The Battle of Barnard's Star
In one small part of the sky, the battle rages.
In war, there can only be one victor.
Space is an uninhabitable wasteland.
Bloody wounds disappear with time.
Maybe the multitude of planets in the sky will remember those wounds.
Maybe it is fated that even their stars will vanish one day.
The ponies’ presence in the midst of these stars is all that remains of a forgotten battle.
But maybe it is also fated that these same stars will one day aid in her escape.
In the vastness of the universe, there lays an insignificant little island of stars - a galaxy’s two arms divided by strife.
For eons have two sisters fought over this space. On one side, the old Celestial Republic of Equestria - on the other, the New Lunar Empire, established from within the younger sister’s eternal banishment. A neutral party, Dodge Junction, trades with both sides while they watch their war. One that has gone on close to a thousand years.
A pristine white shuttle arrives within range and begins the docking sequence as it disappears into the hull of a Celestial Republic battleship. A pair of titanic doors soon close behind it with silence only found in the depths of space. Its white doors soon slide open and a young white unicorn dressed in traditional Celestial spacy uniform trots down the gantry’s steps. She greets several subordinates on her way to the bridge.
The bridge is already crowded when Rarity arrives, brushing off her fresh epaulets.
“—But that’s insane! Why should we sit around and wait when we’ve got the advantage!?”
“We’re fighting the Nightmare, Dash.”
She is met with four other fleet commanders looking up at the newly appointed Vice Admiral sitting atop her throne. One of them - a yellow pegasus - is comforting a rather extravagantly coloured pegasus friend.
“But—!”
“Enough.”
The Vice Admiral raises her purple hoof to silence the impulsive rainbow pegasus. The four other commanders stand saluting as Rarity joins them.
“You have not fought against the Nightmare, Commodore Rainbow Dash. Yes, we may outnumber them three to one — but it is the Nightmare we are speaking of here.”
Vice Admiral Twilight Sparkle claps her two hooves together as she leans forward atop her decorated throne.
“We must be cautious. We have last fought with the Lunar Empire nearly a hundred years ago - and it was nowhere near that scale. You must understand that this is no anti-rebel sortie.”
Sparkle motions to her assistant - a curious young dragon - and he soon brings her a cup of wine. Twilight grasps it with her magic and swirls it as she continues, first addressing the new arrival.
“Rear Admiral Rarity.”
Rarity’s purple mane bobs as she sends the Vice Admiral a salute.
“You will lead your fleet relative to my starboard.”
“Yes sir.”
Next, Vice Admiral Sparkle motions the glass towards a pink mare that simply cannot stop saluting.
“Commodore Pinkie Pie. Yours will form up Port. And do keep formation.”
“Aye aye, Cap’n!” Another salute. It is a wonder the mare has got so far - sadly, she’s brilliant.
“Commodore Rainbow Dash!”
“Yes sir!”
“You will stay aft-”
Rainbow Dash was just ready to protest yet again when Twilight Sparkle preempted her, “-But stay in my shadow, and keep your fighters always at ready.”
The Commodore huffs, but visibly relents and salutes to the affirmative as she lets her role settle in her mind.
“Yes sir!”
“Commodore Fluttershy-” A look to the yellow pegasus, a little slower to the salute, “-and Rear Admiral Applejack-” A resolute looking mare salutes silently but strongly, “-will accompany our formation from far aft in the reserve. If there are no further objections, you are dismissed.”
All five salute and disband from the bridge. Twilight’s dragon assistant sidles up to her side after having set away his serving tray as she sips on her wine.
“Today is your brother’s birthday.”
“Ah, I almost forgot. Our victory will serve as a present.”
“Just like every other time, Twilight.”
Twilight smiles as Spike waddles off to do what assistants are wont to do. Twilight slowly drinks her allotment of wine as she watches the stars dotting the bridge’s screen projections. The blink-blink of starships all around her flagship. The pulse of their drives as they idle in rough formation. She ponders the purpose of it all for several moments while finishing her wine - and having no-one to share her thoughts with; not Spike, for he does not care, and not her admirals, for they do not yet truly respect her. But it shall all change in time.
“It don’t sit right with me.”
“… Huh.”
