Spiral Knights-Equis Commandby Mkchief34ChaptersChapter 1-ClockworksChapter 2-Brave New WorldChapter 3-Front Lines and CenterChapter 4-Operation HIVEMIND, part oneChapter 1-ClockworksSpiral HQ Mission Report Mission Status-GO Squad-Theta Team Parameters -Disable Gremlin thermo-generators powering War Machines -Determine cause of strange energy levels from secondary facility =============================== END TRANSMISSION =============================== Vanguard Knight Corrus sighed and put his comlink back in his pouch, and took out his binoculars. As he surveyed the Gremlin facility at Depth 18 in the Clockworks, his interest continued to be piqued at the speed of the building's Gremlin construction crews. Barely a week ago, this was part of a splinter Aurora Isles stratum, peppered with trees. Now, it was home to oil rigs and Gremlin war machines. Corrus continued to scan the area, and he dropped his Binoculars from his eyes to see Halvir, his squad's Recon Knight, walk up with his Seraphynx Battle Sprite. "Where's Pellas and Revan?" Corrus asked. "Establishing a "distraction."" Halvir replied, saying "distraction" with a sarcastic tone. "By distraction, I take it they're blowing something up?" "More like blowing something BIG up." Halvir replied. And as soon as he finished that sentence, a large explosion of thermo-energy erupted from the courtyard, blowing away a large chunk of the wall and sending shrapnel and debris hurtling into the air. Corrus looked over at Halvir, who gave him an expression of "You were saying?" "I know. Let's move." Corrus said, drawing his Leviathan Blade. As the two knights descended into the camp, they could see the outlines of two other knights battling a horde of Gremlin Constructs. Corrus sighed exasperatedly at the forms of Pellas and Revan, his squad's Medic and Guardian Knight. As the knights cut their way through the horde of Gremlins and Constructs, Halvir and Corrus entered the courtyard. Corrus cut down a Gremlin Mender and made his way towards Pellas, who laughed. "What were you guys doing? Waiting for an invitation?" Pellas said, slamming his Triglav into a Gremlin Demo, killing it. "Waiting for your "Distraction."" Corrus replied. "Anyway, Corrus, the path is clear." Revan said, eliminating the last of the Constructs. Then, the gate leading to the facility opened, and lights came on, illuminating a dark, descending path. "Team, let's move." Corrus said, leading the way into the strangely deserted facility. As they walked, they occasionally found the remains of Gremlins, and clusters of deactivated Bolt Knights and Retrodes. Lights flickered on and off, and the occasional data port was broken and destroyed. "I'll tell you guys, when we got this mission, I didn't know it be this...eerie…" Pellas said. "Yeah. Stay sharp." Corrus said, using the red glow from his Combuster sword as a torch. Then, Corrus held up his hand, and the squad stopped. He then spun around and fired three shots from his Valiance sidearm into the darkness. There was silence, then a loud crash was heard. Corrus illuminated the ground and found the remains of what was obviously a security camera. "Something's watching us." Halvir said. "Close quarter weapons, team." Corrus said. As they descended further, they came across a data port, strangely undisturbed. "Lemme see what I can pull." Pellas said, hacking into the Gremlin database. "Okay, got what we needed. This facility was apparently declared defunct three days ago, and the only reason it happened was an accident with something called a "Rupture." Which apparently is some kind of new Gremlin toy. Allows long-range teleportation across Cradle." "They could overwhelm Haven with that kind of tech." Corrus said. "Contact Spiral HQ." "I tired. Signal's corrupted." "Swarm?" "No, it's coming from deeper in the facility." Pellas said. "Then let's find it and destroy it." Corrus said, walking down the darkened stairs in front of them.. As the team followed, a construct, looking like a cross between a Gun Puppy and a Scuttlebot, painted a dark maroon and silver, appeared from behind a corridor. It barked, and began to follow the knights. ========================== After ten minutes of walking, the team had found the end of the hallway. A large, sealed iron door blocked the path to the signal's source, placed into a hallway to the left. "I'll get to work." Halvir said. Taking out his Hacking tools, standard for a Recon Knight, he began to hack the door panel. Then, the lights turned dim, and several reddish-purple dots appeared on the HUD mini-map of each Knight. "Incoming!" Corrus said, and true to his word, the Scuttle-Puppy constructs were advancing rapidly, and when they were within 10 feet of so from the knights, they sprouted turrets from their midsection, and began to fire. Corrus and his team dove into the two side hallways, occasionally dropping one of the constructs with Handgun shots, braving the incoming fire. "There's just too many of them!" Corrus said, slicing a Construct with his Combuster. The sword's superheated elemental edge cut through the construct, slicing it in two. As it fell to the ground, two more took its place. "Okay, door's open!" Halvir said, and utilizing Shield-Charge, they dived into the door hallway. Then, as they entered the door, Halvir hit the panel, causing it to close on the constructs. Halvir then yanked out the wires from the panel, sealing it for good. "That should slow them down." Halvir said. "Yeah. Where are we?" Corrus said. Then, lights came on, revealing a large control room, and a throne in the back. "You made it. I'm impressed." The Knights looked at the throne, which spun to reveal a Gremlin, clad in armor similar to that of Warmaster Seerus, only his mask had no nose mark, only three red feathers. The Gremlin cackled as he stood up. "Such audacity, such power. I thought my Sidewinders would finish you off, but I was wrong. But where are my manners? I am Warmaster Drusen of the Crimson Order." "This was a trap, wasn't it?" Corrus said, leveling his Leviathan Blade. "Correct. I staged everything to lure Knights to their doom. I