"Juan, Jackson cover right side, Honeydew, Xephos cover them!" I yelled out as I indicated the troopers and directions with me left hand while holding my Morita up with my right hand. My troopers were all tough and
We were surrounded in the wreck of the Retrieval Ship, Jungle Spiders were jumping down from the tree tops and Warriors were attacking us from all sides, preventing escape. Lieutenant Bernstein and Kilo squad held the south side of the ship, Lieutenant Ross and Delta had the East, Lieutenant Norris North and me and Zebra were holding down the West.

I looked back to check on Celestia who held a handgun in her magic grip and was taking pot shots from the safety of the wreck with Garrus and Gauss standing close by and acting as body guards. The princess had been reluctant to use human weaponry to fight but when she had tried to attack the bugs with magic the bugs would just shrug it off like it was just a harsh breeze.
They must have adapted a resistance to it in preparation for taking the whole planet. I convinced her that a gun in her metaphorical hands would be best and had Garrus and Gauss guard her until we could extract her. It certainly would not do us good to get one of the royal family on this world killed.
While I was constantly worried about her, I did have to give it to the mare, she was a good shot and I swear to god I'm not kidding, 2/3 shots she takes kills its target. For not having developed gunpowder yet she seemed to almost have century’s worth of practice.
"Griffin 1 to Zebra lead do you copy." I heard the voice in my ear yell out.
"About goddamned time.” I almost laughed out and swapped a spent magazine for a fresh one for my rifle before I responded eagerly to the pilot. "Yes this is Zebra lead I read you Griffin 1, what is your e.t.a.?"
"Two minutes ma’am, we're putting down 200 meters North-East of you, I wish we could put us down closer but it's too crowded."
So there's just 80 meters of bug infested forest between us and evac, this is going to be fun, or horrifying, take your pick.
"Roger that Griffin 1, Zebra out. Bernstein, Norris, Ross, I've got good news and some bad news."
There was an explosion from Kilo's position followed by increased fire "Can't be worse than what I've got here Lieutenant" Bernstein said over his radio in the same gruff voice he always used. It was just another day at the office for him.
"You want to bet? Good news is that pickups two minutes out, bad news is that they have to put down 200 meters east"
"How are we supposed to manage that? We can't all just leg it with wounded and the V.I.P."
"We have Delta and Echo go first with the walking wounded and clear a path." Norris suggested "Then Zebra and Kilo follow up with the V.I.P and those that can’t stand on their own." I guess that's as good a plan as any. The first two Squad's clear the way while we keep their rear covered until they have their position to cover us.
"Sounds better than nothing, what about you two?"
"Any plans better than waiting to die with bugs all around us." Ross agreed
"Lets do it!"
I nodded and with a quick thought I sent a Warrior bug tripping over its own front legs, exposing its less armored underbelly before I fired fifteen pulse rounds into it.
"My men are ready when you are Lieutenants." Bernstein said "Well Shimmer, let's see how Zebras skill have gotten since I've been away." Cheeky Bastard I thought.

"Ok Zebra here’s the game plan" I started as I blew out a oncoming Bug's nerve stem and left it flailing wildly before dying.
"We're going to make a run for the Retrieval ship, Echo and Delta have point while we act as rear guard to cover them until they reach position, Gauss, Garrus when we move to extract you both are to keep on Celestia's side like glue. Keep yourselves between us and Kilo, rest of you apes better watch out for each other. You get me Zebras!?"
"YES SIR!"
That was going to take some getting used to.
"Delta moving out!" They shouted as they moved together and charged into the swarm of bugs, firing like madmen and letting grenades fly ahead of them to clear out small islands in the large sea of warriors. It wasn’t but a few seconds later that the next squad followed.
"Echo moving out!" I heard and watched them let out a loud war cry as they ran headfirst into the bugs.
"Ok you apes this is it, give em hell!" I shouted while firing a grenade into the swarm of bugs, bug limbs went flying everywhere, some even impaling other bugs in the process. I always love when bugs do my job for me, so polite of them.
"Sunset look out!" I ducked just in time to avoid a warrior's claw scythe through the air above me. Before it could turn to grab me in its large maw, the bug it was wrapped up in a golden aura and lifted up into the air and torn apart by pulse fire. With a look back I saw Celestia's horn glowing and the barrels of Garrus and Gauss's rifles smoking.

