“YELLOW TEAM TO ALL TEAMS! WE’VE ENGAGED HOSTILES! I REPEAT WE’VE EN-“
“Green team to Red and Blue” Sjin called over the radio “I’ve got eyes on yellow, a mix of Spiders and Black suits just captured them, be advised that they are using Skinnie stun weapons”

“Skinnie stun weapons?” Lee asked rhetorically “Great I wonder why they want us alive”
“Let’s not stick around to find out” Doc said as she turned on her radio “Red to Blue lead, Gauss We found something you’re not going to like, we’re making our way to you”

“Negative Doc, get your team out of here!” Gauss shouted over the radio, gunfire clear in the background “We’re pinned down, meet green team and in vehicle bay and get back to base”
Doc didn’t like the sound of that “What about you?”

“We can’t control the Transmitter from here, but the long ranged sensors detected a SICON ship that’s about to pass by the system” Gauss stopped for a bit as the gunfire increased for a bit “We’re making our way down the com’s room to try and get a message to them”

“Gauss that’s suicide without backup” Doc pointed out “We’re coming to you” Doc said getting up and started out the door.

“No” Gauss’s sharp tone stopped her in her tracks “I saw what you found on the cameras… Get that kid out of here Sargent… that’s an order”

Doc felt a hand on her shoulder “Listen to him Doc” Garrus told her “You know he’s right”

Doc wanted to argue, to disobey… to do anything to erase that fact that they both were right and she knew it… but that didn’t make it any better.
“Fine… but once she’s safe I’m coming back for you”

“I have no doubt” Gauss said amused “Good luck Rach”
“You too John…” Doc said quietly as she cut the line, quickly re composing herself Doc turned to her team, no matter what her feelings for Gauss was, their safety should be her priority “Ok you apes, We’re moving out”

She walked back over to the two Dingos “Can you walk?” she asked Jenifer.
The young girl/bug didn’t say anything, managing to pull off a scared look dispute being a bug, it took a reassuring pat and some warm word from her brother to get her to open up ‘I…I think so’ she said ‘But I’m so s…scared’

Doc put on a warm smile “It’s ok, we’re all scared, but I need you to be brave for me and your brother” She told the scared bug girl and slapped Dingo’s shoulder pad “Because I know that this bozo’s goanna make sure that anything that tries to hurt you’s going to get a greeting from Ms Morita and Mr Boot”

Dingo cocked his Morita in agreement “You bet Sarge”

Jenifer nodded with a nervous chatter of her mandibles lifted herself up shakily, Doc noticed immediately that Jenifer was smaller than Snowflake was, Snowflake was the size of a regular Warrior bug while Jenifer was a couple heads shorter then Doc was, other than that they were almost identical, same carapace colour, same snowflake-like white dots and same human eyes, only Jenifer’s were deep blue instead of storm grey.

Doc kept smiling as she started ordering her team “Dingo, Lee I want you two stick near Dingo’s sister and watch her back, me and Garrus got point” they all nodded in agreement and quickly made their way out of the horror show that that the Bio-lab.
Out in the corridor that lights were on negating the need for head lamps, taking a right they moved quickly through the corridors taking twists and turns and stairs to their destination which unfortunately was all the way on the other side of the outpost, and taking the direct route would most likely put them in direct confrontation with the enemy, so they were going to take a less direct route through the outpost’s power plant.

They passed by where Doc guessed Green team had been near an open ventilation duct.

“Looks big enough for Jenifer to get through” Garrus pointed out “And looks like Green team knew we’d be coming and left us a map to the Vehicle bay” he showed her a map of vents that had a path drawn on it in green marker.

“Quicker than taking the scenic route” Doc stated as she ordered the team through, with Garrus taking the lead followed by Jenifer and Lee with Doc and Dingo in the back, as they crawled Doc decided to ask Dingo some questions about his sister “How old is she anyway” asked “I mean she had to be- what 8 or 9 when you through she died?”

