//------------------------------//
// Chapter Sixteen: Return To The Eternal Flame 
// Story: Orbit: The Future Of Equestria 
// by Ace26 
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Space was once again dark and silent.  The massive star ship "Eternal Flame" sat in the dark empty void.  Groups and fighters and transports went back and forth around the ship.  They would take off and then some would dock.  The process went on like this for a long time.  The troops on the ship were mostly at rest.  They had no assignments yet.  
A little ways from the ship, near a cluster of stars a bright light could be seen.  This light became larger and brighter.  Soon it was a large circle of light!  There was a large whooshing sound, as if a monorail had stopped suddenly.  The ball of light was now replaced with a Gold Wing's fighter ship that he stole.
" You know they'll recognize the ship." Charger said looking at Gold Wings.  GOld Wings simply nodded and began trying to make contact with the Eternal Flame. 
Up on the bridge the mood was chaotic!  Officers and operators galloped back and forth.  They made calls throughout the ship.  They were all astonished to see their stolen ship, and the fugitives that had attacked the tower inside.  They could not believe they had just come out of hyper space right in front of their ship! 
" These ponies must be crazy." One of the operators mentioned.  He then clicked the intercom button and began to speak into it.
" Attention in hanger, attention in hangers… fighter groups Swallow and Mocking Jay report to battle stations.  We have a class one target off of our port side, high priority ponies, take them in!" The operator finished and the fighter groups arrived at their hangers a few minutes later. 
Back on the stolen ship Gold Wings was trying to make contact.  
" Gaaa, there's to mush radio traffic inside the ship!" Gold Wings said frustrated.
" No shit." Sights said poking his head into the cockpit.
" We are the most wanted ponies in the galaxy and we just popped up in front of a war ship."  Sights said.  The three stallions looked ahead at the massive ship.  It dwarves them and made them hope this plan of theirs worked.  
Charger saw the hunger doors open and the fighter groups begin to fly out.  
" Look, they're sending pegasus fighters, we can clear this up when they board us." Charger said hopefully.   The fighter groups flew towards their ship.  They looked as if they would be boarding peacefully.  Then they grouped up into an attack formation.
" Well, there goes your idea of peaceful boarding." Gold Wings said to Charger. Charger rolled his eyes.
The fighter group released a hail of gunfire onto their ship.  It rocked back and forth.  Every pony was holding on for dear life.  Charger and sights were forced to the floor.  Gold Wings remained in his seat trying to control the air craft.  
More shots hit the ship.  They made a loud thumping and shattering noise on the roof and sides.  Gold Wings looked out the window and saw that both pot their engines had been blown out!
" This plan is dust sir, get us out of here!" one of the shadow squadron flyers said.  Gold Wings remained looking at their engines.
" Yah, that's going to be hard to do." Gold Wings commented.  
There were two loud cracking noises coming from the door of the ship and the side opposite from it.  Rainbow Dash looked out the window and saw that there were thick cords now attached to the ship.  
" Um, what are they doing." She asked eyeing the cords.  
" They're bringing us in." Sights said looking out at the hanger doors of the Eternal Flame.  They were opening and the pegasus were pulling them towards it.  They were going to get on board alive after all. 
Charger looked at Fluttershy who was staring at the Eternal Flame.  He could tell she was a little tense, they all were.  He also knew what the behavior of the security forces on that ship were like.  They would board the ship, nock everyone out and then interrogate them.  They might even accidentally hurt them in the raid. 
Charger knew he could not let that happen to any of the six.  he quickly walked to the back of the ship and opened the floor.
" What's that?" Fluttershy asked looking at the hidden compartment.
" This is a weapons stash, the pilots use it to hide weapons if hey get shot down." Charger said heaving a piece of the floor away.  Sights knew what he was doing, so did Gold Wings.
" Alright, get in." Charger said as he stood back up.  The mane six were shocked.
" Us, go in the that dusty, vastly hole!" Rarity said sharply.  The rest of the mares eyed it as well. 
" Look, it's for your own good, they will raid this ship, and it might get a little aggressive." Sights said.  
" I'd listen to him." Gold Wings said from the cockpit.  The shadow squadron members all mumbled in agreement.
The Eternal Flame was right onto of the ship now.  The pegasus flew into the hanger bay and gently set the large fighter craft down.  
Immediately after it landed a group of ponies armed with the standard assault rifle ran out onto the landing pad.  They raced to the side of the ship and lined up.  The pony at the front turned and gave a silent nod to the rest in line.  He flung the door open and they burst in.  They nocked the members of shadow squadron to the floor and hand cuffed them.  They tore Gold Wings from his seat and threw him onto his face.  Sights was pushed up against a wall and Charger was slammed against the floor.  The whole time the soldiers capturing them were yelling and screaming.  They finally pushed them all out of the craft and on to the landing pad.  
They began to march them away to the brig.  They formed them up and pushed them, forward.  Charger took one look back at the craft.  IT was being searched.  He then turned away from the craft and joined his fellow stallions to the brig.  
A few floors up Captain Thunder sat in his office.  It was still the same office.  IT still had the blue walls and all of the medals and pictures hanging up.  However, there was a TV on Captain Thunders desk now.  He was watching the video footage of the hanger bay.  He watched as the criminals in the craft were hauled out onto the deck.  He was shocked to see they were all members of the Eternal Flames crew.  He was especially shocked to see Charger though.  
He had heard the conference and he refused to believe Charger had anything to do with the attacks.  He was a good soldier, and a patriot at heart.  He refused to believe he would kill his fellow country men, but here he was!.  He was on the deck of his own ship handcuffed, pressed against the floor, and Captain Thunder could see it all.  
