As the minutes ticked over to eight in the morning, Obsidian and Glare were rudely interrupted by the alarm clock. Shutting the device off, the changeling sat up, slouching as he rubbed his eyes. Beside him, the unicorn grumbled, her mane comically unkempt and partly tangled in a hoof.
Getting ready for the day, the pair left the room half an hour later for the breakfast buffet, and arrived in the lobby with five minutes to spare. Isak waited in the same spot as yesterday, this time conversing with Shadow.
“Good morning,” Shadow greeted, her tone unusually jovial. “You two sleep well?” she subtly teased the pair.
“Well enough,” Obsidian replied. “You seem spry today.”
“Let’s just say that I wholeheartedly endorse the hotel’s spa services. If there’s still time before we leave, book a session.”
“I think I’ll pass.”
Isak cleared his throat. “I don’t mean to be rude, but perhaps we can finish this discussion aboard the gunship. Security at the Daiamid can be lengthy, and we are slightly behind schedule.”
Obsidian glanced at the street outside. “I don’t see our transportation anywhere.”
“It’s waiting around the corner,” Isak explained, pointing to a queue of various flying vehicles parked alongside the hotel. “Little full on this side today.”
The journey to the New Daiamid tower was brief. With the hotel already deep within the city, the gunship only made a few turns to approach the centre-most skyscraper that loomed over the surrounding buildings.
The grand structure stood nearly one and a half kilometres tall—easily five hundred metres taller than those around it. Designed with the likeness of a stepped spiral minaret, each tier’s roof had landing pads, many of which were occupied by various craft, from vertical-flight aircraft, to modified space-faring vessels similar to the gunship.
Minutes away from their destination, the pilot opened comms. “Daiamid Approach, gunship sierra-bravo-whiskey, western point, six hundred, inbound.”
Though the passengers could not hear the controller’s reply, they assumed they would be landing shortly, based on the pilot’s read-back. “Cleared visual approach, pad four-eight-echo, sierra-bravo-whiskey.”
As they neared their touchdown point, the pilot replied a final time to the voice in his headset. “Pad four-eight-echo, cleared to land, sierra-bravo-whiskey.” After a scan of his surroundings for conflicting traffic, the pilot finished the final approach, gently touching down on the lone pad atop one of the building’s tiers. Cutting the fuel to his engines, the pilot completed the last of his shutdown checklist procedures, while mechanical whirrs and whines faded into the background noise of surrounding air traffic.
Removing their harnesses, the passengers rose, catching a glimpse of a security entourage from the pilot’s forward window. Isak did not seem bothered by the sight. “Standard arrival procedures into the Daiamid,” he explained, before turning to Glare. “Stairs might take a while to get here. I don’t suppose you could … you know …”
Glare nodded, her horn already glowing. “Sure.”
Outside, the four flashed into existence in front of three security guards, leaving the pilot aboard his ship. The sudden appearance caused the guards to flinch, each instinctively reaching for their side-arms.
“Oh yeah, definitely something you get used to after a few goes,” Isak commented on Glare’s teleportation, before greeting the guards. “Morning, gentlemen. Everything in order?”
The lead guard saluted, followed by the others, and finally Isak in return. “Just the standard security procedures for arrival. This way, please.”
Obsidian noticed the guards wore different attire to Isak, and the others on the first day. “Hey, Isak? What’s with the white and blue? These soldiers not Sobani?”
“Nope. They’re a generic security branch with a mix of kiithid. You’ll likely find Sobani guards assigned to small groups or individuals inside, however.”
“Like you with us?”
“Exactly. After you.”
Obsidian proceeded through a small archway, no more than three metres tall. Lights along its edges changed colours in different areas, and a shrill alarm sounded.
A guard approached with a hand-held device, and started scanning Obsidian. “Sir, I’ll need you to raise your wings.” When the changeling complied, the guard performed a visual inspection under each wing. Satisfied, he nodded. “You may proceed.”
Moving out of the way, Glare and Shadow followed, passing through with no issues. Isak had set off the alarms as well, however, the security team simply waved him through, after a quick check of his identification.
Isak led the way past security, and through the building, with Obsidian, Glare, and Shadow in tow. After an elevator trip and a short trek past a hallway connecting several small offices, they entered a waiting room with a large pair of doors at the opposite end. Beside them sat a security guard at a desk, inspecting identification cards of people in a queue, before allowing them to proceed. Several small congregations of officials were found elsewhere, filling the room with a soft murmur of collective chatter.
Isak turned to the three. “You can take a seat on those benches for a few minutes. We’ll head in soon. Just need to have a quick chat with someone before we start.”
“Ahh, Isak. No trouble, I assume?” a voice spoke up behind the group.
Isak snapped to attention, offering his salutations. “Fleet Command. No issues to report.”
“At ease, Isak,” Elohim Nabaal responded.
“You’ve brought together quite a collection of guests, haven’t you?”
“Believe me, it wasn’t easy. Taiidan, Frerrn, Equestrian, and almost every representative of the Galactic Council, all under one roof. Here’s hoping it will be enough.”
As Isak and Elohim walked off and continued their conversation, Glare stared at the pair, conversing by a large potted tree, before turning to the others. “Equestrian? Is he talking about us?”
“I doubt it,” Obsidian replied. “No one told us we’d be here to represent anything. As far as I’m aware, we’re just meant to answer some questions. Probably one of your Princesses are … uhh …”
“Everything alright?” Glare asked, as Obsidian started looking around him.
“Yeah. Yeah, I just started sensing something odd.”
“Odd?”
“There’s someone nearby with great sorrow. And anger. Not something I’ve sensed for a long time. Sorry, it just threw me off a little.”
“I suppose the Hiigarans have more experience with those emotions than we do,” Shadow suggested.
“See, that’s why I got caught off guard. I’m only slightly attuned to Hiigarans. Still getting used to them. I’m certainly not familiar with the sensations from other species here. My experience is with those on our planet.” Pausing, Obsidian frowned. “Who from our planet could have such emotions?”
Shadow gave the room a sweeping glance. “If you can sense them, can’t you track them down?”
“No, not this close. If they were hundreds of metres away, I’d have a general idea of where they are, but at this distance, I have no clue. Obviously not someone in this room. If they were from our planet, they’d stand out.”
Isak returned before Obsidian could continue. “Alright, we’re ready.”
