Stiller Jäger, Manos' Kaleun

To preface, this begins when the war between the Reich and Equestria first begins.

>You are Stiller Jäger, an officer in the Reich's "navy" (apparently Manos thought it necessary for a landlocked nation to have a naval branch)
>Before you joined the Black Hands, you were part of Equestria's illustrious navy, serving as a commander aboard one of their finest warships, the Sun Ray
>today, however, you are little more than a uniformed desk ornament, writing up contingencies for a nonexistent navy
>your job has become significantly more significant since the war has begun, however
>with the war, come the prospects of finally gaining access to the ocean
>a few days ago, you managed to overhear some Hand officers talking about taking Vanhoover
>since then, you have been meeting with Honor Bound about all kinds of designs you'd come up with in your downtime
"You see, with this weapon, we could completely destroy the Equestrian merchant navy with only 1/8 of the cost for an equivalent surface force!"
>He may think he hides it well, but you can tell that Honor doesn't take you as seriously as he should...
>"Very well, Stiller, I'll grant you permission to produce a prototype, but you'll have to find somewhere to test it yourself."
>Ah, yes, the testing will be the hardest part. Where are you to find an open body of water in the arctic north?
To preface, this begins when the war between the Reich and Equestria first begins.

>Now, with Honors permission and a large shop for your prototype, you set out with your new team to begin work on your first prototype, your team consisting of:
>Strong Bow, a female unicorn from Canterlot, who left for the Reich after being harassed by Royalists for following the teachings of Lord Manos; she had been a naval scientist who specialized in shipbuilding materials.
>Quiet Runner, a male earth pony from Vanhoover who had been working on unconventional means of propulsion for ships. He moved to the Reich for job opportunities when he learned of the Reich's mobile weapons of war, and is now working on adapting the Reich's engines to other platforms, as well as designing new ones.
>and finally, there's First Strike, a female unicorn from Ponyville, who had previously worked for the Royal Navy, for which she had designed weapons.

>Your workshop, which sits opposite of Franziska's, has been virtually untouched since the day it was first built. This workshop has always been intended for naval prototypes, but it never had a reason to be used until now.
>You had sent copies of your design to each of your team members several days prior to allow them time to develop ideas before your first meeting, which is today.
>as you all take your seats at a conference table shoved into a small meeting room, Quiet Runner is the first to begin proposing ideas
>"I'm sure you've already though of this Herr Jäger, but this vehicle cannot run on our current engines, as they require oxygen, and this vehicle must be able to operate while submerged.
>you nod
"That's correct, Runner. This particular problem is why you are here; so, what have you come up with?"
>"Well, I'm glad you asked!"
>Runner reaches down into a briefcase he had brought along, and pulls from it several massive papers etched with schematics
>as he flattens one out on the table, he points to what you assume is supposed to be the rear of the ship.
>"My plan is to install two kinds of engines on this vessel. One will provide power while on the surface, when oxygen is available; and the other will provide power when the vessel is submerged, when oxygen is not available."
>"The surface engine will simply be an enlarged version currently employed in the 'tanks', as Manos calls them. The submerged engine will be a completely original design which will run off of rechargeable magic battery cells. While the ship is surfaced, a duo of unicorns will recharge these batteries while the other engines are active."
>moving his hooves away from the schematics at which he had been pointing, Runner sits up, seemingly having finished.
"An ingenious solution, Runner. I'll leave you in charge of producing prototypes of these engines."
>"Thank you, Herr Jäger."

>I now turn to face Strong Bow
"Well, what have you come up with?"
>she too pulls out several schematics, this time focusing on the hull of the boat
>"Well, I surmised that this vessel will be required to submerge to a level at which it can pass under most ship's keels,"
>she looks up at me
>"so I've looked over your designs, and found that you have not designed the boat to have enough pressure to handle much depth lower than 40 meters."
>she sits back
>"As such, I've redesigned the outer hull to be stronger, so that the boat should be able to reach 70 meters with ease."
>I give her a crooked smirk
"Less than an hour on the job, and already upstaging your superior?"
>everyone chuckles
"In all honesty, the boat should never need to go deeper than just below the surface, but it's never a bad idea to have greater depth ratings, in case of an emergency."
>Bow nods
>"Exactly, if the boat is damaged and begins to sink, it won't be crushed right away, giving precious time for repairs."
>having finished her part, Bow puts away her papers
"Thank you for the corrections, Bow."
>she smiles
>I now gaze over at First Strike

>finally, you address the final member of the team, First Strike
"I hope you've an idea for some kind of armament, because I honestly have no idea."
>Strike grins widely
>"You bet your lucky horseshoes I've got an idea!
>reaching into his satchel, she pulls out now papers, but a metal object
>you glance around, Runner and Bow both look confused and curious
"What is that, Strike?"
>she grins even wider
>"It's a gyroscope!"
>when she sees that you are all still extremely confused, she continues
>"It's to keep the torpedo on course."
>the confused looks don't leave
>she groans and then pulls out a schematic of a long tube-like thing
>"a torpedo is a self-propelled body with an explosive warhead at the front
>she continues to explain
>"it would be launched from the front of the boat, and travel under the water until it hits the enemy ship, at which point it explodes, leaving a large hole."
"And the gyroscope...."
>"Keeps it on target. We'd have to calculate where the ship would be when the torpedo would reach it, and fire the torpedo to that location,"
>as she finishes, the confused looks turn to understanding
"the gyroscope makes sure it doesn't stray from this path."
>Bow is the first to ask the obvious question
>>"How will the torpedo reach the enemy ship? What will move it?"
>Strike holds her hoof up
>"I was about to get to that. The torpedo will be propelled by compressed air, which will be used to turn a small propeller on the back of the weapon."
"A marvelous solution, Strike; when we get some workers transferred from Franziska's department, we'll test your designs first. I can imagine that they'd be useful on other platforms as well."
>Strike bows her head slightly
>"Thank you, Herr Jäger."
>you sit back in your chair
"Now that we all know each other, It's time for us to get to work."
>you turn to address Bow once more
"I want you to begin work on a testable scale model of the boat's hull which will accurately allow us to test depth tolerances."
>you address Runner
"I want you to begin work on your design, I want you to built a device which will show we can actually store magic before we begin mass-production.
>he nods
"And Strike, I want you to work with Bow to make space for a firing station and storage space for your 'torpedoes' on this vessel. Once that is done, get some workers to assist you in building a prototype."
>she grins once more before nodding
>you stand and address the entire group
"Once we have access to a port city, we'll unleash these wonder weapons against those damned  Royalists, and bring this war to a swift end. Without their precious navy, they'll have no way getting help from their allies."

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>you are First Strike
>for several weeks now, you have been working with over a dozen workers in order to create your first torpedo prototype
>due to time constraints imposed by Herr Jäger, you have had to cut a few corners
>for example, many of the drive components were made of materials inferior to what you envisioned, which will most likely reduce efficiency
>plus, you didn't have enough time to mount an actual warhead in the nose
>to substitute the weight of the warhead, you've simply filled it with the equivalent weight in rocks
>on the flip-side however, you've also improved the design during it's construction
>for example, you discovered that mounting a second, contra-rotating propeller, would increase the weapon's speed significantly
>overall, your first prototype should suffice to impress Herr Jäger.
>for the test, you've had dozens of volunteer Brownshirts dig a long and wide trench outside of the city, which was then flooded with water
>for a target, a simple wooden plank with a target painted on it is placed at the far end of the trench
>just as the target is secured in place, Herr Jäger arrives with his entourage
>you salute him before noticing he has a guest
>Honor Bound steps in front of Herr Jäger
>"It's a pleasure to finally meet one of the bright minds assigned to this project"
"Herr Honor Bound; I wasn't expecting your presence for this demonstration, sir!"
>Honor Bound waves his hoof nonchalantly
>"I'm always eager to see new projects not of my own creation. Besides,"
>he leans in closer to you, and speaks low
>"I and the Reich have invested a great deal into this project, and we expect results..."
>you swallow the lump building in your throat and hold your head high
"You shall have your results!"
>turning away from Honor, you grimace to yourself
>that pompous oaf wants results? he'll get his results...
>walking over to the pit adjacent to the trench, you look down to see your technicians awaiting your orders
>they sit beside a large metal tube, which opens into the trench
>inside this tube is the torpedo, waiting to be fired
"We've got higher-ups here today, so let's give them our best!"
>your technicians salute
>"Heil!"
>you shout over to the group several yards away
"Gather 'round! We're about to start!"
>Jäger, Honor, and the rest of the group move to stance besides the pit as well
"This tube would be only one of four located at the front of the vessel"
>you point across to the other end of the trench
"That target represents an enemy vessel, most likely some kind of merchant ship carrying war supplies"
>you continue
"Unfortunately, we did not have time to mount an explosive in the weapon, so there will not be an explosion, this is merely a test of the weapon's accuracy."
>you signal one of the technicians down in the pit
>he nods and moves to a series of dials
"Target at 0 degrees, stationary!"
>he turns several of the dials
>>"Torpedo set!"
>you look back to Jäger, who gives you a small smile before nodding
"Fire!"
>the second technician pulls a large lever
>a loud hiss is heard as the torpedo leaves the tube at high speeds
>>"Torpedo away!"
>several of Jäger's entourage had jumped at the sound of the hiss, but are now all watching entently
>a trail of white bubbles follow the torpedo as it speeds towards it's target
>after several seconds, the torpedo reaches it's target
CLUNK
>it impacts right on the red dot in the center of the target before sinking to the bottom of the trench
>as you once more turn to face your audience, many of them start clapping
>among them is Herr Jäger, who walks up to you
>"Very impressive, Strike! When can we expect a full demonstration?
>you beam at his praise
"I'd say within two weeks, all that needs to be done is we need to mount a proper warhead and swap out parts for the drive system"
>Honor Bound walks up to you both
>>"Most impressive, Fraulein Strike, but I'm disappointed that we weren't treated to a full demonstration today."
>For the love of Manos, does this pony ever show gratitude?
"As I stated, Honor, we were subjected to time constraints..."
>he waves his hoof
>>"Regardless, I expect a report on the development of this weapon. I shall present said report to Lord Manos himself in three weeks time."
>you give Honor a VERY slight bow
"Of course sir."
>he turns and begins to walk back towards the city
>over time, the entourage of officers take their leave
>eventually your technicians take their leave as well
>all that remains is your team
>you are congratulated once more by Bow and Runner, before Jäger begins to speak

>you are Stiller Jäger
>during the demonstration, you noticed that Honor Bound looked very off
>as though he were planning something
>it's official, you no longer trust him
>no time for that now, you begin to speak to your team
"Now that we've proven ourselves to Honor and the military high command, it would seem that we now have more freedom to work free of outside influence
>this seems to especially please Bow and Strike
"I've just been assured by multiple generals that they will make sure that we no longer have any shortages again, be they material or manpower"
>you gesture to Strong Bow
"Bow here had successful tests with her models, and is currently working on a full scale prototype."
>you now question both Strike and Runner
"Will your prototypes be ready to be mounted on this prototype by the end of next month?"
>they both salute you and answer simultaneously
>"of course, Herr Jäger!"
>you turn and gaze off into the horizon, towards Vanhoover, as the sun begins to set, painting the mountains a beautiful orange
"Good. We'll need to be ready..."
>Runner steps forward to stand beside you looking off into the distance
>>"Why is that, Herr Jäger?
>as Bow and Strike join you by your side, you speak to all of them
"Because Lord Manos is going to attack Vanhoover soon..."

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>you are Stiller Jäger
>after much hard work, the first prototype is ready
>as a team you've decided to name it the 'U-Boat', a shortened version of 'Unseen Boat'
>you and your team are celebrating at a small table which had been moved into a corner of your workshop
>at the moment, you're all discussing the past
>apparently, Honor had been planning steal the credit for your hard work, but he was dismissed from his position as Head of Research and Development on the very same day he planned to present his fabricated files to Lord Manos
>unfortunately, he was promoted to Reichsmarschall, which means he'll still be your boss when you take command of the U-Boats once they're active
>on the flip-side, Franziska is a much better head of R&D, as she doesn't meddle with your work, and overall allows much more creativity
>as Runner talks about his antics during the construction of his batteries, you look over at the massive boat still sitting in the workshop
>the large machine sits upon a custom-build trailer designed to be able to both move it to a port, and release it directly into water
>the poor thing will probably be sitting in here collecting dust for several months...
>from what you've heard, the battle for Vanhoover began almost a week ago, but it sounds like the city is taking heavy damage
>that most likely includes the ports, which will take time to repair
>you sigh as you turn to return to the conversation at hand
>as you do so, the door at the far end of the shop opens, and a brownshirt walks in
>she takes a moment to take in the sight of the boat before continuing towards your table
>when she reaches you, she salutes
>"Herr Jäger, we've received word that Lord Manos has taken to the field in Vanhoover. The port is protected by a shield, and will remain as such until the battle is won by our Lord."

>you are Strong Bow
>and you are exhausted
>you and your team have just finished building the prototype, and already you are all heading out to Vanhoover with the U-Boat in tow
>along with the four of you, are seven fresh recruits from the brand new naval school, making your crew total at eleven ponies
>pulling the boat is one of those 'tank' prototypes that were made before the main production variants
>inside the boat, you all get comfortable, as it will be some time before you reach the city
>the interior of the boat is broken up into five sections
>the torpedo room, the officer bunks, the command center, the crew bunks, and the engine room
>above the command center is the bridge, which sits on top of the hull
>currently, you are sitting on your bunk in the officer section, noting how bare the interior of the boat is, since you left before furnishing was completed
>with you are your fellow officers and Herr Jäger, all at their respective bunks
>the awkward silence is only perpetuated occasional bumps in the road as the boat lumbers towards it's destination
>turning your attention from the roof of the boat, you look over to Herr Jäger, who is lying on his back
>you'd never admit it to any of the other officers, but you thought he was handsome
>you notice how he has his cap over his face, but he doesn't breath deeply, letting you know he is in fact awake
>you also note how his grey fur-covered legs are crossed
>having had enough of the silence, you speak
"Herr Jäger?"
>Jäger perks his ears before removing his hat from his face and rolling onto his stomach to look at you
>"Yes Bow?"
>well, you have his attention, no turning back now...
"What does your name mean?"
>your captain raises his eyebrows, apparently surprised by your question
>you quickly glance over to Runner's and Striker's bunks before returning your gaze to Jäger
>apparently they are just as interested in the question as you are, as they have stuck their heads out from their bunks, and are now also looking at the captain
>Jäger notices this as well
>he doesn't build up the moment, and answers plainly
>"my name means 'Silent Hunter'
>he moves to flip over once more, but you stop him
"What did you do before The Reich?"
>Jäger sighs before sitting up and swinging his legs out so the hang over the side of the bunk
>he places his cap on his lap
>"Before I came to the Reich, I was a member of the Royal Navy"
>Runner and Strike begin to murmur to one another
>"I was a commander aboard the Sun Ray, the finest vessel in said Navy."
>he pauses for a moment
>"When my religious loyalty to Lord Manos became known, I was expelled from the vessel and the Navy by the captain of the Sun Ray."
>you gasp
>Jäger cocks a brow at you
>you blush when you notice his gaze as well as Runner's and Strike's gazes
"I came to the Reich because I too was a victim of religious persecution."
>Jäger nods in understanding before continuing
>"Disgraced and stripped of my rank and uniform, I trekked to the Reich in hopes of a better life, one where I could serve my Lord"
>he smiles bit
>"Until we started this project, I was little more than a desk jockey for a nonexistent navy"
>his eyes widen with realization
>"A navy which didn't exist until we finished work on this vessel..."

