As a part of a plan to protect her subjects, Princess Celestia created the Royal Armed Forces.
The Equestrian Navy had always protected those who ventured onto the deep, but when it came to fighting, they were woefully unprepared. With the loss of so many of the EN ships, and the new found enemy of the Changelings, Princess Celestia initiated the Royal Armed Forces Act, part of which called for a massive build-up of the navy from one of wood and canvas to that of a steel and steam. This is the story of the Schornhorse, the First True Battleship of the Royal Equestrian Navy.
To: Captain (Sr. Gd) Storm Seas From: First Lord Blue Blood
Dear Sir,
You are hereby requested and instructed to board Her Equestrian Majesties Ship Schornhorse, and complete what work is yet to be done shipping her complement of Sea-ponies and Mareines, and preparing her in every respect for Sea. It is Her Majesties' express Orders that you employ the most vigorous Exertions to accomplish these Objects and put your Ship as speedily as possible in a situation to sail at the shortest notice.
I look up from the parchment. I knew this day would come but never so soon. The Schornhorse! the newest ship from the Manehattan ship yard! I magic the paper back to my desk. Emotions and memories of my past careen through my mind as I move to the door. of my office.
Ten years ago I never would have wanted to join the Armed Forces. My family was a military one and my elder brother had taken that path, I didn't. I would have been content to study at the Canterlot College and spend hour upon hours studying the scrolls of Great library. I wanted to become a historian, but my hopes were dashed and my destiny altered when the Changelings attacked. It was at that moment when I was holding my dad's guard rifle that I knew I was a warrior.
So I joined the newly created Royal Equestrian Navy. My father ranted but my brother hooved my mane and, well my mom just had the smile that confirmed to me i had done my family proud.
The last ten years have been a blur since I entered the Officer Training Academy. I used my study skills to their full advantage and blew my classmates out of the water. I got my Commission to serve on the E.N.S. Harmony for my middy-cruise and from there on I jumped the rating scale like it was a game of hop-scotch.
And now I'm a Captain Senior grade, with a commission to make any officer green with envy. The Schornhorse! I could wait any longer, I had to see her!
Manehattan Naval Ship Yard. Slip 5
I could say that I cantered the distance from the Admiralty house to the docks but I would be lying. A full Gallop is better equated with my pace. A quick straighten of the four gold bands around my neck, and I'm ready to go.
I pace myself as I wind through the myriad of guards and yard dogs. So much has happened in ten years its amazing.
We jumped the tech tree as fast as we could but the changelings just adapted their armory to match ours. I knew we had to find a new way to counter their advantage but nopony knew where to look or how to begin. That is until a certain somepony from the town of Ponyville, a mare by the name of Lyra Heartstrings found a scroll in the Great Library.
She joined the Navy two or so years after I did, and climbed the rating ladder as best she could. I ran into her my last year at the Academy. She was a strange pony, going on and on about "humans" and their world. She was always digging around the Library for materiel on them and we ran into one another many times. I was looking to history to find an answer to our military problems, she was looking for more "human" records. And that is what gave us the edge.
Humans apparently were masters of combat, building bigger and greater weapons, ships that could fight enemies over the horizon, ones that flew in the sky, and some that roamed the land on strips of steel. The R&D Department Snatched her out of training and made her a Lieutenant fast then you could say Celestia.
All that only leads to the one thing that held my gaze. Floating mere meters in front of me was the newest Battleship of the Royal Navy. As much as I would have loved to go on-board, I wasn't her Skipper yet.
She was every thing the Papers said she was. At almost three hundred meters and nearly forty across she was the largest single warship in the whole fleet. And the heaviest too, weighting in a astonishing 58 thousand tonnes at rest she would top 70 thousand fully loaded, and she didn't stop there. All of her stats blew every ship we had in commission to the side, and I got to be her first Captain. I reached out a hoof in longing to touch her sides, and didn't notice the sound of approaching hoof steps.
"Good Evening Captain Seas," A melodious voice said from beside me. I started when I saw a brief glimmer of sky blue mane and instantly reacted, bowing low with one hoof extended in formal greeting.
"Your Majesty, I'm sorry I didn't hear your approach!" I said quickly.
"No need to grovel here, Captain, I am just a visiting civilian at this moment." Her eyes smiled as she looked back towards the behemoth of steel that floated in the darkness. "i figured you would be here so I came to give you your informal orders."
"My Orders?!" I took a half step back in amazement.
"Yes Captain, you see when Admiral Blue blood said he was trying to find a candidate for this post I put forth your name," I couldn't believe this, I got nominated by the Princess herself?! "I had seen your work and your ethics and believe you would and will be the most fitting for this job. you see the war we hoped would never fully develop is, I'm afraid, going to very soon. The Gryphons and Dragons have signed a pact of non aggression and the Changelings are gathering forces. We will need strong and brave stallions and mares to keep them at bay, but also ones who know what the fight is really about. this isn't just a battle for our lives and that of our friends, its a fight for Equestria and all she stands for. That's what I want you to remember, Storm Seas."
"Yes, Princess," I manage weakly, "I will remember."
"Well then I suggest we both retire for the night, Its a big day tomorrow!"
"Yes Ma'am!" I say with all the soul I posses
"Oh and one more thing, Storm, Your ship's motto." She pauses for a brief second and magics a small scroll to me. I take hold with my magic and unroll it slowly,
"Read it aloud." She prompts me.
"Schornhorse Immer Voran." I say slowly, the words are strange to my tongue, "what does it mean?"
She smiles briefly and responds, "It means Always Proceed Schornhorse. a fitting Motto I believe?"
"Yes Ma'am." I gently put the scroll in my carrying case and when I looked back she had gone, as silently as she had arrived.
You know those times when your sound asleep and your dreaming but it felt so real that it came as a shock to you that your were, in fact, dreaming. Well I had that happen to me last night.
I was dreaming of the Schornhorse, sailing through high seas and engaging a far off enemy. The thunder of her main battery tore the sky like Lightning, shells racing toward their targets at over the speed of sound. I felt the rumble of the guns through my whole frame but then I felt it again, and again, and again. A voice pierced my dream, "Storm Wake UP!"
