//------------------------------// // Righteous Thunder // Story: Spark // by Fyn16 //------------------------------// Righteous Thunder Nimbus forced himself to his hooves at the insistent blaring of his alarm clock. He, Storm Runner, and Bright Future had been flying for nearly eight hours straight before they finally stopped in Red Ravine, a town just south of the Hayseed Swamps, for some rest. “Some rest” in this case was determined to be four hours by Nimbus. Surprisingly, Bright Future had agreed to this plan, though when he reminded the two that he’d frequently made a habit of staying up for days doing research, the surprise was less so. Nimbus grabbed his helmet and checked up on his companions. Bright Future had beaten the alarm and was in their small apartment’s bathroom, while Storm Runner had, as usual, slept right through the alarm. Nimbus gave his friend’s bed a good kick, and Storm Runner leaped to his hooves as if the might of the Griffon Army was bearing down upon them. “Relax,” Nimbus said, “it’s five in the morning. Time to get a move on.” At Nimbus’s words, Storm Runner went from alert to nearly asleep. Nimbus caught him before the stallion faceplanted onto the floor. “Up and at ‘em, Storm. We’re launching in thirty minutes, so get some coffee into your system before that,” Nimbus nodded at Bright Future, who had just exited the restroom. Storm Runner took his place as the sound of static came from Nimbus’s flight helmet. “Just a moment,” Nimbus said, holding up a hoof to Bright Future, “I need to answer this.” The Pegasus donned his helmet to acknowledge the transmission. “This is Raider One,” Nimbus said, “transmitting source, please acknowledge and repeat.” “This is Cicada, Raider. I have an update for you,” Cloudsplitter’s voice came through loud and clear. Nimbus’s heart jumped. “Go ahead, Cicada. I’m listening.” “We got into contact with one of the hostages on the Sol, callsign Sonata. She’s going to activate the Sol’s transponder at some point today. We’ll be monitoring for the transponder signal, but we need you in the air as soon as possible. Once we get the signal, you’ll rendezvous with the 56th Aviator Squadron, stationed out of Dodge Junction. Your new mission priority will be to cripple the Sol and stop the hostage operation. Once the Awakening is stopped, you will proceed to Site Echo, where you will ensure that the facility is destroyed completely. We don’t want this happening again.” “Roger,” Nimbus replied, “Raider One out.” He unclipped his helmet’s mask and turned to Bright Future. The Unicorn had already projected his magic wings and was ready to go. “Get ready to fly,” he said, “we’re departing soon.” … Octavia hadn’t slept more than five minutes at a time since her radio transmission- partly out of fear, and partly because she had no idea how to get back up on the top deck. Her initial thought had been to light a fire, but it was much too risky, and besides, there were few if any fire-starting materials in the room to begin with. Begging for a bit of fresh air wasn’t going to work either. As far as anypony else knew, she was probably still a liability. She guessed that it was nearly morning, if her radio contact had been serious about getting help, she’d need to act soon. There was, of course, one option that had literally been staring Octavia in the face ever since the radio call, but she hadn’t dared consider it. An oak chair rested on the wall near the door- one heavy enough to do some significant damage, and yet another oversight on the part of her captors. Knocking out the pony who delivered her daily meal would be simple, but Octavia didn’t want to think about it. Resorting to violence was something she’d hoped to avoid, but as the minutes ticked by, she wasn’t seeing any other choice. She didn’t consider herself incapable of committing an act of violence, of course, but if there was any other way… Hoofsteps. Octavia’s heart jumped into her throat. It was her breakfast, once again being delivered. If she was going to act, it would be now or never. Quickly she darted to the chair and took hold of it. As the door’s lock clicked and the door opened, she could hear the pony mumbling to himself. “…not my fault the damn door was unlocked. It’s not like we all get five hours of sleep a night- what the?” The door was open now, and Octavia was standing directly on one side of it, out of sight. To the pony delivering her breakfast, it must have appeared that the room was empty. He took just two steps inside- two steps, and Octavia acted almost entirely upon impulse, hefting the chair and bringing it crashing down on top of his head. The pony crumpled to a heap and Octavia immediately rushed to his side. “Oh, I’m so sorry!” she exclaimed, her older, softer side taking over for a moment before she composed herself. Time was of the essence. She grabbed the unconscious pony and heaved him aside. Free of her confinement once more, she headed immediately for the stairs and peeked out the trapdoor. There were three ponies on the deck, all Awakening. She’d have to run for it. Slow down and think about this, she thought to herself, you’re a musician. Musicians don’t just run headlong into problems like this. Go back to your room and take some time. “No,” she whispered, “this has to be done now!” She pushed open the hatch and