wasn't expecting it to be the same Knights who slew Seerus, so I had to improvise." Drusen said. "Improvise how?" Halvir asked. "Improvise this." Drusen said, tapping a button on his wristpad. A large circular ring appeared, connected to two large energy tanks. Three thermo-generators were connected to it. "The rupture, I presume?" Corrus said. "You are getting on my nerves with your intuition, but yes. Project RUPTURE, allow me to clarify. With this, I can move my troops to anywhere I decide, no matter the location! We can finally conquer the blasted city that you Iron Assassins call home. And, now, it begins." Drusen said, tapping a second button. The energy tanks glowed blue, and a large white vortex appeared, along with walls that boxed the Knights in with the Portal. As the Knights spun around, a massive pulling force began to drag to the Knights closer and closer to the vortex. "Team, form up! We're going in that thing sooner or later!" Corrus said, and the team let go of their various handholds. As they tumbled into the swirling vortex, Drusen swiftly tapped a third button. SELF-DESTRUCT SEQUENCE, INITIATED. DETONATION OF CORE REACTOR IN THIRTY SECONDS. THERMO-GENERATOR SAFEGUARD DISABLED. DETONATION IN TWENTY SECONDS. ALL PERSONNEL, EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY. Drusen sighed and sat back in his chair, and as soon as he spun around, he sighed. "Initiate stage two.'' Then, a massive explosion ripped through the facility, destroying the room. Then, a secondary blast shredded whatever survived the first. The detonation collapsed a good amount of the Stratum, and sent shockwaves careening towards other sub-stratums. As the facility collapsed, the only thing left of their Knights, or the Gremlin presence, was a blackened wristpad and a signed feather. =================== Corrus groaned and stood up. As he blinked his eyes, he saw white flakes come off of his armor. "Snow." he realized, brushing off the small coating covering him. He groaned and looked around. He was in some kind of ice cavern, and his Mini-map was offline. His equipment was locked, and all connection to Spiral HQ was dead. He took out his knapsack and drew out some driftwood, slime gel, and some blaze pepper. Placing the components in a pile, he touched it with the tip of his sword, and a merry fire began to burn. He sighed and broke out a supply pack. Eating his fill, he stashed the leftovers back in the box and looked outside. What seemed to be a large translucent dome was in the distance, and farther away was a small building, but other than that, there were no visible landmarks for as far as he could see. "Corrus?" He turned to see Pellas, Halvir, and Revan walk up, all covered in snow. "You okay?" Corrus asked. "Fine and dandy." "Just fine." "Alright." "Good. I noticed some kind of city in the distance, I figure about a half-klick. We set out for there in the morning. RIght now, we get some rest. Stay near the fire so you don't freeze out. Prepare for anything. Our new objective is threefold…" "Find civilization…" "Make contact with Spiral HQ…" And Survive. Am I clear?" "Yessir!" Came the reply. "Alright. Let's get some rest. Let's hope the blizzard settles down in the morning." Corrus said, taking a seat by the fire. As the knights slept, the blizzard roared and howled. ================================ Princess Cadance didn't usually stay up this late. But with the onslaught of the blizzard that somehow penetrated the shield, she had her hooves full dealing with it. Shining Armor had already gone to bed, and she had stayed awake to finish working. She sighed and looked at her husband, sound asleep. She smiled and looked back at her papers. Signing her name on a few, she took a sip of some tea and slouched in her chair. "Just another day as ruler of the Crystal Empire." she said quietly. Then, there was a knock on the door. She opened it to reveal a Crystal Guard, who bowed. "What is it?" "A letter from your aunt, Princess." "Thanks. Dismissed." Cadance said. The guard handed her a sealed scroll, bowed again, and walked off. She opened it and began to read. Dearest niece, I have sensed five strange pulses of magic near the Empire. They flared up around one PM, and then settled. I have tracked them to the Ice Caves near the northern border. When the blizzard settles, please find out the cause. I have my hooves full here, so I am afraid I cannot assist. Will you also ask Twilight to come and help out? Many thanks, Celestia. Cadance sighed and wrote a reply. It's no problem. We'll do it in the morning. Thank's for letting me know, Auntie. Cadance. She sent the letter, and slipped into bed. "What was that about?" Armor said sleepily, wiping his eyes. "Auntie Celestia just sent me a letter about some magic flares near the Empire. We'll check it out in the morning, Okay?" "Sure." Armor replied. "Okay." Cadance said, closing her eyes. As she slept, outside the Empire, back at the camp, the team slept as well. The fire flickered, then went out. The smoke and embers went into the wind, and it swirled through the stormy night. Chapter 2-Brave New WorldAs Corrus and the squad woke from their slumber, they founds themselves covered in snow and frost. As they brushed themselves off, Corrus looked outside to see the blizzard had died down. At least, for the moment. Corrus sighed and turned to see Pellas stroking Jase', the squad's pet Snipe. "Is he okay?" Corrus asked. "He's cold. But he'll be alright." Pellas replied, and Jase' peeped and dived back into his pouch. "Alright team. As I said, our new objective is survive.We're gonna head into the caves to see if we can scavenge any resources. Keep your eyes open and your weapons ready." Corrus said. As the team descended, the fire smoldered, then went out for good. =============================================== Cadance sighed and woke up. She turned to see Shining already up and drinking a cup of tea. "Morning." She said. "Morning. Twiley and the others should be arriving soon. Just wanted to be awake when that happens." Shining replied. "Like auntie Luna during the Invasion." Cadance joked. "Just