//------------------------------// // Chapter 15 // Story: Seizing the Star (Phase two) // by keithsterling //------------------------------// Gliding through the space ways on routine patrol was the newly christening 'IAS Hunting'; a patrol class warship in the nose section of the vessel was the four members crew consisting of the ship captain, ship pilot, Communication tech, and Radar Operator. 'IAS Hunting' is the first patrol class warship with a mixed crew drawing from the three allied species of Celestial Alicorn, ponies from the planet of Sol and the morphs from the planet of ARK. In the piloting position, sitting towards the front of the vessel was glamorous, looking white-boded Celestial Alicorn mare with a Celtic blue mane and tail. On her head was a virtual visor for steering the patrol class vessel in virtual space. Her 6ft 1in athletic equine figure was attired in midnight blue form-fitting spacesuit with orange, red trim. On her bare white feet were knee-high boots. Folded on her back were her silver bio-mechanical metal bird wings. This Celestial Alicorn mare was Galactic Knight Amazonia Singularity, a top-ranked warship pilot from the Andromeda Galaxy Star Sector. In the communication position, sitting to the left side of Amazonia was enchanting looking light pink pure siren/unicorn mare with light purple mane and tail. Her slender 5ft 12in equine figure was attired in Seashell Peach form-fitting spacesuit with corduroy colored trim. On her lovely shaped delicate pink bare feet were knee-high boots. On top, her head behind her horn was a headset for communicating with the infinity palace dispatch. This pure siren/unicorn mare was Major Wave Runner Silverlight, a top-ranked communications officer from the New Lunar Republic on the planet of Sol. Sitting to the right side of Amazonia in the Radar position was elegant looking black saddle with tan female German shepherd morph with shoulder-length tan-colored hair. Her athletic 5ft 10in canine figure was attired in a midnight blue form-fitting spacesuit with dodger blue colored trim. On her larger tan color, four-toed bare pawed feet were knee-high boots. Sticking out a hole in the back of the chair was black with a tan bushy tail. Her head behind her pointed ears was a virtual visor that was currently off. Still, during combat operations, the virtual visor activates, allowing her to operate the ship's weapons. This female German shepherd morph was 1st Lieutenant Eva Eisenberg, a top-ranking Tactical officer from the Northern Euro Sector on the planet of ARK. Sitting to the rear of Amazonia in the Command position was a lovely look lavender-colored half Alicorn/siren mare with sky blue mane and tail. Her athletic 5ft 10in equine figure was attired in a violet-blue form-fitting spacesuit with white-colored trim. On her delightful shaped lavender-colored bare feet were knee-high boots. This half alicorn/siren mare was Royal Shogun Alysia Ara Silverlight, the newest Royal Shogun from the infinity star sector, but born in the Solar Empire on the Planet of Sol. At her command station, Alysia brings her arms up. She sweeps them across in the air calling up the holographic command center. After a few more fine adjustments, she calls up several star maps of the adjacent star sectors. She taps the current star sector that her ship is in and checks it off. Before marking the next star sector and sends it to the pilot too continues her routine patrol of the system. "Aye, Captain, Setting a new course heading to the next star sector!" Amazonia said, acknowledging as she raises her arms and hands in virtual space to change the ship course. "Eva any blips on the radar?" Alysia asked as Eva's brings her arms up and sweeps them across in the air calling up holographic radar screen. After a few more fine adjustments and searching for any kind of contacts. "No, Captain! The screen is clear!" Eva said, acknowledging as she tests the virtual visor on her head. "Mother! Please tell me you pick up a strange transmission from somewhere?" Alysia said hopefully as Wave Runner's brings her arms up and sweeps them across in the air calling up a holographic communicate station. "No, Captain! Incoming transmissions from 'IAS Stellar Eclipse.'" Wave Runner said that as the holographic head of Rear Admiral (upper), Justice Silverlight appeared in front of the four members' crew. "All patrol class vessels return to the fleet immediately; we are moving on to the next star Sector!" Rear Admiral (upper) Justice Silverlight commands as Amazonia cancels the previous course set and reprogram course to meet up with the reconnaissance fleet. As 'IAS Hunting' the patrol class warship made its way back to the reconnaissance fleet, a sudden blip appears on Eva's radar screen moving at a pretty good pace. Quickly Eva scans