Chapters The cabin of the VTOL aircraft rocks and shakes as it cuts through the bright daytime sky and cool, crisp air. You fiddle with your firearm, a standard issue M4A1. You pull the magazine out and load it back in time after time again, and once satisfied, you move on to checking your plate carrier and the magazines tucked in the pouches woven on to it. Exhaling, you look around the interior of the craft at your squadmates as they do more or less the same thing, growing restless on the lengthy flight. Deciding to peer out of the window on the sliding door closest to you, you gaze out at the handful of similar vehicles flying in formation with your transport. You look out the opposite window and see another group. You all knew what was about to happen; what you were about to do. You'd all been training for this operation and nothing else for the past few months.
This was a sort of do-or-die mission. If you all succeeded, the paycheck would be fat. If, somehow, this all went to hell, you'd face capture, and subsequently imprisonment, or worse. You might even be killed in action by one of these things. That would be embarrassing. Your squadmates have been talking amongst themselves, but suddenly you notice it's gone completely silent. The co-pilot has gotten up and shifted towards all of you.
"We're close now. A military airship is close up ahead and we're initiating the infiltration routine now. Get your game faces on, everyone."
With that, the co-pilot turns back around and starts steering the craft as the pilot punches in buttons. Suddenly, the entire craft goes invisible, along with everyone inside, and the aircrafts in formation follow suit. It's now that you notice how quiet the vehicles really are. You lean forward to peer out of the pilots' cockpit and see an Equestrian blimp up ahead. Its hull is covered in gold armor and cannons line each side. You can see movement on the deck; about a dozen guardsponies clad in armor similar to that which decorates their blimp patrol the deck. The VTOL formation seamlessly maneuvers around the obstacle, with the individuals on board left none the wiser. A merc sitting next to you seems to have been observing it as well, and he speaks up:
"Was that solid gold armor and cannons? How primitive are these things?" he says. Some of the other soldiers in the cabin, including you, nod heads in agreement as the co-pilot leans his head back towards you.
"They've been supported by a crutch called magic for god knows how long. They don't need advanced technology; magic does everything for them. Street lights are a rarity here, even, save for big metropolises. But it isn't to be underestimated. In this star system, the central star and the moon orbiting this planet are actually controlled by two powerful ponies here, using the same magic. We don't need to worry about them, and we're not being paid to, but just keep in mind that guards will be able to use stuff like that offensively. Remember your training and act quickly."
With his speech over, he turns his attention back to piloting the craft. You lean back in your seat and think about what he said. They can control a sun and a moon? Of course, your everyday guardsponies can't do something like that, but that's a little intimidating. If your memory serves you correctly, the location you're hitting is resided in by only one of the nation's leaders. This operation should be a piece of cake, if you're fast. You almost miss the beeping noise coming from the aircraft's speaker system. It cuts off as quickly as it started, and you all know what it means. You load your weapon one last time and everyone tenses up, preparing themselves for what's to come.
A city is laid out under you, in an almost grid-like pattern, all seemingly branching from a towering crystalline structure in the center of it all. Ponies can be seen in the bustling streets. Another blimp hugs closely to the tower, keeping a watchful eye in the sky for any threats. It's about to get one, because whatever is under that diamond castle is your target. One of the beings on this planet contacted you, apparently remaining anonymous, offering a hefty sum of offworld credits for the theft and successful deliver of a so-called Crystal Heart. It's an in-and-out mission, but you can attract some serious heat if you fuck up. Suddenly, your craft starts descending to a relatively clear park suited for an improvised landing. Everyone in the cabin stands up and gets ready to disembark. You peer outside as one of the crafts from your formation darts ahead of the rest, uncloaking itself in the process.
You can see the ponies on the ground all peer up into the sky in shock as the craft seemingly appears from thin air. Two ponies appear outside on a balcony attached to the Crystal Palace, the pink one staying and observing while the white one disappears back into the structure. The VTOL roars towards the palace and you can see small missile pods opening on the wings. An air-to-air missile flies out, screeching towards the military blimp. The missile connects, blowing the craft out of the sky and sending it crashing towards a city block. Ponies on the ground scatter away from the area right as it crashes, sending a handful of buildings up in flames.
