It was set. The plan had been created, and already set in motion before Celestia had left the planning room. The missives had been sent, and orders confirmed received. Luna was still inside the planning room, controlling her own elements, as she had always done a millennium ago. While the means tore at Celestia, her heart swelled happily as she saw a hint of the mare her sister had been back then. She was truly a different pony now, but there was hardly anything Celestia could do for that. With sure steps, Celestia trotted toward the medical wing, where she knew one of her key pieces still remained.

“Auntie Celestia!”

The voice almost earned an annoyed groan from Celestia as she contemplated simply teleporting away. Shuffling said idea aside, she turned to Prince Blueblood. “Yes? I apologise, but I am very, very busy, Blueblood.”

The way his features subtly twisted as if she'd just done him a great injustice only served to solidify Celestia's thought that she truly did enjoy the company of her soldiers, far more than that of her nobles. “Auntie, my lawyers were going over the ancient treaties between yourself and the noble houses, and they found several very disturbing issues. I was hoping we could quickly rewrite them, just so as to put everybody to rest.”

Celestia's features hardened, and any trace of a smile she had vanished in a moment. “Blueblood, I do hope you aren't referring to the war tax.”

“It's unfair! It's hardly even a tax, Auntie! Noble houses no longer have any warriors, and the implications of these treaties- they're- they're positively barbaric! You can't seriously expect the houses to forfeit their banks to the war effort!”

Taking a slow, even breath, Celestia smiled once again. “Blueblood, my un-blood related, only a nephew because you were a pleasant colt, nephew.” Blueblood blinked in confusion, but didn't get a chance to speak. “I know the nobles don't have warriors. They have soldiers. Private soldiers. And I expect every last one of them reporting to the royal guard for placement. As well, if you hadn't read, the scions of each house are to report as well. Now, as for forfeiting your banks, if you had read carefully, you would know that in times of war, the nobles houses hold no power whatsoever. Your money is now crown money, but don't worry.” She patted his cheek lovingly. “If the nobles houses aid the crown in the war, and it ends swiftly, all of their funds will be returned intact. However, if the war drags on, well, then everybody's bankroll will suffer. Does that make sense? It's all rather simple, you see, we're being invaded, and both myself and those you would see as peasants do not wish to be invaded. The noble houses agreed one thousand years ago to these terms, seeing them as fair. So, with that said, I suggest you go back to the pack of nobles likely waiting in my castle, and inform them that if I don't see my soldiers by the time the moon rises next, then they will find themselves kitted and mobilised to the front. Understand? Lovely. Have a beautiful day, Nephew.” Celestia trotted around and past Blueblood, who stood stunned into silence. As she rounded the corner, she heard the faint murmur of the most terrified, angry whimpering she’d heard in nearly four hundred years. It brought her real smile back, if only slightly.

Soon, the smell of blood and antiseptic assaulted her keen senses, as did the sounds of surgery and the wounded. She would visit the wounded in a moment. With a single, quiet question, she was pointed toward the hunched, sleeping form of Jack. He was still wearing his blood slicked armour, though his borrowed equestrian helmet lay in his lap. His features twitched wildly as he snored softly through his recently broken nose.

Smiling softly at the sight, Celestia trotted to his side and gave him a light shake. With a snort and a jerk forward, Jack was awake and tense. He calmed, slightly, upon seeing her. “Nrff… hi…” He blinked hard and scowled as he squeezed his eye shut. “Need something?”

“It's time to go, Jack.”

He sighed softly, and rubbed at his sunken eye with armoured fingertips. “Okay… okay. Just give me a second.” He scowled against and strained against himself.

Offering him a hoof that was waved off lightly, Celestia stood back as the man stood and yawned. “I'm curious, what were you dreaming of? It seemed unpleasant.”

Glancing to the princess as he rested his hands on an empty bed, Jack soon looked back to the floor as he answered. “Some middle eastern shithole.” He responded quietly, and earned her interest.

“I've never heard of such a place. What makes it so special in your mind?”

Jack seemed to consider the question for a moment. “It… that place has a way of baking itself into your bones. Never leaves. It's just… there. There's nothing there but suffering.” As Celestia's expression softened further, he grabbed the borrowed helmet and secured it. “It's where I died for the first time.”

A quiet moment passed between the two, before Celestia spoke. “Your unit has transferred to Righteous Justice. I'm sending you out again. I'm sorry.”

“Don't apologise. It's what we do for a living.” He rolled his knuckles as he stared ahead.”Just… how the fuck did the Empire get so much air power? I mean, how?”

Celestia winced lightly and looked ahead as they traveled through the halls. “Griffonia’s industry has for millennia been a magnitude larger than Equestria's. They have no natural means of using magic, you see, so they rely on their engineering prowess. They also have a land mass roughly five times the size of Equestria, and a population nearly as big. That land mass means resources, and with their penchant for engineering, it meant they had stockpiles of iron and the like.”

“Opposed to your love for gold and gems.” Jack wagered, and earned a nod in return.

“Indeed. Equestrians have always turned to magic, and it has crippled us in key places. Our Royal Guard still wear golden armour. War with the Empire has never been a clean prospect for either side, that is why I ensured such a fine working relationship with the later emperor and his wife. We both saw that war would benefit nobody, and decided to work toward peace. They were to supply the bulk of forces, while we focused on the Elites, and training.”