"We're in position, you guy better get over here!"
"Ok you heard the Lieutenant apes, move it!" I shouted as I dragged myself up on to my feet and rushed under the wreck and towards my men while priming a plasma charge and throwing it to the side of the ship’s hull. The sticky adhesive patch on the back of the charge making sure it stayed on the hull.
"I suggest you Apes hurry the fuck up!" I shouted though my radio as I sprinted away while firing behind blindly, "Because this whole areas going to be toast in 2 minutes!" I yelled but could barely hear my own voice over the noise as my troopers and I ran to the other squads. A few troopers who were light on their feet almost looked like they were dancing as they ducked, dodged and weaved around the bugs like water around a stone.
I felt like my brain was screaming at every muscle in my body to go faster. Every few meters one of us would turn back and provide cover for the rest of us for a few moments as we all began to get tired, it was slower than just madly dashing for retrieval but it also meant that we didn't leave anyone behind accidentally or get chewed upon by a lucky bug. As I ran I counted out loud how long I had until the Charge went off.

80 seconds...

I could see the ship ahead of me now, it had its cargo platform down with Delta and Echo teams keeping the Bugs back, even the defense turrets on the side of the cockpit were firing.
Lee stumbled and fell just ahead of me, I skidded to a stop beside her and pulled her up by the arm “Come on you” I said as I tried to get her moving, I pulled so hard I was almost worried I might dislocate her shoulder.
“AH! Shit... I think I twisted my ankle!” I looked down and sure enough Lee's leg was twisted in a bad angle.

60 seconds...

“Just go sir, I'll just slow you down.” She said bravely, though to look in her eyes told me how scared she really was.
“No time for this drama! I'm not losing anyone on my first day as lieutenant!” I put her arm around my neck and supported her as we hobbled along “Apes! Give us cover!”

30 seconds... Oh shit we might not make it.

I did my best to keep positive and keep going as we rushed along. I could hear bullets fly by me and Lee by mere inches and Bugs fall dead alarmingly close to us. I looked back while still moving and fired behind me was we went, I was even more alarmed to find a whole lot of spiders getting closer. They disappeared in a fiery explosion as Gauss and Bernstein rushed over to us.
“Gauss Give me your weapon and help Bernstein Carry Lee” he didn’t Question me as he handed me his rifle and took one of lee's arms while Bernstein took the other, I held each in each hand “I'll cover you” I squeezed both triggers and sprayed the bugs down ahead of me, I put so many rounds into the air between the bugs and us that the bug juice was like a fine mist.

20 seconds...

Against the tide of yellow, black, blue and white I held fast, holding it back while my squad mates got Lee to the ship. I took slow steps backwards so that I had room away from the bugs and so that I didn’t trip over anything.
I was so focused on keeping them back though that I almost didn’t hear the others calling me to run back to the ship. I glanced over my shoulder to see the other troopers waving to me to run, I tossed away my second rifle and ran, priming a grenade and throwing it over my shoulder haphazardly. The explosion pushed me foreword a little but I didn’t fall. I holstered my rifle on my shoulder and did my best to just run forward, not even looking back.

10 seconds...

I finally stumbled onto the cargo platform and turned on my radio “Pilot! Don't bother with the platform, just get us in the air!”
“Roger!” The pilot screamed as the engines kicked up a large cloud of smoke and I almost fell down from the force of the ship moving.

5...

The engines screamed a high pitch note as the ship lifted up off the ground and out of reach of the bugs below, some of them were even climbing up on top of each other.

4...
3...
2...
1...

The charge went off in a blue fireball. Incinerating everything within its blast radius and knocking over trees with the blast wave.
Everyone had to shield their eyes as the dust and wind battered us, when the dust cleared there was just a crater of what used to be part of a forest.
I look at my handy work below as it disappeared into the distance. The ship was going slower than it should because I was still holding onto the ramp rails but it gave me a good chance to see my work.
“Well lieutenant, you do know how to make a dramatic exit.” I turned to see Celestia and the other squad leaders standing behind me “Though a bit overkill.”
I shrugged “If a jobs worth doing...” I said dismissively just as my radio crackled on “Ma’am the Plasmas have moved back into range, I'm reeling you in.”
“Affirmative. Once we're inside get us to Ponyville at top spe- GHAGH!” I suddenly felt something punch through both my shoulders and something go through my chest, just barely rubbing against my heart. Blood went flying showering Celestia and everyone in front of me in red, everything seemed to slow down as I was tugged back over the railing and off the platform. I felt the air rushing around me and looked up just in time to catch a glimpse of my killer, a new flying bug.
I could barely make out its form due to how close it was holding me and it wrapped some disgusting and sticky fluid around me that quickly hardened around me into a protective shell as we both fell to the floor below. I thought about all those troopers who died in a similar way. Suddenly being picked up by a hopper bug or something similar, only to be dropped down to the ground and die on impact.
It seemed like I would was falling forever, I didn't even feel my body impact on the ground below before I felt so sleepy.

