Broken Mirror, Part One

by Striker1959

Chapters

Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Interlude I
Chapter 9
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Interlude IV
The Las Pegasus Flashback
Interlude V
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Epilogue
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 10
Interlude II
Interlude III

Chapter 2

Manehattan Wire

Pain. Dull, throbbing pain was all that Radiant Star was feeling when she first began to regain consciousness. Star was still groggy when she opened her eyes and was saw Violet nodded off in the next to her bed. On the bed to her left laid Lilith, still unconscious after her bout with electricity.

“Vi…” Star groaned, trying to push herself up in bed.. “What the hell happened?”

“Well, you got zapped by my supposedly dead predecessor.” said Dusk as he entered the room. “You probably died while he was at it, because last I checked you weren’t blue.”

Star looked at her hands, noting the blue color.

“Huh?” Violet woke up, looking around the room.

“Easy Vi…” Star looked at Dusk. “It’s all real, isn’t it?”

Dusk nodded. “I was trying to tell you just that… But last I checked you pin me to my desk.”

“You threw me and Lilith through a wall.”

“You threw me through one and then tried to beat the snot out of me, so I’ll call it even.”

“How is that even?”

“Wasteland math.” Dusk just smirked.

“You just pulled that out of your ass.” stated Violet.

“Damn straight! Now, how’d ya do it?”

“Chameleon spell.” Said Star. “After I beat Spark and Twilight,I found a spell in Fort Knowledge that let me change my colors at will.”

“Care to explain that Spark and Twilight tidbit?” asked Dusk.

“On second thought, it’s a long story. But what’s scarier; a run-of-the-mill alicorn, or the Ministry Mare herself spraying death from a minigun?” asked Star

Dusk stopped to think for a moment. “I’ve got no damn idea. Either seems scary enough, but judging by the look on your face, I’m coming across as a bit uneducated, aren’t I?”.

“More like an ass, but that really isn’t anything new.” said a voice from the doorway.

Dusk turned around and was faced with Meteor, arm in a sling and a lip that was stitched back together.

“And who did I get that from?”

“Probably your father, who in turn picked up his attitude from me…” Meteor cocked his eyebrows and smirked. “I see what you did there….”

“If by getting you to admit I picked my attitude and temper from you gramps, then you’re spot on!” Dusk started clapping. “Someone give this stallion a medal!”

“Dusk, let’s get serious for a moment.”

“How about no?”

“And why not?”

Dusk just stared at his grandfather. “Really? You left me in charge, so I’ll be giving the orders like I have been.”

“Really? You call getting forty percent of your force killed giving orders?”

“I call it an occupational hazard.” Dusk turned and looked at Star. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll be back shortly.”

Dusk ran up to Meteor and grabbed him by his collar before teleporting away, leaving a confused Radiant Star and Violet in his wake.

______________________________________________________________________________

Dusk teleported him and Meteor to the roof of the factory, quickly pinning him against one of the rooftop ventilators.

“Dusk, can you just let me go already?”

“How about fuck you?” Dusk spat as he backhanded Meteor. “I watched you die. I watched that damn changeling skewer you and break your neck. I watched when the changelings set fire to nearly everyone I’ve ever held dear. And then you show up out of the fucking blue and expect me to just say ‘Hey, gramps is back! Everything’s all peachy now!’.”

“That would be-”

SMACK

“Shut the fuck up!” Dusk threw Meteor to the ground with his boot on his chest. “You abandoned me. You abandoned Strike and Comet, and then you come back? You really are something else you heartless fucking bastard.”

“Dusk, listen to yourself. How is any of this rational?” questioned Meteor.

“Rational?” Dusk started laughing at the mere thought. “Rationality died when you came back from the fucking grave old man.”

“So, what do you plan to do then? End me? I thought that my mere existence would be proof that anything you could pull wouldn’t work.” Meteor developed a scowl, something that Dusk hadn’t seen in a long time. “I’d recommend that you choose your next move carefully boy”.

Dusk took his boot off Meteor’s chest and turned to leave. “Just get the fuck out of my face.” With that, Dusk teleported away, leaving his grandfather to sit and think.

______________________________________________________________________________

Dusk appeared in his office seething. He walked over to the cabinet next to his new window into the factory, and pulled out a set of leather barding. The set itself had been reinforced with steel plate and a pauldron for better protection. He then pulled out his pipbuck and a stetson that he had picked up on one of his previous missions. Once he had his attire one, he went into the cabinet and pulled out a quiver and a longbow. Swinging the Quiver onto his back, he went for the door.

“Dusk, what the hell are you doing?”

Dusk turned around to find Blueblood standing by the hole in his wall with a rather perplext look on his face. “I’m going for a walk.”

With that, Dusk teleported away. The scene of a semi-destroyed office was replaced with the sight of a city composed of marble spires and populated by aristocrats; Canterlot. Dusk looked around and found he had teleported himself outside the wall of the main palace. Pulling out one of the arrows from his quiver, he checked to make sure it was one of his trick arrows. Confirming his suspicion, he attached a tether from a box on the arrow to a loop on his barding. Loading the arrow, he aimed for a point high up along the wall, and let the arrow fly up and over, trailing a line behind it.

Tugging the line taught, Dusk did a quick double take to ensure that no one would see him and proceeded to scale the wall. Once on the top, he found himself faced with the royal garden with a present population of zero. Seizing the opportunity, he dropped down from the top of the wall and ran for the door into the palace. Once through the door, he took a hard right and made a beeline for a nearby door. Slipping into the room, he found his objective; the file room. Checking the cabinets, he went for the Ms and pulled the drawer. Digging through the cabinet, Dusk couldn’t find the file he sought.

“Looking for something?” asked a feminine voice.

Turning around, Dusk was faced with Princess Celestia with a file in her hand.

“If that’s my grandfather’s file, then yes.” Dusk approached the princess and reached for the file, only for the diarch to hold it away. “Celestia, now is not the time to fuck with me.”

“Dusk, you broke into my palace, and you’re telling me not to get in your way?” The princess started laughing at the audacity of the present situation.

“Just give me the file.”

“Why?”

“The autopsy report.”

“What? We never did an autopsy.”

“Bullshit, I saw your guards cart off bodies from the Badlands, and I know that they had autopsies done up. One of those bodies was supposed to be my 'dear' grandfather.”

“You’re having closure issues, aren’t you?” inquired the princess.

“And you wouldn’t?” questioned Dusk. “What if your previously dead relative showed up out of the blue? What would you do?”

“Like you, I would be questioning my own self-worth.”

“And what makes you think I’m questioning my self worth?”

“You came for the file, didn’t you?” inquired the princess. “You’re obviously questioning your convictions and reasoning for maintaining your lifestyle, so you need some sort of closure to help make sense of it all.”

Dusk just shook his head. “That’s not it. I know I’m headed for the grave, but I’m just taking a shortcut. And then good-ole’ granddad shows up after he was buried because, oh I don’t know, he was dead? Doesn’t that strike you as a bit odd?”

“Why wouldn’t it?”

“Exactly! For a dead man, Gramps sure knows how to make himself known.”

“Even though the body we recovered wasn’t Equestrian.”

“Yes! That’s what- Wait, what now?”

“The body that we recovered and initially identified as your grandfather wasn’t Equestrian. It was a changeling that was midway through it’s transformation at the time of it’s death. Externally, he appeared to be your grandfather, but internally he was still arranged like a Changeling.” Celestia held out the file for Dusk. “If you don’t believe me, then see for yourself.”

Dusk took the file from the princess, and quickly read it over. And over, and over. This cycle went on for nearly five minutes, as tears began to stream down his face, leaving blotches on the report beneath him.

“Dusk…” asked the Diarch “Are you alright?”

His answer was simple. With a light from his horn, he disintegrated the report that was clearly the cause of his distress and fell to his knees.

Celestia knelt down with him, clearly concerned.

“Why?” questioned Dusk. “For years I thought I was alone, no family left. And now this? Why is it I’m twenty-one flavors of fucked up?”

“I don’t know Dusk. The world tends to do as it pleases, leaving us to pick up the pieces.” answered Celestia.

“We’re stuck with the mess, eh?” sniffled Dusk. “Story of my life right there.”

Celestia said nothing, only drawing Dusk into her embrace.

______________________________________________________________________________

Dusk awoke to find himself in a bed. A bed that was far more comfortable than what he was accustomed to. As he tried to sit up, he ended up flopping back, seemingly caught by a flytrap.

“Ugh!” he groaned, this time rolling sideways before he landed on the floor in a heap of limbs and sheets. “What the fuckkkkk!”

Dusk took a moment to get himself untangled, and noticed someone had removed his pauldron and barding, leaving him with an undershirt. Then he remembered where he went; Canterlot Castle. Looking around the room, he confirmed his suspicion that he was in one of the many guest rooms. Getting to his feet, he saw that his barding and pauldron had been laid out on a desk on the opposite side of the bed. Walking over, he quickly put them back on, making sure the straps were tightened up.

“Now, where the hell are my arrows?” he muttered as he looked around the room again.

It was that moment that the door to the room opened, two solar guards walking into the room. One held his quiver and bow, tossing them to an impatient Dusk.

“So, who should I pay for the room?” asked Dusk.

The guards both remained stoic.

“Really?”

“We’re under orders to escort you to Princess Celestia’s study.” stated one of the guards.

“Ok…”

Dusk quietly followed the guards down the hall to a large mahogoney door. Another set of guards swung them open, and Dusk walked in. Once the doors were shut behind him, he looked around the room. The walls were lined with bookshelves, all of which either held countless tomes, or some sort of magical artifact.

“I take it you slept well?” asked Celestia as she walked into the room behind Dusk.

“Ya… How did I end up in that bed?”

“After you nodded off, I brought you there.”

“So, last night…”

Celestia nodded. “You had something of a breakdown…”

“And was there a reason someone took my gear off?” questioned Dusk.

“Well… Once I put you on the bed, you started writing in pain. Once I got your armor off, I saw your scars. I had Luna come, and she confirmed my suspicion that you were having a nightmare.” explained Celestia.

“And how, pray tell, did you manage to snap me out of it?”

“We couldn’t. Luna and I entered your dream… But that wasn’t a dream, was it?”

“No.” stated Dusk. “That was a memory, and a bad memory at that.”

“That was in the Badlands, wasn’t it?” questioned the princess.

“Does it even need to be said?” quipped Dusk. “You saw what happened to me. You saw the people I lived with get slaughtered all for what? An extra decade to hopefully prepare for a changeling invasion? Oh wait, that already happened and you already got your ass handed to you!”

“And what do my failures have to do with anything?”

“Because you wasted the time that we bought you damnit!” yelled Dusk. “Forty-seven lives lost, and they were all wasted at the end of the day.”

“You’re not mad at me, are you?”

“Try self-hate. Take a guess at who heard there would be a Changeling attack?”

“You’re the one…”

Dusk nodded “I’m the one who found out about the attack. Everything I had was solid, but it was a trap. I don’t know how, but the Queen caught wind of our strike mission and sent her elite guard to take us on. And you saw how that all went…”

“Dusk, none of that is on you.” Celestia whispered. She reached out and took Dusk in a hug. “You couldn’t have expected any of-”

“That’s not the issue.” said Dusk as he pushed the princess away. “I watched everyone I knew and loved get slaughtered and butchered, and what happened to me? I ended up abandoning them. But here’s the kicker! I apparently wasn’t the first one to do it, because somehow my grandfather got replaced by the changeling that must have tipped off the queen. Fan-fucking-tastic!”

“Dusk, while I may sound cold, there is no point in arguing with existing certainties. Life will move on, and you need to move with it.”

“And assuming I don’t?”

“Then you’ll be left behind.”

“That’s really helpful…”

Celestia just stared back at Dusk.

“You’re right, you know?” asked Dusk.

“I’ve only been around long enough to have learned the lesson myself Dusk.” stated Celestia.

Dusk stopped to think for a moment, and a smile came across his face. “Doesn't that make you a milf then?”

For a brief moment, Celestia only deadpanned before her expression gave way to a fit of giggles.

“I’ll take that as a no then?”

“I’ll just assume that you’re feeling better then?”

“A bit.” answered Dusk “But that still doesn't solve my present issue.”

“Dusk, inevitably the reemergence of Meteor might prove helpful. You still needed to deal with the portal and those soldiers, and he has years of military experience that you simply don’t have. You don’t have to do anything else but work with him.” said Celestia.

“Fine, but I hope you have an idea on where to start, because I sure as hell don’t.” stated Dusk.

Author's Note

Remedial editing 4/25/15

Chapter 3

Ponyville
Golden Oaks Library
____________________________

Dusk and Celestia appeared in a flash of light outside of the castle near Ponyville. Under normal circumstances, someone would bother looking at the new arrivals, but with the pop of teleportation now a normal occurrence around the village, most just ignore it as background noise. Like birds chirping, or someone occasionally yelling expletives in the marketplace.

“So, why are we visiting this architectural travesty?” asked Dusk.

“That “Twilight Sparkle chick” that you referred to some time ago happens to live here. And with her past experience regarding multiverse travel, I believe that she might be of some assistance.” noted Celestia.

Before Dusk could retort, the front door was opened by a tall purple dragon. The dragon looked first at Dusk before shifting his gaze to Celestia. Without missing a beat, he shut the door.

Dusk snickered. “So, do you usually get the door shut on your face before you can open your mouth?”

“Just wait for it…” said Celestia with a smirk. As if the universe wanted to prove a point, the door opened yet again, this time with a purple alicorn of similar stature to Violet blocking the view of inside the structure.

“Celestia! What brings you here?” asked the mare.

“Well Twilight, I was hoping to introduce you to a friend of mine who could use your help.” Motioning to Dusk, “Twilight, this is Dusk.”

“Good to meet you Dusk.” said Twilight with an outstretched hand.

With nothing better to do, Dusk returned the gesture. “Likewise princess. Now, can we come in? I have a lot to bring you up to speed on and very little time to do it.” Dusk proceeded to push past Twilight, leaving a bewildered look on her face.

Twilight looked back at her former mentor, a look of confusion clearly written on her face.

“Just roll with it.” instructed the diarch. “You’ll need to hear what he has to say eventually. Might as well start now.”

Twilight took her visitors to her library, where she listened with rapt attention to the story that Dusk was weaving. It wasn’t difficult; multiverse theory is a complicated subject, and with Twilight’s love for learning she had a reason to maintain focus.

“So, logically one can construct portals to an infinite number of universes?” inquired the student.

“Absolutely. But I need you to analyze one of these portals to see if you can determine who built it and why they’re coming here.” answered Dusk.

Twilight cocked an eyebrow in confusion. “You never mentioned that you already had a portal. Better yet, you never said anyone was even coming through.”

“You’re right. But coming straight out with something along the lines of ‘we’re being invaded from another universe and I need you to save us all’ doesn’t work. So, buttering up an egghead with scientific wonder before dropping a potential bomb had to suffice.” replied the unicorn.

“I’m sorry, can you repeat that last part.”

“We’re being invaded from another universe? I don’t see how anyone can-”

“Ok, what do I do… I need books and... Right! Checklist!” yelled Twilight

Immediately, Twilight’s horn lit up and books started flying off the shelves. Dusk noted that a number of them were historic military strategy texts, mixed in with some illegible tomes that were easily from before his time, a few more modern texts and at least one book regarding quantum physics. All of them were swirling around Twilight, here eyes having developed a distinct purple glow as the books rotated around her.

“So…” questioned Dusk. “What exactly is she doing?”

Celestia just smiled. “Dear Twilight is overdoing things. Again.”

“Again?” asked the unicorn

“Again.” replied the princess. “Now, I believe that the logical answer would be to go through the portal and determine who is using it…”

“So, an expedition then?” inquired Dusk.

“Indeed. Just a handful of your people and the necessary supplies.”

“And my ship.”

“Why would you need that?”

“Well, I already have enough gear loaded to begin with.” retorted Dusk.

“Any other reason?” asked Celestia.

“Who doesn’t have the need for a very big gun?”

Suddenly, Twilight dropped her books and looked at her visitors with something of a wild grin.

Dusk cocked an eyebrow and the young princess. “Anything you’d like to share with the class?”

“I know what to do!” she replied.

“Does it involve going through the mirror?” asked Dusk.

Twilight stopped, and developed a rather defeated look. “But how-”

“Kid, we figured that plan out all of thirty seconds ago.” replied Dusk. “However, I need you to figure out how to get my ship through that portal with us.”

“Just what type of ship are we talking about?”

“Please… It would just be easier if you saw it.” With that, Dusk began charging his horn with a teleportation spell. Quickly, an audible pop was heard, leaving the castle library empty.

Steeljack was digging around in the Guardian’s hull when he heard an audible pop, followed by some sort of conversation. Pushing the momentary distraction aside, he returned to his task at hand; the main guns. For the most part, it was good stress relief. The guns that he helped build were something of a surrogate child for him. So, when an unseen hand grabbed him by the leg and dragged him from his work, Steeljack was rightfully pissed.

“What the fuck!” yelled Steeljack, before his face firmly planted on the ground.

“So, calibrating the guns again Steeljack?” asked Dusk.

“What the hell do you think?” Steeljack then noticed the two guests that Dusk had brought with him while he got back to his feet. To his right was Princess Celestia, while to his left was a smaller purple alicorn with a rather meek smile on her face. “Dusk, what did I tell you about bringing home strays?”

“Nothing at all.” quipped Dusk. “Anyway, you already know our favorite dictator.”

“Favorite dictat-”

Dusk cut Celestia off before she could finish. “And the purple one is the new egghead who’s going to make the Guardian go between universes.”

“Ms. Sparkle then?” questioned Steeljack.

Twilight nodded her head. “Pleasure to meet you.” she said with her hand outstretched.

Steeljack took the initiative and returned the gesture. “Likewise ma’am.”

“Now, down to business. Ms. Sparkle, I need you to make that ship capable of trans-universal travel. Can you do that?” asked Dusk.

“Given the time, I should be able to figure it out.” Twilight looked around the room, seeming to take in the gravity of her present situation.

“Looking for something Ms. Sparkle?” questioned Steeljack.

Twilight turned back to the group. “Dusk mentioned something about a portal… That wouldn’t happen to be around here, would it?”

“Try the cargo bay.” replied Dusk, motioning for Steeljack and Celestia to follow him. “Let’s leave the egghead to her work.”

Following Dusk down the hallway, Steeljack was the first to speak up. “Is it a good idea to leave her around the ship?”

Dusk just chuckled. “What’s the worst she’ll do? Blow something up?”

BOOM!

“Sorry, my bad!”

Steeljack just shook his head. “You’re a dumbass, you know that?”

By this point, Dusk was scowling at his own jinx. “Just shut up and keep walking.” Dusk led his compatriots out of the hangar building that the Guardian was stored in, and made a brisk walk across the courtyard to the main factory building. Dusk proceeded to bust open the nearest door, coming across assembly of Dart, Blueblood and Lilith in the midst of a poker game.

“Might I ask what you broke now?” asked Blueblook.

“What makes you think I broke something?” replied Dusk

“Because you usually break what you’re trying to fix?” quipped Dart.

Dusk rolled his eyes at the comment, seeming to brush it off. “Moving on. Finish up… Whatever the hell you’re all doing and meet in the mess in ten minutes. We have significantly more important things to worry about than gambling.”

Dusk once again motioned for Celestia and Steeljack to follow, leading them to the adjacent mess room. Once inside, Dusk started pulling out weapons from the weapons lockers, arranging them on the table in the center of the room. Pausing for a moment, Dusk seemed to be thinking of something.

“Something wrong Dusk?” asked Celestia.

“Ya… Wait, I know what’s missing!” for a moment, Dusk teleported away before returning with three large pony-sized cases.

Steeljack seemed to recognize what the cases were. “I didn’t think that you had the new gear already finished.”

Dusk just smiled. “Finished is such a strong word… I’d describe these as field-ready prototypes.” Elbowing the side of one of the cases, it opened to reveal a black set of modified combat armor and an armored duster.

“And what are these?” inquired a suspicious princess.

“These, my dear are three sets of prototype power armor.” answered Dusk. “The joints on the armor have hydraulic servos that act to increase the strength of the wearer. It’s a similar deal with the legs. The system is linked through a pipbuck, which already has a connection to the nervous system. With some minor tweaks, the pipbuck can transmit matching commands to the respective joint on the armor to move it. All of this is powered by a micro-fusion reactor. And, even better, in the case of failure or damage, the hydraulics can be disabled and allowed to move freely without use of the control interface to allow movement. Of course, that just means that the hydraulics become dead weight, but it was either that or get stuck in one spot without the ability to move.”

“Alright, so will you just quit gloating and help me gear up?” asked Steeljack, who had pulled out his own set of navy blue armor.

Dusk rolled his eyes. “Me, gloat? Please…”

Roughly ten minutes later the last of the group filed into a crowded mess room. Dusk and Steeljack were at the head of the room, both with rather stoic expressions.

Dusk elbowed Steeljack. “So, should I get us started, or would you rather take the honors?”

“I’ll handle it.” Steeljack stepped towards the table. “Alright, everyone shut the hell up!”

Dusk stepped forward, clearly satisfied with the now silent room. “Now, as we all should be aware, we’re staring down an invasion by a force that is significantly more advanced than the regular military.” To prove his point, Dusk hit a few buttons on his pipbuck and a hologram display appeared over the table, showing a set of Royal Guard armor and weapons, alongside the new set of armor that he and Steeljack were wearing. “As you all can see, the Guard has been fighting with glorified pointy sticks. Sadly, our most advanced gear, seen here, is more of a technological anomaly, while the Guard’s equipment is considered the norm.”

One of the Lunar Guards raised his hand. “So, in other words we’re all fucked?”

“Absolutely.” answered Dusk. “However, we have a plan. As many of you know, we have a handful of wasteland experts in the building, so with their help the plan is to launch a combat expedition to gather intelligence on our foe, conduct hit and run operations, and either prevent or delay a full blown invasion. Any questions?”

“Ya, how do you expect us to get back without the mirror?” asked Lilith.

“We’ve got an egghead modifying the mirror that was recovered from the warehouse. She’s trying to rig it up to the Guardian so we can take it with us and use it as a base of operations.” answered Steeljack. “With a bit of luck, we should be ready to move out within the next few days.”

"Completely unrelated,” interjected Blueblood “but has anyone seen Meteor Shower?”

Meteor took the first opportunity to slip out of the mess undetected. Taking the opportunity, he went over to the hangar housing the Guardian. Entering the room, he notice a purple alicorn on the top of the ship, welding new components of an unknown nature onto the hull.

“How’s the weather up there?” asked Meteor.

“Twilight perked up, noticing Meteor’s presence. "Oh, how long have you been there?”

“Long enough to see what you did to my grandson’s ship.”

“Oh, you mean the new projectors?” asked Twilight. “I had to break down and replicate the spell matrix in the mirror, then I broke down the mirror in it’s individual components and modified them to project the portal ahead of the ship as a fixed portal that stays open long enough for the ship to fly through before it breaks down.”

“By using a crystal-based matrix, I assume?”

Twilight stopped dead. “How did you know that?”

Meteor just chuckled. “Call me educated. That’s a most interesting solution, considering it would allow universal transit at will.”

“Absolutely. The problem remains with the power supply. I did segment the power core and modified the recharge spell matrix to allow use of the mirror at the same time that the ship is flying.”

“I’ll take it this is where we find ourselves with a catch?”

“Right. With a mirror-to-mirror transit, it’s far easier to control where you go. The problem is that without a more exact map of this” Twilight paused a moment to break out her air quotes “ ‘Wasteland’, there isn’t an easy method of calculating an exit point for the portal. Granted, with modification to the spell matrix, I think I have it set so that the portal would form at a corresponding position in the other universe, assuming everything is working right.”

“Miss Sparkle, from the sounds of things you have this all well at hand. But I do have one question.”

“Sure, what is it?”

“How do you control it?”

“Well, that’s the problem. Because the system interface is something of a distraction, you need to have a second person operate it during flight. I did have to repurpose some of the displays for the interface, but beyond that everything should be ready to go.”

Meteor nodded in agreement. “One final question then. How do you fly this thing?”

Twilight stopped for a moment. “Uh… I haven’t gotten that far yet?”

“Do you at least know what switch turns on what?” asked Meteor with a rather amused expression.

“I think so?”

Chuckling, Meteor plopped himself down in the pilot’s seat. “Well then, I believe that a test drive is in order…”

Dusk cocked an eyebrow in suspicion, shortly before facepalming. “He walked out, didn’t he?”

“Probably” responded Dart.

“Alright, then who are we missing?” Dusk thought for a moment. “Awe crap.”

“Awe crap what?” asked Steeljack.

“Which egghead decided to not show up to our little tea party?”

At that moment, a loud crash was heard. Walking over to the window, Dusk started banging his head on the glass. Steeljack walked over and was met with the same sight; the Guardian’s hangar had it’s door blown clean off, with the large green craft hovering in the courtyard.

“I didn’t expect that your grandfather was one for joyriding.” quipped Steel jack.

Dusk didn’t even bother with a response, allowing his face to make a warm introduction to the palm of his hand.

Author's Note

Chapter three is now up... Already the playing field is starting to get set. But hey, who says that anyone is going off gallivanting in the Wasteland? Maybe some taste of the future... At this point, I'm thinking that Cosmo is just a named background character of little importance, at least for now. Anyway, Chapter Four is in the works, but there are other things that must receive attention concurrently.

Chapter 4

Manehattan Wire
__________________________

Meteor Shower sat back in the Guardian’s pilots seat with a wry grin. In the matter of five minutes, he had managed to figure out how to use the guns, and managed to move the ship out of the hangar. “Not bad for the old timer, eh Sparkle?”

Twilight, while standing less than a foot away from the former unicorn, was much more distracted by the many different scenarios that she had began running through her head once the hangar doors were blasted clear into next week. All of that stopped once the engines started spooling down.

“Alright, party’s over.” said a new voice. Twilight looked up and saw that Dusk had opened a cabinet on the wall and shut off a rather large circuit breaker.

With a thud, and an audible crunch, the Guardian was reunited with solid ground.

Dusk only groaned, knowing that there was another thing added to his laundry list of problems to fix. It was then he noticed a blinking light on the main console. “What the hell?” Dusk walked over, pushing Meteor and Twilight out of the way. The light was connected to the communications systems on the Guardian, indicating a transmitter error. Dusk immediately began tweaking the systems, attempting to deal with the apparent error.

“Do you even know what you’re doing?” asked Meteor.

“I built the bloody ship, so yes.” quipped Dusk. Returning to his work, the error light shut off, but there was an immediate burst of static through the cockpit speakers.

zzzzzzzz… UNzzz zzris zzzzzttt.

Dusk furrowed his brow, and went to work trying to clean up some of the static, and a male voice was heard.

zzzzzzz… UNSC Paris zzzzttt. zzt zzurse with unknown planet. Wounzzzz zzzard. Requezzzzttt zzzzzance. This message repeats zzzzzzzzttttt

“Did he say unknown planet?” asked Twilight.

Dusk nodded. “Yes, he did.” Dusk made one final attempt to clean up the message, making sure to set up the communications gear to record the message. His continued efforts to clean up the signal were soon rewarded.

This is Commander Baxter of the UNSC Paris. We’re on a course to an unknown planet. We have wounded aboard. Requesting assistance. This message repeats from start date of October 21st, 2552.

Dusk was sitting at the desk in his office. He seemingly deep in thought, and was unfazed by the small group assembled in the room with him.

“Uh, Dusk, you planning on doing something?” asked Dart. “Anything would be preferable.”

Dusk turned to face the assembled group. Besides Dart, he was joined by Blueblood, Steeljack, Twilight, Celestia, and (much to his disdain) Meteor Shower. “Tell me Dart, but what are we facing down?”

“An interdimensional invasion?”

Dusk nodded. “Correct. We’re significantly outnumbered, outgunned and all-around screwed.”

“Yet you don’t seem too concerned about an alien invasion.” snarked Meteor. “I thought I taught you to prioritize better than this.”

“And prioritize I did.” corrected Dusk “We know that we are dealing with ‘aliens’ that somehow speak our language, have wounded and are cut off from home. If you can fly between worlds, what’s stopping them from having weapons that could make ours look like pointy sticks?”

“Nothing at all.” quipped Blueblood, concern clearly evident on his face.

“If I may,” interrupted Celestia “You think that a potential for mutually assured destruction would be a reason for a potentially hostile species to side with us?”

Dusk smirked. “Right on. So, simple plan then. Myself, Dart and Steeljack take the Guardian to find that ship. If the ship’s computer is correct, they landed on the coast about five miles from the San Palomino Desert, right over the border in unclaimed territory. Our best place to start would be the stretch of forest about twenty miles from Las Pegasus.”

“But didn’t something break on the Guardian?” asked Twilight.

“Just one of the hydraulics on the forward landing strut.” replied Steeljack. “The bracket that held it to the hull sheared at the main weld. Nothing that can’t be fixed, but it can wait. There’s three of those pistons on the forward strut, so we just lost some redundancy.”

“Inevitably it doesn’t matter. This ‘UNSC Paris’”, said Dusk “needs to be investigated. We know the plan. Steeljack, Dart, we’re airborne within ten.” With that, Dusk left the room.

______________________________________________________________________________

Flash Sentry was engrossed in a card game with two of the Lunar Guards, when a Solar Guard cadet walked into the factory looking rather concerned.

“Gents, let’s take five” said Flash as he rose from his seat to go meet the cadet. As he got closer, the cadet clearly looked rough. His armor was dusty and dented, and he had a number of scratches on his face. “Something wrong?”

The cadet jumped, seemingly startled. “Bloody hell!”

Flash grew more concerned at the cadet’s stance. “I’ll just take that as a yes. Now what the hell happened?”

“These things… I don’t even know what to call them. Just came out of nowhere and started… Oh god!” The cadet started breaking down, rocking back and forth on his heels.

“Cadet, where were you stationed?” inquired Flash

“Dodge Junction” replied the Cadet, who went back to rocking back and forth.

“Damnit…” Flash looked over at the lunar guards and motioned them to come over. “Get this kid to Canterlot. He’s going to need a shrink and a doctor.” The guards nodded, and the cadet followed with no fight.

“That didn’t sound good.” pointed out a grizzled voice. Flash turned around, finding that Meteor Shower had been watching the whole debacle. “Kid, grab your gear and meet me out front in five. We’re going on a field trip.”

“I’m sorry, but a field trip?” Flash never got his answer, as Meteor teleported away. Flash just shook his head and made the short walk to his room to grab his armor and rifle.
______________________________________________________________________________

Flash Sentry was waiting out in front of the factory, tapping his foot rather impatiently. He had elected to take his Royal Guard armor, as opposed to his newer combat armor. His modified rifle, however, was slung across his back in the place of his spear.

“Flash, what the hell are you doing out here?” Flash turned, and saw Dusk, Steeljack and Dart all decked out in full combat gear.

“Me and the kid are going on a field trip” said Meteor as he walked outside. It was evident why he needed time, as he had reclaimed his old set of armor and his sword from the pedestal in Dusk’s office. “Some cadet stumbled in here. Said that a group of guards got slaughtered by something down in Dodge Junction. We’re going to investigate.”

Dusk narrowed his eyes for a moment before he pulled a small black box out of a pocket on his armor and handing it to Meteor. “Here, take this. It’s a two-way radio optimized for long distance communication. We’re running as Alpha Team, you two run as Beta. Just let me know when you find something. ”

“Something that slaughtered Royal Guards, and got a cadet to make a fifty mile run to Manehattan? Damn right someone’ll hear about it.” replied Meteor.

“I’d expect that person to be me. Anyway, we did let our guests know that we’d be stepping out for a bit, and Blueblood has the whole factory on lockdown until we get back.”

“Then I wish you the best of luck.” Meteor turned to Flash. “Ready to go?”

“I guess?”

“Good” Meteor’s eyes developed a pale glow, before an audible pop was heard, and the duo were gone in a flash.
______________________________________________________________________________

Half an hour later...

“How the hell did you do that again?” asked Flash.

Meteor just chuckled. “I had to reteach myself. Life without a horn meant I had to adapt in order to make use of my abilities. Took me nearly ten years just to reteach myself an illumination spell, and nearly twenty just to relearn that teleportation spell.”

The younger guard only cocked an eyebrow in response. “Now, are you going to keep asking stupid questions, or are we going to keep moving?” asked Meteor. “Dodge is just over that hill” he said, pointing out the small hill that obscured their view of the town. Silently, the duo began their hike to the top. The higher up the hill, the more they began to take in; first came the smell of burning wood, then the faint columns of smoke. The two didn’t have to say a thing as they quickened their pace. Meteor was the first to the top, and was clearly speechless. Flash was right behind him, left in a similar state of shock. There wasn’t a town before them, only smoldering ruins and burnt out buildings.

“No reason staying up here.” said Meteor as he began his walk into town, his young companion on his heels. As they got closer to the town, they saw the bloodied corpses of two royal guards. Meteor paused, and knelt down to examine the corpses. “Flash, do any of these wounds look clean?”

The younger guard took a knee and examined the wounds of both guards and paled at what he saw. “Not in the slightest.”

“These two got skewered by something… And I doubt these wounds were lethal.” said the elder of the pair. “Poor bastards. They bled out.” observed Meteor as he rose to his feet. “This is bad. Very bad.”

“No kidding.” quipped Flash as he pulled his rifle off his back. “Now might be a good time to call Dusk.”

Meteor wordlessly pulled out the radio that Dusk had given him and clicked it on. “This is Beta calling Alpha. Anyone there?”

The radio crackled to life. “Alpha here. Go ahead Beta.”

“We’ve hit Dodge Junction. The town’s rubble. We’ve already found two dead guards, both have been seriously wounded and bled out.”

Flash tapped Meteor on the shoulder. “I’ve got movement. Something in black, three hundred feet northeast.”

“Alpha, be advised, we’ve got movement in the ruins.”

“Copy that Beta. We’ve made contact with our targets. -”

Meteor and Flash didn’t catch the rest of the message, as bolts of red energy began flying past their heads. Noticing a rock wall behind the two, Meteor dragged Flash over the wall and forced him down. “Alpha, be advised we’ve got hostile contacts using unknown weapons. We’re engaging.”

“Copy that Beta. We’re inbound. I’m handing the comms over to Baxter for the duration.”

“Who?” asked Meteor?

“Beta, this is Commander Timothy Baxter of the UNSC Paris. Alpha is on the way, and I’ve sent some of my men with them. What’s your status?”

Flash grabbed the radio out of Meteor’s hand. “Commander, this is Beta-Two. We’re pinned by an unknown number of hostiles. They’re in the ruins north of our position and are advancing.” Flash poked over the wall with his rifle and started shooting in the direction of the incoming shots before ducking back down. “We’re going to run out of breathing room really quick!”

“Copy that Beta-Two. I’ll get Longswords in the air.” The radio went silent for a moment before sparking back to life “Beta, be advised, Alpha-One is tagging along with my men on one of our birds. Alphas Two and Three are returning to base to get reinforcements. Alpha One is five minutes out, Alphas Two and Three are fifteen at minimum. Air support will be on stating within two minutes. How copy?”

“Copy that Baxter. We’ll hold the line. Beta-Two out!” Flash tapped his comrade on the shoulder. “Dusk is five minutes out, but Baxter is sending air support. They’ll be here in two minutes.”

“Who the hell is Baxter?” asked Meteor.

“How the hell should I know? I’m just focused on surviving, so I really don’t give a shit!”

______________________________________________________________________________

Twenty minutes earlier

Dusk was looking out the windscreen of the Guardian, having issues comprehending what he saw. In the forest below was a large grey object, looking more akin to an oversized gun than what he would think of as an alien ship.

“So…” asked Dart. “Were you expecting a flying saucer?”

“Would it be a problem if I said yes?” asked Dusk

“Just means that you don’t get out enough.” replied Dart.

“Dart, now isn’t the time.” Dusk was examining the ship in front of them when he noticed a large green object just below them. Slowly, the object rose until a large green ship was blocking their view. “Uh? What the fuck?” asked Dusk when he gestured towards the ship now in their way.

Suddenly the radio crackled to life. “Unidentified vessel. You are to follow us or you will be shot down.”

“Dart, don’t say a damn thing.” Dusk went for the radio. “Copy that.” As the other ship began to turn away and move towards the larger ship, Dusk put the throttle forward and made an effort to follow the ship. The closer they got to the ship, they noticed a large door on the side of the ship slide open, revealing a large hangar with a number of other ships. Dusk flew the ship into the hangar, and went for the nearest open space before putting the ship down and killing the engines. “Alright, I’ll go out first. Steeljack, Dart, both of you stay behind me and keep your eyes open.”

“Should we be armed?” asked Steeljack.

“We’re in a hangar on an alien ship because we were told if we didn’t come here we’d be shot down. Sure, let’s just bring some cupcakes!” snarked Dusk. “Yes, grab the rifles. And no, don’t point them at anyone unless they start shooting at us first.”

Dusk walked back to the rear hatch, and at Steeljack’s thumbs up he hit the button to lower the ramp. On the other side were four creatures in armor that covered all of their features. The armor was a stark black, with a shiny silver plate where their faces should be. The moment Steeljack saw the weapons trained on Dusk he jumped in front and pointed his rifle at the nearest being.

One of the creatures stood out due to red markings on his armor. He stepped forward, keeping his weapon up. “Alright, drop the weapon.”

“Only if you drop yours.” responded Steeljack.

For a few seconds, there was a tense silence, before both Steeljack and the creature lowered their weapons. “I take it we’re meeting in the middle?”

“Looks that way.” Steeljack stepped out of Dusk’s path and motioned for him to come forward.

“Alright, bad introductions aside my name is Dusk Light. Tall dark and brooding over here is Steeljack, and the mare behind me is Dart. And at risk of sounding cliche, we come in peace.”

The creature just chuckled. “If anything, that’s a cliche that I’ve been waiting fifteen years for.” The creature took off his helmet, revealing an aged man with tan skin and short salt and pepper hair. “Sargent Devon Tremble, 15th Marine Force Recon.” Then the creature held out his hand.

Dusk returned the handshake. “Do I want to know why you’ve been waiting for something as simple as ‘we come in peace’?”

“Son, I’ve watched worlds burn. Buried more friends than I can count and put twice as many covenant sons-of-bitches on the road to their little ‘great journey’. As far as I’m concerned, you’re a cake walk.” replied the Sergeant. “Now, if you don’t mind coming with me, I think the Commander would like to meet you three.”

The trio followed the Sergeant out of the hangar and into a long corridor. As the three walked in silence, the passed a handful of other creatures, all of which stopped and saluted the Sergeant as they passed. Dusk noted that most of them appeared to be working on wiring in the walls and ceilings.

Steeljack broke the silence as the group arrived at a closed door. “So what happened?”

The Sergeant hit a button on a wall, and the door slid open to reveal an elevator. “Pertaining to what?” asked the Sergeant as he motioned for the group to step in to the car.

“All of… This.” said Steeljack, as he motioned back to the hallway.

“Well, ‘This’ is the result of us making a run at a Covenant carrier as it tried to jump into slipspace.” said the Sergeant as the door closed. He then hit a button and the elevator began to rise. “One of their leaders made a run at our homeworld and landed in one of our cities. We call it New Mombasa. Some Marines had pushed back the Covenant troops when their leader decided to bug out. One of our ships, In Amber Clad, tried to make a run at it, thinking it would escape. Imagine how we shit our pants when the bastard went to make a slipspace jump inside the city.”

“And what the hell is slipspace?” asked Dusk.

“It’s a form of faster than light travel. It’s the only way that we can travel between star systems in a decent amount of time. So, the Commander decides to try to follow In Amber Clad, so he ordered us and the two other ships in our formation, the Coral Sea and Redoubtable to follow us into the slipspace rift that the Covenant opened.”

“But if your people can travel between stars, how did following that ship do all of that damage?” asked Dart.

“We didn’t set up to make the jump ourselves, so we were just riding in their wake. Coral Sea and Redoubtable dropped out of slipspace with us in this system, but they were heavily damaged. The wounded we mentioned in our transmission were the handful of survivors that we managed to save from the other ships before our engines began to fail. This being the closest planet, we put down here to save our own skins. That was two years ago.”

Dusk and Steeljack exchanged worried looks. Soon enough, the elevator door opened, revealing a wide open room with a number of other creatures working at a number of terminals. As the three ponies followed the creature, they noticed one man at the center of the room, wearing a white uniform conversing with another creature.

“ - and the maneuvering thrusters work? Best news I’ve heard all day.” The creature noticed the group approached and developed a perplexed look on his face. “Sergeant, these three off of that ship?”

The Sergeant nodded. “Yes sir. And for once, aliens haven’t tried to kill the first humans they saw.”

“I don’t know whether to be relieved or concerned Tremble.” The ‘human’ approached Dusk and seemed to try to size him up before extending his hand. “Commander Timothy Baxter.”

“Dusk Light.” replied Dusk as he returned the handshake. “Now are we just going to shake hands, or are we going to get down to business?”

“Alright…” responded the Commander. “While I don’t know if you represent your species, but we need some help. I don’t see us leaving this planet any time soon, and our food supplies are running low. We’re in a similar pickle with our medical supplies. If there’s anything you can spare, I’d greatly appreciate it.”

“Really? Just food?” asked Dusk. “That’s easy. But I need your help. My associates and I have been tracking a group of slavers operating in Equestrian borders. Now, you might want to sit down for this part, but they aren’t from around here.”

“So, you’re facing an alien force?” asked the Commander.

Dusk shook his head. “No, we’re facing forces from another universe.” Dusk noticed the incredulous look on the commander’s face and cocked an eyebrow. “I take it that’s the weirdest thing you’ve heard all day?”

“I’d list it in my top five.” replied the commander.

“Commander, I could go with these three. See what they’re talking about.” added Tremble.

Just then, Dusk’s radio crackled to life. “This is Beta calling Alpha. Anyone there?”

“Alpha here. Go ahead Beta.”

“We’ve hit Dodge Junction. The town’s rubble. We’ve already found two dead guards, both have been seriously wounded and bled out.”

“Well that’s fucking great.” groaned Dusk.

“Alpha, be advised, we’ve got movement in the ruins.”

“Copy that Beta. We’ve made contact with our targets. We’ll be there as soon as we can” Dusk looked at Tremble. “Still want to come?”

Tremble nodded. “I’ll get some of my men and a Pelican ready.”

Dusk’s radio crackled to life again. “Alpha, be advised we’ve got hostile contacts using unknown weapons. We’re engaging.”

“Copy that Beta. We’re inbound. I’m handing the comms over to Baxter for the duration.” Dusk tossed his radio at the commander. “Just take that. I’ve got a spare back on my ship. I’d rather stay in touch.”

The Commander just sighed before clicking the radio back on. “Beta, this is Commander Timothy Baxter of the UNSC Paris. Alpha is on the way, and I’ve sent some of my men with them. What’s your status?”

“Commander, this is Beta-Two. We’re pinned by an unknown number of hostiles. They’re in the ruins north of our position and are advancing.” For a brief moment there was the sound of rifle fire over the radio. “We’re going to run out of breathing room really quick!”

“Copy that Beta-Two. I’ll get Longswords in the air.”

“Steeljack, Dart. I need you to go back to the factory. Get Star and her friends to Dodge Junction. You’re Alpha-Two and Alpha-Three. I’ll go with Tremble.”

“Beta, be advised, Alpha-One is tagging along with my men on one of our birds. Alphas Two and Three are returning to base to get reinforcements. Alpha One is five minutes out, Alphas Two and Three are fifteen at minimum. Air support will be on stating within two minutes. How copy?”

“Copy that Baxter. We’ll hold the line. Beta-Two out!”

Tremble put his helmet back on and tapped the side of it. “Zulu Company, double time to the hangar. We’re wheels up in one minute!” The sergeant turned to the group. “Time to move!”

The ran for the elevator and made their way back to hallway on the hangar level. The moment the doors opened, the four broke into a dead sprint. “Clear the way!” yelled Tremble as he barreled by the same humans that the group had passed on their way in. By the time they reached the hangar, a group of nineteen other humans in similar armor to Tremble were running for the ship that had previously escorted the Guardian into the hangar.

“Dusk, what about your rifle?” yelled Steeljack.

“I’ve got extras on the Pelican.” replied Tremble. “Now get moving!”

The four split up, Tremble and Dusk running for the Pelican, which was already starting to float off the ground. Tremble jumped onto the ramp at the rear, then turned and grabbed Dusk and pulled him into the back of the ship. “Evans, take us up!” yelled Tremble. Without a word, the ramp on the Pelican rose up, and a hatch dropped into place. Tremble took the opportunity to open a compartment along the ceiling above one of the other humans, and pulled out an odd shaped rifle. “This is a M392 DMR. It’s semi-auto, so you’ll need to pull the trigger with each shot.” Tremble reached back into the same compartment and pulled out five clips. “These clips hold the ammo for the gun. When you run out, the rifle will make a hollow sound. You hit the read button behind the trigger to drop the clip. Once you drop it, pop a new one in and pull this rod back. That’ll load a bullet into the chamber. Questions?”

Dusk took the rifle from Tremble and shook his head. “You answered ‘em.” Dusk took the clips from Tremble, putting one in the rifle, whille sticking the other four in his duster. Once he put the clip in and loaded the chamber, he noticed a screen with the number fifteen on it. “What’s the number for?”

“Ammo count.” replied Tremble. “Just there to remind you how many shots you have left.”

“Nifty.” Dusk looked over the rifle some more, before grabbing one of the seats along the wall next to two of the other troopers. Tremble sat opposite of Dusk, polishing a shotgun. “That thing have a name?”

Tremble just smiled “M90A. Better known as my lucky charm. I’ve had this since I grabbed it off a dead marine during the Battle of Kholo.”

“And it’s saved you from every covie bastard you’ve met. We’ve heard the story before sarge.” said one of the troopers.

“Good to know you payed attention Wilson.” Tremble stopped talking for a moment before he looked at Dusk. “We got a problem.” Tremble hit a button on his wrist. “You’re on commander.”

“The air support I’ve promised is dead on arrival. The longsword just caught fire when they went to take off from the deck. The flight crew is fine, but the bird is scrap. Until I can get an alternative established, you marines are on your own. Baxter out.”

“That’s just wonderful.” groaned Dusk.

“Sarge!” yelled the pilot. “I’ve got two heat sigs on the south side of town. Looks like they’re cornered.”

“Probably Flash and Meteor.” said Dusk.

“Evans, put us down as close to them as you can, we’ll leg it the rest of the way.” Tremble got up from his seat and went to the rear hatch, before he dropped the ramp, revealing the smoldering ruins of Dodge Junction below. Dusk walked up next to Tremble, checking his new rifle one last time. Tremble then turned back and looked at the assembled troopers, watching as they prepared their weapons. Then the ship hit the ground with a thud. “Get tactical marines!” yelled Tremble as he jumped out of the pelican.

Dusk was right behind the soldier, and took a knee once he hit the ground. “Damn, whole town’s trashed.” Looking around, Dusk noticed that the troopers had all disembarked, and their ship was taking off.

Tremble hit the side of his helmet, before handing a small radio to Dusk. “Paris, be advised. Zulu company is on the ground.”

“Copy that Zulu. You’ve got the green.”

“You heard the man marines, move out!” Tremble waved for the troopers to follow, heading towards the hill on the south side of town. As the group navigated through the burnt out buildings, the sound of a rifle was heard, as well as the soft chinks of energy weapons. Tremble took cover by a doorframe, while his men took whatever cover they could find.

Dusk got by a window opposite of Tremble, trying to get a look at what was shooting. Farther away from them, Dusk saw Flash popping up over rock wall, shooting at what seemed to be random. “What the hell is he doing?”

“He’s trying to hit the three shooting at him. Looks like they’ve got active camo.” Tremble looked at one of the troopers and motioned him forward before grabbing a small silver ball off of the troopers belt. “Alright, EMP in three, two…” Tremble tossed the ball out the door, and a moment later, a flash of light went off, revealing three armored pegasi.

Dusk took aim at the nearest one with his rifle before letting off a single shot, putting a bullet through the pegasi’s laser rifle. “Time to move!” Dusk broke out in a run, shooting his rifle from the hip while he made for the wall. But before he made it even halfway to his goal, one of the pegasi slammed into him, throwing Dusk through the wall of one of the many burnt out buildings.

“Marines, engage!” yelled Tremble as he charged the pegasi. The soldier elbowed the pegasi in the gut, before bringing the butt of his shotgun down on it’s helmet. Seemingly unfazed at the hit, the pegasi grabbed Tremble by the throat before he tossed him to the ground.

“Filthy vermin.” said the pegasi, as he knelt over Tremble. “I’m amazed that a bottom feeder such as yourself believes he might help stay our victory.”

“Shut the fuck up.” Tremble grabbed his shotgun, and slamfired three shots into the pegasi’s gut before kicking him away. Tremble got to his feet and walked over to his foe, all while ignoring the cacophony of gunfire from his soldiers. Once he saw the pegasi stir, he pointing his shotgun at its head before firing off a single shot.

By now, Dusk had dragged himself out of the rubble and walked over to Tremble. He looked at the dead pegasi, before looking at the blood-covered Sergeant. “I get the feeling you’ve done that before?”

“On more than one occasion.” Tremble turned around just in time to see the two other pegasi turn and fly off, just as the Guardian touched down behind them.

Steeljack and Dart were the first two off the ship, followed by Violet, Star and Lilith. Steeljack was the first of the group to notice the black armored corpse lying on the ground at Tremble’s feet. As the group got closer, Steeljack began to furrow his brow. Once he was close enough, he knelt down to further examine the body, before pulling a chunk of armor off of the damaged chest plate before tossing it to Lilith. “That look familiar?”

Lilith looked over the chunk of armor, before turning it over and noticing a symbol. “Yup.” Lilith handed the chunk to Star, who further examined it.

“Steeljack…” questioned Dusk “What is it?”

“It’s who you’re fighting.” said Star. “I don’t know if it’s good or not, but you’re at war with the Enclave.”

Author's Note

Ya, I threw a bit of Halo in there... For those who don't know, Redoubtable, Paris and Coral Sea went missing when they tried pursuing In Amber Clad, as outlined in Halo: Ghosts of Onyx. However, the most that the Paris and it's crew will provide some extra muscle, and the all important guns, that are needed to fight against the Enclave. You can't expect me not to try and find a way of evening the playing field just a bit... Including the Paris was the more logical of my ideas. From here, you'll start to see a bit more of Steeljack, and the aftereffects of being... Well, dead.

Chapter 5

UNSC Paris

2 Hours Later

“So, let me see if I have this all straight.” said Commander Baxter. “This ‘Enclave’ is one of the major factions in this ‘Wasteland’, and they’ve now decided for some inexplicable reason, through unknown means, decided to…” Baxter paused for a moment, seemingly at a loss for words. “We don’t know, do we?”

“No, we don’t.” said Steeljack. “We also don’t know how many of their soldiers are actually on the ground, nor where they’re based out of. All we know is that at least two of the ones that are left have power armor, and that they all have some laser rifles.”

“Then allow me to sum up what we actually know.” said Lilith, as she looked around the table before shrugging. “We know jack shit.”

“That would be an understatement if I ever heard one.” replied Baxter, before looking at Dusk. “Like I said earlier, I’ll gladly do what I can to help, but we need food and medical supplies.”

Dusk nodded. “I sent Gramps and Dart back to Manehattan to raid my supplies for now. It’s not nearly what you’ll need for the long run, but it’s a start. But we need to establish a regular supply line first, and being in the middle of an undeveloped forest doesn’t do anything to make it easier to establish that line.”

Tremble walked up to Dusk, tapping him on the shoulder. “Just tell me where to grab the supplies. I can have my men make some runs with a Warthog.”

“Works for me. I’ll just have to iron out the details.” replied Dusk. “Although I’ve got a nagging feeling that I’ll need some assistance from the Princesses.”

“Fine by me. I’d rather my people not starve -” Before Baxter could continue, one of the bridge officers walked up to him and whispered something in his ear. “Alright. Show us.” The officer put a chip into the table’s display, and a hologram of an island appeared in front of the group. “It would appear that we’ve detected a high-energy pulse on this island. It’s about fifty miles off the coast from our present location.”

“Deserted island, huh?” Dusk stopped to think for a moment. “Can anyone say ‘Enclave’?”

“I could, I have my doubts.” said Steeljack. “Two hours and fifty miles to a deserted island in the middle of the ocean? I don’t buy it.”

“Why not?” questioned the Commander. “We have it confirmed that the two survivors from Dodge Junction flew off. How couldn’t they make it?”

“They’re wearing power armor.” replied Steeljack. “In the air that’s all dead weight. And Dodge Junction is about twenty miles from the coast. I really don’t think that two armored Enclave soldiers could fly seventy miles to a point in the middle of the ocean.”

“So we have no logical answer to our readings.” stated Baxter. “Sergeant Tremble, prep your men. I want you wheels up within the hour.”

“Commander, if you don’t mind I’d rather go to investigate.” said Steeljack. “Although a ride would be nice.”

“But you plan on taking someone with you?” asked Lilith.

“Just go get Star and Violet. No reason to leave out the whole gang.” said Steeljack. With that, he turned and went for the door, leaving a rather quiet room in his wake.
______________________________________________________________________________

Steeljack walked into the hangar, looking around for the room for a moment before a pilot approached him. “You Steeljack?”

Steeljack just nodded. “Name’s Donald Evans. Commander Baxter told me you’ll need a lift.”

Steeljack remained silent for a moment, noticing that the pilot looked rather agitated. “Something’s wrong, isn’t it?”

“What was your first clue?” questioned the Pilot.

“You keep motioning to your knife.” replied Steeljack. “Crossing your arms is all fine and dandy, but it’s a shitty cover.” With that, Steeljack got uncomfortably close to the pilot, before staring him right in the face. “What’s your issue?”

“I’m being told to trust an alien, when aliens have been out to wipe out my species.” The pilot just snorted. “Do you really think trust is on the top of my list?”

“Doubt it. But you’re stuck with me.” Steeljack stepped back from the pilot. “Now, where’s your ship?” The pilot pointed out a pelican on the far side of the hangar, near the main entrance. As Steeljack walked over, he noticed that Violet and Star were sitting on the edge of the hangar floor, staring out onto the surrounding forest. Steeljack elected to ignore the pair and went straight for the Pelican. Once he got into the troop bay, he started rummaging through the storage compartments along the roof before he found a flat black pistol, it’s holster and six magazines. Steeljack went about fitting the holster, which had places to hold five of the magazines, and checking over the pistol once it was loaded.

“New toy?”

Steeljack turned around, noting that Lilith, Star and Violet had found him. “Dusk mentioned that Tremble keeps some spare weapons lying around.”

“So, you’re just going to grab one?” asked Star

“I asked Tremble about getting one earlier. I just wanted something small, and he told me that the Pelicans usually have some spare magnums, along with ammo.” Steeljack paused for a moment to shut the upper compartment. “He just told me to grab one and keep it for now. Something about how our rifles are ‘pieces of shit’ and it would be easier if we used sticks.”

Star just smirked, before lighting her horn. In a flash of light, Star, Lilith and Violet were blessed with the presence of their respective minigun, rocket launcher and plasma rifle. “I’m pretty sure these don’t categorize as sticks.”

“Once you run out of ammo they do.” snarked Steeljack. The unexpected quip left the group silent, before their pilot walked in. “We’re ready when you are Evans.”

The pilot just nodded before going to the cockpit and preparing for takeoff. As the ramp on the Pelican closed, a flash of light in the hangar caught the attention of the group. Steeljack just chuckled. “Looks like Dusk has company…”
______________________________________________________________________________

Celestia and Luna appeared in the Paris’ hangar in a flash of light, drawing the attention of some of the marines on the deck. The pair began walking towards one of the marines, before Luna grabbed him by the collar.

“My sister and I are looking for a unicorn. Dark blue fur, black mane. Where is he.” questioned Luna.

Celestia walked over to Luna, tapping her on the shoulder. With that, she dropped the marine. “I do apologize for my sister’s tongue. But that unicorn is a friend of ours. If you would be so kind, we would very much like to see him.”

“He’s with the Commander.” said the marine. “I’ll take you to him.”

The marine quickly walked out of the hangar, both princesses on his heel. As they walked down the hallway to the main elevator, both princesses looked around, noting that only a handful of the crews on repair duty bothered stopping to take note of their unannounced visitors.

Once they boarded the elevator, Celestia spoke up. “I get the impression that two ‘aliens’ don’t warrant much attention?”

Their marine escort shook his head. “Not when the aliens haven’t tried to kill us. Besides, the Commander told us to make our hosts feel at home, even if some of us aren’t too thrilled.”

“Any reason for that?” questioned the princess.

“The first aliens our species met tried to annihilate us. That was twenty years and who knows how many planets ago.” replied the marine. “Me, I’m a bit more open minded, but I haven’t seen combat before Earth got attacked. Hence I haven’t been scarred like some of the others.”

Before the princesses had a chance to add anything, the doors to the elevator opened and the marine led the pair onto the ship’s bridge. At a table in the center of the room was Dusk and an older human, deep in the midst what appeared to be an important conversation.”

“- and why are you suggesting an apple orchard as the main food supplier.?” asked the human.

“Details Baxter, details. Sweet Apple Acres is one of the most efficient food producers in the country. That’s why I suggest that it’s used as the main supplier. And they do more than just grow apples.” replied Dusk.

The human nodded, before he noticed the recently arrived group. “Private Wilkins, do you or your guests have anything to add?”

The private silently shook his head.

“Alright then.” The human walked towards the group, Dusk right on his heels. “I’m going to wager a guess that you two are his boss?” asked the human, who jestured towards Dusk.

Celestia nodded. “Indeed. I am Princess Celestia, and this is my sister Luna. We are the rulers of Equestria, and as you pointed out I am Dusk’s ‘boss’ as you put it.”

“Very well. I’m Timothy Baxter, Commander of the UNSC Paris. “ replied the human. “Now, we were just discussing how to establish supply lines so we can restock our food and medical supplies. Care to join us?”

“Commander, would you care to explain why you’re only seeking food and medicine?” questioned Luna.

“We’re stranded on an alien world with no contact with our people, and we’re running low on food and medicine. Once we run out either, my men will either be crippled by sickness or hunger. That isn’t something that I’m willing to let happen.” replied the Commander.

“Even if it means you help us fight a war?” inquired the diarch.

“Without question. My men have already seen what the Enclave did to your people at Dodge Junction. Sergeant Tremble’s report and photographs were very thorough. Simply put, you’re people don’t have a capacity to defend themselves, while my men would have either began dying because of lack of supplies, or the Enclave would have found us. Either way, we both share a mutual interest of protecting our respective people.”

“My only question is what is this ‘Enclave’ you speak of?” asked Celestia.

Dusk proceeded to introduce his face to the palm of his hand, before looking at the princess. “That’s my bad. I’ve been a bit focused on trying to establish a plan for resupplying Baxter’s men, so calling wound up on the back burner.”

“And why would that be?”

“Well… The humans have weapons, soldiers, and vehicles. What’s a bit more important; insuring we have an army to defend ourselves against a threat that’s already here, or playing politics?” asked Dusk.

“It still would have been good to know you’ve identified our foe.” grumbled Luna.

“And you’ll get over it.” quipped Dusk “Baxter’s men are the only reason we were able to take back Dodge Junction. As far as I’m concerned, their ability and willingness to help us takes precedence.”

Before another word could be said an alarm started going off on the bridge, sending the room into chaos. Humans were running between stations and arming themselves with weapons from lockers scattered around the bridge.

“What the hell is going on?” demanded Baxter

“We’ve got contacts! Two ships, unknown classification. One is moving on our position!” yelled one of the crewmen.

Baxter walked over to the table in the middle of the room before hitting a button. “Red alert, all hands man your battlestations!” Baxter hit another set of buttons. “Bridge to Engineering, power up the maneuvering thrusters. I need us airborne now.”

“Sir, we don’t even know if they’ll-”

“Just do it!” yelled Baxter, who hit a few more buttons. “Sergeant Tremble?”

“Tremble here, go ahead.”

“Load up the Pelicans with as many weapons, ammo, vehicles, marines and any non-essential personnel and get to Dodge Junction and establish a rally point. Any other non-essential personnel will evac with any of the vehicles that can’t go on the Pelicans and head for the rally point.”

“Copy that. What’s our timeframe?”

Baxter looked over at the officer. “How long until they get here?”

“About half an hour.” replied the officer.

Baxter went back to the table. “Tremble, you’ve got twenty minutes until the ground boys need to be off, twenty-five until I need the Pelicans out. I’d prefer it if you ran ahead of schedule so we can get this bucket in the air.”

“I’ll make it happen.”

“Baxter, we’ve only got one ship headed this way. Where’s the other one going?” asked Dusk.

“It’s headed north. Looks like a mountain range.” said one of the officers.

“It’s the Crystal Mountains. If they’re positioned right, they can easily reach Canterlot, Vanhoover and the Crystal Empire.” said Celestia.

“We’ll just have to keep an eye on them then. I’m more concerned about the ship headed our way.” replied the Commander. “Conn, get a scan on that ship up on the command interface. I want to know what we’re dealing with.” A moment later, a holographic representation of the ship appeared over the command table. The Enclave ship was long and flat, having four cannons on either side, a number of other turrets scattered along the hull, three large engines at the rear of the ship. “Analysis?”

One of the officers approached the command table. “It’s about 600 meters long, 150 meters at the widest point, and 160 meters tall. Their weapons appear to be energy-based, with the ones along the hull being the bigger ones. Most likely those are the heavy weapons, while the ones port and starboard are for triple-A. Hull armor is an unknown material but is about two meters thick. However, their hull is reinforced with some sort of shielding technology.”

“So, we’re outmatched and outgunned?” asked the Commander

“Not necessarily.” replied the officer. “The MAC systems are still functional, and we have plenty of ammo aboard. But the armor on that ship isn’t Titanium-A plate. Odds are that without shields we could shred right through the hull with the nine-tens, and we might be able to take those shields out with a few Archers.”

“Might I ask what a ‘nine-ten’ and a ‘Archer’ is?” questioned Celestia.

“The Archer is a type of missile that we have onboard for ship to ship combat. At the moment, we have a full complement of 1200 missiles, as we never had a good opportunity to use them back at Earth. As far as the nine-tens are concerned, officially called the M910 Point Defense Gun, they are large projectile weapons that work in a similar manner to our firearms, yet on a larger scale. We pissed through about ten thousand rounds of our full count of one hundred thousand before we made our run at the Prophet of Regret’s carrier. Conversely, we wound up here afterwards, but that’s a story for later.” replied the Commander. “Dusk, if you don’t mind, I’d like for you to stay here on the bridge. As you’re aware, my second-in-command is dead, and I could use a temporary replacement.”

Dusk nodded. “I’d be honored.”

“Good.” Baxter walked over to one of the many cabinets lining the wall and pulled out a grey jacket, before tossing it to Dusk. “But you’ll need to look the part.”

Dusk looked at the jacket, noting the smooth grey material it was made of, and the black eagle over the left breast. Dusk pulled the jacket on, before buttoning up the lapel and fastening a built in belt. “How do I look?”

Celestia and Luna exchanged glances, before Celestia walked up to Dusk. “You look fine. Just don’t let it go to your head.”

Dusk nodded. “I'll keep that in mind.”

“Now, I need both of you to get off my ship. If at all possible, I’d like for you two to accompany Zulu Company to Dodge Junction, for the sake of establishing positive relations.” requested the Commander.

“We would be honored.” replied the Diarch. “Luna, let’s go.”

As the two princesses walked off the bridge Dusk looked over at Commander Baxter, looking rather concerned. “Maybe I’m paranoid, but you have another reason for asking the princesses to accompany the marines, don’t you?”

“I’m not entirely convinced that we’ll manage to survive a prolonged firefight. You’ve spoken highly enough of your leaders, that I would expect them to aid my people when and if it is needed.” stated the Commander solemnly.

“Then why do you want me here?” asked Dusk

“I need to bring someone up to speed on how this ship runs, and how to command it should I become incapacitated or get killed. Without an officer with command experience and the ability to think on his or her feet, someone needs a crash-course.” replied the Commander. “As far as I’m concerned, you’re worth teaching.”

Dusk nodded, and followed Commander Baxter off of the bridge to oversee the evacuation efforts.

______________________________________________________________________________

Steeljack sat in silence for the majority of the flight out to the island, staring at the ground while he checked and rechecked his new sidearm. After a multitude of checks and rechecks, he holstered the pistol before heading for the cockpit. As he slid through the door, Evans looked back at him for a moment, before turning his attention to flying. Off in the distance, Steeljack saw the island that they were headed for. Noting an open seat next to Evans, Steeljack plopped himself down and sighed.

“You do realize I’m not a good therapist.” quipped Evans.

Steeljack cocked an eyebrow before chuckling. “Then you and I have something in common.”

“Really? I have something in common with an alien?” Evans just started laughing.

“Is it really that funny?” asked Steejack

“Of course it is!” Evans looked over at Steeljack. “The last thing I’d expect to hear from an alien is that we share common ideals. Maybe I should see if I can dig up some club jackets!”

“Ha ha ha Evans, very funny.” said Steeljack as he rolled his eyes. “Now, back to business. Do you see anything on that island?”

Evans hit a few switches on a console off to his right, before checking what appeared to be a sensor screen. “Well I’m seeing what looks like two dry docks, roughly large enough to hold the Paris, four triple-A emplacements at elevated positions, what looks like a command building, some barracks, and a tunnel leading to some sort of bunker near the beach outside of their base”

“How close can we get before they see us?” asked Steeljack

Evans paused for a moment before looking back at the screen. “I’m not seeing any air warning radar. Chances are that someone would have to look right at us to know we’re here.”

“Put us down on that beach then. We’ll check the bunker first. With any luck, there will be access points to other parts of the base.” Steeljack got up from the chair, and began walking back to the troop bay, where he hit the release for the rear hatch. Looking over at his companions, he nodded, before reaching up to the overhead compartments. “We’re almost to the island, and they’ve got a decent sized base. Four gun emplacements, drydocks, full barracks, a command center and some sort of bunker down on the beach.” As Steeljack dug through the compartment, he found some an explosive labeled ‘C-12’, and what appeared to be a sub-machine gun with four matching clips. Pocketing the clips, Steeljack checked over the weapon, finding the magazine release, the weapon’s safety selector, and a button that allowed the stock to be extended.

“So we’re shooting first, asking questions later?” asked Lilith

“Hell no. We’re taking the bunker on the beach first, then we’ll try to infiltrate the command building.” Steeljack turned to look back at the group. “Listen, this isn’t anything like us going after Spark. We’re fighting a trained military force. So the three of you stay close, and just follow my lead.”

With a shudder, the Pelican made landfall, and the group filed off. Once they made the beach, the Pelican took off, and flew back over open water before Steeljack’s radio crackled to life.

“Ground team, Evans here. I’m gonna hang back and try to avoid getting shot down. Radio in once you’re ready for pickup.”

“Copy that Evans.” Steeljack clicked off his radio, and motioned for the others to follow as he started walking up the beach towards the bunker entrance.

After a few minutes the group reached the bunker, and Steeljack motioned for the group to stop. Steeljack walked up to the bunker door.

“Something wrong?” asked Star

Steeljack grabbed the latch for the door, and after attempting to pull it open, the door unceremoniously fell to the ground. Steeljack looked back at Star, before jarring a thumb at the entrance. “That.” Steeljack turned to walk in the door, when he was hit in the chest with a blast of magic, throwing him down to the water’s edge. As he tried to get back up, a grey blur smashed into him, tossing Steeljack into the water. On his second attempt to stand, that same blur charged once more. Yet Steeljack was ready, stepping to the side before swinging his arm out and catching his attacker with a closeline.

The blur turned out to be a pegasus. As he attempted to stand Steeljack approached him with his weapon aimed at his head, before he was tackled from behind by yet another assailant, who tried to hold Steeljack’s head underwater. Steeljack heard yelling, when somepony pulled his attacker off him, while another dragged him up onto the beach before dropping him on his back.

As Steeljack laid out on the beach, trying to hack up the water that he had inhaled, he heard a voice he doubted he would hear again.

“Star, what the hell’s going on?”

Steeljack opened his eyes, and was met with the sight of a green earth pony mare decked out in leather armor, rifle in one hand with her back turned to Steeljack. He scrambled to his feet before swinging the mare around to see her face. Once he saw the black eye patch, Steeljack seemed to pale slightly.

“What the hell?” questioned the mare.

Steeljack let go of her shoulders and stepped back, nearly tripping over his own two feet. That backpedal allowed Steeljack some perspective; to the mare’s left was a grey pegasus with a ragged navy blue mane. To her right was a dark green unicorn, streaks of blue running through her black mane. But it was the mare in the middle that held Steeljack’s attention, while he held hers.

“Mom? Do you know this guy?” asked the pegasus.

The mare ignored her apparent son, walking up to Steeljack while never breaking eye contact. “Steeljack?”

For a moment Steeljack seemed to pale a bit further, before he reached out and cupped the mare’s chin. “Patch?”

Chapter 6

Uncharted Island

For a moment, Patch was taken aback by Steeljack’s gesture. That moment ended quickly when Patch delivered an uppercut straight into Steeljack’s jaw, sending him sprawling out on the beach.

Steeljack groaned and tried to push himself up. “What the hell was that for?” he asked.

