6: Socialists and Secrets
I looked at the large, damaged cruise missile on the stand in front of me.
“It’s the Stalin Mark VII type cruise missile. We managed to shrink the warhead down to fit but retain the power of a full size hydrogen bomb. How the Kremlin’s scientist did it though I have no idea.”
Marko walked over to the other side of the missile and looked it over.
“The missile is safe despite being sent flying from the wreckage. There are plenty of safety measures despite the fact it’s meant for suicide missions.”
“So this thing can take out an entire fleet in one go? What other targets were there?”
“In the west it was the Nimitz, Pearl Harbor, and San Diego then New York, Washington, Norfolk, and Pensacola in the east.”
“So how many you figure reached their targets?”
“None. All the crews got together a few days before the mission at a hotel in Moscow and we all voted to defect to the side of the United States.”
“Why would Gorbachev order a nuclear attack on the U.S.? Ah thought relations were slowly getting better.”
“With Gorbachev they are but the KGB are the ones that really run the country. They make sure the generals and other military officers do as they want. If they don’t then they get a transfer to Siberia.”
“So what happens when they find out their planes went missing?”
Marko’s face went grim and he looked down at the floor.
“They have a backup plan that they would implement in sixty to ninety days.”
“What is it?”
“They seize control of the government, never raising alarms as they do it, then with in sixty to ninety days they have the entire military ready for an invasion of the habitable parts of the United States.”
“What do ya mean ‘habitable’?”
“They would launch a nuclear assault on the United States then take over the areas that weren’t a glowing green wasteland.”
“Well fuck. Ah don’t think we’re ever gettin’ back so god have mercy on those poor bastards back home.”
We both sighed and left the laboratory at the military base outside Canterlot. As we walked towards the gates for the carriage that would take us back to the palace we noticed a large hangar with the number four painted on it situated in the corner of the base with extra razor wire around it and guards patrolling the perimeter.
“What ya think is in there?”
“No idea. Look at all those guards though, the others have spears but they have machine guns. Whatever they have in there it is something they don’t want anyone to see.”
“Then we got a new mission.”
“What’s that?”
“Find out what’s in that hangar.” A sly grin spread across my face as I thought about how to get past all the guards.
“Colonel I don’t like that grin. Stop it. It’s worrying me.”
“Oh come on Marko! You can’t tell me you ain’t wondering what’s in there!”
“Well of course I am but look at all those guards. There is no way you will get past them.”
“You underestimate my abilities Marko. Ah can get anywhere if Ah try hard enough.”
“Speaking of getting places how is that project of yours that Fancy Pants is funding getting along?”
“Ok. We got the engines and fuselages almost finished. The landing gear is done but we need to finish the wings and make the mechanism to fold ‘em. The shop that makes the props for the airships is working on plenty of props for our planes. The first one we’re gonna to finish is a modified two seat trainer so Ah can train the pilots.”
We went through the front gate and climbed into the waiting carriage.
“So have you decided who the pilots are going to be?”
“Well Ah think it should be ponies as a sign that we ain’t trying to show off to them.”
“And building flying machines that can fly several hundred miles per hour isn’t showing off?”
“If a pony is funding it hell no it ain’t. Not like we’re building a rocket plane.”
“So far.”
The ride was bumpy as we went back to the palace as the guards pulling it seemed to be in a rush. When we arrived we were hurried inside with guards surrounding us, even pegasi flying in a circle around us. When we went inside Princesses Celestia and Luna were waiting for us.
“Anyone care to tell me what the fuck is going on?”
“We received an anonymous letter stating that you and your men are the targets of an assassin.”
“Who the hell would want to kill us?”
“There was no name but there are several groups that have made attacks on other creatures in the past. The main one we feel could be behind it is an anti-Equestria group from several different nations.”
“Like where?”
“Griffin Kingdom, Zebrica, Camelu, and the Northern Ibex Empire to name a few. All with history of hostility with Equestria. Most of them are on good terms with us now.”
“That’s not all of them. Who’s still hostile?”
“The Ibex are in the midst of a near civil war and the northern Ibex are harboring anti-Equestria terror groups because we provide the southern Ibex with supplies and Camelu feels we didn’t fully repay them for the damage we did after we pushed them back to their own boarders over a hundred years ago.”
