//------------------------------// // At Any Cost // Story: Wings of Deceit // by Fyn16 //------------------------------// At Any Cost         Color Splash snapped his head up quickly, wiping a small drool trail from his mouth as he squinted at the madar display in front of him. When he’d been reassigned to the RSS Radiance as a madar/radio operator, he admittedly hadn’t expected much. What he had expected was something more than this. He knew the thrill of entering Griffon territory should have been driving him, but staring at a little green circle as a white line endlessly traced it was not an excellent way to keep oneself awake and entertained. Sure, every once and a while a patrol went up and he got to have some sort of half-baked conversation with the Aviators, but in between those times… sometimes he felt he’d rather still be running around on the Peregrine.         “Ugh.”         For the first time in a while, the sound didn’t come out of Color Splash’s mouth, but the pony beside him- a Unicorn named Sandy Shell. Shell’s eyes were just as glazed over as his, and her hoof seemed to be the only thing supporting her head at the moment.         “Bored?” Color Splash yawned. Sandy fixed him with an unamused frown.         “You kidding?” she groaned, stretching slightly, “where are the Griffons?”         “Yeah, I know what you mean,” Color Splash smirked, “when’s the next patrol due?”         Sandy checked a schedule on her control panel. “Uh… not for another four hours.” She ruffled her mane, staring upwards, and Color immediately recognized the mare’s “thinking” face.         “What is it?” he asked.         Sandy tapped a few keys on her panel and brought up a larger circular display.         “We could always run a bloop,” she pointed out.                  A bloop, essentially, was naval jargon for a quick, long-range underwater sonar sweep. Initially implemented by commercial vessels to detect large objects such as krakens and sea serpents early, it quickly caught on with the military as well. While most naval vessels were well-equipped to handle most of the ocean’s most dangerous residents, having a bit of warning was never turned down. As a bloop hadn’t been run in several hours, and Griffon waters were largely unfamiliar to the ponies, Color Splash decided it couldn’t hurt.         “Okay,” he said, activating the sonar and preparing to press the transmit button, “firing on my mark.”         Sandy nodded.         “And mark!” Color Splash pushed the button down, and the ship emitted a muted pulsing sound- the origin of the bloop’s name- and immediately Shell put eyes on her displays.         “Again,” Shell said, scratching her chin. Color Splash obliged, sending the sound waves rushing through the water once more.         “Anything?” he said. Shell beckoned him over.         “Actually, yeah. Come have a look at this.” Shell jotted down a few quick calculations as Color Splash rolled his seat over, “there’s definitely something down there. Could be a Kraken…”         “But? I’m assuming there’s a ‘but’ in here somewhere.”         Shell tapped the display with her pen, “that’s the thing- the object’s movement pattern isn’t that of a Kraken. Doesn’t match a Serpent, Hydra, or whale either. Something’s just… off.”         Color Splash stole a glance at Shell’s calculations, now thoroughly interested.         “Off? How do you mean?”         With her pen, Shell drew a small dot on her notepad. “This is first contact,” she said, tracing a straight line to a new dot, “and this was our second bloop. The movement pattern is a perfect line. Doesn’t that strike you as odd?”         Scratching his mane, Color leaned back in his chair. “No. Should it?”         Shell gave him a blank stare, then rolled her eyes, “right, I forgot you’re new here. Here’s the thing- organic life almost never travels in a perfect line. With whales you have an up and down motion. With Serpents and Hydras, it’s side to side. Krakens are closer, but forward movement isn’t constant. They pause before they jet themselves forward. This is like nothing I’ve ever seen before. If I didn’t know better, I’d say we were looking at a ship.”         Color smirked. “An underwater ship? Shell, do you need some more coffee? I admit it’s interesting, but it could just be a Kraken. I mean we only ran two bloops. Margin for error’s still pretty large.”         “Hmm,” Shell grumbled, “I suppose you have a point. Well, we’ll keep an eye on it. For now, go ahead and get a Kraken advisory out.”         “Yes ma’am,” Color Splash said, wheeling himself back over to his station to prepare an advisory statement. It wasn’t much, but at least it was work. That had to count for something at least. …         Deep underneath the ice-cold, choppy surface of the Griffon Sea, Captain Humboldt of the Griffon Navy removed his crisp, ironed Captain’s cap and gave it a quick polish. While most of his crew believed it was simply the Captain displaying his outstanding knack for personal appearance, they were only partially right. Humboldt had been around seagoing vessels most of his life, certainly an oddball for a flying creature (then again, most naval Griffons were seen in this way), and few things set him on edge, but sailing under the ponies’ fleet was by far one of the most harrowing experiences he’d been through, at least since the war years ago. The significance of the vessel he commanded today didn’t help either. Under the able talons of his crew and himself was placed the Kingdom’s newest flagship- a grand vessel by the name of the Atteneis. Perhaps the most unique feature of this new ship was its function- to the best of its engineers’ knowledge, it was the only watercraft in the world capable of fully submerging itself. Its designers had called it a submersible, and Humboldt had to admit that the name fit. The potential power concealed within this unique craft’s hull was not lost on him, but his long career had taught him caution. Rushing headlong into danger was hardly acceptable, and whether these ponies were a threat or not, it was best to treat them as such.         That wasn’t to say, of course, that it was hard to feel invincible in this ship, Humboldt mused as he walked the long corridor to the bridge. The submersible was twice the size of the Kingdom’s largest surface vessel, and carried a great deal of armament, including a prototype area denial-type device. Hopefully, the cannon wouldn’t have to be used, but Humboldt was confident that, if the time came, his crew was ready. Hand-picked from the Navy, only the best served aboard the flagship. At times, he almost felt as if a Captain wasn’t needed at all. Of course, his crew, loyal as they were, would never let him say such a thing. The Captain smiled as he opened the bridge door to find his crew hard at work. Time to get to business then.         “Status report,” he called out.         “Captain, the fleet is one six miles behind us, and continuing on course. They sonar-pinged us, but it looks like nothing came of it.”         