The group headed towards the large doors, and each presented their identification to the guard before proceeding. Entering an auditorium, Obsidian, Glare, and Shadow looked down at the dimmed room. Thousands of seats were arranged in a stadium layout, most fitted with small desks. At the centre was a podium illuminated by spotlights, suspended under several walkways near the tall ceiling.
Leading the group down a set of stairs between two seating area sections, Isak found a row with four vacant seats. After settling in, the Infiltrators looked around at the occupants of the room, all of whom appeared similar. Bipedal beings with four limbs and small heads. Beady eyes, pointed noses, and ears halfway down the sides of their heads. Where most of the species differed was in skin colour and texture, lankiness, or odd protrusions near joints or extremities. They were all clearly different to the Hiigarans who occupied the majority of the chamber’s seats.
Two exceptions sat further away in a different seating area. Obsidian immediately recognised Twilight, engaged in conversation with another Hiigaran seated beside her. Seated on the other side of that person was a teal pegasus with an orange and yellow mane, who did not seem as eager to talk. Obsidian watched the mare for a while, humming to himself.
Glare noticed the changeling’s eyes fixated on something. As she moved her head beside Obsidian’s own, she saw where he had been staring. Before Glare could say anything, Obsidian opened his mouth, “I think that pegasus is the one I’m sensing. Wonder why she’s here.”
“We’ll probably find out soon enough,” Glare commented, as she noticed Elohim approach the podium.
A soft pop from the surrounding speakers caught everyone’s attention, and most of the chatter died down quickly. When the room fell completely silent, Elohim cleared his throat. “My fellow Kiithid. For thousands of years, our people have struggled with adversity. The Imperialists. Vaygr. The Beast. Progenitors. Even ourselves. Yet one foe in known history has yet to be overcome: Turanic Raiders.”
A collective muttering of agreement followed Elohim’s words.
“We all know the stories of Raiders. We all know who and what they are, and the lengths they’ll go to take what they want. I’ve called this assembly today to unite not just our people, but those of the galaxy. Members of the Galactic Council, I wish to extend my appreciation to you and the representatives of our galaxy’s many races and factions for joining us today.”
Elohim paused, allowing the echo in the room to fade out, before continuing. “In the past, Turanic Raiders have been a relative nuisance. Though deadly, they’ve rarely fared well against a well-equipped fleet, statistically speaking. As such, they’ve mostly employed hit-and-run tactics, or assaults against civilian convoys with little or no defence. Since the events of the famous Harmony Campaign, we have seen a steady rise in Raider power, through their numbers, technological capabilities, and tactics.”
“It is only by luck that due to infighting, Raiders have never truly united. However, this has also resulted in such a decentralised structure to their military, that no one has ever been able to truly wipe them out. Perhaps then, it has only been their luck that we haven’t properly united to do so. My objective today is to convince all of you of this need, and to do this, I have asked for several members of both our military, and those of our allies, to provide first-hand testimony of the dangers we face.”
Looking up into the crowd at the teal pegasus, Elohim gave a quick nod, and continued with his speech, while the pony reluctantly descended toward him. “I would like to start with our allies, Equestria. A while back, reports of an attack against a civilian resourcing operation came pouring through, and the Equestrian Navy was the first to respond. It’s probably best you all hear this directly from one who was involved in the battle.”
The mare arrived at the podium and stopped beside Elohim, looking around at the thousands of eyes watching her, before Elohim next to her cleared his throat once more. “Could you please state your name and rank for the New Daiamid?”
The pegasus took a moment to reply. “Flight Lieutenant Lightning Dust,” she raised her voice.
“And what is your role in the Equestrian Navy?”
“I am—was, a Lightning-class pilot in the Sixth Solar Fleet.”
“From what I’ve been told, your fleet suffered significant losses against a Turanic Raider fleet. I understand this would be difficult for you, but could you please give us a summary of the Argon-Six battle?”
Lightning took a deep breath, exhaling shakily. “We were briefed, as if it were any other mission. To everypony, it seemed almost routine. Raiders hitting a civilian operation for resources. The only oddity was the size of the fleet. Why would such a massive fleet hit an installation with minimal defences? We soon found out.”
Lightning Dust could see several members of her audience scribbling notes as she spoke. Ignoring them, she continued. “The big picture motives were never clear, but the Raiders hit this specific operation due to the presence of machines that could move entire asteroids. Apparently the goal of the Raiders was to align them and create an improvised cannon, capable of using asteroids as ammunition. The nearby planet was meant to be their test target. Initially, our mission went smoothly. We've never had the numbers, but with magic at our disposal, that disadvantage was offset. As soon as we arrived in the mission area, we made short work of a frigate line, and waited for their strike-craft to come to us.”
The mare paused to collect her thoughts. “The plan was to make them aware of our arrival, draw them away from our objectives, and send Ninth Fleet to sneak around the back to capture Argon-Six, using the nearby asteroid field as cover. Even as we drew most of their Daggers and Vindicators away, things seemed to go our way, until the Rancor approached. As our ships engaged, I heard one of our destroyers over comms claim they had lost control of their systems. It seemed dead in the water, until it suddenly targeted the weapons of nearby friendlies. This was no accidental case of friendly fire. It was intentional, and caused by the carrier due to some beam weapon I had never seen before.”
“What happened next?”
Lightning Dust winced. Shutting her eyes tightly, she could still hear the battle chatter in her head.
Watch the beam! Lightning! Pull up!
I see it, Streak, I see it! Worry more about teleporting our flanks out of here.
…
You guys better figure something out, and soon. We’re barely able to juggle torpedoes and Raiders as it is.
…
Battlecruiser Nighthawk hit. I repeat, battlecruiser Nighthawk hit. Friendlies in weapon’s range, clear the area!
Solstice, Nighthawk. Systems show our kinetic turrets are targeting your engines.
…
All fleet assets be advised. Solstice’s engines are down. We are drifting. The Raider carrier is moving to intercept.
…
Confirmed visual on Solstice. They’ve been hit. Their comms are down.
“Lieutenant?” Elohim’s voice broke Lightning out of her reverie.
“Sorry,” the pegasus replied, quickly shaking her head. Taking a deep breath, she continued …
“What do you mean, comms are down?” Lightning barked.
“Raiders are jamming all signals that aren’t line of sight,” Streak explained. “With Solstice down, we can’t receive tactical data, or communications.”
