Battle Beneath the Clouds
As the battle began to rage around us, I searched for a target. I focused my sights on what appeared to be a flagship of sorts. As we flew nearer, dodging flak and cannon fire, I radioed to Steel. "How far can the Artemis rockets reach?"
"300 meters, why?"
"If we can take out one of its broadsides from this range, we can get closer and pound it with the cannons" I yelled over the commotion.
"Sounds good, get me within an angle" Steel shouted back.
I turned the ship to the Artemis's firing angle and watched as several rockets shot forth and hit their intended target. I then shifted the engines to full speed and raced towards the galleon. As we neared, however, I noticed something I missed before. Harpoons. Just as quickly as I had noticed, the galleon fired them at us.
"Shit, they're going to board" I shouted, "Prepare for melee!"
The galleon slammed up against our port side and lowered a boarding ramp. I leaped from the captains wheel to face the pirates head on, sword in hoof, when I saw a figure no skyfarer wanted to see. A black feline body with black and silver feathers covering his head, a single patch over his left eye, and a blood-stained cutlass at his side. The infamous visage of The Raven, the most feared pirate in the skies of Equestria and the world. I quickly regained composure as he swaggered towards me.
"Well, hello there my dear, feisty, aren't we? Why don't you just put down that sword and let me have some fun, huh?" He then proceeded to cackle menacingly. "I would hate to have to scar a pretty face like that."
I growled in disgust at his implications. "I'm not just some cheap whore that you can have your way with, I'm Thunder Skies, Captain of the Cloudbreaker, and the mare whose going to kick your feathery ass back to the pit which you crawled out of, you miserable shit stain!" I looked around and saw Steel galloping over to back me up.
Raven didn't take well to being insulted. "Well then, Ms. Thunder Skies, a scarred face it is then" he said as he ran towards me, sword held high. I rolled to the right and took a quick swipe, only to have it blocked by a surprisingly fast parry. I quickly flew up to dodge a low cut, then dived at him, prepared to stab him in the neck, when he side stepped my dive, and I went crashing into the Cloudbreaker's deck. I leaped to my hooves and turned, ready to attack again, when a flash of silver went though my vision, and a searing pain burst through the right side of my face. I heard Steel yell my name as he rushed to defend me. Raven stood above my fallen form as he prepared to take whatever his twisted mind sought, when Steel rushed him and tackled him to the deck. I took this opportunity to regain my thoughts and stand up. Peering through my one good eye, I saw another airship come up alongside us. Another gangplank was lowered as I feared the worst. I took up a fighting stance, when I realized it was a friendly Captain's ship. The pirates took note of the change of tide and retreated back to their ship. The galleon then broke away and retreated with the rest of what remained of the pirates' fleet.
Steel then galloped over to me. "Are you alright?!"
"I'm fine" I groaned, "But my head feels like a gun barrel after a night with you in bed."
He rolled his eyes. "Oh, ha bucking ha. You still need medical attention."
"Buck off Dr. Bullet Brain, I can take care of myself" I said as I leaned against a railing. "Thanks for the back up Captain...?"
"Rusty. Rusty Bucket" the other Captain replied, "so, what are you gonna do about the pirate that did this to ya?"
"He'll pay for this," I said, gesturing towards the bloody slash where my eye used to be. "Eye for an eye."
If you're listening, I'll tell you a story. This is a story of a world where giant airships rule the skies and the adventure of one young pilot. My name is Thunder Skies and this is my story.
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"Thunder, I knew you were crazy but this is pushing it!"
"You said run, so that's what I'm doing, Steel!" I shouted over the storm.
"Your idea of running from danger is flying headfirst into a thunderstorm?!" Screamed Steel Case. "You are a mare with a death wish!"
"Well its either this or the pirates!" I shouted, battling the storm. "And I prefer to die by my own stupidity than get captured by pirates!"
As I shouted back my reply, the storm parted ahead of us, the sun cutting through the dark clouds and flashing lightning.
"Thar she blows!" I exclaimed excitedly.
As the airship raced for the sunlight, a bolt of lightning struck the middle rear engine, sending us screaming though the clouds.
"Son of a bitch!" Steel screamed.
We crashed through the clouds and into Celestia's sunlight. I looked over at Steel and smiled crazily.
"You are one crazy mare you know that?" Steel said as he breathed a sigh of relief.
"It's what I'm best at," I stated triumphantly,"saving your asses."
A new voice joined the conversation. "Yeah, well now you'll have to replace the main engine. I would advise you not to attempt a stunt like that again."
I looked over as our cheif engineer, Greased Gears , emerged from the engine hatch. "We better make course for a sky port now if we want to make it by nightfall, because its going to be slow going with just our maneuvering engines left."
I nodded as I hopped back up to the wheel. "Then lets get moving! We're wasting daylight!"
"Yes Captain!" Came their response.
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Several hours later, we arrived at the Kestral Skyport, a floating repair hub near the Equestrian-Dragon border. We were quickly sighted by the port guards, who then sent us a notice over ship radio.
"Attention incoming vessel, please identify yourself and your purpose for docking."
I replied, "I am Captain Thunder Skies and I am here for engine repairs."
A moment of silence occured before I heard the guards radio us. "Incoming vessel, you are cleared to land at dock C3. Have a good rest of your day."
As we slowly made our way into the dock several dockworkers quickly lassoed our landing pegs and, slowly but surely, dragged us in. As I disembarked my vessel, the Cloudbreaker, I breathed in the scent of oil and smoke from the glorified flying repair shop, and knew we were in good hooves. "I love the smell of burning oil in the morning!" I exclaimed.
"It's almost 7 in the evening." Said Steel Case flatly.
"Oh come on lighten up! You shoot things for a living for Celestias sake, you have to have some sense of humor buried down there." I said.
We eventually made our way to a small diner-like structure. As we entered, the wonderful smell of fresh hayburgers greeted my weary nostrils. We trotted up to the counter and ordered our meals.
Just as I was about to take my first bite, an alarm started going off. "What the hell, cant a mare catch a break" I moaned. The two stallions and I ran outside to see what the commotion was about. "Whats happening?" I yelled to a sprinting dock worker.
"Pirate Attack!" He said quickly.
"Oh, buck me."
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Steel Case, Gear, and I ran to the Cloudbreaker while bullets rained from pirate aeroplanes overhead and the sound of Dock Guard flak cannons roared to life. I quickly found the airship and we boarded hurriedly.
I shouted above the roar of the battle, "Steel, get those guns ready to fire as soon as we're out there, and Gear, I don't care what it takes, get us moving!" They quickly saluted and ran to their respective places. I meanwhile jumped up to the captain's wheel and grabbed the ship radio.
"GG, when are we flyable?"
"20 seconds, ma'am" he replied.
"Good." I said, "Steel, you ready?"
"Locked and loaded, you crazy broad!"
"Then lets send those bastards to hell!" I cheered.
I swung the airships wheel to the left and slammed the engines into reverse. As soon as we were facing the enemy, I rocketed the ship into maximum speed and soared towards the pirates fleet. I quickly glanced around to see that a few other pilots took the same course of action as I had, and had taken to the skies. I turned to face the bow and let out a hearty laugh.
"Bring it on motherbuckers!"
