Debris...debris was all the filly could see. Scattered in the nothingness of space that was soon to be her grave. Nothing was left. Everything she held dear was gone. Her family, her friends and ship, now just nothing but a pile of debris. She never really knew that ship. All she knew was her parents liked it. But that didn't matter now...now, was time to focus on the word 'Low Oxygen' appearing in bright red letters across the visor of her space suit, adding to her already hopeless situation. She felt something watching over her, something that made her feel uncomfortable. It felt as if it was... laughing at her. At the pain she was suffering from. At the sight of seeing her die alone in the empty reaches of space. She started to cry. But as the sobbing started the laughing would grow and grow and grow until it was almost unbearable. She looked around frantically, the source of her torment nowhere in sight.
"Uh...Hello? Anyone out there" A static voice called out through the confines of her spacesuit. "This is...uh...Star Duster of the..Solar Empire destroyer...uh..Sun! yeah..Sun, anyone still alive please respond"
It was almost too good to be true. But the laughing never stopped. She didn't take time to think, she brought her hoof to her helmet grazing a familiar button along it's path she wasted no time pressing it. Then...nothing but silence, the laughing was gone.
"We read you over... moving to intercept." The voice boomed "Just be calm, you should see us in.two..one"
A ship way too small be a destroyer moved in, she visibly shuddered at the markings on the side of the ship. Her parents had told her about those markings and it's history. The skull and crossbones only meant one thing. The laughing had started again more bone chilling and creepy then before.
"Well by now you can see how much you bucked up, so hope to Celestia you die a quick death, HAHAHA!"
Pirates!
________________________________________________________________
The mare darted up from her bed her eyes scanning the dust and slime covering the walls and furniture, satisfied she wasn't dreaming she slumped out of bed heading towards the rusted door in her room. The pile of what looked to be puke with dried blood kept to itself in the corner of the room.
As she entered the living room of her apartment she noticed how terrible this place really was. It had only one source of light in the middle of the room, the ceiling was made up of metal grates and the floor had a ugly tan carpet that was stained with Luna knows what, with a small radiator for warmth. The living room only had a small table with two chairs and a radio near the doorway.
"Goooood morning Stalliongrad." The Radio in the living room buzzed to life with the sound of a stallion with a thick accent "I am DJ Stahl and your listening to Empire Radio Station channel 1355.7 or if you're not a Solar Empire Dog, the Red Star Radio station deep within underground of Stalliongrad providing you with latest news on atrocities Solar Empire refuses to give to you, the public." She always liked rouge radio stations brave enough to speak against the empire, even though they usually 'mysteriously' disappear after a couple of weeks. "Today a local Stalliongrad Colonel was killed near the Orion research and development facility. Eye witnesses say that a group of thugs controlled by Iron Eye, savagely beat down the colonel and his entourage, before killing him and four other guards." Of coarse they always said that, it was never true "Now for some music!" the sweet sound of the classic Stalliongrad music she always listened to as a filly. The mare slowly hummed to the music in a sloppy yet satisfying manner "Tune in later for the question on everyponies lips. Is Prince Blueblood really a cross dresser?".
Her rhythmic humming was broken by a loud knocking on her front door she immediately scrambled to her hoofs, the knocking escalated to a bashing almost making the mare cringe, slowly she made her way towards the door. Almost immediately as she unlocked the steel door two earth pony and two pegasi guards wearing golden armor barged in sending the poor mare flying across the room into the metal wall behind her, before she could even draw breath she was lifted up, dragged and placed in a chair near the small table in front of her. Finally regaining her senses she realized the four ponies all looked the same and then she realized they were all equipped with wing sabers, swords and hoof lasers. Before she could say anything somepony stepped through the door. His face looked like that of a smiling foal, a grin so sadistic it could scare a minotaur. He had an officers uniform on and a very flashy golden captains hat that could easily make anyone a target.
"Do you remember me?" He said in a calm tone
"What do you mean? I have no idea who you are?!" She protested but was met with a blow to the head from the pegasus behind her.
"Silence! Stow your tongue or I will cut it out!" He hissed.
"Where not stupid...Rainbow Dash is it?" the unicorn sat across from her and pulled out large letter from out of his pocket "My name is Seabreeze you remember my brother don't you? Ironclop, the pony you murdered!" his eyes followed the wording on the page. "Citizen Rainbow Daring Dash, twenty eight years old, born in Cloudsdale, offspring of the deceased Thundercloud and Skychaser, local smugglers. At the age of four was abducted by Pirates and held for four years being sold to a slaver ship 'The Pestilence' " He obviously had no respect for mentioning her past life "said ship was found three months later after a distress beacon was activated. A solar empire destroyer was sent to investigate. Crew members found all occupants were dead save for two, a eight year old filly named Rainbow dash and a twelve year old colt named Steelwing both were applied to the nearest orphanage being in Stalliongrad. Steelwing at the age of eighteen disappeared from Stalliongrad without a trace and is suspected of conspiring with the New Lunar Republic. While as Rainbow Dash remained, with a very amazing criminal record." He pulled out another list longer then anypony would have thought possible. "You are under the charges of:"
"Four accounts of arson"
"Twelve charges of Disorderly Conduct"
"Possession of a lethal weapon"
"Hijacking an Empire class V fighter"
"Attempted Murder"
"Murder in the first degree"
"Murder of an several empire officials"
"Second degree murder"
"Smuggling"
"Suspected of conspiring against the Empire"
"Conspiring with the local mob"
"Suspected terrorism"
"Responsible for two riots resulting in 200,000 credits in collateral damage"
"Vandalism"
"Public...uh never mind that"
"And the recent murder of Colonel Ironclop, the penalty of coarse is death, in fact it would be death twelve times over. So Ms Dash, how shall you die?"
