Captain’s Log: Stardate 45684.2

We are currently enroute to an uncharted planet within the Epona Sector. A mysterious region of space outside the claimed areas of most interstellar powers. While the area was scanned remotely decades ago, the sector remains unsurveyed to a plethora of navigational hazards, including a large number of dwarf stars that seem to drift through the sector in ways that are at odds with the norms for stellar cartography.

This combination of factors has combined to make the Epona Sector something of a stellar backwater, left behind in the usual rush of intragalactic affairs. With the discovery of an unknown warp signature deep within the sector, it seems that this region of space is about to become much more interesting.

On a personal note, I must admit that I am looking forward to this mission. Discovering new life and new civilization is Starfleet’s raison d’etre, and one of the chief reasons I joined Starfleet in the first place.

“Mr. Data, ETA to our destination?” Picard asked, sitting confidently in his large bridge chair.

“Four days, fifteen hours and thirty-eight minutes,” came the instant response from the gold-skinned android. “Approximately.”

“Approximately?” Commander Riker, sitting to his Captain’s right, asked. “Not like you to be so inaccurate.”

“My positronic brain is functioning within tolerances, Commander,” replied Data, not noticing the grin the ship’s first officer sent toward his captain. “My estimate would be more accurate—” A sudden alert sound from the tactical station behind Picard interrupted whatever Data had been about to say.

“Sir,” began Lieutenant Worf, examining the readings at his console, “another warp pulse similar to the one the long range observation post spotted. Warp 1.5. Their warp field has some strange readings but it is hard to tell at this distance.”

“What sort of strange readings?” Picard asked, with a mix of curiosity and concern for the fledgling spacefarers.

For nearly half a minute Worf did his best to refine the picture the long range sensors were giving him while Captain Picard patiently waited. He knew his tactical officer was far past needing someone at his elbow to help him with the task.

“There are similarities in the warp signature of the alien craft with energy readings from the ‘Tin Man’ creature that we encountered some years ago, Captain,” Worf concluded at last. “Also, the warp signature is rapidly fading… fading… and gone. No further warp emenations, Sir.”

“Thank you, Mr. Worf. Excellent work,” Picard said, pausing a beat for the rest of his bridge crew to add their opinions.

“Sir, the alien entity Gomtuu used a unique, organic method of space travel,” Data commented. “While not a true warp drive in the classic sense, it was nonetheless a highly effect—”

Once again the universe decided to cut the android off as whatever Data was going say was lost in the thunderous crash of something striking the ship from below. Several people were thrown from their chairs, ceiling panels came crashing down and the lighting in the bridge dimmed as an alarm klaxon began to sound.

“All hands, Yellow Alert,” called the calm voice of Data, having been able to maintain his seating through the calculated use of his beyond human android strength. “All decks, report damage.”

“What happened?” Commander Riker asked, gingerly getting up, blood oozing from a cut on his forehead.

“Attempting to ascertain,” replied Data, hands flying over his console. “We have dropped out of warp, and are currently adrift although both warp and impulse drives appear to be functional. Shields are up and holding steady. Life support is fully functional, however all systems across the ship are showing signs of shock damage.”

“Crusher to the bridge,” came a call over the internal communications network. “What just happened? I’m getting injury reports from all over the ship.”

“Any fatalities, Doctor?” Picard immediately asked.

“None as of yet, but we’ve got more than a few reports of broken limbs. I’ll keep you posted,” replied Dr. Crusher, as the entire bridge crew breathed a collective sigh of relief.

“Thank you, Doctor Crusher,” Picard answered, before turning back to Data and earnestly asking, “Mr. Worf?”

“Scanners read clear,” the klingon warrior replied, favoring his left side. “No objects or ships within half a light year.”

“Thank you. Mr. Data, do you have any idea what happened?” Picard asked, continuing his assessment.

“Unknown at this time, Sir,” the android answered, turning as well to face the captain. “Permission to investigate the phenomena?”

“Granted. You have full discretion to use any and all systems to determine what we hit, or what hit us,” Picard ordered in a confident and decisive voice. “In the meantime I want all personnel engaged in full diagnostic sweeps of all systems to determine what, if any damage we’ve suffered. Number One, coordinate with all department heads and we’ll have a staff meeting in two hours.”