“Did Camelu have any help?”
“The Griffins. They supplied weapons and aerial support.”
Marko and I were rushed to a briefing room where the other three men and the elements of harmony were waiting.
“They tell you why we’re here Skip?”
“Gentlemen, the reason Princess Luna and I had you rushed here is because there was a threat on all your lives. Colonel Jones was named the primary target but the other names on the list included you four, Captain Thunderstreak and her family, the elements of harmony, and several soldiers assigned to your squadron.”
“Why Thunderstreak and her family?”
“Because she’s Colonel Jones’ marefriend.”
“She’s not my marefriend.”
“Oh come on sweetie, tell them how you really feel.”
I spun around towards the door and saw Thunderstreak standing there with a giant grin and three young ponies standing with her.
“Hey Thunderstreak. Who are these three?”
‘These are my kids. Not the circumstances I was hoping you to meet them in but we’re going to be stuck here for the next few days so that should give you four plenty of time to get to know each other.”
“Yeah it should. Why don’t you guys go on ahead and find a room somewhere and Ah’ll catch up.”
“Ok. Come on kids, there’s got to be a couple of vacant rooms we can stay in.”
She trotted away with the kids in tow and the meeting resumed.
“There are also troubling happenings in the Griffin Kingdom. A socialist party has been gaining more and more seats in their senate and currently occupies just one seat under half of it.”
“As long as they don’t bother us why should we care?”
“Because, there are several cities where the mayors are members of that party and they have banned all equines from their cities. Anypony who is caught in the city is thrown in jail and face the possibility of execution by the city government.”
“Well can’t the national government stop them?”
“That is where the problems get worse. The head of the socialist party, Gold Feather, is running for the position of chancellor, the highest elected official. The king is getting old and he has no children so he’s likely to name the new chancellor as his successor when he’s ready to step down.”
“So we gotta find a way to keep that big flappy bastard from becoming chancellor. Why not just whack him?”
“First off Colonel we can’t ‘just whack him’. We aren’t the mob. Secondly, we can’t interfere with their national election. That would only support their claims we try to control the affairs of the entire world.”
“So what the fuck are we supposed to do if we can’t interfere?”
“Hope and pray he doesn’t get elected.”
“If it didn’t work for us with Schicklgruber Ah doubt it’ll work now. My country has dealt with these types of bastards before and frankly we should’ve taken that son of a bitch out when we had the chance. Ah don’t want a world war on my hands but Ah say we take him down.”
“Colonel Jones is right Princess. If we want peace we either shoot him or prepare for war. There are no other options. We’ve seen how they are towards ponies and if he takes power it’s only a matter of time before war.”
We all looked at the grey pony in the doorway that we recognized as Admiral Harvard.
“Admiral there is always a peaceful solution.”
“Bullshit. Have you seen this no good sack of shit? He’s got his own private army, police force, everything. How long before they’re marching into Canterlot because we weren’t prepared?”
“Ah’ve gotta agree with the Admiral. First let’s know what we’re dealing with.
~~~~~
14:00 Hours
Canterlot War Room
~~~~~
The film projector clicked as the poorly shot black and white film rolled and showed the almost goose-stepping griffin soldiers marching past in perfect unison.
“So we’re dealing with a well-oiled war machine. Where did we get this film?”
The lights turned on and illuminated the room once again.
“A secret informant that works at the Equestrian embassy in Gryphus. We just got the recent poll in from Gryphus and Gold Feather is in the lead with 79% approval rating. Maybe we can try to somehow throw the election.”
“And how do we do that without those sons of bitches in their press throwing fuel on the fire?”
“No clue. So, any ideas? Anyone?”
“Oh, oh, I know! Let’s throw them a huge party and get them on our side.”
“…Pinky, go play with the stuff in that emergency kit by the wall.”
“Okie dokie lokie!” She skipped happily over to the red box in the corner and began rummaging through the kit.
“So any serious ideas?”
“Are you my mummy?”
We all turned and looked at Pinky who had put on a gas mask.
“If you could let us let us concentrate.”
There were several ideas thrown around but we all seemed to come back to killing him or prepping for war.
“Okay so idea. If he gets elected and shows any hostility we move battleships towards their ports.”
