//------------------------------// // Chapter 5: Crews and Launching // Story: Space Battleship Yamato: Equestria // by Izumichan-995 //------------------------------// With the sun shining brightly down on the beautiful city of Canterlot, Twilight walks back to her guest room with Spike in tow. They have just returned from picking up some of their items from the Castle of Friendship. Six days have passed since Celestia assigned all the ponies their assigned positions aboard the Yamato. With launching day approaching all the ponies have been memorizing their manuals, fixing equipment, modifing equipment to work with pony anatomy, studying the equipment to see how they work, and finally learning the names and skills of the crew that will be joining them. Twilight and Spike return to their room and get all of thier belongings and heads down to the ship. Today they're moving all of their stuff onto the ship. As they board the ship there are more ponies working on the ship to prepare it for departure. They head to to their sleeping quarters as senior officers get their own quarters. After making everything nice as possible they head to the bridge. On the bridge they find Luna, Shining Armor and Starlight Glimmer at their stations. "Hello everypony." Said Twilight. "Good afternoon Twilight." They said. "Are you ready?" Shining Armor said. "Just about. We just moved everything from the castle onto the ship." Answered Twilight. "What about you BBBFF." "Yes. Well." He clears his throat. "Celestia gave Cadence and I a double room. And we moved everything we need to the room." The others look at him and giggle. "I-it's not funny. It's embarrassing. Well...a bit. But.......you know." Said Shining Armor, blushing hard. "We're sorry Shining Armor." Said Luna. "We werent laughing at you. We just dound it funny that my sister would do such a thing." "Yeah. It is a little silly. Speaking of which where is Captain Celestia?" Asked Twilight. "Oh. Shes up in her quarters." Said Luna. Just then the elevators open and the others come in. "Hey Everypony." Said Applejack. "Hello everypony." Shining Armor, Twilight, Luna, Starlight and Spike said back. "So i guess were all ready then. I mean for the rest of the crew." Said Cadence. "Correct." A voice came from above them. Celestia comes down sitting on her captains chair and looks at everypony. "Tomorrow the crew will assemble and be brought aboard the Yamato. I hope that in three days time we can have everypony trained and ready for launch." "May ah ask a question your majesty?" Said Applejack. "When we launch this here ship, almost everypony in Canterlot and ponyville will see it and Ah'm sure they wont stay quiet about it." "I know Applejack. Thats why after we launch, i plan to show off the ship." Said Celestia as everypony looks at her in shock. "Um.....Sister. What do you mean by showing off the ship?" Asked Luna a bit concerned. "Well, i want to take it and fly it around Equestria. Since the ship has been sitting here for over one hundred fifty thousand years, i think its best to let it fly for a bit. Afterwards we'll let her rest and land her in Horseshoe Bay at Gleaming Wood Naval Base near Baltimare. I want to intoduce everypony to this historic ship." Said Celestia. "Does that sound acceptable to everypony here?" They all agree. "Thank you all." Celestia said. "I hope everypony is ready for tomorrow." "Princess." Twilight said as she step forward. "What will happen to the ship after we land her near Gleaming Wood NB?" "Well, after some rest and the excitement dieing down, I believe that we should take the ship on a galatic cruise of our solar system. We will test everything out there. Warp drive, shock cannons, the Asteroid Ring Generated Offence (ARGO) system and the Wave-Motion Cannon." Celestia stated. "A cruise?" Everypony and deagon present said in shock. "Yes. But dont get me wrong. As i said its just a test. Well take her no father than to the last planet in our solar system and back. Thats all." Celestia said. The others sigh with relief. "What. Did you all think we would take a true adventure to some unknown Galaxy?" Celestia giggles. "A bit." Everypony and Spike said. After a small laugh as they settle down. "Now, as i said before, tomorrow the crew will arrive and they will board the ship to begin thier training." Said Celestia. "I want you all to help them learn everything there needs to know while aboard the ship. Can you all do that?" "Aye Captain!" They all shouted. "Excellent. I have good faith that this ship will be ready to launch in good time. Dismissed." Celestia said. The captains chair rides the rail and takes Celestia back up to her captains quarters. The other ponies leave to get some rest and prepare for tomorrow. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ The next day, the cavern below the ship is crammed with ponies. Most of them gawking and talking about the ship and what they just saw as they entered the cavern above them. Others introduce themselves to other ponies, talk about what they're doing here, which division they're in, or what they think is going to happen. After a while a microphone turns on and lights shine down revealing Princess Celestia and the other divisional leads. They are all dressed in the uniforms of their divisions. Each division has a color code: Tatical - Red. Science - Purple. Beautification - Blue. Engineering - Orange. Moral & Events - Pink. Navigational - green. Medical - white with red trim. Flight - gray with yellow trim. Sensors - Yellow. While Celestia wears a Captains jacket similiar to the Royal Equestrian Naval captain coat with some adjustments. Celestia softly taps the microphone to see if it works. The speakers register the taps. Nodding Celestia steps up to the microphone. "Greetings everypony. Welcome to your new posts. I apologize for the sudden summoning letter i sent out and i promise you all that you will be compensated appropriatly but today is a extremly important date. What you saw above is part of a starship built long long ago by a race that once in habitated Equestria. They named it: Yamato. During their downfall they hid this ship away to pass it onto a worthy race. About three hundred years ago we discovered the ship here in this state. Since then we've been working and studying the ship." Celestie says as the ponies look at her shocked and in awe. "Over a week ago Princess Twilight and her friends aided Luna, Priness Cadence and me in restarting the ships engines. Today, the ship sits