The Liberation of Equestria

Cape Hoof, one of the busiest cities in the Zebra Republic. Founded five hundred years ago, the city has been a major hub for traders and merchants from countries all over. Now the great city is under siege on by centaurs attempting to conquer it. Centaur navel warships surround the city, launching a barrage of shells upon the city. Centaur Fighters strafe and bomb the strong points, weakening the defenders capability to repel their conquest. The Zebra guards fight relentlessly to stop the invaders, but are out matched in every way.

"Feather! Look out" shimmering Lake said. But was hopeless, as the centaur slashed her comrade with the blade on the end of its rifle puncturing his heart killing him instantly.

"Bucking DIE!" Lake said as she charged at full force at the centaur with her spear. The centaur's armor makes bows and arrows useless. Swords and spears can penetrate the armor, but because of the superior firepower the centaurs have it's nearly impossible to get a hit.

The spear pierced the armor with little resistance cutting through the soft flesh and piercing the centaurs' heart, killing the centaur instantly.

"Shimmer!" A Zebra Guard yelled, "get your flank over here! We're falling back to city hall!"

Pulling her weapon out of the centaur corpse, Shimmering Lake began to move with the group of guards to the city hall. The group stop every time they heard the sounds of a centaur tank. if they were spotted, death will take them swiftly and bloody. Centaur gunfire continued to fill the streets, getting louder each step closer to the city hall.

When the group got to the city hall, it was complete chaos. Civilians were frantically trying to get into the carts, trampling over those were not strong enough. While the guards were fending off any centaurs attempting to capture the few remaining strongholds.

"We have to get out of here!" A panicking guard said.

"We're not going anywhere until the civilians out of here." The commanding guard said. "Shimmer, go help out with evacuate of the civilians."

"Yes sir!" Shimmering Lake said.

Within seconds, Lake galloped as fast as she could to the evacuation center. Lines of Civilians were 3/4th's of the length a half an hour ago, as they were rush into the wagons and quickly carted away from the besieged city. Lines of defense were slowly being overwhelmed, but without cost to the invaders. The city hall was the few remaining strongholds that still stood, and was not going to fall anytime soon.

As Lake reached the evacuation collection point a guard stopped her.

"State your name and rank." The guard said.

"Shimmering Lake, Private first class." Shimmering Lake said.

"Why are you here private." The guard asked.

"I was given orders to help with evacuating the rest of the remaining civilians sir!"

"Well it's your lucky day private." The guard said, while smirking. "We have only a few more wagons left. Get on the last wagon on the far right and man one of the manuballista's."

Shimmering Lake did not want argue and went straight to the wagon. The back was filled with younglings and their parents. The front of the wagon hosted two manuballista's on each side, both modified to fire four arrows at pull of the trigger. Four armored guards were all hooked up to the wagon, all what was needed was the go ahead to get out.

"Your wagon is filled," a guard said, "get these civies out of here."

Immediately the wagon's drivers began galloping as fast as they could. Shimmering Lake along with the other gunner, as best they could, began to scan the rooftops for any centaurs. The sounds of battle grew quieter as they got farther away from the city.

As the wagon got to the top of a hill overlooking the city, Shimmering Lake saw the sun setting over the burning city.

***

The 220th armored battalion mobilized to help assist the Zebras push back the centaurs. The battalion consisted of 45 Abram tanks, 55 M2 Bradley's, and 60 Strykers. The battalion fought the centaurs in the campaign to take back Joplin, and knew what they were up against.

The battalion advanced to flank the centaurs and cripple their invasion. Unfortunately the savannah they entered was flat for miles on end, allowing the centaurs to see the column of dust coming at them. Leading the charge was Dragon platoon.

Looking out through the tanks sight system, Sargent Dan spotted a group of centaur tanks charging at them.

"Centaurs coming at our ten o'clock," Dan said. "All friendly units be ready to fire on my command. Mike, load an HEAT round."

