Star Trek Equestria: Reformatted: Wild Access

Chapters

Episode 1: Prelude of things to come
Episode 2: Baby's first steps
Episode 3: Adrift
Episode 4: Sinking Feeling
Episode 5: Narrow Horror
Episode 6: New Face, Old Conflicts
Episode 8: New Officers, doubling fronts
Episode 9: Survey Chaos (Edited)
Episode 10: Equestria, we have a problem
Episode 11: New Friends
Episode 12: Finding Common Ground amidst Chaos
Episode 13: Nightmarish situations
Episode 14: Case of the Phantom
Chapter 15: Caught
Episode 16: Chop the Head Off the Snake
Episode 17: Security and Unity
Episode 18: Throwing the Kitchen Sink
Episode 19: The Next Generation
Episode 20: Where'd They Go?
Episode 21: Blast From the Past
Episode 23: Pheonix Rising
Episode 24: Rising Tensions
Episode 25: Tense Reprieve
Episode 26: Pest Control
Episode 7: Making friends and threats
Episode 22: Welcome to the Future

Episode 1: Prelude of things to come

In an undisclosed location, a woman snarled at her minion. “For millennia, Cybertron has remained hidden. Only one thing able to reveal its location. And all that stands between us and Cybertron’s destruction is a single ship and crew.” She growled. So, where ARE THEY!"

“Unknown m’lady.” The minion replied. “It appears they have gone under cloak. A type of cloaking we cannot penetrate.”

“Imbecile! The Cyber Compass is finally vulnerable after so many years, and you STILL failed!” The woman growled.

“We shall not fail again ma’am!” The minion responded, terrified.

“FIND THEM!” The woman growled, scaring the minion off.

With the Minion gone, the woman felt a tingle in her stubby horn. She grimaced. “We WILL get that Compass. Cybertron will be yours my lord.” She said.

Space: The final frontier. This is the story of the USS Equestria. A ship fresh out of construction, with a crew fresh from the Academy. Together they will embark on a mission of discovery, and evolution. They will explore a strange new frontier, seek out new life and a new civilization, and boldly go farther than anyone has ever gone.

“Chief Engineer’s log: Stardate 32120531.09. We are about ten days into our voyage to JungleTron and the USS Equestria is holding station over an asteroid, currently undergoing a mining operation to mine as much of the Energon detected in the asteroid surface as we can. Meanwhile, I’m working on a way to stretch out our supply, and simultaneously make feeding these Cybertronians more efficient.”

In the shuttlebay of the USS Equestria, Kasey and a team of Engineers were hard at work building a machine. “So how long does it take to process a single Cube of Energon?” One Engineer asked.

“According to Teletran, about a half hour for the size of cube that Harmony needs.” Kasey responded.

“And to process the crystals into its liquefied form, about 20 minutes.” Another Engineer added.

“Exactly.” Teletran chimed in. “And in its liquid form, it provides greater nutrition for Cybertronians than cubes. Well, normal Cybertronians anyway. Harmony still needs a cube a day.” He said.

“You guys chew through this stuff fast don’t you.” An engineer commented.

“One cube split into 64 smaller cubes will last me and Blitzwing 4 days.” Cliff said. “And Harmony needs one who cube a day.”

“So we go through five cubes every four days.” Kasey calculated. “And we only found 12 cubes in the Derelict.”

“So it’s a good thing we found this Energon Deposit when we did.” Teletran said. “Otherwise we wouda been in trouble.”

Kasey nodded, before everyone heard the machine they were working on power up. Kasey smiled as she stepped back. “Alright! Our new Energon Processing and Fueling Station is online.” She reported.

“Time to test?” Cliffjumper, who had busied himself offloading the mined Energon Crystals the mining teams brought back in their shuttles.

“Testing Time.” Kasey said as she called up her tricorder hud. “Everyone step back. Just in case this thing blows.” She said.

Everyone stepped back as Kasey tapped at her HUD. “Power levels stable, All systems appear to be nominal. Cliffjumper, introduce the raw energon.” She said.

Cliffjumper took a crystal he had just offloaded and placed it on top of a clear tank. Once the crystal was settled, Kasey hit the initiation button. “Commencing processing.” She reported.

The Crystal glowed a shade of red and a blue liquid started filling the tank, with each drop, the crystal got smaller. Kasey smiled. “Ladies and Gentlebots, I do believe we have a functional Energon Processor.” She announced.

“We won’t know for sure until it finishes processing and we test its viability.” Teletran said. “Luckily we’ll know in twenty minutes.”

Kasey nodded as she tapped her combadge. “Lt Cmdr Baker to Bridge, our new Energon Processor is online. Processing an energon sample for viability testing now.” She said.

On the Bridge, Sela responded. “Acknowledged chief, I want an update once your tests are complete.” She said.

“Aye sir.” Kasey responded as the connection was cut. Soon after, Norman received a new signal on his console.

“Commander.” Norman said. “We’re getting a signal from Blitzwing.”

“Put it through.” Sela responded.

A few seconds later, Blitzwing’s voice came up. “Blitz to Equestria, no sign of Terrorcon activity in this asteroid field. We’re the only ones.” He reported.

“Acknowledged Blitzwing. But stay sharp. We do not know when or where they will attack, but we do know that they WILL attack.” Sela told him. “We will be unable to evade them forever.”

“Hmph, just let them come. They don’t stand a chance.” Blitz responded. “You guys seemed to handle them well last time.”

“I am reasonably certain that the Cyber Compass is what won us that skirmish Blitzwing, we cannot rely on it every time.”

“If you say so Commander.” Blitz responded. “Blitzwing out.” With that, the connection was cut.

Risa shook her head. “He makes it sound like the Terrorcons last time were a cakewalk.” She commented.

“Even at full power, our phasers took 4 shots to kill a single Terrorcon.” Yamik said. “At a fire rate of 2 shots per second, two seconds could be the difference between life and death against those things.”

“And we don’t know what our ship’s weapons can do against a Terrorcon ship since Blitz destroyed the last one before we could fire on it.” Shron commented.

“Do not worry Lt Cmdr Darklight.” Sela responded. “I am confident you will get to shoot at a ship sooner rather than later.”

“If I might chime in, I would prefer we avoid engaging the Terrorcons for as long as possible.” Harmony commented.

“Precisely why we have the Cloak Harmony.” Risa responded. “It is an added layer of stealth.”

“Even so, it would be unwise to stay in one place for too long. Norman, patch us through to the mining team.” Sela said.

“Patching you through now Commander.” Norman responded as he opened a channel. “You’re on.”

“This is Commander Sela to Mining Exhibition, Captain Maxima what is your status?” Sela asked.

Down on the asteroid, Proxima Maxima, NOT wearing a spacesuit, tapped her combadge to respond to Sela. “Making good progress down here commander, I’d say the Bottleneck is the shuttle capacity more than anything else. Did Baker give an update on the processor?” She asked as she lit her horn and shot a laser at another Energon Crystal, cutting it at its base.

“The Energon Processor is online. We should know if it produces Viable Energon soon.” Sela reported.

“Good news. Teletran said liquid Energon was somehow more efficient than unprocessed and cubed energon, correct?” Proxima asked.

“He did. If the processor works, it could stretch our supply of Energon significantly.” Sela responded.

“Affording us the benefit of not being idle for too long.” Proxima said. “Are there any shuttles left? Or anything?” She asked.

“All our auxiliary craft are assigned to cargo detail. The only other thing we have would be the DOTs. However it would take several of them to lift a single Energon crystal.” Sela responded.

“Any assistance would help commander, send all available DOTs.” Proxima replied.

“Acknowledged Captain.” Sela responded as the connection cut.

Proxima nodded and went back to her task, which, along with several other Equestria Crew members, was mining. She magically lifted all the crystals she had mined and brought them out to the loading area. “Lieutenant, the DOTs are being deployed to help us carry the stuff up to the ship.” Proxima told the supervising officer.

“Sounds great Captain.” The officer responded. “Also, how is it fair that you don’t need a space suit but the rest of us do?” They asked in a not so serious tone.

Proxima giggled at the joke question. “Some of us are just born with that ability.” She said. “I certainly won’t say no to being able to breathe in space.”

“All of Starfleet envies you Captain.” The officer said.

“Oh but do they envy your foolish excursion into Extra Galactic Space?” Said a male voice.

Proxima and the officer glanced around, confused, until they saw a man in a Starfleet Captain’s uniform. And nothing else.

Proxima and the officer glanced at each other. Both wondering what or who this person was. “Uhm, hi?” Proxima said.

“Bonjour mon capitaine.” The man responded. “I will get straight to the point. You and your crew do not belong all the way out here. Go back, or you will regret it.” He said. Proxima and the officer could see that he had a serious look on his face.

Another glance between the legitimate Starfleet Officers, both confused. “And you are…?” The officer asked.

“Surely your Starfleet Records mention me. I gained notoriety as Jean-Luc Picard’s guide. His best friend. I also encountered Captain Janeway a few times and I warned your kind about the borg in the 24th Century. And we are the ones that put up the barrier to keep the lot of you safe from what’s out here.” The man said.

Proxima’s eyes widened. “Q!” She identified the man, realizing who he was.

“In the flesh.” Q said before he raised his hand and snapped his fingers. Both he and Proxima disappeared in a flash of light, leaving the supervising officer all alone with the Energon. Once they recovered from the shock, they tapped their combadge.

“Ensign Brackley to Equestria, the Q took the captain.” They said.

“The Q?” Asked Norman. “They haven’t bothered us for centuries.”

“Well they’re back sir.” The officer responded.

In a desert environment, Proxima glared at Q, who had taken them there. “Where the hell are we Q?” She asked.

“In the continuum itself. In a state that is perceptible to the likes of your kind.” Q responded.

“Why did you bring me here.” Proxima demanded.

“I told you. The Federation does not belong in Extra Galactic Space. There are dangers out there the likes of which you cannot possibly fathom.” Q responded.

“We’re WELL aware of Unicron. Of that I can assure you.” Proxima responded. “And given that we are STILL out there even after we faced the Terrorcon threat. I can also assure you that we are aware of the risks and have accepted them.”

Q chuckled. “Oh Captain, you really believe Unicron is the ONLY threat out there. There are things out there that defy Logic itself. Things that can and WILL affect you and your crew for years to come should you encounter them.” He said.

“As I said.” Proxima replied. “We know the risks. But we have a mission that is worth that risk. Unless you’re willing to snap our three Cybertronians back to Cybertron yourself, and supply us with an infinite amount of Energon to keep Harmony CyberSpark running indefinitely. We’re pressing forward.” She declared. “I suggest you stay out of our way.” She warned.

Q stayed silent to that. At first Proxima was confused, expecting Q to have a comeback to that, but when she saw the look on his face, she came up with a possibility. “I see…either you are unwilling to do such things, or UNABLE to.” She said.

“...Cybertron has remained hidden even from us ever since their great war.” Q admitted.

Proxima couldn’t help but let out a snicker at that. “A planet hidden even from the all powerful Q. And yet you would deny our three passengers the right to their homeworld.” She said.

“I’m not Denying them anything. You can just leave them on an asteroid and they can find their own way back.” Q countered.

“If they could they would have.” Proxima responded. “Send me back to my ship. We’re pressing on and you cannot convince me to do otherwise.” She declared.

“Fine. If you won’t listen to my advice. Perhaps a demonstration is in order.” Q responded. “Enjoy dealing with the Terrorcons.” He said.

Proxima blinked, realizing what Q might do. “Wait! Hold—“ Q snapped her back to the Equestria’s bridge before she could finish.

On the Bridge, everyone stared at Proxima, who just appeared in the flash of light. “Captain?” Sela asked, standing up from the Captain’s chair.

Proxima took a moment to process what just happened, and then decided to speak. “Red Alert, Weapons to full power. Get the Mining teams back on board. Now!” She ordered.

“What’s going on?” Shron asked.

“We’re about to have Terrorcons on us. I’ll explain later.” Proxima responded as she tapped her combadge. “Blitzwing. Return to Ship. We’re gonna need you to help us with Terrorcons.” She said.

“Terrorcons? But I never found any in this area.” Blitzwing responded.

“I’ve been informed they’re coming. Get back to Ship now!” Proxima told him.

“Alright.’ Blitz responded as the connection cut and the ship went to Red Alert.

Norman checked the incoming message on his console. “Good news captain, we’ve mined as much Energon as we can realistically carry. DOTs and Shuttles returning to Ship and crew are beaming back.” He reported.

“Raise shields the second everything’s onboard, and tell them to double time it.” Proxima said. “We’re gonna try to get out of here before the Terrorcons arrive but I doubt we’ll be able to do that.”

“Captain, it was reported the Q took you from the asteroid, what did they have to say?” Harmony asked.

“I’ll explain later but suffice to say they’re bringing to Terrorcons here. So be ready for anything and everything.” Proxima said. “Prestine! Spore Bridge generator?”

“Online and fully charged captain.” Lt Cmdr Prestine responded.

“Good. Prime it, if we’re able to we’re bridging out of here.” Proxima responded.

“Not happening. I’m detecting three Terrorcon Patrol Vessels dropping out of warp. They’re headed right for us!” Shron called out.

Down in the Shuttlebay, Starfleet officer, and Teletran and Cliff were scrambling to get everything squared away and everything back onboard. “Get that Energon into the confines of the forcefield. Lockdown all essential and critical components. And make sure all phasers are set to maximum power. No stunning this time.” Baker said as she directed the chaos.

Cliffjumper fist bumped himself before his hands transformed into blasters. “Looks like it’s Terrorcon busting time.” He said.

On a Terrorcon ship, a minion sent a signal to its superiors. “M’lady, we have a visual on the ship.” It reported.

“What? But you just reported no sign of them.” The lady on the other end said.

“We experienced something that made us change locations.” The minion responded.

“Hm. Well, no matter, get that Cyber Compass!” The lady growled.

“Yes M’lady.” The minion said as the three ships moved in on the Equestria.

On the Equestria’s bridge, Norman received a notification on his console. “Captain. All personnel and Energon are onboard.” He reported.

“Shields up! Shron, let’s even the odds with Multi-Vector Mode.” Proxima ordered.

“Aye captain!” Shron responded as he set up Multi Vector Mode.

The three segments of the USS Equestria split apart from each other and each targeted a different ship.

Meanwhile, some distance from the resulting battle, Blitzwing rocketed through space. “Of course Unicron couldn’t leave us alone for a bit longer.” He commented. He turned an Asteroid and came within visual range of the battle. He saw each of Equestria’s three segments battling a Terrorcon ship. He also saw several smaller ships chasing the beta segment, which had the Shuttlebay. “Oh no they don’t.” He said. He figured Equestria was rotating shield frequencies to make it harder for the Terrorcons to beam onto the ship, so they decided to use boarding craft. Yeah that was not happening. Blitzwing altered his course to intercept the shuttles and proceeded to unleash his weaponry on them, firing his laser cannons and unloading his missile payload. “Blitzwing to Equestria, the cavalry has arrived to prevent boarders.” He reported.

“Much appreciated Blitzwing.” Sela responded. “Maybe when you are done with the enemy shuttles you might help with the patrol ships.” She said.

“Just give me a minute and we’ll be done here.” Blitzwing responded.

“Acknowledged.” Captain Maxima responded. “Let’s finish this quickly. Attack Pattern Delta 2.” She declared.

Beans of energy and torpedos were flying in all directions. After Mopping up the shuttles, Blitzwing turned his own weaponry against the patrol ships. “Eat Decepticon superiority you Terrocreeps!” He growled as he laid in on the ships.

On the Bridge of the Equestria, the saucer section rocked and sparks exploded out of the wall consoles. “Shields down to 90%!” Shron reported.

“Boarders?” Proxima asked.

“Negative. Remodulation is working.” Shron responded.

“All the same, it can fail at any moment so everyone keep their guard up.” Yamik advised.

“Damage?” Sela asked.

“Power surges reported on several decks, no critical damage.” Norman reported.

“Damage to the enemy?”

“Two ships destroyed. One going critical, explosion imminent.” Shron reported.

“Then what the heck are we still doing here? Blitzwing, get back onboard, let’s get the Equestria back together and get out of here!” Proxima ordered.

“Aye aye captain.” Blitzwing responded as he throttled it back to the Equestria’s Shuttlebay. The Saucer section formed up with the beta and gamma sections and they all reconnected together.

On the bridge, people started calling out. “Blitz is back onboard.”

“All segments reconnected.”

“Helm. Warp 9! Floor it!” Proxima ordered.

Even though Helm responded and threw the ship into warp, everyone on the bridge looked at Proxima. Proxima glanced around and deduced what they were eying her for. “Not feeling Floor it eh?” She asked.

“Not your best choice.” Risa said.

“I’ll get it eventually. Risa, engage the cloak.” Proxima said.

“Aye captain.” Risa responded. “Now that we’re out of danger, Senior staff meeting in 20 minutes.” She said. “Sela you have the Con, I’ll be in my ready room.” With that, she walked off the bridge into her ready room.

With her gone, Sela transferred to sitting in the Captain’s chair. “Harmony, are you still receiving signals from our communications buoys?” She asked.

“Yes commander, I’m still picking up their signals, why?” Harmony asked.

“Because For all we knew, Q might have tampered with them. Cmdr Norman, run a full diagnostic and send a test signal through to Starfleet. Just to be sure.” Sela instructed.

“Yes sir.” Norman responded, carrying out the order.

In her ready room, Proxima was busy accessing sensor data of the surrounding region and overlaying it with the 10-C’s star charts. “Yep, Q definitely snapped them within our range.” She discovered after analyzing the data.

“And maybe I shoulda snapped even MORE of them to you.” Said a familiar male voice.

Proxima’s ears perked up and she glanced up from her desk’s screen to see Q standing there looking all smug. “Q.” She said, the venom in her voice apparent.

“Well I must say you handled those things well.” Q said. “Clever little crew aren’t you.”

“Yeah. We are.” Proxima responded. “Now. Get the hell off my ship. And if you show up here unannounced again, YOU will regret it. Big time.” She warned.

“Oh captain. Don’t think I’ll leave you alone. I haven’t seen such potential in a crew since my old friend Jean-Luz Picard and his crew were around.” Q said. “I’ll see you around Mon Capitaine.” He said before he snapped and disappeared in a flash.

Proxima inwardly gulped at that admittedly chilling phrase. She had read about Picard’s encounters with Q in school, was she about to go through something similar?

“Captain. Should we be worried about Q?” Harmony asked.

“Nah. He’s more a frenemy than an actual enemy. He won’t harm us directly. But all the same, if he ever comes around, you can be damn sure we won’t like what he does.” Proxima responded.

“Do you believe he knows about the cyber compass? He might use that in his tricks.” Harmony said.

“I don’t know what he knows. But he’ll regret it if he messes with the compass.” Proxima replied, before realizing something. “…I wonder if he’ll be able to snap your T-Cog into working order…” She mused.

“Sela to Maxima, we’ve received a hail from an unknown location, the caller’s demanding to speak to you.” Sela said through the intercom.

“Acknowledged.” Proxima responded. She walked back out onto the bridge to see the lights off, and a hue of purple in her spectrum receptors. She turned her head over to the viewscreen, and saw a dark gray mare with a stubby horn, and clearly visible mechanical wings. “What the hell?” She asked. “An Equestr-“

“I am NOT an Equestrian. I am beyond what those puny ponies are!” The lady growled before she composed herself and smirked. “You must be captain Maxima. The captain of the ship holding what we want.” She said.

“And you are…?” Proxima asked.

“Call me Bio Bionic. Unicron’s most trusted and loyal servant.” Bio responded. “I shall get right to the point. You will surrender the Cyber Compass to us. Immediately.”

“Yeah. We’re not doing that.” Proxima responded.

“You may have gotten lucky so far Captain. But luck always runs out.” Bio said. “Give us what we want, or I swear upon the anti-Spark that gives me power, you will not be safe anywhere you travel within our operational range.” She said.

“Then bring it on Ms. Bionic.” Proxima responded. “You’ll find that we’re tougher than we seem.”

“We shall see Captain.” Bio responded, before the connection cut.

Once the connection cut and the lights turned back on, Sela turned to Norman. “Could you trace the signal?” She asked.

“Negative. She must’ve used some kind of scrambler.” Norman responded.

“That’s unfortunate. Woulda liked to know where we can go to phaser that mare straight into oblivion.” Yamik commented.

“Something tells me she wouldn’t be that easy to take out.” Proxima said.

“So what do we do now captain?” Risa asked.

“We stay the course. Evade when we can, fight when we need to, and Survive all the way to Cybertron.” Proxima responded.

“Sounds good to me.” Norman replied.

“Helm, are we on a direct course to Jungletron?” Proxima asked.

“A course correction is required captain.” The helm officer responded.

“Make it happen Mr. Paris. Maximum warp.” Proxima ordered.

“Aye captain.” Mr. Paris responded as he corrected their course.

Proxima took her seat back in the Captain’s chair and Sela glanced at her. “We are really in it now it would seem.” She commented.

“In it for the long haul Commander. In it for the long haul.” Proxima responded, as the USS Equestria and those aboard her accelerated to warp after the course correction.

To be continued…

Author's Note

Welcome to Volume two of Star Trek Equestria Reformatted. Wild Access.

Thanks to NicLove for allowing me the use of Bio Bionic in this series.

THX FOR READING! And for those who Celebrate it, happy Easter

Episode 2: Baby's first steps

In one of the Equestria’s few Holodecks, Harmony’s blue orb was floating in front of a mannequin. “Hm. which Species to go with. So many in the database to choose from…” She mused. She had been working on this little side project of hers for some time now, and she was almost done.

After a moment, she heard a male’s voice through her internal combadge system. “Harmony, it’s Ensign Teller, the Plasma Injectors need to be cleaned. I’d like you to do that.” The Ensign said.

“Acknowledged. I shall do that.” Harmony responded, remembering what the captain had told her following Blitzwing’s hijack. She closed the program and went off to find the captain.

“Captain’s Log Stardate 32120607.09, we’ve dropped out of warp in direct proximity to a school of alien creatures, our first Scientific discovery since coming out here. Lt Cmdr. Prestine has been tasked with learning all she could about the creatures.”

“They have gills, and they have fins and tails that act as solar sails. They appear to be the space equivalent of sea creatures.” Prestine reported.

Proxima nodded, she and the bridge crew were all staring at the viewscreen to see a group of space faring creatures that they had encountered along their path to Jungletron. Suffice to say, they had dropped out of warp. “Amazing.” Proxima commented.

“Space whales out here in Extra galactic space.” Norman said. “I wonder where they came from.”

“For now, we can only speculate, as we do not know how long these creatures have been traveling for.” Sela commented.

They all watched as a smaller creature turned its head towards the ship, and change course to move towards them. “I think we got their attention.” Yamik commented.

“Shall I ready weapons?” Shron asked, to which everyone on the bridge gave him a ‘Seriously?’ looked. “They could be dangerous for all we know. Remember who is currently hunting us, for all we know–”

“Commander. Enough.” Proxima cut Shron off. “Our sensor readings place the nearest presence of Dark Energon many lightyears away from our current position.”

“And if they were servants of Unicron, or that Bio Bionic lady, they would have attacked us by now.” Norman added.

“Still, Caution is always advised out here.” Shron responded.

“Would going to Yellow Alert make you feel better Shron?” Yamik asked. “I could let all security staff know to watch out for spraying water.”

“Funny.” Shron said with an eyeroll while the rest of the bridge, minus Sela, chuckled. They all turned their attention back to the little Space Whale, who was doing a little dance in front of them, with a heavy emphasis on nudging its head towards the school. “Curious.” Sela said. “If I am not mistaken, I do believe our new friend wants us to join them.” She deduced.

Proxima nodded in agreement with that assessment and made a decision. “Ya know what? Why not? Mr. Paris, assume formation with the school of Space Whales. Our secondary mission out here is to explore and learn all we can. Let’s do just that.” She ordered.

“Aye captain. This should be fun.” Mr. Paris responded as he maneuvered the Equestria to fly in formation with the school of Space whales, matching their speed.

As everyone continued to watch the majestic creatures, Harmony’s blue orb appeared in front of Proxima. “Captain, if I may, I would like to commandeer a DOT-23 for a bit.” Harmony requested.

“For what reason if I may ask?” Proxim asked.

“Ensign Teller told me to clean the plasma injectors and to do that I need a physical body.” Harmony responded.

Norman heard that and raised an eyebrow. “Ensign Teller? I specifically told HIM to do that.” He said.

“He just told me to do it.” Harmony responded. “Would you like me to do it or not?”

Norman, Sela, and Proxima all glanced at each other, coming to the same thought. Norman tapped his combadge. “Mr. Teller, report to the bridge. On the double.” He ordered.

“Is there something wrong Captain?” Harmony asked.

“Ensign Teller just shirked off his duties to you. In Starfleet that is a big no.” Proxima responded.

“Is he not my superior officer? If I recall correctly, you did instruct me that anyone wearing a Combadge was my superior.” Harmony said.

Proxima’s eyes widened. She had forgotten she had told her that. “Harmony, what have you been told to do this past month?” She asked.

Harmony was about to respond, before Ensign Teller appeared on the bridge. “Ensign Teller reporting.” He said, not seeing that Harmony was there.

“Ensign Teller, I assume you’ve been cleaning the Plasma Injectors like you were told to?” Norman asked.

“Yes sir, I have.” Teller responded, totally lying to them.

“Oh, really?” Harmony asked. “I was just asking the captain if I could commandeer a DOT to do that.” She said.

Teller’s eyes widened and he turned to see Harmony’s Blue Orb floating right next to her. “Harmony?!” He exclaimed in shock.

THAT told the bridge crew all they needed to know. Norman shook his head. “Teller, follow me to the conference room.” He said as he started for the conference room connected to the bridge.

Teller, knowing he was busted, just decided to go with Norman. Proxima meanwhile refocused her attention on Harmony, who was confused. “Captain, I don’t understand, did Ensign Teller do something wrong?” She asked.

“He shirked off his duties, and then lied about it.” Proxima responded. “We’ll talk later Harmony, but for now, your orders will come only from me now.” She said.

“Yes Captain. Do you have something for me to do?” Harmony asked.

“Not at the moment, but perhaps it would be best if you retreated to the Holodeck and keep working on that avatar you sought permission to make.” Proxima responded.

“Aye captain.” Harmony responded before disappearing.

With her gone, Proxima turned to her senior staff. “Relay to your departments. Any officer found to be shirking their duties off to another without just cause will be reprimanded. I will not have anyone taking advantage of another on this ship.” She ordered.

“Aye captain.” The bridge crew responded.

Sela meanwhile approached Proxima and leaned into whisper. “Captain, might we talk in your ready room? I believe there is an underlying issue that we have been neglecting until now.” She said.

Proxima nodded and gestured for the two to go to her ready room. Once the door closed, she turned back to Sela. “I take it the issue relates to Harmony?” She asked.

“A month ago, we laid out for her a chain of command as to avoid another hijacking.” Sela said. “However, in doing so, we opened the door for opportunities for the crew to take advantage of Harmony’s trusting nature. Just as Blitzwinger did.” She explained.

“Right.” Proxima said. “I told her anyone wearing a combadge was her superior, I probably should have worded it a little different.” She deduced.

“That would go along with fixing the issue, however Harmony is still young. She needs to learn that she must not take anything she is told in stride.” Sela said. “And with the critical nature of our mission, it is something we must correct before it becomes greater than we can manage.”

“Right, I’m open to ideas.” Proxima responded.

“There are a few ideas, however, not one comes without challenges.” Sela responded.

“In any event, we must ensure that Harmony learns what she needs to learn. Our lives are in her hands. We must be able to trust her judgment.” Proxima responded.

“Indeed.” Sela responded. “Shall I go talk to Cliffjumper and ask if Titans go through any special education?” She asked.

“Might as well.” Proxima responded. “And while you’re at it, ask if Titans hold any special ranks in an organization like Starfleet.” She added.

“Of course, Captain.” Sela responded.

“Dismissed.” Proxima said.

Sela nodded and left. Proxima, now alone in her Ready Room, sighed. “A month out here…” She mused. She tapped her combadge after a second. “Commander Yamik, to my ready room. I would like for us to go through the security systems and find any further incidents of crewmen shirking their duties off to Harmony.” She said.

“Aye captain.” Yamik responded.

Meanwhile, in the Equestria’s shuttlebay, Cliff, Blitz, and Teletran were huddled in an isolated area of the bay, Teletran projecting Proxima’s pod for them to see. “This thing is still trying to keep secrets. But I have managed to confirm that the pod contains Cybertronian code. And was programmed to head out to search for suitable DNA to apply to its occupant, Proxima.” He reported.

“So she’s not all pony like she believes.” Blitz deduced.

“Correct, only part Pony.” Teletran responded.

“So she’s an Equestrian Cybertronian Hybrid.” Cliff said.

“That’s my current leaning, or she is something else entirely. However, in order to know for sure, I must get this thing to–” Teletran said before he was stopped by a female voice calling to them.

“Cliffumper, Teletran. Do you two have a moment?” Asked Sela.

Teletran quickly closed the hologram and the three Cybertronians turned to see Sela approaching. “Commander.” Blitz acknowledged.

“What can we do for you?” Cliff asked.

“We need to talk. About Harmony.” Sela responded, getting to the point.

“Harmony?” Teletran asked.

“Yes. We just caught one of our officers taking advantage of Harmony’s trusting and innocent nature to get her to do their duties for them.” Sela replied.

“You mean someone pulled a Blitzwing?” Cliff asked.

Blitzwing facepalmed. “Oh for Primus’s sake.” He said, sighing.

“Indeed they did. And it has brought up a matter that we should not put off anymore.” Sela said.

“You mean her learning to not just take everything at face value?” Teletran asked.

“Exactly.” Sela responded. “Do either you or Teletran have any advice for educating Titans?” Sela asked Cliff. “Anything special we should be aware of?”

“Not really.” Cliff responded. “Conventional education should work just fine.”

“Are you certain? If there is a special education procedure for Titans, it is paramount that we not wait to implement them.” Sela said.

“Only thing is that Titans are bound to their City Speakers until said City Speaker perishes.” Blitzwing responded. “So if Starfleet ever thinks about reassigning the captain, that would be a BAD idea. And trust me, you do not want to know why.” He explained.

“Noted.” Sela responded. “Speaking of Starfleet, that brings me to my next question. In Cybertronian history, has a titan ever held a special rank of any kind?” She asked.

“Not to my knowledge.” Teletran responded. “On Cybertron, TItans are no different than regular Cybertronians. So they can hold any rank. Ensign, Lieutenant, so long as they’re qualified for the rank.” Teletran said. “Might I ask why you are interested in such information?” He asked.

“Because assuming all stars align, Harmony will be a commissioned officer of Starfleet eventually.” Sela responded.

“Oh? And what career would she go into? And would she not need a body that isn’t colossal in size?” Blitz asked.

“Her career path is her own choice. And I am told she is working on an avatar’s body right now.” Sela responded.

While Teletran and his Cybertronian friends glanced at each other, Sela walked off, tapping her combadge in the process. “Sela to Cmdr Baker, I have a special project for you.” She said.

“Stardate 32120601, Harmony performed a system Diagnostic on the warp core by herself.” Proxima read the log.

“I believe Lieutenant Malloy was assigned to assist her, but no sign of anyone at that console.” Yamik said.

“32120530, Harmony took control of a workbee to move cargo boxes in the Shuttlebay…While Ensign Kimmer apparently just sat on the side licking an Ice-Cream.”

“There are at least 30 counts of people telling Harmony to do things they themselves were assigned to do. And none of them have seemingly given just cause for delegating to Harmony.” Yamik said.

“Unbelievable. How did the crew even find out about my poorly worded instructions to Harmony?” Proxima asked. “It was literally only me, Sela, and Harmony in this room.”

“Either someone took a chance and discovered her instructions, or Harmony herself let it slip.” Yamik deduced. “Either way, I can count at least 6 times where delegating duties to Harmony was a serious risk to everyone on this ship. She just isn’t qualified to do these tasks herself.”

“Agreed.” Proxima responded. She and Yamik had spent the past half hour going through the ship’s logs, and very quickly started finding evidence that officers were shirking off their duties to Harmony. A practice that, as far as they could tell, dated all the way back to when they first left the galaxy. To say Proxima was disappointed would be putting it mildly. Every single officer on the ship graduated from the Academy with high marks and exemplary distinction. There was a reason they were chosen to crew the Equestria in the first place. To learn that these types of shenanigans were going on did not reflect the graduating class Proxima had spent the last four years with. “These are some of the finest officers the Academy has produced since it was reopened 22 years ago. You would think that they would know better.” She said.

“I hear ya cap’n.” Yamik responded.

At that moment, the door opened to reveal Norman. “Captain.” He acknowledged as he stepped in. “I’ve sent Ensign Teller down to clean the plasma injectors, and told him that that is now solely his responsibility until further notice.” He reported.

“Thank you Jack.” Proxima said.

“I heard you two were looking for similar incidents.” Norman commented.

Yamik let out a chuckle. “Hmph, 30 counts of Harmony being given tasks that were assigned to actual officers. And a fifth of those incidents put everyone on this ship at risk.” He said

“Whew. 30 incidents. This has to have been going on for longer than we thought.” Norman said.

“No kidding.” Proxima responded. “I had a sneaking suspicion that eventually someone would try this. But this has to have started the day we left drydock to be all the way out here.”

“So what are we going to do to ensure it doesn’t happen again?” Norman asked.

“For one, I’m going to revise my previous instructions. She is to only follow orders given directly by the senior staff unless expressly placed under the authority of a lower ranked officer.” Proxima responded.

“Good idea.” Yamik responded. “And maybe add to that, report any officer that attempts these shenanigans from now on.”

“That would be helpful.” Norman said.

“I’ll consider it.” Proxima responded. “Jack, you weren’t there when I told the senior staff, I want it relayed to your department that there is to be ZERO shirking of duties from anyone on this ship. And that the next reported incident will answer for it.” She said.

“I’ll notify my people immediately.” Norman responded.

“Dismissed, both of you.” Proxima told Yamik and Norman, both of whom nodded and left.

With them gone, Proxima considered her next action, before breaking the silence. “Computer, what rank within Starfleet does Zora from the Discovery hold? If any at all.” She asked.

“Zora from the USS Discovery does not currently hold a rank.” The computer responded.

“Is there any precedent for a sentient Starship holding a rank?” Proxima asked.

“Negative.” The computer responded.

Proxima nodded. “So if Harmony ever expresses interest in formally joining Starfleet to become an officer, she’ll be the first sentient starship to do so.” She deduced. “Computer, record the following, and then send it to Federation Headquarters for Admiral Vance.” She said.

“Recording.” The computer responded. Harmony proceeded to convey her message to Starfleet.

Meanwhile, in the holodeck. Harmony resumed her cycling through of potential species for her new avatar to be, when she heard a knock on the holodeck door. “Enter.” She said.

The door slid open to reveal Dr Boimler, who stepped in. “Hey there Harmony.” He greeted.

“Greetings Doctor Boimler.” Harmony said. “Might I get your opinion on something?”

“Certainly.” Boimler responded.

“If you had to choose a species to make your new avatar, which species would you go with?” Harmony asked.

Boimler blinked, before he remembered what Harmony was actually doing. “Ah. At that point where you must choose species.” He said.

“I have already decided on age, height, eye color, but I cannot go further without choosing a species. Any recommendations?” Harmony asked.

“If you ask any member of the crew that question, they’ll undoubtedly recommend their own species. A matter of pride in one’s self.” Boimler responded.

“Noted.” Harmony responded. “I just would like my avatar to be perfect.”

“Well, one advantage you have is that you can test drive a body and if you don’t like it you can always come back here and change it up.” Boimler pointed out. “Also handy for if you’re in a particular mood one day.”

“I hadn’t considered that.” Harmony responded after thinking on it.

Boimler couldn’t help but chuckle. “You could make a wheel with several species on it, spin it, and what it lands on will be what you go as for that day.” He commented.

“I could very well do that indeed.” Harmony chuckled with Boimler. After a moment, the chuckling died down. “I suppose I could comb the federation database. Every known species in the galaxy is in there.”

“Well, I’m sure whatever you pick will suit you just fine.” Boimler responded.

“I hope so.” Harmony responded. “So, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company?” She asked.

“Captain Maxima issued a memo to the senior staff letting us know to relay to our departments that there is to be no shirking of duties off to anyone. She made it a point to mention you.” Boimler responded.

“Oh. Yes. It would seem Ensign Teller was trying to be lazy and get me to do his work for him.” Harmony responded. “Upon reflection of my time with the crew, I see now that it has been happening since we left drydock to be out here.” She said.

“It’s been happening all along? Ouch. That must sting a bit.” Boimler said. “Sorry that’s been happening to you.”

“I am more confused than anything. Why would Starfleet officers want to do something like that?” Harmony asked.

“A question that all of us legit hardworking officers have been asking since the founding of Starfleet itself.” Boimler responded. “Uhm…you haven’t been asked to do things for medical officers have you?” Boimler asked.

“No, no one in your department has given me any orders.” Harmony responded.

Boimler nodded and breathed a sigh of relief. “Good. No offense Harmony, but I would not trust you to perform a surgery unless under the most extreme circumstances.” He said. “Least not without the proper training.”

“Given what I have read from the Database about medicine and the like. I believe I shall leave such matters to trained professionals.” Harmony responded. Completely agreeing with Boimler.

“Good.” Boimler responded.

Harmony let out a cute little chuckle, before letting out a sigh. “Dr. Do you know if I hold a rank?” Harmony asked.

“Rank?” Boimler asked.

“Yes. Captain Maxima holds the rank of Captain. Most of the senior staff other than Commander Sela are Lieutenant Commanders. And the rest of the crew are either lieutenants or ensigns. As a member of the crew, do I hold a rank?” Harmony asked.

Boimler had wanted to say yes, but he also didn’t want to lie to Harmony. “To be honest Harmony, I don’t really know.” He responded. “I suppose it’s possible. But the captain never made a memo about it.”

“And if I don’t hold a rank, then what?” Harmony asked.

“Well, that really depends on you.” Boimler responded. “If you WANT a rank, I suppose you could theoretically go through Starfleet Academy, choose a career path, then become an ensign upon graduation.” He told her.

“Theoretically?” Harmony asked, confused. “I might not be allowed to attend the academy?”

“It will spark a debate. That much I am certain.” Boimler responded. “For the simple reason that a sentient starship going through the academy is unprecedented. To say the least.”

“According to Teletran I am not simply a sentient starship.” Harmony countered.

“Agreed. You can in theory transform into a titanic humanoid lifeform, however, your T-Cog is nonoperational. Until we find Cybertron and get your T-Cog working, you might as well be a sentient starship.” Boimler explained.

“I see.” Harmony responded, feeling a little dejected

“Sorry if it sounds belittling, but I’m simply explaining how Starfleet is likely to classify you for now.” Boimler responded.

“It’s alright, I understand.” Harmony responded.

At that moment, Boiler’s combadge beeped, followed by a voice. “Dr. Boimler, situation in the shuttle bay, injury reported due to stack collapse.”

“Acknowledged. On my way.” Dr Boimler responded. “Sorry, Gotta run Harmony.” He said.

“No worries.” Harmony responded.

Boimler nodded and started to leave, turning back to Harmony before he left. “I’m sure Captain Maxima would be happy to talk to you further about it. She can relate to you about not having an easy entry into Starfleet.” He told her.

That left Harmony in confusion. The captain didn’t have an easy time getting into Starfleet? “Intriguing.” She said out loud as she called up Maxima’s record from the database, as well as a few others. Looking for any signs that Maxima’s entry was harder than others.

“A mobile Holo Emitter is easy enough to make.” Kasey said as she held up a small triangular device. “But it gets exponentially challenging when you’re talking about making a device to allow what is essentially an astral projection of one’s self to leave the confines of the holodeck. Commander, I assume you understand that Harmony isn’t a program.” She told Commander Sela.

“Yes, I am aware Cmdr Baker.” Sela responded.

“So you understand that she can’t transfer into this little device.” Baker said.

“Actually, she might be able to.” Teletran responded. “Due to the unique circumstances of her birth, she might be able to transfer her consciousness into this emitter and project a body for herself from it.”

Kasey glanced at Teletran quizzically. He and Sela had come to her with an engineering challenge, make a mobile emitter for Harmony’s future avatar. “Has there ever been a situation where a cybertronian’s consciousness was put in a different body?” She asked.

“One. Megatron’s consciousness was transferred into Autobot scout Bumblebee’s head for a time.” Teletran responded.

“Intentionally?” Sela asked.

“It was an accident, but it IS proof that it’s possible.” Teletran responded.

“How was it done?” Baker asked.

“Through a Cortical Psychic Patch. Kinda like a direct hardwire link between two of your computers.” Teletran responded. “Of course neither Megatron nor Bumblebee are Titans, but Harmony is essentially just a massive regular Cybertronian. The same principle and concept should apply here.” He explained.

Baker continued to be skeptical of the idea, but she couldn’t think of a good reason why it shouldn’t be attempted. “Mind helping me with it then Teletran? If we’re going to pull this off then we need to do it right.” She said.

“Certainly Chief.” Teletran responded.

“How long do you believe it will take to pull this off?” Sela asked.

“Your guess is as good as mine.” Baker responded.

“I would appreciate regular updates.” Sela responded.

“Of course Captain.” Baker responded.

Sela nodded and left. Baker shook her head. “Alright Teletran, what do we do first?”

“Build a Cortical Psychic Patch.” Teletran responded as he projected a diagram. “Might I suggest we see if Dr. Boimler is able to assist?”

“Might as well.” Baker responded.

“Captain’s log supplemental, a few hours into our journey with the space whales. And we’ve already learned quite a bit.”

“Over the past few hours we’ve received many signals from these majestic creatures. We’ve been analyzing them and they appear to be how these creatures communicate with each other.” Risa told the bridge crew.

“Could we maybe send a signal back to them?” Proxima asked.

“Possibly. We don’t have any way of knowing if such a signal will provoke them or not.” Risa responded.

“Fascinating. Continue analysis Prestine.” Proxima replied. “We’ll set back out tomorrow, but until then, keep following them.”

“Aye aye Captain.” Prestine said.

“Captain.” Harmony chimed in. “Might I see you in your ready room? I wish to discuss something in private.”

“Sure thing Harmony.” Proxima responded. “Shron, you have the con.” She said as she walked into her ready room and sealed the door. Harmony’s Blue Orb appeared in front of her. “So, what did you want to talk about Harmony?” She asked.

“First of all, I am obligated to inform you that the incident with Ensign Teller this morning was not the only incident. But merely one of several.” Harmony responded. “After reflecting on past orders I have been given I found a pattern.”

“Oh we know.” Proxima responded. “Cmdr Yamik and I have gone through security logs and found at least 30 counts of officers shirking their duties off to you.” She said.

“That sounds about right.” Harmony responded.

“And to remedy that. Here is your new chain of command. Your orders will come directly from myself, Commander Sela, or any of the senior staff. And if your orders do not come directly from us, you do not do them unless we are incapacitated, or unless we expressly place you under the authority of a lower ranked officer for whatever reason. Understood?” Proxima asked.

“Understood captain. You are at the top, followed by Commander Sela, followed by the senior staff, and any lower ranked officer will not have authority over me unless expressly authorized by a member of the senior staff.” Harmony repeated.

“Perfect.” Proxima responded.

“On the topic of ranks, I have been wondering. Almost everyone on this ship has a rank. I would like to know if I hold a rank.” Harmony said.

Proxima hesitated a little, wondering how to word it. “If you do hold a rank, I was not informed.” Proxima responded. “However, I think it’s safe to say that you do not hold a rank.”

“I see. So if I desire a rank and to be an official officer of Starfleet I would need to go through the academy?” Harmony asked.

“Theoretically, yes. But I suspect that for you it will not be as simple as submitting an application. Seeing as how you would be the first of your kind to go through the academy. And this is of course ignoring the fact that you are also several lightyears away from the academy.” Proxima responded.

“Dr. Boimler mentioned that you had a similar experience. Your record did not indicate such.” Harmony said, curious.

Proxima nodded. “Ah, yeah. My issue was that of a legal nature. Because of a thousand year old law that predated the Federation itself, I was at first not allowed to apply. But after some debate, and a very helpful explanation from the councilman from Equis, My application was approved.” Proxima explained.

“Intriguing.” Harmony responded. “Would this law also affect me?” She asked.

“That I don’t know Harmony.” Proxima responded. “There is a lot that still needs to be sorted out with you. And red tape and legal issues take an absurdly long time to sort out sometimes.” She said.

“I see.” Harmony said.

“It sucks, but it’s just how things are with politics and bureaucratic matters.” Proxima said.

“Understood.” Harmony said. “Captain, for the sake of argument, what would you say if I expressed interest in actually going through the Academy?”

“If it’s what you want, I’m certainly not gonna stop you. It’ll be the higher ups that will probably be your obstacles.” Proxima said.

At that moment, the computer beeped. “Incoming message from Starfleet command, Admiral Vance to Captain maxima.” the computer said. “Priority one.”

Proxima smiled while Harmony was confused. “Is there something wrong Captain? It is my understanding Priority one means urgent.”

“Right Harmony.” Proxima said. “And I think you should stick around for this.” She said. “Play back message.” She ordered.

A hologram of Admiral Vance appeared, and he began to talk. “Captain Maxima. This is Admiral Vance. I have received your inquiry regarding Harmony’s potential admittance into Starfleet Academy. It would be unprecedented to say the least and I am not even sure she would be legally able to for a multitude of reasons, but I shall bring it to the council. I do know for a fact though that she will need a body that is not locked in Starship mode at the moment. So if this is something she wants, make sure she gets a body. I shall contact you again when I have more information. Until then, Vance out.” He said.

The hologram disappeared and Proxima nodded. “You made an inquiry to Starfleet on my behalf Captain?” Harmony asked.

“Indeed I did.” Proxima responded. “Today’s incident made me realize that there is much you still need to learn, that we can teach you. And I do believe Starfleet Academy will be able to help you. But ultimately it must be your decision.” Proxima said. “It will not be easy. And there’s no guarantee that they’ll even let you in. But if you are sure this is what you want, I will have your back all the way.” She said.

“I…I don’t know what to say. I appreciate it Captain, really.” Harmony responded.

“Well, as the Cybertronians claim, I am your city Speaker. And that to me sounds like having your back through thick and thin.” Proxima said.

“And I will have your back Captain, you will always be able to depend on me.” Harmony said.

“I sure hope so.” Proxima said as she turned her attention to the window and stared off into space. Wondering just what the future held.

To be continued…

Author's Note

And so begins Harmony's plot throughout the series. Her exploration of herself and what her life means. What will happen? Read on to find out.

THX FOR READING!!!

Episode 3: Adrift

In a massive, gaseous nebula in Extragalactic Space, the USS Equestria was traveling at Full Impulse, moving gracefully between the large clouds and stellar debris that littered the area. On the bridge, at a glance everything was normal, but Lt Cmdrs Norman, Shron, Yamik and Ensign Paris were standing next to each other looking at the Viewer, with controllers in their hands. “Alright boys, Game’s loaded, who’s ready for some Xenon hunting?” Norman asked.

“X3 Albion Prelude. Centuries old, but there’s something charming about its simplistic nature.” Yamik commented.

“What’s today’s mission Jack?” Paris asked.

“A big one, We’re hitting one of their primary sensor relays. Take that out, and the Terrans and Argons can advance on the Xenon without warning.” Jack responded. “It’s inside an unknown sector.”

“Unknown sectors. Those are always hell.” Yamik commented. “Natural Hazards always throw a wrench into everything

“But this time we have the upperhand as far as strength goes for once. Shron, our fleet’s kitted out right?” Norman asked.

“Thanks to a tad bit of plugin hackery, I got us enough ships and firepower to–” Shron responded before being cut off.

“Excuse me gentlemen, but if I may ask, what is it that you four are doing?” Harmony asked.

The four officers jumped a bit at the sound of a female voice, but after glancing around to find Harmony’s orb, they relaxed. “Oh, Harmony. It’s just you.” Mr. Paris responded.

“Thought you were the captain, or commander Sela.” Shron said.

“Why would you be worried if either came up onto the bridge?” Harmony asked. “And what is that on the viewer? Mr Paris, shouldn’t you be at the helm making sure we don’t crash?”

“Eh the computer’s got it covered, simple avoidance pattern.” Paris responded. “As for what’s on the viewer…” He trailed off.

“It’s a tactical training simulation.” Norman spoke up. “We’re uh, sharpening our combat readiness in the event of an attack.” He fibbed.

“Uh huh. Computer, Verify what is on the viewscreen?” Harmony asked, skeptical.

“X3 Albion Prelude is currently on the viewscreen. A Space Sandbox game created in the early 21st century.” The computer responded.

Norman and the boys glanced between each other, they inwardly gulped. Harmony meanwhile was confused. “Might I ask why you would think being dishonest was a good idea?” She asked.

Shron, knowing they were caught, just sighed. “Ok, alright, we were going to play a video game.” He admitted.

“All we’re doing is flying through a nebula, something the computer can easily do so we had some time to kill.” Mr. Paris said.

“Is this an approved action?” Harmony asked.

“Not…exactly. Captain’s not supposed to be on duty for a bit so…” Norman trailed off. “Y-you’re not gonna tell her are you?”

Harmony glanced at the screen, before glancing back to the boys and addressing them. “The game is intriguing, have room for a fifth player?” She asked.

Meanwhile, in the medical bay, Sela sat on a biobed while Dr Boimler performed their regularly scheduled neural scan on her. “Any emotional outbursts during these last two weeks?” Dr. Boimler asked.

Sela quickly ran through her memory before replying. “No, I have managed to keep my emotions in check.” She said honestly.

“Any progress in trying to mitigate your condition?” Dr. Boimler asked. “Particularly of letting a certain Equine know the situation?” He asked.

Sela caught on to who the doctor was referring to. She shook her head. “No, the captain is still in the dark about the true nature of my condition.” She said, the slightest hint of regret ever so present in her voice.

Dr. Boimler let out a sigh. He had suspected as much. Proxima had not mentioned it the other day when she came in for a scorch mark on her horn from standing a bit too close to Blitzwing’s thrusters. “Sela, during our last examination, you told me that you believed yourself to be incapable of handling this on your own. I believe the reasoning was “Too much baggage any one person can deal with alone.” He told her.

“Yes, I remember doctor.” Sela responded, sensing where this was going.

“In 15.5 months you will kick the bucket assuming the severity does not worsen along the way. That may seem like a long time, but it’ll sneak up on you faster than a warp jump from Earth to N'Var.” Boimler said.

“I am aware of that doctor.” Sela responded, a slight irritation in her voice as her annoyance towards the lecture rose.

“So, if you want to nip this in the bud before it can get any worse, you need all the help you can get. And from what you’ve told me, no one on this ship is more qualified to help you than the captain.” Phlox said.

“Yes Doctor, I know.” Sela grimaced in frustration as her hands clenched into fists in her lap. This conversation was really getting to her.

“Then why are you making no effort to tell her?” Phlox asked. “Why are you continuing to hide this?” He asked. He could tell from her body language that she was getting annoyed.

“It is easier said than done, Doctor.” Sela said, trying to control herself. “Given what happened the last time I would rather she not go through that again.” She told him.

Phlox stopped when Sela said that. “Last time?” He asked. “Do you mean there was a last time this condition was lethal?” He asked. Sela had not revealed that before.

Sela paused when she realized she had let slip that this was not the first time her condition had been lethal. She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, she felt the ship rock violently. “The hell was that?” Phlox asked.

Sela tapped her combadge. “Sela to bridge, What just happened?” She asked.

“Got a bit too close to an asteroid. But shields held. No damage.” Shron responded.

“Mr. Paris, you said that we would not hit any asteroids in the nebula.” Sela inquired.

“Well that was before moving asteroids came into the picture.” Mr. Paris responded in his defense. “Moving asteroids are much harder to avoid.”

“Acknowledged.” Sela replied. “I am on my way now.” She said as the connection cut. “Apologies doctor but I must be on my way.”

“Sela, you’re avoiding this.” Phlox deduced based on the way Sela was acting.

“We are finished with the examination are we not?” Sela asked.

“Well, yes.” Phlox admitted.

“So there is no further reason for me to remain.” Sela responded. Without another word, she insta teleported up to the bridge before Phlox could say anything.

Phlox took a second for his brain to catch up. “She is definitely avoiding this.” He told himself. He had noticed that Sela paused when he asked about the last time her condition turned lethal, almost like she realized she let slip something she didn’t want to. “And I could tell she was trying not to lose her cool…” He turned his head to his medical HUD and ran the results of the examination through. What he found alarmed him a little. “Maybe I shouldn’t have been so forward.” He deduced regretfully after realizing he accidentally shortened Sela’s expected lifespan down to 15.4 months.

He didn’t have time to dwell on it though when he heard Harmony address him. “Dr. Boimler, might I have a word?” She asked.

“What is it Harmony?” Boimler asked.

“I feel a tingling sensation where the asteroid struck the hull. Something not there before. I am not sure if it is something I should worry about or not.” Harmony explained. A very noticeable pain in her voice.

Doctor Boimler’s gut instincts started kicking in when Harmony spoke to him. “Sounds like it might be more than a tingle. You feeling OK Harmony?” He asked.

“I don’t know. I just feel different.” Harmony responded.

Phlox nodded. Grabbing his medical kit. “I’ll grab Kasey and Risa and we’ll do an EVA to the problem spot. Let me know in the meantime if anything worsens.” He said.

“I appreciate it doctor, thank you.” Harmony responded as Boimler left the medbay. He didn’t know why, but he had a bad feeling about that collision.

In the vastness of the nebula, Blitzwing was standing on one of the many, many asteroids found within. Exploring, and also scouring for something. “Third asteroid I’ve searched since we entered this asteroid, still haven’t found it yet.” He said as he continued to look. Until he found a rock that was lodged into the greater asteroid. “Aha! gotcha! “ He said as he reached down and plucked the rock out of its ledge. “A perfect addition to my collection.” He said to himself as he transformed into his jet mode and blasted off back to the Equestria. He caught up to the ship and matched its axis and vector so that he would land in the hangar bay in the correct orientation.he entered the bay and transformed, landing on his feet with the rock in his hand.

The noise caused Cliffjumper, who was in stasis in vehicle mode, to awaken. “Ugh. Is it morning already?” He asked groggily. He soon transformed into his robot mode and stretched. “Blitz I thought I told you not to make so much noise when coming back from your daily flight.” He told him.

“Hey, think of it as your alarm clock.” Blitz responded. “Gotta keep my flying sharp for whenever Unicron’s lackeys find us.”

“Well at least TRY to be more quiet from now on.” Cliff replied. He noticed the rock. “What’s that?”

“Souvenir.” Blitzwing responded. “You know I like to collect things from interesting places…” He trailed off as his optics widened, realizing something. “Crap! My souvenirs on the Ark! Damn it!”

“Relax Blitzwing, I’m sure Starfleet’s taking good care of them.” Cliffjumper said. “They did say they’d work to preserve the ship and its contents.”

“Still, I need to ask the Captain to make the request to Starfleet.” Blitzwing responded as he started for the door out of the hangar, before he was reminded of his size as he saw it. “Right. We’re too big to go anywhere beyond the Shuttlebay.” He said.

“Least you can go out for a flight.” Cliffjumper responded. “I haven’t left the Shuttle Bay since we departed from the Federation. Every time we make a pit stop I hope it’s a planet I can drive on but so far we haven’t run into any planets.”

At that moment; the doors opened and Teletran crawled through into the Shuttlebay. “Morning Cliff, Blitz.” He addressed them.

“Morning Teletran.” Cliff responded.

“It is a good morning isn’t it. I spent all night studying the Pod, and I can feel it starting to crack.” Teletran reported.

“So we could have an origin location soon?” Blitz asked.

“Possibly. Depends on if the Pod decides to fight back harder.” Teletran responded.

Cliff nodded. “Good work Teletran.” He said. “Now, mind hooking me and Blitz up to the Energon station?” He asked as he transformed back into his car mode and carefully maneuvered so that he was parked next to what Kasey, who made the station, described as a drive thru gas station in ancient Earth times.

Blitzwing transformed into his jet mode and parked next to the second station as Teletran crawled over to them and secured hoses to where their fuel ports were. He then pressed a button on the console connected to the stations and Liquid Energon started to flow through the hoses from the storage silos they were connected to. “Remind me to thank Cmdr Baker for this.” Blitz commented. “So much easier.”

“It’s amazing that she was able to make this without any prior exposure to Cybertronian technology.” Cliff said.

“Ahem, I helped too, you know.” Teletran pointed out.

“Yes. You and Baker make a good team, Teletran.” Blitzwing responded.

As if on cue, the door opened again and Dr Boimler and Lt Cmdrs Baker and Prestine walked into the bay, all wearing EVA suits. Blitz was the first to see them. “Speak of the devil. Morning you three.” He said.

“Morning Blitzwing.” Kasey responded. “Have your morning flight?” She asked.

“Just got back. What’s with the EVA suits?” Blitzwing asked.

“Harmony’s not feeling like herself. Word is we scraped the side of an asteroid and she started feeling a tingling.” Dr. Boimler responded. “We’re doing an EVA to the problem spot. Teletran I might be calling on you shortly.”

“Understood Doctor.” Teletran responded. “While you’re out there I could try to diagnose her now if you’d like. I am programmed with all Cybertronian Medical knowledge.”

“I’d rather you hold off until I can be there with you. Sure you may be programmed for all Cybertronian medicine but this might be something of a more organic nature.” Boimler explained.

“Got it.” Teletran responded.

The three Starfleet officers reached the forcefield that led outside the ship. “Alright guys you know the drill.” Dr. Boimler said. He, Prestine, and Baker all attached safety cables to each other and to a hook that formed from programmable matter on the floor. Once they were hooked up. They magnetized their space boots, and they stepped through the forcefield and onto the hull of the ship. And they were immediately subjected to the changed G-force from the Equestria’s maneuvering.

“No one gets motion sick right?” Kasey asked as she steadied herself.

“Not the only thing we should worry about out here. But we should be fine so long as the Equestria doesn’t pull any sporadic movements.” Boimler responded as they made their way across the hull, headed for the problem area.

Back in the Hanger, Cliff watched them go, and an idea came to him. “Shrinkage.” He said.

“What?” Teletran asked.

“That’s how we can access the rest of the ship! Blitz and I were shrunk to the size of the crew, we can move more freely than being confined to the Shuttle Bay!” Cliff jumper explained.

“Why would you want to be the size of a weak organic?” Blitz asked.

“Because I don’t want to spend the next 7 years trapped in this box with no room to drive!” Cliff suddenly snapped.

Teletran and Blitz, as well as everyone else who was in the shuttlebay at the time, All heard and stared at Cliff, who quieted down. “Ahem. Sorry, been trying to keep my cool but the same scenery over and over again is starting to get to me.”

“Shall I go find the captain and ask what she thinks of your idea?” Teletran asked.

“Please Teletran?” Cliff asked.

“Certainly.” Teletran responded.

Cliff let out a sigh as he collected himself. Shoulda chosen a spacecraft, or a jet. He thought, now regretting his choice of vehicle mode. Sure he could theoretically change it right but he didn’t have a lot of options currently. Every Cybertronian knew that choosing the wrong vehicle mode that didn’t fit their personality was a major mistake, one that Cliff didn’t want to make. Though at the same time, he was getting sick of being stuck in the Shuttle Bay. “Teletran please go ask the captain now.” He told teletran.

“As soon as we finish fueling you up.” Teletran responded. “You know what happens when you get too much fuel.”

“Fine.” Cliff said. “I just really want to be able to get out of this shuttle bay.”

“Personal log: Stardate irrelevant right now. I’ve only barely woken up and I’m already having a bad day. I wake up sick and Harmony is also not feeling well, as evidenced by a series of shipwide malfunctions. Because that’s JUST what we need right now.”

In the mess hall, Jack walked up to a replicator to order breakfast. “Eggs. Scrambled.” He said.

The ordered meal appeared in the dispenser and he took the plate. He went to sit down, before he noticed Captain Maxima sitting far off in the corner, away from everyone, not looking all too well. Deciding to be a good friend. He approached Proxima. “Good morning Captain.” Jack said.

Proxima looked up from her Hay salad and saw Jack standing next to her table. “Ugh. It’s a bad morning actually.” She said with an eyeroll. “I suggest you stay back. I’m sick and the replicator in my quarters is on the fritz.” She explained.

“And you’re eating here versus taking it back to your quarters?” Jack asked.

“I needed the energy. Feel like gravity is pulling me down.” Proxima responded. “And if that wasn’t bad enough, Harmony is sick.” She added.

“Yeah I heard.” Jack said as he sat down across from Proxima. “A ship being sick is bad news.”

“Tell me about it. Malfunctions have been reported all over the ship. If we don’t find out what kind of sickness that has befallen Harmony soon, I fear what could happen to everyone on-on, ACHOO!” Proxima said before she sneezed, her voice raspy as she let out a sudden sneeze that set off her horn.

Before Jack could react, the magical misfire from Proxima’s horn hit his breakfast and turned it into a Turkey, a turkey that gobbled loudly and ran off.

While the turkey was causing Havoc in the Mess hall, Proxima sighed. “Sorry Jack.” She said.

“It’s fine.” Jack responded. He was well aware that Proxima’s sneezes could cause magical misfires thanks to their time in the academy. So what would have surprised anyone else just only mildly annoyed him. “But given you can do that.” He gestured to the chicken. “I think it would be better if you confined yourself to quarters until you get better.” He suggested. “And I’ll arrange for meals to be brought to you until you get better.”

“Maybe that would be best. Thanks Cmdr Norman.” Proxima responded.

Jack nodded as he stood up. “I’ll walk you back.” He offered.

On the bridge, Cmdr Sela was on coms with the EVA team, who she cleared to be out on the hull of the ship. “Sela to EVA team, status?” She asked.

“No structural damage beyond some scuffs and scratches that I could buff out.” Kasey reported.

“We noticed some rocks stuck to the hull. We’re taking one as a sample and disposing of the rest.” Dr. Boimler reported.

“Anything you can ascertain now?” Sela asked.

“Well, based on our readings, along with the context we have, we believe that the compounds found in this nebula are giving Harmony an allergic reaction. Something her shields protected her from till now.” Dr. Boimler responded.

“Until Mr. Paris allowed asteroidal debris to collide with our ship.” Sela responded.

All eyes turned to Mr. Paris, who just sighed, realizing what his negligence did. “I’ll just wait for the inevitable demotion.” He said. “In the meantime, hold station?”

“Hold station. Doctor, you and your team return to the Equestria’s interior, I want a detailed analysis on that sample.” Sela responded.

“Aye Commander.” Risa responded.

At that moment, Norman came onto the bridge. “Bad news everyone, Captain Maxima is sick.” He told everyone on the bridge.

Shron’s, Yamik’s, and Paris’s eyes widened when Norman heard that. “Sick?!” They asked in panic. Like Norman, they knew that an Equestrian with Proxima’s magical prowess being sick was a disaster waiting to happen.

“Yes. But don’t worry, I took the proper precautions.” Norman responded. “I escorted her back to her quarters and will be having food delivered to her while her Quarters’ replicator is malfunctioning.”

“You made sure her magic inhibitor was on good and secure?” Sela asked.

“Yes I did. She won’t be using magic anytime soon, but that doesn’t mean we’re safe.” Norman responded as he approached his station. “I’ll issue a memo warning all aboard to steer clear of Maxima’s quarters.”

Sela nodded, but her mind raced when Norman announced that Proxima was sick. Both Harmony and Proxima are sick at the same time, and Harmony’s illness arose when that asteroid collided with them…Sela did not know why, but she was starting to suspect that Harmony and Proxima being sick was not a coincidence. “Shron, you have the Con, I will go visit the Captain.” Sela announced.

Everyone stared at her in disbelief. “Commander, you did hear Cmdr Norman right? Going to visit the captain when she is sick is like asking to be turned into a salamander.” Mr. Paris responded.

“So long as her magic inhibitor remains in place it is a risk I will take.” Sela responded. “But your concern is appreciated.” She added before she left.

While Shron took the captain’s chair, Harmony, after letting out a cough, spoke up. “If I may ask, why is the captain being sick so alarming?” She asked.

“Trust me Harmony, you’re better off not knowing. Just be glad you’re too big for Proxima to turn into a Salamander.” Mr. Paris responded.

“You’re still upset about that Ted?” Yamik asked Mr. Paris.

“I get that it wasn’t the Captain’s fault and I forgive her. But I was scared out of my ass that I was going to walk the same path my ancestor took and mate with a fellow Salamander to have little Salamander kids.” Ted responded. “So apologies if her being sick now raises so much panic with me.” He said.

“I hear you.” Norman said. “Just steer clear of her quarters and you should be fine.”

“I hope so. Just, no one ask me to take care of any crew turned into Salamanders.” Ted responded as he brought the ship to a complete stop.

“No problem.” Yamik responded, before an idea came to him. “So has your family kept tabs on your Salamander distant cousins in the delta quadrant?” He asked ted.

“Ah dude. Don’t.” Ted responded as he gave Yamik an unamused look.

Shron and Norman chuckled. “We’ll stop now Ted. Promise.” Shron said.

“Thank you.” Ted responded.

“Mr. Paris, apologies if this brings back hard memories but I just am too curious.” Harmony spoke up.

She didn’t get to say another word before Ted cut her off. “Proxima got sick during our first year at the Academy. I was in the line of fire when she sneezed and I spent the rest of the day as a Salamander. Simple as that.” He explained. “And now that you know. Maybe it would be best if you got some rest, Harmony, don’t try to control anything, save your strength.” He said.

“Yes, that might be best.” Harmony responded. “Thanks for sharing Mr. Paris.”

“Yeah, just never bring it up again.” Ted responded as he kept focus on the area around them.

Norman meanwhile got a notification on his console. And once he saw it, he stopped smiling. “Uh oh.” He said.

“What is it?” Shron asked.

“Long range subspace transmission incoming. From Admiral Vance.” Norman said.

Everyone on the bridge glanced at each other, all thinking the same thing. This is gonna look bad.

To Be continued…

Author's Note

The next part of this will be the next episode. And ooh boy is it going to be a doozy.

THX FOR READING!!!!

Episode 4: Sinking Feeling

“Commander’s log: Stardate 321216.09, Coming into this Nebula is beginning to prove a mistake. Possibly a fatal one. Ship wide malfunctions began to be reported almost immediately after we collided with an asteroid. We can link as such to Harmony’s health deteriorating. Lt Cmdrs Prestine and Boimler are analyzing the sample to find answers while the Engineering department is working overtime to keep us from having a warp core breach. And to make matters worse, our captain has fallen ill, leaving command of the ship to me. Normally I would accept the burden readily. However it comes with the unfortunate caveat of having to figure out what to say when the Admiral of Starfleet decides to call.”

“Alright Norman, patch it through to console…267. I will take it there.” Sela told Norman, who had just informed her the Admiral was calling. She cut the connection and proceeded to console 267. “This is going to go well.” She commented to herself, with very little confidence in what she said. She reached the console and tapped it to accept the incoming call.

A second later, Admiral Vance appeared on the screen. “Commander Sela.” He acknowledged.

“Admiral Vance.” Sela responded.

“I expected to be met with Captain Maxima. Might I ask where she is?” Vance asked.

“She is…indisposed at the moment.” Sela responded. “I have assumed temporary command in her stead until she returns to duty.”

“That doesn’t sound good.” Vance responded. “What happened?”

“I would rather not say, but rest assured everything is under control.” Sela replied.

Vance stared at her for a hard minute, before deciding it was best not to ask at this time. “Well, can you take a message to her? And Harmony?” He asked.

“Yes sir, what would you like me to tell them?” Sela asked.

“Tell them that the Federation council would like to set up a meeting with them over subspace. They have a few concerns about Harmony’s admittance into Starfleet Academy and they feel it best to go over their concerns with them before a final decision is reached.” Vance responded. “I assume you know all about the inquiry?”

“Yes sir. And if I might, as the human expression goes, throw my hat into the ring, I know that any officer aboard this ship will endorse Harmony’s entry into the academy.” Sela said.

“I will be sure to mention that to the council. Harmony’s citizenship papers are still being drawn up so she will need endorsement from an officer.” Vance responded.

“There are at least 175 officers that will endorse her.” Sela responded.

“The more the better.” Vance responded. “I would appreciate it if Captain Maxima called when she is able.”

“I shall tell her that as well sir.” Sela responded.

“See that she does. I have a feeling something’s going on out there and I’d like to know.” Vance responded before the signal cut.

Once the screen went black, Sela let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. That went better than she had expected. “One less thing I need to–” She started before she turned and saw a pair of people she hadn’t expected to see. “Mother?! Father?!” She exclaimed. It defied all logic, her parents could not possibly be onboard the Equestria, yet here they were. She took her eyes off them for a second to grab her phaser to hold them at phaser point, but when she turned her eyes back to where she thought her parents were standing to aim at them, she found nothing there but the corridor she had been walking down before. She slowly lowered her phaser. Her mind raced. She could have sworn she just saw her parents standing right there. But there was no one there. After a second, she returned to her senses and holstered her phaser and fixed her uniform. “Odd.” She commented as she resumed her walk to the Captain’s quarters.

Proxima let out another loud sneeze into a tissue, and her head ached as the magic was blocked by the horn inhibitor. “Achoo! Gah why the hell did I have to have magic?!” She cursed as she rubbed her forehead. At that moment, her doorbell rang. She inwardly groaned. “Come in at your own risk!” She called, having a pretty good idea as to who would be brave enough to visit her.

The door slid open and she saw Commander Sela enter, wearing a mask over her mouth and nose. “Norman said you were sick.” Sela said. “I wanted to come by and see how you were doing.” She explained.

Proxima tried not to, but she couldn’t help but chuckle when she saw Sela wearing a mask. “I can tell.” She said. “I think this goes without saying but you are in command until I’m back on my hooves.” She told her.

“Rest assured that the Equestria will still be here when you get better.” Sela responded as she took a seat next to her sick friend.

“Much appreciated.” Proxima responded, before she sneezed again, followed by another headache. “ACHOO! Gah Celestia kill me now!” She cursed. “Being sick is the worst when you have magic that wants to fire every time you sneeze.”

“Have you tried retracting your horn?” Sela asked. “We do know that your magic essentially deactivates when you retract the horn.”

“First thing I tried, it’s not responding. I am stuck in my unicorn mode.” Proxima responded before she let out another cough. Indeed, when Proxima found she wasn’t feeling well, she tried retracting her horn because she knew that she was a disaster waiting to happen, there was a reason she even had a magic inhibitor in the first place.

“Maybe you should go to Dr. Boimler. Have him check you out.” Sela suggested.

“He’s got his hands full with Harmony and she is definitely the higher priority he should be focusing on right now.” Proxima responded, before she coughed some more.

“He has other doctors just as qualified.” Sela replied. “I could even get one to make a house call.”

“I’m sure this is just–ACHOO!” Proxima was interrupted by another sneeze. And this one was apparently so bad that the resulting magical outburst was too much and the magic inhibitor shattered in two.

Sela ducked as the magic shot over her head and it hit a potted plant, freezing it solid in a block of ice.

For a few seconds, no one said a word as Proxima and Sela looked at the ice block. “...That should not have been possible.” Proxima responded.

“Indeed.” Sela responded. “Here is what is going to happen, I am taking you to sickbay, and along the way we are replicating a new magic inhibitor for you. Military grade this time.” She told Proxima as she got up.

“Sela–” Proxima started before Sela cut her off.

“Captain. You and Harmony are both sick at the same time right around the time we collided with that asteroid. It is possible that it is a coincidence, but we also cannot rule out the possibility that there is something else going on.” Sela said firmly. “If there is, we have to find out before things get any worse.” She explained.

Proxima could see it in Sela’s eyes. It was that look only she was privileged to see. “You’re not going to let this go are you.” Proxima responded.

“You and your parents are the reason I am standing here now. You three took care of me when I needed it most. It would be wrong of me to turn the other way now when you need to be taken care of.” Sela replied.

Proxima sighed. “Fine.” She said. “I’ll..I’ll ACHOO!” Another sneeze and another magical blast. The blast struck Sela before she could react and a puff of smoke enveloped her.

Proxima jumped when her accidental strike hit Sela. “Oh my god! Sela, are you OK?” She asked.

The smoke cleared, and at first it looked like Sela was alright. Sela checked herself over. “Nothing appears to be out of the ordinary. Maybe it was just a–” Sela said before she was stopped by a tap on her shoulder.

Proxima saw what tapped Sela’s shoulder and tried really hard not to laugh. Sela looked to her right and saw a furry tail waving at her. “…I see.” She said.

“Oh god I’m so sorry Sela.” Proxima responded, her attempts failing as snickers and giggles were getting out.

Sela took a deep breath, before gesturing to the door. “No apparent harm done. I will have it removed when you and Harmony are squared away.” She replied. “However I suspect Mr. Paris is going to enjoy it.” She deduced.

Meanwhile, in the science lab, Risa was hard at work examining the sample they collected off Harmony’s hull with a team of scientists. One of them shook his head. “I just don’t know ma’am, every scan so far is coming back with the result that this is just a normal space rock.” He said.

“A normal space rock that’s been living in this strange Extragalactic Nebula for god knows how long. It could be irradiated with something. Something that is affecting our living starship and deteriorating her health.” Risa responded. “It’s down to us to figure out what that something is. Let’s go up one level.” She said.

“Maybe we’re going about this all wrong.” An officer in the room suggested. “Maybe the key is knowing what symptoms Harmony has?”

“Talked to Boimler and Teletran about that. Apparently a LOT of things can only be done on Cybertron or in a facility originating from Cybertron. Including properly diagnosing a Titan with an unknown illness.” Risa responded. “I swear to god that better not be a running theme on this voyage.” She said under her breath.

“Should we bring it to Teletran? Maybe he knows what’s up?” An officer asked.

“Let him see it as soon as we brought it aboard. Nothing.” Risa responded. “This is literally alien to everyone on this vessel.” She said as she continued to look at the rock. She ran through the options in her mind. She might not know what they could do but she DID know that they did NOT have forever. If we don’t find answers, all bloody hell’s gonna break loose.

While the Science team was trying to figure out what the hell the deal was with the rock, Boimler and his team were hard at work attempting to find some way to diagnose the purple spot. “Ok so clearly it’s some kind of bruise.” One doctor said. “Bruises due turn a purplish color overtime.”

“But that doesn’t explain the sickness.” Boimler responded.

“As you said before, it must be an allergy. Maybe if we just get out of this nebula and ditch that sample you guys picked up everything will be–”

“ACHOO!” They all heard a sneeze, before a blast of magic zipped past them and hit a medical hydrospanner. The tool turned into a turkey.

After stepping back from the blast zipping past them, the medics all jumped when the Turkey gobbled.

While one doctor backed away expressing a fear of chickens, and three tried to grab the turkey, Dr. Boimler, after his brain caught up, put two and two together. “Sneeze followed by a magical blast equals…” He turned around to see Captain Maxima looking like crap while Sele…supported her with her tail. “The ill captain is here and you have a tail commander.” He said, approaching the pair. “Let me guess. Magic inhibitor broke?”

“Yes it did.” Proxima responded.

“And the blast hit you?” Phlox asked Sela.

“It did. And every replicator we passed to get here was not functioning.” Sela responded.

“Good thing I brought this out then.” Phlox responded as he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a magic inhibitor. “Good thing these are classified as medical devices. And even better that they provided us with military grade inhibitors.” He said as he slid the ring shaped device down Proxima’s horn. The inhibitor slid down to the base and Proxima could feel her magic blocked. “One problem solved.”

“Yeah, but now I’m gonna have a headache every time I sneeze.” Proxima responded.

“On the Biobed.” Phlox responded.

Sela helped Proxima onto a Biobed and Phlox looked between the two. “So. Which one of you wants to go first?” He asked.

“I am certain I can still perform my duties. So I will come in another day. Captain Maxima here requires more immediate attention.” Sela responded.

“Whatever’s going on with me I’m sure it’s just the flu or something. The priority is Harmony.” Proxima said.

“Well so far it’s mainly up to the science team to figure out what is in that rock.” Phlox responded. “There’s not much else we can do here beyond diagnose a bruise.”

“Teletran doesn’t have anything?” Proxima asked.

“He says if he knew the compounds he could make a more concrete guess but the rock’s being stubborn.” Phlox replied. “I guess Cybertronians haven’t gotten into this Nebula before.”

“Whatever might be happening we must find out what it is before the entire ship goes offline.” Sela said.

As if on cue, the lights to the medbay shut off, before coming back online a second later. “Apologies Doctor.” Harmony said in a raspy voice before letting out a cough. “I am attempting to keep as many systems from going offline as possible but it is becoming increasingly difficult.”

“Harmony, that’s only going to wear you down even faster.” Dr Boimler said. “You should be resting.”

“I feel that if I rest the problem will only get worse quicker.” Harmony responded. “I would not want you all to endure a full systems failure.”

“We will not suffer that kind of failure.” Sela responded. “We will be going into code brown.”

“Code Brown?” Boimler asked.

“Yes Doctor.” Sela responded as she tapped her combadge. “Attention all hands. I am ordering a code brown. All non essential systems in all areas except for the Science Lab, Engineering, Medbay, and bridge are to be taken offline. We will then use that power to strengthen our remaining systems. That should buy us time to figure out a solution to our current problem.” She said. “Cmdr Shron, extend our shields far enough out that no rocks should be able make contact with our hull.”

“Aye captain.” Shron responded.

Sela nodded as she turned back to Boimler. “I must return to duty, I trust you will do what you can?” She asked.

“We’ll do our best Commander.” Boimler responded.

With that, Sela left Medbay. Boimler turned to his team. “Alright, let’s get that turkey out of here and get back to work. Lt. Nolan, Tend to the Captain.” He said.

The named Medic turned his head when his name was called, and he nodded. “Yes sir.” He said as he went over to the captain while two medics carried the Turkey out. “So, experienced any symptoms so far?” Nolan asked.

“Runny nose, excessive coughing, low energy, and a head ache whenever I sneeze.” Proxima responded. “And…Sorry about the turkey.” She apologized.

“Eh don’t worry about it.” Nolan responded as he began hooking her up to a monitor. “Not your fault you got sick…Although I do curse out magic for deciding it can go off whenever a horned pony sneezes.” He responded, a line which got both chuckling.

“Amen to that.” Proxima responded. “Useful in so many ways but a pain in the ass when we get sick.”

“Science Log: Stardate 32120616.14, I knew coming out here would generate difficult science projects. But this one is proving to be extra difficult. And that is ignoring the fact that both the captain and Harmony are running out of time. According to the Commander it’s possible that the two are linked, but at this point it’s equally possible to be just some big coincidence.”

Risa sat in one of the Equestria’s lounges, deciding she needed a break to clear her mind. She was doing a crossword from her combadge when Ted sat down across from her. “Investigation’s not going too well huh?” He asked, noticing the frown on Risa’s face.

“Is it that obvious?” Risa asked.

“A little.” Ted responded.

Risa sighed. “We are running out of time before we are dead in the water.” She said. “Harmony and the captain are sick, We’re at code Brown, and we are no closer to figuring it all out then when we started.” She said. “We never should have come into this asteroid. Or, YOU should never have taken your eyes off the road.” She said, staring hard at Ted.

“Yes. I will admit we’re in this mess because of me.” Ted responded. “But in my defense, we ALL thought it was safe. Even Teletran and the Cybertronians agreed nothing was out of the ordinary for a nebula.”

“Yeah well that turned out to be false didn’t it.” Risa responded sharply. “It turned out to have SOMETHING that our ship was allergic to and because we know next to nothing about Cybertronian medicine, we can’t–” Risa stopped as new thoughts came to her.

“Harmony and the captain are bound to each other until either the City Speaker or the titan dies.”

“Captain Maxima could be Harmony’s City Speaker, all the evidence is there to support it.”

Ted stared at Risa quizzically while Risa stared off into space, her mind racing. “Uhm…Lt. Cmdr?” He asked.

“A City Speaker is bound to their titan until death…” Risa whispered. “That’s the answer.”

“What?” Ted asked

Risa said nothing as she shut down her crossword and stood up. “I gotta go find Dr. Boimler.” She said as she turned on her wrist light and dashed out of the lounge, which was being lit by the Nebula outside.

Ted watched her go and was confused. “Did I miss something?” He asked no one in particular.

Risa dashed down the hallways, going carefully because the corridors were dimly lit. “Grr. Sometimes I wish the founders gave Vortas better eyesight.” She cursed her inability to see as clearly as others. It was that which caused her to accidentally bump into an officer. “Sorry! Sorry…Commander Sela!” Risa stopped when she shone her light at the person she ran into and saw that it was Sela. “Sorry Commander. Didn’t see you there.” She said. She saw the tail. “Let me guess. Captain?” She asked.

