Author's Notes:

BOOK 5: PART 1: REUNIONS

The Solar was trailing behind the Firecracker. The Ebony Grace was in the middle and all the way at the head of the train was the Twilight Sky. Commodore Deke could have outrun the Solar, but she would have hunted them down at some point. He couldn't lead them to their rendezvous location.

Instead he was baiting her into a chase. Shadow was pretty certain he could get Dry Dock City’s support against the Solar that would blindside the Raptor and protect all the extra lives aboard the three Corvettes. They couldn’t just let the injured loose, meaning the Ebony Grace was out of the fight until the there were no options left.

Baltimare was visible out of the Twilight Sky’s bridge. Shadow was giving the crew commands that brought them to a halt. It wouldn’t be long before the Solar would be on them. To keep her engaged they hadn’t given themselves a lot of extra space.

“This is good,” Shadow said. “Don’t move until we let you know what to do. If the worst happens, dump the ACUs into the southern part of the city to dig in defenses and take the battle out to the sea. But I don’t think it will go that far.”

“I don’t like it,” Deke said. “But I trust you. Go do this. Get us an ally.”

Shadow darted out of the bridge to the top of the Twilight Sky where Wonderbolt Squad 19 was, along with Kikosi Kisasi, his Zebra Squad. They leaped off the front and slowly cruised as one large fan towards the city. It was hard to see in the ruins. You had to know what Dry Dock City looked like to pick it out from the height they were at. And to the city, they looked like the enemy.

General Firestorm was quiet about what was happening. The channels were mostly insecure at the moment as the Enclave reeled from the blow to Operation Cauterize failing. The clouds being ripped out from under them also opened them up to jamming, which was happening. An aggressive move over open channels could bring every military unit down on them. It meant they had to stay low and quiet as they figured out who was making what stance.

The Council was quiet as things failed. Apparently, they were moving to a secure location since the clouds were no longer there to shield them. They would soon announce their next decision, but until then the military was quietly sorting it out among themselves. A lot of independent troop movement was happening between bases.

They coasted over the city and Shadow led them into a slow figure 8 taking them down into the middle of the city. He could already tell where the guards were and they were out in force. They probably had raised the militia, ever since the Twilight Sky came into view.

The two teams landed in a circle, careful to keep their backs to each other as they stared down the rifles of the residents of Dry Dock City. Shadow made a few steps forward to separate himself from the others visually and pulled his helmet off.

“We come in peace!” Shadow announced. “And we come seeking an ally. We are members of a new movement that opposes the traditional stance of the Grand Pegasus Enclave. My name is-”

“Command Sergeant Major Shadow Flare,” An old silver stallion said as he stepped out from behind a guard. “I never expected to see you again.”

“Governor Silver Sifter!” Shadow exclaimed, taking a few steps closer to him. “I assume it is still governor.”

“It is,” Governor Silver Sifter said with a smile. “But what has you here, with them, and with a cloudship?”

“Long story short and sweet, I got booted out of Equestria and forced to stay below all this time. I was in the Zebra Lands.”

Ukuzwa stepped out and over to Shadow’s side. “It is a pleasure to meet you,” She said with a bow. “I understand here is one of the truly good few. My name is Ukuzwa, the mage. I hope that we can start on a fresh page.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you,” Governor Silver Sifter said, smiling at her.

The whole crew relaxed and all of the guards lowered their rifles. Things were not resolved, but the suspense was gone. The Wonderbolts, Kogata, and Kachi removed their helmets as a sign of good faith.

“Governor,” Shadow said, composing himself. “I know this is a big imposition, but we need Dry Dock City’s help. First and foremost, we are being chased by a true Enclave cloudship that wants to rip me and my friends apart. The Captain of the visible ship is a good friend of mine and he has been trading nasty words with the other captain, a big rival. Degenerate was the nicest thing our group was called.

“Give the word, and we set the battle to happen over the sea. But we only have 3 Corvettes. Fast ships geared towards the defense of the Enclave, while he has a Raptor, and it is a new one. The Raptors were the dragon killers of the old war, but they can tear up the ground with ease. It will be a tough thing to win. With the guns in Dry Dock City, we could turn the battle into an ambush and win.

