“Why do we have to wait now? Weren’t they all gung ho about running the op this morning?”

“SNAFU with one of the ships. Typical. You make a bucket cold enough, it’ll crack like a dry biscuit when you heat it back up.”

“You think they’ll scrub the mission? I’d rather not freeze my ass off just to have to head back to base.”

“Not gonna happen. The Major would probably tear FleetCOM a new one if he didn’t see any action today.”

Though the chatter was punctuated with laughter, a nervous energy coursed through the cold air of the hidden crevasse. The troops were restless. So, too, was Firefly. Her legs and wings burned with energy, eager to be running, jumping, flying, shooting, anything that would break the monotony of endless waiting.

Firefly stole a quick glance at the Squall-class fast attack vessels sitting idle as she paced from one end of the crevasse to the other. Painted a dull shade of stormcloud grey, they could easily be passed over in the monochrome of the arctic wastes. A closer look would reveal the magnitude of making such a mistake.

Each Squall ship was smaller than an ARC ship, accommodating no more than two dozen soldiers piled in with all their gear. Light Special Operations Craft, or LSOC they were called in the usual dryness of military acronym. The LSOCs were also open-topped, their low sides offering little protection against bullets or flak. Lack of armor, however, did not mean lack of protection. The ships bristled with machine guns, barrels pointing every which way like a porcupine’s quills. Ballistic lance tubes could be seen strapped to the sides for easy access. At the bow stood the LSOC’s main battery: a massive double-barreled automatic cannon mounted to a powered traversal with a full-body control harness for the gunner.

The tiny ships were all about speed and firepower. Nowhere was there space for provisions or even an inch of cover for weathering the storms that frequented the Outer Rim. Instead, every soldier present was bundled up in heavy winter uniforms, their gear and weapons all dusted with a fine coat of hoarfrost-- the result of waiting the past few hours in an ice canyon for the order to attack.

“That’s the fourth time in the last two hours you’ve field stripped that rifle, Grimm,” Firefly said as she approached a griffon soldier.

Thunderlane and Eastwind were trading stories with the Aquellian Marines and Sunburst had sauntered off with an old Stallian Guard friend, leaving Firefly to wander among the Hesperian Commandos alone. Not that she minded. Trotting through idle chatter made her feel more at ease than among senior officership. Most of the commandos spoke of hoofball scores, bar conquests, billiards games, or home life; a far cry from war, government, and office politics.

“Force of habit, ma’am,” the young griffon said, barely looking up from her cleaning ritual.

“The air force is restless I see!” A loud, hearty laugh followed the pronouncement, each echoing through the crevasse. “Don’t you worry about the little things, doll. We’ll be kicking pirate ass soon enough!”

Firefly bristled. Doll? Really? She scowled as she turned to face the voice.

The new arrival was somepony to behold. The stallion was a marvelous physical specimen. He towered above the other troops, standing nearly as tall as an alicorn princess, with shoulders seemingly the width of two ponies abreast. His features appeared to be chiseled out of solid granite, the combat harness and attached rifle appearing far too small for him. He carried himself like he was larger than life, a colt’s comic book hero who had just stepped off the page and onto the battlefield.

“Mornin’ Valor!” Grimmclaw chirped. She acknowledged the Major’s presence, but did not stand up, her claws remaining on her previous task. It was clear that the unit eschewed with standard formalities in the field. “I didn’t even hear you there!”

The Major stopped a moment to study Firefly. A smirk crawled across his face. “You’re not starting trouble with my commandos, are you?”

Meathead. Firefly had seen plenty of them at academy and wasn’t impressed. Big boys with little brains always covered up lack of sense with copious amounts of swagger. This stallion had a grin plastered across his muzzle like he’d just relieved himself in Firefly’s foot locker. Yup, just like OCS.

“Been talking to Skywind, I see,” Firefly finally said, deadpan.

“Not at all!” The Major paused to laugh some more. “Skywind is the biggest blowhard I’ve ever seen in all my years of service. You can't see his captain’s bird because it’s too far up his own ass.”