“She was supposed to turn 10 that week” Dingo said thoughtfully so she’s 11 now” Doc hear him swear to himself “I should have known something was up when the doctors said she died… She was doing fine you know” Dingo said “She was going to be released three days before that, but then the doctors said she’d taken a turn for the worse and didn’t let me see her for those three days, when they finally said she’d died I didn’t even see the body, the room she was being kept in got blown up by plasma bug fire… I should have known something want right”

Doc wasn’t sure what to say, she knew that the squad had been going through a lot during the invasion of Earth and she knew that Dingo’s parents had died just weeks prior to his sister’s supposed death, she’d lost her folks too the same day he’d lost his and knew that neither of them were in the right state of mind to put a puzzle like that together that that time, doc had a feeling that Dingo knew this… but he still couldn’t stop blaming himself.

When they were above their objective Garrus stopped everyone “I’ve got two IFFs… It’s Sjin and Roberts”

Doc thanked whatever deity watched over them that they weren’t the only ones to reach the meet up point “Red to Green, We’re in the vent’s above you with a friendly Snowflake type bug, don’t fire”

Garrus kicked the vent hatch open and dropped down onto the Troop transport below followed by Jennifer and everyone else, jumping down next to the truck they met up with the two troopers “Where's the rest of your team”

“Got nabbed on the way over here” Sjin said from inside the truck's front cab, Roberts was loading up crates into the back of the Troop transport “We found a load of weapons crates stashed near the Dominators over there” Roberts said as he gestured over to a pair of light brown Dominator APCs parked in the corner of the bay, their twin Gattling/Battle Cannon combi turrets gleaming in the dim light of the bay.

Garrus blew a whistle “We could really use those”

"I think I'm in love" Lee said as she stared at the 15 mm, high caliber firing guns.

“Anyone know how to use one of these” Doc ask walking over to the pair of heavy vehicles.

“I drove one back on Pluto” Garrus said opening one of the Dominators hatch “Their pretty easy to drive, If you've driven a truck then you can drive one of these”
“I call dibs on the gun” Lee chimed in looking at what she considered as high caliber goodness.

The sound of the bays small small personnel doors opening made everyone turn their weapons to it, they all let out a relived sigh as Xephos and Honeydew entered... but when nobody else came through Doc knew something had gone wrong.

"Wheres the rest of your team?" Garrus asking the question that Doc wanted to ask.

"We got jumped near the main facility's exit" Xephos explained "They took down the others, Gauss told us to get out of there before they got him too"

"Fuck!" Doc swore with an aggravated growl "I told him it was too much of a risk, Alright, Sjin, Roberts, Dingo Stay here with the kid and get the vehicles ready to go, rest of you your with me"

"Doc..." Honeydew stopped her with a hand "It's too late, we saw them being loaded up on a skimmer and flying off... their already gone"

Gone.... no.... god nononononono!

Taking a moment to calm herself and gether her thoughts Doc tied to fomulate a course of action, the M.I code and every fiber of her being was screaming to go after the captured troopers... to go after john... but at the same time she knew that they couldnt, they didnt have the man power, intel or even know where they were going there was also Dingo's sister to take into consideration.

On the other hand they couldnt return to Ponyville ether, if this ambush was any indication then Celestia was definetly compramised and had eyes on the them considering only Luna, the Lieutenants and the troopers involved in the mission knew about the mission. Id they return then there gos any chance of saving thier friends... there was only one this they could do. only one person could help them.

"Mount up we're moving out" Doc said heading to one of the Dominators.

"But at about the others" Sjin said "Are we just going to abandon them?"

"No... no we're not, but we need help if we're going to get them back"

"So thats it huh?" Roberts asked with a hint of agression "back to Ponyville we go?"

Doc turned back with a misteevus grin "Who said we we're going to Ponyville" she said as she turned to Lee "Call H.Q and tell them our situation and then tell them we're laying low for a day or so to make sure we've lost the enemy" Doc then flipped down her visor and called up a map of the surrounding area "Once Lee does that we're heading east, I'm sending you all the Coordinates, with luck we'll find our help there"

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

And hour later saw remaining troopers deeper into the unexplored areas of Everfree, Doc had sent a short radio burst to let her contact know they were coming and her contact and sent another data burst to divert to an alternative location, which turned out to be an abandoned royal guard oupozt on the forest's outskirts.

To be safe they left their vehicles along with Dingo, his sister and Roberts a little ways out and went in on foot, everyone was on alert, everyone except Doc who didn't even spare a glance at her surroundings.

