Starbound Ascension: The Next Generation

Chapter Ten: Old Wounds

“Alllright!” Passion yelled as the victorious heroes came back after their shore leave once again in the UPF, “I see you are all well after that wonderful mission! You are looking great today Captain!”

“Thank you Passion,” Ship saluted to her, “I don't think I need to tell you at ease huh?”

“Nope! And guess who's up and about while you guys were gone?”

“Yo!” Jet grinned as he was back in black, literally, “I am loving this new jacket. I dunno how it got in my closet but it looks awesome!”

“You know that's mine right honey?” Nelly smirked, “It's a woman's size.”

“Oh...” Jet took it off and gently stuffed it into her hooves, “Uuuhh, you take it. You saw nothing!”

Nelly couldn't help but giggle, “Oh you.”

“Say! That was one badass job out there sweetheart. Just look at this promo Blue edited for us!”

Jet started up the holovid and projected it onto a wall with Ship hitting the lights to dim the room. The video started off with Nelly busting into the hostage room in all her glory and giant sword. A narrator started to speak as the scenes of the previous operation played, “With lives hanging in the balance, the Next Generation Joint Strike Force moved in swiftly to rescue the hostages.”

“Hot damn Nelly, you'd make a great movie star,” Ship chuckled.

“What? So I'm Emily Blunt now?” Nelly returned as the promo continued. The scene flashes to when Nelly threw the guy out of the enemy technical.

“Whoa! Bad ass honey, fucking bad ass!” Jet reclined back to enjoy the show.

“We as the vanguards of freedom for both Equus and our allies stand by for the hopes of a brighter tomorrow. We are the Next Generation Joint Strike Force. Soldiers, scientists, adventurers, oddities... Guardians who secure interdimensional peace for generations to come. Under our steadfast protection the world will flourish. And today our watch continues. Guarding the soaring values of freedom and equality for all,” the video finished with the whole cast posing in uniform as the video fades to their logo of a four pointed star ringed with a silver circle affixed to the points. All of them in the room started clapping in applause.

“And that's not the only thing! Watch this!” Jet flipped the video to a recording of a UPF news broadcast immediately after the rescue operation. A Sylveon newscaster was on the screen.

“This just in! Breaking news tonight as a joint hostage rescue operation between Task Force Frostbite and the Equestrian Next Generation Joint Strike Force ended in success. With us today is senator Niaomi Rivers, daughter of our past president and sister of both President Micheal and Vice President Tanya. Good evening senator, how are you today?”

“...Fine...” She seemed a little shaken, “Shaken, but overall holding up. It was a scary experience and I owe my life to the Joint Strike Force.”

“And what of Frostbite? Was their performance as stunning as you hoped?”

“Listen, Frostbite weren't the stars here. It was all the NGJSF. I had my reservations about United Equus for being too soft and their influence undermining our values. I was wrong, and I am so thankful for it. The ponies of the NGJSF were just as every bit competent in warfare as our own special forces and it took first hand experience to witness it. Listen to me my Federation,” Nioami looked into the camera, “United Equus needs our help. We owe them much more than pity and hatred. For once in our existence we need to think about the other foreign powers and not just our own. They are no different from us. They are strong warriors with hearts of gold, willing to save the innocent and punish those we deem as criminals. Spread the word my people. Stop all this hate towards them and the other foreign powers. That is all I have to say.”

“Wow,” the newscaster was stunned, “This just in again! Approval ratings for the Equus-Federation alliance have shot right up from a mere 49% to a whopping 77%! All across the Federation people are rejoicing and giving thanks to our renewed friendship and settled misunderstandings. Looks like all it took was a little action to make them see what Equus was all about!”

Jet shut off the hologram, “And that's all thanks to you Nelly!”

Nelly blushed and giggled. She came in closer for a kiss on the lips before the sliding door hissed open.

“Princesses on deck!” Ship stood at attention. Jet and Nelly fell to the floor and scrambled to get up.

