9 - Our Flag Shall Fly Again
~ 1 Year Later ~
It had been a long and difficult process, especially when Kepler had been forced to watch as his nation’s pride was dismantled piece by piece. Yet he knew it was a necessary hardship that he alone had to bear, given some of the parts within his ship were simply beyond the ability of the Gryphon Empire’s industry to replicate.
Two months into the dismantling of his vessel, the gryphons had stripped down the upper decks, and the main guns had been removed from their mountings. Five months in and the outer hull had been removed entirely. Then, just five days before the anniversary of his arrival in this crazy world, the last section of framing was being flown off into the distance, leaving the beach bare for the first time in nearly a year.
During the duration of the dismantling and research process, Kepler had worked on learning how to fly, with Hauptmann Silverwing acting as his instructor in the absence of Gloria. It had been a long and painful process, given the officer was not willing to compromise on how his lessons were taught. Needless to say, Kepler learned how to fly more from the desire to avoid crashing into the ocean waters below him than from the actual lessons being imparted upon him by the white gryphon.
As the last section of his ship was being flown away, Kepler was left alone for the remainder of the day as the Oberst conversed with the liaison left behind by Queen Chrysalis in the camp command center. He had been informed by Oberst Talonedge that his duties were complete, for the time being. The changeling chevalier the queen had ordered to act in her stead was a head taller than the standard drone, his armor formed from thicker sections of his chitin instead of the navy plate of the Hive Guard. While the stallion was personable enough and hid a cutting sense of humor behind his stoic veneer, he also possessed the unnerving ability to act as the eyes, ears, and mouthpiece of his queen at the drop of a hat. Once, Kepler had been speaking with the stallion about some of his duties outside of being a messenger, when his eyes had shifted from their normal blue orbs into the Queen’s slitted emerald irises. The sudden change had been enough to cause Kepler to jump back in fright as the Queen’s voice emanated from the stallion’s mouth.
Suffice to say, Kepler had been even more careful than usual about how he acted and what he said around the chevalier, knowing that, at any moment, the Queen could be listening in on their conversation.
Twice, the gryphon king had come to inspect the progress of the research camp: once immediately after Kepler had returned from the changeling hive, and the other two months prior to the last section of his ship being flown away via airship. Both times, he had said little to Kepler, focusing more on interacting with the changeling liaison and going over plans with the Oberst. From what Kepler had been able to gather, his ship was indeed being rebuilt at one of the major shipyards near the capital, but he hadn’t learned much else in terms of plans or the status of the new ship’s construction. Over the last twelve months, he had imparted all he knew onto the engineers and enchanters stationed at the camp, holding onto only a few select secrets in the event he needed a bargaining chip in the future.
Now, as the dawn on the one-year anniversary of his arrival broke over the camp, Kepler was awoken by an echoing screech, jerking from his bed and into a position of attention. Standing in the opening of his tent was Oberst Talonedge as well as the changeling chevalier standing just behind him with the Queen’s eyes already on display.
Kepler maintained his salute as the officer walked into the tent, the flaps closing behind the puppet changeling as his horn ignited in a bright green aura. A pulse of energy washed over the walls and sealed every opening while every sound from outside faded into nothing. Kepler dropped his salute as the glow around the changeling’s horn subsided, his curiosity peaked as to why he was being addressed in his tent instead of in the command center.
“It would seem your information about the functions of your ship has borne fruit,” Talonedge groused as he waved a claw lazily through the air. “All of the preliminary tests have come back without flaw, and test firings of the hybrid weapons have proven successful.” The puppet changeling stepped up beside the larger gryphon but remained quiet for the moment as Talonedge continued. “As promised, my King has offered the position of commander of this new vessel to you, should you desire to take it.”
“I will also be returning your little friend to you,” Queen Chrysalis stated through her drone’s mouth. “You have delivered upon your promise to give us a ship and tactics that will crush the Equestrians before our might. I see no reason to hold the hen any longer.” The Queen’s eyes turned to Talonedge as she continued. “She will be released from her pod and escorted back to your base before the sun reaches midday, unharmed and healthy, as promised.”
Talonedge nodded. “We will be waiting for her at Fort Sandclaw. Come,” he jerked his head for Kepler to follow, “we must be off if we are going to meet with King Skybeak. He is coming to the fort to speak with the research teams about what has been accomplished with their efforts.”
While it grated on Kepler’s nerves that he was being sidelined again in favor of the gryphons around him, he let it slide because he knew who the real mastermind was, himself. Most of the research team was friendly with him because of the relationships he had forged over the last year, and several waved as he followed the Oberst out into the center of the camp. Their friendly smiles were a sharp contrast to the serious frowns of the soldiers that stood on post.
