The Resolute

Mindful was grateful that the cuffs were removed from her wrists and her hands were no longer stuck behind her back, but the antimagic ring on her horn was making it tingle, and she hated that feeling. She turned around when the cell door shut and was locked. “Z’naja, right?” she asked the zebra, who took a step back. “Why didn’t he die like the rest?”

Z’naja looked confused and almost hurt. “Rest? What do you mean rest? I’ve... Never actually... He was my first one...” She looked around, making sure nopony could hear her. “I’m a thief, not a murderer. I... Was trying to cut his bag off, but I missed.”

“You’re lucky you didn’t kill him!” the nurse stated, shaking her head as she sat on the surprisingly comfortable bed in her cell. The two stared at each other until a door opening further down caused Z’naja to vacate the area, the zebra being replaced by the captain and the stallion. “Kidnapping a pony is illegal, you know?” she said to them with a hint of sass.

“Yeah, well holding somepony against their will is illegal too, so I guess we’re even,” the stallion replied, turning to the captain. “If she’s coming with us... Then I would like her to have better accommodation.”

“That can be arranged,” she said, looking to a pony behind her who was writing things down. “Though I have to insist she remains in the brig until we clear Equestrian airspace. There are a hundred ways she could signal somepony from this section alone. One moment, please.” She moved over to her aide, talking to him in hushed tones.

“So...” began the stallion, stepping closer to the bars. “You got a name?” Mindful turned away from him with a huff, making him roll his eyes. “I would have prefered to leave you behind, but I didn’t really have a choice. If I didn’t, I’d be in a cell like this halfway back to Canterlot by now”

“Good, no more than you deserve!” she retorted, standing up. “You’re a disgrace to that uniform and the memory of your squadron!” He reeled back from her at that, but the fire in his eyes was more stoked than ever; she knew she was getting to him because he looked like he wanted to kill her. “And punching Princess Celestia too!”

“I... I am going to ignore what you said about my friends, about my family,” he stated, rather calmly, wings fluttering in agitation. “But there is one thing I am going to clear up right now. Whilst I may have aimed for her in my anger... I didn’t hit her. I hit General Thunderhoof instead.”

This caused the captain to burst out laughing, making her way over. “You hit that knucklehead? No wonder the country is out for your blood!” she managed to get out between her guffaws. “Did you at least knock him to the floor?”

“Only to his knees, felt like I broke my bones,” he said, which was too much for the mare who ended up leaving the brig almost crying with laughter, leaving the pegasus and mare to look at each other thoroughly confused. Shaking his head, he started to leave, but stopped, looking over his shoulder. “If you need anything, get them to find me. I’m Pilot Off... Lucky. My name’s Lucky.”

“Mindful Behaviour.” She blinked at his dumbfounded look. “You asked my name, it’s Mindful Behaviour.” With a nod he was gone and she was alone. Lying on the cot, she would at least attempt to catch up on what she lacked most of the time; sleep.

The bridge of the Resolute was large for a vessel of its size, though it was also a large vessel, from the older fleet of warships at least. Now it was a small size vessel, a medium tonnage of the current ERAF easy to do its job plus the job of five similar sized ships. A single, large curved window was the only way light got in, with no access to it from the outside; there was a hatch to the roof, but that was for emergencies.

It had all the usual stations, navigation, engines, and such, but there was only one that remained dark, the weapons console. The command station, which had once been a slightly raised platform had been replaced, now with a trio of seats, one further forward than the other. Lucky took it all in as he walked around, eventually winding up at the other trio of seats right at the front, his hand on the centre one.

“Captain, we need...”

“Give him a moment, Stamper,” she said to her first mate, watching the pegasus with curiosity. “The last time he flew his squadron was wiped out.”

“I understand that, but we really need to go!” Stamper insisted, pointing out the window to port. Approaching from the west were several small vessels and one medium, all on the same heading, the Resolute, coming from the morning mist. “I’ll get the crew to batten down.”

With that he was gone, Cloud moving to the central chair and strapping herself in. “Alright, let’s see if his blood really does flow in your veins!” she said loudly, getting Lucky’s attention. “It took them long enough to catch up with me.” A glance at the encroaching ships revealed two more large vessels; a full battle group.

He looked up from the chairs and to where their extra party guests were coming from, jumping into the central chair. It was going to be interesting for him as Resolute-class vessels were supposed to be flown by three ponies, not one, and he didn’t even know if he had any copilots. “Let’s see what this rustbucket can do.”

He cracked his fingers and placed them on the console in front of him, waiting a moment. It was then his training and natural ability kicked in, his digits dancing gracefully over the controls. Luckily Cloud had told the engine room to keep at least one of the four running at all times, which meant the ship slowly moved sideways away from the dock before rumbling and starting to move forward.