“But that battle doesn’t concern you, and we respect your right to decline.”

“I will need to consult our military adviser,” Governor Silver Sifter said. “It is a risk. But I trust you.”

“I would not endanger this beautiful flower,” Shadow stated. “We could use an ally, at least on the books.”

“There is another matter you wish to ask of us?” Govern Silver Sifter asked.

“Yes,” Shadow said with a more confident nod. “Each of the Corvettes is stuffed with friendly troops. We need to get them back to our allies, but one is carrying a large number of wounded. We pulled them out of Fillydelphia before the Light Bringer dropped whatever it was on Fillydelphia they dropped. If we could leave them here with some of our medics to be tended, it would be very appreciative.”

A pegasus dropped in between Shadow and Ukuzwa. Shadow almost yelled at him except Deke rammed his hoof into his mouth.

“I am Commodore Deke, the Captain over the Twilight Sky. In ten minutes, no matter what happens in these discussions, the Ebony Grace is going to fly over here at full speed. She carries wounded and I can’t risk her being anywhere near us when the Solar attacks us. None of the units on my cloudships will attack you if we have to dump them for the battle. She had to make a sudden jump in acceleration and we are not wasting even a tiny bit with a course change.”

Shadow popped Deke’s hoof out of his mouth. “Shove it Deke. This is tense enough situation, and you are obviously not delicate.”

“You’re are missing an eye,” Governor Silver Sifter said to Deke.

“I lost my sight in it slowly over the years. Same with my ear,” Deke said showing off his ear cuff. “We were protecting a district from a very destructive storm that the Weather Factory unleashed on my fellow Pegasi. We physically combated the storm with our guns, blasting it apart while the non-essential crew warned them below and got them to safety.

“In the end, the 14 of us on board got steam rolled, hard. I saved the ship, but 4 of the crew died protecting their fellow sky brothers and sisters. The Twilight Sky and the Ebony Grace are named for two of the four that sacrificed their lives. It was on a different cloudship, but it was a Corvette like that one. Small.

“My time as a cloudship captain is at its end. The military is taking my command because of my compromised sight. Their decision to go to war below halted my phasing out. I served my race proudly, earning the Humanitarian Service Medal a total of three times over my service. I uncovered two other times where the Pegasus Race was about to take a lot of casualties due to natural disasters, and such. That is the highlight of my career and dedication to the safety of all pony kind.”

“That’s your highlight?” Shadow asked, looking at all the ribbons.

“Hey,” Deke shot back. “I have other proud moments, but they are personal pride, not saving ponies asses. That’s thanks to your influence.”

“Impressive,” Governor Silver Sifter stated. “You are not just some meat head looking for a fight.”

“Well,” Deke hesitated. “Captain Green has had it out for me since the start, and I am totally looking forward to this fight. We have been waiting for the opportunity to do this. He started it. He thinks his military heritage and blood make him entirely superior to me. I have experience, he has blood, and its not been calm between us. I won’t lie about personal gains in this upcoming fight.”

“Damn,” Shadow swore. “I missed a lot.”

“Yeah,” Deke sighed. “You did. I missed you the entire time. But, Sir, my crew is ready to combat a Raptor with a decent chance at winning, but we could use the support. I don’t want to die before Shadow and I can finally hang out outside of the military.”

The conversation halted as The Captain shoved a pony past the Dry Dock City guards. A green haired stallion in an oil and paint covered mechanic suit.

“I came as fast as I could,” The Captain said. “Shadow Flare, it is good to see you once more.”

The Stallion’s head shot up and they locked eyes. Shadow’s rage was tripped as he recognized the familiar face. It took nothing for him to cross the distance between them and back hoof him in the face with his armored hoof.

“I MOURNED YOU!” Shadow screamed. “I FUCKING MOURNED YOU SLICE! YOU COULD HAVE HAD THE DECENCY TO TELL THUNDER AND ME TO NOT WORRY. THAT YOU WERE HEADING HERE!

“Thunder,” Shadow seethed. “He blamed himself for not being able to stop you. Shortly after you left, he pulled the pin on a grenade and blew his head off! He couldn’t bare the idea of committing himself to becoming a wasteland pony. He had honor! You didn’t! I was the last Inquisitor because you ran off in secret!”