Talonedge spread his wings and took to the air once they were clear of the tents, his wake kicking up a cloud of dust that forced Kepler to squint and cough several times. The chevalier smirked; his eyes returned to their normal blue as his insectile wings buzzed to the point of near invisibility. Kepler rolled his eyes as he spread his wings, taking a moment to enjoy the rush of the wind against the membranes before taking off with a hard downward flap. The trio rapidly gained altitude as they turned inland, the terrain passing by under them at high speeds as they made their way towards the fort. Kepler had not been to Fort Sandclaw since his return from the hive and was rather surprised by the advancements that had come since he last saw the walls of the base.
Gone were the simple cannons and torches that had once guarded the outer walls. Now, heavy artillery mounts and spotlights stood sentinel over the desert sands, their fresh metal plating shining under the rising sun as the small group came in for a landing in the central courtyard. Even more surprising were the advancements that had been made behind the walls, hidden until Kepler and his fellows were over the fort itself. Standing like spires of metal death in each of the four corners of the fort were adapted twin-linked flak cannons that could be pointed at any airborne threats approaching or flying over the base. The weapon emplacements were a surprise, given Kepler’s limited knowledge of Gryphon industry, and it was enough to make him pause as he realized that the innovations from his ship were being adapted for broader uses far faster than he had first expected.
Oberst Talonedge led the group into the fort’s command building, whereupon Kepler was instructed to wait in the Oberst’s office until called upon. The stallion nodded his understanding, even as his frustration began to grow. He watched out the window at the back of the room as Talonedge and the chevalier entered the fort’s parade grounds, whereupon the remainder of the camp staff were coming in for a landing. Kepler waited as King Skybeak flew in from the North a few minutes later, unable to hear what was being said because of the glass pane between them, but able to see the accolades that were being passed about like cake at a party. The stallion sighed as he walked back to the center of the room and sat down, knowing that he would have his time to shine. He just had to prove himself to those under his command instead of trying to fight against the current regime. If the Gryphon high command wanted to push him aside, then he would simply make them see his worth by proving that there was absolutely no one who could produce better results when given a fully operational battleship.
It was a good hour later when the door to the office finally opened, revealing Talonedge, Skybeak, and the changeling chevalier, while the remainder of the King’s guard took up post outside the room. Skybeak stepped forward and stared down at Kepler with an odd, predatory look in his eyes. At first, Kepler thought the avian might be upset with him, but that notion was quickly discarded as the King’s beak curled into a small smile.
“You have done well, Leutnant zur See,” he stated as Talonedge walked forward with a wooden box in his talons. “In recognition of your efforts to educate and improve the abilities of my people, I am offering you something no non-gryphon has ever earned.” He nodded to the Oberst who opened the box before him, revealing two navy blue cloth sleeves with the gold bars and star of a Kapitän zur See.
“Your reward, as promised,” Skybeak said as he lifted the ranks from the box and presented them to Kepler, “is a position at the helm of our newest ship, should you choose to take it. You have provided a great gift to my people, and we of the Gryphon Empire never leave our debts unpaid. Take them, and together, we shall bring the Empire into a bright new era.”
Kepler stared at the ranks being held before him, taking only a moment to think about it before reaching out and picking them up with a wing-claw. He currently lacked any formal armor or uniform to put them on, although he had a feeling the King was already planning ahead on that front. Skybeak nodded before turning to the chevalier, whose eyes once again shifted to those of the Queen.
“Your Highness, we are ready to move forward with our plans, if you are still willing to assist us in this grand endeavor.” The King’s tone was polite, yet slightly forced, as if he were still finding it difficult to parley with a changeling.
Chrysalis either did not notice or did not care, because the drone’s lips pulled back into a wicked smile as the Queen chuckled. “Oh, I wouldn’t miss this for the world. You can rest assured that my soldiers will be ready and waiting at the docks when your flagship sets sail.”
Skybeak smiled as he turned to Talonedge. “Gather every fleet transport we have and call a total mobilization of our forces. I want at least six battalions ready to ship out by morning and the rest of our troops on standby should they be needed.”
The Oberst saluted. “By your will, sir.”
With that, Kepler found himself quickly stowed away in the hold of the royal air skimmer, a sleeker and faster design than the standard airships employed by the Equestrians. The pointed bow allowed the narrow craft to cut through the air while the triple propellers pushed it through the sky at a much higher speed than the pony equivalent, the enchanted gems on the bow and keel removing the need for a vulnerable air balloon above the deck to keep it afloat. They were traveling towards the capital of Gryphonstone, or rather, the coastal district that held the nation’s shipyards at the base of the great city’s mountain locale. There, they would be shipped off across the Sparkling Sea until they made landfall on the eastern shores of Equestria.