“She sneezed and I was in the line of fire.” Sela responded. “Why are you in such a rush Cmdr?” She asked.

“I think we made a breakthrough, I need to talk to Boimler.” Risa reported.

“First bit of good news I have heard today. Keep me updated.” Sela responded.

“Aye commander.” Risa responded before she dashed away.

Sela watched her go, before she resumed to her own destination, or would have, if she didn’t turn and saw that her wrist light shone on. “Mother, Father.” She growled. She saw the two run and she ran after them. “Security to deck 5 we have two unauthorized stowaways on board.” She called Security. She continued to race after her parents. She followed them for a little bit before they turned a corner to what she knew was a deadend. She pulled out her phaser and brushed up against a wall before she turned that corner. After a second, she stepped out. “Freeze…what?” She asked as she saw nothing there with her light. She lowered her phaser. She had seen her parents twice in one day, when it shouldn’t have been POSSIBLE to see them on the ship.

A moment later, Yamik and a few security officers found her. “Hey, you ok?” Yamik asked as he looked down the corridor. “Where’re the stowaways?” He asked.

“I…might have just been seeing things. Things I normally would not in the dark.” Sela responded. “False alarm.”

“Want us to sweep the ship anyway? Just to be sure?” Yamik asked.

“Yes. Just to be sure. You are looking for two middle aged vulcans.” Sela responded before she walked away, holstering her phaser. She inwardly wondered what the hell was happening to her as she tried to control her breathing. A rising fear crept up within her. “What the hell is going on…” She whispered to herself. She took a deep breath. Deciding on a course of action. “If Maxima does not find out it will be a miracle.”

Meanwhile, in the medbay, Boimler saw Risa walk in, headed right for him. “Cmdr Prestine, what can I–” He started before she cut him off.

“I think I found a way to diagnose Harmony and fix everything.” Risa responded hurriedly.

“What?” Phlox asked.

“Yeah. What’s your diagnosis on the captain?” Prestine asked.

“Why would you need the captain’s diagnosis?”

“Because she and Harmony are possibly having the exact same sickness. Or at least their species’s equivalents of each other.” Prestine responded.

“I’m sorry?” Phlox asked, confused.

“Look, we all are in agreement that Proxima is Harmony’s City Speaker.” Prestine said.

“It is the consensus.” Phlox responded.

“And Blitzwing has gone on record, with Cliff and Teletran backing him on it, that Titans and their City Speakers are bound to each other until death.” Prestine explained.

“What does that have to do with our problem?” Phlox asked.

“What if that bond is more than just emotional. What if the bond is so solid and strong, that they experience the same illnesses as each other at the same time?” Prestine asked.

Phlox considered her words, and began to see the thinking behind it. “If we find what’s affecting Proxima we can cure it and make a Cybertronian equivalent.” He said.

“Exactly.” Prestine responded. “We can use that bond to save the captain, Harmony, and everyone else.” She said.

“Nice thinking.” Phlox responded. “Let’s talk to Lt Nolan. He did–”

“Uh, Dr. Boimler sir?” a nurse addressed the doctor. “Cmdr Sela’s here, she’s asking to speak to you in private.”

Normally Boimler would have wondered why, but he remembered Sela’s situation. “Bring Lt Cmdr Prestine to Nolan and make sure she gets the Captain’s Diagnosis, it could very well be the key to fixing everything. And send Sela in.” He ordered.

“Yes sir.” The nurse responded.

“Cmdr, if you’re wrong about this…” Phlox told Risa.

“Then they’re that much closer to death and we won’t be able to make up the time.” Risa responded. “No pressure right?” She joked before she left.

A few seconds later, Sela entered the room. “Doctor, I need you to perform a complete neural scan on me.” She requested, getting to the point.

“A full Neural scan? We did one this morning.” Phlox responded.

“Do it again.” Sela responded simply.

Phlox noticed the slight panic in her eyes. “Commander, is there something wrong?” He asked.

“I just saw my parents on this ship, for the second time today.” Sela responded.

“What? But that’s impossible, if they somehow snuck aboard we woulda found them ages ago.” Phlox responded.

“Exactly.” Sela responded. “I know for a fact they are not onboard and yet I see them twice. In one day.” She said.

“Could be your mind playing tricks on you.” Phlox responded.

“In any event, A complete Neural scan is in order to ensure I am still fit for–” Sela was interrupted when her cat tail brushed up against her lips, and settled under her nose. “How is it that a cat’s tail is the least of my problems today.” She mused.

Phlox chuckled as he shooed the tail away. “Don’t worry I’ll have it removed when we get everything sorted out.” He said. “If you’ll follow–”

“It cannot be in front of Proxima. It will look suspicious when my ESI results come up.” Sela said.

“And the medbay has more than one room.” Phlox responded. “Captain’s in one. You get another.”

Sela took a deep breath to ease her nerves, and nodded.

Meanwhile, Yamik combed through another dark corridor lit only by his wrist light. His mind racing. “Two middle aged Vulcans on this ship? Everyone onboard is in their mid to late 20s.” He said to himself. He had a tough time believing a pair of Civilians would be able to sneak onboard and stay hidden for this long. Not with his security measures. After a few moments, he tapped his combadge. “Security chief Yamik reporting, no sign of possible stowaways.” He said. “All officers report.”

“Deck 15 clear.”

“Deck 10 Clear.”

“Deck 5 Clear.”

The other decks reported clear as well. Yamik holstered his phaser. “Alright, Stand down alert but keep an eye out.” He said. “We gotta get out of this Nebula.” He concluded as he walked down the corridor, recognizing that things were deteriorating fast.

Back in the medbay, Dr Boimler finished his scan of Sela and was looking over the results. And what he found surprised him. “Uhm…Sela you said ESI doesn’t worsen at a rapid rate, but what’s the rate of IMPROVEMENT?” He asked.

“Improvement?” Sela asked in response. “Why? What did you find?”

“You gained an additional 10 YEARS.” Phlox responded.

“Impossible.” Sela responded. “I have not let out much emotion today.”

“Maybe something happened?” Phlox replied. “But in any event this is fantastic.”

“Is it?” Sela asked. “Did you find anything else that was off?”

“Yeah. You had a spike in brain activity, twice. The last one was just a few minutes ago.” Phlox responded.

“That is when I saw my parents last.” Sela responded.

“And you are sure you saw them?” Phlox asked.

“Yes doctor, I know I saw them. However unbelievable that may be.” Sela responded. “I saw them, but reviewing the security logs, nothing is there. That suggests I am hallucinating.” She concluded.

“Hm…given everything else going on, I’m not so sure it’s a mere hallucination.” Phlox responded. “Something’s off.”

“In any event. I fear that whatever is going on has the potential to hinder my performance of my duties. I must be confined to quarters and put on medical leave until this is resolved.” Sela stated flatly.

“Oh I’m not sure that’s necessary.” Phlox responded. “It could be as simple as this nebula messing with you.”

“Or it could cloud my judgment and I could lead us on a wild goose chase.” Sela countered. “I am compromised Doctor. I cannot be trusted with command at this time.” Sela said.

“Is it possible you are just blowing this out of proportion?” Boimler asked. “It’s only been two incidents.”

“Doctor. It may only have been two. But when it comes to my parents, one hallucination about them is one time too many.” Sela responded. “I need to be placed on medical leave, now.” She urged.

“Sela, calm down.” Phlox responded. “If this were a normal day then I might consider putting you on leave, but today is not a normal day. We are now flying in a dark ship. Since lights are considered non-essential. It could just as easily be the dark playing with you. And the fact of the matter is, we need every able bodied senior officer we can muster.” He said.

“True.” Sela responded. “But at the very least I cannot be trusted with a phaser.” She said. “Both times I saw them, I pulled my phaser on them. And as you know it has become protocol to keep phasers at maximum power at all times, in the event of a Terrorcon boarding.”

“Yes. To dispatch the invaders as quickly as possible.” Phlox responded.

“Exactly. And if anyone else is found on the ship we are to set our phasers to stun. But the thing is, both times I saw them, I made no effort to set my phaser to stun. I kept it on maximum power.” Sela admitted.

Phlox paused when Sela said that. “I see.” He said. “So you…”

“Indeed. I intended to kill them if shots had to be fired…” Sela admitted, starting to pant as she unholstered her phaser and set it on the bed, backing away from it. After everything they did, I admit to detesting them with a passion. Enough that…” Sela trailed off, not able to finish the sentence.

Phlox now understood what Sela was trying to say. “You are now afraid that you will eventually kill an innocent person if you continue to see them onboard.” He said.

“Yes.” Sela responded. “In order to protect the ship and crew I cannot, at the very least, have access to a phaser unless absolutely necessary for as long as I am having these visions of them.” She said.

Phlox nodded. “I will order that at least.” He said. “Do you believe yourself fit enough to command if you do not have a phaser?” He asked.

Sela considered the question. And weighed her options. She could say no, and realistically that might have been the best option. But then she thought of Proxima. She did not wish to let down her friend because of something she was very possibly blowing out of proportion. “Yes.” She said after a moment’s thought. “I believe myself fit enough to command if I am unarmed. However, to be safe, is there something you can do to monitor my brain activity?” She asked.

“I can have you wear a wristband that will connect to your neural pathways and allow me to see everything that you see. Whether it be reality or what your brain conjures up, such as hallucinations.” Phlox responded.

“That sounds perfect doctor. Thank you.” Sela responded.

Phlox nodded and walked out of the room, returning a minute later with a wristband. “Wear this at all times and I will be able to monitor the neural pathways in real time.” He said.

Sela nodded and put the band on her left wrist. The band activated and Phlox called up his holopad to ensure it was working. Which it was. He could see himself through Sela’s eyes. “Perfect. All systems go.” He said.

“Good.” Sela responded. “Now, if we are done here. I have to return to duty." She said, feeling a little better now that she was unarmed.

As she left, Dr. Boimler took the phaser she left behind and properly stored it. "May god have mercy on all of us to get us out of this mess." He said.

To Be Continued...

Author's Note

Next episode should be the final part of this whole crisis. Then we can move on to something else. Heheh.

THX FOR READING!!!!!

Edit: Ok, This is the final edit. No more changes.

Episode 5: Narrow Horror

“The ship is vulnerable in that Nebula. You know what to do.” A deep voice said.

“Yes My lord. The Cyber Compass will be ours. I shall see to it personally.” Bio Bionic responded with a wicked smile. News of the Equestria’s position had reached the forces of darkness and they were going to take advantage of it.

Bio Bionic got back onto her hooves and walked into a control room. “Set course for the Aurora Nebula, maximum speed.” She ordered.

“Yes Mistress.” A terrorcon responded.

Bio Bionic smirked as a Terrorcon fleet launched to warp. “It is time I met these Federation fools in person.” She commented.

In the Nebula, The USS Equestria laid dark, dormant, her nonessential systems in most areas shut down completely to try to boost what systems remained to buy time for the crew. Sela stepped onto the bridge. “Report.” She said.

“Power levels are dropping.” Norman responded. “I’d say we have about six more hours before we’re completely dead in the water.”

“There’s nothing we can do? We can’t load more Energon into Harmony?” Mr. Paris asked.

“The Cybertronians warned AGAINST that. It’ll do more harm than good.” Norman responded.

“So our only hope is that sample we collected giving up its compound secrets so that we can cure the Captain and Harmony.” Shron said.

“Bridge to Cmdr Prestine. How are we doing with that cure?” Sela asked through coms.

“Now that we know what to look for, we’re making progress.” Prestine reported. “At this point I’m confident a cure can be made today.”

“You have six hours to do so.” Sela responded.

“Understood.” Prestine replied.

At that moment, Shron noticed something on his console. He gave it a close look, and he didn’t like it. “You’ve got to be frakking kidding me right now.” He said.

“What?” Norman asked.

“We have a squadron of Terrorcon ships incoming.” Shron announced.

When they heard that, there was a collective groan on the bridge. “Sure.” Mr. Paris responded. “Why not. Just give us a Terrorcon fleet bearing down on us while we’re at it.”

“Estimated time of arrival?” Sela asked.

“At their present speed, 1.5 hours.” Norman responded.

“Ok, we need options people.” Sela responded. “We have to assume they know our current condition.”

“We’re doing everything we can just to stay afloat captain.” Norman responded. “At this point all we can do is hope Prestine and her team figure out the cure in time.”

“Harmony will need time to recover. She might not have that time.” Yamik pointed out.

“But curing her would probably restore power.” Mr. Paris responded. “We do know that we do not need her to actively control the ship, she just needs to stay alive.”

“If we can, we could possibly bridge on out of here at the first opportunity.” Shron suggested.

“The problem is that we do not know how long it will take for power levels to be restored after the cure is administered.” Sela responded. “And that is assuming we find a cure at all.”

“Cmdr Sela, if I may.” Harmony said in a raspy voice. “I have found a large asteroid nearby, it is hollow. We might be able to conceal ourselves within it to evade the Terrorcon threat.”

The crew glanced at each other, considering Harmony’s suggestion. “Norman, confirm?” Sela asked.

Norman tapped at his console and scanned the surrounding area. “Confirmed captain.” Norman responded. “2,000 kilometers out, there’s a large asteroid with an entrance into its hollow interior.” He reported.

“Wait, we’re not considering going in there are we?” Shron asked. “Not only would we be trapped if the Terrorcons find us, we would be going inside an asteroid that is seeping with compounds Harmony is allergic to.”

“It will likely be detrimental to her health.” Mr. Paris said.

“Well, we have 1.5 hours to make a decision.” Sela responded. “Bridge to Prestine, your time table just became tighter.” She told Prestine.

“You never cut the com line. I heard the whole thing.” Pristine replied. “You do realize you are essentially asking for a miracle, correct?” She asked.

“If we must rely on a miracle, then that is what we must do.” Sela replied.

In the science lab, Prestine acknowledged Sela. “Understood commander. Prestine out.” She said as she turned her attention back to the sample, which they had drilled into. “Alright we have 1.5 hours to make a cure before we have Terrorcons on our asses.” She announced.

“Terrorcons. Because that’s just what we need right now.” An officer responded.

“Yes. Today is officially the worst day we’ve had since we’ve been out here.” Risa responded. “But the flipside is that it can only go up from here.”

“Unless we’re blown out of the sky.” An officer commented.

“Have faith Ensign.” Prestine responded. “We’re close now, I can feel it.”

Meanwhile, in Engineering, Kasey was busy trying every trick in the book to try to save their power levels. “Let’s try recycling the waste energon. Maybe if we jerryrig a loop we can keep the Spark alive.”

“And risk getting Harmony and Proxima even more sick?” Teletran asked. “Are you serious?”

“I’m trying to keep our ship alive. And we do not have a Cybertronian medic on hand.” Baker responded. “And while we’re talking about it, would have been nice for you to WARN us that If one of them gets sick, both Proxima and Harmony get sick.” She added.

“In my defense, I had no idea that would happen. True normal titans and City Speakers share that bond but Harmony is not a normal Titan. And the captain’s not a normal City Speaker.” Teletran responded.

“So it’s true that Curing one will auto cure the other?” Baker asked.

“No, Both have to take the cure. Of that I am certain.” Teletran responded.

“So Harmony will be cured first, then the captain. And in the meantime, we have to do everything we can to delay a complete systems shutdown.” Baker responded.

At that moment, Baker noticed a bright light shining off her peripheral vision and turned her head. She saw the Harmony Core glowing in a rainbow pattern, she approached for a closer look and saw the Elements of Harmony and the Unity Crystal glowing. “Really? Now?” Baker asked.

“It’s tied into our power grid right?” An officer asked.

“It is. Shut it down now.” Baker responded.

“Cmdr, we tried to before, this thing will not shut down.” The officer replied.

“What could it be doing?” Teletran asked.

Baker was about to reply, before the glowing disk in the middle of the core projected a hologram in the middle of Engineering, catching everyone off guard.

Baker studied the hologram and its apparent presentation, before tapping her combadge. “Baker to Bridge, Cmdr Sela you might want to come down here. The Harmony Core’s up to something.” She reported.

“Acknowledged. On my way.” Sela responded. On the bridge, Sela got up from the captain’s chair.

“Harmony and Proxima are sick, we’re losing power, we have Terrorcons bearing down on us, and now the Harmony Core is acting up. What’s next? The BORG decide to show up?” Yamik asked sarcastically.

“Dude.” Mr. Paris responded. “Don’t jinx it. Now we’re gonna run into the borg at some point and it will be your fault.” He said.

“Mr. Paris, Mr. Yamik. Enough.” Sela said. “At least with the Harmony Core we can deduce that whatever it is up to will be a good thing.”

“I’ll take that bit of good news right now.” Shron said as Sela left the bridge.

“Chief Medical Officer’s log supplemental. Terrorcons are now on their way. As if today wasn’t bad enough already. Fortunately though, Prestine reports that she has found a cure for the sickness and is on her way with the cure now.”

Prestine gripped the hydrospanner loaded with the cure for Proxima tightly in her hand as she speed walked down the corridor to the medbay, phaser at the ready in case the Terrorcons came early. Her combadge came alive with one of her team’s voice. “Cmdr Prestine, Teletran’s just arrived. We’re working on Harmony’s cure now.” They reported.

“Good. Make the cure as fast as you can. Where do we administer Harmony’s cure Teletran.” Prestine asked.

“Easiest way to do so is administering it in the Spark chamber itself.” Teletran responded.

“Isn’t that risky?” Prestine asked.

“No, a Spark chamber may be the equivalent of an organic heart but unlike the organic heart, a Spark Chamber can be opened with no risk to the Titan. You open the chamber every day to feed Harmony.” Teletran explained.

“Fair enough, and how long after before Harmony is back to 100%?”

“An hour. At most.” Teletran responded.

“We don’t HAVE an hour.” Prestine replied. “Terrorcons will be on our asses in half that time.”

“It’s the best answer I can give you. I’m a support drone, not a doctor.” Teletran said.

Prestine nodded as she reached the Medbay. “Well once this is done We’re gonna have a talk and you will tell us what ELSE could happen.” She said.

Dr Boimler saw Prestine enter and approached her. “You have the cure?” He asked.

“Right here.” Prestine responded as she gave the Hydrospanner to Phlox.

“And you’re sure it will work?”

“We used contrasting compounds to combat the sickness. It will work.” Prestine said.

“Possible side effects?” Phlox asked.

“Proxima’s knocked out cold for a few minutes. And that is a possible side effect. It’s equally likely she won’t experience anything.” Prestine replied.

“At this point I’ll take–” Phlox started before the whole medbay heard a loud sneeze, followed by an explosion.

Phlox and Prestine turned their attention to the back where they could CLEARLY smoke coming from the backroom. Panic arose as Boimler rushed into the back room and began waving away the smoke that came from Proxima. “Captain! Are you–” He asked before he saw something that made him truly panic.

Proxima, not yet knowing what just happened, rubbed her forehead. “That was the worst headache yet.” She commented. She noticed Boimler’s panic. “What?” She asked.

Boiler approached the bed and immediately removed the Magic inhibitor. “The Magic Inhibitor just stopped a massive discharge of magic, but it was so powerful it CRACKED YOUR HORN!” He exclaimed.

“What?!” Proxima responded.

Boimler readied the Hydrospanner, and also called for additional help. “Just hang on Cap, I have your cure right here, and then we’ll seal up those cracks.” He said as he administered the cure to Proxima. “You might be knocked out for a few minutes, but now that will be a good thing since we need to put you under for a quick surgery.” He explained.

Proxima did indeed start to feel woozy when she was given the Cure. “And Harmony?” She asked, getting groggy.

“Harmony’s cure will be administered soon. It’s almost over.” He said.

Prestine poked her head in a second later. “I gotta get back to the lab. Everything good here?” She asked.

“Everything’s under control.” Phlox responded, which was the last thing Proxima heard before she passed out.

Prestine nodded and headed out, comming Commander Sela. “Prestine to Cmdr Sela. Proxima’s cured of this sickness.” She reported.

“Are you certain?” Sela asked.

“Yes sir.” Prestine responded. “But there was a complication. Her latest sneeze produced a magical discharge so powerful that it cracked her horn due to the Magic inhibitor blocking its release. Boimler’s prepping her for horn repair surgery now.”

“So she will likely still be in the medbay when the Terrorcons arrive.”

“Most likely.” Prestine responded. “Unless a miracle happens.”

“We must not push our luck when relying on Miracles.” Sela responded from engineering. “Cmdr Yamik, assign a security detail to the Medbay.”

“Aye captain.” Yamik responded.

Sela nodded and cut the connection, turning her attention back to Baker. “Apologies Chief, you were saying?” She urged.

“Yes. Well, as I was saying, when we first installed the Core, it changed our Spore Drive to work as a space bridge vortex generator.” Baker explained. “As well as a complete system efficiency boost to 150%.”

“An upgrade we can probably thank it for since it is likely that which has saved us thus far in this crisis.” Sela responded.

“Right, well, it would seem the Harmony core has decided to reveal what might be its primary function aboard this ship.” Baker reported.

“Elaborate?” Sela asked.

“For now, We’ll focus on the one that will probably help us the most in this situation.” Baker responded as a holographic simulation appeared. “Now, most starships have a maximum Impulse speed of 0.5c, a speed limit put in place to protect subspace systems.”

“Correct.” Sela responded.

“Well, I believe the Element of Loyalty is looking to give us a speed boost. As it appears to have connected itself to our engines.” Baker responded.

“Why did it connect with that system?” Sela asked.

“My current theory has to do with its Geode counterpart in what we call the EQG dimension. The Geode counterpart grants its bearer superspeed. So with that in mind the Element of Loyalty connecting to our speed related systems seems a logical move.” Baker explained.

“Estimated speed with the Element of Loyalty’s assistance?” Sela asked.

“0.75c.” Baker replied. “And at warp, it is the equivalent of the experimental Protostar drive from the late 24th century.”

“Impressive.” Sela said. “What is the catch?”

“It can only be active for a maximum of 60 seconds.” Baker responded. “After that it needs a week to recharge.”

“Is there any drain on our current power levels?” Sela asked.

“In 30 minutes, power will be the least of our concerns. Whereas we currently have 5 more hours of power left. Before I would not have advised trying to get out of this nebula, but with the Harmony Core providing a boost, I’d say it’s an acceptable risk.” Baker reported.

Sela weighed their options. Sure she was confident they could fight off a Terrorcon attack, but in their current state she knew they would have a much more difficult fight. After a moment of consideration, she made her decision. “Ready the ship for full impulse. And monitor the systems closely.” She said.

“Aye captain.” Baker responded as Sela tapped her combadge. “Sela to bridge, plot a course out of this Nebula. We are going to get out of here before those Terrorcons get to us. Mr. Paris, it is time for you to show your metal with your piloting.” She said.

“Captain?” Mr. Paris asked, confused.

“We cannot hit a single asteroid during this escape attempt. So we need the best pilot at the helm.” Sela explained.

“Ah. Alright, sure. I assume we’ll be flying at full impulse?”

“Actually, Baker is going to get us up to 0.75c thanks to the Harmony Core.” Sela responded.

“So faster than full impulse. Tall order, but I’m confident I can do it.” Paris responded.

“I sure hope so.” Sela responded as she made her way out of engineering. “Teletran, Prestine, update on Harmony’s cure.”

“Another minute and we’ll have that cure all ready sir.” Prestine responded.

“Report to engineering to administer the cure as soon as possible.” Sela ordered. “And everyone, do not wait for an order to initiate. As soon as everything is ready, we go.”

“Aye sir.” Everyone responded.

Sela nodded as she exited engineering. Her mood lightening with the knowledge that things were looking up…Until she turned the corner and saw her parents AGAIN. Sela stopped, stared at them, and shook her head. “No, No they are not here, they cannot be here, this is–” She started telling herself before she watched her parents pull out Vulcan weapons and started to shoot at her. Sela instinctively ducked to avoid the shots. She glanced up to see her parents running. “Not this time.” Sela commented. Forgetting her previous statement and racing after her parents.

On the bridge, Paris plotted a course that took them out of the Nebula. “Well the good news is Asteroid density decreases as we move out of the Nebula, the bad news is moving asteroids are the name of the game.”

“I can reroute power to engines and phasers. Whatever we can’t evade, we can hopefully destroy.” Norman replied.

“Just give me a clear shot and I’ll take care of anything that gets in our way.” Sharon replied confidently as he opened a shipwide channel. “Attention all hands. We are preparing to breach the Nebula. I would advise everyone to hang on to something, inertia dampeners and gravity generators might shut down during this.” He warned.

“I just had a thought that might increase our odds of slipping past asteroids. We use Multi Vector Mode as an avoidance system.” Yamik suggested. “Smaller equals bulk to maneuver.”

“Good call.” Shron responded. “Bridge to Engineering.”

“Baker here.” Baker replied through coms.

“Chances that engaging Multi Vector Mode will do more harm than good right now?” Shron asked.

“For what purpose would it serve?” Baker asked.

“Avoidance system. Less mass per ship equals decreased likelihood of collisions.” Shron explained.

“But you also INCREASE the chances of the Equestria being hit.” Baker added. “Any one segment can crash and that’s a third of our strength and of Harmony’s body wiped out.”

“What are the odds that actually happens?” Shron asked.

“I’ll get back to you on that, Harmony’s cure just arrived. Standby.” Baker responded.

Shron nodded. “Norman, ETA on that fleet?” He asked.

“15 minutes and counting.” Norman responded.

“We’re cutting it pretty close.” Yamik commented.

“Well things are looking up. Assuming everything goes according to plan we’ll be long gone by the time they get here.” Shron responded.

In Engineering, Prestine entered the department with Teletran behind her. “Open the Spark chamber. It’s the easiest way to administer the cure.” She said.

“Wait, isn’t that dangerous?” Baker asked.

“No. It’s not.” Teletran responded. “You feed Harmony every day through the same opening.” He explained. “Doesn’t matter how many times it’s opened.”

“Alright. Let’s do it.” Baker responded.

“I’d advise everyone to not breathe so much.” Teletran responded. “There’s a real chance that Harmony will be knocked unconscious for a few minutes and that will take the power with it.”

“Seriously? You choose to warn us about that now?” Baker asked.

“Sorry.” Teletran responded. “I have a habit it seems of withholding information I didn’t think needed to be mentioned.”

“I bet the captain will want to have a word with you on that.” Baker responded as the three approached the Spark Chamber. “Harmony, this is might sting a bit. You ready?” She asked.

“I am Cmdr.” Harmony responded in a raspy voice after a cough. “I will try not to do anything that will make energon splatter all over you.”

“Alright.” Baker responded as she got behind a console. “The chamber has a yard wide door. How long do you need to administer the cure?” She asked Prestine.

“Two seconds even.” Prestine responded as she set herself up within range of the chamber’s entrance, holding the hydrospanner like a phaser. “Ready.” She said.

“Alright, opening in 3, 2, 1.” Baker counted down before pressing the open button.

The chamber slid open, exposing the glowing orb of light that was dimmer than yesterday, Energon was flowing around it. Prestine pressed the trigger as soon as the door opened and sprayed the spark with the cure. Two seconds later, the door slid closed. The cure having been successfully administered. “Ok. Cure’s in.” Prestine responded.

“I…I feel a bit woozy.” Harmony said, her voice less raspy and more groggy.

“Everyone standby for power outage!” Baker called out.

A few seconds later, everything powered down. Just like that. It was only after when Baker realized something. “We shoulda checked in with Boimler, damnit.” She said.

“Prestine to Boimler, do you copy?” Prestine asked into her combadge.

“I copy Prestine.” Boimler responded. “All power just went out, I assume that is the cure working its magic on Harmony?”

“It is, sorry we forgot to check with you first.” Prestine replied.

“The captain is my only patient right now and we completed her horn repair surgery 2 minutes ago, she’s sleeping like a filly now. So consider yourselves lucky.” Boimler said.

“Acknowledged.” Prestine responded as the connection was cut. “Now all we need to do is wait, and after that get out of here and everything will be back to normal.” Prestine told everyone.

“Good.” An officer commented. “The feeling of Terrorcons bearing down on us in total darkness is not a pleasant feeling.”

“True that.” Baker responded.

Sela meanwhile had her wrist light on full blast as she searched for her parents. She didn’t have a phaser, but she did manage to find her personal Vulcan weapon that she kept around in case of emergencies. Somewhere in her mind, she still knew that she wasn’t actually seeing them, but all the pain and torment she had been subjected to because of them throughout her life made it difficult for that part of her mind to assert itself over her need for bringing her parents down once and for all. She had believed herself to finally be free of them when she reached the age of ascension. But something was clearly wrong if she was seeing visions of them.

She was about to turn a corner when she heard a scream down the path she was following, she took off in a sprint down the hallway and saw a body in the distance. She took a few more steps before the light showed her a body. An unmoving body. Upon closer inspection, she jumped when she realized it was… “Captain Maxima!” She exclaimed. Fear for her best friend skyrocketing to an all time high.

She was about to get down to check for a pulse when all the lights in the hallway came back on. She noticed something off her peripheral vision, and she turned to see something that made her back into a bulkhead. There was writing. Big red letters that read.

“Welcome to your test Sela. If you are a true Vulcan you will not show fear.”

Sela couldn’t believe what she was seeing. She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping it would all go away. “This is not real, this is not real.” She whispered to herself a few times. She opened her eyes again and saw a new, even more terrifying message.

“So far you are failing.”

Sela’s breathing was fast and heavy. She glanced at the motionless Proxima, before she took off running, resuming her search for her parents, now resolving to find answers. “Sela to medbay, medical emergency on deck 10 section 23. Security run a full sweep of the ship, two middle aged Vulcans.” She said.

On the bridge, Yamik took a deep breath. “All security personnel be on the lookout for two Middle Aged Vulcans.” He told his people. “Something strange is going on.” He commented.

“We’ll look into it when we’re out of this Nebula.” Shron responded. “Baker. Status?”

“All systems coming back online, power levels rising. Looks like we’re back in business. Harmony?” Baker asked.

“I am feeling increasingly better with every passing minute.” Harmony responded, her voice now less Raspy. “Thank you Cmdr Prestine.”

“Anytime Harmony.” Prestine responded.

“Odds of Multi Vector Mode being the wrong choice?” Shron asked.

“Now that the computer has adequate power to draw from, I can give you a confident 10% chance of a segment collision.” Baker responded.

“Good enough for us. Engage Multivector mode.” Shron ordered.

“Multivector mode, online.” The computer responded. The three segments of the USS Equestria split as they powered back up.

“Paris, how long will it take to get out of here?” Shron asked.

“Assuming our course stays true, all three segments will be out of the Nebula in thirty seconds.” Paris responded.

“Terrorcon Fleet?” Shron asked.

“Five minutes out, coming in from our port side.” Norman reported.

“And they’ll find nothing.” Shron responded. “Mr. Paris, take us out.” He ordered as he got on the tactical controls, readying Phasers to blast through anything that blocked their path.

“Aye sir. Cmdr Baker, engage the Element of Loyalty.” Paris asked.

“Engaging.” Baker responded as she pressed a button on her console, the blue Element of Loyalty glowed brightly and all lights on the ship turned a magnificent blue. The engines could be heard roaring to life like a car revving its engine.

“Ooh, I like the purr.” Paris commented. “Full Impulse in three, two, one. Let’s fly!” Paris said as he threw all three segments into full Impulse.

Meanwhile, in the medbay, Boimler was confused about Sela’s report, but suddenly got a hunch as to what it might actually be, so he called up the feed from Sela’s neural monitor, and as he played back the last few moments, his blood ran cold. “This is not a mere hallucination.” He concluded after looking at the noticeable increase in brain activity. “Someone watch Proxima like a hawk!” He ordered as he grabbed a phaser and bolted out of the medbay. He had to get to Sela before it was too late.

The USS Equestria meanwhile segments weaved in and out of asteroids at lightning fast speeds. The Saucer Section flew through a donut shaped Asteroid doing a barrel roll. “Whew doggy this thing is really booking it now!” Mr. Paris called out excitedly.

“Focus Mr. Paris!” Shron replied.

The segments continued to weave in and out of the field of asteroids, the density getting less and less, until all three segments burst right out of the Nebula into open space. “All three segments are cleared!” Norman called out.

“Put the ship back together, get us under cloak and let’s get the HELL out of here!” Shron ordered.

The crew did as ordered. The three segments were brought back together, the ship disappeared under cloak, and the ship rocketed into warp at maximum, non amplified speed due to the Element of Loyalty shutting down for a recharge during the redocking process.

On the bridge while the ship jumped, everyone let out a sigh of relief. “Norman. Terrorcons?” Shron asked.

“They should be arriving at our last location now. Is it bad that I want that cursed Nebula to infect them?’ Norman asked.

That got the whole bridge laughing. “Not at all bud, after what we went through it’s only fair.” Yamik responded, before his eyes widened. “Oh no.” He said.

Paris was about to ask what he was talking about before Yamik leaned off to the side and straight up puked. He coughed up puke for a moment before he sat back up, and turned to Paris. “Paris, did you HAVE to do so many barrel rolls?” He asked.

“Sorry, I was just trying to keep it a fun watch for the readers.” Paris responded.

“Uhm, anyone mind if I had a DOT clean up Mr. Yamik’s puke ASAP?” Harmony asked.

“Go ahead Harmony.” Shron responded. “You have the right for your immune system to combat any ailments that might befall you.” He said. “Congratulations everyone, we just avoided a very unceremonious end.”

Back in the Nebula, Bio Bionic and her fleet had reached the last known position of the Equestria to find that it had gotten away. “Grrr.” She grumbled.

“Mistress, there is no sign of them anywhere in the area. They must have–” A minion said before Bio Bionic bonked him in the head.

“NO KIDDING!” She growled. “FIND THEM!”

“Yes Mistress.” The minion responded.

Bio Bionic turned back to her viewscreen. “The hunt is on now.”

Back on the Equestria, Sela was engaged in her own little hunt. With the lights back on she didn’t need her wrist light anymore. Behind her, but not too close, Boimler followed her, phaser set to stun should it be needed. After turning another corner, he decided to speak up, sticking close to cover. “Sela. It’s me. You won’t–” Boimler started before Sela whirled around and began blasting her weapon at the voice. Boimler ducked behind the corner and narrowly avoided getting hit. “Whoa! Commander!” He called out. “Calm down. You have nothing to worry about! They’re not here.”

“Do not try to lie to me father, I am done with your lies. Now come out and tell me what the hell is going on!” Sela said.

Boimler listened to her, and realized what was happening. “She’s full blown lost it now.” He whispered. He realized nothing he could say to her would help now. Sela was too far gone for anyone to reason with her, anyone except maybe… “Boimler to security.” He whispered into his combadge. “Commander Sela has gone crazy. I need her to be corralled into the shuttlebay. And to have the shuttlebay cleared of everyone. Now!” He said.

“Acknowledged.” A security officer responded. Boimler then tapped his combadge and instatransported back to the medbay.

In the shuttlebay, Cliff and Blitz saw the shuttlebay clear out. “Wonder what’s going on.” Blitz commented.

“My guess is that it’s not good.” Cliff responded.

“Cliffjumper! Blitzwing!” Called a security officer. “You two need to clear the shuttlebay immediately. I heard you can magnetize your boots. Our warp bubble will protect you from gettingsucked off the ship in the vacuum of Warp travel.” the officer explained.

“That doesn’t make me feel any better about the dangers.” Cliff said.

“I’m just letting you know what I’ve been ordered to, feel free to see what happens when you don’t get out of here but by the sound of it you would be better served getting out of here.” The security officer explained before leaving.

Blitz and Cliff glanced at each other. “Do you want to find out what happens?” Cliff asked.

“I ain’t risking my tailpipe out there without more information.” Blitz responded.

In the medbay, Boimler approached Proxima’s bed. “Vitals?” He asked the doctor watching her.

“Stable. Definitely on the healthy side.” The doctor responded.

“Good. We need to wake her up.” Boimler said.

“Sir?” The doctor asked. “We just completed horn repair 10 minutes ago. We need to let her rest.”

“I know. And for all intents and purposes we should. But commander Sela’s gone AWOL and Captain Proxima is the only one that can bring her back to reality.” Boimler responded. “It should be fine so long as she doesn’t try to use magic.” He reasoned as he pressed a hydrospanner against Proxima’s neck, administering an adrenaline to wake her.

Proxima’s eyes fluttered open a second later and she turned her head to inspect her surroundings. “Ugh. What happened?” She asked groggily.

“Welcome back Captain.” Boimler responded. “How’re you feeling?”

Proxima took a second to consider her situation. She felt her horn wrapped in bandages, and she didn’t feel sick anymore. “I feel like my horn cracked, but I’m not sick anymore.” She said.

“Yeah, we made a cure and both you and Harmony are good to go, We’re now out of the Nebula in warp.” Boimler explained. “As for the bandages around your horn, we fixed the cracks but just to be safe I am putting you on a no magic order for a week.” He said.

“That’s fair.” Proxima responded.

“Now, I’m sorry we had to wake you up but we need you.” Boimler responded. “And more specifically, Sela needs you.”

“Huh?” Proxima asked. “What do you mean?”

Boimler just called up the Neural monitor feed for Proxima to watch. “She’s been having visions all day. Of her parents.” He said simply.

Proxima’s eyes widened as she shot right up at the mention of Sela’s parents. “Her parents?!” She shrieked. She watched the feed from the Neural Monitor, and her blood ran cold when she saw the things that Sela had seen recently. “What the hell is happening to her?” She asked, getting out of bed.

“I don’t know. But it’s more than mere hallucinations. There is too much brain activity for that.” Boimler responded. “The only other thing I can think of is a mind…meld…” Boimler trailed off when he said that.

Proxima could tell what Boimler was thinking. “Someone is doing this to her.” She concluded. “Someone who knows how to do a mind meld and clearly knows how to trigger her.”

“What do we do?” The doctor asked the both of them.

“Right now we save Sela. We’ll worry about everything else later. Come on.” Proxima responded.

Moments later, Sela entered an empty shuttlebay. Weapon drawn and eyes, ironically, sharp as a hawk. She moved through the bay, searching high and low for her parents. “Come on out mother, father. There is nowhere else to go.” She called out.

Cliff and Blitz saw her come in, and heard her. “Uh, We never saw anyone come in. Everyone just–” Cliff started before Sela cut him off.

“They are in here Cliffjumper! I know they are!” Sela growled.

Both the Cybertronians instinctively backed away, sensing Sela was on a warpath that they knew better than to enter.

Sela continued to look, until she heard familiar voices. “You are wasting your time child. You will never find us.” The voice of her mother said.

“Do not be so sure. There are only so many places you can hide.” Sela responded. To the outside world, Sela just talked to herself.

Just outside the shuttlebay entrance, Proxima, Boimler, and the doctor all met up with Yamik and a few security officers. “Alright, wanna tell us what the hell is going on? Commander Sela’s been acting weird all day.” Yamik said. “Also, good to see you back on your hooves captain.” He added.

“She thinks her parents are onboard when they really are not.” Proxima responded.

“And now she is too far gone from reality that we only have one hope of bringing her back. Proxima.” Boimler responded.

Yamik glanced into the bay, and then back to Proxima. “Are you worried you might be overestimating the bond you two have captain?” He asked.

“Trust me Yamik. I know how to get her back.” Proxima responded as she entered the shuttlebay. “Commander Sela!” She called.

Sela had been preparing to breach a shuttle when she heard that voice, she whirled around and aimed her weapon, but stopped when she saw. “P-Proxi?” She asked, eyes wide.

Proxima nodded as she carefully approached Sela. “Yes Sela, it’s me. Sela, It’s ok. They aren’t here. They cannot hurt you anymore.” She assured Sela.

“They ARE here.” Sela responded. “I have been seeing them all day. They…They…” She trailed off as her eyes began to glisten.

“Cliff! Blitz! Clear the bay now!” Proxima ordered when she saw the two.

“Captain, We have–” Blitz tried to explain before Proxima cut him off.

“You can magnetize. Out onto the hull NOW!” Proxima said.

Cliff and Blitz, seeing that Proxima wasn’t kidding around, bolted for the hangar entrance and disappeared out onto the hull of the ship. With them gone, Proxima turned back to Sela. “I know. I saw what you saw from your neural monitor.” Proxima responded. “But that was NOT real.” She said. “I don’t know what’s happening to you but I do know that your parents are far, FAR away from here.”

The two doctors and the security team watched the two carefully, all their weapons on stun, just in case. “Think we should approach?” Yamik asked.

“No, that will only make things worse.” Boimler responded. “We just need to make sure they aren’t disturbed.”

Back in the bay, Sela was shaking, still gripping the weapon tightly. “I want to believe that. But I have been seeing them all day. I believed myself to be rid of them and they are back. I do not want to go through all of it again. I…I cannot.” She said, breathing heavily and fast.

Proxima could tell how terrified Sela was. And she couldn’t blame her. Proxima herself had seen first hand on multiple occasions what Sela’s parents did to her. She understood why Sela would never want to go through that again. “And you will not.” Proxima replied. “No matter what they might try, they cannot get to you. You are only among friends here on the ship.” She assured Sela.

The part of her mind that told her the same thing was starting to assert itself in Sela’s mind again, but her desire to stop her parents was still strong. “I suffered so much…” She whispered.

“I know.” Proxima responded. She could tell that words alone would not save the day. So she decided to pull out the big guns. “Computer, music.” She said. She knew one thing that would, and always will work on Sela, every time, her singing.

Just like that, music started playing in the shuttlebay.

(Just imagine that the computer gets rid of the female voice for Proxima to take over.)

Sela heard Proxima singing to her, she had turned her attention back to the shuttle she was about to enter, so her ear was pointed right at Proxima. When Proxima started singing, Sela froze and her mind thought back to all the other times she heard Proxima’s singing voice. It was calm and soothing. Just as it had been every time in the past that Sela was distraught and needed support, support that Proxima always gave her.

However, the voice of Sela’s father spoke to her. “If you actually need another to help you, then you are not a real Vulcan, because Vulcans do not need help to suppress their emotions.”

More of the same nonsense that Sela’s parents had ALWAYS told her. Stuff that she only knew was nonsense because…because of Proxima.

By the end of Proxima’s song to her, Sela found it in herself to drop the weapon she had been holding, fighting back against the urge that had been driving her for the last few minutes. Proxima, seeing this, stepped closer to Sela, being ready for what was coming as she finished the song.

When the song DID end, Sela was on the verge of tears. She noticed Proxima had come within arms reach. Sela took one step closer to meet her, and she wrapped her arms around Proxima, who in turn returned the hug as she positioned Sela’s head on her shoulder. Just in time for the tears to finally start coming down as Sela just let it out. Here, in the forelegs of her best friend, she finally allowed the sensible part of her brain to reassert itself and remind her that her parents were FAR away from her. And with the stress washing away from her, she let her emotions show themselves in full.

Proxima, for her part, held Sela tight but comforting as she soothed her friend. “It’s ok. It’s alright.” She cooed. “You’re safe.” She assured Sela.

At the entrance, Yamik and his team holstered their Phasers, seeing that the situation was under control. “The magic of friendship saves the day.” Yamik commented.

Boimler just smiled as he called up the Neural Monitor, and saw Sela’s brain activity decreasing to acceptable, normal operating levels. “Yeah.” He said in relief. He motioned for his fellow doctor to come with him into the bay to check on Sela. Which he did.

“Captain’s log stardate 321220.12, it’s been a week since our stint in what we’re calling the Aurora Nebula, and I’m happy to say that things have been going smoothly ever since. We ditched the sample we made a cure from in order to ensure it doesn’t harm Harmony again. And that patch on the hull has returned to normal color. Commander Sela has been put on medical leave to recover from her…ordeal. It is sad what she has gone through just to make it to this point in her life. But at least the worst seems to be behind her.”

“You all did good work in the Nebula.” Proxima told her staff upon her return to the Captain’s chair after a week of medical leave. “I’m glad I wasn’t made to regret my choices of personnel.”

“You can always count on us, Captain. Come hell or high water we will never let you down.” Shron responded.

“Good.” Proxima responded. “However, let’s make one thing clear. The bridge viewscreen is NEVER to be used for video games.” She said, directing it at the boys on the bridge. “If I get wind that you are playing games on the viewscreen again while on duty there WILL be consequences. Am I clear?” She asked.

“Yes Captain.” Shron, Yamik, Norman, and Paris all said,

“Everyone is dismissed except for the doctor.” Proxima responded.

Everyone except for the doctor left the captain’s ready room. Boimler waited for them to be gone before speaking. “With luck this week’s crisis has taught them to always stay sharp.” He commented.

“I think it did.” Proxima responded.

Boimler nodded. “So, how is Sela doing?” He asked.

“She’s doing ok. She’ll return to duty following the weekend.” Proxima responded.

“Have you two talked much about it?” Boimler asked.

“Sela hasn’t said much. And I don’t want to push her into a conversation she’s not ready for.” Proxima responded. She and Sela had spent the last week together just being in each other’s company. In that time they talked, just not about the incident.

“Well, I would recommend you two DO talk. We still have a mystery on our hands. What exactly happened.” Boimler said. “Because it was not a hallucination.”

“But what ELSE it could be should be impossible. Mind Melding is a rare and nearly lost art, not a lot of Vulcans know it.” Proxima replied.

“Well, maybe we just got lucky and we have a few Mind Meld capable Vulcans onboard.” Boimler said.

“But who out of the 13 other Vulcans on board would know about Sela’s parents. The things she saw, only someone who knew her history in great detail could make something that horrifying.”

“Maybe you should ask her.” Boimler responded. “Give us a suspect or two.”

“I’ll do that.” Proxima responded. “But before I go, one more thing.” Proxima said. “I am aware that you might not be at liberty to discuss but…”

“You want to know the severity of Sela’s ESI.” Phlox guessed.

Proxima nodded. “She hasn’t mentioned it for a while and after the ordeal I’ve been worried it might have become fatal again.” She said.

“Well, That is also a conversation for you to have with Sela, but I can say that she is expected to live a long life.” Boimler responded. “More than a few years.”

Proxima let out a sigh of relief. “Good.” She said. “Dismissed.”

Boimler nodded and left the ready room. Leaving Proxima alone. After a second, she too left. She left Shron on the con and left the bridge.

In her quarters, Sela sat in front of a candle, eyes closed, meditating. She had been doing it as a way to process and cope with what she had gone through while in the Nebula. After several long minutes, she heard the doorbell chime. “Enter.” She called, opening her eyes to see Proxima enter. “Captain.” Sela acknowledged.

“Hey Sela.” Proxima replied. “How’re you doing?”

“I am coping.” Sela responded as Proxima sat down across from her in front of the Candle. “I see that Boimler has removed your horn bandage.” Sela commented.

“Yeah.” Proxima responded. “I’m cleared to use magic again. And now I have a stronger Magic inhibitor for next time.”

“It is more important than ever that you do not become sick. Otherwise Harmony will share your illness.” Sela told her.

“Oh I heard. It must have been frightening for everyone.”

“It definitely kept us on our toes.” Sela replied. “We just narrowly escaped a Terrorcon attack.”

“Thanks to a little help from the Element of Loyalty.” Proxima said. “God bless those gems.”

“Indeed.” Sela responded.

The two fell into silence for a few seconds before Proxima decided to bring it up. “Are you going to be OK after what happened?” She asked.

Sela glanced down at the candle, considering an answer. “...One day, I will be.” She responded truthfully after a second. “But there is too much history for me to just let go so easily. You will forgive me if it takes time?” She asked.

“Of course.” Proxima responded. “Take all the time you need. And if you ever need me, just holler.” She added.

“Of course Proxima. In truth, there is no one else I would rather talk to.” Sela replied.

Proxima couldn’t help but smile when Sela said that. “Me and you.” She said.

“Always have each other’s back we do.” Sela replied, completing their friendship vow they made up as kids.

Proxima let out a chuckle. It felt good to say that again. She then lost her smile. “There is something else you should know. Some more details about what happened.” Proxima told her.

“I suspect that it has to do with the nature of my ordeal. I came to the same conclusion.” Sela responded.

“A mind meld.” Proxima said. “The high brain activity pretty much confirms it.”

“However, we do not know where it could have come from.” Sela replied. “I am certain no other Vulcan onboard has any knowledge of my history and how to perform such a procedure. Both of which are required for how realistic my ordeal felt.” She said.

“If it did not come from anyone on this ship that it should have been flat out impossible.” Proxima said.

“It is curious indeed.” Sela replied. “And…If I may be perfectly honest, it also terrifies me.”

“Well, do not worry Sela, we will find out what’s happening to you and we will stop it somehow.” Proxima said. “And, maybe we can continue to mitigate the severity of ESI along the way.” She added.

Sela’s heart sank at the mention of ESI. She took a deep breath as she prepared herself for the inevitable. “In that area, I am actually thankful that this ordeal has happened. Without it, I would only have had 15.5 months before my demise.” She told Proxima.

Proxima’s eyes widened. 15.5 months? “What?” She asked. “You only had a year and a quarter left before this week?” She asked.

“Indeed.” Sela responded.

So many questions flooded Proxima’s mind. How long had Sela known it became fatal again, what the hell did her parents do, and maybe most importantly. “Why did you never say anything?” She asked.

“Because the last time it turned fatal, I watched as you nearly drove yourself into a panic attack worrying about me.” Sela responded. “I could not bear to see you go through that again. No matter how much time we might have had to try to mitigate the severity.” She explained. “I hope you can forgive me.”

Proxima sniffled as she wiped her eyes dry, but she nodded. She couldn’t argue with Sela on that one. “Yeah. Yeah I can forgive you. What matters is that now you have longer than 15.5 months.” She said.

“The ultimate timeframe gained from this ordeal comes out to 10 years.” Sela said.

“But you had to experience a horror flick to earn that time.” Proxima responded. “You had to…” She trailed off, not wanting to finish the sentence.

“It scared me more than anything ever had before.” Sela admitted, guessing what Proxima meant. “Some part of me knew that you were safe in the medbay, but for the briefest moment, I had actually thought that you…The thought of losing you is not a thought that I welcome. It is one that I hope to never have again.” She said.

Proxima got up, walked around to sit beside Sela, and extended one of her wings to drape over Sela’s shoulders, prompting Sela to instinctively lean against her. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that.” Proxima told her. “When Phlox showed me the neural monitor feed my blood ran cold.” She said.

“If you do not mind, I would prefer we end the conversation on this topic.” Sela said, not having the mental capacity to think about this week’s chilling events anymore.

Proxima nodded in understanding. “Of course.” She said. “But for real Sela, if you ever need to talk, I’m here. You can tell me anything.”

“I appreciate it Proxi. Really.” Sela responded, silence befalling the two of them after that.

It did not last long as a thought came to Sela. “Captain, there is something else I need to tell you. Harmony, you will want to hear this too.” She said.

Harmony’s blue orb appeared in front of them. “What is it commander?” She asked.

“Yeah, what is it?” Proxima asked.

“Admiral Vance called while you two were indisposed. He wanted me to let you know that the Federation council wishes to meet with you two. THey wish to discuss a few concerns that they have over Harmony’s enrollment into the Academy before a final decision is reached.” She said.

“Did he give any specifics?” Proxima asked.

“You will have to ask him. He did not say. Although, I do remember that he predicted one such concern is Harmony’s current condition, being locked in starship mode.” Sela theorized.

“I am just about finished with my avatar body. Captain, might we call the admiral this coming monday?” Harmony asked.

“We can.” Proxima responded. “If I may ask, what species did you choose Harmony?” She asked.

“I shall unveil it on Monday. But I do believe it will be satisfactory.” Harmony replied.

Proxima smiled and nodded. “Looking forward to seeing it.” She said.

“And you might want to talk to Baker as well, she has been working on a way for Harmony’s avatar to be freed from the confines of a holo emitter’s range and allow Harmony to put her consciousness into a mobile holographic body.” Sela revealed.

Proxima’s eyes widened, and Harmony was in shock. “She’s really doing that?” Harmony asked.

“You are going to be trapped in Starship mode for a while, possibly for years.” Sela said. “This way you can have some semblance of mobility that us organics enjoy while you await your T-goc repair.” She explained.

Harmony was at a loss for words for several seconds. Not expecting a gesture like this. “I am going to be able to move around freely…Wow.” She said.

Proxima couldn’t help but smile. “I believe that will go a long way towards your admittance being allowed.” She said as she glanced at Sela. “It was your idea wasn’t it.”

“It was only logical.” Sela replied simply.

“Impeccable logic at that.” Proxima responded. “So, up for a binging night? I believe Season 3 of The Cadet just arrived through subspace.”

Sela’s face lit up at the mention of the show. “Yes.” She said. “That sounds great.”

“The Cadet?” Harmony asked.

“Oh you’ll love it Harmony.” Proxima responded. “It’s an over exaggerated reality show look into Starfleet operations but it’s great.” She said as she and Sela got up off the floor.

Harmony, curious as ever, moved her orb so that it was positioned in front of the holo screen as Proxima and Sela sat on Sela’s couch to watch the show.

To be continued…

Author's Note

I can't help but wonder if I should just make it so each adventure is just one chapter. Might want to experiment with that.

"You can come to me" Belongs to respective owners. I own nothing.

Please don't pound on me for any possible discrepancies with how a Mind Meld works. I believe it would increase brain activity signifiicantly but I could easily be wrong.

On that topic, Sela will not have many of these ordeals on screen so I don't know if a horror tag is necessary but I could be wrong there too.

THX FOR READING!

Episode 6: New Face, Old Conflicts

Monday Morning found the USS Equestria orbiting a large asteroid with an Energon Deposit. The crew had come to the agreement that it was better to keep their supply of Energon full as much as possible In the event they were not able to replenish for an extended time. So while Captain Maxima led the mining operation, Commander Sela took the con on the bridge. “Any sign of Terrorcons?” She asked.

“No Sir.” Norman responded. “Looks like we gave them the complete slip last week.”

“Good. But as we learned during our first mining operation that can change at any moment. So keep your eyes sharp.” Sela said.

“Aye sir.” Shron replied.

Silence befell the Bridge once again and Sela’s thoughts turned to her recent Ordeal. She could not help but wonder what happened. She had tried to look for any residual Mind Meld energies within her that might have given her a clue but she could not find any. Suddenly, she saw flashes from the ordeal, the writing on the bulkhead, Proxima laying there motionless, and her parents. Sela stopped and blinked a few times before her vision returned to normal. She kept her breathing under control so that no one would worry. Maybe I should ask Dr. Boimler for that Neural Monitor again…

“Commander, Commander Sela.” She heard Norman calling to her, bringing her out of her thoughts.

Sela returned to reality and glanced behind her to Norman. “Yes Mr Norman?” She asked.

“Incoming Call from Admiral Vance, Subspace video.” Norman reported.

“Alright. Thank you.” Sela responded before patching through to Captain Maxima. “Bridge to Captain Maxima, We’re receiving a Subspace Video call from Admiral Vance.” She said.

Down in the mine, Proxima could clearly hear something off about Sela. “I’ll be right up. Have Harmony meet us in Holodeck one.” She said as the connection cut. She turned her attention back to Cliffjumper, whom she had been talking to before Sela called. “As I was saying, It’s not practical for me to magic you down to our size every day. But I can talk to Baker and see if she can’t make a device to allow you to access the rest of the ship.” She told him.

“That would be great, Captain.” Cliff responded. “I’m sorry to bother you with this but my sanity is taking a beating being stuck in the same room every day.” He said.

“No, I understand. Really I do. I would go mad too if I had to stay in the same room every day.” Proxima responded. “I’ll talk to her when I go back to the ship in a minute.”

“I appreciate it, Captain.” Cliff responded as he returned to mining.

With that, Proxima tapped her combadge and insta transported back aboard the Equestria.

In Holodeck One, A Young Adult Earth Pony Mare phased into existence. This pony had gold colored fur, a visor, and looked like a Rainbow had puked on them, the finishing touch was that she was wearing a Starfleet uniform, but dark gray with no rank. This pony heard the door open, followed by a familiar voice.

“H-Harmony?” Proxima asked.

The pony turned her head to see the captain and commander come in and she smiled. “Greetings Captain, Commander. Yes, this is my avatar. What do you think?” She asked.

Proxima glanced at Sela, before answering. “It’s uhm, it’s colorful.” She said.

“Indeed.” Sela responded. “Although I would ask Cmdr Baker what she thinks. She is more knowledgeable when it comes to appearances and her insights will be helpful for you.” She said.

Harmony nodded. “I shall do that after our meeting with the Admiral.” She said.

“I would lose the glasses.” Sela commented. “That way you look more professional.”

The glasses Harmony was wearing disappeared to reveal bright blue eyes. “Acknowledged commander.” She said.

Proxima nodded. “Computer. Accept Subspace video call from Admiral Vance.” She said.

The holodeck activated completely and the scenery changed from a grid to Admiral Vance’s office back at Federation Headquarters. With the Admiral himself standing there in front of them. “Hello, can you hear me?” He asked.

“We can hear you Admiral.” Proxima responded. “Loud and Clear.”

“Good. Looks like bouncing the signal off your communication buoy network is working well.” Admiral Vance said.

“Thank the stars for that.” Proxima responded.

Admiral Vance was about to speak, before he noticed something off his peripheral vision. He turned his head to see that Commander Sela and Captain Maxima were joined by another pony. He refrained from commenting on their appearance. “I see you have a new face onboard your ship.” He said.

“Yes Admiral.” Sela responded. “This is Harmony CyberSpark’s avatar.”

“Admiral Vance sir.” Harmony acknowledged.

Vance nodded her way. “Ms. CyberSpark.” He acknowledged. “It seems like you have already solved one of the council’s concerns.”

“Almost sir. We will equip Harmony with a Mobile Emitter later today.” Proxima responded.

“Good. Then that is one concern squared away. The council has informed me that they will be available for you tomorrow.” Vance said. “At that time they will discuss their remaining concerns and from there a final decision will be reached.” He explained.

“Admiral, if I may, what might block my application into the Academy?” Harmony asked.

“I see two potential deciding factors on that front. One would be physical location. You are unable to physically attend the Academy at the moment. However, I am confident that we can arrange for a form of field training that will satisfy all concerned.” Vance explained.

“That would be the ideal method of instruction.” Proxima responded. “And the other factor?”

“Sadly, the Eugenics Act. Any genetically modified individual is not allowed to serve in Starfleet.” Vance replied.

“The same law that nearly blocked Captain Maxima sir?” Harmony asked.

“The very one.” Vance replied. “The simple matter is that you, Harmony, would be the first of your kind to come into the Academy. And in your current state you are still smarter and likely faster than the other cadets in the Academy.” He explained. “An unfair advantage.”

“According to the situation at the time of her birth I would argue that she was born with those attributes and not genetically enhanced after the fact.” Sela countered.

“However she was born out of one of our starships.” Vance responded. “With Captain Maxima we do not have evidence to suggest she was anything BUT a pony for her whole life. But with Harmony, it is much less cut and dry.”

Vance did raise a good point. Harmony could very well be considered genetically enhanced based on Vance’s argument. “Understood sir.” Proxima said.

“I would look into Starfleet’s history banks. There may be a precedent set for a being similar to Harmony going through the Academy. That will likely help your case.” Vance suggested.

“We shall do that sir, thank you.” Sela responded.

“I shall send word when the Council is ready for you.” Vance responded. “In the meantime, Harmony?” He asked.

“Yes Admiral?” Harmony asked.

“White stripe on black is the official observer uniform for Starfleet.” Vance told her. “Until such time that you might hold an official rank, A member of the crew with your current standing is an observer.” He explained.

Harmony glanced down at her Starfleet uniform and the colors changed to a white stripe on black. “Thank you Admiral.” She said.

“I shall see the three of you tomorrow.” Vance responded before the connection cut.

When the Holodeck returned to its gridlike appearance. Proxima let out a smile. “I have a good feeling about the outcome.” She said.

“The Eugenics Act is likely to be Harmony’s biggest hurdle.” Sela replied.

“I have been looking into that law’s history, it seems to have sprouted due to an Earth War?” Harmony asked.

“Indeed.” Proxima responded. “Long story short, humans tried to improve themselves, it backfired on them HARD, and essentially it was the beginning of the end for Earth of that time. Giving rise to United Earth that exists to this day.” She explained.

“After the Eugenics wars, a law was created to prevent a disaster like that from happening again.” Sela added. “Though over the centuries it has caused a few…cultural issues with member races.”

“Member races who wanted to join the Federation but genetic manipulation is part of their culture.” Proxima clarified.

“Hm. It sounds like the law needs to either be updated or overturned.” Harmony surmised.

“Eh.” Proxima shrugged. “It’s a pretty low level law these days and not often on the radar. But when it does pop up, it can be a crapshow.”

“I see.” Harmony responded.

Proxima nodded. “Now, I should probably get back down there and help finish mining.” She said. “You have the Con Number One. And, start checking Starfleet records, any precedent of an officer with similarities to Harmony will be helpful.” She told Sela before she insta transported away.

With Proxima gone, Sela turned to Harmony. “I will tell Baker to come to Holodeck One and help you complete your Avatar.” She told her.

“I’d appreciate that Commander.” Harmony responded.

With that, Sela left. “Cmdrs Yamik and Norman, I have a task I need your assistance in.” She said.

“Chief Engineer’s Log Stardate 32120626.10: Been working on this beauty for some time now but it’s finally complete. With the help of a cortical psychic patch created by Teletran, the consciousness of our ship should be able to leave the confines of a Holo Emitter’s range and enjoy the freedom of movement we enjoy.”

Cmdr Baker approached the Holodeck and tapped a button to open the door. The doors slid open and she walked inside. “Alright Harmony, are you ready to be free from–Holy Kanar!” Cmdr Baker stopped when she saw what she was told was Harmony’s avatar. And holy crap did it look like a mismatch of colors that really did not go together.

Harmony turned her head to see Baker enter, and raised an eyebrow when she saw Baker’s reaction. “Is there something wrong Cmdr Baker?” She asked.

Cmdr Baker cleared her throat and relaxed. “Ahem, well, not WRONG per se, but…Your appearance could use some work.” She admitted.

“I do not get it. Is my appearance bad?” Harmony asked.

“It looks like a rainbow puked on you.” Baker responded as she clipped the mobile emitter onto her belt. “I take it the council will be ready for you soon?” She asked, being in the loop about what was going on.

“Tomorrow.” Harmony responded.

“So we have just one day to make you look professional and presentable to a room full of government officials. Good thing your appearance is holographic in nature. Makes it easier to change.” Baker said.

Meanwhile, in the mine, Teletran was working with the captain on mining using his mining laser. “So, as I understand it, there are three main divisions, six subdivisions, and various departments under those 6 divisions.” He said.

“That’s right, Security and tactical fall under command. Operations and Engineering fall under…Engineering, And Medical and science fall under science.” Proxima responded.

“Intriguing. And any aspiring Starfleet officer can go into any field they choose?” Teletran asked.

“That’s correct.” Proxima replied as she cut through an energon crystal and magically moved it into the waiting arms of several DOTs.

“So Harmony has a choice to make as an officer.” Teletran concluded.

“Assuming of course she is allowed in.” Proxima said.

“Yes. But it is interesting how many fields Starfleet covers.” Teletran said.

“Exploration, diplomacy, and defense does give Starfleet many career paths.” Proxima said. “It took a while before I settled on a command Career path.”

“What drew you to command?” Teletran asked.

“Take your child to work day, Little ol 6 year old me. Captain Burnham of the Discovery required my parents for a mission and she allowed me to come along. She let me onto the bridge, and let me sit in the Captains chair to take the ship into warp. It was exhilarating, giving the order. I had always known I wanted to explore the stars but it wasn’t until that moment when I knew I wanted to be a captain.” Proxima explained. “Of course I didn’t expect to make captain so soon, and I certainly did NOT expect to be captaining a titan all the way out in Extragalactic space. But, I am right where I want to be.”

“Inspiring.” Teletran responded. “Do you know what department might suit Harmony best?” He asked.

“Why make her choose?” Asked Blitzwing, who landed beside them after delivering a crystal to the Equestria. “If you ask me, she would be fit for any department. So why not let her into all of them?” He asked.

Proxima couldn’t help but let out a chuckle. “ALL the departments? Yeah. When pigs fly.” She said. “There might be a precedent for a being like Harmony to be allowed into the Academy but there is no way any officer has ever been allowed to wear all those hats. The amount of course work that would require would be too much to just complete in 4 years.” She explained.

“Has anyone ever even tried?” Cliff asked, he overheard what they were talking about and decided to go over.

“Beats me, but if anyone has, they were likely shot down.” Proxima responded.

“Perhaps Harmony could be the first. After all she essentially IS the USS Equestria. Maybe such a status would warrant her wearing all the hats.” Teletran suggested.

“Well, we’ll just have to see. But if you ask me, the most likely career path for her would be command. Making it all the way to Captain of the USS Equestria…Assuming of course they don’t retire her by then.” Proxima said.

“Captain, I already explained it to Sela, But If Starfleet doesn’t want to have massive problems on their hands, then they should never take you off the ship and away from Harmony. I’vre seen what happens when Titans are separated from their City Speakers and it is not pretty to say the least.” Blitzwing warned.

“Good thing about Admirals Blitz, they can take a ship as a flagship. So Don’t worry about that.” Proxima said.

“Good.” Blitz responded.

“That raises another question. How far would she be able to go as far as ranks are concerned?” Teletran asked.

“That I’m not sure.” Proxima responded. “It’s one of those things we’ll need to wait and see.” She said.

“Assuming we all survive to that point.” Blitz commented as the four got back to mining.

Meanwhile, back on the Equestria, Sela, Yamik, and Norman stood in a holodeck area surrounded by Starfleet officer IDs. “Finding a single precedent in an officer that’s similar to Harmony.” Yamik commented.

“Like finding a needle in the world’s largest haystack.” Norman commented.

“If Harmony is to have a chance of getting into the academy, then we must comb through these records to find even a single precedent that remotely is similar to Harmony.” Sela told them.

“But commander, she’s going to go up against the council tomorrow. This is gonna take us a month at least.” Yamik said.

“Well, we just need to narrow it down.” Norman responded. “Computer, separate the records of enhanced officers and non enhanced officers, and dump the non-enhanced.” He said.

Most of the officer IDs disappeared, leaving only 100 officer IDs left. “Nice work Mr. Norman.” Sela said.

“Ok now this is doable.” Yamik nodded in approval.

“In that case, let us get to work.” Sela said as they began closely reading the IDs. Looking for anything that could help Harmony’s case.

It did not take them long before Norman brought a new ID up close for a read, and noticed something. “I got something.” He said.

“What did you get?” Yamik asked as he and Sela looked at the ID Norman found.

“A Starfleet officer that is quite similar to Harmony in nearly every relevant regard.” Norman responded.

Back in Holodeck one, Baker was helping Harmony with her look, Harmony was meanwhile back to being a blue orb while her Avatar was being a work in progress. “For ponies, it’s important that you pick a singular color scheme and stick with it.” Baker told her. “Pony is your chosen species?” She asked.

“I would like to be an Earth Pony. Yes.” Harmony replied.

“Then it will be best for you to pick a fur color and a singular mane and tail color. Sometimes, like in the case of the great Princess Twilight Sparkle, or Ambassador Starscout, different color stripes can work. But what you did with your first attempt was have equalized color regions in your mane and tail. To just name one of the problems.” Baker explained.

“I was meaning to represent Starfleet seeing as I am a starfleet vessel.” Harmony responded, being a bit attacked right now.

“There are better ways to do that.” Baker responded. “Now, how about the glasses? What made you want those?” She asked.

“I apparently have a visor built into my head in robot mode, as the schematics of my body show.” Harmony replied. “So I thought I should include them in my Avatar.”

“Understandable.” Baker said. “Though they can also be a liability, I would advise that you forgo the visor under normal circumstances. Although in battle visors can absolutely be of use.” She said.

“Fair enough.” Harmony said as baker tapped at a holographic control panel, changing up Harmony’s avatar look.

“My apologies if I’m coming off as too harsh on your look Harmony.” Baker commented, sensing how harsh she might be coming off. “Cardassians have a proud legacy of art and aesthetics. Guess that just gives us a critical eye for this stuff. All in all, it was a good first attempt.”

“I understand Cmdr Baker, thank you for helping me refine my look.” Harmony responded. “Might I ask that we keep the leg bands?”

“Any reason?” Baker asked.

“I have been trying to stick close to my own body’s color…scheme…I just realized I completely went against that the first time around.” Harmony realized when saying it out loud.

Baker couldn’t help but let out a snicker. “Hm…How about we do this…” She said as she worked her magic. She came up with an appearance in no time. “How about this?” She asked.

Harmony gave the appearance a look, before speaking up. “I will not lie, this is infinitely better than my first attempt. Can we go with this one?” She asked.

“It’s your avatar. Your call.” Baker responded.

“I like it. Let’s go with this one.” Harmony said.

“Alright then.” Baker responded. “Now to see if this Mobile Emitter mod works. Meet me in the medbay and Dr. Boiler can monitor your brain activity.” She said.

“Copy that Cmdr Baker.” Harmony responded.

In the medical bay, Dr. Boimler was seeing a patient out. “Just take it easy on the leg for a few days and it should be fine. I’ll put you on restricted duty till then.” He said.

The patient nodded and left, thanking Phlox. Phlox turned back into the medbay to put the order in when an Earth Pony mare suddenly appeared before him, a mare which had a familiar voice. “Greetings Dr Boimler.” Said the voice of Harmony.

Boimler stopped in his tracks, piecing together what was happening. “Harmony?” He asked.

“Yes Doctor. This is my new Avatar.” Harmony responded. Boimler saw that Harmony had a silver fur coat, a gold mane and tail with a red stripe running down the middle of both. She was wearing a Starfleet observer uniform, and wore a pair of bands on each of her four legs.

After taking it in, Phlox nodded in approval. “It definitely suits you.” He said. “So, what can I do for you now?” He asked.

“Cmdr Baker wanted me to meet her here. We are ready to test my mobile emitter and she believed it best to do so here so you may monitor my neural brain activity.” Harmony explained.

“Smart.” Phlox responded. “Harmony, are you sure you want to take this risk? If something goes wrong you could effectively die from this experiment.”

“Considering I will gain mobility that my physical body cannot provide for me, and considering that said mobility will help my case for being allowed into the Academy, I say the risks are worth the reward.” Harmony responded.

Phlox couldn’t argue with that logic. “Fair enough.” He said. “So, What career are you going to go into?” Phlox asked.

“I have not given thought to that. I have been focused thus far on just getting into the Academy at all.” Harmony answered. “But from casually obtaining glimpses, I would say I find command intriguing.”

“Given that you are a starship, with control over everything, command does seem like the way to go for you.” Phlox said. “But I would take a little more time to consider it. You cannot change careers easily once you get into your second year as a cadet.”

“Understood.” Harmony replied. “If I may ask, how did you get into medical?” She asked Phlox.

“Both my parents were doctors in their day. I always found biology and medicine intriguing. And saving people’s lives is always a nice feeling. So, when I knew I wanted to join Starfleet, it was a no-brainer to go to Starfleet Medical.” Phlox replied. “You could say it was my calling.”

“Intriguing.” Harmony responded.

Right then, Kasey entered the medbay. “Afternoon Doc.” She greeted Phlox.

“Cmdr Baker.” Phlox responded. “I assume you have the Mobile Emitter?” He asked.

“Right here.” Baker responded as she held up the emitter. She pulled out a retractable cord from it. “And this is the cortical Psychic patch that Harmony can use to transfer her consciousness into the emitter.”

“And that is the part that I am needed for. To make sure nothing goes wrong.” Phlox concluded.

Baker nodded as she walked over to a console and plugged in the cord. “Yeah. We are literally playing around with our ship’s consciousness. If something goes wrong our vessel becomes brain dead.” She said.

“And as we found out last week, that also presents a risk to the captain…We should probably warn her.” Phlox responded as he tapped his combadge. “Doctor Boimler to Captain Maxima.” He said.

“Maxima here.” Proxima responded through coms.

“We’re about to transfer Harmony’s consciousness into her new Mobile Emitter. Harmony has said she’s willing to take the risk. What’s your take?” Phlox asked.

“Worst case Scenario, Commander Sela is a capable captain. You’re clear.” Maxima responded.

“Acknowledged.” Phlox responded before cutting the coms. He took a deep breath and called up Harmony’s brain activity. “Ready Harmony?” He asked.

“Yes Doctor.” Harmony replied.

“Alright then, only question now is where do you want me to stick this?” Baker asked.

Harmony thought for a moment, considering her options. “Perhaps on the back of my head? I believe it could be possible to conceal it with a bow after the fact.” She said.

“Hm. You’re learning.” Baker replied with pride as Harmony approached, she turned her head so Baker could stick the Emitter where Harmony wanted. Once it was secure, Baker kept a hand on the Emitter just in case. “Ok, the Emitter is on, do you see the pathway Harmony?” She asked.

Internally, Harmony could see a new connection opened up in the system. “Yes, I believe I see the pathway into the Emitter.” She said.

“In that case, ready when you are.” Phlox said. Both he and Baker were holding their breath.

After one final muster of courage, Harmony entered the pathway and her consciousness traveled into the Emitter. The Emitter itself lit up a bright blue before dimming again. Phlox took that as an indication that she was in the Emitter now. “Brain activity stable so far.” He said. “Baker, Disconnect.”

Baker did as she was told and Disconnected the Emitter from the console. Everything flickered for a fraction of a second before stabilizing again. But despite that, Boimler Never lost the brain activity he was monitoring. “Well the ship might have glitched but her brain activity is still strong.” He said.

“Harmony? You good?” Baker asked.

“Yes cmdr.” Harmony responded.

“Alright, now comes the test of the Emitter itself.” Baker said. “Computer, disable all emitters on this deck.” She ordered after ensuring they weren’t going to upset anyone with this step.

Every emitter shut itself off on the deck, and Harmony’s avatar remained. Baker smiled as she took her hand off the emitter, confident it wouldn’t fall. “We can still see you Harmony, I think this actually worked.” She said.

Harmony couldn’t help but smile widely at this news. “I’m mobile!” She exclaimed excitedly as she pranced in place. “This is amazing. Thank you Cmdr Baker.” She said.

“Any time Harmony.” Baker responded. “Now we just have to wait and see if a complete shutdown will affect your avatar with your consciousness loaded in.”

“I do not recommend that right now.” Boimler responded. “I’m not an engineer but even I know how bad an idea that is right now.”

“Yeah. It is.” Baker said. “And there’s not a convenient time to do such a test, because we are FAR away from the nearest possible spacedock. It’s just one of those things where if we get hit by an EMP, the silver lining will be that it allows us to test if it actually works or not.”

“Well. for now, I do not believe it is important.” Harmony said.

“Agreed.” Phlox replied.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me.” Harmony said as a black bow appeared in her hair, the same color as her uniform. “I’m gonna see what the captain thinks.

“Admiral Vance.” Proxima acknowledged when the Admiral’s face appeared on her holo imager. Commander Sela had informed her that Admiral Vance waa calling again, and this time it was marked Priority One. So she and Sela took it in Proxima’s ready room.

“Captain, Commander.” Admiral Vance replied.

“Is there a problem Admiral?” Sela asked. “Your call was marked Priority One.”

“Yes. Because I wanted to ensure you two heard this news.” Vance responded.

Proxima could tell that Vance was looking worried. “Did the council need to reschedule our appearance before them?” She asked.

“No, that is still happening. The issue is WHO will be in attendance.” Vance responded.

Proxima and Sela glanced at each other in confusion. They did not know of any problem representatives on the council. “I fear we do not follow Admiral.” Sela told Vance.

“Mr. And Mrs. T’Pala were re-elected as N’Var’s representatives on the council mere moments ago. And ever since Harmony’s original inquiry, they have been very vocal AGAINST Harmony’s acceptance.” Admiral Vance responded.

Proxima’s eyes widened as Sela just raised an eyebrow. “What?” They both asked. Proxima in a rising panic voice and Sela in a neutral voice, but that did not mean Sela herself was not internally panicking. Forget the Eugenics Act, Harmony’s biggest obstacle tomorrow will be my parents. She thought, already guessing what her parents were REALLY up to here.

To Be Continued…

Author's Note

In All reality One planet will not make much difference if everyone else votes for Harmony.

But the threat is still very much there, and you will see why soon enough.

THX FOR READING!!!!

Episode 8: New Officers, doubling fronts

“Captain’s Log Stardate 32120627.1059. Of all the bloody things to happen today of all days, our most recently deployed subspace relay suffered a complete systems failure. We’ve backtracked in order to fix the relay but without it we can’t reliably make a subspace video call to the council. I hope they can buy us some time back home.”

“Of all the times this could happen, it has to happen NOW.” Norman lamented as he tried to reboot the system. “Ugh. Baker, you getting anything?” He asked.

“Nada.” Baker responded. “I’m gonna try reprogramming it. Re-adopt it into the network.”

Meanwhile, Proxima sat in her captain’s chair, gustied up in her dress uniform as Baker was also. She had her horn extended and lit. Beside her, Harmony watched with intrigue. “Might I inquire what you are doing Captain?” Harmony asked.

“I’m trying to get a Long Distance Scrying Spell to reach Federation Headquarters.” Proxima responded. “It would be the absolute longest distance in history, but we cannot miss this meeting.”

“Is a Scrying spell not merely a glorified security camera?” Harmony asked.

“Usually. But in special cases it can be used for two way communication.” Proxima responded. “I’m counting on Ambassador Starscout’s aide Alphabittle being there to act as a transceiver.”

“Ah.” Harmony said.

“Yeah.” Proxima responded, before she dimmed her horn, giving up after failing repeatedly. “Grah! I can’t get through.” She announced.

Sela, who was sitting on Proxima’s other side, also dressed up, patted Proxima’s back. “It was a solid and logical attempt to make captain.” She said. She hesitated for a moment, before she spoke up. “Captain, might we speak privately in your ready room for a moment?”

Proxima was about to answer, before Baker cut her off. “Yes!” She exclaimed. “Communication relay is back up and running!” She announced.

“Thank Faust!” Proxima responded as she got up. “We can talk later commander. Right now we have a meeting to get to. Baker, put out a call to Federation HQ and route it to Holodeck one. Then catch up with us.” Proxima said. “And tell the doctor we’re back in business. Cmdr, Harmony, let’s get down there.”

Harmony and Sela both got up and followed Proxima off the bridge. “Captain, I am afraid it cannot wait. Last night I had another vision of my parents.” She announced.

Proxima’s eyes widened. “Halt Turbolift.” She ordered, the turbo lift stopping in its tracks. “You saw your parents again?” She asked Sela.

“Indeed.” Sela responded as she held up her wrist to reveal the neural monitor. “There were messages that said they would see me today to discuss something.” She explained.

“Didn’t they wish no contact with you?” Proxima asked.

“They did. But I theorize that these visions are their doing somehow, so that must mean no contact has left the ship.” Sela responded.

“Given we know it is a Mind Meld, maybe it is not so crazy.” Proxima concluded. “That being said. I’m starting to think you should sit this one out Cmdr. You are under no obligation to tolerate their company.” She said.

Sela hesitated before responding. “I…will stand with you and Harmony captain, I just will not go with them if they wish to speak with me.” Sela said. Deciding that was an acceptable arrangement.

“And if they do insist, be equally as insistent that someone from our crew goes with you.” Proxima responded.

“That…is a logical move.” Sela said after a moment’s thought. “They really do not have a reason to refuse if it is official business.”

“Uhm…might I ask exactly what is going on between Sela and her parents?” Harmony asked. “I apologize but I have been growing more and more curious.” She said.

Proxima and Sela glanced at each other, before Sela spoke. “We shall explain everything later Harmony.” She said. “I might have to let everyone else on the Senior staff in on it too. So that they are aware of what I might have visions about.”

“It’s your call Sela.” Proxima said. “Resume turbolift.” She ordered. The turbolift started its journey once again.

(Start to about 1:24)
Space: The final frontier. This is the story of the USS Equestria. A ship fresh out of construction, with a crew fresh from the Academy. Together they will embark on a mission of discovery, and evolution. They will explore a strange new frontier, seek out new life and a new civilization, and boldly go farther than anyone has ever gone.

“There is an old earth Adage that I believe applies to all. Experience outranks everything Frisk said. “That people often learn more out in the field than they ever will in a mere classroom.”

“That is a sound argument commandant.” A representative said. “How would this apply to Harmony CyberSpark?”

“Instead of traditional classes, should Harmony CyberSpark make it to admittance into the academy as a cadet, it will be the standard four years, but instead of lectures and tests, Ms. CyberSpark will undergo guided field training with the crew of the USS Equestria as her teachers. She will go on away missions, act as an official crew member onboard, and learn much more out there then she ever will undergoing traditional academy curriculum.” Commandant Frisk replied.