“I didn’t mean to come here,” Slice shot back, rubbing in cheek. Blood had been drawn, but Shadow had restrained the power in the strike. He hadn’t wanted to break his face permanently. “I left. I left with nothing. I expected to die. I couldn’t go back to my nothing life. And we had committed treason. Tricked into it or not, we committed treason.

“I couldn’t take the ghosts anymore. They were driving me insane. The damn unicorns were always just out of sight. And fuck, I killed some completely defenseless young ones. I just couldn’t take it and I lost it as I had to go. I deserved to die, so I threw myself into the wasteland.

“I just…don’t remember much. I doubt you understand that feeling. But its like a horrible dream that is all hazy, and when you wake up, you can’t remember anything. Well I woke up here, on the verge of death. And I built a life here. I am truly sorry you had to find out. I didn’t mean any harm. I meant to die. But now I got a wife and foals. I got a life here.”

“I left shortly after you did,” Shadow growled. “I killed Dahlia for you. I killed the Disciples for you. And I got forced out of Equestria, on the run, injured, bleeding out, and I lost track of everything for you. I came too weeks later in the care of some Zebras. I built a temporary life there, but I was always going to go home to my family. You weren’t even going to give them that courtesy!”

“My family is shit! You were lucky. My dad’s a drunk who hated that I existed. My dad can’t even be sure I am his. My mother doesn’t even know if I am his. My sister was always the star because of that fact. They didn’t shed a tear. They already shed them for my existence.”

Shadow was distracted by a little green filly slipped in between the guard’s legs and approaching Ukuzwa while the adults were distracted.

“Um, excuse me. Are you from Kifopiga?” Her voice was sweet and innocent.

“Tear Drop!” Slice barked. “I told you to never to mention that place. That is one of Daddy’s private stories. And you shouldn’t be here.”

Shadow caught sight of tiny wings on her back. She was a Pegasus like her father. That had to have made Slice proud.

“I have visited that place,” Ukuzwa smiled at her. “The grave carved from plagioclase. But your father is right, it is not a place to recite.”

Slice glared at Shadow. “Did you raid Kifopiga?”

“The Zebras reclaimed the supplies stored there,” Shadow replied. “And Ukuzwa needed materials they had stored there to learn the magic she was already gifted with. And right before we came here, we carefully acquired weapons that were more suited to the Equestrian wasteland. They don’t have the 7.7 rounds in enough quality to keep my team moving through multiple engagements.”

“We were always respectful,” Simi said, stepping over to them boldly. “I am Mtoaji’s warrior trainee. He taught me to protect my home. He protected my home. We are his team that protected the free cities he helped us build. We are here to make sure he finally gets home. We knew what we were getting into. Our Zebra weapons were not going to cut it here. But damn, your 5.56 round sucks.”

“I haven’t touched a weapon since I left Rosemary,” Slice said, conceding the point. “That is one line I am never again crossing.”

“Like hell you are,” Shadow growled. “I need you with me. We need to work together to make sure the Enclave falls.” Shadow poked him in the chest. “The only way she survives is if the Enclave crumbles and out of it we raise up a new Pegasus Race, one that works with below. One that is apart of Equestria. The clouds are gone, the Council is regrouping after the disaster with Operation Cauterize, so we have the opportunity to change the outcome of the Pegasus Race. We have the obligation to do that. You have a perspective that no other Enclave Soldier has!

“And yes Slice, you still are an active duty Enclave Soldier. Your MIA status has not stopped any of that. You are still Sergeant Major Apple Slice, Reconnaissance Squad 4. You gear is secure in Rosemary. And you will retrieve it and report for duty!”

“Fuck off!” Slice said turning to leave. He was blocked by the Captain.

“Slice, it has been amazing to have you become a full member of our community.” The Captain’s words were sweet and genuine. They matched his soft smile. “But you will be reporting for duty. The Pegasus Race needs you and your unique position. Dry Dock City needs you to do that. Sweet Waters needs you to do that. Your three foals need you to do that. I haven’t pushed you to ever pick up a gun because I understood things fell apart.

“But you will be reporting for duty. To do what you must for your race. And then you can come back and live here. Or, you can die making sure we don’t become the target of evil minded Pegasi. If you don’t go, you will not be able to stay here.”

