“Roarke, they've stopped,” Eagle Eye hissed, shivering beside the dozens of crouching zebras betwixt the trees. “It looks like they've come to a stop for a reason, Roarke.”
“I'm quite aware of that, breeder!” Roarke gnashed her teeth. Ice blue eyes locked on the flying fortress overhead, she snaked her hoof to her mouth and spoke into the sound stone. “Zaid, report,” she muttered. “What in Searo's womb is going on out there?”
“Snkkkkt... is it just one of life's little ironies that I'm stuck with ponies who are obsessed with uterus metaphors?!”
“I'm serious. What's going on—”
“—over there?!”
Zaid craned his neck to look up through the windshield of the Noble Jury's cockpit. All he could make out was the slicing of propellers against a starry sky. Bellesmith leaned against the back of his seat, chewing on a yellow hoof.
“We're quieter than mice in afterglow, Roarke,” Zaid said. “Even if all of the zebras on board started screaming like Radiohoof fans, I doubt the freaks on that flying battleship would hear us!”
“You're not helping much, ya freakin' cicada,” Josho belched.
“Perhaps it's the sound stone chatter,” Belle remarked, hushedly. “Could they be picking up you and Roarke and the others?”
“I dunno, girl. Not even the Xonans could pick up our sound stone communication back west.” Zaid's eyes narrowed. “But... but if it was something stronger.”
Belle gasped. “Props' array!”
“Ew, Belle. Blondie is a lady. She'd never spread for goblins.”
Thwack! Josho slapped the back of Zaid's head. “She means her communications array, you turd biscuit!”
“Guh...” Zaid rubbed his scalp. “Belle, I need to borrow your husband's plate one of these days.”
“Try calling her!”
“Yeesh. I'm a ladies' stallion all of the sudden.” He squawked into the intercom. “'Yello, Blondie. You there?”
Nothing but static.
“Hey! Reponyzel! Let down your hair and answer me!”
More static.
“She can't hear me for some reason...”
“Probably because Rainbow or somepony else is hailing us through the communications array!” Belle exclaimed, already shimmying down the crawlspace. “And the Cartel's picking us up! I gotta go stop her!”
“Be quick about it!” Zaid squeaked, shivering as he saw the battleship high above pivoting slowly. “I kind of sort of wanna live to get over the hill and then wonder why I didn't die earlier!”
“It's coming about!” one zebra murmured against the tree trunks. “It's going to find us all and kill us!”
“Shhhhh!” Eagle Eye frowned. “We're going to be okay! Just stay quiet!”
“We shouldn't have come this far,” another zebra wept. “We should have just stayed in the village where we were!”
“And what?! Burn alive?! Turn into slaves?!” Eagle hissed. “The Cartel would have found you one way or another! Right here and now, we have a chance!”
“Some chance! It's going to snoop us out!”
“No it's not!” Eagle turned. “Now, listen to me... I want you to lay low and keep quiet. If something goes wrong, the Jury and I will take care of it!”
“How...?!”
“We've been through worst straits before! Come on! Are you zebras?! Or ostriches that someone threw a bunch of black and white paint over?!”
All the while, Roarke was narrowing her eyes on the vessel above. As it gradually lowered towards the canyon, she crept forward, one hoof at a time. A deep breath filtered through the metal mare's nostrils, and she flicked her rear legs. Clak-clak! Tiny compartments opened along her armor's exoskeleton.
Booster Spice and the zebras shuffled nervously, their eyes locked on Props and the communications array.
“Have you any bloody idea how long I've been tryin' to get in contact with ye, lass?! I've used up about half the juice in the Tarkington just shimmering away at this blasted sound stone system! I almost thought it was broken!”
“And I'm really really super sorry about that, Uncky Prowsy!” the mare squeaked. “But now's a really... really bad time to be chatting it up over this thingy!”
“Pffft! And when is it ever a good time, Propsicle?! I swear, you're harder catch up with than half my dead marefriends! Do you wanna meet up in Val Roa or don't you?!”
“Yes, but... it's complicated!” Props yelped. “Rainbow's off in the capital city on a secret sneaking mission, the Noble Jury's in charge of a bunch of innocent zebras, and right now you're giving us away to a flying goblin death machine who's flying directly overhead!”
“Didja say goblin?”
“Yup yup yup!”
“Bugger all! I'd better leave you alone, then! Them freakish imps mean business!”
“And they're about to rub our noses in their business!”
Just then, Belle galloped into the room. “Props! For Sparks' sake! Shut that off! We'll be found!”
“She's just about to, beloved,” Pilate said.
“GAH!” Belle jumped aside, holding a hoof over her heart.
Pilate smiled awkwardly. “My apologies. I know I must sound like a haunting voice coming out of a sea of monochrome.”
“It's... quite alright...” Belle gulped, turning towards the blonde once more. “Propsyyyyyyyy?”
