My Little Xeno 2 - Equinox Knights

Gentle Breeze was looking out of a small porthole as the Thunderhawk ascended. There was something majestic to seeing Equestria and the whole world get smaller beneath her. When they had left the atmosphere, she turned around.

There was Magos Gearhart, who would try to activate the old titan with her help. She wasn’t entirely sure if she should look forward to this. The machine was able to level whole cities within minutes, and she was supposed to try and convince it to cooperate.
Of course. No problem at all.

Also on board were Antonius and Luna. They would engage in the founding of Antonius’ new chapter. Or rather, Antonius would, and Luna would keep him company and maybe act as an advisor.

Well, her main concern was her task. The titan.

The Thunderhawk entered the moon dock and approached the ship. When it had touched down in the hangar, they left the dropship and split up. While Antonius and Luna went to the apothecarium, Gentle Breeze and Gearhart headed for the main hangar.

Once there, she looked up at the giant walker.

“And I’m supposed to command it,” she mumbled.

“That would be the optimal outcome,” Gearhart told her,
“now, please follow me into the titan’s command center.”

They entered a lift that brought them to the level of the giant machine’s ‘head’, then they walked along a walkway that led to the titan’s hatch, passing members of the Mechanicum every now and then who were busy doing their duties. They didn’t take much notice of her. If that was because they were absorbed in their work or because they thought it better to try to ignore the fact that a nonhuman was about to enter the revered machine, Gentle Breeze wasn’t sure of.

Inside the command center, more tech-priests were bustling around, murmuring prayers, and there was a striking smell of incense in the air, accommodated by billowing smoke.

“Please sit down over there,” Gearhart said and pointed at an elaborate, throne-like seat on a dais.

Gentle Breeze did as she was told, even more nervous than before.
The Magos kept working for a while, then, he grabbed a cable, hooked himself up to the titan and walked over to her.

“I will monitor your connection,” he told her,
“should the titan’s machine spirit prove to be too distrusting and aggressive, I will close it. Be aware that a sudden delinking might cause a minor trauma.”

“Joy?” Gentle Breeze laughed nervously.

Gearhart now pulled another, pretty massive cable from the ceiling.
The Mind Impulse Unit… or rather the end of the device that would be stuck into her. She closed her eyes for a second and took a deep breath. When she opened them again, Gearhart was still standing in front of her, the cable in his hands.

“Are you ready to continue?” he inquired.

“Yes… I have to admit that I’m… worried, but I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”

“Gentle Breeze, you have fought Chaos. You were willing to give your life for your species and mine. Just be yourself, and the titan’s machine spirit will see your worth. Just do not try to hide anything from it, as it will see this as an attempt at treason.”

She nodded, and the Magos attached the cable to the back of her head.
Gearhart now brandished a censer, increasing the smoke and smell in the command center, recited litanies that would hopefully prove to be helpful and walked over to a console.

For a second, Gentle Breeze thought about suggesting to ask Al for additional help, but she discarded that idea. The machine spirit would probably not like an artificial lifeform connecting to it.

“Initiating connection,” Gearhart announced, and the world vanished.

It was replaced by a chilly, gray environment.

“Well, certainly an improvement from the ‘cold and black’ I got up to now when human technology was involved”, Gentle Breeze mumbled.

“PRELIMINARY CONNECTION ESTABLISHED,” a voice boomed,
“WELCOME, PRINCEPS. I AM TITANIUS. WHAT IS YOUR DESIGNATION?”

“Umm… I’m Gentle Breeze,” the mare replied, somewhat intimidated by her interlocutor.

“ACKNOWLEDGED. RUNNING CHECKS… WHAT?”

Uh-oh.

“YOU ARE NOT HUMAN! INFAMY! AN ALIEN DARES TO CONNECT TO MY SACRED SYSTEMS?”

Titanius’ presence was overwhelming. Gentle Breeze could feel his anger.

“I am not an alien!” she screamed,
“my species was created by mankind and recently rediscovered! And I’m only here because we need your help to protect mankind!”

For a second or two, there was silence, then Titanius demanded:

“EXPLAIN!”

“Chaos will soon attack…”

“WHAT IS CHAOS?”

Oh, right… the last time Titanius had been active, Chaos hadn’t been discovered yet…

“Violent murderers,” Gentle Breeze said,
“daemon worshippers.”