“You’re not Steeljack.” said Patch. “I watched him die in a fireball. You might look like him, but there’s no way in hell tha-”

“Oh come on! We took on the Cult of Iron Will together, and unless I’m way off we both thought we were going to die.” quipped Steeljack.

Patch dragged Steeljack up by the collar, before staring him in the face. “You know what the kicker here is?” she asked. Dropping Steeljack back on the ground, she developed a glare that would melt the coldest glacier. “You did die.”

“Patch, please-” Steeljack pleaded

“No!” yelled Patch, tears starting to stream down her face. “I saw you die. I was there when we buried you. And I know that you weren’t there when the twins were born, so don’t say a damn thing.” For a moment, Patch seemed to hesitate, before leveling her rifle at Steeljack’s head.

“Patch, back off.” growled Lilith as she leveled her rocket launcher. “I don’t like it either, but he’s real.”

Violet and Star walked up to Patch, before putting themselves between Patch and Steeljack.

“Star, Violet, get the hell out of my way.” said Patch.

For a moment, Star and Violet exchanged glances. “We’re not moving.” stated Star.

Before anyone could react, Steeljack blew past Star and Violet, before grabbing Patch and mashing his face into hers in an impassioned kiss. Stepping back, Steeljack wiped a tear off her face. “Patch… Please just listen to me-”

Steeljack was cut off when Patch tackled him, pinning him on the ground. For a moment, it appeared that Patch had made her mind up. But that appearance was shattered when she kissed him before wrapping her arms around his head “It really is you, isn’t it?” she sobbed.

Steeljack didn’t say a word, before rolling Patch off him, scrambling to his feet while reaching down to help the mare up. “It’s me Patch.” as he dragged the mare to her feet, he wrapped her in a bear hug. “And I’m not going anywhere.”

“Steeljack…” groaned Patch as she tapped furiously on his shoulder.

“Shit.” Steeljack let go of the mare, before grabbing her shoulders. “You gonna be OK?”

“Now that I’m not getting crushed in a bear-hug, yes. I’ll be perfectly fine and I’ll die at a ripe old age.” snarked Patch.

“Can someone just tell us what the hell is going on?” asked the other green mare.

Steeljack looked over at the mare, taking note of her and her pegasus companion.

“Steeljack, meet Starry Night and Lightning Chaser.”

Steeljack stared at the twins for a moment, before walking up to the pair and wrapping them in a bear hug. “I never thought I’d see the day.” he said as he stepped back to get another look at the pair. “Now, I’ve gotta ask, but where did the two of you learn how to fight?”

The twins looked at each other, before just shrugging. “Just had some good teachers.” said Lightning Chaser.

Steeljack chuckled. “Good to know.”

Steeljack was interrupted when his radio started crackling. “Evans to ground team, prep for dustoff.” Within moments, the Pelican touched back down on the beach, ramp already dropped.

As the group made for the Pelican, Steeljack made a beeline for the Cockpit where he found Evans fiddling with the radio. “You do know we’re not done here, right?”

“It’ll have to wait. I just picked up on some radio chatter from the Paris.” Evans spun his chair around to face Steeljack, a rather grim expression evident on his face. “They’re evacuating the majority of the crew to Dodge Junction.”

“Any reason?” questioned Steeljack.

“Not that I picked up on the radio. But what makes things worse is that I can’t contact the ship, but I can hear them.” replied the Pilot.

Then the cockpit radio crackled to life. “Baxter to Tremble, be advised. The Enclave ship is entering visual range. We’re out of time.”

“Commander, the last Pelican is leaving the deck now. Luna is with me, and Celestia is with Wilkins on the lead Scorpion.”

“Understood. We’ll provide whatever cover we can. Paris out.”

Steeljack furrowed his brow before looking back at the pilot. “Get us back to the ship.”

“No need to tell me twice” replied Evans as he turned back to the controls.

Steeljack made his way back to the troop bay, before he took a seat opposite Patch. “Looks like our talk will have to wait a bit. The Paris is under attack by some Enclave airships.”

Patch cocked an eyebrow in confusion. “The Paris?”

Steeljack just chuckled. “It’ll be easier to see it instead of explaining it.”

______________________________________________________________________________

The floor shook beneath Dusk’s feet as the Paris took another hit from the Enclave airship. Around him, some of the consoles had started spewing sparks, while Commander Baxter was being tossed around in his chair.

“Report!” demanded the Commander

“Forward armor just took a hit. It’s starting to buckle!”

Dusk looked over at the officer. “Lock Archers on their weapons and fire at will!”

Immediately three Archer missles flew away from behind the bridge and streamed towards the Enclave airship before impacting on it’s shields. Since the Paris had taken off, they had been fighting a rather defensive engagement, trying to stay out of the airship’s line of fire, while occasionally throwing a few Archers out in response.

“No effect!” yelled the officer.

Commander Baxter looked back at Dusk. “I think we’ve been patient enough.”

Dusk nodded. “All batteries, fire at will.”

Immediately, streams of fire from the nine-tens accompanies another volley of Archer missiles. The effect was more pronounced, collapsing the airship’s shields before shredding parts of the armored hull.

“We’ve breached their hull armor!” reported an officer.

“Damn straight!” yelled Baxter.

“Well, we’ve got another problem.” retorted Dusk. “They’re sending a boarding party.”

“And how would you know that?” questioned the Commander.

Dusk pointed to the forward viewscreen. “I looked out the window.”

The commander turned his attention to the fore, and spotted the boarding party Dusk spoke of; a group of armored pegasi had taken off from the side of the Enclave airship, and were heading straight for the Paris.

______________________________________________________________________________

Steeljack sat in silence. For the better part of the last half hour, Evans had been pushing the Pelican to reach the Paris, and the constant shaking of the craft was a dead giveaway.

“Steeljack!” yelled the Pilot. “Turn your radio on!”

Steeljack went for his radio, before he clicked it on, and was met with an immediate burst of static. “All units, be advised. Paris has a boarding party inbound. As of now you’re all on your own.”

Steeljack hit the transmitter button on the radio. “Paris, this is Alpha-Two. The cavalry is on the way.”

“Come again Alpha-Two. We’re barely reading.”

Steeljack just sighed. “Evans, where do we stand?”

“I can see the Paris!” yelled the pilot. “They’re really getting fucked up!”

Steeljack looked at Star and Lilith. “Can you two take out some of those troopers?”

“Against nearly impossible odds?” asked Lilith. “Eh, it’ll be a cakewalk.”

“Sorry, but I don’t share your confidence.” quipped Steeljack. “Violet, I want you on the door gun. You and Evans are going to take on the Enclave troops. Lilith, Star, you two make a run at that airship and take out their guns.”

“So what are we doing?” asked Starry

“You, your brother, and Patch are with me. We’re going to keep the Enclave off the Paris.”

Steeljack’s radio crackled to life once more. “Tremble to Paris, Zulu Company and Guardian are inbound. What’s your status?”

“Tremble, Dusk here. Forward armor is starting to buckle, we’ve got Enclave in the starboard hangar, comms are spotty and one of the primary conduits to the engines just blew out. Sergeant, we need that airship off our backs now!”

“Copy that. We’ll deploy Betas One and Two to the hangar. Alpha-Three will ride with us to the airship.”

Steeljack looked up at Patch once more. “Change of plans, we’re going after that airship.” Steeljack went back to his radio. “Tremble, this is Alpha-Two. We’ll clear a landing zone.”

As the Pelican began to bank towards the Enclave airship, Patch took the opportunity to swap sides in the troop bay, saddling up next to Steeljack. “So… What’s with ‘Alpha-Two’?” she asked, using air quotes to drive the point home.

“Just a callsign.” he replied. “I picked it up a few years back when I first came here.”

“We still don’t know what ‘here’ actually means.” quipped Lightning Chaser

Steeljack just smiled. “An Equestria not scarred by war and death. No balefire, no radiation, no megaspells. An Equestria that is actually at peace with the world, for the most part. That is what I mean by ‘here’.”

Patch smiled, looking at Steeljack. “Sounds like fun.”

“Better than dodging raiders and psychopaths on a regular basis.” said Steeljack. “Once we’re done here we’ll all sit down, grab some decent food and talk. I at least owe it to you and the kids.”

“Steeljack!” Evans yelled from the cockpit. “We’re hitting the deck in ten seconds!”

Steeljack got up from his seat and went for the back of the ship. Once the ramp dropped, the door gun unfolded from the side wall. Stepping to the opposite side, Steeljack looked over at Violet. “Showtime.”

Violet nodded as she got up and walked over to the door gun.

Once the Pelican made contact with the airship the group filed off onto the hull and spread out as their ride took off, while Lilith and Radiant Star took to the sky.

Steeljack looked around for a moment before going for his radio. “Tremble, you’re clear to land.”

“Copy that.”

As Tremble’s Pelican touched down and the marines filed off, Steeljack caught sight of Dart, decked out in an unfamiliar set of armor with an SMG of her own. Pushing through the crowd of marines, Steeljack made his way over to the unicorn, before grabbing her collar and hauling her over to his compatriots.

Once he let go, Dart looked up at Steeljack before she punched him in the arm. “What the hell was that for?”

“To make some introductions.” Steeljack looked over at Patch. “Dart, this is Patch.”

Patch stared at Dart before looking back at Steeljack. “What the hell?”

“Patch, I know what you’re thinking and you’re wrong.” said Steeljack. “Dart has been something of a protege since I first arrived here. It’s a rather long and drawn out story that we don’t have time for.”

One of the marines walked up to the group, standing out due to the red markings on his armor. “Steeljack, you see a way in?”

Steeljack shook his head. “Nope. Although I think you have a key Tremble.”

“If by key, you mean a block of C12, you’re right.” replied the Sergeant as he pulled the charge out of a softcase on his leg.

______________________________________________________________________________

By this point, the bridge of the Paris was filled with a haze of smoke, lit occasionally by sparks from broken consoles and the daylight from the forward viewscreen. Dusk looked around, seeing a handful of officers still at their posts, while others were lying on the ground, injured from plasma burns when their consoles exploded.

“Sir, Beta One and Two have pushed back the Enclave in the hangar.” reported an officer.

“About fucking time!” yelled Baxter. “Does anyone have anything else to add?”

Dusk walked over to the Commander, the sleeve on his jacked torn slightly at the cuff. “Supposedly the damage control teams have the power to the engines back to normal, and they’ve started working on some of the internal damage on the forward section of the ship where the armor is buckling. In unrelated news, Zulu Company and some of my associates are in the process of breaching the Enclave airship now.”

As Commander Baxter looked back to the forward viewscreen, he saw a small explosion on the upper hull. “I’ll take it that Tremble found his spare keys?”

“Probably. Either that or he decided to do some redecorating” quipped Dusk.

______________________________________________________________________________

Steeljack was the first one to drop into the airship through Tremble’s impromptu method of entry. As the marines dropped in through the hull breach, Steeljack took a moment to look around. They had landed in a large open room, now filled with smoke and dust from the explosive charge. Dart dropped in right behind him, looking around the empty room, followed closely by Patch and the marines.

As the boarding party spread out, Dart walked up to Steeljack. “Any idea on where to start?”

“First we need to take the bridge.” Steeljack replied. He looked back at Patch, who had found Lightning Chaser and Starry Night and was approaching the pair. “Me, you, Patch and the kids can take care of that.”

“So kick ass and take names?” asked the unicorn.

Steeljack furrowed his brow at the mare. “I wouldn’t put it like that, only because there’s no need to go half-cocked. We only need to focus on securing the bridge, not blowing it to kingdom-come.” Steeljack looked around for the marine Sergeant for a moment. “Tremble! Where the hell are you?” he yelled.

The Sergeant walked up behind Steeljack. “Right here, no need to yell.”

Steeljack turned to face the human. “I need you and the marines to secure the ship. Just fan out and drive the Enclave off. I’ll worry about taking the bridge.”

The Sergeant nodded before facing the assembled crowd of troopers. “Alright marines, we are taking this god damn ship! I don’t give a flying fuck what gets in our way. If it ain’t these fine badasses over here, I want it shot and killed. Understood?”

“Hooah!” yelled the marines.

“Damn straight. Now move out!” yelled Tremble.

Immediately the crowd of marines went for the bulkheads, splitting up into four teams of five. Once the first trooper pulled the bulkhead open, the humans stormed through. Gunfire was immediately head as the troopers advanced down the corridors into the bowels of the ship, met by returned pings of energy weapons. Steeljack led his group in behind Tremble, before coming on a junction to a corridor that led to the front of the ship. The farther down the corridor they moved, the reports of gunfire and energy weapons became more akin to background noise. Soon, the group saw the light at the end of the tunnel; an atrium that connected directly to the bridge, with a convenient one-way window to view the organized chaos below.

Patch was the first one at the window, eyes widening at the sight of a small mob of power-armor clad pegasi amassed below. “Really?” she asked. “I know I’ve seen stupid shit before, but taking on an entire room of Enclave soldiers?” Patch just shook her head.

“I doubt it’ll be that difficult” suggested Steeljack. “Dart, you’re with me on the ground. Patch, try and pick some of those bastards off from up here. Starry, Lightning, you’re on deck to save our asses.”

“So we can kick ass and take names now?” asked Dart

Steeljack just smiled, before breaking the window apart with the butt of his weapon before diving through. Dart was right behind him, and the pair landed on two of the Enclave troopers and immediately fired bursts from their weapons into the chests of their downed foes.

As the two got off the Enclave troopers, their compatriots around the room were staring in shock at Steeljack and Dart. “Well then, who’s next?” asked Steeljack with a cocky grin.

______________________________________________________________________________

Dusk paced around the bridge of the Paris, gathering reports from crewmen as he went before being interrupted by Meteor, who had finally made it up to the bridge with Flash.

“This is where you’ve been hiding?” Meteor looked around the bridge, before looking back at Dusk. “It’s a bit dark, don’t you think?”

“Then here’s a bright idea; replace the light bulbs!” retorted Dusk. “If you didn’t notice, I’ve got better things to do at the moment than just chatting.”

“Good to know.” added Baxter as he approached. “Looks like that airship won’t be firing at us anymore. I just got word from Mr. Evans that the last of their main guns have been disabled, and their troopers are heading north to rendezvous with the other airship, which is holding position just off the coast.”

“Do we have anything from the strike team?” asked Dusk

Baxter shook his head. “I haven’t heard anything since Tremble reported that they were encountering heavy resistance near some sort of cell block.”

“Would it hurt if we went over?” asked Meteor, motioning back to his silent companion.

“I don’t see why not. I’ll just need to stop and grab my gear.” Dusk turned to the Commander. “I’ll take it things should be all set over here?”

The Commander only nodded, and the group made their way for the door.

______________________________________________________________________________

By this point, Steeljack was having some difficulty navigating the bodies that were crowding the floor. By this point, Starry Night and Lightning Chaser had joined the fray, tag-teaming one soldier after another. All the while, Patch was above the group in the atrium picking off soldiers as they popped up from behind the bridge stations.

As Steeljack unloaded another clip from his weapon, he went for his pocket, only to find he had run out of clips for his SMG. Discarding the weapon, he pulled out his pistol and started firing at yet another power-armored soldier, dropping yet another after a sudden removal of brain mass.”Are we done yet?” he yelled.

Steeljack took a step back, before backing into Dart, who had discarded her own weapon and was using a plasma rifle she had recovered from the horde of dead soldiers. “Since when are we ever done?” she asked.

“For starters-” Steeljack ducked the punch from yet another soldier, before grabbing the unfortunate colt’s collar, pulling him close before jamming his pistol up into his jaw and pulling the trigger. “We aren’t.” Steeljack turned to his comrade as his most recent foe crumpled to the ground. “Although a vacation looks quite appealing.” With his back turned, one of the few remaining Enclave on the bridge charge, yet he didn’t get far. Steeljack was in rare form, pulling out a knife before whipping around and jamming the knife right in the temple of the would-be assassin.

With only two remaining soldiers on the bridge, Steeljack turned to face them, Dart on his heels, with Starry Night and Lighting Chaser off to the side. “Look, you could either surrender and live life out in a prison cell, or we kill you two. It’s up to you.” he said with a shrug.

In a moment of wisdom, the two soldiers dropped their weapons, before putting their hands behind their heads and dropping to their knees. Almost immediately, marines started swarming the bridge, weapons trained on the pair. With the marines were two bedraggled ponies. One was a grey earth pony, the other a white pegasus carrying a plasma defender.

As the pair approached the surrendering enclave, Steeljack saw that the pegasus had been maimed at one point; one of his wings was burnt and scarred, while the earth pony had a scar running across his left eye.

“Gentlemen.” said the pegasus. “Remember how I said payback’s a bitch?” The pegasus pointed his weapon at the first soldier, before firing a single shot into the head of the soldier, repeating the same action with the second. “Well, it is. So fuck the both of you!”

“Was that necessary Strike?” asked the earth pony.

Steeljack took the opportunity to approach the pair. “Comet if I knew any better, then I’d say that an execution might have been warranted.” As the two turned back to Steeljack, he just shrugged. “What?”

“Good to see you too Steeljack.” said the pegasus. “Where’s Dusk?”

“Honestly?” asked Steeljack. “I don’t have a clue. He should still be on the Paris if it means anything.”

“Fine by me.” Strike turned to look at Comet, before looking back at Steeljack. “So, we leaving?”

“Hell no you’re not!” yelled Dusk as he walked onto the bridge, Flash Sentry and Meteor Shower on his heels. Dusk strode up to the pair, before wrapping them both in a bear hug. Releasing them and stepping back, Dusk had something unusual across his face; a genuine smile. “It’s been too damn long.”

“I’d agree, but as you can see we’ve been otherwise occupied.” replied Strike, turning to show Dusk his maimed wing.

Dusk cringed at the sight of the damaged appendage. “I’ll see if I can pull a favor with the Princess. She might know a way of fixing… That.”

Strike cocked an eyebrow, before glancing over at Comet. “Did you say ‘Princess’?” he asked.

Dusk nodded. “I’d consider myself a friend of Celestia’s. A rather distant, unusual, eccentric-”

“We get the idea.” groaned Comet. “You let her find that our group exists. I thought you were taught better than that?

“Comet, she didn’t find out. I went and found her.” replied Dusk. “We needed support from the crown. Recruits, equipment, supplies. After we came back, most of what we had left ended up getting used. And did I mention we were broke?”

“Comet, Strike, put a damn sock in it.” ordered Meteor. The pair stopped, looking at a leader they thought long dead. “Look, while I hate the idea that we have to answer to some government burecrats, considering the shitshow I found when I got back? That might be the only reason that there even still is a Blaze Squad left.”

“And I’ll just start listening to a dead guy when it comes to advice then.” snarked Strike.

Dusk laughed for a moment. “If it makes you feel any better Strike, I did beat the snot out of the bastard.” Dusk stopped for a moment, a green unicorn with a shiney black mane catching his eye.

Before Dusk even had a chance to approach the mare, Steeljack got between the two, furrowing his brow.

“What?” asked Dusk.

“Don’t even think about it.” said Steeljack.

“The name’s Starry Night by the way.” said the mare. “I guess you’ve already met dad?”

Dusk’s eyes went wide for a moment. “Bloody hell. When did you have time to have kids?”

For a moment, Steeljack looked over at Patch, who just shrugged. “Theater.” he said as he turned back to Dusk.

“Theater?” asked Dusk. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

Patch walked up to Dusk, nudging him. “Unless you want me to scar you with mind-numbing details, don’t ask.”

Dusk cocked an eyebrow. “And you must be…” Dusk paused to tap his chin for a moment, before snapping his finger. “Your Patch, aren’t you?”

Patch deadpanned, pointing at her eyepatch. “What was your first clue?”

“Eh, green mare, blue mane. Steeljack did mention an eyepatch.” Dusk stepped back and smirked. “Easy enough once I thought of it. Anyway, name’s Dusk-”

“Baxter to all teams, two minutes to evac. Start wrapping up.”

Dusk grabbed his radio. “Copy that Baxter, we’re packing up now. Give me a minute to grab the harddrive out of the ship’s computer.” With that, Dusk pulled a cord out from his pipbuck, until now hidden under his sleeve, before hooking into one of the bridge terminals. While the data began streaming before his eyes, he looked at the few remaining marines. “Get back to the Pelican. We’ve got our own ride out.”

As the marines ran out of the room, Comet started fidgeting. “And what would you mean by ‘our own ride out’?” he asked.

“Evan’s is on station for pickup at the primary landing zone.” As the data stopped streaming across Dusk’s pipbuck, he pulled the cord and looked back at the group. “Well, don’t wait on my account. Let’s move!”

As the group ran down the corridor, Dusk’s radio chimed in again. “Baxter to Dusk, I need you off that ship now.”

“We’re working on it!” yelled Dusk. As the group rounded the corridor, daylight was seen streaming in from the bulkhead at the end of the corridor. As the group blasted through the opening, the found themselves running right into the back of a waiting Pelican. Dusk was the last one in. “Paris, this is Dusk. We’re clear.” Dusk turned back to the cabin full of ponies, grabbing onto a handrail as the Pelican rocketed away from the airship. “I’d recommend holding onto something!” he yelled.

The reason soon became apparent, as the Pelican blasted by the Paris, now facing the Enclave ship. For a moment, there was a flash of light, before a massive blast shook the Pelican, leaving the passengers blinded and deafened.

As Dusk’s eyesight began to clear up, he looked back on the mass destruction left in the wake of the Paris’ MAC round. The Enclave airship was nothing but flaming scrap metal, crashing to the forest below. Dusk grabbed his radio once more. “Good hit Paris.”

“Damn right it was a good hit! That’s one less Enclave airship to worry about!” yelled the familiar voice of Sergeant Tremble through the radio.

“While I’ll agree that it was a good hit, we still have one more out there. In the meantime Tremble, I want you to go with Dusk to Canterlot. We’ve been offered more permanent accommodations there for our equipment as well as our pathetic asses. I’ll grab the ground teams and meet you there later. Baxter out.”

“Huh…” Dusk stopped to think for a moment. “Anyone else hoping that we get the same invite?” Met with the quizzical looks of his cabin mates, as well as Radiant Star and Lilith (who had just landed in the troop bay through the still-open door). Dusk sighed. “Is it too hard to ask for a decent bed? Maybe some fresh food?”

“And if I said it was?” asked Steeljack, wry grin plastered across his face.

Dusk only groaned, hitting the button to close the rear door before walking up to the cockpit.

Author's Note

*Edited 10/5/15

Chapter 7

Canterlot Castle

Dusk was among the first ponies off the Pelican once it landed in the gardens at the castle in Canterlot. With his back to the ramp, he looked back on the cabin. “Fillies and gentlecolts, welcome to Canterlot.” Once he turned around and dropped the ramp, Dusk had three spears at his throat. Finally noticing the contingent of Royal Guards that were ready to storm the Pelican, Dusk chuckled. “Guess I should have called ahead?” he asked.

“Alright lads, take it easy.” ordered Meteor as he walked up behind Dusk. “Just drop the weapons, and the Princess won’t have your heads.”

“And why the hell should we believe you?” asked one of the guards.

“Because that stallion earned his title.” said one of the guards. This one stood out. As opposed to the standard gold armor, his was a glossy shade of purple. Taking off his helmet and shaking his mane free, the stallion eyed Meteor Shower before approaching. “Commander Meteor Shower?” he asked.

“Captain, drop the formalities. I haven’t been called Commander in a long time.” chuckled Meteor. “What’s your name son?”

“Name’s Shining-”

“Prince Armor?” asked Flash, as he joined the group on the ramp.

Meteor cocked an eyebrow at the unicorn. “Since when did royalty command the Guard?”

“Since I got married.” replied the stallion. “It’s a rather long story involving a bit of brainwashing. You know, the usual?”

“Son, you’ve just described the core of every marriage in this bloody country.” Meteor paused a moment before cracking a smile. “You and I are going to get along just fine.”

“Now, are we done here?” asked Dusk impatiently. He received no response. “Alright then! Evans, you stay here. Blaze Squad, mark out a landing zone for the Pelicans. Miss Star, you and the usual suspects get the gear off the Pelicans as they land. Just leave the vehicles to the marines.”

As Dusk started walking towards the castle, Star exchanged a glance with Violet before developing a rather confused expression. “And where does he think he’s going?”

“To find a good diplomat!” yelled Dusk as he continued his walk to the castle.

______________________________________________________________________________

Twilight was sitting in the castle library, sipping on a cup of tea while going over yet another spell book from the library’s vast collection. After she had returned from Manehattan, she began combing through spell books in an attempt to find a way to reproduce the spell matrix that was used as the Guardian’s power source. She remained engrossed in her book until Dusk walked up behind her and tapped her on the shoulder.

“Ms. Sparkle, I could use your help.” asked the Unicorn.

As she followed Dusk out of the library, she made sure to keep pace with him. “Help with what?” she asked.

“Just some inter-species diplomacy. Celestia and Luna are unavailable, so you’ll have to do.” replied Dusk.

“Ok?” replied Twilight, rather perplexed.

As the duo walked out into the castle garden Twilight saw two large green ships, similar to the Guardian, out on the lawn. A number of creatures were running in and out of the craft, bringing boxes and crates out and dropping them in the grass before running back to repeat the process.

“Ms. Sparkle, meet humanity.” said Dusk.

Twilight looked over at Dusk. “And you want me to initiate formal diplomatic relations?”

“Na, I already did most of that. Just help find some place for them to stay. In the palace preferably. It’s a bit better than the Paris.” as Dusk jarred his thumb skyward, a shadow fell over the Castle, followed by a dull roar. Twilight looked up in horror as she saw a massive ship fly over the palace and head for the valley below the city. Dusk noticed Twilight’s expression, and nudged her arm. “They’re really not all bad. A few of em’ can be assholes, but that neither here nor their.”

As Dusk strode away from a dumbstruck Twilight, he managed to find Sergeant Tremble dragging crates of weapons and ammo out of the back of one of the Pelicans with the aid of two of his soldiers. Once clear of the ramp, he knocked his fist of the back of the Pelican, and it took off after the Paris. “Nice place we got here.” he noted.

“Just be warned that we aren’t liable if you can’t get your ass out of bed in the morning.” snarked Dusk. The two only needed to exchange glances before they started laughing. Once they calmed down, Dusk looked over at the Sergeant. “In all seriousness, I’m not kidding. The beds here in the castle make everything else feel inferior.”

“Then I’ll gladly take one and a week’s vacation.” joked the Sergeant.

“Take whatever time you need Tremble.” said Dusk ask he walked over to the Guardian, which had arrived while he was inside. “Now, I never got around to asking,” wondered Dusk aloud, “But who was flying my ship?”

“Someone looking for me?” asked Blueblood as he walked down the ramp from the Guardian’s cabin.

“Alright, when did you learn how to fly my ship?” asked Dusk while he tapped his foot impatiently.

“Your grandfather showed me.” responded Blueblood

Dusk groaned as he walked away, muttering something about the “lack of respect” for personal property.

______________________________________________________________________________

By nightfall, the majority of the humans had all arrived at Canterlot Castle. All of their gear and vehicles had been assembled on the lawn of the castle garden, while the marines had built a bonfire with coals and firewood that they had procured from the castle forge. Most of the marines had gathered around the fire, some sitting in silence, while others stood around in small groups conversing.

Sergeant Tremble was apart from the marines, having taken up residence on a balcony overlooking the garden with nothing but his thoughts to keep him company. He had ditched the top half of his armor and replaced it with a red tank top. Looking out on the garden, he appeared to be deep in thought.

“Something wrong?” asked Commander Baxter as he joined the soldier.

“Just thinking sir.”

“You worried that we won’t get off this planet?”

The soldier shook his head. “No. Just trying to think of a way to get our hands on the gear we left on the Redoubtable and Coral Sea.”

Baxter took a moment to think, leaning on the balcony railing. “We’d need to make sure that the Paris is air-tight. Beyond that, we should be able to make it to their wrecks and salvage some gear, unless Coral Sea and Redoubtable started sucking vacuum after we left.”

“And what if the Redoubtable is atmosphere capable?”

“We could probably skip transferring equipment in a vacuum and just take her planetside. If we’re lucky enough, she’s in good enough shape where we can use her as an assault ship.”

“At that point we can just cannibalize the Coral Sea for parts then?”

The commander just nodded. “Anything on that pile of junk is fair game as far as I’m concerned. Lord knows that the Coral isn’t anything less by now.”

“Alright, so we have a plan.” as the two left the balcony and started walking down the corridor in the castle, Tremble paused for a moment. “How do you think the ponies will react if we brought down the Redoubtable?”

Baxter stopped to think, clicking his tongue before simply shrugging. “I honestly have no idea. But we can’t really give them a choice. If we want to fight the Enclave, we heed a way of moving at least a small battalion and the associated equipment. If we need the Paris to stand and fight we can’t put down to offload, and Pelicans won’t cut it because we don’t have enough of them. I don’t see another option.”

“We’re going to have loads of fun, aren’t we?” questioned Tremble.

“What can I say?” asked the Commander with a smirk. “It’s fun for the whole family Don.”

______________________________________________________________________________

Steeljack was sitting in Princess Celestia’s study sipping away on a beer, while Dusk was opposite of him pouring over a tablet loaded with information from the Paris’ computers. It had been mostly quiet since the last of the humans had arrived, so the opportunity to sit back and put his feet up was a welcome break. At the moment the various members of Blaze Squad were scattered about the room, while Celestia and Meteor Shower were off to the side engaged in what appeared to be an intense conversation.

Dusk finally put down his tablet, before wadding up a piece of paper and throwing it at Steeljack to get his attention. “I thought Patch was going to show up?”

“She’ll be here.” said Steeljack.

“Alright.” Dusk stopped for a moment before leaning back on the couch. “Can I ask you something?”

“Shoot.”

“Would it be a problem if I thought…” Dusk waved his hands around for a moment, seeming to think of his choice of words. “If Starry is, well, a smoke-show?”

Steeljack sighed, before putting down his beer down on the coffee table between the two. “Let’s face facts here. You’re young. I wouldn’t blame you. I have no issue if you try to talk with Starry, maybe make a friend out of her. But if you want to say that my daughter is a ‘smoke-show’ as you say, don’t do it with her standing right behind you.”

Dusk went pale for a moment, before the mare herself jumped over the back off the couch and plopped down next to him smirking.

“Uh…” For once, Dusk was speechless. Steeljack and Starry could only laugh at his embarrassment. “I’m just gonna stop talking.”

“Might be for the best.” said Patch as she walked by, before grabbing a seat next to Steeljack while Lightning Chaser grabbed his own chair. “Now, somepony owes us some details.”

“I guess I do.” Steeljack looked over at Dusk. “Alright, do a quick recap. I’m gonna go grab some food.”

As Steeljack left, Dusk looked over at Patch, before sighing. “Alright, I’ll keep it simple. A few years back Comet, Strike and I found a portal that connected our universe to yours, where we got dumped in an old MAS bunker underneath Tenpony Tower. In there we found a lab dedicated to developing super soldiers for the Equestrian Army under a program called Project Ichor. With a bit of genetic engineering and an IMP derivative, a prototype blank got developed-”

“I’m sorry, but a blank? They’re mindless drones.” pointed out Lightning.

“The key here is that they’re mindless. What the MAS found is that attempts to use the same process on normal test subjects put significant strain on the body. As such, someone came up with the great idea of using a blank like a robobrain shell. That way the perfect soldier could be developed without harming a subject.”

“So if I’m understanding this correctly... “ Patch stopped for a moment. “Ok, I don’t understand.”

“I’m not surprised.” quipped Dusk “What the program did towards the end of the war was transplant brain from subjects into a blank, and using the IMP derivative on the blank, which was already modified, you could mold the body to look and function identically to that of the subject’s original. From what we found MAS had five subjects in the field before the bombs fell, but with no records after that we have no idea if they survived or how long they remained functional after that.”

“Then you used one of the blanks on Steeljack?”

“Exactly. I don’t know what pointed me to his grave, but what I found is that while all of his limbs were fried the radiation from the dragon’s fire served as a method to ‘ghoulify’ all of his internal organs and preserve them in a functional state. So, I cut his brain out and teleported back to the bunker with it. I’ll just guess that the three of you can fill in what I did after that?”

“Ok… But what made you act like a mad scientist?” asked Starry

“Probably some aftereffect from the database maintained by the project. The project’s attached AI had a supercharged memory spell, in essence a giant memory orb, which contained everything. Details about the war, the ministries, the project. Try having all that forced into your head at one time and try not going off half-cocked.” replied Dusk.

“But it all worked out for the best.” said Steeljack as he returned with a small bundle. Unfurling it out on the table, it’s contents of apples, pastries and some bottles of cola.

Dusk looked over the entree laid out for the group, before looking up at Steeljack. Before he could say anything, Steeljack pulled a silver flask of scotch out of his jacket and tossed it to Dusk.

“Now, where were we?” asked Steeljack

Dusk took a swig from his flask before putting the cap back on. “I got up to the part about playing mad scientist.”

“So, right before I stabbed you then?” As Patch and the twins’ faces devolved into looks of confusion, Steeljack grabbed Dusk’s flask and took a quick swig before starting to speak.

______________________________________________________________________________

MAS Bunker
Approx. Three Years Ago

For a moment, it took Steeljack some time to process that he actually felt cold. While he was trying to wrap his head around the new sensation, he realized that he couldn’t breath. As his eyes flew open, he saw the outline of three ponies on the other side of a glass wall. He began to panic, and started banging on the glass. His continued assault led to a crack developing in the wall. In a final push, he delivered a powerful kick to the glass wall. As the glass shattered, the liquid that Steeljack was suffocating in drained out, leaving him sprawled on the floor.

“You OK?” asked a blue unicorn.

Steeljack reacted quickly, grabbing a shard of shattered glass before rocketing forward and tackling the unicorn. As the unicorn struggled, Steeljack jammed the shard into his shoulder before snapping off the protruding length of the glass.

“Motherfucker!”. Before Steeljack could react the unicorn’s companions tackled him to the ground and pinned him, as the wounded colt forced himself to his feet.

“Really?” questioned the colt as he pulled the shard of glass out of his arm. “Is it an insult around here to ask if somepony’s OK, or did I miss something?”

Steeljack tossed the other two stallions off him, before tackling the unicorn to the ground a second time. “What did you to me?”

“Saved you from a life of boredom?” asked the colt meekly.

Steeljack wasn’t very thrilled with his answer, and bashed his head into the floor. “I’ll ask one more time. What did you do to me?”

“I put your brain in a genetically engineered body that was thrown together for some MAS project. Happy now?”

As the pair clambered to their feet, Steeljack looked back at the tube he had been in when he first awoke. Along the top of the now broken tube was a brass plate. Etched in the brass were the words ‘Project Ichor, Phase Two, Subject Six’.

“It’s a Ministry of Arcane Sciences super soldier project.” said the unicorn and he walked up to Steeljack. “Name’s Dusk by the way.”

“Call me Steeljack.” As he looked over the tube he found the main display. Flipping through the screens, he found some of the basics for the project components before turning away and smashing the screen with his fist.

______________________________________________________________________________

For a moment, it appeared that Steeljack was trying to think of his words, before he fell back in his seat and sighed. “Dusk, there any scotch left?” Steeljack grabbed the flask as Dusk tossed it over to him, before drinking what was left out of the bottle.

“Something wrong?” asked Dusk.

“Look, we’ll have to finish this in the morning.” said Steeljack as he rose from his seat and made for the door.

Patch looked at both the twins before looking over at Steeljack, now already out the door. “What just happened?”

“I get a feeling I know.” Dusk looked around the room for a moment, before getting up and walking over to Dart. After a few brief words, he walked back over before plopping back down in his seat. “Dart’s gonna try to talk to him, see what's wrong.”

“Just putting this out there,” stated Lightning Chaser “But how is some mare gonna deal with-”

Dusk simply held his hand up to Lightning Chaser. “You need to understand that Steeljack is unstable. He has been as long as I’ve known him, and Dart is the only one of us who has had any sort of success when he’s gone off like that.”

“You make it sound like he’s crazy.” quipped Starry.

“And he is.” retorted Dusk. “From what we know about Project Ichor, there weren’t any side effects that caused mental instability.”

Patch got up from her seat. “I’ll talk to him.” She tore out of the room, before throwing the door open and running out after Steeljack.

Dart walked over to the group, looking concerned. “Did I miss something?”

“Mom’s just being overprotective.” Starry looked down at her feet for a moment, before looking up at Dart. “What’s my father to you?”

Dart took a moment to process the question before sitting down in Patch’s now vacant seat. “He’s my hero. Now, before you take that the wrong way and start thinking… OK, just forget I said that part. Before I met him and Dusk, I was a servant on plantation in the Griffany. I don’t remember anything before my time there. One night, him and Dusk showed up-”

“We were trying to interrogate her for information on the owner, De Witt.” added Dusk. “We thought he was running a drug ring at the time.”

“Moving on, the two of them had me up against the wall. Dusk was asking all the questions while Steeljack hung back and watched. Once they figured out that I didn’t know much, Dusk let me go. Then he saw the scar on the back of my neck from the whips that the plantation guards used on me and the other servants.”

As Starry and Lightning Chaser exchanged looks, Dusk chuckled. “Once I saw that, Steeljack and I decided to take out De Witt and the plantation guards. So we lit the field on fire, and when the guards showed up-”

“You took them all out?” asked Lightning Chaser

“Not me, but Steeljack.” replied Dusk. “He did all of the heavy lifting, so to speak. I didn’t have a chance to lift a finger before he took the whole group on. Two minutes later, they’re all on the ground either dead or dying from stab and bullet wounds.”

“De Witt showed up right when Steeljack was finishing off the last of the guards, and all he did was watch. No fear, no anger. He just watched as Steeljack slaughtered his entire defense force.” noted Dart. “De Witt never had a chance. Steeljack and Dusk blasted the guy. After that, they broke into the servant’s quarters and escorted us all across the Equestrian border into Vanhoover, where they brought us to the local hospital before they tried to leave. I followed them into an alley by the hospital-”

“And the rest is history.” Dusk noted. “We took Dart back to our factory in Manehattan, patched up her wounds and tried to learn a bit about her. Steeljack ended up taking Dart under his wing, teaching her how to shoot and fight. Shortly after that, I sent Comet and Strike back to the Wasteland on a long-term recon mission to try and find equipment and some recruits. All we got was Cosmo, a retired NCR Ranger. Mostly he sticks around Manehattan, dealing with petty thieves and whatnot. We’ve done a few ops with him. The more recent one was when me and Steeljack nearly got killed by Lilith and Star, but that’s a story for another day.”

“Then what do we do now?” Starry asked.

“Honestly?” asked Dusk. “I’d sit back and enjoy my scotch, but Steeljack drank the rest of it. So talking will have to do for now.”

“So, any reason you think I’m a ‘smokeshow’?” asked Starry. Dusk didn’t bother responding, instead going red in the face.

______________________________________________________________________________

Steeljack walked into his room, before tossing his shirt on the floor and plopping down on his bed. He heard somepony banging on the door and yelling his name, but he ignored it as he fell back in the bed. But whoever was on the other side of his door was persistent, and kept banging away. Finally realizing that he wasn’t going to be left alone, he got out of bed and strode over to the door, before opening it mid-knock and finding Patch standing there.

“Mind if I come in?” she asked. Steeljack stepped aside and allowed her into the room before walking back over to his bed and sitting down. “Steeljack, are you-”

“No.” cut in Steeljack. “I’m not.”

Patch sat down next to him, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. “Wanna talk about it?”

Steeljack sighed before looking at Patch. “Do you know what it’s not like to feel anything?”

“I’ll guess not.”

“Good answer. I’m gonna guess that Dusk told you I’m damaged?”

Patch frowned. “More like unstable.”

“He isn’t wrong. I don’t know how long I was… Look the point is that for the longest time I couldn’t see anything, hear anything, or feel anything. Before Dusk used the Ichor project on me, I was alone with my own thoughts. Seeing that tube, that lab. It was a wakeup call.” Patch looked worried, yet remained silent. “At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter where you’re going because at the end of the day there’s nothing you’re headed for other than a hole in the ground.”

Patch wrapped Steeljack in a hug and just held him. “I wish I knew what to say.”

Steeljack pushed Patch back, looking her dead in the eye. “I don’t know either. Until now, I haven’t talked about-”

“You don’t have to.” Patch leant in for a light kiss before pulling away. “Since you died, I wasn’t always in my right mind. Watching Starry and Lightning grow up, they just reminded me of you. But at the same time, if you weren’t gone none of us would be here.”

“No need to remind me.” Steeljack fell back on his bed and sighed. “But unless I missed something martyrs get the title for dying in the midst of an act of heroism, and I didn’t die. Long story short, I got screwed over.”

Patch cocked an eyebrow before laying down next to Steeljack. “How?”

“Patch, I missed everything. I wasn’t there when the twins were born, when they were growin-”

Patch put a finger to Steeljack’s lips. “Look, what’s done is done. Sure Starry and Lightning are independent but that doesn’t mean that they don’t need their father. I’ve told them for years how much of a hero you are, and the twins never questioned a word. Now you have an opportunity to actually be a part of their lives.” Patch got up from the bed and started walking to the door. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

Steeljack got up out of bed and grabbed Patch’s shoulder. “You don’t have to go.”

Patch pursed her lips for a moment before turning around and smirking. “You’re right. Besides, I told the castle staff I’d be staying in your room.” Steeljack could only chuckle, before he walked back to his bed and crawled in with Patch right on his heels.

______________________________________________________________________________

Dusk found himself in the castle dining hall the following morning using a cup of black coffee as an impromptu hangover remedy, as using magic to dispel his predicament was out of the question at the moment. Opposite of him was his grandfather, smirk plastered on his face as he watched Dusk attempt to cope with the aftereffects of too much scotch.

“And what have you learned?” asked Meteor

Dusk downed the rest of his coffee before slamming the cup down on the table. “Nothing new, but I did get a good reminder of how much of an asshole you are.”

By this point, Sergeant Tremble had dragged himself down to the dining hall, and joined Dusk with his own cup of coffee. “You know what? Last thing I’d expect on an alien planet is a good cup of coffee.” Looking over at the unicorn, the Sergeant noticed his demeanor. “Drink too much last night?”

“What was your first clue?” quipped Dusk.

“Dusk, where the hell are you!” yelled Baxter as he strode into the dining hall.

“Over here.” said Dusk as waved at the Commander.

“We’ve got a problem.” Baxter threw a tablet down on the table, showing a live feed to the Paris’ sensors. “See that red blip? That’s the Enclave airship.” he drew an arrow on the tablet to show the direction the airship was headed. “And it’s present course will take through the eastern half of the country before turning northwest-”

Dusk’s eyes went wide. “They're making a run at the Crystal Empire... Fuck!” He jumped out of his seat. “Where are they now?”

“Here.” Baxter pointed at a point in the southern half of the country.

“The Macintosh Hills.” noted Meteor.

“Commander, get to the Paris. We need to try and force that airship south into the Badlands.” said Dusk. “Then we blast em’ with the MAC on the Paris and problem solved.”

“Don’t we still need to investigate how the Enclave managed to develop multiversal travel?” questioned Meteor.

“One step at a time Gramps.” Dusk looked back at the tablet before pulling his radio out. “This is Dusk to Blaze Squad, prepare for combat.”

Author's Note

Anyone else picking up on the feels? Anyone?

Chapter 8

Dodge Junction

It was silent aboard the Guardian during the flight south to intercept the Enclave airship. They were in formation with four other Pelicans ahead of the Paris, all laden with Marines. Members of Sergeant Tremble’s company were riding in on the Guardian. Dusk was in the pilots’ seat when the Enclave airship was first spotted.

“Paris, this is Guardian. We’re ready to engage.”

“Copy that. Stand by for shot.”

Moments later, the Paris’ MAC lit up, sending a ball of death flying at the Enclave airship. The explosion that followed left the air crews blinded. But as the smoke and dust cleared, the Enclave ship still stood, seemingly unharmed.

“What the fuck?” Dusk stared out the viewscreen in shock, before the Enclave ship opened up with a broadside from it’s main guns. “Shit!”

The flight of aircraft scrambled out of the way of the incoming fire, only for the Paris to get hit with the brunt of the Enclave assault. “All Pelicans, engage!”

Dusk flipped a few switches on his console, and was met with an artificial sounding voice. “AI designate Ozzy now online and awaiting instruction.”

“Take the stick and try not to get us all killed!” Dusk ran back into the cabin, worried look plastering his face. “Alright we need ideas, now! The MAC didn’t even leave a dent.”

Around the cabin, the marines began to converse between themselves before one stood up. “Isn’t this thing powered by a microfusion reactor?”

“It’s got two of em’.” said Steeljack.

“Then let’s pull one and use it as a bomb.” suggested the marine.

“And how would you propose doing that?” quipped Starry. “Didn’t your so-called ‘big gun’ prove useless?”

“Then let’s get aboard that damn ship, plant the core, rig it to blow and get the hell out.” responded the Marine. “Odds are that the thing can’t handle an internal explosion.”

“Has it been done before?” questioned Dusk.

“It has.” noted one of the still-seated marines. “Some Spartan pulled a similar stunt during the Battle of Fumirole. Crazy bastard single-handedly sent a Covenant cruiser straight to hell.”

“Alright.” said Dusk with a sigh. “I’ll get on the line with Baxter.”

______________________________________________________________________________

Across the bridge, officers were scrambling to figure out what happened with their MAC systems. Baxter was pouring over damage reports from the repair teams as they tried to keep the Paris airborne after the volley of fire from the Enclave airship.

“Paris, this is Guardian. I think we have a plan.”

Baxter walked over to a communications console before hitting a few buttons. “Really? Well if it involves our MAC, you’re screwed. Everything I’m seeing suggests it was working fine-”

“I’m not suggesting the MAC. The Guardian is powered by two microfusion reactors. If we pull one, we could rig it up like a bomb. We just need to get into the ship, rig it on a timer and get the hell out.”

“Did one of the marines bring up Fumirole?”

“Gee, how’d ya know?”

“Because I saw the cruiser blow up from orbit. Just make it happen, because I’ve got no other ways to take that ship on.”

______________________________________________________________________________

“Alright fillies!” yelled Dusk as he walked back into the cabin. “We’ve got the go-ahead. Steeljack, pull the main reactor core. I’ve already switched everything over to the secondary core. Lilith, we’ll need a detonator off one of your rockets and something with a timer.”

“I’ve got a tacpad.” said one of the marines as he tossed the device over to Dusk.

“Damn straight. Let’s get this shit in gear!”

______________________________________________________________________________

Across the bridge of the airship, Enclave officers were running about giving order to their subordinates. At the center of the controlled chaos was a pegasus decked out in an armored tan duster. Adorning his lapel was a simple silver star.

“Can I get a report on the first volley?”

“The enemy frigate has suffered significant damage to it’s forward hull and their MAC cannon is offline.” reported one of the officers.

“Good.” the pegasi turned and walked to a console at the rear of the room before pressing a few buttons. Immediately, a black and white symbol appeared, before being replaced the a human female. “Admiral Osman.”

“General West Wind.” the human noted. “Something to report?”

The general nodded. “We’ve engaged the Paris. You were right to assume that Commander Baxter would resort to the MAC right away.”

“Then I’d take it that the shields held?”

“I wouldn’t be talking to you otherwise. Our first volley took it out, so I doubt we’ll have an issue.”

“Good. Let me know if anything else comes up. Osman out.”

______________________________________________________________________________

“Paris, watch your fucking fire!” yelled Dusk into the radio as he had to dive away from the Enclave ship once again. “Steeljack, how’s our bomb looking?”

“Just about done!” yelled the stallion.

“Ozzy, set a course for the top of that airship.” Dusk got up from his chair before walking back to the cabin once more. “Alright, anyone having issues with their gear?” Dusk looked around the cabin at the assembled group, and from all appearances there weren’t any issues with the modified BDUs that Sergeant Tremble had provided.

“Alright, we’re done.” said Steeljack as he stood up from his makeshift explosive.

“Good.” Dusk looked over at Star and Violet. “Once we touch down, I’ll need you two to help me and Gramps cut a hole in their hull. The rest of you need to protect the bomb, otherwise this plan is a bust.”

Once their ship hit the deck, the group filed out on the hull before spreading out. Around them the main cannons for the Enclave ship were going off, creating an ear-deafening roar. Under one of those cannons was a bulkhead door. Dusk motioned for the group to follow, and with a burst of magic ripped the bulkhead from it’s frame.

Once the group filed into the gun’s main battery, the found themselves in a room that was empty bar a computer on the far side by a ladder down to some lower decks.

Dusk walked over to the computer, and plugged his pipbuck into one of the exposed ports. “What the hell is ONI?” he asked as the term scrolled across his screen.

“That’s the Office of Naval Intelligence.” said one of the marines. “You sure?”

Dusk hit a button on his pipbuck, and the chevron of the intelligence agency appeared on the computer’s screen. “Pretty sure.” Dusk started sifting through the main computers, before downloading a full copy of the ship’s specifications. “If it’s any consolation this thing’s rated for vacuum and slipspace, and has a working subspace comms array.”

“So why does the Enclave have human tech?” asked Lilith.

“Can’t say, but I’m seeing a lot of references to something called Kilo-Five. They could have given most of this stuff to the Enclave.” suggested Dusk.

“But ONI is supposed to answer to Fleetcom. Since when do they go out and give technology to a potential hostile force?” asked the marine.

“Son, what’s your name?” asked Meteor.

“Major Jim Dooley, 7th Recon.”

“Alright Jim, how much do you know about ONI?”

The marine shrugged. “Not much. They’re secretive. Really the only time I’ve dealt with ONI is when I’ve sent them a scouting report. Even then, its always been a field operator from Section One.”

“Then it’s probable that there are parts of ONI that answer only to the hierarchy of the organization?”

Beneath his helmet, the marine cocked an eyebrow. “What are you getting at?”

Meteor furrowed his brow. “I think that this ‘Kilo-Five’ either went rouge, or more likely is acting under direct instruction from someone within ONI to supply this technology to the Enclave. How and why remains to be seen, but I don’t see any other way that some Enclave scientist could have developed all of this tech on his or her own.”

“Look, it doesn’t matter.” quipped Dusk as he unplugged his pipbuck. “We’ve got a copy of their database, so we can go over it later. Right now we need to find a place to plant the bomb and get the hell out. Flash, Comet, Strike, Dart, and Lightning Chaser. I need you three to stay here and cover our exit. Gramps, Lilith, Patch and Starry, you’re with me. We’re going to try and find the weapons control and take it down. Steeljack, Star, Violet, stay behind us with the marines and protect the god-damn bomb!” With that, Dusk jumped down through the hole in the deck, before landing about fifteen feet down on what appeared to be an armory.

As his compatriots followed him down, they spread out through the room and found a number of suits of spare power-armor and plasma rifles sitting in wait on storage racks. Dusk pulled out his radio and clicked it on. “Tremble, you there?”

“Ya, go ahead.”

“Listen, we found a full armory right below our el-zee. Any chance you can get a Pelican and some marines up here to grab this shit and go?”

“Consider it salvaged.”

“So we’re blowing up their ship, and stealing their stuff?” asked Starry

“What can I say? It’s Piracy 101.” said Dusk as he took a plasma defender and a handful of energy cells.

Suddenly the ping of an energy weapon went off behind the group, causing them all to whip around with weapons ready. Instead of an Enclave soldier, they found Major Dooley with what appeared to be a laser rifle and a scatter of burn marks on the wall next to him. “Just putting this out there, but I call dibs on the laser shotgun.”

Patch marched up to the marine, ripping the rifle out of his hands and examining it. “Huh… Metal blaster, who would’ve guessed?” she said as she tossed the weapon back to the marine.

“Can we quit fucking around?” asked Dusk as he opened a bulkhead to the interior of the ship.

As the group filed down the corridor, some of the marines began planting explosive charges in nooks and crannies in the walls as they moved. Only the dull thud of the guns firing could be heard by this point. As the group came up on a small atrium, Steeljack walked over to a loose wall panel and set to work trying to pull it free.

“Something’s up.” said Dusk as he looked around the room. “No guards, no crew, nothing!”

Suddenly, the marines spread out and took up positions by the bulkheads. “I’ve got contacts.” said Dooley as he poked his head round a corner. “Looks like they’ve got active camo.”

“They right down that hall?” asked Dusk. Once the marine nodded, Dusk walked in plain view of the hallway before pulling his DMR off his back and shooting from the hip down the hall. The shots impacted the invisible soldier, dropping his cloak and sending him to the ground, clutching at the holes in his chest. “Open fire!”

The marines rolled out from their cover and began spraying rifle fire down the halls at the oncoming soldiers. One after another, the Enclave troops feel to the ground either dead or dying. “We’ve got more incoming!” yelled one of the marines.

“Star, you’re up. Get on that main bulkhead!” yelled Dusk as he took cover with Dooley.

The alicorn took to the opening and began spraying fire from her minigun while throwing some occasional blasts of magic at the now-visible group in an effort to conserve ammunition. “How long do I have to do this again?”

“Until I’m finished with this fucking bomb!” yelled Steeljack, who was now ducking from bolts of plasma that were coming from advancing Enclave soldiers.

“We’re gonna need a diversion!” yelled Dusk as he stuck his plasma defender around the corner before shooting away one of his energy cells, before looking around the room. “Anyone seen Gramps?”

The old stallion teleported into the room with a pop. “Alright, I’ve got a charge on one of their secondary reactors.”

Dusk cocked an eyebrow before shaking his head. “We’ll save that for later. In the mean time, you’re with me.” Dusk bolted into the hallway, rifle in one hand, plasma defender in the other as he fired away at one of the soldiers who was attempting to advance down the hall.

Meteor was right on his tail, before ducking around Dusk and tossing a knife at the soldier. The knife glanced off the chestplate, but provided enough of a distraction where the stallion could get close enough to grab his quarry’s helmet before turning his electricity spell on the unsuspecting soldier.

As his grandfather dropped the now dead soldier, Dusk holstered his plasma defender before charging at a group of three soldiers that broke cover and were advancing towards the pair. He delivered a hard blow to the leader’s head with the butt of his rifle before swinging the rifle back over his shoulder and pulling out his knife and plasma defender once more. As the two remaining soldiers charged him, Dusk stabbed one, before shooting the other in the neck.

“Dusk, you better have a better plan than running around.”

The unicorn chuckled. “Oh ye of little faith, just put a sock in it. Oh, and blow that reactor while you’re at it.”

______________________________________________________________________________

The airship’s bridge shook from an internal explosion, sending a few of the Enclave officers to the deck. The General had been tossed about in his chair, and was suffering from a minor case of whiplash. “Report!”

“The number three reactor just blew, shield integrity has been compromised!” yelled one of the officers.

“Break off engagement and order all remaining strike group assets back to the island.”

“That’s not going to work sir.” said the same officer. “Our main battery just shut down. We’re getting further reports that there are hostile elements in control of the battery control room, and another group has just emptied our primary armory.”

The General sat back in his seat and sighed. “Then set a course for the Badlands, best possible speed. And someone send a report to Osman and inform her that we’ve been out-maneuvered. If we’re lucky, she’ll send some sort of reinforcements.”

“You could ask her yourself, she’s on comms now.”

The General rose from his seat and went to the communications console. “Admiral Osman-”

“General, we have a problem. Someone forced their way into our computers through your network connection and downloaded our entire database.”

“How?”

“Your boarding party probably has a good hacker with even better equipment, something the Paris most certainly didn’t have when she left Earth.”

“Admiral, I’d love to sit here and debate semantics here but that boarding party took out one of our secondary reactors, took our main battery offline and compromised our shields. My men are having issues pushing them back as it is, so I doubt we’ll be easily able to get your data back.”

“Then we’ll have to make due. Regardless, Sierra Zero-One-Zero is inbound to provide assistance whatever assistance is necessary.”

______________________________________________________________________________

“You hear that?” asked Dusk. Both he and Meteor were hiding around the corner from the entrance to the bridge, listening in on the General’s conversation.

Meteor nodded. “And I don’t like it.”

“Then let’s introduce ourselves.” Dusk tore around the corner and shoved the General away from the console while Meteor took him as a shield.

“Who the hell are you?”

Dusk chuckled for a moment. “Name’s Dusk.” Dusk plugged his pipbuck into the console and hit a few buttons. “Now Admiral Osman, you mind telling me what your game is?”

“This conversation is over.”

Dusk tapped his foot impatiently. “Ya, I forgot to mention I hijacked the comm line, didn’t I? Anyway I’d prefer to hear it from someone at the top, but do you mind explaining what the hell this little ‘Kilo-Five’ group has been pulling on my planet?”

“That’s none of your concern.”

Dusk pursed his lips for a moment before shooting the console. “Not like I won’t find out anyway.” As he turned around, he found himself staring at a large armored being who had taken Meteor in a headlock. “Well, you must be Sierra-”

“Stow it.” ordered the giant. “The copy of the database, you’re going to hand it over.”

As Dusk looked at his grandfather, he saw the old stallion wink. “Ya… I think not.” Dusk whipped out his pistol before firing off three shots right into the giant’s helmet. As Meteor forced himself away from the being, he delivered a kick square into the it’s gut sending it to the ground. “And now we run!” Dusk turned and started shooting at one of the forward viewscreens before breaking off in a run and diving through the glass and tumbling into the cabin of the now-waiting Guardian.

“And what if that didn’t work?” asked an amused Sergeant Tremble.

“Then we both would have plummeted to our deaths.” said Meteor as he got to his feet. “You know anything about giant armored…” Meteor jarred his thumb over his shoulder. “Whatever that thing is?”

Tremble walked to the back of the cabin, staring at the armored giant. “Fuck, they’ve got a Spartan.”

“So that's a Spartan?” asked Dusk, as a red dot lit up on his chest. "Well, fuck!"

Tremble pushed Dusk to the side. “Hard right, now!”. As the Guardian banked a red laser streaked out from the Enclave airship, stripping some of the armor plate from the ship’s hull.

“Who the fuck is flying this thing?” asked Dusk.

Dart poked her head back into the cabin for a brief moment. “Probably the least qualified pony on this boat.”

Dusk frowned before facepalming. “Didn’t I say something about lack of respect for my shit?”

“If you did I wasn’t there.” quipped the Sergeant. “Now, the good news is that the airship is probably going to follow us. Bad news it that they’ll probably try to shoot us down.”

“Then we make the most of it, lead them into the Badlands and keep them there long enough for the bomb to go off.”

“Then it needs to be believable.” noted Meteor. “Sergeant, see if the Paris is in any shape to pursue. Otherwise get the Pelicans unloaded and have them start hammering away on the airship.”

Suddenly, another blast came from the airship, clipping the port-side fan and sending the ship rocketing towards the ground. Dusk ran to the cockpit and pushed Dart away from the controls and tried desperately to keep the ship under control.

______________________________________________________________________________

“Commander, the Guardian just took a hit.”

Baxter slammed his fist down on the bridge holotable. “How bad?”

“Some sort of energy weapon hit one of their engines, and they’re losing altitude.”

“Sergeant Tremble, report!”

“Paris, now really isn’t-zzzzzzzttttttt”

“Commander, they just took another hit.”

“Do we have our birds back?” the officer nodded in silence. “Good. Prep two for search and rescue.”

Steeljack and the remaining members of the boarding party strode onto the bridge. “Bomb’s a bust.”

“What?”

Steeljack nodded. “Something pushed us back. Whatever it was, it had shields and human weapons.”

“Doesn’t defeat the fact that it had it’s own squad of marines.” quipped Lilith

“That thing, was it about seven feet tall?”

“Commander, there’s no doubt in my mind that we got hit by a Spartan.” said Dooley. “It fought like one, had our equipment, and had some ONI spooks with it.”

“ONI?” asked Baxter. “What do they have to do with any of this?”

“Probably everything.” Dooley tossed the Commander a chip. “Dusk has a copy, but I made sure to get one. He said there were a bunches of references to ONI and something called Kilo-Five.”

Baxter turned the chip over in his hand before plugging it into the table. “I’ll start going through the data. Dooley, make sure our IFF beacon and subspace transmitter are offline. I don’t want any outside hacks while we’re looking at this shit.”

______________________________________________________________________________

Fifteen Minutes Later

Dusk’s head was spinning after the Guardian hit the ground. He had forced Dart to the ground and used himself as a shield, suffering plenty of damage himself from the impact; flying glass had cut his face and blood was streaming down from his forehead. He was still in a daze when someone grabbed him and started to drag him out of what he thought was the ship’s cockpit before he got doused with a bottle of cold water.

“What?” Dusk looked up, finding an unharmed Dart and a battered Sergeant looking back down at him.

“Pretty bold move you pulled in there.” said the Sergeant as he tossed away his broken helmet.

“Ya, just help me up.” As Dusk got to his feet, he stared up at a clear sky. “Where’s the airship?”

“Gone. I don’t know how, but the bomb vaporized the damn thing.”

“That’s just-” suddenly, a bullet whizzed past Tremble and clipped Dusk’s horn before embedding itself in the Guardian’s wreckage.

Tremble whipped around before getting tossed to the ground by their Spartan assailant. Dart attempted to rush the giant, but was picked up in a choke-hold and tossed aside like a ragdoll.

“You do realize we weren’t done.” said the Spartan as she grabbed the unicorn by the arm.

“You’re right.” said Dusk with a smirk. “I never got your name by the way.”

“Naomi.” said the Spartan. “And that’s all you need to know.” From behind her, Meteor chucked a piece of hull armor at the Spartan, who turned around and shot the old stallion with her pistol. “Now then, I have someone who wants to meet you.”

It took a few hours to find the Guardian’s crash site. Commander Baxter was the first person on the ground, and was responsible for finding the unconscious bodies of Tremble, Dart and Meteor Shower. That was three days ago. Until the three woke up, marines and royal guard combed the crash-site searching for Dusk. It wasn’t until Meteor awoke that it was discovered that the Spartan, Naomi, had taken Dusk aboard some sort of ship before he passed out from blood loss.

______________________________________________________________________________

Canterlot Castle, 3 days later

Dart was sitting in Celestia’s study in silence. She had Meteor Shower and Steeljack with her, both of whom were just as pensive. The three stood when the Princess walked in with Tremble and Baxter.

“Well?” asked Dart

Baxter shook his head. “Our probe came back with nothing. Odds are that this ‘Naomi’ flew in on a stealth prowler. No way we would have seen it leave.”

“Then we have no idea where he was taken?” asked Steeljack

“Not a clue.”

“Regardless, it’s become apparent to me that we have a need for strike teams like Blaze Squad.” noted the Princess. “As such, effective immediately, I’m reinstating Commander Meteor Shower to oversee our special forces.”

“Good to know you still need me.” snarked the stallion

“Furthermore-” noted the diarch “Dart, you are hereby presented command of Blaze Squad.”

“Huh?”

Steeljack nudged the unicorn. “Kid, Dusk and I were trying to get you ready for a leadership role.”

“And based off of Steeljack’s council, you’re the right type of pony to sit in, as Baxter would say, the ‘big chair’. I will of course make any necessary resources available to you, as well as any advisors you might need.”

Dart sighed before falling back into her chair. “Now I see why Dusk drank so much…”

______________________________________________________________________________

Dusk awoke tied to an operating table. “Well, ain’t this a cliche.”

“Easy enough for you to say.” Admiral Osman said from the side of the room. “Now, here’s how this is going to work. The good doctor is going to do some tests, maybe a few surgical alterations, and if you’re a good boy I might not have you killed.”

“Serin, that’s enough. I think we both get the drill.” noted an older woman from the other side of the room.

“Good to know.”

As Osman’s footsteps faded down the hall, the good ‘doctor’ looked down on Dusk with a pair of saddened eyes. “I’m sorry we had to meet under such-”

“Unusual?”

“I was going to say grim, but that fits.”

Dusk smirked up at the doctor. “Name’s Dusk by the way.”

“So I’ve been told. Now I’m not going to lie, the things that I’ll be doing to you will be painful. Serin made sure of that. I’ll try to go as quickly as possible if its-”

“Just tell me your name.” said Dusk. “If you and I will be getting better acquainted through this little torture session, and clearly you aren’t here of your own free will then I’d rather avoid killing you when I bust out.”

“You do realize that we aren’t talking torture?”

“I still don’t have a name…”

“Halsey. Catherine Halsey.” said the doctor. “Most of what will happen came from my own experiments and notes.”

“That’s reassuring.” said Dusk as he relaxed on the table. “So, dear old ozzy want my brain in a jar?”

“No.” The doctor sighed. “She wants to make you a Spartan.”

Author's Note

Whelp... There's that. Expect a flash-forward three years in the next chapter by the way... I really doubt I can put the pen to paper and really describe the image I have in my head of Dusk in ONI captivity, I'm redoing the prologue because of how this keeps changing, and eventually I'll do some one-shots to fill in the three year gap.

Interlude I

Canterlot Vale Estate, Present Day

“So let me get this straight. You were captured by a group of humans…

“And experimented on.” Finished Dusk. “Wasn’t the brightest part of my life, but it happened. Now, that isn’t to say that some of the implants haven’t been-”

Archer held her hand up to interrupt. “If it means anything, I’d like to continue this tomorrow.”

Dusk glanced down at his watch, noticing it was almost six o’clock in the evening. “I’ll be damned… Yah, I don’t see a problem picking up tomorrow.”

Archer nodded in agreement while Dusk walked out with her to the door. “Do you need a ride back to town?” Asked Dusk.

Archer shook her head. “I’ll be fine.”

“Alright then. Have a good night kid.”

Archer walked out the villa’s front gate, staring up the mountain towards Canterlot. “As if Dad running around in battle armor wasn’t enough…” she muttered.

______________________________________________________________________________

It was an hour walk up the mountain to the city, mostly on steep grades along the relatively new road. Archer was regretting asking for a ride, spurred on by the burning in her calves.

HONK HONK!

Archer turned around as a Warthog pulled up, an old earth pony in royal guard armor in the driver’s seat. “Need a lift?”

Archer was tempted to say no, but her cramps ordered otherwise. She quickly strode over to the passenger’s side and hopped in. “I’m staying at the Overlook Hotel.”

The stallion nodded and threw the Warthog in drive. “So how’d your interview go?”

That caught the mare by surprise. “How the hell-”

The stallion held back a smirk. “That was my grandson. He called me once you left, said you might need a ride.”

“And here I thought I was on my own…”

“Trust me when I say that Dusk is the last pony to forget about anything.” Assured the stallion. “Anyway, I’m Meteor Shower.”

“Figured that much.” Archer sat back, looking out the side of the Warthog as they entered the city. For the duration of the ride, Archer spent her time flipping through her notes, having consumed the majority of her notepad throughout the day.

“So how far did you get?” Asked the old stallion.

Archer shrugged. “Up to where he got kidnapped.”

“Ah…” Meteor drove the Warthog right up to the hotel door. “Just don’t expect him to talk about his time with ONI. The only pony who he talked about it with is Dart, but she’s kept her lips sealed on the matter.”

Archer hopped out of the Warthog and turned to face the General. “So expect there to be some holes in the story then?”

“Not holes per say…” Meteor sat back in his seat, throwing the Warthog into park. “Tell you what, Dusk isn’t the only source of information you can tap.” Archer looked at the stallion with confusion. “I’ll get you copies of all of our reports and files on the end of the war with the Enclave, assuming you’re interested.”

The mare leaned back into the Warthog deep in thought, suddenly looking up at Meteor Shower. “Count me in.”

______________________________________________________________________________

Canterlot Vale Estate, the Following Day

Dart walked back to the Villa door the following day, fresh notepad in hand. “Ok, should be easy enough…” Knocking on the door was easy enough. Seeing a tired Dusk was a different flavor of surprise all together.

“Morning kiddo.” In his free hand, Dusk was holding a mug of black coffee.

“This isn’t a bad time, is it?”

Dusk shook his head. “Nope. Just didn’t get much sleep last night.” As the pair walked back to Dusk’s office, they passed a green mare snoring away on the couch. Dusk shut the door to the office and lit his horn off briefly. “No reason to wake up Dart… Now, where were we?”

“Well, you were captured by some humans…”

Dusk snapped his fingers. “Ah, so let’s skip ahead to when I got promoted to command a contingent of supersoldiers on a human ship then.”

Archer sighed. “What?”

“I’m serious!” Insisted Dusk. “It was a few days before I got home… Wait, hold on a second.” He fished a picture out of his desk and tossed it to Archer. “Now, let me tell you about when I met Tom Lasky and Sarah Palmer.”

Chapter 9

3 Years Later…

Dusk sat in silence aboard the Pelican on his way to his new “home”. After three years of experimental surgeries, augmentations, and plenty of time in cryo, ONI had determined that the best use for their new pet project was as a replacement for a Spartan officer on the human flagship. He had received a blue set of FOTUS armor, modified to accommodate his physiology, but ONI had ensured that he wouldn’t be able to remove the armor without a direct code from either Doctor Halsey or Admiral Osman.

Dusk looked up at the ODST that was assigned to escort him. He was a member of Kilo-Five, the group he had grown to despise over the last few years. His name was Vaz, and under his depolarized visor, he was staring at Dusk.

“Something wrong Corporal?”

The ODST simply flipped Dusk off before tossing him a tacpad. “This is your new assignment. You’re replacing Commander Sarah Palmer as the XO on Infinity, and will be overseeing all ship-based Spartan operations.”

