A Night Guard's Fight

A yellow alicorn with red hooves and wings walked through a dark cave. Her mane was fire, and it cast long, eerie shadows across the area, but she didn't seemed to bothered. Coming to a dead end, she cast a quick spell, and the rock parted for her.

"WHO DARES ENTE-" A fat, grey, old centaur turned around. "Oh! Flare! Where've you been in the past-gosh, eight centuries?"

"I had some...business to attend to." The alicorn spoke.

"Busy, eh?" He stroked his dirty beard.

"Well, you've just been sitting here, collecting dust with your old tomes, haven't you?" Flare smiled slyly.

"Dammit, clever as always...Just your voice isn't as squeaky as it was."

"Then how would you describe it then?"

"Low? Velvety? Filled with sexual insinuation?"

Black smoke began to pour out of Flare's ears.

"Boy, that went from zero to a hundred fast..." He stopped. "Wait, do you even remember my name?"

"Ken....taro, I believe?"

"Yes!" The centaur clapped his hands, whooping that the young goddess still remembered him fully.

"Is Glaive still fine?"

"Follow me." Flare obliged, and the two began to take a winding path through the ancient library. Ancient tomes turned to jarred exotic plants, then to animals. In a damp corner, a bat pony stallion floated in water, seemingly in complete peace. "Here he is." Kentaro lifted Flare up the the huge shelf, allowing her access.

For a long time, she just stood there, looking at Glaive, reminiscing over times long gone. She didn't notice the single teal eye spying on her the whole time.

Elita stood in front of her mirror, looking at herself.

Here we are, limited supplies, limited crew, limited ammunition. She thought bitterly. Maybe it was better for us to die along with our families, rather than out here, in the emptiness of the north.

The mid-aged mare took out her old dogfighting suit. It was tight in all the wrong places. Damnation, I'm getting fat.

There was a knock at the door. "Commander? You're needed on the bridge."

"Coming, Jotunn. Give me a moment."

"Yes, ma'am." She listened to his hoofsteps as they became softer and softer.

"Well, it's not like I'll live forever..." The bat pony finally sighed.

Youtube Video

As the knife-like bow of the Ignus cut through the top of the cloud layer, flyers and Goldendarts escorted the warship to the inevitable battle.

"Fire control from level four reports go." One pony reported.

"Navigation and rangefinding, also a go."

The Equestrians had used pagoda masts on their capital ships as apposed the standard tripod mast; they were mocked by other countries, claiming them to be top heavy and called "Hearths Warming Trees." They were deemed necessary by all the ship companies that built Celestia's Royal Sky navy, and fitted with watch points, powerful searchlights (for night fighting), and spotting points.

"AURORA contacts! CBDR, bearing oh-five-eight-three, closing in at 73 knots!"

"Evasive action, bring all the main guns to bear." Two griffin corvettes came into view, apparently caught with their pants down. Anton and Bruno turrets fired on the first, Caesar and Dora at the second. Eight blue orbs streaked out from the muzzles, each hitting their mark. Unlike the Imperial Star Destroyers, though, the armor actually, you know, deflected some of the gunfire.

Griffins began to swarm out of the belly like hornets, rolling, maneuvering with the intent to destroy the Ignus and her crew. A strange new gun sprouted from positions along the main superstructure of the battleship.

Flyers and Goldendarts were flung out of the flight deck, zooming to meet their thunder. The Phalanx guns traversed and fired a string of deadly mana at the incoming griffins, shredding most even before they were in firing range of the ponies. Starting off the air battle with the Goldendarts firing off their burst rockets and taking several more of the hybrids, before the mana from pegasus, aircraft, and bat pony rushed to meet the griffins, firing their green tracer fire.

The Ignus continued to stave off attacks from the corvettes, making sure that her flyers were free to help in the assault on the enemy. The griffin assault became frantic frenzy of poorly concentrated gunfire and suicide griffins. One of the corvettes imploded in on itself.

"Griffins retreating!" Dawn called out from her station.

"Prepare jump sequence, recall our flyers." Elita ordered softly. The ponies didn't have a chance to carry out the order, though. A new ship exited a nearby windlane and almost immediately began firing off rockets and shells at the fast battleship.

Youtube Video

The last corvette was ripped apart from another salvo thanks to the Ignus, but the cruiser continued to pepper the Ignus with gunfire. Weary flyers were forced to continue the fight, while nearly burnt-down gun barrels continued to fire.

"Fire on Deck C!" An voice came over the ship intercom.

"Get a damage control team there now!" Elita ordered. Nopony carried out that order.

"This is the X.O. You heard her, get some ponies down there!"

Elita smiled at Hoofy. Helpful in times like these. "Spin up the drives! Recall our flyers, but hold up the flak screen!"

Flyers and Goldendarts thumped back on the runway deck, which slid into the hull with a screech. The flak guns fired another salvo, before returning to their teleport positions. Rockets came screaming in, but once again, Ignus teleported away before they could hit.

Youtube Video

Mealtimes usually was divided into two groups, so one could always get some guns firing at an incoming surprise attack. Luncheon on Sagittarius the Twenty ninth, 2189, was completely different, though. To celebrate their tactical victory, Elita had allowed everypony to come to one of the three lavish mess halls any time.

She herself sat along with her friends and family, chatting happily as if it were a pleasure cruise.

A slight bit miffing. Dawn noted, as she sat alone, munching on her hay burger. Moskit and Razor were joking about a new changeling supership, and  Seafire and her husband having an "I love you more" fight. ("No, Silverbird, I love you more!") Halberd and Rolling Thunder were reminiscing over their First War tales, and Galica and Leonia still talking about their loss in the Spiral Grand Prix.

And Solstice-

"Hello, Major. You seem awfully contemplative." The dark blue alicorn that resembled Princess Luna said from behind Dawn. The green unicorn jumped.

"Sir! You scared me!" She squeaked.

"Just call Solstice, my lady."

My lady. Is he trying to court me? "Oh, why thank you." She feigned a smile, and to her pleasure, noticed that he didn't seem to realize she was playing with him.

"Perhaps you would join me for dinner tonight?"

"That would be lovely." She responded, still maintaining the humorless smile.

The alicorn trotted back to his table. Poor chap, if only he knew...

Star Chaser manned the wireless, working overtime (again). Tapping away, he sent the same message over and over: Royal Defense Ship Ignus II calling to all allied ships, send coordinates and authentication code 09IEWGJIWE. He stopped and listened.

Royal Changeling Sky Navy Battle-Wagon Ambrosie, coordinates 4802'3949'3032' going down. Repeat, Royal Changeling Sky Navy Battle-Wagon Ambrosie, coordinates 4802'3949'3032' going down. We shall fight to the last shell. Star wrote the message down on a piece of parchment, rolled it up, then ran off to find his commander. He went outside on the deck to get to her cabin quicker, allowing him to appreciate Luna's beautiful night.

Knocking on Elita's door, he waited apprehensively. When she finally came to the door, he handed the message to the commander. She took one look at the note. "Perhaps I should consider letting you work longer shifts."

Less than a quarter of an hour later, the Ignus was ready to investigate the mysterious message. Making her way some ways away from the mountain town, she teleported to the coordinates. It placed her over a dark ocean, several burning bits drifting around the general vicinity. A bronze bell fell onto the bridge wing of the main bridge. Dawn went over and picked it up in her orange glow.

"C.R.S.N. Ambrosie." She read. "BB 18340."

Everypony turned to the highest ranking officer in view. "What happened here?" Elita muttered, completely unaware that the ship intercom was on.