Shadow,” Luna said, trying to sound polite. “I believe we’ve already had this discussion.”

Tempest nodded stubbornly. “Yes, and I agree that you’re the best equipped to handle whatever dangers are down there. But you’re also the captain. Why are you taking such a big risk? Why not have somepony else lead this?”

Luna narrowed her eyes. “Somepony like you?”

“I do have experience in a leadership role,” Tempest pointed out.

“Yes, leading the Storm King’s armies,” Luna said.

“I’m not proud of it,” Tempest said. “But it does still count as experience, nonetheless.”

Luna glared at her. “Experience crashing a peaceful celebration with the hopes of stealing the magic of Equestria.”

…

A beat.

“Ah, now I understand,” Tempest finally said. “So that’s what this is all about. Why you haven’t asked me to do… anything. You don’t trust me.”

Luna remained silent.

“So I’m correct, then,” Tempest sighed, before narrowing her eyes. “But I do not understand why I’m correct.”

“I have my reasons,” Luna said, before raising a hoof. “Ones that have to do with my own past. They have given me a unique window into how certain minds work. Because of it, all of Equestria’s reformed villains - Discord, Starlight, Stygian - I was initially skeptical of, though I never spoke of it to anyone outside of my sister.”

“How did you learn to trust them?” Tempest asked.

“Certain events transpired that worked in their favor,” Luna said. “They had… ample opportunities to prove themselves.”

“And me?” Tempest asked.

Luna pondered that for a second. “You’ve only had one.” She glanced away from Tempest, and was forced to have to admit something to herself. “I suppose it isn’t your fault, is it? You haven’t been given the chances as the others have. No additional challenge set before you to overcome - challenges that would let you cement your good character.”

“I wouldn’t say that,” Tempest said.

“I speak of opportunities that I was around to witness,” Luna said, before finally feeling the barriers against her involvement crumble completely. “And here we are now. Perhaps this is as good of a time as any.”

“You mean I can come?” Tempest said, a hint of excitement breaking through her normally cold demeanor.

“Yes,” Luna said. “And know that I don’t expect you to perform any act of heroism to impress me. Just do your part to make this go smoothly and that will be more than enough. As I’ve learned since my return, building trust is usually simply a matter of spending time together. Perhaps that’s all we need.”

“I won’t let you down, captain,” Tempest said firmly.

“Good,” Luna smiled. “Now, as that delightful pony who runs the night club in Canterlot would say, ‘Let’s get this party started!’”

A Planet of Ice and Very Hot Sand

Chapter Image

"This party feels like one with too much apple cider," Luna said, her stomach tossing and turning like a ship within a hurricane.

Despite her team being securely strapped in within the dropship's transport bay, just the act of exiting the launch bay into the void of space was harrowing to say the least. Matters only got worse after they entered the vacuum. Every few seconds, the ship would forcibly shift its course, like it was unsure where to go.

"Perhaps asking for Rainbow's help wasn't the best idea after all," Doctor Whooves groaned, his cheeks puffed out as if he were about to hurl. “Maybe we should have just risked landing the ship.”

“Relax, doctor,” Tempest said, somehow keeping completely calm. “I’m sure this is all par the cour--”

"Heh, sorry about the, uh, chop," the intercom from the cockpit suddenly blared in Rainbow's voice. "Just some minor, er… technical difficulties. Give us a second."

“Or not,” Tempest blinked.

"Oh dear," Doctor Whooves began in a slightly panicked tone. "If we die out here, I just want to say that it’s been a pleasure; a most excellent adventure overall! I am proud to have spent it with all of you!"

--

"Okidoke, so this is turning out to be a bogus journey," Scootaloo gulped, strapped into one of the cockpit harnesses next to Rainbow. With a strained look in her eyes, she somewhat awkwardly adjusted the throttle, forcing the ship into another sharp course correction.

"Easy there, Scoots," Rainbow said. "We aren't facing the music, yet."

"B-But this isn't like the training program," Scootaloo cried. "The controls are so much more sensitive! Then there’s the g-forces and the--"

"Relax, buddy, relax," Rainbow said again. She wanted nothing more to reach over to give her a reassuring pat, but her harness wouldn't allow it. "We're clear of the ship, so there's no problem with getting used to things, okay? Nothing for us to run into. Worst thing that can happen right now is a few rough stomachs, but we’ll get over it."

"True, true," Scootaloo said, taking a series of deep breaths, before finally glancing away from her controls for the first time and out the cockpit window. "Woah."

Rainbow looked up as well. “Heh, woah is right.”

Planet Oddball loomed before them, and though they had seen it before out the Starshot's windows, something about seeing it in the position they were now made it all the more amazing.

"It's beautiful!" Scootaloo said in wonder.

"I'll say!" Rainbow laughed. "Definitely wasn't expecting this kind of sight last week. Or any week, really. Now, what's say we take a closer look?"

"Let's do it!" Scootaloo said, a restored note of confidence in her tone.

"Awesome possum," Rainbow grinned, before looking over the console before her. "Kay, Scoots, you have the ship control thing…"

"Throttle," Scootaloo said.

"Right, the stick,” Rainbow said. "Dropship computer’s saying we need to plot a course into orbit then slowly descend."

"'Don't go straight down, that's how you smack the ground,'" Scootaloo said, reciting an apparently self-created mantra. She then smirked over to Rainbow. "So what's our vector, Victor?"

"Hah, that's the spirit!" Rainbow cheered. "Computer says we need to set course 10 mark 15 degrees for now and get to a cruise speed of 4,335 KPH. We do one loop around the planet then we'll be at the waypoint. Should only need to adjust the vector slightly."

"R-Right," Scootaloo gulped. "Setting course…"

"And remember, don't fret too much," Rainbow smiled. "The computer will tell us if we're doing things wrong, remember?"

"That's true," Scootaloo said, relaxing once again. "Heh, guess I just needed a second for the training to come back to me, you know?"

"You're doing great, squirt," Rainbow smiled. "And as a bonus, keep this in mind: even in this brick, we're still going to be going faster than any pegasus ever has. That includes yours truly, by the way."

"Heh, that’s true," she beamed, before narrowing her eyes in determination as she adjusted the throttle. "Hah! Got it. In the pipe, five by five."

Rainbow blinked. “Scoots, uh, what does that mean again?”

Scootaloo thought for a second, then shrugged. “Dunno. It just sounds cool.”

--

Much to the passengers’ relief, the ship soon stabilized its course... somewhat. And now that they didn’t have to concentrate on not throwing up, it actually afforded them a chance to enjoy the sights. Out of the rear window of the dropship, they could see the Starshot in its home environment of space for the first time. It was somewhat ironic that despite spending the last week inside it, they hadn’t had a chance to see it in full until now.

Though it was hard to tell at the moment without a frame of reference, Luna knew from memory that the triangular vessel was indeed massive, ten times larger than the largest airship on Equis. This was so large that she was still surprised they had a crew big enough to operate it. Yet so far they had succeeded in at least moving it to where they needed it moved.

The current view of it was also the first time it looked so… imposing. Whether it was because she now knew it was armed with a multitude of highly destructive weaponry or if it was simply the sight of seeing something so large hovering high above a planet, she didn’t know. What she did know is that it was now a far cry from the almost innocent curiosity that was supposed to serve as a museum on the outskirts of Ponyville.

As the ship approached ‘Planet Oddball’, their attention became focused on it instead. The contrast between its dark and light side was being made more and more apparent, as well as the menacing clouds that were twisting over the ‘terminator zone’.

“Could you imagine that?” Doctor Whooves said. “Living on such a planet? The only place you could call home being a perpetual, wind-swept strip of land?”

“Do you think anycreature could live down there at all, doc?” Derpy asked.

“If you mean native life, I couldn’t speculate all too much,” Doctor Whooves said. “We still don’t know exactly how life came about on our own world. That being said, there are certain species I could see living in such a place if they were, say, transplanted there. Perhaps even thrive.”

“So it is possible there could be alien life down there,” Tempest stated.

Doctor Whooves chuckled. “Ms. Shadow, if there’s one thing my friends in the biology field always like to say, it’s that whether it’s in the deepest, darkest, caves or upon the highest mountain peaks, life tends to find a way.”

“Alright, everypony,” Rainbow squawked through the intercom. “We’re about to hit the upper atmosphere, so get ready for a ride!”

Rainbow wasn’t kidding. Because as soon as they began seeing clouds outside the side windows, the ship started to rumble. It wasn’t as chaotic as it was when Rainbow and Scootaloo were getting their bearings, but it certainly wasn’t a massage chair, either. And it was definitely rougher than when the Starshot had initially risen from Equis.

The rumbling only increased in intensity as they grew closer to the ground. Despite the terminator being wrapped with storms, both the night and day sides of the planets were completely clear. At first, this afforded them a view of a dark, near infinite glacial expanse, with jagged pieces of ice the size of Canterlot looming over the land. Then, after they crossed the terminator, growing closer and closer to the ground, they roared over a bleak, blazing desert similar in size, with not a single oasis to be seen.

“That desert makes Sonmambulus look like a tropical rainforest,” Doctor Whooves said, looking out the window in awe. “Like something out of that one novel.”

“With the giant worms?” Luna asked. “And the spice?”

“Yes!” Doctor Whooves nodded. “Just can’t put my hoof on the name.”

“Tremorers?” Tempest asked.

Doctor Whooves gave her a blank look.

“What?!” she said in an uncharacteristically defensive tone.

--

“Kay, scoots, final approach,” Rainbow said, her voice soaked with adrenaline. “But gosh dangit that was awesome!”

Scootaloo, in turn, was breathing heavily, though her voice was filled with more excitement than fear when she replied: “I’ll say! We’re flying above another planet! Another! Planet! Hah! Hard to put it in words. Guess I’ll have to make up my own. Mmm… how about awesomesaurus?!”

“Works for me,” Rainbow grinned. “I just wish Twilight were here to see this. Or maybe not, she’d probably have a nerd-joy induced aneurysm.“

“A wah?” Scootaloo blinked.

“Nevermind,” Rainbow chuckled, before trying to compose herself. “Anyway, concentration time. Ease up on the throttle a little. We’re close to the waypoint. Once we hit the storm band again, just keep slowly drifting down and let the computer guide us in.”

“Right,” Scootaloo nodded, looking out the window for a brief second once more.

Once again, they were approaching the equatorial band of clouds, though this time at a much lower angle. Their dark, black forms tossed and turned on the horizon like angry demons.

“Wow, the storms aren’t like anything back home, are they?” Scootaloo said in wonder. “They’re like the size of Equestria! Would pegasi even have a chance of doing anything with them?”

“Maybe if every pegasi in Equestria teamed up,” Rainbow laughed. “But even then, I dunno, Scoots.” She smiled at a distant memory. “Heh. I remember thinking the Everfree Forest was wild. Don’t tell anypony, but I was actually kind of afraid of it at one point. But this… this is like a planet-sized version of it.”

“Speaking of that…” Scootaloo said, gesturing ahead. “Take a deep breath! We’re going in!” She bounced excitedly. “Hehe. I’ve been wanting to say that!”

Soon, they were flying under it, rain pelting the hull of the dropship and thunder crackling around them. The rain eventually became so dense that they couldn’t even see out the window. They were forced to rely on the three-dimensional map the computer was providing.

“I’m really glad I did the rough weather training a few times now!” Scootaloo squeaked.

“Just keep looking back at it and we’ll be fine,” Rainbow nodded. “That’s what Spitfire always told us to do: hold your training true and it’ll see you through.”

Scootaloo nodded, before slowly retracting her throttle more and more over time.

“Keep easing us downward, Scoots,” Rainbow said. “Slower... Mind that plateau. Good. One klick… point five klicks… annnnd…”

Scootaloo’s eyes widened. “Woah.”

Rainbow raised an eyebrow, looking up from her console for a second and back out the formerly clouded window. Though it was still fairly hard to see, there was no mistaking the sight of the crashed vessel before them, wedged between two cliffs.

Rainbow had expected to see something like this, but what she didn’t expect was the look of the ship.

“Scoots…”

“Yeah?”

“Is it just me or does…” Rainbow furrowed her brow. “Does that thing look like a smaller version of the Starshot?”

“I…” Scootaloo blinked. “Huh.”

“Eh, nevermind,” Rainbow grunted. “Let’s just concentrate on landing. I think this is a good enough spot. Now, nice and easy…”

--

Yet despite all indications, the dropship descending from the misty skies did not settle to the ground unnoticed. Just as those within it gazed upon the ship, something aboard it gazed back at them. It was a shadow lingering at one of its many windows; one wearing curious, even excited eyes.

Brilliant, green eyes.

“So, it wasn’t just an illusion of that wretched light,” the figure whispered to itself, though with an air of unhinged manicy. “After all these years, you come at long last. And even better, you’ve brought gifts! Putrid gifts - tainted by starlight and ancient filth, no doubt - but gifts nonetheless.”

A great, ghostly, sharp-toothed grin formed upon the shadow’s ‘face’. “The Deep Ones will be pleased, my love. Oh so very pleased. Together we will embrace the void, and dance upon dead woodland leaves.”

Virgin Soil

Eight Years Prior

“I think, when one has been angry for a very long time, one gets used to it, and it becomes comfortable, like old leather,” Captain Quick Card spoke, his words stunning the young transporter officer more than any phaser ever could. “Finally, it becomes so familiar that you can’t remember feeling any other way."

Luna paused, slightly stunned herself at what she was reading. These Space Trek novels were turning out to be a lot more interesting than her sister made it seem. Sure, the dialogue was a bit cheesy and the prose was a bit simplistic, but the sheer commitment the writer had to this idealistic view of the future was almost heartwarming in a way.

“You stopped,” a still unicorn Twilight blinked, looking up from her own book. “Did you pick up one of the bad ones? Series One of The Next Generation… gosh, I’m glad they got past that.”

The two sat in The Golden Oaks Library common room, enjoying a quiet moment of reading.

Well, formerly quiet.

“No, no,” Luna said, looking mournful to a degree. “This one is just hitting home a little, I suppose.”

“Which one are you reading?” Twilight asked.

“The Wounded,” Luna announced. “It is quite good, so far.”

“Oh yeah!” Twilight beamed happily. “That’s the one where they track down the rogue Space Fleet captain, right?”

Luna nodded. “I’m at the part where Quick Card is explaining to Shamrock why his former captain is acting the way he is. His speech about anger… it was quite poignant.”

“You should hear the radio play version,” Twilight said. “Sir Fancy Pants plays Captain Quick Card in it. His voice is just… perfect for the character. Especially with all those moving speeches he gives.”

"Indeed, Indeed…" Luna gazed at Twilight pensively, before taking a deep breath. “May I speak candidly? It’s… a bit off topic.”

“Sure,” Twilight offered.

“You are a puzzling individual, Twilight Sparkle,” Luna said bluntly. “You both personify magic, but also hold science very dear. I don’t understand how. Don’t you find that the latter often makes the former less… wondrous? Doesn't it take the magic out of… well, magic?”