tumbled out onto the deck, almost tripping over her front hooves. The noise startled the Awakening ponies, who were more than surprised to see a prisoner not only free, but resisting. Octavia took this moment’s hesitation to run, heading for the stairs. She’d scuffed a hoof in the trip, and every step was painful, but she couldn’t think about such things now- there were lives at stake. She wrenched open the door to the control bridge with several ponies now in hot pursuit, and shoved the pony at the controls aside. “Out of my way!” she growled, flipping the transponder switch. Octavia frantically looked around the room. Her pursuers were approaching the door now, and she’d need something to block it to buy some time. A stack of communication equipment would have to do. Octavia toppled the tower of electronics in front of the door. As long as the transponder was intact, they’d be fine. She took one glance back at the pony she’d shoved away. He was getting to his hooves, and looked madder than a Manticore with a sun burn. She bucked him in the face sharply, and he collapsed again. Outside, ponies were gathering around, and Octavia ducked as she noticed three sharpshooters with crossbows on the deck, their weapons trained on the window. The door, meanwhile, began to shake and glow with blue magic, until with an earsplitting bang, it fragmented. Octavia backed away, and as the smoke cleared, Silky Sunset materialized out of the debris. “This ends now,” she hissed. Octavia met her glare with one of her own. “Let us go now,” she said, “this is my final warning to you.” “You are in no position to make demands,” Silky said, advancing, “turn off that transponder now, cellist.” Oh, if only Vinyl could see me now, Octavia thought, just like the hero in one of those action films she loves so dearly. Except in those films, the hero usually ends up in a better situation than this. Octavia eyed the transponder switch. “Fine,” she said, “I’ll do it.” Projecting a look of defeat, Octavia slowly stepped over to the transponder. Before anypony could react, though, she drew in her back hooves and kicked it, ripping the switch off and exposing the wiring inside. At the same time, the ponies on the deck fired their crossbows, and Octavia ducked at the sound of their distinctive twangs. One bolt managed to graze her shoulder, though, making a long, thin cut. She yelped and fell to the ground, where she was seized by two Awakening guards. “Try turning that off,” she said, coughing and wincing as the pain fought to control her. “You want the world to know we’re here?” Silky said, bringing her face in close to Octavia’s , “let them come.” She turned towards one of the unoccupied guards nearby. “Raven Wing, get the rest of the hostages up on the observation deck and bring this one as well-“ she gave Octavia a swift kick and the mare groaned, “have the rest of your stallions retrieve the ADS. We will eliminate any aerial opposition that comes our way.” Raven Wing smiled and nodded. “Yes, ma’am.” … “How will those wings hold up in a dogfight?” “What, these?” Bright Future asked, flexing his projected wings in response to Nimbus’s question, “they get me airborne, but they won’t support more than a sustained 4 g’s. I’m afraid I’ll be sitting this one out.” “Okay,” Nimbus said, “then as soon as we have a visual on the Sol, I want you to stay well clear of the battle.” “No arguments from me,” Bright Future agreed. It wasn’t the best day for an aerial fight- there was a light drizzle and the sky was overcast- but the conditions would be right for a sneak attack. If things went well, the fight would be over in minutes. “Hey, there’s something on the madar display,” Storm Runner said, “looks like… it’s the Sol’s transponder signal!” Nimbus immediately switched his attention over to the small, square display. Sure enough, the coordinates of the Sol were being transmitted to his HUD. “I have visual, Windigo,” he said, “but we do not engage until rendezvous is complete. What’s the ETA on the Dodge Junction squadron?” A new voice cut in over the radio, thick with a southern drawl. “You talkin’ about us? This is Rustler One with the 56th AS- I’m guessin’ you’re the mercs we’re supposed to meet up with.” “Affirmative,” Nimbus said, “have you been briefed on the mission?” Four Pegasi, their flight suits bearing maroon leg stripes, smoothly crossed in front of the three “mercenaries” and leveled off in perfect formation. “We’ve been told that we’re about to take down an airship,” Rustler One replied, “does this have to do with that whole Sol shenanigan that happened a few days ago in Manehattan?” “That’s correct,” Storm Runner said, “we have one contact on the ground, callsign Cicada. She’ll be directing our operations. And if you’ll just excuse me…” he tuned Cloudsplitter’s frequency to his active slot, “Cicada, this is Raider Two. We’ve made contact with Rustler. Ready for the first attack phase.” “Roger, Raider. Commence phase one. You’ll be briefed en route. We will begin Operation Righteous Thunder now.” The attack on the Sol, as Cloudsplitter had detailed earlier that day, was to take place in three phases. The first phase would involve the initial engagement and attack, and would focus on disabling the airship’s Aggressor Denial System. Once this phase was complete, phase two would begin. During