private Eastern Skies Ablaze

[FancyHorse 1,209]

"I don't know.." She says shaking her head. 

"I've heard one or two things... Like how some of the public assume reservists are just freeloading off the military? Heard of those things?" She says,

"Some ponies heard that it was a chance to test certain groups of reservists who have met only minimal success records. Which I in defense call bullshit cause that performance record listings are public information; and low scores only make %2 of the overall performances in the reservists. " She rants a little. 

 

"But again... We may not know." She says leaning a bit on the chair. 

"Have you met the other squad?" She asked.

Edited September 28, 2016 by IllusivePony

[Mentis Soliloquy 3,025]

"Other squad? The only others I know of are the three changelings that flew in with us otherwise no I have no idea and I did not meet them much either honesty just been here a few hours actually heck I've had no time to even learn the ship at all but them we're not here for very long." 

[FancyHorse 1,209]

"Huh... well. We better get you around should'nt we?" She asked, 

"Care to join me? - Course ya will." She says and without further notice Star is being taken along heading down into the depths of the ship. Down a flight of stairs they enter into a catwalk entering the interior hangar, large fighter/bomber craft, helicopters and fixed planes. 

"Our rigs are down there somewhere. But we hardly ever need to come down here for prep. Its usually all set up near the catapult!" She says over the loud noise of machinery around them.

Now through the catwalk and into the next seal door passing by a sailor who halts and salutes the two, them being officers and what not. The next room opened to being the cafeteria it seemed, perhaps even the biggest room apart from the hangar? Rows of tables lining along with service counters on the far ends with various worker ponies scrambling about as a line began to form at the front.

"Lunch is about to get served." She said.

[Mentis Soliloquy 3,025]

"I could go for some food I've not had anything yet today, been traveling all morning since dawn. Then my commander..." She drew a blank in remembering Razor. "Um..." She taps her head a few times. "Razor, that's it Razor wanted us to be practicing since we got here and I think it over kill personally." 

[FancyHorse 1,209]

"Eh, she's just getting you into tip top shape. Ready to deploy at any moments." She says, the two of them are awaiting about in line, close and closer to their selection of meals. From bright pastries and various amounts delis, hay burgers and fruit concoctions. Taking a tray of pre set meals they take their seat to a table near the ends as though it were a nostalgic trip back into high school. 

 

Pointing her hoof to the door a squad of ponies enter in. Two stallions and two mares, even numbers. They each share a similar grimace appearance. Almost a bit weathered, which matches their older age. Another similarity is the matching bomber jackets they wear. Almost a stereotype but seemingly true to a popular pick amongst ace flyers. On their hoof pacthes the words SAGITTARIUS followed by their squad numbers and their icon, a starry night sky, shaped in that of the Sagittarius constellations which Star made it out rather quickly.

 

"That's our ace group." She says to her.

[Mentis Soliloquy 3,025]

"So they are the real soldiers you mean, the ones with guns and shields and things on their flanks? Born to fly and kill I suppose. We need more of them to take our place." She show's Heavy her cutie mark. "Dose that even remotely look like a gun to you? No it looks like an astrologists mark!" She starts on her food which is not actually bad at all. "I would of never became a bolt if I was on the call up shortlist." 

[FancyHorse 1,209]

Looking up to Heavy Cloud she seems to be looking directly at her but a bit of notice in her gaze she's looking behind her. Star felt this sudden feeling of a presence behind her. Then a voice spoke, a sharp female voice.

"You know, some of us aren't thrilled to be called 'born killers' " Turning she faced the ace flyer behind her. With sharp orange coat and a red short mane to boot she gazed directly into her firey eyes. 

"And it's not exactly polite to talk about your higher officers behind their back." She hissed sharply, Star then noted the Lieutenant badge pinned to her jacket. The intensity was immense in such short notice. All eyes were upon the two. She could feel as though this mare was about to take her head off.

 

"And if I hear another remark we're gonna have a little chat." She hissed,

 

"Is there a problem ladies?" The familiar voice of Razor was heard to her left standing just a few feet away. 

 

"Somepony needs to learn some respect. And suck it up. " The mare spoke. She gave one more meanacing glare before she returned to her seat with her comrades. Everypony else slowly returned to their usual tasks.