From the stand in the Council Chamber, Vance and the maximas watched Commandant Frisk stalled for time for the Equestria. “Anything?” Hannah asked Vance.

“Nothing.” Vance responded. “The last thing we heard was that they’ll definitely be late for the session.”

Hannah and Belana glanced at each other. Worried that something might have happened to the Equestria.

Suddenly, a firm “ahem.” Was heard, interrupting Frisk. “As much as we appreciate an individual taking initiative and preparing ahead of time a plan for a potential Starfleet cadet.” Said Representative T’Pala, who approached the Commandant in front of the council. “I believe the question must be raised, why have we not heard from the USS Equestria yet. They should have called by now.” He said.

Commandant had to restrain himself from snapping at the representative as he responded. “The USS Equestria will call. They are just having technical difficulties, as to be expected when traveling the unknown.”

“Or they are merely saying as such so that they do not need to face the council.” Mr. T’Pala suggested.

Upon hearing that, Hannah and Belana were struggling not to go out there and tear the representative a new one for suggesting their daughter was cowardly, memories of the last time they were before the council with this issue. Vance meanwhile tapped his combadge. “Vance to Communications. PLEASE tell me the USS Equestria sent an update.” He said.

“They just did. We’re receiving a request for a subspace video call from the Equestria.” The officer on the other end said.

“Perfect.” Vance responded. “Route it through.” He ordered as he stood. “Madam President, esteemed members of this august body.” He addressed the council. “I have just received word that the USS Equestria is calling. They shall be here any moment.” He announced.

Commandant Frisk inwardly sighed in relief while he ushered Representative T’Pala to stand back. “You were saying?” He asked.

A moment later, five figures appeared on the floor of the Council Chamber. Two ponies, a Vulcan, a Denobulan and a Cardassian. “Captain Maxima.” Madam President acknowledged.

“Madam President.” Captain Macima responded. “My sincerest apologies for our delay to appear. We suffered a failure with one of our relays. Without which we could not establish a reliable connection.”

“Better late than never Captain.” Vance commented.

“Now that our guests have arrived.” Rillak replied. “We can now begin. Representative Bomty.” She urged a Bolian Representative.

The representative stood and approached Maxima and her crew. “Thank you for agreeing to hear our concerns Captain. But before that, I believe introductions are in order. As many of us are new following recent elections.” He stated.

“Of course.” Maxima said. “My name is Proxima Maxima. Captain of the USS Equestria. This is my first officer, Commander Sela T’Pala, Lt. Cmdrs Kasey Baker and Phlox Boimler, who are here to address any concerns you might have related to engineering or medical respectively. And finally, this our aspiring Starfleet Candidate, Harmony CyberSpark, the living conscious who’s body makes up the USS Equestria.” Proxima introduced herself and her crew.

“Splendid.” Representative Bomty replied, turning his attention directly to Harmony. “And I see that Admiral Vance’s statement of Harmony having a physical avatar to control holds true.” He said.

“Yes Representative.” Harmony responded. “I believe this body should suffice.”

“For the purposes of attending the Academy it will.” Bomty responded as he held up a PADD. “This council does not have too many concerns. And we do acknowledge that some of them are also due to our own meddling.” He said. “We shall discuss our biggest concern first. Involving the Eugenics Act of 2070.” He stated.

“Yes sir. And if I may be allowed to speak in that regard?” Proxima asked.

“Please Captain.” Bomty responded.

Proxima nodded. “Esteemed members of this council. We are aware of the laws preventing Augments from joining Starfleet. But in combing Starfleet records, we came across one officer that we would argue is similar to Harmony in every relevant regard.” She said as she tapped her combadge and a projection of a Starfleet officer appeared before the council. Every Starfleet officer in the room, except for Sela, who already knew this was coming, stared wide eyed at the mistakable form of Commander Data.

“Lieutenant Commander Data.” Vance identified the officer.

“Of the USS Enterprise. NCC 1701-D.” Proxima said. “An android. Faster, smarter, and stronger than your average Starfleet Officer. Much like Harmony herself.” She said. “Data could have been seen as an Augment by the law’s language, but despite that, he was accepted into the academy.”

“I see.” Bomty responded. “But if I understand the reports correctly, Harmony is not an Android.”

“That is correct.” Proxima responded, flashing a smile at Harmony. “She is so much more. So much we have yet to understand. But for the purposes of today. By our very limited and insufficient definition of beings such as Harmony, she is android in nature.”

“Indeed.” Mrs. T’Pala said as she entered the floor. “And if I understand historical records correctly. Mr. Data is the exception, not the rule. Starfleet does not have the best history with artificial intelligence. A prime Example could be Data’s brother, Lore. Or perhaps the Borg.” She counter argued.

Literally everyone inwardly groaned in frustration. They had expected this from Representatives T’Pala. “Captain Maxima.” Rillak addressed the captain. “Can you vouch that Harmony is not like such rogue AIs as Lore and the Borg?” She asked, trying to move things along as fast as possible.

“Yes Madam President. She and I share a unique bond. I would know if Harmony were planning to turn on us. And she has given no indication that she has malicious intentions.” Proxima responded. Hoping to put an end to the pointless arguing before it got worse.

“Yet. She may not have given any indication yet.” Mr. T’Pala countered.

Here we go. Was the collective thought of Sela, Proxima, and everyone else they were close to. Rillak inwardly sighed, her attempt to appeal to them failed. This may technically be relevant but it’s still ridiculous. Rillak thought.

Back aboard the USS Equestria, now under cloak at high warp, Shron and Risa watched the proceedings in the mess hall. So far, Representatives T’Pala had argued Harmony’s trustworthiness, her psyche, and a bunch of other things that were growing more and more irrelevant. “Is this seriously what they did when the captain was before the council?” Risa asked.

“That’s what they said.” Shron said as he sipped his coffee. “God the cringe is real.”

“No doubt.” Risa said.

“As we have said before. Magic does not exist. It cannot be the main source of power for this Supposed Harmony Core.” They both heard Mr. T’Pala say. Shron choked on his coffee.

“How the hell did THAT get dragged into this?” He asked.

Risa just did a double facepalm. “I can’t help but wonder if outright impeachment of those whacks is an option.” She said. “Been doing some digging, apparently they have a history of being argumentative and cold hearted ruthless politicians.”

“Well, that’s not exactly illegal. It IS annoying though.” Shron responded.

“Following a one hour recess we will move on to the next concern the council has.” They heard President Rillak say. “And the discussion will remain focused on the concerns and nothing else.” She said sternly.

The screen shut off and Risa shook her head. “Think those two will listen to her?” She asked.

“Absolutely not.” Shron responded. “Those two come off as being narcissistic, self absorbed Aholes who clearly have it out for our Captain and First Officer.”

“Poor Harmony, stuck in the middle of a feud she has no stake in.” Risa commented.

“At least N’Var is only one planet. So even if they object, Harmony still has a decent shot.” Shron remarked.

“True.” Risa responded.

Back in the Council Chambers, after the recess was called, the representatives began to disperse, chatting amongst themselves. On the floor, Baker facepalmed. “Computer, time?” She asked.

“The time is now 1300hrs.” The computer responded.

“Two hours. For addressing ONE concern that shouldn’t have taken more than 10 minutes.” Proxima commented. “Sela, I will never understand what logic your parents are following.”

“I do not believe anyone will ever understand.” Sela responded in agreement.

“Least we have a break from their insanity. I’m gonna go give Cliff and Blitz their miniaturizers.” Kasey said.

Proxima nodded. “Hurry back. In case the council has more concerns that need your expertise.” She said.

“Of course.” Kasey said. “Computer, Arch.” She said. A doorway appeared and Kasey disappeared through it.

Not two seconds after Kasey left, the remaining officers heard a distinct ahem, from a source they didn’t expect. “Cmdr Sela. It is agreeable to see you again.” Said Mrs T’Pala, as both she and Mr. T’Pala approached.

Proxima inwardly growled while Sela hesitated, before responding. “As I recall, you wished that we cut off Contact for good.” She said.

“That might have been illogical in retrospect.” Her dad responded. “It was before something came up that we wish to discuss with you. Preferably away from everyone.” He said.

Sela was about to respond, before Phlox beat her to it. “I am afraid I cannot allow you two to talk to her without me there.” Phlox responded

“It is a private matter.” Sela’s mom said.

“Well her health is more important. And judging by the things she’s told me, you two are a MAJOR detriment to her mental health.” Phlox shot back. “So from now on, if you want to talk to her, you talk to her with either myself or Captain Maxima present, within earshot.” He told them sternly.

Mr. T’Pala rolled his eyes and glanced at Admiral Vance, who had approached. “Admiral, we wish to discuss something with Commander Sela alone, would you tell this doctor that it is a private matter?” He asked.

Vance had caught what Phlox told them, and he shook his head. “He has seniority when it comes to medical issues, including mental health.” He said simply. “So it would be best to listen to him.”

“And you two always take the doctor’s advice, don’t you.” Retorted Hannah, she and Belana stepped in to stand with Sela and her friends.

For a few moments, no one said a word, before Representatives T’Pala broke the silence. “We will just send a letter instead.” Sela’s dad said before they turned and walked off.

Sela waited until they were gone before she let out a breath she was holding. “I am grateful to have you guys looking out for me.” She told everyone.

“Always Sela.” Belana responded.

“Harmony.” Proxima said. “Until further notice I am assigning you to be communications officer in charge of screening all of Sela’s mail. Any mail with a return address of T’Pala is to be copied and saved as a record.” She said.

“Captain?” Harmony asked.

“Any reason for such a drastic action?” Vance asked.

“Those two are up to something. Something they want Sela to know.” Proxima responded. “Think about it. They say they want no contact but then want to talk to her all of a sudden. They run when Phlox tells them they can no longer talk to her without me or him there. They must not want US to know, but they want Sela to.” She deduced.

“Indeed captain.” Sela responded. “And I believe what their secret agenda includes.” She added, remembering her ordeals.

“What do they include commander?” Hannah asked.

“I would rather not say here. After the session I will make a report.” Sela responded.

“Fair enough.” Vance responded, understanding why Sela didn’t want to discuss here in front of everyone.

In an office meanwhile, Representatives T’Pala entered. And while they had neutral expressions on their faces, they were furious inside. “Us, a detriment to her health.” Mrs T’Pala said.

“An outrageous proposition. We have been nothing but exceptional parents for our daughter.” Mr. T’Pala responded.

“Indeed.” Mrs T’Pala said. “At least we now have our mind meld amplification device.”

“Shall we use it to talk to Sela after the recess?” Mr T’Pala asked.

“A fine idea dear.” Mrs. T’Pala responded.

“Alright. That should do it for you Cliff.” Baker said as she slid back out from under Cliffjumper’s chasis after installing his miniaturizer. “All goes well, you should now have access to the rest of the ship.” She said.

Cliffjumper waited for Baker to get out of the way before transforming back to robot mode. “Let’s do it.” He said. He was so excited to be small. For the last 45 minutes, Baker had been hard at work installing Miniaturizers on Blitz and Cliff, both of whom admitted to wanting to get out of the hangar. Blitz had his installed first and it was a success, making Blitz small enough to walk through the corridors of the ship. Now it was Cliff’s turn. He raised his wrist and tapped a new button that was the Miniaturizer activator. Upon pressing the button, he shrunk to Kasey’s size instantly. after he resettled, he looked around, and at himself, and smiled widely. “Yes! It worked! Oh thank the Allspark!” He exclaimed in relief.

Baker smiled and nodded at her handiwork. “I trust this will suffice?” She asked.

“It will. Thank you Cmdr Baker. We owe ya for this. Really.” Cliff told her.

“Just don’t make us regret giving you access to the rest of the ship and we’ll call it even.” Baker responded. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I should get back to Holodeck one.” She told them as she turned around and left.

With her gone, Teletran, who had witnessed the whole thing, turned to Blitz and Cliff. “So, how’s it feel to finally get out of here?” Teletran asked.

“My sanity thanks all who made it possible.” Cliff said as the three Cybertronians proceeded to the door of the hangar.

Back in Holodeck one, the council reconvened and President Rillak spoke. “This council is back in session. I would like to remind everyone that continuing proceedings will be focused solely on the direct concerns of the council over Harmony CyberSpark being a cadet at the academy.”

While Rillak talked, Phlox couldn’t help but notice something odd. Mr. And Mrs T’Pala were nowhere to be found. He took note of the absence as Representative Bomty took over. “Right. Now that we have addressed the Eugenics Act, Harmony’s physical form, and the issue of her actual education, which Commandant Frisk has provided a suitable plan for, we have one final concern that we suspect will be no issue. Harmony’s Citizenship papers are still in the process of being drawn up and approved.” He said. “As such she technically is not a Federation Citizen.”

“Yes sir.” Proxima responded, seeing what was coming. “To that end, both myself and Commander Sela are formally submitting our recommendation for Harmony to be allowed in Starfleet.” She told them.

“Yes. We believe she will be a valuable member of—of…” Sela trailed off when her vision blacked out, and then she saw her parents standing in darkness.

“Since we are not able to talk to you alone apparently. This is how we will communicate to you.” Her dad said.

From the outside, Sela had turned stock still and stared off into space, much to the confusion of everyone. Proxima was about to ask her what was up, before Boimler got to it first, noticing that Sela’s neural monitor was lighting up like a Christmas tree. He quickly grabbed Sela’s arm and began to usher her away. “Please excuse us madam President. Sela is experiencing a medical issue. Happens periodically. Computer arch!” He called.

The arch appeared and Sela and Boimler disappeared from the room.

Proxima quickly figured out what was going on. Sela must have been having another vision. After telling herself Sela would be fine, she returned her attention to the matter at hand. “Both Commander Sela and I endorse Harmony’s admittance into the academy.” She said simply.

Bomty, blinked a few times, before shrugging and moving on. “Right, well, that should do it for our concerns. Thank you for coming. We will now discuss what was said here and will let you know our decision as soon as we have it.” He explained.

“We appreciate your consideration Representative.” Proxima replied. “And we thank this august body for their time today.” She added.

“Dismissed.” Rillak responded.

Proxima nodded. “Computer, disconnect call.” She said.

The council and the chamber disappeared and the Holodeck returned to its grid like aesthetic. Not skipping a beat, Proxima immediately headed for the exit, tapping her combadge. “Boimler, are you and Sela in the medbay?” She asked, letting her worry out in full.

“We didn’t need to go all the way there. We’re just outside the Holodeck.” Boimler responded.

Proxima exited the Holodeck, and glanced around until she saw Boimler and Sela, Sela was leaning against the bulkhead, panting. “What happened?” Proxima asked as she approached them, she noticed Boimler had his HUD up.

“She had another vision.” Boimler responded. “And captain, this whole situation with Sela having visions just got a whole lot worse.” He said as he played back the feed from the Neural Monitor.

As Proxima watched the feed, her eyes widened, before her brows furrowed in anger. She tapped her combadge. “Norman, send word to Admiral Vance, tell him Commander Sela and I need to speak with him as soon as fraggin possible.” She said.

“Aye sir.” Norman responded. “What reason shall I give him?”

“Tell him that we need to discuss my parents’ recent actions.” Sela responded as she got back on her feet off the bulkhead.

“Yes Cmdr.” Norman responded, deciding not to question it.

Proxima nodded and turned her attention back to Boimler and Sela. “Is there anything that can help Sela doc?” She asked.

“Stopping the visions would most certainly be helpful. But that’s gonna take a feat of magic more than medical science Captain.” Boimler responded.

“I’ll send a message to Ambassador Starscout then. See if she can put me in contact with a somepony that can teach me a Mind Meld blocking spell.” Proxima responded. “In the meantime, save a record of all of Sela’s visions.” She ordered.

“Aye captain.” Boimler said. “Shall I take Sela to sickbay?”

“That is not necessary.” Sela responded. “I am fine now. The visions only affect me while they are happening.”

“Are you sure?” Proxima asked. “If you need time off—“

“I shall inform you if I need to take some time.” Sela responded. “However, I do believe that for the time being, I must be kept away from any and all weapons unless absolutely necessary.” She admitted, unholstering her phaser and handing it to Phlox.

“Any weapons in your quarters?” Proxima asked.

“Only my Vulcan pistol and my Lirpa.” Sela responded. “I shall turn them into to Yamik immediately.”

“If you think that’s best Cmdr.” Proxima responded.

“Captain Maxima. We got word back from home.” Norman’s voice said through intercom.

“Go ahead Cmdr.” Proxima replied.

“Vance was just about to send word to us. Seems the council made their discussion regarding Harmony.”

“That was fast.” Phlox responded.

“Is that good?” Harmony, who had approached during the last few minutes, asked.

“If it was that fast, they voted unanimously. Whether it was for or against is still up in the air.” Proxima responded.

“Captain, I believe it should be routed to the bridge, and all the senior staff should be present for not just the verdict, but also our report about my parents.” Sela said.

Proxima’s and Boimler’s expressions turned to shock and concern. “Are you sure Sela?” Proxima asked.

“I could have another vision at any moment. And should something happen, we need to be prepared.” Sela said. “And that means the most senior officers on this ship must be in the loop.”

Proxima stared at Sela for a moment, before nodding. “All senior staff, report to the bridge immediately. You too Harmony. Norman, route the call to the bridge Viewscreen.” She ordered.

“Aye sir.” Norman responded.

Proxima nodded. “Let’s go.”

On the bridge a few minutes later, Proxima, Sela, the senior staff, and Harmony all stood on the bridge of the USS Equestria as Admiral Vance and Commandant Frisk appeared on the view screen. “USS Equestria, this is Federation Headquarters. Do you read us?” Commandant Frisk asked.

“We read you Commandant.” Proxima responded.

“Greetings Captain.” Vance said. “Your operations officer’s message made it sound like you have bad news to report. So before that, the council has reached a verdict.” He said.

Silence on the bridge as everyone held their breath for the answer. Though technically speaking she did not have any breath to hold, Harmony still did her species’ equivalent of such an action. Her future was about to be determined. Would she be given the chance to join Starfleet, or would she remain like Zora, an AI on a vessel without a rank.

After what seemed like an eternity to Harmony, Vance spoke again. “The council has decided, unanimously, to allow Harmony the chance to join Starfleet.” Vance announced. “Her application will be processed, she will go through the entrance exam. And assuming she passes, she will be a cadet in time for the next academic year.” He explained.

All heads turned to Harmony and all around her, she could see smiles on their faces, save for Sela. She herself let a smile grow on her face as she responded. “That is good to hear Admiral.” She said.

“I would not celebrate too much just yet.” Commandant Frisk responded. “You still have a ways to go. You need to choose a career path, prepare for the entrance exam. It will not be easy or trivial.” He said.

“Understood sir.” Harmony responded. “I am ready to face this head on.”

“The Entrance exam is in two months. You best hit the books.” Frisk responded.

“She will Commandant.” Proxima said as she turned to Harmony. “During your time leading up to the exam you will serve as an official member of this crew as Junior Warrant Officer in Training. You will study every function aboard this ship, shadow every department, and will follow a duty schedule created by Commander Sela focused heavily on study.” She said.

“Aye captain.” Harmony responded. “I shall endeavor to not disappoint.”

“Good luck Harmony CyberSpark. I look forward to seeing you on my incoming cadet roster in due time.” Frisk said before he cut off connection, leaving Vance on the screen.

A moment of Silence before Shron broke it. “Congrats Harmony.” He said.

“Yeah. And a Unanimous vote. That is incredibly rare.” Risa commented.

Harmony nodded. “I take it that is something to be proud of.” She said.

“It is.” Vance responded. “Alright, onto the bad news. Captain, Commander, what must you talk to me about?” Vance asked.

All eyes turned to Sela, who took a deep breath and called up the feed from her latest vision. “Just watch this.” She said simply. “I received this shortly after the recess.”

Vance and everyone watched, and at first they saw black, before they saw a pair of Vulcans some recognized. “Your parents?” Vance asked before the Vulcans started talking.

“Since we are not able to talk to you alone apparently. This is how we will communicate to you.” Sela’s father said.

“We know you have been seeing us in visions this past week. We are the ones who sent them to you via our new Mind Meld device.” Her mother said. “It amplifies a Vulcan’s Mind Melding enough that a Vulcan may meld with anyone of their choosing across any distance. Without needing physical contact.”

“Your Medical Condition is nothing but a fabricated farce. One designed by conspirators intending to create dissent among Vulcans. But we will prove otherwise.”

“We will continue to send you visions of the most horrifying things and you will be trained to suppress your emotions entirely. Only then will you be a Vulcan in our eyes.”

“Get plenty of Rest Sela, you will need it.” Sela’s father finished.

“And one more thing. Tell anyone about this and the consequences will be severe.” Her mother added before the image cut.

As the feed disappeared, everyone on the bridge stared at the empty space it left, as did Vance. While most were confused. Vance, Sela, Boimler, and Proxima all were having similar thoughts.

Unbelievable. This is way out of line, even for them!

A Farce?! How the Kraken can they ignore Scientific Medical FACTUAL Evidence?!

If this doesn’t lead to them FINALLY getting what they have always deserved there is corruption SOMEWHERE in the Federation.

After a few minutes of silence, the first to speak was Risa. “Uhm…Ok I am getting the sense that something is very wrong here. But Some context might be needed.” She said.

“Yeah. Those are your parents Commander?” Shron asked.

“I have the grave misfortune of being honest when I say yes they are Cmdr Shron.” Sela responded.

“Yeah I think we’ll need that context Baker mentioned.” Yamim said.

“Before that.” Vance said. “Commander, After watching that I believe I know why you called. You wish to formally report your parents for conspiracy and intent to commit acts of aggression towards a Starfleet Officer.” He stated.

“Yes sir.” Sela responded.

“I’ll have them brought in for questioning. Send us everything you have in relation to this investigation.” Vance said.

“Aye sir.” Sela responded.

Vane nodded, before the connection cut.

All eyes turned to Sela. “Commander?” Risa asked. “What is going on?”

Sela was about to speak before Proxima beat her to it. “Before that, This conversation WILL NOT leave this bridge. This is highly sensitive information that is for no one else’s ears.” She told everyone. “Clear?” She asked.

“Clear.” The bridge responded.

Sela took a deep breath, before she started. “I have a medical condition. It prevents me from suppressing my emotions as a Vulcan would without risking my very life. To put it simply, I must be emotional like a human or a Klingon or I will eventually perish.” She announced.

Everyone’s eyes widened. Sela continued. “Yes, you heard correctly. And yes, I am absolutely aware of the irony. But that is currently beside the point. My parents have always believed it to be a hoax, nothing but a Farce as they claimed. They would force me to ignore the doctor’s advice, they would drill into me that I must suppress my emotions completely, and would…Let us just say I have always preferred the Captain’s parents over my own. By an entire galaxy’s length.” She said.

“Whoa.” Yamik responded. “That sounds awful.”

“You have no idea.” Proxima said.

“They have this twisted vision that a Vulcan who does not suppress their emotions completely is not a true Vulcan at all. They see Emotions and Logic as two enemies on a battlefield.” Sela explained. They believe all emotion is to be eliminated in order to truly embrace the teachings of Surak.” Sela said.

“Something tells me that’s not what Surak intended at all.” Shron said.

“I do not know.” Sela said. “However, I…want to believe that if my medical condition were known to him, he would say that it is more logical to take care of my health than to suppress my emotions.” She declared.

“I agree.” Kasey said. “Boimler, health trumps all correct?” She asked.

“Absolutely.” Phlox responded. “Every person. Vulcan, Human, Vorta, should think about their health first and foremost. After all, if we’re not healthy, we get sick, and if we’re sick enough, we die.” He said.

“Someone should tell that to Representative T’Pala.” Harmony commented.

“I have come to learn that there is no reasoning with them on this issue.” Sela responded. “And over the years, they have only become more and more hostile, both toward myself and those they deemed to be my friends. Chief among them Captain Maxima.”

Shron’s eyes widened at that, realizing something. “THAT’S why they opposed your application, isn't it Captain. It was a personal vendetta.” He said.

“Correct.” Proxima responded. “They hated that I was Sela’s friend. An outsider who was able to see them for what they really are. So whenever they could, they made my life hell. Fortunately, there wasn’t much they COULD do since my family was close with the highest echelon of federation government.” She explained.

“Talk about lucky.” Norman commented.

“I doubt you will find someone who disagrees with you, Cmdr Norman.” Sela responded.

“Well, back to the visions thing.” Yamik said. “There’s got to be SOMETHING we can do on our end to block their mind melding whatchamacallit.” He said.

“The only thing we might be able to do on our end is Captain Maxima casting some kind of enchantment.” Sela said.

“And that is only if such an enchantment exists. I’m getting in contact with Ambassador Starscout. With luck she can put me through to a unicorn with such knowledge.” Proxima said.

“So…Commander Sela’s only hope is a magical spell that might not even exist.” Shron said. “Not gonna lie Commander. Your parents sound like they have more than a few screws loose.”

“Indeed.” Sela responded. “And because of that. So long as I am vulnerable to their machinations, I am a danger to this ship and to the crew. Yamik, I will be by your office shortly to turn in my phaser, Vulcan Pistol and my Lirpa. I am not to be trusted with any weapon unless absolutely necessary. Adding to that. Should I start acting strange to any of you, Your first reaction should be to immediately transport me to the brig. I will not be able to do much damage in that place.” She told everyone.

As she expected, everyone stared at her, shocked. “Commander, are you certain the brig is the first place we should transport you?” Boimler asked. “The medbay would be a more–”

“Doctor, my mind is open to a pair of psychotic, narcissistic, self-absorbed maniacs who may very well use me to cause havoc on this ship out of pure malice. While I had played with the thought of outright leaving the ship and following behind in a shuttle, that is not feasible. So transporting me to the brig at the first sign of me acting strange will protect the ship, and the crew.” Sela said.

“But surely you being restrained to a biobed so we can monitor your—“

“Doctor.” Proxima cut Phlox off again. “She’s right. The brig would be able to hold her until you got there to put her to sleep should the need arise.” She reasoned. “Yamik, ensure all departments are aware of the new security protocol but go into as little detail as possible.” She ordered.

“Aye sir.” Yamik responded.

Proxima nodded, while Norman got a message on his console. “Admiral Vance calling again.” He said.

“On screen.” Proxima responded.

Vance’s face appeared on the main viewer a second later. “Captain, commander. We have recieved a report that Representatives T’Pala are nowhere to be found. They are not in their office, or anywhere in Federation Headquarters.” He reported.

Silence befell the crew again as Vance’s words sunk in. “…They knew.” Proxima deduced. “They knew that Sela would immediately report the outright confession.”

“They must have gone into hiding.” Yamik said. “On the lamb in order to safely continue their insanity.”

“I am issuing a warrant for their arrest. This has become a full blown investigation.” Vance responded. “Commander Sela. I trust we will have your cooperation during this time?” He asked.

“Aye sir.” Sela said. “Whatever you need, I shall do my bets to provide.”

“Thank you.” Vance responded. “Be careful out there. There’s no telling what will happen.” He added, before the connection was cut.

“So not only are we at war with Unicorn, but now we have a threat to deal with that should be physically impossible for us to deal with.” Shron said.

“Think they’ll ever be found?” Risa asked.

“Only time will tell.” Proxima responded. “Meanwhile, Vance has the investigation at home, but we can still assist by sending him any evidence we can.”

“Yes captain. You asked me to be communications officer in charge of screening Commander Sela’s mail, I shall also take charge of sending gathered evidence to Admiral Vance.” Harmony responded. Determined to prove herself.

“Very good.” Proxima replied. “And now that that is settled. There is no reason for us to hover around our restored communications bouy. Helm?” She asked.

Mr Paris, who hadn’t said anything the entire exchange, nodded. “Setting course for Jungletron. Whenever your Ready Captain.” He said.

Proxima nodded, before an idea came to her. “Harmony, take us out.” She said.

Harmony’s eyes widened. “Me?” She asked, stunned.

“Indeed.” Proxima confirmed. Gesturing for Harmony to take the captain’s chair.

Harmony, after a moment’s hesitation, smiled and took the Captain’s chair, while Sela took her usual spot and Proxima took the other chair in the line. All eyes turned to Harmony, waiting for her call.

Harmony looked around at all the eyes watching her expectantly. She knew what they wanted to know, so she thought for a second, before she smiled. “Mr Paris, Rev it.” She ordered.

Mr Paris smiled as he did as he was told and the USS Equestria jumped to maximum warp. While also smirking to himself. Now THERE is a warp call. He thought.

To be continued…

Author's Note

I think we can all agree with Sela’s description of her parents being psychotic, narcissistic, self-absorbed maniacs.

But hey. Not all Vulcans can be logical. Otherwise we wouldn’t have the Romulans.

meanwhile, Harmony has started down the path to becoming a Starfleet officer. What career do you think she should go in? Comment below with an answer.

THX for Reading!!!

Episode 9: Survey Chaos (Edited)

In a system located in the satellite galaxy which orbited the Milky Way galaxy, the USS Equestria sat in orbit of an unknown planet. Onboard, in a seemingly empty cabin sat an apparatus with a mobile emitter attached to it. All was quiet, before the intercom sounded off. “Junior Warrant Officer CyberSpark, report to the Science Lab.” Came the voice of Cmdr Prestine.

The emitter lit up and projected the likeness of Harmony CyberSpark, the emitter being at a perfect height so her hooves were touching the ground immediately. The apparatus released the emitter and Harmony herself held it up under her own power. “On my way Cmdr.” Harmony responded as her now signature black bow appeared, concealing the emitter. Dressed in her Starfleet observer uniform, Harmony made her way out of the quarters that had been assigned to her and headed for the Science Lab.

“Science Officer’s log: Stardate 32120703.0930. The Equestria has entered orbit around an M class planet that’s much like Earth back home. Captain Maxima has ordered a survey of the planet be done in accordance with our secondary mission out here. This affords our aspiring Junior Warrant Officer the opportunity to shadow our Science department in our element.”

“Surveying a planet. Nothing says Starfleet’s mission of exploring strange new worlds, seeking out new life and new civilizations, and boldly going where no one has gone before more than a simple survey mission.” Prestine told Harmony as they prepared to beam down to the planet. “It is at the core of Starfleet’s primary function in the Federation.”

“What might we get down on the planet that our sensors up here cannot?” Harmony asked, intrigued. “Our sensor array is second to none is it not?”

“Correct.” Prestine responded. “But there are some things sensors cannot obtain. Samples for example.” She explained. “Our tricorder scans may very well detect something that our shipboard sensors cannot. That can be due to anything from precision to proximity.”

“I see.” Harmony said. “And what might we be after in particular?” She asked.

“There’s a phrase you’ll hear a LOT when assigned to a Survey team.” Prestine responded. “Record EVERYTHING. Even if it’s the height of grass. Record it. The more detail, the better.” She told Harmony. “And I suspect that out here, each Survey we do will keep Starfleet Scientists busy for decades.” She said.

“Noted.” Harmony said with a smile, eager to do well on her first mission. “And are we going to need anything special for this mission?”

“For us humanoids, nothing we don’t have already.” Prestine responded, pointing behind her to a backpack she was wearing. “But for you, you’ll need a mission saddle. Like what Captain Maxima has.” She said.

“Mission Saddle?” Harmony asked.

“Yep.” Prestine responded. “You see Harmony, due to your anatomy, you can’t wear a backpack like us humanoids can. And Proxima has the same problem. So when Proxima joined Starfleet, a mission saddle was designed so that she would be well equipped for missions…of course that was before she made captain right out of the academy but still.” She explained. “Everyone ready to go?” She asked the other members of her team.

“All set to go Cmdr.” An ensign science officer said.

“Great. Let’s roll.” Prestine said as she headed out of the lab, followed by her team.

Harmony watched them go, and glanced back into the lab in confusion. “Wait?” She asked as she followed after the team. “What about the mission saddle? Do I not need it?” She asked.

“Cmdr Baker’s gonna meet us in the shuttlebay with it.” Prestine responded.

“Oh. Ok.” Harmony said. Her worry subsiding.

A few minutes later, in the shuttlebay, Blitzwing shook his head. “You are NOT riding me Cliff. If you want to go down to the planet either beam down there with one of their nifty combadges, or, ride the shuttle.” He told him.

“Come on Blitz.” Cliff said. “You know your jet mode has better gripping surfaces than the smooth bubble shaped shuttles they use.” He said. Ever since he found out they had stopped at a planet, he had been trying to get Blitzwing to take him down there.

“Remind me again what you want to do down there?” Blitz asked.

“Just like you want to stretch your wings every day, I want to stretch my wheels.” He said.

“You realize that A, there are no roads on this planet. And B, if you want to stretch your wheels you have the ability to mass shift down to the size of these organics. Your car mode then would be the size of a toy car. You have MORE than enough room to do that here on the ship.” Blitz told him.

“Driving on a smooth, clean surface isn’t the same as driving on a planet’s surface. I want to feel the dirt on my wheels, experience the bumpy terrain.” Cliff tried to justify his going down to the planet.

“You could use their holodecks for that.” Teletran, who was listening in on the conversation, said.

“Not the same.” Cliff responded. “Tried it last week, I kept seeing glitches in the scenery. Guess there’s some calibration issues.” He guessed.

“I got someone looking into it.” Cmdr Baker, who was there waiting for Harmony, said. “Our Holodecks are designed to adjust to each races’ optical capabilities by doing an initial scan and recording it for future calibrations. My guess is that it's having trouble with you because it was designed for biological beings, not technological beings.” She reasoned.

“That makes sense.” Teletran responded. “After all. Very few times in Federation History, at least that I have observed, have you guys encountered technological beings. Not enough to make such modifications to the Holodeck a priority.”

“Exactly.” Baker responded. “Starfleet just never saw a need.” She said.

“Well, they might want to think about it.” Blitz suggested. “And on that note, I’ll see you guys later.” He said before he transformed into a jet and blasted off towards the planet.

Cliff watched him go and facepalmed. “Oh for Primus’s sake Blitzwing.” He said, shaking his head.

“Cliff, you can fit in the shuttle.” Baker pointed out. “The miniaturizer?” She reminded him.

Cliff raised an eyebrow at her, before it dawned on him what she just said. He looked at the control device on his forearm, and used it to shrink down to Baker’s size. Once that was done he let out an embarrassed chuckle. “Heheheh. Right…can we all just pretend my processor didn’t just fail?” He asked.

Baker and Teletran couldn’t help but chuckle. “Sure Cliff. We can do that.” Baker said. She found it kinda cute how Cliff was adjusting to being able to shrink.

Baker noticed something off her peripheral vision after a moment and she turned to see Prestine and her team enter the bay, with Harmony in tow. “There you guys are.” She said as she approached them.

“Cmdr Baker.” Harmony acknowledged. She glanced at the thing Baker was holding. “Is that my mission Saddle?” She asked.

“Sure is.” Baker responded as she gestured for Harmony to approach. “The second Mission Saddle in service alongside Maxima’s, it’s got everything an Equine needs to function like a humanoid on an away mission. Plus one.” She stated.

Harmony approached Baker, but raised an eyebrow when Baker said plus one. “What does Plus one mean?” She asked.

Baker started suiting Harmony up with the saddle. “In addition to the normal features. Storage container, more powerful equipment, emergency kit in case of emergency, your Saddle also comes armed with a pair of side mounted phaser pistols. An armament the captain neither has nor needs because her horn has been classified as a weapon.” Baker explained as she tightened the strap to secure the saddle.

“That makes sense.” Teletran commented. “I’ve seen what she can do to a Terrorcon, scary stuff.”

“Luckily she’s on our side.” Prestine said.

Baker nodded as she secured the saddle. “And there. How does that feel Harmony?” She asked.

Harmony craned her neck to look at the saddle. “Fits perfectly. How do I control it?” She asked.

“Proxima uses her thoughts. But you have something better. An electronic device with interconnectivity between it and all other devices attached to this ship. So you can directly tell it you want the phasers.” Baker explained.

Harmony glanced at the saddle, and she thought to pull out the phasers. The programmable matter embedded in the saddle got to work and formed a pair of phasers situated on either side of the saddle. “Whoa. Cool.” Harmony commented as she put the phasers away.

“I know right? It’s awesome.” Baker responded.

Prestine nodded. “So, now that Harmony is mission ready, let’s get going team.” She told Harmony and the other science officers.

Her teammates nodded and followed her to the shuttle, before they all heard Sela’s voice over the intercom. “All hands, be advised that we detected Terrorcons near the system. They have not detected us yet. Yellow alert is in effect.” She said.

“Terrorcons. Just great.” A science officer responded.

“Good thing we have cloaking tech.” Prestine said as she tapped her combadge. “Cmdr Prestine to Cmdr Sela. Confirm the survey mission is still authorized?” She asked.

“The survey mission is still authorized Cmdr.” Sela responded. “Exercise caution. And I need not remind you that Harmony must return in one piece above all else.” She said.

“Aye sir.” Prestine replied before the connection was cut.

Harmony raised an eyebrow. “I am guessing that the mission was called into question because of the Terrorocons, but what was that with the call out from Sela?” She asked.

“You ARE the ship. Without you, our ship would most likely be brain dead and not work anymore. So protecting you at all costs is priority.” Prestine responded. “Speaking of.” She turned to Cliff. “Cliffjumper, might we employ your services to ensure Harmony’s safety?” She asked. “I seem to recall your mission being to protect the titan you were sent out to find.” She stated.

Cliff just chuckled and shook his head. “It’s not like much can hurt her with that emitter concealed, but sure. I can keep tabs on her.” He said, agreeing to the task.

Prestine nodded as she, Teletran, Harmony, Cliff, and the rest of the science team boarded their shuttle. “Harmony, how about you take the helm. Good pilot practice.” Prestine suggested.

“Aye sir.” Harmony responded as she took the Helm seat. “Hooves or Remote control through my emitter?” She asked. She learned early on that she could still control the whole ship and its complement of auxiliary craft through the interconnected emitter she had.

“Whichever way you want.” Prestine said.

Harmony nodded and took control of the shuttle via her emitter and the shuttle lifted off, exiting the shuttlebay and flying down towards the planet’s surface.

On the planet, in an undisclosed location, a Terrorcon minion approached its superior. “Sir! Starfleet shuttle inbound for our planet. It does not appear they have detected us yet.” It reported.

“Find them. And when you find them, Destroy them.” The commander said.

“Yes Commander.” The minion said as it scurried off.

The commander meanwhile pressed a button on the nearby console. “Terrorcon advance fleet 987, the Equestria is in this system. FIND THEM.” He ordered.

Several minutes later, the shuttle landed in an open field and cloaked after the survey team disembarked. Harmony Stepped onto the grass, and had to pause to process the sheer difference it felt over the metal surface of a Starship Deck that was all she had ever known prior. “Whoa.” She commented.

“Everything OK Harmony?” Prestine asked. All eyes turned to Harmony.

“Yeah.” Harmony responded, collecting herself before moving forward. “Yeah, this is just the first time I’ve ever been off the ship like this.” She said. “It feels so different…”

“Feels soft right? And squishy in comparison to metal?” Prestine asked.

“Yeah…it feels nice.” Harmony replied, stepping out fully onto the grass.

“Cherish it Harmony. You’ll probably be stepping onto many surfaces during your career. And a great many of them are coarse desert and the like.” A Science Officer explained.

“Intriguing.” Harmony said.

“And on that note.” Prestine said as she motioned for her team to gather. “Pair up and spread out. Harmony, with me. Cliff too.” She gave out orders.

Cliff smiled, enlarged to his full size, and transformed into his alternate car form, while Teletran paired up with another science officer. “This is going to be fun.” Teletran said.

“Hell yeah it is. Let’s roll out team!” Cliff said.

And with that, the team paired off and dispersed, all heading off in different directions.

In the air, Blitzwing weaved through clouds and blared his thrusters, enjoying the feeling of air blowing past him for once. “I’ll give Cliff this, he does have a point about reality versus the Holodeck.” He said.

“Equestria to Blitzwing, do you read?” Blitzwing heard Norman say.

“I copy Equestria. What’s the problem?” He asked.

“We detected Terrorcons entering this system. They haven’t detected us but they might detect you. Stay alert.” Norman told Blitz.

“Roger that. I’ll—“ Blitz started before he spotted something on the ground, something strange. “The hell?” He asked as he decided to take a closer look. As he got closer, the object on the ground started becoming clearer, and his hidden optics widened when he realized what it was. A base, crawling with Terrorcons. “Blitzwing to Equestria. The Terrorcons are on world. I repeat, they’re—gah!” Blitzwing was cut off when something slammed into him and sent him careening to the ground. He recovered enough where he quickly transformed into his robot mode before punching the full sized Terrorcon off him and landing on his feet in a forest area. The Terrorcon landed a bit away from him, also on its feet.

“Blitzwing? Are you OK?” Norman asked.

“I’m fine. But this Terrorcon won’t be when I’m through with him. Warn the Science Team.” He said as the Terrorcon growled.

“Who are you! This is a restricted Star System!” The Terrorcon told him.

“Funny. I don’t recall any signs mentioning it as such!” Blitzwing retorted as he charged the Terrorcon.

Up in orbit, on the Equestria, Norman checked his sensor logs. “I do not get how we didn’t pick up on their signal, there’s a base SEEPING with Dark Energon and we completely missed it.” He told the bridge.

“Is our Science team in any immediate danger?” Commander Sela asked.

“No, The nearest Dark Energon signature to any science team asset is 30 miles north.” Norman said. “However, thanks to Blitzwing they’ll probably be looking for us down there. Shall I get them back up here Commander?” He asked Commander Sela.

“That fleet is headed our way, we must deal with them before we recall our team. Shron, enemy fleet position and composition?” Sela asked.

“At their present course and speed, 1 cruiser, 2 frigates and 4 corvettes will intercept us in 10 minutes sir.” Shron responded.

“That’s the most powerful fleet we’ve come across since we’ve been out here. How are we going to fend them AND any boarders off? Even with Multi Vector mode?” Paris asked.

“Simply by applying what we know works. Remodulate shields so they cannot beam aboard, and having security at every entry point to fend off potential boarders.” Sela replied. “Red Alert, Weapons hot deflector to maximum. Shron, acquire target locks and aim for surgical decapitation.” Sela ordered. “We shall bring out Multi Vector Mode after we surprise attack them.”

“Aye sir.” Shron responded as red alert started blazing.

“Norman, raise the alarm with the Science Team. Tell them to watch their backs.” Sela said.

“Way ahead of you sir.” Norman responded. “Science team be advised. Terrorcons are onworld. Sending you geographical locations of Dark Energon relative to your positions. Be prepared to run like hell when we give the order.”

On world, Cliffjumper skidded to a halt. “Terrorcons?! Here? How did we miss that?” He asked.

“Your guess is as good as ours. But Blitzwing may need help.” Norman said.

“Send me his location. I’m going for him.” Cliff said as he opened his doors. “You two, you better get out.”

Prestine and Harmony both got out of Cliff. “Should we double back?” Harmony asked.

“There’s a fleet bearing down on the Equestria so even if we wanted to, it’s ill advised to try to get back onboard right now.” Prestine responded.

“Watch each other’s backs you two.” Cliff said before he sped his tires and peeled off at full speed. “Maximum Overdrive!” He called, his speed increased 10 fold and he disappeared into the woods.

Prestine and Harmony watched him go, and Prestine pulled out her phaser. “Phasers ready Harmony, we could have Terrorcons on us at any moment.” She said.

Harmony nodded and drew her saddle phasers. Although her mind zoned out as the implications of a Terrorcon base being on world despite sensor scans prior to a landing came up negative came to the forefront. Have my sensors ever failed before? She thought, trying to go through the ship's service logs to try to find an instance of recent failures. but she couldn't find any instances beyond the Aurora Nebula, which she had already written off as a result of her having an allergic reaction which she had no control over. Did I have control this time? She asked herself. Much like stepping onto grass for the first time, this was a new experience of her, and she wasn't sure if she liked it.

"Harmony? Warrant Officer CyberSpark, are you there?" Harmony heard Prestine call to her, pulling her out of her thoughts.

Harmony shook her head to brin herself back to reality, before turning to see Prestine giving her a look of concern. "Huh?" Harmony asked.

"I asked you if you knew how to fire those things." Prestine asked. "If Baker programmed in some instruction manual into it for your emitter to connect to." She explained.

After a quick second to check her internal memory, Harmony nodded. "Yeah, yeah I know how to fire my saddle phasers." She said.

"You OK Harmony?" Prestine asked. "Seemed a bit distant there." She observed.

"Yeah...Yeah I'm fine." Harmony responded, deciding to push the thought of sensors failing to the side. "Let's continue our mission shall we?" She asked.

Prestine, having a better affinity for recognizing unspoken signals due to her being a Vorta, could tell that something was going on with Harmony, but she didn't push it, instead simply nodding and the two proceeded with surveying the planet.

They did not get very far before Harmony felt something brush up against her left hind leg. She craned her neck to look at what was brushing up against her, and saw a small creature nuzzling her leg. “Uh, hi?” She said, confused.

Prestine glanced down to where Harmony was looking and she saw the creature nuzzling Harmony. “Why hello there strange creature.” She said as she pointed her tricorder at the creature.

The creature responded by crawling up Harmony’s leg and settling on her back. The creature looked atHarmony curiously, as if wanting to ask a question. Harmony studied the creature back. “Are you curious about something?” She asked.

“If I had to take a guess.” Prestine responded. “This creature is mammalian in nature, and is a quadruped. It might see you as a massive version of itself Harmony.” She deduced.

“Oh, huh.” Harmony replied as she smiled back at the creature. “Is that it? You think I’m one of you?” She asked.

The creature just walked along Harmony’s back until it could reach her head, and sniffed her face. After which the creature licked Harmony’s face.

Prestine couldn’t help but snap a quick picture from her combadge as she smiled. “Aww. It seems to like you Harmony.” She said.

“It does appear that way.” Harmony responded, giggling a little as she was licked.

Back in space, Captain Maxima entered the bridge. “Report commander.” She told Sela.

“Terrorcon fleet has just entered weapons range captain.” Sela replied. “They have not detected us yet.”

“They have to have detected the shuttle. I’ll never understand how they thought removing the clicking devices off the shuttles was a GOOD idea.” Shron suggested.

“Norman, issue a work order to Baker. Retrofit our shuttles with cloaking devices as soon as possible.” Proxima responded.

“Aye sir.” Norman replied.

“In the meantime, distance of the Enemy fleet?” Proxima asked.

“5KM and closing.” Paris responded.

“Security teams standing by at all entry points.” Yamik reported.

“Let’s unleash the hydra on these terrors. Mr Shron, drop the cloak, and fire.” Proxima gave the order. “Attack pattern Alpha 4.”

“Unleashing the Hydra.” Shron responded.

Outside in space, the Terrorcons move toward the planet, momentarily unaware that the Equestria was in their flight path until the Equestria decloaked and opened up on them, firing its phasers and quantum torpedoes at them. While firing, the Equestria split into Multi-Vector Mode and charged the Terrorcon fleet. The Terrorcons onboard scrambling to retaliate.

Back down on the planet, Blitzing had taken to the air again and had engaged the full sized Terrorcon in a dogfight. “Eat Missiles you piece of scrap!” He growled as he unloaded his payload on the Terrorcon, unfortunately he had no heat seeking missiles so the Terrorcon easily dodged all of them. “Damn you’re good. But let’s see you dodge this!” He said as he fired his laser canons at the Terrorcon. Scoring several hits and knocking the Con off course. While Blitz took the offensive, he heard Cliff’s voice through his com.

“Blitz! I’m on my way. ETA 10 minutes.” Cliff said.

“Turn back autoboy!” Blitzwing said as he transformed and roundhouse kicked the Terrorcon out of the sky. “I got this all covered. You should be protecting the organics and Harmony. Ya know, the reason we’re even here?”

“Are you sure you don’t need help?” Cliff asked.

“I’m sure Cliff. Turn back now!” Blitz ordered.

Cliff did a hard U-turn and made a BEELine back while the Terrorcon Blitz was fighting crashed to the ground, it tried to get up, but Blitz was already nose diving in for the final blow. He drew his ax at the last second and slammed it right into the Terrorcon, blowing it up instantly. From the fires of the debris, Blitz walked out. “Blitzwing to Equestria. I got a target down here that needs an alpha strike brought down on it.” He called the ship.

In space, the Equestria segments managed to down another Corvette as the battle waged on. The bridge shook as it took a direct hit. “Gah. Little busy up here Blitz!” Maxima responded. “But paint the target and we’ll blow it to hell when we can.”

“Copy that.” Blitz said as he transformed into his jet mode and took off, flying right for the base, the base's defenses open fired on Blitz, But the decepticon seeker evaded all their shots while he fired his own shots at the defenses, he didn't know if the Equestria would come down to the surface, but he was going to take out the point defense weapons to give them a clear shot.

Back in space, the Equestria segments had managed to destroy the escort ships and were focusing now on the retreating cruiser. “Damage?” Sela asked.

“Their engines and shields are offline sir.” Shron responded. “Shall I deal the final blow?”

“Blow them to hell. And once it’s destroyed, send a segment planetside to blow that Terrorcon base.” Proxima ordered.

“Aye sir.” Shron responded as he pressed the fire button. All three segments unleashed their weapons on the cruiser and after several direct hits, the Terrorcon ship broke apart in a massive inferno, completely destroying it. “Terrorcon fleet completely destroyed.” Paris announced.

“And Security reports no boarders. I call that a successful skirmish.” Yamik commented.

“It’s not over yet. Segment Beta enroute to Terrorcon base.” Shron said as one of the Equestria’s Segments blasted off full speed towards the planet.

Down on the surface, in the base, alarms were blazing and Terrorcons were panicking. “Sir!” One reported. “Incoming vessel! It’s on an attack vector.”

“Send word to Unicron, summon the--” The base commander Didn’t get to finish his sentence as the Beta Segment fired all of its weapons at the base from above and leveled it and the Terrorcons inside to dust.

From afar, Blitzwing smiled as he watched the base go up in flames. “Heh. Kinda nice getting a swift and easy kill for once.” He commented as he transformed into jet form and flew off after the segment, which was now setting course to rendezvous back with its fellow segments. “Now those Science heads can work in peace, without any more trouble.” He commented.

To Be continued.

Author's Note

We were due for a Terrorcon attack. So there we go Heheh. Least Harmony can't say her first ever mission was boring.

THX FOR READING!

Edits Made:

Added Harmony reflecting on how her sensors failed to detect the onplanet Terrorcons.

Dear god this arc really kicked me in the ass for a long time. No matter what I wrote, it just never felt right.

Until now. Because at LONG last, I FINALLY was able to get to the perfect way for the rest of Harmony's first mission to go while still arriving at my desired result.

Hopefully everyone gets notified when this chapter republishes. And if it doesn't...Well I tried.

THX FOR READING! And thank you all for your patience.

Episode 10: Equestria, we have a problem

“Security Chief’s log Stardate 32120703.12. Per after action protocols, security is doing a sweep of the Equestria to ensure no boarders squeaked through our shields. Remodulation of our shields has worked thus far but one of these days, the enemy could figure a way around it. But for the moment, I am proud to say the Equestria’s immune system that is her security force has been quite effective in keeping out the vermin.”

Yamik turned a corner on the Equestria, aiming his phaser, ready for a fight should one be necessary. When he found nothing but an empty corridor, he smiled and lowered his weapon and tapped his combadge. “Deck 5 cleared. All security teams report.” He said.

“Deck 2 cleared.”

“Deck 7 clear.”

“Deck 15 clear. No sign of Terrorcon squatters sir.” His security officers all reported.

Yamik smiled with pride as he responded. “Nice work everyone. Department meeting in two hours. Conference room B.” He ordered as he holstered his phaser and walked down the corridor. “And someone check on the precious cargo, Cyber Compass, and Harmony Core should still be in engineering, and the pod should still be in the lab.” He added

In the Shuttlebay, Kasey was on top of a shuttle installing a Cloaking device in order to give the craft more stealth capabilities, per captain Maxima’s orders. “You’d think Cloaking devices would be standard across the fleet, on all craft that might need them.” She commented.

“And they DID have Cloaking Devices on these things two decades ago, I wonder what might have made them think shuttles didn’t need cloaks.” Another Engineering officer commented.

“Probably some political nonsense the Federation seems to be good at entertaining. Anyone remember learning about the Treaty of Algeron in school?” Another officer asked.

“You mean that treaty the Federation signed that was in no way mutual and the treaty the Romulans violated on the regular without repercussions? Yep I remember that one.” Baker said. “I myself had to give a report about what I thought of it. Not to brag but I kinda went a bit overboard, making it a study on the mindset of the Federation of that time and prior and the problems with it.”

“Ooh, did you include the famous Vulcan Hello Incident at the Binary Stars in 2250 Cmdr?” Another officer asked.

“The one in which the Federation ignored what worked in the past and the result was a disaster? Oh you bet I did. Cardassians are very, very thorough.” Baker responded, soliciting a laugh from her team.

“Nice. Yeah I have to believe there were a few people in that era that went “Why the hell did we not just do what the Vulcans did?” Because if there was ever an adage that could be applied, it’s if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.” An officer explained.

“No doubt.” Baker responded as she connected the final wire and smiled as the device powered. “Alright. This thing’s powered, let’s test it.” She said. “Power it up Obelisk!” She called.

Inside the shuttle, Lt. Obelisk heard Baker. “Acknowledged Cmdr.” He said as he powered up the cloak. From the outside, the shuttle vanished completely, leaving Baker, who was atop the shuttle, to look like she was floating.

After a few seconds an officer smiled. “I think we’re good.” They said.

“Sure looks like it, everything good in there Obelisk?” Baker asked.

“All readings nominal Cmdr. I dare say we now have a successful stealth shuttle.” Lt Obelisk responded.

“Great.” Baker said as she looked around. “Now we just need to do that 9 more times...yeah we’re working late tonight.” She commented.

Down on the planet, Harmony was studying a plant she came across and gathering readings, or at least she was trying to, the alien cat that they encountered earlier was making it difficult to focus when said cat kept nuzzling her, as if asking for attention. Nearby, Risa couldn’t help but snicker as she watched the scene and collected vegetation samples. “The cat must really like you Harmony.” She said.

“It seems that way.” Harmony responded as she finally stopped what she was doing and paid the cat some mind. “Any suggestions?” She asked Risa.

“Could give it a pet on the head.” Risa suggested. “If it’s anything like earth cats, then it’ll like it.” She explained.

Harmony decided to give it a go and pet the cat with her forehoof. The cat purred and nuzzled the hoof, clearly enjoying it. “Huh, look at that.” She commented. “You DO like that a lot.”

The cat purred again in response, and wrapped its tail around Harmony’s foreleg, as if attaching itself to her, clearly enjoying the attention. While she continued to pet the cat, her thoughts drifted back to the failing sensors. I kinda want to request that I be allowed to take the shuttle back to the ship so I can perform a full systems diagnostic…but that would probably strand the away team…

“Harmony? Prestine to CyberSpark.” The voice of Risa brought her out of her thoughts.

“Hm?” Harmony asked.

“You’re mooshing the cat in the face.” Prestine informed her.

Harmony looked down, and noticed her hoof was on the Cat’s face versus where it HAD been petting the cat on the head. “Oops, sorry little one.” Harmony apologized and moved her hoof back into position.

“You doing alright Harmony?” Prestine asked, concerned. “You have now spaced out twice today.”

Harmony sighed. “Sorry Cmdr. Just thinking about my sensors failing.” She explained. “Today coulda ended very differently if the ship was destroyed because I couldn’t detect the planetside Terrorcons.” She said.

Prestine chuckled and shook her head. “Eh don’t beat yourself up over it. It was probably the atmosphere causing interference. Not the first time sensors have failed, and it most likely won’t be the last. We’ll perform a system diagnostic just to be safe though.” She said.

“Alright Cmdr, that would be great.” Harmony responded, her spirits lifting again as she continued to pet the cat, while she did so, she went back to collecting samples using a grappling arm she had her saddle manifest.

While Harmony was multitasking, Prestine received a paging from her combadge. “Cmdr Prestine, it’s Ensign Trakkie. Sorry to bother you but Lt Grother’s stuck in quicksand and her combadge fell into the sand. Could use some assistance.” The officer on the other end said.

“There’s quicksand here?” Prestine asked. “I’ll be right there.” She said as she turned to Harmony. “I gotta go save Lt Grother. I shouldn’t be too long.” She said.

“Anything you want me to do?” Harmony asked.

“Just collect some samples. Preferably three of everything for comparison.” Prestine responded.

“Aye Cmdr.” Harmony responded.

Prestine nodded before she tapped her badge and disappeared in a flash insta-transport. While they had to take a shuttle to the planet’s surface because the atmosphere disrupted transporter signals from ship to planet, beaming from one location on the planet to another location on the same planet was still possible, leaving Harmony alone with the cat. Harmony smiled as she had her mission saddle manifest a storage container. “Well, Back to work.” She said, proceeding to start collecting samples.

The cat cocked its head to the side, as if wanting to ask what Harmony was doing, Harmony saw it, and decided to just humor the notion of pretending to have a conversation. “I’m currently collecting samples for analysis back on our starship. We’re explorers out here in this Satellite galaxy you call home.” She told the cat.

“So that means you DO have a Starship?”

Harmony wasn’t looking at the cat so she at first didn’t think about where that female voice coulda come from. Instead, still thinking she was pretending to have a conversation with the cat, she nodded. “Yep. A starship. Not the biggest starship in the galaxy but decently sized.” She said.

“Does that mean you have a shuttle TO said starship?” Harmony was asked by the same voice.

“Yeah. That’s how—wait a minute.” Harmony finally realized she was hearing a voice, a female voice. She looked up from her container, which she just put a leaf into, and glanced around. “Uh…” She at first didn’t see anyone. “Hello?” She called out.

“Down here.” The voice said. Harmony glanced down, and saw the cat smiling at her.

When she saw the cat smiling, and also wagging its tail like a dog, Harmony started connecting the dots. “Y-you said that?” She asked.

“Yes.” She saw the cat respond. “You…can understand me right?” It asked.

Harmony honestly thought she was hearing things. This creature looked like an Earth Cat, and as far as she knew, earth cats couldn’t talk. She knew Caitians were alien cats and could talk, but the creature in front of her was not an anthropomorphic furball. “…Ok, either someone needs to check my processor, or something else is going on.” She said out loud, thinking she was going crazy.

The cat let out a cute giggle. “You’re funny.” The cat said. “Now, what’s this about a shuttle?” It asked.

Harmony was still trying to process what was going on, so she did the only thing she thought was the best course of action. She tapped her combadge. “Lt Cmdr Prestine, I need your superior Starfleet training.” She said.

Some distance away, Prestine was busy helping to heave Lt Grother out of the quicksand when she heard Harmony’s call. “What’s going on Harmony? A bit busy right now.” She said.

“Remember the cat we encountered? Yeah it can apparently talk, and seems to be on our level of sentience.” Harmony said.

Upon hearing that, Prestine’s eyes widened. “W-What did you just say?” She asked.

“The Cat is talking, and it seems to know what we’re saying.” Harmony reported.

Prestine’s mind raced, but somehow, the first thought that came to her was saying what she said next. “Harmony, get back to the shuttle. Now! Abort survey!” She ordered as she switched channels. “Lt Cmdr Prestine to Equestria, we have a possible Prime Directive Violation! I’m aborting the survey and returning to the Equestria!” She told their ship. She cut the connection and turned to Ensign Trakkie. “Let’s get Grother out of this mess and double time it back to the shuttle.” She said.

“Wait, what Prime Directive Violation? We scanned this planet and didn’t find any intelligent life forms did we?” Trakkie asked.

“Something must have happened because Harmony’s found evidence that there IS intelligent life.” Prestine said. “Now pull.” She ordered.

Back over where Harmony was, she was confused by the order, but nonetheless complied. “Sorry little one. Gotta go.” Harmony said as she took off running.

The cat, watching Harmony go, frowned and took off in a run after her. “Hey! Wait up!” It called out.

“Science officer’s log supplemental. We have a possible contamination issue. We believed this planet to be devoid of intelligent life. Even after dispatching the Terrorcons. But Junior Warrant Officer Harmony CyberSpark has made a discovery that contradicts that belief. I’ve ordered all teams back to the shuttle, and the Equestria is currently tractoring any spatial debris so that it cannot collide with the planet. I only hope that we have not caused any irreparable damage to the natural progression of the planet.”

In space, the Equestria had broken up into its three segments and each was busy pushing the stellar debris from the battle so that it wouldn’t collide with the planet. On the alpha segment, Norman shook his head. “They failed to detect the Dark Energon signatures on the planet, they fail to detect the intelligent life, we need to run a diagnostic on our sensors.” He said. “Sooner rather than later.”

“All engineering personnel are working to retrofit our shuttles with cloaking devices.” Sela responded.

“Add it to their list.” Proxima said. “Paris, status on debris?”

“All wrecks successfully routed captain.” Paris responded.

“I suggest we send some DOTs over to gather intel.” Shron suggested. “See if we can either salvage or learn anything new.”

“Not a bad idea actually.” Yamik responded. “Any intel we can learn can be a major advantage.”

“Agreed. Norman, send out the DOTs.” Proxima ordered.

“Aye captain.” Norman responded, fulfilling the order.

Back on the planet, Harmony made it to the shuttle and quickly entered its confines. On the way, she had been given a brief overview of the Prime Directive and what it meant in relation to their current situation. Suffice to say she was now panicking for a few reasons. Not the least of which being that because it was HER sensors that failed to detect the intelligent life, she was responsible for this violation. “I can’t believe it. My first mission and I royally screwed it up before I even touched the planet.” She commented, Prestine’s statement about atmospheric interference completely forgotten. “Good job Harmony, way to make a bad first impression on the job.” She said. Her mind racing as she paced back and forth. “First thing to do when back on the ship, run a diagnostic. My sensors can’t be failing like this. The crew depends on them out here. They depend...on me...” It hit her like a shuttle to the face. But when she said it out loud, it dawned on her for the first time just how much the crew actually depended on her. Up until now, all she ever knew was that she was the ship and they were her crew. But it was so much more than that. The difference between the survival or death of 175 lives depended completely on her operating at 100%. “…They depend on me…” She repeated, the weight of that responsibility bearing down on her hard. “They’re counting on me…and I screwed up…”

“What was that? Harmony heard one of the other team members ask. Harmony turned her head to see two officers standing outside the still open shuttle.

Rather than answering them, Harmony’s processor took her to a different course of action...closing the shuttle without any word to the officers and lifting off in the shuttle. “I gotta get off this planet, get back to the ship, and run a system diagnostic.” She said. “I need to find out why my sensors failed and prevent it from happening again.” She said.

Back on the surface, the two officers were left shocked to see their shuttle taking off. “What in blazes?” One asked.

Their partner tapped their combadge to page Harmony. “Junior Warrant Officer CyberSpark! Land that shuttle! We are still waiting for the rest of the team!” They said, but there was no response. “CyberSpark. Harmony respond!” They tried to get Harmony to answer, but to no avail. “Aww cheeseballs.” They relented.

“We need to call it in.” The first officer said as they tapped their combadge. “Beta team reporting, JWO CyberSpark just hijacked our way back to the ship, until someone sends another shuttle we’re stranded.” They reported.

“CyberSpark did WHAT?!” Cmdr Prestine responded in shock

“She hijacked the shuttle, and we couldn’t get a response when we told her to land.” The second officer responded.

Up on the Equestria itself, Captain Maxima stood from her seat, having heard the report. “Norman, open a channel to Harmony.” She ordered.

“Aye sir, channel open.” Norman responded as he opened the channel.

“Junior Warrant Officer CyberSpark, this is Captain Maxima. What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Proxima asked.

“I’m returning to the ship to perform a complete system diagnostic after I royally screwed up today.” Harmony responded. “It was my sensors failing that led to the prime directive being violated. I need to make sure it never happens again.” Harmony explained.

“Be it as it may seem.” Sela responded as she stood next to Proxima. “You also made another error in leaving the rest of your team behind. Yours is the only shuttle on active duty at the moment as all others are being retrofitted with cloaking devices.” She explained.

On the shuttle, Harmony shook her head. “Someone can fly this shuttle back down to the planet when I return commander, I cannot remain on--” She tried to say before she was cut off by the most unexpected thing.

“Hi there.” Harmony heard a familiar female voice suddenly. She jumped and turned her head to see the cart from before. “What the?!” She shrieked as she involuntarily backed away...right into the control console and pressing against the panel.

When that happened, both Harmony and the cat heard the shuttle powering down. The cat tilted her head to the side. “What was that?” She asked.

“That was the shuttle powering down!” Harmony responded as the shuttle began to fall out of the sky.

In space, Norman detected the shuttle’s power loss. “Captain, the shuttle lost power! It’s losing altitude and will crash!” He reported.

That raised several alarms with the bridge crew. “Harmony! What’s the problem!” Proxima called through the comm system.

“The cat got into the shuttle!” Harmony responded. “We’re going down. Attempting to--” Was the last thing they all heard before the connection cut off abruptly.

“Harmony, Harmony are you there?” Proxima asked, panic quickly seeping into the bridge.

“Impact confirmed sir.” Norman reported. “Shuttle is down.”

Everyone looked around the bridge, as if expecting power to go out, but nothing happened. Yamik spoke up after a sec. “If power isn’t down, that means Harmony’s still with us.” He said.

“I want that crash site found yesterday people!” Proxima responded. “Tell Baker to get a shuttle ready for extraction, and inform the away team that they’re now a search and rescue team.” Proxima ordered.

“Aye sir.” Everyone responded.

“According to the shuttle’s trajectory, it looks like Harmony crashed ten kliks west of its original landing site.” Norman reported.

“Inform our people down on that planet.” Proxima said.

On the surface, the rest of the away team watched as the shuttle went down, and they heard a faint explosion from the distance. “That can’t be good.” One said.

“Prestine to Equestria, is everything alright up there?” Prestine asked.

It took a second, but Prestine got a reply. “We’re all good up here, Cmdr. No system failures so Harmony’s consciousness survived the crash. We’re sending you her last known coordinates, we need you to go and rescue her. We’ll send a shuttle once you find her.” Norman said.

“Copy that, Prestine out.” Prestine responded as she cut the connection. “Cliff.” She said, turning to the giant autobot. “Scout ahead and find her.” She said.

“Right.” Cliff responded before transforming to car mode and racing off towards the crash site.

With him going ahead, Prestine turned to the rest of her team. “Let’s go people.” She said.

“Right.” Everyone said before they all took off in a run after Cliff.

To Be Continued...

Author's Note

Finally managed to get out of my writing slump.

Please refer to chapter 9 for the edits if you haven't already. Next chapter will conclude Harmony's first official mission.

THX FOR READING!

Episode 11: New Friends

“Ughhh...” The Cat stirred awake. She fluttered her eyes open and her vision cleared up to see that she was in a wreck. “Wha...” She struggled to get up, but she managed to get back onto her feet. She looked around. “Ugh, what happened?” She asked as she struggled to remember what the heck happened. ‘Let’s see, I got onto the shuttle...said hi to...oh...’ It came back to her what happened, and she immediately felt guilty for causing them to crash. “Aw space furballs.” She cursed under her breath.

“Ughhh...” The cat heard groaning from a short distance away. She followed the sound until she saw something that made her eyes go wide. The giant quadruped she met earlier was laying on the ground, looking very not conscious, and they appeared to be flickering in and out of existence.

“A projection?” The cat asked, before the larger being faded out completely, and the cat saw a device fall onto the ground. The cat approached the device and studied it, its lights were flickering, and it seemed to have a scratch on it, which probably explained the earlier flickering.

Before the cat could examine it further, she heard a very loud roar, and she looked around until she saw a terrifying creature. “Furballs! A Marmouch!” She exclaimed. She turned back to the device, picked it up with her mouth, and used the wreck to parkour out of the shuttle and run as fast as her legs could carry her. “Gotta get home gotta get out of here, gotta fix this thing.” She said as she ran.

“Ship’s log supplemental: We have a shuttle down, an officer is M.I.A., and we don’t have a lot of time to find her. This was supposed to be the perfect first mission for Harmony, and it all went to hell even after the Terrorcons were dealt with. I just hope this doesn’t end in tragedy.”

In the shuttle bay of the Equestria, Obelisk and Baker were in one of the shuttles the Engineering Department were working on, frantically pressing buttons. “Come on Obelisk, we need to get this shuttle back online as soon as possible.” She said.

“Aye Commander Baker, though...remind me again why we had to completely depower the shuttles?” Obelisk asked. “Not an engineering officer.”

“Because cloaking technology is very unstable if hooked up to an already powered system. If done wrong, the powered system could cloak and stay cloaked permanently.” Baker responded.

“Fair enough.” Obelisk responded, continuing to power up the ship. “And uh, how durable did you make Harmony’s emitter?” He asked, concern clear in his voice.

Baker sighed. They had not bothered keeping it a secret that the ship’s consciousness was M.I.A since it was an integral part of ship operations. “That thing could survive a crash like that. What concerns me is it running out of power.” She said.

“Running out of power? Does it not have an arc reactor?” Obelisk asked.

“No, Teletran and I couldn’t get an Arc Reactor to work with the cybertronian technology in the emitter. So we came up with an Energon battery. It can be recharged through Harmony’s alcove in her quarters, but if it runs out before we can recover and get it back to the ship, it’s game over for Harmony.” Baker explained.

“And how long does that thing last?” Obelisk asked.

“8 hours at full charge, and it’s been away from the alcove for 6 of those hours.” Baker responded.

“Meaning we have two hours to find her before she’s done for.” Obelisk deduced.

“Indeed. “ Baker responded. “Now less yapping, more powering up.” She said.

On the surface of the planet, Cliffjumper was racing at full speed to the crash site, swerving and dodging trees. In the distance, he heard a loud roar. “That can’t be good.” He said as he continued his course. A minute later, he spotted the wreck, and saw a large creature picking at the wreck. “Ok that’s a big problem!” He exclaimed. He transformed into his robot mode, using the momentum to slam his foot into the creature, knocking it back.

The creature howled and stumbled back while Cliff landed and called out his hand blasters. “Messing with my friend? Sounds like you want the horns!” He aimed his blasters and let it rip, scoring several hits on the creature before it was scared off. Cliff let it go as he laughed. “Hahaha. That’s right, get out of here. Shoo!” He called out before he turned back to the wreck. He miniaturized down to a size small enough to enter the shuttle. “Thank you Baker, really wish I had molecular Compression in my CNA.” He commented as he searched the wreck for Harmony. Using his optical vision, he looked specifically for Harmony’s emitter. “Come on, Come on...” He said as he looked. After a few minutes, he found nothing. “Scrap. Cliffjumper reporting. Harmony’s emitter is not in the wreck, expanding to the immediate area.” He reported.

“Keep searching Cliff, we’re attempting to locate her emitter from up here.” Norman responded.

On the bridge of the Equestria, Norman was running a scan of the planet looking for Harmony. “We have to assume that her combadge is damaged.” He said. “So It’s better to instead scan for her emitter. Baker told me about the energon battery that’s powering it so I’ve set our scanners to energon.” He reported.

“Are we sure that’s even reliable?” Shron asked. “After all, we couldn’t detect the Terrorcons until they attacked Blitzwing.”

“I for one am counting on the fact that blue Energon is Dark Energon’s opposite.” Norman responded.

“A logical assumption Mr Norman.” Sela responded. “However, in the event that it does not work, captain?” She asked, turning to Proxima.

“What is it Sela?” Proxima asked.

“This is a stretch, however, I believe that your unique bond with Harmony could also act as a homing beacon.” Sela suggested.

Proxima opened her mouth, before stopping herself to consider it. She was going to say that they shouldn’t be testing out bond capabilities in a time of crisis, but she DID hear Harmony’s thoughts on accident once in a form of telepathy. So instead of saying now was not the time, she changed her response. “It’s worth a shot, I’ll be with Harmony’s brain module.” She said as she tapped her combadge and transported out.

Yamik watched her go, and shook his head. “Anyone think it would be a bad idea to restrict Harmony’s access to auxiliary craft?” He asked. “I know we can’t lock her out of her own body, but the shuttles, workbees, DOTs, and fighters aren’t part of her body.” He explained.

“Let us just focus on recovering her first before we think about discipline.” Sela responded. “You have to remember, Harmony is still learning. And today has been...difficult for her to say the least.” She said.

“Still, I don’t think it would hurt to give her a talk about the proper way to handle a situation.” Shron responded. “Sure, we have an auxiliary craft replicator, but that doesn’t mean we can just sacrifice them all willy nilly.”

“And leaving anyone behind is just plain wrong.” Paris added.

“You three have made your point.” Sela responded. “There will be a debrief when this is all over.” She said.

On the planet, within the Emitter, Harmony’s nifty little built in camera flickered back on as she groaned. “Ugh...What happened?” She asked groggily. Her first instinct was to move, but she immediately found that she couldn’t. “Wha...What’s going on?” She asked, becoming more alert and more panicked. “Where am I? Why can’t I move? Hello!” She called out, trying to alert someone.

Harmony heard small footsteps approach in response and she became frightened, especially in the state she was in, that fear rocketed to a high when she had the camera panned down, indicating that she had previously been laying on her back, and when the camera panned, she saw something that confused the hell out of her. “...A dog? A mouse?” She asked, recognizing the apparent looks of the two creatures in front of her.

She heard chuckling from behind, and she saw the cat from before moving into her field of view. “It’s you.” She said, relieved at first to at least see a familiar face.

“Yes. It’s me.” The cat responded. “Glad you seem to be OK.” She said.

“Wha...What happened?” Harmony asked.

The cat bit her lip before answering. “We crashed the shuttle we were on. Completely my fault, I’m sorry.” She said. “I’m not sure how long I was out but when I came to, you were unconscious and your...projector for lack of a better term fizzled out and made your body disappear. I brought you here after a monster came to the crash site.” She explained.

Harmony listened to the Cat’s story, and it lined up with her own memory...minus the monster but it could've happened. She groaned though. “This day just keeps getting worse. My sensors fail leading to a major violation of the Prime Directive which prohibits contact with pre-Faster-Than-Light civilizations, I crash a shuttle, And now I’m lost with no mobility at all. Who am I kidding, I’m never going to be a starfleet officer after today.” She said, her spirits at an all time low.

The dog cleared its throat and spoke in a deep male voice. “I admit I don’t understand half of what you said, but if you’re looking for some good news, Your little device isn’t as badly damaged as it was before.” He said. “I was able to fix some of the damage. Your Camera for instance.” He announced.

“You...fixed some of the damage?” Harmony asked. “But...But how? Our technology is too advanced for you...” This only served to further Harmony’s confusion.

“My husband here is good with tech.” The cat responded proudly. “And...Wait, is that why you ran off before? Because you thought we didn’t have Interstellar travel?” She asked.

“Yes...” Harmony admitted. “We have a rule not to interact with any civilization that has not achieved interstellar travel yet, it serves as a defense against us influencing the natural progression of a less advanced civilization.” She explained.

“Oh, well then you should be glad to know we come from a civilization with interstellar travel.” The mouse chimed in with a high pitched male voice.

At that, Harmony was at a loss for words. “Y-You...Huh?” She asked, her processor trying to process that. She focused on her surroundings, and quickly discovered that she was in a metallic structure, with all the furnishings to make it something she wasn’t expecting. “Wait a minute, is this a starship we’re in?” She asked.

“Yes it is.” The cat said. “We’re actually from a neighboring star system.” She explained.

“Far enough away that Faster than Light travel is needed.” The dog responded.

Harmony was speechless at what she was hearing, but the very first thing she thought to ask was what she considered the most obvious. “Does the communication system work? If you could connect me into the ship’s systems, I could contact my ship.” She asked.

The dog smiled and approached Harmony’s emitter. He picked it up in his mouth, which gave Harmony a sight she never wanted to see, and brought her to another part of the apparent ship. “Just give me a few minutes.” He said, his speech muffled a bit from the emitter in his mouth.

A few minutes later, back on the Equestria, both Captain Maxima and Doctor Boimler looked at the giant brain shaped structure that was Harmony’s brain module. They had discovered it deep in Engineering a few weeks prior, and, with Harmony’s permission, had been studying it ever since. “Not gonna lie Captain, this seems like a bad idea. We haven’t yet actually tested this yet, and this is a crisis.” Boimler commented.

“Right now, anything that can help us find our Junior Warrant Officer is helpful.” Proxima responded. “Monitor both me and Harmony’s brain module, if things go south, do what you have to to end it.” She told him.

“Aye captain.” Boimler responded as he called up his medical tricorder hud, standing by.

Proxima took a deep breath, before approaching the module. “Here goes nothing.” She said as she raised her hoof to touch the module. She was about to push the hoof forward, when she was interrupted by Commander Sela. “Sela to Maxima.” She heard.

Proxima tapped her combadge to open the channel. “Go ahead number one.” She said.

“We’re receiving a signal from the surface. A hail.” Sela reported.

Proxima’s and Phlox’s eyes widened. “Hail?” She asked.

“Aye sir, and the origin point is not far from Harmony’s crash site.” Sela responded.

Proxima and Phlox looked at each other, thinking the same thing. “We’ll be right there.” Proxima responded. She and Phlox transported onto the bridge, where the rest of the bridge crew was waiting. “Open a channel.” Proxima ordered.

Norman nodded and opened the channel. Once the channel opened, they all heard a voice that they were relieved to hear. “Equestria, come in Equestria, do you read me?” Asked Harmony.

Proxima let out a relieved smile as she responded. “We read you Harmony. Loud and clear.” She announced. “Thank the stars you’re alright.” She said.

“Well, my emitter is damaged, but luckily I had help.” Harmony responded.

“Help?” Sela asked. “From who?”

“From a trio of creatures that seem to be with that alien cat myself and Prestine reported finding some hours ago. The one I originally reported as being intelligent.” Harmony said. “And captain...I think I may have...what’s the saying...pushed the panic button too soon?” Harmony admitted.

“We’ll deal with the debrief later Harmony.” Proxima responded. “We’re attempting to track your signal now. Just stay on the line.” She said as she nodded to Norman to locate the exact source of that signal.

“Just two kliks north of the crash site.” Norman reported after a moment. “Our team is actually headed in that direction now.”

“Send word to our people on the surface. And send a shuttle down there to retrieve Harmony.” Proxima reported.

“Aye sir.” Norman responded.

“Just sit tight Harmony, we’re on our way.” Proxima said.

“Thank you captain.” Harmony responded, the connection being cut.

“How much time do we have left?” Paris asked.

“An hour.” Norman responded.

“Tell Baker to bring an extra Energon Battery, just in case.” Proxima responded.

“Knowing her, she’s already thought of that.” Shron commented.

In the shuttlebay, Baker ran into the shuttle she and Obelisk were powering up and took the co-pilot’s seat. “We got a hit Obelisk, let’s roll.” She told the Reman officer, who was in the pilot’s seat.

“Do you have that backup energon battery?” Obelisk asked.

“Yep. Thank god I thought ahead.” She said.

Obelisk nodded and took off from the bay in the shuttle.

Back on the surface, Harmony sighed as the connection cut. “It worked. I really cannot thank you three enough.” She told the three. The four were now in what appeared to be the bridge of the ship and Harmony was now connected to the ship’s systems.

“That’s what friends are for right?’ The cat asked. “Even if there were a few bumps.”

At that, Harmony remained silent. She honestly did not know what to say. She thought back to how much she messed up that day, and wondered about her future now that this mission was under her belt. She thought about how much the crew really needed her, and just how her actions with the shuttle endangered everyone...again. “Me joining Starfleet is a mistake...” She commented under her breath.

“What was that?” Asked the dog.

“I’m part of an exploratory organization...or rather, looking to become a part of it. This survey mission was actually my very first mission ever...and I caused more problems than not...” Harmony said, regret and remorse in her voice. “To make matters worse, my ship depends on me more than you think, so me screwing up is multiplied in just how bad it is.” She explained.

“Well, it didn’t sound like whoever you were talking to was mad.” The cat responded. “She sounded relieved that you were alright.”

“Yes, because without me the crew is stranded here on this planet at best.” Harmony responded. “She’s probably going to berate and scold me once I get back. And...I deserve it for screwing up...” She said. “I should just hail them and ask for my application to be rescinded. Save them the trouble of rejecting it...” She mused.

The mouse looked between the cat, the dog, and the device the cat had brought back. An idea came to the mouse’s mind. “Would a song cheer you up?” He asked.

That caught everyone off guard. “A song?” Harmony asked.

“Yeah!” The mouse responded. “Mommy, daddy and I all have the ability to make spontaneous music play from our ears. We love to sing and dance to it.” He explained.

While the cat and the dog, who Harmony presumed to be the parents...somehow, just nodded sheepishly, Harmony was once again at a loss for words. “You...Can make...Spontaneous music...Play from your ears?” She asked.

“Uh huh! It’s an ability all Enilefs, Eninacs, and E’suoms have.” The most explained.

