"So what was going on out at the runway Rex?" Thunderbolt asked.
"Bugger all if I know. Some crazy thing complaining to the ponies about tea. Hell, I thought I'd seen it all. There's only one place I want to go and see, and that's Avalon dam." you say as you join them at the table.
"The dam is dangerous. It's really old and may be dangerous." Thunderbolt said
"Thunder, that doesn't look like pony engineering to me, looks like something else made it, something a little less native." you say as it looks like something you know.
"Still, I don't want you going over there" Thunderbolt said
"Afraid I'm going to find something that's going to make me leave you? I wouldn't be too worried about that." You say as you attempt to hug her, but due to Thunderbolt's size you can't really.
"Well, it's just worrisome that's all" Thunderbolt said as you laugh
 
1500 hrs. Shuttle facility under construction.
"Look Sadie, multiple launch pads, how wonderful." Mriya said as the five of them were out looking upon the launch pads
"Yea Mriya, that's somethin, somethin that gives me a bad feelin in mah stomach." Sadie said as Challenger, Columbia and Buran were a little more forward than their carrier mothers.
"Said won't use more than two per launch. There may be seven pads, but only use two. Seems wasteful." Mriya said making a sense of how wasteful if it was going to only be two launch pads out of seven for launches.
"Ah know, but it ain't helpin me much. Two at a time means there's more chances my little ones are gonna get hurt. Buran don't even launch out that often. Ahm just a concerned mother that's all. Ah am thankful that Anon is limiting the launches down to two per mission, not all seven at once. That's a might bit frightin" Sadie said as they looked over the little ones
"May be, but if little Buran dies doing what he loves, I cannot complain. As long as quick. I may protect him on ground, but I know nothing of launch, and space. That is his place, not down here" Mriya said
"Mriya, ah never knew that about ya. Seems kinda tragic you look at things like that. Ah guess if that's what allows you to cope with it all, than so be it. But to me it just seems a tad gloomy." Sadie said letting Mriya know what she thought.
"Is not like you. You fear unknown. You fear they explode on launch, in reentry, and have critical failure in orbit. But I understand that where they belong. On ground and in atmosphere not their home. Ours is down here, theirs is up there. Orbiting above us. But I provide Buran with so little funding, he cannot launch often and is stricken to ground. I wish I could send him up more." Mriya said revealing why Buran has been on the ground for so long. Mriya and Buran were poor, that's why she babied him, to keep him in the best possible shape to send him up when she scrounged up enough bits to pay for it, when her repairs didn't get in the way.
"Hon, if money is a problem, all ya had ta do was ask. I'm sure I can spare a bit of funding to get Buran up in orbit. All he's gotta do is carry some scientific experiments, make sure they go alright, an bring them back down to earth. Ain't hard, an he's got the capacity for two or three of em. Whaddya say Mriya? Should I talk to Buran about gettin him some science funding?" Sadie said bringing a bit of joy to Mriya's eyes.
"Please. Buran, come, auntie Sadie wants a word with you." Mriya said trying to contain her excitement
"Da Sadie?" Buran said as he walked up to the two carriers.
"Your momma told me y'all have had some issues with money lately, and ah was wondering if you'd like a little job goin up to orbit? Ya wouldn't have to do anything too terribly hard, jus carry out some experiments while you're up there. Whaddya say Buran? Wanna go back up and do a few little jobs?" Sadie said as Buran stood there mouth agape at the prospect of going back up
"Buran? Ya in there sweetie? Uh, Mriya, ah think ah jammed him up" Sadie said as she was concerned with why Buran was just standing
"Sadie, sometimes slow on processing large amounts of data. Sometimes, processors still original. Needs a bit of time." Mriya said explaining the slowness.
"Did you offer job Sadie?" Buran asked wanting to hear it again after it processed through.
"Yea, ah did hon. Whaddya say? You want it?" Sadie asked.
Buran nodded and smiled.
"Da, I'll take. if means I get to go up like Challenger and your shuttles. I'll take." Buran said with an extreme amount of joy.
