Neighfair
Three Days after Northern Wasteland debriefing

Since our meeting with Kovac I’ve otherwise avoided the stallion. I’m not entirely sure what to think at this point, but after a day I brought Gramps up to speed on what as discussed, as he was otherwise occupied when the debriefing took place. While he agreed with what we decided, he did stress that we can’t jump to further conclusions until Kovac gives us more reason to doubt him. Simply put we sit back and observe.

And when not working with Porter’s Marines, that's exactly what I did. I watched, I listened, and I assessed. It was textbook covert recon. But that couldn't have been kept up forever, as Kovac decided to pay us a visit this morning. Apparently he had made an agreement to assign patrols to aide the ponies at Theater secure their territory for the duration of our stay in the Chicacolt area a payment for their aid in taking Filly’s Pier. And as he saw things everyone should contribute, himself being included with the first patrol that was sent during my absence.

And now my team is walking into the same settlement that we first started out from a number of days ago on our march to Neighfair. But this time we were far better equipped. We had a handle on the territory and there had been no reports of Enclave or raider activity since Neighfair had been brought under our sphere of influence.

I did get some looks from locals as we walked through the front doors. With my leather armor otherwise unrepairable I had procured one of the spare sets of combat armor that the Marines had brought with them from their bunker… And it was that unusual shape that was likely getting me most of the confused stares.

I ignored them, continuing our march to Patch’s office. When I took a look through the open door her chair was turned away from us. “Come in.” Patch called out.

The six of us walked in, and Patch spun around to face us. “So you’re this week’s contribution to the patrols?”

I nodded. “From what I’m told they got going while I was gone.”

“They did.” The green mare replied. “But do you know why I asked for them?”

“Extra security, considering we haven’t done much for the power balance around here.” I offered.

Patch nodded. “Glad we’re on the same-” At that moment Patch’s radio chirped. She picked it up and clicked it on. “Go ahead Lilith.”

“Has that patrol showed up yet?”

Patch simply tossed me the radio. “We’re here now.” I replied.

“Good.” Lilith replied. “Meet me out front, we’ve got something to go check out. I’ll tell you more when you get here.”

“Then we’ll see you in a few.” I said, handing the radio back to Patch. Walking past the same locals, the looks were still there but they seemed to fade once they noticed that we were leaving the building.

Once we walked back out into the Wasteland sun, we found Lilith sitting on a chunk of concrete in the middle of what was once a street. “Glad you all decided to join me.”

“Just tell me what we’re doing out here.” I said, rolling my eyes.

Watching as Lilith fished out something from a pouch on her combat armor, she handed me a black piece of metal. “What do you think that is?”

I rolled around the chunk in my hands and shrugged. “Broken piece of some sort of armor, I think.”

“You’re right on.” Lilith replied. “But who wears black armor?”

An image of an enclave soldier wearing a hulking suit of power armor flashed across my mind. “West Wind’s soldiers are in Chicacolt?”

Lilith nodded. “There have been some hits on our outposts in the city over the last few days. We only managed to get a good look at the attackers early this morning.”

“Then where’d you get the piece of armor?” Steeljack asked, having taken a seat on the steps.

“Just how do you think I figured out that it’s the Enclave we’re dealing with?” Lilith retorted.

“Fair point…” Steeljack replied.

I handed the chunk of armor back to Lilith. “Where’d you find them?”

“About an hour walk that way.” Lilith said, pointing off down the street that led deeper into the ruined city. “I did run them off though, but that doesn’t mean we can’t try to catch up.”

“So they ran?” That right there doesn’t sound like an expected Enclave move. “Did you have a small army with you or something?”

“No, not at all.” Lilith replied.

At that point I heard something hit the ground and bounce off my boot. I looked down and saw a drab green ball with a rectangular protrusion out of the side of it. “Oh shit.” I felt my magic flare as I blew everyone off their feets and away from the device, before inverting a shield around the object.

BANG!

I felt the shield I made shatter and I was knocked back onto the stairs by the blast of what was clearly a grenade. I shook off the cobwebs and smacked my ears, the ringing dying down with each hit.”Is everyone alright?”

“We’re not dead.” I heard Dart groan as she hauled herself to her feet. “Did anyone see who threw that?”

I got to my feet, pulling Steeljack up with me. “Can’t say that I did.”

Comet and Strike were already on their feet with weapons raised. “ Movement. Storefront across the street, second floor.” Comet called out.

“I see it.” Strike replied.

The two stallions pulled the triggers on their submachine guns, and nine millimeter rounds started flying out and smacking against concrete and broken bricks that clad the outer walls of the ruin across from us. At that point I saw some sort of glint through a broken window. It took another moment, but I realized what was looking at us. “Sni-”

BANG!

I felt a splatter against the side of my face, followed by Steeljack steadying himself against me. I looked over, and saw a red gash running down the side of his head, blood pouring from the wound. “Oh shit…” I managed to catch Steeljack in time to keep him from hitting his wounded head on the stairs. I ran my fingers and felt a sigh of relief pass my lips as I realized that Steeljack had only suffered a grazing wound. “I need some bandages!”