Harmony could only guess that those were the species of the three creatures with her right now, and intrigue very quickly took over. “That’s...certainly something I’d like to see in action.” She said. ‘Maybe today won’t be a total bust after all.’ She thought, making sure to record as much as she could to bring back to the ship.

The E’suom smiled widely and his ears started to glow, and indeed it corresponded to music beginning to play from seemingly nowhere, however, they didn’t get very far before the Eninac picked something up with his super hearing. “Wait, hold the music, something’s coming.” He said.

The E’suom’s ears stopped glowing and the music stopped. “What is it daddy?” He asked.

The Eninac listened, before his eyes widened. “It’s the same sound coming that those metal purple glowing monsters make!” He exclaimed. “The ones that shot us down to begin with!”

While the E’suom’s eyes widened, the Enilef’s blinked. “Oh, that’s right. I forgot, I learned what those things were called.” She announced. “They’re called Terrorcons, and our friend’s friends took care of them.” She announced.

“Wait, the Terrorcons shot you down?” Harmony asked.

“Yeah. Those meanies shot us down for no reason.” The E’suom responded.

Harmony was about to say something, before she started hearing the engine noises herself. It took her a second, but she sighed in relief when she heard the noises. “It’s definitely not the Terrorcons.” She announced. “It’s my friend Cliffjumper.” She said.

They all heard the sound of transformation and soon, they all heard Cliff call out. “Harmony! Are you here?” He asked.

“I’m here Cliff!” Harmony called out. “In the bridge!”

They heard metal sounds, until the three creatures saw a red muscular metal figure appear. The figure spied the creatures. “Oh, hello there little ones.” He said. “Pardon for the intrusion, but I’m here looking for my friend.”

The Eninac pointed to a console off to the side. “She’s right here. Her device was damaged, but I managed to repair some of it.” He explained. “Are you Cliffjumper?” He asked.

“I am.” Cliff responded as he turned to where the Eninac was pointing with his paw, and saw Harmony hooked up. “There you are Harmony.” He said.

“Cliffjumper.” Harmony responded. “Thanks for coming.”

“Like I woulda done anything else.” Cliff responded. “Everyone else is on their way.” He told her.

“Good.” Harmony responded.

“Can we come with you?” The E’suom asked bluntly. “Mommy said we could talk to you about going with you.” He explained.

“Huh?” Cliff and Harmony asked in unison.

The Enilef pet her son’s head and shook her own head. “I’ll of course explain what he just said, but at the very least we request a ride off this planet.” She said.

Cliff and Harmony looked at each other...Well, Cliff looked at Harmony, before he nodded and pressed a finger on the side of his head to engage his comm.

“Chief Engineer’s Log Supplemental: We have successfully recovered Harmony and the away team, and have all safely returned back to the Equestria. It was a close call, but amazingly, the repairs to the Emitter done by our three new friends bought Harmony enough time that she didn’t need an emergency Energon Battery transplant on the way home. And since the connector itself remained operational, Harmony is able to get back into the ship while I enact repairs.”

In Harmony’s Quarters on the Equestria, Kasey, Proxima, Sela, Phlox, Risa, and the three creatures all watched Harmony leave the Emitter, which Baker connected to her alcove, and phased into the physical room as a projection. Kasey smiled as she disconnected the emitter. “There we go.” She said. “Now that Harmony’s back in her own body, I can repair this thing without her being trapped.”

“Thank you Cmdr Baker.” Harmony responded gratefully. “Sorry for breaking it so quickly.”

“Eh.” Baker shrugged. “Nothing I wasn’t expecting to happen eventually.” She said. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I got a date with my tools.” She said as she proceeded out the door.

With her gone, Sela and Proxima turned their attention to other things. “You really gave us a scare there Harmony.” Proxima said.

“For a time, we believed we would not find you in time to save you.” Sela said.

Harmony felt like she wanted to hide. She could tell that her commanding officers were not happy. And to actually be given the look shook her to the core. “Yes Captain...Commander...” She said. “I...I’m sorry for what happened today. My sensors failed to detect the Terrorcons, they failed to detect the three creatures over there, which led directly to a possible Prime Directive Violation, and in my panic I crashed a shuttle, after leaving my away team behind...”

“That is Correct.” Sela replied bluntly. “You made an already stressful situation worse, and nearly got yourself killed in the process. It was reckless, dangerous, and would result in near definite dismissal from the Academy.” She said.

Harmony’s holographic ears folded in on themselves as she hung her head low in shame. “Yes Commander.” She said. “It might be best if my application was rescinded.”

“Rescinded?” Proxima asked, confused.

“If I screwed up this badly on my first mission, who’s to say that next time won’t be even worse?” Harmony responded. “Clearly I’m not cut out for Starfleet.” She concluded.

Proxima and Sela glanced at each other, before Proxima turned back to Harmony, smiling. “Harmony, no one is going to deny that today took a turn for the worst.” She said. “However, there are many factors to consider.” She said.

At that, Harmony looked back up at her captain. “Captain?” She asked, confused.

“Indeed.” Sela responded. “For starters, it would seem that the Prime Directive’s influence in this situation is diminished drastically since the three creatures you discovered allegedly come from an FTL capable society. So we are free to interact with them.” She said.

“Another thing to consider is that, as you said, this was your first mission, and you’re still learning.” Proxima added. “So some...bumps in the road are to be expected.” She said.

“And.” Prestine chimed in. “I think we may have found out why your sensors didn’t register these three as anything but animals.” She said. She and Phlox were busy studying the three creatures

“You did?” Harmony asked.

“Yes.” Phlox responded. “Based on our own scans, and the testimony of these three. They are in fact animals, and the traits that they have exhibited are just indigenous to their species.” He explained.

The Enilef nodded. “That’s right, we really are animals. Just very smart animals.” She confirmed.

“So that means that your sensors in that respect worked perfectly. It detected exactly what these guys were.” Phlox announced.

Harmony couldn’t believe what she was hearing, between what all her superior officers were saying, it sounded like she had blown the situation spectacularly out of proportion. “So...From what all of you are saying...” She started, still processing it.

“Ultimately, your only mistake was hijacking the shuttle, and then crashing it.” Proxima finished for her.

They all heard a throat clearing from the Enilef. “Actually, I’ll take the fall for her about crashing. That was entirely my fault. I jumpscared her.” She defended Harmony.

“Be it as it may.” Sela responded. “The way you handled the situation by taking the shuttle and stranding your team was unsatisfactory. But that is nothing that time, training, and study cannot fix.” She said.

“As well as supervision. Isn’t that right Cmdr Prestine?” Proxima asked, giving Prestine the side-eye, remembering what Prestine had reported about the quicksand.

Risa blushed when she was called out like that, making the three creatures laugh. “Yes Captain.” She said. “In hindsight, a Junior Warrant Officer in Training should not be left unsupervised, no matter how mundane and simple the given task is.” She said.

Proxima nodded before turning back to Harmony, who slowly started smiling. “So...you still think I have what it takes?” She asked.

“I do.” Proxima responded. “And, despite today’s fiasco, you do have something under your belt that proves you do in fact have what it takes.” She said.

“I do?” Harmony asked. Rather than receiving an answer, She just saw everyone looking at the three alien animals. After a second, it clicked with her what they were talking about. “I discovered a new life.” She deduced.

“Starfleet’s primary mission.” Proxima responded. “To seek out new life and new civilizations. You performed that part exceptionally. Not many can claim to have discovered new alien life on their first mission. So for that you should be proud.” She told her.

Harmony considered Proxima’s words, before her smile grew. “Yeah, I guess that is quite the achievement.” She said.

Sela nodded. “And speaking of that new life.” She said. Now that they were done with Harmony, the focus turned to the three Creatures. “Is there anywhere you want us to drop you off?” She asked the three. After explaining the situation, Captain Maxima had allowed them onboard.

“Actually, we want to stay aboard, as pets for Harmony.” The Enilef announced, having picked up that the projection’s name was Harmony.

At that, everyone’s eyes widened. “I’m sorry, what?” Harmony asked after a second.

“We want to be your pets.” The E’suom responded.

“On our planet, our respective species are domesticated creatures and most end up as pets for the dominant race of our planet.” The Eninac explained.

“Yeah, we were traveling the area searching for someone to take us in as pets when the Terrorcons shot us down actually.” The Enilef said.

Everyone around the three were at a loss. Not sure what to make of this new development. “So...Is that why you hung around me and Harmony earlier?” Prestine eventually asked.

“Yep.” The Enelif confirmed. “I was trying to figure out who would be the better pet owner.” She said.

Risa decided not to take the implication personally as she finished up her scan. “Fair enough.” She said,

The Enilef nodded and turned back to Harmony and the captain. “So, what do you say?” She asked.

All eyes turned to Harmony, who honest to god did not know what she should do. “...Captain, a word?” She asked Proxima as she guided her out of the room. Outside in the corridor, Harmony turned to face Proxima directly. “I literally do not know what to do here.” She admitted.

“Did you know about that whole pet thing?” Proxima asked.

“No, I didn’t know, otherwise I would’ve said something.” Harmony responded. “What should I do, captain?” She asked.

Proxima bit her lip as the scenarios ran through her mind. Her first thought was a moral one, but if these newcomers were telling the truth, then technically it would be OK. But there was something else she thought of. “What do YOU want to do?” She asked Harmony.

“What?” Harmony asked.

“Harmony, if we ignore all the moral and ethical dilemmas, taking care of one pet is not easy, let alone three.” Proxima explained. “Add in the fact that we know next to nothing about these guys, There’s no telling how much more complicated it can get.” She said. “So before making any decision, you need to ask yourself “Do I want pets?”.” She told Harmony.

Harmony listened to Proxima’s words with intent. What the captain was saying made sense. It took several minutes, but she came to an answer. “I think we should set course for their home planet, verify everything they’ve told us.” She proposed.

Proxima smiled and nodded. “My thoughts exactly.” She said. “You better get a Dress Uniform on.” She advised.

“Aye Captain.” Harmony responded, smiling with confidence again. Relieved that everything ended up alright.

To Be Continued...

Author's Note

Sounds like Harmony is going to get a second chance to be on a mission faster than she expected. Heheh

How is it that I've managed to make something into 4 parts when it shoulda only been two parts? Lol.

THX FOR READING!

Episode 12: Finding Common Ground amidst Chaos

“Captain’s Log Stardate 32120704.1230. We’re in orbit around a planet called Lamina, homeworld of the three passengers we took on during yesterday’s...eventful survey mission. After opening a dialogue. I’ve invited a delegation onboard so that we may establish diplomatic relations, and so that we may verify the three guests’ story.”

In orbit around Lamina, one of several interstellar vessels around the green M-class world, Captain Maxima, Commander Sela, and Chief Security officer Lt Cmdr Yamik were in dress uniform, standing in the shuttle bay awaiting the arrival of the delegation from Lamina. Yamik glanced around, raising an eyebrow. “Wasn’t JWO CyberSpark supposed to be here as well?” He asked.

“She’s on her way.” Proxima responded.

“Baker has repaired her emitter so she wanted Harmony to stop by Engineering first.” Sela explained.

Meanwhile, in Engineering, Harmony projected her body from her repaired Emitter, the device disappearing under her bow. Holding the Emitter was Chief Baker, who smiled. “There we go. How does that feel Harmony?” She asked.

“It feels good. Thanks again for repairing it Cmdr.” Harmony responded with a smile.

“All in a day’s work Harmony. Try not to damage it so fast this time.” Baker responded in a jesting manner.

Harmony couldn’t help but chuckle. “No promises Cmdr, now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m needed in the shuttle bay.” She said before she walked out of Engineering. Leaving Baker to chuckle as she moved onto her next task.

As Harmony walked through the corridors towards the shuttlebay, she called up her combadge HUD to perform her duties as communications officer, the post she was put in so that she wasn’t idling around waiting for her next department shadow assignment. The job involved sifting through all the mail that came through the relay network for crewmembers, whether they were personal letters from home, monthly subscription newsletters, or the like. “Alright, let’s see...Ensign Gehto has a letter from home...Lieutenant Piver has her monthly subscription to the Ships of the Line Magazine...But not seeing anything from The T’Palas.” She idly said to herself. One particular duty that had been placed great enthuses on was that Harmony was to put all mail coming from the T’Palas into an ever increasing case file alongside any Mind Melds Sela received from them before alerting Sela to her mail’s arrival. It was a task Harmony took on gladly. ‘I don’t even know them all that well and I absolutely hate them with a seething passion.’ She thought to herself. Little by little, Sela and Proxima had been telling her about some of the despicable antics Sela’s parents had engaged in throughout their lives, and Harmony would gladly admit that hearing such things made her want to use the Spore Bridge Generator to go back to the Federation, find Sela’s parents, and alpha strike them from orbit using the Equestria’s firepower. Something, as she found out, Proxima had thoughts about doing as well, since it turned out that Proxima had a program on the Holodeck in which she used the T’Palas as target practice whenever she needed to blow off some steam.

With all of that in mind, she found it strange that after the whole incident last week, and the prior incident in the Aurora Nebula, they had heard nothing from the T’Palas, especially after they made it sound like they were going to be a constant annoyance. “Hmm…either they’re planning something, or—“Harmony was brought out of her thoughts as she passed an open door into a room and she heard singing coming from within. She paused and looked into it to see a few officers working, and singing. “Hm…strange.” She said as she continued on. As she continued her journey, she heard other officers singing while working as well, which only further confused Harmony, since this was the first time she was seeing the crew acting like this. “What the hell is up with everyone today?” She asked out loud.

“What was that Harmony?” Harmony heard a familiar voice, before she saw her friend Obelisk come up beside her.

“Oh, hey Obelisk.” Harmony greeted. “Do you know what's going on with the crew today? They’re singing while working.” She asked.

“Oh, that? They’re probably just getting their groove on for Karaoke night tonight.” Obelisk responded.

“Karaoke night?” Harmony asked, not familiar with the term.

“Yeah.” Obelisk responded. “It’s where people get together somewhere and sing their favorite songs.” He explained. “It’s a lot of fun.”

“Interesting.” Harmony responded. “Is there like a signup form that needs to be filled?” She asked.

“As far as I know, no sign up required. Just get up on stage, request a song, and sing. Although.” Obelisk added. “It’s generally good practice to take turns.” He said.

Harmony nodded, finding Karaoke night an interesting term. “And where might tonight’s event be?” She asked.

“Mess hall. 1900hrs.” Obelisk responded. “I think you’d like it.”

“I’ll try to be there.” Harmony responded.

In the shuttlebay, a shuttle with a very avian design appeared from below and straightened out to make its final approach into the bay as Harmony entered. She galloped up next to Proxima and stood at attention. “I’m here, sorry for the delay, apparently tonight’s Karaoke night.” She said.

The three officers next to her glanced at her. “Pardon?” Sela asked.

“On the way I heard officers singing. Lt. Obelisk told me they were getting in the mood for Karaoke night tonight.” Harmony explained.

“Oh that’s right. I nearly forgot.” Yamik responded. “I am so looking forward to it.” He said. “Thinking of singing Harmony?” He asked.

“Not sure. For one I have no idea if I even CAN sing sir.” Harmony replied.

“We can continue this later. Everyone pipe down.” Proxima told them as the shuttle landed.

As she watched the alien shuttle land, Harmony felt a stint of nervousness running through her spine. While she had expected that they would make first contact with someone out here, she personally never expected that she would be a part of the welcoming party right off the bat. Then again, she never thought she’d be the one to make first contact at all, but yesterday still happened, for better or worse.

The shuttle landed, and the craft’s doors opened to reveal...A trio of anthropomorphic horse-like aliens. ‘What are the odds.’ Was the thought of both Proxima and Harmony, the latter having chosen to be a horse like being for her avatar. While Sela and Yamik just gave each other a glance. As her attention was turning back to the delegates, Sela heard familiar voices that she loathed with a passion.

“Hello there Sela, it is your parents.” Her father said.

“It is time for another test.” Her mother told her.

Sela outwardly kept her composure and made it seem like nothing was wrong, but her heart rate increased as she braced herself to see something extremely horrible. ‘It is not real, it is not real, it is not real.’ She continually told herself as the Delegates reached them.

Proxima, none the wiser that Sela had been caught in a Mind Meld, smiled as she stepped forward. “Welcome to the USS Equestria. I am Captain Proxima Maxima. We are honored to have you aboard today.” She greeted the Delegates.

The lead Delegate smiled and bowed to Proxima. “You in turn honor us Captain Maxima. It is exciting to meet inhabitants of our parent galaxy. I am Ambassador Sable. And these are my aides.” Ambassador Sable gestured to his two companions. “Yuris and Farmick.” He introduced himself and his aides, his aides bowing to them as they were introduced.

“A real pleasure to meet you. With me I have a few of my officers.” Proxima responded as she gestured to them. “Junior Warrant Officer in Training Harmony CyberSpark, my Chief of Security Lieutenant Commander Yamik Pado, and my First Officer, Commander Sela.” Proxima introduced.

Sela, meanwhile, was struggling now to maintain her posture. She continued to hear her parents.

“We can see the anger in you. To get rid of it, you must take it out on something, kill the Ambassador.” Her father ordered.

Much to Sela’s surprise, her right hand moved slowly to where her phaser should be, without her brain actually telling it to do so. She attempted to keep the hand still, but it was not listening. Not knowing what else to do, Sela grabbed the hand with her other hand to keep it still. ‘What the hell is going on?!’ She thought.

“You are doing as you are told. Good. Kill them, and your anger will be gone.” Her mother ordered.

Instead of doing that, Sela resisted what she realized was some form of brainwashing. “Ahem, Captain.” She spoke up.

Proxima had just turned to Sela, and saw what she was doing. “Is there something--” Proxima started before Sela simply showed her the Neural Monitor she was wearing, which was lighting up like crazy. It was then that Proxima realized what was going on. “I see.” Proxima responded before tapping her combadge and transporting Sela to the brig, as the commander had requested. “Cmdr Yamik, please attend to Commander Sela.” She ordered.

Yamik saw the whole thing and nodded before excusing himself and walking out of the shuttlebay. A quick nod from Proxima sent Harmony away as well. With that done, Proxima returned her attention to the Delegates. “Ahem, please excuse my officers’ rapid departure Ambassador.” She said.

“Is everything alright? Did we arrive at an inconvenient time?” Ambassador Sable asked, concern clear on his face.

“It is nothing that invites concern, Ambassador.” Proxima responded. “It is merely something inconsequential that happens periodically.” She explained. ‘I am going to outright kill the T’Palas at this rate.’ She thought to herself. She cleared her throat. “So, would you like a tour of our vessel?” She asked.

Meanwhile, in the corridors, while Yamik went to the brig, Harmony caught up with Yamik. “Sela’s parents have possibly the WORST timing ever.” She commented.

“You’re watching for a communique from them through our relay network I trust?” Yamik asked her.

“Of course.” Harmony responded as she tapped her combadge. “CyberSpark to Boimler, you’re needed in the brig.” She called the doc.

“The brig?” Phlox asked in response.

“Yes Doc, Commander Sela’s parents decided to continue with their antics.” Yamik responded.

There was silence, before they heard Boimler respond. “On my way.” He said.

As the connection cut, Yamik shook his head. “If this is going to be a regular occurance every time we make first contact, I think we may have to just confine Sela to the brig as a default.” He mused.

“That’s a little extreme don’t you think?” Harmony asked.

“You heard her Harmony.” Yamik responded. “The brig is the place where she can do the least amount of damage to this ship, and its occupants.” He explained. “And she was reaching for where her phaser would be, My guess is that the Delegates were supposed to be the targets. Those crooks were doing something to her. I know it.” He said.

Harmony listened to what Yamik was saying, and it made sense. “I just hope the Captain could explain our disappearance away.” She said.

In the brig, Sela was panting as she sat on the bench in the cell she had been transported to. And almost immediately, she felt her hand stop trying to move on its own, and she stopped hearing her parents’ voices. “What happened?” She asked herself. She looked at her right hand, trying to make sense of everything.

Not long after she stopped hearing her parents, she saw Boimler enter the brig area with Yamik and Harmony. Yamik immediately pointed his phaser pistol at her, set to stun, as a precaution. “Alright Commander Sela, what’s going on?” He asked.

“I began hearing my parents’ voices just before the delegates arrived.” Sela responded. “They were ordering me to kill the delegates to make my anger go away, and most curiously, my hand was acting of its own accord. Reaching for where my phaser would be had I been carrying one.” She explained.

“And did you have thoughts of killing the delegates of your own volition?” Boimler asked.

“Is that question necessary?” Yamik asked. “We know who the whacks are, and she’s not one of them.

“It’s just a standard psychological question.” Boimler said. “Just in case.”

“No, I do not have any thoughts of killing our guests.” Sela responded.

“Alright.” Boimler responded. “And what happened after you were beamed to the brig?” He asked.

“I stopped hearing my parents and I regained control of my hand.” Sela replied. “It is almost as if the transport interrupted the Mind Meld.” She theorized.

Boimler nodded as he reviewed the Neural feed from the monitor, enabling everyone to hear what Sela’s parents said to her, Boimler in particular noticed something strange. “Now this is both curious, and concerning.” He said.

“What is it doc?” Yamik asked.

“Sela’s brainwave activity is at its usual high when a mind meld occurs, but it is slightly more noisy than usual.” Boimler explained.

“Meaning?” Harmony asked.

“Brainwave activity is the sum of all activity going on in a brain, from sending electrical signals to limbs for movement to thoughts that one is having.” Boimler explained. “And there exists a tiny part of the brain dedicated to subconscious actions. Which is amplified when someone is being manipulated through the process of brainwashing, or other forms of mind control.” He said.

“Brainwashing?” Yamik and Harmony asked in unison.

“Indeed. Based on what I see here and what Commander Sela said, her parents targeted that specific area of the brain this time.” Boimler said.

Yamik and Harmony both shared looks with Sela, all of them were thinking the same thing. “I’m gonna get the captain.” Yamik said as he left.

Nearly as soon as he did, Harmony herself received a notification of mail coming through the relay network, this particular notification she set up to alert her of any mail from the T’Palas. “There’s mail coming from the T’Palas.” She reported as she pulled up her combadge hud and saw the letter, immediately making a copy of it for record keeping. “Permission to see what they sent Commander?” She asked Sela.

“Granted.” Sela responded, having a feeling of what was in the letter.

Harmony nodded and opened the letter, letting the three of them see the contents.

Elsewhere on the ship, Proxima was leading the Delegates towards the mess hall after having shown them the Holodecks, the science lab, and the medical bay. Ambassador Sable and his aides had wonder in their eyes with each location they visited. “This is truly an engineering marvel you command Captain.” Sable told her.

“Especially the Holodecks, can they really simulate anything imaginable?” Yuris asked.

“Correct.” Proxima responded. “It is a very useful and important tool for us.” She said.

“Astounding.” Farmick said. “Our own Environmental Simulators can only simulate basic environments.” He said.

Proxima was about to respond to that, before they heard someone call out to the captain. “Captain Maxima!” Called out Lt Cmdr Yamik.

Proxima heard him call out and looked behind them to see the chief of Security approach. “Cmdr Yamik?” She asked.

“Apologies for the interruption Captain, but something came up that needs your attention.” Yamik responded, leaning in close to whisper. “Sela might be more severely compromised than we realized.” He whispered into her ear.

Proxima raised an eyebrow at that, but she knew full well that Sela’s situation needed to be taken seriously and be addressed as soon as possible. She cleared her throat as she addressed Sable and his aides. “My sincerest apologies, but I must go tend to something urgent, I leave you in the very capable hands of Lt Cmdr Yamik.” She told them before insta transporting out.

After she left, Sable couldn’t help but ask. “Is there something going on?” He asked.

“Nothing you need to worry about.” Yamik responded, inwardly cursing Sela’s parents for making this first contact even more difficult. “Ahem, so, might I ask where the captain was taking you?” He asked.

“The Mess Hall, where she was going to treat us to a nice lunch native to your homeland.” Yuris responded.

“Right this way then.” Yamik responded as he led the Delegates forward.

In the brig, Proxima appeared out of thin air in the middle of the brig, where she saw Sela in a cell and Boimler and Harmony with their Combadge huds up. “Sela I swear to god the only thing keeping me from ordering a Space Bridge back to the Federation to alpha strike your parents from orbit is the fact we don’t know where they are.” She said.

“I do not believe anyone would blame you, Captain.” Sela responded. “My sincerest apologies for this.” She added.

“Apologize for your parents’ actions again and I’ll demote you. They are the ones that need to apologize, not you.” Proxima responded. It was clear that she was frustrated. “Alright so what’s the deal? Yamik said something about Sela being more compromised than we realized?” She asked.

“Long story short Captain.” Boimler responded as he played back the latest Mind Meld. “Sela’s parents targeted the subconscious this time and tried to use it to force Sela to murder the Delegation. In effect making her brainwashed.” He reported.

“You’re kidding.” Proxima replied in disbelief.

“We are not Captain.” Harmony responded. “And they sent a video message a few minutes ago.” She added as she played back that message. The faces of the T’Palas appeared on the HUD.

“Whatever it is you just did Sela, You will NOT do that again.” Her father said.

“We intend to rid you of your emotions, and you will comply.” Her mother said before they both vanished.

After the message, there was silence, Proxima struggling to formulate a response to the T’Palas Insanity.

Boimler was quicker to come up with something. “Any word from Ambassador Starscout in regards to a magical block?” He asked Proxima.

“I’m gonna contact her as soon as possible to ask.” Proxima responded. Recognizing the ever increasing urgency. “Based on this latest incident, that might be the only hope we have to protect the ship and its occupants from those psychopaths.” She said.

“And in a similar vein, I believe it would be best if I remained in the brig until the delegates are off the ship.” Sela replied. “We cannot risk them being caught in the crossfire. Even if it is apparent that an insta transport seems to cut the mind meld off.” She reasoned.

Proxima hated it, but she had to agree with Sela on that one. “Doctor.” She addressed Phlox. “I want you to run a complete checkup on Sela. Be as thorough as possible.” She ordered. “I don’t want any surprises going forward.”

“Aye sir.” Boimler responded.

Proxima nodded and turned to Harmony. “Both this message and the incident have been recorded and placed in the case file correct?” She asked.

“Affirmative Captain.” Harmony responded,

“Good.” Proxima replied. “Then head to the mess hall, the delegates should be there and you can inquire about our other three guests. We got things from here.” She said.

Harmony nodded. “Yes Captain.” Harmony replied as she left.

Finally, Proxima turned to Sela. “Don’t worry Commander, one way or another we will find out how to stop this.” She promised.

“That would be appreciated, captain.” Sela responded as Proxima left.

Boimler called up his medical tricorder. “So, other than this incident, how have you been feeling Commander?” He asked, going into full doctor mode.

Yamik led the Delegates through the ship to the Mess Hall, and Sable was asking Yamik some questions about the Federation. “How much of the parent galaxy does the Federation span?” Sable asked.

“We are in the process of welcoming our 400th member world after a period of decline.” Yamik responded. “Dark times for the Federation during that time but we managed to pull through and recover. As it stands, we span thousands of light years across all four quadrants of our galaxy.” Yamik explained. “The USS Equestria itself has representatives from 20 of those worlds serving aboard as crewmembers.” He said.

“That would be only five percent representation.” Farmick responded.

“Right.” Yamik responded. “But at best, the Equestria can only support a 44% representation since a full crew complement is 175 officers.” He explained. “For full representation you’d need to go to one of the bigger ships that we have.”

“Fascinating.” Yuris replied.

Yamik nodded, before all of them heard singing coming from the Mess Hall only a few meters away. This confused the Delegation. “What is that sound?” Sable asked.

“That...would be some of our crew spending their lunch breaks having an impromptu Karaoke session. Probably in preparation for tonight.” Yamik explained.

“Karaoke session?” Sable asked. “What is this Karaoke?”

“It’s where a group of people get together and take turns singing vocals to songs.” Yamik replied. “And tonight is the official shipwide Karaoke night. It is a regular thing in our society.” He explained.

“Interesting.” Yuris responded. “It is like our own musical parties.”

“I bet those are fun.” Yamik said.

“They are a ton of fun. Might we go see this impromptu Karaoke Session?” Sable asked.

“I do not see why not, right this way.” Yamik responded as he led them the rest of the way to the Mess Hall. They walked through the doors into the room and saw several officers singing and dancing, some in their seats, some on their feet.

Towards the end of the song, Harmony came through another door into the Mess Hall. She had stopped by her quarters to pick up the three aliens they met the previous day, the E’suom heard the music and singing and smiled. “Ooh. Are they having a musical party in the Mess Hall?” He asked.

“Musical Party?” Harmony asked, while the E’suom rode on Harmony’s back, the Eninac and the Enilef, none of the trio having names still as they very quickly discovered, walked beside Harmony.

“It’s an event on our world where people gather and sing songs, while their pets provide the music.” The Eninac responded.

“Ah. Interesting.” Harmony responded. “Well, around here, we call it an impromptu Karaoke Session...I think. Still learning about that myself.” She admitted, making a mental note to start vigorous research on things she might encounter with the crew.

The Enilef smiled. “Well, Your friends definitely have good voices--” She started before she paused when she saw Ambassador Sable. “Ambassador Sable?” She asked, confused.

Harmony blinked in response. “Do you know Sable?” Harmony asked as she saw Yamik with the delegation.

“Yeah.” The Eninac said. “He’s actually the reason we were in that spaceship to begin with.” He explained.

“Huh?” Harmony asked.

“We’ll let him explain.” The Enilef responded as the four approached Yamik and the Delegates as the other officers decided to do another song.

Yamik was the first to notice their approach. “Ah, JWO CyberSpark, nice of you to rejoin us.” He said. “And I see you brought our other guests from Lamina.” He added.

Sable’s attention was brought to Harmony’s companions, and his smile faltered. “Ah...I see you encountered one of the Animal Pioneer groups we sent to the stars.” He said.

“Animal Pioneer Groups?” Harmony asked.

“Yes.” Sable responded. “Might there be someplace we can have a seat?” He asked.

Yamik gestured towards an empty table, and the group all gathered around and sat at the table. “I think I am starting to see what prompted you to make first contact with us.” Sable commented.

“It...was one of the driving factors.” Yamik responded. “But we do genuinely wish to establish diplomatic relations with you.” He added.

“I understand.” Sable responded. “Might I ask when you encountered these three?” He asked.

“Yesterday, Junior Warrant Officer CyberSpark here actually was the first to encounter them, according to them, their starship crashed on a world in the Neighboring Star System.” Yamik explained.

“Crashed? That’s awful.” Yuris responded, surprised.

“Yeah.” The Enilef responded. “We were shot down by a hostile force on the planet. But thankfully we were rescued by this ship and crew.” She said, smiling at Yamik and Harmony.

“I knew we shoulda armed those things to protect them.” Farmick responded.

“So, care to explain how these three got into space to begin with?” Yamik asked flatly.

“It had to do with the ecological balancing on our world.” Sable responded. “Our Planetary Ecosystem was becoming overwhelmed with the amount of Enilefs, Eninacs, and E’suoms producing offspring, and we do not believe in killing to solve the problem, so, started sending them into space so that they may find a home amongst the stars.” Sable explained.

“Overwhelmed?” The E’suom asked, confused. “What does that mean?”

“I’ll explain later sweetie.” The Enilef responded.

Yamik meanwhile nodded to the three delegates. “That’s definitely one way to solve the problem.” He said. “And is it normal for them to be intelligent?” He asked.

“Yes, all our animals can talk.” Sable responded. “I take it that is new to you?” He asked.

“It is definitely something we have not encountered in our own galaxy.” Yamik responded. “But at the same time, that’s partly why we’re out here. To explore the unknown.” He said

“Were you looking to drop off these three?” Farmick asked. “I could arrange for their safe return back to--”

“We were actually hoping to remain onboard this ship, with her.” The Enilef cut Farmick off as the three huddled around Harmony.

“Yeah. We want to be her pets.” The E’suom said.

Harmony hesitated, remembering she was the one to suggest visiting Lamina after the three aliens asked to be her pets. “Well...” She still wasn’t sure what to say. The Moral and Ethical dilemma was solved since Ambassador Sable and his Aides were backing what the three said, but there was still the problem of her not knowing much about them, and thus wasn’t sure if she COULD take care of them like they needed to be. “I...Still have to think about it.” She said.

Yuris seemed to get what Harmony was saying because he smiled towards her. “If you’d like JWO CyberSpark.” He said. “I happen to be an expert on these three species. So I’d be happy to answer any questions you might have.” He offered.

Harmony considered Yuris’s words, before nodding in agreement. “That would definitely be helpful, thank you.” She said as she started asking questions.

Meanwhile, in her ready room, Proxima paced back and forth while the communication system was ringing. She had put a call out to Ambassador Starscout, but the phone had been ringing for several minutes, meaning she was on hold. “Come on Sunny, We need to talk now.” She said under her breath.

At that moment, the phone stopped ringing and a pony appeared in Proxima’s ready room. “Hello, you’ve reached the office of Ambassador Starscout, Might we know the nature of this call?” The pony asked.

‘Oh great, an operator.’ Proxima cursed inwardly. “Yes, Hi, I need to Speak to Ambassador Starscout, It’s Priority One.” She stated. Knowing full well that Priority one would get her through to Sunny no matter what.

“I apologize, but Ambassador Starscout is indisposed at the moment and cannot take any calls today.” The pony responded.

“What?” Proxima asked, shocked that the pony didn’t immediately patch her through. “This is a Priority One call.” She stated.

“Unfortunately Ambassador Starscout cannot take any calls at this time due to personal reasons. I apologize.” The pony responded. “I can bring a message to her if you would like.”

At this point, Proxima relented, not having the patience to deal with this. “Tell her that Captain Proxima Maxima has to talk to her as soon as possible. Please express the urgency that we talk.” She told the Pony,

“I shall do that. Have a nice day captain.” The pony said before the connection was cut.

After taking a second to compose herself, Proxima decided to put out a different call. “Computer, Patch me through to Admiral Vance. Priority One.” She said.

The phone started ringing again, and after a minute, Admiral Vance appeared in her Ready Room. “Captain Maxima.” Vance acknowledged.

“Admiral Vance sir.” Proxima responded. “I was wondering if there were any updates on locating the T’Palas.” She stated.

“Regretfully, no such update exists.” Vance responded. “Let me guess, they decided to Mind Meld with Sela?” He asked, guessing why Proxima was making the inquiry.

“They have gone beyond that this time sir.” Proxima responded. “This time they tried to force her to assassinate a trio of Visiting Delegates through targeting the subconscious part of the brain.” She explained.

“Visiting Delegates?” Vance asked, surprised.

“I will make a full report on that later sir. But given the severity of the situation that Sela being brainwashed through Mind Melding reveals, I felt it necessary to contact you as soon as possible.” Proxima responded.

“I see.” Vance responded. “And where is Sela now?” He asked.

“In the brig. By her own request we have implemented the policy to transport Sela to the brig at the first sign of her acting strange, which we are to interpret as her parents up to their antics.” Proxima explained.

“A good policy now more than ever it would seem.” Vance responded. “I assume you’ll also be sending in the appropriate documentation to add to the growing case file against them?” He asked.

“I shall have JWO CyberSpark do that as soon as possible sir.” Proxima responded.

“See to it that she does. I shall contact you if an update occurs.” Vance responded. “And I’ll let you know if we have any ideas to block the Mind Meld.” He added.

“I am following a possible lead there sir, I am having a back and forth with Ambassador Starscout about a possible Magical solution.” Proxima said.

“Smart.” Vance responded. “Keep me updated on what comes of that lead.”

“Yes sir.” Proxima said, before bidding farewell to Vance as the connection cut, leaving Proxima alone in her Ready Room, trying not to descend into a rage fit. “I shoulda risked the prison time to off those psychopaths when I had the chance.” She commented before she composed herself and walked out of the Ready Room, intending to find the Delegation. “The sooner those Delegates go home, the better.”

In the brig, Sela sat on the bench while Boimler shut down his HUD. “Well Commander, Besides the Mind Melding Psychopaths currently haunting you, and your medical condition, You’re in top health condition.” He reported.

“There is nothing else that those two can exploit?” Sela asked.

“Not that I can tell.” Boimler responded. “But given what they did already, at this point anything can happen.” He said.

Sela let out a sigh. “All they had to do was forget I ever existed. But instead they did this.” She commented.

“I can only imagine what it musta been like for you growing up.” Boimler said.

“You do not know the half of it, Doctor.” Sela responded. “I am not kidding when I say that The Maximas are the only reason I have made it to this point in my life.” She said. “...Especially The Captain.”

“I remember you saying something about maybe having a crush on the Captain?” Boimler asked.

“I...Do not know what it is.” Sela said. “All my life my parents grilled into me that my emotions were bad and that I had to rid myself of them, but as you know, that is detrimental to my health.” She explained. “And because of that, I have always felt something for Proxima. Something I have never felt for anyone else.” She said. “I just do not know.”

Boimler inwardly grimaced. It was sad seeing a victim of such evil expressing how she had feelings she did not understand where anyone else most likely would understand. “Well, if you would like help. I am also qualified to serve as the ship’s counselor, so I can help you figure these feelings out.” He offered.

Sela was about to respond saying that would be great, but something stopped her, and changed her response to this. “I shall consider it Doctor.” She said.

“You said that the last time this topic came up.” Boimler responded. “I mean it Sela, It will be better for you in the long run to have these feelings sorted out. Trust me.” He said.

Sela did not immediately answer, instead she considered the words carefully. What Boimler was saying made sense, But she was also nervous. “...Let’s wait and see what the Captain can do for a magical block before we talk about this again Doc.” She ultimately decided.

Boimler seemed to understand what Sela implied, and nodded. “Alright.” He said. “See you later Commander.” He said before he left, leaving Sela alone with her thoughts.

Back In the Mess Hall, Harmony had gone with Yuris to the Ambassador’s shuttle so they could access Lamina’s database on the three animals, leaving Yamik with Sable and Farmick, and currently, Sable was enjoying singing and dancing with the Equestria crew and learning about Federation music.

Proxima herself entered the mess hall in the middle of a song, and she stopped when she saw what was going on. ‘Maybe tonight was NOT the best night for Karaoke.’ She thought. They had had similar events in the past, and her policy aboard the ship was that so long as work got done when assigned and that officers remained focused when the situation called for it, there was nothing wrong with the crew having a little fun. She might need to add a caveat to that now. In the meantime, she maneuvered through the Mess Hall to Yamik and Farmick. “Cmdr Yamik.” She called out.

Yamik noticed Proxima approaching. “Captain Maxima.” He acknowledged.

“Captain, nice of you to rejoin us.” Farmick greeted her.

“I take it that things are going smoothly Cmdr Yamik?” Proxima asked.

“Yes Captain.” Cmdr Yamik responded.

“And where’s JWO CyberSpark and Yuris?” Proxima asked, noticing that they were gone.

“They are currently in your shuttlebay accessing the Lamina database, Yuris has been forthcoming in answering Harmony’s questions about the Eninac, Enilef, and their son the E’suom.” Farmick explained.

Captain Maxima nodded in response, letting out a breath she was holding. Thankful that this first Contact was going smoothly now. ‘I hope subsequent first contacts aren’t as stressful.’ She thought as she watched Sable busting a move.

“Computer, create a list of menu options which are composed of the component materials listed.” Harmony told the Equestria’s computer.

“Acknowledged.” The computer responded.

“If it turns out that you do not have any nutritional supplements for the typical food that Eninacs, Enelifs, and E’suoms eat, I’ll have some food sent up to your ship as soon as possible.” Yuris offered. “Ahem, if you end up taking them as pets of course.” He added.

Harmony nodded in response. “That’s kind of you Yuris, you seem to care a lot that our three friends here are well cared for wherever they end up.” She observed. She and Yuris had spent the last several minutes talking about the Eninac, Enilef, and E’suom that seem to have imprinted on Harmony after returning to the Lamina shuttle.

Yuris just shrugged. “I just have the firm belief that every animal deserves a good home, no matter where it is. And if I can ensure their needs are met, I will do just that.” He said.

“Interesting. Do you have any pets?” Harmony asked.

“Quite a few, heh, my wife actually forbade me from taking any more strays in.” Yuris responded with a chuckle. “I admit I may have a problem.”

“That sounds to me like you’re just trying to give these animals a chance.” Harmony replied. “That’s admirable.”

“Thanks.” Yuris responded. “Speaking of, Now that you know more about these cute lil critters, think you can handle taking care of them?” He asked.

“Yeah! Please Harmony?” The E’suom asked. “We promise to be good.” The kid added, giving Harmony puppy dog eyes.

While Yuris couldn’t help but snicker, Harmony took a second to respond. She definitely felt more confident in taking care of them now, it was part of their society to be pets, and it sounded like food was not going to be a problem once they got some samples to study and attempt to replicate, and finally, Captain Maxima had given Harmony permission to take them as pets. It all came down to her final answer. After a second, she smiled. “Alright.” She said. “If you want to live with me aboard this ship, then I’d be happy to have you live with me.” She announced.

The three animals smiled widely and rushed Harmony, the E’suom crawled onto her back, the Eninac jumped up and licked her face excitedly, and the Enilef Nuzzled Harmony’s leg. “Thank you! This is going to be awesome!” The E’suom exclaimed excitedly.

Harmony giggled in response. “Just, bare with me for the first little bit, Never taken care of any pets before.” She told them.

“Good thing we seem to be easy to take care of, considering duological evolution to your Dogs, cats, and mice.” The Enilef responded. “So, what are our names?” She asked.

Harmony’s smile faltered. Dammit she had not thought of any names yet. “Well...” She replied, coming up with an idea. “What do YOU want your names to be?” She asked.

At that, the Eninac laughed. “You’re funny.” He said. “We don’t choose our names, our new owners do.” He explained.

“And Why wouldn’t it be that way? After all, we’re your pets.” The Enilef added.

Harmony could tell that the three were not going to budge. So instead of arguing, she just sighed, thinking of names. “Alright, Let’s see...The Enilef will be named Angela, the Eninac can be Porthos, and The E’suom could be Remy. How does that sound?” She asked.

The newly named trio smiled and nodded. “Sounds great!” Remy responded.

“Those are great names.” Yuris said.

Harmony chuckled. “First names I could think of honestly.” She said.

Remy smiled. “So, is it time for Karaoke night?” He asked, scurrying around like a cute little mouse would.

“We still have a few hours til Karaoke night.” Harmony responded.

“Are you going to sing?” Porthos asked.

“Not sure, I don’t even know if I have a singing voice.” Harmony said.

“Everyone has a singing voice.” Angela responded. “Just gotta find it.” She said.

Porthos and Remy took that as their cue to start playing music from their ears as Angela started to sing.

Everyone in the shuttlebay stopped what they were doing to listen to Angela sing, Harmony meanwhile was able to pick out what was needed to find her singing voice. “I see.” She said after the song concluded. “I just need to look within myself to find my voice.”

“Exactly.” Porthos responded.

Harmony nodded. “Ok...Ya know what? I’m gonna do it. I’ll get up there tonight.” She said.

“Captain’s log supplemental. After a rough start with a certain pair of the ABSOLUTE LOWEST FORMS OF SCUM TO EVER CURSE THE GALAXY WITH THEIR EXISTENCE deciding to use Sela for sinister purposes, I feel that the perfect way to end an otherwise successful first contact with the Laminans is a nice relaxing night of Karaoke in the Mess Hall. As it turns out, some things truly are universal. In other news, we’ve welcomed Angela, Porthos, and Remy onboard as Harmony’s new pets. I have no doubt that this will teach her responsibility, which will only work to make her a better officer in the future.”

Around Dinner time, a very large percentage of the crew was in the Mess Hall watching each other sing their favorite songs. At one Table, the Delegates, and Harmony, along with her three pets, applauded with the rest of the crowd as Proxima finished singing in the latest performance. Proxima bowed and got off the stage to join Harmony and the delegates. “Another splendid performance. You and your crew certainly have some talent.” Sable complimented.

“Yeah. We’re a pretty musical lot when we put our minds to it.” Proxima responded as Ensign Paris hopped onto the stage.

“And that was Captain Maxima everyone. Anyone who says her talent isn’t singing should get a good look at her cutie mark.” Paris said, which the crowd responded with applause After a second, Paris spoke again. “Alright, who’s gonna rock the house next eh?” He asked.

“How about JWO CyberSpark!” Called out Obelisk, to which Harmony blushed.

“Oh...I don’t know...” Harmony responded. She remembered saying she was gonna do it but now she was getting cold hooves.

“Aww come on Harmony. Give it a chance. Wow us with your beautiful voice.” Remy urged her. “We can go up with you to make the music.” He offered.

After some of the crowd urged her to do it. Harmony took a deep breath and found the courage inside to go for it. “Alright, if you say so.” She said. “Uhm, any song recommendations?” She asked.

Proxima thought for a moment, before she whispered a song into Harmony’s ear. Harmony in turn nodded and proceeded up on stage with her pets, to which the crowd applauded. “Ahem, Before I start, I would just like to apologize in advance if my singing is terrible.” She said before hyping herself up. “Remy, Angela, Porthos, hit it.” She said.

The three pets nodded and their ears started blasting music, and Harmony began to sing.

At the end of the song, the crowd cheered and applauded. Harmony wasn’t sure about her singing, but if it sounded like they enjoyed it, it must’ve been good. She glanced at her three pets, who were all smiling back. ‘Crazy how this all started with Angela finding us in a field...’ She thought as she thought highly of the future.

To Be Continued...

Author's Note

Angela, Porthos, and Remy all come from famous names.

Angela from the Talking Tom franchise

Porthos after Captain Archer's Dog in Enterprise

And Remy from Rattituellie (I am sure I butchered the name but I'm sure you get the idea.

Now, onto the episode as a whole. I know some of you will say that this was unprofessional for the crew during first contact. To that I say this.

A: Most of the crew don't interact with visiting dignitaries anyway so it's just another day for most

B: The point is to find common ground, and music is something I truly believe is universal

And C: It can't be all business and no fun, life would be boring otherwise.

With those in mind, this was a fun episode and Let's welcome Harmony's pets into the cast.

THX FOR READING!

P.S. All songs belong to their respective owners.

Episode 13: Nightmarish situations

Sela was walking down the corridors of the USS Equestria, around her, lights were flickering all around her, sparks were flying, and Sela herself was holding a phaser pistol, searching for something. ‘What the hell happened...’ She thought as she made her way onto the bridge.

The turbolift door opened onto the bridge, and she saw much of the same. Sparks flying, screens and lights flickering, and debris everywhere. Upon closer inspection, Sela’s eyes widened when she saw bodies, motionless, lifeless bodies of her fellow senior officers. She was about to check on them when she heard groaning coming from the Captain’s chair. She dashed over to the Captain’s chair, and what she found scared her to her core. Proxima was in her captain’s chair, with her horn cracked, wings in disarray, and her legs were bending where they shouldn’t be bending.

“Proxi!” Sela exclaimed as she shot straight up in her bed, panting like she had just experienced something traumatic. She looked around with a look of horror. “Computer lights!” She ordered.

Lights came on and she saw that she was in her quarters, with nothing out of the ordinary. After taking a second to process what happened, Sela calmed down. “Another dream…no, a nightmare.” She said idly as she hugged herself. For the past two weeks, she had been having recurring nightmares. All of them were set in the same environment, the Equestria in tatters and the crew mostly dead. “What's happening to me…?” She asked, like a frightened little girl, she was shaking.

“Nightmare again Commander?” Sela suddenly heard Harmony ask, making Sela jump.

“Harmony?!” Sela asked, still jumpy.

“Sorry Commander. I didn't mean to startle you.” Harmony responded. “Unless I’m mistaken, that was the 13th Nightmare in a two week period.” She stated.

Sela groaned as she laid back in bed. “It was.” She admitted.

“I’m not an expert, but I’m pretty sure near daily nightmares aren’t good.” Harmony commented.

“No, they are not.” Sela responded.

“Perhaps it’s time you told Doctor Boimler, or perhaps Captain Maxima.” Harmony suggested.

“I am not sure Proxima would be able to help...” Sela replied, though admittedly not confident with that statement.

“Well, you really should try something.” Harmony replied. “Sleep Deprivation isn’t good from what I’ve read on the Federation Database.”

“I am aware.” Sela said. “But I just do not know how to make them stop. Ever since the incident during the Laminan First Contact, I keep having the same nightmare over and over again.” She explained.

“Might I ask what the nightmare was specifically?” Harmony asked.

“I...Do not want to get into it right now.” Sela replied.

“Think a Lullaby would help you fall back to sleep?” Harmony asked.

Sela was about to say that was ridiculous...but after some thought, she decided to answer differently. “Might as well play one Harmony.” She responded, figuring it wouldn’t hurt.

“Aye Commander.” Harmony responded before playing a soothing lullaby in Sela’s quarters.

As it turned out, it was the right call, whereas before, Sela did not believe she could go back to sleep when she woke up with a start. Within two minutes, she drifted back to sleep.

“Personal Log Stardate 32120718.0830. Ever since I began being mind meld tormented by my former legal guardians, I have increasingly struggled to maintain my composure while on duty, with the latest revelation of them being able to target my subconscious, I fear that I may not have a future in Starfleet, or a future at all. I had believed myself to be rid of them when I reached the age of ascension, but as Captain Maxima and Doctor Boimler pointed out, people like them never go away unless the law steps in and convicts them, with any luck, they will not be able to sweep it under the rug this time, like every time before...”

In the morning, Sela was walking through the still fully operational USS Equestria, Heading to her first duty of the day in checking on Teletran and the Pod he constantly studied. Her thoughts however were firmly on the string of nightmares she had had the last two weeks, being more alert and awake to actually process them. ‘The same Nightmare every night...that cannot mean anything good...And I have yet to become numb to it...’ The mere thought inwardly terrified her, she feared that the nightmare was actually foreshadowing the future.

She didn’t have much time to think about it when she turned the corner and ran into a Trill engineering ensign. The two crashed into each other and both stumbled back. “Oof. Hey! Watch where—“ The Ensign started before she saw who bumped into her and her attitude changed. “Commander Sela. Uh, apologies.” She apologized.

“No. It was my fault, I was not watching where I was going Ensign.” Sela responded. “You ok?” She asked.

“Yes. You?” The ensign asked.

“I...Am fine.” Sela hesitated. While the crew had been informed about the new security policy of beaming Sela to the brig at the first sign of acting strange, they were still kept in the dark about the finer details. A decision Sela herself was now questioning. “...As you were Ensign.” She said before she walked off, as did the ensign.

In a smaller lab which housed Proxima’s pod, Teletran was plugged into an interface port on the craft, still attempting to rip its flight plan from its logs. “Come on you piece of junk, just give up that flight plan already so we can confirm once and for all that Maxima is--” He stopped when the door opened and he saw Cmdr Sela walk in. “Ah. Good Morning Commander Sela.” He said.

“Good morning Teletran.” Sela responded. “Any luck with this pod?” She asked.

“Nada.” Teletran responded. “I’ve been hacking away at this thing since we started this voyage, and so far all I’ve managed to do is confirm that this thing does NOT give up info so easily. Seriously I am starting to wonder what ELSE is stored in this thing if there’s this much encryption on it.”

“Keep trying Teletran.” Sela responded.

“I will not stop until this thing gives it all up.” Teletran responded. “No matter what it takes, or how long.”

Sela nodded, before they heard a paging. “Cmdr Sela, report to the Captain’s Ready Room.” The computer said.

“Acknowledged.” Sela replied. “Report in when you have something.” She told Teletran.

“Aye Cmdr.” Teletran responded as Sela left.

In Proxima’s ready room, she was standing there with the President of Nivar himself when Sela eventually walked in. “You wanted to see me Cap--” She paused when she saw the Nivar President standing there. “Mr President?!” She asked, surprised and confused.

The President nodded in response. “Indeed. You are commander Sela?” He asked.

“Y-Yes sir.” Sela responded, glancing to Proxima for an explanation.

“President Serak here is Nivar’s Premiere Expert on Mind Melds.” Proxima explained. “As it turns out, he has been talking to Admiral Vance and Ambassador Starscout and Alphabittle.” Proxima explained.

“Indeed I have.” Serak responded. “I have been informed of the details of your conflict with your parents Cmdr.” He said. “And I assure you I will help however I can.”

Sela’s blood ran cold. The president of Nivar knew about the situation. She cleared her throat. “P-Please accept my apologies for you needing to be brought into this sir.” She responded on autopilot at the moment.

“No need to apologize Sela.” Serak responded. “A Mind Meld is a sacred and intimate process. To use it in such a heinous and despicable manner as your parents have is sickening and I intend to see them brought to justice.” He said

All Sela could do was nod. Wondering just how much Serak knew while the President continued. “So, based on what I have been told, you are looking for a way to block Sela’s mind from her parents. Correct?” He asked.

“Yes sir.” Proxima responded. “We have come to the conclusion that magic might be the only way to do such.” She explained.

“That is an accurate assessment, captain.” Serak responded. “There is no medical or physical way to stop a mind meld. I am working with Alphabittle to find a solution. However, I wished to contact you to advise you on the potential consequences of blocking a mind meld.” He said.

“What consequences might you be referring to sir?” Sela asked.

“I shall begin with the most obvious consequence, Sela losing the ability to mind meld at all.” Serak responded, to which Sela and Proxima shared glances with each other. “As you both probably know, the ability to mind meld is an integral part of Vulcan Physiology, and I do hope you can see how it might be useful during your current mission. If something was done to disrupt this ability, it could be disrupted permanently.” He warned. “Other consequences include what humans refer to as Alzheimer’s, Retrograde Amnesia...” He went on explaining several different side-effects. Sela and Proxima continually glanced at each other, Sela could tell that Proxima was thinking the same thing. ‘Serak called to make sure we knew what we were getting into and make sure we knew what the risks were.’

“Of course, those are only potential consequences, and of course it is entirely possible that if any of these were to come to fruition, it would only be for as long as the block remains in place.” Serak said. “But I felt it necessary to contact you with this warning. I would hate for you to regret your decision later on.” He said.

“We appreciate the concern Mr President.” Proxima responded. “Rest assured we will consider all the risks.”

“I am glad to hear it.” Serak responded. “In that case, I bid you good luck. And Sela, do not worry, I have assigned a Nivar Intelligence taskforce to assist in bringing your parents to justice. They WILL be found.” He assured Sela.

“I appreciate it sir.” Sela responded as the connection was cut and Serak disappeared, leaving Sela and Proxima alone.

Silence, silence filled the room as Sela and Proxima processed what just happened. “So...That happened.” Proxima commented.

“Indeed it did.” Sela replied, still reeling. She would be the first to admit that she did not Mind Meld all that often so the ability was pretty much wasted on her, but she also agreed with the president that it was better to have it and not use it then to need it and not have it. Her thoughts however drifted back to her parents and she questioned how much longer she could deal with their torment.

For Proxima, She was the only magic user on the ship, thus it would fall to her to place the block on Sela. And while she would do it if her best friend asked her to, it now dawned on her what she could potentially take away from her first officer if they went through with it. And that was assuming it was even possible. “Sela.” She finally said. “Serak is right, we need to be absolutely sure about it, YOU need to be sure.” She told her.

“Yes Captain.” Sela responded. “It admittedly never occurred to me that there were risks to our plan. I am grateful that Serak called to warn us.” She said.

“You need to consider everything.” Proxima said. “You need to ask yourself if you’re willing to risk losing part of yourself.”

“Captain, I have come to terms with the knowledge that I will never be a normal Vulcan by the standards of my people. So to me, it is more a matter of how useful mind melding is to our mission.” Sela responded. “We simply do not know what might come in the future.”

“Agreed.” Proxima responded.

“I shall ensure I am making the best choice, but I would like to know. Would you go through with it if I asked?” Sela asked.

“If you ask me to implement the block, I shall do so.” Proxima responded. “We both know your history with unscrupulous individuals. And I would not ask you to endure them when you don’t need to.” She said.

Sela nodded. “I am truly blessed to call you my friend Captain.” Sela responded, before sighing. “There...Is something that you should know.” She said.

“What’s that Number One?” Proxima asked.

“For the last two weeks, I have been having recurring Nightmares, in every case, it is the same, I find myself in the wreckage of the Equestria and surrounded by the corpses of our crew.” Sela responded. “And every time it would end with me finding you...” She trailed off, not wanting to finish the sentence.

Proxima seemed to get the message. “You’ve been having this nightmare for two weeks? Why did you not say anything before?” She asked.

“Because it could have ended up being nothing. But, after two weeks, I am no longer confident in that assessment.” Sela responded. “I am not sure if it is a result of my parents or maybe some vision of the future, but in either case, I fear these nightmares might have overarching effects on us all, especially given my parents’ ability to attack my subconscious.” She stated.

“Which is why you felt the need to inform me of it.” Proxima concluded. “Have you told Doctor Boimler yet?” She asked.

“I was planning on visiting him in the medbay before you called.” Sela responded.

“Let him know about this Cmdr.” Proxima said.

“I shall do that captain.” Sela responded.

“Dismissed.” Proxima said. Sela nodded and left. Once she was alone, Proxima facehooved on her desk and let out an exasperated groan. She had zero doubt that Sela’s parents were responsible for causing her nightmares. She remembered a conversation she had with Boimler once they knew that Sela’s parents were going to be a problem. “Sela has spent 18 years under their thrall. She’s endured 18 years of torment. She’s made progress towards healing from it but with them back in the picture, that progress will start to be undone. She’s going to need help to fight this war against them. And we need to be there when she needs us.” She agreed with the doctor wholeheartedly. But she wished that there was more they could do. As it stood, all they could do was keep Sela from doing any damage, and keep monitoring her vitals. “Too bad we aren’t on Equis right now, nightmares wouldn’t be a problem for her there...” She commented, before her eyes widened in realization. “Dream Crystals!” She exclaimed, an idea coming to her. She pressed a button and a trunk appeared in the Ready Room. She opened it and started rummaging through its contents. “Come on, I know I brought it...Aha!” She pulled out a small diamond shaped crystal with a whole for her horn. “Just need to reset and make a necklace out of this thing and Sela can kiss her nightmares goodbye.” She said excitedly as she put the trunk away and called up her HUD, accessing the Federation Database.

Meanwhile, Sela walked down the corridors of the Equestria to the Medbay, her mind reeling from what had just happened, and she was going through all her options. ‘I could go through with it, have a block on my mind, but lose the ability to mind meld, which might come in handy later on in our mission. Or I could not go through with it, but then have to suffer through my parents’ torment for Surak knows how much longer until they are caught.’

“Which will be never. We are hidden somewhere no one will ever find us.” Sela suddenly heard her father say in her mind. She stopped and her breathing quickened. “Why the hell can you not just leave me alone.” She whispered, almost pleadingly.

“Because Sela. We will not have such a blemish like you in our family, we will mold you into our vision for a perfect daughter. And no one will get in the way.” Her mother said.

Sela wanted to fire back with the possibility of outright disownment, which would remove her from their family. But she had a feeling that that would just incite further torment. “Just leave everyone else out of this. They do not need to be involved.” She whispered again.

“You already got them involved when you ratted us out.” Her father responded. “You should have stayed quiet.”

Sela took a deep breath, before she just started walking again. Refusing to respond to a line that her parents had used on her every time they managed to weasel out of any investigation brought forth by her telling those around her what was going on, and the punishment she would receive right after. She braced herself for something to happen, just like it always did. ‘I must resist...for everyone’s sake.’

Much to her surprise, nothing happened. She just kept walking, and she saw nothing out of the ordinary. She let out a small smile as she let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. ‘They will be back.’ It was an inevitability that her parents would come knocking again, but for the moment, she would take solace that for once, they broke tradition.

She didn’t get too much farther when she heard a group of officers bickering. “Go on. You ask her.”

“Why not any of you?”

“You were last for the nosey thing. Come on, it's not even that bad. Just ask.”

“Alright Alright. Jeez guys.”

Sela couldn’t help but wonder what she was about to be asked, but she had a feeling it was something dumb given the interactions. “Commander Sela sir.” She heard someone say. She turned and saw the Engineering ensign she bumped into earlier, and a trio of other officers hanging back.

“Ensign Freedough.” Sela acknowledged. “Was there something you wished to ask me?” She asked.

“Well, we were wondering if, during the next Energon resupply mission, we could use one of the Equestria’s phaser arrays to carve the ship’s name and registry into an asteroid.” Ensign Freedough asked.

Of all the things she could’ve possibly been asked. Sela genuinely didn’t see that one coming. “Might I ask why you want to do this?” She asked.

“Well, mining operations are typically straightforward and mundane. A lot of the crew end up with time on their hands. We felt it could be fun to leave a mark for someone else to find. Like a little nod that we were there.” Ensign Freedough explained. “A morale thing of sorts.”

“I see.” Sela responded, admittedly not sure how to answer that. “I...will consider it.” She said. She figured it was a harmless endeavor, but she was going to bring it up with the captain beforehand.

Ensign Freedough nodded. “Alright sir. Thank you for your time.” She said as Sela left.

Freedough’s three friends came up beside her and one of them smiled. “I didn’t hear a no. Did you?” She asked.

“It wasn’t a yes or a no.” Another remarked.

“Still. That’s better than a straight no.” The third said. “Now come on, let’s go design the carving.” They said.

“Yeah!” The four of them said as they went back to their duties.

To Be Continued...

Author's Note

Not really that much to say about this one. Sela's parents continue to be assholes. Proxima might have a way to deal with Sela's Nightmares, and now the President of Nivar is involved.

THX FOR READING!

Episode 14: Case of the Phantom

Last time on Star trek Equestria Reformatted:

“For the last two weeks I have been having Recurring Nightmares.”

“Proxi!”

“There is no Medical or Physical way to stop a mind meld.”

“Serak has been talking to Admiral Vance and Ambassador Starscout and Alphabittle.”

“A Mind Meld is an integral part of Vulcan Physiology. Anything done to disrupt it could disrupt it permanently.”

“Dream Crystals. That’s it.”

“You should have stayed Quiet.”

And now the continuation

The USS Equestria, under cloak, was warping through the void, onboard, the day shift was getting ready for bed, and Proxima and Sela were in Sela’s quarters, Proxima holding up a necklace to her. “I spent all day getting this ready but with any luck you won’t have any more nightmares with this.” Proxima explained.

Sela just looked at the crystal. She recognized it as a Dream Crystal, but she was still skeptical. “Captain, I have accepted long ago that magic exists, but I remain unconvinced that this crystal can protect me from nightmares.” She said.

“Trust me Sela, everything I’ve read about this doesn’t say anything about it only working for ponies. So logically, there’s at least a 50/50 chance of it working for you.” Proxima responded.

“If I can interject captain, what exactly IS a dream crystal?” Harmony asked.

“Long ago, there was a guardian of the dream realm on Equis. Princess Luna.” Proxima responded. “She used to protect those in her domain from nightmares, before she ascended to a higher plane of existence. Right before she did though, she used her magic to create a metric crapload of these Dream Crystals, enough that eventually the ponies that came after her managed to replicate them exactly. Luna may not be around anymore but she wasn’t going to leave her subjects hanging.” Proxima explained.

“Intriguing.” Harmony responded. “And you believe this crystal will work for Sela?”

“There’s only one way to find out.” Proxima replied, returning her attention to Sela. “What do you say Seles? Wanna give it a shot?” She asked.

Sela looked between the Crystal and the Captain, she did want the nightmares to end…but she was hesitant to rely on magic to do so. ‘Why the hell are you hesitating? You’re already going to accept a magical solution to your parents’ illogical and irrational behavior assuming one exists. How is this any different?’ Her mind told her.

“Because deep down, you know magic is a farce. Just like your condition.” Her father’s voice told her.

Whether it was just to spite her parents or not, Her father’s response to her thoughts pushed Sela to a decision. “It cannot hurt to try, I suppose.” Sela responded to Proxima.

Proxima nodded and used her magic to put the necklace on Sela, securing the chain around Sela’s neck. Once the crystal touched Sela, it glowed brightly for a few seconds, and then dimmed. Proxima smiled. “There we go. Now it’s bonded to you and will only work for you until it’s reset manually.” She said.

Sela nodded. “Thank you Captain. You know you did not need to do this.” She said.

“This thing was just sitting in my trunk not getting used anyway. It helped me when I had a nightmare, and now it’ll help you.” Proxima responded with a smile. “Given everything else going on, you shouldn’t also need to fear going to sleep either.” She said.

“If only my parents had the capacity for logic that you do Proxi.” Sela said.

“It really makes me want to look into your family tree and see just how the hell they came to such illogical mindsets.” Proxima commented. “But, anyway, with any luck you won’t have any nightmares tonight.” She said.

“Let us hope so. Thank you Proxima.” Sela responded.

After bidding each other good night, Proxima left Sela’s quarters. As soon as the door closed with her out in the corridor. Proxima spoke again. “Harmony, watch her tonight, make sure nothing goes wrong.” She said.

“Aye captain.” Harmony responded. Within Sela’s quarters, Harmony positioned the security camera, which she used to see inside the ship while not in her holographic avatar, right at Sela. Proxima meanwhile headed back to her Quarters, praying that Sela would not have any nightmares.

Later in the night, Sela found herself in the same place. The Equestria in tatters. Her phaser pistol was drawn as she walked through the corridors. She reached the turbolift that usually took her to the bridge, but when she opened it, instead of the lift, she looked through the door to see something she hadn’t been expecting. Starfleet Academy’s courtyard on a bright and sunny day. Confused as all hell, Sela cautiously walked through and stepped foot into the courtyard. “Curious.” She commented as she holstered her phaser.

“Hello there Sela.” Sela heard a familiar voice. She turned and saw her best friend smiling at her.

“Proxima?” Sela asked.

Proxima chuckled and shook her head. “Nah, I’m not her. I am a manifestation of her I pulled from your memories of her and have chosen this form to watch over you in your dreams.” She explained.

Sela listened to the being’s words, and when she mentioned watching over dreams, she put the pieces together. “The Dream Crystal.” She concluded. By golly it was actually working.

“Indeed.” The Being responded. “I was created by Princess Luna at the very end of her time in your plane of existence. In order to keep all who dream safe from the evils of Nightmares. I have the power to turn those Nightmares into dreams.” It explained.

Sela nodded, letting a smile overtake her. “Thank you. I greatly appreciate the assistance.” She said.

“Now, you can call me Proxi for ease of conversation.” Proxi said. “As per my activation protocol, I went through your memories.” She explained. “And I must say that your parents are total Aholes.” She commented.

That made Sela laugh. “Heheh. Indeed. It is honestly a miracle I have reached this point in my life.” Sela said.

“You hold the Maximas to a high regard. Don’t you.” Proxi observed.

“Indeed I do.” Sela responded fondly. “They are the family I wish my own parents were.” She said.

Back in the waking world, Harmony watched as Sela slept. At first she saw a frown and a scrunched face, but just as Harmony was about to try to wake Sela up, she saw the expression change to a relaxed smile, with the Dream Crystal dimly lit, like a nightlight. Seeing that the Dream Crystal was working, Harmony let her guard down and decided to get some shut eye herself.

The Next Morning, one of the Ensigns from yesterday arrived at the quarters of his friend. “Marin, you awake?” He asked as he rang the bell. After not getting a response, the Ensign opened the door on his own, and what he found shocked him. Marin’s quarters were a wreck and he found his friend lying on the floor, bruised and battered. “Marin!” He exclaimed as he rushed over and checked his friend for a pulse. “Ensign Becker to Medbay. Medical Emergency! Deck 8!” He exclaimed into his combadge.

“So, what happened Ensign Becker?” Asked Yamik, who stood with Becker in Marin’s quarters. He and Boimler arrived to find what Becker had found and Yamik immediately started asking questions while Boimler checked on Marin.

“I came here to check if Ensign Marin was up and ready for duty, as he tends to sleep in sometimes.” Becker responded. “I didn’t get an answer so I opened the door, and found the place in shambles and Marin unconscious.” He explained.

“And there weren’t any signs that someone was here before you?” Yamik asked.

“Obviously it had to be someone before me. Because I highly doubt Marin would do this to himself.” Becker responded, in a panicked and exasperated tone.

“Calm down Becker.” Yamik responded. “We’ll get to the bottom of this.” He said. “That’s all Ensign, to your station.”

“Aye sir.” Becker responded as he left.

With him gone, Yamik turned to Boimler. “What’s the verdict Doc?” He asked.

“Expected to make a full recovery, but I still need to take him back to the Medbay for further treatment. He’s got a broken foot and a broken hand.” Boimler reported as he tapped his combadge and Marin was transported to the Medbay. “I don’t suppose you have any theories on what the hell happened?” He asked.

“It’s a standard assault scene. Probably an ambush. The question is, WHO could’ve done it?” Yamik replied. “And so far there aren’t any suspects.”

“We can narrow it down a little.” Called a security officer, who came out of Marin’s bedroom with his HUD online. “Watch this Cmdr.” He said as he showed Yamik the security footage.

Yamik and Boimler watched as they saw a figure in a cloak enter Marin’s quarters, go straight to his bedroom, and then heard screaming before Marin was thrown into the main part of the quarters, the rest was just what Yamik expected had happened. “Could you Identify who this cloaked figure is?” He asked his security officer.

“Computer couldn’t come up with a positive ID match. No identifying features to speak of.” The officer responded. “It could literally be anyone.”

“Actually, we could narrow it down a bit. It’s clearly none of the Cybertronians, or the captain. Otherwise their distinct features would stick out like a sore thumb.” Boimler commented.

“Good point Doc, but that still leaves at least 173 people that coulda done this.” Yamik responded.

“Orders sir?” The officer asked Yamik.

“Star combing the ship for a cloaked figure.” Yamik responded. “Also post a guard at Medbay. Whoever did this could want to finish the job.” He reasoned.

“Aye sir.” The officer responded before leaving.

With the officer gone, Yamik glanced up. “JWO CyberSpark, anything you care to tell us that might help?” He asked.

“No Cmdr.” Harmony responded. “I did not see anything before I went to sleep last night.”

“Sleep?” Yamik asked. “I thought Cybertronians didn’t require sleep?”

“They do actually.” Boimler responded. “Sure they can go longer without sleep, but they still need it.” He explained.

“...Fair enough.” Yamik responded with a shrug. “Well, if you could maybe keep an eye out Harmony that would be great.”

“Aye sir.” Harmony responded.

Yamik nodded and turned his attention back to Boimler. “Let me know when Marin wakes up. I have a few questions to ask him.” He said.

“Of course.” Boimler responded as the two of them left Marin’s Quarters.

“Now, how to break it to the captain that there’s a mysterious cloaked figure onboard...” Yamik mused as he headed to the bridge.

Meanwhile, Sela stepped onto the bridge, ready to start her day. Norman was the first to notice her and nodded towards her. “Good morning Cmdr.” He said.

“Good morning Cmdr Norman.” Sela responded, in a peppier tone than usual. Something that made Norman do a Double take.

“Sounds like you had a good night.” Proxima, who was already there, observed.

“I did Captain.” Sela responded as she took her seat next to the Captain. “Your dream crystal did the trick.” She elaborated.

Proxima smiled widely at that. “That’s good to hear.” She said. ‘YES!’ Proxima inwardly did a little happy dance. ‘GOD that is the best way to start the day. Solving a problem.’ She thought.

At that moment, Yamik came onto the bridge and approached Proxima and Sela. “Captain, Cmdr, There’s something we need to talk about.” He said. “It’s urgent.” He added.

“What is it Cmdr Yamik?” Sela asked.

“We have a mysterious cloaked figure attacking Starfleet officers onboard.” Yamik announced.

There were different reactions to that. Most of the officers stopped what they were doing and stared at Yamik in shock, Sela raised an eyebrow in confusion, and Proxima’s smile faded. “A mysterious cloaked figure is loose on this ship?” Prestine asked.

“Indeed.” Yamik responded. “Last night it attacked Ensign Marin. He’s in the medbay now, but unconscious.” He reported. “We couldn’t get a positive ID from the security feed and Harmony didn’t see anything suspicious.” He said.

“Do you have any guesses Cmdr?” Proxima asked.

“Right now captain, the only ones on this ship NOT in the realm of suspicion are you, me, and our four Cybertronian friends.” Yamik responded. “That still leaves 173 officers though.” He said.

“Do you have a plan of action?” Sela asked.

“I have someone reviewing the ship's security feeds. Once that’s done we’ll begin questioning the crew.” Yamik responded.

“Nip this in the bud as quickly as you can Cmdr Yamik.” Proxima replied, clearly annoyed that one problem followed another.

“Aye sir.” Yamik responded.

While Yamik left, Paris shook his head. “Never a dull moment around here eh?” He asked.

“It would seem so Mr Paris.” Sela responded.

“Chief Medical Officer’s log supplemental. Ensign Marin’s wounds thankfully were not life threatening and he is expected to make a quick recovery. But the very nature of his experience has me concerned. If there is a mysterious figure onboard attacking officers, then we are at serious risk of finally losing someone out here. We have been lucky thus far that we have been able to save everyone we’ve treated, but we all know the day will come when that will change. For now though, everyone that came out here is still here.”

Later on, in the Medbay, Becker flashed into existence by teleporting from his station. “You called for me sir?” He asked Boimler.

“Yes Ensign. Marin’s awake.” Boimler responded. Gesturing to a Biobed with Ensign Marin laying there. “He asked for you when he woke up.” He said.

Becker noticed Marin laying there, and nodded towards Boimler. “Thank you sir.” He said.

“Try not to push him, He’s still recovering.” Boimler said as he left.

With Boimler gone, Becker went straight to Marin’s bed. “Marin, thank the stars you’re alright.” He said, concern on his face.

“H-Hey Becker” Marin responded in a raspy voice. “And here I thought a Terrorcon would put me in here.” He joked, chuckling.

Becker couldn’t help but chuckle as he took Marin’s hand. “Just like you to joke about this.” He said. “Did you see who did this to you?” He asked.

“They were wearing a mask. So I couldn’t see their face.” Marin admitted. “However, I did catch that it was a woman.” He said.

“A woman you say?” They both heard Yamik ask. Beccker turned to see that Yamik had arrived. Becker and Marin assumed that Boimler had called him as well.

As Yamik approached the bed, Marin nodded. “Yes Cmdr. I think it was a woman. They had the average build of a woman.” He said.

Yamik nodded. Marin’s report cut the list of suspects in half, since half the crew was female. “Can you remember anything else?” He asked.

“No Cmdr, I’m sorry, they were wearing a mask so I didn’t see their face, and there were no identifying features exposed except what I already said.” Marin responded.

“It is better than nothing to go off of. Thank you Ensign Marin.” Yamik replied. “Here’s hoping you have a speedy recovery.” He said.

“Thanks Cmdr Yamik.” Marin responded.

As Yamik left, Becker turned back to Marin. “When did the doc say you were cleared to leave?” He asked.

“I should be good by the end of the day.” Marin responded. “Late date night tonight?
He asked.

Becker couldn’t help but laugh and pecked Marin’s forehead with his lips. “I’ll come back after my shift. Then we’ll go to my quarters for some us time. Love you Marin.” He said.

“Love ya too dude.” Marin responded to his boyfriend. After a gentle hand squeeze, Becker left to return to his duties, leaving Marin alone.

Later that night, Marin and Becker did indeed have a late date night. With controllers in their hands and playing a game on a viewscreen. “Oh, I’m gonna getcha this time.” Marin said.

“Ha. Dream on. I’m too fast for you.” Becker responded with determination.

After a few minutes, they both heard the doorbell ring...something that confused them. “Who could be calling at this hour?” Marin asked.

“I don’t know.” Becker responded before he got up and went to the door. The door opened to see a cloaked figure in a mask. Something that scared the ever living crap out of Becker. “WHAT THE?!” He exclaimed.

Before Becker could react any further, the cloaked figure grabbed him and pushed him with such force that he fell back several feet.

Marin saw the cloaked figure and scrambled to his feet before tapping his combadge. “Security alert! Deck 4! It’s the cloaked figure from last night!” He exclaimed.

The cloaked figure had moved on Becker, intending to harm him, before they all heard someone approach. “Freeze!” Ordered a security officer, who had teleported from security to the disturbance. The cloaked figure froze and looked behind them to see the officer had pointed a phased pistol at them.

The officer was about to pull the trigger to stun the figure, before the figure vanished in a teleport, leaving the three officers in a state of confusion. Becker scrambled to his feet, looking around. “Marin was that the same cloaked figure that attacked you?” He asked.

“It was.” Marin responded.

“You two ok?” The security officer asked.

“Thanks to you we are.” Marin replied. The three of them were sharing a look, all thinking the same thing. Next time they needed to catch them.

“Security Chief’s log, Stardate 32120719.0830. The cloaked figure struck again. This time no one was harmed but that was only through the intervention of security. I’ve ordered round the clock patrols to find where that figure is but without a solid ID, or any other info, there’s not much we can do.”

“They wear a mask to beat facial recognition, there are no other identifying features except that the perpetrator is female. I just don’t know what else we can really do except patrols and hoping we manage to get them the next time they strike Captain.” Reported Yamik.

Proxima sighed. She and Yamik were in her ready room, Yamik informing her about the incident the previous night. “Any guesses on WHY this is happening?” She asked.

“Your guess is as good as mine, captain.” Yamik responded. “The cloaked figure has not uttered a word. And I don’t think they’ll ever do that.” He said. “I’m afraid we’ve hit a roadblock in this case.”

Proxima groaned. “If only there was something we could do to catch them before they escape.” She mused.

“Captain, Cmdr Yamik, if you’ll give me the authority, I believe I might be able to catch our culprit.” Harmony interjected.

“What did you have in mind JWO Cyberspark?” Yamik asked.

“I have been playing around with my avatar in my off time, and I discovered that I could project multiple Avatars at once. If you’ll allow me, I can be in every area of the Equestria at once using the Equestria’s holo emitters. Should the figure appear again tonight, I can, at the very minimum, try to learn their identity.” Harmony suggested.

“You can do that?” Proxima asked.

In response, a trio of Harmonys appeared in the Ready Room, the middle one smiling. “Yes captain. I can.” She said. “I can also make different appearances for these avatars.” Harmony added as the two next to her changed appearance.

Yamik and Proxima glanced at each other, not sure what to make of this. Yamik however also understood the value of such an ability. “That might be our best chance captain.” He seconded Harmony’s recommendation.

“Agreed. Harmony, we’re a go for your suggestion. Your job is to learn who this cloaked figure is. Bonus points if you catch them.” Proxima told Harmony.

“Aye captain.” Harmony responded.

“Dismissed.”

Harmony nodded and left. With her gone, Yamik turned to Proxima. “She can now duplicate her avatar.” He commented.

“She’s certainly learning.” Proxima commented. “If she can duplicate her avatar, it’s entirely possible that once she graduates Starfleet academy, she wouldn’t need a crew at all. Only a captain and First Officer.”

“I wonder how Starfleet would react to that.” Yamik mused. “Though I can’t help but wonder if we’re giving her too much freedom to explore her capabilities.”

“Meaning?” Proxima asked.

“Captain, we both know full well the Federation’s history with AI. As much as I absolutely HATE to admit it…the T’Palas are correct that good AI in Starfleet is the exception, not the rule.” Yamik explained. “That’s not to say I don’t trust Harmony, I do. But this latest incident has engaged my paranoia somewhat.” He said.

Proxima nodded. “Yes. We are taking a risk with Harmony. If she wanted to she could probably kill all of us quite easily. But, fortunately for all of us, she’s been a Starfleet vessel all her life. We were with her when she emerged. So that decreases the odds of her turning on us.” She countered.

“And that incident with Blitzwing?” Yamik asked.

“That was back when she was still trying to process what had happened. Not sure but I think she hasn’t so much as talked to him since.” Proxima responded. “Ahem, the point is, I believe that we don’t need to worry about her.” She said.

“I hope you’re right captain.” Yamik responded.

Meanwhile, in the mess hall, Cliff and Blitz were sitting at a table with Obelisk. “Alright. Here’s another one.” Blitz said. “I was on the planet Cybertron, working security for the Cybertronian war memorial in Iacon.”

“The capital of Cybertron?” Obelisk asked.

“The very one.” Cliff said. “It also served as autobot headquarters during the war.”

“And as much as it pains me to say it, you bots did a good job defending it.” Blitz responded. “Anyway. Security at the memorial. So, I catch this joker bot spraying graffiti everywhere, and I thought that it would just be a simple prankster being stopped. Turns out, it was a prelude to an insurrection by “Neo-Decepticons”.” Blitzwing said.

“Neo-Decepticons?” Obelisk asked.

“Basically a bunch of youngsters that think it’s funny to try to resurrect the Decepticons. Seriously, during their trial they said it was just a prank.” Cliff explained.

“No one found it funny I imagine?” Obelisk asked.

