“If you end up with a boring miserable life because you listened to your mom, your dad, your teacher, your priest, or some guy on television telling you how to do your shit, then you deserve it.”

-Frank Zappa

Dr. Heinrich Steiner

Rebirth Island, United Terran Empire

Head of the Imperial Scientific Branch

“~Fire ain’t scaring me, I’ve got ice in my veins you see.~”

Steiner sung to himself quietly as he cleaned his glasses with a handkerchief. In front of him, strapped to the table, was the root cause of the outbreak.

Technician Abram Saing served in Rebirth Island for years. Every shore leave, like all personnel, were carefully monitored leaving no room for Saing to leak the dark secrets of Rebirth.

Thanks to information gathered after capturing 2 ex-TIB Agents who defected to the Insurrectionists back in 2011 codenamed Powers and Trigger, Saing was an Insurrectionist spy sent to gather information on the Rebirth Island Research Facilities. What Saing’s handlers underestimated was how tight security was, on and off the island.

Simply, Saing bit off more than he could chew and didn’t even know that his handlers have been killed 3 years ago in a TIB raid. After a scheduled maintenance on the security systems, Saing thought he stayed in Rebirth long enough.

When he tried to hide in a ferry, the crew were notified so while the Captain struck up a conversation with a disguised Saing to distract him, a member of the security snuck up behind him and knocked him out.

Once he cleaned his glasses, he put it back on. A groan caught his attention and his eyes laid on Saing who began to stir.

“Wake up sleeping beauty.” Steiner said moving next to Saing’s head. “Bit off more than I could chew eh?”

Saing’s vision started clearing as he groaned from the pain he felt on his head. His vision cleared and when he finally recognized the dreaded Dr. Steiner, the Innie Agent tried to struggle and quickly realized he was tied down.

“Wait wait.” Saing said calming down a bit. “I can give you valuable info. My handlers, the other agents I know. I can tell you everything!”

Steiner’s face remained neutral.

“Unfortunately for you, your handlers have been dead for years and your friends Trigger and Powers sang like a songbird. As we speak, all of your friends are being taken out one by one.”

The traitor’s eyes widened. Steiner’s eyes moved to the door of the empty room as it opened. Strolling in, Jefferson lead a group consisting of 4 scientists in lab coats and pushing a cart full of chemicals and needles. Hanging back behind the group, a short woman in a black suit wearing black combat boots and a white cloak was reading reports on a clipboard. She had white skin and strangely, a black-to-red shoulder length hair. It was unusual for any personnel to have dye on their hair but her presence indicated she had clearance.

“Final casualty count is 45 dead D-class Personnel, 1 Janitor, and 1 Field Agent. 73 wounded with 39 serious. According to the facility’s history I caught up on, this is relatively moderate compared to other Containment Breaches.” The woman said to Jefferson. “Ironwood would’ve made this a lot worse if he was in charge.”

Jefferson rose an eyebrow and looked at her, causing her eyes to widen at her apparent mistake and covered her mouth with the clipboard.

“Right right. Forgot. Back home now.”

“You’ll see them again when we’re ready Summer. Please return to your quarters and continue catching up with world events.” Jefferson ordered.

The woman nodded and quietly left them while the scientists swarmed Saing, giving him a checkup before they could begin experimenting on him.

“We’ll leave them to their devices.” Steiner said walking towards the door. “Come with me Jefferson.”

Jefferson complied and put his hand in the pockets of his coat. The two walked down a busy hallway, personnel completing their duties. They could see various experiments through windows, even passing a giant room where scientists worked on a giant machine that emitted some kind of blue portal.

“Pines would be livid.” Jefferson said.

“As much as I admire him, we need the portal for our research. Entertain me. I haven’t really caught up on its purpose completely.”

“Yeah, it was started long before you entered the picture. Only got it working back in 2013. Anyways, the portal is a contingency plan. We’ve scouted multiple uh, dimensions to see which are the best for us should the Empire fall or the planet becomes unlivable through various reasons.

In total, we found 3 dimensions though only one is the closest to satisfy our needs. Now here’s something you should know, this dimension has traces of the purified magic from here.”

Steiner’s eyes widened.

“How is that possible?”

Jefferson shook his head.

“There are 2 theories so far. The first theory is that members of the previous, more advanced Human civilizations fled to this dimension.”

“And the second?”

The officer’s face grew dark.

“We originate from the other dimension. Our ancestors fleeing to here after the first cataclysm of the Human civilization there.”

“How did the scientists on the project come up with these theories?” Steiner asked.

“We sent Agent Summer there where she lived for years. She found technology in an ancient underground facility with technology similar to the portal.”

The head of the ISB quickly looked behind him before looking at Jefferson.

“That woman? She seems very young.”

“Sent there at a very young age. Kept her mission a secret and never forgot her purpose. Thanks to her, projects are at work to prepare us. Once the time comes, probably not long after we’ve dealt with Equestria, we will make contact and Summer will be our ambassador. Poor gal had to leave behind a young daughter but we’ve assured her she’ll see her again. Had to fake her own death too.”

Steiner shook his head in pity.

“I admire her loyalty but I can’t help but feel sorry for the pain she’s going through. Best for her to see a therapist here just in case.”

Jefferson agreed and had to bite his tongue for a second. The whole operation was funded and approved by the Emperor himself. There was no need for Steiner to know that every scientist, security personnel, technician, Summer, and himself were members of the Venatores. Members since their youth and poor Summer drew the short stick to travel to the other side to catalog every bit of useful information. Over the years, Summer would return to the underground desert facility where she would send back info once a month. If she didn’t, a team was on standby to find her. The day she was ordered to return, she made the painful decision to fake her own death and leaving behind her child. Now she’s catching up to current events and prepare for the day the Emperor orders her to lead a delegation to establish relations with the other side.