“At ease soldiers,” the regal form of Princess Celestia graced over them, “I couldn't be more pleased at your performance! Your heroic actions have opened up new windows of opportunity for Equus and to that I am grateful.”

“As am I dear sister. Joint Strike Force, I owe you my debt for saving my husband,” Luna was the one to bow down to Ship. Ship recoiled in surprise.

“T-Thank you! But it wasn't me that saved him, it was all Nelly over there. Jet was out of action during the operation,” Ship held back her excitement.

“As you were fine warriors,” Princess Luna nodded to them. Jet and Nelly saluted back in respect.

“By the way,” Celestia smiled, “I have approved your request for even more new recruits. This will be the last batch for a while. I'm sure you are all eager to meet them so you are dismissed. Carry on Next Generation Joint Strike Force!”

And just like that both Princesses vanished and teleported out with their magic. As they left the ponies on the bridge started to squee and were filled with uncontrollable excitement.

“Did Luna just-!” Jet almost asked Ship.

“YES! Okay, enough lollygagging let's get down to the hangar and meet these new recruits. I totally have no idea who they are so bear with me,” Ship lead them to the hallway as she announced into the intercom, “Attention all ponies! Please report to the hangar bay to welcome our last batch of new recruits! I repeat: Please report to the hangar bay to welcome our new recruits! That is all.”

A few minutes later the new arrivals were lined up, two yellow unicorns and a grey pegasus with a spiral tail. They stood before the rest of the NGJSF and Ship was the first to read out their names.

“Alright, first off is Wishful Fun. Step right up to the plate and show us what you got.”

“Good evening everypony,” Wishful smiled, “My name is Wishful and I tend to think of myself as a problem solver. I've been with the Equestrian Army's Green Berets for over five years and I requested a transfer over to the Next Generation Joint Strike Force when I heard a few of my buddies talking about it, I figured a little more excitement in my life is just what I wanted.”

Jet raised an eyebrow, “I like what I see so far. But it takes something special to join our ranks.”

He pointed to Wishful's Katiba rifle, “Use that gun and show us what you're made of. Behind you is a firing range we've set up. What can you do?”

“A lot sir! I'm ready when you are!” Wishful floated up his gun with magic and took his stance.

Flip smiled in the background and whispered, “Seems like only yesterday I did the exact same thing.”

“3... 2... 1... BEGIN!” Ship yelled as the targets popped up. Wishful took some shots with only a few missing their mark. He rushed into cover and prepared a spell.

“Time for a little aimbot!” Wishful cloaked his rifle with a shimmering yellow and leveled it to his eye. His blurred movements were a thing to behold as he landed headshot after headshot without a single bullet missing its mark. Once the spell faded he blind fired while advancing upwards. He reloaded his rifle and prepared another spell, “Instakill!”

Wishful popped out of cover and took aim at the steel targets. His bullets started to leave massive holes that pierced through the inch thick metal but his accuracy wasn't as perfect as his previous spell. He vaulted over and pulled his sidearm to finish the job, “Zero-firecap!”

His semi-automatic pistol erupted in a flurry of rapid fire. Normally the weapon would only shoot once per trigger pull but somehow Wishful enhanced it with a brief spell that turned it into a fully automatic machine pistol. He was out of ammo and exhaled to relax, “Room clear!”

“Wow!” Ship was impressed, “How in the world?”

Wishful's horn gave out. His horn stopped glowing and the handgun he held up fell to the floor. With pained grunts he tried to pick it back up with magic only to have tiny sparks fly off his horn, “And that's my problem. It uses up all my magic for the whole day if I break out more than one spell. I got a few others but those are my most powerful.”

“Whatever the case, you're in!” Jet shook his hoof, “Never seen something quite like that! Video game cheats and hacks brought to life huh? Fits well with your cutie mark!”

Wishful glanced to the D-pad image on his flanks, “Thank you sir!”

ALERT! ALERT! NEW PRIORITY MISSION ALERT.

SUSAN broke up the introductions with her alarms.