Jack sighed softly. “Quantity versus quality. Quantity has a quality all its own. And now we don't have the numbers to fight them, and our elites don't have the punch to kill that many.”

“Correct, again. The Empire retrofitted its existing navy, and retooled their many shipyards with the new plans and magical tools we provided them. With the natural barrier between the two of us, and their turbulent seas, the griffons have always been focused on their air force and navy. Combining the two must have been a trivial issue. The dreadnaught, however… it concerns me. While we were aware it was being built, it should not be far enough in production to fly, let alone force Righteous Justice and Stalwart Liberty off point.”

Jack scowled hard and gave it some consideration. Drawing a blank, he simply sighed and idly rubbed his facial scars. “So we're flying into a meat grinder with the hope we get stuck in and the rest of you have a chance to get the hell out of the way.”

“Jack… Do not think for a moment that I spend your lives without thought. You are all precious to me, and your losses are like knives in my heart.”

Jack clamped his teeth down and fidgeted idly as they walked in silence for a moment. “JSOG is ready. We’ll mourn our losses when it’s all said and done. Just make it count.”

Celestia smiled weakly up at him, though it tore at her heart to force the smile. “Myself and Luna have spoken. Everyone in your unit is being awarded the Lance of Equestria. It is the third highest award one can be given.”

“I'm sure they'll be happy to hear that.”

“It does not please you, does it?” Celestia questioned as they trotted out of the hospital.

“Should it? I've got a tin box buried in the yard back home, full of my medals and ribbons. They don't interest me. It's all just metal and cloth. I don't fight for medals.”

“What do you fight for, Jack?”

He went quiet, and soon the only sound make was his rubberised heels and her shoes clopping against the marble floor. As they neared the docks, he spoke again. “It's the only thing I was ever truly good at.”

“Fighting?”

“Killing.” He said quietly. “As easy as breathing sometimes. It's an afterthought; a single signal from my brain to squeeze the trigger. I only feel the recoil.” At Celestia's concerned look, he decided to dig a little deeper. “I guess it was like that for that entire generation of marines. You spend years over there, fighting over a patch of sand for nothing, and then you come home to find out that you actually prefer it over there. I was… I was a better soldier than I was a fiance. They wouldn’t take me back, after I’d killed Mark and spent so many months in that prison… I wanted to go back, even though all it ever did was take everything from me.” He flexed his hands, before clenching them into fists. “And now I’m here. But this fight is worth somethin’. It’s not about oil, or political deals, or any of that bullshit… You need your monster, and I am all too glad to be it. I’ll be that monster and take the hits, if it means it’ll be worth something in the end.” He let out a long breath through his nose. “Sorry. Been sitting on that one for awhile, I suppose. Let's talk turkey. What's the mission?” Jack grunted in surprise as Celestia stood on her hind legs and wrapped her foreleg around the back of his head. “What are you doing?”

“It's called a hug, Jack.” Celestia continued to hug his mangled head. “I'm sorry that I have to ask you to fight.”

“Keep my hands busy.” He answered quietly as he patted her back. “Give me the orders and I will see them through.”

Removing herself from him, Celestia nodded slowly as she averted her eyes. “Thank you... You are to intercept the battlegroup headed for Stalliongrad. They cannot be allowed to reach the city as they are. Your second objective is to steal an Imperial cruiser so the shipyards may start work.”

A split grin spread across his face, despite him already wearing a skull's grin on half of it. “One stolen cruiser, coming right up, Princess.” He seemed to set the plan in motion in his head. “Will we have gunship support?”

“Only one. Righteous Justice doesn't have the room for any more than that. I do not expect JSOG to blunt the battlegroup, all I ask is that you give Stalliongrad the time they need.”

Nodding as he stepped aside and allowed a heavily burdened cart to trundle by, Jack looked up toward the massive carrier as it sat in dock. “Catch a ride with Stalwart to the shipyards, from there with Justice to Stalliongrad?”

“Yes. That was the plan. You will have a day to prepare for the operation.”

“More time than I’ll ever need!” He waved to the princess, before boarding Stalwart.

The process of undocking and leaving Canterlot airspace was a thankfully quick one, as the airship was given priority clearance and an escort. Jack made a point of trying to find his unit after a brief tactical meeting with Chord, though he found himself to be redirected by every asked aeronaut toward the lower cargo holds.

When he arrived at the ninth deck cargo bay, he quickly realized why. The ad hoc fortress walls greeted him and a suspicious sentry glared down at him. “Who dares enter the domain of JSOG!?”

Jack paused as his shrapnel damaged brain quickly whipped up a smarmy response. “Who dares question my... daring dare-itude! Jerk!”

“I think that's our Captain.”

“Why's he wearing a mare's helmet?”

Jack licked his cheek hole, and was about to yell again as Flitter's voice barked above the bickering sentries. “Open the gate! I'd rather not be under siege today!”

The ‘gate’ swung open, allowing Jack to stride inside once he navigated the tripwires. Flitter stood nearby, and Jack easily spotted the others mingling with the Rangers. “Come on Flitter, I'd never lay siege to you.”

