Chapters FTRD: Faster Than Rainbow Dash
The large cruiser In front of them seemed to stretch on forever.
"Damn, that ship is huge." Duke exclaimed.
"Heh, you can say that again." Chuckled Presidio.
Their tiny Celestial federation ship was nothing compared to the behemoth Lunar rebellion cruiser.
"Cam, I want you to hover near the docking bay, perform preliminary docking checks and request entry."
"Certainly sir." The ships AI replied back to him.
The ships engines charged and they flew upward to what looked like the outline of the docking bay.
A flood of light poured out and the two shielded their eyes, they lowered their hooves and looked at the docking bay.
The ship passed through a blue shield and it seemed to pass through the interior of the ship.
Duke turned to presidio.
"I would suggest going to go get your things."
A smile appeared on her face.
Presidio unbuckled herself and walked to a door at the far end of the room.
Duke pressed a button on the console in front of him.
Duke waited a while and was soon replied.
"Copy, all systems green closing bay doors, releasing air lock.
*
They walked through the white metal hallways with two of the cruisers guards, they both had rifles slung over their shoulders.
"Unauthorized weaponry is restricted on board." One of the guards said through his helmet.
"Thank you, right this way." The guard said as they finally started moving again.
They seemed to stop to look at Duke and Presidio.
They both started walking ahead but the guard put a hoof up.
Duke nodded and the doors slid open.
"Have fun." Presidio called back as he walked away with the guards.
He trotted In and the doors slid closed behind him.
There was a sign above another door to his left that read "Captains Quarters."
The doors to the Captains Quarters opened and a pony in a finely decorated uniform came out.
Duke trotted over and sat down.
"Why thank you, the Crystal Converger, finest ship in the Lunar navy."
Duke chuckled."I'm sure it is, now, business."
The Admiral sat up.
"Umm, no I am here to talk about peace, we think it is time that the fighting was done,"
"Thank you." Duke said while eyeing the Admiral cautiously.
"So, Duke is it, you pilot a Peace Envoy, correct?"
Duke was confused by the question.
The Admiral chuckled.
"We'll you see Admiral..." He stopped and pulled the chair out from underneath him and swung it at the Admiral.
"Presidio,we got to work fast!"
Presidios voice soon responded.
Duke ran to the console on the far side of the room and jammed a transmitter into it.
"Certainly sir, beginning bypass of firewalls,estimated download time 15 minutes."
Cam went silent.
"Calculating... A wireless connection can be made but they will know our ships signature and can track us, once we jump the connection will be severed."
Duke thought for a moment but was cut off by a blaze of red lights and the scream of an alarm, Duke turned and found the Admiral laughing.
Duke turned back to the console.
The shots just missed him as he dove behind the table.
"Presidio,uhh a little..." He stopped as he heard shots and screams from the door.
"Shall we go?" Presidio asked.
*
They clambered onto the ship, laser fire following behind them.
The doors slammed shut and locked themselves.
"I think I can deal with that." She said as she pulled a detonator out of a pocket in her armor.
Duke stared at it, mouth agape
Presidio chuckled and clicked the detonator.
A loud bang shook the ship and the docking bay doors opened in front of them.
79%
"Buck we can't leave yet,download isn't done yet."
He grabbed it and flicked the switch.
Duke smiled.
The ship started to hum and it soon a rainbow colour filled the windows in front of them.
The ship soon disappeared as it shot at intense speeds into the distant Nebula.
FTRD: Faster Than Rainbow Dash
Chapter 1: Intruder Altert?
Their ship just came out of Rainbow speed.
"100% sir, I estimate that the shielding will last for exactly 3.4 years without unnecessary calamities."
The nebula knocked out their lighting for most of the ship, the hallway was cold and dark.
He heard a hoof step behind him and he spun around and drew his weapon,pointing it into the darkness in front of him.
"Certainly sir."
The lights flickered for a moment and Duke strained to see what was in the room.
He looked around and saw nothing, just the same chrome white walls he sees everyday.
"Cam, revert last order."
*
"Ugh, why don't you work." Presidio shouted at the engine.
"Machine not agreeing with you again?"
"Here let me try." He said as he picked up a spanner and clambered down to the platform below.
