"Twilight, all I want to know is, did we lose them?"
"Well, judging from how fast we saw those alien ships move earlier, I highly doubt it. I don't see them on our scanners, but they could be jamming them somehow."
Captain Rarity sighed and leaned back in her command chair. This has to be the worst possible thing. Ever. Of all time.
"Do you know where we are at least?" Twilight shook her head. "Sat-nav's down along with most of our communication and navigation systems." Twilight responded grimly.
Rarity sighed once more and started rubbing her temples. I feel a migraine coming on... At least they were alive. "What about our weapons?"
Twilight consulted her console for a second before turning back with a small smile. "The Magnetic Accelerator Cannon is online and we still have plenty of missile's left. Oh, and the point defense guns are up and running."
Rarity allowed herself a small grin. We can at least fight if need be. "And what of the fighters?" Rarity asked hopefully. Twilight turned away again to consult with her computer before turning back to Rarity.
"We still have two dozen fighters prepped and ready to launch on your command." She responded.
"Ma'am, we are about to drop out of slipspace." One of the bridge crew interrupted. "Shut down all non-required systems. I want us running dark as soon as we exit slipspace." Rarity ordered. She received a chorus of yes ma'ams.
Rarity looked at Twilight once more. "Order all personnel to mobilize. We may have to repel boarders." Twilight nodded and relayed Rarity's orders through the comm system. Rarity slumped back in her chair and tapped a button on her armrest. "Time to wake up Dash." She said quietly as the bridge became a blur of activity.
Applejack walked down the line of assembled Marines. "This is it kids." She barked. "This aint no trainin sim, these are real aliens who are gonna come knockin on our doors. Stay close with yer squad mates and pick yer targets wisely, do ah make myself clear!?" The assembled Marines shouted "Yes Sargent!" in unison
Applejack nodded in satisfaction. "Damn straight. You greenhorns who were hopin ta see action are about ta get plenty." Applejack stated as she cycled the bolt of her assault rifle. Just as she did that, she felt the telltale lurch of the ship exiting slipspace.
"Alert, enemy boarding craft on an intercept course." Twilights disembodied voice rang out. "All fire teams to your stations. Good luck."
"Lets show E.T. what we ponies are made of!" Applejack shouted. The Marines bellowed a battle cry and charged out the doors, prepared to fight to the end.
Applebloom listened to Twilights announcement from inside her M808 "Scorpion" Tank. If them aliens come in ma garage, their in for one helluva surprise. She thought. Pressing down on the activation button, Applebloom smiled as she heard her tanks massive engine roar to life. A similar sound echoed from the 10 other Scorpions gathered in the ships massive vehicle bay.
Alas, the mighty tanks wouldn't be of much help in this fight. Once the aliens realized they couldn't take the vehicle bay (For obvious reasons), they would simply bypass it.
But consarnet, a'hm gonna blow somethin up today. Ah don't care if it's just one alien, ahm gonna blow it up with some straight up 90mm divine intervention! Applebloom thought with a wicked grin on her face.
"I'll show Applejack that she aint the only apple who knows how ta fight." Applebloom muttered. "After ah get myself a body-count, maybe she'll stop treatin me like a little filly."
In the ships fighter bay, Scootaloo rallied her fellow pilots. "Heres the plan. If it's not our's, blow it up. If you cant blow it up, lure it close to the ships guns so they can blow it up. Any questions? No? Then lets rock and roll!" The assembled pilots cheered and climbed into there longsword fighters. The Hangar bay was soon filled with the defining roar of over two dozen fighters starting up their engines.
The pilots watched as the hangar bays doors slid open to reveal their oncoming opponents. Scootaloo opened the comm channel. "Lets get our asses in the black."
And with that, the fighters were off.
Several fighters stayed back with the ship while the rest went to go tangle with the approaching Alien fleet. "Good luck everypony!" Scootaloo shouted over the comm. "I'll see you on the other side!
Aboard the covenant flagship Prophets Wrath, A single Shanghelli Fleet-Master bowed before a minor prophet. "I care not if they did not attack us first, or if they did nothing besides offer peace. You failed to destroy them when you had the chance." The Prophet hissed. "They are too close to the sacred ring, and that in itself is a sin. Attack the intruders from the inside out. Kill the crew then destroy the ship."
The Fleet-Master could only nod his head. The Minor Prophet was a fool, of that there was no doubt. But to disobey the Prophet was to revoke his place in the great journey.
And he was not about to do that.
So with a heavy heart, the Fleet-Master relayed the Prophets orders and offered a silent prayer to the innocent souls he just condemned.
The Covenant battle-net was buzzing with activity. While many of the Covenant soldiers where more than happy to blindly follow the prophets orders, an equal number voiced their confusion. Why are we attacking a ship that has done nothing wrong, aside from being a bit to close to the Ring? many of them asked.
In the end though, even the Covenant soldiers that disagreed with the Prophet found themselves preparing for battle.
In the end, the will of the Prophet was the will of the gods.
And there was no arguing with that.
Author's Note
Yes I did.
The Elements of Harmony and her small fleet of escort fighters accelerated towards the approaching Covenant armada.
The lateral lines on the Covenant ships slowly started to turn crimson red as they built up a lethal charge.
The Harmony pointed herself at the nearest Covenant ship. Her bow flashed as the M.A.C gun fired once, twice, three times.