“Well, we'll have to cut this short. Full combat alert everypony! We got a request from a new contact,” Ship pulled out her tablet and scrolled through the details, “Looks like the major ally of the UPF, Lylat, has requested our assistance. Never have they once contacted us for anything. Guess our rep is getting out there. Here's the recording.”

“This is Xzayvior Onyx of the LIS Supernova! Requesting immediate help from any friendly forces in the area! Our ship was jumped by some sort of marauder squadron. To anyone in this sector we request immediate support!”

The recording cut off as Ship replaced her tablet, “Lylat is requesting that we find out what happened to them. The recording is only about half an hour old so we need to get there and hurry. This is a search and rescue operation. We're already close to that sector and I want all pilots launched to search for their ship. That means you too new guys!”

“Ship, you know me,” the dark grey pegasus blew her hair to the side as she took off her helmet, “Long time no see...”

“Umbra. And just an FYI: That's CAPTAIN Ship to you. We'll talk later just get to your plane. That is an order.”

“Gotcha,” Umbra looked with mistrust towards Jet, “Hmph!”

As Flip looked on Umbra got into her cockpit of her fighter and then turned his attention to Jet, “What's her problem?”

“Eh, I told her I never loved her in high school. She got the hots for me but I swore my soul to Nelly ages ago. I was,” Jet paused, “very blunt about it.”

“Old wounds huh?”

“Can it Flips. Yo sis! How's Zoey?” Jet looked to Avia as she did a preflight check of her fighter.

“She's doing well!” Avia referred to her Cyclone's AI, whom she befriended after the fighter broke dimensions and flew into their world from the other universe, “Run a diagnostic on radar tracking Zoey.”

RADAR ANALYSIS COMPLETE. SMOOTH SAILING MISS AVIA.

“Gotcha. We're launching out! Stand back!” Avia closed her canopy as the rest of the pilots prepared their planes. Four of the NGJSF launched out from the catapults and off into space with Sugar Rush and Brain Storm directing the flight deck traffic. Jet and Flip were ready to launch along with Morning and Petal.

“Jet, Flip, Morning, and Petal ready to launch!”

“Group two you are cleared for takeoff! Good luck!” Brain Storm announced on their HUDs and they shot into space. As all their planes formed up Ship came back on to give them orders.

“Alright. Split up into groups of two and find that distress beacon. Should be to the spatial west in that asteroid field.”

“Copy that Captain Ship, Avia and I are splitting off,” Jet and his sister pulled to the right and activated their scanners to find the source of the distress beacon, “Yo sis you got anything?”

“Something faint. Zoey can you get a bead on the transmission?”

WORKING MISS AVIA. SIGNAL DETECTED. I HAVE FOUND THE SOURCE. PLEASE FOLLOW MY COMPASS BEARING DISPLAYED ON YOUR HUD.

“Smart plane,” Jet smiled, “What would we do without you and your sister Zoey?”

PROBABLY TRY TO PROGRAM YOUR OWN AI WITHOUT SUCCESS CAPTAIN. ONCE WE GET BACK I REQUEST AN OIL CHANGE ON THE HOUSE.

“Ha! I like you Zoey. Your sister's too serious of a bitch,” Jet passed the time talking to his sister's plane.

YES SIR. SUSAN WAS NEVER PROGRAMED WITH A HUMOR MATRIX. I GET ANNOYED WITH HER AS WELL.

“Okay, focus for a second. I'm starting to see debris,” Jet observed the asteroids as bits of ships floated in space. The many pieces of scrap had markings and colors that hinted at something familiar, “Hey Mac, can you run a scan on this scrap? It looks too familiar.”

“Copy that Jet running the scan,” Mac analyzed the image for a brief moment, “Whoa, it's a Federation US-74 fighter with... Pulsar Militia markings.”

“The Pulsar are here?! Be advised everypony, stay on your toes! The Pulsar are no joke!” Jet kept a watchful gaze, “How'd they end up here?”

“Probably just ambushing a freighter for goods,” Avia and Jet flew into a hollow asteroid and emerged from the other side to see the giant space carrier the Pulsar tried to attack, “Okay, so that is not a freighter.”