“Don’t go breaking her heart now, Jack!” Taven called out, causing Flitter to flush slightly and flip him off with a wing.

Despite the laughter around her, Flitter managed a smile for Jack. “Welcome to base camp, Captain.”

Looking around the FOB, Jack let out a wistful sigh. “Just like home. Only a little more busy. Is everybody caught up?”

“You're the only person who was out all yesterday, everybody has been kitted and rested. I'm a little surprised you're even here, Jack.” Flitter trotted closer and took a seat next to him when he finally found one.

“Come on, Sparky. You know a grievous flesh wound won't keep me down.” He gave her a very light, playful shove. “I got our mission from the crown. She's a doozy.”

Nodding at the sentiment, Flitter got up and began digging something out. As Jack perked a brow and looked over to watch, she found what she was looking for and shoved it into his chest. Grunting lightly, Jack looked down to find the Russian helmet he'd recovered months ago with the DP-28. It was a titanium ballistic helmet with a thick face shield. While nowhere near as protective as his old helmet, it would stand up to far more punishment than the misfitting equestrian helmet. “Well shit, you're too good to me!”

“I just don't want you losing any more of your stunning good looks.” Flitter teased as he tossed the scarred and scraped equestrian helmet aside and sized up the chin strap on the heavy Russian helmet. As he did so, Flitter stood and yelled. “Gather around! We got a mission from the Crown Jewel!”

At the yell, both Taven and Minerva perked, and echoed it with far more enthusiasm becoming of a sergeant. With the NCO's cajoling, the new operatives all scrambled and fell in for the briefing. Somebody broke out a map that had been borrowed from somebody else, and Jack began to paint out the general plan Captain Chord had laid out for him.

“We're to ambush the imperial group here, in the Ural mountains. Hit them hard and fast. Justice won't even be going for kill shots, only disabling shots, as she has fuck all for munitions. Our mission, is to board a suitable cruiser, and steal it.” At the mention of the plan, there was an unhappy murmur. They were clearing out nearly a hundred brainwashed griffons from a vessel they knew very little about. It wasn't going to be pleasant at all, by anybody’s terms.

However, Jack had come up with an idea while speaking with Chord. “Now, I like that plan a whole lot, because it'll be good for our war effort. Problem is, it doesn't buy Stalliongrad any more time than they already had.” Jack set some items down on the map. “Crown has received reports that the Imperials use some of their smaller vessels to scout ahead and report, before the battlegroup follows up. My plan, is to steal one of those, and pull a false flag operation.”

Taven furrowed his brow ever so slightly. “That doesn't sound any easier than the other plan.”

“Oh fuck no. See, instead of running off with a stolen cruiser, I'm going to rig whatever passes for a munitions deck with explosives, and ram it into the biggest ship they have at the moment Justice opens up. I bail, Trojan ship goes boom, and utter chaos unfolds.”

“It certainly sounds like a plan.” Flitter muttered as she stared at the map. “How are we getting off?”

“You lot are getting off once she's clear of feathers. I get off shortly before I plant her bow into the flagship of this battlegroup.”

“While that sounds great, it doesn't answer my question.”

Jack sighed mildly. “I'm going to borrow some cargo parachutes and hope they can handle the weight. They just need to keep me under terminal velocity, and I'll walk away from it laughing.”

Flitter rubbed her face while the rangers nodded in approval. They didn't have to be on the exploding ship, all they had to do was clear it, mostly, and get the hell out before their lunatic captain did his thing. Flitter wasn't so impressed. “I really don't like that plan. What if you get stuck during the crash?”

“The trick is, is to not be on the ship when it crashes. It’s easy. Just like ghosting a civic. Just put a brick on the accelerator, and point her where I wanna go. I jump off the top deck, detonate three seconds after initial impact, and then throw my chutes. Nice, simple, easy. Justice rolls in with you boys, and we raid their convoys hard. Steal another ship, and hightail it back to the shipyards.”

Scowling at the plan, Flitter decided against trying to figure something else out. With the sheer lack of tactical data available to her, it really was the best they could come up with right away. “We’ll need to disable the ship’s communications, somehow. If they get a mayday out, there’s no way you’ll make it into their lines before getting blown to bits.”

“Do you even know how to fly an airship, Jack?” Taven asked lightly, which earned a few surprised looks from the enlisted below him.

“I figure it can’t be all that hard. Like driving a giant, armed, flying semi-truck. So long as it isn’t manual...” Jack scratched idly at his face wound; his fingers subconsciously following the jagged scars as they traced up to his temple.

Pursing his lips, Taven sat back. “Well, unless somebody else has a better plan?”

Nobody did. At the lack of outbursts, Jack nodded and drummed his fingers over his helmet. “Okay. I want everyone fed and rested. Make sure your kit is clean, and everybody has ammo. Is there somewhere I can lay down?”

Flitter paused in surprise at the request, before nodding. “Yes, follow me.” She looked to her rangers, who looked to her for orders. “You heard the captain. See to yourselves and get some rest.” At her orders, the platoon was dismissed, and began to mill about idly as some left for chow, and others decided on sleep. Flitter took to Jack's side, and led him to the more private officers quarters that the men had set up off to the side of the fort.