“Would it have killed the designers of these fighters to include a line of sight transmitter, alongside a receiver? Dammit, we need to regroup. If we can’t use comms, we’ll need to communicate visually.”
Separated from the rest of her squadron, Lightning circled the edge of the battlefield. Surveying the area, she could see the Raiders’ line advancing with minimal effort. With unexpected tactics, it was the Raider carrier on the front lines. One by one, each Equestrian ship fell to the unknown weapon, its beam punching through their own shields and causing them to turn on the nearest friendly vessels.
The objective was clear to Lightning. “We need to destroy that turret at all costs. Otherwise, our fleets are doomed.”
Streak was more pessimistic. “How are we supposed to do that? Their strike-craft are just waiting for us near the carrier. Even if we make it past them, our rounds don’t exactly have stopping power. That turret looks heavily armoured, and we’re flying an interceptor. Might as well throw pebbles at it.”
“Then we’ll just have to chip away at the armour until we hit something important.”
“And what about our fleet? They’re just going to attack us as well.”
“I don’t think they will. Not all at once, anyway. Have you noticed how affected ships behave? Sure, the beam makes them attack friendlies, but they only carry out that one instruction, before needing new orders. They don’t have minds of their own. This suggests the beam is the medium through which new orders are sent.”
Lightning Dust squinted at the distant scene. A plan brewed in her mind, and she pushed her throttle forward, setting course for the nearest friendly strike craft. Closing in, she levelled off beside another interceptor and made several hoof gestures. Receiving a positive acknowledgement from the other pilot, and the two fighters split off to find more friendlies.
Within ten minutes, every strike craft that could be found had rendezvoused at the coordinates as per Lightning’s instructions, forming a tight wall formation in front of her craft. Ensuring every vessel could see her, the pegasus confirmed the other pilots understood the situation, and what needed to be done. With all pilots in agreement, they formed up with their respective squadrons and tracked directly to the Raider carrier.
The interceptors sped off, leaving the gunships to escort the slower bombers. Between them and their target, stood a wall of Raider strike craft. Lightning checked her sensors and confirmed how many were ahead. “Forty one Rock Rats coming our way. They’re gonna try to head us off. The eighteen Brigands behind them are the biggest threat to the others, Streak, so get me behind them. Then, we just have to dodge … twenty-five pairs of Thief turrets.”
“Oh, so just playing the combat simulator on a medium difficulty for you,” Streak quipped sarcastically.
“Yeah, but no reset button on this ship. Right, get ready. As soon as I fire on the Rats, flash us away.”
The ten interceptors tightened their formations. In the span of a second, they opened fire, spraying a sparse volley of slugs at the Raider fighters. Their targets followed suit, and a torrent of rounds zipped straight through where the interceptors had just been.
Emerging behind a Brigand, Lightning continued firing, watching the red-hot rounds tear into the two left engines of the corvette. Elsewhere, other interceptors provided equal punishment to their targets. Now caught in the crossfire of the Thief corvettes, the interceptors swerved, before teleporting away.
“Saw a few fireballs on that run. At least six down for the count.”
“Lightning?” Streak spoke up, while looking outside at their formation. “We started with ten interceptors, didn’t we?”
A surge of adrenaline hit Lightning as her head snapped to the side, where the tenth vessel should have been. “We lost one, didn’t we?”
“Your instructions were clear. Attack, then retreat to the bombers. I think we did,” Streak replied solemnly.
Pushing the thought to the back of her mind, Lightning checked her systems. “We’ve got another problem. I don’t know about the others, but I’m running low on ammunition.”
“How bad is it?”
“We’ve only got enough distance to do one more attack run, before we move to the next stage of the plan. We can do that, and a little more.”
“Make it count, Lightning.”
Blasting off once more, the nine interceptors closed in on the distant targets again. They repeated the same actions; one burst at the Raider fighters, then teleport. This time, the interceptors reappeared from above their targets, firing directly at the Brigand cockpits.
A metallic bang met Lightning’s and Streak’s ears just before they returned to their bombers. “Buck!” Looking out over the right side, Lightning found returning fire had torn off a small portion of the wing’s leading edge near the root. “You getting any system warnings, Streak?”
“Master warning for the starboard ammo hold. Fortunately it was already empty.”
“Yeah, I’m getting the same thing. We’re still in the fight.”
“Can’t say the same for another of ours.”
“Damn. They’re getting better at tracking us.”
“How’s the opposition doing?”
“We must have hit a few Rats with the initial bursts on both runs. I’m seeing thirty-six of them now. Three Brigands left. Our pulsar gunships will have to deal with them before engaging any Thief.”
The second phase of Lightning’s plan was imminent. The crew aboard the gunships and pulsar gunships cast their shielding spells, with the former tracking the enemy fighters, and the latter tracking the corvettes. One final time, Lightning fired a burst at the fighters, before she and the rest of the interceptors teleported with the bombers.
Leaving the others behind, eight interceptors escorted six bombers, flying past the Daggers that lacked the ability to track them. They closed in on the Rancor and located the dorsal turret. Flying a loose formation, the bombers attempted to dodge fire from the carrier’s point defence turrets, letting loose several pairs of super-heated plasma orbs before teleporting into their next attack run.
Meanwhile, Lightning and the rest of the interceptors could do nothing more than to conserve ammunition, flying closely to divert any anti-fighter craft that tried to get too close. With almost all of them occupied by the gunships, the interceptors continued to buzz around the carrier like a swarm of annoying flies.
Lightning had only looked away for a moment, but in that time, half the bombers were shot down. The remaining three showed clear signs of overheating, as their weapon barrels glowed, and smoke billowed from their plasma vents. The turret showed some signs of damage, though it remained operational, picking off a flak frigate. Seconds later, a flak cloud blasted shrapnel through the remaining bombers.
“Buuuuuck!” Lightning yelled, hitting the side of her cockpit and snapping off parts of various switches. Flying out of weapon’s range with the last of the interceptors, she set a course for the gunships. The pegasus hesitated on the throttle. “Where are our corvettes?”
“If the approaching Rats are any indication, I think we can assume the worst.” Streak sighed, and shook his head. “That’s it, then. Sorry, Lightning. We tried our best.”
“No!” Lightning cried. “It’s not over until it’s over!” Lightning made several hoof gestures to the nearest interceptor. The other pilot’s eyes widened, before his expression hardened. Nodding, he passed the message on to the remaining fighters.
