> Battlestations: Equestrian Seas
>  by Shadow Quill
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> 1 - On Stranger Shores
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The klaxon sounded from the speakers, explosions and the creaking of bending steel echoed through the deserted corridors of the sinking vessel.  The captain had already ordered all hands to abandon ship, leaving only the dead to rot as the rush of water began to overtake the thunder of explosions, the remaining ammunition succumbing to the fires raging on every deck.  Anyone who could make the jump into the frigid North Atlantic waters had already left, praying the Allied ships nearby would be kind to them and allow them aboard.  The only other option was to freeze to death in the unforgiving ocean as their enemy watched from afar, the smoking hulk of their flagship sinking beneath the waves with the bodies of their fellow sailors. 

Not that any of that mattered to Leutnant zur See Kepler Wolff, who was trapped on one of the lower decks by a huge mass of collapsed bulkhead and decking.  The only other way out of the small storage room was through a flooded gangway that sparked with electricity from several broken wires, meaning it was either death by electrocution or drowning.  Part of his mind told the battered and soot-covered sailor to just jump into the charged seawater and end it all, but the idea of getting cooked alive by power coming straight from the main boilers didn’t appeal to him all that much. 

Coughing as smoke poured in through the gaps in the metal before him, Kepler searched furiously in an attempt to find an escape route, anything that could get him up to the main deck and out of this metal tomb.  Yet as the water continued to rise and the deck began to tilt with the sinking ship, Kepler had to face the fact that he was about to die.  If the electricity from the wires didn’t get him, then the lack of air would do the job soon after.  Pushing against the mass of broken metal and piping one last time, Kepler fell to the ground as the deck shifted too far for him to keep his grip, sending him sprawling and sliding across the wall as the entire room turned upside down, a section of the jagged metal cutting his face above his left eye.  Whether by sheer luck or the grace of God, his landing in the water didn’t immediately kill him, as the wires had been pulled free of the sea as the ship listed, leaving Kepler with just enough room to breathe as the water continued to fill the room. Before long, the terrified seaman was treading water with his head nearly touching the ceiling, only to be forced to hold his breath as the last of the air was forced out of the room by the surrounding ocean. 

Panic set in as the air in his lungs began to run out, yet there was nowhere to go, nowhere to escape to that wouldn’t spell his immediate doom anyway.  With a final burst of bubbles, Kepler stopped fighting as a large flash of light engulfed his vision, his body slowly sinking as burning water rushed into his air-starved lungs.  The last thought that ran through his mind, was curiosity, about if the searing brightness he had seen was the boilers finally detonating.



 

Border patrol had been dull as always, although that wasn’t saying much when every day was a dull one in the tiny province of Feather’s Cove.  Gloria Windcutter could feel her steel armor weighing heavier on her body with every passing second, and there were still several miles of coastline she had to fly over before returning to the fort.  The young hen suppressed a yawn as she fought to keep her eyes open under the moonlit sky, her wings moving on little more than autopilot as her gaze traveled lazily over the shore below her. 

Life in the Gryphon Empire could be great, but that didn’t mean there weren’t a host of problems that had to be taken care of regularly.  One of those duties was patrolling the many shorelines for any signs of enemy ships. Although the navy and air force kept most threats far from the homeland, that didn’t mean something couldn’t slip past the fleet and try to make a clawhold behind their defensive line. 

This was why Gloria flew patrol every night over the same stretch of sand and water, to make certain that none of the Empire’s enemies were up to anything sneaky.  Yet there were never any ships, nor enemy troops trying to get into the country unnoticed.  All there was to be seen was dunes and jagged rocks in every direction save the sea.  It was nearly enough to make the black and gold hen grind her beak in frustration.  She was meant for more than this, and yet, unless she could prove herself to her commanding officers, there wasn’t anything she could do except deal with her lot in life. 

Then, as if answering her prayers for something to happen, she spotted something unusual from the normal coastline and rocky hills.  Something big jutted out of the water just offshore, shaped very similarly to the camel-made galleys that gave their navy such trouble.  Even in the dark of the night, Gloria’s vision could tell the hulking vessel was much larger than anything her species had built, and if the shine of the moon was anything to go by, it was made of enough metal to be nearly impenetrable to anything but the most punishing cannonade. 

Her blood singing at the thought of battle, Gloria swooped down and drew her sword from its scabbard, the polished steel glinting in the dark as she drew closer and closer to the strange edifice.  Yet as the finer details became clear, her eyes widened in both shock and disappointment as the damage to the hull became apparent.  Huge holes had been torn through the steel plating from bow to stern, the massive cannons on the upper decks bent in several places from powder detonations.  Gloria could feel her body drooping as her excitement lost steam, her dreams of drawing blood in her first battle growing dimmer by the minute as she realized the ship before her was little more than a wreck. 

And yet, there was something strange about the ruined ship before her, setting aside its sheer size and construction for a minute.  For one thing, the name of the ship written on the bow was in perfect Gryphish, and for another, the tattered flag which hung limply from the mast was very close in overall design to the flag of her homeland.  The black symbol in the center was foreign to her, but the overall feel of it still seemed familiar somehow, even though she had never seen a standard like it in her entire life. 

Her curiosity gnawing at her and her training screaming that this was something important, Gloria slowly flew in and landed on the main deck, her claws clicking against the metal as her gaze traveled around the strange vessel.  Everything around her was so alien, and yet somehow familiar.  It was a strange feeling that wouldn’t go away as she walked along, her beak falling open as she entered the interior of the ship, and saw both the advancements and the damage that had been wrought to the inside. 

Wires and piping hung loosely from bulkheads all around her, while stairs and corridors that were far too narrow for anything larger than a Saddle Arabian lead her deeper and deeper into the heart of the ship.  Strangest of all was a distinct lack of bodies or other signs of combat.  Given the damage to the ship, Gloria presumed that there had to be some blood, or something left behind, even if whoever created it had removed their dead after the battle. 

The silence around her was deafening as subtle creaks and groans echoed from within the dark corridors.  Gloria’s neck feathers rose as fear began to overtake her mind, as images of monsters within the shadows started flashing in the corners of her vision.  Yet there was nothing she could do but press forward, partly because she hadn’t thought to bring a torch with her and partly because she couldn’t see anything outside of the ship unless she passed one of the large holes that had been blown through the plating.  All of the decks looked the same and the only true way she could navigate was by sticking to one of the oldest strategies in the book, keep taking lefts, and you can always find your way back. 

Working her way through the bulk of the massive warship, she now realized that was what it was.  Her mind was awash with thoughts about who could have created such a powerful machine, and more importantly, what could have destroyed it so thoroughly and not attract the attention of some nation’s navy.  There were things in the walls which she had never even imagined before, and that wasn’t even counting the fact that whoever had made this thing had to have technology far greater than what any nation on Equis currently possessed.  That much was obvious just by looking at the connections between bulkheads and the intricate parts that were strewn about on all sides where they had come loose from control panels and other such things. 

It felt like hours had passed as Gloria finally made it through the majority of the ship, her mind filled to the brim with information that she knew her superiors would be clawing to hear once she returned to the base.  Yet there was something which drew her onwards, something that seemed to call to her as she made her way further and further into the dark.  There was a scent in the air now, one that had been absent at the beginning of her exploration.  Yet now she could tell that there was something in the dark of the lower decks, something that might give her a clue as to what exactly was going on.

The smell, which grew steadily stronger as she ventured ever deeper, was that of fresh blood.

Finally, after running into several closed-off corridors and having to find alternate routes, Gloria managed to make her way into a single room that was partly blocked by a large hunk of metal and piping.  Squeezing past the sharp edges and somehow making it into the tiny space unharmed, Gloria beheld something she would not have expected in her wildest dreams. 

Lying against the wall with blood slowly running from a cut on the top of his head, was a lone pony.  Yet as her eyes adjusted to the darkness further, she noticed there were some things about this pony that didn’t make sense.  For one thing, instead of the feathers she expected to see on a pegasus, the wings which lay haphazardly on either side of the stallion’s body were leathery, with long bones to support the membranes.  There were also two large tufts of fur on top of either ear and upon closer inspection, she noticed the tips of fangs poking out from under his upper lip. 

Something told Gloria this was no ordinary pony, and that she should be careful if she didn’t want a nasty surprise.  Yet the officers back at the base needed to know about what she had found, so with one last look at the strange pony before her, she turned to go.  She had only made it a few steps before a soft groan reached her ears, her head jerking back around as her gaze locked with a set of bright blue eyes as the pony slowly began to push himself to his hooves.

Gloria brandished her sword as the pony looked around, his expression one of confusion as his head turned this way and that.  Yet that couldn’t have prepared Gloria for what was about to happen next.  As the stallion’s gaze locked with hers once again, the first words that came out of his mouth were spoken in perfect Gryphish, just like the words she had seen on the bow of the ship.

“Where am I?”  His voice was rough, and he coughed several times before speaking again in a clearer tone, “Is anyone there?”

Feeling slightly disturbed by the fangs in the pony’s mouth and the predatory gaze locked with her own, Gloria chose instead to ask a question of her own, “What are you?  I’ve never seen a pony that looked anything like you, let alone one that spoke perfect Gryphish.”

One ear folded as he tilted his head to the side, “Pony?  I’m not sure what you mean.  I’m a human, and I don’t know what you mean by Gryphish. I’m speaking in the language of my homeland, German.”

This night just kept getting stranger and stranger, “Alright then, explain to me what this mess of a ship is doing on our shores.  I know the Equestrians never made warships like this one, so how did you get here without our navy spotting you?”

This only seemed to confuse the stallion more, his eyes narrowing as he slowly stepped forward, his legs stuttering and awkward as if he had never used them before.  “I can’t see in this darkness.  I know you’re there, Fraulein but I can’t tell where we are.  I guess I’m still on the ship but that doesn’t explain how I’m alive.  We were sunk and the last thing I remember was drowning as the sea filled the room.”  He seemed to pause as his own words reached him, crazy as they sounded to Gloria’s ears, “Am I dead?  Are you the angel of death come to take me to Heaven?”

Feeling that she was getting nowhere, Gloria decided to do something that screamed “bad idea” in her head.  She sheathed her sword and walked up to the strange pony, his ears following her movements before he jerked in surprise as her claws came into contact with his shoulder.

“You seem to be confused.” She kept her voice calm as the stallion jerked back from her touch, the smell of his fear growing with every second. “How about we get out of here and you can tell me more once we aren’t stuck inside this wreck anymore.”

The stallion seemed to hesitate for a moment before nodding, his steps growing in strength and coordination as he began to follow her out of the room. “Very well, but I expect some answers once we get up to the main deck.”

Gloria nodded, even though she knew he couldn’t see her, using her tail to guide the pony through the dark as she followed her trail back through the corridors.  There was little she could do but keep her mind on her path as the duo ventured up towards the open sky, her thoughts jumbled as she tried to understand what was going on.  There were just too many things that she couldn’t figure out about this pony, the ship they were walking through, and so many other little details that combined into a confusing whole.  So, rather than try and figure it out right now, she kept her mind focused on the present and getting them both out of the ship and back to the base.  Perhaps this pony could tell them more about what happened to the ship, and how in Equis a vessel like this managed to end up on their shores seemingly out of nowhere without alerting any of their troops.

Somehow Gloria knew that things were about to get interesting, if for no other reason than there was something about this stallion that kept setting off her instincts.  Something strange that went against everything she knew about ponies.  There was this feeling that she had only ever felt once when she had been in the sights of a manticore back during her first hunt as a chick. 

Something about this stallion made her think she was walking in front of a predator.
> 2 - Questions
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kepler was very afraid. 

He had come to peace with his death when the Bismarck had filled with water, dragging him into the depths after the damage overcame the mighty vessel’s ability to stay afloat.  Yet here he was, being led through the very corridors that had just moments ago been filling with seawater and the bodies of his fellow sailors.  Now there was nothing left other than his mysterious companion, and even then, the soft touch of what he could only describe as a tail over his shoulders sent shivers up his spine.  No normal human had anything resembling such an appendage, plus the constant click of what were certainly not boots or shoes on the corridor’s floor. 

Then again, the things that set the poor man on edge the most were the sensations he was feeling from his own body.  He knew something was different, given that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t stand up, yet the sensation of walking on his hands and knees didn’t feel strange or painful.  That coupled with the weight hanging off his back, which somehow felt connected to him, only drove his nerves to even greater heights as his mind conjured horrible images of what they could mean. 

His mind was so preoccupied with all the strange happenings inside and out, that he almost missed the moment they stepped onto the main deck.  The moon shone down onto the plating, providing his tired eyes with enough reflected light to clearly see around himself for the first time since he awoke.  However, his relief quickly changed to a gasp of fear and shock as he truly beheld his companion for the first time. 

She wasn’t like anything he had seen before, although as he took time to examine her form, he began to pick up things that were at least somewhat familiar.  Her lower half was jet black like a panther, while the feathers and clawed forelimbs of her front resembled that of a golden eagle.  Yet most familiar of all, were the piercing blue eyes which looked back at him over an armored shoulder, their intelligence forcing the young man to believe that this was the young woman, or rather, gryphon, who had spoken to him back in the wrecked storage room where he had awoken.  Her beak was bright yellow, and he noticed the corners were curled down in a slight frown as the gryphon removed her tail from his shoulders and turned to face him.

“What are you staring at me like that for?”  Her voice was young, at least to his ears, maybe only a year or two older than himself if there was any correlation between species.  “Never seen a gryphon before?”

“Only in myths long forgotten in the past.”  His lips replied before he could even comprehend the fact that the strange creature had spoken in perfect German.

One eye ridge rose slightly to disappear under her polished helm, “Must be pretty far removed wherever it is you came from.  Every race on Equis has heard about the Gryphon Empire, at least from secondary sources.”

“Equis?”  The word was unfamiliar to Kepler, and it seemed his companion wasn’t sure what to make of his tone either, as the other eye ridge joined the first.

“The name of the planet?”  Her tone had taken on a pitch that reminded Kepler of his mother when he asked a stupid question, “Seriously, you must really have lived under a rock to not know that.”  Her gaze traveled around the decking, her surprise morphing into confusion, “But then how did a ship as crazy as this end up on our shores with only you on it?”

The pieces started to fall together in Kepler’s mind, and his own eyes widened as he finally understood, “I’m not on Earth anymore, am I?”

The hen’s eyes locked back onto him in a split second, her shock evident on her face as she took a step back, “What do you mean by that?  Your ship ran aground on our shores, so you are technically on earth right now.”

“No, you don’t understand.”  It was Kepler’s turn to use that age-old tone with his companion, “The Earth that I am referring to is my world, the place that I was supposed to die at before, something transported my ship here.”  He took a step forward, noticing not for the first time how natural his strange posture felt, though that wasn’t important right now, “Our ship was attacked by an Allied fleet, and we were forced to sink her to prevent any military secrets from falling into enemy hands.  The last thing I remember was that storage room filling with water as the ship sank, and a bright flash of light that I thought was the main boilers detonating.”  He looked around at the relatively intact hull and weapon emplacements, “Evidently not.”

The situation finally seemed to make sense to the gryphon as well, her eyes traveling around them before returning to Kepler, “So you’re saying that you and your ship were somehow transported from your world to our shores, leaving the rest of your crew to die?”

“It would seem that way, for I cannot come up with any other explanation that makes any sort of sense,”  Kepler replied, although as he finally looked down, he yelped in surprise as he beheld what he had thought were his arms, “What happened to my hands?”

The gryphon’s expression morphed into confusion once again, “What do you mean?  Weren’t you always a pony?  Albeit a strange-looking one, but from what I can tell you more or less resemble the average Equestrian.”

Kepler fell onto his backside, his arms, no, forelegs rising up as he examined them in shock.  He ignored the gryphon for a moment as he turned his legs back and forth, taking note of the hooves that ended each of them and the dark grey fur that ran all the way up each limb.  Looking over his shoulder, Kepler was once again floored by what he saw, because instead of just a regular pony body as he had expected, he beheld a pair of leathery bat wings that were attached to his upper body just behind the shoulders.  He gently poked one with a hoof and nearly fell over from shock when he felt his limb running over the soft, supple membrane that formed the flight surface between the long bones.  Ignoring the fact that he had wings for the time being, as excited as that made him, Kepler turned his attention to his tail and what little of his mane he could see from the corner of his vision.  Both were a bright gold with a streak of red running through the middle, contrasting with the dark grey of his body rather nicely. 

A clawed hand placed upon his shoulder drew him from his inspection, turning back to the gryphon that was now looking at him with a concerned expression, “Are you alright?  You kind of spaced out there for a bit.”

Kepler shook his head, putting his curiosity about his, apparently, new body aside for the moment so he could focus on the matter at hand, err, hoof, “Apologies, I wasn’t expecting to find out that I had somehow been changed from my original species on top of being transported to a different world.  Forgive me for worrying you, Fraulein?”

This seemed to take the gryphon back for a moment, although it seemed that she too put aside her thoughts for more important things, “Oh, I haven’t introduced myself.”  She held out a clawed hand to him, “My name is Vizefeldwebel Gloria Sage Windcutter, but you can call me Gloria if you want.  The rank and full name are only really needed in formal settings.”

“And I am Leutnant zur See Kepler Hans Wolff.” he replied, “Call me Kepler if you wouldn’t mind.”  He was momentarily surprised by Gloria’s rank, as well as the fact that the same terms seemed to apply to both this land and his own.  The fact that the gryphon was only an enlisted soldier, a sergeant first class to be exact, and not an officer at her age, made it clear they were not at war, or at least not to the point that they had to draft youngsters into the military yet. 

Gloria’s eyes widened and she snapped into what he presumed was a salute, her right foreleg crossed over her chest with her claws closed into a fist while her head was tilted up and to the side, exposing her neck.  She seemed to realize what she had done a second later, her cheek feathers shifting to a slightly darker shade of reddish-gold as she lowered her limb back to the decking. 

“Sorry, force of habit.”  Kepler chose to ignore the rather prominent blush that had come over her face as she cleared her throat into her fist, “Can’t tell you how many times an officer nearly pounded me into the dirt for not getting my salutes right back in basic.”

“Pay it no mind.” Kepler figured it would be best to move on to more important questions, “So, do you have anything you need to do now that you’ve seen my ship?  I know she’s not much to look at, at the moment, but I have a feeling you came aboard for more than simple exploration.”

This seemed to snap Gloria out of her musings, her eyes locking with his once again as her expression turned serious, “Well, yes, you are correct.  As a member of the Grenzschutze, it is my duty to make sure that nothing sneaks past our military to try and attack our homeland.  I wasn’t expecting to find you or your ship on my rounds, but that doesn’t matter anymore.  I need to report to my superiors about this, and I can’t just leave you alone to do as you please with this kind of hardware at your disposal.”  Her wings flared wide and with a mighty flap, she took to the air, hovering over the decking for a second before swooping over Kepler’s head. 

“Sorry about this,” her voice caused his ear to rotate as she spoke from behind and above him, “but protocol dictates I can’t let you fly on your own, so forgive me.”

“What do you mean flyyyyyaaaaaiiiihhhhhiiiiiii?!”  Kepler’s legs flailed about for several seconds as he suddenly felt his body leave the security of the decking, a tight pressure holding him around his middle as he rose higher and higher into the air.

“Quite squirming if you don’t want me to drop you!”  Gloria’s voice managed to pierce his panic-addled mind enough to reassert his rational thought, although that didn’t help much as they rose higher and higher above the ship. 

Kepler realized Gloria had picked him up and was currently carrying him with his back pressed against her chest, her forelegs holding him tightly against her armor as they began moving horizontally instead of vertically.  Looking down, the massive wreck he had come to know so well was little more than a toy in his vision. 

“You alright down there?  Most fliers don’t get this nervous, even if they aren’t the one doing the work.”  Gloria’s voice was hard to pick up over the wind that their passage had created, but Kepler found that by turning his new ears towards her, it made it a little easier to make her words out. 

Gloria’s head turned down to meet his gaze as he lifted his head, hoping that by not looking at the ground he wouldn’t get sick, “Easy for you to say!”  He had to raise his volume a bit to make himself understood, “You know how to fly, I don’t unless it happens to be inside a plane!”

Her eyes widened, although whatever she planned on saying was cut off as a sharp cry echoed from the area in front of them.  Kepler followed her gaze as Gloria turned her attention forward, his eyes picking up two forms similar in size and build to his companion, against the growing light of dawn.  It only took a moment to realize that they were gryphons like Gloria, and by their unhappy expressions, he had a feeling that they weren’t here to have a casual conversation. 

The duo came to a stop within easy speaking distance, the fliers hovering in place as Gloria called out, “Sorry for not saluting, sir, but as you can see my claws are a bit occupied at the moment!”

The gryphon on the left nodded, his white feathers practically glowing in the rising sunlight while his silver and black-spotted hind end hung beneath his broad wings, “You are forgiven, Vizefeldwebel.  We were worried something had happened to you when you didn’t report in from your patrol.”  His bright amber eyes locked onto Kepler, making the former human feel even smaller when compared to the large predators, “Given the rather odd cargo you have with you, I’d say it was for a good reason?”

Gloria glanced down and met Kepler’s gaze for a second, “You could say that.  I would love to give you all the details right here and now, but my wings are getting tired and I would rather tell Oberst Talonedge what I found before we do anything else.”

The white officer turned to his second, the brown and tan female nodding her agreement as she cast a meaningful glance in Kepler’s direction, her strange violet eyes a marked contrast to the familiar hues Kepler had seen so far. 

Both gryphons exchanged silent words for a moment longer before turning back to Gloria, “Very well,” the white male replied, “but make sure to keep your friend there under control.  We wouldn’t want the Equestrians catching wind of any mistreatment of their citizens.”

“Just so we all understand one another,” Kepler added, causing both of the newcomers to stare at him with wide eyes, “I am not an Equestrian, or whoever you think I am.  I am, or was, a German sailor with the rank of Leutnant zur See while serving in the Kriegsmarine.  Therefore, I would appreciate being treated with at least the respect of a fellow soldier while in your land.” 

He made a note that whatever these Equestrians were, they apparently didn’t speak the same language these gryphons did, if the surprised looks he was getting from the two were anything to go by.  They were professional enough to hide their thoughts after a moment, their calm military bearing returning as the apparent leader of the two spoke to Gloria once again.

“Vizefeldwebel,” his tone held an air of command that Kepler was all too familiar with, “as soon as we return to base, you will report to the Oberst with all haste while we secure our guest.  If what he says is true, then I suspect he will be summoned to speak for himself before the commanders shortly thereafter.  And you,” Kepler shrunk against his better judgement as those hard, amber orbs locked onto him once again, “I don’t know how you learned our language or how you know our command structure, but I do know this.  You are a foreigner who has trespassed in our land, and as such will be given all the respect due to such interlopers.  If you wish to keep your head attached to your neck, I suggest you stay quiet and do as you are told, and don’t cause any trouble.”

Knowing well when patience overtook the part of valor, Kepler simply nodded, remaining still in Gloria’s grip as the others formed up above and behind the smaller female on either side. 

The formation continued further inland for several minutes before Kepler spotted the distinct shape of an artificial structure, the base’s general design reminding him of the buildings and layout from back home in more ways than one.  As they descended, Kepler noticed that the outer walls of the fort were made of stone and mortar, rising roughly three stories above the rough and rocky terrain.  The tops of said walls were dotted with observation towers and weapon emplacements, although there seemed to be a lack of any advanced weaponry that was more modern than breech-loading cannons.  Gryphon sentries were posted on the walls at regular intervals, their armor shining in the sunlight like flares, as they flew overhead and into the base proper, forcing Kepler to squint for several seconds before his eyes could adjust.

Within the square that protected the interior of the base, there were several buildings, also made of stone, although these seemed to be more modern in their construction when compared to the walls which surrounded them.  The structures were smooth and set with what looked like concrete, raising Kepler’s opinion of these creatures by a few marks as they came in for a landing.  If these beings had figured out how to make cement, then perhaps there was more to them than what simple observation could provide. 

The buildings were clustered against the northern and eastern sides of the fortification, leaving the south-west sector bare for what Kepler presumed were drills and base-wide announcements, as well as an informal landing strip, given the dozens of gryphons flying in an out of the base while going about their duties.  Gloria set him down before landing at his side, her gaze locking with his for a moment before she ran off into the buildings on their left, leaving Kepler with the other two as he was guided towards what he assumed was a form of detention.

It turned out that his instincts were correct, given the first thing he saw as he was directed into one of the shorter structures were rows of barred cells.  As he had been instructed, Kepler stayed quiet as he was walked into the first cell on the left, his captors closing the solid metal door behind him and locking it.  They left without a word, leaving Kepler with little to do except think about what was going on, and what he could do about it. 

The cell was simple enough, a short wall providing a modicum of privacy around a low toilet in the far-right corner, and a simple wooden board secured to the wall with two chains acting as a bed.  There were no sheets, no mattress or anything of the sort, and only a small opening no larger than his head in the far wall near the ceiling to act as a window.  A closer look showed that the opening was also barred with metal, meaning even if he could fit through the opening, he would first have to cut away the steel in his way.

With nothing else to do, Kepler sat down on the stone floor and waited, knowing sooner or later, someone would come and either feed him or take him to whoever was in charge of this base.  Gloria had mentioned an Oberst when speaking with her superiors, and if the translation was still accurate compared to his homeland, he would be speaking with a colonel very shortly.  Talonedge, if his memory served him, was the name of the officer, although that did him little in the way of knowing what to expect other than perhaps knowing their sex. 

Kepler was pulled from his musings as the click of claws echoed through the hall, his gaze lifting to meet the amber and violet gazes that had already become familiar as a key was turned in the lock.

The door swung open and it was the female that spoke this time as they fell in on either side of him, “Do not speak unless spoken to, and do not even think about trying to fly away.  Every gryphon in this base has been notified of your presence and will cut you down if you so much as flap a wing out of turn.  Answer all of Oberst Talonedge’s questions honestly and you might make it out of this in one piece.”

Kepler stayed quiet as he walked out of the detention center, his neck prickling with the gazes of dozens of gryphons as he was directed to one of the only two-story buildings in the base.  A flagpole was stationed on its roof, depicting a standard similar and yet different to that of his homeland, although he wasn’t able to see much detail before he was escorted through the front doors.  Another pair of gryphons, this time in full plate armor instead of the half-plate he had seen so far, fell in alongside the others.  Kepler could see strange symbols carved onto the metal in various places but was unable to think about it for very long before he was marched up to a door at the back of the first floor.

The white officer knocked twice, a muffled response sounding off from within as he turned the brass knob and ushered Kepler through.  The others followed behind him before closing the entryway, effectively blocking his only exit as his gaze fell upon the imposing figure sitting behind a large desk before him.

Oddly enough, the huge gryphon who supposedly commanded the base wasn’t wearing armor, although that did little to calm Kepler’s nerves as he beheld the massive broadsword across his back, between his wing bases.  Kepler also spotted something he hadn’t seen so far, and it raised his estimation of his captor’s technological level once again.  The item in question appeared to be a crude rifle resting on a stand in the rear left corner of the room.  However, his attention was once again drawn to the commander as his dark brown eyes fell upon the nervous stallion.

“So, you are the one that has caused such a stir as of late.” His voice was deep and possessed a moderate accent the others Kepler had met lacked, “I must say it is rare to see an Equestrian so far from home. But then again, you aren’t an ordinary Equestrian, now are you?”

The Oberst walked around his desk, revealing that his lion-like body wasn’t restricted to his lower half.  His dark brown feathers fluffed out around his shoulders like a mane, although it was his jet-black talons which caused Kepler to sweat as the officer approached him.  One swipe would cut him to ribbons, of that he was sure, and so Kepler did the only thing he could think of at the time.

Kepler folded his foreleg over his chest as he had seen Gloria do before, bemoaning the loss of his fingers as he couldn’t form a fist even if he wanted too.  He did make sure to tilt his head back and reveal his neck, although doing so made the sweat running down his face double as the massive gryphon lowered his head to eye level.

“You do a passable salute, for a pony.”  Was that a hint of respect in his voice?  Kepler couldn’t tell. “However, that doesn’t answer my questions, nor does it explain the wild story that one of my soldiers swore was the truth, even as she spouted nonsense that would have had her court-martialed at any other time.  So, little pony,” Kepler could practically feel his interrogator’s breath as he struggled to maintain his salute, “care to enlighten me as to what you are doing here and why I suddenly have a massive warship on my shores which wasn’t there yesterday?”

Feeling like it had served its purpose, Kepler dropped his salute, swallowing to try and calm his frayed nerves before speaking, “Well, I’m not sure how else to say this, but I’m not from this world.  I am, or was, a human from Earth before I somehow ended up here and in this body.”  The Oberst said nothing and did not move, save for lifting an eye ridge, so Kepler took that as an invitation to continue, “I was serving on the ship that your subordinate found and was just as surprised as she was to find myself as I was.”

“As a pony?”  Talonedge prompted.

“Alive.”  Kepler corrected, causing the Oberst’s other eye ridge to join the first, “The last thing I remember before waking up on your shores was the ship sinking beneath the waves, trapped in a storage room that was flooding with seawater after we were forced to scuttle the vessel.”

“And why would you do that?”  He asked, genuine interest in his tone as he lifted his head to its normal height, “From what Windcutter told me, your ship seems to be far more advanced than what we have available to us at this time.  What could possibly force you to scuttle it?”

“We were overwhelmed by an enemy fleet.”  Kepler replied, hanging his head in shame as he remembered his captain’s final words, “Our ship was damaged to the point that we could not escape, nor could we overcome the power we faced with what little we had left to fight.  We sank our own ship to keep it from falling into enemy hands, although it would seem that things did not go as we originally intended.”

“Let us assume I believe anything you say is true,” Talonedge walked back behind his desk and sat down.  His gaze locked with Kepler’s as he pinned the stallion in place with a hard glare, “What reason do I have to help you in any way?  After all, you are a pony in body, even if you say it is not your original form.  As such, why should I not ship you off to Equestria so you can live out your days with the rest of those pacifist herbivores?”

“Because I can be of service to you.”  Kepler stated, having made up his mind about what he hoped would be the best course of action, “I was an engineer while I served on the Bismarck.  I know how she works, and I can teach you how to make your own versions of her if you let me.”  The gryphons as a whole seemed unconvinced, although he picked up some murmurs of interest from the officers behind him, “Your enlisted soldier mentioned something about guarding your borders against enemies.  I take it you are currently at war with someone?”

That brought all conversation to a grinding halt as Talonedge fixed Kepler with a narrowed gaze, “Choose your next words carefully, pony, or you’ll find yourself in a cell for the foreseeable future.”

Kepler swallowed, taking a moment to try and still his racing heart, “What if I could provide more than technology?  I held the rank of officer in my nation’s navy.  As such I know a fair bit about tactics.  I could share that knowledge with you while also providing your military with a large boost in combat ability.  From what I’ve seen so far, your hardware is at least a half-century, maybe a hundred years behind the technology of my homeland.  Think of what you could accomplish if your enemies suddenly didn’t even understand what they were fighting against, let alone know how to counter new and improved battle strategies.”

That got the officers talking again, and this time Kepler could hear the approval in their voices as the Oberst nodded, “You do make a sound argument.  However, I have yet to see this supposed technology for myself, and I know that words are only worth the air that spawned them until proven otherwise.  I will send a team with Vizefeldwebel Windcutter to substantiate your claims, but until I say otherwise, you will be detained as a foreign entity and will be killed if you so much as breathe in the wrong direction.  Am I understood?”

Kepler snapped off another salute, causing the Oberst to crack a small smile as he replied, “Yes, sir!”

Talonedge waved him off with a claw, “Then I expect you to be on your best behavior.  If all goes well, then we will speak again in the morning.”  He turned his attention to the white-feathered officer, “Hauptmann!”

“Sir!”  The now-dubbed captain replied with a salute.

“See to it that our guest is secured in a cell but provide him with a blanket and some food while you’re at it.”  Talonedge’s tone brokered no argument, “If what he says is true, then he will need his strength for what will likely come next.  However, if there is any trouble, you have my authorization to use any means, up to and including lethal force to keep this base secure.”

“Understood, sir!”  Kepler was beginning to see a rather familiar dynamic between these gryphons and what he remembered from back home.  Only speak when spoken to and use prefabricated answers unless otherwise ordered.  Yup, just like home.

“Dismissed.”  Talonedge turned around and began running his talons across the labels of various files stacked neatly against the wall, although Kepler wasn’t able to get a good look before he was ushered from the room and out of the building. 

Moments later, Kepler was once again locked in the same cell he had been in before, although the Hauptmann had provided a blanket as ordered, with a plate of green leaves and a few vegetable slices being slid through a slot at the bottom of the door before he departed.  The smell reminded Kepler’s stomach that he hadn’t eaten in at least a day, and it was with great gusto that he devoured the food given to him in seemingly no time at all.  Once he had his fill, the stress of the day managed to catch up with him, giving the exhausted stallion just enough time to climb onto the wooden plank and drag the blanket over his back with his teeth before promptly passing out. 

Little did he know, this was only the beginning of an adventure that would shape the future of the very world in the coming years.
> 3 - A New Command
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dawn came far too early for the bleary-eyed stallion as he was brought back to the waking world.  Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to bemoan his lack of sleep for long as the door to his cell was unlocked and opened.  The still-unnamed Hauptmann stood in the opening, his half-plate armor freshly polished and his body neatly groomed.  Kepler wondered for a moment why that would be, only to stumble out of bed and to attention when Oberst Talonedge walked up next to the smaller gryphon. 

“Rise and shine, pony.”  There was a hint of contempt in his tone that set Kepler’s teeth on edge, but he held his tongue as the much larger being stepped into the cell and stopped just shy of invading his personal space. “Your story seems to hold up after my scouts reported back, so now I’m holding you to your word.  You will accompany a contingent of officers, engineering specialists and enchanters to the wreck, and you will impart to them everything you know.  I don’t care if it takes months to go through every nail, beam and sheet on that vessel, as long as you do not withhold any information from us.  A single order from me could see your head removed from your shoulders, so it would be wise to play by our rules.” 

He gestured to his subordinate with a claw.  “Hauptmann Silverwing will be the senior officer on-site and will relay everything that happens directly to me.”  He fixed Kepler with a hard look that shattered any snide comments forming in the stallion’s mind.  “Deliver on your promise and you will be rewarded handsomely.  We gryphons respect those who produce results, even if they are not one of us.  Don’t give me a reason to doubt you and we should get along just fine.”

The commander turned to go, but something he had said stuck out in Kepler’s mind.  “Sir?”  The gryphon paused and glanced over his shoulder with a raised eye ridge.  “Did I hear you correctly when you said enchanters?”

Talonedge shared a confused look with Silverwing.  “Yes, they provide many of the skills that are essential to our industry.  They are also behind some of our most powerful weapon and energy source innovations.  What is your point?”

Kepler’s confusion only grew.  “But doesn’t enchanting imply that you are using some form of magic?”

Now the Oberst turned to face him fully.  “You are trying my patience, pony.  Every creature on Equis knows about magic and how powerful it can be if used properly.”

Kepler’s eyes widened as he realized what was causing the miscommunication.  “There’s magic on this world?!  Real magic?!”

Now it was Talonedge’s eyes which widened.  “You mean you haven’t heard of it before?  Then how did your kind ever create something as massive and powerful as the vessel you were found in?”

Kepler’s rump landed hard on the floor as the realization hit him like a sack of bricks.  “We don’t have magic.  We had to make all of it using technology and hard work.  You mean to tell me you could use magic to make our technology even more powerful?”

Both gryphons seemed to come to the same understanding as Kepler had, their expressions morphing into shock and wonder in equal measure as they shared another look between themselves.  Talonedge nodded at his subordinate’s unspoken question, turning back to Kepler as he spoke.  “If that is the case, then I can see there being much we can do to advance or perhaps simplify the challenges your kind had to overcome with brute technological force.  Hauptmann!”

“Sir!”  Silverwing snapped into a salute.

“See to it that this pony has everything he needs in order to perform at his best,”  Talonedge ordered.  “Keep him under constant guard, but listen to everything he says concerning the ship.  He knows far more than we do, and we would be fools to go blundering about inside without knowing what might be dangerous.  Inform the engineers and enchanters of this order as well, and tell them that if they don’t like it, they can come and tell it to my face.  The last thing we need is some-gryphon doing something stupid and getting himself killed.”

“Understood, sir.  I’ll make sure the teams are aware of your orders.”  Silverwing glanced at Kepler for a moment before turning back to the Oberst.  “Permission to speak freely, sir?”

“Granted,”  Talonedge replied.

“With your permission, sir,” Silverwing continued, “I would like to assign Vizefeldwebel Windcutter to the pony’s guard detail, given she was the first gryphon he met and seems to have built a level of trust between them.”

“And what makes you think that this pony trusts that hen more than any other member of this base’s troops?”  Talonedge countered. “He only knew her for one night and that was after she pulled his sorry tail from a storage closet.”

“Precisely, sir,”  Silverwing replied. “She was the one who saved him from the wreck of his ship, instead of leaving him to whatever fate might have otherwise befallen him.  They may have only known each other for a short time before Oberleutnant Crosswind and I intercepted them, but I have heard from my subordinates that Windcutter has been asking about the stallion nearly non-stop since she brought him in.”  The gryphon’s beak curled up in a smug smile as a twinkle entered his eyes.  “I say we let her act as a bridge between the familiar and the unfamiliar, given she seems to have taken an interest in the pony and desires to learn more.”  He glanced at Kepler.  “What would you think of having a familiar face as part of the guard detail, given you do owe her your life and all.”

Kepler did his best not to march up and punch the smug grin off the Hauptmann’s face, knowing fully well that it would land him in more trouble than it was worth.  However, he couldn’t dismiss the fact that the officer was correct in some ways.  He did owe the female for saving him, and it would be nice to have at least one familiar face while he essentially spoon-fed these creatures the biggest scientific advancement in their history.  Might as well have some pleasant company while he was at it.

“Sure,” he sighed, “it would be nice to pay her back for what she did for me.  I accept her posting as my guard if that is what you recommend.  However, don’t think for a second I don’t know what you’re doing.”

Silverwing’s grin never faded as he tilted his head upwards slightly.  “Oh, and what am I doing?”

Kepler decided to stay silent, knowing that if he did say what was on his mind it would get him in trouble.  If these creatures wanted to try and milk more knowledge out of him by providing him with an innocent and eager female to distract him, then they had another thing coming.  He wasn’t going to give away everything, even if that was what he had originally promised because there was still a part of him that didn’t trust these avian creatures.  He needed some form of ace up his sleeve if he wanted to stay one step ahead of these things, and the best way to do that was to keep some of the best secrets to himself unless there was no other choice.  They wanted the knowledge of his nation’s best and brightest?  Then they would have to earn it.  After all, wasn’t it the Oberst who had said it best, ‘Words are only as good as the air that formed them.’?  If these gryphons wanted to play hardball, then he was more than ready to give as well as he got, and then some.  He just hoped that it would be enough to keep him alive in this strange, new land.

Evidently, Talonedge had grown bored with Kepler’s staring match with his subordinate, stepping between them as he addressed the stallion directly.  “Very well, if there are no objections, then I will have Vizefeldwebel Windcutter appointed to your detail before you depart.  I had the squad erect a simple camp next to the wreck so that you and the others won’t have to travel from this base to the ship and back again.  We will supply you with food and anything else you may need so you can focus totally on your assignment.  Am I understood?”

“Yes, sir,” Kepler replied, doing his best to salute, even though he knew it was impossible to do so in his current form.

Talonedge nodded, turning to go while leaving the door to the cell open. “Then follow Hauptmann Silverwing and prepare to depart.  You will fly back to the ship and will begin sharing what you know with the others, once they gather their equipment and join you at the camp.  You should have most of the day to go over the basics, so I suggest you cover safety before going back aboard.”

“Um, one little problem, sir.”  Kepler lowered his head, his ears folding back against his skull.  “I don’t know how to fly.  New body and all that, sir.  My kind doesn’t have wings.”

Talonedge ran a claw over his beak, letting out a long-suffering sigh.  “Hauptmann, see to it that the pony gets flying lessons between his briefings.  If he’s going to be one of us, then we would be morons to not at least teach him how his new body works.”

Silverwing nodded, letting out a sigh of his own as he covered his eyes with one claw.  “I’ll make sure Vizefeldwebel Windcutter gets him airborne as soon as possible.  Not like there’s going to be much else to do out there while we’re not poking around inside the ship.”

With that, the Oberst left, leaving Kepler with nothing to do but follow Silverwing out of the building and into the morning sunlight.  The gryphon took to the air and grabbed Kepler around his middle without fanfare, although at least this time the stallion managed not to scream as his hooves left the ground.  He kept his eyes forward as they spiraled out of the base and leveled off, flying towards the western shores that were just barely visible at the edge of the horizon.  Even though Kepler had seen the landscape below the previous night, there was something about the rocks and sandy dunes that stood out in his mind.  There were very few trees, or even bushes for that matter, the barren landscape passing by beneath them with very little to break up the harsh monotony as the ocean grew in the distance.  Twice, he was tempted to ask the gryphon why they lived in such a harsh climate, but the words always seemed to die in his mouth before they could escape. 

The sun was fully overhead by the time they came in for a landing at the shore, the wreck of his ship still resting in the shallows as his hooves made contact with the loose sand once again.  He made note of the large tents that had been staked a short distance from the wreck, their tan fabric rippling in the soft ocean wind as a small collection of other gryphons began appearing from within.  Of the ten tents that had been placed in a rough semicircle facing the ocean, only two seemed to have anyone in them, although Kepler did recall the Oberst stating that the others would be joining them later that day. 

Speaking of said company, he could see a large group of flying figures approaching from the direction of the base, the glint of sunlight against armor mostly lacking from the majority as they landed between the tents and the shore.  Several were carrying packs that rested over their haunches, their leather sides bulging with what Kepler assumed were tools and other such things as the group gaped in awe at the massive wreck.  The stallion couldn’t stop the grin that formed on his face as the engineers’ jaws hung low, his national pride stirring inside him, even if the ship before them was only a shell of its former glory.

Silverwing let out a piercing screech that forced Kepler to fold his ears in discomfort, although it did capture the attention of everyone present as he addressed the group.  “Alright, everyone.  You know why you have been called to this little slice of paradise but let me remind you of a few things before you start drooling over what is behind me.  We are in unfamiliar territory, with strange technology that we know next to nothing about.  This pony,” he indicated Kepler with a claw, “is the only one who knows how all of this stuff works and is the only one who can keep you from getting yourselves killed by pushing the wrong button.”  Said pony did his best to not shrink under the inquisitive and predatory gazes of the gryphons around him.  “Therefore, you will listen to whatever he tells you to do while we are investigating this vessel, and you will do so without question or complaint.  These orders come straight from Oberst Talonedge, so you all know what will happen if he catches word of any disobedience.”  There was a collection of nervous murmurs before Silverwing continued, “Finally, we will be receiving supplies as well as anything else we might need to complete our mission here, from Fort Sandclaw.  Therefore, get comfortable with your current residence, because you’re going to be here for a while.”

With that said, Silverwing walked off to do whatever he had to do, leaving Kepler with a collection of roughly a dozen very curious gryphons who were all looking at him like a choice piece of meat.  He did his best not to sweat as he marched up to the larger creatures, reminding himself that when it came to his ship, his word was law.  With a quick, deep breath to settle his nerves, he lifted his gaze and did his best to sound intimidating.

“Alright, so I’m the one who has to keep you turkeys from getting into trouble.”  That earned him some sour looks, but at that point, Kepler knew he had to go big or give up.  “Don’t give me those looks.  You heard the Hauptmann, when it comes to the inner workings of my ship, my word is law.  That means you need to pay attention and make sure to do as I say when I say it.  The last thing we need is one of you blowing up an ammunition magazine because you didn’t know what you were messing around with.”

“I hardly believe we will have to worry about such things,” a dusty brown and black-spotted female stated with a wave of a claw.  “Everyone knows that weapon ammunition is just hunks of metal that are pushed out of the barrel by an acceleration enchantment.  There isn’t anything in them that could detonate even if we hit them with another bullet.”

Kepler did his best not to hit himself with his hoof at the female’s arrogance.  “Then let me educate you before you get us all killed.”  He pointed behind him at one of the primary weapon turrets.  “You see those big guns on the main deck, surrounded by several tons of plate steel?”  There were a few nodded heads.  “They fire two forms of ammunition, one of which contains an explosive charge that detonates upon impact with the target, be it another ship or a land-based fortification.  Care to guess how much explosive force a single shell produces?”

The hen’s eyes widened as she seemed to realize just how big the cannons were, and how big that would make their ammunition.  “Enough to destroy a small fishing vessel?”  Her tone told Kepler that she was trying to cover up her ignorance with a purposefully wrong answer, but the stallion was in no mood for games.

“Let me help you understand how wrong you are.  That hole in the side of the ship,” all eyes turned to a massive breach in the hull that had to be over thirty feet around, and would have sat just below the waterline if the ship were at sea, “was made by a shell that was roughly two-thirds the size of one of our shells.  You can see from here how thick the armor is on the beltline and how little it did to stop the force of the enemy’s attack.  Now imagine if we used one of our cannons and did the same to a smaller ship, with less armor and a much bigger charge.”