Dusk sat back in his seat. “So, just a way for Osman to keep me under her thumb?” The ODST didn’t have a chance to say much else, as the Pelican hit the deck and the rear ramp dropped to the ground. As Dusk started walking down the ramp, he turned back to the soldier. “Oh, and tell Osman, from me of course, to go fuck herself.”

“Pretty sure you already covered that much.”

As the Pelican’s ramp went up, Dusk turned to find himself face to face with both his predecessor and a bemused Captain Laskey. Dusk handed his tacpad to the Captain. “Commander Dusk reporting as ordered.”

Palmer groaned. “Figures ONI wanted one of their lapdogs-”

“Palmer, just stow it.” ordered the Captain. He looked through the tacpad before looking back up at the Spartan. “Lot of black lines in here…”

“I do know the encryption to unblock most of that, if it helps.” suggested Dusk. “Granted it would probably be best if we went somewhere a bit more private to go over all of the details.”

The Captain simply nodded, before leading Dusk and Palmer through a series of hallways and elevators before arriving in his ready-room. Lasky handed the tacpad back to Dusk, who popped a chip out of his greaves and plugged it into the tacpad before handing the device back to the Captain. “You should find all of the necessary codes, as well as the ONI database I’ve been saving for a few years.”

Palmer cocked an eyebrow. “ONI database?”

“Ya.” Dusk looked over at the Captain. “By the way, there should be the release codes for my armor in there. Take the pad’s hardline and plug it into the back of my helmet.”

The Captain looked over at Palmer before shrugging and plugged the device into Dusk’s helmet. Once it was plugged in, the faceplate on Dusk’s helmet jutted forward, allowing the Spartan to remove it and reveal his-inhuman features.

Palmer was the first to respond, pulling the magnum off her hip and pointing it at Dusk. The Spartan only sighed before disarming Palmer and breaking the slide out the back of the gun. “Look, let’s get some things straight. First, I can’t stand having someone put a gun in my face-”

Palmer was about to punch Dusk when Lasky got between the two and stared at Dusk. “ONI used you as an experiment?”

Dusk nodded. “They had me in and out of their labs and cryo for the last three years, and they needed a way to watch me. Palmer was a good scapegoat for not eliminating Catherine-”

“You know Doctor Halsey?” asked the Captain.

“Yup. She had the gun to her head while she did half of the surgeries and experiments on me.” said Dusk. “Now, as I was saying, because Palmer didn’t eliminate Catherine when she had her back on Aktis Four, and Osman needed a way to keep me under her thumb, she took the opportunity to Scapegoat the good Commander and put me here. Because you answer to her, Captain, she could control me through you.”

A yellow hologram appeared on the Captain’s desk. “Well, that’s grim.”

“Ship’s AI?” asked Dusk. The Captain nodded, and Dusk walked over. “Roland, right?”

“You got it.”

“Captain, can you give copies of everything I gave you to Roland so he can go through it?”

“Any specific reason?”

Dusk chuckled before staring out the viewscreen into the void. “It’s simple. I want him to track down my homeworld.”

______________________________________________________________________________

A few short hours after wrapping up his introductions with the Captain and his predecessor, Dusk made a beeline for the ship’s armor development lab on S-Deck. Ditching his armor, and giving the order to check all the systems for bugs (at Roland’s suggestion), he procured a bottle of scotch from the mess and found a quiet spot to sit and think in one of the many starboard observation lounges. He had been getting a number of stares and confused looks from the crew, especially when they saw the rank patch on the shoulder of his jacket. For the first few hours he had mostly been left alone, with the occasional ONI analyst watching him and taking notes before leaving.

“Commander?” Dusk turned around and found himself looking up at one of the many Spartans stationed on the ship. The man was in the normal Spartan duty attire, looking rather stuck up and tense.

“Kid, just have a seat and calm the hell down.” said Dusk as he motioned to a lounge chair. The Spartan sat down and tensed back up again. “What’s your name?”

“Spartan Gabrielle Thorne, sir.”

Dusk only chuckled “Alright Thorne, I’ll tell you what. You could really give the Royal Guard a run for their money with this whole hyper-discipline you’ve got going here.” Dusk tossed the Spartan the Scotch. “Have a drink and relax. And stop calling me sir while you’re at it.”

“Sir?”

Dusk facepalmed. “What did I just say?”

Thorne seemed to relax. “Sorry, I’m just-”

“Just stow it Thorne. You don’t need to apologize.” said the unicorn. “I’ve never been a big fan of formality as it stands.”

“Fair enough. Anyway, I’ve got some things I’d like to ask.”

“If it’s why an alien got Spartan augmentations and was given command of an entire contingent of supersoldiers on a human ship, then blame ONI. I’ve been doing it for the last few years.” Thorne only cocked an eyebrow, before Dusk simply shrugged.

Before anything else could be said between the two, Admiral Osman strode into the room, Naomi and Captain Lasky on her heel. Thorne stood and went to salute, but Dusk instead smacked him in the back of the head as he got up.

“Quite the mess you’ve caused here.” noted the Admiral. Behind her, Naomi cocked her magnum back.

“Ya, for you maybe.” quipped Dusk. “Oh, did Vaz tell you that I said to go fuck off? Is that why you’re here, I hurt your-” Osman stepped aside while Naomi went to pistol-whip Dusk. Dodging the Spartan, Dusk jumped on her back before blasting her in the back of the head with a blast of uncontrolled magic, while pulling her shotgun free from it’s place on her back and sticking it in the Admiral’s gut. “Huh, figured you would’ve actually had a plan if I snapped off your leash.” Dusk suddenly dropped the shotgun, turning around to stare down the barrel of Naomi’s magnum.

“If you didn’t notice by now, I did.”

“Ya… Oh, I almost forgot. Roland?”

The AI’s projection came up from the lounge holotank. “Ya?”

“I’d like you to forward copies of all my files to Lord Hood.”

“I can do that. It’ll take about two minutes to get them all together.”

Dusk turned back to Osman with a wry grin. “Checkmate.”

Osman looked over at Roland, now with her own smirk. “Undid Iridium.”

Roland seemed to just tap his foot before crossing his arms. “Really?”

Lasky cleared his throat, gaining the attention of the Admiral. “I may have neglected to mention in my previous reports that Roland overrode that part of his programing.”

Osman developed a look of irritation, before turning to the Captain. “I’m more interested as to how an AI discovered-”

“Thank Halsey for it.” quipped the AI. “Oh, and those files are ready to go out ahead of schedule.”

“Roland, you will-”

“Let me think for a moment…” said the AI. “Ya, forget it. Files sent. Lord Hood should find them on his personal terminal, in his terminal at Fleetcom... You get the idea.”

“Good work Roland.” Dusk crossed his own arms. “Now, do you really want to explain to Fleetcom why not only you gave Spartan augmentations to a previously unencountered alien, and had him executed for blowing the lid off your program, or do you want to back the fuck back?”

“Naomi, stand down.” ordered the Admiral. “You do know that this isn’t over, right?”

Dusk nodded. “Oh, I do. And I know that I now made myself too big of a target for you to eliminate without attracting attention from Fleetcom, with the whole assisting an invasion of a mostly pre-industrial planet and kidnapping one of their own to experiment and torture him for Celestia-knows-what.”

“Sir, I have Lord Hood requesting to speak with you and Commander Dusk.” informed Roland. “He’s also requesting that Admiral Osman return to Earth immediately.”

“Like I said Osman, checkmate.”

______________________________________________________________________________

Dusk and Captain Lasky were waiting in the ready room while Roland prepared the transmission with Lord Hood. Lasky was pacing about, while Dusk had taken the seat behind the Captain’s desk and put his feet up.

“You’re gonna burn a hole in the deck if you keep pacing.” quipped Dusk. “Just relax. It’s not like you did anything.”

“This is still Lord Hood we’re talking about. The man commands the entire Navy, why the hell shouldn't I be nervous when he finds out my ship is involved in an ONI conspiracy?”

“Sir, I’ve got the line to Lord Hood ready.” reported Roland.

“Put it through.” Lasky straightened his uniform out quickly before the image of Lord Hood appeared on the monitor. “Lord-”

The senior Admiral chuckled. “At ease Captain. I’m only here because I’m a bit interested in this data that Roland sent me on behalf of you new XO.”

Dusk rose from his seat and took a spot at Lasky’s side. “That was a lot of data that Roland sent. How the hell did you go through a terabyte of files in ten minutes?”

“It was a bit easy when Roland made sure to put the surgical and experiment reports at the top of the pile.” The Admiral furrowed his brow and leant forward. “I’ll be honest. I’m far from thrilled finding out that ONI has been experimenting on previously unencountered species, let alone that they were forcing a prisoner to do the experiments.”

Dusk shrugged. “Catherine wasn’t all bad. Without her help, I wouldn’t have been able to save anything.”

“And we never would have found out what ONI was doing. I can’t even begin to apologize for what they did to you, but I will deal with Osman-”

“Look, just keep her under your thumb.” quipped Dusk. “She still knows where my homeworld is, and unless something changed ONI is still supporting the Enclave’s efforts.”

“Enclave?”

“You’ll find numerous references to the group, including communications, their refinement of the Quantum Mirror technology they discovered, combat plans, ship specs, reports from Kilo-Five, and intelligence reports of the UNSC Coral Sea, Redoubtable and Paris.” said Roland as his avatar clicked on.

Lord Hood’s eyes went wide. “They've known where they are?”

“From at least 2553 onwards.” noted the AI. “They were also responsible for jamming their distress beacon so the survivors couldn’t be located. I do have their coordinates, and as such I’ve got the location of the Commander’s homeworld.”

“Captain, your orders are simple. You are to go to the Paris’ last known coordinates, engage any hostile opposition and assist the Paris and the locals however necessary until we can get ONI under control. Are we clear?”

“Crystal, sir.”

“Good. Now get moving. Hood out.”

______________________________________________________________________________

On the bridge of the Paris, sparks and smoke had clouded the bridge. “Where the hell is Redoubtable?” yelled Baxter.

One of the recent Equestrian recruits was typing furiously away at his console. “Looks like they’re tied up dealing with Euclid’s Anvil.”

“What about the Coral Sea and Regent?”

“They’re throwing themselves at the Pioneer.”

Baxter leaned back in his chair and sighed. “Tell the Redoubtable to pull back-”

“Sir, we’ve got a contact!” the recruit turned around, pale. “It’s big.”

“Fuck. All ships, fall back to low orbit!” ordered Baxter. “Helm, bring us about!”

While the Paris began to bank away, the contact dropped out of Slipspace. It was just under 5700 meters in length with the armament to boot, and easily dwarfed the Frigates that were launching from the ventral surface of the ship.

“This is Infinity to Paris. We’re on station, ready to assist.”

Another, more familiar voice chimed in. “Look, Baxter, do you want me to help save your sorry ass or not?”

______________________________________________________________________________

“Was there any reason to add that?” questioned the Captain.

“Why the hell not?” asked Dusk. “Should sell em’ on the idea we’re on their side. Beyond that, what do we know about those ships?”

Roland’s avatar lit up on the bridge holotable. “We’ve got four friendly ships. IFFs are reading as HMS Paris, HMS Coral Sea, HMS Redoubtable, and HMS Regent. All appear to be equipped with shields and some sort of energy weapons. Bar the Regent, all are UNSC designs of the Paris, Mako and Stalwart class respectively. That other one is a bit tricky-”

“Stow it Roland. What are we dealing with as far as hostile ships?”

“We’re stacked up against UNSC Euclid’s Anvil and UNSC Pioneer, both now crewed entirely by ONI staff and outfitted with some of the most modern equipment we have to offer. Only problem I really see is Euclid’s Anvil, considering it’s, you know, a heavy crusier.”

“Roland, open a channel.” ordered Lasky.

“Channel open.”

“Euclid’s Anvil, this is the Captain of Infinity. Stand down and prepare to be boarded.”

“No response.” reported the AI. “Pioneer is moving to intercept, and Euclid’s Anvil is making a run for the planet and is preparing a firing solution for the MAC battery. Projecting impact site now.”

On the holotable, the image of a city hanging off the side of a mountain appeared, bathed in a dull red outline.

“Fuck, they’re targeting Canterlot!” Dusk looked out the forward viewscreen, and got a good view of the aft engines of the Anvil. “Roland, lock all forward Archer batteries on the Anvil and fire at will.”

“I’m sorry, but what?” questioned the AI

“Just do it. Canterlot’s population is mostly civilian-”

“And we can’t run the risk of an assault.” finished the Captain. “Just do it Roland, and prepare the MACs.”

“Aye sir.” From the bridge, the trails of exhaust from a volley of Archer missiles was seen streaming towards the Anvil, impacting on the aft shields before a handful punched through and hit the outer hull armor. “Direct hit. Their shields are down to 80%, but they’re diverting power from two of their reactors to recharge. Also of note is that they’re now coming about.”

______________________________________________________________________________

“Captain, Euclid’s Anvil is breaking course. Looks like they’re going after Infinity.”

“Alright. Tell Coral Sea and Regent to deploy Blaze, Hammer, Aurora and Archer squads to the Pioneer and take the ship, then have them fall in with us and Redoubtable.”

“And what do we do sir?”

Baxter leant forward in his chair. “Target the Anvil and fire everything we’ve got. Tell Redoubtable to do the same.”

______________________________________________________________________________

“Captain, Paris and Redoubtable are moving on the Anvil” reported Roland.

“Status of the MACs?” asked the Captain.

“Ready to fire, but we’ve got a problem. The Anvil has got in too close. We can’t calculate a good firing solution because of it.”

“Roland, just hit em’ with a broadside.” quipped Dusk. “We know anything else?”

The AI’s avatar nodded. “I did tap into the local communications, and it appears that one of the settlements on the planet is under attack. Locals call it Dodge City. Looks like there’s some ODSTs and local military units down there, but I’m still trying to figure out who the commander is.”

“What’re they getting hit with?” questioned the unicorn.

“Their main force is company-size, with armor and minor air support. It appears that a firebase was established about twenty miles south in the desert. What concerns me about that is the slipspace signature that’s coming from the base itself.” said Roland.

“Probably some sort of portal for supplies.” noted Dusk. “Roland, tell Palmer to meet me on S-Deck with a fireteam of her choosing, and prep a Pelican gunship for launch.”

______________________________________________________________________________

Palmer had assembled Fireteam Majestic and had them armor up on S-Deck. They were grabbing weapons out of the lockers when Dusk approached with another Spartan, both already armored.

“I take it everyone knows Miller?”

Palmer facepalmed. “And why do we need Miller?”

“Never hurts to have additional individuals with good experience in logistics and troop deployment.” pointed out Dusk, who clapped his hands together. “Alright, once we leave this ship we’re on our own until Equis’ orbit is secured. We’re heading down to a town called Dodge City. It’s a major railhead in southern Equestria that’s getting hit by ONI scumbags-”

“Just gonna stop you for a second-”

“Madsen, put a sock in it.” ordered Thorne.

“No, just hear me out. Why are we taking orders from an alien again?”

“Because I was given the job and the title.” snorted Dusk. “Look, those are my people getting slaughtered down there. For the most part, the best defense we had when I left was the Paris, and she was beat to hell. Everything else is mostly early-industrial.”

“So, you’re sitting ducks?” asked one of the other Spartans, this one a red-headed female.

“That about sums it up Miss Grant. Once we hit the ground, we’ll split into two teams. Thorne, Palmer, and Miller are with me as Delta. Spartans Ray, Madsen and Hoya are running as Gamma and Grant will be flying the gunship. Our objective is simple; we stem ONI’s advance on Dodge City, do whatever we can to reinforce the friendly forces on the ground, and prepare a landing zone for future reinforcements.” Dusk looked around at the assembled Spartans for a moment before grabbing a railgun, magnum and the associated ammunition for both out of the storage lockers. “Then if there aren’t any other questions, lets get moving.”

______________________________________________________________________________

Dodge City

The town of Dodge City was mostly ruin. For two days, ONI forces had pounded away at the town, and were slowly pushing the defenders back from the outskirts further towards the town center. Marines, Royal Guard and the entire Ranger corps were all struggling against the onslaught. The damage was most evident in the town’s former school, where classrooms had become temporary morgues for the small legion of fallen soldiers.

Meteor Shower was in the town hall, pouring over reports from the frontline units. “Not enough ammo, Sparky’s mags are starting to fail… Can this day get any better!” yelled the stallion.

Cosmo walked in, decked out in his standard ranger armor. “General, we could use you out here.”

As the pair walked out of his makeshift office, Cosmo pointed to the holotable that had been rigged up in the waiting room, now showing a massive ship in orbit. “We just got a partial connection to tacnet, and this is what we got.”

Meteor stared at the ship. “Can we raise Captain Baxter?”

“No luck. Comms are still being jammed, and we’re having issues clearing it up. We were picking up on some sort of static about twenty minutes ago, something about ‘infinity’.” noted the Ranger.

“Dodge City zzzzttttt one zzzztttt copy?”

Before either stallion had an opportunity to clear up the signal, a massive shockwave shook the town hall, knocking out what little power was available.

“Cosmo, now would be a good time for a miracle.” groaned Meteor.
______________________________________________________________________________

“I say again, Dodge City this is Alpha-One, do you copy?” Dusk clicked off the cockpit radio in frustration before putting his helmet back on. “Grant, find us a spot as close to the town center as you can so we can touch down, then try to put a dent in some of that armor.” Dusk walked back to the troop bay and grabbed a seat with the other Spartans. “I’ve got no luck getting in touch with the local commander. As of right now, we need to assume that there’s either no command structure left, or their radio is busted. Either way, our objective remains the same.”

“Anything specific you want us to do?” asked Spartan Ray.

“Take Gamma and head for the outskirts of the city, try and bolster the defenses. I’ll take Palmer, Miller and Thorne and try to find the local commander and establish a comm line to Infinity.” stated Dusk.

“Ten seconds to ground!” yelled Grant from the cockpit.

“Alright Spartans, time to get mean!” yelled Dusk as he rose from his seat. With a thud, the gunship hit the ground, and the group of Spartans disembarked and spread out while their ride flew off into the distance, leaving the echo of rifles and machine guns as the Spartans’ only company.

“What, no red carpet?” quipped Madsen

“I doubt you’d even warrant that much.” snarked Hoya

“Look, the lot of you stow it and move out.” ordered Dusk. “Miller, you’re up front with me.” As the Spartans went their separate ways, Miller seemed a bit uneasy. “Something wrong?”

“Just not used to field ops.” noted the Spartan.

“I’d take it the lack of friendly faces is part of the issue?” questioned Dusk.

“Exactly, we’re in the middle of a warzone, which so happens to have overtaken a decent sized town. Where are the civilians or the second line defenses? And the decided lack of radio communications?” Miller just held his arms out. “The whole town’s just abandoned!”

“And since when is that a bad thing Miller?” questioned Palmer. “I swear, you’re whole career involves panicking.”

“Palmer, he isn’t wrong.” noted Dusk. “And I’d expect a trap to be a bit better than empty street!”

Two ponies exited from a structure just opposite of the group with weapons raised. Dusk only chuckled. “Chaser, Starry, just quit while you’re ahead.” Dusk holstered his magnum and took his helmet off. “Not like the two of you would win anyway.”

“Bloody hell.” sighed Lightning Chaser.

“Glad to see you aren’t dead.” quipped Starry.

“What can I say? It wouldn’t be a party without me.”

“Well, he’s still an asshole.” noted Chaser. “And I hope you brought more than just your crew of misfits, because we’re facing down an army-”

“Way ahead of you kid.” Dusk turned back to the other Spartans. “Meet Palmer, Thorne and Miller. Ray, Hoya and Madsen should already be on the perimeter by now with the marines.”

“Good to know.” Starry waved the group to follow. “Come on, Gramps is gonna want to see you four.”

As the group got further into the town center, they passed the old school with the medics rushing about trying to stave off death for the few that were still alive at the makeshift hospital.

“How bad have the casualties been?” questioned Thorne.

“Twenty dead the first day, fifteen wounded.” answered Chaser. “Three of the wounded are back on the front, two died of their wounds and the others are still recovering.”

“How are the medical supplies holding up?”

Chaser chuckled. “If you count air as a medical supply, we’ve got plenty. Most of the first aid gear got destroyed by an artillery shell.”

“Once we get a line up and running to Infinity, I’ll see if Dalton can send some fresh supplies.” added Miller.

“Good enough.”

As the group approached the town hall, a grizzled stallion in a set of battered royal guard armor walked out, a ranger on his heels. “Starry, Chaser, what did I say about bringing strays?”

Dusk strode up in front of the group. “Probably something along the lines of shoot first, ask questions later?”

Meteor walked up to Dusk, who was easily a foot taller than the old stallion, before wrapping him in a bear-hug before stepping back. “Didn’t think I’d be seeing you again.”

Dusk cocked an eyebrow. “And when did you become all mushy and overly emotional?”

“After we lost hope finding you alive. That was a year after that Spartan shot me.”

“If it makes you feel better, Naomi won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.” said Dusk. “Same thing with her boss. Fleetcom has all of the information I had on ONI’s activities on Equis and their experiments on me, and to put it bluntly they’re pissed.”

“That isn’t going to do jack about the troops already here.” quipped the ranger. “They’re operating under the command of General West Wind.”

“In other words, Fleetcom can’t do anything to reel them in?” asked Miller

“That about sums it up.”

“Then the goal here is simple.” stated Dusk. “We push back the ONI forces, take out their base, and be home in time for dinner.”

______________________________________________________________________________

On the outskirts of town, the marines continued to take a beating from the ONI forces, even with the three Spartans that had rallied with the battered defenders

“Did someone forget to tell these guys to pack up and go home?” asked Madsen as he split apart the helmet of an ONI soldier with a shot from his rifle.

Hoya slamfired six shots from his shotgun before ducking down into the trench with Madsen. “Something tells me they really don’t care!” yelled the Spartan as he popped out of cover and blew away one of the advancing soldiers.

Ray dove into the trench with the two other Spartans, sticking her rifle up over the top of the trench before burning through the magazine. “And I don’t care at all. Just keep these bastards back!”

“Delta to Gamma, what’s your status?”

Ray tapped the side of her helmet. “We’re getting nowhere fast!”

“Copy that. We’re inbound.”

“Shit, enemy-” Hoya didn’t have a chance to finish as the shell from an ONI tank struck only feet away from the edge of the trench, tossing the Spartan back.

Ray popped her head up over the top of the trench, staring down at a Grizzly tank that was spraying machine gun fire on the other trenches along the outskirts of town. “Delta, we’ve got enemy heavy armor on our asses over here!”

“Don’t worry about it.” squawked Grant over the radio. As she started her run with the gunship, the Grizzly she was bearing down on caught sight of her, and blasted the port side wing off with it’s main gun. “On second thought, ya might want to worry about it.”

Grant dove out of the back of the gunship, as it spun out of control and crashed right behind the Grizzly. The Spartan ran up to the other members of her team and dropped down in the trench. “Anyone else have a bright idea?”

______________________________________________________________________________

“Infinity uplink is active.” said Miller as he scrambled back to his feet.

Dusk nodded and walked up to the holotable. “Ground team to Infinity, anyone there?”

“Roland here. We’re reading you loud and clear Commander.”

“Roland, the marines are getting their asses handed to them down here. Anything you can throw my way?”

“Give me a sec.” There was a moment of silence before the AI returned. “I’ve got Warbird Company deployment-ready, and Fireteams Kodiak and Lancer are gearing up. I can have them on the ground inside of fifteen.”

“Do it.” Dusk turned back to the assembled Spartans. “Miller, stay here and coordinate with Infinity. The rest of you are with me.”

______________________________________________________________________________

“Captain, Warbird, Kodiak and Lancer are free and clear.” reported the AI.

“Good. You hear anything on the Pioneer?”

“Supposedly they’ve taken the bridge. Beyond that, I don’t have much-” Roland paused for a moment. “Scratch that, they’ve vented the atmosphere and have set the Pioneer on a collision course with the ONI base planetside. The Regent is extracting the Spec Ops teams now.”

“Well, that’s different.” as the ship’s deck shuddered Lasky looked out on the ongoing engagement with the Euclid’s Anvil. “What’s the status of their shields?”

“Holding at roughly 75%.”

Lasky sighed. “Is the MAC still on standby?”

“Never shut it down.”

“Lock onto their bridge and fire at will.”

At the Captain’s order, twin streaks of light flew out from the MACs, punching a hole through the Euclid’s Anvil.

“Target hit. Their shields are down.”

“Lock onto their reactor.” ordered the Captain.

“Target locked, ready to fire.”

For a moment, Lasky seemed to hesitate before turning back to face Roland. “Fire.”

The second shot acted as the killing blow to the wounded Anvil. Explosion after explosion could be seen along the hull before the reactor went critical, blowing the damaged vessel to pieces.

“Target destroyed Captain. We now have orbital supremacy.”

“Good. Send a message to Fleetcom and bring them up to speed on the situation. Once you’re done, deploy engineer teams and get a firebase set up near Dodge City.”

“And what about you sir?”

Lasky turned and walked to the front of the bridge. “I need to go play diplomat.”

______________________________________________________________________________

Dusk dove into one of the blown out buildings as Palmer expended another set of magazines for her pistols. He tossed Palmer his railgun, which she used to obliterate a machine gun nest that was tearing into a position occupied by a group of Equestrian Rangers. Dusk broke from cover with his own pistol and rushed the remains of the machine gun nest, grabbing the broken turret as he ran and started spraying lead towards the still-advancing ONI soldiers.

“Figured these guys would’ve quit by now!” yelled Palmer as she ducked into the crater left by the railgun.

“And where’s the fun in that?” asked Dusk as he ran out of ammo for the turret. Dropping the turret, he pulled his magnum off his hip once more before delivering a headshot to the driver of an advancing Warthog transport. “Batter up!”

Palmer scrambled out of the crater, before blasting away at the Warthog with the railgun. The first shot hit the troop bay, blowing it clear off and killing the group of soldiers riding in the back, while the second hit the Warthog’s fuel tank, turning into a fireball before dropping the railgun. “We’re out of ordnance!”

“Well that’s fucking great!” yelled the stallion. The pair rushed forward and took cover behind the burning Warthog. “Miller, where’s my reinforcements?”

“They’re roughly five minutes out.”

“Good, we’ll leave the cleanup to them” Dusk looked over at Palmer. “Up for a hail mary?”

The Spartan nodded, and the pair tore off towards the main group of ONI soldiers. As they rushed forward, Dusk vaulted over a wall of sandbags and landed on an unsuspecting marksman. He took a knee before shooting the marksman’s head and grabbing the dead soldier’s rifle. Checking the ammo counter, he noticed he had a full magazine. “Good enough.” The unicorn charged forwards and swung his rifle like a bat, breaking the helmet of the ONI officer that was supervising the offensive.

Palmer took the initiative and tackled the dazed officer, before unloading two shots from her magnums into the poor soul’s chest. As she got up, she looked around at the shocked ONI soldiers. “Anyone else?”

Yet no new challengers came. The sight of their commander being executed by the Spartan broke the morale of the advancing ONI soldiers, who turned and began to run back towards their base in the desert.

“That’s right, run you fuckers!” yelled Dusk as he unloaded the clip from his rifle at the retreating army. As Palmer started shooting away, Dusk caught a glint of metal out of the corner of his eye, spotting a retreating Scorpion tank, it’s gun trained on the two Spartans. As it fired, time seemed to slow down as Dusk went to tackle Palmer out of the way. As the he hit the Spartan, the shell impacted and exploded against the ground only inches from where the two stood, sending them flying back into a muddy ditch.

Dusk began to drag himself to his feet. “Palmer!” he yelled. Looking around, he saw the Spartan face down in the mud. He scrambled over to her and flipper her onto her back. Her helmet’s visor had been shattered, and her armor had been ripped off her left side from the blast. He tore her helmet off, and was met with an unbreathing Spartan. “Shit…”

The unicorn used his magic to rip Palmer’s damaged chestplate off and started pumping away on her chest. “Come on Palmer!” Dusk charged his hands with pure magic before he brought his hands down on her chest. Palmer gasped and tensed up before falling back into the mud, her breathing labored. Dusk picked up the Spartan and began to carry her back to the trenches, and was met by the members of Majestic. He brushed right by them, and walked into the back of one of the now-empty Pelicans. Placing Palmer on the floor, he went up to the cockpit. “Get us to Canterlot. Roland can give you the directions.

As he walked back to the troop bay, Majestic had already taken seats in the bay.

“What happened?” asked Thorne.

“Receiving end of a Scorpion.” replied Dusk as he sat on the floor with his unconscious predecessor. He propped her up into a sitting position and leaned the wounded soldier against his side.

“Is she gonna be OK?” questioned Madsen.

“I don’t know.” said Dusk. “I just don’t know.”

Author's Note

Coming up next: The Reunion!

Chapter 11

Manehattan Wire

Throughout the early hours of the morning, a small mob had assembled at the abandon Manehattan Wire factory. The mix of humans and ponies were milling about with no clear rhyme or reason when the Pelican carrying Lasky, Palmer and Lord Hood landed near the old hangar building.

“And why are we out in the middle of nowhere again?” questioned the Admiral as he hobbled down the Pelican’s ramp.

“Didn’t I say it was a breakfast meeting?” quipped Lasky as he dragged a large hardcase off the Pelican.

“You didn’t say where Captain.”

“There was a reason for that.” said the Captain as he started walking over to the old factory.

______________________________________________________________________________

Dusk was up in his old office reading over some reports that Patch had brought on the Enclave spies when Dart slipped in.

“Hope I’m not interrupting.”

Dusk smiled and put down his reading material. “You’re not. I’m betting either Patch or someone else will go over who we’re looking for anyway, so it’s no loss.”

Dart sat in Dusk’s lap, smirking. “Really?”

“Yes, really.” groaned Dusk. “Look, now really isn’t-”

“Dusk, you in here?” said Lasky as he opened the door, his back turned as he dragged the hardcase into the room.

Dusk was quick to move Dart up onto his desk with a brief telekinetic spell before sitting back in his chair. “Where else would I be?”

“Probably off getting some coffee, how the hell should I know?” said the Captain as he plopped down on Dusk’s couch while Lord Hood hobbled into the room, followed by Palmer.

“Lord Hood-” said Dusk as he got up from his chair and strode over to the Admiral before grabbing the man’s hand. “-welcome to Equestria.” Dusk quickly glanced over at Dart. “Kick my chair over here.”

Dart swung the chair out from behind Dusk’s desk before pushing it over to the stallion. Dusk presented the chair to Lord Hood before grabbing a spot on his couch. “Captain Lasky was telling me about some sort of ‘breakfast meeting’?” asked the Admiral.

“Just a mission briefing.” noted Dart.

“Mission briefing?”

“You do tend to need them when some jive-ass fuckers think they can waltz on in to one of the most secure events in all of Equestria.” said Tremble as he walked in with Patch, Star and Violet before tossing a box of doughnuts down on the coffee table in the middle of the room. “And yes Dart, I did remember breakfast this time.”

“Joe’s Doughnuts?” asked the mare.

“Where else?” quipped the Sergeant as he pulled some files out of his bag before passing them around the room. “Now, anyone want to remind me why we’re here? Anyone?”

Dusk just gave Tremble a blank stare. “Tremble, leave the briefings to the professional.” said the stallion as he got up and levitated Tremble over to his now-vacant spot on the couch. “Alright, listen up. We’ve got a group of Enclave agents that are planning on sneaking into the Grand Galloping Gala this evening. I don’t know what these fuckers are planning, or what they’re looking for. Hell, they could be looking for the Princess’ own anti-son-of-a-bitch-machine, but they won’t get it. Tell em’ why Patch!”

“Because we know they’re coming?” asked the mare before leaning over to Dart. “Has he done this before?”

“Sadly…” said Dart as she shook her head.

“Moving on, we’ll have six of us on the ground. Violet and Star will be watching the door, Dart and I will keep an eye on the garden, while Palmer and Lasky keep the main hall under lock and key. Thorne is going to be on stage with the band, so he’ll be as close as we can get to eyes in the sky inside the castle.”

“As far as backup goes,” stated Tremble “I’ll be with Patch and Steeljack on sniper detail. Anything happens outside, we’ll try to engage-”

“And if anything happens in the castle, you want me and Palmer to handle it?” asked Lasky.

Tremble shrugged. “You’re the one who said it, not me.”

“Do we have any other support?” asked Dusk.

“Zulu Company will be on standby onboard the Regent, while Commander Sentry will have Hammer and Aurora Squads in the castle in case they’re needed.”

“Good… Any other-”

“Let’s back this up for a minute.” said Hood. “Captain, this meeting was a mission briefing to take out some agents that are trying to sneak into a party?”

“Lord Hood, with all due respect, shut the hell up.” said Tremble. “Most, if not all of the public servants, nobles and members of the Equestrian government attend this ‘party’. If the Enclave want to have some of their guys sneak in, then why shouldn’t there be a plan to take them out?”

“While I don’t really agree with Tremble’s manners-” said Dart “-we’ve both been fighting the Enclave and ONI for three years. ONI gives them the gear, and then the Enclave uses it as they both see fit. At this point, casualties for civilians and military personnel stand at just over 2000-”

“Wait, over 2000?” asked Dusk. “Where have these guys been hitting?”

“Dodge Junction was attacked a second time about three months after you disappeared, followed by a number of raids on Appaloosa, and Dodge City over the last three years. The more recent siege of Dodge City saw 527 casualties, while their attacks on Vanhoover, Baltimare and Manehattan have a combined 1602 casualties.” stated Tremble before he turned his attention back to Lord Hood. “It’s for all of those ponies and marines that we’ll put these fuckers in the ground. The Enclave deserves nothing less.”

“I see…” said the Admiral. “What do you need me to do?”

“I’m sorry?” asked Dusk

“I said what do you need me to do?” reiterated Hood. “We had enough people die fighting the Covenant, and now Osman thinks she can enable that same behavior among members of another species that can barely defend itself?” Hood rose to his feet, leaning on his cane as he stood. “That won’t happen. Not on my watch”

“Just keep Infinity here for now.” said Dart. “For the moment, that ship is our best chance to establish a decent defense so we can actually try hitting back against the Enclave. All I’ve done for the last three years is damage control. Take a squad here, go help defend a town over there-”

“No need to try to sell me on anything else. As of now, Infinity and her escorts are staying here.” Hood looked over at Lasky. “For the time being, you’re going to be taking orders from the Equestrians, it’ll be the same deal with the Spartan detachment. It’s long past time that someone draws a line in the sand-”

“-and it might as well be us.” finished the Captain. “I’ll have marines start setting up bases along the southern border immediately.”

“Good. Commander Palmer, I’m putting you back in command of the Spartans on Infinity. You’ll also be charged with coordinating operations with the Equestrians. I’d also prefer if you kept a team down-”

“Already done.” noted Palmer. “Majestic is in the capital. I’ll just have their gear brought down from the ship.”

“Glad to see you’ve learned how to read minds Palmer.” Hood looked around the room before he smiled. “Well then, I think it’s about time we make an impression.”

______________________________________________________________________________

Canterlot

It took a few hours for the group to get ready and head for the castle. The group decided to travel to the outskirts of town by Pelican, before walking the rest of the way. Dusk had seen to it that everyone was prepared in advance. Dusk had picked out a simple black tuxedo, made of similar material to Dart’s dress. Lasky and Hood both came decked out in their dress uniforms, while Palmer trailed behind with Violet and Lilith (both of whom had used an illusion spell to mimic the appearance of two solar guards.), more downtrodden due to her forced attire.

“Something wrong?” asked Lasky as he fell back alongside Palmer.

“Oh, no I’m just late for tea.” snarked Palmer. “What do you think? I’m a soldier. Last I checked, soldiers don’t go to fancy parties dressed like some sort of goddamn princess.”

“Look, I’m not exactly a fan of hanging around with a bunch of rich assholes either-”

“Oh really? The great Tom Lasky doesn’t like making himself look good?”

“Palmer, if we take out these Enclave agents in front of the majority of the government of Equestria, think what that would do for our standing with them? We might be here awhile, so having a few favors we can call in might not hurt.”

“Doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

“No one said you had to Palmer!” yelled Dusk, before he turned back to Lord Hood. “Anyway, Celestia should be at the front door. She’ll be the one you want to talk with about all of that diplomacy bullshit that your government wants you to pull off.”

“While I don’t agree with your gross oversimplification of the idea of diplomacy, thanks for the heads up.” replied Hood as he hobbled off down the street.

“You even know where you’re going?” asked Dusk.

“Hard to miss the giant castle in the middle of the city.” said the Admiral as he kept walking.

______________________________________________________________________________

“And where are we going again Patch?” asked Steeljack as he followed the mare up a dark stairwell.

“I told you already. We’re going to the roof to watch the outside of the castle, Tremble is going to hide out in one of the towers overlooking the castle garden.” she stopped and turned around before shrugging. “Did I forget something?”

“Ya, you did.” quipped Steeljack. “You forgot I wasn’t at the briefing.”

“And who’s fault is that?”

Steeljack facepalmed. “Well I’m sorry that you neglected to mention that there was something more than ‘oh, by the way there’s a bunch of Enclave bastards that’ll be sneaking into the Grand Galloping Gala tomorrow so I’ll need your help’.”

Patch didn’t say anything, instead turning and continuing her walk to the roof. As she swung the door open and walked out into the cool night, Steeljack ran up in front of her. “Is it just me, or do we have a problem?”

“We’ll deal with it later.” groaned Patch as she brushed past the stallion and went to the edge of the roof. “Tremble, you there?” said the mare as she clicked on her radio.

“Just setting up now.”

“Alright.” Patch pulled her rifle off her back, fitting a bipod on the underside of the barrel before laying prone on the roof, watching the castle through her scope. “I’m clear on my end.”

“Same. I’m just seeing a bunch of stuck-up snobs starting to walk outside back here.”

Steeljack set up his DMR, attaching the sniper scope he had salvaged off a broken rifle. “We know what we’re looking for?”

“I do.” quipped Patch. “I’ll let you know if I see anything.”

Steeljack lowered his rifle. “Then why am I here?”

“To watch my back.”

______________________________________________________________________________

Celestia was greeting the arriving nobles as Dusk walked in with his group. She didn’t pay much attention to the two guards that were tailing them who took over from the guards at the door. What she did pay heed to was the older human who was hobbling over on a cane.

“I take it you’re Princess Celestia?”

Celestia nodded. “And you are?”

“Lord Terrence Hood, Commander in Chief of the UNSC.” said the human as he held out his hand.

The Princess waved off the gesture. “Lord Hood, no need to be so formal around me. It’s just a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance.”

Celestia walked away, only to have Luna take over. “You might want to follow her.”

The Admiral nodded before hobbling off after the diarch. He entered a darkened corridor off the main entrance, before he was grabbed by the back of his collar and dragged off to the side, before he felt a brief pain in his knee.

“That should fix your leg.” said the Princess.

Hood whipped around, finding that the Princess was walking through a passage that had opened in the wall. Rushing in after her, he found himself in a long stairway. “What the hell’s going on?” he asked as he followed the Princess.

“There’s much more going on here than you realize Lord Hood.” said the Diarch as she continued down the darkening passage before lighting her horn. “By now you’ve heard of the Enclave?”

“Ya. Bunch of terrorists that ONI has been supplying with equipment.”

The Princess nodded. “Indeed, but that is simply one part of the equation. The Enclave have advanced technology of their own, however ONI gave them superior equipment after they arrived in Equestria.”

“After they arrived?” questioned Hood. “I thought they were already here.”

“They didn’t originate here.” corrected the Diarch. “The found a portal that linked our world to their own.”

“So they’re alien?”

“They aren’t from this universe.” As the two reached the end of the passageway, Celestia parted the wall to reveal a large chamber at the very end, bathed in a soothing green light. Around the room were floating images, almost portal-like. Each showed a different world, ranging from nuclear wastelands to pristine utopias. Off in the corner were a series of crystal structures that resembled cryo-tubes.

“Where the hell are we?”

“The Nexus.” said the Princess. “This world sits at a unique position in the universe, where multiple planes intersect. Through here and the other portals that I’ve hidden away across Equis, you can access a near infinite number of realms.”

“You’re kidding, right?” questioned Hood.

“I wish I was.” sighed Celestia as she walked over to the crystals.

Hood followed, before his eyes went wide. While some of the tubes were empty, a handful were occupied by individuals. Wiping the dust away on one, he found himself staring at the scratched helmet of a Spartan. “What the hell…”

“His name is Paul Demarco-”

“I know who he is. The man died trying to save our asses back on Ealen Four.” Hood looked over at the Princess and furrowed his brow. “What the hell is he doing here?”

“He was brought here by the Nexus, as he was judged to be of sound mind to help protect this place from the threat that now looms ahead of us.” Celestia waved her hand, showing the visage of an older human woman, a handful of ponies and Commander Palmer. “Catherine Halsey, Steeljack, Meteor Shower, Dusk, Dart, Sarah Palmer. They are all key to the defense of the Nexus.”

“And why are you telling me this?” asked Hood.

“You need to understand the stakes we’re facing.” Celestia paused before turning to the entrance. “They’re here.” She lit her horn, and the crystal that had preserved the Spartan began to melt away. “Time to wake up Paul.”

______________________________________________________________________________

Palmer and Lasky were milling about the main hall for the better part of the first half of the gala. Eventually, Palmer made her way to the bar, where she was unsuccessfully trying to drown her gloomy attitude in alcohol.

“Still trying to find out how long it takes a Spartan to get drunk?” asked Lasky as he grabbed a seat by Palmer’s side.

“Unsuccessfully, I might add.” said Palmer. “We haven’t even seen these ‘agents’, or heard anything from Dusk or Dart.”

“Probably because they’re too busy on the dance floor.”

Palmer turned around, spotting the two doing an impromptu waltz through the crowd of nobles. As they cleared the crowd, the broke character and walked over to the bar.

“Am I the only one who’s bored out of his mind?” asked Dusk as he signaled the bartender for a drink.

“Join the club.” said Palmer as she downed yet another glass of whiskey.

“Then allow me to lighten the mood.” said a human as he walked up to the bar. He was decked out in a black tuxedo, with a red corsage in the breast pocket. “Bartender, hard cider.” As the bartender slid the glass to the human, he turned and gave a wry smile to Palmer. “You look good Commander.”

Palmer and Lasky both had to do a doubletake. “DeMarco?” she asked.

“The one and only.” said the human as he downed his cider before sliding the glass back to the bartender. “You do realize that those agents are already in the building, right?”

“What?” asked Dusk.

“The Enclave. Their guys are already inside.” said DeMarco.

“Shit. DeMarco, you're with me and Dart. Palmer, Lasky-”

“Dusk, I need a word. Now.” Palmer dragged Dusk away from the bar by his collar. “He’s supposed to be dead.”

Dusk glanced around Palmer. “Well, he doesn’t look dead.”

“Look, DeMarco died-”

“Stow it Palmer.” said Dusk. “If he’s here, and he can fight, we need him in our corner. We can deal with the specifics of this little miracle later. In the mean time, get Thorne and head for the Armory. I had some armor racks set up for your gear in there.” Dusk brushed away from Palmer before beckoning for Dart and DeMarco to follow.

“What’s the plan?” asked Dart.

“Find Tremble, get the word out that the perimeter has likely been breached and then clear the hall.” said Dusk.

“You do realize that the nobles aren’t their targets, right?” asked DeMarco

“Come again?”

“They’re after something under the castle.”

“And how would you know that?” demanded Dart.

“Your Princess was the one who woke me up down there.” said the Spartan as he kept pace with the two ponies while pulling a small medallion out of his pocket. and putting it around his neck.

“What’s that for?”

“Just my gear. Needed a place to put it, and your Princess so kindly provided… Whatever the hell this thing is.”

The group walked into a side hallway, before catching sight of Tremble sprinting towards them.

“We’ve got a problem.” said the marine as he slowed to a stop. “Enclave sent a full platoon of soldiers. Patch and Steeljack have them engaged, but I lost contact with them. Supposedly Star and Violet showed up once the shooting started.”

“How long ago was this?”

“About two minutes ago.”

“Fuck.” Dusk tapped his foot. “Alright, we’re hitting the armory. Get in touch with Flash, tell him I need those teams in here now.”

“What about Zulu?” asked Tremble.

“Get them into the city.” ordered Dart. “We’ll need them there for crowd control.”

______________________________________________________________________________

Steeljack ducked down behind a rooftop vent for the third time that evening, trying to avoid the fire coming from a mob of Enclave soldiers that was pursuing him and Patch.

“Shit shit shit shit!” yelled Patch as she dove behind an air conditioner before sticking her rifle out of cover and shooting blind.

“We having fun yet?” yelled Steeljack as he leaned out of cover before exchanging fire with the advancing soldiers.

As Star crashed on a roof opposite of them, Patch sighed. “Of course I am! What’s better than getting our asses kicked?”

Steeljack didn’t have a chance to offer a rebuttal before an Enclave soldier punched through the air vent he was hiding behind and ripping him through it before tossing him off the roof. The stallion crashed through a window of an apartment building across the street, interrupting a family’s quiet dinner.

“Don’t worry, I’m OK.” said the stallion as he clambered to his feet. Looking over at the blatantly surprised family, Steeljack rolled his eyes, before he ducked out of the apartment and ran down the stairs to the street while he pulled out his radio. “Tremble, where are you?”

“At the palace. We just got word that the Enclave is already inside.”

“Got it. Me and Patch got separated. No idea where Star and Violet are.” As he burst onto the street, Steeljack saw a guard sprinting down the street towards him, yelling something about bombs on the pillars before Steeljack grabbed the panicked stallion. “What’s gotten into you man?”

“The Enclave, they’re planting bombs on the support pillars-”

Steeljack went pale. “Tremble, we need to evacuate the city now!”

“And why would we do that?”

“One of the city guards just informed me that there are Enclave soldiers planting bombs on the city’s support pillars. If those go off-”

“Then the entire western half of the city collapses. I’ll get the word out to start evacuations.”

______________________________________________________________________________

Lasky, Palmer and Thorne arrived in the armory to find that Dusk and DeMarco had armored up, and were preparing an assortment of weapons. Palmer and Thorne were quick to change into their undersuits before going to the armor rack, while Lasky grabbed a basic tactical vest off of one of the wall racks.

“Alright, what’s the plan?” asked Palmer as he broke free of the rack.

“We get the nobles out of the castle and-”

“Not gonna cut it!” yelled Tremble as he stormed in. “Just got word the Enclave has been planting charges on the support towers for the city.”

“Well, that’s news.” said Dusk as he picked up a SAW.

Palmer tapped the side of her helmet. “Dalton, you there?”

“Online Commander.”

“I need any Pelican you can get down here now. We’re evacuating Canterlot.”

“What?” said Miller as he chimed in. “Why the hell are you evacuating an-”

“Miller, they’ve got bombs on the support pylons for the western half of the city.” said Dusk. “We’re going to get the civilians out of the way, then see if we can actually disarm those charges.”

“Understood. I’ll scramble whatever I can. Dalton out.”

“New plan then.” said Dusk as he swung the weapon onto his back while grabbing a handful of magazines. “I’ll take DeMarco, Thorne and whatever marines we’ve got to try and hold off the Enclave, Dart and Lasky coordinate the evacuation, Palmer keeps the castle all nice and cozy and then we worry about the bombs.”

Dusk walked out of the room, waving for the Spartans to follow before he tapped the side of his helmet. “Dusk to Zulu Company, green light for deployment. Landing zone will be marked in the city by the yellow smoke.”

“Dooley here. We’ll be on station shortly.”
______________________________________________________________________________

It took Steeljack some time to track down Patch once he got down to the street. By then word had come down to start evacuating the western half of the city, with the guards trying to protect the main streets from Enclave attack as the locals started to flee.

“Steeljack!” yelled Patch as she ran up to him. “You alright?”

“Could be worse. Do we know what’s going on at the Gala?”

Patch shook her head. “Not a clue.”

The pair began to walk down the street, following the sounds of gunfire as they went. “What about Star and Violet?”

“Supposedly Violet found Star and they’re trying to find the Princesses.” Patch stopped and looked at Steeljack. “You got any idea why the order to evacuate-”

“Supposedly the Enclave has bombs below the city.” quipped Steeljack. “Those go up, half of the city goes down. We just need to make sure nopony is in there when it happens.”

As Patch stood in the street, trying to comprehend what she just heard, the ground shook beneath her, followed by a dull thud. “Is that what I think it was?”

“Fuck!” yelled Steeljack. “Tremble, I think one of the charges just went-”

“Ya, it did. Just took out the northwest corner of the city. We already cleared it, but the other sections are being held up by Enclave barricades.”

“They’re trying to bottle us up.” Steeljack groaned. “Tremble, where are those blockades?”

“There’s three of them set up on Main Street, Canterbury Street and Gold Oaks Boulevard.”

“They must’ve cut across the blocks to set them up.” noted Patch.

“Tremble, Patch and I are going to try and clear the roads. I’ll keep you in the loop.” Steeljack clicked off his radio and started walking.

“We’re gonna do what?” asked Patch as she walked after him.

“It’s simple.” stated Steeljack “We’re gonna be heroes.”
_

_____________________________________________________________________________

“Dusk, Palmer, someone there?”

Dusk tapped the side of his helmet. “You’re on Miller.”

“That last blast was radioactive, looks almost like-”

“I don’t need to know Miller.” said Dusk. “Just tell me how the evacuation is going.”

“There are some blockades on Main, Canterbury, and Gold Oaks. Steeljack, Patch and some of the marines are trying to clear them, speed up the evacuations.”

“Copy that, we’ll hit Gold Oaks then link up with the others at Canterbury.” Dusk swung his machine gun off his back before checking to make sure it was loaded properly. “Gold Oaks is about two blocks north of here.”

“Then let’s go bash some heads.” said DeMarco as he readied his rifle.

Chapter 12

Canterlot

Dusk dove into an alley, plasma bolts whizzing down the street. DeMarco and Thorne had taken cover in an alley on the opposite side of Gold Oaks Boulevard. “What was that about bashing heads DeMarco?” yelled Dusk as he broke cover and advanced down the sidewalking, spraying bullets while he went.

“Well we aren’t anywhere near these fuckers yet, are we?” retorted the Spartan as he turned on his hardlight shield before he advanced.

Thorne stayed behind DeMarco, marking off targets as they moved. “If you’d keep moving, we’d have this barricade cleared already.”

As the trio reached the barricade, DeMarco dropped his shield, while Thorne vaulted over the wall that the Enclave had set up, landing on one of their officers. Dusk was right behind him, spraying from the hip as his armor’s shields flared at the impacts from plasma bolts.

As Dusk kept the Enclave soldiers distracted, DeMarco set to work planting explosives on the opposite side of the barricade as he ducked past bolts of plasma. “Would either of you mind to keep these bastards back?”

“We’re working on it!” yelled Dusk as he swapped out the ammo drum on his SAW. “Thorne, on me!” The unicorn charged down the street, weaving through incoming fire as he advanced before tackling one of the pegasi and punching him in the throat, while Thorne focused on picking off targets with his DMR.

DeMarco rushed forward to join his comrades, catching one of their power-armored assailants in the gut with his knife. “Charges set!”

“Well don’t wait on my account!” yelled Dusk as he swept the legs out from under yet another pegasi before firing a burst from his SAW into the downed foe.

DeMarco was quick to hit the tacpad on his wrist, before the three were thrown to the ground by the blast from their charges.

“When I said don’t wait on my account, I didn’t mean get our asses caught up in the blast!” yelled Dusk as he scrambled to his feet, watching as the surviving Enclave soldiers flew off before the ground shook under their feet.

“Another bomb just went off.” reported Roland over the radio. “Structural integrity of the west end has been compromised.”

“Got it. Get some marines over to Gold Oaks, and tell the evacuation teams that the route is clear.”

“Already done, Warbird is heading there now.”

“What now then?” asked Thorne, looking around as he heard a low groan.

“We link up at Canterbury with Steeljack-”

“Dusk, Palmer here. I’ve got Fireteam Shadow inbound to back you up. What’s your position?”

“Still on Gold Oaks Palmer. Look, I can’t-” Dusk was interrupted as a Pelican flew in overhead, a group of four Spartans jumping out before it had a chance to land. “Nevermind.”

“Commander Dusk?” asked one of the Spartans.

“The one and only.”

“Spartan Horatio Fry, Fireteam Shadow.” said the Spartan. “What’s our plan?”

“Obviously DeMarco’s plan to bash some heads isn’t working-” Dusk glanced over at the aforementioned Spartan before turning back to Fry. “-so we need to be a bit selective. Canterbury is a far bigger street than Gold Oaks or Main, and it’s wide open-”

“Then we stick to the buildings, pick off as many as we can and throw some ramps up over the barricade for the civilians to get across.” suggested Fry.

“While I like the ramp part, I was thinking along the lines of a bum-rush.” said Dusk as he checked over his weapon. “Once we’re in close we keep hammering away until they fall back, then help get the civilians out of the west side.”

“If you’re done scheming, we could use your help Dusk.” said Steeljack over the radio.

“Me, scheming? Say it ain’t so.” quipped Dusk as he started walking off towards a side alley.

The other Spartans were quick to follow. Thorne and DeMarco seemed at ease, while the members of Fireteam Shadow seemed far more tense as they swept down the alley.

Dusk signaled the group to stop once they hit the other end, peaking around the corner at the firefight that was in progress. The marines had tossed up sandbags not far from their position, and they were hiding behind them along with Steeljack and Patch.

“Well, what’s our plan?” asked Thorne.

“Like I said, bum-rush.” Dusk jumped out of the alleyway, tossing a yellow smoke grenade far behind the Enclave position.

______________________________________________________________________________

Patch poked up out of from behind the sandbags, firing of two shots before ducking back down to avoid the plasma bolts that were sailing overhead. “I still don’t see how this is your idea of being a hero.”

Steeljack chuckled. “Dodging plasma, taking on bastards bent on our destruction. What’s not heroic about that?”

“So, how fucked are we?” asked Thorne as he slid behind the sandbags.

“Depends on your viewpoint.” said Steeljack with a shrug. “On one hand, we’re kicking ass. On the other hand, we all face a good chance of dying when the city falls off the mountain.”

“You’re just a ray of sunshine.” snarked DeMarco as he stood and caused an instant loss of intelligence for an unfortunate officer with a bullet from his rifle.

“I try.” Steeljack looked back at the marines. “Alright, one last push and we can start packing up!”

“You heard the man, move it up!” yelled DeMarco as he scrambled over the sandbags.

As the marines broke from cover, two Pelicans flew over the barricade, landing on the other side to the sounds of rifle fire. It was mayhem as the mob ran forward, firing away at the Enclave as their own number was chipped away at by the plasma bolts before a rocket flew down from overhead and blew a hole in the barricade.

“Miss me fuckers?” yelled Dusk as he charged, tossing away the rocket launcher he grabbed as he started spraying once more with his machine gun before teleporting forward and cocking one of the soldiers before kicking the stallion behind the knee.

Steeljack was the first one through the barricade, bashing the nearest soldier’s with the butt of his rifle. As he turned to take on the Enclave horde, he saw that the lot of them were flying away in what appeared to be a mad scramble. “That can’t be good.”

As the ground shook from another explosion, Dusk groaned. “Great job dumbass, you jinxed us.”

The next few minutes were spent getting the citizens out of the city, with the Spartans and Marines helping them over the barricades. Most were panicked, considering the circumstances of their exodus, but one couple seemed to stand out.

“Steeljack, you see those two?” asked Dusk, pointing at the unicorn and pegasus pair.

The stallion nodded as the pair walked up to the two. “Something wrong?” Neither acknowledged Steeljack, who turned the mare towards him before furrowing his brow at the sight of a minor plasma burn on her right cheek. “What the hell happened?”

“Cloud Runner, where’s Cloud Runner?” asked the mare.

“Who?” asked Dusk.

“Our son.” said the stallion. “We were at dinner when all of… Whatever the hell this is started happening. We got separated when those soldiers started shooting.”

“Right about when your wife got hit?” the stallion nodded. “Alright, what resturant?”

“Dusk, is that-”

“Vemelli’s” said the stallion. “Cloud’s-”

Dusk held his hand up. “I can go by a name. Odds are he’d be the only one there.”

As he turned to go, Steeljack stood in his way. “So you're going alone?”

“Ya. Shouldn’t take that-”

Steeljack sighed. “Last I checked, the city’s primed to fall any minute.”

“And the Enclave are already pulling out.” retorted Dusk. “Look, just help get these ponies out of here. I’ll catch up with you once I get this kid.”

As Dusk teleported away, Steeljack shook his head before walking returning his attention to the retreating crowd.

______________________________________________________________________________

Dusk popped into the street in front of Vemelli’s Restaurant. Looking around, he was met with the sight of small fires lit by the Enclave’s plasma weapons. He swept into the restaurant, pausing as he felt the ground shudder. “Fuck…” Dusk quickened his pace, pausing once more as he heard an audible groan from under the bar. Jumping over, he was met with a sky blue earth pony with a number of plasma burns. “Cloud Runner?” he asked as he took off his helmet.

“Ya.”

“My name’s Dusk. Your parents told me you got seperated-”

“More like me trying to be a hero.” groaned Cloud.

“Well, plasma burns do tend to hurt-” the ground shook before dropping about a foot underneath the two stallions. Dusk threw his helmet back on. “Time to go.” Throwing Cloud onto his back, Dusk sprinted out of the restaurant and down the street towards the castle.

“You might want to go a bit faster.” suggested Cloud.

Dusk turned back and saw what he meant; the ground was falling away as the city began to crumble down the mountain. “Fuck!” Any attempt to pick up the pace was naught, as a building collapsed right in Dusk’s path. Turning back to the crumbling city, he just shrugged. “This is gonna hurt.”

______________________________________________________________________________

Canterlot Castle

“Well, that’s it then.” said Palmer as she viewed the footage of the city’s collapse. “We get everyone out?”

“Supposedly we did.” quipped Miller as he went through the reports.

“Where’s Dusk?” asked Dart as she walked in.

“No clue.” Palmer turned her radio on. “Dusk, where are you?” her radio was met with static. “Dusk?”

“Steeljack here Palmer. Dusk went back for a kid that got caught up in some sort of firefight in the market district. No clue where he is.”

“Well, let’s hope he made it out then.” said Palmer. “Miller, ping Dusk’s IFF tag.”

“On it Commander.” Miller typed away at his keyboard, as a red dot appeared on their map of the city.

“That’s the market district Miller.” said Palmer

Miller hit a few more buttons, and a hologram of the city appeared over their table. The red dot that was Dusk’s IFF was showing near the base of the mountain. “Fuck.”

“Miller, get birds down there now!” yelled Palmer as she ran out of the room.

“Steeljack, is Fireteam Shadow still there?”

“Spartan Fry here. What do you need?”

“Prep for immediate redeployment, search and rescue. A Pelican should be there shortly for pickup.”

“Copy that. Transmit the coordinates.”

______________________________________________________________________________

Canterlot Valley

“I really need to learn how to fly.” groan Dusk as he pushed a slab of concrete off him and Cloud. “You alright kid?”

“Never better.” groaned the Stallion as he dragged himself out of the hole him and Dusk landed in before collapsing to his knees.

Dusk knelt down with Cloud. “Look, granted a shield bubble isn’t the best way to survive a thousand-some-odd foot plunge down a mountain, but we’re alive aren’t we?”

“Says you.” quipped Cloud. “At least you can breathe right.”

Dusk took off his helmet and looked Cloud straight in the eyes. “You can’t breathe?”

Cloud shook his head. “Not perfectly. Almost feels like I sucked in pool water.”

Dusk took a look at one of Cloud’s plasma burns. “Would you like the sugar-coated version, or the blunt truth?”

“Blunt truth sounds good.”

“If you consider that one of these plasma bolts penetrated deep enough to give your left lung third degree burns, so there's that.” Dusk shook his head. “I need to get you out of here.”

“I thought we tried that already?”

“And if at first you don’t succeed, try again.” said Dusk as he put his helmet back on before picking up Cloud. “We dropped about two thousand feet. All we need to do is get out in the open.”

“Right where we can get shot?” quipped Cloud, before he started hacking.

“Just makes it easier to find us.” said Dusk as a Pelican flew overhead. “See?”

Palmer jumped off as the ramp was lowered, leaving behind a group of other Spartans. “Glad to see you’re still kicking.”

“Please Palmer, I’m far too stubborn to let a deadly plunge kill me.” quipped Dusk as he gestured to Cloud. “However, my friend here seems to have an aversion to getting shot with plasma bolts. Probably has to do with one that punched a hole in his chest, but what do I know?”

“Shit.” Palmer clicked on her radio. “Infinity, I’m inbound with a civilian casualty. Plasma burns through his ribcage.”

“Copy that Commander. Medical teams will be on standby in Hangar Ten.” replied Dalton

“What about my parents?” asked Cloud as Palmer and Dusk brought him onto the Pelican.

“We’ll send for them. Right now, just relax.” Palmer pulled out a small green can, before sticking a nozzle in Cloud’s chest would and pulling a pin.

“What the hell is that stuff?” groaned Cloud.

“Biofoam. Keeps pressure on the wound and sterilizes any bacteria that got in there.” responded the Spartan as she tossed the empty can to Fry. “That stuff’s save my life plenty of times. Trust me when I say it works.”

______________________________________________________________________________

UNSC Infinity

It had been an hour since Palmer’s Pelican arrived carrying Dusk and his wounded companion. Cloud Runner had been in with the doctors for nearly that entire time. His parents, Daisy and Full Sail, had arrived with Steeljack shortly after, although they were forced to wait with Palmer for any news.

“Palmer?” said Lasky as he walked in. “The doc wants the parents in here.”

Rising from her seat, Palmer brought Daisy and Sail into the infirmary and followed Lasky to Cloud Runner’s room.

Daisy and Full Sail pushed past Palmer and Lasky and ran up to Cloud Runner before the two embraced him.

Dusk was off to the side, and slipped over to Palmer and Lasky. “We might want to step outside with Doc Rivera.”

The three exited the room, shutting the door as the Doctor approached. “We’ve got a problem.” Before Dusk could say anything, Rivera cut him off. “Our friend in there needs surgery to correct the damage to his lung. The plasma did a damn good job of tearing it and part of his ribcage apart. Problem is we don’t know what we’re doing.”

“And why would that be?” asked Palmer.

“We’re flying blind.” said Rivera. “We know next to nothing about the Equestrian physiology or the correct way everything goes together-”

“So in essence, you can’t touch the kid because you run the risk of killing him.” stated Lasky.

“That’s about it in a nutshell. We can keep Cloud Runner alive for now, but he’ll need surgery to actually stand a chance at recovery.”

“Doc, what if I told you I know someone who could fix Cloud Runner?” asked Dusk with a smirk.

______________________________________________________________________________

“So, let me get this straight, you want to go find Doctor Halsey?” questioned Lord Hood. The group had adjourned to Lasky’s ready room after his brief suggestion with Doctor Rivera.

“She poked around me, and I’m still here.” said Dusk. “Besides, I just need the OK to go get her.”

“Good luck finding her then.” said Palmer as she rolled her eyes. “We have no-”

“I don’t need to know where she is Palmer. I tagged her with a crystal shortly after we met so I could teleport directly to her if Osman tried to pull something on either of us.”

“And what makes you think she can help this…”

“Alright, fuck it.” said Dusk. “I’ll be back in a few.” he charged up his horn, before he was engulfed in a flash of light, only to reappear in a dark purple room. “Well, this is-”

Dusk didn’t have a chance to do much else, before he was hit in the back of the head. “Who the hell are-”

“Catherine, since when can you throw a punch?” asked Dusk as he turned around. “And what happened to your arm?”

“A disagreement between myself and one of Osman’s lapdogs.” said the Doctor as she walked over to a desk in the corner. “What brings you here?”

“I need your help. Young stallion got shot in the chest with a plasma rifle. Burned through his ribcage and messed up one of his lungs. Doc Rivera on Infinity-”

“I’m sorry, but Infinity?” questioned Halsey “The UNSC is hunting me-”

“Was hunting you. Hood put a tight leash on Osman after I sent him all of the files I had.” replied Dusk as he sat on the desk. “Palmer seems rather torn on the whole thing, considering she shot you and all-”

“And Commander Palmer told you all of this?”

“One of ONI’s spooks did. Osman tried to install me as the Spartan detachment’s commander, which blew up in her face quite royally.” noted Dusk. “Although I got to keep the rank as part of the deal. And Hood has Infinity on guard duty… And rescue detail… And-”

“I get it Dusk.” said Halsey as she grabbed a few things off her desk, including a blue and orange box. “Now, how do you plan on getting us-”

Dusk cut off Halsey as he teleported the two back to the ready room on Infinity, staggering and panting. “Well, gonna need a break after that.”

“Doctor Halsey.” said Palmer as she walked up before grabbing her remaining hand. “Welcome aboard.”

Halsey cocked an eyebrow. “This wouldn’t be where you kill me, would it?”

“You didn’t see Cloud, or hear the prognosis.” noted the Spartan. “As far as I’m concerned, the kid comes first.”

“And then we get a prosthetic replacement squared away for you.” added Lord Hood. “As well as the first testimony at our inquest on ONI’s post-war activities.”

“Well, how could I refuse?” said Halsey with a chuckle. “Now, where is this patient I need to attend to?”

______________________________________________________________________________

Doctor Halsey slipped into Cloud’s room with Dusk on her tail and quickly grabbed the chart at the end of the stallion’s bed.

“Who are you?” asked Daisy.

Halsey ignored the question for a moment, setting the chart down on the end of the bed while flipping through the pages. Looking up, she offered a slight smile. “Catherine Halsey. I was asked to consult on your son’s injuries.” Looking back down, she frowned. “Cloud Runner, have you been feeling sore?”

“In what way?”

“Almost like your bones ache.” asked Halsey.

The stallion nodded. “Mostly in my chest, but I’ve been feeling it in my arms-”

“Then I see something of a compound problem.” noted Halsey as she put a scan of Cloud’s body up on the screen at the end of his bed. “While your lung has been heavily damaged, it is repairable. However, it would require extensive reconstruction.”

“If that’s the main issue-”

“That’s not all.” interrupted Halsey. “One of the things we know about plasma is the amount of damage it can cause to skeletal structure. It appears that the bolts that impacted your torso burned through to your bones, compromising their integrity and starting a process of decalcification.”

“In equish please?” asked Full Sail.

“Your son’s bones will eventually degrade to the point where they will be unable to support his mass without collapsing.” said Halsey. “In essence, his own body weight will eventually kill him without intervention.”

“Really reassuring Doc.” groaned Dusk.

“Which is why I’m pulling out my old playbook, so to speak.” hitting a button on the wall, the image of Cloud’s body changed to that of diagrams and notes.

Dusk narrowed his eyes. “Catherine, are you really suggesting what I’m thinking?”

“And what’s she suggesting?” asked Cloud.

“About three years ago, I conducted a number of experiments on Dusk as an experiment on how Spartan-type augmentations might affect physiology of other species.” stated the doctor. “They included a lung implant and injections to increase bone density and strength. With some proper modifications, that implant can deal with the lung damage, while those injections can solve the issue of bone decalcification.”

“Are you sure there isn’t anything else?” asked Daisy.

“I wish it were that simple.” Catherine sat down on the end of Cloud’s bed. “But the fact-”

“Do it.” said Cloud Runner. “I really don’t like the idea of a slow and agonizing death.”

“Ok then.” said Halsey. “I’ll have the medical ward prepared.”

As she went to leave, Cloud waved her down. “Mom, Dad, can you give us a minute?” As his parents got up and left, Cloud stared at Dusk before turning his attention back to Halsey. “That plate on the back of Dusk’s neck, it connects to that armor he wears, right?”

Dusk shook his head. “Cloud, I know where you’re going-”

“Then you know I want to get payback on the bastards that wiped out my home. Once I’m out of here, I want you to teach me how to fight.”

Dusk sighed. “Catherine, you might as well add a neural lace onto that list. I’ll have the armor lab start setting up some gear for Cloud.”

______________________________________________________________________________

Dusk sat out in the atrium with Daisy and Full Sail, waiting on word about Cloud Runner.

“Dusk, you have anyone special?” asked Full Sail.

“Relationship-wise? Just starting out with my marefriend.” he sat down next to Full Sail and sat back. “Considering she got my job after ONI nabbed be, and now I’m back, who knows what the hell is actually gonna happen. Really great way to start out…” Dusk paused to think. “Ok, scratch that. The sex is worth it.”

Daisy facepalmed while Full Sail just laughed. “Good to see you have such a good sense of humor.”

“You just lost your home.” stated Dusk. “I’m surprised you’re laughing at all.”

“We all have to laugh sometime.” stated Full Sail. “Personal possessions can be replaced, children can’t. We already lost our daughter Dart, so I don’t know what we’d do if Cloud died.”

Dusk furrowed his brow. “Tell me what happened to Dart.”

“She was kidnapped when we were on vacation in the north country about… Goddess, it’s been eight years already.” sighed Daisy. “We never found out what happened to her.”

“She wouldn’t happen to be mint-green, grey mane?” asked Dusk.

Daisy and Full Sail exchanged glances. “How do you know that?”

Before the opportunity to explain was taken, Dart strode into the atrium, hopping into Dusk’s lap before wrapping him in a passionate kiss. “Next time you decide to play hero, try to avoid plunging off the side of a mountain.”

“Dart-” said Dusk, now red in the face “-now really isn’t a good time.”