The last fragments of the battle flew away as my mind finally made the connections, It was day time, the voice I heard was my mother's, I smelt cinnamon and apples so she had made my favorite breakfast, but why? Is today special? The only thing I had to do today was...
"BUCKETS OF OATS!!!" I shouted, flinging my self out of bed and nearly knocking over my dear mother. "It's Commissioning day!!" I micro teleported to my closet and swiftly dressed in my best dress uniform and the jumped again to the table downstairs. It would have been perfect if it wasn't for my dad standing in the doorway to the kitchen, and my forward momentum. I ran head long into my fathers iron form and rebounded onto my rump.
"Good, your awake," He grumbled, deep and resonant. "You're going to be late you know?" he looked down his snout at me like some teacher scolding a tardy student.
"Sorry, sir." I said weakly.
"Don't 'Sorry, Sir' ME young colt! Its you we should be bowing down to!" His face was now all smile as he extended a hoof to help me up, "to think my boy has gotten a Commission and on the Schornhorse no less! If there was ever a day I should be proud of you on, Today is that day!"
"Stern!" My mom called from upstairs, "stop your 'proud of you son' spiel! he knows already! You were quite loud about it last night the someponies couldn't sleep well!"
"Mom's right dad." my brother said from in the kitchen,"Even I couldn't sleep through your praises." he muttered
"Fine, I surrender, but that doesn't mean you can be late!" he said as a well time knock on the door caught our attention.
"Colonel Wind, Sir!" a voice called out, "the Honor Guard is ready, Sir!"
"Thanks dad..." I said halfheartedly.
"No need for the thanks, son. Let's Go!"
Manehatten Naval Shipyard. Slip 5
I was now thoroughly annoyed with my dad. He loves to always point out that the Army is the best of Equestria's military and he spares no expense to show up the Navy or the Air force when ever he can. So when a full Army Honor Guard showed up, the Mareines gave them the what for. The exchange only took a few seconds but the Mareines sentries totally out shined the whole guard and sent them packing, but not without the Guard giving their final hurrah. They did a double line and back stepped off in perfect precision, their way to a wordless 'buck you'.
I could have cared less for the whole exchange but I had to live with it. Once the how hoopla was over I cantered my way through the shipyard till I reached Slip 5. I magicked the Mareine guard my ID folio and he scrutinized it as he should, but I could tell they both knew I was coming. He returned the folio to me and I began trotting forward but caught a brief flash of motion as he hoof went to his lapel. I turned back and looked at the sentry, he dropped the hoof instantly but I smiled.
"Go ahead Corporal."
He nodded and pressed the comm button on his lapel three times, an obviously prearranged signal. I wouldn't hurt to surprise the ship's compliment but not today. Toady was just to busy for that kind of prank. I continued onward to the docks, crossing the massive slip where my ship had lain during her construction.
At 295 meters long and 40.1 meters wide, the Schornhorse was by far the largest warship yet built. She was the brainchild of a certain Lieutenant Heartstrings, based some say of a concept she had unearthed at the Academy. I knew the truth, which was she did find the idea at the Library. Why do i know this? Because I was the first person she told.
We had spent many hours in the Great Canterlot Library, sometimes together and sometime apart, but during the time of my fourth year I got to know her very well. She was eccentric yes, but her mind was keen. We had spent hours together trying to design new and better ships and weapon systems. some of those designs were accepted into the Navy while others were worthless. It was during one night before my final Officers Tactical Exam that she came running up to me with a scroll held tightly in her magic.
"I found it!" she had said breathlessly.
"Found what?" I had asked.
"The answer! Its so simple! I can't believe we hadn't thought of this before!" she was aglow with excitement.
"What is it, your not making sense." I had stared to get annoyed.
"Battleships! That's what we need!" and with that she ran off to find then Commandant Blue Blood.
My thoughts had walked me to the docks I had stood on less then ten hours ago, and the dark floating shape was now in full view, and I drank it up.
***The Schornhorse was a smart looking ship. Her four, triple 38cm turrets stood like ready to strike panthers while the smaller 15cm secondaries watched the sides like hawks. Her main tower stood low to the deck crouched behind turret two's massive bulk, while the soaring main mast with its many levels of Fire Control and radar stood proudly over it squatting counterpart. The funnel, leading to the infernos that drove her forward, let go wisps of grey oil smoke and the slight shimmer of heat. Farther aft followed the rear Fire Control Directors tower and the final two turrets of the main battery. I just stood there totally mesmerized by the sight where the rush of hoofs reached my ears and the high pitch Bosun's whistle trilled out the welcome a a visiting Senior Grade Captain. I climbed up the gangway to the deck as was greeted by a full side party and an officer I hadn't seen in years.
"Permission to come aboard, Ma'am?" I saluted the sea green mare in front of me in the uniform of a Commander.
"Permission granted, Sir." She said with a slight smile, "May I escort you to the bridge?"
"Lead the way Commander Heartstrings." I said with the same slight smile.
BB-01 HEMS Schornhorse
I followed the Commander up the many winding steps and passages to the Bridge. I was grateful for the walk and for the silence. Since I had yet to assume control, I was a mere passenger till I read my orders to the ships crew. We made it to the bridge and I crossed over to the ship wide com and magicked it off its holder the pressed the talk switch. A loud chime of the all hands bell sounded throughout the ship as everyony stopped to listen. I cleared my throat and began to read.
"To: Captain (Sr. Gd) Storm Seas.
From: First Lord Blue Blood.
Dear Sir,
You are hereby requested and instructed to board Her Equestrian Majesties Ship Schornhorse, and complete what work is yet to be done shipping her complement of Sea-ponies and Mareines, and preparing her in every respect for Sea. It is Her Majesties' express Orders that you employ the most vigorous Exertions to accomplish these Objects and put your Ship as speedily as possible in a situation to sail at the shortest notice." I folded the parchment bask up and put in back into its case, I then returned to the speaker in from of me.
"I won't take up much of your time, and I know there is a lot to do, but I wish to convey something our great Princess Celestia told me. We are, as of this moment, Equestria's most powerful weapon. We must live up to that but also we must remember that we fight not for our life's, but for those of others, we fight for the principles that our great nation is founded upon. We are to be of one mind and one soul, we are now the Schorhorse. We are the shield of Equestria." I pause, feeling the mounting elation of the bridge and the ship in general as my words strike home, and suddenly finding my self without anything else to add when the motto I was told floated into my mind, "Schorhorse Immer Voran!"