Rainbow Dash idly flaps her wings as she floats idly besides Applejack in stark disregard to proper admiralty decorum. She’s been curious about her all night - no-one really knew her before this first meeting. But she is a reputable and experienced Admiral, one handpicked by Vice Admiral Sparkle for this engagement. Just like the rest. The only two that had known eachother beforehand were Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash.
“I know, right? It’s totally bonkers!”
Rainbow kicks a hoof into the air, dangerously close to Applejack’s well-kept ponytail. The girl gives her a disgruntled stare.
“But don’t get your horsecubes in a knit jus’ yet, Commodore Rainbow Dash. Orders’re orders. They’s to be followed.”
She almost sounds like she’s meant to be chewing on a straw of hay while talking. All the time.
“Not all orders are good orders! Laws are meant to be broken, and these-”
Commodore Rainbow Dash is once again restrained by her close friend, who also pulls her back down to the ground before Applejack can get any grumpier.
“Now, now, Dash. Just listen to the Vice Admiral. She knows what she’s doing, I’m sure.”
“She’s younger than all of us! How does she know anything!? She’s put you in the reserves! How does that make any sense!?”
“It makes perfect sense,” A new voice enters the fray, and with it the white unicorn approaches from a nearby transport belt, “Have you not heard of The Nightmare, Rainbow Dash?” Rarity pulls out a long, tube-like pipe and lights it with a bright sparkling magic before taking a single puff, “She’s… quick. Lightning-fast. A menace. At least, she was a hundred years ago.”
“Doesn’t mean she’s faster than me! No-one’s faster than ol’ Commodore Dash!” Rainbow Dash once again kicks up into the air, performs a quick aerial flip and does a one-two punch before being interrupted by Rarity holding the muzzle of a personal lasgun to her temple.
“Quick?” Rarity pulls again from her pipe while all but Dash stare daggers through her, all their hooves equally poised at their lap and ready to draw their own weaponry. She exhales a circular puff right in Dash’s face, then says softly, “Your speed makes you all the more vulnerable, Commodore. Don’t be surprised when you are… left unaware.” She grins as she pulls the weapon away - and it dispels into a puff of magic as quickly as the grey smoke rising off her lips. Her lasgun never left her belt, and the three other mares let off a breath they didn’t know they were holding.
But they eye Rarity all the same.
Commodore Pinkie Pie, meanwhile, had long bounced away past all the transport belts and back to her shuttle, where she excitedly delivered the news to her friend.
“Our fleet’s moving up port to the Vice Admiral’s! Ooooh, I wonder what she’s planning! Oh, maybe I should have asked. It would be very useful if everyone knew exactly what she’s planning so there is no confusion whatsoever - BUT WAIT! Maybe that’s her plan all along! She’s seen through all of us already, played us like a damn fiddle, and she will be exploiting all our flaws to her advantage and all of ours decisive victory in the very end! BUT WAIT, WHAT IF this just leads to the unexpected and untimely death to one of the already introduced characters due to incompetency!? No, the Vice Admiral must know better than that! Or DOES SHE!? What do you think, Gummy?”
The Commodore’s pet alligator licks one of its eyes and blinks idly.
“Oh you, Gummy! I know I can always count on you!”
Pinkie Pie’s shuttle departs from Her Imperial Majesty Celestia’s flagship, the Harmony moments later to rendezvous with her detachment of the First Cupcakes.
Meanwhile, many stars away, on an old planet, the home of all Ponykind.
In a grand and an ancient city, the capital of all Equestria Canterlot.
The greatest of marble castles that stretches far into the sky, higher than even Dodge Junction’s glory.
Her Majesty the Celestial Empress rests on her golden throne, resting in her afternoon light.
The clip-clop of hooves echoes around the grand chamber as one of her servants trots ahead with an announcement.
“Your Majesty, Prince Shining Armor of House Sparkle has arrived.”
The Empress nods with a warm smile, and the chamberlain races back towards the grand chamber doors.
“Your Majesty!” Shining Armor genuflects before his Empress - a traditional, albeit an archaic one that few follow. She returns the gesture with a raise of her pristine golden hoof.
“It is good to see you again, Shining.”
“Just as you, My Empress.” He raises back to his hooves, but does not wear his ceremonial helmet.