The rest of the bridge crew had now assembled from their previous tasks, quickly moving to their own duty stations. Two other pegasi stood by the captain’s chair, looking nervously at the two empty pilot seats. She nodded them forward, the pair strapping themselves in and looking at the pony between them.

Lucky glanced left, then right, then left again, shaking his head. “Fucking twins... This is going to be fun.” A quick scan of the three consoles as one and he finally realised just what this ship could do. “Okay, Lefty, give me twenty degree roll right, and Righty, keep an eye on those engine readouts, let me know when we get to forty percent.”

Cloud watched on, smirking to Stamper as he re-entered the bridge and took his seat, for she knew he had reservations about their new crewmember, but so far he was doing the job she asked him to. “You know,” he suddenly called over his shoulder. “Even though they’re thirty years out of date, the boomers could still help!”

“No, I will not fire on an Equestrian ship,” she flatly stated, hearing him mumble something along the lines of ‘whatever, it’s your boat’. Feeling eyes upon her, she turned to Stamper. “Boomers, the big sticks. There are two massive cannons in the hull of this ship, and despite a dedicated team of ponies, have not been fired since I retook this ship.”

“I wish I knew about them last week...”

“We made it past that Ibexian blockade without them.” Cloud looked out of the window and saw the ERAF ships coming closer. “Lucky, they’re about to be washing your windscreen. I hope you have something planned.”

“If I remember from ship history, these things are reinforced, meaning they can pull maneuvers nopony would expect... Like this.” The first ERAF ship had reached them, the more advanced weaponry already raring to go like red hot stove tops, the magic powered cannons coming to bear. “Heh... I know that ship. Let’s see if you’re still a good rival, Minty. Righty, engines?”

“Just hit forty percent!”

“Good.” Everypony on the bridge tightened their straps as the Resolute pitched forward, the first shots fired at them arcing harmlessly over head. Lucky could hear Cloud saying something, but he was too busy to notice, then the twins start protesting as well. It might have been something to do with how quickly the water was coming up to meet them, but right at the last minute they levelled off, flying less than a metre off the surface. “Moving target in the air, easy pickings. Moving target below them... Still easy, but not as...” The ship suddenly lurched starboard as the water next to it seemed to explode. “...they upgraded their weapons.”

Stamper watched the pilot with renewed interest, especially with how quickly he took control of the twins, something he found to be frustrating when he tried. It was like the pegasus had somehow made them an extension of himself, but he was a trained pilot, whereas Stamper was simply a tired old soldier with a knack for seeing other options. “He... He reminds me of another pony who once sat in that seat.”

“He should, Stamper,” Cloud said, now looking sad instead of elated that their new pilot was avoiding every shot at them with ease. “His father died in that seat.”

It was then the earth pony fully understood why she’d given a job to this pegasus instead of simply returning his things and sending him on his way. Stamper suddenly felt his gut go tight as the ship pitched up at over forty five degrees, heading back into the sky.

“Sons of bitches had actual fucking boats out there,” Lucky called, glancing over his shoulder at the small fleet that was doing its best to surround them. “Righty, what’s the max we can get for engine power?”

“Eighty seven percent, engine three is not pumping out fully,” the mare replied.

“That’ll do, hold onto your hats everypony!”

Cloud wondered what the hell he was about to pull off when the pitch of the ship started to increase, the Resolute groaning as stresses it hadn’t felt in decades once more graced its structure, and the captain realised what her crazy new pilot intended to do. “Lucky, no!”

“LUCKY, YES!” he shouted back her as the airship pitched back so that they were upside down flying the other way now. “LEFTY, ONE-EIGHTY ROLL RIGHT FOLLOWED BY FIFTEEN YAW STARBOARD!”

Cloud did the calculations in her head and then looked out of the window as the airship righted itself and moved to the new course, putting them on a direct heading for the largest ship in the fleet. “What in the actual fuck are you doing, Pilot?”

“You’ll see!” he replied as the incoming fire came towards them... And over shot them by a hundred meters or so, “If they wanted us dead they’d have saturated the area with fire, they want to capture us.” He spoke quietly to the twins, who giggled and nodded, then the trio remained silent. The only sound on the bridge was that of machinery until a collision alarm sounded. “NOW!”

Lucky unstrapped himself from his seat, staring at Cloud as once more the airship rolled so that it was inverted, the stallion using his wings to hold himself in place. The large vessel started to flash before them, and just as they passed over the bridge... Lucky dropped his trousers and pressed his rump to the window, wiggling it at the opposing crew. “Thunderhoof had new orders to lock down this sector. He’d have been on the biggest ship.”

The fire coming from the vessel suddenly increased, like the crew, or at least the pony in charge, had gotten angry and decided to forget orders, but was too late. The Resolute sped past and rolled over, Lucky once more taking his seat, giving the twins a high five before correcting their course.