Twilight stood beside Luna, Shining Armor, Cadence, her friends and Doc as Griffin 1 set down in the field in front of them, the hull showed signs that the ship had taken fire while escaping, Doc had enlisted the help of a dozen of Ponyville General's doctors and nurses to help any wounded.
“I am eager to meet this Sunset Shimmer, from what you and her men have said of her she sounds like a very capable woman” Luna said as she towered over the others slightly.
“We would like to meet with her too” Shining said as he shared a troubled glance with his wife, Twilight ignored them as the ships ramp. She expected to see Sunset with a group of battered and weary troopers, but what she saw instead shocked her as well as everyone else.
Celestia exited the ship first, flanked on both sides by Gauss and a man she didn't recognize, all of them were covered with blood which Twilight could tell from their body language wasn’t theirs. The look on Celestia's face spoke more than words ever could... something terrible had happened.
“What happened?” Twilight asked as she rushed over to meet them, Celestia was clearly in shock, blood was on her chest and even on drop just below her right eye. The normally calm princess said nothing while Gauss just simply shook his head and mumbled to himself angrily about how he ‘should have seen it.’
“What happened?” Twilight asked more concerned and alarmed by their refusal to answer.
As they stood there more troopers exited the ship. Nearly all of Zebra squad was in a similar shock. Doc approached them and checked them over before sending them off with the pony doctors, as the last one left the ship Twilight saw her frown and joined them “Where’s Shimmer? Is she still inside? Do we need a stretcher?”
“I'm so sorry...so...so sorry...”

Twilight felt her blood run cold as a sense of dread fell over her “Where is Sunset Shimmer?”
The Man she didn’t recognize put his hand on Twilight's shoulder “It happened so suddenly, a new flying bug breed... Lieutenant Shimmer was hit…..and then it was like it pulled her off the ship….she fell almost 20 feet in the air... I’m sorry”
Doc gasped at this now in the same shock as everyone else, Twilight however did nothing, she didn’t cry, didn’t deny it, she just closed her eyes and was... silent.
“Twilight... Twilight... please... say something...” She heard a voice say.
“Come on” she said as she turned in the direction of Ponyville “Let’s get back to town” was all she said as she walked away, eyes still closed.
Twilights eyes were filled with a mix of fiery hate and sadness as she felt the loss of a friend. Not of them moving away but of them dying and never coming back.
Her brother saw the look in her eyes and knew it well. He couldn't bear to see his sister like that and tried to stop her by calling her name but a soft hoof on Shining's shoulder stopped him. He looked up to see Luna softly shaking her head.
“Let her grieve in her own way.” she said as she watched the Lavender Alicorn go, and then to her sister who was sitting down and seething with anger now.
“We are all going to need time.” Luna said and watched as Cadence comforted her husband while around them the SICON troopers set about forming a perimeter around the town and keeping an eye out for the next bug assault that they felt was inevitable.

Deep within the new Arachnid hive, in a secluded corner with several generators and human made devices, General Patricks was busy in his lab when a worker rushed in. The small cockroach like bug chirped and pawed at his leg with a mandible to get his attention away from several devices on a table before him.
“What is it!” he snapped at the bug as he turned away and stared down at it.
“I am working you miserable larva!”

The bug screeched and chattered as it reported news to the General. To any other being not in the loop it would have sounded like Morse Code, but to Patricks it was as clear as day.
“What! How long ago was this?!” the Worker told him in rapid fire chirps and clicks.
“Send out a search party and find me her body. If I can’t have her then at least I will have her DnA... GO!” the Worker left in a hurry leaving a very troubled Patricks.
The man was visibly shaking with anger as he grabbed a nearby microscope and threw it against a wall, shattering it to pieces. The loss did not bother him though, he had many more to spare.
“This will set me back days or weeks even if her body can't be found.” he grumbled as he stared at his latest experiment, watching cells divide and multiply on a computer screen.
“Damn you Shimmer, now when I need you most you have to go and get yourself killed.” He said and went back to his other projects, hoping to find something else to convince the Queen of his continued value and that of all Humans.

In the darkness of the Everfree forest, in a deep area where the canopy of leaves prevented sunlight form piercing through, a bloody and battered Sunset Shimmer fell.

Her armor a twisted and broken shell of itself from the force of hitting every tree branch below her and then several boulders as she rolled down a hill before coming to a sickening stop at the mouth of a cave entrance with several ear piercing snaps and crunches.
The woman herself is not in any better shape as her body is bent in ways that no living being could live with.... and yet, something within her stirs and denies the coming advances of the reaper... punctured lungs and broken limbs knit themselves back together and a swollen eye returns to normal. The woman automatically draws in a deep, labored breath, her body finding new life. While her mind was still gone.
Then something swift and unseen begins to drag the battered woman away, further into the darkness of the Everfree, into the dark cave with a hiss of curiosity as the only sign that anything was there was a bloody trail and a broken piece of armor that lay near the cave entrance.

Author's Note

Here you go, chapter 9.
So what do you think so far? if you like it then please hit those like and favorite buttons at the top of the page.