Fire Base Zebra

Celestia's sun was beaming down on the rocky landscape in Equus Valley. Bottom of the valley was covered in small trees, but there were little cover in the higher ground. 2nd Platoon of Bravo company was making their way towards fire base Zebra, closest actual military installation from the border of Equestria and The Changeling Kingdom. Most of them had volunteered to go there because the salary was fifteen thousand bits for six months of service.

They were having a break in middle of the hill, where the fire base Zebra was located. Hill was steep, and terrain was rocky, which made moving of twenty-four soldiers slow. It takes about thirty minutes to reach the hilltop from the bottom, and high temperature wasn't helping at all.

"I can't stand this heat!" white earth pony complained while sitting against a small tree. He was wearing a green combat uniform with a tactical vest on top of it. His light brown mane was tied on a ponytail and beads of sweat were running down his forehead. He scratched his small goatee.

"Nopony asked you to come Riff. You volunteered," said  a grey unicorn leaning in the same tree. His name was Healing Horn, but everybody called him 'doc'. His coat was light grey with darker grey stripes here and there. Even his mane was grey. He says that's because his father was a zebra, and mother was a unicorn.

Riff looked at him with annoyed look on his face. He took a sip from his flask and said: "Yeah I did, but it doesn't mean I can't hate this climate."

Healing horn chuckled and took a packet of cigarettes from his pocket. Riff looked at him with a puzzled look.

"I didn't know that you smoked," he said.

"There's lots of things you don't know about me," Healing said and took one cigarette from the pack. Riff watched him light the cigarette. He licked his lips and asked: "Could you give me one?"

Healing put the pack back to his pocket and said: "No, you have you're own!"

"Yeah, but they are deep in my backpack!" Riff said and gave a angry look to Healing Horn. Healing took a took a long drag from his cig and said, with a satisfied smile on his face: "Not my problem."

"You're an assh..." Riff was interrupted by someone coming from behind them.

They turned around and saw light green stallion. It was Crack Shot, platoon's best shooter. His brown mane was shaped into a mohawk, with grey stripes in it. He had his rifle strapped to his back. Unlike Healing Horn and Riff, he had taken of his jacket, having only combat vest to cover his upper body.

"What are you girls fighting about?" Crack asked as he sat down next to Riff.

"Healing was just being a prick," Riff said and gave Shot his flask, who took a sip from it. He gave it back and dug a pack of smokes from his combat vest. Crack saw how Riff was looking at it, and offered it to him. Riff took one and nodded as 'thanks'.

After lighting their cigarettes, Crack said: "I scoped ahead. Were about twenty minutes from the camp."

"That's cool," Riff said, enjoying his cigarette.

"I heard you can see the changeling camp from up there," Healing Horn said excited.

"That's Bullshit. Were almost thirty klicks away from the border," Riff said.

"Yeah, I think you meant OP Alpha. Its only about two miles from the changeling camp," Crack said to Healing Horn, who blushed in embarrassed, because he had flashed his ignorance. He wasn't stupid, but he got exited easily sometimes.

He turned around to hide his blush from others. He lifted his hoof to cover his eyes, and looked at the top of the hill. He looked at there for while and said: "I think we're moving out soon."

Riff and Crack stubbed out their cigarettes. They started to gather their belongings. After they were done, they picked up their carbines and went to find rest of the platoon. Crack Shot went to retrieve his own equipment. Healing and Riff found rest of their unit and Crack Shot soon joined them. Everypony was preparing to get moving. Soon their Commanding Officer, Rough Gunner, brown coated pony stood up.

He was 220lbs of pure muscle. Army had to order tailor-made uniform for him, because there were no clothes big enough for him. His head was bald and his right ear was missing a piece. Rough was always wearing aviator glasses. There was a rumor going that he even slept with them on.

Everypony respected him, because he was a veteran of at least a dozen conflicts all around Equestria and beyond.

Rough shouted with his deep voice: "Alright! Let's get moving. If we hurry up, we can get to the top before dinner time! There's also warm water, so everypony can wash up when we get there."

Promise of dinner and a shower made everypony perk up. they had eaten MRE's for the last three days, and all of them looked like they had been rolling in a pool of mud.

"Are you ladies ready to move out?" Rough Gunner asked half shouting.

"Yes sir, Captain sir!" They answered in union.

"Hooah!" Rough said, and soldiers replied.

Then they left.

