Ace Combat Equestria: Shattered Clouds

by Cpt Celti

Chapter 19

Chapter 19

"Fifty miles from Hydra ravine. Stay frosty."

Rhapsody adjusted her glove and her oxygen mask before looking around at the scenery of the ravine. The fog had rolled in faster than previously thought, but there was no rain. Just lots of fog around a lush mountain range. She peeked her head down to try and find the beasts which made the ravine famous, but sadly the trees were too thick and too tall, enough so that one of them could be standing straight up and still not be seen.

The mare had set the Tomcat to autopilot when they began making their way to the ravine for the escort mission. According to Major Soarin, it should be a quick in and out after she shot down a good number of radar jamming balloons. The U2 was approaching the ravine soon, so she needed to move fast, though. Thankfully, the trip was made bearable by her new co-pilot. While no true replacement for Ditzy, she was a welcome sight all the same.

"It's been a while since I flew shotgun in a Tomcat," Spitfire thought aloud.

Rhapsody tilted her head back. "Tomcat? Thought you were air force, where most of the Wonderbolts are."

Spitfire chuckled to herself as she leaned forward. "I am, Captain. But I was first enlisted into the Navy. Pegasi are born to the skies, but I loved the water. Enlisted to be a naval aviator and got my wings soon after making Lieutenant Junior Grade."

"A bit ironic, that is. Name is Spitfire and you love water."

Spitfire sighed. "Yeah, it was the butt of plenty of jokes during the academy. As for the Wonderbolts, we have pilots from the Navy as well. Hell, even the Marines have a few contributed Wonderbolt pilots in history. Wonderbolt Reservists fly the fighter corresponding to their branch; like the Air Force flies the Eagle or the Strike Eagle, Navy and Marines flew Hornets or Tomcats or Phantoms. But bottom line, when you finally earn your Bolt and Wings as a full member, you are issued an F-15S Agile Eagle, no matter the branch."

"I get it," Rhapsody replied, looking back at the terrain. They be heading for a ravine filled with radar jamming balloons, but that didn't mean she couldn't keep a look-out for enemy planes. They were bound to have patrols somewhere, or so she thought. "So you flew a Tomcat in the Navy?"

"Well... not really flew, per say." When Rhapsody tilted her head back towards her again, Spitfire elaborated. "You were still in Middle School, I'm sure. Yeah I rode shotgun in a Tomcat, or as Soarin so elegantly called when we first met, instead of Riding Bitch like on a motorcycle, I was Flying Bitch."

Rhapsody chortled before letting out a full laugh at that, nearly losing control of the plane. She was joined by the Major herself and Sky Gazer. Rhapsody's laugh fell into a giggle and she resumed her look-out. "'Flying Bitch'. That's adorable."

"Ha. Laugh it up Captain."

"That was actually the first real laugh I've heard since she got back from the HMS Fairweather, ma'am," Sky Gazer called back.

Rhapsody sobered up more after that comment, and what came next she expected to happen. "You're still beating yourself up over that, Wraith?" Spitfire asked.

The Captain sighed and nodded. "I haven't been getting much sleep because of it. I keep asking if there was something more I could have done."

"Rhapsody, you kept her alive by not getting hit anymore than you did. You did the absolute best you could within your power." Spitfire leaned forward. "The best you could've done was take that near death experience of landing on a carrier to make sure she would get help from the best doctors in the military. You could've done worse, believe me. But you put yourself at risk to save your friend, Rhapsody, and she's safe and alive. The plane was shot up, sputtering, you could've bailed out and saved yourself. But instead of that, you pushed your plane to the limits of its damage and performed a carrier landing to get her safe with the best medical attention available. You tell me; was there more you could do?"

Rhapsody looked down at her hooves in the cockpit, then sighed and shook her head. "I guess I'll sleep better with that in mind."

Spitfire smiled behind her oxygen mask. "Good to know."

Rhapsody sighed again and noticed a spot on her radar. It was there for only a moment, but soon the screen began to flicker, the lines got choppy, and then they vanished altogether. She tapped her finger on the radar screen. All that she earned was a little spark and then all disappeared. "Sky Gazer be advised I have lost radar."

