Demons & Nightmares, M4, Pt. 1


                                            >While you and Nightmare Moon sleep side-by-side next to the corvette's slipspace drive, you straddle her back as she glides through the dreamscape at the speed of thought

                                            >At some point the small fleet had transitioned from the firmament in which the planet Equis resides to the populated galaxy Chrysalis was shunted into

                                            >Screening well ahead of the two ships, the two of you search for a adequate place to drop out of this galaxy's unused slipspace

                                            >Since the dreamscape doesn't care for dimensions, you look for people dreaming


                                            >According to Luna's observations the dreamscape is perceived by everyone in a way that makes sense to the individual, albeit with a few core rules

                                            >Many perceptions are very similar while a few exceptions can drive an ill-prepared outside observer insane

                                            >To Luna and Nightmare Moon, the dreamscape appears as the cloudless night sky with Equestria underneath

                                            >Nebulae and clusters of "stars" are formed wherever ponies sleep in close proximity

                                            >To you it is just the void

                                            >The black around small dream bubbles to you is the ultimate unknown

                                            >Every threat that your imagination conjures up is just behind you, below you, above you, and just beyond the black in front of your eyes

                                            >Staying out of sight for now, but yet at the same time sliding leisurely closer


                                            >Now, with you and Nightmare together, it is a mix

                                            >The void is there beyond the dreams, but the demure dream bubbles are now bright colorful stars

                                            >The location of the individual stars roughly equates to the individual's physical location

                                            >And since it's an entire galaxy filled with people who dream, the dreamscape to you two is practically a map of this particular Milky Way


                                            >Nightmare aims for a remote system in Alliance space, her speed and focus unrestricted by the distance from her body

                                            >You both scan the dream stars of people sleeping on transiting ships, orbital stations, and some of the planets themselves

                                            >Some are bright, some are dim

                                            >Some small, some large, some fluctuating

                                            >Every color and color combination can be found in one star or another

                                            >Some allow you to see into the dream, some are opaque

                                            >Each of these attributes display the state of mind for that individual, and the meanings can be different for each person

                                            >Luna and Nightmare Moon have the best intuition for all of this

                                            >You are learning, but for the most part you go along for the ride

                                            >Now, when you're passing another planet, it's you who spots someone's-no, somepony's dream that doesn't belong

                                            >In its center you see a white unicorn on a wooden stage


                                            >You tap the side of Nightmare's neck

                                            >She turns and looks at where you're pointing

                                            >In the next instance the two of you are accelerating towards a planet's surface where a pink and white dream is shining

                                            >Both of you are so focused on the young mare's dream that a moving star, likely one of a hover car's dozing passenger, clips Nightmare's legs

                                            >She gets yanked out from under you instantly

                                            >Surprised, you continue on and meteor into the target a moment later


                                            >Luckily the physics of this dream is forgiving

                                            >You don't crunch and bounce, but flatten into a paper-thin pancake face-down onto furnished wood

                                            >You strain to peel your face off of the floor, but once you do your body pops back to its normal shapes

                                            >You look up

                                            >Sweetie Bell is standing at the front of the stage, performing warm ups with her voice

                                            >Beyond is a massive old theater

                                            >All of the thousands of red seats are empty, though the stage lights are on

                                            >You stand up slowly

                                            >Despite it being a cartoonish dream, you feel sore from that fall

                                            >You look up, but don't see your partner descending from the stage's rafters

                                            >You clamp down on a sudden pang of panic

                                            "Ah, she'll come along shortly."

                                            >"Who?"

                                            >You look back at Sweetie Bell, who had flipped around in an instant

                                            >She has that dream-trance dim in her eyes

                                            >She's not lucid

                                            >And if Nightmare Moon's not here to take control of the dream, then asking questions might just make her wake up

                                            >So you roll with the dream


                                            >You shrug,

                                            "The director. She got caught up on something on the way here. We just have to wait a little."

                                            >"Oh."

                                            >Whatever string of tangents she was on which led to this scene is now broken

                                            >Now you take the lead,

                                            "You can continue to warm up until she arrives, then we can start."

                                            >She nods slowly, then instant-flips back around

                                            >It's still Sweetie's dream and her mind could snap to another thought even with your presence

                                            >So you take several quiet steps to remain in her field of vision

                                            >She asks impulsively,

                                            "Do you want to warm up?"

                                            >You realize that she probably doesn't recognize you

                                            >It has been about six years since you last talked to her and her sister

                                            >She sure has grown since then

                                            >You spot the musical note that is her cutie mark


                                            >You shake your head,

                                            "I'm not one to sing. I'm just a stagehand."

                                            >She tilts her head

                                            >Her eyes become just a little brighter

                                            >"Why don't you want to sing?"

                                            >Two years of refusing to partake in impromptu musicals flash through your mind

                                            >Sweetie Bell, her subconscious focused on you, can sense the aura of embarrassment and stubbornness forming around you

                                            "I-"

                                            >You push away from those thoughts, only to dredge up much more unpleasant memories

                                            >You cannot stop yourself from saying,

                                            "I didn't like those songs,"

                                            >You try to stop yourself, but your mind works against you and starts playing one of the songs you did sing

                                            >You hear several oscillators quietly play a harmony out of nowhere, with one tinkling out a beat

                                            >It takes a lot of will to cease the music before the vocals could start

                                            >'Though little Sweetie Bell here would sing it wonderfully with you.'

