(A2) - Prologue: Recognition

No Glory Won

Act 2 Prologue: Recognition

“Then, even Nothingness was not, nor existence.

There was no air then, nor the heavens beyond it.

What covered it? Where was it? In who’s keeping?

Was there then cosmic water, in depths unfathomed?”

I paused. I actually had no idea where to start. I closed my eyes, trying to force my brain to think of the earliest memory I can muster up from the war. Besides basic training, there were a couple of memories regarding a few minor skirmishes that occurred off the western coast, but they didn’t prove to be helpful enough to give any leads about the Aigaion.

Another memory came to mind. The only reason I ever heard about the ‘Aigaion’ in the first place was because of me. More importantly, because of ‘Garuda’. Because of my actions and its repercussions, there was virtually no chance that I knew of its existence by sheer coincidence. It was all my fault, it seemed.

Garuda was the name of my squadron I flew with. I was the lead plane. The Wonderbolts had their own squad as well, which was the group that Spitfire was leading. I did fly with them separately on a few missions and other sorties together, I remember.

“Well? A 'Warm and Sunny day', is that it? What else?” Grim impatiently asked, noticing my hesitation.

“I… Sorry, I... I have trouble remembering things at times. Just, give me a second.” I contemplated again.

Garuda wasn’t anything special at first, once I had joined. Just the name of a small squadron. But over time, it became something more. And the Changelings, who seemed very determined at the time to destroy me and my crew were willing to go to extreme lengths to exterminate me. The Aigaion was one of these extreme measures. Although its sole purpose wasn't for hunting down a squadron across the continent, it did take notice of our growing reputation and notoriety among the Changeling military.

The idea that the Changelings had feared us back then in the past was still alien to me, and I couldn't wrap my head around it still to this day. And it was the only reason how me and my squad - my former friends - were caught in the crossfire of this mess. Thinking back on it now, I knew it was out of my control to stop the snowball effect of events from spiraling out on the event horizon. And yet, something nagged me in the back of my mind that something could've been better, had I done something different.

Not having to think about those memories for a few months since

And yet, it still came to the ground, in a fiery heap of Metal and Smoke.

“I guess… I’ll have to start from when I first got the name ‘Garuda’. I’ve had it for a long time, since my first flight; it’s the name of my Squadron. The-”

“28h Fighter Squadron, 66th Air Force Unit. I know. I have your file.” With that, he reached into his chest pocket with his hoof, and Pulled a yellow folder out, gently tossing it onto the table in front of me. The contents came spewing out, showing multiple sheets of paper, each paper containing different kinds of information regarding me. My height, weight, subspecies, age, name, location of birth, deployment date, assigned plane, and squadron info were all right here. “We know everything there is to know about you. Your bio, your physicality, your relationships… everything. The only thing we don’t know is your performance in the war. Official Records have not gotten around to record all of the wartime conflicts that has just recently happened. So we’re in the blue as far as that goes. But luckily for us, that’s where you come in. And Sunshine too. I don’t need your Name, I need you to ask yourself: ‘what happened?’. Then we will get what we need.”

I quickly scanned the documents before me. Every single piece of information that was on here, as I read, were very accurate. I gave a long sigh.

“Well, where should I start then? Do you have any ideas? I can’t remember everything.”

“Yes, we understand. We’re not asking you to remember everything.”

“But that’s what you said when-”

“I know what I said!” Grim suddenly snapped at me. He paused and took a moment to calm down, breathing slowly. “Yes, I know… I said that. Let me rephrase myself for you: I want you to remember everything that has to do with the Aigaion. Can you do that?”

I stared at the medallion that was on the table. My emblem.

“I can try. But no promises on 100% accuracy.”

“Do the best you can. Start from the earliest you remember clearly.”

I took a long deep inhale in, and an even longer exhale out. I didn’t know how long I was gonna be here. This was going to be a long long story.

“The Year is 1012.”

April 21st, 1012. 23:44 CST (Canterlot Standard Time)

I lay there on my bunk, staring at the same grey, blank wall that I have been staring at for the past 8 months. It was Mid-April now. The Blueblood was currently sailing the ocean, escorted by destroyers and cruisers, both heavy and light ones. It’s mid-April now. We’ve been at sea for about 4 weeks since our last visit to port. I’ve been laying on my cot for about 2 hours now, and haven’t been able to fall asleep. I couldn’t move during curfew, however, so doing anything else was not an option. I just looked at the grey ceiling above my head, tossing and turning in the dark bunkroom for what felt like hours.

As far as I can tell, the Blueblood was currently assigned to the Lunar Ocean Fleet. It was tasked to patrol Pegasi Gulf and the seas to the west of it as far as 50 kilometers. There have been rumors of strategic air raids performed by changelings that have passed over these waters, and we were provided to try and act as a screen for the air force. Combined with the radar facilities that we currently built off of the Southwest Coastline, the Changelings shouldn't be too difficult to catch as long as we stay in radar range. We were tasked to intercept and destroy any changeling aircraft that passes over us, as well as their Fleet should it come to that.

Except there hasn’t been any contact in months, and the ponies on board are starting to get anxious.

I sighed long and heavily, dragging my hoof over my eyes. Why couldn’t I fall back asleep? There were still hours until curfew was over, and yet I could not get lucky enough to fall back to slumber. I groaned. This sucked.

“You cannot sleep as well?” Naya all of the sudden spoke above me, making me slightly jump.

“Naya? You’re still awake?” I Whispered, trying my best to not wake the other ponies around me.

“Is hard to sleep on moving ship. Something I am not accustomed for. Usually, it would snow somewhere about now, and I would look outside the window to see the white flakes gently drift down, and that usually lulls me to sleep. However, I am not so lucky now.”

We both sat together in awkward silence, listening to the hum of the engine through these metallic walls. The ship was gently listing off to one side, then to the next, Almost barely noticeable. Naya sighed softly.

“Your country; it’s very radical about their princesses, are they?”

“Heh, which one? There’s 4 of them.”

“Yes, 4 Immortal Alicorns. I can imagine the respect and political power they have to rule such a nation like this one. What do you think the Princess of Friendship thinks about this war?”

“Princess Twilight? Ehm, last I heard Twilight was assisting the scientists and researchers at the Canterlot Royal Library of Studies. Hasn’t left that profession ever since.”

“I asked you what does she think of the war, not what her profession is. What do you think her opinion of this war is?”

“I have no idea.” I looked at the other ponies to my right, silently sleeping. I sighed, laying my head back down as I stared at the ceiling. “But if her opinion was like mine, I’d say she probably hates the war. Not just the Changelings. Being a Princess of Friendship in times of war sounds Counter-Intuitive. Maybe she just wants things to go back to the way things were. Maybe she wishes to eradicate the Changelings once and for all so a threat like them will never arise again. Or maybe she just wishes to find a way to make this war end, one way or another.”

“And you do as well?” Naya asked. “What do you wish the outcome of this war will be?”