the second phase, the Awakenings’ control over the hostages would be diminished. During this phase, the Aviators would focus on removing the hostages from the airship while mopping up any remaining aerial resistance. Once the Pegasi were dealt with, the third and final phase could begin- the disabling of the Sol’s engines. Without them, the airship would be forced to land, and the remaining Awakening ponies on board could be taken into custody. The plan was foolproof- in theory, at least. Its actual application, however, would soon be put to the test. “Standby, Raider and Rustler,” Cloudsplitter called, “you’re receiving a briefing from the Sol’s chief engineer- Robust Iron. Show him the respect I’d expect of you and above all, listen to him. If anypony can help you take down the Sol, it’s the guy that built it.” Storm Runner looked over to Nimbus in awe, and Nimbus grinned. His friend had a certain fascination with engineering, and to be able to talk to such a legendary figure as the designer of one of Equestria’s most modern airships was almost too much for him to take in. “Uh, hello Aviators,” a male voice said over the radio, gradually growing more clear, “I’m Robust Iron. I’d like you to focus on maintaining your current flight course, but I’ll be sending some schematics to your HUDs. Try not to concentrate too hard on them- they’re just visual aids. Now as I’ve been briefed, you’re trying to disable the Sol. First, What you’ll have to remember is that while the ADS has a large area of effect, it was only meant to be used in one direction- straight down. In other words, the brunt of the magical discharge has to be aimed. As long as you’re not directly in the weapon’s line of sight, and not too close to it when it goes off, you’ll survive. Also, note that it’ll take a bit of time for the Unicorns operating it to charge up their magic again. That charging time will be your critical period to attack. When you move on to the engines, things get a bit more complicated.” As Nimbus flew on, his visor displayed a rotating image of one of the Sol’s large engine pods, complete with spinning propeller, as Robust Iron continued. “The engines were specifically designed to be shielded against lightning strikes, and since your CAL-2s fire projectiles very similar to lightning, it will be almost impossible to disable the engines with a direct hit. However, there are two access points-“ the image of the engine blew up, zooming in on the front, then moving to the sides “-the cooling intake, which draws in air to cool the engine, and the exhaust vanes, on the sides of the engine. Both are small targets, but both are also very susceptible to a focused strike. If you concentrate your attack on them, the ship will go down in no time.” “Thank you,” Nimbus said, “and I’m sorry it has to be this way. If we could safely do this without damaging your airship-“ “Don’t worry about it,” Iron replied, “I designed the Sol, I babied her during development, and I treated her better than any of my other creations, but to see her used for evil… I can’t bear it. Take her down, and help those poor hostages.” “Wilco, sir,” Storm Runner said, “Raider out.” “Hey, mercs-“ one of the ponies from Rustler squadron called out, “I have a visual on the Sol- ten o’ clock high… Celestia preserve me, that thing is huge!” Nimbus shifted his focus upwards and slightly to the left, and there it was- hovering like some great beast suspended in midair. “Raider One to all flights,” he said, switching his weapon off safe, “cleared to engage. Initiate phase one operations against the Sol!” Bright Future broke away from the formation as the Pegasi pulled up as one, leveling off with their target. Drawing closer, Nimbus could see ponies on the deck. Once again, the hostages were there, but this time they were simply bound. Nopony was covering them. “I think they want the hostages to see us fail,” Storm Runner said, “how about that?” “Ain’t gonna happen,” Rustler One said, “look sharp- they’re rolling out the ADS on the lower deck!” “Break formation!” Nimbus said, “multiple targets will be a hay of a lot harder for them to hit.” The ponies split off in multiple directions as a hail of small-arms fire from crossbows and magic bolts filled the air. Nimbus wrenched violently to the right as several arrows passed just over his helmet. On the deck below, the Unicorns with the ADS were already charging it, rotating it to follow two of Rustler squadrons Aviators who were flying in close proximity. Rustler one made a dive on the device from above, but had to back off as a flurry of arrows came up to meet him. Nimbus rolled and dove under the ship, then pulled up in a loop and fired, still flying inverted, at two of the archers on the deck. The first he missed, but the second one went down, rigid as the electrical energy coursed through his body. Then the humming began. Nimbus snapped his eyes over to the ADS, which was now glowing a vibrant red and was pointing off the left side of the gondola. “ADS ready to fire, left side!” he called, “move to a safe distance!” … Octavia sat with her fellow hostages, bound by the hooves, and only able to watch as the brave Aviators fought to secure the airship. Several of the hostages cheered when one orange Pegasus came up from below and took out an archer, but the cheers were in vain