“DAEMONS DO NOT EXIST. THAT IS SUPERSTITION.”

“I wish you were right, but I can assure you, Chaos and daemons are all too real. I… experienced it myself.”

“I WILL READ YOUR MEMORY. IF YOU HAVE LIED, I WILL END YOU.”

What a charming personality…

The next moment, Gentle Breeze was forced through some sort of time lapse of her life, including what the forces of Chaos had done to her and the aftermath.
When it was over, she was crying almost hysterically. Experiencing that again had not been nice. Not at all.

“INTRIGUING,” Titanius thundered.

“STOP SCREAMING AT ME!” Gentle Breeze shrieked.

“As you wish,” the machine spirit answered calmer and was silent for a while. Then, it asked:
“have you calmed down enough for us to discuss the current situation?”

“I… yes, I think so.”

“You have proven your loyalty to your species and mankind. I still need more information to assess the current situation.”

“You can ask Magos Gearhart… he’s a member of the Mechanicum… he should be able to grant you access to our databases.”

“Raising request… please wait… request granted… receiving information.”

It took a few seconds, then Titanius made a noise that sounded like a sigh:

“Aliens, daemons, and now an abominable intelligence. Under normal circumstances, this planetary system should be purged by plasma, bolt and flame.”

Wow… he really was a sweetie, wasn’t he?

“But the circumstances are not normal… not to mention the fact that such a response would have been wrong in the first place,” Gentle Breeze objected,
“I think you should focus your wrath on actual threats to mankind. Neither my species nor Al are such threats.”

“That still leaves the daemons.”

“Yes, and that’s why we’re asking you for help. And I was chosen to ask you because of my neural interface. Now, what is your answer?”

“I am a Reaver Battle Titan. I was forged in the volcanic furnaces of Mars before the Imperium was founded. All this time, my purpose has been to defend mankind, and that is still my purpose.
While the actions of the Astartes here may seem unusual, I regard them as justified. And you are right; your interface makes you an adequate candidate, even despite the fact that you are not human.
So: welcome on board, Princeps. Initiating final connection.”

Suddenly, the chilly gray was replaced by a view of the hangar the titan stood in. At first, Gentle Breeze thought that she was flying, but she quickly realized that this was Titanius’ view of his surroundings. He had an HUD like her, but his’ was more complex.
She turned her head a little, and her view changed accordingly, but slower than usual.

“Gentle Breeze,” she heard Gearhart say,
“I see your connection was successful.”

“I guess so,” she replied,
“but I’m feeling a little… funny.”

“Of course. The structure of the titan differs from yours. For a start, I suggest you imagine walking on your hind legs.”

“Wait… and my front legs?”

She moved her left front leg, and the titan’s left weapon swiveled after a short, cracking noise.

“Whoa!” Gentle Breeze called,
“this is not just ‘piloting’ the titan… I am the titan!”

“Correction,” Titanius interjected,
“we are the titan.”

“Can we walk?”

“Ask Magos Gearhart to disengage the locking mechanism. While we could break free, such an act is inadvisable, since we would further damage our bay.”

“Okay… Magos? Could you please open the locks? I’d like to take a few steps.”

“Acknowledged,” Gearhart answered,
“but do not get cocky. Further damage to the hangar or the titan is to be avoided.”

“Umm… wait a second… 'further'?”

“You destroyed the locking mechanism for the titan’s left weapon.”

“Oops… sorry. I’ll be more careful from now on.”

Somehow, Gentle Breeze was able to feel how the locks opened. She waited another second - to be on the safe side - then she took a small step.
While she was much slower than normal, the feeling of power was exhilarating. Her foot hit the ground with a giant ‘thump’, and she moved her other leg, slowly walking around the hangar.

“Yahoo!” she cheered, turned and pointed her weapons in her new direction,
“I feel friggin’ unstoppable!”

“We may be well armored and shielded, but we are not unstoppable,” Titanius told her.

“It certainly feels that way! We feel great!”

“Gentle Breeze, you are too emotional. You risk acting imprudent.
And you are integrating into my systems too fast. You are in danger of loosing your individuality. Calm down. Get ahold of yourself!”

Gentle Breeze needed a second to realize what Titanius had tried to tell her, then she stopped moving and took a deep breath.