"Understood," Scootaloo in the AWACS replied. "You've reached Hydra Ravine. Be advised, you must destroy the jammer balloons to restore radar, over."

"Loud and clear, Sky Gazer. Let's get to work."

Rhapsody throttled up and dove down towards the ravine. She squinted her eyes to see through the fog, barely seeing anything. She jerked her head left and right to try and see them, but she frowned deeply upon finding nothing. "Sky Gazer, I do not have visual on targets, over."

Spitfire called, "You're about to hit one."

Rhapsody looked forward, then gave a shrill squeak as she jerked the stick hard to her right, the wingtip barely clipping the balloon. "Ah... hehe... Sky Gazer belay my last." She turned back into a reverse turn and brought herself down and around.

"Missiles can't lock-on, switching to cannon."

"Line up your whiskey reticule with the balloon. Fire in bursts," the Major advised swiftly.

Rhapsody nodded and lightly squeezed the trigger on her stick. A quick burst from her cannon shot out and tore through the balloon. It immediately was set ablaze and fell from the sky and into the forest below. She watched it go down and smiled in satisfaction. One down, and as she looked forward... dozens to go. But she had a job to do. Throttling up, Rhapsody pulled up and fired a sweeping wave of bullets that took down two balloons.

"Father! This war is getting out of hand! AEGIS is – "

"SILENCE BOY!" The back of the clawed hand struck Marcus hard, sending the young Gryphon sprawling to the floor. A number of the guards winced at the sight, trying to remain as stoic as possible. But to witness the King strike his youngest, and only living son, left more than one opinion that maybe it was over the top. But what more was to be expected of the Gryphon King?

"We can still win this! We have never failed in the past against our adversaries. The Hippogriffs discovered that the hard way," he bellowed to the throne room, commanding attention in a half-drunk stupor. His crown was at a slight tilt, his luxurious tunic and trousers clung just barely to his gaunt frame. The once strong, virile, and muscular Gryphon King Sharpclaw, King since he was still a fledgling, stood and glared out over his assembled mass of petitioners, soldiers, and royal advisors. He had lost much weight and more than enough grey feathers gained from the stress on his body. Sharpclaw seethed at them all. "We are the proudest warrior race on this continent! We will not be beaten by the likes of ponies and their foul ilk!"

"Father! Listen to yourself! Listen to the reports from the front." Marcus had wisely stepped out of striking range from his father. The youngest of the three born, he had, sadly, been the last to ever come from their mother. The beautiful queen had lost her last breath, giving it to her son so he may live. As such, Marcus was often teased by his brothers and considered the oddball of the family. His father coddled him in years past, but now...

Sharpclaw waved negligently at his only remaining son, disregarding his pleas. "They are wrong!"

"Your majesty," Admiral Ba'rne called. Sharpclaw whipped his head toward the elder navy Gryphon. "The reports are sadly true. Our fleet is in shambles, and we're losing territory faster than we-"

"No! They will never get here," Sharpclaw declared. "Our armies are the strongest since the first Continental war! Admiral, once your fighter is finished, and our newest super weapon finished, we will take the territory lost. And then we will conquer the continent as my Fathers should have centuries ago!" He strode with purpose by the Admiral, who barely moved as his monarch brushed by swiftly, stopping just outside the throne room door and thrusting a claw at the fairly young Gryphon girls standing just outside. "Mina you're at nine-thirty. Gwen, you're at ten-thirty. And bring a friend." As the King left their eyesight, the girls just shrugged and left to entertain themselves before their busy night.

Rubbing his cheek as he watched his father storm down the hall, flanked by Gryphnian royal guards, Marcus stood beside the Admiral. The graying Gryphon shook his head as he brushed off his peaked cap. "This is getting out of control," Admiral Ba'rne muttered.

"My father is delusional. Mad. When he's not drunk, he's trying to get drunk," Marcus hissed. But after rubbing his cheek and choking down a sob, he added. "This is not the man who raised me... I want him back."