Once they were out of sight, Jack disengaged his armour and clambered out, only to earn a muted curse from Flitter. “Are you wounded?” She asked as he looked down at himself. The right side of his uniform was as stiff as steel plates with dark red blood stains. It looked as though he hadn't gotten out of his armour in days, and smelled like it as well.

“Can I get a mirror?” Jack asked quietly as Flitter yelled for a bucket of warm water and a fresh uniform for Jack. “Nobody will tell me how bad it is…”

Wincing hard, Flitter gently guided Jack to a bed and had him sit down. Peeling his stiff uniform top off of him, she was intensely relieved to find that he hadn't been wounded elsewhere. “It's not good, Jack…” Flitter turned, and thanked the private who cantered up with the bucket of water. “Is all of this blood yours?” She asked quietly.

“I think so…” Gently grabbing the hand mirror he was offered, Jack winced heavily and immediately set it back down. He had only caught a glimpse of himself, but seeing his teeth with his mouth closed unnerved him deeply, more so than the gauze pad that was embedded in his empty eye socket.

“Does it hurt much?” Flitter began cleaning the dried blood off his chest and stomach.

He lightly nodded. “In bursts, when I smile or talk. Slow pulse when I just sit.” He slumped slightly as exhaustion began to take its toll. “Eye hurts like a jackhammer sometimes…”

Wringing out the blood soaked sponge, Flitter dried him off with a small towel. “You should rest. Nobody will judge you.” As he flopped down, Flitter stood to get rid of the bucket, only to be grabbed around her waist and hauled onto the bunk. Surprised for only a moment, Flitter quickly relaxed and let Jack hug her tightly and stroked her mane. Nuzzling him lightly, Flitter did her best to have him relax. “It's going to be alright Jack…”

She felt him tense badly under her, and he hugged her so tightly she thought she was going to pass out. “If they get me with that magic, don't hesitate.”

Her eyes shooting wide, Flitter pulled away only so she could look him in the eye. “Jack-”

His features were twisted with pain and despair. “Please. I don't want to kill any more of my friends… If I get turned, you take Sammy, and you cut my fucking head off.” He pointed toward the combat knife still attached to his armour.

Hugging his head tightly to her chest, Flitter nuzzled him sadly. “I won't let them get you…” Her words seemed to calm him somewhat, and he soon returned to laying down and looking simply pained. Shifting to get more comfortable, Flitter nuzzled him once more. “I've got you, Jack.”

He nodded weakly in thanks as he slowly stroked her fur and wings. Thankfully, he soon fell into a turbulent sleep, and he would only awaken when they moved ships.

They were approaching their final location, before they were in range of the Imperial patrol. The Captain had been informed of the plan, and had actually fully approved it. Stalliongrad knew they were coming, and staunchly assured them that they could handle their own, but they wouldn't mind the help.

The war had been raging for almost four days, and Equestria was in full retreat from battlegroups one and two. The third battlegroup headed for the Zebriac kingdom had broken through, and was now unaccounted for.

Boarding the gunship, Jack gave the pilot a nod as he stuck his helmeted head into the cockpit. Recognition passed between the two, and Jack gave him a mild smile. “Snake! I should have figured it would be you.”

The lemon yellow pegasi grinned under his flight helmet as he went through his preflight check. “So I hear I'm helping you do some crazy boarding action. Where's the rest of your crew?”

“They're sticking to the ship for now. You and myself are doing the hard work.”

Snake sighed hard as he confirmed his weapons systems. “Always seems to be the case, doesn't it?”

Chuckling mildly, Jack patted the pilot's shoulder. “Just watch for flak and you'll go home a hero.”

“I'll be happy to go home at all.” The yellow pegasus muttered as he pulled on his helmet. “So, how do you want to do this?”

“Well, I got this idea right? Okay, here's how it'll work…”

Final preparations had been completed, and the target had been chosen. A single corvette was wandering far ahead of the battlegroup, a part of the recon screen they had thrown up. Once he was sure his new crew was all ready and loaded, Jack boarded Snake's gunship and checked his AA-12 once more. He had six twenty round drum magazines strapped to his waist, and another already loaded into the weapon. Righteous Justice was hunkering down in a thick bank of clouds, running as silent as she could so as to surprise the corvette.

Giving one final wave goodbye to Flitter and Taven, Jack signalled Snake, and the gunship lifted off the deck.

“Target in range, Callsign Havoc is clear to engage.”

Jack smiled briefly at the confirmation, and in part, his new callsign. He liked it. Diving hard, Snake drove the gunship down at a violently steep angle, and pierced through the cloud bank. The imperial corvette came into view immediately, and as Snake punched the engines and wrenched up on his flight stick, the soldiers on the ship's deck spotted them and began to open fire. In a maneuver more suited for fighter pilots, Snake brought the gunship up hard in parallel with the corvette's bridge, before twisting it's hind end. With the massive inertia from the maneuver, Jack was thrown forward, and through, the heavy bridge window.