“How go the preparations - and your sister?”
“Splendid, My Empress. Our numbers should meet The Nightmare-” The slightest frown creases the Empress’ features. Most do not mention her sister in front of her - most, but not her closest acquaintances. “-and prevail through sheer attrition even if strategy fails us.”
“But your dearest sister won’t let it be so, will she?”
“No, Empress. She is determined she’ll manage a total victory.”
“Wonderful.”
The Celestial Empress reposes on her throne, and nods towards Shining as she adopts a less formal tone.
“Don’t overwork yourself for your birthday, Shining. And don’t worry - I’ll attend as best I can.”
Lieutenant Shining Armor’s helmet lowers under his hoof as he adopts a similarly relaxed pose - and smiles from ear to ear at the Empress’ reassuring.
“I won’t, I swear! And thank you.”
He salutes and, wishing to preoccupy the Empress no longer, departs. The chamberlain trails immediately behind, ready to let in further royal visits. There are many who are concerned with or concern themselves with the business of the Empress - especially now, with war back in full force after a long period of relative peace. And, as in all periods of the Solar Empire, the Empress has the final word in all matters of the state where there are no delegations to be had.
One such delegation is the admiralty - especially that of Vice Admiral Twilight Sparkle. Yet, even with the Empress Holy Word backing her every action her rise had not been without gossip.
“… Do you think we have a chance?”
“Of course!” Squadron Leader Spitfire continues picking her teeth after a filling hayburger as she leans back and rests her legs on the table - a feat that appears to be far more relaxing than it actually is, for a pegasus, “We have the numbers, we have the experience! There’s nothing The Nightmare could pull out of her sleeve that’d surprise us!”
“How can you be so sure?” Lieutenant Soarin opines whilst leaning against the table with his own portion of hay cooling untouched. He leans back only when Spitfire’s auburn hooves come dangerously close to his snout, “The last time we fought, we won only because the Iserloin rift nearly closed around The Nightmare’s forces. But now it’s open, and it’s staying open.”
Spitfire straightens back up with a jump that nearly kicks Soarin off his balance. “Nonsense!” She wipes her mouth.
“We didn’t know how they fought back then! At least, not fully. But we know now! We’ve got tactics, we’ve got strategy! We can take them down no matter what they pull!”
“I’m glad to see no-one’s denting your morale, ‘Fire.”
“Fuck yeah they ain’t. No Nightmare’s taking these babies down!” Spitfire flexes her forearms, but her no-doubt herculean physique is completely obscured by her baggy flight uniform. Soarin laughs, and finally decides to dig into his food. In just a few hours’ time, they’d be boarding their fighters in the first scramble.
The Battle of Barnard’s Star, as it would come to be known, occurs between two forces. The Celestial Empire’s 65,000 ships strong in six fleets, and the Lunar Republic’s 22,000 strong in three fleets. The Celestial forces position themselves in formation at the edge of the system and wait patiently - until the Nightmare finally emerges from the darkness, like a bolt out of the blue.
The Lunar Republic’s ships appear like an expanding darkness, blotting out the galactic background until one can see the glint of a star’s light off their hulls. Pitch black, like shards of onyx, they fly towards their target with utter silence - but deadly intention.
And in the very middle, in the gargantuan bulk of the flagship Midnight, at the top of its expansive bridge stylized in the form of gothic architecture sits the Nightmare herself. With a dark horn-covering crown and her wings flared to her sides, she appears as a sunless skies above her crew as she addresses them in a booming, powerful voice:
“MY FELLOW SUBJECTS! Remain faithful under Our rule and we shall triumph together against Her tyranny! We shall strike strike swiftly with the grace of an assassins’ polished blade! We shall see our enemies cower before us - and accept them among our rank, a mercy never afforded by Her tyranny! All those with Us—”
“HURRAH! HURRAH! HURRAH!” The crew raise their hooves in unison to salute their royal Highness in celebration.
“LET THE FECHT BEGIN!”
And as the Nightmare’s command rings out all through her fleet, all ships follow the Nightmare’s Midnight’s lead in burning towards the Celestial’s fleet.