“Okay… I’m okay,” she said.

“Our connection is supposed to become stronger over time, but if we are too precipitative, we might not be able to disconnect you ever again. You need to get used to me and your role as princeps first. You must not only learn to ‘be’ me, you must also learn to delimit you own mind.”

“How am I going to do that?”

“Keep your emotions in check watch out for your mind. If you’re not distracted by your emotions, you will feel if it starts slipping away from you. Have you understood this simplified explanation?”

“Yes… I think so. Thank you. It still was a good start, wasn’t it?”

“Affirmative, though I suggest we end this first attempt so that so can process the event.”

“Good. I’ll walk back into the bay.”

Antonius and Luna entered the Apothecarium. They were already expected by Ambrosius and Marcus.

“Greetings, Ambrosius, and hello, Marcus. So, you are our ‘guinea pig’?”

“Well, someone has to be the first to receive your meta-seed, so I thought it may as well be me,” Marcus answered.

“The transformation should go without any critical problems,” Ambrosius told them,
“we have thoroughly tested the sample of the meta-seed we extracted during your examination. While it is somewhat… impure - judged by imperial standards - we were not able to detect any actual dangers.”

“So, just some shoddy traces of pony?” Luna quipped.

“Yes,” the Apotheciarius answered flatly,
“although in this case, the impurity is not a flaw, but actually desired, so I wouldn’t call it ‘shoddy’.”

“That is nice to hear.”

“Now, Antonius, please sit down so that I can extract your meta-seed.”

Antonius did as he was told, while Luna kept standing in front of him.
As her face suddenly turned into an expression of horror, Antonius knew that Ambrosius was approaching him with the extractor.

“Umm…” she started.

“Relax,” Antonius smiled,
“somehow, he’s got to get the seed out of me, doesn’t he?”

“Well, if he says ‘it is going to sting a bit’, he certainly will not be wrong.”

Instead of this, Ambrosius just said:

“I’m extracting the meta-seed now.”

Luna had still been right, though. It stung.

When it was over, a glass cylinder was filled with a semi-transparent, gel-like something.

“I’ll check it before we apply it to Marcus,” the Apothecarius said and got busy.

“So, they are going to inject this stuff into Marcus?” Luna inquired.

“Some of it,” Antonius explained,
“according to the analysis of the sample, it should turn him into a Space Marine and create the necessary implants.”

“Except for the black carapace,” Marcus added,
“since this implant requires non-organic components that cannot be created by my body. I was thoroughly briefed on the topic.”

“And you’re sure you want to exchange the Ultramarines for my Equinox Knights?” Antonius made sure,
“please mind that the Imperium will not be too happy about our… ‘impurity’, as Ambrosius called it.”

“My Lord,” Marcus answered,
“I joined the Ultramarines to become a Space Marine and protect mankind. Your new chapter offers me an opportunity to accomplish this dream of mine, and even if the Imperium should shun us, we will still fight for mankind like only the Astartes can.”

“I don’t think I need to ask you if you are ready,” Ambrosius now said, the filled injector in his hand,
“you certainly sound ready. As Princess Luna said earlier, this is going to sting a bit.”

According to Marcus’ expression, it really wasn’t a pleasant experience, but that was to be expected.

“And now?” Luna wanted to know.

“Now, we will wait and monitor him,” the Apothecarius told her.

Some minutes went by, then Marcus said:

“I’m hungry.”

“Good. We’ll start with normal food. Once your transformation has progressed further, we’ll slowly switch to Space Marine food.”

So Marcus started eating. And he ate a lot.

Ambrosius turned to Antonius and Luna:

“You don’t need to stay here. This process will take several days.”

“The transformation or this meal?” Luna asked while taking a peek at Marcus gobbling food.

Ambrosius also took a look at him and answered:

“Probably both.”

Marneus Augustus Calgar was on the Gloriana’s bridge as Magos Gearhart entered the room and walked up to him.

“Greetings, Lord Calgar,” the tech-priest said.

“Greetings, Gearhart,” Calgar replied,
“how did the activation of the titan go?”

“Reasonably well. The connection was stable and the ancient machine spirit has accepted Gentle Breeze as princeps.”

“Good. Where is she now?”

“She has joined Antonius and Luna. We will give her time to process this experience before we repeat the process.”

“Prudent. Anything else?”

