June 4th, 2307 SET.  Apple Harvest Colony-Apple Harvest System

Rainbow Dash and Applejack had left the office and started towards the third and final landing pad.  Around them ponies were moving to and fro, going about their business.  “Good thing it ain’t harvest season yet, otherwise there would be no way we could help ya’ll with the Dauntless,” Applejack said, watching her colonists carry different materials towards the landing pads.  From there, shuttles would ferry the supplies to the damaged ship that was in low orbit.  She tracked one of the shuttles all the way up into the hangar of the Dauntless.  “Ya’ know for only being in dock for a day, she looks much better than she did before,” Applejack said, “Your engineer crews are really good at what they do, wish mah’ ponies were as good as yours.”

“Well, maybe I can talk to the new XO of the Dauntless and see if they can’t spare some ponies to help you down here, since you guys are helping us up there,” Rainbow replied, pointing towards the sky.

Applejack stared at her friend for a moment with a quizzical expression, “a what now? An ecks-ohh?”

“Oh right, an XO is an executive officer, the pony who is in charge of the ship when the captain is relieved of duty.  I don’t know who it is now though, since the Colonel was KIA as was most of the bridge crew,” Rainbow replied softly.  While Applejack had talked some sense into her about how it wasn’t her fault, she was still upset about the loses.

“KIA? Rainbow Ah don’t know your fancy acronyms,” Applejack chuckled.

“Killed in action,” Rainbow replied softly.

“Oh...Well, who do ya’ think it would be?  Wasn’t your squadron leader, Ace Ah’ think her name was, the commander of the Lancer wings?  Would that put her into the captain's chair?” Applejack asked.  As if on cue, Ace and Spectre trotted over from the landing pad that a shuttle had just recently landed on.  “Guess we’ll get to find out won’t we?”

As Ace approached, Rainbow flashed a quick salute.  “At ease, no need for protocol right now Bolt, we have more pressing matters to deal with.  An ESI ship contacted the Dauntless a little while ago, requesting to meet with the highest ranking officer and the Wing Commander,” she paused for a moment and looked around, almost desperately, “and that means me and somepony else,” Ace moaned, clearly not thrilled by the idea of having to talk to an ESI officer.

“Doesn’t that make you the acting captain of the Dauntless too, Ace?” Rainbow asked.

“No, thankfully it doesn’t.  I already hate being the Lancer wing commander, can’t imagine what it would be like being a captain of an entire ship...” Ace trailed off before shaking her head and facing her comrades.  “From what I understand, the spook that’s here was sent to carry out the orders of the ESI.  If ESI is digging their hooves into our operation, then you can bet something interesting is bound to happen,” Ace finished with a sigh.

The four ponies stood there silently for a moment until a dull roar was heard over head.  The ponies angled their heads high and saw another ship, slightly smaller then the Dauntless descend into low orbit before halting.

“What kind o’ ship is that?  Ah ain’t ever seen one like that before,” Applejack asked, her eyes fixed on the shining new object in the sky.

“That would be an ESI prowler, Midnight-class.  She's quick and stealthy, being able to accelerate to around 24 kilometers per second, and has a mean bite to her too. The stealth field it creates is actually a combination of Unicorn magic and refraction technology.  The Midnight-class is about ten meters shorter than a Pegusi-frigate, and has a crew of about fifty,” Rainbow said, eyes gazing up above.  The other three turned to her, confused looks on their faces.  She looked around her, “What?  I can know stuff!” she said, coming off as slightly offended.

“Maybe this spook can answer a few questions, like why in the name of Celestia our reinforcements were held back?” Spectre chimed in, breaking the awkward silence.

“Yeah, good question Spec’,” Ace said, her eyes focused back on the sky.  “Here comes the shuttle, suppose we should go meet this ESI agent, eh?”  The other three nodded their heads in agreement and set off in the direction of the distant landing platform.

“Ah’ gots a question as well, how did the Shadow Syndicate get those two destroyers in system without anypony noticing?  Ships that big don’t have a cloaking device do they?” Applejack asked, curiosity and concern spread across her face.

“No, at least, none of our ships of that size can cloak.  Even the Pegusi-class Frigate can’t cloak, the Midnight-class prowler is the largest ship in the NESC armory that can.  Even then, the cloak is still in the early field runs, very new technology...” Rainbow muttered, her face contorted in thought.

“Rainbow, where did you get this freaky amount of knowledge about ships n’ such?  It’s almost as freaky as Fluttershy’s knowledge about sewing,” Applejack teased.

Rainbow turned to her friend, “In flight school, we had to sit through countless hours of history and tech sessions.  I didn’t care about the history, that's boring, but when the technical info about ships started flowing, I started listening.  I like ships; ships are cool,” she finished, adjusting the collar on her flight jacket.  Rainbow cast a glance over the small settlement, losing herself in thought again.  “Applejack, you openly attacked a Shadow Syndicate task force, aren’t you worried that they will come after you?”

Applejack’s face turned solemn, “Well, to be honest Rainbow, this wasn’t the first time we had to deal with the rebels, although they never really flat out attacked us.”