"Got it," Mike said. Immediately he grabbed a HEAT round and loaded it into the main gun. "Armed and ready Dan."

"One mile out sir." The gunner said.

"Fire!!" Dan yelled.

A barrage of tank fire from the Abrams blasted the centaurs tanks into burning wreckages, instilling that none would have survived.

"Direct hit!" The gunner said, "I don't think anything survived."

"Amen to that." Mike said.

"Everyone move up, stay frosty." Dan said.

Dragon platoon only encountered light resistance from there on end, until they reached an occupied village. Centaur anti-tank and anti-air weaponry lined the rooftops and outer layers of the village.

"This is Dragon 1-4, I think I see anti-tank weaponry all around the village. Don't recommend going any further."

"Copy that Dragon 1-4," Dan said over the radio. "This is Dragon 1-1, all units hold fast and wait for the A-10's to take care of the village." Dan then switched to the Air Force's frequency. "This is Dragon 1-1 requesting airstrikes on the village ahead of us."

"This is FireFox-1, we hear you. Designate the targets and we'll take care of them."

then the battalion's tanks used their Infrared lasers designators and pointed them at the closest concentration of anti-tank guns. Allowing the A-10's to position their attack run.

"Targets locked, stand by for the fireworks." FireFox 1 said. Within seconds, the A-10's gun sprayed 30mm rounds in a straight line headed to the designated targets, destroying the threat to the battalion. But just as the A-10's passed over the destroyed guns, AA fire, from high caliber MG fire to flack guns, filled the air presenting a very dangerous situation.

"Shit! I've been hit! I've lost my number two engine, left wing is twenty percent gone."

"FireFox 3 has been hit from AA fire from occupied village, I repeat anti-aircraft guns have been sighted. FireFox 1-3 can you make it back to base?"

"I still got control of her. Stick is a little stiff. I'll give it a try." FireFox 1-3 said.

"Dragon 1-1, we cannot preform any ground support at this time," FireFox 1-1, "AA fire is lighting up the sky. Your going to have to take out the AA guns, otherwise we cannot provide assistance."

"Copy that FireFox 1-1." Dan said. Immediately, Dan began to broadcast to the platoon. "Dragon platoon, alpha and bravo company will advance forward towards the village and deploy ground troops to secure those AA guns. Charlie company will move on the left flank and Delta company will move on the right and give the centaur guns a distraction. The rest of us will provide covering fire. Let's give these bastards hell, Hoorah?"

"HOORAH!!!" The entire platoon replied over the radio.

***

Sitting in an M2 Bradley, Lucas nervously tapped the floor of the Armored vehicle. Just fresh out of boot camp, Lucas was ready to fight. But like with the others around him, fear tightly gripped him.

"What's wrong private?" Bradford asked.

"Just scared sir." Lucas said. "I've never been in combat before."

"We're all scared private," Bradford said, "just remember your training and you'll be alright."

"And remember to shoot in the same direction as everyone else." Smith added, while grinning.

"where are you from?" Jackson asked.

"I'm from Hillsboro," Lucas said.

"Illinois?"

"Missouri. You?"

"I'm from Austin, Texas." Jackson said.

"Approaching drop off point." The driver said.

"Alright," Bradford said, "everyone top off your rifles. Our job is to take the AA guns out of commission and secure the village. I want this done quick and clean, let's show these bastards what a couple Rangers and their rifles can do Hoorah?"

"Hoorah!" Everyone in the M2 Bradley replied in unison.

As the armored vehicles reached their drop off points, fifty yards away from the village, the 25mm chain gun on the M2 Bradley began to fire at the centaurs, providing covering fire for the Soldiers pouring out of them. NCO's soon shouted out orders.

"Move up! Move up!"

"Head for the nearest building!"

"Get out of the open!"

Lucas charged with the rest of his squad, dodging incoming fire from bullet rounds to small millimeter mortar rounds. Dust clouded around the charging soldiers as they ran as fast as they could, despite the amount of fire that came at them.