Regrouping once more, the final few vessels circled around and headed for the Rancor. Ignoring incoming fire, they set themselves up for one final attack run. Each fighter went after the other in single file, as their pilots braced themselves.
“You ready, Streak? One final shot.”
Streak exhaled slowly. “One final shot.”
Engines blasting away, Lightning led the charge at full burn toward the carrier’s turret, and emptied her remaining ammunition on it. With their target dead ahead, and rapidly closing in, the pegasus firmly gripped a lever to the side of her seat. Pulling it sharply up, the canopy was blown away, and Lightning’s seat followed, ejecting from her ship.
Watching Lightning fly clear, Streak pulled his lever up. The black and yellow rod barely budged. Pulling harder, Streak looked down at the jammed equipment. “Oh … buck.”
A flicker of light barely left his horn, before the interceptor ploughed into the turret.
Lightning looked around. “Streak? S—Streak?” her voice quivered, while she searched frantically for the unicorn. “Don’t buck with me, damn you!” the pegasus screamed through her comms. “Streak!”
Off in the distance, the rest of the interceptors continued their final runs, with two puffs of smoke rocketing away from each craft before impact. One after the other, the fighters rammed into the turret, until it was finally pummelled into submission.
The last of the strike-craft were no more. Their occupants floated helplessly along the side of the carrier. Lightning screamed at the top of her lungs, tears streaming down her face. Between breaths, she caught sight of several Raider fighters manoeuvring about, each coming to a halt several hundred metres from the helpless pilots.
Lightning watched the Raider craft pointed at her. Blinking hard, the pegasus grew enraged. It was toying with her. “What are you waiting for? Do it!” She growled. “DO IT!”
The fighter accelerated. It was only a matter of seconds before impact. Time slowed for Lightning. Pulling her carbine out from the other side of her seat, she took aim at the cockpit of the rapidly approaching Raider and held her breath.
Ninth Fleet had other ideas, though. A gunship zoomed into Lightning’s field of vision, ramming the Raider with its shield, just as the pegasus could make out the Raider pilot. The gunship fired several rounds into the tumbling fighter for good measure, while several other corvettes formed a protective sphere around the stranded interceptor pilots.
Off in the distance, the rest of Ninth Fleet could be seen pouring out from the asteroid fields. Interceptors and gunships engaged the Raider fighters, while pulsar gunships targeted the corvettes. Bombers used the distraction to set up for their attack runs, not toward the Raiders, but to the subverted vessels.
The bombers broke formation and gave a single warning shot, firing once at each ship’s bridge. Hoping the occupants understood the message, they assumed formation and set themselves up for another attack run on Solstice. Plasma rained down on Solstice’s bridge, just underneath the dorsal ion cannon, until a crater of warped metal was gouged into the vessel. After a final inspection, the bombers moved to the next most valuable targets; the battlecruisers.
As the bridge on Nighthawk was destroyed, Solstice came to life, moving on its own and joining the bombers in targeting bridges on friendlies, while the rest of Ninth Fleet continued engaging the Raiders. Though severely outnumbered, the vessels that were under the influence of the Raider turret gradually returned to battle.
Minutes passed. Lightning could only watch, as the Raiders were pushed back, until a nearby gunship pulled up beside her, and nudged its way closer. The hatch on the side of the corvette opened, revealing a unicorn in a pressure suit. Undoing Lightning’s harness, he pulled her inside, and closed the hatch.
“Come on. Let’s get you secured,” he said, guiding the pegasus to an empty seat, before returning to the weapons station. “We’re not out of the woods yet. Star Shell! We’re secured!”
“Make them pay. You hear me?” Lightning shouted at the unicorn. “Make them regret EVER crossing us! And tell them Lightning Dust will come for those who flee. They’ll be checking their closets, looking under their beds for the rest of their miserable lives. I will come for every last one of them!” she shrieked.
Lightning finished recounting the events of the battle. By the end, her voice was barely louder than a whisper. “Our primary objective was achieved. The planet was saved. Argon-Six was stormed, and we seized control from the Raiders before the asteroid accelerators could align. But in the aftermath, we counted our losses in the hundreds.”
The chamber was silent. No one made a sound. No one moved. No one took their eyes off the pegasus as she stood there, barely able to maintain composure. The seconds that followed felt considerably longer for Lightning Dust.
Elohim finally spoke. “Thank you. Sincerely. I know it’s a hollow victory for you, but the people on that planet owe you their lives.”
“Are we finished here?”
Elohim nodded. He waited until Lightning returned to her seat, before raising his voice once more. “As we’ve heard from the testimony of this pilot, the Raiders have a technological advantage now. Unfortunately, new technology and improvised weapons are not the only emerging issues to contend with. I’d like to call Amarok’s crew to the podium.”
Obsidian, Glare, and Shadow rose, and made their way toward Elohim. As they approached, Obsidian noticed Lightning Dust leaving the auditorium. His attention quickly returned to the Hiigaran when he spoke again. “Please state your names, ranks, and roles for the New Daiamid.”
“Lieutenant Commander Shadow, commanding officer of Amarok’s Infiltrators.”
“Chief Petty Officer Obsidian, Infiltrator.”
“Deckhoof Glare, Infiltrator.”
Elohim turned to the zebra. “Commander, could you provide a summary of an Infiltrator’s role for us?”
“We are a small squad based aboard a special operations vessel,” Shadow explained. “Our primary role is to conduct operations outside our ship, including boarding and sabotaging enemy vessels, though we are trained and equipped to carry out other unconventional operations.”
“One such example of an unconventional operation would be your mission on the planet Enigma Tango, in the Karos Graveyard, correct?”
“Correct.”
“And what was your primary objective there? What was the outcome?”
“Our primary objective was to investigate the source of an unknown, artificial signal. What we discovered was a field laboratory hidden in a volcano. This laboratory contained unknown technology, later determined to be some kind of technological subversion or manipulation device. We found several Raiders working at the site.”
“I think it’s safe to conclude that the technology found on this planet was related to the beam weapon deployed in the Argon-Six battle,” Elohim remarked. “Of course, this wasn’t the only discovery made by your squad while on Enigma Tango, was it?”
“No. Another Infiltrator found a voice recorder. Recovering the data and translating it revealed that the planet once manufactured atmospheric deprivation weapons for the old Taiidan Empire.”
