The Dauntless

  Visari, the vicious Helghast leader is vanquished, lying dead at the feet of the ISA but the war is far from over. Helghast forces have mounted a devastating counter attack, forcing the ISA to evacuate planet Helghan. As new Helghast battalions appear, armed with more powerful weapons. ISA forces are on the brink of defeat as they now find themselves out manned, outgunned and surrounded.

"Is every pony ready to go?" Asked a all to eager twilight sparkle as she looked over a list of supply's ranging from food to paper's and quill's.

"Do you all ways have to make a list for everything?" Asked Rainbow dash as she flow just above the ground giving twilight a annoyed stare.

"I will take that as a yes!" Twilight responded in a cheerful tone earning  a eye roll form Dash as she trotted down the road with her five friends in tow and her dragon assistant spike riding on her back.

There destination was a little spot over looking the valley that lay been the town of Ponyville and the city of Canterlot, it truly was a beautiful place and only a half hour walk form town the perfect place for a picnic where they wont be disturbed. As the seven friends walked down the road (minuses Pinkie pie who was bouncing and Rainbow Dash who was flying at a slow pace) They talked about anything that came to mind for the half hour journey.

Upon arriving at there destination they placed the white and red checked blanket on the ground and unpacked what they had with them.

The Seven friend simply talked played some games and ate what was in the basket which unsurprisingly contend mostly apple treats and sugar filed pastries courtesy of apple jack and pinkie pie. It was getting time for the group to head back they had spent about three hours out in the filed they had left town at about 11:30 and they all had things to get done before sundown.

"I hate to say it but its about time for me to pack up" said apple jack "I got to back to the farm and pick up the baskets that a left laying around"

"And musn't fall behind on orders aging I've be so busy seance the boutique opened in Canterlot opened" said rarity a little worried

"All right lets pack up and head home" said Twilight standing up and stretching her legs. As she maid her way to pick up the plate that lay in front of her she stop wean she saw pinkies tail move, no not move, twitch and more than once. "pinkie your tails twitching"

"oh yea... it is!" said pinkie pie like it was nothing as her knee shifted several times. Twilight was going to say something but was cut off by pinkies whole body twitching violently stopping only for a few seconds at a time before bouncing up and down again. All six took a few steps back as they watched there friend shake like mad her body all most falling apart from the shear fore.

"Its a doozy!" pinkie said well shaking making her sound unclear and shaky

"somehow I still find it hard to believe that pinkie pie can predict the future" said Twilight with disbelieve in her voice. She soon saw that all of her friends we're looking at something behind her each with a look of horror on there faces minus pinkie pie as she as still bouncing around behind the rest of there friends

"uh twi" apple jack stared "you should really turn around"

At first Twilight was confused as to why her friends where looking to the sky but as she slowly turned around she soon found out why and it was for a good reason. Looking to the sky Twilight soon had the same expressing as her friends she looked up at the sky with horror as a large and long object plummeted to the ground. The 'object' was in cased in flames as large amounts of smoke trailed behind it as it span in the air.

But what sacred Twilight the most was the fact that it was dangerously close to ponyville.

The pounding of Charleston's heart filled his ears and muffled the rumble of guns and distance sound of explosions as the ISA where helplessly cut down in their last ditch effort to make it home. The smell of smoke and burning flesh stung Charleston's nose, He was

terrified and shaking but had commands to give and men looking up to him, too see them through this and too bring them home.

"This is captain Narville to all isa troops, get to your evac's!"

"We can't get to you there's Helghast everywhere! we need assistance!"

"Negative all forces are in disarray, proceed to the evacuation point!"

"We can't we're pinned down, were not going to make it on time!"

"You are going to make it, we will hold this position as long as we can but we are out of time!"

In anger and frustrating he slammed his radio on a crumbling wall, breaking it into pieces. Taking a minute to collect his thoughts and cool off Charleston reached for the rife that lay next to him, reloading it he gave an simple order "MOVE UP MOVE UP!" Charleston yelled firing at a Helghast who was running to cover successfully hitting his target sending him falling to the ground as the Helghan's gun was tossed into the air then skipped on the hard ground before coming to a stop. "How much further to the evacuation point?" Charleston asked yelling over the chaos.

"just one click, sir!" was his response being one of the best things he heard all day. Time seemed to slow down as a bullet went clean through the solder's forehead and out the other side ripping clean through this helmet. The ISA marine stumbled on his feet as if it only winded him then He fell to the ground motionless, blood gushed out of the wound with no signs of stopping. Charleston only stared at the bloody mess for what felt like hours but was only seconds. His mind raced to think he was alive ten seconds ago, that he just answered his question. Charleston know his man as well, had a family and kid's too and he was so close to seeing them again... only to have it ripped out from under his feet.

