Armored Warfare: Equestria
Day One: The Peace Corps
I remember it all. I had everything and one day it all blew away. The perfect mare, the love of friends around me, and my job kicked ass. Now, I have nothing. All because of this damned war.
Five years ago Princess Luna took up arms against her sister and divided Equestria. The Solar Empire to the north, and the New Lunar Republic to the south. We never saw it coming and all those ponies under her banner fought for what they believed in. It was to be a retribution for all those years of neglect banished to the moon. Ponies everywhere took to the streets to fight. It was a massacre. Everypony not under Luna's rule was executed in the south. Innocent stallions and mares all cut down for such bullshit ideals. I remembered the riots, the bloodshed, all the ceaseless violence.
The north fared no better. In an effort to erase NLR rebels in the north Princess Celestia sent me to bomb her own citizens in the border town of Ponyville. I took my plane and flew off into the ocean disobeying her orders. I was once a fighter ace but the following pursuit had me fire at, kill, my own friends in self defense as I relentlessly evaded to hold on to my own equinity. It was my wife who shot me down. I could never forgive Rainbow for doing that to me.
I sit here now at the crossroads of a choice. The scars I bear reflect the hellish nature of war. Like I said: I used to be an ace. But now my wings are clipped. They had to cut off my left wing when a piece of shrapnel tore it to bits from the very dogfight I survived when the war started. The nub was a grim reminder of betrayal from someone who I loved with all my heart. She tore it right out of me. I took a whiff of my E-cig and sighed.
“Hey Major. You feeling okay?” my gunner, Game Theory showed me his concern, “Thinking about RD again?”
“No shit, how you feeling?” I took it easy on the kid. Game used to be happy with his life before the war. He loved his job and had things easy. Now the blue unicorn's just another homeless victim of the war. Decided to join the Peace Corps to bring an end to this war. His glasses were stained with dirt from an artillery shell that missed us earlier and his jet black mane was littered with specs of dirt.
“Just as shitty as you are I suppose. To think this all used to be such a place of peace. I miss my job,” Game looked down at the engine of our tank. It was an XM8 “Thunderbolt” AGS Block II. One of the meanest little tankies in the world. 580 horse power hybrid electric engine, fully stabilized 120mm gun with an autoloader carrying 21 rounds, all digital interface, and enough ERA and countermeasures to make most guided missiles fail.
“Comrades!” a grey pegasus landed next to us off to our left. It was our driver, Peace Walker to greet us with his heavy Slavic accent, “I just got orders from HQ! We are mobilizing! Major Sky Buster, I hope you are feeling better today.”
“I am. Let's make our PMC proud today. Okay Walker! Let's roll!” I jumped into my commanders hatch and closed it shut. I booted up the monitor of my CROWS and looked around with the remote controlled gun. I turned to my radio and called out, “This is Dragon Buster zero one. We are mobilizing command, en route to grid coordinates!”
A familiar voice came over the comms, “Um, this is Commander Fluttershy of the United Equestria Peace Corps. Please do your best everypony. Your mission is to assault a train depot resupplying the Solar Empire with vital military logistics. Expect heavy resistance. Be-careful everyone.”
“Roger that Flutters. I'll be back for you,” I turned out of my tank and looked around, “Hey! Where are you guys?”
I yelled into my radio for my fellow tankers. A Leopard 2A5 pulled in from its camo net with Lieutenant Keyframe Inkwell in the commanders seat.
“This is Dragon Buster zero two we are in formation with you zero one. How copy?”
“Solid copy miss Keyframe. How's your crew doing?”
“Better, last night's artillery barrage kept Will, Goldy, and Thunder Blur up last night. Hey Will! Punch it will you! Buster's mobile gun system's gonna leave us in the dust!”
“Yes Miss Keyframe!” Will popped out from the driver's hatch. A decision he immediately regretted as the treads of my vehicle kicked up mud into his face, “Dammit Sky!”
“Hey, it's a narrow mountain pass. We need to link up with Rolo. His Merkava III should be at the top. Dragon Buster zero three what is your status over?” I radioed out to our Jewish pony, “HELLO! You awake yet?”
“This is Sketchy, commander's knocked out cold sleeping like a rock.”
