Chapters on Wings of Steel (prolog)
Author's Note
English is not my first language and I have to use google translate. I didn't find an editor either, so if someone notices something, please let me know so that I can improve it.
The reason why there is such a long time between the prologue and chapter 1 is that I have completely erased the story again and rewrite it, this time I read it more carefully before I put it online.
on Wings of Steel (prolog)
Prolog
Swift Specter was sitting in his bed, looking around the room. It wasn't a normal room, it was a hospital room. Everything was painted in calm light colors. Next to the bed was a side table with a glass of water, a flower arrangement that his parents had sent him and a purple heart. He sighed and lifted the covers off him. There were bandages all around his body. But the worst were those around his chest. He looked at his back as far as he could. His petrol-colored coat was broken by the clean bandages, but he couldn't see what he wanted to see.
Days later, Swift Specter was allowed to get up again. First of all a manecut, then streching his legs and wings ...
"Join the fight against the Crystal Empire!"
Above it was the picture of a unicorn soldier on a hill facing hundreds of opponents, Horn glowing with magic
"The enemy is at the door, let's push him back!"
Here you could see an earth pony kicking away a soldier of the Crystal Empire with a powerful buck
"They fly for us, they fight for us, buy warbonds to help them!"
A squadron of pegasie flies in perfect V formation over the enemy, led by the war heroine named Rainbow Dash.
The past
Everything went relatively well by the time they crossed the front line.
If only they hadn't used this canyon!
He woke up once in the unicorn soldiers' camp, the yellow Pegasus over him, talking to him, but he dosen't hear anything, and then again in a field hospital.
present
Outside then Swift Specter sat on a bench and looked up at the sky. It was an almost cloudless day, so he could see the weather team using individual clouds to decorate the Canterlot sky.
A little later, Swift Specter found himself in a wing of Celestia's Academy for Gifted Unicorns. It was like a laboratory got attacked by a workshop, and now tools, parts, books and the like were lying around everywhere.
on Wings of Steel Chapter 1
Chapter 1
2 months later...
After hours of testing, Swift Specter was finally released. Just as he had put on his complete uniform again, -as he was back in active service in a test brigade- Electric Swing came galloping up and shouted: "Swift wait!" she slid in front of him and said with a broad grin: "I'm going to invite you to dinner. And I don't want to hear no, Corporal."
The place where Swift Specter and Electric Swing went was nothing special, apart from the cider. This one was hard, but that didn't stop Swift Specter from drinking a little more.
Outside, Swift Specter was furiously walking down the street. It was now dark and with the uniform and the two mechanical wings he looked so scary that nopony spoke to him and everpony walked away from him.
The following day
"Pre-flight checks." said Electric Swing, walking around Swift Specter while holding a checklist in a hoof, "Flaps?"
Twilight Sparkle was busy making notes in her notebook, not noticing a group of royal guards approaching. Swift Specter didn't notice either, but Electric Swing felt a wrench out of her hoof. There, in this hangar, at this moment, Princess Celestia stood and examined the three ponies. Only when the Royal Guards hit their spears on the ground did the other two ponies look at Celestia.
Celestia looked closely at the three ponies in front of her, then smiled a little and said in a very pleasant tone: "I see you are making great progress, my student. To see such a badly wounded Pegasus flying again is a very uplifting feeling! "
"I ... get an assistant?" Twilight asked wide-eyed. It was a very great honor in such times. one for which you had to put down a lot of bits.
"Very good." said Celestia with a smile, then looked at sergeant Swift Specter, "sergeant, you will have an airship available to you at the end of the week to bring you to the frontline. The tests must be done by then. The airship will be set up for further tests if necessary, but I want that to be kept as minimal as possible. "
After Celestia was gone, Swift Specter leaned over to Electric Swing and asked, "Do you think we could paint our princess's banner on the inside of the wings?"
More days later ...
Swift Specter flew over the practice range trying to get a feel for the new wings. Unlike real wings, he didn't feel the wind, couldn't make any slight changes and had to fly with more force. He was faster than before, but also less maneuverable.
The hoof-to-hoof combat training was very instructive. Even if the wings were very heavy, Swift was able to block blows with them. He fought a pegasus first, which showed him that he wasn't that fast anymore, but harder to hit if he moved the wings properly. Then came an earth pony close combat specialist. The pink mare with the pink mane bothered him badly, but in the end everything was okay with exeption of a few dents in the wings. However, he was still very susceptible to unicorn magic.
After a shower, Swift Specter first went to rest in his quarters. He had received new orders, which he held in front of him while he was on the bed.
Marching orders:
Further orders:
These orders were approved by Princess Celestia.
Drawn by
So ... those were his orders. Swift Specter couldn't wait.
In this night
Swift Specter was back on the battlefield, his squadron dead, he was alone, and it was unnaturally quiet. His wings were gone, and the artificial ones weren't there either.
Swift Specter jumped up in sweat, gasped, and looked around in panic. What kind of a nightmare was that? He would have to talk to somepony about it.
on Wings of Steel Chapter 2
Chapter 2
"Like tears in the rain," Twilight Sparkle suddenly began alongside Electric Swing.
A little later the airship flew off and Electric Swing was sitting on a railing, saw Canterlot slowly getting smaller. A Pegasus Squadron escorted them a little outside the city, then saluted the ship, turned away and flew home. On the way, the airship would have two other ships meeting them who had the same destination.poff .
Twilight Sparkle watched this and cleared her throat before she said, "Well then, let's get the long range test over with. I want you to fly two to three meters above the deck, at the same speed as the ship. We'll see how long you can hold out. "
hours later
Something was wrong. The crew of the airship was getting more and more restless, the observation posts searched the sky, but apart from a few dark clouds nothing was to be seen.
"What is Swift doing there?" Electric Swing asked, turning his head as Swift Specter tipped sideways and flew towards the other ship.