Elohim addressed the audience. “Members of the Galactic Council, as you recall, our joint operation involved bombarding every surface of that planet to ensure nothing remained. However, given that the Raiders were on that planet before we could get to it, there is a strong possibility they now have the means to manufacture these weapons.” Falling silent, he allowed the gravity of the situation to sink in, before turning to Glare. “Now, if I may back-track quickly here, this subversion weapon, this ‘controller’, if you will, saw use well before Enigma Tango and Argon-Six, did it not?”
The unicorn nodded. “That’s right. Though back then we had no idea what we were dealing with.”
“Could you summarise the events of that mission?”
“Our ship was responding to an emergency situation, where a large civilian vessel lost control and became stuck on a collision course with an asteroid colony. Our original objective was to destroy the ship from the inside, attempting to collapse the vessel in on itself to minimise debris. However, no matter when or how this would have been done, collateral damage to nearby colonies was unavoidable. A decision was made to sacrifice the least populated colony by detonating our explosives at a specific time.”
“This order was ignored,” Elohim stated. “Why was that?”
Obsidian decided to cut in. “I think ‘ignored’ might be the wrong word here, but the original plan did not go through. Out of curiosity, I went to the bridge and had a look around. Something did not seem right to me. Call it a gut feeling. In any case, an unusual anomaly was present there. I made the decision to destroy the bridge, which restored control to the ship through auxiliary stations.”
“This information was no doubt crucial during the Argon-Six battle,” Elohim affirmed. “As I understand it, one of the officers from Ninth Fleet remembered the event and ordered the attack on Sixth Fleet’s ships to regain control over their subverted vessels and turn the tide of the battle. Thank you. That will be all, for now.”
Obsidian followed the other two back to their seats. Half-way, he changed direction and headed for Twilight, before Shadow or Glare noticed he was missing. As he approached, Twilight faced the changeling, unsure of his intentions.
“Can I help you with something?”
“Your pilot. Where is she?”
“She stepped out for a moment. Is there something you—aaaaand he’s gone.”
Returning to the waiting room, the changeling found it empty, save for the guard at his post, and Lightning Dust seated on a sofa by the entrance doors. The pegasus sat hunched over, visibly taking deep breaths. Obsidian took a step forward, before pausing. Leaning over to the guard, he asked in a hushed voice, “Excuse me, is there a place I can get some air?”
“Take a right out the doors, then another right. Keep going until you see a balcony on your left.”
“Thank you.” Heading towards the pegasus, Obsidian cleared his throat when he stopped beside the couch.
Lightning looked up at the unexpected visitor. “You’re the changeling,” she stated with mild surprise.
“I see why they made you a pilot.”
The mare laughed halfheartedly. “Okay, I deserved that one. They want me back inside?”
“Actually, I was thinking of getting some fresh air, if you’d like to join me.”
Slowly getting up, Lightning sighed. “Not sure I’d make for good company at the moment, but sure. It is a little stuffy in here. You smoke?”
Exiting the waiting room, Obsidian led the way, following the guard’s directions. “Nope.”
“No one does anymore,” replied Lightning, almost mocking the fact. “Everypony is all about health this and health that. Certainly not gonna be the smoke that gets you in this line of work.”
“Why take that chance?”
“Look, I’m really not in the mood to listen to another speech on lung disease, or whatever, alright?” Lightning snapped. “Just tell me what you want, and be done with it.”
Obsidian did not reply immediately. After making their way to the balcony, he finally replied, “Honestly, I don’t want anything. I was going to ask how you’re feeling.”
Lightning looked away. She took out a lighter and a pack of cigarettes from one of her pockets. “Not something I want to talk about. If that’s what you’ve asked me here for, it’s going to become a one sided conversation.”
“You’re obviously taking the events of your mission badly, and given Equestria’s history, plus the way the mission ended, I doubt many would understand what you went through.”
Leaning against the balcony rail, Lightning blew smoke into the air. “What, and you do? What would you know?”
“For one, I’ve witnessed losses similar to yours.”
“Hmm, you would have, wouldn’t you? You were part of the Canterlot invasion, then?”
“Mmm.” Obsidian moved beside the pegasus, and looked out at the traffic below. “Never expected to assume the role of a field medic, or to see so much … I suppose it doesn’t matter now. Point is, I get it. Especially the part where you took command of the situation and set all those craft on collision courses. You lost someone, and that’s what hit you the hardest.”
“They told me his seat eject likely malfunctioned; that he wouldn’t have had time to teleport out.” Lightning sniffed. “I don’t get it. We all knew we’d end up as target practice for those Raiders after ejecting. None of us expected a rescue. And the others knew we were in a losing battle. So why is this such a hoof to the gut?”
“Because you gave the order,” Obsidian answered simply. “Because in the aftermath when you realised you had been rescued, you started second-guessing yourself, wondering if you could have done something else. Something you might have known to do, had there been more time, more options, more resources. But you acted based on the circumstances. For better or worse, that’s what you need to live with.”
“If your goal was to make me feel better, you’re a shit counsellor.” Flicking the cigarette butt into the air, Lightning watched it fall, until it was no longer visible. “Might want to stick to shooting things.”
“It wasn’t my goal, no. The only way I can make you feel better is to offer you a fake reality where you can delude yourself for a short while. That’s not my intention, either. I will simply say this: Anyone who tells you the pain subsides with time is full of it. You might not relive the events as often, but when you do, it will still hit just as hard.”
“Speaking from experience?”
Obsidian nodded. “I’ve never been able to fully shake the nightmares.”
“So what do you blame yourself for, then?”
“I often wonder who else I could have saved. Though in my case, most of the blame was always toward Equestria. That much hasn’t changed, even to this day, though I don’t find myself taking my anger out on any random pony who looks at me the wrong way anymore.” Obsidian shrugged. “Progress, I suppose. I still feel like wringing the necks of a few Princesses, and those Elements of Harmony ponies, though.”
“Heh, you and me both,” Lightning muttered.
“I didn’t expect that as a response.”
“Eh, mostly Rainbow Dash, that arrogant buck.”
“Sounds about right. She’s the embodiment of pretentiousness. Though what do you have against her?”
“We trained at the same flight academy, until I got thrown out for putting her friends in harm’s way. Yeah, my fault. Thing is, Dash was always so high and mighty about wanting to play it safe, but only when it suited her. Yet every time I read a news article that involved her doing something reckless, there was always some excuse to justify her actions. Oh sure, let me cancel winter because my pet hibernates through it. See what punishment I’ll get. She’s a hypocrite, and she lacks principles. Yeah, I like to break limits as well, perhaps more than she does, but I’ll own up to my mistakes.”
