Author's Note

I apologize if the swearing offends you but let's face it their soldiers. I promise the language cleans up as the story progresses, most of the foul mouthing is quarantined to scenes where Hawk is actually on the battlefield.

Stake out (Chapter-1)

I crouch low to the ground behind a fallen pillar. To my right is my wingman and second in command. Iron-Clad, very fitting name, thought he was green he had a very thick build. As thick as a Pegasus could be and still be flightworthy that is, he was a miner before the war. On my left was my third in command, she went by the strange name of Buzz-Cut. I suppose the name came from being a hair stylist but in our army the term “A little off the top” to her, meant she would cut your whole bucking head off. On Iron’s right was one of the newer members of the squad, Lumber Jack, guess what he did before the war. The last member of the squad was to Buzz’s left. Smoke Stack, she was a blacksmith on her down time, and a damned good one at that. Our current orders, sit behind this fallen pillar and wait for the self-proclaimed leader of the Solar Empire to take the bait, another squad had laid out a few days before. The wait seemed endless, and quite frankly I got bored. We had arrived at the ambush point early and began to take shifts. Half of the team would take a nap, and the other would keep watch, then we would switch. My shift was over and my mind began to wonder.

I thought back to my life before the war and all the bloodshed. My family’s farm was always a quiet place, very calm yet at the same time important. I remember back to when I was a kid, too young for any jobs that didn’t include feeding animals. I never minded having chores, but I always enjoyed having my share of free time. Me and my sister Kitty Hawk would spend hours in the fields playing hide and seek in the tall wheat or whatever crop was in season. Back then I went by the name Tomahawk, My mom liked the idea of some form of bird being in both our names. My mother, sister, and myself where all Pegasi of the new generation of ponyfolk. I was the older sibling but my sister was always one step ahead of me at all times. She was the brains and I was the brawn, the world made sense back then. My sister had gotten a mark on her flank one day that is widely known as a “cutie mark” I thought the idea of it was cool but the name was beyond lame. In school I began to notice more fillies and colts receiving these marks yet I did not. Curious to this phenomenon I consulted my father; he himself did not have a mark. He told me how none of his family had one, nor was it possible for his side of the family to get one at all. He was part of an older generation of pony who’s numbers where rapidly diminishing. He explained it like this; If you have an iron plow that did its job for a long time and began to become less efficient, you would trade in for a new, stronger, sharper, steel plow. His generation was outdated, and I was what could be considered a hybrid. Half Pegasus, and half previous generation Earth pony. As such I would not get a “Cutie mark” and my wings would not be able to lift my weight, my bones where too dense due to my Earth pony side.

I snap out of my memories and back into reality. I need to be ready, the sun was almost down, the attack would begin soon. I give a quick peak over the pillar to make sure that it’s clear before I stand up and stretch. Lying on the ground for that long can’t be good for anypony. I hear the shoulder joints of my wings pop and dear sweet Luna does it feel good. The metallic clinking of my armor wakes up the rest of the squad.

“Heads up Alpha Squad, it’s almost party time!” I decided to make sure we got up early so our work wouldn’t appear sloppy. The last thing I need is my CO riding my ass over how much of a disappointment I am to the Lunar Republic, or how the Shadow bolts are a joke.

“Damn, I was looking forward to a nap.” Smoke stack complained

I pulled my flight goggles down over my eyes, the time read nineteen hundred hours. Seven o’clock, I removed the goggles from my face to get a clear view of the sky. Sure enough the sun was descending and the moon took its place in the twilight hours. Huh, twilight, Twilight, that almost sounds like it could be a name; I kind of like it, it’s very mysterious and elegant. Wow, I just had one of those “what the buck am I doing” moments. I once again brought my train of thought back down to earth to the situation at hoof. The sound of hoofsteps began to grow louder from one end of the ravaged hallway. General Nightmare Moon, was standing expectantly. Her sister would be along shortly.

I signaled my squad to be ready, we once again crouched ready to strike, out of sight yet keeping a visual on the General. I slid my goggles over my eyes again, to prevent from being blinded again by the Solar Imperials’ favorite trick. We spend a lot of time in the dark, as such our eyes are adjusted to the low light. These little bastards flick on a light that I swear rivals the brightness of the sun that leaves you blinded. Then they charge up while you can’t see, and slit your throat, or plunge a blade into your chest. Fortunately for us Shadow bolts, our goggles where equipped to handle changes in light levels, they were of my own design but I had a large bit of help from a dear friend of mine. I watched as the Solar Empress landed before General Moon. My wing twitched, there was no way she was here alone. Nightmare Moon at least had a few guards behind her to draw the attention away from any potential hidden soldiers. Celestia made a fatal error, she ratted out her own soldiers.

I waved my right hoof to signal the squad to run a quick perimeter check. We split off into teams, keeping low to the ground and searched. Celestia must be getting desperate, sacrificing soldiers to distract General Moon’s soldiers so she can fight unopposed. She seemed to forget one thing though, Shadow bolts don’t get distracted. The first Solar Imperial was an easy spot, gold armor isn’t exactly a stealthy color, he swung first but with a duck and a swipe I quietly put a hole in his chest with my wing blades, quick, quiet, and clean. I claimed one of the deceased soldier’s tags, leaving one for the body crew to claim and identify the corpse. The one I held will count toward my thirty plus confirmed ground kills. With a quick sweep completed the squad formed up behind the pillar again, I count five including myself. No casualties, just as always. From the other side of the pillar the Solar Empress began to speak.

“Luna, I do not want to do this. But you leave me no choice” Celestia was actually trying to talk the only one who cared about folks like us into surendering. Hah! She made me want to turn myself in. Like hell, she has no idea what it means to be on the bottom, to live life in somepony else’s’ shadow. A shadow only made heavier under light of day. But the night was our time.