Chapter 0: Prologue

Goat Republic capital of Mosgoat, Ramsia.
Two days after the attack on Canterlot and the Foal valley incident.

The echoes of Hooves clicking on tile floor echoed through the halls of Mosgoat's capital building. An graying, strudy build buck trotted with a folder firmly tucked under his left foreleg. He wore green army fatigues, as well as a leather belt with a holster hanging off of his barrel. His service pistol secured safely inside. On his shoulders was a single large star with the head of a goat emblazoned on it. A clear notation of his rank in the army.

The general walked up to a set of double doors as tall as the ceiling was high, and wide enough to fit five goats side by side comfortably. On either side of the double doors was a solder, both battle made sergeants, holding a bolt action rifle that rested against their shoulder as they stood vigilant guard ready to act if need be. When the general made it close enough both the other goats, a buck and a doe, quickly brought up their right forehooves in a salute to the approaching general. One the general reciprocated, dropping his forehoof, letting the other two goats do the same.

"I'm here to see the council on an urgent matter." The general spoke, to the two guards, to which the doe nodded and responded.

"They've been expecting you general, you may enter." She said before slinging her rifle on her back, the buck on the other side doing the same as they both took the door they stood besides and opened it for the general. Once the general had made it inside they both shut their respective doors, giving the General and the council their due privacy.

Before the general five more goats sat before him, three bucks, two does. Each one a leader in their respective side of government. Agriculture, economy, infrastructure, health, and state; these five goats were the head of the Goat Republic, though few new their faces or names, everyone knew what they did. Goats in lower rungs of government strived to be chosen as the secretive goats' successors. Even withing a few feet from the goats, the general didn't know their faces as they worked in the dark, separated from eachother in a means to keep them all safe from one another should something happen to any of them.

"We have heeded your summons General Rut," The head of state, a buck, spoke up first. "We have knowledge of the attacks on our neighbor Equestria, what we have problem understanding is why it is so important that we join them in their fight against the Griffons. We don't agree with their methods, but instigating the empire is not something we agree would be unwise what with our current engagements with the deer to the east."

The general held out five folders, five hooded figures, the head's assistants left the side of the their assigned governor, retrieving the folder from the general before returning it to their respective heads for them to examine. "Because of the sheer amount of bodies that the empire has set upon the ponies of Equestria. Our spies report that a good third of the empire's military is currently assigned to capture and occupy the equestrian state. Our last estimate of Equestrian military puts them at a third of that, with numbers decreasing by the day. They're untrained against the threat of firearms, their tactics as dreadfully outdated. To say the least, their chance of survival against the griffons are bleak at best, non -existent in reality."

"We understand their current position General, what we cannot fathom is the need for us to interfere with their fight. It's a loosing fight, and anyone with a brain knows it. Why condemn good goats to a useless fight? Even if we Gave them our reserves, that would only bolster their forces to half of what the griffons have already have deployed and entrenched in Equestria. Our forces aren't ready to face such an overwhelming and well prepared force." The head of economy, a doe, spoke, sounds of agreement coming from the other heads once her statement was through.

"But see, we do have a force that is ready for this kind of conflict, one that is poised and ready to face these odds, with a high chance of success so long as we do this right. And the best part, is that we'd only be sending in a Battalion's worth of soldiers into the field." The general spoke confidently as he set the five council members into a confused murmur.

The buck in charge of health spoke up next, "are you planning on deplying our bio weapons? They're designed for deer physiology, not griffon." The buck said, with a degree of confusion and know it all mentality.

General rut shook his head as he simply shrugged the buck's words. "My plan is to activate the G.O.A.T. battalion." He said, the room going quiet for a moment as the shock. "Are you mad? That battalion is experimental at best, and it's dreadfully underbucked! They'd be decimated within the week of deployment!" the state buck bellowed, his other council members agreeing with him.

"See that's the thing though, The G.O.A.T.'s are specially trained for this sort of situation. The Gurrilla operations and assault tactics group is made to fight overwhelming forces like those of the griffons in Equestria. And what better test of their metal than the front? They will be conducting the same operations they were trained for, within their ideal theater of operations. That with the supplementation of out military surplus to the Equestrian forces, we could turn the tide and gain a valuable ally in the process." The buck spoke, the council members conferring between themselves. Doubts still prevalent among the five goats at the council table.