“Sounds more or less like the dossier we have on her back home. Though I always found it odd that the Element of Loyalty is not exactly the most loyal, or dependable of the six. I’d have given that title to the apple pony instead.”
“Dossier? You changelings spy on them?”
“We’ve spied on every key figure there is, whether military, civilian, or royalty, Equestrian or otherwise. Intel has always been crucial to our survival.” Pausing, Obsidian changed topics. “Hey, if you ever need to vent, and I’m hooves on ground, I’m all ears, alright?”
“Uhh, sure. You heading back inside?”
“Not yet. Politics bore me. Let the others sort themselves out. I’ll ask my squad for a fifty-word summary.”
Elohim Nabaal continued with his attempts at convincing his audience to unite against their common enemy. Members of the Taiidan Republic had been moving back and forth from their seats and the podium, as different groups were called to testify. With the final group dismissed, Elohim proceeded with the next part of his convention.
“Now that we’ve shared several eyewitness accounts, it may be prudent to provide another perspective. As many of you are aware, the Gaalsien have been attributed to the rise in Raider power, working with or leading an unknown number of clans. The Infiltrators of Amarok were recently responsible for the capture of a key figure in the Gaalsien ranks. That individual is now in our custody and with us here today.” Muting his microphone, Elohim turned his head toward a small comms device on his right lapel. “Go ahead,” he whispered.
Swift, Shift, and Sparky descended one of the stairs, with three members of Hiigaran security. Each of the six surrounded Khamari, who had been allowed to wear his original garments and respirator. Arriving at the podium, Sparky and one of the Hiigaran security guards continued to flank Khamari at close proximity, while the others moved to the far ends of the platform.
Elohim approached the Gaalsien. “State your name for the New Daiamid.”
Giving Elohim a momentary glance, Khamari complied. His breathy, modulated voice sent chills through some of the audience, reminding them of the Mad Emperor who once commanded the Taiidan Imperialists. Already, members of the Taiidan Republic in the crowd looked down on the Gaalsien with disdain.
Pacing slowly around Khamari, Elohim started his interrogation. “In the time leading up to your capture aboard the infamous Silicon Oasis base, the Equestrian Navy had undertaken several similar missions to gather intel on the source of Turanic Raider power. Unfortunately, due to operational reasons, the Infiltrators of the Basilisk could not make it in time for today’s assembly. However, the results of their captures and interrogations confirmed the existence of a large research base, responsible for the development of this controller weapon. Unfortunately, none of the subjects could reveal the location of this base, until now. You are familiar with the base and its location?”
“I am, and I wish to cooperate.”
“So I’ve heard. I was surprised when you informed our security of your intentions. From what I understand, you were anything but, while in Equestrian custody.” Stopping in front of Khamari, Elohim asked, “What changed your mind?”
“Not what”—Khamari looked up in Glare’s direction—“but who. Many of the Gaalsien are victims of circumstance. I do not wish to be your enemy, nor do many of my kind. Some turned to Raiders for survival. Some because they felt they were owed for everything that had happened to them. And yes, some just preferred the lifestyle, and are lost causes. How many generations will you condemn? How long before Hiigara accepts that our ancestors’ intentions were pure on Kharak?”
Glare looked around the chamber. There was a stillness in the air, yet she knew everyone had their minds made up before Khamari even opened his mouth. She sighed, shaking her head in disappointment.
Elohim resumed his pacing, ignoring Khamari’s plea. “You’ll forgive us if most of what you said was hard to believe. However, if you are sincere, your assistance would work in your favour. What do you know of the research base?”
Taking a final breath of the chilly air, Lightning followed Obsidian back inside, returning to the waiting room. As the pair approached the doors to the Daiamid chamber, the changeling glanced at the empty table where the guard once sat.
“So much for their superior security,” Obsidian muttered.
“Huh?”
“Oh, nothing. Just thought it funny that— … Hold on.”
Obsidian took a closer look at the table. At first glance, there was nothing out of the ordinary with the wooden surface. From the edge closest to the seat, however, signs of light damage were apparent, and a couple of specks of red could be seen.
“That’s blood,” the changeling commented. Touching the red drops, he smeared them across the table’s edge. “And it’s fresh. What happened to the guard?”
“Might have had a nosebleed, and had to go to the toilet, I don’t know,” Lightning answered with apathy.
“Not good enough. Look around the room. See if there’s anything suspicious. I’ll check this half. You check the other half.”
Inspecting the furniture closest to the chamber doors, Obsidian looked under and behind benches and tables, while Lightning did the same at her end. It didn’t take long for the pegasus to find something. “Obsidian? You might want to see this.”
The changeling flew over to one of the large potted trees Lightning stood beside. The deep blue, glazed pot was almost three times as tall as they were, housing a thin tree that almost touched the ceiling. The tree wasn’t the oddity, which was soon made apparent when Obsidian hovered at the same height as Lightning and looked down into the pot, at the lifeless body of the guard. Feeling for a pulse, Lightning shook her head.
Obsidian scanned the area. The room was empty. Silent. Looking at the corners, he found cameras, all of which had been obscured with some form of gel, or foam. “We have to alert the others. This looks like a rushed job, so whatever is about to happen, it won’t be long from now.”
Heading for the chamber doors, Obsidian opened them, passing through with Lightning on his tail. They skidded to a halt at the top of the chamber’s stairs, where everything seemed normal. A few occupants closest to the pair looked towards them with mild annoyance at the disturbance. Below, Khamari sat at the podium, flanked by a member of Hiigaran security, and Sparky. Elohim continued speaking, oblivious to the newcomers.
Obsidian extended his wings, and made to fly down to the podium. At the same time, his eyes continued scanning the area. He froze. Motion caught his attention above. Crouched on a narrow walkway up near the ceiling’s supports was a figure that held something in its arms. Pointing the elongated item down at the podium, its wielder held still.
“GET DOWN! ASSASSIN!” the changeling boomed. Chaos erupted shortly after he took off towards the mysterious figure. The occupants screamed. Many tripped over each other in an effort to make for the exits. Security teams sprung into action to defend their assignments.
A small flash escaped the muzzle of the figure’s weapon, accompanied by a short electrical hum. With its cover blown, the figure ran off, firing several rounds toward Obsidian, impeding his advances.
