Chapters 1300 Years Ago
Clipper woke up with a heavy heart. Today was the day of the meeting with Celestia. Last night the leaders of the movement had their final meeting. It was decided the course of action they would request. No longer would they stand by as the Princesses ran every aspect of ponys lives. They would have freedom even if they had to acquire it without their help. He had been chosen by the group due to his family’s connections. His father spent most of his life as an adviser to Princess Luna. As Clipper got out of bed, he used his magic to get his formal robes out of his closet and put them on. It was going to be an important meeting indeed. No one in the group wanted a showdown with the rulers but if they were forced they would face even death to get their freedom from what they saw as oppressive rule.
“I really hope this goes well “ he said as he left his room. “ This is the turning point for us all.”
Some of the pegasi advocated all out war to achieve their goals. Luckily cooler heads prevailed on them to try diplomacy first. As he entered the castle two guards met him to escort him to his meeting. Slowly it dawned on him he wasn’t heading to the official meeting hall. “ Where are we going?” he asked, fear entering his heart. Were they just going to silence him? And the whole movement? He
“We're going to the Sisters private meeting room.” one of the guards replied curtly.
Oh no Clipper thought. They are going to make me and anypony else that agrees with me just disappear. Slowly his belly grew cold, anticipating his death in the next few minutes. As they arrived at the door the guards opened it....remaining outside as he walked in. it was an interesting life, he mused as he walked into the presence of the two most powerful beings in the known world, fully believing he would never walk out again.
“Please have a seat Representative Clipper” Celestia said, pointing with her horn at a chair.
When the pointed her horn he flinched slightly, then realizing that it was nothing but a gesture, proceeded to sit in the chair. “I come to you today with a matter of great importance Princesses.”
“We both already know of the separatist movement.” Luna interrupted
Oh no, here it comes, he thought.
“We cannot allow ponys to just leave our land and wander the planet. It is much to dangerous. And there is the matter of security of the ponys who remain. Not that any of your group would willingly endanger any other ponys you may still inadvertently do so.” Celestia said flatly.
“You may have thousands of ponys in your movement there will be millions of ponys remaining that could be endangered.” Luna added
“How so. All we want is to be allowed to live our lives in the way nature intended” Clipper implored to the Princesses
“We understand that. We have thought long and hard over how to deal with this. And I and my sister have found only one suitable way to deal with this problem” Celestia proclaimed
Here it comes. Our death warrant. I wonder if they will let the foals live, they aren’t responsible for their parents actions.
Celestia took a deep breath, preparing to give her final word on the matter, and noticed something profound on Clippers face. It looked like a fear greater than death. What did he think she and her sister would do, kill them all? In curiosity she asked “Whats bothering you Representative?” she asked concerned.
“I'm sure you know as well as I do we cannot accept no for an answer. This was more to get your blessing than to ask permission. And I'm sure you know nothing short of force will stop us” Clipper stated.
“I never said no to your groups request. If you hadn’t jumped to that conclusion you’d have seen that I simply was asking for a compromise.” Celestia said forcefully, a small amount of anger in her voice.
“I’m sorry Princess but I don’t see any compromise in what you said.” Clipper responded, honestly a bit curious as to what she had in mind.
“I never said no to you. I just said your group couldn’t wander THIS world. We have found a world similar to this one, except there is no higher life forms living on it. Unfortunately it is very far away from here. So my counteroffer to your group is for me to send your people as well as basic supply’s to start a colony. But there is a down side. This will be a one way trip. Whether things work out for good or ill you will be stuck with your decision. It will take several weeks for me gather the strength to send your people and the necessary goods to the planet. That should allow you to explain this to them and gather what you need to start a new life there. Take this news to your people and explain it to them. In two weeks return here with their decision.” Celestia told him
Wow, that was better than the best news he could have hoped for. A whole new world away from the influence of the Princesses. A true way to know they were free. He already knew the resounding YES he would receive from the movements leaders when asked if it was acceptable. He worked hard to maintain a straight face when he agreed to talk it over with them and return in two weeks.
“Then that is all for this meeting. And discuss this with no pony outside of your group. We held this meeting in private for a reason. When you depart we want to be done with your group as much as you want to be done with us.” Luna stated bluntly
“You have my word” he said as he rose to leave. As he reached the door the guards opened it from outside as if commanded and escorted him out of the castle.
“Are you sure about this sister.” Luna asked, worried about her. “To cast all of them so far away that even if they decide they were wrong they would have no way to return?”
“Somehow I don’t think they would ever ask to return to us.” Celestia said sadly “They hate us for everything we do for them. All I have ever done for the ponys is to help them, to make their lives harmonious and happy. But these ponys hate hate us for that exact reason. So no matter how much it hurts to do it I will cast them away eternally for the same reason they hate us. To make their lives harmonious and happy.” A tear slowly left her eye. “I must prepare for this, it will not easy.”
“Your going to start now? I thought you gave them two weeks to make their decision. They may decide to stay.” Luna asked, tears in her eyes as well.
“They will say yes, didn’t you see it in his eyes.” Celestia said, her voice breaking. She hadn’t felt pain in her heart like this since seeing the torture Discord had wrought on all of ponykind. Quickly she left the meeting room and ran to her private room. When she got there she sobbed into her pillow for hours.
Clipper left the meeting with the meeting with the Princesses with hope in his heart. A whole new world, far enough that the sisters would have no influence. It was better than any of them could have hoped for. He did his best to keep his hope in check, for the group had to make the final decision, and he new one or two would be skeptical. Once he got home he started the ten letters he'd have to send out to gather the other leaders. He finished quickly, and sent them off in the fastest way he could. Then he set about his days work. He never reached his fathers prominence but he had carved out a place for him self in the government. He wondered offhoofedly how far he may have reached if the sisters hadn't held him back. As he finished his work day of pushing papers, he returned home to find all of the other leaders had replied with times of arrival in Canterlot. The longest appeared to be nine days. Not much time to discuss it but it would have to do. As he prepared the beginnings of his notes for the meeting he started to yawn. Smiling he went to bed.
The days passed quickly, and one by one the leaders arrived. Each day he was bombarded with questions about the news. And each day he told them he would only deliver the news to them all at the meeting. The venue for their meeting was set at a small warehouse just outside Canterlot, and it was past dark when they arrived one by one so as not to draw suspicion. It was near midnight when the meeting was called to order. As Clipper took the podium he cleared his throat to draw the attention of the gathered ponys. Noise died off quickly as they saw him there, they all had been waiting for this news for years. As Clipper straightened his notes he started.
“Leaders of the Freedom Movement, I have spoken with the sisters and I have their decision on how to deal with us. It seems our original demand has been denied.” he said and then paused for effect. He knew he was enjoying it more than he should but he did it anyway.
“Then to war we go” yelled Thunderstrike, the pegasus who originally wanted war to remove the sisters but had been over ruled. He was the spitting image in form and thought of his ancestor Hurricane, one of the original founders of Equestria.
“No, there will be no war. Instead they have counter offered something I feel is even better. They will move all of us and any supply’s we need to start a colony to a whole new world. And they will have no further contact with us once they move us.” Clipper proclaimed.
“A new world? As in completely off this planet?” asked Apple Core, an earth pony farmer.
“Yes, and far enough away that the sisters cannot interfere with us.” Clipper answered.
“Do we know anything about this world?” asked Silver Cluster, a unicorn of some notoriety in academia.
“The sisters have sent information on the planet, and I have done some independent research myself. It all seems to match what I was told. I have made copy’s to give you to go over. The short version is its a very temperate world, half covered in water in numerous small to medium lakes, no higher lifeforms, no predators that could seriously threaten ponys.” Clipper told them as he used his magic to pass out packets of information.
“So just like that their going to give us this paradise and what we need to start a new life there.” Thunderstrike asked sarcasticly.
“From the sound of what Luna said to me at the end of the meeting it would be a small price for them pay to be rid of us for good. She sounded like we were some parasite to be removed for the greater good.” Clipper told him.
“More like to be feared.” Thunderstrike said under his breath
“We have five days to return an answer to the sisters. I consulting with your groups and returning your decisions at our next meeting that will be held here in four days. We will take a vote at that time and the following day I will relay it to them. And if there is nothing else I move for adjournment.” Clipper announced.
There were no opposing votes, and the meeting was brought to a close. Many leaders wandered into the city and pondered the news.
As Clipper returned home after the meeting he wondered what the final vote would be. He could hardly wait but he had to give time for the information to be passed out to those who would be affected. It would have to be unanimous. There would be no going back after it was done. Could they even make a new colony on a new world with no help from home? Now that it was out in the open he was starting to have doubts. But if the groups all voted yes then his fears would recede. There were over 1500 ponys affiliated with the movement. If they all believed they could do it then they had to be able to.
For four days Clipper had noticed a increase in the number of pegasi coming and leaving the city. It had to be because of tonight’s meeting. As he nervously went thru his day he became more and more apprehensive of the meetings result. But no matter how much he wanted it to, time would only go as fast as it always had. Soon he looked at the clock and saw it was time to leave. As he walked home he tried to prepare himself for any possible outcome of the vote. What would they do if the vote was no? How could they go back now, now that the sisters knew of their intentions? Obviously if the answer was no then they would have to be dealt with. And after the first meeting with them he knew they would not allow any further dissent from them. Would a no now mean death for them? Or would the sisters simply banish them to the new world anyway, but without supplys? Would there be a difference?
