Pirates of Equestria

15: Assault

Sky Runner pulls his swords out of the side of a Royal Guard pony, a sentry for the outpost ahead, and looks around for any others. The forest is dense which, along with the dead of night, provides perfect cover. Sky looks over at Jack who shifts back to his changeling form from that of a guard. He signals and twenty of his crew move up with two cannons from the Sparrow Hawk in tow, each manned by two extra ponies. As they reach the edge of the forest Sky looks down and surveys what they will be up against.

The outpost is large enough to hold two platoons of guards with six foot high walls and twelve watchtowers surrounding it. The pegasus captain will have to be sure to thank the two changelings under Jack’s command for finding this. According to the reconnaissance provided, this is where Shining Armor has set up camp while he searches the ocean for Sky. At the moment the prince is at sea with approximately forty guards with him. Even with that, Sky and his crew are outnumbered. But that is where the cannons come in.

Vinyl Scratch waits on the ship, anchored just offshore. It is far enough out to avoid being spotted and close enough to be in range of the base. As Sky was still unable to fully trust his changeling quartermaster, he wanted Jack close at hand to keep an eye on him. Vinyl was the next in line to take control of the ship. Despite not being able to remain by the captain’s side, the unicorn was more than happy to command the Sparrow Hawk in his stead.

The plan is to station the two cannons on the hill they are on and bombard the outpost from the side. At the same time, the Sparrow Hawk will fire from sea. The two sided fire will cause confusion and help to even the odds. Sky’s other advantage is the element of surprise. With the cannons in place, the pegasus signals Jack who fires a magic flare into the sky. Sky waits for half a second before commanding the two cannons to fire.

The fire from the hill slams into the two nearest towers while the first volley from the Sparrow Hawk rains down on the unsuspecting base. The cannon crew reload and fire again, this time at the gate. The gate is blown open just as alarm bells start to ring out. A second later, the second volley from sea rains down more cannon shot. Sky raises a sword and calls for the attack.

“Charge!”

Sky and his crew charge down the hill towards the smashed gate. Four guards look out at the charging pirates and scramble to stand ready. Two bodies lie on the ground and three of the standing guards are already injured from the cannon fire. The survivors are quickly hacked down by the pirates. Sky enters the outpost as another volley erupts around him and his crew. They hold only long enough for sky to issue on last command.

“Avoid the cannon fire! If you get caught by it, you’re out of luck!”

The assault force breaks up into group of four with Sky and Jack as a group of their own. Sky and Jack charge ahead and cut down four guards headed their way and move on to the barracks. With the sudden attack, most of the guards are dazed and confused still struggling to don their armor or take up arms. Sky finds six ponies grasping for weapons and hacks down three while Jack slays the others. Jack fires a beam of magic at the barracks, setting it to flame.

Another cannon volley rocks the ground ask Sky searches for more guards. A squad moves in from the left and Jack moves in to eliminate them. Sky is stopped short by a cry for help. He turns to find one of his crew members, an earth pony, dragging himself on the ground with a trail of blood behind him. He has several gashes from swords and spears and his back left leg has been blown off by the cannon fire.

“Cap…tain!” the pony gasps in pain. “Help…me! Please!”

Sky stares at the poor soul hacking up blood. “I told you it was your fault if you got caught in the cannon fire.”

Without a second’s hesitation he runs the pony through, killing him instantly. Sky thinks for a mere moment about Jack’s talk about loyalty when the two first met. The lifeless body before him was one that was loyal to character. He believed in Sky enough to beg for help even though he would have died regardless of Sky’s actions. A magic blast sends a guard flying in front of the pegasus prompting him to turn. He stares at Jack who has eight bodies lying at his feet. Is the changeling still as disloyal as ever or do ponies change? Even now, Sky wondered where Jack’s loyalty lies.

Sky snaps out of his thoughts and heads back to the fight. Fire rages all about, engulfing the entire base in a roaring inferno. The cannon fire continues to rain down taking on the appearance of fire from the sky as the flames illuminate the cannonballs. The whole scene looks like the end of the world and Sky is the bringer of doom. Guards begin to flee for their lives or drop and cower in fear at the mere sight of the Demon Captain.

After several more minutes of fighting, Sky signals Jack to send the cease fire signal. The changeling fires a green magic flare into the sky. Seconds later, the last cannonball hits the base and all is quiet save for the fire that still rages. Buildings begin to collapse, some with occupants still inside. Sky’s crew gathers the survivors who have surrendered into the center of the outpost in the fashion that the pegasus has grown fond of.

Sky takes a quick head count of his group to find that nine had been killed, including the one that he himself had ended. A decent survival rate given that they had just gone up against more than eighty ponies from the Royal Guard and the Wonderbolt combat wing. Before him now sits twenty prisoners. Sky walks up to the cowering ponies as fire ravages the outpost. It truly gave him the appearance of a demon.

“Greetings gentlecolts,” he says as he sheathes his swords. “I wonder if I could ask you a few questions. Answering promptly and truthfully will ensure that this whole situation ends quickly and with as little pain as possible.”

The guards remain quiet. A few stare around in horror at the burning building and blood covered bodies that line the ground. Some stare at the “Demon Captain” unable to speak out of sheer terror. Others still stare in defiance, knowing that they still outnumbered the pirates nearly two to one, despite the Demon Captain’s reputation and recent actions.

“Let’s begin shall we,” Sky says as he begins to pace up and down the huddled group. “What do you know about a coup d'état against Canterlot?”

The prisoners keep their silence, either out of fear or defiance. One poor soul begins to moan and whimper causing the other to try and silence him. Sky gives a signal and three of his pirates drag out the whimpering pony in front of the captain. Sky bends over and speaks in a false calming tone.

“I know you’re scared but think. If you tell me what I want to know, all of this will go away.”

“LIAR!!!” one of the defiant guards shouts.

One of the pirates moves over and bucks him across the head, knocking him unconscious. Sky ignores the scene focusing on the coward he had. He holds his wings around the trembling guard, nearly caressing him.

“So tell me. What do you know?”

The guard spasms violently and slumps to the ground. Sky checks him to find he is simply passed out from the overstimulation of fear from such a terrifying event.

“Oh my,” he says with little concern before stomping on the guard’s head, crushing it underhoof.

He looks back at the group. Anger fills his eyes as the rage and fear fill the defiant guards. Sky looks back at the body before him and wipes his bloody hoof on the uniform. He looks back again at the huddle mass and repeats his earlier query.

“Are there any among you who know about a coup d'état against Canterlot?”

Again, the guards remain silent. Sky begins to circle the prisoners, his still bloody hoof leaving a trail behind him. He draws a sword and examines it in the glow of the hellish flames.

“Any pony?”

His question is once again met with silence. Sky stops in front of the group. He stands there examining his sword as a nearby building begins to collapse. He will have his answers.

“Torture it is then.”

One way or another, he will find out the truth behind that assassination. No more is it about clearing his name or even helping Canterlot. It is about revenge. Nothing will stop him from weeding out those responsible and exacting his revenge on them.