once the ADS charged. Silky Sunset was on deck, and made the call. “Fire it now,” she said. “But ma’am, they’re moving too fast!” one of the Unicorns operating the device called out, “if we fire now and miss, we need time to recharge it!” “That’s my concern, not yours. Now fire the ADS!” With a flash of bright red and a dreadful, booming sound that made it seem as if the sky itself was tearing in two, the ADS discharged. In horror, Octavia watched as one Aviator plummeted out of the sky, disoriented. “One confirmed down,” a Unicorn said, “preparing for the next attack.” … The ADS’s attack had shaken everypony, but they’d only lost one so far- a Lieutenant from Rustler squadron. The ADS would need time to charge- it was time to strike. “Coordinated strike!” Nimbus called out, “aim for the handlers and the dish and try to weave through the projectiles!” The ponies lined up, their respective squadrons on either side of the Sol, and dove in, weapons firing. The ponies at the ADS tried to use the device to shield themselves from the attack, but the rain of electricity came at them from all sides. One went down quickly, and had to be replaced. The squadrons met in the middle of the airship, passing each other underneath the gas envelopes just a few inches away. Seeing an opportunity, Nimbus kicked down at the ADS as he flew over it, cracking the device’s mirrorlike surface. Once clear of the Sol’s second envelope, he and Storm Runner once again split off in opposite directions as anti-air fire raked the sky. “The ADS is damaged,” Nimbus called out, “one more pass and we’ll finish it off.” As he turned around for another run, his heart nearly stopped- the ADS was already glowing at full charge. Spurred on by the heat of battle, the operators had already managed to charge it. “All Aviators, break now! Stay away from the Sol!” … Sunset swore as the Pegasi made their pass on the ADS, breaking it. The face was cracked now, but not entirely useless. The ponies charging it, however, were barely focused on the task at hoof, instead worrying about staying out of the next strafing run. “Cowards!” she called out, pointing her horn at the device and using her own magic to charge it, “if we don’t charge the weapon, we won’t be able to repel their attacks effectively!” “Ma’am, if we fire again, we may break the device!” one of the operators replied, “the face is cracked!” “Better to fire once and break it than to not fire at all,” Sunset shot back, “now take out those Aviators!” The device emitted a loud hum, and a shield went up around the hostages again. “Fire!” … Nimbus clawed for distance from the airship. With a fractured surface, there was no telling where the blasts from the ADS would go, and while small, focused beams of energy would be less powerful, they’d still be more than enough to knock a Pegasus out of the air. The booming sounded again, and Nimbus risked a look back. Beams of dispersed red energy crisscrossed the sky as the device went off yet again, but this time there was a secondary explosion. On the deck, the ADS shattered, throwing the handlers across the gondola. One of the gas envelopes was smoking as well. The ADS had ruptured it, and the loss of pressure in the envelope was causing the airship to sink slowly. “ADS is down!” Storm Runner called, “commence attack on the Awakening and hostage rescue!” Giving the Awakening little time to recover, two member of Rustler flight swooped down and landed, cutting the rope binding the hostages. Then they took off carrying two with them. Nimbus and Storm dove on an anti-air position, suppressing it with their attack and knocking down another two Awakening ponies. They flew low enough to hear Silky’s next command, in fact. “Pegasi, cleared to engage!” Five Pegasi launched from the deck of the airship, streaking vertically into the air. Nimbus and Storm turned to engage, climbing straight into the fight as the ponies’ own CAL-2s fired back at them. “Raider to Rustler,” he called, “we’re in the furball now, engaging enemy air forces.” “Roger,” Rustler one called back, “we’re going after the rest of the hostages now.” Nimbus jinked left to avoid a hail of rounds from a pursuing Pegasus, then pulled up into a loose rolling scissors, planting himself right onto the tail of another pony. Without hesitation he fired, peppering the pony’s back with electrically-charged rounds. Just as expected, the pony’s wings locked up and he plummeted, falling into a flat spin and hurtling towards the ground. “Splash one,” Nimbus said. “One locked on my tail!” Storm Runner cried out, “he’s tight, might be tricky to shake him.” Nimbus picked Storm Runner out of the crowd and flew towards him. “Break right on my mark, Raider Two…” he waited, watching as Storm and his pursuer were the appropriate distance, “…and mark!” Storm Runner broke right, with the pursuer following as predicted. Nimbus, meanwhile, broke left, turning opposite Storm Runner from behind. They were executing a Thach Weave- a maneuver that would require precise timing, but one that would also be extremely effective at removing the bogey from Storm Runner’s tail. Nimbus waited until Storm crossed his boresight, then fired, the shots just missing Storm but squarely impacting the pony behind him, who immediately fell out of the dogfight. “Appreciate it,” Storm Runner