Black Hawk Over Equestrian Skies

You lived and died alone, especially in fighters. Fighters. Somehow, despite everything, that word had not become sterile. You slipped into the hollow cockpit and strapped and plugged yourself into the machine. The canopy ground shut and sealed you off. Your oxygen, your very breath, you carried into the chilled vacuum, in a steel bottle.

— James Salter, The Hunters, 1956.

"Koltar?"

....

"Koltar?"

Someone called out, through the noise of the hanger bay the man managed to discern his own name being hollered out over the mechanics and machine. The massive fortified strike craft storage area would be akin to huge ant colony with workers moving to and fro, the low overhanging ceiling as with the rest of the structure a staunch dull gray. Three rows of long rectangular illuminates glared sterile white light down upon the chaos of the hidden airbase. Workers, airmen, soldiers, and logicians bumped shoulders as they made their way through to their destination, the constant collisions had long since outplayed any apologies normally given.

To either of the far sides of the trapezoidal construct were the awaiting Harbingers, Interceptors, and the two last remaining Typhoons which were the pinnacle of Thanalos Navy in the region. From the black crescent shaped outdated fighters that were the Harbingers, to the inverted beige flower-like Interceptors that were at least capable of a decent dogfight. The glorious white Typhoons were the largest vehicles in the bay standing out to be admired and respected, no other base within a land carriers range had any on call. Though powerful and fast, with the latest in guided munitions and powerful bolt cannons they could not hold the front alone as intended.

"KOLTAR!!" a female pilot rushed over to the paused man being jostled by rushing bodies, both were in their armored flight suits waiting for the alarm of their suit to head out.

"Helga? Something the matter?" he asked, feeling the slight chaffing his suit created from the past two days worth of missions. He was due for a mandatory rest period within the next four hours if the gods allowed.

Koltar awaited the fellow pilot as she wormed through a group of fitters moving a fresh Bolt Cannon on a roller cart to a new ship. Using his left hand he swept it through his chestnut brown hair cut low to the scalp, wiping the sweat from his forehead from the heat generated inside the hanger. The roughness of his callused hand provided some pleasure as it scraped the skin a little, but the cool sensation of moisture had been well welcomed then.

"I just finished talking to one of the controllers, caught them having a smoke by the R.O.W. building. Managed to get some info on the enemy's movement... and how we're fairing as well." Helga had arrived with an initial mirth at seeing a fellow pilot, but the news seemed to sour her demeanor as it became apparent things were far from proper.

Being far too exhausted these days he had little emotion to give and gestured for her to continue, she pushed back strands of gold hair matting on her forehead from perspiration. Her cream white skin bore the marks of shrapnel from a month ago, having engaged a pack of Hybrids harassing a fuel convoy and received a near fatal hit on the nose of her Harbinger. Regardless, she still was attractive if one could look beyond her dog headed determination and recklessness which bordered on suicide when the chips were down. One would dub her an alpha and few really wanted to get close to her, she was all that remained of the Venerated.

"They've taken aerial dominance over half the planet now, the War Council has ordered a full retreat of all the armies that were engaging the vanguard elements. General Argent, Sir Thomas, and even Baltazar have begun to pull their forces out of the contested border. They're going to try and mount one last offensive after the shiners realize they'll have to cross the lowlands to go any further. The bots won't be able to go by land because of the storms, so they think they'll go by air. Landing their machines will be the most vulnerable they'll ever be and every squadron is being amassed to counter their spearhead. Soooo..." she tapped the small sapphire embedded on the clavicle guard of her suit, the alarm module that called them to the briefing room.

"So no more escort, recon, or sting missions huh? We're going to see one hell of an air battle so soon? Wonder how they expect this to work." he bemoaned the facts that were the horrible condition of the current air capable craft, "We don't have the numbers let alone the supplies."

Feeling a slap to his shoulders as Helga tapped them in an attempt to cheer up the tired fighter pilot, "When is it ever easy? Besides you got me right?" she grinned with pride and confidence.