“As I said, I would wish things to go back to normal. But then, what is normal anymore, in a world of magic? In a world where war is still a thing, even after eternal peace? After the history of the world being so quiet for so long?”

“I think you just said the answer; Peace.” Naya answered for me. “If there is peace, there is Harmony. And when there is Harmony, there is no radical change. And that is something Ponies have been used to for a very long time. If life in Equestria becomes mostly uneventful, unlike this hectic and chaotic reality we find ourselves in, then Equestria will have its Eternal Peace again. But really, there is no such thing as an ‘Eternal Peace’, because peace - no matter how long it lasts - is not eternal. There will always be something that later in the future that changes history.” Naya paused as if she was catching a breath. “However, I did learn that if we hope for any chance of Eternal Peace, no matter how impossible it may be, we must learn to shape and write history for good purposes. For morally right purposes.” Naya concluded.

This was the first time I’ve gotten a good idea who Naya was, as a pony. I learned at that moment that she was smarter than most of us that were on this ship. Not just book smarts either, but philosophically, she was a genius.

“You know, you’re smarter than you look, Naya.” I added. I could hear a soft chuckle.

“I may be from another country, little pony, but I am not dull. There is much to be learned from life if you just pay attention and study yourself.”

Studying myself was not the highest of my priorities most of the time. But I do admit, she raised a valid point. I’ve managed to stifle a yawn or two during her ramble, but eventually one slipped by me and I felt exhausted from out of nowhere. Maybe I can finally fall asleep.

“Little Pony… is there anything from your old life that you miss?” Naya asked. I gave out a low, dry chuckle.

“Oh, plenty of things. I miss cloudy beds, chocolate, safety from bullets, a properly cooked breakfast cooked every morning, a good night sleep.” I paused. “And Sunshine. I miss Sunshine.”

“There’s plenty of sunshine out in the-”

“Not that sunshine. I meant… my Sunshine.”

“I… do not follow.” Naya blankly spoke.

“Heh, I know… She was my Marefriend. Before the war, and now during it. And I intend her to be my Marefriend after the war… at least, I hope so.”

“Ah. My apologies. How close were you?”

I snorted, and asked “Do you think considering to… marry, is close enough?”

Naya didn’t immediately reply after. She must’ve taken the time to think her words carefully. “I would ask, how committed are you to ensure that marriage lasts? But from another perspective, I would say that is close enough. It is your choice, but for what it’s worth, I think it is lovely.”

I couldn't help but smile slightly. “Thanks. It’s nice hearing you say that.” Another yawn managed to escape me. It wouldn’t be long now.

“I… feel the same way about how you miss your beloved. I do miss my family, every now and again. My mind sometimes doesn’t stop thinking about them. I usually ignore it, but sometimes… I feel a little Homesick. I suppose that is something we foreigners have in common.”

I raised a brow in question. “But I am not a foreigner.” Naya chuckled.

“Silly pony, you may not have been a foreigner back then. But with your new home, with this metal prison at sea, now you are.”

I felt my eyelids suddenly become heavy. Another yawn escaped. I closed my eyes and felt their dead weight sink me closer towards sleep. I didn't hear Naya say anything else to me, so I was focused on getting some shuteye. Eventually, sleep took hold of me.

May 1st, 1012. 15:27 CST (Canterlot-Standard Time)

I was called to the Mission room, along with all other pilots, in less than 5 minutes. I was sitting in the Cafeteria, eating my breakfast at Floor A when the announcement came.

“All Equestrian Pilots, report to the Mission Room in 5. All Equestrian Pilots, report to the Mission Room in 5.” The speakers blared overhead. I quickly finished my meal (which was a small bowl of oats cereal) and made my way down to Floor B, where the Hanger Bay was. I used my wings to fly over most of the aircraft and ponies in my way and made my way to the stern of the ship. Upon entering the Mission Room, I sat down in one of the many metal chairs facing a white screen. Some of the chairs were already occupied, as ponies were already talking to each other. I even saw Big Mouth, who was sitting by himself, looking bored. It didn’t take long for the others to get down here, as more and more Earth Ponies and Pegasi alike were sitting down in the chairs around us.

About 3 minutes have passed since I sat down, more of the chairs were being filled. Almost all of them had a pony sitting in them. Some were still unaccounted for. 4 minutes now, and some of the final ponies are walking in now. I spotted Lucky and Naya sitting together in the row ahead of me, to the left. The lights dimmed all of a sudden, and we could barely see in front of us. There was a flickering noise emitting from behind my head, and a white beam of light flashed at the white screen revealing a countdown. While this was happening, another pony walked through the doors behind us, this one different from the others: He was wearing a flight officer’s uniform, with a small collection of ribbons attached to his chest.

“Ok Everypony, today is the big day! We finally have gotten word from Los Pegasus’s Radar Station. My name is Major Lieutenant Hawk Eyes. I’ll be briefing you on this next mission you’re about to perform.” In an instant, I felt an overwhelming sense of Authority in his voice, forcing me - and the other pilots - to pay attention.

The White Screen finished its countdown, and instantly it showed us black and white filtered screenshots of various aircraft.

“We’ve confirmed that the enemy is sending multiple squadrons of Bombers with Escort fighters to no doubt wipe our Radar Bases. It has been said before that the Changelings had no proof of Radars in Equestria even existing. However, recent reports from High Command have stated that Infiltration is surely possible in Equestria. Several deep scans in the military rankings, along with a few minor purges were made underway when the princesses heard the news. And apparently, the Buggers didn’t like that. We don’t know the details just yet at this time, but it has been said that the agents in question belonging to the Hives leaked out as much information as they could muster. And our Radar capabilities just happens to be one of the many things that were leaked.

“Over the last few days, we’ve gotten reports from the frontlines that they have detected a large amount of the Changeling Air Force mobilizing. One of these Air Groups is currently set course for Los Pegasus Radar Station. Losing that Radar station would mean we lose access of Air superiority in several Strategic Regions, including Pegasi Gulf, The Ruby Mountains, and Mead County, which is essential for further frontline operations in that region.

“Pilots, your mission today is to intercept those Bomber Squadrons that are currently heading their way toward Pegasi Gulf and shoot down any enemies you encounter. We’re counting on a solid performance. I know some of you are newcomers, so my advice to you is to follow your orders, keep your head cool, and aim true. We need you for this mission.”

He pointed a Hoof at the aircraft in the white screen. “The enemy’s aircraft is nothing we aren’t used to. It should be a standard bombing Air Wing: An escort Squadron of 109’s, along with a regiment of 117's with 111's. They will be likely carrying a heavy payload, so it is imperative that they are neutralized at all costs.”

The white screen flashed, and a new image was presented, showing a map of the Lunar Ocean, with multiple lines and arrows indicating flight paths.

“The enemy is expected to be over the city in the next couple of hours we’re the only ones who can intercept. I wish you all the best of luck!” The white screen flashed once more, and the white light died as well. Soon after, the room’s lighting came back. “You have 20 minutes to assemble for takeoff. Dismissed!” Hawk ordered, instantly encouraging everyone to hop out of their seats and follow his orders. One by one, Ponies were shoving each other out of the way to exit the room, heading towards the Lockers for their equipment. I hovered over everypony, along with several other pegasi, as I made my way to the Equipment Locker, at the bow end of the Hanger Bay.