Holy shit. Was this part of the plan? It was awesome, but that's extreme.
Your craft descends to the ground and your pilot motions for the squad to disembark. You all scramble out and the sound of multiple pairs of boots smacking the ground hits your ears. Your VTOL, still cloaked, rises back into the air and heads back into the sky. Other crafts land and disperse troops around the city. You could only wonder why you needed so many troops when your squad alone was tasked with retrieving the Crystal Heart. Nevertheless, your squad sets out for the Crystal Palace. As gunshots begin to echo in the distance, you begin to the think about what the hell you just got yourself in to.
You keep low as you and your squad maneuver through the crystal streets, avoiding fleeing ponies and moving closer to the towering structure that houses your target. Gunshots continue to pierce your eardrums, some closer than others. The last of your XH9 aircraft are leaving the AO, although one of them doesn't make it. Offensive beams of magic rocket out of various parts of the city, bringing down the aforementioned VTOL in an orange and yellow blaze. Smoke begins billowing into the sky halfway across the city.
Turning to your squad leader at the head of the formation, you ask, "What are we going to do about that one, sir? Let the ponies get their hands on that technology? Let's retrieve what remains," but he dismisses you.
"Somebody will take care of it. I'm sure they're being radioed orders as we speak. We have our job, and they have their's. Let's focus."
You shrug, turning your attention back to the rooftops and alleyways. Staring down the sights of your firearm, observing the alley in front of you, you see it. A crystal inhabitant is fleeing down the street when a bullet crushes her skull into pieces, spraying a red mist into the air. You flinch slightly and watch as a fellow mercenary enters your view, turning in your direction with his weapon up before lowering it upon noticing you, giving a thumbs up, and continuing down the street. You get an uneasy feeling from it, but you shake your head and blink a few times, catching up with the rest of your squad.
Soon your leader holds his closed fist up, bringing all of you to a halt. You inch forward and peer around the corner of the building you're up against and in front of you is an open street leading to beneath the palace. In a clearing sits your target; the Crystal Heart. The entire underside of the structure is protected by a shield, reaching up and covering the exterior of it as well.
"Well? What are we going to do about that?" you ask. A merc in the back speaks up, "Dig under it?" You smirk at that.
"No, no, that won't do. Some well-placed explosives might shatter it, but maybe not. We might have to kill whoever is casting it, but they're likely inside the castle." your squad leader finishes with a sigh.
"How about some air support? There might be another Warbird in the AO we can call." the same merc suggests. Your squad leader finally nods at that.
"I think that's about as good as we can do." You then nod, putting two fingers up to your earpiece to do the honors.
"Attention all units, this is Shark 4-6, are there any remaining XH9's in the area of the Crystal Empire? Over," you speak into your radio. You take your fingers off of the transmitter button and wait. Shortly after, a reply comes in.
"Shark 4-6, this is Fox 4-2, we're here. What do you need, over?" a voice comes from your earpiece. You press it again.
"Fox 4-2, we need air support. You think you can lob as many missiles as you can at that crystal castle? It's got a magic shield over it, we need to get past it to get to the objective, over."
It's about thirty seconds before you get a response. "Shark 4-6, that sounds good. Standby, over." You smile at your squad leader and he nods, turning his attention back to the streets. Suddenly, the tell-tale burst of static indicating somebody is about to talk comes from all of your radios.
"Attention all units operating in the area of the Crystal Empire, this is Fox 4-2, we're coming in for a bombing run on the Crystal Palace. Clear that zone and take cover, over," the Warbird pilot says. You and your squad begin backing up and hunkering down along the back of the building you've been hugging. Still scanning your surroundings, you hear a hum from the sky that slowly grows louder. The aforementioned VTOL enters your field of view, roaring towards the palace. Several pods along its wings begin spitting out dumb rockets towards the structure, pounding its shield to oblivion. Cracks begin forming in the shield, growing in number and size, before the barrage stops and the aircraft pulls up and back into the clouds. The ground begins to shake as the shield crumbles, its glass-like shards spreading over the ground.
