"Why do you think I'm so obsessed with starfighters? Spies seeking to sabotage us, wayward wizards wanting more power, they're already here. Many have already come and gone. We already use the pegasi as our first line of defense. I'm not saying we stop this, I'm saying we extend it further."
"If an army comes at us from underground, we can handle it. If an invasion force is summoned right in front of Canterlot, we can counter it. If a portal opens up on or near Equestrian soil, we have ponies who can close it. The main threat we cannot counter is from above. From afar. The most you can do is put up a shield and hope it goes away. We need more than just shields."
"Harmony still provides us the best defense against threats from within. But the enemy isn't trying to shatter or take that fragile harmony. They tried that already. Now, they're trying to establish a beachhead."
-From Barro's message to the princesses following his unsanctioned summoning of two starfighter squadrons
Northern Equestria, Griffon/Crystal Borders
Aboard the carrier All of My Yes, currently en route to the Crystal Empire
"Can't we fly any faster?" Chrys asked, gripping the bridge railing hard enough for the wood to creak.
"Sure," said Gust. "Get out and push. That'll get us moving faster."
"Can't you like, transform into stuff? You could turn into some sorta flyin' dragon, or somethin'," the griffon helmsman suggested.
Chrys glared at him. "How about we turn you into-"
But thankfully, Gust intervened. "How 'bout we all calm down, broccantinis? The ship is going as fast as it can. And we're going to need all the firepower we can get to take on the pirates. I mean, the OTHER pirates."
The All of My Yes and All of My Rage steamed towards the Crystal Empire. The pirate griffons readied the cannons for battle, as they had before under Dan's command. It would not be easy; griffons had fought their own before. The fight would be hard, but hopefully they could get there and mount some kind of the defense along with the crystal ponies.
Chrys' eyes were on the horizon, waiting for their destination to come into view. "Do you know what we'll be up against?"
"Uh, no. Probably the giant robot thing. At least," Gust said.
Chrys looked over her shoulder. "They only have the one, right? Only one Gear?"
"Uh, yeah. I think," Gust rubbed his neck. "I mean, I'm pretty sure they only built the prototype, just for the Crystal Empire. It's still being tested and they- well, WE don't build stuff unless we need it. Waste of material."
"So you're greedy AND stingy. Good to know. You must have great bankers."
"Yeah, no. Not really."
"Oh, we happen to have plenty. You'd be surprised how many griffons were willing to sign up for the promise of a quick buck." The carrier's intercom system piped through the cool yet slimy tones of Visor's voice. He wasn't onboard either of the ships, but he had apparently found their radio frequency.
"You didn't get anyone in MY crew. I can tell that," Gust said, a little satisfied with himself. "Hear that, spooky? The loyalty of MY bros and bro-ettes cannot be bought!"
"We didn't really try to bribe any of your crewmates. There's an overabundance of stupidity, so you and your motley crew aren't very valuable."
Gust's entire body deflated like a balloon.
"Oh, but we did pay another group to delay you. Had to do a little outsourcing and it didn't come cheap. I'm sure you don't understand, but don't worry; you won't live long enough to understand it anyway." The intercom cut out abruptly.
Chrys and Gust didn't need to understand the details. A threat was a threat, and Visor was a villain that didn't waste time. The only question was, when? And one of Gust's crew answered that.
"Boss? We got contacts," the radar griffon said.
"How many?"
"Tracking three bogeys inbound, high and closing fast."
"Ready guns!" Gust ordered. "Helm, drop us down! Maybe we can lose them-"
*Breem-breem-breem-breem-BAM!* Green streaks cut through the sky and exploding into fireballs on the deck of the carrier. Two flashes rushed through the gap in the center of the ring-shaped carrier. Just in front of the bridge, the primary magazine and loading station was in flames.
"What the hell was that?" Gust asked.
"Gust, the ship is on fire!!" Chrys yelled.
"Yes, Chryssie, we know! Can you do something about it please?!"
"Like what?!!"
"Marshal, the Rage has taken damage!"
Gust removed his sunglasses. The other carrier, commanded by the curvy pink griffon Clutch Clasp was also awash in flames.
"Radio them. Can they take care of it?"
"You've got bigger problems than that to worry about."
"I'm going to enjoy tormenting you!"
"What's the rush, little birdies? Worried your nest might BURN?!"
"You guys should feel honored. It's been a while since we've had some REAL targets!"
"Oh great," Chrys said. "Just what we need to see."
Ex-Venomian Mercenary Unit
Star Wolf
Elite All-Range Fighter Squadron
Wolfen Mk. 5
"Fire suppression to the main deck! Damage control!"
