Per Mare, Per Equestria

“Major Wood, allow me to introduce you to Lieutenant-Colonel Swift Heart of the Hoofington Line Regiments, seventh regiment. Under his command is Lieutenant-Colonel Forestia, second regiment of the Everfree Hussars and Brigadier Drake, first brigade third regiment of the Highlanders,” Luna announced as she walked into the command tent, looking around the now bowing ponies in the room.

“Your highness,” Swift Heart looked up at Luna. “You honour us with your presence. And who, and what, is that with you?”

“As I said, this is Major Matthew Wood,” Luna turned to face me. “He is a human, a newly discovered race with as of this moment consists of only two members. He is currently acting as a military advisor to me personally, and I am seconding him to your task force. Find him a place and factor him into your battle plan.”

“Is this open to discussion princess?” Brigadier Drake asked, shooting a glance at me.

“It is not,” Luna shook her head. “Major Wood is acting as my agent, and should be afforded the respect both that and his rank deserves. Now, if there are no more questions, I must take my leave, as I am needed elsewhere. Do not disappoint me Major, my sister would not be best pleased if you turned into a liability rather than an asset.”

“It will be done, your highness,” Swift Heart nodded, watching as Luna walked back outside, before he turned to me.

As he began to look over me, I returned the favour, taking in his features, as well as the others in the command tent. Swift Heart was a Pegasus with a black coat and a short brown mane and tail, while the mark on his ass was a picture of a dark red heart. Next was Forestia, a gleaming white unicorn with a flowing purple mane and a winged gem on her flank, and finally there was Drake, a huge red earth pony, and the only one in the room wearing full armour, which covered up his mark. I was about to ask what they actually were, before Swift Heart beat me to the punch.

“So, a couple of days before a major offensive, High General Luna presents me with a new species to act as a ‘military advisor’? I’m not sure if I should be flattered that she believes our objectives important enough to warrant help, or insulted that she believes we need the help.”

“I believe it should simply be taken as a sign that you objective must be completed sir,” I replied, standing at attention before Swift Heart.

“Perhaps,” Swift Heart nodded, sitting back down on the stool that he’d been on before Luna and I had arrived. “She called you a Major? I assume you were part of the military back from wherever you came from?”

“Yes sir,” I nodded curtly. “Is the rank of Major is similar to the ranks you have.”

“A Major is in charge of a Battalion, five hundred ponies,” Forestia spoke in a soft, smoothing tone.

“I don’t have a Battalion to spare though,” Swift Heart continued. “Forestia? Do you have a Battalion in need of a commander?”

“No,” she shook her head, before turning to Drake. “But if I remember correctly, one of your own commanders was killed recently.”

“Aye, but ah don’t think it’s fair that I have to let some new guy lead half of me task force,” Drake shot back. “Even if Luna…”

“High General Luna,” Swift Heart cut in.

“Demanded that he had a place in the army,” Drake finished. “She did not say that he had to have an entire bloody Battalion, and I’m not relinquishing command of the Highlanders to him.” He turned to me at this point. “This isn’t meant as an insult to you,”

“Sure doesn’t seem that way,” I muttered as he continued.

“I just can’t let somepony take command of my ponies, especially if you’re not a pony.”

“I guess I can see your point,” I sighed. “I’ll help in whichever way you see fit Lieutenant-Colonel.”

“I can’t give you anything tangible to command, nor do I overly want to give over troops to somepony on the merit of their word alone, but High General Luna has ordered me to do so, so I am left with few options,” Swift Heart gestured for me to come to the table as he turned back to face the other two commanders. “We have a few days before we will reach our objective, even with a quick march. We’ll use the time to bring you up to speed. Maybe I will be able to figure out where to incorporate you into our plans by then.”

“Alright, that’s a good enough plan,” I nodded. “To be honest, I kind of thought that integrating with ponies in the military might be slightly harder than this.”

“I won’t say I’m best pleased with the appointment, but orders are orders,” Swift Heart replied simply, before drawing my eye to the map. “Our objective is twofold. The first is to force a breach in the Griffon-Minotaur defensive line to the north of Dodge Junction, with the eventual goal of laying siege to the Griffon-held city of Harrongraäd. From there we will have a better staging point for any naval actions in the future. Our second objective is to draw opposing forces away from the Western Front, opening up possibilities to force breeches elsewhere in the line.”