This meeting started much differently than the last. No pony was early. It was as if they waited till the last minute to leave for it. Silence fell quickly as Clipper took the podium. A pin could have fallen on a
“Has everypony had a chance to speak to your people?” Clipper asked.
One by one they all indicated they had.
“And do you have their final decision”
Again they all indicated affirmitive
“Then we will hold our vote” Clipper gulped quickly, moment of truth he thought
“All opposed”
Clipper breathed a small sigh of relief. At least they would have a chance. “All for”
Every hoof raised slowly
“Then motion passes, we will leave this world for a chance to start our own.” He hoped his relief wasn't too obvious to them.
“I will meet with the sisters in the morning to give them our decision, and I move we adjourn.” Clipper announced
The motion passed silently.
The next morning Clipper awoke feeling like the events last night were a dream. Thankfully he had brought home a copy of the minutes of the meeting so he could be sure of the outcome. As he put on his robes he reread them and confirmed the vote. Everyone said yes. He had a consensus on the matter. They would take the offer. A chance to be finally free of the sisters influence. He started out to the castle with a spring in his step. When he arrived two guards who looked to be the same two as before met him.
“Follow us sir” one ordered, more gruffly than before. Both seemed to be very agitated.
“Certainly” he said
They led him to the same meeting room as last time. The whole way it seemed like the guards would have rather stomped on his face than look at it. Whats eating them today? Did the sisters knock over their breakfast plates? What could have them so angry? He followed in silence.
“You may enter” one said, almost spitting the words into Clippers face like a rotten apple.
“Thank you” he replied politely
As the doors opened he saw only Luna sat in the room. Where was Celestia?
“Enter and sit” Luna said curtly
“May I ask why Princess Celestia isn't here” he inquired
“No you may not” she replied, anger dripping from her voice
Gulping in fear he sat, wondering why it seemed everyone was in a bad mood.
“I will have your decision now!” Luna demanded
Cowering at the anger being pointed at him he quietly replied “We have decided to take the offer made by Princess Celestia.”
Luna looked daggers into him “Then it shall be done. You and your worthless followers will meet in Foalsville in six weeks for the trip. Bring all you think you will need for your new colony. Once you are sent we will have no further contact with you. You will all be dead to us. I hope you have chosen wisely.” she stated flatly....venom dripping from her words
“If I may ask Princess, why is every pony so angry today. I thought this would be a happy day for you. You'll be free of us as much as we will be free of you” he asked meekly
“Do you realize what your people have done? The pain you have caused?” Luna demanded
“I'm sorry but I do not” he replied
“My sister and I have devoted our lives to helping all ponys to live happy, harmonious lives. You and your kind have spit in the face of our work. And worse yet stomped on the hearts of both of us. I was able to recover enough to be at this meeting but my sister has taken it harder than I have. You have wrenched her heart out and trampled it with your hooves. In my opinion you deserve whatever fate awaits you on your new world and ten times more.” Luna said with restrained fury
“I'm sorry you and your sister are taking this so badly but we feel we deserve the chance to be free” he said
“I have never wished ill upon any pony but in your case ill make an exception. If you could feel the pain you've caused you would abandon this. But as you've said you agree and wish it to come to pass. May some pony have mercy on your soul for I never shall” Luna said...rising to leave “You are dismissed and neither I or my sister shall see or speak to you till the appointed time.” With that the door opened and the guards enters to escort him out.
The next six weeks passed quickly with the preparations that had to be made. Food, seeds, building materials, and all the worldly goods for over 1500 ponys had to be gathered in the small town of Foalville. On the appointed day the Princesses arrived by train. As the ponys gathered to see the arrival Clipper saw how badly Celestia looked. Had she slept in the last week? She looked like that would be a low estimate of her lack. As Clipper walked forward to meet the sisters he also saw hatred in Luna's eyes.
“We are here as you ordered.” he said to the sisters
“I see that” Celestia replied with a very fake smile.
“We are ready to leave as soon as you are ready to send us.” he said
“I see that as well. I will prepare the spell. And to any who wish to change their minds this will be their last chance.” Celestia stated
“Any who wished to be left behind have gone home at this point” he said
“Then I shall prepare. For the next five minutes I ask that every pony stands still around the supplys and I will cast the spell.” Celestia said, sounding sad.
He made the announcement to the group and they gathered around their supply pile. The more he looked at Celestia the more he started to feel sorry for her. This act seemed to really hurt her. He looked to Luna and saw nothing but anger and hate in her eyes. She seemed to blame him for all of this. But it was their fault for it, controlling ponys lives and welfare, not his. He didn’t even start this movement. He was chosen because of his father. But he wanted this as much as any pony here.
“It is time” Celestia announced
With a bright flash it was done. As soon as his eyes recovered he looked around. There was nothing but the ponys from the movement and their supplies. The town was gone and so were the sisters. Even the air smelled different. This was their world! They were free.
As soon as the spell was cast Celestia collapsed. The drain of the spell and the emotional drain had gotten the best of her. Luna used her magic to lift her sister onto her back so she could carry her to the train car. When she had done so the train started back to Canterlot. Once underway she saw her sister weeping in her sleep. No longer could she hold back, and started to sob for her sisters pain. But it was done and time would heal them both. The ponys that caused the sisters so much sadness were gone, too far to cause any more. Now was the time for healing.
Clipper gawked at his new surroundings. It resembled Equestria somewhat but you could easily tell it wasn't. The air had a strange taste to it. Even the trees looked strange. As he took in his surroundings he also noticed every other pony there had the same look on their faces. He also slowly realized they had a lot of work to do to build their new colony. Using his magic to amplify his voice he said “Listen up ponys, we have to get to work building shelters. We must keep to the plan or this will not end well for us.” Slowly the ponys snapped out of their stupor. The tents they had brought went up quickly and a few houses had begun going up. The dried rations were being passed out and a group of earth ponys had started planting. Thunderstrike suggested the pegasi bring in some rain for the new fields. Clipper denied him vehemently. They would not tamper with the natural order of things here like the princesses did. Calmly Thunderstrike agreed. If nature deemed the ponys worthy of survival then the rain would come on its own.
Day by day the colony grew. Shortly after the last of the initial homes had been build the first foal was born on the new world. The earth pony's birth was a welcome sign that things were going to work out. The fields that they had planted were yielding very good crops. The leaders from the original movement had took up leadership of the government of the new colony. A year went by before the leaders realized they had forgotten a very important decision that had to be made. They had never named their new world. As Clipper face hoofed over the oversight, a decision was made to have all the ponys send in their choices and the one with the most votes would be the worlds name. The votes would be collected for the next year and on the second anniversary of their arrival the result would be announced. Every pony submitted a name and when all were counted Pliohippus was the winner. It was an odd name but the scholars of the colony explained the name. It was an ancestor of the modern pony, alluding to the simpler lives and freedom that the ponys had came here for. The ponys liked the idea and gladly accepted it as their worlds name.
As the years went by the ponys changed. Due to the small starting size of the colony there was a lot of cross breeding between the three pony races. As generation after generation were born, ponys noticed the changes. Unicorn horns were getting smaller and the magic they could do became less. Pegasi wings became weaker and smaller, and flight became much more difficult. Earth ponys became weaker and less stout. As it continued all three were becoming more alike. After five hundred years there was no longer any distinction between them. There were no more horns or wings but traits from all three were in every pony. All ponys had some unicorn magic like levitation, the pegasi ability to navigate and sense weather patterns, and earth pony connection with the land and plants around them. Ponys started developing technology to make up for the ability’s they had lost. Another five hundred years went by and everypony forgot that there ever were three races of ponys. Equestria and the Royal Pony Sisters went from history to legend to myth. As time marched on the ponys from Pliohippus resembled their cousins from Equestria only in passing, they had four legs and were ponys and that was all. Soon after the only ones who knew the whole of their past were the leaders and the scholars, and it seemed like nopony cared to change it. Nopony withheld the information, they just didn’t care to learn it anymore. And time marched on. Soon it had been sixteen hundred years since they arrived. But as far as the masses of ponys they had been here like this forever.
Cheyenne sat at her desk staring at her screen. She lightly slapped the side of her head with her hoof. She needed to concentrate on the homework but it was too pretty a day for sitting at her terminal. She was only 7 years old but already knew what she wanted to do in her life. She wanted to fly into space. She had been born on the same day the first pony had gone into orbit. The time of her birth was the exact time of the launch. She always took that as a sign she was destined for it. But destiny was one thing, getting there took hard work. Since she started school two years ago the had gotten nothing but straight A's. But she hated having homework on pretty days like this. She decided to turn on some music on the radio and found a new pop song playing. Music helped her concentrate. After a few songs she was back on track with her homework. An hour went by without her noticing. Then the music faded out and was replaced with a strange noise. Then came the sounds of talking. Most made plenty of sense but there were words she had never heard. Impulse reactor, warp field coils, dilithium, she had no idea what any of that meant. After about 3 minutes the words faded out and the music returned. “I wonder what that was all about?” she said aloud, and then went back to studying.
At that same moment across the city from Cheyenne, ponys were going crazy. The government was demanding answers about the strange broadcast. As the ponys poured over the data it seemed to make less and less sense. Everything in the data said the signal came from off the planet. But there were no space capsules in orbit so there should have been nothing up there to send any signals. In an attempt to understand what was going on, one pony pulled out a telescope to scan the skys. At first he didn’t see anything out of order. Then after five minutes he saw something. A strange shape was floating in orbit!