For the next two hours the great ship drifted slowly through space, like some ancient schooner that had lost the wind, as her crew examined every inch of the vessel for damage. At long last Enterprise’s captain and command crew gathered to discuss what had happened.

“Crew status?” Picard asked first, focusing on the men and women it was his duty to lead and protect.

“Bumps and bruises for the most part,” Dr. Crusher answered, her face serious. “However, there were nearly fifty cases of broken bones, and one nearly fatal head injury. All cases are responding well to treatment, however I’ll be keeping Ensign Sharpe overnight for observation. I may have mended their skull, but I want to make sure there is no lasting damage.”

“Understood Doctor, and thank you,” Picard replied, turning to his first officer. “Number One, how is our ship?”

“We took one hell of a bump from something, Sir. Damage control parties have found and fixed most of the damage we took,” Riker replied, with a small grimace.

“Most?” Picard asked pointedly.

“Aye Captain,” Commander LaForge answered. “Most of our systems suffered impact shock damage; rattling components, damaging circuits and most notably, putting a crack in the containment system for the warp core and actually putting a slight twist in our port nacelle.”

“Any chance of a breach?” Picard asked, worry on his face. The warp core was the beating heart of his ship and any damage to it was of critical importance.

“No Sir,” the engineer replied confidently. “The crack was extremely minor and auto-repair systems were already on the job by the time we discovered the problem. But just to be on the safe side, I’ve had that part of the core reinforced with a structural integrity field and I have someone constantly monitoring the core for any further problems. As for the nacelle, the twist is barely detectable, but it is there.”

“We actually bent the ship?” Riker asked, eyebrows shooting up. “What hit us?”

“I believe I may have a partial explanation,” came the calm tones of Data from the far end of the conference table as the android spoke up.

“Go ahead, Mr. Data,” commanded Picard.

“Inertial logs show that the Enterprise moved approximately two meters downwards in the space of four zeptoseconds,” Data began.

“Four zeptoseconds?!” exclaimed LaForge.

“Indeed. An extremely small amount of time,” Data continued. “Far too short a period of time for our inertial dampers or compensators to match, which explains why the sudden movement was so deleterious.”

“The question is: Why did the ship move in that direction?” Picard asked, curious. “I don’t believe the Enterprise is even capable of moving like that.”

“Indeed not Sir,” answered Data. “However, by doing a comprehensive scan of subspace in our area, and in particular the point in space where the phenomena occurred, I believe I have an explanation.”

“I can’t wait to hear this,” breathed Riker.

“When we travel via warp drive, the Enterprise is essentially moving along the curvature of subspace, which other than in areas of spatial phenomena is flat and smooth,” began Data, standing up and turning on a graphic display showing the Enterprise in flight along a series of grids. “The incident occured when our vessel encountered a sudden ‘dip’ in subspace and we fell into what is best described as a long slot or trench in the fabric of space itself.”

“How large is this trench, Commander?” Picard probed, looking for more information. “And, do we know what created this peculiar shaping of subspace?”

“It is extremely likely that the trench was created by the stellar motion of an L-class red giant star located at two thirty-eight mark thirteen one point six light years from our current position. The diameter of the star and the width of the trench are an almost exact match, leading me to connect the two, and in fact, subspace scans show the trench does extend to the star itself.”

“Curious,” Picard remarked. “Do you believe that we may encounter other ‘trenches’ as we travel deeper into this sector?”

“Very likely, Captain,” Data replied.

“Obviously we’re going to have to slow down if we want to go any further toward our destination,” Riker commented, stroking his beard in thought. “It’s either that or turn around and go home.”

“The Enterprise is not a ship of cowards,” Worf stated, and as both he and Riker shared a look Worf saw the eyes of a warrior looking back at him.

“Indeed not,” Picard affirmed. “We will continue in our mission, but with appropriate caution. Mr. Data, can you recommend a speed that will allow us to detect any more of these trenches before we run into them?”

“Not without further analysis Captain,” Data replied. “But a velocity of no more than Warp Three should be safe until we can better localize this unusual spacial topography. ”

“Make it so,” Picard decided. “Mr. Data, I want our sensors recalibrated in order to give us a greater margin for detecting this phenomena as soon as possible... Mr. LaForge, I’m relying on you to strengthen all critical systems to withstand any further impacts in case we miss a trench. Dr. Crusher, please advise the crew to prepare for any further shocks and to stow all personal gear.”

