Rainbow Dash: Space Pirate

by Wooden Entity

Save Harbor

Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Scootaloo were walking down a floor on the ship. They were still on FTL-speed and it would take some time before they would arrive their target. Their plan was to fly to Sanctuary, a local independent base in the middle of nowhere far away from any portals or the long arm of the law. Rainbow Dash knew someone there who she hoped could tell her where she could sell her newest acquisition. After that, so she and Applejack agreed, she would drop her old friend somewhere in a save location in Equestria where her old employer couldn't hunt her.

"Nice vessel yah got here." Applejack said at some point while she tried not to stumble across the cables on the rusty ground.

"Thanks. She might be a ugly patchworked piece of shit but she is bringing us everywhere we need. Me and Scoots stole her some years ago from a black marketeer. I named her "Tank" in memory of that little guy."

"Oh, is he ...?" Applejack asks carefully.

"Yes."

"Ah'm sorry." Applejack paused a moment. "But..." She shook her head and bit her lip. "Ah still can't understand how yah both could end up like this? I mean being a pirate, living from stealing and murdering? What the hell?"

Suddenly Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo stopped shortly followed by Applejack who almost bumped into them. Rainbow Dash was looking to the ground and blew a raspberry.

"You really dare to judge me, AJ? After you and the others went off to follow your dreams leaving me behind alone? I haven't heard from anyone of you in the last ten years and now you are wondering what happened to me?" She turned to Applejack. "I'll tell you! After you guys abandoned me I kept working as weather pony and got some side jobs to help Scootaloo paying her study. It actually worked for some time until I had I little accident. A lightning hit me while pushing around some clouds. I passed out and crashed on the ground breaking my right wing four times! My insurance refused to pay the treatment and I didn't had the money. So, yeah, there I was - a weather pony unable to fly. I lost my job and could forget my dream to join the Wonderbolts. I was moving from one bad payed job to another traveling through all Equestria until one day I was offered a ... more promising option."

"I knew while my study that something was wrong." Scooterloo continued. "But Rainbow Dash always told me to study hard and finish it and so I forced myself to ignore it." She gave Rainbow Dash a sad gaze before facing Applejack again. "We were trying to stay in contact but some time of my study Rainbow Dash wasn't responding anymore and I got worried about her. After getting my Bachelor degree I immediately packed my bags and tried to track her down."

"I was stranded in a fog in an unpopulated system in the outer areas of Equestria. If the little Squid hadn't found me I probably would have died out there." Rainbow Dash laid her hand on Scooterloo's shoulder who began to flush.

"After all my big sis did for me I wanted to help her but ..." Scootaloo looked down to the ground.

"With all the crimes I committed I would never be able to go back to my old life ..." Rainbow Dash pulled Scootaloo close to her. "And so she stayed with me."

Applejack didn't know what to say. She always regretted losing contact to her old friends. Without Twilight keeping her updated from time to time she probably wouldn't have known anything about them anymore. But she didn't expect something like that to happen.

"Ah ... Ah'm sorry, Rainbow ..." She finally said not daring to face her. "Ah ... Ah failed you.."

Suddenly she felt a hoof on her shoulder and looked to it. It was Rainbow Dash.

"It's okay AJ."

They began to walk again.

"Once you get used to it being a pirate isn't that bad and ignoring laws makes life much easier. I mean thanks to it me and Scoots can finally fly." She pointed with the thumb of her robot hand on her wings. There were some metallic strands running over their surface. Applejack looked over to Scootaloo's wings which had the same strands plus some additional metallic parts on the end of her wings which seemed to extend them. "Hell, we can even use these things in space, girl. How awesome is that?!" After that she seemed to notice her metallic Arm and held it demonstratively into the air. "Oh ... and yes, without being a pirate I probably never would have gotten this little cute bone crushing piece of technology."

"Hmpf ... and all I got was this stupid uniform and a pistol." Applejack smiled ironically. "The joys of restrictions and bureaucracy ... you wouldn't believe how hard it was to convince them to allow me my stetson."

Finally they arrived at the cargo bay where the result of their great coup was lying. After they walked closer to it Scootaloo began to examine the strange object. It was a weakly glowing crystal crystalline structure floating over the ground. By closer inspection there was a darker object visible in its center.

