Of Friendships and Warships

“Sheppard, take the ponies on this ship and get them off. Take anything you need with you on the way,” Cutter ordered.

“Captain, an unidentified vessel is approaching us,” one of the crew reported just as Fireteam Atlantis left the bridge.

“Ah, they’ve arrived. At last,” one of the changelings said.

“Sir, they’re launching boarding craft and fighters,” the crew member reported.

“Do everything we can do to delay them, then arm the self-destruct. All combat personnel, prepare for boarders,” Cutter ordered, before turning to the two changelings. “Who are they, and what do they want?”

“Atriox just wants technology and power,” the other changeling said, “And if we get him what he wants, then he spares our lives.”

“You would just let us die here and now,” Cutter asked, “Not if I have something to say about it.”

“Oh, but you won’t,” the first changeling taunted, “Not after what he’ll do to you. To all of you.”

“Maybe we could do it first?” the other changeling asked.

“No, Chrysalis,” the changeling replied, “We will leave them for him.”

“If we delayed, they could have found something better than what they’ve already got,” Chrysalis said, “We could have done much more with that.”

“You could have caused them to slip away,” the other changeling said.

=== ===

“McKay, have you got a location?” Sheppard asked. The team was at a security station looking for the ponies through security cameras.

“Yes, Deck 5 Corridor 14B for four of them,” McKay said, “We can pick one up on the way there, then a stop at sickbay for the sixth.”

“Carter, tell Woolsey to prep the Pelican,” Sheppard ordered, “And see if we can’t get a pair of Warthogs, ones without weapons. And all the ammunition, weapons, and medical supplies they can spare and fit on the Pelican.”

=== ===

“What is with everyone running around, with weapons no less,” Rarity asked anyone who would listen, though she got no answer.

“Might have had something to do with the last announcement, the one about boarders,” Applejack said.

“Think they’re bad, still?” Twilight asked.

“No, not anymore,” Applejack said, “Has anypony seen Rainbow lately?”

“Why do you ask?” Fluttershy asked.

“I have a feeling she’s in trouble, and not by her own fault,” Applejack answered.

“Boarding craft have arrived, all hands to defensive stations,” the captain said over the intercom.

“You might be right, we’ll just have to find her ourselves. Let’s go,” Twilight said.

“How do we find her? This ship is massive, its like searching all of Canterlot; during the time it was attacked by changelings,” Fluttershy said not know how they would find Rainbow.

“We’ll head to the last place we saw her, and if she isn’t there we’ll try to follow her hoofsteps,” Twilight said.

“I’m more concerned about meeting these boarders,” Rarity said, “They seem to have caused everyone here to fight them.”

“We’ll just have to hope we don’t run into them, then,” Twilight said.

“That’s our plan?” Applejack asked.

=== ===

“Are we being attacked?” Rainbow asked a passing marine.

“Yes, so stay behind me and nothing will happen to you,” the marine said raising his rifle as he neared the corner.

“Okay,” Rainbow acknowledged. The sounds of battle started, and slowly grew closer to them. Several more marines arrived and took up defensive position in the corridor.

=== ===

The blast door in front of Fireteam Atlantis closed before they got through, leaving them to make a detour on the way to Rainbow Dash. “Guess they’ve already boarded us,” Carter said prompting the team to head down a different corridor.

“How long until we reach her?” Jackson asked.

“Now you speak up, eh,” Carter said, then they ran into a squad of grunts led by a pair of brutes, “Wouldn’t have been long if we hadn’t run into anything.” The team had already taken cover and the two squads had started firing at one another. One of the grunts pulled out a grenade and primed it just as the grunt was shot, leaving the grenade to detonate with the enemy team.

“That worked, if it was luck,” McKay said, “We’ll need more ammunition, and bigger guns.”

“Grab their weapons, and move up,” Sheppard ordered, grabbing the energy weapon one of the grunts were using. The rest followed his lead.

=== ===

The fighting had reached the defenders Rainbow Dash was with. The first sign of it was the forward lines of defense had pulled back, bringing with them machine guns little or no ammunition and severely damaged light vehicles. The first enemy squad that entered the defenders line of sight were mowed down the one of the machine guns, the next squad showed that machine gun was empty. Through it all Rainbow just hid in the corner covering her folded ears. After three squads had been eliminated, they stopped coming.

“All clear, for now,” one of the marines yelled out.

