Star Trek Online: Sacrifice - Part II

by Admiral Wyatt Stone

Chapter 9: Firin' Blind

"And what you fail to realize is my ship is dragging mines!"

Victory.

I've never felt so good until the moment I had achieved victory in a situation, whether it'd be a minor or major one. And I'm sure you've probably felt that way as well, at least once.

I had won against the alicorn that helped out the slavers at Old Appleloosa thanks to my wits, I had helped Gawd and her allies fight off a dragon that was bent on controlling Shattered Hoof with no opposition, I'd fought against several Steel Rangers who'd attacked my home, I tricked and destroyed the Goddess by removing my memories, and I'd defeated the Enclave by controlling the S.P.P. and giving the Equestrian Wasteland a second chance to be what it once was.

And while there were downsides and problems left to deal with, the feeling of winning against a dangerous enemy was always satisfying. And that feeling would still remain as we escaped the Star Forge...

(---------)

As the magic bubble that was our group appeared on the bridge of the Chestnut, we looked around, the room was dark, save for some emergency lights and the viewscreen, which displayed the interior of the Star Forge's shipyard/drydock area.

"Well, Admiral Stone's got a nice lookin' seat!" Calamity said as I looked at it, it was a cool-looking chair, but I snapped my head as I looked to Steelhooves, the Applejack's Ranger returning my gaze as I spoke to him.

"Can you and her go to engineering and get the warp core up and running?" I pointed to the green alicorn as Steelhooves nodded as he replied to me.

"When I was on J'ula's ship, I learned how to handle certain systems on the ship. Engineering was one of the most explored parts in my case." As the green alicorn stood by Steelhooves' side, Velvet gave her friend a hypo, the small device being pressed onto the tall mare's body as Velvet pressed its button.

"We'll have it up shortly." Steelhooves said as he and the green alicorn teleported away to Engineering, the rest of us standing on the bridge as the blue alicorn spoke up.

"So, what do we do here?" I turned around as I gave an answer.

"We need to pick a station." I said as I waved my hoof around the room. My friends weren't certified Starfleet officers like I was, but at this point we'd have to earn that title along with our lives.

"I'll handle shields." Velvet said as she took one of the seats on the right of the bridge.

"Ah've got the helm!" Calamity said as he sat at the helmsman's station.

"I'll try to operate the weapons." Xenith said as she sat at the station opposite of Calamity.

"And I'll get main power online!" I said as I trotted over to a console at the left of the bridge, tapping it as I brought the console up and running. As the screen powered on I tapped the console as I accessed the ship's power settings. I tapped it a few more times before the ship's main lights came on, the viewscreen showing several windows lighting up.

"We've got three and a half minutes." Velvet warned as I trotted back to the center seat. I looked to the blue alicorn as she stood with Red Eye and Samus, who simply stood as she and her comrade kept their eyes on him.

I heard the command chair's comms panel beep as I sat in it, tapping it and hearing Steelhooves' voice. "We've got the core online, main power is back, I assume?"

"Yep, We'll get the weapons all set and then we're out of here." I said to my friend as Xenith spoke up.

"I have weapons online. Torpedoes are fully stocked." I smiled pleasantly as Calamity spoke next.

"Impulse engines are up and runnin'!"

"Take us out, Calamity." I replied as my friend tapped the console, the ship moving forward as Velvet spoke with a hint of worry in her voice.

"Two minutes to detonation, I suggest we get out of here as fast as we can!" I sat sternly as I spoke to my two friends in front of me.

"Xenith, ready the Phasers and photons, fire everything we have at the door! Calamity, get us going at full impulse!"

"Aye-aye, Cap'n." Calamity said with a chuckle as I smiled, thinking about how Twilight would think of this as the ship sped forward, the door of the Star Forge's shipyard coming closer.

"Shields are up! Diverting all power to our forward side!" Velvet said sternly as we sped through the shipyard.

"Weapons are ready." Xenith said with a smile.

"Fire!" I said as the Chestnut fired two orange beams of energy at a spot on the door, a wave of photon torpedoes hitting the door as we sped into the door. Calamity took the liberty of performing a barrel roll as the Phaser beams ceased, we smashed through the door, the heat helping in breaking through as the Chestnut sped out of the Star Forge, unscathed.

"We're through!" Calamity said with excitement as we sped away from the Star Forge, the Alliance fleet visible from far away.

"One minute!" Velvet said as we turned towards the allied armada.

We sped away for almost a minute before stopping, being at a safe distance, I asked, "Get me the aft viewer."