Slice glanced over at Governor Silver Sifter who shrugged in agreement with The Captain. He wasn’t going to say a word though. He was just going to silently back The Captain.

“We have a second Cloudship almost on us,” The Captain said. “From what I understand from our coms, you need assistance?”

Deke gave them a 30 second run down of the situation.

“I see,” The Captain said. “Slice, ready the guns. Commodore, Slice will coordinate with you on the bridge from the south gun. You will be a spotter for us. For targeting assistance, you will need to be right above that gun. Slice knows the systems well.”

“I’m a little iffy on the Corvette’s gun batteries,” Slice warned them.

The Captain continued with his strategy. “I suggest we accelerate the Firecracker and swing her out over the ocean. You will give us the targeting info and bait the Solar in. Then you will fall back in retreat. We can open fire on an unaware Solar and from there, the battle can commence with all three of us working together.”

Deke grinned and bent down to take off into the sky. “I like it!”

The Captain nodded. “It will work. Slice, I trust you understand the full severity of the situation.”

“I do,” Slice nodded. “I will take personal responsibility and keep my hoofs on it all. I won’t miss. It won’t take 10 minutes to have us ready and 20 at most to be dialed in.”

Deke took off and Slice moved out on hoof.

“Take your defensive stations,” The Captain ordered the guards and militia.

All of the guards ran off to their stations, leaving none of them around the Wonderbolts and Zebras. Governor Silver Sifter and the Captain stayed with them.

“Anything we can do?” Cardinal Spitfire asked.

“No,” The Captain replied with the same, soft smile. “We will watch the ambush from the south gun. But this is something we are actually prepared for.”

“We should catch up,” Governor Silver Sifter said. “A lot has changed since last time. You guys did more than you realize you did. The farms are yielding four times more since you helped us with the composting. Fort Strong is ours, permanently. Nor’easter was correct, the Super Ponies just needed a strong organizational structure. They hold Fort Strong. We are one city, but it is easier that way.”

“It is advantageous to hold both,” Shadow added.

“Crystal Kiss and Black Bolt still reside over here with us. Black Bolt has made a wonderful teacher. And Crystal Kiss helped our gardens flourish. She is rather protective of her herb gardens, especially the Rosemary plants she got from you.”

Shadow chuckled with delight. “I told her something about her being the only one who could handle growing them.”

“You were right about that,” The Captain chuckled.

“But that is on the inside of the city,” Governor Silver Sifter continued. “Since we have Super Ponies on our side, things in Baltimare have shifted. The last direct attack on the city was eight months ago. We have been able to push them back. Or, better put, the Super Ponies have been pushing them back to Stable 50.

“We have been sending out recovery team into the cleared blocks before we lose them again. It’s been advantageous, but we can’t eliminate them all. The buffer we have is the best we can maintain. And that does shift periodically.”

“Anything pressing?” Shadow asked. “I can leave a few Aerial Combat Units here to help strengthen your lines and our alliance.”

“Nothing is needed,” The Captain assured them. “It is stable. I doubt you will have the resources after to do anything either. I have heard the brief reports over the radio.”

“We lost a lot of Pegasi,” Shadow sighed. “But most of them were not going to side with us. It was the First Fleet that primarily lost vessels. And most of the soldiers that went below were led by the officers that vote for a full eradication of the wasteland. Sad, but nothing to cry over at this moment. After the war is over, we can mourn the evil that is war.”

“You say that as if there will be a war,” Governor Silver Sifter said. “Are you so sure?”

Shadow looked at Ukuzwa who nodded. “I am a seer. Into the deep I can sometimes peer. When he first arrived, a prophecy I derived.

“When the sword is set in stone, It will sound a new tone. Home will be given, it is a sign, committed. Together we must gather, or forever be scattered. Listen to the master, and you shall avert all disaster. Many will block the way, and for that they will pay.

“The stone shall relax, when it hears the call of the Light Bringer. The last link will be ready to shed, beginning the true mend. Father against son, until either side has won. The final link must be forged in person, or things will forever worsen.”

Shadow explained. “The first half has come true. But that is why my team came. Father against son, until either side has won. The final link must be forged in person, or things will forever worsen.