said, “looks like we’re just mopping up now.” The blue Pegasus rolled inverted to pursue another Pegasus below him, catching the stallion across the back with a well-timed burst. On the deck of the ship, only a few hostages remained. Rustler was doing an excellent job liberating the ponies and bringing them to safety, but as they left with two more, the few Awakening left on deck started moving towards the remaining hostages. “Storm,” Nimbus said, “check out the deck when you get the chance, something’s going on down there.” … The Aviators’ attacks were quick, efficient, and devastating. Silky hadn’t been prepared for full combat, but this was even worse- it was a target shoot. Ten minutes in, and the deck was almost clear of the hostages they’d worked so hard to obtain, to say nothing of the Awakening casualties so far. They needed a plan of action. Silky ducked under fire from two of the unmarked Aviators and frantically scanned the deck. The trapdoor! Gathering a few ponies, she briefed them on her plan. “Get the hostages below! If we keep losing them to the Aviators, they’ll have no qualms about blowing us out of the sky. Grab a crossbow and move!” The other ponies nodded in agreement and Sunset charged her horn with magic, addressing the hostages, now free of their bonds. “If any of you so much as moves, we will not hesitate to kill you! Get below deck right now!” She forcefully picked up Octavia, shoving her down through the trapdoor just as the Aviators came around for another pickup. The others disappeared below deck, too, and Sunset managed to get a glancing shot on one of the Aviators. He wavered a bit, but kept flying. Sunset turned to the remaining Awakening around her. “We defend this airship as long as it takes,” she said, “everypony grab weapons- this isn’t over yet!” … “Rustler one to Raider, they’ve got the hostages below!” “Dammit!” Nimbus swore, “initiate phase three, then. We’ll bring the airship down and clear it out on the ground.” One Pegasus remained in the air, and had thus far managed to evade all of the Aviators’ attacks. He occasionally dove on the Pegasi, harassing them from above, but as far as Nimbus could tell, he wasn’t a threat. Keeping this in mind, Nimbus turned to engage him, calling out his next order. “Target the engines. I’ll take the last aerial threat.” “Understood, Raider One,” the Rustler lead called, “keep him off our backs. We’re starting our run.” As the remaining Pegasus dove on the Aviators again, Nimbus pulled up, climbing to meet him. Taking note of this, the Pegasus altered his course, charging straight for Nimbus. It was a suicide run, plain and simple, but Nimbus wasn’t about to partake in it. Just before impact, he twisted his wings, performing a loose barrel roll. The diving pony was unable to change directions fast enough and plowed right past. As he brushed past him, Nimbus pulled back again, nearing the threshold of even his wings’ capabilities, and settled onto the tail of his rapidly descending foe. The Pegasus was fighting for airspeed, and his steep dive assisted him, but he couldn’t descend forever. Nimbus breezed past his allies, who were already making several passes at the airship’s massive, plated engines under a hail of magic and crossbow fire from the ponies on the deck. Below, the Pegasus was beginning to pull up and enter a right turn. Nimbus started his own turn while descending, rapidly closing the gap as the two’s paths converged. Glancing back, the Pegasus saw Nimbus gaining and quickly rolled to the left and pulled back above treetop level, changing directions quickly, but Nimbus followed the maneuver, firing a burst at him. The pony loosened his turn, forcing the burst to overshoot, and dove into a gap between the trees themselves. Shaking his head once, Nimbus followed. The gap between the trees was only about two wingspans wide, meaning there wasn’t much horizontal maneuvering room. Nimbus’s opponent attempted to compensate for this by moving up and down in erratic patterns. Nimbus gave up on trying to track him, instead using the speed lost by his target’s up and downward movements to get closer still. When he was only a few feet away, the Pegasus pulled back up, attempting a hard immelpony maneuver. Anticipating such a maneuver, Nimbus pulled back harder, cutting brilliant white wingtip vortices in the air and leading the target with his boresight. Nimbus fired a constant stream of projectiles, which ran squarely from the target’s head to tail. The Pegasus fell out of the sky without so much as a struggle, wings rigid. Nimbus disengaged, heading back towards the Sol. Time to put an end to this. … With every pass of the Aviators, the tension grew below deck. There were only two others left with Octavia- the rest had been rescued. “What do you think’s going on up there?” one pony asked, “every time we hear them pass by, that terrible grinding sound happens.” There was another whoosh- the Aviators passing by- and as before, there was a loud grinding noise, as if metal was being ripped apart. Then silence again as they no doubt lined up for another pass. “They’re tearing apart the airship,” the other said, “they don’t care that we’re on here, they’re going to kill us all!” “No, no, no, they can’t!” Octavia said, “they know we’re here, and they’ll rescue us. Trust me. We just have to