"Do we have any missiles?! Shoot them down!"
"We've gotta do something- weapons!" Gust pushed aside the helmsman and took the wheel himself. "Load all the guns and 'em high!"
The carrier dove. The other two followed suit. The maneuver was harsh on the griffons but Gust knew they could take it. Even as the airships descended at a sharp angle, teams of griffons worked to douse the flames. Thankfully, griffons had plenty of experience with flame-retardant materials. Or they just gathered up whatever was heavy, fire-resistant and worthless and threw it at the flames, whatever worked.
"They're coming back around!" Chrys yelled.
The four fighters opened fire on the All of My What. The only unscathed carrier was now scathed as green bolts ripped into its deck.
"FIRE! FIRE EVERYTHING NOW!" Gust ordered.
The carriers' cannons unleashed a massive barrage upward, right into the flight paths of the four fighters. Explosions burst in the air, and one of the ships was clipped.
"Gyeaaaaaaaaahhh!" Andrew Oikonny, the weakest of Team Star Wolf lost his two ventral wings. Further blasts ripped through his fuselage and quickly sent his craft into a burning dive. His teammates must've paid attention to Peppy at some point, because they did barrel rolls just before the cannon fire hit them. Their enhanced G-Diffuser bolstered their shields with the momentum of the maneuver, deflecting the shots.
Three of the Wolfens arced back up skyward. Andrew's ship trailed smoke all the way to the ground, hit hard nose-first and exploded. So much for Andross's nephew.
"Now you've done it!"
"I never liked that guy anyway."
"Heh, I'll consider that a bonus!"
"They're coming back around! Again!" Chrys yelled.
"Weapons, reload!"
"Gust, we've got a malfunction in fire control!"
The cannons on the massive ship were locked in a vertical position. Fire damage from the magazine explosion had caused a failure in the auto-loading mechanisms of the ship.
Outside, the trio of mercenary fighters dove rapidly, like arrows shot skyward to fall with the sun behind them. Their weapons burned hot, and there was no way to fend them off. The three griffon carriers were now in the hands of fate, helpless.
"Don't worry. I'll make this quick."
Gust swallowed. "All hands, brace! Brace for-"
*Booooom... *Boom-boom*
"What... the...?"
Team Star Wolf exploded. Where their fighters were, now was only clouds of rapidly-dissipating smoke and bits of falling debris.
"What just happened?" Chrys asked. Outside, it was difficult to see anything. Smoke from the three carriers and Wolf's team obscured the view.
"New contacts!" the navigator shouted. "I can't tell what but they're very fast!"
"Friendly? Friendly?! Please be friendly!" Gust and Chrys both pleaded.
"Sorry to burst your bubble!"
"Oh, we're gonna burst a lot more than that."
"Did you forget what story you're reading? This is our turf!"
The three new contacts were flying almost too fast to be detected by the griffons' sensors. Chrys, Gust, the griffons all scanned the skies, searching for the new arrivals, hoping in their hearts they were friends. But with each second that went by, the more experienced griffons felt a cold, gnawing grow in their chests. Rescuers did not say 'surprise' in such operations.
"Look! Eleven o'clock, high!"
Three streaks of purple appeared- afterburners. Dark trails began flying around them, until three dark-purple contrail rings encircled the carriers. Whatever, whoever was making them was flying too fast for the trails to vary or dissipate; they were tight and uniform all the way around.
"Oooh, look at all the pretty birdies! All nice and happy in their chicken coups!"
"Hope y'all enjoyed your flight, but sorry. You're about to be grounded- permanently."
"The skies are our domain! You winged wannabees have been pretending for too long!"
The three new ships appeared in front of them. Strange fighters, nothing like Gust or his griffons had ever seen before with wings that stuck out from block-like fuselages. One had split wings attached to a cross-like body, the other had high wings protruding form a narrow body and the third had jagged wings that bent out from its slanted body. X, Y and Z.
"Oh great. Just what we need to see... again."
Dark Equestrian Hyper-Performance Flying Team
Shadowbolts
*no longer affiliated with Nightmare Moon
"Uhmm... if we're fighting the Shadowbolts now, why is the Star Wolf theme still playing?" Chelsea asked.
"We paid for the whole Team Star Wolf, we're going to use the whole Team Star Wolf," Visor's voice answered her.
But the Shadowbolts were much, much deadlier than a group of underpaid mercenaries. And they were about to prove it. The three new ships rushed in on the griffons, descending upon easy prey.