“We are going to advance and set up the defensive line, give more time to fight them off,” another ordered, “Pony, might be best if you stayed with us.” Rainbow got up and followed the marines to a forward position and found a dark corner to hide in.

“Someone, on the gun,” the marine ordered pointing the mounted intact weapon of a wrecked vehicle. “We have no idea how much time until the next attack, or when resupply is coming. We will hold this position for as long as we can.” All the marines took cover behind structural supports or barricades and readied any weapons they still had. It wasn’t long until the next wave arrived, but long enough for the marines to hold their position for an unknown amount of time.

The first squads of the next wave arrived and got gunned down from the mounted weapon. The next few squads trued to throw grenades, but a barrage of plasma fire from their left flank stopped that attempt. Then next few squads to attack were caught in a crossfire from the marine defenders. After the wave had been fought off, the marines using the enemy weapons came around the corner.

“Whittaker,” one of them said as they approached, “We are looking for a blue-furred pony. Have you seen her?”

“She’s in a corner back there, Sheppard,” the marine officer said pointing towards where Rainbow hid. “Thanks for the assist, Major.”

“I recommend using their weapons, you’ll hold out longer,” Sheppard told the officer while pointing towards the fallen enemies with his thumb. Sheppard and his team then walked towards Rainbow’s hiding spot.

“Come on, Dash, we need to find your friends and get off the ship,” Sheppard said.

“You know where they are? Are they okay?” she asked, ears going up.

“Yes, they are; though, we don’t know where they are right now,” Sheppard said, “Which is why we need you to stay with us.”

“Sure, I’ll stay with you,” Rainbow said.

“Alright, let’s go,” Sheppard ordered his team.

=== ===

The four ponies were walking down the corridor when a Warthog stopped right in front of them. “You Twilight?” the driver asked.

“Yes, why do you ask?” the purple alicorn asked, “Am I in trouble?”

“Here,” he said holding a black rectangular box out to her, “Take this, keep it safe. Good luck.”

“I will, don’t worry,” Twilight said, “But why are you giving it to me?”

“Because you are the best one to guard it until either your people can finish what we started or my people come,” the marine said, then drove to one of the many positions the defenders were holding.

“You seem to have got their trust about,” Applejack said.

“Maybe Rainbow did not come this way,” Fluttershy said.

“What makes you think that, darling” Rarity asked.

“I thought I heard something bad,” Fluttershy replied.

“Just the echo from that vehicle,” Twilight said. A bulk head not far in front them exploded. “Or maybe we were just too occupied to notice what you heard. She must not have gone this way.”

=== ===

Rainbow and Atlantis arrived at where the bulk head exploded about an hour later. “Looks like someone fired a missile from the other side,” Carter said after examining it.

“This way goes deeper into the ship,” Carter said facing down a corridor, “I think they would have gone this way. We might come across an intact security station with camera access, too.”

“So, we go down the corridor. We can also get to sickbay quickly, once we’ve got them,” Sheppard said.

“Perimeter breach. Fall back to secondary defensive positions,” the intercom went off.

“We need to wrap this up fast, we’re losing too much ground,” Jackson said.

“Double time it, then,” Sheppard said, and they started running down the corridor. Just as Carter predicted, there was a functioning security station with camera access.

“McKay, see if you can find them,” Sheppard ordered pointing at the security station.

“I think I found them,” McKay said a few minutes, “They’re at sickbay. We can finish up here and leave. There’s a transport Hog parked just outside.”

“Good, double time there,” Sheppard ordered. The squad ran to sickbay with Rainbow in tow.

=== ===

“You sure she’s okay?” Fluttershy asked one of the nurses who were in sickbay.

“Yes, she just has a feather in there,” the nurse replied.

“We need to go, Pinkie,” Applejack said urgently.

“Sorry, just got word,” the nurse said after talking to a marine guard, “The five of you need to stay, Atlantis is coming to pick you up.”

“Where are we going to go?” Rarity asked.

“You are going back down there, you can find a way to save us down there,” the marine guard said.

“How are we going to get down?” Twilight asked the guard.

“Atlantis is working on that. The plan is to use a Pelican, but at this rate that may fall through,” the guard said.

“Are they close?” Pinkie asked.

“They are on their way, but I don’t know how close they are,” he said.

“Please tell us when they arrive, if that is not too much trouble,” Fluttershy meekly requested.