“I have to make sure that we shed as little blood as we re-forge the link to our pony brothers and sisters. But if our military is how it was when I last was above, we are screwed. It won’t be a simple thing to sort out. The citizens will back me, the soldiers won’t. Unarmed citizens are useless except to waste their blood. And I won’t let that happen.”

“We can help with training,” Governor Silver Sifter said. “And I am sure we can set something up so that we can help train them out of the eye of the others. Right The Captain?”

“I don’t know,” The Captain admitted as he looked up at the Ebony Grace.

She thundered over them at the high-speed Deke had warned them. It was a good thing he warned them. She was low overhead, but not dangerously low. Her engines were huge compared to the size of the Corvettes. Deke had said they were the same engines as the Raptor Class used.

“Governor,” The Captain said once they could talk again. “The thing is, with the clouds gone, the game has changed dramatically for the Grand Pegasus Enclave. They can no longer deny what is below them. That will mess with their politics greatly.

“I can’t miss this opportunity. I am a Pegasus. I fought for Equestria. I trained the greatest Pegasi fighters Equestria has ever seen. Some of them were Shadowbolts, my prouder students went on to form the Blue Beret. And then when it all fell apart; I was here with my whole unit to begin sea raids. I have to go above and make sure the right choice is made. And if be, I will fight and die for the old Equestria that I still love dearly.”

“Sir,” Cardinal Spitfire cautiously said stepping forward. “Did you say you trained the founders of the Blue Berets?”

The Captain looked here over again. He snorted. “Wonderbolts, right?”

Cardinal Spitfire snapped to attention and saluted in the old style, with her hoof. The rest of Squad 19 did as well. “Sir, yes, Sir! Colonel Cardinal Spitfire. We are Wonderbolt Squad 19, Sir. Our nickname is the White Shadows, Sir. After my husband, Shadow Flare, Sir.”

“That’s your wife,” The Captain blurted.

“Yep,” Shadow grinned. “It’s been a long time missing her.”

“Faithful to the day I die,” Cardinal Spitfire said with the same grin. “All that time was worth it now. All the painfully lonely nights have meaning. My stalwart assurance that he would be back has won out.”

“She is a better fighter than me,” Shadow said to The Captain. “At least she was when I left. I know you didn’t get much time with me, only one mission, but she was amazing back then. In Filly, I got to fly beside her once again, and flight as well. She hasn’t slipped. The Squad easily holds up to the Enclave standards of being a Wonderbolt. How they hold up to your standards, I don’t know.”

“Sir,” Cardinal Spitfire said. “Only a few ever taught the Pegasi how to go to war. The Enclave Wonderbolts hold those secrets. We know the Enclave inside and out. We have to in order to keep it from falling apart over all these years. And we know our history, the real history. We know it so we can protect the others.

“That is broken now. With our regroup…I lost a friend who was betrayed. Her second shot her to keep to the old ideals. Four of the twelve made it out alive.

“So I have to ask you, Sir, what is your name? Only a few stallions were recorded as teachers who were of the old breed. The real breed.”

The Captain looked them all over again. He snorted again. “Some of you are more sure of your duty than others.”

“Yes, Sir,” Aegis Blade said, stepping forward. I am Ensign Aegis Blade, Sir. 5 years of service sir. I only just joined the Wonderbolts. Squad 19 is my first assignment, Sir. It has been a difficult transition, Sir. Especially with a Colonel such as Cardinal Spitfire, Sir. She is an idealist, but has the skill over most of the Wonderbolts to back it up, Sir.”

Commander Fuchsia Sky presented herself for inspection. “For the most part, Sir, we have been dealing with a lot of new information thrown at us. I am from the same year as when the Command Sergeant Major was declared MIA. I am well versed in that situation. The others are after that time. And we rarely test for new members.

“As far as I can tell, most of the Wonderbolts hold to a neutral position when it comes to the Enclave. Those who do not have probably been eliminated before it can bite us in the ass, Sir. General Firestorm is also an idealist and she wrote the current update on the History of the Wonderbolts. With her own comments about the developments since the last edition a few decades back, Sir.

