Supreme Commander: Equestrian front.

The new crew

Ross ducked down as more of the raze edged disk's shattered ageist the armored foot of Unbreakable. Pony's ran for cover but some fell before they knew they where under attack, more were cut down as they attempted to ran for cover.

Ross watched as a member of S.O.H.U was hit in the throat the crystal shattering as he started jumping over the foot Ross and Spike where using to block the shot's, the crystal fractured sending hundred's of tiny peaces out in all directions and shredding the pony's throat clean out. Ross was reaching for him as he hit the ground his leg's collapsing as Ross grabbed him and pulled him close.

Ross knew it was to late and ratcheted for the pony's rifle in stead . He tucked the rifle's stock into his shoulder and pressed the cocking lever down, exposing the back of the camber and the cartridge with in. Ross snapped the handle back up and looked at Spike pulling his revolver out and offering it to him, grip out.

"Can I trust you to watch my back?" Ross said glaceing over the cover to see who was still standing.

Spike took the large revolver in trembling hand's and looked it over as Ross pulled the hammer back. Spike looked up at Ross and gave a small nod

Ross slowly filled his lung's as he slipped the rifle over his cover and rested his head on the wood stock.

Pony's lay dead and dying out in front of him and those who where left where ever behind the SACU's or had run off. Ross cures the cowered's and closed one eye as he sighted the nearest Order trooper.

Ross slowly let the air flow from his lung's, the simple notch and peg sight lined up with a green warriors chest, he squeezed the trigger. The rifle slammed into his shoulder with a loud bang and he ducked down opening the breach sending a smoking brass to the floor as he rummaged through the pony's webbing looking for the ammo poach.

Soon the pony's where holding there own Mac and Applejack forcing the green clad troop's slowly back with there heavy weapons fire. The pony's on top of the SACU's who where guarding them, fired down onto the Order troop's.

Ross ducked down as he fought with the pony's wedding to get another cartridge. There was a thunk and Ross looked next to him an grenade sat there. Ross dropped the rifle and grabbed Spike. Kneeling on one Ross he pulled Spike in front of him shielding Spike from the grenade. It exploded with a band and a flash and all Ross could here was his ear's wringing and see white.

"It was a flash-bang!" Ross looked down where he though Spike was and shouted.

"Fire the dame gun!" Ross shouted coursing Spike to look up and then at the smoking grenade casing next to him. "I cant see! You have to protect me till my sight come's back!"

Spike looked over the metal foot of the ACU at a Order trooper unsure if he could take a life or not.

Ross's world was ether white or dark shapes' he looked at the vaguely dragon shape beneath him and looked round his vision slowly coming back to him. His hart stopped as he saw one in the bushes and shouted. "FOUNT!"

Spike looked round and saw the rifle being raised and he pointed the revolver at the Order trooper and closed his eye's.
"I'm so sorry!" Spike felt his finger rest on the trigger then he puled slowly. He felt a grate force slam into his hand's and a defining bang as the pistol bucked up into the air, bouncing off Ross's head.

Ross watched the troop's chest explode out as the round detonated in the chest cavity shredding everything in the troop's chest.
The body hit the ground and he put his arm round Spike. "It's never easy...you never get use to it...." Ross flicked the rifle closed finely having reloaded and looked round. There infantry where on the retreat. There was a cheering and Ross stood up.

"SHUT UP! All infantry are to fall back to the City!" He looked at the pony's on the SACU's "YOU LOT GET IN! I NEED YOU TO PILOT THEM!" Ross bellowed as the sound of galloping filled the air.

Ross watched the pony's gallop to the river some picking up wounded comrade's other taking kit and armor from the fallen.

Ross turned to the still shocked Spike and pulled his revolver from him. "You! GET IN THAT SACU!" Ross bellowed at Spike as he pointed at King of the Chieftain's.

Ross looked up at Unbreakable and he jumped onto her foot and started the ponders clime.

As Ross was claiming the pony's who where atop the SACU's had claimed down into them and sealed them self's in by accident. Ross swung him self onto Unbreakable chest, using the venting slit's to clime faster. He knew that The Order would be bringing heavy weapons and ACU Killer's up having discovered what he was after.

Ross swung up onto a massive shoulder and took a running jump, he got half way up the head, he swung his knee up over the edge and rolled on to the top of Unbreakable Head, the hatch open and Ross pushed himself over and slipped in and locking the hatch as he went.

Pulling his helmet and mask off Ross turned the key and the generator, it coughed to life. Soon the hum of the reactor grew deafening as Ross engaged combat mode. The klaxon blared as the blue combat light's came on.

The pony's trapped in the SACU's looked round as Ross's voice came from no where. " Right Quick! Strip you armorer and sit in the command throne's!" The pony's and Spike did as they where told and pulling there armorer off they sat in the command throne's.