“So at the bottom line, we’re a diversion?” I double checked.

“It’s a rash way of thinking about it, but I guess that it is one way of looking at it,” Swift Heart nodded. “Regardless, these are my orders, and I will use every asset in my hoof to ensure that we succeed.”

“What’s our first target?” Drake asked, tilting his head to get a better view of the map on the table.

“These,” Swift Heart placed a hoof on the map, pointing at a series of small dark dots on the main road towards Harrongraäd. “In the years of Griffon occupation, these thoughts have been springing up to defend bottlenecks such as this. The Minotaur’s defecting has only bolstered their defensive capability. I currently have two wings of Cloudsdale Rangers flying recognisance over the fortresses, and while progress is slow due to heavy Griffon aerial resistance, they have given me an accurate report on the first fortress in the defensive system. Manned solely by Griffons, we should be able to take it back if we act now while surprise is still on our side.”

“And your sure surprise is still on our side?” I checked, scanning the map and folding my arms.

“I am,” Swift Heart nodded. “Is there a problem?”

“Not as such,” I sighed, before pointing at the two nearest dots to the fort Swift Heart had been looking at. “It’s just that these two forts are close enough to launch a counter attack very quickly, and we’ll have to be ready to fend them off almost as soon as we’ve taken the first fort. If we take more casualties than expected or have to heavily damage the walls of the fort, defending the area could become much more problematic. Not to mention that we’ll be forcing a very precarious breech in the enemy lines and risk having our supply lines cut at any moment.”

“I understand your concerns, and they are all valid ones, but it is the only target left open to us,” Swift Heart reached for a crested helmet with a wing as he spoke, tucking it under the joint. “We have artillery and Pegasi at our disposal, and Faust willing, we should be able to take this fort with minimal bloodshed.”

“I wish you hadn’t said that, never a good omen before battle,” Drake scowled, donning his own helmet and looking at Swift Heart. “My Highlanders will lead the Van.”

“Is that a question or a statement?” a thin, icy smile spread across Forestia’s muzzle.

“A fact,” Drake shot back, before turning and trotting out of the command tent.

“Lovely guy,” I chuckled, watching him go, before turning back to Swift Heart and Forestia. “I do share his sentiments though, I’d like to be in the Vanguard of this attack.”

“I’m not sure that allowing the personal representative of High General Luna to participate in the Vanguard is the best idea,” Forestia shook her head.

“Not to toot my own ho…um…blow my own trumpet, but my weapons are better than yours, my armour is probably better than yours, although I wouldn’t swear by that one, and most importantly, I’m an unknown to the enemy. Could be enough of a shock tip the scales in our favour don’t you think?”

“He has a point,” Swift Heart looked at Forestia, who nodded after a few seconds of thought. “Very well then, go and report to Brigadier Drake, I’m placing you directly under his command. I doubt he’s going to give over a large command to you, but take what you can get. We need to win this battle, but something tells me that I don’t have to impress upon you the importance of this campaign.”

“I understand sir,” I came to attention and quickly snapped off a salute, before nodding to Forestia. “Ma’am, it was a pleasure.”

Turning, I smartly marched out of the tent, before scanning the area for any sign of Drake or the Highlanders. It didn’t take me long to see a smaller section of the camp inhabited by ponies wearing the exact same armour as Drake had been, all of whom looked to be Earth Ponies, and headed towards them, ignoring the looks from the other soldiers, while taking in my surroundings.

“Matthew,” a voice sounded from behind me, and I turned to see Drake glaring at me, tapping a hoof on the ground. “Did you take a wrong turn somewhere Major?”

“Yeah, somewhere back on Earth,” I shot back. “I’m joining the Vanguard alongside you and your Brigade, and was told to report to you for assignment.”

“I told Swift Heart I wasn’t giving you a Battalion,” Drake ground his teeth together.