The strange thing was, he heard the last word she spoke and it seemed to draw out just as his sight blacked out into an abyss darker than the souls of the Arch Enemy. He should have felt startled in the least but the suddenness seemed to bring him a sense of relief like laying down in his quarters for the rare bed rest allowed with the combat stims they constantly took. His whole body felt the rush of cool water flow over his essence, just like the crystal clear waters of the coast of Triniban, his home on Thanalos II. Those years long before the cancer that arose from the depths of space began to burn every world they came across.

Soon there was nothing at all, not a breath, not even a touch of movement as all of reality seemed to no longer exist. Just his mind and the thoughts which dragged at a snails pace, what else that could be done?

He wondered what happened that brought him into nothingness, why had Helga disappeared? What was he doing before this? Was he still fighting in the air and merely blacked out from exerting too much G-force onto his body? Questions upon questions went on as if time no longer played a part in his current reality in an agonizing fashion, which of his gods did he offend to place him in such a world?

Then, as if being brought out of the depths of the deep blue of Nemundia from nearly drowning, his body shot up and slammed into the seat of his Harbinger. That alone sent a throbbing shot of body wide pain as his eyes shot open, his lungs breathing in and out like the speed of a defense turret squeezing off proximity rounds at invading Hybrids. It was as if he died only to be brought back, his fractured HUD flickered as it tried to bring up his status only to have warnings and alarms in red nearly blind his groggy vision. The pain becoming steadily sharper leading to his limbs to fidget as if to get away, but his seat harness and deflating airbags stopped any real gain.

In a panic, Koltar's eyes zipped every which way to figure out where he was and why he was suffering so much. His hands managed to get some range then began to grope for the buckles on his chest even as his fingers ached as if he'd gone a round of Hammer Stone at the pub back home. Regardless of the dark gloves encasing them it was a journey in itself to gain the escape of the shackles. To which as he undid the final clasp, the flight suit then auto injected a serum directly into his heart with a quick puncture from a retractable syringe. It pierced the skin with ease, through the port in his sternum where behind was the vital life giving organ pumping maddeningly from his torment. There were no words for the reception he gave to the medical protocol, it was just the topping on the cake as far as he knew.

"AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"

Raggedly breathing, he ripped off his protective headgear and tossed it at the ruined console before him where the interface was shattered. The combination of painkillers and combat stims did their work almost instantly as they were inserted directly into his bloodstream. The effects cleared his head though he scowled at having to experience the rejuvenation process all pilots had to go through before their first virgin combat flight. The concoction snaked its way through each artery, vein, and down to the capillaries where they could bring peace and calm to the user.

Letting out a breath he quickly took in and held for a time, he bemoaned his condition as the torture of the crash landing faded into prickling needles along his body. A slight ring developed in his ears though it was nothing to shake a stick at, his mind allowed to perceive for the first time and the sight was not pleasent.

It became very obvious he was still inside his fighter though not in the air as he had been as bits of memory started to float into the surface. The reinforced canopy of the cockpit looked as if it had seen better days as had the console below and to his sides. Cracks in the silica cap threatened to give with a thick dense trunk of some kind of tree having landed upon the vessel. The interior of his ship sported bends and strain from his crash landing. Dials, meters, switches, and buttons which should be lit up were dead as was the Harbinger which seemed to be kissing the trunk of some kind of tree of which had been snapped in half by the impact. He had little way of looking about but something of the terrain he could see with mounds of earth consuming half of the visibility. Beyond the rich chocolate soil was an endless view of underbrush and more trees, vines hung like lazy serpents, and a few pot marks through the thick foliage showed a clear sky up above. He falls back into his seat from observing his surroundings, huffing once as his body still in the process of recovery detested much movement yet.

"I... I was in the air... I shot them down..." he rubbed his face calmly before looking at the gauntlet interface on his right arm, it too slightly damaged yet functioning.