Duke looked at Presidio and she climbed out of the engine platform and trotted away and left the engine room.
He began to work on the engine and tested it several times with Cam.
He turned, only to be greeted by the window gazing at the nebula outside.
"I need to stop hitting the cider" he thought.
*
Presidio and Duke both sat In the bridge and ate dinner.
"The engines fixed, finally." Duke explained.
"Someone forgot to rewire the circuitry and divert water cooling." He continued.
"I also think I'm sick."
"With what."she said with half a mouth still full of food.
"I don't know, I'm hearing noises."
Presidio laughed
Presidio stopped laughing and sighed.
Duke looked outside.
After a few seconds of silence Cam spoke.
"See, nothing." Presidio said.
He mumbled and she took this as a yes.
*
Duke woke in his sleep to the sound of weapons powering up.
There was no reply.
"Buck."
He left the room and walked through the darkened hallways.
A flash of lightning made him jump and lit the room up briefly before retreating back into darkness.
It looked like a giant spider, back from home but it had large hairs on its legs and instead of pincers it had spikes, almost like javelins.
Duke hesitated as he watched it crushing the console and throwing things around the room.
The spikes hit him straight in the chest, making him release all his breath.
Duke froze, his hooves became weak and he dropped his pistol.
His eyes dimmed and he collapsed to his knees, soon darkness engulfed his eyes.
*
Duke jolted out of his bed breathing heavily.
"Just a dream, just a dream." He muttered with quick heavy breaths
He attached his thigh holster and placed his pistol inside.
He walked to the bridge and Presidio was there doing system check ups.
Duke was dazed and didn't hear her.
"Hello? You there?"
Duke shook his head and looked at her.
Presidio laughed.
Duke still seemed to take a while to process the question in his mind.
He trotted over and sat down in his chair. It was a very comfortable chair for this kind of ship.
Duke then hit a few buttons and spoke.
The engines hummed and they once again only saw Rainbows through the windows.
Duke sat up straight and started speaking urgently.
Cam waited a while and then replied.
Dukes face turned pale and his heart sank.
Presidio stood and galloped to a locker at the far side of the room and pulled a rifle out.
Duke sat there hesitant but eventually stood.
"Cam, lock all exits from the WCR." Presidio shouted.
As they approached the control room the doors lights turned red to show it was locked.
"Cam on my mark unlock east entrance.
"Ready"
Duke looked back at her with a plain expression.
"Three, two, one, Mark!"
With the final call the doors unlocked and they both charged into the room.
The unicorn was in a rebellion power armor.
Duke shouted at him.
Duke stared at him.
Steel mumbled and soon spoke louder.
Duke looked at her.
FTRD: Faster Than Rainbow Dash
Chapter 3: The mysteries of mining base 111
Once again they were sitting in the brig.
"Have you ever heard of a pirate that surrendered or let his prey go?!"
"Exactly, you would've fallen for that trap."
"But why. Why help us. You could've ran out that room and teleported to a nearby station."
"Because... Because, you didn't kill me when you had the chance. I felt like I needed to repay the favor."
Duke sat back and he chuckled.
Steel smiled.
Duke shrugged.
"If I leave you guys are going to blow yourself to pieces with the way I saw you using those missiles."
"I'm taking this as yes you'll stay."
Steel nodded.
Duke stood up and stuck out his hoof.
They shook hooves.
"Welcome aboard the Kestrel."
*
The Kestrel was gliding across the black abyss of space.
Duke had just finished filing Steel into the system.
"That's another problem off of my plate."
"How long till the next jump?"
"2 hours."
Duke stared at Presidio with a puzzled look.
Presidio laughed.
Duke snorted.
"Might as well look around for a bit.
Cam responded almost instantaneously.
"Message along with it?"
"Negative."
Duke slumped back down into his seat.
"Of course you are." Duke muttered to himself.
*
The sound of the teleported soon died out and the three crew members were standing in a giant plain of land their rifles aimed ready for enemies waiting
The sky was an unusually light blue, looked like ice.
There were giant mountains all around them, it seemed they had landed in what seems like a giant crater, flat but due to the mountains it felt like it.
"Where is that signal coming from?"