" SCHORNHORSE IMMER VORAN!!!" the whole ship reverberated with the cry of hundreds of ponies voices'. I was stunned, I didn't think my words would be that powerful but the reaction was proof that they were. I felt my heart glow as the whole ship began to chant the motto over and over again. I magicked the microphone back to its stand with a click and turned to the Commander.
"I have command, Commander."
"You have command, Sir!" She said with a flourished salute which I returned, equally elated.
I heard the soft chime of the bell, the sound of approaching hoof-steps, and the low murmurs of the watch changing. I looked at the clock hanging from the wall and shook off the weariness that washed over me.
Getting a ship ready for sea is a daunting task, and for the last three weeks, I have drilled my crew through every scenario, both dockside and out in the deep. I wish the orders that sat before me had been set later, my crew just wasn't ready for a true mission, they were still too green, but orders were orders. I magicked my papers into my side case and trotted down the passages to my quarters. I took one last look out the porthole before settling into my cot. I was out before I knew it.
The Bridge
Commander Lyra Heartstrings looked into the captain's ready room. 'no sign of the Skipper, good' she thought as she turned back to the bridge.
The Captain had been running the ship's company hard ever since he came aboard and the crew had done their best. They had shown the Admiral just what the new ship could do. Looking back on the commissioning trial, she smiled. They had gone out with the Pride of the Navy, HEMS Canterlot, the super-dreadnought flagship of the East Fleet, along with the 5th Battle Squadron. They had been, "escorted" out of harbor and then taken a due north heading for an hour. The Captain had been silent the entire time, just standing there at his post till a signalmare trotted up to him with a note. He had magicked it to read and then handed it back.
"Helm, come to heading 0-4-5. All engines stand by for full power." He said
"Coming to heading 0-4-5, Aye, Sir!"
"Engineering standing ready, Sir!" "All Engines Ahead FLANK!" His voice never rose bu the power behind 'flank' was almost like he was using his voice to propel the ship forward.
At first there was no noticeable change in the ship's speed, and then there was. The first indication was the smoke the gushed from the two stacks aft of the forward tower. Their normal grey white turned a thick black as the grease-ponies below opened the throttle all the way and flushed the entire system with power. A low throb was felt as high as the compass platform as four massive propellers dug in to the water, forcing the huge ship forward. She dug in deep by the stern before the gargantuan forces begin applied to the drive shafts finally overcame her 76 thousand tonne bulk.
She smiled as the memory of the high speed run replayed in her mind. The Captain had run the engines for a full five minutes before he threw the rudder into a hard port turn that brought the ship a full 180 degrees in less than a minute. Everypony had braced for the turn and when it was completed the captain had the engine backed till the Schornhorse came to a stop. the remainder of the exercise was using the engines to steer, then refueling at sea, transfer of ordinance at sea, and then the final full speed run back to the harbor, but not with the escorts, against them. The Schornhorse had arrived a full twenty minutes ahead of the rest of the battle squadron and even the Admiral had to give it to the Captain.
"Ma'am?" a voice broke her memory and she shook the remnants away. "Yes Lieutenant?" she held her voice low. "There is a courier from the Admiralty with orders for the Captain." the Com Officer's voice was a bit harsh, but considering the hour it could be tolerated "At this hour? What is the Admiralty thinking? where is he now?" she had rose her voice back to normal levels. "The forward gangway, Ma'am" the lieutenant was obviously relived by the exec's irritation. "Bring him to the ready room. I'll see him there"
Main Engineering
Lieutenant Crystal Mesh paced the deck sole in livid fury. She had been working on number three turbine for hours now and had just finished the last repair and went to start it up but then realized that the 'hour' she and her team had spent on the turbine had been more like eight, and starting up a turbine at 01:30 was going to bring the Skipper on her head. So She had opted to pace over sleep and was waiting till 05:59 to kick the sucker over.
The Captain should know better then to run the ship's systems and crew so hard , but he had and even Crystal had to admit that it was working the green crew into a weapon of war, into Equestria's shield. But it was time like this that she was angry at the Skipper. Turbine Three had worked just fine up till the "race" home had blown some of her impellers out of alignment, causing a huge amount of noise and practically melted the eighth ring to scrap. It was a simple fix, pull out the broken ring and replace, but bits of the melted turbine blades had been blown through the low pressure turbine and that's were they lost all that time.
She continued pacing, the clock read 01:58 and she let out a sigh as the continued her pacing. I loud ring startled her as the phone line from the bridge rang. She trotted to it and pressed one hoof to the receive switch.
"Main Engineering," she said. "Mesh? What are you doing up!?" It was the exec. "I'm waiting to finish my repair on turbine three." she said like it should have been obvious. "Well that can wait, How soon can you get full steam on all ten boilers?" She sounded a bit rushed. "In ten minutes, but does the Skipper know? If I do that it will sure make some ponies unhappy." she bit her bottom lip, "I know and I'm going to be calling GQ in ten so get on it Lieutenant!" The Captains voice rang through the speaker and Crystal jumped again. "Yes, SIR!" She said and launched herself off the railing and into a glide to the forward bulkhead to the boiler rooms. She would get them in eight with that kind of encouragement!
Main Fire Control
First Gunnery Officer Trotter Muleheim was Pissed to say the least as he galloped to the Main Director at the top of the Mast. He had been sleeping peacefully when the GQ alarm blared him out of his bunk. He didn't know what the fuss was but a GQ drill and 0200 hours was a load of dragon dung in his mind. He entered the heavily armored room and set the headset on his head, careful not to bend his ears under the headphones weight.
He did a quick check of his instruments and again shook his head. 02;00 and the ship was still in Manehatten Harbor.
"Give me a visual run of the area, ten klicks. and update the bridge of any movement. from the normal traffic." he gave the order with nonchalance. He knew nothing was attacking. not at this hour, and not here. "Nothing out of the ordinary, Sir. The bridge has acknowledged our sweep." the pony who spoken was awake but he could tell he was as miffed as his superior was. "Good, are the links to the main and secondaries checked?" "Yes, Sir" another pony said. "Well then ponies, we now wait for..." his sentence was cut off by a sudden shift in the ship, He rushed to the starboard wing of the Director and saw that the ship was slowly drifting out from he dock heading towards the harbor entrance. "It seams today just got interesting." He said quietly.
