“Lieia!”

The woman in question flinched, almost dropping her duffel bag. She turned around, seeing Celestia canter up to her.

“Yeah?”

“I just saw a dropship set down in the courtyard.”

“I know.”

“What? How-“ Realisation dawned across the mare’s features and she shook her head unbelievingly.

“It’s time for me to go, Cel.”

“No.”

“I have to.” Lieia repeated; her voice barely louder than a whisper.

“No! I refuse to let you go!” Celestia objected, holding her tears back.

“Do you now, Celestia?” The alicorn shrunk back guiltily at the sharp tone in Lieia’s voice.

“I-I didn’t mean to say that…” She muttered sadly, hearing a weary sigh from the woman in front of her.

“Look, I’ll be honest with you, Cel. It might be a while before we see each other again. But Coalition’s sending survey teams over. They’ll explore this planet and give you the juiciest offer for joining the Coalition. You’ll be the third co-leader of our government, should you accept, giving you leverage. Of course, you’ll need to construct a fleet and a military force, but that’s for you to decide. Simply put, you might be able to find me more easily. Come on. Be strong. Can you be strong for me, Celly?”

“I will try, Lieia. For you.” Lieia wrapped her arms around Celestia, hugging her tightly, failing to stifle a sob of her own.

“Damn it all to hell, I hate crying.” She managed to utter. They stood there, motionless, trying to delay the moment they both dreaded.

Lieia pushed Celestia away reluctantly, but the mare didn’t let go, instead hugging the woman tighter. She tried again, but Celestia started crying, begging her not to go. Eventually, she managed to push the sobbing alicorn away. There she sat on the floor, sad and defeated. Lieia couldn’t bear this anymore and walked away before she burst into tears.

“Lieia!” Celestia’s pleading, tearful voice nearly did it for her, almost flooring her.

“I… I’m sorry.” Casting a last tearful glance at the alicorn, Lieia left. Minutes later, the small flier took off, heading for its mothership.

Fluttershy found Celestia in Lieia’s old quarters.

“Um… Princess?”

“She’s gone.”

“What?”

“Lieia. She left an hour ago.” She looked sadly at the non-descript walls. Lieia had removed all of her personal belongings. Celestia guessed that she was now the one whom the base belonged to. Still, everything seemed different without Lieia.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Princess. What will you do now?”

“I will wait until she returns.”

“…” The butter-yellow pegasus poked at the floor absent-mindedly.

“Fluttershy?”

“Yes, Princess?”

“I could really use a hug now.” Without a pause, the shy pony had wrapped her forelegs around Celestia’s shoulders, hugging her.

“There, Princess. It’ll be alright. She’ll be back, you’ll see.”

“I dearly hope so, Fluttershy. I miss her so much already.”

As Lieia had predicted, representatives arrived next week, carrying out a survey and presenting their offer to her and Luna. To her surprise, they did not spin tall tales like Equestrian nobility, instead aptly presenting their case to them. The deal was signed and the Equestrians became a true member of the Coalition. Surely enough, freighters arrived, carrying parts for the starbase and drydocks. Additional surveys of space revealed very expansive asteroid fields, rich in high-grade ore, something that helped cement the alicorns’ position. With the princesses’ permission, a refinery was established near the asteroids. Also, the news of ‘space ponies’ reached the Coalition citizens, bringing an influx of tourists and travellers to Equestria, a significant boon to their economy. Though they managed to build a small fleet and triple the number of their ground troops, they rarely took part in combat operations, happy to stick with patrol and escort duties. In time, the Equestrian regiments established themselves as some of the most reliable Marines the Coalition could field.

In a strange surge of inspiration, Luna started a moonbase, establishing a useful outpost for fleets that moved through Equestrian space. She jokingly called it the ‘New Lunar Republic’.

Celestia often would talk to Lieia over the communications web that now included Equestria. Her career had soared somewhat, having been promoted to a Colonel and taken control of a battlegroup of her own, proceeding to pursue a campaign of terror against the Vasari. She even became an impromptu celebrity after a while, having allowed a couple of reporters to join her fleet. From what Celestia gleaned, Lieia had earned the loyalty of the troops under her command with her daring tactics. As a couple of the soldiers remarked, she was ‘the craziest damn commander we’ve ever served under, but she gets the job done.’