On board the USS Challenger, Capt Dewayne Morgan was worried. His first command and less than a month into a simple survey mission his ship had been crippled by a stray ion storm. Warp was out, impulse was at half power, supply’s were low, and they were weeks from any ship that could help them. And now a planet in what was supposed to be an uninhabited part of space suddenly had life forms no one had recorded in the last trip thru it. As he shook his head he wondered if he would be able to stay above ensign when this was over. Starfleet had finally responded to his message about the ships condition but it would be three weeks before a tug could tow them to a starbase for repairs. But the food supply would last for only two. He headed for this planet to forage for extra food to hold them over only to find there was a civilization here. And by some of the data the sensors had picked up the natives had spotted them. Prime directive seems to be out the airlock, he thought. And no one on board had any experience with first contacts. Help from Starfleet was at best three days away by sub space. It was still ten minutes till the senior staff meeting but he got up to go to the meeting room. The Miranda class ship was small but he wandered the corridors for the whole ten minutes. As he arrived the other five officers looked at him. He was the captain, he was supposed to have the answers. But at the moment he was as lost as any of them as to what to do.
“Report” the captain said
The officers looked at each other, none wanting to go first.
The Vulcan science officer stood up, “Captain, as our initial scans showed, there is intelligent life on this planet, apparently of what appears to be equine decent. And it also appears they somehow picked up the message we sent to Starfleet when we entered the system. Since that time they have also gotten visual conformation of our presence. They have tried several methods of contacting us. So far we have remained silent and monitored their transmissions. The universal translator has had little trouble with their language. Their intelligence level seems to be on par with most spacefareing societys. Their technology is strange in what has and hasn't been developed. Their radio and aircraft seem to have been developed over centuries while basic rocketry seems to be a new development. They also appear to have gotten into space only over the last ten years. And they also seem to have some strange mental powers. Until we can have more open contact with them I can not tell you any more than this.” Tavik stated.
“Thank you Ms Tavik, and how about you Mr Durant?” the captain asked
“I just don’t get this place captain.”The tactical officer said, exasperated. “I can't find any signs of war or conflict. Without more information from the surface all I can say is the most dangerous weapons they have are pointed sticks.”
“What do you mean, they have technology without having weapons?” the captain asked
“Yes sir”
“How is that possible? Every other planet if heard of technology was advanced by conflict. With no conflict what drive do they have to improve?” the captain asked, confused
“It is most illogical.” Tavik stated
“Anything else?” the captain asked
“If we do go down there I want to have a look at some of their aircraft. Nothing looks like a fighter plane but they have the most interesting racing and aerobatic machines I've ever seen.” the chief engineer said
“But why do they have them? If their not building the planes as fighters then how have they gotten them so fast and maneuverable?” Durant asked
“Thats what we have to find out. This place seems so odd.” the captain mused
“Lets hope its odd in a good way.” Doctor Lindsey added
Star Dancer grabbed her helmet off the shelf. Everything was going way too fast. A normal launch took months to prepare. It had been just under three weeks. She was going up to try to contact the weird ship that was in orbit. Nothing the scientists had done from the ground seemed to work. So eldest Rock Hammer had decided to send a pony up to them to try. The capsule had been fitted with all kinds of radios and lights. She had orders to approach and try everything she could. And being the good flier she was she would do everything short of ramming into it to get their attention. As she finished putting on her space suit she called in for a radio check. “Radio check. How do you read?”
The pony on the other end responded “Loud and clear”
“Very good” she replied
“Are you ready to go to the pad?” the ground crew pony asked
“Affirmative”
She walked out to the van and rode out. She had done this several times before. But never for a mission as important as this. Visitors from space. No pony had even thought there was any other life out there. Then the strange message over the radio and the odd shape in the sky. In the weeks since every pony had had time to rethink the universe. Maybe even the myth of Equestria was true too. Who knows what was true any more.
As she arrived at the launch pad she looked in awe at her craft. She had flown before but never for so important a mission. She had been hoof picked for this mission because she had more hours in space than any other pony. It paid to be the best. And now hopefully she would be the first pony to talk to the new strangers
The ponys on the ground crew strapped her into the capsule. Once that was done they sealed the door and left the pad. The countdown commenced at one hour. As she sat there she tested her crafts systems. Everything checked out. The countdown hit ten seconds and everything started. When it hit zero the engines lit. The rocket leaped off the pad. She was on her way.
“Sir, there has been a launch from the surface!” the young ensign said
“Is it hostile?” the captain asked
“It appears to be a manned craft” the science officer stated
“Crap” the captain muttered
“Sir?” the Vulcan asked
“If they had waited 2 more days.....” the captain replied
“The tug would have gotten us away before they could send a flight up” the tactical officer finished
“Dammit” the captain said
“Sir, the craft is on a direct course to us” the ensign said
“What the hell are we gonna do?” the captain said
Star Dancer looked out the window on her capsule. She marveled at the size of the other ship. How could something so large fly, she wondered. She shook off her thoughts and got to work. First she tried recorded messages on the same frequency that they had picked up the first signals. No response. Then she ran the message up and down the dial. Nothing. She tried flashing her lights in standard code at the ship. Again nothing. For hours she tried everything she could. And for hours the ship stayed silent. Could there be no one alive on it? She shivered at the thought. It appeared to be designed to carry life, why else would it have windows? She maneuverd closer to the ship. She got close enough to get a glimpse in one of the windows. She thought she could see strange beings walking around inside on two legs. They seemed to be wearing some kind odd uniform. If they were alive in there then why didn’t they respond to her capsule? Then something in her capsule caught her eye. As she stared a cold chill went thru her heart. There was an oxygen leak. She cursed the rush that the ground crew put on this mission. Now she didn’t even have enough to breathe to attempt landing. In five minutes she would be out of air. She radioed the ground with her problem. Then she floated in her capsule and awaited death.
“Sir, the capsule is leaking oxygen!” the ensign at the conn yelled
“What?” the captain replied
“It appears that the capsule is leaking oxygen at an alarming rate. My estimate puts it out of breathable air in five minutes.” the science officer responded
“So your telling me the pilot of the craft is about to die?” the captain asked
“If we do not intervene then the pilot will be dead in five minutes, and my estimates of the time for the craft to land are twelve minutes.” the Vulcan told him
“Crap, so its let the pilot die or completely give up on any hope of leaving without completely exposing ourselves?” the captain asked
“Yes sir”
The captain thought for a second. Would he let the pilot die because of his mistake. Or would he save the pilot and destroy his career. It only took a moment to decide. He may be drummed out of Starfleet but he wouldn’t have the blood on his hands. “Transporter room, beam the pilot over quickly. Beam to the cargo bay and lock it. Ill work out what to do from there.”
“Locking on, energizing, got em” the transporter chief told the captain
“Now what do we do?” the captain asked no one in particular
As Star Dancer awaited death she felt very peaceful. She would die doing what she loved. She started flying acrobatic planes at a young age. She was the youngest pilot ever to win the Grand Derby, the premier acrobatic competition on the planet. She was chosen first for the space corps. She was still barely a mare yet had accomplished so much. And now she would be the first pony to die in space, a honor she could do without. But it was her fate, and she would meet it head on just as she met all challenges. Just then an odd feeling started in her belly, spreading thru her whole body. She looked at her reflection in the window and noticed she was shimmering. She felt funny and noticed her capsule was fading from around her. Then a new room faded in. It looked like some kind of storage room. She looked around and started to get scared. Was this death? An eternity in a storage room was definatly not what she was expecting. Then a voice called to her from nowhere.
“You are safe. We will be returning you to the surface soon. There is food in the yellow containers and water in the blue ones. Please remain calm.” a strangely calm female voice said
“Um, is this the ship in orbit of my planet?” Star Dancer asked. She got no response. She sat back and looked around. She saw the containers the voice told her about. She walked over to a blue one. It had a spout on it. She opened the spout and water came out. She drank some and laid down to ponder her situation.
“OK, the situation as it now stands is we have an alien life form in our cargo bay, a strange planet below us, no engines to leave, and so far no idea how to handle any of it” the captain asked his senior officers
“That is an accurate assessment captain” the Vulcan woman stated
“Anyone have any ideas?” the captain asked
He looked at the blank faces. Then a faint sign, all he ever got from the Vulcan, of an idea was on his science officers face.
“The best course of action I can see at this point is to talk to the being in the cargo bay and make contact. It will know how to contact the planets leaders and how to return the surface.”
“So we make first contact and hope for the best?”
“Yes sir”
The captain pondered this. It was the best idea he had available to him at this point. But how would he do it. He had no experience with first contacts. How he wished Kirk was here. He'd know just what to do.
“Anyone on board have any experience with first contact?” the captain asked
“I have.” the tactical officer said
Every eye was on him. No one ever knew him to be a diplomatic person.
“I worked security for the diplomatic corps when I first left the Academy”
“OK, Mr Durant, what should we do.”
“Well captain, I only worked security but I'd say we establish with them our peaceful intent, find out if they want to be peaceful, and arrange for a real diplomat to come out and finish the job.”
“Can we get a visual on the cargo bay?” the captain asked
“Sure thing captain.” the security officer replied, pulling up the requested feed
“There it is” the captain said
Sure enough, in the cargo bay laid a small dark blue coated, purple maned pony. It appeared to still have on part of its space suit. It was chewing on some of the dried rations in the cargo bay.
“Well, if we're gonna do this we had better do it” the captain said, “Security, you’ll come with me but I want you unarmed. Ill go in and speak with the alien. I want a transporter lock on me the whole time. If this goes south I want to be beamed our and straight to sick bay.”
“Your not going in there without me” the doctor said, “What if its hurt.”