As the changeling evaded blind shots, the chamber lit up with golden light. The telltale sound of Glare’s shield was barely audible over the commotion, though Obsidian did not care to focus on what the unicorn was protecting. Below, Shadow could be seen vaulting over others, in an effort to keep up with the changeling. She soon disappeared from view, as Obsidian tucked his wings in and passed through a narrow doorway.
Incoming fire shattered nearby glass windows, causing the changeling to skid to a halt behind the next door frame. Peeking out, the assassin gained some distance. Resuming his pursuit, Obsidian galloped through numerous small rooms, some filled with tools and construction material, others with small workstations, until he reached a larger corridor. The threat was no longer in sight. Listening out, rapidly fading footsteps met his ears.
Extending his wings, he sped off again, closing the distance. The end of the corridor approached. Banking hard to the left, Obsidian’s hooves hit the wall as he pulled into the turn, leaving four hoof impressions as he pushed off. After another sharp turn to the right, the assassin was in sight. With one hoof reaching under each wing, Obsidian dropped to the floor, rolled forward, and used the momentum to propel a pair of throwing knives.
Two thuds echoed down the corridor. The assailant stumbled and glanced at two knives embedded in the wall mere centimetres from where his head was, before disappearing to the left.
Unable to outrun the pursuing changeling, the assassin headed past a doorway to more ceiling walkways above an atrium. Almost at the other side of the walkway, he wheeled around and took aim, waiting for Obsidian to pass through the choke point.
A mighty up-draft hit his weapon, and the unexpected burst of air sent the rifle out of his hands. Scrambling to catch it before the weapon fell over the walkway, the assassin was hit by another gust from his side, followed by another in the opposite direction, before tumbling over the handrail. A final gust slowed his descent just enough to avoid a lethal drop, before dropping unceremoniously in front of Shadow.
Within seconds, Hiigaran security surrounded the intruder. Obsidian landed beside Shadow soon after. “I almost forgot you could do that.”
“Were there any fatalities, I could have done a whole lot worse.” Taking a step forward, Shadow paused, as the assassin began to convulse. “Oh, he did not just—”
“He did.” Obsidian interjected, watching the figure on the ground foam from the mouth and twitch one last time before ceasing all movement. “Great. Alright, I’m going to go check up on the others back in the chamber. Let the rest of these grunts deal with the cleanup. You coming, Shadow?”
Leaving the scene to be dealt by the security teams, Obsidian and Shadow made their way through the building, back towards the chamber’s entrance. As soon as they were far enough away from the others, the zebra spoke up. “So much for a relaxing mini-holiday.”
“We attract trouble,” Obsidian stated. “And if it doesn’t come to us, we seek it out ourselves.”
“Which was it this time?”
“Eh, a combination of both. I went to speak with that pilot. When we returned to the entrance area, I noticed the guard by the door was missing. Bit of blood on the table. Cameras were tampered with. That’s about the time the chaos began.”
“Hmm. I’d be interested to know how one individual managed to infiltrate one of the most secure buildings on this planet.”
“I’m sure he wasn’t working alone. What did I miss when I was gone?”
“Elohim had Khamari brought to the podium for questioning, regarding the Gaalsien and their relationship with the Raiders, plus their research base. That’s about the time you arrived.”
Obsidian hummed. “Those two would be the only possible candidates for a hit. At least on the podium, where the assassin was aiming. The rest were our guys, or security. What do you think? Destabilise Hiigara by taking out their … what is he? A benevolent dictator? Whatever. Or silence a prisoner with intel?”
“Both seem like perfect targets, though the timing makes me suspect the latter.”
“Agreed. Someone would have gone to a lot of trouble to get into this building. I’m sure there are easier ways to take out Nabaal. Given that Khamari has been under tight security, I guess this would have been the last opportunity to kill him, before divulging sensitive information.”
Returning to the Daiamid chamber, Obsidian and Shadow found the place had been mostly evacuated. The few representatives who remained were surrounded by security forces, all of whom had their weapons at the ready and aimed in different directions, while waiting their turn to exit without trampling others.
Amidst the chaos, Glare, Sparky, Swift, and Shift were immediately spotted down on the podium. Khamari sat on the floor, with part of his white clothing torn and stained red. Elohim and his security detail remained close by. Approaching the group, Obsidian could hear Glare talking to Khamari.
“I know it hurts. I just need to apply more pressure, okay?” Placing more of her weight on her front hooves, Glare levitated a first aid kit closer, retrieving dressings and white bandages. As she finished securing the first roll of bandages, she heard hooves behind her. “Obsidian, that you back there?”
“Yeah, you okay? What happened to—”
“Shot in the arm. And I’m fine.” Lost in concentration, Glare continued wrapping another roll of bandages around Khamari’s arm. “Just give me one moment to … There. You should be fine for now.” Turning toward Obsidian and Shadow, Glare was relieved to find the pair unscathed. “What happened with the assassin?”
“He’s dead. Took his life. That weapon he used, though? Anyone know what it was?”
“It was a coilgun,” Khamari groaned. “Not something a soldier would use, but perfect for an assassin. Can build one out of common enough parts, and fire anything influenced by magnetic fields. No serial numbers, no paper trails. Makes them untraceable.”
Obsidian gave Khamari a look over. “Considering the lack of urgency, I take it you’re going to live?”
“The round was not fatal. Went straight through my shoulder.”
“Good thing Obsidian showed up when he did,” Shadow commented.
“Probably wouldn’t have made a difference,” Khamari stated. “Those rounds are usually coated with some sort of poison as a backup.”
Elohim squinted at the Gaalsien. “You seem to know a suspicious amount of information on this matter.”
“That person was after me, not you. Some third-party gun for hire, tasked to stop me from talking. Raiders have employed such tactics in the past.” Turning to Glare, Khamari added, “I told you. They wouldn’t have taken kindly to me being here, even if I hadn’t willingly shared my knowledge. All I’ve done now is put those Gaalsien who aren’t loyal to the Turanic Raiders in peril.”
Glare remained stubborn. “As that interceptor pilot said earlier on, it’s not over until it’s over. Obsidian, see if you can find where that round landed. Hopefully someone around here can test it for any poisons. In the meantime, we need to get Khamari a proper Doctor.”