“I'll send Starfleet Command an update on the conditions here and let them know we’re going to be about two weeks behind schedule,” Riker volunteered.

“Fifteen point three standard days to arrive at Epona Prime,” corrected Data. “At warp three.”

“Good idea, Number One,” Picard said, with a nod to Data acknowledging the more precise arrival time. “Very well people, let’s be about it.”

The meeting broke up with the various “Yes sir” responses while the captain of the Federation’s flagship remained to contemplate the starry expanse outside the conference room’s windows. The awe inspiring mysteries of space never failed to fill Picard with a sense of wonder and awe and the moment turned into a minute and more.

“Beautiful. Isn’t it, mon capitan?” asked a voice from behind Picard, just as he was about to leave for the bridge.

Jean-Luc Picard took a deep breath and schooled his features to avoid showing the annoyance he felt from the arrogant tone in the words behind him. Picard knew that along with the mocking title the being bestowed on him, the speaker was as usual attempting to provoke him into a reaction.

“Q, how good of you to drop by. What brings you to the Epona Sector?” Picard asked, turning to face the long lean figure of the enigmatic, nigh-omnipotent being who had been a thorn in his side since the day he had first taken command of the Enterprise.

“You,” Q replied. “You are about to poke your nose into an area of space which has the potential to show just how mired in the muck your species really is. Or whether you can expand your thinking to accept ways that are utter anathema to you. Personally, I don’t think you’re ready.”

“Time and time again you’ve challenged us, Q,” Picard snapped back, in spite of himself. “And time and time again we’ve shown you that humanity is up to the challenge, that we are no longer creatures who are governed by our baser instincts.”

“Ah, but there’s the rub, mon Capitan,” Q riposted, matching Picard glare for glare. “Those baser instincts as you call them are still a part of you, and tied into your very being.”

“And we are in control of them, not they in control of us,” Picard replied, calming himself. “Whatever the challenge ahead of us, we will meet it.”

“I wish I had your confidence, Picard. However, I wish you luck,” and snapping his fingers, the enigmatic being disappeared from view.

“Well, this mission is certainly—” Picard said to himself, before a disembodied voice interrupted.

“One last thing,” sounded the voice of Q in Picard’s mind. “I would consider it a personal favor if you would at least try to be kind to those you meet at your destination.”

Picard stood still for a moment, waiting for something else, but when nothing came he passed through the door and onto the bridge, where his first officer immediately noticed the pensive look on his captain’s face.

“Something wrong, Captain?” Riker asked, and several pairs of eyes glanced up from their tasks to also have a look at the man who led them.

“I’ve just had a brief visit from Q,” Picard explained. “He asked us to be kind.”

“He asked us?” Riker echoed, as the rest of the bridge crew returned to their tasks. “That’s… different.”

“He asked us to be kind. As a personal favor to him,” Piker replied, watching Riker’s eyebrows reach for his hairline. “Number One, I have a feeling that everything about this mission is going to be very different than what we are used to.”

“Thaumic converters, check. Harnesses, check. Hull integrity, check,” chanted Twilight Sparkle, as she darted around Equestria’s second purpose-built spacecraft. The first was already obsolete after its maiden flight.

“Air supply, check. Umm…“ Twilight's voice trailed off and she began to frantically look around the craft. “What have I missed? I know I’ve missed something.”

The young alicorn continued to dart to and fro around the inside of the ship, carved from a single translucent crystal from Cadance’s Crystal Empire, looking for something she had missed in her checks and re-checks.

“Seats? No. Landing parachute? Oh…. maybe I should redo the checklist again. I’ve only checked it four times, “ Twilight said to herself, her movements becoming increasingly frenzied as she opened up a panel. “Air fans—”

A sudden snap of metal on metal directly behind Twilight’s ears was immediately followed by an amused but gentle voice.

“One frantic perfectionist, check,” Luna stated from where she stood in the hatchway of the vessel. “One moonsteel collar, check. One attached leash, checking…”

“Luna! We don’t have time for this,” Twilight objected, as the Princess of the Night began to gently, but firmly, draw a struggling Twilight towards her via the leash the lunar Diarch had just clipped to the back of her collar.