“Why not?” Dart turned and found herself staring at a well-built sapphire earth pony, and a sage green unicorn mare, with off-white and auburn manes respectively. “Uh, did I miss something?”

“No, we were just getting to that part.” said Full Sail as he clenched his fists.

Dusk let his head fall back and groaned. “Dart, did I ever introduce you to your parents?”

Author's Note

This is what's going through Dusk's head at the very end.

Chapter 13

UNSC Infinity

Dusk chuckled for a moment. Dart was still in his lap, while Full Sail was cracking his knuckles. “Uh, it’s not what it looks like?”

“You said you’ve been sleeping with my daughter.”

“And I didn’t know she was your daughter.” said Dusk.

“Then where’d you find her?” questioned Full Sail

“Oh, you know, captive servant to a Gryphon oligarch.” said Dart. “That ole’ chestnut.”

“What?” asked Daisy.

“Ya. I really don’t know how long I was there, amnesia and all that.”

“So you don’t remember either of us?” asked Daisy.

Dart got out of Dusk’s lap and sat down in the chair next to him. “Can’t say I do.”

Doctor Halsey took a moment to poke her head into the atrium. “Dusk?”

“I’ll just let you three get reaquainted.” said Dusk as he rose from his chair before following Halsey through the door. “What’s up?”

“Cloud Runner is all set, he’s just getting moved to recovery now.”

“Good. His gear should be just about done by now.” said Dusk. “How long until he’s back on his feet?”

“Right about now.” said Cloud as he turned a corner and strolled up to the two.

“Well, job well done Catherine.” Dusk looked over Cloud for a moment. “How’s the neural lace?”

“Bit different. Feels like I’ve got a metal plate running down my back.” noted the stallion.

“That’s normal. Anyway, your parents might need a bit. They’re otherwise-”

Cloud brushed past Dusk and Halsey, walking out into the atrium before stopping in his tracks. “Dart?”

“Yes, it’s me. No, I don’t remember any of you.” groaned Dart. “Amnesia’s a bitch.”

“Huh?” asked Cloud.

“Look, I’ll just pull a page from Steeljack’s book and sit down with you three later.” Dart rose from her chair and marched out of the room, Dusk right on her heels.

______________________________________________________________________________

Dusk stayed with Dart as she stalked down the corridor, glowering and radiating what appeared to be anger.

“Dart?” asked Dusk. “You OK?”

Dart didn’t say a word as she stepped into an elevator with a group of marines while Dusk filed in behind her.

“Where to?”

“Anywhere on this boat with booze.” snorted Dart.

“Really?” questioned Dusk. “Just gonna drink yourself silly?”

The elevator stopped about two floors up and Dart stormed out while Dusk chased after her. “Can you just slow the hell down?” yelled Dusk.

Dart stopped and turned to Dusk, tears starting to form in her eyes before she wrapped him in a tight hug while her knees began to wobble.

“Easy there, no reason to let gravity kick our asses.” said Dusk as he held up Dart’s weight.

“Why not?” asked Dart.

“Because I’d rather you not look like a blubbering mess. That’ll rub off on me.” Dusk broke the pair’s embrace, looking at Dart. “And I really don’t do emotional anymore.”

Dusk swung his arm around Dart’s shoulder, leading her to a lounge area that was mostly empty, save for Miller in the far corner. Leading her over to some chairs, Dusk sat the mare down before dragging over a chair of his own. “That really wasn’t the best way for me to drop a bombshell, was it?”

“That’s not it.” sighed Dart while she wiped away some of her dried tears. “Tell me, where did we get on my background over the last six years?”

Dusk pondered for a moment. “Assuming that nothing changed, then nothing.”

“Exactly.” Dart slumped down in the chair. “I spent the last six years telling myself I’d never find my parents, that I’m an orphan or something like that. Then I go to check on you, and guess what? They’ve been living in my backyard for three years Dusk. Three fucking years!”

“Dart, you didn’t even know what you were looking for. How the hell could you expect to know that Full Sail and Daisy were living in Canterlot?”

“It doesn’t matter.” groaned Dart. “My job has been to protect ponies from the shadows, find out whole life stories by listening to whispers, cloak and dagger shit like that. And I didn’t even pick up on a family whose daughter was kidnapped years ago. Gee, how well does that make me look?”

“You’re really concerned about your image?” Dusk sighed. “Miller! I need some moral support over here!”

“Don’t look at me. I’m off duty!” yelled the Spartan, returning his attention to his tablet before Dusk dragged him across the room with his magic.

“Didn’t say you had a choice.” Dusk turned his attention back to Dart. “So, do you expect me, or anyone else for that matter, to think less of you because you have no idea where to even start looking for details on your family. Do you realize how selfish that is? You’re selling yourself short-” Dusk grabbed Dart and dragged her in for a brief kiss “-and I won’t have any of it.”

“So why’d you drag me over here again?” asked Miller.

“For moral support. I’ve got things covered from here.” said Dusk as he got up and moved over to a free couch, Dart saddling up against him. “Look, I can’t tell you what to do, or what you even should do. But whatever happens, I’ve got your back.”

Dart didn’t say anything as she curled up and burried her head in Dusk’s chest in an attempt to muffle her sobs.

______________________________________________________________________________

Cloud walked down a long hallway, flanked by two marines. One opened a door off the side, while the other brought the stallion into the room before turning around and leaving with his partner. Looking around the room, he saw two sets of armor. One he had seen dusk wearing, while the other was a shiny black with an elongated helmet.

“That’s a modified Enforcer set.” said Palmer as she walked in behind Cloud. “These are mostly used by Spartans on guard detail at secure installations. The helmet has a strengthened communications suite, and the eggheads tweaked the shield generator to recharge quicker.”

Cloud walked over, running his fingers along the chestplate before trying to pick it up. “Is it supposed to be heavy?”

“It weighs five hundred pounds.” noted Palmer. “Sure, some of the components are lighter, but it’s a fully powered set of armor. Weight really isn’t an issue.”

“So how do you put it on?”

Palmer turned and pointed over to an armor rack on the far side of the room. “That. There’s a bodysuit over there for you. Put it on, and I’ll get you squared away.”

______________________________________________________________________________

Palmer was watching Cloud with amusement as the armor rack tilted him back and moved his chestplate into position.

“Is this normal?” he asked, clearly nervous.

“Yes, it’s normal.” reassured the Spartan. “I’ve used one of these hundreds of times, trust me, they’re safe.”

As Could was tilted back to a standing position, an arm came around and placed his helmet on his head before releasing him from the rack. He tried to step forward, before tumbling to the ground. “What the hell!”

“Might take a bit of getting used to.” said Palmer as she helped Cloud scramble to his feet. “Mjolnir acts like an extension of your body. When you move, it moves with you.”

Cloud took a step forward, managing to maintain his balance. “This is different.”

“It should be.” said Dusk as he walked in. Dart was right behind him, slipping over to a corner of the room as the door shut. “How’s it fit?”

“Fine.” Cloud rolled his neck to a resounding crack. “Bit stiff though.”

“Give it some time to break in, and you’ll be fine.” said Dusk as he grabbed his own undersuit before pulling it on. “Mine was the same way when I first got it.”

“Ok…”

“Palmer, where are we on weapons training?” asked Dusk as he stepped into the armor rack..

“The firing range should be ready within the hour.”

Dusk walked off the rack, stopping the process so he could instead grab his helmet. “Palmer, I never said anything about the firing range. Roland, is my simulation ready?”

Roland’s AI appeared out of a wall projector. “Should be good to go.”

“Start setting it up. We’ll be at the wargames simulator in a few.”

“Wargames?” asked Palmer as she looked over at Cloud. “Is it really a good idea to train him against veterans?”

Dusk laughed. “Palmer, we’re not doing a round of slayer. I think it’s about high-time for a firefight.”

______________________________________________________________________________

Cloud was pacing around the locker room as Dart, Comet, Strike, Meteor Shower and Steeljack assembled their equipment. Off to the side, DeMarco and his former fireteam were conversing while Palmer over at a terminal with Dusk going over some of the simulation details.

“Ok, we’re all set!” yelled Dusk as he threw his helmet on. “This is a simple sim we’re running. It’s all of us versus waves of relentless alien bastards. While I’d encourage everyone to avoid dying, respawn is an option in there.”

“To make things a bit easier, I’ve dialed back the difficulty on the simulation’s programing.” said Palmer as she swung her rifle off her back. “We’ll be using a map called Beachhead. Roland set it up based off of an actual engagement that took place in New Alexandria during the Fall of Reach. Stick to the villa, keep to cover, and whatever you do don’t stand in front of a Hunter.”

The door slid open, revealing an open compound overlooking a beachfront. The group filed through, the door closing behind them.

“Firefight.” chimed a voice in the background.

“Anyone hear that?” asked Steeljack.

“Spartans, we cannot allow this area to fall into Covenant hands.” said another voice.

“Ya, and it’s creepy.” noted Meteor.

“Alright, spread out!” yelled Palmer. “Majestic, we’re up top.”

“Dart, Cloud. We’re covering the the patio. The rest of you keep this building clear.” ordered Dusk as he ran outside before diving behind the railing.

“And what exactly are we fighting?” asked Dart as a Phantom flew overhead before stopping over the beach.

“Those guys.” quipped Dusk as some Elites and Grunts dropped out. “Bunch of religious pricks bent on killing the non-believers. Granted they broke apart in civil war after a major revelation, but still.”

“So what am I looking for?” asked Cloud as he peaked over the railing.

“Anything that didn’t walk in here with us.” Dusk stood up before taking the head off an unsuspecting Grunt, causing the advancing group to begin firing.

Above the group came the report of a sniper rifle, followed by an Elite collapsing to the ground. “Fuck you hinge-head!” yelled Madsen.

Cloud stood, sweeping his rifle around before finding a Grunt trying to sneak around the far side of the villa. Taking a deep breath, he pulled the trigger.

“Headshot”

Cloud looked over at the Grunt, noticing it had collapsed against a rock while blue blood pooled out of it’s head. For a moment, he couldn’t help but gag.

“You OK?” asked Dart as she tapped Cloud’s shoulder, before she began making use of her own rifle.

“I just killed-”

“Get used to it.” said Dusk as he tossed a grenade. “You want to fight the Enclave? Fine. But don’t expect them to let you live because you can’t handle the blood and gore.” Dusk’s grenade exploded, sending an Elite to the ground from the blast.

Cloud shook his head, before focusing his attention on an advancing Elite. “Alright then.” Time seemed to slow down as he pulled the trigger on his rifle, watching the three bullets fly out of the barrel and planting themselves in the helmet of one of the Elites.

“Not bad.” stated Dusk as another Phantom flew overhead.

“Shit, they’ve got a Wraith!” yelled Palmer as the hovertank was dropped off the bottom of the craft.

“What’s a Wraith?” asked Dart before a massive plasma mortar exploded a few yards away.

“On, you know. Tank that rains deadly fireballs from the sky.” said Dusk with a shrug. “Anyone bring some heavy weapons?”

“They weren’t on the shopping list!” yelled Meteor from inside the villa.

“So, that’s a bust.” groaned Dart as another plasma mortar exploded.

“Since when were you this negative?” asked Cloud.

“I’m a bad influence.” said Dusk as he vaulted over the wall. “Sue me!” Dusk ran for the Wraith, tossing his knife into a Grunt’s head as he ran before whipping out his pistol and killing the gunner on the Wraith’s turret before leaping onto the hull. Pulling out a grenade, Dusk primed it and dropped it to the bottom of the turret before jumping off and diving to the ground.

“And that’ll do what?” asked Cloud.

“Just watch.” said Dart with a smirk.

Dusk looked around for a moment, before he shrugged and got up. Scrambling to his feet, the grenade went off in the Wraith’s turret, turning the once shiny weapon of mass destruction into a burning hulk. A number of grunts charged him, each falling to the ground from wounds inflicted by Dusk’s pistol. As he started to walk away, the Wraith exploded, sending armor plate flying everywhere, while Dusk kept on walking. Behind him, two blue armored beings walked around the burnt out tank.

“Cocky bastard.” groaned Dart. “Someone cover me!” Dart jumped over the railing, Cloud doing the seemingly smart thing and following his sister as she ran towards Dusk.

“I know, I’m awesome!” yelled Dusk as he pounded on his chest before turning around. “Well… Fuck.”

Dusk was hit with the blast from the creature’s cannon, sending him flying back into Dart. Cloud ducked under his sister’s tangled body, rushing forward while spraying fire from his rifle before diving behind the two creatures. Looking up, he saw that the creatures had exposed backsides. With no other alternative, he grabbed his pistol with his free hand and started firing both of his weapons into the backs of his quarry. One dropped to the ground, while the other whipped around and went to club Cloud with it’s massive arm, before it too dropped to the ground.

“Game over. Victory!”

“That’s it?” asked Cloud as he clambered to his feet.

“Ya.” said Dusk as he walked over. “This was moreover a quick get-your-feet-in-the-fire type deal.” Waving for the stallion to follow, he led him back to the door they walked in through, the other members of their group already there.

“So, just a bunch of Grunts, some hinge-heads, a Wraith and two Hunters?” asked Hoya. “Nothing more interesting?”

“Hoya, this was a simple training exercise for Cloud.” stated Dusk. “You are, however, more than welcome to tweak the firefight program to your liking.”

“What the hell was that!” yelled Full Sail as he stormed into the waiting room.

“Uh…” Cloud was at a loss for words for a moment. “Me learning how to be a certified badass?”

“I’ll get to you.” said Full Sail. “Dart, where the hell did you learn any of that!”

“I taught her.” said Steeljack as he stepped forward. “You have a problem with that?”

Full Sail got in Steeljack’s face, snorting. “You turned my daughter into a killer.”

“Maybe a lesson is in order-” Steeljack punched Full Sail in the gut, before kicking him into one of the lockers. “Your daughter asked to come with me and Dusk. We took her in, fed her, kept her safe. She wanted to learn how to defend herself; I taught her everything I know, as did Dusk. And you know something?”

“What?” questioned Full Sail through gritted teeth.

“She’s a hero.” With that, Steeljack strode out of the room.

Dart sighed. “Should I go talk to him?”

“He’ll be fine.” reassured Dusk. “I had Roland put aside some officers quarters for us. I’ll meet you there in a few?”

“Just bring the scotch.” said Dart as she pecked the stallion on the cheek before leaving the room herself.

“Are you and my sister…” Cloud was at a loss for words.

“Yes we’re dating. No, it’s a recent thing. Yes, I’m a few years older than her. No, I don’t plan on breaking anything off because-”

“That’s not it.” said Cloud as he took his helmet off. “Is she happy?”

Dusk stopped to think for a moment, watching as Full Sail struggled to his feet. “Honestly, I don’t know. I’m not in her head.” As Dusk went for the door, he turned back to Cloud. “Once we get the armor off, grab your folks and meet me in my cabin. I figure some food and drinks might go good with explanations.”

______________________________________________________________________________

“I still don’t think this is a good idea.” groaned Dart as she buried her face in the couch cushions.

“And I think it’s a great idea.” quipped Dusk as he brought over a few empty glasses. “It’s blatantly obvious that your father thinks you're a killer. Steejack and I both know you’re not. Therefore he requires and education.”

“Then why include Cloud and Daisy?”

Dusk propped Dart up before taking the space on the couch. “Because then they’re not getting a twisted version of the truth. Besides the point, I’ve got a few aces up my sleeve.”

As a knock came from the door, Cloud and his parents walked in and grabbed open chairs. “We supposed to drink air?” asked Full Sail.

Dusk chuckled as Steeljack and Tremble walked in. Tremble came in his full ODST BDU, armed with his pistol while Steeljack was wearing simple jeans and a sport coat.

Tremble leaned up against the wall, while Steeljack took the opportunity to put two bottles of scotch on the table, along with a box of doughnuts. “So, I take it someone has some issues with my friend here?” asked the marine.

“What the hell is this? A shakedown?” yelled Full Sail while Daisy kept him in his seat.

Dusk chuckled, pouring himself a glass of scotch. “Do you want it to be?” As he sat back and took a sip from his glass, Dusk motioned to Tremble, who tapped his pistol. “Earlier, you said I made your daughter a killer. I disagree.”

Full Sail went to get out of his seat, before his wife held him in his spot again. “Sail, calm down.”

“Look, it’ll be easier if I tell them.” said Dart as she slid forward in her seat. “What do wanna know first?”

“Since when are you dating this schmuck!” yelled Full Sail “Better yet, do you act like some-”

“Finish that sentence, and I rip your tongue out.” growled Tremble as he unsheathed his knife.

Dart shook her head. “Like it or not, but you tend to get attached to somepony when they save your ass from certain death.”

______________________________________________________________________________

The Badlands, Three Years Ago.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck!” yelled Dart as she struggled with the Guardian’s controls.

Dusk pushed the mare out of the way, trying to get a handle on his ship’s tailspin. “You took the words right out of my mouth!”

“Sergeant Tremble, report!” yelled Baxter over the radio.

“Paris, now really isn’t-” Before Tremble could finish, another shot from the Spartan’s weapon hit the Guardian. “Comms are dead!”

As the ground approached, Dusk turned to Dart, wrapping himself around her while casting a shield spell. The Guardian bounced and rolled as it hit the ground, sending it’s occupants tumbling. Dusk’s shield held, protecting Dart from the shower of glass and dirt.

As the Guardian slowed to a stop, Dusk’s shield dropped. Dart got up, looking around the destroyed cockpit before turning her attention to Dusk. A pool of blood was beginning for form under his head, fed by a stream of it coming from gashes on his forehead. She grabbed him by the collar and started dragging him out of the ship, dropping him only when they hit solid ground.

“You OK?” asked Tremble as he limped out with Meteor.

“Could be better.” Dart looked up at the Enclave airship that was bearing towards them, before it was engulfed in a flash of light and disappeared. “What the hell was that?”

“Huh.” Tremble pulled his helmet off, sighing at the shattered visor. “Figured it would at least go boom.”

Dusk stirred and rolled over to look up at the sky. “What?” Dusk looked up, finding an unharmed Dart and a battered Sergeant looking back down at him.

“Pretty bold move you pulled in there.” said the Sergeant as he tossed away his broken helmet.

“Ya, just help me up.” As Dusk got to his feet, he stared up at a clear sky. “Where’s the airship?”

“Gone. I don’t know how, but the bomb vaporized the damn thing.”

“That’s just-” suddenly, a bullet whizzed past Tremble and clipped Dusk’s horn before embedding itself in the Guardian’s wreckage.

Tremble whipped around before getting tossed to the ground by their Spartan assailant. Dart attempted to rush the giant, but was picked up in a choke-hold and tossed aside like a ragdoll.

“You do realize we weren’t done.” said the Spartan as she grabbed the unicorn by the arm.

“You’re right.” said Dusk with a smirk. “I never got your name by the way.”

Dart tried getting to her feet, struggling to stand. She could only watch as Dusk was dragged over to some sort of ship by their attacker, before she collapsed.

______________________________________________________________________________

UNSC Infinity, Present Day

“Granted I didn’t see numbskull over here for three years, but what do want me to do?” said Dart as she leaned over on Dusk’s side.

“Let the record state I’m just rolling with it.” said Dusk as he shrugged.

“Smartass.” quipped Dart.

“Now, I’ve gotta ask, but where’d you find her?” asked Cloud. “Didn’t you mention something about a Gryphon earlier?

“I’ll cover this one.” said Steeljack.

______________________________________________________________________________

De Witt Plantation, Griffany, Six Years Ago

Dusk and Steeljack stalked through the vineyard, making their way towards the main house.

“See anything?” asked Dusk as stopped near the edge of the vineyard.

Steeljack peaked around the edge of the vines, cocking his carbine. “Nothing.”

“Alright, let’s move.” Dusk and Steeljack ran for the Villa door, ducking off to either side. “Ready?” Steeljack nodded, and Dusk swung the door open and the pair filed in while Dusk shut the door.

“What are you two doing here?” asked a mint green unicorn.

“Fuck.” cursed Dusk as he grabbed the unicorn and dragged her into a side room before he pinned the mare against the wall. “De Witt, what’s he up to?” he questioned.

“I don’t know, I’m just a servant!” wimpered the mare.

“Then what’s a unicorn doing out in Griffany?” asked Steeljack “Especially one as young as you.”

“I don’t know.”

Dusk punched the wall next to the mare’s head, leaving an indent from his gloved fist. “Bullshit.”

“Honestly, I don’t know!” The mare cringed up. “I’ve been here as long as I can remember.”

Dusk backed off, letting the mare slump down the wall. “Since when do-” Dusk paused for a moment, noticing something on the back of the mare’s neck as she slumped down. He crouched down and brushed her mane aside. “Steeljack, am I seeing things?”

Steeljack knelt down next to Dusk and nodded. “It’s a scar.”

Dusk propped the mare up, wiping away a tear from her cheek. “Who hit you?”

“The guards.” said the mare. “If we don’t work hard enough-”

“They break out a whip.” sighed Steeljack. “How many others are there?”

“Counting me, there’s ten.”

“Steeljack, we’re here to get information, not introduce the emancipation.” stated Dusk. “We can come back-”

“No.” said Steeljack as he got to his feet. “This isn’t a break-in, not anymore.”

Dusk got to his feet, checking over his own rifle. “Alright, so we’ll get the servants over the border and drop them in Vanhoover.”

“After we wipe this fucking stain off the map.” growled his partner as he marched back outside.

Dusk sighed and dragged the mare outside, only to watch as Steeljack lit the end of a bottle on fire and tossed it into the vineyard. “Burning the place down tends to work better when we’re not still here.”

“And your point?” Asked Steeljack as he shouldered his rifle. “By the way, you might want to hit the deck.”

Dusk’s eyes went wide as he tackled the mare to the ground. Now that the pair was out of the way, Steeljack started firing at the villa, his bullets sending chunks of stone flying. Voices of guards were heard yelling inside, while a handful burst from the front door only to be gunned down.

“What is that thing!” yelled the mare.

“Assault carbine.” responded Dusk as he scrambled to his feet and started firing at the oncoming guards.

“You two are crazy!” screamed the mare as she dropped to her knees.

______________________________________________________________________________

UNSC Infinity, Present Day

“You two are crazy!” yelled Daisy. “You could’ve gotten my daughter killed!”

“I’m still here, aren’t I?” asked Dart.

“That’s beyond the point. You dragged my daughter-”

“If you don’t mind, I’m not finished.” Groaned Steeljack.

______________________________________________________________________________

De Witt Plantation, Griffany, Six Years Ago

Dusk ducked under the blade of one of the Griffin guards, before taking his knife and slashing across his throat. “Do you still think this was worth it?”

Steeljack swung his rifle like a bat, crushing the skull of one of the guards. “It will be!” As the last of the guards dropped to the ground from his wounds, Steeljack looked over at the last standing Griffin. “You must be De Witt.”

“Indeed.” Snorted the Griffin. “And you’re the miscreants who are destroying my property.”

“And I don’t give a shit.” stated Steeljack as he leveled his weapon at the Griffin “I’ve seen enough to recognize a slaver when I see one.”

“Then allow me to educate you to my methods.” The Griffin pulled a knife out as he rushed Steeljack and jammed it into his shoulder. “First, you must show no mercy to those who do not earn it.”

Steeljack tried to kick away the Griffin, before the knife was pulled from his shoulder. “You piece of shit!”

Dusk had taken Dart and hid her behind a turned over wagon. “So, I never caught your name.”

“Dart.” said the Mare as she peaked out from around the edge of the wagon. “Your friend isn’t looking too good.”

Dusk stood and looked over the top of the wagon, and saw what Dart was talking about. Steeljack was getting pummeled by the Griffin while he was struggling to reach his rifle.

Dart looked around the ground for a moment, before grabbing a rock and ducking around the side of the wagon and rushing the Griffin and chucking the rock at his head. De Witt turned his attention to Dart before he closelined the poor mare.

“I thought I taught you obedience.” said De Witt as he shook his head. Looking down at Dart, he stomped his foot down on her gut. “It appears that a refresher is needed.”

Steeljack rolled over, watching as De Witt stomp away on the wounded mare. He crawled over to his rifle, finding there was a single bullet left. “Fucking wonderful.” Using his rifle as a crutch, the stallion climbed to his feet and walked up behind De Witt. He pointing his rifle up at the Griffin’s head from the hip, finger on the trigger. “Hey, fuckface.” De Witt turned around, staring Steeljack in the eyes for a moment before his last bullet tore up through the bottom of De Witt’s beak and out the back of his head.

Dart groaned as De Witt’s body collapsed at her feet. She looked up and found that her savior was reaching down to her. Taking his hand, she struggled to her feet before she was wrapped in a tight hug.

“That fucker won’t be touchin g you again.” said Steeljack through gritted teeth.

“Now that we’ve settled that, where’s the rest of the servants?” asked Dusk.

“We usually sleep in the wine cellar.”

Vanhoover, 3 Days Later

“Three days Steeljack. Three days to get these ponies back to civilization.” groaned Dusk. “Was it worth it?”

The pair was across the street from Vanhoover General Hospital, watching as a number of guards were speaking with the small mob of frenzied mares. “In a small way, it was.”

“Care to enlighten me then?” asked Dusk as the duo started walking down the street.

“We made sure there’s one less scumbag in the world.” Steeljack put his hands into his jacket pockets. “That mare, Dart. What do you think will happen to her?”

“And why do you care again?” asked Dusk

“Remember how I told you I was going to be a father?” asked Steeljack. Dusk nodded silently. “Maybe I’m just being overly protective, but watching that fuck beating her… It hurt. Almost like it was my own daughter.”

“But you never met your kids.” pointed out Dusk.

“Excuse me” Dusk and Steeljack turned around, Dart standing behind the two.

“Shouldn’t you be with the others?” asked Dusk.

“Probably, but I doubt those guards will be much help.” Dart sighed. “I want to go with you.”

“Kid, you really don’t want to be hanging out with us.” stated Dusk pointedly.

“And your point?”

Dusk stopped for a moment, before Steeljack stepped in. “You can come, but just be warned, there might be a few others who aren’t entirely thrilled that you’ll be joining us.”

______________________________________________________________________________

UNSC Infinity, Present Day

“Trust me when I say that Strike was pissed when we got back to Manehattan.” said Dusk. “He just yelled at me when he saw Dart, then wouldn’t talk to me for a week.”

“Pretending for a moment that I know who Strike is, why wasn’t he so thrilled?” asked Full Sail.

“Part of it was that Blaze Squad’s existence was revealed.” stated Dart. “Granted at the time, we thought that these two were Equestrian Military-”

“But once those stories about two stallions who wiped out a bunch of Griffins started spreading, the Royal Guard made a point to keep their eyes out for us.” finished Dusk. “About two years later, some letter shows up in my office requesting our presence in Canterlot, otherwise the Royal Guard would take us by force. So, for the sake of keeping this all short, we went, got offered jobs and good paychecks, and then four years later here we are.”

“Granted that’s a gross oversimplification, but I think you get the point.” added Steeljack.

Full Sail buried his face in his hands before rising to his feet. “I’ve heard enough for one night.” Daisy and Cloud silently followed him out of the room.

“Well, that was easy.” quipped Tremble.

“If you say so.” groaned Dusk. “I’ll see you two in the morning.” Dusk got to his feet, walking into his bedroom before kicking off his boots and tossing his shirt in the corner before falling back on the bed while listing as Dart showed the remaining guests out.

“Was it really that bad?” asked Dart as she crawled onto the bed with Dusk.

“Well, your father still looks like he wants me dead, so nothing new on that front.” Dusk reached out and pulled Dart in close. “You feeling better?”

Dart rolled her eyes. “As better as I can be, considering the circumstances.”

“Glad to-” Dusk was interrupted by a small burst of green fire before a letter dropped down onto his chest. “The fuck?” Tearing open the letter, he started reading it over.

“What’s it say?” asked Dart.

Dusk tossed the letter off to the side before turning his attention to Dart. “Guess where we’re going tomorrow.”

Chapter 14

Canterlot Castle

“You’re an ass, you know that?” asked Dart as she and Dusk walked off the Pelican.

“Well, you never bothered asking where we were going.” Noted Dusk. “As such, I reserve the right to be a killjoy.”

Dart simply flipped Dusk off as she walked into the castle and made for the throne room, guards saluting her as she went.

“Dart!” Princess Luna came running up behind her and Dusk. “My sister isn’t in the throne room.”

“Ok... Where is she then?” asked Dart.

Luna waved for her to follow, and they ran into a rather eclectic group as they rounded the corner. “I take it everyone is already acquainted?”

“I’ll reiterate that I would very much like to know what the hell is going on.” noted Palmer.

Luna pressed a brick into the wall, and a hidden door slid away. “Paul, I believe you know the way.”

The Spartan nodded, leading the other members of his former team, Palmer, Halsey Meteor Shower, Dart, Dusk and Steeljack into the dark tunnel.

“Love what you’ve done with the place Luna.” snarked Dusk. “The whole dark and depressing vibe works wonders.”

“I aim to please.” replied the Princess as she lit her horn.

At the bottom of the staircase, DeMarco stopped before a brick wall. “How do I open this again?” Seemingly on cue, the wall slid upwards to reveal a dimly lit chamber. “Nevermind.”

As the group filed in, Dusk looked around the room shaking his head. “Dark room, one way in and out… Ya, it’s a trap.”

“It’s not a trap Dusk.” said Celestia as she walked in with Luna and Lord Hood. “This is the Nexus.” As she said that, the room got brighter and a number of portals lit up, revealing a number of different realities. “Think of this room as a crossroads between universes.”

“Alright, so it’s not a trap.” admitted Dusk. “But it’s still fucked up.”

“Dusk, allow me to level with you for a moment-” noted Celestia solemnly “-the universe as a whole is fucked up.”

For a moment, most of the group developed blank stares, before Dusk and Meteor Shower started laughing hysterically.

“What’s so funny?” asked Steeljack.

Meteor wiped a tear off his cheek, still chuckling. “Steeljack, I’ve seen Celestia do the whole super-serious act before, but never quite like that.”

“So, what’s this ‘Nexus’ anyway?” asked Dart.

“It’s a location in this universe where others intersect.” stated Lord Hood.

“Hence you can travel between an unlimited number of realms from this location.” added Celestia. “Which is also why I brought all of you here. With the recent Enclave attacks, there is a direct threat to the security of the Nexus. Should this location be compromised, untold horrors can be turned onto our own universe.”

“But it’s a double-edged sword.” pointed out Thorne. “We could use these portals to find some help.”

“As long as it’s within this universe, that shouldn’t be an issue.” Celestia looked over at one of the portals before turning back to Thorne. “Going between universes at random, however, is far more risky. You don’t know what you’re looking for, or how to get back.”

“So, we could figure out where there’s a bunch of free guns and go grab em? Sign me up!” yelled Dusk. “Quick, someone toss out an idea.”

“Spirit of Fire…” snickered Hoya.

“That works. Celly, find me that ship!” Dusk turned back to Hoya. “So what are we talking here. Frigate? Corvette?” rubbing his hands together, Dusk smirked. “Maybe a Crusier?”

“It’s an assault ship.” stated Lord Hood. “And I doubt you’ll-”

“Is that it?” asked Celestia as she pointed at a portal, showing a large angular vessel orbiting a tan planet..

Hood’s eyes went wide before he drooped. “I shouldn’t have even asked.”

“Is it loaded with weapons?” asked Dusk

“What do you think, it’s an assault ship?” snarked Madsen.

“There are also these pesky things.” stated Celestia as she snapped her fingers, four small squid-like creatures popping into the room.

Dusk and Palmer exchanged worried glances before the two pulled pistols from their belts and shot the creatures.

“Fuck. It had to be the flood.” said Dusk as he returned his pistol to it’s place.

“Lucky you, they were the only ones on the ship.” said the solar princess as she rolled her eyes as the portal view changed to that of a bridge. “I’ve also taken the liberty to stabilize the ship’s descent into the planet’s atmosphere.

“Palmer, with me.” said Dusk as he strode up to the portal. “I can just walk through, right?” As the princess nodded, Dusk walked through onto the bridge of Spirit of Fire. As Palmer joined him, the portal shut and Dusk noticed the stale air that perforated the cabin.

“So… We’re on our own?” asked Palmer.

“We’re watching from our end Commander.” chimed in DeMarco over the radio.

“Creepy…” whispered Dusk as he tapped away at a bridge console, showing a cryo-status menu. “Found the crew.”

Palmer looked over Dusk’s shoulder. “Looks like they’re in cryo…”

An AI avatar appeared over a holotable in the center of the bridge. “Who the hell are you two?”

“Uh… We’re the new bosses?” Dusk looked over at Palmer and shrugged.

“Look, where’s the captain?” asked Palmer.

“He’s right here.” stated an older man as he walked on the bridge. “Well Serena, you were right. Something did happen.”

“Ya, we found you.” stated the unicorn. “Look, can the ship make a slipspace jump so we can get this bucket of orbit?”

“If you brought a spare slipspace drive, then be my guest.” groaned the human. “We used ours as a bomb.”

“I’m liking you already.” said Dusk as he punched a few buttons on the holotable, showing a display of the ship.

“Commander, how much longer you gonna be? We’ve got a problem.”

“What sort of problem DeMarco?” asked Palmer.

“Three Carriers, five Battleships, and two Frigates. That kind of problem.”

______________________________________________________________________________

UNSC Infinity

“Got it DeMarco. We’ll try to make it quick.”

Lasky sighed as he listened to the radio conversation. “Lieutenant James, have those ships responded to hails yet?”

“Negative Captain.” responded the conn officer. “Looks like the Carriers and Frigates are breaking off and charging up their slipspace drives. Battleships will have us in weapons range in five minutes.”

“Deploy the sub-vessels, standard formation. Have the Equestrian ships fall in with us and broadcast general quarters.”

______________________________________________________________________________

UNSC Spirit of Fire

“Do you really expect me to believe you’re being invaded from another universe, and that the Office of Naval Intelligence has been in on it?” questioned the human.

“What, it’s true!” insisted Dusk. “Granted it sounds way out of whack for someone who’s been lost for… Palmer, how long were these guys missing again?”

“Twenty-seven years.”

“Ok, so someone who’s been lost for nearly thirty years might find that hard to believe, but how can you not believe this face?” asked Dusk as he pointed at himself and smirked. “Palmer, help me out here.”

“Captain Cutter, you have every-”

“Palmer, I thought you said you’d make it quick?” asked Lasky over the radio “I’ve got zzzzzzttttttt……”

“Lasky, you there?” Palmer’s radio was met with static. “Fuck!”

“Serena, wake the crew up and go to yellow alert.” ordered the human as he sat down in his chair. “And tell Anders to get her ass up here. We might need her.”

“Captain, what if I could show you what I’m talking about?” asked Dusk as he cocked his eyebrow. Pulling out a small thumb drive from his pocket, he plugged it into a bridge terminal. “Just watch.”

The group sat back, as Dusk’s helmet footage from Dodge City began to play on the bridge displays.

______________________________________________________________________________

UNSC Paris

“All ships, engage!” yelled Lasky over the radio.

“You heard the man you pansies, let em’ have it!” yelled Baxter.

Trails of smoke flew out from the Archer pods, followed by the blue trails of the ship’s crystal turrets, shields flaring at the impact of fifty calibre rounds from the opposing battleships.

“Captain, MAC is ready to fire.” reported one of the bridge officers.

“Target the lead battleship-” before Tremble could continue, the familiar shape of four Enclave airships dropped from slipspace. “Forgot those could handle a vacuum. Tell Regent and Coral Sea to form up and cover our flanks. We’re going after those airships.”

______________________________________________________________________________

UNSC Spirit of Fire

Captain Cutter sat back in his chair, crossing his fingers together as the bridge screens returned to normal. “That was a few days ago?”

Dusk nodded. “Totals came in at five hundred dead, twenty five wounded and two still missing.”

“Alright, we’re in.” noted the Captain

“Might I point out we have no way to get to this ‘Equis’ without a slipspace drive?” asked Serena.

“Serena’s right Captain.” noted a human female. “We aren’t going anywhere.”

“Please, are you forgetting who you’re talking to?” asked Dusk before he pulled out his radio. “DeMarco, is the Princess there?”

“I’m here.”

Dusk smirked. “Well then Celly, I could use an act of god.”

______________________________________________________________________________

UNSC Infinity

The deck shook from the impact of another volley of missiles, knocking Lasky to his knees. “Report!”

“Shields are gone!” yelled Lieutenant James.

“Bring us about, stand by Hyperion missiles.” ordered the Captain as he scrambled to his feet. “How long until we can recharge the shields?”

“It’ll be a few minutes Captain.” stated Roland as his avatar appeared at one of the bridge consoles. “Port side armor is showing minor stress fractures, and I’m having some issues with the Hyperion controls. Looks like one of the conduits took a hit. I’ve got damage control en-” Roland paused. “Those Frigates are back and on an intercept course, and I’ve got some sort of weird readings off the starboard side-”

Roland was interrupted by a song that began to play over the radio, as a large ship appeared to exit a slipspace rupture.

“Roland, is that what I think it is?” asked Lasky as the ship passed the bridge, the name on its hull clearly visible.

______________________________________________________________________________

UNSC Spirit of Fire

“We’ve cleared the portal Captain.” stated Serena. “Although I’m still questioning why we had to make such an entrance.”

“Every stallion needs a theme song Serena.” said Dusk.

“Serena, hail the lead frigate, tell them to stand down or we open-” Cutter was interrupted as the ship shook from the impact of an Archer missile. “Lock all forward weapons on the lead frigate.”

“Target locked Captain.”

“Serena, how’s the lower part of the hull holding up?”

“Still at one hundred percent Captain.” reported the AI. “Can I ask what you’re thinking sir?”

“Oh, nothing crazy at all.” snarked Dusk.

“Serena, fire all forward weapons and put us on a collision course with that frigate.” ordered the Captain as he hit a button on his chair. “All hands, brace for impact.”

______________________________________________________________________________

UNSC Infinity

“Captain, Spirit of Fire is on an intercept course with the Hampstead.” reported Roland.

Lasky looked out into the void, watching as the Spirit of Fire started firing away what looked like its entire arsenal while steaming towards the Strident-class vessel. “They’re insane.” he muttered as the prow of the old assault ship smashed through the Strident’s hull in a fiery explosion.

“Captain, Spirit of Fire is hailing.”

“Put it through Roland.”

“Infinity, this is Captain Cutter of the Spirit of Fire. We’re on station and ready to engage.”

Lasky nodded for a moment. “Spirit, pull back to low orbit and make sure no transports make it to the surface. We’ll deal with the heavy hitters.”

“We’re on it.”

“Roland, can you give me some good news?” asked the Captain.

“Well, the coffee’s hot.” snarked the AI. “Other than that, I’ve got nothing.”

“Alright, move to intercept the Venture. Get us in as close as you can.”

______________________________________________________________________________

UNSC Spirit of Fire

“Captain, Infinity is making a run at the lead battleship.”

“You said they had shields, right Palmer?” asked Cutter.

“Looks like they’re down sir.” responded the AI. “Probably doesn’t help that we took so damn long.”

“One step at a time Serena.” stated the Captain. “Is our combat air patrol ready to go?”

“Leaving the hangar now Captain.”

“Tell them to cover the planet’s orbit and move on the lead Battleship.”

“Uh, weren’t we supposed to cover the rear sir?” asked Serena.

“And our fighters can handle it. Just get us in close and keep them distracted so Infinity can finish them off.”

“I’m sorry, but you’re insane.” stated Palmer. “I doubt this old thing has weapons to put a dent in a Vindicator.”

“Serena, how many nukes do we have on board?”

“Inventory is showing thirty Shiva-class warheads loaded and ready.”

Cutter turned to Palmer and smirked. “You were saying?” Turning back to the fore, Cutter straightened out his coat. “Back in the 19th Century, during the American Civil War, there was a Union Admiral, Farragut. He had one of his vessels refuse to proceed into the harbor because of a bunch of torpedoes.”

“And why would that matter now?” asked Dusk.

“Because damn the torpedoes-” stated Cutter pointedly “-full steam ahead.”

______________________________________________________________________________

UNSC Infinity

“Captain, Spirit of Fire has launched its fighters and is on an intercept course with the Venture.” reported Roland. “Can’t seem to raise them on comms.”

“Damnit…” Lasky sighed. “Where’s the Paris?”

“Engaging the Johannesburg. Coral Sea and Regent are supporting, but they aren’t getting anywhere.” The deck shuddered beneath the Captain’s feet. “And now we aren’t getting shields back at all. That last hit just took out the main generator.”

“Focus fire on the Venture, just try to take out their-” Lasky was thrown to the deck as a massive explosion rang through the ship. “What the hell just happened?”

“MAC round just cut a hole midship. We’re venting atmosphere and power to the engines is failing!” yelled Lieutenant James. “We can’t take another hit like that, or we’re done.”

“Roland, I need that hull breach patched now!” yelled Lasky as he ran over to a bridge console. “Full axis rotation to starboard, fire all ventral batteries!”

Another explosion shook Infinity, blowing out some of the bridge consoles in a fiery display of sparks and glass. “We’re losing main power!” yelled James as he scrambled from his station. “Mark 2551 cannons are down, and the point defense grid is failing. Captain, we need to get the hell out of here!”

______________________________________________________________________________

UNSC Spirit of Fire

“Captain, I’m having issues raising Infinity.” reported one of the Spirit’s bridge officers.

“Serena, what’s their status?” asked Palmer.

“Main power is failing, major damage to the port side armor plate, engines are losing power, weapons systems are fluctuating and their shields appear to be completely inoperable. If that battleship keep it up, Infinity’s toast.” responded the AI.

“What about that battleship?” asked Cutter.

“Looks like their shields are down.” reported Dusk. “Assuming we can get close enough, we could take them out with a few nukes.” The unicorn snapped his fingers and grabbed his radio. “Hey Celly, you there?”

“Yes Dusk, I’m here.” sighed the Diarch.

“Listen I’ve got a plan, but I need a favor to make it work.”

“Alright then, let’s hear it.”

______________________________________________________________________________

UNSC Infinity

Klaxons were blaring across the bridge as Infinity continued to shake at the missile bombardment from the Venture. The bridge was for the most part filling with smoke while damage control teams were rushing about trying to put out some of the flaming consoles.

“Captain, engines just went dark.” reported Roland. “We’re done sir.”

“Roland, give the word.” ordered Lasky. “We’re abandoning ship.”

“Understood-” Roland paused. “Sir, Spirit of Fire is gone.”

“What?”

“They’re just gone. One minute- Holy shit, they’re behind the Venture.”

“Son of a bitch.” said Lasky before he started laughing. “Roland, cancel that order. I think we’ll be fine.”

______________________________________________________________________________

UNSC Spirit of Fire

“Let em’ have it Serena.” ordered Cutter.

“Aye sir.” The soft thud of the Spirits deck guns rang through the bridge, followed by streams of Archer missiles and tracers from point defense guns, all converging on the Venture’s engines with the resulting explosion that blew a hole in the rear of the ship. “We’ve breached their rear armor Captain.”

“Open a channel.” Cutter stood from his chair and straightened his uniform once more. “UNSC Venture, this is Captain Cutter of the Spirit of Fire. Stand down and prepare to be boarded.”

“They aren’t responding.” said Dusk as he walked up the Captain. “Call me biased, but I say fuck patience.”

“Agreed. Serena, fire the Shivas.” A loud roar was heard from beneath the bridge, and streams from the missiles flew out from under the bridge and smashed into the crippled battleship, followed by explosions along the length of the ship.

“Paris to Spirit, save your nukes, we’ll finish em’.”

The Paris blew past the Spirit of Fire’s bridge, spraying fire into the Venture as it began to break apart.

“They’re dead sir.” reported Serena. “The other battleships are making an escape run.”

“Target our remaining nukes on the trailing ship and fire.” ordered Cutter. “Prepare a firing solution for the MAC and fire at will.” The Spirit blew through the debris field left by the broken Venture, speeding after the trailing battleship before firing off the last of their nukes and strickening their quarry. “Serena, where’s my MAC?” questioned the Captain.

His answer came at three shots from the main cannon, all of which tore through the battleship and broke the engines free of the hull. “The Johannesburg is down and signaling a surrender.” reported the AI.

“Have Red Team take some marines and secure that ship.”

“Spirit, Paris here. Infinity looks like hell and we can’t raise them. You having any luck?”

“Paris, this is Serena. I’ve got nothing.”

“Captain, you have any damage control teams that you can spare?” asked Dusk.

“Consider them yours.” said Cutter as he walked over to the holotable and pulled up a scan of the Johannesburg. “Serena, tell all departments to stand down from combat alert. I want damage assessments on my desk within the hour.”

______________________________________________________________________________

UNSC Infinity, 2 Hours Later

“Fifteen hundred dead?” questioned Dusk. He had arrived moments before with Steeljack, Lord Hood, Palmer and Captain Cutter.

Lasky nodded before nodding at Roland’s avatar. “All marine casualties. The hull breach was right through their main barracks. Most are unaccounted for, but I think it’s safe to assume that they were all pulverized or sucked out into space when the barracks depressurized.”

“Alright…” Steeljack drew the attention of the assembled group. “But where did these fuckers come from?”

“We’re still trying to figure that out.” sighed Lasky. “They didn’t register on sensors until they dropped from slipspace.”

“I don’t think at this point it matters.” stated Hood pointedly. “It’s obvious to me that Osman either is still giving orders, or someone else is acting on contingency plans that ONI established. For now, we need to fall back to Earth and effect repairs.”

“And be gone for how long?” questioned Cutter. “You’ve seen the damage Terry, Infinity will be down for months.”

“Which is why I want you to stay here.” said the Admiral. “I’ve already got engineering teams stripping the Johannesburg apart. We’ll get her slipspace drive in the Spirit, rig up their shield generator and weapons, and reinforce the hull with its armor plating. All said, it should take two days to get everything squared away.”

“And it’ll take us three until Infinity’s good for a slipspace jump.” added Roland. “In the meantime, I’ll transfer the surviving marines and their equipment planetside. Odds are they’ll be of better used down there than on a failing starship.”

“Then its settled.” said Cutter. “We’ll patch up and hold here.”

“We should plan for a counterattack.” suggested Dusk. “From what we know, the Pioneer blew up on atmospheric entry, so unless gravity brought the debris down right on top of them the Enclave base in the Badlands is still intact.”

“Just tell me where it is, and I’ll form a plan in the meantime.” Added Cutter.

“And why do you want to take two days to plan an assault?” asked Dusk.

“Dusk, just trust Captain Cutter.” Consoled Lord Hood. “The man is an expert tactician. If he spearheaded the retaking of Harvest, I have no doubt that he can help take out one little base in the desert.”

“While I don’t disagree with Terry’s-“

“Hold up a minute.” interjected Steeljack. “Why the hell are you calling him Terry?”

“It’s what I called him when he was my first officer.” Pointed out Cutter. “Now, while I do agree with the sentiment, I need time to actually plan out an assault. Figure out what I have to work with, things of that nature.”

“Alright…” Dusk sighed as he went for the door. “I’ll make sure my team is ready to roll.”

Chapter 15

The Badlands, Two Days Later

Dusk was pacing between the warthogs in the vast vehicle bay of one of Infinity’s Mammoth Siegeworks vehicles. It had taken some time to wrestle it onto an Albatross for the flight down to Equis, mostly due to the heavy damage Infinity had taken during their prior battle.

“Dusk, we’re waiting!” yelled Dart from the upper level.

Dusk climbed up the stairs, finding Dart, Steeljack, Meteor Shower and Tremble assembled near a computer terminal at the rear of the vehicle. “Alright, let’s hear it.”

“For starters, the Enclave base has active Triple-A” said Palmer as the radio crackled to life. “Until those guns are taken down, we can’t get any Shortswords within five clicks. By now, it should be very clear that you need to take out those guns. To make that easier, you’ll find that I had your Mammoth fully stocked for a combat assault.”

“That’s all fine and dandy.” Said Tremble “But five people don’t make an assault force.”

“Which is why I’ve sent Majestic, Red Team and what’s left of the 18th.” Quipped Palmer “Call me crazy, but I think the marines really want some payback for their buddies in the barracks.”

“Again, fine and dandy.” Snarked Tremble. “How many can we expect?”

“Thirty operators total.”

“So, thirty-five of us need to take a veritable fortress?” asked Dusk.

“No, just take out the anti-aircraft guns.” Said Cutter as he chimed in. “I’ve got the 15th Marine Regiment ready to reinforce you once they’re down.”

“That’s better than nothing.” Sighed Meteor. “Still not ideal though.”

“We’ll have to make due.” Said Steeljack “Worst case scenario, we fall back and regroup for another assault.”

“Glad we’re in agreement then.” Added Cutter “I’ll be back in touch shortly. Spirit out.”

Dusk checked his helmet before walking back down to the lower level and dropping the side ramps as two Pelicans touched down, letting out their cargo of Spartans and Marines before flying off. “Alright, listen up!” he yelled. “We need to take out some Enclave AA guns before the fire department lets us increase the occupancy limit to our little party. So, here’s the deal. Marines hang back with the Mammoth and provide fire support, Blaze Squad and the Spartans will clear the lane. Once the guns are down, we’ll need a landing zone marked out for the 15th. We clear?”

“Look, can we just get this show on the road?” asked DeMarco

Dusk sighed as he waved the group on and jumped back onto the Mammoth and went for the upper decks. “Grant, get on the wheel!” he yelled.

“Commander.” Said one of the green-clad Spartans as they approached. “What do you need us to do?”

Dusk chuckled. “Just sit back and cool your heels.” The unicorn plopped down in one of the jump seats lining the outer walls of the Mammoth. “You’ll get your chance soon enough.”

“I don’t follow.” Said the Spartan as he looked back at his companions.

“Jerome, right?” asked Dusk. The Spartan nodded silently. “Alright, I get the impression that you’re questioning your worth right now.”

“How so?”

“You’ve been a popsicle for almost thirty years, you look at yourself as years behind your peers, and come to find out you and your team aren’t nearly as unique anymore.”

“We’re soldiers, how would that matter?” questioned Jerome.

“Because you’re individuals. You might be genetically engineered badasses, but you still have emotions, opinions and insecurities.” pointed out Meteor Shower as he approached. “Am I wrong?”

The three Spartans were silent, exchanging looks before taking places on the available jump seats.

Dusk rose and walked off with Meteor Shower. “You know I still don’t like you, right?”

“I figured as much back at Dodge City.” Added the old warrior. “You always were easy to read, you know that?”

Dusk sighed, looking over at Tremble and Dart as they were pouring over maps of the Enclave compound before catching sight of the Blaze Squadron crest on his shoulder pauldron. “Since when is Tremble an official member?”

“Dart needed a good second-in-command when she first took over, and Tremble was the first one in line for the job.”

“But why?”

Meteor shrugged. “It’s either a matter of guilt, honor or misplaced chivalry. I don’t know.”

“Alright then.” Said Dusk as he approached the pair. “Where do we stand?”

“We’re about ten minutes out.” Said Tremble. “Scans from Spirit of Fire are showing reinforced concrete walls, perimeter turrets, at least five hundred ground troops, a smaller gunship-type airship, and some sort of shielded underground bunker.”

“What about the Triple-A?” asked Meteor.

Tremble moved the map to a central part of the compound. “This is the only battery. Four quad-mount one inch autocannons on mounts with a one hundred eighty degree field of fire horizontally, and a one hundred degree field of fire vertically.”

“So everything overlaps.” Said Dusk. “How do we take it out?”

“The Mini-MAC is out of the question.” Stated Dart. “We can’t aim it accurately with the structures that are in the way.”

“Then we get a beacon on it” said Dusk “use it to target the gun.”

“Then we’ll have to be quick about it.” Added Tremble. “Once we plant that beacon, we need to haul ass and get clear of that battery, otherwise we’ll be going home looking like swiss cheese.”

“We still need to know how to get through the wall.” Meteor looked around at the group. “Last I checked, we can't climb over it like Spiderman.”

“Who?” asked Dusk.

“Just a character in some old human comic.” Said the stallion. “Regardless, I doubt they’ll open the front door if we ask nicely.”

“Luck me, I brought a skeleton key.” Said Dart as she jarred her finger upwards. “

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Ten Minutes Later

“Cutter to advance team. The board is green, good hunting.”

Dart reached down to the Warthog’s radio. “Solid copy.”

Dusk tapped Dart’s shoulder, drawing her attention. “You sure you know how to drive this thing?”

The mare smiled as the ramp at the bow of the Mammoth dropped. “Hell ya.”

Dusk sighed. “Grant, fire at will.”

The Mammoth’s turret was heard spooling up above the group of Warthogs before a massive blast rang out, and the compound’s wall had a hole blown through the side.

“Steeljack, you good back there?” asked Dart.

“As good as I can be.” Replied the stallion from the turret.

“Tremble here, Meteor and I have the defense guns ready to go.”

“Red Team standing by.”

“Majestic ready to kick ass!”

“Alright ladies, let’s take names!” yelled Dart as she floored the gas and blasted out of the Mammoth’s bay and into a hail of plasma fire.

“What the fuck!” yelled Dusk as he stood in his seat, firing his rifle as Dart charged at the wall of fire. “Dart, you’re insane!”

“And I reserve that right.” Snarked the mare.

“Just put a sock in it!” yelled Steeljack as he spun up the barrels on the Warthog’s gun and started firing at the turrets on the wall.

“Red Team here, we’re proceeding to the objective.” Chimed in Jerome as their Warthog blew past.

“Majestic, keep these fuckers busy.” said Dart as she flew after the Spartans.

“Alright. We’ll hog all the fun then.”

“Good to know.” Said Dart as she jumped the Warthog over the pile of debris that was left when the mini-MAC created their entrance to the compound. “Where the fuck did those bastards go?” she asked.

“Red Team, where the hell are you?” yelled Dusk into the radio.

“Sierra one-three-oh here” chimed in a female voice “We've reached the objective and are encountering heavy resistance. We’re proceeding on foot.”

“Just hold up. We’ll be there shortly.” Said Dart as she drifted the vehicle around a corner while Steeljack gunned down a group of Enclave officers.

“Not an option.” Said Jerome “Our objective is to take out that battery-“

“And I’m telling you I need you to stay alive.” Sighed Dart as they came in sight of the gun battery. “Now hit the dirt!” she yelled as the Warthog accelerated.

Steeljack turned the gun forward, spraying bullets at the Enclave defenders while the Spartans of Red Team dove out of the way.

Dart slid the Warthog to a stop as she and Dusk jumped out and started moving up to a makeshift barricade that the Enclave had erected.

“These bastards really know how to make a stallion feel welcome.” Said Dusk as he poked up over the barricade and started firing his SAW.

“Maybe I should ask who plans their parties.” Quipped Dart as she stood alongside her coltfriend and began taking pock-shots with her DMR. “Whoever he, or she, is they really deserve some credit for excellent execution.”

“Are you two really doing this now?” asked Steeljack as he slid behind the barricade.

“Why the hell not?” asked Dusk

“Because we’re getting shot at!” yelled Steeljack as he leaned around the barricade and began spraying bullets from his SMG.

“Can you three focus?” asked Jerome as he propped up a slab of concrete. “We’ve still got a mission to complete.”

Dusk shook his head as he swapped drums on his machine gun. “Then allow me to show you how it’s done.” Dusk vaulted over the barricade, rushing at the Enclave defenders.

“Alright fillies, suppressing fire!” yelled Steeljack as he started moving forward with his weapon raised.

Dusk kept running as his shields flared as plasma splashed against them. Swinging his SAW onto his back, he pulled a pistol off his hip and tackled the first Enclave soldier he saw before pulling his knife out and striking the soldier across the throat before rolling to the side and dispatching an officer with two shots to the chest.

Two plasma bolts hit Dusk in the back, before the report of a DMR was heard. He jumped to his feet and whipped around to find Dart standing over an armored shock trooper. “I could’ve taken him.” Said Dusk.

“And?” questioned Dart.

“Will you two stow it?” asked Jerome as he brushed by and pulled a beacon out of one of the pouches on his armor before clicking it on. “Sierra oh-nine-two to base, beacon lit. We’re clearing the objective now.” He waved for the rest of the group to follow and tore off towards a bunker opposite of the gun battery before charging through the door.

Dusk wasn’t far behind when he heard the reports of an Assault Rifle. As he stormed into the bunker, he found that Jerome had already dealt with the Enclave defenders while the rest of the group filed in behind him. “Killjoy.”

“Base, we’re clear. Fire when ready.”

The rest of the group didn’t have an opportunity to find something sturdy to hide behind before a massive explosion shook the bunker, and the gun battery morphed into a pile of fire and smoke.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

UNSC Spirit of Fire

“Air defenses neutralized Captain.” Said Serena. “Shortswords are coming on station for air support now, Paris had launched its SOIEVs and the 15th’s Pelicans are moving to the landing zone.”

“Good.” Said Cutter as he punched up the holotable’s display. “Now, you mentioned something earlier about some sort of energy pulse?”

“Indeed. It looks almost like some sort of reactor came online.” Said the AI as she marked the location on the map. “Nothing big enough to suggest something of major concern, but just enough to be noticeable.”

_____________________________________________________________________________________

The Badlands

Jerome led the group out of the bunker and back towards the destroyed gun battery before he stopped at the base of the rubble pile. “Alice, Doug, did you two pick that up?”

“Picking up what?” asked Dusk.

“Geiger counter was just pinging.” Responded the female Spartan. “Don’t know what it could be.”

“Doesn’t matter at this point.” Added Steeljack. “I’d guess it was-“Steeljack stopped mid-sentence, turning around to find a large black armored being staring him down. “Uh…”

The being swung its arm like a bat, smashing into Steeljack’s side and throwing him through the wall of the bunker opposite of the debris. “Who’s next?” it asked in a scratchy voice.

“Why even ask?” said Dusk as he charged the giant and hit it square in the head with a right hook. “Not a fan of the scratchy voice General. That come with the suit, or did Osman have something to do with that?”

“Does it matter boy?” questioned the creature as a cannon mounted over his shoulder swung up.

“Probably not.” Said Dusk as he ducked under the being’s arm. “Still gonna kick your ass Westy.”

“Go ahead and try.” Growled the General as he leveled his shoulder cannon at Dusk.

Dusk sighed. “Why am I getting that déjà vu vibe?”

_______________________________________________________________________________________

“Time to earn your pay marines!” yelled Palmer as she stormed off her Pelican.

“Commander!” yelled Thorne as he pulled up in his Warthog and hopped out. “Glad you could make it.”

“Thorne, you make it sound like I’m lazy.” Retorted the Commander as she pulled her rifle off her back. “What’s our status?”

“So far, we’ve kept the Enclave within the base.” Said Thorne. “The best they’ve done is-“

SHITTTT!

Dusk came careening through the concrete walls of the Enclave base, tumbling along the ground before he stopped a few feet away from the Spartans.

Palmer knelt down next to the groaning unicorn, turning him onto his back. “You alright?”

“West Wind is here.” Groaned Dusk as he tried to get to his feet. “Looks like ONI gave him some blueprints to the old hunting… Ok, whatever they call the Mantis, he either has an original prototype, or someone gave him blueprints and he made one himself.”

“Mantis prototype?” asked Thorne. “How big are we talking?”

“Roughly quarter the size of a Mantis, but with way more firepower.” Said Dusk as he knocked off his shattered right shoulder pauldron. “What sort of firepower do we have?”

“We’ve got a flight of Shortswords on standby, a few-“

“How do I signal them Palmer?” demanded Dusk.

Palmer pulled a target designator off her hip. “Just point and hold the trigger until the display flashes.”

“Good enough.” Said Dusk as he took the designator, holstered it and ran back into the compound.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Dart dove behind a slab of concrete that West Wind had tossed in an attempt to crush her group, checking the ammo counter on her rifle. “Fuck, I’m out!” she yelled.

Steeljack scrambled behind the slab with the unicorn, bleeding profusely from the side of his head. “That’s just wonderful. Want a medal?” he pulled a magnum and two clips off his hip and tossed them to Dart.

“I’d rather get a parade.” Snarked the unicorn as she stood and unloaded one of the clips at the armored General. “Where the hell did Red Team go?”

“No clue. If you didn’t notice, I’ve been a bit-.” Steeljack ducked as something hit their shield and cracked it. Looking over the top, he saw the still form of one of their Spartan companions. “Dart, give me a hand.”

The pair struggled to drag the supersoldier behind the wall until Jerome slid forward, picked the armored being up and dropped it behind the wall. Steeljack pulled the helmet off the Spartan, freeing the brown haired woman underneath.

“Alice, can you hear me?” asked Jerome. He got a weak groan in return. “Spirit of Fire, this is Sierra oh-nine-two. We’ve been engaged by significant enemy forces, requesting air support.”

“Spirit here.” Replied Serena “Shortswords are on station and ready to go, just mark the target.”

“That might be a bit difficult.” Added Dart as she stood and fired off the rest of her clip while the other member of the Spartan trio jumped on West Wind’s back and tried in vain to get his helmet off. The other Spartan was thrown to the ground before West Wind fired his shoulder cannon into the Spartan’s chest, sending him flying back.

“Someone patch me through to the bombers.” Ordered Steeljack. “I’ve got a plan.”

“Anvil nine-one on station. Go ahead.”

“Anvil, lock onto my IFF tag and stand by.” Said Steeljack as he rolled out from behind the slab and made a run at the walking tank.

West Wind whipped around, catching sight of Steeljack. Leveling the cannon on his arm, the General began spraying lead from the minigun in an attempt to stop the stallion.

Time seemed to slow down as Steeljack began to dive out of the way before a there was a flash off to his side and shield spell formed in front of him. “Didn’t you learn what happens when you try to be a hero?” said Meteor Shower.

“What? It gets results.” Retorted the stallion as he rose to his feet and began walking forward with Meteor, the shield acting like a plow as they advanced.

The two were a few feet away from the General when Meteor dropped the shield and rushed the armored being, firing off two lightning spells in an attempt to stun their foe.

Steeljack slid around behind the General, jumping up onto his back and pulling off his tacpad and stuffing it into an opening behind his helmet before jumping off and kicking the back of the armor’s leg, only for his boot to bounce off. The strike drew West Wind’s attention, who swung around and bashed Steeljack with his free arm.

As Steeljack tumbled away, Meteor jumped onto the General’s gun-wielding arm and sent electricity coursing through hit with his magic. The General tried to grab Meteor, but he swung off his arm, pulling out a knife as he dove under him and jammed it into the back of his right knee, staggering the General for a moment before he grabbed Meteor and threw him at a nearby wall.

As Meteor slid down the wall, West Wind approach with both of his cannons aimed at the stunned stallion. “General Meteor Shower… What does it feel like to know you’ve been beaten?”

“I wouldn’t know.” Said the stallion as he rose to his feet.

“And why would that be?” asked West Wind.

“Because I’m not the one with the target on his back.” Meteor teleported away, appearing next to a wounded Steeljack. “Anvil, bring the hurt!” he yelled.

“Copy that.” In the distance, a dull roar of twin engines could be heard, before the Shortsword rocketed overhead and dropped six bombs off its wings. The General began to turn, before disappearing in a cloud of smoke and fire when the bombs slammed into him.

“Good effect on target Anvil.” Said Meteor as he hauled Steeljack to his feet and led him over to Dart, Jerome and the two wounded Spartans.

“How are they?” asked Steeljack.

“They’ll live.” Said Jerome as he rose from his crouch. “Alice has a collapsed lung, Doug has a shattered forearm, broke femur and fractures running along his ribcage.”

“And I thought Spartans were tough.” Said Steeljack.

“The bastard has one hell of a swing.” Groaned Doug.

“Tell me about it.” Said Meteor as he rolled his neck. “Lucky us, we don’t have to deal with-“

BANG!

Meteor felt something warm start running down his back and his chest. Looking down, he saw a hole in his chestplate with blood starting to run out of it.

BANG!

Another shot hit the old stallion as the Dart and Jerome scrambled to find weapons. Meteor turned around, staggering a bit as he tried to steady himself.

BANG!

Another bullet tore into Meteor’s chest. Looking out, he saw the familiar form of General West Wind, bloodied and battered, armed with a revolver.

BANG!

Meteor broke into run as West Wind’s fourth shot tore through his shoulder, ripping away a piece of armor as it passed through.

BANG!

The fifth shot took a chunk of armor of the old stallion’s leg, leaving a trail of blood as he closed the gap with the Pegasus and tackled him. “You’ll need to do better than that.”

“You’re right.” Said West Wind as he jammed his revolver into Meteor’s gut.

BANG!

West Wind drew his feet up, kicking Meteor off him. Getting to his feet, he dusted himself off and stood over the bleeding warrior. “And I think I did.”

Meteor closed his eyes as West Wind drew his revolver back and pointed it at his face, waiting for what looked like the inevitable.

CLICK

“Fuck!” yelled West Wind.

Meteor opened his eyes, watching as West Wind tried fishing a bullet out of his tattered uniform. “Looks like you fell short again West.” Meteor swung his right foot around, catching West Wind’s ankle and sending him to the ground. He leaped onto the General, pulling a second knife off a holster on his thigh before jamming into his throat. “And now I win.”

As he stood, he saw West Wind’s revolver and a handful of bullets lying on the ground. Kneeling down, he grabbed the revolver and loaded it before turning his attention back to the writhing and gurgling General.

“I’d say it’s been a pleasure.”

BANG!

Meteor stared down at the still body beneath him before dropping the revolver on its chest. “But I’m no liar.”

“You’re crazy, you know that?” Meteor turned around to find Dusk standing behind him.

“I’m also bleeding.” Groaned the stallion as he clutched his gut and hobbled up to Dusk.

Dusk grabbed the Stallion by the wrist and dragged him over to Dart and Jerome as a Pelican passed overhead. “Steeljack!” he yelled.

The wounded Stallion turned as he tried to help Alice to her feet. “Ya?”

Dusk brought Meteor over, letting go of his grandfather and picking up Alice. “Make sure he gets some medical attention.” Dusk turned and carried the dazed Spartan onto the Pelican, laying her out on the floor. “How are the marines holding out?”

“Ask them yourself.” Said Steeljack as he pointed over to a squad of marines that had taken cover near the bunker that Steeljack had been thrown into.

Dusk marched over to the group, crouching down next to their leader. “How you four holding out?”

The marines exchanged glances before their leader shrugged. “As well as you could expect. Most of their soldiers fell back underground and sealed the door behind them. We’re just trying to find a back door.”

“Explains why I haven’t been getting shot at by some asshole with a plasma rifle.” Said Dusk. He looked up at the sky as the Pelican carrying his companions flew off. “Marines, any of you have a target designator?”

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Palmer led Majestic and a sizeable group of marines into the seemingly abandon Enclave compound.

“Bit quiet, don’t you think Commander?” asked DeMarco.

The silence was broken by the sound of a bomber blasting overhead, followed by the loud report of an explosion.

“Nevermind.” Snarked DeMarco as he broke into a run.

Palmer sighed as she waved for the marines to follow and broke off after DeMarco. As they rounded the corner, she was met with a cloud of smoke and a sizeable hole in the ground.

“Hey Palmer!” yelled Dusk from the other side of the crater. “I found that backdoor you were looking for!” Pausing to wave the squad of marines that we with him, he jumped into the smoke-ridden depths of the crater.

“Marines, secure the area. Majestic, with me!” yelled Palmer as she jumped in after Dusk.

When the group hit the ground, Palmer waved the smoke out of her face and looked around the damaged corridor she had dropped down into before she saw Dusk out of the way of the hole in the ceiling with the marines.

“Glad you made it Palmer.” Said Dusk as the Commander walked up to him. “Anyway, these gentlemen will keep our entrance free of pests, and we’ll find the command center. Sound good?”

_______________________________________________________________________________________

UNSC Spirit of Fire

“Tremble to Spirit, first medevac bird is headed your way. How copy?”

“Acknowledged Commander.” Said Cutter as he continued to pour over the holo-display before another ping came from the base. “Serena, how many radiation pulses does that make?”

“Since the assault first started, I’ve recorded five. Still can’t determine an origin.” Said Serena. “Looks like Commander Palmer and Majestic have breached the base. Should we send coordinates?”

“Just patch me through.”

_______________________________________________________________________________________

The Badlands

Palmer led the group of Spartans through the dimly lit corridors of the Enclave compound, stopping only to allow time for her group to clear rooms off the sides of the corridor.

“Spirit to Majestic, stand by for new orders.”

“Cutter, we’re trying to find the Enclave’s little command center.” Said Dusk. “What’s so important that you need to take up our time in cutting the head off this snake?”

“Probably the continued pulses of radiation.” Said Cutter “Since you first engaged, Serena has recorded five identical pulses of radiation coming from under the compound. We have a rough location, now get over there. Cutter out.”

“Isn’t he happy?” asked Dusk as the new location marker popped up on his HUD. “Alright, on me.” Dusk led Majestic through the dim corridors, stopping when the lights flickered. “Anyone else getting a bad vibe?”

“Majestic, we just picked up another pulse. What’s your status?”

Dusk led the group down the hall before waving Palmer to the other side of the double doors at the end. “Looks like we might have found your radiation. Stand by.”

“So, kick the door?” asked Palmer.

“Don’t wait on my account.” Said Dusk as he pulled out a small explosive charge and fitted it to the doorknob. “Alright, in three… two… one…”

Dusk hit a button on his tacpad, detonating the charge and blowing the set of double doors inwards. Hoya ran through, shotgun shouldered while Thorne and Madsen ran in and moved to cover each side of the room.