"Forgive me for saying, your majesty," Ba'rne replied. "The good man who was your father is long gone, replaced by a King who drinks himself stupid and preaches that we are winning this war." Adjusting his cap back on his head, he jerked his head towards the door. While others swore fealty and absolute loyalty to the crown, ever at their beck and call, Ba'rne was there when Marcus was born, his hand on the King's shoulder when his wife passed giving life to his youngest son. He had the honorable friendship with the young Prince. "The fighter will not be finished by the war's end, and our newest weapon will be still blueprints and a flat island by the time AEGIS breaks through the lines and lays siege to Fyrick."

Marcus looked fearfully at the Admiral. "You believe they'll get here?"

Ba'rne looked down at the Prince. "You don't?"

The young Prince ground his beak, peeking into a room where multitudes of Gryphons from every branch and rank rushed back and forth. They were calling out messages from the frontlines, and rarely did they report good news, which made the Prince frown deeply. "What do we do?" he asked Ba'rne.

Ba'rne stopped and eyed the Prince sternly. Marcus returned the gaze, awaiting an answer to his inquiry. They stood there for a few seconds before Ba'rne ran a claw down his beak. "What you need to do, your majesty, is get your affairs in order and be prepared to make your choice."

Marcus blinked his golden irises at the Admiral, who simply tilted his cap at him as he dismissed himself. Marcus didn't turn until the elder Gryphon was halfway to the stairs, then quickly faced behind him and called, "What choice?" Ba'rne stopped and turned back to the Prince. Once again, their eyes met.

"You'll know the moment when it comes, Marcus."

There were more than she previously thought. During the quick briefing, Rhapsody was under the impression Gryphnia has sent in large dirigibles with large complex machinery. These things were tiny, and everywhere, but mercifully very easy to bring down. Spitfire called them out while Rhapsody peeled off to the left or right, unleashing volleys from her cannon. So far, she had shot down eight.

"Eleven o-clock low," Spitfire called out. Rhapsody flipped the tomcat on its belly and turned towards it, sending a quick burst into the balloon. It burst into flames and careened down to the trees below. Righting herself in flight, Rhapsody looked down at her console in front of her.

"Radar's still choppy, but it seems to be clearing up," she reported.

"Looks like the balloons are strung together and form a web of jamming waves. It'll get weaker the more we destroy. Sky Gazer, please confirm the U2 is coming down this ravine."

"Confirmed, Major. It should be within view in about three minutes," Scootaloo replied. "You need to destroy as many as you can so the pilot can safely make it through the mountains."

Rhapsody nodded. "Roger that. Totaling nine balloons down."

Quickly banking to the right, she turned upwards and barrel-rolled onto her back, causing Spitfire to make a yelp of surprise. Rhapsody lined up her reticule and fired, destroying another. Spitfire in turn huffed. "Could've warned me first Captain!" Rhapsody chuckled to herself and swung upwards, destroying another.

"This is Tiger 3, callsign Dragonfly, calling AEGIS fighter within Hydra Ravine," a voice suddenly called. "I'm nearing the rendezvous point. What's the status on the radar jammers, over?"

"This is Wraith to Dragonfly, the jammers are weakened at my position. You should be clear to make a straight path through, over," Rhapsody reported.

"Wraith? I'll be damned, they sent the best to get me home. I owe you guys."

Rhapsody hummed to herself at the comment. Once again, she was hearing firsthand the opinion of others about her flying. She knew she was a good pilot, but the mare didn't understand why it had blown up to this degree.

"Wraith, uh, twelve o-clock on the nose." Rhapsody snapped back into the now and gave a burst, destroying the balloon. Another close call, twice in one day. "That's twice, Captain. I have every confidence in your flying but don't forget you've got someone else flying co-pilot."

There was suddenly a snicker over the radio. "You mean the Bitch Seat?" Rhapsody laughed again, followed by Scootaloo. And a few others near here who heard them.

"Sod off, Soarin! How'd you even get on this channel?"

"I'm in the AWACs."