"So this is what brought me into this mess?" Applejack asked. "Any idea what it is?"

"Nope." Rainbow Dash answered.

Scooterloo went down with her head to have a closer look on the object.

"Well it was definitely not created by ponies or griffins." She put out a tablet computer out of the pocket of her black coat and clicked around on it. "Looks similar to the portals ... but ..."

"What?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"More advanced."

"How that?" Applejack asked confused.

"Can only assume. We still don't now what happened to creators of the portals. Maybe they left this galaxy and came back after some time to drop this thing here."

"What if they were only just like "Never change a running system" and let the portal like they were while everything else evolved?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Scootaloo went up with her head again and shook it. "No, I don't think so. We already found other remains of them like the ruins on Sedna and they were always on the same development state."

Applejack remembered seeing some documentaries of the ancient ruins in the TV but they didn't look even close to this artifact.

"And you're sure that it is from them? Ah mean Ah never heard or saw something about glowing crystals."

"Yeah, I'm still trying to figure out what's that is but see this dark thing down there?" She pointed at center of the crystal. "That thing is definitely somehow based on the creator's technology." Suddenly her eyes widened. "Wait a moment!" Furiously she worked on her tablet computer again before she suddenly stopped. "Oh my gosh ..."

Rainbow Dash went over to her and looked over her shoulder to get a look on the tablet's display but it didn't tell her very much. A moment later Scootaloo turned her head to Rainbow Dash her eyes still widened in shock.

"This crystal ... It's solid light!"

Rainbow Dash backed off again and looked together with Applejack confused in Scootaloos overexcited face.

"I read about that during my studies. Damn Rainbow, that is the dream of every engineer! Creating structures just out of light, of energy!" See said full of excitement.

"That sounds ... cool." Rainbow Dash said slightly amused. "So how much more advanced is this thing?

"Very, very, very much. The ruins contained only some prototypes like simple cubes or spheres out of solid light - highly unstable and without any function. But this thing here ..." She paused to catch for breath. "... makes use of so fine structures that the resolution of my scanner isn't high enough to even detect them properly. Whatever this thing is it could be the biggest technological breakthrough in pony history!" Panting heavily she finally stopped.

"Seems like you are set for life, Rainbow Dash." Applejack said.

************************************

Rainbow Dash and Applejack were sitting on the bridge again while Scootaloo stayed back in the cargo bay trying to understand the artifact. Applejack had never flight with faster than light speed and just couldn't stop herself from looking out of the windows at the beautiful lights surrounding the ship.

"Still not bored from them?" Rainbow Dash asked eventually.

"Nope." Applejack answered.

Suddenly the lights disappeared revealing the darkness of the space again. After Applejack commented the hole scene just with a disappointed grunt, Rainbow Dash turned the ship to the right and a space station appeared before them. She initiated the automatic docking process and opened a comm channel.

"Let's see if he's there." She said to herself. "Haze, I've got something for you."

"I'm already violently fiddling with my balls in anticipation of your arrival, Rainbow." A scratchy voice answered.

Rainbow Dash deactivated the comm channel again and looked over to Applejack who gave her a frown.

"Ugh..."

"Yeah, he can be very disgusting when he talks."

A little concussion went through the ship telling the two that the docking process was finished.

"So, who is that guy?" Applejack asked after they both stood up and were on their way to the docking hatch.

"Hazard Haze, former chef of the griffin's weapons research program. Condemned war criminal and the best source for technological information on this station."

"Huh ... great."

As they stepped out of the airlock an older black unicorn stallion with a gray mane was already awaiting them. He had a scar running over the right half of his face crossing his artificial eye. It didn't seem to be a very advanced prosthesis and didn't look even close to a normal eye. It had no pupil or iris or something like that, it was just completely black. As he spotted them he immediately walked towards them.

"That is no griffin..." Applejack pointed at him.

"*Sigh* ... no." Rainbow Dash said already annoyed.

"If that isn't my favorite pegasus Rainbow Dash." He said excited while shaking her hoof.. "Why didn't you tell me that you would come for a visit ..." His gaze wandered to Applejack. "... and that you would bring such a lovely visitor."

He bowed for her. "Let me introduce myself to you. I am Cold Bone - governor of Sanctuary."