Humboldt raised an eyebrow at his sonar operator’s report and nodded grimly. “Understood. Plot an estimated course and get it briefed to our coastal bases. We’ll remain ahead of the fleet, keeping tabs on them.”         “Message for you, sir.”         Humboldt turned around and confronted the Griffon who spoke to him- a young radio officer.         “Ensign, are we forgetting something?”         “Sir?” the young Griffon stammered, caught off guard, “um, I don’t… that is to say-”         “Who sent it?” Humboldt cut him off, snatching the envelope his subordinate bore. The Ensign cleared his throat.         “The Capitol, sir. And… I apologize. I’ll do better next time.”         Humboldt fixed him with a steely stare, but it was quickly nullified as a wry smile played about his beak. “Ensign, I know you will. You’re on this submersible for a reason, as are we all. Have faith in our cause and in your abilities.” The old Griffon warmly extended a talon and placed it on the Ensign’s shoulder, “thank you. You are dismissed.”         Another thing that had quickly become apparent to those new to Humboldt’s command was the frequency of which he managed to sneak small, inspirational tidbits into everyday conversation. It was just one more thing they loved about the Captain. He was an imposing Griffon, one that commanded respect, but his heart was still young. That being said, those who witnessed his face the moment he opened the envelope could have sworn the old Captain aged decades in those few moments. With every pass of his eyes along the paper, it seemed the shine of his plumage dulled a little, and the light of his eyes grew dimmer. Finally, with a shaking talon, he set the letter down. The bridge was silent for a moment.         “So…” Humboldt whispered to himself, “it’s finally begun again.”         He turned to address his crew. “Helmsman, move us out to weapons range. The rest of you, prepare for combat. I’m not sure what’s happening, but we can’t afford to let our guard down. Stand by for further orders from me.”         Confused at the vague, curt instructions from their Captain, the Griffons nonetheless complied. The Helmsman plotted and set his course quickly, but even so- when he turned around, Humboldt was nowhere to be seen. All that indicated he’d even been there in the first place was the door to the bridge quietly closing. …         The scent of fish and sea breeze filled the air as Nimbus took his morning stroll along the Peregrine’s forward deck. He’d made a habit of coming up here since Color Splash left; it gave him something to do in the absence of a friend. Storm was really shaping up, of course, but they were hardly on speaking terms just yet. Instead, he had to content himself with taking in the serene beauty of the open ocean, despite his rarely admitted fear of it, and thus far his walks seemed to be helping a great deal. He’d even grown rather fond of the salty-smelling air.         Of course the other reason he came up here in the mornings was to observe other Aviators leaving their ships. The catapult launch system was as new to him as it was to everypony else, and nopony had yet completely mastered it, though some had come close. It was these ponies that Nimbus watched, trying to implement parts of their techniques every time he went up. It’d be a while before they would get back to Equestria, and in addition to helping him make a smooth transfer from ship deck to the sky, it gave him a project to work on. All he had left to perfect was the inherent flutter that occurred with the catapult’s initial jerky launch. Nopony else had figured out how to counter it either, though, and Nimbus was starting to think it was just something he and the others would have to deal with- a small price to pay for rapid deployment.         Nimbus stopped by the bow of the ship and turned his eyes towards the Radiance- Color Splash’s ship- admiring the crisp “v” it cut through the ocean. It was a fine ship, no doubt, and a fine posting for his friend. It sounded as if Color was already getting settled in, too. Like the rest of the fleet, he’d heard about the Kraken advisory earlier, though Nimbus generally tried to keep the thought of some living thing more than three times the size of the boat swimming just beneath them out of his mind. It would have been nice to have Color Splash around to talk to, but as long as he was keeping the fleet clear of the ocean’s dangerous fauna, he really wasn’t complaining.         “Nimbus!”         The stallion turned around as Starburst ran up behind him. The Pegasus stopped, panting.         “Yes sir?” Nimbus said, “is it about the Kraken?”         Starburst shook his head. “No, no. We’re getting scrambled shortly, something about a group of inbound contacts. Maybe hostiles.”         The hairs on the back of Nimbus’s mane stood on end. Griffons, no doubt.         “So let’s go,” Starburst continued, “get suited up and head to the flight deck. We’re going up ASAP.”         Nimbus stuck close behind Starburst as he turned and bolted for the door leading below deck. They almost made it before a three-pony Aviator flight ripped by, streaking out to sea. They were moving quickly, kicking up fantails of sea spray, and while Nimbus knew that they were just heading out on an intercept run, something quickened his pulse. There was a sense of urgency here- a feel in the air that something was wrong.         “Sir.”         Storm Runner nodded to Starburst and exchanged a quick, worried glance with Nimbus as he fell in beside the two.         “And that makes three,” Starburst said, nodding, “good. Storm, you know what’s going on?”         “Yes sir.”         Starburst opened the storage door leading to the Aviators’ gear. In all actuality it was a repurposed walk-in pantry storage closet, but it was better than nothing at the moment. Nimbus barely had time to react before Starburst tossed him his flight suit. He wasted no further time in worming his way into it.         “Right, like I said, we’re in a bit of a time crunch here. These contacts weren’t sighted soon enough to afford us the luxury of time, and they’re moving rather quickly. Hopefully they’ll keep to their end of the arrangement and just guide us in with no trouble, but… I don’t know. I have a bad feeling about this.”         Nimbus tightened his helmet, sliding the visor down and back up and checking his oxygen filtration mask.         “Open comms up on the way to the flight deck,” Starburst said, sliding his own helmet on as he made his way back out the door. “Looks like they already sent a squad up, so we’ll get a feel for what’s going on before we get there.” He eyed Nimbus and Storm, “looks like you two are pretty well composed, so we’ll walk up there. Move with a purpose, though. We may need all the energy we can get up in the air.” …         “Mako Three to Mako Lead, any sign of contacts?”         