There was trouble, though. It turned out that the now-dead Santor Alexi, the former leader of Coalition, had a child, Ayra Alexi. To Celestia, the young woman reminded of Prince Blueblood – vain, spoiled and arrogant. Ayra immediately tried to assume control of Coalition, neglecting the fact her blood relations meant nothing. That didn’t go down too well with Lieia, of course. The two women instantly became mortal enemies.

“Well, that’s good news, Cel.” Lieia sighed, her eyes narrowing slightly as the screen flickered for a moment. “Damn. Looks like we’re getting out of the relay’s range. I’ll call you as soon as I can. I love you.”

“I love you too, Lieia. Take care of yourself.”

“I always do.” Lieia grinned in response.

Famous last words.

It was June 7th by Coalition time when the long-awaited counter-offensive started. Of course, Lieia was at the front, sending her ships on a bold move behind the enemy lines where a weak spot had been distinguished by the Imperial Intelligence. The entire battlegroup was lost to a thousands-strong Vasari fleet that the Coalition barely managed to fend off, nearly disrupting their plans for the attack. But no sign of Lieia, either. With no way to reach the planet where her forces met their untimely demise, they could only wait. Celestia spent many a sleepless night, willing for her to have survived.

Three months later, her prayers had been answered. Lieia returned, with some other POWs from the prison where she’d been held, along with some Vasari defectors. There was more to the war than it seemed.

Celestia was conferring with Denaros and Gyliel through a video call when it happened. The doors to the room were torn from the hinges and a very pissed Lieia strode in, heading straight for Ayra, pausing only to grab a chair and lug it at her. With a yelp, Ayra dodged the projectile, staring in surprise at Lieia, who snarled in anger.

“YOU PIECE OF SHIT!” A pair of Marines rushed over, trying to restrain her, but failed.

“I’LL FUCKING KILL YOU!” Denaros acted, moving in front of the trembling woman.

“Lieia! What is the meaning of this?” Said Colonel barely restrained from punching the elderly man, and Celestia knew it was only the immense respect Lieia felt for him that had saved him from a certain death.

“That. Slut. Is. A. Damn. Traitor.” She ground out, pointing at Ayra.

“What?” Gyliel asked, aghast.

“She is responsible for the loss of my battlegroup. Now, Denaros… Let me past.” Her eyes narrowed to murderous slits.

“No.”

“Revenge demands blood. Her blood.” She pointed a unmoving finger at Ayra.

“You have no proof I did anything! You lie!” Ayra declared shakily, just as three EXOs arrived, encircling Lieia, letting Denaros distance himself from her.

“No one will care when you’re dead, bitch!” She screamed, finally succumbing to her anger, tossing one of the EXOs out of her way, just as she was restrained by his comrades.

“Seventy-five thousand men and women, dead! Dead because this cocksucking piece of shit thought she could play at war and screw me over! Well, guess what, you traitorous little bitch, you’re wrong! And I will kill you, even if it kills ME!” She screamed, trying to dislodge the EXOs holding her. All Celestia could do was watch in horror.

“You would do well to calm down, Colonel! You’re treading on thin ice as it is!” Ayra quipped smugly.

Wrong thing to do.

“YOU WERE THERE! You watched as those Vasari fucks sliced me up, put me back together, and carved me up again just for fun! And you just stood there, laughing!” She struggled some more, before slowly calming down, but it was a cold sort of calm. She shook off the EXOs holding her.

“Get the fuck off me.” She turned to leave, glaring at Ayra venomously.

“You’ll regret being born. That I can promise you.” With that sentence, she left. Celestia was stunned, of course.

“W-what just happened?” She muttered, turning to look at Denaros.

“I have no idea.”

Lieia deserted that day, disgusted with Coalition. Celestia could not find her, too, but something important came up. The Vasari defectors had important news for Nell-Tiray. It became known that her daughter, Tala’Hiri the Shadowsong was alive, but a captive of the Vasari leader. Charra’Tiil, leader of the defectors, sought asylum for her people. Though the young Vasari was mistrustful of others, she helped as much as she could.

But that is a different story altogether.

After seeing nor hide or hair from Lieia for two weeks, the Coalition concluded she had gone into hiding. They were wrong. She had much bigger plans for the war.

With several Corsev-class freighters on the loan from East Valc Front militia, she staged an assault on the freshly-completed Ragnarov Titan, boarding the warship with pirate mercenaries, taking it for herself. What happened next was described as the most monumental event in the history of Coalition.