The captain thought for a moment. Doctor Lindsey was a kind woman. She might be of some help talking to the alien as well. “I agree doctor, lets go”
As they walked to the cargo bay they discussed how to talk to the alien. Once they arrived security took up position at the door of the cargo bay. With a deep breath the captain said “Open it”
Star Dancer sat in the storage room and chewed on the alien food. It wasn’t bad but it wasn’t good. As she finished the laid down to await whatever the strange creatures had in store for her. She just wanted to go home. Then she heard the large door begin to open. She glanced around quickly for a place to hide. She saw a place and darted to it. Then she heard a male voice say “Um, hello. We mean you no harm we just would like to have a talk with you.” then a female voice said “Are you hurt. I am a doctor.
“Um, hello, my name is Star Dancer. Thank you for saving me. But I'd really like to go home now.”
“Hello, my name is Captain Dewayne Morgan. You are on the Federation starship Challenger. This is our medical officer Doctor Lisa Lindsey. We mean you no harm.”
“Are you hurt? We are sorry we beamed you off your ship like that but we saw they your air was running out and didn’t want any harm to come to you” the doctor added
“I think I’m ok. But may I ask you a question before we go on?” Star Dancer said
“I guess so” the captain replied
“Why didn’t you respond when we tried to contact you?” Star Dancer asked
“Well, that’s kinda complicated. We have a rule not to interfere with developing societys. But we had a minor accident aboard our ship and had to stop here. Then you picked up our signal to our people. Were still trying to figure out how you did that. But we didn’t want to interfere any more so we stayed quiet hoping we could be towed out of here before any more damage to your planet was done. Unfortunately they sent you up and you had your accident and we couldn’t just let you die. So now we have to reveal ourselves. Otherwise we would have left and your people would have been none the wiser” the captain explained
“So what are you going to do with me now?” Star Dancer asked
“Well, first we are going to make sure you are ok, then we will contact your government and arrange to return you to them. And since that means we will have revealed ourselves we will make arrangements for an expert in first contact with another civilization to come here.” the captain said
“So I am going home?” Star Dancer asked hopeful
“Well you cant stay here” the captain joked
All three laughed at the joke. Then the doctor said “I'd like to take you to sickbay to do a through scan to make sure your not hurt.”
“Ok, I guess.” Star Dancer replied
“Then ill need to find out how and who to contact to arrange your return. Do you think they will want your space craft back as well?” the captain asked
“I don’t guess so. We only use them once anyway. It should be ok in orbit.”
“Um, we actually have it in our shuttle bay.” the captain told her
“Oh, well you can just drop it back in orbit. I wouldn’t want you to waste space with it”
“It's no trouble to send it back with you. Its pretty small.”
“Well, I’m sure it would make a nice gift to a museum”
“Ok then, we'll see to it” the captain smiled. Maybe this wouldn’t end badly.
Once they finished talking the doctor led the pony to sickbay. The captain returned to the bridge. He had a long and detailed report to send to Starfleet.
As Star Dancer and Dr Lindsey entered sickbay the doctor looked around for a bio-bed to use for the alien. All of the beds were at the standard height for most species in the Federation. Star Dancer's head came barely up to her waist. The ship wasn't equipped to handle children so she didn’t have any low enough for the pony to get on. “Um, let me call engineering and get you a step ladder.” the doctor said.
“Ok, I don’t mind waiting.” the pony replied
The doctor called chief engineer Brant. He said he would gladly bring one up for her. She knew he would want a chance to talk to the pony about their aircraft. But she wanted to make sure the pony was in good health before he tried.
“Can you remove your space suit for me? It will help the scanners get a good reading on you.” The doctor said.
“No problem.” the pony replied and used her magic to start removing it.
“How are you doing that?” the doctor exclaimed
“Doing what?” the pony asked
“Making the suit come off without touching it.”
“All ponys can do this.”
“Is it some form of telekinesis?”
“No, its just magic”
The doctor looked confused. Star Dancer became worried again. Had she done something wrong? Magic was a part of day to day life for ponys. Did the strange aliens have no magic? Would they feel threatened by her for it? Would they become hostile with her over it?
“Well, that’s amazing. No human has anything near that. The Vulcans have some mental abilitys but I don’t think even they can do that.” the doctor replied
“Your not mad at me for it are you?” the pony asked
“Not at all. Its a part of what makes your species unique.” the doctor replied “I bet Tavik would be interested in talking to you about it. She is a Vulcan.”
Just then engineer Brant came into sickbay with a small step ladder. He placed it by one of the beds while the pony finished taking off her suit. The doctor looked at her strangely and asked “Whats that mark on your leg?”
“Its my cutie mark.”
“Whats a cutie mark?”
“Its a mark that appears on a ponys flank when she or he discovers their special talent.”
“Wow, your race is very interesting. Id love to learn more about your people.” the doctor said
“Your race seems interesting too. I hope our people can be friends.”
The doctor smiled. “As long as two peoples want to be friends then they will be.”
Star Dancer climbed the ladder and laid on the table. She asked “Will this hurt?”
“Not at all. Just lie still and it should be done in a few minutes.” the doctor said, setting the equipment on record and running as thorough a scan as the machine was capable of.
On the bridge, the captain stepped off the turbolift. All eyes were on him. Tavik spoke first. She and the captain had known each other for many years. Back in the academy they had many classes together. They studied together and had grown close as friends. She could tell there was relief in his eyes. “I take it the contact went well.”
“I know the saying is 'dodge a bullet' but in this case I think I dodged a supernova.”
“So the being is friendly?”
“Pony actually. And yes so far she seems much more afraid we weren’t going to be friendly.”
“Pony?”
“Yes, pony. It was a little strange to be having a conversation with something that so resembles an animal, but she is an intelligent being.” the captain said
Just then the comm sounded. “What now? Did the nacelles fall off?” the captain sighed
“No, they still appear to be attached.” the Vulcan said, a hint of a smile in her eyes
Rolling his eyes, he hit the receive button. “Captain here”
“Captain, can you and Ms Tavik come to sick bay?” the doctor asked
He looked at the science officer. She gave a slight nod. “On our way” he replied and both of them headed to the lift
Once the doors closed he looked at the Vulcan. “I wonder what's gone wrong now.”
“It is illogical to speculate at this point.”
The rest of the ride was silent. When the lift stopped they walked down the corridor to sick bay. The doctor met them at the door. “The readings on her physiology are astounding. And they have some strange mental ability’s. They just call it magic but id like to study it more deeply. So far I've seen her manipulate her suit and levitate objects but nothing as far as telepathy. Ms Tavik, would you like to go over the readings?”
“Yes please.” and followed the doctor to the console.
“What did you need me for?” the captain asked
“Well, I’m done with her here. You can take her to go contact her government.” the doctor replied
“Oh, thank you doctor.”
The captain walked over to the pony. It seemed so small and fragile. How could anything like her be hostile? Then he remembered the tribbles and shivered. “Miss Dancer, if you’d like to come with me we can go contact your government and make the necessary arrangements.”
“You can just call me Star. All my friends do.” Star replied
She seemed to be much more relaxed. Again hope entered his heart. Maybe when all this was over no one would end up on the chopping block. As Star followed him to the communications room he asked “Are you sure you don’t want to put your suit back on?”
“Do I need it? Its kinda uncomfortable and restricting.”
“Well, we really don’t have any other cloths for you to wear.”
“Thats ok, we don’t normally wear any.”
Wow, they just walk around naked? Chalk up another strange thing about these people. “I have no problem if you don’t.”
“Thank you.”
The two of them walked into the communications room. The officer on duty saluted the captain and then looked to the strange creature with him. He smiled at her. The captain groaned inwardly. The saying was all too true. The only thing that was faster than sub space was gossip. Did everyone on board already know about the pony? “Mr Chou will be able to contact your people. Could you tell him what frequency and where on the planet to contact?”
“Well, the frequency is 135.8 and you can send the message to the same place I launched from. Tell them to contact Rock Hammer. He is the current eldest. He can make any needed arrangements for you.”
“Mr Chou, did you get all that”
“Yes sir. Do you want to call now?”
“No time like the present.” the captain said
The officer punched in the info and handed the ear piece to the captain. “This is Captain Morgan of the Federation starship USS Challenger. We have your pilot here and have been told to ask for eldest Rock Hammer to arrange her return and the return of her ship. Please respond on this frequency.”
Rock Hammer was very uneasy. First the strange message then the strange ship in orbit. Then the total lack of response to their attempts to contact them. Then it had gotten worse. They sent up a capsule to try to contact them. But something had went wrong and the pilot ran out of air. And the latest news was than the capsule had been swallowed up by the strange ship. Had any eldest dealt with anything bigger since Clipper himself? He tried to concentrate on his paperwork but it was a lost cause. He had started out life in a mining family. When he was old enough he went to work there just like his father. He was just another pony beating away at the rocks for the materials needed to run their society. Then the accident happened. It was just another day in the mine. But then out of nowhere there was a cave in. It was one of the worst ever. Almost a mile of tunnel had fallen. Rock was trapped with 35 other ponys. They were all scared. But Rock stood up to the challenge. He led all 35 as they dug a new tunnel around the cave in and made it to safety. He must have had a talent for leadership, because without his knowledge the next election he was elected to the town council. He took the job and worked as hard there as he had in the mines. Before he knew it he was up for election to the position of elder. Then he was called on by the counsel of elders to take up the title of eldest. He never was driven to seek power but he would always do whatever job he was called on to do the best he could. But how best to do this? Did any pony know how to deal with aliens? He was willing to bet even the great and powerful Royal Sisters would be at a loss. He was jerked out of his musing by a pony crashing thru his door. “What are you doing?” he asked
“The ship is calling us!”