The Bridge
I guess the nap helped clear my head but I was still trying to clear my head. The sudden orders meant something was up, and it wasn't just us either. The Canterlot was getting underway along with the Equestria and two cruisers. They had the advantage of being out from the docks and they didn't have to embark an Admiral. I had just finished reading my orders when Admiral Blue Blood entered my day room and gave me the quick brief. I was surprised that he was going to use my ship as flagship, but there was no time to get to the Canterlot and time was of the essence.
I knew I felt anxious but I also knew my crew would be too, but there was really no time for me to brief them till we had left the harbor and but our best speed on. I had the eery feeling that the war the Princess had feared was about to break out and the me and my ship were to be the first ones on the front. I guess she was right, we WERE Equestria's shield.
HEMS Schornhorse 48 Kn M South East of the Dragon Mark Straight
The tension in the ward room was palpable as I entered with the Admiral. We had spent a few hours beforehoof going over the details of our rushed deployment from Manehattan to our current position. I stood by the Exec as we waited for the Admiral to seat himself. He glanced around the table at my senior officers and nodded.
"Fillies, Gentlecolts, We have a very delicate situation on our hands." his high class accent floated out his words on a silver tongue. "As of 08:56 yesterday, Royal Air force scout patrols spotted a task-force of Changeling ships leaving their anchorage in the fjords where they have been stationed for some months now. We don't know when they left, we guess only hours before the patrol arrived, which means that they could be heading any direction. It is both the Feeling of the Princess and the Admiralty that they intend to move into our waters and hold Manehattan as a first strike. That is the obvious objective, so we have been cut orders to prevent them from entering our territory and if need show force. We are however not to fire fires and to avoid action at all costs. We don't want to be the aggressors here. That's the situation, any questions?"
"One, Sir." Muleheim spoke up, "how many ships are talking about?"
"That last flight two days ago confirmed the presence of four Changeling Dreadnoughts, two Super-dreadnoughts and eight smaller broadside ironclads with numerous small craft, presumably landing craft." Blue blood let the words fall on the table as silence reigned supreme.
The Schornhorse had left Manehattan harbor with only four other ships. the Super-dreadnought Canterlot, the Dreadnought Equestria, and the cruisers Honesty and Harmony. That meant the Admiralty was either insane or had great faith in the ships they had deployed. I looked around the table to see the reactions of the others. Lieutenant Mesh's wings twitched, in obvious anger but under tight control, The Exec was looking around too and caught my eye. She had kept a calm face but i saw the unrest in her eyes as well. The only pony or mule that wasn't at all jittery was our esteemed Admiral. he looked around the table again and again as if the reality of our mission meant nothing out of the ordinary was seriously happening and this was just another cruise on the high seas.
"I believe that is all the information I have for you at the moment, should the situation change I'll let you know Captain," He nodded at me.
"Yes, Sir. Thank you, Sir" I heard my self reply.
"Well then I need to attend to other things, Thank you for your time," he said rising. the entire table stood as he left and I trotted around the room to the door and magicked it close. I then returned to the seat the Admiral had vacated and sat. the room lose some of its tension but now was replaced with anxious fear.
"Well there we have it." I said and looked over at the Exec. "What is our status as of this moment?"
"We're fully combat capable, Sir" Heartstrings answered. "Lieutenant Mesh has done an amazing job with Turbine Three. It shouldn't be a problem now but we are still woefully green, sir. And its mostly in our equipment. we haven't fully tested all of the systems and I really don't want to go into action against for ships of the line with that kind of knowledge."
"I understand your concerns and I took it up with the Admiral last night and he knows that. He actually won't be having the Schornhorse even in the fight if he can help it." I knew the reaction that news was going to have, not just with my officers, but with the whole crew. I waited as the order the room has kept broke out into open argument.
"What they hay are we supposed to do then!!" "We showed them we're capable!"
"I know!" I shouted and the table instantly died, "I know what that means, and I warn each of you not to tell a single soul what you have just heard. We will follow are orders and we will still prove to the Admiral that we are, in fact, fully capable, is that under stood?"
"Yes, sir." the low reply came.
"Then I strongly suggest that....." I was cut of by a loud knock on the door. A signalmare poked her head in the room. "Message for the Captain, it's from the Harmony, sir." she magicked the paper into my reach. I took hold of it and read the words scrawled upon the page.
'Harmony to Schornhorse
Multiple contacts bearing 1-2-5 West Southwest. presumed hostile fleet. speed 18 Knts. Advise Admiral BB for orders.'
I held the paper a second longer and handed it back.
"Get this to the Admiral now." I told the Signalmare. She nodded and rushed off. "Sound General Quarters." I said calmly and stood up as Lieutenant Heartstrings pulled the wardroom switch for the GQ alarm. The loud Klaxon blared out as I along with Lyra magic jumped to the bridge. I shook me head to clear the remaining buzz of the magic and quickly looked at the plot in front of me.
Because of the Admiral's decision to not use the Schorhorse in the line of battle, we sailed roughly a mile due south of the Canterlot. that was a two fold purpose, one to keep the Schornhorse from engaging, and two to her her from being engaged. The two cruiser of our escort screen, the Harmony and the Honesty, we space at the tips of the line with a four mile gap between them and the core element. I knew the arrangement was sound yet I couldn't get a certain nagging feeling that today was not a day for the Schorhorse, the newest warship in Her Majesties service, to play the observer.
"All stationed manned and ready, Sir" Lyra said from her post near the com board. "Thank you lieutenant, I'm taking us to battle stations." I said as I magicked the captains com to my mouth, "All Hand, CLear For Action! Starboard side!" I tapped a switch for the Gunnery Director, "Keep us for and aft Trotter. no sense in making the show if we're not to engage." "Aye, Sir!" the reply came.
"Well we're as ready as we're going to be."I murmured taking my binoculars out and walking to the starboard bridge wing and pointing them to the horizon. "I just hope we survive the day..."
