A Meeeting of Captains
Chapter One: A meeting of captains
“Captain, be careful, That's-” started the first officer of the USS King's Brook, his name was Luis E. Martin and his uniform held the bars for commendations for serving in battles. His brown skin marred by the occasion scar and what was probably a good looking face, was scarred and missing an eye.
“I know Commander. Greetings, Captain Dash, Captain of the HMS Brayington. It is a pleasure to meet you” said the captain slightly tense. his slightly tanned skin scarred in a few places, and a scar over his eye, though thankfully he still had his both his eyes. His uniform holding the same bars for the same commendations. His name was George S. Paris, Captain of the USS King's Brook.
The USS King's Book is a sustainable stable Warp 7.448558 capable Intermiss Class starship with a compliment of 500 torpedoes, 300 Proton, 150 Ion, and 50 Quantum. It's standard weapon however an array of 50 phaser banks that could be shot in almost any direction along with a shield generator that could handle the firepower of the Equestrian Star Station in Stallioning and the fleet stationed there, for a good 8 hours of continuous barrage.
The HMS Brayington is a sustainable stable Warp 6.99389 capable Mare-tinly Class starship with a compliment of 300 torpedoes, 200 Proton, 75 Ion, and 25 Quantum. It's standard weapon array of 100 phaser banks that all together could fire in any directions. They also have a shield generator that could handle the fire power of the Earth Starfleet Star Station in Alpha Centauri and the fleet stationed there for a good 10 hours of continuous barrage.
“Hello, am I right in guessing you are Captain Paris, Captain of the USS King's Brook?” asked Rainbow Dash, obviously tense as this was her first shore leave since taking command of the Brayington 5 years ago and she had only ever met humans in battle. And was uncertain on how to deal with being addressed in a non-military fashion
“You are, I must say your service record is astounding” said Paris as he motioned to her sash and the bars adorning it before turning to Luis, “Luis, inform the crew they have the rest of the day to themselves, but I expect them back at their duty stations by 1400 hours tomorrow” said the human captain.
“Aye Captain” said the commander as he went to issue the captain's orders
“I must apologize for my first officer's distrust, even if we are on a neutral planet, he seems to think there is no way for a peace to be brokered between our species, and thus treats all Equestrians as enemies” said Paris as he looked towards the cyan pegasus and sighed. “A hope for me that is so far away” said Paris and Rainbow Dash just stared at the human captain in confusion, here was an enemy captain who was talking to her as if they were friends just stuck on opposite sides of a border dispute, and not as the war of eradication this war had become in a short 12 years...
“Why did it have to be this way?” Rainbow Dash asked Paris whom shrugged before offering to by her a drink. But was interrupted by a grey earth-pony running to Rainbow Dash
“Captain Dash” said the pony
“Yes ensign?” she asked glad to have something to take her mind off of the current predicament
“An urgent message just came through for you, it's about the Manetoning, she's been lost with all hands” said the ensign as he cowered away from his captain
“Wha—no it isn't possible! Twilight wouldn't be that stupid!” she said before rushing to a comm-station, “All Brayington personnel, Shore leave is canceled, report to your duty stations, we are shoving off ASAP” she called through the PA system and headed to her personal shuttlecraft and took off leaving Paris frowning before hitting his comm-badge
“Attention all King's Brook Crew members be ready to shove off at 1800, shore leave is going to have to wait gentlemen, I have a bad feeling” said Paris before tapping the comm-badge again, “Fred, mark the Brayington, I want to know where she goes, if she heads for Human Space, initiate an immediate beam up of all King's Brook personnel”
“Aye sir” came the response, “The Brayington has been marked, where she goes, we'll know” said Fred
“Good, now lock on to my signal and beam me up, I'm done here”
---
“Captain Dash, what are your orders?” asked a unicorn who was sitting at the navigation panel Rainbow Dash looked out the view screen and saw the peaceful planet below ant the emotionless stars beyond it
'How much death has to happen before the stars begin to act Luna?' thought Rainbow before shaking her head, “Lt. Stars, what was the last known coordinates of the HMS Mare-yflower?” she asked her science officer whom looked it up on the ship's computer
“Her mission was to intercept a ship that had crossed into Equestrian Territory, sir” said Stars and read farther, “Captain, the ship they were going to intercept did not have an Earth Ship configuration” at least not from the last report received from the Mare-yflower
“While interesting, that is not what I asked” snapped Rainbow before out of the corner of her eye she saw the King's Brook start to move away from planet, it's current heading would lead it into... “Red Alert, battle stations, I think we may have to break the neutrality treaty, Commander Applejack, what do you think?” asked Rainbow as the bridge lights dimmed and a now constant flashing red light glowed through the ship signifying the alert status
---
“Captain, the Equestrian ship has raised shields” said an ensign at the sensor station
“Hail them, and inform them that we are still in Neutral space, no military action may be taken here except in self-defense” said Paris he had been forced to call all on-shore personnel due to an alert of an armed attack vessel headed into the neutral space, “And inform the captain to check her sensors” before he turned to the commander “Luis, what is on your mind?”