The Pegasus in charge of the three-pony flight eagerly scanned the ocean ahead of him. According to his madar, the contacts were dead ahead, but they were nowhere to be seen. "Roger, keep scanning." The lead fixed his eyes on the horizon, squinting. At first, he saw nothing, but slowly he could see faint trails being drawn through the waves; something was coming in fast, at low level.         There they were- three dark shapes speeding low over the ocean. The Aviators prepared their CAL-2s, but kept them on safe for the moment. The third Pegasus squinted. Something else caught his eye- a rapidly expanding column of white vapor from straight ahead.         “Lead, possible fourth contact inbound at twelve o’clock. You see it?”         Taking his eyes off the approaching unknowns, the Lead directed his attention skyward. The vapor trail was clearly visible now, but moving far too quickly for a Griffon. In fact, it seemed to be following a ballistic flight path.         “RSS Radiance, this is Mako Lead, we have another unknown contact inbound at very high speed.”         Whatever was tracking through the sky had clearly reached its apogee, and now all three Pegasi were transfixed by it. The Griffons could wait- clearly whatever this thing was was far more important. As the vapor trail grew nearer, the third Pegasus felt his blood run cold.         “Radiance, this is Mako Three!” he yelled, no longer caring that he was speaking out of turn, “unknown is headed straight for us!” …         A muted booming sound, like the roll of distant thunder reverberated through the ship’s hull, punctuating the radio transmission from Mako. Nimbus, Storm, and Starburst all froze, eyes wide as they waited for something- anything to follow.         “Mako, this is Radiance. Do you have a visual on the unknown yet?”         Still nothing.         “Dammit Mako, respond!”         Suddenly the radio became alive with chatter and Nimbus’s MADAR display lit up with distant contacts. “Multiple contacts inbound following the first three!” “Who has eyes on this?!”         “Dear Celestia… they’re headed straight for us!”         Chest heaving with fast breaths and eyes wide, Starburst punched Storm Runner on the shoulder.         “Top deck. Now.”         Not bothering to argue, Nimbus secured his oxygen filter and sprinted after Starburst, who was already on the stairway up to the deck. A second, duller thud echoed through the hull, actually shaking the ship.         “This is the RSS Radiance! We’ve been hit! Damage control is responding, but we’re taking water. Inbound Griffons are hostile, repeat- inbound Griffons are hostile! All Pegasi cleared to engage!”         Ahead of Nimbus, Starburst rammed the door open, spilling onto the deck. Nimbus only had time for one short glance, but he saw enough. Smoke was pouring out the side of the Radiance, which was beginning to lean very slowly to the right. Aviators were talking off from other ships, engaging with Griffons flying by overhead. It was a trap. There was never going to be a rendezvous. The First through Third Expeditionary Fleets were sitting ducks, far from friendly shores with nothing but their own forces to protect them.         “Where the hay is Windigo?” Peregrine’s deck control called frantically.         “We’re on deck, preparing to launch,” Starburst radioed back, taking his place at the catapult with Storm Runner as even more Griffons seemed to materialize out of the ocean sky. Nimbus watched as five dove down, abreast of one another, and released one small, cylindrical device apiece. The cylinders hit the water, arrowing through it towards one of the smaller patrol vessels, then all at once, they struck, tearing the ship in two with a tremendous explosion. He had to peel his eyes away from the horrifying sight as he heard the telltale hiss of the catapult returning to him.         “Windigo Two, secure and ready for takeoff,” Nimbus said, trying his best to sound as calm as possible.         “3, 2, 1, launch!”         There was no time today to try and perfect a smooth takeoff; everypony was relying on the Aviators getting airborne as soon as possible. Nimbus left the deck quickly, rolling as a sharp “scree” caught him by surprise. In his moment of reaction, Nimbus saw a Griffon blow right past him, talons glinting with cold light. He didn’t have enough speed and altitude to engage yet, so he pulled up in a slow half-loop. Looking down, it quickly became apparent that the fleet was in far worse condition than it had appeared on deck. Ships were pointed in every direction and anti-air armaments of all kinds cut the sky to shreds around him as ponies below rushed to defend themselves. The patrol vessel’s halves were rapidly disappearing below the waves, and a fire was quickly spreading up the aft end of the Radiance. For a moment, Nimbus thought about Color Splash, and whether or not he’d survived the attack, then dismissed the thought. Whether he had or hadn’t was inconsequential right now. He had bigger things to deal with.         Locating his squadron, Nimbus dove back down through a shallow layer of clouds, joining up with Storm and Starburst as they swung in a wide arc around the fleet.         “No time for a big plan, Aviators,” Starburst said, voice more solemn than usual, “do what you do best, and make it count. It can’t end here. Windigo- break!”         Nimbus peeled away to the right, making a mental note of where his squadmates were headed, in case he needed backup later. Below, two flights of Griffons were joining the fray, rapidly approaching at low level, just like the first wave. There was no doubt in Nimbus’s mind that these guys were going for the ships.         “Windigo Three,” he called to Storm as he dove down on an intercept course “I’d appreciate some help with a group I’m pursuing over here. Might be targeting the fleet.”         “Roger,” Storm called out, peeling away to follow Nimbus in his dive. Nimbus made sure the Griffons were selected as his targets, keeping an eye on their rapidly closing distance as he adjusted his target sight to lead them. He closed his eyes briefly, then fired. Blue rounds fell towards the Griffons below, striking one between the shoulder blades. It tumbled down, hitting the water with a satisfying spray of sea foam.         “Splash one,” Nimbus called, pulling level behind the Griffons and lining up another shot. Storm Runner was able to grab two before pulling up beside Nimbus. The Griffons were quick, and Nimbus’s wings burned with the effort of trying to keep up. Yet while the Aviators were lined up for a perfect shot, the Griffons did not break formation. Something wasn’t right.         Suddenly, two more contacts lit up on the Aviators’ madar displays right behind them. Nimbus stole a quick glance back; two lighter-armed Griffons were diving down from above, closing the gap rapidly.         “Storm, disengage!” Nimbus called out, raking one last target with electric fire, “two bogeys on our six!”         