---

I paused.

I actually had no idea where to start.

I closed my eyes, trying to force my brain to think of the earliest memory I can muster up from the war. Besides basic training, there were a couple of memories regarding a few minor skirmishes that occurred off the western coast, but they didn’t prove to be helpful enough to give any leads about the Aigaion.

Another memory came to mind. The only reason I ever heard about the ‘Aigaion’ in the first place was because of me.

More so specifically, because of ‘Garuda’.

Because of Garuda's actions and their repercussions, there was virtually no chance that I knew of its existence by sheer coincidence. It was all my fault, it seemed. Garuda was the name of the squadron I flew with, I was the lead plane - Of course they would put two-and-two together.

“Well?” Grim impatiently asked, noticing my hesitation.

“I… Sorry, I... I have trouble remembering things at times. Just, give me a second.” I contemplated again.

Garuda wasn’t anything special at first, once I had joined. Just the name of a small squadron. But over time, it became something more. And the Changelings, who seemed very determined at the time to destroy me and my crew, were willing to go to extreme lengths to take us down.

The Aigaion was one of these extreme measures.

Although its sole purpose wasn't for us specifically - or for hunting down a squadron in general - it did take notice of our growing reputation and notoriety among the Changeling military.

The idea that the Changelings had feared us back then in the past was still alien to me now, and I couldn't wrap my head around it still to this day. And it was the only reason how I and my squad were caught in the crossfire of this mess. Thinking back on it now, I knew it was out of my control to stop the snowball effect of events from spiraling out on the event horizon. And yet, something nagged me in the back of my mind that something could've been better, had I done something different.

Not having to think about those memories for a few months since then had really made me rusty at remembering things apparently.

“I guess… I’ll have to start from when I first got the name ‘Garuda’. It’s the name of my Squadron. The-”

“28h Fighter Squadron, 8th Royal Air Wing. We know. We have your file.” With that, he flipped open the binder with a hoof. The contents came spewing out, each paper and document containing different kinds of information regarding me. My BMI, subspecies, age, name, location of birth, deployment date, assigned plane, and squadron info were all right here.

“We know everything there is to know about you: Your bio, your physicality, your relationships… everything. However, Official Records have not gotten around to record all of the wartime conflicts that had happened. So we’re in the dark as far as your combat record goes. But luckily for us, that’s where you come in.

"I don’t need your identity, I need you to ask yourself: ‘what happened?’. Then we will get what we need.”

I quickly scanned the documents before me. Every single piece of information that was on here, as I read, was exceptionally accurate. I gave a long sigh.

“Well, where should I start then? Do you have any ideas? I can’t remember everything at the top of my head.”

“Yes, we understand. We’re not asking you to remember absolutely everything.”

“But that’s just what you-”

“I know what I said!” Grim suddenly snapped at me. He paused and took a moment to calm down, breathing slowly. “Yes, I know… I said that. Let me rephrase myself for you: I want you to remember everything that has to do with the Aigaion specifically. Can you do that?”

I stared at the medallion that was on the table. My emblem.

“I can try. But no promises on accuracy.”

“Do the best you can. Start from the earliest you remember.”

I took a long deep inhale in, and an even longer exhale out. I didn’t know how long I was gonna be here. This was going to be a long long story.

“The year was 1012, mid-April.”

---

I lay there on my bunk, staring at the same grey, blank wall that I have been staring at for the past 8 months. The Blueblood was cruising across the ocean, escorted by destroyers and cruisers, both heavy and light ones.

I’ve been laying on my cot for about 2 hours now, and haven’t been able to fall asleep. I couldn’t move during curfew, however, so doing anything else was not an option. I just looked at the grey ceiling above my head, tossing and turning in the dark bunkroom for what felt like days.

As far as I can tell, the Blueblood was currently tasked to patrol Pegasi Gulf and the seas to the west of it as far as 50 kilometers. There have been rumors of air raids performed by changelings that have passed over these waters, and we were provided to try and act as a screen for the air force. Combined with the radar facilities that we built off of the Coastline, the Changelings shouldn't be too difficult to catch as long as we stay in range. We were to intercept and destroy any aircraft that passes over us, as well as their fleets should it come to that.

Except there hasn’t been any contact in weeks, and the ponies on board are starting to get anxious.

I sighed long and heavily, dragging my hoof over my eyes. Why couldn’t I fall back asleep? There were still hours until curfew was over, and yet I could not get lucky enough to fall back to slumber.

I groaned.

This sucks.

“You cannot sleep as well?” Naya all of the sudden spoke above me, making me slightly jump.

“Naya? You’re here with me?” I whispered, trying my best to not wake the other ponies around me.

“'Tis hard to sleep on moving ship. Something I am not accustomed to. Usually, it would be raining about now, and I would look outside the window to see the droplets fall down to the earth. That usually lulls me to sleep. However, I am not so lucky now.”

Her dialect was weirdly pleasing and soothing to listen to. Despite sounding incomplete, it carried a pleasant cadence to her speech.

We lay separate from one another in awkward silence, listening to the hum of the engine through these metallic walls. The ship was gently listing off to one side, then to the next, almost barely noticeable. Naya sighed softly.

“Your country; it’s very radical about their princesses, are they?”

“Which one? There’s four of them.” I chortled.

"Exactly.“ She remarks. "Four Immortal Alicorns... I can only imagine the respect and power they must exert to have to rule a nation like this one... What do you think the Princess of Friendship thinks about this war?”

“... Princess Twilight? Ehm, I don't know. Haven't really given it much thought.”

I looked at the other ponies to my right, silently sleeping. I sighed, laying my head back down as I stared at the ceiling.

“But if her opinion was anything like mine, I’d say she probably hates it just as much as everypony else. Being a Princess of Friendship in times of war sounds Counter-Intuitive. I think she just wants things to go back the way they were.”

“And you do as well?” Naya asked. “What do you wish the outcome of this war will be?”

“I dunno... Things going back to normal sounds nice n' all. But then, what is normal anymore, in a world gone awry?”

Naya answered for me. “If there is peace, there is Harmony. And when there is Harmony, there is no radical change. And that is something Ponies have been used to for a very long time. If life in Equestria becomes mostly uneventful, unlike this hectic and chaotic reality we find ourselves in, then Equestria will have its Eternal Peace again.

"But really, there is no such thing as an ‘Eternal Peace’, because peace - no matter how long it lasts - is not eternal. There will always be something that later in the future changes the balance of the harmony we worked so hard to maintain.” Naya paused as if she was catching her breath. “However, I did learn that if we hope for any chance of Eternal Peace, no matter how impossible it may be, we must learn to shape and write history for good purposes. For morally right purposes.” Naya concluded.

This was the first time I’d gotten a good idea who Naya was, as a pony. I had learned at that moment that she was brighter than most of us were on this ship.

“You know, you’re smarter than you look, Naya,” I added. I could hear a soft chuckle.