“Dammit, Mena wake him the fuck up! Puzzle if you have to fire off a powder charge to get his attention!”
“Will do! Sweetie Bloom, load up a powder charge and roll up to Rolo's tank!” Puzzle announced over comms as his Archer Artillery System pulled next to the Merkava. His loader and wife, Sweetie Bloom, rammed a powder charge into the breach.
“Blank in the chamber! Fire one!” the Archer fired its massive 155mm gun. The shockwave shook Rolo's Merkava.
“Dammit Sky, did you have to do that?”
“LISTEN THE FUCK UP ROLO! WE ARE LATE! Solar Empire's got a train loaded with fuel destined for the front! If we don't undermine their efforts it's one more thing we gotta worry about and more lives lost to this war! We roll out everypony!” I zealously cried to my armored formation. We drove down the mountains and sighted the railway station. I had a recon vehicle stationed in hiding observing the railway, “Dragon Buster zero one to recce team. What do you see?”
“Rio here. Smokey and I spotted a large number of enemy armor patrolling the main entrance. I've got MILANs on this VBL so say the word and we'll knock em out with some ATGMs.”
“Copy that Rio, hang tight. We're en route! Puzzle, Sweetie, set up here, switch to satellite mode and shell any enemies marked by our VBL. The rest of you on me! We push into the railway then the refinery!”
“Solid copy, rolling with you Buster!” Keyframe radioed out to me.
“Rio! You and smokey start painting these guys! Driver crank it!”
“Yes sir!” Walker saluted to me.
“Gunner scan for targets!”
“Affirmative!” GT looked through his viewfinder, “Target identified! Bearing 280 looks like a BMP-3!”
“Next round load SABOT! FIRE!” I commanded my gunner to fire as the high explosive anti tank round flew out of our gun and impacted the side of the BMP. In a large explosion the enemy IFV kept on driving, now aware of our presence.
“No pen! ERA!” GT reported back, “Damn that whole thing is covered in it!”
“Walker get behind that factory. MBTs can you engage?”
“Negative! They're hulled down launching missiles!” Keyframe had her tank in the cover of a supply shack and could barely peek out as missiles flew by.
“We've got a shot! Mena two BMP-3s front! Nail them with SABOT!” Rolo ordered to his gunnner.
“On the way!” Menameh fired the 120mm smoothbore gun right into the side of the enemy BMP. I saw the shell fly out the other side of the thinly armored IFV as it continued to fight, “Damn! Overmatched!”
“I've got him target marked!” Rio was still in cover as she provided a laser designation, “Puzzle use those guided shells!”
“Solid copy standby for fire mission!” I heard one crack in the distance from the artillery vehicle, “Rounds complete! Splash!”
The shell impacted directly on top of the BMP and blew it to bits. The other three with it scattered and started to engage each of us.
“Crap! They knocked out my track with that last ATGM!” Keyframe popped out of her tank to view the damage before closing the hatch back.
“GT, Load HEAT. Focus down that BMP on Keyframe! Smokey! Rio! Hit that BMP right in it's explosive reactive armor with a MILAN.”
“Roger! Missile away!” Rio launched her wire guided missile and steered it into the side of the enemy. The BMP's turret turned to their direction and away from Keyframe who used her magic to repair the track, “Smokey! MOVE!”
“Roger! WHOA!” I saw them get hit by a couple of 30mm cannon shells as their VBL drove off at breakneck pace.
“You guys okay?”
“Yeah Buster! That last shell nearly took my head off!” Smokey sighed in relief, “I'm making a break for the trains! They know we're coming now.”
“Right there with you! Driver follow our VBL!”
“Da! Da!” Walker punched the throttle and rocketed our tank to keep up with our scout.
“Oh crap! Reverse back into cover now!” as our vehicle rounded the corner I spotted an M1 Abrams looking right at us with its massive gun. Smokey followed my lead and U-turned back behind me as two tank shells nearly connected to their lightly armored scout, “That was a fucking Abrams! I think there's two over there!”
“Confirmed! I saw the muzzle flash of a second MBT!” Rio radioed back to me as her VBL reversed and drove away, “I'll try to mark them for designation!”
