Chapter 37: Beachhead

On board Leviathan, Jeff stared at the tactical monitor where one of the green quadcopter icons had just turned red.

Two med status alert icons came up.

Charlie Banks - Deceased
Ramos Rolando – Deceased

As the copter sank, it switched to two words.

-SIGNAL LOST-

"Damn it."

Celestia risked a quick glance at Jeff while she jockeyed the CIWS Gatling turret from target to target. "I am very sorry."

Jeff nodded solemnly. "It was bound to happen. This a dangerous mission, we all knew that heading in."

Celestia focused on her targeting screen. "We have to win this. There is no other option."

"We will. And the bastards will pay in spades for every human or Equestrian they hurt," Jeff said, his voice cold as ice.

***

"Dashie, can you get us close to one of them? Maybe if we tease it, it''ll try to shoot us," McAllister said.

"Seriously? Why would you WANT it to shoot at us?"

"Because that is the only time they hold still for long enough that we could shoot them back. It gives me an idea."

Rainbow Dash frowned. "I guess I could, but if I mess it up, we're both dead."

"At least we'd get to die together, right?" McAllister chuckled.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "Yeah, sounds very romantic. Nothing I'd rather do than that."

"Seriously though. I trust your piloting. You can do this. Give me a sec to tell the others what I have in mind."

He opened the comm channel. "All pilots. We're going to try to sucker one of the Airsquids into attacking us. The moment it does, you light it up. But watch out for the others. Also, if you'd not shoot us by mistake, we'd be most grateful."

As the other pilots acknowledged and followed in a loose formation, Rainbow Dash flew directly at one of the airborne monsters. It was impossible to tell from the compound eyes what the creature was thinking, but it was most definitely aware of their presence. The light reflection in the multifaceted orbs gave them the oddly spaced-out aspect of a praying mantis.

Their quadcopter flew to within fifty feet of the monster.

"Okay, so now it should... aww crap."

Rather than reaching for green goo to throw, the creature swung the tentacles towards them and gave chase.

"Uh, this isn't exactly what I expected," Rainbow Dash said, flying the quadcopter in circles. The tentacles reached out greedily as the Airsquid pursued them relentlessly, neither gaining nor falling behind.

"It seems a lot slower moving this way," McAllister observed, looking behind them. "Keep kiting it. See if we can bring in the others too."

Rainbow Dash steered towards the other Airsquid, flying near and then angling away. Before long they had all the monsters in tow, chasing them around in circles.

"Okay, hit them now!"

Rainbow Dash hit the accelerator, blasting abruptly forward and leaving the Airsquids behind. Before they could react, the other quad copters closed in and launched volley after volley of unguided air-to-air missiles into the pack of Airsquid. Bullets ripped into their tentacles and eyes. They were so close together that when the missiles hit, it caused damage to all of them.

The Airsquids were shredded and burned to a crisp. Pieces of them rained out of the drifting cloud of smoke which marked the spot where the storm of missiles had detonated.

McAllister and Rainbow Dash stared at each other wide-eyed.

"Well, that was a lot easier than I had anticipated," McAllister said in surprise. He reached out his fist and Rainbow Dash bumped him with her hoof.

"I guess you never know until you try," she said, still in shock at the sudden change of events. "They were so big. And powerful. And scary looking. I can't believe they were so stupid."

She started laughing, and McAllister joined in.

Moments later, Jeff's voice sounded in their headsets.

"Attention on the net. The laser defense grid is back online. Skies are clear. All remaining quadocopters, return to dock on Leviathan, we will be launching the ground assault immediately."

• Clarence McAllister (Quad 9): What happened to the defense grid?
  
• Christopher Lance: (Leviathan): Someone put a 350 amp fuse in a 400 amp receptacle. We had a spare on board once we found the problem.
  
• Clarence McAllister (Quad 9): I bet whoever almost killed us all gets paid way more than I do.
  
• Christopher Lance (Leviathan): Probably, but are they having as much fun as you just had?
  
• Clarence McAllister (Quad 9): Probably not, things were pretty damn entertaining up here.

McAllister leaned back in the gunner seat and yawned. "Okay Dashie, now just try and land us in one piece."

She narrowed her eyes at him in mock outrage. "I'm an AWESOME pilot!"

"Yeah, you're pretty good. I guess."

"Don't make me do another barrel roll."

McAllister shuddered in simulated horror. "Dashie! Please! I don't want to take a shower in my own breakfast!"

They both laughed while she sped the craft back towards the ship.

***

Jeff watched the quadcopters returning to their berths on the bridge monitors.

The last one locked into place, and he leaned forward. "Bring us in for landfall."

Leviathan surged forward, lasers sweeping and blasting scattered inbound targets as she hummed into the shallow water.

***

"The bottom is coming up fast, sir."

"Reduce speed, retract rudder assembly."

There was a thunderous clank followed by a loud whirring felt through the deck panels as hydraulic cylinders collapsed and folded the retractable steering controls into the bottom of the ship. Underwater attitude jets took over directional control as the ship became a huge flat-bottom barge.

A computer voice spoke calmly.

"Shoreline impact in ten seconds. Nine. Eight."

"Brace yourselves."

Throughout the ship, people grabbed hand rails and hung on.

"Three. Two. One. Impact."

The ship jarred slightly as it ran aground at low speed..

"That wasn't so bad," Chris commented.

The computer spoke again. "Drive power rerouting. Please stand by."

"What's it doing?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"The ship isn't going to be using the water drive thrusters at this point," Jeff explained.

"Power rerouted. Standby for track extension."

"Hang onto something, just in case," Jeff said. He pressed some buttons on his touch monitor.