The female in question swallowed thickly as she realized just how much damage an explosion of that size could do, and what it would mean if she accidentally set one of them off.  “Forgive me.  It would seem that there is much we have to learn if we are going to have any hope of replicating this technology.”  She bowed her head.  “Please, educate us so that we can understand how to safely and effectively learn from what your ship has to offer.”

Kepler nodded once, his resolve now firmly in place as he addressed the gathered gryphons again, “Alright, first things first, I have been informed that some of you are enchanters.  I will tell you right now that you will find nothing on this ship that resembles whatever it is you use to power your weapons or craft.  That is because this ship was created without the use of magic, meaning that if your skills are going to be put to use, we will need to adapt either your enchantments or my technology to find a balance somewhere in the middle.  Oberst Talonedge suggested that we look for magical shortcuts to some of the challenges my kind faced while using our technology, or maybe improve upon what we already have to make an even better hybridization.  Does everyone understand me so far?”

Confused nods were his answer, so he figured that was all he was going to get until they started taking the ship’s systems apart.  While it hurt him on a deep emotional level to have to tear his ship into pieces, it was the only way he could teach these gryphons anything in a reasonable amount of time.  Plus, the ship wasn’t going to ever sail again unless some kind of miracle occurred, meaning it would be better to honor her sacrifice by using what they had available to the best of their abilities.  With a general understanding between himself and the gryphon specialists, Kepler briefed all of them on any and all safety measures he could think of, including the proper handling of live ordnance and what the differences were between high-explosive and armor-piercing rounds.  Heaven forbid someone got them confused and accidentally set one off in a magazine, assuming they weren’t handling the anti-aircraft ammunition.  The flak cannons used a specially designed hybrid round that was both armor piercing and explosive.  Because of this, Kepler made sure to point out where they were secured and told everyone to avoid those magazines until he could train a team to handle the rounds safely.

By the time he was done with the safety briefing, the sun was nearing the horizon and there were increasing numbers of yawns among the gathered creatures, Kepler included.  So, with moderate comfort in the knowledge that they most likely wouldn’t blow themselves up by accident, he dismissed the group for the night, taking directions from one of the soldiers as he walked towards the tent that was directly in the middle of the camp.  Whether it was by choice or just coincidence, Kepler fully understood that he was surrounded by much larger and more dangerous creatures, effectively cutting off all possible forms of escape if he tried to run. 

He pushed open the flap and secured the loose fabric by closing the zipper with his teeth, barely noticing the rustic furnishings of the interior as he climbed onto the cot that had been placed in the far-right corner.  It was little more than a mattress covered with a thin sheet and a brick pretending to be a pillow, but to his tired mind, it was as soft as down.  He pulled the sheet over his body and let his head fall on the pillow, his brain shutting down before he could form another thought.  Had he been paying more attention, he might have noticed that there was another occupant in the tent with him, one who looked on with curious glee as she stood up from her post by the left wall.

Kepler didn’t know it, but he was in for a rude awakening come morning.
> 4 - Wingnuts and Wingbeats
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dawn came far too early and with more fanfare than Kepler was used to, and that was saying something given how he had formerly been awoken while he was still human.  Instead of the twin trash can lids that would shock him and his crewmates from their sleep, it was a piercing eagle’s cry and the sudden feeling of being tackled by a massive wall of feathers and muscle.  Kepler had just enough presence of mind to flail about in his captor’s grip for a moment before he found himself pinned to the ground beside his bed, while a familiar set of bright blue eyes stared into his own. 

“Good morning, Kepler!”  Gloria cried as her beak curled into a smug grin.  “It’s time for your first flying lesson and I get to be your teacher!”

Kepler took a moment to realign his mind with his current circumstances, his body pressed into the ground by the larger creature’s bulk and his forelegs neatly pinned above his head.  Short of headbutting her in the beak, there was no way to get the hen off him unless he had somehow acquired superhuman strength during the night. 

With a resigned sigh, Kepler forced his tensed muscles to relax as he replied, “Very well.  Could you remove yourself from my person so we can get this training underway?” 

While he had no idea how this training was to come about, he did have an invested interest in getting off the ground.  His new body had wings, so if he was stuck in this form, he might as well learn to utilize them if he wanted to be less of a burden to his feathered allies.

Gloria seemed to pout for a split second, before climbing off the smaller equine, her momentary melancholy quickly exchanged in favor of her usual perky attitude.

“Alright then, if we’re going to get you off the ground, then we’re first going to have to find out how much control you have over your wings.”  She pointed a talon at said leathery appendages as one fell limp at Kepler’s side.  “If you’re going to fly then you need to have total awareness and control of those things, or else you won’t be going anywhere.”

“Then teach me what I need to know,”  Kepler replied.  “I am ready and willing to learn.”

The hen nodded.  “We’ll be using the deck of your ship as a launch platform, mostly because it’s the only thing high enough for what I have in mind.”  She waved a talon in a beckoning motion as she turned towards the tent flaps.  “Come on.  The sun is rising and it’s only going to get hotter the longer we wait.”

Kepler followed his impromptu instructor out of the tent and into the breaking dawn, the sounds of slumbering beings reaching his sensitive ears from the tents on either side, while a duo of guards patrolled the camp perimeter.  Kepler noted the tercels were armed with what appeared to be rifles, although they were too far away for him to discern anything specific other than their general shape and size.  Gloria waved to one of them as they walked past the pair and up to the edge of the surf line, the hulk of his once great ship resting in the shallows a few meters beyond the water’s edge. 

Gloria flew into the air and wrapped her arms around Kepler’s middle, her talons gripping but not causing any harm to his belly as she lifted them both up onto the deck of the battleship.  She set him down just forward of Turret One on the open main deck, the barrels of the ship’s primary offensive armament still facing left from her final moments of glory.  Kepler was only briefly able to look upon the remains of his ship before Gloria captured his attention, the sadness that had begun to take root in his mind forgotten for the time being. 

“Now as I said before,” Gloria’s tone had shifted to one Kepler was very familiar with, one his instructors back in basic training had used for the entirety of his stay in port, before he was assigned his first post, “in order to fly, you need to be fully aware and in control of your wings.” 

She spread her own as she continued, the rising sunlight filtering through the large primary feathers as she pointed to different parts with her talons.  “If even a single part of your wing is out of place, it can send you out of control and into the ground, or worse.  Therefore, the first thing we need to do is get your mind to cooperate with what your wings are telling it and vice versa.”

Kepler tilted his head slightly as the gryphon turned her gaze back to him.  “What my wings are telling me?  I don’t understand.”

Gloria’s eyes took on a knowing light.  “Spread your wings, and close your eyes.”

Feeling uncertain, but knowing that he wasn’t going to get anywhere on his own, Kepler did as he was instructed, his wings opening slowly as he focused on the new muscles that hadn’t been there a few days prior.  He had to consciously direct each wing and keep them open until he got used to the feeling, but that was all wiped from his mind the instant the membranes became taught and they caught the first gust of the ocean breeze. 

It was unlike anything he had ever felt before.  The information the wind was feeding directly into his mind through his wings was overwhelming.  He could feel every centimeter of the thin flesh as it rippled and cupped the air, the temperature and humidity of each gust as they moved over and under the leading edges of his wings.  His mouth dropped open as his eyes widened, his mind awash with awe as he tried to find a way to describe what he was experiencing, and failing to do so.  He was barely cognizant of Gloria’s gleeful and knowing smirk, so overloaded was his mind. 

Finally, Kepler’s brain managed to adjust to the new sensations that were being fed to it from his extra limbs, his jaw closing with a click as he focused on his teacher once more.

Her smile was nearly as bright as the sun rising overhead as she folded her wings back against her sides.  “Unlike anything you’ve ever experienced before, isn’t it?”

Kepler could only nod.  “That is an understatement.”  His gaze traveled over his left shoulder so he could see what his mind was being sent instead of simply feeling it.  “I feel like every centimeter of my wings is being lit up by lightning, and at the same time being submerged in a cool, flowing stream.”

Gloria giggled.  “Yep, that’s about how I would describe it too, although I bet it doesn’t feel the same on your bat wings as it does on my feathers.”

Kepler nodded once more as he returned his attention to the hen.  “Now what do I do?”

Gloria simply walked up to the stallion and directed him over to the railing.  “Keep your wings open, and whatever you do, don’t look down.”

Kepler had just enough time to question her words before the hen lifted him up and over the railing, tossing him into the open air with the shoreline a good dozen meters below his flailing limbs.  A cry of terror escaped his lips as his wings clamped tight against his sides, sending Kepler plummeting straight down until he came to a painful landing in the shallow water.  He managed to somehow remain in one piece even as his stomach erupted in lightning and brimstone, his bones behaving more like jelly as he forced himself into a sitting position to get his head above water.  He coughed and sputtered for a moment as his brain attempted to operate beyond the agony that had taken the place of his stomach, although it proved to be a difficult task when every breath ignited fresh fire under his soaking wet fur.  He made no attempt to resist as a pair of talons pulled him from the hole he had managed to dig into the sand below the water, his legs and wings hanging limply as he was carried back up to the deck and placed on the blessedly warm metal. 

“I’m so sorry!”  Gloria blubbered as she paced around the groaning stallion.  “I was sure you’d be able to glide just fine and then come in for a sliding stop on the shore.  I swear it wasn’t supposed to go like that!”

Kepler sent a scathing glare the hen’s way, causing the gryphon to flinch before he closed his eyes and rested his chin on the deck between his forelegs.  “Toss me over the railing again, and I swear I’ll pluck every feather off your wings before pushing you off the nearest cliff face.”

He was able to hear her gulp, which was somewhat healing for his burning temper, even though it did nothing for the burning flesh of his belly.  “Understood.  Won’t happen again, I swear.”

Kepler laid there for a while longer, listening to Gloria’s talons click back and forth on the deck as she paced around his prone form.  Finally, after ten minutes of white-hot agony, Kepler was able to at least sit up and breathe without his body sending lightning bolts up and down his spine.  His gaze traveled astern, where he spotted Gloria inspecting the forward bow turret, known by the codename ‘Anton’, from the side.  Her head was tilted quizzically as she gazed up at the main guns. 

“I don’t see any runes on the cannons.”  Her voice carried easily to Kepler’s ears, even though their meaning made him raise an eyebrow in question as her head turned to face him.  “How do you propel the projectiles if you don’t have runes to channel the magic pulse?”

Kepler did his best to reply without growling at the hen due to his pain-addled consciousness, “The weapons on this ship are fired using explosive charges, which propel the ammunition through the barrels until they are launched out the end and towards the target.”

Wait,” Gloria’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped open as she turned her full attention to Kepler, “are you telling me this entire ship operates without using a shred of magic power?  HOW?!”

Kepler was tempted to ignore his companion due to her botched attempt at teaching him to fly, but he checked his growing annoyance in favor of educating his companion instead of fighting with her.  That, and he was already developing a headache from his rough landing. He didn’t need to add to it by fighting over semantics.  He was here to teach, after all, so he might as well start with the gryphon that was being polite about it. 

“I don’t know how your kind generates energy,” Kepler did his best to simplify the terms he was going to use, given his audience’s lack of knowledge concerning Human industry, “but in my world, we had to rely on brute force and technology to get things done.  This ship is powered by twelve oil-fired, superheated boilers, which provide energy to three geared turbines and their accompanying propellers.  Her armaments are operated by a combination of hydraulics and electrical energy, while her other systems are fully electrically powered.”

Kepler paused for a moment, searching Gloria’s expression for any confusion, but was pleasantly surprised when she simply motioned for him to continue.  He nodded in understanding before turning his gaze upward towards the remains of the bridge.

“This ship was one of the most powerful ever built, and she toppled several warships of equal class before the Allies put together a strike force to hunt her down and sink her.”  The stallion hid his emotions for the time being as his eyes threatened to mist, seeing the pride of his nation’s navy in such a state.  This was no time for tears.  “But even under the combined assault of a dozen ships and with her port rudder damaged beyond repair, she still held out long enough to sink another three ships before we were forced to scuttle her.”

“Why did you sink your own ship?” Gloria interjected.  “It sounds like it meant a lot to you and the other soldiers that were stationed on it.”

“It was too risky,”  Kepler replied.  “If the Allies were able to capture the Bismarck and turn it against us, then my homeland would have been under even greater threat than if we simply lost the ship outright.  You see those huge cannons that are housed in the primary turrets?”  Gloria followed his pointed hoof with her gaze before nodding.  “They have an effective range of over thirty-six kilometers and can hit their target with enough explosive force to rip smaller craft in half.  Even heavy cruisers can only take a few direct hits before they are either destroyed or rendered inoperable, depending on what the shells hit upon impact.”

Eyes wide with awe, the hen turned her full attention back to Kepler.  “How do you get the ammunition to go that far?  Our best cannons can only shoot three or four kilometers before the cannonballs hit the ground.”

“Well, for one thing, the shells aren’t round they are cone-shaped with a fine point to help them fly straighter and much further than a cannonball.”  Kepler walked up to the base of ‘Anton’ and placed his hoof against the warm steel.  “Plus,  the barrels are rifled for even greater accuracy, allowing more of the propellant charge to push the ammunition downrange, instead of fighting against the motions of a ball bouncing around inside the barrel.”

“So, you use explosives to push the, shells, out of the barrel, and you use more to make the shells deadlier once they hit the target.”  Gloria stepped up beside him and placed her talons upon the plating beside his hoof.  “Amazing.  I never would have thought of that.  All I know is that our rifles use acceleration runes to push the ammunition forward, and our cannons are only armed with balls or grapeshot that are simple hunks of metal.  I know of grenades and other explosive weapons, but we haven’t figured out how to get the charge to go off when we use ranged weapons instead of infantry.”

Kepler had estimated that the gryphons were roughly a hundred years behind humans, and from what he was hearing it sounded like he hadn’t been that far off.  “Then you will be amazed by what this ship can teach you.  Although, that depends on if you can even use the technology once I show you how it works.”

Gloria stepped back and lowered her talons to the deck once more as they walked away from the turret.  Kepler found, much to his annoyance, that he had to take two steps for every one of hers, and he silently cursed his shrunken stride as they made their way towards the stern.

“I guess we’ll have to see what the scientists can come up with once you show them all of this,” Gloria mused.  “It will be cool to see how much things will change after we start putting all of this new technology to use.”

“One can only hope.”  Kepler agreed.

They walked for a few more meters before Gloria turned to face Kepler, her wings fidgeting slightly at her sides as she averted her gaze.

“Um, would you mind if I tried teaching you to fly again?”  Her tone was quiet but still audible to Kepler’s sensitive hearing as the hen rubbed the back of her neck with one claw.  “I have orders to teach you how to fly and I don’t want to get in trouble for not doing it.”

Kepler sighed but nodded nonetheless.  “Very well, just don’t throw me overboard again and we shall get along just fine.  I will admit,” he glanced over his shoulder as he extended his left wing, “I am excited to learn how to use these things, even if my inner self is slightly terrified of the idea.”

Gloria’s smile returned full force, her excitement growing infectious as she spread her wings and jumped into a hover.  “Great!  I can’t wait to show you all the cool things that you can do once you know how to fly.  Although,” she crossed her forelegs over one another as she held a talon to the underside of her beak, “I’m not sure how to teach you without throwing you off a tall object.  It’s how we teach our chicks to fly.”

“You have flight instincts as part of your nature,”  Kepler countered, “I was not born with the ability to fly and thus do not have those instincts.  My first thought when I drop from a great height is that I’m going to die by hitting the ground at high speed, not to spread my wings and fly.”

Gloria grumbled under her breath for a moment before dropping back to the deck.  “Well then I’ve got nothing.  I guess I won’t be able to teach you how to fly after all.”

“It will be fine.  I’ve lived this long without flight, a little longer isn’t likely to do me in.”  Kepler was secretly thankful that he wasn’t going to be tossed off any high ledges anytime soon, although the feeling of the wind under his wings still lingered in his mind as the duo continued down the port side of the main deck.

“Well, I guess there isn’t anything else to do except go get the scientists and start pulling this thing apart.”  Gloria replied as she sent a sympathetic glance his way, turning her attention back to the ship as they continued, “We can’t just leave all this metal lying about to rust when we could put it to use.”

As much as Kepler balked at the idea of taking his beloved ship apart, he knew well and good that there was no way around it.  He would need to take the turrets and boilers apart himself, if nothing else, plus show his allies how the radar worked, assuming they could even comprehend the concept.  That, and all the unused ammunition would need to be moved for safety reasons.  It wouldn’t do for an unprepared idiot to accidentally set off one of the shells inside the ammunition bays.  An explosion of that magnitude would be more than enough to destroy what remained of the warship, and Kepler didn’t fancy teasing the Grim Reaper with another chance at his soul anytime soon.

With one final glance around, Kepler nodded to his escort and they flew back to camp, the guards barely batting an eye at them before returning to their watch.  As they came in for a landing in the center of the tent formation, Hauptmann Silverwing stepped out of the nearest one on their left, his sharp gaze locking with Kepler’s for a moment before shifting to Gloria.

“I take it the pony’s flying lessons didn’t go as planned?”  His contempt was as thick as the Bismarck’s armor as he addressed his subordinate, causing Kepler’s anger to rise sharply before he could get it back under control. 

Gloria was either used to the tone or just didn’t show it under pressure, because her reply was sharp and properly respectful as she placed a fist over her heart in salute.  “Unfortunately not, sir.  The Leutnant zur See doesn’t have the same flight instincts we do, according to him, so teaching him how to fly the way we teach our chicks isn’t going to work.  I am at a loss on what to do about it and so we decided to return to camp to begin the research phase of the operation.”

Silverwing nodded before turning his attention back to Kepler.  “Then we shall focus our efforts on learning what we can from the wreck and worry about your flying lessons at a later date.  Return to the ship and prepare to teach the specialists whatever you can.  You will be tasked with covering every possible aspect of the vessel in as much detail as possible.  If you do not know what something does or is, then we will use less delicate methods to discover the secrets they hold.  Do not lie and do not withhold any information that might endanger my soldiers, or I will personally see to it that you never see the next sunrise.  Am I understood?”

Kepler did his best imitation of Gloria’s salute.  “Perfectly, sir.  I will do what I can to teach your kind how to create or replicate the technology within my ship.  I only need to verify one thing before we begin.”

An eye ridge rose slightly as the Hauptmann replied, “Oh, and what would that be?”

“How does magic work in this world?  Vizefeldwebel Windcutter mentioned that you use runes to propel your ammunition instead of explosive charges.  From what I can understand, there is a form of energy in this world that you can use instead of conventional power sources, at least from the perspective of my homeland.  If I am going to be teaching you how to build the systems on my ship, then I will need to know what kind of abilities and technology you have that could be used to recreate them.”

Silverwing locked Gloria in place with a hard glare for a second before turning back to the stallion.  “That is a complicated question, which would take weeks to fully explain.  I don’t know all of the specifics myself, but I’m sure the enchanters would be able to explain it to you while you are going over the technology of your vessel.”

Sensing the dismissal in the white tercel’s voice, Kepler bowed his head before replying, “Understood.  I shall make it a point to compare notes with them as we go through the ship.  Is there anything else you need us to do before we return to the wreck?”

“No, that will be all.”  Silverwing turned his attention back to Gloria.  “Carry him back to the ship and make sure he stays out of trouble.  These are some of the brightest minds of our nation and I will not have something unexpected endanger their safety on my watch.  The pony is under your guard until you are relieved of duty, so anything that happens to or is caused by him will come down on your head.”

Gloria bared her throat and snapped into another salute, albeit a slightly shaky one as she replied, “Sir, yes sir!”

The Hauptmann nodded once before turning away, the slightly shaking hen he left in his wake holding her salute until he disappeared into another tent.  Kepler placed a sympathetic hoof on her side, knowing full well how terrifying higher-ranked officers could be if they chose.  Gloria sent a grateful glance his way as he removed his hoof from her shoulder, although they were interrupted as the engineers began pouring out from the various tents around them.  It was only a few moments before they had gathered in a chattering bunch around the hen and stallion, their excitement rising as Gloria picked Kepler up and led the group back to the remains of the Bismarck. 

Kepler sighed as they came in for a landing on the deck at midships on the port side.  He knew that there was no going back now, and as much as he might want to, there wasn’t any way to return to the life he once had.  So, he straightened his back and held his head high, turning around to face the gathered specialists as he compiled every scrap of information he could remember about the ship they stood upon.

“Before we begin,” he shifted the tone of his voice to carry so everyone could hear him, “are there any questions concerning the safety procedures I outlined yesterday?  We will not go a step beyond this point unless everyone can adhere to those rules.”

A gaggle of nodding heads was his answer, to which Kepler nodded in turn.  “Very well then, to begin, I will go over some of the basic terminologies which I will be using while we are aboard the Bismarck.  Some of them you may be familiar with, others you may not.  I will explain all of them in detail so there is no confusion on anyone’s part, once we get underway.”

The sun was nearly set by the time Kepler got through the laundry list of terms that he had to cover, showing the engineers most of the visible technology and different parts of the ship from their position on the main deck.  He didn’t want to go into the interior of the ship without daylight, and he wasn’t going to allow anything resembling a flame near the lower decks until he could verify there wasn’t any oil leaking from the fuel tanks.  The last thing they needed was a fire igniting what remained of the fuel and causing even more damage, again running the risk of setting off any of the multiple munitions magazines that were scattered around the ship. 

The gryphons were simultaneously astounded and skeptical of everything he told them, asking dozens of questions about anything they could see which he hadn’t already described.  They at least seemed to know enough about weapon design and mechanics to understand the concepts behind the turrets and engines, although when Kepler explained how they were all powered, several of them had outright scoffed in disbelief.  Apparently, the gryphons hadn’t been able to master high-efficiency steam engines yet and had instead turned to runes and this so-called magic to make up for the difference. 

Gloria was at his side the entire time, offering small words of insight or keeping the specialists from getting too out of hand when they didn’t agree with what Kepler was saying.  For that, the stallion was extremely grateful, and he made a mental note to thank the young hen later, once they were done picking apart every nut and bolt on his ship. 

By the time they were done for the night, the moon was already past its zenith, leaving everyone yawning and dragging their limbs as Kepler concluded his explanation on how the anti-aircraft emplacements operated.  Gloria had barely enough energy left to fly them back to camp, and even then, it was a close thing.  They didn’t so much come in for a landing as slide along the sand until they tumbled to a stop inside the flaps of Kepler’s tent.  Neither the stallion nor the hen paid any attention to what the other was doing, climbing into the bed and lifting the sheets over their bodies without ever realizing that they had just laid down next to each other. 

Both were in for a rather rude awakening come sunrise.
> 5 - Meeting Royalty
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“WHAT IN KING SKYBEAK’S NAME IS GOING ON HERE?!”

Kepler jolted from his sleep and stumbled to an approximation of attention as the thundering screech echoed through the small tent.  He was barely able to get his vision to stop spinning when Hauptmann Silverwing pressed his beak against his muzzle and pinned him in place with a withering glare.

“Explain to me right now why Vizefeldwebel Windcutter was asleep in your cot, pony.”  While the white tercel was no longer screaming, his tone was no less dangerous as Kepler’s heartbeat skyrocketed.  “Did you pull some kind of batpony magic and control her or something?  What are you planning, you little grass eater?”

“Hey!” Gloria called out as she climbed off the bed and pushed her superior out of Kepler’s face. “Leave him alone!  He didn’t put me under a spell or anything.  We were just so tired after talking all day, and most of the night, that we passed out in the cot together by mistake, sir.”  The honorific was seemingly added as an afterthought, as the angry hen placed herself fully between Kepler and the larger tercel.

Silverwing let out a huff and turned around. “Be glad I’m in a good mood, or else you’d be in the stockade for that little act of insubordination, Vizefeldwebel.  We have an important guest this afternoon, so make yourself and the pony presentable, or there will be far worse in store for both of you.”

Kepler shared a glance with Gloria before he turned to Silverwing once again. “And who is coming to visit?”

“King Skybeak,” was the simple reply. “He has heard about your wreck of a ship and is curious as to what all the fuss was about.  He is coming to inspect the ship for himself and also to question you.  Apparently, your story was so extraordinary that he nearly had the messenger executed for perjury, until Oberst Talonedge corroborated his tale.”

That got both of their attention, and as the tercel made his exit, Kepler met Gloria’s gaze and found the same fear he was feeling reflected in her sapphire eyes. 

“This is bad,” Gloria whispered. “This is really bad.”

“So, what do we do?”  Kepler asked. “We can’t do anything about the king visiting, and we both know trying to run would only get us in more trouble.”

Gloria sucked in a breath and held it for a second before letting it out in a rush. “We do what we can to stay on his good side.  I’ll go over some basic etiquette so you don’t insult him, but understand that there is absolutely nothing I can do if he decides he doesn’t like you.”

Kepler’s head fell. “I know.  I got that picture from how Silverwing was talking about him.  I’ll do my best, and we will just have to hope that it will be enough.”

Gloria nodded. “Then the first thing you need to know is – ”

The two spent the remainder of the morning going over what little Gloria knew of royal etiquette, although it was painfully obvious that there was no way Kepler was going to remember all of it in time for the king’s arrival.  

It was roughly a quarter past noon, if the small rune clock the enchanters had set up was to be believed, when a large platoon of gryphons flew in from the direction of Fort Sandclaw.  Of the dozen or so individuals, only one of them wasn’t wearing plate mail, and all of them were armed with the same primitive firearms Kepler had seen hanging in Oberst Talonedge’s office.  Kepler was standing beside Gloria in the center of the makeshift camp, with the respective teams of scientists and enchanters off to either side.  Silverwing and his soldiers were right behind them in a semicircle, reinforcing the idea that there was no way for them to back down from what was coming.  Kepler did his best to keep his heart in his chest as the group of armored gryphons came in for a landing, his eyes locked with the largest and fiercest looking of the bunch.

His body appeared to be part bald eagle part panther, his bright white head the only part of him that wasn’t as black as the night sky.  There was an almost iridescent quality to the feathers that hung partly out from under his dark blue uniform and cape, the light of the sun creating ripples of blue and green along their edges as he moved.  Yet much like the rest of his species, it was his eyes that captured Kepler’s attention.  They were a deep emerald green, almost jade, and they held the weight of a hardened warrior as they traversed the gathered beings before him. 

It was all Kepler could do not to flinch as those eyes landed on him, and he remembered just enough of Gloria’s lessons to avert his gaze and bear his neck to the royal.

King Skybeak nodded once, his eyes shifting to Silverwing as his deep voice rolled over them. “It would seem that the ponies can be taught proper manners.  Well done, Hauptmann.  There may be a promotion in your future for your efforts teaching this herbivore how to address his betters.”

Kepler could feel his hackles rising as the silver-feathered cretin nodded his agreement, blatantly ignoring the fact that Gloria had done all of it herself and without orders from her superiors.  He was just about to say something when he felt a very light touch on his left side.  He glanced over his shoulder and saw Gloria’s wingtip touching him, her eyes warning him not to act.

While it burned inside that she was so willing to bend to others of her kind, Kepler knew that was sometimes how things worked, especially in the military.  So, he swallowed his pride and held his tongue, keeping his eyes forward as the king began walking around them both.

“So, tell me little hen,” The king’s tone was dripping with sarcasm as he walked around their right side, “what is so special about this little bat that you thought to pull it out of the water like a half-drowned rat, instead of leaving it to die?”

Either Gloria was too terrified to say anything in response, or she was doing her best to keep her temper in check as she had instructed Kepler to do moments before.  She bared her neck and saluted as the king stopped directly in front of them, his huge frame dwarfing the hen next to Kepler as his jade eyes bore down on them both.

“Your Highness,” Gloria stated in a clipped but clear tone, “I was on patrol in the middle of the night when I stumbled upon the wreck that you see behind us.  I went in to investigate and found this pony in the lower levels, mildly injured and uncertain of his surroundings.  I thought that it would be best if I took the pony back to Fort Sandclaw in order to question him and learn more about the wreck, in the hopes of preventing an attack, if one was imminent.”

Skybeak nodded once, his eyes turning to Kepler as his beak curled in disgust. “And what is your name, little pony?  I have been told that you speak our tongue and that you have a rank.  State it now.”

Kepler bared his neck and saluted as best as he could. “My rank and name are Leutnant zur See Kepler Hans Wolff, Your Highness.”

“And where do you come from?  One of my most trusted officers told me a tale that would normally mean the end of his career, and yet he swears it is the truth.”  Skybeak leaned down until his face was centimeters from Kepler’s. “So, which is it?  Are you a member of those pathetic herbivores across the sea, or are you something more?”

Kepler didn’t know what possessed him to do what he did at that moment, and for many years to come, he still wouldn’t be able to find an answer if asked.  Yet he did it. 

In the blink of an eye, Kepler’s lips peeled back to reveal his fangs, the king’s eyes widening sharply as Kepler leaped forward, his fangs closing around the king’s windpipe as his smaller frame somehow pushed the huge tercel onto his back.  There was a flurry of motion, and Kepler felt something strike him across the flank, leaving a trio of claw marks.  And yet, as quickly as it had begun, it was over.  Kepler was standing on the king’s chest, his teeth poised to rip his windpipe out as he stared into the king’s widened left eye.  He could hear the other soldiers shifting slightly as he picked out several of them in the corner of this vision, aiming at him with their firearms.  Yet even under the threat of being shot, Kepler stayed perfectly still, his gaze locked with the king’s. 

For a minute or two, time seemed to stand still, until finally, Kepler released the king and stepped off his chest, whereupon he was immediately grabbed by two of the soldiers and pinned to the ground.  Gloria stood to one side with her claws pressed against her beak in horror as King Skybeak slowly got his paws under him.  There was no rush to his movements, and he even took the time to remove his cape and dust it off before placing it back over his shoulders.  Only then, did his gaze turn to Kepler, although what he did next surprised everyone. 

“Release him,” were the two words that no one expected to leave his beak.

Several of the soldiers glanced at each other but quickly moved out of the way when one of the king’s eye-ridges began to rise.  The two that had pinned Kepler to the ground quickly removed their talons and stood at both of the stallion’s sides but did nothing more as Skybeak walked up. 

At first, he simply stared at Kepler, who at that point wasn’t sure if he was pissing himself or not.  Then, again, to everyone’s surprise, the king began to laugh.  And this was not a simple chuckle, but a full-belly laugh that shook his body from head to tail.  He had to wipe a tear from his eyes before finally speaking to the bewildered stallion.

“It would seem you have proven your mettle, little pony.”  His tone no longer held the contempt it had previously as he outright smiled at Kepler. “You will be a fine addition to our ranks once you learn to control those instincts of yours.  Teach my subjects everything you can about your ship, and I will personally see to it that you get command of the new version, once she is built.”

Kepler couldn’t believe his ears. “You mean, you plan on building a new Bismarck?”

Skybeak waved a claw through the air. “With a new, proper gryphon name, of course.  But yes, I will guarantee its construction if you can provide us with the knowledge to build it.”

Kepler’s mind was awash with shock and joy, leaving only enough brainpower for him to salute with the biggest grin possible adorning his lips. “Thank you, Your Highness!  I swear I won’t let you down!”

Skybeak nodded, his beak once again set in a grim line. “See that you don’t.”  He turned his attention to Gloria, who had somehow managed to pry her beak out of the dirt. “Vizefeldwebel!”

The hen snapped into a petrified salute. “Your Highness!”

“See to it that your charge is airworthy by the end of the month,”  Skybeak continued in a commanding tone. “No self-respecting member of my military is going to be ground-bound as long as I have a say in the matter.  Also, if anything happens to this pony, it will be your head that will be adorning my throne room wall.  Am I understood?”

Gloria swallowed thickly. “Sir, yes sir!”

The king nodded once. “Very well.  I leave you to your duties.  Perform well, and there shall be great honor and glory for all of you.  For the Empire!”

A cacophony of screeches made Kepler’s ears fold as King Skybeak took to the air, the rest of his guards following behind him in bright flashes of metal and sunlight.  It was only after they had disappeared from view that Kepler felt his body being crushed in a full-body embrace.

“Don’t ever scare me like that again!”  Gloria was both smiling and crying into his neck as she held onto him for dear life. “I was afraid they were going to shoot you when you tackled the king.”  She pulled away and met his gaze with her own. “Why did you do that, anyway?”

Kepler shrugged. “I don’t know.  It was like my body acted before it could even think.  I don’t even really know what I did.”

“Well, whatever you did,” she retorted as Silverwing walked up, “you certainly got the king’s attention.”

“If it were my decision, I’d have you killed right here and now,”  Silverwing growled, “but given you seem to have earned our king’s respect, there is nothing I can do.  Vizefeldwebel, see to it that the King’s orders are followed to the letter.  I expect weekly progress reports for both the pony’s flight lessons and your lessons on the wreck’s inner workings.  Do not let the king down or it will be all of our heads.”

Gloria saluted. “Sir!”

Silverwing nodded before walking off, the rest of the gathered personnel going about their business as Kepler took a moment to gather his bearings.  It was only as he felt a claw tapping him on the shoulder that he realized he had spaced out. 

He glanced up at Gloria, who had a wide smile on her beak. “So, ready for another flying lesson?”

The absurdity of the statement after everything that had happened forced a laugh from Kepler’s lips. “Sure.  Why not?”
Little did any of them realize they were not alone, as Gloria picked up the stallion and flew him off towards the cliffs at the edge of the water.  A pair of shadows broke away from the edge of the camp and began to follow them, leaving no one the wiser as they trailed behind the odd duo.  It was only when the sun began to set and neither of them had reported back, that a call to arms was sounded, and a search party dispatched.  Yet even after looking through every hill and within every sea cave, all they found was a single feather as it fluttered into the open air above the ocean near the cliffside.  As the moon began to rise over the gentle waves, a missing bird report was passed up the chain of command, while everyone cursed the names of the two presumed deserters as the search pattern widened to include the nearby settlements. 

If only they knew what troubles had befallen the two, they might not have been so quick to anger.
> 6 - A Cruel Ultimatum
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The first sensation to plague Kepler’s senses as he returned to the waking world was a blinding headache.  Pulses of pain radiated through his skull with every heartbeat, and it was with great difficulty that he lifted his hooves to put pressure on his head in a vain attempt at making the pain go away.  While he was unable to open his eyes because of the ache, that didn’t stop the rest of his senses from taking in valuable information.  His acute hearing and smell were more than enough to let the stallion know he wasn’t on the shore of the ocean anymore, or anywhere else that seemed familiar.  The dripping of water and the reverberating echoes which followed told him that he was in an enclosed space of some kind, along with the subtle stench of rot and mold that was overlaid by something unknown to him. 

Finally, after several minutes of pounding agony, the pain in his head slowly faded away, giving Kepler the ability to open his eyes and see where he was.  As his gaze roamed about in the dimly lit space, Kepler deduced that he was in a cave system of some sort, illuminated by bioluminescent moss and strange green orbs that were attached to the walls in a seemingly random order.  The dripping sound he had detected earlier was water coming through a crack in the roof that was collecting in a small pool off to his right.  There were no sounds other than the water and his breathing, and it only took a moment before his mind caught up to the present, memories of black figures ambushing both Gloria and him by the seaside flashing through his mind.  Kepler raised a hoof to the base of his neck where his assailant had bitten him, finding two small indents where the creature’s fangs had sunk into his flesh.  He didn’t remember anything after that point, but he had a feeling that wherever he was, it was probably the home of said creatures. 

Knowing that he was in enemy territory, Kepler slowly made his way to one of the tunnel openings that led from the small cavern he had awoken in.  His ears swiveled back and forth for any subtle clues that there was something else within the area.  While his hearing couldn’t detect anything, he still had a distinct feeling that he was being watched, the hairs on his neck rising as his nerves kicked into high gear. 

With slow and careful steps, Kepler made his way through the tunnels, taking what appeared to be the less-used paths in an attempt to avoid whatever it was that had brought him here.  He had no idea what was going to happen if the creatures did find him, but he had a feeling it wouldn’t be pleasant.  Time seemed to pass slowly as he wandered for what felt like hours in the damp and dim tunnels, Kepler’s mind having been focused to a razor’s sharpness as he did his best to move quietly on his hooves.  It was only as his ears picked up the first sounds of movement ahead of him that Kepler detected any sign of life other than his presence.  He dove into a side tunnel as a droning buzz drew closer from one of the tunnels ahead of him, his ears turning forward to pick up on anything else, to try and determine if it was a single creature or multiple. 

Kepler held his position and remained perfectly still as a trio of creatures flew down the tunnel, their black, insectoid features barely reminiscent of his own as they carried what appeared to be a pony between them.  The pony in question was bright blue with a black mane and tail, the bug ponies flying by with it held between two of their group while a third brought up the rear.  Kepler wasn’t able to see much else before they moved on, their speed limiting his observations to general characteristics as he remained completely still to avoid detection.  He carefully moved out of his hiding spot as the creatures continued back the way he had come, veering off into another, larger tunnel just before they disappeared from sight. 

Now Kepler had some idea as to what was going on, as well as what might have happened to Gloria.  He had heard the hen cry out in panic before the venom in his system had knocked him out, so unless the creatures had left the gryphon on the cliffside, there was a good chance she was in this strange place as well.  He decided to follow the bug ponies and their cargo, hoping that it would lead him to wherever they were keeping Gloria, although he had the distinct feeling that something was wrong.  If all of the creatures that these bug ponies captured were unconscious upon arrival, then how did they keep them contained?  Was it cells, drugs, or some other sinister method that he wasn’t aware of?  And above all else, why?  Why did these bug ponies need to catch other creatures, and for what purpose did they keep their prey alive?  If it was for food, then they could have simply killed Kepler and his companion, and then carted off with bits and pieces of them.  So why bring in live prisoners?

Questions without any answers spun within Kepler’s mind for several minutes, until he managed to find where the bug ponies had taken the Equestrian.  He figured that since he had been mistaken for an Equestrian upon first meeting the gryphons, then the pony that the bugs had been carrying must have been one of them, given its similarity in overall appearance to himself.  Either way, it was of little concern to him as his first priority was to locate Gloria. 

The room he walked into was much larger than the one he had awoken in earlier. The walls here too were covered in glowing orbs and moss, with giant pools of swirling pink liquid around their bases.  Yet what held Kepler’s attention in full, were the pods that were littered about in the center of the space, each just barely translucent enough to see the creatures held within.  Kepler stood in the entranceway, dumbfounded, as he watched the bug ponies form another pod out of green slime they spewed from their mouths.  It took them only a few moments to mold the resin into a similar shape to the pods behind it, before tossing the unconscious pony into the new formation and sealing it inside.  The pod began to glow slightly as it filled up with a thick goo, suspending the pony in the center of the pod as the bug ponies began to chirp and buzz to one another. 

Horrified, Kepler was tempted to run and never return, but something caught his eye and made him stop in his tracks.  In one of the pods, slightly separated from the others, was a gryphon.  While it was easy to tell it was indeed Gloria that had been placed in said pod, the placement of the cocoon, as well as the lack of guards in the general area, was setting off Kepler’s ‘this is a trap’ sense something fierce.  Even the bugs that were already in the room, were seemingly absorbed in their own little world.  Yet for a split second, Kepler saw the light in the center of one of the bug’s glowing blue eyes flicker towards him before returning to its companions. 

Kepler’s eyes narrowed as he realized that he wasn’t as sneaky as he thought he was.  These creatures knew he was there, yet were pretending that he wasn’t, for some reason.  That spoke of intelligence, and that made the stallion wary.  He contemplated trying to free Gloria anyway, but knowing that there was something else going on made him hesitate. It was in that exact moment that his senses picked up something subtle, something that he might have dismissed if it wasn’t for his heightened awareness.  It was breathing, coming from what seemed to be a large creature, right behind him!

Kepler spun around, his wings flaring wide as a hiss forced its way from between his bared fangs, his body tensing for a fight as he beheld something straight out of a nightmare.  If he thought the bug ponies were creepy looking, then this larger creature was downright terrifying.  For one thing, it stood almost twice his current height, enough to make even the gryphons he knew seem small.  Its body was covered in smooth, black chitin, with a blue-green shell covering its midsection and back.  Its tail and mane were a sickly cobweb green with holes and tattered ends across every inch.  Its eyes were a piercing emerald, with twin irises surrounding slit pupils and a duo of fangs poking out from under its upper lip.  Lastly, there was a large, jagged horn that sprouted from its forehead, lethally sharp along the edge, and narrowed to a deadly point at the end. 

The creature’s lips pulled back in a sinister smile. “Well, well, well.”  Its voice carried a distinctly feminine quality with a tonal duality that made it seem like it was echoing itself with every word.  “Aren’t you just full of surprises.  It has been a long time since I’ve had any creature detect my presence before I revealed it.”  It lowered its head to bring its gaze more in line with his own. “I wonder what else you may have hidden away inside that mysterious little mind of yours.”

While Kepler was initially thrown by the apparent leader of these creatures being able to speak, he shook it off as best as he could, given he was now dealing with a much larger threat.  “Why have you brought us here?”

His defiance seemed to amuse the creature as it lifted its head to full height again. “Such insolence.  Do you not realize who it is you are speaking to?”

Kepler stayed in his crouched position, on edge but not quite at the point of trying to fight his way out. “Should I care who you are?  Your soldiers captured me and my escort and dragged us here, after knocking us unconscious.  I would say that very clearly paints you as an enemy.”

It seemed that the creature wasn’t taking offense to his rude retorts, or at least not showing it outwardly as it walked around him, its head lowered in a predatory way as it slowly circled.  “Be that as it may, it is unwise to speak in such a way to royalty.  After all, the queen of the changelings is due a certain amount of respect from any creature, least of all some misshapen pony mutant.  You would do well to remember that little bat.”

Kepler snorted. “If you think you’ll get anything out of me, then you are sorely mistaken.  I’m not what you could call, well-versed in how things work around here, so if you would kindly show us the door, my escort and I will gladly get out of your, uh, mane.”

“Oh, I don’t think so.”  By this point, the large changeling had come full circle, turning her head to glance almost casually at the pod that held Gloria. “Your little friend over there is such an interesting little thing.  I’d hate to see such a curious little experiment go to waste.”

Kepler’s hairs stood on end as he hissed. “What did you do to her?!”

The queen glanced his way out of the corner of her eye, her smile turning into a darker and deadlier version of itself as her lips pulled back to reveal her razor teeth and fangs, “Nothing.  At least, not yet.”

The threat may not have been stated out loud, but Kepler understood it just the same, his body straightening as he let out a frustrated sigh, “Alright, you win.  What exactly do you want from us?”

“From the chick, nothing.”  The queen simply waved his concern off with a hoof, like the trapped gryphon wasn’t worth her attention. “She is of little use to me, barely even worth keeping around actually, given that her feelings have not yet been realized enough to feed from.”

Kepler felt a chill run down his spine. “What exactly do you mean?”

The queen turned her attention fully to the stallion, her smile once again morphing into a smug and sinister grin. “Why, her feelings for you, of course.  It may only be a tiny crush at this point, but we changelings have a way of knowing when a creature is in love.  We feed off that emotion after all.  But alas, her output is too low to really be of much use.  It takes more energy to keep her asleep and sustained than what we get out of her.”

While Kepler was once again taken for a loop with the revelation of Gloria’s feelings, assuming the changeling was even telling the truth, he was more focused on getting them out of enemy territory.  “Then why keep her trapped in that thing?  Wouldn’t it be much easier to let us go?”

The changeling hummed. “That would make sense, now wouldn’t it?  But you see that little chick has more value to me as a prisoner than as a food source.  I can sense your shock concerning her feelings, but there is no love there to feed from at this point.  No, there is something that both of you can provide me that is far more potent than mere love energy.” 

Kepler was once again able to read between the lines, his eyes narrowing as he folded his wings against his back. “You want information.”

The queen laughed, a cruel sound that made Kepler’s fur rise, “Smart, decisive, and loyal.  You could be a powerful asset to my hive if you were willing to cooperate with us.  Yes, I seek information, specifically information about the mysterious vessel that showed up on the gryphons’ shores, and how we may be able to use its power for our own purposes.”

“And what would you do if I told you no?”  Kepler countered.

The queen said nothing, simply turning her gaze towards the pod containing Gloria. 

Kepler ground his teeth in frustration, knowing what his duty required of him, but unwilling to betray his loyalty to his companion.  While he had not been aware of her feelings up until that point, they did not change the fact that Gloria saved his life and had been doing everything in her power to help him since he awoke in this strange world.  Pride was one thing, and duty was another, but he would be damned before he would betray his new allies to save his hide.

“What do you want me to do?”  Kepler relented. “I cannot show you how my ship works without having access to said ship.”

The queen simply chuckled. “Leave that to me and my little ones.  All I need from you is your cooperation once I have access to the ship.  Everything else will depend on how effective your information is when we put it to use.”

“And what of Gloria?” he asked as the queen turned to walk away, now seemingly bored with him, “Will you let her go?”

The queen cackled before glancing at the pod containing the young hen. “No.  I think keeping her contained would serve as a wonderful motivator, should you entertain ideas of betraying me and my hive.  She will remain unharmed, as long as you do what you are told.”  Her gaze traveled over her shoulder to lock with Kepler’s own. 