>you are Quiet Runner
>Jäger is telling your group about his origins with the Reich
>you are currently thinking about his statement about this boat being the Reich's first naval vessel when he breaks your train of thought
>"Alright, I've told you all about myself. Runner, tell us about you."
>you weren't prepared for him to address you
"Huh? Oh, tell you guys about me? Ummmm..."
>you try to think of something to say
"Well, uh, I used to do pretty much the same thing back when I was with the Royals.."
>Bow cocks a brow
"What I mean is that I did work with the Royal Navy on finding alternatives means of propulsion, basically something other than wind power."
>you try to avoid looking at Jäger and Strike when you say the next part
"I've never really been a follower of Manos' religion; I came to the Reich mainly for work opportunities after I heard about the powerplant used in Manos' tanks."
>Bow seems angry
>>"What do you mean you're 'not a follower'? How could you no-"
>she is cut off by Jäger
>"I'm sure that Runner is loyal to the Reich nonetheless..."
>he says this with a hint of warning to Bow
>she is quick to correct herself
>>"Of course... sorry about that Runner.."
>you breath a mental sigh of relief
"Uhhh, how about you, Strike? What's your story?"

>you are First Strike
>all of the sudden, all attention is on you
>unlike Runner, you've mentally prepared yourself
"Like everyone else here, I used to be a part of the Royal Navy."
>no surprised faces here
"I designed weapons for the Navy, my main achievement being the current broadside cannons that the Combat Fleet is equipped with."
>you see the lingering question in Bow's eyes
"I came to the Reich because I could begin to see the seams holding Equestria together begin to fray."
>Bow leans in
"And I could see the order within the Reich, and heard Manos' promise of a better future."
>Jäger nods before speaking
>"Alright, now that we all know each other's stories, let's get some sle-"
>he is cut off as one of the sailors walks into the room
>>"Herr Jäger, we've reached Vanhoover."

>you are Stiller Jäger
>you and your crew are quick to climb the ladder to the bridge, eager to escape the cramped conditions of the U-Boat
>you are the first to reach the top, and quickly open the hatch to the bridge
>as you climb through the small space, you look up to see the barrel of a pistol pointed at your face
>fearing for your life, you look up to see who is holding the gun
>a Black Hand
>a Black Hand is pointing a gun at you...
>angrily, you push the gun away from your face and climb out of the boat
"What in Manos' name do you think you're doing?!"
>the Hand is surprised by your reaction
>"We, uh, we're confiscating your.... whatever, and placing you under arrest."
>you stand to your full height, putting you an inch or two above the offending Hand
"I am Captain Stiller Jäger of the Reichsmarine, and we are here under orders from R&D
>the Hand laughs
>"Marine? what Marine? We haven't any vessels!"
>you hold your head high
"You're standing on the first one, Hand."
>this seems to take the wind out of his sails
>after arguing with the Hand for some time, you are informed that the battle for the city is still raging
>unable to waste time, you instruct the Hand to guard the vessel with your enlisted sailors
>you walk over to your officers
"The city is not yet taken..."
>Strike is the first to speak
>>"What are we to do, then?"
>you smirk at her
"Simple, we help take it"

>you are First Strike
>normally, you love violence, but this is ridiculous
>the Captain was quick to instruct you, Bow, and Runner to follow him into the city
>granted, he allowed time to arm yourselves with swords and pistols
>as you walk past the first buildings on the outskirts of the city, you note how little damage they seem to have sustained, some buildings even seeming untouched
>you think aloud
"Repairs shouldn't take too long..."
>Bow decides to add some input
>"Speaking of repairs, have any of you heard anything about how Lord Manos intends to rebuild Ponyville?"
>you flinch slightly
>it's hard to think about your now destroyed home
>nevertheless, you respond
"I've heard rumors that he plans to rebuild it even better than it was before; with a brand new kind of architectural style."
>before anyone else can contribute, a loud crash is heard from the inside of a house as you pass it
>Jäger signals for everyone to stop
>quietly, he whispers
>>"Take cover behind that cart and wait until I return."
>he points to the cart in question before creeping through the open door of the house
>you, Runner and Bow take cover as instructed
>several minutes pass with no noise
>you begin to worry about your captain
>what if he was ambushed?
>your thoughts are interrupted as Bow speaks
>"I'm going in after him."
>before you can tell her no, you all begin to hear yelling from inside the house
>you all stand from behind your cover as a royal guard is thrown out the door
>he impacts hard against the cobblestone street
>from the darkness of the house, Jäger steps out onto the street, sword drawn
>as the guard attempts to scramble to his feet, the captain speaks
>>"Restrain him!"

>you are Strong Bow
>you and your fellow officers don't hesitate before rushing over and tackling the guard as he attempt to escape
>as the guard attempts to wriggle himself free, Jäger speaks to you
>"Bow, would you hold him in place for me?"
>you blush
>he asked YOU to hold the guard as opposed to Strike
"Of course sir"
>your horn glows, and the guard stops wriggling
>Runner and Strike removes themselves from him, and step back
>Jäger steps forward and stares down at the now helpless guard
>he stares for a few seconds before reaching into his jacket and pulls out a folded piece of paper
>he unfolds it to reveal a map of the city
>once more reaching into his pocket, he also retrieves a pen
>kneeling down, he holds the pen in front of the guard's mouth
>"Open."
>a simple command, one which the guard hesitates to obey
>"Now."
>the guard does as he is told, and opens his mouth
>Jäger places the pen in the guard's mouth
>he then holds the map in front of the guard's face
>"You are going to use that pen to mark this map"
>confusion crosses through the guard's eyes
>"You are going to mark every house which contains guards just like you."
>the guard's eyes show defiance, but this doesn't faze the captain
>"If you do not, I will personally disembowel you with this,"
>he pats his saber
>"and hang you from that lamppost,"
>he points down the street
>"as an example to all your comrades."
>fear now shines in his eyes
>"However, if you cooperate, you will be taken as a prisoner of war, and no harm will come to you."
>before Jäger can continue, the guard leans his head forward and begins to mark multiple X marks on the paper
>the captain closes his eyes and sighs
>"That wasn't so hard, was it?"
>you can't tell if he's talking to the guard, or to himself

>you are First Strike
>once the guard had finished marking the paper, he was taken back to the boat, where he was taken into custody by the Black Hands there
>now, however, you are back in the city with your fellow officers
>Jäger eventually admitted that he's just trying to clear a path to the port
>you have been put in charge of giving directions after the captain gave you a second map of the city
>you're trying your best, but the Vanhoover's layout isn't the best...
"It looks like we'll get there sooner if we cut through the park in the city center"
>while you will occasionally get concerned looks from Runner and Bow, Jäger just keeps his head forward, seemingly completely confident in his decision to give you the map
>he really is an odd character, he doesn't act at all like your previous commander
>they had all been controlling and micro-managing
>but Jäger has only ever given loose orders, trusting his crew's ability to complete tasks at their own discretion
>the fact that his trust has not yet been misplaced bolsters your confidence
"The park is right in front of us, past this treeline."
>as the group is about to pass through the treeline, voices can be heard, causing Jäger to signal for a stop
>as you focus, you can make out what the voices are saying
>"Anonymous."
>huh? Who is 'Anonymous'?
>before you can give it any thought, another voice
>>"Its Manos, Celestia. it has been since I gave my life for the safety of these ponies, and so it will remain."
>your eyes widen, and you stick your face through the bushes, allowing you to see into the park

>you are Stiller Jäger
>you can't believe what you're hearing
>like Strike, you stick your face through the bushes, allowing you to see what is transpiring
>Runner and Bow follow suit
>at the center of the park stand two figures
>both tall
>one white
>one black
>you instantly recognize one as your former Princess, and the other as your Führer
>Manos is facing away from you, while you can make out Celestia's face rather well
>she seems distressed
>Manos holds himself like someone who's in charge
>Celestia speaks
>"Anonymous, you pass judgement on others without taking the time to see the consequences of your own actions. You have lied and deceived ponies, some of which I may never share a bond with again."
>her face emotes both anger and sadness at the same time before reverting back to a calm state
>"even so, some of your words have truth in them, perhaps I have made a few mistakes with my ponies."
>Manos is quick to reply
>>"Its a little late for apologi-"
>but he is cut off by a now VERY loud princess
>"This is no apology Anonymous!"
>it is only when they flinch that you notice all the Black Hands and Royal Guards also present in the park
>even Commander Cadence is here!
>as Manos and Celestia continue to talk, she is suddenly attacked by Cadence and one of those new 'operator' ponies
>as she lies on the ground, still pinned by the armored pony, Manos suddenly fires his pistol and speaks
>>"Well Celestia? Your ponies await your decision."
>wait, is what you think is happening, actually happening?
>Celestia hesitates before responding in a defeated tone
>"Anonymous, I surrender myself to you not for myself, but for my ponies."
>you hear Bow inhale sharply next to you, and swiftly cover her mouth with your hoof
>Manos declares, after an uncomfortable pause
>>"You have made the right choice."

>you are Quiet Runner
>turns out that Celestia only surrendered herself
>bummer, you were honestly hoping that the war would be over
>as the excitement in the park dies down, Jäger suddenly moves from the bushes and into the park itself
>you whisper loudly at him
"Captain, what are you doing?!"
>he turns back to look at you
>"We're soldiers of the Reich, just like those Black Hands in there; come on!"
>Bow is quick to follow Jäger into the park
>you and Strike share a glance before exiting the bushes at the same time
>as you once more follow your captain, you notice how close your group is to Manos and his entourage
>you can imagine that the captain wishes desperately to worship his Lord, but he doesn't show signs of any such desires
>Bow, on the other hand, is chanting quietly as you near the group
>>"He is Fate, and we are his faithful Hands..."
>she chants this repeatedly
>Manos, who seems about to leave the park, suddenly turns his gaze towards your group
>Jäger stops, and the group does the same
>Manos first takes in the sight of this new group, as if evaluating you
>and then looks directly at you
>more specifically, right into your eyes...

>you are Stiller Jäger
>after the Princess surrendered, the enemy retreated from the city
>essentially making the rest of your quest to the port unnecessary, as the shield was lowered shortly afterwards
>so, instead of going to the port first, you've taken your group back to retrieve the U-Boat
>as you exit the city, and the boat comes into view, you take a moment to take in it's image
>as the sun sets, the shiny hull of the vessel reflects what's left of the sun's beams, making it appear almost like a beacon of some sort
>continuing to the boat, you are greeted by the same Hand who had nearly shot you earlier
>"Back already, captain?"
>you don't pay much attention to him, but you do answer
"The battle is over; we're taking the boat to the port."
>he nods
>"My men and I will escort you; you never know how many soldiers will refuse to retreat."
>you thank him before rounding up all of your men back into the boat
>the trip through the city isn't exactly easy, simply navigating the boat around corners is a challenge
>but you eventually make it to the port
>and it is here that you once again come across your Lord

>you are still Stiller Jäger
>Manos is with his bodyguards at a pier, where it seems a Royal vessel has just docked
>though there is a significant distance between your boat and the pier in question, you aren't the only one to notice him
>behind you, you can hear low chanting in two different voices
>one voice obviously belongs to Bow, but the other belongs to.....
>you turn your head to look behind you
>Runner?
>with his head bowed, he prays with Bow
>"He is Fate, and we are his faithful Hands."
>odd, but you don't have time to worry about that
>not wanting to disturb Bow and Runner, you turn to Strike
"Prepare to unlatch us from the trailer, once we're turned around, we're going in next to that pier
>you point to the open pier next to the one where Manos is located
"We're going to show our Lord what his faithful hands are capable of building."
>your statement causes Bow to break her prayer and look back over to Manos once more
>she looks like a school-filly who is scared to share a presentation with her class
"We've spent months on this project, it's time to show it off."
>after several minutes of maneuvering, your towing tank has the boat in position next to the Royal ship
>which is apparently called the 'Shining Seapony'
>you grab your cap and secure it on your head before checking to make sure that your uniform is as clean as can be
>you know, given that you've just partaken in one of the biggest battles of the war thusfar
>once you're satisfied with your uniform, you double check everything that needs to be done before you are dumped into the water
>everything checks out
>looking over the edge of the bridge, down to the ground, you wave to the ponies standing by a large crank on the trailer
"We're ready!"
>they nod before beginning to turn the crank
>slowly, the stern of the boat rises higher into the air and does so until the crank stops turning
>you breathe deeply, and exhale before once more yelling down to the ponies
"LAUNCH!"

>you are Strong Bow
>"LAUNCH!"
>well, time to see if your design for the hull does it's job...
>one of the ponies on the ground pulls a lever on the boat's trailer
>with a mighty lurch, the boat begins to slide into the water
>it displaces much water and splashes a lot onto the pier itself
>the sudden commotion draws attention from the ponies (and human) on the Shining Seapony
>the bodyguards turn to look at the spectacle
>as does Lord Manos, who had seems to have been about to speak with the captain of the vessel
>your breath catches in your throat
>he first watches as the boat settles into place, before looking at the crew
>and you
>when he sees you, he gives a small nod and the faintest hint of a smile before turning to face the captain of the Seapony once more
>you free breath you had been holding
>after calming yourself, you notice that you are in fact still afloat
>however, looks can be deceiving
>you yell down into the boat through the open hatchway in the floor
"Any flooding down there?"
>>"None! We're completely dry down here!"
>you smile
>as you look up from the hatchway, you are greeted by Captain Jäger, who is holding his right hoof out to you
>"So far, this boat is performing even better than I had expected; congratulations Bow."
>you can feel your face burning, but you hold your head high as you too extend your right hoof and shake his
"Thank you,
>you can't help the sultry tone that slips into what you say next
"Stiller."
>he stops shaking your hoof
>Oh Manos, what have you done?!
>how could you be so stupid as to call him by his first na-
>"You're welcome,"
>he gives you a knowing smirk
>"Strong."

