Canterlot, Equestria
[Lieutenant General Alpha Strike sits behind his office's desk. The background hum of the air conditioning on this hot summer day is the only ambiance. The General himself is a golden unicorn with a greying black mane, no doubt a symptom of his stressful military career. When he speaks his accent belays his Scoltish heritage.]
My first big memory of the conflict was the now well known siege of the Equestrian embassy in Kindallia. I was a Captain at the time, in charge of the embassy guard. At that time most of the Equestrian military was still in the ruddy stone age, using swords and bows. We were one of the few exceptions. Thank Celestia for that! The thinking was that in a country where guns and other weaponry that made ours obsolete, how the bleedin' hay were we supposed to do our job? The answer was to simply buy rifles and combat equipment from the Griffons and train a small group of us to serve as guards for the embassies in countries that had such weaponry. Who ever came up with that scheme has my thanks; It saved my life after all. We were generally viewed as the elite of the Army. The only other pre-war Equestrian units I know of to be similarly equipped were all very hush-hush spec ops outfits.
How big was your detachment?
The normal size was around ten guards, but after the protests in the streets began they doubled that to twenty. We began wearing our griffon made combat gear. Steel Helmets, combat webbing, everything. Full load of ammo for our Garands, grenades, and-Bloody hay!-even fixed bayonets. The Generals back home were taking no chances. Once again, probably saved my ruddy arse!
Were you nervous about the protests becoming violent?
Oh no. I thought the whole bleedin' mess would blow over in a few days. I mean the protesters had my sympathies. The new King was a right arsehole. He was saying all that stupid propaganda at the time. 'Griffons are good only as slaves', and 'No Griffon shall hold a government job' and all that nonsense. I figured the protests would cause him to step down or something. How wrong I was.
What happened?
The King fucked up. On day seven of the protests the Castle Guard opened fire on the crowd, as is well documented, and the whole city fell into chaos. Civilians took up arms, firefights broke out in the city between them and the guards, the military was called in and basically the shite hit the fan.
How did that lead to the siege?
Well, we had gotten orders to evacuate soon after everything went to tartarus. Thing was, you couldn't really step foot outside. It was just to dangerous with all the lead flying around. It was a day after the first firefights took place that things got worse. To this day I don't know whether it was some anti-Equestrian group capitalizing on the chaos, or simply a confused bunch of civvies that got the embassy confused with a government building, and us with government troops. My personal belief is the last one.
It started when me and Sergeant Firewatch, my second in command were walking across the inner-courtyard talking about our unlucky situation. I heard some MG fire nearby. Sounded like it was just on the other side of the buildings surrounding us. It was immediately followed by a flurry of rifle fire. Thats when I realized something was wrong. The Kindallians, and by extension the rebels as we were now calling them, used the Lee-Enfield No.4 semi-auto rifle. The rifles used by the Griffons a supplied to us were the M1 Garands. Now the two had different reports when fired. The Enfield had a slightly deeper sound than the Garand. I could tell some of the fire was from Garands, which meant my boys were shooting.
Why?
From what they told me when I got to the roof, a MG in a window across the square had opened up on them. Corporal True Wind had taken a bullet to the head almost immediately. They had returned fire and neutralized the gunner only for a dozen rifles to open up from the other buildings and windows. At that point all the Embassy staff had gone into the cover of the basement leaving just us to hold. After my report I got on the radio with Command back in Canterlot, told them we were under direct attack and by the holy-mother-of-Celestia-and-Luna if they didn't get us out I would hunt them to the ruddy grave! They told us to hold on and that we could expect reinforcements and evac in about three hours. I didn't believe them.
Oh? How come? Surely you knew they would send help?
Oh I knew that! But three hours?! That would have to mean they were already fighting their way through the city! That or they had a pegasi teams on their way even before our call! So I went back on the roof. I had lost another guard during those fifteen minutes. She had taken one in the chest. Our medic was doing her best for her. And so the battle raged. I began helping, taking a pot shot here, a few rounds there. Racked up about five kills during that time. A few of my greener boys lost their lunch in the process.