“Smoke out!” I clouded our position with a smoke screen as we drove out of there to come up behind those two tanks. Keyframe and Rolo just finished up with the enemy APCs.
“Yo! You got some Abrams behind that building. Let us help!” Rolo pulled up next to me as his tank drifted into the mud, “Let Keyframe and I distract them! You and Rio go in from the back.”
“Sounds like a plan! Walker you know what to do!” I patted the helmet of my driver.
We got up behind the two Abrams with Rio beside us.
“Got em! MILAN out!” one missile fired from Rio's launcher right into the back of the Abrams. The tank caught fire and flames spewed out of the hatches like a pressure cooker. From my viewfinder I saw what was left of the crew crawl out screaming so loud I could hear it inside my vehicle. They were burning alive and one of them was even blown in half yet still managed to crawl out barely alive. I didn't flinch, only looked to the floor as sorrow filled my heart.
“Those ponies... Holy hell...” I shook my head to clear the thought, “Pull up into a hull down and fire into their backsides!”
“ON THE WAY!” GT fired a shot at point blank range into the back of the enemy tank. Again, the same thing happened: crew cooked alive like a pressure cooker with flames spewed out of the hatches, “Target destroyed!”
“Hurry up guys! The trains are departing and we gotta destroy them!” I turned out of my hatch and signaled for my platoon to form up before returning inside, “GT you go this!”
“Right! Train spotted! HE loaded!” the mechanized hiss of the automatic loader chucked the shell into the breach as GT pulled the trigger, “ON THE WAY!”
The round gave a good impact and ignited the fuel and ammunition cargo of the train. The rail yard workers loading the crates were caught in the blast and torn apart by shrapnel. I saw GT gulp in disgust.
“Train down. Two more to go!” I turned off my radio and looked to Game at my side, “Hey, I know that look. Just focus here, remember what we're fighting for.”
“I-,” he stammered, “Okay...”
“Shake the thought. Keep going Walker! Rio! Smokey how you holding up?”
“We hit the next train with a MILAN! It's out of action but the supplies are still intact. Hold on! I'm reloading my missiles!”
“Guys!” Puzzle came through on the radio as I heard distant shots from behind the train yard, “We're getting counter fire! We need to relocate!”
I thought for a moment to myself, “That arty fire is too accurate to pinpoint them with just a couple of shots. Puzzle! See if there's a scout AFV somewhere near you!”
“Hey! I see it,” Sweetie Bloom shouted out over comms, “It's a Fennec! Puzzle drive us outta here!”
“Dammit!” I slammed the radio back to its place and tapped Walker's shoulder, “Our arty is in trouble! Walker drive us over there! Smokey, Rio, you handle the rest of the trains!”
“Roger commander! Keyframe, Rolo we're counting on you to take out anything after us!” Rio and Smokey rounded a corner and emptied their autocannon into the side of a BMP-2, “Got one! Keep driving hon!”
I popped out of my hatch and scanned the forest as our Archer artillery truck came rumbling down the mountain. There was a Solar Imperial Fennec right on its tail running it down.
“GT! Knock out its wheel! We'll capture this SOB!”
“ON THE WAY!” my gunner pinned the trigger and blew off the wheel of the enemy scout vehicle. Our Archer along with Puzzle and Sweetie got behind us. The two artillery ponies dismounted and provided small arms cover fire as I stepped out of my hatch and to the wreck of the enemy Fennec. I took my Kalashnikov and went up to the armored doors.
“Peace Corps! Open up! You're under arrest!” I banged on the door with the butt of my rifle. Two mares slowly got up and held their forehooves up high. I saw one more in the back and 'gently' encouraged her back out, “Get out! Get out of the vehicle now!”
“So, the traitor of the Solar Empire is still alive and well huh?” She stepped out from the shadows and I could see her maroon coat and flowing mane. I knew exactly who she was, “Major Sky Buster of the United Equestrian Air Force. Turned traitor when the war hit. How does it feel to know that you're nothing but a terrorist!”
“Ink Rose...” I huffed in anger, “I offered you a chance to be part of the solution, not the problem.”
