//------------------------------//
// 15. Rude Awakenings 
// Story: Millennia: Eye of the Storm 
// by Thunderblast 
//------------------------------//

In what felt like a flash, we had moved from the cabin of the blackhawk to a warm, dry corridor back on the Eclipse. Not a second of memory came back during the short period when we disembarked, and a pair of medics standing by on the flight deck rushed the sergeant below deck for evaluation over his injuries.

Because one bullet did manage to strike him, Ashfall, against his opposition on being checked as well, was forcefully escorted into sick bay to ensure no damage had been caused to his skin or any other parts of his body he was not previously aware of. For a Marine of his resilience and brawn, it was far too common for him to neglect acknowledging an injury if it isn't of sufficient pain.

Evidently, the rest of us ended up in the same room, each with our own nurses thoroughly examining our bodies under some blankets they'd at some point draped over us, including me. My memory was strangely spotty for the moment, and thinking about it kept me farther from being any sort of happy about it.

In a separate room, the captain of the Alder, and his four remaining crew mates were especially treated for injuries, if any. All in all, we could not have been luckier to escape in the time that we did. One second too late, and some if not all of us might not have made it to the chopper.

My gaze moved slowly to the side, fixing on Ashfall, who sat on the edge of a medical cot, a hoof over his right shoulder, above the point where the bullet should have punctured had he not been with a vest. The force of the bullet striking his plates, however, left a nasty bruise that ended up being rubbed down with a cream of some sort to ease the swelling.

Off to my right, I noticed Anchorage arguing with a mare sailor, holding the needle attached to an IV bag in her hoof. Same old Anchorage with his fear of needles. Yet again, he lost the fight. This time, the nurse used no special tool to seduce him and he let her stick it into his arm. His vomiting session earlier apparently left him dehydrated beyond hell. Who wouldn't it?

Above all else, the room was significantly more calm ever since my last trip here. To not hear the pained cries of a sailor as medics rushed to cease their bleeding after taking numerous gunshots across the chest, or the overall chaotic chatter of confused, frightened ponies in an overwhelmed room was, needless to say, a strange relief, because that is exactly how things were last time.

Yet, still no word on the sergeant a good fifteen minutes later, or twenty, or thirty... or an hour. I completely lost track of time in my train wreck of thought. Too much settled on my mind to remotely begin organizing the discord occurring up above. What repeated in my head was the disbelief that we'd escaped yet another incident, albeit narrowly.

One thing that popped into mind that simply did not add up were those armed griffons, how they had managed to keep themselves hidden up until the right time. That is what I believe ruled out the possibility of pirates, or especially any remaining GGC troops. No, these guys had specialized suppressed weapons, gear, everything. They were far too neat to be either one of those options.

More so, they spared us. That's what hit me most as peculiar. The bombs could have definitely been work of the Constitution, if any are left at this point. Leaving us be? Unlikely. Either them or pirates would have done far worse in terms of catching us like they did back on the Alder. 

Pirates would have either taken us hostage or straight-up left us to die Constitution troops, without a doubt, would have ended us on sight, or captured and execute us later on video for the world to see on a video website as revenge. That is what did not add up in the least. 

I decided it would be best to hold it until we are out of the sick bay so as to not cause a scene in here and give the nurses the assumption that I am going insane. Nah, that was two months ago. I'm probably already insane at this point thanks to my fucked up sleeping schedule.

Broken from zoning out at the clearing of a pony's throat, I glanced up from the edge of the cot I sat on, fixing on a stallion removing what appeared to be a surgical mask from his muzzle. "For those of you who have accompanied Sergeant Sunset Haze, I have some news," he addressed.

My ears lost their perk, and both mentally and physically, I braced for the announcement that was sure to send me over the breaking point.

"He is stable now. However, he has suffered blood loss through the nasal cavities, and a broken nose. We will continue to watch him overnight, and if his condition deteriorates, we will work out an airlift to bring him back to Manehattan."

I wasn't the only one to let that breath out after a good minute of holding it in. It was almost collective as we exhaled. Perhaps for a moment I mouthed a silent prayer to the princesses, thankful for the opposite of what news I feared.

With a gentle clop of hooves setting on the floor, followed by quiet steps out of the room, I watched as Ashfall strode past my cot and around the corner. By merely glancing at the look on his face, I noted evident disdain in spite of the announcement.

Furrowing an eyebrow, I unwrapped the blanket around me and followed him into the hall, where he stood, head down, hoof over his eyes. Beneath trembling lips, his teeth grit, only barely visible through a couple of gaps. 

From the angle which I had stopped a few feet away, peeking around the corner at him, I watched a single tear emerge from the shadow beneath his hoof and fall down his cheek. It would still take an observant pony to notice, as his silent sobs went overlooked by the majority of the sailors that strode by.

