As Sunset descended into engineering, everyone was running around trying to keep the ship together. Pinkie was on one of the overhanging platform giving precise orders to other members of engineering.
Sunset was amazed by the chaos that took hold of everyone there. It wasn't from panic or fear that ponies scowered about like rats, it was determination. Each knew what needed to be done and did their designated tasks without question. Earth ponies were throwing gear and equipment to unicorns who lifted them with magic to their places while pegasi all flew around securing rigs in place.
Sunset glanced around at the chaotic pace everyone was going. After she entered main engineering she wasn't able to take a single step without nearly colliding with another pony at some point. At first a pegasi nearly ran her down flying past the entryway and slipped past two others with a large coil in his arms. Sunset had to step back into the turbolift just to avoid him.
Next, she was nearly pinned by a large support beam being lifted by a group of unicorns. The support beam flew towards her and clamped itself against a large bulkhead and was soldered in place by a pegasi team. This dance went on for well over a minute, putting Sunset on edge. Finally after pinpointing Pinkie Pie, she used her magic and teleported up to the overhang where the pink pony was yelling to her teams.
Sunset popped into place behind her, seemingly oblivious, officer.
"Skips! Make sure that bulkhead is secure!" Pinkie said to a pegasus crewpony.
"Aye!" he saluted to her, finishing his work.
The pink pony turned to the group of unicorns who were using their magic to hold the support beam that nearly pinned Sunset. "Make sure you five got that! I don't want anyone getting crushed! Got it?" she asked as the ship shook from impact.
The unicorns clenched their eyes as they held the beam in place after the ship shook, but each gave her a nervous smile reassuring her they had it. Afterwards Pinkie turned to Sunset and saluted her.
"Ma'am. Lt Commander Pinkie Pie at your service."
Sunset saluted back. "You realize you outrank me right, ma'am?"
"Oh, of course silly!" Pinkie squealed snorting as she laughed, bouncing slightly. "But we're all friends here! So, what 's up?"
"I need access to the ion cannon maintenance shaft." Sunset said walking past the pink pony, putting on a utility harness.
"Why do you need to get in there?"
"I need the Power core of the canon." Sunset replied flatly.
"Why would you need a J-77 power core?" Pinkie asked tilting her body around the mare so she could see her face.
Sunset sighed saying, "So we can disable the enemy flagship and turn the tide of the battle in our favor before we lose more lives, Lieutenant Commander."
Pinkie stood still for a moment. Her pink body shivered sporadically and expanded like a oversized balloon animal before she deflated back to her normal self. She shook her head while Sunset continued to work on her harness, not noticing the ponies body spasm. Pinkie hummed to herself while Sunset finished her harness and walked to the maintenance shaft to that lead to the ion canon. There she stopped by a shielded door where she waited.
Pinkie still hummed to herself before she realized the yellow unicorn was waiting for her to open the door.
"OH!"
In a flash of pink the pony dashed over to the main console by the sealed doors, and pressed one big yellow button that made the doors slide open. Next thing Sunset knew, there was a loud explosion as the doors suddenly shot open and a large blue canon fired at her, splattering a large cake all over her.
Sunset's eyes opened wide. The cake splattered all over her slowly crumpled off of her. She gave the canon a hateful glare before turning to her CO pony and asked, "Why is this here?"
Pinkie laughed saying, "Silly Sunny, I always keep my party cannon nearby! Yo never know when you'll need it!"
BOOM! The ship shook again and all the world seem to come rushing back full force on Sunset, who slowly began to panic. "Lt. Commander, I need to get in there without anymore distractions. Is there anything else I should know about before I enter this, party filled deathtrap?" she asked spitefully.
"Hmmm. Nope!" Pinkie replied with a toothy grin.
"Very well."
Sunset then entered the maintenance shaft, crawling down on her stomach into the dark narrow passage. The pink pony then donned a look of concern. She tapped her chin looking around like she forgot something important. "Hmmm." She hummed to herself, as a massive explosion sent three crewponies flying down from the upper deck colliding with two pegasi who then fell onto one of the support struts.
Two more ponies ran to help them while the alarms blared all around, and Lt. Commander Pinkie Pie sat in her spot wondering what she forgot. Shrugging to herself she bounced over to the downed crew members and offered her assistance. Once the injured ponies were clear and taken to the med-bay, Pinkie got hold of a zebra maintenance member and pulled a large device from her hair and gave it to her.
"Could you pleaaaassee, take this J-77 core to the armory to be stored there Star Stripe?" she asked the zebra mare.
"Sure thing Lt. Commander Pie!" she said in a surprisingly happy tone. One other crew pony saw the exchange and made a whispered comment to another, 'It's like there's two of them.' The other nodded in agreement.
"Thanks!"
And with that the zebra ran off deeper into he ships to the armory to store the ion canon core there, leaving Pinkie to her work.
Meanwhile in the maintenance shaft, Sunset struggled against the narrow passage until she hit a four way cross shaft. The ship shook again, making the lights flicker before they completely died out. Sunset gasped, feeling trapped, she pulled out a small device from her harness and activated it. A short beep later a neo green light illuminated the passage. The dark path hissed when a vent line broke releasing high pressured gas from it. She yelped, colliding with the upper part of the shaft.
In her fright, she managed to hit her head on the shaft leaving a sore sensation in her head. Rubbing her head she slowly crept down the left shaft and deeper into he darkness. A few minutes later she managed to get to her destination. The main structure to the ion cannon. The main hub of the cannon was a power relay that supplied power to the main emitter outside the ship.
She slowly crawled forward, her breathing became erratic from the dark confined space. Quickly she pulled out her PDA and accessed her main HUB.
/// System Error ///
System reboot in progress. Please wait
......
Power relay heavily damaged. Ion Cannon offline.
"Useless piece of junk." she cursed, pressing in her override code.
/// System Error ///
Code override denied.
Command ICN Input: SunnySmiles A22474.
Processing.... System override access granted. Ion cannon subsystem now accessible. /// Warning! /// Main power supply for Ion cannon not found.
Sunset stared at the PDA for several seconds. A burning rage flared up inside her as she slowly began to shiver, grinding her teeth together she smashed her PDA against the bulkhead spewing out curses and vulgarities that no dignified lady would say to anypony. But she was no lady.