here ready to launch. But to launch her we need a crew. All of you ponies are that crew. I wont sugercoat it, the work will be hard, and youll be away from your family and friends. But, the pay is good, and you'll be making history. We need you but this is all your choice. If you wish, you can back out you can. It is your choice. If you wish to stay then please line up with your division commander. Thank you all." After some talking and thinking, the ponies begin to line up withe the division commanders. They begin to introduce themselves to their respective commanders. After they recieve their cabin rooms and a pass card. They then begin to board the ship and find their way to their cabins. All of the ponies board the ship and begin to settle in. After a while they head to their posts to learn what their duties are. With bright smiles Twilight, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Cadence, Shining Armor, Luna, Starlight Glimmer and Sunburst begin to teach them their duties and roles. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Three days pass by in a instant and the crews have grasped their duties and roles to serve the ship. The day has come to launch the ship. All day ponies have been checking everything over, making sure nothing wont break or fall during launch. Once everything was double then tripled checked the ponies report into their division commanders. On the first bridge, reports begin to come in. The division commander assure Captain Celestia. "Tatical division is good." Shining Armor said. "Science and Technology division is locked down and ready." Twilight said assuingly. "All fighters and transports tied down. Were good to go." Said Rainbow Dash. "Wave-Motion Engine is operating at nominal capacity." Said Applejack over a video comm link from the engine room. "The Moral of the crew is good. All party and event supplies are tied down." Cadence and Pinkie Pie said together. "All medical system online and ready to assist if something goes wrong." Fluttershy meekly said. "All sensors are online and ready." Sunburst and Starlight Glimmer said together. "All corridors and stations have been cleaned and are spick and span." Rarity stated. "Navigation is online. We're ready to launch at any time." Luna said. "Copy that." Celestia gets on the comms and talks over the loudspeaker. "All hands prepare for lift off." The alarms begin to blare as ponies rush to their respective positions. "Applejack. Bring the engine up to power. We need it at full power to launch." Celestia ordered. "Aye aye." Applejack said. She and the other engineering ponies pull on levers and push buttons as they increase the engines power. "Wave-Motion Engine power increasing. 75%..........80%.........85%...." "Captain. All stations have reported in that all ponies and supplies are in position and ready for launch." Luna said. "Roger. Prime the thrusters. Luna." Ordered Celetia. "Copy." Luna said as she flipped some switches and the thrusters being to ignite. "Energy levels: 100%!" Cried out Applejack as the engines got louder and louder. "Thrusters have begun to engage! We're good to go!" Cried out Luna. "Loosen the ship!" Celestia cried out. Outside the earth shaked and the ground begins to sink as the cavern floor slowly gives way. On monitors all the ponies begin to watch in amazement as the floor sinks and it reveals the ship. "This is......" Rainbow Dash said as she and the others watch out from the bridge. "Yes...........the Yamato." Celestia said. A large ship like frame begins to appear. 2 more main turrets. 2 anchors at the bow. Fighter Catapults are revealed at the stern pointing to the rear. The main and secondary thruster also comes out as it heats up and glows orange. "SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO! LAUNCH!!!" Cried out Celestia. "Space Battleship Yamato. Launch." Repeated Luna. She pulls up on the controls and smaller thrusts ignite under the ship. As the entire 333 meter ship raises up the caver floor fully gives away and falls into the planet. "We have launched captain. Wave-Motion Engine seems stable. Instructions?" Said Luna "The Moutains walls are too thick. We wont be able to break out by ramming. Shining Armor. Prepare to fire the main cannons." Celestia said looking at him. He turns in hin chair to look at her. "Are you sure? Is i miss or something goes wrong, we could collapse the moutain." Shining said. "I know. Starlight, Sunburst. Find a spot for us to blast that wont endager any pony outside of the moutain." Ordered Celestia. They nod and runs a scan on the moutain. "Spot located. Fire at one hundred seventy (170) degrees from north, ten (10) from south at 34 degrees of elevation." Sunburst said. "Are you all sure? Thats pretty close to both ponyville and two sets of railroad tracks." Stated Shining Armor. "Were one hundred percent sure." Starlight and Sunburst said together. "Alright. Turning the ship. Preparing shock cannons." Said Shining Armor. More alarms sound off as ponies in the tatical division arrive at the cannons. Using small side thrusters at the bow and stern, Shining pivot turns the ship as the main and secondary cannons move into position to starboard and raise in elevation. "Position and elevation achieved." "FIRE SHOCK CANNONS!!" Ordered Celestia. "FIRE!!" Shouted Shining Armor. All five cannons fire. In a bright flash, blue and white beams shoots out of all fifteen barrels from the five turrets. Nine large beams and six smaller beams. They strike the wall and keeps going. The beams begin to carve out a tunnel until they burst out of the ground above. The blast from the beams cause a huge dust cloud and gets the attention of every pony. They look at the the bright blue beams that just shot put from the ground. Suddenly the ground begins to rumble and shake. They watch as suddenly a huge ship comes out from the ground at high speeds. It sends large boulders, soil, and dust into the air. The ponies watch as the ship keeps rising into the air. "8000........9000.......10,000 feet achieved. Leveling out. Deploying air stabilizing wings." Stated Luna. The ship levels out and wings deploy on the port and starboard sides of the hull. "Wings deployed and altitude achieved." "Copy that." Celetia said as she picks up the speaker for the ships comms. "Attention all hands. We did it. Space Battleship Yamato has launched." The ship is filled with cheers. "A most spectacular job everypony!" Everypony cheers on the bridge as the Yamato flies off into the distance.