Finally! Flight Lieutenant Rainbow Dash thought to herself as the instructions came from the eggheads. She was flying her F/A-18F Hornet at the head of her flight in formation with the rest of her squadron. A glance left revealed a E-17 AWACS. She knew that somewhere on the other side was another flight of four Hornets, while beyond them was a KC-130 Tanker, a C-130 Transport and the final flight of Hornets. They had just finished refueling from the KC-130 for the third time in ten hours. During that time they had repeatedly flew low over a section of the Scoltish coast where a large group of eggheads were testing a long-range multiple-target teleport spell.
They had started with single aircraft, slowly moving up to larger and larger 'subjects'. The last test had teleported the formation about a hundred kilometers north. Now after all the successes the eggheads wanted to go for broke. All the test subjects had been slated for transfer to the Pacific. As such, the unicorns had decided to kill two birds with one stone by testing the spell and teleporting them all the way to Haywaii. In all it didn't really surprise Rainbow that it would take over a hundred unicorns to power the spell.
"All aircraft, banking left...Now." Came the voice of Squadron Leader Fleetfoot, the squadron commander as the formation made a left bank. They then pitched down and descended until they were only four hundred feet above the waves.
"Overlord, Striker Actual, ETA thirty seconds." Fleetfoot told the test commander.
"Overlord copies. Out." Came the reply.
Rainbow looked out ahead, quickly making out the shapes of the ships taking part in the test ahead. Although she could only see the back ends of them as they approached, she had had enough opportunity to get good looks over the course of the days tests.
"Teleporting." squawked her radio. As the formation passed over the ships there was a bright flash as the spell activated.
Lieutenant-Commander Spitfire hit the rudder pedals as she taxied her F/A-18E Hornet over to the carrier's catapults. She was aboard the Prench built aircraft carrier HMS Midnight. She was the lead ship in the Midnight-class aircraft carriers. The largest mobile vehicles ever made, each ship carried a carrier air wing of four fighter squadrons flying F/A-18s of different variants, a electronic attack squadron with EA-18 Growlers, the EW variant of the Hornet. Also along was a helicopter anti-submarine squadron, and a AWACS squadron with their E-2 Hawkeyes.
Spitfire continued to follow the hoof signals of one of the flight deck crew as he guided her to lock into the catapult. The airwing CO wanted a Combat Air Patrol and an AWACS up as soon as the teleport finished. As the Commander in charge of 405 Naval Fighter Squadron, she had been chosen with her wingpony, Lieutenant 'Silly' Soarin, who was currently hooking into a catapult on her right. As a F/A-18E pilot, behind her was her Weapons Systems Officer, Lieutenant Commander Vinyl 'DJ' Scratch. Off to their left on the third catapult on the 'slanted' part of the deck was the E-2 AWACS getting ready to launch as well.
The crewpony out on the deck signaled she was hooked into the catapult and Spitfire stomped on the brakes. She quickly began doing her last minute checks. "Teleporting." Came Overlord's voice just as there was a bright flash.
Captain Twilight Sparkle glanced around the dim interior of her Leopard 2 Main Battle Tank. It was minimally lit with the glow from the screens. She turned again and looked through her commander's periscope. The tank was sitting with another Leopard in a LCAC, or a Landing Craft Air Cushion. A hovercraft landing craft as it were. Another seven LCACs nearby carried the other fourteen tanks of her Panzer Company. Another eight carried a company form the marines in their Leopard 2s. They were all sitting between the Carrier and the large battleship beside them.
As a Captain she was in charge of 1st Company, consisting of twelve tanks. Beside her sat her gunner Sergeant Deadeye, a navy blue peagasus. She was seasick almost to the point of vomiting. If Twilight was honest with herself she wasn't feeling too great either, but she'd be damned if it stopped her from doing her job.
The plan was that they would be teleported just off the coast of Haywaii. From there the LCACs would take them to the island. "Teleporting."
As the craft pitched up in a wave again there was a bright flash.
Captain Rarity Belle grinned to herself. The white unicorn was looking forward to shore leave in Haywaii. In all her service in the navy she had never gotten a Pacific posting. She ran a hoof through her purple mane as she turned and cantered from the bridge onto one of the outside railings and ran her eyes over her charge.
It was an absolute monster.
The HMS Honesty was one of the Element-class Super Battleships. They were the second largest mobile vehicles ever constructed. Based on the famed Neighpanese Yamareto-class of World War Two, the Element-class were basically cross between Neighpanese and Equestrian battleship designs. She had four main battery turrets. Housed within were twelve 460 mm guns capable of firing two 4000lb shells a minute, 42 kilometres each. Along the port and starboard sides were twelve smaller 127 mm dual purpose guns housed in six turrets on each side. Updates had modernized the ship with Vertical Launch Systems for missiles and four CIWS gatling gun emplacements.
The massive battleship was only eclipsed by the other ship beside it. The aircraft carrier Midnight. Either way, the Honesty was every battleship skipper's dream.
She watched as the formation of aircraft taking part in the test appeared from astern and came towards them at low altitude. As they passed over the Captain braced herself as the teleport activated and whisked them away in a bright flash.
Corporal Fluttershy sat quietly in the Amphibious Assault Vehicle, or Amtrack, as the vehicle bobbed in the waves. The rest of her squad was packed tightly with her into the passenger compartment lit by dim red lights. She glanced over the F88 Austeyr Assault Rifle in her hooves. She didn't know what had possessed her to join the Royal Marine Corps, but here she was: a combat medic.
Thinking back, at least her time in the military had made her more assertive. She wasn't a quiet shut-in anymore. At least she wasn't shy as she had been. After all, she had marine self defense training, why should she be afraid of anypony?
The amtrack rolled again as another wave struck it. Somewhere outside she knew the Amtracks of the rest of A company were rolling and pitching as well. Around them were the LCACs carrying the Leopard tanks, while hovering above were twelve helicopters carrying a Special Air Service Company
She glanced at the front of the passenger compartment where the company CO was sitting. Captain Shining Armour was a skilled leader and a great marine. He was well liked by the company, leading by example and being firm but fair. He wouldn't order them to do anything he wouldn't do himself.
"Teleporting." Came the voice over her helmet's radio before she felt a tug as the spell activated.
"Oi! Watch it Cap!" One of the ponies in the helicopter's troop compartment exclaimed as Captain Daring Do stumbled into him.
"Sorry mate." The pegasus replied. She was commanding A company, Special Air Service. The unit, including herself, was mostly of Australian origins. At least the flight from Haywii to Sydneigh is relatively short...might even use some of my leave to visit home...
She figured that the rest of the company was probably having similar thoughts. She looked out the left window of the Lynx helicopter at the monstrous HMS Honesty a few hundred meters away. Back to the right was the equally large Midnight.
"Teleporting."