In a style reminiscent of the previous Great Fox, the LIS Supernova floated along with three engines heavily damaged and only one in working order. The hull was breached in many places and bits of the ship peeled off as it floated on towards Jet and Avia.

“There's our target. Let me establish contact,” Avia switched her radio to open channel, “This is the United Equestrian Next Generation Joint Strike Force. We were dispatched to a distress beacon in this area. What is your emergency?”

“Finally! Someone friendly on the radio,” a sigh of relief came as a response, “This is Major Xzayvior Onyx of the Lylatian Republic. My ship, the Supernova, came under attack from a band of pirates or something. Real organized too! They took out our fighter bays so my team and I can't launch out. They also knocked out three of our four engines. Can you help us get out of here?”

“No problem. You've got the finest LIS Supernova,” Avia reported to the ships bridge as she and her brother flew near.

MISS AVIA. ASTEROID FIELDS ARE GETTING DENSER. I SUGGEST WE LEAD THEM TO THE SAFETY OF THE SKY BUSTER.

“You got that right Zoey. Hey you guys! You all doing okay?”

“Hornet and I are caught up in some drifting rocks. We'll try to get to you shortly but it's hard navigating here,” Flip reported in.

“Morning here, I've got the same problem. I'll join up with you guys ASAP with Petal.”

“My fighter clipped a wing on these floating pebbles. I'm making my way back to the boat with Scratch escorting me,” Tough reported in his damage.

“Solid copy. RTB for you Tough. Say, where did the new guys go?” Jet looked around for them.

“Fenrir here,” the yellow and blue painted Fenrir fighter pulled up behind Jet and Avia with another F-32 Umbra that Umbra piloted, “We're on your six flight lead.”

“Good to see you're not pancakes,” Jet pulled in front of the Lylatian ship, “Supernova, follow our course and we will lead you out of the asteroid field.”

Ship transmitted herself onto their HUDs, “We have a new objective. Guide the carrier through the asteroid field and protect it from further harm. There could still be enemy fighters around so be careful and keep your eyes on a swivel.”

“Solid copy!” Jet nodded, “Rookies, I want you two to maintain a two hundred meter separation from the Supernova to guard the rear.”

“Don't call me a rookie Jet...” Umbra bitterly scoffed.

“Are we gonna have a problem second lieutenant Umbra? Can it okay! Focus on the mission!”

“Listen to him Umbra. Now is not the time for feelings to get in the way,” Ship made herself clear as well.

“...Fine...” Umbra pulled away with Fenrir to guard the rear of the carrier they escorted.

Avia switched her radio so only Jet could hear her, “Can't believe she still has that grudge.”

“Yeah sis. I was blunt about it for good reason. I never loved her, my heart belongs to Nelly. Exactly how many times I said no didn't sink in until I made it painfully obvious. Never thought she'd be part of the squad.”

Jet and the others guarding the carrier made slight adjustments to their flight path with only their rudders to make sure the Supernova could catch up.

“We'll be out of the asteroid field shortly. Wait, what's that?”

Trails of fast moving smoke could be seen in the distance out to their front. As they closed in a sudden alarm sounded in their cockpits warning them of missile locks.

“Shit! Semi-active radar missiles! Break! Break! Chaff out!” Jet pulled hard and rolled with the contours of an asteroid. Avia followed as the missiles impacted the rock sending fragments into space, “Damn! Vertical and Valkyrie are being engaged! We are defending! Supernova can you confirm source of missile launches?”

“Negative! Our radars are all cluttered by the asteroids. Wait! We got a signature. Looks like a stealth fighter!” Xzayvior alerted to them.

“How do you know?” Avia asked.

“Ultra low frequency radar. Easily cluttered but it can filter for cloaked aircraft if it's got the right settings. We'll link our targeting data to your HUDs! We can only track one at a time with our damage sustained so pick em off before they get in close!”