I was one of the first few who made it to the locker room, and instantly I made my way to my Locker. Locker #39. It had a Combination Lock, only accessible by me. I turned to the corresponding combination (which was 45-17-21) and opened the locker, revealing its contents to me. It had your standard Fighter Pilot Kit: The Life Preserver, the Parachute (for non-pegasi), First Aid Kit, A Heavy Duty Jacket, and an Aviator Cap with a mask, and Goggles. I never wore the Goggles, But the Flight Cap I kept. It kept the Mane out of my eyes when I flew.

It didn’t take me long to get into gear, only a minute and a half time spent to suit up. I looked around, and other ponies were walking in and cracking open their lockers ready to suit up. I felt a hoof touch my right shoulder, it was Lucky.

“So, it looks like I’m assigned to your Squad now.” Lucky stated.

“Excuse me?” I replied.

“Yep, apparently they made a last-second change on me, and I’m a part of this mission now. So uh…” He patted my withers twice with his hoof. “Don’t die.” He smiled sheepishly. I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“I’m not planning to. Not if I have anything to say about it.”

“I don’t know about you,” Big Mouth spoke to my left, as he was still suiting up. “But I’m ready to fucking shoot some ugly buggers. Not a single one is getting through me.”

“Save it for the air, both of you.” Naya then joined, walking into view already suited up. “This is just your standard Interception Mission, no need to seek glory here.”

“Spoken like a true Commie, eh? Ah, to hell with ‘em, I'll still shoot ‘em down.” Big Mouth Concluded.

“We all will. Once we’re in the air, we will have the freedom to do so.” Lucky reminded.

“No, you won’t. This isn’t your typical free engagement mission, we have to follow orders from the chain of command.” Naya Corrected

“We’ll see. For now, just assemble near the Runway. We’ll be taking off soon.” I interrupted. Lucky smiled slightly, Naya gave a simple nod, and Big softly muttered “Aye”. Everyone was finishing up their preparations, as the loudspeakers were blaring once more.

“Garuda Team, assemble near the runway. Garuda Team, assemble near the runway.”

“Looks like we’ll be taking off first after all.” Lucky commented softly to himself as we made our way to the Staircases. We made up to Floor B than to Floor A, making our way outside. It was overcast, with a few holes of blue sky and sunshine, almost about to rain. I could see the neverending plane of churning water stretch out before me, boasting its vastness. The smaller flotillas that were escorting the Blueblood can be seen trailing along with the carrier at the same speed off to the sides of the Ship and to the rear and front.

4 Aircraft were already lined up and prepared for takeoff on the runway. My friends and I stood near the control tower, staring at the planes we would be embarking soon. I took a moment to look around me as I saw ponies all over the ship pacing about, doing their jobs. There were also ponies on the flight deck, closely inspecting our aircraft, doing their pre-takeoff routine maintenance.

“How much longer now?” Lucky impatiently asked.

“Shouldn’t be too long now.” I answered. I noticed Naya mumble something to herself, but couldn’t hear over the sounds of ponies shouting, and the repeating waves of water slamming into the hull.

“Always take so fuckin’ long.” Big commented.

“I rather that happen then to have my plane blow up in a flaming heap mid-flight. Small sacrifices, I suppose.” Naya said. We were all standing together, anxiously waiting for the signal. With every passing second, the air seemed to be getting more apprehensive and wet. The rain was a guarantee today. Thankfully we’ll be inside the cockpit when it happens. But the worst of it comes when it starts affecting the plane. There have been a number of air accidents due to bad weather. It wasn’t uncommon.

Finally, the Loudspeakers blared once more.

“Garuda Team, Embark your Aircraft! Garuda Team, Embark your Aircraft!”

Instantly, all four of us sprinted to the planes that each of us was assigned for. I was sprinted to the first Plane in line and Embarked inside using my wings. I sat in the cockpit, eyeing every single gauge and meter that was on display, before buckling myself in and closing the cockpit. I took my flight Cap with Earmuffs and put them on. I then pulled a wire from the back of the right Earmuff and connected it to a control panel located underneath the stick, powering it on. It was the radio control panel. I switched the frequency to the correct channel, allowing me to communicate with Blueblood control. The second Frequency that I saved on the panel allowed me to communicate with my Squadron. As soon as I was connected, I pulled the mask from the Aviator Cap and spoke into it.

“This is Night Light to Blueblood Control, Rover Crystal, I repeat, Rover Crystal. Over.” I spoke blankly, waiting for a response.

“Roger that Night Light, Lima Crystal, we read you.” I heard a tinny voice in my right ear reply. “Stand By. We’re trying to get confirmation here. Out.” while I waited, I switched to the second frequency.

“Night Light to all planes, what is your status? Over.”

“This is Lucky, I’m green to go! Out.”

“Naya here, I am ready. Out.”

“Big is ready! Out.” All 3 of them replied at once. The radio was working just fine.

“Control to Night Light, we’ve got confirmation of your sortie. You’ve been granted for takeoff. All planes, Night Light is Garuda 1. Naya is assigned to number 2, Lucky 3, and Big Mouth 4. This is not a free engagement mission, so follow all orders from Garuda 1. Break.” There was a slight pause, before continuing. “Garuda Team, you have permission to take off.”

“Roger that, Garuda team Launching!” I pronounced and switched to second frequency again. “All planes, set your Fuel Mixture to 96%. Set your Prop pitch to full, and switch to auto control afterward. Have Radiators opened 65% How copy so far over?” I asked.

“We copy, continue. Over.” Naya answered first.

“Give me a sitrep with all diagnostics. Over.” I proceeded to move the stick around, looking at my wings to notice anything change. The Ailerons beneath the wings began to move up and down erratically. I then stepped on the pedals below the stick and turned behind me. The Rudder moved side to side, as well as the elevator.

“All systems check for Garuda 1. Garuda 2, what’s your status?”

“Green.”

“Garuda 3, what’s your Status?”

“Green.”

“And Garuda 4?”

“Green.”

“Ok, all planes are green. Set flaps for takeoff, start your engines, and keep the throttle back to 0%.” With that, I flipped the lever to start the engine, making the propeller sputter black smoke for a moment before beginning to rapidly spin. I eased my throttle forward as it began to accelerate, sending me lurching back to my seat. The plane tried to steer to the left, me stepping on the right pedal for the rudder wasn’t allowing it to go anywhere. I kept the stick steady as it began to shake and pick up speed.

The runway disappeared in front of me, sending my plane slowly descending downward. After a couple of seconds, it stopped descending and started to climb. I raised my flaps and landing gear soon after.

“Garuda 1 Launched. Garuda 2, takeoff now.” Control spoke in my right ear.

“Roger that, Garuda 2 launch!” Naya spoke.

