One day after first contact in Ponyville
Equestrian Border
Celestia's Glare One of the oldest airships of the Royal Guard, now repurposed to defend it's borders. The airship was armed with two large anti-air ballistae on two elevated platforms on the sides of the ship, another small mounted magic cannon sat at the front/bow of the ship. Celestia's Glare had lightweight, flame resistant, armor plates along it's sides, used to defend against rebellious dragons and griffin pirates. The captain of this vessel was simply known as the Skipper, an old blue pegasus. His cutie mark was a ship in a bottle, due to him having a passion of making model ships. Currently the Skipper was looking over his crew, a few griffins and pegasi. They respected him and would not hesitate to follow his orders, the Skipper looked to his left at the other airship patrolling the border with him.
The Last Flight, one of the more... disliked airships, due to it's captain's choices. The airship had three ballistae, two on platforms on it's sides and one on the bow. It's sides were armored with heavy steel plates, a very useful perk to defend but a hindering for speed. The captain of this vessel was a pegasus named Silent Stare, he had a scared face and a dull white coat. His cutie mark was a strange skull, nopony dares ask how he got it. His crew was large and consisted of pegasi and unicorns, a strange choice to have a non flyer in the skies as most have pointed out. The Last Flight was more disliked due to the captain executing any pirates, young or old this stallion ordered his men to cut them down. The crew strangely follow without question, a fact that many have pondered on.
The two airships propel forwards on two large fan engines at a slow speed, heading towards a large wall of cloud. Suddenly the two airships hear a very ominous horn fill the air, all activities onboard the ships stop as the crews look around for the source of the horn. Then a flash of light is seen by one of the crew of the Last Flight, suddenly the entire ship is slammed off course by an explosion on it's side. Another horn is heard and the Celestia's Glare shudders as an explosion suddenly appears near the ship. The two crews scramble to their stations as another horn sounds, the Last Flight recoils as another explosion slams into it's side.
The Skipper grabs a hold of the railing as he frantically searches for the enemy, but another horns sounds and the Last Flight's left engine is hit and the airship starts to veer downwards. Screams of unicorns that couldn't hold on were heard by the crew of Celestia's Glare, a few pegasi from the failing ship flew up and landed on the Skipper's ship. They barely made it on-board as another horn sounds and the Last Flight explodes in a huge magical inferno, the shockwave slammed into Celestia's Glare and made the airship tilt to the right. The crew scrambled to hold onto anything, the group of pegasi from the Last Flight huddled together around the middle of the airship.
"What in Tartarus is that?!" One of the griffins yell as a dark shape starts to form in the clouds.
"It's huge!" Another griffin shouted as the shape grew larger.
"Sweet Celestia..." Skipper whispers as a colossal airship torn through the clouds, the bow had a pair of large brass battering rams that looked menacing. The bow was covered in plates of brass that shone as the sun hit them, some of the crew of Celestia's Glare covered their eyes as the light reflected of the bow of the colossal airship. Two platforms were mounted on the sides of the airship, then another pair appeared as the ship exited the clouds, then another. All six of the platforms had large ballistae mounted on them, the Skipper noticed large bipeds in shinning armor standing around the ballistae, the airship also had a huge balloon-like shape that was held above the airship by large chains. The crew of Celestia's Glare moved to arm the ballistae and magic cannon, but then the horn sounded and the crew stopped moving. The colossal ship slowly drifted towards them and the three large ballistae on the colossal ship's left side started to lock onto Celestia's Glare, her crew shuffled in place as they grew worried.
Skipper looked at his crew then at the strange airship, wondering how that behemoth of an airship can fly. Then a large shape walked to the edge of the airship and stared at the smaller ship, then it crouched and leapt into the air. Celestia's Glare Suddenly groaned as a Brass Knight landed on the ship, the crew yelled in surprise as the huge knight stood up and stared down at them. Only Skipper saw the rest of the knights onboard the airship had pulled out large bows, a few had placed arrows on the strings. The Brass Knight onboard Celestia's Glare suddenly grabbed a pair of pegasi and leapt back onto the colossal ship, those with bows started to fire large arrows at the crew. The ponies and griffins scrambled to aim the ballistae at the ship but they were torn in half by the bowmen on the airship, another knight leapt onto Celestia's Glare and pulled a griffin towards them. But another screeched and tackled the large knight, unfortunately the Brass Knight just slapped him aside and grabbed the two griffins. The knight jumped back onto it's airship and the huge ballistae onboard opened fire, tearing large holes in the smaller airship. Suddenly Skipper lurched forwards as one of the engines was hit, soon Clestia's Glare started to aim down at the ground and fall.
"Get off the ship! Abandon ship!" Skipper bellowed as he grabbed ahold of the ship's wheel. "We're falling too fast! Get off the ship, now!" He ordered, his crew staring in disbelief.
"We ain't leaving you, damnit!" One of the pegasi yelled as he grabbed a hold of the railing.
"You ain't going down alone!" A griffin shouted.
But a few of the remaining pegasi from the Last Flight did obey his orders and flew up into the air, then they were cut down by the hail of arrows that were shot from the larger airship.
Skipper strained to pull the wheel, but suddenly it snapped back and he fell back as the ship tilted to a full downwards fall. The old pegasi struggled to hold onto the railing of the stern of the airship, he watched the ground grow closer. His crew were going down with him and it brought a tear to his eye, the ground grew ever more closer as a shadow began to form.
Skipper closed his eyes and heard just before silence, the sound of cracking and an explosion.
The Brass Knight looked over the edge of the Behemoth at the explosion, then it turned around to look at the four prisoners. They struggled against the two knights holding them, but they would just tire themselves out. The Brass Knight pointed to a large grate on the floor of the airship and the two other Brass Knights walked over to it, another knight pulled the grate open as the two threw the prisoners in. Immediately one of the pegasi bolted towards the opening, but the grate slammed down into place and the stallion slammed into it and fell back to the bottom of the room.
Suddenly a shape moved into view, it's face was covered in shadow as a hissing sound fill the prisoners ears. Then a strange smell entered the noses of them, they coughed and collapsed. Another knight pushed a cart into the cage through a hiden door, the first shape walked over to the cart and pulled out a needle, then it turned back around and walked towards the unconscious prisoners.
Now the tests could begin...