After ten minutes of brisk climbing they had almost reached the top. Captain Rough Gunner was at the point. He moved quickly for a pony of his size. Even the most athletic of them had hard time keeping up with him.

Riff was helping Crack Shot climb over small cliff by lifting him with his hoof, while Healing Horn just jumped over it.

"Try to keep up," Healing said to them smirking.

"Buck off... Not everypony is related to a Zebra," Crack said, breathing heavily while climbing over the cliff. Healing had a shocked expression on his face.

"That's racist..." he muttered.

Crack's cheeks flushed red.

"I.. I didn't know..." He muttered, tumbling over his words. Riff rolled his eyes and said: "He's just fucking with you."

Crack looked at him, then at Healing who was holding a laughter. His panic soon turned to anger.

"You little..." He started, but was interrupted by somepony shouting: "Who's there?"

Everypony else, except Rough jumped a little. He stood still and shouted: "Princess Celestia!"

There were short silence, before voice shouted again: "You're clear! Head this way!"

Healing, Crack and Riff were dumbstruck. They didn't know what just had happened. Healing was first to speak: "What was that?"

"That's the password," Somepony next to them explained. They looked at each other for a second, then Riff shrugged and started to follow the others.

Soon Healing and Crack followed him. They found the source of shouting after they passed one big rock. There were three ponies guarding the passage. One of them was talking to Rough.

"We had to move guards lower to the path, after the firefight near the front gates," unfamiliar sergeant said to Rough.

"There was a firefight? With changelings?" Rough asked, with surprise in his voice.

"Well.. Four of our guys were heading out, and they met group of seven changelings. They were about fifty meters from the outer defensive line, when one of the changelings opened fire towards them. We don't know if it was accident or something, but our guys returned fire, killing one of them. Two others escaped," sergeant explained.

Rough had a puzzled look on his face. He thought for a moment and then asked: "Did changelings ever send an explanation?"

"No, never," sergeant answered.

Rough scratched his chin. Everything wasn't feeling right here.

"By the way, there's a bunch of Princess's royal guards up there. They are inspecting near the border bases. Try to make a good impression," Sergeant said to him.

Rough turned around to face his soldiers. They all looked half dead from the exhaustion, covered in dust and other filth. He let out a small chuckle.

"You hear that boys? We are supposed to make a good impression!" he shouted.

Others shared a small laugh and looked at each other, realizing how tired they actually were.

"Let's go boys!" Rough shouted and started to make his way towards the base.

Riff, Healing and Crack had been listening Rough's and sergeant's discussion.

Healing gulped and asked: "Did you guys hear that?"

"Yeah we did," Riff answered.

"Why would changelings do something like that?" Healing asked.

"I don't know, but I have a bad feeling about this," Crack said.

"Calm before the storm," Riff stated.

They soon came across the place where the firefight had occurred. It looked like a total war had passed the place, even the firefight had lasted only for couple of minutes. Some of the rocks had bullet holes in them, and there were shells everywhere.

They could see where the changeling had been hit. There were small pool of  dried blue blood behind a bush.

it seemed that he had not died immediately, because there were blood trail leading from the bush to behind nearby rock, where was bigger pool of dried up blood. They saw how the blue blood was smeared all over the rock.

Healing looked at the scene in front of him, silenced by what he saw.

Crack Shot noticed how Healing started to wobble on his hoofs. He quickly trotted to his side and pushed against Healing Horn, preventing him from falling over.

It took a while before Healing could stand straight again.

"T..Thanks," he said in a shaking voice.

"Are you alright? You seem a little pale you know," Crack said looking at his friend.

"I.. I'm okay.. Really. Just got a little nauseous," Healing said, turning his head away from the blue mess behind the rock.

Other ponies were walking pass them, and soon Riff appeared next to them. He saw Crack Shot holding pale looking Healing Horn in upright position.

"What's wrong?" he asked, looking at Crack, who nodded his head towards the blood covered rock. Riff got the point. He looked around for a moment, before he turned to Healing Horn and said: "If you need to throw up, don't let Rough see it."

Healing nodded slowly.

Crack Shot pushed Healing slightly, to get him moving.

They were now slightly behind the others, but when Healing started to feel better, they quickly caught the others. They walked for less than minute, when Crack pointed his hoof in front of him.

"There it is!" he exclaimed.

The fire base Zebra was bigger than they had though. Engineers were filling bastions and sand bags, strengthening the fortifications of the old base. There where defensive fighting positions or 'foxholes' outside the inner fortifications.