“The problem?!” she exclaimed, “THE PROBLEM?! YOU are the problem Sky Buster! Can't you see that Princess Celestia is the only road to peace for Equestria?!”
“She's using you like she used me... SHE SENT ME TO BOMB CILIVIANS WHICH I GLADLY REFUSED!” I struck her down with the buttstock of my AK, “Now get on the ground! Walker! Arrest these POWs!”
“With pleasure comrade,” Walker came over and hoofcuffed all of the prisoners, “We'll need to call in a helicopter to extract them.”
“Roger that. Crossroads this is Dragon Buster Zero One.”
“Go ahead Zero One,” Fluttershy's voice came through on my headset.
“We've captured times three enemy scouts and are wrapping up at the rail yard. Requesting extraction for POWs via helo.”
“Negative Zero One. Solar Empire's got full SAM umbrella over that whole sector. You'll need to transport them by vehicle. RTB Dragon Busters, your mission is complete. I see the satellite scans from here. You've done quite a number on the facility.”
“Thanks Crossroads...” I took off my helmet and sighed, “And... Stay safe. I love you.”
“Take care Zero One,” I heard her sigh in the back with a heavy heart.
“Viva la resistance...” GT sarcastically mouthed.
“No kidding. This war has gone to shit.”
Night fell over the land and with it cast a glow of the tainting moon. Both the sun and moon, a constant reminder of our enemies always at each others throats. I gazed at the moon with anger like the bitter sun that dragged on through the day.
“Feeling okay Commander?” GT trotted over to me with a SABOT shell on his back. I helped him by carrying it into the tank.
“GT, you're not suppose to do the heavy lifting. That's why we got this autoloader for you. You know you can't fight if your back is broken.”
“I know,” GT prodded the ground with a hoof, “I asked Walker for help but he's drunk on Vodka again. Says he needed to forget something about his own wife.”
“He and I are in the same boat,” my heart went out to my driver, “His ex-wife is Lunar Republic. When the war broke out she tried to kill him. Sounds like me huh? Listen kid, just stay out of trouble. You're a great asset to the team and without your twitch reflexes and tech skills we'd be screwed. Use your magic to do the heavy lifting please. I don't want your scoliosis to get any worse.”
“Thanks boss...”
“Please, call me Sky,” I ruffled his mane and patted his side, “Go on now. I need to talk with our resident Ruski.”
“Will do Sky,” GT went back to work loading in fresh shells from a Peace Corps supply convoy that just happened to roll by as we made our way back to base. We stopped for the night behind friendly lines and set up our camp here. I saw Keyframe guarding our POWs still cuffed and tied up.
“Hey Keyframe!” I lifted one hoof to greet her, “Are the POWs giving you any crap?”
“Same old same old. Imperial bullshit about peace and whatnot when clearly they've been brainwashed into believing that the Solar Princess can do no harm.”
“And what about Ink Rose?”
“What about her?” Keyframe repeated to me, “You got some beef with her?”
“Yeah, she was my friend. WAS my friend... Not only that, her husband is a high ranking artillery officer in the Solar Empire: Colonel Firebrand.”
“No way!” Keyframe sat shocked, “THE Colonel Firebrand? No wonder that artillery strike was so accurate against Puzzle and Sweetie. He's a legendary field officer driving around in a prototype NLOS cannon. And he's always got his entourage platoons of MBTs, support vehicles, and you damn well name it. He'll probably come looking for us.”
“Yeah,” I glanced over to Ink Rose. She looked at me with anger in her eyes, “With her captured I'm sure he will. However, I don't think he'll start off with an arty barrage. Might kill his wife if we always have her close. Keep her at our main FOB. Make sure she doesn't escape. I'm sure Fluttershy can talk some sense into her.”
Keyframe started to whisper to me, “I'd be nice to have her as a tank commander for a change. Hopefully we can turn her around.”
“If she does see the light. I'll welcome her with open arms,” I whispered back to Keyframe, “Anyway, make sure Will takes his nightshift! I'm gonna talk to Walker. See you around Keyframe.”
“Bye commander!”
I looked to my phone to see that midnight had passed. I left Walker alone and retreated back to my tent for some sleep. I miss Fluttershy's warm embrace...