By the orders of the Emperor, absolutely everything will be on the table to ensure Humanity’s survival, even if it meant destroying all life on the planet through the Revelations Contingency and fleeing through the portal.

To everyone with knowledge of the Revelations Contingency, especially all Venatores Agents, they all hope Humanity isn’t put into a position where doomsday is considered. With how powerful the impurified magic Equestrians possess, there was a certain fear for as long as the Empire lived that they were at their mercy.

Then there was the issue of what would happen to the sun and the moon if Celestia and Luna lose their magic. They did have evidence that they would continue to move even without the assistance of the Equestrian diarchs, but the fear that it may have apocalyptic consequences was still there. Through observation, there were moments where the Equestrians threw all logic out the window and defied the laws of physics.

“Why wasn’t I kept informed about Project…” started Steiner.

“Project Noah’s Ark?”

“Yes, why wasn’t I informed regularly about Project Noah’s Ark?”

Jefferson looked straight into Steiner’s eyes.

“You were constantly putting your attention on every other project sir. Rarely ever coming to Sector D23.”

“Fine, keep me updated on the project.” Steiner grumbled. “Have any damage to the island repaired and continue Project Earth Shatter. Get those damn Equestrians up, our time with them is on the clock.”

“What do you mean by that sir?”

The Doctor grimaced and his eyes shifted elsewhere as they walked.

“They’re going to be part of a deal, a ruse. We’re going to take down the Caribou...by selling them into slavery.”

“The object of war is not to die for your motherland, but to make the other bastard die for his.”

-General George S. Patton

Nicholas Walker

Rebel Commander

Rebel HQ, Everfree Forest, Equestria

“Hey sup man.” said an Afrikan Legionnaire. Walker and the Legionnaire high fived as they passed each other in a hallway. The Commander maintained a smile on his face, but he dropped it as soon as there weren’t any Legionnaires in sight.

He wore a white, short-sleeved t-shirt, a brown army vest stolen off a dead Equestrian soldier, cargo pants, and brown combat boots. Some blood was on his impressively muscular arms after taking part in an ambush on an Equestrian convoy where he beat an Equestrian soldier to death with his fists.

Next to him, Lyra Heartstrings walked besides him. She wore a sports bra, black sweatpants, and blue sneakers. The unicorn just finished from working out when she ran into Walker.

“I don’t like this.” Walker said, just quiet enough for Lyra to hear.

“Like what?” Lyra asked.

“They come here and order us around. What exactly is their endgame?” snarled Walker.

Lyra had no answer for this and starting thinking as well.

“This United Terran Empire, they seek control. They expect us to join them.”

“So what are you going to do then?” She asked the Commander.

“When this is over. We’re going to form a new Equestria, a more powerful, more united one. More powerful than the Empire that never experienced slavery like we have.”

Looking around and seeing no Legionnaires, Lyra looked at Walker.

“The Legionnaires would never let you. For everypony’s sake, don’t give them a reason to slaughter all of us.”

Walker smirked.

“We outnumber them and will have an entire country against them. They walked into the lion’s den.”

He stopped when he noticed Lyra didn’t continue with him. Walker looked behind to see a disappointed Lyra.

“No Nicholas. I believe it’s the opposite. We are all sheep and we’ve let the wolves hide among us.”

She turned and entered a room, slamming the door shut. Walker frowned before turning around and continuing down the hallway.

Not far in a dark corner, a lighter flickered until it lit a cigarette. Stepping out of the shadows, a Hispanic Legionnaire stared at the back of Nicholas Walker.

“Interesting.” He said.

“If death strikes before I prove my blood, I swear I’ll kill Death.”

-Captain Manoj Kumar Pandey

New Oasis, Capital of the Griffin Empire

ISB Field Agents “Battery” and “Safety”

“Gotta give it to Azarov, he may have defied the Emperor’s orders but he certainly had the Legionnaires shatter Equestrian intelligence all over the world.” said Agent Battery.

High in a hotel room, the Oceanian Agent Battery and the Nordic Agent Safety watched as crowds surrounded the Equestrian Embassy. Battery had tanned skin, short black hair, wore a black leather jacket with aviator glasses, blue jeans, and black combat boots. His partner was a tall, muscular Nordic who had long blonde hair, a full beard, wore a blue hoodie, cargo pants, and black sneakers.

The two along with a multitude of ISB Field Agents have been in the Griffin Empire for nearly 2 years now. Back in the 60s, the ISB launched a clandestine operation codenamed Operation Parasite where Agents were sent all over the world where they would sabotage Equestrian Intel Ops and assassinate or capture their field agents. Operation Parasite thus far has been a complete success with the most success in the Griffin Empire. Battery and Safety themselves could account for the assassination of one of the heads of Equestrian Intel Ops in the Griffin Empire and 23 Equestrian Agents either killed, captured, or ratted out to the Griffin Empire’s Imperial Security Agency (I.S.A.).

“With the image of Equestria shattered, Canterlot’s gotta be panicking trying to run damage control.” commented Safety. Behind them, their television showed a live feed from news organizations showing protests around Equestrian Embassies and Consulates all over the world.

“So, what now?” asked Safety.

“Well, we wait. Taro, Clown, and Playboy are pushing the crowd to storm the embassy.”