Taking that as your cue, your squad gets up and starts running for the palace. Approaching the clearing, your squadmates form a perimeter around the Crystal Heart. You keep walking towards it, unslinging your backpack and opening it up. You raise your arms and go to grab the object before a blast of magic narrowly misses your appendages and causes you to jump back in panic. Your squadmates all turn towards the direction of the blast, weapons raised. In the middle of the empty street stands a muscular stallion clad in purple and gold armor with a white coat, blue mane, and smoking horn.
"Step away from the Crystal Heart and lay down your arms, creatures!" the stallion speaks through clenched teeth, putting emphasis on the last word. You and your squadmates exchange glances before bursting into laughter. Well, they do. Not you, though. You recognize this stallion. Prince Shining Armor of the Crystal Empire. Not somebody to underestimate. In your distracted state, pegasus guards swoop down from the ceiling, tackling all of you and disarming you. Shining Armor grins.
"If only you had obeyed my instructions. Not like that would've helped you, though. You're already going to be locked away for a long time, or worse, for the things that you've done."
You struggle under the heavy stallion keeping you pinned. In response, he puts more pressure on you, suppressing your movements What? Trying to steal the Crystal Heart? Whatever, it's probably happened before. Images of the crystal pony's brain matter bring splattered over the street appear in your mind. Oh, that. That probably wasn't good.
Speaking of which, what were your teammates doing? This was supposed to be a theft if anything, and the only ponies dying should be guards who put your life at risk. This isn't right. Those civilians died for nothing. What were they thinking? Suddenly you're ripped from your thoughts by a voice being transmitted over your radio.
"Good thing your radio's being accidentally broadcasted by the ground you're being squashed into, because you're about to be rescued."
Gunshots pierce the air as bullets whip down the street, connecting with the guards atop your squad. As the pressure on your back fades, you raise your head just in time to see Shining Armor collapse onto the ground, holes in his armor beginning to leak a dark red liquid. As your squadmates get up off the ground and begin to cheer, your eyes widen and you run over to Shining.
You kneel beside him, but before you can do anything, it's already too late. His eyes roll into the back of his head and he breathes his last breath. This is totally not good.
"What the fuck are you doing, man? Get the Crystal Heart and let's get the fuck out of here!" shouts one of your squadmates, already running for an extraction Warbird landing in the street outside the palace. You operate on autopilot, thoughtlessly bagging the Crystal Heart and getting onboard the aircraft. You're too preoccupied with your thoughts to notice anything that's actually going on.
As your VTOL ascends into the sky, you peer out the window and look down to the scene you just left behind. A pink alicorn races out to the prince's body, collapsing beside it and lowering its head.
Was this part of the plan?
The ride on the Warbird was long and quiet. You still had a long ways to go, and the conversation had since died down, leaving you to your thoughts. You peer around the dark metallic interior of the cabin, scanning the faces of your allies. It's difficult to see what they're thinking; perhaps nothing at all.
You might be the only one with any morals on this entire mission. Your teammates literally committed war crimes back there. That crystal pony fleeing and getting gunned down sticks to the back of your mind like glue. You can't shake that image. Not that you're not desensitized to violence, of course; it's not that. It's the fact that that was an innocent being killed for literally no reason.
That shouldn't have happened on a mission like this. You expected to get in and get out quickly, only killing guardsponies that got in your way. You also consider that although Shining Armor was a threat to you, killing him probably wasn't a good idea. You're going to piss off what is probably a superpower in the world you're on. Was it worth the credits? Lost in your thoughts, you don't notice the merc next to you trying to get your attention.
"Hey! You there?" he says, hand on your shoulder. You snap out of your daze and turn to him, nodding.
"Yeah, what's up?" you respond.