“There is much to be learned from life if you just pay attention and study yourself.”

Studying myself was not the highest of my priorities most of the time. But I do admit, she raised a valid point. I’ve managed to stifle a yawn or two during her ramble, but eventually one slipped by me. Maybe I can finally fall asleep.

“Pony... Is there anything from your old life that you miss?” Naya asked. I gave out a low, dry chuckle.

"I have a name, you know,“ I chuckled "And yes; oh yes, plenty of things. I miss cloudy beds, chocolate, safety from bullets, a properly cooked breakfast cooked every morning, and a good night's sleep.” I paused. “And Sunshine. I miss Sunshine.”

“There’s plenty of sunshine out in the-”

“Not that sunshine. I mean… my Sunshine.”

“I… do not follow.” Naya blankly spoke.

“I know. She was my Marefriend. Before the war, and now during it. And I intend her to be my Marefriend after the war… at least, I hope so.”

“Ah. My apologies. How close were you?”

I contemplated her words carefully. “... Do you think considering to… marry her, is close enough?”

Naya didn’t immediately reply. She must’ve taken the time to think her words carefully.

“Well... I would ask: how committed are you to ensuring that the bond lasts? But from an objective, and neutral standpoint, I would say that is rather romantic. I think it is lovely.”

I couldn't help but smile slightly. “Thanks.” Another yawn managed to escape me. It wouldn’t be long now, I hoped.

“I… feel the same way about how you miss your beloved, at least to some degree. I do miss my family, every day. My mind sometimes never stops thinking about them. I usually ignore it, but mostly… I feel Homesick. I suppose that is something we foreigners have in common.”

I raised a brow in question. “But I am not a foreigner.” Naya chuckled.

“Silly pony: With this new metal prison being your home, you are most definitely a foreigner.”

"... Can't argue with that."

I felt my eyelids suddenly become heavy. Another yawn escaped. I closed my eyes and felt their dead weight sink me closer to sleep. I didn't hear Naya say anything else to me, so I was focused on getting some shuteye. Eventually, sleep took hold of me.

---

The loudspeakers blared to life as all pilots were called to the Mission Room. I was sitting in the cafeteria, eating my breakfast when the announcement came.

I quickly finished my meal (which was a small bowl of oats cereal) and made my way down to Floor B, where the Hanger Bay was. I used my wings to circumnavigate the crowd of aircraft and ponies in my way, making my way to the stern of the ship. Upon entering the Mission Room, I sat down in one of the many metal chairs facing a white screen. Some of the chairs were already occupied, as ponies were already talking to each other. I even saw Big Mouth, who was sitting by himself, looking bored. It didn’t take long for the others to get down here, as more and more Earth Ponies and Pegasi alike were sitting down in the chairs around us.

About 3 minutes have passed since I sat down, and more of the chairs were being filled. Almost all of them had a pony sitting in them. Some were still unaccounted for. Four minutes now, and some of the final ponies are walking in now. I spotted Lucky and Naya sitting together in the row ahead of me, to the left. The lights dimmed all of a sudden, and we could barely see in front of us. There was a flickering noise emitting from behind my head, and a white beam of light flashed at the white screen revealing a countdown. While this was happening, another pony walked through the doors behind us, this one different from the others: He was wearing a flight officer’s uniform, with a small collection of ribbons attached to his chest.

“Ok Everypony, today is the big day! We finally have gotten word from Las Pegasus’s Radar Station. My name is Major Lieutenant Hawk Eyes, and I’ll be briefing you on this next mission you’re about to perform.”

In an instant, everypony felt an overwhelming sense of authority in his voice, forcing all of us to pay attention.

As the white screen finished its countdown, instantly it showed us black-and-white imagery of very grainy photographs taken from the air. Though they look like black ink splots more than anything, I could make out the shape of several aircraft flying in a 'V' formation.

“We’ve confirmed that the enemy is sending multiple squadrons of bombers with escort fighters flying alongside them. We don’t know the details about their flight composition just yet at this time, but it has been said that the squadrons in question are about to pass over out fleet at high altitudes. We can't touch them with our Anti Air, and sending our Pegasi out to clear the skies will take too long to have any effect. Therefore, we are sending you up into the air.

“Over the last few days, we’ve gotten reports from the frontlines that the Changeling Air Force is mobilizing. One of these Air Groups is currently setting a course for Las Pegasus, no doubt to wipe out the Radar installations on the coastline. Losing that radar station would mean we lose our eyes in several Strategic Regions, including Pegasi Gulf. The survival of this station is paramount.

“Pilots, your mission today is to intercept those Bomber Squadrons that are currently heading their way toward Pegasi Gulf and shoot them down. We’re counting on a solid performance. I know some of you are newcomers, so my advice to you is to follow your orders, keep your head cool, and aim true. We need you for this mission.”

He pointed a Hoof at the aircraft on the white screen.

“The enemy’s aircraft is nothing we aren’t used to. It should be a standard bombing Air Wing: An escort Squadron of 109’s, along with a regiment of 117s with 111s. They will be likely carrying a heavy payload, so it is imperative that they are neutralized at all costs.”

The white screen flashed, and a new image was presented, showing a map of the Lunar Ocean, with multiple arrows indicating flight paths, and timetables indicating itineraries.

“The enemy is expected to be over the city in the next couple of hours we’re one of the few air wings who can intercept. You will be supported by various other squadrons from the Pegasopolis, as well as land-based aircraft coming from las Pegasus. Together, you will rendezvous over these coordinates at the designated time frame. I wish you all the best of luck!”

The white screen flashed for the final time and soon went dead. Immediately, the room’s lighting came back. “You have 5 minutes to assemble for takeoff. Dismissed!” Hawk ordered, instantly encouraging everyone to hop out of their seats and follow his orders. One by one, Ponies were shoving each other out of the way to exit the room, heading towards the Lockers for their equipment. I hovered over everypony, along with several other pegasi, as I made my way to the Equipment Locker, at the bow end of the Hanger Bay.

I was one of the first few who made it to the locker room, and instantly I made my way to my Locker. Locker #39. It held a Combination Lock, only accessible to me. I turned to the corresponding combination and opened the locker, revealing its contents to me.

It had your standard Fighter Pilot Kit: The Life Preserver, the Parachute (for non-pegasi), First Aid Kit, A Heavy Jacket, a Leather Padded cap, a Rebreather, and Goggles. I never wore the Goggles, But the Flight Cap I kept. It kept the Mane out of my eyes when I flew.

It didn’t take me long to get into gear, only a minute and a half time spent to suit up. I looked around, and other ponies were walking in and cracking open their lockers ready to suit up. I felt a hoof touch my right shoulder, it was Lucky.

“So," Lucky started. "You fancy our chances on this?"

“Excuse me?” I replied.