Valor’s jab at the Captain immediately set Firefly at ease. Who else but another soldier with great grit and good humor would drop a joke at Skywind’s expense? Firefly couldn’t help but crack a smile and let slip a giggle.

“For what it’s worth, I always put that in our performance reviews,” she ventured. “CAG always seems to catch me, though!”

“If she doesn’t, she’s not doing her job! After all, the company commander’s job is to make sure battalion never hears about the shit her company’s always getting into!”

“Too true.” Firefly extended a hoof to shake, finally settling into conversational stride with the Major. “Firefly. I don’t believe we were ever formally introduced.”

“Valorous Deed,” the large stallion smiled as he shook Firefly’s hoof. “Most around here just call me Valor. Don’t even bother with ‘major this’ and ‘major that.’ We’re commandos, not foals.”

“Tell that to brass,” Firefly snorted in contempt. “Best CFT in the fleet and Skywind still thinks we need foalsat. At least we usually have the CAG on our side.”

“Ah, the famous Brahma Kamal of the Argent Defense. She has quite a following among our air wings.”

Firefly raised an eyebrow. “Because she’s aerion?”

“Pfah!” Valor scoffed. “It takes far more than a pretty set of wings and ear tufts to impress a true Hesperian flier!”

“Would it really?”

“I’m truly offended, commander!” Valor poured every ounce of mock offense he could into the response. “You really think we’re a gaggle of lecherous cretins?”

“Of course!” Firefly grinned. “Isn’t that what we all are?”

The two shared a laugh. Perhaps Valor wasn’t so bad after all. The good humor and sheer candidness of the Major had warmed Firefly up to him considerably.

“But really now. Never got to meet Brahma face to face. The Admiral has us on ops so often we rarely get hooves down time on base or on ship.”

“I’ll tell you that all the good things are true and all the bad things are sour grapes,” Firefly nodded. “She gives credit where credit is due. Commander Kamal is also a Continental War vet. Even the nuggets respect that.”

“Aye.” Valor paused for a moment to extract a cigarette from his combat harness. “Care for a drag?”

“I don’t smoke,” Firefly dismissed the cig with a wave of her hoof.

Valor shrugged and lit his smoke. “So where were you deployed during the War?”

“Everywhere. First in, last out.”

“Aureus to Valdus, eh?” Thin wisps of smoke drifted from his nostrils, curling around Valor’s muzzle as he grinned.

Firefly wrinkled her muzzle at the smell. The odor was slightly peppery, with what seemed to be a hint of gunpowder on it, which while unsettling, was somehow fitting of the Major. Still, Firefly preferred her poisons from a bottle.

“Aureus to Valdus,” Firefly repeated the Major’s words. “I hate wearing my class-A. Too many damn medals. I look like a walking Hearth’s Warming Wreath at formal events!”

Valor chuckled. “I get that. What’s a shiny bit of metal have to do with a mare’s mettle anyhow? Where I come from we show off our scars, not our jewelry!”

Scars, not bars. Firefly had heard the idiom tossed around on board ship, mostly from its non-Equestrian crew. This team was attached to the Hesperian Navy Commandos, so it was pretty safe to assume their native land. Valor’s straightforwardness all but confirmed it, but there was only one way to find out for certain.

“Hesperian native, I take it?”

“Aye. Born and raised,” Valor said, blowing a puff of smoke from his lips. “What gave it away?”

“Call it a hunch,” Firefly smirked. “One of my ARC operators is Hesperian. Always lets us know it when we’re not calling targets over the wireless.”

“Just couldn’t get enough of the sky at home, probably.” Valor shrugged before expelling another puff of smoke through his teeth. “That’s why most of us are out here, you know. Wanderlust is in our blood.”

“Fighting, too, I take it.”

Valor chuckled. “Combat and exploration go hoof in hoof. If you’re not challenging yourself, you’re doing it wrong.”