As Calamity tapped his console, we saw the large station that was the Star Forge, sitting still in space for ten more seconds until the large structure exploded, a brilliant light replacing the sight on the viewscreen. After about twenty more seconds the light dimmed, showing the fireball that was the Star Forge as tiny pieces of it burned away, the fireball fading after a minute or two.

We all stood as the station blew up, cheering as the large weapon of ultimate power was now gone, obliterated by it's self-destruct mechanism. After almost a minute of yelps of excitement and whistles we all sat, Steelhooves speaking through the comms panel as the noise died down. "Well, that was a hell of an explosion!"

"Ya darn tootin' it was!" Calamity said as Velvet spoke up.

"I hate to interrupt the fun, but I'm seeing some strange readings on our shields."

"What's the problem?" I said as Velvet replied to me.

"The ship's shields and hull took no damage from that crash. How is that possible?"

"Could be the heavily upgraded Neutronium hull plating." Steelhooves offered.

"Maybe for the hull, but that doesn't answer the shield issue."

"Yeah, do ya think this ship has the same armor that those Star Fox ships had?" I pondered my best friend's question as his console beeped, the Pegasus tapping the console before Princess Twilight appeared on the viewscreen.

"Looks like you guys aced that escape plan of yours!" Twilight said with a smile as I replied.

"Yeah, and with no damage too! I think that roll Calamity performed might have something to do with it."

"Yes it does." Admiral Stone said as he appeared onscreen, standing with Twilight as he continued. "When the U.A. was formed, I had my officers equip a new set of armor onto the ship, it would help prevent the ship from taking any damage when rolling."

"Well, she's seems to be quite the ship, Admiral." Velvet said as Twilight replied.

"Yep, she's been through quite a lot over the one year we've been together." The admiral said as he chuckled, Twilight standing up as Admiral Stone walked to help one of the Harmony's officers.

"We'll meet up with you in a moment, we're transporting medical teams to the other ships." She said with a smile before continuing. "You've all done amazing today, guys. If it weren't for you, trillions upon trillions of lives could've been lost. We're all in your debt."

We all stood and bowed to the Princess of Friendship before I replied to her. "It was our pleasure, Twilight." I could see Twilight blush a little as the screen shifted back to the view of the Alliance fleet, everyone returning to their stations as Velvet Remedy spoke up.

"It's finally over, isn't it?"

"Yep! And when we get back I'm having a night with Homage and spending a day at a spa!" I said as I relaxed in the command chair. I slowly sat up, however, as Red Eye started chuckling quietly. "What are you laughing about?"

"You really think my allies would give up on stopping you that easily?" He said as Calamity's console beeped, the pegasus examining it before looking at us with a worried expression.

"Uh, guys? There's somethin' comin' at us... somethin' very big." I sat up as I replied to my friend.

"Put it on the viewscreen." As my friend tapped his console the screen changed to show a large, red ship speeding towards us. The ship was massive, alright. It had a large pair of mandibles and two bulky wings with several turrets on it's hull. At the top of the ship was a thin bridge, two fins coming off of the sides.

I tapped my Pipbuck as I changed the frequency to the enemy ship's comms, hearing a maniacal mare's voice as I put my earbloom in.

"Well, looks like Red Eye's got himself in a little schtick, hasn't he?!" As the ship sped closer towards us, another, more calm mare's voice spoke.

"Get a tractor beam lock on that ship, we're taking Red Eye with us!" The ship fired a whitish-pink beam at us as it slowed down, our ship shaking as we were caught.

"Dammit, I can't get us away!" Calamity said as he glared at the large ship, the insane voice speaking again as the ship hailed us.

"You give Red Eye back to us! His ship needs him!" The voice spoke through my chair's comms panel as I replied angrily.

"You're never getting your captain back, the shackles I've put on him have a transport inhibitor built into them, Red Eye's not leaving this ship!"

"Fine then, we'll be taking your ship with us!" The calm voice snapped back at me as our ship started moving, the large ship pulling us with it.

"You're not taking my ship anywhere!" I heard Admiral Stone say through the comms as he joined the frequency.

I lifted my head as Velvet spoke up with a hopeful smile. "Littlepip, I'm picking up another ship coming into the battlefield, it's the Sebrova!" I looked to the screen as I saw several blue Phaser bolts hit the tractor generator on the right mandible, the beam fading as the generator exploded. As Calamity tapped his console the screen changed to show the Shepard class cruiser speeding around the large warship, continuing it's assault as I felt the Chestnut turn away.

I also heard an unexpected voice speak through my chair. "Need a hoof, 'Pip?"