Swift Specter only had a few seconds to dodge when a rather strong spell flew in his direction, followed by several enemy Pegasus. Without thinking too long, he raised the pistol and fired the loaded red smoke grenade into the air. The sign of enemy troops.
Swift Specter awoke to a black void. It felt like his hooves and cheek were on marble. In front of him was some kind of picture frame or something like that. On closer inspection he could see himself, wings wrapped around his body, his back towards the ground, black smoke rose from some connections, his mouth open, his eyes closed. The smoke moved and billowed very, very slowly, but did not stand still. With a groan he got up and looked around, asked in a hoarse voice: "Where am I? Is anyone there? Hello?" Then he noticed that his wings were missing. Not only his real ones, no the artificial ones as well!
"Sweet Celestia! You scared me almost to death!" he said and slowly calmed down.
"Who exactly wants to meet me?" Swift Specter asked after a little while.
To Swift Specter's surprise, the inside was a cozy cabin, with a fireplace, a mirror, bookshelves, and a large sofa ... and on that sofa ... lay an alicorn. She was reading a book and seemed to be enjoying the fire in the fireplace.
Swift Specter thought, "Wait a minute ... does that mean there should actually be two princesses in Equestria? And one is on the moon? Why that? What happened?"
"That sounds impossible! Why me? Isn't there somepony better?" Swift Specter asked a little uncertainly.
When Swift came to, he actually felt dazed and it took him a moment to realign himself. It helped that the view was relatively clear. So he could make out the horizon, turn around, straighten the wings ... and there came the first problem. The left wing no longer responded as well as the other. In addition, Swift could feel that he was hanging a little lower. With a careful look he could see that the lightning had burned a hole through the metal.
Swift Specter aimed and fired the red smoke grenade, then slipped the flare back into his saddlebag and hung his head. He felt tired and powerless. The ground was getting closer and closer, and the grass looked so soft ...felt that she needed him.
Electric Swing had seen Swift Specter get struck by lightning. she had seen how he fell out of control towards the ground. She had seen his lifeless body plunged into a cloud and after that she had not seen him again.
"Come on, we have to take cover!" Said Twilight Sparkle
Then the enemy airship came closer. Roped harpoons flew over and grabbed the airship, pulling it closer and closer.
"The difference," Swift Specter began to explain, "is that I just had to hope for support while you should be gone before that happens." His grin widened when the new squadron started up smoke generators and the blue and yellow stiffeners pulled up in the sky that were now famous.
Author's Note
I'll use the Notes to explain things:
Smoke grenades and signal pistols:
-Red: enemies discovered. the flight of the grenade shows in which direction.
-Yellow: Unknown contact. the flight of the grenade shows in which direction.
-Green: Everything is OK / Mission accomplished. It doesn't matter in which direction this grenade is fired.
Then there are special colors that display commands. These may only be used by or on behalf of the officer
-Black: Black smoke is very rare and has to be considered carefully, as black smoke is only sent when there is no longer any hope. It should say reinforcement that it's too late.
-purple: depending on the situation. mostly the recipient has to decide what is going on.
Other communication options:
-Telegram: For more complex things, which are complex and take time, as well as a courier.
-Electronic radio transmission. Is just in its infancy. Ship to ship communication is possible
Light: You can send messages via a sequence of long and short signals. The color of a light can also show something
on Wings of Steel Chapter 3
Chapter 3
"Reinforcement or not, you have to realize that you are lost." said the enemy leader when he was about to throw his spear. A pink aura surrounded him and suddenly he and his soldiers were swept off the ship.
All survivors of the supply ship were brought to the warship to be taken care of while the supply ship was repaired as best as it was possible.
Swift Specter was in the warship's infirmary tending to the wounds while Electric was making small repairs to the wings so he could move them back far enough to fold them back against his body.
Swift almost jumped up, but Electric held him back, so he just saluted, "Commander Rainbow Dash! What an honor! What are you doing here?"
A little later, Swift Specter, Twilight Sparkle, and Electric Swing were in the warship's workshop tending to Swift Specter's wings. To make the whole thing easier, and to protect his sprain, he lay on his back and widened the wings so that the lower maintenance hatches were easy to reach.
"What was that?" Electric asked when Swift was gone.
The two looked at each other briefly, then back to Rainbow. Electric said with a smile: "Yes, but not only. I can do the mechanics, and Twilight here has everything to do with magic, but we still need a doctor who can fix the base of the wings to the spine."
The return flight was undisturbed. The injured were disembarked and taken to one of the Canterlot military hospitals.
"I didn't really have time for that." replied Swift
"I see. And then?"
"I was attacked and they threw a kind of laboratory flask at me. Above was a fuse, underneath it was probably flash powder, as it was used in old cameras at the old times, or black powder like in fireworks. That broke the glass and released a lightning, that hit my left wing and I ... lost consciousness. When I woke up again I was close to the ground, was able to stabilize when I saw light signals. I have to admit I was too dazed to see what they meant and where they came from. I took the signal pistol and fired the red smoke grenade at the battle above me. " Swift paused to drink from a glass of water and give the earth pony time to write everything down.
"That was when the 'Wrath of the Sun' saw you and tried to find out who you are and what your destination was, right?"
"As I said, I had no idea who or what was in front of me. I just knew that I had to get back on my feet quickly to fulfill a very important part of my mission. The protection of the mechanic and the student."
"What if the reinforcements hadn't arrived in time?"
"Then I would have fought and probably would have died."
"I understand. Thank you very much for your cooperation." The earth pony gave a short salute and then left.
Swift was released a little later. But his injuries gave him a few days of vacation, which he wasn't too happy about.
"Yes, your Majesty. Those were his words." said Twilight Sparkle, bowing deeply to Princess Celestia, "I thought I'd better let you know."