With a crash of glass and the shriek of metal on metal, Jack careened into one of the bridge personnel, and continued onward as he struck deck plating and skidded through a control console. He impacted the far wall with a cacophonous bang. Moments later, as the crew were still reeling from the sudden intrusion, automatic shotgun fire began peppering the bridge. The comms officer was the first target, though it took far more shells than usual for Jack to find his target as his depth perception had fled him along with the remnants of his right eye. The captain didn't have much of a chance to bark an order as Jack compensated for his aim, and blasted the comms officer to bits. The captain was quick to follow, but as the griffon officer twirled and landed hard as chutney, Jack's gun ran dry, and the bridge crew rushed him in silent synchronisation.

Pushing himself up to one knee, Jack drove the barrel of the shotgun through the stomach of the navigation's officer, before shoulder-checking another officer whose position he'd lost track of. Slamming the second magazine into the magwell of the AA-12, Jack blasted a shell of double-aught buckshot through the navigation's officer and into the rating behind him.

An imperial rapier jabbed through the narrow vision slit of Jack's helmet, and plunged into the gauze pad.

“Oi! Careful where you swing that, you'll poke somebody's eye out!” Jack yelled at the officer as the dead navigation's officer hung limp off the barrel of his shotgun; rib cage caught on the large front post sights of the weapon. Cursing, Jack ducked the next jab and took a pistol round off the side of the titanium helmet. The strike rung loudly in his skull, and brought on a massive migraine that only served to piss him off further. Dropping the auto-shotgun, Jack drew his knife with an audible shwing.

As the officer moved to jab him in the other eye, Jack mentally mused that a combat knife wasn't the best choice in a sword fight. “Wish you were bigger, Sammy!”

Make me bigger.

The pleasantly feminine voice in his head chimed, causing a moment of confusion and another round to ring off his helmet. The officer with the rapier took another jab, and earned a frustrated yell from Jack as he deflected the weapon with his own. Magic erupted from the enchanted kabar, and an ethereal blade jutted from the handle. A split second later, it hardened to a corporeal form, leaving Jack with a human sized longsword. Cackling with glee, Jack slashed at the sword wielding officer again, and saw him cleaved in two as if his entire blade were mono-edged. Ducking and driving his shoulder into the pistol bearing officer, Jack bore him to the ground, before decapitating him in one swift motion.

With his happiness overcoming the pain in his face, Jack ran a finger across his blade's length. “Oh Sammy, my girl, I swear, I get back to the ship, I'm going to oil you, and scrub you, and treat you like the best lady knife in all of the land.” The feminine coo in his head only served to make him happier as he returned the blade to its normal size and stuck her back in her sheath. “If I ever see Long Spear again, he's getting so many teeth. He just got himself a customer for life.”

A burst of automatic fire lanced across the bridge, interrupting Jack's pleasant musings. Imperial rounds impacted and fragmented across his armour as he dove for cover and pried his weapon from the dead navigator’s chest. Sending a blasting burst back out the front window, where the imperial aeronauts were flying, Jack cursed himself out for not paying attention. He still had a ship full of pissed off, mind controlled griffons, and he couldn't aim for shit anymore. Bolting for the bridge bulkhead, Jack slammed into it shoulder first, crushing the griffon attempting to come through. Throwing the wheel and engaging the lock, Jack spun on his heels and sent another burst out the window to keep the aeronauts busy.

“Okay, just like an equestrian ship… this should be… it!” Jack yelled as he grabbed a drive control stick and pulled it back towards himself hard. The ship reacted immediately, catching him off guard as its nose pitched upwards sharply and the corvette entered the thick cloud bank. The Imperials were so focused on attempting to retake the bridge, they didn't become aware of the Equestrian boarding parties until the ship had leveled awkwardly and come to a full stop. Automatic fire swept across the decks, lancing down the aeronauts where they stood and flew.

Waving an arm out the broken window, Jack lifted his face shield as Flitter and a pair of pegasi entered the bridge through the ruined front window. “What a mess…” Flitter said with a hint of reverence. “Are you alright, Jack?”

He nodded, and gave her a big thumbs up. “Never better! I'm off my ass on adrenaline, so let's do this before it ebbs!” Racking his third magazine, Jack lowered his face shield and stacked up by the bulkhead, that had griffon paws pounding against it.

“Uh-uh Jack! Ladies first!” Flitter declared as she tried to take point, only to get a hand in her face as he opened the bulkhead.

“Age before beauty!” Jack spun the hatch wheel, before ripping the door open and loosing another burst of double-aught buck into the aeronauts stacked behind the door. They fell silently, perforated and blasted to bits by the withering fire. The small amount of returning fire plinked and shattered against the bulwark of mithral upon Jack's chest, and didn't do so much as mar the proud crest embossed upon it.

The boarding action was swift and decisively in the Equestrians favor as they swept from deck to deck, letting the brainwashed Imperials come to them. There was very little belief that any remained in hiding when the fighting ended, but a thorough sweep was done anyways. Thanks to Jack's brazen assault on the bridge, the ship hadn't had a chance to call for help, or report the attack. Unfortunately, there was little tactical intelligence they could gleam from the sub-captain’s paperwork, so the assault on the corvette didn't buy the Equestrians anything they didn't already have.