Kepler still did not know the entire plan, but that was why a few of Chrysalis’ soldiers would be traveling onboard the ship to act as long-range communications between the crew and Gryphon high command back in Gryphonstone. They would only be informed of the exact plan once the fleet was underway to help prevent any leaks that could alert the Equestrians of the imminent attack. While both leaders knew it would be impossible to hide the existence of such a huge flagship from the Equestrians’ intelligence network, there was every precaution being taken to make it look like the ship was being used as a deterrent against the other enemies the Empire currently faced. Only Kepler and a select few officers knew what the true purpose of the ship was, and if everything went according to plan, it would stay that way.
They flew through the night without stopping to reach the capital on time, the speed of the skimmer high enough that had anyone fallen overboard, there would have been no way to catch up with the rapidly flying craft. Kepler was ordered to remain out of sight until the naming and christening of the new vessel took place, allowing him to sneak on board with the rest of the crew, while the mass of reporters and onlookers would hopefully prevent any intelligence agents from getting a good look at him.
His identity was considered a crown secret, hidden even from the majority of the king’s staff, in order to keep the Equestrians in the dark for as long as possible. He had been sworn in as an Imperial officer the moment he had accepted his new rank, which sat on the upper halves of each foreleg, along the sleeves of his brand-new dress uniform. The dark blue cloth had been pressed to a razor’s edge, causing Kepler slight discomfort around the base of his wings due to the rigidity of the fabric. Yet this was not an unfamiliar feeling, as his old uniform fit similarly around his shoulders when he had still been human. The gold trimming that was used to accent the coat along the cuffs and collar added a bit of flair to the otherwise simplistic design, and he had been given a dark gray beret to go with his uniform. The insignia of his rank was presented for all to see on the front as he looked at himself in the mirror inside his cabin. While he bemoaned the lack of pants, he understood that neither ponies nor gryphons typically wore clothing to cover their lower halves, so he figured it would be better than nothing if he were going to have a uniform at all.
Kepler jumped as the craft came to a stop, the bump from the keel contacting the ground enough to pull him from his musings. Paying mind to not let himself be seen, he glanced out of the nearby window and beheld a grand sight. Resting in the branches of an absolutely titanic tree, kilometers above the coastline below, was Gryphonstone. Such was the majesty that his eyes were beholding that he almost forgot to keep his head down as several gryphons flew past the ship with various ropes and other securing tools in their talons. Making sure to stay hidden this time, Kepler looked out over the bustling city before him. The streets were clogged with gryphons of every shape and size, with colors ranging from one end of the rainbow to the other. And there, just over the rooftops of the nearest houses, was his new ship.
Partly covered in a tarp to hide the name and number on the bow, the ship was at least six times the height of the nearest building, the twin turrets on the bow and stern looking almost exactly like the main guns on his former posting. The steel flashed in the sunlight and he could see the Empire’s flag waving from the top of the command tower, so very much like his own flag and yet different enough to be distinguishable. The various weapons were capped for safety until the ship was launched, and the gangplank was pulled back to prevent anyone from simply walking aboard. There were also armored soldiers with new versions of their rifles flying patrols around the ship to prevent any flying beings from entering the craft. All and all, if Kepler had not known any better, he could have sworn he was looking at the Bismarck before her maiden voyage.
King Skybeak stepped onto the stage leading up to the bow of the ship, his talons holding a bottle of what Kepler assumed was wine or champagne, and called out to the assembled gryphons in a tone that reached even Kepler as he moved about below the skimmer’s decking.
“Citizens of Gryphonstone!” The echo was nearly enough to drown out the rising voices of the populace, their excitement growing with every second as Kepler slipped out the back of the skimmer and towards the gathered gryphons of the crew. He knew he had to be careful to avoid being seen, or else risk the Equestrians that were scattered through the crowd noticing something was amiss.
“For so long, our people have sailed the seas and flown through the air on both wing and craft.” Skybeak was gesturing wildly with his open talon, the bottle in his other claw sloshing back and forth. “And yet, we have lived in fear of the enemies that sail against us. Today, we make the first step towards a bright new future. One where we can fly and sail across the world without any risk to our safety. In the name of that grand vision, I present to you, for the first time, the Bismarck-class battleship, the G.I.S. Tyr!”
The tarp covering the bow of the ship was ripped away as the King smashed the bottle against the steel, the bright new letters and numbers on the bow shining bright and white against the darker metal. The crowd went wild as the crew began to file over the gangplank, Kepler following suit as he slipped between two larger tercels to stay hidden.