hold out.” Octavia looked up at the ceiling, trying not to let the apprehension show. Somepony had to remain strong, and if she’d been the one to resist the Awakening, it only made sense that she couldn’t crumble now. The Aviators passed by again, their attack rocking the airship, and Octavia closed her eyes. Whatever the outcome, this would all be over soon. … This was getting frustrating, Nimbus had to admit. The Aviators had made five passes at the engines by now, under fire from the main deck, and the ship was still flying out towards the badlands. They’d chosen to attack the exhaust vanes from the sides, limiting exposure to the arrows and magical bolts from the Awakening, but it was starting to look like the only way to hit the engines would be to attack head on, firing at the air intakes. After yet another unsuccessful pass, Nimbus finally gave in. “All squadrons, attack from the front. Looks like the intakes are the only vulnerable area. Try to suppress the fire from the deck as you fly over. Good luck.” “Roger, Raider. We’ll take this floating behemoth down one way or another,” Rustler One replied. The squadrons split, regrouping in formation and heading straight towards the airship. On the deck, the few ponies left kept firing. Magic and arrows flew towards them, but the Aviators pressed on, only weaving slightly to avoid direct hits. “Steady…” Storm Runner called out, “keep your targets locked in. Ready… fire!” The ponies fired their rounds off, several glancing off the well-shielded intakes. A few made it inside, but as the squadrons regrouped and flew out of range to view their handiwork, it became clear that the attack had done nothing. “What the hay are we supposed to do?” Rustler Two asked. Nimbus gritted his teeth and racked his brain. “I don’t know, I-“ Make one more pass. Nimbus shook his head. It was almost like what had happened months ago over Canterlot. Telepathy. But who could possibly- Gather together and make another pass. Clear the deck and give me a clear frontal shot. “Okay,” Storm said, “that was definitely telepathy. I recognize the voice, too. I…” “It’s Bright Future!” Nimbus said, “come on, we’ll make one more pass. Aviators, hit the soft targets on the deck and clear out immediately. We’re trying one more thing.” Inspired, Nimbus took up point as the Aviators gathered for their attack run. The ponies on the deck noted the change in their strike angle, and began searching for any cover they could find, but it was to no avail. Nimbus poured on the rounds, along with the rest of his comrades, and everypony on the deck dropped in seconds. “Targets are down, pull out!” Nimbus called. The Aviators pulled out just in time for Nimbus to see a very familiar Unicorn appear, charging the Sol from the front, magically-projected wings fully extended. Once everypony was clear, a thin, intense beam of blue light fired from his horn, hitting and penetrating the left engine. In a gout of flame and smoke, the forged steel engine fragmented, tearing free of its supports. Without propulsion on one side, the ship began to yaw slightly to the left, starting a lazy graveyard spiral towards the ground. Nimbus slowed to a hover just off to the side of the intact envelope. “She’s going down,” he said, smiling, “we did it. We actually did it!” “Yeehaw!” Storm Runner whooped, arcing over the airship and rolling at the apogee of his maneuver. Then realization hit Nimbus. “We just shot down the Sol…” he breathed, “my dad’s favorite airship. He’s gonna kill me.” … The electricity that had coursed through her body initially surprised Silky Sunset. She had assumed, and prepared for, an incomprehensible pain. What happened was completely different. Despite the intensity of the charge, her body simply felt as if it were covered in pins and needles. Then she lost control of her limbs and was face-down on the deck. That was it. No brutality, no death. She could sense movement, and knew the Sol was slipping slowly down to the earth below. It was over, and though she knew she should have felt some sort of rage, some burning drive to carry on what she’d started, she was surprised to find she felt relieved. Her neck came back to her first. Inch by inch, she moved it, craning it to look back at the control bridge. Behind it, she could see the smoking remains of the left engine. The majestic airship was in its final death throes. It was almost sad. What had she done? Next to her, one of the Unicorns on the deck moved his front hoof. He looked up thoughtfully at the Aviators, then down at the control bridge, then over to Sunset. “It’s not over,” he said, “that’s what you said to me a moment ago. I think we can finish this.” “Rest, brother,” Sunset said slowly, “the fight is done. There is nothing more we can do.” “But there is! We can crash this ship and take the hostages with us.” “No,” Sunset said, shaking her head as much as she could, “no, this is not the time! Just lie still and accept this!” “You… hypocrite!” the Unicorn snarled, getting up shakily onto his hooves, “you say you can lead us, but you don’t mean it. You never did. I’m going to finish this, and I dare you to just try and stop me.” Before Silky could say anything further, the Unicorn slipped away, heading for the bridge. The Aviators never even saw him. Moments later, the nose of the Sol dipped down