“I mean... How do you hold up in the air? Apparently, they made a last-second change on me, and I’m a part of this squad now. So uh…” He patted my withers twice with his hoof. “Don’t let me die.” He smiled sheepishly. I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“I’m not planning to.”

“I don’t know about you,” Big Mouth spoke to my left, as he was still suiting up. “But I’m ready to shoot some ugly buggers. Not a single one of them is getting through me without a bullet.”

“Save it for the air,” Naya then joined, walking into view already suited up. “This is just your standard interception mission, no need to seek glory here.”

“It's because it's just your standard interception mission that I'll still shoot ‘em down anyway.” Big Mouth Concluded. "All the more reason too, in fact."

“We all will. Once we’re in the air, we will have the freedom to do so.” Lucky reminded.

“No, you won’t. This isn’t your typical free engagement mission, we still have to follow orders from the chain of command.” Naya Corrected

"Ugh, do we have to bring miss 'protocol' here?" Big complained, earning a scolding look from Naya behind his back.

“Yes. For now, just assemble near the Runway. We’ll be taking off soon.” I interrupted. Lucky sighed in relief, as he gingerly strode away from Naya and Big. Both continued their way upward at their own pace, away from one another. Everyone was finishing up their preparations, as the loudspeakers were blaring once more.

“Looks like we’ll be taking off first after all,” Lucky commented softly to himself as we made our way to the staircase. We made it up to Floor B and then to Floor A, making our way outside on the runway. It was overcast, with a few holes of blue sky and sunshine, almost about to rain. I could see the neverending plane of churning water stretch out before me, boasting its vastness all the way to the horizon.

The smaller flotillas that were escorting the Blueblood can be seen trailing along with the carrier at the same speed. They kept their distance with one another.

I turned back to see four planes were already lined up and prepared for takeoff on the runway, still tethered and waiting. My mates and I stood near the control tower, staring at the planes we would be embarking on soon. I took a moment to look around me as I saw ponies all over the ship pacing about, doing their jobs. There were also ponies on the flight deck, closely inspecting our aircraft, and doing their pre-takeoff maintenance routine.

“How much longer now?” Lucky impatiently asked.

“Shouldn’t be too long now,” I answered. I noticed Naya mumble something to herself, but couldn’t hear over the sounds of ponies shouting, and the waves of water slamming into the hull.

“Always take so fuckin’ long,” Big commented.

We were all standing together, anxiously waiting for the signal. With every passing second, the air seemed to be growing more apprehensive... And humid. The rain was a guarantee today.

Thankfully we’ll be inside the cockpit when it happens. But the worst of it comes when it starts affecting the plane itself. There have been a number of stories about air accidents due to bad weather. It wasn’t uncommon.

Finally, the Loudspeakers blared once more.

Instantly, all four of us sprinted to the planes that each of us was assigned. I sprinted to the first Plane in line and Embarked inside using my wings. I sat in the cockpit, eyeing every single gauge and meter that was on display, before buckling myself in and closing the cockpit.

I took my flight Cap with Earmuffs and put them on. I then pulled a wire from the back of the right Earmuff and connected it to a control panel located underneath the stick, powering it on. It was the radio control panel.

I switched the frequency to the correct channel, allowing me to communicate with Blueblood control. The second frequency I saved on the panel allowed me to communicate with my Squadron. As soon as I was connected, I pulled the mask from the Aviator Cap and spoke into it.

“This is Night Light to Blueblood Control, Rover Crystal, I repeat, Rover Crystal. Over.” I spoke blankly, waiting for a response.

“Roger that Night Light, Lima Crystal, we read you.” I heard a tinny voice in my right ear reply. “Stand By. We’re trying to get confirmation here. Out.” while I waited, I switched to the second frequency.

“Night Light to all planes, what is your status? Over.”

“This is Lucky, I’m green to go! Out.”

“Naya here, I am ready. Out.”

“Big is ready! Out.” All 3 of them replied at once. The radio was working just fine.

“Control to Night Light, we’ve got confirmation of your sortie. You’ve been granted for takeoff. All planes, Night Light is Garuda 1. Naya is assigned to number 2, Lucky 3, and Big Mouth 4. This is not a free engagement mission, so follow all orders from Garuda 1. Break.” There was a slight pause, before continuing. “Garuda Team, you have permission to take off.”

“Roger that, Garuda team Launching!” I pronounced and switched to the second frequency again. “All planes set your Fuel Mixtures to the right ratios. Max out the Propeller pitch, and switch to auto-mode after takeoff. And keep those Radiators vented opened. How copy so far? Over.” I ordered through my radio.

“We copy, continue. Over.” Naya answered first.

“Give me a sitrep with all diagnostics. Over.” I proceeded to move the stick around, looking at my wings to notice them shifting. The Ailerons beneath the wings began to move up and down erratically. I then stepped on the pedals below the stick and turned behind me. The Rudder moved side to side, as well as the elevator.

“All systems check for Garuda 1. Garuda 2, what’s your status?”

“Green.”

“Garuda 3, what’s your Status?”

“Green.”

“And Garuda 4?”

“Green.”

“Ok, all planes are green. Lower flaps, Ignite engines, and keep the throttle back.” With that, I flipped the lever to start the engine, making the propeller sputter black smoke for a moment before beginning to spin rapidly.

I eased my throttle forward as it began to accelerate, sending me lurching back to my seat. As the plane attempted to veer to the left, my stepping on the right pedal for the rudder wasn’t allowing it to go anywhere. I kept the stick steady as it began to shake and pick up speed.

The runway disappeared in front of me, sending my plane slowly descending downward. After a couple of seconds, it stopped descending and started to climb. I raised my flaps and landing gear soon after.

“Garuda 1 Launched. Garuda 2, takeoff.” Control spoke in my right ear.

“Roger that, Garuda 2 launching!” Naya spoke.

The Control tower squelched once more. “Garuda 1, circle above the Blueblood until the rest of your squad has taken off. Over.”

“Copy that, moving to idle now. Out.” I tilted the stick to the left, making the plane swerve slowly around the port side of the Blueblood. I saw Naya’s plane run out of the runway and gently lifted off, banking right afterward.

“Garuda 2 Launched. Garuda 3, Takeoff.”

“Copy that.”

Lucky’s plane began to move now. As it picked up speed, Control spoke once again.

“Garuda 4, Takeoff.”

“Affirmative.” Now Big’s plane began to pick up speed. By the time Lucky got off the Runway, Big’s was already halfway across the deck. I saw Naya slowly pull up to my right as Big finally lift off the runway.

“All Garuda team members launched. Garuda team set your bearing to 315 and proceed to the Rendezvous Point. The 1st Air Squadron from the Ark Royal should be waiting. Break.” another slight pause. “The other squadrons from Blueblood will takeoff and join you momentarily. Over.”

“Roger that control, out.” I switched to my Squad’s channel. “All planes, regroup on me above the Blueblood. Assemble into ‘Rarity’ formation.”