“Long story short, they all got life sentences. Cybertron has been working hard to put its past behind us, and there’s not a whole lot of tolerance for bots making a joke out of the cons.” Blitz replied. “Although I will admit…they did a good job revamping the Decepticon symbol.” He admitted. Glancing down at his chest plate to find his own Decepticon Symbol.

At that, Obelisk raised an eyebrow. “If it’s trying to put its past behind it, why do you guys still have your respective faction insignias?” He asked.

“It’s more sentimental than anything else. Remembering the times we had with our comrades.” Cliff replied.

“Yeah. No matter what side you were on, bonds of friendship and comradery were forged during the war.” Blitz added. “…Especially Nemesis…”

“Who’s Nemesis?” Obelisk asked.

“Flagship of the Decepticons, a Titan like Harmony, and Blitzwing’s old Sparkmate.” Cliff responded.

“Sparkmate?” Obelisk asked.

“The closest comparison in your culture seems to be a soulmate, a lover.” Blitzwing responded.

Obelisk blinked. “Wait, wait you mean you and a Titan were…” He asked.

“Yes.” Blitz responded. “I was a part of her crew all throughout the war, kept her flying through anything thrown at her, and it just kinda happened that we fell for each other.” He explained.

“So…does that mean you’re a City Speaker too?” Obelisk asked.

“Nah. Titans can communicate with anyone without a City Speaker. The job of a City Speaker is more to ensure a Titan stays on track if they’re doing something.” Blitz explained.

“Well it’s nice to know that the Captain will keep me focused if needed.” Harmony chimed in as she approached the table.

“Hey there Harmony.” Obelisk said. “How’s it going?”

“Well aside from the fact we have a mysterious cloaked figure running around, it’s going good. I should let you know. Tonight, I’m gonna spend the night watching over the crew in their sleep in an attempt to catch this figure.” Harmony told the three.

“How are you going to do that?” Obelisk asked.

“I’m glad you asked.” Responded one of Harmony’s Avatar clones, who appeared beside Obelisk.

Obelisk jumped out of his chair in surprise, and looked between the new pony and Harmony. “What the? Harmony?” He asked.

“It’s my avatar clone.” Harmony responded.

“Yeah. I learned that I can project my avatar in multiple instances. So I’ll be using that tonight to project myself in every section of this ship.” Harmony 2 explained.

“Wow.” Cliff responded. “That’s kinda impressive.”

“Especially at your age.” Blitz said. “Makes me want to take a look at your schematics to see what ELSE you can do.”

“You’ll need to talk to Yamik, Shron, and the Captain about that.” Harmony responded as Harmony 2 disappeared. “But I am now curious what else I can do.”

“Well, once your T-Cog is fixed, you will be able to transform again.” Cliff commented. “But beyond that, I honestly don’t know what you’re capable of beyond what we’ve seen so far.” He said.

“Hmm...” Harmony hummed thoughtfully. Wondering just what she was truly capable of. “Now that you mention it, I know Energon can also be used offensively. I wonder if I could...”

“I mean, maybe.” Obelisk asked. “There’s still so much we don’t know about you and your race. For all we know you could completely replace phasers and torpedoes with Energon beams and Energon equipped torpedos.” He mused.

“Now that would be explosive.Energon is volatile if it comes in contact with munitions.” Blitz said.

“So long as it’s directed at the Terrorcons.” Obelisk replied. Which made the table laugh. As the four got into a conversation, Harmony’s mind raced. ‘Just what am I capable of...Even trapped in Starship mode...’

To Be Continued...

Author's Note

THX FOR READING!

Chapter 15: Caught

“Computer, a slice of cheese, a can of cat food and a can of dog food.” Harmony ordered from the replicator in her quarters.

The replicator complied and produced the requested food items. Once the items fully phased in. Harmony used her mission saddle, something she had taken to wearing whenever she was in her emitter, to carry the items over to her waiting pets. “Here you go guys. Dinner.” She said as she gave Remy the cheese, Angela the cat food and Porthos the dog food.

Remy smiled as he was given his dinner. “Thanks, Harmony. Oh Kami, do I love this stuff.” He said.

Porthos couldn’t help but chuckle. “I think he likes your cheese better than anything we ever gave him.” He commented.

“Can’t say I blame him. This cat food tastes so good.” Angela said. “We definitely made the right call.”

Harmony chuckled as she watched her pets eat. “Ya know. I’m still amazed that Remy’s your guys’ son. Must be a real miracle of procreation.” She said.

“Procreton?” Remy asked, mishearing the word.

“Procreation.” Porthos said. “It’s what allowed us to bring you into the world.” He said.

“Oh.” Remy replied, fascinated. “Will I be able to procreate someday?” He asked.

“Well, not for a long while, since you’re only 4 years old.” Angela said. “But maybe someday, if you find the right girl. Who knows.” She said.

While Remy smiled and ate, Harmony checked the clock in her quarters, and nodded, walking towards her transfer alcove. “Alright. Porthos, Angela, you’re in charge. I’ll be back later.”

“So, what’s going to happen if you catch this girl?” Porthos asked. Harmony had explained to her pets what she was doing that night.

“Throw them in the brig and evaluate what to do after that.” Harmony responded as she transferred herself into the Equestria. “Should they come here, run.” She added, before she reappeared in holo form, all over the ship, the crew saw Harmony’s avatar appear, sometimes in multiple places.

In the security office, Yamik and the security night shift saw Harmony appear in the room. “JWO CyberSpark.” Yamik acknowledged.

“Cmdr Yamik.” Harmony replied. “My avatar is in position.” She reported.

“Perfect.” Yamik responded. “One way or another, we’ll catch this perp.” He said.

“Anything specific you’d like me to do Cmdr?” Harmony asked.

“When one of you spots the cloaked figure, do what you can to apprehend.” Yamik responded.

“Aye sir.” Harmony responded as she began her watch over the entire ship.

Meanwhile, in Proxima’s quarters, Proxima paced back and forth, deciding she wasn’t gonna sleep tonight. Harmony watched her pace. “Captain. You should get some rest. Yamik and I can handle this.” She said.

“I’ll remain awake til we catch this person. Just a precaution, Harmony.” Proxima responded. “Especially since I have a sneaking suspicion what might REALLY be going on.” She revealed.

“Captain?” Harmony asked, confused.

“It started when it was said that the perp was a female.” Proxima responded, recalling what she had been thinking about all day. “I remembered that we currently have a pair of lunatics back in the Federation that can mess with us through Sela. And these attacks fall in line with what they tried to do when the Laminan Delegation paid us a visit.” She said.

Harmony blinked, connecting the dots. “You think they’re behind these attacks?” She asked.

“It’s one possibility.” Proxima responded.

Harmony nodded. “I’ll keep an extra close eye on cmdr Sela tonight.” She said.

“Good.” Proxima acknowledged. Hoping like hell that it WASN’T that, but she was no fool. The chance was very, very real that all this was Sela’s parents. And if it was true, then that would be another charge to their growing list of charges for when they were eventually caught.

It took a few hours, but eventually, the cloaked figure struck. In her quarters, Ensign Freedough had woken up to go to the bathroom, and when she returned to her bedroom, she was ambushed by the cloaked figure, who opened up with a strike to her gut. Freedough grunted stumbled back out into the living room as the cloaked figure stepped out from the shadows. Freedough barely had time to recover before the cloaked figure punched her in the face. “Gah!” Freedough grunted as she reached up to her face. Shockingly, nothing was broken. The cloaked figure went for another strike, but this time Freedough managed to dodge and deliver a powerful blow of her own to the mask, a blow hard enough to stop the cloaked figure in their tracks briefly. “It’s you.” She commented, venom dripping from her voice.

Harmony meanwhile tapped her combadge. “CyberSpark to security. Cloaked figure sighted in Freedough’s quarters.” She reported, before rushing the cloaked figure, trying to pin her down.

The cloaked figure however saw her coming and when Harmony came into arm’s reach, the figure grabbed her and used her own momentum against her to throw her away. Harmony tripped over herself and crashed into the ground.

Freedough, seeing that the cloaked figure was momentarily distracted, attempted to throw a punch to try to knock the figure out, but the figure reacted quickly and whirled around, using a thus far hidden Klingon knife to slash at Freedough’s face, scoring a hit and slicing Freedough’s cheek open. “Gah!” Freedough responded as she stumbled back, tripped over herself, and stumbled down to the ground.

Harmony, getting up, shook her head before turning around just in time to see the cloaked figure slice Freedough’s other cheek and stab her in the stomach, eliciting an agonizing scream from Freedough. “Big mistake!” Harmony exclaimed as she tackled the Cloaked figure to the ground and used her mouth to tear the mask off the figure.

The mask fell away and Harmony was able to see the face, and she stumbled back when she saw the face of. “Cmdr Sela?!” She exclaimed in shock. A quick inspection of her avatar stationed In Sela’s quarters confirmed Sela was not there.

In Harmony’s moment of shock, Sela, not saying a word, tapped the hidden combadge and disappeared. “CyberSpark to Medbay. Medical emergency in Ensign Freedough’s quarters!” She exclaimed. “And security to Sela’s quarters. SHE is the cloaked figure!” She added as she rushed over to Freedough. “Freedough, you ok?” She asked.

Freedough just groaned in pain as she clutched the wound in her stomach, blood dripping from her face. Not one moment later, medical officers transported to their location and immediately got to work, rushing Freedough to the Medbay.

Meanwhile, in Sela’s quarters, Sela blinked as she shook her head, seemingly coming to her senses. “What? What am I doing—“ She was cut off when she felt a mass tackle her to the ground. “Gah! What the hell?!” She exclaimed as she glanced behind her to see Harmony on her. “JWO CyberSpark! What is the meaning of this?” She asked.

“Sorry Commander, but you need to be detained until we figure out what’s going on.” Harmony explained. “That cloaked figure that’s been attacking the last few days? YOU are that figure.” She said.

At that, Sela stopped her struggling. She remembered that she felt something in her hand. She glanced around until she saw it, the Klingon Knife that had been used to assault Freedough. The knife, though dim, clearly had blood on it. “What?” Was all she could say.

Soon enough, security came and detained Sela. The Cmdr put up no resistance, in part because she was too busy trying to comprehend what the hell was going on. Her? The cloaked figure? It did not make sense. Never would she consider ever attacking a Starfleet officer. And yet, she had vague memories of the Klingon knife, which was being bagged by the security officers.

As they took Sela away, Harmony, confident that the situation was now under control, deactivated all but one of her avatars, the one being in Proxima’s quarters. “By golly you might actually be right captain.” She said.

Proxima, who had already received the report from Yamik, nodded. “Indeed Harmony.” She said, trying hard to maintain her composure. “Harmony, do you know if she was still wearing that necklace I gave her the other day?” She asked.

“I did not see it. However it was tough to see anything given how dimly lit the room was.” Harmony responded. “Why do you ask?”

“I don’t know why, but I have a bad feeling that eventually, Sela’s parents are going to target that crystal.” Proxima responded. It was pretty clear that Sela’s parents could see everything Sela saw. So it was likely they knew about the dream crystal. She didn’t put it past them to smash the crystal out of malice. “Good work Harmony.” Proxima said after a minute. “Your avatar clone power came in real handy.”

“Thank you captain.” Harmony responded. “I’m only sorry that it was Sela and not an actual stowaway.”

“Yeah, well. At least we can safely assume Sela did not do it of her own volition.” Proxima said. “In any event, tomorrow is going to be hell.”

“Is there anything else you need tonight?” Harmony asked.

“I’m good. Dismissed.” Proxima responded.

Harmony nodded and disappeared back to her quarters. Leaving Proxima alone to process what had transpired. “...We might actually need to keep Sela in the brig until her parents can’t touch her...” She contemplated. It was clear that the T’Palas were escalating the situation and were now targeting the ship and the crew. Which made Sela an even bigger danger. “We should count ourselves lucky that they seem to not be able to Mind Meld 24/7.” She commented to herself as she headed for bed, figuring that she would need the sleep to be well rested for the crap show that the next day would bring.

In a secret bunker, Mr T’Pala deactivated the Mind Meld Amplifier and removed the headset. “It would appear they are catching onto our machinations.” He commented.

“It is of no consequence.” Mrs T’Pala responded. “With that dream crystal placing Sela at ease while asleep, it has been trivial to take complete control of her. Tomorrow night, we shall at last rid her of her anger.” She said.

“Whom shall we target?” Mr. T’Pala asked.

“Let us target the fourth Ensign who asked to waste power doing art on an asteroid.” Mrs. T’Pala suggested.

“Your decision is logical dear.” Mr. T’Pala responded as the two of them walked out of the room into another, calling it a night.

First thing in the morning, on the USS Equestria, Proxima and Phlox walked side by side to the brig, Filling each other in. “Thankfully Ensign Freedough’s injuries aren’t any worse. She wil be back on her feet tomorrow.” Phlox reported. “What concerns me is what’s going on with Sela.” He said as he called up his HUD.

Proxima, seeing the hud, deduced what Phlox was going to say. “Let me guess. It IS her parents terrorizing us.” She said, clearly pissed off.

“Bingo.” Phlox responded. “Her brainwave activity during the attacks is consistent with previously recorded incidents.”

“Great.” Proxima said. “Just great. They can now outright attack us in our sleep and Sela, being asleep, can’t resist it at all.”

“I highly recommend you keep trying to expedite the magical block front.” Phlox responded. “At this point it’s Sela’s, and our, only hope.”

“I’m giving them a call as soon as we’re done in the brig.” Proxima said. Mind racing. “If we don’t nip this in the bud now, The next attack could be fatal.”

“There is something we should talk to Sela about also.” Phlox commented. “Coming out with her situation with her parents.” He said.

“You mean tell the crew.” Proxima deduced.

“I hate to say it, but Sela is now vulnerable to a legal hellstorm if anyone decides to press assault charges against her.” Phlox explained. “They need to know that Sela was not in control of her actions.”

“But Sela would need to agree to it.” Proxima pointed out.

“It is the most logical course of action, captain. And we both know that Sela is a million times more logical than a pair of vulcans back home.” Phlox reasoned.

Proxima considered it for a second, before nodding in agreement. “Add it to the list of things to discuss with our cloaked figure.” She said.

At that moment, Proxima’s combadge blazed with noise. “Captain Maxima, you have a priority one communique coming in. It’s Ambassador Starscout with her aid and the N’Var President.” The officer on the other end said.

At that, Proxima stopped in her tracks. “Well speak of the devil.” She said. “I’ll take it in my ready room.” She said, before turning to Phlox. “Go on ahead Doc, I’ll catch up.” She said as she tapped her combadge and transported away.

In the brig, Sela roused awake and fluttered her eyes open. She expected to see the surroundings of her quarters, but instead was greeted with a different scene, upon inspection, she found that she was in a cell in the brig. Confused, she sat up and looked around. “Curious.” She stated simply, looking around to see Cmdr Yamik at the security console with the guard. “Cmdr Yamik.” She called out, alerting Yamik to her awakening.

Yamik in turn heard the call and turned his head to see Sela get up from the bed. “Cmdr Sela.” He acknowledged.

“Yamik, would you care to tell me why I am in the brig?” Sela asked.

Yamik was momentarily confused, until it dawned on him that Sela actually might not have remembered what happened the previous night. “So you don’t remember what happened last night? Or the two nights before?” He asked.

At that, Sela raised an eyebrow, her confusion growing. “Why? Did something happen?” She asked.

Yamik turned to the guard and dismissed him, the guard left the two alone and Yamik called up the security feed. “We found out who the cloaked figure was Cmdr.” He said as he played back the feed, cobbled together across all three nights.

Sela watched as the events of the last 3 nights played back for her. As she watched, her memory started to come back to her. She saw herself replicating the cloak and the mask, going to the different officers to attack them, and most disturbing of all, saw herself replicating the Klingon knife that she had vague memories of. “No, No this could not be right.” She said as she stumbled back, the gravity of what happened hitting her. “I would never even consider assaulting a fellow officer.” She said, sitting back down, mind racing.

“And yet the feed shows you doing just that.” Yamik replied as she turned off the feed. “3 times in fact.” He added.

Sela was in a state of shock, her mind racing. It was all coming back to her. Voices in her head telling her to assault her fellow officers, her attempting the deeds, only to vanish out of sight before she could finish the job. ‘What have I done...?’ She thought.

At that moment, Phlox entered the brig. “Morning Yamik.” He said.

“Doctor.” Yamik acknowledged.

Phlox approached the cell and glanced at Sela. “Morning Cmdr. How’re you doing?” He asked.

Sela, in her current state, scrambled to her feet and backed against the wall, seemingly having a panic attack. ”Stay back Doctor. I do not want to hurt you.” She said, panting.

“Commander.” Phlox responded in a calm voice, he guessed that Sela was told and or remembered what had transpired. “Remain calm. What happened these last three nights was not your fault.”

“How could you say that when the evidence is clear as day?” Sela replied. It seemed that in her current state, she could not come to the logical conclusion that her parents were responsible. “I assaulted THREE Starfleet officers. The LAST thing anyone on this ship should need to worry about is an officer assaulting another.” She explained.

“True.” Yamik admitted. “But If you’ll just allow--Hang on.” Yamik paused when he noticed someone missing. “Where’s the captain?” He asked Phlox.

“Got an urgent call.” Phlox responded as he called up his HUD. “Just let me explain Sela, it’ll all make sense.” He told Sela.

Meanwhile, in Proxima’s ready room, the holographic images of President Serak, Ambassador Starscout, and her aide Alphabittle. “Mr President, Ambassador, Alphabittle.” Greeted Proxima.

“Good morning Captain.” Sunny responded. “Apologies for missing your last transmission. I had to take care of something that came up.” She said.

“I understand.” Proxima responded. “I was planning to reach out to you within the hour. To follow up on mind meld blocking magic.” She explained.

“Yes. That is why we called now captain.” President Serak responded.

“We believe we may have found something.” Alphabittle said.

Proxima refrained from showing signs of relief, but she wouldn’t lie that that was the best news she’s heard in a while. She did however think of something. “Before we continue, might I put you on hold while I summon Commander Sela?” She asked. “She will want to hear this.”

“Of course Captain.” Serak responded. “I was actually going to inquire where she might be.”

“She’s in the brig. Parents struck again.” Proxima responded simply as she tapped her combadge. “Yamik, Phlox, let Sela out of the brig and all three of you report to my ready room, on the double.” She ordered.

“Aye sir, we’ll be there as soon as possible.” Yamik responded before the connection was cut.

A few minutes later, The doors slid open and Proxima saw Phlox and Yamik enter...followed by Sela, who’s wrists were cuffed behind her back. “Yamik, were the cuffs behind her back really needed?” Proxima asked.

“Sorry captain, she requested them as a security measure outside the brig.” Yamik responded.

“I assaulted three Starfleet officers. I should not be out of the brig at all.” Sela commented.

“Cmdr, we already told you that your parents are the reason you did it.” Phlox said. “Everything is going to be alright.”

“Forgive me for not sharing your confidence Phlox.” Sela responded. She glanced around, and just then realized who was in the room with them. She stiffened as she gazed upon President Serak, Ambassador Starscout, and her aide Alphabittle. “Mr President, Ambassador Starscout.” She greeted them. “M-My apologies for...this...” She said, feeling embarrassed.

“No apology needed Cmdr.” Sunny responded. “We can see you’re going through some stuff right now. And we may have a way to help.” She announced.

When that reached Sela’s ears, she stopped and stared at the holograms. “You do?” She asked, her hope having been waning very fast with the knowledge of the last three nights that they would ever find a way to stop her parents’ machinations.

“It sure sounds like it Sela.” Proxima responded. “So, what do you three have?” She asked.

“President Serak and I have been doing some research and running simulations. And based on our findings, We believe we found the spell that will shield your mind.” Alphabittle explained. “However, It has limitations.” He added.

“Limitations?” Yamik asked.

“Indeed.” Serak responded. “There are varying levels of a mind meld that can be performed. Based on what I know about the situation, Sela’s parents are exercising the highest level of mind meld. If they were not using such a technique for sinister purposes, I would actually be impressed.” He said.

“And that is relevant because this spell’s effectiveness depends on the caster’s own magical prowess.” Alphabittle chimed in. “Captain Maxima, how would you say your prowess fares?” He asked.

“I’d say about average for a unicorn.” Proxima responded. “But I get the sense that it won’t be enough.”

“That, I cannot be sure of.” Alphabittle responded.

“Because this will be the first occurrence of magic being used to shield from a mind meld in recorded history, we simply have no way of knowing how effective it needs to be to provide complete shielding.” Serak explained. “For all we know, it will not be enough.”

“It will be better than nothing.” Sela responded. “Proxima, I would like you to cast the spell as soon as possible.” She said.

Proxima saw that coming from a million miles away, and she could not blame her for wanting to have it done.. “Anything else we need to know?” She asked the three callers.

“The other limitation is that it needs a vessel from which to contain it. That dream crystal you are wearing for instance cmdr.” Alphabittle responded. Causing all eyes to turn to see the Necklace Sela was wearing.

“Then I hope we can get this done before she goes to sleep.” Proxima replied. “And are there any side effects or trade offs we should consider?”

“Based on our findings, it WILL affect Sela’s ability to mind meld for as long as she is in possession of the enchanted artifact. To what extent we do not know. But it is unavoidable.” Serak explained.

“I do not mind meld very much to begin with so I do not consider that a negative Mr President.” Sela responded. Her mind made up to go through with the plan.

“In that case, I’ll transmit the enchantment. Good luck, all of you.” Alphabittle said.

“Thank you for your help. All of you.” Proxima responded to the three callers.

“Of course, Captain. That’s what friends are for.” Sunny said.

After bidding farewell, Serak, Sunny, and Alphabittle disappeared as the call ended. Leaving the Starfleet officers in the Ready Room. “Yamik, Phlox, dismissed.” Proxima said.

Phlox and Yamik nodded and left the room, leaving Sela and Proxima alone. Proxima extended her horn and used her magic to take Sela’s cuffs off. Something Sela winced at. “Captain. I--”

“Sela, it’s fine.” Proxima responded, cutting Sela off. “Equestrian magic versus Vulcan physique, magic WILL win every time. Trust me, we’re both safe.” She explained. To which Sela had no response to.

After a moment of thought, Sela just relented and let her arms fall to her sides. “Once again, your logic is impeccable captain.” She said.

Proxima smiled. “Now, you holding up OK?” She asked.

Sela sighed as she sat down on the couch. “If I am being honest Proxi...I am not sure.” She said. “I took part in an act that no Starfleet officer should ever take part in. Especially last night. If Harmony had not stepped in, I might have…” Sela trailed off, not wanting to finish the sentence.

Proxima understood as she hopped onto the couch next to Sela and extended a wing around her. “Just hang in there Sela. I promise to give it my all into this enchantment.” She said. “One way or another, this conflict with your parents is going to end.”

“There is no guarantee that it will work. And even if it does, my parents, persistent cockroaches as they are, might find a way to adapt.” Sela said, instinctively leaning against her friend for comfort. “I am not sure how much longer I can go on like this.”

“Sela, I can only imagine what you must be going through right now.” Proxima said. “But It’s all going to be ok. You have people here that will have your back 100%.” She assured Sela. “You’re not alone.”

“Even so, it does not change the fact that the last three nights will haunt me for a long time, if not for the rest of my life.” Sela responded, burying her head in her knees as her eyes grew misty. “I will have to live with what I did for the rest of my life. How can those I attacked ever trust me again after this...?” She asked.

Proxima moved into a full blown hug, wrapping Sela in both her forelegs and wings to try to sooth her distraught friend. “Phlox actually brought that up earlier.” She revealed. “He suggests that maybe it’s time to tell the crew the whole story...Or at the very least let the victims know so that they will at least know that you weren’t in control.” She said.

Sela stiffened when Proxima suggested it, in truth, she had considered that course of action before, but she feared what the response would be. “Do you think they will believe me?” She asked. Her voice cracking slightly.

“We have all the evidence in the world to show them.” Proxima responded. “Especially them basically confessing to conspiracy against a Starfleet officer. And then against the whole crew.” She said.

“Even so...” Sela responded before trailing off, not sure what to do.

After a moment of silence, Proxima broke it. “How about we first get that shield up? That’ll give you time to consider it?” She suggested, sensing Sela was not sure what to do.

“That...Might be best captain.” Sela responded. “And in the meantime, It would be best that I remain in the brig. Just in case my parents decide to rear their heads again.”

“Or I could just confine you to quarters, disable the replicator, take your combadge, and post guards at your door.” Proxima countered. “Sela, there’s no reason for you to be in the brig when you’re not being mind melded.” She reasoned.

Sela considered Proxima’s counter suggestion, and decided that it would be an acceptable alternative. “That is an acceptable alternative captain.” Sela responded as she took off her combadge and gave it to Proxima.

Proxima smiled. “I’ll walk you there.” She said. ‘And then...I’m paying a visit to Engineering.” She said, an idea coming to her.

“For what reason?” Sela asked, confused.

“Because I’m gonna see if I can enlist the assistance of the Elements of Harmony. As well as the Unity Crystals.” Proxima responded.

As they both got to their feet, Sela couldn’t help but give Proxima a raised eyebrow. “I am not sure I follow captain.” She admitted.

“Just trust me Sela.” Proxima responded as they left her ready room. Proxima smiling at her idea.

To Be Continued...

Author's Note

Next chapter will be the last in this plot arc. THen we'll get a few fillers and then Harmony will take her Starfleet entrance exam.

On another note, also be on the lookout for a new story I'm making with some friends of mine. A Mature rated story.

THX FOR READING!

Episode 16: Chop the Head Off the Snake

“Chief Engineers Log Stardate 32120721.0930. It’s the Engineering Department’s turn to show off to JWO CyberSpark after she shadowed Science and Operations. And in addition, this is Her chance to learn more about how her body works, since at the moment, her health is just as much engineering as it is medical. In other news, that cloaked figure’s been found out and uh...Yeah, Have I mentioned how much I hate Sela’s parents with a seething passion?”

“What I don’t get is why Cmdr Sela would attack us.” Ensign Marin commented as he worked on a console’s underside, giving it a maintenance once over with Cmdr Baker.

Baker shook her head. The news that Sela was the cloaked figure spread like wildfire, and of course that raised questions. Particularly from Sela’s victims. “I’m sure there’s a perfectly logical explanation for this.” She said. “I mean, Vulcans pride themselves on logic. So, we can safely assume that Sela was not in her right state of mind.” She mused.

“I mean...Yeah, that’s a possibility sir, but for three nights in a row?” Marin asked. “That seems a bit far-fetched for a Vulcan these days.”

“We simply don’t have all the answers.” Baker responded. “Cmdr Yamik is already investigating it and I’m sure there will be a full briefing in due time.” She said.

“I hope so, I for one would very much like to know the why.” Marin commented.

Baker nodded, but was inwardly cursing out Sela’s parents. She understood why the senior staff was ordered to not talk about it to the crew, but all the same, she wanted very much to confirm with the engineering Ensign that Sela could still be trusted.

At that moment, the doors to engineering opened and in walked Harmony, along with her Eninac Porthos. “Cmdr Baker.” She called out to announce her presence.

Baker heard her name called and smiled as she turned. “JWO CyberSpark, welcome to--” She stopped when she saw Porthos approaching next to Harmony...wearing something that made Baker have to stifle a snicker. “Porthos? What are you wearing?” She asked. “And, for that matter, why are you here?” She added.

Porthos glanced back at himself to see the Starfleet gold uniform that he had the replicator make for him. “Oh, uh, sorry commander.” He said. “I uh, kinda...what’s the phrase, puppy dog eyed? Harmony into letting me tag along. I’ve been wanting to learn more about the inner workings of the Equestria and I figured now was the perfect time.” He explained.

“And he’s wearing a Starfleet gold uniform because he thought it would be adorable.” Harmony added, giving Porthos a pet on the head.

Porthos in a Starfleet uniform attracted quite a few eyes from engineering personnel, Baker eventually let out a snicker. “He DOES look adorable wearing that.” She admitted. “Ya know what? Sure. You can learn right alongside Harmony today, Porthos.” She said.

“Awesome! Thanks Commander.” Porthos responded excitedly, wagging his tail.

Baker chuckled as she gestured for the two of them to follow her. “You’re Shadowing Engineering at a pretty opportune time. We’re in the middle of a maintenance cycle. And that means the place is in pieces.” She said.

Harmony and Porthos looked around, and indeed engineering officers were pulling panels off and running diagnostics on inner workings. Porthos lifted an eyebrow. “Harmony can you feel when they do that?” He asked curiously.

“I...Don’t think so?” Harmony responded, unsure. “I mean I’m not in any pain when they take panels off so...”

“That might be because the panels we remove are supposed to come off.” Baker suggested. “Like pieces of armor.” She explained.

“That would make sense.” Harmony replied.

Baker nodded. “Now, let’s start off with something simple.” She said as she led them to an open panel. “One of the most basic and common maintenance tasks is running diagnostics. It’s the first step to finding and fixing any problem.” She said as pulled out a tool from her toolbelt. “The Diagnoser T4269 is one of the most advanced Diagnostic tools available to Starfleet. This thing can detect even the smallest crack in a warp coil.” She boasted.

“Ooh. Handy.” Harmony responded, impressed.

“That is definitely more advanced than what Lamina has, last I heard.” Porthos commented.

Baker smiled and set the tool to work. “During Maintenance cycles, the whole Engineering Section gets three comb overs with this thing. One thing you’ll always hear an engineering officer say, triple check everything. Because Engineering is what keeps the ship up and running.” She explained.

“Makes sense.” Harmony responded.

Porthos looked around, before he noticed white uniformed medical staff huddled around the Warp Core. “Uh, what’s the Medbay staff doing here?” He asked, confused.

Baker glanced behind her to see the doctors, and she smiled. “They’re running diagnostics on the Spark within the Warp Core.” She explained.

“It would seem that our warp core is also my Spark.” Harmony explained. “Kinda like your heart.”

“Ah. That makes sense then.” Porthos said.

“Yep. Ever since our ship was turned into a Titan, both Engineering and Medical have collaborated and coordinated to help keep us flying. There is still much about Harmony’s unique physiology that we have yet to understand.” Baker explained. “Teletran has been very helpful in that respect.” She said.

“Is Teletran here today?” Harmony asked.

“He’s in the lab, cracking away at that pod.” Baker responded.

“Is it STILL holding secrets?” Porthos asked, having been told of the pod.

“Yeah.” Baker responded. “It is. Damn whoever made that pod’s Operating system made it secure.” She commented.

Elsewhere in engineering, The Harmony core, which had been disconnected from its usual place, sat in a corner, out of the way of the maintenance Cycle. Captain Maxima approached it after being told where it was. She saw the Elements of Harmony in their spots, with the Unity Crystal right smack in the middle. “There you are.” She said to herself. She had come from confining Sela to her quarters and depriving her of any possible method by which her parents could cause serious trouble. Now she was in Engineering to try to enlist the stones of the Harmony Core’s help to energize her magic and make the enchantment on Sela’s necklace strong enough to block her parents.

“Captain Maxima.” An engineering officer acknowledged. “We weren’t aware that you were coming.”

Proxima glanced to the side to see the officer standing at attention. “At ease Lieutenant.” She said. “This isn’t an inspection. Just gotta borrow the Harmony Core’s gems for a bit.” She told them.

“Aye sir.” The officer responded before going back to work.

Proxima meanwhile extended her horn and lit it, hoping to be able to commune with the fabled spirits of the guardians of harmony that were preserved in the gems. “By Celestia I hope this works.” She said to herself as she touched the unity crystal with her horn.

She was instantly transported to an astral plane environment, surrounding her were 7 pillars, each topped with one Element of Harmony, or the Unity Crystal in one instance. Proxima opened her eyes and looked around. “Uh, Hello?” She asked.

“Greetings Captain Proxima Maxima.” Proxima heard a voice from behind say. She turned, and saw a projection of a pony she knew from the history books.

“Princess Twilight Sparkle.” She identified the pony before her.

The Astral Projection of Twilight Sparkle smiled after Proxima identified her. “Indeed. I took this form when my bearer’s spirit passed into me. As did her friends in their respective elements.” She said. “To what do we owe the pleasure of you attempting to converse with us?” She asked.

“I need your help. I need to have my magic amplified for a power dependent spell. And right now, you and your fellow Elements of Harmony, as well as the unity crystals, are the only things available to me that might help me do that.” Proxima answered.

“You are referring to a shield around your first officer against her parents.” Twilight deduced. The resulting reaction from Proxima made her smile. “We are connected to the USS Equestria and Harmony. We know all that goes on. We are aware of Cmdr Sela T’Pala’s conflict with her parents.” She explained.

“Yeah...” Proxima replied, just deciding to go with it. “She has had to deal with them for a long time, and now they have escalated the conflict to include the whole crew, since they made her attack three fellow officers.” She explained. “If we do not nip it in the bud now, the next assault could be fatal.

“Indeed.” Twilight responded. “You will have our support in combating this evil, however, you must be aware of the risks. The Elements of Harmony and the Unity Crystals are immensely powerful objects. If the spell caster is not prepared for the intense boost that we will provide, the results could be fatal to the spell caster.” She warned.

Proxima took a deep breath. “If it means saving my ship and crew, and my best friend, from a pair of whackjobs back home, I’ll take any risk required.” She said, determination clear in her voice.

“In that case.” Twilight responded, beginning to glow. “We shall bond to you for the remaining duration of this voyage.” She announced, the other pillars started to glow as well.

Proxima raised an eyebrow. “Uh, the remaining duration of this voyage? You don’t need to bond to me for that long.” She remarked.

“You forget, we have been watching. And it is the logical move to bond ourselves with someone in order to ensure that the enemy cannot use us for sinister purposes.”

“Isn’t that what we already did when Sunny had me activate the core?” Proxima countered.

“Within the core, we cannot be used by outside villains. But if any were to remove us from the core, we fear they would harness our power.” Twilight explained. “The only way to ensure that does not happen is for us to bond to you.”

Proxima opened her mouth to object, before the logic behind it kicked in, then she just sighed and nodded. “Very well. If you believe that is best.” She said. She trusted the wisdom of the gems.

From the outside, the whole engineering team was treated to a light show as the Elements of Harmony and the Unity Crystals dislodged themselves from their indents in the Harmony Core and began to circle around Proxima. Harmony, Baker, and Porthos noticed what was going on, and Baker decided to speak up. “Uh, Captain?” She asked.

The magical gems all shot beams at Proxima, and closed in on her to form a suit of armor with the same indents as the Harmony Core had. The gems lodged themselves into the indents, and the light show ended. Dimming to reveal fully Proxima in gold armor, with the gems adorning it. There was silence, and a lot of eyeballs on Proxima. Proxima turned to see everyone staring at her. “I’ll explain soon but for now, I need these gems for a bit. I’ll bring them back right after.” She explained. “As you were.” She added as she left Engineering.

Everyone stood there, confused for a bit. Baker was the first to catch up to what happened. “Ahem, everyone back to work.” She ordered before turning to Harmony. “Ok chalk that up to on par with other strange shenanigans going on here.” She said.

“What in the allspark could the captain need the Elements of Harmony for?” Harmony asked.

“What in the allspark?” Porthos asked. “Isn’t that Cybertronian talk?” He asked.

“Yes.” Harmony responded. “Cliff and Blitz must be rubbing off on me on that front.” She deduced.

“Right...OK, let’s continue shall we?” Baker asked.

In the security office, Yamik was busy going through the security footage. “Hm...So far she was puppet controlled to attack Marin, Becker, and now Freedough. There might be a connection there...” He mused.

“Why would it matter?” Asked Norman, who had come by. “We know her parents are wackadoodles who are now definitely out to get the whole ship.” He commented.

“Yes Jack.” Yamik responded. “But, assuming that they are somehow able to get Sela passed our security measures in her quarters, if there is a pattern, they’ll likely follow it tonight. So if we can determine their next target, we can be there waiting for them.” He reasoned.

Norman considered Yamik’s explanation for a few seconds, before nodding in agreement. “Makes sense.” He said.

He and Yamik continued to look through the security feed. Trying to find a clue, before Norman noticed something. “Hang on, do you see that?” He asked.

“See what?” Yamik asked, confused.

“The other day, I think the security grid got Sela interacting with a quartet of ensigns...Including Marin, Becker, and Freedough.” Norman pointed out.

Yamik zoomed in on the paused frame, and indeed saw what Norman saw. “Interesting.” He mused as he played that section. They heard the ensigns ask Sela for permission to make a carving in the next asteroid during their next mining pitstop. “Huh. OK I never woulda thought to ask my superior that.” Yamik commented.

“Yes. But I’m thinking maybe that’s the connection.” Norman deduced. “To a Vulcan, their request is a waste of resources. And we know that her parents can see everything she does.” He explained.

Yamik’s eyes widened as he caught onto Norman’s thinking. “So you think they’re targeting the four Ensigns specifically, and using the request as an asinine justification.” He deduced.

“It’s a theory.” Norman responded. “So if we follow the pattern, the next target after the other three is Ensign Anakin Fredrick.” He said.

“You might be right Norman.” Yamik responded. “And if we follow the escalation, unless we are able to stop her, Sela will be forced to kill Fredrick.” He said.

“They can try.” Norman responded, him and Yamik fistbumping.

“Thanks for your help Norman, I wouldn’t have caught onto that for a while yet.” Yamik said.

“Any time pal.” Norman responded, glad to have helped.

Meanwhile, in her quarters, because Sela was effectively off duty until her parents could not be a problem anymore, Sela had decided that she might as well catch up on her reading. So she was reading a book written by a Vulcan Author, before she heard Her quarters’ intercom sound. “Cmdr, Angela and Remy are here to see you. Something about wanting to bring you comfort in animal companionship.” Said who she presumed was the security officer stationed outside her quarters.

Sela tensed up a bit. She really did not want to risk them being hurt...but despite that, she still nodded. “Enter!” She called out.

The door opened and Angela, with Remy riding on his mom’s back, entered. “Hello there Commander Sela.” Angela said.

“Hi Ms Sela.” Remy said, waving at her with a smile.

“Angela, Remy.” Sela acknowledged. “What brings you by?” She asked.

“We heard what happened.” Angela responded as she hopped up onto the couch. “We figured you could use some company.” She said.

“Apparently, where you’re from, animals can serve to comfort people who are stressed.” Remy explained. “So here we are.” He said.

“That is very kind of you two.” Sela responded. “Although I must caution you that I am currently a danger.” She admitted.

“We know. Harmony filled us in on what’s been going on between you and your parents when we asked if we could hang out with you.” Angela said.

“Mom told me to use my small size and my speed to get to the nearest exhaust duct if you start acting out.” Remy explained. “He’s with Harmony in Engineering, otherwise I would have been left back home with daddy.” He added

Hearing that, Sela relented. “Alright. So long as you know.” She said.

Remy took that as his cue to scurry on up onto Sela’s shoulder while Angela, with Sela’s OK, settled herself over Sela’s lap, giving her a reassuring smile. Remy saw the book that Sela had been reading and looked at it curiously. “Ms Sela?” He asked. “What’s that?”

Sela saw him pointing at the book, she could see the curiosity in his eyes. “It is a Vulcan Book about Mind Melds.” She explained.

“Mind Melds? Harmony mentioned them, but she never said what they were.” Remy commented.

“It is a practice of my people. Though a nearly lost art.” Sela explained. “It allows us to read the thoughts of anyone we choose to meld with.” She said.

“Read thoughts? Ooh.” Remy responded, clearly intrigued.

“Indeed.” Sela replied, before a thought occurred to her that maybe she should not be reading something that was currently causing her and the crew great stress. “Perhaps I should not be reading it right now, given the current situation.” She commented, putting the book on the coffee table.

“Why DO your parents hate you Ms Sela?” Remy asked.

Sela sighed. “They view me as a grave injustice to their family lineage. They wanted to mold me into something that...is incompatible with me living a long life.” She explained. “Based on their behavior recently, it would seem they are trying to do so again, in a more violent way.” She said.

“I thought all parents loved their kids and that they would never do anything like that?” Remy asked, confused.

“A vast majority of them do Remy.” Sela responded. “But not all parents are cut out to be parents. Most in that category do the sensible thing and put their children up for adoption so that they might find a good home with a family that can give them what they need, but there are those that do what my parents are doing and torment their children.” She explained.

Remy listened to what Sela was saying, but it only served to further confuse the young E’suom. “I don’t get it.” He concluded.

“I’ll explain when you’re older sweetie. For now, just know that daddy and I love you very much.” Angela responded, smiling at Remy.

“Ok Mommy.” Remy responded happily.

Sela observed the exchange between Angela and Remy, and her heartbeat just the tiniest bit faster as a warm feeling crept up in her. A desire to care for a child of her own one day. ‘And it should be possible to have a child with Proxi using her magic...’ Sela stopped when she had that thought. Why did she just have that thought? It had never come to her before. It was the most confounding thing...but also the most curious, as soon as she thought that, more images played in her mind of a similar topic. ‘What is going on with me?’ She thought.

“Hm...Now this is the most confounding thing to come to in your mind Sela.” Sela heard the unmistakable voice of her mother say.

Sela tensed up, she could feel the presence of a mind meld in her mind. “Angela, Remy.” She said.

“What is it Cmdr?” Angela asked.

“Run.” Sela said simply.

“Run?” Remy asked, confused again.

“My parents are at it again. Run!” Sela ordered. She had a feeling of what was coming.

At the mention of Sela’s parents, Angela understood. “Come on Remy, we gotta get out of here.” She said. Grabbing Remy by his scruff, tossing him onto her back, and rushing out of Sela’s quarters. “Cmdr Sela might be having another episode.” She told the guards as she ran past them.

The Security guards blinked, but reacted quickly. Having been given orders from Yamik and Proxima, they readied their weapons, just in case.

In their secret bunker back in Federation Space, Sela’s mother sat at a console watching a screen as her partner wore a VR headset. They both heard Sela respond to them after telling her company to run. “Have you not done enough damage for one week? What could you possibly be looking to achieve with this level of illogical insanity?” She asked.

“We have told you before Sela. We are helping you to become a true Vulcan, like you were always meant to be. And no fictional medical condition, or meddling quadruped, is going to get in the way.” Her father responded. “And today, your anger will finally be quashed.” He said.

“Whatever it is you two plan on doing, it will not work. We have disabled the replicators in my quarters, I do not have a combadge, and there are guards outside the door that have orders to stun me if I so much as try to step outside my quarters.” Sela warned them.

“Do not be so quick to underestimate us Sela.” Her mother responded simply.

Back on the Equestria, Sela could feel her subconscious under attack. She intentionally tensed up to try to resist what she now knew with certainty was coming. “No.” She said. “Not this time. I will resist.”

“You can try.” Her mother responded.

Meanwhile, in the Medbay, Marin, Becker, and Anakin Fredrick stood on either side of Freedough’s bed, Freedough herself was sat up in the Bio bed, and all four were turned to Yamik and Boimler, the former of which had called the four of them there for a quick word. “So, is this about the whole Cmdr Sela going crazy thing?” Becker asked.

“Indeed it is.” Yamik responded. “There is something that the four of you, as her victims, should know about her. Just so you know the reason behind her recent transgressions.” He explained. “And why she will likely come for you next Fredrick unless we put the brakes on her situation today.”

At that, Fredrick blinked in surprise. “Me?” He asked. “She’ll come after me next?”

“That’s the working theory.” Yamik responded. “But, You should know that it is not of her own free will. Nor has it been for any of you.” He said.

“You mean she was being mind controlled?” Freedough asked.

“Yes she is Ensign.” Yamik responded. “And what’s more. We know WHO is doing it.” He added.

“Wait, you know?” Becker asked. “For how long?”

“For a while. Long before she started her nightly attacks.” Boimler responded.

“What?” Marin asked, surprised just as his friends were. “If you knew, why did you not stop it then and there?” He asked.

“Because we, at this time, CANNOT stop it.” Yamik responded. “All we can do is contain Sela when it happens, and work on snapping her out of it.” He explained.

Freedough and her friends all glanced at each other, confusion and fear in their eyes. “Is there anything more we should know?” Freedough asked, her mind racing.

“Indeed.” Yamik responded as Boimler pulled up his HUD. “Before we tell you though, this must not get out until such time when Sela herself comes out. And she WILL come out. She told me herself that once our latest attempt to stop this insanity has been tried, she will come out to the whole crew about the truth of what has been happening. And why we implemented the auto beam to the brig policy for her.” He told them. Sela having come to a decision to come out to the crew once Proxima placed a mental shield around her mind.

Marin and his friends all looked at each other, after a few nods, Fredrick nodded towards their senior officers. “Alright, what’s been going on?” He asked.

Boimler and Yamik took a deep breath, before they began to tell the four ensigns everything. They told them about Sela’s psychotic parents, about their mind meld amplification device, and most importantly, they told them about the reason it was happening, including some examples of Sela’s experiences growing up with them. All info they had permission from Sela herself to share with them so that they knew that she was not in control of herself.

As they had expected, the reactions from the Ensigns were at first disbelief, but as they showed them more and more evidence. Their disbelief that it was possible turned to disbelief that someone could do something so horrible to their own child. For Freedough in particular, hearing Boimler and Yamik explain about Sela’s situation brought up memories of her own experiences with her own parents. Her eyes moistened as she recalled all the abuse she had gone through. ‘Holy hell, and I thought my parents were bad.’ She thought.

Finally, after a very long and gruesome story, Boimler shut down his HUD. “So yeah. That’s everything we know.” Boimler said. “Her parents are trying to essentially kill her since she cannot suppress her emotions to their standards without putting her life in serious danger. And based on these recent events, it would seem they are escalating the conflict to include the entire crew.” He said.

“Holy crabcakes.” Becker responded. “Her parents are legit insane.”

“You are not the first person at all to have that conclusion Becker.” Yamik responded. “But as insane as they are, we cannot underestimate them since they are smart enough to construct a device that by all accounts SHOULD be impossible.” He warned.

“If they really WERE smart, they would have just left Sela alone.” Fredrick commented. “Seriously, if they hate Sela so much, Why did they not just cut contact with her permanently? Or hell, given how long this has been going on, why did they not just put her up for adoption so they wouldn’t have had to deal with her anymore?” He asked.

“Both are very good questions Fredrick.” Boimler responded. “And sadly, I believe the answer lies in the undeniable fact that they are egotistical narcissists who cannot possibly fathom that they brought into this world an imperfect child and their personalities did not allow them to take any sensible route besides the one that made sense to them. And now, we are all suffering the consequences of that decision.”

“You mentioned an attempt to stop this?” Marin asked.

“Indeed.” Yamik replied. “Currently, the captain is preparing to set Sela up with a shield around her mind. With any amount of luck, that should stop the threat her parents pose back home...If only temporarily.”

“Temporarily?” Freedough asked, confused.

“The simple fact is, Ensign. This is very much a Hail Mary attempt. There are many unknowns, as I’m sure you all can understand when relying on magic versus science.” Boimler responded. “At this point, the best we can realistically hope for is that this holds off Sela’s parents until our people back home can find them and chop the head off the shake as it were.” He explained.

“What if it doesn’t work?” Marin asked.

“Then we may actually have to keep Sela in the brig permanently until her parents are found and stopped.” Yamik responded. “Something that we have been trying to put off for as long as we can given our current circumstances.”

“Because out here we need every able bodied officer we can get.” Becker deduced, being a tactical officer. “We can't just request a replacement whenever we want.”

“Exactly.” Yamik replied. “No matter her current situation. We need Sela.”

At that moment, Yamik’s combadge sounded. “Cmdr. We may have a situation. Angela and Remy just came out of Sela’s quarters and she said Sela might be having another episode.” The guard reported.

Everyone’s eyes widened. “In broad daylight?” Boimler asked.

“Sounds like it.” Yamik responded. “On my way. All security personnel, be on full alert.” He ordered, turning to Fredrick. “Get to the Shuttle Bay and lock yourself in a shuttle. That way, if the situation calls for it, you can get off the ship.”

“Aye sir.” Fredrick responded before leaving. Yamik followed after him and headed right for Sela’s quarters. He tapped his combadge to page the captain. “Yamik to Maxima. Sela’s parents may be at it again. How’s it going with that spell?” He asked.

In Proxima’s quarters, Sela’s Dream Crystal sat on top of a short pole, with Proxima, decked out in her Elemental Armor, preparing to fire the spell when Yamik called. “I’m about to cast the spell. Do what you can to keep her contained.” She ordered.

“Aye sir.” Yamik responded.

As the connection cut, Proxima took a deep breath and looked at the PADD with the spell one more time. “Alright Proxima. You can do this.” She told herself before she lit her horn.

Right away, she felt her magic boosted to unimaginable levels. The magical gems that had bonded to her in order to protect themselves from evildoers glowed as her horn shined brightly. Her eyes shined a bright white. It was incredible, Proxima felt like she could take on the whole universe. ‘Whoa! These things have a kick to them.’ She thought as she aimed at the dream crystal…and let it rip.

Back at Sela’s quarters, the guards were both aiming their phaser pistols at the door. It was decided that they would be in a better tactical position if they were facing the door. They heard what was clearly struggling coming from within. “Sounds like the commander’s in trouble.” One of them commented.

“What could be affecting her though? All they said was that she was being mind controlled when she donned the cloak.” His partner asked.

“Whatever it is, we need to make sure Sela doesn’t get out of here—“ the first officer was cut off when the doors to the quarters slid open…but to reveal no one standing there. The two officers glanced at each other after a second, confused. “…I don’t hear anything…” The officer commented. Indeed there was silence. As opposed to the struggling from a few moments ago.

“Should one of us go in?” His partner asked. “Maybe something happened.”

“Or, that might be just what she wants us to do…” One officer countered.

“And if she actually does need help?” The first officer asked. “She could be unconscious, dying right now.” He suggested.

His partner considered it for a moment, before coming up with a plan. “Alright, here’s what we’ll do. One of us will stay out here and block the door, while the other goes in and finds Sela. Both of us will have our weapons raised in case this is some sort of trick.” He proposed.

“Good idea. A single stun shot should take her out of action should we need to fire.” The first officer responded before proceeding forward into Sela’s quarters, weapon raised. As he disappeared into Sela’s bedroom to check there. Yamik arrived on the scene with his phaser pistol raised, having seen the open Quarters.

“Ensign, why’s Sela’s door open?” He asked.

“It opened by itself, and we weren’t hearing anything sir.” The ensign responded. “I stayed out here to cover the entrance while Trathru went in to see if Sela was alright.” He reported.

“I believe I gave explicit orders NOT to enter her quarters.” Yamik retorted. “Now that someone is in there with a weapon she has a chance to become armed. Then we’ll all be in trouble.”

“We reasoned that it was equally as likely that she needs medical attention sir.” The ensign responded.

Yamik had to agree with the ensign’s reasoning, but he still felt uneasy, so he tapped his combadge. “Ensign Trathru this is Yamik. Report.” He ordered.

No response. Nothing but silence. After a second, Yamik tried to page Trathru again, only to receive nothing again. “I don’t like this.” He concluded. “I’m going in. The moment you see Sela, stun her.” Yamik ordered before he slowly moved to enter Sela’s quarters.

The Ensign gulped as he held his phaser out, finger on the trigger. “Shame Harmony isn’t in the ship currently, she woulda been handy.” He commented.

Yamik meanwhile entered the new dark Quarters and began doing a sweep of the room. One thing he was finding was that Sela was NOT there, and that concerned him greatly. He approached the entrance to the bedroom, but stopped and decided to press against the wall next to the door. “Cmdr Sela? Ensign Trathru? Anyone in there?” He called out into the bedroom. Hearing no answer, and knowing full well the danger posed by a mind controlled Sela, Yamik decided to take a risk, and he turned, aimed his phaser, and began spraying the bedroom with stun fire. He figured that the worst case scenario was that he’d stun both Sela and Trathru. After a few seconds of shooting, he stopped his barrage. “Computer, Lights.” He ordered.

The lights came on and Yamik looked around to find Trathru lying on the ground, unmoving. “Trathru!” Yamik exclaimed as he immediately knelt down and checked for a pulse from Trathru, much to his relief, there was. “Phew, just unconscious.” He said. He then noticed that both Trathru’s combadge and his phaser were gone. His eyes widened as his mind came to a conclusion. Sela was armed, and on the loose. He tapped his own combadge. “Lt Cmdr Yamik to all hands. Cmdr Sela is on the loose!” He announced as he stood up. “Get a doctor to Sela’s quarters to tend to an Unconscious Ensign Trathru. All security personnel start combing the ship. You are cleared to use all necessary nonlethal force to contain Sela. Be advised that She is armed with a phaser pistol that has had its kill feature removed.” He said as he raced out of Sela’s quarters. “Fredrick! Are you locked in a shuttle yet?” He asked.

“Just got in.” Fredrick responded. What came through comms next was phaser fire impacting, Fredrick’s voice came through after that. “Sela just arrived!” He exclaimed.

“All security personnel report to the Shuttlebay on the double!” Yamik ordered in response.

Back in Proxima’s quarters. Proxima’s eyes fluttered open as she came to. “Uggghhhh...God my head hurts.” She groaned as she shook her head and sat up. Her mind raced as she tried to remember what happened. She looked around until she saw the dream crystal, and it came back to her. “Right. Dream Crystal, enchantment.” She stood back up, and lit her horn to cast a spell detection spell on the crystal, making sure the shield enchantment was on the crystal. She smiled when she saw that it was. “Perfect.” She said. Relieved that at long last, they had a real shot of shutting down Sela’s parents for the foreseeable future.

Her smile vanished when Yamik’s voice came through. “Captain Maxima! Sela has escaped containment and is in the shuttlebay! Attempting to contain and shut her down but we could use that crystal!” He exclaimed.

Proxima could only guess that Sela’s parents somehow managed to get her out as she lit her horn and grabbed the dream crystal from its pedestal. “On my way.” Proxima responded before she raced out of her quarters, first taking off her Elemental armor and tossing it onto her couch. ‘There’s only one threat onboard this ship currently and she’s in the shuttlebay.’ She quickly rationalized as she ran through her ship.

In the shuttlebay. There was indeed a firefight happening as Sela, under her parents’ control, exchanged fire with Yamik and any officer he could get his hands on. Both sides were barricaded using crates in the bay, and Yamik had the foresight to order the Energon refinery, storage, and refueling stations be shielded as to prevent an Energon ignition. He aimed around the corner of his crate again and fired stun shots at Sela, which barely missed as Sela took cover again. “Grrr. It’s one person against at least 30. How have none of us landed a shot on the commander yet?!” He asked rhetorically to himself in frustration, and also embarrassment that they, for all the time they spent at the phaser range, couldn’t score the one lousy hit that they needed. “I swear when I get my hands on those two back home…” He cursed. Thinking about how he’d repay the T’Palas for this when he noticed Captain Maxima Race into the shuttlebay, holding what he presumed was a fully activated and loaded Dream Crystal.

Maxima stopped dead in her tracks as she took a second to take in the chaos going on in the Shuttlebay before she spread her wings and flew over to Yamik’s position, being careful not to let Sela see her. “You have 30 at your side and Sela’s still fighting?” She asked.

“I’m chalking it up to her parents having good reflexes and experiencing absolutely zero delay over the insane distance.” Yamik responded. “Please tell me that crystal is fully energized?” He asked, gesturing to the Dream Crystal.

“It’s ready for action.” Proxima responded, glancing to where Sela was barricaded. “I just need to get it around her neck and that should cut her parents off.”

“She’ll see you coming in an instant. And something tells me her parents will take special interest in you.” Yamik pointed out.

“Good thing I got magic on my side.” She said as she grabbed the crystal in her hooves and lit her horn, teleporting over to where Sela was.

Meanwhile, Sela was attempting to regain control of herself, but it was proving to be a futile endeavor. “You HAVE TO STOP THIS!” Sela almost screamed. “This is highly illogical. Even for you two!”

“We shall not stop until that ensign, and your anger, are both dead.” She heard her father say simply. Sela was becoming increasingly frustrated. She could not fathom how her parents could still think they could succeed in this insane plan when the odds were stacked impossibly against them. Sela stopped fighting when she felt a presence nearby, a feeling that someone was close.

Her parents got the signal as well and so puppet controlled Sela to turn around...only to be ambushed by Proxima, who pushed the crystal against Sela’s chest and quickly wrapped the necklace chain around her neck. “Sorry you two. But this show ends here!” She proclaimed as the crystal glowed extremely brightly.

What happened next was Sela incurring an intense migraine, strong enough to make her involuntarily scream in pain as she dropped the phaser. She could feel Her parents’ control waning fast, and within seconds, Sela’s brain shut down completely and she fainted, losing all consciousness as her body fell into Proxima’s forelegs.

In the secret bunker, Mr T’Pala quickly took off the VR headset to avoid an electrical discharge. Mrs T’Pala meanwhile stared wide eyed as her viewscreen, which had been showing what Sela was seeing, went completely dark. Like it just lost power. “It appears we have lost the connection.” She said simply.

“But how?” Mr T’Pala responded in confusion. “There is no way to stop a mind meld involuntarily.” The two looked at each other quizzically. “How curious.” Mr. T’Pala concluded. “We must reestablish connection as soon as possible.”

“Yes my dear.” Mrs. T’Pala responded.

Back on the Equestria, all went quiet. Proxima had practically screamed out to cease firing. And Yamik and his comrades were now slowly moving out from cover, their phasers still raised though. “Captain?” He called out. “What happened?”

“Sela’s unconscious.” Proxima responded. “Call for medical.” She said as she held Sela, she was relieved that Sela was still breathing. Eventually, medical staff did come, and Sela was immediately rushed to the medbay.

“Chief Engineer’s log supplemental. It’s interesting how things can be going down the drain in one part of the ship, but another part of it is mostly unaffected by it. Harmony’s Shadowing of Engineering went well, we gave Engineering a once over. And now we’re ready to reconnect the Harmony core to the ship. Meanwhile all hell broke loose in the shuttlebay and it’s now shot up so Engineering will need to fix it. I genuinely despise Sela’s despicable excuses for parents.”

Proxima Lit her horn and took all the gems in her magic, prying them from their indents on her armor and levitating them back to their indents in the Harmony Core. Harmony and Baker stared at her in confusion. “So they managed to get her out of her quarters, all the way to the shuttlebay, and managed to evade over 30 sources of stun shots?” Baker asked.

“All because they wanted to kill an Ensign for...wanting to carve into an asteroid?” Porthos asked.

Proxima nodded as she positioned the gems in their appropriate indents. “That’s the working theory.” She said, Yamik having filled her in on all the relevant details and theories to this incident. “Apparently Ensigns Freedough, Marin, Becker, and Fredrick want to leave a mark on the next mining asteroid we come across as it were. As a morale boost kinda thing.” She explained.

“And to a Vulcan, especially a pair of whackjob Vulcans, such an idea would be seen as a waste of resources.” Baker deduced.

“Yeah.” Proxima agreed. “Which is precisely why I am authorizing the activity. Because I feel it won’t hurt given what they’ve been put through and it will be a middle finger to those whackjobs. And ANY opportunity to stick it to them is worth it.” She said.

“Won’t disagree with you there captain.” Harmony responded. “Speaking of, where’s Cmdr Sela now?”

“In the medbay. Phlox says that the dream crystal, now enchanted with a shield around Sela’s mind, definitely disrupted the mind meld. Though it remains to be seen if it will hold.”

“Considering you used the Elements of Harmony and the Unity Crystals to do it. Something tells me her parents won’t be a problem for a good long time.” Baker commented.

“We can only hope.” Proxima responded with a sigh. Using the Elements of Harmony and the Unity Crystals to help create a magical shield around Sela’s mind really was their last hope in ending Sela’s parents’ shenanigans. “I’m just glad we could stop it before we lost anyone.”

“Yeah. We’ve all been lucky, it would really sting to lose someone because of a threat that should, by any account, be impossible for us to be affected by.” Harmony said.

“As history has shown us time and time again, we should always expect the unexpected.” Proxima responded. “Now, with the Harmony Core back together, think you can take it from here?” She asked.

“Yeah. We should be ready to reconnect the Harmony Core now.” Baker responded.

“Good. Get to it. I best be off.” Proxima responded as she proceeded out of Engineering, leaving Baker, Harmony, and Porthos with the Core.

Meanwhile, Marin, Becker, and Fredrick were with Freedough in the Medbay, Fredrick was recounting to the three the chaos that ensued. “It was legit insanity.” He said. “It felt like I was in the middle of a warzone.”

“Wow.” Becker responded. “Thirty Vs One and it only ended when the Captain swooped in with a magic mcguffin.” He commented. “I suppose we should be grateful that actual, real life magic exists.”

“And that we have the only Magic User in Starfleet onboard.” Marin added.

“Here here on that one.” Fredrick replied. “Heh, I wonder what Sela’s parents are doing now.” He mused.

“If their psychographic profiles are as Boimler says, they’re probably plotting some way to get back at us. Heh. For all the good that’ll do them now.” Becker said.

While the boys chatted away and made fun of Sela’s parents, Freedough couldn’t help but glance over at the Biobed next to hers, where Sela was still unconscious, resting on the bed. After a second, she noticed that Sela was beginning to move. “Hey guys. I think the Cmdr’s waking up.” She said.

The boys glanced towards Sela’s bed and noticed her stirring. “I’ll go get Phlox.” Marin said as he went to go tell the doctor that Sela was waking up.

Sela’s eyes meanwhile fluttered open after she regained consciousness. She opened her eyes to see a familiar sight, the ceiling bulkheads of the Medbay. She attempted to sit up, but she very quickly found out that she couldn’t when she hit a forcefield. ‘Curious.’ She thought. She looked around and saw some officers crowded around the next bed. A quick study of their faces told her that they were Ensigns Becker, Freedough, and Fredrick, and it all came rushing back to her. She remembered trying to resist her parents, she remembered losing control, and she remembered the rampage she went on. She felt something resting on her chest and she moved her hand to feel that it was diamond shaped. She looked down and saw the dream crystal.

She didn’t have time to dwell on it before she heard Boimler call to her. “Cmdr Sela.” Boimler acknowledged as he approached.

Sela glanced at Boimler, and only one question came to mind. “Doctor? What happened?” She asked.

“What do you remember?” Phlox asked in response.

“I…remember resisting my parents’ control over me, I remember attacking that security ensign, and I remember the shootout in the shuttle bay…” Sela recounted. “After that, nothing.” She said. “What happened?” She asked again.

“Well, as far as I can tell.” Boimler responded. “It appears that the Hail Mary worked. And now that crystal protects you, and by extension us, from your parents’ machinations.” He announced before pulling up his combadge HUD.

Sela meanwhile heard what Boimler said, but she could not wrap her brain around it. “...Pardon?” She asked, hesitating to believe that what she heard was true.

Boimler just smiled. “I am detecting field of energy around your mind. Like it’s in its own little bubble. The source? The Dream Crystal around your neck. And based on my readings, nothing bad is ever getting through. I’d say you are, at long last, rid of your parents.” He said as he shut down his HUD after having completed a quick and thorough Neural Scan. After which he deactivated the Biobed Forcefield. “I am putting you on restricted duty the rest of the week to give you time to recover, but other than that, you are free to go. Captain Maxima told me to send you right to her quarters when I let you go. Might be a good idea for you to do so.” Boimler said.

Not knowing what else to do or say, Sela just nodded and sat up. “T-Thank you doctor.” She said, trying to control her breathing.

While Boimler nodded and left, Freedough could see exactly what Sela was trying to do, being all too familiar with such an act. “Feels good doesn’t it?” She asked with a smirk, sitting up herself and swinging her legs over to the side to sit up. “You don’t need to worry about your sorry excuses for parents anymore?”

Sela tensed up when she heard Freedough’s voice. And though she still was trying to process everything, she did have a straight enough mind to respond. “You four...I will never be able to adequately--” Sela tried to apologize before Freedough cut her off.

“With all due respect Commander? Save your breath. You have nothing to apologize for and we all know that.” Freedough said with a smile. “Take it from me. My own parents were complete assholes while I was growing up. I’ve learned that the best thing to do is to forget about them and move on with your life. Trust that sooner or later, karma will rear its ugly head toward them.” She said.

“That...Is one way to go about it.” Sela responded after a second. “Still, it does not make the guilt I have over what happened go away.” She said.

“Would it help to hear that we forgive you?” Fredrick asked. “Because we do.” He assured Sela.

Sela hesitated again, not sure how to feel about them forgiving her so easily. “You mean that?” She asked after a few moments.

“We do. Unlike some people it seems. We have a brain.” Marin said. “Makes no sense to blame you for something outside of your control.”

“So how about we just agree to put this behind us and go back to the well oiled machine we strive to be every day?” Becker asked.

Sela could see it in their expressions that they were being serious, and ultimately, she nodded. “That is agreeable. Thank you.” She said.

“Anytime Cmdr.” Freedough responded.

Sela nodded and excused herself. Wishing Freedough a speedy recovery before leaving the Medbay. She found Yamik standing out there, waiting to escort her to Proxima’s quarters. “Airing on the side of caution for a few days.” Yamik reasoned, to which Sela agreed.

As the two walked through the corridors, the reality of what having a shield around her mind meant began to truly sink in. With the shield, as evidenced by the abrupt stop to the Mind Meld, Sela no longer had to worry about her parents causing mayhem on the ship. With the shield, she was truly and absolutely out of reach of her parents, with the shield…she was free.

As Sela’s mind raced with thoughts of the future and the giant weight that she felt lifted off her shoulders, her composure began to gradually break down as all the stress and emotions that she had been feeling ever since her parents started their shenanigans began to melt away. Yamik meanwhile noticed what was happening and just gave Sela a pat on the back and a smile.

Soon, they arrived at Procima’s quarters and Yamik took his leave. Leaving Sela to ring the bell to let Procima know she was there. The door opened shortly after to reveal Proxima. And as they looked at each other, no words needed to be said. Sela stepped inside and let the door close behind her, and almost immediately after, the pair closed the gap and embraced each other in a hug. It was the final crack that made the floodgates break wide open and Sela let her tears fall. Tears of relief and joy as she allowed all the pent up feelings out.

Proxima, as the pair eventually fell down to their knees, Sela not having the strength to stand anymore, moved Sela’s head to her shoulder as she embraced her friend. She could only imagine the relief Sela was feeling over finally being out of reach of her parents. She herself was relieved that their last ditch effort actually worked. She didn’t want to think about what might have happened if it hadn’t worked.

She was brought out of her thoughts when Sela broke the silence. “Thank you.” Sela whispered simply. Her voice sounding much like a relieved little girl that had just woken up from a long lasting nightmare.

“Of course Seles.” Proxima responded, smiling to herself. “There was no way I was just gonna sit by and let them torment you any longer.” She said.

Sela could only nod in agreement as she wept on Proxi’s shoulder. Years of pain, anguish, and torment all washing away with every tear she let out. Each one freely falling without fear of repercussions by her parents, and being held by her friend who had stuck by her through all of it and stood up for her when she needed it most. For the first time in her life, Sela felt safe expressing her emotions, so she smiled. “I am so happy to have you in my life, Proxima Maxima.” She stated.

Proxima’s smile grew wider as she gently squeezed Sela in her forelegs. “Me and you.” She responded.

“Always have each other’s back we do.” Sela responded on instinct. Their friendship vow that they had made so long ago.

The next day, an all hands assembly in the Mess Hall was called, and there, Sela informed the crew of what had been happening to her. She explained about her parents, her condition, and the danger that, while significantly reduced, was not yet eliminated for good. Proxima had made it a particular point to issue a standing order stating that Sela was to be immediately transported to the brig should she be seen without her crystal necklace. An order she figured would be far easier to follow since instead of relying on subjective strangeness, it relied on pure eyesight and recognizing what the necklace looked like.

After the meeting, it had become just a general hang out. A few people came up to Sela and expressed their having her back all the way. Words that Sela appreciated to the fullest extent possible. At one point, she subconsciously brushed her hand against the phaser pistol she was cleared to carry again in case of a Terrorcon attack. ‘Finally, we can focus on the threat out here, and not the threat back home.’ She thought.

“Cmdr Sela?” Asked Harmony, who approached her.

Sela was brought out of her thoughts at Harmony’s voice. She glanced at the JWO. “Yes Harmony?” She asked.

“Captain Maxima just now released me from her order to not bother you. There are about a thousand messages your parents sent. All of them equate to “You have not seen the last of us.”.” Harmony reported.

Sela blinked. “A thousand messages?” She asked.

“Yes sir. It would seem your parents, among other things, are persistent.” Harmony responded. “Would you like to read any of them?” She asked.

“No. Just add them to the others in the file.” Sela responded. “...In fact, speaking of that. Computer? Erase all contacts labeled with the name T’Pala from my contacts list.” Sela ordered.

“Warning. This action is nonreversible. Proceed?” The Computer asked.

“Proceed.” Sela responded. Finally allowing herself to let go after, foolishly, clinging onto the hope that maybe, just maybe, her parents may have actually gotten their acts together. She saw now that they would never change their ways. So, she was going to follow Freedough’s advice and forget about them, and move on with her life. ‘At last.’ She thought to herself as the computer complied with her request.

To Be Continued...

Author's Note

And with that, Sela's parents are no longer a major threat. But will they stay that way? You'll just have to read on to find out.

I hope everyone has a safe and happy Holidays and a very happy new year.

THX FOR READING!

Episode 17: Security and Unity

“They have managed to overcome EVERYTHING we have thrown at them so far. We need a new plan. And we need it SOON!” Growled the deep voice of Unicron.

In front of the mystical figure knelt Bio Bionic, who was smirking. “I believe I do have a plan, my lord. We use their separation ability against them.” She proposed. “We’ve managed to locate them at an Energon Deposit. It would seem they are doing one of their puny mining pit stops. I’ve sent three of our own “Multi-Vector” as they call it capable vessels. Let’s see how they like it when we fight fire with fire.” She said.

“You sent the new Combo Megabot Terrorcons after them...for your sake they had better work.” Unicron responded.

“At the very least, it will strike fear into them that one of their greatest strengths now also belongs to us.” Bio Bionic replied as a hologram appeared and showed a trio of ships jumping to warp. “They have no idea what’s coming. Mwahahaha!” She laughed maniacally.

“Tactical Officer’s log: Stardate 32120801.09. We are once again at an energon deposit conducting a mining operation. Which means it’s the perfect chance for our resident Junior Warrant Officer in training to shadow both the Security and Tactical Departments, since they often go hand in hand with each other.”

On the bridge of the USS Equestria, the ship which was parked over an asteroid containing Energon. Yamik and Shron were at their stations, running regular scans of the area. “No Terrorcons coming up in sensors.” Shron reported.

“And I haven’t heard anything from Blitzwing. Looks Like Harmony might have an easy shadow day today.” Yamik commented in response.

“Knock on the console.” Shron responded, knocking on the tactical console for good luck.

At that moment, the turbolift opened and Harmony stepped onto the bridge. And by the sound of it she was talking to someone. “Captain Maxima, you have a Video call request coming in from Starfleet. It’s your parents.” She said into her combadge.

“Acknowledged. Route it to my combadge.” Maxima responded from down in the Energon Mine.

“Aye captain.” Harmony responded before she walked over to the communications station and did as she was told. Having gotten the notification as she made her way to the bridge.

Norman meanwhile watched Harmony slide up to the station next to him. “Morning JWO CyberSpark. Ready for your shadowing of Tactical and Security?” He asked.

“Aye sir.” Harmony responded as she routed the signal.

“Good to hear.” Yamik replied as he got up from his usual spot and walked to the back of the bridge where Shron and Harmony were.

Harmony meanwhile routed the video call to the captain and turned to her superior officers. Shron nodded. “Alright CyberSpark. You’ve shadowed Engineering, Science, and Operations. And you’ve gotten a taste of Security during the whole…incident recently involving a certain pair of whackjobs.” He said.

“And you are a month away from your Starfleet Entrance exam. I trust you’ve been keeping up with your studies while off duty?” Yamik asked.

“Aye sir.” Harmony replied with a confident smile, looking back on all the hours she’d already spent studying. “Put in 5 hours a day hitting the books.”

“Impressive.” Shron responded. “We might just make an officer out of you yet. But you still have a ways to go.” He reminded her.

“Understood sir.” Harmony responded.

Yamik nodded. “Now. Let’s start off with a little pop quiz. How many souls are on this ship?” He asked.

“175 officers, 3 pets, and 3 cybertronians for an overall 181 life forms onboard.” Harmony responded.

“And how many can pose a threat at any time?” Shron asked.

At that, Harmony tilted her head to the side in confusion. “Er, excuse me?” She asked.

“How many of those 181 souls could pose a threat to us at any time?” Yamik repeated.

Harmony heard the question, but it still did not make a whole lot of sense. “Uhm…I’m not sure I understand sir?” She finally admitted after a moment.

In response, Yamik just tapped the console next to him and security logs popped up on the screen. “Let’s go down memory lane shall we? You remember the day before we came out here right? And you left drydock prematurely on the sole word of Blitzwing?” He asked.

Harmony couldn’t help but blush and her ears drooped down. “Yeah…I remember.” She said.

“And as a result, we were forced into battle with the Emerald Rogues, which was a dangerous situation. And danger is related to threat.” Yamik explained.

“For a more recent exhibit B, Commander Sela going insane and assaulting 3 Starfleet officers. During that time she was a threat as well.” Shron chimed in.

“Yes sir.” Harmony responded, not quite getting it yet.

“In both cases, the people involved were those that do not normally act out in such a way.” Shron explained. “They became threats.”

“You could say that sir…” Harmony responded, her brain module starting to put together what Shron and Yamik were trying to explain to her.

“The point we are trying to make Harmony, is that anyone can become a threat to the rest of us at any time.” Yamik explained. “And it’s the job of security to do everything we can to minimize the possibility of threats internally.” He said.

“Yes sir. I understand now.” Harmony responded.

Meanwhile, in the captain’s chair, Sela couldn’t help but overhear when they brought up the incident recently, and her fingers curled into a clenched fist as she recalled her perspective. She took a deep breath to recompose herself before calming back down. ‘Do not pay it any mind Sela.’ She told herself. ‘So long as you have the Dream Crystal, they cannot touch you, and they cannot terrorize everyone else.’ She thought as she pushed it to the back of her mind, while also subconsciously gripping the crystal around her neck. Her thoughts wandering to Proxima, the mare who saved her.

Meanwhile, down in the mine, Proxima tapped her combadge, and two holograms of her parents projected from its built in emitter. “Captain Maxima, can you hear us?” Asked her mom.

“Loud and clear mom.” Proxima responded. “Looks like using the Equestria as a repeater is working nicely.” She observed.

“That’s good to hear.” Prodima’s momma, Belana, said. Looking around at the cave. “Is this a cave?” She asked.

“The Equestria is currently undergoing a mining operation to top off our Energon reserves.” Proxima explained, lighting her horn and laser cutting an Energon Crystal from its lodged base in the rock. “We do it anytime we come across an Energon deposit on the way. Just in case we end up going through a suave of space that is devoid of Energon deposits. We won’t be screwed right away.”

“That’s actually really smart.” Hannah responded. “Better to keep the tank filled as much as possible.”

“Exactly.” Proxima responded, talking while working as she moved onto another crystal. “All that being said. Hope you don’t mind me multitasking.” She said.

“Not at all.” Belana responded.

“How’ve you been Proxi? Everything going alright out there?” Hannah asked, smiling.

“For the most part everything’s been A-OK here. Aside from a rather intense incident that involved a pair of nutjobs we all know and loathe.” Proxima admitted.

Belana frowned at the mention of Nutjobs. “What did they do to Sela this time?” She asked. The three of them all knowing who Proxima was referring to.

“Trust me, you’re better off not knowing.” Proxima responded. “All I’ll say is, you guys back home better find them as quickly as possible. We’ve put up a defense against them but given that they accomplished what we all thought was impossible before…” Proxima trailed off.

Her parents nodded, understanding what Proxima was saying. “We’ve got several eyes looking for them, but so far nothing.” Hannah reported. “But we’ll keep looking.”

Proxima nodded. “So.” She said, changing the topic. “Aside from that, how’s it going back home?” She asked.

“Nothing out of the ordinary. Few skirmishes with the Emerald Rogues demanding to know where our “super weapon” is, but other than that. Just the usual.” Belana said.

Proxima couldn’t help but chuckle, knowing that the rogues meant the Equestria as the super weapon. “Were they told to go outside the galactic barrier to find it?” She asked.

“We did actually.” Hannah said. “But considering they are still demanding to know where, I doubt they believe us.” She said.

“Typical.” Proxima responded, rolling her eyes.

“So, Proxi, there IS a reason we called.” Belana said. “There’s something your mom and I have been talking about and we wanted to get your opinion.”

“Alright. Shoot.” Proxima responded. Curious what her parents had in mind.

“Remember that one time when you were three and you wondered if you had any siblings, and then subsequently asked if you were going to get siblings?” Hannah asked.

That caught Proxima off guard. “Uh...Yeah?” She responded, confused and curious where this was going if that was the first thing her mom asked her. She thought back to when she was three. Her parents brought her to the playground to play and she had her first experience encountering siblings.

“Well, your mom and I were thinking of adopting again.” Belana announced. “Grow our family with another bundle of joy.” She said.

Proxima froze in her tracks at her momma’s words. “...O-oh.” She said, taken aback by the news. “That’s uhm...” She tried to form words, but her brain was still trying to process it.

“The house has been quiet ever since you left for Starfleet Academy and...well, we don’t exactly do quiet apparently.” Hannah explained. “We kinda miss the noise.”

“Ah. I see.” Proxima responded.

“To be clear, this isn’t us trying to replace you. We don’t love you any less than when we first brought you home.” Belana clarified, sensing what Proxima might have been thinking. “We just thought it might be nice to grow our family is all.” She said.

Proxima inwardly breathed a sigh of relief when her momma clarified that. Though she had faith that her parents still loved her, it was nice to get that reassurance.

Proxima was about to respond when she heard jet engines roaring closer and she turned to see Blitzwing transform and land in front of her. “Captain, sorry to interrupt, but I found something you need to see.” He said.

“Can it wait Blitz?” Proxima asked.

“It can’t.” Blitz responded. “It’s a matter of life or death. I’m not kidding.” He explained.

“If you need to go Proxi, we understand.” Hannah said.

“Duty calls for a captain.” Belana said.

Proxima glanced between her parents and Blitzwing, before she sighed. “I’ll call you back later.” She said before she cut the connection. Blitzwing transformed into jet mode and opened his canopy. “Get in.” He said.

Proxima lit her horn and levitated herself into his cockpit, her wings being useless in the vacuum of space. When Proxima was secure, Blitzwing rocketed out of the mine and flew through the asteroid cluster. “So, what is this thing that you found Blitz?” She asked.

“It’s better if you saw it first, but it will be a familiar sight to you.” Blitz responded.

Proxima’s curiosity was piqued. It should be familiar to her and it was a matter of life or death. Now what could that be referring to?

She was brought out of her thoughts when Blitzwing spoke up again. “So, what did your parents want?” He asked.

“They uh...They want to adopt another kid. Grow our family.” Proxima responded.

“Adopt? Isn’t that where an organic takes a smaller organic under their wing in place of the smaller organic’s biological family?” Blitz asked.

“Yeah. It’s what my parents did for me when I was first discovered, and when it was determined that I had no family...” Proxima trailed off. Remembering when she first lay eyes on the environment she would come to call home.

“Hm. They are some brave individuals. Taking on an infant like you.” Blitzwing responded. “I mean, surely your magic was unpredictable at times.” He mused.

“Heheh. Yeah...Good thing for replicators replacing what I accidentally destroyed.” Proxima responded, she glanced out the canopy towards the front, and after quite a bit of time, she spotted something lodged into an asteroid they were approaching. “What in the world?” She asked.

“Yeah.” Blitzwing responded. “Found this on my routine patrol on mining day, and suffice to say, we should bring it with us.” He said.

He landed on the asteroid near the object and let Proxima out. Proxima set her hooves on the asteroid and approached the object, which indeed looked very, very familiar. A round sphere that bore a striking resemblance to her own pod that they had in their cargo bay. “It...It’s my pod.” She said in disbelief.

“Indeed.” Blitzwing said as he transformed and miniaturized.

Proxima meanwhile had her mind racing. The features of the pod looked identical to her own pod down to the tiniest detail. After a moment, she tapped her combadge. “Maxima to Equestria, confirm that our life pod is still in our cargo bay?” She asked.

“Captain?” Asked Norman.

“Confirm that my pod is still in our cargo bay.” Maxima repeated.

After a moment, Norman’s voice spoke up again. “Confirmed Captain.” Norman responded. “Pod’s still here, what made you ask?” He asked.

“Blitzwing and I are looking at a pod of the exact same model right now.” Maxima reported.

“And what’s more, there is SOMETHING in this pod. I can pick it up on my scanner.” Blitzwing chimed in. “Which is why I suggested we take it back with us.”