Two months ago while riding the high of the Mark Two Thruster, Twilight had challenged her fellow princesses to catch her if they could. Challenging them with, “if you can catch me, you can have me.”

Despite only having a Mark One unit, Luna had indeed caught Twilight by using a power dive to capture the more advanced, but less wily alicorn and Luna had firmly taken up Twilight on her offer. Ever since that moonlit night of speed, power and passion, Twilight had worn a close fitting collar around her throat to show everypony that she was indeed, ‘had.’

“I take care of what is mine, and you are definitely in need of some care just now,” Luna stated, still smiling as she drew a not entirely unwilling Twilight even closer.

“I have to check all the systems!” Twilight continued to protest, the unbreakable loop around her throat and its attached leash pulling her ever closer to the dark princess. “You have to let me—”

Twilight’s words cut off abruptly as Luna stretched out and began to nibble and lick at the nape of Twilight’s neck, just below where her mane began. The purple alicorn’s knees began to turn to jelly as her owner continued to stimulate one of many special places she had discovered on her pony.

“You have checked every bit of our ship ten times already and you are working yourself into a needless frenzy,” Luna said, gently bearing Twilight down to the floor, all the while continuing to do things to the young alicorn that made her body begin to tingle in anticipation. “You will take an hour off and relax, and then return to making sure that everything is perfect. Yes?”

“But,” Twilight managed to say in protest, before a pressure at the top of her dock began to make her tail flag and her nethers moisten in expectation.

“You are mine, by right of conquest,” Luna replied, adjusting her hips as she began to lift the body of a new Mark IV unit into position. “You will obey your Mistress.”

“Uhhnnn,” moaned the younger alicorn, feeling something hard and thick begin to prod at her slickening entrance. “Oooobey.”

“Remember your safeword, little one,” Luna whispered into a lavender ear, using her hips to push the device into her paramour and bringing it to life. “If you truly do wish all this to end, speak the word, and you shall be released from my collar and care. You have but to speak the word.”

“Nuh, no Missstress,” slurred Twilight, feeling herself being spread wide by the powerful pony above and behind her. “Yours.”

“Mine,” affirmed Luna, continuing to advance the thick mass of the thruster into Twilight. Although the device was a new Mark IV, its core components were from Twilight’s original Mark II and so knew where and how to tickle and stimulate the various nerves inside of Twilight, setting her nerves on fire.

“Please?” Twilight mewled, all sense of propriety gone like a sandcastle before the rising tide of lust and desire that Luna was steadily building in her.

“Please what?” Luna asked, superior amusement in her tone as her hips thrust the magical device forward the last inch or so needed to seat it fully inside of her delightful morsel. A quick tap of her magic on a particular stud on the thruster caused a ring of material on it just inside of Twilight to expand, essentially locking the unit into place.

Twilight shuddered as she felt herself being filled up. The ever shrinking rational part of her mind knew what the increased fullness meant, that she was now at the mercy of both the device and the pony who controlled it. And that pony wasn’t her.

“Please Mistress,” Twilight gasped, struggling slightly in Luna’s grip. She knew she wasn’t going to escape, but part of the game was for her to try. “Let me cum.”

“Not quite yet, my feisty little alicorn,” Luna murmured, as her magic took hold of the preternaturally slick second half of the Mark IV. “I have to complete your installation.”

“You don’t haaa—” gasped Twilight, as she felt her tail lifted something begin to press through the tight muscles of her rosebud.

“I don’t have to,” murmured Luna into the ear of the shuddering pony beneath her, as she gently pushed the slimmer second half of the thruster into Twilight, “but I want to.”

Twilight gave up all pretense of rationality as both of her holes were utterly and completely filled. Filled and stimulated with a pair of massive knobby shafts whose only purpose was to create lustful ecstasy in whoever was lucky enough to have them buried inside of them. Mewling with pleasure as every erotic nerve between her thighs was tingled and teased, Twilight ground her lower belly along the deck of the crystal ship, trying to generate that last bit of stimulation she needed to throw her over the edge.

