Fire Base Zebra

Day 1

Everypony was asleep, and the barrack C was almost completely silent. Only sound was the quiet breathing of twenty-three ponies, and somepony shuffling around his bed. Three days of hiking had drained all of their energy, and after the dinner almost every one of them had passed out right after they hit the bed.

Silence was broken violently by someone kicking the door open, letting the bright desert  sun beaming in the barrack. This startled the sleeping ponies, making some of them drop from their beds. The intruder didn't wait for them to get up before he shouted: "Ten-hut!"

This command was beaten to their heads during the training time, and like automatically each of them quickly rose up from the bed and stood on the right side of the bed. They were standing straight, looking forward, and not moving.

Rough looked at them, feeling a bit proud. They were the best ponies he had ever trained, accurate and obedient. Usually there was always at least one troublemaker in the group, but not in this one. Even though he was pleased with the quick actions of his soldiers, he didn't praise them. He did pretty much the opposite.

"That was absolutely terrible! I've seen snails moving faster than you!" he shouted.

Everyone of them knew he didn't mean it. They had already gotten used to it, and they knew Rough was pleased with them, even he acted like he wasn't. They thought that it was his way of preventing them from becoming too arrogant. It had worked pretty good.

Rough looked at them and started to walk slowly, between the two lines of ponies. He examined each one of them while passing them. He reached the end of the line, where he turned around and started walking back towards the door.

While walking, he started to talk: "Today you are going to receive you tasks here at fire base Zebra. If somepony thought that this assignment was just making easy money, then you were wrong!"

He stopped in front of a pony called Spade.

"Name, rank, place of birth and specialization?" Rough asked.

"Spade, private, born in Ponyville, specialized in entrenching," Spade answered firmly.

Rough leaned closer to him and asked: "What do you think you will be doing around here?"

Spade leaned his head backwards slightly, when Rough's face was just inches away from his. He tried to keep on his poker face, but small drops of sweat were forming on his forehead.

"Entrenching?" Spade asked.

Rough moved away from him and shouted: "Exactly! And you will be doing it almost nonstop for the next six months!"

He turned around and was now facing Crack Shot, one of his favorites.

"Name, rank, place of birth and specialization?" He asked, even thought he already knew.

"Crack Shot, private first class, born in Manehattan, specialized in marksmanship!" Crack answered quickly. Rough squinted his eyes, even Crack couldn't see it trough Rough's black sunglasses.

"Marksman, eh? You will get the best job, guarding the premiere from the watchtower, for six months!" Rough shouted the last part right to Crack's face.

Rough noticed something behind Crack Shot. He walked past him and looked at the poster showing that yellow pegasus mare with pink mane pinned to the wall. He almost smiled. Rough remembered  how Crack had new girlfriend almost every night during the training.

"A mighty fine girl you got here!" Rough stated. He then walked back to the middle of the two lines.

He continued talking: "I think you got the point now! You have ten minutes to make your bed and get something to eat. Then you will go and report for duty near the canteen! Am I clear!?"

"YES SIR!"

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"Name, rank, birthplace?" Sergeant sitting behind table asked.

"Healing Horn, Private, Ponyville," Healing answered. He noticed that the pony behind the table was the same sergeant that they had seen guarding the passage, when they had arrived. Sergeant went trough his notebook for a while, then he found the right page.

"You're a medic?" Sergeant asked and glanced at Healing.

"I also have MMT (Magic Messenger Training)" Healing said.

Sergeant wrote something to his notebook. After finishing he said: "You will be serving at the aid station, go report to the doctor Sawbones."

Healing nodded and trotted off.

"Next!" Sergeant said and gestured Riff to come closer. He walked to the table.

"Name, rank, birthplace?" Sergeant asked again.

"Riff Frost, Private first class, Crystal Mountains," Riff said. Sergeant stared at him. He started to look for Riff's name in the notebook. When he found it he asked: "Crystal Mountains? Really?"

"Yeah, really," Riff said. Sergeant smiled and looked at his notebook.

"You're far away from the home boy," He said while writing something into his notebook. Riff didn't say anything. Sergeant stopped writing and said: "Combat engineer.. You have a explosives training?"

Riff nodded. Sergeant again wrote something to his notebook. He then turned back to Riff and said: "I assigned you to the Sergeant Payload's team. He's at the ammo storage."

Riff nodded and started to walk towards the way sergeant had pointed his hoof at.

Day 2

Crack Shot had already climbed to the watchtower. He had been assigned to the guard duty, just like Rough Gunner had said. He looked at the landscape opening in front of him. Dry, rocky desert with a orange morning sky over it. He was kinda glad that he got guard duty, because now he had a small cover from the burning sun.

