As the agents walked into the Security Wing, Nick looked over at Lau and Benitez, who were marking locations on a map.

"What's going on?" Nick asked.

"The LMB's new final stand." Lau said. "They're moving en-masse to the depository. If they get their hands on that portal…"

"It would end Equestria." Twilight said. "We don't have the military prowess to fend off the LMB. We'd get slaughtered."

Benitez nodded.

"That's why we need to knock out the LMB, pronto. They have a staging point near the depository. You need to move in and take out whoever's leading the attack, while the JTF holds the depository." Lau said.

"That's a bad idea." Kestrel said.

"Why's that?" Lau asked.

"Because the LMB have a new leader. Lightning Dust's second in command, Captain Dawes. He's the new Colonel Bliss." Kestrel said, pulling up his file through ISAC. "This guy is rumored to have been more that Lightning's errand boy. This guy was responsible for coordinating the defenses at Grand Central Station and the United Nations. He's a master strategist, and efficient, too."

"Seems like a sonuvabitch like him would take command." Benitez said. "Where's he at?"

"Currently en route to the staging post." Kestrel said. "Dawes is and should be our primary objective. He's the one responsible not only for Grand Central and UN, but he's been briefed on our capabilities, courtesy of Keener. The First Wave squads will handle the main LMB attack, while Nick and his team head in to take Dawes out."

"Sounds like a plan. What do those bastards have on them?" Benitez asked.

"High-end LMB tech rivalling ours." Kestrel said. "They're relying on numbers to break our defense."

"So, what do we do?" Lau said. "We can't hold the depository for long."

"Then we'll destroy it instead." Twilight said. "We'll do damage to the LMB, lure them into the depository, then blow the building."

"But the portal…" Nick said. "That's your only way of getting home!"

"I don't care." Twilight said. "This is pretty much home to me now. I'm willing to fight."

"Then it's decided." Lau said. "I'll notify a demolitions team to set explosives on the support pillars. You'll have to hold them off until the bombs are ready. We'll pull you out, then...boom."

"Sounds good. How much time 'till the attack?" Nick asked Kestrel.

"Not much."

"Then let's get going." Twilight said. As the agents restocked and headed out, Benitez got on the line with Rhodes, and Lau took over the JTF comms.

"All JTF military units, be advised, we have a LMB assault on the NY Depository. All available squads, head that way as soon as possible. Lau out."

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Author's Note

Sorry for the short chapter. Next time it'll be longer.

Next up-Chapter 18-The Last Stand Battalion