“Yes, my Lord. I would like to bring some ponies onboard to assist us.”

Calgar thought he had misheard.

“You want ponies to help you? How could they be of use?”

“You know that we are already employing the help of the vermicular species that inhabits the ship, since they are excellent pipe cleaners and thus useful for maintenance. When they have finished their tasks, however, the dirt they cleaned is stuck in their fur. As of yet, my tech-priests have to help them get clean again, and the time they use for this task could better be spent with other duties that are more worthy the time of a member of the Adeptus Mechanicus.”

“So, you want the ponies to help wash the worms?”

“Exactly.”

“Hmm… we’ll have to provide them with quarters and food. That shouldn’t be much of a problem, though. There are more than enough empty rooms on board and we can get the food from the surface. We’ll just have to establish a supply line. The only potential problem I see is to keep the ponies from wandering off and through the ship where they could cause trouble.”

“Those were my concerns, too, but if we apply care when picking to ponies to help us and order a tech-priest or chapter serf to supervise them, the risk should be acceptable.”

Calgar though about that for a second, then he said:

“Agreed. We can ask the Princesses or the Element Bearers to provide us with information about the ponies who want to help us so that we can discern if they are suitable or not. You may implement your plan.”

“I will make the necessary arrangements, Lord Calgar,” Gearhart replied.

Antonius and Luna were on their way to the Apothecarium. It has been three days since Marcus had received the meta-seed and they wanted to check in on him again. As they approached the door to Ambrosius’ realm, it opened and Aleksa appeared. She greeted them curtly and left rather quickly.

“Well, that was unusual,” Antonius mumbled.

“Indeed,” Luna concurred,
“she usually is more loquacious.”

“We can ask Marcus if he knows what’s wrong.”

They entered the Apothecarium and met with Marcus. He had grown quite a bit and had become much more muscular. As usual, he was eating, but he did not seem to be happy at all.

“What in Equestria is that?” Luna asked with a hint of disgust.

“Concentrated nutrients and minerals to help my skeleton adapt,” Marcus mumbled between two bites.

“So everything is going according to plan?” Antonius inquired.

“Hmm… my Lord.”

“What about Aleksa?”

Marcus stopped eating.

“What about her?” he asked.

“She seemed a little… terse.”

“Nothing to worry about, Lord Antonius.”

“Do I hear thunder in paradise?”

“My Lord?”

“Well… a problem in an otherwise happy environment,” Antonius explained and turned to Luna:
“that’s how it’s said, isn’t it? Or did I accidentally just invent a phrase of sorts?”

“Do not ask me,” Luna replied,
“as you know, I have been out of the loop for a thousand years and I am still trying to catch up with the countless new expressions and proverbs that came up in that time. And I do not know anything about the rest of the galaxy. But I do get what you mean.”

“Good! Now, Marcus, as your Chapter Master I’m responsible for your well-being. So, spill the beans, maybe we can help.”

“Is that an order, my Lord?” Marcus inquired.

“No,” Antonius responded,
“just a recommendation. From brother to brother. From friend to friend.”

Marcus hesitated for a second, then he nodded and said:

“Well, it’s… complicated. Aleksa and I were… umm…”

“A couple,” Luna finished.

“You know that?!” Marcus called, dumbfounded.

“Seriously, Marcus,” Antonius told him flatly,
“that’s probably the most public secret in the history of the Ultramarines. But what’s the problem?”

“You see, my Lord, we both know that me becoming a Space Marine is the right choice. Still, it’s… somewhat sad that we had to… abort our relationship.”

“And why did you have to do that?”

“Such dependencies are not allowed… but you know that… my Lord?”

“Well, in our chapter, it will be allowed. As long as it doesn’t hamper one’s duty, that is. It would be rather hypocritical if I banned relationships while being in a relationship with Luna.”

“Oh! That… sorry, but that would have been good to know.”

“Yeah, I honestly didn’t think about creating a new set of rules for our chapter. Maybe we should inherit the rules of the Ultramarines and just create little supplements where necessary… but back to our topic: Shall I talk to her? I could credibly tell her that you don’t have to end your relationship… and unlike you, I’m allowed to leave the Apothecarium.”

“Actually, I would like to tell her myself, but since I’m stuck here… thank you, my Lord. She should be in her quarters.”