like that." Shining said. As they walked downstairs to eat, a guard ran up with a note. Cadance unfurled the scroll and began to read. The pulses of magic have flared up again. Please seek out the source as soon as you can. Celestia Cadance sighed and turned to Shining. "You see the letter?" "Yeah. We should get moving." ====================== As Cadance and Twilight greeted each other, Shining pulled a squad of guards aside. "Stallions, the reason you are here is to track down five unknown magic pulses in the Ice caverns. Yes, I know that the Ice Wyrms are returning to the surface, and yes, I know that they HATE having their nests disturbed. As long as we let sleeping dogs lie, we should be safe." "Yessir!" They said. "Shining? What magic pulses are you talking about?" Twilight asked. Cadance cleared her throat. "Five unknown magic flares erupted last night during a blizzard in the Ice Caverns. The second reason I asked you to come was that so you could help, Twilight." Cadance replied. "We'll be glad to." Twilight said, and her friends voiced their approval. "Let's get going then. It's a twenty-minute hike to the caves." Shining said, as as they walked out, the sun flashed light. ====================================================== As the group of ponies walked towards the caverns, Twilight noticed large gouges in the mountainside. "Shining?" "What?" "What's with the huge holes in the mountain?" "We recently discovered a new animal living in the caverns. Frost Wyrms. They literally cover themselves in ice for use as armor. We know that most of the year, they live deep underground in hibernation. This time of year, when it's starting to warm, they return to the surface caverns to lay eggs. They're extremely aggressive when their nests are disturbed or they get a rude awakening, but for the most part, they leave ponies alone. By the way, they keep their blood circulating, and their heart beating, by drinking magma straight from the mantle." Shining said. "Wow. How'd you find out about them?" Shining sighed. "We accidentally disturbed one of the nests when a few guards were protecting a surveying expedition. The Wyrm guarding the nest woke up, and things went down manure creek from there." Twilight grimaced. "Don't worry, they were all fine, as they teleported out before it could think they were threats. But since then, we've kept the nests in a quarantine zone, reinforced by a repulsion spell. As long as those pulses, or whatever triggered them, kept away from the nest sites, then all should be fine and it'll go according to plan." "If it doesn't?" Twilight asked. "We improvise." Shining said. "Hold up...what's this?" Everypony stopped as Armor picked up a red tube, about the size of two unicorn horns. It was blackened on one end, and it smelled like something had burned inside it. Shining turned it over and found writing, though not in Equestrian. It was blocky and illegible, but it seemed to be language of some kind. "What is it?" Rainbow asked. "I recognize it, or at least I think I know what it is. The Griffons just invented some kind of distress signalling device, and it looks similar to this. It relied on varying smoke colors to send different signals. They called it a "flare", I think." Twilight said. "So, you think it's one of these flares, only a different design or model?" Shining asked, and Twilight nodded. "This one looks used, though." a guard pointed out. "You're right. Those black marks were made by burning. So, we're dealing with a sentient species that's advanced enough to make this kind of device." Twilight said. "But you said the Griffons made them. The Griffon border isn't anywhere near here. So why would they be here?" Cadance said, and everyone nodded. "Right. We should keep moving. Bolt Cutter?" A guard saluted. "Do you have that tracking spell ready?" "Yessir." "How close are we to the pulse's origin?" "No too far. It's originating…" "From where?" "Inside the nest zone. It's near the southwest segment." Cutter said. "Then let's get moving." Twilight said. As they moved on through a separate cave, They failed to notice two pairs of lenses glinting from an intersecting cavern above them. Corrus and Pellas watched the beings talk for a moment, discover the discarded flare, and move on. "DId you see that!?" Pellas whispered. "I did. Seems we're on an inhabited planet, and they're most likely looking for us. They said the "Nest zone" was through there. We should follow them and see where they're going. Maybe if we initiate peaceful first contact, we won't end up on the business end of those spears." Corrus said. "Halvir, Revan, you in position?" "Yep. We're ready when you are." "Let's move, Theta squad." As Pellas and Corrus slid down the slope, they met up with the two other Knights and set down the tunnel. Corrus pulled out a single-use torch and activated it. The dim light soon brightened, then dimmed to a level where they wouldn't be detected. As they walked, Corrus's Drakon Battle Sprite, Cinder, helped by charging a Fireball attack. "Good job, Cinder." Corrus said. "Guys?" Halvir said. "What?" "The ground's moving." True to his word, the ground was shaking in a tube-like pattern beneath their feet. "Maybe it's those "Ice Wyrms" that those beings were talking about. They did say they were subterrene." Revan said. "Possibly. Sounds like a Beast-class monster. Ready Piercing and Elemental damage. Keep your fingers on your triggers." Corrus said. As they walked, crystals started to appear on the cavern sides, and the Knights could see something thin and small inside each of them. "Scan it." Corrus said, and Revan pulled out his Bio-Scanner. "It's an egg, for an unknown lifeform. That thing inside is the developing embryo. Whatever they are, we shouldn't touch them." "Got it. Hands off." As they progressed, they grew closer to the group of beings, close enough they could hear the conversation. "Those are the Ice Wyrm eggs, right?" "Yeah. You even touch them, it sets the parents off like a firework. I forgot to mention that the Ice Wyrms have really short tempers, and the males compete to earn respect from