Lieia returned to Linv, claiming the throne and the title of Rebel Queen, also designating the Titan her flagship, naming it Celestia. Hours later, Lexmada announced that they were throwing their lot in with the Rebel Queen. Various Trader militia fleets also flocked to Linv. Numerous pirates, enticed by her promises of full pardons, should they abandon their marauding ways, renounced Brass Jaw, the pirate leader, and joined the Rebels. Provians soon followed suit, adding their forces to her rag-tag fleets of motley ships. The Asahi Empire and Asli weren’t unmoved by this great shattering of unity, either. Various Asli and Imperial fleets deserted, placing themselves under Lieia’s command. Her rebellion had torn the Coalition apart. Even various Vasari commanders left the Exodus Fleet, disgusted by the Lord’s constant failing of the Vasari people. The Rebel Queen swore she would help restore their civilisation, promising she would put an end to the war, one way or another.

“What is the price of peace? The complete and utter destruction of our enemies. And we will annihilate them. Where they try to strike back, we will crush them with impunity. Where they threaten our planets, we will burn them from existence! We shall not rest until they are nothing but memories!” Lieia was stirring up the crowd with her speech, looking every bit the fierce, confident leader her people needed. Celestia’s heart swelled with pride, but she still felt worry for Lieia. The woman seemed increasingly haggard, bearing a haunted look.

She is driving herself too hard. Why doesn’t she talk to me? Surely she can contact me.

Those questions, however, did not help her whatsoever.

That’s it! Enough is enough! It’s time to pay somepony a visit. But first, let’s take care of some business.

In the end, she’d found out Blueblood had been responsible for the attack.

Motherbucker.

Celestia had been furious to find out her nephew had attempted to raze Ponyville. She had assembled the First Company, raiding his estate and locking him up in the long-unused dungeons, leaving him at Luna’s ‘mercy’, if you could call it as such. The midnight-blue mare had smiled knowingly when Celestia had announced her intentions of visiting Lieia.

“You just go on, Tia. I have everything under control. Blueblood will pay for his transgressions.”

Still, that didn’t solve finding Lieia. She never told where she was, instead staying on the move. Fortunately, she had help.

A Lieutenant by the name of Sal Corrin, a Coalition officer working with Asli recon fleets. A friend of Lieia’s. She recognised the woman from Lieia’s photo, the one she’d taken in boot camp.

“Ms Corrin, good to meet you.”

“I’m Sal. Ms Corrin is my mother. So, what can I do for you, Princess?”

“It’s about Lieia.” Sal chuckled at that.

“Yeah. She’s a piece of work, huh?”

“She is quite something indeed.”

“She named the Ragnarov after you as well. What gives?”

“I’m afraid it’s a secret. But that is not why I am here. Can you find her for me?”

“I already did.” Sal grinned crookedly.

“What?” Celestia gasped in surprise.

“I always come prepared. When you mentioned Lee, I was sure you’d ask me to find her. You and her must be in cahoots, eh?”

“W-we’re good friends, and I am worried about her. She seems to carry a great burden.” Celestia held back her blush, not willing to let Sal know how close she was to truth.

“She’s at Linv, actually. She likes to spread misinformation to keep safe. Go and see her, Princess. Give her my regards.”

Celestia swallowed nervously. The imposing warship that shared her name was looming in front of her. Luckily, her shuttle had been admitted to land once her name had been mentioned to Lieia.

The Rebel Queen looked at Celestia levelly.

“Princess Celestia. To what do I owe this pleasure?”

“It’s… it’s me, Lieia. I wanted to see how you were doing. I wanted to talk to you.” Who was this cold, uncaring woman? What had happened to Lieia?

“Talk? We can do that. I currently have a free spot in my timetable. If you’d follow me…” She led Celestia to a waiting tram.

They disembarked somewhere. Where exactly, Celestia didn’t know.

“Lieia? Where is this? I-“ She was interrupted as the woman in question leapt at her, kissing her fiercely. She backpedalled, startled, but then calmed down, kissing back. The kiss seemed to last for ages. Lieia drew back after a while, smiling warmly.

“Nice of you to drop by, Celly.” Next Chapter: Chapter 27 Estimated time remaining: 1 Hour, 20 Minutes