Nimbus broke right and Storm broke left; the ships would have to fend off the remaining attackers. The Griffons, meanwhile, were on them in an instant. Nimbus marveled at their powerful wings, effortlessly beating the air into submission as they closed the gap. This was an air conflict unlike anything he’d prepared for.         “Coming in on your six, Windigo Two,” Storm Runner called, settling in behind the Griffons on Nimbus’s tail. The stallion was using his natural speed to catch up. “Break hard left over the destroyer.”         Up ahead, Nimbus was indeed approaching an Equestrian destroyer. Thus far undamaged, magic projectiles filled the air as ponies on deck tried to cut down the approaching attackers. Making a mental note to steer clear of the arcs of fire, Nimbus roared over the deck, hugging the ship’s contour and breaking to the left with a violent jerk that surprised even him. Undaunted, the Griffon altered his course to intercept him, bringing the foe right into Storm Runner’s sights. A sharp, electric buzz later, he was plummeting to the waves. Nimbus in turn passed by Storm Runner in the opposite direction, hitting his own pursuers head on with a relentless volley of fire. There was no way he could have missed.         “RSS Radiance detecting more Griffons inbound,” Nimbus heard Color Splash say, “mixed groups of attackers and fighters. Aviators, support the fleet!”         “Radiance, this is Windigo,” Nimbus recognized the voice of Starburst over the radio, and seconds later he rolled into formation alongside him, “request permission to coordinate Aviators in the area.”         The response was instant. “Roger, Windigo. All Aviators be advised- expect adisories and instructions at Windigo squadron’s discretion.”         Below, most of the Griffons were dead or scattered and air superiority was returning to the ponies, but Nimbus could see the large number of approaching targets on his madar, and knew the calm would be short-lived. Starburst nodded to both him and Storm Runner.         “Okay, you two- time to get serious. I’m putting you each in charge of an offensive. Storm- you’ll be intercepting the attackers. I’m counting on your speed and precision here; you’ll be in command of the 6th, 14th and 31st Aviator squadrons, or whatever’s left of them. Nimbus-”         Nimbus perked his head up at the mention of his name, apprehensive of what was to come.         “Based on your performance at the Cloudsdale meet a while back, I’m putting you in the air superiority team, comprised of the 17th and 23rd squadrons. When the second wave comes in to back up the attackers, you dive on them and tear them to shreds. I’ll be assisting both and coordinating whoever’s left as a last line of defense for our ships. Can you do this?”         Nimbus saw his superior’s eyes, full of worry behind his mask. Something was off- from what he could see, the stallion’s normally hazel eyes looked almost… greenish. He dismissed it as a trick of the stress and calmed his breathing.         “Affirmative sir,” he said, “I can do this.”         “I’m ready” Storm Runner echoed.         “Alright,” Starburst said through gritted teeth, “remember- nothing matters more than protecting the fleet. No glory-chasing here- this is war, or at least as close to it as you’ve ever been. Also, see if you can ID the Griffons. I want to know what faction’s attacking us.”         Both Pegasi nodded, and Starburst dipped his wings. “Right, looks like everything’s in order. Celestia’s light guide you and Luna’s shadows protect you. Windigo team, break!” …         The madar room was red with emergency lighting; the torpedoes that impacted the ship caused considerable damage to the electrical room, forcing critical systems to go to backup power. This meant that aside from the red glow, Color Splash was doing his job in the dark. All things considered, the Radiance had been lucky. None of her bulkheads had taken on water so far, and while she may have been crippled, she was moving ahead, determined as ever.         Sandy Shell was hunched over the long-range madar display next to him, tracking the approaching targets. The Aviators were splitting up primarily into two teams, each moving different directions as they moved to encircle the aggressors. Color meanwhile was doing his best to get a picture of what was going on in the fleet.         “All ships,” he said, voice cracking from overuse, “status report!”         Normally the status report wasn’t his responsibility, but ship communications had been delegated to the madar room after the attack. The captain was far too busy above deck, maneuvering the ship while coordinating repairs and defense. Color didn’t envy him. An official casualty report hadn’t been released yet, but the attacks had been fierce. He knew some hadn’t survived. It only got worse as the reports came in.         “Peregrine’s fine, minimal damage.”                  “Canterlot here- we’re taking on water fast! Abandoning ship! Request pickup.”                  “This is the RSS Equinox, fire spreading belowdeck; we’re trying to control it-”         And so the reports rolled in, all with varying degrees of distress to report. Color rubbed his eyes, blinking back any sign of emotion. There would be time to grieve later. For now, rescue efforts required his coordination.         “Any patrol boats in the area, see if you can assist with the Canterlot’s survivors.” He looked at Sandy, his superior officer, who nodded in approval. “All other ships, don’t despair,” he added, “the grace of the Sisters is with us. We will prevail!”         He removed his headset, leaning back in the chair.         “Well done,” Sandy whispered, “spoken like a true officer of the Equestrian Navy.”         “I lied through my teeth,” Color confessed, “if the Aviators can’t stop that next wave, we’re done.”         Sandy sighed. The battle was already wearing on her subordinate; he’d never been prepared for something like this. If she was to have him at his peak, he’d need a clear mind. Something had to be done.         “Look,” she said, “Color, I have something I need you to do for me, okay?”         “Yeah,” Color sat up, immediately alert, “what is it?”         “Get a letter sent out back to Equestria via Phoenix. They need to know what’s going on, and I can’t shake the feeling we’ll need more ships and ponies soon.”         “We’ll get through this,” Color Splash said as he got up and headed for the door, trying to sound confident.         Sandy Shell fixed him with a look of utter solemnity. “I hope so, Color I really do.” …         The other squads quickly fell in behind Nimbus, eager enough for leadership that they were overlooking his age and rank easily. They were headed for a thin cloud layer above, and as they gained altitude, Nimbus got a better picture of the fleet. What he saw turned his stomach.         