“What?”
“The ship in orbit is calling us!” the young pony repeated.
“What do they want? Did they save Star? Are they friendly?” Rock asked all at once.
“They have her and her ship. They want to return both. And they have asked to speak to you by name.” the messenger replied.
“Well what are we waiting for?”
“Come with me please eldest”
Rock followed. If they asked for him by name then they had to have Star. But what would they want to return her? Would they just send her back? He just didn’t know. But that she was alive told him that the aliens might be friendly. As he entered the radio room in the capitol building, he saw the face of the pony in charge of the space program on the screen.
“Whats going on?” Rock said
“The aliens want to send Star and her ship back. They also want to talk to you about arranging a peaceful treaty.” the other pony said.
“Put me on with them.”
“Yes eldest.”
The screen scrambled and cleared. There was a strange face in a strange room. Behind the strange creature he saw Star. She looked to be ok. “I am Rock Hammer, eldest of planet Pliohippus. I'm told you saved our pilot when her ship malfunctioned. I am grateful for it. I also am told you wish to establish friendly relations with us.”
“You have heard correctly. I am Captain Dewayne Morgan of the Federation starship USS Challenger. I'm sorry for not responding before. I can explain more about why if you'd like. Is there a good time and place we can have a face to face meeting? And we can return your pilot and craft at that time.”
“How long would it take you to prepare to land? And what requirements do you have for landing?”
“Our ship is not capable of landing. Instead we have smaller craft to travel to the surface of planets. It takes about 30 minutes to prepare one. That would be the best way to do it with the capsule. And all we need is a solid surface about 30 feet square to land and take off. I believe you have such a place at the facility you launched your pilot from. That would be perfect.”
“Then could we have this meeting tomorrow at 10 in the morning. We can signal you an hour before to let you know the local time. I would be glad to fly down there to meet with you and discuss the matters before our people's.”
“That would be very acceptable. We will prepare our shuttle to transport your capsule and your pilot and myself and a few of my crew. We look forward to seeing you then.”
“Very well, then until 10 I bid you good day.” Rock said. He would have to leave immediately to make all the arrangements. What would he need to prepare? He had no idea what passed for proper decorum with these strange beings. Would they want a quiet meeting or a lot of pomp and circumstance? “Is there someone on your ship my assistant can contact about any other questions about the preparations for our meeting?”
“I'll assign an officer to be at your disposal until your meeting. They will contact your assistant on this channel within the hour. Please feel free to ask anything you may need to know.” the captain replied
“Then till tomorrow,” Rock bowed to the screen as it went dark. He instructed his assistant to monitor the channel till the officer called back.
The captain sighed, that could have gone worse. Now all he had to do was not screw up tomorrow in front of the whole planet. He called an ensign to come to the communication room and deal with the preparations. Then he turned to Star. “Since the meeting isn’t till tomorrow, are there any special needs you would have as far as quarters for the night?”
“Um, if you could bring the step ladder the doctor used in sickbay, I believe any quarters you would use would be fine.” Star replied
“I'll have it done right away. And what kind of food do you require?”
“Some carrots and apples would be really nice.”
“I'll have some brought to your quarters.”
“Thank you. Your people seem really nice. I hope your federation and my planet can be good friends.”
“So do I”
Rock Hammer hated flying. He hated this flying office more. But it was part of the trappings of his office. And with the new developments with the aliens, humans they called themselves, among many other races, he couldn’t even relax. There was so much to do. He had just spoken to his assistant and found that they would rather keep the meeting quiet but would agree to whatever the ponys thought best for a meeting with two heads of state. Since their planet had been unified since the beginning, they had no customs for heads of state. At least food and beverages would be no problem, it seemed pony food and drink was not a problem. His assistant had suggested bringing in the Afterburners to preform an air show for the humans. He didn’t want them getting nervous about it but no pony could resist an airshow with the best fliers on the planet. Hopefully the humans would too. The space center was being dressed up for the humans landing as well. Only one media outlet was being allowed to witness the meeting, but only to record it for the history books. As he thought about the preparations the pilot came radio in his office “Sir, we will be landing at Space Central in just under 15 minutes.”
“Thank you Sunny Skies, I will prepare at once.” Rock replied. It had been a 6 hour flight. He could have taken a faster plane but with all that was going on he needed his flying office. He gathered his papers and stored them, then locked his chair in place. He buckled his seat belts and closed his eyes. Sunny was an incredible pilot. But they both knew things could go wrong. Rock didn’t want to think about that. He knew some ponys used to be able to fly with their own wings, but it had been over an eon since the last one did. The vast majority of ponys had no idea that it was true. Then his gut turned over, they were on final approach. Then with the lightest of jolts they had touched down. The sun was just leaving the horizon as they opened the door to allow him to leave the plane. Even in the twilight he could see the frenzy of work going on. Some ponys were building a frame for the capsule to go on when they brought it down. Others were erecting a stage. Just then a screaming sound came from the sky. It sounded like it was headed straight for him. He looked up and saw six very sleek very black and yellow racing planes. They kept diving till it looked impossible for them to pull out of it in time. Then in what seemed impossible at their speed they pulled out of their dives and flew along the landing strip so low he thought if a pony walked in front of then the pony would lose his head. Then just as fast all six planes pulled up, twirling around each other before, in a huge puff of smoke, the six planes flew away from each other. Something about those fly ponys, they always had to show off. For another half hour the Afterburners practiced their moves, then landing almost totally vertically. Rock and Sunny watched the whole time. The planes rolled to a stop near the eldest's plane, and walked over to greet them. “Mighty nice flying there ponys.”
“Thank you very much, honored eldest. Am I to understand there will be people from that weird thing in orbit here tomorrow for our show?” Sky Streak, captain of the Afterburners, and one of the best fliers alive, asked.
“There certainly will. Your show will be part of their welcome to our planet.”
“Chalk up another record for us, first to fly with beings from another world.” Sky boasted.
Leave it to a pony that lives with his head in the clouds to be completely at ease with the events, Rock thought. The only time the pony seemed to be serious was when he was flying. “Yes, it will be a first for all of us.”
“And I've been told their landing craft actually flies in to land.”
“So they have told me.”
“Maybe they will be up for a little race before they go.” Sky said, excited by the thought of a new challenge.
“It is true what ponys say about you.” Rock said jokingly.
“Whats that?”
“All you ever think about is flying.”
Sky thought for a moment. “Yep, its true. I even fly in my sleep.”
Rock chuckled. The Afterburners were the best for a reason. But he knew Sky was meticulous on the ground as well. In the 8 years he had led them, there had not been one serious accident. He had a mare and four foals at home. And all the other members had familys as well. And Sky made sure that they came home after every show. Not a bolt out of place on their aircraft, not a move out of place in the sky was his motto. He had fired 3 pilots over the years because of poor performance, and many ground crew.
“If you'll excuse is honored eldest, we must do our post flight checks prepare our planes for the night.” Sky said.
“And I must make my preparations as well.” Rock replied
“And if I may be so bold, I wouldn’t take your job tomorrow for all the flying time in the world. If I mess up six ponys may die, but if you do all pony kind could.”
Great, way to cheer me up. He already knew what was on the line but to hear it spoken aloud brought back the nervous feeling.
“Sir, message from the surface.”
Captain Morgan had been awake for hours pouring over his notes. He looked at the ensign. “On screen”
Just then a pony appeared. He looked rough, like he hadn’t slept at all. He spoke quickly. “Captain, it is nine am local time. Please inform us when your on the way, we have an escort for you on your trip to help you find your way here.”
“Thank you. We will be leaving shortly. We will call you once reentry is finished.”
As the captain closed the comm line, the security officer glowered. “An escort?”
The captain shrugged, he didn’t think it was a big deal. The shuttle they were using was fully armed but he didn’t think they meant to harm them. He called the officers he had chosen to the shuttle bay. Then he and Mr Durant left the bridge.
In the shuttle bay, Mr Brandt and Ms Tavik boarded the shuttle. The capsule was secured to the top of the shuttle. The engineer did his pre flight checks as the science officer checked the sensor arrays. While they worked Star entered the bay. She marveled at the shuttles in there. All were bigger than her craft. Some, she was told, could travel between star systems on their own. Then she saw the one with her spacecraft on its top. Her capsule was so small compared to it. She saw the door on the rear open and walked in. She saw the Vulcan and the engineer working at the control panels. She said hello and they replied in kind. Then she heard the large doors to the hanger open and the captain and another crewman she had yet to meet enter. She waved her hoof to them and they walked over. The new crewman seemed to be watching everything around him. He made her nervous. Then the captain spoke to her.
“Good morning Star. I've been told you’ve met Ms Tavik and Mr Bryant. Let me introduce Mr Durant, our security chief. He will be coming along since he's the only one with any experience with first contacts. We should be leaving soon so lets get you strapped in so we will be ready.” the captain said
Star was even more nervous of the new comer, but if the captain trusted him then she would too. “Sure thing captain.”
As they all strapped in the engineer announced they were lifting off. Then with no sensation at all the craft lifted into the air and floated forward. She was amazed. She was used to the violent motions her peoples crafts. This was like nothing at all. Then the air in front of them shimmered and she let out a small yelp. The captain turned to her worried. “What was that?” she asked
“Just the forcefeild we use to keep air in the bay while the doors are open.” the captain explained
She had totally missed that the doors were open when she walked in. But now she stretched her neck to see nothing but open space outside. Then she saw a glow around the windows. They must be entering the atmosphere. But how could they do it so smoothly. Yet as all this was going on the others seemed to be treating it like a bus ride to work. She vowed to learn how they did all this. As they descended the pilot got a worried look.