“Affirmative, Garuda 2 shifting to ‘Pink’ position.” I watched behind me as Naya’s plane slowly drifted backward behind me, intent on staying there.

“This is Garuda 4, I’ll switch to Blue. Lucky, you’ll get Yellow this time.”

“Roger, shifting now.” soon afterward, 2 more planes began to slowly form into a diamond formation: Big on my left, Lucky on my right, and Naya to my rear. They stayed close to me and separated from each other.

“Maintain current course, increase altitude to 2500 meters, and maintain airspeed above 250 Kilos if you can.”

“Good copy Garuda 1. We’re right behind you.” Lucky answered.

As we were slowly beginning to rise above the clouds, wet droplets of rain begin to cover the cockpit canopy, obscuring a part of my vision. The rain was starting to come down. After a couple of minutes of climbing, I looked down at the Fuel Gauge and flipped a couple of switches, making the gauge’s meter move to the right. 73 Gallons.

“All planes, check your fuel gauges,” I ordered. There was a moment of silence before the response came through.

“Garuda 2; 74 Gallons.”

“3; 74 Gallons.”

“4; 75 Gallons.”

“Roger, Maintain current Altitude and Airspeed. Leave at least 30 minutes of fighting time over the Gulf. And keep an eye on your gauges, even when things get hot.”

“Roger that. Any idea when they’ll be here?” Lucky asked.

“Command said they would be here in a couple of hours. It won’t be long now. But first, we need to regroup with the 1st Air Wing.”

“The Wonderbolts? Ugh, they really brought those fucking loons out of all ponies?” Big complained.

“These bombers are our highest priority. The ponies back in Las Pegasus are counting on us. Besides, the Wonderbolts are the best we could ask for. Trust me, we’ll need them.” I replied.

“They always get the credit though! We can handle this without them.”

“True as that may be, we can’t take any chances. The risk is too great. No use in arguing, so end of discussion." I figuratively put my hoof down, and Big Mouth was uncharacteristically quiet.

We continued to fly through and in between the many clouds that litter the sky. Fighting in these conditions was going to be a challenge, especially if the enemy is using the clouds to their advantage. We flew Northwest for about 10 minutes until finally, we saw a large formation of planes flying Eastbound. I saw them in a V formation, each plane leaving behind a trail of Blue Smoke.

The Wonderbolts.

“Garuda team, standby while I communicate with Wonderbolt lead.” I switched my Squadron frequency temporarily to 154.9. I spoke aloud as soon as I was done configuring.

“Wonderbolt, Wonderbolt, this is Garuda Team, we’ve arrived at the rendezvous point, requesting permission to merge into your formation. Over.” There was a moment of silence. Then a crackling squelch, followed by another voice.

“Good copy Garuda, that’s an affirmative. It’s good to hear from you again. We’ll be heading towards our mission objective, you’re welcome to join us.” Spitfire replied back. “We have a special guest with us today. The Gryphus squadron will be accompanying us for this mission. They’re volunteers from Aquila, so be on your best behavior now.”

“Volunteers, huh? Well, we appreciate the assistance. Let’s show them how the Equestrian Air Force gets it done!” Another Wonderbolt piped up.

I managed to get a good look at the planes Gryphus was flying. They were designed differently than ours, their Fuselage longer and narrower than ours, and their wings shorter and thicker. But the real noticeable difference was the propeller. It had a dual propeller engine in the same spot, no doubt increasing the speed and climb rate of their aircraft. I can imagine them not turning as fast as ours, however.

“Gryphus to all units - looks like the reinforcements are here.”

“Quite so,” Lucky replied confidently.

“Garuda team, follow close behind and switch to ‘String’ formation,” I ordered as I broke off from the group, and steered behind Spitfire’s group. I counted a total of at least 30 planes, not including my squad.

“Garuda 3 copies,” Lucky answered. One by one, my team began to form to the sides of my plane. One to my left, and two to my right. Together we formed a horizontal line while trailing close behind Wonderbolt Lead. Gryphus was over us, maintaining some kind of wide curved wedge formation.

We were all flying together now, as we continued the course.

---

30 minutes of flying over broken clouds and seemingly endless ocean later, I started to wonder how soon we would engage the enemy. More and more planes began to join our formation as we continued to fly. There were multiple teams and squads assigned for this mission. Each of them had sharing frequency, so I could not pick up on what everyone was saying as they were talking simultaneously.

I pulled the mask over my face again and strapped it in place. “Garuda team, I’ll be going Radio Silence for a moment. Maintain current formation and standby.”

“Did something happen boss?” Big questioned.

“Negative, just wanted to check on something. Wait for one.” I switched the squadron channel to Blueblood control’s channel, and proceeded to speak. “Blueblood control, this is Garuda 1, do you read me? Over.” Silence. I spoke again. “Garuda 1 to Blueblood Control. Do you read me? Over.” More silence. I was beginning to worry that I had inputted the wrong frequency. Then a pop, and a fizzing noise emitted from my ear, with the voice of a stallion barely hearable through the garbled static.

“Blueblood to Garuda 1, we read you. What’s going on? Over.”

“We have negative contact with the enemy formation so far. Requesting approximate ETA on the enemy formation entering combat airspace. Over.” There was a slight pause before static came through again, sounding heavier. I could still make up what he was saying, though barely.

“Roger, be advised, you are moving out of our range, so I will not be available for communications after this transmission. Stand by, out.”

I waited, looking at the clouds around me, seeing flashes of lightning break out in a couple of clouds. We were just barely above the cloud screen, so we could see the sun as it shined down upon us. I was hoping we would find them right about now, but they were nowhere to be found. Maybe they were hiding below the clouds? More static came through my right earmuff.

“Garuda 1, we got an incoming telegram from Las Pegasus. You are over the Gulf now, and both you and the enemy are being tracked on Radar. Enemy is expected to enter combat airspace from bearing 030 ETA 10 minutes, it shouldn’t be long now. Is that helpful? Over.“

“Yes, it is Control, thanks for the info. Garuda team, out.” I cut communications, we were well outside their range anyway. I switched my frequency to Garuda’s, and relayed the news. “Garuda team, the enemy is expected to arrive ETA 10 minutes. They should almost be in view about now.”

“Copy, closing Radiators,” Naya answered.

“Garuda 1 to Wonderbolt and Gryphus, enemies are approaching from bearing 030. ETA 10 minutes.”

“Roger that Garuda. All wonderbolts, assume combat formation.” Almost simultaneously, all of the wonderbolt planes began to dip their noses downward, aiming for the clouds below us. I descended along behind them, my team sticking close and staying in formation.

“This is Gryphus Lead, we’ll get up high and scan the area for you. Out.” I looked up to see the Heavier duty aircraft climb upwards towards the sun, as my plane continued to dive. Eventually, the wonderbolts stopped diving and leveled out as they maintained their course.