“I understand that sir,” I nodded. “I was ordered to take whatever units you have that you are willing to let an unknown command, as I really don’t want to face the enemy without at least a squad backing me up.”

“Fine,” Drake scowled, before turning and trotting deeper into the camp. “You can have one squad, that’s all I want to loan to you.”

“Well it’s better than nothing,” I shrugged, following after Drake. “This squad, is it any good?”

“They’re not my best, but they’re certainly not the worst in the Brigade.”

Nodding, I remained silent as I walked through the camp, before finally reaching a non-descript tent, Drake holding the flap open as he walked through, while I had to stoop to not get my head tangled up in the canvas.

“Officer on deck!” one of the soldiers within roared, hammering his two left hooves into his right hooves, the other four ponies quickly doing the same in cringing army style drill.

“At ease,” Drake approached one of the ponies at the rear. “Sergeant Firefly, the thing behind me is Major Matthew Wood, a human and a personal representative of Luna. Swift Heart has ordered him to take charge of a portion of the Brigade, and I’ve chosen your squad.”

“Sir, if this is about our recent combat performance I can assure you…” Firefly began, before being cut off by Drake’s raised hoof.

“This isn’t a punishment, your combat skills are not in question. All you have to know is that this is my final word.”

“Yes sir,” Firefly saluted, a frown spreading over his face as he looked me over.

“Good. I’ll leave you to get better acquainted, movement orders will be coming by the end of the day,” Drake replied, looking around. “Where’s the rest of your squad?”

“She wanted to stretch her wings or something sir,” Firefly replied.

“Fine, introduce her to the Major when she returns,” Drake told the room as he left, leaving me alone with the five ponies.

They all slowly got up, getting closer as they looked at me from head to toe, scrutinising every inch of me, before snorting one by one and standing behind Firefly. The Sergeant was still frowning as he trotted forward, stopping when he was just in front of me.

Compared to others, he was positively tiny, although he was still bigger than most of the ponies in the other Regiments in the camp. His dark blue coat was complimented by a pitch black mane, the tangled mess of hair coiling down his back, his unkempt tail almost covering the picture on his flank, depicting a bloodied muzzle of a pony. What the significance of the picture was, or even why every pony I had seen had one, was beyond me. I made a mental note to ask them about it, but right now I needed to make sure the annoyance Firefly was showing didn’t spill into anything else.

“So, we get a new squad member before a major fight?”  Firefly asked, looking me up and down.

“So it would seem,” one of the other ponies nodded, moving behind me.

“Look, I understand that this may not be what you were expecting Sergeant Firefly," I didn't break eye contact with Firefly as I spoke.

“Damn right,” he scoffed.

“Nevertheless, it’s the cards we’ve all been dealt,” I continued. “Do you think I want to be here fighting your war instead of on my own planet? Of course not, but I only have one skill, and that’s killing, as morbid as that sounds. I will never be quite as good at anything as I am at ending lives.”

“Really?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “Because from the looks of you, I wouldn’t say you look particularly bloodthirsty.”

“Neither do you,” I shot back. “Because you look like the smallest member of this squad, yet you’re the sergeant, so clearly the two of us prove that looks can be deceiving.”

Firefly glared at me for a long time, and the thought that I may have pushed him away rather than solidified the bond between commander and squad, before a huge smile broke out over his face.

“Well, when you put it like that you may have appoint,” he chuckled. “Maybe you’re not quite as bad as you could be. Not saying I’m happy about getting usurped from my command, but I’ll follow you, from in front of course.”

“I don’t think you’ve quite grasped following,” I shot back with a smile of my own. “But I do like that word. Usurp. I am the usurper of the squad.”

“Yeah yeah, laugh it up. I’ll get it back soon enough,” Firefly smirked, before turning to the rest of the squad and pointing them out in turn. “Ok, roll call. Privates Slugger and Butch.”

The two massive ponies looked at me with equally impassive stares, allowing me to take in the massive muscles rippling between the green coats. Both of their flank pictures were almost identical, Butch sporting a dumbbell, while Slugger bore the image of a kettle bell on his sides.

“Private Castelian, used to be the best shot in the squad and quite good at low level strategy,” Firefly pointed at the pony with a black coat and a black mane, his flank taken up by a picture of a white bishop.