"Not meaning to interrupt here, but I'm near the rendezvous point. I can't fly without radar."

Rhapsody returned to the mission at hand and looked around the area. "I've destroyed a good number of them, Sky Gazer. Confirm radar clear-up."

Silence was all there was while Scootaloo was scanning the area. Rhapsody, Spitfire, and the U2 pilot waited patiently, but soon she reported back. "I'm picking up a pretty large swath through the ravine's radar jammers. Dragonfly, can you see it?"

"Affirmative, adjusting course to follow."

The four planes held formation as they neared the Ravine, the leader in his F-15E narrowing his eyes.

"Spy plane is within sight. One fighter running escort."

"Just one? This'll be too easy. Let's have some fun with the U2."

Rhapsody throttled up the Tomcat to where her own radar had cleared up and was showing. Banking left with her wings folding back to accommodate the speed, she caught sight of the U2 Dragon Lady spy plane. It was intact; which was a good sign, despite the reports of it taking some damage during its return flight. It still looked air-worthy, but Rhapsody made sure to keep a close eye on it, should something go wrong and the pilot has to get out quickly.

"Dragonfly here, we've reached Hydra Ravine and the scope is clear. Thanks for the help."

"Don't thank us just yet. Wraith, you've got a flight of four bandits coming up on your six o-clock closing fast. Looks like the radar jammer's destruction cleared up theirs too."

Spitfire looked back in the cockpit. "Dragonfly will be fine on his own for a couple minutes. Wraith, let's turn and engage."

"Roger that," Rhapsody replied. She pulled the stick back, pulling up and over and then flipping back to level flight before pushing her throttle forward. The Tomcat roared once more as the claws extended. After so long out of action, it seemed the cat had not lost its claws, nor was its will to fight diminished.

The fighters came into view.

"It is just one fighter. A Tomcat."

"Tomcat? What's the tail insignia?"
The lead Gryphnian pilot narrowed his eyes. Tilting his head, he got a better view as it was screaming towards them. "It's... oh damn..."

"'Oh damn'? I don't like the sound of that," his wing-gryphon replied.

"All planes be advised. It has a ghost insignia. We are fighting the Ghost."

The lead plane flipped and pushed down towards the ground while the others split off into three separate directions. Spitfire craned her body up so she could get a better view. "They're ignoring the U2 and focusing on us."

Rhapsody pulled up behind the Rafale which was trying almost too hard to get away. More than once it had nearly pulled into the mountains. But being the more agile fighter, it was hoping to lose the larger fighter in the turns and maybe get it to crash. Rhapsody wasn't that stupid, and soon she had him locked. Before she could fire though, the Rafale had pulled up into a corkscrew and was out of the way before she could push the button for her missile. "Damnit... and the good news?"

Spitfire didn't look at her pilot and continued to watch the Rafale as Rhapsody pushed back into pursuit. "That was the good news."

"Okay," Rhapsody muttered out loud. "Bad news?"

Rhapsody's console suddenly blared a missile lock. "They're ignoring the U2 and focusing on us!" The pegasus mare yanked the stick hard towards her and tried to grab some sky. The missile flew under her, as did the lead plane, a Strike Eagle. "Try and get him. Losing the lead plane puts them in disarray."

"Got it!" Rhapsody pushed forward in pursuit. The Tomcat screamed through the fog-shrouded mountains after the Strike Eagle, who was weaving through the peaks to try and escape. Before long, Rhapsody had her eyes narrowed and the reticule for missile track had appeared. She had him almost in her sights before the reticule began to vibrate. Then it shook, then disappeared completely. "What the hell?"

Spitfire looked around and swore. "Clever bastard. There's still balloons out here and he lured us in to avoid a missile lock."

"I'm going back for Dragonfly! He's too vulnerable," Rhapsody told her new co-pilot. She pulled off and away from the leader and headed back for the ravine where Dragonfly was trying to make a desperate escape.

The gold mare nodded and leaned back. "Alright, but check on him, only. We need to get these guys out of the skies fast."