“The real question is, Sir, how far will she take things? She wasn’t outright appalled over a recent incident where some Wonderbolts were ‘reeducated’ by the Light Bringer. Dang it, I mean Little Pip, Sir. The Zebras and Shadow Flare only know her as that, Sir.”

“The Captain,” Cardinal Spitfire said. “Shadow Flare’s recovery spawned the recall of the entire Aerial Combat Battalion and Third Fleet. I don’t know the extent of the damage because we have been running from the Solar. We can’t let them know our rally point.

“General Firestorm was furious that the Inquisitors were betrayed under her nose. She and our previous General did everything they could to recover them. We just missed them, but our evidence was that only Shadow Flare survived for unknown reasons.

“She was chomping at the bit to not have to send her battalion into this war. Shadow’s recovery gave her the tangible reason to. She doesn’t like to act without proper information. And at this moment, Shadow has the right information. And now, apparently so does the Sergeant Major. We thought he was dead. Thankfully we never claimed him as KIA. We didn’t have the concrete evidence to do so.”

“That works to our advantage,” The Captain said, thinking. He let out a sigh. “I can’t believe I lived to see the sun again. I can’t miss this opportunity to make a difference. When the shit hit the fan, I never had that opportunity. We got hit with a megaspell to our southeast. I woke up as a ghoul.

“I spent the rest of my life building and then watching over Dry Dock City. Over the years, the rest of my surviving team lost their minds and had to be put down. I thought I would lose mine before I saw the sun shining over my Equestria again.”

The Captain looked the Wonderbolts over again. He didn’t snort this time. “Colonel and Squad 19, I am officially Equestrian Military Reserve Lieutenant General Soarin. I was behind the scenes for everything, teaching. But then they needed me to take this position on Equestria’s first real naval fleet. We simplified things to Captain so that the entire fleet could operate smoothly. The poor Admiral would have been sweating the entire time if I was wearing my full rank.

“And that is how I got my second name. When Dry Dock City was raised from the ruins, and I led it, my soldiers were always reporting to me with Captain. The civilians did it then too, and I put Soarin behind me as everything turned to dust.

“But now, I once again have an Equestria to fight for. A real Equestria, with all three races united.”

“It will be an honor to escort you to our headquarters,” Cardinal Spitfire saluted, again it was with her hoof.

Shadow pulled his throw bag off his back and snapped together Soarin’s Lightning. “Sir, this belongs to you.”

Soarin stretched out his hoof to take it and then stopped, pulling it back slowly. He looked it over.

“She is beautiful,” He nodded. “But no. You recovered her. She is yours. I insist. I will take my battle saddle and dress uniform with me, but I do not intend to fight unless we come down to our last soldier.”

“Thank you,” Shadow said.

“Come, the time has arrived. I see the Solar on the horizon. We need to get to the south gun.”

The followed after The Captain at a quick pace. Slice was on the gun, ready. Most of the adjustments had been made as it pointed into the sky at a steep angle. He gave a nod to them all. Above them was the Twilight Sky. It was parked in perfect synchronization of its front turret to the gun on the ground.

Their coms were patched in to listen on the Bridge.

“Captain Green,” Deke said with way too much enthusiasm. “We have traded some heated words these past two days. And we have traded other words over the years. Are you so certain that this is the answer?”

“I don’t give a shit to how many Corvettes you have. The Solar is the finest Raptor the Grand Pegasus Enclave has. I was given her, not you. I know your name was tossed in that hat. You got passed up because I was the better Captain.

“And despite the setbacks over the past few days, we will come out victorious! You can’t match me, even with your speed. All I have to do is nail your ships with one hit from my main guns and you are done for! You have no armor. I do.”

“You are out matched,” Deke said, bored. “Because it was I who pulled my name out of that hat. I didn’t want the Solar unless I could bring her to the Third Fleet. I could not, so I bowed out before they put me in a position, I didn’t want to be in. Knowing that, if you really wish to press forward, you will find yourself in trouble.”

“I may not be able to see the Ebony Grace-”

“She is in the rear,” Deke interrupted him. “She won’t be joining this fight. She holds our wounded. I won’t risk them.”

“Do you actually think your jump tactics will allow you to infiltrate my ship before I take you out?”

