Captain Anonymous - Chapter 27 - Let Slip The Dogs of War
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>The ship rocks gently when it makes contact with the magnetic docking clamps and is pulled inward as the docking bay doors close beneath it. You tap at a few control panels, opening the doors to your ship’s cargo hold. You hear multiple footsteps walking back and forth into and out of your ship for several minutes.
 
>”So, how many of these things are we gonna need?” Twilight asks as she listens to the footstep.
 
“If they max out the cargo hold like I asked them to, we’re gonna have about 500 of ‘em. More than enough to wreak some serious havoc.”
 
>”That sounds like a lot,” Shining says, “but how many will we need for each target?”
 
>You tap a few more controls, having the ship’s food synthesizer whip you up a nice juicy apple, which you promptly bite into. You already know they’re going to ask so you order up two more and give one to each of them.
 
“This should be a walk in the park for us, Shiny. I’m going to have Twilight teleport us directly to each shipyard’s fusion reactor. You two watch my back while I place three of these babies on the protective magnetic seals around it, then we teleport straight back to the ship. When we set ‘em off the shipyards will be completely obliterated. For each target we should be in and out in less than a minute. Under perfectly ideal conditions, 45 seconds.”
 
>”What kind of resistance can we expect?” Shining asks, biting into his own apple.
 
“Little to none, Shiny. Nobody likes going near the fusion reactors unless they absolutely have to. They’re all paranoid about prolonged radiation exposure, even though the protective casing shields all of the radiation,” you say, rolling your eyes. “The only time we should come across anyone is if they happen to be making repairs or are running diagnostics on the reactor core.”
 
>One of the ship’s crewmen opens the door from the cargo hold to the cabin.
 
>”You’re all loaded up, sir. Good luck.”
 
“Thank you, soldier. You’re dismissed.”
 
>When the docking bay is clear, the doors open again and the magnetic clamps release the Pegasus, allowing it to drift downward and out. You set the ship’s auto pilot to meander around the solar system as you pull up the data file you were sent.
 
“Holy shit this is a ton of info. Computer, activate HUD mode.”
 
>All of the cockpit windows are now lit up with screens containing the various bits of information from the file.
 
“Twily, Shining, this is gonna take me at least an hour or two to go over. Do you want to go back home?”
 
>”No…” Twilight says softly, “Let’s just stay out here… wander around like we’re doing now… it’s still so much to take in…”
 
“The HUD is gonna block your view somewhat,”
 
>”That’s okay,” Twilight says, “go on with your work, Anon. We can be patient.”
 
>”I’m gonna take a nap,” Shining says, getting up from his seat and curling up on the floor with a yawn. You put on some soft music, the only noise between the three of you as the Pegasus roams about the stars.
 
>You order a cup of coffee and sit back in your seat, crossing one leg over the other as you absorb the information displayed in front of you.
 
“It would be nice if we could have Celestia and Luna with us, too, but I knew they’d never go for this. I don’t think Cadance would either.”
 
>You close a few files and open a few more, continuing to take everything in, already contemplating various plans of attack that change with each new bit of information your mind absorbs.
 
>Finally, a little over two hours after you began, you deactivate the computer’s HUD mode.
 
“Well, we certainly have no shortage of ripe targets,” you say. Twilight looks at you intently and Shining stands up with a stretch and a yawn as he returns to his seat next to you. “They have a lot more than I thought they did, so we’re going to have to prioritize here. I need to figure something out before we proceed further. Twily, Shining, can you recast your spells on the Pegasus again, please?”
 
>They both do as you ask while you deactivate the auto-pilot, hailing the Admiral’s ship. She still seems a bit frazzled when she appears on screen in front of you.
 
>”Did you call to harass me some more Anon?”
 
“’liv I need you to do us a favor. I need to know what effect these spells have on QT jump signatures. I’ve programmed the Pegasus’ computer to make a series of 15 jumps at random locations in the surrounding area, including locations very near your fleet. I’d like you to have all ships in the fleet conducting intensive short and long range scans. I’ll contact you again when we complete all of the jumps to see how many you picked up.”
 
>”I’ll give the order Anon. Start your jumps whenever you’re ready. We’ll be looking for you.”
 
>You simply nod at each other before the display goes blank again. You speak to Twilight and Shining Armor before you begin.
 
“Alright you two, you’ve never been through a QT jump before. It should just feel like a flash of light and maybe a bit of a weird feeling in your stomach, for a brief moment the front of the ship will appear to extend in front of us infinitely – that’s normal. 99% of people are able to make QT jumps without any problems, but there is a rare condition called QT psychosis that worsens with each jump the patient experiences.”
 
>Twilight looks a little worried as she listens to you.
 