Presidio tapped her implant and the green glass passed over her eye.
Steel groaned.
"What, can't take a bit a walking?"
Duke chuckled as they all started slowly walking.
*
They had climbed over a small hill when their objective was in sight.
Twisted metal from several ships littered the ground.
"A ship graveyard." Duke sighed.
Steel started to look worried.
"If we were lured here, our ship would already be down here. No , it's something else."
"Let's go, 2 meter spread, safety off, return fire only."
Presidio turned slowly around to check their behind.
A round hit the ground next to them.
She peaked over the cover but quickly ducked as another shot just missed her head.
"Zigzag running, on my mark."
Presidio skidded to a halt and charged back to him.
Steel clutched his leg In agony.
He was breathing quicker now.
"No, I wasn't expecting to get shot by 800 year old bullets today."
"Buck." Duke breathed.
"Presidio stay with steel, I'm going to find this Bucker."
"Duke, this is a cave, there's nothing back there." Presidio said.
Duke didn't turn he just mumbled back to them.
"This isn't a cave. It's a mine."
*
Duke had traversed most of the mine looking for a way up.
"Where the buck are all the workers?" Duke thought to himself.
"Can't see me own hoof in front of my face." He muttered.
He didn't know how long he walked for, felt like 20 minutes had gone.
The top of the cage had thick wires going straight up.
A hum of a generator and whirring if gears started and the elevator jolted and slowly ascended the mine.
*
Light came into view and Duke shielded his eyes.
He aimed his rifle around the room cautiously.
It spun and a blaze of bullets flew across the room.
Soon a large array of clicks was heard, repetitive and loud.
Duke laughed.
It whirred to life again and duke rolled across the floor, bullets cracking the ground behind him.
He slowly walked out from behind his cover, rifle raised.
The gun was weakly wired but was meant to take out intruders quickly.
Duke raised his rifle.
A red earth pony was sifting through a pile of junk.
Duke tapped his ear piece.
"You poor bastard."
*
Presidio sat next to Steel, keeping pressure on his wound.
They managed to find some cloth soon after Duke had left and they bandaged his wound.
"It hurts like a bitch if that's what your asking."
"There I think it will hold." Presidio said.
"Thanks."
"Don't mention it."
A loud shock wave was heard that made them both twist their heads.
"Let me check."
Presidio ran outside and looked around.
She tapped her earpiece.
FTRD: Faster Than Rainbow Dash
"Duke we gotta leave. NOW!"
"Give me a moment will ya."
"Cam, skip profile checks on this guy.
Duke paced back and fourth impatiently.
Duke punched the air.
He looked at him and Presidio came online again.
Duke quickly thought of what to do.
"I wouldn't recommend that sir." Cam commented
"Shut up Cam."
He hit the glass with full force and it shattered and they began to fall.
*
The weapons bay of the warship was crowded.
Hermes was moving a crate of missiles across the room.
*
Presidio paced back and fourth inside the cave.
Steel sat on the ground putting pressure on his bandaged wound.
Her ears pricked and she stopped.
"Son of a BITCH!" Duke yelled, clutching a dislodged leg. A crazy looking earth pony sat in the dirt, shrugging.
Presidio laughed.
Duke looked over his shoulder.
He wobbled a bit but then started shaking his head again.
They snapped out of their trance and Duke put his hoof to his earpiece.
"Calculating... Precisely 2 minutes 27 seconds." Cam replied.
"Buck" Duke breathed "Just get it done Cam."
"C'mon lets move to a defensible position if the fleet decides to send some company." Presidio said bluntly.
But suddenly Duke stopped and his heart sank.
"Bucking hell Duke I thought that new guy was the sniper. Who the buck is up there?!" Presidio shouted as they ran for cover.
Duke turned to the earth pony.
The earth pony laughed hysterically.
Duke suddenly realized.
"Bucking brilliant." Presidio cursed.
Presidio emerged from the cover and took a few shots and she strafed across to the cover that the earth pony was behind.
She felt something grab her belt where her pistol was and she turned, but it was already too late.
The rifle shot at the earth pony and he shot at the same time.
They looked at him mouths agape and he was frozen in time still pointing the pistol at the rifle in the base.