>you are Stiller Jäger
>well, that was fun
>you must have really embarrassed Bow, as she was quick to excuse herself down into the hull of the boat after your reply
>noticing that the boat has been in the water for some time now, you move to a metal tube at the front of the bride
>the tube is a primitive means of communication, as you couldn't get your hooves on those crystals that the Black Hand commanders use
>you look up before issuing your orders
>before you is a vast ocean glowing in the dimming light of the setting sun
>you smile
>you may not have realized it before, but your whole life really has been leading up to this moment
>you move your face closer to the tube
"Bridge to Command Center, set heading to 0 degrees"
>after a few seconds, Bow responds
>"Heading set, captain
>she still sounds so embarrased
>cute
>once more, you speak into the tube
"Bridge to Engine Room, ahead slow"
>as with the command center, a few seconds pass before you get a response
>>"Aye Captain."
>several suspenseful seconds go by before the boat slowly begins to move forward
>behind you, you can hear Strike begin to hum a tune
>you recognize it immediately and begin to hum as well
>suddenly, Runner starts singing the lyrics
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_J1sOO5FQY [Embed]
>before long, everyone on the bridge is singing, once more drawing the attention of the soldiers on the Seapony, who seem baffled by the ship moving with no sails
>apparently, the crew inside the ship must have heard you, because you can now hear singing coming through the tube
>as you shoot a glance back over to the Seapony, you can see that everyone on board is watching your crew make a spectacle of themselves
>all except for Lord Manos and the captain, who are staring intently at each other, unmoving
>weird
>turning back, you grip the front of the bridge as you briefly stop singing to issue an order
"Bridge to Engine Room, increase speed to 'ahead full'!

>you are Quiet Runner
>the boat has been at sea for several hours now
>you've been working on small fixes in the engine room since you've started your journey
>mainly tightening loose wires and making sure the fuel engine is running properly
>sure enough, it hasn't had any problems thus far
>after checking the engine one last time, you stand and stretch before walking over to the door which leads into the crew quarters
>as you reach your hoof out to turn the door handle, a voice comes through the metal tube next to the door
>"Bridge to Engine Room, we're preparing to dive, stand by for battery tests"
>you sigh before looking at the clock above the door
>11:10
"Engine Room to Bridge, we're ready for battery tests"

>you are Strong Bow
>and you are nervous
>not because you're about to make your first dive
>but because Jäger is descending the ladder from the bridge along with Strike and two watch ponies
>you attempt to avoid his attention by sitting at your station and trying to look busy
>alas, it is to no avail
>he walks up behind you and places a hoof on your shoulder
>the now familiar burning sensation returns to your face
>how much fun is he having doing this to you, you wonder
>of course, he does more than just touch your shoulder
>he leans in to speak into your left ear
>"Are we ready to dive, Fraulein Bow?"
>you can tell he has that stupid smirk on his face again
>even if it's obviously fake, you decide to try and put on an air of confidence
"Yes we are, Herr Jäger."
>he leans in even closer and now whispers into your ear
>"Excellent,"
>you hear a snapping noise
>"you may proceed when ready."
>finally, he pulls away and moves to speak with Runner via a communication tube
>you look down
>the pencil you had been holding is now broken in half

>you are Stiller Jäger
>you chuckle to yourself as you walk over to the command center's comm. tube
>you feel as though you've thoroughly embarrassed poor Bow
>though to be honest, you can't understand why she'd be interested in you
>she's barely a mare, and probably hasn't been working for more than five years, while you've been a seapony for nearly fifteen years
>perhaps she's attempting to advance her career through you?
>no, she'd be more brazen if that were the case
>you decide that it's probably nothing more than a small crush
>you break the train of thought and speak into the tube
"All hands, prepare to dive."

>you are Quiet Runner
>now's your time to shine
>you answer Jäger's order
"Engine Room to Command Center, we're ready in here."
>he is quick to issue a new order
>"Take us down to twenty meters."
>you reply with a smirk
"Gladly, captain."
>turning from the tube, you walk over to a large series of dials, levers, and meters
>after a few seconds of work, you look at the depth meter
>nothing
>the boat is absolutely silent
>impatient, you tap the glass on the meter a few times
>slowly, the hand starts to move
>from 7 to 8
>from 8 to 10
>you smile, and you can hear cheering coming from the command center
>slowly, the boat descends to it's target depth

>you are First Strike
>you are celebrating with captain Jäger and Bow
>Jäger announces
>"Just you wait, my friends; soon, we'll have the entire Royal Navy retreating with their tail between their legs!"
>this earns several laughs from his crew members
>however, his face soon turns serious
>"However, we have one more thing left to test...."
>he looks to you
>"Fraulein Strike, I am going to allow you to decide where and on what we test your torpedoes."
>he ushers you over to a small table built into the wall of the U-Boat
>on the table is a map showing every major Equestrian port and trade route
>you contemplate for several minutes before announcing your decision
"Now that we have taken Vanhoover, tha Royalists will probably be massing forces in Los Pegasus for a counterattack."
>you continue
"This would most likely involve dozens of troop ships moving soldiers from Baltimare and Manehattan."
>Captain Jäger contemplates your decision before nodding
>"Yes, this makes sense."
>he moves to a different table with maps of the different oceans
>"In our haste to leave the Reich, I neglected to recruit a dedicated navigator, so I'll have to work with the charts until our next patrol."
>he shrugs his shoulders as he takes a seat at the desk
>"You've got to make mistakes in order to learn from them, as my father used to tell me."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

>you are Stiller Jäger
>and you are disappointed
>the first full day of your first patrol was completely uneventful
>you had been hoping to come across Equestrian vessels fleeing Vanhoover, but no such luck
>aside from a few large fish, you'd seen nothing all day
>though the sun had set nearly an hour ago, you still stand on the bridge, the lowering temperatures making you occasionally shiver
>with a huff, you drop your gaze from the ocean in front of you and climb into the hatchway leading into the boat
>descending the ladder, you notice that the only sound in the room is the clanking of your hooves against the metal surface of the ladder
>when you reach the bottom, you turn to see why there is no noise
>the room is empty, aside from you and one other pony
"Evening, Bow," you say with a smirk, a facial feature you find you now wear every time you speak to her
>everyone else must already be in their quarters
>you confirm this; both doors leading to the officer and crew quarters are sealed shut
>she was not working when you entered the room
>in fact, she looks as though she were expecting you
>she is sitting in a chair facing you, legs tight together with her hooves atop them
>a perfect image of exaggerated modesty if ever there was one
>you grab a chair on your end of the room and slouch back in it, subtly mocking her posture
>she watches you for a few seconds
>you notice her eyes wander rather low
>it is only now that you notice that her face is bright red
>your smirk grows
"I take it you have some kind of question for me,"
>you lean forward slightly
"Fraulein."
>she still seems absolutely flustered by how you address her
>she opens her mouth to speak
"However,"
>you stop her before she can speak
"You were the one who was asking questions last time;"
>she seems confused
>you straighten yourself in your chair
"Now it's my turn."

>you are Strong Bow
>you feel like such a fool
>all you wanted to do was to clear up the situation between you and Jäger, but now he's making you flustered as well as prolonging this exchange
>now that he's sitting forward in his chair, he is close enough that you could touch him if you wanted to
>or vice versa...
>"I have but only one question,"
>oh yeah right
>"and then I'll let you ask one; we'll go back and forth."
>you nod, the burning in your face starting to die down
>"Do you fancy me?"
>aaaand it's back
>this time, however, it's because you're angry
>you grab a pencil behind you and shout
"What the buck do you think?!"
>you throw the pencil at him
>it bounces harmlessly off of his arm and you see that he's trying not to laugh, and doing a poor job of it
>"Shhhh! You'll wake the crew!
>he's mocking you!
>"Jeez, no need to get worked up,"
>he rubs his arm where the pencil had hit
>"you've hurt your dear captain..."
>you are quick to rebut
"Oh shut up, you're fine."
>he smiles smugly
>"Apparently VERY fine, with how you act around me."
>you attempt to get back on track
"Alright, you've had your fun; now it's time for my question."

>you are Stiller Jäger
>it seems that Bow has finally had enough of your abuse
>"Alright, you've had your fun, now it's time for my question."
>you place your hooves together and lean back, crossing your legs
"Fire away, Fraulein Bow."
>she takes a few breaths before finally asking her question
>"What's the next step in your master plan?"
>wut?
>your confusion at her question must be evident by your expression, because she elaborates
>"I mean, you've started and conducted this entire operation without orders to do so."
>she continues
>"You've assembled this team, built this boat, and moved it across Equestria."
>she pauses for a moment to make an aside
>"Which makes me wonder why a pony would build a boat before controlling a port."
>she then continues on her main point
>"So, you clearly are acting on your own interests, not the interests of someone above you,"
>she concludes
>"So now that we're out here, on our first patrol, what's the next step?"
>now understanding her question, you lean forward
"My plan is quite simple, Fraulein Bow."
>you stand from you chair and kneel in front of Bow
"Sink their navy, with no surviving vessels once we're done."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

>you are Quiet Runner
>today is the second full day of your first patrol
>you are planning to see just how fast the boat can safely go today
>you are doing some stretches after getting out of your bunk when you notice something weird
>Captain Jäger and Bow are still asleep, and they both have one arm hanging off the side of their bunks
>and their arms are on the floor, almost touching
>weird; they must have been tossing and turning in their sleep
>anyway, you walk to the command center
>more specifically, to the kitchen, which is really just a corner of the room with a stove and a few cabinets
>you yawn before opening one of the cabinets and retrieving a box of bell peppers
>Sauté Saturday
>you chuckle when you remember how you and Strike decided that each day of the week would have a unique way of preparing food
>as you fire up the stove and oil a large pan, you are greeted by the mare in question
>"Morning Runner."
>she still sounds tired
"Good morning Strike."
>she walks over to your side and watches you slice the peppers
>"Whatcha doin'?"
>huh?
>how tired is she?
"I'm slicing peppers, as you can see."
>she yawns again
>"Sautéing them?"
>you smile
>at least she remembers that
"Yep; care to help me?"

>you are First Strike
>though you're still tired, you're always willing to lend a hoof
"Sure, what would you like me to do?"
>Runner nods his head towards the box of bell peppers on the small counter, his focus still on his cutting
>"Grab a few of those and a knife, and cut them into pieces."
>you do as he instructs
>you are holding the knife above a yellow pepper when you realize
"How small should the pieces be?"
>Runner shrugs his shoulders
>"The size at which you'd be comfortable chewing them is always my standard."
>you watch Runner chop a few peppers
>he is amazingly fast with his chopping
>looking back at your own pepper, you tentatively make a slice, cutting off the stem-end of the pepper
>you look back over at Runner
>in the time it took you to make one slice, he's already done with an entire pepper
"How are you so good at this?"
>though he doesn't look at you, you can see his brow furrow
>"Good at what? Cooking?"
>you nod
"Yeah, how are you so good at cooking; you're an engineer, not a chef."
>he chuckles and instructs you to continue chopping before explaining
>"My parents owned a restaurant when I was a child; they still do, in fact."
>he continues
>"My job when I was a child was the same job you're performing right now: ingredient prep."
>you start to notice that your cuts are becoming less sloppy
>"I would spend hours doing nothing but chopping lettuce, mushrooms, tomatoes, and,"
>he gestures to the box with his knife
>"peppers."

>he looks over at the pieces you've chopped thus far
>"Not bad; a few more days of helping me with breakfast and you'll be able to take over for me."
>you elbow him him lightly in the ribs, causing him to laugh
"Yeah, you wish."
>Runner looks at his pile of chopped pepper, and then at yours
>"I think we have enough to start cooking."
>he holds his hoof above the pan on the stove
>"And just in time; the pan is ready."
>he dumps his pile into the pan before doing the same with yours
>the peppers sizzle against the oiled pan, creating a cloud of sweet peppery goodness
>you take a moment to enjoy the smell before asking a new question
"So why did you leave the restaurant? I mean, you're clearly a skilled cook."
>he once more shrugs his shoulders
>"What can I say, I felt like I was destined for more than a life in a kitchen."
>he flips the peppers in the pan before adding
>"And now look where I am, co-designer of and officer aboard the most modern vessel in the world."
>your eyes wander around the command center, admiring the hundreds of valves and levers
"Yeah, we've got it pretty good."
>Runner flips the pan again
>"So, what do you plan to do once the war is over?"
>you lean against the counter where you had been cutting your peppers
"Well, I don't know about you, but I plan to travel all across the new Reich once it's all over."
>you look at Runner
"How about you?"

>you are Quiet Runner
>what DO you want to do once the war is over?
"Well, I really don't know, to be honest."
>Strike cocks a brow
>"You have NO ideas?"
>you shake your head as you check the peppers
>they're perfect
"No, not really. When I came to the Reich, I really didn't know if it would last,"
>you turn the heat off on the stove
"because I didn't know if Manos would be able to win the war against Equestria."
>you pour the peppers onto a large platter before covering them
>"Has your view on that changed?"
>you look Strike straight in the eyes
"I believe that w-"
>>"Morning!"
>wut?
>surprised by the intrusion, you and Strike look at the hatch to the officers quarters, where the voice came from
>Captain Jäger is stepping through the hatch into the command room
>>"What have you made, Runner? Smells great."
>you discard your conversation with Strike and give the Captain a casual salute
"Sautéed bell peppers, captain; you're just in time, we've just finished cooking them,"
>you reach behind you and place a hoof on Strike's back, pulling her to stand beside you
"Strike and me."