"MAN DOWN MAN DOWN!"  Charleston yelled into his ear piece now that his radio was laying on the ground broken.

Charleston popped up from the crumbling stone wall he was hiding behind as he fired his rife just barley missing a Helghast solder that was peaking from behind cover just clipping him in the side. The Helghast clenched his side before ducking in cover again. Charleston had a felling he was not going to becoming back up anytime soon, but he didn't want him getting away form him, Charleston reached for a grande that was hanging on by his side. He quickly puled the pin and tossed it behind the pillar were the Helghast hid, Charleston dove back behind the wall as bullets flew over his head just missing him. The grande went off sending two Helghast flying into the air.

"Your mother would be very upset with you if she saw you do that!" yelled Rogers as he was jumped down from a small drop landing beside Charleston. Rogers was Charleston's right hand man and seconded in commanded as well as a good friend of his, they had been through hell and back with each other and would go back for one anther at a moment's notice. Charleston was about to respond with a joke but a burst of static from his ear piece cut him off.

"Solaris left sector thirty your nine"

"I can't see him!"

"your nine bank bank!"

the two looked up to see a Helghast dropship coming over the ledge of a destroyed building taking aim at a intruder. There was no point in trying to shoot it, the ship was to faraway and there was no way an assault rife could even scratch it, All they could do was watch helplessly. There was Anther burst of static in his head set.

"Command we'er tracking multiple AAPC'S on your location"

He continued to watch the dropship as it ripped the intruder into pieces with ease the intruder fell to the ground sliding across the pavement the only thing that could be heard was twisting metal with each bounce.

"Solaris just bought it I say again Solaris just bought it"

"Get to your evac's!"

"What the fuck is going on!"

Charleston looked around the corner to find more cover further up, seeing a large chunk of concrete that fell from the building next to it. "Hay, think you can give me some covering fire?"

"ya I can do that" Rogers answered.

"All right, ready when you are" Charleston had to control his heavy breathing and pounding heart as he rested his back on the stone wall. He had been in many battles before and survived but it never got any easier.

Rogers popped up from the wall yelling "COVERING FIVE" shooting at the Helghast's position forcing them to duck in cover. Charleston run as fast as he could toward the large chunk of concrete a trail of bullets following him, being fired form a large mounted gun .With out being able to stop in time he slammed himself in to the wall, looking back to see an ISA soldier that diced to follow him running toward him. Blood gushed out in a cloud of red mist as he fell to the ground clenching his shoulder letting out a cry of pain. Charleston's instants kicked in as he ran back and grabbed the marine by the bag on his back and puled him behind the slab of concrete with dumb luck the MG overheated just at the right time.

"MEDIC I NEED A MEDIC!" Charleston yelled out. Soon after two ISA troops made there way to him well anther few marines pinned down the MG gunner. One of the men had a white helmet and red cross on it, a medic "your going to be all right" Charleston told the wounded soldier trying to comfort him. Once the medic arrived he did not wast time on getting to work "you take care of him I'm going to clear us a path to the evac point"

"Yes sir" he simply responded not taking his eyes off his work.  Again Charleston's head set let out a burst of static.

"Get out of the road"

"Which-which way?!"

"Get out of the road!"

"AAAHHH!"

Charleston looked around the corner seeing a Helghast that was trying to get closer luckily he didn't see him, bringing up his rife taking aim as the rife bucked in his arms knocking the Helghan soldier to the ground. His friend on the MG saw what he did and was not happy, a large stream of Bullets started eating way at the concrete pausing a few seconds to steady his aim and let the gun cool down.

As Charlestons ear piece flared to life yet again, but this time he was relived to hear what it said "Hang on were on were way" This message was to him only.

'Finally help' Charleston thought to himself

"Helghast armor on intersect, we got them... firing!"

"Hell ya!, this is path finder 42 we cleared a route to the evac!"

"Helps on the way hold your ground!" Charleston command. Than hearing the sound of an engine 'please, don't be Helghast' Charleston thought to himself No those aren't just any engines he pondered for a short bit trying to remember what engine that was. As if to answer his question missiles streamed over head and nailed the MG gunner with a satisfying explosion. A Intruder! it has to be he looked up to confirm that his suspicions are correct and they were. There are two ISA Intruders each with a hand full of surviving marines on board.