“Unless they beat me to it,” the guard said, “Anyways, they’re here now. Warthog’s outside, in the corridor.” The five ponies exited out into the corridor where a large vehicle with a roll cage in the back instead of a gun waited. Atlantis and Rainbow Dash had already got in.

“Mount up, we need to go. Now,” Sheppard said very urgently. The five ponies managed to get into the back of the vehicle.

“Most elevators are out, but the vehicle elevator to the hangar should be in working order,” Carter said, “But it won’t handle the weight of a Warthog in its current state. We’ll be at the Pelican, though.”

“Punch it,” Sheppard ordered Jackson, who was driving it.

“Yes, sir,” Jackson acknowledged as he brought the vehicle up to speed.

“This elevator, is it safe?” Twilight asked Carter.

“If need be, there is a ladder in the shaft. If there is a hull breach, blast doors in the shaft will be closed,” Carter said, “But it won’t be safe, just follow our lead. Don’t panic.”

“Okay,” Twilight said with a sigh, “I’ll take your word for it.” The vehicle made a left turn where two corridors intersected. “If your people haven’t lost your war, will any more come?”

“If we haven’t lost the war, then they won’t send a ship for hundreds of years,” McKay said with sadness creeping into his voice. The Warthog pulled to a stop in front of the elevator mentioned earlier. Everyone in the vehicle jumped out, then saw that the boarders were approaching their position.

“Go, I’ll hold them off for as long as I can,” Jackson said, “Get them out of here! Good luck.” Jackson turned towards the boarders with his weapon raised. Sheppard hit the controls for the elevator, and the doors closed just as Jackson started firing his weapon. The doors on the other side of the elevator shaft started opening as the elevator came to a stop at the appropriate deck.

“They’re breaching the door, get in! Now!” the pilot yelled urgently. The group ran from the elevator the to dropship while the pilot took the controls. The doors were breached just as the Pelican started lifting off, and one of the attackers had a heavy weapon aimed at it. The Pelican was hit when the weapon was fired, prompting the pilot to yell, “We are going nowhere.”

“McKay, Carter, hold them off. Woolsey, with me. Ponies, we are going for a lifeboat, and you are getting on it,” Sheppard said matter-of-factly, “No questions asked, now is a very good time to leave.” McKay and Carter leveled their weapons at their attackers and fired, while Woolsey, Sheppard and the ponies ran across to a door to the corridor. Once they were in the corridor, Sheppard sealed the door. “This won’t hold them long we need to move, no time for rest,” he said to the ponies. They started running down the corridor following arrows marked ‘Lifeboats.’ Eventually they reached the lifeboats, but their attackers were closing in as well.

“Their too close, Sheppard,” Woolsey said, “We’ll never launch in time.”

“Take them and leave, I’ll handle them,” Sheppard said, “Had to die sometime, might as well be now. If I see that you failed…”

“I never fail,” Woolsey boasted, “I won’t fail this, too, even if it kills me.” Woolsey sheparded the ponies into the lifeboat and took the controls. After swiftly going through the pre-flight checklist, he launched the lifeboat and headed down to the surface. The lifeboat hit the atmosphere at a high enough speed to cause flames to surround the front have.

“How fast do I have to go to make that happen?” Rainbow asked pointed through the window.

“So fast you can’t do it, Rainbow,” Twilight said. The craft speedily approached a forest that Twilight immediately recognized. “We’re landing in the Everfree Forest!?” she said almost panicing.

“Hold on, this will be a rough landing,” the pilot said. A few minutes later the craft hit the ground, and everyone blacked out.

An hour later a golden aura opened the rear hatch. A regal white pony and a regal blue pony stood and looked in. The purple alicorn started to regain consciousness. Upon seeing the white alicorn, said, “Princess Celestia?”

“This time, yes, my little pony,” Celestia said, “A changeling caught us, and held us. Your crash helped us escape.”

“Did everyone survive?” Twilight asked.

“Not the pilot. I have feeling that a lot of good people sacrificed themselves so that you would not be killed,” Luna chimed in, “I looked forward to meeting the people our captors had been talking about.”

“Not now, sister,” Celestia said, “Twilight, were you given anything?”

“Just a small black box for whoever comes next,” she replied, “I still have it. It has important information, but I doubt we’ll be able to access it for a long while.”

“We’ll talk at your castle later, when your friends have woken up as well,” Celestia said.