“I don’t think it makes it any less wondrous,” Twilight said, almost in a confused tone. “When it comes to magic, the more we figure out, the more questions there are to answer. Honestly, it’s kind of why I like Space Trek. Even in that future, where they’ve figured out a lot of things about magic and the universe in general, they’re still exploring and learning new things. In fact, I think the biggest thing they’ve discovered is that what they know doesn’t even scratch the surface of what there is to know, ya know? Does that make any sense?”

“You really are my sister’s student,” Luna chuckled. “And I mean that as a compliment. She said something very similar when we last spoke.”

Twilight smiled broadly. “She’s a wise pony. And so are you, Princess Luna.”

“Mmm, not as wise, I’d say,” Luna said. “Even Quick Card has me beat to a certain degree.”

“I’m pretty sure he has us all beat,” Twilight laughed, Luna joining in with her.

“Thank you for listening to my prattle,” Luna said, still chuckling slightly. “Shall we get back to reading? I’m eager to see where this story ends.”

“Spoiler alert,” Twilight grinned.

“Don’t you dare--”

Twilight’s grin turned into a saddened smile. “The ending might make you cry.”

Luna returned the smirk, feeling as if she was just issued a challenge. “We shall see about that.”

--

Present

The canyon the crashed ship was sitting in, like the rest of the terminator zone, was swept by an eternal wind. Fortunately, however, it wasn't subject to eternal downpours. Through sheer luck, the rain began to dwindle to a drizzle soon after their arrival, though judging by the distant, heavier cloud bands, that could change at any moment. Still, Luna was thankful it gave Rainbow and Scootaloo a chance to land in relatively 'easy' conditions. And so they did, only a quarter of a klick away from the grounded vessel.

Nopony had had a chance to gain too good of a look at it yet given the mists and formerly heavy rain, but after briefly chatting with Rainbow in the cockpit, they had both agreed that it did, indeed, resemble the Starshot to some extent, at least in shape. What Rainbow had not agreed on was Luna’s order for her and Scootaloo to stay in the cockpit.

“Seriously?!” Rainbow argued. “I’m the fastest pony here. I could cover that ship in like ten seconds flat! Seems like a no brainer to me.”

“You and Scootaloo are also the only ones who know how to fly this vessel,” Luna pointed out. “If anything were to happen to either of you, nopony comes back.”

“She has a point, you know,” Scootaloo said.

Rainbow folded her arms, making a pouty face, but nonetheless seemingly understood Luna’s argument. “Alright, fine…” She then smirked slightly. “Bleh, when did being awesome at everything become a curse?”

Luna chuckled. "I assure you that as far as curses go, that is a relatively benign one."

"Yeah yeah…" Rainbow sighed. "Anyway, good luck out there, okay? Don't do anything I wouldn't."

"And say 'hi' to any aliens you meet for me!" Scootaloo beamed.

"I will endeavor to do both," Luna smiled. "You have my word."

With that settled, Luna returned to the passenger bay. Everyone seemed ready and eager to go, though only Doctor Whooves seemed to be truly aware of the significance of what they were about to do. This was indicated by a twinkle in his eyes as he looked Luna’s way.

“Captain, the honor should be yours,” he said, gesturing towards the door.

Tepidly, Luna activated the dropship door mechanism. With awe, and noting a very slight change in pressure, she watched it slide open to reveal the damp soil of a completely different world.

While she had technically already visited one, that being Equis's own moon, it wasn't exactly… her who was there. Or at least not a version of her whose memories she had much of. She only remembered flashes from her time upon that rock. Of twisting underground caverns beneath the barren lunar surface, somehow filled with breathable air. Or at least air breathable to the Nightmare.

Because of that terrible experience, Luna had come to resent all things space related for a time. When she thought about it, all she thought about were those cold, lonely tunnels. The whispers of the Nightmare about the universe beyond didn’t help matters, either. It was yet one more thing she hated it for. It had stolen the fascination for the heavens she held growing up.

Fortunately, though, a combination of her sister’s and Twilight’s efforts had rekindled her wonder. Now, because of it, this moment was as special to her as it always should have been.

And it belonged to her and her alone.

She turned back towards her away team. "I feel like I should say something profound right now."

"It is quite marvelous isn't it?" Doctor Whooves beamed, stepping up besides her. "A completely independent closed system. One with absolutely no interaction with our own. Well, aside from us being here of course. So. Much. To. Discover!"

"Sort of just looks like a wasteland to me," Tempest shrugged.

"An alien wasteland, though," Derpy smiled.

"Indeed," Doctor Whooves said, giving Tempest a playfully scolding look. "Seek your inner poet, my dear! For we are on the precipice of taking one small step for ponies, yet one giant leap for ponykind!"

Luna blinked. “That… actually kind of works.”

Derpy cocked an eyebrow. "Just don’t forget griffons, changelings, yaks…"

Luna chuckled slightly. “Indeed.” She then cleared her throat. “May this be one small step for Equis, one giant leap for Equinkind!”

And so, she stepped off the shuttle, into the cold touch of the wet dirt. Wet dirt that, as far as they knew, no living thing had ever trodden upon before.

“How does it feel?” Doctor Whooves grinned, stepping out next to her, Derpy and Tempest in tow.

“Cold,” Luna noted. “But… invigorating.”

“Now, let’s get what we need so we can tell others the tale,” Tempest said. “What’s the game plan, captain?”

"First step is to find a way onto the ship," Luna said. "The way I see it, we have several options: some more risky than others. The most preferable one is we find some form of opening."

After speaking, she took a deep breath, but still found herself slightly winded.

“Everything okay?” Derpy asked.

“Just forgot we needed to breathe more deeply,” Luna said, taking another long breath. She quickly felt a bit better.

“Remember, if anypony feels light-headed, put on your masks,” Tempest said, tugging the full-head encapsulating breathing apparatus attached to a small air tank on her back. It was currently clipped neatly to a small metal ring hanging off her suit.

“Indeed,” Doctor Whooves said. “However, there is another method we can use to stay oxygenated!”

“Which is?” Tempest asked.

“The very thing ponies excel at more than anything,” Doctor Whooves said proudly. “More than magic, more than science, more than even making puns!”

“Oh no,” Derpy sighed.

“Oh yes,” Doctor Whooves grinned. “Singing!”

“Baby, baby, baby!
You are my boo boo child.
My boo boo child!”

“Dooooctor!”

“Muahahaha!”

The group made their way forth. Slowly, at first, as if walking on eggshells, but gradually gaining their stride as they went along. Along the way, Luna couldn’t help but join in with the good doctor’s singing. Not just because it was fun, but because he actually had a point. Starswirl had once taught a young Luna and Celestia that singing was an ancient technique for keeping oxygen flowing. One the yaks used whenever they needed to scale high mountains.

It seemed he was correct, too, as nobody felt the need to put on their masks as they moved. By the time they the dropship was out of sight, Derpy and even Tempest had joined in, with the group singing a somewhat butchered rendition of “Equestria, The Land I Love”.

It was also around this time that Derpy spotted a peculiar curiosity.

“Hey, is that what I think it is?” she said, halting their song and pointing to a patch of green growing along one of the canyon’s walls, of which the group were marching down the middle of.

“Great whickering stallions!” Doctor Whooves cried, galloping over to it. “Great spot, Derpy, great spot!”

“Thanks, doctor!” Derpy said, looking at the doctor with admiration. “I have to say: he’s probably the only pony who has complimented my vision."

She pointed to her googly eyes.

“Wait… have ponies said… bad things about it?” Tempest asked awkwardly, though still with a look of anger flashing across her face. “Because if they have, I’d like to have a chat with them…”

Luna raised her eyebrows. If Tempest had changed to the extent others had said, and it was certainly seeming that way so far, she still hadn’t exactly lost her edge.

‘Reminds me of myself a little,’ Luna admitted.

“Not since I was a foal,” Derpy explained. “Though still… I can’t say nopony has ever judged me for them, even if it isn’t in words. They seem to think that goofy eyes equals goofy thinking. They’re a disability… sort of, but my brain still works fine, thank you very much.”

“Trust me when I say that I empathize,” Tempest said, pointing to her shattered horn. “Though you seem to have handled things much better than I did.”

A look of shame came upon her, but Derpy wouldn’t have it.

“Tempest, remember what we talked about at the dig site?” Derpy said, smiling at her. “I forgive you for what happened. Besides, you meant to turn Twilight to stone, not me!” She laughed a little at the last part, Tempest joining in with a slight chuckle.

Luna’s eyes widened. She was surprised she hadn’t thought about it before, but indeed, Tempest and Derpy did have something of a history before they both ended up working under Doctor Whooves, digging up the Starshot. Along with Celestia, Cadence, and herself, Derpy was indeed one of the ponies turned to stone by Tempest during her attack on Canterlot, albeit unintentionally.

‘I suppose the memory didn’t ‘click’ because I didn’t actually see it happen,’ Luna rationalized. ‘I was already out of the fight before Derpy was hit.’

“Everypony, come look at this!” Doctor Whooves called, interrupting the moment. “Derpy, once again, good eye! And yes, it's exactly what you think it is, by the way.”

Derpy and the group trotted over to the good doctor, who was closely looking at but making a point not to touch the fuzzy, organic looking growth along the otherwise barren cliff walls.

“I can’t say for certain without a microscope,” Doctor Whooves said. “But I do believe this is some form of…”

“Moss,” Derpy finished for him, now scooched up next to him.

“Moss?” Luna said, raising her eyebrows.

“Indeed,” Doctor Whooves said. “It may not seem like much, but I'm quite surprised to see something like this. While I had assumed there was some sort of bacteria growing on the planet - something organic was the most likely explanation for its oxygen - I never expected there to be plant life!”

“Knowing you, there’s definitely some sort of significance to this,” Tempest noted. “But you’re going to have to explain what that is.”

“Ooo, ooo, can I do it?” Derpy bounced. “I remember you talking about this before.”

“Give her a whirl, my dear!” Doctor Whooves grinned.

“Alright, so,” Derpy said, clearing her throat. “Life, when you think of it on a grand scale, has two big types: simple and complex. Simple would be your bacteria or other really, really teeny tiny single-cell creatures. Complex life is like if you took a bunch of those tiny organisms and used them as building blocks… kind of. Anyway, that’s not the point. The point is it takes complex life a long time to develop on its own, and it can take super specific conditions. And moss is complex life.”

“Aptly put,” Doctor Whooves complimented. "All of this is assuming certain theories on the origin and development of life are true, of course. The scientific community is still figuring that out."

“So if they're true, you’re saying this planet has reached some sort of… milestone when it comes to life?” Luna asked both Derpy and Doc Whooves.

“Yes, exactly!” the doctor said excitedly. “Not only does this tell us this planet is fairly old, but the implications of life elsewhere are… enormous. If complex life could develop on this strange, extreme world, it could very well develop anywhere. And who knows how far it could go, even here? Perhaps in the distant future, there will be more than just moss living here, assuming there isn’t more than this here already.”

"We didn't exactly see any trees flying in," Luna said.

"A fair point," Doctor Whooves nodded. "Though like I said, perhaps someday…"

"Doc, no offense, but this isn’t exactly the best time," Tempest said, gesturing towards an approaching band of black clouds. “The moss will still be here after that storm passes. We may not.”

"Right, right," the doctor sighed, turning away from it. "Let's continue, shall we? I'll have to remember to take a few samples on the way back."

And so they did, Luna filled with renewed vigor. ‘So, the aliens that built our ship aren’t the only things living out here. The universe might be teeming with life. Small life, perhaps, but wondrous in its own way nonetheless.”

Speaking of ship-building aliens, the previously distant vessel was now growing closer and closer, and its details were becoming easier to make out. Luna was almost glad Scootaloo didn’t want to chance trying to land right next to it, or they would have missed out on the sight. A sight both intriguing and familiar.

In all intents and purposes, this was a smaller version of the Starshot. Though strangely, despite having crashed, it almost seemed to have a ‘newer’ look than their acquired vessel. The hull was shinier, almost chrome in appearance compared to the Starshot’s more rugged steel. And either said material was very tough or the ship had touched down more gently than the deep indentation it was making would suggest, as it seemed to be almost entirely intact.

This included a series of markings on it, one of which was a symbol Luna immediately recognized: a circle with a swirl-like pattern in the middle of it.

“That confirms it,” Luna declared.

“Hm?” Tempest asked.

“That symbol,” Luna said, pointing to it. “It’s the same that’s on all the small craft in the launch bay, including the dropship. I’m almost certain I’ve seen it before then, too.”

“Indeed, you have,” Doctor Whooves agreed. “It likes to pop up on the bridge monitors occasionally - usually when nobody is using them.”

“Pharynx thought it might be whoever built the Starshot’s insignia,” Derpy explained. “Guess he might be right.”

“I wonder why the Starshot has none on its hull?” Luna pondered.

“It may have at one point,” Doctor Whooves explained. “While I’m guessing it’s made of more permanent material than the paint we know of, perhaps it can still wear off given enough time.”

“That makes sense,” Tempest nodded. “So, the two ships were made by the same aliens, then?”

“It’s a more reasonable assumption than not at this point,” Doctor Whooves said. “While this does raise quite a few more questions, it will, at least, make navigating it easier. Assuming it has a similar layout, of course.”

“And… maybe we can finally find out who these mysterious aliens were!” Derpy said hopefully.

“Yes,” Luna said, a hint of apprehension suddenly coming upon her, though she didn’t know exactly why. “...Hopefully.”

--

As they eagerly searched for an entrance, the shadow at one of the windows watched them with equal vigor.

“Wings… horn... “ it said to itself, astonished. “So it was a Star Speaker I've been seeing. My love, you have truly outdone yourself. There are those who said your conquest would be impossible, but what are they to say now? You've even wrangled her and the others to the point where they can lead themselves!”

Then, as nonchalantly as if it were moving a handkerchief, it lifted none other than a pony’s skull before its ‘face’.

“If only you were so obedient," it sighed. "After all the Deep Ones have done for you, what shame you've brought upon them. I can only hope our guests won’t mind the mess you’ve made.”

She gazed back out upon them, smiling wide.

“Come, envoys of my beloved - we shall see if you’re up to my standards.”

Steward of Entropy

Finding an entrance to the crashed ship wasn’t too difficult. Since they knew the layout of the Starshot, and that this ship seemed to be a miniature version of it, they quickly located an airlock on its starboard side. Thanks to the way the ship had gone down, with its nose ramming into the ground, its hatch which would normally be far above them was now level with them instead.

This meant no teleportation or flying would need to be involved: it was simply a matter of brute force.

“NYAH!.!.!” Luna cried, literally ripping the outer door off the side of the ship with a tremendous whine of twisting metal.

While her magic certainly wasn’t as strong as it was on Equis, she was still an alicorn, after all. It was certainly still enough to impress her companions, even Tempest, given their looks. Luna couldn’t help but feel a slight bit of ego swelling in her at the latter.