“I’ll say.” Firefly shifted her stance, taking up a more relaxed lean on the LSOC next to Valor. “I know earth ponies who get airsick the second they’re off the ground.”

“Not I! Mother always said I should have been born a pegasus.” Valor changed his inflection, mockingly imitating the rasp of a cranky old mare. “There’s no way you’re going up on an airship! If the gods wanted you to fly they would’ve given you wings!”

“And look where you ended up!” Firefly nickered.

“Heh. I love my mother to death, but she was still wrong,” Valor grinned. “Most of my service my hooves didn’t even touch the ground. But I never minded. My family was all sailors and soldiers. The sky is a sea all to its own and I was born to sail it."

“Guess I never thought of it that way. When you’re born with wings, you tend to take the sky for granted.”

The airwaves suddenly crackled to life, drawing both Firefly and Valor’s attention to their wireless sets. “To all Paladin elements, this is Storm Warden relaying from Majestic. All ground assault teams and escorts report in.”

“That’s our cue,” Firefly said, giving her new friend a smile. “I look forward to finishing our little chat later.”

“Likewise,” Valor grinned, flicking his spent cigarette away. “Galatine unit! Suit up and load up! It’s ass-kicking time!”

The two parted ways, heading to opposite sides of the crevasse. A chorus of affirmatives echoed through the network. Firefly keyed her radio in accord. “Timberwolf copies.”

“Galatine copies.”

“Manticore understands.”

“Hydra ready.”

“Orthros reads five by five.”

“All units are cleared for launch in five majesties,” relayed Storm Warden, “Command authorizes weapons hot once you’ve reached IP for your attacks.”

The glacial crevasse filled with the sound of aetherjet engines spooling up as the fast attack vessels began their startup sequence. But even through the whine of turbines, Firefly could feel a low thrum that pulsed in her bones. The faint boom of distant artillery fire confirmed her hunch. The bombardment had begun. Firefly found the other Timberwolves waiting for her at the far end of their hiding place.

“Looks like the party started without us!” Eastwind had to shout to be heard above the noise of engines.

“Then we need to catch up!” Firefly shouted in reply. “Let’s get airborne!”

The pegasi stretched their wings, shaking the frost out of their coats and feathers, running final checks on guns and gear before finally lifting off. Firefly’s crouching leap pushed her away from the frigid ground, where her outstretched wings caught her. She powered her way upward until she finally erupted from the crevasse. All around her, other pegasi streamed out of their bivouac, leveling off in a protective shell around the LSOCs.

Ahead, Firefly could already see the first signs of a fight. Bursts of flak tore the sky and streams of tracer fire leaped between gun emplacements in both ground and air. On the ground, explosive rounds smashed great craters into the permafrost, throwing tall plumes of steam and dust into the air. To their flanks, the silhouettes of heavy airships flying Equestrian Alliance colors shimmered in the sunlight, their standards awash with frigid wind and their outlines folded into odd shapes by the shockwaves of artillery rounds screeching away at breakneck speed.

Firefly keyed her radio. “Storm Warden, this is Timberwolf One. IP has been reached. Standing by for bombardment hold.”

“Copy that, Timberwolf. Gunnery is opening your corridor. You’re cleared to begin your run.”

The Timberwolves formed up and maneuvered into position off the bow of their Squall ship. Firefly gave the pilot a quick nod. The rush of cold wind rose to a ghastly howl as the ship accelerated to top speed. Firefly adjusted her wings to catch the displaced air, riding along with the Squall ship’s bow wave.

“Beginning approach. We’ll make sure Major Valor gets to the ground in one piece.”

“I’ll hold you to that, Commander!” The major laughed heartily. “If I don’t get to kick some griffon ass today, you’re paying my bar tab tonight!”

“Real charmer, isn’t he?” Sunburst snarked.

“Mmm.” Eastwind purred. “Quite the specimen, too!”

“Can it!” Firefly growled. “This is Azura, not the Horseshoe!”