Did you know who was attacking?
Yes. It became fairly obvious after the first few minutes. I only got occasional glances at them, but their accuracy and horrible coordination lent me to believe they were untrained civvies. Sure they were inflicting casualties, but if it had been the Kindallian Army they'd have wiped us out in ten minutes. It was a battle of quantity over quality. We had the training, they had the numbers. I still feel bad for those wankers. They were fighting for their freedom. To defend their homes and families. They were doing what they thought was right. They just had the wrong bloody target! 'Blokes may have been fighting for their fuckin' freedom but we were fighting for our bloody survival!
So you held.
Aye! That we did! We were lucky they didn't have anything bigger than a MG. But we held for three full hours. Those bastards just kept a'comin. I kept moving my troops around, making sure they didn't stay in the same spot for too long. My final personal tally came up to eleven. Together we figured we had nailed at least ninety of 'em. Our casualties were also bad. We lost six killed, five in critical condition, and the rest of us, save Sergeant Firewatch, were wounded in some shape or form.
Where were you wounded?
[He lifts his left foreleg above the table. I discoloured patch of fur about half way up marks the scar where the bullet hit]
Right there. A quick bandage to stop the bleedin' and I was able to keep fighting thanks to my magic though.
What happened when your reinforcements showed up?
[The general grins fondly while answering]
Oh hay. I didn't expect them at all! I really have to praise the foresight of the High Command, sending the Wrath incase we needed evac. We heard the choppers' roar before we saw them. And I barely heard them I was so focused on fighting. But here they came those magnificent bastards! The flew over us, door guns blazing! Blew the fuck outta those wankers. One landed on each roof of the main two buildings we where taking fire from. Dropped a full squad of ten Spec ops each. Two more landed on the roof unloading their squads. Of course at the time none of us had seen aircraft like these, or the futuristic looking rifles and equipment the soldiers carried. All I knew was that that they had Equestrian markings and were shooting up the baddies, and that was good enough for me.
So thats how you got out? I heard that a Griffon company were the ones to get you out.
HA! Yes, that was the story at the time! Bloody likely! The Griffons had their own problems! Up until the end of the war the Ghosts involvement and existence had been classified. Anyway, after the choppers had shown up they loaded us and the wounded up and flew us the thirty klicks to the Wrath. She was a beautiful warship. Her sleek lines and design just screamed 'Dangerous.' She was at anchor in the Kind Estuary(pronounced K-inn-d) on the city limits. The helos dropped us off and went back for the Ghosts. Meanwhile the crew got us sorted and wheeled off the wounded to the sick bay. I had my wound tended to and headed up on deck.
Where you in shock?
Oh absolutely! But we made it! We did our job. Every one of the embassy staff came out alive and unhurt. Thats the whole reason soldiers fight ya'know? So that others don't have to. We give our lives so that others may live.
The PRINCESSES have been graciously pleased to approve an award to the undermentioned officer: —
Captain Alpha STRIKE (71081), The Royal Hoofington Guards, The Royal Guard.
Captain Alpha Strike commanded a detachment of 20 embassy guards stationed at the Equestrian Embassy in Kindall.
On February 4th at approximately 1100 hours the embassy came under attack by unknown assailants. The guards came under heavy fire from the attackers. Hostile forces likely numbered upwards of one hundred individuals.
He led his detachment with skill and courage, placing his limited troops in a way to reduce casualties and keep the perimeter secure. Having done so, he joined the firing line.
During the ensuring firefight, Captain Strike was wounded in the left foreleg. Despite this he refused treatment in order to keep in action with his troops. He was wounded a second time just minutes later, a bullet lodging itself in his shoulder of the same leg. Again he refused treatment continuing to engage the enemy and command the remaining 15 troops.
Thanks to his skilled command and brave actions the 20 pony detachment held off an enemy that held a 5-to-1 advantage for three hours until evacuation forces arrived to relive them, suffering relatively low casualties despite the circumstances.