“On the ground!” yelled Hoya.

Dusk, Palmer, Ray and DeMarco ran into the room and spread out while Dusk went to Hoya, who had an Enclave officer on his knees in front of some sort of computer terminal with a window to a large chamber below.

Dusk looked around the room while Madsen and Thorne moved to the fore and looked out into the large chamber. “Holy shit.” Said Madsen. “No wonder they were all running.”

“And why would that be?” asked Dusk as he approached the window.

“Because they’re retreating.” Added Thorne as he pointed at a massive portal at the far side of the other chamber, the last of the Enclave soldiers visible as they made for the portal.

“What the fuck?” asked Dusk as he bashed the window out with the butt of his SAW and leapt through.

“Shit, fall back!” yelled one of the soldiers as he marshalled his remaining comrades through the portal.

“Hey, I’m not done!” yelled Dusk as he fired off a burst from his SAW at the soldier.

The soldier ducked to the side, looking back at his few remaining comrades before they all ran through the portal.

“What did I say?” yelled Dusk as he ran for the portal, bouncing off the now solid object. “What the fuck!” Dusk started pounding on the object before he hit it with the butt of his weapon. “Fuck!”

Dusk was quick to teleport back to the other Spartans. “I’ll take it you didn’t grab them?” asked Hoya.

“They got away before I could.” Said Dusk as he grabbed the Spartan’s prisoner. “Where’d your friends go?”

“Find out yourself.” The Pegasus clenched his jaw and immediately began shuddering before he fell to the ground with foam pouring out his mouth.

Dusk stood over the dead Pegasus and sighed. “Damn cyanide.”

“You’re telling me.” Said Palmer before she tapped the side of her helmet. “Hold on, I’ll get him.”

“Get who?” asked Dusk.

“Go over to channel three.” Ordered Palmer.

Dusk nodded and swapped his radio frequency. “Dusk here, go ahead.”

“Dusk, it’s Dart. Listen, we’re diverting to Canterlot. Meteor passed out and he’s having trouble breathing. Supposedly the Princess can help.”

“Why tell me this? Just do it.” Said Dusk.

“Because I’m not entirely convinced anything can be done at this point.” Dart was quiet for a moment. “I think he’s dying”

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Canterlot Castle, Half Hour Later

Dusk strode off the Pelican and made a beeline into the Castle, brushing past the Guards as he walked into the infirmary.

“Can I help you?” asked one of the nurses.

Dusk took off his helmet and looked at the mare. “Meteor Shower, where is he?”

“He’s in the intensive recovery unit.” Responded the nurse. Dusk began to head down the hall when she stopped him. “I can’t let you go down there.”

Dusk chuckled as he shook free of her grip. “I’d like to see you try.” He strode down the hall to the recovery unit before he came to a door with two guards. “The General in there?” The pair nodded, and Dusk walked into the room. Celestia was at Meteor Shower’s bedside, while sprawled out in two other beds were Doug and Alice, both dozing away under the watchful eye of their leader, Dart and Steeljack.

“Glad you made it.” Said Dart as she waved Dusk over.

“How bad are we talking?” asked Dusk.

“Doctor Halsey stabilized Meteor once we landed.” Said Jerome.

“That’s not even the interesting part.” Said Steeljack. “West Wind was shooting bullets made of depleted uranium.”

“Depleted uranium?” asked Dusk. “Like, nuclear reactor waste. That type of depleted uranium?”

“Exactly.” Said Steeljack. “It’s the same stuff that the rounds for the Scorpion’s main cannon is made out of.”

“Then it’s ONI supplied.” Groaned Dusk. “Just fucking great. It’s even better that the Enclave took their supplies when they retreated through the portal.”

“Portal?” asked Dart. “They had a portal?”

“Ya. The last of em’ were going through by the time we found it.” Said Dusk.

“So you were too slow?” croaked Meteor Shower from across the room. “Can’t say that’s like you kid.”

Dusk walked over to the bed opposite the Princess before he placed his helmet down on the side table. “If it makes you feel better, then yes.”

“Did you find out where they went?”

“The officer Hoya nabbed took a cyanide pill.” Sighed Dusk. “We’ll have to go through the computers they left behind and hope something worthwhile is in there.”

“Good enough.” Meteor sighed as he seemed to loosen up. “Did I ever tell you I’m proud of you?”

Dusk sat on the side of the bed, trying to shift his immense weight in an attempt to avoid crushing it. “Can’t say you did. It was all ‘Dusk, move your ass!’ or ‘Dusk, I taught you better than that!’…”

“True, true…” said Meteor thoughtfully. “There’s some things I need to tell you.”

“Fire away.”

“Remember how when we first moved to the factory, you asked me what happened to your grandmother?”

Dusk nodded. “You said she died giving birth to mom.”

“That isn't true.” The old stallion looked over at the Princess. “She’s right there.”

Dusk laughed, gaining the attention of the others in the room. “That’s rich, you know that?”

Celestia chuckled for a moment, drawing Dusk’s attention. “He’s not lying.”

“Alright then, I’ll humor you.” Dusk cocked an eyebrow and smirked. “How’d my mother keep finding me?”

“Who do you think taught her that tracking spell?” retorted the Princess.

Dusk’s smirk broke down and he began to glare at Celestia. “How’d you know about that?”

“Because Rosemary came to me and asked if I managed to keep track of you when you were an infant.” Celestia sighed and rested her head the palms of her hands. “Early on, your magic manifested itself through constant teleportation spells to all parts of the house. It took her all of three days before she gave up and came to me.”

Dusk stood from the bed, his expression softening. “Alright, I’ve heard enough. It’s pretty obvious that this is now the most fucked up thing I've heard all day, and I've heard of fucked up shit.”

“Then allow me to throw you for another loop.” Said a new voice.

Dusk turned around, eyes wide as he stared at the two unicorns who had just walked in. One had his hair, but a deep-crimson coat, while the other was a cream colored mare with a blonde mane.

“Glad you made it Rose.” Said Meteor from the bed.

“Good to see you again too dad.” Replied the mare. “Off playing hero again?”

“You know it.” Chuckled the old warrior.

Dusk pulled the pistol off his hip, aiming at the pair. Dart and Steeljack reacted, drawing their own weapons before lowering them. “What the hell’s going on?” he asked.

The stallion approached and ripped the pistol out of Dusk’s hand, looking it over before popping out the clip. “Not too shabby.” He slid the magazine back into the pistol and handed it back. “Didn't think I’d ever see a pistol with semi-explosive bullets.”

Dart walked up next to Dusk, clearly confused. “Mind telling me what’s going on?”

The mare chuckled. “I’m Rosemary, and this is Sonar. We’re Dusk’s parents.”

Author's Note

Eventually I'll stop torturing Dusk... Eventually.
And Palmer will be getting that much needed vacation as the first published side-story. Expect to see it drop within the next few days.

Chapter 16

Canterlot Castle, The Following Morning

Dusk slammed his empty flask down on the dining hall table and groaned. “Guess they don’t make scotch like they used to.” He mumbled.

Halsey was opposite of Dusk, going over some documents that had been recovered from the Enclave compound. “Spartans tend to have a much higher resistance to alcohol.”

Dusk threw his hands up in defeat before slamming his head down on the table. “That’s just fucking great Catherine.”

“Would you rather me lie?”

“I’d rather be drunk!” yelled Dusk as he sat up.

Halsey looked up from her papers and cocked an eyebrow at the distressed unicorn. “I figured you’d welcome the occasional miracle.”

“Maybe if I didn’t watch my entire family get slaughtered I would.”

“You keep saying that, but expect someone to know what happened.” Pointed out the Doctor.

“They got killed by Changelings. What else is there to say?” questioned Dusk.

“There’s more than that old excuse.” Snapped Halsey. “Dusk I consider you a friend, and I generally avoid developing connections with others. So I can’t help you if I don’t know what’s bothering you.”

“He’s just too stubborn to even ask.” Said a red unicorn as he took a seat next to Dusk. “You must be Doctor Halsey. I’m Sonar.”

Halsey nodded. “Ah, Dusk’s father.”

Dusk slid out of his seat and stormed out of the room.

“Or he might just be pissed.” Said the stallion as he shook his head.

“I get the impression that you aren’t helping much.” Stated Halsey.

“You’re probably right.” Sonar picked up Dusk’s empty flask and turned it over in his hands. “Does he normally go for the hard stuff?”

“From what I know, he does. Although his augmentations tend to make him highly resistant to alcohol.”

“How high is highly resistant?”

Halsey shrugged. “High enough where he’d need a significant amount of pure alcohol to begin feeling the effects.”

Sonar sighed and buried his face in his hands. “We did that, didn’t we?”

“You probably did.” Halsey paused for a moment. “Dusk said he watched his family die, yet here you are. What happened?”

“That’s a story in its own.” Said Sonar as he straightened himself out. “It started after me and Rose came back from a trip to the northern tundra. Dad wanted us to try and find the Crystal Empire, thought there might be some equipment worth salvaging. We were on the train back when someone came into our compartment and stunned us both.”

“You were stunned?” asked Halsey.

“And taken captive.”

“I get a feeling that I know where this is going.” Said Halsey.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Location Unknown, Ten Years Ago

Sonar stirred at some sort of far off sound, almost like a muffled scream. He tried to turn over, but felt like he was tied up. Attempts to open his eyes didn’t work either. He began to struggle in a moment of panic before he felt somepony grab him and haul him onto the ground.

“You OK Sonar?” asked a male voice.

Sonar managed to open his eyes, staring up at his father-in-law. “Dad, what the hell’s going on?”

Meteor walked over to a pod on the opposite wall, hauling Rosemary out and placing her limp form on the ground. “Changlings grabbed you two on the way back from the tundra.”

“So the porter… Shit.” Sonar scrambled to his feet. “So what’s the plan?”

Meteor sighed as he turned to Sonar. “There is no plan. We’re just getting the hell out of here.” He had a saddened look in his eyes, averting his gaze from Sonar. “The Changlings grabbed me about a month ago… And their agents took the squad on a mission to take out an assault force they were assembling on the border near Appaloosa.”

The color faded from Sonar’s face. “Dad, what happened?”

Meteor turned to Sonar, eyes shiny with tears. “They’re all dead.”

“All of them?” questioned Sonar. “Dad, please tell me-”

“I’m sorry Sonar, but unless we get some sort of miracle, Dusk’s gone.”

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Canterlot Castle, Present Day

“There must be more to it than that.” Said Halsey.

“There is.” Assured Sonar. “I just want to make sure Dusk doesn’t get it second-hand. I owe him that much.”

Halsey nodded. “Were you and your wife close to Dusk?”

“I’d like to think so. We were there when dad was training him, we patched him up when he got hurt. It’s all stuff a parent should be doing.”

Halsey nodded again before she started picking up her papers. “Well it was good talking to you Sonar, but I must be going.”

Sonar nodded at the Doctor as she rose and walked out of the dining hall with her papers.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Halsey was looking over some papers as she was walking down the castle hallway when someone grabbed her shoulder.

“Doc, we got a problem.”

Halsey turned around to find Captain Baxter standing behind her. “What kind of problem?”

“Palmer and DeMarco are missing.” He said. “They stayed the night last night in Ponyville, and went on a hike into the Everfree this morning.”

“And how does that affect me?” questioned Halsey. “Better yet, how long were they gone?”

“Doctor, it’s not that they’ve been gone a significant amount of time. It’s what we found that has us worried.”

Halsey followed Baxter down the hall of the castle at a brisk pace. “And what was found?”

Baxter handed his tablet back to the Doctor. “Their blood for one. Some other hikers found two separate pools of blood in the area. Tremble took Hammer Squad in to investigate, and the DNA samples match.”

“Commander, I’m a scientist, not a forensic analyst.”

“Go to the next page.”

Halsey flipped forward in the document, skimming it over. “Slipspace radiation?”

“That what Tremble said they were picking up, but we want a second opinion.” Said Baxter. “Once your arm is fitted, I need you out there.”

“Last I checked, I wasn’t due to get my prosthetic for another week.”

“And I managed to pull a few strings.” Said Baxter as he led Halsey into the infirmary. “Should take all of a half hour to get everything squared away.”

“And how would you know that?” questioned Halsey.

A door opened off to the side, and a nurse poked her head out into the corridor. “Doctor Halsey, we’re ready for you.”

“Told you.” Said Baxter with a smirk. “Meet me in the castle garden when you’re done.”

_____________________________________________________________________________________

One Hour Later

Halsey strode out into the garden, clutching her new arm as she looked around.

“Doctor, glad you could make it.” Said Baxter as he approached from one of the side doors, a tactical vest in his hand. “You might need this by the way.”

Halsey took the vest, looking at Baxter with a quizzical look. “Do you expect me to get caught in a firefight?”

“No, I don’t. That just made it easier for me to carry all of your equipment.”

Halsey shrugged, taking off her jacket and passing it to Baxter before swinging the vest on. “When do I leave?”

A Pelican flew over and touched down a few feet away from the two. “Right now.” Said Baxter.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

The Everfree, Castle of the Twin Sisters

“Alright, does anyone have anything new to contribute?” asked Tremble. His assembled operators all exchanged glances. “Really? Nothing to explain the puddles of blood?”

“Commander, with all due respect we haven’t found anything.” Stated one of the soldiers.

“Bunch of amateurs!” yelled Tremble. He sat down on one of the large rocks and took off his helmet. Over the previous years, he had grown his hair out and developed a decent beard. “How hard is it-”

“Sir, I found something.” Said the same soldier. “Turn around.”

Tremble turned around, when a glint of red caught his eye. Looking down, he found two sizeable rocks, both coated in a shiny layer of blood. “Check those for DNA.” He ordered.

The squad medic pulled out his equipment and began taking samples, while a Pelican flew in overhead and landed in the clearing near the castle. “It’s their blood Commander.”

“Good work Jones.” Complimented the Commander. “Now if you excuse me, our slipspace expert is here.”

Halsey was carrying a sizable case off the Pelican with her, which Tremble promptly took from the Doctor. “Thank you Commander.”

“My pleasure Doc.” Tremble placed the case down on the ground near the rocks. “I take it Baxter brought you up to speed?”

“He did.” Said Halsey as she knelt down and opened the case. “Did you find anything else of note?”

“We found the rocks that Palmer and DeMarco got hit with.” Said one of the Equestrian soldiers. “Blood on them matched.”

“And how did you detect the slipspace radiation?”

“Jones, get over here!” yelled Tremble.

The medic approached the scientist and the officer and stood at attention. “Sir.”

“Jones, what the hell did I tell you about acting like a stuck-up prick?” asked Tremble. “Now, tell Halsey how you found the radiation.”

Jones sat down next to Halsey, pulling out a tacpad. “When I was testing the original blood samples we found, the Geiger counter on my pad started clicking. I thought it might be broken-”

“But when you looked at the reason behind the ping, you found it wasn’t conventional radiation?” asked Halsey. The medic nodded, and Halsey turned back to the equipment in the case. “Fascinating… These signatures almost remind me of the portal grid on Requiem.”

“Portal grid?” asked Tremble.

“Requiem was a Forerunner shield world we encountered roughly a year ago. To get around the interior of the planet, the Forerunners built a network of slipspace portals to enable instantaneous transport to any point in the network.”

“And you think someone used something similar here?” asked Tremble.

“Indeed I do. If I can use Infinity’s sensors, we should be able to pinpoint where this portal led to.”

“Well, that’s a problem. Infinity left for Mars last night.”

Halsey closed the case and looked over at the Commander. “Then my work here is done. I’ll take this data back to Canterlot for further analysis.”

Tremble waved his man towards the Pelican, and grabbed Halsey’s equipment. “Do you have a plan Doc?”

Halsey chuckled as she walked into the troop bay of the Pelican “Commander, there’s one thing you need to remember.” Halsey sat down and looked up at the soldier. “I always have a plan.”

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Canterlot Castle

“So what do you think the Princess can do again?” asked Tremble.

“I already told you Commander.” Droned Halsey. “The Princess has access to equipment that I have a need for, and I need her permission to use it.”

“But what equipment?”

“Doctor Halsey, the Princess will see you now.” Reported one of the Guards.

Halsey was ushered into the throne room before the door shut behind her. “Doctor, what can I do for you today?” asked Celestia, still sitting on her throne.

Halsey looked around, finding only the Princess’ personal guard. “I take it you’re aware that Commander Palmer and Spartan DeMarco have gone missing.”

“Indeed, and I take it you require something to further the search?”

“I require access to the Nexus.” Stated the Doctor.

“Come again?” questioned Celestia.

“The Nexus, I need it. Someone used a portal to remove Palmer and DeMarco from the Everfree, and I have no other method of tracking them.”

Celestia rose from her throne and walked down to the Doctor. “Come with me Catherine.” The pair left the throne room from a side door, walking at a brisk pace. “How long have they been missing?”

“At least three hours, give or take.” Halsey followed the Princess as she led her down the side passage towards the Nexus.

The door to the Nexus slid open, and the pair filed in. “And they were taken from the old castle, correct?”

“Yes, Hammer Squad found their blood on the scene.”

Celestia lit her horn, and a map of Equestria formed in the air. “Of course… Give me a moment.” The map began to spin slowly, before it zoomed in and highlighted an urban location. “Looks like Sarah and Paul are in Vanhoover.”

“It looks like some sort of market district.” Commented Halsey.

Celestia cocked an eyebrow at the Doctor. “You don’t get out much, do you?”

“No, I don’t. Care to enlighten me?”

Celestia chuckled. “Catherine, that’s a night club.”

Halsey rolled her eyes. “Then how do you propose we get rescue Palmer and DeMarco?”

“With tact, poise and…” Celestia stopped yet again. “Forget about it, I know a stallion.”

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Twenty Minutes Later, Celestia’s Study

“So, this mercenary, he knows the city?” asked Halsey.

Celestia nodded. “Cosmo has been operating out of the city for the last five years.”

“But we have another issue.” Noted Halsey. “He doesn’t know anything about Palmer.”

“And he’d stick out like a sore thumb in a nightclub. Inevitably, I covered that as well.”

A knock came from the door and it swung open, Cloud Runner stepping in first, followed by a black unicorn with a light brown mane. “You asked to see us?” asked Cloud.

“Yes, I did.” Celestia motioned to two chairs opposite her and Halsey. As the two sat down, the Princess leaned forward. “Cosmo, I’ve got another job for you.”

“What’s the payment?” asked the black unicorn.

“Well Cosmo, I hear through the grapevine that you might be a bit low on medical supplies. Something about ‘the Ranger’ getting his ass kicked in a mosh pit?”

Cosmo sighed. “Heard about that, did ya?”

“It was a bit hard to miss the unusually large number of low-lifes that were brought to Vanhoover General.” Stated the Princess. “All of them were muttering something about this Ranger fellow…”

“Alright, I get it. Vigilantes shouldn’t try to break up an illegal fight club that funds drug kingpins.” Droned Cosmo. “Now, what’s the job?”

Halsey passed her tacpad to Cosmo, allowing him to look over the pictures of the two missing Spartans. “Earlier this morning, Commander Sarah Palmer and Spartan Paul DeMarco were kidnapped by an unknown party. From what we’ve been able to gather, they’ve been taken to a nightclub in Vanhoover. You’ll see it on the next page.”

Cosmo slid over to the next page in the document. “Ah, the Valdur. I’m familiar with the place.” He passed the tacpad to Cloud, allowing him to flip through the document. “Stallion named Stalemate runs the joint. He’s used it as a front for years to cover up his weapons and drug smuggling. Can’t say I’ve ever been inside though.”

“So, Palmer and DeMarco were taken prisoner and then got taken to a nightclub?” asked Cloud.

“Stalemate runs his operations out of that building.” Pointed out Cosmo. “Odds are good he’s keeping at least one of them there.”

“Alright, any other questions?” asked Celestia.

“I’d like to know why I was asked to come.” Said Cloud.

Halsey chuckled. “Cloud, it’s simple. You’re the wingcolt.”

_____________________________________________________________________________________

The Valdur Nightclub, Vanhoover

Cloud looked around at the crowd waiting to enter the Valdur. It was a vast array of species, ranging from ponies to gryphons, with a few changelings spritzed in for good measure. “Cosmo, you mind trading roles here? I'm not feeling this whole wingcolt thing.”

“Just relax. Everything will be fine.” Assured Cosmo. “When we get in there, head for the bar and order a drink. I’ll take a look around, see if I can find anything.”

Cloud sighed as the duo walked into the club. His ears were assaulted with the steady beat of speakers as he made for the bar.

“What’ll you have?” asked the bartender as Cloud sat down.

“Nothing at the moment.”

“You sure?” asked the bartender. “The lady over there said it’s on her.”

Cloud looked over at the silver mare at the other end of the bar. She was wearing normal club wear, a silver and red top, black slacks with her brown mane done up in a ponytail.

“Just get me a martini.” Said Cloud. On impulse, he slid down to the mare. “I didn’t think I’d be popular already.”

The mare sighed. “Well, it got your attention.”

Cloud cocked an eyebrow. The mare almost sounded familiar. “Do I know you?”

“Just try to act casual.” Said the mare as the bartender slid two martinis down to the pair.

Cloud stopped to think for a moment, before he had a realization. “Palmer?”

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Cosmo watched Cloud from the edge of the room and sighed. “Damn kid can’t keep it in his pants.”

As he walked around the room, he noticed two guards watching a hallway into the back of the building. They appeared distracted by their conversation, so Cosmo took to opportunity to slip behind them and quietly strode down the hall.

Rounding the corner at the end, he found two sets of doors. “Alright, time to go to work.” Cosmo cast a quick spell, changing his attire for his old set of ranger armor. Sliding up to the first door, he pulled a silenced .22 out of his holster before swinging the door open. The room was empty, save a chair in the center of the room. He walked up to it, examining the headrest after he saw a dry, caked material. “Blood…”

“To bad it isn’t yours.” Said a male voice from the corner of the room. Cosmo swung around to face the voice, aiming his .22 at the source. From the shadows, a white-haired changeling approached. “Now, what business does the Ranger himself have in my humble abode?”

“Nothing of your concern.” Snapped Cosmo.

“You’re here for the humans, aren’t you?” The changeling teleported, reappearing behind Cosmo. “You won’t find them.”

Cosmo went to turn when the changeling kicked the back of his knee, staggering him before he blasted him in the chest with a bolt of magic. The stallion stumbled back, colliding with the wall. “That the best you got?” he taunted.

The changeling rushed Cosmo, moving to strike him in the middle of his helmet. Cosmo dove to the side, while the changeling punched a hole through the sheetrock. “You’ll pay-”

POP

Cosmo looked up at the bleeding changeling, before he swung his leg and knocked the parasite to the ground. He quickly stood, approaching the changeling with his pistol ready. The changeling didn’t move as he tapped it with his boot. He shrugged and leveled his pistol once more.

POP

As blood began to pool on the floor from the hole in the back of the changeling’s head, Cosmo snuck back out of the room and went to the second door, kicking it off its hinges and rushing into a group of stallions in the middle of a card game. “Who the hell are you?” asked one.

Under his helmet, Cosmo smirked while his horn began to glow. “I’m the Ranger.” He released the built up magic, knocking the three stallions into the wall on the far side of the room.

“Not bad.” Groaned a voice from the opposite wall. Cosmo turned, finding a battered DeMarco propped up against a trash can.

Cosmo scrambled over to the Spartan, shining a light in his eyes. “You feeling alright?”

“I’d feel better if I didn’t have a light in my face.”

Cosmo shut off his light and returned it to his jacket. “Can you walk?”

DeMarco climbed to his feet. “Shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Good, follow me.” Cosmo led the Spartan into the hall, leading him further into the building until he found a stairwell with a skylight. “Bingo.” Cosmo ran up the stairs, DeMarco on his heels as they ran to the top.

“And how do you plan on getting up there?”

Cosmo pulled back his sleeve, revealing a bracer with what looked like a hook on the end of it. He aimed it at the skylight, and a line shot out through the glass and grabbed onto the roof. He grabbed DeMarco’s wrist, and was pulled upward, getting thrown up once he reached the end of the line.

DeMarco rolled onto the room, scrambling to his feet. “Never mind, question answered.”

“Good.” Said Cosmo as he gathered his bearings. “Shit, Cloud’s still in there!”

“Did he follow you?” asked DeMarco.

“No, he’s at the bar… On second thought, I think he’ll be fine.”

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Palmer put down her glass and nudged Cloud. “Let’s get out of here.”

Cloud nodded and rose to leave, passing some coins to the bartender to cover the drinks. As he went for the front door, Palmer motioned him off to the side and led him to a spare exit.

Once outside, Palmer grabbed Cloud and dragged him down the street. “We’re being followed.”

“Isn’t that great?” he asked sarcastically.

As the two rounded a corner at the end of the street, Palmer pushed Cloud up against the building and got in close. “Just follow my lead.” She leaned in, kissing Cloud.

Cloud sighed, wrapping his arms around Palmer’s midsection as he leaned into the kiss.

“Well, I guess I know why you two walked out.”

Cloud broke free from Palmer, looking over at the bouncer. “Uh… It’s exactly what it looks like?”

“Then… Wait, what?”

“He said it’s exactly what it looks like.” Groaned Palmer.

The bouncer shrugged and walked back to his post at the club door.

“Really didn’t think that would work.” Muttered Cloud as he led Palmer down the street.

“In all honesty, I wasn’t expecting…”

“What? Didn’t expect a stallion to be a good kisser?” Snarked Cloud. “Just hold the applause until we get back to Cosmo’s loft.”

“And why the hell would I do that?” asked Palmer angrily.

Cloud shrugged. “Because I want a witness.”

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Vanhoover Harbor, Cosmo’s Loft

“So, wanna bet on where Cloud wound up?” asked Cosmo as he jumped onto the roof over his loft.

“Well, from what you were describing…” DeMarco stopped to think. “Chances are he’s getting laid.”

“Which is another reason I’m pissed.” Stated Cosmo. “We were there to find you and Palmer, and he goes off like some hormonal teenager.” Cosmo opened the skylight on the roof, ushering DeMarco to drop down into the loft. “And another thing, where did Palmer go?”

“I’m right here.”

Cosmo and DeMarco turned to the couch on the opposite side of the room, finding Cloud and the mare from earlier sitting there and watching the two. “Well, I guess I know why there was a changeling on duty…”

“Black, almost scaly-looking bastard?” asked the mare. “Ya, really not a fan of his work.” She said as she held her arms out.

“Uh, why does she sound like the Commander?” asked DeMarco.

“Because that’s Palmer.” Said Cloud.

“Fascinating…” muttered Cosmo as he walked up to Palmer. “That changeling found a way to develop a shape-shifting spell similar to their own natural abilities, and successfully used it on another species.”

“I can attest that it wasn’t painless either.” Added Palmer. “Maybe we could label it as a new form of torture?”

“Then fill in some blanks Commander.” Asked DeMarco. “What happened?”

Palmer’s ears drooped and she slouched back into the couch. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

DeMarco and Cosmo exchanged worried glances for a brief moment, before turning their attention back to Palmer. “I’ve never thought of you as the silent type Commander.”

“You learn something new every day DeMarco.” Sighed Palmer. “Look, I really could use some sleep.”

“I’ve got a guest room down the hall, last door on the right.”

“Thanks.”

As Palmer got up and walked down the hall, Cloud looked up at Cosmo. “There was a Changeling there?”

“It’s dead now.”

Cloud buried his face in his hands. “Then how the hell do you plan on getting Sarah back to normal?”

“I wasn’t planning on it.” Stated Cosmo. “I’ll leave that to the Princess. In the meantime, go get some rest yourself. I’ll bring DeMarco back to Canterlot.”

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Palmer walked into Cosmo’s guest room and flopped down onto the bed before burying her head in the sheets. She didn’t bother getting up when she heard to door creak open, followed by the click of the latch as it shut.

“You OK?”

“Cloud, I said I could use some sleep.”

Cloud sat down on the edge of the bed, looking down on Palmer. “What’s your point?”

Palmer flipped over and sat up. “My point is you need to get the hell out.”

“And if I don’t plan on leaving?” asked the colt. “Look, I’m worried about you.”

Palmer sighed and slid over to the edge of the bed next to Cloud. “You’re not gonna leave until I say something, are you?”

“Wasn’t planning on it.”

“Look at me, I’m a damn freak!”

Cloud cupped Palmer’s chin, wiping a stray tear away with his free hand. “You’re no freak Sarah. Look, I don’t know what that Changeling really wanted but I really don’t care. You’re still the same person who helped save my life and that’s all that matters.”

Palmer pushed Cloud’s hand away, leaning forward on the palms of her hands. “Remember how I said it was painful?”

Cloud nodded. “And you wanted it marked up as a new form of torture.”

“Tell me, do you know what it feels like to have every part of your body torn apart and rearranged?” she asked. Cloud shook his head. “Well I can tell you that you really don’t want to know.”

“I’ll just take your word for it.” Said Cloud as he wrapped his arm around Palmer’s shoulder. “Look, if it means anything-”

Palmer cut off Cloud when she swung up into his lap. “Just shut up.” She mashed her lips into Cloud’s, pushing him down on the bed “I’ve had a really shitty day, and I need to take my mind off it.”.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Canterlot Castle

“Just follow my lead.” Said Cosmo as he pushed the door into Celestia’s study open.

Celestia was on the couch opposite of Halsey and Twilight enjoying a cup of tea. “I see you’ve found Paul. And Sarah?”

“It’s complicated.” Said Cosmo as he sat on the edge of Halsey’s chair.

“How so?”

“A Changeling took a crack at her, and developed new school of magic at the same time.”

“Wait, new school of magic?” asked Twilight.

Cosmo nodded. “I don’t know what that Changeling was planning, but somehow he managed to manipulate a living being’s DNA and structure to that of another species. In this case, human to earth pony.”

“That’s… Different.” Noted Celestia. “Twilight, start going through the archives. I recall that there have been similar spells over the years. With luck, there should be record of them in there.” Twilight didn’t waste words, instead nodding and teleporting away. “Cosmo, where is Sarah?”

“Guest room back at my loft. And before you ask…” Cosmo hit himself in the forehead. “I left her there with a kid on a hormone trip.”

“And what do you mean by that?” asked Halsey.

“It means I’ll need to burn the sheets in my guest room.”

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Canterlot Castle, The Following Morning

Dusk once more was sitting down at the table in the dining hall, having gone through a clear bottle of liquid.

“So, what’s the poison this morning?” asked Sonar as he picked up the empty bottle. “Rubbing alcohol?”

“What? It works.” Groaned Dusk. “Gives a killer hangover too.”

Sonar sat down next to Dusk, tossing the empty bottle of rubbing alcohol away. “I’ll just take your word for it.”

“Alright, what the hell do you want?”

Sonar put a tacpad down in front of Dusk. “Well, there’s this still-functioning Enclave shipyard down at the south pole. You want to come with your old man to take it out?”

“Now hold on just a moment.” Ordered Dusk. “Why the hell should we take it out?”

“You have a better idea?”

Dusk smiled and sat back in his chair. “I say we take it.”

Author's Note

And there's the setup to the spinoff, "The Northern Guard". Coming up next, some father-son bonding time staring everyone's favorite egotist.

Chapter 17

The South Pole

Dusk was walking around the cabin of the Pelican, looking over the map of the Enclave shipyard on his helmet’s HUD. “Dad, you realize I’m letting you lead me into a cheese grater, right?”

Sonar looked up from his seat at Dusk. He was wrapped in a set of reinforced leather armor and a fur-lined cloak. “What? It’s just a bunch of sentry guns, anti-aircraft emplacements, some mortar tubes and a few tanks thrown in.”

“And might I remind you that you insisted that you and I were the only two who go on this little trip?”

“And that’s because I have a plan.” Sonar pulled out his own tablet, pulling up the map of the shipyard. “You see all these guns? All of them have one single control station. We take that station, we can take over the shipyard far easier than a full army. Can you tell me why?”

Dusk shook his head. “Because small teams are far more mobile.”

“Exactly. And because of that, it’ll be far easier for two of us to sneak into that shipyard, take over the weapons control station and take out the entire garrison.” Said Sonar. “And then we get that shiny new Raptor-Class airship that’s just waiting to get its power core installed.”

“Wait, you want the airship they’re building?”

“Exactly. It’s smaller than the Thunderhead-class you’re more familiar with, faster and far more maneuverable. Beyond that, they’ve got who knows how many Vertibucks and Sky Tanks finished, along with fully functional assembly lines to build parts to support them.”

“So, overhaul the Equestrian army so we stand a fighting chance against ONI and the Enclave?” asked Dusk. “I’m starting to like this plan.”

“Glad to know that you approve.” Sonar stood and pulled up his hood and mask as the Pelican shuddered. The ramp at the rear dropped, revealing the white-out conditions of a blizzard. “You coming?”

Dusk followed his father out of the Pelican, which promptly took off into the storm. The motion tracker on the inside of his helmet was registering countless white blips brought on by the deluge of frozen water. Trying to turn on his helmet’s VISR only worsened the problem, blinding Dusk until he shut it off. “You at least know where we’re going?”

Sonar nodded, leading Dusk into the squall. “There’s a cliff that can give us a good look at the shipyard just up here.”

“And how the hell do you know that?”

Sonar held his arm out, stopping Dusk’s progress and pointed down. “Because you almost walked off it.”

“Glad to know someone is paying attention.” Said Dusk. “You see a way in?”

“Something that looks like a drain grate, base of the wall about twenty feet from the front door at the end of a trench.”

“That’ll work.” Dusk jumped down the cliff, Sonar right on his tail as he ran for the trench his father had pointed out. The pair dove down into the trench and started crawling towards the wall.

“Lovely weather we’re having…” muttered Sonar as he reached the grate. “Dusk, be a gentleman and get the door.”

Dusk nodded as he crawled forward. He wrapped his hands around the bars of the grate, breaking the bolts holding it in place as he pulled it back before he tossed it to the side and scrambled through into the dim tunnel. “So, we’ll just assume that this doesn’t lead to some death trap?” whispered Dusk.

“Who knows?” whispered Sonar in return. “With my luck, we’ll end up in the middle of a group of armed guards.”

As they crawled through the tunnel, it shuddered and dropped for a brief moment. “You’re an ass, you know that?” The tunnel came free of its mooring, dumping Dusk and Sonar into a storeroom below.

“Look at what we found here…” came a voice from the far side of the room. “On second thought, what am I looking at Vaz?”

Dusk turned over, clambering to his knees. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

“I take it you know these bastards?” asked Sonar.

Vaz approached, staring down at Dusk before he punted him in the head and hitting Sonar over the head with his pistol. “More like we know him. Mal, you want these jokers in lockup?”

“What do you think?” asked the soldier. “Just toss them in with that old Prowler crew, and we can have Naomi deal with them later.”

Dusk grunted as he tried to get to his feet. “You know, I’m still kicking.”

“I’ll take care of that.” Said a female voice. From behind Dusk, a bolt of electricity struck him in the back, forcing him to the ground. As Dusk began to go unconscious, he spotted a human female in a normal uniform, and a purple-clad Spartan alongside her.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

‘Damn, that hurt…’ thought Dusk as he rolled over. Opening his eyes, he saw the shield bar on his HUD flashing red. “That’s even better…” he muttered.

“What’s better?” asked Sonar from the other corner of the room.

“Its sarcasm asshole!” groaned Dusk as he sat up and reset his shield generator. Turning to his father, he tore off his helmet and wiped his eyes before looking back at him. His father was sitting on the ground with three armor-clad humans with some playing cards. “Alright, what the hell?”

“These would be our cellmates.” Said Sonar. “Meet Jai, Adrianna and Mike of Gray Team.”

The three humans exchanged looks before one tossed Dusk a canteen. “Drink that.”

Dusk pulled the plug off the canteen, downing the contents before tossing it away. “So, what did you three do to piss off Kilo-Five?”

“So that’s what those scumbags are calling themselves?” asked the female of the group. “Well isn’t that just wonderful!”

One of the Spartans ditched his helmet, revealing a dirty face with a shaven head. “So, you have some experience with Naomi and Serin?”

“You could say we’ve had our run-ins.”

“Mike, get our gear back to full strength. Adrianna, pull out the weapons.” The Spartan stood up while the female grabbed three pistols from a niche in the wall while the other plugged some chips into slots on their armor.

Dusk scrambled to his feet and went for the wall by the cell door. “Alright, first things first. We need to find an armory and get some better weapons. Then we-.”

“Look, don’t think too far ahead. Let’s get some guns and go from there.” The Spartans checked their equipment before ripping the cell door off and tossing it to the back of the cell.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

“Hey Cyclone, you hear that?” asked one of the guards.

“Hear what?”

“Oh, just the sound of me cracking some skulls.” From behind the two guards, Dusk’s armored hands grabbed their heads and smashed them together.

“Found some guns!” yelled Adrianna as she tossed around some rifles.

“Damn straight.” Said Dusk as he caught a laser rifle. “Now we just need to take weapon control station and secure the Raptor in drydock.”

“What’s a Raptor?” asked Jai.

“Enclave airship. Small, decent armament, and rated for vacuum.” Said Sonar. “And then there’s the Skytanks and Vertibucks down in storage that could use a good home, but what the hell do I know? They’re only packing enough firepower to level a village.”

“See why I want that control station?” asked Dusk.

Jai nodded. “Mike, go with them and take those guns offline. Me and Adrianna will keep the locals busy.”

“And if we can’t take the guns down?” asked the Spartan.

“Find a way to destroy the base. I don’t see a reason to let the locals keep the toys ONI has helped them build.” Replied Jai.

“We should get moving.” Said Dusk. “I’m going to bet that the Enclave are already establishing defensive emplacements that’ll need cracking.”

“Then don’t wait on my account. Get moving.”

Dusk waved for his father and Mike to follow, opening the bulkhead to the adjacent stairwell. “On me.” As the group began to climb the stairs Jai closed the bulkhead behind them, leaving the dim red lights lining the walls as their only company.

“Am I the only one getting that whole ‘evil fortress’ vibe?” muttered Sonar.

“Nope.” Replied Dusk. “The red lights do sell the package.”

“Couldn’t you two take this a bit more seriously?” asked Mike. “We’re in hostile territory and you two are debating interior decorations?”

Dusk shrugged as he opened the bulkhead on the next landing. “Why the hell not?”

BANG!

Dusk turned to the dead Enclave officer on the other side of the bulkhead. “Never mind, I see your point.” Swinging his rifle off his back, Dusk swept into the empty corridor. “Mike, you see anything?”

“I see an empty corridor.”

Dusk shook his head. “On your motion trackers?”

Mike chuckled. “Like I said, empty corridor.”

_____________________________________________________________________________________

“Jai, do we have a plan?” asked Adrianna as she ducked behind a crate.

“Can’t say we do.” Said the Spartan as he leveled his laser rifle. “But shooting shit seems like a good start.” Jai fired a shot from the rifle, followed by the explosion of a fuel barrel on the opposite side of the room.

“Shit, we’ve got intruders!”

Adrianna sighed. “Knucklehead…” The Spartan broke out of cover, making an exercise of her excellent accuracy and dispatching the guard with a single shot to the neck.

Jai pulled his magnum off his hip, clipping one of the soldiers on the upper catwalks.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

In the Enclave control room, two of the Guards were sitting back with their feet up, watching a hoofball game on one of the monitors. Outside were some dull bangs, barely heard over the volume generated by the game.

“Hey Cinder, you hear anything?” Asked one of the guards.

“Nah, can’t say I did.” Grunted the other. “Didn’t we watch this game before?”

“It doesn’t hurt that it’s live this time.”

“To bad you won’t see the whole thing.” Said a voice from behind the guards, before two knives came down through their collars.

“You’d figure they’d have better security.” Noted Dusk as he tossed the dead bodies off to the side.

“Does it matter?” asked Mike as he pulled his knives out of the corpses. “We have our control room. Now we just need the weapon controls.”

As the group wandered the small room, Sonar pulled a panel off the wall, revealing a red lever. “Well that’s different…” he muttered as he pulled the lever. The room shook for a moment, before the bank of computers to Sonar’s left slid down into the floor, revealing a glass sliding door. “I think I found it!”

Dusk pushed past Sonar, ripping the door off its rails and tossing it to the side. “Effin’ A!”

The three walked into the dim room, illuminated by the light from monitors along the wall. Most held readouts from the systems throughout the complex.

“You did say that this is different.” Said Mike as he wandered around, reading the monitors. “Production schedules, completed inventory, test results, power production…”

“And testing reports from that Raptor’s power core.” Said Sonar. “And if I’m reading these right, they just put it in this morning and are just about ready to power up.”

Dusk paused in his stroll, a screen on the far side of the room catching his eye. “I think I found our weapons control station.” As the screen slowly scrolled downward, Dusk hit a button on the keyboard, stopping it in its tracks. “What is this about an orbital defense cannon?”

“Come again?” asked Mike.

“An orbital defense cannon.” Repeated Dusk as he managed to get into the menu for the cannon controls. “Well… Looks like ONI has been busy. They’ve got a cloaked Super-MAC platform in orbit, and it’s fully functional.”

“Someone want to tell me what a Super-MAC is?” asked Sonar.

“Think a gun that fires a round that weighs as much as a large building at nearly a third of the speed of light.” Answered Mike.

Sonar groaned and shook his head. “Will I like the analogy of how fast that actually is?”

“You could go from here to the sun in under ten minutes. On a normal ship at sublight speeds, that would take the better part of a day.” Answered Dusk. “Now, I can take out the cloak from here and… Oh shit.”

“What’s the ‘oh shit’ for? The hidden super-weapon hovering over our heads?”

“Not our heads, but over everyone in Vanhoover. And that thing is preparing to take a shot.” Said Dusk as he typed away at the keyboard. “They’ll be ready in two hours, but now everyone can see the platform so I guarantee that they’ll move up whatever their timetable is. As such, we need to either take out the platform or disable it.” Dusk turned back to his companions and shrugged. “Anyone got an idea?”

“One of the Sky Tanks should be able to handle the trip.” Suggested Sonar.

“Then let’s expand on that idea.” Added Mike. “There’s only three of us, maybe five if Adrianna and Jai aren’t too busy to tag along. We don’t know how many hostiles are on that platform, nor how well armed they are.”

“So we need more bodies.” Said Dusk. “We’ll just deal with that on the way.”

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Jai dove to the ground as one of the armored wings of the Enclave soldier he was fighting swung past. “You need to do better than that!”

As the soldier tried to recover Adrianna clocked him clean in the face with enough force to knock him back a few feet. “Me or him?”

“Why would I be talking about you?” asked Jai as he scrambled to his feet.

“Three months with no training.” Said Adrianna.

The pair turned to face the crowd of shock troops that were rushing into the room, watching as the glass from the control room above them broke and Mike dropped down behind the group before clubbing the trailing two soldiers in the back of the head. “Miss me?”

The remaining trio turned to face the newly arrived Spartan, before Dusk and Sonar dropped down behind Mike. “Na, I’m more of a loner.” Said Dusk as he cocked back his new magnum.

“Good to know.” Said Mike as he picked off the remaining soldiers. “Now where’s that ride?”

“What ride?” asked Jai.

“The ride we need to get to a giant death gun orbiting the planet.” Said Sonar. “That ole’ chestnut?”

“He means the Super-MAC that ONI has parked in orbit.” Added Mike.

“And you want to raid it?” Asked Jai. “That’s a suicide run we don’t have time for. We know Naomi and her friends are still floating around, so therefore disabling them has to be the priority.”

“Even if that MAC is pointed at a city?”

“Yes. Only because we need to make sure we’re either conscious or alive in order to make it to that platform.”

Dusk groaned. “Then I’ll go. You four deal with Naomi.”

“And who said you could go alone?” asked Sonar.

“I did.” Retorted Dusk. “Naomi isn’t my main concern, but the ponies in Vanhoover are. So, as a result, I’m going to grab a Sky Tank and fly my ass up there and take out that gun. We clear?”

Mike shrugged. “Hey, it’s his funeral.”

_____________________________________________________________________________________

UNSC Spirit of Fire

“Serena, do you have anything else on that blip?”

The AI’s avatar shook its head. “Nothing yet sir. We’re still not in a position where the planet isn’t blocking our sensors.”

Cutter sighed. “Has the Paris had any more luck?”

“Negative. They’re still out of position.”

“Serena, open a channel to Baxter.” Ordered Cutter.

“Channel open.”

“Paris, this is Spirit. Can you tell me anything else on that contact you picked up?”

“Paris here. Beyond the fact that it was big, not much. I’m about five minutes from sensor contact.”

“And we’re ten. That really doesn’t get us-”

“Captain, we’ve got a sensor contact.” Interrupted Serena. “Small Enclave ship skirting the edge of the upper atmosphere… Well that’s different.”

“What’s different?” asked the Captain.

“I’m reading the IFF from Dusk’s armor on board.”

“That’s probably because I’m flying the damn thing Serena.”

Cutter sat down at one of the bridge consoles, looking at the sensor readout. “I take it you have a reason for being up here?”

“If you guessed taking out a Super-MAC that was parked in orbit, also pointed at a city inhabited by a few hundred thousand ponies, then you’re right on the money.”

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Commandeered Sky Tank

“Do I want to know how you figured that one out Dusk?” came Baxter’s voice over the radio.

“I’d rather spare the details for now.” He replied. “I’m maybe two minutes out. How soon can either of you get to that platform and back me up?”

“Five minutes at minimum.” Replied Baxter “What’s your plan?”

“I was planning on guns blazing, only because I don’t have time to sneak on board. Maybe ram this bucket into the station, blow a hole in the hull and board from there.”

“You do realize that’s a suicide run?” Added Cutter.

“I’m pretty sure Jai said something similar.” Retorted Dusk. “And before I forget, ONI had some Spartans captive down at the shipyard. You're welcome in advance."

“What do you need us to do?” Asked Baxter

“Just make sure you're there when I need one of you.”

“Copy that. See you on the other side Dusk. Paris out.”

Dusk sighed and leaned back in the pilots chair before he punched in a new frequency to the Sky Tank’s communication suite. “Hey Dart, you there?”

Zzzzzzttttttt…..

“Hello?”

“Dusk, where the hell are you?”

“On board an Enclave Sky Tank. Listen, I don’t have much time. ONI has a weapon platform in orbit that has Vanhoover in its sights and I don’t know if I’ll be able to stop it in time.”

“Is this going to be some heartfelt goodbye? Because I get the feeling that’s where this is going.”

Dusk let his head hang for a moment. “I honestly have no idea, but I need you to get word to Cosmo. Tell him to get out of the city and set up a forward command center-.”

“Because you think we’ll need it. Alright, I’ll make the call. Do you need anything?”

“Not that you can get to me quick enough.” Sighed Dusk. “Just… Whatever happens, be careful.” Dusk clicked off the radio and turned his attention to the view screen. Ahead of him was the distant grey mark that was the Super-MAC. “Show time…” As the MAC grew larger as the distance clicked off, Dusk pushed the throttle lever all the way forward and jammed it there, feeling the Sky Tank shudder as the afterburner kicked in, propelling him into the void.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Canterlot Castle

“Dusk? Dusk, can you hear me?” Dart slammed her hand down on the top of the radio receiver. “I hate it when he just hangs up!”

“Something wrong?” asked one of the guards.

“Find me Captain Sentry, now!” ordered Dart as she started writing out a quick letter for Cosmo, before sealing it and sending it away in a flash of light.

“Just take it easy Dart.” Groaned Flash as he walked into the wardroom. “What’s wrong this time?”

“We’ve got a giant superweapon over our heads. That’s what’s wrong!” Before Dart could continue, a letter appeared in a flash of light. As it dropped into the mare’s hands, she furrowed her brow and opened it. “God damn it, I just sent this letter. Look, I’ll be right back.”

Dart quickly charged up her horn, and in a pop her surroundings changed from that of clean marble columns to a spacious apartment. “Cosmo, where the hell are you?”

“He’s not here.” Called a female voice from a side room.

Dart followed the noise, finding Halsey studying a set of blueprints. “Then where is he?”

“He was headed to investigate a Changeling outpost on the north coast. Then we got a letter here from Canterlot asking to keep an eye out for additional gang activity in the area.”

“And what do those have to do with anything?”

Halsey tossed Dart the two seals from each letter. “One’s just a piece of wax. The other is a real royal seal with silver leaf laced throughout. Cosmo didn’t think to check the first letter, so Cloud took off after them to try and warn them.”

Dart sighed, tossing the seals to the side. “Then I need to get you out of the city.”

“I would assume that you have a more specific reason?”

“Try the superweapon pointed at the city from orbit.” Snipped Dart as she grabbed Halsey’s arm and dragged her out of the loft and into the building’s elevator.

“Superweapon?” asked Halsey.

“According to Dusk, ONI parked a Super-MAC in orbit over our heads. Per standard high risk contingencies, any ranking personnel in service of the crown is to be removed from a potential danger zone and taken to establish a forward operating base.” Stated Dart. “With Cosmo out of the picture for the time being, you’ll have to do.”

“Should I be flattered that I’m considering that I’m the ranking individual in the room?”

As the elevator opened on the ground floor, Dart led Halsey out of the building in a quick stride. “Take it how you want, but I need you clear of the city before that MAC opens up on the city.”

Halsey stopped, grabbing Dart’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, did you say MAC? As in a MAC Platform?”

“Do you want me to sugar coat it?” said Dart as she started walking down the street towards the harbor’s train station.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Commandeered Sky Tank

“Paris, Spirit. I’m making my run.”

“And just how do you plan on getting onto that station?”

Dusk chuckled, fastening the harness on the pilot’s seat. “I remembered to bring my battering ram.” As the platform began to grow larger as he neared, Dusk pushed the throttle all the way forward before breaking it off. As the tank accelerated, Dusk quickly locked his armor and shut his eyes before being thrown around violently. The harness on his seat quickly broke, letting Dusk’s armored form fly forward and impact against a large solid object.

Dusk slowly opened his eyes, swiveling his head around quickly. Behind him was the wrecked hull of the Sky Tank, serving as a plug to hold the station’s atmosphere in. The shattered glass of the view screen was scattered about after the cockpit crumpled in on itself.

“Dusk, you still there?” came Baxter’s voice over the radio.

“I’m not dead if that’s what you’re asking.” He groaned as he rose to his feet.

“Good to know.”

“Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a station to shut down.” Dusk clicked off his radio before darting down the hallway.

‘Figured there would have been some guards by now…’ Thought Dusk as he came up on a glass sliding door overlooking a large room. Dusk stuck his hands into the seam between the two halves and slid it open enough to slip through, letting the door slid shut once he was through. ‘Now, what did we find?’ Dusk turned to look over the room he entered, seeing row upon row of Enclave technicians typing away at a number of terminals. In the center of the room was a command station.

“General, hostile ships are two minutes from contact.”

“Do we have the target locked in?” came a static-toned voice

“Negative, the targeting computer isn’t working properly. We’re running on manual control to maintain the lock.”

“Good. Transfer control to the main station.” Dusk watched as a pedestal with a joystick began to rise from the command console, and the officer in charge turned his attention to it. “Well then Meteor Shower, it’s time to say goodbye to your dear hometown.”

‘Wait a minute, that voice…’ Dusk pulled the pistol off his him, dropping the magazine and pulled a round free before he stood up and tossed the bullet with enough force that it tweaked the position of the joystick. A mere moment later the station shook as its main weapon discharged.

“What the hell was that?” yelled the officer.

“General, the shot missed the city center. It impacted in the bay and has caused sizable flooding in the adjacent districts.”

Dusk slid the magazine back into his pistol with a click. “Sorry about that!”

The officer turned to face Dusk, revealing his damaged face, patched back up with metal plate and cybernetics. “Are you sure finding bad times to interrupt isn’t your specialty?”

“Then surviving bullets to the face must be yours Westy. Either that or you've got brains to spare” Quipped Dusk.

“Target the harbor district, prepare to fire.” Ordered the General.

Dusk hopped the railing, dropping down to the lower deck before charging the mutilated General and smashing him through the command console. “Sorry, that order’s been delayed.”

West Wind drew his feet back before pushing Dusk off him and pulling a knife out of his waistband. “Too bad for you then.” West Wind stomped down on Dusk’s back as he moved to get up, forcing him back to the ground.

Dusk tried to push himself back up, only to face stiff resistance from West Wind’s boot. “Damn, you put on some serious weight.” He groaned.

“Cybernetics are a wonderful thing.” West Wind stepped off Dusk’s back, punting him in the side of his chest. “Wouldn’t you agree?” Dusk could only groan in discomfort.

“General, Paris has us in her weapons range.”

The General shook his head. “Get everyone to the portal and set the main battery to fire when charged. We’re packing up shop.” At his word, klaxons and alarms began to blare throughout the station. “I’d say it was a pleasure Dusk, but I’d be lying.” Quipped the General. He waved to the crew, who immediately began to file out of the room. As he reached the door, West Wind turned around and tossed a grenade at the computers, which promptly blew them to smithereens.

Dusk stayed still for what seemed like ages before he rolled over onto his back and looked down at his chest plate. ‘Fuck, that’ll hurt in the morning’ He thought as he ran his hand over the massive crack in the plate before he tapped the panel on his arm. ‘Good, vacuum seal is still intact.’

He struggled to get to his knees for a moment, wheezing as he finally managed to rise from the floor. “Paris, what’s your status?”

“Just coming on station now.”

Dusk walked over to the shattered consoles and shook his head before he turned his head to the main readout on the wall on the far end of the room. Slowly, the displayed timer was creeping up past six seconds. “Paris, target the station’s bridge and fire!”

“Any reason as to-”

“Just do it Baxter!” yelled Dusk as he found a bulkhead to brace himself against. He held his breath before the room around him exploded in a fireball which was promptly sucked out into the vacuum before the remaining debris in the room began to float and tumble in the low gravity of the gutted compartment.

“Dusk, you need to get out of there. The station just lost its stabilizers and is starting to fall out of orbit.”

“How much time do I have?” he asked as his boots magnetized.

“Considering that the station was skirting the upper atmosphere, I’d say fifteen seconds before the station begins to break up.”

“Baxter, did that last round actually hit Vanhoover?”

“Barely, it flooded out just about every neighborhood at or below sea level with the tidal wave it spit up.”

“One more thing. Can you patch me through to Dart?”

The radio crackled for a moment before a familiar voice came through. “Dusk, what the hell just happened? Most of the damn city is drowning down here!”

“I did what I could. It was either let that round hit the city center or somewhere else.”

“That doesn’t help me at all!”

Dusk sighed as the station began to shake.

“Dusk, you’re out of time. You need to get off that station now!” came Baxter’s frantic voice.

“Dart, remember what I told you when me and Steeljack brought you back to the factory for the first time?”

“You said quite a bit. Mind cluing me in?”

“I’ve always fought the hard battles, even if I had no choice.”

“Because someone needs to stand for those who can’t stand for themselves… Dusk, where are you going with this?”

“There may come a day where I don’t come home.” Dusk detached his boots from the deck and pushed himself towards the hole in the bridge. “I get a feeling today might be that day. When this is all over, try to remember me for the fun we had, not the times where we were hurting or angry.”

“Dusk, please tell me this is some sick joke.”

Dusk clicked off his radio as he cleared the bridge and grabbed a piece of the hull and breaking it free before putting it between him and the ground. As the metal began to heat up and glow, Dusk shut his eyes and sighed. “I guess I’ve had a good run.”

Author's Note

Is it a problem that this song starts playing in the back of my head as I imagine Dusk falling out of the station?

Chapter 18

South Pole

“Anyone want to bet if Vanhoover got destroyed yet?” Asked Sonar as he ducked under a stray thermal lance.

“Why the hell would you want to bet on the apocalypse?” Questioned Jai.

“I need something to look forward to.”

“You’re seriously whacked, you known that?” Groaned Mike.

“Does it really matter?” Asked the stallion as he swung his laser rifle up onto his shoulder.

“Behind you!”

Sonar rolled his eyes before he spun around and swung the rifle like a club into his assailant and got off two shots into the soldier that was following. “Do you really think I’m an amateur? Please, next to the definition of badass is my picture!”

“You’re a cocky one, you know that?” Adrianna added.

“Comes with the territory.” Said Sonar as he sidestepped another Enclave soldier, who he promptly put down with a slash of his knife across the soldier’s throat.

“To any UNSC assets in the polar regions, this is Captain Cutter of the Spirit of Fire. Respond, over.”

Jai dove to the ground, firing shots from his plasma pistol as he went. “Go for Sierra double-oh six!”

“Spartan, be advised that we have two squads of Marines headed for the shipyard.”

“Really, just two?”

“Come again?”

“Look, if you’re gonna half ass our backup, at least give me something that I can work with!”

“Jai, heads up!” yelled Mike as he shoved a shock trooper towards his fellow Spartan.

“I see him.” Jai dove forward, clotheslining the soldier before stomping down on its helmet with a resounding crunch. “Can I get something a bit more challenging?”

“Did you really just ask that?” Asked Adrianna.

“Maybe. Don’t see why that’s a problem.”

The room went quiet for a moment before a large explosion blew a set of doors open behind the group, giving way to a charging purple goliath. “See what I mean?” asked Adrianna before she dove out of the way.

“Grey, lob and drill!” yelled Jai we he took a knee.

Mike ran past Jai, charging their attacker, while Adrianna ran straight for her teammate. Jai was quick to act, locking his hands together like a step, allowing Adrianna to plant her foot and start a jump that he added a significant boost to as he threw his teammate skyward before he turned around to watch. By now, he figured out that Naomi had joined the party. Her attention was drawn by Adrianna, who was falling towards her. Instead of reacting, Naomi sidestepped the falling Spartan, before she whacked Mike with her outstretched arm.

“That was fucking great!” Groaned Jai as he charged forward with his knife drawn. Naomi spotted the Spartan, and dove at his legs and sent him tumbling forward. The Spartan turned over and jumped to his feet only to get clubbed by Naomi, who had grabbed the stray stock of a smashed laser rifle.

Naomi kicked Jai in the side of his chest, sending the Spartan sliding a few feet across the floor, stopping once he hit Mike’s prone form. “Some specialists you three turned out to be.”

“Forget about someone else love?” Yelled Sonar.

Naomi turned around, expecting to see the unicorn sneaking up on her. But he wasn’t there. She looked around the room, yet there was no sight of the Equestrian. “You afraid to get beat again?”

Sonar popped into existence behind Naomi, slapping her back before he clambered up her back and vaulted off her shoulders, with a small remote in his hand. “Kid, allow me to teach you a lesson.” Sonar hit the button on his remote, and an explosion rang out from Naomi’s back, sending her flying towards the unicorn. Sonar stepped to the side and lit his horn with magic, his hands glowing a similar shade. As the Spartan reached him, he slammed his hands down into her back, smashing Naomi into the floor. “I hand out the beatings around here.”

Naomi went to roll onto her back but felt a foot plant into her shoulder, keeping her in place. She looked up at the unicorn that had put her on the ground, and smirked behind her visor at the shadow approaching the stallion.

“Oh, that’s right. You had a friend with you.” Said Sonar as he shrugged, lit his horn once more and whipped around.

“Step away from the Spartan” ordered the female.

Sonar looked over the human, noticing her nametag on her breast. “So you must be Serin… I was expecting someone taller.”

“I said step away from the-”

Sonar charged Osman, catching her with an uppercut before he sidestepped the human and grabbed her in a headlock. “Sorry, didn’t catch that last part.” Through Osman’s struggling, Sonar ripped her magnum free of her hand and tossed it to the side. “Now here’s how this will work. You and your friends are coming back to Canterlot with me, where you’ll all get some quality time with my wife. Capish?”

“Why should she be scared of your wife?” Asked Jai as he rose to his feet.

“Rose is very persuasive.” Retorted Sonar.

“You do know you’re dealing with one of the hardest officers the UNSC has to offer, right?” asked the Spartan

Sonar rolled his eyes before summoning the discarded magnum and sticking it to Osman’s head. “Then I’d assume that it would be easier just to turn her head into a canoe.”

“You wouldn’t” Goaded Osman.

Sonar shrugged and moved the pistol behind his captive’s ear and angled it so any bullets wouldn’t hit anything important. “You want to test that theory?” Sonar was met with silence, and his finger moved to the trigger.

BANG

“Fuck!” yelled Osman as she tried unsuccessfully to clutch what was left of her ear.

“Now, are you going to come quietly?” asked Sonar. Behind him the two soldiers that had apprehended him earlier had entered the room, accompanied by another in similar armor..

“Let her go scumbag!” yelled the leader of the trio.

Sonar turned to face the two new arrivals, jamming the magnum to Osman’s head once more. “Now Serin, do we have anything to say to your friends here?”

Osman grunted in pain before she sighed in defeat. “Kilo-Five, stand down.”

“Are you kidding me?”

“You have your orders Geffen. Now stand down.” Ordered Osman.

As the three soldiers lowered their weapons, Jai strode over and ripped them out of their hands, tossing them to the side.

“Alright, we’re done here.” Said Sonar, and he started walking Osman out of the room, the Spartans escorting the other prisoners behind him.

As they reached the main door Sonar threw it open with a burst of magic, and strode out into the squall.

“I hope you have a ride.” Groaned Osman.

As if divined by the princess herself, a Pelican came to settle on the ground in front of the group. “Autopilot is a wonderful thing.” Quipped Sonar as he pushed Osman up the ramp.

“It wasn’t autopilot doing the job!” came a voice from the cockpit.

Sonar glanced over at Jai, passing off his prisoner before heading forward to investigate. He walked into the cockpit, finding a hooded figure at the controls with his feet up. “What the hell’s going on here?”

The pony spun around in the chair and threw his hood back, revealing his bemused expression. “I don’t think we’ve had a proper introduction.”

“Steeljack, right?” Asked Sonar.

The stallion nodded. “You hear anything from Dusk?”

Sonar shook his head. “I was a bit busy helping hold off a horde of ponies bent on my destruction.”

Steeljack sat back in the chair and groaned before he clicked the radio on. “Paris, did you pick up Dusk’s IFF tag again?”

“Negative. We’re still searching. His previous course puts him somewhere north of Vanhoover. We’ve got locals in route. Paris out.”

“Mind telling me what that’s about?” Asked Sonar.

“Your son has a thicker skull than I thought.” Said Steeljack. “The moron jumped off the MAC platform once it entered the atmosphere, probably grabbed a piece of the hull as a heat shield while he was at it.”

“You can’t get a hold of him?” asked Sonar.

Steeljack shook his head. “He shut off his radio after he said goodbye to Dart. Look, I consider Dusk a friend. But I’ve never seen him do anything so… Shit, I don’t even know how to put it.”

“Then we’re assuming he’s dead?”

Steeljack shook his head. “His armor probably took most of the impact once he hit the ground. But we’ve got other problems to deal with.” Steeljack hit a few buttons on the console, and a holographic map of Vanhoover materialized. “Most of Vanhoover is flooded, the local gangs are out of control, the local guard contingent is down for the count, and we’ve got your friends to toss in cells back in Canterlot. Cosmo and his team can get Dusk, but we need to haul ass.”

“Easy enough, assuming you know how to fly this bucket.” Said Sonar.

“And that right there would be our understatement of the day.”

______________________________________________________________________________

Canterlot Castle, Twenty Minutes Later

A group of four guards were flanking Princess Celestia as Steeljack’s Pelican touched down. All were armed with plasma rifles, aimed at the rear ramp of the craft. They all tensed up as the ramp lowered to the ground, and a group of humans were ushered out.

“Steeljack, I take it all went well?” Asked the diarch.

The stallion nodded. “As well as it could’ve been.”

Celestia turned her attention to the group of humans, surrounded by guards and some Spartans, who were being checked for hidden weapons. “What happened to Admiral Osman?”

“A bit of a misunderstanding between her magnum and her earlobe.” Said Sonar “Nothing that she won’t live through.”

The Princess nodded in solemn agreement. “Good to know. Now if the two of you would come with me, we have urgent business we need to address.”

“Is this the sort of urgent business that I’ll like hearing?” Asked Sonar as he followed the Princess into the castle.

Celestia didn’t say a word, instead leading Steeljack and Sonar into the war room. “Captain Sentry, do you have a feed?”

Flash nodded, punching in some commands to the human-supplied computer before it came alive in a show of multicolored lights. After a few moments, four figures formed out of the light. At the forefront was a unicorn clad in shattered and burnt armor.

“Dusk, I take it that you enjoyed your flight?” Asked the Princess.

“Flight? That wasn’t a fucking flight. That was me falling to my doom!”

“But you’re alive, none the less. Now, I believe you have information to share.”

Dusk sighed. “West Wind is still kicking.”

“I thought that General Shower iced him.” Noted Flash.

“And he obviously has brains and cybernetics to spare. Someone grabbed him after we bugged out, that much is clear. What ‘they’ did to him remains to be seen.”

Steeljack was off to the side, more focused on a figure wearing a set of powered armor that looked vaguely familiar. “He didn’t happen to go down with the platform, did he?”

Dusk shook his head. “He and his men fell back to some sort of portal in a different part of the station. I don’t know where they ended up.”

“Do we know where the station’s wreckage landed?” asked Sonar. “Might be worth a look.”

“The Redoubtable is already on it.” Said Flash. “It landed in the northern tundra, roughly twenty miles west of the Crystal Empire.”

“Steeljack take who you can and get to that platform, see if you can pick up West Wind’s trail. I’ll go to Vanhoover and help coordinate disaster response.”

“Dart and Halsey are already back at my loft.” Added Cosmo. “They should have a command post up and running by the time we get there.”

“Alright, I’ll take care of it.” Said Steeljack. “Flash, kill the feed.”

Flash nodded, cutting the transmission. “Something wrong?”

Steeljack nodded. “Damn right something’s wrong. Who the hell was wearing my armor?”

“Of all the shit that we’re dealing with right now, that’s the most important?” Groaned Sonar.

“It’s not. It’s just a very pressing question.” Retorted Steeljack. “I spent months building that suit, and now-”

“Steeljack, you haven’t worn it since Las Pegasus.” Added Flash. “Now quit your bitching and grab some cold-weather gear. I’ll have Tremble and the rest of the team meet you outside once they’re ready.”

Steeljack rolled his eyes and walked out of the war room, breaking into a stride as he made for the armory at the far end of the hall.

“Should I bring the coal and carrots?” asked Comet as he ran up alongside Steeljack.

“Sure, we’ll make a snowman contest out of it!” added Strike, taking a position opposite of Comet.

Steeljack ignored the two, brushing past the guards at the armory door and heading straight over to a rack with a pair of dusters and armored chestplates and went to a suit of bulky black and grey armor and started pulling it on.

“Where we heading today?” asked Comet as he and Strike were getting themselves situated with the gear that Steeljack blew past.

“An Enclave controlled space station made a one way trip to a crater in the northern tundra.” Steeljack said as he finished pulling his greaves on.

“So it’s a torch and burn then?” asked Strike as he pulled on his pants.

Steeljack shook his head. “There was some sort of portal on that station that the crew used to evacuate. Considering the decided lack of usable Enclave bases, that portal is our best bet to find where they’re hiding.”

“That’s assuming that it’s even in one piece.” Came a voice from the armory door.

“And here comes Commander Obvious.” Groaned Strike. He was silenced once Comet smacked the back of his head.

“Do you live in that suit Don?” asked Steeljack as he sheathed the knife on his chestplate.

The human walked over to one of the cabinets opposite of Steeljack and pulled out four plasma rifles and handed them out before tossing around some energy cells. “I’d be tempted to wear something else, but I don’t have the luxury of decent clothes.”

Steeljack slid one of the cells into the rifle before pocketing the spares and swinging the rifle over his shoulder. “We’ll fix that eventually.”

“Alright, tea time’s over!” Yelled Strike as he left the armory.

Steeljack and Tremble exchanged glances before they followed the Pegasus into the hall, running after Strike as he sprinted down the hall and out into the courtyard.

______________________________________________________________________________

“How long do you think we’ll be waiting?” asked Rosemary

Sonar shrugged. “Not a damn-”

“Coming through!” yelled Strike as he ran up the ramp.

“Probably not long.”

Steeljack and Tremble walked up the ramp, both looking rather bemused. “Tagging along Sonar?”

The unicorn nodded. “I’ve got nothing better to do. What about you Rose?”

The mare shrugged. “I heard that the tundra was nice this time of year.”

“Oh, most certainly!” yelled Comet. “It’s cold, covered in snow… And has all of that deadly nature. What’s not to love?”

“Probably the deadly nature.” Deadpanned Steeljack. “Emphasis on ‘deadly’.”

“Then I’m fine with that.” Added Flash as he boarded the Pelican. “Now let’s get down to business. Redoubtable has landed about two miles from the edge of the crash site and is establishing a base camp so the station wreckage can be secured. Steeljack, you’re in charge of the recovery operations once you hit the ground, so proceed as you see fit.”

“Has any sort of route to the site been scouted?” asked Sonar.

Flash shook his head. “As of last contact, not yet.”

“Then we’ll have to make due.” Added Steeljack. “Anyone have anything else to add?”

Tremble banged his fist on the wall, drawing the attention of the assembled group. “Can we just get on with it? I don't want to spend my friday night out in the freezing cold.”