“Sir, I have been running some scans, the ship that is on it's way, it holds some resemblance to a Equestrian starship but I detected no pony lifeforms” said Luis as he looked up from the display in front of him
“Are you sure?” asked Paris his eyes now solely focused on his first officer
“Aye sir” was the quick response
“Ensign, hail the Brayington, now” ordered Paris
“No need sir, they are hailing us”
“On screen”
---
“What is it you want me to see captain Paris” said Rainbow a little angry at the human for trying to distract her from the fact he was heading for Equestrian Space
“Ensign, send over our data on the unknown ship, Captain, we are detecting an armed vessel on an attack vector towards this planet, it has a similar design of one of your ships, but our sensors are not picking up any pony life-signs. Am I correct in guessing you have not been able to fully automate your ships as of yet?” asked Paris
“You know I can't answer that human” came the response
“Look, Captain, I have no time for this, I'm going to intercept the vessel, if you want to tag along, feel free. Lieutenant, lock in an intercept course and engage at warp 6” said Paris before cutting off transmission
“Captain, I must inform you that we are not authorized to-” started Luis
“I know damned well what I am, and what I am not authorized to do Commander, and I am giving this order, unless the Brayington opens fire upon us, this ship will not engage it in battle until this situation is dealt with and we have parted ways” captain Paris said spinning around to face his first officer with a strict glare, “And I will be monitoring the sensor logs Luis, I know you what to get them back for what they did to your family, but you will not turn this into a possible two-on-one battle. Is that understood?”
“Crystal sir” said Luis his jaw clenched tightly
“I don't need to remind you, that though we maybe at war with them, they have proven useful allies against our common foes of this galaxy, even during this war”
“Captain, the Brayington is on an parallel course as us, at her current speed she will catch up to us momentarily” said the ensign that had originally discovered the target vessel
“Thank you ensign, how long until we reach the unknown vessel?” asked Paris
“And have you been able to determine their weapon's capabilities as of yet?” added Luis
“We should reach visual range in approximately 27 minutes sir, and negative, I have not been able to penetrate their shields as of yet. Sir we are being hailed by the Brayington”
“On screen”
---
“Ensign can you confirm their readings?” asked Rainbow Dash looking at the pegasus that was at the sensor station
“Aye sir, there is an armed vessel approaching at warp 5.7, and they were right I don't detect any human or pony life-signs aboard. And its configuration is unlike any in the Equestrian database, if I had to venture... Wait... Scanning for Changling life-signs, confirmed, Captain, I can't believe it but the Changlings have gotten a hold of warp technology” said the ensign
“Lay in a intercept course for the Changling vessel and as soon as we are within communication range of the King's Brook hail them” said Dash as she took a seat in the captain's chair
“Ya alright sugar-cube?” asked Applejack as she turned to her friend noticing the disconcerting look on Dash's face
“No, Applejack, the Changlings have been attempting to take over Equestria since Twilight's brother's wedding to princess Cadence, what if while we were out here, they succeeded?” asked Dash quietly as not to worry the other bridge crew
“Ah dunno sugar-cube, all ah know is that we have`ta destroy that vessel before they can cause any harm out here” came the equally quiet response
“Captain, we are within communications range”
“Hail the King's Brook”
“Aye Sir”
---
“Yes captain?” asked Paris carefully knowing that Dash had hailed his ship for a reason
“That ship did come from my home world, but it isn't a Equestrian ship, modify your scanners to the frequency we are sending you now” said Dash before she nodded to a member of her bridge crew
“Ensign?” asked Paris
“Data received, scanning the ship now... Holy Hell! Captain that ship is crawling with life-signs!” said the ensign, “Scanning for weapon's capabilities now sir”
“While I thank you for the assistance may I ask why you are helping?” asked Paris
“The beings on that ship are known as the Changlings they are an enemy of Equestria and of all sentient life, they feed off the emotions of their victims while in the guise of the person their victim loves” said Dash
“So you are saying?” asked Paris an eyebrow raised in slight confusion
“We are going to assist you, Brayington out” said Dash and the screen cut off
“Captain?” asked Luis as he noticed Paris's frown
“Go to yellow alert and prepare for a hostile encounter”
“Aye sir, yellow alert, all hands to battle stations”