The Covenant Frigate shuddered as the massive projectiles slammed into it's energy shields. It's shields broke when the second round struck it and the ship was finally holed from stem to stern when the third round struck it's unprotected hull.
The Covenant ship detonated in a brilliant blue-yellow ball of fire. The blast consumed another Covenant ship that had strayed too close.
Several hatches opened up on the sides of the Harmony. A moment later hundreds of ship-to-ship missiles reached out to touch a Covenant destroyer leaving ghostly white contrails in their wake. It's shields wavered as the barrage hammered it. With a defiant flash, the destroyers shield broke.
Nearby Longswords were on it in seconds, their auto-cannons and anti-ship missiles chipped away at its hull plating. Purple lances of energy lashed out at the Longswords from the wounded destroyer. It wasn't long before a Longsword detonated into a brilliant ball of light.
Enraged by the loss of their comrade, the remaining Longswords poured fire onto a weakened plate of armor, and were rewarded when the ships running lights went dead, followed by an explosion that tore apart the side of the destroyer. The fatally wounded ship listed to the side, on a collision course with a Battlecruiser.
The Battlecruiser's engines flared as it tried to dodge the Destroyer, but they were too slow. The Destroyer struck the Battlecruiser, and they both drifted away, forever locked in a deadly embrace.
The Covenant fleet responded by firing their plasma torpedo's and launching their own fighters.
On the bridge, Captain Rarity watched the battle unfold before her with unblinking eye's. She could actually see the hoard of approaching fighters and boarding ships. She could only pray that Applejack and her Marines could hold off the boarder's.
And that Dash would wake up soon.
A sudden flash of crimson light made Rarity's eyes water. Rarity watched as lines of fire slowly approached them "Incoming!" Twilight shouted. "Evasive maneuvers!" Rarity ordered. She caught Twilights smirk.
"Nothing fancy Twilight, we just want to-AAAAH!
Scootaloo cursed as her wingpony was blown away. "Red 1 to Red 3, where the hell are you?" She barked. She got only static for a moment before the panicked voice of Red 3 rang out. "Their all over me!" He shouted. "Even the damn fighters have shields!"
Scootaloo checked the battle computer and saw the Red 3 was indeed surrounded by Covenant fighter's. "Get out of there Red 3, there's not much more you can do here..." "Sorry..." Red 3 muttered as he accelerated away, a line of Covenant fighters blindly following him before the cruisers point defense guns blew them away.
"Listen up everypony, the big ships are too tough to crack, take on the fighters and keep those boarding craft away from the ship." Scootaloo ordered.
The acknowledgement lights flashed green as her fellow pilots received her orders.
Vinyl Scratch groaned and rolled over in her bed as a strange banging noise roused her. She was fading back into a deep sleep when the banging started up again. "Celestia dammit I'm coming!" She swore as she moved to answer the door.
The door opened to reveal her marefriend Octavia, dressed in Marine combat armor. "Mornin tavi..." She said through her yawn.
Octavia just glared at her. "Why don't you have your armor on Vinyl?"
"Why, should I?"
"Where have you been? Were under attack!"
"Really? Since when?"
"I don't know, since the aliens decided they don't like us!"
"Aliens? What aliens?"
"THE ONES SHOOTING AT US!"
"Oh."
Octavia watched as Vinyl quickly slipped on her battle armor. Vinyl looked around her room for a minute before cursing.
"Damn it! Hey, uh, Octy, I kind of left my rifle in the shooting gallery, can I borrow a gun?" Octavia sighed and pulled out her Magnum and handed it to Vinyl grip first. "Don't drop it Vinyl." She said sternly.
"Hey babe, I only drop base."
Octavia rolled her eyes and was about to trot away when Vinyl grabbed her by the shoulder. Octavia turned and looked into Vinyls bright crimson eye's. "Hey Octavia, promise not to die?"
Octavia chuckled and pulled Vinyl into a deep kiss. They separated after a moment."
"Only if you promise not to get me killed."
"Deal!" Vinyl said happily
Deep inside the ship, a technician worked quickly to unfreeze the sleeping pony before her.
"I still can't believe how big you are." She said to the dormant pony in the cryo tube. "Those aliens are gonna piss their pants when they get a load of you.
Rainbow Dash was dreaming.
In her dream, she imagined that she was mowing down monsters with her assault rifle in one hoof, and leading civilians to safety with the other. Suddenly, she found that she could no longer lift her rifle. She was horrified to find that she was no longer an armored super soldier. she was now a little filly again. She screamed in fear and rage as the monsters overtook the civilians, and closed in on her....
Rainbow Dash opened her eyes.
"Sorry for the quick thaw Ma'am, but the captain wants you runnin and gunnin A.S.A.P!"
Rainbow Dash saw a mare waving at her through her cloudy vision. Rainbow frowned. If Rarity had woken her up, that means that their was a problem. A big problem."
The cryo tube opened up with a hiss of gas, and Rainbow Dash hopped out.
"OOH! OW OW OW! PINS AND NEEDLES!" She said whilst hopping around.
"Is their any problems besides your legs falling asleep Ma'am?"
Rainbow Dash felt an odd stiffness on her back, then facehoofed so hard it sounded like a gunshot.
"Yeah, I feel asleep with a winger and now it's frozen or something. Anything we can do about that?" Dash said quickly.
The technician rolled her eyes. "It's gonna be a long day." She mumbled