Steeljack pulled a rag out and pressed it hard against the gash. “Did anyone catch that license plate?” He muttered.

I tore the rag from Steejack’s hands, tearing it into two strips which I tied tight around his head. “Nope, looks like a hit and run.” I replied as the white rag began to turn a wet and light red.

Three ponies rushed out the door of the settlement, two of whom started shooting immediately. Patch was the third, kneeling down next to Steeljack immediately once she realized what had happened. “Shit… What happened?”

“Near miss from a sniper round.” I said.

BANG!

“Agh!” I heard someone shout.

I whipped my head around just in time to watch my grandfather crash to the broken pavement in an undignified heap a few feet from the base of Theater’s steps. “Gramps!”

Dart slid along side the old stallion and hoisted him up on her shoulder. “Everyone inside!” She yelled as she dragged the General up the stairs and into the building.Patch dragged Steeljack to his feet and followed the other green mare’s lead.

I looked around the battlefield as I got to my feet. I hoisted my shotgun to my shoulder before lowering the weapon. Buckshot won’t do me any good at this range. “Comet, Strike. Fall back!” I yelled.

“Got it boss!” Strike yelled as he backpedalled past me up the stairs, firing the whole way.

I turned around and ran up the stairs and back inside. Comet passed me while Lilith stopped at a handle at the far side of the interior. “Someone give me a hand with the shutters!” She yelled.

Dart ran forward, getting the handle on the right of the entrance and started pulling, revealing the dented and rusty armored shutter to daylight. As she and Lilith were just about to close the shutter completely there was some sort of flash that blinded me. By the time that the effect had worn off the shutter had been completely closed… But I could make out the distinct smell of burnt fur and flesh.

As two medics rushed forward I saw Dart lying on the floor… Her face blackened and smoldering. That's when it hit me. That flash wasn't a bright light, it was a fireball. And Dart was on the receiving end. Yet I couldn’t bring myself to move from where I stood. I was too entranced by the scene playing out before me. There was only one logical explanation as to my hesitation, and it became even clearer as Dart was rolled onto a stretcher.

For the first time in a long time I felt pure unadulterated fear. And there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it.

***

One Hour Later…

“They’ll recover.” The Doctor’s words ran though my head since he said them to me half an hour ago.Out of all of our wounded Steeljack was the luckiest, as his gash was tied closed with a number of stitches. Gramps had suffered a bullet wound to his left thigh, the sniper round having cut right through his armor. They would likely be out of the infirmary within the next day or so.

Dart wasn’t so lucky… Her face had suffered significant damage from what apparently was a thermobaric rocket that hit the shutter just as it closed. Her hair and fur had been torched off instantly, and the outer layer of her skin had suffered extensive third degree burns. The doctors had applied a burn cream before wrapping her entire head with gauze. Even with that Dart had to be sedated due to the immense injuries that she had suffered. It was either keep her unconscious or let her agonize from her wounds. While he assured me that Dart would live, I couldn’t rightly believe him as I sat over the mare.

“Dusk?” I turned around in my chair and saw Patch standing in the doorway to Dart’s room. “Can I borrow you for a few?”

I glanced down at Dart, before getting up and trudging out to deal with Theater’s leader. I quietly closed the door and sighed. “What do you want Patch?”

“To help me deal with Comet.” She said, motioning for me to follow as she walked off down the hall.

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. “Just what did he do now?”

“He’s been questioning the security staff.” Patch explained. “Specifically the crew that was on duty when Lilith ran into the Enclave this morning.”

“Sounds like he’s trying to understand what happened to Lilith before we showed up.” I observed. “What’s the problem with that?”

As we rounded the corner into the lobby, I saw Patch shake her head. “He’s been interrogating them. The stallion that was on the comms already had his nose broken. I’ll give you three guesses as to who threw the punch.”

Now that’s a problem, and a bit out of character for what I remember of Comet. “You said he was interrogating the crew that was working this morning. Has he said anything to Lilith yet?”

“It’s just a matter of time until he does.” Patch replied. As we reached the door labeled security, she pushed it open and led me inside. Compared to the rest of the settlement, the security office was clean and orderly, a clear sign that the staff took care of what they had.

In the center of the room was a conference table. Lilith was seated at one end, while Comet was at the other. Strike was pacing around behind Comet, likely concerned that he would do something else rash. Yet for a stallion that had apparently decked one of Theater’s guards Comet looked cold and impassive as he read something on the clipboard that he was holding.

“You and your ponies are pathetic. Did you know that Lilith?” Comet said as he placed the clipboard down on the table.

Lilith looked offended. “You want to run that by-”

“Shut up!” Comet roared, his expression turning to pure fury before returning to that same cold expression that he was wearing when we walked in the door. “Lets run down the evidence, shall we? You used unsecured communications channels this morning after encountering the Enclave force. You then received information as to Blaze Squad’s imminent arrival over that same frequency. And who attacked us shortly after arrival? The Enclave, likely the same team that you claim to have ‘run off’. Do you see what I’m getting at?”

Lilith shook her head. “How about you enlighten me?”

