//------------------------------// // Chapter 6: Attack on Manehattan // Story: Ponies, cannons, and war // by Fashionably Late //------------------------------// At the stroke of midnight, a soft westerly breeze billowed in from the sea. Luna’s moon was quickly hidden behind a cover of clouds from the Manehattan fleet. The fleet silhouetted against the lights of Manehattan. Captain Stark Contrast stood and listened to the wind whistling through Sorcery’s rigging alone. His flagship's clean and ordered deck was a welcome respite from her sweltering belowdecks cabins, and he would take this chance to air out his quarters. He leaned out over the sea, looking east towards the kingdom of griffons. Word had only gotten to Equestria that Griffonstone had fallen on hard times and it sickened him. Odds were that the griffons would refuse any aid from Equestria and would instead turn to criminal activities. It would fall on the Equestrian Navy to bring law and order to the Celestial Sea. This in addition to providing aid to the hippogriffs meant that the navy would be soon stretched thin. As is the Equestrian Navy totalled 12 ships of the line with a theoretical 100 cannon carrying capacity, 60 frigates armed with the 60 cannons that the ships of the line usually carried, 108 highly maneuverable sloops and various other auxiliary ships. The Manehattan fleet itself was centered around the ships of the line ENS Sorcery and ENS Hope and supported by 10 frigates and 18 sloops, the latter of which were often on patrol duty such as tonight. ...- . -. --- -- -....- .---- / .-. . .--. --- .-. - / .... .- .-. -... --- .-. / .. -. ..-. .. .-.. - .-. .- - . -.. / . -. . -- -.-- / ..-. .-.. . . - / ... .--. --- - - . -.. / .---- ..--- / ... .... .. .--. ... / ..- -. -.- -. --- .-- -. / -.-. .-.. .- ... ... / -.-. --- -. -.. .. - .. --- -. / --. .-. . . -. - .-. . / --- .--. . .-. .- - .. --- -. / -.-. --- -. ..-. .. .-. -- / --- .--. . .-. .- - .. --- -. / -- .- -. . .... .- - - .- -. -.-. .- .-.. .- -- .. - -.-- / -.. .. ...- .. ... .. --- -. / .---- / -.-. --- -. - .- -.-. - BANG! Flash! Captain Stark Contrast threw up a hoof to block out the lights that had suddenly spawned above the fleet. A second later more lights flooded in from the open sea, illuminating the fleet. The sharp boom sound began repeating like the clack of a steam train punctuated by flashes of lights. Any thought of a surprise fireworks display faded when columns of water shot out from around the fleet and the sound of breaking wood was heard. Confusion gave way to mounting horror. His ships, his fleet, the Manhattan fleet, and Manehattan and Equestria itself was under attack. Warning sirens in the naval base began wailing and ponies rushed to and fro. Sorcery was in chaos as Stark Contrast attempted to coordinate a response to the attack. The fact that the pegasi were needed to generate tailwinds for their ships bottlenecked communications and those who were sent out to deliver reports were getting lost in the dark and were either late in reporting, reported to the wrong ship or not at all. A number of ships, including Sorcery, quickly had their sails unfurled and pegasi gathered to generate a tailwind to engage the enemy fleet and keep it from reaching shore. Of those that didn’t, most were either sinking in harbor or set ablaze, Sorcery’s sister Hope was unfortunately among those currently on fire. From his place at the helm he could barely see the shapes of the ships firing upon his fleet. What he could see only served to confuse him. Focusing on a grouping of cannon fire revealed a short, slender figure that combined with the flashes of four cannons meant that it was an unrated ship, either a brig or a cutter. Further analysis of some of the other ships revealed that they shared the same design. Confoundingly he could not make out the masts on the ships let alone the sails nor understand how such small ships could outrange the entire fleet. Whatever flags they flew he could not see. It aggravated him that he could not identify his attackers. Griffonstone did not have a navy and it seemed improbable that a group of pirates would come together and attack any Equestrian coastal city let alone Manehattan which stationed one of three permanent fleets in the Celestial Sea. It was the Storm King invasion all over again. Stark Contrast shook his head. The Royal Guard did nothing when Canterlot was invaded by the Storm King’s forces, but the Equestrian Navy will not allow this fleet of criminal scum to set one hoof on Equestrian soil. -.-. .- .-.. .- -- .. - -.-- / -.. .. ...- .. ... .. --- -. / .---- / -... .-.. .. - --.. -.- .-. .. . --. Stark Contrast watched as the burning frigate, Morning Sun, drifted off to port as another frigate, Moonwatch, was engulfed in explosions, a victim of concentrated fire. He pounded his hoof against the railing. Brave ponies were dying out there and here he was waiting to get into range. What good was having more cannons than the entire enemy fleet when they outranged you? How did anypony consistently manage to hit a moving ship at 7000 meters? Who was attacking him? Mutters erupted across the ship, his officers sending furtive glances at each other. A glare silenced them all. He had enough trouble with commanding already without mutinous whispers worming their way through his staff. It only took a second for them to return to their duties, but he held his gaze for a while longer to make sure none of the others got ideas. If they didn't do something soon the entire fleet would fall apart and then any chance of success would be well and truly gone. There was a bang as a shell punched a hole in the deck and cloying smoke filled surrounded the ship. Stark Contrast coughed hard as he got a lungful of the heavy fumes. His age was not helping with this, but adrenaline soon took hold. Off to the port Mountain View took a massive hit and gouts of flame erupted from her casemates as she lit up. Her burning hull kept moving forward, but it was clear that the frigate was finished as her bow began sliding deeper and deeper into the waves. The flash of light left spots dancing across his sight, but even above all the noise he could hear the crew gasp at the sight of longtime friends possibly dying. He swept the horizon, mind churning over the scattered reports layered with the scattered flashes of firing guns. The view gave him a rudimentary picture of how the battle was playing out, and he had an idea of how to continue. -.-. .- .-.. .- -- .. - -.-- / -.. .. ...- .. ... .. --- -. / .---- / . -. . -- -.-- / ..-. .-.. . . - / -.. . ... - .-. --- -.-- . -.. - .-. . / -.-. --- -. ..-. .. .-. -- / -.-. --- -- -- . -. -.-. . / .--. .... .- ... . / ..--- / -... --- -- -... .- .-. -.. -- . -. -