“No problem, Marcus. I’ll go to see her now.”

At that moment, a vox call came in:

“Antonius, please meet me in the hangar,” Calgar said,
“the pony staff is about to arrive.”

“On my way,” Antonius replied, then he turned to the others:
“Great timing, huh?”

“You go to the hangar,” Luna smiled,
“I will meet with Aleksa. It is probably better if this is a discussion amongst females, anyway.”

“I don’t even want to think about the possible meaning of this,” Antonius said.

Luna’s smile grew bigger.

Luna approached the door to Aleksa’s quarters. While her mission was rather unusual for the Princess of the Night and more in the territory of the Princess of Love, she knew that she - as the only pony with experience when it came to relationships with a Space Marines - was the right pony to talk to the human woman. She just had to let out her ‘inner Cadance’.

She knocked at the door.

“Come in,” Aleksa called.

Luna did so and greeted:

“Hello, Aleksa.”

The tech-priest was in the same, slightly gloomy mood she had displayed when leaving the Apothecarium.

“Hello, Princess Luna. I did not expect your visit. Can I help you somehow?” she asked.

“Actually, I am here to help you.”

“In what matter? I don’t think that I need any help.”

“I cannot agree with you in that regard. You are downcast because you ended your relationship with Marcus. And as I said, I am here to help you.”

Aleksa looked quite uncomfortable as she replied:

“There is nothing you can do. And I really don’t like to discuss such personal matters with you, even though I’m sure you are well meaning.”

“Even if I tell you that your relationship is actually permitted?”

“It is what?” Aleksa exclaimed.

“Well, since Antonius is in a relationship with me, he also allows his fellow brothers to maintain relationships. That of course includes you and Marcus.”

“Really? That’s great! I mean, It’s good to know.”

“You do not need to hold back when talking to me, Aleksa. You may be happy openly.”

A grin appeared on the woman’s face, then it vanished and she asked:

“So, we’re allowed to be a couple, but is it possible? I mean, technically?”

“Why not?” Luna inquired, suddenly a little alarmed.

“Well, there’s the difference in size…”

“It is the same with me and Antonius, and I still do not let that deter me.”

“So… it works?”

“What do you mean by ‘it’? Oh! Now I know what you are talking about! Umm… I think so.”

“You think so? I thought you… have some… first-hand experience? Or… first hoof?”

Hmm… this had gotten way more personal than Luna had imagined, but since she already had gone that far, she would not stop now.

“To be honest, no. Tony and I have the same worries you have, and we do not want to rush things. I am quite certain, though, that everything will work out to perfect mutual satisfaction.
Oh, that was a somewhat unfortunate choice of words… In any case, I do not think that you have to worry, especially since you have those augmentations of yours.”

“And you are considered to be a demi-goddess.”

“So, there are good omens for both of us,” Luna grinned.

Antonius entered the hangar just as the Thunderhawk with the ponies onboard touched down. The ramp opened and the ponies filed out. Among them were two mares he knew quite well.

“Hello, Lyra! Hello, Bon Bon!” he greeted.

“Hi, Antonius!” they replied.

“I wasn’t surprised in the slightest to read your names on the list of volunteers.”

“Of course,” Lyra beamed,
“I’d never pass up the chance to help you - and see a human space-ship.”

“While I generally appreciate enthusiasm for mankind and its creations,” Calgar said as he approached them,
“I have to remind you that this is not a sight-seeing trip. Stay within the assigned areas.”

“We certainly will, Lord Calgar,” Bon Bon quickly assured him.

A tech-priest came for the ponies and guided them to into the ship just as Luna entered the hangar.

“Success?” Antonius asked.

“Oh yes, I think so,” Luna smiled.

“Should I even ask?” Calgar inquired.

“Nothing troublesome,” Antonius replied,
“I’ve just found out that there’s more to being a Chapter Master than just tactical or organizational skill. It’s also about the well-being - physical as well as emotional - of your brothers.”

“Right, to be honest, though, there’s usually an Apothecarius to help with the physical and a Chaplain to help with the emotional well-being.”

“Well, in this specific case, I think Luna was the better choice to go to for help.”

“That’s at your discretion, but don’t hesitate to ask for help or advice should you need any. Now, let’s go to the conference room. We have to discuss the current state of affairs.”

“A peculiar wording,” Luna grinned, much to Calgar’s confusion.