>you are Stiller Jäger
>before long, the entire eleven-pony crew is crowded in the command room, eager for more of Runner's cooking
>after giving each pony a small plate, Runner walks around the room with his pan, shoveling peppers onto each plate as he passes them
>"Not trying to spoil anyone's appetites, but we're using up the rest of the cabbage tonight."
>he gets several groans in response
>you smile and shake your head to yourself
>you can imagine that Honor Bound would throw a fit if he found out how informal life is out on sea
>as the crew start talking among themselves, you start eating
>you hadn't even thought of making sure you had a decent cook before leaving Vanhoover; you're lucky that your crew has hidden talents
>you begin to think about just how lucky you are to be here with this crew
>luck..
>you stop eating
>it's not luck
>it's Fate
>Fate has brought you all together
>and Fate shall protect you on your journey together
>you suddenly announce
"I'll be hosting a short session of prayer once breakfast is over."
>the crew stop talking and look over to you
"I'll be doing so every morning until we return to port; if you do not wish to participate, you are free to report to your stations and wait until we are done."
>you look at Runner as you say this
>you move to start eating again, but you notice that the eyes are still on you
"That is all; as you were."
>slowly, the conversations return
>you finish your breakfast and walk to your bunk and fetch your Bible of Manos
>you have a prayer to lead

>you are Strong Bow
>you are so excited!
>you haven't been able to properly pray to Manos in some time
>in fact, you haven't said a proper prayer since before you left the Reich
>a wave of shame washes over you
>while you're at it, you'll make sure to ask for forgiveness
>as you prepare to kneel down, you hear something being dragged along the floor behind you
>you turn
>Jäger's face is there to greet you, with that familiar smirk
>he pushes a wooden chair towards you
>"I can't have my favorite officer catching something from this cold floor, can I?"
>you can feel a blush trying to break out, but you manage to contain it and accept the chair
"Thanks..."
>you make yourself comfortable as Jäger walks to the front of the group, which is now seated in rows
>he does a quick headcount
>"All but one, as I was exp-"
>>"Don't start without me; I had to grab something!"
>Runner walks into the room from the officer quarters
>he is wearing a small Hand around his neck
>wait, what?
>he hurries over and sits next to you
"Runner, what are you doing?"
>he looks at you like you're weird
>>"I'm going to pray, duh."
>you roll your eyes
"I can tell; but why is my question. I thought you didn't have faith.."
>a look a realization flashes across his face
>>"I'll explain later."
>before you can further question him, Jäger opens his bible and begins to speak
>"In the beginning, there were The Sisters."

>you are Stiller Jäger
>chief designer and captain of the Reich's first naval vessel
>and now it's first chaplain
"In the beginning, there were The Sisters."
>you are reading the preface of the holy book
>as you begin, your crew close their eyes and bow their heads
"In the beginning, there was chaos and disorder, monsters and disasters a common occurrence throughout our lands."
>your mind is drawn back to the day Discord managed to break free from his stone prison
>the ship you had been serving on had nearly sunk after being hit by a chocolate typhoon
"Immediately prior to one of these great disasters, a figure emerged from the mighty Everfree."
>you look up from the book and look at Runner
"He warned of impending destruction and chaos; only a few heeded his words."
>he has his head bowed just as Bow does
"When the whole of Equestria was so near to death at the hands of the Changeling menace, the figure took his followers to the city of Canterlot and swiftly stomped out this menace."
>Perhaps he is just trying to fit in?
"The figure was mortally wounded in battle against the Queen of the Changelings and soon fell dead."
>no, if that were his intent, he wouldn't have mentioned that he's not a follower as he did a few days ago
"However, minutes later, he stood, declaring his intent to remain with his ponies."
>perhaps seeing your Lord in person was enough to encourage him to at least try to believe?
"Together with his faithful ponies, the figure known as Manos built a Reich which shall stand for a thousand years."
>you close the book
"He is Fate,"
>you don't even need to cue the group
>"And we are his faithful Hands."
>you smile
>this must be how high priestess Lyra feels every day
"Now, let us share a moment of silence for those who have been lost along the way."
>as you and your crew bow your heads, a familiar tunes pops in your head
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DmGzGIR3hs [Embed]
>while you weren't there yourself, you had many friends at the battle of the Ardennes
>many of whom did not return after the battle...
>as you raise your head, you can feel a slight wetness on your right cheek
>you quickly wipe the lone tear away as your crew raise their heads
>you allow the silence in the room to linger for a little longer before speaking the old mantra
"Our comrades, killed by the Royals,"
>"your spirits still march alongside us."
>you signal for the group to stand
"I want to thank you all for joining me in prayer this morning."
>you continue
"I am thankful to have such a loyal crew, not only to me, but to our Lord."
>you give Bow a smirk before speaking again
"On that note,"
>you bark
"To your stations! We've got ships to sink!"
>the group raise their right forehooves before crying their response
>"Heil!"
>you return the gesture before placing your cap firmly on your head and walking to bridge ladder
>the group disperses as your ponies move to their stations
>you unlatch the metal hatch leading to the bridge and heave it open
>you are greeted by cool air and the smell of salt
>as you pull yourself through the small space, you breath in the air which you have grown up breathing and sigh
"I love my job."

>you are Strong Bow
>and you are doing your daily rounds around the ship to make sure everything is in order
>while your design works remarkably well, it's not perfect
>as you walk through the narrow corridor of the vessel, a drop of water will occasionally fall from a loose or cracked pipe
>and today is no different
>it's for this reason that you carry a roll of tape as you do your rounds
>after you've patched your third pipe for the day, you run through your checklist in your head
>the torpedo room, officer quarters, command room, crew quarters, and engine room all checked out for today
"Well, my work is done."
>you smile proudly and hold your head high, though you are alone in the command room
>soon, the smile disappears and you sigh
"Now what should I do?"
>you ponder the question for a few moments
"I guess I'll just find someone who needs help."
>Strike is re-calibrating her torpedoes for the day
>a job with very cramped positions, so your assistance probably wouldn't be appreciated
>and Runner is just sitting in the engine room, waiting for new orders and occasionally recharging what little magic decay there is in his batteries
"That would leave...."
>you look over to the ladder leading to the bridge
"Great..."

>you are Stiller Jäger
>and you are determined
>you are determined to find and sink something today
>the sea is calm today, allowing you to see far into the the distance
>you smile
"Nothing is going to get past us."
>as you bring your binoculars up to your eyes, you are interrupted
>"You sound awfully confident,"
>you turn to see Bow stand next to the hatch
>"for only having one watchpony."
>you can see the small crooked smirk on her face
>not one to be outdone, you return the smile and reach into one of your coat pockets
>you pull out an extra set of binoculars and hold them out for her to take
"Well, feel free to join me."
>she now gives you a genuine smile and takes them
>you scoot over to your right to make room her her at your left
>she catches the cue and moves to fill the space you've made for her
>as you both begin to scan the horizon, you reflect on the conversation you had had with her the night before
>you could tell she wanted to talk about your 'relationship'
>rather, if it was to remain professional or if it was to move on to something else
>naturally, you were quick to derail the discussion before it even began so as to get those thoughts out of her head
>given how she's acting today, you'd say it worked, at least to an extent
>however
>just so she wouldn't feel like you were dismissing her feelings
>right before you both turned in for the night,
>you promised that you would take her to a restaurant or something like that once you've made landfall
>you sigh
>what have you gotten yourself into?
>pushing the thoughts from your mind, you continue to focus on the horizon
>after a few sweeps, you spot something
>a shimmer of light, like a reflection
>you are quick to tap Bow on her shoulder
"35 degrees, do you see it?"
>she looks through her binoculars in the direction
>she answers after a few seconds
>"I see it too."

>you are Quiet Runner
>and you are bored out of you mind
>for hours now, you've only been doing occasional maintenance and waiting for orders
>as you sit upon a small chair, you sigh and let your mind begin to wander
>you look over at the busy engines as they make their now familiar noise in unison
>putt putt putt putt putt putt
>Lord Manos was the one to provide the means to build machines such as these
>they must have been common where he came from
>Lord Manos...
>you think back to that day in Vanhoover
>how you walked with your group into the park, where He was
>you remember how he looked over at your group
>and how he look at you
>right into your eyes
>when he looked you in the eyes, you were no longer in the park
>you were at the foot of a massive golden gate
>behind it, a paradise you can't even begin to describe
>you weren't alone
>He was with you
>"This is the promise which awaits all fallen warriors, Quiet Runner."
>He then gestured towards the gate with his hand
>"Will you be admitted?"
>before you could think of some kind of response, you were back in the park
>and He was walking away with his entourage
>you straighten your back, still seated in your chair
>you reach to your neck and clutch the Hand necklace still there from this morning's prayer
"I WILL be admitted to Valhalla!"
>just then, a voice booms through the comms tube
>>"Bridge to Engine Room, increase speed to Flank! We've got a ship on the horizon!"
>you rush over to the tube
"Aye, Captain!"
>you hurry to the engine controls and begin your work
>you're going to prove yourself not only to your captain, but to Lord Manos

>you are First Strike
>you are busy re-calibrating the gyroscopes in the torpedoes
>this is honestly one of the few problems you've had with your torpedoes
>the fine mechanics of the devices were unfortunately built out of materials inferior to what you were hoping
>it's a shame that your budgetary constraints were alleviated only after the U-Boat was completed
>with the proper materials, these gyroscopes would only need to be calibrated once or twice on a patrol, as opposed to every single day
>as you finish calibrating the last gyroscope, a voice comes over your comms tube, located next to the doorway
>"Bridge to torpedo room, we've spotted a ship in the distance; be ready for further orders."
>you smile as you put down your tools and walk over to the tube
>it's about time you found something
>you give your reply to your captain's order
"Understood, Captain."
>you hesitate before questioning,
"What kind of target is it?"
>while you're dying to test your torpedoes, you don't want your first target to be a civilian one
>"We're not sure yet, we're moving in closer before determining if we're attacking."
>you let out a sigh of relief before replying once more
"Understood. I'll be awaiting further orders."
>when Captain Jäger says nothing more, you move away from the device and towards the tubes at the opposite end of the room
>inside these tubes are the future of naval warfare
>you pat one of them with your hoof
"If that ship out here is a military target, you're going to make history today."
>you walk back over to the torpedo you had been working on previously
>with your work on the gyroscope now complete, you place it back inside its housing and seal up the torpedo
>place your ear against the side of the torpedo and give it a hard knock with your hoof
>no noises from inside are heard
"Good, no loose pieces."
>moving away from the weapon, you seat yourself on a small chair in the cramped corner of the room
"Just a little longer..."

>you are Stiller Jäger
>as you get closer to the shape in the distance, you once more bring your binoculars up to you face
>it is definitely a military ship, judging from its shape
>the ship has three masts
>and a massive Equestrian coat of arms fluttering from its rear
"Hmmmm, a frigate."
>you forgot that Bow is still next to you
>"What was that, Herr Jäger?"
>while she neglected to call you 'captain' (not that you really care either way), at least she didn't call you 'Stiller', like the last time you two were on the bridge together
>you point at the shape which you can both now see without binoculars
"That ship out there is a Royal Navy frigate, and judging by its heading, it fled from Vanhoover and is now trying to reach a safe port."
>she nods
>"I'm guessing we're just going to get within range and fire?"
>you nod, your eyes still on the enemy in the distance
"Correct."
>you call down to the engine room
"Strike, we've identified the target as an Equestrian frigate."
>a few seconds pass before she responds
>>"Are we engaging?"
>you smile
"Affirmative, once we are in range."
>you slam your hoof down on the alarm button and all the comms tubes begin blaring a loud siren
>even from up here, you can hear the other members of your crew scrambling out of their bunks and hurrying to their battlestations
>after a few minutes, you turn off the alarm and switch the comms tube to reach all corners of the boat
"We've come across a military target; and we're going to personally escort the crew to Valhalla!"
>you grip the front of the bridge tightly, the salty wind blowing in your mane as your boat continues to race towards the enemy vessel
"We're coming for you."

>you are Quiet Runner
>and you might be in trouble
>you weren't expecting Captain Jäger to order the engines set to their max speed
>you and an assistant mechanic are struggling to maintain the boat's speed
>the coolant systems on the engines are not yet perfect, so the room is nearing unbearable levels of heat
>to cope with this issue, you switch between engine and battery power every few minutes, allowing the engines time to cool down
>this allows the engines engine at least a few minutes of rest
>of course, there is a significant drop in speed when running on battery power
>unfortunately, the captain must have noticed
>"Bridge to engine room; why is our speed alternating?"
>you run to the comms tube like a madpony
"Switching between engines and batteries to prevent overheating! Got to go!"
>you were at the tube for less than five seconds before returning to your frenzied work

>you are Strong Bow
>and you are excited
>the winds are not favoring the enemy frigate, allowing your boat to rapidly close the distance between both vessels
>you are now close enough to start to make out shapes of ponies on the deck of the frigate
>they seem to have noticed you
>you can imagine the confusion that must be prevalent on their ship
>something catches your attention
>one of the ponies on the deck is raising a flag below their coat of arms
>blue and yellow rectangles vertically side by side
>kilo
>Jäger, who is watching the crew intently, states the obvious
>"They wish to communicate..."
>he nods slightly
>"Very well."
>he puts down his binoculars and grabs a hold of the small morse lamp fixed to the bridge
>he flashes them a friendly opening message
>'This is Captain Stiller Jäger of the Reichsmarine. We are ordering you to abandon your vessel'.
>you snicker
"Eloquently put, captain."
>he ignores you as they send a response on their own lamp
>>'Captain Jäger, you are to return to home port. Will not surrender to unarmed vessel'.
>you and Jäger laugh
"Indeed. 'Unarmed'."
>Jäger speaks into the comms tube
>"Bridge to torpedo room, open tube 1 and set torpedo for -37 degrees."
>he receives a confirmation from Strike before returning to his lamp
>'Not unarmed. Will sink your vessel with all hands if you do not comply'.
>they do not reply, but you swear you can hear laughter from their deck
>"Very well, have it your way."
>showtime

>you are First Strike
>and you are carrying out the captain's orders
>you are working with a series of dials attached to torpedo tube #1
"He said -37 degrees"
>you turn one dial to '-37'
>you look over to a different dial with numbers ranging from 1 to 25
"He didn't tell me a depth..."
>well, he said it was a frigate
>you hesitate before turning the hand of the dial to 2.5
"Might be a bit high, but we can't risk it passing underneath.."
>now onto the final dial
>this is a switch dial with three settings
>Slow, Medium, and Fast
>the slow setting would allow the torpedo to reach out to 12.5 km at 30 kts (34.5 mph)
>the medium, 7.5 km at 40 kts (46 mph)
>and fast, 5 km at 50 kts (57.5 mph)
"Damn, he didn't tell me the distance either."
>your hoof hovers over the dial, trying to decide
"We'll go 'medium, just to be safe."
>you grab hold of the knob and apply pressure to it
>it clicks from 'slow' to 'medium'
"There, all set."
>you return to your comms tube
"All set down here, captain!"
>the captain is quick to reply
>"Very good, stand by for firing."