The broken blue panel displaying his vitals and the suits condition had the same images as his helmet did. The nanobots of the suits medical supplies had been administered into his system and repaired what amounted to serious list of injuries he sustained. He had two more shots left in the module and five more of the Rejuv injections, feeling glad he took the medicae's advice to keep an extra stock of either just in case from a few weeks ago. The pain had to have come from the immediate work of the minuscule machines, their rapid pace usually generated heat that thankfully caused no damage. Though the nerves flared where ever they worked giving a sensation that one was on fire.

With a deep sigh he looked back to his battered helmet before putting it back on, groaning in the act as he cleared the HUD of the alert messages. Shifting through the options he found the comms device and reset it, the crash somehow screwed with the device with the Harbinger's own link obliterated.

"Lead this is Goumann... do you... copy Lead?" he spoke still catching his breath into the microphone only to wait through silence.

"Lead? Are you there?" a second attempt and still nothing.

He reset the module again and tried several more times before giving up, the pings he sent out provided no receivers. It was as if he was all alone, which made no outright sense as some kind of frequency should be available to listen in on. Yet there was no such channel to be heard even from command or the controllers. Turning to the last option he beckoned to the on board A.I. that dwelled within his suit, a very old model he usually hesitated with.

"Alice? Are you there?" he looked at the only layer of protection between him and the outside environment, enjoying the gel layer which had ruptured and clotted any loss of air from inside the cockpit.

'Lieutenant Goumann.' the drone of the robotic voice replied far from any female tone to be expected with the name Alice.

"Alice, what happened to me?" he inquired as his hands roamed for the kits and pouches in their proper compartments that were largely undamaged.

'Request accepted, Lieutenant you dispatched three enemy escorts and proceeded to lose consciousness from exhaustion. Your ship flew through the wreckage as you increased speed and your engine was damaged in the process. After losing control you fell into a stabilized fall from the autopilot after your vitals fell below operational perimeters and the ship's systems could not contact you. The landing has crippled the vehicle and a large conifer abruptly stopped the ship. Which now rests atop of you.'

"Alice where am I and why can I not reach anyone? I keep pinging them and there's nothing, no response?" he continued on using a folding blade to help the airbags flatten quicker so he could attach his sidearm to his suit.

'During the engagement, an anomaly I cannot discern disrupted the battle, you flew through one of the anomalies while being pursued. We are currently off world. There is no Thanalos II, we are stranded on an unknown world.'

Looking around to ensure he missed nothing, relaxed that the suit worked its magic on his injuries so quickly, "How do you know this?"

'Before the enemy locked onto the ship, I managed to use the Harbingers sensors to scan the anomalies and again after we emerged through one. The data I analyzed leads me to this conclusion, the Arch Enemy may have used a new weapon. To what ends I am unable to determine, it is beyond my capabilities as a Gen Four model.'

Ready as he'd ever be, Goumann took another look at the alien forest his wrecked ship nestled into and this time less winded by it. The vegetation looked like any normal fauna, there were even animals he recognized fleeting nervously away from the scene. The feel of a xeno world to be sure permeated the area with a faint whiff of lurking dread. One he would have to survive and find a way back home if at all possible. Perhaps where ever he was sent to was under Dominion or allied controlled space, since for one it was not a burning ember common to Arch Enemy held worlds or those they scoured.

"Alice is the air toxic?" he craned his neck about as a few cracks erupted along the contact area with the fallen lumber.

'Before the ship crashed, sensors indicated no harmful elements other than a unique type of radiation unknown to me. I recommend caution.'

"Breathable then?" he found the pull handle that should be powerful enough to push the annihilated tree off.

'The atmosphere is suitable for human habitation. Recommend maintaining sterility until further testing can be done, I will need an hour before an accurate measurement can be ascertained.'

Hearing those words he pulled hard and thanked his helmet's thick armor and noise dampeners as the canopy jettisoned, the bolts that kept it in place shot out into the air. Letting the expulsion system use enough force to rocket the shell to the left with the trunk as it slid off and onto the broken left wing, the pulse of pressure a mere thud to the pilot.

"I'll keep this on just in case then. Any chance of a map or layout you got?" he tapped his helmet and hoped the computer thought of everything, his model wasn't exactly the current one given to true navy pilots yet it still proved useful.