“Right!” Props leaned her muzzle into the microphone. “I gotta shut this off, Uncky Propsy! I got the frequency memorized! I'll call you back when we're safely out of this mess!”
“Smashing! Just know that we're headed over as quickly as we can!”
“'We?'”
“Hellz yeah! Lasairfion's sent her finest! Seclorum rounded up a few elite flank-kickers! And, on top of that, Arcshod and I stumbled upon some ponies who I really think you bloomin' lot will—”
“Yeah yeah that's nice Uncky Prowsy okay thanks bye!” THWAP! Props slapped the array shut. The entire engine room resonated with the bass hum of the apparatus shutting down.
The zebras' eyes scanned the ceiling.
One mare murmured, “Did it work? Are we invisible again?”
Through the silence, they could hear the beating noise of the battleship just lingering overhead.
“If not...” Booster Spice gulped. “...I'll at least get to die the way I've always wanted. Warm, snuggly, and surrounded by black and white fuzz.”
Props bit her lip.
Belle and Pilate hugged each other.
The propellers grew louder... louder.
Zaid gritted his teeth, staring up through the windshield.
The Cartel's airship linger... lingered.... and then...
Fw-Fw-Fw-Fwoosh! The propellers spun faster, elevating it up and beyond earshot of the canyon. Growing distant among the stars, the vessel pivoted about, and continued its chugging parth north, beyond the ravine.
At last, the sound of propellers faded. Zaid sighed with relief, slumping back in his seat. In the corner of the cockpit, Josho finally opened his eyes, blinked at the starry sky beyond the top deck, and slumped back against the bulkheads with a much-needed exhale.
Inside the engine room, the zebras murmured in relief. Families hugged each other while the foals giggled and cheered.
Props wiped the sweat from her brow and smiled back at Booster Spice.
Belle and Pilate shuddered. They smiled and nuzzled one another.
One by one, the crouching zebras stood up and trotted out of the petrified tree line. The air was ripe with cheer and ecstasy.
“Heh... see?!” Eagle Eye grinned. “What'd I tell ya?!” He turned and grinned at the various equines. “Just a little bit of patience and faith, huh?! Never hurt anypony... well aside from members of the Herald.”
Slowly, the Noble Jury rose out of the canyon.
“Well, would you look at that?” Eagle smiled. “She's beautiful even when she doesn't rain death down upon goblins, eh, Roarke?”
Silence.
The stallion blinked. With a flounce of his violet mane, he spun about. “Roarke...?”
There was no sign of the metal mare.
Fidgeting, the stallion raised his sound stone to his lips. “Uhhhhh... Roarke? Where did you go, girl?!”
“Snkkkkt. I'm quite fine, Eagle Eye,” Roarke's voice said, though there was noisy interference in the background. “I'm sorry, but I had to leave you.”
“Roarke?!” Eagle Eye groaned. “The next time you decide to fly on board the Noble Jury, just tell me next time, alright?!”
“Scrkkkt—I'm not on board the Noble Jury.”
Eagle Eye blinked. His ears drooped as his pupils shrank. “Don't tell me...”
“These goblins are headed somewhere with a dark intent...”
Roarke's thrusters cooled down as she clung to the underbelly of the massive, rusted vessel. Above her, a propeller spun massively, chopping the air with its serrated blades.
“...and I owe it to the mission to find out why.”
“Roarke, you're insane! If Rainbow Dash finds out where you are—”
“For all I know, I might run into her.” Roarke took a deep breath. “Eagle Eye, I believe there's a connection between these goblins and what's happening in Val Roa.”
“How do you know that?! They're idiots! They built a giant ugly airship just to get shot down by the Val Roans' soul sentries! You're on a suicide mission!”
“Unless somedeer in Val Roa intends to open the blockade for the Cartel.”
Eagle's eyes blinked, locked on the northern sky.
“But... b-but that's...”
“Scrkkkt—Think about it. It's a gamble we can't afford not to make. I'll be fine. I've held my own against worse odds before.”
“But... but...”
“Rainbow Dash is on her mission, now I'm on mine. She'll have to understand. It's in everypony's best interest.”
“What are we supposed to do in the meantime?!”
“Simple. Head west to Bountiful. Make sure the zebras get there safe. If Rainbow Dash contacts you, do whatever she says. Meanwhile, I'll fill you all in on what I discover about the Cartel.”
“She's... she's not going to like this, you know.”
“Come again?”
“Rainbow Dash.” Eagle Eye gulped and shivered. “She's going to flip her little pony poop over this.”
“I would certainly hope so. She's got her brand of loyalty, and I've got mine.”
“Boy, is that an understatement and a half.”
“I must perform radio silence. Best wishes to the Jury. I'll see you later.”
“Yeah?!” Eagle Eye frowned. “And in how many pieces?!”
“Be calm and dream of Ebon Mane, Eagle Eye. Roarke Out. Scrkkk!”
“Guhhhhhh...” Eagle Eye's whole body deflated. “What is it with bravery and stupidity running hoof and hoof?!”