______________________________________________________________________________

Northern Tundra, Redoubtable Base Camp, Half an Hour Later

Steeljack sat at the very back of the Pelican, looking out the open bay door onto the vast expanse of snow and ice only a hundred feet below. After a few moments of vast expanse, the Pelican began to bank to the left and descend into the shadow of the HMS Redoubtable. “Alright, get your shoes on!” As the Pelican shuddered with the landing on the hardened snow, Steeljack dropped down to the ground and walked away from the craft and made for the only structure visible; a flimsy canvas tent, door flap flailing in the breeze. He walked in making a brisk pace before slipping off to the side.

One of the officers, a teal pegasus mare wearing a blue and yellow parka, was looking at plans for the base camp.

“Do you think that any of this is worth the trouble Commander?” asked Steeljack.

The pegasus nodded, not bothering to pay attention to Steeljack. “I need to be sure we can operate out here for the long-term.”

Steeljack nodded. “You must be one of the Wonderbolts.”

The mare finally paid attention to Steejack. “Name’s Fleetfoot. You must be the specialist that Canterlot was sending to take over.”

“Trust me, I’m no specialist.” Chuckled Steeljack. “But yes, I’m here to take the reins.”

“Then I’ll bring you up to speed.” Fleetfoot tossed the site plans out of the way and pulled out a map of the area with a large red ‘x’ plastered across the upper right hand corner. “The station crashed here, leaving a crater at least one hundred feet deep, and roughly five miles across. For the most part, the station appears to be relatively intact, although the lower levels are buried somewhere in the crater.”

“Then we’re assuming that those sections were crushed?”

Fleetfoot nodded. “At least until we can take a better look. And to make sure nothing gets in or out, I’ve got every available pegasus, Warthog and Pelican on perimeter detail.”

Steeljack stifled a chuckle. “Do you honestly believe that something is coming out of that hole?”

“Hey, I’m just following orders.” Defended Fleetfoot.

“That’s fine. Now, how quickly can you get me a Warthog?”

Fleetfoot drummed her fingers on the table. “Probably within the hour, it’s just a matter of one coming back from patrol.”

“That’ll be good enough.” Said Steeljack as he rolled up the map of the crash site. “Just come find me when that Warthog is ready.”

______________________________________________________________________________

“Alright, look alive” ordered Tremble as Steeljack returned. “What’s the word?”

“We’ll wait for one of the patrols to come back, then head for the platform.” Said Steeljack. “Fleetfoot said it should be about an hour.”

“Then what the hell are we supposed to do?” complained Strike.

Steeljack shook his head in disappointment. “I’d figure you’d pick up on it by now Strike, but a camp isn’t really a camp without more than one tent. Now go find the work crew and get to it.”

Strike skulked off to the group of engineers on the other side of the camp, leaving a bemused Comet behind. “And what about the rest of us?”

Shrugging, Steeljack turned and started walking back to the tent. “Unless I missed something, Fleetfoot does have a pot of coffee with our names on it.”

______________________________________________________________________________

Three Hours Later

“So I’ve been thinking-” started Tremble “But has Strike seemed a bit… Irritable as of late?”

Steeljack paused for a moment, putting his mug down on the table. “How so?”

“Well, there’s been a bit more than the usual bitching and moaning.” Pointed out Comet. “And a few mood swings here and there…”

“You think he’s losing it again?” asked Steeljack.

“I’m sorry, but again?” asked Fleetfoot. “This Strike guy, is he crazy or something like that?”

“He’s been unstable for the better part of the last three years, maybe longer.” Stated Tremble.

“The Enclave really did a number on him when they were holding the two of us prisoner.” Said Comet. “Maimed his wings, beat the shit out of him, and tortured him with electro-shock therapy.”

“And you got out unscathed?” asked Fleetfoot.

Comet shook his head. “They used me to test drugs and painkillers.”

Fleetfoot opted to remain silent, pouring herself another cup of coffee.

BANG BANG BANG

Shit, fall back!

“What the hell was that?” asked Comet

Strike threw the tent flap open, plasma rifle in his free hand. “We’ve got company!”

With a blast of wind, the tent was blown away and crumpled when it hit the ground. Steeljack didn’t have a moment to see who was attacking the camp before a marine crashed into him, sending both pony and human to the ground.

“Blaze squad, scatter!” yelled Tremble as he dove to the ground.

“What the hell is that thing!?!?” yelled one of the marines.

Tremble looked up from his spot on the ground, looking up at a towering green alicorn that was blasting away at the marines that had secured the camp, with bullets and plasma fire bouncing off a green shield of magic as the creature continued its assault. Tremble rose, kneeling while he looked out on the camp. “Comet, Strike, flank that son of a bitch! Sonar, take Rosemary and fall back to the Redoubtable. I need a reliable fallback position now!”

“Really, turn and run?” Asked Sonar. He was quickly silenced when a green bolt of magic sailed past his head and hit the ground behind him. “On second thought, the ship sounds like a great place to be!”

“Then get moving!” yelled Tremble. Checking over his shotgun one last time, Tremble stared down the advancing alicorn. “Steeljack, you up?”

“Up enough to know we’re in deep shit!” He retorted.

“Then we need a plan.” Tremble ducked as a bolt of magic buzzed past his helmet. “Preferably one where we don’t all die, so give me something to work with!”

Steeljack fired off a few bolts from his rifle before he rolled to the side. “That shield is directional. So unless that one has a friend we haven’t run into yet, we just need to get her to face away from someone so we can get some shots in.”

Tremble nodded, pumping his shotgun. “Just get that thing to turn around.”

Steeljack nodded, charging at the alicorn. “Comet, Strike, lob and drill!”

“Now we’re talking!” replied Strike as he knelt down and leaned forward.

Steeljack broke to the right, using Strike as a ramp to gain elevation on the alicorn. As it turned to face him, Comet came tearing in behind the alicorn, showering its back with plasma bolts.

Steeljack managed to get over its shield and wrapped his arms around its neck before he headbutted the beast before he was tossed to the ground. “That could’ve gone better.”

“It’s all I needed.” Replied Tremble, now at point blank behind the alicorn, now distracted by Comet.

BANG shick schick

As the buckshot from his gun impacted in the back of the alicorn’s legs, Tremble pulled his knife out before kicking out its knees with a roundhouse kick before taking ame at the downed creature’s burnt back.

BANG shick schick

As his buckshot tore into the alicorn’s back, it swung around and blasted Tremble in the face with a bolt of green magic before punting Strike and curbstomping a downed Comet. “Fools.” Groaned the alicorn. “None of you know when to acknowledge your own doom.” She grabbed Fleetfoot by the throat, who had been trying to divebomb the monster, and planted her into the frozen ground. “So pray for a miracle.”

“Then allow me to deliver!” yelled a static filled voice, before a blue blur slammed into the alicorn and sent it sprawling out on the ground. “Cosmo, batter up!”

As the alicorn tried to get up, a unicorn clad in brown riot gear landed on her back and stabbed a knife into the joint for its left wing before picking up the alicorn with its magic. “Palmer, I’m tappin’ out!”

A third pony, this one an earth pony, slid under the floating alicorn bashed it in the mouth before rolling away. “Cosmo, pull!”

The unicorn nodded, tossing the alicorn away while the mare pulled a pistol and took aim at the flying body.

BANG BANG BANG BANG

Blood sprayed from the alicorn as the bullets struck it’s torso before it crashed to the ground in a crumpled heap. As it tried to get up, somepony rolled it onto its back. Looking down on it was a mint green unicorn, flanked by another unicorn with fire in its eyes.

Steeljack managed to get to his feet, spotting Dusk and Dart standing over the wounded creature. “Took ya long enough!”

Dusk rolled his eyes before pulling out a plasma pistol. “Dart, didn’t that thing say something about a miracle?”

“I think it did…” Dart pulled her own pistol out. “Something about pray for one?”

“Then we found it.” Said Dusk with a smirk. “Any last words you psycho bitch?” The alicorn furrowed it’s brow before charging up its horn. “Shit, I should’ve broken its horn off.”

Dart tackled Dusk off to the side as the alicorn fired off its blast, leaving a green streak of fading light across the sky. “Cloud, now would be a good time for that miracle!”

At that, the blue blur from earlier came back and hit the ground, revealing the shape of a blue armored pony. “Consider it done.” The alicorn scrambled to its feet, staring down Cloud with a lit horn before firing off two bolts of magic. Cloud sidestepped one before ducking under the other. “Time for a lesson in accuracy.” Two ports on his arms began glowing, and Cloud raised his arms and pointed them at the alicorn. “It’s called don’t miss.” Two orange bolts flew out from the ports, striking the alicorn square in the head.

“Timber!” yelled Dusk as the alicorn crumpled to the ground.

“Is that thing dead?” yelled Comet from his spot on the ground.

Dart looked down at the alicorn before shrugging. “It should be.”

Dusk knelt down next to it, looking at a black patch on the shoulder of its jumpsuit. “We might have a bigger problem on our hands here.” Pulling his knife out, he cut the patch off the suit and held it out for Dart to take. “Give you three guesses who sent that thing.”

“Are we gonna like the answer?” groaned Tremble as he approached.

“Probably not.” Said Dart as she handed Tremble the fabric, bearing the visage of the Grand Pegasus Enclave.

Author's Note

Now that these two parts are out, the missing pieces will be filled in with the next few chapters of "The Northern Guard". After that, it's onto the station.

Chapter 19

HMS Redoubtable Medical Bay

Beep…. Beep…. Beep….

“Can someone shut that off?” Groaned Strike from his bed.

Dusk rose from his chair and flipped the heart monitor off. “So what was it like being used as a kickball?”

“I’d recommend some serious padding.” Retorted the Pegasus as he rolled out of bed. “Did we win?”

Dusk pulled the wires and probes off of Strike’s chest, rolling his eyes. “You’re alive, aren’t you?”

Strike grabbed his body armor and jacket off the chair that had been pushed up next to his bed and started pulling them back on. “How’d we make out?”

“You got knocked out, Don got his armor bashed in, Comet managed to get away with a broken rib, and Commander Fleetfoot is looking at two months before she can fly again.”

Strike winced at the last statement. “Is it a problem that I can feel her pain?”

Dusk shook his head. “Not in my book.” Motioning to follow, the pair started off down the hall. “You never did tell me what happened to your wing.”

“Then I’ll keep it simple. Enclave scientists plus scalpel equals pain.” Growled the Pegasus.

“Then I won’t ask for more details then.” Muttered Dusk. The two entered an elevator in silence and quickly began their ascent through the Redoubtable. “So where’d you get the gear?” Strike remained silent and slid out of the elevator as the door opened to the bridge. “Nice talking to you too Strike.”

Most of the group was gathered around the holotable on the bridge nursing some minor wounds. Strike bypassed them all and approached the Commander and pulled her aside. “Give everyone three guesses on what’s on his mind.” Muttered Comet.

Dusk pulled up a chair and flopped down into it. “I’ll pass.”

“Now before Dusk interrupts again, I’d like to point everyone at our target.” Interjected Tremble. “As of right now there isn’t any security or force recon at the crash site. I’ll be blunt, we’re flying blind.”

“And to begin with, we don’t have a way to get down to the platform.” Added Palmer. The image of the crash site zoomed in to show the cliffs surrounding the crater. “We’re looking at a nearly hundred foot drop onto sharp incline with nothing to grab onto.”

“And it’s all topped off with a pile of scrap metal at the bottom.” Steeljack leaned over the table and studied the hologram. “Could a Pelican drop us near the top of the wreck?”

“And go in through the MAC? It’s possible, but there’s no guarantee you’d be able to get into the access shaft along the barrel.”

“What if one of us could check it?”

The attention turned from the table to Cloud. “Do you think you can get in and out in one piece?” Asked Dusk.

Cloud shrugged. “Does it really matter?”

“Cloud, I don’t know if I even want you coming in there with us.” Cosmo sat down on the edge of the table and sighed. “I don’t trust that you’re even stable right now. So tell me why the hell I’d want you with us?”

“I’m here now, aren’t I?”

“And if was my choice I would’ve left you with Halsey. You haven’t dealt with death before, so until somepony tells me otherwise I’ll be considering you unstable and a risk to our safety.” Retorted the ranger.

“Seriously?” Questioned Cloud. “Don’t we have more important things to worry about?”

“You’re right, we do.” Admitted Cosmo. “Like how a pony who only ever picked up a gun for a training exercise was so willing to lobotomize another living being.”

“Cosmo, we don’t have time.” Stated Dusk. “Cloud is here to stay. Therefore he needs to carry his own weight. If you really want to go through all of the psychological shit, be my guest, but do it on your own time.”

“I’ll take it we have no outstanding objections then?” Asked Tremble. Met by silence, the trooper nodded. “Looks like you’ve got the green light kid. Go gear up, I’ll meet you on the hangar deck.”

As the pair walked off the bridge, Cosmo couldn’t help but scowl at Dusk. “I hope to high hell you know what you’re doing.”

“Cosmo, I told you that we don’t have time. The kid is here now, and we need bodies for when we get on that station.”

“And we don’t need to babysit the kid if he loses it.” Insisted Cosmo.

“You know he isn’t wrong.” Added Dart.

Dusk sighed. “Then we’ll deal with Cloud if he becomes a problem. But right now, we need him.”

“Then I hope you’re right Dusk.”

______________________________________________________________________________

Crash Site, Northern Tundra

Dusk was standing on the extended ramp of the Pelican overlooking the crashed space station, watching Tremble’s own transport hover close above the peak of the wreckage. “Anypony hear anything yet?”

“Bit antsy, aren’t we?” Asked Cosmo.

Dusk shrugged. “I reserve that right.”

“Anyone read me?” Came Tremble over the radio.

“Yah, go ahead.”

“The access shaft is clear. Me and Cloud are already down in the station on deck ten, no lighting to speak of, bunch of broken glass and smashed terminals near our infiltration point.”

“Then we’re going in.” Responded Cosmo as the Pelican began to move. “How’s the trip down look?”

“You’re sliding down the shaft on a sixty degree angle that shallows out towards the bottom, most likely stemming from damage to the superstructure. Come down one at a time and we’ll try to catch you guys.”

“Copy that.” Cosmo jumped down out of the Pelican, swallowed by the darkness in the shaft.

One after another the other members of the party descended into the darkness, leaving Dusk alone on the transport. “Well, now or never…” He muttered as he jumped off the ramp. The decent down the shaft was a quick affair, wind battering Dusk’s ears from his speed on the way down until he landed in a wide open room and slid across the floor before somepony grabbed him under his arms and halted his slide.

“Thanks for joining us.” Said Tremble as he turned his helmet lights on.

“It was a bit fast for my tastes.” Said Dusk as he climbed to his feet. “Anypony have a light?” Tremble handed Dusk a small lantern. “Thanks. Now you said this was deck ten?”

“Assuming that the access shaft came out where it was meant to, it should be.”

Dusk shined his light around the room and stopped near a set of jarred double doors. “Cloud, give me a hand.”

The armored stallion shrugged before joining Dusk near the doors and wedged his hands into the crack along with Dusk and started pulling. “Is it just me-” The door finally gave way after enough pulling and slid back into the walls. “Nevermind.”

Dusk shined his light into the room and came across a few working computers alongside a silver arch, roughly the size of a door frame. “Alright, this is too easy.”

“Everypony spread out.” Ordered Steeljack as he led the group into the room. He moved his own flashlight around the room and stopped on a tinted window that was angled over the room from the deck above. “Cosmo, see if you can find a way up there”

“Consider it done.” The ranger pulled out his grappling gun and shot it through the glass, pulling the line taught. “I’ll be back.” Cosmo rocketed upwards and through the glass, showering Steeljack with small shards and fragments.

“Anyone else wondering how these things are still working?” Asked Tremble, occupied by the still-active terminals.

“Could be some sort of backup system powering them.” Replied Dusk. “We just got to-” A low click was hear from the room above and the ceiling lights came on. “What the hell?”

Cosmo dropped down out of the broken window. “Looks like the backup reactor survived the crash. What’s left of the station should have some sort of power and lighting.”

Dusk nodded and turned his attention back to the arch. “Looks like they put a mirror on board.” He sighed as he looked it over more closely. “Frame has a good crack running through the top.”

“So we can’t use it?”

“I wouldn’t want to.” Answered the stallion. “No guarantee you’ll come back out like you went in.”

Comet pushed past the pair and started typing away at the computers. “I’ll see if I can find some records.”

“Strike, Cloud, Palmer, stay with Comet.” Said Tremble. “Cosmo, Steeljack, there should be an armory somewhere on this deck. We’re going to find it.”

“And what am I supposed to do?” Asked Dusk.

“Find a better exfil point. Climbing up through that shaft doesn’t look very appealing.”

“We’ll take care of it Don.” Answered Dart. “Dusk, let’s get the lead out.”

“Do you really think they’ll find another way out?” Asked Steeljack.

“Someone needs to.” Sighed Tremble. “Now come on, I want to see if the Enclave left any goodies behind.”

______________________________________________________________________________

Wrecked SuperMAC Interior, Deck Twelve, ten minutes later

Dusk slid the damaged elevator door open and hauled himself and Dart onto the crumpled deck, illuminated by the flickering lights. “Where the hell are we now?”

Dart turned Dusk’s body and pointed at a sizable pile of scrap metal and glass. “That look familiar?”

Dusk did a double-take and walked over to the wreckage. “Well, I guess Sky Tanks can survive ramming into a space station and a drop to the surface of a planet. Who knew?”

Dart rolled her eyes. “Anything important we should grab?”

“Nope.” Dusk waved the mare on and started retracing his steps from his first visit to the station. “Gotta to give it to the humans… They know how to make some tough shit.”

Dart kept pace with the stallion while he brushed through a shattered doorframe into a large hulled-out room. Most of it was intact and leaning against the side of the crater at a slight angle, complemented by two holes down to the crater three stories below. “Damn, was this the bridge?”

“Yup.” Noted Dusk. “Oh, word of advice. Missiles are a great way to redecorate in a short amount of time.”

“This is where you jumped, isn’t it?”

“Now you see why I was thinking I was screwed?” he asked as he started down the stairs. "Come on, let's see if there's anything worth a damn in here."

______________________________________________________________________________

Canterlot Castle, Infirmary

‘Alright, it’s now or never’ Thought Meteor. Sonar was at the door talking with the guards posted outside. “Sonar, can you give me a hand?”

“Sure thing Dad.” Sonar walked over to his bedside. “What do you need?”

“Just help me sit up for a sec.” Meteor hid one of his hands under the covers, and started charging his shock spell. As Sonar grabbed his free hand, Meteor swung out and grabbed the stallion’s horn and sent a jolt of electricity coursing through his body. “Sorry kid, I’ve got places to be.” Meteor hauled himself out of bed, letting his son fall to the floor.

Slowly he made for the open door, the two guards unaware of what had happened to Sonar. Once he got close enough, he grabbed them by the back of their heads and with a quick step forward smashed them into the wall opposite of his door. “Damn, they’re getting sloppy.”

He teleported away quickly, ending up near the staircase down to the cavern beneath the castle. Subtlety went out the window as he blasted the hidden door the bits and ran down the stairs, blasting the second door apart as he hit the bottom. Slowing down, he strode into the nexus and walked over to the center of the chamber where a pool of green liquid sat undisturbed.

“Meteor, what the hell are you doing?”

The old stallion turned around to face the sun goddess herself and shrugged. “Being a hero.” He broke into a run once more, stumbling into a roll before getting back up and jumping into the pool.

“Shit!” Celestia ran forward and tried to grab Meteor out from under the pool’s surface, but he was out of reach as the pool began to glow. Tossing her crown off, the Princess dove into the pool after the General.

For a few minutes the nexus was silent save for the bubbling of the pool, interuped by a eruption of liquid as Celestia and Meteor Shower clambered out. “Meteor, you damn…” Celestia rolled over and stared at the General. “Your horn…”

Meteor crawled to his feet and felt his forehead, running his fingers up to the jagged point of his regrown appendage. “Well I'll be damned...” A quick spell dried him and the Princess of the pool’s remnants. “Now if you excuse me, I need to get moving.” Behind him a portal opened to a dimly lit room. “I’ll try to come back in one piece.”

______________________________________________________________________________

Wrecked SuperMAC Interior, Deck Twelve

Dusk and Dart kept digging through the wrecked consoles and storage units scattered around the bridge, finding a few fusion batteries to top off the piles of junk and debris. “Find anything useful yet?” Asked Dusk.

“Do I count?” came a voice from the upper level.

Dusk and Dart both pulled out their pistols and aimed at the source. Dusk was the first of the two to lower it. “Gramps, what the hell are you doing here?” As the stallion jumped down to their level, Dusk’s face distorted into a look of shock. “And what the hell happened to your head?”

“What? I figured out how to regrow my horn… And heal some bullet wounds…” Meteor tapped his chin in thought. “And I think I might’ve accidentally regressed a few years.”

“What makes you say that?” Asked Dart.

Meteor cast a shield spell, studying his face in the reflection. “Well, my mane got a bit of its old color back.” He said as he ran his fingers through it. “Some of the more recent scars are gone… I’d say I’m physically at least ten years younger.”

“Ten years younger?” Asked Dusk, his face shifting to one of annoyance. “And how’d you pull this magic trick off?”

“How do you think Celestia patched herself up after she got her ass handed to her?”

“I don’t know, really good healing spell?”

“Eh, your close. That pool in the Nexus works wonders if you really want to know.” Replied Meteor. “Now what’s our situation?” The station shook as a loud explosion echoed through the interior. “Not good?”

Dusk pulled his radio out. “Tremble, where the hell are you?”

“Deck Ten, we’ve all regrouped at the port-side landing bay. Portal kicked on and we got pushed away from it by some sort of mercs.”

Dusk looked down through the hole in the floor, seeing a large glass door which flashes of light were reflecting off of. “Tremble, get that hangar door open.”

“And do what? Jump down into the crater?”

“Just give us a way in.” Ordered Dusk. “Gramps, you stay here. We’ll be back.”

“I’m sorry, but stay here?”

“You’re wearing a set of scrubs.” Retorted Dart. “And we’re going into a firefight. Not happening.”

Meteor rolled his eyes and pulled out an old pocketwatch and clicked the button on the top. A brief flash of light blinded Dusk and Dart, before revealing a set of armor replacing the scrubs. “Did you two forget I’m the master of preparedness?”

Dusk looked back down towards the hangar. “Tremble, where’s my opening?”

“Just forget about it.” Replied Meteor as he grabbed Dusk and Dart. “Just hold on.” The three were enveloped in a bright light and appeared in the middle of the hangar. “Hey, that actually worked!”

Dusk threw a shield up once bullets started flying towards them. “The objective isn’t to land in the middle of a firefight you asshole!”

Dart leaned around the shield and fired off a few shots from her pistol before leaning back. “We’ve got two on the left, right flank is wide open. Wanna make a break for it?”

“Gramps, get ready to run.” Dusk pulled out his own pistol while weakening his shield. “In three, two, one…” The shield dropped and the three tore off towards a set of crates opposite the attacking mercs. Dusk vaulted over the crates and made for the center of the opposing line. “Dart, on me!”

Meteor teleported ahead and pulled a revolver off his belt and charged towards the mercs.

“Shit, right flank!” yelled the leader.

BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG

Meteor dropped to his knees mid-run and slid across the floor past the falling merc, flipping the revolver’s cylinder out and reloading it with a new six rounds. As he neared the next pony, he flipped the cylinder back before rolling off to the side and bypassing his opponent. Jumping to his feet next to three other mercs, he swung his pistol like a hammer and smacked all three across their jaws one after another. “Come on you fuckers, give me a challenge!”

Dusk shot the last standing merc and holstered his pistol. “Hey, tone it down.”

Tremble led the remaining members of the group across the hangar. “General, I thought you were bed-ridden.”

“Circumstances changed.” He replied. “What do we know about those mercs?”

Dart knelt down next to one, picking up the bulky sub-machine gun he had been using. “Definitely non-standard armaments…” Dart fished out four magazines from the dead colt’s jacket and pulled one of the rounds out. “Ah ha… It’s a fourty-five.” She grabbed the sling from the SMG and swung it over her shoulder, putting the magazines in her own jacket. “Called it!”

“How many are we dealing with?” Asked Dusk.

“This was it.” Said Comet. “They just hit fast enough where we couldn’t hold the mirror.”

“But that doesn’t mean that some others didn’t come through the mirror.” Added Strike.

Dusk leaned against a stack of crates. “Alright, here’s the deal.” He stood up straight and walked over to the group. “We’ve got a way to go after the Enclave. I don’t know about the rest of you, but this is our best chance to try to catch up to West Wind.”

“And do what exactly?” Asked Steeljack.

“I don’t know, turn the bastard’s head into a canoe?”

“Sounds more like a goal to me…” Muttered Cosmo from the fringe.

“Does it matter?” Asked Dusk. “We can work the details out later, but we need to get moving.”

“And what if the portal failed?” Questioned Steeljack.

“Then we try to get the one in the Badlands working.” Retorted a growingly frustrated Dusk. “Look, are you in or not?”

Steeljack rolled his eyes and walked over. “I’m in.”

“You don’t need to ask me.” Replied Meteor as he took a place off to Dusk’s right.

Comet and Strike exchanged glances before joining Dusk.

“Dart, it’s your call.”

Slowly, Dart walked over and took a place at Dusk’s side. “What about the rest of you?”

Tremble exchanged glances with Palmer and Cosmo. “We’ll stay here. Someone has to tell the suits in Canterlot where you all ran off to.” Tremble turned his shotgun over in his hands for a moment before tossing it to Dusk. “Just make sure I get that back in one piece.”

Dusk cocked an eyebrow as he turned the shotgun over in his hands. “Tremble, I can’t take this... Where the hell am I supposed to get eight-gauge shells?”

“Got it rechambered for twelve.” Retorted the human.

“Didn’t you say that this thing is your good luck charm?” deflected Dusk

Tremble shrugged. “I got a feeling you’ll be needing more luck than me.”

Dusk sighed as he pulled a rifle sling out of one of his pouches, fastened it to the mounting bolts on the shotgun and swung it over his back. “Thank you Don.”

“Just get going Dusk.” Reassured Cosmo. “We’ll hold the line until you get back.”

Dusk nodded, turning to the dimly-lit hangar exit. “Well then… Let’s hit the road.”

______________________________________________________________________________

Dusk walked back into the portal room, now awash in a rainbow-colored hue from the still active portal. “Looks like we’re good to go.”

“One little caveat-” retorted Steeljack “How the hell will we know where we’re going?”

Dusk looked down at the dead merc by the mirror and knelt down by his arm. “With this.” He unclipped the black Pipbuck and turned it over. “Should still be good…” He rolled up his sleeve, clipping it around his exposed forearm as it came to life. “And it is.” Dusk stood and flipped through the menu, coming to something reading quests. “What the hell this quest thing?”

Steeljack shrugged. “Some gag thing the designers made sure to add to organize waypoints.”

Dusk flipped through the menus further, finding his inventory and the map. A small window popped up on the upper right-hand side of the screen. “New quest?”

“So what’s it say?” Asked Meteor.

Dusk chuckled. “Fortune favors the bold.” He replied. “I guess we’re about to find out how true that is.”

Chapter 20

Equestrian Wasteland, Exact Location Unknown

Dusk stepped out of the portal into a room lit by sunlight streaming in through cracks in the roof. “Let’s see…” He looked down at the pipbuck and pulled up the map. Fetlock?” He muttered. Zooming out, he got a better view of the surrounding area. “Alright, just outside Manehattan. I can work with that.”

Meteor was the last one through the portal, swinging his revolver around the room slowly as he searched for targets. “Nothing here?”

Dusk looked back down at the pipbuck, checking the IFF marker. “I’m not seeing anything.”

Steeljack clambered up one of the damaged walls, peering out through the cracked wall. “Looks like we’re in an office park.” He jumped down, landing in a crouch.

“Does Fetlock mean anything to you Steeljack?”

The stallion shook his head. “Just a town outside of Manehattan.” The portal kicked off and shot out a small array of sparks from its control terminal.

“Guess we’re not going back through there.” Muttered Strike.

“We don’t even know where we’re going, do we?” Asked Meteor.

“I know somepony who might.” Suggested Steeljack. “DJ Pon3. I don’t know how, but she usually knows what’s going on.”

“Where is she?” Asked Dusk.

“Her studio is at Tenpony Tower.” Replied Steeljack. “Hell, just turn on your radio. Ususally she’s broadcasting something.”

Dusk nodded and clicked on the radio and was met with a melody from a closing song.

Zzztttt… “Aaaannnnd hello children! This is DJ Pon3 coming out to all of you enjoying this wonderful day in the Equestrian Wasteland. It’s as if apocalyptia is the new normal.”

“Sounds more like a colt to me…” Noted Comet.

“Voice changing mic. Good disguise to use.” Replied Cosmo.

“Now we’ve got some juicy news for all of you today. We’ve got reports coming in that some newcomers to the wasteland scene are out looking somepony. Damn, isn’t that the story of my life? And guess what, they’re looking for little-ole’ me.”

“Dusk, is she talking about us?” Asked Strike. “It’s just plain creepy.”

“If you’re listening, no I’m not god. I’m just that good. So what are you waiting for Dusk? You and your friends swing on by, I’ll tell the colts downstairs to expect you. Now, let’s change gears for a minute and get down with some of that smooth music from yesterday. Ain’t that a kick in the head?”

Dusk clicked off the radio and stared at Steeljack. “Is it normal for this DJ to call ponies out like that?”

Steeljack shrugged. “She did some similar stuff when I was traveling with Star. Hell, she did that to Littlepip, the Security Mare… And plenty others that catch her attention.”

“I guess we’re just that important then.” Dusk led the group out of the building, emerging in a dilapidated office park. “Let’s see…” Dusk looked down at his pipbuck and pulled the map up. “Looks like we’re headed southwest.”

The group began the long walk towards the city. Clearing the town, they came up on a ridge overlooking what was left of Manehattan. “I’m sorry, we’re going there?” Asked Strike.

Dusk dropped down the cliff and landed in a puddle. “You have better places to be Strike?” As the others made their way down the cliff face, Dusk stopped near a gate into a small cave. “You guys hold here. I’m gonna take a peak down the rabbit hole.” Before any complaints could be made, the unicorn was through the gate and into the dark cavern. He pulled out his light and clicked it on, shining it around the cavern before stopping on a yellow glint under a cloth. “What do we have here?”

Dusk walked over and pulled the cloth away to reveal a dead royal guard, flesh long given way to bone. On the corpse’s arm was a pipbuck with some tapes scattered around, which he promptly scooped up. Dusk looked around the cave again, noticing three other cloths and a corpse slumped up against the wall near where he walked in, wrapped in a makeshift blanket. Further examination revealed all wore black pipbucks and had similar armor, yet unlike the first none had any tapes like the first body. “What happened here?” He muttered as he walked out of the cave.

“Find anything interesting?” Asked Steeljack as Dusk emerged from the darkness.

“Bunch of dead guards and some old tapes.” Replied the unicorn.

“So nothing that can’t wait?” Asked Meteor. As Dusk nodded, the old stallion started walking down the hill. “Then let’s get moving. We’re burning daylight as it is.”

______________________________________________________________________________

East End of the Luna Line, five hours later

“Are we there yet?” Asked Strike. The group had reached the Luna Line’s northeastern end an hour prior, and were busy hiking down the crumbling tracks in the waning afternoon light.

“Dusk, it might be a good idea to find a place to camp for the night.” Suggested Steeljack. “We aren’t too far from Grand Central. We can lay low there, then get to Tenpony in the morning. Should be about a twenty minute walk come morning.”

“Then let’s just keep going!” Insisted Dusk as he clambered over a chunk of concrete that fell from a leaning building off to the side of the tracks.

“Do you really think that’s wise?” Asked Meteor. “We’re in unfamiliar territory with no guarantee of continued safe passage.”

Dusk sighed. “Fine, but we sleep in shifts. You, Comet and Strike sleep first. Me, Steeljack and Dart will keep the perimeter secure.”

Dart punched Dusk’s shoulder. “Did you stop to think I’d like to get some sleep?”

“You can sleep later.” Said Dusk as the group entered the platforms for the crumbling station. “We’ll hold up in the old info booth. Steeljack, get up top. Dart, take one end, I’ll take the other. Anypony on break, take the middle.”

Dusk took a seat at the east end of the booth, propping his feet up and fishing out one of the tapes he found earlier. There was a number one scrawled across a worn label. He pushed it into the slot under the top of the pipbuck’s screen and pulled back the pair of headphones from next to the slot. “Let’s see what you have to say…”

“Canterlot Second Guard Division, Alpha Company, Lieutenant Dusk Light commanding. October 10th, 2077. Princess Celestia teleported us out of the capitol to some sort of bunker outside of Manehattan. Damn, this place is fully equipped. Comms, life support, stocked armory… I’d rather be in Canterlot. I don’t trust half of those recruits to keep her and Luna safe. Well, at least we’re not getting pelted with cruise missiles.”

Dusk stayed still as the tape popped out of the pipbuck, indicating it had run through its message. “Son of a bitch…” He muttered. He popped in the tape labeled two.

“Canterlot Second Guard Division, Alpha Company, Lieutenant Commander Dusk Light commanding. October 25th 2077… Damn, that sounds weird saying that. ‘Lieutenant Commander’… Anyway, I’m getting ahead of myself. Two days ago we lost contact with Cloudsdayle. At first I thought it was a glitch with our gear, at least until the damage reports came in. Damn Zebras broke out balefire-tipped cruise missiles. After that, we started losing contact with other posts. Splendid Valley and Maripony were the next to go. Gramps called in from Canterlot and transferred command of the Second Division to me along with the promotion. We lost contact right after that. I’m guessing Manehattan got hit from how the bunker shook. After that… Who knows? We still haven’t been able to raise anypony outside the bunker. For now, I’m assuming that we’re all that’s left of the Equestrian military. Might as well keep a tally… As of now we have fifty ponies still active in Alpha Company, including myself. I’ll try to keep these tapes as logs. Dusk out.”

Dusk grabbed the tape as it was ejected from its port. He sat back in the chair and let his arms go limp, his headphones getting torn away from his ears. “That was me back in the cave. I…” Dusk fished out the third tape, turning it over in his hand before pushing it into the pipbuck and replacing his headphones.

“October 30th, 2077… Comet managed to get the comms working again, got an uplink running with the MAS hub inside the city. I’m impressed that the MAS eggheads thought ahead to install a massive shield spell. Damn, how’d they do it? I’m getting off track again, aren’t I? Yah… Anyway, we know there’s ponies surviving in the tower. Civvies from the looks of it. Just can’t get in contact with them, but we can see them and hear them. Wonders of modern surveillance technology, right? Got a good look at the crater south of the tower with those cameras. Not many intact structures left, but it looks like there’s something on the northwest side of the city. Once the radiation dies out, we’ll have to investigate. Dusk out.

Dusk moved to pull the tape, but it didn’t pop put. Instead, it continued with another message.

“November 1st, 2077. Yah, that trip to Manehattan isn’t happening. The one working camera near the entrance is showing black rain. Geiger counter is off the charts right now. Lucky us, we’re safe down here… I hope.”

The tape finally popped out, and Dusk replaced it in one of his side pouches. He sat in the chair for what felt like hours while he just thought about what he had heard.

“Something on your mind?” Asked Dart as she walked in to Dusk’s end of the booth. “It’s time to change shifts if you aren’t too occupied.”

Dusk got out of his chair and followed Dart into the middle of the booth, passing Comet as he walked in and found a makeshift bed by the wall. “Is it a problem that I’m feeling tired all of the sudden?”

“I wouldn’t blame you.” Dart plopped down in the bed, tossing her jacket to the side. “You coming?”

Dusk got down in the bed with Dart, grabbing her jacket and tossing it over the two of them as a makeshift blanket. “You think that this DJ will be any help?” he asked.

“You ask like I’m supposed to know.”

Dusk pulled Dart closer, and she reciprocated by resting her head in the crook of his neck. “I know you don’t… I could just use some good news right now.” Dusk felt Dart’s brow contort in confusion. “Dart, those tapes I found…” He paused to think of his words carefully. “Some of what I’ve heard is bugging me a bit. It’s all post-war logs from a surviving guard commander-”

“Dusk, just don’t think about it.” Replied Dart as she tugged on the coat a bit. “That was what, two centuries ago? Why don’t we worry about what’s in front of us instead?”

______________________________________________________________________________

Dusk had dozed off for a few hours, waking while the early morning light was starting to stream through the train shed’s remaining stained glass windows. His pipbuck read 5:30 AM. Tossing the jacket off, he hauled himself to his feet and walked out of the info booth.

“Sleep well?” Asked Meteor as he climbed down from the roof.

“As well as I could.” He replied.

Meteor sat down on a bench propped up against the wall of the booth. “You think we’ll ever get home?”

Dusk sat down next to his grandfather and groaned. “Maybe… I just don’t know how at the moment.”

“So we’re on a suicide mission then?”

“Most definitely.” Affirmed Dusk.

Dart walked out of the booth, followed by Comet and Strike. “Think it’s time to get moving?” She asked. “That isn’t to say I’m not looking forward to another night sleeping on a pile of cardboard.”

“Alright, I get it. Let’s roll.” Dusk walked out the west end of the platform into the early light of the morning.

The walk down the tracks towards Tenpony Tower didn’t take long; after a few minutes the tower was visible from their path. “Steeljack, are there any other settlements around here?” Asked Meteor.

“Friendship City, assuming it’s still there. Bunch of ponies took up residence in an old statue down at the mouth of the harbor. Beyond that, I’d assume any intact buildings in the city are still abandon or have been taken over by raiders.”

“So it’s a city of sinners then?” Wondered Comet out loud.

“And we’re the saints.” Retorted Strike. “Ain’t that fucked up?” He stopped short when a piece of rock was sent flying by an impact, leaving a small crater in the concrete. “Sniper!”

Two other nicks were taken out of the concrete. “Anypony see him?” Asked Dusk as he swung out his shotgun.

Another round impacted, sending a chunk of concrete flying to the left. “Right side, right side!” Yelled Strike as he jumped over another bullet. “Old hospital at two o’clock. Bastard’s somewhere up high.”

“Just make a break for the tower!” Yelled Dusk as he tore off.

“Think you could wait?!?!” Yelled Dart, ducking on reflex as a bulled sailed past her face. Meteor tore past her and unloaded his revolver at the building. “You know what? Fuck all of you!”

“Pretty sure most cultures consider that cheating!” Yelled Comet as he ran past Dart.

“Oh come on! I’m getting outrun by a nerd!”

Steeljack signed and scooped Dart up over his shoulder and broke into a sprint. “Would now be a bad time for a performance review?”

“Damn right it is!”

“Well too bad.” Retorted the stallion as he passed Comet and Meteor. “You take smartass remarks way to seriously.”

Dart hit Steeljack’s back in frustration. “You’re an ass .”

“Also, you can’t take criticism when under pressure.” He jumped over a fallen out section of the elevated line’s superstructure and continued running. “I’d suggest working on that.”

“Hey, quit the chatter!” Yelled Dusk. As he bounded over a switch in the line, a bullet clipped his leg. “Fuck!” He tried to keep going, but instead fell to the ground behind a concrete barrier between the two tracks, his companions following suit and ducking down with him.

Meteor dragged Dusk closer to the middle of the barrier, looking over the bullet wound. “Took one right in the calf. Doesn’t look like anything important got nicked…”

“You call that unimportant?” Growled Dusk through gritted teeth.

Meteor rolled his eyes and pulled out a can of biofoam and some bandages. “This might sting a bit.” He wrapped the bandage around both sides of Dusk’s leg and slid the injector under it and pulled the pin as Dusk gritted his teeth. “How’s that feel?”

“Like someone injected me with acid.” Groaned the stallion as he propped himself up against the barrier and looked towards the tower. “Well fuck me sideways…”

“What?” Asked Meteor.

“I can see the front door…” He muttered. “And the assholes who won’t come over and help our sorry asses!” He screamed.

“You in good enough shape to stand?”

“Maybe, who’s asking?”

“Steeljack, get Dusk to the tower.” Ordered Meteor. “Once you get there, try and keep that sniper pinned. The rest of us will follow in twos. Got it?”

“Got it.” Steeljack grabbed Dusk under his arm. “Ready?”

Dusk nodded, and Meteor stood up from behind cover. “Suppressing fire!”

Steeljack hauled Dusk to his feet as shell casings from Dart’s SMG started bouncing off the ground. Dusk didn’t pay any mind, he was too busy focusing on the pain in his leg. That changed when he was tossed and landed up against the door to the tower.

“Who the hell are you?”

“We’re the welcoming committee, what do you think?” Retorted Steeljack.

BANG BANG

“Meteor, Dart, now would be a good time to move!” Yelled Steeljack.

Dusk strugged to get to his feet as one of the security guards joined Steeljack, laying down fire towards the old hospital. The other didn’t bother stepping in, simply staying back and fiddling with his… “Hey, what’s that?”

“This?” Asked the guard. “Balefire egg launcher.”

“What’s the range?”

The guard paused and held his launcher defensively. “Hey, I’ve only got three rounds to this thing.”

Dusk rolled his eyes and ripped the launcher out of the guard’s hands with his magic. “Then you’re about to be one short.” He hobbled up to Steeljack and used him to level the launcher.

“Oh, don’t mind me.” He droned sarcastically. “I just live to be a walking bipod.”

Dusk rolled his eyes. “What’s the blast radius on one of these?”

“Enough to rip the top of that hospital off, why?”

Dusk shrugged. “No reason.”

“Ah ha…” Steeljack lowered his rifle. “No need to waste ammo then… Alright, the lot of you get your flanks over here!”

Dart and Meteor were at the front, about halfway from the door when Dusk put his finger to the trigger. “So how’d that old song go?” He wondered aloud, pulling the trigger and sending the egg flying into the floor below the sniper.

SHOOOMMM!!!!

As the mushroom cloud rose through the roof, and the hospital began falling in on itself. “Oh yah. Big badda boom.” The guard ripped his launcher out of Dusk’s hands and smacked him upside his head. “What? Easy solution to an annoying problem.”

“More like using a pistol to kill a parasprite.” Muttered the guard.

“Dusk, your leg.” Mentioned Steeljack.

Dusk looked down, now noticing the blood running down into his boot. “Shit… You guys have a doctor?”

“Let em’ in.” As the door swung open, the guard motioned for the stairs. "Helpinghoof should be two floors up, to the left out the elevator."

Dusk nodded, swinging his shotgun down to use as cane as he hobbled inside.

“How you feeling?” Asked Meteor, finally caught up with the wounded unicorn.

“Eh. Stinging stopped, but the foam didn’t stop all of the bleeding.” Grunted the stallion.

The elevator was already open, being held by a grey mare with a rather bright blue mane that clashed with her simple button-up shirt and vest. “Run in with some raiders?”

“Sniper.” Replied Dusk. “Hey, can you hold the door for a sec?”

“Sure.” Comet and Strike piled in, with Dart and Steeljack slipping to the back of the car. “So, headed to Helpinghoof?” Said the mare as she hit the button.

“He a good doc?” He asked.

“As good as you get around here.” As the door opened, Dusk’s group piled out. “Come see me in the penthouse. I think DJ Pon3 is waiting for you.”

The elevator closed and cut off the mare’s amused expression. “Not even here an hour and the word is already out…” Muttered Dusk as he hobbled towards the doctor’s office. He kicked the door open with his good leg, walking in while ignoring the assistant. “Doctor Helpinghoof?”

The brown colt walked out of the back room, tapping his pencil on a clipboard. “So you’re the bunch of morons who blew up the hospital across from us?”

“Well, not them…” Muttered Dusk. “Just me.”

The doctor rolled his eyes and motioned towards the bed. “So what happened?” he asked as he started pulling the bandage off.

“Sniper round.”

“What caliber?”

Dusk layed back on the bed. “No clue.”

Helpinghoof pulled a chunk of the biofoam out of Dusk’s wound. “What the fuck is this?”

“What? It’s just biofoam.” The doctor’s silence was telling. “It’s a disinfecting and sealing agent primarily used to temporarily patch gunshot and other types of puncture wounds.”

Helpinghoof pulled the last of the material out, shining a light into the wound. “How’s it made?”

Dusk looked over at Dart, who shrugged. “No clue.”

“Then I’ll be keeping this for study if you don’t mind.” Replied the doctor. “Hmm… Looks like a .308 round. Armor piercing from the absence of shrapnel or large cavity.” He got up and walked over to his cabinet. “This stimpack should patch you right up.”

“I’m sorry, but-”

“Did you just walk out of a time machine? These things are so damn common, I’ve got nowhere else to put them!” Hoof jammed the needle into Dusk’s leg next to the wound, injecting the liquid contents. “Give it about a day and you won’t know you got shot in the first place.”

Dusk nodded and got off the table, testing his leg to make sure it would handle his weight. “It’ll do. What do I owe you?”

“Call it square.” Replied the doctor. “Life Bloom, I got a job for you.”

Dusk walked out of the office, the others having already cleared out. “Steeljack, where’s this studio?”

“Penthouse. Elevator should take us there.”

“Alright, you do that.” Added Meteor. “I’ll take Comet and Strike to find some supplies.”

“You have anything to trade?” Asked Steeljack.

Meteor pulled out a small bar of gold, shit-eating grin plastered across his face. “Like hell I do.”

Steeljack rolled his eyes before Dusk dragged him into the open elevator.

______________________________________________________________________________

Tenpony Tower, Radio Studio

Dusk walked out of the elevator into the studio and looked around. “Hello? Anypony here?”

“HELLO CHILDREN!”

Dusk swung out his shotgun and backed towards the elevator. Dart knelt down behind a couch with Steeljack and checked the magazine in her SMG. “DJ Pon3 I presume?”

“You could say that.”

Dusk swung around and shouldered his shotgun towards the grey mare from earlier. “Steeljack did say you’re a mare…” He slung the shotgun back over his shoulder. “So, what’s your real name?”

“Call me Homage.” Said the mare as she brushed by. “Come on, let’s have a bit of one-on-one time.”

Dusk glanced over to Steeljack, who motioned for him to follow the mare upstairs to a small dining room, a microphone on the table. Pulling out a chair, Dusk sat down and stared at Homage as she shut the door behind them. “So what’s this about?”

“You’re out to help the good fight, aren’t you?” She asked.

“You’ll have to bring me up to speed.” Replied Dusk.

“You’re on a mission that’ll make the Wasteland a bit better, right?”

“You could say that…” He muttered.

“Oh come on, don’t be coy with me. It’s not every day that a dead guard walks out of the history books and into my studio.”

Dusk perked up at that. “What are you talking about?”

Homage sighed and levitated a picture frame over to the table, placing it in front of Dusk. “You’ve been here before.”

Dusk looked at the picture, an old print of him in the same living room that he had got off the elevator in standing alongside a mirror image of Dart. “They must have abandoned the bunker…”

“What are you talking about?” Asked Homage.

“Look, that’s not me.” Retorted Dusk. “Well… It is… But it’s complicated.”

“Try me.”

Dusk looked around, grabbing a mirror off the wall with his own magic and bringing it to the table and pointed it at Homage. “Alright, what do you see?”

“Uh… My reflection?”

“So what do you think this picture is?” Asked Dusk.

Homage furrowed her brow at Dusk. “You came through one of the mirrors.”

Dusk started clapping his hands. “Give yourself a round of applause Homage! You got it hook, line and sinker.”

“So then what are you looking for?”

“Information.” Answered Dusk. “I’m looking for an Enclave general, goes by the name West Wind. What do you know about him?”

Homage got up out of her seat, grabbing a notebook off a shelf behind the table. “Name rings a bell… Alright, found him.” She folded the page in question over and tossed the notebook over to Dusk. “You sure he’s a general?”

“Pretty sure…” Muttered Dusk as he flipped to the page Homage had dog-eared. “Dashite… What the hell is a Dashite?”

“Any Pegasus that abandons the Enclave and its ideals are branded traitors, Dashites, after the Minsitry Mare Rainbow Dash. After the Last Day she refused to join the surviving pegasi, believing their isolation and desertion of Equestria was the wrong move.” She answered. “I’ve got to ask though, what makes you think that West Wind is still Enclave?”

“The power armor and hordes of shock troops are a good indicator, if any exists.”

Homage drummed her fingers on the table. “How could a Dashite pull that off…?” She muttered.

“Does it matter?” Questioned Dusk. “He and his allies are responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocent ponies.”

“Give me a day. I’ll see what I can dig up.” Replied Homage as she got up from the table. “But I want something from you before you leave.”

“What do you want?”

“An interview. Something to tell the wasteland that there’s another soldier out fighting the good fight.”

“You do realize I’m not necessarily the most public of individuals?” Asked Dusk.

“Neither have any of the others who’ve walked off that elevator.” Assured Homage. “But if you really want to scare the good General, tell the world you’re out to get him.”

Dusk nodded and made for the door. “Alright, I’ll do it. Now, one last question… Who do I talk to about getting into the old lab in the sublevels?”

“Good luck with that.” Droned Homage. “If it’s anything to do with the old ministry that called this place home, the Twilight Society probably has it under lock and key.”

“Then who around here is part of that social club?”

“Well… There is Life Bloom-”

“Helpinghoof’s assistant?” Asked Dusk. Homage nodded silently. “Then I guess he’s my ticket in.” Dusk walked out of the room and jumped over the railing to the floor below. “Dart, Steeljack. Hang here, I need to go do some shopping.”

“Anything particular you need?” Asked Dart as she tossed Dusk a small gold bar.

“Knowing where you keep all the gold can wait.” He said as he walked into the elevator. “Oh, and if you hear what sounds like a gun fight… Come save my ass.”

______________________________________________________________________________

Tenpony Tower, Doctor Helpinghoof’s office

Dusk checked over the shotgun and made sure his new beanbag rounds were ready on the bandolier he swung over his torso. “Figures… All the gunshop had were beanbags and slugs…” He muttered as he walked into the office, shot gun hanging over his shoulder by the sling.. “Life Bloom? Got a minute?” He yelled.

The unicorn walked out from behind a partition on the far side of the office. “Yes?”

Dusk shut the door behind him, pulling the back room door shut with his magic. “Project Ichor. I need access.”

“What?” Questioned Life Bloom

“Don’t play stupid.” Groaned Dusk. “The Twilight Society has been in this building for close to two hundred years. You’re telling me that you don’t know what’s under your own feet?”

Life Bloom started to glower at Dusk. “How do you know about Ichor?”

“Who do you think caved in the tunnel?” Asked Dusk. “Contrary to popular belief, this isn’t my first time here.”

“Come with me.” Life Bloom led Dusk out of the office and down the hall to a decrepit-looking door that he swung open with a creak. Dusk followed him in, as he shut the door and left him in the dark.

Dusk grabbed his shotgun, flipping on the tactical light and swinging it around. “Bloom, now really isn’t a good time to fuck with me.” He said, shining his light across the bookshelves that lined the walls. “You know what I want…” He ducked as a bolt of magic came from behind him and buzzed past his shoulders, swinging around and pumping his weapon. “Come on Bloom, don’t do this.”

“You’re asking me to give you access to something that no pony should know exists.” Came Life Blooms voice from the shadows. “How do I know that isn’t what you and your friends came here for?”

Dusk sighed. “They don’t need to know what I’m up to, not this time.”

Life Boom ran up behind Dusk and tackled him, forcing his face into the ground. “Then convince me to help you.”

“Ozymandias. You can’t get Ozymandias to unlock the system without administrator access.” Grunted Dusk. “I’ve got that access.”

“Life Bloom, get off him.” Came a new voice as the room lit up. Two cloaked ponies hauled Dusk to his feet and dragged him over to the leader, wrapped in a purple cloak with a mask. “It’s been some time since you set foot in this building Lieutenant.”

Dusk rolled his eyes. “Do I need to do the mirror analogy again?”

“For now I’ll consider it irrelevant.” Said the society member. “For now, we have need of your services.”

Chapter 21

Tenpony Tower, Sublevels

Dusk was walked off the elevator in the basement at gunpoint, one of the members of the Twilight Society having a laser pistol jammed against the small of his back. “Again, didn’t you assholes hear me when I said I wanted to get down here?”

“Keep walking.”

“Fine…” Muttered Dusk. Looking around the corridor, a number of drop lights had been hung from the ceiling, with extension cords held to the ceiling with wire ties. “Love what you’ve done with the place.”

The Society led Dusk into the old Project Ichor lab. “You said you had access to the system?”

Dusk rolled his eyes. “Ozymandias, you still active?”

The computer on the wall clicked to life. “Online Adminstrator Light, and allow me to be the first one to welcome you back. Since your previous visit approximately seven years ago, I have logged exactly five hundred attempts at unauthorized intrusion into my systems. What sort of action would you like to take?”

“Unlock the database to any and all members of the Twilight Society. I trust you still have access to the tower’s systems?”

“Affirmative sir. Marking all known members of faction ‘the Twilight Society’ with data-access permissions.”

“Told you I could get you in…” Muttered Dusk as he pulled out a holotape and put it into one of the computer’s drive slots. “Ozymandias, I need this tape analyzed. Can you confirm the age of the recording?”

“What the hell is that?” Asked Bloom.

“Processing… Confirmed. Log entry from Lieutenant Commander Dusk Light was originally recorded in late October of 2077, with an error appearing in my system.”

“What error are you talking about?” Asked Dusk.

“Attempting diagnostics now sir… It appears that you revoked your original administrator privileges and reinstituted tier zero protocols during your visit on November 8th of 2085. Further examination shows records of fifty log entries in that time period that were submitted to my mainframe before deletion of original privileges. However, remote connection to server at Alpha Bunker was not severed, and remains active under a new user.”

Dusk plugged his pipbuck into the terminal. “Mark Alpha Bunker’s location on my map.”

“Affirmative sir, location marked. Do you require anything else today?”

“Open the armory.” Ordered Dusk. The door in the wall next to the terminal hissed, sliding open to reveal the shelves full of weapons and ammo. “Do you have any additional pipbucks in inventory?”

“Only one sir, an old 2000-series tablet model. You’ll find it with the rucksacks.”

“Good.” Dusk walked into the armory and grabbed one of the bags. He opened it and held it below the shelves, tossing ammo and medical supplies in while clipping whatever weapons he could to the harnesses on the back before dropping it at the door and going for another.

“Who said you could take any of this?”

“I did.” Replied Dusk. “If you’d like, I could turn the security system on you and walk out.”

“We could always-”

“If I might interrupt sir, you and your associates were only given data-access permissions. Not administrator permissions.”

“So I can.” Retorted Dusk. “Changing gears for a second… Ozymandias, can you access any records for that bunker?”

“Of course sir... One moment… List ready sir.”

“Any transport?” Asked Dusk.

“One ground vehicle listed in working order since last inventory update. One Crusier Tank prototype, Mark Six. Maximum speed of thirty miles per hour on road, twenty cross-country. Inventory lists it equipped with a mark three cannon and a coaxial light machine gun.”

“Then that’s where I’m headed…” He muttered. “Hey, do you guys have any transport? I could use a ride.”

“Why the hell should we help you?” Asked Life Bloom

“Didn’t I just do you guys a huge favor?”

“There’s a vertibuck on the roof.” Answered the leader.

“I’ll take it.” Dusk pulled out his radio and clicked it on. “Steeljack, where are you?”

“Still in the studio.”

“Alright, there’s a vertibuck on the roof. Find Comet and meet me there.”

“Got it. See you there.”
______________________________________________________________________________
Royal Guard Bunker, Half an Hour Later

“So what are we here for again?” Asked Comet as the trio hopped off the vertibuck.

“It’s a Royal Guard bunker. Take a wild guess.” Droned Dusk as he walked into a crumbling garage. “Alright, spread out and look for a door.”

“So the Ichor database had info on this bunker?” Asked Steeljack as he inspected the perimeter of the garage.

“Still had an active uplink.” Replied Dusk as he tossed over a broken toolbox.

“Any you don’t find that a bit odd?” Asked Steeljack.

“Of course I do Steeljack.” Retorted Dusk. “But like any self-respecting pony, I’d like to have bragging rights for something.”

“Like what?”

Dusk found the switch he was looking for, the center part of the garage dropping into a ramp and lights clicking to life. “Like a tank.”

Steeljack walked to the crest of the ramp and joined Comet. “What the fuck?”

At the bottom was a decent-sized tank, at one point a matte coat of tan paint had graced it. Now it was mixed with some splotches of rust. The turret was rather angular, looking more egg-shaped than round, which topped off the long engine deck. “This, my friends, is a Cruiser Tank Mark Six prototype.”

“What makes you think it’ll run?” Asked Comet.

“That’s why I brought you and Steeljack. I want to go through this thing, get it running and take it back to Tenpony with whatever weapons and equipment that’s still down here.”

“Assuming we can carry it all.” Added Steeljack.

“Right on the money.” Answered Dusk. “So let’s see-” Dusk stopped as the headlight on the tank turned on, and the sounds of electric motors running for the first time in centuries. “I think we’ve got a problem.”

The tank’s cannon tilted upwards towards the trio. “You think?” Asked Steeljack.

Dusk tackled Comet and Steeljack out of the way as the tank’s cannon fired, removing a sizable chunk of what was left of the building. The three of them looked on in horror as the tank blasted up the ramp before stopping and turning it’s turret to face them. “Who thought it was a good idea to build a robot tank!” he yelled.

“It’s called remote control.” Came a gravelly voice, as a cloaked figure picked Dusk up by his collar and threw him into the side of the tank and pinned him there. “How’d you find this bunker? Did the Enclave send you?” The stallion swung back and knocked Steeljack onto his back as he tried to tackle the assailant. “Well?”

“We found some records about the bunker in Tenpony Tower.” Answered Dusk.

“So you found the uplink to Ozymandias?” The stallion tossed Dusk once more before he blasted Dusk through the concrete wall of the garage. “That’s rich!”

Steeljack got back to his feet, leveled his rifle at the stallion. “Alright, one warning. Let Dusk go, and I don’t turn your head into a canoe.”

“What’s his name?” Asked the attacker.

“He said my name’s Dusk.”

“Dusk… As in Dusk Light?”

Dusk looked over at a confused duo comprised of Steeljack and Comet. “It is.”

The pony dropped his hood, tossing his mask to the ground. Behind it was a forest-green unicorn, capped off with a dark black mane. He had a scar running under his right eye. The pony rose his arm, clicking a few buttons on his pipbuck and re-centered the turret on the tank. “You came through one of the mirrors, didn’t you?”

“And if I did?”

“It would explain why I’ve got a dead stallion standing in front of me.”

“Dusk, what’s he talking about?” Asked Comet.

“What’s your name?” Asked Dusk.

“Specter.” Replied the stallion. “My name is Specter. Now come on, we’ve got a lot to discuss.”

Dusk followed the stallion down into the bunker with Steeljack and Comet. The bunker itself was still relatively clean, although there were cracks running along the walls of the hallways. “Love what you’ve done with the place…”

“In my defense, it isn’t easy to keep one of these bunkers spotless.” Retorted Specter. “Granted we’ve got one in better shape, but there's have more ponies on site to maintain the joint.”

“More ponies?” Asked Dusk.

“Alright, let me ask you this. What do you know about the Second Division?”

“Not much… I know Alpha Company was transferred out of Canterlot before the last day.”

“And Lieutenant Commander Dusk was promoted to command the division right before Canterlot went dark.” Finished Specter. “So have other ponies already been mistaking you for the dead guy?”

“Let’s just say a few and leave it at that.” Dusk stopped and turned to face Steeljack and Comet. “Spoiler alert, we’re talking about this universe’s version of me. Weird, right?”

Comet and Steeljack exchanged worried glances. “How do you know any of this is true anyway?” Asked Comet.

“Remember those holotapes I found?” Asked Dusk. “Those were the log entries that ‘I’ left behind.”

“So then those bodies…”

Dusk clapped his hands and pointed at Steeljack. “Give yourself a medal Jackie, because the first one I found was my dead body!”

“Cave outside of Fetlock?” Asked Specter.

“You know it.”

“I should really do a better job of hiding that entrance…” Muttered Specter.

“Then don’t throw up a chain-link gate.”

Specter shrugged and led his guests into the bunker’s control room. Around him were a number of inactive terminals, with one large screen lit up at the other end of the room. He punched in some commands on a keyboard and a map of Equestria as it stood showed up on the screen. There were three markers, all in Celestia’s cutie mark. One marked the location of the Manehattan bunker. Two others were on the map; one was outside of Vanhoover, the other was in the Crystal Mountains. “This is what I mean by ‘we’.”

“I take it more than just Alpha Company were deployed from Canterlot?”

Specter nodded. “Beta Company was sent to the Crystal Mountains under Captain Sentry, while the surviving members of Delta Company made their way to the Vanhoover bunker after getting decimated when the missiles hit the harbor. Out of five hundred ponies active within the Second Division on the last day, one hundred twenty two survived into the post-war era.”

“What about present strength?” Asked Dusk

“At the moment, we’ve got about two hundred thirty active members. The Vanhoover Bunker is a fallback position due to its present condition, while the rest of the members of Second Division are based at the bunker in the Crystal Mountains.”

“The why are you here?” Asked Steeljack.

“Officially… I’m missing in action.” Specter sat down on the edge of the console. “In reality, I’m AWOL… Considering I never called to say I’m still alive.”

“Look, we can talk more later.” Said Dusk. “Right now I want to talk business.” Specter looked at him seemingly interested. “I need that tank to get around and fight if necessary. You need some other ponies to watch your back. Can you see what I’m getting at?”

Specter rolled his eyes. “That’s fine, but on one condition.”

“What’s that?” Asked Dusk.

“We head north, get to the bunker in the Crystal Mountains.”

Dusk looked back at Steeljack and Comet. “I think we’re in agreement then.” He said. “We head north.”

______________________________________________________________________________

Bunker Entrance, One Hour Later

“Alright, that’s everything.” Said Dusk as he strapped down the last crate to the engine deck.

“I still don’t see why you wanted to take the mortar tube.” Added Steeljack.

“Because it’s a damn mortar, that’s why!” Yelled Dusk. Steeljack rolled his eyes and climbed up the side of the tank.

“Alright, let’s get moving.” Said Specter as he clambered down the hatch into the tank.

Dusk followed him down into the turret and into the front of the vehicle, taking a spot on the passenger side of the vehicle. “So who built this thing?”

“Well that’s a bit of a story… Wanna hear it?”

Dusk shrugged. “Why not. It’ll be a bit before we get back to Tenpony anyway.”

“Alright, so you know about power armor?” Asked Specter.

“Only what the Enclave uses.”

Specter nodded. “Well, power armor was originally a series of projects of the Ministry of Wartime Technology. About seven years before the war there was program to develop an armored assault vehicle capable of engaging hostile fortifications.”

“I take it the cruiser tanks came from that?”

“Yup. Six prototypes were developed over the course of that time. It took about a year to design and construct the Mark One. It went through a year of testing, six months in the construction of the second prototype started. That pattern kept up until this one was built. According to the records in the bunker this thing went through only half of the testing period before getting parked in the bunker.”

“Any particular reason?” Asked Dusk.

“After the battle at Shattered Hoof Ridge, the MWT canceled all non-essential development programs to divert resources to power armor development.”

“Ah…” Muttered Dusk. “Now, let’s forget history for a moment. Why’d you think the Enclave sent us?”

“Why do you think I’m the only member of the Division this far south?” Asked Specter. “About five years ago, I was part of the second expedition to return to the Manehattan bunker. When we were passing through the Canterlot Valley an Enclave unit, under the command of a Dashite mind you, came down on us. After about six hours and ten casualties later, the order came down to retreat. Me being the stubborn colt that I was decided to try and complete our original objective.”

“When you say second expedition… Is that why those bodies were in that cave?”

“Yup. Around 2095 the first attempt to establish a foothold back in Manehattan was made, the bunker having been abandoned in 2085 when the decision was made to consolidate what was left of the Division at the time.”

“Then let me fill in the blank.” Said Dusk. “They were never seen or heard from again?”

“That’s the gist of it.”

“Dusk, we’ve got a problem!” Yelled Steeljack, half of him hanging out the turret hatch.

“What kind of problem?” He yelled back.

“The kind you need to see!”

Specter brought the tank to a halt and undid two latches above their heads. “Hatches. Swing it open, the seat will go up with it.”

Dusk nodded and pushed the hatch open, his seat rising about a foot, enough for the top of his head to stick out above the hull of the tank. As he looked forward, he saw the familiar shape of Tenpony Tower, under attack by a sizable group of Enclave soldiers. “That does look like a problem… Can you get in touch with Dart or Gramps?”

“Got nothing but static on the radio.”

Dusk sighed. “Specter, can you take us up through the old station?”

“Grand Central? No problem.” The tank rocked back as Specter hit the gas and started manuving the vehicle through the rubble-strewn streets of Manehattan. Once they arrived at the station, Specter blasted through the lobby, up onto the platforms and made a beeline along the tracks for the tower’s entrance.

“Alright, you see that barrier up ahead?” Asked Dusk.

“Yah, why?”

“Stop us there. Steeljack, pull out the mortar and the shells. Comet, give him a hand. I’ll try to get the gun firing.” Dusk pulled the hatch back, the seat dropping down as it closed. He crawled back into the turret, opening a bin full of twenty shells. Specter crawled back behind him.

“You’ll want high explosive, rack behind you has em’.”

Dusk nodded and grabbed one of the shells, shoving it in the cannon’s breach. “How many shells do we have?”

“One hundred ten. Twenty of those are armor piercing.” Specter sat down to the left of the cannon, grabbing a pierescope. “Alright, you’ll have to load and fire. Rounds should fall one meter for every fifty they go forward.”

Dusk nodded, grabbing the handle marked ‘traverse’ and twisting it to the right, turning the turret in the same direction. Looking over at the gun, there was a small wheel on the side of the gun marked elevation. Checking his sights he groaned. “How far do you think they are? Don’t want to put one through the front door.”

Specter clicked his tounge as he looked through the rangefinder on his side of the turret. “Two hundred fifty meters at most from the rear of their formations.”

Dusk nodded and adjusted the gun’s elevation. “We ready?”

“Ready.”

Dusk put his finger to the trigger and pulled it back.

BOOM!

The report from the cannon rang out around the turret. Dusk pulled back from the sight as a fan in the roof kicked in, pulling the fumes from the expended charge out the roof. He went for another round, shoving it in the breech as the first shell casing fell back and hit the floor. He went back for the trigger, turning the turret a bit to the left with the traverse.

BOOM!

“Good effect on target!” Yelled Specter as he ducked back down into the driver’s seat. “Get on the coax, I’ll bring us in.”

Dusk swapped sides in the turret and grabbed the machine gun, cocking back the receiver and looking down the sights before ripping into the crowd of Enclave soldiers with it. “I think that’s it.” He left the machine gun and popped the turret hatch, sticking his head out. “Yup, we’re good!”

“Damn good work then.” Said Specter as he climbed out the driver’s hatch.

Dusk scrambled up and out of the turret and dropped to the ground before somepony jumped on his back and blinded him. “What the fuck!”

“You really need to tell me where you keep finding all of the crazy shit.” Whispered Dart as she let go of Dusk.

Dusk turned around and smirked. “But then it wouldn’t be me.”

“So was the trip worth it?” Asked Meteor as he examined the tank.

“We got a bunch of new toys, so I’d say so.” Said Steeljack as he walked around the back of the tank, mortar tube over his shoulder.

“Did I also forget to mention I made a deal while we were out?” Asked Dusk. Dart, Strike and Meteor all turned their attention to him. “Might want to dig out your coats, because we’re headed north.

______________________________________________________________________________

Tenpony Tower, Radio Studio. The Following Morning.

Dusk walked off the elevator with two steaming mugs of coffee in his hands. “Homage, you here?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Homage got up off her couch and grabbed the extra cup of coffee. “Any reason you brought coffee?”

Dusk shrugged, pulling a small bag of pastries out of his side pouch. “It’s a bit of a tradition to bring breakfast when I sit down with ponies before going off and doing something stupid.”

“Well don’t stop on my account.” Said Homage as she led Dusk up to the studio. “Ready for your close-up?”

“As ready as I could be.”

Homage placed two microphones on the table and clicked on her broadcasting equipment. “Good morning Equestria! It’s your favorite voice of freedom DJ Pon3 here with a special message for those of you still wondering what the hell I’m rambling about. Well, we’ve got a new recruit to fight the good fight.”

“Yah, no pressure or anything.” Joked Dusk.

“Fillies and gentlecolts, allow me to introduce you all to Dusk. Let me tell you this, it’s hard to find smart ponies these days. What, with all of those mentats and jet floating around. Now, Dusk here isn’t a major player, at least not yet, but we all start somewhere. Now, where do you plan on starting?”

“Well… I do have a bit of a bone to pick with the Enclave, and word has it they didn’t get the memo I tried to give them a while back.”

“Sounds like you might have been a bit cocky.”

Dusk shrugged. “You could say that. But would anypony still be alive out in this hellhole if we didn’t learn from our mistakes?”

“True enough… Now I know you don’t really want to get into too many specifics on your trip, but I hear you got a message for somepony important?”

“Damn straight.” Dusk cracked his knuckles, loud enough to be picked up by the microphone. “To General West Wind of the Enclave. I’m betting you didn’t think I’d be this far behind you now, did you?” Dusk hunched over on the table, getting closer to the mic. “News flash numbnuts, I’m harder to kill than I look. So know this, you will pay for the lives you’ve stolen. No matter where you run to, no matter who you try to hide behind, I won’t stop until I find you and have you under my heel. So go ahead, have you army of shock troops dig in to whatever little precious ground you still have. It won’t stop me.”