"What do you mean? I didn't do anything like that! I demand a fair trial"
"Yeah..no..you've been a pain in the Empires flank for too long, I have been personally dispatched by Prince Blueblood to end your miserable life myself, quickly and effectively,plus we can all split that 400,000 credit bounty on your head, so? Shall I let you beg for your life? or shall I take it right now?" the officer pulled out his sword examining the pulsating blue aurora of energy around the blade.
"Well if I beg for my life it wouldn't be as fun when I kill you later" the mare replied receiving a chuckle out of the guards around her.
"Heck! We could just kill you right now" shouted a voice from outside drawing the attention of the room to two shadowy figures standing in the open doorway.
The room was illuminated in a red and orange storm of lasers striking the two pegasi guards leaving two gaping holes the size of a watermelon in there chests killing them instantly. Before the remaining guards could even flinch, a cyan blur charged over the table on a heading towards the startled officer trying to activate his shield spell, she tackled him to the floor as the two remaining guards returned fire giving there attackers a wave of blue laser melting the edges of the door frame.
The unicorns horn sparked to life in a golden field of magic enveloping the cyan mare in the golden aurora, lifting her off of the officer into the air and smashing her against the ceiling causing the left side of her body to grind along the metal grates towards the wall, dropping her on the floor while at the same time rushing towards her magically floating his sword in front of him. Almost immediately she recomposed herself and let the officer barrel towards her, striking her previous location as she sidestepped letting the stallion crash into the wall in full force knocking himself out.
The other guards were still pinning down the supposed saviors of the mare. She reverted her attention to the door, her eyes narrowed, a small metal ball rolled around the side of the entrance passing around the table where the two guards were firing and stuck itself to the leg of the earth pony, letting out a scream that gave his partner a slight headache Rainbow Dash used the only cover left in the apartment before the grenade enveloped the room in a blue ball of fire incinerating everything around the two guards.
"You killed her!" A familiar voice from outside screamed "You stupid git!"
"What was ah suppose to do, she was probably already dead" Another familiar southern accent replied.
"You didn't know that!" The voice retaliated "Come on, she might still be alive. I saw her dance off with that officer bloke"
The sound of footsteps echoed through the empty room. Everything that was anything was either ash or charred beyond recognition the spot where the two soldiers were was just a massive smoking crater. The two stallions came into view one was a bright orange earth pony with a four leaf clover as a cutie mark, carrying a battle saddle with two small laser cannons attached on the sides. Where as the other was brown pegasus carrying two laser rifles strapped to his wings, with the cutie mark of a stick of dynamite.
"Yeah see er" asked the southern stallion.
"Yep" replied the other
"Where?!"
"Over there, over there, a large amount of her may be over there, and just a wee bit on the ceiling" The other glanced at him in shock "Of coarse I don't bloody see her! You turned her into ashes you idiot!"
"Aren't you just a bundle of kindness" The stallion screamed.
"Well i'm sorry but you kinda turned one of my best friends into a pile of charcoal!" He shouted back tossing burnt pieces of wood at him not seeing the burnt body of a stallion stir.
"She was my friend too, so don't pull that card out on me!" He recoiled. the officer was flung over to the side revealing a Rainbow colored mare.
"What do you mean 'card', Sky Sabre! you 'killed' Rainbow Dash! I can't even believe you would say tha-"
"Tavish" Rainbow Dash interrupted angering the Stallion even more
"Not right now Rainbow-" Tavish yelled causing the Mare to recoil slightly "-where the blazes did you get that roller mine from any-" the stallion turned around to see what should have been a ghost. "Oh"
"Um...Tavish...don't do it" The mare backed away "I swear to Celestia you will get an early gra-" before the pegasus could do anything else she was enveloped by orange fur chocking the life out of her.
"You mad bastard! I thought you were a goner for sure" Rainbow Dash attempted to speak but was interrupted "I thought you were incinerated! Don't ever scare me like that you hea-"
"T-tav...can't breathe...need air.." Tavish ignoring her entirely.
"Tavish your gonna strangle the poor mare" Sky Sabre chuckled.
"Oh right" Tavish composed himself releasing her from his bear hug "Sorry bout that"
"S-so how did y-you know I was in trouble?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"pffht who didn't? Half of Stalliongrad saw those bastards makin a mad dash to yer apartment" Sabre laughed.
"People respect ya here Dash trust me when I say those guys wouldn't have left the apartment alive" Tavish realized the mares condition "Speaking of alive, how are ya feeling?"
It was almost instant. A wave of pain coursed through her body, it felt like her entire left side was gone as her hooves buckled from beneath her new found weight, crashing into the ground giving short painful gasps of air, her lungs felt like they were on fire and her wings felt alien to her.
"Goddammit Rainbow!" Tavish yelled "You could have just said 'oh I feel a wee bit under the weather' or 'gee I don't feel so good'. Come on Sabre help me with her"
The mare chuckled "A-am I re-really that heavy" she asked receiving a smirk from Tavish before slipping into unconsciousness.