‘Without those obsidian orbs of yours, defeating me would not have been so easy, would it?’ Luna thought, glancing at the former villainess.

“My goodness, princess,” Doctor Whooves said, still bedazzled. “I’m starting to think I should have accepted your help with the Starshot excavation.”

Derpy turned to Luna, curious. “Why didn’t he?”

“Something about princesses not needing to get their hooves dirty,” Luna said, giving the doctor a ‘really?’ look.

“You’re showing your age, doc,” Tempest playfully chided. “That’s almost too old fashioned.”

“Something I’m quickly growing out of having seen that,” Doctor Whooves said, before pointing to the inner airlock door. “Mind doing the same trick twice?”

Luna smiled confidently, before ripping the inner door off its hinges and depositing it with the outer, nearby.

‘I hope the moss won’t mind my littering,’ Luna thought playfully. ‘Or whatever creatures may dwell here in the far future.'

With that, she nodded to her team, gesturing them forward into the airlock. Tepidly, they peaked beyond the inner doors. Only pitch blackness was there to greet them.

“I suppose it’s no surprise the power’s off,” Tempest shrugged. “No worries, though.”

Smiling to herself, she pressed a button on her suit’s small control panel, activating its in-built flashlight.

“Ah!” Doctor Whooves grinned, doing the same. “I almost forgot about that!”

After Derpy and Luna followed, they finally had a view of the corridor. With its spartan, utilitarian look, devoid of any ornaments or artistic expression, there was absolutely no denying it now: whoever built this had also built the Starshot.

The sight of it seemed to put a look of disappointment on Derpy’s face.

“Derpy?” Luna said.

“Hm?” she said, before realizing what she was projecting. “Oh, it’s nothing. Just… suppose I was expecting a little more.”

“What do you mean?” Doctor Whooves asked.

Derpy sighed. “I guess I was just hoping the lack of… well, personality, on the Starshot was just a fluke. That the aliens weren’t as cold as they seemed, you know?”

“A fair point,” Doctor Whooves nodded. “While their scientific progress cannot be questioned, it appears our… hosts aren’t exactly the most artistically inclined.”

“We can’t say that for certain,” Tempest said. “I talked with Pharynx the other day. He thinks the Starshot’s a military ship. Maybe this one is, too. Warships aren’t really built for show.”

“Huh, I didn’t think of it that way,” Derpy said. “Maybe there’s still a chance we’ll have something in common with them, then?”

“Assuming we ever run into them,” Luna pointed out, glancing about the corridor.

She led them a few meters towards the stern, expecting a ladder to the lower decks to be nearby. Aside from having a lack of ornamentation, the lonely halls didn’t seem to show much of any sign of habitation. There were only a few objects scattered about: mainly a few of the hand-held computers Luna’s crew were still figuring out…

...And what looked to be an alien weapon.

"Souvenir?" Tempest asked innocently, to which Luna gave a reluctant sigh of approval.

This was actually the first time she had seen one of their weapons, as she hadn't visited the Starshot's armory yet. It almost looked something like the muskets the Griffons used. However, this appeared to be specifically built for equines. It was attached to a saddle-like object laying near it, which allowed the weapon to hang off a pony's side. This was along with what Luna assumed was a counter-weight in the form of a black, cube-like object.

'There has to be more to it,' Luna thought. 'How would you even fire it?'

Despite it being a complete unknown, Tempest still managed to equip it, using a combination of her hooves and mouth to put on the saddle. Soon, the counter-weight hung off one side, and the weapon the other.

Doctor Whooves gazed at it with a hint of disapproval.

"Something wrong, Doctor?" Tempest asked. "It's not heavy, if you're wondering."

He glanced away from her. "It's nothing. I've just never been partial to the idea of… guns."

"They aren't really the kind of thing ponies could even use," Tempest shrugged. "Though the aliens found a way around that."

"At least Pharynx will be happy," Derpy said.

Doctor Whooves cocked an eyebrow. "Indeed."

Luna led them further towards the stern. Despite being in a group, an overwhelming air of loneliness began to creep up on her. The ship truly seemed to be abandoned, as all that was there to greet them were a series of eerie shadows on the wall.

"Honestly," Luna sighed. "It's feeling like we will never meet our mysterious benefactors at this..."

She paused, noticing a certain shadow in particular - one that seemed to resemble a pony, though it wasn’t cast by any of them. For some reason, that was all it took to bring a peculiar set of memories flashing before her eyes.

“...Rate?”

It was her dream last night. A replay of a conversation she had with Celestia years ago, but then… the star, the Red Dwarf, stepped in to speak with her, as insane as the idea was.

Luna concentrated, navigating the web of memories in the hopes of creating links to the ones still hidden from her. If only she had brought her dream diary - it would certainly make things easier. Still, through sheer brute force, it finally came to her. Assuming the star wasn’t a figment of her imagination, it was trying to warn her of something down on the planet. What was it, though? What… was it?

“Captain?” Tempest said.

Luna shook her head, trying to force her focus back on the present for a moment. “I think… I think we should try to do this as quickly as possible.”

“What?” Doctor Whooves said, looking annoyed. "But there is so much we could learn from this ship! Who knows: it might even have an intact memory bank. If we could figure out how to integrate it with the computer, we could answer so many questions! I don’t see why--”

Suddenly, he along with the rest of the group paused. Luna knew why, too, because she was feeling it was well. It was like a swarm of spiders crawling across her back, their little legs sending shivers down her spine.

And with that, she realized why the shadow that had originally caught her attention was so peculiar.

Nothing was casting it.

“Hehehe….” a sinister voice giggled, one with a familiar hiss and long reverb. Yet one with a distinctly female tone. “It has been a while since I’ve spoken the language of The Garden. Spoken to anypony, really. Though your sight burns my eyes, I still love seeing it.”

“U-Uh,” Derpy squeaked, her eyes wide in panic. “W-Who… what is that?”

“Everypony,” Tempest said, taking a step backwards towards the now distant, destroyed airlock. “Back away… slowly.”

Illuminated by the flicker of their flashlights, the shadow slowly pushed away from the wall, becoming more like a cloud of smoke than anything. Slowly but surely, it took the shape of a pegasus, though one still cloaked in darkness.

Luna, however, was unphased, and held her ground. After all, this wasn’t the first time she was confronted with a type of shadow monster. However, when glowing green eyes appeared on its ‘face’, along with a glowing, toothy grin, she still began to feel slightly unnerved. This wasn’t helped by a new series of memories flashing before her.

“Being from The Garden, you may have an advantage. But do not underestimate it.”

‘I remember it now…’ Luna thought. “I remember everything! This is what the star was trying to warn me about. But why?’

“Who are you?” Luna barked, glaring at the creature. “Explain yourself!”

“I am but a humble Steward of Entropy,” the shadow creature said, cocking her head slightly in a curious way. “Mmm, yet there’s nothing humble about you, is there? You have an air of nobility about you. And such a potent, putrid, blasphemous power flowing through your veins. I suppose it’s no surprise it’ll take more time than most to harness your potential. We’ve never fully converted a Star Speaker before, after all.”

“U-Um,” Doctor Whooves said nervously, standing in front of Derpy in a defensive manner. “S-So… I t-take it you know something about us? S-Splendid. W-Would you mind answering a few questions about--”

The shadow creature suddenly launched herself in front of him, a trail of smoke in its wake. It took nearly all of Luna’s willpower not to blast it with a spell. And from the look of Tempest, she seemed to be having the same ordeal.

“Reeeelax,” the creature chuckled. “I’m not going to hurt anyone. Just wanted to get a closer look at this cutie.” The cat-like grin across her face widened slightly. “And a cutie he is. Not to mention…” She made a sniffing sound. “Oooooh, one that’s much more than meets the eye. Tell me, Child of Gallopfree: whatever happened to your people? We were going to ascend them, but someone else denied us the pleasure. There’s only so many culprits it could have been… was it them?”

Doctor Whooves gazed at her with utmost confusion. “C-Child of what? Them?”

The being let out a bemused cackle. “You mean you don’t know? Oh, what a shame. But don’t worry, we can help with that. Our neuroscanning technology is coming along nicely. Whatever trickery has blocked your memories, we can undo.”

At that, Derpy seemingly had enough. She leapt to the side of Doctor Whooves, before bringing a wing down between him and the creature. “Stop it! Can’t you see how frightening you’re being?!”

It cocked its head. “There’s no need to be afraid. I know it’s not your fault you’re tainted with the filth of the before-times.” She turned to Luna. “... Or represent the filth of the current. If you’ll just lead me back to your dropship, we can leave this hive of traitors and be underway. I take it the Void Inquisitor awaits us?”

Now Luna was growing very nervous. This thing knew about the ship they were on. It knew about the concept of dropships. It was growing less and less likely that it was some form of native to this world. In fact, though it hurt the deepest part of her soul, a horrible truth was coming to the forefront.

“You…” Luna gulped. “You… built this ship, didn’t you? And built ours, as well.”

“No,” Derpy said in an almost heartbroken tone. “No, that can’t be right…”

The creature lifted one of the fiery, green tendrils it had for an eyebrow. “Questions, questions, so many questions. Not only is it not your place to ask them, but shouldn’t they have been answered already? Are you not a rescue party sent by my beloved?”

“We’ll answer your questions once you answer ours,” Tempest spat.

“Oooooh, there’s fire in this one,” the creature said in a sing-song tone. “That’s alright. I don’t mind a little bit of it, so long as it doesn’t get in the way. It’s strange you still retain it, but I suppose my love has grown soft after all those years. An unexpected, but not unwelcome change.” She narrowed her eyes. “Still, enough prattle. While you yourselves have been amusing, I have long since grown bored of this waste of rock. You are here to serve, not to gawk.”

“The only person we ‘serve’ is the captain!” Doctor Whooves said defiantly, gesturing towards Luna.

“Captain?!” the creature laughed. “HAHAHAHAHA!.!.!”

The group remained silent, and the creature looked annoyed, as if she was expecting them to laugh with them.

She blinked. “Oh, you’re serious?”

“I’ve heard enough,” Luna said. “We don’t know who your lover is, nor do we know why you think of us as your servants. We only visited this world to gather Solarium for our ship--”

“That being the Starshot, not the Void Inquisitor, thank you very much,” Derpy huffed.

“--So we can begin our journey home. You may come with us if you wish, but you will not make many friends with that sort of talk. And if you stand in our way...”

The creature paused, its grin turning into a frown. Luna could have sworn she saw a look of total disappointment in her creepy green eyes. Nonetheless, that disappointment quickly turned to annoyance.

“So, my beloved did not come after all,” she mused to herself. “There is no way they would have let heretics like you aboard their ship, let alone let one of you call it its captain. It also explains why they did not come themselves.”

“Listen to me, Steward,” Luna said, Captain Quick Card’s demeanor suddenly channeling through her. “You do not understand the situation we are all in. This is no time for posturing.”

It was a stretch, but Luna at least had to try diplomacy. Even if he was a fictional character, Quick Card’s preference for it, rather than hostility, wasn’t without merit. She would have to act quick, though - the chance of a peaceful resolution was quickly melting away.

“I know not why you view us in the way you do,” Luna continued. “I don’t know anything about the culture or government you represent, nor what horrible turn of events led you to crash upon this world.” She took a step forward. “I can tell, however, that you have been alone for a long time. A fate I have shared myself, and would not wish upon anyone else. If you work with us, not against us, we can offer you something much better than our servitude. We can offer you our friendship.”

“Friendship?!” it giggled. “With lower beings, let alone heretics?! Foalish Garden Child. You know nothing of the wider universe, do you?”

“And how would you know that?” Luna glared.

The creature rolled its eyes. “You have all the markings of somepony way out of their depth. Like a child walking out of their house for the first time. Otherwise, you would have heard of the glorious Oblivion Empire. We, the heirs of the starless skies, where the Deep Ones will rule when the last atom dies!”

“Alright, she’s from something called the Oblivion Empire and is calling us ‘lesser beings’,” Tempest said. “No offense, princess, but I think she might be a baddie.”

“N-Not everything in the universe is white and black,” Doctor Whooves said. “We don’t know if--”

“Come on, Doc, really?” Tempest said, before glancing at Luna. “Cap’n, we aren’t talking our way out of this. Let’s take this thing down.”

“If that is the option we must take,” Luna said, still addressing the creature. “... I assure you you will be at a disadvantage. For I am Princess Luna of Equestria, the Princess of the Night! Do you have any idea of the power an alicorn wields?”

“‘Princess of the Night’?” it laughed. “Pleeeease. You don’t know what the ‘night’ is. As for your ‘power’, that pathetic magic of the before-times has done nothing but make you weak. The others may fear it, but I do not. It is an evolutionary dead end: one which blocks innovation and keeps you reliant on the waste of a neutered sun.”

The creature began to pace.

“We’ve seen what happens when you don’t have it,” she continued. “Without our guidance, or our ship in your case, none of you would last a minute off your world. Tell me, before you stole the Void Inquisitor - and yes, I’m assuming that’s what you did - did you even have a concept of a starship? By the void, did you even know of your own abilities, archaic and disgusting as they may be?”

Luna searched for a reply, but she couldn’t. The creature had left her stunned.

“The silence tells me what I already know,” the creature said dismissively. “I’ve heard enough, anyway. The Void Inquisitor needs Solarium, yes? This ship has several canisters of it left. I will be taking them aboard…” Her eyes narrowed to slits. “After I’ve dealt with you the same way I dealt with my former crew..”

To the horror of the group, parts of the creature's form began to split off from the whole. Like hellish wisps, they glided into the darkness for some unknown purpose.

Slowly, but surely… bright, green, glowing eyes lit up the darkness, and the crackle of bones flooded the hall.

“Okay, that’s it!” Tempest growled, powering up her horn in preparation for an attack.

Luna was just about to join her, but before she could summon her mana stores, the creature suddenly blurred deeper into the darkened corridors, laughing all the way.

“Behold the fate of all heretics!” she cackled, her voice now echoing around them. “Those who won’t serve in life will be my puppets in death!”

The bone crackling grew louder. Then, finally… they emerged from the dark. Walking, nightmarish equine skeletons, each shrouded in a similar mist to the creature. Most appeared to be pegasi or pegasi-like creatures; it was hard to say for certain since their flesh had long since rotted away. Worse yet, some of them seemed to be armed with alien weapons.

There were ten in all, and coming from all sides.

“Okay, I-I think we've outstayed our welcome!” Derpy cried out in terror. "Can we go now?!"

And at least for the moment, Luna would like nothing more. The creature was right about one thing:

They really were far out of their depth.

The Old Guard

“Everypony, to me!” Luna cried, her horn sparkling to life.

Her party eagerly complied, just as a shield flickered to life around her. It was just in the knick of time, too, as the skeletal ponies proved themselves to be more than just mindless zombies. A tremendous whirring sound was coming from several of their guns.