“The ACUs are not a part of this engagement,” Deke calmly stated. “I will be engaging you with my ships in a match of guns on guns. And I will win. I won’t win because I have blood, I will win because I have a plan. I have always had a plan-”

“Plans is all you ever talk about! You were a shit officer on the bridge and you never deserved that Captain’s chair. They were so desperate to get new officers as the Third Fleet expanded that they had to resort to your kind!”

“My kind was actually given my commission by the Council,” Deke replied calmly. “Yes. You heard me right. I had my commission given to me by the Fifth Councilor. That is why you could never see my record. We had to hide it to help ease things over. You are all so blood focused, it wasn’t a fair advantage. Because, like I earned that commission, I was going to earn my own ship.

Slice looked up anxiously at the Twilight Sky. He was waiting for Deke to give him the signal. He was not expecting this long of a verbal exchange.

“Now, I hope you will all forgive me.”

“Excuse me?” Captain Green growled. “Forgive you?”

“Not you jackass. I have no problem with killing the likes of you who puts personal blood above the safety of the very Pegasi he claims to protect. I am speaking to your crew; through your own intercom system I might add. We have full control of that.

“I am sorry that all of you regular soldiers are caught up in this. If I could settle this personally with him, and any of you who think I am a degenerate fuck bag because I have ideals that back the situation below, that I deserves to be branded, castrated, and then brutally raped by the evil ponies below before they eat me. Well, if I could settle this with just them, I would. I am sorry that you have to serve under him. I am sorry that you have to die for the Pegasus Race in this way.”

The Twilight Sky’s first turret opened up with a volley from its 10 inch guns. A few seconds later they exploded against the Solar. The Twilight Sky immediately went in reverse. Deke wasn’t going to miss watching the action, but he had been told to retreat for the ambush to work. Even in reverse, the Twilight Sky was quick.

Slice did a final adjustment and fired the south gun. It was the only gun in Dry Dock City to open fire. A few second later the Solar exploded as it was hit. It was a lot bigger of an explosion than what the three guns the Twilight Sky had brought.

And then Shadow felt a heavy concussive blast hit him from the explosion. A very big difference in the explosions. The south gun was only a 6 inch cannon compared to the Corvette’s 10 inch main guns. The Solar was rent apart by the concussive force of the shell’s detonation. It was all left in a sparkling aura of tiny blue stars.

“Slice?” Shadow calmly asked. “Was that Star Dust?”

“Uh, yeah,” Slice said, not even trying to soften the blow.

“You didn’t know the real details about Star Dust,” Shadow calmly replied. “Not officially. The only three who knew fully what we found was me, Storm, and Nor. All you knew was our opening suspicions about what they were. And that was very vague.”

Slice chuckled. “Once we retook Fort Strong, the Governor made sure everything had been cleared, I know Storm’s codes by heart and unlocked it. I had to make a new cloud key since I left mine in Rosemary.”

“It came in very, very handy for me,” Shadow inserted.

“Well it took nothing for me to unlock that vault. It wasn’t hard to deduce what they really were. I had years to pour through their files. We only had a few hours to recover stuff from Fort Strong. Only The Captain, Governor Silver Sifter, and I knew what Star Dust was as we brought it back over. We decided to not leave it with our Super Pony family.”

“Wise choice,” Shadow admitted.

“And just what was that!” Deke asked as he landed. “That!” He pointed to where the Solar had disappeared from. “That wasn’t a normal shell! I though the plan was to hammer them from the ground and then the Firecracker would move in to strafe while she was distracted. And then Twilight Sky could finish the Solar with our broadsides. I fired explosive rounds to give you the final coordinates! I would have fired armor piercing if I knew you would blow her up in one shot!”

Slice pulled out the shell from the breach of the cannon. He held it up. It was stamped on the side with the blue seven-pointed star.

“Star Dust. One of the few true Equestrian Megaspells. Most of what was exchanged on both sides was at least based on the Zebra spell Balefire. The nasty stuff that turned our wasteland into a real wasteland. Equestria may have shot other spells as well. We don’t know those details.

“But Star Dust wasn’t meant to be like those. It was a spell housed in a canister designed primarily to be shot from a naval canon to eliminate Zebra installations and cities without leaving the same yuck behind.