                                            >You "physically" reel from that thought and the voice in your head that said it

                                            >You want to wake up, but you cannot

                                            >Sweetie Bell's eyes become lucid, and she sees you for the first time

                                            >Right as you're failing to hold back a cascade of dark thoughts that twist the space around you

                                            >"Sean?"


                                            >It it then Nightmare Moon arrives

                                            >She impacts the stage with the velocity of an artillery shell

                                            >Her blurry form explodes into black smog

                                            >Sweetie Bell, restricted to normal movements in the alicorn's presence, turns around to see the twinkling cloud

                                            >She gasps and scrambles back, stumbles, then pushes herself back into you

                                            >You gently stop her with a hand on her shoulder, your thoughts mercifully clear again

                                            "Sweetie Bell, it's okay."

                                            >You look up at Nightmare as she coalesces back into her true form sans armor

                                            >Her frustration is obvious

                                            "Everything alright?"

                                            >Her aquamarine cat's eyes look up in exasperation

                                            >She sighs

                                            >"It seems that me standing up after a fall is frightening enough to bring about a night terror."

                                            >She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, but stops halfway

                                            >You see her tongue work along one cheek, then the other

                                            >She shrugs,

                                            >"I might have snarled in the poor girl's direction."

                                            >She mocks the expression and her bright white fangs flash against her lips

                                            >"I had to calm her down. Apologies for the delay."


                                            >You look down at Sweetie Bell,

                                            "Miss Bell, what's your situation?"

                                            >She looks up at you, blinking

                                            >"My what?"

                                            "Your situation. The planet you're on; it's a human colony, right?"

                                            >She remembers and nods,

                                            >"Yeah. There are some other aliens, but most of them are nice."

                                            "So the people there are treating you well?"

                                            >She nods again

                                            >"Yeah."

                                            >She smiles sheepishly,

                                            >"I'm kind of a celebrity."

                                            "Okay, then we'll be diplomatic. Can you tell the leader of the colony that you have people coming to take you back to Equestria?"

                                            >She looks at you strangely,

                                            >"Take me back?"

                                            >You hesitate,

                                            "Do you want to go back?"

                                            >Then you realize she's remembering what exactly happened to her back in Ponyville

                                            >Had Nightmare Moon not taken control, the quiet theater would certainly be replaced by the Carasol Boutique

                                            >A moment before it had been blown apart and burned down by Wraith mortar fire


                                            >"Did-did Rarity-?"

                                            >She can only say her older sister's name before the vice in her chest becomes too much

                                            >Even with Nightmare walking right up to the two of you, the space around Sweetie's pink mane distorts

                                            >You lay a hand on her shoulder,

                                            "We're looking for her. Applebloom and Scootaloo are still waiting for you."

                                            >The mention of her best friends lifts her out of her despair


                                            >Then she remembers something else and looks up at Nightmare Moon,

                                            >"What about the others?"

                                            >The alicorn lifts an eyebrow,

                                            >"Others?"

                                            >"The other ponies. They found us all over."

                                            "All over this galaxy?"

                                            >She nods

                                            >"They're trying to get us all together. I'm going to get picked up in a few days."

                                            >You look up at Nightmare,

                                            "We'll have to be diplomatic when we get there anyways, it seems."

                                            >She nods, then looks up,

                                            >"The fleet will pass us by shortly."

                                            >You sigh,

                                            "Alright. Miss Bell, tell those in charge that there'll be a change of plans for them. We'll make contact and sort things out."

                                            >She looks at you for a time, then says reservedly,

                                            >"Okay."

                                            >She probably has made new friends in the months she's been here

                                            >You pat her shoulder


                                            >Nightmare speaks,

                                            >"We must go, Spartan."

                                            >You nod, then look down at Sweetie Bell

                                            "We're getting everypony home, Miss Bell. Just hang on a little longer. Nightmare Moon."

                                            >The two of you smile,

                                            "Let's leave her something pleasant."

                                            >With a snap of your fingers, she plucks you out of Sweetie Bell's dream and immerses her back into it by leaving a self-playing piano to sing along to


                                            >Nightmare Moon pulls you up with impossible acceleration away from the planet sprinkled with dreams

                                            >She isn't lying about the fleet of two ex-Covenant ships passing you

                                            >Being in slipspace, they are going faster than light

                                            >Thankfully, speed doesn't matter when your mass is zero, and the dreamscape doesn't give a damn about different dimensions

                                            >Not that anything that can dream lives naturally in slipspace


                                            >You both slam back into your bodies and snap awake

                                            >Nightmare Moon stands up and lights up her horn to activate the console you were sleeping under

                                            >You, having slept in your armor, activate your comms,

                                            "Bridge, Sierra."

                                            >Captain Mizzen answers with her ancient yet strong voice

                                            >"Sierra, Bridge, go ahead."

                                            "Captain, change of plans. Turn the fleet back around and set course for this planet."

                                            >Nightmare, working on the console that is sharing its screen with one on the bridge, highlights the disturbance in slipspace Sweetie Bell is on

                                            >"Is there a human colony there, Sierra?"

