SPOILER WARNING: This scene contains heavy reference to the NBC Universal Series Battlestar Galactica episode Pegasus. Season 2. DO NOT READ IF YOU OBJECT TO THESE SPOILERS!
Battlestar Galactica and all associated characters and ships © Universal Pictures
The characters of Spitfire, Silverstar, Twist, Big Macintosh, Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Gilda, Nightmare Moon, Cheerilee, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo © Hasbro. All canon familial relations between characters are suspended for this story unless explicitly stated otherwise
The Blue Team raptor jetted away from Hurricane towards the jump point. Captain Silverstar input a series of calculations, then passed the results to his co-pilot. “Check me on these jump coordinates.”
Spitfire hesitated in distraction, then blinked. “Sorry.” She ran through the calculations herself. “Jump coordinates verified.”
“Seem a little distracted, Captain,” Silverstar said. “Something I should know about?”
“Two of my friends just got arrested and charged with treason,” Spitfire said bitterly.
“I suggest you file that under 'not your problem,'” the older officer cautioned. “We have a recon mission to perform, I need your head in the game.”
“Right,” Spitfire said with a sigh.
Silver Star snapped on the comm. “Hurricane, Blue Team. Jump coordinates set and verified, ready to FTL, we will jump in ten minutes on my mark.” He started the countdown. “Mark.”
***
"Any word on the chief, sir?" Twist asked. Macintosh glanced at the deckhoof. She was worried, and rightly so.
He didn't bother sugar coating; they all knew what would happen if the Chief was found guilty. "She's gonna have to stand trial."
"She's a good mare, sir," Twist said.
"I know," the Commander answered.
The all call interrupted their conversation. Lieutenant Sparkle's voice rang out over the speakers: "Attention Celestia, pass this alert to Commander Macintosh, contact the CIC ASAP."
The Commander picked up the nearest phone. "Macintosh."
Colonel Pie answered. "I just talked to Gilda. Court martial's over."
Macintosh blinked in surprise "Over?" It hadn't even been a day! *When did it start?" he demanded.
"I don't know," Pie said. "But they've been found guilty on all counts. She's gonna execute them both for murder and treason."
Macintosh exhaled, made his decision. "I want a Marine strike team in a Raptor in five minutes. Prepare to launch alert fighters." He hung up, and turned to Twist. "You have work to do."
"Yessir." The technician headed for the hangar bay. Macintosh trotted towards CIC, the anger in his heart barely visible on his face.
***
The comm line to Hurricane came to life; the other battlestar's comm officer spoke urgently. "Hurricane, Celestia, please secure a channel. Commander Macintosh would like to speak to Admiral Moon." The admiral picked up the phone as on Celestia, the comm officer assured his own commander the line was secure. “Go ahead, sir.”
Macintosh tried to keep his voice even, but the sharpness of his tone belied his mood. "You told me they'd get a fair trial. What kind of a trial could they have possibly had?"
"I assure you I heard them out," Moon answered calmly. "I weighed their statements against those of the guards and I took into consideration their service records and commendations. It was a difficult decision, Commander, but I dare say it was a fair one." That should have been the end of the conversation, as far as the Admiral was concerned. Macintosh had other thoughts.
"They have the right to have their case heard by a jury," he insisted.
"I am a flag officer, on detached service during a time of war," Moon responded. Apparently the months spent babysitting a civilian herd, answering to a school teacher had caused her subordinate to forget the situation they were in. "Regulations give me broad authority in this matter."
Macintosh covered the phone with one hoof. "Launch the fighters." As his crew carried out his order, he returned to the conversation. "You can quote me whatever regulation you'd like. I'm not gonna let you execute my mares."
"I highly suggest you reconsider that statement, Commander," Moon warned.
On Hurricane, the DRADIS screen flashed with new signatures. "Admiral," Gilda reported, "Celestia's launching Vipers and a Raptor."
"Commander," Moon asked, ice in her tone, "Why are you launching Vipers?
"Please arrange, for Chief Apple Bloom and Lieutenant Scootaloo to be handed over to my Marines as soon as they arrive," Macintosh answered calmly.
"I don't take orders from you," the Admiral spat.
"Call it whatever you'd like. I'm getting my mares."
"You are making such a mistake,” Moon warned.
The commander's tone was grave as he enunciated each word. "I'm getting my mares." He slammed the phone down as he hung up.
***
Moon held onto the dead line for a moment before returning the phone to it's cradle. She closed her eyes for a moment before giving the order. "Action stations."
"Action stations." The alarm sprang to life as the crew passed on the order to the ship. "Action stations."
"Admiral," Gilda warned, "This will spiral out of control fast-"
Moon cut off her XO. "Launch the alert Vipers." The momentary hesitation pressed her to explain. "Macintosh has taken us over the line. He's left me with no choice, launch the alert Vipers.”
***
The Hurricane ran out her broadside cannons, preparing for battle. The space around her was suddenly alive with Vipers, rolling into formation and heading towards the incoming ships from Celestia. In the CICs of both ships, there was a grim silence; they were heading towards what would be the first pony against pony military action in over fifty years, and whatever happened here, it would destroy any semblance of order in the herd.
___
Author's Note: The idea of a pony/military series substitution was inspired by Niban Destikim's Dog Green Zone series on Deviantart. (http://niban-destikim.deviantart.com/art/The-Dog-Green-Sector-255239330?q=gallery%3Aniban-destikim%2F30612155&qo=46)
It took a lot of consideration for character equivalents, and I'm not entirely sure of some of them; if extended across the series, some might fall apart. If you have other thoughts on who should be who, I'd love to hear them.