Once more, Dear friends

*A few weeks later*

“- Valley Forge, Luna’s ranks, San Hoof Hill and Twilight’s tanks, and the army went rolling along! Minute mares from the start, always fighting from the heart, and the army kept rolling along! Then it’s, Hi! Hi! Hey! The army’s on it way count off the cadence loud and strong! 2, 3, 4! For where’er we go you will always know that the army goes rolling along!” Twilight smiled as she and her crew drove down a dirt road with a bunch of infantry on the back of her tank singing the new Solar Army Song. They were heading to a secured location 3 miles from where they were. She looked down at her new crew as they seemed more than nervous.

She sighed rumbling down the road and looked back checking on her platoon. Over the last few weeks and loss of Tiger 002 Luna decided that each element should have there own tiger to lessen the chances of all of them being killed in one fell swoop. The tiger she learned was being captured by some of the Imperials Vanguard that had killed the crew and they just happened on them trying to find their own line while trying to figure out how to operate the tiger.

Not only that but all of her friends had been promoted to captain and was taking their own platoons across the front.
She missed her friends a lot and the only one she slightly knew was Tender Love. Right now she had three other new crew members. Each one were survivors of previous battles and knew about tanks and were folded into her platoon to replace her friends.

Sweet Water a white mare with a pink mane and green eyes was her new driver. She at the moment had her head out of the hatch next to Tender Love who was attending the radio.

Behind her was the new loader Earth Shaker a light tanned stallion with a green mane that was cut short to regulations and brown eyes. He had burns on the side of his face from a explosion standing next to his tank when it was hit by a Anti Tank round.

Next to him was her new gunner named Twister. A midnight blue mare with a blonde mane and blue eyes. She couldn’t make it in the air force since she couldn’t handle the loads they were required to carry. So she enlisted into the Lunar Corps and was a decent replacement for Dash. Twilight sighed as she looked up to see the outpost in the distance making her smile.

As they rolled into town she groaned when she saw who else was there that the army dreaded to see.

“What the hay are the Mareines doing here? There's not a beach around here?” A gray mare yelled as they laughed.

“I think they might be lost. Hey ladies the beach is that way!” They laughed as the Mareines turned glaring at them.

“You’re a bit late girls. We already secured the town last night for you.” A stallion said grinning at them as they rolled past him.

“ Oh we’re real thankful for that. How many army bases did you have to go through to get here? We’ll see you in the Imperium while you’re busy playing in the sand somewhere. Don’t you have a ship to take somewhere?” One of the stallions laughed as they pulled off the main road with the infantry hopping off.

“Where's your commanding officer Mareine?” One of the stallions looked up before blinking at Twilight and snapping a salute.

“What the hell are you doing!? Don’t salute you idiot! You want her to get killed by a sniper?!” One of the soldiers growled as the mare climbed off the back of the Tiger.

“Sorry ma’am. Colonel Trixie is in that building over there ma’am.” The mare said pointing to one of the buildings while the Army soldiers shook their head walking past them and heading to the mess.

*Hotel Command Center*

The Tiger commander made her way into the building passing some surprised Mareines before walking into the nerve center where she saw her old rival arguing with some of the Army commanders.

“Trixie does not care about that! Princess Celestia wants the city taken in 3 days.” Trixie growled before looking to see Twilight making her blink not really recognizing the mare at first.

“Twilight... “ The mare in question nodded to her as she looked over at the map and looked at the commanders.

“What's the situation?”

“Ma’am. It looks like the Imps are dug in all around the city and inside. With this road heading directly into one of the other countries they are going to fight with everything they have.” A stallion said as Twilight nodded.

“Enemy strength?”

“At least battalion size maybe bigger and from recon I think they have some heavy guns emplacements along with a platoon of tanks and maybe a Anti-tank section. The Imps are going to make us pay for this city.” A mare said as Twilight nodded.

“Any support?”

“All support is currently tied up with Operation Spearhead. So we’re on our own.” The stallions said.

“We were able to get some mortars and light arty but we don’t have much ammo for them. So we’ll have to use it sparingly.” The mare smiled a little.

“It’s better than nothing. What do you have Trixie?” *She looked at the mare who grinned*

“Trixie has three battalions of infantry and two platoons of tanks. We’ll be leading the charge.” Trixie smiled at her as she nodded.

“Alright. We’ll follow you in. Right now command is stretched and with the operation going on we don’t have the forces to get it done. What’s your plan?”

“I’ll be having a battalion with tank support going up the middle while at the same time hit them from the sides and split the second platoon of tanks between the two battalions. From there 1st company is going to hunt for those heavy guns and see if we can’t capture them along with any AT guns.” She smiled at her as Twilight nodded.