Then suddenly he made a frown. "Wait a moment..." He faced Rainbow Dash again. "A police officer? Rainbow I told that I don't care for your business as long as I don't see it. But making it so obvious? Come on!"

"Hey Bone." She finally said. "That's Applejack. She isn't a hostage, okay?"

Cold Bone looked skeptically on Applejack.

"It's a long story but it's the truth." She said to him.

"Well, okay. You probably gonna have your reasons for coming to a place like this."

In the background a griffin wearing a extremely stained lab coat appeared and walked over to them.

"Well well, what brings my favorite feathery pussy to this area of the space?" He said as he came closer.

Cold Bone sighed. "If that ain't Dr. Fuckhead ... well I think I leave you with your business. See you later." He said before he went off quickly.

"So what do you got for me, Rainbow Dash?" The griffin asked as Bone was gone.

"Come with me." She answered.

They went back to the Tank's cargo bay.

"Oh man..." Rainbow Dash murmured as they entered it. "Shouldn't have left Scoots alone down here."

The hole place was covered in cables which were all connected to the artifact while Scooter was standing behind it with a blowpipe in her mouth. She also had changed her outfit. Instead of her coat she wore an oil stained vest and goggles on her head.

"Oh hey guys!" She shouted as she noticed them.

Standing before the artifact Haze stroked with his claws over its surface.

"Sweeter than a teenage poontang."

Applejack needed to force herself to hide her disgust.

"So any idea what that thing could be?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Maybe it contains big tittied blowjob models with yellow fever! The fuck do I know?"

Rainbow Dash gave Scootaloo an extremely annoyed gaze.

"Scoots, you okay if I let you both alone with your work?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Yeah, we'll be fine."

"Okay, I let Cleaver here to keep an eye out for you.."

"Might be better."

"Awww, afraid to let your little girl alone with papa? I could make her a real mare, you know? Mwahahaha!"

"Just shut the fuck up." Rainbow Dash said before leaving the cargo bay with Applejack through the door where they ran into Cleaver.

"Be careful with that scumbag." She said to him.

"Yes Captain." He answered.

***********************************

Rainbow Dash and Applejack walked over the market of Sanctuary on their way to Cold Bone. Rainbow Dash called him before and asked him for information on the artifact and why the police tried to kill Applejack, but Rainbow Dash also needed some new parts for Tank's FTL-drive or better - a hole new FTL-drive. Though it was still doing its job, it recently tended to cause problems. Scootaloo took a look at it and told Rainbow Dash that with some replacement parts she might be able to give it some additional months but after that it wouldn't make anymore sense to spend additional money on it.

Sadly she wasn't the only one who could need a new one. Every pirate was forced to use old and used ships which were slowly falling apart. Larger vessels with weapons and FTL-capabilities were only build by the military and the only ones allowed to buy them was the bounty hunters guild. It needed much time before they would land on the black market. Some time ago Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo even thought about constructing their own engine. Scootaloo definitely had the knowledge to do it but to get the needed materials and machines to actually build one appeared not worth it. Despite that Rainbow Dash recently found Scootaloo's hidden stash where she collected stuff that might come in handy if they really tried it one day.

As she walked along the rusty floor with the familiar smell of metal and oil in her nose she spotted a dealer for ship parts. Rainbow Dash often went to him when she was on the station. He knew her and she was sure that he would give her a good price.

"Ahh ... the colorful lady. Long time no seen. Still flying around with Tank?" The merchant asked excited as Rainbow Dash and Applejack entered the store. It was a chubby old stallion with blue fur and a gray short mane. He wore glasses with a crack on one side. Rainbow Dash always wondered why while he seemed to be able to get everything, didn't replace that broken thing.

"Yes, still the same vessel." She answered.

The merchant clicked some buttons on the display of his checkout.

"Here we have it - a griffin cruiser, Class 3, type 327. So what do you need? I've got some nice new weapon capacitors compatible with it." He said.

"No thanks, but Scoots made me a list for you." She gave him a piece of paper.

"Give me a moment I have to look into my database."

Rainbow Dash left the merchant alone and walked over to Applejack who was leaning on a hand rail before a window watching at the market.