females by smashing themselves against each other to see which one's ice coating breaks first. Their body temperature is so low, that it instantly reforms, but if their skin is punctured and their blood leaks too much...they die from heat exposure." "Heat exposure?" Twilight asked, shocked. "They're extremely sensitive to temperature changes. They like it cold, but if they get too warm, their heart shuts off and it triggers a cardiac arrest." Shining said. "I know all this because I read the reports daily from the Ecology teams." "Can't you take one of the eggs back to the empire and hatch it?" "Two reasons as to why we can't. One, it's suicide getting the egg out of the nest in the first place without setting off the parents. Two, whenever we try to replicate the ideal hatching conditions, the embryo dies from heat exposure anyways. We still don't know why the eggs only hatch here, under these conditions." Shining said. Then, the cavern they were walking in opened up into a large domed cavern. Thousands of nests, each filled with eggs, lay strewn about like landmines around the cavern. And sleeping at the back of the room, above ground, was an Ice Wyrm. It was colossal, almost five meters long, with a fan of ice on its head. Its body was long and thin, like a tube, but its ice armor gave it a jagged finished. Its eyes were closed, but its most disturbing and terrifying feature was its mouth, lined with three rows of jagged teeth, designed for crunching and thrashing. On its tail was a large chunk of ice. "Everypony, back up slowly and quietly." Shining whispered, and as they did, Rarity saw an exquisite diamond in a nest close to her. Twilight looked over at Rarity, whose eyes had misted over. "DON'T!" SHe whispered, sliding her hoof across her throat in an effort to get her to stop. But the warning went unheeded. Triggering her magic, she pulled the diamond free, but an egg touched it and it moved, making a quiet screech. As everyone froze, including Rarity, there was a slow rumbling noise. Everyone looked at the Wyrm in terror as its eyes slowly opened, revealing jet black irises. It stretched to its full body length and looked down at the ponies, almost like a cobra eyes a mouse. Then, it began to growl loudly, opening its mouth, revealing a fine frost that drifted out of its mouth. Then, it roared loudly at the ponies, registering only one thought. Kill...prey....eggs...protect…. Then, it charged like a Sidewinder snake, swinging its tail side to side. Shining, Cadance, and Twilight each put up a shield, and the Wyrm stopped suddenly, and eyed the shield like a minor obstacle. Then, with a mighty wind-up, it slammed its tail into the shield, destroying it. Now defenseless, the Wyrm, roared again. "Fluttershy! Can you get it to stop?! I'd rather not be eaten alive today!" Rainbow said. "I'm trying!" she replied. "It's too angry!" "Incoming!" Cutter yelled as it again wound up its tail for a powerful slam. Then, they heard a loud voice. "GET DOWN!" Heeding the order, Twilight saw a large yellow projectile slam into the Wyrm's forehead at a colossal speed. Twilight saw the Wyrm shake its head slightly, then, its eyes misted over, and it wound up and collapsed. Twilight and the ponies turned to see four bipedal beings, one holding a large, red-plated, multi-tubed object out like a weapon. One wore a hood and a set of armor, the second, a poncho, the third, a fur coat, and the last one a heavy set of plate armor. They were all carrying shields of different shapes and designs, and three strange varieties of creatures floated near them. One looked like a cat, one a dragon, the last a ghost. As they walked up, the one with the hood (Their leader, Twilight reasoned) stuck out his hand. Then, he spoke fluent Equestrian. "Name's Corrus. That's Revan, Pellas, and Halvir. And we had better get out of here before that thing wakes up." Chapter 3-Front Lines and CenterAs the ponies followed the Knights through the twisting, frozen corridors, Twilight's mind was buzzing. She took a few deep breaths and sighed. "So, there are aliens in Equestria, and they just saved our lives from a mad Frost Wyrm. But...We all saw what that "Pellas" one did. His weaponry far surpasses ours! Maybe…" Twilight thought. But then, she noticed the group was nearing the cave exit. She snapped herself out of her thoughts and looked ahead. As they exited the cave, Corrus and Revan pulled out boxes hanging by strings from their necks and peered into them. Twilight reasoned it was some kind of advanced telescope. As they peered through them, Halvir opened a squad comm. "You sure we can trust them, Corrus?" "We saved their lives. So, they owe us, or...that's just what I think, by the way." Pellas chimed in. "I would assume so, Pellas." Revan said. "Fine. We go along with them, at least for now. But keep your blades sharp and your fingers on the triggers, in case of ambush." Corrus said. "We gonna get a move on?" Shining asked. "Yeah. The binos say it's an approximate twenty minute hike. So, we should get moving, then." Corrus said, placing them in a pocket of his bandolier. As he led the way towards the Empire, Cadance turned to Twilight. "Not that I don't trust them, I mean, they saved our lives, but I think they're hiding something." "I agree." Twilight replied. "Maybe when we sit down, we can get some answers." "Alright." Cadance replied. As they began their hike, they failed to notice a mirage near the top of the cave. The mirage then formed into the form of a Gremlin Ghostmane Stalker. He ducked behind a rock and cackled. "Warmaster, are you there?" "I am here, scout. What is your status?" "They made contact. Peaceful, for the most part. Should we intervene now?" "No. Let them be, as we will strike when the time is right." "As you wish." The stalker snickered and turned invisible once more. ====================================================== As the group arrived at the Empire, the ponies stood in shock and awe of the Knights, who made no attempts to disguise themselves. As they walked, ponies would sometimes back away in fear, but a brave few would step forward