“And finally Corporal Heavy Weight, our squads two IC, now three IC, and…”

“The strongest member,” Heavy Weight finished, stepping forward. “And biggest.”

He wasn’t joking there as his eyes were level with my chin, making him the third tallest pony I had seen, just behind Celestia and Luna. While they were thin and elegant however, he had muscles to put them both to shame, along with everyone else I had seen. He also had what looked like tattoos on his face and legs, along with what looked like a pair of brass knuckles that fitted over his forelegs, a weapon that was also shown on his flank.

“Well you’re certainly not kidding about being the biggest,” I chuckled. “Thank you Sergeant. As Brigadier Drake said, my name is Matthew Wood, I was a Major in the Royal Marine Commandoes back on Earth and I am a human. I don’t know how or why I’m here, don’t really want to be, but I am, so let’s get on past this and get our questions out of the way.”

“Well, if you’re allowing us to ask questions…” Firefly began, smiling as he sat down on his bunk, the rest of the squad following his lead, while I perched myself on the table at the far end of the tent, my eyes being drawn to the empty bed as Firefly asked his first question.

***

“So let me get this straight,” I asked, scratching my head. “The pictures on your ass are called cutie marks, and they appear when you find your calling in life and give some representation to what you’re good at?”

“Yeah,” Firefly replied with a shrug. “That’s really what you’re struggling with? New world, new creatures, and you think cutie marks are weird?”

“They are,” I nodded. “Some of them match your names almost perfectly, and they can tell what you’ll be for the rest of your life? Just another bit of magic that I don’t understand.”

“That’s what I don’t understand,” Castelian broke in. “You don’t have magic where you’re from. How do you do like…anything?”

“Technology,” I replied simply. “What you do with magic, humans did with machines.”

“But even the Griffons and Minotaur’s have some form of magic,” Castelian pressed. “Not as refined as Unicorns, but they still have magic. How can you not have it?”

“Well, there were always myths on my world about magic, maybe humans just forgot how to use it, or maybe it was just a myth. Who’s to say? But what I want to know is where this last squad member of yours is, and why the rest of you are Earth Ponies yet they’re a Pegasus.”

“Who? Nara?” Slugger asked, letting out a short sharp laugh. “Yeah right, Pegasus. She’ll be back in a bit I’m sure.”

“In fact, I’d say she’s back now,” Butch said, leaning to the side and looking past me, before looking at the others and exchanging a few glances. “Yeah, soon.”

I looked between the squad members, trying to listen in to their hushed whispers, yet I was sure that their ears must have been better than mine, because I couldn’t make out a word they were saying. The near total silence was broken when I heard a sudden whoosh of air, before something landed outside of the tent. I began to slowly turn around, before I heard the tightening of a bow string behind me.

Instantly alert I turned much faster, my hand flying to the holster on my waist, drawing my pistol and locking my arms out in perfect time to acquire a target, coming face to face with what could only be a Griffon, the creature standing on its hind legs, its wings spread wide to allow it to balance as it tensed the bow string it was holding, an arrow nocked and ready to fly.

“What the fuck are you?” she eventually snarled, only increasing the tension between the room. “And why shouldn’t I put this arrow between your eyes?”

“What the fuck is a Griffon doing in a pony camp?” I shot back, my finger itching to squeeze the trigger, before Firefly suddenly popped up between us, smirking as he looked between the two of us.

“Oh stand down. Now.”

“Sergeant?” the Griffon asked, looking at Firefly and causing my aim to drop slightly.

“Sergeant?” I asked, keeping my pistol up for a second longer, before letting it fall to my side. “Ok, now I’m really really confused. Want to fill me in?”

“Major Wood, meet Private Nara. Nara, meet Major Matthew Wood,” Firefly sighed, still smirking.

“Ok, so she’s Nara, next question, and this is probably a bigger one, why is there a Griffon in a pony camp?”

“Because she’s on our side,” Firefly explain. “Now the pair of you, put your weapons down and we’ll explain this.”

“You sure Sergeant?” Nara asked, not lowering her bow. “Diamond Dogs can’t be trusted, mutants even less.”