and the craft began to pick up speed. Sunset closed her eyes. “This is how it ends,” she said softly, “so be it.” … Nimbus formed up with Storm Runner and the others just above the slowly falling craft. “I’ll call it in if the rest of you want to get whatever hostages are left on that airship.” “Sure thing,” Rustler One called, “we lost one guy today, but if you two weren’t here, it could have been worse. Much worse. Swing by Dodge Junction on your way back- we’ll cover the drinks.” “I appreciate it,” Nimbus said, “but our work isn’t done just yet.” He turned away and tuned his comms back to Cloudsplitter’s frequency. “Cicada, this is Raider One. Righteous Thunder was successful. Repeat. Righteous Thunder was a succe-“ “Raider One, get down here!” “Standby,” Nimbus said, turning back towards the others. As soon as he saw why he’d been summoned, his stomach plummeted. Seconds ago, the Sol was in a slow, turning descent. Now it was diving towards the ground, picking up speed. “Stabilize that ship!” Nimbus called out, “get to the control bridge, let’s try to reverse this!” Storm Runner landed on the deck, making his way towards the control bridge. Nearby, Silky Sunset started to move. “Stay down!” Storm Runner yelled. “I can help…” Sunset said. “You can help by not moving,” Storm Runner shot back, climbing the stairs to the bridge. As soon as he reached the top, he saw a problem. The door was down, but there was an Awakening pony at the controls, and he’d sealed off the area with a magical barrier. The pony fixed him with a look of grim determination. Storm Runner scowled back. “What’s going on?” Nimbus called out, landing on the deck. “There’s a pony at the controls,” Storm Runner replied, “we won’t make it through in time.” Nimbus took in the rest of the airship, considering his options. If he remembered correctly, the control surfaces on the craft were controlled via cable. If one were to break that connection to the bridge… “New idea,” Nimbus said, gathering the Rustler squadron ponies, “Rustler Two, go below deck and make sure the hostages that are left are taken care of. Bright Future, get on the ground and look after the ponies that have already been rescued. Rustler One, you’re with Storm and I. We’re going to cut the control cables and fly this ship ourselves.” “How?” Storm Runner called down from outside the bridge. “Leave that to me,” Nimbus replied, flinging himself off the deck. Underneath the gondola, he pulled up, and snap-rolled into place behind one of the gondola’s massive stabilizing fins. The cause of the dive was immediately apparent- the fin was deflected completely up, instigating the sharp pitch down. Nimbus searched the point connecting the fin to the gondola frame- one wire connected it to the control wheel in the bridge. Wasting no time, Nimbus kicked the cable, popping it free of the wing surface. The ship’s dive began to become more erratic, as left yaw mixed with right roll. The right stabilizer was no longer under operator control. “Do the same to the rest of the fins,” Nimbus radioed, “we need to deflect the front of these things down to stabilize the descent.” A few moments later, a faint popping indicated that the others had done the same. The ship was now in a forty-degree dive- an extreme angle for such a large craft. “Storm, pitch the backside of your control fin up!” “Roger,” Storm replied, pushing up on the back of his fin just as Nimbus did. “Rustler One, you have control of the vertical stabilizer. Neutralize our yaw and we’ll try to guide her straight into that clearing ahead.” Nimbus pointed to an empty spot amidst several trees about the length of a department store. With a slow-moving craft, it was unlikely they’d be able to make it to the flat ground of the badlands before impact, and the clearing was the best option in the immediate vicinity. As the Pegasi forced the ship back out of its dive, the stresses on the massive frame finally started to take effect. Great chunks of wood cracked and flew away from the airship in a deadly debris storm towards the Pegasi in the back. Nimbus couldn’t even afford to flinch as a piece of trim flew past his face by a scant few inches. The resistance against his efforts to keep the fin upright was immense, and his wings and legs burned with the effort. On the other side of the craft, Storm Runner took a brief look upwards. “Raider One, we’ve lost one envelope completely,” he said. Almost immediately the airship started to roll to the left. “Right,” Nimbus said, “okay Storm, think about this like a giant Pegasus wing. Ease up on your stabilizer until we’re level again.” Storm Runner obeyed, cutting back on his upward pressure, and the ship settled back into a smooth descent. Worryingly enough, more pieces of the ship were perforating the envelope above Nimbus. Without it, the ship would lose the only thing keeping it in the air. They were close, though. The clearing was only about a quarter mile away. With his hooves shaking from the strain, Nimbus finally made the call as the ground neared the fins. “All Pegasi, break off!” he said. The three Aviators beneath the gondola broke away just as the ship plowed into the ground, tearing the soft grass and throwing dirt and dust into the air. Nimbus’s flight path fluttered as he readjusted to flying on his own, then he half-landed, half-collapsed