                                            "Affirmative, and a pony."

                                            >The Captain's voice doesn't change from its professional tone

                                            >"We're to rescue them?"

                                            "We'll punch back into real space some distance away. I don't want to scare the colonists and any orbital traffic more than we already will. We'll establish contact and conduct negotiations."

                                            >"Understood, altering course. Anything else?"

                                            "We'll certainly have more developments when we get there, Captain. I'll have a fleet-wide briefing once we get more information. Sierra out."


                                            >You cut comms, then strain your stiff muscles as you stand up

                                            >The single huragok left on the corvette, Glides Low, floats close to you and gives a concerned whine

                                            >You and Nightmare Moon have been hugging the modified slipspace drive for hours now

                                            >With the Forerunner's tech welded onto it, the Engineers have been constantly checking it, even when not in use

                                            >You're pretty sure that the previous shipmaster had to punitively condition them from removing the additional hardware

                                            >You step aside and let the floating compulsive fixer check on the drive

                                            >The purple pillar in the room just forward of the corvette's engines is inert right now, but in a few hours it will allow the ship to pass back into real space

                                            >


                                            ()()()


                                            >You and Nightmare spend the remaining hours in slipspace touring the ship

                                            >All of the ponies, most being seasoned terrestrial sailors with a few specialist exceptions, are in an expectant mood

                                            >They have gone through their first deployment without seeing any combat, which is both a blessing and a curse

                                            >On one hand: they have gotten their proverbial space feet wet without disaster

                                            >On the other: you still do not known how they will react when the time finally comes

                                            >Pirates throwing cannonballs and insults at you on the high seas is one thing

                                            >Pirates firing coilguns and missiles at you in the vast void is another

                                            >You voice this observation to Nightmare Moon as the two of you walk down the deserted hallway to the bridge

                                            >She shrugs with her black wings

                                            >"If the pirates and slavers of your memories have not changed, then we need not be concerned."

                                            >You nod as you wait for the door at the end of the purple hallway to unlock and slide open

                                            "Right, and no one in this galaxy knows about Covy ships yet."


                                            >The bridge, located at the front of the ship with a view outside instead of the usual Covenant doctrine of being tucked into the armored center, is buzzing with the low hum of dozens of inside voices

                                            >You manage to catch one of the ponies announcing over the ship's intercom system, "One minute to real space transit," as you cross the large open bridge towards the hologram

                                            >The rhythm of your armored boots and Nightmare's bare hooves cut above the noise

                                            >In the center of the domed room is a massive hologram that is half buried into the floor

                                            >The corvette and the battlecruiser are being displayed right now, with graphs of Equestrian text showing the stats of decently-running vessels

                                            >Above each ship you note their respective names:

                                            >Their Majesties' Ship Nocturnal

                                            >Her Majesty's Ship Doppelganger

                                            "We finally agreed on names, it seems."

                                            >"Much to my sailors' relief."


                                            >Captain Mizzen walks around the translucent hologram to join the two of you

                                            >Her salty coat underneath her old navy uniform and her bleached mane tucked under her worn tricorn hat is evidence enough of her age

                                            >Her sea blue eyes are still sharp and boring into you and Nightmare

                                            >"We accrued so much bad luck on that last voyage, we're bound to get into a shooting match here."

                                            >You nod,

                                            "With how this galaxy is, Captain, it's probable. Plenty of pirates preying on these colonies. And then there're the Terminus systems. I wouldn't be surprised if some warlord got a hold of one of ours. Hopefully we can get the Alliance to back us up if we have to do some raiding."

                                            >Another familiar voice answers you,

                                            >"I can help with that."

                                            >You all turn to Sour Dough

                                            >You've been meeting with him constantly for weeks after the invasion was fought off, and you still can't believe how much your brother-in-law has grown

                                            >Same sandy coat and black mane, but his bright blue eyes have a fire in them

                                            >He's also smiling a lot more than when you first met almost a decade ago

                                            >"Especially if we waylay some pirates for them."

                                            >You cross your arms,

                                            "If our luck is as bad as the Captain fears, then that'll be sooner rather than later."

                                            >And talking lightly about it is asking for fate to send you a curve ball, but getting intel from pirate captains and favors from the Alliance will save you precious time


                                            >A pony down in one of the shallow "pits" that flank the hologram calls out,

                                            >"Ten seconds to real space transit."

                                            >The ship's intercom repeats the announcement and everyone, even you, plant their feet or brace against something

                                            >Covenant ships transit in and out of slipspace seamlessly, and so do UNSC ships to an extent, but the first jump had this crew thrown off of their hooves when they jumped out faster than intended and "slammed the brakes"

                                            >But there have been around a dozen slipspace transits since then, so you all feel no shift in the ship's artificial gravity this time

                                            >The hologram shrinks the two warships down to nothing, then brings up a light-delayed view of the system you had just jumped into

                                            >A main sequence star orbited by a couple of baked rocks, a gas giant, and a somewhat habitable world

                                            >The planet itself is sandy and red, but the topology and surrounding space is quickly eaten up by icons

                                            >After some time, the ship's many sensors start picking up real time information and place down an overwhelming amount of Covenant glyphs onto the hologram

