“Captain. Wake up sir, there’s trouble,” said a smooth, calm voice.

“Wake up, you two bit dumbass, or I’ll kick your ass!” yelled a gruffer, ruder one.

Groaning, Ardor opened his eyes and stared at Brief Wind’s concerned face. “Wha-what’s going on?” he asked as he began twisting in his cot. His thin covers slipped off his bare back as he climbed out of bed.

The griffon frowned. “Alliance, Captain; a base ship.”

Ardor rubbed his eyes then shook his head, looking into the griffon’s eyes. “You sure?”

Bolt Action popped his head into the small room. “Damn right he’s sure! Saw the thing myself! What do we do?”

“Well, first of all, you get your stinking head out of my room. Then, we’ll find out why in the hay we’re so close to an Alliance ship. The course we were supposed to take wouldn’t have brought us anywhere near one of them.” The captain looked up, his eyes sharp and aware. “What went wrong?”

“Don’t know. Somepony tampered with the controls. We’re off course.” The griffon fluttered his wings. “Now what, Captain?”

Rather than answering, the brown stallion clipped on his gun holster, and threw on his coat. “Come on,” he said, trotting out of the room with the griffon and the curious gun-toting stallion.

He headed forward, sure-footed despite the constant shivering of the ship as it flew. Soon, he arrived in the command room and quickly seated himself in the pilot’s seat. “Let’s see here,” he said, glancing over the controls. “Dammit.” The entire console vibrated as he knocked it with a hoof. “I’ll have to open the shutters. Scanner’s on the fritz, and I want to see what’s coming.”

Brief Wind gulped audibly, shielding his eyes with a wing. Bolt Action looked at the griffon, then at the covered-over front glass of the ship. Quickly, he tucked into a roll and dived behind the console.

As the shutters screeched upwards a blinding light filled the room, causing everypony and griffon present to squint. Then the light subsided. “Heh, darkening glass finally chose to work,” said Ardor, removing his hoof from over his face.

The room`s three occupants groaned as they looked outside the Swift. An Alliance space station stood motionless against the stark, star-filled sky. Hundreds of vessels that easily dwarfed the Swift flew around it, casting their multi-hued engine wake into the polluted space around the station. Three tall spires jutted out of a massive black base that comprised the station's core, all illuminated by hundreds and thousands of lights.

“Sweet Celestia,” said Brief Wind, his eyes wide as he stared at the massive vessel.

“Yeah,” agreed Ardor. “Let’s hope they won’t bother with us.” His hooves flew across the controls as the Swift began to steer.

“So pretty...” Ardor turned, staring at Bolt Action. The pegasus was staring ahead, his eyes glazed over.

“Bolt Action?” The captain waved a hoof in front of his face. “Bolt!” Furrowing his brow, Ardor looked ahead, following the pegasus’ gaze to the massive cannons that adorned the station’s sides. Ardor sighed, slapping a hoof to his forehead. “Brief, get this idiot outta here...”

Suddenly, the ship’s transmitter screeched to life. “Light cargo hauler Swift, this is Alliance base-ship Obedience. Please confirm distress signal.” The line went dead.

“Brief Wind,” said Ardor, turning to the griffon. “What distress signal?”

The griffon shrugged, calmly walking over to the ship’s rudimentary communications station. After a few seconds of tapping on the controls the griffon's head looked up. “There’s a distress beacon that went off in the passenger area... Should I block it?”

Bolt Action hopped forward, his face covered in small beads of sweat. “Yes, block it! Goddess... I’ll go get my guns.” The pony turned, galloping out of the room in a flurry of loud clanging hoofsteps.

Ardor watched at him leave. “Brief, did you scramble the signal?”

“No... He’s not the Captain...”

“Good. Don’t do anything; we’ll play this safe...” Ardor trotted over to the station, resting his hooves on either side of the console and closing his eyes in concentration. “Send an answer ping,” he ordered.

The griffon tapped a few buttons then stepped away, waiting. Seconds later a garbled voice filled the room again. “This is Obedience, awaiting response.”