The curtain of flak fire rapidly rolled back, clearing the path for the assault ships and their escorts. As the combat fliers cleared the south ridge, the oasis yawned beneath them. Icy rock fell away in great cliffs and jagged ravines to the west and the east. Picturesque pools of steaming water streaming from hot springs beneath the earth dotted the lush greenery that bloomed to the north. The air immediately warmed as the fliers crossed the boundary between arctic wasteland and geothermal oasis. A layer of light fog hung low over the valley. Firefly squinted. Near the center of the oasis, a dark grey shape loomed.

“Storm Warden, this is Wolf Lead,” Firefly said. “I visual on the Titan’s Keeper. Proceeding with assault.”

“Understood, Timberwolf... wait, be advised,” came the warning from Storm Warden, “New radar contacts at zero one eight. Tally nine bandits; eight fliers and one Kestrel gunship closing in on your formation.”

“Of course it couldn’t be easy!” Sunburst shouted above the wind.

“ETA on that gunship?”

“Three minutes.”

“Storm Warden,” Firefly radioed. “Relay for the rest of the assault team. We’re splitting the formation. Hydra, Manticore, and Galatine Three and Four; head east and continue your assault on the Keeper. Orthros, take Galatine One and Two and maintain your course. Timberwolves, you’re with me.”

“What about the gunship?” Thunderlane said.

“We need to thin out the other fliers or we won’t get the chance to line up a shot at the gunship,” Firefly replied. She waved a hoof ahead of her at the rapidly approaching griffons. “Trust me!”

Firefly immediately nosed up and gave her wings a hard flap, rocketing straight up into the wispy clouds that floated above the oasis. She was already beginning to sweat, not from nervousness, but from heat. The transition between freezing cold and jungle humidity had been sudden and unexpected. When they’d said geothermal oasis, Firefly assumed they meant a hollow in the ice that was a little less cold. She could only hope the pirates were suffering the same stresses from heat.

“Firefly! Contact!” Thunderlane radioed. “Bandits twelve o’clock high!”

Firefly nodded and turned to Valor’s ship. “Galatine One, I need HE airburst in the middle of that formation!”

“Music to my ears, Wolf One!”

The lead ship’s main battery roared to life, spitting great gouts of flame and smoke as blazing autocannon rounds shrieked downrange. Explosive flak bursts tore the sky ahead. Just as expected, the griffon formation splintered, each of the enemy fliers splitting off into pairs. A feral grin crawled across Firefly’s face. Easy prey.

“Order’s, ma’am?” came Valor’s voice.

“Galatine, maintain your course. Get to the refinery and take control. Leave the furball to us!”

“On the way, commander.”

“Timberwolves, break left,” she ordered. “It’s time to hunt!”

Sunburst and Eastwind rapidly peeled off, diving to gain speed before disappearing into the web of tracers and flak bursts around the LSOCs. The wind around Firefly shifted fiercely as she pulled into a chandelle turn to regain lost altitude. Sulfur stench burned at her nostrils and humid air clawed at her feathers. She breathed deeply the scent of battle and turned her guns into the fray.

“Two bandits dead ahead, Jefa!” Thunderlane called the targets ahead.

Barely perceptible movements of her tail and wings brought her sights onto target. The notched circle of her reflector sight gently brushed her target’s back.

POP POP POP POP POP POP POP POP.

Deafening whip-cracks of supersonic bullets assaulted Firefly’s ears. The same reflexes that allowed her to zero in on targets pushed her out of the way of the vicious reprisal from her new attacker. Firefly spiraled and spun through the streams of green tracers coming in from her left flank, finally using her hind legs to kick her into a head-on approach against the second griffon. A burst of purple tracers from just ahead alerted Firefly to Thunderlane’s presence. The lieutenant was in hot pursuit, maneuvering for a shot that his target refused to give him.

A quick squeeze of the trigger sprayed purple lances the other way, a wordless warning to Thunderlane that they were rapidly closing on the same target. Firefly quickly inverted and dropped altitude. A stream of gunfire shot through the space she’d occupied moments ago. With path set, Firefly unlocked and drew her knife. Its adamantite edge gleamed in the sunlight and the aetherium core seemed to thrum with anticipation of bloodshed.

