//------------------------------// // BB 01- HEMS Schornhorse // Story: Rise of the Steel Fleet // by Storm Seas //------------------------------// You know those times when your sound asleep and your dreaming but it felt so real that it came as a shock to you that your were, in fact, dreaming. Well I had that happen to me last night. I was dreaming of the Schornhorse, sailing through high seas and engaging a far off enemy. The thunder of her main battery tore the sky like Lightning, shells racing toward their targets at over the speed of sound. I felt the rumble of the guns through my whole frame but then I felt it again, and again, and again. A voice pierced my dream, "Storm Wake UP!" The last fragments of the battle flew away as my mind finally made the connections, It was day time, the voice I heard was my mother's, I smelt cinnamon and apples so she had made my favorite breakfast, but why? Is today special? The only thing I had to do today was... "BUCKETS OF OATS!!!" I shouted, flinging my self out of bed and nearly knocking over my dear mother. "It's Commissioning day!!" I micro teleported to my closet and swiftly dressed in my best dress uniform and the jumped again to the table downstairs. It would have been perfect if it wasn't for my dad standing in the doorway to the kitchen, and my forward momentum. I ran head long into my fathers iron form and rebounded onto my rump. "Good, your awake," He grumbled, deep and resonant. "You're going to be late you know?" he looked down his snout at me like some teacher scolding a tardy student. "Sorry, sir." I said weakly. "Don't 'Sorry, Sir' ME young colt! Its you we should be bowing down to!" His face was now all smile as he extended a hoof to help me up, "to think my boy has gotten a Commission and on the Schornhorse no less! If there was ever a day I should be proud of you on, Today is that day!" "Stern!" My mom called from upstairs, "stop your 'proud of you son' spiel! he knows already! You were quite loud about it last night the someponies couldn't sleep well!" "Mom's right dad." my brother said from in the kitchen,"Even I couldn't sleep through your praises." he muttered "Fine, I surrender, but that doesn't mean you can be late!" he said as a well time knock on the door caught our attention. "Colonel Wind, Sir!" a voice called out, "the Honor Guard is ready, Sir!" "Thanks dad..." I said halfheartedly. "No need for the thanks, son. Let's Go!" Manehatten Naval Shipyard. Slip 5 I was now thoroughly annoyed with my dad. He loves to always point out that the Army is the best of Equestria's military and he spares no expense to show up the Navy or the Air force when ever he can. So when a full Army Honor Guard showed up, the Mareines gave them the what for. The exchange only took a few seconds but the Mareines sentries totally out shined the whole guard and sent them packing, but not without the Guard giving their final hurrah. They did a double line and back stepped off in perfect precision, their way to a wordless 'buck you'. I could have cared less for the whole exchange but I had to live with it. Once the how hoopla was over I cantered my way through the shipyard till I reached Slip 5. I magicked the Mareine guard my ID folio and he scrutinized it as he should, but I could tell they both knew I was coming. He returned the folio to me and I began trotting forward but caught a brief flash of motion as he hoof went to his lapel. I turned back and looked at the sentry, he dropped the hoof instantly but I smiled. "Go ahead Corporal." He nodded and pressed the comm button on his lapel three times, an obviously prearranged signal. I wouldn't hurt to surprise the ship's compliment but not today. Toady was just to busy for that kind of prank. I continued onward to the docks, crossing the massive slip where my ship had lain during her construction. At 295 meters long and 40.1 meters wide, the Schornhorse was by far the largest warship yet built. She was the brainchild of a certain Lieutenant Heartstrings, based some say of a concept she had unearthed at the Academy. I knew the truth, which was she did find the idea at the Library. Why do i know this? Because I was the first person she told. We had spent many hours in the Great Canterlot Library, sometimes together and sometime apart, but during the time of my fourth year I got to know her very well. She was eccentric yes, but her mind was keen. We had spent hours together trying to design new and better ships and weapon systems. some of those designs were accepted into the Navy while others were worthless. It was during one night before my final Officers Tactical Exam that she came running up to me with a scroll held tightly in her magic. "I found it!" she had said breathlessly. "Found what?" I had asked. "The answer! Its so simple! I can't believe we hadn't thought of this before!" she was aglow with excitement. "What is it, your not making sense." I had stared to get annoyed. "Battleships! That's what we need!" and with that she ran off to find then Commandant Blue Blood. My thoughts had walked me to the docks I had stood on less then ten hours ago, and the dark floating shape was now in full view, and I drank it up. ***The Schornhorse was a smart looking ship. Her four, triple 38cm turrets stood like ready to strike panthers while the smaller 15cm secondaries watched the sides like hawks. Her main tower stood low to the deck crouched behind turret two's massive bulk, while the soaring main mast with its many levels of Fire Control and radar stood proudly over it squatting counterpart. The funnel, leading to the infernos that drove her forward, let go wisps of grey oil smoke and the slight shimmer of heat. Farther aft followed the rear Fire Control Directors tower and the final two turrets of the main battery. I just stood there totally mesmerized by the sight where the rush of hoofs reached my ears and the high pitch Bosun's whistle trilled out the welcome a a visiting Senior Grade Captain. I climbed up the gangway to the deck as was greeted by a full side party and an officer I hadn't seen in years. "Permission to come aboard, Ma'am?" I saluted the sea green mare in front of me in the uniform of a Commander. "Permission granted, Sir." She said with a slight smile, "May I escort you to the bridge?" "Lead the way Commander Heartstrings." I said with the same slight smile. BB-01 HEMS Schornhorse I followed the Commander up the many winding steps and passages to the Bridge. I was grateful for the walk and for the silence. Since I had yet to assume control, I was a mere passenger till I read my orders to the ships crew. We made it to the bridge and I crossed over to the ship wide com and magicked it off its holder the pressed the talk switch. A loud chime of the all hands bell sounded throughout the ship as everyony stopped to listen. I cleared my throat and began to read. "To: Captain (Sr. Gd) Storm Seas. From: First Lord Blue Blood. Dear Sir, You are hereby requested and instructed to board Her Equestrian Majesties Ship Schornhorse, and complete what work is yet to be done shipping her complement of Sea-ponies and Mareines, and preparing her in every respect for Sea. It is Her Majesties' express Orders that you employ the most vigorous Exertions to accomplish these Objects and put your Ship as speedily as possible in a situation to sail at the shortest notice." I folded the parchment bask up and put in back into its case, I then returned to the speaker in from of me. "I won't take up much of your time, and I know there is a lot to do, but I wish to convey something our great Princess Celestia told me. We are, as of this moment, Equestria's most powerful weapon. We must live up to that but also we must remember that we fight not for our life's, but for those of others, we fight for the principles that our great nation is founded upon. We are to be of one mind and one soul, we are now the Schorhorse. We are the shield of Equestria." I pause, feeling the mounting elation of the bridge and the ship in general as my words strike home, and suddenly finding my self without anything else to add when the motto I was told floated into my mind, "Schorhorse Immer Voran!" " SCHORNHORSE IMMER VORAN!!!" the whole ship reverberated with the cry of hundreds of ponies voices'. I was stunned, I didn't think my words would be that powerful but the reaction was proof that they were. I felt my heart glow as the whole ship began to chant the motto over and over again. I magicked the microphone back to its stand with a click and turned to the Commander. "I have command, Commander." "You have command, Sir!" She said with a flourished salute which I returned, equally elated.