Safety took out his cellphone and texted a contact named “Lion”.

‘Things are wild out here and it’s making me nervous. Are the popo gonna do anything? Gotta take the kids to school.’

His message was a coded question asking Agent Lion what is the response of law enforcement. He waited for half a minute before he got a response.

‘Swamped by the crowds. Even the airports are flooded. Take the kids to school anyways, everything should be fine.’

Safety smirked. That means law enforcement is being overwhelmed and the streets flooded with protestors have slowed their response time. The protests even extended to the airports where protesters have blocked the runways and stormed terminals holding flights to Equestria meaning an aerial evac for the Equestrian diplomats is a no go.

“Yo check it out, security’s stepping up.” Battery said. Safety looked out the window and could see Equestrian soldiers lining the roofs and boarding up the windows. Simultaneously, the two agents could see protesters bringing up trucks and using them to create makeshift slingshots. Humans and Griffins alike began accumulating ammo, like bricks, bottles, and even bags full of what anyone can guess, smothered in tar.

“If I were them, I’d evac the diplomats now.” Battery muttered.

Wordlessly, Safety took out his cellphone and messaged other agents via group chat.

‘All this chaos makes me wanna hide underground until everything blows over.’

This was code for all agents to get ready for the Equestrian diplomats to evacuate. After tracking the architect of the Equestrian Embassy which used to be the HQ of a billionaire’s company, they found a tunnel that was connected to the basement of a building owned by Azure Blueblood, the father of Zaffre Blueblood.

To cut off avenues of escape, Agents Falcon and Seahawk led protests to the airport and stormed the terminals, Agents Tower and Puma rented an apartment with a view of the building’s underground basement exit, and Agents Cross and Iceheart were negotiating with the ISA for their cooperation.

Assassinating a foreign diplomat was something they’ve done multiple times to create conflict with Equestria and various groups, but this plot was planned for a long time and now that Emperor Red Talon made contact with Emperor Maximilian Vorenus VII, they needed Griffin cooperation to avoid risking strained relations between their countries.

This Equestrian Ambassador in particular has attempted multiple times to persuade Emperor Red Talon to allow Equestrian authorities to hunt down slave fugitives in his Empire.

First contact between the two nations, in fact, have not started between Red Talon and Maximilian Vorenus. In 2003, TIB Agents saved the director of the ISA from RIA Agents who were ordered to assassinate him. From there, the TIB and ISA have cooperated in multiple incidents against the RIA presence in the Griffin Empire. However, never before have they cooperated to assassinate a foreign emissary.

The two agents watched with intrigue as protestors broke down the gates of the embassy. Immediately, the Equestrian soldiers fired into the crowd. To the surprise of the agents, they used lethal rounds.

Protestors fell in droves but they did not falter. The trucks with makeshift slingshots began hurdling objects where many were caught by the unicorns with their magic. One did go through and hit the roof with an explosion. A few soldiers caught fire and began panicking. Their comrades shifted attention to put out the fire but that was all that was needed.

Sensing the opportunity, the crowd rushed with many using advancing vehicles with cover until they reached the building itself.

“Alright, I’m breaking radio silence.” Safety said as he took out a radio. “Cross, this is Safety. What’s the word from the chickens?”

“Still debating. Taking too long in my opinion.”

“Well they better make a decision now.”

“Puma to Safety, I’ve got activity down in my end.”

Hit Team

“Lock and load fellas!” A TIB Agent said as he put on a skull balaclava. On the side of a road, two TIB and two ISA Agents put on masks and armed themselves in a tinted SUV. Further down the road, a few more cars full of TIB and ISA Agents also waited.

“Movement from the building.”

On cue, two ponies in business suits opened up the gate. Coming out, a convoy of cars sped out.

“If the Director says no, then we don’t go for it.” said the Griffin driver.

“Yeah, well they’re certainly taking their time. Follow them.” said the other TIB Agent.

Their car pulled out and tailed the convoy. One of the cars in the 7 car convoy held the Equestrian Ambassador and his family, likely the middle car which was a black SUV.

“Come on, what’s the word? We’re approaching the target area.” The TIB Agent radioed.

“Stand by. We will receive orders shortly.”

“We had the green light from The Bear’s Den. Why the fuck is this an issue?” asked a TIB Agent.

“It won’t look good on us if the Ambassador’s killed in a highly populated area, the capital nonetheless.” The other Griffin Agent said. “It would make our security look weak. If I know the Director well enough, he would redirect them to Azure Blueblood’s villa outside the city where he has a private landing strip enough to get them out of here.”

“All Cub elements, word from Director. Mission is a no go. They’re being redirected to Objective Baron. Entity 1 has been alerted to prep for a mission.”

“Damn.” The ISA driver said as he pulled over. “Of course this would happen. We’re gonna be the cleaning crew aren’t we?”

“New orders are to rendezvous at Objective Ushanka. You will receive new orders from there.”

“And here we are, thinking Entity 1 is just some kind of Hangar Queen. We get to do the dirty work while the flyboys sit high and pretty.” An Agent muttered.

“If they think an artist can destroy their faith, then their faith is very fragile.”

-Marilyn Manson

Admiral Victor Argas

Ex-UTN Battleship Manifest Destiny

En Route to the Posui Islands

Despite sinking the Vanguard, morale aboard the Manifest Destiny was still somber. Their forces have been pushed all the way back to the Posui Islands which is quickly being surrounded. Any hopes of leaving the safety of the MDZ and seeking asylum in another nation is quickly dwindling. Yes it would threaten the security of the Empire but to the Rebels, it would be worth it if they could fight another day.

