“FIRE AT WILL!!” Commodore Sure Shot bellowed into a megaphone interconnected throughout his zeppelin, the Morning Glory. In immediate response, a blaze of magical bolts fired from the airship to counter the approaching aircraft, a squadron of biplanes piloted by Crystal Ponies with helmets modified to look more aerodynamic and with larger eye holes. From glowing crystals mounted on the fronts of the biplanes, beams of white light returned fire. The initial blasts were deflected by magic shielding provided by Unicorn crew members on the airship.
“ATTACK!” Captain Spitfire shouted, her Wonderbolt squadron launching themselves from the Morning Glory’s deck to attack the biplanes. In response, they were met by other Crystal Ponies wearing armor with powered wings who fought them in mid-air. In the thick of the fight, Lieutenant Rainbow Dash and her opponent flew around each other; striking, kicking, grappling, or colliding. Rainbow finally had the upper hoof, her metal wing working as an effective bludgeon to knock out a crucial part of her opponent’s wing mechanism. While three biplanes were shot down, the zeppelin took multiple hits as well, the Unicorns wielding the shield magic clearly straining against the onslaught.
“Closing on target, sir!” Commander Twenty Twenty reported, the Earth Pony mare looking through a pair of binoculars, “Approximately one kilometer ahead!”
“Prepare for drop!” Sure Shot replied.
As the airship got closer, the Unicorns maintaining the shielding finally gave out, sweating, panting and one even collapsing. The ship took multiple hits, with many areas catching flame. Sure Shot kept his composure as his position demanded of him, despite knowing full well that his ship was on fire...a ship that stayed airborne in part due to segmented gasbags filled with Hydrogen, a gas that was highly combustible!
The target could be seen without binoculars now: A mining facility, one of many belonging to Sombra and his Crystal Empire that’s opposed Equestria in a terrible war for years. To destroy this target would be one less facility mining the metals, gems and crystals that fueled Sombra’s war machine; and one more victory for Equestria.
A flaming biplane barely missed the zeppelin, causing brief turbulence. Sure Shot let out a breath of relief. At long last, Twenty Twenty’s voice shouted, “We're over the target!”
“BOMBS AWAY!” The Commodore shouted into his megaphone. As commanded, several hatches in the bottom of the airship opened, dropping several metal-encased objects. The chain of explosions laid waste to the facility as the zeppelin flew overhead!
“Target destroyed!” Twenty Twenty shouted, followed by cheers from everypony in range of her voice. Sure Shot allowed himself a satisfied nod. Looking around, he saw that their attackers were beginning to thin out. Captain Spitfire, her armor damaged and herself looking a bit worse for wear, landed nearby with Rainbow Dash at her side. Both walked up to Sure Shot and gave sharp salutes. Once the Commodore promptly returned the salute, Spitfire reported, “We've almost got ‘ em all, sir. Just give us a few more minutes to wrap it up.”
“Casualties?” Sure Shot asked.
Spitfire and Rainbow both dipped their heads a bit, then made eye contact one more. “We lost a few, sir...no exact numbers yet, sir.” Spitfire spoke.
Sure Shot nodded. “Thank you, Captain, Carry on.”
“Aye aye, sir!” Spitfire said, before both Pegasi left the bridge to take wing once more.
Sure Shot sighed, hoping as everyone else did that this war with Sombra would end soon. Now was not the time to lament, however, as he still had work to do. “Bring us about and plot a course back to base.” He spoke, “And for Celestia's sake, put out those fires!”