Rhapsody's suspicions were confirmed as she had feared. Pulling up and over a mountain range, she saw that two of the Gryphnian planes were twisting around the U2, harassing the pilot and trying to drive him to the ground. Rhapsody pushed down into a dive and switched to her special weapons. "These 'million-bit-missiles' haven't let me down yet," she muttered.

Her console beeped at her until a pair of missile lock reticules shot onto her screen and locked onto the two. "Fox three!" She fired, and two thumps were heard beneath her, followed by massive smoke trails. She pulled up, gazing around for number three pilot, or the leader who had vanished into the jammer web. When she looked back to her targets, they had broken off pursuit. The pair of Phoenix missiles jerked to follow, and a pair of explosions marked their successful hits, downing the pair of Su-35s.

"Never seen the 'million-bit-missiles' in action. Impressive," Spitfire commented.

Rhapsody nodded as she scanned the skies. "They saved my flank during that massive fight over the space center when we launched that satellite. Can you see the other two?"

Spitfire looked back. "Yep."

"Where?"

Her warning light blared. "That's where!" Rhapsody pulled the stick back hard and slammed the brakes. The missile streaked under her, followed by the Rafale she had missed earlier. It jerked right and the pegasus mare pushed into pursuit. The light, nimble Rafale was easily pulling away, dodging each burst from Rhapsody's cannon. She narrowed her eyes.

"Hold still you bastard," she whispered.

"Easy, Wraith. He's flying a more nimble fighter, but you can outsmart him." Rhapsody nearly broke off her pursuit, so stunned. Did the Major really just say a twenty year old fighter can outclass one in service for barely five? "He knows you're the 'Ghost Fighter'. So you've got the advantage of his fear. His movements are becoming erratic and he's doing his absolute best to get away from you. Dive for the deck."

"What?"

"Trust me, do it! Head for the mountains." Rhapsody shook her head and pulled away from the Rafale. It kept turning out of Rhapsody's sight, and then Spitfire took over spotting. "He's turning... turning... he's right behind us!" The Tomcat thrust forward as the more nimble Rafale took pursuit. "Here's where the obsolete have their trump card. Pull into an upward helix, doesn't matter which way. Hit the brakes when I say to."

"Roger." Rhapsody pulled into a helix the same direction she was flying anyway. The Rafale took off after her, climbing and turning to try and get a lock. Spitfire kept her eyes glued on him, narrowing her golden irises for the right signal. The Rafale was a standard fighter. The Royal Canterlot Defense Squadron flew them, and even Princess Celestia's royal escort fighters, emblazoned with her cutie mark, had them as a staple in their wings. But there was the fault that the Rafale had that could be exploited.

It was almost too nimble.

"Here we go..." she murmured. Rhapsody glanced back to see what she was talking about but couldn't see. "Like I said, he's wavering in battle. The plane wants to turn tighter like it's designed too, so he's struggling to get a lock against a slower, less agile target like you."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Rhapsody grumbled.

"Damn right you should. When I say, slam the brakes, you'll know what to do after." Rhapsody kept pulling into the helix. She looked back every so often, and she could start to see the Rafale jerking into the turn to try and keep straight. She turned her eyes forward, awaiting her signal whenever Spitfire gave it.

Spitfire narrowed her eyes more and focused on it. Finally, just at the crest of another attempt to correct its path, she yelled, "Now!"

The Tomcat almost screeched as it bent backwards, losing thrust and lift. The Rafale shot by into a straight path, no doubt stunning the pilot, and giving her an immediate missile lock.

"Fox two!"

The missile shot out from under her wing and pelted the Rafale square between the turbines. It burst into a fireball and hurtled towards the mountainside. Rhapsody watched it go down and collide with the mountain, causing her to frown deeply. Seeing the blast against the rock reminded her too much of the death of Captain Lightning Dust. The smoking crater on the side of Hydra Ravine marked the final resting place of the Gryphon pilot, much like the canyon back at the solar plant marked Captain Lightning Dust's. The thought turned Rhapsody's mind grim.