[Mentis Soliloquy 3,025]

Star looked to her table moved her tray and face planted with the desk. "Ow...!!" She did it again for good messure. "OW!!" She looked up to Razor. "Hi boss just pissing the ace flyers off you know me..." She gave an incredibly fake glaring smile and then hit the table again and did not move her head. 

[FancyHorse 1,209]

Heavy Cloud fliched a bit looking at her comrade with stunned expression as she beat her head onto the table. Razor gritted her teeth and approached her.
"Officer Star stop acting like a child." She gave a low growl.

"Jeez Star chill out!" Heavy Cloud said to her in a worried tone. Looking around she noticed the gaze of others return to her noticing her odd reaction from her beratement from an Ace.

[Mentis Soliloquy 3,025]

"Why should I? I hate being here!" She muffled into the table. She sighed and sat up. "Sorry boss, I'm having a terrible day I don't know how to cope with all this it's just mentally wrecking me and I'm confused and scared and don't want to be here and go home back to my bed and my bird..." She just started ranting...

[FancyHorse 1,209]

Razor just let out a soft sigh. 

"Just. Dont hit your head anymore." She said, rather then grabbing her meal Razor instead left heading out the airlock. Nothing really she can do, she's no pyschologist. All she really could say was 'Suck it up'. " Heavy Cloud reached over patting her hoof.

"Let's get some fresh air." She said. Taking their trays in hoof Star followed her outward to one of the other exits. Along down a hall and to a left they find themselves onto a catwalk off the side of the ship under the shade of the carriers flight deck. They sit about with their trays near them as the watch the waves below.

[Mentis Soliloquy 3,025]

"This is nicer..." She doesn't say anything else after that and ate in silence and watched the sea and the other ships around them she really just took the sight in. maybe she was claustrophobic in ships who knew but she was a lot happier outside to a degree looking out at the sea she breathed the sea air in happily. 

[FancyHorse 1,209]

Heavy Cloud could sense the change giving her a smile.

"Fresh air is always a good help." She says sipping at her cup of tea. Looking out to their side of the water, surprisingly it was clear. No fellow destroyer or frigate. But before they admired the scenery suddenly leaping from the water not too far like a majestic metallic whale a deep black submarine submerges before crashing down and straightening out.

 

"Ohhh. Didn't know we had a sub unit with us." Cloud said. 

 

There was a bit of pause as the two took bites from their meals.

 

"I- I hope she didnt scare you. That was Amilla Firebrand. Saggitauris 3." She said.

 

((BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuEPimi57m0&index=6&list=PLXLXIIF_deRw5rRZci7Cs1DQCXe0Uj51J ))

[Mentis Soliloquy 3,025]

"A bit, she did scare me a bit... I'm a nerd I was bulled a lot at school kinda reminded me about that, guess I was being a dick though..." She looked out and at what was left of her dessert and sighed. "You almost forget we are at war out here, we could be on a cruise liner or somthing to the lands to the east..." 

[FancyHorse 1,209]

"Hehe.." She giggles a bit covering her mouth in feminine fashion, quite different from her impression of a steadfast soldier- or rather flyer.

 

"Any day on the carrier is a good day. It's my job, I enjoy being out on the sea." She says, a breeze suddenly blows, her mane flowing a bit but caught by her pony tail. 

"The salt air can be bothersome at first but you get use to it." She says, a thought struck her a bit to earlier. She looked to Star with a gaze.

 

"Y-you don't think I'm a born killer do you?" She asks, reiterating back to Star's comment in the lunch.

 

"I didn't grow up to kill ponies Star. T-this is just my job. Something I always like doing." She added, a bit of hurt noted in her tone though her best she tried to hide.

[Mentis Soliloquy 3,025]

She looked to at the other mare. Then sighed and thought. "I'd lump you in to the same category would't I? Making you sound like some remorseless killer... I don't think that, I don't think it about the ace's either just your here because you knew that be your thing, and you know what your job may one day entail killing another... I never knew I would have to possibly do that." 

[FancyHorse 1,209]

"Well the old saying is... 'This is what you signed up for.' " She says, hearing hoof steps near them an armored guard walks by, a rifle held on his side he nods to the two.