the blip; the recognition/identification program identifies the blip as hobs skimmer. The hobs skimmer is the smallest spacecraft in the hobgoblin space fleet about the size of a small Aerospace fighter about 49ft 5in a Falcon class Fighter. The hobs skimmer is used as a small scouting craft and resources identification vehicle. Quickly Alysia orders the ship to head into a pursuit of the hob skimmer at the same time Major Wave Runner sends a message to 'IAS Stellar Eclipse' and Rear Admiral (upper) Justice Silverlight. ~Back aboard the 'IAS Stellar Eclipse'~ "Fleet Admiral! The 'IAS Hunting' has encountered a single Hobs skimmer and is heading into a pursuit of it!" Galactic Technician officer Celestia Silverlight report from her position at the communication station aboard the 'IAS Stellar Eclipse.' "What?! Our granddaughter is in pursuit of single hobs skimmer! Call her back now! A single hob skimmer is part of a larger warship!" Justice exclaims as he slams his fist on the red alert button on his command chair. "All Aerospace pilots to your fighters! The moment we leave the wormhole, immediate scramble! There most like going to be a hob warship in the vicinity!" Justice orders The flight deck of the 'IAS Stellar Eclipse' is abuzz with combat preparations with weapon technicians loading up Aerospace fighters with missiles. Before long, all six launching catapults are loaded with combat-ready Aerospace fighters (three on the second level and three on the first level). As the 'IAS Stellar Eclipse' emerges from the wormhole, it comes upon a huge space battle between two frigates from the Horsehead nebula star sector. Single light carrier-class warship from Swan nebula Star sector take on a main hobs battle cruiser. Upon the other three imperator Alicorns warships seeing the 'IAS Stellar Eclipse' appears from the wormhole, they flash their lights telling them that they are hard-pressed against this main hobs battle cruiser. Please quickly deploy their fighters with a single flash; the hangar doors slide away and, in rapid succession, the prepped aerospace fighter launch and join the space combat. Quickly Rear Admiral (upper) Justice Silverlight has his wife Galactic Technician officer Celestia Silverlight hail one of the frigate and promptly asked the Shogun if they encounter 'IAS hunting' a patrol class warship. She informs the Rear-Admiral that patrol class warship was the first one sunk. Still, they saw the escape pod jettisoned before the vessel exploded. But before they could retrieve it, it was captured by the hobs and taking aboard the battle cruiser. ~In the brig aboard 'HGS Maul' a hobgoblin battle cruiser~ The four-member crew of the 'IAS hunting' the destroyed patrol class warship were chained to the brig's wall with manacles. The imperator Alicorn pilot mare as got the worst of the physical abuse at the hands of the Hobgoblins because the imperator Alicorn space fleets have sunk numerous Resources collecting battle cruiser like this one. Forcing the glorious battles on their planet to stop went the Resources go dangerously low every 10 years and buy at extraordinary prices from the bugbear merchants who have the goods for them to continue their endless wars. As for the other three crew members, the hobgoblins don't know what to make of the two unicorn mares and one female canine. Other than don't lose sight of lavender colored unicorn mare legs or end up in unimaginable pain went she kick you where it counts. As for the light pink unicorn mare, her singing voice will mesmerize you to the point of losing all your senses. As for the dog, don't get to close to her mouth or lose a finger went she bites you. "What are you?" A hobgoblins sergeant said, wondering as he examined the lavender-colored unicorn mare after securing her ankles with two other manacles to the wall. He runs his hand down her neck till he reaches her chest. "Obviously female, A female what is the question?" A Hobgoblin sergeant said, squeezing Alysia's boobs, causing her too suddenly gasp. A single tear runs down Alysia's cheek from embarrassment as no male pony has every showed her this kind of disrespect by intentionally squeezing her chest like that. "We are unicorn ponies! The first form of an Imperator, Alicorn!" Wave Runner calls as the hobgoblin blink with surprise with the answer, and he looks over the Imperator Alicorn pilot mare a few times. "Is this true Imperator Alicorn?" the hobgoblin sergeant asks the Imperator Alicorn mare pilot. "Yes, they have yet to reach the requirements to receive their metal wings," Amazonia said, lying as the hobgoblin sergeant look at the female canine. "And you?" the hobgoblin sergeant asked as he did a slow, appraising glance of the female canine. "A failed experiment by the Echoes," Eva said indignantly as she growled