                                            >Captain Mizzen manipulates the dispay to focus on the planet, with more data streaming in as she does so

                                            >Equestrian text slowly replaces the glyphs as the in-house software translates, but you have learned well enough to speed read the readings

                                            >In the pile of layering glyphs, clusters of "reclaimers" become highlighted on the planet, densely packed into a few towns sprinkled around a continent-spanning mountain range

                                            >Above the largest town is a fleet of five small ships

                                            >One is actually on the surface, right next to the colony

                                            >The other four are way too close together as they loiter in high orbit


                                            >All four of you lean in towards the hologram

                                            >Captain Mizzen focuses in on the ships

                                            >Other glyphs denoting unknown biologicals populate the obvious warships, which are all different from each other

                                            >That is the clear giveaway for all of the navy veterans

                                            >Then there is the bulky one on the surface inside the colony

                                            >The unknown aliens are swarming the streets the ship, herding humans towards it

                                            >In the few seconds you observe, several colonists stop and annotating glyphs of "deceased" appear next to them

                                            >In the middle of the largest group of captured humans is another glyph that is immediately translated into Equestrian:

                                            >Unicorn

                                            >You kick yourself inwardly for opening your mouth and tempting faith


                                            >"Slavers."

                                            >The bridge becomes quiet and turns to the alicorn

                                            >Nightmare Moon's eyes are dark

                                            >Her voice is low and invites no debate,

                                            >"Captain, bring this fleet to battle stations."

                                            The Captain nods and turns to the rest of the bridge

                                            >"Battle stations. Engines: all ahead full. Helm: take us right to that fleet, and somepony get me Speaker."

                                            >A pony in one of the pits turns and slams her hoof on a projected button on her console

                                            >The recording of a clanging bell plays all over the ship

                                            >The few ponies milling about the bridge gallop to their assigned stations

                                            >Some leave and some arrive

                                            >All have a grim look about them

                                            >This is the first time that bell sounded with enemy ships in sight


                                            >Captain Mizzen marches over to the front of the bridge to a console with a large screen

                                            >The officer manning the console next to her reports,

                                            >"Ma'am, I have Speaker."

                                            >Mizzen hops onto the platform made for ponies to reach the screen and presses a button on its corner

                                            >Speaker's uncanny form appears on it

                                            >The feed seems to come from a wide-angled lens, since it shows all of the raised dais in the center of the battlecruiser's bridge

                                            >Behind Speaker, changelings swarm about under dim purple lights

                                            >Yet in the seething scene you see the five members of Team Claymore standing at the consoles on the dais, unbothered by the hundreds of changelings buzzing and shuffling around them


                                            >The Captain asks,

                                            >"Speaker, are you aware of the situation?"

                                            >His default-calm voice comes through in a thin layer of static,

                                            >"I've been informed that pirates are attacking this colony and are stealing humans along with one of your citizens. Since we're accelerating, I assume we are going to engage these pirates?"

                                            >"That is correct. At the least we are going to prevent them from leaving this system with those captives. Sean? Nightmare Moon?"

                                            >The two of you leave Sour at the hologram to join her

                                            "Captain?"

                                            >"What is their weaponry, do you think?"

                                            >You remember from your time here

                                            "Coilguns and missiles, with lasers for point defense. Those are the standard for warships. With these little frigates, though, I'm not worried about them piercing the Doppelganger's shields."

                                            >The captain thinks for a moment

                                            >"Will they flee once they see us?"

                                            >Nightmare Moon answers,

                                            >"Perhaps, but we must cut off their most obvious escape route regardless of their cowardice."

                                            >She reaches out on the hologram and highlights two sections of space away from the planet

                                            >One on the other side of the planet

                                            >The other is a ways behind their fleet, relative to you

                                            "The two mass relays connected to this sector are in those directions,"

                                            >You look to Speaker and Team Claymore

                                            "If they try to run, we'll focus on disabling the landed ship and boarding it. We’ll take out the others. If the lander happens to stay put, we'll put together an assault force."

                                            >Speaker and Henri nod,

                                            >"Understood."


                                            >You step back and tell the Captain,

                                            "We have some time before the combat maneuvers begin."

                                            >The naval officer mare sitting next to you all frowns,

                                            >"Why?"

                                            >Her distorted reflection in your golden visor is probably what makes her clamp her jaw shut

                                            "Why do we have time?"

                                            >She takes a moment to unclench her jaw and nod

                                            >"Don't they have hours to get out of there?"

                                            >Given that she and the rest of this crew hadn't seriously thought about fighting in space until three months ago, and with how frantically busy everyone on this ship has been since then, you find this understandable

                                            "Light has a set speed we only notice in space. The civilizations of this galaxy have some ways around it in terms of communication, but there aren't any comm buoys around here. It'll be some time before the light of our arrival reaches those guys' sensors."

                                            >You gesture to the hologram, still showing Sour the fleet of ships

                                            "Even then, everyone here uses thermals to detect ships, and those too can't see faster than light on their own. We've got a huge advantage with our own sensors."

                                            >Captain Mizzen nods,

                                            >"We can react much faster than them."


                                            >You turn to the screen, crossing your armored arms

                                            "With that said, I should have had us jump in closer."