After what seemed like a long minute, Lucas, along with the rest of his squad mates, took cover along a stone wall close to the village to avoid the machine gun nest firing on them.

"Lucas, Smith," Bradford said, "use your M203's and take out that MG position. We'll provide covering fire."

Lucas and Smith loaded 40mm grenades into their M203s and flipped out the sight for it, while leveling their M4A1's on the stone wall. Just as they angled their shots at the MG position, the centaur machine gunners began to fire at them.

"Fuck! Lucas get do-" Smith said but was cut off as the bullet struck his head, killing him instantly. Lucas on the other hand was spared from death, as he was quick enough to lower his body behind the stone wall.

"Shit! Cover is getting roppie!" Jackson said as the incoming fire chipped away the stone wall.

"This is FOXHOUND 1-1," Bradford yelled into his radio, "we're under heavy fire from enemy machine gun position. Requesting immediate assistance."

"This is ALPHA 2-2 we're coming on your left flank. Just sit tight and hold out as long as you can ETA five minutes."

"Roger that ALPHA 2-2." Bradford said. "Support is five minutes out everyone."

"It's going to be a long five minutes!" Jackson said while firing his rifle over the stone wall.

"Damn straight!" Lucas said.

Minutes seemed like hours as they couldn't move from their slowly deteriorating cover.

"Where the hell are they!" Jackson said.

Immediately four explosions appeared in the centaur machine gun nest and killed all of the occupants. U.S soldiers rushed out of their cover and advanced towards FOXHOUND 1-1.

"Check your fire! Friendlies coming from your left!" A solider yelled, while running towards Lucas squad's wall,what's left of it. Nearly slamming into the wall the sprinting soldier stopped and spoked, "Sargent Darrel. ALPHA squad, heard you got a little problem needed taken care of."

"Not anymore Sargent," Bradford said,"thanks for taking out that MG position."

"No problem," Darle said, "now get your squad moving. We need to take the village from the centaurs."

""Our objective is to eliminate the AA threat Sargent." Bradford said.

"Well here's your new orders

Soon the squad pushed forward, eliminating any opposition to their objective. By the time the US soldiers got to the AA guns, nearly three fourths of the enemy infantry was eliminated, which took care of the anti tank gun problem as well. The anti aircraft guns consisted of high caliber rapid fire machine guns, and anti aircraft artillery that fired high fragmenting shells at certain altitudes. Lucky for Lucas's squad, the centaurs were already dead or too injured to fight back.

"Plant C4 on those guns now!" Bradford told Lucas and Jackson. Both of them sprinted to the AA guns and placed the C4 on the corners of each gun. When Lucas and Jackson both finished their objective, they both ran to cover along with everyone else.

"Lucas" Jackson said,"on my go pull out your detonator and blast these guns to hell."

"Yes sir."

"FIRE IN THE HOLE!" Jackson yelled out, alerting everyone to take cover.

"FIRE IN THE HOLE!" He said again, while he pulled out his detonator.

"FIRE IN THE HOLE!" Jackson yelled for the last time, as he immediately pulled the trigger on his detonator, blown up his collection of AA guns. Lucas immediately followed suit and destroyed his collection of AA guns, blasting them into metal wreckages.

"Good job men," Bradford said, "now clear out every building of any centaur opposition."

Moving up to a stone building, Jackson and Lucas prepared to breach the door and clear out each room one by one. But instead of being greeted by armed centaurs, they were greeted by the sight of a zebra family huddled together, terrified by the battle that raged outside. Lucas keep his rifle pointed until Jackson knocked his senses back into him.

"Come on lets move up to the next building." Jackson said.

Lucas nodded his head in response and followed Jackson's lead.

Within an hour, the village was liberated from centaur occupation and provided a staging area for US forces and the zebra guard to take back Cape Hoof.