"Homage?!" I said as I sat up in my chair. "What are you doing here?!"

"Saving your hides!" Blackjack said as the large warship fired a trio of beams at the Sebrova, two of them hitting as the ship sped around for another pass.

"We'd been attacked by a small group of J'ula's ships while you were away, but the Sebrova showed up and helped us out." Homage said as Lacunae spoke through the comms.

"And when we heard you were having trouble with the enemy fleet, we decided to help."

"Well you've come at the right time, guys!" I replied to my friends on the Sebrova as I looked to Velvet and asked, "Velvet, get a scan of that ship, see what you can get off of it." She nodded as I heard Red Eye speak again.

"You won't be able to hold off the Revenge, my ship has some of the best weaponry J'ula and her allies can provide." He smirked as I glared at him, then turning away to face Velvet as she spoke.

"I've found a weakness in the center of the ship, if we can get that hangar door open, we can fire a torpedo into the ship to finish the job!"

"That's if we don't get struck by the turrets!" Xenith said as the ship turned to the left, flying around the Revenge as it fired two Phaser beams at the dreadnought.

"Oh? Remember me Blackjack?! I know you have my daughter aboard that ship of yours!" I heard the crazy mare aboard the Revenge say angrily as the mare in question replied.

"Dawn? So that's where you went while we rotted in the brig!" Blackjack said angrily as Morning Glory spoke up.

"Mother? What are you doing on that damn ship?"

"Why, bringing glory to the Wasteland, honey! And I hope you decide to join us, I'd hate to have to kill my own daughter in all this!" Dawn replied as I spoke to the Sebrova through the comms.

"Alright, Sebrova, let's disable that ship's shields, then fire everything we have into it's hangar while we beam the bridge crew aboard!" I heard cheers of agreement as Homage replied.

"Got it, Pip. Just be careful." I looked to the viewscreen as Homage finished, the signal still broadcasting as I spoke to Calamity and Xenith.

"Calamity, fly us up and around to the front of the ship, Xenith, ready our torpedoes and fire a shield draining beam at the Revenge!" My two friends nodded as they tapped their consoles, the Chestnut accelerating and flying upwards.

As we flew to our left, I saw a blue beam fire at the Revenge, the ship's shields flickering but holding. I saw several laser bolts hit the shields of the Revenge as eight fighters flew past us, the small craft diving down towards the ship as they continued firing.

"The Wonderbolts!" I said with a smile as I heard Skydive's voice speak over the comms panel.

"How you guys doing? Thought we'd give you a hand!"

"Thanks, see if you can take out the turrets!" I said as they flew under the Revenge, coming back upwards to form up with the Sebrova as the dreadnought fired back large red beams.

The Sebrova then fired a shield drain of it's own, our ship following suite as the shields flickered away, the Wonderbolts firing a flurry of lasers that struck the left wing of turrets, all of them being destroyed as the Revenge pulled away. I gasped as I saw the large ship cloak, disappearing from sight.

"What the hell?! Where'd they go?!" Calamity said in anger as I answered my friend.

"Cloaking device, they're hiding from us by turning invisible." My friend scoffed at the act of the dreadnought full of cowards.

The ship then appeared in front of us as we came close to crashing, Calamity rolling us out of the way as we flew past the ship.

As we turned to chase the red ship, Dawn's more calm officer spoke. "Give it up, ladies. You can't win!"

"Oh really?" I heard Twilight say through the comms as the Harmony caught the Revenge in a tractor beam, the Chestnut speeding forward as Xenith tapped her console. I heard several torpedoes fire as our ship turned, explosions sounding behind us as I heard Twilight speak again.

"You've blown a hole in their hangar! Now's our chance!"

"Cloak us again!" The stern mare that was Dawn's co-commander ordered as the Revenge veered away again, cloaking as we heard a filly's voice.

"Scotch Tape here, I've got an idea! Xenith, look at your console, do you see an icon with an arrow on it?" My zebra friend examined her console for a moment until she saw the button.

"Yes, I see it, young one."

"Good, tap it and fire another torpedo on my mark!" Xenith tapped the button as the torpedo icon changed to a new blue one, a timer with the number "30" in front of it.

The Revenge de-cloaked again as it's right side fired more laser beams at us, the Chestnut and Sebrova taking hits. I grew worried as Homage cried out. "That hit struck our torpedo bay! Hull is down to 56%!"

"Our shields are down to 40%, hull damage is minor." I raised an eyebrow at Velvet's words, if the Sebrova took a huge amount of damage from that shot, we should be a burning wreck by now!