"Too much spare time." He said quietly.
Suddenly a bright red flash and a loud bang stopped them in their tracks.
"Cam, ETA? NOW!"
The beam struck the surface of the planet and the very ground shook beneath them.
"CAM"
"8 seconds."
They started moving back at a faster rate.
"GODDAMIT CAM!"
"5 seconds."
They all were running now, the sound of the wave of fire growing louder, it's slow rumble made them run faster.
"CAM"
"3"
The heat around them was rising.
"2"
The sound now deafened them.
"1"
*
They were in the control room all running still.
Duke however didn't and continued running straight into the wall.
His arm was on fire and he furiously hit it to put it out.
Duke grabbed it and she helped bring him back up.
Presidio slung Steel over her shoulder and led the new pony to the cells.
The once green planet was a ghastly red and the planets very she'll split open, lava flows ran through the planet.
Not soon after Duke drifted to sleep.
FTRD: Faster Than Rainbow Dash
Dukes face was hot, in fact his whole body was hot.
The fillies eyes were missing and blood poured out from them, the skin on his face peeling off.
He covered his ears and slowly looked up.
The filly was still screaming at him.
The spider injected something into him that made it feel like his blood was on fire, it was like being electrocuted.
The spider shot another javelin straight for his head and it hit with a loud crack and everything went black.
*
Duke woke up with a jolt.
The doors slid open and Presidio trotted in.
"Jeeze, you look a mess, you okay."
"Bad dream,that's all."
The room fell silent.
"Uh, yeah he's in the interrogation room if you want to see him."
"OK,Cam do a physcology test and then research background."
"Certainly."
"Name: Cursum Scream, Occupation: engineer, outstanding awards: Invented FTR, presumed KIA 27 years ago while transporting antique weaponry."
*
The doors slid open and Duke walked through with the same shocked expression on his face.
"Duke, just in time to join us." Presidio chimed.
"Presidio... You do know who that is right."
Presidio looked to Cursum an then back to duke.
"That's Cursum Scream, and before you ask, yes, THAT Cursum Scream."
She turned to Cursum.
Cursum chuckled and continued moving his head in its odd movement.
Dukes ears pricked.
Cursums smile grew.
"You've been gone for 27 years, a lot has changed." Duke said solemnly.
Presidio clapped her hooves and Cursum stopped speaking and stared at them.
"Your engine, may I see it?"
Duke frowned.
Presidio nodded and led Cursum out of the room.
*
Steel was lying on the white infirmary bed.
A bench with many tubes, vials and other medical equipment was on the far side of the room.
"How you feeling?" Duke asked
"I've been better. The new guy sure knows how to programme, bullet ripped my leg apart."
It had been covered with mechanical clasps and looked like a normal armor boot, but it was smaller and had more mechanics.
"The boot will allow me to walk until it heals up."
Duke examined the boot more.
"Pretty cool? Ha. It's a bucking pain, it's like having one leg taller than the rest."
An awkward silence then consumed them.
"Well, I hope you get better Steel."
"Thanks"
Duke slowly an awkwardly left the room.
Suddenly a loud clang was heard and Duke looked down the corridor.
Duke ran and the door to the engine room slid open.
"What is he doing?!" Duke shouted to Presidio.
"I don't know, I brought him in here and then he started saying something about finishing his work, a larger reactor and flying snakes."
Duke sighed and nodded his head.
"Fixing mistakes, good engine but sloppy wiring and power, rerouting power to acceleration would show more results."
"Get him out of there!" Duke yelled.
Presidio climbed onto the engine only to trip over loose wiring and cables.
The engine died with a slow whir.
Suddenly everything buzzed back to life.
Duke was frozen and slowly looked around the room.
"A better question is, is what is outside?" Presidio said.
It was normal until he noticed the engines.
"But.... The engines only do that when in Rainbow speed, how did you?"
Duke smiled.
*
They were all sitting round a table in the mess.
"So I climbed into the bed and then I realized, I was 1 floor down and my girlfriend waited all night while I was getting dragged out by security." Cursum said loudly before laughing.
"Do you think if we get back with this info that we can win the war?" Presidio asked silently.
