Broken Skies

The Conglomerate was indeed a very rich and well funded project for being a multinational company, and is credited for the first to actually send humans out into space farther than their sun, but usage of somewhat older vehicles had always had its uses. Many things are there to name in fact, like reliability, cost, and ease of use compared to more "modern" things, like the F-7 Sabertooth. Such an example of this was used indefinitely in some wars that the N.C. had actually been in, where they had truly proven their worth as backups and reserve items for use against some things. However, some had been kept for their original uses, like the C-130J Super Hercules. Currently, units from the 203rd Snakeheads had been assigned to begin the defense of Manehattan, making way for what could possibly be the largest land deployment Equestria has ever seen.

"Hey Alverson, are we there yet?" pestered a recruit.

"No, it has to be about three or so more minutes just to get this thing to slow enough for you to 'chute out of this. You have ponies back there too ya know?" said the pilot.

"So, we are landing. In a big, boxy utility plane. Wonderful." said the recruit.

The three minutes passed, and the plane managed to find a suitable spot to land. A loud hum, and the rest of the company had managed to touch down on the improvised tarmac that laid before them.

"Alright Snakeheads, ponies, briefing. We need to set up a spot where we can defend from the Griffons while buying enough time for the Manehattans to evac outta here. Recent reports say that they should be here in a about five hours tops, three hours minimum. We set?" shouted the Regulars officer. "Questions?"

A pony raised his hoof, "Why are mares in this carriage? I thought war was a men only set of glory!" commented/queried the pony.

"The Conglomerate is an equal group. We don't conform with discrimination." came the reply of a female soldier.

A short argument grew, but quickly died down when the officer intervened. The back hatch began to slowly roll open, revealing the cargo to the outside.

"Ah, another day of fighting. Alright everyone, lets get moving!" ordered the officer.

Weapons and such were being hauled out, and the materials for a forward operating base were being hauled out of the C-130. A big surprise to the foot soldiers however, was the fearsome feature of three LAV-25 reconnaissance vehicles rolling out of the back of a Hercules.

"Woah, LAVs." said a surprised soldier.

"Didn't know we might be needing these girls." said another.

The engines started up, and they started to move into small groups with a LAV in each team. They were to search and recon the surrounding area, and they had already begun their long trek of reporting things to the F.O.B.

"A'ight, this look like a solid plan. So, how long do we got?" asked Ferra.

"About twenty minutes tops. Lets get the cover off this can." replied Herrera.

"My king, our march to Manehattan is going smoothly. What do you suggest we do?" asked the new servant.

"Simple. We kill the Princess' mindless subordinates." returned King High Cloud.

The sky rippled in a fearsome show of technology, leaving an amazing spectacle for humans, aliens, and ponies alike. The clouded areas above then shaped into a hexagonal pattern, and what occurred afterwards, left everyone in awe. A crack of lightning and focused plasma roared in the sky, opening a massive wormhole carrying its deadly cargo. The great shadow of the HMS Creedance loomed overhead, it being a decent sized cruiser.

"Would you look at that, they really thought we needed this heavy of support. Maybe intel got it wrong on the size for once?" said a solider.

"Ain't got no worries." replied another.

"Look sire!" said the new servant, pointing to an area in the sky recently broken.

"What, what is it?" replied the King. What he saw afterwards stabbed him in the heart. "No! The infiltrators failed! Gah, must I do it all myself?!"

"I am beginning to regret your decision on attacking Equestria sire, recent sighting by scouts had worried the troops, our army isn't nearly as strong as you th-" said the servant, being cut off.

"Now listen here, peasant! Our army is the finest trained in the land, no mere human can stop my great crusade!" shouted the King, forgetting that humans are merely a myth to many.

"Did the King say humans?" came the cries of many.

"The Harbingers have returned, they have graced the world with their fury!" worried more.

"Who will they strike first? Surely it cannot be us! We are the greatest army that has graced this land!" retorted a greater amount.

"SILENCE!" demanded the King. "I have seen these demons with my own eyes! They rip you from limb to limb from a distance! I bet they don't even need to have a look at you to kill you! They just think about it, and one of you dies!"

"Sir, I have visual on the target? Orders?" asked the sniper.

"Solid copy Bear 1, you have permission to engage." replied the F.O.B.'s commanding officer.

"Roger-" said the sniper, pulling the hammer on his sniper rifle back, and releasing. "-that."

"Spots, got the target?" asked the sniper.

"Roger." replied the spotter. "12,467 kilometers off, wind going forwards. Take the shot."

"Copy."

The sniper pulled the trigger, and watched as the immense kickback of the 20 millimeter rifle sent a massive bullet out to hit a target a ways away, all while kicking back, listening to some relaxing music as the deed was done.

"You must be ready to be faced with every one of your fears! Your Training may or may not fare you good!" ranted the King.

Suddenly, a very loud ZIP noise passed by, causing a Griffon to have his head explode into little tiny chunks of goop and brain matter.

"The humans! THEY KNOW!" shrieked a Griffon.

"How could this be?!" shouted another.