“So I need you, both of you, if you start having ANY weird thoughts, start seeing or hearing things, or anything else strange seems to be happening you need to tell me right away, EVEN if you think it’s nothing or insignificant. You shouldn’t so much as get dizzy during this. You can close your eyes if you think it’ll help.”
 
>They both acknowledge what you’re saying as the three of you strap yourselves into your seats once more. Shining and Twilight both look nervous about this, looking to you to see if you have anything else to say, both of them taking deep breaths. You place a hand on each of them.
 
“Just relax, you’re gonna be okay. Computer, initiate auto-pilot. Run program Perky Pegasus, ten second interval, disable audio warning.
 
>The computer beeps in response. “Running program Perky Pegasus. Engaging QT drive. There will be no further audio warnings for the duration of the execution of this program. QT jump in ten seconds.”
 
>You almost look bored as you wait. You hear the core fire up, the flash of light, and you’re now in a different location.
 
“See? Simple.”
 
>Both ponies breathe sighs of relief and relax significantly. The core fires up again, a flash of light, and you’re now directly beneath the Admiral’s ship. There’s an awkward silence between the three of you as the autopilot executes the program. After the final jump the computer chimes in again.
 
>”Program ‘Perky Pegasus’ completed successfully. Fifteen QT jumps made. Coordinates have been logged in the navigational computer. QT drive powering down.”
 
>You give a sigh, expecting bad news as you hail the Admiral’s ship again.
 
>”Anon, are you going to run your test or not? We’ve got more important things to focus on here than running these intensive scans all day.”
 
>Twilight and Shining tilt their heads at each other, and your head tilts slightly in response to the Admiral’s words.
 
“’liv we’ve already completed the test, I was calling to see what coordinates you detected us at.”
 
>”Ha ha, very funny Anon. Start your damn test already.”
 
“I swear, we already completed the test. Listen. Computer, list all recorded power spikes caused by the initiation of a QT jump within the last 5 minutes.”
 
>”There have been fifteen recorded power spikes corresponding to activation of the QT drive within the last 5 minutes, completed during execution of auto-pilot QT jump program ‘Perky Pegasus.’”
 
“See? One of those jumps even parked us right underneath your ship. Are you telling me none of your ships detected a single QT signature that entire time?”
 
>”All ships have reported in, all reporting no detection of any QT jump signatures.”
 
“And these ships, their scanners, they’re…”
 
>”The latest and most up to date.”
 
“Are you telling me we’re going to be a complete ghost when we move in on our targets? That seems too good to be true…”
 
>”You’re complaining?”
 
“No, not at all, I’ll gladly take it. I’m just trying to wrap my head around how that’s possible. I know I probably shouldn’t dwell on it because it’s magic, and just count my blessings, but I’m still astounded you never detected us even once.”
 
>”Well Anon, it sounds to me like you and your friends are going to be able to do a hell of a lot of damage. Try not to have too much fun out there. I almost feel sorry for the poor bastards.”
 
“Thanks. I’ll let you know when we’ve finished our run. End communication.”
 
>The admiral disappears from your screen and you’re left in silence once again with your two companions.
 
>”Anon, your people are so advanced in so many ways… these spells we’re casting, while they do take a lot of power to cast, they’re not terribly complex or difficult… yet it seems like they completely nullified the usefulness of all your advanced technology. I’m just as confused as you are, but like you said, it’ll be a blessing for us. Where are we going first?”
 
”The Ytria system. That’s where the biggest cluster of shipyards is and where some of the most productive shipyards are. There are 16 stations, all within reasonable proximity of one another.”
 
>”Alright then, we got our prey, let’s ride, Anon! Let’s get some giddyup in this Pegasus!” Shining says in eager anticipation, rapping his hooves on the deactivated console in front of him, “YAH! YAH! GET UP THERE! MOVE! YEEHAW!”
 
>You shake your head and laugh at him as you program the coordinates for your first jump, Twilight also giggling at him.
 
>A flash of light and what used to be empty space all around you is now filled with a number of large structures in orbit of a dark blue gas giant, a few ships coming and going here or there.
 
“Welcome to the Ytria system,” you say, allowing Twilight and Shining Armor to marvel at what, at one time, was one of the Confederacy’s finest shipyards.
 
>”It’s breathtaking,” Twilight says, looking around in awe. She gets a wicked grin on her muzzle and her brow furrows moments later as she claps her hooves together. “Too bad we gotta blow it all up!”
 
“Your enthusiasm is contagious, both of you, but let’s take a moment to be serious here. Remember what we’re doing. We’re going to be killing people here today, try to remember that. I know you both have been in combat, but I don’t know if you’ve ever killed anyone before. They may be the enemy, but they’re still people, and we have a completely unfair advantage. At the same time, also remember what this enemy has already been responsible for – the willing participation in the massacre of nearly a half million innocent people. Let’s also not forget that they want to enslave all of ponykind. So don’t feel TOO sorry for them, our actions here today may save hundreds of thousands of lives.”
 