The stallion growled but nodded his agreement. “Understood.”

“Then come,” she commanded as she began walking out of the chamber. “we have much to discuss and little time to do it.”  Kepler hastened his steps to follow as the queen muttered under her breath, “There will be a reckoning coming, little princess.  Just you wait.”

Kepler wasn’t sure if he was supposed to hear that, but given the volume, he figured it was meant to be private.  He smiled to himself as he followed the changeling down another tunnel, knowing that if his abilities were unknown to his enemy, there may still be an opportunity to escape if he played his cards right.  For now, he decided to wait and see how things happened moving forward, and then use what he learned of these creatures to free Gloria with the hopes of returning to the Gryphon Empire before he was forced to give up too much intel.  Knowledge is power, he had heard his commanding officer say at one point, and so he planned to gain as much information as he could about his enemy.  After all, he doubted anything in this new world could truly understand the power of a modern warship, let alone use that power effectively in a fight without first taking time and resources to adapt it for their use. 

It was a race against time, where the victor would be the one who knew the most about the other, and he had a feeling that he was already several steps behind his opponents.
> 7 - A Proposition
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Three days.  It had been three days since Kepler had awoken within the changeling hive, and in that time, he had learned a great many things about his current situation, as well as the world he had found himself in.  While there were places within the hive that he was not allowed to enter, such as the hatchery and the pod chamber, for obvious reasons, the queen had not seen fit to limit his ability to move about in any other way.  Kepler had quickly found the hive’s library, although the Changeling script was completely alien to the stallion in every conceivable sense of the word.  The strange swirls and patterns had no analogue in the human world, which was strange, because the Gryphon text was identical to that of his homeland while those of the other major world powers were equally recognizable.  Given the bug creatures had a rather diverse collection of books from various countries, including some detailing the history of what was apparently a world-spanning empire, there was more than enough to sate his hunger for knowledge about who and what he was dealing with.  The Gryphon Empire reminded Kepler slightly of the English during their colonial days, although he was frustrated that there was very little in recent events for him to study.  Most of the tomes were about the far-flung past or subjects that held no true interest for the stallion. 

However, one of his greatest discoveries was a book he assumed to be from Equestria.  It covered some of the more generic information about the natives of the land, including the basics of how their society was structured.  Yet as he scanned through the pages and illustrations, one thing became immediately clear to him reading the blatantly English text.  There were only four races of pony in the world, and he didn’t match up with the characteristics of any of them.  Sure, he had the wings of a pegasus, but the ones in the book were covered in feathers, not flaps of skin and bone like a bat.  They also lacked his slit pupils and ear tufts, further cementing the notion in his mind that whatever he was, he had not been transformed into a true Equestrian pony.  More likely, he was some kind of offshoot from pegasi, that may not have even existed in the world.  While the lack of information about himself was frustrating, it did at least help that he wasn’t a carbon copy of what constituted as this world’s Americans.  Kepler wasn’t sure if he could have stood the sight of himself if that had been the case. 

More to the point, after doing research on the multitudes of subjects within the library and digging around for whatever useful information he could get his hooves on, Kepler had quickly discovered that his superior hearing was very useful for gaining information from those who were unaware of his advanced abilities.  He had found that the changelings were a rather talkative bunch when they thought no one was listening, and they were often foolish enough to do so out loud, even though they could apparently speak to one another telepathically.  Kepler had gone for walks through the tunnels of the hive or sat in what constituted the hive’s canteen for several hours, just listening to those around him that assumed they were out of his hearing range.  He learned a great many things, mostly about the gossip and day-to-day activities of the hive, but now and again he would pick up something interesting. 

Apparently, Queen Chrysalis, he’d learned her name the second day in the canteen, was having a lot of trouble getting access to the Bismarck.  The Gryphons were stepping up security and weren’t allowing anything or anyone near the wreck unless the individual had access to very specific passwords and key phrases.  His disappearance had seemingly kicked the proverbial hornet’s nest, and the Gryphon leadership wasn’t taking any chances.  This was making it very hard for the changelings to get anywhere near the ship, much less procure anything for him to teach them how to recreate.  Meanwhile, Kepler continued to learn more about the world, the nations which called it home, and most importantly, what he could do to get Gloria and himself out from under the Queen’s hoof.

It was a full three weeks later by the time Kepler had everything ready.  He had a plan that would either free the two of them or get him in a lot of trouble.  He had spent nearly every waking moment learning all he could, in the hopes of finding something of benefit to his situation.  He eavesdropped on the drones and even a few soldiers when he had the chance and went through almost half of the books available in the hive’s library.  Now, as he stood before the two navy-armored guards and the doors to the queen’s chambers, he finally felt that he could pull it off.  It was an all or nothing gamble, one that could either gain him a huge advantage, or the Queen could take away the freedoms he had been graciously given and stuff him in a pod like Gloria.  It all depended on how Chrysalis reacted to what he had to say. 

The two changelings stood in the stallion’s way as he approached, one holding up a hoof as the other crouched into an intimidating stance.  “What business do you have with the Queen?”

“My business is my own,” Kepler replied, “but it is of great importance to the safety of the hive and the Queen’s grand goals for the future.”

There was a momentary pause before the guards backed off. “The Queen will see you.”  Kepler stepped forward but was stopped by a hoof on his shoulder.  The guard on his left hissed out a final warning as the unusual barrier folded open before him, “Be warned, the Queen will not tolerate any form of deceit.”

Kepler’s lips curled slightly as he turned his attention back to the opening. “Oh, I have no intention of lying.  You can rest assured of that.”

The soldier nodded, removing his hoof as Kepler entered the Queen’s chambers, the emerald resin closing behind him as he walked further into the surprisingly small space.  Other than the bed and a single bookshelf, seemingly made from the same material as the door, there wasn’t anything else within the Queen’s room, save for the changeling herself, although her imposing figure was enough to set Kepler’s nerves on edge regardless, as she regarded him with a calculating stare.

“My children tell me you have been a rather busy pony these past few weeks.” Her tone implied nothing more than if she was simply stating a fact, but they both knew that this was going to be a battle of words and wits, one that Kepler couldn’t afford to lose.  “You have been reading a great deal about the world and the creatures that live in it, yet you come before me with proclamations of grand plans, and ways to help me further the changeling race’s agenda.”  Her eyes narrowed slightly, but she gave no other outward sign of her emotions. “Speak.  My time is valuable, and you are wasting it while I could be busy doing other things.”

Kepler held his head high and made sure to keep his gaze leveled with the changeling’s.  This was his only chance to impress her. “Your soldiers and drones have been talking a great deal as of late of the many things you have been up to.  I heard several muttering about how you’d thrown several scouts out of your chambers, on their heads, for failing to infiltrate the camp around my ship.”

Chrysalis’ eyes narrowed even further. “Choose your next words carefully, pony, or you will find out why those scouts were the lucky ones.”

Kepler forged ahead, knowing that he couldn’t stop until he had made his point, or the Queen tired of his presence. “I know the Gryphons have a massive empire, and that they have a large infrastructure powered by magical gems imported from Equestria.  I also know that they are constantly under threat of food shortages from spreading themselves too thin and are thus forced to go to war with other nations to feed their citizens.  It’s been that way for dozens of years and it’s getting worse.  I also know that your people were forcibly removed from Equestria after a failed invasion, brought on by their starvation.  I have been learning, but more importantly, I’ve been listening to your children.  They are hungry and frustrated with the lack of results that your solo act is producing.”

The stallion barely had time to blink before he was pressed against the wall of the Queen’s chambers, the changeling’s eyes barely a centimeter from his, as he felt a hoof being pressed against his throat.  He tried to move but discovered that he had been stuck to the stone with the same green slime that the drones made their pods out of.

“You are walking a dangerous line, pony,”  Chrysalis hissed as her horn began to glow a sickly green. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t just kill you and your little friend, and then take control of the ship by force?”

“Because you both need me,”  Kepler growled back. “The Gryphons are starving, the changelings are starving, you both have something to gain from me and my ship.  Why not work together and combine your might in gaining the resources that you need, instead of working against one another?”

The Queen’s lips slowly lowered over her fangs as the glow of her horn dimmed. “I’m listening.”

“You both want the same thing,” Kepler continued, “food.  I have the means to get you both what you need and a target that can provide more than what you could possibly ask for.”

“You promise many things,” Chrysalis mused as she stepped back, “but what assurances do I have that you won’t simply betray me to the Gryphons the first chance you get?”

“Revenge.”  The word cut through the air like a knife as the changeling turned to the stallion once again. “I can give you the chance to get back at the ponies that wronged you and provide you with the means to do so with minimal risk to your own people.  Let me show you and the Gryphons how to build my ship anew, and together, we can bring Equestria to its knees.  Your changelings get the food they need, the Gryphons get the food and industrial resources that they require to stabilize their empire, everyone wins.”

“And what do you get out of all of this?”  Chrysalis asked, her hooves carrying her forward until she was nose to nose with the stallion once again. “Where do you fit into this grand plan of yours?”

“I get to create a home where I can live comfortably for the rest of my days,” was the simple reply. “I only want to live my life as best I can now that I’m here in this world.  I have no home to return to, so I might as well make this world into one.”

Their eyes stayed locked for a moment, before the Queen backed up, her head lifting as a cackling laugh escaped her throat. “You’re serious?  You would really bring war and strife to one of the most peaceful nations in the world, all so you can make this world a little bit more like your own?”  Her front legs bent as she hugged her stomach, her wicked laughter echoing through the room for several minutes before she regained control of herself. 

“So, what do you say, Your Majesty?”  Kepler asked as Chrysalis got herself back together. “Do we have a deal?”

Where anger and suspicion previously warred for dominance, now only a grim satisfaction remained as the large changeling grinned. “Oh, we most certainly do.  Uphold your end of the bargain, and I will see to it that you will be the most powerful pony in the new world order that we shall create.”  Her horn lit up and Kepler found himself being pulled from the wall, the sticky substance falling to the floor as he was carried through the air up to Chrysalis’ face.  “However, to ensure your loyalty, I will be keeping your little friend under my…personal care, until you have proven your claims.  Betray me, and well, you already know what will happen to her.”

Kepler growled under his breath but nodded all the same. “I understand.  However, I will need to get in touch with the Gryphon high command if any of my plans are to bear fruit.  They have to be able to build my ship and be willing to work with you before any of this can get underway.”

“Oh, that won’t be a problem.”  Kepler’s body was unceremoniously dropped to the floor as the Queen was suddenly enveloped in a ring of green fire.  Before Kepler could process what was happening, a perfect copy of Gloria stood before him, albeit with an uncharacteristic smirk on her beak. “I don’t think high command will have any issues with the two of us speaking to their officers after we show up out of nowhere.  We were branded as deserters after all.  It would only be proper for the base commander to personally see to the prisoners’ punishments.”

Kepler shivered as the changeling spoke in Gloria’s voice. “Very well.  Shall we go then?  If this plan is going to work, we must work fast.  The longer I’m away from the camp, the more about my ship the Gryphons are likely to figure out on their own, or even worse, misinterpret.”

The disguised Queen nodded, spreading her wings as she picked up the stallion and tucked him between her forelegs. “I’ll get us there in no time at all.  Just hang on and we’ll have you back to work on your ship faster than you can blink.”  

The familiar tone and form disturbed Kepler’s mind on a primal level, knowing what was truly behind that kind and energetic vener.  The idea that the Queen could mimic his friend so perfectly, was unsettling in a multitude of ways.  One of the more prominent aspects being the possibilities for infiltration, should his plans actually come to fruition, and how it could be used against him if they didn’t.

The guards didn’t shift positions as they flew out of Chrysalis’ chambers, likely due to the hivemind, or something similar, alerting them to their Queen’s identity.  The duo ducked and twisted through tunnel after tunnel, dodging drones and soldiers alike, before they burst into the mid-afternoon sunlight.  Kepler’s eyes burned from the sudden shift in brightness, having become adjusted to the dim interior of the hive long ago.  As he blinked tears away, he saw they were flying through open air, as they left the tunnels of the hive behind, the opening in the rock face shimmering for a moment before shifting to look like the surrounding stone, as they rapidly gained altitude. 

It took the two of them nearly an hour, by the stallion’s rough estimation of the sun’s movement, before the coastline came into view over the horizon.  The camp came into view not long after, as the sunlight reflected off the plating of his ship, forcing the stallion to redirect his gaze to the gryphons that were flying up to meet them.  Given the drawn weapons and the unfriendly expressions on their faces, he had a feeling Chrysalis’ prediction of becoming prisoners wasn’t that far off.  Now if he managed to survive speaking with the Oberst, the real Gloria might somehow manage to get out of this situation in one piece.  He just hoped he understood the changelings enough that they were good for their word, although he had a feeling he needed to keep an eye over his shoulder at all times until he had Gloria back.  Otherwise, his entire plan could come crashing down around him and leave his friend a prisoner, or worse.

The thought never crossed the stallion’s mind as to why he was focusing on one particular gryphon more than the rest, but the disguised changeling above him certainly knew, if the half-hidden grin on her beak was anything to go by.  She quickly wiped it away though as the guards approached, their swords held at the ready as the quartet came to a hover above the camp.

Kepler called out before the tercels could speak, hoping to get the upper hand before things could spiral out of control. “I would like to speak with Oberst Talonedge as soon as possible.  I have some explaining to do as to why we’ve been gone so long.”

The two gryphons glanced at one another before nodding, flying into formation on either side of them and slightly behind.  Kepler had no illusions that they were in that position for any other reason than to ensure they did not try to escape, as they flew down towards the camp.  He only hoped that his plan would work, or else this was going to be a truly short talk with the Oberst.
> 8 - Under Pressure
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kepler and his companion were barely able to land in the camp adjacent to the wreck before they were rushed into what appeared to be a freshly constructed building made from rough stone blocks and mortar.  A guard escorted them through a collection of officers, who were going through various scrolls and schematics around the main space, before knocking on the large wooden door at the far end.  The tercel stepped back as the door swung outward, barely giving Kepler and the disguised Chrysalis any time to step through before the door slammed behind the duo.  This left them standing before the Oberst in all his terrifying glory. 

The massive gryphon was sat behind a desk, like the one in his office back at the fort, with his rifle resting against the wall on his left.  A single talon tapped on the surface of the wood as his eyes traveled between the two of them.  Kepler swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat as the tapping echoed around the small space.  The tercel’s emotions were hidden behind an ironclad veneer as his gaze bore into Kepler’s. 

“You have a lot of nerve coming back after disappearing like that.”  The rumbling tone of Talonedge’s voice vibrated Kepler’s bones with each word.  “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t throw you in the stockade and let your puny body roast under the sun until it is a nice golden brown.”

Either the Oberst did not care that the fake Gloria was present in the room or was saving his wrath until had finished with Kepler.  Either way, the stallion could tell he was walking on very thin ice.

“Sir,” Kepler stated with as much respect as he could muster.  “I realize that we left without any notice and have since been gone for the better part of a month.  I do not presume to make excuses for our absence, only to offer an explanation in tandem with a request on behalf of another.”

A single eye ridge rose slightly.  “Go on.”

Kepler could not tell if the Oberst was genuinely interested in what he had to say or was just entertaining him until he could toss him out on his ear.  Regardless, there was more than just his own life on the line. 

“Vizefeldwebel Windcutter and I were planning to continue my flight lessons on the day we disappeared,” he explained.  “However, we were unable to move forward with our plans when we were abducted by a strike force sent to capture me in an effort to learn more about my ship.”

Both eye ridges rose this time as the tapping of the talon froze mid-motion.  “You were abducted?  Explain yourself Leutnant zur See, and don’t leave anything out.”

Kepler bowed his head.  “Yes sir.  Gloria and I were taken by a group of creatures that refer to themselves as changelings, whereupon we were – Umm, sir? what are you doing?”

The Oberst had started moving as soon as the word “changeling” had left the stallion’s mouth, his claws moving to snare his primitive rifle from the wall as he leveled the barrel at Kepler’s chest.  “Reveal your true self, changeling, or I won’t hesitate to remove your filth from my office by lethal means!”

Kepler found his next words catching in his throat as he stared down the Oberst’s weapon, his lips moving soundlessly as he tried to formulate a response.  Luckily, his companion seemed to be in much better control of her mental faculties as she stepped forward with an audible sigh.

“Males,” she muttered as green flames began to slowly rise from the floor, removing the illusion hiding the Queen’s true form, as she came to a stop in front of Kepler and pushed the barrel of the Oberst’s rifle to one side.  “Always so quick to resort to violence.”

Talonedge’s eyes widened in genuine fear as the royal changeling glared at him, his grip on the rifle tightening as he frowned.  “What do you want, insect?”

“To think that I came all this way to return your precious pony to you,” Chrysalis mused, even as her hoof continued to hold the barrel at bay with what appeared to be minimal effort, “and this is the thanks I get?  My, how the mighty have fallen if an officer of the Gryphon command can’t show gratitude for such a kind gesture.”

Talonedge growled as he jerked his weapon back and out of the Queen’s grip, leveling the barrel at her once again.  “You know as well as I do that the pony behind you isn’t the Leutnant zur See.  Why would you return such a valuable individual to us when it gains you nothing?”

Kepler opened his mouth to retort but was forestalled when the changeling’s horn began to glow.  Before anyone could react, he felt a sharp pain on his left foreleg as a long but shallow cut was opened on his outer pastern.  The stallion yelped as bright red blood began to flow from the wound, holding onto his bleeding leg as he sat down to avoid falling over.  He looked up at the Queen for some form of explanation, only to stop in confusion as the Oberst walked around his desk and grabbed the injured limb.  Kepler hissed in pain as the gryphon inspected the wound, even going so far as to give it a swift lick before spitting the offending liquid onto the floor next to Kepler. 

The larger creature stared into Kepler’s eyes with such intensity that the stallion was frozen in place for several seconds, only remembering to breathe as Talonedge turned away and returned his gaze to the changeling royal behind him.

“So, you weren’t lying.”  The statement was devoid of emotion save for a hint of curiosity.  “And yet for the life of me, I can’t imagine why that would be the case.”  He released Kepler’s limb as Chrysalis’ horn glowed once again, the wound sealing without leaving any hint that it had ever been.  “Tell me, Your Highness, what could have possibly convinced you to bring this pony back to us when you know that there is very little to gain by doing so?”

“You seem to be under the impression that this was all my idea,”  Chrysalis smugly replied as Talonedge sat back down behind his desk.  “I wouldn’t be here if it hadn’t been for the rather ambitious plan that our little associate concocted all on his own.”

“And what plan might that be?”  The tercel’s eyes once again locked with Kepler’s as the stallion regained his composure.

Kepler made sure to keep his eyes locked with the Oberst’s as he spoke, lest the officer dismiss his words out of hand.  “Well, you see sir, the changelings have a rather diverse and extensive library.  While I was under their care, I was able to learn a lot about this world and the nations that inhabit it.  Everything that I learned pointed towards two key points that helped me understand what I can do to help both nations prosper.  The first is that both the Gryphon Empire and the changelings are being forced into conflict by food shortages.  The second is that there is a nation that currently has more than enough food and resources to sustain both of yours, but you need help to match them in any form of open conflict.  With my help, and cooperation between your species, you can take what you need to stabilize your kingdoms, with minimal risk to your citizens.”

“You talk of grand things, pony,” Talonedge groused, “but you have yet to tell me anything about which nation supposedly has these vast riches so ripe for the taking.”

“Equestria,” Chrysalis answered, smiling at Kepler as the Oberst reared back in shock.  “This little pony certainly has big plans for being so new to our world.  He says that with his ship, the gryphons and changelings can take what we need from the ponies with barely any effort.  I think his imagination is outstripping his brain in some regards, but he is correct on one account.”  The Queen’s gaze locked with the Oberst’s.  “Our nations are both on the brink of collapse.  If we do not do something, then we will lose everything we have fought so hard to gain, while those petulant little ponies sit on their fat, happy plots without a care in the world.”

It took a minute for Talonedge to regain his wits, but as he turned back to Kepler, his eyes narrowed in realization.  “You’re serious.  You’re actually serious.”  For a moment, silence hung over the room like a thundercloud, only to be broken as the Oberst erupted with laughter.

Kepler glanced at Chrysalis in confusion, who simply smirked in return as the gryphon officer got himself under control.  “You have spunk, little pony,  I will give you that.  Never in my wildest dreams did I ever expect to hear of a plan so outlandish and yet so astoundingly simple!”  Talonedge turned back to Chrysalis as he continued in a much more serious tone.  “I presume that Vizefeldwebel Windcutter is still at your hive?”

Chrysalis’ grin turned predatory.  “The hen will be staying in our care as collateral to ensure that the Lieutenant doesn’t betray our trust.  Once he has upheld his end of the bargain, she will be released, unharmed and healthy.”

Kepler’s eyes widened slightly as the Oberst waved off the changeling’s words like they were nothing.  “That hen wasn’t important in the grand scheme of things.  If she can be of use ensuring that our mutual ally behaves himself, then I see no problem with letting her enjoy your ‘hospitality’ for a while longer.”

Kepler got the distinct feeling that he was being pushed out of his depth by powers beyond his control as the gryphon and changeling began talking about more specific details for the future.  When a guard poked his head into the room and beckoned Kepler out with a claw, the stallion was more than willing to follow as the Oberst and Queen continued as if he had never been there. 

Kepler was led to a tent just to the right of the new stone building, his escort staying silent as he was directed into the enclosure by a pointed talon.  Inside, there was a mattress against the left wall with the rest of the space left bare.  Kepler glanced behind him to see if the guard would follow him in, but sighed in relief as the flaps remained closed.  Taking a moment to collect his thoughts, Kepler walked over to the mattress and climbed onto the surprisingly soft surface, his weary body losing the battle with sleep as his head came to rest on his forelegs.  His tail curled around his hooves almost of its own accord, but he lacked the energy to care as his eyes slowly closed. 

The last thought that crossed the stallion’s mind as he fell into the land of sleep, was about the friend he had left behind at the hive.  The Oberst seemed perfectly willing to throw his soldiers’ lives away for the sake of an alliance, and for a moment, Kepler wondered if he had truly made the right decision.  Doubt and fear for Gloria plagued his mind as he slipped into slumber, a nightmare taking form in his subconscious in response to his turbulent emotions. 




 
Dark forms lurked just outside his range of vision, the chittering and clicking of the changeling language resonating in his ears.  Kepler spun this way and that, looking for a way out of the darkness that had surrounded him.  Yet something drew his hooves deeper, towards a gaping pit in the black which held his attention captive, even as his mind screamed to run away.  The yawning maw of stone came into focus as he peered over the edge, the sickly green glow of changeling magic emanating from below as the horror before him came into focus. 

Changeling drones were everywhere, climbing over the walls and in between the glowing pods that held their captives.  Ponies of various shapes and sizes floated in the semi-translucent prisons along with several gryphons that he had come to know.  Yet all of that paled in comparison to the pod in the center of the cluster, the emaciated form within barely recognizable as the formerly young and energetic hen he had come to call a friend. 

Changelings sucked on the pod like leeches as Gloria shed tears of agony, her beak open in a silent cry as her body thrashed in its bindings.  Kepler wanted to charge forward, beat the creatures from the pod with his bare hooves, even bite if it meant setting his friend free.  But he was frozen, trapped in his own body as the shadowed forms of Chrysalis and Talonedge walked up on either side of him. 

“Such a waste,”  Talonedge growled in a tone edged with poison.  “To think they could have served the new order with dignity and honor.  Now look at them, traitors to the crown and good for little more than bug food.”

Kepler screamed, shouting with all his might, but his lips refused to make a sound, even as he felt the talons of the gryphon rest on his haunches.  His body remained frozen as the Oberst pushed him over the edge and into the pit, the hisses of glee from below only amplifying his terror.  Yet, just as he was about to hit the ground, a thunderous voice echoed through the dreamscape, shredding the darkness and replacing the pit with a soft field of grass.

“ENOUGH!”

Kepler slowly came to a stop, his hooves gently caressing the smooth turf while soft moonlight settled over him from a starlit sky above.  For a moment he stood still, afraid that he might upset the calm that had settled in his mind if he moved.

“‘Tis alright, Our little pony.”  The same voice from before, only softer, spoke up from behind him.  “Thou art safe from thy fears this night.  Please, turn thy head so we may converse face to face.”

Kepler slowly turned around, his eyes quickly adjusting to the dim light as he beheld something far beyond his wildest imaginings.  Standing only a few paces in front of him was another pony, although this pony looked nothing like him, except for the most basic of details.  While his wings were skin and bone, the two feathered appendages that rested upon the mare’s flanks were far larger.  Her stature was almost half again taller than his own, with a long spiral horn jutting from her forehead.  Her body was a deep midnight blue, contrasted by the obsidian regalia that adorned her hooves, chest, and head.  Even her mane and tail were a far cry from his own, the strands sparkling like stars and waving in a breeze that only they could feel as two aquamarine eyes gazed back at him. 

For a moment, they simply stared at one another, Kepler in awe and confusion, while the mare seemed to be waiting for him to speak.  Finally, Kepler managed to get over his shock and looked around the moonlit field, taking stock of his surroundings. 

“What is going on?” he muttered, more to himself than anyone else.  “I’ve never had a dream shift so suddenly before.”

“‘Tis natural to feel out of sorts when a dream changes suddenly.”  The mare spoke, causing Kepler to jerk his head back around as his jaw hung open.  The mare seemed confused by this, her tone shifting while she stepped forward, “Thou seem troubled by Our presence.  Hath We not cleansed thy mind of thy terrors?  Hath We –”  The mare paused as she seemed to get a clearer look at Kepler, her eyes widening in turn as she took several steps back, her wings flaring wide in what Kepler could only assume was alarm.  “Praise Our moon, what manner of black magic hath twisted thy body into this form?!”

Kepler could only glance down at himself before turning his gaze back to the pony before him.  “Wait a minute, are you real?  Are you, somehow, here in my mind?”  The thought was rather terrifying, and Kepler saw darkness creeping up at the edges of the meadow before the mare’s horn ignited with a burst of bright blue light. 

He watched as the energy washed away the darkness that had begun to warp and twist the dream around him, and he took several steps back as the mare attempted to approach him.

“S-Stay back!”  Kepler cried as the mare came to a stop, his hooves lifting and somehow holding a Karabiner 98k rifle between himself and the pony.  “I don’t know how you managed to get into my head, but I don’t care.  Either you leave right now and never come back, or I’m going to see how much a dream rifle hurts when I shoot you!”

The mare’s expression morphed into one of even greater confusion as she slowly sat down on her haunches, her front hooves lifting in what Kepler assumed was a placating manner.  “Peace, little pony.  We only wish to ascertain what curse has befallen thee.  Thou art obviously afraid, but We canst assure you We mean no harm.”  The mare dropped her hooves to the ground before lifting one to her chest, bowing her head as she spoke.  “We are Princess Luna, Guardian of Dreams, Raiser of the Moon, and Diarch of Equestria.  ‘Tis obvious that thou art not familiar with Our dream magic, lest thou would not have reacted this way.  Pray tell, what lands doth thou hail from to have never heard of Us?”

Kepler was still on edge, but at least the invader seemed to be of a peaceful sort, for now at least.  He kept the rifle steady in his hooves, the familiar weight and balance helping to calm him further as he took stock of the situation.  First point of business, apparently magic was far more powerful than he had first thought if a pony princess was able to enter his mind from a continent away.  Secondly, his appearance was different enough from a regular pony that this princess thought he was cursed somehow.  Thirdly, and most importantly, she did not seem to know anything other than what she had been able to see and hear, otherwise, she wouldn’t have asked about his origins.

Princess Luna waited patiently while Kepler sorted through his thoughts, her attention seeming to flip between him and his weapon in equal measure.  Finally, the stallion got his brain organized enough to return to the situation at hand.

“Forgive me for not realizing what was going on, Princess,”  Kepler stated as he lowered the rifle, “I am a stranger in these lands and did not know that magic was powerful enough to allow others to enter my mind.”

“‘Tis an ability that only We possess,” Luna stated as she stood to her full height again.  “We are the Guardian of Dreams, such that none of Our ponies suffer ills upon their slumber.  We would be remiss if we let even one of Our little ponies suffer during Our nights and not do anything to stop it.”  She glanced once again at his rifle.  “‘Tis a very interesting device thou hast.  We know not of its make nor origin, yet it must be very familiar to thee for it to be so clear in thy mind.  Please, explain how thy weapon works.  We would be dishonest if We didst not admit that We are curious.”

Given that Kepler planned to give the gryphons and changelings the ability to fabricate his rifle, telling this Princess Luna how it worked would be an exercise in foolishness. 

“I’m afraid I don’t know how it works on a fundamental level,” Kepler lied, “I simply know how to use it in the most basic of functions.  I’m sorry, Your Highness, but I couldn’t begin to explain the finer details to you or anyone else as it is simply beyond my understanding.”

Luna’s eyes narrowed.  “Do not think Us a fool, young stallion.  We are familiar with how a dream manifests objects that are familiar to the dreamer. One cannot fabricate a tool in the dreamscape with that degree of clarity if one is unfamiliar with its construction as the object relies on the will of the dreamer rather than knowledge.  For thee to have created such a detailed construct, thou must know thy tool inside and out as well as how each piece functions.”

“Damn,” Kepler thought as he realized he was out of his element.  Apparently, this princess was smarter than she looked, archaic way of speaking aside.  “Very well, Your Highness.  If you wish to know more then I will gladly demonstrate.”

Before the mare could react, Kepler lifted the rifle and racked the bolt once to chamber a round.  Her eyes widened as his barrel centered on her face, her mouth opening in a cry of fear as her horn ignited.  Kepler’s hoof may not have been able to fit inside a standard trigger guard, but given this was a dream; it didn’t matter.  The rifle kicked back into his shoulder as the muzzle flash illuminated the area around them, the echoing crack of the round ringing in his ears as the mare before him vanished like dust in the wind. 

Kepler had just enough time to lower his rifle and cycle the action before the world around him faded into darkness, his senses failing as the miasma overtook his mind. 




 
The shock of waking up would have toppled the stallion off the mattress and onto the floor, had his extended wings not arrested his roll before he could make it over the edge.  His heart pounded in his chest as he looked around the tent, his mind awash with terror and wonder in equal measure. 

“Did that really just happen?” he asked himself, lifting his hooves to his chest as he visualized the rifle he had used in the dream.  While the memory of the weapon was not as fresh as it once had been, the feeling and weight were still familiar enough for him to recognize immediately.  He slowly lowered his hooved back to the mattress, his wings folding over his flanks as his heart slowly calmed.  “That was far too detailed to be an ordinary dream.  I don’t know how that happened, but I know for a fact I’m not going to let her get the drop on me again.”

His resolution secure in his mind, Kepler glanced at the tent flaps as he pondered his next move.  Sleeping was out of the question, but with the dim light of dawn barely illuminating the outside, he didn’t feel like starting his day working for the gryphons either.  Finally, he let a gusty sigh escape his lips as he hopped off the mattress, his hooves carrying him through the tent flaps as he blinked in the rising dawn.  His guard from the day before was still standing next to the opening of the tent, although the young tercel had apparently fallen asleep on shift if the lax position of his seated form was any indication.  Kepler entertained the idea of waking the poor boy before his superiors found him, but was unable to act before an echoing bugle call sounded from the roof of the stone building. 

Kepler bemoaned his chance for some fun slipping away as the tercel snapped out of his sleep, his armor rattling as he jerked his head left and right before stopping on Kepler’s nearby form.  Kepler simply jerked his head in the direction of the ship’s wreck as the forms of gryphons appeared from the other tents, the guard glancing in the same direction before nodding agreement.  The duo began the short march to the beached ship as the engineers and other specialists grumbled and complained about getting up early.  The rising sun in the cloudless sky promised a bright new day as the morning rays reflected off of the metal plating of Kepler’s ship.  He couldn’t help the small smile that found its way to his lips as he gazed upon his nation’s pride and joy, his heart lifting with some measure of hope as he remembered the king’s words. 

“Someday,” he whispered to himself as he rested a hoof against the plating of the hull, “I’ll see you sail upon the seas again.  We just have some work to do in the meantime.”

He turned around as he spotted the engineers and enchanters gathering behind him, their eyes full of questions and excitement as they waited for him to share more about how his mighty ship worked.  The stallion sighed as he stepped forward, knowing that there was a long road ahead of him before he could truly call this world home. 

He just hoped that there would still be a place willing to accept him once this was all over.  
> 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.
> 10 - The First Fires of War
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kepler stood at the bow of the Tyr, his errant thoughts calmed by the waves while his ship sailed through the water and the decking gently rocked under his hooves.  The crew was hard at work ensuring the newly christened flagship was operating at full capacity as they continued to steam over the rolling seas, the troop transports following close behind them while the fleet moved ever closer to its target.  The stallion had his eyes closed and his wings spread to allow the midafternoon sunlight to warm his wing membranes which rippled in the wind created by the ship’s motion.   While he was paying attention to his companion, in the event something came up that required his immediate intervention, the majority of his mind was happy to remain blank, as he inhaled the salty mist that was pushed upward by the bow cutting through the waves.  It had been so long since he had felt the ocean breeze against his skin and the shifting of a ship under his body.  During the time he had been working on the shore overseeing the deconstruction of the Bismarck, there had been moments when the wind would carry salty scents inland from the ocean, yet it just couldn’t compare to the unique feeling of a ship on the open sea and the specific conditions it created for her crew. 

Kepler’s companion was the changeling mare that had been present on the bridge during their departure from Gryphonstone, her silent presence registering in the stallion’s mind even as he did his best to lose himself in the sensations of the ocean.  She had yet to speak unless being used by her Queen to communicate, which both comforted and unnerved Kepler.  He felt better because no reports meant that the ship was working properly and nothing needed his attention, and yet he couldn’t help the small shiver that ran up his spine every time the mare appeared seemingly out of thin air without making a sound. 

Kepler wasn’t sure how long he stood on the bow soaking up the sun’s rays, but he was abruptly jarred from his reverie when he felt a hoof tap him on the shoulder.  His eyes snapped open, and he jumped as he spun his head around to face the changeling, who had somehow managed to walk up and touch him without making any noise whatsoever.  Kepler knew how loud his own hooves sounded against the metal plating of the deck, so the fact that even his superior hearing hadn’t detected her approach only reinforced the idea that he needed to be careful around the silent mare.  

The mare waited for a second as Kepler got over his surprise before turning towards the stern and pointing with her hoof at a point between the Tyr and the closest starboard troop transport.  Kepler had to squint as his gaze followed the direction of the changeling beside him, only for his eyes to widen as he saw what was currently approaching from the Southeast. 

“Narr, Von allen idiotischen…” Kepler mumbled under his breath when he was able to make out the singular form flying past the transport towards the Tyr.  He turned towards the mare beside him as he pumped his wings in preparation for take-off.  “Inform the crew that I will be leaving the ship for a short time.  Have a few officers standing by at the stern for my return, and ensure one of them brings a set of irons with them.” 

His body lifted off the decking before streaking out over the water towards the approaching gryphon, a choice set of scathing insults running through his mind as he confirmed that he hadn’t been seeing things.  Flying towards him with uneven and sluggish wingbeats, her beak hanging open and her legs dangling below her body in exhaustion, was an unarmored, salt-crusted Gloria. 

Kepler approached the flailing hen, biting back the rather insensitive verbiage he had been ready to yell, as it was blatantly obvious to even his inexperienced eyes that the young female was barely able to stay airborne, let alone focus on anything said to her.  So, he chose to guide her towards the stern of the Tyr, his presence seemingly barely registering to the bleary-eyed gryphon other than to get her moving in the right direction.  Kepler stayed close to Gloria until they came in for a landing on the open decking, whereupon she promptly folded like a house of cards and flopped onto her stomach without making any attempt to steady herself. 

Kepler landed seconds later, although he was politely pushed to the side as an Oberarzt, who had been waiting for their arrival, rushed forward to check over Gloria.  Kepler knew better than to get in the way of a physician going over a patient, so he turned his attention to the other two crewmembers who had been standing by. 

One was a large gryphon tercel, his impressive bulk barely contained within the Feldgendarmerie uniform that stretched and pulled ever so slightly as he moved.  The military police officer had the irons Kepler requested held under one wing, his cold gaze openly glaring at Gloria with disdain, over Kepler’s shoulder.  His beak was twisted down into a frightening sneer, and Kepler was reminded of the singular time he had met a member of the Feldgendarmerie back in his homeland.  He hadn’t even been in trouble and the huge man had still looked at him like he was about to break Kepler in half.  With that memory in mind, Kepler made a note to make sure he didn’t give the gryphon before him any reason to turn that sneer in his direction. 

The second crewmember before him was the changeling mare from before, who he still didn’t know the name of.  Her eyes had shifted to those of her Queen, and there seemed to be an almost gleeful expression on the drone’s face as Chrysalis shifted her attention from Kepler to Gloria and back again. 

“Well, isn’t this a surprising turn of events,” the Queen chuckled darkly as she hid her muzzle behind a hoof.  “Oh the King is going to have a fit when he finds out that one of his soldiers has deserted her post and gone chasing after her lover instead of following his direct orders.”  Kepler felt a shiver run up his spine as Chrysalis turned her attention to him.  “It seems you have made quite the impression on the young hen, wouldn’t you say?”

Kepler ignored the jab and turned to the Feldgendarmerie.  “Don’t bother with the cuffs just yet.  She’s barely conscious and won’t be able to put up any resistance.  Once the doctor has had a chance to look her over, bring her to the brig and secure her for questioning later.  Right now, we have more important things to worry about than a lone deserter.”

The tercel saluted and moved past Kepler to pick up Gloria by the scruff of her neck, much to the Oberarzt’s displeasure, before tossing the unconscious hen over his shoulders and carrying her away.  The doctor followed behind while voicing his consternation at his patient’s treatment, although the larger military police didn’t seem to care, as the duo moved below decks and out of earshot. 

Kepler sighed as he turned his attention to Chrysalis, who had a smirk on her face that would have sent lesser men running in fear.  He knew it was just an attempt at getting under his skin, so he did his best to hide the hairs standing on end at the back of his neck.  “I take it that you have informed the King of what has happened?”  It wasn’t really a question since he knew the answer already, but he had a feeling that the Queen wasn’t going to say anything on the subject unless he played her game.

“Skybeak is currently unavailable because of various matters of state that have taken up his time.”  Chrysalis’ smile grew wider as Kepler’s eyebrow rose in surprise.  “What?  Did you think I would ruin the little romance blooming on this ship just so the hen can get shipped off to somewhere dark and dreary, never to be seen again?  What kind of heartless monster do you think I am?”

“I would have presumed you were invested in this alliance for the sake of your people, not to use us for your own amusement whenever it suits your fancy,” Kepler retorted.  “Protocol dictates that this should be reported to His Majesty as soon as possible, or else there will be much more at stake than Gloria’s future.  What good will come of not telling the King of her desertion when you know that is what would be required of me?”

The changeling rolled her eyes with a long-suffering sigh.  “You really are a stickler for the rules, I’ll give you that much.  However, there is one thing you are blatantly overlooking, my little pony friend.  That hen did what is considered unthinkable in Gryphon culture, given their code of honor and how rigidly they adhere to that foolish notion.  Desertion is tantamount to high treason in every way save for one; When it comes to how it is punished.  While she will live to tell the tale, she will never hold a regular job, she cannot own land under her own name, and, most importantly, she will be stripped of something that every creature with wings holds sacred.”

Kepler’s eyes widened in shock.  “You mean they would…” he trailed off as Chrysalis nodded.  “But that’s barbaric!  How can they justify taking her ability to fly?”

“Was it really so different in your homeland?” the changeling countered.  “What would have become of anyone who deserted their post, regardless of the reason?”

Kepler fell silent as he thought about it.  Sure, Gloria would lose her flight, but at least she’d still be alive.  He’d heard horror stories about soldiers that had deserted for one reason or another, only to find themselves at the end of the Schutzstaffel’s rifles, or worse.  The SS wasn’t afraid to use unorthodox methods in their punishments, and if half of the things Kepler had heard were true, he was glad he was somewhere they could never reach.  He had enough problems as it was without the terror of being hunted by them running through his veins.

“Alright, you’ve made your point,” he replied after a momentary pause.  “But you still haven’t answered my question.  Why do you care about her?”

“Because as much as I like stirring the pot, I don’t want you to make a mistake that you will never be able to fix.”  The changeling looked almost sheepish for a moment, although it could have just been Kepler’s imagination.  “You are a vital part of this mission’s success, so if anything were to jeopardize your ability to command effectively, then this entire alliance would be for nothing.  You need to be able to focus on the mission, and if you are constantly worried about your female friend’s wellbeing, then there is a chance you could make a mistake, one that we cannot afford to let happen.”

Kepler was puzzled, given this was far from the behavior that the Queen usually presented.  Abruptly, his attention was drawn to the fact that the drone’s eyes were no longer those of the Queen, but instead the soft blue haze of the mare before him. 

The drone smiled slightly as his own eyes widened in realization.  “Took you long enough.”  Her real voice was soft and smooth, the dual tone of her kind’s speech barely noticeable as Kepler backed up in shock. “My Queen had to return to her duties while you were reminiscing, but I felt that I had to say something for myself when you kept talking afterwards.” 

Her smile faded as she continued.  “I meant what I said before, about you needing to be at your best for this mission.  You have feelings for that hen, don’t bother lying about it because I can sense it, but you’ve buried it so far down in your heart that you are becoming more like a construct than a living being.  That kind of bottling up will eventually lead to self-destruction, and with a war ahead of us we need you to be focused.  My Queen will not report the hen’s desertion to King Skybeak, given what we all know would happen to her if she was brought back to face judgement for her crimes.  It will be up to you to decide on what to do with her, but take it from a creature that literally survives off love, you won’t last long in this world if you don’t let someone into your heart.  War is a cruel and dark thing, and it is very easy to get lost in it if you don’t have a light to guide you.”

Kepler stood there, shocked, as the mare turned and walked away, her final words being tossed over her shoulder as she stopped just short of the fourth primary turret.  “Oh, and just to let you know, there’s a ship on the horizon.  From what my hive-mate can tell me it looks like an Equestrian border patrol.  Might want to get back to the bridge before the crew starts to panic.”

That got Kepler’s attention, and he made his way back through the ship’s interior with all possible haste after pushing past the changeling mare to get into the ship’s superstructure.  Calls were sounding over the intercom, telling the crew to report to their battle stations and prepare for a possible enemy engagement. 

Kepler blitzed up the flight shaft and the stairs to the bridge just as Korvettenkapitän Whiteclaw bellowed out, “Where is the Kapitän?!”

Kepler skidded to a halt just short of his chair in the center of the bridge, Whiteclaw spinning around from looking out the port windows with a telescoping spyglass upon his entrance.  “Ah, good, you made it, sir.  We have what looks like an Equestrian border patrol approaching from the West.  She appears to be alone, roughly a frigate in size, and armed with a small collection of spell cannons along her port and starboard.”

“What’s the threat level against the fleet?”  Kepler asked, his mind awash with the possible scenarios that could come about from this engagement. 

“Not much of anything against the Tyr, sir,” Whiteclaw replied, “However, I can’t say the same for the transports.  Those cannons could easily tear them apart if they felt inclined to use them, although the greater threat is if they send word back to the mainland about us before we can stop them.  Our communications systems are magically boosted, but still mechanical in nature.  The Equestrians use purely magical means to communicate long distances, and we don’t have a way to jam that type of transmission.”

“Then we need to take them out before they report our presence to their home port,” Kepler concluded.  “If they get wise to our presence, there won’t be anything we can do to stop them from sending everything they have at us.  This mission hinges on our presence remaining secret until we get within striking range of Manehattan.  We can’t let anything jeopardize that secrecy.”

“Then, are we going to sink the ship, sir?”  Whiteclaw’s talons tightened around his spyglass in excitement as Kepler nodded.

“Tell the firing crews to load high explosive shells.  Armor piercing won’t be of any use against a ship of that size.  We’ll need to make the first shots count and sink them before they realize what is happening.  If we don’t, our mission could fail before it even begins.”

“Aye, sir.”  Whiteclaw snapped a salute before turning to the communications officers.  “You heard him, let the weapons crews know we need those cannons ready, and we need them ready now.”

The chatter of the various crew members echoed around the room as commands were passed around various parts of the ship.  All the while, the two forward turrets were slowly turning to face their oncoming enemy, as the ship accelerated to combat speed.  The Tyr slowly pulled ahead of the formation, her guns coming to bear on the smaller vessel while her crew waited in anticipation for the first shots to be fired.




 
Captain Emerald Seas was confused as she lowered her spyglass.  Her wings twitched with uncertainty against her flanks as the strange ship began to pull ahead of the large airship formation.  She hadn’t seen any colors flying from the fleet, and her intuition was warning her that there was something wrong with what was happening in front of her.  She had never seen a ship that big before and she had been sailing for several years even before she joined the Navy.  The E.R.N. Tiderunner was a fine ship in her own right, but against something of that sheer size, she was unsure if any of her crew could even reach the larger ship’s decking, save for the pegasi. 

