//------------------------------// // Isolation // Story: Wings of Deceit // by Fyn16 //------------------------------// Isolation Nimbus stepped out of his carriage, tipped his puller, and approached the base gates, exhausted despite the amount of caffeine in his system. Trains were never his favorite mode of transportation, and he felt like an Ursa Major had been dancing around on his back for a while. Tenderized feelings aside, it was nice to be back. The simple base gate surrounding the small airfield brought back memories of all sorts, both good and bad, but most of all, it reminded him that he still had the best job in Equestria. “Good morning, sir,” the gate guard said as Nimbus approached, and saluted. The First Lieutenant returned the salute sharply, presenting his I.D. The pony nodded, waving him through. “Have a good day, sir.” “And you as well,” Nimbus called back, moving along up the road. To his right was the airstrip, where a small flight of Aviators was taking off in formation. The Pegasi reached their departure altitude and rolled to the left, banking away in perfect synchronized flight. As he watched them leave, he felt an electric buzz roll through his spine. He couldn’t wait to get back up in formation again. Hopefully they’d have some orders waiting when they arrived. The sun was out, and there were very few clouds; a perfect day for a sortie. Up ahead was the 132nd Aviator Squadron headquarters, looking just as bleak and nondescript as always. Nimbus made his way inside. “Morning, Nimbus,” the secretary inside said, nodding as he trotted past. “Good morning, Sunflower,” Nimbus replied, “anypony arrive ahead of me?” Sunflower thought about it for a moment. “Hm… yes, I think Starburst is here. Nopony else but the Colonel, though. Looks like you beat Storm Runner here.” Nimbus nodded grimly, “looks like I did.” “Oh, and- sorry if this isn’t my place, but I was just wondering- are you and Storm Runner, well, okay? You two used to be thick as thieves, but you’ve barely spoken in over a year. Couldn’t help but notice.” “We… had a little disagreement,” Nimbus said, stepping away in the hopes that the topic of Storm Runner could be avoided as much as possible. “Well, it’s not my place to say what you should do, but that said- maybe you two can sit down sometime and talk it out. Sure would beat glaring behind each other’s backs.” “I’ll see what I can do,” Nimbus said uncertainly, trying to maneuver the conversation away from Storm Runner, “did Colonel Cloudsplitter mention where she wanted us to gather?” “Rec room,” Sunflower said, “she mentioned something about an informal meeting.” Not bad at all. Informal was always better. Nimbus had grown to like Cloudsplitter’s method of leadership. The mare was often firm, but not afraid to show a softer side when the situation called for it. In short, she commanded respect without striking fear into her subordinates. Nimbus had made up his mind long ago that if he ever made it to her position, he’d try to be the exact same way. Until then, though, he was more than happy to have somepony like her as a flight lead. He walked past a few Aviators from other squadrons as he moved farther down the hall towards the rec room. Most looked eager and ready for news, some seemed tired, and a few others just appeared disappointed; probably other ponies who had found their leave cut short. The rec room wasn’t anything special- just a large, open room with a fireplace, a few games, and some couches, but it was a common hangout spot for Aviators from different squadrons to meet and just talk. Nimbus had fond memories of coming in here over the winter, after several particularly cold sorties, and having a nice, warm cup of hot cocoa by the fire. It gave the Aviators something to do on base, instead of having to go into town to relax. It was on one of the aforementioned couches that Nimbus soon spotted Cloudsplitter on, with Starburst pacing behind her. “Good morning,” Ma’am,” Nimbus said as he entered. “Hey LT. Take a seat, will you?” Cloudsplitter offered Nimbus one of the sofas and the Pegasus gratefully took it, sitting down and immediately feeling the tension built up from hours of travel release. It was almost like sinking into a hot tub at the end of a long day; he had to remind himself that it was only the end of morning. He still had an afternoon full of potential work. “Hello, Nimbus,” Starburst said, nodding to his wingpony. Nimbus