“Garuda 1, circle above the Blueblood until the rest of your squad has taken off. Over.”

“Copy that, moving to idle now. Out.” I tilted the stick to the left, making the plane swerve slowly around the port side of the Blueblood. I saw Naya’s plane run out of runway, and gently list off the carrier, banking right afterward.

“Garuda 2 Launched. Garuda 3, Takeoff.”

“Copy that.”

Lucky’s plane began to move now. As it picked up speed, Control spoke once again.

“Garuda 4, Takeoff.”

“Affirmative.” Now Big’s plane began to pick up speed. By the time Lucky got off the Runway, Big’s was already halfway across the deck. I saw Naya slowly pull up to my right as Big finally lift off the runway.

“All Garuda team members launched. Garuda team set your bearing to 315 and proceed to the Rendezvous Point. The 1st Air Squadron from the Ark Royal should be waiting. Break.” another slight pause. “The other squadrons from Blueblood will takeoff and join you momentarily. Over.”

“Roger that control, out.” I switched to my Squad’s channel. “All planes, regroup on me above the Blueblood. Assemble into ‘Rarity’ formation.”

“Affirmative, Garuda 2 shifting to ‘Pink’ position.” I watched behind me as Naya’s plane slowly drifted backward behind me, intent on staying there.

“This is Garuda 4, I’ll switch to Blue. Lucky, you’ll get Yellow this time.”

“Roger, shifting now.” soon afterward, 2 more planes began to slowly form into a diamond formation: Big on my left, Lucky on my right, and Naya to my rear. They stayed close to me and separated from each other.

“Maintain current course, increase altitude to 2500 meters and maintain airspeed above 250 Kilos if you can.”

“Good copy Garuda 1. We’re right behind you.” Lucky answered.

As we were slowly beginning to rise above the clouds, wet droplets of rain begin to cover the cockpit canopy, obscuring a part of my vision. The rain was starting to come down. After a couple of minutes of climbing, I looked down at the Fuel Gauge and flipped a couple of switches, making the gauge’s meter move to the right. 72 Gallons.

“All planes, check fuel.” I ordered. There was a moment of silence before the response came through.

“Garuda 2, 70 Gallons.”

“3, 72 Gallons.”

“4, 75 Gallons.”

“Roger, Maintain current Altitude and Airspeed. Leave at least 35 minutes of fighting time over the Gulf. And keep an eye on your gauges, even when things get hot.”

“Roger that Garuda Lead. Any idea when they’ll be here?” Lucky asked.

“High Command said they would be here in a couple of hours. That was about half an hour ago. It won’t be long now. But first, we need to regroup with the 1st Air Squad.”

“The Wonderbolts? Ugh, they really brought those fucking loons out of all ponies?” Big complained.

“These bombers are our highest priority. The ponies back in Los Pegasus are counting on any help they can get. Besides us, the Wonderbolts are the best we could ask for. Trust me, we’ll need them.” I replied.

“They always get the credit though! We can handle this without them.”

“True as that may be, we can’t take any chances. The risk is too great. No use in arguing, so end of discussion." I figuratively put my hoof down, and Big Mouth was once again quiet.

We continued to fly through and in between the many clouds that litter the sky. Fighting in these conditions was going to be a challenge, especially if the enemy is using the clouds to their advantage. We flew towards Northwest for about 10 minutes until finally, we saw a large formation of planes flying to Eastbound. I saw them in a V formation, each plane leaving behind a trail of Blue Smoke.

It was the Wonderbolts.

“Garuda team, standby while I communicate with Wonderbolt lead.” I switched my Squadron frequency temporarily to frequency 154.9, which should be the Wonderbolts’. I Spoke aloud as soon as I was done configuring. “Wonderbolt Squadron, this is Garuda Team, we’ve arrived at the rendezvous point, requesting permission to merge into your formation. Over.” There was a moment of silence. Then a crackling noise, and finally another voice spoke.

“Good copy Garuda, that’s an affirmative. It’s good to hear from you again. We’ll be heading towards mission objective, you’re welcome to join us.” Spitfire replied back. “We have a special guest with us today. Gryphus will be accompanying us for this mission. They’re mercenaries from Aquila, so be on your best behavior.”

“Griffons, huh? Well, we appreciate the assistance. Let’s show them how the Equestrian Air Force gets it done!” Another Wonderbolt piped up. I managed to get a good look at the planes Gryphus was flying. They were designed differently than ours, their Fuselage longer and narrower than ours, and their wings shorter and thicker. But the real noticeable difference was the propeller. It had a dual propeller engine in the same spot, no doubt increasing the speed and climb rate of their aircraft. I can imagine them not turning as fast as our Fireflies and Seafires, however.

“Gryphus to all units looks like the Cavalry's here.”

“Guess so.” Lucky replied confidently.

“Garuda team, follow close behind and switch to ‘String’ formation.” I ordered as I broke off from the group, and steered behind Spitfire’s group. I counted a total of at least 20 planes, not including my squad.

“Garuda 3 copies.” Lucky answered. One by one, my team began to form to the sides of my plane. One to my left, and two to my right. Together we formed a horizontal line, while trailing close behind Wonderbolt Lead. Gryphus was over us, maintaining some kind of wide curved wedge formation. We were all flying together now, as we continued our course.

30 minutes of flying over broken clouds and seemingly endless ocean later, and I started to wonder how soon we would engage the enemy. More and more planes, from the Blueblood I assumed, began to join our formation as we continued to fly. There were multiple teams and squads assigned for this mission. Each of them had their own frequency, so I could not pick up on what everyone was saying.

I pulled the mask over my face again and strapped it in place securely. “Garuda team, I’ll be going Radio Silence for a moment. Maintain current formation and standby.”

“Did something happen boss?” Big questioned.

“Negative, just wanted to check on something. Wait one.” I switched the squadron channel to Blueblood control’s channel, and proceeded to speak. “Blueblood control, this is Garuda 1, do you read me? Over.” Silence. I spoke again. “Garuda 1 to Blueblood Control. Repeat, do you read me? Over.” More silence. I was beginning to worry if I inputted the wrong frequency. Then a pop, and a fizzing noise emitted from my ear, with the voice of a stallion barely hearable through the garbled static.

“Blueblood to Garuda 1, we read you. What’s going on? Over.”

“We have negative contact of the enemy formation so far. Requesting approximate ETA on the enemy formation entering combat airspace. Over.” There was a slight pause before static came through again, sounding heavier. I could still make up what he was saying, though barely.

“Roger, be advised, you are moving out of our range, so I will not be available for communications after this transmission. Stand by, out.”

I waited, looking at the clouds around me, seeing flashes of lightning break out in a couple of clouds. We were just barely above the cloud screen, so we could see the sun as it shined down upon us. I was hoping we would find them right about now, but they were nowhere to be found. Maybe they were hiding below the clouds? More static came through my right earmuff.