With the ship cleared, Jack abandoned the blood soaked controls and set off to find somewhere to rig his explosives. Unfortunately, the corvette had only the basic autocannons and machine guns, meaning there were no large munitions decks stacked to the roof with HE shells like he'd wished hopefully. It did, however, use a flammable fuel for its primary engines. As Jack began gathering the fuel barrels and light munitions racks, he mentally ran the math and the outcome he wanted. The explosion wasn't going to be as massive as he'd have liked, and it was doubtful that it was going to do anything more than injure the flagship. The best he could hope for was a reactionary chain. As he wired his plastic explosives to the barrels of fuel and set shaped charged against the hull, his crew were busy ransacking the ship for anything and everything that wasn't bolted down. He hadn't given them the order to, but he for one was glad to see some initiative.

Finding Mythic when he was finished wasn't all that hard, and with Mythic was the bulky comms set. Taking it up, Jack called Justice. “Come in Righteous, this is Havoc, over.”

“This is Righteous, what's your status, Havoc? Imps are pacing ahead and it looks like they haven't noticed us yet.”

Jack shifted and looked over his shoulder as his Sergeants and Flitter herded the men off the ship. “We're finished here. I'm leaving the kids with you, and I'll be good to Trojan the Imps in five mikes.”

“Roger that, Havoc. You do what you do best.”

Jack smirked mildly as he waved to Flitter. “Affirmative good hunting.” He gave Mythic's backside a light cuffing, earning a surprised yelp. “Go on, rejoin the others. I don't need Baron crawling up my ass for holding you back.”

The stallion flushed hard and pawed the deck. “Seriously, you know about us too?”

“Know about what?” Jack questioned honestly, earning a look of surprise from Mythic. “Was she up your ass again?”

“Well…” Mythic scratched the back of his head. “Less her inside me, and… more me, inside of her…”

Jack snorted and covered his mouth with a fist as he failed to hold his enthused giggling. “Oo-fuckin-rah. Get some, little guy.” With that, Jack gave his comms jockey a kick to the ass and sent him scampering off the doomed ship and back to his lovebug.

A minute later, Jack was familiarizing himself with the airship controls as he awkwardly made full steam toward the imperial lines. As he punched through the cloud layer and spotted the battlegroup, his heart sank deep. While he had been aware of the numbers, seeing them was something else completely. Thankfully, they were very, very close to the planned ambush point, so he wouldn't have to hide very long. As he approached, the comms system crackled and chirped, before a voice came through.

“Cutter nine, you are to return to your screen position.”

Biting his lip, Jack left the controls, and picked up the radio set. “This is uh, Rating… Metal Beak. The Captain has been killed and we are damaged. Equestrians were hiding in the clouds. We killed them.” There was a long pause, before Jack added. “Uh, hail Order.”

“Affirmative. Hail Order.”

Jack blinked and put the radio set back, before looking out the front window as he entered imperial cannon range. They weren't firing. “Fuckin serious?” He huffed with amazement. “I gotta note this, these guys are idiots.”

To his continuous amazement, Jack awkwardly piloted the airship into formation, and cautiously floated next to the flagship. Thankfully, it wasn't the dreadnaught that had slapped Justice's dick soft; it was a heavy cruiser with rather large guns nonetheless. If it came in range of either his ship, or the city, a lot of friendlies would die.

“Cutter Nine, prepare to be boarded by Progeny.”

“What?” Jack perked and craned his head to look down toward the deck. His body tensed the moment he saw the pale, humanoid form bound from the heavy cruiser's deck to his own. “Oh fuck me running.”

The radio chirped again. “Rating Metal Beak. What is your serial number.”

The Progeny was already bounding through the blood stained decks, and he could hear it forcing bulkheads toward the bridge. Grabbing the radio set, Jack spoke one last time to the enemy Captain. “I hope y’all planned for a little Havoc!” Slamming the controls to the side on this ship, Jack lost his balance as it pitched and rolled violently. The following concussive boom of metal on metal shook his ship as his starboard slammed into the lead ship's port side and began grinding it's way across the command spire. Metal shrieked, and sparks erupted as the two ships ground against each other, and Jack found himself sliding across the bridge toward his listing side. The enemy ships were opening fire on him, and he only had a few moments before-

With a shriek of metal, the Progeny peeled the bulkhead door open and ripped it from its hinges. This one seemed to be a hybrid of the two Jack had fought before. It wasn't comically muscled, nor was it whip thin. It seemed far too terribly human for his liking. Deciding that discretion was the better part of valor, Jack abandoned the rolling corvette by falling through the blasted bridge windows, and fell to the deck of the cruiser. Landing on the heavy cruiser's observation deck, he was forced to duck as the corvette broke free of whatever had been holding it, and began a hard grind up the side of the cruiser's command spire. He watched for a moment as it broke free, and without anyone at the controls, continued on its course up and over the heavy cruiser. The Progeny leapt from the doomed corvette, moments before it slammed top down onto an escort cruiser that had been flying to the lead ship's starboard side. Shrugging mildly, Jack thumbed his detonator, and the chain reaction explosion blew out the windows of the ship he had accidentally boarded. Apparently, the escort cruiser had been loaded down with what he had been lacking in the corvette.

