open The Sparkling Sector (Sci-fi, Space)

[Tone Shift 57]

OOC Discussion: https://mlpforums.com/topic/151800-the-sparkling-sector-sci-fi-space-ooc/

Equestrian society has come a long way. In the last two-hundred years, they have risen from the cradle of their homeworld, and learned so much about the universe they live in. Wonderous advances in science and technology, interstellar space-flight, and the terraforming and colonization of planets. From the outside, or to the particularly naive, it may seem like a perfect utopia.

But it isn't.

There are problems in the colonies. Pirate attacks on trade convoys and civilian transports, natural disasters and unknown space phenomanae just list a few of the problems the colonies are having to face on a daily basis.

after a horrific disaster in the Arpel system left many of the inhabitants of it's planets dead or poisoned with Radiation, rumors have begun to spread of a rebellion brewing. Most shrug it off, but after a large civilian transport is destroyed in the Daash system with very few survivors, these rumors are taken a bit more seriously.

Our story will follow a group of survivors from said attack, their story begining on the Blitz Navy Station in orbit around Planet Prism, a lush world of jungles and lakes...

======================

The Shadowbolt class freighter pulled slowly and cautiously into the Blitz Station's docking bay, the large mechanical doors sliding shut and sealing behind it. Outside the station, everypony was on high alert, and security had been increased. Several fighter wings were on patrol near the station to ensure nothing that wasn't supposed to be there got to close.

Inside of the freighter, in the cargoy bay behind the cockpit, resided the survivors of the attack. All were more or less quiet. Some had a few wounds that had been patched up via a first-aid kit in the bay.

Whatever the case, our story begins here...

[crispy fries 432]

Redwood was still on her guard, and had her weapon, the Appleoosa Buster, a shotgun that she had customized herself, at the ready. So far, Redwood hadn't thought of good reason for why they had been attacked. Perhaps it could have been something to do with her affiliation with Dragonfang. 

Edited May 13, 2016 by crispy fries

[Tone Shift 57]

Solar flare tapped at his chin silently, no doubt just as confused as everypony else here about the attack... It had all happened so fast. One second everything was going smoothly, the next one of the escort fighters was hit by a missile and crashed into the side of the transport vessel, taking out it's shields just like that. Then all hell broke lose with a dogfight breaing out outside and a lot of firepower hitting the transport. It only took the attackers a few minutes to completely wipe out the escort and wipe out almost the entirety of the transport vessel. It was a good thing they made it to their escape pods when they did...

 

"Alright, we're docked. Everypony please proceed out of the freighter in an orderly fashion and do as the navy personnel ask. I'll open the loading ramp for you." The pilot called back from the cockpit.

 

"Alright, thanks." Solar flare replied, wincing slightly at the volume of his own voice, despite trying not to be too loud about it.

[crispy fries 432]

"Sunnuva bitch," swore Redwood to herself as she walked out.

 

She should have expected that she would have to deal with the navy. Redwood still wore her dog tags from when she served, and she was wondering if anypony would recognize her, and what kind of reaction that would warrant.

[Tone Shift 57]

@@crispy fries,

"Don't go cussing up a storm now." Solar Flare quipped playfully, smiling over at the mare as he proceeded down the ramp a few seconds later. He paused to take the view of the docking bay. There were catwalks overhead with navy ponies trotting to and from various destinations. In front of the survivors was a small group of medical ponies along with a group of armed guards. The medical ponies approached those few among the survivors with the poorly patched up injuries to get a closer look.

[Colenso Rivers 85]

It was all part of the routine, until any semblance of security he had vanished in his hooves. He was returning home after a mission when they were attacked, and for the first moment in his life, he felt lost, like his life was no longer in his hooves, no longer in his control. It was a feeling that had not wandered far, for if the Navy seen what his duffle bag was filled with, the guns, the chemical weaponry, the explosives and suit, he knew it would be the end of him. With his head held high, he stepped forward into what could have very well been his last moment as a free stallion.