More clangs and whirring noises filled the ship as three sets of tank treads, each large enough to run over a train, pushed down into the sea floor, crushing rock and coral to powder.

The Leviathan rose slightly, the hydraulic rams reaching full extension and locking in place.

"Tracks locked. Drive engaged."

"Alright, here we go."

The ship helmsman activated his controls and Leviathan crawled forward into the shallow water, the immense treads rattling and crushing everything in their path, digging massive furrows in the sandy shallows.

"We'll be dropping the ramp inside of fifteen minutes, guys. Time to mount up." Jeff gestured at the lead bridge officer. "You're back in command of the ship now. I'll be headed to the command tank with Princess Celestia."

"Aye, sir. Good luck, and Godspeed to you."

"Let's go." Chris headed towards the bridge exit, and the others followed.

The vehicle bay was full of activity. Armored vehicles stood ready to depart. Humans and Equestrians rushed around, placing last second items into the hulking machines. Each APC had at least one unicorn to operate the defense shield.

Chris and his team, including Emmy and Marky, piled into one of the waiting APCs. To the right, Twilight was getting into another APC with her five friends. On the left, Trixie Lulamoon and Lyra Heartstrings were climbing into two other APCs with ProteC personnel.
" See you on the other side, Twilight!" Trixie yelled, waving a hoof. "Good luck!"

"Thanks, be safe!" Twilight replied.

"We ain't gonna let these damn monsters do shit to our little princess!" one of the humans alongside Trixie yelled, pumping his fist in the air as she walked up the ramp, . The others grunted loudly in agreement, then they climbed into their APC and the rear hatch closed with a bang.

"Looks like Trixie made some human friends," Twilight observed to Rarity as they climbed the stairs into the rear of their own vehicle. "Interesting."

Their human vehicle operator looked back from the driver's seat. Twilight walked to the front passenger seat and sat down. The front dash panel had been modified to include the core amplification crystal. With it, she could project a powerful magic defense dome around the vehicle for an extended period with only minor effort.

She nodded at the driver, and he nodded back, then spoke into his headset. "Unit Four, ready for final checks. Standing by."

***

Chris helped Emmy up into their APC, then he headed to the driver's seat, shoving his rifle into the holding bracket next to the chair. Emmy sat next to him on the passenger seat. She quickly checked the amplifier crystal. "Looks good, Chris. I'd give you a thumbs up, but..." She waved her hooves around and giggled nervously.

Chris could see she was frightened. Anyone would be in this situation. He was frightened himself, but he smiled at her anyway, and it was genuine.

"I'll give one for both of us." He stroked her mane.

Behind them, Marky and the rest of the crew was strapping in. "All secure," Sanchez reported.

Chris spoke into his headset. "Unit One, ready for final checks."

He listened as the other APCs reported in, then the heavy beam tank drivers in the rear of the hangar sounded off.

"Run final checks."

Around them, weapon turrets swiveled. Multicolored force fields appeared around each vehicle, blinking in and out of existence as the unicorns inside tested their crystals. Emmy's horn glowed slightly, and with a low hum the light greenish dome of her amplified defense shield appeared around their vehicle. Servos hummed as Sanchez tested the roof mounted weapon turret, swiveling it back and forth, up and down.

"All good."

"All personnel, this is Command," Jeff's voice cam over the comms. "We will be in the Overwatch tank. Maintain defensive formation. Survival of this vehicle is number one priority."

The individual units acknowledged.

Loud hydraulic humming and the clank of metal on metal came from behind as the beam tanks tested their turret systems. Manned only by extensively trained human crews, they did not have unicorns and magic shielding systems, but the heavy composite layered metal armor covering their wide tracked bodies made them the most durable land vehicle available to ProteC.

"We have a go on all units. Standby for landfall in forty sierra."

Chris grinned tightly. "Hang on guys, we're the vanguard."

A loud grinding hum, and the main bay door creaked open to the day, revealing the dim, melancholy light seeping through the heavy cloud cover. Most of the armored front of the Leviathan swung outwards and down, creating an opening at least fifty feet wide and thirty feet tall. The armor then unfolded into a long, heavily trussed metal bridge that sank into the shallow water below.

"Move out!"

With a roar of engines, the APCs rolled two at a time down the bridge and onto the beach. The water came almost halfway up the side of the vehicles, but they surged forward undeterred, churning through the sea with bow waves in front and foam behind.

"Leviathan, looks like we've got company. Can you take care of it?"

"We're on it."

Dark, lurking forms on the beach burst into flames before them as they rolled towards it; the laser turrets on board Leviathan were enthusiastically providing top cover.

The APCs drove onto dry sand in short order. Immediately after, the Overwatch tank rolled out with Celestia, Jeff, and Dr. Hardy aboard. The machine dwarfed the other vehicles, a ground-shaking hulk of metal and weaponry. Behind them, the slower beam tanks trundled into the water like gleaming turtles.

"Beach looks mostly clear," Chris commented. "Keep ready on the shield though Emmy, we might need it quick."

"I'm on it." Her horn glowed very slightly, and she sounded much calmer than before, leaning back in her chair with her eyes almost closed. "With this crystal amplifying my defensive ability, I can feel something coming towards the vehicle and activate the shield instantly. I don't actually have to see it. I'm keeping watch out there, right now."

"Very good. You got this." Chris steered the APC up the beach, the turret on top gunning down straggling enemies as they rolled forward, Sanchez at the internal controls. Singed chunks of organic matter crushed under the massive wheels, and the the occupants jostled about on their shock-absorbing seats.

Soon they had located the unpaved access road, and the fleet of vehicles surged forward with greater urgency, a phalanx of glittering hardware under the morning sun.