" So, they were right." Captain Thunder said to himself.
" Even a born soldier a patriot can turn."  Captain Thunder put his head down on his desk.  He knew Charger so well, he was like a son to him.  He had watched him and seen him grow like many of the soldiers on his ship.  He and no choice now, he had to except the fact that Charger, one of his favorite stallions, was a cold stone,selfish, killer.  
Captain Thunder turned off his TV, got up, and walked to his door.  He knew the prisoners would be held in the brig.  he wanted to say good by to Charger and the rest of his now turned crew, before they were sent to be excited no doubt. 
" Why would you do this to yourself Charger… Why would you ruin your life like this?" He thought as he walked down the hall.
Down in the brig the "criminals" were now behind bars.  They sat on hard will beds that were a barf green color.  The cell was a hard, cold, silver steel box with a white sink and small white toilet on the right wall.  The cell was very crowded.  Charger, Sights, Gold Wings, and the rest of Shadow Squadron were stuffed in there.
" At leats we won't be in this thing forever." Sights told one of the shadow flyers.   
" The government ship is coming soon, so they'll take us from there." He continued.  The Shadow Flyer just looked down.  They couldn't believe they were being punished for doing the right thing.
Charger sat on one of the beds.  He knew what was coming for him.  He also knew that he was done.  The original plan was to dock and peacefully talk with the captain of the ship.  He could have provided them security and military help if he had just gotten a chance to know the details.  
" It's funny…" Charger thought.
" The details can make such a big difference, but they could be hidden so easily." Charger finished.  He laughed at this.  There plan had not worked, and because of the hiding of details and an unclear picture, the ponies who did right, were going to be killed as wrong doers.   
Charger continued to think on this until the the door opened.  he heard the clanking of keys.  At first he thought it was the government officers.  When he stood up he looked out of the bars, and was actually surprised!  
Captain Thunder himself was walking in with two guards, one had keys on him.  They reached Chargers cell and Captain Thunder waved the guards off.  The walked off back into the guard office.  
Every pony in the cell stood at attention.  Captain Thunder just stood there.  he began to shake his head.  
" You are no longer considered my crew, cut the attention out." He said sadly.  The cell relaxed and the ponies were all taken aback.  The expression on the captains face changed from normal to gloomy and depressed.  He shook and head faster and harder.  He stared at he ground and then looked up at all of them.
" Why fella's… why turn so suddenly… why become to so heartless and forget all of your morals?" The captain asked.  He scanned the eyes of the cell mates until he rested on Charger. 
" Especially YOU!" he exclaimed.  Charger took a step back.  The captain was obviously angry now. 
" You, I had high expectations for!  I expected things from you!" The captain was now pointing his hoof at Charger.  he was red with anger.  
" I guess i was wrong though!  You weren't the great pony I thought you were!" He bellowed.  The whole cell was wide eyed at this scolding.  Charger was just looking at the captain, right in the eyes.  He dare not speak, but he wanted to tell the captain everything.  he could't though.  He didn't know what to say, and the captain wouldn't believe him!  For the first time in a long while, Charger felt helpless, he felt like he wasn't prepared, he didn't' have a plan. 
" You are no longer my crew, you are no longer in this military!" The captain said turning his attention to the rest of the stallions.  
" I hope you realize this." The captain finished.  He was still red with anger, however he was a little calmer now.  He glared at the cell mates.  he glared at them for some time, then he turned and began to walk away.  Charger didn't speak up.  he sat back down.  As he began to drift off into thought again he did here a voice.
It was a country voice that he very well.  It was Sights.  he was now at the front of the cell and calling for the captain!
" Sir!" he yelled.  The captain kept walking.  he did not wan anything to do with these traitors.
" SIR!" Sights said louder.  The captain just kept walking. Sights was angry now, he didn't like being ignored.  He took in a deep breath and concentrated his anger.  he channeled it into his next few words. 
" GET BACK OVER HERE YOU NO GOOD PEICE OG SHIT!" Sight yelled.  The cell fell silent.  They were all wide eyed that Sights had just cursed out the captain!
The captain turned to Sights.  he was angry once more.  The enemy had just called him a piece of shit.  He galloped over to him and slammed his hooves against the cell. 
" WHAT DID YOU CALL ME!?" The captain yelled at Sights.  Sights stood fast.  he did not move back from the cell bars.  He answered the captains question with a stern and controlled voice.
" You don't know the whole story, sir." Sights said. The captain leaned back from the cell.  He had no idea what this prisoner was talking about.
" I know the story quite well, prisoner, it's been on TV for weeks." The captain said.  Sights was very quick to answer.
" No, that's the wrong story." Sights said.  The captain stepped back, he was interested in what Sights had to say, so was Charger and the rest of the cell.
There was a long silence between the two stallions.  They stared at each other very intensely.  Finally the captain spoke up.
" Continue." he ordered.  Sights smiled.  Charger heard a door to the cell block open.  He looked over and was over whelmed with excitement.
" Turn around." Sights said.  The captain turned around and saw the Twilight, RD, Apple Jack, Pinky Pie, Fluttershy, and Rarity being escorted in by two guards.  
" Sir." One of the guards said.
" We found these six in a the weapons compartment of the ship, they insist on speaking with you." The guard finished.  The captain was amazed at what he saw in front of him.  he turned back to Sights with his eyes wide an mouth open.
" I'll be taking that key now." Sights said smirking.