Meanwhile, Swift and Electric had arrived at Electric's home.
The guards took Swift to the castle, then to a side wing, up a flight of stairs into a tower. There he met Celestia and Twilight Sparkle, who was leaning over a pile of books and seemed to be reading them all at the same time.
A few hours passed as Twilight came around the corner with one discovery after another. She also found a date: "It says here that the Mare in the Moon escapes her prison on the thousandth summer solstice. That would be ... next year? Yes, next year, in less than 11 months!"
Author's Note
Explanation of topic: MCU
The Magic Containment Unit (MCU) is a battery based on a gemstone matrix. The gem magically gathers and stores it until it is retrieved by a process that Electric Swing calls "nudging". Theoretically it is possible to change the batteries, but that would require help. The gems are rather rare, which is why you shouldn't just throw them away, except in the case of a mixture of magic. While it is not as bad when earth pony magic and pegasus magic mix, the high values the unicorns generate can easily overload the MCU resulting in a ... unsatisfactory situation
on Wings of Steel Chapter 4
Chapter 4
As Swift Specter had said, the clouds loosened a few minutes later.
A storm caught up with them again over Ponyville. Swift looked at the clouds and then said, "Your Highness, I have to ask you to land so we can go to a shelter."
"Alright, Alright, ya can stop banging on ma Door." came an annoyed voice from inside, "Who in tarnation is there?"
"Please, only if there are no problems." Celestia said with a smile, "But like my sergeant said, His wings don't allow you to fly in ... difficult weather."
A little later, the three residents of the house, Applejack, Big Mac and a Filly named Applebloom, were sitting on one side of the room and Celestia with Swift on the other. As Swift quickly found out, all three were siblings. The parents had died some time ago and recently the great-grandmother also died.
A little later, Applejack, Celestia and Swift made their way to the Everfree Forest, accompanied by a K9 in case they actually find a trace of the Pegasus that was missing.
So they trotted into the forest for a few hours. It was really scary, even by Swift standards.
Then, deep in the forest, the dog barks to attract attention and growled in a certain direction. Applejack looked through the thicket and then said, "Oh, I see the missing pony! Can you help me, soldier?"
"I wanted to help." said applebloom, shocked. then a timber wolf broke out of the forest in front of them, followed by a second and a third.
Celestia had waited by the wagon and checked out the area. It all looked so different from what she remembered. There used to be a splendid street, a small town, gardens ...
He came back to the wagon, winced when he reattached the wagon, but didn’t let it be seen that he was in pain.
Celestia had to lower the sun when she got to the old castle, which gave her a little sting in the heart. She walked through the ruins, further down the hall, to an old balcony. she used to do that here, and her sister would pull out the moon. Now she had to do it all by herself.
The next morning, Swift hadn't even noticed that he had fallen asleep, he woke up the other two by the fire, but Celestia was nowhere to be seen. He had to look for her until he found her in a small room, lying there in a bed. In fact, the room was still relatively good, and the bed looked more comfortable than the floor. It was not until a little later that Swift thought that this could have been her room.
Applejack came to a separate room that she wanted to cross, her little sister Applebloom close by.
Celestia startled when she saw the light.
Author's Note
Notes:
I tried to use the Apple family accent at first, but I couldn't. Anyone who can help me is cordially invited to do so ^^
on Wings of Steel Chapter 6
Chapter 6
It was wonderful to glide through the cool evening air. Every now and then he flapped his wings to keep up with the airship, but otherwise it was very quiet. after a while, Swift was even able to see the little light the night patrols had on their hind legs. If he still had the correct schedule in his mind, the Batpony would still be there.shrieeeek that was quite loud.
To get to know Night Watch better, Swift had actually brought him coffee. The night shift on such long flights was something that few could or would do. Daytime attacks were more common, after all, and being up all night beforehand was no fun in a battle.
Electric came up to Swift slowly and sleepily, asked in a tired voice. "Swift? What are you doing so late out here? You should sleep and not fly around."
In the morning Electric woke up again, but felt a little heavier than usual. When she opened her eyes she could see why. Swift was in bed with her, still asleep it seems, with one wing over her, the other hanging down and touching the floor, probably as a counterweight.
"You dream about me?" Electric asked in a high pitched voice, her face completely flushed.
Both came a little late for breakfast. The bigger mistake, however, was showing up together.
After the 30 rounds, Rainbow had no joke about her dessert, Swift was in the airship's workshop. Electric had set up a kind of station for him that he could lie on with his stomach, and brackets that held the wings.
A little later there was also a medical check, where Swift first met Fluttershy in the infirmary. In her role as a doctor, she seemed to be much more open than in private, if only a little.plop was heard as a vertebra shifted back into position, as well as a gasp from Swift.
According to the schedule, Swift wasn't on patrol until the evening, so he used the time to rummage through the library that Twilight had brought to the airship. He was sitting with a book on one of the much more comfortable armchairs and was reading comfortably when a flame came through the window and flew to Twilight.
The evening patrol was as smooth as it was.mmmhmm and kept her eyes open.
When Swift landed, Night Watch was on his way to patrol. "Clear skies and calm flight, specialist." said Swift and went back inside. He noticed that Sharp Wing stopped and talked to Night Watch longer. He seemed happy about it.
The last point of the day was a debriefing with the found elements, sergeant Swift, the two civilians Twilight and Electric and the captain of the airship and his first officer.
Finally some free time.
Author's Note
Stormbreaker Squadron
Members:
Role and Equipment:
The Leader:
The Scout:
The Support:
The Heavy Support:
Greenhorns:
on Wings of Steel Chapter 7
Chapter 7
During the days of the journey towards the east, something like a routine became established. However, that changed on the last day.
Swift flew around the airship once for the others to rally, with him at the head of the squadron.