The gap closed and the griffon tried once more to train his gun upon Firefly. His advance as rebuked by Firefly’s gun, forcing a last second evade that threw him right into her flight path. The shining blade lashed out, cutting fast and deep into the griffon’s underside as Firefly passed beneath. Stunned by the bite of the blade, the griffon’s momentum continued to carry him, limbs flailing as he tried to stabilize himself. The momentary distraction was all it took. A hail of aether lances sliced through metal, leather, flesh, and bone, sending the wounded bird into a verdant grave below. A split second later, Thunderlane streaked past Firefly, vapor trailing from the barrel of his repeater and a grin of raw exuberance plastered on his face.

“Splash one!” Thunderlane cheered.

“Can confirm,” Firefly echoed. “Wolf Two, one bandit splashed. Chock up another one, Storm Warden.”

Firefly smirked. The boyish enthusiasm was incorrigible. But the fight was far from over. There was an enemy flier who had gotten away. Firefly climbed, passing through a thin cloud before resuming her visual scan. Her prey was crafty. Her ear twitched as she felt the unnatural movement of air behind her. Firefly whirled around just in time to catch her attacker’s arm between her wrists, stopping the knife that was meant for her spine. The owl griffon roared in frustration and lashed out with his free claw.

“Sneaky bastard, aren’t you?” Firefly growled as she deftly dodged the punch.

She quickly twisted her front hooves around and the griffon’s claw with them, wresting the knife free from his grasp. As the knife fell, Firefly struck. Her hooves lashed out and her blade flashed faster than the eye could see. The griffon clutched his face and shrieked in pain, a bright crimson stain seeping into his feathers. A vicious buck from Firefly’s hind legs launched her foe back. With a final whirling strike, Firefly whipped her tail around, the tip of which had caught her opponent’s blade. A deft flick of her haunches sent it streaking back to its owner. For a moment, the griffon seemed to hang frozen in the air as his throat became the final resting place of his own blade. His struggle ceased and he fell away into the jungle below.

“Wolf One, bandit splashed,” Firefly radioed. She shifted her attention to her other squadmates. “Eastwind, SITREP?”

“Bandit splashed, five more to go!”

“We’re running out of time! We have to finish this!” Thunderlane said.

Firefly’s eyes rapidly scanned the battlefield. Gunfire flashed around the two LSOCs as Eastwind and Sunburst dueled Talon marines and set up shots for Galatine’s gunners. This was winnable with enough time, but time was not a luxury they had.

“That gunship is firing! Break, break!”

The shouted command came nearly too late. Firefly clenched her teeth and tensed her wings in preparation to act. The bird-shaped shadow in the haze ahead flashed ominously with red-golden light. The air around the second LSOC erupted into roiling fireballs as the rocket barrage found its mark. Firefly powered forward, knowing it would happen again without her intervention.

“Mayday, mayday, Galatine Two is hit! Main gun is down! Nav is down! I’m losing fuel pressure!”

“New plan! Put that ship down, Galatine Two! Save who you can!” Firefly ordered. “Orthros, finish off what’s left of the escorts! Galatine One, maintain defensive posture! Timberwolves, on me! We’re ending this!”

As Firefly approached, the shadow resolved itself into a monstrous metal beast. A bulbous canopy reinforced by steel cage formed the centerpiece of the cockpit, the front of which sported a quad machine gun cluster. Stub wings framed the cockpit, each laden with rockets and gun pods with enough firepower to bring down a small armada. Even the hum of the ship’s aetherjet engines seemed to exude predatory menace.

“Flanking attacks, target the engines!” Firefly barked her orders. “Slow it down then hit it with ballistic lances!”

“Understood,” came the reply from Thunderlane. “Set me up a shot!”

“Gladly!” Firefly rushed forward, repeater blazing, making every effort to make sure the gunship noticed her.