“Pretty strong words from a young stallion like yourself Dusk.”

“West Wind has killed too many to be worth playing nice.” Said Dusk with a shrug.

“I can dig it. And I’m sure all you good ponies out there can too. So if you run into my friend here, try and help him on his way. Now onto other more important business… Let’s get back to some entertainment from the wonderful Sapphire Shores.” Homage shut off the mics and pushed them aside, some music starting to play from her equipment. “Not bad… Bit angry, but not bad.”

“Well, it’s truth.” Assured Dusk as he got up.

“Anyway, I got some more info on your friend.” Said Homage. She pulled a envelope out of her vest and handed it to Dusk. “One of my contacts dug this up. It’s an after-action report from an Enclave recon unit.”

“Anything interesting?”

Homage nodded. “He definitely was branded a Dashite before the clouds were broken up, most likely for political reasons. After that, he was assigned to an surface item recovery team based in the Macintosh Hills.”

“Alright… So they kept him on? And they were spying on him?” Asked Dusk. "And I thought I was paranoid..."

Homage nodded. “That’s where none of what you’ve said makes sense. Why would the Enclave put a Dashite in charge of a major military force? That doesn’t mean I don’t believe you, in all honesty I do, but there’s pieces that could make sense of West Wind’s position that I just don’t have… But I know a guy who might be able to get you that information.” Homage grabbed Dusk’s arm, plugging his pipbuck into one of her terminals. “He calls himself the Watcher. After Operation Cauterize, he managed to get his hands on intact Enclave computers and records from a downed airship. If you’re lucky, you might be able to convince him to let you get at them.”

“You can’t put in a good word?” Asked Dusk.

“I sent him a letter yesterday when I sent feelers out to my contacts. He’s the only one who didn’t respond.” Replied Homage. “Either he’s sleeping, or he’s still going through the records he has. Either way, I can’t tell you much else.”

Dusk nodded. “Thanks Homage. Assuming I don’t go straight there, is there a way I can get in touch with him?”

“Just look for the sprite-bots. Those are his eyes and ears outside of that cave of his.”

Dusk smiled back at the radiomare. “Thanks.” He walked out of the studio and hit the button for the elevator. As he rode it down, he glanced over the copy of the report Homage had gave him before he tucked it into one of his pouches. Reaching the main level, he strode off the elevator and out onto the elevated section of the Luna Line. “We ready to go?”

On top of the tank, Steeljack was tightening a bolt on a new pintle-mount he had spent the night throwing together, while Comet checked over the old coaxial gun to make sure it was still in working order. “Just give me ten minutes.”

“Why do you need ten minutes?” Asked Dusk.

“So I have time to bolt down the mortar?”

“Do you the tank sitting still to do that?” Retorted Dusk.

“No… Just need time to pull-”

“Then it’s settled. You can do it while we drive.” Dusk walked over to the front of the tank, scrambling down the open passenger-side hatch. Specter was in the driver’s seat, wiping off his control panel. “This thing wouldn’t happen to have a map unit, would it?”

Specter swung down a panel from above him, and it lit up into a map of the Wasteland. “Same thing as what’s in a Pipbuck.”

“Alright…” Dusk closed his hatch and checked his side of the cockpit. Noticing he had his own map display, he pulled it down and started scrolling around. Looking over at Specter’s, he noticed that it too was scrolling around. “So I guess I’ll navigate?”

Specter shrugged and threw the tank in driver. “I don’t see why not. We’re just headed north.”

“Well… We need to make a stop first.” Dusk scrolled the map over, checking his own to make sure the coordinates were the same. “Can you get us there?”

“I don’t see why not… What’s so important that you want me to take us to the Smokey Mountains?”

“Potentially there’s information on West Wind in the possession of somepony called The Watcher.”

“And you want an explanation on why a Dashite has an army? Got it.”

“So what are we talking about again?” Asked Dart as she stuck her head into the cockpit from the turret.

“Oh, you know…” Said Dusk as he turned towards his marefriend. “The usual.”

“Does that include theories on where those shock troops came from yesterday?”

Dusk turned forward and tapped his chin. “In all honesty I really wasn’t thinking about it. So what, did they just show up at the front door?”

“That’s about the size of it.”

“Does it matter now?” Asked Specter “It’s not like you’re being followed.”

“Specter, you’ve got a lot to learn.” Said Dusk. “First rule in my playbook... Never deny a possibility. It’ll come back to bite you in the ass.”

Author's Note

This is what I'm trying to describe when I talk about the Mark VI prototype.

Chapter 22

Smokey Mountains, Ten Hours Later

Dusk had nodded off in the passenger’s seat about halfway through the drive. Specter had taken the opportunity to swap out for Steeljack and had been giving him some lessons on driving the cruiser when he woke up. “Are we there yet?” He groaned.

“We’re about five minutes away.” Said Specter. “Alright Steeljack, let off the gas and pull back on the tiller bar nice and easy.”

Dusk popped his hatch open and stuck his head out as the tank ground to a halt and climbed out. Looking up the path to the cave, Dusk saw some light smoke drifting out of the mouth. “Guys, we might have a problem.”

Meteor and Comet dropped off the back of the tank and joined Dusk. “You think?” Chided Meteor as he checked his revolver. “So what’s the plan?”

Steeljack, Dart, Strike and Specter were still climbing out of the tank when they noticed the smoke. “You really think going in there’s a good idea?” Asked Strike.

“You got a better idea?” Questioned Dusk. “Dart, Steeljack, you’re with me.”

“You really want to go in there?” Asked Dart.

“Again, do you have a better idea?” Groaned Dusk. The trio started their walk up to the mouth of the cave, peering around the corner of a rock that obscured the entrance. “You think it’s normal to leave a rifle on the ground?” Asked Dusk as he broke from behind the rock, approaching a broken laser rifle that was in the middle of the mouth of the cave.

Steeljack knelt down next to it, picking up the broken stock before tossing it to the side. “I don’t think it’s been here long.”

Dusk swung the shotgun off his back and clicked on the flashlight. “Dart, stay behind me.”

Dart rolled her eyes and walked into the cave. “You two coming?”

Dusk and Steeljack followed the mare into the cave, the smoke becoming thinner as the draft of the cave expelled it from the interior. They finally reached a large chamber, smoke coming from a fried generator. “Looks like one of the Watcher’s projects…” Muttered Dusk.

Steeljack was looking around the cave and stopped after looking down a dark hallway. “Guys…” He whispered.

“What?” Dusk looked down the hall, noticing two yellow eyes staring back at them. “Oh fuck.” The creature walked out of the shadows, revealing an eight-foot tall dragon.

“Scatter!” Screamed Steeljack as he dove behind a pile of fallen rocks.

Dusk ran after Steeljack, diving behind the rocks while Dart took cover behind a large bookshelf on the opposite side of the chamber. Dusk looked over at Steeljack and furrowed his brow. Steeljack’s eyes were pressed shut, and he was trying to shrink up against the rocks. “Steeljack?” Dusk elbowed Steeljack, who didn’t even budge. “Fuck…”

“What’s the plan Dusk?” Yelled Dart.

“I don’t know!” Dusk looked back over at Steeljack. “Steeljack, you OK?”

“Just keep that thing away from me.” He snapped.

Dusk rose up from behind the pile of rocks and stared at the dragon, its arms crossed and its one good eye staring at him with a confused look. “Listen, we don’t want any trouble.”

The dragon walked over and looked down at Steeljack. “I got that impression. Will he be OK?”

Steeljack stared up at the dragon before pointing his rifle at him. “Stay back!”

The dragon cocked an eyebrow. “Really?” The dragon ripped Steeljack’s rifle out of his hands and dropped it behind him. “How far do you think that will get you?”

Steeljack tried to scramble for his rifle, but he didn’t get far before Dusk tackled him. “Steeljack, you need to calm down!”

Dart ran over to join Dusk and whacked Steeljack in the back of his head with the butt of her gun, knocking him out. “Sorry…”

“You guys alright?” Yelled Meteor as he and the others ran into the cave.

“It seems one of your friends is a bit south of stable.” Said the dragon.

Dusk got off Steeljack as Comet and Strike picked him up and dragged him to the cave entrance. “Probably some sort of phobia that we haven’t seen.”

“For the record, he his last interaction with a dragon didn’t go well.” Added Dart.

“Ah yes… He’s the subject from Project Ichor?” Asked the dragon.

“He is.” Replied Dusk. “So I take it you’re the Watcher?”

The dragon nodded. “Most of my friends call me Spike.” Spike turned to walk deeper into the cave. “You coming?”

Dusk and Dart followed Spike deeper into his cave, sticking to either side of him as he walked. “So… You were Sparkle’s assistant?” Asked Dusk.

“I was. For a time anyway.” Answered Dusk.

“Alright… You’re far more pleasant than I was led to believe.”

“What made you think that?” Asked Spike.

“The only time I met you, at least a version of you… You slammed the door on my face.”

Spike chuckled. “Homage did say you came through one of the mirrors… Odds are you caught me on a bad day.”

“Hopefully. Anyway, Homage said you had some Enclave records?”

Spike motioned to a row of computers in the chamber they just entered. “I was looking for something to substantiate your claims regarding General Wind before you arrived.”

“Did you dig up anything interesting?” Asked Dart.

“As a matter of fact I did.” Replied Spike. “It appears he was assigned to aid a platoon of shock troops immediately before Operation Cauterize in establishing a base in the Badlands.”

Dusk and Dart exchanged worried glances. “Bit convenient that his other base was in the Badlands, don’t you think?” Asked Dart.

“Bit too convenient for my tastes…” Mumbled Dusk. “You mind if I look over what you’ve got?”

“Be my guest.”

Dusk walked over to the Enclave terminal and started looking over Spike’s records, conveniently left open. Scanning them over, he plugged in his pipbuck and downloaded copies to it. “So you’re called the Watcher for a reason, right?”

“I am.” Said Spike as he sat down next to Dusk.

“Then in your vast duties of… Watching, did you see anything that might indicate what West Wind has been up to?”

Spike seemed deep in thought before he looked back at Dusk. “Some time ago, the Enclave picked up an ESIR team and brought them to one of their outposts south of Las Pegasus. Shortly after, your General friend made his first move in the valley beneath the Canterlot ruins. From what I saw, he attacked a sizable group of ponies coming down from the north.”

“So his attack on the Second Division?” Asked Dusk.

“Assuming that’s who they were.”

Dusk nodded and turned back to the computer. “Looking at this, it says that West Wind was reinstated on an emergency basis about a year after Operation Cauterize due to the lack of qualified officers on active duty at the time… Says here they gave him a Raptor class and ordered him to secure a foothold at Canterlot. Doesn’t say for what though…”

“But why Canterlot?” Asked Spike. “It’s not like Stable One is accessible, and there’s nothing left of strategic value.”

Dusk stared at the screen and furrowed his brow. “Spike, did you know anything about a chamber under the castle?”

“There is the old caverns, why?”

“That’s not what I’m talking about…” Dusk rose from the seat. “Spike, I need to get moving. I’ve got a few stops to make, but can I count on you to back me up when the time comes?”

“Doing what?”

“Spike, there’s something in Canterlot, something powerful and dangerous. I need to see if I can rally some support first, but those ruins need to be cleared out. Can I count on you to be there?”

Spike walked over to a shelf, tossing Dusk a small blue box. “That’s an old communication module out of one of the spritebots. When you’re ready, call me.”

______________________________________________________________________________

Half an Hour Later,

As the day went on and the march north continued, the air in the tank began to take on a slight chill. “This thing have heat at all?” Asked Dusk.

Specter shook his head. “Not that works.”

Dusk nodded and looked at the map. “Think we could make it to Chicacolt before nightfall?”

“Shouldn’t be a problem… Maybe an hour drive at this rate.” Added Specter.

“Then take us there.” Dusk leaned his head against the wall of the tank’s interior. “I’m gonna try to get some sleep.”

“But why? It’s the middle of the damn day.”

“Alright… What do you want to talk about then?”

“The Watcher. What the hell did he do to throw Steeljack out of whack like that?”

“He existed.” Dusk muttered. “I never knew, but it looks like Steeljack has a serious phobia of dragons.”

“And dragons aren’t supposed to be scary?” Snarked Specter.

Dusk shook his head. “Try getting roasted by one, get brought back from the dead and then you can say whether you’d be scared shitless of them or not.”

Specter was silent as the drive towards Chicacolt continued. Almost a half hour later he caught sight of a blinking red light on the navigation console. “New radio signal?” He hit the button and was met with the sound of a number of tones being fired out through the speakers in rapid succession. “You know what that’s supposed to mean?”

Dusk listened to the tone for a minute. “It’s Morse code… SOS.”

“So someone’s in trouble?” Asked Specter

“More likely than not. Can we home in on the signal?”

“In theory…” Specter hit a few more buttons on the navigation panel and a marker showed up on the map. “According to this it’s coming from an old service station two miles south of Theater.”

“How long until we get there?”

“Fifteen minutes?”

Dusk nodded and scrambled back into the turret. “It’ll have to do.” As he threw open the turret hatch and crawled out onto the engine deck he motioned for Comet to pass him his shotgun. “We just started picking up an SOS signal. Make sure all your gear is ready, we engage in ten.”

Time almost seemed to slow to a crawl before the tank ground to a halt, gunfire echoing around the buildings in the distance. “Dart, Comet, Strike, on me!” Dusk rolled off the side of the tank and shouldered the shotgun.

“What’s the plan?” Asked Specter as he stuck his head out the driver’s hatch.

“Just stay here for now. I’ll radio if we need some help.” Dusk led the group off down the street, the sounds of gunfire getting louder as they neared the service station. “We’ll need a good vantage point… Anyone have any ideas?”

Dart motioned to a partially collapsed apartment building adjacent to the service station. “Rubble pile, we could use it to get up to that perch on the second floor.”

Dusk just ran up the pile and vaulted through the window into an abandon corner apartment. He could see muzzle flashes glint off the remaining glass on the far side of the room. As Dart helped their comrades up into the room, he walked over to the window and looked out on the service station. “Raiders, fifteen of them in cover on the far side of the lot. Three snipers in the ruins across from the station.”

“And what about the station?” Asked Dart.

Dusk turned his attention to the minimart attached to it, spotting a disheveled green unicorn and her Pegasus companion, his own spiked blue mane standing out in the afternoon light. “Hey, do Starry and Lightning usually get into deep shit like this?” He clicked on the radio and turned it around until a new signal came in.

“We’re still stuck out here, where the hell is our backup?!?!” Came Starry’s angry voice over the radio.

“Take it easy kid, we’re still trying to get to you. How much ammo do you have left?”

“Definitely not enough.”

“Well then, time to play the heroes.” Dusk shoved over a slab of concrete that was once part of the wall, making a ramp down to the ground below. “This is Alpha-One, Blaze Squad is engaging hostiles.” He slid down the makeshift slide and hit on his feet, ducking behind a pile of rubble as bullets started flying in his direction. “Dart, tactical assault!”

“On it!” Dart slid down the ramp and shouldered her own weapon, firing towards the sniper nests while she strafed across the lot towards the service station. Comet and Strike were right behind her, focusing their efforts on the raiders on the ground.

Dusk jumped over the rubble and bolted for the door, dodging tracer rounds as he went. He dove down and slid through the door on his shins as the bullets took small chunks out of the structure’s brick façade. Dart, Comet and Strike took cover behind the wrecks of wagons outside the door. “We having fun kids?”

Starry poked her head over the before ducking down as small fragments of brick were spit up by a sniper round’s impact. “Oh, I’m just peachy.”

Dusk dumped the magazine of slugs he had loaded, starting to swap them for some frag rounds that he found back at the Manehattan bunker. “I guess that peace talks broke down?”

“No.” Starry reloaded her pistol and took a knee, leveling her pistol towards the crowd of raiders across from them.

BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG

She knelt back down and dumped the empty shells from the cylinder. “We’re just taking a coffee break.”

Dusk nodded and pulled his radio back out. “Specter, bring it in.”

“Copy that. We’re coming down the alley to your left.”

“Mind telling the rest of the class what ‘it’ is?” Asked the other inhabitant of the building, a mare clad in red power armor.

“Just watch.” Dusk leapt through the window and started pumping frag rounds at the snipers as Specter rolled in with the tank.

“Try this on for size!” Yelled Meteor as he cocked back the pintle-mounted fifty-cal.

RATTATTATTATTATTAT!

Chunks of concrete were spit up by the impact of the fifty-cal rounds, which prompted a raider to rise from his hiding spot before disappearing in a red cloud as Meteor turned the weapon on the poor bastard.

“And how is this thing supposed to solve our insect problem?” Questioned Starry.

The turret swung a bit to the right, the gun tipping upward. “Like this.” Said Dusk. “Hit it!”

BOOM!

In a ball of fire, the ruins that housed the snipers flew apart in a plume of smoke and red-hot stone, and the raiders below ran off deeper into the ruins to protect their hides. “And that’s how you kill two birds with one high-explosive stone.”

“It was kinda dull if you ask me.” Muttered Starry. “So what you doing here anyway?”

“We’re sightseeing.” Said Dusk. “Now do you two want a ride home or not?” Dusk clambered up onto the engine deck, using one of the storage crates as a seat. Dart followed him while Comet and Strike packed away the weapons. Starry, her brother and their companion both climbed up, leaning against the crates that lined the engine deck.

“Thanks.” Groaned Starry. “Everyone still in one piece?”

“Well I’m not looking like swiss cheese, so that’s a plus.” Said Lighting. “What about you Coco?”

The mare pulled off her helmet and placed it down on the deck. “Still a bit sore.”

“Sore from what?” Questioned Dusk. The tank lurched forward as Comet and Strike dropped down into the turret. “All I saw you doing was leaning up against the wall.”

“After having part of a building dropped on me.” She snipped.

“Ah, the wonders of power armor.” Dusk sighed, thinking back to his trashed set of Mjolnir. “You think Hood would get me a new suit of armor?”

Dart shrugged. “One of his underlings used you as a pincushion. I’ll say he’d be open to it.”

“I’m sorry, I’m a bit lost.” Starry cocked an eyebrow. “Who used you as a pincushion again?”

Dusk shrugged. “It isn’t that important. So what have you two been up to?”

“Raiders, slavers, suicide missions… The ususal.”

“The whole nine yards then.” Dusk muttered. “Sounds like loads of fun.”

“Like you wouldn’t believe.” Groaned Lightning, his head still buried in his pipbuck's display.

The engine deck was silent for the remainder of the ride, bar the hum of the motor beneath them. The tank eventually ground to a halt in the alley besides the old building called Theater. Dusk dropped off the side along with Starry and strode in the side door. “So where’s your mom?”

“In her office.” Starry led Dusk through the foyer and to the stairs to the second floor where Patch’s office resided. The two brushed past the guards and walked in through the open door. Patch was staring out the window on the ruins of the city when they entered. “Mom, I’m back.”

Patch turned around and smiled. “Glad you made it back in one piece.” She strode over and wrapped her arms around her daughter before spotting Dusk. Her gaze seemed to harden as she approached. “What are you doing here?”

“We’re just staying the night and then we’re headed for the Crystal Mountains in the morning, nothing more.” Assured Dusk.

“Any reason you’re stopping here?”

Dusk shrugged. “It’s friendly territory?”

Patch glared at Dusk before marching out of her office. “He’s here, isn’t he?”

“Mom, don’t do anything stupid…” Chided Starry, staying close on her heel.

“Patch, what the hell’s wrong?” Yelled Dusk as he followed her down the stairs. At the bar in the foyer sat the rest of his companions, most of whom were chatting.

“Steeljack!” Yelled Patch.

“Awe shit…” Dusk heard Steeljack mutter.

Dusk couldn’t catch up before Patch cocked Steeljack and knocking him out of his seat. “What the hell did I tell you!?!?”

“Nice to see you again too Patch.” Groaned Steeljack as he hauled himself to his feet.

Patch growled as she took Steeljack and smashed his face into the bar before tossing him across the foyer.

“Patch, stop!” Yelled Dart. She didn’t get far before Patch grabbed her collar and threw her over the bar and into the shelves of vodka and other spirits.

Dusk vaulted over the bar, hauling Dart to her feet. “What the hell is her problem?”

“She hasn’t exactly been fond of Steeljack since Las Pegasus.” Said Meteor. “I’d bore you with the details, but now isn’t the time.” He got off his stool and strode up behind Patch. “Patch, cool it.”

Patch turned around and smacked Meteor, stunning him before she planted her boot into his chest and kicked him back. “Stay down!” She turned to Steeljack, now standing. He had blood running down the side of his face. “I told you never to set foot inside my town.”

“Really wasn’t my call.” Steeljack wiped the blood off his cheek and brushed past Patch to attend to Meteor. “You alright?”

Meteor groaned as Steeljack helped him to his feet. “I’ll be fine.”

“Alright, the lot of you get the hell out of my town!” Yelled Patch.

Dusk glared at Patch before sighing in defeat. “You heard the mare, let’s go.” Dusk walked back out the side door and hopped up onto the tank’s engine deck.

“So much for a good bed.” Noted Strike. “What now?”

Dusk slumped down against the crates. “I don’t know. Anyone else know a friendly settlement around here?”

“Can’t say I do.” Specter scrambled up and took a seat on the edge of the turret hatch. “So what was all that about anyway?”

Dusk watched Steeljack climb up onto the engine deck and slump down off to the side. “We’ll worry about that later… Let’s just find a place to stay the night.”

Interlude IV

Canterlot Vale Estate,
Dusk

Alright, I know that look... "Something on your mind kid?" I asked.

Archer just tapped her pen on her notepad before looking back up at me. "So you saved Starry and Lightning-"

"We did."

"-And once you got to Theater, you promptly were kicked out?" Archer furrowed her brow in confusion. "Why?"

"Like I said, Patch wasn't very fond of Steeljack at the time..." I started, but Archer cut me off when she pointed her pen at me.

"Because of something that happened in Las Pegasus, I got that. But what happened?"

Awe shit, I did it this time. "It happened when I was still in ONI custody, so I'm not the best pony to ask about it-"

"But you know what happened?"

I glanced up at the clock, finally realizing the time. "Shit, we gotta cut this short. I need to be at Blueblood's in an hour." I got up out of my seat and ran upstairs to my bedroom, pulling my suit out of my closet and slamming the door shut. I heard banging on the door, but I ignored it.

"Dusk, open the damn door!" I heard Archer yell.

"Uh, I'm not decent?" I managed to pull my pants on and grabbed my tie. I held it to my chest in the mirror before I tossed it aside. "Fuck that with fries..." I muttered. I undid the button on my collar and parted the shirt. Yup, that'll do. I grabbed my coat and went for the door. Archer was on the other side tapping her foot impatiently.

"You didn't answer my question."

Alright, let's flip the asshole switch, shall we? "Yes, I do know what happened. No, I don't plan on telling you. Happy?" Archer just groaned in response. "What? It isn't my story, so why does it matter?"

"Because why else would Patch, one of your supposed allies, kick you out of one of the only known safe areas on your trip north? Why would she have developed this hatred-"

"Not hatred, she was just really pissed and confused."

"Whatever!" Yelled Archer. "You just left me with a huge blank space that needs to be filled, and you have the information."

"You're right, I do." I leaned up against the wall and sighed. "If you want to come with us tonight, you might be able to ask Steeljack yourself."

"He'll be there?" Asked Archer.

I nodded. "So will Patch. You'll be able to get her side of the story too."

"Really?"

"Really." I brushed past the young mare and made my way downstairs to the front door. I could see Dart's feet, the rest of her body obscured by the stairwell. "Alright let's-" Alright, I think I might want to get that irregular heartbeat checked out. "Wow."

"What?" Asked Dart. She had that little black dress on that she picked up from Rarity a few years back.

"I think I just died and went to heaven." Dart just rolled her eyes at me, while Archer groaned from the top of the stairs. "You look amazing."

Dart just smiled. "When do I not?"

I just sighed. For the love of all that is good and holy, please let tonight go my way for once.

______________________________________________________________________________

Blueblood's Manor,
Archer

Posh. That's what this house is, posh. Definitely not my taste, that's for sure. Just got to find OHFF!

"Sorry, didn't see you there." I looked over at the stallion that had walked into me and studied him for a moment. "Something wrong?" Dark mane, grey fur. Yup, found him.

"Are you Steeljack?" I asked.

"I am."

I nodded and a smile crept across my face. "Any chance we could talk? Dusk left me with some questions that he thought you'd be able to answer."

"Why not?" Steeljack actually followed me out of the dining room and onto the patio in the garden. He pulled out a chair for me at the glass table and slid into one opposite of me. "What do you want to know?"

"What happened in Las Pegasus?" I almost wanted to shrink down under Steeljack's glare.

"Why do you want to know?"

I felt my throat run dry and found myself at a loss for words. "Because I wouldn't tell her." Thank Celestia for the save Dusk!

Steeljack kicked the chair next to me out, allowing Dusk to take the vacant space. "Why?"

"It did play into Operation Cobra, didn't it?" Retorted Dusk.

I turned around and cocked an eyebrow at Dusk. "Operation Cobra?"

"If you were to go into the royal archives, the Wasteland mission would be found under that name." Replied Dusk. "So Steeljack, you were just going to talk about Las Pegasus, weren't you?"

"No, I wasn't." Steeljack got out of his chair and looked down at me. "Look kid, I know you want your questions answered, but there are some things I won't talk about. Las Pegasus is one of them."

I let my head droop down as Steeljack walked back inside. "So you want to know about Las Pegasus?" I looked up at my father, now taking the chair that Steeljack had vacated.

"You were there?"

Dad just nodded. "I can tell you my side of the story, but that's really about it."

I just motioned at my father. "Well, go on."

Dad only chuckled. "Let me tell you about the time I met your mother."

The Las Pegasus Flashback

Las Pegasus, Twelve Years Ago
Cosmo

“Hey, you awake?”

I opened my eyes to the dull glow of the night vision filters on my helmet. Looks like I hit the switch when I nodded off. “I'm up.”

“Now that everyone is here we can get started.” Tremble hit a button on his gauntlet and a hologram was projected from the ceiling. “Three hours ago the guard post in Las Pegasus received a tip that a group of armed pegasi had taken up refuge in an abandon apartment building on the south side of the city. The patrol that went to investigate came under fire and were killed, but they transmitted this image before they went dark.” The image changed to that of a tall human, decked out in purple armor.

“Naomi…” Muttered Meteor “Today just got far more complicated.”

“Then we just sit back and punt.” Steeljack was leaning up against the back wall of the compartment, wearing the new power armor we had spent the last year cobbling together. “At the very least we should be able to contain one Spartan.”

“No other members of Kilo-Five were sighted?” I asked. Tremble shook his head. “Then Naomi shouldn't be a problem. Let's just focus on getting into that building and dealing with the Enclave.”

The door at the rear of the Pelican dropped and the sound of wind rippling across the open frame filled the cabin. “Alright, ground in fifteen seconds!” The lights went green as the Pelican shuddered at touchdown. “Let's move!”

We were all quick to file off the ship and spread out in the old lot behind the tenement. As our Pelican took off a second took it's place, with Dart and Patch leading a combat team of Marines. “Sergeant Wilkins, take point with First Squad. Dooley, stick with Second Squad and pull security.”

“Aye Commander.” Dooley walked off to the side and started piling sandbags for a machine gun nest while his squad spread out and started setting up other fortifications.

“Blaze Squad, let’s move it in!” Dart motioned for me to take point as we moved.

Now the problem with taking point on an entry is that you never know what you find on the other side of that door. Never. I don’t care who you are, there’s no way to tell what will run out at you… Like a scared blue mare running right into my arms when I opened the door, and the sudden clicking of my Geiger counter. “Whoa, whoa, take it easy!”

“Please, just get me out of here!” The poor mare looked like she had been through hell, and she definitely was suffering visible symptoms of radiation poisoning.

I pulled some radaway out of my medkit and jabbed her arm with the needle. “That should help with the radiation.” I pulled her out of the way of the doorframe and the clicking on my Geiger counter slowly subsided until it was silent once more. “You feeling better?”

“Still feel sick to my stomach.”

I just nodded. “That’s normal. You’re scared. Now what happened?”

“Ranger, we don’t have time. Those soldiers-”

“The left after the guards showed up.” Answered the mare. “They had a lot of ponies up there… They were walking around giving injections to them. I was the only one they didn’t get.”

“Injections?” I asked.

The mare nodded and started tearing up. “As they gave out the injections, the ponies… I think they were killing them.”

“Look, I’ll go check it out.” Said Steeljack. “That radiation had to come from somewhere.”

“Just be careful.” Murmured Patch.

“When aren’t I?” With the click of his rifle, Steeljack walked into the building with weapon shouldered.

“Let’s fall back and get a perimeter set up.” Ordered Dart.

Back in the lot, a transport Warthog had been brought in, a tent already pitched off the side of it. The twelve liter engine was burbling away, acting as a generator for the communication equipment. Dart sat down at the radio and started tuning it while I pulled the mare off to the side. “I never caught your name.”

“Trixie… What’s yours?”

I paused for a moment. “Ranger.”

“Is that really your name?”

I just shrugged. “It’s the one that matters.” We both sat in silence for the better part of the hour. Patch spent most of the time pacing around the checkpoint we set up, obviously concerned.

BOOM!

“What the fuck was that?” Asked one of the marines.

The noise had come from the apartment building. The top floor had been blown to hell as the windows were blasted outward from the explosion. “Steeljack, you alright?” Dart’s questions went unanswered by the static. “Steeljack? Respond!”

“I’m going in there.” Patch popped a few pills of Rad-X and took off towards the building. I just hit the injector on my chestplate to square me away and took off after her. I managed to catch up to her as the two of us slid into the elevator.

“Do we even know if this thing is safe?”

Patch shrugged. “We’ll find out.” She hit the button and the elevator began to rise with a groan. All was quiet for the minute that it took for the elevator to reach the top floor.

But neither of us were prepared for the sight at the top; dozens of bodies disfigured by burns from energy weapons, one of them having been beaten bloody against the wall opposite of the elevator. Further into the floor were the faint sounds of weapon discharges. At the end of the hall was a double door, behind which came the sounds of weapon fire. Without a word I charged forward and bashed the door open with my shoulder.

“Not today!” Roared Steeljack. His armor was coated in blood, and we could only watch as he blasted a pony, presumably one of the prisoners, square in the face. A second was off to the side near one of the broken windows. His final blast hit that one square in the chest with enough force to send him flying out the window.

“Steeljack, what the hell?” I murmured. “You did all this?”

Steeljack only turned around and tossed his helmet to the ground. “Cosmo… Patch…”

I saw Patch march forward and bash Steeljack’s jaw. “You’re a monster!”

“Patch, just listen to-”

“No.” Patch shoved against Steeljack and pinned him back against the wall. “The stallion I fell in love with isn’t a murderer…” She marched back to the door and tossed a small silver locket to the floor in front of him. “If you EVER come near my town, I WILL put you down like the dog you are.”

I just stood by and watch as Steeljack fell to his knees and grabbed the locket. Inside was a picture of him and Patch from when they met all those years ago. He slid it down behind his chestplate and rose to his feet. “It’s not what it looks like.”

“I sure hope it isn’t Steeljack.” I retorted. “Because otherwise you’re screwed.” As if the sounds of gunfire off in the distance wasn't our first clue.

______________________________________________________________________________

Canterlot Castle, Four Hours Later

I just sat with Steeljack in the library while we waited. Princess Celestia had the staff clear out as soon as we arrive, and said that someone would be along shortly to discuss the incident in Las Pegasus. That was three hours ago, and I’m not a fan of advanced magical theory… So here I am bored out of my mind. Steeljack hasn’t said a word, and I can’t even get him to talk to me.

“Sorry we’re late.” Captain Sentry had finally shown up, with Prince Armor and a scientist in tow. “We were waiting on Calpain to finish up.”

“Now then, I want to hear what happened.” Said Prince Armor as he sat down at the table. “I’ll just say this. You’re not in trouble, we just need to know what you saw so we can make sense of what we know.”

Steeljack perked up at that. “What?”

“He said you’re not in deep shit.” Retorted Flash. “Granted it was in more palatable terms…”

“Shut it Flash.” Snipped the Prince. “I understand that the appearances weren’t pleasant Steeljack, but we’re considering the whole thing to be an act of self-defense.”

“Self-defense?” I asked.

The Prince simply nodded. “Doctor, I believe you have an explanation to the behavior of the hostages?”

“In fact I do.” The doctor slid a folder onto the table and opened it. Inside were pictures of one of the last creatures I ever thought I would see again. “Look familiar Ranger?”

“They’re ghouls.”

“Indeed they are. The injections that the hostages were given made them far more susceptible to mutations when exposed to high levels of radiation, which the Enclave supplied an abundance of.”

“That’s beside the point.” The prince put his own folder on the table. “That apartment building wasn’t the only site where the Enclave enacted this horror-show scenario.”

“Not the only site?”

“No… It wasn’t.” Muttered Flash.

“How bad was it?” Questioned Steeljack. He was met with silence in return. “Well? Anyone want to tell me?”

“Steeljack, you think that you did some horrible things today?” Questioned Flash. “Well… I’ve done far worse.”

______________________________________________________________________________

Ponyville, Two Days Later

I looked over at Trixie from across the Pelican. She had been in the hospital in Canterlot for two days undergoing extensive medical examinations to make sure that her exposure to the radiation generators didn’t have any unseen side effects. During that time she got a job offer from Princess Twilight, something about needing another egghead in the castle to help her with her expanding fields of research. “Do you even know why the Princess offered you a job?” I asked.

“I’ve known Twilight for a long time.” Trixie said. “This is just her way of helping me when I need it.”

I nodded as the Pelican touched down. Before we both got off I grabbed a small brown parcel off the seat next to me. The door was already open, and the princess was there waiting for us. “Trixie!” She ran up to her and wrapped her old friend in a tight hug. “I’m glad you’re alright.”

Trixie pushed back from Twilight and smiled. “Thanks for helping me out Twilight.”

“Not a problem, now come inside.” Twilight stepped out of the way and allowed Trixie to walk by. "So they're calling it a gas explosion?" Trixie only nodded. It was easier to blow the neighborhood up and call it a tragic accident than tell the world that near-zombies had been running around.

I followed the pair into the castle and rolled the package over in my hands as we walked. “Trixie…”

“Yes?”

“I want to give you this before I go.” I handed her the package and watched as she tore it open. She held out the jacket and looked it over. Just a simple steel blue tactical jacket I had made out of neoprene. “I had that made for you.”

Trixie pulled it on and pulled the collar tight. “It’s comfy, that’s for sure… This isn’t goodbye, is it?”

I paused for a moment, glad that Trixie couldn’t see my face under my helmet. “I wouldn’t say that… Maybe it’s an overused cliché, but so long for now sounds more like it.”

Trixie smiled and walked up to me, wrapping her arms around my shoulders. “I’d like that…” She reached back and unclasped my helmet. It was on the table next to me before I had a chance to stop her. “Well… So long for now.”

She stepped up on her toes to meet my height and laid her soft lips on my own. The cough from behind us broke the moment like shattering glass. I broke away from her and smiled. “Until we meet again.” Without another word I grabbed my helmet and swung it back on. Trixie only watched as I walked out the door.

Interlude V

Blueblood's Manor,
Archer

"Wow..." After hearing Dad's story, it just made sense why Steeljack marched off when I asked him about Las Pegasus.

"Now you see why I wouldn't talk." Steeljack walked back outside and grabbed an open chair next to my father.

"How much did you hear?" Asked Dad.

"Enough." Steeljack looked at me with a rather soft gaze. "I still have nightmares, if you could call them that. That first pony I found right off the elevator trying to rip my throat out... Having to bash his head in to save my own skin. The dozens of others that came after me..." I nodded, feeling sorry for the stallion. "Now why didn't you tell her what I said during the interview?"

My father shrugged. "That part isn't my story to tell."

"Fair enough."

"Well? Are all of you done yet?" Dusk was standing in the door looking rather bemused. "Lasky and Palmer just got here if anyone's interested."

"Sarah's here?" I got out of my seat and ran inside. The Captain was walking around the foyer examining some of Blueblood's artwork...

"Looking for someone?"

I whipped around and looked up at the imposing woman standing over me. "Maybe..." Who am I kidding? "It's good to see you again."

Sarah just tussled my hair and smiled. "Did you keep all of the letters?"

"They're in a shoebox in my armory." Said Dad as he walked up. "So I hear that someone got a promotion..."

"Promotion?"

Sarah nodded. "Made Captain of the Infinity. Tom recommended me after he took Lord Hood's place on the Security Council."

I nodded in approval. "So who got your job?"

Sarah just shrugged. "I let DeMarco and Thorne deal with the Spartan branch these days."

As we walked off into the dining room, I noticed Dusk off to the side talking to someone I didn't recognize. He was a disheveled looking green unicorn, definitely out of place for a party like this. I walked in and hid behind the doorframe, using the years of lessons that Dad had given me in gathering information.

"-the plan?" I heard Dusk ask.

"I don't know..." I heard the unicorn mutter. "The Division already has the wire factory locked down, access to our armory... Dusk, they disarmed the Havoc." Wait, did he say Havoc?

"Shit... That was our last trump card Specter."

"I know."

"...Let me get this done. Gather up the Shadows and meet at my villa. You remember the hangar access code?"

"Still Spirit of Fire?"

"You know it. I'll tell Dart it's time to come out of retirement." As Dusk's footsteps came closer to the door I managed to slide off to the side near my father.

"What was that about?" He whispered.

"Something about a wire factory that's been captured and coming out of retirement."

"Wait, the factory?" Dad asked. "What did he say?"

"I heard the pony he was talking to say that The Division already had it under their control..." I stopped for a moment and thought back to our earlier discussions. "But Dusk made it sound like The Division was on his side when we were talking earlier..."

Dad pursed his lips in thought. "That's what we all thought..." He back his sleeve and tapped a few keys into his Pipbuck. "He knows something else. Did he mention that pony's name at all?"

"Specter. That's the name I heard."

"Specter?" Dad went back to his pipbuck and typed some more keys in. "Dusk said he died in the aftermath of the battle in the Canterlot Ruins."

"So he's hiding something?"

Dad nodded. "I've already got one of my contacts looking into it. He say anything else?"

"He wanted some ponies to meet him at his villa. Said the password to the hangar was Spirit of Fire... But where did he put a hangar?"

"I don't know... Let's just get through this dinner and we'll worry about it later."

I didn't say a word as we both sat down next to Mom. “So what's going on?” She whispered.

“No clue.” Dad muttered. “Sky and Felix are en route to Dusk's villa to investigate.”

“Should we be worried?”

“Honestly? I don't know...”

“Looks like everyone's here!” Yelled Dusk from the head of the table. “I know it looks like I just took over Blueblood's dining room for dinner... Which I did, but as usual I have my reasons.”

“Did Dart finally convince you to get out of that office and socialize for a change?” I heard Dad ask.

Dusk just shrugged. “I get out enough as it is, but what do I tend to excel at?” He just looked around the room. “Anyone?”

“Hair brained plans?”

“Right on the money gramps.” He fished around in his pocket and pulled out a black box, but held it close to his side. “Dart, how long have we been dating again?”

“Ten years, give or take a few months?” She asked. “Why?”

“I’ll keep it simple.” He flipped open the box with his thumb and gave it to Dart. “I’ve waited too long to give you this.”

“Is that what I think it is?”

Dusk nodded and knelt down next to his marefriend. “Will you marry me?”

Dart just smiled and cupped Dusk’s chin with lidded eyes. “Did you even have to ask?” She leaned in for a kiss and held the motion before a sarcastic clapping came from the other side of the room and drew all of our attention. Dusk and Dart both got up when they saw the stallion standing at the opposite door.

“I guess congratulations are in order?” He was an old stallion, eyepatch over his right eye, roughly shaven with a white coat.

“Kovac…” Growled Dusk. “What are you doing here?”

This ‘Kovac’ character chuckled. “Just wanted to stop by with an old mutual friend of ours.” He turned through the doorframe and threw a body through it. It was the stallion that I had seen Dusk talking to earlier. He groaned as he turned over and groaned. “Everyone here remember Specter?”

Dad looked over at Dusk and glared. “Definitely looks like he died to me.”

“Not now Cosmo.” Dusk reached behind his jacket and seemed to grab something. “You have some serious balls coming here.”

“You had some serious balls for running back to your little paradise.” The stallion retorted. “Let’s fix that, shall we?” He whipped out a pistol and cocked it back.

BANG!

Dusk flinched when the gun went off, but he was never hit. Dart fell to her knees clutching her gut. “Dart!” He knelt down next to her and pulled her hands away from the wound.

“5.56 caliber. Hollow point with caustic coating on the round.” Called Kovac. “Until next time Dusk.” With that, the stallion teleported away and left us all stunned.

Steeljack was the first to move, rushing over to Dusk’s side and handing him a stimpack. “He said the round had a caustic coating on it?”

Dusk grabbed the stimpak and jabbed it into the flesh near Dart’s wound. “He did.”

“Then that won’t last.”

“I know!” Snipped Dusk.

“Any ideas then?” Groaned Dart. “Dealing with bullet wounds isn’t my specialty.”

Dusk was silent until he grabbed a knife off the table. “Just hold still.” He used the knife to open the wound back up and slid his pinky. Dart squirmed as Dusk felt around the wound. “Shit… Too many fragments for me to pull out.”

Steeljack jabbed Dart with another stimpack to reseal the wound. Through the damaged dress her flesh shifted and blistered as it stitched back together. Its color didn’t return though, growing slightly discolored from the acid coated fragments of metal lodged in the cavity beneath the surface. “She needs a doctor. Now.”

___________________________________________________________________________________

Twenty Minutes Later

Dusk stood over the corpsmen as they worked, having turned Blueblood’s dining room table into a surgical station. Dart had already passed out from the pain, although the since the medics had arrived fifteen minutes ago they had the fragments removed and were cleaning the acid from the wound before finishing their work. “Will she be OK?” I asked.

Dusk nodded. “She will be.” He turned his attention to Specter, who was slumped against the wall. “Did you get the word out?” He nodded.

“Yah… The Guardian should be spun up and ready by the time we get to the hangar.”

Dad finally must have had enough and slammed Dusk into the wall, picking him up by the collar. “What is Havoc? And how does The Division factor in?” He pushed Dusk farther up the wall. “Well?”

“The Havoc is a mining-rated nuclear device that Lord Hood supplied after Dart and I returned. It was my failsafe should Kovac and his forces find the mirror we destroyed and get it in working order again. I had it buried deep enough under Manehattan Wire so that it would vaporize the portal in the basement while bringing the building down on top of anything that’s left.”

“So your trump card was a nuke?”

Dusk only nodded as Dad let him slide down the wall. “The Division was never anyone else’s problem. Dart and I gave Kovac too much information because I thought we could be trusted… And he turned around to use it against us. All of you thought West Wind was bad? De Witt? Maybe even Phalanx?” Dusk rose to his feet and brushed off his jacket. “They’re nothing compared to Kovac. He’s an absolute monster.”

Specter managed to get to his feet and grabbed Dusk’s shoulder. “We’re leaving.” In a flash, the two teleported away. “Archer?”

“Yes Dad?”

“I’ll give you three guesses to where they went.”

___________________________________________________________________________________

Just Outside of Dusk’s Villa
One Hour Later

Dad had shut the headlights off and threw the jeep in neutral as we coasted into Dusk’s driveway. There were two figures standing at the door. One was holding a light, while the other was hacking away at the panel next to the front door. One of them… Well, he definitely wasn’t a pony. “Any luck Felix?”

Felix… He’s an odd one. A fox with a knack for hacking, if there ever was one. Dad recruited him in the aftermath of the attack on Vanhoover years ago, and he’s become the go-to stallion for breaking and entering. “I’d like to say so…” He muttered in that Trottingham accent of his. “But that would make me sound optimistic. He secures the joint with a biometric lock, and I can’t break it.”

Sky finally looked over at my father. “I do keep my skeleton key on me.”

Dad seemed to stop for a moment before he shrugged. “What else do we have to lose?”

Sky pulled a grey package out of her ammo pouch and fixed it to the door before ushering us away from the door. “At this point? Nothing.” She hit a button on her own pipbuck and the front of the house erupted in a cloud of fire and smoke. “But when are we going to start carrying that liability insurance that I’ve been hounding you about?”

“Two days from never.” Dad led us into the house, stepping over the rubble that was left of the front wall of the house. “Although I get the sinking feeling I’ll be on the hook for the damage anyway.”

I brushed past Dad and headed downstairs towards the armory. Dusk had left the door ajar, so I went right in. The first thing I noticed was that his new set of armor was gone. “Looks like he’s been and gone…”

Dad walked in behind me with a puzzled look on his face. “What are you talking about?”

“Dusk’s armor. He already came and got it.” I pointed at the empty stand.

“Archer… That’s a cabinet.” I couldn’t believe what I head so I walked up and ran my hands over the stand. Dad’s eyes went wide. “All the times I’ve been down here and I never noticed…” A light ray of magic erupted from his horn and one of the cabinets dissolved, replaced with an elevator door. “He hid his backup in plain sight…”

I walked up to the elevator. The keypad was blinking a request for the password, so I typed in what I head Dusk say earlier, and the door slid open. “I guess we’re going down?”

We filed into the elevator and descended into the dark shaft below. After a few moments, light began illuminating the elevator from the rear of the car. “Holy shit…” I heard Felix mutter. Guess we figured out where Dusk was keeping this hangar of his.

“That’s a Sahara down there… And I’m counting what, four sloops?” Noted Sky.

“Propeller-driven aircraft too.” Dad pointed to what looked like a runway with at least a dozen small aircraft parked alongside. “Why does Dusk need all of this stuff anyway?”

“Didn’t he say something about Kovac being his problem?” I asked.

Dad mulled over my words before the realization hit him. “He knew Kovac would come for him and Dart.”

“And this stallion must be bad enough to warrant a private army.” Sky pointed out the small mob of armored soldiers approaching the foot of the elevator to meet us. “I doubt they’re here to give us the tour.”

The elevator shuddered as we reached the bottom. The door slid open the soldiers aimed their weapons at all of us. “Where’s Dusk?” I heard my father growl.

The stallion himself pushed through the crowd. He already had his armor on with the helmet under his arm. Instead of the old blue that the original set had, this set was bright white with red trim. “Well… Welcome to the Grotto.”

Dad walked up to Dusk and stared up into his eyes. “Since when do you need a private army?

Dusk’s expression seemed to soften at the question. “Kovac came here because he wants access to the Nexus…” He waved us to follow and marched off into the depths of the hangar. “But enough of that for the moment.” He motioned towards the sloops parked in their maintenance bays. “The Prowlers came from the UNSC about eight years ago to serve as assault transports. While their armament isn’t worth jack for ship-to-ship combat, the pulse guns make excellent air-to-ground support weapons.” He then waved at the Sahara. “That right there is Guardian II, again courtesy of the UNSC. Far more heavily armed with internally stored turrets set up with belt-fed hydra rocket launchers. Each turret carries two hundred rounds that are reloadable from inside the ship.”

“Anything else we should know about? Those planes perhaps?”

Dusk stopped by the edge of the runway and jarred his thumb. “Old human blueprint. Piston-engine, propeller driven fighter from about five hundred years ago. They called it the Kingcobra. It was simple enough for me to have built in moderate quantities with the material and technology available. They’re my ground support strike fighters. Bofor cannon mounted in the middle of the prop carrying forty rounds of high-explosive ammo, underwing mounts for three 500lb glide bombs and launchers for six 127mm rockets.”

“You still haven’t given me a reason why you need all of this equipment.”

“Do I need to?” Asked Dusk as he walked into an office just off the runway. “I could always just show you.” He pulled a white orb out of the desk and held it out.

“A memory orb?” Dad asked.

“More specifically one with my memories of the leadup to the battle at the Canterlot Ruins and the aftermath. Everything I know about Kovac and the Division… My training, my perspective.”

“Why does it even exist?” Felix finally made himself know.

Dusk leaned up against the wall and rolled it over in his hands. “If I was ever killed, someone else would need to pick up from where I left off, so to speak. This was my way to ensure that my knowledge was preserved so it could be passed down.”

“And you want me to just use it?”

“If you’d like.”

I stepped between Dusk and my father and snatched the memory orb. “I’ll do it.”

Dusk shook his head. “No, I can’t let you.”

“Why not?”

Dusk sighed in frustration. “Because that memory orb does more than just show you what I know… It changes you, imprints my skills and training onto the user so they can act as my replacement, and I’m not about to let a child do that to herself.”

As I turned the orb over in my hand, I noticed a small indent in the side of it big enough for my thumb. “Then you’ll need to do more than talk.” I jammed my thumb into the indent and felt static run up my arm. My legs went limp as I fell to the ground. The last thing I heard as my vision began to swim black was Dusk yelling my name in vain while he tried to catch me.

Chapter 23

The Crystal Mountains, Two Days Later

It’s been a long slog to reach the Crystal Mountains from the outskirts of Chicacolt. For me, most of that time was spent riding shotgun to Specter, trading off occasionally with Gramps so I could stretch out on the engine deck. It was there that I felt the first snowflakes as they began to fall. Part of the problem with travel to the northern parts of the continent. Lucky for us, we had grabbed a sizable canvas tarp that would allow us to erect a simple tent over the engine deck, protecting us from the snow and wind.

“You know, if we weren’t running around an apocalyptic hellhole, I’d say the scenery is rather nice.” And there goes Comet breaking the silence. “It’s just… Peaceful”

“Hey moron!” I yelled. “First rule; don’t jinx the peace.” I flinched as two holes were ripped in the canvas, roughly the size of a small bullet. “See what I mean?”

I felt the tank grind to a halt, along with the sounds of muffled yelling outside the makeshift cover. “I’ll remember to stow it next time then.”

We didn’t get a chance to act before part of the tarp was flung up and over the top and we were staring down two armor ponies armed with some rather powerful looking shotguns. “Alright, everyone out.”

We really don’t have any choices, do we? So Comet and I both scrambled out into the cold air. Everyone else was already outside and lined up against the side of the tank, while two other soldiers searched the driver’s compartment. “Something we can do to help you folks?”

“You can tell us where you got this equipment for one.” Retorted one of the soldiers.

I just shrugged. “A bunker here, dark basement there. Where else do you find unusual pre-war technology?”

The two seemed to exchange a brief glance (it is rather hard to tell, what with those helmets in the way) before one went for his radio. “Lieutenant, you might want to get out here sir.”

That’s when I noticed, of all things, a Vetibuck had landed ahead of us. Must’ve already been there if we didn’t hear it. Out of it stepped a male Pegasus, definitely on the older side. He had this blue coat over a set of body armor on, looking more like a dress-version of normal Royal Guard armor. He did eye us all over as he approached but his gaze stopped on me. Said gaze turned more into a look of surprise the closer he got to me. “By the goddess…”

I just waved. “Uh, hi?”

“All of you, stand down!” The Lieutenant yelled. “Commander Light… You don’t look like you’ve aged a day. And you found Specter?”

Great, now this colt is ready to start groveling. “Alright, just stop the brown-nosing before it starts.” I groaned. “One, I’m not your ‘revered leader’. From what I gather he’s been dead a long time. Two, I’ve just been helping Specter get home. I didn’t rescue him, save him, break him out of jail or any other bullshit like that.”

“Then… How?”

“Jericho-” Specter said “the Crystal Mirror?”

The Lieutenant paused before the realization dawned on him. “Through the looking glass…” He muttered. “Regardless, you’ll all be coming back to the base with me. My men will take your transport back behind us.” Doesn’t look like we’re short on options… So we followed the Lieutenant to his Vertibuck and piled in. As his soldiers slid the door shut, I watched as two of them scrambled down into the driver’s compartment before my sight was blocked by the solid steel slider. “Specter, how have you been?”

Specter silently shrugged. “OK I guess…” He mumbled. “Sir, I managed to get to the Manehattan Bunker.”

“You made it?” He asked. “After I called a retreat?”

“With all due respect sir, I couldn’t get back to our lines if I wanted to. The only logical course of action was to continue towards our primary objective.”

“Specter… I’m not mad, if that’s what you think.” Assured the Lieutenant. “If anything, I’m extremely proud. Did you find anything else?”

Specter looked down at his feet, almost looking defeated. “Sir, I found the Commander. Along with three holotapes, old logs of his from when he left Manehattan the first time.”

I reached into my pocket and tossed them to Jericho. “Already listened to them. Nothing really groundbreaking there.”

Jericho turned the tapes over in his hands before pocketing them. “What makes you think it was him?”

“The corpse was still wearing the armor that Commander Light had last been seen wearing when he departed Mountain Base on the first Manehattan Expedition.”

Jericho only nodded before turning back to me. “Your thoughts on the matter?”

I just shrugged. “Don’t know what to think.” I said.

“Fair enough.” Jericho seemed to study my expression for a moment. “So why did you agree to help Specter?”

“Because we need firepower.” Gramps said, stopping me before I can begin. “Tell me, do you know anything about an Enclave officer called West Wind?”

“I do. He was branded as a Dashite, and we noticed was making some noise a few years back... Why?”

“Because they let him back in.”

I get a feeling that if Jericho was drinking anything, I’d be taking a shower in it right now. “It sounded like you said that the Enclave let a Dashite back in.”

Gramps nodded. “And they gave him an army which he’s been using to attack our world.”

“Long story short, we got sick of trying to fight on his terms.” Comet added.

“Goddess…” He whispered, before pulling a larger radio receiver off the wall and dialing in a frequency. “Tower, send word to Kovac. I need an emergency meeting of the council as soon as I get back.” We couldn’t really hear what the pony on the other end was saying, but Jericho obviously wasn’t amused. “Just do it!” He slammed the receiver back down and huffed out his chest, obviously not too happy.

“That looks like it went well.” I muttered.

“It’ll go better when you explain everything to the Council.” Jericho assured.

…Too bad that didn’t make me feel any better.

______________________________________________________________________________

Second Division Mountain Base

I really didn’t get a chance to get a look at the inside of the base until some soldiers slid the doors open. The hangar wasn’t all that impressive, just a wide open affair with a number of vertibucks and ramps to deeper seated storage areas. Hell, the rest of the base wasn’t all that impressive either. Once we hit the main office area, Jericho had Specter take everyone bar me and Gramps to find some food.

By the time we hit the meeting room I noticed a portrait hanging on the wall. A plaque below it read ‘Whirlwind’ with some dates that I didn’t pay much attention to. The next one read ‘Jetstream’ before ending on one last name; ‘Dusk Light’. I stopped and looked up at the old picture in the frame. It was definitely me, although a bit older. This version of me had started growing out a beard with little wisps of grey hair mixed throughout. Turning back to the plaque, I noticed a small inscription below the name. “Missing in action…” I mumbled.

“Something wrong?” Jericho asked? I shook my head and followed him into the briefing room. At the head of the table was a rather burley looking stallion, resembling a bulked-up royal guard. “Sorry about the short notice, but we’ve got a potential situation on our hands.”

“Gents.” I said as I pulled a chair out and plopped down. “Name’s Dusk, leader of Blaze Squad.”

“Eh hem-.” Gramps coughed as he sat down next to me. “I’m Brigadier General Meteor Shower, commanding officer in charge of the South Equestria Theater of Operations.”

“That’s a mouthful.” I muttered, sharply being cut off by an elbow to the chest.

“Gentlemen, we have much to bring you up to speed on and not much time. We’ll answer any questions regarding our presence here once we explain the current situation.”

The councilmembers looked around the table before Kovac held his hand up. “Considering that Jericho has only ever called one other emergency meeting… You have the floor General.”

Gramps nodded. “Gentlemen, for roughly the last three years we’ve been fighting a war against General West Wind of the Enclave. Based on records supplied by the Watcher, we discovered references to his reinstatement, and assigned to secure what was left of the Canterlot ruins after one of their operations, codename ‘Cauterize’. It’s apparent that sometime after he discovered a way to travel to our world. For reasons and means unknown, he allied himself with a fringe group of humans to gather supplies, and has waged been waging open warfare on our people since his launched their first attack on Dodge Junction three years ago.”

“Might I ask a rather important question General?”

“Of course, Miss?”

“Juno, sir. Now what makes you think that West Wind actually holds any command within the Enclave hierarchy? Our intelligence shows he was branded a Dashite for refusing to follow the orders of his superiors.”

“What makes us think it?” I asked. “Try the thousands of shock troopers at his command and who knows how many airships.”

“With those forces at his disposal he’s caused the direct deaths of thousands of civilians, displaced just as many.” Gramps leaned forward on the table. I couldn’t see his face, but I know where he going with this already. “We’ve been fighting a losing war. Only within the last week has the opportunity presented itself to finally remove West Wind from the picture and finally put a stop to the attacks by his forces.”

“So you want our help?” Kovac asked.

“Indeed I do. The six of us simply can’t storm Canterlot on our own. We need an army, and you’re the best chance we have of getting just that.”

Some of the other Council members looked ready to but in, but Kovac managed to maintain some level of order when he held up his hand. “General, I have no problem providing what help we can. However we only have just over one hundred troops that are ready for immediate deployment. We have 50 reservists, while the balance of our organization are made up of non-combat logics and operations staff. If West Wind has such a force at his disposal as you’ve described, we simply don’t have the manpower to get into the ruins.”

“Couldn’t our armor help?” Jericho asked.

“Oh it very well may but we only have two working infantry tanks and an SPG, and the Vertibucks are unarmed.”

“We could try to throw some pintle mounts together for the doors.” I pointed out. “Just enough to clear a landing zone.”

“It still doesn’t matter!” Kovac groaned. “Even if we did that, we don’t have any intelligence on the defenses.”

“Then we get the Uhu ready to go.” Jericho added.

“Get what ready?” I asked.

“Uhu is Gryphon for Eagle Owl.” Gramps said. “Don’t ask me why they have a name for it though…”

“The Type 189 ‘Uhu’ was a pre-war project meant to allow non-pegasi to preform aerial reconnaissance duties.” Jericho said. “We haven’t wanted to use is because we don’t have any spare parts for the camera equipment.”

“But it works?” I asked. Jericho nodded in silence. “Then that’s how we gather our intelligence.”

“But what about a place to land?” Kovac asked. “We can’t just fly it back here. The base just isn’t a feasible location to coordinate this assault from. We’re just too far out of the way.”

The room was quiet for a few minutes while the council members mulled over their options. “What about the old air force base outside of Chicacolt?” Juno suggested. “What was it called again… Neighfair?”

“Then what do we do about the raiders at Filly’s Pier? We need those docks if we want to get our ground equipment onto that base” Kovac pointed out.

I cleared my throat to get the attention of the room. “Isn’t it obvious?” I asked. “We need to take Filly’s Pier.”

______________________________________________________________________________

Chicacolt, One Day Later

The Vertibuck bounced around a bit as it maneuvered through the abandoned towers of Chicacolt. I managed to catch my reflection in the window for a brief moment. The black combat armor and mask I was wearing definitely looked like a good enough disguise. Under normal circumstances I’d never have agreed to wear something this heavy, but subtlety is more of a necessity at the moment. “So any reason your friend isn’t too happy with you lot?” Jericho asked.

“No idea.” The Vertibuck finally hit the ground and the doors slid open. Now would be the time to stop talking.

Patch was already waiting outside with Lilith. Maybe the six other Vertibucks were the clue. “You must be Patch.” Jericho said. “Lieutenant Jericho, Second Division. Mind if we come inside?”

Patch waved us on inside and led us to the small parlor just by the main entrance. “So what can I do for you?”

“Well… There’s a pattern to occurrences in Chicacolt. You know that?”

“Am I going to like where this is going?” Patch asked.

“I would hope so.” Jericho sat down on the couch while Patch grabbed the open chair. I opted to remain standing. “Usually when things happen in this city, there are three types of ponies involved. Your associates, yourself, your children or any combination of the three. I’m hoping to continue that trend.”

“Can you get to the point?” Lilith groaned.

“Fine. My men and I are planning to remove the raiders from Filly’s Pier. Considering that you lot know the lay of the land best, I was hoping you’d tag along.” Jericho pulled a sizable pouch out of his pocket and laid it on the coffee table between him and Patch. “There is of course more compensation where that came from.”

Patch’s eyes went wide when she opened the bag. From where I was standing I noticed the sizable bounty of caps. “Compensation?”

“Well I guess investment would be a better term… To the tune of two large duffle bags of caps.”

“You really want our help, don’t you?”

“Like I said, you know the lay of the land.”

“Do you really expect us to do all the heavy lifting?” Lilith asked.

“I don’t. We brought some tanks and their crews for that. As well as fifty five other soldiers to provide support.” A rapping on the doorframe distracted the four of us. One of Jericho’s soldiers was standing there. “Something to report?”

“Aye sir.” Now obviously I can’t see under the stallion’s mask but just his fidgeting gave the news away as something rather bad. “The General’s Vertibuck has been shot down half a mile from Filly’s Pier. Aerial recon reports that they’re alive, but have been captured.”

“And they’re being taken to the Pier…” Jericho muttered. “Looks like our timetable just got moved up. Trooper, radio the transports and tell them the light is green. I want everyone on the ground and ready to move inside of ten.”

“I’ll meet you two outside then.” Patch said, waving Lilith out into the main entrance and hurrying deeper into the building.

We were quick to walk back outside, the two Valentine tanks getting one last looking over while the soldiers mounted a .50 cal machine gun to the top of each of the turrets. Specter had already taken charge and was directing the individual fire teams as they went about preparing their gear. “Give me a status report Spec.”

“The Uhu should be on station over the pier shortly.” He said, pausing to hand service rifle clips out to a group of soldiers. “Once she gets there she’ll start radioing in hostile positions.”

“And the Crusader?”

“Already forward deployed.” He said. “They team there has already spotted the General and his team, and have confirmed that they’ve been taken onto the pier proper.”

“Well that’s fucking great.” I muttered.

“Do we know if any of them have their radios?”

“You honestly think the raiders would have let them keep them?” Specter asked. “I mean if they do, the Uhu should be able to track their exact positions… But we’re talking a big if.”

“It’s still worth investigating, so get on it.” Specter nodded and went on his way to deal with more of the soldiers. “Your thoughts Commander?”

“I don’t know what to think.”

“Then just keep it that way for now.” The both of us noticed a small crowd walking out the front door to theater, led of course by Patch and Lilith. “And here I thought it would just be the two of you.”

“Like hell!” Patch yelled. “Now we going to get moving or not?”

“Alright, you all heard the mare. Let’s get moving!”

“Tanks at the rear. Infantry at the front, loose spacing.” Specter yelled as we began the walk towards Filly’s Pier.

Patch was quiet for the first hour of the march. Rather odd, considering her gung-ho attitude that she had walking out the door. “Something on your mind Patch?” Jericho asked.

“What was the first clue?” She said. “Just thinking about some things…”

“Care to talk some of these ‘things’?”

“My kids have been asking my why I threw their father out of town.” Patch said with a sigh. “He and his friends showed up a few days ago and I made them leave.”

“Any particular reason?”

“Their father, Steeljack... A few years back we were out helping his friends. Long story short I caught up with him in time to see him butcher another pony. He was already covered in blood, so maybe that did it. Don't get me wrong, I know what happened...”

“Alright. So why are you still mad?”

“I’m not mad.” She said. “I just don’t think I can trust him… The Steeljack I knew was not one to just go around and fight like some homicidal maniac. Seeing him covered in blood with a body at his feet...”

Jericho just held up his hand. “You don't need to say any more.” We rounded the corner into an open parking lot overlooking Filly's Pier, almost half a mile away at this point. Jericho obviously noticed that Patch had a weird look plastered across her face. “Something else wrong?”

“I know that tank…” She said.

Alright, no reason to keep quiet anymore. “I damn well hope you would Patch.” I ripped my mask and helmet off and tossed them to the ground. “Does that bird of yours have a live feed capability?”

“It’s already up sir!” The lead scout yelled. “There’s a firefight in progress.”

“What?” I walked over to where the scouts had set up a large monitor. The feed itself was greyscale, but I immediately recognized a trio pushing towards the bridge onto the pier. “Hey Patch, your kids are on TV!”

“What?!”

“I’ll bet everyone fifty caps on why they’re here.” I said. “I’ll guarantee that they saw the Vertibuck go down and are trying to save dear ole’ dad.” Studying the feed, I mentally marked off the positions of two machine guns across the bridge from their location in addition to at least ten raiders, some armed with long range rifles. “Can we get them some support fire?”

“Shouldn’t be a problem.” Jericho assured me. “Alright, dial in that tube!”

I reached for my radio and plugged it into my pipbuck. “Starry, you hear me?”

“Yah… Wait, Dusk?”

“The one and only.” I saw one of the soldiers nod to me as he held the mortar round over the tube. “Get your head down.”

“Fire in the hole!”

The mortar whistled out of the tube and faded off into the distances before we heard a soft ‘POMF’. The monitor confirmed that the round had hit the side of the dock right in front of one of the machine guns. “Just keep firing. We’ll clear the lane.”

“And who’s we?” Patch asked.

“They’re your kids, aren’t they?” I snapped. “Now let’s go.” I marched off down the street along the river, the sounds of gunfire growing louder the closer we got to the pier

I finally saw Starry and her brother after a five minute hike with Patch and Lilith keeping a wide berth. The pair had ducked behind a jersey barrier as mortars came down one after another on the opposite side of the docks. I ran forward and slid up next to the two. “How’s it hangin’?”

“There are bombs falling out of the sky. How do you think we’re doing?!” Chaser yelled.

“Well you aren’t getting shot at.” I observed.

“That’s fine and all, but you do know you can’t bomb out the rest of the pier?” Their power-armored companion asked.

“I would assume that there’s a good reason?”

“Slave pens, with lots of slaves.” Starry said.

“And you’d still need to drop the bridge.” Chaser added.

Patch nudged me to get my attention. “You’ll need a bloody miracle if you really want to get in there.” She gazed upward as a shadow passed over our group.

Dust was kicked up when a tall blue alicorn landed in front of us. Over one shoulder she had slung a minigun, while off to her left a green unicorn was standing with rifle in hand. “Someone ask for a miracle?”

Author's Note

Just in case anyone wants to know what the Valentines look like...

Chapter 24

Chicacolt, Filly’s Pier

“Not specifically.” I said. “But you’ll do.”

Star simply rolled her eyes. “So what’s the problem?”

“I’m the only member of my team not being held captive by a bunch of psychos.”

Star nodded. “And you want me to do what exactly?”

I pointed at the minigun she was holding and sighed. “Do I need to spell it out? You have a big gun. They have two slightly smaller guns pointed in our general direction.”

“Alright, I’ll take care of those gun nests.”

“Thank you!” I yelled. “Next problem is that bridge. Starry, you and your brother are with me.”

“What?”

“You heard me.” I said as I grabbed her shoulder. “Oh, and mind the gap.” A quick teleport brought us to the top of the drawbridge, which made a good slide for the trip back to the ground.

Sticking the landing was a completely different story as the two of us discovered as we tumbled around and landed at the feet of two raiders once we hit the bottom. “Shit…” Starry groaned.

“Just follow my lead.” I muttered as I got to my feet at gunpoint. “Morning gents! So who do I talk to about getting a room for the night?” The two raiders kept their weapons pointed at me. “Ugh, I guess we’re doing this the hard way.” I flashed off a quick illumination spell to blind the raiders and slung my shotgun around.

BANG! schick, schick BANG!

The two raiders dropped as blood started spilling from the holes in their chests, leaving us unaccompanied. “Alright, bridge controls.” I muttered. “Any ideas?”

Starry looked back up at the bridge and pointed at a cable attached to one of the crossbeams for the deck. “Single cable from the looks of it. It’s gonna be quicker to cut it.”

“Alright, make it happen.” I slid two shells into my shotgun to replace the two used ones and shouldered the weapon, scanning the small yard around the drawbridge for targets.

“And how the hell am I getting up there?” Starry asked.

“Shit…”

“I got it!” Chaser yelled as he swooped in and wedged himself between the bridge and the cable drum. “This thing’s got a rotted cotter pin. Looks like it locks the drum to the gearing.”

“See if you can break it.” I said as I spotted a small group of raiders leaving a building along the water and heading for us. “And make it quick, we got company!” I put a shield up and motioned to Starry just as the first bullets smacked against the light grey wall I erected.

“Anyone got some explosives?” Chaser called.

I pulled a chunk of C4 out of my back pouch and tossed it up to him with the primer stuck in. “Will that work?”

“We’ll see.”

“Dusk, problem!” Starry yelled.

I turned back to the oncoming crowd and noticed that one was toting a large launcher of some sort. “What the fuck?”

“Sparkle cannon.” Starry groaned. “If today couldn’t get any better.”

The raider fired off a shot and I felt the impact tingle along my horn as the shield spell strained against the impact. “Chaser, you’re out of time!” I yelled.

The Pegasus touched down next to me. “Ready.”

I flipped the detonator switch on my pipbuck, nothing. “Shit, give me a sec.” I started toggling the switch back and forth. “Awe shi-”

BOOM!

As the bridge fell to the ground with no cable to support it with not much of a noise. I didn’t need to look behind me to realize that the clanking of metal coming closer was the reason that the raiders started to run back to their compound farther onto the pier. “Well how about that?” I asked as the Valentines trundled past followed by the Cruiser and the soldiers.

“Good work Dusk.” Jericho said as he walked up. “Now you want some good news?”