Electric went to work and immediately began getting the ship ready for action, even if she was not trained. She knew how the machines worked, so she would make sure they gave as much power as possible.
Swift waved a hoof and gave the order to form a line behind him. The others obeyed and together they followed him between two enemy airships that could not shoot because otherwise they would only hit each other. Behind it, Swift took a dive to fly under a crashing airship below. He could see ponies falling, others clinging desperately to the burning airship.
The three flew back to the other four. and continue together. The narrow streets of the city were a problem and only provided safety for enemy airships.
"Sir, leave me behind!" Private Amethyst said with a sob, "I'm just slowing you down."
"FIRE ON DECK!" shouted an earth pony when the airship was shaken, "We need extinguishing agents here!"
Swift had taken a couple of hits, but nothing wild. Scratches where spears had come through his defense. These wings proved more and more practical in hoof-to-hoof combat. That just didn't help against the number of foes coming down the stairs. Nor had Swift considered how the others should find the private one and him ..
That was the moment when Amethyst, whose wing was now bandaged, broke out of the door and drove one of the spears lying on the ground into one of the opponents. This screamed briefly before he went to the floor.
"Attack!" called a white unicorn with a blue mane. He himself kept up a very impressive shield with his magic and prevented the enemies from getting reinforcements.
A little later the civilians, Amethyst and Swift came out of the building and looked at the combat unit in amazement. In the middle stood the rest of the squadron.
To his surprise, he found a captain's purple armor in the middle of the perimeter. A white unicorn with a blue mane barked commands.
The captain's eyes widened and he began to shine: "So you know Twily! Ha, the world is so small!" the captain simply pulled Swift to his chest, "I haven't spoken to my little sister anymore. How is she? Is she still in canterlot at the academy?"
It took longer than expected to make enough caps move and it got very dark.
Day 01 in the Manehattan siege ends
on Wings of Steel Chapter 8
Chapter 8
Start of the second day of the Manehattan siege
Sergeant Swift Specter rose from a nap he'd taken and stretched. Amethyst was still sound asleep so he didn't want to wake her up.
A little later, the three scouts from the Stormbreaker Squadron came back. Specialist Night saluted Swift, then said: "The enemy is building barricades to the north and west. South and east are relatively free, which is probably because everything in the south is under enemy control and in the east ... well there is the sea . The most direct routes, north and west, are cut off. "
Electric was lying under a control panel, cursing softly as she tried to fix the electronics and circuits. The airship had docked in a park that had been converted into an FOB by the Royal Guard. In addition to their airship, there were three others in urgent need of repairs
"This is disturbing news." said Captain Shining Armor and looked at a city map on which Specialist Night had drawn lines in red. Noises of battle could be heard in the background as the Crystal Empire again tried to overrun the trapped soldiers.
Twilight walked through the refugee camp for the umpteenth time. The element that had moved here rested in her saddlebag and pressed very lightly against her side. Applejack walked beside her and kept her eyes open too.
All preparations were made.
The distraction was not maintained for too long as all the soldiers gathered on the street. There were a few traveling in cabs with injured civilians, children and the elderly. further up was Swift with amethyst. The Squadron at his side.
"Commander, there!" one of the wonderbolts called and pointed south. On the other side of the front, five shapes soared into the sky and flew south, just higher than the buildings.
Swift ran just behind the tip of the spearhead, and panted heavily.
After what felt like running a hundred blocks, the whole group had to slow down, but there was no stopping.
"This is nonsense!" Rarity said as she looked at the necklace she was wearing now. She was on board the airship and couldn't believe what had happened, "you want to tell me that I am some kind of chosen one?"crime of clothing!"
"okay soldiers, our big performance. Assault on enemy headquarters!" Captain Shining Armor called from the center.
As there was no safe place for the children at the moment, Electric took care of them in the library. Twilight was looking for children's books outside, because that was something their library didn't have on board. When she came back with the books, and some more than expected, she strutted in and proudly announced. "I have several history books, some math books for new school leavers, and best of all, kid-friendly encyclopedias!"
"Okay that's it, get out of here! Next destination is west!" shouted Captain shining armor.
It was getting dark when a guard sent a signal in the south.
The first soldiers broke through the barricade, then the first carts came with injured and civilians. The cheering on the allied front line was great and a passage was willingly opened.
"Well Swift? How are you?" asked a familiar voice.
The unconscious Pegasus, meanwhile, was taken to the ship's infirmary with Electric at his side.
End of day 2 of the Siege of Manehattan.
Author's Note
I forgot to write something about the world in chapter 7 to make it more understandable / logical, so here are two facts.
Fact number one:
The Crystal Empire came as a surprise, so it was difficult at the beginning to slow down the advance. Many villages, towns and communities were simply overrun and the majority of the Equestria army was poorly equipped and even less trained in combat. Few units were well trained and later became elite units, including the Wonderbolts
According to dark rumors, injured soldiers of the Equestria Army are brainwashed by the Crystal Empire and forced to fight on their side, but this has not yet been confirmed, nor has it been explicitly refuted.
Fact number two:
The sea invasion of the Crystal Empire was possible due to a failure of the military leadership. Very few have even considered that something like this is possible. When the ships landed with the first enemy troops, the streets were full of civilians. Most of the soldiers now fighting in the city just happened to be in Manehattan to leave, to cure illnesses or to rehabilitate after serious injuries.
on Wings of Steel Chapter 9
Chapter 9
Day 3 of the siege of Manehattan
"What exactly do you mean?" Swift asked Death in a hoarse voice. He must have misheard him.
Electric brought Swift into his cabin with two other Earth ponies. All he needed was rest and sleep, everything else would then fine. Just as Swift was being brought to his bed, Twilight came over, lifted her head into the room and asked, "Hey Electric, are you coming to the library? The girls and I want to get to know Rarity better." she smiled invitingly.