Another whiz of air being cut, another skull exploding. Terror struck deep into the Griffon legion's heart, and panic soon arose.

"No! Stay in formation!" ordered the King. "Keep the Battle Wagons moving!"

"Good hits." complimented the spotter.

"I aim to please." replied the sniper.

The battle wagons encased in metal were still, very surprised how the unknown combatants could pierce the thick armor of the carts.

"How are they getting us from in here?!" gasped many.

"They truly are the great destroyers!" shouted more.

The bullets just tore through the 10 millimeter armor as if it were paper, and that scared them even greater than any regular rifle.

"Bear 1, bug out! We have reports of secondary Griffon legions from the west!" came HQ.

"Copy, buggin' out." came the spotters reply.

The team started to pack up and begin their run back over to the base, not noticing that their attacks had both demoralized and infuriated the Griffons.

"Sire! We must strike back and bring glory to our warband, they have dishonored us!" came a soldiers plea.

"A very good choice Sergeant. THE FIRST TO BRING ME TEN HEADS GETS IMMUNITY FROM THE TOURNAMENTS FOR A YEAR!" ordered the King, managing to rile up and reorganize the troops, now noticing his assistance finally meeting up with him, effectively raising his count of souls to a might seven thousand strong.

"The HMS Creedance is here! Try to get them into range of her air units!" warned the HQ.

"Copy!" replied Bear 1.

"We have Hatchbacks, Arrowheads, and A-10's standing by to drop ordnance on location! Where do you need 'em?" asked the Creedance's captain.

"Stand by!" replied the team. "Try to lure them into the ground defenses!"

"Roger!" replied the captain.

The Griffon army was in full sprint now. They could see the small outlines of the humans and ponies standing by in defense of the small, hilly plains. Then, the fireworks stated. The small yellow-orange flashes burned in the air, sending lead pellets into various bits and pieces of the griffon horde.

"Keep pushing! Fight with fury for your lost brothers!" shouted the King.

The rampaging wall of griffons was quite a bit for a small force of a thousand soldiers, but surely, their force multiplier was still waiting.

"FOR THE GLORY OF THE EMPIRE!" came the bloodthirsty battle cry in a swathe of Griffons.

Blood sprayed from the hail incoming bullets, but they still stood and charged with even greater fury.

"Snipers are up, doing what we can!" said Bear 1 from a safe distance.

"Copy, army elements are inbound to rout them out. Doing what we can to hold them off." replied the marine captain.

"Any word on the prep time of the cannons? Air units? Anything?" asked the team.

"Half a click away! Ah shit, they're getting close!" crackled the voice through the radio.

Then, a growl of engines in the space above alarmed everyone. The great Sparrows had arrived.

Small black dots streaked across the sky, silent as ever until a massive crack, louder than lightning, roared in haste across the day lit clouds.

"Sorry we're late to the party!" said the squadron leader.

"Just in time! Hold off these jerks until the armor gets here!" said the captain.

The jets streamlined across the sky, rotary cannons spinning and spitting smoke faster than a sonic boom. The weaponry cut and tore through the ranks of griffons, and the missiles on board only assisted the fighter/bombers. They swirled and took turns strafing the even more demoralized griffons, and the ensuing cheers of humans and ponies alike livened the atmosphere, enough to the point that the ponies had gotten over the gory parts of war, which in the human's case, all of it.

However, they had forgotten about one thing, the battle wagons. They spat massive, javelin sized bolts in their five griffon crew, spitting and goring the occasional human. The planes were out of ammunition, and they needed to head back as well. It might also help to know that this unit of marines were in fact, not equipped with personal shield generators.

"Yes! Keep pushing! We shall win this battle!" boasted the King.

"Sire, I managed to gather ten heads of the humans!" came a soldier, who had managed to puncture the frontal defenses.

"Ha ha! I knew these 'demons' were mere mortals!" bragged the King more.

Still, everyone has their mistakes, even the Griffon military. Nobody saw anyone sneak a massive tank into the field without anything knowing.

"The Devil called, he wants his children back!" shouted the tank commander over his loudspeaker.

The twin barrels barked with pure hatred, sending the destructive power of 145 millimeter guns into the horde. To deepen the wound even further, the rest of the armored company broke in guns blazing.

"Someone call for the cavalry?" asked the company commander.

"Am I glad to see you! Come on, we have a war to win!" ordered the captain.

"Roger that!' pipped the tank driver.

"Retreat! Their battle wagons are stronger than ours!" said the King.

"How is that?!" said the servant.

"No matter, we stand no chance! Grab the fallen humans' weapons, maybe we can do something with them, make more things!" ordered High Cloud.

"What? We know nothing of their tools, ou-" said the servant, being cut off.

"Silence! Just get them and go!" said the King.

The mass retreat sent the griffons into a flurry of confusion, some staying and some going. Either way, the griffon battle wagons still provided enough cover for them to let their King escape, albeit some minor injuries.

-Back in Space around FIM-Delta-

A large fleet of black ships with red striping across their smooth, space worthy designs slowly sputtered their way over to the planet. Their markings reminded any that saw them as a mortal enemy of the Conglomerate, the Salem Witches.