They still knew how to use them.

“Please hold, please hold, please hold,” Doctor Whooves gulped, glancing at their shield.

A series of loud, almost metallic CRACKS! came from the alien weapons as their muzzle flashes lit up the corridors. Roaring from them was a series of sharpened, crystal-like daggers, which, fortunately, shattered into a million pieces as they struck Luna’s shield.

“Yes!” Doctor Whooves cheered. “Alicorn magic - gotta bloody love it!”

Not all was well behind the shield, however, as Luna was almost instantly feeling the strain of holding it. There were over three guns shooting at them, two from one side, one from the other, and though they weren’t rapid fire, their projectiles hit with the force of supersonic spears. It wasn’t the worst attack Luna had ever deflected, but it was certainly up there. It was taking enormous concentration to hold, as every crystal that struck the shield felt like a pinprick on Luna’s mind.

“Thou must smite them!” Luna cried, so desperate she was switching to the tongue of her native time. “Mine shield win’t hold!”

“On it!” Tempest cried, sticking her shattered horn just slightly out of the shield. A ball of raw mana grew from its hollow interior, and then…

“HA!” she cried, letting it loose. It plowed through two skeletal ponies like a bowling ball through pins, clattering their bones all around the corridor.

Two of their gunners were down with one remaining. However, the ones without them were closing in on the shield. While they didn’t seem capable of galloping, they were still moving fairly quickly.

“C-Can they get through?!” Derpy asked Luna.

“Aye!” Luna yelped.

At that, two of them entered the bubble. Luckily, Derpy was ready for them. She had unsealed the wing slots of her suit, letting them breath, and took flight, positioning herself to buck the two interlopers.

With the power on par with an earth pony, she struck each of them with a hoof, knocking them out of the bubble and shattering their frontal legs. This seemed to be too much for them, as they quickly collapsed to the floor, lifeless once more. The black mist that surrounded them abandoned them, shooting off down the corridor.

“Eep!” Derpy cried, as if surprised by her own strength. “These things can’t feel anything, r-right?”

“I doubt it, Derpy!” Doctor Whooves shouted over the weapon fire. “They’re long dead! Like the Steward said, they’re just puppets!”

“Then they won’t mind me doing this!” Tempest said, fire in her eyes as she leapt to the other side of the bubble, positioning her horn to take down the remaining gunner.

It was a good thing, too, for at that moment--

“ACK!” Luna cried, her shield dropping.

Holding up the shield had taken a toll on her mana reserves, which in turn turn tired her out quickly. This combined with the continuous probing of the remaining alien weapon was too much. She was forced to disengage her spell, her mind feeling like it had been stabbed by a thousand needles.

“Captain!” Doctor Whooves cried.

Tempest seemed aware of the emergency, however, as even more quickly than the last time, she summoned another ball of raw mana and flung it at the gunner. Even as it was flying towards him, he continued to fire. Fortunately, the mana ball was disintegrating his projectiles as it made its way to him.

And unlike the other two she had previously hit, this mana ball completely vaporized the skeleton as well.

This came at a tremendous cost, however, as Tempest, like Luna, was now panting heavily, both of them having exhausted themselves. The slightly diminished oxygen levels of the alien planet wasn’t helping things, either. They were practically on the verge of gasping.

“Derpy! Doctor!” Luna panted. “Get out of here while you have the chance! Leave us!”

The two ponies instead looked at each other, before narrowing their eyes with a nod.

“Yeah, not happening,” Derpy said stubbornly.

“Indeed,” Doctor Whooves said, glancing at the remaining five skeletons who were, fortunately, unarmed. “As the younglings say these days, ‘Come at me, bro!”

Luna’s eyes widened. On top of controlling an alien spaceship, landing on another world, and being attacked by an alien creature, something else she never expected to see was now right in front of her: an adrenaline-addled Doctor Whooves.

While his performance was sloppy, he was still able to buck as hard as any other Earth Pony. And so it didn't take long for Derpy and him to mop up the remaining skeletal ponies.

“BEEEYA!” Derpy cried, bucking one so hard its bones cracked into a nearby wall.

“GERONIMO!” Doctor Whooves roared, lobbing one’s skull off with one hoof and breaking another’s legs with another.

Eventually, all that remained of the ‘zombies’ were their skeletal remains.

While the entire fight had only lasted a minute, it left the entire group breathless and sweating. Tempest was gasping so loudly that it was no surprise when she reached for her oxygen mask and shoved it on her face. Fortunately, that did the trick, as her wheezing quieted slightly afterwards.

With that, a lack of skeletons or megalomaniacal alien creatures gave them a chance to recuperate. When their collective panting finally died down to a minimum, Tempest removed her mask, and Luna decided to give voice to what they were all thinking.

“Let’s go.”

Wordlessly and cautiously, they began trotting back to the airlock, finally breaking into a full-on gallop once they had regained enough energy. There didn’t seem to be any other skeletons nearby, but they weren’t taking any chances. However, when they arrived…

“Oh no!” Derpy cried.

Whether it was the commotion of their escape attempt, or the ship dampening it, they had failed to notice the howling winds that were now roaring outside the ship. They only became apparent once they drew near the airlock, the wind blowing through it and down the corridor.

Out one of the nearby windows, they could see their source. They were the product of a thunderstorm more violent than any Luna had ever seen on Equis. Oceans of rain were pouring from the heavens, and lightning was striking the area in regular intervals.

“Crap,” Tempest said. “I knew that storm looked bad, but I didn’t think it would be this bad.”

“There’s no way we’ll make it back without being hit by lightning,” Derpy sighed.

“These suits have in-built radios,” Doctor Whooves noted. “We could try to contact Rainbow - have her meet us here.”

“No,” Luna said, shaking her head. “It’s far too dangerous. Flying through rough weather is one thing, but taking off and landing in it is another. Not to mention, I don’t want to give that creature an opportunity to ‘jump ship’."

“We should at least let her know what happened,” Derpy mused.

Luna again disagreed. “If we indicate that we’re in trouble, it’s likely she will attempt a rescue, even if we say not to. She is the Element of Loyalty, after all. It’s in her very nature.”

“Good point,” Doctor Whooves nodded. “That is the most likely outcome, knowing Ms. Dash.”

“B-But what do we do, then?” Derpy asked. “No offense, captain, but you look exhausted. You too, Tempest.”

“I still have enough mana for quite a few Lance Spells,” Luna noted. “Though… doing what I did before with my Shield Spell could be… problematic. The weapons they were using hit hard.”

“I’m almost completely drained,” Tempest sighed. “I used too much for my last attack. I’m sorry. It was stupid of me to--”

“You saved our lives doing that,” Derpy comforted. “There is nothing to be sorry about.”

“And there wasn’t anything else you could have done,” Doctor Whooves said. “That any of us could have done. It was far from stupid.”

“Indeed,” Luna said, smiling at her. “You’ve done well, Tempest Shadow. More than enough to earn my trust. I am sorry for doubting you. Old habits die hard, I suppose.”

“Thanks, princess-- er, captain,” she said, smiling warmly. “That means a lot to me.” She then glanced away from her, a look of shame lacing her face. “Buuut… since we’re talking about trust, I have a bit of a confession to make…”

“Hm?” Luna said, raising her eyebrows.

“Remember when you said not to fool around with the alien weapons?” Tempest asked. “I might have… disobeyed your orders.”

With that, to the astonishment of the group and the slight annoyance of Luna, she opened the side of the supposed ‘counter-weight’ of the weapon she was saddled with, revealing a previously hidden control panel.

“Tempest,” Derpy grunted. “That wasn’t a good idea.”

“I know it was reckless,” Tempest said guiltily. “But I meant well, I swear. I just wanted to impress you, princess, and to have something ready for whatever we were going to meet out here.”

Luna took a deep breath. “What you did was wrong, but I’m afraid you weren’t the only one who hid the truth. I told you I didn’t want you ‘messing’ with them out of fear of causing damage to the ship. However, the reality was I just didn’t trust you at the time.”

“I suppose it was warranted,” Tempest said.

“Perhaps,” Luna said. “Though can I say I was any better in that instant? Given the circumstances, I can forgive you for this. But please, be more forthcoming in the future.”

“I swear to you I will,” Tempest nodded.

“Good,” Luna nodded, an idea slowly forming in her mind… and a smile slowly morphing on her face. “Now then… why don’t we find a few more of these weapons, and you can show us how to use them.”

Tempest’s eyes widened. “Seriously?”

“Captain… are you sure about this?” Derpy asked.

“We can’t leave and we now have a means to properly defend ourselves,” Luna said. “We might as well try to complete our mission. You heard the creature: she wants us dead. Not only that, she wants to take the Solarium, steal the dropship, and take over the Starshot. Whether she has the means to take on the remaining crew, I do not know, but we shouldn’t risk it.”

“I suppose it would be the logical course of action,” Doctor Whooves said. “But still…”

“No,” Luna said, narrowing her eyes. “We will not let our fear of her dictate our actions. The Steward thinks she holds all the cards here. That we are but fumbling fools blundering our way forward. Fumbling though we may be, let us not forget what we've managed to accomplish. Together, we have learned to use something far in advance of us. We've landed on an alien world and have successfully braved its perils. This may be our greatest challenge yet, but I believe we can overcome it. I say we take the Solarium for ourselves before she has a chance, and show her we aren’t the ‘inferior’ beings she thinks we are!”

Whether it was from her dramatic speech or just her logic, the group voiced their agreements.

“Alright, let’s do it!”

“Allonz-y!”

“Go Team Equis!”

With Luna’s away teams’ spirits rising despite the circumstance, they made their way back to the battle site. To their fortune, they managed to find a weapon before they even arrived. It was different than the saddle-mounted gun, and seemed to be more along the lines of the muskets the Griffons used, though with a large trigger a hoof could activate. They must have missed it the first time through.

“We have a few of these in our own armory,” Tempest noted. “I think they’re mainly meant for flying creatures like pegasi who have both of their frontal hooves available.”

She nodded to Derpy.

“Um…” Derpy coughed. “I’m not… sure about this. I’ve never even held a spear before.”

“It’s good you have a respect for these types of weapons,” Tempest said. “And a fear of them. When I served the Storm King, his troopers used firearms occasionally depending on the enemy we faced. Accidents were common, with our people shooting themselves half as many times as they hit the enemy. Things were so bad even we started doing safety drills."

"That's… not really giving me confidence," Derpy gulped.

"I wasn't finished," Tempest continued. "After we started safety training, accidents were reduced by over 87 percent. So my point with all of this is that while they are very dangerous devices that must be wielded with care, knowledge, and respect, as long as you do that, you’ll be fine.”

"...Well, okay," Derpy said, shifting uncomfortably. "So… how do I use this thing, then? Er, safely that is."

At that, Tempest gave them a brief run-down on how to use firearms, as well as safety advice. Never point the weapon at anyone else unless you intended to shoot them. Keep your claw (or hoof in this case) off the trigger. Be aware of your surroundings at all times. That sort of thing.

“... So, ready to give it a ‘shot’?” Tempest asked Derpy, who was now nervously fluttering in the air and aiming the weapon down the corridor.

“Was that a pun?” Luna said, raising an eyebrow.

She glanced away from her with an almost guilty expression. “... No.” She then cleared her throat. “Alright, Derpy, go ahead and take a practice shot. Just shoot straight down the hall. Don’t worry, you won’t hit anyone save for maybe the creature.”

“Just because she tried to kill us doesn’t mean I want to kill her,” she grumbled. “We should be better than that.”

“Sorry,” Tempest said, simpering ever so slightly. “It was more of a joke than anything. Just pretend there’s one of those skeletons in front of us.”

“Speaking of which,” Doctor Whooves spoke up. “Are we going to… talk about how the alien remains seem to have belonged to some type of pony? Their skeletal structures match our own nearly exactly. The chances of alien life having that are… astronomically low, to be blunt.”

“I’m more concerned about how they’ve… passed,” Tempest said coldly. “The creature indicated she had a hoof in it.”

“There is much we have to discuss about all of this,” Luna said. “Though perhaps we should save that for later.”

“Very well,” the doctor grumbled.

“Fair enough,” Tempest said, turning towards Derpy. “Ms. Hooves?”

“Alright,” she sighed. “Here goes nothing.”

She pulled the trigger, and instantly, a red beam of light shot forth from it and into the darkness, accompanied by the sound of an electrical discharge. It looked almost exactly like a unicorn’s Lance Spell, or ‘Beam Spell’ as it was nicknamed.

“H-Huh,” Derpy said, gulping slightly. “That wasn’t so bad, I guess.”

“Much less kickback than back home,” Tempest said, gazing at the weapon with an impressed look. “A far cry more advanced than the weapons on Equis. Though I suppose that’s a given.”

“I realize wielding such a thing is uncomfortable for you,” Luna said to Derpy in a consoling tone. “And I promise you, this shall be the only time you will need to.”

“Thanks, captain,” Derpy said, smiling lightly.

They carried forward, making it back to the battle site. Among the many bones scattered about it, they managed to find another one of the ‘Beam Rifles’, as Tempest was now calling them, for Luna. This was along with an intact saddle-based ‘Shard Cannons’ one of the skeletal ponies was wearing.

“I am going to take so many showers after this,” Doctor Whooves shivered as Luna levitated the saddle-portion of it on his back. “All the showers.”

Given what was formerly wearing it, Luna couldn’t exactly blame him.

As it turned out, the Shard Cannon was even more complex than what Luna had seen so far. The ‘counter-weight’ not only housed some sort of battery, computer and power switch, but also another small compartment in the rear which contained an eye-piece and a small, two-button controller. It also turned out that the cannon itself could be turned slightly on both axises via a mechanical arm attached to the saddle. However, this wasn’t done manually. This was, in fact, controlled by the former.

“Took me a while to figure these things out,” Tempest said, putting on her head-set mounted eye-piece and attaching the controller to her chest. “These things work as some sort of…”

“Automatic targeting system,” Doctor Whooves finished, his tone laced with disgust as he finished putting on his own. “At least, that’s what I assume.”

“Yeah,” Tempest said. “I guess that’s the best way to describe it. When we power it up, a crosshair will appear on the eye-piece. It’ll follow your, well, eye movements, which means all you need to do to select a target is face it, look at it, and press the button on your right on the controller. That’ll keep it locked on whatever it is you want to shoot. Don’t ask me how it keeps the lock-on - it just does.”

“I assume the left button is for firing, then?” Doctor Whooves asked sorrowfully.

“Yup, and it’ll keep firing until you hit it again or switch targets,” Tempest nodded, before noting his tone. “Hey, you okay?”

Doctor Whooves glanced away from her. “All this advanced technology. All this thought and effort… simply to allow an earth pony like myself to wield a tool of destruction.”

“No offense, Doc, but we’ve known they’ve been armed since the beginning,” Tempest said.