First contact reared its ugly face in the form of a singular blip on the Monitor’s screen. He immediately announced so on the intercomm - and within the minute, Vice Admiral Twilight Sparkle gives the order to brace.
“All ships ready! The Nightmare has arrived! Stay strong and follow the plan, and we are sure to win!”
The Harmony, buried within the First Fleet’s bulk, didn’t need to engage unless matters were already going rapidly south. So it didn’t - instead, the first signs of battle become the faint shimmer of lasers from the far front as the first line engages with long range fire. Then come the explosions - and the rain of light shrapnel.
Vice Admiral Sparkle then gives the order to her port and starboard fleets - the Sugar and the Spice, respectively, to move their lines further. Like a pair of wedges, the two fleets fly forward and encompass the Nightmare’s main fleet from both sides, firing indiscriminately and forcing the Nightmares to slowly back away - lest they become fully surrounded.
But what puzzles the Vice Admiral the most is the lack of the other two fleets - she expected them to fly right through, with the two fleets dodging to the sides and trying to outmaneuver her side fleets- which is when the Vice Admiral spots a friendly cruiser erupting chillingly close to her fleet’s side. She races towards the edge of the bridge to see The Fairsbrook spread into a cloud of immolating debris - when she sees the telltale glint of the Nightmare’s hulls just beyond.
“Twilight!”
Spike’s call wrests her away from the foreboding sight, and she races to her intercomm right away when The Harmony rocks just as well - fighters!
“ALL PONIES ON DECK! BATTLE POSITIONS!” She had not expected her position to come under siege this early - “ENGINES, FULL AFTERBURNER!” She holds onto the side of her admiralty throne as she listens to the affirmative, then hurries right on with “Where are they coming from!?”
“Starboard! There’s a medium fleet approaching starboard, and fast!”
No plan survives first contact. Twilight’s eyes unfocus for just a second before she redials her intercomm to another fleet’s - the reserve. Specifically, the starboard reserve.
“Serenity, report! I repeat, Serenity, report!”
“Y… Y-Yes, affirmative!” A demure voice. Fluttershy.
“We require immediate assistance! The Lunars are attacking us with their second fleet!”
“We-We’re heading right away! Over!”
Twilight then orders Sugar and Spice to engage the Lunar mainstay full bore while her own fleet focuses fully on their detachment. After a few moments’ thought, the Vice Admiral decides to face them fully - exposing their own behind to the other side of the formation. No doubt a wonderful bait.
Meanwhile, on The Greased Lightning’s bridge, Commodore Rainbow Dash is getting very impatient. The incessant tapping of her hoof at the overheard series of orders between the Vice Admiral and Fluttershy grows faster and faster, to the point she’s at a risk of setting her own carpet ablaze. Her eyes dodge from left to right, searching for that same glint of midnight hull against a pitch black background - demanding radar reports from her comms officers every half minute. But orders are orders. She’s the reserve. She’s supposed to stay back and make sure there is no inequal fighting going on. All perfectly good.
But… the continuous reports of losses on Fluttershy’s side, while the Nightmare’s Second simply dodges away from Twilight’s advancements… They are obviously trying to do something! And with every minute, she hears more and more of Fluttershy’s forces getting shredded - while Rear Admiral Rarity and Commodore Pinkie Pie are performing well against the Nightmare’s main force…
And then-
“Lost contact with two more destroyers… Cruiser Baskerville reporti-Augh!”
Rainbow Dash freezes.
“Serenity hit! I r… …renity hit! Heavy damage!”
Her pupils shrunk. It’s a different voice.
“The Commodore is down!”
She doesn’t have to hear more. Rainbow Dash raises with wings aloft and nearly screams into her intercomm:
“SIXTH SPEED, FORWARD! REINFORCE THE FIFTH CALM! We’re coming, hold on!”
The rhythmic pounding of shrapnel against the fighter bulkheads are making Soarin increasingly nervous. Thankfully, Spitfire’s there to suddenly hoof him across his shoulder and make him nearly jump right out of his pilot suit.
“Cheer up! We’re winning!”
“Spitfire…! Sure doesn’t sound like it.” Grasping his oxygen umbilical, Soarin tries to force a smile.