“I wish you comrades the best of luck. If we get back, Labor Day celebratory drinks are on me!” Naya spoke proudly.

“Labor Day?” I asked.

“Every Dawn of May, the ponies from my homeland would usually cheer and drink, while they celebrated the holiday together and sing songs. It's to celebrate the diligence and sacrifice of all workers in Stalliongrad, in honor of their revolution. I even have drinks.”

“You’ve managed to get drinks into the Blueblood? Hell, I think I’m starting to like you a little more now.” Lucky admitted.

“Save some for me, Celestia knows I might need one after this.” Big concluded.

We flew in silence for a little while longer. 4 minutes have passed, each second passing filling the air with tension and apprehension. We had to be very close now.

“Garuda team, sitrep. Is everypony okay?” I asked, hoping I wasn’t the only one feeling a little nervous.

“I’m angsty, but I’ll be alright.”

“I’ll live.”

“I’ll be fine.” They all spoke at once.

“Stay calm, keep your head cool,” I stated.

I skimmed around the cockpit, noticing more planes joining the furball from behind us. There were at least 50 of us now, maybe more. Each team had a different number of planes, a different formation, and a different callsign. I wasn’t familiar with all of them, but I knew a couple. There was Avalanche, Sapphire, Dash, and Stratus. Those were the ones that were with us right now.

I instinctively switched my Wonderbolt Frequency, as I thought it would be easier for us all to call out important information. I still had my Team’s channel, I just wasn’t using it.

Just then, I heard a voice speak.

“Gryphus to all units, we have confirmation of the first bomber wave. Spotted bearing 015 from our position, 10 klicks out.”

My heart began to race.

“Roger that Gryphus, how many do you see?” Spitfire asked.

“Unknown, looks like at least 30 of them, maybe more.”

“Roger, all planes, assume attack formation. We’re about to engage.” Spitfire ordered her planes, and they instantly began to spread out, forming a much longer and narrow V-Shape formation.

Somewhere beyond the Clouds, I could see black silhouettes of aircraft popping through… a lot of them.

I counted at least 15 fighters at least escorting them, and 10 more bombers, at the very least.

And that was just the first wave.

“That is a lot of planes…” I heard a voice of anguish.

I noticed smaller aircraft breaking the bomber formation and turning towards us, no doubt engaging us before we could reach the bombers. My mouth all of a sudden tasted foul as my heart continued to race.

“Their escorts are breaking! They’re about to engage!” Someone from Wonderbolt squad announced.

“Maintain formation!”

"They're coming in hot!" I could hear Wonderbolt communications getting hectic.

“Orders, Garuda 1?” Naya asked.

“Garuda team, bank hard on my signal. Engage wherever possible.” I ordered.

There was barely enough time left for me to send one quick silent prayer to Celestia as the enemy was getting closer.

“Gryphus to all planes, we’re engaging the enemy bombers.”

“Roger that. Garuda, think you can lend us a hoof with these escorts?” Spitfire requested.

“Affirmative. We’re right behind you.” I answered. The swarm of 109s approached ever closer. "Garuda, we're prioritizing the escorts!"

“Stratus is green for engagement!”

“Dash is good to go!”

“Avalanche, ready to engage!”

“Sapphire is ready to go!”

“Ok, this is it!” Spitfire announced, instantly earning a reaction out of each of them as I heard the Lead Channel flood with frantic voices and static.

“3 Klicks out!”

“Nye pluch, eto vremya proshlo…” Naya spoke in her native tongue.

“Tally Ho!” Lucky bellowed.

“2 klicks!”

“All Planes, Break! Break!”

“Here they come!”

In a blur, all the planes in the sky exchanged fire, or even crashed into each other during the initial break. Golden and Jade Tracers streaked across the sky, tearing it apart by the seams.

And all of Tartarus broke loose.

---

I kept darting my head behind me, checking to see if he has shaken off.

Of course, he didn’t and was still continuing to fire away at my tail.

I couldn’t shake him. I dipped my nose downward, and disappeared into the clouds, instantly breaking right after I lost sight of him. I rolled, banking my way out from the cloud cover, and found that he was finally not pursuing me. I found him popping out of the clouds underneath me to my left, trying to find where I went.

I rolled in a quick 180 turn, and pointed my nose down as I gave chase to him. He must’ve seen me coming because he attempted to roll away in a vain attempt, hoping I would miss.

I didn’t. Seconds later, his fuselage caught fire, and he was spinning out of control.

“Garuda Team, give me a sitrep now!” I yelled into the mask.

“I’ve taken a couple of shots on my wing. Still airborne!” Lucky called out.

“Garuda 2 is good.” Naya spoke calmly.

“Big is fine!” Big spoke last.

“Regroup above the clouds, find the yellow smoke and regroup into Theta formation! We need to find those bombers!”

“Copy that!”

“These ones aren’t your usual 109’s, they got 20 Mils under their wings! Stay sharp!” I ordered.

10 minutes of hectic combat had passed. My plane suffered a couple of hits, but it was still flying. All around me, fighters from both sides were dancing around each other in a fruitless battle for Air Supremacy; gracefully steering, diving, climbing, and shooting. I’ve already counted at least 6 allied planes lost, and I had no idea how many the Bugs lost. I noticed a couple of planes spewing black smoke from the tail, and others were on fire as they sprawling towards the ocean below us.

“Gryphus, what’s the status on those bombers?!” Spitfire frantically asked, as I saw her plane was wildly steering in multiple directions, hoping to lose the bandit on her tail. I noticed my team slowly forming up on me as yellow smoke was spewing out of my wings. They formed slowly behind me, and one to my right, making an ‘X’ Formation

“We’re losing it! We confirmed 5 bombers down, but they just won’t quit! We need support now!”

“Garuda 1 to Gryphus 1, we’re on our way. Where’s your location?”

“We’re about 10 minutes out from the coast. They're above the clouds, and are getting closer to the city!”

“Not if we have anything to say about it!” I declared as I turned my plane to the South-East, climbing ever higher to gain altitude. More droplets of water stained the glass of the cockpit, as the haze of cloud vapor blinded my surroundings. Eventually though, I emerged throught to be greeted with a bright afternoon sun shining down upon me. The rest of my team followed suit in formation. After a quick search, I finally spotted the less intimidating formation of bombers with gryphus above them diving for the kill. Their tactics were top notch: they dived down on the dead zone where the gunners couldn’t reach them, gaining more speed as they got closer, before usually firing one burst to kill the bombers. ‘Boom and Zoom’, as Spitfire called it.

“Garuda Team, we can’t let a single bomb hit that radar station! Prioritize on the bombers, and give them everything we got!” I called out.

“Good copy!”

“I’m on it!”

“Here we go!” They all spoke at once again.