“Sure, as long as I don’t choke on it.”

“Someone still has their radio on.” Jericho handed me the older tablet pipbuck I picked up back in Manehattan. On it was a map of the pier with a number of flashing dots. “This grouping over here is stationary. From what the recon plane is seeing, it looks like a trash pile. But this other one.” Jericho tapped the lonely dot slowly moving around some buildings on the map. “Someone’s out.”

“That is some good news.”

Starry looked over the map and frowned. “Those are the slave pens.”

“Which might also make a good spot to keep prisoners.” I added. “Jericho, take your colts and move on the main building. We’ll take care of the pens.”

“Got it.”

“So what’s the plan?” Chaser asked.

“I’m thinking along the lines of a prison break.” I said with a grin. “What are we waiting for? Let’s start a riot.”

______________________________________________________________________________

Off in the distance I could hear the echoes of rifle fire. “As long as they’re over there…” I muttered. Patch and Lilith had elected to temporarily join my merry band of misfits while Star remained behind with Violet to keep the bridge open for business. As we finally reached the edge of the building adjacent to the slave pens I motioned for the group to stop. “Anyone hear something?”

I saw Chaser shake his head out of the corner of my eye before I felt someone tap my shoulder. “Almost like metal chipping against metal?” Patch whispered.

“Glad to see I’m not crazy.” I muttered. “Alright, around the corner on three.” I held my hands up, counting down the digits with my fingers before dashing around the corner with my shotgun up.

“Will you keep it down?” Whispered a familiar stallion as he tried to pick the lock to one of the larger slave pens.

“I’ll tell Jericho when I see him.” I said as I knelt down next to Steeljack. “What’s the situation?”

“Well this lock is a bit uncooperative.” Steeljack said as he finally put down his screwdriver. “As for everyone else, raiders took them to the hub. Thought they might be worth more alive and in one piece then in with these ponies.”

“Then why try to get the slaves out first?” I asked.

“Because I couldn’t get into the hub. Too many guards floating around looking for me to get in there without a distraction.”

“So a jailbreak then?”

Steeljack nodded. “Once I got the bridge down and those gunners out of commission, I was hoping to open the cages and tell the slaves to get moving. You just so happened to take care of the other part of the plan quite nicely.”

“Then how were you going to make sure these ponies got out in one piece?” I questioned. “There’s no way in hell you’d be able to hold off all the raiders.”

“Dusk if you got a point, you best make it.” Steeljack finally started pulling on the bars near the lock, slowly bending them towards him with his sheer strength.

“You were really just going to cut your losses and let these ponies run off?”

“You got a better option?” The lock on the cage finally bent out of shape enough where it couldn’t do its job any longer, yielding access to the pen under immense pressure.

“As a matter of fact I do.” I motioned to Lilith and Patch. “Make sure these ponies get off this damn pier in one piece.” The two didn’t have a chance to argue. One that first cage opened the now freed slaves flooded out and ran. I made quick work of melting the locks off the other two cages with a handy fire spell, and the remaining occupants quickly joined the stampeding crowd.

“What’s the plan now?” Steeljack called over the rushing crowd.

“We get to the hub to Gramps and company.” I replied as the two of us followed the last of the crowd out of the slave pens. “Now what are we dealing with when we get there?”

“Just raiders, didn’t see any defensive emplacements.” Steeljack pulled a pistol out from under his chestplate and slid a magazine home. “Our weapons got stored behind the reception desk, radios got chucked in the pile of tech they didn’t think they’d want.”

“And where were they taking you guys?”

“Second floor. Sounded like they converted some of the offices into holding cells.”

I nodded and swung the shotgun onto my back. “So we’re doin’ it the old fashion way?”

Steeljack nodded. It wasn’t that much longer before we reached the soldiers that had surrounded the ministry hub and approached Jericho. “What’s the word?”

The older officer sighed. “Peace talks have broken down.” He groaned, a hint of sarcasm evident in his voice.

“So we’re doing it our way then.” I said. “Any idea where everyone's holed up?”

Jericho brought me over to the back of one of the Valentines, which was being used as a stand for the readout from the Uhu. “They're a bit high up, fourth floor from the looks of it. Force recon elements report that they floors above have a number of planked over holes from where some of the concrete fell out.”

“Steeljack, you're getting sloppy.” I chided.

“Oh shut up.” He groaned.

I just rolled my eyes. “Think you can mount a distraction?” I asked.

Steeljack nodded. “You got an idea then?”

I smirked. “You'll know it when you see it.”

______________________________________________________________________________

Jericho wasn't kidding. What's left of the raiders on the pier are all upstairs, something to the tune of thirty some odd goons and their boss. The others jumped into the river and swam into the city proper before running off... I guess those howitzers on the Valentines have a good shock effect.

“Dusk, you ready?” Steeljack called over the radio.

I pulled the grappler that I had pilfered from Cosmo the other day before clicking the radio. “Ready as I'll ever be.”

“Got it.”

I started hearing banging on the door above me followed by the footsteps of the raiders as they ran towards the door to meet the intruder. “This is too easy...” I muttered as I cocked back the grappler and aimed it for the ceiling above me. With the pull on the trigger the hook shot up and through the rather flimsy wood of the floor above and pulled me skyward through it in a shower of splinters while two of the raiders fell backward into the hole to the floor below.

“Shit, behind us!”

The door blasted in off its hinges, taking the stunned raider out as it flew across the room and shattered against the far wall. I rolled onto solid ground just as Steeljack came strolling in. “Alright, who’s first?” He said as he cracked his knuckles.

Between the two of us the group of raiders started shrinking towards the middle of the room while keeping their weapons on the two of us. “Really guys, who wants to go first?” I asked. “You’ll only end up bloody and bruised.”

“Wait, what are we doing?” One of the raiders asked. “We got these bastards outnumbered!”

I rolled my eyes before running forward and yanking the offending wiseass out of the crowd. “And we’re just better.” I kneeded the stallion’s gut before grabbing the back of his head and forcing it down through one of the wooden plank floorboards next to me.

Steeljack didn’t wait before he charged into the group and close lined two more raiders and bashed another across the muzzle with his pistol. I ducked through the crowd to meet him, rolling off to the side when one of the raiders pulled a club out and tried to smash my head with it.

BANG! BANG!

As I sprung to my feet and swept my foot around to try and trip up one of the raiders I saw Steeljack shoving one off him. “Sorry, I’m taken!” He yelled.

Any chuckle I might have gotten out of the quip was knocked out of me quick as one of the raiders smashed into me and started running towards the wall before he threw me through the sheetrock. “Hey, foul!” I groaned as I got up and faced the raider. The raider flipped out a switchblade and began stalking towards me. “Fine, be that way.” I teleported to the other side of the room and swung out the shotgun.

BANG!

“Well I warned you.” I muttered as the raider crumpled into a heap. I stepped over the body and back out into the larger room, ducking around the corner just in time to avoid being sacked by a flying body.

“Let’s get the hell outta here!” I rolled my eyes as the last dozen or so raiders fled the room.

And in all honesty I don’t blame them. Steeljack only had a scratch across his cheek from where one of the raiders nicked him with a switchblade, with at least four of their buddies dead at his feet. I wonder how many were carried out of here? “You good?” I asked.

“I’m good.” Steeljack muttered as he led the way into one of the adjacent rooms. “Now we just find the cells.”

Once we came into one of the back offices we found a massive hole in the floor, the edges of which served as walkways. And at the bottom… “Took you long enough.” My grandfather said.

I only shrugged before I jumped down to the lower level. “Priorities Gramps, priorities.”

“Good to see you to!” Strike yelled.

Comet rolled his eyes. “Just ignore him.”

“I’m sorry, he was talking?” I said with a smirk.

I felt someone punch my arm before wrapping around my neck. “Guess who?”

“Oh I don’t know…” I felt Dart let go of my and smiled. “Maybe my partner in crime really just isn’t up to the job today.”

“Hey, we leaving or not?” Steeljack asked, having remained on the upper level. He tossed a rope ladder down and waved for us to climb out.

“You heard him gang.” I said as I stepped onto the bottom rung. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”

It took us like what, ten minutes to get everyone out of that pit. I can’t say for sure, only because I wasn’t paying attention. The walk out was silent, occasionally interrupted by the groan of the floor under us as we walked over. We finally reached the entry way and I pried open the room behind the desk. I smiled when I saw what else was keeping everyone’s weapons company. “Dibs on the MG!” I giggled like a child as I picked it up checked over the ammo drum. I cocked it back as I rolled it over in my hands. “It’s got some weight to it…” I shouldered the weapon and went for the trigger.

BANGBANGBANGBANGBANG!

“Hello!” I yelled as I clicked the safety on. “This thing’s got some serious kick.” The bullet holes moving up the wall are good testament to that. Note to self, don’t just start shooting something without looking it over first. That’s when Comet walked over and ripped it out of my grip. “Oh come on!”

“Dusk, please. Let the adults play with the deadly toys.” He aimed the rifle at the wall and pulled the trigger, only getting a click in return. “Nevermind.” He muttered as he handed the rifle back to me.

I chuckled as I grabbed two of the other stick magazines that were sitting on the shelf next to it. I popped one of the rounds out and read the back of the casing. “.22LR…”

“So it’s a common round. Easy enough.” Strike said as he slid his weapon under his coat.

I handed the rifle and clips to Comet. “Hold onto it.” I said before I left the room. It didn’t take long to walk back outside, now one hundred percent less raider-infested. “Alright, how we ranking today?” I asked as I stepped over the body of one of the pier’s former upstanding residents.

“Chalk it up for us.” Gramps suggested. “We’re alive, routed a bunch of raiders and have the front door to the air force base under our thumbs.”

“Don’t forget the slaves.” Steeljack added. “They’re all out.”

“Then that’s the moral quandary of the day.” Comet muttered.

“Quandary my ass!” Steeljack yelled.

“Did you stop to think where they could go?” Comet asked. “What about the raiders that got out? Ever stop to think they might try to round up the escapees and try to recoup some of their losses from today?” He walked right up to Steeljack with arms cross and a scowl across his face. “You didn’t solve a damn thing.”

“OK, that’s enough.” I said as I pushed myself between the two. “Comet, shut up. He did the right thing.” I looked up at Steeljack and sighed. “Just… Just go take five.” As the two stallions walked off in opposite directions I felt a feeling of relief wash over me. “I guess Comet picked up his old temper?”

“Yup.” Dart replied. “He started acting that way just after you were abducted.”

“Did anyone try giving him a psych eval?” I asked.

“We did.” Gramps said. “Didn’t go well. Best guess I’ve ever had is that he still hasn’t got over being captured.”

“Strike, start talking.” I ordered

The Pegasus shook his head. “No way, not goin’ there.”

“Strike…”

“No.” Strike insisted. “I’m not opening old wounds, not now.”

“Just take his word for it.” Dart said.

Right… I’ll just shut up now.

______________________________________________________________________________

The Following Morning

I felt someone shake me out of my slumber and jab me in the side. “Well, you gonna get up?”

I sat up on my makeshift bed, a rather fluffed-up pile of hay, and looked up at Dart. “What if I wasn’t planning on it?”

Dart rolled her eyes and helped me get to my feet. “Just get moving. Boat’s waiting.”

It didn’t take me long to get ready. Just picked up the shotgun and shook the bits of hay out of my hair. A brief walk later and I was at the edge of the Chicacolt River looking at a small motorized barge burbling away. “Alright, I’m here!” I yelled.

“Glad you decided to wake up.” Gramps called out before he scrambled up over the side of the barge. “Alright you fillies, let’s move it. We’re burning daylight!”

I didn’t hear any arguments as we all followed the old stallion into the barge, and still didn’t hear anything as the barge started to turn and bob among the currents of the river. Me? I was too busy looking at the control tower that slowly appeared to get larger as we got closer. “We’re in the home stretch.” I muttered. It shouldn’t be much longer. Soon… Soon West Wind will be getting what’s coming for him.

Epilogue

The Grotto
Dusk

This is all my fault. That thought kept running through my head as I watched Archer fall to the ground. It kept coming when the medics ran in after she collapsed, and didn't back off as Cosmo threw blow after blow at me, his fists bouncing off my armor's shields. Even as it began to fade as Jericho and Specter rushed it and tried to restrain Cosmo in his rage over his adopted daughter's condition it echoed through my mind. I got cocky, trying to scare Cosmo like that. I forgot that Archer is very willing to go after information and ask tough questions, and I literally gave her the last of them in a nicely wrapped package.

"Dusk?" I heard someone ask, snapping me out of my funk. I turned around and saw Dart, bandaged around her stomach, but standing once more.

I closed the gap and wrapped her in a tight hug as a tear ran down my cheek and dripped onto her forehead. "I fucked up."

"I know." Dart whispered. "Specter told me what happened."

I sighed. "First Kovac, then I do this..."

"If it means anything I still have the ring."

"It does make me feel a bit better." I muttered as I let Dart go. "But that'll have to wait."

Dart nodded and led me out of my office and down the hall to the command center. "Jericho, what are we looking like?"

Jericho handed Dart a tablet and pointed at the main screen. "The Storch is over the factory now. So far we've only seen minimal exterior movement." The screen zoomed in on the only two ponies standing outside wearing a bone-white helmet and pieces of armor across an off-white jumpsuit. "From what we dealt with he gave his synths an upgrade to their armor."

"Our carbines didn't do jack to the armor plate." Specter said as he joined us from the side of the room. "Unarmored areas on their bodies took damage, but nothing critical is exposed."

"They're walking tanks." Jericho finished.

"Just great..." I muttered. "Whats the status on the first round of air strikes?"

"Thirty seconds to station Commander!" Called one of the comms officers.

"Alright, put it up." I looked up at the Storch's camera feed as a gun camera feed from one of the Cobras popped up in a window taking up a quarter of the wall-sized screen.

Grey flight to Grotto, we're coming up on the target.

"Copy that flight. The light is green." I said.

Copy that. Rolling in.

We all quieted down as the gun cameras showed rockets streaming at the factory before the exploded in a shower of stone and glass. In the corner of the screen I saw one of the bombs release before the Cobra peeled off it's run. I turned my attention to the feed from the Storch just in time to see six bombs hurtle into the factory's interior before going off in a massive cloud of fire and smoke. "Recon, damage assessment?"

Stand by Commander. It took the better part of five minutes for the smoke to clear out, showing a sizable hole in the lower side of the factory wall. Damage appears to be superficial on the exterior. Can't see any interior damage from this angle.

"Copy that recon." I said into the radio. "Grey flight, return to base."

Understood sir, we're heading for home.

"Jericho, I want air strikes on that factory every half an hour." I said. "Rotate Red and Blue flights in with Grey to keep up the pace."

"Aye sir."

I looked back to the feed from the Storch, scowling as I looked at the footage closer. Call me paranoid, but we're not done here just yet.

Author's Note

Addendum 3/21/16: See this blog for info on why the story is marked as complete.

Prologue

Canterlot Vale Estate, Two Miles South of Canterlot

'I still don't know why Dad suggested coming here...' thought Archer. The young earth pony ran her fingers through her light brown mane, checking to make sure her ponytail was still tight, before pulling out a pocket mirror to look over her face one last time. With no noticeable blemishes in her golden brown fur, Archer sighed. 'Well, here goes nothing...'

Before the mare had a chance to knock on the door, it swung open to reveal a navy blue unicorn. Most prominent was a hairline crack running down his horn, disappearing in his dark mane. "Miss Archer I presume?" He asked.

Archer nodded. "Yes sir.

The stallion rolled his eyes. "Didn't your father tell you to avoid the whole 'sir' bit?" As Archer began to blush, the stallion stifled a chuckle. "Just remember, it's Dusk."

Archer stepped inside, before following Dusk down the hall to a decent sized office. The walls were occupied by bookshelves, framed blueprints, and a single picture of a group of ponies on the far wall. It was almost like it had a gravitational pull, drawing Archer to it like a moth to open flame. It was a decent size group, but two figures stood out as familiar. One was this Dusk character she was visiting, albeit younger and less battered. The other was her father Cosmo, decked out in his trademark black sportcoat, blending in seamlessly with his charcoal colored coat and grey mane.

"Now you see why dear old dad said you should talk to me for your report." Said Dusk. "Now, what do you know about me?"

Archer grabbed a chair and slid up closer to Dusk. "I know you're an entrepreneur, and you're part of the reason that human vehicles were reverse engineered and simplified for public consumption."

"That's just what I've done in my retirement." Noted the stallion. "But that isn't the topic of discussion for today."

"Come again?"

"What do you know about the Enclave?" Asked Dusk.

"The Enclave? Why bring up a bunch of terrorists?"

"Like I said, what I've done has been in my retirement. Before that..." Dusk paused. "Archer you're one of the best writers in the Vanhoover area, even if you're just a schoolfilly. So what'll be more interesting; hearing the story of how me and my team stopped the Enclave, or how I helped us develop a more mobile society?"

Archer looked down at her hands before she returned her gaze to Dusk. "I remember you now... You were in Vanhoover during the flood."

Dusk nodded. "That's right. I was also there when Cosmo took you out of Marcie's wailing." Dusk leaned back in his chair and sighed. "I know you might not care to hear it, but I'm sorry about your birth parents."

Archer looked like she was about to cry, but managed to choke down the look and regain her composure. "You've been keeping tabs on me, haven't you?"

Dusk nodded once again. "I was also the pony who sent you your mother's amulet. I found it on her corpse, and I couldn't justify leaving it to get stolen by looters."

"But why talk to me?" Asked Archer. "If you're really this big hero you could talk to anypony you want to."

Dusk chuckled. "Simply put Archer, every story has a time to be told. It's been ten years since the war with the Enclave ended. By now the wounds left over have healed enough where it is now appropriate to chronicle those events. You have the raw talent where, in my mind, there is no better pony to record the first hand accounts about our group of misfits. Now didn't you bring a few things with you?"

Archer pulled out a recorder, setting it to record while pulling out a brand new notepad. "You said there was a group... What did you call yourselves?"

Dusk leaned forward, cocky smirk plastered across his face. "We called ourselves Blaze Squad."

Author's Note

Time for an improved Prologue... Way better than the original (as far as I'm concerned).

Chapter 1

Manehattan Industrial Park
____________________________________________
7:02 AM

Dusk was quick to set the Guardian down once the craft was inside the bounds of the Manehattan Industrial Park. Before he left the cockpit, he flipped two switches, turning on a hologram projector alongside two separate maps.

Walking into the rear bay, Dusk was treated to a bug-eyed princess

“What is this supposed to be?” asked a confused princess

“That my friend is a hologram. I have a projector built into the ceiling.” said Dusk. Gesturing to the 3D maps, he went on. “Alright, on the left is the industrial park as it presently sits. The map on the right is a representation of the industrial park in the Wasteland.”

“So, we need to know which warehouse corresponds with the NCR designation then?” asked Dart.

“Indeed. Steeljack, you know the terrain better than I do. Anything stand out?”

Looking over at the map, Steeljack pointed at a warehouse along the wharf. “That’s the warehouse.” he said “Only reason I know about it is because I’ve been there. We’re talking when I was a kid, well before I moved to the Mall, but that’s the building.”

“Anything we should know?”

“Can’t say. I know there were catwalks in there at one point, but they were wrecked during the Last Day. Same deal with the windows and part of the wall facing the city.”

Before anyone could say anything else, Dusk spoke up. “No, I’m not telling you about the bombings Princess.”

“Any reason you’re singling me out?” asked Luna

“Because it doesn’t take a genius to notice your curiosity”

“Can we all just can it?” chirped Aegis “We can see the building, we know roughly what is in there looking at some old pictures of a destroyed clone, but where are we going?”

“We’ll breach through the cargo dock doors” said Dusk, pointing at the pair of roll-up doors. “From there, we’ll secure the storage area. Once done, we’ll sweep any unchecked areas of the building for intel. Before we go, we’ll plant demolition charges on the support columns in the center of the building, and bring the place down.”

“So, wanton destruction of private property?” asked Cosmo.

“Not wanton, controlled. I don’t want to risk leaving anything that could identify us, or leave anything for these slavers to find. It’s just a bonus that we’re taking out one of their outposts.”

Flash stood up, grabbing his rifle. “When do we go in then?”

“We breach at dusk after all of the workers leave.” said Steeljack “In the mean time, we need to get overwatch established on that warehouse.”

“Agreed. Bravo, get on it. We’ll rotate out every hour until we move in.” ordered Dusk “In the mean time, sit tight.”

7:45PM

Dusk looked down at his watch. Noting the time, he motioned to his associates. “Alright, time to move.” he said.

Wordlessly, he jumped down from the roof that he landed the Guardian on, using his magic to cushion his fall. The others dropped down, Dusk using his magic to lower them.

“Alright boss, we’re good.” said Steeljack

“Alpha, on me.” Dusk motioned to follow, shouldering his rifle while he closed the gap with the warehouse. The group quickly closed the gap, reaching the doors. “Dart, you up?” said Dusk over his radio.

“We’re online. I’m not seeing anything on my end.” replied the unicorn

“Copy.” Dusk motioned to Aegis. “Get the door. Flash, keep him covered.”

“On it”. Aegis moved to the door, and grabbed the bottom corner

“Steeljack, Cosmo, on me.” Dusk looked over at Aegis “On your go”

“Alright… In three, two, one” Aegis threw the door up.

“Alpha, move up!” yelled Steeljack

The group was quick to move inside. What met them was something of a shock. Before the team was a small crowd of armed guards, with a large rectangular object in the center of the room.

“Shit, we’ve been made. Fire at will!” yelled one of the guards.

“Alpha, get to cover!” yelled Dusk as he ducked behind a storage crate. He popped up, and with burst of rifle fire, he took out the supposed leader. “Steeljack, displace!”

“Working on it!”

The reason for the order became clear once Dusk broke cover and started spraying rifle fire with wild abandon.

“Since when was this part of the plan?” yelled Cosmo.

“Since now kid.” replied Aegis “Nothing survives first contact.” he said as he broke cover and killed a guard with a throwing knife. “And I mean nothing.”

TATTATTAT

Aegis took notice of Cosmo’s rifle, and then saw a guard slumped against the wall near him.

“A thank you would be great!” yelled Cosmo

But silence was the only answer. Completely misplaced silence.

“Clear”

Dusk stepped over the dead and dying and made his way to the object in the center of the room. “Steeljack, what is this thing?” he asked.

Taking a moment to examine the object, Steeljack stepped back. “Looks like a computer. Probably a small mainframe type”

“Then what’s with the platform?” asked Dusk

“You’re asking me?”

“Does it look like I’m asking anyone else?”

That was when the platform lit up, creating a bright green glowing object.

“What the fuck!?!” yelled Aegis

Through the portal came a small circular object, about the size of a baseball.

“Grenade!” yelled Steeljack as he tackled Dusk out of the way, followed by a resounding BOOM.

“Who’s still alive?” yelled Dusk

“A better question would be to ask who’s dead.” replied Flash

Almost immediately, two figures came through the object. One was a dark green unicorn. The other was a taller purple Alicorn, wielding some sort of massive weapon. “Guess who motherfuckers!” yelled the purple one, as her weapon started spinning.

“Everyone out!” yelled Dusk as he made a run for the entrance. “Bravo, I need coverfire, NOW!” he said into the radio.

“We’re on it.”

Dusk turned around at the door, spraying his rifle in response the the clearly crazy goddess. Steeljack joined him, taking the other side of the door. Aegis, Cosmo and Flash were quick to get out the door.

“Steel, demo charge!” yelled Dusk. Steeljack got the memo, priming one of the charges that he was carrying before throwing it into the room.

BANG!

“And now we run!”

Steeljack and Dusk broke into a sprint, running after their compatriots before they both heard an audible whine.

“Incoming!” yelled Steeljack. Neither him or Dusk were far enough away from the warehouse before they were thrown to the ground by an explosion behind them.

Immediately a black pegasus was on them. “Now, who wants to die first?”

“Lilith, wait!” yelled the green unicorn.

“What?”

“Does anything seem off to you?”

The pegasus looked around. “Lack of ruins?”

“Anything else?”

“No radiation either. Where the hell are we?” added the purple one

While debating what was clearly a lack of destruction, the newly arrived trio was unprepared for a hail of rifle fire from a maddened lunar diarch. Not to say she doesn’t have anger issues, but that’s beyond the point…

“Eat crystal you psychos!” screamed the diarch. Aiming went out the window, with the shots going high. That didn’t stop the purple one from raising a shield.

“Shit! Dead zombie princess! What the fuck is happening?!?!”

“If she’s a dead zombie, how is she shooting at us Star?.”

By this point, Dusk had managed to crawl out of what was a death zone, and took notice of a rather disturbing noise. Yelling.

“It came from over there! Hurry it up!”

“Oh shit.” He quickly took his rifle and sprayed up in the air. “Hey!”

“What?” questioned the diarch “I’m rather busy here!”

“Did anyone notice that the guards are already here?”

“Not a problem, I’ll just have them-”

“NO!”

“So, time to scram then?” quipped Dart

“Right on kid.” Dusk looked at the assailants. “Care to join us ladies?”

“And do what?” questioned the alicorn. “None of this makes sense, so why should we follow you anywhere?

“Because I’m a nice person and I’m easy to forgive when it comes down to getting the fuck away from the guard.”

“Still not convinced…” quipped the unicorn. “What are you doing for us?”

“Keeping you three out of prison. Now let’s go!” said Dusk as he ran for a nearby fire escape, newly expanded group on his tail.

Once they reached the roof, Dusk hit the release for the Guardian’s access ramp. “Alright, everyone in!” Dusk shouldered his rifle and let off a burst towards the oncoming guards. “Steeljack, get us airborne. Preferably now!”

Steeljack nodded as he boarded, heading straight for the cockpit.

“What did you call him?” asked Star, stopping by the end of the ramp as the others filed past.

“Steeljack. Listen, if he was your boyfriend, we can go over-”

“That’s not him.”

“Did he happen to get roasted by massive amounts of fire and radiation?”

“How in the name of the godes-” Star shook her head. “No, that still isn’t him, and that isn’t Luna who shot at us. Now, what the fuck is going on?”

“I’ll explain later. Right now we have to leave.” Dusk turned and ran towards the cockpit, followed by a rather noisy alicorn. “Steeljack, we’re good.”

“Fine by me.” Steeljack reached over and pressed a rather ominous red button. “Cloak should be kicking back in momentarily.”

“So, what have we learned today?”

“Well, the controls seem fine, cloaking works, and the heated seats need some tweaking.” Steeljack hit a few more buttons, and the Guardian began to move on its own. “Autopilot seems to work.” He turned around, noticing a rather confused intruder. “And I would suggest automatic doors.”

“She followed me up here, didn’t she?”

“What do you want me to do? Just sit down?” questioned Star

“That would make my life easier.” said Dusk, pushing Star out of the cockpit with his magic. “So, sit the hell down. We’ll go over everything later.”

“But-”

CLICK

“At least the doors are soundproofed.” Dusk grabbed the chair on Steeljack’s right. “Who are they?”

“Old friends. Thought you would of guessed that much.”

Dusk seemed to ponder something for a moment. “They were with you when you got.. You know.”

Steeljack nodded. “Goes without saying Now, what are you planning on telling them?”

“Just how we found you with preserved cranial tissue and managed to craft you a new body with that blank-whatever.”

“Nothing else then?”

Dusk just shook his head. “Not my place. If you want to go over post-mortem bullshit then be my guest.”

“Thanks.” Steeljack seemed to be deep in thought. “Just keep them away from me for now. I need some time to think.”

“I’ll do what I can, but I doubt I make a decent brick wall.”

____________________________________________________

Manehattan Wire, 8:00PM

Celestia had returned to the factory once she had heard of an apparent attack in Manehattan. Considering her knowledge of recent events, it was a simple hypothesis that her new associates were somehow involved.

“So Auntie” asked Blueblood “Are you going to just stand here until they get back?”

“Of course.”

“No other reasons then?”

“No.”

“Not out of concern for a certain psychopath?”

Celestia drew pause. “Are you getting at something Blueblood?”

“Nothing at all. But I do question the need for a noise-maker spell…”

“You heard what the guards were calling over the radio. There were nine dead bodies in that warehouse.”

“Doesn’t matter at this point. They’re already back..” quipped Blueblood.

Celestia noticed a pale green, thing, descending from the sky towards the courtyard. Walking forward, she noticed a ramp drop, and a small crowd filed out, led by a talk purple alicorn. “So, who would you happen to be? Dusk’s latest stray?”

“Stray is such a strong word my dear princess” added Dusk as he slipped past. “Anyway, purple one’s Radiant Star, green mare is Violet and the walking black model of death over there is Lillith. Still working out a theory on why they’re here, but looks like whoever our slavers are, they have some serious tech. Some sort of quantum mirror, energy weapons, armor, really weird computers. And to top it all off, they apparently didn’t know what manners were. Poor bastards…”

“Dusk, you’re quickly giving me a headache.” said Celestia, as she shook her head in disapproval.

“Dear goddesses, they’re both alive. Violet, I’ve gone crazy.” said the purple alicorn.

“Care to explain Dusk?” questioned the diarch.

“Well, they did try to kill us with a bunch of explosives… They know Steeljack and-”

“Alright, back up” interjected Violet “We saw Steeljack get roasted, by a dragon mind you. That is not Steeljack.”

“Well, good to see you again too…” said Steeljack as he walked past the group.

“Really, that isn’t him.” insisted Violet. “And that isn’t Celestia. She died!”

“Look, I obviously need to bring you guys up to speed. Let’s all just go inside, have some drinks and I’ll explain everything.”

____________________________________________________________________

8:05PM

Dusk walked into his office, companions in tow. He was quick to go for his desk, pulling out two bottles of scotch and five glasses, quickly setting up the glasses on his desk and haphazardly filling them. “So then ladies, what do you wish to know?” inquired their host.

“For starters, where the hell are we?” inquired Radiant.

“Equestria, in an alternate universe. By your timeline, you’re in the prewar era. To be accurate, we’re talking roughly thirty years until the bombs start to fall.”

“Bombs?” asked Celestia

“Yes, bombs. Massive war, mass technological advancement, and all ended in an apocalyptic firestorm that resulted in billions of deaths.” Dusk noticed that Celestia had an air of shock to her. “There’s a reason I’ve tried to avoid telling you.”

“And how does that work?” asked Violet “How did we get, well, here?”

“I’m assuming that you followed those soldiers through what was some sort portal. Maybe a Quantum Mirror of some sort. I’m not well versed in multiverse theory.” Dusk paused to sip from his drink “But we’re not here about all of that, are we? No, you want to know how your dead friend is alive.” Dusk stopped to pull a folder out of his desk “It started with a discovery of a mirror of sorts in the Canterlot Archives about four years ago. Based off of some notes that were stored with the artifact Comet managed to figure out how to get it to work, and we had the rather crazy idea of walking through it. From there… From there we found hell.”

__________________________________________________________________________________

Equestrian Wasteland, Tenpony Tower Sublevels, Three Years Ago

“Alright, where the hell are we?” questioned Dusk.

“Well, a basement.” stated a grey earth pony.

“No shit Comet.” groaned a white pegasus. “Dusk, can you talk some sense into this yanker?”

“As much as I’d love to backhand the both of you, he’s on the right track Strike”. Dusk paused to look around, noticing a green flashing screen in the opposite corner. “But what the hell is that?”

Comet walked over to the screen, and examined it with curiosity. “Well, it say’s Stable-Tec.”. Noticing the keyboard, he started punching away at it, and noticed characters appear on the screen. “It’s some sort of type-writer, I think.”. His continued typing led to a change in the screen, with a logo appearing.

“So, are you done playing with toys yet Comet?”

“Strike, shut it.” Comet never took his eyes off the screen. “Ministry of Arcane Sciences... Project Ichor…” Comet turned around and looked at his cohorts. “What the hell is that?”

Then a rather mechanical voice came from the screen. “Local network access reestablished, updating servers.”

“What the actual fuck? Comet, Strike, have I gone crazy?” asked Dusk.

“Server update complete. MAS external connections inactive. Established premise outlined by tier zero proven true. No noticeable outside activity consistent with established civilization norms.”

“Again, what the fuck?”

“New user detected. Please identify.”

“Uh… Comet, what did you do?”

“Please identify to enable further access.”

Comet stepped forward. “Identify new user as Comet Tail.”

“New user ‘Comet Tail’ activated. Granted administrative privileges per tier zero protocols. Welcome to Project Ichor.”

“So Comet, what did you do there?” asked Strike

“Apparently I’ve been granted administrative privileges according to the… Whatever.”

A new voice, somewhat scratchy in nature spoke up from the screen. “It’s called a computer. Specifically a Stable-Tec type five terminal. Software version 1.0.05.0.1. Intelligence program designate ‘Ozymandias’ online and operating at 90.1289% efficiency with no outside maintenance or updates. Welcome Director Tail.”

“Uh… Ok. Thank you Ozymandias.” Comet turned around. “What do I ask it?”

“We know what it is… Maybe ask for access to whatever the project is?” suggested Dusk.

“If you think so Dusk.” Comet turned back to the screen. “Ozymandias, grant access to Project Ichor per directors orders. Identify my compatriots as additional administrators. Designates Dusk Light and Strike Out.” stated Comet.

“Of course. Identifying previously addressed individual as Administrator Light, and openly insulting individual with daddy issues identified as Administrator Out.”

“Since when do I have daddy issues?” asked Strike

“Since my sarcasm and humor subroutines came back online. Retroactively granting access to Project Ichor based off of request of Administrator Light.”

Behind the trio, a section of wall slid away, revealing a sizable laboratory built around a large cylindrical object. As the trio walked in, the door slid shut. A light in the ceiling began to flicker and a holographic purple unicorn appeared.

“What the hell is that supposed to be?” asked Strike.

“Administrator presence confirmed, beginning message playback. To whom it may concern, this message is from Director Twilight Sparkle of the Ministry of Arcane Sciences. Should Project Ichor’s Tier Zero protocols be triggered by outside data through the tower systems, the nearest capable individual will be granted director-level clearance to the project and the full archives stored in this facility. Included are blueprints, reports, historical records, a timeline of the war and any data added to the server through connections to Stable facilities.”

With that, the projector died, and rows of screens lit up along the walls. But three items stole the attention of those viewing the spectacle. A large boxy object in the center of the room began beeping and revealed some sort of large jar, followed by the tube illuminating itself internally, revealing what appeared to be a body. But what was most curious was the presence of a high-backed lounge chair with some sort of probes surrounding where one’s head would be.

“Really, what the hell is all of this stuff?” asked Strike again.

“Other than someone’s crazy idea of a mad scientist’s lair? Couldn’t say.” answered Dusk. “Comet, what do you make of all of this?”

“Don’t know. Some sort of cloning facility?”

“Sirs, the goal of Project Ichor was to create a genetically modified soldier that stands to be more durable, flexible, and have greater motor control. The body you see is a blank that was requisitioned from the Chimera project for the expressed purpose of these modifications. The fluid it is suspended in is an offshoot of IMP development, used to rebuild a blank slate into a modified version of a candidate’s body, as we discovered that cranial transplant enabled the highest success rate. All project progress halted before testing could begin on the current modified blank subject.”

“Nevermind, I know exactly what this place is now!”

“Comet?” asked Strike “Did I ever tell you that you’re a damn asshole?”

“Once a day, twice on Tuesday.” said Comet with a smirk.

“If I may interject for a moment,” asked Dusk “where are we supposed to find available cranial tissue? I do like my brain where it is.”

“Sirs, we could use the external sensors to try and find an appropriately preserved specimen. If one of you uses the terminal chair, we could use the tower sensors to locate one.”

“Dibs on the chair!” yelled Dusk, jumping into the chair. “Ozzy, if I may call you that, how does this work?”

“New designation ‘Ozzy’ accepted. In regards to your inquiry sir, the probes will connect to your nervous system, enabling mental control of the Project’s systems and immediate access to all records in the database.”

“Is it painful?” asked Comet

“Depending on the individual pain tolerance, the initial experience could be somewhat disturbing. Shall I proceed?”

“Do it Ozzy.” ordered Dusk. “So, anyone want to wag--- AGH!!!” Dusk started writhing as the probes appeared to drill into the side of his head.

“Shit! Ozymandias, shut it down now!” yelled Comet

“Negative. Physical override triggered and other users locked out.”

Almost immediately, the probes retracted from Dusk’s head, leaving a rather disgruntled unicorn. He was silent as he got up and walked over to a wall display, which slid away to reveal a rather impressive armory of energy weapons.

“What the hell are those things?” asked Comet

“Energy weapons. Enough for the scientists to protect themselves. Chrome one is a metal blaster, the other big ones are laser rifles. The two small ones are laser pistols. They’re all supplied by MicroFusion Cells, mounted in a port on the side of the weapon. Each cell supports twenty shots before requiring replacement.”

“Dusk,” asked Strike “How do you know what those are?”

“The probes granted me access to the database. While the scan was running I had Ozzy show me the database. Granted he didn’t know to throttle anything back, but he’s a basic AI. Nothing that I can do about that.”

“Sir, I have the precise coordinates for you. I’ll upload them to your pipbuck.”

“Thanks Ozzy.” Dusk grabbed a cylindrical bracer out of the armory, putting it on his right arm. “Comet, Strike, I’ll be gone for a bit. Maybe a day at most. Just stay down here, and no one should find you two.”

“And you plan on ditching us to go do what now?” asked Strike

“Got a location where I can find a brain. Just going to go get it and come back.” answered Dusk. “So stay here. No reason for the boys upstairs to find us.”

“Boys upstairs?” asked Comet “What do you mean?”

“Sorry, too busy teleporting!” yelled Dusk, as he popped away to parts unknown.

______________________________________________

Manehattan Wire, Present Day

“So, to keep this short, I found where Steeljack was buried, nearly got killed by a dragon, managed to kill said dragon, grabbed his brain after some field archeology and got back in time for dinner.” Dusk paused to take a swig of his scotch bottle “All things considered, irradiated chips taste nasty. Probably the worst dinner I’ve ever had, but that’s beyond the point. Once I got back with his brain, we just tossed it into the Ichor device and let the machine do it’s job. All said, we probably spent three days in that room before we left, and you can fill in what happened then.”

“But Steeljack got roasted.” stated Radiant “How the hell did his brain survive?”

“Simple, radiation is a sneaky little bastard” answered Dusk. “Looking back, I could have grabbed some tissue samples to test my theory, but while his dermal layers were toast and by appearance he was dead, that radiation at the least kept his brain alive. Some of the information in the database referred to something called Ghoulification. I think that could have had something to do with it.”

“Do you expect me to believe any of this?” asked Star. “Live goddesses, no radiation? Who the hell are you?”

“Didn’t we already go over this? My name’s Dusk, and I-”

“Shut up, just shut up.” order Star, getting up from her chair and throwing Dusk against his desk. “That is not Steeljack, that is not Celestia. Luna didn’t shoot at us, AND YOU’RE GOING TO START TALKING!”

“Are you done?” asked Dusk indifferently “Because I do have a 10:00 that I need to keep.”

“I’d listen to the lady and start talking. Otherwise I could always start cutting…” suggested Lilith, flexing her black metal wings.

“I might have a problem with that.” Star and Lilith turned around, to find Steeljack standing in the door with a rifle pointed at them. “Now get off him Star.”

“And who do you think you are?”

“Who was on top of Patch when we visited Theater?”

“That doesn’t mean anything.” said Star. “Violet, back me up.”

“Nope. I’m just going to sit here until this shit starts making sense.”

“Look, Star now would be a good time to get off me.” said Dusk, as his horn began to glow.

“Why? What are you planning on doing about it?”

“This.”

BOOM!

Star and Lilith were thrown back through the wall, landing on the factory floor below in a rather undignified manner.

“Celestia, take care of the pegasus. Purple one is mine.” said Dusk.

“And why should I?” asked the Diarch.

“Because that psycho is rather good with a rocket launcher.”

“Rocket launcher?”

“Think a shoulder-fired cannon.” said Dusk as he dropped off the ledge.

____________________________________________________

Star groaned as she got back up, using her minigun as leverage. Lilith was in a similar predicament.

Dusk dropped down from the upper level, pulling out a knife as he walked over to Star. “Didn’t I tell you to get off me?” he asked. “And now I busted up my office. Look, I can’t imagine what sort of shit is going through your head. But you need to calm the fuck down and try to listen.”

“Listen to what? How you plan on keeping us here? Torturing us for information? I’ve been through worse hell than some kid throwing me through a wall.”

“I want you to think critically!” insisted Dusk. “I know that the lack of devastation seems far fetched, but it isn’t. Do you honestly think that there wouldn’t be a world that hasn’t been annihilated by megaspells?”

“Why should I believe you? I’ve fought the Element of Magic, a corrupted Ministry Mare, countless psychopaths, and you want me to believe that the world didn’t end?”.

“I want you to believe that this world didn’t end! I’ve seen the Wasteland. I’ve fought raiders and nearly died of radiation poisoning. So I know where you come from Ms. Star. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that you just don’t think that any of this could be possible. But here you are, aren’t you?”

“You know, you might be onto something. If I’m really here, then I could easily pick you up and toss you through a wall.” said Star as she lit her horn.

“I’m going to feel this in the morning, aren’t I?”

______________________________________________________________________________

SHITTTTTT!

BANG!

Damn, my leg!

“Go get him Star!” yelled Lilith. “Now, where was I?”

“You were going to sit there while I tried to make you see reason.” stated Celestia. “Don’t you see how foolish this fighting is? There is no reason for us to try and kill each other when there are clearly more important issues at hand.”

“How is the clear lack of devastation seeing reason?”

“Lilith, is it so unusual to assume that there can be peace?” inquired the princess.

“I’ve seen enough to doubt that.” said Lilith as she got up.

“Then you do realize that I can’t let you just get up and help your friend?”

“And what’s stopping me?” asked Lilith as she picked up her rocket launcher.

“Two things. First is that your friend must fight her battle alone.” Celestia took the opportunity to charge her horn. “Second, I’m a good shot.”

Lilith’s rocket launcher began to whine. “Then lets dance!”

______________________________________________________________________________

Violet took her moment of peace to look around the damaged office, taking note of an old set of armor adorning a stand near the newly-widened door. It was old royal guard armor. It was brass plate over a kevlar cloth, with black paint hiding most of the brass’ trademark color, bar trim along the edges and seams. The helmet was long gone, replace with a kevlar hood and a black shemagh scarf. The vambraces showed signs of modification, with additional layers of plate added to reinforce them. On the right vambrace was a heavily worn symbol; the mark of Celestia.

“That’s Meteor Shower’s armor.” said Steeljack, noticing the attention that Violet was paying to the set.

“Who’s Meteor Shower?” inquired Violet.

“He was Dusk’s grandfather. From what I’ve been told, he died while what was left of Blaze Squad at the time took on a platoon of Changelings that were harassing the border regions near Dodge Junction.”

“Assuming I believe you, which I’m still rather iffy on, how long ago was that?”

“About seven years ago. I’ve been here for just about three years.” said Steeljack.

“Well, assuming you’re well, you, you seem like you’re taking care of yourself.” said Violet.

“Ya, well with a lack of death at every turn, that makes taking care of myself relatively easy…” Steeljack paused for a moment, seeming to choke up. “Violet, what happened to Patch? What about the twins?”

“Well, Patch is doing OK. After Starry Night and Lightning Chaser were born, she settled in at Theater. Lilith and Danish have helped where they could, babysat, taught them how to shoot. You know, normal wasteland stuff.”

“How old are they now?”

“That’s a bit complicated…” said Violet, staring at her feet. “The radiation spiked their development. Everything slowed down a few years ago, but they’re both the equivalent of young adults.”

“I asked how old they are.” said Steeljack with a dark look in his eyes.

“Twelve. They’re twelve.” said Violet.

“Damn…” Steeljack paused for a moment, seeming to take in this new information, tears starting to stream down his face. “And I’ve missed it all?”

“Why would you care?” asked an impassive Violet.

Steeljack grabbed Violet by the collar, pinning her against the wall. While doing that, he knocked an old pocket watch off of Dusk’s desk. That pocket watch began to glow a light yellow.

“Because I’ve missed everything!” yelled Steeljack. “I missed everything...”

“Boy, let the lady go.” said an unfamiliar voice. Steeljack turned around to find a blue earth pony standing behind him. His mane had long gone grey, and he was wearing an old black t-shirt paired to equally old cargo pants.

“Who the hell are you?”

SHIT!

“Who was that?” asked the stallion.

“My boss getting thrown around again. Now, who are you?” asked Steeljack again.

“Meteor Shower.” said the stallion as he turned to leave the office.

“Care to say that again?”

“Meteor Shower. Now if you’re done with the stupid questions, I have to stop my grandson from getting his sorry ass handed to him.”

______________________________________________________________________________

“And meanwhile, back at the Legion of Doom…” snarked a bloodied Dusk.

“Just shut the fuck up!” yelled Star, landing a punch right to the ribs. All the while, Lilith and Celestia kept playing their game of cat and mouse...

BOOM!

“Lady, can you just stand still for one fucking minute!” yelled Lilith

“We’ve gone over this already, haven’t we?” asked the princess. “The fact of the matter is that-” OOF! The princess was cut off by a quick uppercut from her opponent, staggering her back.

“See, was that so hard?” asked the pegasus.

“I’d say that it was sheer stupidity.” said a new voice.

“Oh it was… Wait, wha-”

ZZZZZZZZZZTTTTTT!

Lilith didn’t even get a chance to see her attacker before she crumpled to the ground into an undignified heap. The new arrival, a blue stallion, quickly stepped over his opponent to tend to the princess.

“Captain Meteor Shower at your service.” said the stallion as he took a bow.

“Meteor Shower… Tell me, how did you pull that spell off?” questioned Celestia “I thought you lost your horn at the Battle of Midlothian Ridge?”

The stallion stood up and cracked a smile. “So you do remember me? I’m touched.”

“Captain…”

“Simple really. With no horn to direct my magic, I had to develop some more… Creative ways of tapping into it.” Meteor held his hand up, letting electricity crackle off of his fingertips. “It’s all a matter of how you direct the spell. Although metal wings attached to a live current would logically shock the hell out of the lady wearing them if I, say, grabbed said wings.”

“You’re a madman.”

“Well aware of it m’lady.”

By this point, Meteor took note of the beating his kin was receiving at the hands of an enraged purple alicorn. “Oi! Didn’t I teach you how to fight?” yelled Meteor.

Dusk took notice of the yelling, and went pale when he saw who was making all of the noise. That left Star with an opening to grab Dusk and throw him through one of the factory’s storage sheds.

“Great. Just fucking great!” Meteor started charging up his electricity spell as he walked over to the alicorn.

“Hey lady!” he yelled. “Go fuck yourself!” With that, he shot a lightning bolt from his palm, catching Star square in the chest. She didn’t even make a noise before she hit the ground, twitching from the effects of the lighting bolt.

Meteor ran over to where Dusk landed, digging through a pile of splintered wood only to find the vest he was wearing under the rubble. That’s when someone tapped his left shoulder. Turning around, Meteor found himself face to face with a furious unicorn.

“You’re right. You did teach me how to fight.” Dusk delivered a massive punch to Meteor’s jaw, knocking the old stallion on his ass.

“At least you don’t hit like a girl anymore.” joked the old stallion, spitting out blood on the ground as he tried to get up.

“Another astute assessment.” Dusk delivered a kick to Meteor’s gut before grabbing his mane and dragging him to his feet. “So, what have we learned?”

“That you’re an angry young stallion?”

Dusk delivered another punch, striking Meteor in his ribcage. “No. Next time, make sure you’re actually dead.”

Dusk charged up his horn, casting a telekinetic field over his grandfather and smashing him into the brick wall that made up the factory’s facade before dropping him on the ground.

“Cosmo! Dart! Get your asses out here and clean up this fucking mess!” yelled Dusk as he stepped over his grandfather’s unconscious body.

Author's Note

With some remedial editing done as of 4/25/15

Chapter 10

Canterlot Castle

Palmer began to stir when she first heard the beeping of a heart monitor, followed by snoring. She opened her eyes and pushed herself up in bed before looking around her room. She saw Lasky slumped over in a chair dozing away, while out in the hall she heard some sort of yelling. Slowly, the Spartan swung out of bed and took the heart monitor off its stand before moving to the door and swinging it open.

“-and not once did you even try to send us some sort of message you pedantic asshole!” yelled a mint-green unicorn

Dusk put his hands up in defeat. “Well I’m sorry that I was-” the stallion was interrupted when the mare mashed her lips into his. Pushing her back, Dusk cocked an eyebrow. “Where the hell did that come from?”

“Probably hormones.” added Palmer.

The mare looked at the Spartan with shock.

“Eh, makes sense.” Dusk had to do a double-take after he spoke. “Palmer, you’re awake! And you saw-”

“Yes, and I’ll gladly forget that little display at the first opportunity.” The Spartan clutched at the lower part of her chest. “So, want to tell me what happened?”

“Receiving end of a Scorpion.” said the mare. “Can’t say I’ve seen anyone survive a direct hit from one before.”

“Palmer, this is Dart.” noted Dusk. “Anyway, odds are the ribcage is my fault. CPR and and all that jazz tends to leave some bruises.”

“Well then thanks for all of this wonderful discomfort.” snarked Palmer. “So, when can I leave?”

“You can leave now Palmer.”

“Good. And get a room while you’re at it.” The Spartan took the opportunity to march out of the castle infirmary, ripping off and dropping the heart monitor as she went. Looking down, she saw she was wearing nothing but a set of scrubs and some socks. Groaning at her appearance, she wandered around the halls for a bit before finally coming out into a courtyard.

“Excuse me ma’am.” asked a guard who followed her out of the building. “The Princesses would like to speak with you.”

“Great, now I need to deal with politicians.” Palmer walked back into the castle, before turning around and facing the guard. “Well, where am I going?”

______________________________________________________________________________

Celestia sat on the sofa in her study, Twilight opposite of her with a tacpad. “What else can you tell me about Sarah?”

Twilight pursed her lips as she read through Palmer’s file on the tacpad. “Well, it appears that she’s been known to be snippy and has some minor issues with personal attachment, according to her psychological reports.”

As the door to the study opened, a guard ushered Palmer into the room before shutting the door.

“Twilight, I’d like some privacy.” As the younger princess teleported away, Celestia looked over to Palmer and smiled. “Have a seat Sarah.”

Palmer hesitated for a moment before taking a seat on the sofa opposite of the princess.

As Celestia took a sip of her tea, she giggled a bit before putting the cup down. “I would’ve expected a ‘supersoldier’ to be a bit taller.”

“That supposed to be a joke?” asked Palmer.

“It was, but you did prove part of your psychological profile.” Celestia picked up her tea and took a dainty sip. “Which brings me to my point. You need a vacation Sarah.”

“I’m sorry, a vacation?”

“Yes. Consider this an intervention of sorts.” noted the Princess. “Since you joined the Marine Corps in 2542, the most time you’ve ever spent outside of a combat zone was when you were on Lockhart Station in 2552, and that was because you nearly died.”

“I still don’t get it.”

The Princess sighed. “I wouldn’t expect you to. Regardless, you won’t be allowed back on duty for at least a week. Take the time and relax, because I fear that the coming days won’t provide an opportunity for rest.”

Palmer got up to leave, and started to walk towards the door. Before she could open it, an envelope popped into existence right in front of her. Palmer grabbed the envelope and walked out into the hall. Tearing it open, she found two tickets, with the words “Grand Galloping Gala” printed right on them. The Spartan shrugged and stuffed the two tickets into her shirt pocket.

______________________________________________________________________________

Lasky was sitting out in the courtyard with a small group that Dusk had brought him to meet. He mostly sat and watched, trying to gauge who these ponies were. Palmer snuck into the courtyard beside him, before elbowing his arm.

“You look bored.”

“I wouldn’t say that.” said the Captain. “Most of these… Ponies are fine. There’s just too much going on right now.”

“I know how you feel.” said a black earth pony as he walked up. “Name’s Steeljack.”

“Tom Lasky. Captain of the Infinity.” Lasky looked around the group. “Anyone see Dusk?”

Steeljack shrugged. “I was gonna ask if you’d seen Dart, mint green unicorn, bit of a mouth?”

“Depends on how she’s using it.” snarked Palmer.

Steeljack turned to face the Spartan, visibly angry. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”

“Look, the girl was throwing herself at Dusk last time I saw the two.” said Palmer. “Does it really take an egghead to put two and two together?”

Steeljack shook his head, before Dart jumped on his back. “What the hell!”

The mare dropped down off her mentor before ducking in front of him while Dusk snuck into the courtyard behind the unsuspecting stallion, Lasky and Palmer watching the whole affair and trying not to laugh.

“Miss me?” asked the mare.

Steeljack sighed, before noting Dart’s damp mane. “Shower?”

“Ya, why?”

Palmer started snickering behind the two, before walking off and laughing hysterically.

“Something funny Palmer?” asked Dusk as he walked up to the Spartan.

“Good to know you value my experience enough to take my sarcasm seriously.”

Dusk went beet red. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” he said as he scratched the back of his head.

“Just keep telling yourself that.”

Steeljack approached the two, clearly angry. “Dusk, what the hell did you do?”

“I just told Palmer that I don’t know what’s going on. Care to fill me in?”

Dart just brushed past Steeljack. “Eh, fuck it.” She wrapped her arms around the back of Dusk’s neck before embracing him with a deep, passionate kiss. She turned around and found a confused Steeljack. “What? I’ve got lost time to make up for.”

Steeljack sighed. “Somepony break out the cider!” he yelled as he walked away from the group.

“That went well.” said Dusk as he looked down at Dart, his augmentations putting him half a foot over the mare.

Dart reached up and pecked her new coltfriend on the cheek. “Not like Steeljack could’ve stopped me anyway.”

Dusk chuckled. “Let me guess, it’s because you always win in the end?”

“Damn straight.” said the mare as she elbowed him in the gut. “Especially since you taught me how to plan so well.”

“Good to know. Anyway, how’s it hangin’ Palmer?”

The Spartan cocked an eyebrow. “What?”

Dusk shook his head. “Look, Palmer, if you’re gonna roll with me and my associates here you need to learn how we operate as a group. Take Steeljack for example, he’s the overprotective paternal figure. Me? I’m the group asshole. Strike and Comet are the equivalent of the old married couple-”

“Just keep telling yourself that asshole!” yelled Strike from across the courtyard.

“They even hear everything I say. Cosmo is that one uncle who’s never around, and when he is he’ll either ignore you or insult you-”

“Since when?” asked the Ranger.

“Proving a point here Cosmo. Gramps is the old guy who really doesn’t have a sense of family responsibility, Dart’s the outsider trying to get along with everyone and Blueblood is the guy we all like because he’s got the checkbook… And because he’s good at the undercover-superspy shit.”

“What about everyone-”

“Everypony.” corrected Dart.

“-everypony else?” finished the Spartan.

“Extended family?” suggested Dusk.

“Good to know.” Palmer looked around at the assembled group before furrowing her brow.

“Something wrong Palmer?”

“I just got told I need a vacation.” The Spartan sighed. “And your Princess gave me these.” she said as she fished the tickets out of her pocket.

Dusk just gave a low whistle. “Never thought you to be the frilly type Palmer.”

“What?”

“Look, the Grand Galloping Gala is one of the biggest borefests that happens in this city.” explained Dart. “Although…”

Dusk smirked. “Dart, your genius is showing.

“I’ll say it again, what?”

“Old sun-butt is trying to switch things up again.” said Dart. “A few years back, she invited the Elements of Harmony. They completely trashed the place, made the nobles panic, stuff like that.”

“So, we can conclude that Celestia is hoping that you’ll make an appearance and shake things up a bit.” noted Dusk. “But you’ll need something more than your armor, considering it’s trashed.”

“Alright, so what do you suggest?” asked the Spartan. “Because ‘frilly’ really isn’t my forte.”

Dusk stopped to think. “I think I’ve got an idea… Just give me some time to throw the details together.”

______________________________________________________________________________

“No.”

“Palmer-”

“I said no Dusk.” snorted the Spartan. “You’ll need to kill me before you get me to wear…”

“I for one thing it’s a great idea.” said Madsen. “Take it from me Commander, but I think you’d look great in a dress.”

As Madsen and Hoya started snickering, Palmer picked up a paperweight off Dart’s desk and chucked it at his head. “And under no circumstances will you find me in one. I’ll stick to my dress uniform.”

Dusk shook his head. “Palmer, I’ll make you a deal-”

“Is it just me, or is there an echo in here?” asked the Spartan.

“Palmer, just listen.” groaned Dusk. “You, me, sparring match. If I win, you go get a dress made for the gala. If you win, you get the dress blues.”

Palmer seemed to think over the proposal for a moment, before smirking. “Really? That isn’t even a challenge.”

“We’ll see about that.”

______________________________________________________________________________

Dusk made sure to get his armor squared away before he made for the palace garden.. After finding Palmer, wearing a set of Recruit armor due to her set being unavailable, the pair made for their impromptu “date”, attracting a crowd of marines and guards on their way.

“Is it really so boring around here that the locals want to watch me kick your ass?” asked Palmer.

Dusk didn’t say a word as the two walked out into the garden, as the marines and guards tried to find decent vantage points. “Alright, first person to tap out looses. No holds barred. We clear?”

“Fine, lets-”

Palmer didn’t have a chance to finish her sentence before Dusk rushed the Spartan, grabbing the back of her armor and tossing the Spartan clear across the garden.

Not to be outdone, Palmer tried a similar move, only to be met with a fist to the face. As her shields flared, Dusk delivered a quick kick to the back of her knee, forcing to Spartan to the ground.

Dusk dodged the Spartan’s arm as it went wide, before Palmer rushed forward and delivered a right-hook straight into his gut, before he brought his locked hands straight down and smashing into Palmer’s helmet. Dragging the Spartan to her feet, he threw her at the wall before delivering a flurry of blows directed at his opponent’s head.

As her shields slowly were drained under the assault, Palmer, grabbed Dusk’s fist, before swinging around and bashing Dusk’s helmet into the marble wall. Over the cheering crowd of guards and marines, she never head Lasky yelling for her to stop from the sidelines..

With Palmer distracted, Dusk teleported away, before reappearing right behind Palmer and blasting her into the cratered wall with a burst of magic. Not to be outdone, he grabbed her arm and threw her over his shoulder straight into the ground, leaving a small crater.

“Done yet Palmer?”

The Spartan got to her feet, before staggering her stance to maintain balance. “Not even close.”

Dusk teleported behind Palmer once more, before twisting her arm behind her back and pulling upwards. As Palmer’s armor began to groan under stress, she tried to flail her other arm in an attempt to break free, only for Dusk to grab it and do the same.

“Alright, you win!” yelled the Spartan. As Dusk let her go, she dropped to her knees and rolled her shoulders. Ripping her helmet off and tossing it, she just sat there.

Dusk knelt down next to his defeated partner, taking off his own helmet. “Good match.”

“Sarah, what the hell was that?” questioned Lasky as he broke free of the dispersing crowd.

“That was me losing a bet Tom.” groaned the Spartan.

“Losing a bet?”

“Don’t ask.” Palmer got to her feet and grabbed her helmet before walking back inside the palace.

“Where’s she going?” asked the Captain.

Dusk snickered. “The last place she ever wanted to go.”

“And that would be?”

“To get a dress made.”

______________________________________________________________________________

Palmer strode down the halls, clearly still fuming. Most of the marines and guards tried to give her a wide berth after she was soundly beaten in front of the lot of them.

“Commander!” yelled Thorne as he ran up behind her.

“Not now Thorne.”

Thorne strode up beside the other Spartan. “What do you think I’m gonna do?”

Palmer stopped. “Point out how I couldn’t beat a cocky asshole?”

“No, I was going to ask if you knew where you were going yet.”

Palmer furrowed her brow. “You have an idea?”

“Ya, there’s a seamstress out in the suburbs. I’m planning on heading out there as it is anyway.”

“Huh?”

Thorne rubbed the back of his head. “I kinda got volunteered for the Gala band…”

Palmer crossed her arms. “And what’d you do to get stuck with the honor?”

“Grant opened her mouth about how I can play the violin.”

Palmer stopped dead for a moment before laughing hysterically. “And I thought I was bad. Here before me is the example of declining masculinity-”

Thorne held his hand up. “Look, I learned as a kid from my grandmother. I tried to keep in practice over the years, and Grant found me playing my old violin when I went home to New Phoenix-”

“So she thought you’d be perfect.” Palmer shook her head. “I guess misery loves company.”

______________________________________________________________________________

Ponyville, two hours later.

Palmer and Thorne took a Warthog out to the town he mentioned. As the two drove around looking for the seamstress’ shop, they drew the attention of some of the locals, more so the children as they drove past.

“Mind telling me what I’m looking for Thorne?” asked Palmer. “Pretty sure we’re lost.”

“It’s a white house, looks kinda like an old plantation building from the southeastern states back on Earth.”

Palmer pulled off to the side of the road, jarring her thumb at the building across from them. “So, that then?”

The two Spartans didn’t say another word as they hopped out of the Warthog and walked into the boutique.

“-and I must say that you look wonderful in the new dress.” said a white unicorn.

“Glad someone else thinks so.” said Dart as she turned around. “Glad you could join the party Palmer.”

“Just shut it.”

“Rarity, your next victim is here.” quipped Dart before she teleported away.

“Oh, pardon my manners.” said the unicorn as she walked over to Palmer. “You must be the poor soul that Dart was telling me about.”

“I’m sorry, but poor soul?”

Rarity grabbed the Spartan with her magic, dragging her over to her set of mirrors before she started taking measurements. “For one, you seem to have been detached from the finer aspects in life-”

“What finer aspects?” questioned Palmer. “Last I checked one of the finer aspects of life was to avoid getting killed.”

“But you never thought to have a night out? Maybe go to a movie?” asked Rarity as she finished her “Which leads me to a question, what do you do for work?”

“I’m a soldier.”

“Mmmm... “ Rarity levitated a notepad over to her, and began writing down her measurements, as well as some other notes. “Explains why you don’t get out much… Anyway, I can have your dress ready in an hour. Now, who’s next?”

______________________________________________________________________________

Palmer took her sweet time walking around town trying to kill time. After knocking out a crazed mare yelling something about humans, she decided it would just be easier to go back to the boutique. As she walked in, she saw Thorne decked out in what looked like an officer's uniform of some sort, trimmed out in gold thread.

“I should be all set Thorne. The Princess took care of the payment in advance.”

“Alright.” Thorne turned to Palmer. “Well?”

“Thorne, the day I start giving out compliments for appearances is the day that I decided I’m in need of a career change.”

“Alright then, I’ll meet you outside.”

As her companion walked out of the building, Palmer rolled her eyes. “I take it I’m next?”

“Dear, your friend was just a sample of my brilliance.” Rarity levitated a silver dress, lined out in red velvet, a pair of low-heeled shoes and small sapphire earings to complement the ensemble. “Well?”

Palmer didn’t say a word as she examined the dress. “Where’d you get the ideas for the color?”

“Call it mare’s intuition.” said the designer.

“I guess it’s OK…” mumbled the Spartan. “But are you sure you didn’t lift the colors from my armor specs?”

“I’m sorry?”

“My armor. It’s the same color.” said Palmer.

Rarity paused. “Something about those colors just clicked, you know?”

“Alright then.” Palmer folded up the dress, before grabbing a bag off the counter and placing the clothing in with care. “I’ll try it on later. I’ve got a two hour drive ahead of me, and I’d rather get moving.”

“Of course darling.” As Palmer started walking out the door, Rarity perked up. “Oh, and enjoy the gala!”

______________________________________________________________________________

Canterlot Castle

Palmer looked herself over with her mirror. After getting back, she had tried on the dress and found it fit perfectly. While she was avoiding any sort of opinion on her new garb, she was quick to change into her training gear and pack away the dress. With everything packed away, she decided a quick food-run was in order.

As Palmer navigated the hallways, she got a few stares from some of the guards and marines. Walking into the dining hall, she found Dusk, Dart and Steeljack talking over drinks. “You’re an ass, you know that?”

Dusk smirked. “Maybe I am?” taking a sip from his coffee, Dusk gestured back to the Spartan. “Nice earrings by the way.”

Checking her ears, Palmer realized she forgot to take off the earrings. She tried to get them off, but had no luck. “How the hell do you get these things off?”

“Mare’s secret.” snarked Dart.

Palmer gave up, clearly unable to take the jewelry off. “Figures I’d be beaten by a pair of earrings.” she groaned.

“Just look at the positive Palmer…” Dusk tapped his chin for a moment. “Granted you’d have to figure out what the positives are in this situation.”

“Then allow me to make the lot of you good about yourselves!” yelled Patch as she walked in. Swinging into the seat next to Steeljack, she gave him a quick peck on the cheek before tossing a tacpad down on the table. “Enclave’s on the move. From the looks of it, they’ve managed to get a few of their agents on the guest list for the gala.”

“And how did they-”

“Not a clue.” said the mare. “Regardless, the opportunity to snatch up some Enclave agents seems worth the time.”

“Alright the, get a plan on my desk within the hour.” quipped Dart before she swallowed the rest of her coffee. “I’ll see what I can do about finding some undercover…” The mare looked over at Palmer. “Congratulations Palmer. You’ll now need that second ticket.”

______________________________________________________________________________

UNSC Infinity

Lasky sat on the couch in his ready room back on Infinity, going over reports regarding Enclave activity and previous Equestrian encounters with ONI.

“Captain.” chimed Roland. “Palmer’s here to speak with you.”

“Send her in.” Lasky put down his tablet, looking up at his visitor. “Something wrong Sarah?”

The Spartan grabbed the chair from behind Lasky’s desk and plopping down. “I need a favor.”

“Alright. Fire away.”

“I’ll need…” Palmer sighed. “Look, I need a date for this gala.” she said as she handed Lasky a ticket.

“Since when do you care for formalities?”

“I never started.” stated the Spartan. “But the Equestrians got word that a handful of Enclave agents will be making an appearance.”

“So, they want to keep up appearances-”

“-and then spring a trap and grab the bastards.”

Lasky sat back and smiled. “Simple enough. When is it?”

“Tomorrow night. Dusk wants everyone to meet at some factory out in the sticks to go over the plan, and then we’ll head in from there.”

“Well then Sarah, if that’s all I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

As the Spartan got up and left, Roland’s avatar shimmered into existence. “Captain, I’ve got Lord Hood on comms for you.”

The Captain rose, straightening out his uniform while Roland opened the channel. “Lord Hood. What can I do for you sir?”

“You can start by rolling out the red carpet.” joked the Admiral. “The UEG Council has me heading out to initiate formal diplomatic relations with these ‘Equestrians’.”

“I thought we had that covered?”

“The Council seems to be questioning that. Considering they gave me the orders after they read the files that we received on Osman and some of ONI’s more recent activities, I get the feeling that they want to ensure that everything is going smoothly.”

“When can I expect you to get here?” asked the Captain.

“I’ll be there early tomorrow morning aboard the Aladdin. As of now, it should be around 0500.”

Lasky smirked. “Then you’ll be here just in time for our little breakfast meeting.”

Interlude II

Canterlot Vale Estate

Archer cocked an eyebrow while Dusk sat back and smiled. "So, stop me if I'm getting some of this wrong... You got abducted by humans, experimented on, said humans tried to put you in a position of authority-"

"Which backfired spectacularly." Added Dusk.

Archer rolled her eyes. "You came back, some other crap happened... Then Princess Celestia showed you some sort of chamber under the castle where the multitude of universes intersect?"

Dusk frowned and leaned forward. "Ya... Sounds better in my head, right?"

"Where's your proof?"

Dusk got up out of his chair and walked out of the office. "You coming kid?" Archer rose from her chair and followed Dusk down to the basement, stopping at a solid metal door. Dusk slid it open and hit a lightswitch, illuminating his personal armory. He walked in and approached his old burnt-out armor. "Still having trouble believing me?"

Dart ran her fingers over the jagged chestplate and turned her attention to the intact example to the right. "I'm starting to think that some of that was more plausible then I wanted to believe... So what happened to this anyway?"

"For that, I need to explain a bit more." Said Dusk as he leaned up against his workbench. "I'm going to tell you about my first real suicide mission."

Interlude III

Canterlot Vale Estate

"Quick question..." Asked Archer. "What does something my father did have anything to do with you going on a suicide mission?"

Dusk leaned back in his chair. "You got a point... Should've waited until Cloud got here for it to make sense."

"Well you did make Palmer's kidnapping sound interesting."

Dusk rolled his eyes. "Then I'm glad you made it."

Cloud walked into the armory and shut the door behind him. He pulled a small black box out of his pocket and tossed it to Dusk. "You're really lucky that I managed to dodge my parents with that."

Dusk opened the box, looking at the small golden ring, topped with a canary diamond. "Then you don't know what type of hell I had to go through to get Dart's ring size." He looked over at Archer and glowered. "This doesn't leave this room, got it?"

Archer nodded. "I don't even know what we're talking about."

"Good kid." Muttered Dusk. "You know if everything is ready for dinner tomorrow?"

Cloud nodded. "Blueblood is just tying up the loose ends with the kitchen staff."

"What about Steeljack and Patch? You know if they'll be there?"

Cloud nodded once more. "They just came through the portal this morning. Blueblood has them set up in the palace while they're here."

"Good... Now, you want to join us?"

Cloud shrugged. "Why not? I'm not doing anything else today."

"Alright then... We were just getting onto the suicide mission."