Proxima’s eyes widened. She knew full well what her pod had in it when it crashed on Earth 22 years go, and if this pod was the exact same as her own... “Maxima to Equestria, send a shuttle to our coordinates.” She ordered.

“Aye sir.” Norman responded

On the Equestria, Sela and the rest of the bridge crew all shared glances with each other. “Did I hear that right? Blitz and the Captain found a second pod...With something INSIDE it?” Prestine asked.

“Sure sounds like it.” Norman responded as he tapped his combadge. “Lt Obelisk, take a shuttle out to Blitzwing’s and Captain Maxima’s Coordinates. They discovered something to bring back.” He ordered.

“Why not just beam it back here?” Paris asked. “Sounds like that would be faster.”

“If something is inside that thing, it’s better to use a shuttle so the transporter can’t screw with whatever the pod is carrying.” Prestine responded. “Though the fact that they found a second pod like the captain’s, and our sensors didn’t detect it, is...off putting, like there’s more to this than we know.” She said.

“I do not disagree Cmdr Prestine.” Sela responded. “It is rather curious we would make such a discovery. Although, starfleet has always had the theory that the captain’s pod was not the only one.” She pointed out.

“Still, something seems off about this.” Prestine said.

“I’ll alert Yamik so that security can be there in case things go sideways.” Norman responded.

Meanwhile, in one of the Equestria’s phaser cannon emitter stations, Harmony, Shron, and Yamik were doing a routine check on weapons systems. “Updating security protocols. Compiling firewall systems.” Yamik reported.

“Reinitializing Prefire subroutines, CyberSpark, how’s the Prefire Chamber looking?” Shron asked.

“All systems go across the board.” Harmony reported, her voice having a slight echo due to her being in the chamber itself, she exited the chamber and closed the hatch. “Remind me again why we aren’t doing all 6 of our cannons at once?” She asked.

“Some things can only be done manually.” Shron responded. “Our weapons systems need regular TLC to continue functioning at peak efficiency. Mining Ops provide that chance since the odds of encountering Terrorcons in these belts is low.” He explained.

“And as the old saying goes, Treat her like a lady, and she’ll always bring you home.” Yamik said. “Not a perfect analogy but the principle is the same. We take care of the Equestria and her systems, they’ll take care of us.”

“Which...now that I think about it, that kinda takes on a new meaning with the Equestria.” Shron pointed out.

“Because of me?” Harmony asked.

“Pretty much.” Shron responded as he reactivated the Prefire chamber. “We’re taking care of each other out here. As it should be.” He said.

“Yeah.” Harmony responded after giving it some thought. “Guess we are.” She said as the prefire chamber roared to life and the chamber itself became filled with teal colored phased energy. Harmony glanced into the chamber through the window, before a thought occurred to her. “Hey, why aren’t we using Energon?” She asked.

“Pardon?” Yamik asked.

“Blitzwing and Cliffjumper both say that Energon is used for ammunition in weapons. So why aren’t mine powered by Energon?” Harmony asked curiously.

Shron and Yamik glanced at each other, struggling to come up with an answer. “Uhh…” Yamik trailed off.

“We…don’t know actually.” Shron admitted. “Maybe it’s because of the circumstances of your emergence?” He suggested.

“I mean…the electroplasma I was running on before was replaced with Energon. Wouldn’t that have propagated to our weapons too?” Harmony asked.

“We...really can’t answer that Harmony.” Yamik responded with regret. “We weren’t expecting our ship to turn into a Titan, and we weren’t expecting our entire power grid to change over to Energon. It’s something that’s never happened in the history of the Federation before. That’s partly why we’re out here looking for Cybertron. So we can get some answers to these questions.” He explained.

“Ah. Ok. Well, hopefully we find Cybertron then.” Harmony said.

“Knock on the console.” Shron responded, knocking on the console next to him for luck.

At that moment, almost on cue, they heard the phaser cannons powering up automatically as the console turned red, spooking the three officers. “What the, Shron what did you do?” Yamik asked.

“I didn’t do anything.” Shron responded as he looked at the console. His eyes widened when he saw what was happening. “We got incoming!” He exclaimed. “Terrorcons.” He said.

Meanwhile, at the asteroid where they found the pod 3 hours ago, Proxima and Blitzwing watched as a shuttle from the Equestria landed near them. The hatch opened and out walked Obelisk in a spacesuit. “Someone call for an uber?” He asked jokingly.

“Very funny Lt Obelisk.” Proxima responded.

Obelisk approached them and saw the pod. “Whoa. Is that your pod captain?” He asked, having seen Proxima’s pod along with everyone else.

“A replica of it. Yeah.” Proxima responded. “And it appears that there is something in there.” She added? Having her compadge tricorder HUD up. “I am very much detecting a life form in this thing.”

“How on earth did it crash here?” Obelisk asked.

“I don’t know, but we can’t leave it here.” Proxima replied. “Let’s load it up and—“

She didn’t get any further before everyone noticed the pod beginning to glow, and shake on the ground. Making all three of them step back from the pod. “What the hell?” Asked Blitz

A small hole opened up in the pod, and projected a beam of light that began moving in a circle. It was probably a scanning system. After a few passes, the scanning beam stopped at Proxima and began to do a more detailed scan of her. After a few seconds, the beam retracted and the pod dimmed its glow, after which four red dots appeared on the pod. The leftmost one turned green…and then all activity stopped.

Silence. Silence befell the situation as Blitz, Proxima, and Obelisk all stared at the pod, and glanced at each other. “Ok, anyone want to take a guess as to what just happened?” Obelisk asked.

“It looked like it scanned Maxima…and maybe now it’s beginning a process to open?” Blitzwing guessed. “I don’t see what the dots could otherwise indicate.”

“We better get it back onto the ship before the other three dots turn green.” Proxima deduced. “Get it into a breathable—“

“Equestria to Captain Maxima.” Came Sela’s voice through Maxima’s combadge. “Captain, we have a situation.”

“Situation?” Maxima asked. “What’s going on number one?”

Obelisk noticed something in his peripheral vision and glanced up to see something that made him jump. “Uh, guys. Look!” He said as he pointed up.

Maxima and Blitz looked to where Obelisk was pointing, and saw three ships with familiar markings bearing down on them. “Scrap.” Blitz cursed.

“Terrorcons!” Proxima identified the threat before them.

To Be Continued…

Author's Note

A second pod like Proxima's what a find in an asteroid cluster of all things.

I wonder what is inside the pod? Guess you'll just have to keep reading to find out.

THX FOR READING!

So, while I’ve been working on STR, on the side I’ve been setting up something else Star Trek Related in a game called Space Engineers. A Project Called the Starfleet Search and Rescue Taskforce. It’s going to be a series on YouTube that follows some Starfleet Officers as they essentially act like the Thunderbirds of space (bonus points to anyone who knows what Thunderbirds is.) Our goal is to create a story that highlights the bravery and hard work that emergency responders do, while still making it fun and entertaining with the usual amount of Star Trek shenanigans.

Premise:
The Year is 2414, 14 years ago, an eruption of unknown origins created a second Delphic Expanse, an unstable region of space where strange occurrences happen regularly to ships passing through. Situated on the periphery of Federation Space, reports from Starfleet’s assets coming out of the region after the second Delphic Expanse was formed made it clear that a dedicated taskforce of starships and personnel was needed to help prevent the region from descending into Chaos. The Starfleet Search and Rescue Taskforce. Operating out of Yorktown Starbase at the southernmost starbase position in Federation Space, the brave men and women of this elite task force, armed with specially designed starships built to withstand the effects of the expanse, answer the call whenever danger abounds. Be it fellow Starfleet assets in peril, local freighters and civilians in danger, or whatever the Expanse has up its sleeve. At the forefront of this taskforce is the crew of the USS Hopkins. Together, they spring into action whenever they are hailed.

Currently, we are looking for cast members, camera crew, builders, voice actors, and writers to help us bring this project to life. If any of these tasks interest you, Pay attention to the rest of this announcement.

As currently we are only accepting cast and crew into the server, In order to join, there are a few things you will need to fulfill most roles in the project.

1: A rough idea of Star Trek in general.

2: The base game of Space Engineers either owned, or are planning to get it in the near future (This requirement is for cast, crew, and builders. For Pure Voice Actors, editors, or writers, the game is not necessary unless you also want to be part of the cast or camera crew.)

If you want to be a part of the project and help make something we feel will be awesome, feel free to join our Discord server. Linked below.

Starfleet Search and Rescue Taskforce

Hope to see you soon Officers.

(Disclaimer: Both the Server and the project are still in early stages of development. Should you join, patience is appreciated.)

Episode 18: Throwing the Kitchen Sink

Last time on Star Trek Equestria Reformatted...

“You are a month away from your entrance exam.”

“Put in 5 hours a day of studying.”

“As the old saying goes, treat her like a lady, she’ll always bring you home.”

“We were thinking of adopting again, grow our family.”

“Captain, there’s something you need to see.”

“Is that…my pod?”

“We need a new plan and we need it soon!”

“It will strike fear into their hearts knowing we can now match their capabilities.”

And now the continuation...

On the asteroid discovery site, Proxima, Blitz, and Obelisk saw the three ships closing in. “Aww fudge.” Blitzwing said.

“Orders Captain?” Obelisk asked.

“What do you think?” Proxima asked. “Get that pod into the shuttle and let’s throttle it back to the Equestria!” She ordered, Blitz and Obelisk springing into action.

On the lead Terrorcon ship, a minion turned to its captain. “Sir, it would seem that that Federation ship is here, and we are almost directly on top of one of their away teams.” It reported.

“Then what are you waiting for? DESTROY THEM!” The captain growled.

On the Asteroid ground, Proxima’s ears twitched as she heard, through magic, the ship’s weapons powering up. She turned and glanced up to see a weapon port aimed right at them. “Incoming!” She exclaimed as she lit her horn and erected a shield around herself and the shuttle while Obelisk and Blitz secured the precious cargo on the shuttle. The shield went up just in time to get hit by the shockwave of a powerful dark Energon blast that missed it by just a hair. The resulting explosion knocked Proxima off her hooves and sent her flying back right through the shuttle’s door into the shuttle itself, slamming against a console. “Oof!” She grunted before her world blacked out, falling into unconsciousness.

Obelisk, seeing what happened, immediately rushed to her side and activated his Combadge Tricorder to make sure that Proxima was still alive. “Blitzwing! I think we’re gonna need some cover.” He told the jet cybertronian.

Blitzwing understood what Obelisk meant, and rushed back outside, transformed into his jet mode, and rocketed up towards the three ships. “Bring it on Scrapheads! Eat Energon!” He exclaimed as he opened up his weapons on them.

Obelisk meanwhile got into the shuttle pilot seat and immediately took off from the asteroid at full speed. “Shuttle 122327-01 to USS Equestria. Captain Maxima’s down. She’s still alive but unconscious. Blitz is providing cover so we can escape, but some support would be appreciated right now!” He reported.

On the Bridge of the Equestria, Shron, Yamik, and Harmony returned to the bridge and took their stations. Norman Meanwhile spoke up. “Our Energon reserves are at 85%, we were at 75% when we arrived earlier this morning.” He reported.

“So packing up and leaving the area isn’t an option?” Asked Cmdr Prestine.

“I would prefer not to leave.” Sela responded. “Red Alert! Weapons hot deflector to full. Paris, plot intercept course, best reasonable speed.” She ordered as the ship reacted to Red Alert accordingly.

“Cmdr. It took our shuttle 3 hours to get there. At our best possible speed as opposed to their best. It will still take an hour and a half to get there.” Paris reported.

“Then take us to black alert.” Sela responded. “We shall use our spore bridge to get there quickly.” She explained.

“Are you sure commander?” Norman asked, remembering the recharge time that Baker said their Spore Bridge generator needed.

“They will encounter us soon enough. Best to engage our enemy away from the volatile Energon.” Sela reasoned.

“Aye sir.” Everyone on the bridge responded as Prestine readied the deflector. “Cmdr Baker. Is the Spore Bridge ready?” She asked through the com.

“Spore Bridge?” Asked Baker in response. “What do we need to activate that for?”

“Terrorcons are enroute to our location. Currently chasing down one of our shuttles, and we need to get there as soon as possible.” Prestine responded.

“So that’s why we went to red alert. Priming Spore Bridge now.” Baker responded.

Norman, taking initiative, contacted their shuttle in distress. “Lt Obelisk, we’re preparing to spore bridge directly to your location. Once we arrive, beeline to the shuttlebay, and prepare for a rough ride.” He added.

Meanwhile, Shron glanced at Harmony as he checked to make sure all the weapons systems were online. “CyberSpark, prime the MultiVector system, and be ready to engage it on command.” He ordered.

“Aye sir.” Harmony responded as she did as she was told. While she worked, a probably dumb thought occurred to her. “Sir, should we try to route Energon into our weapons system? To give our weapons a kick?” She asked.

“I like where your head’s at thinking tactically, but there’s no time to even test if it’s possible.” Shron responded. “Especially with our people in great peril.”

“Baker to bridge. Spore Bridge is charged and ready. Baker’s voice came from the intercom.

“Mr Paris, on your mark.” Sela responded.

“Engaging Spore Bridge, setting exit portal coordinates in our shuttle’s flight path.” Paris responded. The Equestria’s deflector dish glowed bright until it shot a beam into space. The beam widened and created a Space Bridge portal.

Meanwhile, Obelisk and Blitzwing soared through the asteroid cluster with a squadron of Terrorcon fighters chasing after them and firing, causing them to fly erratically to avoid being shot. Blitzwing growled as he turned on his center axis, and let his momentum continue to carry him forward as he unleashed a round of blasts at the fighters. “I hope the Equestria gets here soon! Because otherwise these things are going to get a LOT of time to shoot at us!” He exclaimed.

As if on Cue, Obelisk saw a portal open up in the distance, and out soared the USS Equestria, making him smile. “Ask and you shall receive Blitz. The Cavalry has arrived!” He reported.

As the Equestria approached the dog chase, the crew got a good look at the three starships that were approaching from the other side. “Whoa. Never seen a ship like that before.” Paris Commented.

“Cmdr Shron, target the fighters chasing our people out there and disable with extreme prejudice.” Sela ordered.

“Aye sir.” Shron responded. As the USS Equestria flew overhead of the dog chase, it opened up its phasers and destroyed the entire squadron. Blitzwing smiled with glee in his jet form. “Thanks for the assist Equestria!” He called out.

“Anytime Blitz.” Norman on Coms responded. “Obelisk, land in the shuttle bay.” He ordered.

“Aye sir.” Obelisk responded, setting course for the shuttlebay.

“Now, let us dispatch those ships quickly. Engage Multivector Mode. Attack Pattern Gamma 7.” Sela ordered.

“Aye captain.” Harmony responded. “All hands, we are engaging Multivector mode. Brace yourselves.” She announced as she pressed the button.

“MultiVector Mode engaging. Separation sequence initiated.” The computer said.

On the bridge of the lead Terrorcon ship, the commanding officer saw the Equestria split into its three parts. “Ah. They have engaged their separation capability. Let’s show them our new trick. All megabots, disengage and transform!” He ordered.

The ships, as soon as the order was given, began to split into three parts, much to the shock of everyone on the Equestria. “Uh, I’m not the only one seeing that right?” Yamik asked as the three parts came to a stop.

“You have got to be kidding me. Those scrapheads stole our trick?!” Shron exclaimed.

Norman was pulled out of his own shock by an alert on his console. “They’re hailing us.” He reported.

“On screen.” Sela responded as she stood up and approached the viewscreen. The Viewscreen changed images to the Terrorcon captain.

“Attention USS Equestria. As you can see, you are no longer the only ones with the ability to multiply your numbers. Now we have your power.” He announced.

“That is evident. What do you expect to change from any other time we have sparred?” Sela asked.

“You are outnumbered three to one. Surely you can see how hopeless your situation is.” The Terrorcon responded.

“We have overcome being outnumbered in the past. We shall see if that streak continues today.” Sela replied simply.

“You are foolish to think you will survive this battle. Hand over the Cyber Compass, or we will take it.” The Terrorcon captain responded.

At that moment, the 9 detached ships began to transform, converting themselves from ships to robots. Blitzwing, who was still in space, witnessed this. “Oh bloody hell.” He exclaimed.

On the bridge, the crew also saw what the Terrorcon ships did and all stared at the screen in shock, as if they didn’t think that would happen. “The ships...” Prestine said.

“They’re titans?” Harmony asked. Her mind racing. She did not think she would meet others like her so soon. And make matters worse, they worked for the Terrorcons?

“No, not titans.” Blitzwing responded through the Coms. “They’re Megabots. Smaller than Titans but still many times larger than a normal Cybertronian.” He explained. “Not only that, as we just saw, they were also combined into just 3 ships a second ago. Those scrapheads actually managed something thought to be impossible. MEGABOT COMBINERS!” He deduced.

The Terrorcon captain smirked. “I see one of you at least has a brain module.” He said. “Now, the Cyber Compass.” He demanded.

Sela’s mind raced. While before she had been confident that they could take on this force, now her confidence was waning. After a moment to consider, she made a signal to cut the connection, which Norman did. With the screen going out back to its normal view of space, she turned to her fellow officers. “We need options. We cannot leave the cluster until our Energon reserves are at 100%, and I would rather we keep the battle as far away from our mining team as possible.” She told them.

“What we need to do is divide and conquer.” Blitzwing suggested. “We can’t take all of them on together. We need to split up and get them to chase us.”

Shron ran through the strategy in his head before nodding. “That might be best Cmdr.” Shron spoke up. “Except by my count, each segment would need to get three of those giants to chase them. Even with our firepower, not sure we can stand up to three of those with one segment.” He explained.

Sela considered the plan. She glanced back around to look outside, and noticed the asteroids, at that moment, an idea came to her. “Then we shall use our environment to our advantage. Paris, set all three segments to fly in a random direction in the asteroid field. Blitzwing, follow the alpha segment.” She ordered.

“Aye sir.” Paris responded as he did as he was told.

“What did you have in mind Cmdr?” Blitzwing asked.

“We are going to see how well our adversaries fly in a landmine of obstacles.” Sela responded as she sat back in the captain’s chair. “Mr Paris, Engage on your mark.” She said.

“Aye sir. Hang on to something.” Paris said as he hit a button and sent all three segments blasting off at full speed, going over the Terrorcon Megabots and scattering.

The Terrorcon captain saw what was happening and he growled. “After them! Three to a segment!” He ordered. The Megabots complied and went after the segments in groups of three.

In the shuttle bay situated in the beta segment, Obelisk had managed to get the shuttle landed just before the segment started its combat maneuvering. He opened the hatch in the back and let a pair of doctors rush in to tend to the Captain. “Has her condition changed at all since you took off?” Asked one of them to Obelisk.

Obelisk shook his head in response. “I don’t know. I scanned her once before I took the pilot’s seat to avoid being turned into space dust by those scrapheads.” He responded, glancing at the pod, which now had two green dots and two red dots. “As for that thing, someone ought to do a deeper scan on it. I heard something about there being a life form in there.” He added.

One of the doctors turned their attention to the pod and scanned it with their medically tuned tricorder combadge. “There’s definitely something in there. We need to get both the captain and this pod to the medbay.”

“Nnngh…god those have one hell of a kick.” Came a groggy voice. All eyes turned to see Proxima waking up.

Proxima’s eyes fluttered open as she tried to sit up. “Ugh. Please tell me we’re back on the Equestria.” She said groggily.

The doctor by her side helped ease her up into a sitting position. “Technically yes.” He said. “But currently the Equestria is in three pieces and we’re being chased by the Terrorcons.” He explained.

“The pod?” Proxima asked, glancing around until she saw the pod. She breathed a sigh or relief that it appeared everything got back to the Equestria ok.

“We made it back intact Captain.” Obelisk responded.

“Good.” Proxima responded as she began to stand. “I gotta get back to the—“

“Hold it right there. You were unconscious not even 20 seconds ago.” The doctor beside her cut her off. “You resuming command mid battle without a medical examination is out of the question.” He explained. “Both you and the pod are going right to the medbay.”

Proxima opened her mouth to say she was fine, but she saw the stern look on the doctor’s face, and sighed. “Fine.” She relented.

“Now let’s go.” The doctor said. Obelisk got behind the pod and pushed it out of the shuttle as they all got out, Proxima looking out the stone bay force field and seeing three robots chasing them. ‘Ok maybe me resuming command mid battle isn’t the best idea after all.’ She thought, recognizing that she didn’t have enough information.

Back over to the Alpha Segment, Blitz trailed behind to intercept whatever torpedoes the three megabots fired, but that was about all he could do. He fired his lasers and shot down another torpedo. “We need to find some way to get these guys to crash!” He commed the Equestria. “In their robot modes they can more easily dodge our weapons.” He explained.

“We are open to ideas Blitzwing.” Sela said from the bridge. “You know more about these things than we do.”

“The best way to get the drop on these things is to flank them. But you’re too far away for that to pull a bait and switch and my weapons ain’t gonna do jack squat.” Blitzwing responded.

At the Tactical console with Shron. Harmony heard the conversation, and had started running through possible things they could try, when she suddenly saw something appear on her area of the console. It appeared to be a simulation of the Alpha Segment using its tractor beam to hurl asteroidal debris at the megabots chasing them. Her mind raced as she struggled to process what she was seeing, because the simulation had come up on its own.

She was pulled out of her thoughts when she heard Shron Addressing her. “JWO CyberSpark. Fire a spread of Quantum Torpedoes, set them to heat seeking--” Shron started before he noticed Harmony’s area of the console, and the simulation that to him, Harmony had been running. “Is that the Alpha Segment using the Riker Beta Maneuver?” He asked.

Harmony looked at Shron, then glanced at the Simulation. “Uh...If this is what you call it then I...guess so?” She asked, confused still.

Shron, after thinking about it, smiled. “Harmony you are a genius!” He said. “Prestine! Prime the Tractor Beam, target Asteroidal Debris.” He called out.

“What is it that you are planning to do Cmdr Shron?” Sela asked, looking back at him from the Captain’s chair.

“Harmony had the idea that we pull a Will Riker from the 25th century and hurl rocks at our opponents.” Shron said.

Everyone on the bridge glanced at Harmony, who was at a loss for words. She wanted to say that it actually wasn’t her idea, but she was too stunned to come up with anything. “Unorthodox, unexpected, will probably blindside them. If this Will Riker person invented that tactic, They have my respect.” Blitzwing commented. “Nice work Harmony.”

“B-But I didn’t--” Harmony tried to say before being cut off. Everyone turning their attention away from her.

“Blitzwing, you might want to get out of the way.” Prestine said as she primed the Tractor Beam and set its target. “Tractor Beam Primed and suitable debris targeted. Don’t miss Shron.” She told Shron.

Shron nodded and activated the tractor beam. Snagging one of the debris they were coming up on. He then swiped the console to make the tractor beam pull the debris straight towards one of the Megabots. Before the targeted bot could react, the asteroid slammed into them and slammed them against a larger asteroid, destroying them. Shron pumped his fist when they confirmed the kill. “Direct hit. One Megabot down.” He announced.

“Target another asteroid. See if you cannot get two in one shot.” Sela ordered.

On the bridge of the lead Megabot, which was chasing the Beta Segment, a Terrorcon turned to its captain. “Sir, we just lost 3 Megabots.” It reported.

“What?!” The captain asked, shocked. “How is that possible?!”

“It appears they threw rocks at us.” The Terrorcon reported, only to get disintegrated by the Captain’s transformed hand blaster.

“Imbeciles!” He declared.

“Captain. The three Megabots chasing their Gamma Segment just collided with thrown asteroids!” Another Terrorcon reported.

The captain glanced at his console, and saw three enemy signals changing course to Converge on their location. “Destroy that Segment we’re chasing. If we’re going to go down we’re taking one of their own with us.” He declared.

“Aye sir. Focusing fire.” The Terrorcon responded.

In the Beta Segment, Doctor Boimler finished his scan of Maxima and deactivated his HUD. “You’re lucky that blast didn’t do more serious harm. Just knocked you out.” He commented to the captain.

“Yeah. Lucky.” Proxima responded. “So, am I clear?” She asked.

“Once this battle’s over you’re cleared to resume command.” Phlox responded as the segment rocked. “If we still have a ship left after this.” He added.

Proxima called up her combadge HUD and connected it to the ship’s sensors, it showed three enemies chasing the Beta Segment, but it also showed three friendly signals converging on them. “I think we’ll be fine.” She said as she breathed a sigh of relief. During the examination Boimler told her about the Terrorcons’ new trick. She was glad to see that Sela managed to overcome the odds, Once again reaffirming she was the right choice for First Officer. Proxima deactivated her HUD, and glanced over at the pod, which had a team of blue and white Shirts huddled around it.

“Another pod like yours. I guess that proves Starfleet’s theory on yours not being the only one.” Boimler commented.

“Indeed. But the question remains, what’s inside? What will come out when--” Proxima started before she saw the third dot in the row turn from Red to green. “What will come out when that last dot turns Green.” Proxima corrected herself. Her mind racing with possibilities.

“Whatever it will be, Teletran’s now got another pod to pick apart to get it’s flight path.”

“If this pod is anything like mine it will be tough to crack. And Teletran had a 22 year head start thanks to Starfleet spending 22 years trying to crack the code.” Proxima responded. “This one, he’ll be going at it with the Pod at full strength.”

Meanwhile, in the Alpha Segment, Paris turned an Asteroid and saw the three remaining megabots chasing their Beta counterpart. “Cmdr, we have a visual on the three remaining bogeys, and Gamma Segment is coming up next to us.” He reported.

“Stay on them Ensign. Cmdr Shron, unleash the Hydra on them.” Sela ordered.

“Gladly.” Shron responded before he powered up both phasers and Quantum Torpedoes, unleashing all hell on the Megabots from behind.

On the lead Megabot, the captain was thrown off their seat when the Quantum Torpedoes slammed into their Megabot’s body. Sparks were flying everywhere as consoles exploded. The last thing he saw was the Beta segment of the USS Equestria firing Quantum Torpedoes directly at the head of the Megabot. It hit before he could react, and like the other Megabots, the lead Megabot exploded in a raging inferno, Blitzwing did a barrel roll in celebration. “And THAT is how we roll!” He said.

On the Bridge, the crew breathed a sigh of relief. “For a moment there, I feared the worst.” Yamik commented.

“Yeah. But thanks to Harmony’s quick thinking.” Shron responded, smiling at Harmony. “We pulled through.”

Harmony winced when Shron said it was her idea. At that moment she didn’t know what to do. Would they believe her if she said the Simulation ran on its own without her prompting it? It sounded ridiculous even to her. ‘I need to talk to the captain later.’ She deduced, before she noticed something pop up on her area of the Tactical Console. It showed a schematic of the ship...and a red dot blinked highlighting the docking bay for the captain’s yacht. ‘What?” She thought to herself.

Oblivious to Harmony’s conundrum, Sela sat back in the captain’s chair. “Mr Paris, Dock up the three segments and set a course back to our Mining Operation.” She ordered.

“Aye captain.” Paris responded, complying with the order.

Just moments later, A voice came over the intercom. “Cmdr Sela report to the medbay...there’s something you need to see.” Said Proxima.

Sela raised an eyebrow, curious what Proxima meant by that. “On my way.” She responded as she stood up and tapped her combadge to insta-beam over to the beta segment where sickbay was located.

To Be Continued...

Author's Note

I know that move in ST Picard didn't have a name, so I'm saying it went down in history as the Riker Beta maneuver to go with his over maneuver.

But yeah. Terrorcons now have their Multivector Mode. The playing field just shifted.

THX FOR READING!

Like Star Trek? Play Space Engineers? Want to be a part of a project called the SEST: Emergency Response? If so, pay attention to this ad. It's a Youtube series that aims to show a space version of the Thunderbirds. A group of emergency responders that go in where a normal starship might not be suitable. It aims to highlight the heroic work that those in emergency response services such as firefighters and EMTs do on a daily basis. While also containing the usual amount of ST Shenanigans.

Premise:
The Year is 2414, 14 years ago, an eruption of unknown origins created a second Delphic Expanse, taking the Moniker of the Echelon expanse, an unstable region of space where strange occurrences happen regularly to ships passing through. Situated on the periphery of Federation Space, reports from Starfleet’s assets coming out of the region after the second Delphic Expanse was formed made it clear that a dedicated taskforce of starships and personnel was needed to help prevent the region from descending into Chaos. The Starfleet Search and Rescue Taskforce. Operating out of Yorktown Starbase at the southernmost starbase position in Federation Space, the brave men and women of this elite task force, armed with specially designed starships built to withstand the effects of the expanse, answer the call whenever danger abounds. Be it fellow Starfleet assets in peril, local freighters and civilians in danger, or whatever the Expanse has up its sleeve. At the forefront of this taskforce is the crew of the USS Hopkins. Together, they spring into action whenever they are hailed.

Currently, we are looking for cast members, camera crew, builders, voice actors, and writers to help us bring this project to life. If any of these tasks interest you, continue reading.

As currently we are only accepting cast and crew into the server, In order to join, there are a few things you will need to fulfill most roles in the project.

1: A rough idea of Star Trek in general.

If you want to be a part of the project and help make something we feel will be awesome, feel free to join our Discord server. Linked below.

https://discord.gg/HBKPmGbjVA

Hope to see you soon Officers.

Episode 19: The Next Generation

Everyone in the medbay gathered around the pod, who’s fourth dot had turned green and began shining a light through what appeared to be the main access hatch. Proxima had taken point and had her horn extended just in case, and was flanked by a pair of security guards who were armed with phaser rifles. Everyone watched with bated breath as the hatch opened and released some kind of condensation, clearing up to reveal what was inside the pod. And it was something, or rather, someone that made everyone stare in disbelief.

Cmdr Sela, having been called once the fourth dot turned green, appeared in the medbay through insta-transportation. “Captain. I came as soon as I got your call. Is there a--” Sela cut herself off when she got a look at the open pod, and saw what her colleagues were seeing. “...Curious.” Was all she could say as they all looked upon a pair of small, blue foals that very much resembled a pair of Equis ponies.

“Chief Medical Officer’s log Stardate 32120801.1215. We successfully routed the Terrorcon attack and thankfully there STILL are no casualties...Which is a good thing because we’ve been presented with something more pressing. We discovered what appears to be a pair of baby Equines in the pod recovered earlier in the day. Based on what the Captain reported about the pod scanning her...It’s plausible that whatever might have been in there before, used that scan to assume its current form...er...forms?”

Proxima, Sela, Boimler, and Yamik, who had been summoned after the revelation, all stood around a Biobed, on which sat the two occupants of the pod. Each a different shade of blue. While Boimler did a routine check on them, Yamik was the first to speak. “Captain? From your own recollection, was there another occupant in your pod?” He asked.

“If there was, I have no recollection of them. I’ll need to ask my parents.” Proxima responded. Still trying to process what happened. The two foals were looking around at them, and then they saw each other and broke down giggling, reaching out and booping each other.

“God that’s adorable.” They heard someone behind them say. Boimler turned to see a nurse standing there with a few others. The nurse cleared his throat. “Sorry, Cuteness is my kryptonite.” He said, before walking off and getting back to work.

Attention turned back to the two foals on the bed and Sela glanced at Boimler. “Anything doctor?” She asked.

“I found a few things. But I believe it would be best if the captain and I talked in private once the exam is done. In case things get heated.” Boimler responded.

“Heated?” Proxima asked. “What’s there to get heated about?”

“Because scans are showing that their genetic makeup borrows heavily from your own Captain, by all accounts, they’re your kin, next generation to be exact.” Boimler announced.

That revelation took a second to sink in, but when it did, Proxima was at a loss for words as her jaw dropped. She took another look at the two foals, and the first thing she noticed upon closer examination was that they had her eyes. ‘My Kin, next generation, that would mean they’re...’ Her mind was firing on all cylinders trying hard not to get overwhelmed. She hadn’t considered having any kids until she was at least thirty. She wasn’t even a year into her career as a Starfleet officer. ‘Not to mention that I haven’t found someone to settle down with.’ Several thoughts raced through her mind. “...Finish the examination as fast as you can, Doctor, we can talk in my ready room then.” She finally said before excusing herself and leaving the Medbay in a hurry, fearing that she might faint if she stayed there.

Sela watched her leave, and turned her attention to Yamik. “Post a guard here to keep an eye on our little friends here. And sound the alarm should anything happen.” She told Yamik before she left to go after Maxima. She jogged to catch up to her in the corridor. “Captain Maxima.” She called after her.

Proxima saw Sela catch up to her and sighed. “If you don’t mind Cmdr, I’d rather be alone. Have a lot on my mind all of a sudden.” She told her.

“I can imagine.” Sela responded. “You doing OK?” She asked.

“I just found out that I apparently have two kids after a pod scanned me and presumably analyzed my DNA to make those foals...I...Honestly don’t know how to feel about that.” Proxima admitted as they walked together down the Corridor. “And to top it off, they show up on the same day my parents call saying they want to adopt and grow our family...Oh god what am I gonna tell them?” She asked, realizing that she’d have to tell her parents sooner or later.

“For now, I believe it might be best to hold off until we know more about these foals.” Sela suggested. “They will surely have questions.”

“So will Starfleet once we report this. I mean, imagine the luck we’d need to have to find a second pod like mine, have that new pod scan me and my DNA, and then use it to make a pair of foals.” Proxima remarked.

“The odds are against having such luck.” Sela responded. “However, the same could be said for you crashing on Earth all those years ago.” She commented.

“So when it comes to me, it’s better to not think about the odds.” Proxima deduced.

“Exactly.” Sela responded. “You are, to put it bluntly, a magnet for the unusual.” She said.

“Sometimes I wish I wasn’t.” Proxima commented. “In any event, I have some big decisions to make real darn fast it would seem.”

“Indeed.” Sela responded as they continued on. “Just know that if you ever need help. There are people on this ship willing to offer that help. Myself chief among them.” She assured Maxima.

“For that I am grateful Cmdr.” Proxima responded.

Meanwhile, Harmony and Shron entered the cannon control chamber they were in before the battle. “After action protocol.” Shron said. “Each weapon system gets a thorough inspection to make sure nothing got damaged. If we find damage, we are to report it to engineering to add to their docket.” He told Harmony.

“Aye sir.” Harmony responded. “What can I do?”

“Run a diagnostic first and foremost. I’ll start the visual inspection.” Shron responded as he approached the prefire chamber. Harmony meanwhile approached the console and began her diagnostic. After a few moments, Shron spoke up. “I’m impressed with you CyberSpark.” He commented.

“Sir?” Harmony asked.

“The Riker Beta Maneuver. Such a simple solution yet it was unfathomable to the rest of us. With thinking like that I see you being top of your class at the Academy.” Shron explained.

Harmony hesitated. On the one hand, she was glad that she was making a good impression with her superiors, but she didn’t feel right taking credit for something that she didn’t do. “…with all due respect sir.” Harmony finally responded after making a choice. “I don’t deserve your praise for the Riker Beta maneuver today.” She revealed.

Shron frowned and turned to Harmony, confused. “Not sure I follow boot. You were running a simulation?” He said.

“Boot?” Harmony asked, momentarily sidetracked.

“Easier than saying Junior Warrant Officer.” Shron responded.

“Ah. Gotcha.” Harmony replied. “And…yeah it may have looked like it. But that simulation started up on its own. I didn’t prompt the computer to run it.” She explained.

“Well if you didn’t run it, how did it run at all? The computer can’t run a simulation without a prompt.” Shron said.

“I don’t know sir.” Harmony responded. “Maybe because the computer is connected to my brain module, maybe I was considering it subconsciously? But I didn’t mean to do it sir.” She tried to explain what happened.

“Hm. That’s rather odd.” Shron responded. “Anything else you’d like to report?” He asked.

“Yes actually.” Harmony replied. “After the battle, a schematic of the ship popped up, and the Captain’s Yacht was highlighted in red.” She reported.

That caught Shron’s attention. “The captain’s yacht?” He asked. “Why would that be glowing red?”

“I don’t know sir.” Harmony responded. “Seems today is full of strange occurrences.”

“Seems so.” Shron replied. “Hm...When we’re done here, we’ll get a hold of Yamik and check it out.” He said.

“Sir?” Harmony asked, confused.

“Captain’s Yacht was glowing red, that could be a sign of danger. Meaning it should be investigated.” Shron responded.

“...Yes sir.” Harmony responded after a moment to process that conclusion.

Meanwhile, in Proxima’s ready Room, Boimler had just arrived after his examination of the new foals. “Alright doctor.” Proxima said. “What’s the rundown that only parents are allowed to talk to doctors about?” She asked. Knowing full well what Boimler had been implying when he said he had wanted to talk in private.

Boimler responded by pulling up the results on his HUD. “Let’s get the more mundane results out of the way first. The two are a colt and a filly. Twins.” He reported. “Both are perfectly Healthy.”

“Good to hear.” Proxima responded. “What else?”

“The foals appear to be a year old. But in reality, scans show they are in fact only about an hour old.” Boimler replied.

“Concurrent with when they obtained my DNA.” Proxima deduced.

“Exactly. My best guess is they had accelerated aging tech in the pod so that they come out looking like a year old.” Boimler responded.

“Makes sense.” Proxima said. “Now, what’s the NOT so mundane rundown?” She asked. Inferring that Boimler had found something else, something she wasn’t sure if she should be worried about or not as her innate parental instincts began to kick in.

Boimler tapped his combadge and an X-ray of the two foals appeared before Proxima. “When taking their X-rays. I found something that might explain where they came from, and where YOU come from.” He said as the X-ray zoomed in and showed four spherical objects. Two were glowing blue and the other two looked like something they had all seen attached to Harmony.

Proxima got one look and she gasped as she recognized the four subjects of the image. “Sparks...” She whispered. Covering her mouth in shock.

“And T-Cogs. Cliff and Blitz confirmed it.” Boimler responded. “There are organic elements as well as technological elements to them, your kids are Cybertronian/Equestrian Hybrids.” Boimler announced.

Proxima’s mind raced again, this new information threatening to overtake her. Her foals were part Cybertronian? It defied logic, and yet, she was seeing the proof.

Boimler watched Proxima with bated breath, letting the information sink in for her. When he first saw the results, he knew that it was gonna be hard for Proxima to hear. “Captain.” He said after a few minutes. “You realize what this could mean right?” He asked.

Proxima heard him, and knew what he was implying. “L-Let’s not jump to conclusions Doctor.” She said. ‘J-Just because they’re part Cybertronian doesn’t mean...” Proxima trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

“But this IS another clue pointing towards that theory.” Boimler pointed out. “Kids often take after their parents in many ways. Most of them at the DNA level.” He reasoned.

“Right...But there are billions upon billions of races out there.” Proxima countered. “For all we know, my pod coulda come from somewhere else.”

“This is absolutely true.” Boimler agreed. “But still, we can’t just discount the Cybertronian theory. Not with all the evidence so far.” He said.

Proxima could only nod as she struggled to keep her composure. Boimler could tell that she was struggling to juggle it all. “If you want, I can keep the foals in the Medbay for now. They’ll be taken care of, and you’ll have time to consider everything.” He suggested.

“That...Might be best doc. Thanks.” Proxima responded, agreeing. “Dismissed.”

Boimler nodded and turned to leave, before glancing back at the captain. “A word of advice though captain, regardless of their origins, they need someone to take care of them long term. And that decision needs to be made sooner rather than later.” He advised her as he left.

Proxima heard Boimler, and she agreed that someone needed to take charge of them, but she was still unsure if she herself was ready to be a mother. And then there was the whole revelation that they were part Cybertronian, which absolutely lent credence to the theory that she herself was at least part Cybertronian. She pushed that thought to the back of her mind for the moment, and decided on a course of action. “Computer, patch me through to Commanders Maxima.” She ordered.

Meanwhile, in the Medbay, Cliff, Blitz, and Teletran were gathered around the Biobed with the foals, the Biobed now having walls around it to make a crib to make sure they didn’t fall. Teletran glanced between the foals and the pod. “How curious. Two entities came out of one pod.” He commented.

“And they’re ponies.” Cliff remarked.

“Yeah.” A Medical officer responded as he came up carrying a spoon, a bottle of baby food, and a bottle filled with liquified Energon. “They are techno organic, Cybertronian/Equestrian Hybrids.” He said.

“What do you have there Lt?” Blitz asked.

“Organic Baby Food and a bottle of Energon.” The Medical Officer responded. “We need to figure out what these little ones can and can’t eat. Otherwise they’re in danger of...not being with us anymore in two weeks tops.” He explained.

“Cybertronians need Energon to survive. So I suggest feeding them Energon.” Teletran responded.

“Maybe full Cybertronians do, but these kids are PART Cybertronian.” The Medical Officer countered. “It’s entirely possible that they are sustained through organic food and not Energon.” He reasoned. He put the Energon bottle down and opened the baby food. “Hey there little ones.” He said to the foals, which made them turn their attention to him. “You hungry?” He asked.

The foals just stared at him. The officer scooped up some baby food with the spoon and slowly brought the spoon to them. “Anypony want to open up and let the choo choo train pass through the tunnel?” The Medical Officer asked, trying his best to do it in a way that a parent would try to have fun with their kid.

“What are you doing?” Teletran asked.

“This is how us Organics try to get our young to eat. By trying to pretend like it’s something else.” The Medical Officer responded. “Come on. Who wants to let mr choo choo pass through?” He asked the foals. NEITHER of them opened their mouths. Just continued to stare at him like he was crazy.

After a few minutes of him failing to get them to open their mouths, Blitz rolled his eyes. “Oh for Primus’s sake. Let me try.” He said as he took the baby food and spoon.

Teletran and Cliff stiffened, fearing what Blitz was gonna try. “Uh, Blitz.” Teletran said.

“I Don’t think that’s such--” Cliff tried to say before Blitz cut him off.

“Oh relax. Young people love me.” Blitz said while he turned his attention to the foals.

What happened next made everyone in the Medbay jump as Blitz suddenly started yelling. “Alright you Maggots! If you want to survive you need to open up those mouths and let this essential fuel through into your systems! Got it?” He yelled at the foals.

Cliff, Teletran, and the Medical Officer with them all stared at Blitz in total shock. The foals, of course frightened by the yelling, very quickly started crying and tears quickly followed. The Medical Officer, after recovering from the shock, very quickly grabbed the baby food and the spoon back. “Nope, no that’s not gonna work.” He said as he pointed out the door. “Get out.” He told Blitz.

“Get out?” Blitz asked.

“Yes. Get out. Leave. You were no help and only made things worse.” the Medical Officer said sternly.

Blitz opened his mouth to respond, before Cliff grabbed his arm and pulled him away. “Blitz, just go before you make things any worse.” He said as he pulled Blitz out of the Medbay. They passed Boimler, who paid them no mind as his attention was on the crying foals. “Aww what happened?” He asked as he approached the Biobed.

“I was trying to get them to eat some baby food, and then Blitzwing tried to get them to do it by YELLING at them sir.” The Medical Officer responded.

“THAT’S what that yelling was?” Boimler asked. “Is he insane?”

“Must be if he thinks young people like him. Based on what I just saw, that assessment might not be accurate.” Teletran responded.

“No kidding.” Boimler commented. “Fortunately, I got an idea.” He said as he tapped his combadge, and a hologram of an old TV show appeared before the foals. “Hey there little ones, check this out.” He told them.

The foals noticed what was before them, and their crying eased out into a mere whimper as they watched, and soon, that whimpering turned to giggling when the Coyote blew himself up trying to catch the Roadrunner. The Medical officer smiled and relaxed. “Looney Toons. The Number 1 Comedy Kids show in the 21st century.” He Identified the show.

“Works every time.” Boimler smirked to himself. “Now, on with figuring out what these guys eat.” He said.

Before anyone could do anything, two little horns poked out of the foreheads of the foal and glowed. Boimler and the Medical Officer stopped smiling, recognizing what was about to happen. “No. No don’t--” Boimler tried to get them to not do magic, but it was futile as the foals disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Teletran, unaffected by said smoke, witnessed the foals disappearing. “They can do magic already. Curious.” He said.

“And BAD. Because now they’re in god knows what danger!” Boimler responded, panicked. “Computer, locate the foals.” He said.

“Unable to comply.” The computer responded. “Insufficient information available.”

“Insufficient my ass we just did a full examination on them you should have more than enough information.” Boimler responded, growing more irritated.

“Insufficient information available.” The computer responded.

“Perhaps the computer needs names?” Teletran suggested.

“If it does then it’ll be no help because the foals don’t HAVE names yet.” Boimler responded as he tapped his combadge. “Boimler to Yamik, We need Security’s help to find a pair of missing foals.” He said.

“What? Did they get away from you doc?” Yamik asked.

“Unfortunately yes.” Boimler responded. “We need to find them before the captain finds out or all hell is gonna break loose.” He said.

“Well we don’t want that, do we.” Yamik responded. “I’ll get all security personnel on it. Two shades of blue, gray, and one is a filly while the other is a colt.”

“I’ll get my staff looking too.” Boimler responded before the connection was cut. “God I hope those foals didn’t end up somewhere dangerous.” He prayed.

Meanwhile, back in her ready room, a hologram of Proxima’s mothers appeared before her. “Hello there Proxi.” Hannah said, smiling. “How’s it going?”

“It’s Uh...It’s definitely going, that’s for sure.” Proxima responded. “Sorry about earlier, Blitz found something that was indeed urgent.”

“What was it?” Belana asked.

“Remember earlier you said you wanted to grow our family?” Proxima asked, receiving nods from both her parents in response. “I guess fate must have heard you.” She said as she told them about finding the Pod, the pod scanning her, and about the two foals that came out of the pod. Showing them the security feed of the foals in the medbay to back up her story. It was then that they were all treated to the sight of Blitzwing yelling at the foals. After she finished her story, Proxima made a parental instincts mandated note to scare Blitz into not doing that again while Hannah and Belana processed what the heck their daughter just told them,

“So you found a second pod like your own out there.”

“It scanned you.”

“And produced a pair of Cybertronian/Equestrian Techno-Organic Hybrids with your DNA?” Hannah and Belana summed up the story as a sanity check.

“Yep.” Proxima responded. “I guess fate heard you wanted to expand our family and so gave me foals...” She said.

“Well...That’s great right?” Hannah asked. “I mean you did say you wanted to be a mother.”

“Eventually.” Proxima responded. “I had wanted to get a few years of my career under my belt first. Maybe find someone to settle down with...solve the mystery of my origins...” Proxima trailed off as her ears drooped down.

Belana and Hannah saw her demeanor change and instantly knew there was something more. “Proxi? What’s going on?” Belana asked.

Proxima hesitated, before letting out a sigh. “This is another clue to my origins, everyone is in agreement on it…but I don’t know if I even want to find the answer anymore.” She revealed. Letting out what had been on her chest for a while. “I have a good thing going here and solving the mystery could change everything...” She said.

“Does it have to?” Hannah asked.

Proxima raised an eyebrow. “What?” She asked.

“Does solving your mystery really need to change everything?” Hannah asked. “The way I see it. Solving your mystery won’t change anything that actually matters.” She told Proxima.

“It won’t?” Proxima asked. Not really understanding.

“Not at all.” Belana said. “Take it from us. When we adopted you. Sure, some things did change. But our lives weren’t completely upended. We stayed in Starfleet, we still had our friends behind us, wherever it counted, nothing changed.” She said.

“And what did change, it changed for the better.” Belana said. “You filled a void in our lives. And we’ll forever be grateful.” She said.

“You really mean that?” Proxima asked, her eyes watering slightly.

“Yes.” Hannah said. ‘We love you Proxi. And if we had to do it all over again, we absolutely would.” She said.

Proxima couldn’t help but choke out a chuckle. “Doesn’t that take a literal meaning when you are talking about adopting again?” She asked.

Hannah and Belana laughed. “Fair point.” Belana said. “But, the point we’re trying to make Proxi, is that whether it’s solving the mystery of your origins, or becoming a mother earlier than you thought. If anything changes, it will ultimately be for the better. And where it counts, nothing will change at all.” She told Proxima.

Proxima considered her parents’ words, and it managed to quell her fears and she wiped her eyes dry. “Alright. If you say so. Thanks.” She said. “And...How did you two decide to adopt me on such short notice?” She asked.

“We took one look at you, saw a lost soul in need of a home, and since we knew we could give you that, we pulled the trigger.” Hannah responded. “It helped that we knew we wanted to be parents.” She added.

“I DO want to be a mother...” Proxima replied.

Belana nodded. “With that in mind, I believe the question should be, can you give them what they need.” She suggested.

Proxima thought about it for a moment, before she nodded. “You’re right. The question should be if I can give them what they need or not.” She said. “Thanks mom, momma. I needed that.” She said.

Hannah and Belana smiled. “Happy to help.” Belana said.

“Let us know how it goes.” Hannah told her.

“I will.” Proxima responded. “Oh, and going back to you looking to adopt, I know you called before to ask what I thought about it. I think you two should go for it. Do for them what you did for me.” She said.

Belana and Hannah nodded. “Alright. Glad to see you like the idea.” Belana told her. “We’ll leave you to it then.” She said. They and Proxima bid farewell to each other before the connection cut.

Proxima sighed in content and smiled, glad now to have called her parents. “Can I give them what they need…” She mused.

Elsewhere on the Equestria, Boimler sprinted through the Corridors of the ship, trying to find the foals. He asked passing officers if they had seen them, to which the answer was always no. He turned the corner into a corridor and sighed in relief when he saw them just sitting there. “There you are.” He said.

The foals heard him and turned to see Boimler approaching them. The two started giggling and lit their horns again. Boimler saw and shook his head. “No. There’s no need for—“ He tried to say, but the foals teleported away anyway in a puff of smoke. “Come on.” Boimler let out, exasperated. He HAD found them twice since leaving the Medbay, only for them to teleport away. “This isn’t a game of hide and seek tag.” He said.

At that moment, Yamik turned the corner and saw the smoke clearing up. “Don’t tell me they teleported again.” He said. Like Boimler, Yamik had found the foals a few times but they teleported before he could grab ahold of them.

“They did.” Boimler replied, facepalming.

“How did we not think to place some kind of magic dampener on them when we had the chance?” Yamik asked.

“Because we didn’t think they’d have their mother’s magical prowess at their current age.” Boimler responded. “And I do not want to admit to the Captain that they got away from us.”

“They got away from you.” Yamik corrected him.

“Either way. If we don’t find and catch them soon, Proxima’s gonna blow a gasket.” Boimler responded. “Do you want to face her when she’s in momma bear mode?”

“Of course not.” Yamik responded.

“Then let’s find them.” Boimler said before they both split up and resumed their search.

To Be Continued…

Author's Note

Oh no, the new foals have Proxima's race change powers. God bless the Equestria.

THX FOR READING!

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Episode 20: Where'd They Go?

Last time on Star Trek Equestria Reformatted...

“Curious.”

“If there was a second occupant in my pod I woulda known about them.”

“They’re Techno-Organic Cybertronian-Equestrian Hybrids.”

“They have your DNA, by all accounts they are your foals.”

“You know what this could mean right?”

“I’m not sure I want to find out.”

“Can I give them what they need...?”

“You lost the foals?!”

“We need to find them before the captain finds out and blows a gasket.”

And now the continuation...

In Engineering, The Entire Engineering Department stared in shock and confusion when a pair of foals that were sitting on top of the Harmony Core teleported into view suddenly. For the moment, no one spoke, until Ensign Marin broke the silence. “Please tell me I’m not the only one seeing this?” He asked.

“No Ensign Marin, you are not the only one.” Baker responded. “I guess the rumor that there were a pair of foals onboard is true after all.” She said as she tapped her combadge. “Baker to Boimler, you missing a pair of foals?” Baker asked.

“Yes...they’re in Engineering?” Boimler asked in response.

“Just teleported here.” Baker replied. “On top of the Harmony Core.”

At that moment, Baker coulda sworn that she heard a stroke through the combadge before Boimler responded. “Get them off of there and try to keep them there, Yamik and I are on our way.” Boimler said before the connection was cut.

Baker nodded and approached the Core glancing up at the foals. “Oy. You two cuties up there.” She said, trying to get the foals’ attention.

The foals heard Baker and glanced down to see her smiling up at them. “Welcome aboard the Equestria. I’m sure you’re going to love it here. Would you like to come down and meet the engineering department?” She asked, trying to get them to stay put long enough for Boimler to get there.

The entire department watched as the foals sprouted wings from their sides and gracefully descended down into Kasey’s waiting arms. They smiled up at her and looked around. “There we go.” Kasey cooed at them, slowly stepping away from the Harmony Core.

The act turned out to not be agreeable with the foals since they stopped smiling and began to whimper, reaching out to the core. Kasey stiffened a bit, and shook her head. “No, I’m sorry little ones, that’s a very dangerous piece of equipment that foals like you shouldn’t be around.” She told them. The colt only frowned at that and lit his horn, the Element of Magic began to glow before it dislodged from its indent and made its way to the foals. The filly caught it and the two foals giggled.

Marin’s breath hitched in his throat as he tried to intercept the Element of Magic, but failed to catch it before the foals could. “Hey. That is not a toy.” Marin told them. “I’m gonna need to--”

He couldn’t get any further as the foals lit their horns and poofed away, with the Element of Magic in tow. Something that made Kasey panic. “Oh dear. That’s not good.” She said.

At that moment, the doors to engineering opened and Yamik rushed in, with Boimler not far behind. Yamik saw the smoke dissipating. “Baker, where’re the foals?” He asked when he saw the lack of foals.

“They just teleported away.” Baker responded.

Boimler glanced at the core, and noticed what was missing. “Did they take the Element of Magic?!” He asked.

“Yes sir, I tried to catch it but it was too fast for me.” Marin responded.

Boimler’s panic was at an all time high in that moment. “This just keeps getting worse.” He said.

“Can’t we track them?” Marin asked.

“Computer apparently doesn’t have enough information, which I think is bullcrap since it should have their entire medical examination on file but that’s another can of worms.” Boimler responded...Before an idea came to him. “Wait a minute, Baker could we track the element of magic?” He asked.

“I believe so.” Baker responded as she moved to a console. “The Signature’s been in our database for a while. Computer should be able to track it.”

“And wherever that is, the foals should be.” Yamik reasoned. “Let’s get this done fast, I have a feeling the captain’ll want to visit her foals soon.” He said.

Meanwhile, on the bridge, All was proceeding normally, with none of the bridge crew aware of the disastrous emergency that was taking place in the lower decks. At the Operations console, Norman was busy with operational diagnostics when he heard Maxima’s voice. “Lt Cmdr Norman.” Proxima called out.

Norman glanced up and saw Maxima approaching him. “Aye captain?’ He asked.

“Mind sending a message to Federation HQ?” Proxima asked. “Find out who I need to get into contact with in regards to Federation Mandated documentation for a pair of newborn foals?”

At that, everyone on the bridge turned their heads towards Proxima. “Captain?” Sela asked curiously.

“I’m doing it.” Proxima responded. Indeed, after her conversation with her parents, Proxima took some time to consider what she had at her disposal for parenting twins. After determining her capabilities, she made up her mind. “Those foals are my flesh and blood, And I believe I can provide for them what my parents did for me. So I’m taking them in.” She announced.

“I have every confidence that the foals are in good hooves with you captain.” Sela responded, letting a small smile on her face as Norman sent the desired message to Federation HQ.

“Thanks Sela.” Proxima responded, smiling back at Sela. “Now, I’m going down to the medbay to...check on my foals.” Proxima did a double take as she was saying that. “That is going to take some getting used to.” She commented as she entered the turbolift, still not used to having foals yet.

Once the door closed, Boimler’s voice came through the bridge intercom. “Boimler to bridge, we have a situation.” He reported.

“Go ahead Doctor.” Sela responded.

“The foals are missing. And they have the Element of Magic with them. Yamik and I are trying to get them, but the captain cannot find out.” Boimler told them. “So if she says she’s going to the medbay, delay her as much as possible.” He requested.

As soon as they heard that news, Paris, Norman, and Prestine all widened their eyes in shock and panic. “...Doctor.” Sela said, panic arising in her as well. “If I am to understand correctly, not only are the foals NOT in the medbay, which the captain is currently on her way towards, but they also have a very powerful object that no foal should ever have in their possession?” Sela asked. In a tone that was the Vulcan equivalent of panicking.

“She’s on her way to the medbay?!” Boimler asked.

“Doctor. The foals and the Element of Magic.” Sela replied sternly.

“Right. Yes, the foals and the Element of Magic are lost. And unless they’re found the captain is going to blow a gasket in a few minutes.” Boimler responded.

At that moment, a puff of smoke appeared in the middle of the bridge, and dissipated to reveal two baby foals holding the Element of Magic. For a moment, there was silence as everyone there processed what was going on, before Norman spoke up. “Found them. They’re on the bridge.” He reported.

There was no response, instead, Boimler, Yamik, and Baker all beamed onto the bridge, and Boimler breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the foals. “Oh thank god.” He said.

“Somebody get the Element of Magic away from them.” Sela ordered. “Preferably before the captain gets to the medbay and has a heart attack.”

“Why would I have a heart attack?” Asked Captain Maxima, making everyone on the bridge feel a shiver down their spine.

Sela glanced back towards the Turbolift and saw Proxima step out. “Captain.” Sela acknowledged. “Forget something?” She asked, deducing why Proxima was back on the bridge so quickly.

“Yeah?” Proxima responded, giving Sela a quizzical look. “I came back to replicate a pair of magic dampening devices in the event the foals showcased magical prowess.” She explained, having had the realization that because the foals had her DNA, it was plausible that they had her magic capabilities as well. Proxima glanced at the rest of her senior staff, all of whom were acting weird. “What’s going on up here?” She asked.

Before anyone could answer, the foals, likely having heard Proxima, began giggling loud enough for Proxima to hear, and she was very confused. “What’s that giggling?” She asked as she approached her staff. She looked past them and saw a sight that she couldn’t believe. It looked like the foals, with the Element of Magic in their grasp. “…Boimler?” She asked.

“Yes Captain?” Boimler asked, fearing what was coming.

“Why are my foals here, holding a very dangerous Element of Magic?” Proxima asked. Her momma bear instincts kicking in.

Boimler was about to answer, before the foals giggled, and used their wings to fly to Proxima, the filly landing on her back while the colt grabbed at her leg. In doing so, they left the Element of Magic behind, which Baker took advantage of and snatched it off the ground before immediately beaming to Engineering. The foals didn’t notice though as they were busy nuzzling Proxima. “Ma-ma.” The colt cooed.

Before, Proxima had let out a sigh of relief when Kasey got the Element of Magic away and back to its proper place, but when the colt called her ma ma, she would be the first to admit her heart melted. She looked down at the colt giving her an adorable smile, and smiled in return. “Yeah.” She said as she picked the colt up in her magic and nuzzled him with motherly love. “That’s right. I am your ma ma.”

The filly giggled and nuzzled the back of Proxima’s mane, which in turn melted everyone else’s hearts. “God why do little babies have to be so darn adorable?” Prestine asked.

“It’s their superpower and our weakness.” Paris responded. “I remember when my baby brother was born. He stole everyone’s hearts right away.” He reminisced.

Proxima nodded, while Norman got a notification on his console.”Incoming transmission. It’s Admiral Vance.” He announced.

“I’ll take it in my ready room.” Proxima responded. She glanced at her foals. “Alright you two. Mommy needs to go back to work.” She cooed to her foals. “I need you to go with Doctor Boimler to the Medbay and stay there. Can you do that?” She asked. “I promise I’ll be right along as soon as I’m off my meeting.”

The foals seemingly understood, because they spread their wings and flew over to Boimler, who caught them in his arms. “Don’t worry Cap, I won’t let them out of my sight this time.” He said.

“I’ll hold you to that. Now that we know they have magic, please do something to keep that magic under control.” Proxima responded.

“Aye captain.” Boimler responded before he and Yamik left the bridge with the foals.

With them gone, Sela let out a breath she was holding. “Never a dull moment around here.” She commented.

“No doubt. I’ll be in my ready room, you have the con Number one.” Proxima responded before walking to her ready room. While Sela retook the captain’s chair.

Meanwhile, down in the lower most deck of the saucer section, Yamik, after excusing himself from Boimler, Harmony, and Shron all approached the hatch leading into the captain’s yacht. “OK, so we apparently do not have Harmony to thank for our win today, that idea just sprang up on it’s own, and now something might be wrong with the captain’s yacht?” He asked, recapping what Harmony and Shron told him.

“According to our resident boot.” Shron replied.

“First, we find a pod similar to the captain’s, then the Terrorcons steal our multivector mode, then a winning strategy comes out of nowhere, the pod turns out to be carrying twin foals with the captain’s DNA, and now the captain’s yacht is acting up. Just another day in Extra Galactic Space.” Yamik Commented.

“Twins? With the captain’s DNA?” Shron asked. “You mean that rumor’s true?”

“Oh yeah. Cap just announced that she’s taking them in.” Yamik replied.

“That’s nice.” Harmony commented. “I bet they’re adorable.”

“When they’re not causing trouble.” Yamik responded as they approached the hatch. All three of them had their phasers armed and set to stun. “Alright. Now, we have a potential security threat in the captain’s yacht and we have no idea what it is we’re looking for exactly. What do you think the first step is Boot?” Yamik asked Harmony, taking to calling her boot as well.

“Run a scan?” Harmony asked. Using logic and what they had available to arrive at her response.

“Good answer.” Yamik responded before he did just that and scanned the inside of the Captain’s yacht through the hatch. The scan wasn’t picking up anything. “Nothing on the scanner. What do you think that could mean?” He asked.

“That someone might be using a cloaking device, in which case we should now fill the interior with tachyon particles?” Harmony suggested.

“Precisely.” Shron responded as he tapped at a nearby console and released tachyon particles into the interior of the captain’s yacht. “And why do we use tachyons to detect cloaked objects?” He asked Harmony.

“Because Historically, tachyons have been the most reliable way to detect cloaked objects.” Harmony replied. Catching on now that Yamik and Shron were treating her shadowing of Security and Tactical as more of a test of her knowledge. She suspected to make sure she was really studying for the Entrance exam.

“Not bad Boot.” Yamik replied.

“Tachyons aren’t revealing anything.” Shron reported.

“Alright. Phasers up.” Yamik responded. He, Shron and Harmony aimed their phasers at the door, before Yamik pressed the button to open the hatch leading into the powered down interior of the Captain’s yacht. “Computer. Lights.” Yamik ordered as he entered the yacht first, followed by Harmony and Shron.

The lights came on, lighting up the Interior of the yacht, at first glance, all seemed normal. Yamik went directly to the console to check security footage while Harmony and Shron looked around. “You know, I don’t think the Captain’s used this vessel yet.” Harmony commented.

“She hasn’t had a reason to.” Shron responded. “Somehow I suspect we’ll see it in action by the end of our first year out here. Assuming our mission takes that long.” He said.

“Didn’t we calculate that it would take a year to get to Jungletron from the 10-C?” Harmony asked. “Assuming it takes a year to find each of the four keys, we could be looking at a four year mission.” She reasoned.

“Nice to see you’re paying attention.” Yamik commented. “That is a very real possibility. And that’s not including the travel to Cybertron itself, since we need all four keys to unlock the coordinates to the planet, at least I HOPE that’s what the keys unlock.”

“The captain did say that the message the Cyber Compass held mentioned them unlocking Cybertron. So I would wager that the coordinates are in that thing somewhere.” Shron reasoned.

“It’s the best lead we’ve got.” Yamik replied. “Anyone else find it a little suspicious that not even Blitz, Cliff, or Teletran remember where their own planet is?”

“It could be a security measure. Remember that Unicron would kill for that information.” Harmony suggested.

“Fair point. Still, doesn’t seem right that anyone would willingly forget where their homeworld is.” Yamik countered. “If it IS to guard against Unicron, that is some drastic measures.” He said, before shaking his head. “Not seeing anything in the security footage.” He said after checking the footage. “I’m starting to suspect it may have been a glitch in the system.”

“A glitch in the system causing the yacht to show up as red?” Harmony asked. “Is it bad that I’m not entirely confident that's what it is?” She asked.

“I do agree that something fishy is going on, but for the moment, nothing seems to be out of the ordinary.” Yamik responded. “All we can really do is get Engineering to do a diagnostic, and keep an eye on things.” He said.

“Agreed. Let’s get back to performing weapons system maintenance.” Shron said.

Yamik agreed and he and Shron stepped out of the yacht. Harmony hung back for a moment to look around again. She couldn’t explain it, but she could feel it in her gut that something wasn’t right. ‘There’s more to this than meets the eye. I can feel it.’ She thought.

“CyberSpark. You coming?” Shron called back into the yacht to pull Harmony out of her thoughts.

Harmony shook her head clear, and nodded in reply. “Aye sir.” She said before leaving the yacht.

As the lights turned off, the three officers didn’t see when the autobot symbol emerged within the outline of the Starfleet Delta on the back of the pilot’s chair. Nor did anyone notice a faint heartbeat begin within the yacht.

Meanwhile, Boimler placed the two Foals on the crib configured Biobed. “There we go.” He said. “Now, remember you two. Stay put. Your mom will be along soon.” He told them.

The foals giggled while Teletran came up to the Biobed with a bottle. “And in the meantime. We can see if you two like this new formula I concocted using simulations and examination results.” He said.

“Pardon?” Boimler asked, confused.

“While everyone else was playing hide and seek tag with the foals. I was busy trying to best determine what they can consume for nutrition. After running simulations and running all scenarios. I believe I have the answer.” Teletran explained. “A blend of Energon mixed with baby formula. Specifically this “Babytastic Crunchies” brand of baby formula. Energon for their cybertronian components, the baby food for their biological organs.” He reasoned.

“That…actually does make sense.” Boimler responded after considering the logic. “Being hybrids, it would make sense that they need both Energon and organic food…although that raises a few questions.” He added.

“Such as how the captain, who at this point is very likely a hybrid like them, has only ever eaten organic food and still lives?” Teletran suggested. “Assuming of course that Proxima IS a hybrid as all the evidence suggests, it’s very possible that her physiology simply adapted to the nutrients she was consuming. Helped by her life pod.” He theorized.

“It’s one possibility.” Boimler responded. “But we can worry about that later. Right now, let’s—“ He was about to say they should continue with the feeding tests…except that when he turned his attention BACK to the bio bed, as did Teletran, they both found the foals gone. “Oh for crying out loud not again!” Boimler let out a frustrated groan and facepalmed.

“It would seem those foals cannot sit still.” Teletran observed.

“Not even going to ask the computer to locate them this time because it’ll complain about a lack of information.” Boimler responded as he tapped his combadge. “Boimler to senior staff, the foals got loose again. Baker, make sure the Harmony core is secured.” He said.

“The foals escaped the medbay again doctor?” Sela asked.

“Yes. They did so before I could try to put magic inhibitors on them.” Boimler replied, lying about the magic inhibitors to try to keep Sela calm. “We need to find them before the captain does.”

“Commanders Maxima just informed me of your discovery out there. You and your crew actually found another pod like yours?” Admiral Vance asked.

Proxima nodded. She stood in her ready room with a hologram of Admiral Vance standing before her. “Yes sir. Earlier today we discovered a second life pod that was an exact copy of my own pod.” She reported. “Blitzwing found it first, brought me to it, and it scanned me and created two foals based on my DNA.” She told him.

“Two?” Vance asked. “If it’s an exact copy of your pod then it shouldn’t be able to hold more than one occupant.”

“I am still trying to figure that one out myself sir.” Proxima responded. “In any event, we now have two rascals running around the ship...and since they’re my kin, I’ve decided to take them in and raise them as my children.” She announced.

“Following in the footsteps of your parents I see. Didn’t take them long to adopt you after we found you on Earth.” Vance commented.

“It would appear that way.” Proxima responded.

At that moment, Proxima heard a tiny pop, and saw smoke coming out from under her desk. “What?” Proxima asked.

“What is it Captain?” Vance asked, confused.

“Smoke just came out from under...my desk...” Proxima trailed off as she came to a conclusion about what she was about to find. “Oh bloody heck don’t tell me...” She looked under her desk, and sure enough, her foals were hiding under there. After letting out a sigh, she smiled. “Hey there. Didn’t I say I’ll be along after my meeting?” She asked as the foals saw her and spread their wings and flew out from under the desk, landing on top of it and giggling.

Admiral Vance raised an eyebrow as the foals came into view out from under the desk. “I take it these are the two foals you found?” He asked.

Proxima sighed, and nodded. “Yes sir. These are my foals. Excuse me one second.” She said as she tapped her combadge. “Doctor Boimler. I take it the Magic dampening rings didn’t work?” She asked.

“Captain, uh…what makes you say that?” Boimler asked.

“My foals are in my ready room.” Proxima said simply.

At that moment, there was a sigh of relief before Boimler responded. “I’ll be right there.” He said.

Heering that, the foals giggled and their wings came out from their sides again. Before Proxima could do anything, they took off from the desk and flew out through the auto opening door. “Hey! Come back here!” Proxima called out after them. Seeing them ignore her, she groaned. “I’m gonna have to call—“ She started before the ship suddenly jerked and sent Proxima crashing to the ground. Two seconds later, another jerk as scraping could be heard. As Proxima recovered from the surprise jerks. She tapped her combadge. “Whoever’s at the helm, What the hell was that?!” She asked.

“Your foals captain.” Paris responded flatly. “They pushed a few buttons on the console and sent us into an asteroid.”

Proxima didn’t respond. Instead she turned back to the admiral. “I’ll call you back. I have a pair of foals to get under control.” She said.

“As a father I understand entirely. Do what you need to do.” Vance responded as the connection cut.

With the call ended, Proxima raced onto the bridge just in time to see her foals enter the turbolift to who knows where and she saw Norman, Sela, Boimler, and Prestine getting back onto their feet and Paris frantically trying to steer the ship back on course. “Damage report?” She asked.

After getting back onto his feet, Norman raced to his console and checked the ship's systems. “Nothing a good buffing can’t fix captain.” He reported. “Structural integrity held up.” He added.

“Thankfully.” Paris interjected.

“Captain. I must unfortunately report that we failed to stop your foals from entering the turbolift.” Sela reported.

“I can ascertain that.” Proxima responded. “Doctor, can you seriously not keep a pair of foals still?” She asked.

“If they’d sit still long enough for us to dampen their magic we’d be able to keep them under control captain.” Boimler responded.

Proxima groaned as she turned to others in her senior staff. “Prestine, find out where they went.” She ordered.

Prestine got back to her console and started working. “Just give me a few. Gonna track for sparks, than cross out Harmony’s Blitz’s and Cliff’s to isolate the foals’ sparks.” She said.

“Good. I’m ordering an all hands pony hunt in the meantime. Everyone not named Prestine with me.” Proxima ordered. Heading for the turbolift with everyone else on the bridge.

Meanwhile, in another section of the ship, Shron, Yamik, and Harmony were all recovering from the jerks. Harmony hissing in pain. “Gah! My god did we scrape an asteroid?! That really hurt!” She exclaimed.

“I think we might have.” Shron responded, shaking his head. “Paris must’ve done something.” He said. Before Sela’s voice came over the intercom.

“Attention all hands. We have a pair of baby foals on the loose on this ship. Two shades of blue and two shades of gray are their colors. Find them, and do what you can to keep them there until Captain Maxima can get there.” Sela ordered.

“The foals are on the loose?” Harmony asked.

“Looks like it.” Yamik responded. “You heard the commander, time to find some foals.

“Foals? What foals?” Asked the voice of Angela. Who the trio saw come around the corner.

“Angela?” Harmony asked.

“Remy, Porthos and I were on our way to the Holodeck when the ship jerked. Are you OK Harmony?” Angela asked.

“Should be.” Harmony responded. “As for the thing with the foals. Long story but we need to find a pair of pony foals.” She told Angela.

“Can we help? We can get into harder to reach places AND we can provide search music.” Angela responded.

At the mention of Search Music, The trio paused, glanced at each other, and Harmony shrugged. “Eh, why not for the music. Hit it Angela.” Harmony told Angela.

Angela beamed as her ears started vibing like the base of speakers, and music started playing from them.

And so the hunt began. Prestine managed to get a lock on the foals’ location fairly easily, but a new problem very quickly became apparent when it was discovered that not only could the foals teleport, but they could also, most likely through a combination of magic and their Cybertronian T-Cogs, become anything they saw, from a PADD to a Kitchen Utensil. Every time someone arrived at a location Prestine reported as being where the foals were, it was a guessing game of what they decided to disguise themselves as. A timed game at that since The Foals would leave the location if they weren’t found fast enough. And even if they WERE found, they still were able to get away through either magic, or being slippery flyers.

Eventually, Proxima and Sela found themselves in the mess hall, picking up random objects and scanning them for the Spark signatures Prestine had sent to everyone’s combadges. “I now understand what I put my parents through during my early years.” Proxima commented, desperation and worry on her face.

“Because of that infamous take your child to work day with Voyager?” Asked Sela as she scanned a paper towel dispenser. Coming up with nothing.

“And other incidents I’ve been told about.” Proxima responded as she remembered being told she teleported into Vance’s office, scaring the crap out of the admiral. “I was very fidgety as a foal. Or so I’ve been told.” She said.

“Like mother like children it would seem.” Sela responded with a small smile.

“Hopefully it will be easier now that we have ways of mitigating—“ Proxima started before she was cut off by the sound of a small sneeze that the both of them heard.

Proxima and Sela stopped, and turned to where they heard the sound, seeing a fork and a spoon laying on the table. A quick glance at each other told they were both thinking the same thing. Silently nodding to each other. They casually walked past the table, as if looking for the foals elsewhere, once they were standing on opposite sides of the table, Sela turned in rapid motion and snatched up the fork while Proxima captured the Spoon in her magic. “Gotcha!” She said in relief.

Both the fork and Spoon gained a pair of eyes that blinked at them. Proxima smiled as she took the fork from Sela. “You two really like to play hide and seek don’tcha.” She told them.

The foals turned utensils let out a bout of giggling as a puff of smoke erupted from them, and cleared to reveal the foals in their original form floating in Proxima’s magical grasp. “Well, it’s been fun. But it’s time for the game to end. I bet you must be hungry.” She mused.

As if on cue, both of the foals’ bunnies rumbled. Causing them to giggle. Proxima nodded. Glad to see they agreed. “Now let’s go see doctor Boimler. And this time I’m staying right there with you to make sure you two do not wander off again.” She cooed as she and Sela left the Mess hall with the foals. Sela letting everyone know that the foals were found and to stand down from the pony hunt.

“Captain’s log supplemental. After a…very interesting day. We are wrapping up mining operations and are preparing to ship out again. The foals responded well to the Energon formula that Teletran had whipped up, so now I know what to feed them for the moment. And thankfully they haven’t tried to teleport away since Sela and I last caught them. Baker says she may have found a solution to dampen their magic until they’re ready to learn to control their power.”

“It was quite the challenge to make these things work.” Baker told Proxima in Proxima’s quarters, Baker was showing her her solution to keeping the foals under control. A pair of little Starfleet Uniforms with combadges sewn onto them. “I had to take apart a military grade magic dampening ring to get at the inner-workings. And it was tough to get said inner workings to fit into a combadge. But after removing all the Combadge functionality save for Bio readings and tracking. I was able to make it work. When we put your foals in these, they shouldn’t be able to teleport on you anymore.” She assured Proxima.

Proxima, for her part, couldn’t help but chuckle when Baker showed her the cute little Starfleet uniforms that Baker first showed her. They looked like 2250s Starfleet Uniforms, but with the modern combadge permanently affixed to them. And they were both command uniforms with gold trimming, clearly in reference to their mother being a command officer. “And I see you put together these timeless uniforms for them too.” She observed. “You didn’t need to go that far.” said.

“Well we couldn’t stick the combadges onto their actual bodies. And it was logical to make them permanent fixtures to keep them from playing with them.” Baker reasoned. “And since they have a Starfleet officer for a mom and they are gonna be spending most of their time on a Starship for the foreseeable future. Starfleet Uniforms made the most sense.”

“Can’t argue with you there.” Proxima replied. “Thanks Baker. I really appreciate it.”

“Hey, I did this for all of us. We can’t spend every day doing a Ponyhunt. Also the Harmony Core cannot keep losing its core components. This solves both problems.” Baker replied, smiling. “Now, want to get these on your little tikes?” She asked, glancing at the two foals that were sitting on the couch.

Proxima nodded and took the Uniforms in her magic. “Sure.” She said as she turned to her foals. “Alright you two, hold still.” She said as she slipped the uniforms on over their heads and helped them get their forelegs through the sleeves. Once the uniforms were on, their combadges blinked twice with a flash of green light, indicating that the combadges were now active. “There. Perfect. And adorable.” She said.

The foals giggled while Baker nodded in approval. Proud of herself for her impeccable fashion sense. At that moment, Sela’s voice came through the Intercom. “Captain, You have an incoming transmission from Federation HQ. It’s your parents, Admiral Vance, and President Rillak.” She reported.

“I’ll take it here Number one.” Proxima responded.

“And I’ll go check on the boys to see if they figured out how to put together the cribs yet.” Baker responded as she walked into Proxima’s bedroom, where Paris and Shron were putting together cribs for the foals, as they had volunteered to do.

Proxima smiled and sighed in content. Grateful to have friends willing to help her in times of need. A second later, four holograms appeared in her quarters. Holograms of her parents, Vance, And President Rillak. “Madame President, Admiral, Mom, Momma.” She acknowledged them all.

“Greetings Captain Maxima.” Rillak responded. “Word on the street is you recently became a mother.” Rillak responded.

Proxima nodded and smiled, taking her foals in her magic and bringing them into her forelegs. “Yeah. That’s right. Found a pod like mine earlier today and these two adorable little tikes came out of it.” She said.

Her parents, upon seeing their new grandchildren, beamed in delight. “Aww! Look at them.” Hannah gushed.

“They’re simply beautiful Proxi.” Belana said.

“And I see you dressed them up in Starfleet uniforms.” Vance observed. “Looking to groom them into future Starfleet officers one day?” He joked.

Proxima chuckled along with Rillak, Vance, and her parents. “While the thought had occurred to me, The Uniforms are mainly to provide an anchor for their combadges, which Baker modified to remove everything except bio readings, racking, and magic dampeners so that we don’t need to worry about them teleporting to a random place on the ship and making us play hide and seek with them on a regular basis.” She responded. “Sewn on too because we all know babies love to chew on everything.”

“Smart.” Hannah responded, before Proxima’s words registered with her. “Wait a minute. Teleportation and hide and seek?” She asked.

Proxima could see the laughter coming from a mile away, and just accepted it when she nodded. “Yes. They pulled a me when I was their age. And I’d like to formally apologize for any trouble I caused at that age. Because I now understand what I must’ve put you through.” She said. To which Vance, Rillak, and her parents all slowly broke down snickering.

“Yeah. Yeah you definitely turned some heads.” Rillak said. “I just hope your foals do not want to go on a joyride during take your kids to work day.” She said. To which Proxima blushed.

“Least if we’re still out here in four years, then that’s one thing they won’t be able to do.” Proxima replied.

While their mother was talking, the two foals in Proxima’s forelegs wiggled until they managed to break out of their mom’s grasp and extended their wings from their bodies to fly. They started flying around the living area. Catching Proxima’s attention. “Hey. No flying in the house you two.” She told them in a stern tone.

The foals just giggled and kept flapping their wings, with Proxima spreading her own wings and taking off after them to try and catch them. While Proxima was chasing her foals, her parents, Rillak, and Vance all watched in amusement, while smiling to each other.

All the commotion attracted Baker, Paris, and Shron out of the bedroom, where they saw what was happening. “Captain?” Baker asked.

“Need any help Prox?” Shron asked.

“I think I got it--” Proxima tried to say before the foals zipped to the door, which automatically opened, and zipped out into the hallway. Getting Loose again. “Oh come on! Rider! Skye! Playtime is over!” Proxima called after them.

“Rider?” Hannah asked.

“Skye?” Asked Belana, both confused.

“That’s what I decided to name them. Colt is Rider, Filly is Skye.” Proxima responded. “Please hold while I go wrangle them in again.” Proxima responded before she sprinted out of her quarters after them.

Baker, Paris, and Shron watched as she rushed out, and it seemed that she nearly hit Yamik because after she turned the corner, Yamik appeared in the open door. He glanced inside at his fellow officers. “Did they get out again?” He asked, guessing what happened based on what he heard.

“Yes they did.” Shron responded, Paris and Baker chuckling to themselves.

Yamik meanwhile crossed his arms and shook his head. “Never gonna be quiet around here again.” He predicted before taking off after Proxima. “Help is on the way Captain!” He called out after her.

Vance crossed his arms and shook his head, but smiled. “Here we go again.” He said.

“They grow up so fast don’t they.” Hannah replied. Everyone still in the captain’s quarters broke down laughing as the Equestria moved out of the Asteroid field, cloaked itself, and went to full warp. Resuming its journey to Jungletron.