>you are Stiller Jäger
>and the time has finally come
>there is only one last thing to do before firing,
>you speak into your comms tube
"Bridge to engine room, all stop."
>when Runner responds, you can hear the relief in his voice
>"Aye captain."
>within seconds, the slight vibrations in the deck cease as the engines stop
>in the time that has passed since you communicated with the enemy frigate, you had closed to well within three kilometers
>they still haven't started firing upon you yet
>your lips curl into a sneer
>those fools won't know what hit them
>as the boat slows to a stop, you once more call down to the torpedo room
"Strike, open tube #1 and fire when ready."

>you are First Strike
>the time has finally come
"Yes sir!"
>you hurry the torpedo tube in question and grab hold of a large wheel next to it
>turning it, you can hear the groan of the tube opening on the other end
>with a 'thunk' the wheel stops turning as the door stops, now fully open
>letting go of the wheel, you turn to face a large lever attached to the tube
>no turning back now
>you grip the lever and pull it towards you
>a deafening hiss comes from inside the tube as the torpedo speeds away from the boat
"Go get em'."

>you are Stiller Jäger
>and you are about to witness history
>the torpedo successfully left it's tube
>you can tell from the white trail of bubbles being made as the weapon speeds towards it's target
>"There it goes!"
>Bow is excited
>something you didn't really expect to see on this patrol
>she wears a smile, and her eyes are full of wonder as she watches the trail grow longer and longer
>cute
>you turn your attention back to the enemy ship
>as the torpedo gets closer and closer to them, a watch must have noticed the anomaly
>you can see the crew rushing to the port side of their deck to see whatever is in the water
>you smirk and once more grab a hold of your boat's morse lamp and quickly flash one last message to the doomed vessel
>'Warned you.'
>finally, the trail reaches the enemy ship, impacting amidships
>with a mighty eruption, a wall of water explodes from the ocean and engulfs the entire port side of the enemy ship
>the ship rolls to its starboard from the explosion
>many of the ponies on board attempt to balance themselves by gripping onto the side railing, but most topple backwards onto the deck
>as the wall of water dissipates into a mist, you can see wood from the ship's hull soaring through the air, from splinters to large chunks
>you smile widely and connect your comms tube with every other one in the boat
"Success! We blew a massive hole in her hull!"
>you can hear the cheers of your crew echoing throughout the boat in response
>the ponies on the stricken vessel begin to panic, many looking down the side of the ship once more, trying to figure out what caused the explosion
>some look angrily over at your boat
>one runs over to a cannon mounted on the deck
>and aims it right at you
"Uh oh..."
>you yell into the tube still echoing with cheering
"Runner! Get us moving at 'ahead full'!"
>he sounds confused in his response
>"Aye captain.?."
>at least he didn't argue with you
>you grab onto Bow and practically throw her down into the command room before sliding down the ladder and sealing the bridge hatch shut
>you rush over to the command room's tube
"Brace yourselves, we're crash diving!"
>BOOM
>oh shit
>you hear a whizzing as a cannonball flies past your boat outside
>no time to waste
>as you feel the boat lurch forward, you run to the command room's dive controls
>Bow moves with you and grabs hold of more controls
>you both furiously work at the controls
>after you begin to flood the ballast tanks to neutral buoyancy, you grab hold of the hydroplane controls (two small levers) and push forward
>you can hear water rushing up the sides of the metal hull as the boat begins to descend rapidly
>as the water begins to wash over the top of the hull, you can hear another BOOM and a splash
>they were getting close
>you look over at a depth gauge mounted on the wall
>10 meters, 13, 16
>you keep your hooves locked around the levers
>as the hand of the gauge hits '30', you let go of them, and they return to their neutral position
>Bow sighs as she sits back
>"That was bucking close!"
>you sit back as well and let out a small laugh
"You don't say?"

>you are First Strike
>after captain Jäger confirmed that the torpedo hit its target, you danced for joy
>but immediately after, he ordered a crash dive, cutting your celebration short
>now that the boat is submerged, you walk into the command room, where you are greeted by a tired looking pair
>both Bow and the captain seem exhausted
>you notice that there are no other ponies in the room
"Did you two submerge us on your own?"
>Bow nods
>"Yep, they started shooting at us, we had no choice."
>you nod in understanding
"Well, I'd shoot too if I were in their position."
>you now turn to face the captain
"Was it enough to sink them?"
>he shrugs
>>"We had to dive before I could tell if it was enough."
>as more ponies begin to enter the cramped room, he continues
>>"We'll have to go to periscope depth to find out."

>you are Quiet Runner
>and you are upset
>captain Jäger decided to begin diving without giving you proper time to prepare
>your fuel engines nearly flooded with water before you switched over to the electric engines
>fortunately though, you managed to work fast enough to prevent that from happening
>now that the boat is safely at 30 meters, you set the electric engines to 'ahead standard' and walk to the command room
>as you enter the room, you can hear the captain
>"We'll have to go to periscope depth to find out."
>great
>you return to your engine room to await further orders
>honestly, you can't wait to collapse into your bunk tonight

>you are Strong Bow
>everything happened so fast after the torpedo was launched, you honestly can't remember many fine details from the dive
>there is one thing you remember perfectly however
>when the enemy frigate was preparing to fire at you, the captain grabbed hold of you and swung you over to the ladder
>you really hope he didn't notice your blush when he wrapped his forehoof around your midsection
>but the lingering fact in your mind is that he made sure you were safe before himself
>was he just being a responsible captain?
>or was it more?
>you are pulled away from your thoughts as Jäger speaks
>"We'll have to go to periscope depth to find out."
>he looks over to you as he moves to return to the dive controls
>once more, you follow him and seat yourself beside him
>"Let's take it up to 9 meters, that should be sufficient."
>you nod and pull the hydroplane controls toward yourself
>you feel the boat tile as it begins to ascend
>Jäger is working with the ship's steering wheel
>"I'm guessing we've passed underneath them by now, so I'm going to turn us around in case they need another torpedo."
>he turns the wheel to Port
>now you can feel the boat both ascending and turning
>something occurs to you
"Captain, if the enemy is sunk, that means all systems of this boat have been successful on this patrol."
>as the boat reaches it's target depth and course, he nods
>"Indeed; but that won't mean our patrol is over."
>he stands from his seat and moves to the boat's periscope
>after flipping a switch, it begins to rise
>once risen, Jäger leans in to see what is above

>you are Stiller Jäger
>and this is the moment of truth
>the sounds of gears whirring fill the room as the periscope reaches towards the surface
>with a 'clunk', it stops
>taking a deep breath, you look through the glass
>at first, you don't know what your looking at
>but as you focus more, you can make it out clearly
>the enemy frigate is a floating inferno
>flames engulf the deck, and rise high into the sky
>you can barely make out new flags hoisted from their main mast
>ones of distress and peril
>in the water you can see dozens of ponies trying to swim away from the doomed ship
>you can see even more ponies jumping into the water
>some are on fire as they leap
>furthermore, the ship has developed a severe list
>she won't be afloat for much longer
>you turn to Bow
"Take us up."
>she looks confused
>"But they'll attack us if we surface."
>you shake your head
"I wouldn't be worried about that."
>she looks at you suspiciously, but does as she is told
>you decided to not tell her about the state of the ship
>for some reason, you don't want to risk upsetting her
>before long, you hear the sound of waves lapping against the side of the boat's hull
>time to go up
>you lower the periscope before ascending the ladder to the bridge
>Bow follows closely behind you
>you hesitate slightly before opening the hatch and climbing through the small hatchway
>you almost suspect that Bow knows you're keeping something from her, as she practically shoves you along so that she can get up to the bridge as well
>as you both stand on the bridge, you take in the sight before you
>you hear Bow gasp as she sees the state of your target

>you are Strong Bow
>and what you are seeing is, well..
>glorious
>the enemy ship is in an abysmal state
>fire covers it's deck
>and it's seaponies are in the water
>you smile
"They didn't heed our warning, and now they're facing the wrath of our Lord."
>you hear Jäger next to you breathe what sounds like a sigh of relief
>but you don't pay it any mind
>what's more interesting is that the ponies in the water seem to have noticed your sudden presence
>and are now swimming towards your boat
>uhhhh
>you turn your head to look at Jäger, who seems to have noticed the same thing
"What do we do with...."
>you nod towards the struggling ponies
"them?"
>he looks almost disappointed
>"They only managed to launch a single lifeboat..."
>he sighs
>"We're going to tie the lifeboat to our stern and take whatever survivors we can on our deck."
>you raise a brow
"What about whoever is left in the water?"
>he shrugs
>"I guess we'll just use our emergency rafts and tie them off like the lifeboat."
>he speaks into the comms tube
>"Strike, Runner, get up here; and bring the life rafts with you."

>you are First Strike
>you and Runner are busy digging through the boat's 'emergency' locker
>the captain ordered you to get the life rafts
>clearly, you're not sinking, so he must need them for survivors or something like that
>one problem though
>you can't find them!
"Ugh, why is this locker so bucking cluttered?!"
>Runner chuckles as he continues to dig through the spare boots and coats
>"It's almost like it was a rushed design or something."
>you laugh
>it really is miraculous that there haven't been technical issues with the boat, given how rushed it was
"Yeah, something like that.."
>as you dig deeper into the closet, your hoof touches something rubbery
>bingo
>you grab it and yank it through the pile of junk
"Got it!"
>the yellow rubber flops about as your shake your hoof in victory
>Runner cuts your fun short
>"Alright, come on! I want to see what's up."
>you hurry after him as he ascends the ladder to the bridge
>you can hear commotion from above as you climb
>>"No! I said we're with the Reichsmarine!"
>>>"What nonsense is this; calling this hunk of scrap metal a ship."
>sounds like the captain is already going at it with the survivors

>you are Stiller Jäger
>and you are about to throw this pony back into the sea
>"What nonsense is this; calling this hunk of scrap metal a ship."
>seriously, what happened to make Royal Navy ponies such insolent jerks since you left?
>you look behind the pony to see the still burning ship make it's final plunge into the ocean
>oh, right
"Look, I'll say it once more. I am Captain Stiller Jäger of Lord Manos' Reichsmar-"
>"AND now that I think about it, we saw this thing sink! How are you here?"
>ok, that's enough
>as he continues to run his mouth, you step forward and shove him back
>he yelps as he loses balance and falls off of the bridge, splashing into the water below
>you look down on the bow deck where other survivors are gathered
"He didn't want to talk, which one of you does?"
>you sweep your gaze across the group
>they're all young, but not younger than you were when you joined the Royal Navy
>after a few moments of silence, a young, yet bulky earth pony steps forward
"At least there's one of you with some guts."
>you gesture him over to the ladder on the conning tower and help him up
"Alright, what's your name, son?"
>he doesn't look 'all there', so to say
>>"My name?"
>you roll your eyes and nod
"Yes, that's a common question in introductions..."
>he furrows his brow in concentration
>>"My name is Cider Guzzler, I'm from the Apple family."
>ah, that would explain his look
>and the accent
>.....and the smell
"What did you do on board your ship, Ci-"
>he holds a hoof up to your face
>>"One sec."
>he then reaches into his coat and pulls out....
>a glass bottle of cider
>..............
>typical Apples

>you are Cider Guzzler
>and today has been exciting!
>this morning, you woke up all cozy in your bunk
>you drank after you got out of bed
>then you got ready for the day
>you drank before heading to your post
>you took your place atop the tall mast in the crow's nest
>you managed to sneak a few (five or six) bottles of cider with you
>your job was easy, apparently they just wanted you to sit up there, so you might as well drink while you're at it
>next thing you knew, the whole ship was on fire
>fire is bad, so you jumped from the nest into the water
>you imagine it would have hurt if you had feeling in your limbs
>but that water was cold
>luckily, a nice metal tube thing came and picked you out of the water
>apparently it's a boat or somethin', because you're talking to it's captain
>gosh, all this reflecting is hard
>the captain guy is saying something, but you hold your hoof out to interrupt him
"One sec."
>you grab your last bottle of cider and pop it open before taking several gulps of the sweet liquid
"Ahhhhhhhh,"
>the captain guy looks aghast
"What? Want some?"
>you extend your hoof out out to him, the cider sloshing around inside the bottle as you do so
>he doesn't take it
"Come oooon, it's good!"
>the captain guy sneers
>"I'm fine..."
>you shrug
"Suit yourself!"
>you tilt the bottle back and chug the rest of it
"I tell you, being a watchpony is TOUGH work!"
>the captain guy nods slowly
>"I see..... you were the watchpony..."
>suddenly, someone laughs
>ooohhh, there's a pretty mare next to the captain guy
>>"No wonder we hit them; their watchpony was wasted!"
>you throw the now empty bottle behind you and prop yourself against the side of the conning tower
"Heyyy, I didn't know there were hot mares on this tub."

>you are Strong Bow
>what the buck did he just say?
>you've got half a mind to kick his flank...
>as the drunken pony waggles his eyebrows at you, Jäger chuckles
>"You're funny Cider, but I'm sorry to tell you,"
>he glances over at you
>and gives you that familiar crooked smirk
>"that she's already taken."
>your jaw drops
>he looks back at Cider
>"Yep, there's a stallion eagerly waiting for her back in Vanhoover."
>is he lying or just bending the truth?
>the night you had spoken with him, he had implied that he would 'humor you' about your,
>feelings...,
>once you made landfall...
>Cider belches and shrugs his shoulders
>>"Heyyyy, can't blame a guy for tryin'."
>he once more looks to you
>>"Sorry 'bout that, miss."
>as he begins to search his coat for more bottles, you snap back
"Yeah, I'm sure you are. You'd better watch your tongue from now on, or I'll throw you overboard myself!"
>he stops leaning against the railing and tries to stand straight
>>"Look, I think we just got off on the wrong hoof,"
>he holds out his hoof to you
>>"Why don't we start over again? The name's Cider Guzzler."
>at least he's attempting an apology..
>as you extend your hoof to his, he suddenly collapses forwards
>the booze must have finally gotten to him
>the floor of the bridge clangs as he impacts against it
>but he doesn't wake up
>instead, he starts to snore
>Jäger chuckles as Runner and Strike join you on the bridge
>he notices they have the raft
>"Get that set up off the stern and throw him,"
>he gestures to the sleeping pony
>"in it once you're done."