Edited May 13, 2016 by Colenso Rivers

[crispy fries 432]

@@Skijarama,

 

"Hey, where's colonel Northstar?" Redwood asked out loud to any navy officer who would hear her. "Ah got a complaint to lodge, because things are just as slow as when ah was servin'."

 

She had served under Northstar back when she was in the navy, and wanted to see if he remembered her.

[Tone Shift 57]

@@crispy fries, @@Colenso Rivers,

 

Flare looked towards Redwood with an impressed expression. "Ex-Navy, eh?" He didn't say anything else as the wounded were ushered away and a pony, a unicorn, in the uniform of the officer in charge of the station, made his approach.

 

"Colonel Northstar is, at present, planetside on Prism attending an important meeting. Now, then... We'll keep you here for at the very most 24 hours, but probably less. We just need enough time to ask each of you some questions so we can get a better picture of what happened out there." The unicorn turned his attention back to some other navy ponies behind him. "Escort them to their temporary quarters."

[Colenso Rivers 85]

@@Skijarama,

He nodded with a gentle, "Thank you kindly, sir." He was slightly more relieved that they weren't checking him here, but knew they eventually would. Until then, he had some time to think about the continuity of his lies, or how he would go about things. Maybe he would go for the bounty hunter line again. 

[crispy fries 432]

@@Skijarama,

 

"Tell Northstar that Sergeant Major Redwood is in town, and he owes her a drink," she said to the soldier that was leading her.

 

Hopefully, Redwood would be able to use her past connections to get her out of here a little quicker. She didn't want to be held down for too long.

[CP3_P0n3 170]

It happened all too sudden. Crystal was the furthest from the point of impact when it happened but the debris hit her first. She shrugs off those short nightmares even a little, while still holding in the pain from her left hoof.

 

She lifts her heavy eyes slowly. A rash voice raced through her head. She helps herself up and tries to find her camera. She could've sworn her camera didn't flew off her hoof at that time. She gently taps a brown mare...

 

@@crispy fries,

 

 

"Hi, have you seen my camera?"

 

(you decide what happen to that camera)

[crispy fries 432]

@@CP3_P0n3,

 

"This it?" asked Redwood as she held up a charred piece of plastic and metal.

 

It had looked vaguely important, so Redwood had decided to hold onto it, and even if it wasn't, it looked like there might have been one or two parts she could have salvaged and sold.

Edited May 14, 2016 by crispy fries

[Tone Shift 57]

@@crispy fries,

 

Solar flare peered over at the hunk of destroyed metal and plastic from where he was and let out an impressed whistle. "If that was a camera, it sure isn't now." He looked over at the mare who had asked for the camera in the first place and gave an apologetic shrug.

[CP3_P0n3 170]

@@crispy fries,  @@Skijarama, 

 

"Ahh yes! Th..." Crystal looks down on the mare's hoof. A bright yellow colt gave her an uneasy shrug.

 

"Thanks for picking it up" she nevertheless put on a fake smile. "Guess I won't be able to film for a while...". She turns her head to the mare. "My name's Crystal Marine, a TV host for 'The Fumble', and you can keep the stuff." She reaches out for the mare's other hoof.

[crispy fries 432]

@@CP3_P0n3,

 

Redwood shook it and said, "Ah'm Redwood, formerly Sergeant Major Redwood, Interstellar Navy. Ah'm with Dragonfang now."

 

She was a little uneasy about this reporter. Dragonfang wasn't exactly the most ethical group, and while they were never on the side of crime, their methods were sometimes frowned upon.

[Tone Shift 57]

@@crispy fries, @@CP3_P0n3,

 

"What, we playing intro's without me?" Flare chuckled slightly before thumping a hoof against his chest "Name's Solar Flare. I do freelance work, usually work that requires a star ship pilot." He gave a rather large grin before turning his eyes to the pony with the large bag.

 

@@Colenso Rivers,

 

"And what about you? Are you going to get in on the naming party?" Flare asked cheerfully.