The general sighed slightly as he called the room back to his attention with his commanding voice. "We are at the precipice of something great, or something horrible for the republic! If we side with the ponies, give them the aid they so desperately need we can help them take of the griffons and possibly even win! If we hold our aid, let the ponies fall to their demise, then we give the griffons one of the biggest states in our continent, and give them a prime staging area to attack us! then we'd have the deers and the griffons to contend with! We must act! We must offer aid to our neighbor in their hour of need, so that they can do the same for us. If we do this, we could employ Equestrian ponies to help us in our plight against the deers! Think of it! The great Equestrian republic would be a force to be reckoned with, no one would dare bother us then! We need this as much as the Equestrians do!"

The council sat still and quiet for the longest time. At first it seemed to the general they were going to deny him, but after a few shared looks, the council members all nodded in agreement. A paper was passed among the five council members before brought back to the general. He took the paper and smiled, it was an order to deploy units into equestria, with all five seals emblazoned on the paper. "You won't regret this." He said confidently.

"See that it doesn't." The head of state spoke before dismissing the general to plan out his attack.

_____

Three days after the attack on Canterlot and the Foal Valley incident

Four goats walked through the dark of the night through the Foal Valley. They walked silently parallel to the train tracks, but not on them, instead skimming the walls of the valley, an odd whistle or two hear from time to time coming from the lead goat on either group, signaling the other that they were still in the clear. It was slow going, but the goats were patient, methodical in their movements. It wasn't until they found the decimated blockade that they switched tactics. Two quick sharp whistles and the four goats convened at the open gate.

The four goats were in full kit, with satchels, bandoleers, and weapons. One carried just a pistol in his holster, a doe carried a sniper rifle, another doe carried a heavy machine gun on her back, the last buck held a small sub machine gun. The one with the pistol had a cross emblazoned on his satchels.

"Good Faust it stinks around here," The one with the SMG whined as he waved his hoof in front of his face.

"Can it Derek," the doe with the sniper rifle on her back chastised as she inspected the area in front of the door. "No traps, lets get moving."

"Yeah, Faust forbid Derek has to stand in this any longer for his poor nose," the doe with the heavy gun giggled as she followed the first doe into the gate.

"You can it too Felicia, we don't need to alert any lingering enemy combatants." the doe called out again as the four made it through the gate. The scene hey found was that of slaughter, pony bodies were scattered about, their once vibrant coats dull from the grim they lay in and the beginnings of decay. Along with the Ponies there was a few griffon bodies, though the griffons all had missing limbs of some sort. Single shot rifles lay scattered with the griffon bodies. The four goats all looked at the carnage, the buck with the SMG, gagged every now and then.

"Split up and search."

The other three goats agreed with the doe and began their search of the ramparts and battlements. "No firearms on the pony side, Gun shot wounds galore, this was a one sided fight." The goat with the pistol called out from his spot on top of the battlements.

"I don't know about one sided Cullen, looks like there was a big explosion here, took out a few of the griffons, someone did a real number on them." Felicia responded as she examined the blast area. "Whoever did this knew their way around blasting gel."

"Noted Felicia, though I hate to say that whoever planted all that blasting gel." She crouched down looking at the yellow mare next to the explosive plunger closely. "Is dead." She touched the pony's shoulder, patting it softly. She turned to adress her squad, and that's all it took.

There was a flash of gold in her peripheral, she had let her guard down and now it cost her as a hoof caught her straight in the jaw and sent her tumbling to the side. Before she knew it, there was a knife to her throat, and a wheezing pony staring her in the eyes with fierce look. If it wasn't for the three guns now pointed at the mare, she might have been scared for her life. "Easy now filly, we're here to help." She held her hooves up. Though with a quick hand signal, the butt of an SMG met with the mare's head, knocking her out. The knife clattering uselessly to the ground. The doe quickly recovering to her hooves as she looked at the yellow mare. "Well I'll be darned..." She said checking the mare out along side her medic Cullen.

"We got a live one."

Author's Note

And here we go, the start of the Crimson wars! I hope you all enjoy!

There's more to come for sure. When is debatable, but it is coming.

As always to my readers, any friendly, constructive criticism is appreciated.