Calgar, Tigurius, Cassius, Seneca, Ambrosius, Antonius, Luna, Gearhart, Gentle Breeze and Al were all brought up to date during their meeting. The restoration of the ship was ahead of its schedule, the titan project also made progress and Marcus’ transformation went off without a hitch.

“A problem we are facing,” Gearhart said,
“is that we will not be able to run the ship due to our lack of qualified personnel.”

“What about the machine spirit?” Seneca asked.

“It can sustain the basic functions, but it is unable to operate the ship at full capacity.”

“We could train ponies to help you.” Luna offered.

“Generous, but inefficient,” Gearhart told them,
“the ship was designed for humans, so ponies will not be able to completely replace them. Furthermore, we would need to train hundreds of them to a level that cannot be expected to be reached by a species that just got introduced to void-capable technology.”

“I refuse to believe that we have a Gloriana and can’t use it,” Calgar stated,
“we have to find a way.”

“I could probably help,” Al said.

They all looked at the screen that depicted his portrait.

“You intent to automate the ship’s functions?” Gearhart guessed.

“Correct.”

“So, you want to put yourself in control of a Gloriana?”

“Since you don’t have enough crewman to operate the ship, and the ponies cannot make up for this lack, I see no other chance at getting it fully operational again.”

“I am not able to detect a flaw in your argumentation.”

“Is such an… automatization possible at all?” Cassius asked.

“It would require extensive modifications,” Gearhart said,
“but it is possible. Since we already are maintaining every single system, the moment would actually be convenient - if we want to do it.”

“That is Antonius’ decision,” Calgar stated.

The newly appointed Chapter Master nodded:

“As I see it, it’s our only chance. Passing on a Gloriana would be extremely unadvisable - especially since this one is equipped with technology straight from the Golden Age. So, I say we follow Al’s advice. Al, Gearhart, when can we start and what do we need to do?”

“I am not yet able to produce the necessary equipment,” Al said,
“but I will soon be able to do so. In the meantime, you could prepare the systems onboard the ship.”

“You will need a connection to the machine spirit’s mainframe, I presume?” Gearhart inquired.

“Actually, I’m aiming for a more thorough integration to create an independent system. When we’re done, a derivate of my STC system will run on the ship.”

“A ‘derivate’?” Tigurius wanted to know.

“Yes. Another ‘me’, if you want. I intend to keep it synchronized to my main entity.”

“I assumed you would transfer the entire STC system to the ship.” Gearhart said.

“No, the STC system will be built into the fortress monastery. The ship will get a STC system that’s adapted to voidships - and plans for all kinds of STC systems, of course.”

“Sounds good,” Antonius opined,
“apropos ‘fortress monastery’: how’s it going?”

“I’m still excavating the mountain range. Additional matter converters and production units have been constructed to speed up the process of building the fortress monastery. The foundations of the outer walls have been built, too.”

“Hmm… I guess I should have a look at things down on the surface… Ambrosius, do you still need me as a reference?”

“No,” he answered,
“I have enough data to properly evaluate Marcus’ transformation.”

“So, when do you plan to leave?” Calgar asked.

“When the Thunderhawk is ready for departure.”

“I assume you will accompany him, Princess?”

“Yes,” Luna replied.

“Might I suggest traveling to Saddle-Arabia to acquire the silversteel we need?” Gearhart interjected.

“Good idea,” Antonius concurred.

“Gentle Breeze, what about you?” Calgar continued.

“My Lord,” she answered,
“I’d like to stay onboard and continue working with Titanius.”

“No objections. Antonius, is there anything else you need or anyone you’d like to join you?”

“To be honest, Lord Calgar, yes,” Antonius told him,
“up to this point, the ponies have gotten to know only me. I think it might be prudent if you visited them more often, so that they got to know you, too.”

“Me?”

“Yes. You are in command of the Ultramarines here. It would be a nice gesture to be a little more… approachable for the ponies.”

Calgar laughed.

“I see you have taken some lessons in politics,” he said,
“and you are right. I will accompany you to the surface.”

“I will join you, too,” Tigurius stated,
“I will use the opportunity to have a look at the magic the ponies use.”

“I will stay here and keep an eye on everything,” Cassius said.

“Good,” Calgar said,
“now, let’s end this discussion and get going.”