[Colenso Rivers 85]

@@crispy fries, @@CP3_P0n3,

 

"What, we playing intro's without me?" Flare chuckled slightly before thumping a hoof against his chest "Name's Solar Flare. I do freelance work, usually work that requires a star ship pilot." He gave a rather large grin before turning his eyes to the pony with the large bag.

 

@@Colenso Rivers,

 

"And what about you? Are you going to get in on the naming party?" Flare asked cheerfully.

He wasn't too focused on the conversations happening next to him, until they focused on him. Alias, the i.d. he had on him, he said, caught off guard, "Aster Grey." With a nod. He played off his worry as shock. "Bounty Hunter." Wasn't too far off, but he knew the difference between a bounty hunter and a merc. Mercs killed innocents.

[crispy fries 432]

@@Colenso Rivers,

 

Redwood didn't much like the stallion who said he was bounty hunter either. He seemed... off. Plus, she couldn't help but feel like he was hiding something.

 

@@Skijarama,

 

"Y'all still usin' th' brig fer temporary quarters?" Redwood asked one of the soldiers who was escorting them.

Edited May 15, 2016 by crispy fries

[Tone Shift 57]

@@crispy fries,

 

The soldier glanced back. "Much to my dismay, yes. We get complaints about it from time to time, but we just don't have enough funds to add an additional module to the station for better arrangements... Just one of the many 'perks' of working for the interstellar navy, I suppose."

[crispy fries 432]

@@Skijarama,

 

"Did they clean out th' blood stains in 4-F from that one time ah 'interrogated' that Blitzbolt?" asked Redwood with a slight chuckle. "Because ah remember that it still wasn't clean th' last time ah checked."

 

Being around the navy was bringing back some memories for Redwood, some good and some bad.

Edited May 16, 2016 by crispy fries

[Tone Shift 57]

@@crispy fries,

 

The soldier nodded. "Yeah, the stains are gone. Hold up, we're at the elevators." The soldier came to a brief stop as he pushed the call elevator button on the wall. They were in a far narrower hallway now with a lower ceiling.

 

Solar flare looked to the soldier with a curious glint. "So, uh, are we gonna be given ships before we leave? You know, so we can fly out of here?"

 

"Negative, kiddo. Once questioning and analysis of the wreckage is complete you and the other survivors will be given a ride to Equis aboard the 'Reliable,' an old and surprisingly sturdy cargo freighter that was once used to transport highly explosive materials safely. Details are still being worked out, but there should be plenty of room on board and additional protection from a few Fighter wings."

 

The door to the elevator let out a beep and slid open.

[crispy fries 432]

@@Skijarama,

 

"Hell, ah'm pretty sure th' 'Reliable' is older than ah am," commented Redwood as she stepped into the elevator.

 

All she could really remember about the 'Reliable' was that it was plenty old, but it lived up to its name. It would have been nice to get her own transport, but beggars can't be choosers.

[Colenso Rivers 85]

@@Skijarama,

Husk didn't like the sound of the questioning, even if he did have his cover in order. The act was, if they recognized his unique chemical's signatures, they could pin him. He also found the ride to Equis disagreeable. He'd only been there a couple of times, and both times he felt to uncomfortably out of place. They were too trusting there. Too kind, he felt like he owed them too much for their kindness, even though he knew he only took from them when he was there. He stepped onto the elevator tentatively.

[CP3_P0n3 170]

Despite the surprisingly not strict guard, it gave Crystal more unease. Has this place always been this lax? Could be one of the reasons crimes are breaking out more often.

 

As the four of them went into the elevator, Solar and Redwood managed to find a conversation with the guard. While Husk went along quietly and suspicious. That gave her a perfect room to break her own silence. She closes in on him, "Hi, you're pretty quiet aren't you?"

 

She immediately took a small step back, the colt's smell was even worse than that rash mare.

[crispy fries 432]

@@Skijarama,

 

"Ah'm surprised ain't nopony confiscated mah gun yet," said Redwood. "Looks like y'all navy boys are slippin'."

 

It seemed odd that they were just letting her walk around armed. Redwood would have thought that the first thing they did was confiscate her weapon.