Emerald raised her spyglass once again as she noticed movement on the metal monster’s deck.  Her eyes widened in fear as she saw what appeared to be massive cannons rotating atop turrets to face her ship.  The glass of the extendable spyglass shattered against the decking as she took to the air, her wings carrying her as fast as they possibly could towards the bridge.  There was a sound not unlike thunder only a hundred times louder, when the enormous cannons ejected fire and plumes of black smoke, the shockwave from the explosions almost forcing Emerald into the side of the hull before she could correct her flight path.  Columns of water erupted from several points around the Tiderunner, the seas surrounding the much smaller vessel rocking violently and soaking the other ponies on deck.  Cries of terror and confusion sounded off from everypony present, but Emerald paid them no mind.  Her only priority was to get back to the bridge and send out a distress call to the mainland. 

Again, the mighty vessel’s cannons cracked the very air with their ferocity, the columns of water barely missing the Tiderunner signaling the frigate’s approaching demise.  Emerald forewent the door and crashed through the window of the bridge, her coat leaving trails of red as her barrel and forelegs were cut by the glass.  She snatched up the communication crystal that was resting on its pedestal next to her chair and tapped out the required activation pattern with her hoof.  Her body shook, and she couldn’t feel the cuts that littered her body.  The only thing that mattered was warning her home about the disaster that was coming its way. 

Finally, the crystal lit up with a bright, blue light, and Emerald screamed at the top of her lungs to be heard over the echoing crack of the mystery ship’s cannons firing once again.  “This is Captain Emerald Seas of the E.R.N. Tiderunner.  We are under attack by an unknown ship leading a fleet of airships across the Sparkling Sea.  Bearing West by Northwest, just north of Baltimare, we are outgunned and request immediate assistance.”

“This is Joint Base Mareweather, responding.  What kind of ship are you facing, Captain?”  The crystal didn’t allow for visual communication, but Emerald could tell that the mare on the other end was broadcasting her words because she could hear an echo of her own voice as she spoke.

“It’s huge, at least two, no, two and a half hoofball fields end to end.  It’s comprised mostly of metal and has several enormous –” At that moment, one of the shells from the attacking ship finally hit true, the resulting explosion ripping the smaller vessel to splinters as everypony aboard was either cut to pieces by the flying shrapnel or vaporized outright in the fireball. 

The communication crystal was able to pass on a split second of the horrendous sound before being shattered by the shockwave that carried it clear of the decimated ship, leaving the ponies on the other end crying out for a response even when they knew that there was no way anypony could hear them.  Word was immediately passed up the chain of command that there had been an attack against a border patrol.  The attackers were unknown, and a huge unknown ship was leading them across the Sparkling Sea.  A messenger pegasus was immediately sent to inform the Princesses in Canterlot of what had happened, however, by the time the messenger had completed his two day journey, it would be too late to stop the disaster that was about to befall the Equestrian coast.
> 11 - A City Under Seige
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Celestia’s sun rose gently over the waves, ribbons of light bouncing over the rise and fall of the water as a new day began in the city of Manehattan.  Ponies awoke in their beds to the majesty of the dawn before moving about their morning routines, the sky a calm and clear blue that seemed to match the chipper yet subdued energy the awakening city exuded.  Many ponies made note of the thick fog bank obscuring the waters to the Southeast of the city but felt there was no need to bother alerting the weather crews.  Unless the fog started to move inland, there was no real reason to clear it, which meant nopony was aware of the eyes that watched them from within the concealing mist.

 



Kepler lowered his binoculars after several seconds of observing the pony city, his mind categorizing information at a rapid pace as he inspected it for any signs of danger or enemy ships.  After failing to see anything that would indicate the city was preparing for an attack, he turned his attention to the rest of the bridge crew.  The officers around him were dutifully operating their respective stations, although he saw several casting glances at the pony city just a few kilometers away, their bodies shifting with anticipation for what was about to happen. 

“What is the status of our armaments?”  Kepler’s tone was calm and clear, cutting through the nervous excitement that permeated the air of the bridge. 

“Primary and secondary cannons are loaded and aimed at the target.”  The tercel comms officer glanced up from his station to meet Kepler’s gaze as he spoke.  “We have a clear line of sight to the airship docks and the military port.”

Kepler nodded his understanding.  “Good.  Tell the weapons crews to prepare for a shore bombardment.  We are going to level the docks and destroy as many of the ships moored there as possible.”  Kepler turned to the hen operating the station next to the Kapitänleutnant.  “Are the troop transports prepared for landing?”

The Fähnrich zur See smiled.  “Ready to go and awaiting all clear from us, sir.  The captains say the soldiers are itching to try their new toys in combat.”

“Tell them they are to stand by until we complete our bombardment,” Kepler cautioned.  “We don’t want any chance of friendly fire with how much power we’ll be throwing at the enemy.”

She snapped a quick salute.  “Aye, sir.”

Kepler turned his attention back to the city sprawled before him.  The small dots of pegasi flying above the streets and the multitudes of colorful beings that moved between the buildings created the image of a beehive in his mind.  A beehive that was about to get an extremely hard kick in the teeth.  The Tyr was positioned for a full broadside, near the edge of the fog bank, while the transports stayed further back to minimize the chances of being spotted by enemy lookouts.  There was no doubt in Kepler’s mind that the fog around the ship would be blown away by the weapons firing, thus he wanted to minimize the risk of any return fire from shore hitting the transports. 

Silence hung over the bridge as everyone waited for the fateful moment, the earlier excitement now reduced to an uneasy tension.  Kepler let his gaze travel over the city one last time before placing his hoof against the comms crystal mounted in the center of his command station.  The bright blue jewel lit up at his touch, carrying his voice to the crew stations with perfect clarity.

“All hands, prepare for shore bombardment.  Crew members are ordered to clear the deck until weapons fire ceases.  Loading crews, begin the assault on my mark.”  Kepler paused and counted down from thirty in his head, allowing time for the crew to get below decks.

Once he reached zero, Kepler took a deep breath, held it for a moment, and spoke a single word that would change the world, “Fire.”

The sound that followed was unlike anything heard before by any gryphon or changeling.  They had gotten a taste of it when they had destroyed the patrol ship the day prior, but nothing could compare to the raw fury that rocked the ship sideways as all her cannons unloaded their fiery destruction in one seismic blast.  The fog around the ship didn’t dissipate so much as it was torn to ribbons, revealing the ship in all its terrible glory as eruptions of smoke and flame billowed from the barrels of her cannons.  Kepler almost lost his footing from the shift of the deck below him, with several of the bridge crew actually falling to the floor from the sudden movement, but that didn’t stop anyone from witnessing the results of their initial attack.

The shells streaked through the air with such speed that it was nearly impossible to follow their trajectory, even with the crew’s superior eyesight.  Mere seconds after they had been fired, the high-explosive rounds came crashing back to earth among the ships and buildings that made up the military port.  The shockwaves from each detonation could almost be seen by the spellbound crew of the Tyr, wood and stone being rent asunder as fire and smoke rose into the morning sky. 

Kepler had only a moment to think before the rattling thunder below his hooves began again, the slightly different timing of the weapon crews causing a syncopated delay between each cannon firing.  The city before them shifted from a smoothly flowing river to a turbulent frenzy in an instant, ponies running and flying in every direction as panic set in under the withering assault.  Kepler paid the general citizens little mind, his focus being on the base they were targeting and the seaside weapons that could be used against them.  So far, they had been silent, but he knew it was only a matter of time until that changed.

Seemingly in reply to his thoughts, one of the cannon emplacements began to turn towards them, the ponies controlling the weapon scrambling to get the barrel to bear while the ground and waters around them roiled from the force of the detonations.  Finally, the cannon was turned to face the Tyr and a lance of bright blue energy shot from the end of the barrel barely a second before the emplacement and the entire crew were engulfed in fire and smoke. 

Kepler watched the bolt of magic streak in a perfectly straight line towards the bow of the ship, his hoof pressing into the comms crystal as he cried, “Incoming fire!  All hands brace for impact!”

Just then, the bolt impacted the hull, the energy splashing against the metal plating as Kepler waited for damage reports to start flooding the comms.  Yet, after a moment of anticipation, a shocked comms officer turned to face him, the tercel saying with almost stupefied clarity, “No damage reported from the enemy’s attack, sir.  It seems that the magic was redirected from the ship somehow.”

Kepler had to use every ounce of his will not to drop his jaw in surprise, his analytical side quickly filing the information away to be explored later.  Right now, he had to focus on the mission.

“Until we know for sure what happened, assume that this was luck.  I won’t risk my crew because we think the enemy can’t hurt us.  We would be fools to do so until we are absolutely sure that is the case.”  Kepler turned to Whiteclaw beside him.  “Ahead half, Korvettenkapitän.  I want to make it harder for the ponies to hit us in case they can get those other embankments operational.”

He snapped a salute.  “Ahead half, aye sir!” 

The ship rumbled to life and began to move forward, even as the firing crews continued to unload on the city before them with extreme prejudice.  By now, the docks had been reduced to rubble, and the few ships that had been moored there were nothing more than splinters and twisted metal.  Kepler spotted several groups of pegasi flying up from different parts of the base, their numbers shifting from double to triple digits in a matter of minutes as seemingly every available pegasus took to the air.  Sunlight gleamed on the tips of hundreds of spears as the swarm began to fly in their direction. 

Kepler activated the comms again.  “Cease fire.  All crews cease fire.”  He waited for the cannons to go silent, noting that the swarm of pegasi slowed to a halt as well once the last shot echoed into nothing. 

“All hands, prepare for airborne assault from pegasi soldiers.  Shoot as many as you can before they can get on deck but be prepared for a possible boarding attempt.”  Kepler did his best to keep his voice level as the swarm began to move towards them once again, his pulse rapidly increasing at the thought of having to repel the ponies should they gain a foothold on board. 

Seconds passed, and the pegasi drew closer with each breath while the crew scrambled to bring their anti-air defenses to bear.  Kepler could almost hear the clicking of the gears as the flak cannons and machine gun turrets rotated to face their foe.  Then, seemingly in an instant, the air between the Tyr and the approaching ponies was ignited as hundreds of tracer rounds streaked from the ship, flak shells creating clouds of expanding smoke among the glowing projectiles. 

Kepler watched with wide eyes as the pegasi were shredded by the overlapping weapons’ fire, their plate armor doing nothing to protect them from the flak shrapnel and the wall of bullets that had appeared before them.  Bodies dropped from the sky like flies, and the water was painted pink from the blood that rained down from above.  In less than a minute, what had once been a force of hundreds had been reduced to a few dozen soldiers. 

The weapons crews slowly halted their attack without Kepler needing to order them, as it was perfectly clear to both sides that any attempt to board the ship by air would be a suicidal endeavor.  What little of the pegasi that remained quickly flew back to shore, their weapons and armor falling to the crimson waves in their haste to put as much distance between them and the ship as possible.  Kepler felt that he should have been relieved by their successful defense, but all he could focus on were the ponies being cut down in droves by their superior might.  This had not been a battle.  It had been a massacre.  The stallion was barely aware of the transports moving around the Tyr as they flew towards the battered city, his thoughts consumed with the images of pegasi falling from the air with their bodies torn to pieces by his people’s technology. 

Had he made a mistake?  Was he doing the right thing? 

Kepler was pulled from his internal struggle by a paw against his shoulder, his gaze focusing on the forlorn expression worn by Whiteclaw and some of the other officers as they glanced at him from their stations.  There was nothing that needed to be said between them.  It was an understanding that went deeper than anything words could convey.  The gryphons were an honorable people, Kepler knew this from his time living among them, and it helped a little bit knowing that they were similarly upset by how effective his weapons were at killing.

Kepler placed his hoof over the Korvettenkapitän’s paw, nodding his thanks before turning his attention to the rest of the bridge.  “Alright, we’ve completed our mission and destroyed the airship docks along with the naval presence in the city.  We are going to stay near to shore for now to support the landing as needed.  Should it become necessary, we will sail further out to sea to defend the troops from any ships that are sent against us and to prevent a retaliation against the Empire.  Those will be your standing orders until the situation calls for a change of plans.  Is that understood?”

“Sir, yes sir!” was the unanimous reply.

Kepler nodded.  “Good.  Keep me informed of changes to the situation.  I’m going to take a moment and inform the King of what has happened.”

A murmur of agreement followed him out the door as he walked through the corridors of the upper decks until he reached his own quarters.  As he had expected, the changeling mare from before was waiting for him, her eyes having changed to that of her Queen. 

“I see that your initial assault has proven successful.”  Chrysalis ran her tongue over her puppet’s lips as she smiled with sinister glee.  “Oh how I wish I could have been there to see those pitiful ponies running around in helpless panic.”

“You can let the King know that the attack was a success,” Kepler stated flatly.  “The docks and any ships that were present in the port have been destroyed and our troops are moving in to attack the city proper as we speak.  If the general population proves to be as weak as their military then the city should be ours without much trouble.”

Chrysalis hummed in approval while walking around the stallion with a predatory glint in her eye.  “So it would seem, and from what my drone has witnessed, your technology played a key role in that destruction.  You decimated the pegasi guards with barely any effort and you could level the city entirely if you so choose.  Oh, the possibilities your technology present to us make my spine tingle with anticipation.”

Kepler did his best to hide his unease as the puppet drone walked towards him until her muzzle was nearly touching his.  “It makes me wonder what else you may be hiding inside that devious little mind of yours.”  Kepler jerked back as the drone’s tongue ran from the base of his neck up to the bottom of his jaw, his obvious disgust only making Chrysalis laugh as she stepped back. 

“But we can talk about that at another time.  I have a report to make to our mutual acquaintance, and you have a little hen to go talk to.”  Her smile showed a mouthful of fangs as the glow of her presence faded from her drone’s eyes.  “Make sure to say hello for me, I’m dying to see how this little romance of yours plays out.”

With those parting words, the Queen left entirely, leaving Kepler alone with the drone as her eyes returned to their uniform blue.  The drone said nothing as she walked past him and opened the door, the metallic clang of the portal closing only enhancing the gravity of Kepler’s situation.  All at once, the weight of the day’s events came crashing down on his shoulders, and the stallion could do little more than climb into his bed and close his eyes, though sleep eluded him for some time as the bloodied faces of the pegasi guards flashed across his vision.  Finally, exhaustion drew him into a dreamless sleep, one that did next to nothing to help him recover from the stress he had endured.  





Kepler awoke a few hours later and simply laid there for a moment, his mind pondering on what he was going to do about Gloria.  By all rights, he could tie her up and throw her overboard to drown for all the Empire cared about her fate, but he knew he would never be able to do something like that even if he was ordered to. 

He cared for her too much to see her come to harm.  But what could he possibly do?  She had deserted her post in order to be with him, and he had Chrysalis’ confirmation that she was in love with him.  But did he feel the same?  Could he go against the people that had given him a purpose in this new and strange world just to save a lovestruck girl? 

Kepler groaned as he covered his face with his hooves, “Why do these things have to be so complicated?”

Unfortunately, the question was left unanswered as a knock sounded from his door.  A sigh escaped his lips as he called out for the crew member to enter, his gaze falling onto the Feldgendarmerie who had taken Gloria to the brig the previous day. 

“Sir, the prisoner has awoken and is ready for questioning.”  His deep voice rumbled from his chest instead of his beak, while his talons rapped against his uniform in a salute.  “Shall we proceed with the interrogation?”

Kepler heaved himself from the bed’s embrace and walked past the tercel.  “Lead the way.  I have some words that I would like to share with the Vizefeldwebel.”

Evidently, his sour mood was not lost on the officer, who simply nodded and led Kepler into the deeper parts of the ship.  Their journey led to the level just below the aft mess hall, the dim lighting and cramped corridors making Kepler slightly uneasy about what he would find ahead.  He had never been to the brig in either the Tyr or the original Bismarck, and as his eyes beheld the line of cells and the gryphon chained to the far wall within the first, he hoped that it would not be a common occurrence. 

Her feathers were still crusted with salt from her time at sea, and a bruise had swollen one eye almost completely shut.  Kepler glanced at the Feldgendarmerie beside him in silent accusation, but the tercel didn’t seem to care other than to challenge the stallion’s glare with one of his own.  Each knew what the other was thinking, with neither being happy with what they were getting in response.  Kepler snorted in frustration and turned back to face the cell, his gaze locking with a single ice blue eye that lit up in joy upon seeing his face.

Kepler hated to squash the happiness before him, but he had a job to do.  “Feldgendarmerie, open the cell.  I have some things to discuss with Fraulein Windcutter.”

Gloria’s smile faded as he walked into the cell, a cold fear replacing the hope that had been there before, upon seeing the frown on his muzzle.  The door closed behind him, leaving the Feldgendarmerie just outside in case anything happened.  What Gloria could possibly do with her forelegs chained to the wall above her head Kepler had no idea, so he tried to push the concept of her as a threat from his mind.  He might not have been sure of his feelings towards her, but his emotions concerning the matter did not change the fact that he wasn’t there to help her.

“Gloria Windcutter,” his tone seemed to cut her like a knife as she flinched away from him, “you have a lot of explaining to do.”
> 12 - Aftermath
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Explain this to me, because I am having a hard time understanding the stupidity of your actions.  Why would you do something so monumentally reckless when you are fully aware of the consequences.”  Kepler could feel his fangs baring in frustration, the sight of which caused Gloria to flinch back from him as the incensed stallion moved forward until they were face to face.  “Why did you desert your post and attempt to board my ship?”

Tears streamed from the corners of Gloria’s eyes as her beak opened and closed soundlessly, her gaze filled with fear and uncertainty yet unable to break away from Kepler’s gaze.  Finally, she managed to force out a whispered reply, her voice cracking from raw emotion as she spoke.  “Because I love you.”

Kepler already knew this thanks to Chrysalis’ gloating, but to hear those same words come from the source was another thing entirely.  He found himself pausing as he took a mental step back to reevaluate what he was doing, his mouth closing and pressing into a hard line while his mind processed possible responses.  What could he say or do that wouldn’t completely destroy the young hen before him, yet also not alienate the rest of the gryphons in the process?

Apparently, his reaction wasn’t what Gloria had been expecting, because her tears began anew and her head slammed against the wall behind her with a hard clang as her eyes clenched shut.  Kepler moved back in shock upon seeing her fully break down, her head hanging low as sobs wracked her frame and her lower half curled up as close to her chest as possible. 

For a moment, Kepler didn’t know what to do.  He had never in his life been forced to deal with this type of situation and his inexperience was causing his mind to spin out of control.  He jumped from solution to solution and just as quickly discarded them as unusable, trying to figure out what was the best way to move forward.  Then, in a moment of clarity, he looked at Gloria, really looked at her, and realized something he had previously been oblivious to. 

She loved him, that much he had known, but had he ever really stopped to think about what that meant?  For the last year, he had been so focused on survival that he had never realized what else might be a possibility in this new and strange world.  There was no going back to the life he once had on Earth, and the crushing weight of that realization left him feeling alone and afraid.  He’d fallen in with the gryphons out of necessity, having been comforted by the similarities between his former kin and the avian hybrids.  Yet until this moment, it had never really sunk in that he would have to live the rest of his life in this new world, and the thought of doing so by himself filled him with a terror he had never known was possible. 

His gaze focused on Gloria again upon coming out of his introspection, truly seeing her for what she was and the sacrifice she had chosen to make for him.  This wasn’t just a mythical creature from his old world’s legends, none of the beings in this world were.  She was a person with feelings and hopes and dreams that were just as real as the body he found himself within.  His heart pounded in his chest as he realized the horrible mistake he had made, even out of shock and desperation, and in an instant, everything fell into place.  He couldn’t continue as he had been for the last year, the isolation he had created for himself would slowly eat away at him from the inside until there was nothing left.  The changeling mare had said so when Gloria had first arrived on board, but he hadn’t truly realized it until now. 

His body moved before his mind could catch up with his actions, his legs carrying him forward until he wrapped his forelegs around Gloria’s torso.  She flinched from the contact, her sobs hitching in her throat as her body froze in place, yet once his head came to rest in her chest feathers she seemed to realize that he wasn’t going to hurt her.

Kepler watched as her eyes slowly opened, her gaze turning to meet his until the tip of her beak was resting against the end of his muzzle.  He could feel the subtle shakes and stutters in her breathing as their breaths mingled in the tiny space between them, the rest of the world falling away until it was only them, together, in that moment. 

Kepler debated on what to do next, now that he had captured Gloria’s full attention, yet his mind came up blank.  He had acted on instinct doing what he had, and now that his brain had caught up with his body, he wasn’t sure what was the best course of action.  Apparently, Gloria didn’t have that problem, because the next thing Kepler knew, his mouth was making contact with her beak, his eyes flying wide open as hers slowly closed. 

The moment was there and gone in an instant, her smooth beak caressing his lips in ways he had never imagined before gently pulling away.  Kepler’s mouth hung open in shock while his wings stood straight up from his back, his brain trying to categorize and organize all the new sensations and emotions he was experiencing.  Gloria, for her part, seemed to realize her actions and blushed a bright crimson while averting her gaze from his, her eyes flickering between him and the floor next to her in uncertainty. 

Finally, Kepler shook his head to clear it and filed the experience away for later review.  Right now he had more important things to worry about.  He used one hoof to turn Gloria’s head to face him, her eyes once again uncertain and afraid even as her cheeks glowed under her dark feathers.  How her body could do that was a mystery to the stallion, but for the moment, he didn’t care.  She opened her beak to say something but was cut off with a squeak when Kepler placed his hoof over it to silence her.

“I’m sorry,” Kepler sighed as her eyes widened.  “I’m sorry for not realizing what was right in front of me and for forcing you to make such a dangerous choice.  Had I known — no I did know, I just didn’t have the clarity to really appreciate what you were feeling.  I was so wrapped up in my own problems that I never stopped to imagine that anyone could care for a freak like me other than for their own ends.  So I ask if you can forgive me for my blind stupidity and for forcing you to make such a huge sacrifice.”

He pulled his hoof away and placed it upon her chest, her gaze following his movements before returning to his eyes.  “Why would I need to forgive you?  It was my choice to do what I did, no one forced me.  I want to be with you, even if it costs me everything else.”

“But why would you do that?” Kepler asked as his wings slowly folded against his sides once more.  “What could you possibly see in me when I’m not even a real pony, just an alien in a body that doesn’t even belong in this world.”

“Because I love you for who you are,” she countered, “not what you are or what you used to be.  I connected with the person you are on the inside,” her blush grew darker as she averted her gaze again, “although your unique body does have its own appeal.”

Kepler smiled despite himself at the mumbled last part, his cheeks warming slightly at the compliment.  “Then I guess we have some catching up to do.”

Gloria’s head snapped up at his words, her expression hopeful.  “You mean…do you…I-I never believed…maybe in a dream – MPH!”

Kepler cut her off again, only this time he used his lips instead of his hoof.  His senses were once more flooded with the unique sensations of her body, her beak being surprisingly flexible as she began reciprocating the kiss, moving against him and humming in the back of her throat.  This one lasted far longer than the first but still stopped short before it could evolve into anything more, as much as Kepler wanted it to never end.  He pulled away and smiled at the hen before him, his heart pounding in his chest for a completely different reason now.  Gloria still had her eyes closed, although they opened upon his retreat, her beak curling into a smile of her own.

“Cheater.”  The word made Kepler chuckle as he stepped back and released her body from his embrace.  “I didn’t do it for that long.”

“Are you complaining?” Kepler retorted.  “Was my reply to your confession not sufficient to alleviate your fears?  Maybe I should give you another to make myself clear.”

Her head shook rapidly.  “No thanks, I got the message loud and clear, although I wouldn’t mind doing that again later.”

Kepler nodded.  “Indeed.  Although this does present us with a bit of an issue, your desertion.”

Gloria’s expression fell at his words.  “Right, that.  I have a feeling you were already told what happens to those who desert their post?”  Kepler nodded.  “Then you know I have no rights as a citizen anymore.  I can’t have land, I’ll be disowned by my family if they find out what happened, and I’ll be rendered flightless the instant we return to the Empire.”

“There may not be anything I can do about the first two,” Kepler’s voice hardened as he placed a hoof against his chest, “but I will not stand by and let you be deprived of something so sacred.”

“But what can you do?”  Her voice cracked in her growing panic, “You’re just one pony.  What could you possibly do if the king ordered you to stand aside?”

“I would politely tell him that if his people want any further information from me about my old world, then they can take that particular idea and shove it under their tails.”  His hoof rang against the metal floor with finality.  “I will not allow you to be mutilated in such a way.  Even if it costs me my position, I will not allow anyone to harm you because of your actions.”

Before Gloria could reply, Kepler turned his head over his shoulder.  “Feldgendarmerie, give me the keys to Fraulein Windcutter’s restraints.”

The tercel narrowed his eyes.  “Sir, that isn’t something I can do.  The deserter deserves nothing less than to be punished for her crime in every possible way.”

Kepler’s wings flared again as his fangs flashed in the lighting.  “I gave you an order, Feldgendarmerie.  I didn’t ask for your opinion and I don’t care.  I take full responsibility for my actions and will deal with the consequences afterward.  Now, give me the keys to her restraints.”

Their eyes remained locked for several tense moments, and Kepler was beginning to think the larger male would refuse.  He wasn’t sure he could get the keys by force.

The Feldgendarmerie growled before tossing the keys at Kepler’s hooves.  “Fine, but I will be making sure your actions are reported to His Highness as soon as possible.”

Kepler said nothing as the tercel marched away, keeping his expression flat until his escort was out of sight.  He picked up the keys and walked back to Gloria, removing the shackles from her forelegs and helping her up. 

Her gaze turned to where the Feldgendarmerie had disappeared.  “You know that was a very bad idea, right?”

Kepler nodded.  “Yes, but it was necessary.  If I didn’t make my orders clear, I have a feeling that I would have had to take the keys by force.  Probably wouldn’t have been a smart idea considering that guy is four times my weight in muscle.”

That got a giggle out of Gloria, her head turning aside as she rubbed the back of her head with her claws.  “So, now what do we do?”

Kepler led her out of the cell and into the corridor beyond, her hesitant steps falling slightly out of synch because of a small limp in her hind leg.  Kepler ignored it but made a mental note to have a serious talk with the Feldgendarmerie once he had time.  They made their way back up to the deck and then astern, the other gryphon crew casting glares Gloria’s way as they passed.  Kepler thought about reprimanding them, but decided against it, knowing it would only stop the behavior in his presence.  Still, it hurt to see Gloria’s head hanging low and her gaze affixed to the deck in front of her, the good mood from before now thoroughly squashed by her fellow gryphons.

They came to a halt at the railing on the edge of the deck, the water reflecting the light of the sun in its gentle swells while an easy breeze blew across the waves.  They sat side by side, but not quite touching, and let the calm of the ocean soothe their frazzled nerves.  Manehattan was behind them, so the battle waging in the city failed to register in their minds, even though they both knew it was there.  Kepler sighed and let his wings drop to the deck at his sides, the tension finally abating from his body, if only for a moment.

“I’ve always loved the ocean.”  His words were almost carried away by the wind as they left his mouth.  “So powerful, yet there are moments like this where I can just forget about the world and get lost in the calm and wonder that it can provide.”

“Maybe after this is over,” Gloria’s voice was barely louder than his, “we can get another ship, just for us.  We could sail wherever we wanted, see what is out there.”

He chuckled at the idea, “Perhaps.  Perhaps.”

They stayed there until the light of day bled into night, the crew moving about in the background even as the sky darkened and the stars came out.  The moon began its slow traverse overhead as Kepler nudged the hen beside him, saying nothing while motioning for her to follow.  They worked their way back through the ship until they reached Kepler’s quarters, the door closing behind them as their bodies moved on autopilot towards the bed.  Kepler debated on how they would fit but quickly found himself being pulled against Gloria’s belly as her wing shifted to cover them both in its smooth warmth.  Her hind legs curled up under his rump and a foreleg held him close while her chin came to rest between his ears.  It was a new sensation for the stallion to act as the little spoon, yet as he felt Gloria’s heartbeat against his back and her slow breathing ruffling his mane, he decided that he rather enjoyed it. 

The night carried on as the two slept, neither realizing just how much the ship’s attack and the subsequent invasion had impacted Equestria.  While the crew watched and waited for any possible retaliation from land or sea, news of the sunken border patrol was just reaching Canterlot, with another messenger hot on the tail of the first from Manehattan.  Both would be too exhausted to report that night, so the terrible news would be dropped on the royals’ heads just as dawn broke. 





Princess Luna rested fitfully in her chambers while attempting to get some sleep after a long night of guarding the Dream Realm.  There had been a surprising lack of dreams the night prior, and it made her uneasy not knowing why so many ponies were unable to sleep.  Could it have been a festival?  No, the only event where ponies willingly stayed up all night was to participate in her sister’s Summer Sun Celebration, at least as far as she understood the modern calendar. 

Her eyes opened as a groan escaped her lips, knowing that with her mind going at such a rapid pace, sleep for herself was beyond possibility.  Her horn ignited with her soft navy magic, enveloping her sheets before pulling them aside so she could roll over and onto the floor.  Her body swayed slightly but she refused to answer the siren’s call of her cloud mattress, knowing that if she didn’t do something to slow down her errant thoughts she would never get any rest. 

She pondered the possibility of getting a warm glass of milk from the castle kitchen, a suggestion from her sister that she had yet to try, but was interrupted by rapid pounding on her chamber doors.  Luna jumped before taking the doorknob within her magic grip, opening it and watching with some confusion as a guardsmare from her sister’s division fell onto her face as her forehooves were pulled out from under her by the removal of the door.  Luna’s first instinct was to help the poor thing up, but that need was rectified as the mare leaped to her hooves.  A right forehoof clanged against the guard’s helmet as she snapped into a salute, the force of which made Luna wince upon seeing the mare’s helmet rotate slightly from the impact. 

Luna was about to ask what was going on for the normally stoic Solar Guard to be acting in such a way, but her attention was redirected as the mare finally found her voice and yelled in much too loud a volume for such a small space, “Princess Luna!  Princess Celestia requests your immediate presence in the throne room!”

“And what is so important that my sister feels the need to disturb my sleep?”  Luna felt that leaving out her problems in that department would be prudent, given the state of the mare before her.

“Two messengers arrived late last night but were unable to report to the throne because of physical exhaustion.”  That got Luna’s attention, her eyes widening as the guard continued, “They reported to Princess Celestia just after dawn and, well…”

Another sigh escaped Luna’s mouth as she did her best to stay patient.  “Yes?  What has happened?”

The mare swallowed thickly before replying, “Manehattan has been invaded.”

Whatever notions of sleep Luna had been clinging to before were forcefully ejected from her mind at those words, her horn powering up before flashing brightly with magic.  There was a brief moment of discomfort from the spell, but she didn’t care as the throne room materialized around her.  Her teleport had carried her to the base of the dais steps, and she turned to face the throne the instant her stomach stopped trying to turn itself inside out.  Any pain she currently felt from her rushed casting was nothing in comparison to her fear, her gaze locking with her sister’s as Celestia’s head turned towards her.

“Thank you for coming, Luna,” Celestia stated.  “I understand that you normally sleep at this hour but I wouldn’t have called for you if it wasn’t important.”  The alabaster mare gestured towards the duo of guardsponies that were standing next to Luna, “Please inform my sister of what has happened.”

Luna noted that one of the stallions was devoid of his standard armor while the other had only a chest piece in place of the full plate she was used to seeing.  Both appeared worse for wear but otherwise unharmed as they saluted in unison. 

Both turned towards her and the stallion with the chest piece spoke first, “Two days ago, the frigate E.R.N. Tiderunner sent out a distress call when it encountered an unknown fleet traveling across the Sparkling Sea.  Joint Base Mareweather responded to the distress call but was unable to provide support before communication with the Tiderunner was suddenly cut off.  Given what was heard through the communication crystal and what the captain said was happening, we had no choice but to assume the ship had been sunk.”

“How is that possible?”  Luna asked, “Even a fully-armed airship would take at least several minutes to sink a frigate.  How do you know the ship was sunk?”

“Because the last thing the communication crystal transmitted was a huge explosion,” the stallion replied.  “One so powerful it damaged the crystal on our end from the feedback.”

Luna glanced at her sister before turning her attention back to the guards.  “So, our foes have weapons that are more powerful than what we have faced in the past.  Please, inform me on the current situation.  What has happened to Manehattan?”

The second stallion spoke this time, his eyes struggling to meet hers.  “I arrived from Manehattan the night following the attack.”  A shiver ran down the pony’s spine that ruffled his wings while his gaze focused on something Luna couldn’t see.  “It was unlike anything anypony had ever seen.  It destroyed the docks and most of the base along with every ship and airship in the port.  I can still hear the sound of its cannons, like rolling thunder bringing death and destruction.”

“What attacked the city?”  Luna pressed.  “What could be so powerful as to level an entire port and its defenses?”

The stallion’s eyes focused upon turning towards her.  “It was a ship, bigger than anything I’ve ever seen before.  It was at least two or three hoofball fields in length, comprised entirely of metal, and accompanied by a fleet of transports.  I saw it cut down hundreds of pegasi in mere seconds when they tried to board it, fire and lightning flying from its decks as it painted the sea with their blood.  It withstood a direct hit from one of our spell cannons without a scratch and it was still floating offshore when the transports began unloading into the city.”

“Who is attacking us?”  Luna asked.  “Who would dare declare war against our nation?”

“The gryphons.”  Celestia’s voice cut through the air like a blade, the temperature in the room rising as her mane and tail flickered and danced like flames.  “They are the ones who attacked us.   However, from what we know of the situation, there seems to be another piece to the puzzle we aren’t seeing.”

“Why is that?”  Luna turned to face her sister while doing her best to control her own temper.

“They have new weapons,” Celestia clarified, “tools that are far too advanced to have been created within the Empire with what we know of their infrastructure.  The gap between their previously known military capability and what we are seeing now is too wide for them to have done it by themselves, which leaves only one possibility.”

“Somepony is helping them and is teaching our foes how to make these new, more powerful weapons,” Luna finished.  “Do we have any idea who it might be?”

Celestia shook her head.  “I’m afraid not.  None of our agents in the Empire have seen anything, other than the construction of this new ship which now rests off our shores.  I knew of it for a while but never imagined that it held this kind of power.  We must find out who is helping the gryphons and stop them before they can pass on any further knowledge to our enemies.  If we can cut out the source of these new weapons, or even get information for our own uses on how they are made, we will be much better able to defend ourselves and repel these invaders.”

“Agreed,” Luna nodded.  “I will search the Dream Realm for anything out of the ordinary.  Perhaps I will be able to succeed where traditional intelligence gathering has not.”

Celestia nodded in kind.  “Please keep me informed if you discover anything.”  She lifted her head to address the throne room.  “Guards, gather the commanders of our forces and tell them that we are to meet in the castle war room.  If the gryphons want to hurt us, we will show them that we are not so easily defeated.”  Her wings flared wide as her mane and tail ignited into bright red flames.  “Make haste, my little ponies, for every second we delay, the harder it will be to push our enemies back.”

“I will take my leave, sister,” Luna stated in the now empty throne room, noting the shift of her sister’s mane and tail back to their normal colors.  “If there is need of me, please do not hesitate to disturb my search.”

“I will, sister,” Celestia replied.  “Good luck.”

Luna nodded.  “I will let you know the instant I find anything.” 

With that, Luna’s horn lit up with another teleportation spell, carrying her back to her chambers where she immediately climbed into her bed and closed her eyes.  For a moment there was a flicker of fear as she prepared to enter the Dream Realm, the scar in the center of her chest throbbing with phantom pain as the memory of the strange stallion and his weapon crossed her mind.  She had been injured in her dream-walking before, but that was the only time she had ever feared for her life.  Celestia still didn’t know how she had been hurt that night, partly because Luna didn’t understand it herself, but now the image of the stallion and the weapon he had used against her in the Dream Realm came back to the forefront of her thoughts.

“Could it be?” she whispered to herself while shoving her fear into a small little box in the back of her mind. 

Magic flowed through her horn and her eyes flashed solid white under her lids as her mind and spirit shifted over the veil between Realms, her projection taking in the sights of the many star-like orbs that were the dreams of her subjects.  Many were filled with the black smoke and dark energy of nightmares, but, for once, Luna didn’t have the time to help them.  She had a new mission, one that would require her to put her own feelings aside and focus on the enemy instead of her little ponies.  Her wings flared wide, even though it was unneeded to move about the Realm, and she flew between the dreams as her eyes searched for something that she hadn’t dared to touch in over a year.  She had to find that stallion again, even at the risk of her own life.  She had to know for sure, and that meant she had to face her fear and do what was needed for Equestria. 

Little did she know, her search would not end the way she had planned.  There were eyes watching for an opportunity, even within the Dream Realm, and they smiled in unified glee at the idea of capturing such an important enemy.  They shadowed the Lunar Princess as she moved through the multitudes of dreams, her mind so focused on her own goals that she never noticed the followers she had picked up.

This would prove to be her undoing, even when she did find the answers she sought.
> 13 - Operation: Thunder Cracker
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

While the Equestrian crown sought answers to their plight, Kepler slept soundly in the embrace of his companion, dreaming of things far from the death and bloodshed of reality.  Yet within his mind, the gears of war continued to turn unabated, pulling him further into the conflict while his body prepared for the coming day.

Rolling grass shifted in the soft breeze, the sun overhead shining brightly without a cloud to disturb its radiance.  Kepler lay in the grass beside his beloved, her wing resting under his body and her forelegs holding him close to her chest as she lay on her side.  Her beak nibbled playfully through his mane and soft giggles escaped her throat every other second.  Yet the tranquility of their embrace was disturbed when dark clouds formed on the horizon, rapidly covering the sun and plunging Kepler’s vision into darkness.  His head spun left and right upon noticing that Gloria had disappeared, yet in the pitch black surrounding him there was nothing to indicate she had ever been there.

For several seconds, or it might have been hours, Kepler stood still and tried to see through the shadows surrounding him, yet there was nothing except for the rapid pulses of his heart.  Finally, the darkness shifted, pulling back in front of him like a curtain to reveal none other than Princess Luna in all her glory.  Kepler lifted his forelegs in preparation but was surprised when nothing formed in his hooves.  His trusty rifle was nowhere to be found, and it only took a second to realize the most likely culprit.

“What are you doing here?” he asked the royal before him.

For a moment Princess, Luna said nothing, seemingly inspecting Kepler with a critical eye.  The stallion ground his teeth in frustration at being ignored and was about to repeat his question when Luna finally spoke.

“We have come to question thee.”  Her voice was cold and tense, almost imperious, as she walked forward.  Kepler tried to retreat yet found himself incapable of doing so, as his flailing limbs only left him running in place.  “We suspect thou has a part to play in the conflict that has ignited between Our nation and the Gryphon Empire.”

“Whatever ploy you think you’re pulling,” Kepler stared defiantly into the taller mare’s eyes as she stopped a mere step outside his reach, “it won’t work.  I will never share information with you, or any other pony for that matter.  So do yourself a favor and leave my mind before I remove you by force.”

“We are afraid that will not be an option this time around.”  Luna’s eyes narrowed while a foreleg swept wide to indicate the darkness around them.  “We have taken the liberty of placing thine mind in a near-catatonic state.  It will do nothing to your physical body, but it will ensure thine ability to combat Us is neutralized.”  Her gaze returned to Kepler’s, as the stallion swallowed thickly, realizing he might not have a way out of his predicament.  “Now, thou will answer Our questions or We will have to resort to less hospitable methods.”

Kepler stood resolute, even as his heart beat a thunderous rhythm.  He knew of the soft-hearted nature of the Equestrians from the books he had read in the changeling hive and fully understood that there was nothing this princess could create that could compare to the terrors he had faced back on Earth.  He forced his jaw to remain closed as Luna’s horn began to glow but couldn’t stop himself from jerking his head to the side when his ears detected a soft and very familiar laugh coming from the shadows on his left. 

Luna apparently heard it too, because her horn flared brighter while her gaze followed the direction of Kepler’s.  “Who goes there?  Reveal thyself and We shall be merciful.”

The sinister laugh returned, louder and much closer this time, but echoing in the darkness from every direction.  Kepler could tell the laughter was bothering Luna, given the tightening of her wings against her sides and the frown on her muzzle.  His own thoughts were a different story, because he recognized the voice behind the laugh, and it sent a shiver down his spine knowing that she was somehow inside his head.

Without warning, a mass shot from the darkness and impacted Luna’s face, knocking her head back and forcing a cry of shock from her lips.  Kepler watched as dark green slime hardened over her eyes and horn, the glow of her magic fading to nothing as she shook her head back and forth in a futile attempt to remove it.  Her wings started to flare but were immediately pinned to her flanks by more green goop, another salvo sticking her hooves to the dreamscape’s floor as the darkness encapsulating the two of them faded away. 

Once the shadows had left, Kepler realized that his mind was now free of the spell the Princess had placed him under, his hooves raising his rifle to bear almost instinctively as he took aim at the immobilized alicorn. 

His hoof was just starting to pull the trigger, when the voice from before spoke up in a calm, detached tone from his left and slightly behind him.  “And here I was bringing you a nice gift, all wrapped up, and you just plan to throw it away?  You wound me, little bat.”

Kepler held his aim steady on Princess Luna, allowing his eyes to shift until he could see the grinning fangs of the changeling queen that was standing beside him.  “Would you mind explaining why you are inside my head, Chrysalis?”

“CHRYSALIS?!”  Luna yelled as her struggle grew frantic.  “Release Us this instant, changeling, or thou shall face Our wrath!”

“Oh hush,” Chrysalis sounded almost bored, spitting another mass of green slime from her mouth, sealing Luna’s mouth but leaving her airway open, “the adults are talking.  Mind your manners and you might get out of this unharmed.”

The alicorn whimpered as her struggle stilled, although Kepler could see that her hooves were still shifting to try and free themselves from the hardened resin.

“Now, I believe you had some questions for me, little bat?”  Kepler could hear the snide grin in the changeling’s voice even before he turned to face her, his rifle disappearing for the moment as he addressed her.

“You never told me your kind could enter the minds of others.”  Kepler lifted a single eyebrow as Chrysalis’ grin widened.  “Care to explain what you plan to do now that you have me here?”

“With you?  Nothing.  With her?”  Chrysalis’ gaze turned to the immobilized princess.  “Well, I’ll spare you the less savory details.  Suffice to say, we changelings have our own version of dream magic, due in part to how our hive mind connects all of us together.  Little Luna always bragged about being the only one in all of Equis who could boast such a skill, yet we have watched, waited in the shadows, ready to strike when the opportunity presented itself.”

“So, what do you plan to do with her?”  Kepler was legitimately curious, although his lack of experience or knowledge on the subject hampered his understanding slightly.

“I thought about entertaining her inside the hive mind for a while.”  The changeling’s fangs flashed once again in predatory glee.  “A little holiday for her to enjoy while we go about with our plans in the waking world uninterrupted.”

Luna’s struggles grew in strength again upon hearing the queen’s words but even throwing herself against her restraints did nothing for the trapped pony.  All it did was tire her out, her head hanging limp and her breathing labored.

“So, you planned this,” Kepler mused, “ever since before you even knew my name.”

“Indeed.” Chrysalis nodded.  “We have been waiting for a chance to remove Princess Luna from the equation for a long time but never had the chance to catch her off guard.  We could simply kill her, as any wounds inflicted on her dream self reflect in the waking world, but that would only hamper us in the long run.”

“So, you take her as a war prisoner,” Kepler deduced, “and hold her as a bargaining chip for later or to extract information from her about our enemies.”

“And here I thought you weren’t paying attention.”  A dark laugh escaped Chrysalis’ lips as her hooves carried her around Kepler.  “I’m looking forward to seeing what you can cook up inside that devious little mind of yours.  It’s been a while since I’ve had a new toy to play with.”

“If you enter my mind again without permission,” Kepler threatened, “I won’t hesitate to do the same to you that I did to Princess Luna during her first visit.”  Kepler turned his gaze to match the queen’s.  “So step carefully, or you won’t be making it back to the real world either.”

They held their staring contest for a moment or two before Chrysalis’ lips curled into a smirk.  “You have bravery in spades to challenge me, little bat.  Foolhardy in the extreme but brave all the same.  Very well.”  Her horn ignited as she lifted Princess Luna up in a magic field.  “I shall leave your mind alone.  Wouldn’t be any fun if I knew how my opponent’s pieces were going to move ahead of time.”  Luna’s legs kicked in vain as Chrysalis carried her through the air, the changeling casting a final glance over her shoulder as she and Luna began to fade away.

“Oh, by the way,” her voice echoed in a different manner than her usual dual tone as her form faded.  “The king’s spies have spotted a small Equestrian fleet headed your way from the North.  Apparently, they were not in port when our attack began.  They shouldn’t be a challenge for your vessel, but I figured it would be a better show if you knew ahead of time.” 

Chrysalis’ sinister laughter echoed through Kepler’s mind as she and Princess Luna disappeared completely, leaving him with nothing but his own thoughts for the time being.  He sighed as darkness once again enveloped his senses, allowing him to truly rest before the inevitable rude awakening came to rouse him.