and bow to Armor and Cadance. As they entered the palace, then the conference room, the Knights sat down at one end, their Battle Sprites hovering near them, the ponies took the other side, while the Crystal Guards bowed and left them to their own devices. "So, care to get started?" Twilight asked. "Well, as we said before, I'm Corrus.That's Pellas, Halvir, and Revan. As for our race, well, we're Isoran Spiral Knights. We're a group of interplanetary explorers, warriors, and pathfinders." Corrus said. "Isora being our homeworld." "Care to tell us more about it?" Twilight asked, and the Knights sighed. "Thing is, we don't remember our homeworld. It's been so long since we've been there. Isora was attacked by beings known as the Morai a long time ago. They drained our planet of energy, and left it desolate and ruined after what we know as the Morai Wars. We made a ship, called the Skylark, specifically to scout the stars and find an energy source capable of restoring our world." Halvir said. 'Before you ask about the Morai, just know that we didn't have a choice in fighting them, and the few things we know or remember about them aren't exactly clear. We do know that they possessed powerful war machines, capable of levelling cities in one fell stroke." "Okay...what next?" Twilight asked. "We spent quite a lot of time in Cryo-freezing aboard the Skylark as we sailed through the stars on Autopilot, that is until we found it." Corrus said. "What?" everypony in the room asked. "Cradle. A planet unlike anything we had seen before. At its heart was a energy source powerful enough to restore our world. But before we could land, energy blasts tore the ship in two, crippling the Skylark. The Captain ordered everyone to evacuate as the ship plummeted to the ground. When it crashed, we scouted the area, and we made contact with Cradle's inhabitants, which we know as the Strangers. They offered us supplies, shelter, and information in exchange for protection and the minerals deep in the Clockworks…" Pellas said. "Clockworks?" Rarity asked. "Yes. Cradle serves as the surface, the Clockworks everything below. You see, Cradle is an artificial world. The Clockworks is a giant machine of Twenty eight stratums descending nearly twenty eight kilometers beneath the surface. At the final stratum is The Core, the heart of Cradle. Contained in the Core is an energy source powerful enough to repair the Skylark and restore our world. The Clockworks isn't fixed, by the way. It's always changing. The Stratums in the clockworks are made of at least thirty different environments, mixed and matched like a Jigsaw puzzle. It's said by the Knights that the Clockworks never stays the same way twice." Halvir said. 'Wow. Who made it?" Shining asked. "We don't know. We think it could've been the Gremlins or one of the ancient kingdoms, or it could've been made by who-knows-what, but we're still studying it. Knight squads are sent out daily to the three Tier stratums to perform research and set up camps." "Tiers?" Fluttershy asked. "Yeah. The Clockworks isn't a peaceful place. It's inhabited by monsters of all kinds. We class the monsters in Families and Tiers. The category determines what kind, the Tier determines how strong it is. Knights are given access to the Clockworks based on their Equipment, which is matched by said gear's star rating. In order to access the deepest Clockworks levels, you would need Four or Five star gear. Tier three variety monsters are exceptionally nasty and tough to fight. For Tier 2, Three star to Four Star. Tier two monsters are usually weaker than Tier Three, but are still reserved for more experienced Knights. For Tier one, One to Two star gear is needed at least. Tier One monsters are slow and stupid, and relatively perfect for novice Knights to train with." "What about the Families?" Applejack asked. "I'm getting to that.The families are Slime, Beast, Fiend, Undead, Gremlin, and Construct. Each of them have their own strengths and weaknesses to the Weapons we Knights use. Slime and Gremlins are weak to Shadow, Fiend and Beast are weak to Piercing, and Constructs and Undead are weak to Elemental." Corrus said. "Okay...how do the Tiers affect the monsters?" Cadance asked. "The rule of thumb is that the deeper you go, the more dangerous it gets. The appearance, aggressiveness, and intelligence of the monsters you fight changes the deeper you go. For instance, a Wolver, a Beast family monster, may not pose much of a threat on Tier One. Tier two, they get faster and hit harder, but if a Knight fights smart, it's not really anything to worry about. Tier Three Wolvers are tough to handle, since they are pretty fast and can take out Knights on their own. And if you're talking about the varieties, that's more explaining." "Varieties?" Pinkie asked. "You mean there are different breeds?" "More like different kinds." Corrus said. "Monsters can rarely spawn with genetic mutations that change them down to the molecular level, changing their attack patterns, appearance, and damage types. These monsters can also inflict one of the Status conditions known to the Medics as Burn, Stun, Shock, Poison, Curse, or Freeze. For example, Ash Tails, a variety of the Wolver, can inflict Burn with their bite attacks. Other variants of the other monsters exist as well." "Interesting." Twilight said. "And how long have you been on Cradle?" "Years." Corrus replied. "And before you ask, we won't leave until we can restore the Skylark, and we can't do that until the Core is safe." "What's wrong with the Core?" Pinkie asked. "Did it catch a cold?" "The Swarm. That's what's wrong. It's a parasitic entity that latched onto the core to feed off the power it radiates. But it was sealed inside long ago. When the Alpha Squad, the first knights to enter the Clockworks entered the Core, some got out and wreaked havoc. Recently, the Gremlins opened the Core again, and released the Swarm's full power. When my squad and another Knight, Lieutenant Vaelyn, entered the Core to find the Alpha Squad, we learned three things. One? The Core is the resting place of a being of immense power