Captain Filta was unfazed by the constant shelling. However, one thing did make him flinch. His brow furrowed as he squinted at the sky above the rising smoke of the pelted world.
"Curious..."
"Hmm?" Shell hummed as if he was in mid slumber throughout the whole bombardment. "Do you see the suspect?"
"No, but... I see something else."
"Would you care to be more specific, Captain?"
"A civillian ship, a bogey, heading straight for us," Captain pointed. "And at a surprisingly slow speed too."
"I also see it!" Evans exclaimed, pointing over the smoke of firing cannons. "Judging by the colors, it looks like one of Nightshade's aircraft."
The mare in question stirred in her shackles behind the enforcers.
Shell's nostrils flared. "I stand corrected, Captain Filta. That is indeed curious." He gazed aside at Evans. "I regret to admit that my eyesight isn't what it used to be. Does it appear to be carrying any weapons?"
"I... I'm afraid I can't tell from here."
"Hmmmph..." Shell gazed ahead once more, squinting at the incoming violet object. "Perhaps they have gotten smart and are delivering the target to us."
"I don't understand..." Evans gazed aside. "Wouldn't she just fly herself?? She's always been the type to meet our forces head on, from what I understand."
"Unless we finally got to the traitors down below," Filta remarked. "And they ganged up on her to force a surrender."
"Only one way to find out." Prime Enforcer Shell turned and gestured towards a nearby guard. The Ledomaritan trotted across the thunderous deck and hoofed him a spyglass.
"I just can't get over how slow its approach is," Evans said, his young breath chuckling. "Are they trying to pull off some form of intimidation?"
"They would know better at this point." That said, Shell stared through the spyglass.
The ship was in far better shape than the Noble Jury, though that wasn't saying much. Its hull was blemished and scuffed up in several places. The vehicle appeared to be running on low, which at first was a possible explanation for its slow speed. But then, as if somehow sensing that it was being observed, the craft stalled completely in midair. Try as he might, the best Shell could discern was a shuffling figure from beyond the translucent windshield.
"Shall we fire upon it, sir?" Filta asked.
"Standby..." Shell muttered, his one eye squinting harder.
Before his gaze, the vessel tilted about until its starboard side faced the Steel Wing. The hatch with Nightshade's colors slid open with a hiss. A figure could be seen inside, clad in a dark brown cloak.
"Uhm... sir...?" Evans spoke up.
The figure leaned out into the doorframe. With two hooves, she lowered the hood of her cloak. Imre stared directly at the warship with stone-hard eyes.
Shell's gaze faltered. He nearly dropped the spyglass as his entire breath left him. He lowered the spyglass, just as bulbs of sweat ran down his pale face.
Evans saw it, and he blanched in reflection of the mortified look of fear.
"Sir, the vessel will soon be blocking our line of fire," Filta said. "Give me the word, and I'll blast it out of the air."
Shell's mouth hung open. A brisk wind kicked at his graying features.
Filta took a breath. He turned towards the enforcers minding the cannons and prepared to give them a signal.
"No..."
Filta froze. He raised an eyebrow in Shell's direction.
The Prime Enforcer gulped dryly before murmuring, "Cease fire."
Evans blinked.
Filta pivoted about, his face wracked with confusion. "I beg your pardon, sir?"
"Cease all fire..." Shell murmured once again. "That's an order..."
"Sir, the target is within sight! They have her!" Filta frowned and pointed, "If we just focus fire now on the twin vessels, they'll have no choice but to—"
Shell spun, his one eye burning like an angry beacon. "I said cease fire!" He bellowed, and his horn pulsed forth a cloud of telekinesis.
Filta and Evans fell on their haunches. Several enforces lost their balance as the whole Steel Wing rocked, then settled.
Nightshade stared, dumbfounded at the scene.
Shell seethed and seethed, the vessels along his temple throbbing as he took one icy step towards Filta.
That was all the Captain needed. Clearing his throat, he stood up, adjusted his uniform, and ordered, "Cease fire! Call cannons! Cease fire immediately!"