About twenty meters from the foxholes, there were first first arrangement of razor wire, second ten meters from that and the third after twenty meters from the second.

FB Zebra was strategically perfect to defend. It was located on a steep hill, with only one way where to attack, if the attack wasn't airborne.

Enemy stupid enough to attack was always in the line of fire after one hundred meters from the base.

Ponies of 2nd Platoon passed the razor wires, and were getting closer to the actual base itself. Everypony admired the arsenal of the base.

It had six howitzers, used by four ponies. Two earth ponies aimed the cannon, while two unicorns charged the howitzer with their magic.

After fully charged, they would discharge the magic trough the barrel of the howitzer, turning it to a deadly projectile that could bring down full shopping center.

If changelings were to attack, FB Zebra could blow them to bits right after they would cross the border.

Soon they were over the main gate of the base. Rough Gunner announced his business to one of the guards, who saluted and went inside the base. He soon returned with his commanding officer, major Valor. Valor was a pony at his fifties, his once brown mane was now starting to get grey and there were small bags under his eyes.

He greeted Rough with half a salute and half a wave kind of motion.

Rough returned the salute, then he spoke: "Captain Rough Gunner and 2nd Platoon of Bravo company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment reporting for duty, sir!"

Valor chuckled a bit. He looked at Rough and said: "No need for formalities around here, unless you see one of those royal guards."

"As you wish, sir."

Valor nodded and walked past Rough, to see the rest of the platoon.

He watched at them for a while before saying: "Welcome to fire base Zebra! We have arranged sleeping places for you all in the barrack C. There will be warm food served after you take care of your equipment. Your tasks will be given to you tomorrow morning."

"Is that clear!?" Captain Rough shouted.

"YES SIR!" platoon answered in unison, then Major and Rough saluted and they started to move in the base.

The engineers were running inside the base too,constructing and maintaining it.

The Tactical Operations Center was located in the middle of the base and there were two fully armed ponies guarding it.

Next to it was a communications bunker, a big construction made from concrete. It was also heavily guarded.

An aid station was next to the canteen, a big tent, which had a chimney coming out from the top of it. There were also two landing pads near the south edge of the base. One bigger for ammo and other supply shipments. Smaller one was VIP landing pad.

Rough notice the army green carriage on the landing pad. He saw two pegasus pilots leaning against it, while mechanics were doing something under the carriage. On the side of the carriage was a big logo of royal guards.

They reached the barrack C and went inside. It was made out of plywood and 2x4 planks. It wasn't much, but it was better than sleeping outside. Rough gave them quick orders and left to his own personal tent. Crack Shot, Healing Horn and Riff started to unpack their things

.

Healing put his clean clothes in the closet next to his bed, to prevent them from getting dirty. Then he took his toothbrush and placed it next to his clean clothes. Then he hopped onto his bed.

First thing Crack did was attaching pin up pony poster on the wall. He took couple of steps backwards and admired his creation. Couple of other ponies noticed the poster too, and soon everypony was looking at it. It showed a light yellow pegasus mare with a pink mane covering part of her face. She was wearing a sexy nurse outfit. Pony in the poster looked a bit shy, in a cute way. In the left bottom corner was the manufacturer's name, Photo Finish.

Riff took a pack of cigarettes from the side pocket of his backpack. Then he carefully opened his backpack, and started to pull something from it slowly. First came the head, then the fretboard and the body. He smiled when he took his guitar into his hooves. He ran his hoof down the neck and gave it a little strum.

Healing turned to see him.

"You have a guitar?" he asked.

"Yep," Riff said and started to play simple melody. Healing was amazed by the act and just sat on the edge of his bed. Crack noticed Riff's guitar too. He sat next to Healing and listened as Riff played.

He played for a while, making more complex melodies appear out of nowhere. Riff looked at Crack and Healing. He then quickly stopped. He rose up and threw his backpack under his bed and placed his guitar on top of the bed, slowly and carefully.

Crack and Healing were confused.

"Why did you stop?" Crack asked.

"Because I'm fucking hungry," Riff said and held his stomach, giving them a sheepish smile. Healing and Crack then noticed it too. They must've been so distracted by all this that they didn't even notice how hungry they really were.

"Let's go get something to eat," Riff said. Crack and Healing nodded in agreement. They left the barrack C and started to walk towards the canteen.