"... and then I decided to put my sewing skills in the service of the army." Rarity just said, "I would much rather make nice clothes, but good and robust clothes for our soldiers seem more important to me right now."
Death walked a little through the dreamscape, followed by Swift.
"I see," said Rarity after Electric had said everything, "so you are unsure how to behave in the relationship. You don't want to do anything wrong and therefore feel lost when you are with him. What about Swift and his feelings? "
Swift woke up sometime that night. his throat was dry and rough. but he noticed that something was pressing against his side. When he looked he could see Electric, who had snuggled up against him under his wing and was sleeping soundly, but also looking a little worried.
The next morning was tough. Swift had sore muscles in all four legs and he was moving very slowly across the canteen. In addition, the children pestered him with questions about his wings, they wanted to know everything about him, and they wanted to look at the airship. Swift drank two cups of coffee before joining his squadron with a third cup.
After breakfast Swift wanted to relax in the library and organize his thoughts, but the foals and Fillys on board didn't make it easy. Twilight was so happy when Swift came in.
When she came back a little later, Rarity also had Twilight with her and the two kept talking. Swift wasn't sure what it was about, but he heard Electrics name a time or two.
On the way to his cabin he met Amethyst and asked briefly how she was doing.
Electric nervously waited for Swift in his cabin. She had let Rarity persuade her to change her outfit and was slowly not sure anymore. Instead of the normal overalls for her, she wore a simple dress, the hair was combed and she was generally dressed up, and she didn't want to think about what Rarity had suggested to wear underneath.
Swift couldn't believe it. All the time he was scared of doing something wrong and that was exactly that.
Instead of announcing that the two of them heard the other, Swift simply decided to open the door. Five mares stumbled in and looked up apologetically.
"She is right." Swift said then, turning around, but before he could continue speaking he saw Electric lay down on the bed and hid under the pillow.
But Swift stopped suddenly and said in a low tone, "We don't have to do this now."
Much to the regret of both, Swift had to take off again a few hours later and leave the front. It had actually moved a few blocks towards the train station and more of the city was under enemy control.
End of the third day of the siege of Manehatten
Author's Note
Battle of manehatten:
While there are always minor battles in the streets, the Equestrian Marine airships try to prevent enemy reinforcements by sea, with moderate success. At the same time, several thousand ponies are being brought out of the city by train every day to be on the safe side, but there are increasing reports of saboteurs trying to destroy the railway line, which means that the few defensive forces are further weakened.
on Wings of Steel Chapter 10
Chapter 10
Day four of the Siege of Manehattan
Noon, and the Stormbreakers were back on patrol. They took off just as the wonderbolts came back. They looked very tired, Swift noticed. They were all. For four days they had been on the alert almost continuously. It was a pain in the flank, but most of the refugees had already been evacuated by train, which was a great relief.
It was quiet the first time the patrol started, and Swift decided to stop near the front. They flew to one of the tallest skyscrapers and set up a small camp there. Swift scanned the horizon with his binoculars while the others paused. He could go to rest in 15 minutes and Night would ...
The alarm within the base went off when Electric was walking back to the ship with a basket full of candy. The ponies had been very generous.
"What was that?" Swift asked as he returned to a stable flight. The force of the explosion had thrown him off course.
There was panic in the base when it became clear what the mission of the enemy airships was. The ponies panicked and tried to get to the last trains that were still in the depot. More would certainly not come. Some also tried to storm the military bases and get a place on the airships.
Swift and Arctic tried repeatedly to attack the airships, but the defensive fire was unusually strong. It was almost impossible and the two were more occupied with dodging than attacking.
Electric watched two of the enemy airships crash from their position and cheered with the other soldiers and sailors. In the meantime the airship was taking off, but loaded to almost the maximum. And there were still civilians and soldiers on the ground, who now had to flee on hoof. The first enemy soldiers were also seen, and fighting broke out between the soldiers of Equestria and the Crystal Empire.
Swift fought the magic that was holding him, tried to free himself, but the grip was too strong. And suddenly he was thrown onto the deck of the enemy airship in the middle, hit so hard there that it pushed the air out of his lungs.
Arctic had seized the chance that had wreaked havoc and hid under the enemy flagship. down here he would not be seen so quickly and he could climb up on a loose rope, out of sight of the guards and the other ships. When he looked over the railing, he could see his sergeant lying on the floor panting, his teeth clenched so as not to scream.
"Tell me your name!" Amber snorted angrily, "I've never seen anything so stubborn!"
Electric could see the Stormbreaker coming back.
After four days, the city of Manehattan fell. tens of thousands of civilians and thousands of soldiers died or were taken prisoner. The reinforcements that were to be dispatched to Manehattan were never dispatched.
Author's Note
Armament of airships:
The main armament of airships are crossbows, spears and the magic of unicorns. The latter are also divided up to defend the airship, as armor plates are seen as dead weight.
on Wings of Steel Chapter 11
Chapter 11
Swift woke up with a grunt. He felt terrible and could barely breathe.
Electric startled, looked at him with big, teary eyes, said softly: "Swift! You're awake again!"
"and she just pulled you out of the air with her magic?" Commander Dash asked a little uncertainly, "That shouldn't actually be possible because of the enchants in our armor."
On the way several other airships met the small convoy of hospital ships and the airship on which the elements of harmony were. As it turned out, after the invasion of the enemy in Manehattan, the entire front had collapsed in the east and had moved several kilometers in favor of the Crystal Empire.
The journey back would take longer as many of the ships that joined the convoy were damaged, others overloaded with injured and refugees. One of the ships burned for days before being abandoned.
a few days later the airships were at Canterlor, but in order not to break morale in the city all ships were diverted to a nearby airfield and unloaded there. Swift was taken to one of Canterlot's hospitals with other injured soldiers, but it was quickly decided that there was no room for anyone like him. His wound could not be treated any further except for painkillers and others needed more attention. Private Amethyst was also expelled from hospital to save space.
about ten meters further he heard a voice behind him: "Swift!" When he turned around he could see Electric breaking through the crowds, apologizing in all directions.
