Pandora's Planet

Forestry is a small town, with little strategic position besides the fact it's got the only major route from Cliffside to Derelict. So, it was practically the turning point in the war, for more then one reason. The first was the fact that the friendly forces linked up to the rest of the PDF and planetary resistance, who liked to call themselves the Anti-Demonic Militias. The second our heroes discovered on the fourth day in the town.

It was a normal day. They were in a camp playing poker when the Lieutenant and company trotted up. Claw asked whats up.

The Lieutenant informed them quickly: "We've found an entrance to the underground sections of this humble town. And I wouldn't mind having a squad with us when we poke around."

Claw nodded. "Course Lt. Alright, troopers, we move in five!"

....

A half hour later, they were walking through the gloom of the underground tunnels of Forestry.

Snap Shot disliked cramped places. Not because he was claustrophobic, no! (he actually loved crawling into cramped spaces as a foal). The fact was that he was useless in cramped spaces. He was a sniper, armed with a sniper. He couldn't do much of anything in the mines underneath Forestry, and he knew it. Claw on the other had, with his shotgun, could be devastating in the close quarters.

Still, they were hoping these tunnels were abandoned. Once again, they were wrong.

Once again, the unknown Spec Ops Pegasus had forged ahead. This time, though, he didn't come back. They were getting worried when they heard a gunshot, clear and crisp, along with an equally short and crisp scream.

They arrived too late for the trooper. His body was torn and mutilated. He was barely alive, breath coming in short, raspy gasps. Dalla knew instantly he was dead. She didn't even bother trying to save him. She just put a round through his head and hoped he was in a better place.

The Lieutenant bit his lip in anger at the lose. He took the troopers dog-tags. "Why those sons of...!" Pop.

Just like that. The squad learned what that arm cannon on the demons could do to a pony.

The lieutenant looked down at the splotch of blood rapidly spreading across his chest. The demon approached slowly.

The lieutenant smiled. "Well, I'm taking you with me!" He pulled up his rifle, and blew as many holes as he could in the demon, more then enough to kill, before expiring.

However, he dug out his own dogtags, and tossed them to Dalla first, then died on the spot, still shooting. Ella ran up to him.

Claw bit his lip."Come on. There's a lot of resistance for a bunch of old tunnels. I want to find out why."

...

Several small patrols later, they came upon a great metal door. They knew immediately this was what they were looking for, and, with a silent look around, planted a grenade and blew it down.

They rushed in, expecting an enemy camp, factory, or mine.

What they found was none of these. No, in fact, it was FAR worse.

They were in a gargantuan cavern, spanning hundreds of feet. Around them were dozens of silos, each one containing a fifty-foot long missile, waiting to be firing into a short and bloody life. It was a missile base, with enough firepower to blow the planet up several times over. And, it was heavily guarded. Several dozen demons, along with at least two hundred enemy soldiers, were in the room as well.

And they were against a very ticked off squad of marines who had very little or no sense of self preservation whatsoever. It was pretty evenly matched.

As the squad fought though enemy after enemy, they were getting less and less lucky. They were starting to be hit, and they really had no clue what to do.

They were saved by a demon, even taller then the others, who stood up upon the control platform for a massive eighty-foot missile that would look better if it was in the torpedo tube of a starbound ship.

The demons mouth crooked into a wicked smile. "Mortals, look up me! This missile will soon impact your warship on orbit! The Core shall be known no more!!!"

With a dramatic slam, he pile-drove his spike-arm into the console launch button.

A computerized voice came on, and the room became doused in red warning lights. "Ten minutes to launch. Target: Orbiting Solar-Class Battleship."

Sadly for the demon, he just renewed the groups determination to win. In eight minutes, the battle was over.

They looked into the control panel. It was too damaged by the demon to use. No abort launch.

Claw sighed. "Ant, your in command. Get them out of here."

Ant looked at the sergeant in awe. "SIR???" He sputtered.

"Get out of here. I'm going to make sure this missile doesn't leave the bay. Go! Snap Shot, come here."

Snap Shot walked reluctantly up to his officer. "Sir?"

Claw looked at Snap hesitantly. "I had a son. He died of cancer at fourteen. You remind me so much of him."

Snap Shot blinked. "What does this have to do with anything, sir?"

"You're the only pony I trust. I need you to go home to my house in northern griffonia, and break the news to my family. Please." He tore off his dogtags and hoofed them off.

Snap Shot bit his lip. "Of...Of course Sir. And might I say..."

Claw turned back to the corporal, confused.

"It was a wonderful privilege being called your son."

Then, he sprinted full tilt out of the silo, just as emergency door clanged shut as Claw sealed the entire base.

If he had turned around, he would have seen a grin upon the sad soldiers face.