“Hello Obedience, this is...” Ardor opened a nearby drawer, shuffling through the papers until he pulled out a permit. “This is Captain...” He titled the permit to one side, reading the scribbled on name. “Captain, Silver Platter, of the Swift.”

“Understood, Captain Platter... Your registration has been expired for... seven years...” The voice answered, the garble doing little to hide the annoyance.

“Haven’t passed a check in a while...” Ardor laughed.

“Right... Your ship will dock at gate number six--” Ardor slapped the console.

“I can’t do that!” he exclaimed.

“...Why not?”

“Er... there’s a sickness on board. Real nasty.” He began coughing, indicating with a hoof that Brief should do the same. “We’re really sick here. Maybe we should just be on our way... We wouldn’t want to give you anything!”

The comm was silent for a few seconds. “Section six will be under quarantine, extra soldiers will be dispatched to aid you along.”

Ardor swore. Breathing heavily he wiped sweat off his brow. “Um, we can’t maneuver, the... um... pilot’s dead.”

“...Why is the pilot dead, Mr. Platter?”

“Um, a gunfight, big bad gunfight. That... That’s what started the sickness! Can’t move the ship on our own, we're all sick. Best let us drift off in space to our deaths. That would be the right thing to do!”

“The distress signal came from a rank six Alliance member. We will do our utmost to help. Prepare the ship for minor impact in ten. A tug-ship is coming.”

Ardor flicked the communications device, switching channels. “Passengers of the Swift, I have some unfortunate news. We’re about to get boarded by raping, thieving space pirates. You're most likely going to die a horrible death. I’d advise that you arm yourselves as best you can, and remain in your rooms.”

Ardor sighed, shutting off the communications device. “That should win us a few seconds. C’mon Brief, we need to get outta here!” The captain ran to the entrance, poking his head back in when the griffon didn’t follow.

“Um, Captain, how’re we going to escape?”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got a plan!” Ardor disappeared around the corner.

The griffon groaned before following him. “This is bad.”

Ardor was running through the mess lounge when suddenly a hoof grabbed his arm. “Captain, is it true? Are there really space pirates?” asked a soft, scared voice. Turning his head, the captain looked at Inky’s blue face.

“Um, don’t worry hun, just stay in your room. I’ll get us outta here safe and sound!” The mare looked at him, her expression stuck between disbelief and fear. He gently pushed her hoof away and began moving again. “Oh, and if anypony tries to get into your room, buck their faces in!” He ran onwards, his hooves clanging loudly against the rusty metal grates.

Brief Wind flew into the room, rushing past the mare with a small ‘‘scuze me” before following the captain out of the room.

Ardor and Brief Wind both arrived in the cargo hold. “Now what, Captain?” asked the griffon.

“The box. We need to get the box off the ship.” Ardor galloped down the ramp, the room ringing with the sounds of his hoofsteps. “Don’t know what’s in it, but we can’t let the feds have it.” The earth pony reached the box and ran around it. Placing himself at the rear, he set his hooves at the base, grunting loudly as he strained his back lifting it.

Brief Wind caught on and, placing himself on the other side, began lifting it too.

Slowly, the two moved towards the back of the cargo hold, closer and closer to the hold’s door. Suddenly, a massive weight thumped on top of the box, making the eyes of both of its carriers bulge as the box banged on the floor, shaking the entire room.

Panting, Ardor looked above the box and to Bolt Action’s orange frame. The pony fluttered his wings, a forehoof toying with one of the many guns wrapped around him. “How are you going to get out of here?” he asked from atop the box.

Ardor frowned at him. “What in the hay are you doing on there?! Get off, we’re trying to get some work done!”

The pegasus shook his head. “Nope, not until you tell me how you plan on escaping from the Alliance.”

Ardor and Brief exchanged a look. “We’re not going to escape; we’re good Alliance citizens. We’re just making room for them to be able to walk in...”