 

A series of sharp knocks pulled Kepler back to reality, his body shifting under Gloria’s wing as his mind reoriented itself to the waking world.  A second set of knocks on his quarter’s door instilled enough energy for him to slide out of the bed, his hooves moving on autopilot until he was able to open the door and see who was disturbing his rest.  Korvettenkapitän Whiteclaw stood at attention in the corridor, his wings shifting slightly against his sides as Kepler met his gaze.

“Sir, we have picked up a battle group of Equestrian ships on radar.”  His voice betrayed the nervous energy that affected him as Kepler nodded his understanding.  “Should we move further from shore to engage, or do we stay to defend the landing operation?”

“The most likely target is this ship,” Kepler stated plainly, “so we will move away from shore, so we have freedom to engage the enemy without worry of friendly fire.  Meet me on the bridge, and ensure the ship is ready to depart by the time I get there.”

Whiteclaw saluted.  “Sir, yes sir.” 

The tercel’s eyes glanced over Kepler’s shoulder and narrowed upon seeing Gloria’s sleeping form in the bed.  Kepler was tempted to reprimand his second if he said anything about the hen, but the Korvettenkapitän simply frowned before returning his gaze to the stallion.

“By your leave, sir.”  And with that, Whiteclaw departed, leaving Kepler with a growing headache as he closed the door before making his way back to the bed.  If even his most trusted crew were harboring negative emotions towards Gloria, he had a feeling things were going to get worse before they got better.

Kepler stood next to the bed for a moment, his eyes watching the soft rise and fall of Gloria’s sides as she slept.  He felt a warmth rising in his chest at her presence, but a cold dread rose alongside it when he remembered what lay before him if they wanted to be together.  Kepler knew well that he was backed into a corner, but he had given his word, and as a stallion, no, as a man, he would not back down until he either died or Gloria was a free hen.

He leaned down and kissed her head softly, a small coo of happiness escaping her beak in response as she rolled over.  Kepler was tempted to wake her, but knowing what was about to happen, he figured she deserved a little more rest. 

With that, he left his quarters and made his way to the bridge where crew members were rushing about and orders were being shouted left and right.  Whiteclaw stood in the center of it all, guiding various officers, while the duo working the comms passed on any instructions needed by other stations on the ship.  Kepler walked up to Whiteclaw, passing by other members of his crew but ignoring their brief salutes as they paused before racing off again.  The tercel nodded to him as Kepler came into view, pausing in his orders to salute before speaking.

“Our spotters have confirmed that the ships approaching from the north are Equestrian, with a total of four frigates and a single battlecruiser.  Your orders, sir?”  His words were tense, but Kepler understood the reasoning behind it.  The first attack had been a surprise strike with minimal return fire, while this engagement promised to be a much more balanced affair.

“What is the ship’s status?” Kepler asked.

“Gun crews are ready and awaiting your command, sir,” Whiteclaw replied.  “Engines are on standby, and our anti-air batteries are keeping an eye out for enemy fliers.”

“Good work, Korvettenkapitän.”  Kepler nodded his approval of the tercel’s forward thinking.  “You have the helm.”

Whiteclaw saluted.  “I have the helm, aye, sir.”

“Good, now let’s show the Equestrians how much we can really do when this ship is operating at maximum!”  A cheer rang out across the bridge at his words.  “Signal the engine rooms to bring us up to full power.  I want those boilers running so hot they can cook the decking!”

No sooner had the command been spoken, than the gentle rumble of the engines grew quickly into a mighty roar from beneath them.  Kepler could feel the adrenaline start to flow as he shouted his next orders over the din.  “Ahead full.  Once we get up to speed, put us on a course to cut off the Equestrians.  Even if we are their primary target, we can’t risk them getting past us to attack the beachhead.”

“Understood, sir,” Whiteclaw acknowledged.

The ship rumbled again as the screws engaged, the mighty ship moving forward on a northern course.  If they continued onward, it would take them straight into the approaching Equestrian fleet, but with their armaments situated as they were, a change of course would be needed to bring all the Tyr’s cannons to bear.  That was why Kepler had ordered the course change in the first place.  He wasn’t going to put anything up to chance when he still didn’t know the full capabilities of his enemy.

The bridge fell near to silence once the standing orders had been given.  Anticipation hung in the air like a cloud of smoke that attempted to choke the very breath from Kepler’s lungs, yet he stood calm and ready, calculating the orders needed once the enemy fleet came into visual range.  While they could fire well over the horizon, Kepler wasn’t sure how accurate the radar in his hybrid ship was compared to his former posting, so until they had more information he would be cautious.  The only sound that resonated within the space besides the rumble of the engines was the pinging of the radar, each pass of the tower cone resulting in a solid series of signals that could only have been the Equestrians.  Kepler checked the readout on his own station’s display, watching the cluster of dots slowly get closer and closer to the center of the screen.  Time seemed to pass at a snail’s pace and race faster than an aircraft fighter within the same moment, the energy of the bridge shifting from anticipation to nervousness the closer the enemy ships got. 

Finally, a ping sounded from the comms station, the Fähnrich zur See seated there nearly dropping her headset in surprise before pressing the receiver button to her left.  “This is the bridge, go ahead.

A pregnant pause followed while the hen listened, her head turning to face the bow along with the rest of the bridge crew as she replied, “Acknowledged, confirmed visual contact with the Equestrian battlegroup.  Keep us informed if anything else sneaks up on us.”

The horizon before the Tyr had been broken by the topmost portions of the Equestrian ships, their design different from anything Kepler had ever seen on the waves.  He pulled out his set of binoculars and walked to the front of the bridge to get a better view of his enemy, the sway of the ship under his hooves doing nothing to throw off his line of sight to the approaching vessels. 

They looked like ironclads with metal gleaming on their bows and no visible sails on their decks.  Yet, as the four frigates broke off from the battlecruiser at the center of the formation, Kepler realized that they were far removed from the ironclads in his own history.  Upon closer inspection, the frigates looked like conventional sailing ships in shape, with high bows and sterns, and a lowered central deck where a mast would normally be.  However, within that flat section, there appeared to be sets of spell cannons on rotating platforms that lined either side of each ship.  The cannons could rotate within a small arc, demonstrated by the furthest port and starboard frigates as their cannons shifted to track the Tyr, yet for the life of him Kepler couldn’t understand the design reasoning.  If the Equestrians were working off of an old sailing design, then that would explain the broadside orientation of the cannons, but if they could make rotating mounts, why limit their range of motion by putting them on the sides of the ships instead of the center line?

Kepler shook his head to clear his thoughts.  Now was not the time to be bothered by confusing ship design.  They were the enemy, and, from the actions of the frigates, weren’t interested in talking.

“Korvettenkapitän. ” Kepler’s voice rang throughout the bridge, snapping many from their awed states.  “Hard right rudder.  Let’s give them a real look at what they are facing.”

“Hard right rudder, aye, sir.”  Whiteclaw turned the wheel before him sharply, the Tyr groaning as the ship began to turn away from the Equestrian shore on an intercept course with the starboard side frigate. 

The battlecruiser had yet to turn from its current heading, making Kepler nervous about the frigates being used as a distraction so the larger vessel could flank them.  He could see three huge spell cannons on the decking in similar orientation to the frigates, although the ship’s design was much closer to their own in overall shape when compared to the mismatched, smaller ships.  The cannons on the battlecruiser were situated in the center of the ship on more complex turrets behind what Kepler surmised was the bridge.  However, they were far too close together to rotate properly, else they would run into each other at the midpoints of their barrels.  Kepler was dumbfounded at the ship’s seemingly terrible design but was pulled from his musings by a bright light that flashed from the deck of the closest frigate. 

A lance of blue energy raced across the open water between the ships, streaking through the air and splashing into the waves on the Tyr’s port side.  Kepler felt as much as heard the discharge of the shot, as water rained down on the decking from the near miss, his fur standing on end from the magic expanding from the point of impact. 

“Bring our bow turrets to bear and sink that frigate. That was far too close for comfort.  Korvettenkapitän, ahead flank, let’s make ourselves a little harder to hit.  Also, get our stern turrets firing on the frigates behind us.  The last thing we need is those bastards getting a cheap shot from behind.”  His orders were quickly passed on by the comms officers, while Whiteclaw signaled the engine crews to increase speed. 

The Tyr roared as her engines redlined, her speed drastically increasing while the first salvo of her forward turrets rocketed towards the frigate.  None of the shots connected with the smaller ship, but it was enough to throw water all over her open decking, the crew flailing about as waves threatened to wash them overboard from the plumes of seawater. 

Right away, Kepler could see a huge flaw with having the gun deck so close to the waterline, as even smaller waves could potentially swamp the crew if the orientation of the ship was anything besides perfectly horizontal.  His lips pulled back to reveal his fangs as he thought about how stupid the Equestrians had to be to design a ship like that.  His attention was drawn away from the ship ahead of him as a claw came to rest on his back, his gaze meeting with another officer who he had yet to learn the name of. 

“Sir, the battlecruiser is bringing her cannons to bear on us.”  The tercel was glancing over his shoulder at the enemy ship as he spoke, nerves causing his voice to shake.  “Your orders?”

Kepler had a feeling his earlier thoughts about the frigates had been correct, if the battlecruiser was making a move.  “Forget about the frigates; we should be able to take hits from them for a while if we must.  I don’t want to risk a single shot from that battlecruiser making contact with us, given the size of her cannons.  Korvettenkapitän, bring us around.  I want every turret we have firing on that battlecruiser until she’s sunk.  Let our secondary rifles handle the frigates.”

“Aye sir.” Whiteclaw pulled the wheel back the other direction, the Tyr groaning once again as she pulled back towards the center of the enemy formation, dodging another shot from the frigate as the energy blast whistled past the starboard bow. 

Kepler did what he could to remain calm, lest his nerves infect his crew, and watched as the battlecruiser came into full view through the port bridge windows.  All three of her cannons were aimed right at them, with bright blue energy collecting within the barrels of the outer two at a rapid pace.  The Tyr managed to get a salvo from her rear turrets on their way while the forward ones realigned, but only one of the shells hit the battlecruiser and it was a glancing blow on the stern.  The explosion from the high explosive round sent metal and smoke flying into the air, but it wasn’t enough to throw off the ship’s aim as both the charging cannons fired. 

“Incoming!”  Kepler cried, forgetting he wasn’t at his station and therefore the ship’s crew couldn’t hear him.  Thankfully, his comms officers were more than happy to echo his warning over the ship’s speakers as two massive energy bursts erupted from the cannons’ barrels.

One blast shot over the decking between turrets three and four, causing the metal to glow from the heat before detonating in the water on their starboard side.  The second hit directly on their beltline armor, just behind the bridge.  Alerts started to ring as the resulting explosion shook the Tyr violently, the comms officers calling out damage reports as power surged through the decking and made the fur on Kepler’s body crackle with static.  The ship rocked from side to side before settling in the water again, Kepler’s request for a report muffled by return shots from all four of his ship’s turrets.  Kepler ignored the shells impacting the water and rigging of the enemy ship, favoring his own over the destruction of their foe.  He had to shake the tercel at the comms out of his stupor, his partner too busy passing reports from one section of the ship to another to notice the gryphon’s rattled state. 

“What is the status of the ship?”  Kepler yelled as the alarms blessedly fell silent, his hooves practically pulling the tercel from his seat before he could get himself under control.

The officer shook his head before locking eyes with Kepler.  “E-Engine room two reports moderate flooding, but the biggest problem is the heat.”

“Heat?” Kepler echoed.

The Kapitänleutnant nodded.  “The magic blast seems to have transferred a great deal of heat into the compartments near the impact.  Reports are coming in of gryphons catching fire as their feathers ignite.”  A shiver ran up his spine.  “The ship is otherwise intact, but our crew is unable to assist those in the affected areas until the temperature drops.”

Kepler cursed.  “Great, so instead of destroying the ship, their magic seems to be much better suited to cooking us inside it.”  He turned to Whiteclaw.  “Do whatever you can to spoil their targeting signature.  I don’t want another shot to hit us from that battlecruiser if possible.  If we need to take hits from the frigates, so be it, but do not let those cannons get line of sight if you can help it.”

Upon the tercel’s nod, Kepler turned back to the officer still in his grip.  “Pass the word to every firing crew that has a clear shot.  I want that cruiser sunk.  I don’t care how many shots it takes; it will sink before this battle is finished.”

The fire in the officer’s eyes brought a smile to Kepler’s face.  “It shall be done, sir.”

With that, Kepler returned to his post at the center of the bridge, his gaze roaming across the waves, as shots from all sides raced through the air.  The frigates had taken advantage of the Tyr’s preoccupied state and were doing their best to hammer her with everything they had.  Luckily, the power difference between the cannons on the frigates and the ones on the battlecruiser was drastic, with only minor damage occurring even from direct hits.  Kepler’s body had become so charged with magic that he felt like a thundercloud, but he ignored it in favor of watching the battle unfold.  Most of the shots from the Tyr were now making contact with the battlecruiser, although there seemed to be less damage occurring than what he expected.  Could the armor of the battlecruiser be enchanted?  If so, this was going to be a lot harder than he had originally thought.
> 14 - Operation: Thunder Cracker - Part II
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Very few things in life made Princess Twilight’s anxiety run rampant, even when compared to the seemingly endless string of villains that sought to take over Equestria in some form or another. Yet one thing that never ceased to raise her blood pressure was receiving a summons from her mentor, especially when it called for her presence in Canterlot.  Ordinarily, Twilight would have been delighted to see Princess Celestia for any reason, even the dreaded tests the older mare was sometimes prone to pull on the younger alicorn. But something about this trip up Mount Canterhorn seemed different, the specific request that her friends and even Spike remain in Ponyville only adding to the stress that was provoking a growing headache behind her horn. 

The train station and even the streets of her former home city passed by in a blur, so preoccupied was Twilight’s mind with what could have warranted her presence in the capital so soon after the defeat of Tirek and her ascension as Princess of Friendship. Part of her hoped that this was just formal duties required of her now that she had taken up a domain as princess, but the rest of her mind knew better. That, combined with the tense and agitated state of the palace staff, stirred up any number of possible worst-case scenarios in the young scholar’s mind. 

The ponies around her moved in hurried paces, never stopping to greet her or even to acknowledge her presence, save for the few palace guards that were still on post who were kind enough to direct her towards the throne room. Twilight could hear the rising din of many ponies speaking from behind the throne room doors ahead of her and her anxiety climbed higher with each step as she neared the colossal barriers.  The announcer smiled at her for a brief moment, the first she had received after leaving the train station and lit his horn to admit her into the throne room proper.  Twilight nodded her thanks and stepped through the opening, the cacophony of raised voices thundering against her ears as she plunged into what felt like a warzone. 

Nobles of every house, guards from every branch of service, and even some of the general citizens of Canterlot were crowded before the twin thrones, crying over one another in an attempt to be heard. Princess Celestia sat upon her throne before them, her face a calm mask against the tide of voices aimed at her, and yet, Twilight could see the edges of her mentor’s mouth starting to curl into a frown, such was the power of her former teacher’s ire at the ponies demanding answers from her.

Twilight used her wings to propel herself into the air over the ponies in front of her, Celestia’s eyes immediately catching her own as the frown curled instead into a soft smile.  

With a mighty gust of air, Celestia spread her wings while Twilight flew up and landed at her senior Princess’s side, the crowd falling silent as they waited for the words of their ruler. 

“My little ponies,” Celestia’s voice was a calm and soothing balm against the agitated ponies before her, “have faith that your rulers are working on a solution to the challenges we face and are doing the absolute best we can to resolve this issue as quickly as possible.”  Celestia raised her hoof to silence the protests that were about to leave several pony’s mouths, “I will not hear any further protests on this matter.  For the foreseeable future Day Court will be canceled while your Princesses work on a solution to the threat we face.” The alabaster mare’s gaze shifted to the sergeant-at-arms beside the dais, “Court is adjourned until further notice, please escort our guests out of the castle so that I may speak with my former student.”

The unicorn nodded as he and several other Solar Guard began herding the petitioners out of the room, most going without any fuss but a select few grumbling and muttering under their breath.  Within a few moments the throne room was empty save for Twilight and Celestia, the latter of which turned to face the younger mare with a warm yet strained smile.

“Twilight, thank you for answering my summons.”  A large wing fell over Twilight’s withers as they shared a short nuzzle, “I wish I could say that this is for a friendly visit, but as you may have noticed, we have a bit of a problem on our hooves.”

“What kind of problem, Princess?”  Twilight’s mind was abuzz with questions but held her tongue for the moment as her former mentor stood and began walking around the dais towards a smaller set of doors.

“We face a threat far greater than any other you have seen.”  Were the ominous words that answered her query.  “A force that threatens to take over Equestria and shatter the peace we have worked so hard to create.”

Twilight’s eyes widened in shock, “What are we up against, Princess?  Has Tirek broken out of Tartarus again?  Another megalomaniac villain trying to take over the nation?”

“No.  It is something far worse than that.”  Celestia entered her private study with Twilight close behind as the larger mare closed the door with her magic, “We face an invasion of Equestria, from the shores of the Gryphon Empire.”

Twilight’s rump landed hard on the floor of the room, “Invasion?!  But why?!  What could we have done that could have warranted such an action?!”

“That is something I do not know at this time, but we have a bigger problem on our hooves than the invasion itself.”  Celestia’s calm mask broke slightly, and Twilight saw for the first time just how angry and afraid her fellow Princess truly was, “They have new weapons, far stronger than what our last intelligence reports said they were capable of creating.  The speed and the strange direction their advancement has taken has led Luna and I to believe that they are receiving aid from an outside source, potentially a small group or an individual that is supplying them with these new technologies.”

“What can I do to help solve this problem, Princess?”  Twilight asked after a moment’s hesitation, “Do you want me and the girls to try and find this outside influence?  Perhaps we could–”

“No, Twilight.”  Celestia’s firm tone shut down the lavender mare’s questions before they could get too out of control.  “I need you to stay here in Canterlot to help me plan our next moves against this enemy.  Your friends will be asked to help in their own ways, but this is not an enemy that can be dealt with by using the Elements of Harmony.  I’m afraid this is a battle that will need to be won using more conventional methods.”

Twilight sputtered for a moment, “B-But don’t you have advisors to help you plan and coordinate troops?  What about Princess Luna?  Isn’t she one of the best tacticians in both the modern and ancient eras?”

Celestia’s face darkened and Twilight realized that something must be truly wrong to make her fellow Princess look like she had just bit into a lemon, “My sister is indisposed right now.  She was sure she could find the source of the gryphon’s advancements in the Dream Realm where conventional intelligence had failed, but she has yet to awaken from her trance.  Even worse, going off the expressions she has been making and the small wounds that appear on her body at random times, I believe that our enemy has somehow managed to capture her in the Dream Realm and is holding her hostage for an unknown purpose.”

Whatever arguments Twilight could have made died a swift death on her lips.  Luna was hurt, and even worse, being held against her will in the Dream Realm?  The smaller mare’s resolve grew stronger with each passing second, her drive to protect her friend pushing her to act.

“Then send me alone.”  The words shocked her fellow ruler for a moment as Twilight continued, “Send me against the enemy and I’ll find the outside influence.  I’ll bring them back to Canterlot to face justice and force them to release Luna.”

“No!”  The force and desperation that escaped Celestia’s mouth nearly broke Twilight’s resolve, but she held firm even as her mentor stood up and embraced the smaller mare. “I can’t lose you too!  I won’t let you get hurt when there are better ways to do this!”

Twilight sighed, gently but firmly pushing the larger mare away, “I must try, Princess.  I can’t sit by and do nothing when Luna is in danger and my friends are unable to help.”  She lifted her head and smiled at the now tear-streaked face of her mentor, “I’ll be fine.  Trust me.”

Celestia opened her mouth to retort, to argue and say, something.  But the look in her former student’s eyes, she knew what that look meant.  Twilight had made up her mind and was going to go no matter what she said or did.  The older mare battled with her inner self for several moments as Twilight waited patiently, a gusty sigh escaping her lips as she pulled Twilight into a tight hug with both forelegs and wings.

“Promise me you will be safe.”  The words were spoken only a hair above a whisper but carried the weight of a thousand suns onto Twilight’s shoulders.

Twilight hugged Celestia back with all her might, “I promise.”





Kepler breathed a sigh of relief, watching the hulk of the battlecruiser finally sink beneath the waves.  The Tyr had suffered only moderate damage from the battle, but she had faced her first true test at sea and come out victorious.  Three of the four frigates had been sunk as well, with the remaining vessel slowly limping back the way it had come, leaving its sister ships to join the battlecruiser on the seafloor unavenged. 

Kepler could have ordered the destruction of the final ship, the Tyr’s cannons already aimed and armed with more than enough power to destroy the retreating vessel. Yet, Kepler ordered the gunner crews to stand down, to allow the ship to continue on its way and over the horizon while listing badly and trailing a thick cloud of smoke.

“Why did you let it go, sir?” Kapitänleutnant Whiteclaw asked as Kepler turned to face his second in command, “We had the perfect opportunity to destroy the ship and wipe out the fleet entirely.”

“Because they will serve a far greater purpose than martyrs.” Kepler replied, “They will be our messengers.”

“Messengers, sir?” The confused tercel echoed.

“They will carry a message to the rest of their people that the gryphon navy has a ship so powerful that it destroyed an entire battle group by itself, thus enabling us to sail the seas without fear or opposition." Kepler’s voice was filled with pride as he pointed towards where the crippled ship had disappeared over the horizon, “Yes, they managed to cause some damage to the ship, but overall, the losses were minimal compared to the destruction of the enemy ships. They will carry that report back to their superiors and the fear that message will cause will enable us to dictate the terms of battle. Ships will flee in terror at the sight of the Tyr instead of standing to fight. Task groups will be delayed going around our last reported location instead of going through dangerous waters. That, my friend, is why I chose to let them go.”

Whiteclaw whistled approvingly, his beak curling into a grin as his gaze traveled to the ocean’s horizon, “Brilliant, sir. Absolutely brilliant.”

Kepler felt the adrenaline of the battle starting to wear off, his heart rate slowing as he climbed out of his captain’s chair, “Bring us down from red alert status to yellow, Kapitänleutnant. Report anything that arises the instant I need to be aware and make sure repair crews are sent to the areas we had reports of damage. I need nourishment before my hunger eats my stomach.”

Whiteclaw saluted Kepler as he stepped into the hallway, the laughter that followed him out of the bridge making a smile emerge on Kepler’s face. His steps carried him down the stairs to the central shaft and down several levels on his wings before he entered the ship’s mess hall, his stomach roaring in agreement to his current plan of action. Very few crew members were present now because of the battle the ship had just endured, but there was enough food in the kitchen’s refrigerator section to grab some easy food for the moment. Kepler devoured several heads of lettuce and a half dozen cucumbers before other members of the crew began to filter in behind him. 

Several snickered at seeing the pony demolishing the vegetables in storage, although most had the presence of mind not to laugh at their commanding officer. Kitchen staff soon followed and kindly but firmly told Kepler to remove his person from their workstations so they could do their jobs. This resulted in several more snickers and even a few smothered laughs as Kepler was effectively ejected from behind the kitchen counter. 

A few jokes and smart remarks followed the now satiated pony out of the mess, although he didn’t mind much as his thoughts were otherwise occupied. Gloria had been absent the entirety of the battle, much to his relief, but now that the fighting had come to a momentary halt, Kepler wanted to ensure that the hen was doing alright. He made his way towards his bunkroom, hoping that the young gryphoness wasn’t too shaken up by the past events. 

The journey back through the corridors of the ship was much more active than his initial jaunt to the mess hall, now that the crew was no longer stuck at their battle stations fighting against the Equestrian ships.  Several saluted him on his way, while a select few sent him veiled glares that were there and gone before he could be certain that he had truly seen them. Evidently word had started to travel through the crew about his decision concerning Gloria, and some of them weren’t happy about it.  Kepler made a mental note to address the crew at some point soon so that he could squash any nasty rumors before they got out of hand. The last thing he needed now was his own crew questioning his ability to lead effectively. 

The hatch to his bunk room opened with a mild groan on its heavy hinges, granting Kepler entrance before he closed it behind him, allowing a modicum of privacy in the space for him and Gloria. The hen was sitting next to his bed with a nervous expression on her beak, her eyes locking with his as she stood up and approached.

“Are we still under attack?” Her voice shook slightly as her eyes darted around the room, “Do we need to abandon ship?”

Kepler stepped up to her and gently pulled the shaking hen into a hug with both his forelegs and wings, “No, we don’t need to evacuate. We fended off the Equestrian ships that tried to sink us, destroying their fleet, and took minimal damage overall.”

Gloria sighed in relief upon hearing his words, “Oh thank goodness. I was sure with all of the explosions around us that something had happened, and we were in danger. I’m glad to know we won.” Her head tilted to the side in sudden curiosity, “So how come you are here instead of commanding above if the enemy ships have been destroyed?”

Kepler allowed a small smile to grace his lips, “I came to make sure you were alright.  It wouldn’t do for me to abandon my new girlfriend when she needs me the most.”

“Girlfriend?” Gloria echoed, “What’s that?”

Kepler’s hoof made an unceremonious rendezvous with his forehead, “Of course the terms would be different here.” He lowered his limb and glanced up at Gloria with a smirk, “What is the term you use to refer to a romantic partner?”

Gloria rubbed her beak’s underside with a claw, “Umm, I guess we just call each other our mates. We don’t really have a term for each gender.”  A smile appeared as her claws returned to the deck, “I like girlfriend though. What would I call you?”

“I would be your boyfriend,” Kepler replied, “which would change to fiancés if we were to become engaged, followed by husband and wife if we were to get married.”

Gloria’s feathers tinted bright red around her cheeks, “M-Married? B-But we only just started our relationship!”

Kepler couldn’t hold in the laugh that escaped his lips at her stupefied expression, “Not right now, schatz. We are in the middle of a war after all.”

Gloria’s startled frown slowly changed back into the smile that Kepler liked so much, her blush fading slightly as she cuffed him over the head with a wing, “Dummkopf, you had me in a panic there for a few seconds.” She surprised him by leaning in to give him a chaste peck on his lips before pulling back with an impish grin of her own, “There, now we’re even.”

Kepler could feel his own cheeks burning as he walked past her towards the bed, “Well, all teasing aside, I did come up to get some rest after the battle ended.” He glanced outside the small porthole and noted the setting sun as it began to sink beneath the ocean’s waves, “It would do us both some good to recover and get some sleep after all the excitement we just endured.” 

Gloria giggled as Kepler hopped onto the bed, strutting around the other side before sliding in behind his smaller frame, “I never knew how soft pony fur could be until I met you. Your mane makes a perfect pillow.”

Kepler nodded as her talons wrapped around his midsection and pulled him close, his back against her belly, his head nestled perfectly into the large tuft of feathers that adorned her chest, “And your feathers feel softer than any cloud.”

He felt her beak run through his mane with a few measured strokes as her wing folded over both of them in a warm embrace, “I love you.” Her words whispered almost directly into his ear, meant for him and him alone.

He pushed her talons slightly away so he could roll over, his muzzle coming to a stop directly next to her beak as her wing shielded them from the outside world, “I love you too.” 

He added to his declaration by pushing his lips against her beak, his tongue slipping in with her small, surprised gasp to play around with her thinner appendage. The heat under her feathers began to rise for a moment, only to cool as he pulled back with a soft ‘pop’ sound. Kepler knew what his body wanted, and from the sweet scent coming from Gloria she felt the same way, but now was not the time or place to engage in such activity. As much as he desperately wanted to show his little lovebird how much he cared for her, he would have to be patient. They had a war to win after all.

Kepler ducked his head under Gloria’s chin and nestled his face into her neck feathers, her soft trill of contentment music to his ears as he drifted off to sleep. The last thing he heard was his lover’s soft breaths in his ear, and the firm but gentle hold her talons had around his back as they drifted into the land of dreams. 

Little did they know that this night was going to be much more eventful than either could have imagined.
> 15 - Infiltration
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Theme music for the chapter.  Please listen as you read for the best experience.


The waves of the Celestial Sea lapped softly against the sand under Twilight’s hooves as she looked out over the darkened expanse, almost trying to look for a ship that she knew was out there, waiting to strike, but hidden under the cloak of Luna’s night. The illumination of Fillydelphia behind her sent little glittering ripples over the caps of the waves rolling just offshore, but the alicorn’s mood was too grim to enjoy the tranquility of the scene.

A single pegasus scout from the nearby base had accompanied her onto the beach, although the smaller mare looked more terrified than anything standing on the same shores as the waters where their enemy lay hidden.  Twilight hadn’t even learned the mare’s name, such was the preoccupied state of her mind, her feathers ruffling slightly against the blackened faux-leather armor she had covering her barrel and neck. A dulled metal helm sat on her withers for once she departed, and she had dyed her mane, tail and wings with a midnight blue to hide herself in the darkness. Gryphons were notorious for their sharp eyesight both in daylight and nighttime, so any small advantages she could get were necessary for the success of her mission. 

Twilight turned to face the slightly shaking mare next to her, “Where was the ship last spotted?”

Snapping to attention, the scout's eyes locked with Twilight’s as she replied, “Last reports stated that the ship was headed south, back towards the battle in Manehattan after destroying the prototype ironclads. If the speed and direction haven’t changed then it should be waiting for you off the coast when you get there, Princess.”

Twilight nodded, the small collection of daggers hidden in her armor adding an uncomfortable weight to her body in addition to the heavy burden on her mind. She hated the idea that she might have to hurt another creature to complete her mission, but self-defense overruled any reservations she might have had about the subject. She was a princess of Equestria, and as such needed to ensure that she came back in one piece. 

Twilight turned back to face the endless body of water before her, wings flaring as she pumped them once, twice, three times to get herself airborne. The scout stayed aground as Twilight flew off into the darkness, her horn remaining unlit to avoid detection as well as to preserve her own night vision. For the moment she would stay close to shore, and then branch further out to sea as she approached Manehattan to begin her sweep of the sea itself. She knew that she had to complete her task before the sun rose, or else any real chance of success quickly disappeared. Her helm floated up and settled over her head, leaving only her ears and horn uncovered as she narrowed her eyes in concentration. Tonight, would define her ability to lead as a princess, as well as protect those that she cared about back in Ponyville. Failure was not an option.

The flight to Manehattan had been a rather tense one; the water and darkness seemed to jump and shift beneath her hooves, threatening her with unseen dangers as she traveled overhead. It took a little over an hour to fly from Fillydelphia to Manehattan, but in her nervous state the trip seemed to take three times that time. Only when the lights, and smoke towers, of Manehattan came into view over the rolling hills did Twilight’s mind snap into clarity. Her eyes narrowed, her muscles tensed, and she banked out away from the city to begin her search of the sea itself. 

Her horn lit only the bare minimum necessary for the spell she was using, sending out low-pitched sound bursts that were too far below pony or gryphon hearing to be sensed, but loud enough to travel for miles. It was a plan that Twilight had thought up when she was worried about how she was going to find the ship out in the open ocean. The answer was an overpowered version of sonar used by whales and dolphins. The return sounds would help her find the ship but would be far enough outside the hearing of those aboard the vessel to avoid detection. 

After a few minutes of combing the sea, Twilight got a return signal, a big one. Turning towards the source of the return, she pumped her wings and flew as quickly yet quietly as she could. Hearing was another sharp sense that gryphons had, and it wouldn’t make her mission fail because she couldn’t fly quietly.  

The ship soon appeared over the horizon like a dark phantom of doom, the sheer size of the thing only becoming apparent to Twilight as she neared the vessel. Her mouth fell agape at the truly titanic proportions of the ship before her, her mind trying and failing to comprehend the true stature of the ship as she started flying alongside the hull. A quick shake of the head helped to get her mind back on mission, and Twilight flew upwards until she crossed the railing of the deck. Her hooves clicked softly against the hard surface upon landing, and she quickly muffled her hoofsteps with a spell before she began creeping along the outer decking, looking for a way inside. 

Her focus was so singular that she nearly ran into a gryphon soldier that was posted next to a doorway, her stifled gasp catching in her throat as she realized that she had nearly been spotted. Yet, the soldier seemed to be asleep at his post, if the soft rise and fall of his chest were any indication as he slumped slightly against the wall. Twilight sighed silently in relief before sneaking past the sentry and up to the metal mass of a door that sat beside him. With a last glance towards the soldier, Twilight lit her horn with another soft chime and rotated the giant wheel that secured the opening. The metal squeaked a few times, each sound ringing in Twilight’s ears like a drum, but at last the portal opened with barely a sound. One last check showed that the soldier was still asleep, and Twilight slipped into the hallway before her, being careful to close the door quietly behind her. 

She had only made it two steps into the hall when a duo of gryphon soldiers passed the intersection ahead of her, all three freezing in place as they stared down one another. Twilight’s mind raced as she realized that she had to do something, the weight of her daggers resting heavily on her thoughts. She debated killing the soldiers, but she was unable to bring herself to do it, her horn failing to light even as both soldiers cried out with shrill screeches.

“Alarm! Alarm! Eindringling auf dem schiff! Alarm!” One soldier called while the second pulled out a short sword. 

Both charged Twilight with hostility brewing in their eyes, her first instinct being to teleport to the other side of the hallway behind the two soldiers. Her hooves were already in motion as she barreled through the corridors, the blaring siren of a Klaxon sounding from small speakers that hung from the walls. 

“Alarm! Ein Pony hat das schiff infiltriert und steuert auf das Achterschiff zu. Gefangen nehmen oder töten nach Möglichkeit.” The harsh language made Twilight wish she had taken the time to learn the gryphon’s native language before she took this mission. It would have made understanding what her opponents were doing much easier. 



 

Kepler jolted awake as the klaxon sounded around him, his thoughts immediately jumping to possible situations why the ship would be on high alert. He pulled himself out of Gloria’s grip as the hen struggled to a sitting position as well, Kepler’s sensitive hearing making his head ache from the volume of the alarms sounding through the speakers. Kepler threw open the door to his bunk and spotted Whiteclaw headed in his direction, hopefully with a report on the situation. He motioned for Gloria to stay put as he stepped into the corridor, hoping that the problem could be solved without too much damage to the ship or crew.

“Report Kapitänleutnant!” Kepler had to almost strain his voice to be heard over the alarms, “What is the situation?”

Whiteclaw snapped a quick salute before replying, “Sir, we have an Equestrian on the ship. So far we’ve not spotted any additional troops, but unfortunately we’ve been unable to pin down the one pony that has managed to slip on board.”

Kepler’s fear gave way to understanding, “An assassin.”

Whiteclaw’s head tilted slightly, “Sir?”

“That pony might be an assassin,” Kepler repeated, “come to take out the high ranking officers or commanding crew members onboard. Where are they headed?”

“Last sightings reported that they were heading towards the aft mid-decks, though it seems the ship's layout is confusing the pony now that their cover has been blown.” Whiteclaw seemed nervous as he said the next words, “Reports have it that the equine is an alicorn, sir. Which can only mean one thing.”

Kepler nodded, “A princess.” Kepler had heard of the raw magical powers of the alicorn sisters who ruled Equestria, although from the sounds of things it was neither of them or the ship would be in a full-blown panic instead of on alert. “Tell the crew to go in certain directions to misguide them towards the bridge. I have an idea of whom we're dealing with. If I’m right, we can gain leverage over our adversaries with the capture of one of their precious princesses.”

Whiteclaw nodded and then saluted, “At once, sir!”

As the tercel went off to pass on his orders, Kepler saw Gloria peeking out of the bulkhead that led to their room, “What’s going on?”

Kepler strode over and gave her a peck on the cheek, “It will be alright, my love.  I just have to deal with this little problem and then we can go back to bed.” He hushed her with a hoof against her beak before smiling up at her, “I promise.”

She nodded, reluctantly, leaving Kepler to fly up the hallway before making a sharp turn into the central elevator shaft.  He had a feeling that this assassin wasn’t actually the killer he had first thought but could still be a valuable hostage if his hunch was correct about the identity of the alicorn.

Time to spring a little trap.



 

Twilight’s heart pounded in her chest, the thundering beat running counterpoint to the droning alarm and distant clamor that surrounded her. She had lost track of where she was and how she had gotten there. All she knew was that she needed to keep moving or risk letting the gryphons behind her catch up. Twice now a swift teleport had saved her from close calls, but even then it had been chillingly close. 

Her eyes shot left and right as she came to a stop at an intersection, the directions written in a foreign language on the wall did nothing to help ease the tensions. Stomping her hoof in frustration, she tried to conjure a solution to circumvent the situation she found herself in, but with everything else going on around her simultaneously, she was having a bit of difficulty concentrating.

"Make way!" Her head snapped up and she hid behind an open door as another group of gryphons rushed by the intersection adjacent to hers, shouting in Equestrian as they bypassed her hallway. “Make for the bridge! We can't let them get to the captain!”

“The captain?” Twilight’s eyes widened in realization, “Of course, the captain! Who else could I be looking for? Hopefully they might have information on who this mysterious benefactor is!”

Twilight’s sprint no longer a desperate escape, she shifted focus to trying to find the bridge, which even with the newer design of the ship around her, was most likely near the top of the ship to provide the best vantage point of the surrounding area. With her task finally set in mind, Twilight charged forward, knowing that she could still complete her mission and make her mentor proud.

She snuck past patrol after patrol, finding a central shaft that seemed to act as the passage between levels, and used that to quickly climb the ship’s interior before coming to the base of a set of stairs. Two gryphon guards stood at either side of the entranceway, cluing Twilight into the importance of the staircase’s destination. Two stun spells later and she raced past the twitching guards, using her magic to push the bulkhead open before racing inside, slamming the door behind her, and sealing it with a flare of her horn.

The klaxon had finally shut off, much to Twilight’s ears’ relief, leaving the space in a deathly silence. Twilight looked around the bridge, marveling at the advanced stations and technology she saw at every turn. Yet, her attention was soon captured by the single chair that rested in the center of the room, a commander’s position if she ever saw one. She had only begun to walk forward when a voice called out from behind the chair’s high back, forcing her to pause in trepidation.

“I see that the reports of an alicorn sneaking aboard my ship were not mere fiction.” Twilight’s jaw dropped open in shock as the chair turned around to reveal a pony! Yet unlike any pony she had ever seen.

Even with her slightly increased stature as an alicorn, the stallion was a good head taller than her. Thick tufts of fur tipped both ears with slit pupils and bat-like wings against his sides instead of the usual feathers of a pegasus' wings. His menacing grin showed tips of razor-sharp fangs, sending shivers down her spine at the sight.

“Welcome aboard the Tyr, your highness.” The stallion stated in a smooth voice as he lounged back in the command chair, “How can I be of service?”
> 16 - Decisions and Quandaries
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Despite Kepler maintaining his composure, the presence of the Equestrian princess before him caused his heart rate to skyrocket with nervous energy. The mare was a good deal smaller than him, which surprised him given all he had been told about the towering visages of the ruling class of the ponies. Yet, he didn’t let the mare’s small stature fool him into false confidence, knowing full well that the size of the pony told him nothing about the power of their magic. Slight in physical size she may be, she was still a formidable force to be reckoned with nonetheless. 

Now if only her wide eyes of apparent shock would stop making him want to laugh, they might be able to get somewhere. 

“You seem surprised, princess.” He stated in a voice that somehow managed to stay level, “Perhaps I was not what you were expecting?”

The mare’s jaw closed with a click, her wide eyes narrowed in concentration as her horn lit up with a halo of magenta light, “Reveal your true form, whatever you are. Bat ponies are nothing but myth and legends made up to scare foals into behaving. Your choice of disguise was a poor one if you wanted to fool anypony besides the most ignorant of creatures.”

Kepler sighed and rose from his command chair, walking a few steps towards the smaller mare. Inwardly, he relished in seeing the look of fear that crossed her face briefly as she had to look up to maintain eye contact, her magic flickering momentarily before smoothing out again.

“Every being I've met so far has always been like that with me,” a soft hiss of metal on leather rang through the space as he drew a short dagger from his uniform, previously hidden under his left wing, “I guess it doesn’t really matter either way if you believe me or not. You aren’t going to be leaving this ship in any case.”

The glow of the mare’s horn intensified as a swarm of several daggers appeared from various pockets in her armor and hovering around her body, humming like an angry nest of wasps, “Think again. I didn’t come all this way just to talk. You are coming with me back to Equestria, where you shall be imprisoned and tried for your crimes against my country.”

Kepler eyed the many blades aimed at his person, undeterred. Taking in the slight wobble and uncertain look that now rested in the mare’s gaze, he asked, “And what if I refuse? Are you going to kill me?”

A few of the knives dipped slightly as the mare seemed to argue mentally with herself, her gaze lingering on the dagger in Kepler’s own grasp before steeling into a firm resolve, “I don’t have to. I can take you down without using deadly force.” 

As if to emphasize her point, the mare slid the daggers back into her armor in a single motion, her horn lit up as a similar glow surrounded Kepler’s body, lifting him from the deck and into the air before her.

“There!” Her cry of victory seemed overly enthusiastic to Kepler, as she had simply levitated him with her magic, and held him aloft, “I can simply carry you back to shore and there is nothing that you can do to stop it!”

Kepler stared amusedly at the mare’s naivety, his rolling of the eyes had descried the bulkhead door behind her slowly opening, and a single eye on a familiar face shone through. “So you say… and yet I feel distinctly unimpressed with the magical power of a so-called princess of Equestria. Aren’t you supposed to be able to lift mountains and level castles with a wave of your magical horns?”

The mare sputtered for a moment, completely oblivious to the gryphon guards sneaking through the now open doorway behind her, “No mage is powerful enough to do that! Even Princess Celestia would never need to do something that drastic when much more applied uses of magic would be far more effective! I don’t – ACK!”

Kepler flared his wings to slow his descent to the ground as the magic holding him ceased, the violet glow around the mare’s horn sputtered out of existence as she slumped to the floor. Her helm, now removed completely from her head, casually floated over the prone pony in a green glow that matched the horn of Kepler’s mute acquaintance. The changeling had been subtle enough to undo the clasp of the helm and pull it off the mare’s head just as Whiteclaw brought the butt of his rifle into the base of her skull. It wasn’t a killing blow, but certainly enough to knock the alicorn out cold if the now drooling pony between them was anything to go by.

Kepler landed smoothly and walked up to the incapacitated alicorn, using a hoof to verify that she was still breathing. “Good work, you two. We have just gained a valuable advantage over the Equestrians, and the best part is we don’t even have to use it right away. For now, let’s see what information we can get out of our newest guest.” He turned his attention to the drone that was still holding the pony’s helm in her magic, “Can you incapacitate her magic? I don’t believe we have the right tools at our disposal at the moment.”

The drone nodded, a small smile forming on her muzzle as she leaned down and licked along the pony’s horn with an abnormally long tongue, spreading a thick, green goop over the keratin appendage that quickly hardened into a solid mineral sheath. While the drone completed her work Whiteclaw and a couple of guards proceeded to remove the pony’s armor, revealing the lavender fur underneath that had not been dyed into a midnight blue after the leather and weapons were taken away.

With the pony no longer a threat, Kepler nodded to his Korvettenkapitän, “Take her to the brig, make sure we have at least four guards stationed in and out of her cell block with a changeling to ensure that she doesn’t try anything. Inform me as soon as she awakes. I believe there are some questions this young mare has in store for me that I would be more than happy to answer.”

Whiteclaw smirked as he hefted the pony onto his back, saluted sharply and carried the smaller equine out of the bridge with minimal effort, leaving Kepler and the drone mare alone in the early dawn's dim lighting. Kepler was hardly surprised when the drone’s eye lenses shifted to the slit pupils of her Queen, the bulkhead to the rest of the ship closing with a metallic clang as she sauntered up to Kepler’s side, a sultry look in her gaze.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were really a changeling under all of that fluff and bluster.” The oily sweetness in her tone had Kepler’s skin crawling just by listening to it, “You would make a fine addition to my hive, should you be willing.”

“Save your bittersweet words for those that'll fall for them.” Kepler’s tired mind was running on a short fuse after the building of stress dealing with their uninvited stowaway, “What is it that you want?”

The Queen put on a hurt expression, “What, am I not allowed to say hello to my favorite little bat from time to time?” Kepler candidly raised an eyebrow in response, “Oh fine, you’re no fun when you aren’t willing to play along. The mare that you have sequestered below is known as Twilight Sparkle; personal student and effectively surrogate daughter of Princess Celestia. They might deny any such relationship, but a Changeling can sense these things a mile away. You now have a very powerful bargaining chip in your possession, but I have come to warn you about that mare. She is much craftier than she appears, and will use your words and motivations to turn you against your allies, even join her side of this conflict if you aren’t careful. She may not believe it herself, but she is a master manipulator on the level of some of my best infiltrators, so bear that in mind when you are speaking to her.”

Kepler lifted his eyebrow again, “My, my, a compliment from you, and towards a pony that isn’t me, no less! What is this world coming to?”

Chrysalis hissed warningly, “Do not mistake my warning for flattery, little bat.  She is a very dangerous mare, and one that could very well undermine our entire plan if she is allowed to interfere. Tread carefully when you are interrogating her, or you may find yourself questioning the very reasons you are waging war to begin with.”

Kepler nodded, his hint of humor vanishing like morning mist, “I’ll keep that in mind…" Roach. He wished to add but kept to himself, "Any other information to report?”