“Roger! Avia you bag this one! Eleven o clock low!” Jet saw the invisible fighter marked with a yellow square outlined on his visor. Before Avia could get in to shoot it down Umbra decloaked her own fighter right behind the enemy and took it down with guns.

“Darkstar, splash one bandit,” Umbra reported.

“Wha-how did you?” Avia continued to dodge more missiles fired out of the blue.

“Watch for when they open up their internal bays. Their stealth signature is compromised in that split second,” Umbra explained as she downed another space fighter with heat seeking missiles, “Heat seekers work well too. Splashed another.”

“Where did you learn how to fight like this?” Avia asked Umbra.

“Princess Luna herself taught me. I was part of the Children of the Night covert operations team. Princess herself said that you guys needed the help so she had me transfer over. I don't hate you Avia, but your brother I will never forgive.”

“Yeah yeah yeah, look! I don't give a fuck. You pushed it too hard and almost caused Nelly to break up with me! Dammit Umbra why do you have to be such a bitch!” Jet yelled as he stole her kill, “Fuck you you little shit! That kill is mine!”

“No good rotten fuck!” Umbra raged. She pulled her plane sharply upwards and caused Jet to avoid her dangerous maneuver.

“What was that for?!” Jet was furious.

“BOTH OF YOU STOP!” Ship came over the radio, “If this keeps up I am gonna shoot you both myself. Shut the fuck up, cry me a river, build a bridge, get over it! The mission is all that matters right now!”

“I will do as you say Captain,” Jet calmed down letting the familiarity of his superior's voice distracting him from Umbra's provocation, “Shit! We let one through!”

“Dammit Umbra!” Avia turned away to afterburn towards the Supernova, “Crap! That fighter just blinked off my scope!”

One missile trail came out in the middle of empty space as it was too late to intercept. The stealth fighter's anti-ship missile knocked a massive hull breach into the Supernova's main laser cannon. Setting off a chain reaction that blew apart the lower half of the ship.

“Holy shit!” Jet flew close to the bridge, “Supernova respond!”

“We're all okay! We can still fly out of here. Don't worry about my crew, the ship is automated by AI and all the guys who actually matter are up here in the bridge with me. It'll take months to repair that damage though!” Xzayvior was shaken slightly by the explosion.

“Fenrir, guide that ship out of the asteroid field right there! That's big enough for it to pass through,” Avia pointed out the exit of the asteroid belt.

“What?! It's an ambush!” As Fenrir flew close several stealth fighters decloaked and got right on his tail, “Shit! I can't shake em!”

“We're coming to help! Just keep em busy!” Jet and Avia boosted forward and got into position behind their enemies, “Vertical! Fox Two!”

The enemy stealth fighter popped flares and cloaked again to evade Jet's missile.

“Dammit! These guys are a pain in my flank!”

SUGGESTION: BLAST APART THE ASTEROIDS TO MAKE THE AREA DANGEROUS TO FLY IN. ENEMY FLYING SKILL SHOULD NOT MATCH OUR OWN.

“Good idea Zoey! We got any weapons for the job?”

ANALYZING, WEAPON MATCH. FENRIR HAS TIMES TWO SHOCKWAVE MISSILES INSIDE INTERNAL BAYS.

“Fenrir, you heard the robot! Launch your special weapons!”

“Roger! Hold on give me a few seconds,” Fenrir punched his fighter into a narrowing gap on two converging asteroids. His coat spiked from adrenaline with another stealth fighter right on his tail, “I got him! Stay back flight lead!”

“What the fuck are you doing?! You're gonna get crushed!” Jet warned out loud.

“No! Watch this!” Fenrir threw his plane into VTOL mode right as he launched a shockwave missile. He pulled straight up and the enemy shimmer flew right past his cockpit and into the massive explosion of the missile as it detonated in between the converged space rocks, sending fragments that impacted the cloaked enemy as Fenrir rode the shockwave of the missile to safety with his engine in idle, “WOOO! That was a rush man!”

“Fancy flying! Give me a sitrep Supernova,” Avia requested over the radio.

We're only detecting four blips left! Be warned they are phasing in and out of our sensors.

