War for Ponytron

Chapter Five: Per Aspera Ad Astra

Database entry 08 from the log of Starscream:

Trypticon Station is my domain. The dark energon stored within sends chills to the sparks of those who contain it, as well as those who wish to possess it. All except for Megatron. He believes that dark energon is his to control, and demands that I relinquish it to him. Well, I say he can rust!

What kind of fool does Megatron take me for? If I fear dark energon enough to keep distant from it, what could possibly persuade me to release it into the hands of a madman? For what it’s worth, I must say that I do admire his drive. His determination. Most of all, his power. While I sit in control of a fraction of Autobots, he stands with an entire army of Decepticons at his disposal. That sort of power could be...most favorable.

End of log.

        “I must say, your work is a spectacle to behold, Bon Bon.”

        “Thank you, my Lord. To be honest, I’m amazed that I was able to salvage enough parts from the wreckage of the Nemesis. If only the station hadn’t been completely decimated, I could’ve made more improvements.”

        “Worry not. This will do fine.”

        The Lunarcon leader and her scientist stood in the control room of the towering, black obelisk in Axiom Nexus. This obelisk served as the command tower that controls the launch spire. Down below, Trixie ordered the Lunarcon workers, as they went about their monotonous duties of checking the spire and ensuring its stability.

        The city lay intact. The ban placed on Optimus and Megatron had ensured that Axiom Nexus remain untouched during the war. However, after so many stellar cycles had passed without maintenance, the city had become dilapidated, yet not beyond repair. Nightmare Moon had no need for repairs though. She didn’t need the city. All she desired was a location that wasn’t covered in scrap and craters.

        The construction began long before the emergence of factions among the Ponytronians. During her time with Celestia, Nightmare Moon learned of the existence of Trypticon and the station it once resided on. In the early phases of her plans, she recruited the scientist, Bon Bon, from the research labs of Canteon. Together, they recovered the wreckage of the Nemesis and began work on the first space structure to exist since the creation of their race.

        The focus on space travel was extremely low. Bon Bon was the lead researcher in all things off-world, but received little support from the Council of Ancients. She spent her time learning about the workings of space bridges. By complete coincidence, she rediscovered ground bridge technology in the process, receiving great praise from the scientific community.

        Bon Bon desired to put the ground bridge into application in the daily lives of Ponytronians, assisting in accelerating the speed with which civilians can carry out their duties. The bridges could transport materials much faster, allowing the rebuilding of the planet to proceed ahead of schedule. The Council, however, deemed the use of the ground bridges to be used solely for military units. They claimed that the transportation of energon weighed as a greater need above all else.

        She returned to her research on the space bridges, as instructed by the Council. It was at this time that she was approached by Luna. She proposed that they go against the Council’s ruling. That they give civilians access to the ground bridges behind the Council’s back. Unsure of Luna’s motives, Bon Bon waived the offer.

        After watching the toiling of Canteon’s citizens, the Council’s decision was deemed unacceptable by Bon Bon. She installed secret ground bridges and informed the public of their locations. Biometric scanners denied access to those in the Council and its army. Upon learning of these secret bridges, the Council ordered demolition squads to destroy them. Bon Bon’s lab was shut down as well, to make an example for those who would defy the Council.

        Furious at what had become of her leaders, Bon Bon sought out Luna and accepted her offer. She took all of her research on the space bridges, and began surveying the planet’s surface for materials. It was during this that she discovered a crash site on the outskirts of the Kaon ruins. The wreckage matched the files she had read of a Decepticon warship. With the means to begin their project, Bon Bon and Luna began construction for this day.

        Trixie’s tale was one of simpler origin. Once a well-established commander in the Council’s army, Trixie took pride in her work. Her pride placed her life above all others, much to the discontent of those who served under her. After striking a helpless worker for interfering during an exercise, she was stripped of her title and reduced to a mere foot soldier. Luna required a military commander with a disdain for the Council, and the unhinged Trixie would do.