One by one, the thunderous booms in the sky dwindled. Evans gawked with disbelief as Shell galloped towards the bow of the ship like a frightened foal. He squinted once more at the hovership.
Imre watched as the cannons ceased firing. Through the settling plumes of smoke, she let out a deep breath, and slumped back in her seat within the vessel's doorframe.
Shell gulped and spoke in a droning tone, "Bring her in... nice and slow..."
Shell finally shows a... soft side?
Time to reread Shell's flashback chapter.
3117494
His soft side seemed pretty friggin' pissed.
th04.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/f/2011/219/8/9/rainbow_dash___what_the_buck_by_dentist73548-d45rlbr.png
#disregardsleepreadInnavedr
3117507 Well, yeah, I'd be pissed if my daughter was in cahoots with the enemy, too.
Ooooh, she is so grounded!
...huh,well I'll be damned.
WHOOO! This is getting tense. I'm guessing that Imre is really someone close to Shell or maybe even Queen Ledo herself maybe. Someone with authority enough to stop Shell.
Regardless I, get that damn book into the engine and get Nancy Jane out of there.
LOL! And of COURSE, after a 5 chapter bomb hit us, we will get to wait awhile for the next chapter where we find out just what the hell is going on XD
Perhaps there's still a shred of loyalty to his family left in him after all. Not that it will ever mean anything in the end. You don't murder the mother of your children and expect to be forgiven.
And then Imre was Shell's mother and nothing hurt.
Dis gun be good.(too tired to post actual pictures.)
...I have a theory, but I'll hold off on giving it until I read the next chapters. If I'm right, we're in for quite a
And if I'm right, Shell and Dash would have more in common than either would like to admit.
Well, it's not fire, but at least we cracked ghost in the Shell.
SeewhatIdidthere
HO-LE-SHIT.
images.wikia.com/mlp/images/2/20/Rainbow_Dash_gasp_realization_S2E8.png
Or, in case that was lacking emphasis...
Woah. Woah, woah woah.
My mind is blown.
Something tells me that this strangely emotional reaction is going to turn into a different kind of emotional pretty quick. Its nice to see that Shell has some sense of equinity (its totally a word, shut up) left in him. Probably. Enough to let Imre get close enough and do what must be done, hopefully. It makes sense that she's so opposed to killing, and dedicated herself to healing, if Shell was the one that "raised" her. It seems like some blanks still need to be filled in, though. Pre-death speech, maybe?
Consider the feel bunkers prepared - onward!
Ye gods.
She's his daughter, isn't she?
IIIIIt's Dashie's 12th Marathon Evaluation Time!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh, boy. Imploding couldn't resist dropping one last bomb on us before the story ended...So Imre clearly has the authority to stop Shell. Who is she to him? His wife? His daughter? Probably his wife, out of those two...Huh. We didn't get any clues as to the connection between these two. These are my thoughts so far.
-MASH
Wat.
Imre is Shells wife or daughter. WWWWWWHHHHHHAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTT
I bet imre is shell's wife
>Several enforces lost their balance
Do you mean "enforcers"?
3199272 He killed his wife
Guess Shell isn't as capable of sacrifice as he so dearly thinks.
Oh man!
Is... Is Imre Shell's daughter?
-Spirit
If Shell actually is her father... welp, I freaking called it 70 chapters ago.
4761010
And you spoiled it for me for the entire story.
What will Shell do?
whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa??????????????
Oh dang, Slip Kid was right! Imre is gonna be his daughter!
Mothafugga
Waaaaaait a minute....
Is Imre who I think she is?
These two have a past...
Sooooo...Imre is Shell's daughter?
6810012 wife, probably
It would seem there is one thing in the world that this hollow shell still cares for.
Wait a minute... Don't tell me imre is...
8447433
I figured it out after last chapter, a few minutes after I stopped reading. So I had a minor freak out for half a second from no outside input.
That's...dumbfounding.
I wonder if that cloak is enchanted or he just has history with her?
There's no way she's related, but still...