"Alright then, but, ah wanna get you a few improvements. Yer processors are a bit slow hon, no offence, but they could use a boost." Sadie said as the one instance she saw of Buran lagging concerned her deeply, but Mriya who was used to those spikes was damned near terrified of them happening during landing or during reentry.
"So where can we get upgraded processors?" Mriya asked.
"Ah think ah know a guy." Sadie said in reference to you.
"Won't upgrade be expensive?" Mriya asked concerned about money.
"Naw, ah think he'll do it for the hell of it." Sadie said as she was probably right about you not charging Buran or Mriya.
"When upgrade?" Buran asked.
"As soon as them pony folk leave, ah don't want nobody openin you up with them around." Sadie said as her concern about them was intriguing.
"Understand, they odd. One is too nosy." Buran said as the three of them laughed. Buran was right though, Twilight was too inquisitive of them all.
 
1700 hrs. atop your shop, as it had the best view of the runway, not ops.
"When are they going to put on the show Twilight? Don't they know it's rude to keep an audience waiting." Rarity said getting on your nerves as you pulled out a radio to talk to them.
"Alright, quit your damned gawking and get flying, they're getting impatient, and if they get angry, I'm going to be worse." You say as if seemingly on cue the Hornets fly over to begin their performance for the ponies. During their performance you had to keep your eyes on the rainbow maned mare
"Oi, Rainbow! Keep yer ass on the roof. You mess around with them, they might kill ya with their wings. Snap yer fukin neck if you fly up to em." You said getting one of the ponies to remain glued to the roof under threat of death by plane pony, which was kinda a lie, they don't need a pegasus strike on them, or even want that pain for that matter.
The Hornets danced around for a while, before leaving to allow Strizhi, the Migs and Flanker and the Sukhois to take the stage. Those two groups were trying to out do the Hornets, to you it seemed like they could, and would.
During the Russian performance, Morgan called you, and you went down to somewhere private to answer.
"Alright, I'm away from them." You say as you're looking up at the Russians above.
"Dad, I'm kinda scared, what if I can't be as good as them."
"Morgan, you put that thought outta your head. You're great at aerobatics, I know that and so do you. You've done things that have impressed me, and I've seen some things done that were pretty impressive, but none as impressive as yours." You say trying to build up her confidence.
"Dad, I don't want to do this without you. Could you get into the link and just be here with me? Be the angel on my shoulder?" Morgan asked, you knew you could do nothing but comply with her request.
"Of course. Just let me tell the ponies that I'll be going away for a second to do something." You say as Morgan lets out a relieved sigh.
"Ok, but make it quick, they look like they're finishing up." Morgan said as you were already atop your roof to tell them and then sliding back down to get into your home.
"Thunder, don't let anyone in. Morgan needs me." You say as you run past Thunderbolt and into your home.
The second you link with Morgan you can feel her shaking.
"It's ok, I'm here, just take a deep breath and we'll get through this together." You say to her, as the shaking slowly subsides as the Russians finish off.
"Ok, we've got this. You and me. Together." Morgan said as you looked around for Raptor.
"Hey where's that air head F-22?" You ask trying to distract Morgan.
"Said she wasn't going to fly if Nora couldn't. Admire her for sticking with her friend, but something weird is going on there." Morgan said as you laugh a little.
"If only you knew Morgan, if only you knew. You wouldn't ask." You say as it's her turn to fly low over the ponies and perform.
"Do it for your friend Luna. I'll be right here to guide you." You say as you're letting her take control of her actions and you're just for confidence.
"Right, let's go." Morgan said as she rolled down to treetop level and accelerated over your shop. Her jitters were gone, and you were acting as the damper for them, keeping whatever was left from shaking her out of control, the exact same moves she used to help you kill T-50 were the same ones she pulled off here, but with a little bit of refinement.
"This is great Morgan, Luna should be thrilled." You say keeping calm and Morgan happy.
"Great! Let's see if we can't get a flat spin." Morgan said as you got a little worried about it.