It only took a moment for the line of creatures to move inside the superstructure of the vessel and to split into various directions. Everyone knew where they needed to be and what they needed to do, so Kepler made his way up to the bridge via one of the vertical shafts that had been built into the central structure of the ship. These were a new addition which the Bismarck had lacked, to allow flying crew members a faster travel mode from level to level instead of taking the stairs. Kepler popped out of the shaft a level below the bridge, given the shaft ended a level short for the sake of security, before taking a set of stairs the rest of the way. The stallion came to a halt as a wave of nostalgia washed over him, the familiar screens and workstations of the bridge bringing back memories of his time serving on the original Bismarck.
He only had a moment before the gryphons and now revealed changelings spotted him, one of the younger crew members crying out, “Kapitän on deck!”
The rest of the crew stopped and threw themselves into salutes, giving Kepler a thrill of pride as he remembered doing the exact same for his Admiral on the Bismarck. “Carry on, we’ve got important work to do. Don’t waste it by pausing to salute me every time I walk into a room.” Kepler walked up to the chair that sat in the center of the room, taking his seat as he turned to face his fellow bridge-mates. “Status of the rest of the crew?”
One of the young hens by the far-left wall called out as she pulled one side of her headset off her bright, red head. “The boiler rooms are on standby and awaiting your command, sir.”
“Weapons crews for all four main turrets are going over preparations for loading and firing as we speak, sir,” another of the communications officers called out, this one an older tercel with a long scar down the side of his face, while various other reports came back from the crew as they took their posts.
Kepler nodded, turning his attention to the wide windows that covered the front wall of the bridge. His gaze traveled over the soft waves of the Sparkling Sea in front of the ship as a collection of troop transport airships pulled up level with the coast on either side. They were carrying the majority of the soldiers that would be landing on the Equestrian coast, while the Tyr stayed further back to bombard the landing site from afar.
“Fähnrich zur See,” Kepler said in his most commanding tone, “tell the engine rooms to fire up the boilers. Kapitänleutnant, ensure our secondary systems and armaments are up and running as soon as we are able. I want us to be fully operational by the time we hit the open ocean. Also, remind the weapon crews not to load ammunition until I give the order.” The last thing they needed was a weapon mishap while still in port.
Both gryphons smiled, saluting smartly as they cried out in unison, “Sir, yes sir!”
Down in the operating room of the first boiler, Unterbootsmann Franz Tailwind was holding his ignition crystal at the ready, his talons itching to be the first to light the hybrid engines and hear the roar of magic and science working as one. His communications contact let out a shriek as the order to light the boilers came, and Franz was more than happy to oblige as he shoved the crystal into the waiting slot on the front panel of his controls for the massive boiler. The purple gem glowed from the magic contained within, shooting off sparks as the wires and mana pathways lit up with the same energy.
Franz could only marvel as the boiler began to hiss and rumble, his talons deftly moving over the levers and controls as the rumble grew into a steady roar. As the other boilers around him flared to life seconds after the first, Franz could not contain his glee any longer and cried out at the top of his lungs, “Gods, I love my job!”
Under the plating and motors of the forward batteries, Oberbootsmann Alexia Featherwind heard the order to test the primary turrets come down, and the petite hen was more than happy to do so as she pulled a lever to prime the arming mechanism.
“Testing turret motors! Brace yourselves!” she called out as she pulled another lever on her right. Motors whined and gears ground against one another while the turret around them began to slowly turn to starboard. As the turret changed position, Alexia spun a small wheel on her left, elevating the barrels one after the other before returning them to their original position. Simultaneously, her partner was keeping an eye on the hydraulic pressure and had her claw on the emergency stop button just in case anything went wrong. Their eyes met in excitement when the turret slowly came to a halt before turning back the other direction, and both hens gave out a screech of joy when all systems checked out as fully functional.
“Status of turret one?” the voice of the Kapitänleutnant on the bridge called over the intercom.
Alexia slid her headset over her head and smiled as she replied into the mic, “Turret one is fully operational and ready to go, sir!”
On the bridge, Kepler nodded as the status reports of the engines came back without issue. The officers’ continued chatter filled the bridge with an excited din while more and more of the mighty ship’s weapons were brought to ready status. “Alright everyone, let us get this ship underway. All engines, ahead full!”
He smiled as Korvettenkapitän Whiteclaw beside him replied in kind, “All ahead full, aye, sir!”