Her console blared and she throttled up and dove under a hail of gunfire. "Where did he come from?" she cried.

"When a mommy gryphon and a daddy gryphon-- Would you just fly this thing!?" Spitfire shouted.

Rhapsody weaved through the bursts from the F-15E that suddenly shot back onto the scene. Looking back, she shook her head and then looked to her left... towards the jammer balloons. "Bingo. Hold on Major!" Banking, Rhapsody pushed towards them.

He narrowed his eyes at the Tomcat speeding off towards the radar jamming net. Growling, he pushed up his throttle and gave pursuit. He had to catch it before it got in there. But the Tomcat kept weaving and caused him to lose his lock each time. He sneered behind his beak as it clacked together in his frustration. Before long, the reticule flickered out. They were in the jammer net. He swore and switched to his gun, waiting for the reticule to float over the Tomcat.

Rhapsody smiled her satisfaction. The jammer net kept him from getting a lock as well as tracking her. She kept her eyes peeled still, looking and hearing for the Strike Eagle pursuing her. "Careful, Wraith," Spitfire warned. "The Jammers are still active and these clouds are making it hard to see."

"I trust them," Rhapsody answered.

Spitfire tilted her head. "What?"

"The clouds, Major. I trust them to give me a warning before we hit anything." Though the Major probably thought she was a little too crazy in that regard, Rhapsody was sincere about her meaning. She loved the clouds, relaxed on them throughout her years, guided them when she needed shade. She felt a special kinship to them, as all pegasi do. The war was tearing them apart, raging in their domain, and Rhapsody was a pilot who fought for the clouds, not just Princess and Country. She fought for the safety of all skies, foreign and abroad.

They seemed to know this. Looking back ahead, she saw the clouds start to open up, showing a massive peak. Rhapsody smiled and pulled up and away from it. But as she tilted to turn back to the U2 – that she had almost forgotten about – she and Spitfire saw the afterburners of the Strike Eagle... and the clouds closing around him tightly. They were blocking his view; he couldn't see it until too late...

Cursing his luck, he started scanning the skies. His scopes were blank and his radar was fuzzy. He had had a lock a few seconds ago, but now nothing. But she was around here somewhere. He barely even heard his altitude warning, so focused was he.

"Where the hell are – "

A brilliant flash of light told Wraith all she needed to know. Turning and engaging her own afterburners, Rhapsody dove back into the ravine, catching sight of the U2 flying its straight path through the ravine. "Miss me, Dragonfly?" she asked.

"A little. Got too damn quiet." The pilot then sighed. "Once again I gotta thank you, Wraith. Your reputation speaks volumes and you made this mission a success."

"All bogies have been neutralized," Sky Gazer announced. "Dragonfly, Wraith, you're clear to continue your flight bath. Come on home."

Marcus sat heavily onto his large bed, tears staining his eyes and bright green tunic.

Once again, he had been embarrassed by his father in front of the entire court of Gryphnian advisors and lords from all over the kingdom. Once again he was proven to be the youngest, weakest, and second-rate son of a drunken king. This was not the life he wanted, the life he and his brothers had cherished. They had played baseball together and even tried out for the capital's team. But when AEGIS attacked and failed to destroy Sky Breaker, his elder brothers abandoned the idea and trained to be pilots. Marcus also wanted to go, but was severely held back by his father.

It wasn't fair. It was never fair! Marcus loved his kingdom, his people. He never wanted harm to come to them. Why couldn't his father see this was a war in AEGIS's favor? There was no way to win this. But His father couldn't see it. King Sharpclaw the Fourth was prepared to fight to the last soldier, to the last citizen, to the last child if he could get away with it.

No. Marcus couldn't allow that. He had to stop his father.

There was only one way to do that.

Rhapsody turned her eyes to the line of cargo planes that were being worked on by the ground crews. "So you were on the C-17 that nearly ran me over?"

"Sure was. I even waved at you from the cockpit. But you were still looking at the tarmac; doubt you saw me." Spitfire sniffed. "Looked like someone just kicked your puppy."