>You sigh and look back and forth between the two of them. They’re still smiling a bit but the overt… almost giddiness… that was in them before has subsided.
 
“That being said, I think I’ve found our first target. This one has a Carrier docked at it, so that’s definitely a huge bonus. She looks pretty beat up too, so little to no chance she moves away before we detonate the charges.”
 
>As you maneuver the ship toward your first target, you keep a watchful eye on the few enemy ships that ARE around, just to be sure none of them are moving to intercept you. You park the Pegasus directly alongside the engineering deck of the station and begin scanning. Engineering, the two decks below it, and one deck above it, are all clear. You walk to the back, retrieving three of the charges as well as a sidearm – just in case.
 
“Alright, I need the two of you standing in defensive positions around me here, and here,” you say, using your hands to adjust Twilight and Shining’s positions. You stay like that and you blast anything that moves before it even has a chance to see us. We need to stay quiet as well, try to watch my hand signals if I need to give any. Twi, when I’m done I’ll pat your back, that’s the signal to teleport us back to the ship.”
 
>You activate the power cell in your energy-pulse pistol and holster it, holding the three charges in your hands.
 
“Remember, in and out as quick as possible, Twily the very moment you feel me touch your back I want to be back on the Pegasus, so stay sharp.”
 
>”You don’t have to worry about me, Anon. My reflexes are rather keen. I know my role here. You just give the word when you’re ready.”
 
“Alright you two, this is our first try, let’s see how we do. Twily… GO”
 
>The moment you appear next to the reactor you adhere the charges to the magnetic seals one by one, already having primed them for adhesion before teleporting over. You take just a few seconds to make sure each one is securely in place before reaching over to pat Twilight. You’re back on the Pegasus before you even touch her.
 
“Computer, what is the total time this ship just spent without any occupants?”
 
>”Pegasus was without passengers for forty nine point seven seconds.”
 
>Twilight smiles and puffs out her chest.
 
>”Told you, Anon.”
 
“A well-executed first run, and your performance was absolutely flawless, Twily.  Regardless, we have room to improve – or rather I have room to improve. If I haul ass we can be in and out in thirty seconds next time. I want to finish this mission in under a half hour if possible,” you say, piloting the Pegasus quickly and somewhat recklessly to your next target.”
 
>The scans show the same thing as before. This time when you board your target you’re able to get the charges in place and secured a lot faster.
 
>”Thirty six point two seconds,” the computer says. The moment you appear back on the ship you’re already in the pilot’s seat, moving as quickly as you can, once again, to your next target.
 
>As you proceed from target to target, you, Twilight, and Shining Armor are so in synch that you’re in and out in twenty seconds now. Twilight is starting to tire from having to use her teleport spell so much in a short time span, but she insists she’s okay enough to finish the mission.
 
>It’s hard to believe the luck you’ve had so far, you only have a few more to go.
 
“It must be ‘Don’t Go The Fuck Anywhere Near Engineering Day’ in the Ytria system.”
 
>”I like that holiday,” Twilight says before you board your next target. Shining is multitasking now, helping you apply the charges as he also stands watch with Twilight. This was your best one yet, fifteen seconds flat.
 
>After your last target, you take the ship a safe distance away, also to a good viewpoint.
 
“Computer, play music – 1812 Overture” You say with a grin. “Begin recording all external sensors at highest possible quality resolution.
 
>You hold in your hand a pad with 16 red circles on it, each representing the detonator for one of the triads of charges placed on each reactor. Twilight and Shining Armor sit on their haunches, watching out the window, leaning as far forward as they can to get a good look.
 
>When the song gets to the part with the cannons, you hit a random button in time with each one, creating quite a spectacular show. When the music finishes, nothing remains but small amounts of burning debris. Twilight and Shining Armor stand there speechless. You toss the pad aside and sit back down in your seat, taking a deep breath and holding your arms wide open.
 
“Come here, you two.”
 
>They hesitantly approach you and you grab them both up in your arms, squeezing them as tight as you can.
 
“AHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAA!” you yell upwards before burying your face between their manes and kissing them both on the top of the head. “I LOVE you two, I LOVE you two SO MUCH!”
 
>When you release them from your embrace, they both look less than enthusiastic.
 
“We just did, in under an hour, what the entire Confederate Navy couldn’t do in several months. Do you know how absolutely incredible that is?”
 
>They both start to look away from you, at the floor.
 
“What’s wrong?”
 
>The expressions on their faces give them away
 
“You’re feeling guilty, aren’t you?”
 