The Changeling Commander looked through a set of binoculars, the faint wisps of smoke leaping at him from over 14 knm away to form the shapes of two Equestrian Ship of the Line. From the smoke pouring aft of the lead one, it must be a Superliner like his own flagship. His lips curled in a thin cruel grin as he realized the reports of some 'Super warship' that should be in this formation, we're false. He tighten the focus on the lead ship to determine what class it might be. The super structure was a simple tripod mast and he could barely make out the five dual turrets of her main broadside battery as they began to train and elevate towards his command. The range was long but they could probably score a lucky hit at this range. He lowered the binoculars and turn back into the command center.
"Prepare to engage the lead ship." he commanded.
"Aye, Sir. Prepare to engage the lead ship." somepony repeated as the crew began a rush on action.
"For the Glory of the Queen!" He said as the main battery slowly began it run to starboard.
09:00 HEMS Schornhorse
I stood in the armored conning tower, know to most on board as the Citadel. the ship had been cleared for action but due to a certain Admiral's insistent orders, the gun were trained still in their for and aft position. I resettled my headset on my head but couldn't get it to fit nicely, so i set it around my neck and cranked the speak volume to max.
"Sir," I turned my head to the side to see Lieutenant Heartstrings standing to the passage to the Main Gunnery Director.
"Yes lieutenant?" I turned my whole form to face her.
"Is there any way we can make the Admiral change his mind Skipper? I mean this is putting a lot of ponies at risk should the ball drop, heck we should be leading this formation!" her anger laced the words she spoke even though the tone never rose.
"I'm aware of that Lyra and I have taken it up with the Admiral. And that's all I can do." I held her gaze and silently wish there was some form of comfort to give her. She had lost much of her family during the Battle for Canterlot and, well she had very few connections with anypony.
"Just thought I'd ask skipper." She whipped a salute and cantered off to the MGD.
09:04 Admiral's Bridge
Admiral Blue Blood was nervous. He should have been on the Canterlot right now but instead he was on this floating death trap. The ship his physical presence was on only carried 12 guns to the Canterlot's 24 and yes they were bigger but they were untested in true combat, while those on the Canterlot had seen action for the last 18 months. He shook his head in silent cursing of the situation that put him on this experiment.
"Has the Enemy responded to our hails?" he asked his Communications officer.
"No, sir, nothing yet." the colt answered and continued to transmit the canned order to heave to.
"Not surprising, have the Harmony fire a shot across their course."
"Aye, Sir!" the same officer replied and transmitted the order.
The Admiral trotted to the starboard wing of his bridge and watched as the Harmony's forward turret fired off a single round. The shell screamed over the enemy position at a speed three times the speed of sound and a geyser of water erupted from the sea less than a mile from the lead Superdreadnought.
09:05 Changeling Flagship
"They have fire a warning shot, sir!"
"I'm well aware." his grin from that shell passing over head now was a smile as he picked up his com for the fleet.
"All ships, open fire! For the Honor of Our QUEEN!"
09:06 HEMS Schornhorse
I was looking towards the enemy when I saw the fire faint flash of gunfire rippled out from the Changeling line. I remember yelling form all hands down when the rain of 12 shells ripped through our formation, the majority focused on the Canterlot. Even we weren’t unscathed. I guess their gunnery was more of put shells near target instead of on target. A single 12 in round careened off turret one leaving a massive splash as the shell wasted itself on the thick upper armor. Another shell passed through funnel two without detonating and splashed harmlessly of our port quarter. It was the third shell that came in at such a steep angle that I saw it drop into the deck just forward of number two of the secondary armament. That shell punched through the upper and lower armor decks and punched a hole straight through to the keel where it detonated just outside of the ship’s hull. The resulting explosion rocked the ship from stem to stern and caused the fairly small hole to burst inward into the auxiliary generator room, killing and maiming many of the ponies stationed there.
“What’s the situation Mesh?!” I called into my com.
“We took a round into one of the forward generator rooms. DC has got it contained to the compartment but the explosion buckled a few plated in boiler four and there a fair amount of water in there. The pumps will hold it down but I wouldn’t push us to much above our current speed of we might lose boiler four.” The lieutenant sounded a bit winded and I go the feeling she was in the action trying to patch boiler four as we spoke.
“Understood, keep on it lieutenant.” I switched my com to the Admiral’s com officer. “Tell the admiral we have taken a hit, and our max speed is reduced.”
“”Aye, sir,” The com officer said as I switch the com to Chief Gunnery Officer Muleheim, “Chief get me a gunnery plot of the leading elements of the Changeling line.”
“Yes, sir, should I have the guns trained?” He asked
“No, not yet just get the solution so if we do engage we can drop those rounds in seconds.”
“Yes, Sir!”
I magic jumped to the bridge from the Observation deck and waited as the returning fire from the Canterlot and Equestria hammered their own lances of fire out at the enemy line. I stood there in front of the master plot and felt a deep fear welling up as more and more rounds streaked in from the Changelings. The Canterlot was their target, just like the city they attacked years ago, and I felt the same feelings that burned their way into me during those harrowing hours.
I shook my head and tried to clear my reddening vision. I wanted to fight, that why I joined the Navy, but that Admiral was keeping me from my duty. I was about to com him again when the air above me shattered as a stray shell, probably from a ricochet smashed through the upper works of the bridge.
“What happened?” I ordered.
“The compass platform was hit, Sir!” one of the lookouts on the bridge wing hollered back.
“The Admiral’s bridge?” I asked.
“I can’t tell sir!”
“Find out, NOW!” I drew my energy to my horn to jump to the bridge when Lyra with the admiral braced on her side stumbled onto the bridge. She was covered with small cuts and blood, but the Admiral sported a massive gash on his chest from a piece of shrapnel. It wasn’t serious but would still need to have medical attention.
“Corpsmares to the Bridge!” I called over the com as another rouge shell raced over head.
09:12 Dragon Mark Straight
Had anypony been watching from the skies over the Dragon Mark Straight the sight laid out on its surface was one to behold. The Equestrian Line was proving their metal once again and had already sunk two of the enemy dreadnoughts. Their fire had been devastatingly accurate in the opening broadside but now as the enemy had found the range, their accuracy had fallen off. The Canterlot had lost one of her broadside turrets but still valiantly fought on. The Equestria had received light damage and retained her main battery, but due to the accumulating gun smoke had a hard time scoring many hits on the Changelings. It was at this time that the unthinkable happened.
