They weren’t kept waiting five minutes before the sounds of a rushing crowd echoed down an unseen hallway beyond. And a few seconds later, Ocellus appeared. She didn’t wear a jumpsuit like her guards, only a little metal crown and a satchel for a computation surface. She was surrounded by half a dozen attendants—some of them changelings, a few of them apparently ponies, and one a Forerunner drone. It was almost an absurd sight—a pony in charge of so many changelings. Yet Sarah could feel the loyalty these others felt for her. Whatever happened here, they thought of Ocellus with something like reverence. Maybe having a leader whose affection you can eat helps them be more loyal. 