We've Got Incoming

"Cortana, all I need to know is did we lose them?" Captain Keyes strode back and forth in the command room, occasionally glancing at the AI's blue hologram flickering as she spoke.

"Yes, but only for a few days," the AI replied. "They're bound to catch up to us soon; the Covenant has always been faster."

"Can you give me an exact estimate?"

"About three days, four hours and twenty one minutes until Covenant arrival on our location. Our engines are damaged so we can't make another jump until a week from now."

The captain sighed at the news. "Is there anywhere we can make a fortification? Anywhere that we can make a last stand until reinforcements arrive?"

"Scanning nearby solar systems."

...

"Done. We have two choices," Cortana told the Captain. "Number one is a habitable planet, but it's flat and barren. It's not suitable for a defensive fortification. Number two is similar to Earth; varying terrain and climates with known intelligent life. First contact has not been made yet so the the reaction of the inhabitants cannot be predicted; they'll probably be scared out of their minds."

"Cortana, please specify the species of the inhabitants." Captain Keyes, said, staring at a diagram of said planet.

"There are multiple, but the most advanced civilization has an equine species very similar to ponies on Earth, but smaller and multicolored. Some are capable of flight and others can utilize powerful energies, but they're mostly used for utility such as picking things up. The society, based on what information we have on them, is very peaceful and has not seen war in decades."

"Good; that's where we'll be landing. Prepare protocol 11867b, or just unconditional landing."

"Yes sir," Cortana replied.

-------*&*-------

"Attention, all combat personnel: Please report to your action stations." Cortana's voice blared over the intercom.

"5th platoon, secure airlocks and drop pods on Deck 11. 14th Platoon, rendezvous with 22nd Tactical at bulkhead Charlie 14. This is not a drill. I repeat, this is not a drill. Prepare for unconditional landing."

Marines scattered and ran to their assigned locations, preparing for the upcoming rough landing.

"Captain, there's a large, flat field surrounded by mountains and it's about a mile and a half east of a small town, separated by low hills. That is the most ideal area to land." Cortana said.

Keyes nodded. "Good. Before we land, I want ODST's dropped down there to secure a landing area. I want to know that it's clear so that I don't crush any of the locals."

"Yes sir, alerting ODST units now. They will be briefed immediately. Are you going to land manually?"

"Yes, I am. It's always been better for me that way. And, Cortana?"

"Yes?"

"Let's give our old friend a warm welcome."

"I'm way ahead of you."

-------*&*-------

Lieutenant Second Class Montgomery led his platoon of ODST's to the drop pods on Deck 11. The marines of the 5th platoon gave them a nod and stepped away from the entrances, allowing the lieutenant and his troops to climb into their own pods.

After climbing in and shutting the hatch, he waited for Cortana's order to deploy.

...

"Deploy."

-------*&*-------

In Canterlot, Luna felt something strange. It felt like something, or someone was breaching her stars.

It was a cloudy day in Ponyville, making the whole town feel gloomy. Despite the depressing atmosphere, the town still buzzed about, the market filled with ponies buying and selling and others just taking a walk.

Sunlight began to peek through the clouds into the market. As the ponies looked up at the sky, they found out that it wasn't just the clouds shifting; no, it was something much more menacing.

Black dots fell through the clouds, flaming and smoking on their descent. The ponies in the small town looked on in horror, frozen to their places. They knew that those couldn't be meteors. If they had been, they wouldn't have even made it to the cloud layer before burning up in the atmosphere.

The dots fell behind the hills, no longer visible. Loud booms and shockwaves followed by bright flashed marked their landing.

The bravest of the pegasi, Rainbow Dash among them, flew their way over the hills to catch a glimpse of exactly what had landed.

What Dash saw blew her mind. One by one, the front of each black "thing" popped off with a loud hiss and clang as they hit the ground. Out came tall, bipedal figures in all black, their faces shiny and blank. There must have been thirty. Maybe even forty.

Scared, panicked, and disturbed, the pegasi flew back to Ponyville and told the other ponies what they had saw. the whole town was shocked. The news spread like wildfire, bringing the whole town to a panic.

-------*&*-------

With a loud hiss, the hatch was launched off of the lieutenant's pod, clanging to the ground shortly afterward.

Disoriented and dizzy, Montgomery clambered out his pod. He'll never get used to that. Dropping, as the rest of his platoon liked to call it.

Shaking his head, he turned on his radio. "Status report," he said into the microphone.

A voice came over the radio almost immediately. "Nothing wrong, sir. We're just a little dizzy."

The lieutenant nodded his head. "Good. Prepare to secure the area. I don't want a single moving thing left on this-"

Another voice cut him off. "Hey what the hell are those things?"

Montgomery snarled. "God damnit, Private Redmond. Don't interrupt me when I'm talking. Now-"

"No, seriously! Hovering above the hills seventy degrees to the east. Look!"

The lieutenant turned with the rest of his soldiers, towards the hills. He saw some figures hovering above the hills. It was a little blurry, so he zoomed in with VISR to get a better look.

"Holy shit."