A single armor piercing shell had spent nearly thirty second in flight by the time hit the Canterlot. This single shell had traveled nearly 11 nautical miles to hit the Super dreadnought it had been fired at, and when it did I punched right into the twisted steel that had been turret six. I passed through the mangled wreckage and dive deep into the bowls of the ship’s main broadside magazine, and there is where its preset timer detonated it. The resulting explosion shattered the ship’s keel, snapping the mighty ship in half. But the destruction wasn’t over. That single explosion rent bulkheads and tore through the Canterlot’s innards, destroying mare and colt alike tile it hit another source of power, and two secondary explosions finished the ship off as her aft and forward magazines blew in spectacular shows of death and destruction.
The Skipper of the Equestria order a hard turn to port to avoid the wreckage, but doing so only put him into the sights of the Changeling line which only had to fire again to hit her.
09:15 HEMS Schornhorse
I was stunned. In only ten minutes of battle the pride of the Royal Equestrian Navy had been completely obliterated with what seemed to be contemptuous ease.
“Sir, what are your orders?” I called to the Admiral just inside the armored conning tower.
“Have the Canterlot disengage and make smoke to the south! “He ordered
“The Canterlot is gone, Sir! The Equestria need our help!” I shouted back and saw for a brief break in his facade as fear flashed in his eyes. He was too scared to act and I faced a major decision, to follow his orders or to defy them and fight. I looked back out over the water to the towering column of smoke that marked the Canterlot’s last position.
“I will not abandon my comrades, and I will not have my ship shot out from under my flank.” I magicked my headset on top of my mane and punched it to the Main Director.
“You may open fire Chief.” I had made my decision.
Chief Gunnery Officer Muleheim looked calmly over his command group and over the figure that were plotted into the main gun director. They had them set in to system for a full twelve minutes, waiting, now the turret sensors matched the plot numbers and he waited with anticipation as the ship move close still to the wounded Equestria. The captain had a noble streak in him that might get the ship killed but Muleheim was going to make sure they got at least one of those Changeling bastards. He trained the director again on the leading super dreadnought and prayed that his carefully trained shell would rip the innards out of that ship.
“All Guns trained and ready sir!” he called into his com.
“Give them the what for!” The Captains steel voice answered.
“Open FIRE!”
Changeling Flagship
The Commander was pleased. He had sunk one of the Equestrian ships and now had the other on the run. His mission had been a success. They could now call in the transports and continue to Manehattan and capture that city. Though before that could happen that running ship had to be destroyed so as not to give away their approach to the rest of the Equestrian Navy.
“Do we have a range on that ship yet?” he asked
“Not the best sir, we have to use the aft director, the forward one has been knocked out.”
“I doesn’t matter, just get shells on that ship! Sink it NOW!” his voice shocked the underling who raced out of the bridge.
“Soon, just one more ship to sink, then…” he never finished the sentence.
Dragon Mark Straight
The Schornhorse was momentarily shrouded in dense gun smoke as she fired her first ever salvo in anger. Massive depressions formed alongside her hull from the blast of the guns as they spat one ton death out at speed nearing 900 meters per second. The distance was 34 km which was nearing the maximum range for her guns but totally out ranged both the struggling Equestria and the Changeling line of battle. Muleheim had done his job superbly as the first salvo straddled the leading elements of the changeling ships. Four rounds found ship while the rest plowed up towers of water.
The first round scored a lucky hit on the bridge of the Super Dreadnought leading the formation and killed everypony in a holocaust of fire. The second punched through the main armor belt with easy and tore a gash through the broadside turrets lower decks, scattering equipment and shattering the turrets ammunition hoist, spilling powder and ammunition into the lower decks. The shell continued punching through the ship for another four meters before it detonated, blowing the engine room into which it had penetrated, and causing a sympathetic explosion of the ruined turret which it had passed through. The resulting explosion tore a thirty meter chunk of the belt and threw it out along with the remains of the turret.
The other two shells couldn’t have been better aimed. One had punched into the second dreadnought’s forward turret through its massive forward armor and detonated inside. That caused the whole turret to blast open flinging shards of armor into the conning tower, severely impairing the forward gunnery director. The second shell punched a neat hole just below the waterline and detonated in the keel under the forward engine room of that dreadnought. The hull plates ruptured inward from the detonation causing tons of sea water to pour into the engine room, flooding it and the surrounding compartments in mere seconds. Although the damage wasn’t enough to cause the ship to list, it had the effect of stopping her dead in the water.
Changeling Superdreadnought
The new Changeling commander stood in shock as the Flagship was destroyed in a ball of fire and the dreadnought following slowed down and took a slight port heading on her remaining momentum. The Commander knew for a fact that the Equestrians couldn’t have made such astounding hits with their one weakened and fleeing dreadnought. He quickly snatched the binocular from a look out and trained them on the smoking horizon where the Equestrian Super dreadnought went down. There was no sign that’s she had survived so he swung his gaze to the fleeing dreadnought and saw that she was running and making so much smoke that it was obvious that she wasn’t going to re-engage. ‘Then were did those shell come from?!’He thought as he once again scanned the horizon.
HEMS Schornhorse
“Sir! We’ve taken out their leading element!” the gunnery watch officer announced to the bridge.
“Well Done Trotter!” I said into the com at my throat, “Do it again!”
“Waiting for the guns to reload, sir!” Trotters voice said.
“Well when they get reloaded target the next ships in line, same drill! One and Three take the leader and two and four take the follower.” I knew we were doing well but the problem now was the Canterlot’s smoke would make it impossible to judge the fall of our shells. We had to break out of it but in doing so we could expose ourselves to incoming fire.
“Bridge to Engineering, what the status of those hull plates mesh?”
“They’re holding sir, the Retention spells are doing their job but any major stresses will pop the plates again and the spells are only so powerful.” Her exhausted voice was heavy with breathing.
“Well I hope they hold for the next few minutes, I need you to give me full power on all shafts, can it be done?”
“I damn well will make it work, sir!”
“Keep it up Mesh!” I switched the com again to gunnery
“Trotter, we’re going to full speed here soon, plan accordingly.”
“Aye, sir!” he said and I closed that circuit down.
“Any word from the Equestria?” I asked the signalmare.