known as the Sleeper, and the Gremlins, until recently, served as its guardians. Two? We were brought and trapped on Cradle to serve as its new guardians. Three? If we were to open the Core even one more time...It would end everything. And I mean EVERYTHING. And to make matters worse, half of the Alpha Squad is missing or confirmed dead." Corrus said. Twilight's quill snapped, and everypony gasped. As the room settled down, Twilight sighed. "What's the Swarm like?" "We thought entering the Core would be a dream come true. It turned into a blood-soaked nightmare, to put it lightly." Corrus said. "The Swarm is evil, pure evil. It looks like black goo with square purple eyes, and it infects anything it touches. Worse, it can only be destroyed when it takes the form of a monster. Several sections of the Clockworks have already been infected, and such, quarantined. Thing is, the Core opening, all of this, was the work of the Gremlins." "What do the Gremlins have to do with this?" Shining asked. "A Gremlin known as Herex opened the Core. He hasn't been seen since the Core opened, and we've presumed him dead. The Gremlins hate us, for some unknown reason. They routinely attack our squads and capture them, and they sabotage what gear they have to prevent escape. When we do rescue them, we get them rearmed as best we can, but often, they require gear from other Knights to return to field duties. The Knights that donate get compensation, though." "How do you make your gear?" "We use Alchemy Machines to craft them." Halvir said. "The machines were made during the Morai wars to mass-produce gear capable of withstanding the Morai War machines, so we don't know exactly how they work. But we do know how to make them work. You plug in a recipe for a specific piece of gear, the required materials, some currency, and most of the time, the gear that you currently have, and you get a shiny new weapon or armor. For example, in order to make a Leviathan Blade, you'd need a Calibur, then you'd have to make a Tempered Calibur, then Ascended, then you could make the Leviathan Blade. You'd need all the recipes for each one, though, plus the Heat needed to upgrade them." "Heat?" Cadance asked. "When monsters die in the Clockworks, apart from dropping materials used in Alchemy, they also drop a natural form of energy called Heat. It builds up in weapons and armor, and if you don't dissipate the Heat build-up, they won't get stronger. Fire Crystals are used in the Gear Forge to do that. Also, they drop the currency the Strangers use, which we adopted. We call them Crowns." Corrus said. "Amazing." Pinkie said. "That's nothing. Each Knight is given an emergency revival kit that when used, can bring the Knight back to life if they lose consciousness in the field. Thing is, if they fall a second time, they can use a recall kit to warp them back to haven, but they lose any heat energy gathered." Corrus said. "If you need to keep fighting, we use a Spark Of Life to resuscitate ourselves. It's a stone that when combined with latent energy, it supercharges the respiratory, circulatory, and nervous systems, enough to bring a Knight back to life, negating the need for the Recall Kit. Problem is, they're exceptionally tough to make, or find, for that matter." Corrus said. Everypony in the room gasped. "That's...amazing." Shining said. "To be honest, they're rare enough that we don't really use them." "How did you even get here in the first place?" Fluttershy asked. The Knights explained the operation, the Gremlin portal, and Warmaster Drusen. By the end, the ponies were deeply worried. "So, this warmaster built a portal to Equestria? And you think he made it here?" Cadance asked. "Yes. The Gremlins, for the most part, are exceptional inventors. They're the only ones that I know that could make one. We destroyed several of their war machines, but they're always developing new ones. Their constructs would give your forces a run for their crowns" Corrus said. "Then we have to prepare." Cadence said. Then a guard rushed into the room. "Your highness, Thorax says he needs to see you immediately." "Let him in." A few minutes later, Thorax the changeling walked in, with a nervous expression. After the Knights introduced themselves, he sighed. "Cadence, I intercepted a message from the Hive. They are under attack from strange, bipedal beings and strange machines. They request aid immediately." "Gremlins. My guess is, they're establishing a base of operations. We need to fend them off." Corrus said. "We will." Shining said. "Ready all guards! We move in now!" "Yessir!" Two guards replied, and they rushed out. "Allow us to assist your forces, Cadance. We have plenty of experience either the Gremlins. We can take out the commander, while your forces mop up the stragglers." Corrus said. "Go ahead." Shining replied. "Theta team, let's move!" Corrus replied. As the group rushed out, the sun disappeared behind a cloud. Chapter 4-Operation HIVEMIND, part oneAs the ponies and the knights headed to the armory, Corrus turned and looked over at Shining. "What's your combat strength?" he asked the stallion. "We only have about a thousand guards." Shining said. "We haven't had a war in thousands of years." "Alright." Corrus said. Get them armed and armored as heavily as possible. The Gremlins like to hit fast and flee before striking again, so make sure they are prepared for close quarters combat. They have various kinds of weaponry, including staves that can heal their kind. Their constructs are brutal and know no mercy, so prioritize them." "Got it." Shining said. "What kind of weapons do they have?" "Mostly blunt force." Halvir replied. "Thwackers use large wrenches, perfect for breaking bones. Igniters have flamethrowers, which are basically fire shooters. Demos prefer timed explosives. Their constructs range from Scuttlebots to Bolt Knights. The Bolt Knights are well-programmed in combat strategy. Thing is, their head is the weak point. Take that out, they drop like a fly to a swatter." Shining nodded as they entered the armory, where a platoon of Crystal Guards, armored and ready, awaited