Operation Sombra

Five minutes before the jump ended, the alarms sounded, calling all crews to general stations. The ships were full of activity as marines scrambled for weapons, pilots prepared their fighters, and gunners charged their cannons.

Gilda was in the main left hanger of the L.S.S. Crescent, her own ship, flying a few feet above a holographic table with Fluttershy and Dash. Fury and the other four friends stood below, also eyeing the table for when the jump ended.

With a jerk, all the ships came out of jump. The holographic table lit up, showing the positions of friendly and enemy ships, along with the flashes of traded long-range shots. The groups eyes widened at the large number of red ships. The Discordiants had seen them coming!

Gilda gave orders like she always did; at the top of her lungs. "All ships, you have full permission to engage the enemy! Priority targets include space stations, orbital defense satellites, and enemy capital ships. Protect those troop transports! You have full confirmation on heavy weapons! That includes nukes and SMACs! Move!"

Fury started giving status checks. "Enemy units being diverted from Ruby. Gilda, they knew we were coming here! Around Emerald I read eighteen capital ships with numerous escorts. From Ruby their sending another six. They'll be all over us in ninety seconds. We need to establish a perimeter, or we're going to be sitting ducks."

Gilda nodded. "All fighter squadrons, enemy warships just jumped from Ruby, coming here. I've fed you estimated exit spots. Move to intercept. Dark Sun and Radiant Gold, assist them." Two of the cruisers moved to follow the leaving fighters. Meanwhile, the eighteen enemy capital ships already there moved in range. "All remaining ships, aim for power centers! I want those enemy ships disabled for us to blow them out of the sky!"

As she finished that, a blast rocked the Crescent. Applejack spoke all their thoughts. "What in the hay was that!"

Fury, using his magic, checked the dashboard. "Damn, it's those anti-air cannons. They must be more powerful than we thought! They're slugging ground-to-space rounds at us!"

Gilda shook her head. "All ships, fall back behind Emeralds moon. That way, we'll be out of sight from those guns." Then, she grabbed her shotgun, and started walking out of the hanger.

Twilight asked first. "What are you doing?"

Fury nodded. "Yeah, Gil, where are you going?"

Gilda stopped, but didn't turn. "I know Twilights limitations. She can't teleport us to the surface from the far side of the moon."

Fluttershy spoke then. "Well, what are we, um, going to do?"

Gilda chuckled faintly. "Ever heard of a boarding torpedo?"

...

They all sat in that cramped, cylindrical space of the torpedo. It was a missile, literally, made to carry troops into the heart of an enemy warship or space installation quickly and with much devastation. They were going to use it for a new purpose. Long-range drop pod.

Of course, Fluttershy had her doubts, and was shivering in her seat, sweating uncontrollably.

"So," said Twilight, seeing Fluttershy's fear, whispered to Gilda, who was next to her, "Um, is a boarding torpedo safe when re-entering the atmosphere?"

Gilda just looked at her, smiling weakly, and said, "Well, hold on."

Twilight blinked, proccessing those words. She never answered her question.

*Clink* *BANG*

Twilight was thrown into her seat as the rocket ignited, sending them at extreme speeds.

Fluttershy fainted. Rarity closed her eyes. Applejack tried to hold her stomach (unsuccessfully might I add.). Rainbow Dash simply sat there like it was nothing but a child's ride at an amusement park.

Then, they hit the atmosphere. If it was rough before, there was no describing the atmosphere entry. Fury was the last one to loose his contents of breakfast, causing the compartment to smell so bad it rivaled the stench of death itself.

Then came the landing. It was like hitting a boulder going seventy miles per hour on the freeway. It hit under the canopy of a thick jungle.

After a moment, the front hatch opened, spilling out the bodily fluids that had built up on the floor of the torpedo. The first out was Dash, gun up, ready to go. Everypony else came out slowly, sick to the stomach. No pony said anything. They were too shaken to do so. Finally, Pinkie, who had eaten an extremely large amount of food on the Crescent before, decided she couldn't hold her stomach anymore than the others. That broke the silence.

Rainbow spoke first, smiling comically. "Alright, who wants to go again?"