with fake anger toward the hobgoblin. "So we have weak Imperator Alicorns and failed experiment." The hobgoblin said arrogantly as he flashes a superior grin. Before nothing at all as he's drop to his knees dead with a razor-sharp star-shaped disk of metal embedded in his brain stem. "Grandpa! And Father?" Alysia exclaims as Eva and Wave Runner look at each other, wondering why Alysia says that. "Sorry, Rear Admiral, you want me to keep your granddaughter safe," Amazonia said apologetically as Eva and Wave Runner still have no idea what is going on. Suddenly out of nowhere, Rear Admiral Justice Silverlight appears in front of the group, and a moment later from the deep shadows of brig appears Colonel Somnus Silverlight. Quickly the two stallions draw a blue, glowing short, straight sword from their backs and cut the chains holding ship crew to the walls. After doing a medical check of Galactic Knight Amazonia Singularity. "Now what father, we got in. How do we get out?" Somnus inquiry as he kissed by his wife and hug by his daughter. "Amazonia, can you still pilot?" Justice inquiry "Yes, Admiral," Amazonia answered as a smile formed on his snout. "Back to the landing bay, I saw a long-range shuttle prep for launch the sudden attack by the two imperator Alicorn's Frigates and single light carrier most like stop the launch. If we can get to the shuttle, we can take it and return to my stellar Eclipse." Justice said as the group quickly and quietly makes their way back to the landing bay. ~ Few hours after escaping the 'HGS Maul' flight bay of 'IAS Stellar Eclipse'~ In landing bay two of the 'IAS Stellar Eclipse' sitting in a cordoned-off area of the landing bay was the borrowed long-range shuttlecraft that was prep for launch the attack of the imperator alicorn small space fleet on 'HGS Maul' hobgoblin battle cruiser and sequential sinking of battle cruiser left this shuttlecraft the only survivor of that space battle. After making sure that all four crew members of 'IAS Hunting,' the patrol class warship was sent to the sickbay. Rear Admiral Justice Silverlight and his son Colonel Somnus Silverlight return to the shuttlecraft to figure out why the hobs had this shuttlecraft prep for launch. "Mmm, father. It looks like the shuttle set course to a green and lush planet with tropical jungles from the reading on this nav computer. Once it reached the planet, it would land on the prepared landing strip in a valley. After that, the computer has no other reading; my guess is that the shuttle is turned off. One hour later, the nav computer is reactivated; the weight sensors read 100 tons of cargo. On the way, the weight sensor reads 120 tons of cargo." Somnus explains, looking at the weight sensors. "So 20 tons lighter," Justice comments as he taps his finger against the lower half of his jaw. "Son, what is the weight reading right now?" Justice asked as Somnus call up the weight reading on the nav computer. "As of right now, the weight reading minus our weight is 120 tons of cargo," Somnus comments as he blinks with surprise. "So this shuttle was on the way to the planet with the cargo to drop off. Shall we go look into the cargo bay of this shuttle, Somnus?" Justice suggests as the two Alicorn stallion walks down the passage to cargo hatch at the end of the path. Justice grabs hold of the wheel on the door and turns it. The metal door squeaks open, followed by a heavy metal thud against the steel wall of the passage. The two alicorn stallions walk into the cargo bay. The small heels on their boots metallically click on metal plates of the cargo bay. The two Alicorn stallions change from their normal vision to their special vision to look around the darkened cargo bay. The two Alicorn stallions faces glaze with shock stacked on one side of the cargo bay were several long crates. Using the unnatural earth pony strength of his alicorn heritage, Somnus tears the top of the crate open, revealing its contents. The two Alicorn stallions gasp in shock inside the cases were a cheap knock-off of laser rifles. As Somnus was about to reach for one of them, his father stop him. He tells Somnus that the hobgoblin's booby traps their cheap knock-off laser rifles to prevent them from being seized. Justice floats the laser rifle out of the crates and flips it over, revealing an access panel. He uses his magic to open the access panel and reach into the doors tearing the booby trap wires out of the weapon, making it safe to handle it. At the same time, Somnus rips the top off the small crates revealing a cheap knock-off of a laser pistol. His father floats one of the laser pistols out of the cases and makes it safe to handle. When recognizing the quality of weapons, Somnus know that these weapons are so bad that the reliability of these weapons is highly in question.