                                            >Nightmare Moon replies with a firm tone,

                                            >"We couldn't know."

                                            >You purse your lips and nod

                                            "Right. Let's just hope we can catch them."

                                            >Captain Mizzen turns to another mare at a console and asks for ETA

                                            >You know she's not satisfied with the response and she's thinking about pushing the engines further

                                            "Don't damage the engines yet. If they do get away, we have ways of tracking them. Plus if the colony got out a distress call, then we'll has have Alliance ships here within hours. If we can link up with them, these guys will have a whole wolfpack after them."

                                            >The Captain glances up at you,

                                            >"Can't they just outrun us all?"

                                            "Maybe the Alliance ships if they get a big-enough lead, but our slipspace drives aren't restricted to the Mass Relay system. These routes across the galaxy can get pretty windy, especially if some relays are guarded. If we can get an idea of where they're going, we can head them off."

                                            >The Captain shuffles in place

                                            >"And that's only if this slaver ship escapes?"

                                            "Correct."

                                            >You step away to look at Nightmare, Mizzen, and Speaker

                                            "This'll be quite the debut for us, so let's not disappoint."


                                            >You all wait for a long time as the distance is closed

                                            >Captain Mizzen and Speaker exchange the status of their ships, despite both of them having seen such data before you entered the bridge

                                            >Speaker talks of how the hive is acclimatizing to the battlecruiser

                                            >Queen Chrysalis' hive, before the ship they're now crewing crashed into it, was a three-dimensional maze of tunnels that were interrupted by chambers of varying utility

                                            >Covenant ships, with the exception of the corvette, is similar in the layout of it's interior and then some

                                            >The ship's tangle of deck ways aren't symmetrical along the ship’s axis and, thanks to the Covenant's creative use of artificial gravity, many hallways change orientation between ends

                                            >There are very few ladders, but still

                                            >Corkscrews, two floors instead of floor and ceiling on some decks, and all of them look the same

                                            >While you and the other Spartans have previous experience, the Equestrians find it mind-boggling

                                            >The changelings, on the other hand, just want to switch the boat's color scheme to something that doesn't remind them of Princess Cadence or Professor Sparkle


                                            >You walk away from the small talk and approach Sour Dough

                                            >He's been manipulating the hologram this whole time, looking at the raid and sifting through the still-onrushing data

                                            >He has a look of pure concentration on his face

                                            >You watch him silently in a way a stranger would find creepy

                                            >Finally he sighs, stops, and rubs his eyes

                                            >"So much data and all we can do is close the distance."

                                            >You nod,

                                            "Yeah."

                                            >"You and Jane ever had to wait like this?"

                                            "As part of a naval engagement? No."

                                            >You have to remember long ago for anything similar

                                            >It's been eight years

                                            "We had to stuff ourselves into slispace-capable drop pods for Torpedo. We spent hours in those pods before falling onto Pegasi Delta."

                                            >You look at the hologram

                                            "With that, it was just us and the Covenant at the refinery,"

                                            >A pause

                                            "And the ships we didn't see above the refinery."

                                            >"Yeah."

                                            >The two of you both stare at the sobering display

                                            >You know he's feeling a deep frustration, mingling with the memory of terror from many weeks ago when he learned that his wife and family were being hunted by a Brute kill team half a continent away

                                            >You yourself are feeling a smoldering resignation, with the occasional tic of much darker thoughts


                                            >Scenes like this one had played out before you many times

                                            >Most of them were face to face and the tormentors unable to outrun you, with the dark thoughts threatening to fill your head and become manifest

                                            >You glance down at Sour

                                            >If he had to look at more than faceless points of data, would he become startled by what springs out of nowhere in his head?

                                            >Possible

                                            >The mindset of ponies are practically the same to humans

                                            >A hyper-social pack-prey species that brought itself into civilization, with the biggest difference between them and humanity being innate access to a powerful field known simply as "magic"

                                            >A thousand years of peace and an aversion to violence were swept away by the invasion, laying bare a will to survive not just by evasion and strength of numbers, but a willingness to turn and enact violence on a threat

                                            >Said violence includes everything from biting to throwing celestial bodies around like baseballs


                                            >Some time later, and over an hour before entering engagement range, the slaver pirates react

                                            >The ships in orbit begin to reorient facing you

                                            >They arrange themselves into a loose diamond formation square on to your approach

                                            >They remain stationary for now

                                            >Now is the time to choose whether or not to send a message

                                            >A quick talk between Captain Mizzen, Speaker, and yourself conclude to keep this fleet as mysterious as can be and keep quiet

                                            >The fact that your two ships are accelerating straight towards the slaver fleet at an impressive rate is enough of a statement


                                            >The raiding force in the colony begins herding what captives they have towards the ship,

                                            >Several slavers, defenders, and captives die in the first few minutes as the fighting intensifies

                                            >Sweetie Bell is still in the middle of the captive press of humans as the collective is pushed at the cost of those on the outer layer of the press

                                            >The ship itself has a perimeter of slavers around it, but it is surrounded by small teams of humans

                                            >Many minutes slip away as the slavers drive their captives onto the ship

                                            >Everyone looking at the situation becomes restless as the last of the living captives are pulled and shoved into the ship, followed by the surprisingly well-drilled retreat of the ship's security