His momentary enjoyment of the sight of the large fire ball drifting to earth was ruined as the lead ship's crew men targeted him and opened fire. Lead danced and sparked across the ship and deck, driving Jack to the cover of the bridge. To his chagrin, it had a different layout than the corvette. However, the captain was there. A fast burst of shotgun shells saw that problem gone in a puff of vibrant red blood and gore. Thus began the fast and brutal firefight with the bridge crew, who seemed somewhat more tactically sound than the ones he had fought on the corvette. They took cover as he peppered the bridge with buckshot, and the command tower shuddered as the Progeny leapt from the main deck onto it. Jack turned and cursed as the foul beast smiled at him, but his hatred for the Progeny was short lived as he saw beyond it. Righteous Justice had broken the cloud layer, and her guns were leveled at him.

“Oh fuck.”

Leaping forward as the Progeny ripped the bulkhead from its hinges, Jack slammed his boot into the vertical climb controls. The response was almost as immediate as it had been in the corvette, only he had absolutely no control of its climb, and the lead ship had considerably more powerful engines. Gravity shifted violently as the large ship pitched upwards in an instant, tossing Jack and the remaining crew back against the wall, and the Progeny was sent flying out of view as the ship bucked it off. Nearby explosions were capped by distant thunderclaps, and the ship shuddered as it was struck. Planting his feet on the wall, as it had become his floor, Jack propelled himself upwards and grabbed a hold of the console in an attempt to send the ship back down. The crew under him scrambled to regain their bearings, and for their efforts they were rewarded with half of the buckshot in his magazine.

As he was pushing the stick forward, clawed fingers wrapped around his ankle and wrenched him free. The moment the Progeny ripped him free and sent him hurtling back down, his ad hoc parachute bag caught on the horizontal controls; ripping the rig free from his back and sending the entire ship into a violent maneuver that saw it diving hard and rolling.

Pulling his shotgun up, Jack loosed a final burst at the Progeny as it found its footing. The buckshot peppered it's ivory hide, and did nothing but tickle it. With a shriek of happiness, the Progeny leapt at Jack, and accidentally struck another set of controls as he put his shoulder into it and sent it rolling over top of him. Jack didn't have a moment to curse as the ship pulled up sharply again, and continued to roll in the opposite direction.

With his shotgun empty, and his lunch threatening his throat, Jack wrenched his blade free and extended her to the size of a machete. “COME ON YOU UGLY SLUT, COME AND GET ME!”

Fuck its shit up!

The Progeny seemed to be getting its balance quickly, despite the violent shifts in where the floor and walls were. With a smile, it pounced, and received a vulcanised rubber boot heel to the face for the effort. With its charge redirected, Jack slashed at it, and earned a howl of pain as Sammy dug in deep and ripped a metre long rent across it's back. To Jack's disappointment, the Progeny stayed standing, and looked considerably more angry. As it slashed apart a console in anger, Jack accidentally bashed his elbow into the vertical controls as he deflected claws meant for his throat.

“Sonuva-FUUUUUAAAAHHH!”

The ship's prow dove sharply and shells arced across it as the battle around them raged onwards. Justice's shells were impacting across the fleet, crippling and killing, all while the fleet positioned and fired back. The air around him was thick with combat, as tiny, fighter sized craft zipped between ships, firing their machineguns madly at anything that moved. Unfortunately for Jack, with the heavy cruiser diving hard for earth, there was nothing to stop him from plunging out of the bridge through the destroyed windows. The bodies of the bridge crew followed him, and dashed against the deck as they fell. With flailing limbs, Jack grasped onto one of the observation deck railings, only for his armoured bulk to rip it free. With the rapid gunshots of breaking bolts meeting his ears, Jack found himself swinging across the front of the command spire. He was running out of bolts, and the ship wasn't pulling up any time soon. Then, with all the violence it had started with, the ship rolled, and pulled back up.

The sound of claws rending steel came from above him, and as he looked up, he spotted the Progeny ripping the railing he was holding onto free from its berth. It didn't have a chance to drop him off the ship as it continued to roll upside down, and Jack found gravity rapidly agreeing with him once more. The ship now rolling right side up, Jack let go of the railing and fell toward the Progeny. Smashing both boots into its slathering maw, Jack kicked the creature free from the side of the ship, and into the remaining railing as he forced his fingers into the rents it's claws had carved into the decking. The Progeny was scrabbling its way back up the deck the moment it struck, but it was enough of a chance for Jack. Timing the roll of the ship, Jack released his hand hold, and fell toward the beast. The Progeny reached out for him as it snarled, and Jack roared as he drove his blade forward to meet it.

SNICKERSNACK

The airspace around the Ural mountains was consumed in a miasma of air combat, as Imperial forces deployed from their ships and equestrian air forces attacked them from all sides. At the very last moment before Jack's plan had gone awry, Stalliongrad’s reinforcements had arrived in the shape of an armoured train with anti-air cannons mounted across its length, and four squadrons of single engine, swept wing air superiority fighters. The fighters were so new, they lacked paint, and their unit numbers had been hastily hoof painted across their tails. Each was armed with twin nose mounted machine guns, and every second craft carried a high yield magical incendiary bomb on its belly.

Flitter's unit had taken positions along Justice's deck, and were firing at every target that came into view. Brass casings blanketed and clattered about and off the decking, making for dangerous terrain as ratings ran to and fro delivering boxes of ammunition to the defenders.

