“Alright, rookie. Do you have eyes on the target yet, over?” Frost Glide asked over the radio.

“Negative,” Flint Cylinders replied, scanning the cloudy horizon through his helmet’s visors. “You’d think a flaming airship would be easier to spot, over.”

“Weather Team Report says they shunted some thunderheads out that way. Might be obscuring line of sight.” Beacon Fire’s voice came over the radio. “If you see any large formations, be sure to investigate, over.”

“Will do, over and out,” Flint replied, before muttering under his breath, “What kind of airhead shoves thunderheads into the flight path of a passenger airship…”

The skies around him were quickly darkening, accompanied by the low rumble of thunder here and there. Suddenly, a bright light lit up his peripheral—only instead of being a bolt of lightning, it was a firework made of white light.

“Jetset to Hot Sauce, I’ve located a signal flare, over,” Flint reported.

“You have permission to proceed, Afterburner. We couldn’t get clear communications from the vessel, so be prepared for anything. Good luck, over and out,” Beacon replied.

“Only my first real mission, no pressure,” Flint muttered.

The crystalline pack on his pack crackled with energy as he dove towards the source of the flare. Crystal wings flared out and helped him bank into the cloudbank. Flint’s eyes widened at the sight as he broke through the cloud barrier.

Most of the airship’s deck was smoldering. A smaller craft was pulled alongside it, and Flint could make out figures moving back and forth between it and the airship. It seemed to be an airship in its own right, though roughly the size of a small sailboat.

From their appearance, Flint surmised they were pirates, though he was surprised they were working this far in-land.

Flint angled towards the deck of the airship, extending his forelegs out. He only got glances of the startled pirates as he passed, but felt his forehooves connect with something soft as he passed. There were general exclamations as he passed, and he turned and ducked under the airship’s hull.

As he rose back up on the side of the pirate airship, he saw that two of them were sprawled out on the deck. The remainder—four in total—each drew a pistol and turned to fire at him. Rocketing upward, he heard the bangs of the guns’ reports, and smirked when he heard curses shortly after—and the soft whistling of air deflating.

As the gasbag of the pirate’s airship slowly deflated, Flint angled back towards the deck, coming from the stern this time. He swatted the gun from one of the pirate’s hooves with one swing and delivered a blow to the jaw with the other, knocking him against the side of the airship’s deckhouse.

He ducked under the sound of gunfire and used the jetpack’s momentum to ram a second pirate into the airship’s railing, knocking the wind from his lungs and collapsing him to the deck.

The two remaining pirates cast aside their guns for daggers, lunging at Flint. One succeeded in cutting the sleeve of his jacket before he forced the dagger down and delivered an elbow to his jaw.

As he fell, the other stabbed at Flint’s jetpack, only for him to jerk out the way.

“Hooves off the goods,” Flint growled, delivering a sharp jab that bloodied the pirate’s snout and sent him stumbling back.

Flint grabbed up some rope from the deck and set about tying the hooves of the unconscious pirates before peering into the deckhouse. He found the airship’s captain and a few of the crew tied up, and quickly freed them with the aid of one of the pirate’s daggers.

“Is everyone alright?” Flint asked.

“The passengers are locked in the dining hall,” the captain said, shrugging off the ropes. “Who are you?”

“Name’s Afterburner, I work for the Royal Guard,” Flint said with a nod. “I’ll make sure the pirates are secure while you get this ship up and running.”

As he left the deckhouse, he heard one of the crew remark: “Boy howdy, wish the rest of the Guard was like him.”

Shrugging it off, Flint tapped the side of his helmet. “Jetset to Hot Sauce. Airship is secure, looks like pirates. Seems like everyone’s safe, over,” he said, grabbing the first unconscious pirate.

“Good work, Afterburner. We’ll meet the ship at port. Any sign of the Big Blue Coltscout, over?” Beacon asked.

“Afraid not. Looks like he missed this one, over.”

Author's Note

Flint Cylinders/Afterburner: Male, Earth Pony

About: Flint Cylinders was a race pilot when fate dropped the Pegasus Aeronautical Replacement Apparatus (P.A.R.A.) into his proverbial lap. Using his newfound power of flight, he fought Sombra Cultists out in Applewood before being recruited by Beacon Fire to be a part of her team.

Appearances: Plastic Mare Volume 2 (Upcoming)

Fun fact 1: If you couldn't guess by the jetpack and name, Flint is a ponified Rocketeer. Highly recommend the movie.