                                            >These aliens, at least the ground team, are professionals

                                            >Yet thanks to the efforts of the colony's defenders, their departure is delayed long enough that you might catch them

                                            >That is: if the militarized mass transport ship is as slow as it looks


                                            >It isn't


                                            >As soon as the ramp doors close, the bulk lander shoots off the ground

                                            >Estimates are produced in seconds, and it doesn't look good

                                            >Captain Mizzen talks with Speaker again

                                            >A plan is set

                                            >The distance closes as the transport ship breaks through the atmosphere

                                            >The diamond formation starts to move with it, making damn sure to block you, but they might as well be standing still compared to your velocity

                                            >Just before you enter the pirate's suspected engagement range, your two ships make their moves

                                            >The corvette cuts its acceleration by a tiny fraction, allowing the battlecruiser to pull ahead

                                            >Nocturne then ducks in close to the underside of the shielded Doppleganger, filling the view from the bridge

                                            >All of the corvette's weapons are readied

                                            >The battlecruiser's only offensive option is a single plasma torpedo launcher, hastily repaired days before, but damage isn't its role in this engagement

                                            >The officers focusing on the enemy fleet start reporting

                                            >"All four ships have fired railcannons."

                                            >"Transport ship has passed lower atmosphere, is accelerating."

                                            >Captain Mizzen, with Speaker still listening, responds coolly,

                                            >"Both ships: divert course down by point five degrees. Once the projectiles pass, reverse angle. Maintain acceleration."

                                            >She isn't going to damage the engines by shoving them into flank speed, but she sure as hell isn't going to slow down

                                            >At this speed, your two ships are on the borderline of experiencing light distortions

                                            >Not enough to mess with time, but enough to make landing a straight shot on you difficult

                                            >The same went for your shots, of course, but you're counting on your homing plasma torpedoes for this flyby


                                            >Speaker's image flickers and the battlecruiser's acceleration dips for an instant

                                            >A watch officer reports,

                                            >"One hit on Doppleganger. The other three shots missed."

                                            >You hear Hitomi call out from behind Speaker,

                                            >"Minimal damage to shields."

                                            >Now that should scare them proper


                                            >As your fleet corrects its course, Captain Mizzen mutters, "Now it's our turn," before ordering, "Fire all torpedoes."

                                            >The corvette shudders as every torpedo is fired to either side and below you

                                            >The battlecruiser's single torpedo is launched upwards

                                            >You turn to the hologram, which Sour had switched to encompass your engagement

                                            >Data is still streaming in and cluttering up the display, but your outgoing fire is all too obvious

                                            >Your fleet is already leaving the fired rounds behind as you blast through the enemy's formation

                                            >No missiles are fired at you from the ships

                                            >Instead you watch as each one turns in a random sidelong  direction to try and evade the incoming balls of magnetically-condensed plasma

                                            All of the torpedoes find their targets and home in

                                            >You can tell that at least the two small ships to either side of you are going to die

                                            >They're smaller than UNSC frigates, and even a heavy Paris class gets crippled by a single torpedo hit amidships

                                            >The kinetic shields sported by every warship in this galaxy does nothing against pure plasma

                                            >And two of the torpedoes are heading for them at an inescapable angle

                                            >You let the watch officers monitor the doomed ships and focus on the transport

                                            >It has accelerated more and is now practically out of the planet's atmosphere

                                            >You cannot remember specifics, but it is around this distance from the planet that ships can engage their eezio core and jump from one star system to another

                                            >Now is the crucial moment

                                            >A plasma torpedo would destroy the lightly armored ship outright, along with the broadside heavy plasma cannons

                                            >The lances are point defense weapons that can be very accurate

                                            >Accurate enough to disable engines without damaging other systems

                                            >The problem is their relatively short range

                                            >Hence your speed

                                            >At this rate, you will hit the ship within thirty seconds

                                            >No one speaks


                                            >A cylinder of blue distortion forms around the ship a second before its mass turns to near-zero and it blasts itself to another system


                                            >Gasps, hisses, and quiet curses sound all around you

                                            >Captain Mizzen, Nightmare Moon, and yourself glare at the empty space

                                            >The Captain takes a deep breath before turning to a watch officer

                                            >"What's the status on the remaining ships?"

                                            >The reply comes instantly in monotone,

                                            >"Enemy ships two and four destroyed. One evaded and jumped ten seconds ago. Three's engines and main weapon are gone. Life support is still active."

                                            >"Any escape pods launched?"

                                            >"Negative, Captain."

                                            >"Any survivors at all?"

                                            >"Nine signs still onboard, Captain."

                                            >The scowl on Mizzen's craggy face matches her tone,

                                            >"Bring the fleet around and plot an intercept course to that crippled ship. Sean, Nightmare Moon."

                                            >You both turn to face her squarely

                                            >"A boarding is in order."

                                            >You and Nightmare glance at each other,

                                            >She sees your near-imperceptible grin

                                            >You see the gleam in her aqua eyes


                                            ()()()


                                            >Two hours later, you join Nightmare Moon as she paces back and forth mechanically along the hangar's port door, currently shut

                                            >It takes that long to turn, decelerate, and approach the stricken pirate ship

                                            >The first forty minutes sees you, Nightmare, and Sour finding Aden and Shal, then marching over to the hanger and briefing the platoon of Equestrian Marines

                                            >After the briefing, the platoon diffuses around the large circular hanger, littered with heavy equipment, Shal's inert phantom dropship, and piles of wooden crates


                                            >At first most of the ponies are visibly giddy, excited by such a unique opportunity as being the first Equestrians to board an enemy ship in space on their own terms

                                            >That giddiness slowly evolves into nervousness with so much time to think about what might go wrong

                                            >The sergeants try to keep the ponies busy with securing everything to the deck, but that lasts only another thirty minutes before there is nothing else to do but wait

                                            >All thirty-three ponies are currently going through a cycle of rechecking the gear on themselves and their buddies, asking if anything new is happening, playing cards, and staring at a point in space somewhere in or outside of the hangar


                                            >The minutes tick by and you change your pace

                                            >You stop at one end of the shielded hangar door and wait

                                            >When Nightmare reaches the other end you resume pacing, passing her in the middle

                                            >She glances at you inquisitively on the first pass

                                            >It is on the seventh pass that you notice a faint, but unnatural tingle pulse around the side of your body opposite to her

                                            >With your helmet on, you look closely at the nearby marines

                                            >As the black alicorn passes by the closest one, you see their ears snapping up for an instant, their tails twitching, and their active resistance against looking around either at her or at where they feel like they are being watched from

                                            >Even Aden, who has sat back-straight next to the crates holding all of your weapons this whole time, occasionally turns his golden visor towards her, then you

                                            >With nothing else to do, everyone involuntarily focuses on the unsettling aura emanating from Nightmare


                                            >Sour, now donned in the sage-green spaced plating of marine armor, drifts over to the two of you

                                            >His helmet and self-contained-breathing-apparatus hangs from a short strap tied to his back, dangling opposite of his rifle rig

                                            >The fur in the white stripe on his snout is standing up, but his voice is steady when he asks,

                                            >"Lady Moon, do you know why you're giving off an aura of fear?"

                                            >Lady Moon, that's a new one

                                            >His whispering is almost drowned out by the ambiance of the hangar, but the ears of the nearby marines perk up

                                            >Both you and Nightmare stop

                                            >She raises her head and searches for an answer in the ceiling

                                            >"No."

                                            >She looks down at Sour, smiling

                                            >"Answering that mystery will only spoil it."


                                            >The platoon sergeant announces ten minutes to intercept

                                            >The lieutenant orders everypony to assemble by squad at the port door

                                            >You and Aden gather your rifles and join them

                                            >Shal is already with them with his ranger's harness and teardrop-shaped needler rifle

                                            >Three squads of ten ponies each, with first squad having the platoon leader, platoon sergeant, and platoon medic

                                            >With everyone having a small magical radio set, and this being the only platoon on this deployment, there is no need to bring a dedicated radiopony

                                            >Sour attaches himself to first squad, Aden and Shal to second, and you to third

                                            >Five minutes to go, and the lieutenant gives his signal to Nightmare

                                            >The alicorn smiles before dissolving into smog

                                            >The opaque ink slowly expands to fill the whole hanger

                                            >A small open space forms around the platoon, lit up by dozens of aquamarine eyes

                                            >They look over everyone one last time, before facing forward


                                            >Two minutes

                                            >You connect to the bridge,

                                            "Open port side."

                                            >None of you sans Nightmare see it, but you can hear the reinforced door sliding away into its recess

                                            >Now their is a just a thin shield between all of you and the void

                                            >In each squad, the unicorns start their spells

                                            >Instead of squad automatic or anti-tank weapons, each squad has two unicorns

                                            >All of them are old Canterlot Guard, with their defensive spell sets supplemented by newer spells learned a year ago

                                            >Now they all prepare a brand new spell that they've been practicing for a full month

                                            >Each unicorn pair concentrates as an oily two-toned bubble begins to form around each squad

                                            >They are all porous for now, but the magic casters need as much prep as they can get to have your crude method of EVA work


                                            >One minute

                                            >It's a long wait

                                            >If a marine is not casting a spell, they're psyching themselves up

                                            >The unicorns wait until the last few seconds to make their bubbles airtight and pressurized

                                            >Ten seconds,

                                            >You order the bridge,

                                            "Cut gravs."

                                            >The ambiance of the hangar changes

                                            >You feel a sense of falling

                                            >You all push yourselves up off the floor

                                            "Nightmare."

                                            >The eye-filled smog nudges the bubbles forward and through the blue-tinged shielding


                                            >The sounds of the hangar disappear as well as most of Nightmare's eyes

                                            >Captain Mizzen navigated the corvette well and brought you within several hundred meters, as well as synchronize with the tumbling motions of the drifting pirate vessel

                                            >That's still several hundred meters of traveling through space untethered with all of the stars and the planet spinning around you

                                            >Nightmare doesn't allow any of you to see outside her smog as she pushes and pulls you along, but it's probably for the better

                                            >You have never been comfortable with extra vehicular activity during training, even after several exercises

                                            >Everypony here would be stricken with either terror or awe

                                            >The unicorns need the least amount of distractions right now

                                            >You look at your pair and their breathing is steady

                                            >Their eyes are half shut and the light of their horns as well as the bubble itself is consistent

                                            >It takes a few minutes until your bubbles start to decelerate

                                            >The other marines stay quiet as they float in place for the benefit of the unicorns

                                            >They all glance at you at some point, and you give each of them a nod


                                            >Finally, Nightmare's voice echoes through bubbles in a whisper,

                                            >"Contact in five, four."

                                            >All of you gently twist yourselves so your feet and hooves face "down"

                                            >The smog expands "below"

                                            >Out of the darkness emerges a hull of sun-bleached metal

                                            >You all activate magnetic and insulated boots as you land

                                            >Except for one marine next to you, who activates one boot too early and slams himself sidelong into the hull with a clang

                                            >He reflexively deactivates the boots and floats upwards, starting a panicked string of curses

                                            >You reach out and grab him by one flailing leg, pulling him down so he can attach to the hull properly

                                            >He mumbles out a shaky, "Thanks."

                                            >He then shivers, "Celestia, that metal's cold."

                                            >And he contacted it for only an instant

                                            >Already some of the air you brought over from the corvette is freezing on the void-exposed shell

                                            >You look to the closest set of cat's eyes and ask,

                                            "How are we looking, Nightmare?"

                                            >Several more sets of eyes open and stare at you,

                                            >"All touched down and accounted for. First and second are moving towards where the engines were. They'll find an opening."

                                            "Then let's get moving to the airlock."

                                            >You turn to the squad leader,

                                            "On me."

                                            >With that, you turn in the direction of the ship's bow and take the short stomping strides one takes with magnetic boots in null gravity

                                            >The squad follows, gaining the rhythm they've practiced for days on end


                                            >Your memory and the hours of visual scanning are proven right when you reach the front of the hundred-meter-long ship

                                            >It's an old ship built somewhere in the Terminus systems, but it's a poor copy of an even older Turian frigate design

                                            >There are no windows for you to breach

                                            >The main airlock is located right behind the helm

                                            >You find the faint outline of the door and a small latch for the panel cover

                                            "Cutter."

                                            >The marine, lugging much more than just his armor, rifle, and SCBA, stomps his way over next to you

                                            >The rusted-steel earth pony removes his glare shades off of the front of his bucket, but pauses and asks in his Boston analogous accent,

                                            >"You, uh, wanna try the hatch first, Spartan? Just 'n case?"

                                            >After a pause, you reach down and pull on the latch

                                            >The cover hinges over, and you're greeted with a very familiar orange holographic interface

                                            >Cutter glares at it suspiciously

                                            >"Huh. They still have the door powered?"

                                            >You guess,

                                            "Must be connected to life support."

                                            >"No mechanical safety bolt? An emergency manual release lever or somethin'?"

                                            "Nope. Not for something made out in the Terminus systems. Out there, any safety standards above minimal are for chumps."

                                            >You're grateful that you had worked with these symbols plenty of times to memorize standard galactic code

                                            >Not that it matters since you're denied when you attempt to open the outer airlock

                                            >You try again for good measure, but you get another flash of red

                                            >You shrug,

                                            "Locked, and I've got nothing to slice into it with. It was worth a try."


                                            >You close the panel and slap the marine on the shoulder

                                            "Alright, Cutter, your turn."

                                            >He grins and attaches a custom welder's mask to his helmet, but keeps it up

                                            >He then takes out a shiny insulated apron and gloves and puts them all on over his armor

                                            >"Here, you might want to hold this out. Keep everypony else from goin' blind."

                                            >He gives you a bundled-up wool blanket

                                            >You unfold it and drape it as wide as you can over Cutter and yourself

                                            >"Hinges should be here and here, right?"

                                            "Should be."

                                            >"Perfect."

                                            >He pulls out what looks to you like an ancient plasma torch

                                            >Holding onto it with his mouth, Cutter finally takes out a black metal canister that is partially encasing a particularly large white crystal

                                            >Both objects have Miss Sparkle's cutie mark printed on them

                                            >Cutter screws the canister into the bottom of the torch, then pushes down metal clasps built into the torch

                                            >With one last visual inspection, Cutter gives the tool an appreciative nod before headbanging his welder's mask down and announcing,

                                            >"Lightin' the match!"


                                            >He twists a valve at the base of the fuel tank's throat by a quarter turn, then holds down a trigger on the torch

                                            >A small blue jet of plasma bursts into existence, emitting a quiet hiss

                                            >He mutters to himself,

                                            >"'ere we go."

                                            >He throws the valve fully open

                                            >The small blue flame instantly surges into a roaring white hot jet

                                            >Nightmare's smog turns from an inky black to a glaring pearlesent

                                            >You're surprised the whole thing doesn't fly out of Cutter's hooves

                                            >Instead he quickly jabs the enchanted cutting torch down

                                            >The jet practically punches a hole into the seal of the airlock

                                            >Nothing explodes, so it seems the airlock was already vented

                                            >He does two deep cuts in twenty seconds, leaving two glowing rends in the seal

                                            >Just to be sure, he uses the last of the crystal’s energy to cut out the central panel

                                            >Of course the outer door doesn't just float off, so you turn to one of the battle mages


                                            ()()()