Starship Harmony

Prologue

Starship Magic Data Log: 1009 ANMM

--Large mass detected 3.45556 miles from ship.

--Scanning...

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--Mass identified as Starship-*Bzzt-crackle-zzzz*

--Starship*Zzz-crack-bzz* has targeted us with plasma cannons and electrode blasters.

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-*Bzzzzt-crackle*

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--This ship has received heavy damage. The motherboard calculates 29.22386% of the ship irreparable.

--The enemy ship's plasma cannons have been locked onto the motherboard system.

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--*Crash-bzzzzzzzzzzzz*

-

--CRITICAL ERROR

***

“By the stars...” cried Co-Captain Luna as she surveyed the damage. Looking out of the huge plasma-glass viewport separating her from deep space, the Co-Captain put a hoof to her mouth as tears began to slide down her cheeks. The remains of Starship Magic were scattered among clouds of hydrogen and smoke, floating aimlessly among the stars.

Starship Harmony was too late. The Magic had been destroyed... and Captain Sparkle had been aboard.

Luna stood, staring at the wide expanse of space in front of her. A large curved control board wrapped halfway around the high command platform of Starship Harmony, offering a large array of holographic touch screens. These were the main controls of the whole ship. Luna’s bluish horn lit up, wrapped in the embrace of magic. She manipulated the screens with it, pushing a few buttons and vocally commanding the ship to do what she willed it to. A small screen in the right corner of the command panel recited a plethora of words and numbers in the form of a graph. Luna was about to glance at it when a pair of doors slid open at the back of the command center.

Co-Captain Celestia strode into the room, suddenly halting as she gazed out at what was left of Starship Magic.

“No!” she cried, once again resuming her journey to the high command platform, this time at a breakneck pace. “What has happened? Where is Starship Magic?! Captain Sparkle sent out a distress call!”

“We are too late, my sister,” answered Co-Captain Luna, lowering her head and closing her eyes in sadness. “The Magic has been destroyed.”

Celestia’s chest heaved, her breath quickening. “Do a scan for any lifeforms!” she barked at an earth pony sitting at a computer on the lower command deck. He nodded and pressed a few large buttons with his hooves. A minute later, a holographic screen appeared in front of the viewport, showing the results of the scan.

No lifeforms detected.

Celestia stared at the screen, refusing to believe her eyes. Her student... was gone, and it had happened so quickly... so suddenly.

Luna tapped her sister with her hoof. Celestia looked at the Alicorn, deep sorrow in her eyes.

“There is still hope,” said Luna, “I performed a scan for stray exhaust trails, and my results are in.” Luna walked over to the right corner screen, and read the grand consensus aloud.

“There was an extremely large starship here along with The Magic,” she revealed, “It left a huge exhaust trail. Perhaps it was the one that did battle with Starship Magic. And when a ship executes a battle, they usually take prisoners.”

Celestia looked down at the graph. “Twilight and some of her crew may still be alive.”

“Correct,” Luna stated, reading out more information. “It also seems that there are multiple tiny trails spreading outward from where The Magic was. They may have come from escape pods.”

Celestia, though still worried, took a relieved breath. “Thank the suns,” she said quietly, gazing back out at Starship Magic’s remains. If Twilight was out there somewhere, than somepony needed to rescue her.

Or perhaps, someponies...