“Bull shit!” he said, leaning towards the captain. “You’re going to escape, and I want to be with you when you do.”

Ardor’s frown deepened. “Maybe... Why would we want you with us?”

The pegasus reared his head, confused. “Well, I’ve got guns... Oh, and this.” Reaching back, he searched his saddlebag until he pulled out a small black pouch. Arodr’s eyes widened.

“Those are my bits!” he yelled indignant.

“Well, as far as I can tell, a sick pony like you won’t need ‘em... Now, if you let me go with you...”

Ardor and Brief Wind traded a look. The griffon shrugged. “Alright, we’ll let you come with us, but only if you help.”

Smiling, Bolt Action hopped of the case, landing on the ground with a thud and jingle as his holsters shook. “What do you want me to do?”

Ardor pointed at the box. “Help us with this. We need to get it to the door.”

“Alright,” he said. Ardor leaned against the box, shoving it forwards as it screeched along the metal floor. “Okay, move outta the way!” came Bolt's voice from his back. Ardor twisted his head to look behind him. His eyes widened.

“Brief Wind, duck!” The captain pushed away from the box, tucking into a roll as Bolt Action readied himself. The griffon’s head popped over the box, taking one look before hopping into the air, flying away as fast as he could.

The pegasus stood on his hind legs, a shotgun tucked against his arm. He aimed for the box, one eye closed and his tongue hanging out of his mouth.

Bang

The shotgun blasted the side of the metallic box, eating away at the soft metal and digging a hole into one of the hinges.

Bang

The pegasus fired again, ripping the other hinge apart as the box’s lid popped open with a hydraulic hiss.

“What the hay do you think you're doing?!” screamed Ardor, running up to the pegasus and slapping the gun away.

Bolt Action looked at his gun, then at the captain. “Hey, you could have hurt Buckshot!” He bent down, picking up the precious gun.

“You dumbass! That was important cargo!” Ardor reached into his coat, wrapping his hoof around his gun and whipping the pistol out. Jamming it tightly on the pegasus forehead while Bolt Action pumped Buckshot, poking the captain in the chest with the barrel.

“You said you were going to help me escape!” accused Bolt Action.

“I asked you to help us, not blow up my box, you idiot!” yelled Ardor.

“Um, Captain?” said Brief.

“Why, I ought to shoot you dead and escape on my own!” Bolt Action yelled louder, his gruff voice ringing around the cargo hold.

“You slow-ass twit, I’d like to see you try!” Ardor cocked his pistol. His eyes blazed angrily.

“Captain, you should see this...” Brief repeated himself.

A moan was heard, coming from within the box.

Ardor and Bolt Action stared at each other, then both of them slowly turned their heads towards the box. Brief Wind hovered above it, wide-eyed as he too stared inside the box. “Captain, you really should see this.”

Gently, Ardor removed his pistol from its position on Bolt Action’s head, the pegasus cautiously lowering his gun in turn. They both looked at each other then trotted over to the box. Both their eyes widened in surprise as they looked in.

“Well, um. That’s nice.”

“Oh, Shady, Shady, Shady... what did you get me into this time...?” Ardor groaned.

Inside the box lay the curled up body of a lavender mare. Her purple was mane cut in a short, neat hairdo as her chest moved up and down under a purple jumpsuit.

“Well, well,” said Bolt Action. “Not the prettiest of mares, but I’d do her.” He tapped Ardor’s shoulder. “I can see why you were so pissed that I shot the box.” He licked his lips. “Had I known it held such a pretty pegasus, I’da been more careful.”

“Unicorn, and she isn’t mine,” said Ardor, his voice absent as he looked at the box itself. “This box is weird; look at it, full of temperature controls and even a waste disposal system... You could throw this into space and it would still keep her alive... Somepony paid a fortune for her... or at least the box... Get her out of it.”

“Hehe, going to have fun with the pegasus gal already huh? You pig.” Bolt Action snorted, tapping Ardor’s shoulder again. “Can I have a go when you’re done?”