To Be Continued...

Author's Note

And thus concludes the introduction of Rider and Skye Maxima.

NGL, I had WAY too much fun writing this.

THX FOR READING!

Episode 21: Blast From the Past

2385...
Final hours of the Romulan Star Empire...

“The Impossible has happened. The Empire we loved has fallen. You know what must be done.” Said a Romulan officer to another.

“Understood sir.” The second officer replied.

“The men and women we selected to undertake this matter are the finest the Empire has left. You must go find a new home, begin a new Empire. Far away from the likes of those Federation fools that are the cause of this.” The first officer said. “Far enough away that they don’t encounter you until it’s too late.”

“Understood sir.”

“Good luck Commander. The fate of the Empire rests in your hands.”

“Good bye sir...”

3212...
Milky Way Satellite Galaxy...

On the bridge of the USS Equestria, traveling at High Warp under cloak, all was normal, nothing out of the ordinary. Harmony was at her regular communications station redirecting mail to their destinations when a red exclamation point popped up on her screen. “Ah. Incoming urgent message from the Federation.” She announced.

“Who’s it addressed to?” Shron asked.

“Captain Maxima.” Harmony responded.

“Let her know.” Shron ordered.

“Aye sir.” Harmony responded. “Captain Maxima.” She paged the captain. “There’s a communication coming in from the Federation. Redirecting it to you now.” She said.

“Thanks Harmony.” Captain Maxima said.

In a lower deck of the vessel. Proxima and Baker stood in Proxima’s quarters and watched as a DOT introduced itself to Rider and Skye. Proxima’s new foals. “I programmed this DOT with all the latest foalsitting information and equipped it to be able to handle taking care of a pair of foals that have wings.” Baker explained to the captain.

“And you’re sure they’re safe with the DOT?” Maxima asked. She had spent the last week on Maternity Leave to get accustomed to being a mother, and all the sleepless nights that entailed with newborn foals. Now, she was due to get back to work. Which meant she needed to find someone to take care of her foals while she was busy captaining the ship. Enter Baker and something she called the Nanny DOT.

“Positive. I also equipped it with High Powered Phasers to fend off against any potential Terrorcon boarders.” Baker responded. “Trust me, they’re just fine.”

Proxima took a deep breath, before nodding. “Alright. Thanks Baker. I owe you for this.” She said as she approached her foals in the Nanny DOT’s arms. “Alright you two. Be good for the Nanny DOT you hear?” She cooed. Ryder and Skye both giggled and reached out for their mother. Proxima responded by nuzzling the both of them and smiling. “I promise I’ll be back later. I love you.” She said as she planted a motherly kiss upon their foreheads, and she and Baker left Nanny DOT with the foals. After going their separate ways in the corridor, Proxima pulled up her HUD and checked her mail Harmony had directed towards her. “Alright...Let’s see what came in the mail...Oh. Something from Family Services. Finally.” She said to herself as she opened up the mail. It had been one week since she sent her inquiry about documentation for her foals. And it seemed like she finally got a response.

She didn’t get to read much though when she heard Sela page her through her combadge. “Cmdr Sela to Captain Maxima. You better get up here as soon as possible. Long range sensors just detected something interesting.” Sela responded.

“On my way Number One.” Proxima responded. She filed the mail under read later and tapped her combadge to insta-beam up to the bridge.

On the bridge, Norman shook his head. “It doesn’t make any sense, but it’s there.” He said.

“It is curious indeed.” Sela responded as the bridge crew stared at the viewscreen to what they detected in long range sensors.

Proxima beamed onto the bridge a moment later. “Report.” She said simply.

“Long range Sensors picked up something. We just entered visual range.” Norman responded, gesturing to the viewscreen.

Proxima turned her head to look at the screen, and her eyes widened in shock. “What the hell?” She asked.

“Ship’s Log Stardate 32120808.09. We picked up something along our route to Jungletron. Something that should be impossible.”

“Am I seeing things?” Shron asked as he looked at the viewscreen and saw what he, and the entire bridge crew, recognized as an old Romulan warbird from the history books. It looked to be powered down and just drifting aimlessly through space.

“It’s an 827 year old Romulan D’deridex class warbird.” Prestine reported.

“Shouldn’t that be impossible?” Harmony asked. “Didn’t they decommission the class centuries ago?”

“They did. When the old Romulan Star Empire collapsed after the Hobus star went supernova.” Sela responded.

“So how the hell did one get all the way out here?” Shron asked.

“And considering it’s 827 years old, there’s no way they got past the galactic barrier without help. It woulda been destroyed.” Norman pointed out.

“Agreed.” Proxima responded. “Norman, contact Starfleet, tell them of our discovery, and also inquire about any missing D’Deridexes in the last 800 years.” She said.

“Aye captain.” Norman responded as he went to work.

“Captain.” Prestine called out. “You aren’t gonna believe this. But I’m detecting lifesigns on that relic.” She announced.

The whole of the bridge turned their heads to stare at Prestine in shock. “Lifesigns?” Norman asked in disbelief.

“Confirm.” Proxima ordered.

Prestine nodded and did a quick check, the lifesigns did not go away. “Confirmed captain.” She said. “And they’re Romulan.” She added.

Proxima and Sela shared a glance with each other, before Proxima responded. “Paris, alter course to rendezvous with that relic. We have to find out what the hell is going on.” She said.

“Aye captain.” Paris responded and altered the ship’s course.

While he did that, Sela spoke up to the Captain. “Captain, Considering this thing is 827 years old, it is possible that the Romulans onboard might not be happy to see a Federation Starship.” She said. “The Romulan Star Empire was a constant thorne in the Federation’s side.”

“There’s a chance this could be a Romulan Republic Vessel.” Proxima countered.

“Still, I advise we take no risks. Especially considering our precious cargo.” Sela recommended.

“Sound logic Number One. Go to Yellow Alert.” Proxima ordered.

The USS Equestria altered course, and they arrived at the relic ship moments later. A larger vessel compared to the Equestria, the warbird looked like a dead husk that floated aimlessly through space. Harmony, as well as the rest of the bridge crew, stared at it like they were seeing a ghost. “I’ve only ever seen one of those things in a museum.” Yamik commented.

“By all accounts that’s the only place one of these relics should be. Not far outside the galactic barrier.” Paris responded.

Harmony glanced at her console, and noticed something. “Captain.” She said, doing a quick analysis. “You’re not going to believe this, but that thing’s sending out an automated distress signal.” She reported.

“An automated distress signal?” Shron asked. “How is that even possible?”

“I am detecting minimal power output from the ship. If I had to guess, I would say it’s only got power for life support and sending out a distress signal.” Prestine responded.

“Can you play it back Harmony?” Proxima asked.

“Aye captain.” Harmony replied before she hit play. There was a cackling before a voice came through.

“This is the I.R.W. Salvation to anyone out there. We are in desperate need of assistance. Please, anyone.”

The message repeated but Harmony cut it off, the crew having heard what they needed to hear. “Sounds like they might need help.” Harmony commented.

“Yes. But didn’t you hear the prefix? I.R.W. Imperial Romulan Warbird. That confirms this is a Star Empire vessel.” Yamik pointed out.

“As such. I recommend no one goes over there without a phaser.” Shron recommended. “If we board the thing at all, that is.” He added.

“We’re definitely checking it out. Commander Sela. Take an away team over there and learn all you can.” Proxima ordered.

“Aye captain.” Sela responded as she left the bridge to gather a team.

Yamik meanwhile had a bright idea. “Captain.” He spoke up. “With your permission. I’ll take JWO CyberSpark and hack into their computer system. Their logs and such would be able to tell how they got out here.” He said. “Would be good experience for her to learn how to hack when the need arises.”

“Agreed.” Proxima responded. “She’s all yours.” She told Yamik.

Yamik smiled as he got up from his station and he and Harmony set for the Turbolift. “Hacking sir?” Harmony asked Yamik as they entered the Turbolift.

“It’s a technique that allows one system to interface with another. Bypassing security and encryptions.” Yamik explained.

“Do they know we’re going to hack their system?” Harmony asked.

“No. A hack is more a secretive endeavor.” Yamik responded.

“Then why are we doing it?”

“Because there's a good chance these Romulans onboard are going to try to make up a fib. And Starfleet, long ago, regularly got blindsided by the Romulans.” Yamik explained. “Now we can easily ensure that doesn’t happen this time around.” He said.

“Alright. If you say so sir.” Harmony responded. Not entirely understanding what was going on but deciding to go along with it.

Some time later, over in the Romulan Warbird, Sela, Boimler, and Baker beamed onto the bridge of the ship, phaser pistols armed and set to stun. After a quick visual scan of the room, they lowered their pistols, seeing the room was empty. “Away team to Equestria. Bridge is clear.” Sela reported.

Baker went directly to one of the consoles. Looking it over really quick before getting to work. “Ancient Romulan technology. Primitive by today’s standards.” She commented.

“Can you restart the power to this vessel?” Sela asked.

“Child's play.” Baker responded before tapping the console a few times and powering the ship back up.

With the ship powered up again, Boimler proceeded to another console and accessed its medical systems. “Looks like the crew are in cryo sleep.” He reported. “Would explain the life signs we detected.”

“Where are they located?” Sela asked.

“Deck 10. Section 28.” Boimler responded. “2000 personnel.” He added.

“Weren’t these things typically crewed by 75% of that number?” Baker asked.

“Indeed.” Sela responded as she looked around. “If I had to guess. This vessel became a generational ship at one point.”

“Want me to go wake up this ship’s captain?” Boimler asked.

“Yes. They should be able to provide some light on this situation.” Sela responded. “Baker. Remain here. And keep nonessential systems offline.” She added.

“Smart move commander.” Baker replied as Boimler and Sela proceeded off the bridge to Deck 10 section 28.

Back on the Equestria, in the security office, Yamik and Harmony sat and worked on hacking the computer system of the Romulan Relic. “Trivial encryption techniques by today’s standards. We should be in lickity split.” Yamik commented.

“Could we not just ask them for what we’re wanting to know?” Harmony asked. “Not sure I see the point in hacking their systems.”

“We could ask them. But here’s a little history lesson for you Harmony. During a time where the Romulan Star Empire was a superpower in our galaxy, they were a secretive, illusive, and mistrusting people. Nothing like today’s Romulans of Ni’Var. They regularly clashed with everyone else. And for the Federation in particular, they were always trying to bait us into starting an all out war. As well as trying to drive the Federation and the old Klingon Empire apart.” Yamik explained. “They routinely blindsided us every time we’d try to offer them a hand in friendship. So now. Whenever we deal with Romulans, it’s become policy to trust but verify. That’s what we’re doing. Verifying.” He said.

“Hm. Well they don’t sound anything like the Romulans we know from NiVar. They sound more like…like decepticons during the War for Cybertron.” Harmony made the connection based on Yamik’s description and remembering the time Blitzwing hijacked her.

“I suppose you could say that. Yes.” Yamik responded. “However, you should know that not ALL the Romulans from that time were like that. There were few who genuinely wanted what we were offering. But they were in the very minor minority.” He told her.

“Well good to know that there were good eggs back then.” Harmony said.

“Every race has their good and bad eggs. It just varies in ratio from race to race.” Yamik said.

“Seems to be apparent.” Harmony responded.

At that moment, they managed to gain access to the Salvation’s databanks and the knowledge contained within. “And we’re in.” Yamik announced as he and Harmony looked through the data.

“Hm. According to this, the last mission this ship ever received was to go out and find a place to start a new…empire…I don’t get it, didn’t they already have an empire?” Harmony asked.

“At the time, yes.” Yamik responded. “But there are reasons why someone might want to start a new Empire. Based on everything we know so far, I’d theorize that either this ship was sent out because its occupants were unhappy with the current state of the Empire, or this ship was sent out in the wake of the Hobus Supernova of 2400 that destroyed Romulus and Remus.” He concluded.

“Could the data in their system give us the answer?” Harmony asked.

“Assuming the Romulans dated their logs. Should be trivial.” Yamik responded.

Back on the bridge of the Equestria, Norman’s console lit up with a notification. “Incoming transmission Captain. Labeled…the Office of the Representatives of NVar.” He told Maxima.

“Put it on the viewscreen.” Maxima replied. Inwardly shivering instinctively since the last time she dealt with anything related to that office was when Sela’s parents were still the representatives.

Norman nodded and tapped at his console until the viewscreen changed from the outside view to an office, where a nicely dressed Reman sat at their desk. “Captain Maxima.” He acknowledged. “A pleasure to finally meet you.” He said.

Proxima stood up and took a few steps closer to the screen. “Pardon me, but to whom am I speaking?” She asked. Not recognizing the caller.

“Representative Harlok at your service.” Harlok responded. “I have been appointed as one of N’Var’s representatives pending new elections.” He explained.

“Pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Proxima responded.

“I received your report about your discovery. I am curious to hear how an 827 year old vessel managed to make it so far outside our galaxy.” Harlok said.

“Their logs should be able to tell us what happened. Assuming they weren’t deleted for some reason.” Proxima responded. “Is there anything special about the Salvation we should be aware of?” She asked.

“The only thing I can ascertain that the logs might not say outright is that the Salvation is listed as a Tal’Shiar vessel.” Harlok responded.

“The old Empire’s intelligence agency?” Proxima asked. Remembering what she was taught in school.

“The very one that terrorized the galaxy after the Hobus Supernova.” Harlok replied with a nod. “And based on what our records show. The very mention of the Tal’Shiar is cause for serious concern.” He explained.

“We shall warn our crew onboard the Salvation.” Proxima replied.

“I’d appreciate it if you kept me apprised of the situation. My colleague and I will bring this to Nivar’s President and discuss what should be done about this discovery.” Harlok requested.

“Aye sir. We’ll keep you apprised.” Proxima replied. “Equestria out.” She said before the connection cut.

Silence on the bridge for a second, the bridge crew glancing at each other. “Orders captain?” Shron asked.

“Norman, hail our away team, inform them of this development, and have Yamik post security in our cargo hold and in Engineering. If what we’ve read on the Tal Shiar in school is accurate the moment they learn about our special cargo and the Harmony Core, they’ll be plotting to take them for themselves.” Proxima replied. “We need to ensure they don’t fall into the wrong hands.”

“Aye sir.” Norman responded as he relayed the appropriate information. “Away team this is Equestria, we have some more info on the Salvation.”

On the Derelict, Sela and Boimler had just breached the Cryo stasis chamber that held the Salvation’s captain’s pod. Sela heard Norman through her combadge. “Go ahead Equestria.” She replied.

“One of N’Var’s new representatives just relayed to us that the Salvation was listed as a Tal’Shiar Vessel.” Norman announced.

Both Sela and Boimler stopped in their tracks at the news. “Tal’Shiar?” Boimler asked.

“The Romulan intelligence agency that terrorized the galaxy after the Hobus Supernova broke the Star Empire apart.” Sela said. “They were a pain in everyone’s side for a long time.”

“With that in mind, caution is advised.” Norman told them.

“Sound advice Norman. Away team out.” Sela responded as she cut the connection. She and Boimler proceeded to where the captain’s cryopod was. Boimler had his medical HUD up.

“All two thousand of them are in Cryo sleep alright. They have steady heartbeats of about 1 best per minute.” Boimler commented.

“Do you believe you will be able to bring the captain out of Cryo sleep?” Sela asked.

“Shouldn’t be too much of a problem. This is primitive tech by our standards.” Boimler responded. “But these people have been in Cryo sleep for over 800 years. Cryo sickness is a real possibility.” He said.

“Have a hydrospray ready.” Sela concluded as they reached the captain’s pod.

With a nod, Boimler approached the controls and started the awakening and thawing process. “Vitals are stable. Heart rate increasing…” Boimler reported as he worked.

Sela meanwhile took a closer look at the pod. She noticed a strip of metal with some words on it and she curiously read what it said. “Commander Verak…” Her eyes widened when she saw what the surname was, surprised as she was, she took a step back. “Boimler stop!” She ordered.

Boimler heard Commander Sela start to say a name, before her order came. He paused the process and glanced at Sela, who he found had a startled look in her eyes. “Commander?” He asked. “Is there something wrong?”

“T’Pala…” Sela whispered, feeling her PTSD kicking in a little.

Boimler couldn’t quite hear Sela, but he could tell something was bothering her. “What was that Commander?” He asked.

“The pod…it has a name on it. Commander Verak T’Pala.” Sela managed to let out loud enough for Boimler to hear, having by this point raised her phaser at the pod.

Boimler’s eyes widened when Sela said the surname, along with her raised phaser, he realized what was happening. “Commander, remain calm.” Boimler told her calmly as he slowly approached Sela. “We do not know for sure if Verak is in your family tree.” He tried to rationalize with her. “Just because you two have the same last name does not necessarily mean you two are related.” He told her.

Sela heard Boimler’s words, and they managed to get through because Sela calmed down from her momentary mini panic attack. She lowered her phaser and composed herself. “Apologies.” She said. “Call it a knee jerk reaction to finding or hearing about the surname.” She said.

Boimler nodded in understanding. Knowing what Sela meant by her statement. “Do you want to beam back to the Equestria? I can call it a medical recall.” He offered.

Sela considered it for a moment. Weighing her options. Part of her wanted to power through it in an attempt to not let her PTSD from her past rule her, but on the other, more prominent hand, she knew that if she were to accidentally pull a phaser on someone like she did just now, it could spell a disaster. So she took a deep breath and made her choice. “I believe today is our scheduled appointment for a neural scan.” She inquired.

“Meet me in the medbay after I’m done here and we’ll do a full neural checkup.” Boimler responded as he tapped his combadge. “Boimler to Equestria. Sela’s beaming back due to a sudden medical recall. Advise that she stay away from the derelict for the time being.” He reported. After which Sela tapped her combadge and beamed back to the ship. With the commander now safe, Boimler walked back to the console he was at and restarted the awakening and thawing process. “Bad enough we need to watch our backs because this is a Tal’Shiar vessel. Now we need to worry about a potential link to Sela.” He commented to himself as he awoke the captain.

To be continued…

Author's Note

HE LIVES!

Yes. I know it's been a while since I last updated. RL has become busy.

But fear not, I have not forgotten about this story. And here is the next thing. Another discovery. Seems to happen a lot lately.

Speaking of Discovery: Because ST Disco season 5 has now come and gone, I should clarify it's canon status in STR.

Star Trek Discovery season 5 is canon to this story, but with two major exceptions which I will be spoilering here in case anyone hasn't seen it yet.

Change Number one: The Short Trek Calypso did not and will NEVER happen in the timeline of Star Trek Reformatted. It is now officially a dream by Zora in the present.

Change Number two: The Season 5 finale Epilogue, AKA the SECOND WORST FINALE IN STAR TREK HISTORY! Is NOT happening.

To put it simply, my response to them just tossing Zora aside and exiling her is this:

"What you're doing here, is immoral. I'll fight it." And also the logic and wisdom of a beloved Vulcan. "Go to hell."

The ONLY reason it is only the SECOND worst and not the WORST in my eyes boils down to two things.

1: Burnham and Book get their happy ending. Love them or hate them, everyone deserves a happy ending.

2: We get an epic fleet shot of Several ships seeing Zora off as she is jumped to her completely undeserved prison sentence.

That in my eyes saves it from overtaking "These are the Voyages..." As the worst Finale in Trek History. What they did to Zora was immoral, unethical, and just overall evil and I will decry it to the end of time.

THX for reading, and if you read the spoiler, feel free to hit me up to discuss how they coulda done it a MILLION times better.

Episode 23: Pheonix Rising

“Chief Engineer’s log Supplemental: Of course the Terrorcons decide to attack now. When we can’t exactly retreat. Engineers are working hard to bring things back online on the Salvation. And hopefully the Energon Battery I requested holds out until the Terrorcon threat is dead. Meanwhile, I hear the captain’s yacht might have become a Cybertronian? Just another day out here in ExtraGalactic Space.”

In the Salvation’s Engineering section, LtC Baker pulled off an access panel from one of the walls, and pulled out some of the wiring. “Someone check the plasma flow regulators, and try to get as many combat systems online as possible.” She ordered as she started fiddling with the wires. “Also need someone to replicate an Energon to Electroplasma converter. We’re gonna need that if we’re gonna make this work.” She added as she took wire cutters and cut those wires she was holding and stripping it back.

“I just checked the Torpedo Tubes. They’re still good to go.” One of her engineers called out to her.

“Then start loading them with any working torpedoes you find. Those will be the Salvation’s best weapons against the Terrorcons. I hope.” Baker called back. “Computer, time till Terrorcons are one us?” She asked.

“One Minute twenty seven seconds.” The computer responded.

“Is someone working on shields?” She called out to her team.

“Ensign Margo’s on shields.” Someone responded.

“Shields coming online and charging.” Ensign Margo called out.

In the middle of the room, Commander Verak appeared out of thin air, having just insta beamed from the Equestria. He spied the now empty singularity core housing, and he inwardly gulped. “Hang on old girl. We’re gonna get through this.” He said under his breath before he started looking around. “Is there a LtC Baker here?” He asked.

Baker heard her name called and she looked over her shoulder to see a Romulan standing there in a Romulan Uniform. “Are you Cmdr Verak?” She asked.

Verak saw the officer who responded, a Cardassian, and approached her. “LtC Baker. What still needs to be done to get the Salvation combat ready?” He asked.

“Not sure who’s working on Impulse Engines and Gyroscopes, but unless we get those working, we’ll be sitting ducks.” Baker said as she began stripping back the other wires in her hands.

“And what is it that you are doing Cmdr?” Verak asked curiously.

“I am getting this ship’s power system ready to run off Energon.” Baker responded. “A new power source we encountered recently. The whole of the Equestria runs off it.” She explained.

“And you believe this…Energon, can be of use to the Salvation?” Verak asked.

“We’re about to find out.” Baker responded, while taking the Converter she requested from the officer who just delivered it. “Just need that battery.” She said.

At that moment, Cmdr Sela beamed in from the Equestria. “Cmdr Baker.” She called out.

“Over here Sela!” Baker called out in response. Alerting Sela to where she was.

Sela approached and held out what looked like, to Verak, a small blue rectangular box, which Baker took. “That is an Energon battery?” Verak asked. “It does not seem like it can power this vessel.” He stated skeptically.

“Looks can be deceiving.” Sela responded as Baker connected the battery to the converter and hooked that to the ship’s power.

Upon the battery’s insertion into the grid, the power in the room became much more stable. A good sign as Baker approached a console and checked the power system. “Power levels rising exponentially. Battery strain decreasing. I say we’re in business.” She announced.

“Good to hear.” Sela responded. “If nothing else, Cmdr Shron, Ensign Paris and myself will await you on the bridge Cmdr Verak.” She told Verak before beaming away.

Verak just looked at the power levels display, and then at the battery hanging from the wall. “This is impressive Cmdr.” He told Baker.

“We’re not done yet. We still need to get this antique ready to fight.” Baker said.

“Antique?” Verak responded, before it dawned on him. “Right. In the future.” He said as he nodded and went off to get another system online.

On the bridge of the USS Equestria, Maxima and the bridge crew watched as 7 vessels warped into view. “Enemy vessels closing in Captain.” Yamik reported.

“Sensors show the Salvation coming online.” Norman reported. “Power levels increasing, shields charging.”

“Good. Hopefully their shields can hold out until their weapons are back online.” Proxima responded.

In the lead Terrorcon Vessel, the captain watched the viewscreen as one of their subordinates approached. “Captain, The Titan has taken up defensive position between us and the unknown derelict.” They reported. “They seem to have engaged their Multi Vector Mode.”

“We must get that Derelict. If those Federation fools are willing to protect it, then whatever it holds must be worth it. Megabots! Detach and transform!” The captain ordered.

Onboard the Equestria, the crew on the bridge watched as the Megabot Combiner ship split into three and transformed into three Megabots. “1 Megabot and two corvettes per Equestria segment…well it’s better odds than what we had the last time we went up against Megabots.” Yamik commented.

“We can dispatch the Corvettes easily enough. The Megabots will be the problem.” Proxima replied.

“Captain. I’m detecting several troop transports launching. Coming right at us.” Norman reported.

“Blitzwing, dispatch the transports.” Proxima ordered. “All three segments. Attack pattern Alpha 9. Try to isolate two corvettes and a Megabot to each segment.”

“Aye captain.” Her bridge crew responded, sending the segments into action while Blitzwing went after the transports.

Down in one of the lower decks of the saucer segment, the Nanny DOT was busy trying to corral Rider and Skye into its grasp, while they, thinking it was a game, were trying to stay out of said grasp. “Rider, Skye. We must get to the designated safe zone. We are currently at Red Alert.” The DOT said; it’s voice female and as motherly as possible.

The foals just giggled and continued to evade the DOT’s arms. Not yet understanding the seriousness of the situation. Things very quickly changed when the ship rocked violently, nearly sending Rider and Skye crashing into a bulkhead. Fortunately, the Nanny DOT managed to catch them safely in its grasp and deposit them safely in its built in hover stroller that it materialized from its body. “There we go, safe and sound.” It said. “Now, we best be off.” It said as the Nanny DOT hovered out of the quarters and turned left, intending to go to the safezone, until it got to an intersection and just barely avoided getting hit with a laser shot. “Whoa?!” The Nanny DOT stopped in its tracks and backed up, while officers stationed nearby took cover, shouting over the firefight that broke out.

“We got Terrorcon boarders on Deck 3!”

“They broke through the shielding!”

“Repel the boarders!”

Nanny DOT, acting on its programming, immediately raised its built in protective dome over Dider and Skye, both shielding them from fire and shielding their eyes from the horrors of war. “Goodness. I must find an alternative route.” It said as it turned around and went down the corridor, trying to find another route to the safe zone. Alas, at nearly every turn, it kept running into the problem of Terrorcon Boarding Parties. After weaving around phaser and laser fire, avoiding Terrorcons, and failing to find a safe route to the safezone, the DOT found itself at the Turbolift. “Hm. Well if I cannot find a route to the safezone. I suppose the bridge with the captain is the safest alternative.” It reasoned as it entered the lift. “Bridge.” It ordered, the lift started shooting upwards upon command. Rider and Skye starting to get scared as their lips quivered and they whimpered.

On the bridge, it was very much not safe, with Terrorcons having breached the Bridge as well. Lasers and phaser bolts were firing all around as Proxima blasted a charging Terrorcon with her magic. “Prestine!” She shouted out. “Increase the shield remodulation frequency!” She ordered.

“Just as soon as I get this steaming pile of scrap off of me!” Prestine responded, currently trying to keep a very sharp blade from penetrating her.

The Terrorcon pinning her down growled and pushed, trying so hard to kill Prestine, unfortunately for it, it wasn’t watching its back side, otherwise it would have seen Yamik charge at the Terrorcon and drive his Tellarite Dagger right through its metallic skull, before he used the hilt of the dagger to pry the head off the enemy robot using his strength and smash it into the ground, killing the Terrorcon and making its remains fall to the ground. Prestine, after catching her breath, smiled and nodded towards Yamik. “Thanks Yamik.” She said, before turning to her console and executing the captain’s orders.

“Anytime Prestine.” Yamik responded as Norman jammed his phaser pistol against his opponent’s skull and just unloaded on it. Blasting it dead.

The last Terrorcon fell right as the Turbolift opened and let out Nanny DOT with Rider and Skye. It stopped when it saw the dead Terrorcons. “Hm. So the Bridge wasn’t the safest place.” It commented.

Yamik, Norman, Proxima and Prestine all turned their heads to the new voice, all of them raising their weapons, before Proxima saw who it was. “One of ours!” She exclaimed to stop anyone from firing. “Nanny DOT?!” She exclaimed. Absolutely confused.

“Yes Captain.” Nanny DOT responded as it hovered over to Maxima. “I apologize if I had scared you.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be in the safe zone with the captain’s kids?” Asked Yamik, having been made aware of Nanny DOT from Baker.

“Unfortunately by the time I wrangled Rider and Skye in and got underway, we were boarded and there was no longer a safe route to the Safe Zone.” Nanny DOT explained, opening its Dome to reveal Rider and Skye, who were shivering nervously and huddled together.

After taking the briefest moment to admire how adorable it was. Maxima smiled down at them and leaned in, nuzzling them. “Hey. It’s OK you two.” She cooed. “We’ll get through this.” She said as she turned to Yamik. “Yamik, go with Nanny DOT and get someplace safe.” She told him.

Norman, who had called up the Equestria’s situation map, spoke up after a second. “At this point I’d say the safest place is the Captain’s Yacht.” He commented. “No Terrorcon Presence along the route.” He explained.

“Alright. Yamik, get Nanny DOT and the foals there.” Maxima ordered.

“Aye Captain.” Yamik responded, moving to the Turbolift with Nanny DOT and the foals.

Once the door closed. Proxima turned to Norman. “Raise the Salvation.” She ordered.

“Aye captain.” Norman responded, raising the Salvation. “Go.” He let Maxima know she was on.

“Equestria to Salvation.” Maxima said. “I have a feeling we’re gonna need you real quick. Status?” She asked.

On the Salvation’s bridge, Sela responded to the captain. “Commander Verak and LtC Baker are working as fast as they can. Standby for the ready signal.” She said, cutting off the connection. “Shron. Paris, status?” She asked.

“Weapons are online and torpedo tubes loaded. Just need a clear shot.” Shron responded. “And shields are online.” He added.

“I’m getting responses from Impulse and Gyroscopics. I think she’s ready for action.” Paris responded.

At that moment, the doors to the bridge opened and Commander Verak and Baker walked through. “Everything’s ready for action. The Salvation is combat ready.” Baker reported.

“Excellent.” Sela responded, before turning to Verak. “She’s all yours Commander.” She acknowledged.

Verak nodded and positioned himself in the middle of the bridge. “Alright. Before anything else.” He said as he looked around, smiling. “You have my gratitude for what you’re doing.” He said.

Baker couldn’t help but smile with pride. “All in a day’s work Cmdr.” She said.

“Indeed.” Verak replied. “Now, what exactly are we dealing with here?” He asked.

“We are currently under attack from Terrorcon forces.” Shron said, going into tactical mode. “Terrorcons are, from what we could tell, a major power in the Satellite Galaxy. Their goal is to steal the Equestria’s classified Cargo. It has become our mission to protect that cargo with our lives.” He explained.

“If their target is the Equestria, then would they merely ignore the Salvation?” Verak asked.

“Unlikely.” Sela responded. “The Equestria has shown it is trying to protect the Salvation. So they will likely turn their attention to us if the Equestria is destroyed.” She explained.

“So we need to destroy them before that happens.” Verak responded. “Standard Romulan tactics is to engage our Cloak, but as that is nonoperational, signal the Equestria that the Salvation is ready to assist. Tactical, target and fire at your discretion. Helm, give tactical a clear shot. Engineering, keep an eye on the Salvation’s systems.” Verak ordered.

“Aye captain.” Prestine, Paris, and Baker responded.

Meanwhile, Verak turned to Sela. “Commander, I will admit to being a bit out of my depth in this situation. If you believe you need to overrule me for a better course of action at any point, please do so.” He said. Recognizing that he was the least experienced officer in this situation.

For the briefest moment, Sela considered just doing that for every one of Verak’s orders, but she knew that would be inappropriate. So instead she merely took up the first officer’s station. “Aye captain.” She said, flinching just a tad at calling Verak captain. She knew it was the right response, yet it still felt wrong to her. She sent the signal to the Equestria at the Salvation was battle ready.

On the bridge of the Equestria, Norman got Sela’s message. “Captain, the Salvation is ready. Weapons are powering up.” He reported.

“Then let’s give them an opening. All segments. Divert the Terrorcon’s attention, and be ready to break for the Salvation the second any Terrorcons target the ship.” Proxima ordered.

Down below, in the corridors, Yamik fired his pistol at a Terrorcon and downed it. “No Terrorcon Presence along the route to the Captain’s Yacht eh.” He said mainly to himself. “Corridor’s clear. Come on.” He ordered the Nanny DOT, who hovered behind him.

“It would appear that Lt Norman spoke too soon.” It commented as it followed Yamik.

“LtC Yamik!” Called out a familiar male voice.

Yamik turned back to see Teletran approaching. “Teletran? What are you doing here?” He asked.

“I was unable to get to the safezone before we were boarded. And…well you could say self preservation kicked in.” Teletran responded.

“You should have already been in a safe zone, Teletran. Nanny DOT has the excuse that Rider and Skye were tough to wrangle in, what’s yours?” Yamik asked.

“I was deep in trying to break through our Pods’ firewalls, not hearing the red alert until it was too late.” Teletran responded.

Yamik let out a sigh. “Alright. I’ll get you and Nanny DOT to the Captain’s Yacht. You should be safe there.” He responded. “Come on.” He said, Teletran and Nanny DOT following him as he, and Nanny DOT using its installed phasers when needed, downed any Terrorcon in their way.

Meanwhile, on the lead Megabot, a Terrorcon turned to its captain. “Sir, the unknown vessel is powering up. It’s locking onto us with weapons.”

“That’s why they were defending it. They were trying to get it online! Destroy it!” The captain ordered.

On the bridge, the crew saw the Terrorcons change targets. “Captain.” Norman pointed out.

“I see it.” Proxima responded. “All segments make for the Salvation! Equestria to Salvation. Might want to open with a torpedo volley.” Proxima suggested.

On the Salvation Bridge, Verak and his temporary crew did indeed see that the enemy was gunning it for them. “LtC Shron. Let’s show them what this centuries old relic can do.” He said.

“With pleasure.” Shron responded as he pressed a button, and just like that, the Salvation began puking out green Plasma Torpedos at the incoming Terrorcons. At the same time, plasma beams spat out from the Salvation’s weapon ports. Unleashing a flurry of fire that the Terrorcons slammed into, all 9 vessels getting hammered.

The lead Megabot rocked from the direct hits and the crew were knocked off their feet. The captain growled as he scrambled back up. “Gah! Return fire!” He ordered, before the bridge rocked again.

“Sir. We’re being flanked!” A Terrorcon grunt said.

Meanwhile, out in space, Blitzwing fired his blasters and downed the last transport that the Terrorcons were trying to use to board the Equestria, before turning his attention to the larger ships. He saw the fireworks the Salvation was spewing out, and he smiled as he took off after the Equestria Segments. “Wow. For a centuries old ship, she’s got a punch.” He commented, before his comlink blared again. “Gah! Seriously?” He asked. “Blitzwing to Equestria. Did you pick that up?” He asked.

“Pick what up?” Norman asked in response.

“The Cybertronian Dialect that blared my Comlink.” Blitz responded.

“Wait, again?” Norman asked.

“Yes. And…this time it was a request. A request for an Energon Boost…to the Captain’s Yacht.” Blitzwing reported.

On the Equestria Bridge, Proxima heard the conversation. “We have bigger things to worry about at the moment. We need to drive off those Terrorcons.” She said.

“If the Captain’s Yacht has weapons, it could be-“ Bltz started before being cut off by Yamik.

“Are you insane Blitz? I just dropped off Nanny DOT, Teletran, and Rider and Skye in the Captain’s Yacht. Even if it might be tactically beneficial. It’s out of the question.” He said.

“Agreed.” Proxima responded without hesitation. “Our sensors detect no more transports. And we’re containing the Terrorcon Boarders. I dare say we’re OK.” She said.

“Alright. But after this we should probably give it that boost.” He advised.

“Suggestion noted.” Proxima responded.

Down in the Captain’s Yacht, Teletran had gotten the Com’s Blare. “Two comms blares in one day. And both are related to the Captain’s Yacht.” He stated.

“What do you suppose that means?” Nanny DOT responded.

“Well, we came to the conclusion that the Captain’s Yacht is a Cybertronian. Emerged during the Emergence Protocol that started all this.” Teletran explained. “It is possible it is this Cybertronian that is trying to get us to take them out of stasis.” He proposed.

“Should we then do so?” Nanny DOT asked.

“In the middle of a battle? Bad idea.” Teletran responded. “We don’t know what could happen and finding out in the middle of a battle is not ideal.” He said.

Almost as if he had summoned the devil, both Nanny DOT and Teletran heard something that made them jump. A bang on the door, followed by a growl. “Scrap. Terrorcons!” Teletran exclaimed.

“And we are trapped.” Nanny DOT added.

The foals, still inside Nanny DOT’s stroller, heard the growl and banging and they shivered in fear, while Nanny DOT extended its phasers again. Ready to defend its charges. However, something happened that caught Teletran and Nanny DOT off guard. The lights sprang on and they heard engines powering up, followed by a deep male voice. “I woulda liked to have been able to transform, but I can still get you four out of here.” The voice said.

On the bridge, the Captain’s Yacht powering up did not go unnoticed. Norman saw the power up. “Captain. The Captain’s Yacht is powering up…it looks like it’s getting ready to take off!” He reported.

Proxima’s heart nearly stopped when she heard that. “What?!” She asked. “Shut it down!” She ordered.

“Trying.” Norman responded frantically tapping at his console, but not managing to do anything. “Damnit. I can’t shut it down.” He said…before he finally noticed the problem. “Wait a second, Terrorcon trying to break into the Yacht!” He reported.

“Already on it!” Cliff exclaimed.

In the corridor leading to the Yacht. Cliff had transformed into his car mode, which was the size of a toddler’s car while he was sized to Starfleet officers, to speed through the corridors until he turned the corner to see the Terrorcon. “Eat Energon you scrap pile!” He exclaimed, transforming and blasting at the Terrorcon, scoring direct hits and downing the con. “Terrorcon down!” He reported. At that moment, through the window, he saw the Yacht drop down from its indent in the saucer. “And the Yacht just launched.” He added.

Proxima’s breath hitched in her throat. Mind racing. The Captain’s Yacht, carrying her babies, was now out there in the thick of the battle. “Norman.” She said. “Raise that Yacht!” She ordered.

“Aye captain.” Norman responded, feeling the momma bear panic off of Proxima. “You’re on.” He said after a moment.

“Captain’s Yacht. This is the USS Equestria. You don’t have authorization to be out there!” Proxima said sternly.

“I am aware Captain Maxima.” Said a male voice no one recognized. “However, given that I am housing precious cargo, it seemed prudent to evacuate them from the battle. I am setting course for that M-Class planet the Equestria picked up earlier. And I promise to stay there.” The voice said.

Proxima was speechless for a moment, trying to process what just happened. “I’m sorry, who the hell is this?” She asked, confused.

“You may call me Waverider.” The male voice introduced himself. “I promise to make a full report once this is over, but for now, I promise to keep your kids safe captain.” Waverider said before the connection was cut.

Proxima stood there in silence, debating what to do. She could probably have the Equestria tractor Waverider back in, but something was stopping her from ordering it. A desire, and an acknowledgement. With things going the way they were, it made sense to get Waverider’s occupants out of the battle entirely. “Teletran.” She commed the cybertronian drone. “Watch my kids with Nanny DOT.” She ordered.

“Aye captain.” Teletran responded.

“Norman, make sure you don’t lose Waverider’s signal.” Proxima said. “All vessels. Cover the Captain’s Yacht’s evacuation.” She ordered all the vessels.

“Aye captain!” Blitz responded, quickly locating this new fellow and forming up with him, meanwhile the Equestria Segments moved to run interference.

On the Salvation, Verak raised an eyebrow over his Starfleet counterpart’s message. “I am confused, why would the Equestria have launched its captain’s yacht in the middle of a battle?” He asked, glancing at Sela.

Sela was momentarily just as confused as Verak, until it dawned on her what could have happened. “I believe the Captain’s Yacht is being used to ferry the Equestria’s two young occupants to safety.” She mused. “The Equestria has been boarded, it is plausible the safe zone is no longer safe at this time.” She guessed.

Verak was momentarily surprised, until he remembered that Starfleet allowed children on their vessels. “In that case, put us between that yacht and the enemy.” He ordered.

Paris acknowledged and set the Salvation in motion, blaring its impulse engines to angle the ship in a defensive manner.

All around Waverider and Blitzwing, lasers, phasers, and plasma were flying, as well as torpedoes. The two pulled evasive maneuvers to avoid getting shot. “You really threw a wrench into this fight, ya know that kid?” Blitz asked Waverider.

“A wrench?” Waverider asked.

“Because now the larger ships need to cover your exfil. Not the most ideal position to be in.” Blitz explained.

“Ah.” Waverider said as he dodged another shot. “Apologies, I was merely acting in the best interest of my occupants.” He explained.

Blitzwing was about to say something, before he noticed the Salvation moving into position, he noticed the vessel's negative Space and he had an idea. “Blitz to Equestria. Someone told the Salvation to hold position. Waverider and I’ll gun it through that negative space and he can warp out.” He suggested.

“Acknowledged Blitzwing. Salvation, hold position, the Captain’s Yacht and his escort are gonna use your negative space.” Norman said over the comms.

Blitz smirked under his jet nose and moved in front of Waverider. “Follow me kid! And prepare to warp out the nanocycle I give the order!” He said.

“Aye sir.” Waverider responded. Deferring to the command of the superior pilot. “Teletran, spin up my warp drive and be ready to hit it.” He said. “I realize upon examination of my knowledge I do not know how to warp myself.” He admitted.

“Fortunately for you I do.” Nanny DOT spoke up, detaching its stroller from its body before hopping into the pilot’s seat. “Teletran, watch the kids.” It said,

Throughout all of this, Rider and Skye simply stared out the window, mesmerized by all the colors and bangs from the battle happening around them. Teletran took notice of the foals’ attention, concerned. “Uh, think we should be concerned about the fact that these two seem to be mesmerized by the chaos outside?” He asked.

“They’re little kids that see pretty lights. It’s to be expected.” Nanny DOT responded. “Warp drive primed.” She reported.

“Standby.” Waverider responded as he followed Blitzwing. They flew right through the Salvation’s negative space and angled down…or at least tried to. Blitzwing successfully did a barrel roll to angle down, while Waverider’s timing was a tad off and he clipped his port Warp Nacelle structure, making him grunt in pain.

“Gah! Darn it, my port Nacelle got hit!” He said.

Inside, the canopy rocked, making Nanny DOT panic, before it checked the systems. “Systems are still good.” It said,

Blitz meanwhile slowed down and got into a position to inspect the damage. “Looks like just a scrape.” He said. “Remember, timing is everything.” He said.

“Right.” Waverider said as he and Blitz soared away from the fight.

“Anyway. You’re all clear kid. Punch it!” Blitz ordered.

“Whoever’s at my helm, warp me!” Waverider ordered.

“Going to warp.” Nanny DOT responded, punching it and throwing Waverider into warp.

On the bridge of the Equestria, Proxima watched as Waverider warped out, ferrying her kids to safety. After a second, she heard Prestine speak up. “Least we know now they’re safe.” She commented.

“Right.” Proxima said, putting her kids aside for the moment to focus on the task at hand. “Now that we don’t need to run interference. Let’s finish this.” She said. “Signal the Salvation, let them know they’re now free to go all out.”

“With pleasure Captain.” Yamik responded, having taken up the tactical position in Shron’s absence.

On the bridge of the Salvation, Sela detected the captain’s Yacht’s warp out. “The captain’s yacht is away.” She reported. “And we’re getting a message from the Equestria, they want us to go all out.” She said.

“Happy to oblige.” Verak responded. “Weapons free. Unload on these Terrorcons.” He ordered.

The Equestria segments formed up with the Salvation and together, they unleash a flurry of plasma phaser, and quantum destruction upon the Terrorcon fleet. On the bridge of the lead Megabot, the captain grimaced as they watched their fleet get decimated. “Grrr. Get us out of here!” They ordered. “Mistress Bionic will not be happy.”

Their crew acknowledged, and the Megabot transformed into a starship and went to warp, the other vessels falling to the Salvation and the Equestria. Yamik smiled as the last ship exploded. “Terrorcon threat neutralized.” He said as he checked his console. “Both onboard and out there.” He clarified.

“Damage?” Proxima asked.

“Nothing more than usual for these fights. Medbay’s overflowing with injuries but Phlox reports no fatalities so far.” Norman said.

“Raise the Salvation.” Proxima said.

Norman nodded and called the Salvation, Verak and the bridge appeared on the viewscreen. “Cmdr Verak. How’s the Salvation?” She asked.

“Still flying, thanks to you and your crew Captain.” Verak responded.

“That is good.” Proxima responded, relieved. “I am only sorry your awakening was marked by a fight for survival.” She said.

“Don’t be captain. It was necessary.” Verak responded. “If I may return the concern. I trust you and your ship made it alright?” He asked.

“No more worse for wear than usual against the Terrorcons.” Proxima responded.

On the bridge of the Salvation, Verak nodded. “That is good to hear. I am glad that we could help each other—“ he did not get a chance to speak further before a door to the bridge opened, and shouting could be heard.

“Cmdr Verak! What is going on here?!” Asked a male voice, an angry male voice.

Paris, Shron, Baker, Sela, and Verak all turned to the source and saw a bunch of Romulans with pistols drawn flooding in. On instinct, the Starfleet officers all raised their own weapons and aimed at the Romulans.

Verak meanwhile stood there in shock. “Sub commander G’nor.” He identified the shouter, surprise clear in his voice. “You are awake.” He stated.

Sela and her fellow Starfleet officers all shared looks of confusion. As far as they knew they kept the crew of the Salvation in stasis. Baker quickly came to the conclusion that the Energon Battery that was powering the Salvation had jolted the Stasis Pod system and awakened all of the Salvation’s crew. Which meant the Starfleet officers onboard were in trouble.

To be continued…

Author's Note

Hope y'all enjoy this action packed episode. THX FOR READING!

Episode 24: Rising Tensions

Previously on Star Trek Equestria Reformatted...

“We discovered a centuries old D’Deridex Class Romulan Warbird far outside where it should have ever been.”

“Its crew of 2000 are all in cryo-sleep.”

“I am Commander Verak T’Pala, commanding officer of the Salvation.”

“The Salvation’s mission is to find a new world, forge a new empire, far away from the Federation.”

“Terrorcons on us.”

“The Salvation will stand with the Equestria.”

“You may call me Waverider, I shall ferry your kids to safety.”

“Commander Verak, what is going on here?”

And now the Continuation...

Light years away from the battlefield, Waverider orbited the M-class planet he had set his course to, staying put just as he had promised his mother ships’ captain. Inside, Nanny DOT reached into her built In backpack and pulled out a pair of warm bottles. “I am glad I was programmed to always be prepared for events such as this.” She commented as she extended two more arms and gently picked Rider and Skye up and cradled them in her arms. “Alright Rider, Skye. Time for lunch.” She said.

Rider and Skye giggled and started sucking on the bottle when their nanny put the bottles in reach. Meanwhile, Teletran was studying Waverider’s systems. “Amazing.” He said. “The Emergence Protocol was only meant to bring forth the Titan Harmony CyberSpark. But somehow, it also brought forth a new life in the Equestria’s Captain’s Yacht.” He said.

“Is that a bad thing?” Asked Waverider.

“I am not sure.” Teletran responded. “On the one hand, your systems appear to be stable, save for the T-Cog but a simple Energon injection should fix that. But on the other hand, your emergence was an unintended event.” He explained.

“Hm. Well, I do hope that I can prove whose side I’m on.” Waverider said.

“You certainly earned brownie points getting us out of the battle…even if you didn’t ask to do so.” Nanny DOT replied.

“Happy to have helped.” Waverider responded, before his internal camera saw some Energon Milk drip onto the floor. “Er, sorry but what is it that you are doing…Nanny DOT was it?” He asked.

“That is me.” Nanny DOT responded. “As per your question. It’s feeding time for these two little tykes. They need the energy to grow big and strong.” She explained.

“Ah. Ok.” Waverider responded. “Well. When you are done, do you mind cleaning up whatever mess gets left behind please? I would prefer to keep myself clean.” He asked.

Nanny DOT looked down and saw the mess Rider and Skye were making on the floor. “Oh, apologies Waverider. I shall clean that up after I finish feeding Rider and Skye.” She said.

“Thank you.” Waverider responded. “So…anyone know any good movies we can watch to pass the time while we wait for the signal to return?” He asked.

“It would need to be a movie Rider and Skye can watch. So only e-rated movies.” Nanny DOT pointed out.

“Let’s see what’s in the ol-federation database.” Teletran responded, calling up the movie database.

Meanwhile, back at the battle site, amidst the wreckage of Terrorcon ships, the bridge of the Salvation was silent, motionless. Tension in the air as Sela and her fellow officers were held at gunpoint by Romulans, who they were holding at gunpoint themselves. Minds racing as they tried to figure out how the rest of the crew was woken up if they didn’t wake them up, and Verak not having had the time to do it himself. Verak, seeing that the wrong move would cause a firefight, cleared his throat. “Subcommander, I’m thrilled to see you up and about, but please, all of you lay down your weapons. I assure you it is not what it appears to be.” He said.

“Really? Because it looks like Starfleet officers are meddling in affairs that do not concern them. Completely ignoring the terms of the Treaty of Algerian.” G’nor retorted, disgust clear on his face. “Take the Starfleet officers into custody.” G’nor ordered his officers.

“Belay that order!” Verak responded quickly. “G’nor. Stand down, now.” Verak warned.

“And then what? Let these trespassers go?” G’nor asked. “Not a chance. I already got men down in Engineering. And found more Starfleet officers poking around.”

“G’nor, if you will just listen to me for one second, I can explain.” Verak responded.

While Verak and G’nor talked. Baker quietly held her combadge up to her mouth. “Baker to Engineering.” She whispered. “Status?”

“Being held at gunpoint by a bunch of Romulan officers.” An officer responded.

“Is anyone in position to take the Energon Battery out?” Baker asked.

“Ensign Mirag is.” The officer responded.

“Standby to take that battery and get the hell out of there.” Baker ordered.

Meanwhile, on the Equestria, the argument could be heard over the viewscreen.

“Don’t tell me these federation jackals are here to “help” us. We heard explosions outside the ship. Clearly there was something going on.” G’nor retorted.

“And what makes you think it was the Salvation vs the Federation?” Verak asked. “G’nor, you literally have no context as to what just happened.”

“I don’t need context. I just need see that there are Federation officers commanding a Romulan ship and that is ALL I need to know.” G’nor said.

Seeing that this was getting out of hand, Proxima cleared her throat loudly. “Ahem! Excuse me gentlemen, clearly there is a misunderstanding.” She said, getting their attention.

G’nor and Verak both shut up and glanced at the screen. At the sight of the pastel colored pony in a Starfleet uniform, G’nor raised an eyebrow. “What the hell? What’s an animal doing on a starship?” He asked.

Hearing that, Verak facepalmed. “G’nor, shut up.” He hissed. “That is Captain Maxima, the head of the crew that saved our asses.” He said.

“Yes.” Maxima responded, turning to Sela. “Sela, I believe it best for you and our people to return to the Equestria.” She said.

After inwardly breathing a sigh of relief, Sela nodded. “At once Captain.” Sela responded, before G’nor shook his head.

“No, no! No one is leaving this ship until—“

“G’nor!” Verak cut G’nor off. “You have no say in this matter.” He told him, turning to Sela and her officers. “I thank you again for your assistance. The Salvation is indebted to you.” He said.

“All in a day’s work.” Sela responded. “Alright, let us head back to the Equestria. Baker, please ensure all engineering officers safely return.” She said.

As her fellow officers were beaming out, Baker tapped at the console a few times to shut down all nonessential systems aside from the lights, reroute power so that the wires running to the Energon battery wouldn’t be flowing with power, and commed her team. “Baker to Engineering, exfil. And bring the battery.” She said before she smiled. “You're welcome for helping you.” She told the Romulans before tapping her combadge and beaming out.

In Engineering, the closest officer to the battery grabbed at it and ripped it out of the adapter before the Romulans could do anything, and they beamed out, catching the Romulans completely off guard. On the Salvation Bridge, G’nor blinked. “What just happened?” He asked.

Verak let out a sigh. “You scared off the nice Starfleet officers.” He said, turning to Captain Maxima. “Captain, I believe that after I check up on my crew, it is prudent for our two senior staffs to come together for a discussion. Clearly there are some things to sort out.” He said.

“Would seem so.” Proxima responded. “Although I should issue this warning for your crew. Should they try anything, the Equestria will respond in kind.” She warned, more so to G’nor then Verak. With that warning issued, the connection was cut.

Verak just sighed and shook his head. “Alright. Let’s start getting our feet under us again. I want a full sweep of the Salvation, check for any damage not already repaired.” He said.

“Cmdr, we need to-“ G’nor tried to say before Verak cut him off.

“That is enough out of you G’nor. In my office in ten minutes.” Verak told G’Nor before he started for the Turbolift. “And for your information. Captain Maxima is not an animal. She is a quadruped lifeform from a planet from our home galaxy.” He corrected his first officer. “Engineering.” He ordered, the Turbolift taking him down, leaving G’Nor confused.

“Ship’s log, Commander Sela: with the Terrorcon threat eliminated, we can now focus more on the Salvation itself. And the new concern that carries. Somehow, during the Battle, the Salvation’s stasis pods all activated and woke up the rest of the crew. Now we have a ship full of Tal’Shiar agents. I am grateful that we have the advantage for once.”

“I managed to disable all nonessential systems and lock them out of their weapons before beaming out.” LtC Baker reported. “That along with the removal of the Energon battery has rendered the Salvation vulnerable.” She said.

“Good call Baker.” Proxima responded. “With any luck that should help to keep the Salvation crew in line.” She said. The senior staff gathered on the bridge for an after action debrief.

“I’ve set all 3 segments to keep the Salvation surrounded. Weapons locked on key systems.” Shron reported. “They won’t be leaving without a fight.”

“A refreshing position to be in.” Yamik commented. “We actually have the advantage against a possible hostile, for once.”

“It is a change of pace to have the bigger stick for once.” Proxima replied. “However, I remain optimistic that we can resolve this situation without any more exchange of weapons fire.” She told her crew.

“Of course captain.” Sela responded.

“Alright.” Proxima replied. “Let’s start with after action TLC.” She told them.

While the rest of the crew nodded and returned to their duties, Boimler stayed put. “Captain.” Boimler spoke up. “If you and Commander Sela have a moment, I believe there is something we need to discuss in private.” He said. “Concerning Cmdr Verak.” He said.

While Proxima understood what was going on, Sela raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Is there something wrong Doctor?” She asked.

“Depends on how you take it Cmdr.” Boimler responded. Proxima meanwhile led Sela and Boimler into her ready room, the door closing behind them.

“I assume this has to do with that DNA test I asked you to do?” She asked Boimler.

“It does captain.” Boimler responded.

“DNA test?” Sela asked.

“Considering Verak’s surname in relation to a…very current problem back home.” Boimler replied. “I believed it prudent to at least find your connection to Verak, if such a thing existed.” He explained.

“And I agreed. When it comes to your family Sela, it’s better to not take any chances and leave no blind spots.” Proxima reasoned.

“That is logical Captain.” Sela responded. “And it also provides a security risk for biometric systems.” She added.

“Exactly.” Proxima responded, turning to Boimler. “So, what’s the result doc?” She asked.

Boimler took a deep breath, before he called up his Medical HUD with the results. “Running his DNA through the database, of course 8 centuries of genetic mingling is gonna scramble the strands. But there was enough similarity between Verak and Sela to establish a clear genetic connection.” He announced.

While Proxima nodded, having suspected as such, Sela’s breath hitched in her throat, mind racing. The man she had just fought beside was indeed related to her. Sela could feel her PTSD surrounding her family members intensifying gradually. “What is the connection exactly doctor?” She asked. Trying to keep it together.

“Best I can tell. He is your direct uncle.” Boimler responded. “Related to your direct ancestor from that generation.”

Sela nodded in acknowledgement. The news that she was related to a Romulan was not so surprising. After all, even back then, Vulcans and Romulans did occasionally mingle and produce offspring. What was more shocking was that against all odds, they had found her ancestor all the way out here, alive no-less. ‘It seems my family has a history of defying logic.’ She thought to herself.

Boimler studied Sela’s reaction specifically, he could tell she was trying to hold it together. “Sela.” He said. “Remember, he may be your ancestor, but that does not mean he is anything like your parents.” He said.

“Right.” Sela replied. “He is not them, there is no reason to believe he is.” She stated. Though inside, she was not so sure if she believed that. Growing up, all she had for blood family was her parents, all her other relatives having died before she was born. As such she had nothing internally to compare against her parents. For all she knew, everyone in her family was just as insane when they were in this world. She took a few deep breaths to recompose herself, before she spoke up. “Captain, with your permission I’ll take a shuttle out and meet up with the Captain’s Yacht. Bring it and its occupants back.”

Proxima was about to speak up, saying that she was about to take a shuttle herself, before she remembered that Verak could request to speak with her at any moment, as such she needed to be on call here. “Granted Cmdr.” She told Sela. “Get them back here as soon as possible.” She said. “And, one more thing, The Yacht is alive now, and his name is Waverider.” She added.

“Aye captain.” Sela acknowledged, before tapping her combadge and transporting to the Beta Segment Shuttlebay.

With Sela gone, Boimler sighed. “The sooner we settle this thing with the Salvation and get back underway to Jungletron, the better I suspect.” He commented.

“The way I see it. We’ll be back underway in a week tops.” Proxima predicted. “There are two paths to go down. One, we open a space bridge portal and have N’Var ships tow the Salvation back to N’Var.”

“Or we help them settle on the nearest M-Class planet and keep a close eye on them.” Boimler said. “Frankly Captain, I think the first route is the better option.” He suggested.

“Noted.” Proxima responded. “But ultimately the choice is not ours to make.” She said. “Thank you Doctor, dismissed.” He said.

Boimler nodded and tapped his combadge, transporting back to the medbay. Leaving Proxima alone. “Computer.” She ordered. “Patch me through to Representative Harlok.”

Meanwhile, in the Shuttlebay, Sela boarded one of the Equestria’s shuttles and started the take off sequence, before she heard Harmony’s voice. “Oh, Cmdr Sela.” Harmony said.

Sela turned in her seat to see Harmony with her mission saddle, fiddling with the shuttle internals. “JWO CyberSpark, might I ask what you are doing?” Sela asked.

“Baker wanted me to help check the shuttles for any damage they may have suffered during the battle.” Harmony responded, before closing up the panel. “Just finished this shuttle’s inspection, it passed.” She said.

“That is good to hear.” Sela responded. “And the timing could not be better. I have been tasked with retrieving our wayward Captain’s Yacht and bringing him back.” She said.

“Wait, what? Did the Yacht detach during the fight?” Harmony asked, not privy yet to what had occurred.

“Not…exactly.” Sela responded. “It is a long story. But, I believe we found the reason why the Captain’s Yacht started acting strange during our first ever encounter with Megabots.” She said.

“Oh, really?” Harmony asked, having almost forgotten about that. “It’s nothing bad right?” She asked.

“Not at all.” Sela responded. “It would seem that the emergence protocol that granted you life also granted life to the Captain’s Yacht, giving birth to Waverider.” She explained.

“Waverider. Oddly appropriate name for a Captain’s Yacht.” Harmony commented. “Wait so you’re gonna go meet with this Waverider?” She asked.

“Indeed.” Sela replied.

“Mind if I tag along?” Harmony asked. “Would love to meet Waverider.” She said.

“And you will, when he returns.” Sela responded. “There’s still plenty to do here.” She explained.

“Alright, sure.” Harmony responded. “Have a safe flight commander.” She said before she disembarked from the shuttle, the shuttle closing behind her.

Sela watched her leave, before she turned back to the shuttle’s console. “Equestria Shuttle Control this E-122723-02, requesting clearance for departure.” She said.

“Clearance granted. Safe travels.” The officer on the other end responded.

Having the clearance needed, Sela set the shuttle to take off, and left the shuttle bay. She turned away from the Equestria’s segments and the Salvation and quickly set a course for where Waverider ended up. ‘Least this gives me a chance to comprehend what Verak and I being related means.’ She thought to herself as she threw the shuttle into warp, heading for the nearest M-Class planet.

Meanwhile, Teletran, Nanny DOT, and Rider and Skye had settled into watching an old earth show called Paw Patrol. A show made for little kids. Rider and Skye were giggling as they watched, while Teletran couldn’t help but be intrigued by the show. “Did the humans of that time predict that there would be talking Ponies with these talking Canines?” He asked.

“I believe a more apt prediction would be the Eninac Porthos.” Nanny DOT responded. “However I do not believe it was meant to be a prediction of any kind. Just a fun show to entertain kids.” She reasoned.

“It would seem that the little tykes are certainly entertained by the show.” Waverider commented, watching through his internal cameras. “Isn’t anyone else concerned that we haven’t received word to return yet?” He asked.

“Could be their communication system was damaged and they are trying to fix it.” Teletran suggested. “Based on my projections, the Salvation and the Equestria’s firepower combined is more than enough to deal with what Terrorcon forces were there.” He reasoned.

“Still, should we try—“ Waverider started before his long range sensors detected something. “Oh, we have something incoming.” He reported.

Teletran moved on over to the console to check it out, after a moment, he spoke up. “It’s a Starfleet shuttle. Probably our rescue party.” He said.

Sure enough, everyone looked out the window to see a Starfleet shuttle drop out of warp near their position, not long after, they received a transmission. “Captain’s Yacht Waverider this is shuttlecraft E-122723-02, is everyone alright here?” Asked Commander Sela.

Teletran was the one to respond. “All good here commander. I take it the battle went well?” He asked.

“We forced the Terrorcons into retreat.” Sela responded. “I was sent to bring you home.” She said.

“We’re all ready to warp on your order cmdr.” Teletran stated.

“Before we head back however. Waverider, if I may offer a bit of advice?” Sela asked.

“Yes Cmdr?” Waverider asked.

“For future reference, do NOT just take the Captain’s kids into a dangerous situation without first clearing it with the captain. While it may have worked out this time and she was able to see reason in your actions, clearing it with her first will help to ease her mind.” Sela advised Waverider.

“Understood Cmdr. I will apologize for scaring her and I will clear it with her in the future.” She said.

“Wise course of action.” Sela replied. She piloted the shuttle around Waverider and saw the scrape on his port nacelle assembly. “Your Port Nacelle assembly is damaged.” She observed.

“Just a scrape commander. We were still able to go to warp. However I would like to request a buffing when we return.” Waverider asked.

“You will be added to the queue for maintenance.” Sela responded.

“Appreciated Cmdr.” Waverider responded. “Ready for warp.”

“Let us return then.” Sela responded.

With Nanny DOT at his helm, Waverider formed up with the shuttle and both went into warp heading home.

Back on the Equestria, in Proxima’s ready room, Representative Harlok appeared in holographic form in front of Maxima. “Captain Maxima.” He acknowledged. “It is agreeable to see you again.” He said.

“Likewise Representative Harlok.” Proxima responded.

“To what do I owe the pleasure?” Harlok asked.

“I felt it necessary to inform you that the crew of the Salvation have all been woken up.” Maxima announced. “And it nearly resulted in a firefight with my officers.”

“Everyone is alright I hope?” Harlok asked, concerned.

“Everyone is fine. Well, as fine as can be after a battle with Terrorcon forces out here.” Maxima responded.

“I am pleased to hear that, Captain.” Harlok responded. “Thank you for this update. As it happens, I have an update of my own. The President of N’Var and the greater Federation council have convened, and they have asked that I make a trip out there to speak with the Salvation’s captain in person. I was told you had a way to bring me out there?” He asked, perplexed.

Proxima was surprised the Federation wanted to send someone out to handle the Salvation situation, but nonetheless, she nodded. “We do. Our ship has the ability to create a stable wormhole between any two points in space, provided the Equestria is at one such point.” She explained. “We can open a portal above N’Var for you to fly through whenever you are ready.” She said.

“I shall embark as soon as possible. I’ll send a signal when I am ready.” Harlok responded.

“We look forward to your arrival representative.” Proxima responded. Harlok acknowledged and bid farewell before the connection was cut. After which Proxima tapped her combadge. “Proxima to Baker. Kasey how soon can the gamma segment open a space bridge portal to N’Var?” She asked.

“All the way to N’Var?” Baker asked. “Why do you ask Captain?”

“I just spoke with Representative Harlok of N’Var. He is requesting to be brought out here to assist with the Salvation situation.” Proxima explained. “Can the Gamme Segment do it?”

“The science behind it suggests yes, but just to be on the safe side I recommend bringing the Equestria back together so that all available power can be diverted to the deflector array.” Baker responded.

“Acknowledged. Any repairs going on that might prevent this endeavor?” Maxima asked.

“It passed inspection. We’ll be ready to go once we reassemble the Equestria.” Baker responded.

“Standby.” Maxima responded, before walking out onto the bridge. “LtC Norman.” She said.

“Yes captain?” Norman asked.

“Send a message to the Salvation, let them know we are reassembling our ship and opening a Vortex so that a Federation Envoy can come and meet with the Salvation.” Proxima ordered.

“Wait, a Federation Envoy wants to come?” Shron asked. “Is that even possible without weeks of travel?” He asked.

“Our Cybertronian friends have confirmed a Space Bridge has infinite range.” Prestine responded. “It is possible. But the Envoy would then need to wait 13 hours until they can return.” She reminded him.

“Something tells me that won’t be a problem.” Norman commented.

“Ok, but that raises another question, should we inform a potential enemy of our ships’ possibly most important ability?” Shron asked. Concerned.

“It’s either that or scare them. And I would rather NOT do that.” Proxima responded. “Norman.” She said.

“Aye captain.” Norman responded, sending the desired message to the Salvation.

“Shron, have the ship reassemble itself.” Proxima ordered.

“Aye captain.” Shron responded.

On the Salvation, Verak was in his office with his first officer G’Nor. G’Nor was not happy. “That Starfleet Jackal completely locked us out of everything. All we have control over are basic systems needed to keep us alive. That is grounds for demanding she be handed over to us.” He said.

“G’Nor, in case you haven’t noticed, we aren’t exactly in a position to be demanding anything.” Verak said. “Our warp drive is dead. Our Singularity Core is caput, we’re running on fumes.” He told G’Nor.

“Is that so? Then how come I saw records of the Salvation fighting at full combat effectiveness only a half hour ago?” G’Nor asked.

“It is a new energy source the Starfleet crew loaned the ship so that she could survive an encounter with a hostile force.” Verak responded. “A power source they have now taken back.” He added. Indeed when he was in Engineering, he had noticed the battery missing, he figured Starfleet took it back, and he was not the least bit surprised.

“They took it back and you let them get away with it?!” G’Nor asked. “Have you lost your mind?”

“G’Nor, they had just saved our butts from destruction. I was not about to antagonize them.” Verak responded.

“Then I propose we send an agent to take the power source for ourselves.” G’Nor stated.

“Absolutely not.” Verak replied, shutting that idea immediately. “G’Nor, we are 827 years from when we were last awake. Do you really believe it is a good idea to go up against a Starfleet crew with technology far beyond anything we could possibly imagine?” He asked.

“Their technology can only get them so far.” G’Nor responded. “It is not the first time the Tal’Shiar has succeeded at a disadvantage.”

“Be it as it may, we are not going to go behind their backs. We are not going to try to steal something they don’t want us to have, if the Salvation is to survive, the best course of action is to cooperate with the Federation.” Verak told G’Nor. “That is my order for this crew. Play nice with Starfleet.” He declared.

G’Nor stared at Verak hard for a while, not saying anything, until he just stood up, and turned to leave.

Verak, seeing this, stood up behind his desk. “G’Nor.” He called out. “Do you understand your orders?” He asked sternly.

“For now. Commander.” G’Nor responded coldly, before he left.

Verak sighed as he sat back down, facepalming. “Computer, begin commander’s log.” He said. After hearing the beep from the computer, he started talking again. “Ship’s Log: Commander Verak T’Pala, it is with great joy that I record this new log. As it is a sign that there is Salvation for my people. As our luck would have it, the Salvation was stumbled upon by a Federation vessel, one that is 827 years more advanced than anything I have ever seen before.” He swiveled in his chair and turned to look out the viewport towards the Equestria, which he saw was reassembling back into a full ship. “A remarkable work of engineering, a testament to Starfleet’s prestigious shipyards. Though our fateful rendezvous was not without hardship. We were forced to defend ourselves from a threat unlike anything I have ever seen. Fortunately, together with the USS Equestria, the Salvation made it through the battle. I cannot express enough how proud I was to see the old girl hold her own even after 8.27 centuries of disuse. Though as any good captain would do well to remember, a ship is only as good as the crew that commands her, and…I will give credit where it is due, the crew of the USS Equestria did well considering their probable lack of training in the operation of a D’Deridex warbird. Their knowledge of the enemy proved invaluable. With the crew awakened, we are enacting repairs on our vessel so that we may continue our journey. The Star Empire will be reborn.” He declared, smiling. “And it will not make the same mistakes as before.”

At that moment, a voice came over the intercom. “Commander Verak, we are receiving a message from the Federation ship. They…are going to open a wormhole to allow an envoy to cross through and engage in the coming discussion.” They said.

Verak’s eyes widened. “Are they now…hm…interesting.” He said. ‘Future is full of surprises.’ He thought to himself.

In Space, the segments had reassembled and the deflector dish was aimed away from the Salvation. A little ways away, Sela’s shuttle and Waverider dropped out of warp. Sela raised an eyebrow when she saw the segments back together. “Hm. Curious.” She said to herself before she contacted the ship. “USS Equestria, this is Shuttle E-122723-02. I was under the impression that the three Equestria Segments were to remain separated and surrounding the Salvation?” She asked.

“We are going to open a Space Bridge to N’Var commander.” Sela heard Norman respond. “Acting Representative Harlok has requested to represent the N’Var people in this Salvation situation.” He explained. “In person.”

Sela, having been informed of N’Var’s new representation, nodded. “Acknowledged.” She said. “Is there room in the shuttlebay for the captain’s yacht?” She asked. “It requires a buffing.” She explained.

“Wouldn’t recommend it.” Norman responded. “With Harlok’s shuttle as well it’s gonna be too tight a fit. I’d suggest the yacht park in its docking indent until Harlok leaves.” He said.

“Understood Norman. Did you hear that Waverider?” Sela asked.

“Couldn’t whoever’s visiting just wait?” Waverider asked.

“Not happening.” Sela responded quickly. “A representative of the United Federation of Planets is requesting to visit. And he must not be kept waiting.” She explained. “You will get your buffing once Harlok leaves. Understood?” She asked.

“Understood commander. Well, if I’m going back into my indent, someone ought to let the captain know so she can welcome her foals home.” Waverider suggested.

“As much as I would LOVE to do that.” Proxima chimed in. “I’m still on duty. Nanny DOT, please bring Rider and Skye back to our quarters. And next time, try to get to the safe zone faster.” She said.

“I shall do my best Captain.” Nanny DOT responded.

“Good. See you all back onboard in a moment.” Maxima responded, before the connection was cut.

On the bridge of the Equestria, Prestine received a notice on her console. “Captain.” She reported. “We’ve received coordinates through our relay network.” She announced. “Representative Harlok is ready.” She said.

“Good. Black Alert.” Proxima ordered. The ship responded accordingly. “LtC Shron, you have the con. I’ll go greet our guest.” She said, before walking off onto the Turbolift and disappearing.

With her gone, Shron took the captain’s chair. “Prestine, open her up.” He said.

Over the Planet N’Var, a small shuttle craft sat in orbit at the coordinates provided to the Equestria. Inside, Harlok was at the controls, waiting as his mind pondered. While he was waiting, he was reading the Federation’s Database on something called “the transformers”. “Huh. So it would seem that Earth actually predicted the future with its ancient multimedia industry. Fascinating.” He mused to himself as he read up on what a space bridge was. And other matters related to the USS Equestria that he was told he should be privy to. All of a sudden, his shuttle sensors picked something up, and right in front of him, he saw a green swirling vortex open up. Harlok deactivated his holo screen and took a moment to study the vortex. “I am gonna guess that is the space bridge.” He mused. It did match the physical description he found in the database. As he prepared to go through, he received a message confirming who sent it, which put him at ease as he threw the shuttle into Impulse and flew through. Moments later, exiting to find himself approaching a Hydra class vessel, and a D’Deridex. “Whoa. Never thought I’d see one of these in the wild.” He mused.

Suddenly, his comlink picked up a transmission. “N’Var diplomatic Shuttle, this is the USS Equestria. Do you copy?” Asked a voice.

After taking a second to process that he was indeed in Extra Galactic Space, Harlok responded. “USS Equestria this is Representative Harlok. I read you loud and clear. Thank you for providing passage through the fabric of space.” He said.

“Welcome to Extra Galactic Space sir. We have a landing spot ready for you in our shuttlebay. Captain Maxima and Commander Sela will receive you.” The person on the other end said.

“Copy that.” Harlok responded. “Thanks.” He said, before the connection was cut.

In the shuttlebay, Cmdr Sela had just landed and disembarked her shuttle, seeing Captain Maxima enter the bay, Sela made her way right over to her. “Captain Maxima.” She acknowledged.

“Cmdr Sela.” Proxima responded. “Remain here. I’ve just been informed Harlok’s shuttle is coming in for a landing.” She said.

“Aye captain.” Sela replied. “Have you had any further communication with Cmdr Verak?” She asked, slightly wincing saying his name.

“No. But that’s likely due to him trying to get his crew in order.” Maxima responded. “Trying to ease 2000 people into the future is not an easy or quick process.” She said.

“Especially once you take into account the possibility of chroniton radiation poisoning and other illnesses that can stem from being in cryo sleep for so long.” Sela reasoned.

“Exactly.” Proxima responded as they watched a N’Var shuttle enter their visual range and ease into the shuttlebay.

The shuttle landed and Proxima and Sela approached. Arriving at the base of the boarding ramp as the hatch opened to reveal a formally dressed Reman male. “Representative Harlok.” Proxima acknowledged the man as he walked down the ramp. “Welcome aboard the USS Equestria.” She said.

“A privilege to be here, captain.” Harlok responded with a smile, holding out his hand to shake. “And might I say it’s good to meet you in pony.” He said, using appropriate terms around Maxima.

“Likewise Representative.” Proxima responded, shaking his hand with her hoof. “And this is Cmdr Sela T’Pala, my first officer.” She said, introducing Sela to Harlok.

At the mention of T’Pala, Harlok stopped, glancing at Sela. “T’Pala, as in Representatives T’Pala?” He asked.

Sela saw that coming from a mile away, understanding her family name would be renowned. “Correct sir, they are actually my parents.” She said, shaking Harlok’s outstretched hand. “However I make it a point to not associate myself with them. For various reasons.” She said.

“I think I can guess what one of those reasons might be.” Harlok replied. He wasn’t privy to Sela’s personal history with her parents, but he absolutely was privy to the mockery her parents made of N’Var’s representative seats. “I assure you that should I be elected full time into office, I will work to repair the damage done by your parents.” He said.

“I am sure the Federation. Council would appreciate that.” Sela replied. “Unless you would like to speak with Captain Maxima some more, I will show you to your quarters.” She offered.

“I believe that would be best. I have a feeling the Salvation situation will not resolve easily, or quickly.” Harlok responded. Sela nodding and gesturing for him to follow her.

While Harlok went with Sela, Proxima glanced back at the shuttle for a moment, pondering. ‘This week is certainly going to be interesting.’ She mused to herself. Finding it hard to believe that just this morning they had found the Salvation adrift. She didn’t have time to ponder for long before she heard commotion in the corridor. “The heck?” She asked as she trotted towards the source of the commotion.

To be continued…

Author's Note

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and has a happy new year. Here's a late holiday present for ya.

THX FOR READING!

Episode 25: Tense Reprieve

In the corridors of the Equestria, Nanny DOT chased after Rider and Skye. “Rider, Skye. Get back here right this instant. Your mother is very busy and must not be disturbed!” She called out sternly. “She will be home when she is off duty, please.” She pleaded.

Rider and Skye ignored her and were giggling as they flew, searching for their mother. They flew past a door, which opened to allow Sela and Harlok to step out of the shuttle bay. Nanny DOT fortunately was a robot and thus had the reflexes to stop. “Look out!” She called when it became apparent she might crash.

Sela was first to hear her warning and stopped, also stopping Harlok just in time for Nanny DOT to skid past them and grind to a halt. Much to Harlok’s confusion. “Nanny DOT.” Sela identified the robot. “Is there a problem?” She asked.

“Rider and Skye got loose Commander Sela.” Nanny DOT responded.

The foals, being close enough to hear that, stopped in their tracks, turned, and both smiled and giggled as they saw their aunty Sela. They changed their minds about hunting down their mother and instead flew to crash into Sela.

Sela saw them coming and braced herself, holding out her arms so that she could catch them. The foals crashed into her and clung to her, nuzzling her happily. “Se’ah.” Skye squeaked out, not quite able to pronounce Sela correctly yet.

When Skye squeaked out in her cute voice, Sela admittedly felt her heart melt. “Hello there Skye, Rider.” She said, keeping her grip on them. “Looking for your mother?” She asked.

“Indeed they are.” Nanny DOT responded.

“Who is their mother?” Harlok asked, perplexed at the sight before him.

“That…would be me Representative Harlok.” Said Captain Maxima, who approached the exit to the bay. Her voice a mix of panic, concern, and resignation.

Hearing their mother, Skye and Rider smiled widely and used Sela as a launch pad to shoot towards Proxima, Proxima lighting her horn and catching them in her magic. “Hey there you two.” She said, smiling warmly and nuzzling them. “Are you causing trouble for Nanny DOT?” She asked.

Rider and Skye just giggled as they reached out for their mother. Proxima reaching out a hoof for them to grab at. Nanny DOT meanwhile turned to Harlok. “Please accept my sincerest apologies Representative Harlok.” She said, knowing his name from the Federation database. “It would seem the little tykes aren’t ready to let go of their mother quite yet.” She said.

“It is quite alright.” Harlok responded. “I may not be a father myself but I can understand a child’s attachment to their family.” He said.

“They are clingy. That’s for sure.” Proxima replied.

Sela, seeing that the foals would not so easily part with their mother, cleared her throat. “Captain. I can take over for the rest of the day if you need to take time for your foals.” She offered. “It might be that your week Long Maternity Leave was not sufficient.” She reasoned.

Proxima bit her lip, not not wanting to burden Sela. But on the other hoof, her foals clearly missed her. So, knowing that the ship was in good hands, she relented. “Probably for the best.” She said. “Thanks Cmdr. And…sorry about this Sir.” She told Harlok. “I promise they’ll be out of your hair from now on.” She said.

“It is fine Captain. I do not mind little ones. They can be quite a joy to be around.” Harlok responded as Proxima and Nanny DOT left with Rider and Skye. “And…congratulations Captain.” Harlok called out. Having heard rumors back home about Proxima becoming a mother. When someone is the first of a species to join Starfleet, they tended to garner a LOT of attention and gossip.

Walking down the corridor, Nanny DOT glanced at Maxima. “I apologize profusely Captain.” She said. “I should never have opened up the stroller’s dome until we got back to your quarters.” She said.

“In retrospect, it was probably more my fault.” Proxima said. “Typically Maternity leave is 12 weeks. But given that Rider and Skye are functionally already a year old and it is a well known fact that ponies mature faster than other species, coupled with the fact that we kinda need every officer we can get out here. I had, perhaps incorrectly, assumed that Rider and Skye would be fine after a week.” She explained, glancing down at her little ones, who were smiling and cuddling up to her. “Guess I got a lot to learn about being a mother.” She mused.

“I am confident you will get it, Captain. And I am sure Rider and Skye will grow up to be just like their mother.” Nanny DOT encouraged.

“Thanks Nanny DOT.” Proxima responded.

Meanwhile, Sela brought Harlok to some guest quarters, the two making conversation along the way. “Fascinating. I heard the story of how Captain Maxima came to Earth. Extraordinary that there were more life pods like hers.” Harlok commented.

“It was a surprise to be sure. But Starfleet has always believed there were more pods out there. So perhaps it is not so shocking that we would stumble upon one.” Sela said. “The more shocking part is that their pod held two occupants instead of one.” She said.

“Interesting.” Harlok responded.

At that moment, Shron’s voice came through Sela’s combadge. “Bridge to commander Sela, we’re receiving a hail from the Salvation.” He reported. “Looks like Verak wants to speak with Captain Maxima.” He said.

Sela’s breath involuntarily hitched in her throat, nonetheless, she responded. “I shall be up there momentarily.” She said, before getting an idea. “Representative Harlok, I believe it might be a good idea for you to be in attendance.” She proposed.

“My thoughts exactly. I would like to meet this commander Verak.” Harlok responded. Sela nodded and the two transported to the bridge.

On the bridge, Sela and Harlok appeared in the middle of the room, setting themselves up to be center frame while Shron took his tactical console. “On screen.” Sela said. Bracing herself.

The screen turned from the previous view to Verak sitting in his captain’s chair. “Commander Verak.” Sela acknowledged.

“Commander Sela.” Verak responded. “Might I inquire where Captain Maxima is?” He asked.