“I’m not a Diamond Dog,” I said slowly, holstering my pistol and holding my hands up to show I was unarmed. “Human. Now put the bow down and I can explain. Plus I don’t think that pointing a weapon at your CO is a good idea.”

“You’re not my commanding officer,” Nara smirked, pulling her bow string a bit tighter.

“Ummm, he kind of is,” Castelian called out from behind us, Nara’s face dropping as she looked at Firefly, the Sergeant giving her an apologetic look, before nodding as well.

“Oh fuck,” she muttered, untensing her bow string and pulling the arrow out, before coming to attention and saluting. “I’m sorry sir, I wasn’t informed.”

“It’s…ok,” I scratched my head, before glaring at the others. “Thanks for the heads up guys.”

“And miss that opportunity,” Slugger asked. “Fat chance.”

“You do realise I could have killed her yes?” I glared at Slugger.

“I doubt it,” Nara scoffed, slinging her bow over her back and flapping her wings, landing on the empty top bunk I had seen and looking down at us all.

“You shouldn’t,” I shot back. “Now someone tell me what’s going on. I was lead to believe this was a war against the entire Griffon race, and now you’re telling me she’s on our side. Is she the only one? Is she a defector? Are there sects on our side? What?”

“There were three of us,” Nara replied, a scowl covering her face. “My parents fled the Dominion when they had me and asked for Equestrian asylum. They were granted it and died shortly afterwards, and I was given a choice. Sit back and watch as the people who forced my parents to flee ran rampant against the country that took them in, or to stand up and fight. I stood up and was seconded to the Highlanders seven years ago after I completed basic. I have fought against the Minotaur’s, my kind and prejudice alongside Firefly and the others since Stalliongrad, and I’ll be dammed if anyone, even a Major, is going to talk down to me.”

“Alright fine, I didn’t know,” I sighed. “Nara, I am extremely sorry for assuming you were the enemy based on your species. Things have been moving quickly and I made a judgement call, which was wrong of me. I apologise Nara.”

“Fine,” Nara rolled her eyes. “Now, what are you?”

“I am a human, a member of the Royal Marine Commandoes back on my home, and currently acting as a military advisor slash attaché slash new soldier for High General Luna,” I began. “My name is Matthew Wood, I am a Major, I am thirty eight years old, my service number is 365917501, and right now I’m still very uncomfortable with the idea of being here, and hoping that I’m going to wake up any moment to find this is all a dream. Considering where I was before I woke up here though, I still don’t know if that’s the preferable alternative or not.”

Nara nodded, before jumping down and landing on the floor, pointing to my pistol. “So then, what’s that?”

“She seems on her game Firefly, I’d watch out,” I shot a look at the Sergeant, before turning back to face Nara and upholstering my pistol. “This is a generation four Glock, basic terms it’s a pistol which I use as my sidearm beside my rifle. Think of it like a much more advanced crossbow.”

“We’ll have to see how ‘advanced’ it really is,” Nara smirked. “Again, I’m sorry for the confusion with who and what you were Major.”

“Forget about it Private,” I shrugged. “If something had happened, we both would have been in a world of shit, but luckily nothing did happen. As it is, I would say no harm done.”

As I finished talking, a loud horn blast sounded out over the camp, followed by another, and another, before falling silent again. Looking round at the others expectantly, I saw them beginning to get to their feet, buckling the few armoured plates they wore to their bodies and picking up weapons, helmets and supplies. The only one who wasn’t wearing near identical armour apart from me was Nara, the Griffon wearing a series of leather plates riveted together.

“Guessing that signal meant something?” I asked, tightening the strap on my rifle and slinging it on my back, holding my helmet in the crook of my right arm.

“One blast is Friendlies approaching the camp, two for enemies, and three is the order to get your gear because we’re mustering,” Firefly shot back, not looking round as he busied himself, before putting his helmet over his head and awkwardly picking up a spear. “Which means we’re going to be moving out soon.”

“Well then Sergeant, lead the way,” I nodded, following Firefly out of the tent, the rest of the squad following closely behind the two of us.

Nara:

Heavy Weight: