Chapter Eleven
A Divine Wind
February 22nd, 2531
Equestrian star system
Royal City of Canterlot
Commander Michael Preston of the UNSC Marathon
Mission: Eliminate Covenant presence in Equestria
"So how's it been, Sir?" Private Leroy Jenkins asked the Commander, who was looking over a report on his data-pad.
Commander Preston sighed. "It's been bad, and each casualty so far was someone we knew; Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Lyra and Bon-Bon" he said, rattling off the names of the dead.
"Lyra and Bon-Bon are dead?" Jenkins exclaimed, he suddenly grew very solemn and stepped outside onto the balcony outside Princess Celestia's room.
Preston left the young Private alone.
Jenkins stared out at the landscape far below the mountains and sighed, rubbing his eyes with his palms. Lyra…Bon-Bon… Jenkins mused.
The Private clenched his fists and stepped back into Celestia's chambers, approaching the Commander and Sergeant Grimesy.
"Commander Preston, what's the plan?" Jenkins inquired, Preston turned back to face the Private.
"We're going to board the Covenant supercarrier and use it to leave Equestria, but not before we kill all aboard the ship" Preston answered.
"Sir, request that Sergeant Grimesy and MCT-7 lead the assault on the bridge of the supercarrier" Jenkins declared, his request took both Commander and Sergeant by surprise.
"Granted" Preston said before exiting the chambers.
"What are you gonna do, Jenkins?" Sergeant Grimesy asked, all he could see in the Private's eyes were the flames of anger.
"What we're supposed to do; kill them all" Jenkins answered.
Commander Preston entered the medical tent where Applejack was recovering; her remaining friends were all sleeping in chairs around the bed.
At the sight of the Commander Applejack rose up to better face the human.
"How are you feeling?" Preston inquired, taking a seat in an empty chair next to the bed. Applejack sighed and the tears began to flow from her eyes.
"Them legs were my life; I used them to buck the apples from ma farm. Now I'll never buck apples again. What is a pony supposed to do when the things she needs for her special talent is taken from her?" the farm-pony asked.
"I don't know" Preston replied, shaking his head. AJ broke down into full-on sobs, rousing her friends from their sleep.
"Preston…what are you doing here?" Twilight said, slowly shrugging off the effects of sleep.
"I came here to comfort AJ. You've all lost two of your friends and a third is missing. I promise we'll find Dash before we leave" the Commander assured them, giving a determined and confident nod.
"You're all…leaving?" Twilight asked, a saddened look in her eyes.
"I'm afraid so; I'm currently working on a plan to board the Covenant supercarrier to clear it out so we can use it to return home" Preston explained.
Everlasting Fall then piped up. "Commander I have been studying this plan and I must point out the flaws I have seen" the A.I. said.
"I'm listening."
"No human has ever captured a Covenant vessel before; we know not of their layout, controls, or internal defense systems. Also capturing a Covenant ship without first sweeping it for tracking bugs is a hazard and direct violation of Cole Protocol Subsection 7" Fall explained.
"Subsection 7?" Preston wondered aloud, he wasn't familiar with that part of the Protocol.
"No captured Covenant craft may be taken to human controlled space without an exhaustive search for tracking systems that could lead the Covenant to human bases" Fall recited the protocol.
"So we board the ship and activate the self-destruct sequence, then wait out here in Equestria for rescue. Everybody wins" Preston said, offering his revised plan to the A.I.
"Yes, Commander. That is satisfactory with the guidelines of the Protocol" Fall stated.
Twilight was about to protest by saying that Thar 'Saramee wouldn't be happy but she remembered that he had caused the deaths of so many ponies, this whole ordeal confused Twilight greatly.
He liked and respected us, why would he suddenly change his mind when he discovers humans are here? Further more what is so bad about humans? They've been here over a week and they've been more or less friendly, and they've been protecting us. Maybe if I just talked with Thar I could convince him that the humans are good Twilight thought.
"Commander, I request that me and Rarity accompany you to the Covenant ship" the lavender Unicorn said, Preston looked down at her.
"For what purpose?" the naval officer asked.
"You'll need our magic to navigate through the ship" Sparkle replied, the Commander thought this over.
"Granted" Preston said, he nodded and quickly departed for Celestia's chambers once again, leaving Twilight and Rarity with Applejack.
"About Dashie…do you think…we'll ever see her again?" Applejack asked, tears still coming from her eyes.
"I don't know where she is, but I know Rainbow Dash is still alive" Twilight said, Rarity agreed with this statement.
"Indeed it will take a lot more than a few ruffians to take down dear Rainbow Dash" Rarity exclaimed.
Comforted by her friends words Applejack smiled for the first time in several days.
February 22nd, 2531
Equestrian star system
Covenant CSO-class supercarrier Divine Wind
Ship-master: Thar 'Saramee
Mission: Exterminate all life in Equestria
"Arm plasma cannons and bring us up ten units, bearing two-two-zero" Thar 'Saramee ordered his weapons and navigations officers respectively; the Divine Wind was currently rocketing toward the Pegasus home-city of Cloudsdale.
"Look at that! They're already running!" Rav 'Taramai shouted, pointing at the display. As true as he said Pegasi all over the city were flying away.
"Do NOT let them escape!" Thar ordered, the weapons officer typed furiously at the holographic keys to arm the point-defense lasers.
Lasers pulsed out and any Pegasi attempting to fly from the city flashed from existence, the cannons flashed and multiple bolts of plasma were sent soaring into the city of clouds; boiling them and their inhabitants away.