“True,” the doctor nodded. “However, I initially assumed their weapons were only for some form of self-defense. However, now that we’ve met one of them, I doubt that’s their primary function. This ‘Oblivion Empire’ seems to be some form of aggressive, quasi-theocratic state. And if that creature’s words are correct, we already know what happens to disbelievers.”

“Doctor…” Luna sighed.

“Sorry, sorry,” he sighed. “It’s just I’ve spent my every waking hour, and some unwaking, speculating on what the Starshot’s builders may be like, and for them to turn out like this?”

“I know how you feel, Doc,” Derpy said, patting him on the back. “But hey, just cus these aliens aren’t the way we’d like them to be doesn’t mean everything out here is bad. And we already know there is more than just them. Don’t forget your moss.”

The doctor smiled slightly at her. “That is true. The galaxy is a large place.”

“Exactly,” Luna said. “Not to mention, we still don’t know the whole truth about what’s going on here. Perhaps we will find answers as we descend below. However, for that, we must be on guard.”

“Captain’s right,” Tempest nodded. “Keep your mind clear, Doc. Those… those bone walkers may not be much on their own, but remember, some of them are armed with the same weapons we are. We can’t afford any slip-ups.”

“True, true,” Doctor Whooves said, narrowing his eyes. “Very well. I’ll ‘take point’, as they say. So far, this ship’s layout mirrors the Starshot, so the hyperdrive should be two decks below. The Solarium canisters she mentioned should be in a storeroom nearby.” He managed a chuckle. “I suppose Spike and Pharynx were correct. There was Solarium waiting for us here. I just wish it wasn’t a package deal…”

“You and me both,” Luna nodded.

They began following him, their path taking them down two ladder shafts - one to the lowest deck.

This one, unlike the one they entered on, was a lot messier. There were wires hanging from the ceiling (thankfully not sparking), panels missing from the bulkheads, and junk lying about everywhere. Fortunately, there were no more skeletons in sight, animated or otherwise.

“Lower decks must have taken the brunt of the impact,” Tempest noted. “Working like a shock absorber for the upper ones.”

“I wonder what brought it down in the first place?” Derpy asked.

“Space flight isn’t without its risks,” Doctor Whooves said. “The training made that abundantly clear. Navigational errors, a failure in the shield systems allowing meteoroid impacts, uncharted anomalies, any number of things could have done the trick. Not that I think it’s common, mind you. If it was, I doubt anypony would bother with spaceships at all.”

“I have trouble believing this was the result of an accident,” Luna said. “It’s always irked me just how coincidental that the first system we arrived at - an apparently uncharted one - happened to have a crashed ship in it.”

“Fair point,” the doctor admitted. “Add that with the matter of the creature seemingly… expecting us.”

“She seemed completely off her rocker to me,” Tempest shrugged. “Hard to trust much of what she had to say… save for her having a hoof in what happened to the crew. She may be crazy, but we know she’s dangerous.”

"Just how dangerous, we shall see," Luna nodded. "Doctor, lead us forth."

He nodded, and the group carried on towards what the doctor called its 'Engineering Section.' If the bridge was considered the brain of a starship, this would be its heart. Everything from the power core to the hyperdrive to the wormhole generator was supposed to be down here.

Unlike most of the other decks, this one was a bit more of a maze. Hallways twisted into unexpected angles at times, and the whole thing was very disorientating. Still, at least Doctor Whooves seemed to know his way around, as not once did he need to stop to re-orient himself.

The only stop that did come was when they came upon a particular open door. One that led to a room even messier than the halls. It looked like some form of struggle had taken place in it given there were scorch marks dotting the walls, most likely caused by weapons fire, on top of scattered engineering instruments on the ground.

"Mmm, I believe this was the Chief Engineer's quarters," Doctor Whooves said.

"Hey, look at that," Derpy said.

She pointed to the most surprising thing of all within it: what seemed to be a notebook of sorts. Not digital, but paper. It lay on one of the rock slabs the aliens called beds.

"Curiouser and curiouser," Luna said, trotting into the room and levitating it over to her. "Perhaps a journal of some sort."

"Guess their engineer was kind of old-fashioned," Tempest noted. "You'd think they'd be using those… what did you call them, Doc? Digital logbooks?"

"The software was available on the Starshot," he explained. "Nopony seemed to be using it, but I just assumed any logs were deleted along with most of the other information."

As they spoke, Luna opened the notebook and began flipping through it. Naturally, there wasn't much on the first few pages save for various technical illustrations complimented by labels written in the aliens' language.

However, a few pages further was something much more interesting. Not only was it written in more of a journal form, but it was in a completely different language.

A language Luna actually recognized.

"Find something interesting, captain?" Doctor Whooves asked.

"Yes," Luna said, astonished. "It's… there's text written in an old Equestrian dialect!"

"What?!" Doctor Whooves gasped.

"No way," Derpy said, shaking her head.

Tempest narrowed her eyes. "I don't like what this implies at all. Do you know what specific dialect it is?"

"It was a general one," Luna explained. "It fell out of style for a more simplistic version in time, a few hundred years after I was born. There was a group that still used it long after it 'died', but… no. There's no way they could be involved."

“This rabbit hole just keeps getting deeper,” Doctor Whooves said. “So… what does it say? I assume you can read it?”

Luna nodded, beginning to do so:

“21st Day of the Harvest Moon, 576.1.6T Unto Oblivion.

It's risky for me to write down these kind of thoughts, but I need to organize them somehow. Hopefully, on the unlikely case the Steward reads them, she'll just confuse our native dialect for engineering gibberish. She never did bother to learn it as far as I know.

I suppose I should thank her, pulling the Singularity's Ascent off the front lines. I know I shouldn't feel anything towards Crescent Moon, ever since she ran off to join the heretics. But still… every time we jump into battle with the NLR, I can't help but thinking she might be onboard one of their ships. The ships we've been ripping through by the dozen. And when I do…

Can't the Deep Ones have a little mercy? How can a father just stop loving his daughter, no matter how much shame she's brought to her family? It… I shouldn’t say more.

So yes, I'm glad we're getting away from all that for the moment for the Steward's 'special mission.' However, the nature of it… has me a bit concerned. I get that we're too far away to refuel our Aetherium supplies, but the way she has us taxing the hyperdrive is bad news.

I consider myself a decent engineer, but I'm not a miracle worker, despite what I'd like the crew to believe. If we keep going like this, we're gonna burn it out.

...

5th Day of the Shadowed Moon, 576.1.6T Unto Oblivion.

Annnnd we burned out the drive. Cursed thing started leaking volatile Solarium. Once that happens, there's no going back. Lost a few good crew, too, when it happened. At least they died quick. Gonna miss them, especially Void Seeker. She was a good kid - reminded me of me of my daughter.

Now, we're stuck. In an uncharted system, no less. Only good news is it happens to have been our destination.

It isn't my place to say it this, but the Steward better have a good reason for dragging us here. Umbral in general are pretty coy, but she's acting especially weird about this whole deal. All we've been told is that we're rendezvousing with somepony, and that we 'need to stay silent.' AKA, we're on a communications blackout.

All I can say is that I hope whoever we're supposed to meet gets here soon. I really don't like being legless near an untamed star.

...

30th Day of the Shadowed Moon, 576.1.6T Unto Oblivion.

It's been nearly an entire Moon Cycle now. Nopony's showed up. It's just us, the star, and a few barren rocks. The Steward's been acting more and more frustrated, lashing out at ponies for simple blunders. May not seem unusual for most Umbral, but she's actually normally pretty friendly. Even consoled me about my daughter one time, saying the Deep Ones 'would be proud of my continued loyalty'.

This makes me think something is not going according to plan.

Nopony's gotten the courage to ask her to activate the LR distress beacon yet, but somepony will have to eventually. Technically, this should be the FO's job, but I doubt he will. Too much of a hooflicker. Guess it's up to me.

***

31st Day of the Shadowed Moon, 576.1.6T Unto Oblivion.

I'm confined to quarters for a day, save for essential duties. Friggin' FO.

***

5th Day of the Bright Moon 575.1.6T Unto Oblivion.

Another Moon Cycle passed. We're even into a new year. Everypony's on edge now, and it ain't just us. The star has been flaring up occasionally. It really doesn't want us here. We would be perfectly happy leaving it be, but the Steward still won't activate the distress beacon. Even after the FO - friggin' hypocrite - finally got the nerve to ask.

Thing is, we just don't have enough food to stay here like this. Even if we start rationing, the greenhouse can't keep up with demand.

I don't understand why she won't let us call for help. We're far away from enemy territory, and the chances of them even being able to understand it are pretty remote. It ain't a general distress beacon, after all. It's highly encrypted, and their decryption tech isn't anywhere near where it needs to be to crack it.

All of this makes me wonder: is it the enemy she doesn't want finding out we’re here… or our own people?

I'm not the only one asking these questions, either. It's so bad that a large number of us are thinking of doing the unthinkable: confronting her about it.

***

5th Day of the Bright Moon 575.1.6T Unto Oblivion.

I've been ordered to permanently disable the distress beacon and all other long range communication systems. I suppose I can't blame her too much for getting angry - questioning an Umbral, let alone a Steward, is borderline heretical. At least in the way we did it.

However, what she's ordering me to do… it's a death sentence for half the crew. Unless whoever is supposed to arrive does it within two Moon Cycles, which seems unlikely, our food demands will overstep the supply output. We just won't be able to feed everyone.

I know we're all expendable in the Deep Ones' eyes, but there's usually a reason for that sort of sacrifice. What we're doing doesn't seem to be for their sake, but just for some weird personal quest of the Steward's.

And if that's the case, it will make her the heretic.

The FO is calling for a… discreet meeting. I never thought he'd have it in him, but… I think I know what this is about. May the Deep Ones have mercy on us.

***

Gotta write fast. Mutiny didn't go well. Steward was stronger than we thought. Everypony she took down she left a piece of herself in. Took control of them like a puppet, turned them against us. Didn't even know Umbral could do that.

Worst yet. Bridge was shot up. Control malfunction is sending us on a collision course with a nearby planet. Habitable, impact will be light, but the Steward…

Shard shots nearby. Shouts. Unlikely anyone will find this. If they do, know that we had no choice in our actions. Our honor is secured.

And if the one reading this is you, Crescent, I want you to know I forgive you, and love you.

Be well.”

As Luna finished reading, she couldn't help but tremble. Her eyes grew misty, though she managed to hold her tears at bay.

“A-At least we know the type of monster we’re dealing with now,” Tempest said, even her tone wavering slightly. “Captain? Are you going to be okay?”

Luna didn't respond. She didn't know anything about the writer of this journal, but nonetheless, their words were a knife into her heart, and eventually, a billow for her temper. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore, and as if she were a vent releasing pressure, her words can forth like an angry hiss of steam.

"Where is that Steward?!"

Requiem for an Engineer

"C-Captain, I know the events that transpired here were, well, terrible, but are you sure a direct confrontation is wise?" Doctor Whooves gulped, striding alongside an airborne Luna. He had already told her where to go, and they were quickly drawing near it.

Luna narrowed her eyes, which were currently leaking a small bit of black energy. Something that usually only happened when she was greatly losing her temper. "Wise? Perhaps not. Just? Yes."

"If the Steward is smart, she'll be waiting for us where we need to go anyway," Tempest proclaimed. “No matter what we do, we’re in for a fight.”

"Exactly," Luna said firmly. “Doctor, how long before we--”

"Wait, stop!" Doctor Whooves said, screeching the group to a halt. He pointed to an adjacent door. "The hyperdrive is dead ahead, though the Solarium should be stored here."

"Then the moment has come,” Luna said, her voice still filled with tranquil, righteous fury. "Alright, ponies! Weapons ready. If the Steward is within…"

"Captain…" Derpy said, concern in her voice. “I have… issues about this.”

Luna glanced at her, annoyed. “Of what sort?”

“It's just… Well... You’re…”

“Spit it out.”

Derpy’s eyes began to water slightly. “You’re scaring me here, okay?!”

A beat.

“The only one who should be scared is the Steward,” Tempest said. “You have nothing to worry about, my friend.”

“And that’s why I’m scared,” Derpy said. “Is this the right thing to do? Just go in there and shoot her?”

“She would do the same in our position,” Luna growled. “Her entire crew found that out the hard way.”

“But we aren’t her!” Derpy cried. “Just because space is turning out to be a brutal place doesn’t mean we have to make it worse. We should be doing the opposite! Let’s at least try to capture her, stun her, anything else, if we can.”

“It’s what Quick Card would do,” Doctor Whooves said softly, giving Luna a hopeful smile. “And it’s what I think you’ll ultimately do.”

Luna closed her eyes, breathing deeply in an attempt to calm herself down. The two of them were right, after all. And she had learned the hard way that her temper and best judgement didn't always mix.

“Ponies…” Luna said softly, the black energy leaking from her eyes subsiding. "... Do not harm her unless there is no other option."

Doctor Whooves and Derpy smiled at that, giving her a respectful nod. Tempest's stance was a bit harder to judge, though ultimately, she didn’t seem to mind.

"Alright, but if she’s in there, she’s likely to have a few of her bone walkers with her," the latter said. "Targeting them is our priority. And remember what we talked about: spread out once we’re inside. We don't want anypony getting caught in a crossfire. On your mark, captain."

Luna nodded. “Very well. Three…”

Doctor Whooves powered on his Shard Cannon.

“Two…”

Derpy flicked off her weapon’s safety, gulping nervously.

“One…”

Luna concentrated, flooding her horn with mana...

“HARK!”

And yanked the door open with her magic and flying into the room.

"Close enough," Tempest shrugged, moving in after her, Derpy and Doc Whooves in tow.

It did indeed appear to be a store room. One with brilliantly glowing barrels at the far end. There were three intact, with another having leaked most of its supply via a hole in its side. However, the remainders’ light still easily illuminated the entire room.

And in the center of it was both the Steward and four of her skeletal cronies, all armed with Shard Cannons.

Fortunately, Luna's team was much faster than them. Whether it was because of the latter's physical limitations or a lag in the Steward's control over them she didn't know. What she did know was all it took was a blast from her Beam Rifle to literally turn one’s frontal half to ash, the rest collapsing.

A split second later, Tempest opened fire, her Shard Cannon turning on its own towards one of the skeletons. A tap of the button on her chest piece was all it took to send dagger-like crystals into it, blasting it into pieces.

However, she wasn't done yet. As quickly as she had taken down the first, she flicked her eyes, and hit a button on her chest piece. The cannon quickly swivelled to the creature next to the first.

She tapped the ‘fire’ button, her cannon fired with a tremendousCRACK!, and the skeleton became no more than a series of scattered bones.

This left the fourth and final skeleton to Derpy and Doctor Whooves.

The former fired her Beam Rifle wildly at it, missing the creature and nearly hitting one of the Solarium canisters. “EEP!”

Doctor Whooves had better luck, however, with his cannon's automatic targeting systems doing the aiming for him. With another series of CRACKS! from his cannon, the zombie's bones decoupled and exploded from the point of impact, flying in every direction.