She shook her head, “None for now. King Skybeak is currently doing damage control against some stuck-up featherheads that have gotten the idea in their minds that now is a perfect time to sue for peace.” The eye roll they shared showed their agreed stance on that idea, “So, while the King is temporarily indisposed, I am left to organize the war effort in the background while he ensures there are no mishaps.”

Kepler nodded, “Understood. And concerning the Night Princess?”

Chrysalis’ smile turned predatory, “We are keeping her well entertained in the Dream Realm, not to worry. She won’t be delving into your mind any time soon.”

“And you will?” He countered, a frown on his muzzle.

The Queen’s eyes lidded halfway as she ran a hoof down the side of his face, “I remember our agreement, little bat.  I won’t enter your mind unless the situation requires it. Besides,” Kepler recoiled as her tongue flicked out and ran up the side of his neck, “it wouldn’t be very interesting if I knew all of my opponent’s moves before they are even made, now, would it?”

“I thought we were both on the same side.” Kepler’s tone was challenging, bordering on anger, “Has that changed?” He stared directly at her, feeling his lips pull back in the beginnings of a snarl, which he restrained with some difficulty.

“I am on no one’s side but my own.” Chrysalis replied, never losing her smile, her eyes aglow, though Kepler did notice a faint widening of her slit pupils, possibly surprised by his aggression. “That has always been the case and shall continue to be so even after our little adventure is complete.”

Kepler narrowed his eyes and hissed in warning as the Queen leaned in close to his face, “Then I will ensure that I keep a close eye on more than just the alicorn, your highness.”

A dark chuckle bubbled out from between her lips, “See that you do, little bat, or else you might just get caught in the spider’s web while chasing after the moth.”

Kepler shivered as the Queen’s presence faded from her drone’s body, returning her solid blue lenses as the mare stepped back. Kepler knew it wouldn’t do any good to berate the drone for the actions of her queen, but it still unnerved him every time the changelings switched bodies with their ruler. I will see to it personally that if you try me bug, I'd be the one to squash you if I ever knew how to build a tank. The Changeling mare cast a small smile his way before turning and walking away, leaving Kepler to his private thoughts as the stallion pondered his next move. 

In all honesty, he hadn’t put much thought into following the capture of the Equestrian, with most of his primary concerns having been on the security of his ship being above all else when the alarm had sounded. Now though, it seemed that he had a decision to make, and one that the bat pony had not been previously trained for, nor had any experience from his former life to draw upon. He could very well get the information out of the alicorn with torture, although he doubted it would do them much good, given the ponies seemed to have little understanding of the dangers they faced. While that had been intentional on the part of him and his gryphon allies, it left him with very few viable options for dealing with their prisoner. 

They could sail back to the Empire and drop her there to be kept as a prisoner of war, or he could simply kill her and be done with the issue altogether. Yet neither of those options seemed useful, especially when it didn’t gain him or his allies any truly meaningful advantages. And none of them being tastefully tactical in the long run if he needed a fallback strategy.

Kepler paced about the bridge for the next couple of hours, his mind jumping from one idea to another and then quickly discarding them as either unhelpful or downright stupid. The sun had risen well above the horizon by the time Whiteclaw returned, Kepler having nearly worn a rut into the deck with his pacing and with nothing of value to show for it. His second in command was polite enough to cough into a fist to get his attention, a tired but resolute glint in the tercel’s gaze as Kepler’s eyes met his.

“The princess has awoken, sir.” Whiteclaw stated with crisp professionalism, “As instructed, I came to alert you that she was ready for questioning.”

Kepler sighed, hating the idea of going with his gut instead of a well thought out plan, but he had apparently run out of time to think things through thoroughly, “Lead the way, Korvettenkapitän.”

Either Whiteclaw didn’t notice Kepler’s sour mood or chose not to comment on it as he turned and led the stallion through the ship, taking a sedate pace and remaining silent until they reached the lower decks that housed the brig. 

Kepler nodded to the gryphons that were standing guard over the cell block, their rifles held in crisp salutes as he walked by. The cell block had over a dozen individual spaces for housing prisoners, should the need ever arise, the thick steel bars and solid plate doors a secure means of keeping prisoners contained. Yet with only a single occupant, the space felt hauntingly empty as Kepler walked up to the last cell, the lone resident perking up and glaring at him through the bars that separated them once he stepped into view.

“You might as well walk away.” The alicorn stated in what Kepler imagined was a threatening tone to a regular pony. To him it sounded like a little girl trying to sound intimidating to a bully, “I won’t tell you anything, no matter what you do to me.”

The ignorance and false bravado pulled a chuckle from his lips, “So you say, yet I know you Equestrians are not a warrior race, nor have seen conflict in a very long time. I don’t have to do anything drastic to make you talk. Your own fear will do that for me.”

Her violet eyes narrowed and a frown marred her face as she stood, the chains around her legs rattling as she shuffled to the edge of the cell to stare up at him, “I’ve faced far more dangerous threats than you; Discord, Sombra, Tirek, the Changelings, even Nightmare Moon. My friends and I defeated them all, and nopony was hurt in the process.”

“Then you are either very lucky,” Kepler countered, “or they never take you seriously. A true warrior is prepared to fight… to kill… to defend his nation, something your kind obviously haven’t done when facing these so-called ‘threats’ with your friends.” He grinned as the smaller mare flinched back at his words, “What’s wrong Princess? Don’t like the idea of getting your hooves dirty to defend your nation? You had the opportunity to kill me back on the bridge, yet your hesitation resulted in your capture and has left you at my mercy. Were I a more pragmatic person, or a tyrant, you would be executed, and your body tossed overboard to remove the threat you represent to my ship and crew. However,” he paused at the terror-filled expression and flared wings that his statement had caused, “I am not a barbarian, nor am I a murderer. Wartime casualties are one thing, but killing a defenseless little mare just to prove a point would make me the lowest form of scum on the planet.”

Her expression shifted slowly over to confusion as his words registered, “Then, what are you going to do with me?”

Once again faced with his previous conundrum, Kepler decided to let his gut choose the best course of action, given his mind was otherwise beyond helpful, “For now, you will remain here, a political prisoner of war aboard this ship until we see fit to change that arrangement. Accordingly, you will be fed and not harmed… unless you give my crew reason to do so. And I strongly advise against trying to escape, otherwise I will allow lethal force to be authorized in the likely event you try to break out. So, I suggest some time to ponder your situation and mull over the exact stupidity of your actions, which is suitable enough as punishment. I will return later to begin my interrogation, but for now I have more pressing matters of concern to deal with than a foolhardy little girl with a grandiose hero complex.”

The mare sputtered in indignant anger as he turned and walked away, leaving the saluting guards to their posts as he walked back through the corridors of the ship and up to the main deck. A sigh leaving his mouth as the mid morning sun warmed his wings and fur, the gentle ocean breeze ruffling his mane and tail for a moment as he walked up to the bow of his ship. The golden glitter of the sun rippled over the surface of the ocean, the soft rocking of the ship helped to soothe his rattled nerves and he let the rest of the world fall to the wayside, even if just for a moment.

He didn’t know what the next move was for him and his crew, but if he had any understanding of warfare, the chessboard had swung into their favor, and they would be fools to not take advantage of the opportune moment. Now the only question was what would be the next step, and what impact would it have on his ship, now that the initial assault of Equestria had begun.
> 17 - Keep Your Friends Close
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The exact passage of time had been lost to Kepler's wandering mind as he remained sitting at the bow of his ship for hours, senses overcome by the gentle sounds of waves splashing and oceanic saline breezes wafting throughout helped to calm the raging storm of emotions within him. He understood things had changed, now that they had an Equestrian princess as a prisoner aboard and another incapacitated in the Dream Realm, things were certainly shifting in directions that he had never anticipated. And now, because of the changes surrounding him on every side, along with the circumstances aboard the ship… He had no other direction to go and no orders to follow. And on top of that…

He felt distinctly alone, one could even say adrift in a world not his own. 

Considering the fact that while he was indisposed at revolutionizing the Gryphon Empire when he first arrived, he hadn’t thought much of himself or his old world since the day he made his commitment to the gryphon king. Now that he was no longer busy worrying about his own survival, a sharp sense of homesickness struck completely unannounced. Even now, despite the beauty and still mystical nature of this world of untold wonders, he missed the mundane challenges from home, even with so many mysteries left for him to discover. He was still at a loss. A loss that seemed to weigh more heavily with each passing moment. He was so lost in thought that he didn’t hear someone coming up from behind, until he felt a set of talons resting on his withers between his wings. 

Kepler slowly turned to see who it was that had disturbed his musings, a biting remark on the edge of his lips until he saw who exactly it was that had approached in his distracted state. Gloria’s concerned expression was all it took to cool the fires of his frustration, at least a little, but it still failed to soothe the broiling emotions that plagued his mind as his thoughts once again turned to the past. He let out a gusty sigh as his gaze turned back to the waves before them, words coming unbidden to his lips as his heart yearned for something beyond his reach.

“It feels so ancient, though it has barely been two years; the moment since I awoke in that wreckage we are now standing on, born anew through hard work and effort.” He felt Gloria lay at his side, her wing taking the place of her talons over his withers as he continued. “I still remember plenty from before then… yet my time being in this land has passed so quickly, I feel as if I’ll be swept away if I don’t find something to hold fast to.”

“Well…" The hen started, briefly stopping in uncertainty, mulling over her next words carefully before starting again, “you never actually told me about your life before we met.” Gloria spoke softly, wishing to avoid breaking the calm spell that had fallen over them, “You did say that your home was in a terrible war, and that your ship had been defeated by a fleet sent after you by your enemies.”

Kepler inclined his head barely an inch, but the hen still saw it. Inside, his heart clenched with guilt as he kept his eyes on the waters before him, “I did not know who to trust back then. And even now I still don’t, at least for most of the creatures in this land.” He felt a ghost of a smile forming on his lips as he turned to look up at his companion, “But in the time we’ve known each other, I have learned one thing. I can trust you, and because of that I am willing to tell you about my past.”

Gloria’s eyes widened slightly before a smile curled the corners of her beak in return, “You don’t need to tell me anything if you don’t want to, I'm not forcing you. I know personally how difficult it can be to trust others, and I never want you to feel guilt for protecting what you think is important.”

Kepler’s wing had stretched out to overlap with hers, the soft skin and downy fur being slightly ticklish brushing along her long, soft feathers, “But I am protecting something important. I’m protecting the trust we have for each other, and the love that I have for you.”

A soft trill bubbled up within Gloria’s throat as she leaned in to kiss him, quick and soft, but meaningful all the same, “You mean the world to me as well. Thank you for trusting me enough to share your past with me.”

Faintly, a shiver trailed up Kepler’s spine in response to the soft caress of her kiss, which faded just as quickly as the mountain of anxiety he had been feeling before came crashing back down on his heart and mind. He took a few steadying breaths before he spoke again, his eyes staying locked on the horizon to settle his nerves.

Inhaling deeply, he exhaled and stopped for a second, uncertain, then began his tale. “As you already know, I am not of this world." At that she nodded slowly, her eyes gently coaxing him to continue. "I was born in a land similar to your own sans the magic. The people—my people, were the predominant species throughout the land as well as the world. But like you and your neighbors, we were divided by nationhood and ethnicity. Your kind as well as your neighbors, believe it or not, are myths from where I'm from. Nothing but creatures to be told of in fairy tales and legends of heroics.” 

Gloria felt her beak fall slightly, “Myths? You mean the races of our world weren’t real?” Kepler nodded slightly. “But how can that be? How does your kind even know about us, in fact, what history does your kind-” at that Kepler hushed her with a hoof to her beak. A small, amused smirk adorning his muzzle.

“It doesn’t really matter.” A sigh escaped his lips, “I can never return there, and you need not worry yourself with details and problems that are literally another world away.”

“Can I ask then instead; what is your kind called and what do they look like? I feel that sounds a bit… insensitive.” She seemed at a slight loss for words, but the context was not lost on Kepler.

“Human.”

“Hoomin?” She repeated.

Her attempt got a soft chuckle out of him as he shook his head, “Not quite. Human, hew-man, is the proper way to say it. And for lack of a better term, we are, I was, at least to some skeptics of religion and haughty intellectuals, a more evolved version of an ape. Though admittedly that is a poor approximation based on our origins. Perish the thought of seeing me or another human running around slinging excrement at one another.”

A laugh, true and pure in sound, emitted from the hen that Kepler shared in the moment. “That does sound rather ridiculous.”

“So… what were they like? I mean, what did you look like? Specifically speaking.” There was an excited, almost childlike wonder in her eyes, one that Kepler found himself helpless to resist.

“Well for starters, we are just like your equine neighbors; we come in all shapes and sizes with varying colors; albeit not so much as the rainbow but rather shades of black, white and gray.  We have no fur save for a few places on our bodies; like the head and face, the males being the ones with the fur on our faces with short manes, which are often trimmed and shaved for fashion and comfort, while our females have long manes. We have flat faces, no snouts or beaks, just a wedge and contours for noses, mouth, lips, and ears. We're also tall, standing upright in a bipedal stance.” Gloria's eyes lit up and widened in slight recognition, but she remained silent for the moment, “Hell, if I was still myself here, I wouldn't be at your level but above. I'm actually taller than you by a lot, perhaps twice as much your height on all fours. Save for the dragons, we are taller than most species on this world, at least the ones I’ve seen so far, but there are a fair number of us that are shorter due to deformity or unique heritage acclimated to the various environments of my world.”

“That sounds rather unusual. Are you all bigger in length like you are in height compared to us?” Her exuberance helped to keep his anxiety at bay, the pain of homesickness fading with each word spoken.

“I would say yes, but again, not all of us. Our females are almost always smaller than us males, although that is oversimplifying things greatly.”

Gloria blinked curiously. “What do your females look like?” 

Kepler, despite himself, couldn't help but dramatically sigh between chuckles before locking eyes with her, and smiled. “Beautiful… and slim mostly, with shapely figures. But they cannot hold a candle to you and the wonders of this world. As much as I may sing the praises of my old species, there is something… more exotic about the creatures here that captures my eye in ways that no human female ever could.”

“Flatterer.” Gloria teased, cheeks tinting pink for a moment before her expression softened in worry, “So…what happened? How did you end up in a war fighting on your old ship?”

Kepler’s mood soured slightly at the shift in topic but followed the need to return to the original subject. With a forlorn sigh, he began again, memories flashing before his eyes of his younger years, “Technology improved after the last era saw achievements that had never been imagined before then, but at a terrible cost alongside a very tumultuous period; monarchies fell in violent revolts, empires and other civilizations collapsed from reason to reason, many of which because of stagnation, corruption, and others because of tyranny with new powers growing immensely. My people, in nationality, were called the Germans; one of the oldest warrior civilizations in our world that saw everything from ancient to present.  We came from an empire that once ruled the mainland as a whole, but we were divided long before my nation came into being. The only thing that helped us believe we weren't completely different, was the fact that in our hearts our shared blood was the same that pumped through our veins like our ancestors before."

"Before the war, the… Great War. My people fell on hard times as the world we knew was not so small, but in reality, dwarfed by other countries. They were greater than us not in number but in power. And by power, I mean something different from the traditional sense of the word. My homeland, my country, my Fatherland as we all started calling it of late, was relatively new as a nation. We were once a part of an older, greater, but now dismantled empire. We were late to the current trend known as colonization. We had colonies, but they were minor in comparison to the ones owned by our neighboring rivals, which historically weakened our influence and eventually left us with little more than the soil we stood upon.”

“The only thing we did have that outshined our rivals was the innate business of all mankind… War."

“Mankind?”  Gloria asked. 

Kepler blinked, “Ah yeah. Another name for humans, in plural, humanity, man, mankind.”

Gloria nodded, “I see, please continue.”

“Anyway. As I was saying, at the time we were catching up to modern politics but had lost a war a few decades before. My country, which was yet to be, after being humiliated constantly by one of our rival countries named France, broke apart from the great empire we once were. And in the years that followed, lived under their ire and paid a terrible price because of it. Our national pride was gone, the spirit of the people broken beyond repair. But in due time, we learned… and soon became the victors ourselves after trial and error.”

“We got our acts together and pulled together the small pieces that made up our nation. We became a separate entity altogether, our distant so-called allies at the time and brethren both provided and strengthened us. Though we kept France in check, and subdued a few of our other neighboring rivals, this all distracted us from what would've helped us in the long run, economic stability.”

“We were so far gone by that point, our national coffers drained of every resource until there was nothing left but paper, that a stiff breeze would have been enough to collapse what was once a powerful nation.  We were on the brink of complete societal shutdown when a single person, a visionary, stepped forward and pulled us back from the brink.”

Gloria was paying rapt attention to his words, his gaze catching her face out of the corner of his eyes and pulling a smile out of him at her gob smacked expression, “He was a true leader of the people, a man who could inspire us and helped to give our country hope again. He proposed a world where all people would live under a single flag. No more wars, no more struggling, no more loss at the hands of greedy and cruel politicians. We were a great nation once, and we could be again.  The rallying cry of his campaign lit a fire under the people of my homeland, and it was with a fervent belief in our cause that we set out to right the wrongs that had been committed against us by those that claimed to be on the side of truth and justice. Although there were parts of his beliefs and personality that I did not agree with, such as nationalism bordering on racism, the underlying points that drove our people to be better than we had become still held true. It was why I joined the Kriegsmarine, and why I still hold true to those beliefs even though I am no longer in my world or a part of that conflict.”

The pride and fire in Kepler’s belly dimmed slightly as his wings hung low against his sides, “And everything we did was for our pride… A pride that, in my eyes, was bordering on obsession. Yet through everything we accomplished, all the sacrifices we made, it was not enough. Even with everything we had, and with victory so close we could practically taste it… Our losses began. By the time my ship was serviced, we had run out of steam and were running on fumes. Even minor victories earned us minimal gain but greater costs… My ship was supposed to be an insurmountable force to castrate our enemy’s supply lines at sea, but we were overpowered, and my last moments of life were spent watching as the ship we loved sank beneath the waves, carrying me and the bodies of my fellow crewmates to a watery grave.”

Kepler finally turned back to face his love, tears steadily ran down his cheeks as he tried to keep his voice leveled, “That… was why I asked if you were an angel when we first met… I don’t know what magic brought me and my ship here to this world, but I was supposed to die alongside my comrades, and yet I still live, without a home, my people, my family, and no future to hope for if I cannot make myself useful to those around me.”

The shock on Gloria’s face vanished as she pulled him to her chest, wrapping both forelegs and wings around him tightly as soon as he started to cry into her feathers, “Shh, shh, it’s alright. I honestly don’t know what that could possibly be like, going through all of that. But I do know one thing,” she gently lifted his chin with a claw, smiling down at him as she rubbed his back with her other foreleg, “you wouldn’t be here if you weren’t important. You might not know what brought you to our world, but I don’t care. I love you for the person you are on the inside, not because of the ship you command, or the technology you have given my people. I love Kepler, pony commander of gryphons and changelings, and the stallion that saved my life when he had absolutely no reason to do so. You are kind, brave, strong, and smart.  It doesn’t matter to me who you were before or what circumstances led you here. All that matters now is you make the most of what you have been given, and the love you have earned.”

She pressed her beak to his lips again, stronger, and more passionately than before, and Kepler felt more tears running down his face even as he returned the kiss, except these were tears of joy instead of sorrow.  They stayed like that for what felt like an eternity, their love helping to heal the hole that had been left unattended in Kepler’s heart for too long, only to be pulled from their moment by the clearing of a throat next to them. Kepler turned his head to see who had interrupted them, his face grimacing into a silent snarl as soon as he saw the female drone that was assigned as his aide stood mere meters from their place on the bow.

“Yes? What is it?” He asked, slightly irritated while also hoping his voice wasn’t going to sound like he had been gargling nails.

“My Queen wished to speak with you,” the drone replied, her demeanor betraying nothing about the position she found them in or her thoughts on the matter, “concerning your orders and the next steps pertaining to the invasion of Equestria.”

Kepler stepped back as Gloria did the same, his expression calming as he nodded, “Let her speak. I need to know what our next move is now that the landing at Manehattan is underway.”

The drone nodded, her eyes shifting to those of her Queen and her lips pulling back into a sinister smile, “Well isn’t this a lovely turn of events.” Her tongue slipped out and ran along her lips as she eyed the two of them, “Young love, and so fresh too. Must you tease me with those delectable emotions?”

Kepler stepped between them as Gloria shivered in response to the Queen’s words, “Get to the point, Chrysalis. We have orders to hear and a mission to get underway, or was your drone merely trying to get our attention so you could needle us with barbed comments with no true point?”

The Queen’s smile left as quickly as it had come, “Very well, but do not forget in the pecking order, little bat. I am a Queen. You are nothing compared to my might, and I could squash you like the little rodent you are if I so choose.”

Kepler stood his ground, even knowing the danger he was putting himself in standing up to the changeling monarch, “And you seem to forget, Your Highness, that I am loyal and answerable only to the Gryphon Empire, and that you're on my ship; therefore, I deserve respect. So kindly take your leave if you don’t have anything important to tell us with your chittering.”

In the blink of an eye, Kepler found himself on his back against the decking, Gloria’s cry of fright cutting off mid-shout as both were enveloped in the Queen’s green magic glow. The stallion struggled against the iron grip pinning him in place as he was held aloft before the changeling, Gloria stood immobilized on the deck behind him as Chrysalis hissed in his face.

“I AM QUEEN CHRYSALIS YOU INSOLENT CUR!” The echoing power behind her shout was enough to rattle Kepler’s brain as his ears folded back in a futile attempt to dampen the thunderous assault.  “I HAVE LEVELED MOUNTAINS AND LAID EVEN THE MIGHTY PRINCESS CELESTIA LOW WITH MY POWER!  YOU ARE NOTHING TO ME AND WILL SHOW ME THE PROPER RESPECT I DESERVE!”

Kepler wheezed as his airway was constricted by the changeling’s magic but kept his calm even in the face of certain death, “You don’t deserve respect unless it is earned, you insufferable insect.” His voice was little more than a whisper, but his words cut through the air like a knife as the changeling’s furious expression morphed into one of shock, “I earned my place in life through hard work and unimaginable loss. I died for the cause I believed in before I ever knew your kind existed.  Only through some magical stupidities do I still live, and it is not for the sake of listening to an ant ramble on about how great she is. I will do my part in this war, make no mistake, but it has always been, and forever will be, MY CHOICE!!!”

Kepler hadn’t even paid attention when the Queen’s magic had cut out, his hooves carrying him up and into her face on their own as he pelted her with his voice’s full strength, “You are nothing compared to the dangers I once faced. You puff and bluster and preen like a peacock, but you have never known death, never seen the hopeless despair of soldiers who know they're about to die, and yet still fight on even against all odds and certain doom. I stand beside you now, fighting a war of my own design for your sake, but don’t ever forget that I do so because I believe your cause is just, not under some deluded sense of duty to a monarch I am not beholden to.”

Kepler leaned forward until his nose was against the drone’s, his eyes like steel as he whispered his final point, “You have only seen a fraction of what I can do. Of what my kind are capable of.  You'd never get to see the full extent of my knowledge turned against you… Because you'd already be dead.”

With that, he brushed past the speechless changeling, calling over his shoulder as he went, “Come along, my love. We have a prisoner to go to and see some questions answered. We can hear the King’s orders after we get some information from our wayward princess.”

He didn’t wait to see if his beloved was following, he simply held his head high and kept walking, never once looking back at the changeling he left in his wake, knowing that any retaliation would only prove his point. He was beholden to no one unless he so chose, and the Queen knew it.

Kepler smiled as he heard Gloria’s hurried steps catching up to him as he turned and entered the ship’s superstructure, his hooves taking him below as he contemplated his questions for Twilight Sparkle.  Time would tell if they would get anything out of the young royal, but at least for now they didn’t have to worry about a roach infestation mucking up their activities.
> 18 - And Your Enemies Closer
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Try as he might, Kepler couldn't keep a steady stride going as he and Gloria made their way through the ship’s corridors, his mind was still  reeling from the antagonistic boldness of that damn roach monarch; the audacity of that witch having him and Gloria pinned and vulnerable challenged his temper to grow immensely, which he barely managed to the best of his ability. The interactions with the Changeling queen on the deck still made his blood boil and his mind seethe each time he tried to forget about it. His hooves heavily trod through the halls with loud stomps of barely-contained restraint as he continued to stride forward. Back straight and his head high but his face low, cast by umbrage put an insidious emphasis on his countenance. Kepler was certain that whatever expression that marred his face made his sour mood evident, made aware as he saw the variegated reactions of his crew while he was passing by; many soldiers sharply saluted and stood erect while sailors stepped aside or ducked into corridors upon seeing him. All this did was serve to make him lose more of his self-confidence in keeping his temper in check.

As he and the hen rounded the corner that led towards the brig, the guards upon seeing him straightened. Stopping just short of the heavy iron door only to take a deep breath; Kepler silently inhaled and exhaled, doing his damnedest to cool his fury for a final time before he entered the cell block. His arrival brought the prison guards to standing upright at full attention as well, the shift in gears garnering the interest of their singular occupant within the brig as he strode up to the bars of the alicorn's cell.

…

"Kapitän En bord!" One of the guards called out upon seeing him enter.

Princess Twilight Sparkle tried her best to look as intimidating as possible to Kepler as he stood in front of her. Her eyes were narrowed, and her wings flared in what Kepler surmised was supposedly a threatening display of a sort, but compared to the fury of Chrysalis and the ferocious nature of the Gryphons, she may as well be a kitten hissing against the roar of a tiger. The chains that bound her to one wall rattled as she moved, further downplaying her meek display of power.

“Well, look who finally showed up.” Kepler already felt his blood pressure rise as well as his hackles at her impertinent tone. Already for the first few seconds of just listening to her speak, he felt his predatory instincts take over; his fangs flashed in the dim light as the purple pony waved a hoof absently in the air, “I was beginning to think you had forgotten about me. Shouldn’t you be trying to interrogate me or find out what I know as soon as possible? Conventional wisdom states that any knowledge that I have could only be relevant in the near future, so far, you have shown a distinct lack of competent strategic planning by simply leaving me here to just sit for hours on end with nothing to do to occupy my time-”

CLANG!

Her dialogue abruptly ceased, cut off by the deafening bang that rang heavy reverberation in the depths of her eardrums. Kepler’s hoof had struck the bars between them, startling those present as a hush fell over them. Slowly, Kepler realized as he blinked out of his brief swing of anger, that he had managed to bend a cell door bar closest to him with his left forehoof. As he pulled his hoof from the stressed metal, slowly breathing in before pushing out one gusty sigh, he lowered his hoof to the floor and winced softly.

Gloria glanced at his leg and then his face several times, unsure of what to do as she watched Kepler take deep breaths. He glanced at Gloria, nodding to the hen reassuringly as he glared narrowly at the lavender mare before him and winced again as he shifted, both hen and mare looked down at his hoof and saw blood slowly pooling on the deck. Kepler looked down and then turned to Gloria, gesturing behind her to the metal door leading to the rest of the ship.

“Would you mind grabbing a kit… or one of the good doctors my dear?” He asked quietly, carrying a polite tone not to make her worried even more, “I think we have a spill.” He quipped mildly with a thin wry smile.

Nodding hurriedly, the hen nearly knocked over a nearby guard as she spun around and disappeared around the corner. Kepler stared longingly for another moment before he turned back to face the alicorn, his eyes filled with a cold remorseless sheen of steel as he spoke, more carefully this time with a poignant edge intoned.

“Now listen carefully,” the princess’s eyes widening at the controlled anger still evident in his voice, “can the smartarse remarks; because I am only going to say this once. You are a prisoner on my ship. You do not make demands, you do not ask the questions, and you will answer me with either a yes or no, followed by ‘sir’ when spoken to. Furthermore, you are going to honor, respect, and obey me. Do I make myself clear, girl?”

Once again, the mare’s eyes narrowed challengingly, her mouth opened ready to give a witty remark hot off her brain’s assembly line of retorts. Yet, again she barely got to muster her verbal forces for a successful offensive before his thundering yell ran ramshod over her like a bulldozer.

“DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?!” Her ears flattened, eyes moistened slightly, her jaw snapped shut so fast he swore that she almost bit her tongue, but he didn’t give her time to think before he continued, “SPEAK UP PRINCESS OR I'LL COME IN THERE AND SHOW YOU WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU PISS ME OFF!!”

“Sir, yes sir!” Her reply was little more than a squeak, but it was audible enough for Kepler's hearing, and that was all the satisfaction he needed. With a simple but yet firm nod at her words along with a dangerously sharp grin in the low light, a faux smile found its way onto his muzzle.

“Excellent,” he stated in a more conversational tone, his nocturnal eyes aglow, “now that we have that out of the way, we can finally get down to business.”

“I’m afraid you won’t get much out of her the way she is, little bat.” That burdening, wretched, sinister voice made Kepler’s fur crawl along the back of his neck as he rotated and saw the drone with the eyes of their Queen walk into the brig, the insectoid mare once again taking a back seat in her own body for their monarch’s needs.

Twilight’s expression instantaneously went from fearful to outraged in a split second, “YOU! I was wondering what happened to my horn! One of your drones cut off my magic!”

“Oh yes, yes,” the changeling mused tauntingly as she strode next to Kepler, her bored expression on full display, “not that there was much point in doing so. You still wouldn’t stand a chance even with your magic at your disposal, let alone as you are now.”

Twilight’s gaze shifted over to Kepler once more, “So I was right, you are a changeling. The presence of your queen proves it!”

At that, Kepler bristled with a snarl and lunged against the bars, his cap falling off as he snapped his jaws shut; the lavender pony fell back as razor sharp teeth darted between the opening, cracking shut menacingly at her as blue eyes bore icily into her own. Being compared to the cockroach beside him set off a primal anger in Kepler, but before the action could go any further he was preemptively halted by a sharp pain jolting in his still injured hoof. 

“Now, now,” that sickly feminine voice tutted while also chuckling, its owner facing the purple alicorn, “no need to get anymore upset over a simple misunderstanding.”

Chrysalis lit up her horn and ran her magic against the bleeding underside of Kepler's immobilized limb, wiping up some of the carmine liquid in her sickly glowing green aura, inspecting it for a moment before simply tossing it into the cell. Twilight yelped as it splattered beside her, coating her hooves in light speckles, her eyes narrowed to pinpricks as her horrified gaze went from the crimson drops to Kepler and back again.

“Y-You aren’t a changeling.” She didn’t seem able to believe her own words as she turned back to facing the stallion, “But I was certain that…”

“That I was one of those ghastly bugs you think so little of?” Kepler interjected morosely, his voice somehow deeper, “Well, sorry to disappoint, princess, but I’m not one of them, or any race you have ever heard of. I’m not someone you can simply predict, analyze, or study, because you know next to nothing about me… No matter how much you may think to the contrary.”

Kepler turned to the changeling beside him, “What did you mean that there wasn’t much good interrogating her right now?”

“Simple.” The queen stated like she was describing the weather, “She won’t tell you anything truthful or provide any intelligence that would be of use to us because she has placed a ward over her mind.”

Twilight’s fear didn’t escape Kepler’s notice, lending credence to the monarch’s words. His eyes flicked back to the drone, “Explain.”

“She has cast a spell over herself,” Chrysalis continued, “likely before she was captured because the resin on her horn would prevent it otherwise. It prevents any direct attempts to read her mind with magic, and any statements that would cause her to betray important intel would be automatically changed to a lie. You won’t get any reliable information out of her as she is. Well…” a dark chuckle bubbled up from her lips as she ran her tongue over her fangs in a threatening manner, “unless I have something to say about it.”

Kepler raised an inquisitive brow to the changeling as she took a creeping step towards the cell door, “What are you planning to do?”

The queen simply winked at him, “What I do best.”

Twilight had backed all the way up against the back of her cell as the door swung open, fear evident in her expression and body language as she pressed her back against the hull, “S-Stay back! I’ll defend myself if you come any closer!”

“Oh, do try to stop me little one,” Chrysalis’ smile was predatory as she stalked closer to the trembling alicorn, “I do love it when they try to resist, no matter how feeble an attempt it might be.”

“S-Somepony,” the words shook as fear overrode the mare’s mind, “h-help! Anypony!”

“No one is coming to save you,” a chilling shiver ran up Kepler’s spine as the changeling’s horn lit up, forcibly levitating the mare, and bringing her forward until she was nose to nose with the queen, “and soon, it won’t even matter.”

Panic overcame the smaller mare as she opened her mouth to scream, which was cut off the moment she did as Chrysalis pressed the drone's mouth against the pony’s, her magic keeping the princess completely still as a small lump traveled up the drone’s throat and between their sealed lips. Twilight, eyes wide in terror, tried desperately to pull away and cough up whatever the changeling was passing through her maw, but with the bug's firm telekinetic grip locking down on her ability to move, there was nowhere to go.

A brief shimmer of magic radiating over the alicorn’s throat forced her to swallow, and a pitiful whimper of horror escaped the princess's throat as the changeling pulled back, a thin trail of glowing ooze bridging their mouths before being lapped up by a long, whiplike, tendrilled tongue.

“What,” Twilight panted as she fell limp in Chrysalis’ magic, “what… did you… do?”

“Oh that?” The changeling’s sadistic smile never left her lips as she licked along the mare’s cheek, “That was a condensed mix of our venom and love gel. It'll only be a moment once it enters your bloodstream, and when it does, it will override your ability to think rationally, those silly thoughts you so carefully hid behind your magic will be laid naked before me. You'll be my pet, my servant, completely beholden to me and submissive to anyone I see fit to include.”

The alicorn’s lip trembled, wide eyes wet with tears as a pink and green glow began to seep into her fuchsia irises, “I-I… will never… serve you…”

Chrysalis only smiled, leaning in close to kiss the mare below her horn as the pink and green light completely overtook the smaller mare’s eye color, “You already have.”

The changeling stepped back as her aura lowered the mare to the deck within the cell, her tongue reaching out to lick off the resin that coated the alicorn’s horn. Kepler expected resistance, or some kind of escape attempt. Yet the alicorn stood still, just… Smiling, even leaning into the changeling’s touch as the chains fell around her legs.

Once the mare was completely free of her bindings, Chrysalis turned and walked out of the cell, the smaller mare following along like a lovesick puppy, a dopey grin on her face and her eyes still swirling with the pink and green energy.

“Now we can get somewhere.” Chrysalis stated smoothly, “Once I remove the spell from her mind, you can get all the information you desire from this little mare.”

The urge to vomit suddenly hit Kepler tenfold as revulsion raced through him, “You mean to tell me… that you didn’t have to do all of that? You could have removed the spell anyway and just let me do this my way!?” he snarled, with gritted teeth bared.

The changeling hummed thoughtfully as she lifted and turned Twilight’s smiling face towards her own with a hoof under her chin, their horns touching as magic passed between the two, “I suppose I could have, but that wouldn’t have been nearly as satisfying, seeing the prodigy of my most hated enemy brought to tears as she succumbed to my complete and total control.” She glanced at Kepler as she finished with her spell work, “Wouldn’t you agree?”

Kepler’s disdain for the insect, no, abomination grew exponentially as she licked and kissed the smaller mare, the sight threatening his stomach to retch as bile rose to the back of his throat, the stallion doing his best to keep his composure.

“So, when you said that she would answer to anyone you saw fit to include in her condition,” a slight shiver ran up his spine as the changeling turned her gaze on him, “were you being serious?”

A devious hum escaped the changeling’s mouth as she turned to face him, “What?  Does the little bat desire to have a go at the soft little mare before him? Want to add her to your growing herd?”

Kepler strained, nearly retching at the very idea of taking advantage of the princess in such a way, his reaction evidently amusing to the insect monarch.

“Oh, don’t worry your little head over it,” Chrysalis said, patting his head as she turned back to face the alicorn, “I didn’t take you for such a being, but I was serious when I said that she will answer to any confidants I entrust.” Her tone shifted into a higher, more adoring one as she spoke to the hypnotized mare, “My love, would you be so kind as to listen to the little bat next to us? He's very important to me, and he needs to know all about the plans that Celestia has been making to try and hurt me.”

“Of course, my Queen!” The bile rose higher up Kepler’s throat at the absolute adoration coloring the mare’s voice, her swirling eyes gazing up at the changeling queen with utmost devotion, “Whatever you say!”

The alicorn purred as the queen ran her hoof over her head as if she was a cherished pet, and it was all Kepler could do not to try and kill the changeling before him as she turned her attention back to him, “Good girl. Listen to what he has to say, and answer truthfully. It would make me very disappointed in you if you lied to one of my close friends.” Kepler and one of the guards snorted derisively at that.

Twilight nodded, the smile never leaving her lips as she bounced up to Kepler’s side, leaning against him as the changeling turned to leave, “How can I serve you, master?”

For every ounce it took of Kepler's character not to flinch or yield to his upturned stomach, his hatred for the insect increased further. His baleful gaze followed the changeling as she slunk around the corner, that nasty dark and sinister laugh echoing throughout the ship's hallways as she departed. ‘I'm definitely going to kill you, bug… Eventually.’

As the laughter faded, Gloria had managed to return from the med bay followed by one of the physicians in tow; and appropriately, they both seem to have crossed paths with the bug as they were leaning and standing next to the closest wall to keep their distance. Gloria stood there, with her beak agape as she looked from Kepler to the glowy-eyed alicorn beside him and back again to where the drone went off to.

“Umm,” her words were tinted with uncertainty and a little hesitation, “I miss something?”

Yes, a violation to personal space and the sanctity of a child’s mind- Kepler’s uninjured hoof found its way to his face, a hiss of pain reminding him why he had Gloria leave in the first place. The physician got to work bandaging his hoof while Gloria, the guards, and a hypnotized alicorn watched from the sidelines. Kepler could feel a headache well up within his cranium as he contemplated his next move. He knew he had to do something about his situation, but with the pace and sudden twisted turns of events had been taking as of late, he wasn’t sure what was the right course, not anymore.

One thing he did know for sure, the next time he was face to face with that bug queen, the dark promise he had made before was solidified in the darkest corners of his imagination; for the last thing that… bitch would ever see again, was not sunlight… but the end of a rifle’s barrel flashing. He would make sure personally it wasn’t a drone that got it, no, that distinct privilege would righteously go to the monster in fragile, mortal, chitinous form and her alone, no matter what might happen to him. But first things first, he had a war to finish, and a princess to interrogate.

Turning and gesturing for the two females behind him to follow, he gave the guards a quick salute, which they returned, and as they traversed the ship’s corridors, their journey back gathered quite a bit of attention. Thankfully, no one was ignorant enough to question him as Kepler made his way back to his bunkroom, ordering two rifle-bearing guards to stand outside his room before closing and latching the door shut behind them. 

Gloria stood to one side as he faced the still smiling alicorn, his countenance solidly stuck in cold neutrality as he began, inquiring, “...What plans does this Celestia have to stop the war?”

Twilight’s eyes lit up a bit brighter and she opened her mouth and began to speak; Kepler’s revulsion doubled to include himself as he began extracting information from the mare, acknowledging the past hours' ungodly actions as inhumane on every fundamental level. As the mare blindly gave out every bit of detail and possibly relevant information, Kepler innately vowed to find a way to set the young girl free from the bug’s influence… 

…

Even if he had to personally send her back to Equestria to do it.
> 19 - Plans From the Home Front
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Canterlot's halls were heavily hung with solemnity, the very stones saturated with dread that left none of the ponies within free of its cloying grasp; as it was, this was caused by the quietude within the walls of the castle, tangible to only those who knew of the severity of the conflict facing the nation… 

Celestia sat up in her throne in the center of it all, struggling to maintain the calm and collected facade that she cultivated over the past centuries of ruling the nation. Yet, try as she might, the distant laughter and chatter from the approaching mares from outside in the halls, she found it more difficult emotionally to keep her composure. And yet there was no other choice, she knew her words were due to bring terrible fear and pain to the mares that she owed everything to; if the nation were to stand a chance against this new threat, she was going to have to remain truthful.

Even with the heavy burden weighing down on her both consciously and within her heart, the corners of her lips couldn’t help but lift a fraction of an inch as Twilight’s friends entered through the doors on the other side of the room, the eager and happy chatter that passed between them was a welcoming sight and a knife to her heart simultaneously, knowing that the positive mood was about to be shattered. Spreading her wings, the tall mare stood up from her throne and began walking down the short line of steps.

“Welcome, my little ponies.” She managed to keep her voice leveled as the collection of mares came to a stop and bowed before her. “Please rise. You five have more than earned the right to see me without such pleasantries being necessary.”

The group lifted their heads as one, with Rainbow Dash being the first to speak as she gently took to the air, “So what’s going on, Princess? We got another big bad that we need to kick into next week?” She said, kicking the air with emphasis several times as she hovered above her friends’ heads, their eyes drawn away from the grimace that crossed Celestia’s face. 

“It is rather sudden that we were called to the palace,” Rarity added, then quickly added, “n-not that we aren’t delighted to see you, Princess. It is just that it is unusual for us to be here without Twilight.”

“Speakin’ of,” Applejack drawled as she looked around the throne room, “where is Twilight? Didn’t she come and see y'all a few days ago fer somethin’ important?”

A sigh escaped Celestia’s lips as she lowered her head, “Yes, I did send for Twilight several days ago, and it is in part because of that situation that I have called you five here now.  I am uncertain what she told you before she left, so I would like to hear your understanding of things as they are now.”

“Well, she seemed super worried about the visit but at the same time not.” Pinkie said as she bounced next to Fluttershy, “Like the kind of worried that you don’t know what is going on but not too worried about it.”

“She didn’t tell us why she left,” Fluttershy added, “only that she was called to the castle to see you about something but that you hadn’t said what it was.” One bright blue eye met Celestia’s gaze as the timid mare asked, “Did something happen to Twilight?”

That brought the mood down in an instant, with all five mares turning to face Celestia, their worried expressions driving the knife deeper into her heart for being the bearer of bad news.

“I’m afraid something has happened,” Celestia said softly, “but in order for you to fully understand the situation, I must first explain why I called for Twilight in the first place.  You see, Equestria is in a state of war…”

“Wha–? Pfft! No, it isn’t!” Rainbow waved off her words but paused as she realized that she was now the center of everypony’s gazes, “Um, I mean, we would have heard about it if the country was in a war…wouldn’t we?”

“For now, the word of what has happened is being kept under wraps,” Celestia replied, “and those that are involved are instructed not to share anything about the situation until a formal declaration from the crown has been issued. But yes, Equestria is at war. Manehattan is currently under the control of the gryphons, with more of their troops landing on our shores by the day.”

“WHAT!?!” The cry escaped the mouths of everypony present echoed as they recoiled in shock.

“That can’t be true!” Rainbow Dash cried, “Gilda would've told me about something crazy like that when we wrote letters to each other last month!”

“I’m afraid it is the truth,” Celestia countered, “and because of the new technology they possess, we are losing ground rapidly as they move further inland along with expanding up and down the coast.”

“But why would they attack us?” Fluttershy asked, “What have we ever done to them?”

“While the exact motives are still unknown, we do know one thing, and that is the reason I sent for Twilight before, and why I have called on all of you now.” Celestia’s wings spread wide once again as she addressed them, “Princess Twilight was sent on a mission to discover and capture the source of the new technology the gryphons now use against us. Since she has not returned and has been unable to contact any of our agents with news, it is assumed that she has been captured by the enemy and is unable to escape. I need you five to rescue her from the gryphons and assist her on her mission to the best of your ability.”

“You mean we’re being sent into a warzone to try and save Twilight, along with tracking down whoever is behind this new technology the gryphons are using against us?” Pinkie clarified, “Can I bring my party cannon?”

“I don’t think this is the type o’ situation that would work fer, sugarcube.” Applejack said as she laid a hoof over the pink mare’s withers, “Unless ya got somethin’ a might more than balloons and cake in yer cannon.”

“I believe what Applejack is trying to ask,” Rarity added with a nervous expression, “are we expected to fight our way through the soldiers between us and Twilight? We aren’t exactly warrior material.”

Celestia nodded, “I understand that Rarity, and it would be foolish in the extreme to send civilians into a war zone without any training or help. Unfortunately, there is only so much we can do to assist, given it is believed that Twilight is being held aboard the gryphon’s new flagship off the shore of our eastern coast.”

“Why do ya believe she’s bein’ held there?” Applejack asked.

“Because that was the location she designated as her primary target prior to her disappearance.” Celestia replied, “She was going to look for clues as to the location of the gryphons’ outside source there before reporting back. Thus, we believe that her attempt to gather information ended badly before she could return.” Celestia paused for a moment to let the information sink in before adding, “Given pegasi scouts have not reported any craft leaving or joining the flagship in the time since Twilight’s departure, we believe that she is still on the ship, so that is where you are going to attempt a rescue.”

“Alright,” Rainbow’s voice had calmed drastically after hearing Celestia’s explanation, “so when do we leave?”

The others stared at the pegasus like she had grown a second head, “Oh come on, you know we can’t leave Twilight hanging. We wouldn’t be very good friends if we didn’t try to save her, right?”

“But won’t the gryphons try to hurt us if we attempt a rescue?”  Fluttershy squeaked out as she hid behind her mane, “And Princess Celestia did say that she was being held on a ship out at sea. How are we supposed to get to her?”