"Alright, I'll be here." You say as you aren't exactly sure about her stability in a flat spin. Thankfully for you she gained altitude before stalling out her right wing causing her to spin. Three revolutions later she recovered from the spin and was now shaking with excitement.
"WE did it, we were so good!" Morgan said as she went to land.
"You were the great one Morgan, I did nothing but keep you from shaking." You say as the two of you smile.
"Really?" Morgan asks as you give her a stupid answer
"Really really." You say as she lands and signals for you to cut the link.
You walk back out to the others who are now climbing down from the roof to talk to them all on their performances.
"Anon, you missed Morgan's performance. It was spectacular!" Rarity said as you chuckle.If only you would let them know.
"Morgan is very good, who taught her those maneuvers?" Princess Luna asked as Morgan pointed to you.
"But how? You cannot fly." Luna said as you laugh
"Not on my own wings no. On theirs I can put a pegasus to shame. In a sense I just did." You say laughing a little as they did not understand.
"Oi turf huggas what bout us? We know Morgan's great and all, but stop makin us feel useless ya damned blighters." Blue said as you roll your eyes and fire back.
"Blue Angel, these are guests, that is no way to speak to them. If you start calling them names again, I'll repaint you and make Red Devil the leader of your group." You say getting her to shut her trap.
"Better. The Migs are putting you to shame anyways in the behavior department." You say as she glares at the Migs while you laugh.
"Those ponies over there, their coordination is fabulous. Though they all could use a little color coordination." Rarity said as the Russians all start laughing, all the Sukhois looked the same, the Migs, not so much.
"Matching colors what you think we are? Flying ballerinas?" Strizhi said laughing at her comment of color coordinating.
"Was just a suggestion my dear." Rarity said as now you're laughing with the Russians.
"You're not going to get anything through their heads, they're stubborn and that's how they're going to stay." You say as you get a little bit of air.
"I liked these guys better, they might look like a group, but I can tell they are." Rainbow said as the entire Hornet's Nest started to whoop and rally on that.
"Settle down, there's no need for you all to get riled up about this." You say as that does nothing. "Oi bolt buckets AH said can it!" You say as they shut up.
"Better. Now is there anything else these ponies can do for you while we've got them all here? Except for you Twilight, nobody's being dismantled." You say as you get one sigh and a single question.
"Can I challenge one of them?" Rainbow asks as you now look at her and can't control yourself.
"Did you hear that? She wants to challenge one of you!" You tell them and they all start laughing, even Princess Luna was laughing at the foolishness of the challenge.
After a few minutes you and all the plane ponies regain their composure and you have to ask.
"Alright which one of them?" You ask as you're holding your sides, which you think the shuttles watched launch into orbit from this.
"You." Rainbow says as she points to you and you completely lose it on her.
Morgan answers for you.
"Challenging him is challenging me. Are you sure you want to do that?" Morgan said as you're crying on the ground from how hard you're laughing.
"So is that a no?" Rainbow asks sarcastically.
"I mean if you want me and Morgan to publicly shame you before your friends and the Lunar Princess, go ahead. Two questions, first, what's your name, and second, Why me?" You say wondering why this pony has such a hard on for being utterly slammed into the ground by you and Morgan.
"Name's Rainbow Dash. I know bragging when I see it, and you're going to go down. Can you even pull off a sonic rainboom?" She said as you laugh.
"If you mean supersonic flight, yes, most of the jet ponies here can. Do they leave anything behind them? No, that's just something special you ponies get to have when you fly, we get nothing just a lot of hot gasses. I accept your challenge, we'll go in twenty minutes, to give Morgan enough time to rest and for you to think again." You say as Morgan places you on her back and walks home.
"Are you really going to let her challenge you?" Morgan asked as you got home.
"If she says I'm all talk when we go back out, hell yea I am." You say as Morgan drops you off and goes to get some fuel.
"Well, I just hope you go easy on her. Knowing you, we're pulling the same things we did to T-50." Morgan said
"So? If she's going to talk smack about YOUR dad, are you going to take it?" You say pushing Morgan in the direction you want her
"You're right." Morgan said with a smile