>you are Quiet Runner
>both you and Strike stopped climbing the ladder when you heard the captain push the pony off the bridge
>now you're both trying desperately to not burst out laughing
>the captain is trying to talk with a different pony
>but he's constantly derailing the conversation because he's drunk!
>you look down at Strike, who is holding onto the ladder below you
"How long do you think he has until he ends up in the water too?"
>she laughs quietly
>"I'd give it ten seconds or so."
>you both stop laughing as you hear the drunken pony speak
>>"Heyyy, I didn't know there were hot mares on this tub."
>you and Strike are just as stunned as the captain and Bow are
>"Bow's gonna kill him!"
>you are about to agree with her but the captain speaks, stopping you
>>>"You're funny Cider, but I'm afraid to tell you that she's already taken."
>wut
>are the captain and Bow.....
>>>"Yep, there's a stallion eagerly waiting for her back in Vanhoover."
>oh thank Manos
>for a second, you thought he meant that she was taken by himself
>you chuckle to yourself as you resume climbing the ladder
>as you pull yourself through the small hatchway, you can see that the drunk pony is passed out on the deck
>the captain look over at you, and the raft you and Strike are carrying
>>>"Get that set up off the stern and throw him in it once you're done."
>he then steps over the passed out pony and slides down the conning tower ladder before walking over to the group of survivors massed on the deck
>you look behind you at Strike
"I think we missed something.."
>she nods
>"Yeah no kidding, when did all these ponies get here?"

>you are Stiller Jäger
>you are standing in front of the group of survivors on the deck of your boat
>time to lay down the law
"Welcome aboard my boat, gentlecolts. I expect you to give me your full attention, because I'll only be explaining this once."
>when you get no response, you continue, pacing the narrow length of the deck
"My name is Captain Stiller Jäger, we are with Lord Manos' Reichsmarine."
>one of the ponies reluctantly raises a hoof
"What?"
>"I though the Reich was landlocked..."
>you chuckle
"Until a few days ago, we were. You're on the Reich's first naval vessel."
>you get back on track before he can ask another question
"We sank your ship. It wasn't some magical or random explosion; we did it with our armament."
>you glare at the group
"We ordered you to abandon your ship, but you refused."
>you think back to your days in the Royal Navy
"We followed YOUR procedure for merchant targets, despite the fact that you were a military ship; we gave you a chance to leave before we attacked."
>he resume your pacing
"Now that you're our guests, there are a few rules I expect to be followed."
>you stop pacing
"You will all be spending your days and nights out here until we make landfall; we are on out way back to Vanhoover as we speak."
>you point towards the stern of the boat
"There is a raft tied up on the stern of the vessel, you will put your wounded in there."
>another pony raises a hoof
>>"What will happen to us when we make it to Vanhoover?"
>you shake your head
"I honestly don't know. I suspect you'll be treated like any other prisoners and taken back to the Reich for processing."
>another question
>>>"What do you mean 'processing'?"
>you roll your eyes
"As in you'll go through an interrogation session and then put with the other prisoners of war."

>you are a Royal Navy seapony
>you don't like the sound of being 'processed'
>but apparently it's just the normal procedure for prisoners of war in the Reich
>you wonder how long its been since that term has been used in Equestria...
>centuries, probably
>you look down at the deck upon which you stand
>it's metal
>you think out loud, whispering
"How unusual..."
>a fellow seapony next to you looks at you
>"What? The fact that we were sunk in a matter of minutes by these traitors?"
>you look up at him
"What? No, this ship; it's made of metal, yet it is able to float."
>you furrow your brows
"And to be fair, they warned us that they were armed; we didn't listen."
>he raises his voice at you
"You're starting to sound like one of them! We were sunk because this thing was built with the help of Manos' evil magic."
>you'd wanted to join the Reich, but your military obligations prevented you from doing so
>even so, you aren't going to let this oaf badmouth the ponies that saved your lives when they could have left you to drown
"Lord Manos is a far more competent ruler than Celestia ever was! You heard the report we received this morning; she was incompetent enough to get herself captured!"
>the pony speaks aggressively now
>"LORD Manos?"
>uh oh
"I mean, well, you know, that's his formal title.."
>he narrows his eyes at you, but does not reply
>in time, the group settles down as the sun begins to set
>in a few days time, you'll finally be able to see the Reich
>though not under the conditions you were hoping for

>you are Stiller Jäger
>and you are exhausted
>as the sun begins to set, you and your crew descend back into the hull of the boat
>you are the last to descend the ladder, latching the hatch shut above you
>you can't risk the survivors coming down and taking over the boat
>not that they would know how to operate it anyway
>as your hooves touch the cool metal plating of the command room floor, you are greeted by a familiar sight
>Bow, sitting in her chair just as she was the previous night
>you can already tell what she wants to talk about
>you give her that smirk that you reserve only for her as you grab a chair and sit down yourself
"What's shakin' Bow?"
>she rolls her eyes
>"Oh, I think you know what's 'shakin''"
>your smirk grows
"You're wondering why I said there's a pony waiting for you in Vanhoover."
>she nods
"Well, I couldn't let that drunkard continue to harass my best officer, could I?"
>she motions for you to continue
"And I did promise that I would take you out when we get back to port."
>she shakes her head
>"No, you implied it."
>ah, it seems you're trapped now
>for some reason, you don't want to look weak or unsure in front of her
>you shrug
"Well, it's a promise now."
>though you're not sure, you swear you caught the slightest hint of a smile on her face when you said that
>you might be one of the best officers in the Reichsmarine, Bow, but you're still a mare

>you are First Strike
>and you are getting ready for bed
>Runner is doing the same at his bunk across from yours
>you wonder if today has tired him out as much as it has you
>as you pull the thin sheets back on your mat, you put a voice to your thoughts
"Have a rough day Quiet?"
>sure it's unprofessional to use his first name, but you're both good friends now
>he moans dramatically in response
>"That and more!"
>you chuckle
"Yeah, well my job isn't exactly a cakewalk either."
>he sighs
>"Yeah, I guess we both had it pretty rough today."
>he grasps the small Hand still around his neck from this morning
>"We should give thanks for our first successful hit on a target."
>as he begins to kneel, you cock an eyebrow at him
"What's the deal? I thought you weren't a believer. I mean, you were at the prayer this morning, but why?"
>he looks up at you and bites his lip, as if deciding whether he should share a secret
>"Remember when we were in the park in Vanhoover; you know, where He was?"
>you nod
"Yeah, I remember all right; that was my first time seeing him outside of a rally."
>Runner continues
>"Well, He looked at me, and well,"
>he hesitates
>"He showed me something."
>you are confused
"What do you mean?"
>Runner shakes his head, clearly becoming frustrated
>"I don't know how to explain it, but he showed me Valhalla."
>though you're still confused, you speak
"And this is why you've been praying now? Lord Manos proved the truth of his words to you?"
>Runner nods slowly
>"Yes... He is Fate, and we are his Hands."
>smiling, you kneel next to him and begin praying as well

>you are Cider Guzzler
>and you are in agony
>apparently you had fallen asleep at some point, because you woke up lying in a life raft
>fortunately, it was tied off to the back of the metal thing
>but that doesn't matter
>what matters is that you have absolutely ZERO cider in your system, and are feeling the effects of it
"Oh buck, my head..."
>clutching your hoof to your forehead, you climb out of the raft and carefully cross the gap to get onto the metal boat
"I've gotta find some cider..."
>you are careful as you work your way over to the conning tower of the boat
>the moon in the sky shines against the metal surface of the boat, bringing pain to your eyes
"I need to find some cider right now.."
>you climb the ladder on the tower and now stand on what you guess is the bridge
"Where's the door to get inside?"
>the whole area is similar to the crow's nest you used to sit in
>you look down
"Ahah!"
>there's a metal hatchway in the floor
>you wrap you hooves around the latch and turn
>nothing
"Horseapples, locked."
>forget stealth, you need cider!
>you begin banging on the hatch
"Hey, lemme in!"
>you hear low murmuring coming from the bow of the boat
>you stand and look down from the bridge onto the deck
>the other survivors must have been woken by your noise
>a few look up and see you on the bridge
>"What the buck Cider? Get down from there!"
>>"Are you crazy; their captain will kill you!"
>you hear the groaning of metal behind you
>you turn to see the latch to the hatchway being turned from the inside
>you are reminded of the old saying: 'speak of the devil, and he shall appear'

>you are Strong Bow
>and you are going to kill whoever is banging on the bridge hatch
>Jäger went to bed nearly an hour ago, and you were about to do the same
>as you climb the ladder to the bridge, you grumble
"I swear, if it's that stupid drunkard..."
>pushing the hatch open, your hopes are dashed
"YOU; what are you doing up here?!"
>the pony puts his hands over his ears, as though in pain
>"AAAH, not so loud!"
>you pull yourself up onto the bridge and stand to your full height
"You're in no position to give orders, you drunken mess."
>Cider shakes his head
>"I'm not drunk."
>he rubs his head
>oh, he's hung over
>you smirk and yell
"I'm sorry, what was that, Cider?!
>Cider once more covers his ears
>"Gaah, please stop!"
>you take a step towards him
"If you want me to stop yelling, I suggest you get your flank back to the raft we threw you in!"
>slowly, Cider turns around and climbs back down the ladder, leaving you alone on the bridge
>you sigh and climb back down into the command room, making sure to lock the hatch above you
>as you descend the latter, you mutter to yourself
"He'd better be acting normal by tomorrow morning..."
>after confirming everything is done for the night, you enter the officers quarters and collapse on your bunk
>however, before you can close your eyes and doze off, a voice from the bunk opposite yours grabs your attention
>>"You know, you really are a loud yeller Bow."

>you are Stiller Jäger
>and though Bow did in fact wake you up with her yelling, you're not really upset
"You know, you really are a loud yeller Bow."
>you can't see her in the darkened room, but you know she's there
>through the sounds of Strike and Runner sleeping, you can hear her reaction to your voice
>a gasp
>you roll your eyes
"Loud noises tend to wake sleeping ponies, Fraulein."
>you can hear her positioning herself underneath her covers
>"Sorry about that, Jäger; that drunken pony was causing trouble up there."
>Jäger
>she's still not using your proper title
>at this point you wonder if it's intentional
"Just be glad you didn't wake Strike; I personally wouldn't want to see a weapons officer angry."
>you hear her chuckle
>and then an awkward pause
>Bow suddenly sighs before asking
>"What do you want to do once this war is over, Jäger?"
>that's a good question
>one which you've only given a little thought towards
"Well, I want to teach ponies how to do our jobs as officers on a u-boat."
>"You want to be a teacher at a naval academy?"
>you nod, despite the fact that Bow can't see it
"Yeah, a job like that will leave me with enough time to finally do all the extra things I've wanted to do my whole life."
>"Like?"
"Well, I've always wanted to get a small yacht and sail across the Celestial Sea."
>Bow snorts
>"Are you hoping to visit Griffonstone in the process?"
>you chuckle
"Of course, I'd turn around just short of it."
>Bow waits a few moments before asking her next question
>"Is there anything else you hope to do?"
>you smirk
>you wish there was light just so you could see her reaction to your answer
"Yeah; I've always wanted to start a family."

>you are Quiet Runner
>you crack your eyes open
>through the very small (and thick) window in the roof of the officers quarters, you can tell that the sun is starting to rise
>ugh, time to get up
>you pull your covers off of yourself before hopping down from your bunk onto the cold metal floor
>you grumble to yourself quietly
"First thing we're changing in the next model u-boat is we're putting carpeting in here.."
>you reach up and tap Strike, who is still sleeping
"Wakey wakey, time to make breaky."
>she rolls to face away from you
>oh, she isn't getting out of work this morning
>you rip her covers away from her body
>she sits up and attempts to reach for her covers, which you hold just out of her reach
"You ain't sleeping in today, we've got a bunch of ponies to feed."
>with a huff, Strike jumps down from her bunk and yawns
>"Alright, but only because there are so many extra ponies on-board."
>smiling victoriously, you lead the way over to the now familiar stove and oven
"Today is Sunday, so we'll be making a stew."
>Strike sighs
>"Good, something easy."
>you place two giant pots on the stoves and fill both with water before turning on the heat
"Alright, now let's get to chopping."
>you pull out a box similar to the one full of peppers from yesterday, but this one is filled with a mixed assortment of veggies
"This might take a while."
>you smirk as Strike moans in frustration before taking a few veggies
>she'll get used to helping you in the mornings
>besides, cooking is a lonely job, so it's nice to at least have someone to talk to

>you are Strong Bow
>you were awoken by the smell of stewing vegetables
>you are putting on your officer's jacket when Jäger yawns and speaks
>"Smells like Runner is making some kind of stew or soup."
>you chuckle
"Yeah, let's hope he made enough for us and our.... guests."
>he climbs out of his bunk and throws his jacket on, buttoning it as he walks towards the hatchway to the command room
"Gee, you could at least wait for me."
>you looks back and throws you one of his trademark smirks
>"I wouldn't dream of leaving a mare like you behind, Bow."
>you can feel the annoying burning sensation once more taking over your face
>he then WINKS at you before walking into the command room
>he's so smug in his ability to affect you so
>you'll have to think of a way to get back at him
>the only issue is that he's your commanding officer, and could write you up if you're too..... extreme(lewd)
>you huff in frustration before following him into the command room
>luckily, the blush has left your face already
>as you enter the room, you are greeted by Runner
>>"Morning Bow!"
>you give him a half-hearted wave
"Morning Runner."
>you look to the other end of the room and see Jäger leaning against the bulkhead
>still wearing that stupid smirk
>you sigh before looking down to make sure that your uniform is tidy
>everything looks goo-
>wait a second
>the second button on the left row is loose
>and looks about ready to fall off
>you turn to return to your bunk and grab a needle and thread when a thought occurs to you
>you look back down at the button
>and smile evilly to yourself
>you reach up to the loose button and drag your hoof against it, snapping the last thread holding it in place
>it falls and dings against the metal floor
>you bring a hoof up to your cheek and put on a worried look
"Oops, I've lost a button!"
>you glace behind you to make sure Jäger is still watching you
"I can't seem to find it, I'll have to look closer."
>you bend your forward hooves in, bringing the front half of your body to the floor...
>and leaving your rump high in the air, pointed right at your captain
>you glance back at Jäger once more
>his eyes are huge and locked on your rump
>while trying not to laugh, you give it a little wiggle
>his mouth drops open at this, and a field of red engulfs his face
>you can't help it, a small laugh escapes your lips
>"Something funny Bow?"
>you look up at Runner, who is eyeing you oddly
"Oh uh, I'm just happy that, uhhhhh,"
>you spot the button and quickly snatch it up before standing from the floor
"I'm just happy that I found my button is all!"
>you turn to look back at Jäger
>while he's fixed his open mouth, the blush and eyes are still the same
>you give him a smug smirk before walking back into the officers quarter to fetch a thread and needle