“Leave that to me.” Celestia’s smile didn't look as reassuring as it normally did for the mares, “I placed a tracking spell on Twilight before she left in the event something happened. It is a very subtle spell and is still active as we speak. I cannot do anything to help Twilight directly, but I can use the location to help you get close without needing to use additional resources or extended travel time.”

“What do you plan to do, Princess?” Applejack asked. Celestia was proud beyond measure that the mares before her were already stepping up to help their friend. Then again, what should she have expected from the Bearers of Harmony?

“I will be placing an invisibility spell on all of you, along with a cloud-walking spell for the non-pegasi.” Celestia explained, “Then, I will teleport you to a location near the ship with a cloud to act as both transport and cover from the enemy troops. The flash of teleporting that distance will be bright, but with you five invisible to everypony but each other, they will assume that it is a false alarm. I will also be sending you just after my sun has risen, to help hide the flash of the teleport from the gryphons aboard.”

“So, once we find Twilight and free her,” Rainbow raised a hoof above her head, “how do we get back to shore?”

“Twilight is a powerful magic caster in her own right.” Celestia’s pride in her former student showed as her smile softened into a motherly grin, “She will be able to teleport you all back to shore once you free her from whatever is preventing her casting. Most likely an anti-magic ring has been placed on her horn, so removing that will allow her to transport you back.”

“Well, Ah say we get this show on the road!” Applejack yelled as she lowered the brim of her hat over her eyes, “Let’s git ready girls, and show these varmints who’s boss!”

“I couldn’t agree more, darling.” Rarity added, swiftly followed by Rainbow’s “Aw yeah!” Pinkie bounced on her hooves with her usual wide grin and Fluttershy did her best to look brave, even while shaking like a leaf. 

Celestia smiled as she nodded in acceptance, “Then rest, my little ponies, for tomorrow morning will be a difficult one. The castle staff are aware of the situation, but do not share anything with others outside these walls. I know that it will be hard to keep a secret, but right now we need to keep the ponies of Equestria calm so we can face this threat with level heads.  In the meantime, please enjoy the palace facilities as much as you like.  It should help to take your mind off things until our plan can be put into motion.”

The Bearers nodded and turned as a group to exit the throne room, leaving Celestia behind as they chatted about what they were going to do once they got Twilight back.  It did her heart good to see her ponies so optimistic, even in such a dire situation, but guilt still clung to her for leaving the mares in the dark about her sister. 

While the situation with Twilight was a dreadful thing and needed to be handled as quickly as possible to avoid disaster, the fact that Luna had been in a coma for the last several weeks with no signs of waking up worried her on a primal level. Luna had said that she would be searching the dream realm for the source of their troubles… and had not awoken since, leaving Celestia to ponder in fear that only grew with each passing day just what kind of threat they were dealing with, and how could they stop a being that could trap a pony in their dreams if they so choose?

Only time would tell if her gamble would prevail, and she prayed that the defeat of this mysterious benefactor would free her sister from her current state. Woe be to the creature that had harmed her ponies, especially to those that would dare to hurt her family.

Woe to her as she had no idea that it was not any creature she had ever encountered…or had any hope of predicting…
> 20 - Doubt
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kepler wasn’t sure if he was surprised or disgusted by the naiveté displayed by the Equestrian royalty, given the information Twilight was handing over to him on a silver platter. Had she not been under the influence of Chrysalis’ magic and therefore unable to lie, he would have assumed that what he had been told to be nothing short of a joke being made at his expense because of the sheer stupidity of it all. A gusty sigh escaped his lips as he regarded the mare before him; the benevolent pink merged with sickly green swirling in her half-lidded eyes and the innocent, sickeningly sweet smile frozen on her muzzle nearly made him gag and punch a hole in the wall every time he saw it.

At least his unease seemed to be shared by Gloria and the other gryphons who were there with him when the bug’s treatment of the pony royal happened; even thereafter, those outside the brig looked unsure as he and Gloria moved through the corridors with the young, hypnotized mare trailing behind them with a dreamy expression. While no one said anything, it was blatantly obvious that Kepler’s opinions on the matter were mirrored by his gryphon companions and crew mates; so much so, that everyone had seemingly forgotten Gloria’s desertion situation entirely; a minor boon that both heartened and disheartened Kepler. 

He had learned everything the mare knew about the Equestrians’ plans for countering the Tyr, and it was laughable in the extreme when he really thought about it. Sending a civilian, let alone a member of the royal family no less, to take on an entire ship’s worth of trained soldiers in the hopes of capturing and escaping with a single prisoner?  And to add even more icing on the proverbial suicide cake, they had no idea that he was even on the ship in the first place, so the plan to capture him had been crafted on the fly and only after Twilight had gotten aboard the ship?! The sheer stupidity of it all sounded like something out of a fantasy novel or an American comic book, not the actions of a country in the middle of a war.

The Yanks could've done better… wily, deceitful bastards.

Kepler sighed again as he turned to face the drone mare, her presence as his shadow both terrifying and comforting as he spoke, “Tell your queen that we have the information we need. The Equestrians have no idea what they are up against and are hopelessly unaware of how outmatched they truly are. We are standing by for our next mission and will continue to patrol the waters near the city until otherwise commanded.”

The drone nodded, her eyes shifting to those of her queen as Chrysalis took over the smaller changeling’s body, “My, my, such a surprising shame that the ponies aren’t going to put up more of a fight. I was hoping to at least enjoy a bit more of their pointless struggles before the war came to an end.”

“We're standing by and ready for the next phase,” Kepler curtly said, ignoring the will to throttle the mare before him, “does the king or command have another target for us or do we remain near the city harbor to protect the beachhead?”

The monarch’s smile dimmed into a slight frown, “You’re no fun at all when you don’t play along. Very well, to business. The king quieted the calls for peace once more in the capital; while the commanders of each branch have since come up with additional ideas to best break the fighting spirit of the Equestrians. They have decided your next target, Fillydelphia. You will be using almost the same tactics used in Manehattan, in that your ship will break the city defenses prior to our troops landing to oust the remaining population. While there is no major military presence in the city, there are many mercantile ships in port that supply the country with international goods. Your primary objective is to sink as many of them as possible while softening up the city in preparation for the next amphibious landing of soldiers. After we capture the city, you are to sail back to the Empire for rearmament and repairs, given the damage that was taken during your battle with the ironclad task group.  Understood?”

Kepler nodded, “Crystal, Your Highness.”

Chrysalis nodded before returning control to her drone, the mare’s blue lenses coming back as her queen’s presence faded. 

Kepler turned to his Korvettenkapitän, “Raise the ship’s alert status and prepare to set sail. We will make for Fillydelphia and prepare to support the troops’ landing as ordered. Get us underway as soon as the ship is prepared. I will join you in the bridge momentarily.”

Whiteclaw either wanted to get out of the room as quickly as possible, knew that Kepler wasn’t in a good mood, or a combination of the two, because the tercel didn’t even bother to salute before beating a hasty exit. Kepler waited until the clicking of his second-in-command’s claws faded into the background before speaking up, his gaze turning to Gloria as the hen stiffened slightly under his scrutiny.

“My love, I suggest you stay in my quarters for now, as I need to be on the bridge for the coming battle.” Kepler glanced at Twilight before turning back to Gloria, “Please keep an eye on the prisoner until I return. It wouldn’t be good for her to be wandering around the ship in the middle of a bombardment.” It would also help to keep the hen busy and out of the way of the sailors when crew morale needed to be as focused as possible. “Can you do that for me?”

Gloria nodded, a smile brightening her face as she saluted, “I’ll do my utmost to keep the prisoner out of the way.”

Kepler nodded in return, a smile gracing his features for a moment as he leaned up to kiss under her chin, a soft trill of pleasure being his reward, “I’ll be back soon, my love.  We can spend some time together after this battle is over.  Can you wait for me?”

A soft coo and a gentle nip of his right ear was his response, “I’ll wait as long as needed, my love.  Go do your thing and give those ponies a real showing of the most powerful ship in the world.”

Kepler smiled; how could he say no to that? “I’ll do my best. Stay safe, and I’ll be back soon.”

With that, he ducked out of the room, making his way to the bridge.  His thoughts quieted into a laser focus, his mind already running through the needed steps to get his ship ready for another bombardment. While they had taken damage from the fight with the Equestrian task group, the ship’s weapons were all still fully operational, so there shouldn’t be any issue attacking another port city.  The lack of a military base in the area also helped a lot, reducing the potential for retaliation to a minimum, thus providing the ship with nearly unlimited freedom to attack as they saw fit. However, Kepler knew that the tide of war can shift in an instant, so he was already making plans just in case trouble arose. Only a foolish commander would sail into battle unprepared, and he was not going to make that mistake so long as he had time to think ahead. 

The ship’s boilers roared as the mighty vessel got underway, the slowly sinking moon almost counting down to the next battle’s beginning.  Little did he know what surprises were in store for him, and the challenges that he would face upon the dawn of the next day. 





An eerie silence hung over the ship, the dim light of predawn highlighting the city before them as the Tyr turned to present its cannons for a broadside bombardment. Somehow, the city seemed to be unaware of their presence, which both relieved and exasperated the stallion in the same instant. Their country was currently in a state of war and yet no defenses had been prepared, nor were any obvious alarms being raised at their presence off the shore. Either the ponies were just that stupid, or something else was going on. 

Kepler inspected their target through his binoculars, spotting several large cargo ships in the nearby port, along with a smattering of smaller boats that most likely belonged to the local population. No military presence was to be found, as Chrysalis had predicted, meaning there was next to no threat to the Tyr that Kepler could see. 

Even so, something in his gut told the stallion that they weren’t completely safe, a sixth sense for warfare that he had developed in his last life, and one that had continued to serve him well in this new world. He lowered his binoculars and turned to the bridge crew, his tone firm and calm as he gave his orders.

“All turrets, prepare for shore bombardment.” A general din amongst the crew followed his words as he turned back to face the shore, his stomach twisting into knots as the sun began to rise over the cityscape before him. 

Suddenly, amidst the instructions being passed from the bridge to various sections of the ship, a cry echoed out from the radar operators, drawing Kepler’s attention along with every other member of the bridge command.

“Contact!” The operator yelled again, “A small signal just appeared off our starboard bow! Range is only five hundred meters!”

Kepler charged over to the front of the bridge, his binoculars forgotten at his station in his haste, fear flashing through his soul at the possibilities running through his mind. Could the Equestrians have snuck up on them? What kind of weapon were they planning to deploy? All these thoughts raced through his brain in an instant as he slid to a stop at the glass facing the indicated side of the ship, his eyes scanning the water for all threats. Yet, there was nothing there, save for a small cloud sitting off the starboard bow. No ships, no soldiers, nothing. 

Kepler was moments away from yelling at his radar operator for being incompetent when he caught movement out of the corner of his eye.  The small cloud that he had previously ignored was suddenly moving directly towards the ship, its movements being too rapid and linear to be a gust of wind. His eyes narrowed as the cloud came to a stop next to the railing on the starboard side of the main deck, small ripples shifting its surface in different sections before it suddenly puffed out of existence, as if it had never been there.

Kepler turned to face the crew, his eyes narrowed as he marched past them with a firm pace to his step, “Remain on standby, I have something I need to check on.” It could have been nothing, but knowing that ponies had magic as well as the ability to control the weather, he had an inkling of suspicion growing. Someone was trying to sneak aboard his ship again, and he had a pretty good idea what they were after. 

He made his way back to his quarters, finding Gloria and Twilight sitting opposite each other on the bed, the hen working through the mare’s mane with her claws, leaving the pony a puddle on the sheets as her glowing eyes partly closed in bliss.  Kepler paused, unsure if he should interrupt them, before realizing what he was doing and coughed into a fetlock to get their attention. 

Gloria jumped slightly while Twilight managed to get one eye fully open as the hen’s ministrations paused, “Oh! Master, you’ve returned!”

Twilight hopped off the bed and trotted over to his side, rubbing her coat against his flank as she purred, “How can I be of service to you, Master?”

Kepler had to push down the urge to throw up at her words, swallowing his hatred for the changeling queen for a moment as he focused on the task at hand, “Can you detect magic being used around you?”

Her beaming smile twisted the knife in his gut a bit tighter as she nodded, “Of course I can, almost every unicorn, and by extension alicorns, can detect magic use around them as the fluctuations of the magic field resonate with our horns.”

Kepler nodded, “Good, then can you detect if there is any magic being used on the ship right now?”

Twilight nodded again, “I can feel five separate magic signals clumped together near the brig.  I don’t know the exact spell work, but it feels like Haycart’s Not Notice Me Spell, only far more powerful.  Most likely an invisibility spell if I had to guess.”

Kepler sighed, “Well, it looks like we have a collection of stowaways on board, again.” He grumbled out the last part, having grown tired with the ponies’ vain attempts at infiltrating his ship. “Can you remove the spell from the infiltrators?”

Twilight nodded, “I would need to be closer to them, but a directed burst of magic should disrupt the matrix enough to destabilize the effect.”

Kepler smiled, “Well, that is good to know, given I have a feeling they are here to rescue you anyway.” He turned and stepped into the corridor, drawing the attention of his two guards, “Follow me, and keep a sharp eye out. We have stowaways on the ship, and we are going to give them a warmer welcome than they expected.”

“Sir!” The two tercels saluted in unison, readying their rifles, and moving to either side of the trio as Gloria and Twilight stepped in file behind Kepler. 

The small group moved as one through the innards of the ship, following Twilight’s directions while Kepler’s heart rate accelerated with every step.  They had no idea what amount of firepower they were dealing with, nor the skill of their opponents, and yet, Kepler couldn’t help the surge of excitement that ran through his veins at the prospect of seeing combat hand-to-hand, or rather, hoof to hoof.  He had been trained by the gryphon high command in multiple forms of armed and unarmed combat, some he had even adapted from his previous life to better suit his new form, so he wasn’t afraid of the coming fight. If anything, he was relishing the idea. 

Twilight came to a stop as they neared a corridor intersection near the brig, her whisper being just loud enough for even his oversensitive hearing, “The group is right around the corner. All five ponies are still together.”

“Can you detect if they are armed?” Kepler asked, also keeping his voice low.

Twilight shook her head, “My horn only picks up magic use, nothing more.”

Kepler nodded, turning to face the two guards as he drew his knife from under his left wing, “When the Princess breaks the invisibility on our enemies, I want you to fire a warning shot over the ponies’ heads, let’s see if we can scare them into surrendering before we kill them.”

“Why should we spare them, sir?” One guard asked, “they are enemies, shouldn’t we dispatch them as soon as possible?”

Kepler nodded, “Ordinarily, yes, but right now we need to know what the Equestrians are changing in their plans now that we’ve captured one of their princesses. Intel is the greatest power in a war, never forget that.”

“And if they attempt to kill us?” The other guard asked.

Kepler’s expression grew hard, and he inhaled sharply. Then nodded. “Then… do what you have to. I will not risk any aboard my crew over the potentiality of intelligence gathering.” He turned to the alicorn beside him, “Dispel the magic.”

The mare’s smile widened as her horn lit with a bright violet light, a collection of gasps leaking around the corner from several voices as their uninvited guests took notice of the lightshow. Kepler charged around the corner as soon as the magic pulsed forth, his steel combat knife flashing in the magic flare as the guards followed close behind him. His eyes tracked five ponies as the invisibility around their bodies rippled and faded from existence, his priority being the two pegasi while the guard duo charged for the earth ponies.  A thunderous boom echoed through the corridor as a bullet whizzed past the ponies, their hooves rushing to cover their ears as the thunderclap of gunfire forced the non-pegasi to their knees.  The lone unicorn looked too shocked by the sudden turn of events to react besides crying out in terror, so Kepler was unimpeded as his shoulder rammed into the side of the rainbow-maned mare before him. 

Cries of fear echoed through the corridor as the two groups clashed, Kepler’s hoof connecting with the muzzle of the mare under him as they battled for dominance, blood splattering from her nose as she ground her teeth and attempted to buck him off with her hind hooves.  Kepler rolled with the force and flipped himself over the mare’s head, rotating his foreleg to hook under her chin as his momentum carried him around and behind the pegasus’ back.  His second hoof secured the first while pressing the edge of his knife against the fur of her throat, the soft wheeze from her muzzle letting him know that he had effectively cut off her air. 

The mare bucked and pulled, trying to break his hold, but was losing ground quickly due to lack of oxygen.  Kepler rolled them over, so the mare was laying across his stomach with her wings pinned between their bodies, removing the only leverage she had and tightening his grip further.

Her hooves flailed this way and that, her elbow digging into his side more than once to try and loosen his hold, but Kepler forced through the discomfort, keeping his grip tight until the mare’s struggles began to fade.  The final elbow to his ribs was little more than a tap, followed by the mare’s limbs falling limp at her sides.  Kepler held the choke hold a second more just to be sure, before releasing the mare and standing up, his gaze falling on the other mares as the guards finished knocking out both earth ponies. 

As the adrenaline wore off, Kepler realized that the fight, if one could call it that, was little more than a one-sided scuffle, with the only true contender being his unconscious opponent.  In the two minutes since the fight had started, three of the five ponies were unconscious, one was shaking in terror while staring at her fellow pegasus with wide eyes, and the lone unicorn was hyperventilating while staring at the floor in front of her hooves.  All and all, a bloodless battle, if one didn’t count the drops running down the blue pegasus’ muzzle, and all five infiltrators accounted for. 

“Surrender,” Kepler tried to keep his tone level as he caught his breath, “or we will not hesitate to kill all of you.”

The butter yellow pegasus, jerked her tear-filled gaze towards him at his words, “How could you do it?”

Kepler tilted his head slightly, “Pardon?”

“How could you k-” the mare choked on her own words, fighting past tears as they streamed down her face, “How could you kill her!?!”

Kepler merely glanced over his shoulder at the unconscious mare behind him, “She isn’t dead, you know?”

This seemed to catch the sobbing mare of guard, “S-She isn’t?”

“No.” The single word seemed to make the mare deflate with relief, “Just unconscious.” The mare let out a high-pitched squeak as Kepler fixed her with a hard glare, “And if you want to keep it that way, you will surrender and submit yourself to me.”

The mare glanced at the others around her, seeing that the rest of her group was either out cold or unresponsive, “We surrender. Please, don’t hurt them any more.”

Kepler nodded, “Then snap the unicorn out of her shock, we will carry the rest to your cell.”

The mare hung her head low, her long pink mane hiding the majority of her face as she nodded.  Kepler watched as she walked over to the unicorn and whispered something into her ear, causing the white mare to shake her head a few times before focusing on her companion.

“Fluttershy,” the unicorn whispered, “is it over?”

“It is.” Kepler interjected before the pegasus could respond, “you are all my prisoners now, and if you want to keep your friends alive, I suggest you cooperate.”

The unicorn looked around, as if seeing the results of their conflict for the first time, the two earth ponies slung over the guards’ backs like trophies, the blue mare lying on the deck with a bloody snout, and the now-named Fluttershy hiding behind her back as much as possible.

The mare took all of this in before turning back to face Kepler, her eyes wondering over his form for a moment before smoothing into a calm mask, “Very well, it seems you have us at a disadvantage.”

“Seeing as your friend already surrendered for you it was a moot point,” Kepler replied, “but I suppose a consensus is reassuring.  Come,” he turned around and began walking towards the brig, pulling the blue pegasus onto his back as he went, “your cell is this way.”

The two mares shared a look before nodding to one another, falling in step behind Kepler as the two guards fell to the rear.  They marched past the hall where Gloria and Twilight were waiting, the two awake mares stopping dead in their tracks when they spotted the alicorn.

“Twilight!” Fluttershy yelled, “We need to get out of here!  They’ve got Applejack, Pinkie and Rainbow!”

The purple mare tilted her head to one side, a confused expression on her face, “Why would I want to leave? My Master is right here.”

Shock warred with confusion as all the wind left the pegasus’ sails, her wide eyes flickering across the alicorn’s face for any sign of deception.  A gasp escaped her muzzle when they locked onto the glow in the other mare’s gaze, understanding dawning on her as tears ran down her face.

“No. No, no, no, no, no!!” Fluttershy cried before turning to face Kepler, almost angrily. “What did you do to her?!”

“Nothing.” Kepler simply replied, then scowled. “But if you don’t get moving, I may not be as… lenient with your friends.”

The unicorn placed a hoof over the yellow mare’s withers, “It’s alright, dear… We can figure something out later.”

A shaking sigh escaped the yellow pegasus’s muzzle, her nod being the only response she seemed able to muster after all the excitement.  Kepler nodded as he directed the group once again towards the brig, the others following close behind as he motioned for them to enter one of the cells. The mares seemed to be completely spent as they shuffled past him, making room as he entered behind them and let the pegasus on his back slide to the floor. Her fellow winged companion was at her side the instant Kepler moved away, checking over the mare like a mother hen while the guards unceremoniously dropped their own cargo to the decking. The unicorn winced as the earth ponies bonelessly flopped on the unforgiving, cold, metallic floor but made no move to stop them as Kepler and his entourage exited the cell, locking the door behind them. 

Kepler nodded to the other security team members on duty as he exited the brig, getting firm salutes in response as he marched back up to the bridge.  Gloria gently directed Twilight back towards his quarters, leaving the stallion alone with his thoughts as he rejoined the command staff.  His introspection was so intense that he jumped slightly when Whiteclaw placed a paw on his shoulder, his questioning gaze speaking more than any words could.

Kepler shook his head, “The situation is handled for the moment.  Status of the ship?”

Whiteclaw hesitated, as if debating whether to press the issue or not, before sighing and standing at attention, “All weapons crews are ready for shore bombardment, we have confirmation that the second fleet of airships is nearing our position and will deploy troops once our attack has concluded. We await your order to begin, sir.”

Kepler nodded, turning his head to gaze upon the city nestled among the gentle hills upon the shore, wishing for once that war didn’t have to be so destructive. “You may fire when ready.”

Whiteclaw nodded, signaling the comms officer with a raised claw, swiftly followed by the thunderous bursts of fire and smoke that spelled doom for the ships and cargo in the nearby port.  Kepler watched the chaos unfold before him, and yet, felt strangely detached from it all, as if all of this was happening in a dream. A shake of his head was enough to focus his mind for the moment, but a nagging fear had wormed it way into his mind, and it wasn’t letting go anytime soon.

What would happen to him once the war came to an end?
> 21 - Changing Tides
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The bombardment and troop deployment into Fillydelphia went accordingly and smoothly, and from what his radar operators could see there were no hostile ships or aircraft nearby, thus giving Kepler the time he needed to shift his focus to more internal matters aboard the ship. He needed to plan out what to do next with the mares down below decks in the brig, because having multiple prisoners aboard the ship vastly increased the chances of something going wrong when he least expected it… 

And… Yet, he couldn’t figure out what the best course of action was.  He couldn’t simply release them, and there wasn’t a guarantee that they could be kept secure all the way back to the Empire for repair and resupply. The stallion was torn, knowing that there weren’t a lot of options and not a lot of time to choose, given their attack on the Equestrian port had concluded. 

Kepler turned toward Whiteclaw, beckoning him forward, “Korvettenkapitän.”

The tercel stood at attention, “Aye, Kapitän?” His expression calm and attentive.

“You have the conn until I return.” Kepler stated plainly.

“I have the conn, sir.” Whiteclaw completed the ritualistic reply, “What is our current course of action?” 

Kepler mulled over the question for a moment, then turned to address his second as he stood at the door leading from the bridge, “Secure the ship for oceanic travel, we're to return to the Empire once preparations are complete. In the meantime, a couple guards and I will see to our new arrivals in the brig.”

Whiteclaw blinked, “New arrivals, sir?” The tercel’s head tilted slightly to one side with a confused expression upon his beak, then a sudden flash of realization, “Equestrians?”

“Aye,” Kepler replied, nodding curtly, “we had another attempted boarding yesterday prior to our bombardment. Apparently, they were using that one cloud our radar operator spotted as cover to sneak aboard. They've been apprehended and secured in the brig so no need for concern at the moment.”

Whiteclaw nodded, “And now we need to figure out what to do with them before we return to the Empire.” Another salute was sent Kepler’s way, “Carry on, sir. I'll handle anything that arises while you deal with our guests.”

Kepler smiled softly, a burst of pride in his second for being there when needed, warming his heart with gratitude, “Thank you, Whiteclaw.”

Kepler departed the bridge and made his way back down to the brig, the standing guards on post in each corridor saluting as he passed. The cold metal atmosphere was already weighing down on his nerves as he made his way towards the cell block. The large, circular door, flanked on either side by two of the tallest and strongest guards aboard, was opened the moment they saw him. Kepler nodded his thanks to them as he passed, beckoning with a wing for them to follow, the duo falling in behind him before shutting the door.

He was surprised the moment he entered; the slam of unforgiving cold metal doing little to drown out the harsh tonality of an argument emanating from the cells within. At least some of the mares were apparently awake and coherent, although, because of the enclosed space, Kepler could barely make out exact words from even nearby due to the hollow, reverberating echo. Steadily, he walked up to the bars of the only occupied cell, the guards falling in step with him as he paused in full view of the five mares. Calmly, Kepler sat back on his haunches as he watched the mares talk—more like shouted—amongst themselves while the guards took up posts on either side of the cell. Despite being right in front of their cell, none of them had noticed him yet; too engrossed in their heated debate to pay attention to anything else, so Kepler took the time to observe, and more importantly, listen in on what they were saying. Wouldn’t hurt to gather a little extra intelligence ahead of his interrogation now, would it?

A loud thud echoed as one of the mares, the orange earth pony with the oddly American hat and accent, stomped her hoof against the deck, “Ah’m tellin’ ya’ll we should break out of this here cell and rescue Twilight before anything else happens!” She pressed, the blue pegasus beside her nodded vigorously along in agreement as they squared off against the white unicorn and the yellow pegasus, who stood opposite to them. He had yet to learn the names of the others, but hoped he might get that along with any relevant intelligence while the ponies argued amongst themselves.

Fluttershy, Kepler recalled the timid pegasus’ name from their earlier encounter, shooker head vigorously. The pink earth pony was sitting in the middle of the verbal spat, glancing back and forth between the two groups with an uncertain expression as the white unicorn replied with equal spite, a noticeably posh etiquette and British accent accompanying her words.

“You didn’t see what they did, Applejack!” Ah, so that was the orange mare’s name, Kepler mused, appropriate. Given the trio of apples on her sides, her name was a bit on the nose, “those brutes knocked both you and Pinkie Pie out without even breaking a sweat! We wouldn’t last five seconds outside of this cell!”

“Oh yeah, then what do you expect us to do, Rarity?” This time it was the rainbow-maned pegasus that spoke, “I just about had that cheating idiot when they choked me out!  I was about to kick some major gryphon flank and I want a rematch!”

“But they almost killed you, Rainbow Dash!” Fluttershy cried out in a higher pitch and volume than Kepler was expecting, making his ears wilt slightly. Her outburst brought the other pegasus to an abrupt halt as she lifted her head, tears streaming from her eyes, “T-That stallion could have k-killed you.” The bravado in her tone quickly died as more tears ran from her face, dripping to the floor like fearful stars.

“W-Well, I, um,” Rainbow Dash, if Kepler had heard correctly, seemed unable to form an argument against her companion’s statement, thus allowing the stallion to insert himself into the lull in the argument, his cold, smooth voice echoing in the silence of the hallway. 

“I could have,” Kepler’s words made all five mares’ heads snap up and turn in his direction, eyes widening on every face as he stood, “but killing civilians that are too obtuse to stay out of harm’s way is not how I operate.” He stared pointedly at the bristling cyan pegasus, “No matter how much your actions demand otherwise.”

“You cheated!” Rainbow yelled as Applejack held the irate mare back from charging the cell bars, “I would have kicked your flank if you hadn’t choked me out! That wasn’t fair!”

Kepler stared unbelievingly at the pegasus, trying to process her illogical statement for a few seconds. He stepped close to the bars, the bill of his hat tapping the metal, his hollow words spoken in a whisper, quieting the mares with their cold and incredulous delivery, “Fair? You attempted to infiltrate a military vessel, crewed by trained soldiers meant to kill any threats onboard, that is in a state of war against your nation, and you dare to talk about fairness?!” The stallion barely restricted his terse voice from rising, “Fair is not my problem. Nor is it of any consequence in warfare. It’s no wonder you ponies are hopelessly outmatched. You don’t even understand the meaning of what war is! You all lack the one thing that gives you even a remote chance at winning, no matter how small it may have been, thus proving how childish and stupid you all really are for even attempting this little rescue attempt.” 

At that, Applejack glared and shoved aside Rainbow Dash before stepping dangerously close to the bars, staring him down; Kepler had several inches of height and stature over her, but her display was almost intimidating even with her slightly smaller frame. 

“And what do we lack,” She demanded, stepping closer until the brim of her own hat touched the bars across from his, “that is so gosh darn important to win a war?”

Kepler matched her hard glare with an even colder one of his own, his lips pulling back to bare his sharp fangs in tandem with his words, enunciating each cutting syllable, “Killing instinct.”

Those words caused all five mares to recoil, making him scoff quietly, “You lot really are hopeless… You can’t expect to win a war without taking lives… to believe anything else is the height of naiveté, or stupidity, either one really. How in the hell you managed to fend off threats to your nation for this long defies any form of logic or reason.”

“Hey!” Pinkie Pie spoke up for the first time, her expression a chastising frown. “We saved Equestria a bunch of times, Mr. Meanie McMeanie-pants! We didn’t have to kill anypony to do it before!”

“Ah, yes, these so-called ‘threats’ to your home that you and the Princess defeated so easily.” Kepler replied, “To be honest I don’t think they were all that you make them out to be, if a group of five civilians and a moronic royal brat can take them out without a scratch.” Kepler paused as another thought entirely entered his mind, his lips gracing a small smirk, “Except one… Sombra. King Sombra, yes? You practically vaporized him. So much for not killing anyone. Looks like you and your princess-”

Kepler took a single step back, unflinching, as Rainbow rocketed up to the bars of the cell, the metal shuddering slightly as her hooves shot through and tried to punch the air mere centimeters from where his face once was, “Don’t talk about Twilight like that! I’ll beat you to a pulp for what you did to her!”

Kepler’s calm demeanor never left his face as the mare’s hooves wildly swung back and forth, “And what, pray tell, do I do to her that made you so angry?”

“Fluttershy told us about how you’ve brainwashed Twilight into doing what you say.” Applejack stated bluntly, “How she follows ya ‘round like a lost puppy and does whatever ya’ll command.”

Kepler breathed through his nose in a silent sigh as Rainbow seemed unwilling to give up her failed assault anytime soon, instead leaning around the flailing limbs in front of his muzzle to address the mare directly, “I did nothing of the sort, my dear; all I command is my wings,” he shot out his leathery appendages, “my crew,” he pointed at the guards behind him, all standing and nodding in acknowledgement, “and nothing more. I may be able to instruct the princess on what tasks to perform, but she is not mine to control as you assume.” He stared the mare before him down, his eyes unblinking and his countenance a mask of clinical neutrality; the expression alone making the orange mare quail and step back very slowly while the other mares were brought up short by his next words. “I personally loathe the thought of utilizing such tactics, effective though they may be.”

Confusion replaced fury as their minds processed that. A shared glance between the mares showing him how little they understood the statement.

Finally, Fluttershy spoke from behind her long mane, “Then… who did?”

“That would be me…” An involuntary shiver ran up Kepler’s spine as the cockroach drone sauntered up right next to him, rubbing her side against his as her gaze traveled over the mares before her, her eyes shifting to a pair of sickeningly familiar emerald orbs, “So lovely to see you all again. What has it been, two, three years since my changelings bested you in Canterlot?” 

Applejack shook herself out of her stumped stupor and walked up to the bars again, facing the changeling monarch with a resolute glare, “That’s not how Ah remember it, Yer Highness.” she growled, “Ah distinctly recall ya’ll gettin’ yer flanks hoofed to you on a platter and blasted out of the city by Princess Cadence and Shining Armor.”

The insectile monarch scoffed at the accusation, “A lucky break that will not best me again. Not this time.” A sinister laugh escaped her muzzle as her whip-like tongue ran along her fanged lips, “Oh, I am so looking forward to tasting your fear when the time comes. It will be so delightful to watch your fall into despair at the bitter end.”

“Enough.” Kepler’s voice empathically cut through the mares’ bickering, “What do you mean? Explain yourself, Chrysalis.”

The changeling barely glanced at him before turning back to the ponies in the cell, “For your crimes against my kingdom, and for attacking a ship belonging to an allied nation of mine, you five will be sentenced to death, to be carried out at first light by a firing squad prior to our departure for Empire waters.” 

Kepler was rendered speechless by the audacious certainty as well as the boldness within that statement alone; the guards themselves looked equally as stunned as both of them simultaneously glanced at the bug before turning their gazes to Kepler, who stared back at the changeling monarch with his jaw agape.

Silent terror overcame the mares before them; tears streamed down the cheeks of Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy, while Applejack and Rainbow Dash sat back on their haunches, numb and unable to stand as the changeling’s words registered.

Kepler, on the other hand, was furious as he regained his voice, “And on whose authority are you making those decisions?! Last I checked I am the commander of this ship, and as such these mares are under my jurisdiction!”

Chrysalis glanced at him with barely a turn of her head, a flat expression on her muzzle that radiated power and contempt, “Do you really think I care, little bat?” 

At that, he snarled and whirled on her, “I answer to the king, the Empire. NOT YOU!”

His declaration had no effect on the mare before him, her expression remaining a perfect, sadistic, haughty grin as she replied simply, “You seem to think that they are not one and the same. I speak in your king’s place aboard this vessel. You will do as you are told, or you shall have what little freedoms you have earned taken from you, or need I remind you about your little friend on the upper decks who you care so much about?” 

Kepler laughed in disbelief, “That is a dangerous game to play, bug. If he were to ask you, no, no, ME what am I doing with my ship and its crew, and found out that you had overstepped your authority, you would be faced with the possibility of being left out of this conflict, or worse…” he stared her down and grinned menacingly at her. “Be careful what you do next, Your Highness, because it could very well spell doom for your own kingdom.”

The changeling seemed to ponder his words carefully for a moment, her lips curling into a frown, a spark of hope igniting in Kepler before it was swiftly snuffed out as her savage grin returned with a vengeance.

“I think I’ll take my chances, little bat.” Chrysalis snidely replied, her sadistic grin making the stallion sick to his stomach as she turned her gaze back to the mares before them.

Kepler’s blood ran cold as his jaw dropped, for once completely at a loss for words. He couldn’t believe that this, this bitch, this monstrous tyrant, would be so brazen as to demand outright murder as retribution. As JUSTICE!

He stood there, unable to form a response as the changeling spoke, a cold and murderous gleam in her eyes and her lips a vicious snarl as she hissed out her words, “I will relish your demise, and take great delight in watching Celestia’s face contort in agony when she hears what her foolishness has wrought. I will let you have these final hours to ruminate on your impending deaths, so embrace your terror, drown in your sorrow. It will be delightful to partake in the veritable feast your final goodbyes will bring forth and will watch on with glee as your blood paints this ship red in the morning. I-” 

“SHUT THE HELL UP! GUARDS!” Kepler roared, infuriated, storming angrily up to her and towering over the undersized, queen-controlled drone; his eyes blazing murder, the guards training their weapons upon the drone, cold metallic mechanisms locking into place, becoming the only sound in the cells.

Chrysalis raised her head, her calm and calculating visage returning as she matched his glare with an unrepentant gaze, “You can kill my drones as much as you like, but it will do nothing except delay the inevitable. I am inevitable. Now get out of my way.”

Kepler stepped closer to her, his snout grazing the drone's, “No… I have them here onboard, and guarded by my best.” His left ear flicked back at the duo of guards behind him before his eyes returned to Chrysalis’; the guards in turn moved, in sync, a step closer to the squared off beings, rifles at the ready. “What can you do, so far away? Your pests here are nothing more than target practice if they were to try and take these girls out of my care.”

“Because I have Princess Sparkle, remember?” Was the simple reply, making Kepler freeze inside. “She is mine to control as I see fit, and will kill her friends as readily as she breathes if I command her to do so. She would smile as she painted her friend’s guts about your ship, and would be delighted after doing so because it would please me.”

One young guard beside Kepler snorted and scoffed, saying. “I very much doubt that little mare could do much of anything against us.”

The drone shifted her glare to the guards, causing them to stiffen in response, “You say that, but you have no idea what she is truly capable of. I can get her to stop your hearts from beating in your sleep. You can’t fathom the power of an alicorn when they aren’t restrained by that pesky little thing you call morals. DO NOT TEST ME!” 

Her hard stare and thunderous words were enough to make the guards stand down, if begrudgingly. Chrysalis’ snarl shifted back to a sickening sweet smile as her gaze turned to Kepler once more, “Now, are you going to be a good little bat and let me have my way, or do I need to have little Twilight come down here and give a demonstration?” 

Kepler opened and closed his mouth, drilling into her eyes with his own, filled with immense disgust and pure loathing; his pupils slitted, and fangs bared completely as his lips parted. If looks could kill, then the disgusting monstrosity before him would be twelve feet under already at the very least. A growl. A very deep and guttural one, unnaturally so, rumbled within Kepler’s torso as he gritted out his words, “No, that will be all, Your Highness.”

Though the drone’s startled eyes widened slightly once again and the guards jabbed at her more eagerly, Chrysalis’ malevolent smirk never left her lips as she turned away, her drone’s tail swatting at Kepler’s face playfully as she walked towards the brig’s exit, her hoof falls silent but her final words, hollow and cold with pure malice, rung loudly through the cell block; all the while not looking back to see their aghast looks of fear as she left her shocked audience behind, “Nopony is coming to save you this time, little ponies. I personally guarantee that you cannot escape the abyss… Your time in the spotlight has ended, Elements of Harmony. The stage is mine now, and your final curtain call is here.”

The bulkhead leading out of the brig crashed shut with a resounding finality, the silence left in its wake settling over the ponies like a dark blanket. All the while, Kepler remained where he was. Still internally reeling because of this turn of events, emotions jumbled and his mind awhirl with uncertainty and circumstance. He couldn’t bring himself to turn away from the door the changeling had just left through, couldn’t make himself look at the mares in the cell next to him. 

His ears flattened and flinched; the quietude broken by the muffled sobbing of three of the five mares, the absolute feeling of hopelessness that was permeating the atmosphere over them all weighed down on his shoulders… 

Did she really mean that? Could it have come this far if he hadn’t done what he had? If anything, could he have changed it? The biggest question reigning overall through his mind was the most troubling of all.

What was he supposed to do now?

Kepler closed his eyes, grinding his fangs together as he marched out of the brig, his sensitive hearing still picking up the terrified wails of the mares even long after his departure. His heart pounded and clenched relentlessly in frustration, too exhausted to think straight and mentally worn to the point where he could barely put one hoof in front of the other. His conscience demanded vindication, knowing he should have taken action that very moment, consequences be damned to bloodshot hell. Guilt haunted his every step, even though he knew it wouldn’t have helped, for having done nothing. He barely paid any attention to where his hooves were taking him, not even aware of his surroundings, seemingly having only made a circle in his tracks as he dragged on shamefully in his dazed state.  

He paused only when a set of claws rested gently on his shoulder. Kepler returned to reality to find that he had wandered aimlessly in his mental fog, somehow finding his way into the storage bays in the hold of the ship, boxes and crates of various sizes surrounding him as he turned to face who had stopped his mindless march. He was surprised to see the faces of Gloria, Whiteclaw and a few other members of the command staff. Much to his internal relief (and guilt for feeling so), Twilight was noticeably absent from Gloria’s side.

“We heard what happened in the brig.” Whiteclaw stated plainly as he relinquished his grip on Kepler’s shoulder, “Part of the crew has heard the bugs’ murmuring about something happening tomorrow, that the Equestrians are… to be executed by firing squad at first light?” The room went deathly silent at his words, like none wanted to believe it was real.

Kepler nodded, “It is true. That bug wants them killed at the dawn's first light. Chrysalis bid it so.”

“On whose authority?” Whiteclaw asked tentatively. 

Kepler shook his head, a heavy sigh escaping his lips, “No, her own.”

The tercel seemed to pick up on his dower mood, “Why are you down here all alone, sir? What has happened?”

“The damned bitch has taken it upon herself to act in the king’s stead while he is politicking; all for petty revenge ‘cause she got smacked outside by her own food supply.” A soft chuckle, short lived though it was, worked its way past his lips before dying a swift death. The stallion looked at the crew present around him, confusion breaking through the fog of his depressed state.

“Don't mind me, but… What exactly are you all doing here?” Kepler asked, his tone tired and defeated, “Chrysalis has made it clear that I am not the one in charge of the Equestrians’ fates. Does it matter why I am down here when you all should be-”

“But you’re still our Kapitän!” One of the comms officers, a hen, cried out, “We follow your orders, not some insufferable bug!”

A round of agreement from the others followed the hen’s words; warmth filled Kepler’s chest and traveled up his throat as his heart swelled with pride anew. He blinked rapidly to stop the oncoming tears in his eyes, he'd be damned if he were to cry in front of his crew. “Thank you.” He managed to force out, swallowing deeply and breathing heavily. “You have no idea how much that means to me.” Gloria went to hug him but halted partway and instead smiled warmly over the Korvettenkapitän’s shoulder.

A set of claws once again gripped his shoulders reassuringly, “So… what are your orders, Kapitän?” Whiteclaw inquired, a resolute fire in his eyes, mirrored by the rest of the crew present.

Kepler’s own gaze hardened, doffing his cap to wipe his misty eyes with the back of his fetlock before donning it once again, firmly setting it straight before nodding curtly at them, “We can’t afford to lose the ship, not with so many changelings… or collaborators on board. I refuse to let  that… that… murderous and monstrous insect dictate or take any of my crew away from me, or cause the ruthless murder of innocents on my ship. We can’t let things stay as they are. Not without my jurisdiction, on my watch.” A collection of thumps erupted in the air as the crew pound their chests with clenched claws, their support fervently shown in their salutes.

Once all settled down, it was Gloria who asked the question begging to be answered in everyone's minds. “What do we do Ke- Kapitän.” She caught and corrected herself mid-word.

Kepler was at a loss for a few seconds, before suddenly, a thought that had laid dormant in the stallion’s mind resurfaced, brought forth by his rising spirits, “I know what we must do.”

“Sir?” Whiteclaw’s head tilted slightly in uncertainty.

Kepler motioned for everyone to move closer, “This is the plan… I will escape with the Equestrians tonight.” That caused the gathered gryphons to fall still.

Kepler forestalled any argument as he quickly added, “Hear me out, please, I swear it will make sense once I explain.” Thankfully, the gathered crew withheld their thoughts, for the moment.  Kepler took a deep breath to settle his nerves before beginning again, “Using one of our life rafts, I will make my way to shore with the ponies, turn myself in to their government, and give the ponies what they need to fight against the Tyr on even footing. It will take time, but with my knowledge and their magic, we might just be able to pull it off. I don’t expect them to trust me, not after all that I’ve done against them, but the alternative is unacceptable. In the meantime, I want all of you to continue on as normal. That insect will most likely brand me a traitor and take control of the ship in my absence. Let her.”

His words were met with bristling feathers on all sides, “You expect us to roll over and take her command like weaklings?!” Kepler couldn’t see the tercel that spoke but could see the ripple of agreement that ran through the gathered gryphons around him.

“No.” The finality in his tone cut through the growing agitation like a knife, “I expect you to continue to act with the honor and bravery I have seen from you all and expect you to be ready when the time is right.  My plan is to take out the… unnecessary cargo crew onboard the Tyr, to level the playing field on the mainland with better weapons and tactics, but most importantly, to remove the changelings from the equation entirely.”

Silence met his words, “And how exactly are you going to do that?”  Whiteclaw asked in uncertainty, even as Kepler remained resolute, “The changelings will never give up so easily. How can you take them out of the war when they make up a good portion of the crew?”

Kepler’s fangs flashed in the dim lighting of the hold, “Chrysalis shall die by my hooves. With her removed, those bugs will have no choice but to abandon the conflict or capitulate. I will personally see to it that she never sees daylight again.”

Muffled gasps met his words, “You’re certain you can do that?” Doubt was heavy in Whiteclaw’s voice, “She can best an alicorn in magical might, and is a master of infiltration.  She could slit your throat while you sleep, and you would never see it coming.”

“She won’t,” Kepler could feel his confidence growing with each word, “because her pride wouldn't allow it. She’s so wrapped up in herself that she won’t be able to kill me without proving a point. She will meet me on the battlefield, and I will see to it that she does not walk away.”

“That places a lot of trust in you, sir,” a younger hen spoke up this time, one of the new recruits, “how do we know you won’t betray us to the ponies?”

“You don’t.” Shocked caws met his words, but Kepler assuaged their worries with a wave of his wings before the mood could sour, “I've no other means of proving my loyalty aside from my words that I speak right now. I only ask you this: Why would I say anything to you if I planned to betray you? What could I stand to gain by unveiling my intentions before they even began?”

“You gain nothing,” Whiteclaw realized, “but by putting yourself at a great risk, sir… If even one of us were to reveal your plans, you would be joining the Equestrians before the firing squad come morning.”