“That’s war, kid. Haven’t you heard?” Spitfire sighs while looking around, her ears perking up at the sounds and the atmosphere of the hangar bay. Everyone’s on edge. Everyone’s ready to jump out of their skin at the slightest touch. Nobody wants to go out there - where death lurks behind every wrong turn. She sniffs at the air, then announces with a strange degree of certainty while tapping Soarin’s shoulder once more.
“Get on up into the cockpit. I have a feeling we’re launching real soon.”
“… Sure.” She usually had the right hunches.
Sure enough, just as Soarin’s done strapping himself into his harness, the deployment alarm begins blaring along with the pre-recorded smooth operator instructions. A grin and a determined launch control flip later, Soarin’s sailing the starry expanse along towards the first rendezvous beacon.
The situation is looking grim. Hulks of destroyers litter the starscape as he buzzes by in his white assault fighter. He joins formation with Spitfire and the rest of the squad just next to the sparkling remains of one of their cruisers - a great loss of hundreds of brave ponies just in itself. The next beacon leads them towards the reserve fleet - the next after that, right into the midst of battle. Soarin gulps. He has all of a minute and a half before he has to juggle with Death itself. Thankfully, he has his Squad Leader to rely on:
“Cheer up, chaps!” They fly in formation around (and through) the wreckage of another destroyer, with one of its bifurcated halves still sparking with energy and the hope of rescue pods, “The worst’ll happen is you die! If you ask me, dying in service is much better than living with the shame of losing to the dark side!”
Soarin snickers. Not because it’s funny, no - it’s just that Spitfire is pathologically bad with reassuring. If anything, he can count on that. He can see The Serenity smoking off in the distance - must have been nicked pretty hard, but she’s still staying together - as they fly towards the forces of darkness. He could barely see them without the heads up display - thankfully, like any ship ever made, the all of them is as bright as a campfire in a dark forest in the infrared spectrum. More than their own ships, in fact, considering their pitch black coating.
“Let’s get this one!” Spitfire marks a particularly big ship - a cruiser, no doubt, with its own fighter hangars and thick defense. But it looks exposed, and is nicely off to the side without many destroyers near it, so Soarin steels himself and redirects the thrusters in time with Spitfire.
Spitfire’s squad within range within moments. Soarin flicks open the laser primers, and he can hear the capacitors charging up in the back. The assault fighter’s alabaster arms surge forward and point prograde - laser optics included - as he does a barrel roll off to the side and aims for the cruiser’s aft. With his hoof poised and ready to buck the switch forward the second the capacitors finish charging, it’s just a matter of aim-
But then he sees a shadow to his port- and dodges to the side just a few milliseconds away from getting cut right in half by a Black Knight fighter! “Boogies!” He blurts into the intercomms as he rolls to the side and spots the assault fighter buzzing past him - and refocuses his lasers on it as it spins its way through his squad. He kicks his thrusters to meet its trajectory, aims and fires off his lasers in a barrage while yawing to the side. The first beam misses completely, barely cutting some faraway enemy destroyer on its comms array. The second beam doesn’t even tickle anyone - but the third and fourth hit squarely, and the accompanying white-hot boom of the assault fighter’s disintegration is proof enough of his hit.
“Got one!”
“Good going, alpha four!” Announces Spitfire, ”More boogies, get ready!”
“Fuck yeah! Keep’em coming!”
Soaring watches the second cruiser disintegrate with unrestrained glee. Spitfire’s declaration only makes him all the more gleeful. But their tally of three destroyers and two cruisers gets cut short as, on the other side of the Nightmares, their squad spot… their own ships.
“Wait, what’s that?” Soarin asks over the comms as they buzz around the cruiser’s wreckage while scouting for another vulnerable target.
“What’s what- Oh. Wait,” There is a few seconds of silent searching as Spitfire performs some scanning, “It’s… reinforcements? Identified as Sixth Speed.”
“All the better to wrap the Nightmares up.”
“Yeah!”
The squad continues jumping from destroyer to destroyer, cleaning out remnant fighters and sinking isolated ships as the Sixth Speeds joins to the side of the Fifth Calm in closing in the Nightmares - until the Nightmares suddenly change direction and focus solely on Sixth Speed. With scary speed, the fighters watch as more and more ships disappear among their own extended line - far more than they’ve sunk so far in this Nightmares’ detachment, and far, far quicker.