Either my memory is just that awful, or I've failed to notice a time previously, although I was for certain that this is the first time I have ever visibly seen Ash cry. For a stallion of his size, I cannot say if it was strange to witness, but watching him stand in the empty hallway, shedding tears, did not feel right.

"You okay, buddy?" I asked quietly, now fully standing out in the hall with him but keeping some distance.

He attempted to inhale, instead sniffling rather loudly, the tip of his nose red with inflammation. He moved his hoof off of his eyes after wiping them, turning his head to look at me and failing to smile. "Yeah, of course. I was just... really worried about him."

"Who's he to you? If... you don't mind me asking," I strode closer.

"He is in my unit, 1st Infantry Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment. He doesn't typically deploy on ships, this is his first time. When I saw that basket hit him, then all the blood, I thought he was done for."

"Well, he'll be out for a while, then," I responded. "If hopefully not discharged."

Ash shrugged. "Seven years he's served, would do him right to kick back at this point with all due respect to him."

"Hey, he's not that old, and I don't even know how old he is."

"He's older than you and me, that's all I'll say. You get what I mean, though. He's got a wife in Ponyville, don't know if he has foals. Regardless, I know for a fact she'll be unhappy by the time we're back in port," he leaned back against the wall, sighing.

"But he's okay, and that's all that matters," I nodded once.

"I knew he would be. He's a tough motherfucker," Ash remarked. "From a grunt to a sergeant, though, I wish he'd slow down for once in his career if he hopes to keep it."

I let off a small chuckle. "Good luck telling him that."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Ash chuckled as well, briefly. "Perhaps this will be a wake-up call, or in his case, a reveille."

Again, I chuckled. "We'll see, I guess. How's your shoulder?"

Ash glanced over, brow raising. "What?"

"Your shoulder, how is it doing?"

"It's bruised. Why?"

Looking in either direction of us, then making eye contact, I whispered to him. "They never cleared us."

"Bullshit, I release myself," he scowled.

I shook my head. "That's not how it works, Ash. Get back in there until they're done."

"That's why you came out here, isn't it?" he grunted out with a hardening glare.

"Not at all," I responded honestly, yet still grinned like I had fibbed. "Go back in there, sit on your cot, and wait for them to clear you."

Flapping his lips as he sighed, Ash stood up straight. "Fine," then walked back into the sick bay, with me in tail.


***


As it turned out in the two days that followed, central command ordered the fleet back to Equestria immediately as Hurricane Aquarius rapidly intensified to category three status in thirty-six hours. For how slow it shifted northward, we remained in the thick of it for a total of twelve days as we took a one-eighty turn and headed back home.

Our mission, search and investigate the strange energy signals out to sea, as a result, was scrubbed due to the inclement weather. Not once did we come close to their last known positions.

In addition, the Alder crew, as well as Sergeant Sunset Haze, were our top priorities for the time being until we make port. Thankfully, the sergeant had no complications that required him to be airlifted to shore, which could not have been carried out regardless thanks to the storm.

As for the rest of us, our jobs went on like clockwork. I returned to the bridge to resume my normal shift, Nightpath to the reactor room, Ash, Celestia knows where, and Anchorage, fixing little hiccups around the ship.

By the end of the first month out to sea, what was originally scheduled to be two to three months in all, we managed to escape the storm's unrelenting grasp. Before long, the rising skyline of Manehattan emerged from the distant horizon beneath cloudless skies, a rarity to most, but one that was welcomed with open arms.

It felt longer than a month, to be quite honest. Much longer. I could not imagine a six-month deployment, or more. Perhaps I should be grateful for these little incidents to send us home earlier than expected. 

On the contrary, it seemed every time somepony would end up hurting in the long run, or dead. That is just how these things went it seemed, and it left an uneasy feeling in my stomach that I can say for a fact is not sea sickness.


***


Minutes prior to a pair of tugboats shoving the Eclipse gently against its dock, I had been dismissed from the bridge and made my way below deck to repack my seabag in preparation of deboarding.

Anchorage and Silver Edge were already in there when I strode in, and without a minute to pause and chat, I took my large blue sack and began stuffing dirty laundry inside, anything that I had brought along—which, in all honest-to-Luna truth, was very little.

The littlest of jolts rocked the ship, a sign of the hull bouncing gently off the concrete edge of the pier. Out through the small port hole in our room, I noticed crowds of families waiting for us to make our way down to them. 

Never quite was not a heartwarming sight watching fellow marines and sailors reunite with their loved ones. Not once in my career have I been welcomed home by my parents, seeing as they hadn't a clue that I'd even enlisted a year ago in June—which reminded me that my one-year anniversary since joining the Marine Core was rapidly approaching.

"What do you two have planned?" Anchorage asked, kickstarting a conversation while we finished packing.

"For what? When we get off the boat?" I asked back, receiving a silent nod. "Didn't plan that far, to be quite honest with you."