returned the gesture. “Hello, sir. How have things been here?” Starburst frowned, “uneventful, but with what’s happening across the ocean…” “Right,” Nimbus said, “about that, do we have any orders regarding what we’re supposed to do?” “Yup,” Cloudsplitter said, holding up a roll of paper, “I’ve got ‘em right here. You could read them, but I’ll save you the trouble. As expected, we’re not going to support the Griffon resistance.” Nimbus nodded. “Alright, then. So where does that leave us?” Cloudsplitter rubbed her temples, tired, “well, unfortunately, it does not put me in a position to give you back your leave, Celestia knows you’ve earned it. No, the higher-ups have plans for us, it seems.” Nimbus’s silence was all that Cloudsplitter needed to continue. “As I said, we are to avoid assisting the Griffons in any way, and being near one of Equestria’s biggest shipping ports, we are in an ideal position to carry out this order.” She paused, grimacing, “now, bear with me on this, because you’re not going to like what I have to say next. What the orders say specifically is that we are to run patrols along the coastline until the Griffon conflict blows over, looking for any Equestrian vessels launching to assist the Griffons. It’s likely some civilians will get involved once they find out the military is leaving the Kingdom be, so we’ll have to stop them.” “What?” Nimbus whispered, “ma’am, that’s a bit-” “Sounds good to me,” a new, familiar voice sounded from behind. Nimbus twisted around on the couch to get a good look at who spoke, then snapped his head back around again. It was Storm Runner. “Lieutenant Storm Runner,” Cloudsplitter said, beckoning him in, “please, take a seat.” “Thank you, ma’am, but I’ll stand.” There was a cold edge to Storm’s voice that hadn’t been there a year ago. Nimbus had noticed it develop little by little after the two had grown apart. It was almost scary to hear how different his old friend sounded now. It was as if he lacked any empathy. “Of course,” Cloudsplitter said, “anyway, there won’t be anything going on for us later today, so you have the night off. That said, I’d suggest you run the patrol routes that have been planned out for us, for familiarization. Storm Runner-” she looked up at the blue Pegasus, “-since Cyclone Sprint was transferred, you’ll be working with me. I plan on launching in about three hours to go over the routes. You’re welcome to join me.” “Of course, ma’am,” Storm Runner said, “and if we see any ships headed for the Kingdom, what then? Are we free to engage?” Cloudsplitter cocked an eyebrow. “Er… I’m not entirely sure what you mean by ‘engage,’ but we are most certainly free to inform them of the Princesses’ policy. As I’m sure you understand, we do not open fire on our own civilians.” “Right,” Storm Runner replied, “though I hardly believe their loyalties will be too difficult to figure out if we find any helping the Griffons.” “That will be all, Lieutenant,” Cloudsplitter said in a hushed tone that conveyed an undercurrent of stern power. “I’ll wait for you in three hours out at the airstrip. Sounds like you’ll be there.” “Wouldn’t miss it for the world, ma’am,” Storm said, nodding. Before he left, he turned to Nimbus and looked him over. “Ah, you’re here,” he said gruffly before turning sharply on his hooves and exiting the rec room. Cloudsplitter rubbed her forehead with her hooves. “It’s hard to see one of our own in such a state. He’s so eager to fight- Commander Hurricane would have probably loved to have dozens of warriors like him. I just feel like he’s lost heart since he came to us.” By now it was no secret to the others why Storm Runner had suddenly broken off his friendship with Nimbus. The Aviators had sworn never to tell anypony else about Nimbus’s deceit, and what really happened on the night of the Summer Sun Celebration over two years ago, when the fanatical Sun Blaze turned on Celestia. Coming clean with everypony else had done a great deal of good to Nimbus. Storm Runner, on the other hoof, was still sinking into pessimism and quiet rage. “Maybe flying with you will do him some good,” Starburst pointed out to Cloudsplitter. “Perhaps. I certainly hope so,” she replied, “truth be told- I just wish he was a bit less eager about our task. I’m not looking forward to having to stop civilians taking relief efforts into their own hooves, but orders are orders. We have a job to do, and the higher-ups expect us to do it.” “The