By his fearless disregard of the great dangers which he fought and of which he was fully aware, and by his magnificent leadership and outstanding gallantry, Captain Strike has earned the CELESTIAL CROSS.
[Alpha Strike was the first winner of the Celestial Cross in 150 years, and the first of 189 to be won by Equestrian Forces during the war.]
Crows Nest, Griffonia
[Sitting across the table form me is Nina Silverwing, one of the Griffon's best historians and an ameture engineer and physicist. The two of us sit at a cafe table in downtown Crows Nest. All around is the hustle and bustle of the big city, with cars amounting for the large majority. Nina herself is a middle aged griffon, looking somewhere in her sixties.]
So we've had 'modern technology' for just over 100 years now. The internal combustion engine, electricity and associated home appliances, not to mention guns and all the military vehicles and weapons. But where did this all come from? It doesn't seem very plausible that we went from swords and bows straight to guns and tanks.
Indeed. But to explain where it all comes from you need to know some things. Are you familiar with the Multiverse Theory?
That there are an infinite amount of universes? And that each decision results in a universe where the opposite happened?
Correct. It means that anything is possible. There could be a universe where it was Celestia who was corrupted, or one where Discord won, or even one that is identical to ours but every living being is the opposite gender. Anything can and will exist. Now occasionally, universes 'bump' together or rub past one another. When this happens what are called Sandy-Veering Spatial Anomalies appear. But most who know about them simply all them portals.
So portals to another universe?
Essentially.
What do they look like?
Not what you're expecting most likely. In fact 'portal' is a bit misleading. Ninety percent of the time they are actually an invisible watermelon-sized spot. Whatever comes into contact, to the outside observer, seems to begin to glow before bursting into tons of glowing little pink specks before being pulled into the centre of the Anomaly.
How long do they last?
On average from 30 seconds to 3 minutes. They arn't common, but every now and then a series will pop up as our universe contacts another and 'rubs' past. Now when a Portal shows up, one of three things happens: one, it appears, it sits there, it disappears. Nothing happens. Two, It appears and either spits out something from the other side, like rocks, dirt and trees, or appears close to the ground and sucks up a bunch of our trees, rocks and dirt. Or three, living beings enter or exit. This has append twice in recorded history, and both were contact with the same universe.
Thats where then tech came from.
Yes. As well as the beings who made it.
Really? I haven't seen any aliens from another universe. Wouldn't that be common knowledge by now?
Yes. But, this other universe is what is called a 'parallel universe'. That means that it has similar events, inhabitants and…geography for lack of a better term. Of course there is two big differences. There's only one intelligent race called humans, and there is no magic. Our world is special because it is absolutely soaked in magic. Everything that lives here has adapted to that, and to some extent it stinted our technological advancements. We had magic to do for us what the Humans had to make things to do. Of course thats also why the griffons were ahead of the ponies even before. We didn't have unicorn magic or enchantments. The Humans have a saying: 'Necessity is the mother of invention'. ANyway I'm getting sidetracked. Now since the humans universe is parallel that also means counterparts. In other words, for every pony, griffon and so on theres a human who is them born in that universe. Counterparts are very similar. Their names, their personalities, and even events that happen to them are all almost identical. Now what happens when a human accidentally enters a portal when they get here their bodies are filled with magic. When that happens…I don't really know how to explain it with out getting technical…
Take your time.
Here. I'll put it this way. Seconds after they enter our world the magic thats fill them basically goes, 'Hey I know you! thats not how you're supposed to be!' It turns them into a direct copy of their counterpart. You know the Rainbow twins?
Yes.
Well Rainbow Slash is actually Rainbow Dash's Human counter part. In fact her human name is Raina.
Really?
Yes. It isn't a well known fact but it is out there. Half the Equestrian 1st Special Ops Group are former humans, as well as all their equipment. A hundred years ago the same thing happened, and that's how we have tanks, planes and guns.