Electric led Swift back to her apartment, only this time he was allowed to enter freely.
When he woke up, Swift was in an unknown place and it was dark. When he looked back he could see that he had no wings.
"You are in my dream, you can't do anything to me!" Swift roared in protest, "When I wake up your threats are nothing but a bad memory and I will continue to walk my path that Destiny showed me!"
"Swift?"
with a loud gasp, Swift woke up and took a deep breath.
early in the morning Swift and Electric made their way to the palace. After inquiring at the gates, both were invited in and escorted into the throne room.
Swift followed the princess and felt how electric gently pressed against him as he walked. She seemed to be a little worried. Then on a long corridor the princess turned left laughing and opened a door with her magic, and let the two enter.
Author's Note
Enchantment of the armor of the common soldiers:
There are a few different enchantments a soldier can choose from. In addition to standard protective spells, a soldier can also have more special enchantments, if these are justifiable.
High-ranged soldiers receive a variety of enchantments.
on Wings of Steel Chapter 12
chapter 12
"This is serious news." Celestia said and walked up and down the room, "I'm sorry that you have to endure this, sergeant, but I can't really do anything about it. My sister is actually the guardian of the dream landscape, or should be."
"What was that just now?" Electric asked when they were out again.
A little later both were sitting in a small street cafe, Swift with a good, strong coffee, Electric also had a piece of cake.
It was the evening before the little party that Celestia wanted to hold. In the meantime it was clear that it was a matter of handing out awards and praising them for their work.
"Ah okay I'm careful." she went on.
The evening went all right, but as Swift said, he couldn't cook. The food was far from good and Electric decided to help him on the second try. both were working side by side in a comfortable silence when she suddenly turned around and blushed.
She was very quiet during the meal, and Swift blamed himself for it. He was probably too honest, or too direct.
Swift woke up next to Electric late in the night. He should actually sleep, but he couldn't. He was too happy to just close his eyes. It was also a beautiful full moon night. He gathered up his clothes after getting up as quietly as possible and looked at Electric for a long time with a smile on his face. Then he crept out into the street and took off.
He flew for a while through the cool night air, first in the direction of the south, then again in the north, without a destination. Over Canterlort he then found a small lonely cloud on which he carefully landed.
After a bit of dragging, the other end of the Pegasus came out and Swift realized it was a mare.
Dizzy nodded, "I take care of a couple of Fillys whose parents disappeared or who died in the war."
Swift felt an impulse, and before he could think about it he asked, "Is there anything I can do to help? I've saved a few bits in the last few months while I was on the job. I could give you something."
Swift shook his head with a smile, then flew back onto his cloud.
Swift stared after her, fascinated, even if her wings looked more like the one of a batpony than of a Pegasus.
Above the clouds, which were just rolling in the direction of Canterlot, both flew back level to the ground.
After a while both lay on one of the clouds and continued to look at the stars. Well Swift looked up, Electric was sleeping snuggled up against him under his wing. Unless she took off the horseshoes, the magic inside would allow Electric to stand on the cloud.
Author's Note
Electric Swings Invention:
After the success with the EPS in the wings of two Pegasias, one with absolutely no remaining wings and one with a lost wing, Electric Swing and Twilight Sparkle worked on a non-Pegasus variant. The first prototype is in the test phase and requires an MCU, is built relatively lightly and is not intended for combat use, rather as a proof of concept. MCUs still need to be charged by Pegasie.
Previous problems are the very light construction, which makes them very vulnerable, and the problem that if an MCU is damaged, the Pegasus magic can be mixed with the magic of earth ponies or unicorns, resulting in an explosive mixture because it overloads the gem inside.
On Wings of Steel Chapter 13
Chapter 13
Swift was the first to wake up. He felt his back leg hanging from the cloud, the sun was rising and it seemed to be a beautiful day.
After about fifteen minutes they were back in the Electric apartment and she was scurrying back and forth, into the bathroom, out of the bathroom, generally getting way too crazy with the appointment.
On the way to the palace, the two ran into the next problem. literally.
"Where is the sergeant? He should be here about 30 minutes ago!" Commander Dash said nervously, and looked at the lineup. The wonderbolts were at the front, followed by the ship's crew, behind them soldiers who also served on the ship, and at the end the stormbreakers as rearguards. Even the airship was already there, manned by a skeleton crew, ready to take off at a sign and fly over the square. In addition to those just mentioned, there were also the crew of three other ships, their pegasus squadrons. There were two of them in front of them and one behind them. That meant Swift didn't have much time to ...
When the ceremony started, Swift marched in front of his squadron. I set the airships in motion with their crews, but it was evident that one of the crews was incomplete. The crew before them wasn't nearly big enough, and their squadrons were incomplete. Obviously this crew was less lucky than the others. The ship also looked like it had only been poorly repaired. Swift silently thanked them that it was different with them. For the ceremony itself, he zoomed out. Only when it was their turn did he pay attention to what was said again.
"Next I want to ask the Wonderbolts and the Stormbreakers here." said Celestia in a solemn tone.
The rest of the ceremony was relatively quick and the groups broke up into smaller groups for private conversations.
The evening was tough.
The next morning was as hard as the night before.
During the flight, Electric took regular care of Swifts and Rainbows wings. It was Rainbow's turn and had placed her metal wing on a workbench so that Electric could work more easily.
Swift was flying alongside the airship, testing what his chest would do. In fact, it felt better in the air if the wing was only minimally moved. Strong wing beats, as used in combat situations, however, still hurt a lot. But that got better too.