Ross turned to the monitor and searched through the stored command's. He found the file he was looking for and found the Loyalty Worm he opened his radio link to the Aeon and Cybren SACU's and transmitted the dater to them. Ross watched the up load bar grow and he slipped the head set onto his head and put his arm's in the frame's.

He walked Unbreakable to face the way the Order had come from and placed him self between the SACU's and any possible attack.

"Right! All of you the arm and foot rest's there are little pad's of what look like gels or small holder's. Place your hoof's on them and softly will the SACU to do as you want. Spike! Treat that bitch harder it's the only way to get that SACU's system to work!" Ross bellowed as contact singles where pined up on the HUD and the harness slipped down locking him into the seat.

Pony's looked nervelessly at the Neural link's before they gingerly rested there hoof's on them. A strange tingling meat there hoof's as they looked as to monitor's in front of them.

Ross watched as the SACU's mad jerky movement and smiled a little.

"Warning! Warning! Enemy Encroaching. Charging Cannon's." There was a loud humming as the Electromagnetic in the cannons activated and built up there charge to suspend the Anti matter in the barrels.

Ross walked Unbreakable out from the group and brought the right cannon to face the nearest contact signal. He fired into the mass of tree's and watched as a few infantry scrambled from the blast. There was a rushing from the anti matter generator to the right of his thrown.

The SACU's twitched and jerked as there pilot's struggled to gain control over there charge's. Ross kept firing at the infantry. "Hurry up you lot!" Ross shouted into the radio knowing the longer he lingered the more likely something powerful was coming for him.

Spike struggled with his controls over the SACU. Whenever he willed it to walk on it did a half step but stopped there. He felt something spark in the back of his head and the SACU moved leg smoothly in a perfect step. "Good Spike! Just do it faster!" Ross voice filled the cabin.

Ross spun the ACU to face a group of new contact's to find walker's running at him. The cannon's glowed as the magnet's built up a charge and sent there payload to ward's there target's.

Ross stood his ground the cannon's firing, Slowly, Spike and the pony's gained control of there charges and they then slowly started walking towards the pass they had used to get out of Canterlot. Ross turned the ACU and waded through the river and stood on the other side of the water, watching the group make there way over, firing on the last few walker's and infantry who where fool hardly to stay with in his mighty guns range.

"Right you lot, ass in gear and get mo-" "Warning! Warning! Energy spike di-" A pure white light erupted from a thick clump of bushes and it slammed into his left cannon sheering the shielding and coursing the electro magnet's to ark and over load worsening the damaged by cursing the gun to start pulling it's self apart. Ross reacted for the panel of switches above him and flicked the one that shut the power flow to the damaged cannon off and turned the respective Anti-matter generator into shut down.

"Tartarus take you!" Ross bellowed as he sent a stream of anti-matter at the offender. "Bastard!" Ross looked at the scrolling information on the monitor and slowly backed Unbreakable away.

"Combat potential negated.... Falling back!" Spike looked at the monitor's as he made the SACU turned about and walk past the other's that where jerkily, moving along the start of the trail and he headed back to the wounded ACU.

Ross slowly walked Unbreakable back words to the pass gently swaying to and throw firing to to any potential cover to try and force anyone there to go to ground. There was a stream of more anti-matter shells streaming past him and he gave silent thanks' to his currently unknown gunner.

"Bushes! two O'clock! " Ross called as he fired into a hollow that could be sheltering some infantry. The entire aria was ablaze in fire. He look round then turned round to walk up slop and found the small SACU standing there and he recognized it and smiled.

" My thanks' young master Spike. Fall back and I will seal this pass." Ross started walking the wounded Unbreakable up the pass behind King of the Chieftain. Roughly half way back Ross spun Unbreakable around on her hip pivot and looked up at the cliff side. He raised the canon and blasted out part's of the cliff till the side of the mountain slid down taking the narrow track out with it and sealing the pass.

Ross walked on to find the SACU's stood waiting for him and he walked past. "All of follow me...." Ross lead the convoy to the narrow slither of no man's land that he knew was not shelled and that the SACU's could cross. The Klink hammer's where still firing, trying to force the Order and Seraphim's down.

Pony's on the wall cheered and called out as they saw Unbreakable wounded but victories, stride over the cratered hell out side of Canterlot and at the head of the small convoy of walker's. The gates scraped open and Ross limped Unbreakable in and they headed for the Royal gardens that Ross had stood Unbreakable for the past few day's. The SACU's jerkily came to a stop in a rough line next to the ACU.

"Good work every one.... you are all to report to the briefing room in an hour." Ross pulled the head off and set it on the hook next to the throne.

Ross sat there wondering if his plan could work or not.

The hour passed and the five sat there looking around at each other un-sure of what to do. They jumped as the door opened and Ross came in with a box's and bunch of poster's in his arm's.

"Right. Welcome to ACU and SACU orientation and basic functioning course..." He set the box and poster's on the desk and looked back at the shocked pony's and dragon sat there looking at him.