'I procured a rudimentary map before the ship lost power, there is a small village of some kind to the northwest of our location. I have no further information at this time.'

Scanning his surroundings, Goumann rolled his shoulders feeling a grateful numbness from the medication. His smoking ravaged vessel plumed thin columns of black oily smoke from the engines fuel source, trailing from rips and fractures in the metal chassis. It barely looked anything like the Harbinger he had rode for the past two years as a Security Forces aerial asset before being conscripted into the navy. A small ping of emotional hurt touched the man deep in his chest, no longer did it look like a waning moon as both wings were since sheered off. Even through the thick armor it was rent down to the core after punching through a long line of trees, some remained standing which hinted at some point he cartwheeled.

If he crashed so spectacularly, the chances of the locales being aware of him were high thus he'd have to be very alert for whomever called this world home. He'd come back and find a way to send out a distress call, but for the moment security and curiosity were on the top of his list. Even the Security Forces taught their pilots to study their immediate area first rather than erecting a defense of some kind or calling for help, unlike the true navy pilots a S.F. officer wouldn't be some sheep waiting for the wolves to close in on.

Jumping down onto the disturbed earth pile to the grassy ground, he set off to recon in hopes that the denizens were easy to talk to. What he didn't realize however were the embedded chunks of Hybrid metal still in his craft. Jagged pieces of xenos armor that shook and moved like a tick trying to free itself, all the while they started to absorb some of the Harbinger into themselves. They were growing...

Several miles away

Corrupted Sunset Shimmer and Midnight Sparkle continued to wordlessly gauge each other, looking over the other as an equal threat. The purple witch beheld the demon like a scientist would a dissection specimen, marveling at the tattered wings, the black sclera, beaming ice blue eyes, living hair that acted like a fire blazing, and the royal crown atop her head. Magic that was all around them unlike the world she left failed to draw Midnight's attention away as she sensed a higher yield in the demoness, akin to how a high powered laser pointer was to a spot light. The floating aberration emitted magic so dense and limitless as it seemed that it tantalized wicked mage into breaking the silence. She too suspended in the air by her own might as her wings spread outwards of their own accord.

"My my my, so much magic you have? Mind letting me study you?! I must learn how you have so much, I need to learn everything about magic!" she asked with a savage hunger as her emotions salivated with potential avenues of boundless reserves to allow further research and testing of the amazing energy.

Sunset merely gave a disinterested frown with bored eyes and hands on her hips. She gazed upon the ascended being before her, sensing much unintentional malice through the pursuit of want and greed of wisdom. Her demon form let her pick up on the negativity others exuded, but unlike the Rainbooms who were more of vindictive through honest reasons this female was a bucket case contained around the awe of magic. Possessing black avian wings unlike her bat-like appendages, there was a strong well of magic inside her which showed through the eye wear and the unicorn horn of glowing blue light upon her humanoid form. Her hair aflame dancing in the breeze of the natural ephemeral mana winds of Equestria, her wardrobe was rather impressive she had to admit though not practical in the least. This one spoke a tone which soured her demeanor quickly, hungry for power and wanting to know about it, about the crown on her very head most likely.

Sunset began to realize that the other girl wanted to take her power for her own, preventing her from becoming the ruler she was destined to be. Just like Celestia did so long ago, just as the other princess who came to the human world tried to do, after all she worked for and those she stepped on to reach the top. The abomination was far beneath her and she could feel it, not even worth the problem of dealing with at all.

With a fake smile, "Ohhh I'm so sorry to nip this little meet and greet in the butt, but I have more pressing matters to attend to." she brushed off Midnight and began to turn away to find out where she ended up, if she what she had seen was correct before jumping through the portal she was home once again. Sure there was no zombie army to use as cannon fodder, being in the magic infused atmosphere gave her the additional power to feel like a one person force to be reckoned with.

Her sun colored tail whipping the air as an added insult, sending Midnight from a dumbstruck response to fury, "I must know all I can, I need to... I... HAVE TO!!"