The turbines began to move as power was diverted from the boilers and into the screws at the back of the ship, their first shuddering movements quickly changing into rapid rotations as the ship began to pull away from its moorings. Kepler paid the cheering crowd no mind as they moved away from the shore, the airships falling in on either side in a wedge formation with the Tyr at the fore as they headed out to sea.
Waves crashed against the bow of the ship as it cut through the water, and Kepler could feel the familiar sway and dip as the ship rocked over the small swells near to shore. One of the larger waves managed to break over the bow and splash the crew that had stayed on deck near the forward turrets, yet, other than a few grumbling birds, no harm was done.
The changeling who had been standing next to Kepler the entire time slowly stepped forward as the Tyr moved into the waters beyond the edge of the harbor, the drone’s slimmer features marking her as a mare as her eyes shifted to the slit pupils of her Queen.
“It would seem everything you’ve done so far is paying off,” Chrysalis stated with a smirk. “One would think you were actually working off of a real plan instead of flying ahead blindly.”
Kepler ignored the jab, somewhat true though it was, and replied with a rather important question. “Did Gloria make it back to Fort Sandclaw safely?”
The changeling nodded. “She made it back just after you and the King left in your airship. She has been begging us to let her go with you, but, given her station in the army, the King had to deny the poor thing’s request. Oh, you should have seen how she got down on her belly and begged to go with you, but orders are orders, and she’s been sent back to Fort Sandclaw for the foreseeable future. I wouldn’t worry about her though, knowing the both of you, she’ll find some way to get back to your side.”
Kepler understood the difficulties that had been laid before him concerning the young hen and her wild emotions, so with a quick shake of his head to clear his thoughts, the stallion focused on the mission at hand. “What is our primary target?”
The puppet drone smiled deviously as she replied. “The primary military and trade port on the entire Eastern Equestrian coast, Manehatten. If you can target the airship docks and the harbor, then we can cripple most of the Equestrian fleet in one fell swoop. Plus, with our troops taking control of the city, it will act as a perfect landing point for more soldiers as we move further inland.”
Kepler nodded. “Understood. Korvettenkapitän, set a course for Manehatten.”
“Setting course for Manehatten, Aye Sir!” Whiteclaw cried as the ship slowly turned to the Northwest, her bow slashing through the waves as the airships moved to follow.
The sun hung overhead as the fleet moved through the waters and skies towards its destination, the peaceful city ahead completely unaware of the disaster that was about to befall it.
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Great job with the story
Now to see some action. Truly inspiring to see this young man working to advance the cause of Harmony betwixt gryphons and changelings.
Quite the chapter this one is, I have to wonder though how well Tyr will fair if any of the princesses decides to be more directly involved.
The picture and title lead me on, i though this was about the Yamato
I am loving it keep up the great work and I can't wait to see whats in store
More please
Hell yeah!
Obligatory:
Lets see if this ends the same for this rebuilt and improved? Bismark.
sad the ship didn't keep the name but not bad. Curious to see how Equestrai will response to one of the top ten BB designs of WW2
This is epic!!!! Keep up the good work.
Can't wait to see [Tyr] show off what she can do in combat!
Worth the wait!
Curious to know how luna is fairing after getting shot out of the dream realm
Anticipating a ‘’TRAITOR!’’ scene for when our dear Captain’s identity gets revealed to the ponies, can’t wait!
It's time for war.
I am loving it and glad to see progress being made at last! I’ll admit the last couple of chapters felt more like fillers then anything else but still good and can’t wait to see this kick off!
And so, another chapter is published. Congrats on getting it up.
so long as they dont fuck up the approach, they have a shot at a surprise bombardment
I am kind of hoping the ponies are harboring an American who is knowledgeable on like bombers or something
Tyr, such an interesting and stories name.
So now the shit will start hitting the fan, I just wonder if this will be a Pearl Harbor or a Midway.
Continue on my friend.
Yay new chapter \^w^/
Now the question is, what is going to happen next? Will the bombardment go well, or the power of the sun, moon and rainbow laser will crush the fleet?
Will the changeling and gryphons betrayed the other at a moment notice?
Will Gloria and Kepler reunite?
Will I stop making so many questions and instead wait for the next chapter?
Who knows, I also know that I really happy to see this fic continue and that I can’t wait to read more :)
Let's see how the magic of friendship goes up against modern weaponry.
Ahhhhh~
Der Krieg beginnt mit der Bombardierung
This is wonderful
It is a very good concept for a story I’ll give you that. The characters are very interesting too, but the thing that turns me off would be the nazis. I’m sorry but when it comes to the concept of nazis I lose interest.
10774513
Luna drops the moon. Or Sunbutt drops solaris one
Poor gloria...
10807608
All I’m interested in is the battleship in Equestria part.