onto the clearing. Storm Runner fell beside him, patting his friend on the back. “We did well today, Nimbus,” he gasped, “I think, all things considered, we did pretty darn well.” “Roger that,” Nimbus coughed, getting back on Cloudsplitter’s frequency. “Cicada, Operation Righteous Thunder is… complete.” “Well done,” Cloudsplitter radioed back, “round up those hostages and whatever Awakening you managed to take, and get to Site Echo. You’re halfway done. Cicada out.” … Silky Sunset had finally regained control of her body, and aside from a persistent ringing in her ears, she considered herself lucky. The first indication that things were returning to normal was the sensation of the soft rain from above caressing her face. Interestingly enough, despite the fact that the Aviators had successfully foiled her plans, she was not angered. They'd saved the lives of everypony on board the ship, something she hadn't prepared herself to see them do. Even more surprisingly, they'd saved her. She was about to get up, to congratulate the Aviators despite their status as enemies, when a hoof pressed down against her throat. It was the Unicorn who’d taken control of the ship. “You have no place in the Awakening,” he grimaced, “and I will kill you, here and now, for your treason. You are a disgrace to-“ A blue pulse of magic impacted the Unicorn in the side. His eyes shot wide open, then glazed over as he fell down at Sunset’s side, dead. In disbelief, Silky Sunset sat up and saw another Unicorn standing a few feet away. She immediately recognized him as the one traveling with the Aviators. “Thank you,” she rasped. “Don’t thank me yet. You have a lot to answer for. I’m Bright Future, the pony you and your lackeys tried kidnapping. I don’t think I have to tell you that we’re not on the best of terms right now.” Bright Future paced over to the side of the gondola and called out. “Aviators, I have one live Awakening prisoner here!” Nimbus and Storm Runner hurried over and instantly surrounded Silky Sunset as Rustler Two emerged from below deck with the last three hostages. Almost instantly, the grey Earth Pony mare among them ran over to the Aviators. “Thank you so much,” she said, “I was in contact with your commander, callsign Sonata. Your quick response was much appreciated.” “You got in contact with us while in captivity?” Nimbus asked impressed, “sweet Celestia, that must have taken guts. What’s your name?” “Octavia,” the mare said. “Well, Octavia, you should go join your companions. I think you’ve earned some rest.” The mare smiled. “Thank you.” As Octavia headed back to her companions, Bright Future looked to the Aviators and pointed to Silky Sunset. “So she’s the leader of the whole thing? She’s the one that lead the Awakening here? That stole my map?” “That’s right,” Storm said, glaring at Sunset, “and when we get her back to Manehattan, she’ll pay for everything she’s ever done.” “I’m not so sure,” Bright Future said, helping Sunset to her feet. “Bright Future, with all due respect,” Storm Runner said, “please don’t touch the prisone-“ A field of blue magic surrounded both Unicorns, repelling the Aviators. Nimbus looked up, dazed, as Bright Future looked down on them with an unnervingly disturbing grin. “This, Aviators, is where we part. Canterlot cannot see the need for what lies in Site Echo, but I can. I won’t let you destroy it. In time, everypony will see that what I did there was justified. I’d threaten to kill you, but the only pony who knows where the site is located is now in my possession. Try to follow me, and the Badlands will do a better job killing you than I ever could.” He turned to Silky Sunset, “Come, my dear. You wanted to be a part of something better, and now you’ll finally get the chance.” In a bright flash of blue, both Unicorns were gone. Nimbus and Storm stared dumbfoundedly at where they’d once stood, then turned to the Aviators of the 56th Squadron. “Take the ponies we found here back to Dodge and get them home as soon as possible,” Nimbus said, his voice seething with barely containable rage, “we’re going after Bright Future.” “No, wait!” a voice cried out from the crowd. Nimbus recognized the Canterlot accent. It was the grey mare who had helped them. She approached, looking hesitant to say what was to come next. “I want to go home as much as any of those ponies,” she said, “but Bright Future is about to do the same thing I was taken hostage for. I risked my life trying to stop this from happening once. If there really is a threat at Site Echo, then my actions were in vain…” Octavia took a deep breath, composing herself, “I’m coming with you.” “Ma’am,” Storm Runner said, “I understand your commitment, but we can’t allow it. You’re a-“ “A civilian?” Octavia said, “a mare? What does it matter? My resolve is as strong as yours, and on top of that-“ the mare reached into her saddlebag, pulling out a large sheet of old paper, “I have the only map in existence.” Nimbus and Storm Runner looked at each other, then back to Octavia. She had all the cards- all they could do was play along now. “Well, alright then,” Nimbus said, sighing, “Miss Octavia, as long as you voluntarily commit yourself to this journey, we’ll take you aboard. Now prepare yourself- we’ve got a long journey ahead across Equestria’s harshest terrain, and it starts now.”