"Hah!" Derpy grinned. "Team Starshot: Two. Spooky Scary Skeletons: Zero!"

As quickly as it started, the fight was over. Whether because she was overwhelmed or had another plan in mind, the Steward hadn’t made a move.

"So, even now, you would be nothing without our technology," the Steward said coldly, her shadowy form billowing. "That which you could never hope to create yourself. When the disgusting legacy of the before-time fails you and the mask falls off, you are no more than parasites living off our rot."

"You speak to us about morality?!" Luna snapped. "After what you did?!"

"I see you've done some snooping," she growled. "Tell me, did whatever you found mention how they attacked me?" She began to pace furiously. "They, who the Deep Ones uplifted after your wretched people confined them to the fringes! They, who I loved like my own children!"

"What are you on about?" Doctor Whooves grunted, apparently having found his courage. The Steward was quite less menacing in this wide, well-lit room, after all. At least somewhat. Her very sight was still unnerving, to say the least. "We've never met them before!"

"You mean you haven't figured it out yet?" she laughed bitterly, glancing towards Luna. "I'm actually surprised. They once served you, after all."

Luna's eyes widened in shock. "So… they were originally from Equestria?"

"Our Empire is home to many species from The Garden," she explained. "Snatched from it while your eyes were averted, or traded to us when tyrants ruled." She raised a hoof. "Yet only one was worthy of being our vanguard. Only one deserved it. Or so I thought."

"This… explains quite a bit," Doctor Whooves whispered.

The Steward glanced away from them, and there was actually a tone of sorrow in her voice as she continued: "Do you have any idea how many times I was a shoulder for them to lean on? How many of their lives I saved while decks shook and fires roared? Or how many times I personally praised them in the presence of the Deep Ones? Commending their bravery, their loyalty, their ferver?"

The fire in her voice returned once more. "Yet when the time came when I needed them…. When the time came to reunite with my love... They weren't willing to sacrifice for me, despite how much I sacrificed for them."

Luna was unmoved. "You speak like a parent who thinks their child 'owes them' for their love. I have never been one to agree with the sentiment. However, even if I did, what you asked of them was too much."

"What I asked was much less than others have," the creature said flatly. "Though no task is too great when in service of Deep Ones."

"Even if that were true," Doctor Whooves said pensively. "Would that task have been for them, or for you?"

She shifted her gaze. "It would have ultimately, so there is no difference. Stay your tongue among matters you know nothing of, Child of Gallopfree."

“I truly think have me confused for somepony else,” Doctor Whooves said, skepticism lacing his tone. “Also, I’m pretty sure ‘Gallopfree’ is an indie rock band.”

“Yeah, are you just making stuff up?” Derpy asked.

Tempest furrowed her brow. “No, I don't think so. She believes what she’s saying: don’t you, Steward?”

“There is no reason to lie when the truth is so sublime,” she replied. “Though leave it to heretics to only believe what’s before their eyes.”

“I don’t care about your beliefs,” Tempest said. “I care about where they lead you. Take it from somepony who knows: these rationalizations you're doing… they won't hold up to even your own scrutiny in time. The longer you don't look reality in the eye, the harder it'll hit when you finally do."

"I don't need a lecture from a lower being among lower beings," she hissed, gazing at Tempest's shattered horn. "One who can't even utilize the arcane filth of the before-time."

Tempest gave her a death glare. Fortunately, however, Luna didn't need to stop her from attacking. The former held herself back.

"I, too, am done with talk," Luna said coldly. "Here is 'what's going down'. You will surrender to us and we will take you to the Starshot as our prisoner. You will stay with us until we return to Equis. Once there, you will stand trial for your crimes."

"You can't be serious!" she laughed, her grin finally returning. "Surrender to you? Bow to your pathetic, heretical excuses for laws?!"

"That… would be a bit unorthodox," Doctor Whooves said. "The equivalent of taking somepony from another nation to trial for a crime committed there, to be honest."

Derpy shook her head, disappointment lacing her eyes once more. "Doc, do you really think her own people would care about what she did? Now that we know what they're like?"

"Probably not," the Doctor sighed.

"Indeed," Luna said. "And always remember: laws may be different in other worlds, or in different points of time, but justice will always be justice."

"How poignant," the Steward giggled. "But what makes you think I'd even consider this?"

"Because there's only so many ways this can end," Luna said. "Either with you defeating us, us defeating you and leaving you here to rot, or what we just said. You won't be doing the former, so if I were you, I'd take the latter"

"Arrogance," she growled. "Pure, unfiltered, arrogance. What makes you think I couldn't kill you all in the blink of an eye? I killed far more before, and they actuallyknew how to use those weapons you're holding."

She glanced at Derpy, who blushed slightly. “I forgot to breath in. My bad?”

"Because if you could take us, you would have already," Tempest continued for Luna, a hint of a smirk on her. "The logs were detailed. Your crew were caught off guard. They didn't know about your creepy necromancer trick. We do. And you know that we know. All you’re doing now is stalling for time - trying to think of a way out of this. Haven't thought of anything yet, have you?"

Luna couldn't help but raise her eyebrows, impressed.

The Steward appeared to be somewhat as well, as for once, she was left speechless for a moment. “I… you don’t know that! I could just be trying to find out what you know!”

“Well, we’ve given you all you’re gonna get,” Tempest said. “So by all means… we’re waiting.”

Time ticked by at a snail’s pace as the group stared each other down. Tempest’s argument was a good one, and Luna found it to be the most likely case. However, there was still a chance the Steward had a card to play. After a minute dragged by, however, that seemed less likely. The Steward continued to stand, motionless, save for her eyes, which continued to flick about the room; as if she was still trying to think of something.

‘Best not to let her do so.’

“I take it you accept our terms,” Luna said, before glancing at Tempest and jostling her Beam Rifle slightly. “Does this weapon have a stun setting? Such as the phasers from Space Trek? I assume even creatures as brutal as these would have use for prisoners.”

“Affirmative,” Tempest nodded. “Button on the left near the barrel toggles it.”

That was all Luna needed. With a satisfying ‘click’, she set the weapon to stun and took aim.

“Wait!” the creature called.

“Hm?”

She held a look of great confusion. “What is this… Space Trek?”

“The way things should be out here,” Doctor Whooves said. “And not the way they are.”

“Quite so,” Luna said.

And with a muzzle flash, another beam fired forth from her rifle, this time in a blue color. It seemed the Steward had truly given up, as she didn’t attempt to dodge it or offer any sort of resistance. Instead, she took the brunt of the blast, her shadowy form collapsing to the ground.

Something unexpected happened then, however: the shadow receded slightly, revealing what was underneath it…

Both Luna and Doctor Whooves gasped in shock. The former had seen this type of pony before, but not for eons. And apparently, the good doctor was in the same boat. The funny thing was that Luna had thought of them earlier, but had quickly discounted it as impossible.

Yet as she gazed upon its form, she vowed to stop making that mistake from henceforth. For laying before her, with its bat-like wings hanging to the side and with fuzzy bits at the tip of its ears on display, was none other than...

“A thestral?!”

Goodbye, Moon Mare

Chapter Music (Second Half)

“Um, princess?” Derpy said, walking over to the Steward’s limp body. “What’s a thestral?”

“Thestral, eh?” Doctor Whooves said, tepidly poking the Steward. Fortunately, she did seem to be out cold. “A rare name for them. We actually knew them as 'bat ponies'.”

“A name they would have taken quite an offense to, doctor,” Luna explained. “They viewed it as racist.”

“Fair enough,” Doctor Whooves nodded. “Though keep in mind, the last tribe seemingly went extinct five hundred years ago. Right around the time when… well, I could recall my first memories. Still, they were treated as very real creatures at that point."

"And after that?" Tempest asked.

"Well, as time went on, memory of them faded to legend, and legend faded to myth. Until the age of the printing press, this happened with a lot of things." He raised an eyebrow at Luna. "Though if you don't mind me saying, it is odd your sister never bothered to mention them."

"Don't judge her too harshly," Luna sighed, happy with herself for sticking up for her; something she wouldn't have considered doing a decade ago. "It was likely more out of shame than out of malice. Or an attempt to deceive. She is… very self-conscious about her perceived failures."

"I understand," Doctor Whooves said. "But I must admit, their total omission from the history books was… well, it caused quite a bit of confusion in me. I was starting to question whether my own memories of their supposed reality were even real.”

Luna shook her head. “Oh no. I can personally assure you they were very real. Your memory is still intact.”

“Then what happened to them?” Tempest asked.

“Abducted by aliens, apparently,” Derpy said.

“Their history is… complicated,” Luna said, still in slight shock over the revelation. “It would take time to explain. More time than I’d like to spend among ghosts." She shivered slightly at that. "I promise you, though, when we get back, I shall tell you their tale. Or at least what I know of it. How one of them ended up like this… serving these ‘Deep Ones’, infused with a creature of shadow, I do not know.”

“Aye, captain,” Tempest nodded.

She then glanced to the Solarium canisters, then back to Doctor Whooves. “How many do you believe we’d need to get home?”

Doctor Whooves sighed. “I’m afraid there’s nowhere near enough here for that, at least according to my calculations.”

“Well, there goes that,” Tempest grumbled.

“Hang on, there,” Doctor Whooves said. “There’s still enough to cross hundreds of light years. To visit dozens of other systems!”

“Where we could find more,” Luna said, smiling slightly. “After everything that’s happened today, I’ll take a small victory. Come, I will levitate the canisters. Somepony else will need to take the Steward.”

“Wait, captain, are you sure it’s wise to bring her with us?” Tempest said. “She never did officially give us her surrender, after all. We’re under no obligation. We could just… leave her here.”

The Doctor gazed at her pensively. “That’s a bit cold for my tastes. What she did was inexcusable, but who are we to decide what her punishment should be?”

“And the courts back in Equestria are?” Tempest asked.

"They have more authority than we do," Doctor Whooves said.

“I have both moral and practical reasons for it,” Luna said. “Remember, she is the only being we’ve encountered out here - aside from the computer, of course - that seems to know things about the wider galaxy.”

“But we’re going to be taking her aboard a ship that she knows even better than us!” Tempest argued. “Who knows what she’s capable of?”

“If we lock her in one of the prison cells we’ve found, I don’t believe she’ll be able to do anything,” Doctor Whooves countered. “It appears to be completely isolated from all input systems. I cannot say for certain, but she shouldn’t even be able to talk to the computer. And we do have enough ponies to guard her around the clock…”

“I think we should take her,” Derpy said. “Wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I didn’t say anything.”

“We will be taking every precaution we can,” Luna said, reassuring Tempest. “And you can be part of that process, if you wish.”

“I… can?” Tempest said, a smile forming on her face.

“Indeed,” Luna said. “Now, about carrying her…”

“I’m on it!” Derpy said, somewhat eagerly setting down her Beam Rifle and picking up the shadow/bat pony hybrid. Upon holding her, she made a ‘brrrr’ sound. “Wow, she’s awfully cold…”

“That’s… that’s odd,” Doctor Whooves said.

“Really?” Tempest said, cocking an eyebrow.

“I mean in terms of physiology,” Doctor Whooves said. “Bat pon-- er, thestrals should be as warm-blooded as the rest of us. Or so I'd assume."

“Yet another question we have to answer,” Luna sighed, levitating the three seemingly full canisters of Solarium left. “Come, we have tarried long enough. Hopefully the storm has passed by now...”

**

As it turned out, the storm had indeed passed, and very recently, too. The flowing air was warm and humid. Temporary waterfalls were even rolling off the cliff walls, feeding the moss that grew upon them. Derpy carried the Steward in her arms like before, and Luna levitated the Solarium canisters. Fortunately, Levitation Spells weren’t very mana taxing.

Yet Luna’s escapades on this world weren’t completely through. For as the group trudged back to the dropship, much more solemn than during their journey from it, the Dwarf Star spoke to Luna once more.

“Star Speaker…”

She slowed her pace slightly. Its sudden interjections weren’t shocking anymore, she still wasn’t expecting it. She didn’t consider how defeating the Steward might allow… this to happen again.

“That which blocked my voice has vanished.”

‘Yes. That was our doing,’ Luna thought, hoping that the Dwarf wasn’t limited to one-way telepathy.

She still hadn’t explained her new… ability to her crew yet, and she didn’t want to speak aloud. Too easy for them to think she was talking to herself.

Though if she was honest, she still wasn’t one hundred percent sure that that wasn't the case.

‘Here’s hoping that it was the same creature blocking my access to the dream realm.’

“It was. I sense you tread upon my closest child. Take heed, however, as I also sense the Steward is closeby… You’re sure it was properly dealt with?”

‘Do not worry yourself about that. She is currently unconscious… and in our custody.’

“Custody?”

‘She surrendered to us. We’re bringing her back aboard the Starshot. Our vessel.’

“What?!”

Luna paused, the group pausing with her, glancing at her curiously.

“Captain?” Tempest asked.

“Hang on,” Luna said, setting down the Solarium. “I… um… need a second to catch my breath.”

“I was getting a little winded myself,” Derpy said, setting down the Steward for a moment.

“Same,” Doctor Whooves said, smiling thankfully. “No worries, princess.”

Luna smiled. Good. A chance to finish her… conversation.

‘You sound… concerned?’

“For your safety.”

‘I thank you for your consideration, but we have no other option. Not that you should worry yourself: we believe we can contain her.’

“That is unlikely.”

‘How so?’

“The tales of Stewards and Umbral in general… they’re painted as deceivers. Those who shape reality with their words; all for the benefit of their undead masters. With the innocence of The Garden flowing, you are not prepared to deal with one like this.”

‘I am... not as ‘innocent’ as you think.’

“Yet you are still taking a grave risk.”

‘What else can we do?’

…

“Kill her. Kill the Steward.”

Luna’s eyes widened. The star was suggesting something far more brutal than Tempest. Not just leaving her here, but flat-out eliminating her. It certainly wasn’t what she expected from a being she thought was mostly benign.

‘I…”

“If you cannot bring yourself to, allow me. Drop her off at the edge of my child’s band of storms. On the side facing me. My light shall make swift work of her.”

‘You would really go so far for our sake?!’

“You are a Star Speaker. A rarity among rarities. Allowing you to come to harm would be beyond negligent. Please, do as I ask. I promise her death will be quick. By a pulsar’s tick, she shall become one with the desert. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.”

‘I can’t believe what I’m hearing. From the way you were talking early, it sounded like stars loved life.’

“‘Love’ is too limited of a word to describe our feelings towards life. Our existence would be meaningless without you. It’s why we took such great efforts to make sure you were always preserved. To intentionally kill is abhorrent. Even when it comes to a creature that is… not life as you would know it. Yet to protect a Star Speaker, I am willing to live with the guilt.”

‘And how long would that be?’

“... Longer than most.”