“I wouldn’t bother with the AT guns since I’m sure they’ll have them in the city in places to ambush our armor. But if you could get those heavy guns we can use them against the enemy. They might have some AT guns here and here or somewhere to hit our sides from the tree line.” She looked up at the nodding mare.

“That is what I thought. I’m going to send a few platoons out and scout the area” She looked over at Twilight and the other commanders who nodded.

“When do you plan to push out?”

“Trixie is going to make her push out once it starts to get dark and see if we can take them by surprise.” Twilight nodded at that.

“Alright. I need some more fuel and some of the mares need ammo. You got any you can spare?” Trixie smiled and nodded.

“Of course. Trixie doesn’t mind sharing her supplies. We are still friends right?” She looked a little worried before Twilight smiled and nodded.

“Thanks Trixie. I’ll have the mares get their ammo after chow. Why don’t we talk a bit? It’s been ages since I’ve seen any familiar faces.” Trixie smiled at that as they headed outside.

*Later that Night*

Twilight and her platoon watched as the mareines moved in while she ordered one of her own tanks to with every two companies of mareines as the Grizzlies slowly moved towards the city Twilight and a company of mareines moved on the right while some the last of her platoon followed the last company of mareines from the left just as they entered the city with still no sign of the enemy.

" Where do you think they went?" Twilight heard Twister ask as the mare squinted in the darkness.

'There's no way they don't hear us.' She watched the buildings as they entered into the city calling out to the mareines to keep an eye out.

Twilight ordered all of her commanders to buttom up and be ready for an ambush while she looked through the view ports trying to see anything as the mareines pushed ahead.

They made it a mile into the city before they heard the first explosions at the front of the city just as the whole street lit up with gunfire.

"AMBUSH!!! GET TO- CLINK" The mareine LT slumped over as Twilight called out targets.

"Target building! Right side high! Enemy MG in the window! Rotate turret 15 degrees! Elevation 0110! Fire when ready!" She yelled as they could heard the pings of bullets that sounded like rain hitting the tank.

" Clear!" Earth Shaker yelled as Twister pulled the trigger and the Tiger rocked on it's axles while the whole front of the building was blown away.

"Target left! Low! Rotate 56 degrees! Elevation 0057! Fire!" The turret slowly cranked left while the gun lowered and pointed at the ground level floor of a building.

"Clear!"

Twilight watched the shower of debris from the point blank hit from the 88mm HE round while she turned to see a tank in front of her roll up making her go wide eyed as the tank turned its turret to them.

"GET DOWN!!!" *They all dropped as a round went right through the side turret armor and embedded into the opposite side right where Twisters head had been she took a quick check and saw they were ok as they got back into their positions.

"Rotate turret 30 degrees right! Target tank in the open. Distance, 70 meters!! Fire APBC!" They quickly got to work as the turret moved towards the enemy tank as it fired again this time right into the suspension as she heard Tender and Sweet Water scream.

"Fire when ready! You two ok!?" She got groans from the two making her stomach fall just as the tank rocked and she heard the explosion and looked out to see the enemy tanks turret get blown off.

"Tender!? Sweet!? Talk to me are you ok?" She moved up to them to see them holding their heads while Sweet water groaned in pain.

"I'm ok.. Cant say anything about the Tiger though. Tender you ok?" Sweet messaged her forehead where she hit the view port.

"I'm fine. Just smacked my head hard on the gun and view port. Is everypony ok?" Tender heard Twilight sigh behind her making her looked back at her commander.

"Try to fix what you can and try to get in contact with command." Twilight moved back to the commanders hatch as she called out targets for Twister.

[This is group one! We've encountered a new enemy tank! I'm all that's left of the main force! I need- Static] Twilight and the others went wide eyed as she looked at Tender.

"Get HQ on the horn and get Bolt support here now! These aren't regular Imps we-" They all hit the ground as they got hit hard as Twilight turned to see the engine was on fire making her go pale and her eyes widen in terror.

"GET OUT!! GET OUT NOW!!!" She pushed the hatch open and pulled herself out as rounds whizzed all around her while she turned pulling Twister out as Earth Shaker pushed himself out of the hatch. She could hear Tender groan as she pushed her hatch open and Sweet Water throw her's open.

They jumped off the tank and took off just as another tank rounded the corner and fired as the shell put a nice hole right through the front armor of the Tiger while the mares of 001 shot away from their tank just as it erupted in a thunderous explosion that blew the turret off and into the building next to it.

"FALL BACK!! FALL BACK!!" Twilight turned to see another of the new tanks come up behind the other as they started to fire at them and the mareines.

" Get HQ on the horn! We need Artillery at waypoint C now!!" She turned back looking at her crew as they ran for their lives as the enemy continued to pour lead down on them from the buildings. She turned looking back at to see one of the tanks aiming right at her just as she saw a flash from its muzzle and everything went dark.