“No, sir. I think she might have lost the radio, sir.”
“Get on the wings and use the semaphores. Get me in contact with her now.”
“Aye, sir!” she saluted and rushed off the bridge to the signaling platform just aft of the main tower’s pylon.
I micro jumped out onto the forward lookout post, just behind turret two and raised my binoculars up and tried to focus on the shapes of the Changeling line through the smoke. The oily smoke made it hard to get any good view but I saw that the four ships of the line had altered course to try to pursue the Equestria, which gave us an excellent opportunity to hammer them at close range. If we could just get them to fully commit to that maneuver.
“Captain!” the signalmare came running around the armored con holding a sheet of paper, “The Equestria, she is trying to run to the east!” she paused as I took the paper and read.
‘Equestria to Schornhorse. Severe damage to starboard battery. unable to fire and ranges beyond 18 km. engines safe but lost half of main fuel reserve. Max speed down to 24 Knts. Advise intentions.’
“Tell them to keep running east; we’ll be the rear guard.” I told the mare who wrote it down quickly and galloped off. I turned back towards the Changeling ships just as the Salvo buzzer blared out. I quickly dropped my binoculars into their case and covered my ears and waited.
Changeling Superdreadnought
The Commander had ordered a pursuit course to finally take out that remaining dreadnought. He was still puzzled by the single devastating salvo that he guessed came from that fleeing dreadnought. It was unlikely but it was the only explanation. He turned to re-enter the bridge when a lookout called out.
“New Contact! Port Side! Two points Forward the Beam!”
The commander spun in a circle and raised the binoculars again and trained them in the direction, practically amidships. He swung his gaze back and forth and couldn’t see anything resembling a ship. That is until a low slung and sleek shape punched out of the dense smoke. He stood there stunned for a few seconds as the whole ship came roaring out of the smoke and fired.
The Battle of the Dragon Mark Straight
The Schornhorse charged the Changeling line. The after-action report from the Captain of the Equestria said so in those words. She came barreling out of the smoke at nearly 34 Knts, which was four more then she should have had. Her gunnery was amazingly accurate but not as lucky as her first salvo had been. But at the range she was fighting, she didn’t have to be lucky.
The Changelings had been so surprised at the Schornhorse’ appearance that they didn’t return fire until she had closed the range from the 24 kilometers she had been hiding at to the 15 km that she stayed at to keep the changeling line from continuing their chase of the Equestria. The Schornhorse was in a very literal sense now the shield of Equestria. She proceeded to sink two more of the Changeling ships before they turned and disengaged, making smoke and running an almost due west course.
But her heroics were not to be without cost. She lost two hundred and eight crew and had another three hundred wounded when a Changeling 12 in round punched out turret four of the secondary battery which in turn caused the already damaged plates in the boiler rooms to rupture. The sudden loss in power and the eleven degree list help the Changelings to score four more hits on the Schornhorse before her own fire could drive them away.
After the retreating Changeling taskforce had run beyond the range of Schornhorse’ main guns she limped to the heavily damaged Equestria. Equestria’s damages were fatal. She had a heavy list to starboard and her engines were dead. It was at this time that the Schornhorse again lived up to her new nickname. Under careful direction of her skipper, she nudged up and lashed the crippled dreadnought to her and proceeded to sail with the Equestria attached to her side. They could only make ten knots but with the help of the cruisers Harmony and Honesty they made it to Manehatten harbor.
The Nation was stunned by the savagery that had destroyed the Canterlot and nearly taken the Equestria but those were secondary to the pride they felt in the new battleship Schornhorse. The public swooned over her and it was decided that she would not be and experimental design, that the Schornhorse was to be the lead ship in the new Schornhorse-Class Battleships, and that her design would be considered for newer ships. Within the week of the Schornhorse returning to Manehatten, her sister ship, the Gneighsenau, had her keel laid down in Slip 5 and construction begun in earnest.
HEMS Schornhorse
I stood on deck in full dress uniform along with Commander Heartstrings. The whole ship’s company was on deck for a Royal review. We had worked hard for three weeks now to repair our damages and still there was evidence of our battle, charred sections of hull, shell splashes on the turrets and the scaffolding the surrounded the Admiral’s bridge. The Boson’s whistle trilled out the welcome to a royal as both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna cantered aboard. The lines of ratings saluted as the two sisters moved past. I bowed in formal greeting and Lyra did the same. We both stood there in silence. Then Princess Celestia took one step forward.
“Captain Seas, Commander Heartstrings, I wish to express my most profound and sincere thanks for your service to Equestria and for the gallant action against the Changelings. Your actions have spoken volumes of your courage and devotion to both your country and your companions, and I along with Princess Luna do present the Schornhorse with the Royal Medal of Honor.” She motioned to Luna who produced a single ribbon from magic. It floated there for a brief second before shooting off to the top of the main mast where it unfurled underneath the Equestrian Flag.
The new flag was a simple blue with a white stripe diagonally across a sun and moon. A set of three stars formed a triangle within the curve of the moon and a single red star on the bottom end of the white band finished the flag. The crew gasped as the flag unfurled and I was stunned. Not only had she just given the RMH to me and Commander Heartstrings a few days ago in Canterlot but she had just given the whole ship that same honor. I looked back to the Princesses and they smiled back.
“You have fulfilled our orders well, Storm Seas.” Princess Luna said
“And we hope you will continue to be Equestria’s Shield.” Princess Celestia added.
“Schornhorse, Immer Voran.” They said together.
“SCHORNHORSE IMMER VORAN!” I answered along with every mare and colt on board.
Manehatten Naval Ship Yard, Dry Dock Three HEMS Schornhorse
I guess I should get used to the fact that whenever I set hoof aboard the Schornhorse that it won't be feeling that slight, ever so present feeling of a ship floating. I haven't felt that slight sensation for three months now and it was driving me stir crazy. The Schornhorse was in for a refit, and only after her first mission. I guess I could be happy about it but the hard fact was I had damaged her and now she was getting repaired.