Author's Note
The losses during the battle for manhattan were limited, but the collapse of the front at this point meant that many of Princess Celestia's troops are now trapped in an encirclement. It is estimated that one thousand five hundred soldiers are currently either on the retreat or are being held up on a new front while the old one follows them very quickly.
on Wings of Steel Chapter 14
Chapter 14
Flying reconnaissance within your own front was a relatively safe job.
Electric paced up and down the engine room of the airship for a while. Since the airship was parked a little off the front line, she didn't really have to do anything other than wait for a few spare parts for simple maintenance. to her surprise, Twilight came into the engine room.
When the date was mentioned, Blushed Electric said: "Oh, you know how it is. We had a lot of fun, but Swift can't cook."
The hours passed and the Stormbreaker Squadron was flying home.
Still in the canteen, the mares jumped up when the ship's PA started. "Incoming wounded! Prepare infirmary! Incoming wounded!" The alarm went off.
As they got closer, the sixth member of the squad could be seen. Ruby carried it instead of her backpack.
The other violations were less dramatic. Cuts, a battered flight membrane on Corporal Nights wing, and multiple holes in the metal of Swift's wings where he was hit.
In the evening the crew of the entire airship gathered on the ground next to a pyre.
Swift was still where he was when the pyre was lit. And he still looked at the smoking pile that was left over.
He sought her gaze, and when they met, he kissed her gently. she returned the kiss gently, too.
if there was one thing Commander Amber didn't like at all, it was arbitrary.
on Wings of Steel Chapter 15
Chapter 15
"Thank you for being there for me." hooed Swift to Electric, who was lying next to him, "If I were alone now ..."
The next morning, Swift went to see Fluttershy in the infirmary first thing.
Since the Stormbreaker had it a little harder, also and especially morally, the Squadron got a day off, which Swift spent at Electric in the workshop.
"That'll have to wait." Twilight's voice came from the door as she trotted in, "Swift, I need your wings. More precisely, something has to be built in."
Electric looked at him in surprise. "You ask me? Why?"
after it got dark, Swift got ready on the flight deck.
They flew low over the allied trenches and watched the enemy front, while both kept an eye on this strange metal rod that was now attached to Swift's wing tip.
Swift crept quietly into his cabin, but Electric was still awake.
"There you are again."
He thought about what she had said.
"and you are right." said another familiar voice.
Another laugh from Nightmare Moon, and within a moment she was standing in front of Death and kicking him aside as if it were nothing.
He started up with a gasp. It was time to get up, right on time. Electric had cuddled up to him all night and was sound asleep.
He dragged himself into the canteen, eyes half closed, and managed to drag himself to his squadron's seats without dropping his breakfast or spilling his coffee.
Fluttershy went through all sorts of procedures.
Author's Note
Element tracking unit
Developed by Twilight Sparkle to help locate the remaining elements. This device is a combination of alchemy, runes and magic, as well as a touch of science.
on Wings of Steel Chapter 16
chapter 16
Twilight went through all the books she had on site, but the library wasn't as well stocked as Canterlot. Amethyst, unable to go on missions because of her broken wing, helped her to find it and went one book after the other.
Swift's breath was fast and rattled.
Fluttershy turned around, startled, when Swift gave a scream and fought the shackles that were holding him in the sickbed. Electric had also jumped up to rush to Swift.
Swift couldn't see the ground.
as soon as Electric had touched his hoof, swift had calmed down a little, was breathing hard and sweating. She also began to stroke his forehead and whispered: "I'm here, Swift. I'm here for you ..."
Swift recognized a small cabin in the distance.
Swift seemed to calm down more and more, even if he still looked restless. Electric sighed and closed her eyes for a moment.
Swift had listened to the whole story and put his head on his forelegs, starting to think.
Twilight's horn glowed a heavy magenta, and the magic of the spell enveloped Swift's head.
"We're waiting for you to get better, sergeant. I don't know what exactly you've been dreaming, but from the outside it looked pretty violent." Commander Dash said in a harsh tone, "and if you haven't had a check-up you're banned from flying!"
Author's Note
Nightmare Moon's attacks:
While Swift Specter is a relatively easy target thanks to the insecurities he carries around with his wings and because of his feelings about Electric, reports of strange nightmares are mounting across Equestria. Alleged attacks by an Alicorn are also said to have occurred, but this can also be attributed to dreams. Otherwise it only happens on full moon nights, it is becoming more and more common.
on Wings of Steel Chapter 17
Chapter 17
Swift flew in front of his squadron, the Amethyst Fire and Lucky Shadow seats hadn't been replaced, so they flew understaffed, continued behind their own lines, but stopped at larger outposts and military camps and asked for a Pinkamina Pie, or whether it is known where she is.
"I think it's time we turned around." Swift said and looked down at the front line. In the meantime trenches were being dug and sandbags were being piled up. New cannons were set up further back, larger than those used on ships.
"contact, southwestern. unknown." reported Sharp.
They were moving fast, and when they flew over the point in question everyone could see that two soldiers dressed in enemy uniforms were retreating towards the east on the ground.
They ran through a line of trees that was open enough for the squadron to fly through. The two fleeing enemies shouted something, but Swift didn't understand what, until about a dozen enemy unicorns emerged from a grain field that was about waist high and opened fire.
"IT'S AN AMBUSH!" called Corporal Night.
But it was. he could see in slow motion how the magic spear hit Sharp and how she was swept around by it. Her hoof flew away, the rest to the ground.
After that everything seemed to go back to normal.
Another air raid by Night and another enemy fell while Ruby cut her way through the enemy lines. When her spear broke, she took one of the opponents to hit the other opponents. four of the enemy troops surrendered. the two observers were also placed.
The others lay either dead or dying in the cornfield. Sharp's wound was bandaged and an analgesic was administered.
Just as the enemy officer was about to say something, another group of pegasi landed. The squadron paramedic took care of the injured immediately. "This mare urgently needs a hospital and better care!" Two with a stretcher began to secure Sharp on it.