The plan was to rally Humans from other nations to form a new fighting force to challenge the Empire. As a member of General Graves’ inner circle, Agars knew of the traitors within the Empire led by Deputy Director Antonio Beria. Even within the inner circle, they all were wary of Beria. He had a reputation among the hierarchy as cold, ruthless, an opportunist, and if the rumors were true, a slave dealer.

As much as Graves despised the infamous spymaster, he was useful. Graves devised a plan, what remained of the Navy would take as many personal and equipment as possible, and make one last desperate push to get out of the Empire’s sphere of influence and seek asylum from either the Griffins, Minotaurs, or the Zebras. To distract the Imperial leadership, Beria would launch his own coup in Agatha and hopefully, they could wipe out the Emperor and the Imperial High Command before they can react without exposing Beria himself.

For Graves and others, it didn’t matter if Beria was killed. They never had any desire to keep someone as untrustworthy as Beria in the first place. No love lost there. As assurance, they also had 15 ICBMs but only 1 Satan II ICBM had 10 active nuclear warheads. The 14 other ICBMs were to act as decoys while the lone Satan II would target the 10 most populous cities in the Empire which would force them to shift their attention to licking their wounds.

Argas himself didn’t share the same views as other high-ranking officers of killing mass amounts of civilians, but desperate times call for desperate measures. The Admiral isn’t willing to hide among the population with a new identity only to get his body splattered all over the place by a Splat missile during a simple grocery run.

For now, he could only hope and pray. A lucky hit from the Vanguard caused the Manifest Destiny to take in some water and oil to leak. Some of the officers advocated to slow down and have the hole repaired, but Agars knew the Imperials would be closing in quickly. Never in his wildest dreams would they ever let them get away. Years of fighting for the Empire prior to his defection taught a few things, one of them is retribution is always swift and brutal. It was a policy adopted by the Imperial Armed Forces from the famed Belkan General Georgy Zhukov who implemented a brutal campaign on the Saxons led by Adolf Hitler.

Agars fate was sealed. His close relationship to General Graves was a death sentence and to think, the Rear Admiral reminded himself constantly, he could’ve been relaxing with a cool bottle of Coca Cola in Yamamoto Square in his favorite restaurant.

“Damn Harris.” Agars quietly cursed the Insurrectionist General who refused to evacuate the mainland with the rest of the forces. “Prideful fool may have doomed us.”

“If it makes you feel better,” said the Nordic Captain who was scanning the horizon with his binoculars. “I heard General Harris perished when his Jaguar cooked off. A Vampyr team ambushed him trying to make some foolhardy counter-attack.”

“Ay,” said a Britanican officer standing next to Agars. “But that bloody wanker Graves sent us to help and now we’re coming back empty handed.”

“If we even make it.” said Agars. “I know the Emperor all too well. Every available force will be hunting us now.”

Agars stared at the open sea in thought. Is it truly worth it to keep fighting? The Admiral thought about the crew of the Manifest Destiny. Nearly 2,700 souls on board and the majority of them are young men and women with a lot of life left in them. They could keep fighting and many will certainly die, or they can surrender and take their chances.

He grimaced at the thought that he’ll certainly get prison time. For how long is debatable.

“Radar contact! 9 Bogeys from the starboard side!” An officer yelled.

“All crew to your battlestations!” Agars yelled.

“They’ve got us surrounded again, the poor bastards.”

-Colonel Creighton S. Abrams

Lieutenant Commander Eugene Tovey

23rd Naval Air Squadron

FB-17 Fullback “Fish Are Friends”

“There she is lads. The bastard that took down the poor sods on the Vanguard.” Tovey said as he flew in formation with the rest of the 23rd. His lead Fullback in blue camo featured art below the cockpit window showing a grinning cartoon pilot about to throw a torpedo like a spear with the words “Fish Are Friends” below it. Just flying above 300 feet, they streak over the ocean, passing dolphins and flying fish that emerged from the water.

“Ya’know,” said Lieutenant Rasheem Amadi, his Afrikan co-pilot. “You’d think they would surrender by now. No chance at winning at this point.”

“Doesn’t matter,” said another pilot. “Bastards sank the Vanguard. Even Admiral Lancelot didn’t make it and that tough old bastard survived 5 sinkings.”

“Everyone got a lock on?” Tovey interrupted to remind them of the task in hand.

“Affirmative.”

“Ay, I think we all do.”

“Amadi?”

“Yeah I got it. Give the word.”

“Al-EVASIVE MANEUVERS!” Tovey yelled when warnings blared of missiles firing right into their direction. The bombers of the 23rd popped their chaffs and swerved in different directions just in time. The short-range missiles flew by, but one unfortunately exploded right next to a Fullback.

“1-4 you alright?” asked a concerned wingman.

“Ay, a little shaken up but we’re good.”

“Confirm, we all have a lock on?” asked Tovey staring.

“Affirmative.”

“Then fire when ready. Let the fish fly and head back to the Hakuryu!”

Simultaneously, 9 missiles flew at incredible speeds towards the Manifest Destiny. Cannon fire from the multiple CIWS and the multiple missiles attempted to take them down. In desperation, the 16 inch guns of the Manifest Destiny fired at the water, hoping the splashes would somewhat disrupt the missiles.

To the astonishment of the pilots of the 23rd, a Vindication-class Destroyed sped right in front of the missiles’ path. 6 missiles were successfully intercepted in the air. The remaining 3 began to break into pieces, until they revealed to be torpedoes and fell into the water.