“Exactly.” Kepler nodded, a small knowing smile adorning his lips, “My trust in you all, and my honor as a citizen of the Empire, that is why I am telling you this. I can’t do it all alone, as much as my pride may say otherwise.” A round of chuckles met his words, “There are hidden dangers even amongst the other crew, so be careful who you share this information with. Some of the other gryphons may side with our insect adversaries. I-We need allies to see this through, and I trust the honor of my comrades, my crew, my friends, above all else in this world.  I have seen you all do your part to help your fellow gryphons prosper. Help me to set this right, and we can regain the honor that we lost by allowing those insects to run amok on our ship!”

Cheers met his words, and Kepler’s chest swelled with hope and happiness as he turned to his second, “Whiteclaw,” he firmly thumped his hoof against his chest in salute, “it has been an honor serving beside you. Lead the others well in my absence and be ready to move when I return.”

The claws of every gryphon present thumped against their chests once more, returning his salute with equal and renewed fervor, “We won’t let you down, sir. This isn’t a goodbye, I hope, just until next time.”

Kepler was about to turn away but was stopped as Gloria stepped forward. He had a feeling he knew what his beloved was about to say, and his feelings for her only grew as she smiled down at him, “I’m going with you.”

Another round of chuckles and a few catcalls met her words, a smirk finding its way to Kepler’s lips as he replied, “It will be risky.”

“I relish the challenge.” Was her grinning response.

“You would be branded a traitor.” Kepler retorted.

“I’m already a deserter,” Gloria’s grin only grew, “why not go all out?”

Kepler laughed, “You’re impossible, you know that?”

A quick peck against his lips was met by a few cheers from the other crew, “Then it’s a good thing I chose someone equally as impossible as my mate.” That earned a coo from some of the hens and a hoot from a lot of the tercels present.

Kepler’s face warmed slightly at the declaration, his words catching in his throat briefly as he strived to maintain his composure, “T-Then we had best prepare on our way. Time is short and we have much to do.”

Gloria nodded, followed by the other crew members in attendance.  Whiteclaw stepped forward and grasped Kepler’s foreleg in a paw, his hard gaze boring deep into Kepler’s own.

“Come back in one piece, sir,” his words were hard even as a grin spread across his beak, “that’s an order. Not an option.”

A hearty laugh escaped the stallion’s muzzle, “A bit presumptuous to order a superior officer, wouldn't you think?”

Whiteclaw’s smirk never faltered, “Makes it even more important to not break it, wouldn’t you agree, sir?”

Kepler shook his head as he glanced around at the gathered gryphons, his comrades, his crewmates, his friends, “Thank you, all of you. You honor me with your support, and I will do my utmost to live up to your expectations. Tonight, we make a stand, a coup, even if a tad delayed. Tonight, we chart our own course in these hard times, and together, we will be victors. Bide your time and wait for the perfect opportunity to present itself. I will return to you all, you have my word as a soldier, and as your Kapitän.”

“You heard the Kapitän,” Whiteclaw raised his voice to address the others, “to your posts!  Let’s make sure these insects don’t get any bright ideas once the Kapitän is not present.”

A cheer ran through the gathered gryphons a final time before they made their way back out of the hold, leaving Kepler and Gloria on their own as the stallion turned to face his beloved.

“So, it looks like we get to start that little stint of ours ahead of schedule.” Kepler quipped as he rubbed his head under Gloria’s chin.

The hen trilled softly as she nipped his ear in response, “Looks like it.  Are you ready to make history?”

Kepler nodded as he pulled away, “We will begin at nightfall. Meet me by the brig entrance with the princess. I have an idea of how we can get off the ship without drawing unwanted attention.”

“I’ll be there, my love.” A much more passionate kiss passed between the two for several moments, leaving both gasping for air as they separated, “And once we have some time to ourselves, I want my… boyfriend to show me how much he loves me.”

Kepler’s face ignited in a blush, “You mean…”

Gloria smiled and nodded once, “I want to be with you, now and forever.  I couldn’t imagine being with another male in that way. Please, the first chance we have, make me yours.”

Kepler swallowed thickly, “Well it would be quite rude of me to deny a lady such a request.” He bowed his head with a theatrical flare of his wings, “It shall be done, my love. The first chance we have.”

Gloria giggled as he straightened, pulling him into a firm embrace with both forelegs and wings, “I love you, Kepler Hans Wolff. Don’t ever forget that.”

Kepler returned the hug as much as he could from his confines, “And I love you, Gloria Sage Windcutter. Always and forever…”





Outside the ship, Celestia’s sun began its descent below the waves, illuminating the ship and water with a warm, soothing light. Kepler wasn’t sure how things would go once they reached Equestria, but he knew for a fact that he couldn’t allow the Equestrians to perish under his watch. It would defile the very nature of who he was as a person, and would taint not just his honor, but that of his comrades, both current and past, who stood beside him even in the darkest of times. 

Tonight, he would set free his captives from the pending omen of death. Tonight, he would make an example of those that tried to dominate his destiny. Tonight, he would forge his own pathway in life from the flames of valor and the indomitable, unbroken iron will that humanity was notorious for. No matter what, his decision was final, and he'd be willing to die trying if he couldn't.
> 22 - Shifting Loyalty
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A blanket of silence hung over the ocean’s waves as they lapped gently against the hull of the mighty vessel, the moon and scattered stars providing most of the light aboard the sleeping ship as Kepler made his way towards the brig. His heart thundered in his chest in stark contrast to the calm around him, and his breathing was shallow with anticipation of what was to come. The very idea of what he was about to do was enough to send adrenaline pumping through his veins, his steps hurried yet as quiet as possible so as not to draw unwanted attention. The halls of the ship were mostly empty, thanks to the late hour and the lack of imminent attack from the Equestrians, thus providing Kepler with the best opportunity he had for accomplishing his goal. He also had a sneaking suspicion that Whiteclaw and the other gryphons who were in the know were doing what they could to make his task easier, although he had no way of confirming his thoughts at the present.

The stallion’s journey through the ship’s interior was thankfully uneventful, nary a soul in sight from the moment he left the hold. His hoof carefully opened the latch on the solid steel bulkhead, the door leading to the brig swinging open with a mild groan. The heavy door fought Kepler’s grip as he slowly closed the opening behind him once he had entered the dreary corridor, his eyes slowly acclimating to the gloom. Once his vision adjusted, the stallion immediately spotted Gloria standing a few paces further down the hall, along with Princess Twilight, who perked up with a gleeful smile upon spotting him.

“Oh! Master, you’re here.” Kepler had to resist pushing the mare away from his person as the alicorn rubbed her flank along his right side, her swirling eyes still glowing with their sickly green and pink pattern.

Kepler turned toward Gloria as he did his best to ignore the mare rubbing along his body like an oversized cat, “The guards?”

Gloria smiled, “Seems that Whiteclaw was able to give us some help. The guards had to take a ‘bathroom break’ right as I got here with Twilight. We shouldn’t have any issue moving forward.”

Kepler nodded as he retrieved the key ring that had been helpfully left on the desk adjacent to the brig entrance, “Then let’s not waste any time.  We have a lot to do and very little time to work with.”

The trio made their way to the cell containing the rest of the wayward Equestrians, finding that none of them had been able to get to sleep. Not that Kepler blamed them, with the imminent shadow of death hanging over their heads. Applejack and Rainbow were the first to spot their group as they stepped up to the cell bars, the pegasus’ wings flaring in anger as both mares’ ears folded back.

“What are you doing here?” Rainbow hissed out, her words catching the attention of the other mares.

“You shall see in a moment…” Kepler took a half step back and raised his hoof, bringing it down like a hammer against the base of Twilight’s neck, the hypnotized mare letting out a soft grunt before her eyes rolled up and back, her body falling limp to the decking as the other mares cried out in shock.

“What did you do that for?!” Applejack yelled, “She couldn’t do anything – ”

“Shut up and listen for a second before you get us all caught.” Kepler interjected, silencing the mare with a hard smack of his hoof against the bars of the cell, “I’m only going to explain this once, so listen carefully. I’m not going to stand by and let that insect murder the lot of you. Stupid and naïve you may be, but you’re still civilians who don’t deserve to die. I knocked out Twilight so she can’t alert the changelings to our plan, but I’m going to need all your help if we are going to get you back to Equestria in one piece.”

Stunned silence met his words, before Fluttershy of all ponies managed to speak up, “You mean, you’re going to set us free?”

Gloria mirrored Kepler’s smile, “Better yet, we’re coming with you so we can help you level the playing field in this war. Chrysalis has kicked a hornet’s nest and doesn’t even realize how much trouble she just pushed into motion.”

Applejack narrowed her eyes at Kepler, “And why should we trust anything y’all have to say?”

“Because it’s that or the firing squad.” Was Kepler’s blunt reply.

The five mares shared several looks between each other, before Rarity turned to face the stallion, a firm determination in her expression, “What do we need to do?”

“Well, for starters, could one of you carry the Princess for me?” Kepler quipped as he unlocked the cell door, swinging the solid plate open as quietly as he could, “She’s light enough but I need my hooves free in case we run into trouble on the way out.”

Applejack rolled her eyes as she pulled the alicorn onto her withers, the other mares quickly following the orange earth pony into the corridor, “Ah got this, ain’t no trouble when compared to barrels of apples back home.”

Kepler nodded, “Then follow me, and keep quiet, the last thing we need is one of the changelings to catch us out and about.”

The group slowly worked their way through the halls of the ship’s interior, taking side corridors and less used pathways to avoid as much of the night watch as possible. Most of the crew were asleep, but that meant that there was less background noise to cover up their movements. Multiple times Kepler ground his fangs together in frustration when one of the mares’ hooves would crack loudly against a bulkhead frame or the constant click clack as they walked over the metal decking. Oversensitive his hearing might be, but even a braindead deaf could detect these mares coming a mile away.

Somehow, through either sheer dumb luck or divine intervention, the group made it up to the main deck without being caught. Kepler directed them towards the stern where some of the lifeboats were secured, praying that their luck would hold out. The group had just arrived and was preparing one of the rafts to deploy, when a deep, satisfied voice called out from the shadows behind them.

“Well, well, well,” Kepler spun around as the others froze in their actions, the hulking form of the Feldgendarmerie that had initially detained Gloria materializing from the space between the two aft turrets, “what do we have here? A traitor, a soon-to-be-flightless deserter, and a collection of dead meat.”

Kepler spoke swiftly and softly as the grinning tercel approached, “Ready the raft and cast off without me. I’ll catch up as soon as I can after I deal with our unwanted company.”

“You can’t fight him alone,” Gloria hissed in reply, “he’ll kill you.”

Kepler’s scalding glare was enough to make the hen shrink back for a moment, “We don’t have a choice right now. The Equestrian’s safety comes before everything else.” He softened the glare with a quick kiss and a gentle push, “Go on, my love, I’ll be right behind you.”

Kepler turned back to face the massive gryphon as Gloria rushed to help the ponies launch the lifeboat, drawing his knife from its sheath on his side with a hoof, “Been a while, Feldgendarmerie. I don’t suppose you would be willing to look the other way and pretend you never saw us?”

The tercel’s grin never faltered, his eyes lighting up with almost sadistic glee upon seeing Kepler’s knife glint in the moonlight, “Fat chance of that. I never liked you, even when you were working for us, I never thought that you would be anything of use.” The two began to circle each other, Kepler’s gaze remaining locked on his adversary even as the others rushed to get the lifeboat in the water. “Now I see you as the truly pathetic little pony you really are, without honor and without loyalty to anyone but yourself.”

His words cut deep, and had Kepler been alone he might have succeeded in goading the stallion into an attack.  However, given their current circumstances, all the gryphon’s barbed insults did was harden Kepler’s resolve. “Big words from such a hypocrite buffoon. You say I am without honor, yet you would stand by and watch as civilians are murdered in cold blood upon the ship you serve. What happened to your warrior spirit, or did the changelings drain that too along with whatever brains you once had?”

A sound not unlike nails on a chalkboard made Kepler wince as the tercel’s claws screeched against the metal of the deck, his eyes narrowed in fury as his wings flared wide, “I have more spirit in one talon than you have in your entire body! You dare to question my skills?! I’ll paint the deck with your blood and make your little chicken of a mate watch as you beg me for mercy!”

Kepler’s lips pulled back into a grin of his own as a loud splash was heard from behind the circling duo, “You mean the little chicken that is currently sailing for shore with your prisoners?”

As expected, the moron jerked his head towards the sound behind him, leaving himself wide open as Kepler’s wings rose and dropped in a powerful downstroke, hurling the smaller stallion directly at the distracted gryphon. The idiot realized his mistake a second too late as Kepler’s knife plunged into the side of his neck, digging deep and cutting off his startled squawk with a thick gurgling of blood. Kepler released his grip on the blade, ducking under the wild swipe of the larger creature’s talons and jumping back with another swift pump of his wings. He landed in a ready stance in case his adversary managed to make a counterattack, but it proved unnecessary as thick bubbles of crimson rose from within the tercel’s beak.  His talons weakly pulled at the combat knife still embedded in his neck, but it did little besides hastening his demise as his legs collapsed under him. One foreleg reached towards Kepler, seemingly in a final attempt to kill his enemy, before falling limp to the decking, a stream of blood running from his gaping beak to begin pooling on the metal below his cooling body.

Kepler waited for a moment, just to be sure, before walking up to the corpse and jerking his blade free, the wet sound of metal against flesh making his stomach churn a time or two. He washed what he could of the tercel’s blood off the blade with his enemy’s fur before sheathing the weapon and taking to the air. His wings carried him over the side railing and towards the shore, his searching gaze finding the bobbing form of the lifeboat in seconds as he shifted his course to intercept. 

The ponies jerked slightly in surprise as he landed, while Gloria rushed over and enveloped him in a tight hug. Kepler rubbed the hen’s side with a hoof for a moment before gently pushing her back, his gaze locking with the Equestrians’ as they continued towards the distant Fillydelphia shore.

“So, now what?” Rainbow Dash asked as Gloria took over steering the lifeboat from Pinkie Pie, who had somehow been operating the foreign engine’s controls without any issue.

“We make our way to shore and then head inland.” Kepler replied, “The city should still be occupying the landing troops’ attention so if we make landfall further up the coast, we should be able to sneak around and into Equestrian lines.”

“Then what? Y'all just gon ta surrender yerselves and hope for the best?” Applejack questioned.

“I plan to surrender myself to your forces, yes,” Kepler nodded, “but with the intention of being brought before your princess so that I can explain myself to her directly.”

“And why would we let you anywhere near Princess Celestia,” Rarity countered, her horn sparking dangerously as she aimed it at the unperturbed stallion, “after everything you’ve done to Twilight?”

“Because I am the only hope you have of stopping the Tyr and preventing further atrocities from happening.” Was his calm reply, “I also know what has happened to Princess Luna, and have a plan to free her along with your friend.”

Kepler raised an eyebrow at the confused looks being shared between the Equestrians, “You didn’t know? Hmph, it seems you’ve been kept in the dark even more than I expected.”

“What have you done to Princess Luna?!” Rainbow Dash growled, at least having the sense to keep her voice down as her wings flared wide, Applejack taking an aggressive stance at her side while Fluttershy and Rarity watched on.

“I did nothing to her,” Kepler answered, “but I do know what happened to her, given I was a witness to her capture. Right now, she is being held hostage in the Dream Realm by Chrysalis and her changelings, and as such is in far more danger than your friend ever was.”

“But I thought the Dream Realm was just where ponies went when they slept,” Fluttershy inquired, “why would Princess Luna be in danger there?”

“Because any wounds sustained in the Realm are translated to her real body, or so I’ve been told.” Kepler’s words were met with a barrage of terrified gasps, “However, I don’t think Chrysalis will outright kill Princess Luna, as she is worth far too much as a hostage. My guess is that she will simply keep the Princess trapped in the Dream Realm as an ace in the hole, should her plans start to fail. Meaning we have time to figure out a rescue, once we deal with the Tyr.”

Stunned silence followed his words, broken only by the soft hum of the engine and the gentle lap of the waves against the lifeboat’s side.  Kepler turned and sat down beside Gloria, leaving the Equestrians to themselves at the bow of the skiff as they traversed the remainder of the distance to shore. The tension in the air rose steadily as they neared the city, the amber glow of fires and the distant sounds of gunfire reaching their ears even as they turned towards the shore north of the harbor. Everyone kept an eye out for danger as the hull of the skiff scraped along the sand, coming to a stop against the shore with a dense forest barely a hundred meters from the water. 

“Alright, we need to make our way inland,” Kepler whispered, waiting until the Equestrians had disembarked with Twilight resting over Applejack’s withers once more, “Once we get past the troops attacking the city, we’ll need to secure transport to the capital.”

“Then we had best get moving.” Rarity’s voice was soft as well, likely due to the echoing cracks of gunfire still audible from the nearby city.

The forest was thankfully thick in canopy but sparse in underbrush, allowing for the group to make decent speed without risk of being spotted from above. Kepler and Gloria followed the ponies from behind, given they were in unfamiliar territory, as well as to avoid being attacked on sight should they encounter an Equestrian group. They marched for what felt like several hours, but was likely less than one, before coming to the edge of the forest. Kepler snuck to the edge of the tree line to scout for any gryphon troops but was instead met with the sight of what appeared to be an Equestrian forward operating base. Tents littered the ground beyond the forest’s edge, surrounded by hastily constructed defenses such as pitfalls and sharpened wooden spikes, although Kepler wondered at the effectiveness of such embankments when the enemy could simply fly over them. 

There appeared to be a few hundred ponies if the size of the camp was anything to go by, the glint of gold armor reflecting the light of nearby torches as patrols walked the perimeter in pairs. Kepler noted several weaknesses in their defensive line but quickly reminded himself that he wasn’t here to attack the ponies. He made his way back to their group and passed on what he had seen, raising an eyebrow when Applejack pulled out several lengths of rope.

“And what are you going to do with those?” He had a pretty good idea already but wanted to be sure.

“Well y'all can’t exactly march in there like ya own the place,” The earth pony rolled her eyes, “and Ah still don’t trust y’all much more than Ah can throw ya, so if ya want to prove that y'all were serious about turning yerselves in, then let us take ya prisoner fer real.”

Kepler shared a glance with Gloria, who simply shrugged in response. “Very well, just please don’t tie them too tight, I would rather avoid getting rope burn anywhere uncomfortable.”

Applejack nodded, looping a section of rope around his barrel, securing his wings to his sides but not to the point of pain. Next, his fore and hind legs were hobbled together, with a length leftover around his neck for the earth pony to hold onto. Gloria was given a similar treatment, although her talons and beak were left unsecured after Kepler raised an eyebrow at the Stetsoned mare. Applejack had the decency to blush in embarrassment before grabbing the two ropes hanging from their necks, leading the duo towards the Equestrian camp while the others flanked them on either side. Rainbow had taken over carrying Twilight while Applejack led Kepler and Gloria, the stallion doing his best to not look too ridiculous as the ponies behind the defensive wall took notice of their approach. A din of hastily called orders and a flurry of movement rose from the camp as several pegasi took to the air, surrounding the group with spears and crossbows at the ready. 

Kepler noted that many of the soldiers were giving him strange looks, as was expected, but thankfully none were eager to attack them as the leader of the squad barked out from the front, “Halt! State your business here!”

Kepler rolled his eyes at the obvious question, but kept his mouth shut as Applejack replied, “We are the Elements of Harmony, sent on a mission by Princess Celestia to find and capture the ones behind the new weapons the gryphons are using against us.”

The commander, after glancing at Kepler and Gloria in their trussed-up state, lifted a hoof before marching up to glare into the stallion’s face as the other pegasi stood down around them.

“So, you’re the one who’s been behind all this.” Kepler noted that the mare was a good head and a half shorter than him but did his best not to roll his eyes as the smaller pony sized him up, “Honestly I was expecting something a bit more, monstrous.”

“I would say the same, but that would imply I ever considered you a true threat.” Kepler’s voice had a bit more bite than he intended, but it seemed to amuse the mare more than anything.

“You’ve got steel, I’ll give you that.” Another hoof signal and a duo of soldiers took the ropes from Applejack as the commander turned to the other Elements, “So, what can we do for you?  I take it you need transport to Canterlot as soon as possible?”

“That would be much appreciated,” Rarity smiled warmly as the group was escorted into the camp proper, “we need to get Princess Twilight and these two prisoners to the capital as quickly as possible.”

A worried expression crossed the commander’s face as she spotted the unconscious form of Twilight still laid out across Rainbow’s back, “Does the Princess need medical attention? We don’t have the best facilities, but our medics could take care of things here if needed.”

“I’m afraid Princess Twilight is under a powerful spell,” Rarity replied, her ears folding against her head as she cast a worried glance of her own at the limp alicorn, “one that we fear may require Princess Celestia to break.”

“Say no more,” the commander’s hoof rose in a swift salute, “we’ll have you all on the first train out of here in the morning. Sergeant!”

“Ma’am?” A younger unicorn stallion answered from their right.

“I need you to escort our guests to a tent so they can rest and get some food in them. Make sure they have everything they need so they can be ready to leave first thing in the morning.” The orders were delivered with crisp professionalism, the tone of an experienced commander who expected their orders to be followed. Kepler was not impressed.

“Yes Ma’am, right away Ma’am!” Kepler pitied the poor lad; it was obvious the nervous stallion was fresh out of training and was not used to being away from home. War was harsh on everyone, but none more so than the youth who had to face death far too soon in life.

Kepler and Gloria were escorted under heavy guard to the other side of the camp, where they were secured in irons instead of the rope Applejack had used, with thick metal bands locked around their wings to pin them in place. Gloria was forced to endure a muzzle around her beak and heavy leather bindings over her talons, much to Kepler’s annoyance, even though he knew why the restraints were implemented. Both were then chained to a metal post near the center of the camp, where they were subjected to the insults and snide comments of the passing soldiers as night wore on. Gloria hid behind Kepler as much as she could, while the stallion endured the verbal abuse without complaint. He understood the reason for their hate, doing what he could to comfort Gloria as the moon passed overhead, and reminded himself with every barbed insult or glob of spit that landed in the dirt around them, that it was his fault when all was said and done that all of this had happened. 

Neither of them got any sleep, and as the sun rose in the east, Kepler struggled to maintain his dignity as they were led to a nearby train station, the jabs to his ribs and forceful tugs on the chain around his neck turning the easy walk into a slog. Gloria got it worse, likely because of her species, and Kepler vowed to make it up to her as soon as he could, however possible.

The Elements rode the train in one of the passenger cars, Princess Twilight being kept asleep with a potent spell to avoid any problems from her condition, while Kepler and Gloria were secured in a cell in the car adjacent. Three squads of soldiers watched over them as the train sped along the tracks, and for the first time since he left the Tyr, Kepler was afraid. Not of the ponies around them, although they were much more intimidating without his knife, but of what awaited them at the capital. As much as he laughed and griped at the stupidity of the royal family, they still had enough magical might to move the celestial bodies around the planet, which would be more than enough to vaporize Kepler if they so choose. 

Kepler had never been a religious man in his previous life, but in that moment, he felt like he was about to go before God to answer for his sins. The feeling was not a pleasant one, as a cold sweat ran down his neck as the morning light illuminated the shining spires of Canterlot, the gilded city looming above them like a holy hammer, ready to crush them under the weight of their crimes.

Geeze, he really needed to get some sleep, he was starting to write poetry in his delirium.

The train slowed to a halt at the station, a heavy hiss of steam signaling their arrival as the group was escorted off the train. The Elements led the group while Kepler and Gloria followed behind, two rings of soldiers surrounding the group while a smaller detail escorted Kepler and Gloria personally.  Kepler did his best to ignore the ponies around them, instead attempting to memorize the layout of the city itself, before shifting his attention to the castle before them. Inside the massive marble structure, was the rest of the royal family, the ones who would judge him for his actions, and the ones he had to convince to let him go free. A tall order to be sure, but a challenge he felt he could overcome. Only time would tell if he was right, and only Fate knew the outcome of his choices. The Elements carried on through the castle as the giant front gates were closed behind them, while he and Gloria were directed down another hallway until they arrived in the castle dungeons.

A heavy lock secured their cell, and the restraints were left on their bodies as the soldiers left, leaving the duo in the dim light of a single torch as the door to the dungeon slammed shut. A few moments of silence hung in the air, the rapid shifts from one location to another coupled with the stress of the situation as a whole having taken their toll on the stallion. A quick glance at his companion told Kepler all he needed to know about Gloria’s state of mind, the muzzled hen shaking in her restraints as her eyes darted from one side to another. Kepler walked over to Gloria, rubbing her face as best he could with the muzzle in the way, a soft hum escaping her beak as he leaned up to kiss her between the eyes. Her shaking didn’t stop, but it thankfully lessened as her gaze locked onto his, the fear in them fading slightly as he spoke in a soothing whisper.

“We’ll get through this, my love.” His voice sounded unnaturally loud in the silent cell, “Please bear with it for a bit longer.”

Gloria nodded, a smile gracing the corners of her beak as she lay down on the wooden plank that pretended to be a bed as it hung from the left wall, her breath slowing into sleep almost immediately. Kepler very much wanted to join her, but being in the center of the pony capital, knowing that interrogation was guaranteed to happen sooner than later, his nerves were far too wound up to even entertain the idea of sleep. Instead, he sat down on the floor next to Gloria, rubbing her side with one hoof as he pondered his options.

The steady drip of water on some distant stone, and the faint crackle of the torch across the hall every few minutes were the only sounds in the dungeon, Kepler’s ears turning this way and that in anticipation of the ponies’ return. Minutes melted into hours, at least in the stallion’s mind, his hoof never ceasing its tender strokes over Gloria’s form, until the heavy groan of the dungeon door interrupted his errant thoughts. 

His gaze lifted from Gloria’s sleeping face, taking in the presence of the Element Bearers, sans Twilight, before shifting to the much larger bulk of the white alicorn standing at the fore of the group. Her rose eyes bore into him with equal parts curiosity and anger, her multicolored mane rippling violently on a nonexistent wind. Kepler could feel the power radiating off her body like heat from a bonfire, yet he maintained his confident poise even as his heart beat a pounding rhythm in his chest.  He couldn’t show weakness, not now.

“My subjects tell me you have done many things,” the alicorn’s voice was warm like the sun emblazoned on her flank yet held a hard edge as she glanced between him and Gloria, “some that I would hardly believe had it not been the Elements who said it was true. So, tell me, young stallion, what exactly do you plan to do now?”

Kepler swallowed thickly, feeling that he was once again in a battle of wits against a much stronger opponent, with his life on the line should he fail to convince his adversary of his intentions. The changeling queen was terrifying in her own right, but even her anger and cunning paled in comparison to the literal sun’s fury standing before him now. His gaze shifted back to Gloria, who had yet to awaken, clenched his jaw in resolve, and turned to face the solar storm with his own steel spirit.

“Princess Celestia,” His voice carried clear and strong between them, his back straight and his head held high as he met her gaze with every ounce of his conviction, “I’ve come to bargain.”
> 23 - Roll for Charisma
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

For several moments after his proclamation, silence hung over the gathered beings, his gaze never wavering from the piercing rose glare of Celestia. The alicorn’s emotions were impossible to read behind her regal mask, although Kepler did notice her tail lash once before falling still. Tension grew as the mighty mare remained quiet, with even the Element Bearers shifting from nervous energy in the lingering silence. 

Finally, after seemingly an eternity, Celestia spoke, “Why?”

Kepler was caught off guard by the simple question, having expected a tirade or barrage of pointed accusations. His head tilted slightly as he replied, “Pardon? I don’t understand.”

Celestia stepped forward, her height dwarfing the stallion as she glared at him through the cell bars, “Why are you here? What could you possibly gain from surrendering yourself to us? I know what you told the Bearers,” she interjected as Kepler opened his mouth to retort, “but I know Chrysalis would never allow you to leave the ship alive if you planned to betray her. So, I ask again, why are you here?”

Kepler bristled at the alabaster mare’s words but calmed himself a moment later. He knew that what he had done seemed illogical and foolish in the extreme, so why wouldn’t the Equestrians suspect a trap or plot behind his actions? He hardly believed it himself and yet now he had to convince the ruler of his enemies that he was on their side. Kepler’s mind raced as he held the larger pony’s gaze, trying not to show how hard his heart was pounding within his chest.

He had just opened his mouth to reply when his ears perked, having caught a ruffle of feathers and metal from his left. Gloria had shifted where she lay, a quiet squeak having escaped her restrained beak as she sat up to press herself against the wall. Kepler broke the staring contest that had captured his attention, turning towards the quivering hen and feeling his heart break when he noticed that the shivers of fear from before were back with a vengeance. 

The barbed retort that had been brewing in his mind died swiftly as he walked away from the bars, doing his best to ignore the burning stares on the back of his head as he climbed onto the wood bench beside Gloria, his wings enveloping what he could of the shaking gryphon in a hug. He gently turned her head and pressed it against his chest, hiding the ponies from her sight in hopes it would calm her panic a little.

“It’s okay, my love.” He whispered the words just loud enough for her to hear, “You are safe. I won’t let anything happen to you; I swear it on my life.”

Kepler turned back towards Celestia as he continued to hold Gloria, thankfully feeling the shakes and shivers of fear fading away, if not entirely. The mare’s hard gaze had softened slightly, her eyes shifting from him to Gloria and back again as he comforted the hen.

“You want to know why I’m here?” Kepler’s reply seemed to surprise the alicorn, her head shaking once before her regal mask reasserted itself over her expression, “I am here because I could not stand by and let innocents be murdered when there was a chance I could do something about it. That insect,” Kepler felt his blood rise in anger at the very thought of the changeling queen, “was going to murder the Bearers in cold blood because of her personal grudge against them. She had promised that Gloria would be safe if the gryphon command demanded I hand her over for punishment, but I could never condone the killing of innocents, of any race, nor could I trust her to keep her word if she was willing to go that far for a vendetta.”

“And yet,” the heat had returned to Celestia’s voice as she spoke, her mane and tail flaring red and orange in her anger, “you waged war against my little ponies, and for what?  Two of my cities are under siege, thousands of civilians are being chased from their homes and fleeing inland from the terrors that you unleashed, my sister is being held hostage in the Dream Realm where I cannot assist her, and Twilight has been poisoned with changeling magic.” A very horse-like snort escaped her muzzle as her glare bore holes in Kepler’s head, “You and the hen will be tried before a royal tribune, so that the ponies you have wronged may decide your fate.” The pastel colors returned to her mane and tail as her head rose again to her full height, her expression hardening as the regal mask stared down at them with contempt, “Your trial will be held at noon tomorrow. Ruminate on your actions until that time.”

Kepler stood and walked over to the bars as the ponies turned to leave, “That’s it?! You aren’t even going to listen to what I have to say?” His temper rose as the mares continued to walk away without turning back, “I came here to help you, betrayed my vow of loyalty, and put my life on the line for your citizens!” Still, they did not look back, even as Celestia’s magic enveloped the dungeon door to allow them to exit.

Kepler’s fury boiled over as he screamed at the top of his lungs, “You are a fool, Celestia! A God-damned moronic hypocrite!”

The heavy slam of the dungeon door was his only reply as the echo of his words bounced several times off the cell walls. A snort of contempt escaped his own muzzle as the stallion turned away from the bars, his head hung low and his breathing sharp as his anger vented itself to the uncaring stone. He was moments away from punching the wall in his barely restrained fury but was brought up short by a large wing resting over his withers. 

Kepler’s gaze snapped up to find Gloria’s cool expression mere centimeters from his own, her calm a soothing wave to wash over the fires of his anger. Kepler took a second to breathe deeply, tempering the inferno within until he could think straight once more. 

A gusty breath escaped his mouth in a rush, “Thank you, my love. I’m sorry you had to see me lose my temper like that.” 

Gloria obviously couldn’t reply with words, but instead held him close to her body, mirroring the hug he had used mere minutes ago to calm her fear, now returned to sooth the spite and frustration in him.

Kepler sighed as his muzzle pressed against the fluff of his lover’s chest, “I’m sorry this has happened the way it has.  I never expected the ponies to outright ignore me. Now I don’t know what I can do to rectify the situation.”

Gloria pushed him back slightly and lifted his head with a talon under his chin, her smile still shining through the muzzle clamped over her face, her eyes alight with pride and hope even while fear ran an undercurrent in her gaze.

A smile of his own lifted the corners of his mouth, a soft chuckle escaping as he flashed a fanged grin, “Heh, even without words, you always know what to say to keep my head on straight.” And there was the fluff again as Gloria pulled him close once more, “Thank you. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

Gloria only held him tighter in response, but that was all that he needed.	 





The time leading up to the trial passed both in a blink and seemed to drag on for eternity, simultaneously driving the duo mad with impatience but also providing the needed solitude to plan out what was going to happen once the trial began.  Kepler had no idea what kind of court they would be subjected to, but with the small hints Celestia was able to provide in her anger, he suspected that they were going to be presented to the ponies of the nation in a grand spectacle, which worked in his favor perfectly if proven true.

At the appointed hour, not that there was much way to tell time’s passage in the windowless cell, a contingent of no less than twenty guards in royal gold armor marched into the cell block, opening the door and wordlessly escorting them up and into the halls of the castle proper. There were no other ponies in the corridors leading to what Kepler presumed was the courtroom, giving him the ability to take in the gilded architecture and the overly flamboyant trappings that seemed to clutter the castle like an interior decorator’s worst nightmare.  There was so much color and overly dramatic patterns every way the stallion looked that he ended up just staring at the back of the guard in front of him to tune out the overstimulating mess.

A large set of double doors, carved into intricate patterns and at least thrice his height, loomed before them like the gates to heaven, or hell, depending on your perspective. Above the entranceway, inlaid with bright gold paint, were the words ‘Verum in Harmonia’, which felt very ironic to the stallion after he thought about it. 

 “Hmph,” he muttered to himself as the doors were swung outwards by the magic of two guards, “the only ‘truth in harmony’ is that the people will never be free if no one can disagree with the established rules.”

A hoof smacked him on the back of the head, “Quiet, prisoner.”

Kepler endured the blow with dignity as he simply lifted his head again, holding it high as the group was escorted into the courtroom itself, his gaze the only part of his body to move about as he took in the gathered beings around them.

Grandstands on either side, sectioned off from the main floor by low metal rails, seated what appeared to be the general population, with ponies of every color of the rainbow watching his entrance with guarded eyes. A long, red carpet divided the room down the middle, leading to a semi-circular rail that had anchors in the floor to secure restraints too, leaving the accused standing alone, surrounded by those that wanted to see them suffer. In the corners of the room, turned to face the stand, were two smaller sections of seating, gilded with jewels and other finery.  Given the aloof and overly dressed status of those seated here, Kepler was under no illusions that the nobility had come in droves to see his punishment. 

Directly in front of him, raised above the floor on a large marble slab, was the judge’s stand, wherein a weathered mare with cold, green eyes looked down on him with disdain. Her shorter, dark blue mane contrasted with her slate gray fur, and the black judge’s robes that covered most of her body added even further to her imposing figure.

Seated on a balcony above and behind the judge’s stand, Celestia sat upon a mahogany throne while the Bearers watched on from her sides.  Two other ponies that Kepler had not met before were seated in the Royal Box as well, the duo consisting of a bright pink alicorn with a long, multicolored mane, and a white unicorn stallion with two-tone blue for his mane.  Both looked at him like he was the scum of the earth, and had Kepler given a damn about their opinions, he might have felt intimidated. 

Now, he was just bored by the pomp and ceremony that was turning this court into a circus.

The guards brought both Kepler and Gloria over to the stand, securing their chains to the fasteners behind the railing before moving out of the way to stand post by the various walls.  A short, lanky stallion with a much-too flamboyant coat and vest, stepped forth from a side door and lifted a scroll in his amber magic.

“We now call this court to order.” The poor boy’s voice was barely past what Kepler would call a foal’s squeak, although given the professional air about the lad he guessed that the young stallion was probably trained for this.  Still, it made his head spin that they would have a child announce the proceedings of a grand trial, but who was he to question the stupidity of those around him.

“Today the accused before you will be judged by the ponies of Equestria, for their crimes committed against the citizens of Manehattan and Fillydelphia, as well as the unprovoked acts of war they have performed against our nation as a whole.” A breath to fill his lungs paused the colt before he continued, “The accused are charged with conspiracy, second- and first-degree murder, wanton destruction of property, foalnapping, assault of royalty in both physical and metal…”

Kepler tuned out the rest of the long list of charges, his gaze locking with Celestia’s as her royal mask bore down on him from above.  He knew what was going on, and he knew just the right way to get out of it.  He just had to wait for the perfect moment.

“…and finally, the overall destruction of the nation’s peace and harmony.”  Finally, the poor colt looked like he was about to pass out, “The Honorable Judge Case Closed presiding, with Princess Celestia, Princess Cadence and Prince-Consort Shining Armor as royal witnesses.”

So those were the names of the other ponies.  Kepler made note of the other royals before the judge’s gavel slammed down thrice, “Everypony has heard the charges levied against the accused, now, we shall ask for their response.” 

The judge waved a guard forward, the clink of keys echoing in the quiet courtroom as the mare reached up and removed the muzzle silencing Gloria, the hen working her jaw a few times to get the stiffness out as the guard moved back to her post by the right-side noble’s seating.

“You stand before the houses and citizens of Equestria,” Case Closed continued, “accused of many terrible and heinous things.  Assaulting and performing dark magic on Princess Twilight as an example.” Murmurs passed between many ponies at that, nearly making Kepler roll his eyes at how rigged this trial was, “We ask you now, before the might of our Princesses, how do you plead?”

 Kepler glanced at Gloria, who nodded in return, before turning back to the judge, “Guilty.”

Shocked whispers followed his statement, even cracking the regal mask on Celestia’s face for a moment as the judge reeled in surprise.

“Y-You mean that you admit to doing all of those things?”  Case Closed was apparently having a hard time processing this turn of events. Oh, if only they had a clue.

Kepler raised his voice to be heard across the entire space, “Let me clarify, so that there is no misunderstanding. I am pleading guilty, not because of whether or not I actually did all those things, but because I know that no matter what I say, you all have made up your minds regardless.” His gaze lifted to match Celestia’s in a firm glare, “All because your perfect Goddess sees to watch me burn for hurting her daughter.”

Cries of outrage rang out, taking several impacts of Case’s gavel to quiet, even as Celestia’s mane and tail flickered with hints of red and orange, “You will address Her Highness with the respect she is due!”

“Why?” That single word brought the entire court to a dead quiet where Case’s gavel had failed, “What respect do I owe to a pony who has done nothing but put her own citizens in danger, blatantly ignored a potential ally, ignorantly caused the near starvation of not one but two nations, and then has the gall to put the blame on the only being who can provide Equestria with the means to protect itself. I don’t see a perfect Goddess like all of you. I see a flawed, bitter, arrogant old hag who is so wrapped up in her ideals of harmony and obsession with her ‘little ponies’ that she would happily watch the rest of the world burn. She doesn’t deserve my respect, and frankly, the fact that you all blindly follow her because of what she is has made me question my offer of aid. If you can't see that your Princess is anything less than perfect, then I don’t need to wait for a verdict, I’ll have Gloria rip my throat out right here and now, just so you don't have the satisfaction of drawing out this farce to please your so-called ruler.”

The silence that hung over the court after his speech was so thick, one could hear the soft clink of Gloria’s chains across the grand space, so shocked were the ponies present.

Finally, the silence was broken, not by Case, nor by Celestia, but by the most unassuming pony Kepler could have expected. “Do you really think that?”

Kepler’s gaze was drawn upwards again, as a butter yellow pegasus softly floated down to the courtroom floor, her single visible eye watering with unshed tears as she looked up at him from behind her mane, “You would really go so far, because you think that ponies aren’t worth saving?”

Kepler’s expression softened in an instant, his head shaking side to side slowly, “No, I don’t believe ponies are beyond saving. Neither you nor I would be here if that were the case.”

The court watched on in silent fascination, although Kepler noted some confusion in those around them as his words registered. Good, he hoped that they would notice his little hint.

“Then why did you do all of those things?” Fluttershy pressed, her head lifting as a firm light ignited in her one teal orb, “Why would you attack Equestria when we never did anything to you?!”

Kepler paused before replying, letting her words sink into the crowd before he spoke, “Because Equestria isn’t the perfect place you think it is. The world isn’t so black and white that ponies are the good ones and everything else is the enemy. I fought with the gryphons because their kingdom is starving, they have barely enough food to feed their people and the necessary magic stones to help balance their economy are only available from Equestria.”

“But why not just ask for help?” Her head tilted sideways in confusion.

“Because that is not our way.” Gloria spoke up for the first time, the weight of her words carrying through the court with ease, “We are a prideful race, we know that, but to ask for help would be admitting weakness. I understand that there are better ways to get what we need, but simply put, anyone who suggested such a thing would be laughed out of office at best, or outright killed at worst.” A couple gasps met her explanation, “We attacked Equestria not because Kepler told us to, but because we had no other option. We are starving and our kingdom is falling apart, but the prices of magic stones are so high and so tightly controlled by the few suppliers that we cannot afford to import more, else we force our citizens to go hungry.”

“Why does it matter what happens to a few feathered hybrids?” One of the nobles spoke up from the left side, “Ponies are the superior race and you lot should be honored to accept whatever magic we choose to share with you, regardless of cost.”

Kepler bristled and noticed several commoners do the same at the idiot’s wording. “Said the pony whose coffers get filled through the suffering of another kingdom. I can see now why Celestia has such an inflated opinion of herself and her nation, it’s because of pompous fools like you clogging the court with your moronic ideas and greed.” Kepler lifted his head to see that Celestia’s mane was beginning to spark much more frequently, and the corner of her mouth kept twitching downward.

Perfect, “I came here, betraying my vow of loyalty to the Empire, rescuing not just Princess Twilight but also saving the lives of the other Element Bearers from execution,” more gasps followed his proclamation, further cemented by Fluttershy’s nod of agreement, “offered my knowledge to level the playing field between Equestria and the Empire, and even provided valuable information concerning the foes you face and what they plan to do next.”

Kepler let that sink in for a moment, “And what does your Princess do with that? Throws it back in my face, drags me before this farce of a court, disregards the fact that her own ponies are to blame for the situation they are in, and seeks to push all the blame onto my shoulders, just to save face and to maintain her illusion of a perfect nation.” Kepler pushed on, even as Celestia’s mane ignited, causing the other ponies around her to jump back from the heat, “Your nation is at war because of her pride, her arrogance, and her inability to face the fact that all of the strife, all of the suffering, every little pony that has gone through hardship, everything is her fault!!!”

“SILENCE!!!”

Celestia’s voice echoed like a thunderclap, bouncing off the walls several times as those nearest to her covered their ears. A flash of magic and Celestia disappeared from the Royal Box, reappearing directly in front of Kepler, causing Gloria to fall over with a squawk of surprise.

Kepler slowly lifted his head, ignoring the blistering heat that radiated off the alicorn’s mane as it whipped back and forth in a frenzied wind of its own creation, “Can I help you?”

The mare’s eyes were like diamonds as she glared into what seemed to be Kepler’s very soul, “You dare to put the blame on me?  I have lived a thousand lifetimes compared to you. I have seen more suffering and more pain than any creature that has walked this planet, done more for my nation than anyone could ever know, watched as those I loved withered and died while I stayed young. You have the gall to lecture me on how I choose to run my nation? You don’t know the first thing about what it is like, or what must be done to ensure that my citizens can live the peaceful, happy lives that they deserve.”

Kepler lifted an eyebrow, “Even if the rest of the world has to suffer to make it happen?”

“It doesn’t matter! Not if my little ponies can prosper!” Celestia’s lips pulled back into a snarl, her wings flaring wide and magic sparking on her horn.

“I-Is it true?” Celestia spun around, her gaze falling onto Fluttershy, who squeaked in fear and hid behind her mane as the alicorn’s fury was directed her way.

In an instant, the anger in Celestia disappeared, snuffed out as she realized what she had just said, “I, I didn’t mean…”

Her gaze lifted to the Royal Box, where the other Element Bearers were staring at her in shock, Princess Cadence and Shining Armor’s surprised expressions slowly shifting over to anger. The nobles, while still maintaining their arrogant bluster, were also shaking badly in their gilded finery at the raw fury and power the alicorn had just displayed. The common pony, who had all moved as far away as their seating would allow, were all staring at their princess, shocked, afraid, and most importantly, ashamed.

Checkmate. Kepler didn’t say anything, didn’t move as Gloria picked herself up and hid behind the smaller stallion, didn’t turn to look at anything or anyone else, only stared at the alabaster mare as she fully realized what she had just done.

“I’ll be in my cell, should you have need of me.” Kepler stated plainly, turning his head to one of the guards, jerking it for them to approach.

At first the guard didn’t move, her fearful gaze shifting to Celestia before returning to the stallion. Kepler jerked his head once again, this time followed by the mare slowly approaching, even as her gaze flickered to the shell-shocked alicorn standing next to Kepler multiple times. The mare, along with several of the other guards, quickly undid the latches keeping the two secured to the floor, escorting them out as the other Bearers and Royals made their way down to the central floor, wherein Celestia was still standing.

Alone.