"We're almost to the drop-off point. Hand me the Crystal Heart," he replies.
"Alright," you remove your backpack and lay it down in front of you. Unzipping the dark container, you slowly lift the Crystal Heart out of the depths. You hold it up, level to your face, gazing in to it. "This is pretty shiny," you mutter to yourself. You rotate it, watching as the sun reflects off of its edges. In the reflection, you peer out the window behind you, just in time to see three pegasus guards closing in on your transport. Eyes widened, you turn around and yell.
"SHIT!"
The pegasi slam into the aircraft head first, smashing the window with their metal helmets, and tipping the Warbird over mid-flight. Forgetting to strap yourself in, you float up to the ceiling and feel glass shards whip around you as the pilots struggle to stabilize the VTOL. As it flips back over, you slam into the metal floor, squadmates falling around you. The Crystal Heart drops to the floor in front of you, and as you reach for it, everything that isn't bolted down flies into the air again as the aircraft has entered a downward spiral.
You stretch your arm out, reaching for one of the handles along the top of the cabin, finally wrapping your fingers around it before you fly upside down again. You move your other arm up and grab onto the handle with it as well, straining to hang on as people and objects alike whip past you. Suddenly your radio crackles to life with a broadcast from the pilot:
"Mayday, mayday, this is Shark 4-6, we're going down, I repeat, we are goin-"
His sentence will forever remain unfinished as the Warbird connects with the firm Equestrian soil, sending you through the window and rolling into the grassy plain. You struggle to lift your bloodied head, peering up in time to watch your Warbird flip over itself before bursting into a ball of flames, sending the Crystal Heart flying into the dirt not far from you.
You lift one arm and plant it ahead of you, grabbing a fistful of grass and soil, pulling yourself forward. You repeat the motion with your other arm and continue, slowly inching closer to your target. You spit out a mix of blood and dirt, opting to roll over on your back and face the clear, blue sky, taking several deep breaths.
You unlatch your helmet and throw it several meters away from you, and wipe the sweat off of your forehead. You take a moment to examine your surroundings completely.
You lay in a field of bright green, with several hills of equal beauty rolling around you in every direction. Above you is a cloudless sky, the sun at its peak, shining brightly. Far off in the distance, you can make out the silhouette of a small town. Everything is quiet, save for the crackling of the fire consuming the carcass of your Warbird ahead of you. You lift yourself up into a sitting position, resting your arms on your legs, and exhaling loudly.
What a ride.
You probably deserved it. You just stole a priceless artifact and killed a bunch of innocent ponies and a prince in the process. Okay, technically, you didn't actually kill anyone. Maybe that's why I'm alive right now and my squadmates aren't. You shake the morbid thought from your head. They were people too, even if you weren't too close to any of them. Something to consider, though.
You ponder that you're too far away from the drop-off point to realistically make it in a reasonable amount of time, and without any supplies or weapons, you're in a fucked position. You scan the skies for the pegasi that put you here, but they can't be seen anywhere. That unnerves you greatly. As if on cue, the sound of flapping can be heard from behind you, and it grows louder before several sets of hooves touch the ground.
"Here's the Crystal Heart. It doesn't look too damaged. Can't say the same of the current state of the Crystal Empire, however. Reports so far are that many civilians and guards alike are dead, as well as Prince Shining Armor."
Well, this isn't good. You're about to get your ass caught and locked up. A feminine gasp follows the guardspony's statement. Female guards...?
"Wait, what's that over there? Look, it's one of humans!"
Here we go...
You lift yourself up slowly. Once standing, you put your arms into the air and open your hands, signaling that you're unarmed. You start speaking while simultaneously turning to face your soon-to-be captors.
"Listen, I'm not like them, I even didn't fire a single bullet. I was just in it for the money, and I didn't want anybody to die! Please, just lemme get out of here and I'll leave you alon-"
You stop mid-sentence, jaw hanging in the air as you've completely turned to face the guards...
... and Princess Celestia.
You smile sheepishly.
"... Maybe we can talk this out?"