“What’s the route, Pilot?” Cloud asked sternly, wanting to beat sense into the pegasus stallion, but also thoroughly impressed that he could pilot such an old airship in the way he did.

“We’re going to loop the city,” he said, hearing the confused murmurs from the crew, talking about them waiting for the ship. “But only half of it. Time to buzz the penthouses.” Cloud decided not to protest his course of action and let it just happen, much to the amazement of the crew. “Righty, I need a hundred percent power. I don’t care if you have to go down there and hit with a hammer, I need it ASAP!”

The mare looked at Cloud, who nodded, then typed the message to the engine room. Several moments later she smiled, looking out the window. “Full power to engines.” She looked at the stares coming her way, then checked her console. “There.. Was something stuck in the engine. Hitting it with a hammer dislodged it.”

“What the fuck have I gotten myself into?” Lucky whispered to himself, tapping his controls. He guided the aging relic through the wider streets just below the tops of the buildings like a sailing boat on a calm lake, using them to shield from sensors and visual checks. Soon the streets widened until three Resolutes could pass each other easily in opposite directions, meaning they were visible once more.

Not that it mattered, because the fleet was no longer in visual range, waiting miles down the coast for them to emerge from behind the city. Except for one. The small airship that had first approached was waiting for them, and due to its smaller size was faster and more maneuverable, quickly getting in front of the Resolute.

A pony appeared from a hatch, spreading their wings before jumping, a thud heard moments later on the roof. “Son of a changeling whore! They’re on my ship!” Cloud went to unstrap herself, but somepony had already beaten her to the hatch and opened it. “Lucky?”

“I’ll take care of it, captain,” he said, and he swung himself out. The rush of air hit him fast, but he quickly adjusted, making his way after the pony heading to the starn. “MINTY!” he called out, the pony stopping and looking over their shoulder. “I KNOW YOU’RE ONLY FOLLOWING ORDERS, BUT YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO THIS!”

The pony ignored him and continued, making him sigh. “I’m sorry, my friend.” He spread his wings and let the air take him, flying down the ship quickly. His attack worked, his boot landing right between Minty’s wings and knocking them over, the object they were holding falling harmlessly over the edge of the ship... Where it exploded in mid air.

“DAMMIT, LUCKY, SEE SENSE!” came a mare’s voice in the wind, Minty attempting to stand. “THIS ISN’T YOU!” He’d hit her hard and she fell once more, rolling down the curved part of the vessel. Lucky jumped and grabbed her flying harness just as she slid off, holding on tight. “COME HOME WITH US!”

“THIS... THIS IS MY HOME NOW!” With that he reached for a cord on her rig and pulled, letting her go, watching the back of the ship. He saw it a moment later, a large piece of yellow fabric, a pilot’s parachute, slowly floating down. Turning around, he saw the airship very off to go rescue her, and he carefully made his way back into the bridge, where Cloud was waiting. “...it’s taken care off.” He said nothing else as he took the pilot’s seat once more, feeling all eyes upon him.

“Make our heading north east, pilot,” Cloud said, the ship turning a moment later. “Keep us at full power until we clear Equestrian air space, then drop us to sixty percent.” She made her way to the hatch that led to her ready room. “Stamper. You have command.”

He nodded back at her and the bridge fell into silence, everypony focusing on their own task, now free from pursuit.

Mindful sat on the cot, one hand on her head and one on her stomach, wishing that the ring around her horn was not present so she could quell the upset she felt. Whoever had been piloting this airship was quite clearly insane and should be locked up, but now they were flying level at least and had been for a few hours now.

The sound of the cell door opening caught her attention, the mare looking up to see her zebra captor stepping in. “If Cloud knew what I was doing, she’d kill me,” Z’naja said. She took a small key from her belt and unlocked the horn ring. “Please, we need your help.” Z’naja exited the cell, waiting.

Knowing this might be her once chance for freedom, Mindful stood up and followed Z’naja, who led her two decks down and into a large room. She instantly felt at home, knowing this was this ship’s infirmary because of how it looked, and the dozen or so injured ponies waiting to be seen; they were probably hurt in the rough ride. “Any other medical staff?” she asked her guide.

“Our last doctor decided to remain in Zebrica,” Z’naja answered, shrugging. “Something about a death sentence should he skip out out on the chief’s pregnant daughter.”

“Congratulations, you’re my new assistant,” Mindful stated flatly, ignoring the protests being given and passing a notepad and pen to her new aide. “First things first, triage, we need to find out who is most need.” The two moved around the room, Mindful checking the injured and Z’naja writing down what they had and needed.

Neither of them saw the trio of ponies watching from the corridor, the pegasus mare of the group no longer concerned about filling in her last remaining empty crew slot.