potential for disaster is just too great, though,” Starburst stated, “ma’am, the last thing we need right now is a war.” “I know,” Cloudsplitter sighed, “but that’s not going to help me sleep easier at night.” She looked between the two Pegasi left in the rec room with her. “Captain, Lieutenant, you two are dismissed. Keep posted- I might try to get the squad together for dinner tonight, maybe someplace fancy. Get your dress blues ready to go just in case.” “Roger that, ma’am,” Nimbus said as Cloudsplitter stood up. “I’ll see you two later,” she called out as she left the room. Nimbus turned to Starburst. “Sir, did you want to run through the patrol routes?” Nimbus asked, getting up from the couch. “Well, perhaps… yes, I suppose we could do that. I’ll tell you what- meet me out at the airstrip in, say, twenty minutes? That should give you some time to suit up. Make sure all your gear’s good to go, too. I’ll probably take us by the live-fire range on the way back if I can get it approved.” Nimbus smiled a bit. Unprofessional, yes, but the chance of going to the live fire range was always welcome. Sure, it was just a bunch of stationary targets, but when the targets didn’t move or shoot back, one could afford to get a bit fancy with them. “That sounds good to me, sir,” Nimbus said, already going over his equipment checks in his mind, “I’ll see you at the strip.” “Good,” said Starburst, “then let’s get this show on the road.” … Exactly seventeen minutes later, Nimbus was fully geared up in his flight suit and helmet, striding towards the end of the runway. A flight of ponies passed by him on his way, chatting excitedly as they removed their helmets and prepared to call it a day, and Nimbus grinned. Taking in the blue sky above, he was more than ready for a romp through the clouds, regardless of the reason. He could see Starburst waiting for him, helmet already on. The Pegasus was locking his breathing mask. As he drew closer, Nimbus did the same, and instantly his nose was assaulted by the odd yet strangely comforting smell of rubber as the recirculating mask covered his face. Next, he lowered his visor and powered up his HUD. Green lines and figures flickered into existence in front of his eyes, and as soon as he was sure everything was good to go, Nimbus dialed in the standard Aviator frequency. “All electronics check out,” he radioed to Starburst, “Can you hear me?” “Loud and clear,” Starburst said, “can you hear me?” “Loud and clear,” Nimbus confirmed. “Excellent. Our callsign for this flight is ‘Squall,’ so I’ll take Squall One and you’ll be taking Squall Two.” “Roger,” Nimbus said, positioning himself next to Starburst and pointing his nose down the runway. “Manehattan Tower, this is Squall One, ready for takeoff runway two-six.” A moment later, the ponies got their reply. “Squall One and Two, you are cleared for takeoff runway two-six. Be advised, current winds are at two niner zero, one five knots.” “Two niner zero, one five knots,” Starburst repeated for good measure, “roger, tower. Thanks.” He turned to Nimbus with a nod. “Let’s go.” Nimbus spread his wings and took off at a full gallop, accelerating down the runway right next to Starburst. As speed built up, he felt his weight support transition evenly across his body as his wings began to generate lift, and with two flaps, he was clear of the runway and climbing into the midday sky at a nice, smooth ascent, making sure to dip his wings into the oncoming crosswind to maintain the runway centerline. “Squall, climb and maintain one thousand five hundred feet and standby.” “One thousand five hundred and standby,” Starburst repeated. The flight lead was just ahead and to the right of Nimbus’s wingtip, maintaining perfect formation as the ponies leveled off at their designated altitude. “Squall, we have you on madar. Altitude restrictions waived for patrol, have a good flight.” The ponies banked away from the base, heading for the Manehattan shoreline. Once there, they were to head up the coast towards the harbor, then move out to sea, basically zigzagging along the coast for as long as necessary. A boring pattern, to be sure, but at least it was scenic. “Alright, so I got the briefing from the Colonel on how to track any target ships,” Starburst said, “basically, any vessels not heading to the Griffon Kingdom will be assigned an IFF code and given a transponder. Any ship not squawking will be considered a vessel of interest, and