>you are Stiller Jäger
>............
>WHAT THE BUCK JUST HAPPENED?
>there's no way in Tartarus that Bow was just looking her a button
>she wiggled it, for Manos' sake!
>okay, just calm down; don't let her get the better of you
>you touch your face with your hoof
>hot to the touch
>she's made you blush!
>as Bow continues to walk away, you narrow your eyes and mumble
"You're playing with fire, Bow; and you're going to get burned."
>Runner suddenly shouts
>"Breakfast is ready!"
>good, something to end this awkward moment
>eager to get away from the rest of your crew (lest they see your face), you say a bit too quickly
"I'll go up and wake the prisoners!"
>Runner holds a hoof up to stop you
>"I'll come up with you; I'll bring a pot of stew and bowls up with me!"
>you reply through clenched teeth
"Thank you Runner...... the help is much appreciated...."
>"Sure thing cap'n!"
>while trying to hide your face, you climb the ladder and unlatch the hatch to the bridge
>climbing onto the bridge, you revel in the cool sea air blowing in your face
>every day of grief on this voyage is made worth it by this moment every morning
>you can feel the blush finally leave your face
>good
>you look down on the deck to see a dozen faces looking back up at you
>instantly, all hell breaks loose
>>"You've got to do something about him!"
>>>"He's driving us insane!"
>>>>"We were so close to throwing him overboard!"
>>>>>"Just give him a drink so he'll shut up!"
>in front of the group of ponies, in the fetal position, is Cider Guzzler, rocking back and forth
"Great...."
>the group of ponies are still all speaking at once
>a very annoying noise
>you raise your hoof above your head and slam it against the conning tower
"Shut up!"
>slowly the voices die down until there is silence
>satisfied with the quiet, you climb down the ladder on the tower down to the deck
>the ponies make way for you as you walk towards Cider
>he doesn't seem to notice you, and continues to rock back and forth
"On your hooves, sailor."
>he doesn't move to stand
"I said,"
>you reach down and grab the back of his mane, pulling his face up to look at you
"ON YOUR HOOVES!"
>his eyes are bloodshot and his lip is quivering as he does as ordered
>his legs are shakey, and he looks nearly ready to collapse
"Good. Now, follow me; we are going to set you straight."
>you turn and go back to the ladder with Cider in tow
>you both climb the ladder and are standing on the bridge
>you look back to the group of ponies
"When he comes back out, he'll won't be bothering you anymore. Until then, I suggest you enjoy Runner's cooking."
>you gesture to Runner, who is still on the bridge with a pot and bowls
>he nods
>"That's right! Get it while it's hot!"
>you turn to face Cider
"You are going to follow me down there."
>you point to the still open hatchway
"Come on."
>you and Cider descent into the command room
>Cider doesn't say a word the entire time
>when he reaches the bottom of the ladder, you reach into your coat and retrieve something
>a flask
>without hesitation, you hold it out for Cider to take
"Drink this, or they will tear you limb from limb."
>you really meant that YOU would tear him limb from limb

>you are Quiet Runner
>it was tough, but you managed to climb down the conning tower ladder while carrying your pot of stew
>upon being instructed to do so, the ponies on the deck formed an orderly line and one by one began to get their stew
>as you spoon stew into another bowl, you question the pony in front of you
"Not trying to offend you or anything; but why do you Royalists detest us so much?"
>before the pony can answer, you add
"I mean, all we did was make decisions for ourselves, instead of having the princesses make them for us."
>the pony leans in and speaks low
>"I'm afraid that's not really a question I can answer while in a soup line..."
>you shrug
"Alright,"
>you raise your voice
"Then it will be a group discussion while we eat."
>after a few minutes, the last pony has his stew
>you lean back against the conning tower, facing the group of ponies enjoying their meal, yet awaiting what you have to say
"Alright, I'm going to ask a question, and I'm going to allow each of you the chance to answer it."
>you pause and let silence reign for a few moments
"Why is it that we are at war with each other?"
>while some look ready to give immediate answers, others begin to discuss the question with one another
>>"I'll tell you why; it's because you're traitors!"
>>>"Yeah, the Princesses are the rightful sovereigns in these lands!"
>you hold up a hoof to stop them
"Celestia left us with little choice but to secede from the Realm. Have you heard what has become of out brothers and sisters in Canterlot?"
>no one in the group says anything
"I thought not; Celestia and Luna had been and still are rounding up all who follow Manos' faith within the city, I don't care to go into detail about what happens to them once they're in custody..."
>you continue
"Many of us could see that the Princesses would do something like this, so we rallied together to defend ourselves and our Faith."
>you have a nervous feeling in your gut as you continue to preach to these ponies
>you speak of the Reich's ponies rallying to fight the oppression of the Princesses
>yet you journeyed to the Reich for career opportunities
>of course, you are now a firm believer of Manos and his vision of a better future for Equestria
>while you are conflicted about what you say on in the inside, the image you present to your 'guests' is one of confidence and intelligence
"Tell me, what did Celestia tell you would happen if the war ended in her favor?"
>you cock a brow
"What would she change to prevent such disunity from ever existing again?"
>when there are no answers, you stop leaning against the conning tower and begin to pace across the deck
"I'll tell you what she would have changed: nothing."
>there is a call from the group
>"Horseapples!"
>you look at the pony who made the outburst
>he's heavyset; not with fat, but with muscle
>"She'd make sure traitors like you were dealt with before you could rally!"
>you smirk at the pony
"Oh yes? If the Princess is so able to create change in Equestria, why is it that your military has yet to make any kind of adaptation to match our style of warfare?"
>you now sneer at him
"I doubt she could change all of Equestria if she is not even able to change her own devoted military."
>you point your hoof out at the ocean in the direction of Vanhoover
"We've bested you at every engagement because we've changed our military, our ponies, our entire culture!"
>you stomp your hoof against the hard metal of the deck
"Is not the deck upon which you stand proof enough of this?"
>many of the ponies look down, and seem still amazed at the ability to make a functioning vessel out of such a material
"Your reactions tell me all I need to know."
>you once more lean back against the tower
"You know just as well as I how this war will end."
>you smirk once more
"With our flags fluttering above every city in Equestria."

>you are Stiller Jäger
>and you are currently struggling to push Cider Guzzler up the ladder to the bridge
"Why the buck did you drink it all at once, you drunkard?"
>above you, Cider hiccups as you continue to shove against his backside
>"It was GOOD STUFF, captain guy!"
>buck this, you'll never get him back outside at this rate
>you climb down and call up to the drunken pony
"Get off the ladder."
>Cider wastes no time in falling off said ladder, impacting loudly against the floor
>"Owwwwwwie!"
>you shake your head
"Idiot..."
>you climb a few steps up the ladder and then reach down and grab hold of Cider's collar
"It's a good thing you're not fat, or you'd be stuck down here with us; or rather, vice versa."
>with a heave, you lift the pony from the ground and slowly begin to climb the ladder
>straining, you manage to speak through your teeth
"That doesn't mean you're light though.."
>after reaching the top of the ladder, you climb through the small hatchway and then lift Cider up onto the bridge
"Alright; now that you're feeling better, you can rejoin your group."
>as Cider climbs down the tower ladder, you can hear the groans of his comrades upon seeing him
>before long, Runner climbs up the same ladder, empty pot and bowls in tow
>>"Well, they liked the stew."
>you nod
"Good."
>looking out upon the vast ocean in front of you, you continue
"Now I need you at your post, Runner. We're going to be increasing speed soon."
>Runner gives you a salute
>>"Got it."
>he descends the ladder to the command room, leaving you alone on the bridge
>you sigh
"We'll be making port by the end of the day, I should start thinking about what Bow and I are going to do..."

>you are Strong Bow
>and today has been a very busy day so far
>you've been in the command room, compiling all the notes you've taken over the last few days
>all these notes are going into a crew report which Jäger will present to Reichsmarschall Honor Bound
>you know Jäger doesn't like the Reichsmarschall
>and honestly, you can't blame him
>you only met Honor Bound once, while you were still working on your designs for the u-boat hull
>he was very dismissive of your efforts and overall seems to view the entire u-boat project with disdain
>fortunately, he's no longer in charge of its development, just its operational planning, which is practically nonexistent seeing as there's only one
>as you place more papers into the file, you can hear Jäger descending from the bridge
>you know it's him because he's the only one who's been keeping watch all day
>you turn your head towards the ladder behind you
>sure enough, there he is
>"We'll be reaching Vanhoover soon."
>you raise your eyebrows
"We're making good time then."
>if you're going to be making port before nightfall, that probably means that tonight will be your 'date' night
>you look down at your uniform, tidy and neat as it is every day
>not exactly what you'd prefer to wear on a night out, but it'll do
>you can imagine that Jäger is thinking the same thing
"So....."
>ugh, it's so awkward talking about this
"What are,"
>you gesture to him and yourself
"we going to do in Vanhoover?"
>he must have been prepared for this question, because he answers immediately
>"We're going to a restaurant."
>you roll your eyes
"Any restaurant in particular?"
>Jäger nods
"Care to tell me which one?"
>he shakes his head
>"Nope! It'll be a surprise."
>you sigh
>he can have it his way

>you are First Strike
>from what you've been hearing, you should be at Vanhoover within in only a couple of hours
>you highly doubt that you'll be encountering any more enemy ships before you dock
>so you might as well get all of the torpedoes secured before you dock
>you walk over to one of the large racks holding spare torpedoes
>you lovingly rub one with your hoof
"Sorry boys, but it sounds like we're almost home."
>you begin to open up the weapon
>the gyroscopes within them are sensitive, so you don't want to leave them inside
>besides, you should have new and improved ones by the time you have a production model ready to go out on another patrol
>as you remove the small metal device from the torpedo, you examine it
"You little guys did better than I expected."
>indeed, they did
>you were honestly expecting a miss when you fired at the RN ship
>partly because the information you had was minimal
>and partly because, as you've said before, the torpedoes weren't built to the standards you wanted
"Yep, we'll be making port very soon."
>making port...
>what are you going to do once you're in Vanhoover?
>it's not like you have to write a report or anything, Bow and the Captain have already taken care of that
"I guess I might as well see if Runner wants to hang out while we're in the city.."
>Runner is from Vanhoover, so he'd know best what to do there
"Yeah, that sounds like a plan."
>you turn you attention back to the torpedo you're working on
>you have work to do until then

>you are Stiller Jäger
>after talking with Bow down in the command room, you resumed your post up on the bridge
>this time, however, she decided to join you
>as she stand beside you, scanning the horizon as you are, you reflect on your interactions throughout the patrol
>at first, your relationship was just as professional as it was with Strike or Runner
>then, your relationship became one of teasing friendship
>and now....
>well, you don't really know how you feel
>the more you talk about your plans for tonight, the more natural it feels
>almost like it's a date you WANT to go on, as opposed to one you have to go on
>is that what's happening?
>are you honestly looking forward to a date with Bow?
>out of the corner of your eye, you observe her
>the sea wind tousles her mane about her face in a manner which you can only describe as attractive
>her uniform does an excellent job of outlining her well-balanced figure
>while her body is well-toned, she still holds all the physical traits of a pony that would make a good mother
>uhhhh
>you return your focus to the horizon
>that is an observation you've never made with any other mare you've worked with
>okay, maybe you ARE looking forward to tonight; so what?
>suddenly, you feel Bow tap on your shoulder
"I wasn't doing anything, I swear!"
>Bow looks confused
>"uhh, I was just going to say that I can see Vanhoover."
>your muscles relax
"Oh,"
>you look through your binoculars in the direction she's pointing
"right, Vanhoover."
>you lower them from your face
"I guess we'd better start making the final preparations for docking."
>first thing's first though, you need to law down the law once more
>you look down at the group of ponies still on the deck
"Gefangene!"
>what?
>Bow looks at you weirdly
"Errr, prisoners!"
>they look up at you
>good, they didn't notice your slip
"We'll be reaching Vanhoover within the hour, so there are a few rules that you will follow during and after docking!"
>they remain silent and wait for you to continue
"Number one: when I give the word, you are to lay flat on the deck and not move until I say so, anyone who tries to jump overboard will be executed on the spot."
>Cider raises his hoof
>you sigh
"What is it, Cider?"
>"I need to pee!"
>.....
"Moving on, number 2: during doc-"
>"No, I said pee, not number 2!"
>before you can yell at the drunken fool, he is enveloped by magic and thrown overboard
>the ponies on the deck erupt with cheering and applause
>you look at Bow, who's horn is still glowing
>she shrugs
>>"Sorry."
>you sigh again
"Yeah, I'm sure you are."
>you return your attention to the group, which is still cheering
"As I was saying!"
>the noise dies down until they are silent once more
"During docking, you will remain absolutely silent unless told otherwise. That is all."
>you turn your attention back to Bow
"Did you really have to kill him?"
>Bow shakes her head
>>"I didn't."
>she points back to the stern of the boat
>there, in the same raft he slept in the night before, is a knocked out Cider Guzzler
>>"I wouldn't tell the prisoners that, however."

>you are First Strike
>and you've finally finished all of your work in the torpedo room
>might as well join the captain and Bow on the bridge
>as you ascend the ladder to the bridge, you can hear horns blaring
>you must be very close to docking
>you pull yourself through the hatchway and stand beside your fellow officers
>indeed, the city of Vanhoover is right up in your face
>Bow greets you
>"There you are Strike; are you all done with the torpedoes?"
>you nod
"Yep, they're all secured for docking."
>you return your gaze to the port city before you
"I'm guessing that's not too far out."
>Jäger chimes in
>>"We should be docking within the next few minutes, I'm just trying to line up with one of these piers.."
>you notice that he's intently focused on his steering
>you can't imagine it's easy to maneuver this boat, it is essentially just a metal tube
>Bow looks back at you
>"Come on, I'll need your help to tie off the boat."
>with that, she begins to climb down the ladder to the deck
>you follow her down
>Bow hands you a rope
>"I'll take the front, you take the rear."
>you nod
"Got it."
>you walk to the stern of the boat, where Cider Guzzler is asleep in his raft
"Weird, when did he go back to sleep?"