Caught off guard, the destroyer could do nothing as two of them hit them. The third just missed the stern of the ship and continued on to the Manifest Destiny.

Admiral Victor Agars

“BRACE!”

Everyone in the bridge held on to something as the battleship shook from taking a hit somewhere off the starboard quarter. Regaining his composure, Agars looked out the viewport as Imperial Fullbacks peeled away, no doubt back to their carrier.

“Alert the med bay, pick up any survivors from the Pandora.” He said referring to the destroyer that was listing heavily to starboard and sinking. The Admiral then noticed the Manifest Destiny for some reason was sailing 12 degrees to starboard. “And we’re off course, put us in direction of Posui.”

“Sir, it’s not us.”

Agars turned back to the bridge crew who had fear in their eyes. He then turned to the viewport and then to the back of the bridge, towards the direction of the stern.

No, pray that it isn’t true. He thought.

“Put the ship on hold for now as we pick up survivors. Send a team to check the rudders.” He ordered.

“You give charity to prevent the have-nots from rebelling against you. It also makes you feel less guilty. All do-gooders feel ‘high’ when they do good.”

-U.G. Krishnamurti

Emperor Maximilian Vorenus VII

Classified Training Grounds, Belka

Under a tent in front of a training ground where various armored vehicles drove around in training exercises, the Emperor stood before a table surrounded by several Imperial officers.

“-as you can see my Emperor,” said General Anatoliy Shoygu, an elderly Belkan General. “My troops are well equipped, and are very much prepared to venture into Equestria’s Frozen North, and seize their precious gem mines. I assure you, our attack will be swift and precise. By Christmas, our troops will be home.”

Where have I heard that before? Thought Max.

“That’s easy to say,” said General Ludwig Karrenbauer, an elderly Saxon General. “Nothing ever goes according to plan. Don’t ever assume the Equestrians will be an easy victory.”

General Karrenbauer looked around at the assembled officers.

“We will be invading their homes, seizing their resources and holding them hostage. Succeed, and we put ourselves as the sole Superpower. Fail, then God willing, we devastate them enough that they cannot withstand a Second Invasion when we still have the manpower to do so. But never underestimate them. All these years and we still do not grasp the full potential of magic. Hopefully through the efforts of Mister Steindorf,” General Karrenbauer looked at the businessman in a thick jacket, drinking a cup of hot chocolate on a chair in the corner. “We may finally be able to.

“However, that will most likely not happen until after this war. We cannot make mistakes, ladies and gentlemen. It’s either we march to Canterlot, or nothing. That being said, utilize your troops with extreme caution. Hit them hard and never let up. Not until the flag of the United Terran Empire flies on top of the Canterlot palace and the heads of Celestia and Luna delivered to the Emperor on a silver platter.”

The tent erupted into cheers aside from the Emperor who looked at the General with amusement.

“Well, I don’t mean that literally Ludwig.” Max said as they all quieted down. “Last thing I need is to be playing with my kids and someone walks in with two severed heads.”

Max looked at Admiral Svetlov who stood next to General Shoygu.

“How goes the search for the Manifest Destiny?”

“Well, as of now, Rear Admiral Juan DeCastro and Battle Group Vortiger are currently closing in on the Manifest Destiny’s last known position after a squadron scored a torpedo hit on them. Not far behind is Rear Admiral Takeo Yamaguchi’s Battle Group Hakuryu.”

“I see, and the plans to finally put down the Insurrectionists?”

“Amphibious landings will be supported by Battle Groups Enterprise and Odin supported by the Battleships Immortal, Impero, and Warspite. Battle Groups Vortiger and Hakuryu will join them as well with the Battleships Regicide, Avenger, Fidei Defensor, and Reprisal. The cut off fleet further west near the border of the MDZ, Battle Groups Vikrant and Shtorm are in position with the Battleships Devastation and Apocalypse in case they do the unthinkable and flee to another nation. If they do, hopefully they end up with the Griffins considering Red Talon’s agreed to hand over any Insurrectionists should they show up.”

“And the Leviathans?”

Svetlov shrugged.

“Hannibal will stick with the cutoff fleet while the Gajah Mada and the Carolus Rex will be with the invasion fleet.”

Max nodded before turning to the other officers.

“Prep your units for the invasion and maintain a high alert. I fear those conspiring against us will make their move sooner or later.”

“Heil my Emperor!” The officers said as they raised their fists into the air, the standard salute for the Emperor.

Wordlessly, the Emperor walked out of the tent escorted by 2 Imperial Guards. Soldiers saluted him as he walked by but immediately went back to work. Walking among the armored vehicles, Max spotted the man he was looking for. Right next to a Leopard 2, an Imperial officer in a leather trench coat with vintage anti-gas goggles on his peaked cap instructed a group of recruits loading up the MBT.

“Eile! Schneller! Glaubst du, die verdammten Ponys geben dir Zeit?” He yelled.

One of the recruits panicked and dropped a 120mm HE shell which he picked back up gingerly.

“Oh, wir sind zum Scheitern verurteilt.” The officer groaned as he facepalmed.

“Colonel Walther von Richthofen?” Max interrupted.

Colonel Richthofen turned and instantly smiled.

“Ah, Max. Come to see how my tanks perform?” The two shook hands to the surprise of those around as the Colonel didn’t salute the Emperor. They were further confused when the Emperor didn’t seem offended.

“Nah, with you, I already know you will perform admirably. The 7th Armored Division is lucky to have you around.” Max said putting his hand on the Colonel’s shoulder. “Come, I must speak with you privately.”