"Fair enough. Silver?"

The beige unicorn failed to reply, and was stuffing his bag to the ceiling with his clothes. A small frown pursed his lips.

"Silver!" I raised my voice slightly.

He jumped, snapping his head up and eyes meeting mine directly. "W-what?"

His mere reaction made my eyebrow raise. "Did you hear what he asked?"

"Hear what who asked?" he cocked his head.

"Anchorage asked what you have planned when we're off the ship," I repeated.

Silver blinked twice, gazing forward at me but in a brief pondering trance it appeared. "Might, uh... find someplace to eat. Galley food leaves a bad taste in my mouth."

"You sure it's that?" Anchorage commented, smirking as he too finished up.

I rolled my eyes at the pegasus' remark, then looked Silver in the eye again briefly, before he returned his attention to packing. That was odd of him to zone out like he did. Not common on his part, that's for sure.

Choosing just to shrug it off, I looped a hoof through the strap of my bag and yanked it up over my shoulder and across my back, starting out of the tiny room and filing in with a few others on their way to the hull hatches where narrow walkways for disembarking stretched upward from the dock.

As soon as the door flipped open, and the walkway's hooks latched against a lip in the floor, sailors began stepping off the massive carrier and making their way down to the possibly tens of hundreds of ponies waiting for them.

I patiently waited for Anchorage and Silver before falling in to the steady line, with Nightpath and Ashfall somewhere behind us, possibly trapped in another line further down the ship.

The moment my hooves left the metal floor and planted onto the solid concrete, I took in a deep, refreshing breath of the warm Manehattan air, a mixture of an industrial smell and the saltiness of the nearby ocean and the rivers that fed into it.

For once in forever, I could not have been more grateful for such a gorgeous, sunny day, a wonderful change from the weather far east.


***


"Come on in," chimed the collected voice of a mare from beyond the door, moments prior to me stepping in. Glancing up from over the screen of her computer, the fawn-coated mare smiled welcomingly. "Ah, Star, take a seat!"

"Thank you," I nodded once, the door gently closing behind me as I sauntered up to her desk in center of the small room, looping around the chair, and sitting down gently.

Shutting the lid of her laptop and folding the frame of her glasses, the doctor retained her genuine smile. "Good to see you again."

"Likewise, Doc," I returned a thin smile and a second nod. "It has been a bit too long, hasn't it?"

"Somewhat, yes," Pastel nodded, placing her glasses down off to the side and sliding open a drawer to extract a folder of my information. "Any particular reason why?" she innocently questioned.

"Deployment. Got cut short, though. A lot went on," I responded firmly.

"Most intriguing. Why cut short?"

"That's... why I'm here, Doc," I paused, inhaling softly. The tannish-orange unicorn's emerald gaze lifted to fix on me.

Placing my hooves flat on the edge of her desk, I narrowed my eyes directly on to hers. "You requested that I take things slow and easy from here on out, ma'am. But, I just..." I stopped again, sighing out. "I broke all of it. I think I am back to square one, Doc."

Closing the small folder, she pushed the drawer in with the help of magic while she set the folder in center of the desk before her. "What makes you say that, Star?"

I eased back into the chair, hooves on the armrests. A frown had worked its way onto my muzzle, and for what it was, could not have been missed by her.

"I let ponies die on my watch again. Rescue mission, mid-Antlertic. Ship caught in the same storm we were had lost power and we came to their aid. On our way down to the engine room, we found... w-we found..."

My hooves began to tremble on the rests. A breath caught as I so briefly lost sense of reality, staring forward in an abyss of sudden fear.

"Star, Star... hey, look at me."

I twitched, moving my eyes down not more than an inch to the fawn unicorn sitting upright in her chair opposite from me across her expensive desk.

"I will not force you to talk this moment. If you feel you must step out, you may."

I kept silent for the majority of the minute after her statement. When I did make up my mind, I shook my head. "No, I'll keep going."

Failing to notice at first, a new smile grew on her lips. Perhaps it was a sign of progress after all, despite months of doubt.

"We never did find the ponies, but, we did catch a glimpse of who ki—"

My hooves practically hugged the armrests beneath them as the whole world rattled. Loose objects such as picture frames, books, and other decorative items trembled, rising in volume above a low rumble from outside that faded after two, maybe three seconds. It felt a lot longer than that, though.

"What the fuck was that?" I blurted with surprise, scanning around me.

"Language," Pastel sternly commented, sitting a cup of pens back up after having tipped over in the shaking. "They have been more of a nuisance than a scare. By now we all should be used to them. A client I had in the other day who was from Los Pegasus said she thought she was back home."

"The quakes?" I relaxed eventually, mentally cursing at myself for not realizing sooner. "They are peculiar, I'll say."

She nodded in agreement. "Now, if you do not mind, continue?" politely requested the mare, cupping her hooves in front of her on the desk.