Several more ships were either smoking or on fire. He could hear each one rattling off status reports, and some were terrifyingly bad. The Equinox, a medium-sized Equestrian frigate, was on fire now; evidently what had started as a simple fire belowdeck had spread into a raging inferno. Lifeboats descended from the melting deck, but other ponies simply leaped off the edge. Pegasi carried their nonflying friends away, but many others simply chanced the icy water. He turned his eyes away, back to the clouds. Now was not the time to be distracted. All they could hope to do was to prevent further tragedy. As they punched through the cloud layer, Nimbus rolled level, doing one more madar check. Down below, the interceptors were already engaging the low-flying attacker Griffons. Meanwhile, the wave of support Griffons behind the attackers was speeding up, preparing to meet the Aviators. Nimbus dipped his wings to the right, signaling the squads behind him.         “All Aviators, dive and engage the enemy! Keep ‘em off our guys!”         Thankfully, the orders he gave didn’t require too much tactical prowess on his part. The Aviators knew what to do, and knew that he wasn’t trying to usurp anypony’s authority. By falling under the command of one squad, the Aviators’ workloads were considerably lightened, and nopony was complaining about that. As they cleared the clouds again, Nimbus saw the wave of Griffons also diving towards the interceptors. Some were ready for the approaching Aviators too- madar worked both ways after all- but most simply went about their task of sweeping the skies for the torpedo Griffons. Nimbus picked a target and fired, easily mowing it down as the Griffon made no attempt to escape. He wondered briefly if he’d even noticed him coming before dismissing the thought and moving on. There were still a few hundred feet to go; he could catch one more target before pulling out. As if on cue, the rest of the Aviators began firing, and multiple Griffons began dropping like flies. As soon as the rest realized what was going on, they began to break off from their initial attack route, circling around into the swarm of Pegasi as their anti-ship comrades spread out and fell into evasive maneuvers.         Nimbus jinked and dove as his madar lock warning alerted him to the presence of a Griffon locked onto his magical signature. He swiveled his head around, looking for his pursuer as he crossed into the open air for breathing room. The fight was quickly turning into a furball, with the sky full of opponents. Away from the main fight, he had room to work with. Seeing nothing, he started to turn right, but abruptly rolled and peeled away to the left as a flurry of electricity rushed past his face, anticipating the right turn. Now he could see him- a Griffon bearing gold armor plating directly on his six. Nimbus slowed down a bit, widening his turns to try and lure in his pursuer. Having no idea what was to come, the Griffon eagerly closed the gap, saving his shots for a more guaranteed close-range hit. It was just what Nimbus wanted. He flared his wings and initiated a wide barrel roll, slowing down and rolling over the top of his pursuer. As he looked down, he realized in that split second that this was the closest he’d ever come to one of them. The armor that he’d once noticed as ornamental was also streamlined, seemingly crafted for optimal airflow, and like the ponies, the Griffons too wore enclosed helmets with visors. Probably had next-gen combat flight systems too. It was a fair match. Of additional importance was the emblem on the Griffon’s armor- the emblem of the Griffon Kingdom. These guys were allied with the old government. At least now there was no question who they were fighting.         When he overshot, the Griffon panicked, rapidly jinking left and right to try and shake Nimbus. his efforts were to no avail though- he had no experience fighting ponies, but his pursuer had fought Griffons on one occasion already. Nimbus glared and put a focused burst between the Griffon’s shoulder blades. The creature faltered and Nimbus hit him again. The half-lion, half-eagle fell from the sky as his heart stopped.         “That’s for Cloudsplitter,” he whispered hoarsely as he directed his attention back to the fight at hoof. He didn’t have long before a task presented itself.         “This is Vertigo 3,” a voice called out, “two on my six- I need help!”         Nimbus looked up. One pony which he assumed was Vertigo 3, was indeed being pursued by two Griffons. He took the opportunity to start a rapid climb to the targets.         “Windigo Two inbound,” he said, “dive if you can.”         Vertigo rolled inverted and pulled away into a sharp dive. Nimbus waited for him to pass his sight, then fired, catching the first Griffon in a stream of fire. The second Griffon, seeing the first fall away, broke formation and Nimbus pulled up into a half-loop, following him as he shot by.         “Your six is clear Vertigo 3,” Nimbus called out as his target picked up speed. He was heading for the waves, jerking around erratically as he tried to throw Nimbus off. in a dive, Nimbus was already starting to lose ground, and the Griffon was predicting his shots well. his only hope was to anticipate his pullout point and meet him there. As they dove further down, another Griffon came at him from the side, and he swerved to avoid him. Taking this opportunity, the Griffon below straightened himself out and made ready to pull up. Nimbus saw this and angled himself towards where his target was pointing. As the Griffon leveled off, sparking rounds flew past his face, crackling into the water nearby. Nimbus cursed as the Griffon swerved again; he had a chance and he blew it. He didn’t have time to pursue, however- two more Griffons materialized on his six.         “Two on you, Windigo Two!” a voice called out. Nimbus snapped his wings in, somersaulted, then stabilized himself facing to the rear and let loose a volley. Unprepared, both Griffons took the brunt of the attack and plummeted. Satisfied, Nimbus finished the somersault and stabilized himself. Suddenly, he heard something that froze his blood.         “Hey, it’s King Six- one of my targets got past. He’s pulling away… releasing! Oh dear Celestia…”         Nimbus’s attention snapped back to the fleet, where one Griffon was rapidly approaching the burning Equinox Sure enough, it released its torpedo, which sped through the water with a destructive, merciless determination. Everypony was silent as attention was diverted to the ship. A moment later there was a dull thud, and suddenly the Equinox disappeared within a geyser of fire and shrapnel amidst a thundering explosion.         “Equinox please respond! Any surviving crew members, this is the RSS Radiance, do you read?”         “This is the RSS Peregrine, we’re moving towards the wreckage. Launching lifeboats now!”         