The two walked away from the gawking members of the 7th Armored who never knew Colonel Richthofen was close to the Emperor.

“You know, the 7th is already a battle-hardened unit discounting the new recruits, like the 1st Cavalry Winged Hussars and De La Cruz’s 6th Armored. If only Lt. Colonel Hendrick Debs and I could lead the 7th.”

Max and Richthofen walked into the woods and out of earshot of anyone.

“What’s the situation in your unit?” Max asked.

“In good spirits. Everyone’s itching to fight the Equestrians, but Lt. General Maher al-Hassan and Brigadier General Gerald Witten have been in constant contact with General Russell lately.”

The Emperor rose an eyebrow.

“Really? What did they discuss?”

Richtofen sighed.

“A lot of yelling back and forth. It seems al-Hassan and Witten aren’t exactly seeing Russell in a positive light. Doesn’t mean it’s good though. al-Hassan and Witten have been asking random members of the 7th how they felt about you. Strange really, but considering most here see you in a positive light, I don’t believe you should be worried about the 7th, aside from al-Hassan and Witten of course.”

“Keep me informed of their activities.”

“Will do.” Richthofen responded. The Colonel put his hands in his pockets to keep them warm from the Belkan Winter. “I hear our dear friend Agent Summer is back from the other side.”

Max nodded.

“Indeed she has. The information she’s acquired has been very interesting.”

“But I also heard she left behind a family. Why not send a veteran Venatores Agent instead?”

“A younger mind is susceptible to a new environment. She was simply the best among the newer recruits. Adapts well, very quick why her peers called her the ‘Rabbit’, and she’s really good at acting too. Didn’t make plans for her to join an Academy, but after receiving information of the new abilities she unlocked herself when she got to the other side, I ordered her to join to enhance her abilities.”

“Well now that she’s back, what now?”

The Emperor stared into the distance as they walked.

“We’ll set up a base on the other side. She’ll take a team of 4 Venatores where she will train them to the best of her abilities in 3 months. Once those 3 months are past, we’ll send two more teams of 4 each for them to be trained and so on and so on. Using fake identities, they’ll spread around and gather information of the respective governments and noted individuals to either negotiate with, or eliminate.”

“In the process of peaceful contact, learn about them to defeat them either in the negotiating table or the battlefield should the need arise. I like it. By the way, word from Agent Mason in Equestria is he’s adjusting his plans. Legionnaires are potentially in danger from within as well. Soon to split into teams to each major city.”

Max looked at the Venatores Colonel.

“And where is Agent Mason planning to go?”

“Upper Canterlot. He said Upper Canterlot. Plans to give the Celestial Sisters a massive headache.”

This caused Max to smile.

“Good, Vassily and I chose well. He’s come a long way from being nearly eaten by a basilisk as a child.”

“One type of paradise that is portrayed for mankind is streams, beautiful nymphs, and greeneries. But there is another kind of paradise. The warfront was the lost paradise of the human beings, indeed.”

-General Qassem Soleimani

General Amir Reza Darvishi

Classified Location

Darvishi rubbed the blood-red ring on his hand. The elderly General remembered the days when he commanded the Legionnaires. To his troops, he was codenamed “Haj”. For his enemies, the “Shadow Commander”. Nobody knew who Darvishi was despite the fact he would travel everywhere to oversee Legionnaire operations or help direct Pro-Imperial militias. Only when he stepped down and was succeeded by Skorzeny did the populace knew who Darvishi was. His time as the Commander of the elite Legionnaires was marked with brutality on the Insurrectionists and the creation of many Pro-Imperial militias throughout the Empire.

The ring itself, he took it from the severed hand from an Imam, killed by an airstrike for starting a radical Islamist group. Darvishi underestimated the Imam’s popularity and that led to a 3 month struggle of putting down the Imam’s group and widespread protests. That was when he decided to step down and hand the reins to his second-in-command.

He could’ve gone to retirement, but with his wife’s passing before stepping down and that his spoiled kids never bother to talk to him, being alone in his home and doing nothing didn’t sound too pleasing. So he stayed, an elderly General leading no Armies who advises other Commanders from time to time, but his main objective was planning for the invasion and with Azarov’s and Skorzeny’s blunder, advise the Emperor in the Legionnaire operations in Equestria.

Darvishi continued to look at his ring. Thoughts of the Empire getting too greedy in the invasion of Equestria echoed in his mind. Brutalize the population and a government will rise after the war where they will rebuild their country to challenge them. Befriend the population and possibly turn them into a future ally.

He read the files on Princess Twilight Sparkle and Princess Mi Amore Cadenza or Cadence as she liked to be called. Both of them were respectable leaders in the abolitionist movement, but they’ve been criticized for being too soft and not doing enough in the face of the older Celestia and Luna. Cadence herself has to worry about running the Crystal Empire and being a mother. Twilight Sparkle has no such drawbacks, meaning she would be the main target for negotiations. Perhaps, knowledge that Humanity can be strong without being shackled by Humanity will drive her to do more.

Darvishi thought about the Emperor’s plan for a peaceful resolution. While the appointed Ambassador to Equestria and the General tour the country, Princess Twilight Sparkle would be invited to the Empire to tour it. Things would be dangerous, at least for him. He knew there were ponies willing to defy even their own government to put a bunch of “upstart Humans” in their place. They’ve tried doing so before and they only got off lightly. To this day, it’s still a sensitive topic for the Minotaurs and the Griffins for the amount of disrespect their Human delegates received. They cannot afford to bring any Legionnaires with them in case any members of Winslow’s group were spotted. Instead, after the Emperor’s departure, their security detail will include Imperial Marines, Sea Wolves, and Arditis.