“Garuda 1, we got an incoming broadcast from Los Pegasus. You are over the Gulf now, and both you and the enemy are being tracked on Radar. Enemy is expected to enter combat airspace from bearing 030 ETA 10 minutes, it shouldn’t be long now. Is that helpful? Over.“

“Yes it is Control, thanks for the info. Garuda team, out.” I cut communications, we were well outside their range anyway. I switched my frequency to Garuda’s, and relayed the news. “Garuda team, the enemy is expected to arrive ETA 10 minutes. They should almost be in view about now.”

“Copy, opening Radiators to 80%.” Naya answered.

“Garuda 1 to Wonderbolt and Gryphus, enemies are approaching from due north of airspace. ETA 10 minutes.”

“Roger that Garuda. All wonderbolts, drop to 2000. Maintain current formation.” Almost simultaneously, all of the wonderbolt planes began to dip their noses downward, aiming for the clouds below us. I descended along behind them, my team sticking close and staying in formation.

“This is Gryphus Lead, we’ll get up high and scan the area for you. Out.” I looked up to see the Heavier duty aircraft climb upwards towards the sun, as my plane continued to dive. Eventually, the wonderbolts stopped diving, and leveled out as they maintained their course.

“I wish you comrades the best of luck. If we get back, Labor Day celebratory drinks are on me!” Naya spoke proudly.

“Labor Day?” I asked.

“Every Dawn of May, the ponies from my homeland would usually cheer and drink, while they celebrated the holiday together and sing songs. It's to celebrate the diligence and sacrifice of all ponies in Stalliongrad, in honor of their revolution. I even have drinks, so it should be close enough to the real thing like back home.”

“You’ve managed to get drinks into the Blueblood? Hell, I think I’m starting to like you Commies a little more now.” Lucky admitted.

“Save some for me, Celestia knows I might need one after this.” Big concluded. We flew in silence for a little while longer. 4 minutes have passed, each minute passing filling the air with tension and apprehension. We had to be very close now.

“Garuda team, sitrep. Is everypony feeling okay?” I asked, hoping I wasn’t the only one feeling a little nervous.

“I’m a bit angsty, but I’ll be alright.”

“I’ll live.”

“I feel somewhat… apprehensive. But I’ll be fine.” They all spoke at once.

“Stay calm, keep your head cool, and fly straight. No use flying a plane if the pilot is not 100% combat effective.”

“Roger boss.” Lucky stated.

I glanced around the cockpit, noticing more planes joining up from behind us. There were at least 30 of us now, maybe more. Each team was had a different number of planes, a different formation, and a different callsign. I wasn’t familiar with all of them, but I knew a couple. There was Avalanche, Sapphire, Dash, and Stratus. Those were the ones that were with us right now.

We each had our own channel, but if we needed to, we could switch to the ‘Team Frequency’, allowing us to communicate with all team leads at once. I instinctively switched my Wonderbolt Frequency to Lead Channel’s Frequency, as I thought it would be easier for us all to call out important information. I still had my Team’s channel, I just wasn’t using it. Just then, I heard a voice spoke on Lead Channel.

“Gryphus to all units, we’ve confirmed visual of first Changeling bomber wave. Bearing 015 from our position, 10 klicks out.” My heart began to race. This was it.

“Roger that Gryphus, how many do you see?” I asked.

“Unknown, looks like at least 30 of them, maybe more.”

“There wasn’t supposed to be that many…” I muttered, feeling queasy.

“Roger, all planes, assume attack formation. We’re about to engage.” Spitfire ordered her planes, and they instantly began to spread out, forming a much longer and narrow V-Shape formation. Somewhere beyond the Clouds, I could see black silhouettes of aircraft popping through the clouds… a lot of them. I counted at least 15 fighters at least escorting them, and 10 more bombers, at the very least.

And that was just the first wave.

“That is a lot of planes…” I heard Big mutter.

I noticed multiple smaller aircraft breaking the bomber formation turning towards us, no doubt to engage us before we could reach the bombers. I began to sweat profusely, my mouth all of the sudden tasting foul.

“All planes, their escorts are breaking. They’re about to engage!” Someone from Wonderbolt squad announced.

“Maintain formation. Break when I say so.” I could hear Wonderbolt communications getting hectic.

“Orders, Garuda 1?” Naya asked.

“Garuda team, wait for my signal, then bank hard in individual directions. Engage whenever possible.” I ordered, sending one quick silent prayer to Celestia as the enemy was getting closer.

"Roger that, boss." Lucky answered for all of us.

“Gryphus to all planes, we’re descending and engaging the enemy bombers.”

“Roger that. Garuda, think you can lend us a hoof with these escorts?” Spitfire requested.

“Affirmative. We’re right behind you.” I answered. I frantically switched channels, noticing the swarm of 109s approaching ever closer. "Garuda, we're prioritizing the escorts. Gryphus will attack the bombers. Out."

“Stratus is green for engagement!”

“Dash is good to go!”

“Avalanche, ready to engage!”

“Sapphire is all fired up, and ready to go!”

“Enemy fighters 5 klicks out! And closing fast!” Spitfire called out.

“Ok Garuda, this is it. Prepare to bank hard!” I announced, instantly earning a reaction out of each of them as I heard the Lead Channel flood with frantic voices and static.

“3 Klicks out!”

“Онборд то Глоры анд Баттле…” Naya spoke in her native tongue, though I have no idea what it meant.

“Tally Ho! Let's shoot down some bugs!” Big bellowed.

“2 klicks!”

Now was the time! “All Planes, Break! Break!” I ordered.

“Here they come!” Lucky cried through the radio. In a blur, all the planes in the sky opened fire, turned, or even crashed into each other during the initial break.

And all hell broke loose.

I kept darting my head behind me, checking to see if he has shaken off. Of course, he didn’t, and was still continuing to fire away at my tail. I couldn’t shake him. I dipped my nose downward, and disappeared into the clouds, instantly breaking right after I lost sight of him. I rolled, and steered my way out from the cloud cover, and found that he was finally not chasing me. I found him popping out of the clouds underneath me to my left. I rolled upside down, and pointed my nose down as I gave chase. He must’ve saw me, because he attempted to maneuver away, hoping I would miss… I didn’t. Seconds later, his fuselage caught fire, and he was spinning out of control.

“Bogey down! Gruda Team, give me a damage report now!” I yelled into the mask.

“I’ve taken a couple of shots on my wing. Still airborne though!” Lucky called out.

“Garuda 2 is in optimal condition.” Naya spoke calmly.

“Big is fine, just getting warmed up!” Big spoke last.

“Regroup above the clouds, find the yellow smoke and regroup into Theta formation! We need to find those bombers!”

“Copy that!”

“These ones aren’t your usual 109’s, they got 20 Mils under their wings. Stay sharp!” I ordered.

10 minutes of hectic combat had passed. My plane suffered a couple of hits, but it was still flying. All around me, fighters from both sides were dancing around each other in a fruitless battle for Air Supremacy; gracefully steering, diving, climbing, and shooting. I’ve already counted at least 6 allied planes lost, and I had no idea how many the Bugs lost. I noticed a couple of planes spewing black smoke from the tail, and others were on fire as they sprawling towards the ocean below us.