Comet cracked what looked like a smirk as he leaned forward. “The Enclave picked up your transmission. In essence your communications confirmed to their leaders that we had pursued them here. In response that team was dispatched to either cripple or eliminate our team, and you lead them right to us. And judging by their equipment and tactics it is clear to me that we’re dealing with a Pathfinder unit. So congratulations Lilith, you may have helped doom this mission to failure.”

“Well I’m sorry, but fuck you!” Lilith yelled. “I was responding to a threat as I saw-”

“And your response lead to us getting fucked over.” Comet snapped as he rocketed up out of his chair. “So what are you going to do about it?”

I may be a bit naive, but now might be a good time to step in and prevent a fist fight. “We’ll do what we always do Strike.” I said as I stepped over to the side of the table. “We’ll improvise, we’ll adapt, and we’ll survive.”

Strike seemed to calm down, but shook his head. “Dusk, these are Pathfinders were talking about. I’m sorry but we just can’t handle them at reduced strength. And if they’re here, I suspect that an Enclave battle group isn’t far behind them.”

“Enclave battle group?” Patch asked. “So you think that we’re staring down an assault?”

“I know we’re staring down an assault.” Comet retorted. “We were pursued by a Pathfinder team in Hoofington years ago, right after we sent Cosmo and Sky through the portal to our world. They kept us off balance, and a battle group showed up a few days later. They sent a small army after myself and Strike, just for the purpose of capturing us. If they did that then why wouldn't they make a stronger response knowing that the special forces team that has fought them at every turn of our war was not only present in the area, but is clearly assembling an army? I’m sorry Miss Patch, but the Enclave are going to come down on this city like a hammer on a nail.”

“He’s probably onto something…” I admitted. “We need to get word to Neighfair, tell Kovac what we’ve run into. If the Enclave really is coming, we need to be ready.”

“I’ve already taken the liberty of contacting him.” Comet said. “Vertibucks are deploying teams to surviving highrises across the city. With luck we’ll see them coming.” Suddenly the stallion’s radio chirped. “Looks like our ride is here…”

“What ride?” Patch asked.

Comet and Strike both ignored the green mare and walked out into the lobby. “I should follow them.” I observed, turning and following my old friends out into the lobby. I managed to get out in time to see them pass through the narrow gap in the armored shutters, held open by security officers. As I got closer I could hear a distinct and familiar hum, and it only got louder the closer I got to the exit. “They better not have done what I think they just did…”

But my concerns were only validated as I stepped outside into the shadow of the hulking grey airship that had come low enough to use the makeshift elevator that had aided our escape from the snow furies only a few days prior. And both Comet and Strike were standing on that platform staring at me.

“Are you coming or what?” Strike yelled over the din of the turbines.

While I’ve got a bad feeling about this, why bother asking when you know what the answer will be?

***

As the makeshift elevator came to a stop in the cargo bay I got the first real look at the changes that had been made since I was last aboard. For starters, all of the clutter had been removed and the walls had been painted a soft blue. Light bulbs had been replaced, fully illuminating all corners of the old airship. And the cargo bay had found a new purpose as a passenger compartment, with makeshift benches taking up the space once occupied by crates. Porter’s marines had definitely made good use of the past few days if appearances were to be a judge.

As I followed Comet and Strike down the hall and onto the bridge, more changes were revealed. For starters the Captain’s chair had been jacked up on a pedestal to give whoever sat in it the ability to see everything happening on the bridge simply by turning his or her head. The floor had been scrubbed down, and slick shine of silver plates once more graced the interior. But most impressive of all was the windows that lined the front of the craft. No longer were they crusty and clouded with caked on dust, but they were as crystal clear as the day that they had been made. And considering the environment, that’s an accomplishment to be commended.

“Welcome aboard E-201!” Porter said as he walked onto the bridge behind us. “What do you all think?”

Comet glanced at Strike before turning to face the marine commander. “It’s adequate for my purposes.”

“What purposes?” I asked. “Going down in flames against a Raptor?”

Porter looked perplexed. “Do you even know why we’re here?”

“He doesn’t.” Comet replied, strolling over and hopping up into the Captain’s chair. “Helm, bring us up to 100 feet elevation and set heading to 185.”

“185…” I muttered. If I remember my naval doctrine correctly, that’s going to point us south out of the city. “Comet, now would be a good time to bring me up to speed. What are you planning?”

As the airship shuddered upwards, Strike turned to face the outside world. “Strike and I did more than simply recruit Cosmo and his associate. We made some friends during our travels, and they all owe me a few favors. We’re simply going to go collect on them.”

Author's Note

That was a quick way to kick off the ark, wasn't it? And now we're setting up the change in Dart's hairstyle... Which we'll see more of soon. Like in this piece that Pabloracer did for me;

But now we journey south to the Badlands to gather some reinforcements. The next chapter will be short but will introduce our cavalry and the plan that Comet is cooking up.

In the meantime, anyone got questions? Like what you're seeing so far? Hell, maybe have some gripes? There's a comment section and the Mirrorverse Codex. Read and comment away, because I want to hear from you fellow denizens of this corner of the internet. Until next time gang!
-Striker