The metal beast obliged. Its forward guns roared to life, spewing green tracers at Firefly. She broke sharply to the left, dancing up and down as the tracer stream tracked her across the sky.

“Lining up for gun run!”

Thunderlane blazed away, but his shots found empty air. The gunship swerved to avoid his fire, deliberately protecting its weak spots while keeping its guns and armor pointed toward the threats. Another burst of green tracers scattered the fliers attacking it.

“We can’t hit it like that!” Eastwind grunted.

“Get ready for another pass then!” Firefly growled.

“Wait!” Thunderlane interjected. “I have an idea!”

“Make it quick, kid!”

“Galatine, do you copy?”

“Still afloat, Wolf Two,” came Valor’s reply.

“Coordinate with Storm Warden. I need six rounds of HE a hundred meters ahead of my position on my mark!”

“What are you trying to do?”

“Just trust me! Storm Warden, relay coordinates!”

“Understood.”

Firefly finally realized what Thunderlane was attempting. It was a longshot; like trying to hit a bullet with a bullet while both shooters were in flight. “Whatever you’re going to do, do it fast!”

“Timberwolves, follow my lead. We need to draw the gunship to the east!” Thunderlane pointed before launching himself forward. “Stand by, Galatine!”

Firefly darted after her wingmate. The snap cracks of machine gun rounds strayed dangerously close before tapering off into eerie silence. Suddenly, Firefly could see her own shadow silhouetted on the clouds ahead of her. A ghostly orange halo crept into the edges of her vision. "Incoming rocket fire! We have to move!"

“Light it up!”

“Galatine One firing!”

The world exploded. Fireballs and black starbursts filled the sky as the roar of the LSOC's guns was swallowed up by the thunder of the Kestrel's rocket barrage. Firefly’s conscious mind shut off as years of training and combat experience kicked into overdrive. Feathers self-trimmed, wings warped, and legs swung wildly as she traced a chaotic path through the blazing hellfire that had become her sky.

Firefly returned to consciousness pointed straight up, her muzzle to the sky and her wings stretched wide. A flick of her tail righted her, giving Firefly a perfect view of the kill box. The gunship burst forth from the clearing smoke. For a split second, Firefly was prepared to dive upon it again. But then she saw the results.

The gunship trailed black smoke. The steady violet glow of the Kestrel’s aetherjet engines was conspicuously absent, its prior speed and agility gone. Its frontal armor was splintered and broken. Cracks spiderwebbed across its canopy, turning it nearly opaque, though it was easy to see dashes of crimson staining the fractured glass from the inside. The Kestrel coasted forward on momentum until finally, a purple gout of flame burst from its starboard side, capsizing it. Pilotless and powerless, the dead ship fell from the sky, disappearing in a roiling violet fireball among the greenery below.

“Good effect on target, Galatine,” came the cool voice of the ARC operator. “Kill confirmed.”

“I think that’s the first air to air kill anypony’s ever made from a Squall ship!” Firefly recognized the voice of Grimm.

“Thank Thunderlane!” Valor laughed. “I just pulled the trigger!”

Firefly looked left as Thunderlane rolled up on her wing. The lieutenant was all smiles. “You know, for a second there, I didn’t think that would work!”

“Well that’s comforting..." Sunburst snarked.

“You did good, kid,” Firefly said, giving a knowing glance to Thunderlane. “Storm Warden, what’s our approach look like?”

“Your corridor is clear, Timberwolf. No enemy activity on your approach.”

“Timberwolf lead, this is Orthros leader." The flight commander's voice crackled over the airwaves. "All bandits eliminated. You’re clear from behind!”

“Understood, Orthros lead. New tasking: locate Galatine Two, secure the crash site, and await C-SAR. Storm Warden, relay to FleetCOM that we’ve reached the objective. Galatine One is proceeding with assault. Dispatch combat search and rescue for Galatine Two.”

“Roger that, Wolf lead.”