“Gryphus, what’s the status on those bombers?!” Spitfire frantically asked, as I saw her plane was wildly steering in multiple directions, hoping to lose the bandit on her tail. I noticed my team slowly forming up on me as yellow smoke was spewing out of my wings. They formed slowly behind me, and one to my right, making an ‘X’ Formation

“We’re losing it! We confirmed 5 bombers down, but they just won’t quit! We need support now!”

“Garuda 1 to Gryphus 1, we’re on our way. Where’s your location?”

“We’re about 10 minutes out from the coast. They're above the clouds, and are getting closer to the city!”

“Not if we have anything to say about it!” I declared as I turned my plane to the South-East, climbing ever higher to gain altitude. More droplets of water stained the glass of the cockpit, as the haze of cloud vapor blinded my surroundings. eventually though, I emerged throught to be greeted with a bright afternoon sun shining down upon me. The rest of my team followed suit in formation. After a quick search, I finally spotted the less intimidating formation of bombers with gryphus above them diving for the kill. Their tactics were top notch: they dived down on the dead zone where the gunners couldn’t reach them, gaining more speed as they got closer, before usually firing one burst to kill the bombers. ‘Boom and Zoom’, as Spitfire called it.

“Garuda Team, we can’t let a single bomb hit that radar station! Prioritize on the bombers, and give them everything we got!” I called out.

“Good copy!”

“I’m on it!”

“Here we go!” They all spoke at once again.

“Break formation, Engage!” I ordered, making them break from the X and steering to engage the bombers. I noticed one lowly fighter sneak up behind one of my Squadmate's planes, as they broke off.

“Naya, you got one on your tail!” Lucky called out.

“I am aware.” Naya simply responded. Her plane inverted, and was flying down to the ocean, disappearing into the clouds. The 109 followed behind, also flying in the clouds. I lost sight of both of them.

“Where’s our support from Los Pegasus!? Shouldn’t they be here?” Big yelled.

“I don’t know. Focus on the bombers. Wipe them from our sky!” I reiterated. The formation zoomed closer and closer, as I fixed my sights on one of the bombers. I squeezed the trigger, Golden Tracers shot out to the Quad-Engined Beast. Sparks were emitting from the fuselage and the wings. At first, nothing happened. a few more rounds later, and smoke started to spew out from one of the engines. Soon it became darker. I continued to fire, delivering more tracers. I must’ve hit the fuel tank or something, because the plane began to burn uncontrollably as it continued to fly. Soon, it’s noes started to tip down, as one by one, Changelings were bailing out of the plane. Some of them were on fire already, as their corpse fell aimlessly to the ocean below.

I felt like I wanted to hurl after seeing such a sight.

“That ocean might oughta cool ya, you fucking cunts!” Big uncannily.

The gunners from the other bombers noticed my presence and opened up on me. I steered hard right, hoping to evade the incoming fire of green bullets. Some have managed to hit my wings, but no critical damage. Gryphus’s planes dived down again, striking another bomber, this time blowing it’s right wing completely off, sending it spinning wildly to the water below. Another one down, and a lot more to go.

Soon, the bombers started to steer in different directions, some narrowly missing each other from a mid air collision.

“Enemy fighter destroyed.” Naya finally spoke, after being silent for a while.

“Good kill. The bombers are breaking formation. Let’s finish them off!” I announced to my team, immediately switching to Lead Channel. “All planes, the bombers are breaking. They're becoming disorganized!”

“Good copy. Wonderbolts, finish these bugs off. Let’s wipe them from our home!”

“Another allied plane has been shot down!” A Mare cried out. just as she said that, I looked to my rear behind me. A large furball of fighters was crowding the airspace, with one of them plummeting downward as a fireball of metal.

“There’s so many of them!” Lucky spoke through my right ear.

“Stratus, give me a casualty report now!” Spitfire ordered.

“3 of our planes have been lost. We are currently 6 strong.”

“Dash, Casualties!”

“None so far, we still combat effective.”

“Sapphire!”

“We lost 2, but we’re still fighting!”

“Avalanche!”

“We’re 4 strong. We lost 2.”

"Garuda!"

"No casualties!" I answered as fast as I could.

“Keep the pressure on, eventually they’ll break! Garuda, Gryphus, prioritize the bombers if you can.”

“We copy, Garuda confirms 2 more bombers destroyed!”

“They’re changing course… looks like they gave up.” Naya softly spoke. “When is the second wave supposed to be here?”

“15 minutes after the first wave arrived, based on the briefing. They should be here soon.” I answered as I continued to give chase to another bomber. It’s gunners opened up, but I was too far and nimble for him to hit me. I kept rolling, steering, and elevating, doing everything to avoid more damage. As soon as my crosshair overlay the bomber, I squeezed the trigger once more, and tracers lit up the tail of the bombers, causing some pieces and bits of the plane to fall off. I definitely hit something important. I continued to fire, and the whole tail of the Bomber soon broke off, causing the plane to flip spastically in multiple directions.

“Another bomber has been shot down, I think they’re retreating!” Lucky called out.

“Save the ammo for the second wave. If they’re fleeing, let them run!” I ordered.

“To hell with that, we should make every single one of those bastards pay for what they’'re doing!”

“Stand down Big, that’s an order! We’re trying to protect a city here, not increasing our kill count.” I barked through the mask. Over the North-Western Horizon, I noticed tiny black shapes flying towards us. I immediately switched channels again. “Garuda 1 to all planes, 2nd formation of Bombers has been spotted. Bearing 310.”

“Good copy, Dash is moving to intercept.”

“Night, I got one on my 6, and I can’t shake him!” Lucky frantically yelled. I saw his plane to my right wildly maneuvering through the clouds, hoping to avoid him. But he kept giving chase.

“I’m on it, Break towards me!” I turned on the yellow smoke under my wings again, signaling to everypony who I was. Lucky’s plane reactively banked toward my direction and was closing in fast. Green tracers were shot from the 109 behind him, almost hitting me. “Lucky, when I say so, elevate upward - as hard as you can without stalling yourself!”

“Okay then…” Lucky replied with angst. Both of them were getting closer. I couldn’t see the 109 behind him, but I knew exactly where he was. Lucky’s plane was still maneuvering, hoping to dodge the bullets.

“Okay, 3. 2. 1… Break!” All at once, I opened fire, and Lucky’s plane hurriedly elevated upwards. The 109 behind couldn’t react in time, as the tracers barely missed Lucky, and struck the 109 on where his engine was. Before he could collide with me, I banked hard right, barely missing the craft as it turned into a fireball, and started to plunge downward to the sea.

“YEEHAAW! That was some solid shooting Night Light!” Lucky Bellowed through the radio, as I silently watched the fire ball continue to fall. I didn’t see the pilot bail. I must’ve killed him.

“Good kill, Garuda 1!” Spitfire cheered. It didn’t feel good.