"Ha! You won't last much longer now, DJ." The stern mare said as the Revenge cloaked again. I stood up as I walked to Xenith's console, the torpedo counter reading "12" as I heard Scotch Tape's voice.

"Fire the torpedo now!" As soon as she said that, Xenith tapped the torpedo button on her console, the newly modified torpedo firing a second later. I noticed a slight difference as it moved, a light would flash occasionally during it's flight around the battlefield.

"Oh, please, what good will that thing do?" I heard Dawn say as the torpedo continued flying, going in a random direction. No....

It was going in the direction of the Revenge!

I smirked as I spoke back to the mare, looking to Velvet as I signaled her to begin transporting the crew a second after. "Well, you should be scared right now. After all, did you not know that this ship has a console that can fire torpedoes that detect cloaked ships?"

Her and Red Eye's reactions were priceless. "What?!"

As Dawn said that, I smiled as I saw the torpedo fly towards the Revenge's spot, Red Eye cringing as his beloved ship was about to be destroyed.

"NO! MOVE US AWAY! GET US OUT OF HERE!!!" The now not-so-stern mare screamed in rage as a part of the Revenge exploded, male screams of pain sounding through the comms as the ship started to blow apart. The Chestnut, the Sebrova and the Wonderbolts all formed up as we flew around the vessel, the aft viewer appearing to show the large dreadnought exploding a moment later.

"YEEHAW!" Calamity cried out in excitement as we cheered, watching the large ship explode as we celebrated our victory over Red Eye's starship.

As we ceased our celebrating, I looked to Velvet, my friend looking back at her console as she spoke. "I've got them all, Littlepip. They're sitting in the brig as we speak."

I smiled as I looked to the viewscreen, which shifted to show the Harmony, the Sebrova, the Stratus and the Firefly all in formation, our ship behind them as Steelhooves and the green alicorn arrived back on the bridge through the turbolift to my left.

"Calamity, hail Twilight, please." My friend nodded as he tapped his console, the screen changing to show Twilight sitting in her chair as she spoke to us.

"Well, that's over with." The princess said as I replied with a smile.

"Yeah, but there's good news, we've destroyed the Star Forge and captured Red Eye, not to mention got the Chestnut back."

"Yes, that was a smart move, Littlepip. Thanks for your help." Admiral Stone said as he came into view, frowning as he continued. "Though, as much as I hate to take the fun away, my crew and I will need our ship back."

I nodded as I replied. "Don't worry, we've got our own ship to head back to as well." The admiral smiled as Twilight spoke again.

"The rest of the Alliance fleet is heading back to New Khitomer, we've been tasked with dropping you guys off back at home." I nodded as the princess continued. "Once again, the fleet has told me to pass their thanks to you, they all owe you their lives for what you done to help us."

I stood up as I replied to Twilight, my friends looking at me as I spoke. "With all due respect, Twilight, I couldn't have done it without you.... you, the crews of the Stratus, the Sebrova..." I looked to each of my friends, all of them smiling as I finished. "..my friends, it was because of you that we all won, and I owe you for bringing you guys into this."

"Will a good ol' party aboard the Harmony cool the nerves, Lil'Pip?" Calamity asked as I smiled, approving the idea as I nodded. I then looked to Twilight as I spoke once more.

"We're ready for transport when you are."

"All right, we'll be waiting for you all on the bridge when you arrive." Twilight said as Pinkie Pie jumped in front of the screen.

"And then, it's time to celebrate the biggest party of our lives involving our victory in the biggest battle of our lives!" We laughed as Pinkie Pie sprayed confetti all around the bridge, our laughter ceasing a moment later as I spoke up.

"Yeah, and also, one more thing. Could you contact Daniels when we get there? I need to talk to him about something... It involves my friends." I looked to my friends as they returned their gazes, their faces beaming as they saw what I was getting at. I know I had the crew of the Harmony as family, but for me, my family is all of the ponies that were standing in the room with me, and I couldn't bear to be without them after today, alive or not.

Twilight nodded as she spoke one final time. "We can get it set up. I'm sure he'll be willing to accept you all as a team when you get back." I nodded as the screen changed to the view of our fleet, the Wonderbolts flying up to their carrier as we waited for the transporters of the Harmony to beam us back.

"You guys are like my family, you know?" I said with a smile as my friends looked to me, smiling back as Velvet replied.

"Indeed, and like any family, I'm grateful we're all together again." As she finished, we were all surrounded by blue fields of energy, the bridge of the Chestnut fading as we were beamed away to the Harmony once again.