"It has to, if not, well, a lot of ponies will die." Duke said stretching his hooves behind his back.
Duke leaned forward and tapped a few keys on a console in front of him.
"The rebellion flagship, The Crystal Converger, the pinnacle of their fleet. This ship contains a vast amount of info on us and them, if destroyed, the Rebels will be blinded." Duke announced crossing his hooves.
They all studied the images.
Duke broke the silence.
"It also is commandeered by the Rebellion Admiral, Admiral Solitarious."
Presidio was the only one who had already heard the info and Steel was only just learning about their archives of info on them, Cursum looked at the pictures and continued moving his head.
A warning light appeared.
"Sir, a Pirate camouflaged ship has opened fire, ion weaponry, shields are disabled." Cam said.
They all clambered out of their seats.
The lights went out completely and only emergency lighting was on.
"Cam, Status report." Duke shouted.
"Missile hit, hull breach in the systems room, doors are offline."
Duke slammed his hoof on the ground.
"Sir, weapons are offline, attempting anti-ion counter measures." Cam said.
"Recommended course of action sir?"
"Prepare a jump and repair vital systems." Duke said quickly.
It was like an oval just with jagged edges and was painted a dark purple.
They all grabbed something before the missile violently shook the ship.
"Buck, buck, BUCK!!" Duke swore.
The pirate ships bottom opened and a laser emerged from inside.
He felt his heart in his throat and waited to be sucked into space.
"Fires in medical bay, weapon control and airlock."
Dukes heart stopped.
A fate worse then death is waiting for it to happen and watching it as it gets closer to you.
They were all still trying to bypass the doors.
"Presidio." Duke said quietly.
Presidio continue fiddling with the wires inside the wall.
"Presidio?" Steel whispered.
"I have to try, I have to." She continued.
"Presidio." Steel said again.
"I have to try, we have to continue the missi..." Steel grabbed her hooves and slowly pulled them out of the wall.
Steel said nothing and just held her.
FTRD: Faster Than Rainbow Dash
The dim red emergency light shone brightly, briefly outlining them.
"Oxygen at 67%."
"Thank you Cam, cease notifications."
A beep went off and the room fell silent again.
"Something you regret in life?" She said Smiling
Duke chuckled.
"I regret something in life, never actually getting the rank of Captain."
The room fell silent.
Steel eyes widened.
Duke laughed.
"What about you Steel." Duke said pouring himself a drink.
Steel shrugged and put his hooves on the table.
"I'm so sorry Steel." Presidio said.
"How did it happen." Duke asked.
Steel looked out the window into space, the stars seemed infinite and bright.
He turned to Duke.
Presidio wrapped her arms around him.
"It was a long time ago, but... Thanks. What about you Presidio."
"Regrets? Nah."
Duke put down his glass.
She sat up laughing.
"You tried to give your brother away... For a bike. Ha. Priceless."
"Only regret in life, mainly cause I had to save up to buy him a bike."
The laughing died down and all eyes turned to Cursum.
Presidio laughed.
Cursum looked away from them sheepishly.
The mood seemed to drain from the room.
"Cam, put on some music."
"Certainly sir, preference."
"Ah, you love this guy don't you."
Duke shrugged.
Presidio laughed.
Duke chuckled.
Duke stopped and he bit his lip.
"Thank you, and Cam... It's been an honour."
"Thank you sir."
*
Duke was tapping the table.
They had all stopped speaking finally and they all felt tired from the lack of oxygen.
"Uhh, Duke? You might wanna see this."
Duke sighed and slowly stood, his walking was slow and sluggish.
"What the hell." He breathed.
A small chunk broke off of one of the ships and slowly glided to the pirate ship waiting to strip The Kestrel of goods.
The electrical charge expanded and then thinned out until it disappeared.
An alarm soon went off, the red alarm didn't seem to make much of a difference to the room.
Duke moved away from the window.
Presidio shook her head.
Duke nodded.
He saw Duke and electricity soon wreathed around his hooves.
The pony rose his hoof and blocked it, shocking Presidio as she stumbled back.
"You bucker!" He shouted as he picked up a chair and charged.
"What the buck!? Let me down!"
FTRD: Faster Than Rainbow Dash
Duke couldn't see anything.