“Gryphus to all units, I have a clear visual on the 2nd wave of bombers. There’s a lot less escorts with them this time.”

“Finally, some good news.” I heard Big mutter.

“Everypony, we’re almost done here! Engage the bombers at will!” I ordered my squad once more. I turned to face the bombers head on, as they continued to close in on the city.

“All enemy bombers from the 1st wave have been destroyed!” Sapphire lead spoke.

“Spitfire to all planes, it’s time to finish this! Prioritize on the bombers!”

Almost all of the allied planes I saw to my left turned to face the bombers. The others were either chasing a 109, or being chased. The formation looked considerably smaller compared to the 1st one. There were only a handful of 109s escorting them.

“Wonderbolts, let’s focus on the escorts. The rest will deal with the bombers!”

“Garuda 3 and 4, Prioritize the bombers, and we’ll be done. Give them everything you've got! Garuda 2, shift to support.” I ordered my team once more.

“Affirm on that Garuda 1, we’re moving to engage!” Lucky answered.

“Da, I shall stay behind you.” Naya followed. The formation was getting closer now, about 6 klicks out.

Just then, I noticed more shapes underneath the bombers, but they weren’t clearly visible. I saw a black silhouette of a plane I could not recognize. There was more of them, forming a V formation following behind the lead plane. They were hiding in the clouds
1

“All planes, more bogeys incoming! They’re in the clouds below the bombers!” I yelled in Team Channel.

“Roger that, I see ‘em. Wait… they look different from the others.” Spitfire reluctantly spoke.

Almost right on cue, the V formation slowly began to elevate upwards, still maintaining formation. I got a good look at them this time. They were not 109s. They were some kind of rear propeller engined plane, with a longer and thinner wingspan. Each plane was painted black, with Red Stripes diagonally covering the wings.

“Схит... Тхесе гуыс аре Ацес.” I heard Naya spoke, again in her native language.

“All planes, something is not right here. Be careful!” Spitfire warned.

The planes broke V formation, each of them spewing red trails of smoke from their tails.

“These guys aren’t your standard pilots, these guys are Aces!” I heard somepony from Dash call out.

“Alright. Gryphus, Sapphire, and Stratus, focus on the Aces. the rest of us will take out the bombers.” Spitfire ordered. And one by one, allied planes began to break off, chasing the red planes.

“Who are these guys?” Big asked.

“I don’t know. I’ve never seen them before!” Lucky soon joined.

“Nothing I can’t handle!” Someone from Gryphus spoke up. More tracers lit up the sky. Planes were dancing through, above, below, and in between the cloud covers. More lightning could be seen through the clouds just below me. We were above a storm.

“All planes, if you must, dive below the clouds and use the storm against them.”

“Sapphire confirms we lost a plane. These guys are good!”

“All damaged aircraft return to base, the rest of us will push forward.”

I looked back and forth between the bombers and the Ace planes that were currently engaging us. The bombers were much closer, and the Aces seemed to be oblivious to our presence.

“Garuda Team, Engage!” I called out, fixed my sights over the bombers after breaking right, and fired. More tracers spewed out of my plane, striking the bombers hull home. It caught fire, and it’s nose started to tip down. I saw multiple changelings bail. Another one down. Naya pulled to my left from behind and started to fire on another bomber. I saw the tracers connect the fuselage, and soon after the whole plane exploded, sending bits of shrapnel and metal flying everywhere. I turned hard, avoiding the debris as best I could. The bombers around us were frantically flying in random directions, due to the shockwave of the explosion. I tried my best to keep the throttle steady and my plane as fast as I could. It was shaking wildly as I was trying to level out, doing my best not to lose speed.

“Got one.” Was all Naya said afterward.

“Holy hell, whoever shot that bomber just blew it to literal pieces!” Someone on the radio called out.

“I’ve never seen anything like that… who shot it down?” Dash lead spoke.

“It was Garuda… one of them at least.”

“Garuda? from the Blueblood?”

“I’ve never seen them fly and fight the way they did.”

“All planes, cut the chatter and focus. We’re still on mission.” Spitfire ordered.

“One of the Aces has been shot down! Yeah, I got him!” one of the Wonderbolts cheered.

“Keep the pressure on, we almost got them!” I called out to Lead Channel.

“Shit shit, I can’t lose him! 3, switch to support now!” Sapphire lead frantically ordered. I turned my attention to the bombers once more. I focused on the ones that were the farthest from the formation, and picked them off. 2 more bursts later, and another bomber was shot down. There wasn’t many of them left now.

Soon, Red tracers were flying over me to my rear, making me jump in my seat as I heard some of them smash into me. I inverted and turned down to the ocean.

I looked to my rear, to find one of the Aces turning their attention towards me. Seems they had enough of us shooting their bombers.

“Naya, he’s on me!” I called out.

“I see him, just keep evading, I’ll get him!” Naya spoke reassuringly. I continued to roll around as I descending using my rudder while rolling to make me more agile, yet also took care not to use it too much to throw me into a stall. I was flying closer and closer towards the darker clouds below me, hoping I would lose him there. I passed through the cloud cover, and instantly my cockpit canopy was filled with drops of water littering my vision. I turned upwards, trying my best to stay in the clouds and not over them. Or even worse, under them, where the storm was.

I turned behind me, still seeing the Ace giving chase and firing red bullets at me. Naya was behind him as well, trying to suppress him with her own barrage of bullets. This plane was amazingly fast and agile. I’ve never seen anything like it before.

“Almost got him…” Naya muttered. I continued to bob and weave through the clouds, trying to stay hidden from the other planes as well.

“Lucky got me another kill! Alright, this is what I like to see!” Lucky cheered through the radio. Just then, a fireball of what used to be a plane flew straight down in front of me, barely missing me, making the plane shiver and shake by the near-miss.

The Ace, more faster than I am now, passed over me shortly after, making me instinctively pull the trigger as he continues to ascend in front of me. I saw a few tracers land home directly on the rear propeller, making it spew black smoke. But it didn’t go down. Instead, it waved off, disappearing through the clouds. I gave chase, and pulled up after him. I was greeted with the sight of a clear blue sky, and multiple planes above me fighting it out with each other. I followed behind the black smoke, and found the Ace still climbing straight up, as I flew even closer.

I gritted my teeth as I fired again, and more tracers began to light up the plane. The Smoke was even darker now. I began to slow down as I climbed straight up, but so was he. He was breaking left, trying to evade me and stall me out. But I was ready.

As soon as his plane flattened out in front of me, I pulled the trigger once more, and fired again. The bullets struck flat on to his fuselage, and he caught on fire, finally starting to tip his nose downward. I finally stalled out as I pulled the trigger, Forcing my plane to dip down to regain speed. I pointed straight down, and I saw the Ace’s plane wildly spinning directly to my right as I flew down towards the clouds. When he was gone, I pulled up and leveled out.

“Ace down, repeat, Ace down!” I called out through the mask, not sure who I was talking to anymore.

“Good kill Night Light.” Naya spoke softly. I saw more planes with missing parts sprawling towards the ocean below.