Considering the fire we had come under, the Schornhorse had taken it and dished it back out. Of the twenty or so hits on our main belt, none punched through. And those that had gotten through one layer of the upper belt, didn't make it through the secondary armor plates. the major exception to this was the hole in the starboard auxiliary generator room and boiler room four. There a single 12 in Changeling shell would have scored a critically damaging hit if it wasn't for the heroic efforts of Lieutenant Mesh and her damage control parties. Unfortunately, that hole needed a dry dock to patch, and while that was being fixed, the Admiralty saw no reason why not to go ahead and give the Schornhorse better armor while she was out of the water.
I ducked as a yard dog swung down from the scaffolding erected around the aft funnel and deck house all the way to the back of Turret Three. This was also a new addition that the Admiralty though should be added, an Airship hanger for a new class of small fighter ships that could be inflated and deflated for easier storage and transport. Also the aft deck house was being raised and enlarged to hold another fifty ponies, all for the maintenance and upkeep of the airship and the two flights of Air force Pegasus that we would now carry aboard to fight off an enemy air attack. I waved off the yard dogs apologies and he saluted, albeit sloppily, and returned to his work.
I climbed the stairs through the tiers of pipe and steel plates that were forming the hangers as I looked for a certain mare. She had sent a telegram that I needed to see something before it was to late and I jumped from the yard masters building to the ship in seconds, but now as I ducked and weaved through the maze that sprung up on my ship, I felt disoriented till a hoof popped out of a siding and grabbed my mane.
"Here Captain." a smiling Lyra said as a rubbed the back of my head.
"Ouch, you could have just called my name." I said.
"Well I did and well you didn't hear me the first or second times so I just grabbed you. Any who this is what I wanted to show you." she motioned with on hoof under the canvas cover that was plastered up along the starboard quarter of the funnel. A yard dog stood to one side letting me see the bent and mutilated funnel and a small opening that had been cut out of it on its back curve. Farther forward was a familiar hole of a shell hit and I wondered why I needed to see this particular shell hit.
I ducked low to enter into the funnel. Scaffolding had been erected inside the funnel among the twisted pipes and sheered metal that was common place when a shell passed through a lightly armored place. I looked up and down and noticed that there was no exit hole. I stared in astonishment as I realized that I was looking at an almost intact Changeling shell. I side stepped it and gathered a magic pulse and directed the spell at the inert shell. I concentrated as a mental image of its construct and lines filled my head. I shook off the vision and returned to the land of the living.
“We need this shell, get it out as best as you can, and get it to the Research and Development building stat.” I turned and left the funnel, Lyra close behind. The shell had dis-settled me and I made for my ready room, leaving the rest of the refit review for another time. I entered my day room and turned to Lyra.
“Why are we sending that shell to the R&D ponies?” she asked
“It’s not normal,” I responded, “It has a core of a crystal, not explosives, and the metal is of a make I can’t identify, like it was made somewhere not in Equestria.”
“You mean that the Changelings aren’t from this world?”Lyra asked in disbelief.
“Maybe, I can’t be certain, but I’m positive that nopony could have made that shell using normal means, it’s too perfect.”I hoofed the back of my head. “The thing is we have a valuable insight into how the Changelings sunk the Canterlot in such a small amount of time, and how they are able to deal so much damage to us, even though we use very similar guns.”
“That is except for us! Nopony has the equivalent firepower we have at our disposal!” Lyra instantly perked up.
“Yes, but there will be a time when we will be out classed, I just hope it’s not too soon.” I smiled weakly and continued to trot around the room’s desk when a loud knocking sounded form the door.
“Captain Stormy Day and Colonel Light Streak to see the Captain!” The Mareine guard called out.
“Enter” I said.
The door swung open and I couldn’t help but smile as a two blue Pegasus entered my ready room. One was slightly stockier then the one who followed but the huge grin that plastered my older brother’s face made it obvious something good was ahoof.
“Captin Stormy Say, HEMAS Pegasus, reportin', Sairr!” The dark blue Pegasus saluted in perfect naval form.
“Commander Light Streak, Chief Flight Officer, HEMAS Pegasus, reporting, Sir!” The light blue one snapped off a slightly less than perfect naval salute, but then he went into the Air Force first.
“Welcome aboard. I’m Captain Storm Seas, this is my exec, Commander Lyra Heartstrings. To what do we have the pleasure of your company?” I asked.
“Th' Admiralty has dispatched orders fur us tae be yer escort in th' airr fur yer next deployment. We thooght tae come an' check in wi' ye.” Captain Day stated manner of flactly.
“I haven’t received any new orders from the Admiralty. Last I heard we still had two weeks to finish our work here.” I looked sideways at Lyra who just shrugged.
“Well, Ah guess we got here tae quick, streak. ye short-cut was a short-cut after all.” Day turned to look at my still grinning brother.
“As I said it would be, sir.” He said, still wearing that insufferable grin, but it had changed to the ‘Ha, told you’ grin.
“Well 'at ye did.” He turned back and cleared his throat,” As Ah said th' admiralty has assigned Air Task Force Segasus tae th' Schornhorse an' 'er escortin' elements on deployment tae Mareway Islain tae defend against any attack from th' gyphons, dragons, ur both.”
“Wait, did you say Task Force Pegasus? As in the Angels of Stalliongrad Task Force Pegasus?” Lyra asked.
“Wa aye, 'at woods be us.” Day answered, “We waur their lest hope an' we took th' opportunity when it presented itself tae us. just doin' uir duty, ye understand.”
“Yes, we’re well acquainted with that concept.” Lyra said solemnly, “I thought you guys were still stuck up in Cloudsdale for repairs.”
“Nae, we got aff better than th' others..” He saddened for a brief second, ” Anyway, yoo’ll hae th' Pegasus an' 'er sisters Alicorn an' Cloodsdale alang wi' three ay th' new air destroyers an' th' brain new air-battleship, Coltago, as yer air escort complement.”
“It’ll be great to have you along; so much as you don’t go zapping my rump Streak.” I said looking at my older brother.
“I have no clue what you mean, sir.” His grin widened.
“Sure you don’t,” I smiled at him, “but if I so much as feel a wisp of static, I’ll personally fire you from the guns, is that understood?”
“That would be the best launch I’ll have ever gotten, sir”
“Weel 'en Ah hink we’ll be gonnae, by yer lave, sair.?” Day asked.
“Of course,” I saluted in return to their salutes, as they left I then turned to Lyra, “I still have to check on Boiler Four, so I’ll follow you there.” I motioned with a hoof towards the door.
