//------------------------------// // Chapter 03 // Story: My Little Pony: Venator // by ScottWolf //------------------------------// Chapter 3 - The First Of Many From the journal of Twilight Sparkle 10th of February, First year of Exodus There are days when I think to myself, "this is as bad as it can possibly get, and nothng else going wrong could possibly make it worse." And as soon as I I say that, a little thing I now know as Murphy's Law pokes it's finger in and says, "OH REALLY???" Murphy's an asshole. A few days into our new life, the griffons decided they'd had enough of cooperation with other species, and decreed they would soon go their own way. Within hours, the yaks did the same (albiet acting like it was their idea all along.) Celestia plead with both Prince Rutherford and Lord Gruff to stay with the fleet, sadly in vain. Both species demanded that the ponies return any citizens being held on our ship, something we would never have refused had those individuals simply asked. Not all griffins and yaks opted to return. Two yak families and several grifin individuals formally requested to stay with us, most of whom had close ties to ponies, changelings and hippogriffs. I was more than happy to accept them, and made sure their leaders knew this was not an act of foalnapping. I was having that thought as I watched shuttles leave the long hangar with my some of my friends and the captain of The Exodus when Murphy first made himself known. "So, Cap'n," Applejack was saying. "You're tellin me this ship can carry all'a them shuttlecraft an still have room fer more?" "That's correct," Captain Jahne Delmari replied. "We have room for 460 small to medium sized starfighters and landing craft, as well as several dozen ground vehicles. Sadly, we don't have any of them at the moment." "I'm sure the princesses will find something," Rainbow Dash said as she watched one of the crew conver with a droid, then look up and nod to the captain, who nodded back. "Well, ladies, the last shuttles are launching now if you would like to watch." We all agreed and crowded around the large viewport. Just as the last few were leaving, a sudden movement caught my eye. Another ship had appeared in the distance, followed by two more. They were fat and rounded with a smaller compartment at the front. It reminded me of some sort of bug like a tick or a flea. I was about to turn to Captain Milhari when an alarm started going off. "Alert," said one of the nearby stationed droids. "Unknown craft dropping out of hyperspace at 243 elevation 662." "Scan for IFF," Delmari ordered, her hands clasped calmy at her back. "I want an ID on-" "Warning! Ships have deployed Skipray Blastboat craft! Estimated intercept in ninety seconds!" "My stars," Rarity exclaimed. "What do we do?" "Helm to course 185 half flank speed, secure hangar doors, shields to full, arm starbord turbolasers. All hands, battlestations!" A warbling alarm sounded throughout the ship, and behind us droids and personel began to move quicker. The view outside the ship tilted as we came to the new course and the long hangar doors closed below us. More movement caught my eye and I watched as the Ebon Hawk launched out of the starbord hangar bay. "This is Ebon Hawk," Timber called. "I'll deal with the launches, captain. The Galleons are all yours." "Understood, good hunting," Delmari replied, then looked to another of the droid crew. "Gunners engage those frigates. Target engines and shields." "Roger roger," the droid replied, and suddenly space was lit with green light as the big guns opened fire. In all my years studying and practicing magic, I'd never seen anything as awe-inspiring as that. Rainbow Dash summed it up perfectly a moment later. "So awesome..." We were distracted from the display of power by several explosions to our port. A short distance away, Timber was in combat with six other ships. They were smaller than his freighter, but nowhere near as agile or dangerous. And he tore into them like Spike eating a basketful of gems. Beyond him, the other ships of our small fleet opened fire on the remaining four blastboats as they bore down on the fleeing shuttles. I wasn't able to see clearly what happened next. It wasn't a completely happy ending. Within a few minutes, it was all over. One of the pirate frigates was disabled, the other two jumped away to safety. None of the blastboats made it back to their ships; what the fleet hadn't shot down, Timber caught running away. He was returning as we recieved the report from the shuttles and other ships. "Captain," a droid called out. "Seven shuttles delivered cargo safely. Three shuttles destroyed in combat. All hands lost." "Lost," Rarity repeated. "As in..." "As in lost," the captain replied sadly. "I'm sorry." I closed my eyes, retaining my composure as best I could. I was a leader now, and I would have to get used to things like this. My friends, on the other hoof, took it harder. "You mean.. they're..." Rainbow couldn't finish, and it was Fluttershy who completed the sentence. "Dead?" Delmari nodded. "I'm afraid this is the universe you girls have been forced into. I'd hoped to spare you from this reality for a bit longer." I opened my eyes and took in my friend's reactions. Rarity seemed beside herself, Fluttershy was on the verge of tears, Applejack had her hat in her hoof and her head bowed, and Rainbow Dash simply stared out into space. I looked at each of them in turn, then looked up at the captain. "I'd better report this to Celestia and Luna," I told her. "They'll want to know." "Yes, ma'am. I'll compile a report for them shortly." I left the bridge with my friends following. ~~~~~ "No survivors." Celestia sat with her eyes closed, head held high, as she absorbed the report Captain Delmari read to her. My own report had been met similarly, the only response coming from Luna in the form of a thrown table. Deep down, I started to believe just a little what all the other races feared. "There were simply too many," Delmari went on, "for one modified freighter to defend against. The Ebon Hawk is still only one ship, no matter how good it's pilot." Timber, for his own part, sat nearby. Though he didn't look it, I could tell he was upset by the losses too. "Thank you both for your report," Luna said after a moment of silence. "And to you, Timber, for doing what you could. This further enhances the fact that we need more adequate defenses." She turned to Celestia. "We need to convince those people to stay with us." "They won't," Celestia replied. "They must!" "They won't! I've already talked to them, but they're both too hardheaded or stupid to listen to reason!!" I've know Princess Celestia ever since I was a foal. I've never heard her call any being stupid. Needless to say, my jaw hit the floor. Fortunately she gave us a moment to compose ourselves. "I've done all I can. All we can do now is wish them well." As I watched those ships leave out the view port from my room later that night, I reflected on the job that had been forced upon me, and if I was really up to it. This wouldn't be the last time Death touched our fleet, and i had all but fallen apart. I could only hope that next time he made an apearance, we would be better prepared. Fortunately, I had the magic of friendship on my side. I kew that no matter what happened, somehow it would come out alright. Now if I could only convince Pinkie that were true.