Sending a hand out, Sparkle fired off a blast of magic that seared the air as it zipped towards Shimmer who immediately erected a barrier to deflect it. The beam of mana headed off to the left and tore into a few thick pines with ease, the demon did not take kindly to the attack. With a deep monstrous growl she turned around, forcing magic to her clawed hands and lashing out before her. Blades of mana surged forth at Midnight with the intensity of the sun causing her to teleport blindly away as her sight was compromised. Vanishing in the nick of time, the lash of magic cut through a few hundred meters worth of forest and shrubbery cleanly like a butchers knife. Birds and rodents squealed and cried as they were jarred from their homes, a manticore roared as it ran away spooked.

"Don't triffle with me worm!" she yelled before a lance of magic lanced before her face.

Quickly looking up to the sky above the trees she honed in on her attacker, using her wings and power to elevate herself in a rush. Midnight had taken to strafing her waiting for another move, she used her vast intellect and inquisitive nature to study the demon and in no time find the source of the magic she could taste at the tip of her tongue. She'd yet to figure out the magical element that was the crown, far too driven and clouded judgement to hone in on it.

"I will learn everything there is to know about magic, especially why you have so much!" Midnight cackled with her hands glowing with a primed spell she crafted on the go.

"I won't lose the power I earned! I deserve it! And I shall RULE Equestria as I was meant to do!" with a powerful flap of the wings, Sunset dashed towards Midnight intent on silencing the other.

Moments Ago

Discord had teleported Princess Twilight to the very start of the long skid mark in the earth that the strange object had created. Before their very eyes stood a rough jagged path of scythed trees and torn dirt from the object. It was obvious whatever landed so catastrophically was built for endurance as the destruction went on for hundreds of meters as it appeared. Some bits of obsidian decorated the way forward, hinting at not so good state the thing was likely in.

Twilight huffed in annoyance, "Why did you just take us here and not bring the others?"

The chimeric god of chaos simply giggled at her annoyance, "Well if you must know, you and I are the most capable of the bundle. Judging from what I saw, the battle with Tirek must have been so powerful it lead to a weakening between worlds normally prevented by the laws of nature? Now I've traveled across the planes myself back in my younger days and I must tell you... it's not all pretty poison joke plants and Hydras." he gave her a mentors eye for her own good before fading back into his jovial self.

The alicorn took a moment to let the idea sink in before it became evident, "I... I guess you're right about that, but did I really do that? Did I... what did I?"

Discord soon sported a detective's outfit complete with a monocle and a fake pipe blowing bubbles and feathered seed pods with each breath. The brown tones in his suit gave him very business kind of look, yet concerning who he was it was just mere play.

"Normally you'd never be able to open portals between universes, not even Celestia herself could do it nor Lulu in her wildest dreams! The fact is you were given three wells from three alicorns to combat Mr. Ruffle Puff and by merely exercising the power you had then, likely acted as a bubble which broke the waters surface. It's the first time I've seen it happen in this realm mind you, from what I can guess? The battle must have had a lingering effect..." he puffed a cloud of cotton candy from his pipe as he pondered to himself.

Considering the ramifications of the titanic struggle either of the two had been embroiled in, it did seem likely that using all the princesses magic to fight Tirek would do such a thing. Twilight felt responsible when the destruction of the Golden Oaks Library had sparked the rage within her at everything the centaur had done, yet what else was there to do before the final piece to the box was found? She hoped that whatever came through was friendly and not another monster, just as her thoughts went to the possibility that there were other tears that dumped others across Equestria. Discord hummed loudly like the sound of a the apple cider fabricator the two unicorn brothers used against Applejack back then.

"Time waits for no one Princess! The longer we take the more likely our guest has left the crater it made." he said as Twilight finally joined alongside with him when he floated over the ground. Studying every ounce of damage to the Everfree, Fluttershy would have a cow over the restoration she'd need to do besides the damage Tirek caused. There would likely be a large number of homes plenty of animals had just lost.