“Then what? We can fight them on the sea but have you seen the tanks the socialists have? They’ve got bigger guns that we do.”
“Ya don’t need bigger guns to win battles. It seems the bigger something is the more weak points it has. All you have to do with a tank is aim for the treads.”
“Look, let’s worry about this later. We’ve pretty much ruled out killing him so let’s just try to get settled because I don’t think we’re leaving here for at least a week.”
“Marko’s right. Let’s discuss this tomorrow afternoon after lunch and try to decide what to do.”
There was a collective agreement on that and we all headed for the floor Celestia had told us our rooms were on. When I reached the floor I could hear arguing coming from one of the first rooms.
“Must be this one.”
I opened the door and found the three kids in there with the two oldest arguing and the youngest sitting on a bed watching the black and white television. They all looked towards me and went silent.
“Uh, is your mom in here?”
“Next room.”
“Thanks.”
Pulling the door shut as I backed out of the room the sound of arguing resumed as soon as the door clicked. Walking down to the next door I opened it to find Thunderstreak on the bed watching TV and eating potato chips.
“God, have I mentioned how hot you are when you do stuff like that?”
“Not yet. Come and sit. What’s My Line? is on.”
“I used to watch that show all the time as a kid. They get to the celebrity guests?”
“Not yet.”
We both sat and munched on chips as the commercials wasted the time between the parts of the show. Finally the commercials turned to the final part of the show.
“Finally. Wonder who they have today?”
The camera focused on a piece of chalk that floated up to the small chalkboard and wrote the name Swing Sisters before panning out to reveal three mares in what one could assume from the black and white were red dresses.
“Oh I love them!”
“Who the hell are they?”
“They’re three sisters that announced they’re the voices on all those records that the royal sisters produced.”
“Oh really? Ah’ll be right back.”
“Okie dokie.”
I got off the bed and walked out the door. ‘Ah like her, she says okie dokie.’ Walking down the stairs I eventually found the floor with the throne room. As I approached doors the two guards who were by them pushed them open for me.
“Thanks fellers.”
The shoes that had been made for my uniform sank into the red carpet leading to the empty thrones.
“Where the hell is Celestia, or at least Luna?”
As I stood there looking around I heard laughing from an adjoining room. Pushing open the door just a crack I could see Celestia and Luna sitting in a small private theatre as a projector shone a movie onto the wall. I pushed the door all the way open and saw a slim man with a suit, bowler hat, bamboo cane, and small mustache who I immediately recognized as Charlie Chaplin.
“Alright, Ah could stand Captain Stardust and even the records but this is too much!”
The princesses spun around with their eyes widened in horror at my newest discovery.
“Colonel, we can explain.”
“Then go right ahead.”
“Well actually I can’t.”
“Let me guess. Classified?”
“Yes. In due time you will learn but for now you must remain in the dark.”
“Hey! What is wrong with the dark?”
“Nothing Luna. It’s only an expression.”
I murmured some words that not even I could understand before turning and leaving the room in rage. As I stormed out of the throne room back into the hallway it brought worried looks from the guards.
“Is everything alright Colonel?”
“Peachy as dog shit. Just fucking peachy!”
Stomping up the stairs to our floor I slammed the door behind me when I went back into the room where Thunderstreak and I were staying.
“James, what’s wrong sweetie?”
“Them god damned princesses. They keep shit covered up, hidden behind red tape and hangar doors.”
“Sweetie, come sit down and tell me what got you so worked up.”
“Ah don’t need to sit and they were watching a Charlie Chapin movie. A Charlie Chaplin movie for god sake!”
“So them watching a movie got you this worked up?”
“Not just a movie. A human movie. A movie Ah know they sure as hell didn’t get from me or my men so they’ve got to be hiding someone besides Glenn Miller.”
“Like who?”
“If Ah knew wouldn’t Ah know?”
“I suppose? So what are you going to do?”
“Ah have an idea but Ah’m gonna need someone who’s stealthy to help me.”
“My kids are fairly stealthy except I catch them because I tried a lot of the stuff they do like sneaking out.”
“Ah never could sneak out. Town was fifteen miles and the truck was loud as hell.”
“Let’s get the kids over here and go over the plan for whatever it is you have in mind.”