“Break formation, Engage!” I ordered, making them break from the X and steering to engage the bombers. I noticed one lowly fighter sneak up behind one of my Squadmate's planes, as they broke off.

“Naya, you got one on your tail!” Lucky called out.

“I am aware.” Naya simply responded. Her plane inverted, and was flying down to the ocean, disappearing into the clouds. The 109 followed behind, also flying in the clouds. I lost sight of both of them.

“Where’s our support from LAs Pegasus!? Shouldn’t they be here?” Big yelled.

“I don’t know. Focus on the bombers. Wipe them from our sky!” I reiterated. The formation zoomed closer and closer, as I fixed my sights on one of the bombers. I squeezed the trigger, Golden Tracers shot out to the Quad-Engined Beast. Sparks were emitting from the fuselage and the wings. At first, nothing happened. A few more rounds later, and smoke started to spew out from one of the engines. Soon it became darker. I continued to fire, delivering more tracers. I must’ve hit the fuel tank or something, because the plane began to burn uncontrollably as it continued to fly. Soon, it’s noes started to tip down, as one by one, Changelings were bailing out of the plane. Some of them were on fire already, as their corpse fell aimlessly to the ocean below.

I felt like I wanted to hurl after seeing such a sight.

“That ocean might cool ya, you fucking cunts!” Big cheers.

The gunners from the other bombers noticed my presence and opened up on me. I steered hard right, hoping to evade the incoming fire of green bullets. Some have managed to hit my wings, but no critical damage. Gryphus’s planes dived down again, striking another bomber, this time blowing it’s right wing completely off, sending it spinning wildly to the water below. Another one down, and a lot more to go.

Soon, the bombers started to steer in different directions, some narrowly missing each other from a mid-air collision as they lost their prized defense: their formation.

“Enemy fighter destroyed.” Naya finally spoke, after being silent for a while.

“Good kill. The bombers are breaking formation. Finish them off before they regroup!” I announced to my team, immediately switching to Lead Channel. “All planes, the bombers are breaking. They're becoming disorganized!”

“Good copy. Wonderbolts, finish these bugs off. Let’s wipe them out!”

“Another allied plane has been shot down!” A Mare cried out.

Just as the voice finished crying out, I looked to my rear behind me to gaze at the large furball of fighters that were crowding the airspace. One of them plummeted to the earth in a fireball.

“There’s just so many of them!” Lucky spoke through my right ear.

“All wings, give me a damage report now!” Spitfire ordered in my left ear.

“3 of our planes have been lost. We are currently 6 strong.”

“Dash is also suffering casualties! We lost 4”

“Sapphire lost 2, but we’re still fighting!”

“Avalanche is 4 strong! We lost 2!”

"Garuda!" I heard Spitfire yell in worry.

"No casualties! Still strong!" I answered as fast as I could.

“Keep the pressure on, eventually they’ll break! Garuda, Gryphus, prioritize the bombers if you can.”

“We copy, Garuda confirms 2 more bombers destroyed!”

“They’re changing course… they're dropping their payload early! looks like they gave up!” Naya spoke up in my right ear.

Sure enough, I saw the entirety of the bomber formation losing their wits and their weapons, their bombs falling from their bodies. They looked like they were in full retreat.

“When is the next wave supposed to be here?” N

“15 minutes after the first wave arrived, based on the briefing. They should be here soon.” I answered as I continued to give chase to one of the fleeing bombers. Its gunners opened up, but I was too far away for him to hit me. I kept rolling and banking, doing everything to avoid more damage. As soon as my crosshairs overlapped the bomber, I squeezed the trigger once more, and tracers lit him up like a Hearths Warming Tree.

Some pieces of metal from the plane began to fall off, as one of its engines was trailing a cloud of thick and dark smoke. I definitely hit something important. I continued to fire, and the whole tail of the Bomber soon broke off, causing the plane to flip spastically in multiple directions.

“Another bomber shot down, I think they’re retreating!” I called out.

“Save the ammo for the second wave. If they’re fleeing, let them run!" Spitfire ordered.

Over the North-Western Horizon, just a little way beyond the retreating formation, I noticed more black shapes flying towards us. I immediately switched channels again.

“Garuda 1 to all planes, another formation of Bombers has been spotted. Bearing 310 and heading towards us.”

“Good copy, Dash is moving to intercept.”

“Night Light!" I heard a cry in my right ear. for a moment, my heart skipped a beat as I thought the unthinkable had happened to him.

"I got one on my 6, and I can’t shake him!” Lucky frantically yelled.

I saw his plane to my right wildly maneuvering through the clouds, hoping to avoid him. But he kept giving chase.

“I’m on it, back to me!” I turned on the yellow smoke under my wings again, signaling to everypony who I was.

Lucky’s plane steered toward me as he saw my smoke, and was closing in fast. Green tracers were shot from the 109 behind him, almost hitting me.

“Lucky, when I say so, bank upward - as hard as you can without stalling!”

“Uh, okay then…” Lucky replied with angst. Both of them were getting closer. I couldn’t see the 109 behind him, but I knew exactly where he was.

“Okay, 3. 2. 1… Break!”

All at once, I opened fire, and Lucky’s plane hastily climbed upwards.

The 109 behind couldn’t react in time, as the tracers barely missed Lucky, and struck the 109 where his engine was.

Before he could collide with me, I banked hard right, barely missing the craft as it turned into a fireball, and started to plunge down to the sea.

“YEEAAHAHAHA! That was good shooting Night Light!” Lucky Bellowed through the radio, as I silently watched the fireball continue to fall. I didn’t see the pilot bail.

“Good kill, Garuda 1! I can confirm that victory!” Lucky cheered again.

“Gryphus to all units, I have a clear visual on the 2nd wave of bombers. There are a lot fewer escorts with them this time.”

“Finally, some good news.” I heard Big say.

“Everypony, we’re almost done here! Engage the bombers at will!” I ordered my squad. I turned to face the bombers head-on, as they continued to close in on the city.

“All enemy bombers from the 1st wave have been destroyed!” Sapphire lead spoke.

“Spitfire to all planes, it’s time to finish this! Prioritize on the bombers!”

Almost all of the allied planes I saw to my left turned to face the bombers. The others were either chasing a 109 or being chased by a 109.

The formation looked considerably smaller compared to the others. There was only a small number of 109s escorting them.

“Wonderbolts, let’s focus on the escorts. The rest will deal with the bombers!”

“Garuda 3 and 4, Prioritize the bombers, and we’ll be done. Give them everything you've got! Garuda 2, shift to support.” I ordered my team once more.

“Affirm on that Garuda 1, we’re moving to engage!” Lucky answered.

“Da, I shall stay behind you.” Naya followed. The formation was getting closer now, about 6 klicks out.

... Then I saw it.

It was subtle at first, enough so to make me mistake it as a trick of the light. But as I got closer, the more I doubted myself.