it’ll be our duty to stop it.” “Roger that,” Nimbus said, doing his best to stay level with Starburst. as they descended to just above wave height, He double-checked his IFF, to ensure it was functioning properly, then turned his attention back to his instruments. “Two vessels ahead.” “Acknowledged,” Starburst said, “they’re squawking the right code; looks like they’re good to go.” A few moments later, two small cruisers faded into view, sitting low in the waterline and cutting sleek lines through the ocean. The Pegasi pulled up and dipped their wings as they passed over the boats’ decks, receiving a few waves from below. “That’s all there is to it, I guess,” Nimbus said, looking back as the boats continued on their way. “Yep,” Starburst responded, “though I doubt you can expect a perfect run in the next few days. There are too many ponies out there willing to put the country at risk to help some rebels.” “Sir, with all due respect,” Nimbus said, flying a little closer to his wingpony and tightening the formation up, “wouldn’t you if you were in their position? I hate to admit it, but we can’t exactly look like heroes in the public eye right now, enforcing travel like this. To be honest, if I was a civilian, I’d probably go for it.” Under his visor, Starburst raised an eyebrow. “That’s probably not something you want to tell your flight lead, Nimbus, especially when I believe that what we’re doing here is completely justified. I don’t want to see the Griffons’ cause die either, but the facts are there- all day you’ve been hearing that an attack on Equestria now is the last thing we need. We can’t let our own citizens jeapordize that. Do you copy?” “Affirmative, I copy,” Nimbus sighed, banking back around towards Manehattan Bay as the ponies began their return to base. “Good,” Starburst nodded, getting on comms with the Manehattan tower again. “Tower, Squall One with request.” A moment later, he got a response. “This is Tower, Squall One, say request.” “Squall requests permission to stop by the live fire range on the way back if at all possible, also requesting any information about any sorties in that area.” Despite feeling self-conscious for voicing his opinion to his flight lead, Nimbus still waited with baited breath for tower’s response. The firing range would be a chance to forget the shaky start he was getting off to since returning from leave. “Squall, I show no sorties in range sector two today, you’re cleared to use it. Please contact us once you’re finished…” there was a brief buzz of static before the voice came back, “and Colonel Cloudsplitter requests you try to make it back before 1700. She’d also like to know if dinner at the Gold Room is fine with you two.” Nimbus had to chuckle a bit, in spite of himself. The controller clearly wasn’t used to relaying anything but orders to the ponies under his jurisdiction, yet once again his commander was doing what she did best- putting him out of his comfort zone. Surprisingly, this method was very effective, and had a tendency to make ponies on the receiving end of such treatment realize how much potential they really had. In this case, of course, she was probably just messing around. If there was one thing Nimbus had learned from Cloudsplitter, it was that once in a while, even the top brass had to have some fun. “Roger that, tower,” Starburst radioed back, “I think we can make that work.” “See you soon, then, Squall.” “Okay, Nimbus,” Starburst said, “follow my lead.” The pony banked a full ninety degrees and Nimbus copied the maneuver. As soon as both ponies were completely sideways, Starburst pulled away, and the two banked inland, descending to the wave tops below. They were low enough now that Nimbus could feel sea spray cooling the underside of his flightsuit, and they actually had to climb to avoid a tall wave. Up ahead, ponies on the beach were going about their business, though some had noticed the approaching Aviators and were pointing, ready for a display. The ponies abliged, and both Starburst and Nimbus executed a sharp, well-synched roll over the beachgoers. Nimbus laughed into his helmet as they leveled out again. No amount of tension could change just how fun flying was. The live fire range was actually an old farmstead that had long since become barren. Supposedly the former owner was cursed following the results of an air race, and had failed to seek medical attention in time to remove the curse before every