Light soon filled Dukes eyes as he slowly opened them.
One of the blurs approached the glass and spoke behind him, it was muffled.
The glass opened with a hiss as the chamber pressurized.
It was the same pony that came into his ship and incapacitated them.
"You will feel weak, with time it shall pass." He said.
"Where... Where are they?" Duke asked with a raspy voice.
"Over there" He gestured next to his glass capsule.
Duke swallowed.
Tolvan nodded.
Tolvan looked around and placed his hoof by a sigil on a cabinet and lightning went from his hoof to the sigils.
Duke fumbled as he opened the canister with shaking hooves.
"Where am I?" Duke asked plainly.
Tolvan turned away from him.
Duke stated at him blankly taking heavy breaths. He stared at Tolvan wrecking his brain and trying to piece together the information around him.
"What are you exactly?" Duke Breathed heavily.
"We are known as the Ar'lockhs, we have studied the races around us and we are more commonly known as The Ancients. Stories have been told of us apparently defending the galaxy.
Duke continued his stare at Tolvan.
"My I ask what happened to your ship" Tolvan asked.
"We were..." Duke was cut off as a door at the far end of the room opened.
A similar pony walked in.
He was clad in a golden Armour, a silver sword hung from his belt.
The figure looked to Tolvan, his silver mane sprawled over his Armour.
Duke looked confused as he looked up to the new figure "Unclean?"
The pony turned to Duke.
"Unclean" He exclaimed. "The unclean are those that have not passed our challenges and are therefore unfit of any rights in our species.
The pony began to trot back and fourth across the room.
"And if I refuse?" Duke asked questionably.
The pony stopped moving and turned to him.
*
Duke lay on a table.
"You will be pushed into your mind where we will set a staging ground, once inside you will not remember this encounter and you would be in another ponies hooves, same mind different body." He said intelligently.
The captain of the ship, still In his golden Armour came over.
Fluids pumped into Dukes body and then it seemed that the world exploded in front of his eyes as all went white.
*
Stalactites hung from the ceiling.
They were in a large dome chamber, stalactites covered the ceiling, the low hum of wind was heard and the dripping of water, unusually loud.
In the center of the dome chamber was a pit, a pit with half of a bridge now used as a platform.
"This is the day, you will begin your accession my children. Today is the day you strike down your foes. Today is the day we take back what was ours." He announced raising his hooves.
"Bring fourth out enemies and let us bathe them in fury and death!" He shouted.
They crawled in front of each of the black robed figures and Duke.
Duke seemed to respond to the name as if it were his own.
The pony moaned as it was dragged across the ground.
The leader produced a small dagger and handed it to Arthor.
The pony looked up to him and looked into his eyes.
"Brother? Are you alright?" The leader asked.
Arthor began to chuckle, this chuckle grew into a laugh, a maniacal laugh.
And as fast as lighting Arthor had ran and drove the dagger into the leaders gut.
Blood poured down the dagger and onto his hooves.
Another charged him with another dagger screaming.
The last one looked at the destruction around him and charged Arthor, hooves flailing.
Arthor grinned as he turned to face the pony he saved.
*
Duke woke with a jolt, his breath loud and heavy, sweat covered his brow.
"Congratulations, you passed." The captain said.
Duke looked up at him.
The captain looked at the wall next to him.
"So, are you ready for your next test?" The captain asked.
Dukes mouth hung. He tried to speak but he still couldn't process in his mind what was happening.
"Good" The captain said.
*
They had moved to another area of the ship.
The walls were metallic and rusted.
The walls had engravings and cuts in them.
"This will be your last test, we have more but they are only used for our own race" he said.
Inside the block were several weapons, a giant war hammer was the first there, the second was a mace as dark as night and the last was a sword that gleamed even in the dim light of the room.
"Choose your weapon." The captain said as he walked away from the wall.
Duke walked over and picked up the gleaming sword.
"Are we fighting?" Duke asked as he stared at his sword.
"That we are, your race may communicate the best through speech, but ours is best in battle, to see another's movements and to reply in kind is how we as a race communicate." The captain said as he slowly took his sword out of his scabbard.
He looked up to Duke.