“Sir, there are six aircraft headed for us. Unknown intentions, would you like them on screen?”
“Yes.” The aircraft came up on screen. They were very distinctive, painted black with yellow trim. “Do you recognize them Star?”
She almost squealed with glee. The Afterburners were here! She had met Sky Streak a few years ago at an air show. It was funny how they both wanted each others autograph. She might have been the first pony in space, but he was the best flier on the planet. She told the captain “Those are the Afterburners, the greatest flying team on the planet. Its a huge honor to have them fly with us. Everywhere they hold an air show it sells out.”
“Well then, Mr Bryant, lets give them a proper hello.”
She wondered what he meant when the shuttle craft seemed to roll side to side slightly. They might not have had wings but the gesture was the same. She hoped Sky didn’t get a big head from an honorific from the strange craft. Then the pilot said “Wow, those are impressive. I'd like to see how they would match up to this baby. In space these things do a good bit of light speed but in the atmosphere they are limited. But id love to see what those planes can do.”
“Mr Bryant, we haven’t fully made first contact with these people and you already want to get into an air race?” the captain said
As Mr Bryant seemed to sulk over what the captain said, Star spoke up. “Captain, I know the leader of the Afterburners, and I can tell you if he had half a chance he'd take up the offer.”
Mr Bryant perked up. “Really?”
The captain sighed. He knew what was coming next. He held up his hand. “I'll mention it while were there and if their eldest agrees then I’ll ok it.”
“Thank you sir!”
“Now if you'd be so kind as to fly the shuttle we'd all feel better.”
“Yes sir.”
The rest of the flight went without incident. The planes broke off just as the shuttle flared for final landing. Then the captain sighed. He was so nervous that the butterflys in his stomach could have carried the shuttle. Then came more news.
“Sir, a group of ponys are approaching the shuttle.” the security officer told him. The captain insisted he come unarmed, so he had no phazer. But he did have his stunners hidden in his pockets. They were small fist weapons shaped much like brass knuckles but delivered a stunning electrical charge when used. He never left home without them.
The captain looked out the front windows. Sure enough five ponys walked out to the shuttle. The lead pony was a tan colored pony with a dark brown mane. His muzzle was graying so he appeared to be older than the rest. “Is that Rock Hammer?” the captain asked Star.
“Yes, how could you tell?”
“He appears older than the rest with the gray around his nose.”
The group in the shuttle gathered around the door. The captain hesitated for a second but then tapped the open button. “Here we go.” he said nervously
Rock watched the strange ship land. He had never seen anything like it before. It didn’t look like it had any right to fly, but it did very gracefully. As it touched down he called to the assembled group. “Lets meet them.”
As they walked to the vessel, one of his advisers gasped. When Rock looked for what made the pony gasp he did too. Thru the large windows on the front he could see the beings. They looked so strange. He had seen the captain on the screen when he arranged this meeting but seeing them in person still caught him off guard. Then he was the captain and Star talking and pointing to him. This confused him, but then they all walked to the back of the craft. The captain touched a spot back there and the large door on the back opened.
As the strange light entered the cabin the captain shielded his eyes. The sun was bright on this planet. But it seemed pretty mild compared to earth. He stepped out of the shuttle first followed by Star and the other officers. He heard a tricorder and turned for a second to see Tavik working away at it. He walked around the side of the shuttle and up the side. Then he was face to face with the ponys. Without thinking he held out a hand and introduced himself. Then he realized his mistake but before he could retract his hand, Rock held out his hoof. They shook and Rock introduced his advisers. Then the captain introduced his officers.
“Would you care to come inside? We have had the briefing room modified and chairs made to fit you, and food and drink as well.” Rock told the captain
“We would be glad to. I believe we have much to discuss.” the captain replied.
With that the group walked inside and got to work.
As Captain Morgan walked into the meeting room, the first thing he noticed was the two tiered table. The second was the hastily made chairs larger than the older ones in the room. Each step he took made him more nervous. The last thing he wanted was to screw this up. But lately his luck wasn’t what anyone would call good. First the minor scrape in space dock, then the problem with the engines, then the fact that there was life where no one ever recorded it. He now had a whole planet's opinion of the federation riding on his performance here today. If he screwed, his career would be far past over. All he ever wanted to do in life was be a part of Starfleet. Due to several bad decisions and bouts of bad luck he took much longer than most to reach command. So he had to do this right.
“Please have a seat captain.” Rock told him
“Thank you eldest.” the captain replied.
“You may call me Rock, no need for such formality.”
The whole group sat, the Starfleet personnel at the taller section of the table, the ponys at the lower. What followed was several moments of nervous silence.
“I'd like to personally thank you for saving our pilot.” Rock started
“It was no problem. We couldn’t just let her die. It broke one of our biggest rules to do it though. And now we have to deal with the consequences of that. Normally we don’t have contact with races that haven’t reached a certain level of technology so as not to pollute them. But due to the circumstances involved I have had to break that rule. Now what I’m hoping to do is limit the damage we have done. Your people seem so peaceful, and the last thing I want to do is change that. But I must admit that first contact with a new race is very far outside of my experience.” the captain explained.
After a thoughtful silence Rock spoke. “I understand where a society with advanced technology can cause harm to us. And I also see that you and your people are trying to do as little damage as possible. I thank you for your effort in doing something that is so foreign to you. I spent most of my life working in the mines, yet I have had to learn politics. I can appreciate the difficulty your facing. So rest assured that any mistakes you may make will not reflect poorly on you or your people.”
The captain let out a sigh, feeling one of the two large weights on this shoulders lift. Looking into Rocks eyes he could see that he was telling the truth. With that lifted he also felt the second weight lighten. As the discussion continued he became more confidant with each word. After an hour he suggested they retire for a bit to stretch and walk around. Rock agreed and they took a 15 minute recess. As the group walked outside Rock approached him.
“Just to tell you captain, your doing an excellent job, better than I would have in your position.”
“Thank you. Your doing great as well, but that’s to be expected for a person, I mean pony, with your experience.”
“Thank you. Since were talking totally off the record here, may I ask a question?” Rock said.
“Sure, as long as its not about technology.” the captain replied.
“Its not. I don’t suppose your federation as come across another planet with life similar to us?”
“Not that I've ever heard of.”
“Thank you.”
“May I ask you something Rock?”
“Yes you may.”
“My engineer piloted us down here. He's very interested in your aircraft. And he'd like a chance compete with your pilot that escorted us down.”
“What would he fly?”
“The ship we flew down in. in space its much faster than an airplane, but in the atmosphere its limited due to aerodynamic stresses. I figure they would be matched pretty close.”
“I have no problem with it if you don’t.”
“How about when we leave to go back to our ship.”
“I'll send word to Sky Streak to prepare. But wont it be dangerous to do it with passengers?”
“We have other ways to travel than in the craft. We used it mainly to carry the capsule down”
“So it will be your pilot against ours?”
“Yes”
They agreed to the race. And sent word to the pilots so they could prepare. Thew meeting went on for another hour, and both sides agreed to adjourn till the diplomatic ship came to handle the details. As the Starfleet crew walked out to the shuttle, the captain and Rock shook again. Then they walked into the shuttle. The captain called the ship and had everyone but the engineer beamed up. The captain rushed to the bridge and had the viewscreen tuned to the cameras on the shuttle. He wanted to see the race. One of the bridge crew told him they had a feed from the planet of coverage of the race as well. He called for them to be put up split screen.
Maps had been passed out to both pilots. They both confirmed they understood the route and the rules. There were 18 checkpoints marked by a floating beacon. To clear the checkpoints, the pilots had to pass within 100 feet of the beacon. It was a tough course. Both pilots tuned to the race frequency and indicated ready. The countdown commenced. Both pilots started their engines. As the count continued they were sweating slightly. The shuttle had the power advantage but the plane had the aerodynamic advantage. They were balanced. The radio operator finished the countdown. 3, 2, 1. Both craft lurched into motion. Where the shuttle could lift straight up it was slower to accelerate. The plane shot down the runway, leaping into the air. Both built up speed, but the plane took the early lead. At the first checkpoint the plane was almost two minutes ahead. The shuttle pilot pushed his craft till it was groaning from the stresses. The plane slowly lost ground, at the half way point, the shuttle was gaining rapidly. But then the acrobatic portion came up and the shuttle was flirting with its breaking point. But the pilot held back enough to keep from breaking the craft up. The plane gained ground back, and approached the final straight away. A minute and a half later so did the shuttle. The shuttle pilot pushed it to the limit. As he heard groaning and creaking from the structure he saw the plane getting closer and closer. If he held it at this speed he would win. But as his screens told him if he held it too much longer he would break up. He did the math in his head and it would be close. As the miles ticked away he gained on the plane. But a mere quarter mile from the finish line he saw the warnings. He was almost neck in neck with the plane but if he didn’t back off he would break up. With great reluctance he reduced power. The plane took the lead again and passed the last checkpoint. Half a second later so did the shuttle. The engineer was disappointed but he gave it all he had. As he returned to the landing field he landed near the plane he had just been racing. The pony piloting it had just stepped out and was walking toward the shuttle. He was sky blue with a white and red striped mane.