Airlifted to a hospital near one of the city’s rivers, Khamari remained under guard, while awaiting the results of numerous tests. Reluctantly dragged along with Glare, Obsidian stood by the window, watching the water flow lazily by. All he could do was to count the hours down until Swift and Shift would arrive and take watch. While Khamari rested on the bed, Glare sat by the opposite wall and waited patiently.
After what had happened, Obsidian was not surprised at the security presence in the hospital. Four Sobani soldiers remained outside the room, plus another two inside, by the corners closest to the door. From what he overheard by another eight soldiers on the same floor, several snipers watched from afar. Though he did not get an exact number, Obsidian borrowed one soldier’s binoculars and occupied himself with searching for them. So far, he managed to locate one hiding in thick vegetation along the river bank, and another in a dumpster.
“Third one across the river,” the changeling announced. “Small apartment complex with the orange tiled roof. Missing tile near one corner with a muzzle visible.”
A voice on the soldiers’ open comms replied, “Hey, Jaan, if he gets one more, you owe me that fifty!”
“Three in two hours,” another voice replied. “I’m regretting taking on that bet now.”
Obsidian turned around at the sound of the door opening. The Doctor who had been assigned to Khamari walked in with a thin folder of loose papers. “Well, I can’t say I’ve got much in the way of good news,” he addressed the patient. “Since the bullet went through you, the amount of poison in your system isn’t as high as it could have been. All that means however, is that it’s spreading through your body at a slower rate. Lab results indicate the substance is a metabolic poison designed to permanently stop your body from producing its basic energy unit, adenosine triphosphate.”
“Can you stop it from spreading?” Glare enquired.
The Doctor shook his head. “I’m afraid not. There’s no known cure. Even if the amount of poison was small enough to not affect him fully, the damage would still be sufficient to rob him of sustaining basic bodily functions.”
Glare frowned. An idea quickly came to mind. “Obsidian, get over here. What if you transferred energy with Khamari?”
Standing beside Glare, Obsidian shrugged. “Wouldn’t hurt to try.”
“I’d rather be left to my fate, than to go through that again,” Khamari replied, his voice strained with fatigue.
“He won’t take anything from you this time,” Glare reassured. “The transfer is only from him to you.”
Khamari sighed. “Fine. Make it quick.”
Receiving a nod of approval from Glare, Obsidian concentrated. A brief stream of magic left Obsidian’s body and became absorbed by Khamari. “There. That should be enough.” Facing the Doctor, Obsidian asked, “The effects on his energy should be instant. How will we know if that bought him more time, though?”
“I could run some additional tests. It would help narrow things down if I knew how that transfer worked, though.”
Obsidian sat down and thought. “When you ran the first set of tests on him, did you check his levels of glycogen?”
“No. Why?”
“In my species, the transfer causes it to concentrate in our muscles. We have a high capacity for glycogen, but I don’t know enough about your physiology and ability to convert it into other forms of energy, so the transfer’s effectiveness would likely vary.”
“I suppose I can check his levels now, then again in a few hours to compare the difference. The scanner should still be free, so unless there are any objections, I’ll take him straight away.”
Giving a single nod, Obsidian watched one of the soldiers wheel Khamari away, with the Doctor and second soldier following close by. “Right,” he said to Glare. “I’ll call Isak. The sooner we get back to the hotel, the sooner we can forget today and go home.”
Glare grabbed Obsidian’s hoof. “Wait.”
“What is it?”
“Obsidian, we can’t just let Khamari die. We need to help him. You need to help him.”
“I doubt there’s any practical solution. Assuming I did in fact help him, each transfer will only prolong his life by … I don’t know, a few hours, to a day. I’d need to be with him indefinitely.”
“If that’s what it takes, so be it. We need Khamari.”
Obsidian looked into Glare’s eyes. He could sense the concern and fear in them. “What happened with the Daiamid while I was gone?”
“Khamari tried to explain everything. No one believed him.”
“And you did?”
“I believe he’s telling the truth, yes. He knows the location of the research base.”
“So he told everyone where it is, then?”
“Uhh, not exactly. He wanted some assurance first. In exchange for his assistance, amnesty for any Gaalsien who wants it, as well as Hiigaran citizenship rights.”
Obsidian rolled his eyes. “I’m guessing that wouldn’t have gone down well with the other Hiigarans.”
“Not even after Khamari told everyone that the Raiders know how to use the Progenitor hyperspace gates.”
The changeling blinked. “The hyperspace gates? As in …”
“Yes, like the one responsible for our introduction to all of this. It was only meant to be activated with Sajuuk, and the Hiigarans never figured out any alternative methods of activation. Somehow, the Raiders succeeded. The fact that they can navigate this galactic network explains so much.”
Obsidian scrutinised the information. “And how is Khamari relevant to this?”
“He can activate the gates. Long story short, he needs to be physically present for the activation and transition.”
“Seems a little too convenient. I take it no one believed that part?”
Glare shook her head. “Sounded too much like a captured soldier leading the enemy into a trap, especially since the jump would only work for one ship with this method.”
“A lot of unknowns here. Could be an ambush on the other side of wherever those gates lead, for one. Then there’s the question of whether a two-seater craft is taken, or a fully loaded carrier. Take the first option, and risk having Khamari escape easily. Take the second option, and risk losing every ship and crew member aboard that carrier. Not hard to see why no one would trust Khamari on this.”
“Trust is now irrelevant. Do you think such a large research base was made for the development of just one weapon? Khamari says the base has gone into the final stages of perfecting a stable hyperspace window in gravity.”
At this point, Obsidian’s concerns increased. “So gravity well generators, or hyperspace inhibitors, or whatever they’re called … They’ll be useless? Like the network surrounding our world?”
“That, and worse. What else has gravity?”
“Uhh, planets?”
“And?”
“Stars? Wait, you’re not suggesting—”
“Do you have any idea what would happen if an outgoing window were to be established near or on the surface of the sun, while an incoming window opened in a planet’s atmosphere?”
“Did anyone mention this in the chamber?”
“Yes. It was dismissed as science fiction fantasy. That hyperspace windows simply do not work that way. Others claimed that no ship would be able to get close enough to a star to initiate hyperspace, without being destroyed from the radiation.”
Obsidian exhaled slowly. “Alright, so what do you suggest we do?”
“We’ve got until tomorrow to commit to something. I’m going to do whatever I can, but if all options are exhausted … You’re not going to like what I have in mind.”