 

"Evening ladies." He says, must be on a typical patrol.

 

"Evening Steady Aim." Heavy Cloud replied. To their right out to the sky they hear the distant roar of engines, slowly increasing as they approach. Flying by in side by side formation two attack craft fly over. Two protruding engines on their sides with a long nose. A rather intimidating appearance.

((Image reference:  https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8d/USAF_A-10_Thunderbolt_II_after_taking_on_fuel_over_Afghanistan.jpg))

 

"Clear Moon 1 and 2. Our attack units. Kinda fitting, their siblings." Heavy Cloud informed.

[Mentis Soliloquy 3,025]

(Ref was broken)

 

"I did not sign up for this though, Wonderbolts are stunt flyers we preform shows but meh I'm here now because of that..." She looked away from her to the sea then to over flying craft passing over head. "I just hope this doesn't take too long this war, I want to go home... away from all this." 

[FancyHorse 1,209]

"You and me both. That was intense. But that's almost all of the usual encounters. But that was one of my only few engagements in total. Overall... I've had like... four engagements. This being the fourth. And the other three were just rouge creatures or rouge ponies. This was actual combat against real fighters." She said trailing off a bit.

"Part of me feels... we can do this. We have the better training. Technology. We got this." She says confidently.

 

"They'll probably be so scared when they heard about our first kills. Wonderbolts mean business." She adds, trying to add some bravado in confidence.

[Mentis Soliloquy 3,025]

"You don't sound so sure of yourself." She did not want to dwell on that though, why try to pick apart someponies confidence when they need it? "I think we will do this, I don't know if they are scared of us but they will fight and we will, I suppose the future will reveal who win." 

[FancyHorse 1,209]

With some shared laughs and shared topics their lunch hour was soon done. Departing ways in the lunch room Star returns to her quarters. Soft Soar is laying upon her cot, Cirrus had returned now sitting next to her as she stroked her head gently. Kris was sitting on the chair, casually leaning back on it with his phone in hoof. A bit of annoyance on his expression.
"Wifi is shit here... Go figure." He mutters.
"You sure you entered the code right?" Soar asked him. He sighed putting his phone away.
"Eh whatever. Hey Star!" Kris spoke up sitting up in his chair.

[Mentis Soliloquy 3,025]

She walks in and hops up to her own cot. "Hey you two, heard what you've been saying your complaining about WI-FI here in on a war ship? You think we're gonna keep up on out social lives and internet commitments out here in a war zone?" She lays on her back looking at the ceiling. "You know I'm very busy on the internet at home? Had to tell everyone that I've gone away and may never return... that was fun..."

 

She sighed and tried to relax. "I'm a barrel of laughs aren't I?" hearing her own pessimism. 

[FancyHorse 1,209]

"Eeyup! Full of sunshine and lollipops." Kris says giving a sarcastic reply. 

Soar simplied petted Cirrus who remained content on having as many pettings as possible. 

"Razor was looking for you." She said, "Just wanted to let the whole squad know we'll be outfitting our combat rigs." She said to her.

 

Kris returned to leaning in on the chair, a bit unsure on what to do next. He gave some good thought a bit. 

[Mentis Soliloquy 3,025]

"Let her find us I don't care to do anything." She lays back and puts a foreleg over her eyes, she did not want nor care to do anything more today. Well if she could help it anyway...

 

"I am sorry for being so... so negative I'm trying not to be but... I'm not coping well as you can see." She sighed again. "Sorry guys..."

[FancyHorse 1,209]

The two are silent a bit. Kris let out a sigh, he sat up in his chair looking to Star.

 

"Well... what do you want us to do?" He asked, something was rather off in his tone. Irritation? Loss of patience? 

"Kris are you okay?" Soar asked with concern in her tone.

"Just peachy yeah. Just sharing the same boat I don't wanna be on. Hard to keep things innard when I've got somepony w-" He groans, showing some bits of restraint.

 

"I... should not finish that. I need to shut up." He scrunches his face. He shakes his head, frustration obvious.

"I'm sorry Star." He apologized. Grumbling a bit he turns and leaves the room.

 

"Umm... okay?" Soar whispered, feeling slightly confused on that.