plant on his land suddenly died. The perpetrator was, of course, brought to justice, and as it just so happened, Manehattan Air Base had recently been completed and was looking for a location to train its Aviators. They gladly purchased the land from the farmer, who moved to Tall Tale shortly after and was never heard from again. The city had offered to remove the curse on the land, but the Aviators eventually decided that the property should remain untouched. Without any sort of foliage, the grounds made a perfect target range, and it was this large, flat square of dirt just west of the airbase that Nimbus found himself heading towards alongside his wingpony. “Squall One to Squall Two, maintain entry speed of two eight zero knots, weapons free. Engage targets on the left, I have the right. We’ll clear each other’s backs after our run. Ready?” “Ready,” Nimbus confirmed, squaring himself up with his side of the field. The targets in question were simple wooden squares, but they’d all been charmed to glow red when hit. His helmet’s targeting systems would then relay details such as his accuracy and number of targets “destroyed” to his visor. Unfortunately, though he and Starburst were practicing for it, there wouldn’t actually be an aerial portion to this session, since they were the only two ponies in the area, but Nimbus pushed this thought aside as he dove, following Starburst as they neared their weapons’ effective range. As soon as the targeting boxes on Nimbus’s visor began to turn red, he let loose, firing his CAL-2 in short bursts at the targets below. Several began glowing red immediately. In his mind’s eye, Nimbus saw enemies in place of the targets- ground troops, vessels, and artillery. Imagination was one of his strong suits, and it helped to visualize what he was training for, instead of what he was actually doing. He swerved quickly to avoid a target, and shot the gap between two more as he lowered his altitude further, then he checked to his right. Starburst was there, maintaining the pace. As they neared the end of the field, the Aviators pulled up, each crisscrossing behind the other to check for bandits. They then rolled level, heading back towards the targets for one final sweep. As before, they dove quickly, leveling out early to make maximum use of their altitude for their strafing run. By now, most of the targets had already been hit, and when they passed over again, only a scattered few remained untouched. As they cleared the last couple of targets away, Nimbus saw Starburst shudder and double over in flight, barely recovering in time to keep himself in the air. The pony immediately tightened the formation, heading in to help. “Captain, are you alright?” “Huh? Yeah, I’m fine,” Starburst said, panting, “just… hungry. Really hungry.” “Back to base then?” Nimbus inquired. “Roger that, Squall Two. Follow heading one seven five until within range to contact approach. You can take the lead on this flight back.” Nimbus smiled, “thank you, sir.” Through his happy expression, though, he was genuinely concerned. Starburst was not under the influence of hunger pains, that much was certain. There was something much worse going on, and while he wasn’t in a position to pry, he sincerely hoped his flight lead would have the sense to get himself checked out. They’d all have to be on top of their game, both mentally and physically over the next few days. He decided not to press the matter unless it became an issue again. Starburst was a superior officer, and probably knew what he was doing, anyway. At least I hope he does, Nimbus thought as he banked and rolled out on course back to base. Whatever the case, he was ready to carry out whatever orders the higher-ups deemed necessary over the next week. He only hoped his lead was capable of doing the same. What Nimbus could not have possibly known, however, was that Starburst was perfectly fine. The Pegasus grimaced behind his mask and visor as the painful spasms died away. Ever since… she had returned, the fits had been getting worse. He knew what he was, and knew also that keeping his disguise up would be difficult within the coming days; the call of the hive was strong, but if his mission was going to succeed, he’d have to rely on it, at least for a little while longer. As the two Pegasi leveled out on course, Starburst’s eyes glowed with green fire. One day, his wingpony would know the truth, but today was not to be that day.