“Woowe, I thought I was toast there.” Sky said
“It was too much for the structure or I'd have kept the speed on.” Brandt replied
“I was pushing all the power I had. I almost burned out my engines.”
“I guess we will have to have a rematch someday. Maybe I can get two shuttles and we can do the next one in space.”
“You're on.”
“You bet”
With that Brandt returned to the shuttle. He knew the captain wanted him back as soon as possible after the race. The tug was just outside of the system waiting for them to tow them to a starbase for repairs. He punched in the takeoff and checked the damage screen. He gasped. Three beams held each nacelle on. The left had half a beam holding it. The right had one whole. He had come so close to losing one that he was amazed. He decided to baby his shuttle back to the ship.
On the ship, everyone on the bridge was glued to the screen. The commentary was almost an after thought. The last bit of the race was shocking. From outside the shuttle they could see the flexing of the nacelles. The captain was sure they were going to come off any second. Just then the shuttle slowed and let the plane have the win. He exhaled for the first time in what felt like years. He would have to talk to Mr Brandt when he got back. Then he saw the meeting between the pilots and saw how sporting they both were. Maybe a light talk with him, the captain thought.
Once the shuttle was secured in the bay. The captain ordered quarter impulse out of orbit. As the course was laid in for the tug, he wrote more in his report on the planet. It took over 3 hours to reach the tug. Once they did the tug captain radioed then to prepare for docking. There was a bump and they were docked. The tug powered its engines and lept into warp. The captain sighed, in 2 weeks he'd see if what he did would pass the scrutiny of his superiors.
As Captain Morgan sat in the court room he pondered the events of the last week. The arrival of his hip at the starbase, the calling of the tribunal, the testimony, and ten minutes ago the recess to determine the final verdict. So far the testimony had been all in his favor but two things bothered him. First was the presence of Admiral Sampson, a three striper who was well on the way to be the next head of Starfleet, and the presence of his father, Admiral Michael Morgan. The third admiral was unknown to him but for three admirals to oversee his tribunal gave him a lot to be concerned about. As he waited he thought about the trial. All the logs and experts said he was right in what he did. But that had little bearing on the outcome. It was another fifteen minutes till they reentered. The whistle sounded and he rose along with the rest of the room. The admirals entered and sat. They called for him to stand to hear the verdict.
“It is the finding of this court that, number one, there was no way for the accused to foresee the storm that disabled his ship. Number two, there was no way for the accused to foresee life on the planet he approached. Number three, there was no way to foresee the inhabitants could hear and interpret his communications, Number four, his actions in saving the pilot from said planet were in keeping with the highest traditions of the Federation. And number five, his actions upon that decision were made with the best of intentions and were made professionally and competently.” Admiral Sampson declared.
What? They said he did the right things? And they weren’t going to kick him out? He was confused.
“If you agree with the findings of this tribunal captain, please indicate so.”
“I do sir”
“Then we shall adjourn.”
The captains head was swimming. He was acquitted of any wrong doing. He was sure they would find he did something wrong and bust him down a rank or two. His luck had turned for the better. A part of him wondered how much of it he could attribute to the ponys. He would have to thank Rock Hammer the next time he went that way.
As he left the courtroom he was summoned by Admiral Morgan. He hadn’t seen his father in almost a year. He and his father were close when he was a child but they had grown distant once he joined Starfleet. His father smiled at him.
“I'm proud of you son. Not many people break the prime directive and have their careers survive. And good job on your first first contact. As far as I can see it went well.”
“Thanks dad, but the real credit goes to the ponys. A truly peaceful people. What more could I ask for”
“Agreed, and so I must ask you to preform one more duty. The diplomatic corps representative on the station has asked to interview you before he leaves for the planet. He wants all the information he can get on them before he goes to the planet.”
“Sure dad, I'd be glad to. The ponys are such a peaceful people but I cant help but think there’s something they are hiding.”
“How so?”
“They don’t like to talk about their past. I talked to the one that we brought aboard and she thought ponys had been there all along, but they don’t seem to be evolved from anything else that’s on the planet. And their leader asked if we had ever found a planet with life like them. A real diplomat might find out more but I didn’t want to push my luck.”
“Good choice. But I agree that somethings off there. Go meet with ambassador Smith. Tell him that and anything else he might need to know.”
As Morgan left he wondered how to celebrate his acquittal. Maybe Tavik would be up for a drink or two. She rarely drank but this was big for him. But first he had to report to Ambassador Smith. He headed to the diplomatic corps office. Once he arrived he identified himself and found he was expected. The secretary asked him to have a seat. A few minutes later she called for him to go into the office. When he entered he saw a very posh office. The ambassador was well known for helping several races avoid all out war. He was glad such an experienced person was being sent. As he entered the ambassador motioned for him to have a seat in the comfortable chair across the desk from him. As he sat Smith finished the notes he was going over.
“Do you mind if I record our conversations?” Smith asked
“Not at all” Morgan replied
“Good. I want to have notes to go over later.”
“I'll help however I can. I want our relations with the ponys to have the best chance.”
“What do you think of these ponys?”
“Theres something off about them but they are peaceful and friendly.”
“What do you feel that’s off?”
“Their past. They most likely didn’t evolve there but no one talks about it. The leaders know about it but the average pony has no idea.”
“And what do you base this on?”
“The information the sensors gave us show no base for their development. And the pilot we had aboard said they had always been there. Then their leader asked if we had ever seen any life forms like them. It didn’t add up but I didn’t want to push my luck at the time.”
“Other than that, do they seem to be hiding anything?”
“No. Other than that they are open and honest as far as I saw.”
“Good. May I call you back for more interviews till I leave in a week?”
“Yes ambassador.”
“Thank you captain. And I must say I was called in to advise on your court martial. And I advised them you did very well. There are not many captains that could have pulled off what you did. A first contact with positive results and no prior experience. I have to ask if you would like a place in the diplomatic corps.”
“I respectfully decline sir, once was hard enough.”
“Very well, if you remember anything important come see me, or if I have any questions I’ll call for you.”
“Yes sir”
As the captain left, he felt another relief. An ambassador told him he did well. Maybe he wasn’t the screw up he thought he was. Tavik had told him many times his self doubt was illogical. No matter how many times he was told he still felt it. But he felt a crack in it now. Maybe he wasn’t as inept as he thought he was.
Admiral Sampson was going over the crew for the first diplomatic mission to Pliohippus. He was sending the Oberth class USS Seeker. The crew were veterans of many first contacts. With Ambassador Smith, they would be more than ready for this. He reread the reports from Challenger. They hadn’t done anything too wrong in their contact. So all should go well. He sent our the orders. It would be about two weeks till they arrived. The ambassador should be ready by then. With Captain Morgan being at Smith's disposal for the next week and a half all information should be available to him. He didn’t know how well this would go but it had the best chance.
Captain Pete Daniels looked at his new orders. Then he smiled. A new race, and his ship was chosen to go there. The Seeker had been on a mapping mission for the last six weeks and this would be a nice change of pace. He told his helmsman to lay in a course for the starbase where they would pick up the diplomat for this mission. Once they were underway he pulled up the information on the planet. “Ponies?”
“Sir?” the helmsman asked.
“Nothing, just something odd in our new orders.”
“Yes sir”
This was going to be interesting. It would be his ships fifth first contact mission. But ponies? As in miniature horses? That was a new one for him. He continued reading.
Ambassador Smith went over his notes. Everything seemed to be in order. This was possibly going to be the easiest job he had ever done. The ponys were already peaceful and willing to accept them. But the problem of their past still nibbled at the back of his mind. What were the leaders hiding? And how best to approach it? For the time being he would put that on the back burner. He was excited to actually get to meet the ponys. The reports from Captain Morgan made it look like they would be easy to talk to. It was still a day till the Seeker arrived but he had nothing left to do. He called up the recording of the race with the ponys. On almost any other planet that would have been nearly disastrous. But here it seemed to make relations better. He decided to call it a day and leave early. He had to be up early to meet the Seeker. He had an early dinner and retired to his quarters.
Rock Hammer had a big decision to make. He had to pick somepony to deal with the people from the federation. Yet he had no idea who. He rubbed his temples with his hooves. Then like a bolt of lightning it hit him. Who had more time than anypony dealing with the aliens? It was so simple. He called his secretary into his office.
“Please have Star Dancer meet with me tomorrow.” Rock said
“Yes sir”
She probably wouldn’t like the idea but she was the best he could think of. She had been aboard their ship for almost a day. She was the only pony that had. She would know things about them nopony would.
The next day Star entered his office. She seemed nervous. But that was to be expected. He invited her to have a seat. “Star, I have thought long and hard about who should represent us to the people from the federation. And after much deliberation I have chosen you.”
“But eldest, I have no experience with relations with other races.”
“But, you do have more experience with the people from the federation.”
“That is true, but do you think I’m the best choice? There must be other ponys with experience dealing with other races.”
“In our entire history we have never met another intelligent race. Nopony has ever had to learn how to deal with it. But now we have to improvise. I know from your background you know how to improvise well.”
“Very well eldest. I shall do the best I can. And thank you for your confidence.”
“It is well placed. You were the first pony in space, and the first pony to contact the newcomers. And now you will be the first ambassador to another intelligent race. I want you to meet with Dusty Scroll and ask him for any material that may help you. His archive has the oldest texts on our world. There may be something there that can help you.”
With that Star left his office. It would be difficult for her but when the eldest called upon you for a task you did the best you could. Plus she might even get to travel with the federation people in space. To see a new world, that would be something. No pony had made it as far as their nearest moon. Yet now she had the chance to learn about the universe.