"Come on lets go!" one of them shouted at the small group of ISA on the ground. Than firing at the Helghast to keep them pined, Wasting no time Charleston helped the medic get the wounded soldier to his feet he now had blood soaked bandaged's raped around his shoulder. Climbing on to the back of the fist intruder Charleston cloud now see that both are full of surviving soldier's the pilot wasted no time taking off The Helghast we'er not happy about them getting away as they tried to soot the intruders down but to no avail.

"You got here pretty dam fast!" Charleston said to the corporal next to him, one of the few that was all ready on the Intruder when it landed to pick them up.

"No Kidding we saw you from up here and thought we could give you a ride, lucky for you a pair of two exos knocked out all the Helghast armor and AA guns not vary far from here!" Before he could continue the conversion Captain Narville was one the radio

"This is captain Narville contacting all surviving personal, retreat to emergence fall back location I repeat emergence reciprocal five niner echo is in effect!... god help us"

As the intruders closed the distance to the four giant ISA cruisers that linger in the air, The Dauntless was the name of the ship they were heading to. Charleston could see know just how bad it was. The cruisers are getting ripped to pieces and caching fire there was massive holes in one of the cruisers but at lest they are all there.  A large blue beam struck one of the cruisers, the Compulsion. Following the beam Charleston saw a huge four legged metal beast with a massive cannon on the side of it... a MAWLR a five hundred feet high cluster of heaving pistons, roaring engine belts, Tesla coils and antennae, looming over the battlefield on four reverse-jointed legs, each thicker than a small apartment building. It’s a technological feat of quite ostentatious crudeness – potent, but clumsy as hell.

The name was all to familiar to anyone that was sent to helghan, It came as a surprise too, The MAWR had just come out of its first prototype shorty after the ISA arrived to Helghan. The first ship to come into the planets atmosphere was welcomed with a similar beam. One of those is more than enough to kill a small army and they had hundreds of them. The ship that was struck begone to slowly fall to the ground   twisting as it did so, than exploding into prices as it crumpled to the ground on its side. Realizing just how many people where in there that many more not going home, that many more family's torn apart all because someone had the strength to push a button that's how easy it was.

After a shot ride to the Dauntless  Charleston's group was the last ones to arrive or at lest the last ones the fleet was going to wait for. As soon as they landed the ship stated to take off. luckily enough the MAWLR didn't aim for the Dauntless but only The Dauntless and The Arcturus made it safely too orbit as for the other cruiser slowly fell into a jungle near the city as it was stuck down with one last blow from the MAWLR.

As the intruder's landed on the hanger floor there was a voice on the speaker "All injured marine and medics report to med bay, Reaming personal report to maintenance immediately" Charlston helped a wounded marine off the intruder taking a look around him he notice there was fires every where with the ships crew running around in a panic trying to put out the raging flames.

"Can you walk?"  Charleston asked the soldier

"Yea I'm fine" he replied but is was clear that he was in pain.

Charleston knowing where he was supposed to be, he waste no time on finding was left of his unit "who made it out?" he asked Rogers.

"Jackson, Caparza and Miller sir"

"That's it? only the five of us? That's all that made it?"

"yes sir"

Letting his head hang low he thought for a bit. He had lost a whole Platoon in a matter of hours that many more to add to the list of men he lost under his control ether dead or trapped on the planet below. Some one taking sniped him out if it.

"Captain Charleston" hearing his name he looked up at what's left of his squad "We'er supposed to report to maintenance ...remember?" it was Rogers who was speaking.

"Is anyone hurt?" Charleston asked.

"Caparza has a pretty good cut on his arm but other than that we'er good" replied Miller

Only now noticing that Caparza was holding his arm as blood seeped through the cracks in his fingers and dripped down his arm in to a small pool on the floor with a pained expression on his face. "You take him to med bay than see what you can do okay?"

"yes sir, see you there"

Miller is one of the medics in Charleston's platoon the only one left too, he was enlisted in the second invasion fleet after finishing med school only being a official Doctor for two days. He than went through basic training assigned to multiple squads during the invasion before one of Charleston's, reaching the rank of corporal. Caparza was in basic training during the fist days of the invasion only being deployed in the Third invasion fleet with the rank of private. Jackson he don't know well, he only talks if its orders or important business but Charleston did know that he is a corporal. Then there's Rogers, Charleston and him are the only original members of his personal squad being in the same one sense the beginning. Both in the first invasion fleet they know one anther like brothers and have been friends before ether of them singed up for the Interplanetary Strategic Arms the "ISA" the fact that both of them are still alive amazed them both. Charleston is the commanding officer of a Platoon which has 25 to 60 men and 2 to 4 squads his had a total of 60 men and 4 squads. He served in the ISA before the second extrasolar war serving as a caption him and Rogers have been together sense the Helghast attacked vekta.