them. "Guards, Thorax the Changeling has alerted us to a hostile invasion in the Changeling hives. We are moving in to support them. You all know how I felt about them, but that doesn't matter now. The forces we are facing are well-trained, with war machines for backup. Rely on your training, and we'll be good. Corrus?" Corrus nodded and stepped forward. "The invading Gremlins have managed to secure a large portion of the hive. From what Thorax told us, they are at the breaking point. You Crystal guards are going to support the Changeling lines while my squad goes in to eliminate the Gremlin Commander. Know that these beings will do everything in their power to defeat you. Respond in kind." Corrus said. "Let's get a move on!" "You heard him!" Shining yelled. "Move out!' As the guards embarked for the hive, Shining looked over at Cadance. "Cady, will you stay here?" he asked. "I need you to take care of things while we're gone." Cadance nodded reluctantly and headed out with Twilight and the rest of the Elements. "Know where we are headed?" Corrus asked. "Stand ready." Shining said ."I'm teleporting us in." As they disappeared in a flash, Cadance, Twilight, and Thorax stood on the Crystal Palace's balcony. "Think they'll be alright?" Twilight asked. "They won't fail." Cadance replied. "If they do fail…" Thorax said. "It would mean the hive's extinction." ======================= As the group appeared outside the hive, Corrus growled at the all-too familiar sound of Bolt Knights on the move. as the ponies nodded and rushed into the hive, the sounds of battle could be heard from up ahead. Then, the bodies of dead Changelings began to appear, and in greater numbers. "Incoming!" Shining said. Then, a Warrior Drone appeared in front of them. "Ponies?" he asked. "We came to help." Shining said. The Warrior Drone nodded and agreed to escort them to Chrysalis. As they raced through the hive, Corrus asked the drone how many had fallen. "Quite a bit…" the Warrior Drone said. "The invaders have wiped out half of our Warriors." "Do you know where the commander is located?" Corrus asked. "Yes, but he is heavily guarded." The Warrior replied. "My squad and I can take him out. Get some of your fighting units together and link up with us." Corrus said as they entered the main area of the hive. A large barrier of raised hive material protected a large, but steadily decreasing number of Changelings from a massive group of Gremlins and Constructs below. As the ponies rushed to the front, Chrysalis turned and smiled at the sight of Shining's forces. "You got my message." she said simply. "We did." Shining replied. "When this is over...we need to chat." "Indeed." she replied. "We are losing numbers fast." "Gather your best and send them with us." Corrus said, stepping forward. "We can move in and disrupt their chain of command. Then, push the attack." Chrysalis growled. "And why should I do that?" "Because we actually know to fight them." Halvir said, stepping forward. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend, am I correct?" Chrysalis slowly nodded. "I want every drone I send back alive." Corrus nodded. "Count on it. Pick your best." "Zazz!" she yelled. A large warrior drone appeared and bowed. "Gather two squads and go with them." Chrysalis ordered. "Do whatever they ask." "As you command." Zazz said. Soon, twenty changeling warriors were in front of the knights, armed and ready. "Zazz, take us to the Gremlin command center. We'll handle things from there." Corrus said. Zazz nodded and took the lead, taking the knights down a sub-tunnel. As Shining's forces reinforced the line, the Changelings seemed to be inspired from their presence. They fought harder, and they started to drive the Gremlins away from the barrier. Shining shot a Gremlin Thwacker down with a magic pulse and turned to look at Chrysalis, who was scrapping Scuttlebots with beams of magic. Soon, three Demos planted explosives on the barrier, and detonated them. A large, gaping hole was soon filled by Gremlins, and Chrysalis roared. The Changelings took on a charge, and soon, melee combat broke out. Chrysalis and Shining went back-to-back, against a group of Thwackers. They grinned, and several pulses of magic later, the Gremlins lay dead. "Nice shooting!" Shining yelled, smacking away a Gremlin that got too close. "You seem to admire my battle prowess." Chrysalis said. "Know I have lived for far longer than you, and I have seen many battles over territory with other hives. I am no stranger to warfare." "That explains the wedding." Shining said. "Indeed." Chrysalis said. "If we make it out of this alive, I just might settle for peace." "If we make it out, that is." Shining replied, noticing a large sub-wave of Gremlins approaching. The two groups sent up a battle cry and charged.
Chapter 1-ClockworksSpiral HQ Mission Report Mission Status-GO Squad-Theta Team Parameters -Disable Gremlin thermo-generators powering War Machines -Determine cause of strange energy levels from secondary facility =============================== END TRANSMISSION =============================== Vanguard Knight Corrus sighed and put his comlink back in his pouch, and took out his binoculars. As he surveyed the Gremlin facility at Depth 18 in the Clockworks, his interest continued to be piqued at the speed of the building's Gremlin construction crews. Barely a week ago, this was part of a splinter Aurora Isles stratum, peppered with trees. Now, it was home to oil rigs and Gremlin war machines. Corrus continued to scan the area, and he dropped his Binoculars from his eyes to see Halvir, his squad's Recon Knight, walk up with his Seraphynx Battle Sprite. "Where's Pellas and Revan?" Corrus asked. "Establishing a "distraction."" Halvir replied, saying "distraction" with a sarcastic tone. "By distraction, I take it they're blowing something up?" "More like blowing something BIG up." Halvir replied. And as soon as he finished that sentence, a large explosion of thermo-energy erupted from the courtyard, blowing away a large chunk of the wall and sending shrapnel and debris hurtling into the air. Corrus