        Nightmare Moon had found the warden, Pinkie Pie, in an unusual place. The arguably mentally unstable Ponytronian was once a patient of Canteon’s mental ward. A resident of solitary confinement. She was deemed unfit for duty...and society...after an “accidental” mishap in the workplace. Those laborers never saw the girders coming. Pinkie loved cranes.

        When a hole to freedom found itself in Pinkie’s cell, she was all too eager to find what was on the other end. Much to her surprise, she found the politician Luna, an unlikely individual to orchestrate a breakout. Pinkie found the prospect of being the one who imprisons, rather than being the prisoner, an exciting notion.

        The communications officer, Rarity, was once an archivist alongside Celestia and Twilight Sparkle. She didn’t particularly dislike her job, but she didn’t become enthralled in her work like Twilight did. The drab environment of the archives was never keen to her senses. Her hoof raised first when volunteers for on-site research were needed.

        The monotony of sitting at a desk, cataloging entry after entry, began to strain her nerves. The addition of Luna to the scene made for an interesting change of pace. Rarity had always been jealous of how Celestia favored Twilight. This envy was an emotion Luna played on all too well. It wasn’t long before Rarity began collecting classified files on the Ancients for use in whatever Luna needed. When Luna made her move on the Council, Rarity didn’t need to think twice about which side she would choose.

        Bon Bon was making calibrations for the launch settings. “Lord Nightmare, I’m concerned about Pinkie Pie. She has been making some...unusual decisions for the decor of the fortress at New Tyger Pax.”

        “What sort of decisions?” inquired Nightmare Moon. “She was told to model it as we have Lunus Omega. Is she going against my orders?”

        “I wouldn’t exactly say she is going against orders. Rather, she twisted them to fit her own agenda. The colors are that of our capital, but the design is, in a word, insane.”

        “Explain.”

        “During my last visit, I was taken aback by the spastic application of color to anywhere and everywhere. She has quite unique tastes. I’m certain Rarity would faint if she saw what’s become of the place.”

        This brought out a chuckle from her master. “Pinkie Pie always has been unique. I will let this slide. New Tyger Pax is her project. She’s the kind of Ponytronian who needs room to express herself, within my constraints. Now that the Solarbots are aware of our work there, it should serve to distract from Axiom Nexus until we are finished.”

        “Who’s to say they don’t know about our work here already? I wouldn’t put it past Celestia to attempt accessing our database.”

        “Please, Bon Bon. She is Celestion Prime now. We can, at least, give her that respect. Not everypony has the honor of becoming a Prime. Anyways, it is impossible to access Lunus Omega from Canteon. She would have to travel to our capital to access our—”

        The scientist ceased her work. “My Lord, you don’t mean to imply that Celestion would infiltrate Lunus Omega this early after the Battle of Canteon?”

        “Open communications to Lunus Omega immediately!” ordered Nightmare Moon.

        Bon Bon opened a direct connection to the city. A buzzing sound emitted from the transceiver. “This is Communications Officer Rarity. I am in the comm. center. Please send—”

        The connection disappeared. Bon Bon looked up from the control panel to see the snarling face watching the words “Communications: Offline.” Moon’s optics shifted furiously, unable to focus on the sight before her. She looked down to see the frightened look of her underling. The snarl faded to a blank stare. “I suppose we’ll have to place our faith in Fleetfoot and her Wonderbolts,” she said, returning to the window overlooking the construction.

        “My Lord...is there anything I can do?” asked Bon Bon, as she cautiously approached Nightmare Moon. “Anything at all?”

        Her master’s head turned slightly, just enough to see the downtrodden optics looking over the city. “Yes. You can leave me be. I need to think.” She turned back to the window.

        “Yes, my Lord.” Bon Bon bowed and took her leave.