Miller and Caparza joined the medic and wounded trooper from before and stated waking up the stairs at the end of the hanger.

"all right lets get going"  Charleston said before heading up the same stairs and hall following the signs that said maintenance with an arrow pointing in the right direction with Jackson and Rogers in tow. A short walk later they were in the maintenance room it call it a room was a understatement it was fairly large with archer tanks, exo's and AAPC's all being worked with sparks flying around. Most of vehicles being survivors of the chaos miles below witch wasn't much but a lot didn't even make it on the ships.

After taking in the new scenery the group made there way over to one of the larger groups of people and listened in on what was being said hoping to find some way to help out with repairs. "We have a LOT to get done before we reach Vekta, engineers will be starting with landing stabilizers but most of you don't have the training to fix the complex shit so you will be moving Debris and putting out fires. I need this one forth of you to start with floors 18 through 19" The man giving the orders pointed to all the men on he's left and with a simple nod they left "This forth go to floor 20" He pointed to his right and that group left. "You guys go to floor..." he stopped to check the paper in front of him "26" he finished pointing behind himself and they left. He looked up at what was left "I need the rest of you at the gun deck, we need to to get the AA guns working and fast" Charleston looked at his arm to see his rank. Finding a single silver bat that represents lieutenant.

"Wait" he spoke up "Captain Charleston? Captain Joseph, Charleston?

"Yes?" Charleston simply responded.

"Major Donnagio wants to see you, he's in the bridge "

"Sir ...what do you want us to do?" asked Rogers. Charleston turned around to notice everyone else had all ready left but Rogers and Jackson.

"You heard the him, get to AA control and see what you can do"

"Yes sir" and with that they left.

After a few minutes later Charleston was on the elevator up to the bridge. Once it made it to the top he was meet with two other soldiers who were entering the elevator giving Charleston a small salute before stepping aside for him to pass. Hurrying to the door that led into the command deck Charleston held up his ID card and pressed it against the scanner, the light went from red to green as it opened. Stepping inside and walking to the end of the walk way that hangs above most of the bridge crew where the Major was looking out through the large window with his hands behind his back as the crew worked fast and calmly as possible giving the circumstances

"Sir ...you wanted to see me?" Hearing Charleston's voice Donnagio turned around all most with a surprised look on his face that turned to a small fake smile.

"Caption Charleston I've being expecting you"

"So I've been told, I was informed by a lieutenant in the maintenance bay but he never said what for"

"As I'm sure that your aware we lost two cruisers yes?"

"Of course sir I'm quite aware of that"

"Well I don't know how, but we managed to separate from the Arcturus and with communications down we cant contact them. In fact allot of instruments are down, that MAWLR really did a number on us. landing stabilizers are knocked out but luckily we can fix it with out to much trouble. All most the only thing the isn't broken is engines, life-support and very luckily the navigator so we will be in orbit of vekta in two weeks IF the Helghast don't find us."

"So what do you need me to do?"

"Nothing I'm only informing you of the situation with you being the highest ranking member on this ship next to me of course"

What about Narville? Charleston thought. "What happened to Caption Narville? was'int he assigned to the Dauntless?"

The Major took a deep breath before speaking "unfortunately Caption Narville didn't escape Helghan and is presumed MIA until further notice."

"I see... thanks for informing me. If you will excuse me I need to check on a friend, do you have something more for me?"

"No that is all I have, for now... "

With out saying anything more Charleston snapped to attention before giving the major a salute and headed for the door that that led out of the bridge.

"oh, and Caption"

Tuning around to see what Donnagio needed "yes sir?"

"Try to get some rest tonight we have a long two weeks ahead of us" Charleston nodded and resumed heading for the door. Allot of thoughts raced over his mind as he made his way down the halls of the ship so many things didn't make sense. Why aren't the Helghast following them? how did the Arcturus separate from the Dauntless? the two ships where right beside one another or did it even leave Helghan?, was it destroyed by the Helghast war machine like the others?. Why did something fell off? like he was'int going to see Vekta again. It felt like the begging of the end like the year that had past since the attack on Vekta was nothing compared to what was about to happen. How did everything go so wrong? the Invasion was going smoothly until...  until Red dust.