It was there and then that I noticed more shapes underneath the bombers. They weren’t clearly visible, but they were clearly there for the mission and nothing else. I saw the black silhouettes of planes I could not recognize.

There were more of them, forming a V formation following behind the lead plane.

And they were hiding in the clouds.

“All planes, we more bogey incoming! They’re in the clouds below the bombers!” I yelled in Team Channel.

“Roger that, I see- wait...” Spitfire trailed off.

Almost right on cue, the V formation slowly began to climb, still maintaining formation. I got a good look at them this time.

They were not 109s. They were some kind of rear propeller-engined plane, with a longer and thinner wingspan. Each plane was painted black, with Red Stripes diagonally covering the wings.

“Oh cyka.” I heard Naya speak, again in her native language.

“Who the fuck are these?” Spitfire asked incredulously.

The planes broke V formation, each of them spewing red trails of smoke from their tails as they flew apart like a firework.

“Who are these guys?!” I heard somepony from Dash call out.

“Alright. Gryphus, Sapphire, and Stratus: focus on these newcomers. The rest of us will take on the bombers.” Spitfire ordered. One by one, allied planes began to break off, chasing these newcomers.

“Who are they?” Naya asked.

“I don’t know. Where did they come from?” Lucky soon joined.

“Nothing we can’t handle!” Big finally reassured. But as more tracers lit up the sky from both sides, the crimson planes were dancing through, above, below, and in between them gracefully without so much as a scratch. Some were flying close enough to the lightning that could be seen through the storm clouds just below.

This was getting needlessly dangerous.

“Sapphire confirms we lost a plane. Fuck, these guys are good!”

“All damaged aircraft return to base, the rest of us push onward!”

I looked back and forth between the bombers and the Ace planes that were currently engaging us. The bombers were much closer, and the Aces seemed to be oblivious to our presence.

“Garuda Team, engage the bombers, we can't let them through!” I called out. I couldn't afford to get distracted, not now. Besides, it wasn't my job to take them on anyway.

More tracers discharged out of my plane, striking the bomber home. It caught fire on one of its engines, and it’s nose started to tip down. I saw multiple changelings bail. Another one down.

Naya pulled to my left from behind and started to fire on another bomber. I saw the tracers connect the fuselage, and soon after the whole plane exploded, sending bits of shrapnel and metal flying everywhere.

I turned hard, avoiding the debris as best I could. The bombers around us were frantically flying in random directions, due to the shockwave of the explosion.

I tried my best to keep the throttle steady and my plane as fast as I could. It was shaking wildly as I was trying to level out, doing my best not to lose speed.

“Got one.” That was all Naya said afterward.

“One of our own has been shot down!” one of the Wonderbolts cried out.

“Keep the pressure on, we almost got them!”

“Shit shit, I can’t lose him! 3, switch to support, now!” Sapphire lead frantically ordered. I turned my attention to the bombers once more. I focused on the ones that were the farthest from the formation and picked them off.

Two more bouts later, they were both shot down. There weren't that many left now.

CLI-CLANG!

"Agh- What the fuck!?" I swore.

As if conjured out of thin air, red tracers were flying over me to my rear, making me jump in my seat as I heard some of them smash into me. Instinctually I inverted and turned down to the ocean.

I looked to my rear, to find one of the Crimson escorts turning their attention towards me.

Seems they had enough of us shooting down their bombers.

“Naya, I'm in trouble! There’s one on me!” I called out, banking my nose down in a 180 dive.

“I see him, keep evading, I’ll get him!” Naya quickly reassured. I continued to roll around as I descended using my rudder while rolling to make me more agile, yet also took care not to use it too much to throw me into a stall. He must have got me good because it was getting harder and harder to steer this damn thing!

I was flying closer and closer toward the darker clouds below me.

Hoping I would lose him there, I desperately passed through the cloud cover, and instantly my cockpit canopy was littered with droplets of water littering my vision. I turned upwards, trying my best to climb out of the clouds soon afterward as I could feel my aircraft shaking way more violently than it ever had before as I ascended.

I turned behind me, still seeing the escort still giving chase and firing red bullets at me.

But Naya was behind him as well, trying to suppress him with her own barrage of bullets. This plane was amazingly fast and agile. I’ve never seen anything like it before.

“Almost got him…” Naya muttered. I continued to bob and weave through the clouds, trying to stay mobile from other potential planes.

Just then, a fireball of what used to be a plane flew straight down in front of me, barely missing me, making the plane shiver and shake by the near-miss.

The abrupt shift in my momentum had caused the Crimson Escort to overtake me, faster than I am now. Making me instinctively pull the trigger as he continues to ascend in front of me.

I saw a few tracers land home directly on the chassis, making it spew some sparks. But it didn’t go down.

Instead, it waved off, disappearing through the clouds. I gave chase and pulled up after him. I was greeted with the sight of a clear blue sky, and multiple planes above me fighting it out with each other. I followed behind the black smoke and found the Ace still climbing straight up, as I flew even closer.

I gritted my teeth as I fired again, and more tracers began to light up the plane. The Smoke was even darker now. I began to slow down as I climbed straight up, but so was he. He was breaking left, trying to evade me and stall me out. But I was ready.

As soon as his plane flattened out in front of me, I pulled the trigger a final time. The bullets struck flat onto his fuselage, and he caught on fire, finally starting to tip his nose downward. I too stalled out as I followed suit, forcing my plane to dip down to regain speed. I pointed straight down, and I saw the escort's plane spinning like a twister to my right as I flew down toward the clouds. When he was gone, I pulled up and leveled out.

“Escort down!” I called out through the mask, not sure who I was talking to anymore.

“Good kill Night Light.” Naya spoke softly. I saw more planes with missing parts sprawling toward the ocean below.

“All planes, enemies are falling back! It looks like they're all in full retreat. What’s the Status on those bombers?”

“All bombers have been shot down! The sky is clear!” somepony answered soon after.

“Roger, all teams, Casualty report!” Spitfire ordered.

“Sapphire has lost another plane. We’re 3 strong now.”

“Dash, report!”

“4 of ours have been shot down, we are 4 strong.”

“Avalanche, report!”

“We’re 4 strong still, haven't lost another one since the first wave.”

“Stratus, Report!”

Silence.

"... Stratus, report!" Spitfire asked again.

Still silence. Only static was heard.

“Fuck…” Spitfire softly muttered. “Okay, all planes, mission accomplished. Enemy Bombers and Fighters have been neutralized. Let’s go home.”

“Garuda team, regroup on me and form ‘Rarity’.” I softly spoke as I ordered my squad.

I sat back in my chair, releasing the stick as yellow smoke was trailing behind me, and let out a long sigh of relief.

I was shaking and tingling all over my body, the adrenaline still rushing through my veins.

I pulled off the mask, allowing me to breathe clearly again as I turned Southwest. My team one by one began to form up on me. I felt an immense weight on my heart all of a sudden lift off as I realized that the fight was finally over.

