//------------------------------//
// Deus Ex 
// Story: Eljunbyro 
// by Imploding Colon 
//------------------------------//

	"By the Queen's craphouse!" Josho barked, pointing breathlessly towards the sky.  "She's falling!"

"Your gift for the obvious is much valued, as always, Enforcer."  With a sighing expression, Captain Filta turned towards Shell.  "Sir?  Shall we still fire?"

Shell was rubbing his chin.  His one eye narrowed, and after two and  a half seconds of thought, he said, "Better do it now before your stallions catch up with her."

With a single nod, Filta turned towards his crew ponies at the guns.  "On my mark, stallions!" he shouted.  "Ready..."

Rainbow's body plummeted towards the forest floor.

"Aim..."

The cannons glowed bright blue, aiming at the pegasus' helpless body.

"Fire—"

A black body soared overhead, buzzing violently close to the hull of the Steel Wing.  The air thundered from the conjoined power of quad mana-thrusters.  Everypony on deck went deaf for five seconds, and when they recovered they found the whole body of the Steel Wing rocking from the near collision.

"Whoah!"  Josho flailed, his fat body almost completely plunging over the ship's edge.  "What in the Spark's spit was that?!"

"Captain?!" Shell shouted.  He clung to a metal beam, his face registering anger and confusion.  "Why didn't your ponies identify a rogue vehicle?!"

"It came from the north, sir!" A crewpony shouted from a platform of the massive zeppelin above.  "It must have been utilizing enchanted arcanium on its hull!"

"A cloaking field," Captain Filta murmured aloud.  His eyes blinked wide.  "That's Searonese technology..."

"Searonese?!"  Josho grunted, pointing towards the east where a black metal body was darting over the forest.  "You mean to tell me that a friggin' metal-mare is in that thing?!"

"Captain!" Shell shouted again.  "Do your stallions have the target still in sight?!"

"Look!" A crew pony shouted.

Everyone watched as the black bogey soared effortlessly through the air battle.  There was a puff of red energy, and suddenly a thick cloud of black smoke was obscuring the entire sky.  The inky mist spread with such swiftness that the managliders were forced to break off from their pursuit of Rainbow Dash's plunging body.  The multiple vehicles almost collided with each other as they split in two separate formations, attempting to outfly the expanding sphere of opaque smog.

"Find the target!" Captain Filta shouted.  "Fire at will!"

"Sir, she's vanished!" one of the ponies at the cannon stammered.  "The cloud—We can't see through the bogey's smoke screen!"

"Then fire anyways!" Josho growled.  "Blow up that part of the forest where she landed!"

"Captain, sir..."  The nearest cannon operator glanced forlornly between Josho and Filta.  "Our stallions—we might hit them."

Filta said nothing.  He turned and looked at Shell.

Shell's jaw clenched for several seconds, then relaxed.  With flaring nostrils, the Prime Enforcer mumbled, "Withdraw your stallions.  Send in a rescue party for those who're lost in Foxtaur."

"Aye."  Filta gestured towards his crew.  Several ponies ran up to opposite ends of the deck and flashed lightning symbols towards the distant gliders.

"By the teats of the moon!"  Josho flung his beret down onto the deck and slurred, "What's that stupid manatard from Searo think it's doing sticking its muzzle into Ledomaritan business?!  We almost had that blue bastard!"

"Undoubtedly he or she is here to collect on a bounty for the same target that's brought us here," Shell said in a groaning tone.  "I do believe the hunt has gotten a great deal more complicated, gentlecolts."

"Maybe my stallions on the ground can find the body of the target before the Searonese intruder," Filta said.

Shell took a deep breath.  "I wouldn't count on it, Captain.  If you've dealt with Searonese like I have, then you'll know they're even craftier than Xonans.  I fear we might be chasing that bogey before all is said and done."

"So what do we do?!"  Josho gestured wildly towards the black horizon.  "Just wait for the storm to clear?"

"What the Searonese doesn't have on their side is firepower," Shell firmly said.  "Their metal guile is hollow and heartless.  Once we bright the Steel Wing through their smokescreen, they'll have no choice but to flee from our wrath—"  Shell's voice trailed off at the sign of a pony marching up.

The crew member bowed low and said, "So sorry to bother you, Prime Enforcer, but it's the Council."  The stallion fidgeted nervously.  "They are... erhm... they are demanding an audience with you... as swiftly as possible."

Josho bit his lip.  Filta glanced nervously towards the commanding officer.

Shell was silent as stone.  Straightening his beret, he solemnly turned his flank to the mess on the east horizon and marched like a one-pony funeral dirge towards the cabin below.  Everypony froze for the length of time it took for him to descend, and then they sped back into action.