Chapter 6
Cornelius was at a loss, Ackbar was dead, he was fighting an enemy that seemingly couldn't be beat, and the new Adolf Hoofler was running his beloved country. He groaned in frustration, unable to think of a way to destroy the main cannon on the massive ship that loomed before him and his friends. He thought for a few minutes, thankful of how long it took the Imps to reload a weapon that size. I can't think of... wait a minute. Ha! That's it! Smiling, he practically flew to the cockpit.
"Pipsqueak!"
"AH!" The splotched pony fell out of the seat he was in, landing on the floor with a 'thud'.
"Get up! I have a plan."
"Sheesh, don't scare me like that. Now what is this brilliant plan of yours?"
"So you know what my original plan was? This is a minor variation of that. Their gun takes forever to reload, so in that time we execute my original plan. Make sense.?"
"I guess, but I still don't see how we~ take over the ship. there has to be hundreds, if not thousands of trained ponies on that ship. You have two, and I only have around thirty."
"Well that's why we go straight for the bridge."
"We'll still have to fight far too many ponies to handle along the way. It just isn't possible."
"Not if we go in from the outside Shepard."
"No."
"C'mon. You know you want to."
"I... fine. But if we die, I swear I'll kill you."
"Um..."
"I know it doesn't make sense! Let's just get this over with."
Cornelius set the radio back on the table, and ran once again towards his gun, letting Pip know it was time along the way. The only part of his plan he still hadn't thought of was how he was going to get inside the bridge from the outside. It sounded crazy, even to him. Oh well, he would cross that bridge when he got there. He he, cross that bridge when I get there. He. His ship lurched forward, Zach turned and gave him an inquisitive look, and Cornelius responded with a rather degrading charade explaining it all. Though it didn't seem very descriptive, Zach got the idea. Hopefully, they would make it before they could fire agai- BOOOOOM!!!!!!- crap.
Cornelius watched in horror as once again the black shell streaked across the sky. Luckily, it missed. Well, sort-of. The house sized round grazed the left side of his ship, causing a rather large hole to spring up. It would hinder the ships combat effectiveness for sure, but at least she was still flying. They closed the distance rather quickly, undoubtedly leaving the Imps wondering what the heck they were thinking. As they approached, Pip steered them for the bridge, while Cornelius got out of his gun and went to find something that would allow them to board. He could teleport, but only himself plus around five others if his amplified magic was as good as he thought. He went to the port side of his ship first. He opened the only storage closet on that side and noticed a board on the floor, right next to the hole. It began to slide towards the opening, but Cornelius grabbed it in is magical aura before it could get far. It was a little short, and jagged at both ends. He assumed it had come from the side of the ship, where the shell had grazed them. He went to the cockpit, told Pip to put the left side of the ship to the enemy, and went to retrieve Zach, Scootaloo, and their weapons. He only hoped Shepard was able to get to the bridge as well.
After they were geared up, they went to the hole and waited for Pip to bring them into position. Cornelius noted with a smile that the Normandy was moving into position as well. He magicked the board over, and once The Falcon had been maneuvered into position, he set it down and let it crash through the Imps' bridge. He and Scootaloo ran down their makeshift boarding ramp, while Zach flew alongside. He braced himself for whatever he would find inside, whether it just be flight crew, or a platoon of armed guards. He noted dully the another window a few panes over had also smashed, the ramp inside laeding back to Shepard's ship. He was almost there now, he drew his guns, ducked under the glass that still clung to the pane and... nothing. There wasn't a single pony on the bridge. Not one. They had all abandoned their stations. He looked around puzzled. Where did they all go? And what's that beeping noise?
"Wait a minute, beeping, empty room. Oh c'mon!" Even though it was the only bomb that had been made, he knew exactly what it was. He had thought it up at one point, but trashed the idea because of the lack of need for them. He began searching frantically, looking for the source of his impending doom. Scoot and Zach came in from their window, while Shepard and about twenty others came in from the one they had broken open.
"Cornelius," Shepard spoke, "where is this ships crew, and what is that beeping?" Cornelius looked up from the table he had been searching, and looked at his fellow ship captain.
"Hm? Oh, the crew left, and they left a bomb, the source of the beeping. If we don't find it in time, It's going to explode and probably kill us all! Even if it doesn't, it'll destroy the ships controls, making it impossible to steal! C'mon, help me find it!" He had a very cheery tone in his voice, despite the danger. Sometimes, he thought himself more like Ponyville's resident party pony than his own mother. Think of the pony, and the pony shall appear... holding the bomb in her hooves.
"Hi corny! Are you looking for this?"
"Pinkie Pie? How did you... never mind. Yes, I am looking for that. Could you please hoof it over so I can disarm it?"
"Aw, but I wanted to see the fireworks." Cornelius face-hoofed. Their lives where at stake, and she was complaining about a lack of fireworks.
"Sir," one of the stallions that had boarded with Shepard was looking out the starboard side windows, pointing to a group of fleeing ships. "It looks like the ships crew abandoned her sir. They're headed back for Canterlot in one of the larger ships from before!" Just then, Cornelius got an idea.
"Don't worry Pinkie, you'll get to see fireworks."
_____
"Very clever captain Stalin. Leaving that bomb on the bridge. Blueblood won't be happy about the destroyed ship, but at least it isn't in enemy hooves."
"Of course it vas a cleevar plan. I am the brightest meelitary mind to evar come out of Marescow Meelitary Academy. My plans are alvays cleevar."
"Of course sir. Shall I set course for Cantelot?"
"Da, vee should tell Blueblood that his sheep vas- do you heer a vistling sound?"
BA-BOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!! Parts of the Imperial ship flew everywhere, and any pony that was inside was either, disintegrated, impaled, or fell to their death, missing limbs and screaming in pain and/or terror. Cornelius looked down on the scene with pity. He didn't like killing, but sometimes it was necessary. He had thought long and hard to determine if he would really drop the bomb on the fleeing Imp ship. Even with all of his careful consideration, he still wasn't sure if he had done the right thing. Watching as the mangled bodies of stallions and mares, earth ponies, pegasi and a few unicorns fell to their deaths made him begin to question himself. Had he really made the right decision? He shook his head, right decision or not, there was no taking it back now. He sighed, and turned to head into his room. Pip was bringing them to the griffon empire, Shepard right behind them. A few extra pilots from Shepard's crew where taking it to Cloudsdale to be repaired and used against Blueblood if worse came to worst. He lay in his bed, staring at the ceiling for a while. He should feel happy, he had successfully captured a ship much larger and more powerful than his own. Yet for some reason, he just felt numb. He sighed again, and fell into a dreamless sleep.