Brief Wind landed in between the pegasus and the mare. Lifting a clawed arm in the air he backhanded Bolt Action across the face, sending the pegasus sprawling across the dirty floor of the hold. “There’s a special place in hell for people like you, right beside the one reserved for ponies that stand up at the theater.”

Bolt Action flopped around, getting up on all four hooves before angrily trotting over toward the griffon. “Well save me a spot, cause your about to--”

“Bolt Action, shut up.” Ardor locked eyes with the pegasus who huffed, looking away. “Brief... hit harder next time. Now, what should we do about the unicorn mare?” He pointed over his shoulder and at the box.

“Pegasus,” mumbled Bolt Action.

“Why do you keep saying that? She’s clearly a--” Ardor turned around, coming face to face with the curious expression of the lavender mare. He looked up and down at her, taking in her youthful lavender eyes, large wings, and tall, spirally horn. “She’s... an Alicorn?!” he exclaimed.

“Hi!” she said, a big, silly grin on her face.

Ardor looked around, then back to the alicorn mare. “Um, hello? I’m, Ardor... Who’re you?”

The mare opened her mouth to answer, but was cut off as the ship shook violently, throwing the four ponies in the room against ground. “What the hay was that?” asked Bolt Action from the ground.

“Clamps,” replied Brief Wind.

“The tug ship. Dammit, we must be close to the Alliance ship!” Ardor got up, looking at the mare that was still dizzily shaking her head. “What do we do about her?” he asked out loud.

“Just leave her here,” mumbled Bolt Action, picking a few of his guns off the floor. “The Alliance will sort her out. I personally don’t care about her one bit...” He glanced at the mare’s flank as she tried to get up. “Well, maybe a few bits...” he relented.

“I don’t like you,” she huffed.

“Well, I don’t like you neither!” responded the gruff pegasus.

“You’re just a big, fat fake! Your name isn’t even real!” She said, blowing a raspberry at his reddening face.

“Wait, how’d you know...” Bolt Action shook his head, staring daggers at her.

Ardor watched as Brief walked over to the mare, sweeping her onto her hooves and winning himself a smile for it in the process. “Shady Business will pay us Eight hundred thousand bits to get her to Pheromone.” The captain paced some more.

“Four--” Bolt Action coughed. “We can’t just leave her here! The Alliance will do all sorts of cruel things to her!”

“Alright, alright!” said Ardor, trotting over to the mare. He looked her in the eye. “Do you understand me?” he asked.

“Is that coat made of leather?” she asked. “You do know where leather comes from right?”

“What?” Ardor pulled back. “Just answer my question!”

“In magic, magic–energy equivalence is the concept that the magic of a body is a measure of its energy content. In this concept, magic is a property of all energy, and energy is a property of all magic, and the two properties are connected by a constant. This means that the total internal energy E of a body at rest is equal to the product of its rest magic M and a suitable conversion factor to transform from units of magic to units of energy. Apple Einstallion proposed magic–energy equivalence in one of his Ponnus Mirabits papers entitled ‘Does the inertia of a body depend upon its energy-content?’ The equivalence is described by the famous equation: E=MC squared.”

Ardor looked at her slack jawed for a few seconds after she was done. “Yep, she lost her marbles. Brief Wind, carry her!”

The griffon rose an eyebrow at the order, but obeyed, grabbing the mare and dumping her on his back. “Fluffy griffon is fluffy,” she giggled.

Ardor looked at her and shook his head before he began trotting towards the front of the hold. “C’mon, lets get out of here.”

“Wait, where are we going?” mused Bolt Action as he galloped after the captain, shooting the mare a weird look as he did so.

“Outside, Bolt Action, outside. Little mare needs some exercise!”

“This was a bad idea,” said Bolt Action, uselessly trying to make himself comfortable by shifting around the interior of the suit.

They all heard Ardor's voice crackle, "I told you to leave the guns in the Swift...”