Crack took his binoculars and looked around the camp. He saw engineers digging up new foxholes and filling bastions. He didn't see Riff though. Crack turned his binoculars towards the landing pad, where he saw major Valor. He was speaking to two royal guards.

They weren't wearing their flashy armor now. They had their army green uniforms, which had a lot more decorations than the normal army uniforms.

Crack knew that even they might seem a bit 'overdressed' for the battle, they still were the elite of the Equestria's army. Rough had told them how one royal guard could easily take down twenty changelings with his bare hands, before falling himself.

Now Crack turned his head towards the aid station, where he saw Healing Horn helping other medics to erect a smaller tent next to the actual aid station itself. He saw doctor Sawbone giving them orders how to do it faster. Healing looked really annoyed when Sawbone was shouting at him. This made Crack chuckle to himself.

"Where the hell is Riff?" Crack asked from himself. He started looking for his friend with his binoculars.

"How in the hell I can't see him? He's completely white after all!" Crack complained to himself. He tried to find him, but didn't see him anywhere. Just as he was about to stop trying, he heard a small siren sound from the east side of the wall. He turned around to see where it came from.

The siren sounded three times, then it stopped

Suddenly a explosion shook the ground. Crack had to take a firm grip from the railing of the watchtower. Crack fell flat on the floor. He jumped back up and saw how big cloud of smoke came from the east side of the wall, where siren had sounded. He quickly took his binoculars and looked towards the smoke.

He saw Riff and Sergeant Payload emerging from the smoke. Their faces were black, and they were covered in dust. Riff carried a bag that had 'explosives' written on it. They casually walked towards the base, entering it and walking towards the ammo storage.

"What the hell man?!" Crack shouted from the watchtower. Riff looked up and saw Crack Shot

"We were just demolishing some old fortifications down there," Riff shouted and pointed his hoof towards the big cloud of smoke.

Crack looked at him with a confused look on his face. He then pointed at Riff and shouted: "You got something on your face!"

Riff swept his face with his hoof and noticed that it was covered in black dust.

He gave Crack a sheepish smile and shouted: "I think we used a bit more than we should have!"

Sergeant Payload laughed behind him.

Crack Shot facehoofed and returned back to his duty, heart still trying to burst trough his chest, because of the sudden rush of adrenaline going trough his veins.

Day 3

Clock was almost seven in the afternoon, and everypony was working, like usual. Soldiers of 2nd platoon had already gotten used to the early wake ups and their daily routines.

Healing was arranging the medical supplies in the aid station. He actually liked the job. it wasn't too physically demanding and you even might get a evening off, if there were nothing to do.

"Private Healing Horn! Come here and help me with these boxes!" Grey coated stallion in a white doctor jacket with a red cross on the sleeve shouted. It was fire base Zebra's Chief Medical Officer, doctor Sawbone

Healing quickly ran to help the old man.

Sawbone was at least over sixty years old, maybe even more.

He didn't have a mane anymore, only small grey tufts were left. He had to use a walking stick, because his right foreleg's knee had become stiff due the oldness.

Some of the younger colts had thought that he was just a harmless old stallion, but Sawbone knew how to use his walking stick, and they learned it the hard way.

Healing lifted the wooden boxes with his magic.

"Where do you want these sir?" he asked from the Doctor Sawbone, who pointed towards the corner of the tent, which served as a aid station. Healing nodded and walked towards the spot doctor Sawbone had pointed him.

Healing laid the boxes in the corner, neatly side by side. He then trotted back to arranging the supplies.

After a while of working Healing felt small vibrating in his horn. He knew what that meant. Soon a small ball of magic flashed in front of him. It was a letter folded in half and sealed with seal that had fire base Zebra's logo on it.

In the corner of  the paper was writing

'To CMO Sawbone'

Healing took the paper in his teeth and made his way towards doctor  Sawbone.

Healing was only unicorn with the Magic Messenger Training in the aid station, so all the messages send to aid station were send to him. He then had to deliver it to the right pony. In this case it was doctor SawBone.

Healing Horn reached doctor and took the letter into his hoof. He then stated: "A message for Chief Medical Officer Sawbone."

Sawbone nodded and took the letter into his hooves. He opened the letter and read it. After finishing it, he folded it from the center and gave it back to Healing, who used his magic to ignite the letter on fire.

It was the protocol. Every letter had to be disposed after reading.

Healing Horn tried to leave, but felt something on his shoulder. It was Sawbone's walking stick.

"Private Healing Horn, you must meet Your platoons commanding officer at his personal tent tomorrow at six o'clock in the morning," Sawbone said to him.