Seven minutes later all of Cloudsdale had been completely wiped away, leaving no evidence but the occasional cloud chunk.
Satisfied with his work Thar turned to leave the bridge but was stopped by Rav. "Excellency, reports indicate that the damage to the plasma projector is too severe for repairs of our own. It will have to be repaired at a space-station" the Aristocrat explained.
Thar sighed in anger and proceed out of the bridge and down to the brig where the pony they had captured a while ago was currently staying.
For a moment Thar looked over the pony as she lie strapped upright to a torture bed, the Ship-master deactivated the energy barrier and stepped in just as the pony began to wake.
"Well, well, well. Look who is awake" Thar growled, taking a step toward the pony.
"What do you want? Let me go!" the pony demanded, starting to thrash against her gravity bands.
"I will do nothing of the sort" Thar said as he drew his energy sword and activated it, waving it near the pony's outstretched wings.
"Wha…what are you gonna do?" the Pegasus asked in fear, her eyes were locked to the sword.
"Deprive you of the one thing you love so dearly" Thar said, the Pegasus began to cry.
"No, please. Don't!" she pleaded, Thar drew the blade back as he prepared to saw the Pegasus's wings off.
"So full of hate were our eyes that none of us could see. Our war would yield countless dead but never victory. So let us cast arms aside and like discard our wrath. Thou, in faith, will keep us safe whilst we find the path!" Thar exclaimed, he slashed the blade down on both wings cutting them clean off. The Pegasus broke down sobbing.
"Why...Why?" the Pegasus managed to choke out, Thar looked back at her and deactivated the sword.
"Because we found you" the Ship-master declared, causing the Pegasus to cry harder.
"Good day, Pony" Thar stated as he walked from the brig.
"So once we're in the ship we will have Rarity mask our presence as long as possible while we clear out the ship. Then we will have Everlasting Fall hack the ship controls and move us up into space where he will then open airlocks in every single compartment with the exception of the bridge and whatever one we're currently in. Fall will then re-pressurize all compartments; we'll clear the bridge, and drop Twilight and Rarity off before arming the self-destruct sequence. Questions?" Commander Preston said as he finished explaining the plan to all the Marines in the room.
Private Jenkins raised his hand. "What if pony prisoners are detected in the ship?" he asked.
"Covenant don't take prisoners" Grimesy immediately answered, Jenkins shook his head.
"They don't take human prisoners; they might treat the ponies differently" the young Private retorted.
"Jenkins has a point. I will have EF check the ship for prisoners when we arrive" Preston declared.
"Yes, Commander" Fall said, acknowledging the Commander's orders.
"Alright everyone, dismissed. MCT-7, stand by until everyone else leaves" Preston said, he waited several minutes until he and the Marine squad were alone.
"What's the situation, sir?" Grimesy asked, Commander Preston sat down in a chair and sighed.
"I have concerns for Twilight Sparkle; she was friends with the Covenant captain, an Elite named Thar. She may have reservations about us killing him" Preston explained.
"What do you want us to do, Sir?" Grimesy inquired.
"Just keep an eye on her when we get into the ship; I don't think she'll try anything to compromise this mission but who knows for sure? If she does try anything other than guiding us through the ship then restrain her" the Commander ordered.
"Yes, sir."
Four hours later
Commander Preston braced himself as the Pelican dodged another plasma bolt, narrowly colliding with a Covenant Seraph fighter.
Three Pelicans carrying MCT-7, 14, and 21 along with Spartan-021 and his team were streaking across the sky toward the Covenant supercarrier which had deployed Seraphs to combat the human team.
In addition to MCT-7 the Commander's Pelican was also occupied by Twilight Sparkle and her Unicorn friend Rarity, who was currently complaining about the 'dreadful' appearance of the Pelicans while complimenting the Covenant ship.
"It has such elegance and beauty; it's almost like the ship just flows across the sky, completely effortless. The color is very nice as well" the white Unicorn swooned.
Commander Preston blocked out her ramblings as the Pelicans streaked for the starboard* side landing bays, a squadron of Longsword fighters rocketed past and launched rockets into the side of the supercarrier. The rockets did very minute damage but they were only supposed to confirm the suspicions of the shields being up.
When the smoke cleared and several new marks were made visible Preston knew the shields were down. "Let's go!" Preston commanded, the Pelicans upped their speed and streaked into the landing bays, the pilots immediately pulsed the engines to brake and lowered themselves to the deck.
"Touchdown! Hit it, Marines!"** the pilot of Preston's Pelican yelled, the Marines of all three Pelicans disembarked and immediately engaged the Covenant in the hangar.
When they had killed the last enemy in the hangar Preston reloaded his XBR55 and ordered the Marines to regroup on him.
"Alright; stick together, watch your corners, and keep moving. We need to clear this thing fast before the entire ship knows we're here" the Commander said.
The group was about to move out when Everlasting Fall spoke up once again. "Commander, I have finished my scan of the ship and have discovered only one prisoner" the A.I. stated.
"Hit me" Preston replied.
"Rainbow Dash" Fall finished, the Commander looked down at Twilight and Rarity.
"Well that complicates our mission" Preston declared before he and the Marines began to move out.
*This is the right side of the ship.
**This is the same line spoken by Foehammer, the pilot of Pelican Echo-419, at the start of the mission The Silent Cartographer; Halo: Combat Evolved.
I would like to thank Michael Blackburn for beta-reading this chapter.
Legal stuff: Thar 'Saramee, Commander Michael Preston, and all related characters belong to me. Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia, and all related characters belong to Hasbro. My Little Pony belongs to Hasbro. Halo belongs to 343 Industries.