"I nearly lost my co-pilot, and my best friend. I think I had every right," Rhapsody snapped back, wings flaring a little.

Spitfire raised her hands, her wings fluttering. "Easy, I didn't mean anything by it. Had me more than concerned."

Rhapsody frowned and nodded, backing down from her defensive pose. The Captain and the Major resumed their walk down the flight line, past the hangars and the ground crews riding on carts back and forth to make their daily rounds. They had just returned from Hydra Ravine a couple hours ago and just finished chow. Rhapsody actually had more than enough questions for the Major. Last she saw her in person, Spitfire was taking off from their base in Hibern, never to be seen or heard from for two months.

"So what were you doing? Scared us all when you took off for Canterlot," Rhapsody inquired.

Spitfire sighed. "What felt like the best decision turned into a very bad one. I was angry. Furious. Listening to Sky Gazer and all of you shout reports, your voices filled with terror, hearing who was shot down. I couldn't stand it anymore. After I confirmed you were all coming back home, I took off to confront General Iron Wing. Turns out he ordered the mission a-go without approval from the Joint Chiefs."

Rhapsody raised an eyebrow. "That's ballsy."

"And against all regulations. Because of that, we nearly lost all one-hundred planes that were in the air. He and I had a... heated discussion... in front of Princess Celestia, Princess Cadence, and Prime Minister Ironbeak." Spitfire chuckled.

"That is ballsy."

"I've been told I have more balls than many stallions I work with, no disrespect to Soarin. But my actions didn't go unpunished and I was arrested. As was the General actually, and he got the better end of the stick." Spitfire pulled at her blouse, showing her ribbons. "He lost his commission to give orders and plan sorties as well as a demotion to Brigadier General, I lost my wings to fly with the Wonderbolts for striking a superior officer."

"He did get the better end, didn't he?" Rhapsody murmured aloud. Any Pegasi was born to fly and knew the inconceivable thoughts of being forever grounded. Air Force pilots felt the same way, even worse if said pilot was a pegasus. Being pulled from the sky was an unthinkable punishment.

"Well he would've gotten a lighter sentence had he not insulted the Princess's prized student. He said, quote, 'I hate the fact I'm even taking orders from an academy student turned backwater town librarian in a town run by farmland hicks where the most prized achievement is growing apples.'"

Rhapsody scoffed. She'd been to Ponyville before. "Oh that's a low blow."

Spitfire chuckled. "Should've been there. Could've heard a pin drop. The Jury... two of them were from Ponyville. The Princess herself was speechless. Iron Wing's JAG lawyer actually patted him on the shoulder, wished him good luck, and left."

The mares shared a huge laugh there on the tarmac. Rhapsody clutched her sides as they continued their walk, eventually coming to the gate. "That's absolutely hilarious. So where's he at now?"

The major checked her watch, tilting her head and grinning. "Well, if the time zones are correct, probably still writing, 'I will not insult the Princess's Student nor my superior officers again' two hundred times."

Rhapsody let out another chuckle before looking back towards the runway. A pair of Fighting Falcons was starting their takeoff into the sunset of the Saddle Arabian desert sky, probably for either a patrol or a quick hit and run against a far of Gryphnian target further inland. The two mares watched them take off and bank towards the north towards their destination. "So what's our next target?" Rhapsody asked before she could stop herself.

Spitfire looked at the Captain and grinned. "That's why the higher ups like you, Wraith," she said, calling her by call sign. "You're always ready for the next sortie." The Major put an arm around the younger mare's shoulders. "What you don't seem to be understanding is that yes there's a war going on, but now you need to celebrate."

"Celebrate? Why?"

The Major threw her arms out. "You're back! You're alive. So far you've matched the number of landings with the number of takeoffs. That in itself is an accomplishment; always celebrate it."

"And those that don't match?" Rhapsody snapped her muzzle shut. Once again she said what she was thinking.

But instead of losing her upbeat demeanor, Spitfire shrugged and tapped her temple. "They've already landed, but up here," she then tapped her chest, "and here. Now come on; Let a Major buy you a drink."