Federation Pegasus-class Assault Carrier, White Base
“That Musai’s firing on us!”
The Captain sighed. “Well, so much for the treaty. We’ve no choice but to engage.”
She rose from her chair and began heading for the bridge’s exit. “I’ll go. Bring out a gunboat.”
“Captain!! That’s unwise! We’re up against a cruiser!”
“We have to buy some time,” The Captain replied, “until the Gundam makes it aboard.”
“Lieutenant Junior Grade Bright!”
The unicorn stood at attention and responded, “Yes, ma’am!”
“Take the bridge until I return.”
Bright paled slightly and asked, “Me? Er… Me, ma’am?!”
“Yes. Your grades in command training were outstanding.”
“B-but ma’am…”
“Of course, I doubt the White Base will leave port under your command. Fear not.”
The Captain left the bridge, leaving Bright to have the bridge.
************
The gunboat launched from the White Base. Streaking out into space, The Captain cautioned those in the gunboat with her. “We’ll hit them once and pull back. We only need to draw their attention. Don’t try to take it down.”
On the bridge of the Falmel, one of the crew members reported, “Lieutenant, they’ve sent out something.”
Daisy replied, “Whatever it is, it’s not very big.”
She raised a pair of binoculars up to her eyes and looked at the craft. “A torpedo gunboat. Swat it.”
A swarm of interceptor missiles erupted from the Falmel, heading toward the gunboat.
“Dammit!!”
Babs Seed grunted as the shockwaves from the detonating interceptors impacted the gunboat.
“The first vessel I ever captained was a torpedo gunboat,” The Captain said, matter-of-factly.
“Take this!”
Babs Seed fired a salvo of torpedoes at the Musai’s underside.
The torpedoes stitched a line across the Musai’s underside. As the gunboat streaked past the explosions, Babs Seed looked back at The Captain and asked, “That hurt ‘em, yes?!”
“No,” The Captain replied, “it looks like the angle was too shallow.”
Babs Seed tsked in response.
Coming back around for another pass, The Captain saw that the Musai’s bridge would be on their course. She commanded, “Fire everything we’ve got at their bridge!!”
Babs Seed nodded.
The gunboat’s remaining torpedoes stitched a line up the Musai’s hull to the bridge, where several detonated.
Fire from the Musai’s rear point-defense turrets lanced out at the gunboat. The gunboat shifted as the fire hit. The gunboat’s pilot called out, “The left engine’s hit!”
Babs Seed threw a glance into the direction of the engine. “Back then,” The Captain said, “the boats weren’t nearly as agile…”
She coughed, blood splattering onto her visor. Babs Seed cried out, “Captain!!”
The Captain waved a hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about it. The boat can still fly. We have to give the White Base more time…”
Babs Seed shook her head. “We don’t have any more torpedoes! We have to get back to the ship! Ma’am! Please hang on!”
************
In the White Base’s gunboat hangar, there was a flurry of activity around the crashed gunboat. A pair of medical personnel rushed over to the gunboat, carrying a stretcher. “We need a blood transfusion ready in the med-bay!”
“Gently,” Babs Seed commanded, “gently, dammit! Don’t jostle her!”
Laying on the stretcher, The Captain looked up at Babs Seed and said, “Thank you, sergeant. What… was your name again?”
Babs Seed saluted and replied, “Ma’am! Babs Seed, ma’am!!”
The Captain looked away, and smiled. “Take care of the rest. The refugees… and the Gundam…”
“Aye aye, captain!!”
************
The Gundam approached the elevator. The personnel on the ground noticed and one of them radioed the White Base, “Come in, White Base! This is elevator site! The Gundam made it here, walking by itself! We’ll collect it ASAP!”
“So, we load it from the stern deck, then?!”
“Yeah!”
************
“That’s a relief,” The Captain sighed, “so the pilot made it… Who’s piloting 02?”
Bright replied, “It should be Lieutenant Junior Grade Wild Fire.”
The Captain nodded. “Contact her.”
The viewscreen activated, and was filled with static for a few seconds, then the picture resolved itself, showing a young orange mare. Bright blinked. The Captain asked, “What is it?”
“Ma’am, it… it’s a kid… Ma’am, there’s a kid in the Gundam’s cockpit!”
“I’m not a kid!” The mare snapped, “I’m fifteen years old! My name is Scootaloo Windchill!”
Bright, rather flustered, questioned, “Where’s Lieutenant Junior Grade Fire? And what are you doing in there?!”
“I don’t know anything about the designated pilot!” Scootaloo replied, “But I’ve been piloting it and took out two Zakus! Don’t like that?!”
Bright froze, looking moderately pale. He looked at a pair of officers near him. They, too, were pale.
“Lieutenant Junior Grade Bright,” The Captain said, “worry about the details later… Just get the Gundam aboard.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
“Scootaloo!!”
Sweetie Belle looked relieved to see Scootaloo. A light gray pegasus had entered the bridge with Sweetie Belle, as well. He was holding a medical kit. He appeared to be one of the colony’s volunteer medical personnel.
“Sweetie Belle!” Scootaloo said, happily, “You made it to the ship!”
“Scootaloo! What’s with that getup? Where are you?!”
The light gray pegasus asked, “The Gundam pilot is another friend of yours?”
“Wha-?! Er, yes,” Sweetie Belle replied, “she’s a neighbor… Wait… Gundam pilot?!”
“All right! We’ll hear you out later, Scootaloo!” Bright commanded, “We’ll get the Gundam into the hangar via the stern deck! Follow the instructions of the crew there!”
“Yes, sir!” Scootaloo responded, “Oh… And what’s your name? The unicorn who just gave me orders.”
Bright snorted, and responded, “This is Lieutenant Junior Grade Bright Bulb!”
“Yes, sir, Lieutenant Junior Grade Bright Bulb!”
The viewscreen deactivated. Bright sighed. “Uh,” one of the crew members, the one sitting at the helmsman’s station, said, getting Bright’s attention, “Lieutenant Junior Grade Bright…”
“Yes?”
“There’s something wrong with the controls,” the crew member said, “I can’t control the ship.”
“What do you mean you can’t? Aren’t you the helmsman?!”
“I’m just auxiliary staff… The regular helmsman was caught in the dock explosion. And this ship is a new model, so the simulations weren’t really…”
“Alright,” Bright said, “I get it.”
“Lieutenant.”
Bright turned to look at the voice’s owner. A pale, light green pegasus mare stood a few feet from the bridge’s entrance. “I’ve got a license to helm a space cruiser,” she said. “Could I be of service?”
Bright inquired, “And you are?”
“My name is Merry May, sir.”
“Ah,” The Captain said, “of the May Family!”
“It’s been awhile, Captain Cipher. My father was looking forward to seeing you… But on the way to a shelter…”
“I see,” Cipher replied, “We’ve lost a great pony. Lieutenant Junior Grade Bright, Miss May might be young, but it’s not like the Federal Forces haven’t had outstanding female officers.”
She pointed at herself, smiling. “Let her take the helm.”
Bright saluted, “Yes, Captain!”
“Thank you for your confidence, Captain,” Merry said, “I’ll do my best to live up to it.”
“Then we fight to avenge your father.”
Bright facepalmed, murmuring derisively under his breath.