If he hadn’t known better, Nimbus could have sworn he was staring Tartarus in the face. The ocean was packed with flaming debris and ponies swimming for their lives. The fact that one of their boats had simply disappeared in mere moments was almost too much to handle, and he forgot to check his surroundings. Suddenly, he felt a sharp tingle in his right leg, and his heart began to speed up. Instinctively, Nimbus dropped, pulling his wings in to make the maneuver as abrupt as possible. A Griffon flew by overhead, lining up for another pass. He’d been careless and almost paid for this lack of awareness with his life. This would not happen again. Once his heart rate returned to normal, Nimbus shot back up into the sky, lining up head-on with his attacker.                  The Griffon was already barreling towards him at high speed, firing wildly. Nimbus braced himself, preparing for the inevitable shocks. While inaccurate, several rounds did indeed hit him and threatened to stop his heart or lock his wings. He gritted his teeth and forced himself through, panting with the exertion of fighting lockup. The Griffon was right in his sight now… just a little closer…         Nimbus fired, and all of his rounds nailed the Griffon squarely in his visor. He rolled quickly to the side, passing right by his adversary as he fell dead into the ocean below.         “Windigo, this is the RSS Radiance. Status report please!”         It wasn’t Color Splash this time, but that thought hardly registered to Nimbus. Storm Runner spoke first.         “Windigo Three- all attackers dealt with.”         Nimbus glanced briefly up at the sky. Only a hoof-full of Griffons remained, and they were quickly being swept up by the ponies in the air.         “This is Windigo Two- air superiority gained,” Nimbus called, his voice ragged with exhaustion.”         “Roger Windigo- standby. Hang on… what’s this?”         The squads waited with baited breath for what the Radiance had deemed so important. A moment later, they had their answer.         “All squads, new contact bearing one zero five. Inbound rapidly at high altitude.”         Wait a minute, Nimbus thought, making a connection. Mako squadron had reported something similar right before disappearing off madar. He squinted towards the horizon, and sure enough something was headed their way, leaving a vapor trail in its wake. The object seemed to be following a ballistic trajectory. Starburst apparently made the same connection.         “Windigo One to all Aviators- climb! Ships- brace for impact! I don’t know what this is, but I have a bad feeling…”         Heart racing, Nimbus pumped his wings, clawing for altitude with the rest of the Aviators as the object grew nearer. They could see it clearly, aimed straight for the fleet, and in that moment, Nimbus knew that what he was looking at was not a target, but a weapon- something launched from far away. The object ripped by beneath the Aviators with a whistling hiss, heading right for the center of the fleet- straight for the Radiance. Nimbus couldn’t tear his eyes away from the approaching doom. Just shy of the water’s surface, the object detonated with a silent, intense white flash. Then the rumbling came, a deep thrum that shook Nimbus’s bones as water sprayed up from the impact zone. Finally, a tremendous crash sounded as the detonation reached its peak, throwing shrapnel everywhere. The Radiance was almost engulfed by the explosion.         “All units, this is the RSS Peregrine- please respond!” …         Color Splash launched the Phoenix from the back deck, watching it fly away sadly. From here, he’d seen the Radiance go up in flames. From here, he could hear the screams of the dying and injured as he stood- helplessly rooted in place. This wasn’t some tour overseas anymore. Suddenly the reality of what was happening had dawned on him. This was war.         He barely had time to comprehend this notion though, as he too saw the white streak rocketing through the air towards the fleet. Watching the ballistic trajectory, he felt he knew what was coming, and scrambled back below deck, shutting the door behind him. What followed was nothing short of terrifying. The ground shook; metal screamed as it bent, and an intense heat washed over the huddled pony. A tremendous booming sound filled his ears for a moment before all hearing ceased, to be replaced by a shrill ringing. He was violently shunted around, thrown off his hooves by what he could only guess was a blast. He was powerless to prevent himself from behind tossed around as if in the grasp of some great beast. Then, as suddenly as it started, the shaking and noises stopped. Ears still ringing, Color Splash cracked a bruised eyelid open as he nudged the door to the deck. It squeaked outward, then fell off its hinges. Outside, smoke assaulted his lungs and he coughed, withdrawing back into the stairwell. He blinked ash out of his eyes, and forced himself back out onto the deck. What he saw stopped him in his tracks.         It wasn’t the Radiance anymore; it couldn’t be. The smooth deck was charred, hot to the touch, and parts of it disappeared into jagged holes, collapsed in on themselves. The tower- bridge and all- was completely gone, leaving in its place a tangled mass of wreckage. The waterline was approaching too- she’d finally taken on water and the ocean was about to claim her. Ignoring his feelings of pain, Color Splash raced to where the bridge had been and set about digging through the rubble.         “Captain!” he called out hoarsely, “Anyone! Is anypony still alive?!”         He knew his words were useless. Nopony could have survived that. But still he dug until his hooves were red with his own blood. He stopped, pounding the deck in frustration with his hoof and trying to fight back tears, which were streaming down his face regardless. Suddenly he knew where he had to go. Abandoning the crumpled tower, he ran back belowdeck, racing through corridors of flashing red lights, passed shellshocked ponies trying to ask him what was going on. He ignored them all, stopping finally in front of a door marked “MADAR control room.”         His room.         The door hung ajar and he entered easily. Many of the displays were cracked, sparks cascaded across exposed wires, and more importantly, pipes had fallen down as the ceiling caved in. Most of the right side operator station was buried, as was the back of the room.         “Sandy!” he called, “Sandy, can you hear me?!”         Frantically, he threw pipes and debris aside, no longer concerned about the aching in his bloody hooves. Sandy had been in here the last time he’d checked.         “Sandy!” he yelled as his voice cracked painfully.         And then he saw it.         Beneath a twisted heating pipe, he saw a flash of white fur. With an almost unnatural strength, he hefted the pipe, exposing the twisted, still breathing body of his comrade and friend. Her horn was broken, and her entire lower half was still beneath a tangle of metal. “Sandy, stay with me” he choked, tears wetting her face. She blinked, and a trickle of blood pooled around the side of her mouth as her dull eyes focused on him.         “Hey,” she rasped, “you got that Phoenix out?”         Color nodded. “Yeah.”         Lips trembling, Sandy nodded. It looked as if the motion took every ounce of strength she had. “Good. ‘Fraid I can’t really do anything now… ribcage is crushed. But that thing that hit us… we- we were lit up on madar, Color Splash. Just… just like an ar- ar- artillery st- strike.”         Color Splash’s eyes widened. “Are you sure?”         “Yeah, pretty sure…” she coughed, more blood dotting her coat. “If they hit us again, you know what to look for, r- right?”         Color Splash shook his head. “No… I mean yes, but can’t you… maybe I can just try to drag you out of there! You can show me!”         “Nope,” she sighed, “that’s… that’s all she wrote for me. I’m not so sure I can-” her eyes dimmed and her head fell, limp. Color Splash knew what he’d seen, but he couldn’t bring himself to accept it.         “No,” he muttered, “no, no, no!”         A warning tone and a quick flash turned his attention away from his fallen friend, and he fixed his eyes on one of the few remaining madar screens- it was a madar alert. Someone lit them up with their own long-range madar.         “Just like an artillery strike,” he breathed. Color turned away from Sandy, seating himself back in his torn-up chair. He reached for the switch to openn the radio channel to the fleet. Nothing. The connection must be severed.         “Dammit,” he swore, striking the display with his hoof. He moved down to the backup switch, praying for something, anything to indicate it worked.         The light came on. Quickly, he grabbed the mangled remains of his headset. Hopefully the mic still worked.         “This is the RSS Radiance!” he said with as much strength as he could muster, “all ships still afloat, we believe the previous attack came from an artillery source beyond visual range. Spread out immediately!”         “Radiance, this is the Peregrine, you still have crew? You took a hit.”         “I don’t know how many are alive,” Color Splash confessed. “The captain’s dead, and so’s the rest of the bridge crew… right now we need to spread out, or the next shot will finish us!”         “Aye aye. Can you move?”         Color Splash shook his head, scouring his display for the intercom. “Unknown at this time. Standby.”         “Standing by. As for the rest of the fleet- you heard him. Move!”         Running his hoof down the list of intercom rooms, Color Splash settled on the engine room, hoping beyond hope that somepony was down there.         “Engine room, this is madar control. Does anypony copy?”         There was static for a moment, but finally a weary voice answered “aye, I copy.” It was the engineer- still, thankfully, alive.         “Thank goodness. This is Lieutenant Color Splash, a madar operator. I need this ship moving; is she seaworthy?”         A loud sigh could be heard from the other side. “We’re evacuating the engine room now, actually. The furnaces are taking on water rapidly and the screws are busted. We’re done- the ship is finished.”         At the news, Color Splash cradled his head in his hands. This wasn’t what he wanted to hear at all. Still, if the artillery fire was looking for madar signatures…         Suddenly he had an idea. Thinking quickly, he opened up the intercom to all decks. They couldn’t save the ship, but they could certainly save the fleet.         “Attention all ponies aboard the RSS Radiance, this is Lieutenant Color Splash. The ship’s hull and command tower are compromised. Therefore, under acting authority I now declare that all crew abandon ship immediately and sail as far away as possible. We may not have much left, but we have one last trick up our sleeves.”         There was no “abandon ship” alert setting in the madar room, so Color Splash prayed that the survivors on the ship heard him. If they didn’t, well, ideally death would come swiftly. Outside, a second explosion rocked the ship, farther away. From the radio chatter he’d heard, no one had been hit. Still, he had to act before the next madar sweep happened.         Moving along the control board like a madpony, Color Splash began activating every remaining madar station he could find, setting them for max intensity and distance. In a wartime scenario this was impractical, as the madar signature that would then be projected by the ship would make it a veritable beacon on someone else’s scopes. But that was exactly what he wanted right now.         “All ships,” he said, making ready to flip the last few switches, “I have a plan. Switch off all madar and comms now. Firing time seems to be between five and ten minutes. In twenty minutes, reestablish communication.”         “Aye.”         “This is the Peregrine. Aye aye.”         “Light guide you, shadow protect you.”         The words came pouring in through the speakers before, one by one, all the ships fell silent. Color flipped the last few switches. Every last madar dish on the ship was searching now.         Color Splash sat back amidst the creaking groans of the ship. He wheeled his chair back, holding Sandy Shell’s hoof with his own as he waited. The screen pinged one more time.         “Take the bait,” he breathed, “come on…” …         “Captain,” one of the Griffons at the madar targeting station called out, “one contact lighting up long range madar. Same location as our second shot.”         Captain Humboldt frowned. “How many shots left?”         “One sir.”         He shook his head, “not good enough. We can’t focus on one target.”         “I think it’s more than that, sir,” the Griffon pressed, “the other signatures are gone. It’s more likely that this is a cluster of ships than a single one. They’d be stupid to throw all madar on at once.”         “Very well,” Humboldt sighed, turning his back on the bridge crew. “Fire our last shot, then plot a course back to the Kingdom. I’ll be in my quarters.”         “Aye sir.”         Humboldt left, making sure to close the door behind him before he heard the order to fire. What he’d done today would be remembered for ever. And for better or worse, he’d impacted countless lives in more ways than imaginable. Sleep would be hard to come by tonight. …         From above the fleet, Windigo squadron fell silently into formation. They were far above the blast radius of the shells being thrown at them, and Nimbus felt guilty about it. Their battle was over, but below the ship crews were far from done.         In the middle of the fleet, the sinking Radiance sat low in the water, decapitated and disfigured. Somewhere down there, Nimbus thought, was Color Splash. Alive. Somehow the stallion had survived the blast. Now, he was shutting down communication to the other vessels. Something was going on, and he had to know what it was. He couldn’t help feeling afraid for his ship-based friend.         “Attention Aviators,” Color Splash’s voice sounded over the radio,” I am currently the only ship in communication with you. Let this be the…” his voice trailed off as he hesitated, “let this be the last transmission recorded from the Radiance. You ponies up there have more than proved your worth to the expeditionary fleet. If not for you, our losses today would have been far worse.” A sharp sob broke his words, and when his voice came back, it was shaky, but with a grim determination.         “We’ve all made sacrifices today, Pegasi. Promise me- promise us that whatever happens next, those sacrifices aren’t made in vain. It’s in your heritage. They don’t call you the ‘warrior race’ for nothing. You land on that shore, and you make them pay for what they’ve done here. May the Sisters bless your flight. RSS Radiance, out.”         “Incoming shell,” Starburst said, nodding to the horizon. Nimbus followed his gaze and saw it, tracking a lazy but smooth arc across the sky. It wouldn’t be much longer before it made impact. As he saw the ships draw away from the Radiance Nimbus suddenly felt he knew what Color Splash was planning.         “He’s making the ship a target,” he whispered as the whistle of the shell grew louder. “Dear Celestia no… I can’t… I can’t watch this.”         And with more shame than he’d ever felt in his life before, Nimbus turned his head away. He never saw the last moments of the Radiance, but he heard them. The ship’s dying groans as the explosion subsided were painful to hear, as if the great metal machine had finally given up and was breathing its last. When he looked back, ash was settling over the ocean and the broken up parts remaining of the once-mighty vessel lay scattered, sinking to the ocean floor. It was done.         “What the hay was that?” Storm Runner asked, voice shaking.         “I don’t know,” Starburst confessed, looked like artillery to me. Powerful artillery. And it was fired on us without provocation. This is an act of war. Stallions, we won’t be going home for a while, I’m afraid.”         “Madar contact!” one of the other squads shouted, “multiple contacts inbound vector zero three zero.”         “What is it now?” Nimbus whispered, readying himself to fight again. But before any further order could be given, a new voice breached the channel.         “Aviators, this is Commander Eier of the Griffon Resistance, Air Division. We were to be your escort. I’m… sorry they found you first.”         “Commander, welcome,” Starburst responded dully, “we were fired upon by forces we identified as under the control of the old Griffon government. We need first aid, and we need cover. Our fleet has been decimated.”         Up ahead, a large formation of Griffons could be seen approaching. Below, small patrol vessels cut Vs into the water as they sliced towards the Equestrian ships.         “Roger, Equestrian forces. The attack you experienced was from an unknown source, but we’ve seen it too. We’re going to need you to follow us in. Aviators, you’ll fly with us. Our ships will provide whatever cover we can for the sea vessels, as well as some search-and-rescue on-site later.”         The Griffon squadron merged with the ponies, circling around until they were both flying as one mass formation. Then the two groups set off, flying as one towards the Griffon shore. Up in the front, one Pegasus dipped a wing to the fleet. Others nearby joined him, and Nimbus himself dipped his own wing. It was one last sign of respect, and rememberance for those who had given their lives this day.         And as the ponies righted themselves and flew onwards, Nimbus stole one last look back at the fleet. Nothing remained of the Radiance but flotsam. She’d finally sunk. The odds of anypony onboard surviving were slim, yet somewhere in the back of his mind, hope persevered. There was wreckage. Surely somepony might be found among it. But with a heavy heart he dismissed his thoughts as wishful thinking and set off for the coast. For once, he found himself looking forward to being back on the ground. …         How he survived, he’d never know. When the ship was hit- almost directly- the explosion had knocked him unconscious. But when Color Splash came to, he’d been very much alive, albeit badly bruised and in a room rapidly filling with water. He’d escaped, leaving Sandy’s body behind, to be reclaimed by the sea, and found a floating piece of wreckage to cling to. When he finally situated himself, he saw the Aviators depart, in formation with a squadron of Griffons. The ships, too, turned toward land.         This, then was how he would die; not in a dramatic explosion, with a bang, but with a silent last gasp of breath out here in the cold ocean. As the sun fell below the horizon and the moon and stars took its place, he finally made peace with himself. On the verge of freezing to death, unconsciosusness tugging at him, he almost didn’t notice the approaching boats. By the time they arrived he was barely awake, but nonetheless welcomed the talons of the Griffons that pulled him aboard. Friend or enemy, they were his salvation. He was safe now. He’d made it. When so many others had given their last today...         He’d made it. And he felt all the more guilty for it. …         “My Queen, we intercepted this phoenix heading inland.”         A single Changeling bearing a green, macically-constructed cage entered the dimly-lit throne room. Inside the cage was the phoenix in question- the very same one that Color Splash had released earlier that day. Above the Changeling, a dark shape moved from her throne- Chrysalis.         “Show me.”         Cautiously, the Changeling stepped forward. The bird made no sound, only glaring defiantly up at the dark creature above it.         “It was carrying this as well,” the Changeling said, levitating a small roll of paper up to the queen. Chrysalis accepted it, reading it over. Princesses Celestia and Luna, Our fleet has come under fire by forces from the old Griffon government. Request assistance as soon as possible. Very Respectfully, Lieutenant Color Splash      Chrysalis rolled the paper back up with a dry chuckle.         “Shall I alter it, my Queen?” the Changeling said. Chrysalis shook her head.         “No. Let them receive this letter untouched. I think we can make this work. However, as for our little phoenix friend here…”         She grinned, bearing sharp teeth as she tapped her horn to the top of the bird’s head. Suddenly its eyes went green, then faded back to their original color.         “As far as he’s concerned, the last hour never happened.” She fixed the smaller Changeling with an even, unemotional gaze.         “Release him, let him complete his journey. We shall thin the ranks of Equestria’s military with cunning, rather than force.”         The last thing the Changeling saw before closing the doors behind him was the queen’s sharp, gleaming teeth curved up in the most disturbing smile he’d ever seen.