Cheyenne almost freaked when the aliens came to her planet. She watched the videos of them over and over. They looked strange but they could travel from planet to planet. And they had people from many races that traveled with them. Maybe one day she could fly from planet to planet too. Then she heard her hero Star Dancer was to be her peoples ambassador to the federation. Could life get more exciting?
The Seeker flew into orbit of Pliohippus. Captain Daniels sent a radio message to the surface to announce their arrival. The response was that they had established an embassy and had appointed an Ambassador for them. These ponys were efficient, Daniels thought. The captain called ambassador Smith to the bridge to inform him. He was pleased. It would make things easier for him to have these preparations already taken care of.
“Seems the ponys are well organized.” Smith said
“Yes, more so than most races. This might just be even easier than we thought.” Daniels agreed
“Still, I am confused to their background. The sensors confirm what captain Morgan said.”
“So what do we do?”
“I'll approach that later. For the time being I think peaceful relations are the first priority. The rest will work it self out.”
“We have arraigned to beam down to the embassy in an hour.”
“Very good. I’ll get my paperwork ready and meet you in the transporter room then.”
“Yes Ambassador.”
An hour later the away team met in the transporter room. An office was cleared so they could transport in. It would be used for the duration of their mission. Once they beamed in the opened the door. Several ponys were waiting for them. A blue coated purple maned pony stepped forward.
“I am ambassador Star Dancer. I welcome you to our world. Please follow me and I'll show you to your quarters.”
Ambassador Smith replied “I am ambassador Smith from the federation. I am pleased to meet you. I believe we have much to discuss.”
“As do I. I will be happy to meet with you at your earliest convenience.”
Cheyenne got off the bus at a stop a few blocks from the embassy. She had heard that the federation ambassador had arrived a little while ago. Maybe she would even get to meet an alien. As she approached the building, she saw the guards that had been posted. She didn’t want to get into any trouble but she really wanted to see the aliens. She snuck around the back of the building and saw an open door. It was a maintenance door. She looked around for any guards but saw none. She went through the door and looked around. There were hallways leading off from the room. She chose one as the most likely and trotted down it. Then she heard voices and hid.
“Did you close the door outside?” one pony asked.
“I thought you did.” the second replied
“Oh crud. I hope no one snuck in”
“I doubt it.”
“Still, better safe than sorry.”
As Cheyenne tried to hide herself better she bumped against a pile of pipes left by the plumbers. As they crashed to the floor she cringed.
“What was that?”
“We better check it out.”
Cheyenne knew she was going to be caught. Then she saw a door close to her. She darted through it.
“I know I heard something. It sounded like a door opening and closing.”
“Call security, we have an intruder.”
“On it.”
As Cheyenne darted down the hallway she looked for a place to hide. Then she saw an office door. It seemed quiet inside so she ran inside the office. She hoped not to be caught. If they caught her it would ruin all her hard work to make herself qualified for the space program. Then all her dreams would be over.
As Star and Smith sat in her office there was silence. Neither could figure out where to start. Just then the door opened and shut quickly. A teal filly with a blond mane say there staring at the door. The filly hadn’t noticed them. Star looked at her and wondered what she was doing there. Seeing that the filly had no ides they were there she cleared her throat.
Cheyenne heard a noise behind her. She slowly turned around and saw one of the aliens and her hero Star. Oh no, she was beyond busted, she was busted by the one pony she had idolized. In an instant she saw all her dreams collapse before her. “Um, I can explain.” she said, hoping to save herself from the trouble she was in
“I'd hope so.” Star said
“I'm Cheyenne and I just wanted to see the aliens. I’m your biggest fan. Please don’t be mad at me.” she rushed out.
“I know that name. You’ve sent me letters for years. But what are you doing here?” Star said
“I just wanted to see the aliens. They are so interesting. I want to fly to distant stars like they do.”
“Young filly, you have snuck into a foreign embassy, and possibly damaged relations with the aliens you came to see. You are in serious trouble.”
Smith spoke up, “Young lady, I have to respect your tenacity.” He turned to Star. “I don’t think a bit of curiosity is a bad thing, its the basis of exploration. And I don’t think our relations will be affected by the curiosity of a child.”
“Are you sure ambassador? I hope this doesn’t reflect badly on our security.” Star replied
“Not at all. Our people know as well as any about the lengths a child will go to to satisfy their curiosity.” Then Smith turned to Cheyenne. “What do you want to know?”
“Um, well sir, firstly, is there a chance I could join your Starfleet and fly to the stars?”
“Well, first your planet would have to be accepted into the federation. As of now I don’t see any problem there, but it may take a few years. Then you would need a recommendation from an official from your planet. And one from a ranking officer in Starfleet. And then you would have to complete the academy. But after all that you would be a Starfleet officer.”
“Then I could travel on a star ship?”
“Yes. In fact you have moved me to make you an offer. If Star agrees I'll write your recommendation. I’ll even help you by sending you some basic study material for your academy entrance exam.”
Cheyenne looked at Star. She now had the power to make or break her dreams.
Star thought for a moment. She remembered the letters she had received from the filly. And she remembered the hardships she had overcome in her youth. She replied the best she could think of. “I'll agree to this under a few conditions. First, your schoolwork comes first. If your grades drop, your out. Second, I don’t want you to spend all your time studying. You must bring three friends to vouch for your social skills. And I don’t want you getting in any more trouble. Any hint of it and your out.”
“Yes ma'am. I’ll do my best to make you proud.” Cheyenne said
“Now wait one moment.” Smith said. “Its not going to be easy for you. Being the first from a race to join Starfleet is really hard. You’ll get taunted and picked on. You’ll have to deal with a system that’s not set up to deal with you. You have to be strong enough to set the path for others who follow you. But if your up to the challenge then it will be the most rewarding experience of your life. And being from a non humanoid race wont help. It will be the most challenging experience of your life.”
“I'm up to the challenge sir. My dream before your people came here was to go into space. Now my goal is to go into space with you. I will meet any challenge to do so.”
“How old are you?” smith asked
“I'm seven now.”
“And what is the age of consent on your world ambassador?”
“Fourteen.”
“So you have seven years to prepare. It takes around five to arrange membership for a planet. But I will remember my promise. In seven years I expect to hear from Star about a promising young filly entering Starfleet.”
“You will. You have my work.” Cheyenne said
Just then the guards entered the room. They told the two ambassadors about the intruder. “We found the intruder. Shes not a threat. In fact we were going to call you to escort her out.” Star said.
The guards led her out to the street. After she left the ambassadors discussed the future of the federation, Pliohippus, and a certain teal filly.
Celestia sat in the throne room bored. Things seemed to be going smoothly and there were no crises going on. She looked over at Luna and smiled. Her sister seemed to be as bored as she was. Might as well look in on the ponys that had been sent away. She did so every few years. Even though they shunned her and her sister she still was concerned about them. Even if something was wrong though she could do nothing about it. But it helped heal her heart to know they were ok. As she looked in on them with her magic she saw something strange. She could feel the presence of foreign life. Focusing in she saw the craft in orbit. “oh no” she whispered
“Whats wrong sister” Luna asked
“Oh nothing.” Celestia replied
“Your hiding something”
“No I’m not”
“Sister, I know you too well to believe that.”
She sighed. She couldn’t tell Luna she was checking in on the ponys they had cast out. Her sister still held so much hate for them. A thousand years on the moon and six hundred years not still had not softened her feelings on the matter. “Nothing to concern your self over”
“If your concerning yourself over it then I should as well” Luna replied
“Its a personal matter. Don’t concern yourself over it.”
“Your checking in on the outcasts arn't you.”
“You knew?”
“I have known for centurys”
“I know it still hurts you over what they did, it hurts me too, but it helps to know they are still ok.” Celestia said
“What they did is unforgivable, no matter how much time has passed. Or have you forgotten the month after they left when all you could do was sob in your room?”
“I have not forgotten.”
“Yet you still feel that you need to watch over them?”
“Yes, even if I see something bad happening I can do nothing to help.”
“So why check on them?”
“They are still ponys.”
“Ponys who rejected us”
“Just like you rejected me when you became Nightmare Moon?”
Luna shot her sister a dirty look. That was a low blow and they both knew it. “I never rejected you, I was simply jealous.”
“With all that aside, it seems they may be in trouble. They are being visited by foreign creatures. I have seen life like this. For their sake I hope their not hostile.”
“Foreign life? Are they hostile? Could they come here?” Luna gasped
“They do not seem to be hostile yet. And I’m not sure yet if they could reach us here. Up until recently I had blanketed both planets with dampening magic to keep us from being found by anything out there. I found some other life forms with the ability to travel in space while you were exiled. I tried to make our area of the galaxy seem uninteresting to keep them away. But it looks like one of their ships was damaged by contact with the magic and I didn’t feel it. Now that the other planet has been found I’m not sure if they will try to come here.”
“What shall we do if they come here?” Luna asked
“I'm going to concentrate the field around us here and hope it will protect us. The ponys there consider Equestria a myth now. But if they do come here I have no idea what to do. I will monitor whats going on and do what I feel I must to protect us.”
im sorry but i dont think i will be continuing this story. i will however be trying to do some other project ideas so don't ditch me just yet. there was a planned ending for this and my writing skills and attention span just aren't up to the task. if you'd be interested in colabing to finish writing it or just want to know what would have happened im on skype at angryrat69. keep watching though, i will be doing single chapter story's from time to time. i have 2 in the works now and may do the first one in the comming weeks.