Luna gazed towards the distant horizon, where faint light of the dwarf could be seen shining through thinner clouds layers.Finally, she narrowed her eyes in resolve.

‘No.’

“But…”

‘No! I will not kill her, and more importantly, I will not let you kill her, either. That guilt you are so eagerly to take on? I too once faced it. And I faced it alone. Not for killing, mind you, but for things just as bad. You told me when we first spoke that nopony will be able to see you for untold years. And the way you said it… stars cannot stand such a thing, can they?’

“... Yes.”

‘So if I allowed you to kill her, it would be two burdens you would have to carry.’

“But… but it would give my existence meaning! It would be horrid, but I would have at least done something besides simply sit here in the dark for trillions of turns! My energy wasted… expanding into the vast of night for the use of no one!”

Luna raised her eyebrows, glancing at the moss growing upon the cliffs. ‘Are you so sure of this?’

“My children are dead… no life grows upon them. Life around most stars is unlikely, but around one such as I? Impossible. My destiny is to sit on the edge of this gathering… until my kin burn no more.”

‘Dwarf… how long has it been before you took a close long at your ‘children?’’

"I am looking now."

'Look closer.'

“I… I…”

A beat.

“Wait… what is this? There is-- I sense-- Something else… something like you...”

Luna smiled warmly. ‘That… that would be your child’s life.’

“But… how is this possible? Nothing should be able to grow there! The environment is too hostile, too unstable… this is… this cannot be!”

“Yet it is. Because as a wise doctor told me very recently: whether it’s in the deepest, darkest, caves or upon the highest mountain peaks, life tends to find a way.”

“Then… my light, my energy, it isn’t wasted! One of my children has… Yes, it is faint, and it knows not what it is, not yet, but… someday?”

“From what I know of stars of your type, there’s plenty of time for it, too.”

As the conversation went on, the air actually began to grow warmer. Not uncomfortably so, but ever so slightly. In the distance, the star’s rays were peering through the clouds. The twilight zone of the planet, the terminator, was getting more light than they had seen since their arrival.

“Huh,” Doctor Whooves blinked, sitting up to gaze at the distant horizon. “That’s… quite the sight.”

Derpy smiled. “Worth it. All of it. Just for this.”

“Heh,” Tempest grinned, bopping her gun’s counter-weight slightly. “Having a few more of these is nice, too.” She then took a deep breath, taking in the pure, alien air and glancing at the starlight herself. “But… yeah, definitely worth it.”

“I… would have never known to look if not for you, Star Speaker. I wouldn’t have even bothered. I gave into the thinking of my kin too easily.

You see, many believe that the space beyond The Garden is no place for you. There are so many ways the cosmos can destroy life, or never allow it to develop at all. Asteroids, comets, rogue children, and the radiation of our undead kin. Even we ourselves are a potential danger, as our physical forms are not always fully under our control. But… perhaps we were wrong. If life can survive upon this child of mine, perhaps you can survive the vast of night. Perhaps… perhaps even thrive."

‘So… no more talk of killing the Steward, yes?’

“No. I will not bother you any longer. It was arrogant for one such as I to assume I knew what’s best for you. Not when I didn’t even know of the miracle right before me. I only ask that during your travels you will afford my kin a similar gift.’

Luna's smile was as warm as the star's newfound radiance. The Red Dwarf was a decent creature after all. ‘You’ll at least say goodbye, though, won’t you? We’re going to be leaving soon, you know.’

“Yes, yes, that would be nice. But first… I’ve been calling you ‘Star Speaker’ since we’ve met. What is your real name?”

‘Luna.’

“Luna… so beautiful. I hope one day, those of my child will give me one such as it."

‘So, you really don't already have one?'

"That isn't an honor I can bestow. The universe uses us to keep it lit, but it experiences itself through you. Go forth and be its eyes.”

It paused for a brief moment, before finally finishing with: “Goodbye, Luna. Mare of The Garden's Moon."

'Goodbye, star.'

As the voice of the shining orb dimmed in her mind and its light beams continued to shine through the heavens, Luna turned towards her companions, smiling brightly.

“Heh, looks it’s gotten you in a good mood, too, captain,” Tempest smiled, before glancing with disgust the Steward’s way. “Despite everything.”

“You know what?” Luna said. “I refuse to let that Steward make us feel that way. I truly believe there’s more than just her type out here. There are wonders awaiting us. Wonders that we would never imagine... and wonders that she never could.”

She gestured towards the dropship in the distance. “Come, let’s get going. The stars await."

On The Next Episode of SPACE TREK: The Next Generation

Author's Note

Just posting this because since I didn't really make it clear the next part was a separate fic. Enjoy the 'preview' for it below :). If you don't feel like reading it, no biggy. Here's a link to the next part.

On The Next Episode of SPACE TREK: The Next Generation

On the next episode of SPACE TREK: The Next Generation. The author bites off more than he can chew...

“Oh god!” Spike cried, being chased down a ship corridor by multiple, unfamiliar faces. “There’s way too many new characters! This is going to negatively affect narrative structure! The horror!”

By adding in more characters to a story with already too many…

“Yeah, what the heck!” Gallus shouted into the heavens, stranded with half of the Student Six on an alien planet. “Hello! You still haven’t used us yet and now you’re adding in a bunch of freakin--”

Including a bunch of bat ponies! Because the fandom can’t get enough of em’...

“Probably cus they think we’re cute!” Crescent Moon grumbled cutely, sitting in her captain’s chair. “How bloody embarrassing’. We aren’t cute, ya howlin dobby hack fraud! We are the night!”

She let out a ‘terrifying’ screech. One which almost certainly wasn’t cute.

“You’re bloomin’ right it wasn’t.”

And also a Grand Admiral Thrawn expy, because the only thing more degrading than having him beat by space whales is being in a fanfiction.

“This isn’t artistically done,” Warp Song said, worriedly reading over Part II via his captain’s console. “This isn’t artistically done at all.”

Has this given you no idea as to what the next part is about? Well, find out what's actually in it by clicking this link here!

Into the Wild Twinkling Yonder

“Alright, alright, recap,” Spike coughed, gazing at Luna, stunned.

Her and her ‘officers’ were sitting at the large, stone table that made up the ship’s ‘Ready Room’ next to the bridge, Luna’s team having just gotten back from the surface.

Spike took a deep breath. “So, you got down to the planet, got aboard the crashed ship, determined the aliens who built it were the same as who built the Starshot. Oh, and also that they were kind of evil, since you ran into one who could raise the friggin’ dead and tried to kill you. So you ran from it, found out you couldn’t get back to the shuttle, went full Captain Blasto and decked yourself up with alien guns--”

“Wait, wait, question,” Doctor Whooves said, raising a hoof.

“You’re the one with a question?” Pharynx asked blankly.

“Quite so,” Doctor Whooves said, smiling innocently. “Um, who is Captain Blasto?”

Spike and Pharynx looked at each other, then back to Doctor Whooves. Surprisingly, it was Pharynx who responded. “He is… a pony comic character.”

“You’ve been reading pony comics?” Luna asked, smirking.

“Not reading,” Pharynx coughed. “The dragon-- er, FO Spike told me about it while you were away.”

“He’s a character in the Blast Effect series,” Spike smiled. “The first seapony Spectre. It’s more awesome in context.”

“I found it curious modern ponies would create such a violent work of fiction,” Pharynx said, slightly amused. “I was beginning to think that deep down in your hearts, you may have had a warrior’s strength…” He narrowed his eyes. “But that was until I found out you brought a hostile alien aboard - one who tried to kill you - for no other reason than ‘it was the right thing to do’.”

“There was more than just that,” Luna said defiantly. “But yes, it was ‘the right thing to do’.”

“Hang on, hang on, everpony,” Spike sighed. “We’re not there yet.” He cleared his throat. “Anyway, so after you got armed up, you went below decks, found the old Chief Engineer’s quarters, found out that the reason the ship went down was because the old crew launched a mutiny in desperation. And then finally, you confronted the Steward, stunned her, and found out she was a bat pony…"

"Threstral," Derpy corrected.

"Yeah, that. An ancient pony race nopony has heard of for hundreds of years. Oh, and you discovered the crew of the ship were creatures from Equis, too, and that the Oblivion Empire has been abducting creatures from it for centuries.” Spike gasped for air, blinking rapidly. “Is there uh… anything I forgot?”

‘Oh, and I convinced a star that it didn’t need to become a killer to feel useful,’ Luna wanted to say.

Though that… that was a revelation for another day.

“No, that was pretty much it,” Tempest said.

“I’m still ticked you didn’t call me for help,” Rainbow grumbled. “Wonderbolts aren’t just show ponies. We have combat training, too, ya’ know.”

“And have you fly through that storm?” Luna said. “Not wise.”

“I could have handled it,” Rainbow argued. “And you could have at least told me and Scoots what was going on. We were worried sick!”

“And what would you have done if we did?” Luna asked.

Rainbow squinted in thought for a second. “Well, I would have… eh… probably tried to um… fly through the storm to help you out.”

“Even ponies with military training lack discipline, it seems,” Pharynx groaned. “Could you really not see yourself obeying a simple order to ‘stay put’?”

“Shut it, ya’ crabby bug,” Rainbow said, rolling her eyes. “I’m the--”

“Element of Loyalty,” Pharynx continued for her. “Yes, we know.” He glanced at Spike, and changed the subject. “Your account was thorough, but you forgot one crucial detail. Our illustrious captain decided to bring a hostile, unknown alien lifeform back with her! And no, don't say she's 'just a thestral', by the way. Did the thestrals you remember have the sort of capabilities of this creature?"

"Er, no," Luna coughed. "But--"

Pharynx face-hoofed. "Captain, what in the name of Tartarus were you thinking?!”

Luna gave him a sarcastic look. “For somepony who adheres to military discipline, you sure have trouble holding your tongue when speaking to a superior officer.”

“Maybe so, but do you really want a crew who only licks your hoofs all day?” Pharynx glared. “Or do you want one that speaks its mind, even if it's something you don’t want to hear?”

“Woah, woah,” Derpy sighed. “Can we take it down a notch here?”

“I agree,” Doctor Whooves said.

Derpy smiled, before turning to Luna. “Captain, he does kind of have a point. I think being able to speak our minds is a good thing.”

“I suppose,” Luna mumbled.

“Thank you,” Pharynx said reluctantly.

“But Pharynx,” Derpy continued. “Maybe you could do it in a… nicer way? Nopony takes criticism easily when they’re being yelled at and called dumb, you know.”

“I never said she was dumb,” Pharynx said, raising a hoof. Though he still sighed reluctantly. “Though… perhaps my tone… could.... use improvement.”

“I wouldn’t mind the critique,” Luna nodded. “... If you could do that.”

“Very well,” Pharynx said.

“Wow,” Tempest said, giving Derpy an impressed look. “Where did you learn to become such a good arbiter?”

“I run the Ponyville Mailmare Union,” Derpy said nonchalantly. “This isn’t much different from a labor dispute, and labor disputes are my jam.”

“My dearest Derpy,” Doctor Whooves smiled proudly. “You are as good at speaking as you are at listening, you know that?”

Derpy blushed profusely. “T-Thanks, Doc.”

“Well, I’m glad you two aren’t at each others throats anymore,” Spike said, glancing between Pharynx and Luna. “But… about the um, ‘Steward of Entropy’? Yeah, that’s a thing, apparently.”

“As the new Chief of Security, my team and I will be watching her around the clock,” Tempest said. “As you saw, the ‘bars’ of the brig are composed of a type of forcefield. The computer has stated it should be able to hold an ‘entity of its type’.”

“We’re absolutely sure it won’t be able to take control of the computer, right?” Rainbow asked. “I mean, if her people built the ship, shouldn’t she be able to?”

“The brig is isolated from most ship systems,” Doctor Whooves explained. “The security doors to it are also heavily sound insulated. Even if the Steward had our captain’s, er, vocal abilities - no offense - she wouldn’t be able to contact it. And even in that unlikely eventuality, the computer truly seems to have changed allegiance. Exactly how or why it's done that is a conversation for another day."

“I still don’t like this at all,” Pharynx said, folding his arms, yet apparently making an effort to be polite. “The alien seems to have a leadership role among this Oblivion Empire. Even if the computer is too scrambled for it to have any loyalties towards it--”

“I can hear you, you know,” the computer groaned.

“--She may still know many things about the ship that we do not; including a way to get out of her cell.”

“He… does raise a good point,” Tempest said, earning a nod of respect from Pharynx. “And we still don’t know if what we’ve seen of her so far are the limits of her abilities.”

“I understand your concerns,” Luna said diplomatically. “But I trust Doctor Whooves. If he says the brig is safe, then it's safe.”

“As far as I can tell, she won’t be getting out of it,” the good doctor said. “The barrier seems to be able to block almost all types of energy - magical or otherwise. In fact, it is very, very similar to a unicorn’s Barrier Spell, only this is being powered by an energy source far beyond a unicorn’s mana supply. Even a creature able to morph into something akin to King Sombra’s shadow form will not be able to leave it.”

“And keep in mind, we’ve barely begun our journey,” Luna said. “We don’t know what’s waiting for us out there - or what problems might arise with this ship. She’s the best source of information we have for both. Even more than the computer. Er, no offense."

"Acknowledged."

"The potential benefits outweigh the risks," Luna finished.

“It's your call," Pharynx said, before softening slightly as he looked at Tempest. “And… if you will be keeping tabs on her, I suppose I can sleep at night.”

Tempest raised her eyebrows, glancing at him curiously.

“Wow,” Spike grinned at Pharynx. “Next thing we know you’re gonna start hugging people.”

He glared at him in return. “Don’t push it.” He then reluctantly nodded Luna’s way. “We do have the Solarium though, thanks to your away mission. I assume this means we can get underway?”

“Indeed,” Doctor Whooves grinned. “Despite the Solarium sitting down there for who knows how long, and despite our own hyperdrive not being used for even longer, we fueled up without any problems. All systems are green on that front.”

“Hey, wait a minute,” Spike said. “Should we really be jumping out of here so soon? What if there’s other stuff on the crashed ship we could use?”

Doctor Whooves glanced away from him. “That ship is… a graveyard. None of us wanted to stay aboard it any longer than we did.”

“The dead aren’t using it anymore,” Pharynx pointed out. “Though if you don’t feel comfortable, I will lead another away mission to it.”

“I wouldn’t mind taking a few more ponies down,” Rainbow grinned. “Would give me and Scoots more practice. Gotta be something we can use down there."

“From what we saw, the ship appears to be of a different model than the Starshot’s," Doctor Whooves explained. "My guess is a slightly… newer one. While breaking down systems could yield some useful components, I doubt the systems themselves will be useful to us.”

“What about the ship computer?” Spike asked. “Its memory banks or whatever you called them. Couldn’t we use those?”

“I did check for those before we left,” Doctor Whooves said. “Buuuuut ‘no dice’, as they say. The computer system it uses is completely different than the one on the Starshot. Surprisingly, it appears less advanced. I brought up what wasn’t completely destroyed, but I have no idea where to even begin making the two systems compatible.”