Out of the haze rose a massive metal behemoth. Were it not for the prior briefing, Firefly could easily have mistaken it for a building. Gunmetal grey armor plate covered its hull, barely obscuring the bulbous altus reservoirs beneath them. Bright yellow warning lines traced safe paths upon its top deck, marking out scaffolding and catwalks snaking around globular storage tanks. In the center of the deck loomed a massive steel tower. The superstructure bristled with radio antennas and radar masts, their density tapering off as they approached the bridge. Sunlight glinted off the armored glass of the forward windscreens.

“Not to jinx anything, but shouldn’t they have rolled out the welcome wagon by now?” Sunburst radioed.

Firefly’s ear twitched. Sunburst was right. There had been zero activity since they had downed the gunship. By now surely the Talons’ quick reaction forces had been mustered. The gun batteries were unmanned. The ship itself lay quiet with no sound of engines, generators, or machinery to be heard.

“Stay sharp,” Firefly whispered tersely, “AOs aren’t supposed to be this quiet. Something’s not right here.”

The formation made a slow orbit of the superstructure with guns primed and eyes keen. But just as during their approach, there was nothing save the baying of wind and the dull thunder of distant cannon fire. Their sweep complete, the LSOC slowed to a hover behind the bridge. Valor hopped off the gun turret, rifle at the ready, and strode onto the bridge deck.

“Everypony off this ship!” Valor barked his orders. “Stack and prepare to breach!”

“Timberwolves, form up,” Firefly radioed to her own squad. “We’ll maintain combat air patrol around the superstructure. You all know how much I hate surprises.”

The Timberwolves formed up in echelon formation, continuing their slow orbit around the superstructure as the commandos got into position. Firefly continued to monitor the radio for any sign that they might be in trouble.

“Charge in place, sir,” Grimm said.

“Let’s open up this tin can!” the Major replied. “Hit it!”

A loud thud-CRACK split the unearthly silence as the breaching charge buckled the hatch like foil. The first explosion was followed by the crackling of multiple flashbangs. Hooves clanked rapidly on metal as the commandos charged into the bridge. Curiously, the sound of gunfire was absent.

“Clear left!” Grimm shouted.

“Clear right!” Valor replied. “Bridge is clear. Nopony’s home.”

“I’ve seen how this goes,” Thunderlane mused dryly. “Usually this is the part where they tell us there’s a bomb.”

“You shut your horse mouth right now, Thunderlane!” Sunburst growled, clearly in jest, but failing to hide the edge of apprehension on his voice.

“Wolf One, Storm Warden, this is Galatine One.”

“Go ahead, Valor,” Firefly replied.

“My team has just finished their sweep of the bridge. Found a couple civilian crew. They locked themselves in the superstructure mess hall. Mix of griffon and pony, none of them armed. They all look spooked to Tartarus.”

“They should be,” Eastwind said. “They’re in the middle of a warzone, after all.”

Firefly pursed her lips. The feeling still had not left her. She keyed her radio. “Did you get that, Storm Warden?”

“Affirmative. Will relay to FleetCOM.”

“Hey, you!” Grimm’s voice suddenly crackled through the airwaves. “Get back! Get down on the ground! Get down or I’ll shoot!”

“Valor, what the hell is going on down there?”

“Get off me!” The sound of fisticuffs carried clearly through the radio as Grimm tangled with whoever had assaulted her.

“Valor? Grimm? SITREP!”

“THE EYES! THE EYES! THE CRYSTAL EYES! THEY'RE --”

The crewman’s outburst was short. But in it was the voice of pure unadulterated terror. A loud THUNK echoed in the chamber, followed by background murmurs and muffled shouts. Firefly looked to Thunderlane, who only returned a shrug and a nervous shake of the head.

There was a moment of silence before Valor cut in again. “Situation is under control. One of the prisoners rushed Grimm. He’s been taken care of."

“Is your position secure?”

“Yes, ma’am. We’ve got the bridge on lock. Storm Warden, relay to FleetCOM: Galatine One has secured the bridge deck.”