The reason becomes immediately obvious from the static-laden radio chatter. Another Nightmares fleet, this time coming to aid the second in pushing back the Sixth with scary efficiency. The Sixth overfocused on helping the Fifth in taking out the detachment - and left their back all too exposed, of which the last Nightmare fleet immediately took advantage.
The Sixth backs away in line with the Fifth. The Second and Third Nightmares follow. Sixth backs away more - Second and Third follow. The Sixth’ numbers quickly dwindle down to two thirds’ of their original in all the chaos - which is when both Nightmares focus solely on the Fifth, having exposed their sides in the blitzkrieg.
Spitfire’s squad watch them get devastated just as quickly - the most they can do is help repel fighters from the sides, but it does nothing to stem the destroyer laser fire focused purely on cutting through the Fifth’s ranks. They must have registered the hit on the Serenity.
“We are taking heavy casualties! I repeat, we are taking heavy casualties! Fifth, retreat! Fifth, retreat!”
Rainbow Dash listens to every new message with increasing dread. Her stomach feels like it’s making knots around itself - she’s even taken to tugging at her wingfeathers. It all comes to a head not even five minutes after the Third Nightmares appeared when Rainbow Dash sees a pair of their Black Knights approach the Serenity in all its white, scarred glory.
They fly on by, following the ship’s curve from top to bottom. Then their lasers flare pointed towards its bulk. Dash can feel them cutting through the hull deep in her heart, the molten hull cleanly cleaved in twain shortly before exploding in a shower of debris.
Commodore Rainbow Dash collapses on her haunches. No escape shuttles were reported leaving from The Serenity.
Fluttershy’s gone.
“Are you frustrated?” Asks Spike.
“No! These losses are within acceptable parameters. It serves the Commodore right for breaking formation and not waiting in reserve as she should,” Twilight sighs as she chugs the rest of her wine bottle. This battle’s turning her into a heavy wino, “First Aether! Forward! Let’s teach the Nightmares the meaning of Her Majesty’s wrath!”
The Harmony’s thrusters blaze as she and her surrounding fleet flies forth and through the scraps of the Fifth Calm - and directly into the Third Nightmares.
“Second Beauty! Disengage and assist! Third Laughter! Disengage and flank the Second Nightmares!”
The both of their fleets had kept the mainstay of the Nightmare at bay, and have whittled their numbers down enough to make them insignificant - allowing them to fully concentrate on the rest. The Nightmares have nothing left in them - it is time to end it.
And lo - they had made quick work of the remaining Nightmares, though they have seemed to found solace enough in downing one of the fleet’s main flagships, and had begun backing away when the main fleet turned its gaze their way.
So had the first battle in a hundred years ended - with the victory of the Celestials, although they’ve walked away from the engagement missing one of their greater admirals. The Lunars had suffered over 10,700 losses in ships while the Celestials lost only 4,650 ship losses - mostly within the Sixth Calm - and yet Second Rear Admiral Fluttershy’s loss would be felt for quite the while. Not for what they have missed in ability - but for the collateral of her loss:
“Commodore Rainbow Dash.”
The private commlink opened up to the sight of a forward-tilted rainbow mane.
“We feel thy loss.”
Sniffling could be heard even through the low quality of the uplink.
“We wish to help thee.”
Rainbow Dash looks up, eyes still filled with tears, yet determined.
“… Well, what have you learned, my most faithful student?”
Vice Admiral Twilight Sparkle smiles up to her superior and mentor while she formulates a reply.
“In this battle, I have learned to never underestimate my foe, and to always expect the unexpected. I am not the only cunning admiral to be - but neither are they. They will yet yield under our might, Your Highness.”
“That is very good to hear. I won’t detain you any longer - you can tell me more about your admirals later.”
Twilight looks nervous for the moment before she takes the opportunity to attend her brother’s birthday party.
“Your highness.”
She hurriedly leaves the meeting hall. She’ll be late either way, but - your admirals? I’ve already lost one, how are they mine?
The Vice Admiral left those and other thoughts pertaining the Nightmare behind and focused on the party, the little off time she can expect as a Vice Admiral of the Celestial Spacy.