        The silence resounded in Nightmare Moon’s mind. She was never one to show emotion, except anger, in the company of others. Bon Bon catching her in a moment of weakness irked her to no end. She had always tried to employ the idealism that feelings make you weak, and weakness makes you dead. It was a philosophy she believed in with the entirety of her spark, and ensured that those who follow her did as well.

        Nothing worth doing was ever easy. She knew that all too well. The path she had chosen was the hardest one she could think of, but that wouldn’t stop her, not while there was still work to do. There were lands to conquer, Council members to execute, and a Prime to eradicate. With an army to manage added to the equation, Nightmare Moon’s plate was spilling over, and it was starting to take its toll on her.

        “I never wanted it to be this way,” she said to herself. “If the Council had only accepted my offer, none of this would have happened. Nopony would have to die. Those stubborn fools believe themselves entitled, and why, because Primus chose them? Look how well he did with the Ancients. If Primus knew best for us, he wouldn’t have placed the Council in charge.”

        She plopped down on the floor and placed a hoof on the windowsill. “Maybe war and strife is exactly what is necessary to wake them up from their dreams of a perfect Ponytron, where nopony questions them, or wonders why they don’t. Celestia was too naive and innocent to side with devastation over negotiation. I have no need for her now though. I have many loyal followers.” Her head rested atop her hoof. “Yes...loyal followers.”

        Nightmare Moon raised the hoof of her other foreleg to the transceiver. “Bon Bon, I have need of you.”

        After a short moment of silence, followed by the background noise of the machines working below, Bon Bon asked, “Shall I return to the tower?”

        “No,” Moon began after a brief pause, “I wish to ask you something.”

        “I am an open book. Ask away.”

        “What do you believe?”

        Bon Bon took a moment to ponder the question. “I don’t understand.”

        “You have read the files on The Thirteen that Rarity acquired, correct?”

        “Yes, of course. They were supposedly Primes that were created to stop Unicron, before the creation of the Ancients.”

        Nightmare Moon paused again. “Do you believe in them?”

        “No,” began Bon Bon, “I can’t say that I do.”

        “Why is that?”

        “I wouldn’t believe in the Ancients if not for the fact that they left behind a shattered world for us to inhabit. There is no proof of The Thirteen. Proof dictates what I believe.”

        “And Primus? Do you believe in him?”

        “I believe we came from the Well of All Sparks, because I know we did. Whether or not Primus created us there, I do not know.”

        “You aren’t very spiritual, are you?”

        “The mystery of the beginning is just that, a mystery. I am not in the business of mysteries. I am in the business of fact.” The hum of machines dimmed as Bon Bon isolated herself from the workers. “Is something troubling you, my Lord?”

        “Do you have any regrets, Bon Bon?”

        “I regret not ground bridging the Council into orbit.”

        “I see,” Nightmare Moon said with a laugh. “Thank you for indulging me.”

        “No thanks are needed. I am at your beck and call,” said Bon Bon before shutting of her transceiver.

        A click rang through Moon’s audio receptors. A new voice spoke, “Lord Nightmare, we are ready for launch. The workers have cleared the site. All that’s left is for you to give the order, oh great and mighty leader.”

        “Spare me the flattery, Trixie. I can hear the insincerity in your voice. Nevertheless, this is excellent news.” Nightmare Moon switched on the base’s intercom system. “My Lunarcons, the time has come for the Megatronus Station’s maiden voyage. It is with great pleasure that I issue the order to—”

        An explosion sounded in the distance. Lunarcon troops rushed from the launch site towards the direction of the blast. Trixie patched into the communications. “My Lord, th-the Wreckers are in the city!”

        “Never mind them! We have worked too hard for this! Launch the station now!”

        “We can’t! The fuel lines are cut!”

        “Trixie, must I tell you everything? Fix them! I will deal with the Wreckers.”

        A trail of dented metal followed behind Nightmare Moon as she stomped across the room to the elevator. Scuffs and scrapes covered the bottoms of her hooves. The purple glow of her horn reflected off the walls. The rage in her optics shone the fury of a sun and the darkness of a moon.