“I still think it would be worth combing over to make sure there isn't anything worth using,” Pharynx said.

Luna thought about it for a moment, then nodded. “Very well. We’ll send a few more teams down to check. And while we do that, we’ll scan the remaining planets in this system to see if there's anything useful on them. However, keep our food situation in mind. We shall stay for no more than three days, tops.”

“Thank you, captain,” Pharynx nodded. “I will begin planning immediately.”

“Hey, and what about that moss?” Spike asked. “I know we have the alien food to try, since at least some of the aliens aren't really, well, that alien, but the moss could work, too, maybe.”

Luna glanced out the Ready Room’s window, the nearby Red Dwarf’s flames licking the space around it. Slightly more jubilantly than she recalled, too.

Finally, she shook her head. “No, I think we should leave it be. That world is the cradle of a new ecosystem; we shouldn’t contaminate it more than absolutely necessary.”

“Spoken like the scientist I always knew you were,” Doctor Whooves nodded appreciatively, standing up from his seat. “Now then. Permission to get back to work? I still have a laundry list of things to do: figuring out the hoof-held computers, optimizing bridge sensor use…”

Luna laughed. “What would we do without you, Doctor?”

“I shudder to think,” he smiled.

“Very well,” Luna said. “Meeting adjourned. Thank you, everypony.”

***

With their first off-world adventure having come to a close, Luna and the rest of her crew returned to a relatively 'relaxing' schedule. The next three days were a combination of planet scans and planet looting, the latter thanks to Pharynx and a few volunteers such as Big Mac.

Adult volunteers.

"What do you mean we can't go down there?" Gallus argued, him and a few other of the younger 'crew members' ambushing Pharynx as he and Big Mac headed to the launch bay. "Come on! We've been cooped up on this stuffy old ship for over a week!"

"Yes, this is torture, I tell you!" Silverstream cried, pounding her claws on a nearby bulkhead. "Torture!"

"I've already gone over this with Ocellus," Pharynx said bluntly. "The captain says you're too young. Take it up with her."

"E'yup," Big Mac said, his UEV Suit a tight fit on his larger body.

"But… but Scootaloo gets to go down," Yona cries. "And yak older than Scootaloo!"

"Scootaloo also knows how to fly a dropship," Pharynx said. "You learn to do something like that? Then maybe you can go down. But until then, my refreshingly quiet new acquaintence and I have work to do."

He walked off without giving another word, Big Mac trailing behind him after giving the teenagers a sympathetic smile.

"Something like that, huh?" Gallus said, tapping his chin ponderously. "Hmm…"

Unfortunately, those three days turned out to be a relative waste. While the system did have three other planets, Luna couldn't exactly blame her Red Dwarf friend for thinking the whole place was lifeless. After all, the other two rocky worlds fit that category. One being a barren world with little to no atmosphere, and the other only having (relatively) recently entered the solar system; apparently having been a rogue planet before then. Unfortunately, while it did pass through the star's habitable zone, its orbit was so eccentric that even Doctor Whooves doubted it could support life.

The final world was larger than all the others combined: a magnificent ice giant. And while it was certainly beautiful, with its brilliant blue surface with the occasional golden wisps, like everything else save for Oddball, it only really interested Doctor Whooves, Ocellus, and occasionally Derpy.

This was evident by the former making numerous notes on the large amount of helium in its atmosphere.

"You could safely lift billions of airships with all of that!" he said excitedly. "Just a small portion of its atmosphere has more helium than the entire amount theorized to be on Equis!"

"Very cool, Doc," Spike droned, slumping his cheek onto a claw. "Very cool."

"With an average temperature below zero, you bet it is!" the doctor grinned.

Spike gave him a blank look in response, to which he smiled innocently at.

As for Planet Oddball, it didn't take long for Pharynx to gather up anything usable. While his temperament left something to be desired, Luna had to admit his work ethic was beyond reproach. After only two days, and with little more than a small team, he and his volunteers had stripped the Singularity's Ascent to the bone, on top of scouting the area nearby for anything that may have fallen off it.

Of course, part of this was because there wasn't actually much to be found outside of more alien weapons and utility items.

With Big Mac's mechanical knowledge, and with Doctor Whooves instruction, they did manage to strip down what the latter called an 'energy regulator'. Unfortunately, all of its component parts were proven incompatible with the Starshot, at least according to Doctor Whooves and the computer's combined knowledge.

"This type of thermal coupling became outdated --ERROR-- cycles prior," the computer mentioned, Doctor Whooves holding a cylindrical device up to one of its imagers. "It would not be compatible with the Starshot's systems."

"What are the chances of jimmying it to work with our regulator?" Big Mac asked, standing nearby… and astonishing Doctor Whooves with his sudden long-form sentence use and new-found starship technical knowledge. "If we need it, that is."

"--ERROR--. Expression 'jimmying' unknown."

Big Mac sighed. "Er, uh, altering it, then."

"Conclusion: unlikely. It would be easier to smelt it down and use it's materials to construct a newer model than to modify it."

"E'yup," Big Mac grumbled, glancing at the piece with disappointment.

Doctor Whooves gave him a sympathetic nod. "Worth a shot, my mechanically gifted friend. Worth a shot."

From that point forward, they didn't bother wasting any more time with that sort of scavenging.

Finally, they reached the beginning of the fourth day. After all had gotten a good night's sleep, Luna was determined to jump to a new system. Though before they left, Luna did want to double check with a certain somepony if there was anything further they should know. Someone currently housed in the brig.

This was not going to be fun.

***

Even the doors to that room had special security measures. There were three of them, in fact, lining a small tunnel that led to the room itself. All were much thicker than any of the others she had seen, save for the ones leading to dangerous areas like the Generator Room.

Inside, Tempest was there to greet her, standing in front of a shimmering forcefield that served to block the only entrance of a cell. A cell in which the Steward stood motionless, save for the mist that circled around her. Even in this well-lit room, her conscious presence was a bit unnerving. Something about her just felt… wrong.

“Hello, Captain,” Tempest said. “I’m happy to report that after her initial… tantrums, she hasn’t made any more escape attempts.”

“And she’s just been standing there like that since then?”

“Menacingly,” Tempest said. “Or at least, I think that’s her intent.” She then turned towards the door to the brig. “You said you wanted to talk to her alone?”

Luna nodded. “For a few moments.”

“I’ll be right outside if you need me, then,” Tempest said, walking through the multiple brig doors.

For the first time, Luna was alone with the Steward.

“You know why I’m here, don’t you?” Luna asked.

The Steward stood motionless.

Luna gazed at her pensively. “You must sense a soul in search of answers.”

“…”

“We will be leaving this system soon,” Luna said. “Is there anything we should know before we do? Anything we have not noticed here that would be useful? Anything we should gather from your previous vessel?”

“...”

“Or perhaps there’s something we should know about this vessel? Or the systems nearby?”

“..”

“You were quite talkative before,” Luna pointed out. “And in your own way, forthcoming. Not for our benefit, of course, but your own - namely, your ego. Giving us information would help you more-so than that, however. You realize that by helping to keep us alive, you’re helping yourself, yes? If this ship is destroyed, we all die together, you included.”

She continued to say nothing.

‘Alright, this isn’t working,’ Luna thought. ‘Time to switch strategies.’

“I realize you’re upset,” Luna said, forcing a hint of a taunting smile. “Being bested by us primitives must have really bruised that giant ego of yours. And now you’re stuck here on one of your own ships! I would be quite humiliated if I were in your position.”

This actually warranted a response, though not the one Luna expected. It came in the form of a dark chuckle.

“Using a perceived weakness in your enemy’s psyche to try to gleam information,” the Steward said. “I admit, I didn’t want to believe Star Speakers had a tiny portion of us in you, but perhaps I was wrong. Even the Grand Admiral would be impressed.”

“Grand Admiral?” Luna asked.

The glowing, creepy grin that had come to haunt Luna’s dreams returned to the Steward’s 'face'. “Everything old is new again. Save the faces of old friends.”

‘She’s talking in riddles… but still, did my strategy work?’ Luna thought, intending to test it further. “If he’s as easy to defeat as you were, I doubt he’ll be a problem.”

The Steward laughed in response. “Stop. I told you what I did just now to reward your cunning, not because you bruised my ego.”

“And down on the planet?” Luna asked.

“At the time, I didn’t think you’d last long, so naturally, I was boisterous. After all, dead mares tell no tales.” She narrowed her glowing eyes. “I won’t be underestimating you again.”

"Mhm," Luna said, skeptically.

She raised a shadowy hoof. “However… I might just give you more of what you want… if you’re willing to make a trade.”

"Of what sort?"

"Information for information."

“You’re in no position to ask of such a thing,” Luna said bluntly. “Even if you were, what could I possibly tell you?”

“I want to learn more about The Garden,” she said. “Or Equis, as you call it. And how you took control of this vessel.”

“Why?” Luna asked.

“I have my reasons,” the Steward said. “Personal reasons.”

Luna shook her head. “No. I won’t even consider it unless I know exactly why you want such information. Or why you would even need it. Your people have visited us before. That much is certain. You’ve even captured ponies, and have somehow brainwashed them into serving your Oblivion Empire. Shouldn’t they have been able to tell you everything you wanted to know?”

“It’s not as simple as you think,” the Steward said. “But… that’s all you’ll get out of me until you answer one of my questions first.”

“No,” Luna said, beginning to walk away from her cell. “No, this little game has gone on long enough. I will not be making deals with a murderer. You will receive no information from me. And one day, you will stand trial for what you’ve done.”

“Your loss,” the Steward said. “When you change your mind, I’ll be waiting.”

“You shall be waiting for a long time,” Luna growled, giving the Steward one final glare before exiting the room.

And at that moment, she hoped she was telling the truth. She really never wanted to speak with the Steward again.

--

“I take it our megalomaniacal guest was not forthcoming?” Doctor Whooves asked, sitting at his console as Luna, rather solemnly, strutted on the bridge.

“I’m afraid not,” Luna said, plopping down on her captain’s chair. “I tried everything I could think of, yet she would not yield.”

“So we have no clue where we’re going, then,” Spike noted. “Whatever. That would have taken the fun out of it, anyway.”

“Well, actually… we aren’t… completely blind in that regard,” Luna said. “Doctor Whooves?”

He smiled at that. “I’ve been waiting to do this. Computer, bring up the stellar cartography map.”

In an instant, the computer responded. The hovering orb that provided the bridge’s light source dimmed slightly and began to spin rapidly. Revealing itself to have more than one function, a holographic map of the galaxy appeared beneath it, composed of an uncountable amount of tiny dots and bands of dust.

With how spartan the alien ship was, its beauty was surprising, to say the least. And it took up nearly half of the upper portion of the bridge.

While everypony was stunned at its sight, it was Pharynx of all ponies who spoke first. “Woah.”

Everypony glanced his way, giving him smirks, so he quickly did his best to hide his look of wonder. “I mean-- erm… It will be a useful asset to us. Hrm.”

“Us ponies are rubbing off on you, aren’t we?” Derpy teased.

Pharynx turned to Ocellus. “If that ever happens, do your uncle a favor and shove him out the nearest airlock.”

"Uncle…" she sighed. Then, like everpony else, her gaze returned to the starmap. “Huh. Where are we, exactly?”

The star map responded to her. At the edge of the galaxy, a tiny, red dot blinked into existence.

“And Equis?” Spike continued.

Another dot appeared, this time at the direct center of the galaxy.

“Huh,” Spike said. “We really are far from home, aren’t we?”

“Y-Yeah,” Derpy squeaked.

“That can’t be right, though,” Doctor Whooves said, raising an eyebrow. “All the latest astronomical findings have stated a supermassive black hole should be in that region. Even if there wasn’t, with stellar density being so great… no. That makes no sense. Computer, is this map accurate?”

“It cannot give specific information on various systems due to data corruption, save for the two its recently visited, but the layout of the galaxy is accurate, as is basic information such as stellar types.”

“Hrmmmm,” Doctor Whooves grumbled.

“All I know is it’s gonna be a long road,” Spike said. “Getting from here to there…”

“Not necessarily,” Luna smiled. “Remember, if we can secure a source of Aetherium…”

“We can take a shortcut,” Doctor Whooves nodded, before grinning widely, and even bouncing slightly. "Heh. So what are we waiting for? Let's get the bloody hell out there!"

"Here, here!" Luna cheered, turning to Ocellus. "Ensign Ocellus, set course to…"

She tapped her chin, thinking for a moment, before shrugging. She then swivelled her chair towards the view screen, looking into the infinite twinkling expanse before them.

"You know what?" she said, her eyes twinkling as well. "Any star is fine, as long as it's closer to home. Let's just see what's out there. Engage!"

…

…

...

--

…

…

…

In her cell, the Steward of Entropy continued to stand motionless. This was even after a loud, thunderous BANG! could be heard coming from the rear of the ship, signalling the activation of its hyperdrive.

Naturally, even this didn’t wake up the now-slumbering pony sent to guard her; the unicorn known as Lyra Heartstrings. And this she was glad for. The teal one seemed to think that she knew of creatures called ‘humans’, and spent the hours of her shift diligently interrogating her about them.

Another hour of that and she’d finally stop being such a coward and end herself, taking out the brig and everything within ten meters of it.

But no, not yet. Not until she found out what happened to her beloved. The Star Speaker would crack eventually. Her love for her crew was too strong. As strong as the love she had for her own. The moment they found themselves in danger from something they didn’t understand, she would take her bargain.

And what they couldn’t understand was currently all around them.

Hyperspace wasn’t an empty place. In fact, a part of her was from a place quite close to it. And because of that, she could hear them. The various creatures that made it their home. Some ‘benign’, some not so much. Their shrieks and chatter echoed around her, vibrating the dark matter within her - part of her composition that rarely interacted with anything save for gravity.

But to her surprise, it wasn’t the only thing she could hear. ‘Feel’ being a better word. And as soon as she did, her mood soared higher than the plane of the galaxy.

For only one knew her real name. Who the physical part of her was before the Merging.

“Radiant… H O P E...”

She felt a sudden surge of warmth. Something she hadn't felt in eons. For the briefest of seconds, the chill that forever bit at her body thawed ever so slightly.

It was him. It had to be.

“B-Beloved?”

…

…

…

…

....

…

…

...

Author's Note

That's all for the first and, most likely, longest part, folks! I hope you enjoyed. I have several more planned, with each acting like an individual episode of a TV series. You know, like the one with all the weird space anomalies, ethical dilemmas, fun characters, and optimism. I can't recall the name of it, though.

The next part will be coming soon. For a brief overview of a few things to expect, see the spoilers:

Lots and lots of bat ponies. Some good, some evil, some aggressively Scottish

Old friends from Equestria

An expy of Grand Admiral Thrawn, one of my favorite fictional characters

Space battles

The theme of trust