“In an alternate universe,” Darvishi said continuing to stare at the ring. “Perhaps I was the one killed in an airstrike.”

“Sir?”

Darvishi quickly put on the ring and looked up, where an Imperial Marine in Dress Blues standing at the door of his office.

“Senator Monroe is here sir.” The Marine said.

Darvishi nodded.

“Let him in.”

The Marine stepped inside to let a bearded Britannican in a black business suit walk in. Darvishi stood up to shake his hand.

“Senator Monroe, it’s good to see you.”

“And I to you, General Darvishi.” Monroe smiled back.

Monroe was a former Army Lieutenant in the 1st Cavalry Winged Hussars. He was known as the first officer to make contact with the remnants of the Emperor’s lost Alpha Company in the final days of the War of Unification. Since then, he’s been a leading member of the Leftist Vox Populi Coalition in the Imperial Senate.

“Come sit, we have much to discuss.” Darvishi motioned Monroe to sit. The two took their seats. Monroe glanced at the pictures on Darvishi’s desk. One showed Darvishi in civilian clothing with Colonel Winslow in his BDU standing on top the tattered flags of the “Sons of Zion”, “Neo-Crusaders”, and the “Islamic State of the Pure”. Well-known religious radical groups that were exterminated by the hands of Darvishi and his Legionnaires. Another showed a younger Darvishi at his own wedding. His wife, who was mistaken to be white either Saxon, Gaullic, Nordic, etc. was actually of Semitic descent like Darvishi. It took great pains for famous Semitics to prove to the ignorant that Semitic people are not a bunch of tan skinned illiterate people where men have long beards and own a farm.

“So, why did you call me here?” asked Senator Monroe.

Darvishi stroked his beard as he stared at the Senator from Britannica.

“As the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the Emperor has taken an interest in you for a very important mission.”

Monroe looked at the General in confusion.

“Um, shouldn’t the Emperor himself tell me this then?”

“The Emperor’s currently in Belka so he’s unavailable.” Darvishi answered. “You were the biggest voice for a peaceful resolution in the Senate. As a veteran, you saw firsthand the horrors of war and have advocated to find a peaceful resolution with Equestria first. That has garnered the attention of not just his majesty, but also myself.”

Senator Monroe tapped his knee and looked around in thought before his eyes settled on Darvishi’s.

“Wait, don’t tell me. You guys want me to be the Ambassador to Equestria?”

He was answered with a nod and a smile.

“But, why me? Why not someone else like Senator Sanders or Senator Singh? Hell, I’ll even suggest Senator Lacroix. He’s right-wing and a bastard but he’s one hell of a negotiator.”

General Darvishi chuckled.

“Senator Monroe, where you stand on the political spectrum has no influence at all. We chose you because you ARE an excellent negotiator, you just have a habit of underplaying your strength. Both of us saw your talent come to light when you talked down rioters in Algonquin. Most politicians, even the veterans, wouldn’t dare put themselves in the line of fire these days, but you’re different. You weren’t afraid even when Molotov cocktails and bricks were hurled at you. The fact that you still talked down the protesters in what’s basically a war zone makes you the perfect candidate for a hostile country like Equestria.”

Monroe leaned back in thought. Certainly being the Ambassador to Equestria would be dangerous, but it’s still preferable over being Ambassador to the Caribou Kingdom which is a position rumored to be one of the new posts put forward by the Emperor. He would prefer being the Ambassador to more Human friendly nations like the Griffins and Minotaurs, but understood why they chose him.

“But my seat in the Senate…” Monroe said out loud.

“Senator,” Darvishi interjected. “This is bigger than political parties. We don’t care if you’re on the Left or the Right, or even the bloody Center. Right now, we need an Ambassador. Will you take the job?”

The Senator sat in silence. He did after all swear he is willing to sacrifice himself as part of the oath when he enlisted. That oath carries on even after serving. It’s a dangerous job, but if he succeeds in negotiating a peaceful resolution which would save countless lives, it would be worth it.

“Fine, I’ll do it.” Monroe relented. “But if push comes to shove, allow me to take down as many bastards as possible.”

Darvishi smiled.

“A warrior, truly you are. I expected nothing less.”

“Talent hits a target no one else can hit; Genius hits a target no one else can see.”

-Arthur Schopenhauer

Fleet Admiral Jisaburo Miyagi

Imperial Navy Headquarters

Agatha, United Terran Empire

Inside Miyagi’s office, the Fleet Admiral sat behind his desk. His face stern, with a hint of disappointment. In front of him, Admiral Ibrahim Rafi and Vice Admiral Otsuka Hiroharu of the 7th Fleet sat before him.

Spread out in front of him were papers detailing the incident where the ships of the 7th Fleet sank an Equestrian Research ship and the Equestrian Thunder, an old battleship that hasn’t even completed its modernization.

“You know why I called the two of you here right?” Miyagi asked.

Both Rafi and Hiroharu nodded.

“Sir, we won’t defend our actions. We know what we did was wrong.” Rafi said.

“The two of you broke protocol by sailing your ships too close or out of the MDZ’s border. That’s a serious blunder right there.” Miyagi said. “Never mind the sinking of those ships, the Invincible sailed right in the Neutral Zone which allowed a pair of Equestrian scouts to spot you Hiroharu safely outside of the MDZ. And soon after, you Admiral Rafi, sent fighters after those scouts which took them OUT of the MDZ and Imperial territory.”