The outpost was small, old and in poor condition, if Doc had to guess she figured that it was abandoned not long after Luna became Nightmare Moon.
It was made up five buildings surrounded by a partially collapsed stone wall with the fifth largest building was at the center with the four other smaller one's surrounding it, as they approached the threshold of the main gate Doc put up a fist to hold up the Squad and made a bird whistle.

After a few moment of anxious waiting two barks were heard coming from inside the center building, Doc took the signal and signaled the squad forward to the building.

Sjin lowered his visor to use his thermal scope and tensed up "I've got movement" he whispered "small, four legged..."

"Hold your fire" Doc ordered as the object of Sjin's warning stepped out which turned out to be...

"A dog?" Indeed it was, a regular sized German Shepherd who look at Lee who had been the one to speak, and fixed her with a frown " what's this fellow doing here?"

"Uhhh, I think the name your looking for is Neo Dog" Doc pointed out "Rex hates when you call him a dog"

Doc walked over to the Neo dog and patted him on the head "She inside?"

"Yes, she's waiting for you at the top floor" Rex confirmed leaving a priceless look on everyone but Doc's face "Though I would be gentle with her, shes been acting odd since last week"

Doc thanked the Neo as he walked by heading behind one of the outer building to take care of his business "Come on, we've got a reunion to get to"

Not waiting for the others she made her way inside and up the stairs down the hall, the building's interior was just as run down as it's exterior and they had to be careful where they stepped as small sections of the floor had crumbled away due to years of erosion and decay, a few minutes later they reached the top floor which at one point had been the outpost's command center which took up the entire floor, the wind up there was strong with random gusts of wind blowing through the floor's missing windows.
There standing by one of the long gone windows stood a the vague figure of a human famale in a brown cloak, a Morita with a scope fashioned out of a spyglass was leaning against the wall.

While everyone else approached with caution, doc confidently strode over to the figure who did not turn to face her "So.... here we are" Doc said with a wave of her arms "We got ambushed by Patricks an hour ago, he captured a number of troopers including Gauss, we need your help"

The figure said something that only Doc could hear to which she answered "We can't risk going back to Ponyville because Celestia could give away any plan we come up with to Patricks"

"Alright that's enough!" Doc and looked back to see Garrus advanced on the figure and Doc with his weapon raised "I don't know who you are, but for all we know your working with the bugs and somehow tricked Doc into trusting you, turn around and show me your face"

Doc was about to abolish him when the figure up a hand on her shoulder to stop her. slightly turning their head the woman said "Do you really think Doc could be tricked so easily"

Garrus though the voice sounded familiar but stamped the thought down "she wouldn't be the first to be tricked by a well made lie"

"is that so... tell me what's the penalty for raiding a weapon at a superior officer?" the woman asked nonchalantly.

"What? the offender gets a court marshal"

The woman chuckled as she turned and lowered her hood showing her to be non other then his though to be lieutenant Sunset Shimmer electing gasps from everyone present and Garrus getting very pale faced, Sunset grinned "What's the matter Corporal? you look like you've seen a ghost"

There was a long silence before someone said anything, Lee broke the silence with her Exclaiming at the top of her lungs "What the hell?!?!

Author's Note

I'm Back In business!

Yes after almost a year and a half of nothing I am returning to this story.
Though I feel I must explain the reasoning behind so long of an absence and lack of well... anything coming out of this account.
Well it all started with some pretty serious writers block back in 2014, after months of writing a crap tone of drafts I sort of started to lose interest in this project due to lack of progress, the final nail the the coffin was when me and my family was evicted from our home which was followed by a year of on and off moving which still is going on today (currently me, my mum and younger sister are in a one room hostel with a kitchen, waiting for news of being moved to a bigger place) that and the fact I finished collage last year meant that that this story just got sidelined, though I always had the intention of coming back and finishing it.
Though now I've decided to pull my head out of my ass and continue my work.
I've pulled the old story plans off the hard drives of my old laptop and started reworking them and you should expect more chapters over the coming weeks so stay tuned.

Thank you for anyone who has stuck around this long and I hope you enjoy my new content.