“Leave my precious behind? I’d rather die!” The pegasus spun a little, grabbing hold of another rung on the ladder. “Oh, I hate this... I need... sky and clouds and...” The pegasus continued to moan and whine as he held his eyes firmly shut.

“You might die anyway if you don’t shut up. Now keep radio silence.” Ardor sighed, lifting a hoof to the side of his helmet and flicking off the comm.

Four spacesuit-clad figures hung onto the side of the Swift as the ship slowly made its way towards the Alliance station. Three didn’t dare to look away from the ship and into the void of space, while one of them couldn’t turn her head away.

The small tug ship that pulled them was basically an engine with a cabin shoved on top. It forced the Swift into the quickly opening maw of one of Obedience’s many hangars. Inside was an enormous collection of clamps, ramps, and long mechanical appendages that surged forward, grabbing the small cargo ship as they began moving it deeper into the station. Ahead of them loomed a gigantic purple shield that rippled as the ship crossed it, revealing a room filled with hundreds of ships, all docked and ready to leave from some of the already-opened exits.

With a lurch, the Swift stopped moving. A closed-in ramp shifted, clamping itself to the backside of the ship, and blocking off the entire cargo hold door. Ardor looked around, and, with a push, floated upwards toward the top of the Swift. The magnetic clamps under his hooves were silent as they held onto the metal ship. Once there, he found one of the thickly-armoured windows that allowed him to see inside the hold.

“That little whore!” he swore to himself.

Within the hold, Inky, the blue mare, was saluting an Alliance officer as dozens of soldiers trotted into the room. Inky and the officer were standing near the open white box peeking into it, shaking their heads.

Wearing an angry frown, Ardor hopped back down to the others. Positioning himself between Bolt Action and Brief Wind he started fumbling for the comm controls, only to feel something tapping against his shoulder. Turning slowly, he peered into the alicorn mare’s smiling eyes.

She wasn’t wearing a helmet.

“What are you doing?! You’ll suffocate!” He yelled into his own helmet, causing his ears to ring loudly.

The mare grabbed his helmet and, with an expert twist, popped it off. “Hi Ardor!” she said happily.

Ardor touched his face in disbelief, unable to comprehend what had happened. “This room is ventilated, silly. The shield is an atmospheric inhibitor!” She smiled brightly at him, floating above the ground while waving her arms around merrily. “Can I take the suit off now? It hurts my wings!” she whinnied childishly.

“Yeah, I agree with her, these things weren’t made for the winged kind,” said Bolt Action as he removed his helmet with a hiss.

“Fine...” grumbled Ardor as he watched the mare undress back into her purple jumpsuit, “The ship is crawling with alliance. We’ll have to find another way off this station...”

“How about one of those?” asked Brief Wind, pointing a gloved claw towards one of the hundreds of ships dotting the hangar, most of which were twice as large as the Swift, some even more so.

Ardor smiled slyly. “Well, we could use a new ship, and if it’s stolen from an Alliance shipyard they’ll have to foot the bill... Actually, if we wait around they’ll probably chuck the Swift out like trash. We’ll be able to get it back and deliver our...” His eyes glanced to the mare. “...cargo, in time.”

“Alrighty then! Let’s go, boys!” The mare grabbed Ardor’s shoulder, flapping her wings as the two began to descend. Her horn glowed and enveloped the other two, making them follow along as well.

The four of them were forcibly guided along the bottom of the Swift, then back up as she began weaving between the many ships present.

“Ardor stopped struggling after a few minutes. Instead he looked around, his eyes searching for potential trouble and finding plenty. “Hey, random alicorn mare, you never told me your name...”

The mare smiled down at him. “It’s a secret,” she whispered loudly.

“Captain,” said Brief Wind.

Having learnt that it was always best to listen, Ardor twisted around, looking at the griffon that was also being dragged by the mare. “What is it Brief?”

“We’re being followed, captain.” The thundering sound of a gunshot, followed by the ping of a bullet against the hull of a nearby ship, accentuated the griffon’s words.