A little later, with the exception of Sharp Wing, everyone was escorted back to the airship. Once there, the group was welcomed again by Fluttershy and the medical team.
Just as the enemy officer was about to say something, another group of pegasi landed. The squadron paramedic took care of the injured immediately. "This mare urgently needs a hospital and better care!" Two with a stretcher began to secure Sharp on it.
A little later, with the exception of Sharp Wing, everyone was escorted back to the airship. Once there, the group was welcomed again by Fluttershy and the medical team.
Swift was walking into the conference room when a pink hind hoof crashed into the door frame just past his head. He only missed because Swift ducked in time.
"Stop immediately!" Commander Dash called, about to interrupt her, when the fight broke out. Quick kicks from Pinkamina were blocked by Swift's wings and front hooves.
Only when Swift slowed down and Pinkamina wanted to continue, Commander Dash came between the two of them and pushed them apart with her wings.
Author's Note
Enemy troops behind your own lines are rather unusual as the northern front has developed more and more into trench warfare. the rows of four trenches are difficult to negotiate, and behind them there are often cannon positions manned by earth ponies. Because there are many allied air units at the front, the canines are used more defensively.
on Wings of Steel Chapter 18
Chapter 18
Amber Gem. Commander of king Sombras seventh attack fleet.
"My squadron is getting pretty understaffed." Swift said very tiredly to Commander Dash as they both walked through the corridors of the airship. "One loss, one with a broken wing, the other badly injured, I'm not quite healed yet. And let's not forget Specialist Ruby is on a personal vengeance when we encounter enemies."
"Okay, time to shut you up, Pinkie!" Swift said, standing on his hindlegs, his front hooves raised to block her blows.
"Come on Swift! You can do it!" Called Electric and cheered him on.huuuurg! "
This time Swift wasn't going to let himself be tempted. he kept his distance and focused on Pinkamina. they both turned around until a glint in Swift's eyes briefly distracted him.Bam , a hoof hit him in the face, followed by another and one in the stomach area.
"I admit you're doing well, lead wing." she raised her hooves, "time to get serious."
Swift was holding his muzzle, his nose bleeding from the last blow.
Just as they were getting back on board the airship, a courier came flying in and landed on the deck. He saluted the soldier there, handed over a letter, and flew away again.
Swift was on the deck with the others. The airship was floating in the no man's land between the fronts, and an armistice had been specially declared. The other airship came slowly alongside and a wide bridge was pushed over.Swift . You ran away pretty quickly back then. I'm impressed that you're still alive, I have to admit that."
"Ah, I should ask if I can take you with me. You are extremely entertaining." she went on, then at Commander Dash she started again: "Ah and there we have her. Commander Rainbow Dash. in pony! May I say how much I admire you, Miss Dash?"
A little later the soldier came back with the captured unicorn.
Author's Note
Armistices are rare, but they do happen every now and then. up to now this has been observed with every armistice until it officially expired. Something very rare in these uncertain times.
on Wings of Steel Chapter 19
Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter. on Wings of Steel Chapter 5
Chapter 5
When Swift finally got downstairs, he was amazed. Celestia stood petrified, staring at Applejack. and when Swift could look past her he saw why. The mare was suddenly wearing a necklace in the shape of an apple.
Swift ran a hoof through his mane.
Commander Rainbow Dash landed in front of Swift. Her left wing was now also a prosthesis, but made more elegant and it looked so nice and light.
When Commander Dash was gone, Swift said with a small smile, "I missed you too, Electric. Tell me, how were you? I wasn't away that long, but as I saw you built a new wing for the Commander."
Swift had seen this before and galloped to the chamber with the elements. When he got there he saw Commander Dash wearing a necklace similar to Applejack. she looked down at herself in amazement, looked at the necklace, then at Swift
after Electric left, Commander Dash turned to those who remained. "Okay, apparently I'm also an element of harmony. That surprises me as much as everyone else. But as sergeant Swift said, it helps us a bit. To come back to the question from earlier: initiated into this secret mission are just a few officers of the airship, and here we are, and only the elements may be initiated when we find them. " She looked at Swift, "sergeant, your squadron is on the airship. Our squadrons will work closely together. The student Twilight Sparkle here is our advisor on magic, and as she said, sends and receives letters direct from Princess Celestia. It's all already prepared. But ... "
The elements were brought to the airship where another surprise awaited Swift. The yellow Pegasus mare from the hospital had been assigned to the ship's doctors because she was one of the most capable. And another surprise awaited everyone when she was dragged to the elements.
A little later they all met for a chat in a conference room. Fluttershy, as everyone was introduced to her, was the third element they had found.
"Attention, an announcement to everypony. Our next destination is east. Get ready for a long flight, we won't stop anytime soon." came the captain's voice from the PA system.
A surprise awaited Swift in the canteen. The squadron assigned to him had a bat pony. Something rarer that Swift had never seen in person.
He stood in front of the Squadron and called out: "ATTENTION!"
On lap 43, Commander Rainbow Dash came and sat next to Swift.
After a while the Pegasie and the Batpony landed back on the airship, a little out of breath but still quite fit.
After midnight
As quietly as he could, Swift crept onto the upper deck. He didn't want to wake anypony. Also, as quietly as possible, he rises into the air and waved to the observation tower. These ponies needed to know where he was, even if he was just flying on the side of the ship. If something happen while he was flying, he wouldn't just go "missing in action".
Author's Note
Airships
Airships were used as an alternative to trains at the beginning of the war against Sombras Crystal Empire, as they can move large quantities of goods quickly and easily, but they also have their disadvantages. They are hard to hide, and the Pegasus Pattoulien are quite effective at distracting individual airships for a long time until an allied airship shows up and can fire the enemy.