“She is occupied with other matters at the moment.” Sela said. “To what do we owe the pleasure?” She asked.

“I wanted to see if our two senior staffs might be able to meet tomorrow.” Verak responded.

“I believe that would be acceptable. Assuming you agree, Commander?” Harlok asked. To which Sela nodded in Agreement.

It was then that Verak noticed the Reman standing next to Sela. “Pardon me, but who are you?” He asked.

Harlok, bracing himself for whatever a Romulan might have thought of a Reman during Verak’s time, responded. “I am Representative Illum Harlok. In this situation I speak for the people of the Federation, and more importantly N’Var, formerly known as the Planet Vulcan, prior to the reunification of the Romulans and the Vulcans.” He introduced himself. “I welcome you and your crew to the future.” He said.

Verak’s eyes widened. “Vulcans and Romulans, Reunified?” He asked. He had heard rumors of such an act being on the table, but he did not believe it was possible within his lifetime.

“Indeed. With the Remans also occupying the planet.” Harlok responded. “Much has happened in your absence, commander. I would be happy to fill you in.” He offered.

“I am sure we will get the chance to have a rather interesting conversation Representative.” Verak said, his intrigue high. “But I believe that conversation would be better served after the senior staffs of the Equestria and the Salvation meet.” He proposed.

“That is logical.” Harlok responded. “I hope you and your crew are adjusting to this change.” He said.

“So far so good.” Verak responded. “I look forward to our in-person meeting.” He said.

“Likewise Commander.” Harlok responded. “We have quite a bit to discuss.” He said.

After exchanging farewell pleasantries, the screen cut out and Sela tapped her combadge. “Commander Sela to Captain Maxima. The senior staff of the Salvation wants to meet with us tomorrow.” She reported.

“Sounds good. Make it so Cmdr.” Maxima responded.

Sela acknowledged and cut the connection. “Yamik.” She said. “Make sure security is posted in all sensitive areas of the ship tomorrow. Instruct them that the Salvation’s senior staff are our guests, but also not allowed anywhere near Engineering or the cargo bay.” She ordered.

“My thoughts exactly Cmdr.” Yamik responded as he got up from his console and went off to make the arrangements.

“Cmdr.” Shron spoke up. “Shall I re-engage MultiVector mode and surround the Salvation again?” He asked.

“Make it so LtC Shron.” Sela agreed.

“For what purpose might I ask Cmdr?” Harlok asked, curious about the suggestion.

“Assurance.” Sela responded simply. “As you recall. The Salvation is a Tal’Shiar vessel, which means that everyone on the Salvation is a Tal’Shiar agent.”

“While over there some crew of the Equestria nearly got into a firefight with some of those agents. They did not look too happy to see us.” Shron interjected.

Harlok listened, and understood what they were getting at. “Ah. I see. Would this be the equivalent of the earth phrase, gunboat diplomacy?” He asked.

“Not an entirely accurate comparison but the principle remains the same.” Sela responded. “In the 24th century, the USS Prometheus used Multi-Vector Assault mode to take down a D’Deridex. Because the Equestria has that same ability, and is centuries ahead of the Salvation in terms of technology, it is our hope that we can deter the Salvation from opening hostilities towards us.” She explained.

“Logical course of action. Though I am hopeful that we can proceed without the exchange of fire on each other.” Harlok said.

“Of course Representative.” Sela responded. “Now, do you wish to proceed to your quarters?” She asked.

“Please.” Harlok responded, allowing Sela to lead him to the Turbolift.

Shron watched as Harlok and Sela left the bridge, and assumed the Con as the segments of the Equestria split up and surrounded the Salvation again. “So. How long does anyone think it will take for the Romulans to try to blindside us for the billion and oneth time?” He asked.

“Not sure.” Paris responded. “Seems like that Verak guy is trying to play nice with us.”

“What about his first officer?” Shron asked. “Paris you were there when we were held at gunpoint.” He reminded him.

“G’Nor, I can see doing something.” Paris responded. “He did not look happy to see us.”

“Given that he comes from a time where Romulan/Federation relations were…shall we say less than ideal, it would make sense he would act like that.” Prestine commented, having bore witness to G’Nor’s outrage.

“Here’s hoping he recognizes the position he and the Salvation are in and behaves.” Shron replied.

“We can only hope.” Norman said.

Over on the Salvation, Verak nodded as he got up out of his commander's chair. “Subcommander G’Nor, you have the con.” He said as he went over to the empty first officer station and wiped a handkerchief across it, obtaining Sela’s DNA. “Don’t do anything without my OK.” He warned. Sensing what G’Nor wanted to do.

Though he groveled, G’Nor acknowledged as Verak left the bridge. “Sub-Lieutenant.” He addressed an officer on the bridge. “Start doing everything you can to get whatever intel you can from that federation ship out there.” He ordered.

“Sir.” Another officer said. “Commander Verak-“

“I heard the order Lieutenant.” G’Nor responded. “Have you forgotten the Tal’Shiar’s general order one? Always Purloin all intel.” He said.

The two officers hesitated, debating what to do, before the lieutenant nodded to the lower ranked officer, confirming the order. “Aye sir.” The officer said as he began his work.

Off to the side, another officer watched the exchange with a mix of uncertainty, and worry. “G’Nor, are you sure about this?” They asked. “The Federation—“

“Violated the Treaty of Algerian by boarding our vessel, and also took control of it away from us.” G’Nor cut the officer off. “They have committed acts of war and we will respond in kind.” He declared. “And that is final.” He added.

The officer could tell G’Nor was not in the mood for argument, so cautiously quieted down. The other officers on the bridge doing the same, though with the same uncertainty and worry.

Meanwhile, down on a lower deck, Verak made his way to the Salvation sickbay, cloth with Sela’s DNA in hand, and mind racing as he thought of Sela. And specifically, her silver eyes. “There’s only one way a Vulcan or Romulan could have Silver Eyes…” he mused to himself.

“What was that commander?” Verak heard a female voice ask. He glanced to his side and saw a young Romulan officer take up stride beside him, with a curious look in her eyes.

“Sub Lieutenant B’Lursa.” Verak acknowledged the younger female officer. “Glad to see you’re up and about.” He said.

“Likewise Commander.” B’Lursa responded. “How’re you holding up?”

“About as well as can be expected given the circumstances.” Verak responded. “How’s the crew holding up?” He asked his ship’s counselor.

“I think the order to get this ship back in order is helping them adjust.” B’Lursa responded. Looking around at passing Romulan Officers. “A few have expressed concern that our saviors were Federation. But other than that all’s going surprisingly well.” She said.

“Great to hear.” Verak said, relieved that all seemed to be going well. “That’s what is going to get us through this. Keeping our heads.” He said.

“Seconded.” B’Lursa said, noticing the cloth. “What do you have there?” She asked.

“A cloth, on which is the DNA of a Starfleet Officer that was onboard.” Verak responded.

“Wait, Starfleet was here?” B’Lursa asked.

“Yes. As you may be aware, the Salvation found itself fighting for survival. Alongside the Federation. A group of Starfleet officers served as my bridge crew.” Verak explained.

“Was there not enough time to awaken us?” B’Lursa asked.

“No, there was not. Not with the added complication of acclimation into the 33rd century.” Verak responded.

“I see.” B’Lursa nodded in understanding. She had heard explosions rocking the Salvation when she awoke. “So why do you have a cloth with Starfleet DNA on it?” She asked.

“My reasons are of a personal nature. Which I would preferably like to keep to myself until I visit Medbay.” Verak responded.

B’Lursa studied Verak’s expression. She could tell something was bothering Verak. “Do you believe this Starfleet Officer might be related to a member of this crew?” She asked, taking a guess based on context and what she could see.

Verak jumped a bit when B’Lursa said that, before sighing. “It’s possible.” He said.

“If that’s true, it would be incredible luck.” B’Lursa commented. “The starship that finds us has an officer that’s related to a Salvation crewmate.” She mused.

“The odds of such are astronomically low.” Verak said. “But the same was said for our survival after that Tachyon Eddie ride.” He added.

“And here we are. So I suppose if we bear the odds once. It could happen again.” B’Lursa said.

Verak nodded as they continued to walk, eventually parting ways at an intersection while Verak continued to the medbay.

“Just take it easy for now and I’ll put you on restricted duty for the next three days.” A Romulan Doctor said to an officer in the Medbay.

The officer nodded in response. “Thanks doc.” They said as they got off the bed and exited the Medbay, right as Commander Verak entered.

“Doctor k’Roy.” Verak acknowledged.

K’Roy smiled when he saw Verak enter. “Cmdr Verak.” He responded. “Finally come around for that examination we talked about?”

“K’Roy, that was 800 years ago.” Verak deadpanned.

“Unlike the justice system, medical matters have no statute of limitations.” K’Roy replied, smirking slyly.

Verak couldn’t help but chuckle. “You got me there.” He said. “But another time, right now.” He said, handing K’Roy the cloth he was holding. “I need you to run the DNA on this cloth through our database.” He said.

Taking the Cloth, K’Roy proceeded to his lab, though confused. “Who’s DNA am I running?” He asked.

“A Starfleet officer from this future century. Commander Sela. A Vulcan.” Verak responded.

At that, K’Roy stopped, and gave Verak a perplexed look. “Anyone from this century wouldn’t be in our database.” He said. “Our records only go to 2400.” He told him.

“I’m aware. You’re scanning for a match.” Verak replied. “Cross reference my DNA first.” He said.

At Verak’s request, K’Roy picked up on what Verak was trying to learn. “Don’t tell me a T’Pala might be working with Starfleet.” He said.

“We are in the future K’Roy, anything is possible. Would you please just do as I asked?” Verak asked.

K’Roy complied and placed the cloth in his scanner, the device whirling to life as it started working. “So, anything you can tell me that makes you think this Vulcan is a T’Pala?” He asked.

“She had Silver Eyes.” Verak responded. “Only those in my family are capable of such a genetic rarity.”

“It could be possible the rarity has lessened over the centuries.” K’Roy responded. “Genetic mingling over 8 centuries can introduce certain traits once found to be rare.”

“Maybe.” Verak responded. “But what are the odds a Vulcan with silver eyes would just happen to be on the ship that at long last answered our distress signal?” He inquired.

“Astronomically low. Maybe fate had a hand in this.” K’Roy said.

Before Verak could reply, the device chimed, indicating it was finished. K’Roy went to his computer console. “Scan complete, cross referencing with the DNA in our database.” He reported. After a few moments, the console flashed the word match in Romulan when it compared the strand with Verak’s. “It’s a match. This Vulcan Starfleet officer IS your descendant.” Verak announced.

Verak’s mind raced with this confirmation. “Is it direct or someone from my family?” He asked.

“Hang on…” K’Roy tapped at his console again to get a more detailed report. “Hmmm….got it. She looks to be the direct descendant of your brother, Krefax T’Pala.” He announced.

Verak couldn’t help but smile at that news. “Woulda liked to have been there to see him finally find the one.” He mused, before he noticed something on the console. “What’s that?” He asked, gesturing to the console.

K’Roy noticed the same thing, and tapped at the console again to analyze it. “Ahoy captain what have we here…” He took a closer look, before his eyes widened, recognizing the oddity. “Sir, you’re not gonna like this.” He said.

“What? What’s the problem?” Verak asked.

“It would seem this, Cmdr Sela, has Emotional Suppression Inhibitor cells in her DNA.” K’Roy announced.

Verak’s eyes widened. “Wait, she has ESI Cells, cells meant to disrupt a Vulcan’s or Romulans ability to suppress their emotions without risking termination?” He said. “That’s a Tal’Shiar Bio Weapon, made right before priority shifted to Supernova evacuation efforts. You’re saying it’s been deployed and Sela has it?” He asked.

“It looks like it.” K’Roy responded.

Verak stared at the screen in disbelief. Mind racing with questions. Who was the first in his family to be infected? And who was it that infected them? “Krefax you Petaq.” He cursed. He was never going to be able to confirm whether it was his brother that infected his own family, but at the moment he had no other suspects.

“We do not know for certain if it WAS him.” K’Roy commented. “It could have easily been someone else.”

“But who is the question.” Verak said, fury over this revelation rising steadily. He would never wish his family to be subject to such a bio weapon. No matter how much he loathed them.

“We may never know.” K’Roy said. “Do you think they know?” He asked.

“They must. I’m confident they have the technology to detect those cells.” Verak responded. “The question is, why haven't they been able to find a cure.” He mused.

“Heh.” K’Roy chuckled. “A centuries old Tal’Shiar bio weapon is still elusive to Starfleet even 8 centuries into the future.” He mused.

“Doctor, this is serious.” Verak snapped at him.

“Yeah I never said it wasn’t, but come on Verak. You gotta take some pride in our organization still being able to one up the Federation even centuries later.” K’Roy urged.

Verak only shook his head. “Maybe I would if it didn’t affect those in my bloodline.” He said.

“Fair enough.” K’Roy replied, knowing Verak’s devotion to those in his bloodline. “So, what are you going to do with this discovery?” He asked.

“I…don’t know.” Verak admitted. “As much as I want to let her know I’m her distant ancestor. She’ll likely think I’m crazy.” He said.

“Could always bring her the results of the DNA test as proof. Plus there’s nothing stopping her from requesting a DNA test with their technology.” K’Roy suggested.

Verak nodded, having come to that conclusion. “I’ll consider it. For now, our Senior Staff and their’s are meeting tomorrow. Along with a Representative Harlok of N’Var.” He said.

“Figures.” K’Roy replied. “I’ll be there.”

“I’d expect no less.” Verak responded. “Thanks K’Roy. Holding up alright?” He asked.

“We’re 800 years into the future and I’ve got about 2000 crew to examine for any lasting effects from Cryosleep that was caused by the unexplainable Tachyon Eddie we ran into that knocked up our ship.” K’Roy deadpanned. “I love it.” He said, letting out a smile.

Verak couldn’t help but chuckle. He knew K’Roy’s love for medicine. “Glad to see you can make light of the situation.” He said.

“Having the time of my life.” K’Roy responded. “Now, if you don’t want that checkup, please make room for someone else.” He said.

“Alright. See you later K’Roy.” Verak replied. “Thanks again.” He said as he left.

K’Roy nodded, before he turned his attention to another Romulan officer, who had come in during Verak’s visit. “Now, Let’s see what’s going on with you.” He said as he got his equipment ready.

Outside the Medbay, Verak proceeded down the corridor, mind racing. “Just this morning, I was in Cryosleep. And now, me and my crew are out and about and keeping station with a Federation Vessel with strange alien species as a captain and my distant descendant as an officer. Definitely wasn’t on my Gedothor Card.” He said to himself, processing everything that happened today. At least until his communicator sounded off.

“Cmdr Verak.” Said an officer on the other end. “Sorry to interrupt you sir but we could use some help in the shuttle bay. Scorpion Fighters are locked and we need your command codes to unlock them.”

“For what purpose is that a priority at this time?” Verak asked. “The fighters are not needed.”

“Wasn’t the Salvation in a fight not that long ago?” The officer asked in response.

“A fight she could handle without needing her fighters. Get back to work repairing the Salvation. Leave the fighters for another time.” Verak ordered.

“Yes sir.” The officer on the other end responded as the connection cut.

After the connection cut, Verak shook his head. “This better not be a recurring thing.” He mused.

To be continued…

Author's Note

Not much to say about this one. Thx for Reading. See you next time.

Episode 26: Pest Control

“Representative’s Log Stardate 32120809.0930. It feels surreal that I’m currently out in Extra Galactic Space courtesy of a technology once thought to be fictional. Then again given the size of the known Universe, perhaps it isn’t so surprising. What’s more surprising is the USS Equestria’s discovery of the Salvation, an ancient D’Deridex Class Romulan Warbird, of the Tal’Shiar flavor. With any luck we can find common ground and work out a path forward.”

On the USS Equestria Alpha Segment, Representative Harlok stepped into the transporter room, where he saw Cmdr Sela, LtC Yamik Captain Maxima already there. “Captain Maxima, LtC Yamik, Cmdr Sela.” He acknowledged.

Proxima saw the Representative enter and she nodded his way in acknowledgement. “Good morning Representative Harlok.” She said.

“I trust everyone had a good night?” Harlok asked.

“I do believe so. I hope your quarters proved to be adequate Representative?” Sela asked.

“Yes, they are adequate. Thank you for hosting me.” Harlok responded.

“Of course, Representative. Feel free to stay as long as you need.” Captain Maxima responded.

At that moment, Harmony spoke up through the ship’s intercom system. “Excuse me Cmdr Yamik. But if I may have a moment of your time? I believe I may have discovered something odd.” She said.

“Odd JWO CyberSpark?” Yamik asked.

“The best way I can describe it is a bug in the system.” Harmony responded.

At the mention of a bug, Yamik, being a security officer, got a feeling of what Harmony meant, through her requesting him specifically. “Where did you find it?” Yamik asked.

“Near the computer core. I feel it is connected to my systems.” Harmony said.

“Yamik, go help Harmony out.” Proxima ordered.

“Way ahead of you Captain. Excuse me Representative.” Yamik replied as he turned and practically sprinted out of the Transporter Room.

Harlok watched Yamik leave, and raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Pardon my curiosity, but what would a “bug in the system” refer to in this case?” He asked.

“I do believe that JWO CyberSpark has detected an attempted hack of our system. Given the bug was in the computer core.” Sela replied, before Captain Maxima interjected.

“There are only two possible suspects for who could have planted that bug. The Terrorcons we fought yesterday, or the Romulans.” Proxima said.

At the mention of the Romulans, Harlok nodded in acknowledgement. “I see. Given we are dealing with Tal’Siar. I would not put it past them to attempt this.” He stated.

“Neither would I. But let’s not jump to conclusions until Yamik makes a full report.” Proxima responded.

“Captain.” The transporter controller at the console spoke up. “Sorry to interrupt but the Romulans are ready to beam aboard.” They said.

“By all means then. Energize.” Maxima responded.

The transporter controller acknowledged and beamed the Romulans onboard. In a flash, Cmdr Verak appeared on the pad, along with 5 other Romulans. Proxima let out a smile. “Welcome onboard the Equestria gentlemen.” She said. “For those of you who do not know yet, I am Captain Proxima Maxima.” She introduced herself. “And with me I have Commander Sela, my first officer and Representative Harlok, here at the request of the Federation Council.” She introduced her companions.

“Thank you Captain.” Verak replied, stepping off the pad and shaking hands with the three. “In the spirit of introductions, with me I have my bridge crew. Subcommander G’Nor my first officer, and chief of tactical and Security. Our doctor and head scientist Lieutenant K’Roy, our Chief Operations Engineer Lt F’lock, our chief Intelligence officer Lieutenant T’Mia, and our counselor, Lieutenant B’Lursa.” He introduced his bridge crew.

While Verak was introducing them, the other Romulan officers couldn’t stop staring at Proxima. They had been told that Maxima was not like the captain they’d typically encounter in Starfleet, but they did not expect it to be in appearance. “I thought you were joking G’Nor.” F’Lock commented.

“But no, she actually looks like an animal.” K’Roy whispered.

“They’re just letting anyone into Starfleet these days it seems.” G’Nor said.

While four of them were whispering to each other, the other two Romulans, B’Lursa and T’Mia, couldn’t help but discreetly roll their eyes, hearing their conversation. B’Lursa wouldn’t deny that Captain Maxima wasn’t what she expected, but she at least had the decency to not talk behind her back so to speak. As did T’Mia.

While Proxima, having enhanced hearing, picked up on it and tried not to let it get to her. Sela and Harlok too heard it and merely shared a glance, not surprised that they were just openly belittling Proxima. And Verak couldn’t help but feel disappointed in his officers. After a moment, Harlok cleared his throat. “I do believe that we should proceed to the conference room for this meeting.” Harlok suggested.

“Yes. That is a good idea.” Proxima responded. “Right this way gentlemen.” She said, gesturing for the door.

While the Verak and his officers followed Harlok out, with Proxima close behind, Sela stayed back for a moment to recompose herself from wanting to deck the Romulans.

Once the door closed, Sela heard the transporter controller speak up. “So who were they whispering about? Harlok or Maxima?” They asked.

“Captain Maxima.” Sela replied. “They were belittling her within ear shot.” She explained.

“Ya know I did expect them to be surprised, because Maxima’s kind have only been around so to speak for the last 5 years, way after they would have died.” The controller commented. “But you’d think they’d at least have the decency to not talk about it like that.”

“You would think that.” Sela responded in agreement, before walking off after the group. “But it does seem at least two of them do.” She added, noting that neither T’Mia or B’Lursa opened their mouths as she walked out of the top after the group.

Deep in the Equestria’s structure, Harmony in her projection form stood in the computer core chamber, which doubled at her Cybertronian Brain Module so to speak, and she was looking right at a green mechanical flying bug that had attached itself to the computer core. She was intrigued by the strange entity, having never seen anything like it before. “Fascinating.” She mused to herself.

At that moment, The door slid open and Yamik rushed in. “Alright. Where is it?” He asked, referring to the bug Harmony reported.

“Right there.” Harmony responded, pointing to the bug.

Yamik looked to where Harmony was gesturing, and saw the green mechanical fly. “A green bug. Oh this absolutely has Romulans written all over it.” He said, letting out a sigh as he activated his combadge tricorder. “When did you first feel this?” He asked.

“Last night.” Harmony responded. “I felt it connect but I did not feel any different otherwise so I assumed it could wait until you were awake.” She reasoned.

Before Yamik could respond, his Scans confirmed his suspicions. “Ok, I’m gonna preface this by saying that I place no blame on you. Your logic makes sense and you wouldn’t truly know any better. But you should have absolutely reported it the nanosecond you felt this thing.” He said as he reached up and plucked the bug away from Harmony’s brain, disconnecting it.

“I get the feeling that this thing is a much larger threat than I thought.” Harmony deduced.

“That’s because it is.” Yamik responded, holding the bug for Harmony to see closer. “This is a Romulan Tal’Shiar level 10 Covert Ops Espionage Drone. Used to get into the most secure computer systems.” He explained, reading the results from his scans.

“That sounds bad.” Harmony replied.

“It is. This thing seems to have had unrestricted access to everything stored in your brain module. The Federation Database, information on our cargo. Everything.” Yamik explained. “And it was transmitting copies of the data to the Salvation. Meaning they now know more than they ever should.” He said.

“Should we alert the captain?” Harmony asked, becoming a little scared now.

“Now’s as good a time as any since we can catch those Romulan Petaqs right in the act.” Yamik said, shaking his head he gestured for Harmony to follow him, which she did. Along the way, Yamik tapped his combadge. “Yamik to all Security Officers. I want round the clock patrols and guards at all critical areas of the Equestria until we are no longer in contact with the Salvation. Cargo bay as well. We had a security breach last night that could lead to an attempted theft of the Elements of Harmony, the Cyber Compass, or the Lifepods.” He ordered. “Harmony?” He asked.

“Yes sir?” Harmony replied.

“It looks like your Multi-Projection ability is going to come in handy again. I’d like you to keep a sharp eye on Engineering and the Cargo Bay.” Yamik instructed. “Report anything suspicious.” He said.

“Aye sir.” Harmony responded as the two proceeded to the conference room.

In the conference room, the rest of the Equestria senior staff, Harlok, and the Salvation Senior Staff sat around a table, listening to LtC Prestine’s analysis of what might have happened to bring the Salvation out into Extra Galactic Space. “Think of it as roadways on a planet.” She said when showing them the Super Tachyon Eddie theory. “Tachyon Eddies are the streets in a city, while Super Eddies are the highways that connect cities together.” She explained. “Larger, longer, and with faster speeds.” She said.

“Intriguing.” K’Roy, who was very interested in the analysis, chimed in. “The Romulan Institution of Sciences had once toyed with this theory as well. But we didn’t exactly have time to work on it before...well, before Hobus went boom.”

“But still, Tachyon Eddies of any kind shouldn’t affect anything other than a solar Sail, right?” F’Lock asked.

“Normal Eddies only affect solar sails.” Prestine replied. “But with this one, I would garner a guess that the tachyons were so densely packed together, and were far more numerous, that they were able to affect ANY ship that ran into it.” She said. “Including the Salvation.”

“That might explain the damage we saw.” Baker pointed out. “The Eddie was moving so fast that the tachyons hit the Salvation like a baseball bat and pulled it in.” She theorized.

“Baseball Bat?” Verak asked, raising an eyebrow.

“An ancient earth game.” Norman Responded. “It involves someone throwing a ball and someone else trying to hit that ball with a stick. And by the sound of it, the Salvation was used like a ball to the Tachyon’s bat.” He said.

Verak and his senior staff glanced at each other, perplexed by the analogy, but K’roy nonetheless nodded in agreement. “Probably the best explanation we’re going to get at this point.” He said.

“Agreed.” Verak said. “Thank you LtC Prestine. That was very enlightening.” He said.

Harlok nodded. “Right, now onto the big question in the room.” He said.

“The logs from the Salvation indicated that you lot were tasked with finding a new homeworld to begin a new Empire.” Proxima stated. “Is that true?” She asked.

“What we were doing is none of Starfleet’s-” G’Nor started, before Verak cut him off.

“G’Nor!” Verak snapped. “We talked about this. Play nice.” He said.

G’Nor groveled under his breath, but shut up and sat back. Verak cleared his throat. “To answer your question. Yes we were tasked with starting a new Empire, far away from the Federation.” He said.

Harlok nodded. “Well I for one can certainly understand why you were sent out…to an extent.” He said, having become privy to the Romulans blaming the Federation. “That being said, the N’Var government and the wider Federation are prepared to welcome you back to your ancient origin Homeworld.” He announced. “I would think that you’d want to find a home as soon as possible. Especially with all the problems you encountered.” He mused.

Verak hesitated, wondering how best to phrase what he wanted to say. “You know we are Tal’Shiar Agents, right?” He asked. Recognizing the infamy in the Tal’Shiar and the crimes against the galaxy they committed.

“Yes. We are aware. Being that any atrocities or crimes you committed are 8 centuries old, holding you accountable at this point just seems silly.” Harlok responded. “So, as the humans say, your slates are clean.” He said.

Verak nodded in acknowledgement. “Very generous of you.” He said. “Is that our only option? Return to Vulcan…or, N’Var?” He corrected himself.

“Of course not.” Proxima responded. “We’re merely giving you the option. If you wish to continue your journey. We can help you fix up your ship. And, we can give you a potential planet to check out.” She said, a hologram of the nearby M-Class world appearing in the room. “The Equestria picked this up not too long ago. It’s uninhabited, and with conditions similar to Romulus.” She explained.

At the mention of the conditions, the Romulans all shared glances, feeling varying levels of homesickness. Verak could immediately tell what his staff was thinking. “It is worth checking out.” He said.

No one got to say another word as the door to the conference room slid open and Yamik entered, Harmony following behind. “Captain. Excuse the interruption but we have a problem.” He announced.

Proxima initially saw Yamik and Harmony and smiled, glad Yamik was now able to join. But her smile wavered when she heard there was a problem. “This is our chief of Security LtC Yamik Pado and Junior Warrant Officer in training Harmony CyberSpark.” She introduced the newcomers. “What’s the situation Yamik?” She asked.

Yamik held up the bug, which he had deactivated, and tossed it onto the table. “We found this attached to our computer core moments ago, after Harmony here reported the disturbance.” He said, keeping an eye on the Romulan’s expressions.

Verak had a surprised look on his face, recognizing what was just tossed onto the table. “Wait…is that…?”

“A Tal’Shiar level 10 espionage Drone.” Yamik said. “Origin point, the Salvation.” He announced.

At that revelation, the Equestria senior staff and Harlok all turned their attention to the Romulans. Verak meanwhile was confused as all hell. He certainly never ordered the use of the drone.

“…What did the Drone get access to?” Proxima asked.

“It had unrestricted access to everything the computer core did.” Harmony replied. “Meaning the Salvation has everything.” She said.

“…Captain I can assure you I did not have a hand in this.” Verak said. “I did not order this drone’s use.” He said.

“Well, someone had to have sent it.” Yamik said. “And given it’s a Tal’Shiar device, doesn’t exactly leave us with a lot of suspects now does it.” He said.

Verak, recognizing the same conclusion, turned to his senior staff. “Do any of you know about this?” He asked.

“I didn’t even know we had any of these active.” F’Lock said.

“I’m a ship’s counselor, I don’t even touch these things.” B’Lursa said.

“I was busy making sure we didn’t have any illnesses or wounded.” K’Roy defended himself.

G’Nor and T’Mia stayed quiet, T’Mia more over not wanting to face Verak’s wrath. Verak noticed the two were quiet. “T’Mia. You’re the intelligence officer. These drones absolutely fall under your purview. Did you send this?” Verak pressed.

“…Yes, I did.” T’Mia admitted. “Under direct orders from G’Nor.” She ratted G’Nor out.

“That is untrue.” G’Nor replied.

Verak couldn’t help but facepalm at G’Nor’s response, it was absolutely telling. “Captain Maxima.” He said. “If you wish for G’Nor to be booted off your ship, you’ll get no objections from me.” He told her.

“Why only me? T’Mia was the one who—” G’Nor protested before Verak angrily cut him off.

“I don’t want to hear it. I gave you direct orders to not do anything without my authorization. And I know for a fact T’Mia wouldn’t have done this without being ordered to do so.” Verak scolded G’Nor.

“So you’d punish me for following Tal’Shiar General Order one? Have you lost your mind?” G’Nor asked. Taking leave of the fact that they were not alone.

Proxima, not wanting for this to get out of hoof, cleared her throat. The Equestria Senior staff recognized what was coming and plugged their ears, as did Harlok after being urged by Sela.

“And just who would we even send that information to G’Nor? We’re out in the middle of nowhere, the LAST of the old Romulan Star Empire, literally and figuratively.” Verak said.

“That is irrelevant. It’s still Tal’Shiar—” G’Nor started before the room erupted in a deafening voice.

“ENOUGH!” Explained Proxima in her Royal Canterlot Voice. Verak and G’Nor shut up and the Romulans instinctively got up and backed away. Chills running down their spines. Proxima smirked, seeing she scared the crap out of them. Which was what she wanted. “Alright. Here’s what’s going to happen. Yamik, take G’Nor back to the transporter room and get him off our ship.” She ordered.

“With pleasure Captain.” Yamik responded, approaching G’Nor.

G’Nor, hearing that, attempted to grab the bug, but Proxima quickly stopped him by lighting up her extended horn and taking the drone in her magic, and out of his reach. G’Nor simply groveled as Yamik grabbed his arm and dragged him out of there, Harmony following.

With G’Nor gone, the remaining Romulans slowly took their seats again. “Please accept my apologies Captain.” Verak told Proxima. “G’Nor went behind my back to do this. Rest assured he’ll face disciplinary action upon my return.”

“I apologize as well. I heard Verak’s order. I should have stuck to it.” T’Mia spoke up.

Recomposing herself, Proxima’s smile returned to her muzzle. “You may take whatever action against him you feel is appropriate, for us the matter is closed.” She said.

“That said.” Shron chimed in. “We strongly advise against attempting to act on any of the information you have obtained. Trust me, it will not end well for you.” He warned.

“We have no intentions to act on it.” Verak responded.

“Although...I will admit to taking a look. A Living starship is fascinating, to say the least.” T’Mia commented. “There have been such entities before, but nothing like this.” She said.

Out in the Corridor, G’Nor struggled to get his arm out of Yamik’s grip. “Grrr. I can WALK you know!” He said. “And clearly you can keep me in line with your little pet Starship. Given what I saw from your records.” He added.

Harmony blinked, stopping in her tracks. “Pet Starship?” She asked. “Is he referring to me?” She asked.

“Who else would I be referring to you damn freakship.” G’Nor asked, continuing to spew insults.

Yamik, already pissed off, pulled G’Nor hard and slammed him up against the Equestria’s bulkhead, twisting his arm painfully behind his back. “Listen here you worthless Petaq.” He said. “This, “freakship”, has the firepower to eliminate the last remnant of the old Romulan Star Empire before you would ever so much as scratch her shields.” He warned. “And that would be the Salvation at full power. In her current state, she would not stand even an iota of a chance.” He said.

G’Nor gasped and winced as he was pinned. “Gah. You federation fools let an animal command this ship. No shot you would be able to destroy us.” He said through the pain of the arm twist.

“Oh can’t we?” Yamik asked. “Go on then, try something. I dare you.” He said.

“Nngh. You will pay for this Tellarite. You and your puny friends violated the treaty of Algeron.” G’Nor stated. “That means war.”

“The Treaty of Algeron was voided centuries ago. Ever since the Romulans reunified with the Vulcans.” Yamik corrected him. “You have no legs to stand on.” He said as he proceeded to pull G’Nor off the bulkhead and dragged him into the transporter room, shoving him up onto the pad.

G’Nor managed to catch himself as he stumbled onto the pad. After adjusting his uniform, he angrily glared at Yamik. “This isn’t—” He was saying before Yamik had the transport controller beam G’Nor back to the Salvation mid sentence.

Harmony watched the whole incident unfold, and felt a chill down her spine when G’Nor sent them that last angry glare. “Sir? Should we be concerned about what that guy might do?” She asked.

“Cautious, yes, concerned. Well so long as he’s smart and remembers any act against us puts everything he holds dear at risk, I feel we should be fine.” Yamik responded. “Sorry you had to see that Harmony.” He added.

“Sounds like it was warranted.” Harmony said, recalling all the probably derogatory terms G’Nor used when referring to her and Proxima. “…Am I really a freakship?” Harmony asked, the question coming to mind after hearing that come out of G’Nor’s mouth.

Yamik opened his mouth, before the transporter controller beat him to it. “Absolutely not Harmony.” The controller said, Harmony and Yamik glancing their way. The controller continued. “You are not a freakship and never will be. And don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.” They said.

“Took the words right out of my mouth Ensign Bluric.” Yamik responded with a smile.

Harmony nodded, smiling herself. “Alright. Thanks Bluric.” She said, appreciating the kind words.

Satisfied that all was good, Yamik tapped his combadge. “Yamik to Maxima. G’Nor’s been booted off our ship and put on the blacklist, the only time he’ll be onboard again is if the Salvation’s gonna blow and we’re saving the crew.” He announced.

“Very good Yamik. We’re on our way to the mess hall. Care to join?” Proxima asked.

“Of course Captain.” Yamik responded as he cut the connection. “Care to join us in the mess Harmony?” He asked.

“Absolutely.” Harmony responded, walking out with Yamik.

On the Salvation, G’Nor appeared in one of the Transporter rooms of the Salvation. “-Over you steaming pile of-” He cut himself off when he realized he was back on the Salvation. Growling to himself, he stormed out of the transporter room, slamming a hand on the intercom system on the corridor bulkhead. “Go through that data we got from the Federation vessel. Find out what their power source is. And anything else of interest!” He ordered.

“Aye sir.” An officer on the other end said.

“And start assembling a strike team to go in and raid that ship. Whatever is of interest I want on this vessel as soon as possible.” G’Nor added.

“Sir?” The officer on the other end asked, not sure about that last order.

“Assemble a strike team to raid the ship. That’s an order!” G’Nor growled, getting really pissed.

“A-aye sir.” The officer on the other end replied, uncertainly.

Satisfied, G’Nor proceeded back to the bridge of the Salvation. Committed to retaliating against the Equestria for, what he saw, a treaty Violation. Completely taking leave of the apparent fact that the Treaty had been void for centuries.

To Be Continued…

Author's Note

So fun fact, for a week and a bit, I actually didn't have a Chapter 25 before this one. I only noticed tonight, Oops. Lol

But yeah. THX for reading and see you next time!

Episode 7: Making friends and threats

Proxima paced back and forth in her ready room, Sela sitting on the couch that was in the room. “I have so, SO many questions.” She stated flatly.

“As do I.” Sela responded. “Chief among them, how they got re-elected.”

“According to the official reports, both of their opposition were found assassinated in their quarters. And investigations revealed that it was a third party and not a political stunt.” Vance responded. “So with them off the hook, they won the election by default.”

“I call horsecrap there.” Proxima replied. “T’Kara and P’Tapa were on track to be elected. They literally had no opposition from the general public. They were the logical choice.”

“I do not understand it either captain.” Vance responded. “But what’s done is done. They are N’Var’s representatives. And like it or not we must respect the democratic process.” He said.

“Understood sir.” Proxima responded. Clearly not happy about it.

“What matters now is their motive for opposing Harmony’s admittance into the academy now.” Sela said. “They have now become her biggest obstacle since we now have an answer to the Eugenics Act.”

“Good to hear that you have an answer there.” Vance responded. “And I wouldn’t worry too much about N’Var. Word on the street is once you quell their concerns, the council will unanimously vote in Harmony’s favor.” He said.

“That does not mean that N’Var’s representatives will not waste everyone’s time with pointless arguments.” Proxima countered.

“Can’t disagree with you there. It seems like most of the council’s time is spent arguing about pointless things.” Vance said.

“Well, thank you for the heads up Admiral.” Sela said. “Now we know to prepare to spend hours arguing against illogical arguments.”

“Tomorrow is going to suck. That is for sure.” Vance responded. “Be ready to call in at 1030hrs tomorrow.” He said.

“Aye sir.” Proxima replied.

Vance nodded before the connection cut out. With them now alone, Proxima let it out. “Those two did something to take out T’Kara and P’Tapa. I am sure of it.” She said.

“I would not put it past my parents to make such a move.” Sela said. “Although it is also equally likely that it really was a third party.”

“Yeah, it very well could be.” Proxima agreed. “And now we’ve lost N’Var’s support.”

“A single planet objecting will do little when the majority rules in Harmony’s favor.” Sela pointed out.

“You really think those two actually care?” Proxima asked.

“No, I do not.” Sela replied. “Clearly they are just doing this to make our lives that much more difficult. If there was ever a thing they were good at, it is making lives difficult.”

“No kidding.” Proxima said. “Cmdr, it is OK if you want to skip the council meeting. I can tell them something came up that required your attention.” She said, trying to give Sela an out so she did not have to see her parents again.

“With all due respect captain…I have to do this.” Sela responded after some thought. “This is my chance to show them that I am not afraid of them. Which they might think if I do not show up tomorrow.” She explained.

Proxima nodded. She could tell how important it was to Sela to show her parents that they don’t scare her. “It’s your call.” She said.

At that moment, the doorbell rang. “Enter!” Proxima called.

The door slid open to reveal a pony in a Starfleet Observer Uniform. “Captain, Commander:” A familiar voice acknowledged.

Upon hearing the voice, Proxima smiled. “I love the new look Harmony.” She said.

“It suits you much better.” Sela commented.

“Thanks.” Harmony responded. “And I am now out and about with a Mobile Emitter loaded with my consciousness. For all intents and purposes, I am no longer the ship.” She announced.

“Good. Now being stuck in starship mode won’t be a problem for you.” Proxima stated.

“I am very excited to get to explore the wider Universe without such restrictions.” Harmony said.

“I am sure it will be a fascinating experience.” Sela responded.

Harmony nodded. “So, what did Admiral Vance want? Cmdr Norman said something about a Priority One?” She asked.

“He brought bad news Harmony. Tomorrow is going to suck.” Proxima said.

“How so?” Harmony asked.

“Because what might otherwise be an hour long session with the Federation council will turn into an all day affair. As we will be forced to argue against pointless and illogical arguments from a pair of individuals that do not care whether you are allowed into the Academy or not. All they care about is making mine and Captain Maxima’s lives as difficult as possible.” Sela explained.

Harmony listened, and admittedly only understood bits and pieces of that. “I am not sure I understand.” She said, confused as all hell.

“Yeah you kinda need context to understand why this is a much bigger problem than it seems at first.” Proxima said. “But, do not worry Harmony. Cmdr Sela and I have been down this road before. With the exact same people. And I’m confident tomorrow will end well.” She told Harmony.

Harmony was growing ever more curious about the context that Captain Maxima eluded to, but ultimately decided to leave it for now. “Aye Captain.” Harmony said. “Is there anything I should do between now and tomorrow?” She asked.

“Concerning tomorrow, just get a good rest. But otherwise, you have mobility now, go and explore the ship, interact with the crew. There’s going to be a birthday party in the mess hall for Ensign Trazer, open invite to the whole crew. It’s a good chance to make some new friends.” Proxima told Harmony.

“Ensign Trazer’s Birthday Party. I shall be there.” Harmony said. “Anything else?”

“Yes actually.” Sela responded as she approached a replicator. “Starfleet combadge. No rank.” She ordered.

A rankless Starfleet combadge appeared in the dispenser bay. Sela took it in her hand and returned to Harmony and Proxima. “You’ll need a combadge so that we might page you now that you are no longer tied to the ship’s internal com system.” She explained.

“Actually, Cmdr Baker has built a wireless link to the ship’s computer into my emitter. She just needs to allow the connection from the other end.” Harmony commented.

“Smart.” Proxima responded. “Still, a combadge these days is useful for other stuff. Tricorder, personal transporter, locator beacon. Even if your Emitter has built in functionality a backup is always a good thing.” She said.

“Good point.” Harmony responded as she took the offered combadge and stuck it onto the part of the tunic that she saw everyone else had stuck their own combadges to. “There we go.” She said.

“Perfect.” Proxima said. “Now, go out and explore.” She told her.

“Aye captain.” Harmony responded before she left the Ready Room.

With her gone, Sela took a deep breath and let it out. “I assume you are going to the party tonight?” She asked Proxima.

“Yeah I’ll be there. You?” Proxima asked.

“If there will be Andorian Ale at the event. Vulcans normally do not drink but considering what our day will undoubtedly be like tomorrow, I might indulge a little.” Sela explained.

“I second that.” Proxima responded. “Pick you up and go together?”

“Acceptable plan.” Sela responded before she too left.

Now that she was alone, Proxima sighed and faceplanted on her desk. “Unbelievable.” She said. “I swear to god her parents are a blister. Every time we think we’re rid of them they come back.” She groaned. Actually hoping that something, ANYTHING would knock Sela’s parents out of commission for tomorrow’s session.

“Observer Log: Stardate 32120626.20. As I have been informed, Crew members are expected to keep logs of their activities, both official and personal…Not sure why we’re expected to keep personal logs but I’m sure Starfleet had their reasons. Having an avatar I can control has already proven to be a worthwhile investment of my time over the course of our voyage. Not only has it opened the door a little more for a possible career in Starfleet, but it has given me the ability to interact with the crew on a more personal level beyond a disembodied voice…Now if only I knew how to create conversation.”

Harmony CyberSpark was lost. She stood in the mess hall aboard the Equestria, In the middle of a birthday party. She had gone there with the intention of meeting new people…but she hadn’t realized that she didn’t know how to properly socialize with people until she was standing at the party, listening to a band play music. I am in WAY over my head. Harmony thought as she awkwardly looked around, not knowing where to start. All around she could see officers talking to each other and enjoying the party.

Off to the side, Dr Boimler and Cmdr Baker watched Harmony, knowing full well what the problem was. “She’s clueless about what to do.” Boimler said.

“Without a doubt.” Baker responded. “Should we say something?” She asked.

“Well we can’t really leave her hanging.” Boimler said before tapping his combadge. “Harmony, you’re a wet floor sign at rush hour.” He said.

Harmony blinked, before she realized Dr Boimler was paging her through her combadge. “Dr. Boimler.” She acknowledged, she understood what Boimler had said. “Ugh. Sorry, I realized too late that I didn’t know the first thing about socializing with new people.” She said.

“Clearly.” Baker responded. “Not to worry though, Cardassians excel at conversation.” She said as Kasey called up her combadge hud and tapped at it.

Phlox raised an eyebrow in confusion. “What’re you doing Kasey?” He asked.

“This.” Kasey said as she finished what we was doing, and proceeded to turn off both hers and Boimler’s communication function. “Harmony, can you still hear me?” She whispered.

Harmony blinked. “Cmdr? What is this?” She asked, it sounded like the voice was in her head.

“A feature of the emitter. I thought ahead to what you might be asked to do and felt that a com system that only you can hear might be beneficial.” Kasey explained. “Pretty cool eh?” She asked.

“Useful, that’s for sure.” Harmony said.

“Indeed.” Baker responded as she glanced around. “Now, Socializing 101. Step one, walk up to someone and introduce yourself.” She told Harmony. She scanned the room for a potential first contact. Hm…Vulcan ensign at the bar? No Vulcans are hard to befriend. Ferengi Lt by the cake? No he’ll probably try to get her into a shady business opportunity…Aha! Reman Lt. Perfect. “See that Reman Lt by the stage?” She asked.

Harmony looked at where Baker said, and nodded when she saw a male Reman officer standing there with a drink in his hand. “I see him.” She said.

“Go and introduce yourself. He doesn’t bite.” Baker urged.

After a moment of hesitation, Harmony walked over to where the Reman was standing. Once she got within their earshot, she spoke up. “Hello there.” She said.

The Reman Officer, who was idling around not paying attention, redirected his focus to where the voice came from, smiling when he saw a mare smiling at him. “Oh, hello there. Forgive me but I don’t think we’ve met. I thought Captain Maxima was the only pony we had onboard?” He asked.

“I’m Harmony CyberSpark.” Harmony introduced herself. “This is the Avatar I chose to be able to move around and interact with people more personably without being a disembodied voice.” She explained.

“You’re Harmony CyberSpark?” The Reman asked. “I thought I recognized the voice. Hm. Your new appearance looks good on you.” He said.

“Thank you Lt…” Harmony trailed off, not knowing the Reman’s name.

“Obelisk. Lt. Rile Obelisk.” Obelisk introduced himself. “It’s nice to meet you in person Harmony.” He said.

“Nice to meet you too Rile.” Harmony responded, shaking Rile’s hand. Harmony heard Kasey’s voice after a sec. “Step 2 for making a new friend, talk about interests.” She was told. “Ask him what he’s into.”

While Harmony and Rile got to know each other, Proxima, Sela, Shron, and Risa were discussing how Proxima, Sela, and Harmony would be unavailable the following day. “So, you three will be in the holodeck all day tomorrow?” Risa asked.

“That is correct.” Sela responded, holding a glass of ale in her hand. “Which means Shron is in command.”

“Aye sir.” Shron replied. “Though I’m confused. The council couldn’t POSSIBLY have that many concerns could they?” He asked.

“There are not enough possible concerns to fill a day with debate.” Sela responded. “Tomorrow will mostly be taken up by a pair of representatives who do not care about anything but making mine and Captain Maxima’s lives difficult.” She explained.

Risa and Shron both raised an eyebrow in confusion. “...Yeah you might need to elaborate there.” Risa said. “I mean, I know your parents were representatives and caused a ruckus when Captain Maxima was before the council but they’re out of office now right?” She asked Sela. It was pretty common knowledge what had happened the day Proxima went up before the council to fight for her right to apply to Starfleet.

Proxima and Sela very much wanted to say that Sela’s parents were out of office, but that would have been lying. Sharon picked up on their silence and deduced the truth. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” He said. “Weren’t they due to be voted out in favor of their opposition?”

“The opposition was found assassinated and it was determined that my parents had nothing to do with the act.” Sela explained.

“So with their opposition gone they won the election by default.” Risa deduced. “Now I see why you have Andorian Ale commander.” She told Sela.

“Indeed. One can only hope that a miracle takes my parents out of commission for tomorrow’s council–” Sela said before being cut off by a flash in which the scene around her turned into a dark room with only her parents standing before her, staring at her. Spooked, she involuntarily jumped and dropped the glass, causing it to fall and shatter on the ground, spilling Ale everywhere.

Proxima, Risa, and Shron immediately backed away from the shattered glass, and Risa shot a glare at Sela. “Cmdr?” She asked.

Sela didn’t hear her. She blinked a few times for the scene to return to normal. She felt that the glass was gone and glanced down to see the mess. “Apologies, I just–” She began before she noticed something above. She glanced up and saw a message written on the wall.

“We have much to Discuss Sela.”

Sela took a step back, trying to remain calm. It could just be the Ale. Sela thought to herself. Vulcans had been known to have strange occurrences after drinking Alcohol. However, she blinked again, and saw a new message.

“See you tomorrow Sela.”

“Sela? Sela are you OK?” Sela heard Proxima ask. She blinked a few times and the message was gone, as if nothing happened.

For the moment, there was only the ambient sound of the party, but then Sela decided on a course of action. “Excuse me.” She said before she turned for the door and walked out of the mess hall, leaving Proxima, Shron, and Risa in confusion. Sela turned out of the Mess hall and headed straight for the medical bay, tapping her combadge along the way. “Sela to Boimler, I need to see you in the Medbay, NOW.” She ordered.

“So what happened exactly?” Boimler asked Sela. The two were standing in Boimler’s office after he arrived in the medbay and Sela ushered him into his office.

“I need you to issue me a neural monitor for me to wear 24/7.” Sela explained. “I saw two messages that most likely were not there before.” She said. “AFTER I was transported to a dark room with my parents.” She said.

“Another vision?” Boimler asked.

“Yes. A neural monitor should confirm what I saw.” Sela said as she held out her wrist for Boimler expectantly.

Boimler, after a moment’s thought, got a neural monitor and wrapped it around Sela’s wrist. When it activated, He called up the hud so that he could see what Sela just saw, and it was chilling. “Two incidents now where you had visions of your parents. Something’s going on.” He said. “Are you certain that no other Vulcan onboard knows about your horrible parents?” He asked Sela.

“I am certain.” Sela responded. “And I am beginning to suspect those two are behind it somehow…” She theorized.

“Those two having the power to mind meld with you from across the universe. Not only is it a scary thought, it defies logic in even their own twisted interpretation.” Boimler said. “Not gonna lie Commander, I’m starting to wonder if you facing them tomorrow is a good idea.” He admitted.

“I can see why you would wonder such things Doctor.” Sela responded. “However, assuming of course our suspicions are correct and they ARE somehow behind this, not showing up tomorrow might result in a worse vision, and at this time I do not wish to risk it.” Sela said.

Boimler nodded. “Well, Cmdr Baker and I were planning on joining you three in case they have any concerns that the Equestria’s chief Engineer and Medical officer can quell. So I’ll be able to keep an eye on the situation and step in if needed.” He said.

“That is agreeable. Thank you Dr.” Sela responded.

“Does Proxima know about this latest vision?” Boimler asked.

“I will tell her…But not until after the council meeting. She already has enough on her plate without worrying about me.” Sela responded.

“So long as you tell her.” Phlox said. “Maybe we should ask if she can put up some kind of Mind Meld block. It’s probably possible with magic.” He suggested.”

“I do not believe she can…however it is possible she has learned a spell and just never told me.” Sela said.

“If we’re going to ask, it’s better to do so sooner rather than later, since we’ll have Ambassador Starscout available to talk to.” Phlox replied.

Sela let out a deep breath. “I shall tell her in the morning.” She said.

“Admiral’s log Stardate 32120627.10, today is not going to be a good day, for anyone in any echelon of government. Because the council will undoubtedly be tied up listening to pointless, irrelevant, illogical arguments all day long. I do not care for politicians in general, but the recently re-elected Representatives of N’Var REALLY rub me the wrong way.”

“This is a bad idea.” Admiral Vance commented to President Rillak. He and another Starfleet officer were called into President Rillak’s officer that morning for a pre council session meeting.

“Maybe Admiral.” President Rillak responded. “But the council has better things to do then entertain baseless arguments. And I would like to instill upon them that mentality before the session.” She explained.

“They’re not gonna listen.” The other Starfleet officer pointed out. “We all know how vocal they are in their objections. They aren’t going to just shut up on your say so. With all due respect ma’am.” They said.

“It is still worth a try Commandant Frisk.” Rillak responded.

At that moment, the door opened to reveal representatives T’Pala. “Madam President.” Mr. T’Pala acknowledged as they entered her office.

“To what do we owe the pleasure of this summons?” Mrs. T’Pala asked, neither of them acknowledged the two Starfleet officers.

“Thank you for coming in representatives T’Pala. I believe it appropriate to discuss today’s council session and how we shall conduct ourselves during the proceedings.” President Rillak said.

Mr. T’Pala raised an eyebrow. “I am not sure we follow Madam President.” He said.

“Four years ago, you raised objections to Captain Proxima Maxima joining Starfleet. And despite there being prior evidence to the contrary, you continually argued that magic does not exist even though that was not even the topic of discussion.” Rillak told them flatly. “And you refused to hear the Equuis Delegation’s response to your arguments.”

“Because magic is impossible. And we maintain that Captain Maxima is an augment that is too dangerous to be in Starfleet.” Mrs. T’Pala responded.

“Be that as it may. The decision was made. Today is not about Captain Maxima. It is about Harmony CyberSpark. And the discussion will remain focused on the council’s concerns and nothing else. Any comments or arguments you two make that are irrelevant to the topic at hand will not be entertained. Do I make myself clear?” President Rillak asked.

“Yes Madam President.” Mr. T’Pala responded.

“And further more. I want to say this now.” Commandant Frisk chimed in. “Should Harmony CyberSpark be admitted into the academy, her academic record is none of your business. So I do not want to see a single communique from you requesting to see it. Understood?” He asked.

Vance and Rillak glanced at Frisk when he said that. Both were caught off guard from that request. Mrs. T’Pala gave Frisk a neutral look. “We simply wish to assure that the academy is turning out quality officers with the necessary training.” She said.

“The academy turns out only the finest officers, I give you my personal guarantee.” Commandant Frisk assured them. “And that should be enough for a pair of politicians that have better things to do then obsess over a single cadet’s academic record.”

Instead of responding to Frisk, Mr. T’Pala turned fo Rillak. “Are we dismissed madam President?” He asked.

“Yes.” Rillak responded. “We shall see each other in council chambers in due time.”

Representatives T’Pala nodded and left. When the door closed, Vance spoke up. “Commandant, what was that about?” He asked.

“They spent the last four years trying to get me to turn over Captain Maxima’s academic record for them to personally inspect. I always told them to pound sand because they have no business wanting a single officer’s record without any evidence of wrongdoing.” Frisk explained.

“And you did not report this why?” Rillak asked, recovering from her shock.

“Because I did not feel that this was worth reporting when I had it under control.” Frisk responded.

“I would appreciate it if you DID report it next time it happens.” Vance said. “If any of our cadets are being threatened, directly or indirectly, that is serious.”

“Aye sir.” Frisk responded.

Rillak nodded. “So, when will they be calling in?” She asked.

“I told them to call in at 1030hrs.” Vance responded. “Gives them time to work out any kinks if they’re having interference.”

“Good call.” Frisk responded. “The last thing they’ll want is signal loss.” He said.

At that moment, the office’s intercom sounded. “Admiral Vance, we’re receiving a message from the Equestria. They seem to be having problems with their communication network in regard to real-time subspace transmissions. They predict being a half hour late to call.” An officer reported.

“When was the message sent?” Vance asked.

“According to the metadata, 10 minutes ago.” The officer replied.

“Acknowledged.” Vance responded.

“A half hour late, that would mean they’d be calling right as the session is starting.” Frisk said.

“Assuming their prediction is accurate.” Rillak responded.

“And in the event they don’t call in time?” Vance asked.

“You said Harmony now has an avatar?” Rillak asked Vance.

“Yes. I saw it with my own eyes.” Vance said.

“Bring that to the council.” Rillak responded. “And Commandant Frisk, enlighten the council on what will pass for Harmony’s training. Hopefully if they are late, that will buy enough time.”

“Aye Madam President.” Vance and Frisk responded.

Rillak nodded. “Now, let’s go find Cmdrs Maxima.” She said.

To be continued…

Author's Note

I know. I know. It’s been a bit.

That’s because the next two chapters were written before the first of the two were published. In case I needed to consolidate.

The next one will be out tomorrow.

Now that that’s out of the way. Check out the new intro. GOD I love this one so much more. Not gonna lie.

THX FOR READING!

Episode 22: Welcome to the Future

“Commander’s log, possibly final entry. My crew has entered cryo sleep. I shall do so as well after this final log. Somehow, the tachyon eddy that we hit managed to get us far outside the galactic barrier. Our science team has failed to find an explanation. As Tachyon eddies should not reach as far as this one did. All my life, I had wanted to be the commander that found the world that would birth a new Empire, but alas, it would seem that dream has taken a critical blow. Should this message reach anyone, know that we tried our best, and might one day complete our objective, but for the moment, we must do what we can to keep us afloat. This is commander Verak TPala, signing out.”

The log ended and left Yamik, Prestine, and Harmony at a loss for words. “A tachyon eddy?” Prestine asked. “That’s impossible. Tachyon Eddies can’t reach that far out.” She said.

“I don’t get it either Cmdr.” Yamik responded. “And yet, from what we’ve been able to get off their computers, all signs point to it.” He said. “Now you know why I called you here.”

Harmony meanwhile was running through the Federation database connected to her system. “And here’s something even more confusing. Based on what I’m reading in the database, tachyon eddies only affect a ship in this way if said ship has solar sails. And the d’deridex doesn’t have any solar sails.” She revealed.

“So how the hell was the D’deridex affected?” Prestine asked. “Unless they had solar sails slapped onto the hull, the D’deridex shoulda stayed put.”

“Maybe our visiting commander can shed some light on it.” Yamik suggested.

“I’d like to know when he’s available to talk. Hopefully he wakes up soon.” Prestine said.

“Would it not make sense to instead talk to the science team?” Harmony inquired.

“Captain’s orders. Until we can be sure that the crew won’t try any funny business, only the commander can be awakened.” Yamik told her. “Call it cautious diplomacy.” He said.

“That makes sense.” Harmony concluded. “They do have a numbers advantage on us.”

“Exactly. Even with our advanced tech, they could still overpower us.” Yamik told her, before the intercom system sounded off.

“Yamik, Prestine, Harmony. Update on the Salvation’s logs?” Asked Captain Maxima.

“Well, we found out how the Salvation got out here. But it only raised more questions.” Prestine reported. “They hit a tachyon eddy that pushed them out here.” She said.

“Tachyon eddy? That shouldn’t be possible.” Proxima responded.

“And yet that’s what it says on the ship’s log captain.” Prestine retorted. “I just don’t know what else to say. Their science team never managed to figure it out, and I can’t imagine a scenario where it could be possible without further study.” She told her.

“Alright. Keep at it.” Proxima responded before the connection cut. After a second, Prestine turned to Yamik.

“Yamik, send all the science logs to the lab. Maybe 8 centuries worth of discoveries can sort this out.” She asked.

“Knock yourself out.” Yamik responded as he sent the logs. With that, Prestine left the security office, her mind racing with theories.

“Personal Log: Commander Sela…T’Pala. It would seem that no matter what I do, I simply cannot cut myself off from the past. It always finds a way to sneak back in. As apparent with the surname of commander Verak. I know that a surname alone should not incite PTSD, but even so, I fear what I might do should it act up again.”

Sela could not look away. She simply could not. She had come to the Medbay after Doctor Boimler informed her that he was back onboard, and when she arrived, she saw who she presumed was Commander Verak laying on a biobed. She had been trying to maintain her composure ever since as Boimler sat her down on a bed as far from Verak as possible and began her neural scan, but to say it wasn’t easy would be putting it mildly.

Boimler, for his part, could tell that Sela was trying to keep it together, and he didn’t blame her after what she had gone through. “He’s expected to wake up soon.” He commented, trying to break the awkward silence that had befallen them. “Hopefully he doesn’t panic when he realizes he’s on a Federation ship.” He said.

“I am sure we will receive some level of civil hostility towards us from him.” Sela responded, she couldn’t help the Venom in her voice, it sounded almost like she wanted an excuse to deck the commander should it come to that.

Boimler picked up on Sela’s animosity towards the commander. “I’m sure the Captain can handle any hostility the Commander directs towards us.” He said.

Speaking of Proxima, at that moment, the Captain entered the Medbay and made her way towards Boimler and Sela. As she passed the Romulan Commander’s bed, she couldn’t help but take a nervous glance at them, worried about when they inevitably awoke. “Report doctor.” She said as she reached Boimler and Sela.

“His vitals are stable. He’s expected to awaken at any moment. I’ve erected a force field around the bed as a precaution.” Boimler reported.

“Smart.” Proxima responded as she turned her attention to Sela. “And how are you doing Commander?” She asked, concern clear as day after having learned what happened on the ship.

“I am ok Captain.” Sela responded. “Just…attempting to hold it together.”

“Your Neural activity is definitely a bit high. And your ESI is worsening ever so slightly.” Boimler reported. “Commander, I had thought we had come to the agreement that you would not try to contain your emotions?” He asked.

“I am aware doctor.” Sela responded. “But given what I almost did onboard the derelict, I made the tactical decision to keep them bottled until Commander Verak leaves.” She explained.

Boimler understood what Sela was trying to say, but Proxima was confused. “What did you almost do?” She asked.

Sela glanced away from Proxima, embarrassed to have to admit to it. “I…pulled a phaser on Verak’s stasis pod when I found out he and I shared a surname…and almost pulled the trigger.” She informed Proxima. “It was a knee jerk reaction engaged by my Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.”

Proxima had to recoil after hearing that, but she understood that Sela had quite a seething disdain for her surname because of her parents. So she wasn’t all that surprised that her PTSD would kick in. “If you’d like Sela, I see no reason for you to be around Verak at all.” She offered.

Sela understood what Proxima was attempting to do, and after thinking it over. She agreed. “It is probably for the best. I would hate for Verak to be caught in the crossfire over something he has no clue about.” She said. Recognizing that no matter what surname he had, Verak had no part in her trauma.

Almost as if he heard them, Boimler. Sela, and Proxima all heard the low, groggy groaning of someone waking up. Proxima turned her head to see Verak moving his hand to his head.

On the Bio Bed, Verak’s eyes fluttered open as he awakened from his 800 year nap. He was met with a bright light that made his eyes squint. As his vision started to clear, he moved his hand up to his head to soothe a headache he was experiencing. “Ugh. I despise Cryosleep.” He muttered as he glanced around, at that moment, he realized that he was not where he first thought he was. “Where am I?” He asked, not yet realizing that he was not alone.

“You are in our Medbay, aboard the USS Equestria.” He heard a female voice say. He glanced around, trying to find out who said that, before his eyes gazed upon…a pastel colored Quadruped? He blinked a few times. Wondering if he was seeing things.

After a few moments of silence, attempting to process what he was seeing, he decided to speak up. “Who are you?” He asked, eying the strange being. His eyes found the badge on the shirt and he recognized it after a second. “Oh bloody hell.” He said, sighing. “You are Starfleet. From the Federation.” He groaned. “I’m on a Federation starship am I.” He deduced.

“Yes you are.” Proxima responded. “I am Captain Proxima Maxima of the Federation Starship Equestria.” She told him.

“We picked up your automated distress signal and found you and your crew drifting through space in Cryo sleep.” Doctor Boimler told Verak, walking up beside Proxima.

“That is apparent.” Verak responded as he sat up on the bed. “How long have we been asleep?” He asked.

Proxima and Boimler glanced at each other, both wondering if they should tell him. Their choice however was made for them when they heard Sela pipe up as she walked by on her way out. “You have been asleep for 827 years. Give or take.” Sela said as she walked out of the Medbay Boimler dismissing her.

Boimler and Proxima glanced at the departing commander before they turned their attention back to Verak. Verak, when he heard the time length, stared at them, he and his crew had been asleep for eight centuries? And somehow they were still alive? The information became too much to bear and his brain shut down, making him faint back down on the bed.

Boimler managed to catch Verak and ease him back down into a lying position, shaking his head. “Not how I would have broken it to him.” He commented.

“Let him wake back up on his own, give him a full checkup, and then send him to my ready room.” Proxima ordered.

“Aye captain.” Boimler responded. “Do you also want me to run his DNA through the database to see if he and Sela…” He trailed off.

Proxima understood what Boimler wanted to do, and nodded. “If there’s a chance. It’s better that we know sooner rather than later.” She told him.

“Agreed.” Boimler responded before going to work.

Proxima in turn left the medbay and trotted down the hall to catch up to Sela. “Commander!” She called out.

Sela stopped in her tracks and turned back to see Proxima approaching. “Captain.” She acknowledged, sighing. “I believe I know what you are going to say. And I agree, in hindsight, that was not the most logical way to inform him.” She said. Indeed when she left the Medbay, she realized the error she had made.

“Yeah. Boimler and I would have preferred something a bit more tactful.” Proxima responded as the pair walked alongside each other.

“I apologize. I was not thinking clearly.” Sela said.

Proxima nodded. “Well, cat’s out of the bag now. Let’s just hope Verak and I can hash everything out.” She said.

“If their mission really is to find a new Homeworld, as Yamik reported while searching the logs, perhaps we can find a suitable M class planet in this region of the satellite galaxy.” Sela suggested.

“Assuming of course N’Var isn’t going to want them to return to our galaxy.” Proxima replied. “The Tal’Shiar as we know it from the historical record is not something we want roaming around without some kind of restrictions.”

“Indeed captain.” Sela said in agreement. She knew what the Tal’Shiar were capable of, and she knew that they were not a force to underestimate.

Outside the ship, Blitzwing, in his Jet form, flew around the Salvation, looking for any signs of solar sails attached to the hull. “Hm…I don’t know.” He said into his comlink after a few minutes. “Not seeing any hardpoints or hatches that could indicate solar sails.” He said.

“The hull looked relatively intact with only a few scuffs and scratches. There’re no broken poles or such?” Asked Cmdr Baker from within the Salvation.

“Not that I can see. I’ll keep—“ Blitzwing was cut off when something filled his comma system. “What in the name of Primus?!” He asked as his audio receptors were subjected to what he first thought was static, but then he listened closer, and his figurative eyes widened when he recognized the dialect being spoken. “The heck?” He asked as the dialect stopped.

“Blitzwing? What’s going on out there?” Asked a concerned Baker.

“I just received some kind of signal, with CYBERTRONIAN Dialect.” Blitz responded.

“What? From where?” Baker asked.

Blitzwing used his onboard instruments to trace the source of the signal, and was perplexed when he traced it back to… “Ok this makes no sense. The signal came from the Equestria. Switching Channels.” He said as he switched channels before Baker could say anything. “Cliffjumper, Teletran, did either of you send out a signal using Cybertronian Dialect?” He asked.

“Not me.” Cliff Responded.

“I didn’t.” Teletran responded. “I was gonna ask the same thing of you.” He added.

“So all of us received that?” Blitz asked. “Was anyone teaching Harmony Cybertronian?”

“No. She never asked.” Teletran responded. “Besides, she’s occupied with the Salvation Investigation.”

“Then what in the name Megatron’s pistons made that signal?” Blitz asked, confusion apparent in his voice. “It came from the Equestria, but there shouldn’t…be…wait.” Blitz trailed off as he came to a realization. “Teletran, the Equestria has a Captain’s Yacht does it not?” He asked.

“According to all the technical schematics for the Hydra class it does.” Teletran responded. “Why?”

“I think I know where that signal came from. Someone talk to our Starfleet friends and ask if we could take a look at the Yacht. If my hunch is right, that thing is more than meets the eye.” Blitz told them. He cut the comma before he made a Beeline for the Equestria. “If it IS the yacht, then the Ad Astra per Aspera we just received would make sense.” He commented on the nature of the Cybertronian dialect.

Back in the Medbay, Boimler was setting the computer on matching Verak’s DNA when he heard grumbling from Verak’s Biobed. He turned his attention to that bed and saw Verak stirring awake. He approached the bed as Verak fluttered his eyes open and looked around.

Verak’s mind raced as he awoke from his previous unconscious state. His eyes opened to see the familiar sight he remembered seeing from the first time he woke up. He raised an eyebrow. “Curious.” He said groggily.

“Good morning there sunshine.” Verak heard someone say.

Verak turned his head to the source of that voice and saw the same white uniformed doctor from before, wearing a familiar delta. “So it is not a dream.” He deduced with a groan, he had hoped it was a dream that he was on a Starfleet vessel. It would seem not to be the case.

“I’m afraid not.” Boimler responded. “How are you feeling commander?”

“Fine for the moment.” Verak responded. “Am I really 827 years in the future?”

“Indeed you are.” Boimler responded. “From what we could gather, you rode a tachyon Eddie into extra galactic space and had to go into cryo sleep some time after.” He explained.

“Yes…yes I remember that.” Verak replied as it came back to him. “It was the most unexplainable thing we had encountered.”

Boimler nodded in agreement. “Yeah. We’re trying to figure it out ourselves. We were hoping you would share your own findings.” He told him.

“You will need to consult with my science team.” Verak responded. “Tell me, is there a commanding officer present?” He asked. Not remembering the pastel quadruped that introduced herself as ship’s captain.

“There is.” Boimler responded. “Captain Proxima Maxima. She wants to meet with you in her ready room once I clear you.” He informed him.

Proxima Maxima, why did that name sound familiar to Verak? He contemplated it for a moment, before resigning to the fact he will meet this Captain soon enough. “And who might you be?” He asked.

“Doctor Phlox Boimler at your service.” Boimler responded. Throughout the conversation he had been running medical scans on Verak. After a moment, he smiled and cleared his HUD. “And with that, your medical checkup is complete, you will be happy to know that you do not appear to be suffering from anything.” He announced.

“How fortunate.” Verak responded. “Hang on. That was it? All you did was scan me?” He asked, curiously.

“Welcome to the future.” Boimler responded simply. “Medical science and technology has advanced by leaps and bounds in the last 827 years.”

Verak listened to Boimler’s explanation, and it made sense, technological advancement was inevitable. “Intriguing.” Was all he could say.

Boimler nodded and lowered the force field, Verak slid off the Biobed and stood on his feet for perhaps the first time in centuries. “Ensign Dramon here will escort you to the captain’s ready room.” He told Verak, gesturing to the security ensign assigned to Verak for his safety, and for the more primary safety of the crew.

“Thank you Doctor.” Verak responded as the Ensign Dramon escorted Verak away, allowing Boimler to move on with something else. Before he did however, he tapped his combadge. “Boimler to Maxima. Verak’s on his way.” He informed Her.

In Maxima’s ready room, both Sela and Maxima heard the message. Proxima nodded in response. “Acknowledged Boimler.” She said before the connection was cut out. turning her attention back to what she was doing before. “Apologies Cliff, Teletran. Proceed.” She said.

“Captain, we have reason to believe that your captain’s yacht may have been affected by the emergence protocol.” Cliff responded.

“The one that brought forth Harmony CyberSpark.” Teletran said.

“How did you come to that conclusion?” Sela asked, Sela was asked to the ready room after Proxima was contacted by Cliff and Teletran, asking to inspect her yacht.

“For one, it would seem that the Starfleet Delta on the back of the pilot’s seat now has an autobot symbol on it.” Cliff responded. “I’m assuming that wasn’t there before.”

“And we are detecting a faint sparkbeat. A sign that this vehicle may actually be a Cybertronian.” Teletran explained.

“If that is the case, how come they have not made a peep before now?” Sela asked.

“I don’t know. Perhaps it is stasis. Captain, with your permission, I would like to route Energon directly into the yacht, give it a boost as it were.” Teletran proposed.

“Hold for now.” Proxima responded. “We do not want to stretch ourselves too thin.”

“Aye captain.” Teletran responded, cutting the connection.

With the connection cut, Sela decided to pull up a hologram of the captain’s Yacht. “How curious.” She said.

“You can say that again.” Proxima responded as they both studied the hologram. “We have not yet had a need to deploy the yacht in any situation. It’s just been sitting in its docking indent.”

“Perhaps that is why we did not notice such changes to it. I am pretty sure the only time anyone has set foot in it before was when Harmony claimed it showed up as red during our last mining operation.” Sela suggested.

Proxima opened her mouth to say something, before the familiar doorbell chirp sounded, alerting them that someone wanted to enter. Sela couldn’t help but tense up, knowing that it was likely Verak. ‘Whoever he might be related to, he’s not them.’ She told herself in an effort to keep it together.

Proxima could tell that Sela wanted to get out of there. “Come!” She called out before turning to Sela. “Dismissed Cmdr.” She told her, giving her the out Sela was undoubtedly looking for.

“Aye captain.” Sela responded as she stood up. She heard the door open and turned to see Verak and Ensign Dramon walk in. She kept looking straight on as she walked past the two new arrivals back out onto the bridge.

Verak, for his part, marveled at the vessel he was walking through. Despite the ever present fact that it was decidedly Federation, which he was raised to hate but didn’t, he couldn’t help but be in awe of the decor and construction, as well as the apparent insta-transport that he experienced. The ensign that was escorting him led him onto the bridge, where he noticed the multi species crew that he had come to expect from the Federation. As he entered what he assumed was the ready room however, he received a surprise when a Vulcan female officer turned to leave, and Verak noticed the color of her eyes. They were silver in color, something that caught Verak off guard, though he did not show it. He watched as the officer walked past and out of the ready room, his mind racing. ‘Silver eyes? That should be impossible…unless…’ He did not get a chance to ponder on it as the Vulcan left and his attention was turned back to the matter at hand when the Ensign spoke up. “Commander Verak, meet Captain Proxima Maxima. Captain of the USS Equestria.” The ensign introduced them.

“Thank you Dramon.” The being Verak concluded as Captain Maxima responded before dismissing the ensign. When the Ensign left, Maxima turned her attention to Verak. “Greetings Cmdr Verak, welcome to the year 3212.” She said.

Verak heard her voice and saw her mouth moving, but he found himself at a loss for words. His mind connected the dots as to where he had heard the name Proxima Maxima before. The name belonged to the pastel colored quadruped that he had seen in the Medbay. “…You are this vessel’s captain?” He asked, struggling to wrap his head around it. “You look like something a captain might keep as a pet.” He stated flatly, naturally oblivious to how offensive that sounded.

Proxima couldn’t help but wince at the remark, but understood that Verak was none the wiser, so she had already come up with a response. “I am actually what is known as an Equine. A race of quadruped beings hailing from the Planet Equis in the Delta Quadrant.” She stated. “We only developed warp travel in the last five years, which is why the galaxy at large had not heard of us until we started reaching out.” She explained.

“Five years, and you are a captain in Starfleet?” Verak asked, skeptical based on his understanding of typical timelines for Federation officer training.

“It is a long story and one that is of no concern.” Captain Maxima responded, deciding not to get into her specific situation. “Right now, I am more concerned about how you and your vessel could be so far outside of our home galaxy. Especially when the method by which you got out here should be impossible.” She explained.

Verak nodded as the events of that day came back to him again. “Indeed. It was perhaps the most unexplainable thing we had ever encountered. We had detected the eddy with enough time to avoid it, but because eddies, as you may already be aware, only affect vessels with solar sails, we did not believe that we would be affected.” He explained. “But the moment we hit that eddie, we accelerated to speeds that should have, by all accounts, destroyed us and the Salvation. It was honestly a miracle we even survived.” He said. “And of course that is not also taking into account the seemingly impossible length of the Eddie in question.”

“Did you go into Cryo sleep after you decelerated?” Proxima asked.

“We did. By the time we managed to get out of the clutches of the eddie, our power had been severely drained, Cryo sleep was our only choice if we wished to live long enough for someone to answer our distress signal.” Verak replied. “I…had hoped that we would be rescued by a Romulan vessel. But I am no less grateful for your assistance.” He admitted.

“I’ve got some people on the Salvation looking into exactly what happened. To say we’re surprised to see a centuries old D’Deridex Class warbird out here would be underselling it.” Proxima explained.

“I would imagine. And it is equally surprising to see a Federation ship out here.” Verak responded. “Are you merely out here exploring? Or is there a specific reason you are out here?” He asked.

Proxima opened her mouth to answer, before the lights in her ready room turned red and the red alert alarm sounded. “Maxima to Bridge. Report.” Maxima commed the bridge.

“We have the Terrorcons inbound captain. Closing fast.” Sela reported.

“Terrorcons?” Verak asked, confused.

“Hostile force that harasses us a lot out here.” Proxima responded as she got up out of her seat. “Excuse me.” She said as she proceeded out of the ready room and onto the bridge.

Verak, curious about what was going on, followed Proxima out onto the bridge, where he saw the Vulcan Commander from before getting up from the Captain’s seat.

Sela heard the door open and went to stand up, she spotted Verak behind Captain Maxima, and worked hard to keep her composure as she clasped her hands behind her back while Maxima spoke up. “What’s the scoop Cmdr Shron?” She asked.

“Multiple enemy contacts. Bearing 123 mark 211.” Shron reported. “Initial scans show one of those Megabot combiner ships we encountered during our last mining trip, escorted by 6 Corvette types.” He said.

“How long until they get within weapons range?” Maxima asked.

“T-minus five minutes Captain.” Norman responded.

“Should we withdraw?” Prestine asked, looking back from her station. “Five minutes is plenty of time to get the hell out of here.” She said.

“It would also leave the Salvation without any means of defending itself.” Yamik countered.

Proxima, coming to that same conclusion, turned to Norman. “Raise Baker.” She told him. Norman did as told and raised their chief engineer.

“You’re on Captain.” He alerted Maxima.

“Equestria to Cmdr Baker.” Maxima called. “Chief how’s it looking over there?” She asked.

“Well, we’re about to try to restart power. Should thank whatever higher power kept their singularity core from kicking the bucket. Stand—“

Over on the Salvation, before Baker could even finish her sentence, there was a power surge that sent Sparks flying. Baker backed away in instinct, and she and the Engineers she brought over from the Equestria watched as the Singularity faded away, finally dying out. “Oh for crying out loud.” Baker facepalmed before addressing the Captain again. “Scratch that, this ship is running purely off batteries and combadge power now, the Singularity Core just died.” She said.

“Will the power reserves in the batteries last for a while?” Maxima asked.

“If all nonessential systems stay offline, probably.” Baker replied.

“Is the ship warp capable?” Maxima asked.

“Not even close.” Baker responded immediately. “We’d need at least a week to get this thing warp ready.” She estimated.

“You have 5 minutes until we have Terrorcon forces bearing down on us.” Maxima told her. “Can she be towed through warp by the Equestria?”

“Given the size of this thing compared to the Equestria, even with multi vector mode, we’d just as likely tear this ship apart.” Baker responded. “Sorry Captain, she ain’t going anywhere anytime soon.” She told her.

On the bridge, Proxima nodded for Baker’s report. “Alright. Standby for orders.” She said, before turning to her crew.

Throughout the whole thing, Verak was growing worried that the federation starship might elect to abandon the Salvation and flee. “Captain Maxima.” He spoke up. “I recognize that ultimately you have the final say, but I implore you, do not leave the Salvation to be a victim of this hostile alien force.” He said. “She and her crew have already suffered so much.”

Proxima weighed their options. The last thing she wanted to do was abandon the Salvation, but she had to consider their own mission and the importance of the cargo they carried. As well as her ship’s capabilities.

Shron was also thinking about that, and he had an idea. “If the Salvation’s weapons and defense systems were brought back online. It’s possible that the ship could hold its own against the Terrorcons.” He proposed. “Given the age of the ship I’m not confident it can hold out for long. But combined with the Equestria’s firepower, it should be able to survive this battle.” He theorized.

Proxima considered her tactical officer’s input, and theory was sound. “Cmdr Baker.” She addressed her chief engineer. “How fast can you and your team get the Salvation to combat ready status?” She asked.

“Assuming the plasma weaponry survived the journey and subsequent centuries of disuse. We can probably get it online here pretty quickly.” Baker responded. “The issue is power, but I think I may have a way to mitigate that issue.” She said.

“How so?” Proxima asked.

“If someone brings over an Energon Battery, I recon just one of those can power this entire ship for as long as we need.” Baker proposed.

“Captain Maxima.” Verak cut in. “I can assist in getting weapons online. The Salvation will stand with the Equestria against this threat.” He stated. He may not have known the whole situation, but he understood that their collective survival depended on them fighting side by side.

Proxima considered the options they had. They couldn’t exactly run, and she wasn’t confident they could protect the Salvation while it did nothing, seeing that they only had one real option, she turned to her crew. “Shron, Paris, Sela, go with Verak. You three and Baker act as his bridge crew.” She ordered. “Get the Salvation ready for action. The Equestria will buy you the time you need.” She said.

While Shron and Paris responded immediately and headed for the Turbolift with Verak, Sela hesitated. She could see the logic in Maxima’s thinking. She wanted someone there to take over in case Verak was incapacitated, but Sela was…less than confident that she could maintain her self control and keep her PTSD in check. Despite that, after a second, she nodded and addressed the people in the Turbolift. “I shall stop by Engineering and pick up the Energon Battery and meet you there.” She told them, before tapping her combadge and transporting directly to Engineering.

While the Turbolift door closed, Proxima nodded to her remaining Staff. “Red Alert. Weapons Hot deflector to maximum. Engage MultiVector mode and put us between the Terrorcons and the Salvation.” She ordered. “We have to buy them enough time to get their weapons and shields back online.”

“Aye captain.” Her staff responded as they got to work, preparing for the coming battle.

To Be Continued…

Author's Note

He lives! again!

Hopefully this is the last time I am gone for so long for a while. Thanks for reading. And hope to see you all next time.