“To be perfectly clear, this Star Dust is designed to be a visual spell. Point and shoot, hitting what you can see. Obviously, you need distance. But it was designed to pack a punch on the front lines, without endangering our troops.”

“No fair!” Deke said, storming up into Slices face. “Megaspells should never be used!”

“Do you not remember what I said before?” Ukuzwa asked. “I thought you had to be smart to be a commodore.”

Deke narrowed his eyes at her, but he didn’t approach her. He wasn’t willing to test his luck there.

Ukuzwa quoted herself. “There are times when it is a good thing. Good was not what the Zebras decided to bring. But the Enclave’s assault is brutal and unkind. They do not fight with a just mind. Right and wrong can sometimes be bent, especially when your options are spent. The Enclave is spread thin, but even then the other side can not win.

“That same mind came here. They would have destroyed this place these ponies endear. Look around you and see, this is a place that is truly free! Star Dust does not hold any evil in it, only that which the pony has in their pit. There is good inside, and that was something with which Equestria made sure Star Dust was fortified.”

“Fine,” Deke sighed. “I recognize that without it, the strategy was still a long shot. And I think it was more humane for the innocent lives caught up in this. And…Ukuzwa, do you think it is wise to bring some 6s with us. Our fleet will easily be outmatched any I have guns that can fire that. A few of those could level their fleets and protect ours.”

“NO!” Shadow, Slice, and The Captain yelled at the same time. They looked back and forth trying to figure out who should explain.

“I know him best,” Shadow said. “Deke, Star Dust is built on a concussive blast rather than a traditional explosion. That means while the shell can destroy things in its blast radius, and will, it creates a much larger wave that can easily liquefy a pony’s insides much further away than what a regular blast will produce. I know you felt that blast up there.”

Deke nodded.

“The biggest downside is also the biggest advantage. While one shell is powerful, if you put two in close proximity, the effect is amplified by far beyond double. Fourfold at least. It would only take ten of those shells to completely destroy New Cloudsdale. To wipe it off the map.”

Deke’s face fell in terror. He knew New Cloudsdale well. It was his home city.

“I think closer to eight,” Slice added. “Only eight if you place them right. Or three 16-inch shells. Since it is a cloud-based city.”

“Yeah,” Shadow said, confirming what Deke was thinking. “One shell is a lot of power, but a few can level a city with ease. And with no fallout after effects.”

“Tactical use only,” Deke nodded.

“This is still too risky,” Shadow said. “No.”

“Yes,” The Captain said. “Yes. I think the Commodore is correct. We are probably in a tight spot when it comes to the naval aspects. A few of Star Dust’s rounds could even that score. We can’t use it on troops, but ships, those battles will happen away from the cities.”

“Maybe a base or two,” Slice added. “Depending on how things fragment. But yeah. It’s one thing we will have that the Grand Pegasus Enclave wont. It’s our ace up our sleeve.”

“I will take command on the Star Dust project,” The Captain said. “Me and Ukuzwa will.”

“Corporal Chiha and Corporal Koto will join you,” Shadow said. “They are fierce fighters who will defend them to the last if things go wrong.”

“Blow it up,” Corporal Koto nodded.

“No rhyme?” The Captain asked, raising his nonexistent eyebrow.

“My team has mastered the art of short communication,” Shadow clarified. “It’s kept things less confusing as we run around in fights. Especially for me. Simi really has mastered non-rhyming communication, but only because he wanted to.”

“Interesting,” The Captain shrugged. “I was so proud of the Blue Berets, but I hated the war. I watched Equestria turn from light to dark in a shorter span that I ever could imagine. We were so peaceful. The Zebras were too, mostly. Their tribe squabbles were not the cause of the war and they were not ready for what we all got thrust into.”

“Neither side was aware of what was to come,” Ukuzwa stated with a sorrowful note on her tongue. “We were utterly bent to succumb. There was no right or wrong side, we all tasted the same sulfide. We went to draw blood, moving with a scud. In visions and dreams I have watched with tears; I saw both side’s affairs.”

Ukuzwa couldn’t continue as a tear clearly slid form her eye and dropped down off her face. She set the somber mood for a while. A time to reflect on the evils that once were, the evils that still were, and the evils that would come in the name of peace.