>you are Bronze Key
>you are the harbourmaster of Vanhoover's port
>outside your small office, you can see a crowd gathering on one of the piers
>you sigh
>it's probably another Royal Navy vessel unaware of the city's capture
>you leave your office and walk to the crowd
"Alright, alright, what's going on here?"
>a small colt tugs on your coat
>"Mr. Bronze, what's that thing coming toward the port?"
>wut?
>you push your way to the front of the crowd
>and then you see it
>some kind of weird grey.... thing is getting close and signalling a desire to dock
"What the...?
>>"Ahoy!"
>the pony on the tower of the thing just called out to you
"Uhhh, Ahoy?"
>you notice all the ponies on the front of the... boat, or whatever it is
>all but one of them are wearing Royal Navy uniforms
>yet the thing flies the flag of Manos
"How odd..."
>one of the ponies on the deck calls out to you now
>>>"Be ready to catch our lines!"
>you are too confused to even consider refusing
"Aye!"
>as the boat slips next to your pier, you call out
"Alright, get ready!"
>the boat is now in position
"Three, two, one, NOW!"
>the pony casts her rope out to you
>you catch it and tie it off on the pier
>another pony farther down the pier does the same with another rope
>time to see who these ponies really are

>you are Stiller Jäger
>you quickly call down to Runner
"Alright, we're secured. Shut down the engines."
>he replies with a quick 'aye captain'
>you put on a stern face and climb down the ladder to the deck
>no doubt someone will be skeptical of who you are
>you walk up to Bow, who is placing a large wooden plank across the gap between the boat and pier
"Be ready for anything to happen."
>she nods
>"I already am."
>she taps the slight bulge in her left coat pocket
>a pony wearing a maritime uniform walks up to the plank
>you immediately recognize it as a harbormasters uniform
"Ah, harbourmaster, I'm glad you made sure to provide us a welcoming party."
>you gesture to the large crowd on the pier
>he decides to ignore your comment
>>"Who do you serve? You have ponies with Royal Navy uniforms on your deck."
>you look back at the group of prisoners
"Oh, them? They're prisoners we picked up from a ship we sank. To answer your question, we're with the Reichsmarine"
>the harbourmasters jaw drops
>>"But.... you have no weapons!"
>you decide not to get too far off topic talking about your boat
"Anyway, we're docking here and I need you to gather some ponies from the garrison to move these prisoners."
>the harbourmaster doesn't say anything for a few moments before giving you a salute
>>"Alright, but don't think that I won't check in with the garrison command to make sure you're supposed to be here."
>you smile
"Thank you, harbourmaster."
>with that, you look back at your crew and the prisoners
"Pack it up! We're getting off this tub!"

>you are Quier Runner
>after suffering long days of unbearable heat in this engine room, you finally get to have your revenge
>you move over to the master controls for the engines
>with a smile on your face, you pull the large lever at the center of it all
>with a final putter, the engine grows quieter and quieter until it finally stops altogether
"That's for making me lose a pound or two in sweat."
>you waste no time in leaving the room altogether and climbing up to the bridge
>from there, you see Jäger talking with what you assume to be the harbourmaster
>"Pack it up! We're getting off this tub!"
>aww yiss
>as you descend down to the deck, you bump into Strike
"Hard to believe that it's over, isn't it Strike?"
>Strike looks out at the port
>"Yeah, honestly I was expecting a lot more to go wrong."
>you chuckle
"Well, the engines almost overheated several times; that would have counted as something going wrong."
>you continue
"So, what are you planning on doing while we're in Vanhoover?"
>she shrugs
>"Honestly, I was going to ask you the same thing; you come from here, so I figured I'd just kind of do whatever you do."
>you nod
"Well, I was planning on going around the city tonight to see what all was damaged during the battle; you are of course free to join me."
>Strike smiles
>"I'd like that."
>with that, you both walk off of the boat and on to the pier, where the captain and Bow are already waiting

>you are Stiller Jäger
>after Strike and Runner join you and Bow on the pier, you yells to the prisoners still on the deck
"Alright, now disembark in an orderly fashion."
>the ponies stand and begin to file onto the plank
"When you are turned over to the jurisdiction of the Black Hands, I'll make sure to put in a good word about how cooperative you were."
>this seems to soften the grim looks on the faces of many of the prisoners
>one however, seems almost happy about the whole situation
>as he is about to walk past you, you address him
"I'm glad to see that not everyone is glum."
>in response, he looks at you
>"You put me on the first step towards citizenship in the Reich, of course I'm not glum."
>he continues along with the rest of the group
>you wonder just how many ponies serving under Luna now feel the same way as him
>if it's a lot, then this war can't continue for much longer
>by now, the harbormaster has returned with a small group of Hands, you are gathering together all the prisoners
>you walk over to the leader of the group, a lieutenant
"Lieutenant, I just want you to know that these ponies were good guests aboard my boat, please see to it that they are treated well."
>the Hand nods
>>"Of course, Captain."
>you nod and walk back over to your crew
"Alright, I guess that shore leave begins now."
>you look up at the sky
>nightfall is near
"We'll meet at the town park at 15:00 tomorrow before we return home."
>Runner salutes
>>>"Understood. Strike and I are going to inspect the damage caused by the battle."
>you nod
"Very well."
>with that, they walk away together
>you turn you attention to Bow
"Well.... ready to go?"

>you are Strong Bow
>and Jäger is sticking to his word
>you were expecting him to, but that doesn't change your surprise at his question
>"Well.... ready to go?"
>you look up at him
"Uhh, sure?"
>you move to his side and begin to walk with him
>as you walk off of the pier, Jäger speaks
>"Would you like to walk about the city first, or would you rather eat now?"
>at that moment, your stomach growls
>he smiles
>"Food now, then."
>your hooves begin to clack as the ground transitions from wood to stone
>as you and Jäger pass by buildings, you notice something
"A lot of these buildings have had recent work done on them."
>Jäger nods
>"Indeed they have. I'm guessing a lot of damage was repaired during the last few days."
>after that, you both stay quiet for a few minutes, just taking in the scenery of the city
>finally, Jäger speaks again
>"We'll be getting to the restaurant in a minute or two."
>you look over at him and sigh dramatically
"Can you tell me where we're going?"
>he shrugs his shoulders
>"Sure, it's a restaurant I overheard Runner talking about."
>he continues
>"He's from Vanhoover, it must be one of the best spots in the city if he's randomly talking about it during our patrol."
>you're actually surprised that he told you
"Yeah, must be."

>you are Stiller Jäger
>you hope the restaurant is close
>you never actually heard where exactly it was
>only the name and general location
>you heard Runner say the name was 'Food for Thought'
>and you heard that it was near the city park
"Yep, we should be finding the place any second n-"
>you spot a lit sign up ahead
>you squint to make out the words on it
>'Food for Thought'
"And there it is."
>you let out a sigh of relief
>as you near the front doors of the establishment, Bow comments
>"I like the old-town feel that the building gives."
>you agree with her
"Yeah, it makes you feel like you're in your own home town."
>you hold the door open for Bow
>"Oh why thank you, Stiller."
>you quickly follow after her as she enters the restaurant
"Stiller..?"
>you looks back at you and smirks
>"We're on leave, I can call you by your first name if I like."
>you guess you can't really argue with that
>not that you would otherwise
>Bow stops walking when she reaches a sign that reads 'please wait to be seated'.
>before long, an older mare walks out from a door leading to what you assume is the kitchen
>>"Sorry to keep you folks waiting."
>you wave your hoof
"Don't be, we just got here."
>the mare smiles
>>"I take it that it's just one couple tonight?"
>you look at Bow and back at the mare
"Yes, just one... couple tonight."

>you are Red Pot
>you are the owner of Food for Thought
>actually, co-owner would be more accurate
>your wife, Flour Roller, has just as much authority as you do here
>as you mix together a batch of potato salad for tomorrow, your she walks through the saloon-style doors into your kitchen
>"We've got two orders, Red."
>she looks over at you
>"Oh Red, you're making the salad? I was supposed to do that."
>you smile at her
"What can I say; I don't want you to dirty your pretty hooves with mushy ingredients like these."
>you put down the tub of salad and walk over to her
>she looks up at you and smirks
>"Lines like that might have wooed me 20 years ago,"
>she plants a chaste kiss on your nose
>"You just want your kitchen to yourself."
>you shrug
"Anyway, what's the order?"
>she holds a small ticket up
>"Sauteed bell peppers for two."
>huh?
>you grab the ticket and read it just to be sure
>"It's a couple on a date."
>you raise your eyebrows
"I've never had anyone order something so simple.."
>"Hey, at least they won't have to wait long."
>with that, she walks back out to the front of the restaurant
>you walk over to your veggie cooler
"I'm not going to just cook some peppers and call it good."
>you begin to grab all kinds of peppers and seasonings
"I'm going to give them something completely new."

>you are Red Pot
>you follow your wife out to the front with the now finished dishes
>you stop when you see the couple and listen intently
>"And that stew he made; delicious."
>stew
>one of Runner's specialties
>you lean down and whisper into your wife's ear
"Yeah, they are talking about him."
>she nods
>>"Told you so."
>you straighten your back and begin to walk over to their table with the food
"Gooood evening monsieur and madamoiselle."
>the two ponies are wearing what appear to be naval uniforms
>Runner said he was working on something navy related for the Reich
>maybe they're work colleagues of his?
"Alright, who had the peppers, and who had the peppers?"
>they smile at your joke, but don't laugh
"Hehhh, alright, now you two enjoy."
>you place their plates on the table and quickly return to your wife
>you both continue to sneakily watch them as they begin to eat
"If they work with Runner, then I'm afraid he won't have a sense of humor when we see him next."
>Roller whacks you on the foreleg
>>"I'm sure they're just trying to enjoy their date; they don't need some old coot throwing bad jokes their way."
>you grab a washcloth and start to wipe down the counter
"I'm going to keep listening, we might hear what our little adventurer has been up to."
>Roller doesn't take her attention away from her counting
>>"You have fun with that."

>you are Strong Bow
>you chuckle as the old stallion walks away
>"He certainly made sure that we got our money's worth."
>you see that Jäger is inspecting the peppers
>they had been hollowed out and cooking with different vegetables filling the empty space
"Yeah, no kidding; I've never even seen anything like this."
>you tentatively cut a piece and take a bite
>he does the same
>almost simultaneously you both nod
"Not bad, not bad at all."
>after taking a few bites, you put your fork down
>Jäger notices this
>"Something wrong?"
>you shake your head
"No, I just have a question."
>he tilts his head slightly
>"Sure, fire away."
>you lean forward and prop your chin atop one of your hooves
"You told me that you wanted to become a teacher at a Reich naval academy; why?"
>he seems a bit exasperated at your question
>"I though I already gave you a reason; I said that I want a job which will allow me time to start a family."
>you give him a small smile
"And why do you want to start a family?"
>you can feel a slight warmness begin to creep onto your face
>but you ignore it, there's a question you MUST ask him

>you are Stiller Jäger
>and something is happening that has not happened in a very long time
>you are becoming flustered
>you've been trying very hard not to talk much about yourself tonight
>but this mare is backing you into a corner
>as she continues to smile at you, you begin to feel odd
>sick, almost
>there's a nervous tenseness in your gut as you answer her question
"I.. want to start a family because it is the duty of every pony to ensure that their legacy be passed on."
>Bow's smile doesn't waver, but you can tell that she knows that's not your real answer
"And.. because.....,"
>ok Stiller, you need to word this VERY carefully...
"I wouldn't mind the company."
>still, Bow doesn't relent
>in fact, she leans in closer to you
>"Aaaand, Herr Kapitän,"
>oh Manos, she's been practicing her Germane
>"Have you met anyone you'd consider starting that family with?"
>you don't even think about your answer before giving it
"As a matter of fact I.."
>DING DING
>you and Bow snap your heads over to the door at the other end of the restaurant
>standing there, in the doorway, is Quiet Runner
"Oh buck."
>>"Hey Mom, hey Pop!"

>you are Quiet Runner
>mere seconds after calling out, you are practically tackled by your mother
>your mother who proceeds to cover your face with kisses
"Gaaah, okay mom, I get it; you missed me!"
>you hear a call from inside the kitchen
>"Is that who I think it is?!"
>with great effort, you manage to push your mother off of you and stand just in time for your father to tackle you
"Oof!"
>your father laughs
>"I knew it! I just knew you'd come to see us now that the battle is over!"
>yeah, there's no way you're going to be able to shove him off

>you are Stiller Jäger
>and you need to get out of this restaurant
>NOW
>if Runner sees you both here, both of your reputations and careers will be over
>your eyes dart across the room, looking for an escape route
>finally, they come to rest right above your table
>near the ceiling is a small window
>you look back over at Runner
>he's currently being detained by the owners of the restaurant
>you don't have time to question why
>you jump on top of your chair and slide the window open
>"Wha- we're not going to fit through the-"
"Sorry, no time!"
>you reach down and wrap your hoof around Bow's midsection
>with a grunt, you lift her up to the open window
>you try your best to sound commanding while still being quiet
"Go!"
>Bow wastes no time in squeezing through the small gap
>she then reaches her hooves through for you
>you grab onto them and pull yourself through as well
>right before you close the window behind you, you drop a few bits down onto the table
>you are now sitting on the sidewalk behind the restaurant
>you and Bow look and each other
>and begin to laugh
>"Did you know that this place was owned by Runner's parent?"
>you shake your head, still laughing
"I swear, I had no idea! I just overheard him talking about this place and assumed it must be a good restaurant."
>slowly, your laughter begins to die down
>you watch Bow as she attempts to catch her breath
>her chest rises and sinks at a pace which reminds you of the waves lapping against the hull of the u-boat
>the u-boat which brought you together
>you scooch closer to her
"You know, Bow; you asked me a question which I was not able to answer."
>you can see the realization and hope in her eyes
"Would you mind asking me again?"
>despite the dark conditions, you can still tell she's blushing
>she takes a few breaths, and then asks
>"That family you're wanting to start,"
>she scooches closer to you, so that your thighs are now touching
>"Have you found anyone you'd consider starting it with?"
>you smile down at her
"I do believe that I have; though I wonder if she feels the same way."
>Bow returns your smile and bites her lip
>"Oh, I can imagine she does."
>with that, she leans her head against your shoulder
>you return the favor and wrap your foreleg around her
>after a few minutes of just sitting like that, you look down at the mare
"You know, we won't be able to serve together if we're discovered."
>you can feel her shoulder shrug against your chest
>"Then we keep it a secret until we're safe; simple."
>you smile and shake your head in amusement
"You sure you'll be able to keep your hooves off of me for that long?"
>she looks up at you
>and smirks
>We'll see..."


ENDE