“Wow. I... Just… wow,” I muttered.

“Garuda 1?” Lucky asked. I pulled the mask closer to my face.

“Yeah, everything is fine. I just need a breather.”

We survived.

---

We were flying beneath the clouds. We barely had enough fuel to make it back to the Blueblood in one piece. By the time we got there, we were almost running on fumes. I counted 6 gallons left when the carrier came into view.

“Garuda 1 to Blueblood, Operation complete, requesting permission to land, over.” there was a moment of squelching static before a tinny voice replied.

“Blueblood to Garuda, permission granted. Start from 1 to 4. Over.” Blueblood replied.

“Roger. Out.” I switched channels. “Garuda team, wait for me to finish landing, then follow behind me one by one, starting from 2 to 4.”

I flew over the carrier, trying to get behind. The other planes were about to show up from the gulf, but they would have to wait for us to finish landing before they could. After accumulating a good distance between me and the runway, I turned around to face the carrier, dropping my landing gear, my flaps, and my hook. I closed in, easing up on the throttle as I got closer before I finally touched down, my Hook instantly catching onto one of the ropes to stopping it in its tracks.

I saw multiple ponies sprint towards my plane, releasing the hooking mechanism. I then saw the all-clear signal given by one of them as they fled. I taxied the plane closer toward the catapult in the center of the deck.

“Garuda 2, you may now land.” I heard Blueblood control speak.

“Garuda 2, copy that.” Naya spoke. When my plane reached its final destination on the Runway, I killed the engine, making the propeller slow down more and more, until finally, it stopped. I unbuckled myself, and opened the cockpit, finally being able to breathe that salty stormy ocean air. I unplugged the wire from my earmuffs, killing all radio communications as I watched Naya’s plane slowly make its way toward the runway.

I let out another long and heavy sigh as I still sat in the open cockpit of the Fulmar.

A significant weight sagged my mind and heart. I couldn't help but feel numb from head to hoof as I watched Naya land.

---

After an hour had passed since all of the squadrons had landed, we were all called to the Mission room for Debriefing. Most of the pilots from this morning were making their way to the lower decks as evening arrived. Upon entering the mission room, everypony sat down in their seats. Some of the seats remained empty. Not everypony made it back alive…

Unlike this morning, Major Lieutenant Hawk Eyes did not bother with formalities or pictures. By the time we all sat down and trotted into view, he got straight to the point.

“Mission accomplished everypony. All bombers are down, and the escorts are gone with them. The enemy lost about 50 planes in this mission thanks to your efforts.” He paused. “Of course, I am aware that we also suffered some casualties as well. If I read correctly, the report states we lost a total of 15 pilots and planes in this mission." He stopped for a moment, letting the number sink in.

"This was no walk in the park, especially with the reports of these new ‘Aces’ you encountered. But you pulled through, and because of this, the Las Pegasus Radar Station suffered no damage whatsoever and they thank you for it."

Nopony said anything. They just continued to listen.

"I am aware that the mood is heavy. And... I am aware we lost good friends today."

He paused for a moment as he rolled out a blackboard with chalk writing. Various graphs of various squadrons were written down.

... All of the names from Stratus Squadron were stricken off with a bold, horizontal line.

“Tonight, as a reward for your efforts, you are all granted extra rations of your choice in the Cafeteria and leisure for the rest of the day. And rest assured, we will find where these ‘Aces’ came from, and how to better combat them. This information shall be used accordingly. We will not let the deaths of Stratus Squadron be in vain."

Another heavy silence as several ponies looked to the floor in angst.

"That is all. You are Dismissed.” Hawk concluded.

With that, the ponies one by one stood up and began to walk out, each of them with a look of exhaustion ridden on their face.

A memory suddenly came to me.

Didn’t Naya say she brought drinks?

---

The Pilots from the mission now had brighter looks on their faces ever since they sat down to eat, and to let their mind wander. Some were actually even smiling, joking around as they tried to forget what had just transpired.

Naya, Lucky, Big, and I were sitting at the same table, cups of Vodka in our hooves. Lucky all of the sudden cleared his throat and raised his glass. A few heads noticed and turned to face him. He stuttered a little.

“Uh - Ahem - Everypony, I want to give a toast,” Lucky announced loudly to everyone, as he stood up. “A toast… to our fallen comrades; wherever they are, may they find peace. And a toast to Naya; who if not for her, we wouldn't be sitting here with drinks in our hooves.”

He raised his glass. “To our friends in paradise! May Celestia have mercy on their souls.”

Everypony responded with a raise of their own glass. Some even cheered, before greedily drinking it all afterward.

Lucky sat back down shortly after. It was bittersweet, at best. But a profound part of me was glad that Lucky did that, finding a way to commemorate the dead.

“Where did you get this stuff? I’ve never drunk anything like this before.” Big asked.

Yes, thank you Big, get our minds off of this dreary day.

“It is a specialty in my country. Not that hard to acquire either. I figured I would celebrate Labor day like others celebrate it: by getting inebriated!” Naya answered.

“Hear-hear to that. I needed a drink after today.” Bigs added on.

“It’s a shame though, wish I could’ve brought some of my homemade moonshines with me. Then it’ll be a party!” Lucky complained.

“Oh trust me, once you have enough of this bad baby,” Naya pulled out her Vodka bottle with a grin, “You won’t need Whiskey.”

“I'm not usually a heavy drinker,” I muttered. "But for there's a first time for everything, right?"

"That's the spirit! And speaking of spirits," Naya trails off as she pours each of us a glass, "Let us celebrate in spirit with spirits, to our fallen comrades. Shall we?"

"Aye." Big answered for all of us as he downed his glass in one gulp, "Best job I ever had."

"Best job I ever had," Lucky repeated as he followed suit.

The rest of the evening was... awkward. Almost too awkward to bear if it weren't for the fact that we had undergone such an ordeal mere hours earlier. Lucky tried to pass the time with small talk, usually about what sort of mischief he would get into in his youth.

I, on the other hoof, found myself to be quiet exhausted by the end of it all. I was starting to nod off at the table when I realized it was time for me to sleep.

“I need to head back to my bunk. I’ve been having trouble falling asleep lately, and hopefully this drink will do it for me.” I groggily announced.

“You sure you don’t want to stick around? There's still plenty left.” Naya slurred subtly.

“No, it's okay, you three have fun. I need to sleep.”

“Well, then... be seeing you, Night Light,” Lucky called out as I turned to leave. I made my way back to the Bunk Hall and found a random empty cot.

I walked in, dead tired from the whole ordeal earlier today, and collapsed onto the bunk. A wave of exhaustion crashed over me, overlapping the warm buzz of the alcohol. It didn't take long for sleep to take hold of me.

Next Chapter: (A2) - Chapter 1: Alive [Revised] Estimated time remaining: 16 Hours, 25 Minutes