"Itching to bring all these guys to justice?" Rainbow asked.

Applejack had to giggle. "No, no. As far as Ah see Ah am currently unemployed so they are not of my business."

Her face made a frown and her gaze wandered down to her hoofs.

"Ah've was just thinking. Ah haven't heard of my family for quite a long time now. Seeing what happened to yah and Scoots made me kinda worry about my lil' sis."

"I wouldn't worry about her. With the hole Apple family on her back I think she'll be fine."

That brought a little smile on her face again. "Yeah, you're probably right. The apple family is huge. She won't be alone ... but still ... Ah somehow feel like a bad big sister. Since I left earth to become a police officer I haven't talked with her very much."

Rainbow Dash sniffed amused. "Reminds me of an old saying "The way to hell is paved with good intentions.""

"Huh?"

"You left your family to help the people and now you are stuck with a bunch of pirates in the middle of nowhere while for some reason your former employer is trying to kill you."

"Yeah, seems to fit." Applejack chuckled.

After the merchant finally got a list of his suitable items for Tank and Rainbow Dash ordered the ones she needed, she and Applejack resumed their way to Cold Bone.

After their arrival there and another overexcited greeting by Cold Bone they sat down in the living room of his apartment. Rainbow Dash and Applejack took seat on his sofa while he had chosen the seat on the opposing side of the table. It was a very simple apartment, nothing fancy. Rainbow Dash somehow always expected that he would be living in some kind of palace. Being the governor of such a station should yield enough money.

"So what do you got for us?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Well, first to the artifact." He pulled out a tablet computer out of his pocket and handed it over to her. On its screen a picture of a digging site on what seemed to be an asteroid was opened. "My informants sent me those. It seems like some months ago Lyra Heartstring found some old ruins in an asteroid belt." Rainbow Dash swiped over the screen to see the next picture. It was showing the artifact in some kind of facility. "After they dug long enough they found that thing that now floats around in your cargo bay." She did another swipe which revealed this time a text document. She just glanced over it but as she reached the end her eyes widened. "Yes, that is the seal of Princess Celestia. After she had heard of it she demanded its transport to Earth immediately." He bended over again to take the tablet computer back and leaned back into his chair.

"I'm sad to say that, Rainbow Dash, but I'm afraid you messed with the wrong guys."

"Well at a pinch I can still sell this thing to princess Twilight." She answered cool trying to hide that she was indeed quite nervous now.

"Now to you, Officer." He continued. "As you probably can imagine, Celestia is not the only one having an interest into this artifact. Obviously the president from that little independent state you worked for got wind of that thing and hoped to get some kind of advantage against the Equestrian Empire with it."

"But they were trying to destroy us and not to actually get that thing." Applejack said confused.

"Ever heard of someone destroying one of the portals?" Cold Bone suddenly asked.

"Eh ... no?"

"Yeah, because they are almost indestructible. Same applies on that thing. The destruction of your ship wouldn't have harmed it."

"So you are telling me, that by destroying us they easily would have gotten the artifact without any witnesses?"

"Exactly."

Suddenly the room was put in a red light followed by a loud alarm signal. Cold Bone immediately jumped out of his seat and ran over to a monitor on the wall and opened a comm channel to the administration of Sanctuary.

"Governor, five battle class-10-battle-cruisers just appeared." A pony on the other side of the screen said. "It's the bounty hunters guild!"

Author's Note:

Yes, Hazard Haze is quoting general Sarrano from Bulletstorm. :D

Comments

[VampDash]

You are awesome for bringing a reference from that awesome game my good sir! Also one question are we going to learn more about the other Mane 6 as we progress?

[Wooden Entity]

4239762 Shame that they stopped the development of a sequel to Bulletstorm. This game was just awesome.
At the moment I'm thinking about a way to include the other mane six but I'm afraid that I might have not enough to do for them because I also plan some additional original characters.

[VampDash]

4242438 It's cool if you don't just thought I would bring it up and WHAT?! THEY CANCELLED PRODUCTION FOR A SEQUEL?!

[Wooden Entity]

4242559 Yeah, the game didn't sell very good and because they belong somehow to Epic Games they had to do Gears of War Judgement (I'm a huge GoW-fan but this game just sucked) instead of Bulletstorm 2.