“Okay, so it's a cat and mouse game,” Jet kept his eyes peeled as he flew by the damaged Supernova.

“Morning here, Night and I are finally in your AO,” Morning's swing wing XFA-27 flew right behind Jet and Avia with Night Petal in her cloaked F-32 Umbra.

“Okay, think Petal! What would you do here? Think fast!” Jet asked in haste.

“Hmm, I'd attack from the top of my target. What's the plan? We can't lock these guys!”

“Concentrate all firepower on any asteroid that passes above the Supernova! The armored hull should shrug off the smaller rocks while making it a hazard for the enemy fighters to get through!” Jet gave his orders and all their missiles flew out to create a minefield of floating space debris. There were two spontaneous explosions as the enemy stealth fighters careened into the meteors.

“Good! Keep it up! We're almost through the passage!” Avia looked forward as their planes kept a parameter around the wounded Lylatian ship.

“Umbra! You got one on your tail! I just saw that shimmer!” Jet warned her out loud.

“Dammit!” Umbra bobbed and wove in and out of the asteroid fields trying to evade her assailant. In her chase a floating meteor chipped off her wing and caused her to lose control of her aircraft. She was in a horizontal flatspin with an enemy fighter ready to rip her to bits, “NO!”

“Vertical! Guns! Guns! Guns!” Jet used Umbra's vulnerability as a window of opportunity to shoot down the stealth fighter. Steel, aluminum, oil, and other mechanical lubricant flew off in bits and pieces as the enemy fighter was engulfed in a split second fireball before extinguishing from the lack of oxygen. The flash of the kill was enough to confirm the victory but Jet wasn't done yet. Umbra was still in a flatspin and was about to collide with another meteor.

“...At least I die... Knowing I served Luna...” Umbra closed her eyes and awaited death's embrace. There was a loud thud in her plane followed by a vibration that shook the cockpit to the sound of Jet's VTOL engines. Jet propped up the top of his plane in VTOL mode to catch Umbra and stop her spin. Umbra looked out to see Jet's face half hidden by his flight mask, “Why?”

“I don't like you Umbra but let me get this message clear. You are my squadmate and it is my sworn duty to keep you guys alive. You may be a forceful, bratty, and spoiled bitch but as long as you are under my command I am not letting anything happen to you. Just don't get on my bad side again, you hear me?”

“Yes, sir...” Umbra sighed in frustration and reluctance, “My engines are toast. I took a few hits from that stealth fighter.”

“Don't worry,” Jet slid off her plane and allowed it to spin into forward position before gently tucking his nose into the back end of Umbra's plane, “Let's go home! We're done here.”

“Hey, I called in the Federation so we can pass the baton. Their ships are right here next to the Sky Buster,” Ship came over the radio as they saw the regal blue of the UPF ships warp in.

“Solid copy. Supernova you are free to separate,” Jet gave the last call and the Lylatian carrier pulled away slowly.

“Roger! Thanks for the support NGJSF! Lylat thanks you! We will send word of your good deeds! Hopefully we can fight in a wargame sometime!” Xzayvior smiled to Jet on his HUD as the Supernova joined in formation with the UPF fleet. Task Force Frostbite 2 joined in to take the wounded ship under their wing.

“Well well well, you sure are getting your names out there huh?” Strella winked to Jet as she appeared on screen.

“Yeah yeah yeah. Save it for-” three rapid beeps followed that interrupted Jet, “huh?”

“Heads up team! We got another urgent mission from... Equus?!” Ship came through their holoprojectors, “Patching in the transmission!”

“This is a priority mission for the Next Generation Joint Strike Force! North Equestria has invaded and occupied the islands of Altis and Stratis off the coast of Equestria as a staging area for invasion of the mainland! Please return home immediately! This is Princess Celestia, and may my grace lead you onward.”

“Shit just hit the fan back home! Get your flanks back here and get ready for the next deployment!”

“Yes sir!” Jet and the rest followed back to the EMS Sky Buster to ready up for the next mission.