My eyes looked down where I had been pacing during the conversation and the flattened part of the rug where I had been stepping. Thunderstreak hopped off the bed and opened the door connecting our room to the kid’s room. The oldest two were sitting around doing something different while the youngest was still glued to the TV.
“Kids, get in here. We have a mission for you.”
The kids all hopped off their beds and trotted into our room.
“First off James these are my kids Typhoon, Sabre, and Lancaster.”
“Like the airplanes?”
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Lancaster and Typhoon are adopted from the Crystal Empire.”
“Mum can I please go back to the telly?”
“Lancaster you need to get away from that television. You haven’t looked away from it since we got here.”
“Yes mum.”
“Kid’s Ah got a mission for you. A very risky mission that will need all of you working together to help me with it."
“What is it?”
“Ah like your oldest boy. He gets strait to the point. Sabre, Typhoon, Lancaster, Ah need you to help me break into a high security military facility called Hangar Four.”
“Is that it?”
“Ya say that like you’ve gotten into more secure places.”
“Well Mom’s here so I’ve got to say no I haven’t.”
We all gathered around the small table by the television and I drew a rough map of the military base and the guard towers around the hanger.
“Now Ah’ll bring you three in saying Ah’m giving you a tour of the regular parts of the base, we stay until after dark then we sneak in.”
“You said there’s razor wire. How are we supposed to get past that?”
“Wire cutters boy. Now we’ll need to make sure they have rubber grips on it we don’t get fried if it’s electrified.”
“You act like you learned that the hard way Colonel.”
“Sabre you can just call me James and yes Ah have learned that the hard way.”
“How?”
“It’s a long story that Ah never plan to tell. Ok so here’s the plan, Typhoon will distract the guards while the rest of us cut the wire and sneak in. Once we’re all inside we’ll get in through a side door then Typhoon will find the hole in the fence and sneak in. Sound good?”
“No. You’re not using my kids to do this unless I’m involved in this too.”
“Ah already factored you in. You sneak in with me and the boys.”
“Alright. So when will we do all this?”
“Tomorrow night. First we’ll need to get on the base before we get to the hangar. Ah’ll take y’all to the base with me in one of those special bullet proof carriages they have then we stay until dark. That’s when we move in.”
“And what do you say we’re there for?”
“Ah have an office there in one of the buildings and y’all are there to help me fix it up.”
“Is there a telly?”
“Yes Lancaster there is a TV.”
“Well I’m in then.”
“Ok so Lancaster is on board, who else?”
Thunderstreak and the two oldest kids looked at each other and smiled before nodding at me.
“Alright, so we’re all good. Now let’s go over the plan again.”
~~~~~
Celestine Military Base, Outside Canterlot
20:00 Hours
The Next Evening
~~~~~
The last sliver of sunlight had long since slipped away from the horizon as we sat and watched the guards from behind a stack of crates containing artillery shells.
“Looks like there’s only about six guards on the ground and four in the towers. Typhoon, let’s see what you got.”
Typhoon got up and trotted over to the gate in front of the hangar and waved at one of the guards which then caught the attention off the others. The guards in the towers noticed the sudden movement of the guards on the ground and lit the gate up with searchlights.
“Alright let’s move.”
We all rushed over and quickly began snipping a hole in the chain-link fence. As we worked we could hear the conversation Typhoon was having with the guards which was occasionally drowned out by a growl from Thunderstreak when a guard made a crude comment.
“When this is over I want their names, ranks, and serial numbers so you can have them all shot.”
Finally I had cut the fence enough for us to get through and helped the others squeeze through.
“Alright there’s a door over there. Move and get in there.”
Thunderstreak shoved the kids through the door and I signaled Typhoon that we were done. She quickly made an excuse to leave and went off to wait to get into the hangar. I dashed into the hangar and shut the door just before one of the searchlights illuminated the spot where I had been seconds before. Turning around I saw just how much you could fit inside a hangar.
“James, what are half these things?”
There were boxes strewn around on the floor with what looked like spare parts for an engine.
“Looks like something for an engine.”
Flipping a piece over I found a stamp for the Pratt and Whitney engine company.
“Yep, definitely an engine part.”