Healing looked at the doctor with a questioning look on his face. Sawbone noticed that and said: "Letter didn't say anything else, but I think it's important. -" Sawbone looked around for a minute "- Listen, why don't you finish what you were doing and go rest for the rest of the day. I bet you're going to have a rough day tomorrow"

Healing's face lit up, he smiled and said: "Thank you doctor Sawbone.. err.. I mean yes sir!"

Doctor laughed, making Healing feel a bit embarrassed. Sawbone stopped his laughing and started coughing.

"I have to say, I like being called doctor more than a sir," He said to Healing, who chuckled.

"Now go finish your chores so you can go," Sawbone said.

"Yes doctor!" Healing said and went back to work.

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Healing Horn was trotting towards the barrack C. He tried to see if Crack Shot was in a watchtower, but didn't see if the pony in the tower was Crack or not. He walked past the Landing pads, where he saw big carriage, flown by four pegasus, landing on the main pad.

Engineers started to unpack the carriage, while the pegasus ponies unhitched themselves from the carriage. Healing saw that the boxes engineers were carrying had 'ammo' written on them.

Healing passed the landing pads and continued towards the barracks. He went past the canteen, where he saw couple of cooks handing out food from a mobile field kitchen to hungry ponies.

Healing too was feeling a bit hungry, but he decided to go have a little nap before dinner.

After passing canteen, he was right next to the barrack C. Healing went to the door and was just about to open the door, when he heard familiar voices from the inside. He also heard couple of other voices.

Healing Horn opened the door and saw Crack Shot sitting on his bed, playing solitaire. Riff was also there. He was lying down on his bed and smoking cigarette. There were also Spade and Heavy, their machinegunner, who was readjusting the sights of his threatening-looking weapon.

Everypony turned their heads towards Healing, who looked back at them.

"Why are you guys here?" Healing asked.

"probably for the same reason you are here," Crack said and continued playing.

"You need to go see Rough tomorrow morning?" Spade asked from Healing, who was still standing in the doorway.

Healing nodded.

"What do you think it is about" Spade asked.

Riff yawed. He rose to sitting position. He stretched his forelegs and scratched his chin. He looked at them for a minute and said: "Well, we have a sniper -"  He pointed at Crack "- a machinegunner -" He turned his hoof towards Heavy "- and a messenger," he said turning and looked at Healing Horn.

"We're going out tomorrow," He stated. Spade and Heavy looked at each other, then at Riff.

"You mean out out? Out from the base?" Spade asked. Riff fell back to his bed and said: "Yeah, where else? Probably just some routine patrol or something."

"Why are we here then? You and me?" Spade asked from Riff. He thought for a minute, and then said: "I dunno, maybe they picked us at random?"

They all were silent for a while. Healing noticed that he still was standing in the doorway, and closet the door behind him. Crack was still playing solitaire and Riff looked like he was about to fall asleep. Spade was looking rather nervous and Heavy seemed to be completely focused on getting the sights right.

Healing sat down on the edge of his bed. He was still hungry, but it didn't bother him much now. He was nervous about tomorrow. He laid his head onto his pillow, and in less than a minute he was asleep.

Day 4

Rough Gunner was sitting behind his table in his private tent. He looked at his wristwatch and saw that the clock was almost six in the morning. There were five chairs on the opposite site of the table. His tent was illuminated by a single lantern on the table.

He could hear distant speaking, which got closer and closer. Then it stopped right behind his tent's door.

"Come in," He said in a loud voice.

Door flaps opened and five ponies came inside the tent. Crack Shot, Healing Horn, Riff, Spade and Heavy stood in order in front of him. Rough gestured them to sit down, which they did.

Rough looked at them for a moment, then he started talking: "I hope you had good sleep last night, because we're not probably going to sleep in the next forty-eight hours."

This caused Crack to frown, but Rough didn't pay any attention to it.

"We have received a message from Observation Alpha. They reported a changeling carriage crash landing about twelve klicks from fire base Zebra yesterday," Rough continued.

Stallions on the other side of the table changed couple of nervous looks with each other.

"We have received a command to go investigate the LZ to find out if any of them survived, and if there is any changeling intel there," Rough told them.

Crack and Healing looked at each other. Riff was looking pretty concerned too.

"This shouldn't be anything serious, but we're still going to be ready for a fight, if it goes to that," Rough said to them.

There were long silence between them. Nopony had expected for this. Silence lasted for moment longer. It seemed like eerypony had gone mute, but then Crack Shot spoke: "Sir?"

Rough looked at him, then he asked: "yes?"

"When are we leaving?" Crack asked.

Rough looked at him from behind his aviator glasses. Then he said: "We're leaving in thirty,"

"Hooah," Crack said.

"Hooah,"  others replied, including Rough himself.