"You are transferred to my command imminently..." Ross walked to the pony's and set a letter of transfer notification on there desk and he walked to Spike. "... I will have to talk with you and Celestia later."

Ross walked to the found of the room and stood to attention. " You are now part of S.O.H.U and will reserve training and a rank to reflect your new position of Pilot's. You are now all leftenant's but you are to follow me into battle as I have seniority over you."

A few hour's passed, Ross explaining what to be expected of them and what there charges where along with other detail's.

As Ross stood seeing the pony's filed out talking as they went. Existed about there new positions and the promise of glory.

"Fool's..." Ross thought. "Blind fool's there is no glory in this position." Ross ratchet out and gently rest his hand on Spikes shoulder as look down at him.

"Not you Master Spike you and me need to see the Princes... she should still be in the throne room." Ross looked up at the sun as he lead Spike off.

Celestia stared at Ross in shock, Spike stood in front of him Ross's left hand on his scaly shoulder.

"No. I forbid you from taking him any where near a field of combat!" Celestia said each work filled with horror. Ross bowed his head.

"Respectfully Princes.... this is all ready a field of battle. We are under heavy siege. We are slowly running out of food and from what I can gather the civilians are getting scared. We are lucky there has been no rioting yet but that will come soon..." Ross took his hand from Spikes shoulder and he pulled a slip of parchment from his pocket and held it up.

" ... and you did tell me I can take anything I will need to keep them back? Well I need Spike to become my Co-pilot and second in command." Ross softly shook Spikes shoulder as Spike looked up at him shocked.

Celestia sat there on her thrown, head in her hoot's, silence filled the room as she contemplated whether to let Spike go or not. Ross cleared his throat softly.

"He will be under my protection for the duration of his service.... as well as behind thick armorer for the most time in combat." Ross said reassuringly as he stood waiting.

Celestia sat for a few moment's longer then sat up looking Ross dead in the eye's. " You make sure he comes home alive and well."

Ross snapped his heals together with a click. "My live is his shield then." Ross bowed and turned to leave but stopped and turned back and pulled a small wad of letters out and a small bag. "Forgive me Princes but I have all ready written to the kin of the dead.... I'm sorry we where unable to retrieve any of the body's to be buried properly...." Ross slowly turned and walked to ward's the door's Spike in trail.

Twilight sat in the middle of her library she sat there wondering where Spike was, her friend's, except for Applejack had come round to try and calm her down. She had try'd everything she had know to try and keep calm, tea, talking, she was trying reading now

Twilight looked up from her book that she had been trying to read and gasped grabbing Spike and hugging him tightly "SPIKE! O where have you been!?" She pulled back and looked him up and down. "What's the matter?" She saw he was in a sort of trance.

There was a clattering from Twilight's bed room and Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Pinky looked round and rush'd forward's hugging Spike and Twilight. When they eventually pulled back Twilight noticed the latter that had been clasped in his talons and was now crumpled.

"What is this Spike?" Twilight asked. Spike held it out to her with a mumble of "Read it."

Twilight opened the letter and looked at it her eye's flicking along the line's.

Twilight gasped then stormed off growling.

Rarity picked up the letter and summoned her glasses from her hand bag in the other room. She slowly and carefully read the letter "O Spike..." She looked at him paler than usual. She took him in a tight hug. "O my Spiky Wiky.... How could this happen?" She pulled back and looked him over.

"Well.... if you have to go let me get you a uniform that fit's...." She looked sadly as a little tear rolled from her eye as she lead Spike away.

Ross looked round as a shrill call came from the gate way and he set the replacement panel he was working on down and stood up. He stood the unicorn look round then storm toward's him. Ross tightened his grip on the sword as he took a deep breath.

"Twil-" Ross started be for he was slammed ageist the stone wall, his head aked as he looked down to find he was suspended agents the wall a few feet up. He was slammed into the wall again and his sword slipped from his grip and he looked down at the fuming purple Unicorn.

"WHY YOU TAKING HIM!?" Twilight screamed slamming Ross into the wall with each word. She watched as Ross shook his head and looked at her.

"W...w...would... y-you rather..." Ross forced him self to speak the pain from his head bouncing off the wall making it hard to talk. "... Have all of you killed or enslaved? All thing's you know and love burned and defaced? Your Princesses made examples off? and there is worse...."

More memory's, dark, disturbing.

"He is growing.... he will not be a little boy forever, he know's what is happening and told me he is willing to do this, he will be under my protection....." Ross sighed " My life is his protection.... I promised Celestia. I promise you.... I promised him...." Ross was promptly dropped and he knelt there head bowed. He looked up to find Twilight stood there crying.

Ross crawled up to her and gently put a hand on her shoulder.

"W... you are..." Ross stood up swaying as he gently lifted the catatonic Twilight into his arm's and gently started walking to ward's the castle.