Cursing in awe, Flitter watched as the heavy cruiser dove again, and more of its crew were shaken off. The captain had long since stopped firing upon the vessel, as it was painfully obvious where Jack was. While she couldn't help, Flitter did her best to defend Justice so when Jack won, he'd have someplace to come back to.

The air before Flitter was hot with tracer fire, and it seemed that imperial air forces were beginning to thin. However, Justice's guns had fallen suspiciously silent. Pursing her lips in dislike, Flitter noted that there was still almost two dozen imperial vessels left flying, though they were scattered and damaged in varying degrees. Without munitions, even with the element of surprise, the Equestrians wouldn't last long, and Jack was still likely in the thick of things.

To her relief, the heavy cruiser soon leveled out, and stopped it's wild, spastic manoeuvring. Then, her relief fled her as swiftly as it had come as the cruiser cut hard to port and smashed an imperial corvette out of its way.

“The heavy is breaking off!” Taven called out, and the crew hollered in approval.

Kicking a new magazine into her rifle, Flitter raised her voice as loud as it could go. “ALL JSOG, REFILL YOUR MUNITIONS AND PREPARE TO BOARD!” If Jack was in control of the vessel, he'd need help, and soon.

“Fuck off and die, hosser!” Jack fired his snub nosed revolver at the imperial crewman who had clambered aboard as he tried to free his new acquisition from the battle. He ducked instinctively as one of the fightercraft dropped a bomb onto the mid deck of the ship he was about to ram. Flames erupted across its deck, and spread like wildfire as it consumed the Imperials in its reach.

Jack's ship shuddered and lurched as it slammed prow first into the small ship; the shape of his ship's prow forcing the other ship down and away from him. Flames licked at his hull as the smaller vessel began to roll, depositing it's burning crew and leaving them to plummet to earth.

There was another bang against the bridge bulkhead, and Jack checked his revolver. It had four rounds remaining, and he wagered there was more ratings behind the door than he had bullets. The odds of his guess being right skyrocketed as another imperial appeared in the window and fired a burst into the bridge. Cursing as a round deflected off his helmet's face shield, Jack ducked behind his control console and fired back. Talons clacked across the decking as more ratings boarded the bridge through the windows, and Jack cursed his rotten luck. As he rose from his cover and fired into the chest of the nearest griffon, tracers lanced in across the bridge and cut down his attackers where they stood. Letting out an enthused laugh, Jack waved at Snake and his gunship full of special forces operators.

Making the easy jump from the gunship to the observation deck, Flitter clambered into the bridge and shook her head at Jack. “How come I'm always pulling your backside out of the fire, Jack?” She smiled at the sight of the large man using the tiny pistol.

Lifting his face shield, Jack shrugged and began the process of digging out the few spare .44 magnum shells he had left. “Because I am a beautiful princess and I like the thrill of being saved?”

Snorting lightly, Flitter pulled a submachine gun from one of the dead ratings and tossed it to Jack. “Task force is falling back. We've given the Imps one hell of a bloody nose.”

“Great.” Jack checked over the griffon made weapon as he glanced to the pounding bridge door. “Gonna need cleaning crews. I suspect I gave a good portion Shaken Chicken Syndrome, but not all of them evidently.”

“Speak of the devils.” Taven started as the troop transport carriages landed across the cruiser's deck, and JSOG piled out. “We'll get started fast, and turn it against them.”

Flitter smirked to Jack. “Oh, and Captain Alsan says you fly like a spastic, and that if you ever touch flight controls again, she'll kill you as a matter of honour.”

Jack snorted hard at the idea. “I'd like to see her fucking try, I'll put her in the ground.” Stacking up against the bulkhead, Jack and his squad were ready when the Imperials finally battered it down, and in turn were cut down by the ambush.

The battle had lasted less than twenty minutes, but in the end it was telling who had won. Without their heavy support, and Havoc seeded in their ranks, the Imperial battlegroup had suffered horrendously at the hands of their ambushers. Though, while the battlegroup was maimed, the Equestrians had suffered grievous losses. The fighter squadrons had lost a total of an entire squadron, while another squadron and a half were badly damaged. Justice had taken a number of hits, and their shield had been forced to shut down and recharge. During that time, Justice had suffered a number of casualties across its crew as imperial machinegun fire had raked their deck.

In the end though, the Equestrians proved victorious as the Imperials began a surprising retreat back behind the mountains, while the task force disengaged and returned to Stalliongrad to lick their wounds. With a stolen heavy cruiser in tow, they were sure that the losses would be worth it to somebody. If anything, they had bought Stalliongrad a number of days to continue its preparations.

Unfortunately, the Imperials wouldn't give up so easily on ripping out the jugular of the Equestrian industrial machine, and they would attack with their full fury in two days time as additional ships joined them from behind the lines.

JSOG, Righteous Justice, and the newly christened Guided Chaos would be waiting for them when they arrived.

Author's Notes:

I decided to challenge myself with the fight in this one, and I think it turned out alright.

Now, for all of those who were unhappy about how long you went between fights in Act Two, I'd like to properly welcome you to Act Three. Peaceful chapters will be few and far between.