>They nod slowly, still not looking up at you
 
“Don’t. You have nothing to feel guilty about. You’re both HEROES, I hope you understand that. We’ll have no way of knowing just how many lives we SAVED by our actions here today, but I know on some vulnerable world, one less mother will be crying over the bodies of her dead children. One more father will return home to see his family again at the end of the day. One young girl won’t be brutalized by a gang of these thugs. We helped to prevent, or at least stall, suffering on a grand scale. Let’s also not forget that Equestria will sleep a little safer tonight, thanks to us.”
 
>They remain silent and guilt-ridden
 
“If you absolutely have to, think of it this way. Neither one of you killed a single being today. Neither of you is directly responsible for the deaths that occurred here. I pressed the buttons. I detonated those bombs. I killed them all. If you’re still really feeling bad about it, let me offer a bit of comfort with this: Nobody that died here today suffered. A breached fusion core instantly vaporizes organic material before the actual explosion even has the chance to reach them. They didn’t feel a thing, they just suddenly ceased to exist in less time than it takes to snap my fingers. The innocent victims of their comrades-in-arms weren’t so lucky.”
 
>You turn around in your chair and take the helm controls.
 
“Sit down or stand up, doesn’t matter to me either way, I’m taking us home.”
 
>Shining and Twilight stare at each other somberly as the light flashes around the ship
 
“Computer! Overlay sensor data with music played in the cockpit at the time of recording. Format for high-quality transmission and save.”
 
>You start humming the song to yourself as you approach the fleet, hailing the Admiral’s ship. She seems eager to speak with you.
 
>”Anon! How did your mission go?”
 
>Your face contorts in rage and satisfaction
 
“Computer, transmit last saved file to the nearest vessel. I’ll let you see for yourself, Admiral. Send that to every ship in the Navy, to every loyal Confederate Citizen, broadcast it far and wide.”
 
 You clench your teeth and start shaking, punching the console in front of you
 
“And make sure the goddamned rebels see it too! I want them to be afraid, Admiral! Very afraid! I want them to know we’re out here, lurking! I want them to know the peril they now face by continuing their acts of barbarism and treachery! I want each and every one of them to feel unsafe and constantly worried they might be next!”
 
>You’re screaming at this point, your face completely red and your heart racing in your chest
 
“I WANT EACH AND EVERY GODDAMNED ONE OF THEM TO FALL TO THEIR KNEES, CRY OUT IN TERROR AND PISS THEMSELVES AT THE VERY MENTION OF THE CONFEDERATE NAVY!!! THERE. WILL. BE. JUSTICE!” you enunciate each of those last words with a pounding of your fist.
 
>The Admiral’s expression is unreadable as you slowly begin to calm down, not even realizing you’ve scared both of the ponies behind you considerably with your outburst.
 
“End communication,” you say through clenched teeth just as the Admiral is opening her mouth to respond. You pilot the ship back into the atmosphere, flying around for a while trying to decide where you want to land. These two can’t go back to Canterlot in this state right now. You set a course for Ponyville and set the ship down near Twilight’s castle.
 
>You turn to find her curled up on the floor silently weeping, Shining Armor trying to comfort her and looking on the verge of tears himself.
 
>”That’s not my Anon, Shining… that’s not my Anon… my Anon would never take such pleasure in killing like that…” she whimpers, “what’s happened to him?”
 
>Your expression immediately softens. You cautiously approach and kneel down next to her, placing a hand on her back, thankful that she doesn’t flinch or pull away. You sit down next to her, Shining gives you a worried stare.
 
“Listen to me very carefully, both of you. I’m still the same Anon I always was. Nothing about that has changed. None of my feelings for any of you have changed. Twilight Sparkle, you’re still the goddess of a mare that I still worship with every fiber of my being and would lay down my life for a thousand times over. Shining, you’re still my very close companion, none of what I feel for you has changed, either. I’d do anything for just about any of you…”
 
>Twilight’s sniffling seems to be subsiding. As she cautiously looks up at you, you see fear in her eyes, and it rips the heart right out of your chest. You pull her into your lap
 
“Shining, Twily… I’m sorry you had to see me like that…” you say softly. “All I could think of when I was saying those things, was all of those innocent people they killed, and are still killing. And even worse, if they were to come here and do those things to Equestria, just knowing that they WANT to cause suffering here in the same way sent me into a blind rage. I have no guilt over what we just did, my conscience is clear knowing that I made you two a little bit safer by taking those lives. But you’re right, Twily… taking pleasure in killing is wrong. I just hope you understand that I will always protect you two, and all of Equestria, with the same passion and ferocity that I just showed to the Admiral. Your lives are worth more than all of theirs combined. When I told you both I’d do anything for you, I wasn’t lying. If I have to kill for you again, I will, without hesitation, as many times as I have to. I hope you don’t think me a monster for that.”