“We know.” Hiroharu responded. “We made a serious mistake.”

“Hmph, the pilots fortunately only flew over international waters and not Equestrian territory. The both of you are decorated officers, well known and respected. I expected better from the both of you. Luckily for the both of you, the Emperor doesn’t know and Azarov and I came to an agreement.”

The two lower ranking Admirals looked at each other in confusion before looking back at their superior officer.

“Wh-what do you mean?” asked Rafi.

Wordlessly, Miyagi gathered the papers and put them on a folder. Picking up the folder, he threw it into a slow on the wall with the words “Incinerator” on top of it.

“Consider my debt to the both of you paid.” Miyagi said turning back to them.

“We can’t thank you enough sir.” Rafi said as he stood up with Hiroharu.

“Good, now go. Make sure the Nova 6 are prepped and ready on the Malahayati and Michiel de Ruyter. If the Equestrians somehow push us back, I want to make sure nothing is left alive when we leave.”

The two Admirals saluted the Fleet Admiral before quickly leaving the room. Miyagi’s eyes never left them as they left.

“What is the cost of lies? It’s not that we’ll mistake them for the truth. The real danger is what if we hear enough lies, that we no longer recognize the truth at all.”

-Valery Legasov

Black Grass, Belka, United Terran Empire

Emperor Maximilian Vorenus VII

Stone faced, the Emperor held back with all his might to contain his anger and disappointment. Inside of an abandoned building, the Emperor sat, staring at the faces of the highest ranking officers of the Imperial armed forces. Each of them had their own screen on the giant monitor setup before the Emperor.

“-and with our agents detonating the cores of the targeted power plants, over 50% of Equestria’s population will be infected, and incapacitated. That would mean half of Equestria’s manpower gone, paving the way for an easier invasion.” Finished General Veldheer.

“On top of that,” continued Admiral Scott. “There will be no need for assistance from our ally or potential allies. Handicapped by an internal uprising, half of its population incapacitated, and fighting a two front war, Equestria even with their magic, cannot find itself in a favorable position by the war’s end.”

Max’s eyes glanced at the papers laid on the table in front of him and sighed in disappointment. Operation Arieon was proposed and approved by many high-ranking officers. The plan was to have Legionnaires and other Special Forces infiltrate Equestria and sabotage the crystallized Magical cores of multiple Equestrian power plants. These cores behaved similarly to a nuclear core the Humans use and were just as volatile. Once the cores detonate, radiation would spread throughout Equestria and likely killing off millions.

The Emperor didn’t have a problem detonating the cores as a scorched earth tactic, but Operation Arieon was proposed as an opening salvo to the war.

“It appears,” The Emperor said sounding very disappointed. “Many of you have skipped history lessons in school or attended school during my grandfather’s reign where the education system was piss poor and only taught sunshines and rainbows.”

This time, many of the officers looked nervous.

“Do any of you know where I am currently?”

None of them said anything until General Nguyen spoke up.

“You’re in Belka sir, but where we have no idea.”

“I am currently in an abandoned building in the abandoned town of Black Grass.”

More of the officers became visibly nervous.

“Not far from where I’m at is Ground Zero of the worst nuclear disaster in Imperial history, probably the world. Ladies and gentlemen, we know what happened when the core detonated and the consequences of it.

We were lucky brave men and women stopped this disaster from becoming something far worse, and you wish for the worst case scenario to occur in another country but ten times over? Do you lot realize that we can be affected by the fallout as well? I think I’ve made it clear enough that I intend to free our brothers and sisters there.”

Max stood up.

“WHAT IS THERE TO FREE IF THEY’RE ALL DEAD?” He shouted.

“My Lord,” said General Skorzeny. “You must understand the population may be weary of war. If the war does occur and the body count mounts up, your position as the Emperor may be weakened.”

“My position as Emperor General, pales in comparison to the importance of putting the Equestrians in their place and freeing our people. I would’ve approved of Operation Arieon if it was proposed as a scorched earth tactic like the SodGom Contingency and Operation Achlys, but it’s presented as an opening salvo. Because of this, I cannot approve of Operation Arieon and I’m ordering everyone who approved of this to reevaluate your strategies. Meeting adjourned.”

The monitor turned off and he grabbed the papers and stored them in a folder. Nodding to the Imperial Guards around him, Max walked out of the room and climbed the stairs to the rooftop. There, he found himself alone aside from some abandoned items left behind by the building’s previous residents. In the distance, he could see the abandoned Black Grass Nuclear Power Plant with sections of the area under construction with the intent to make the Plant a new tourist attraction.

Standing at the edge holding the folder in front of him, Max stared at the plans with disgust. He wordlessly took out a lighter and began setting the folder on fire. Once the fire was halfway to his hand, he let go and watched as the burning plans of Operation Arieon float gently to the ground.

Max looked up to the clouded skies and let out a tired sigh.

Blasted fools.

Author's Note

There, bam, finished this shit before school starts again tomorrow.

Also, yes I did model Darvishi after Soleimani just like how I modeled Skorzeny after the real Otto Skorzeny. Bite me. Made Darvishi long before Soleimani's assassination.

Yes, I also did take inspiration of the last part from the Chernobyl disaster.

What happens to the Manifest Destiny? You're gonna have to wait for the next chapter where we see the Legionnaires spreading out and the Emperor making preparations for the summit in Canterlot. Chapter after that one will be a Flashback chapter where I detail his rise to power.

Been getting into TheFatRat lately especially since I've begun helping my friend write his StarWars/RWBY Crossover over at Fanfiction.