“Let me at ‘em! I’ll gut them, just- just give me my guns!” said Bolt Action, squirming uselessly  in a vain attempt to grab one of his many weapons.

Another gunshot rang out, this one pinging much closer to the group. The alicorn twisted around, looking at the captain. “I’m very sorry, but I’ll have to drop you, Ardor. Those ponies are going against the forty-fifth protection protocol. It is my duty to stop them.” Her eyes glazed over as she dived downwards, carrying them with her only to let go of them in mid-air.

The three screamed as they dropped towards the ground, only to bounce off it with three soft ‘thumps’. “Oh right, no gravity.” Ardor facehoofed.

The stallions twisted around until their magnetic boots pulled them back towards the ground. Once there, Ardor tried to regain his bearings. They were under the ships; large ramps and small elevators rose up all around, each of them blocked by their own private shield. The few ponies around were onboard mechanical lifts, carrying passengers who alternated between staring at the three and up at the alicorn.

Boom

Ardor looked up. The alicorn mare was flying circles around a group of armoured Alliance pegasi, all of whom were desperately trying to shoot the mare down as she weaved between them. Suddenly the mare turned, her horn glowing to form a shield that rippled as bullets impacted against it. A small smile creased her face as her horn’s glow intensified. Twelve bolts of purple magic blasted out of her, hitting each soldier square in the chest and sending them rolling across the enormous room as the lack of gravity carried them away.

The mare twisted around, swooping back towards the three to land with a thud in the middle of them. “All done!” she proudly exclaimed, beaming towards the three .

Bolt Action picked his jaw up off the ground. “Well... nothing I couldn’t do with a good gun and a few minutes... But that was sort’ve impressive,” he admitted.

“Right,” began Ardor, shaking himself out of his reverie. “So, which ship do we... borrow? How about that one?” he said, pointing towards a sleek black cruiser.

“No. Not shiny enough,” said the mare.

“Wait,” Ardor took a step towards her. “Who told you that you could choose?”

She leaned in towards him. “You know how to hack through a tier nine security system?”

Ardor Grumbled, “Fine, which ship do you want then, Princess High-and-Mighty?!”

The mare laughed. “That’s not my name, silly!” She pointed to a ship held in the far corner of the hangar. “I want that one.”

“Captain, we should hurry. It’s kinda far, and I don’t think we've gone unnoticed...” Brief Wind pointed towards the small passenger ships that glided nearby. Almost every window was filled with the faces of ponies looking at them.

“Right, let’s get going. We’ll see this ship of yours.” Ardor Clung to the metal floor, preparing to give himself a strong push, when suddenly he was wrapped in a purple glow. In a blink, he appeared in the badly-lit corner of the hangar, his head spinning as he wobbled around.

“Don’t worry. It’ll wear off,” said the mare before trotting over to the ship’s ramp. The shield wrapped around the entire base of the ship, blocking off access . It glowed a faint purple that illuminated the name of the ship above it.

“Harmony?” read Ardor as the mare walked to the control panel set in the middle of the ramp.

“I know, such a shiny name! And it’s a real good ship too!” The mare began fiddling with the controls.

“Hey, Ardor, how ‘bout we take one of those ships? Heck, any of them would be better than this old wreck!” Bolt Action whispered loudly.

“Hey, don’t call her a wreck; she’s a good ship! She’ll surprise you! Ship like this will be with you ‘til you die!” The mare stared daggers at Bolt Action.

“‘Cause it’s a deathtrap,” grumbled Ardor as he looked at the Harmony. The ship was beyond old, and yet it had a certain charm to it. The armoured plating on its sides was clean and well-kept despite its age. The motor that was placed in the centre of the ship was cumbersome, but powerful. The cargo hold stretched from the far back all the way to the front, where it connected to the control station at the fore, making it almost look like a goose with two little thrusters sticking out like stubby wings.

“Fine, get us in there; this is just until we get back to the Swift anyway,” said the captain as he trotted up to the mare.

“Rargh! I can’t get this to work! They changed the override command codes!” The alicorn slapped the side of the console in frustration.