"Let's dance."
He jolted his hoof that was holding the sword and lightning began emoting from it.
Just before he got to Duke he took a jump and slammed his sword down.
He staggered back.
The captain started striking and Duke was parrying slowly.
The captain stepped back and spun striking the Dukes sword.
Duke quickly grabbed what was left of his sword and struck upwards.
He bent down kneeling over Duke and hit him across the face.
His hooves were now emitting electricity just as Tolvan and the captain does.
The captain was on the other side of the room, electricity bounced across his Armour.
The room flashed as Dukes electricity exploded.
FTRD: Faster Than Rainbow Dash
This work is currently being rewritten, first chapter is here:
https://www.fimfiction.net/story/260893/ftl-corsair
FTRD: Faster Than Rainbow Dash
Chapter 2: Big guns and break outs
They all sat in the brig.
He looked up and stopped eating.
His mouth was full of food, it looked like his cheeks would burst.
"Drop me off at the nearest station and I'll be out of your manes." He said putting his utensils down and stretching.
Duke stood up.
He paced back and fourth across the room.
Steel looked at him worried.
"Now, come on, be rational at least."
Duke stopped and turned to him.
Steel looked to the floor and slowly sat back down.
"Sit tight and make yourself comfortable, it's going to be a long trip."
Steel put his head Into his hooves.
*
Duke sat in his chair and rubbed his head with his hooves.
Presidio laughed.
"It's just one bloody problem after another. So where are we."
Presidio swiped across her screen and a 3D image of the galaxy appeared.
"Jeeze we have quite a lot of space to cover."
Presidio didn't say anything, she only stares at her own console.
"And the Lunar fleet is here."
"But, we went through that nebula, how did they..."
*
Steel had his head down on the table.
The doors in front of him turned green and they slid open.
Steel looked at him fearfully.
"Where's what?" He asked confused.
Duke punched him in the face.
Steel looked even more confused.
Duke punched him in the stomach.
Steel was winded and struggled to breathe.
Duke threw him to the ground.
Duke pressed his gun against Steels head.
"Buck, what now."
"Pirates just jumped into our vicinity." Cam said.
Duke looked back to Steel.
His eyes were filled with tears and he was shaking.
Steel was still breathing hard and lay down.
*
The bridge was ablaze with red warning lights.
A list of system power rose from his console.
Duke waved his hoof over the screen and the list disappeared.
It looked like an alliance ship, just painted with purple streaks and had the pirate insignia on it, a scull and tentacles.
A few moments later an video feed with a Pegasus appeared.
Presidio couldn't help but sneak a laugh.
The Captain of the pirate ship grinned, baring his teeth.
He turned his head and shouted behind him.
Presidio tapped a metal implant on the side of her head and a green screen slides across her left eye.
"Cam, evasive maneuvers."
"Brace for impact." Presidio said plainly.
A loud explosion sounded and alarms went off.
"Damage report."
Presidio flicked a screen to him.
A blue ball came from the pirate ship.
The lights turned off and the engine powered down.
*
Steel sat on the floor in his small chamber.
He looked outside the window and saw another ship.
The blast hit and the room went dark.
The hallways lights flickered and another explosion echoed and he heard large laser and plasma shots being fired at the other ship.
He ran down the hallway, with no sense of direction he ran through the hallways looking for something useful he could use.
It read Weapons Control Room.
*
"Keep up the fire, Cam continue evasive maneuvers." Duke commanded.
Suddenly her console turned red and made a loud beeping noise every time she tried to do something.
"What." Duke asked urgently.
"The weapons console isn't responsive anymore."
Duke looked outside at their weapons which were still firing except at a rate that none of them had ever seen.
Duke was running his head again.
The brig was empty and Steel was operating the weapons.
"God dammit! Presidio get down there. Cause once this is over I'm going to rip him a new one."
"Cam, lock exits to the WCR."
Cam responded.
Duke sighed.
Suddenly a green light appeared on his console.
There was fire all around in the feed and most of it was static.
He was obviously traumatized.
Duke just managed to make out the message.
The missile hit the ship square on the bridge and the camera feed turned to total static.
The purple streaked ship was no where to be seen and only bits remained.