Looking around I noticed a wingtip poking out from around a wall of boxes. Walking over I turned the corner and saw a twin engine airplane in front of me.
“Oh hello you beautiful old bird!”
Running over I looked the vintage plane up and down.
“Oh you are beautiful.”
“You’re swooning over a plane more than me.”
“Thunderstreak this ain’t just a normal plane. This old beauty is a Lockheed L-10e Electra. And it ain’t just any old Electra. Look at the n-number on the wing.”
Trotting over behind the wing with me Thunderstreak looked up at the wing.
“What’s so special about NR-16020?”
“Everything! Folks have been looking for this plane for fifty years and they never could find it.”
“So it just vanished?”
“Yeah. And if the plane is here intact then the pilot’s gotta be here somewhere.”
Walking away from the Electra we continued onwards deeper into the hangar.
“Hey James, what kind of plane is this?”
I turned around and went over to a small area that had been hidden behind crates. Looking in I was met by a familiar T-6 Texan.
“Dear fucking god.”
“What is it?”
My fingers reached up and brushed over the famous pin up girl on the cowling. Looking back I saw the names painted on the canopies.
“Hey James, your name is under the windows.”
“That ain’t me. That’s me.”
I pointed to the name Junior painted on the rear pilot’s canopy.
“But then whose name is that?”
“My father’s.” I said quickly as I walked away towards the center of the hangar. As I got closer I could hear voices laughing and cussing about something. Peeking around the corner I could see three men and a woman gathered around a table with cards in their hands. Two of them I could see I easily identified as Glenn Miller and Amelia Earhart but the other one who’s face I could see I didn’t know. The third man at the table had his back to me and had a cigarette between his fingers. My hand reached for the .44 I had gotten back from Celestia at the end of the gala.
“Alright. Hands in the air and ain’t nobody movin’!”
The people at the table stood with their hands up but the man who had his back to me slowly turned and grinned at me.
“Now is that anyway to greet yer old man?”
I slowly lowered the gun in my hands and put it back in the holster at my hip.
“Nice to see you ain’t gonna shoot me, with my own gun at least.”
“It ain’t your gun no more.”
“But Ah gave it to ya.”
“Yes you did but, wait, why in the hell are we talkin’ ‘bout a gun when you’re alive and ain’t aged a day since you disappeared.”
“Son, there’s more to all this than meets the eye.”
“Like what?”
He sat back down and nodded for everyone to sit. Thunderstreak and I pushed some crates over for us to sit on and we could hear Typhoon trotting down the hallway of crates towards us.
“James, we all play a part here. Glenn leads the R.E.A.F. Band, Amelia is an airship pilot, Lieutenant Smith is a flyer in the air force, and Ah’m head of the Royal Navy’s design department.”
“Wait, wait, first how can y’all have lives outside of here?”
“Magic. Follow me.”
Dad got up and walked to the door at the back of the hangar. Opening the door he began to step outside and transformed into a familiar grey pony as he did.
“Ta da!”
“How is that ta da?”
“It just is.”
Walking back inside he transformed into human form again.
“So what is it that makes you do that?”
“Celestia had the doorways enchanted so that we could go outside and be hidden but be ourselves in here. It’s actually pretty cool.”
“While it may be cool Ah want more answers than magic. Y’all need to get your uniforms on cause we’re goin’ out.”
Walking back with him we found everyone else sitting silent around the table.
“Everyone up. We’re going to the palace.”
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Dude, the Ah Ah Ah. Stop it, it's getting really f
coming annoying.
3892919
It's going to get taken care of in chapter 8 when they try to teach James proper grammar. No grantees he'll talk normal but he will at least start using I instead of Ah around halfway through the chapter.
why cliffhanger
also this is a very good story so far and I can't wait to read more of it.
Nuke the entire United States? The United States would see the missiles coming long before they were even launched and would launch its own missiles at Russia. There's a REASON why no one has tried to nuke all the countries they don't like.
hmm well a great cliff hanger and it gets more confusing, well done chapter so far,
almost busted out laughing in class
Lol cool names. How about Missile?
Griffons are in some deep shit
3900154
Yea, the PAC-3's gonna knock out all incoming warheads like how they clapped the Russian Hypersonic missile in Ukraine,