“Told you she’s going kook. Let’s go hijack one of those ships those passengers are boarding!” Bolt Action shifted on his hooves uneasily, his eyes looking towards the nearby transports being loaded up with ponies.

“Give me a second. I’ll try voice commands.” The mare pressed another button, then began speaking. “This is Twilight Sparkle, Sixth Element and champion of Equestria. By my order I unlock this system.” The shield pulsed a few times, then dissipated. “Alright guys, get in there quick!” she said as she began running up the ramp, then stopped when they all stared at her. “What is it?”

“What did you call yourself?” asked Ardor.

“Twilight Sparkle.”

“Why do you call yourself that?”

“Because that’s my name...”

The three stallions stared at each other. “Right, let’s talk about that later!” Ardor hopped forward, glancing at the mare suspiciously as he floated by her and into Harmony’s opening hatch.

Inside, he found the clean grey walls and floors of a large, empty cargo hold. “This is... nice...” he lied as the mare flew past him.

“Come on, we need to get out of here; the security system is about to activate!”

Nodding, he raced after the mare, trying to get used to the ship’s artificial gravity. With a hiss, the door began closing behind him, moments after Bolt Action and Brief Wind flew in.

“Whoa, much better than your old wreck,” commented Bolt Action as he also took in the ship.

“Bolt Action, shut up.” Ardor began trotting after the mare. The corridor she took led to a long hallway with rooms on either side, all of them accessible via floor hatches.

A lavender head popped out of the room at the end of the corridor. “Come on, we have to go!”

Galloping, Ardor arrived in the command room, his eyes widening in surprise as he looked around. “Wow, this is... nice,” he said, running his hoof over the surface of one of the ship’s consoles. The room, much like the rest of the ship, was speckless, well-maintained, and equipped with high quality --if old-- systems.

“Strap yourselves in, boys!” yelled Twilight, as she sat in the pilot’s seat. Ardor gulped and raced to the nearest bench, quickly securing himself down as the two others ran in and did the same.

The alicorn mare’s hooves danced across the controls as the ship rumbled to life underneath them. With the press of a few more buttons, the ship began to surge forward. Clouds of multi-hued smoke rose around as the vessel slowly began to rise. Ahead of them loomed the gigantic shield wall, still blocking their path as they made their way forward. Dozens of Alliance soldiers scampered away as the ship moved.

“Um... Twilight? Did you check to see if we had, um... an exit?”

“Oh, I forgot about that!” Twilight’s horned glowed and more buttons lit up, the entire communications unit beeping to life. For a few seconds it crackled, then popped into silence. “Done!” she chimed just as the shield in front of the ship warped in on itself, becoming more fluid as the Harmony pierced through it.

The ship rumbled forward with nothing but space ahead of them for a few tense minutes. “That’s odd,” said Twilight, breaking the silence. “I was expecting them to-- Oh, there ya go!” She smiled as she raced over to another station. A small screen slid out from the ceiling with a video feed of the back of the ship. “There, I knew they’d send at least one ship after us!”

On the screen, they could see a tiny ship rocketing out and away from the Alliance station. It followed in their wake, slowly catching up.

“Tha-that's the Swift!” shouted the captain. Trying to get up, he was pulled back onto the bench by his straps. “Why would they send that ship after us? This makes no sense! And why aren't they launching fighters? Or firing at us?”

“Well, I don’t know why they’d send that ship after us, but they wouldn't just fire at us like that... They could accidentally hit us. Then we would all die in the cold desolate vacuum of space.” The mare smiled wistfully.

Suddenly the Swift on the screen turned, veering off-course. “What are they--” The Alliance station’s guns fired. Huge shells, the size of a full grown pony, blasted through space, punching holes into the Swift’s sides and exploding. Tiny parts of the shattered ship hurtled around as the oxygen within the ship burned.

Editor:

Burraku_Pansa

Proofreader:

Millennial Dan

Author:

Ravens Dagger