“Not yet, my morsel,” Luna cautioned, plugging a thick cable into the exhaust port of the now fully operational thruster that was inside of Twilight. Thrusters had been designed to convert lust and desire into thrust, hence the name. But in the case of the Mark IV the attachment of a cable into the drive nozzle instead allowed the device to push the converted energies down it and into any sort of waiting device.

In this case, the device was the crystal spacecraft around them and Luna's eyes lit with satisfaction as her and Twilight’s ship drank deep of the power flowing into it, and came to radiant life.

“Please?” Twilight asked, more coherent now as the drain from her quivering core let her thinking mind begin to take back control from her hindbrain, but she still craved an orgasm.

“I had believed thee was used to the driving need inspired by the Mark II. That thou was in control of it, not it in control of thee,” Luna commented, enjoying Twilight’s predicament immensely but still carefully watching to ensure the pony in her care didn’t strain something by accident.

“This… this a Maa— hhaaark IV. Never had one… this strong before,” Twilight managed to gasp out.

“Very well, my lovely morsel,” Luna said, her sly grin growing as she tapped a new control on the thruster that its original creator knew nothing about. “You may cum, if you can.”

With those words Twilight let her conscious mind fall back into the heat of ecstasy, even as the Mark IV ramped up its stimulating abilities to near maximum. The pinned and collared lavender alicorn cried out in delight, pushing back against her beloved captor, driving the twin shafts of the thruster toward the last fractions of an inch needed to make Twilight explode into orgasm. A few seconds more and the last step was reached, the last barrier breached, and as Twilight felt the familiar massive electric surge build within her in preparation for a release like a bolt of thunder…

Nothing happened.

For long heartbeats, Twilight was poised on the lip of the cliff, only to feel something pull her back a tiny bit from the edge. The thruster kept on doing what it had been designed to do, and pushed Twilight back toward the brink of orgasm. Again, Twilight felt herself approach that last moment before ecstasy and be pulled back once again.

Over and over for the next several minutes, Twilight was brought to the very precipice of a thunderous sexual release only to be denied at the very last moment. The resulting flow of power from the young and vigorous pony began to come close to filling the storage cells of the ship to bursting.

“Now, my Twilight, CUM,” ordered Luna in a voice that brooked no disobedience as she mercifully turned off the part of the thruster that had been keeping Twilight poised like a diver on the edge of a high board. Like that self-same diver, once the impediment was removed Twilight fell hard and fast. Diving into an orgasm so powerful that the alicorn’s mind blanked out and she lost consciousness.

Twilight woke some time later to find herself lying against the Princess of the Night, secure in the wings of her love and with an aching emptiness coming from her loins.

“Shhh,” cautioned Luna, stroking Twilight’s mane and lifting the straw of a sealed water flask to her lips. “Do not try to speak yet. Sip some water first and do not try to move. I am afraid I may have overdone things with thee.”

Twilight smiled at the possessive “thee” but also recognized the wisdom of Luna’s words, pulling on the offered straw and drawing down cool water to a parched throat. A few minutes later, the water flask was empty and Twilight felt capable of speech again.

“How?” was all Twilight needed to ask.

“The Mark IV has the ability to hold a pony on the edge of orgasm, without allowing them to go past that point,” Luna revealed, beginning to use a cool cloth to towel down her pony. “This avoids the danger of flare outs and…”

Twilight looked up as Luna’s voice trailed off. The larger pony was looking out into the distance through the vessel’s viewport at something Twilight couldn’t see.

“Luna?” Twilight asked, as the moment stretched out into a full minute with the lunar alicorn becoming more and more still around her. “Luna, what is it?”

“Something is out there. Among my stars,” Luna said at last. “Something new, and it is coming this way.”

Author's Note

By popular demand, Thruster is back! And yes, this time the shenanigans will involve the crew of the NCC-1701D. Oh boy, are they in for one hell of a culture shock. This story is my last before I bring my Brightly Break to a close and return to my regular rotations. As such, future chapters will come as my patrons vote for them to be done.

Every month my patrons get to vote on which story they would like to see me work on following my commissioned story, Brightly Lit 2: Pharos.

If you want a vote on what I write, join my Patreon and for as little as a dollar a month you can cast your ballot for whichever story you would like to have me update.