“What the hell could get him that spooked?” Thunderlane asked.

“Guess we'll find out when PSYOPS shows up to grill him,” Eastwind replied.

“Gimme a break,” Sunburst snorted. “The second PSYOPS shows up, no one gets to know anything. Let’s hope we just pack these guys up and ship ‘em home.”

Firefly rubbed her forehead and let out an exasperated sigh. Psychological Operations teams showing up meant extraction of possibly actionable intel, but it also meant her squad was on the list to be grilled. The day was getting longer.

“Timberwolf, Galatine, this is Storm Warden," the ARC operator said.

Firefly keyed her radio, “Go."

“SITREP: Galatine Three and Four have secured the Keeper’s ventral decks. Task Force Paladin fleet elements have established perimeter around the Azura Oasis. Talon forces are in full retreat. You are weapons hold until ordered otherwise.”

“About damn time,” Valor muttered.

“I've also got the captain on the line. He wishes to speak with you two.”

“Shit.” Firefly frowned. By the exasperated sigh on the net, it was clear Valor was not pleased either. Brahma was supposed to be running this operation. What was Skywind doing butting in at the last second?

“This is Galatine Actual,” Valor finally said.

“Timberwolf Lead,” Firefly echoed.

“Is the asset secure?” Skywind’s question was spoken slowly and methodically, less a question than a miniature interrogation.

“Yes, sir,” Valor said flatly. “The Titan’s Keeper is under our control.”

“You are to dig in and await further instructions. Do not allow anyone to dislodge you from your position. Am I clear?”

“Yes, sir.” Firefly gritted her teeth. It hurt just to listen to him.

“Good.” Skywind seemed not to notice. He continued on very business-like. “You will be reinforced within the hour. I want a full debrief on board ship. Majestic Actual, out."

“Well that was cryptic,” mused Thunderlane.

“Means whatever we found was important,” Firefly replied.

“Did they say who was taking our place?”

“No,” Sunburst cut in. “But I can guess. This’ll have OGA's grubby hooves all over it by nightfall.”

Firefly slowly swept her gaze across the oasis. Columns of dark smoke rose from destroyed fortifications and Talon airship hulks. Equestrian capital ships floated above the verdance as fliers and smaller vessels navigated the spaces between. Despite the signs of victory above, the shadow of the Titan’s Keeper lingered. The abandoned ship, the raving crewman, the weak defenders; they all continued to nag at her.

“Firefly?” Eastwind’s radio call caught her attention.

“Windy.”

“You might want to look at this,” her wingmate pointed.

Firefly followed Eastwind’s hoof. Their orbit had taken them away from the superstructure, bringing into view what lay beneath the ship. Firefly squinted. Ponies and griffons from the other half of Galatine unit milled about below, setting up fortifications and weapon emplacements under the shaded overhang of the ship’s prow. But even in the shadow of the Titan’s Keeper, she could see a wide circle of even deeper shadow just aft of the Alliance position. Within the gaping abyss glinted tiny pinpricks of violet.

“Is that raw aetherium? They must have struck the mother lode with that drilling shaft for us to see it from up here.”

“That’s the thing. Take a look at the dig site. No drills, no supplies, and no machinery.”

Eastwind was right. Overflying Aquellian aetherium mines in Alcea during the war, Firefly had always seen plenty of pump machinery, drilling equipment, and supply pallets at every one. No equipment was present save that which the Alliance brought with them. “Why would the Talons open up an aetherium vein and then leave it?”

Eastwind paused before replying. “That’s a very good question.”

“Something’s not right here,” Firefly growled. “And I don’t like it one bit.”

Author's Notes:

Musical Index
AC: Assault Horizon - Rush

Squadrons Featured (in order of appearance)
Timberwolf
PEACE, Task Force Paladin
VFA-108, CFT-1

Galatine
PEACE, Task Force Paladin
United Hesperian Navy No. 1 Commando Brigade, 2nd Squadron