“All planes, enemy Ace squadron has been neutralized! What’s the Status on those bombers?”

“All bombers have been shot down! The sky is clear!” Lucky answered soon after.

“Roger, all teams, Casualty report!” Spitfire ordered.

“Sapphire has lost another plane. We’re 3 strong now.”

“Dash, report!”

“2 of ours have been shot down, we are 8 strong.”

“Avalanche, report!”

“We’re 4 strong still, haven't lost another one since the first wave.”

“Stratus, Report!”

“I lost all of my squad… I’m the only one left.”

“Shit… those aces gave us a hard time…” Spitfire softly muttered. “Okay, all planes, mission accomplished. Enemy Bombers and Fighters have been destroyed. Let’s go home.”

“Garuda team, regroup on me and form ‘Rarity’.” I softly spoke as I ordered my squad. I sat back in my chair, releasing the stick as yellow smoke was trailing behind me, and let out a long sigh of relief. I was shaking and tingling all over my body, the adrenaline still rushing through my veins. I pulled off the mask, allowing me to breathe clearly again. I turned Southwest, as my team one by one began to form up on me. I felt an immense weight on my heart all of a sudden lift-off as I realized that the fight was finally over.

“Wow. just… wow.” I muttered.

“Garuda 1, is everything alright? You’re awfully quiet.” Lucky asked. I pulled the mask closer to my face.

“Yeah, everything is fine. I just need a breather.” We survived.

How the hell did we survive?

We were flying beneath the clouds. We barely had enough fuel to make it back to the Blueblood in one piece. by the time we got there, we were running on fumes. I counted at least 6 gallons left when the carrier came into view.

“Garuda 1 to Blueblood, Operation complete, requesting permission to land, over.” there was a moment of silence.

“Blueblood to Garuda, permission granted. Start from 1 to 4. Out.” Blueblood replied.

“Roger, initiating landing sequence.” I switched channels. “Garuda team, wait for me to finish landing, then follow behind me one by one, starting from 2 to 4.”

“Garuda 2, Roger.”

“Garuda 3 copies.”

“Garuda 4, I heard you.”

I flew over the carrier, trying to get behind. The other planes were about to show up from the gulf, but they would have to wait for us to finish landing before they could. After accumulating a good distance between me and the runway, I turned around to face the carrier, dropping my landing gear, my flaps, and my hook. I closed in, easing up on the throttle as I got closer before I finally touched down, my Hook instantly catching onto one of the ropes to stopping it in its tracks. I saw multiple ponies sprint towards my planes, releasing the hooking mechanism from the plane. I then saw the all-clear signal given by one of them as they fled. I taxied the plane closer towards the catapult in the center of the deck.

“Garuda 2, You may now land.” I heard Blueblood control speak.

“Garuda 2, copy that.” Naya spoke. When my plane reached its final destination on the Runway, I killed the engine, making the propeller slow down more and more, until finally, it stopped. I unbuckled myself, and opened the cockpit, finally being able to breathe that salty stormy ocean air. I unplugged the wire from my earmuffs, killing all radio communications as I watched Naya’s plane slowly make its way towards the runway.

I let out another long and heavy sigh as I still sat in the open cockpit of the Fulmar.

Today had been a very hectic day.

After an hour had passed since all of the squadrons had landed, and we were all called to the Mission room for Debriefing. Most of the pilots from this morning were making there way to the lower decks as evening arrived. Upon entering the mission room, everypony sat down in their seats. Some of the seats remained empty. Not everypony made it back alive…

Unlike this morning, Major Lieutenant Hawk Eyes did not waste any time by the time we all sat down, and trotted into view.

“Mission accomplished everypony! All bombers are down, and the escorts along with them. The enemy lost about 30 to 50 planes in this mission alone thanks to your efforts.” He paused. “Of course, I am aware that we also suffered some casualties as well. If I read correctly the Ark Royal’s report, we lost a total of 15 pilots and planes in this mission. This was no walk in the park, especially with the reports of the ‘Aces’ you encountered. But you pulled through, and because of this, The Los Pegasus Radar Station suffered no damage whatsoever. An excellent performance from all of you.”

Nopony said anything. They just continued to listen.

“Tonight, a reward for your efforts, you are all free to do whatever you want. And rest assured, we will find where these ‘Aces’ came from, and what aircraft they’ve been using. This information shall be relayed to the Princesses immediately. That is all. Dismissed.” Hawk concluded.

With that, the ponies one by one stood up and began to walk out, each of them with a look of exhaustion ridden on their face.

A memory came to me. Didn’t Naya say she brought drinks?

The Pilots from the mission now had brighter looks on their faces ever since they took a couple of drinks. Some were actually even smiling, joking around as they drank to forget what had just transpired. Naya, Luck, Big and I were sitting at the same table, mugs of Vodka in our hooves (or wings). We were all gathered in the cafeteria when we heard that Naya had alcohol. 20 minutes have passed since then, and everypony looked more lively than before.

Lucky all of the sudden cleared his throat and raised his glass. A few heads noticed and turned to face him. He stuttered a little.

“Uh - Ahem - Everypony, I want to give a toast.” Lucky announced loudly to everyone, as he stood up. “A toast… to our fallen comrades; wherever they are, may they find peace. And a toast to Naya; who if not for her, we wouldn't be sitting here with drinks in our hooves.”

He raised his glass. “To our comrades! May Celestia grant them mercy on their souls.”

Everypony smiled, some softly cheered, and raised their glasses in response, greedily drinking it all afterward. Lucky sat back down shortly after. It was bittersweet, at best. but a profound part of me was glad that Lucky did that, finding a way to commemorate the dead.

“Where did you get this stuff? I’ve never drunk anything like this before.” Big asked.

“It is a specialty in my country. Not that hard to acquire either. I figured I would celebrate Labor day like how others celebrate it: by getting inebriated!” Naya answered.

“Heh, hear hear to that. I needed a drink after today.” Bigs added on.

“It’s a shame though, wish I could’ve brought some of my fucking whiskey with me. Then it’ll be a party!” Lucky complained.

“Oh trust me, once you have enough of this bad baby,” Naya pulled out her Vodka bottle, which was almost empty. “You won’t need Whiskey.”

“I’m pretty sure I’ll need an ice pack after we’re done though. I’m already a bit tipsy.” I muttered. “I need to head back to my bunk anyway. I’ve been having trouble falling asleep lately, and hopefully, that'll do it.”

“You sure you don’t want to stick around? There's still plenty left.” Naya slurred subtly.

“Nah, you three have fun. I need to sleep.”

“Okay then... See you, Night Light.” Lucky called out as I turned to leave. I made my way back to the Bunk Hall, and found my room. I walked in, already tired from the whole ordeal earlier today. I collapsed onto my bunk, and a wave of exhaustion overlapped the buzz of the alcohol almost immediately after I laid down. And finally, quiet slumber took hold of me.

Author's Note

Music I used for writing the Dogfight Scene:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ChH1dpy-XI