It was Rainbow’s turn to stare at her friend in shock, “You mean to tell me that you have had contact with the rebels before, and you didn’t bother to contact the NESC or the NEX headquarters?”

“Well...eh, no.  I mean, it wasn’t like it was something we couldn’t handle on our own.  Ya’ll seen us, we know how to fight, and they didn’t come back to mess with us again until now.  And I suppose that ain’t exactly accurate neither, we did let on to NESC that there was rebel commotion out here’.  Why do ya’ll think yall’re here in the first place?” Applejack said with a smirk.

“I doubt the rebels would just let you sit here. This planet is part of the NEX after all.” Rainbow chided.

“Well doubt wasn’t a luxury I could afford, so I had to make sure they didn’t attack,” Applejack said slyly.

Ace’s turned to speak, “What do you mean, ‘they didn’t flat out attack you’?”

Applejack tried to answer discretely, “I mean, they didn’t come in here guns blazing.”

“And why not?  There must have been some incentive for them to come into a New Equestrian Expanse colony and not start blasting,” Ace pushed on.

Applejack’s face turned dark, “Listen here, I did what I had to to save my colony and her residents, and I ain’t sayin’ I’m proud of it,” she sighed quickly before continuing.  “We... had struck a deal with the rebels.  Access to our system for access to a few of their ships and they left us in peace.  I assume they gave us some ships to help them if the time came, but that didn’t go over well in hindsight did it?”

The three pilots stopped in their tracks, staring in disbelief at the orange mare in front of them.  Rainbow’s eye twitched, “You...what?”

“Rainbow I-”

Ace jumped in, “Making a deal with the Shadow Syndicate is treason...”

“I know but I-”

“Not only is it treason, but you betrayed your loyalty to the New Equestrian Expanse and to Celestia and Luna,” Rainbow said disgustedly.

Applejack stomped the ground, demanding attention, “Now listen here, put yourself in my position: A bunch of ponies armed to the teeth come to a small, weaponless colony demanding the use of our system under threat of death.  What did you expect me to do?  Say no?  While ya’ll may be right about betraying my loyalty to the Princesses, I wasn’t about to put my loyalty to a group of ponies who are safe inside their fortress thousands of light years away over the lives of my colonists who are right here!” she grunted, casting a hoof over the town.  “If ya’ll gonna’ judge me for what I did, so be it, but do you remember who saved yall’s hide up there?”  She said it as more of a statement then a question.

Ace took a step forward, “Is that a challenge?”

“Maybe it is, I’m not a bad pilot myself,” Applejack held her ground.

“Challenge accepted,” Ace sneered, confidence spread across her face.  Applejack stepped forward, pressing her forehead against Ace’s, both of them staring each other down.  They might have started fighting had Rainbow and Spectre not pried them apart.

“Applejack no, this situation is already bad, don’t make it worse,” Rainbow warned.  Applejack replied with a snort, green eyes locked onto Ace.

“Ace, Dash is right, let’s not get into a fight with the locals.  We are, after all, receiving their support,” Spectre murmured into his squadron leader’s ear.  Her response was a huff, her own emerald eyes not ever loosing sight of the orange pony in front of her.

“Peace?” Applejack said cooly.  A swift nod was the response, and Applejack spat onto her hoof and held it out, Ace quickly returning the favor.  A dark grin crawled over Applejack’s face, “Never thought any of you fly ponies would know about this hoofshake, ‘cept Rainbow.”

“Same with all of you colony ponies, I mean you all seem so clean and tidy,” Ace shot back.

“I’m an apple bucker, I know plenty of hoofshakes,” Applejack said, proud of herself.

“Uh huh...so you’re a farmer pony, and you think you can beat me in the skies?”

“You betcha’.”

The two ponies knocked heads again, staring each other down.  Rainbow face hoofed, “Applejack please, It’s bad enough knowing that you openly made a deal with the rebels.”

Applejack gave a good long stare at Ace before turning to her friend, “listen Rainbow, I’m truly sorry that I betrayed your trust, but I’m hoping to gain it back by being honest here.  Ya’ understand where I’m coming from with this right?”

Rainbow sighed before nodding, “I know AJ, none of us will bring this up with the ESI or anyone else,” Rainbow stared at her squad-mates before continuing, “Right?”

“Right,” was the unanimous reply, although begrudgingly from Ace. The walk to the dock was continued in silence as most of the ponies wondered what awaited them. AJ, her colony, and Ace her position.

Upon reaching the landing pad which the shuttle was perched, the large group was greeted by a mysterious looking stallion in a well kept dress uniform, flanked by two equally mysterious looking guards. AJ and Ace approached the small ensemble while the rest of their group stayed behind, loathe to get into the ESI’s business.

His gruff voice rumbled to the two approaching ponies, “Applejack, Mustang and squad come with us.”  AJ and Ace complied, fear hidden beneath calm demeanour's.  The seven ponies entered the shuttle, and the door closed behind them, the hiss of atmospheric pressurization greeting them.