My Little Destroyermen: Walker on Water

by The Atlantean

Chapter 45

Twilight blinked a few tears away as she watched the far stretches of B’mbaado burn furiously with pillars of smoke blackening out the night sky above. Queen Maraan’s people, carrying nothing but the clothes on their backs and anything they could fit into their carry-bags, hurried in huge lines to the docks where Humfra-Dar and Aracca floated.

“You said only Humfra-Dar,” Maraan commented.

“Aracca will take anyone who can’t fit on Humfra-Dar and the Royals. We’ll try to get some of your troops on there too. She won’t be sailing until after the storm blows over, though, so we can load her with some more troops from the AEF after the fight for Aryaal is done,” Twilight replied. She glanced over to the Lemurian city, also burning. “Doesn’t look like it took much fighting.”

“Indeed.” Maraan comfortingly patted a ‘Cat on the shoulder as he passed by on his way to the ships. “Perhaps we can save our culture, too.”

“Aracca will handle it. Ramic is a good pon--man--ah, damn it. He’s a good person, and I trust him to take care of both peoples’ artifacts.”

A young Lemurian female trotted up to the two of them. She wore the livery marking her a member of Humfra-Dar’s crew and a courier’s pack. When she reached Twilight, she awkwardly imitated the American salute and stood as straight as she could.

“Prin-sess, Cap-tan Geran-Eras says that we are full of many thousands people and ready to sail. He regrets to say that he cannot fit all.”

Twilight returned her salute and sighed. “Tell him to get going. Aracca will have the space for the rest of B’mbaado city, her culture, and start Aryaal’s evacuation. You’d better go before you’re left behind.”

“Yes, Prin-sess.” She quickly saluted again and scampered to Humfra-Dar.

As the Royals blocked anyone else from boarding, people started to panic, believing that they were being left behind. Thankfully, the soldiers calmed most by telling them another ship was coming, but it was an uphill battle.

“I was always taught that friendship solved everything,” Twilight said. “I was always the hero, saving Equestria from darkness.” She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I never thought that I’d be responsible for dislocating an entire people.”

“They may not see it now, but you are their hero,” Maraan replied. “You are saving them from the Grik.”

“I don’t feel like one.” Several moments passed before she spoke again. “I am the Razor, Queen of Devastation.”

“Who?”

“Black Inkwell, On the Historical Significance of Ancient Pony Warfare, Volume II. She often wrote of how the early Queens would raze conquered lands before ponykind split into the Tribes and changed from outright warfare to tense peace. It’s a good read, if a little dense.”

“How is this significant?”

Twilight sighed. “I feel like one of them.”

-------------------------

Early the next morning, Twilight shook herself out of bed and cleaned up as best she could before the daily officers’ meeting in the wardroom. She glanced around the room. She was alone.

Damn, I’m last, aren’t I? She sighed. Sandra normally rolled out of bed a couple minutes after her, roused by the sink’s noise as she cleaned the hot night’s sweat from her face and brushed her long hair. This time, it looked like the opposite had happened: Sandra had cleaned first, and the noise woke Twilight.

She wiped her face and reached for her brush but hesitated. It could take a few minutes to brush it fully (even with magic), and she might be late for the…the clock said it was seven o’clock. The meeting started now. She left the brush and hurried through the curtains and down the hall to the wardroom.

“Sorry I’m late, Captain,” she said as she entered.

“Not a problem. You’re just in time,” Captain Reddy replied.

Twilight scanned the room as she found her seat. Every one of Walker’s officers was present, along with Jim Ellis, Ben Mallory (the PBY had flown in the evening before) Keje-Fris-Ar and Adar of Salissa, Ramic-Sa-Ar of Aracca, Tassat-Ay-Araaca of Nerracca, Safir Maraan, Lord Rolak, and a new face she assumed was an Aryaalan noble.

“How much farther, Twilight?” Matt asked.

Straight to the point. Twilight consulted her sword to check on the Grik fleet’s progress. “Five day’s sail, sir. I think they sped up in the night.”

“Magic propulsion?”

“Probably.”

“Nightmare Moon?”

“Most likely.”

“If we get caught either here or in the open sea, are you positive that your shield spell will hold up against their weapons?”

“It’s based on my brother’s spell, which can literally stop an entire army from breaching Canterlot. So, unless they have a shieldbreaker spell, we’ll be fine.”

“A shieldbreaker spell?”

“It’s in the name, Captain. A spell that breaks shields. They’re obviously not common, or Chrysalis probably would’ve tried to use it, but they do exist. Princess Celestia herself has used them multiple times throughout her rule. Which…means that Sunset might know one…and that would be bad. Ohhh noooo…” She wandered out of her seat, speaking to herself.

“Twilight, what’s wrong?” Matt asked.

“Nonononononononono…”

“Twilight.”

“Yes?”

“What’s wrong?”

Twilight’s chest heaved. “I don’t have a counter to the shieldbreaker. If we don’t leave right now, we could be caught on the open sea, and we could lose a ship. We could lose a Home.”

Matt frowned. “Mr. Mallory? Where’s Humfra-Dar?”

“I saw her on the way down, sir. She’ll make it to Baalkpan safely.”

“Those are some rough seas right now, Mr. Mallory. Are you sure all those people will be safe?”

Ben stopped to think for a moment. “Yes, sir, I’m sure.”

“Good. I want you in the air as soon as the water’s calm and find Revenge.” Matt turned to Jim Ellis. “Jim, have Mahan refuel from Salissa and leave when he takes off. At least one of these old tin cans needs to make it back to Baalkpan.”

“Yes, sir. How long will that be?”

Matt raised an eyebrow to Twilight.

“It should be safe to sail tonight, but I wouldn’t recommend Mr. Mallory flies until tomorrow morning. It’s a pretty fast storm.”

“There you go, Jim,” Matt said. “It’s a good thing we pulled your port screw yesterday while it was still calm. Tomorrow morning, you leave. Mr. Mallory, that’s when you fly. No exceptions.”

“How will you get it on Walker?”

“Twilight, if you wouldn’t mind?” Matt asked.

“Yes, Captain. I’ll get right on it.”

“Aracca will sail tonight, when we can fit no more People,” Ramic-Sa-Ar said. “And when the seas are calm enough to raise the feet.”

“Keje, I want you sailing as soon as Salissa is filled to bursting, and Nerracca will be right behind you. We’ll refuel right before you leave.”

“Yes, Cap-tan Reddy.”

Matt sighed. “If that’s all? Let’s move quickly. Dismissed.”

Author's Note:

Holiday break is over. Glad to be back.

Comments

[Blueshadow_the_pony]

10619563
Your Welcome! I have a couple more idea's for that group to make them more flushed out, and most importantly, not op, in case you want to know

[Seawolf]

For some reason, I see Twilight ducking when the first salvo from Amagi screams in, eight 500-pound shells and probably the next few salvoes after that as well. I see a few laughs going around while Twilight looks utterly terrified because the Destroyermen after all know the scream of heavy shells quite well.