Star Tracker of the Ship Harmony:

by Ponyess

Flutters Crew: 10

I had studied the approach of the shuttle from the newly arrived ship, known as 'The Enterprise'. The shuttle sure isn't made for ponies, I had managed to figure as much. What, or whom it had been made for escaped me at this point, though.

I had not looked into it just yet, but since it is looking as if it was their main mode of transport to and from their main ship, it is an integral part.

“Flutter Shy!” my first wing pony exclaimed, as she approached me.

“Yes, first wing Pony Golden Wings!” I responded.

“Your first Squadron is ready for your instructions, the fighters are all prepared to launch for a standard practice exercise!” Golden Wings stated proudly with an exhilarated smile on her muzzle.

“Excellent, have the wings up within five, and I will be right there with you. This will be the first chance to fly by another ship!” I responded.

About a Minute later, I rose to my hooves, wearing the lead suit, as I flew to the hangar bay. As instructed, they had indeed prepared all five ships. True to the style, these fighters are just smaller versions of our main ship. As a one pony fighter, they are pretty small, but otherwise, they would look identical to the Harmony.

“All suited up? Hit your fighters!” I just pointed out, as I set hoof on the deck, before I moved towards my lead ship.

“Aye aye, sir!” came the reply from all four wing ponies.

“It's a joyous sight to see young ponies at attention!” I then observed as I slipped into my lead fighter.

The next moment, I had entered, knowing they all are in place.

“Ready pre-launch preparations, in order to take off!” I ordered.

“Aye, sir!” came the lead wing pony.

As I followed my own preparations, I could see how they were preparing step-by-step, right alongside me. A few minutes later, I knew they had all completed their individual preparations.

“Ready when you are!” the lead wing pony announced, at just four minutes from my initial order.

I giggle, as I thought of getting out, and how well they had followed my orders. They sure knew how to make me shine, and with me, the entire squadron.

My fighter is clearly powered up and fully charged, just as I had expected out of them. All the five ships are fully changed, ready for the launch, this is such a promising adventure.

“Ready for Launch, eye in ten seconds!” I announced, as I made the final clearance.

The shield was now securely holding air inside, while we could leave safely, the maw slowly opening up. At exactly nine seconds, launch is initiated, the maw fully open, a second later I clear the ship at minimum speed.

Looking at my screen, all five ships passing, once by one, clearing the ship in mere five seconds.

“Launch optimal!” I announce.

“Aye aye, sir!” they responded in turn.

“Form on me, and we're starting out slow, just circling out ship. I don't want to make them worried. I don't know who they are, or what their orders are!” I pointed out firmly.

A moment later, I could see indication they had all locked on the diamond formation. It's a compact formation that works well for a five ships group. We simply fly lazily around our ship, then continue further as we've reached the aft section of the ship.

Once clear of our ship, we can manoeuvre more freely, as well as take more interesting readings, though we're more limited in observations.

In orbit, there are very few obstacles, so they just stay in position. This leaves them with plenty of time, observing, though.

“Record your telemetry and general observations!” I instructed them, before any of them had had the time to actually speak a word on the line.

After several minutes, I made a ninety degree turn, and started out more interesting manoeuvres. Just turning this way or that, seemingly on random, only to take me closer to the new ship. Since I had no intent on docking, but merely observing the ship manually, by the regular visual means, I would maintain radio silence.

As I finally did bring us in, closer to the ship, I could finally see the general design. I had to admit, it is a curious, yet radical design, from my perspective. Whatever the reason behind it.

Just like us, they have a Warp Drive, and it is fairly easily pointed out, even now as it is not active. They also have a shield, which wouldn't directly surprise me. Just as I had expected it to be of line, since no hostiles are present.

What shocked me is that they seem not to be equines ate all. If they had been dragons, it would at least have explained the size, I would have imagined. The bipedal crew is no larger than us, yet the ship is huge.

Then it hit me, something is missing in the ship, the design of it. They couldn't be compensating it with blunt force of mass, could they? Even if it was possible, it just couldn't make sense to me.

The aliens on the ship are made up by numerous different types, just like us ponies. Each with their specific advantages and weaknesses.

Some of the members of this crew just stick out so much more than all the rest. Like the Captain, who by chance isn't on the ship, where ever he could possibly be. A few others of the crew obviously are missing too. Though one in particular is maintaining bridge presence on an overly high level, if he ever left.

A comparison struck me, it is like the one time when Princess Cadence was maintaining the shield in order to protect the Crystal Empire against King Sombra. Where others sleeping in his stead, helping him stay awake, or was there yet a greater secret behind him and his presence? What is conflicting is that he seems to lack all magic. His strength lie in physical strength and power, yet he apparently was choosing loyalty to his ship and Captain. Nothing is holding him up, and nothing is pinning him down, he simply chose Loyalty. What ever could compel him to this degree of loyalty was baffling me.

The commander of the ship, the embodiment of never flagging attention, focus and loyalty, it was as if he was the ship, not merely holding it in his hoof, or in this case, hand.

Suddenly it struck me, he knew I was here and exactly how much I had gathered about him and the ship, yet he allowed me to continue, as if he didn't fear us finding out his secrets.

Had I seen a smile on his face, would it have scared me? There was no grin, smile or even emotions on his face.

Half of the time, he sat alone in the Captains chair, looking before him. For four hours at a time, one of the crew entered the large bridge. The man holding the chair greeted them in a formal manner, almost as if the crew was ranking above him. There is the one man known as Will Riker, the Fi5rst Officer, he was frequently with the man named Data, which apparently was the name of the man. How curious, what strange names they had.

Only one female ever came, a Doctor Crusher, was it. From time to time, there was an Engineer with him too.

The main part of the ship is a disk, holding not just the bridge, but the crew's quarters and most other facilities, short of the Engineering. I had located Sick-Bay, Ten-Forwards and even the Shuttle Bay.

There was another strange room, apparently named Holo-Deck. The room was huge and appeared empty. The one feature is the panel by the door, where they teased out commands by hoof, or rather their fingers.

Only as I got closer to the ship, I passed the Shuttle Bay. I noticed the doors open, and some kind of shield holding the air within. The next moment I noticed a light stabbing out from the hull of the hip, on six corners of the bay doors, only too late to avoid any of them.

My ship was physically pulled in, into the bay, there was nothing I could do to prevent it, had I tried. Maybe it was better to just accept what is inevitable. I had not been assaulted yet, maybe they were merely curious about me and wanted to see me face-to-face?

I had my entire squadron with me inside. I did not even need to look back, my instruments had already told me as much. What I found next is a large group of small shuttles, e4xactly like the once the Engineer by the name of Gleaming Engines had shuttled to our ship the Harmony. These could hold a small group, or an entire ship like the one I was flying.

Once the doors had closed behind me, I saw a man entering the large space referred to as the Shuttle Bay. He wore nothing but a thin uniform. I could clearly see that he was breathing, so I opened the hatch and stepped out. The air is quite breathable by any standards. That my instruments had told me and it is true.

Comments

[Ponyess]

4188617
4129919

I just published the next chapter, pushing the total word count above 10,000.

[damnaion]

10# wow

[Ponyess]

4411375 hope you still enjoy the events such as I present there here.
I finally got off to complete the chapter you just read.
Trying to work the next chapter right now, and it just may be completed sometimes later today.