looked over at Halvir, who gave him an expression of "You were saying?" "I know. Let's move." Corrus said, drawing his Leviathan Blade. As the two knights descended into the camp, they could see the outlines of two other knights battling a horde of Gremlin Constructs. Corrus sighed exasperatedly at the forms of Pellas and Revan, his squad's Medic and Guardian Knight. As the knights cut their way through the horde of Gremlins and Constructs, Halvir and Corrus entered the courtyard. Corrus cut down a Gremlin Mender and made his way towards Pellas, who laughed. "What were you guys doing? Waiting for an invitation?" Pellas said, slamming his Triglav into a Gremlin Demo, killing it. "Waiting for your "Distraction."" Corrus replied. "Anyway, Corrus, the path is clear." Revan said, eliminating the last of the Constructs. Then, the gate leading to the facility opened, and lights came on, illuminating a dark, descending path. "Team, let's move." Corrus said, leading the way into the strangely deserted facility. As they walked, they occasionally found the remains of Gremlins, and clusters of deactivated Bolt Knights and Retrodes. Lights flickered on and off, and the occasional data port was broken and destroyed. "I'll tell you guys, when we got this mission, I didn't know it be this...eerie…" Pellas said. "Yeah. Stay sharp." Corrus said, using the red glow from his Combuster sword as a torch. Then, Corrus held up his hand, and the squad stopped. He then spun around and fired three shots from his Valiance sidearm into the darkness. There was silence, then a loud crash was heard. Corrus illuminated the ground and found the remains of what was obviously a security camera. "Something's watching us." Halvir said. "Close quarter weapons, team." Corrus said. As they descended further, they came across a data port, strangely undisturbed. "Lemme see what I can pull." Pellas said, hacking into the Gremlin database. "Okay, got what we needed. This facility was apparently declared defunct three days ago, and the only reason it happened was an accident with something called a "Rupture." Which apparently is some kind of new Gremlin toy. Allows long-range teleportation across Cradle." "They could overwhelm Haven with that kind of tech." Corrus said. "Contact Spiral HQ." "I tired. Signal's corrupted." "Swarm?" "No, it's coming from deeper in the facility." Pellas said. "Then let's find it and destroy it." Corrus said, walking down the darkened stairs in front of them.. As the team followed, a construct, looking like a cross between a Gun Puppy and a Scuttlebot, painted a dark maroon and silver, appeared from behind a corridor. It barked, and began to follow the knights. ========================== After ten minutes of walking, the team had found the end of the hallway. A large, sealed iron door blocked the path to the signal's source, placed into a hallway to the left. "I'll get to work." Halvir said. Taking out his Hacking tools, standard for a Recon Knight, he began to hack the door panel. Then, the lights turned dim, and several reddish-purple dots appeared on the HUD mini-map of each Knight. "Incoming!" Corrus said, and true to his word, the Scuttle-Puppy constructs were advancing rapidly, and when they were within 10 feet of so from the knights, they sprouted turrets from their midsection, and began to fire. Corrus and his team dove into the two side hallways, occasionally dropping one of the constructs with Handgun shots, braving the incoming fire. "There's just too many of them!" Corrus said, slicing a Construct with his Combuster. The sword's superheated elemental edge cut through the construct, slicing it in two. As it fell to the ground, two more took its place. "Okay, door's open!" Halvir said, and utilizing Shield-Charge, they dived into the door hallway. Then, as they entered the door, Halvir hit the panel, causing it to close on the constructs. Halvir then yanked out the wires from the panel, sealing it for good. "That should slow them down." Halvir said. "Yeah. Where are we?" Corrus said. Then, lights came on, revealing a large control room, and a throne in the back. "You made it. I'm impressed." The Knights looked at the throne, which spun to reveal a Gremlin, clad in armor similar to that of Warmaster Seerus, only his mask had no nose mark, only three red feathers. The Gremlin cackled as he stood up. "Such audacity, such power. I thought my Sidewinders would finish you off, but I was wrong. But where are my manners? I am Warmaster Drusen of the Crimson Order." "This was a trap, wasn't it?" Corrus said, leveling his Leviathan Blade. "Correct. I staged everything to lure Knights to their doom. I wasn't expecting it to be the same Knights who slew Seerus, so I had to improvise." Drusen said. "Improvise how?" Halvir asked. "Improvise this." Drusen said, tapping a button on his wristpad. A large circular ring appeared, connected to two large energy tanks. Three thermo-generators were connected to it. "The rupture, I presume?" Corrus said. "You are getting on my nerves with your intuition, but yes. Project RUPTURE, allow me to clarify. With this, I can move my troops to anywhere I decide, no matter the location! We can finally conquer the blasted city that you Iron Assassins call home. And, now, it begins." Drusen said, tapping a second button. The energy tanks glowed blue, and a large white vortex appeared, along with walls that boxed the Knights in with the Portal. As the Knights spun around, a massive pulling force began to drag to the Knights closer and closer to the vortex. "Team, form up! We're going in that thing sooner or later!" Corrus said, and the team let go of their various handholds. As they tumbled into the swirling vortex, Drusen swiftly tapped a third button. SELF-DESTRUCT SEQUENCE, INITIATED. DETONATION OF CORE REACTOR IN THIRTY SECONDS. THERMO-GENERATOR SAFEGUARD DISABLED. DETONATION IN TWENTY SECONDS. ALL PERSONNEL, EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY. Drusen sighed and sat back in his chair, and as soon as he spun around, he sighed. "Initiate stage two.'' Then, a massive explosion ripped through the facility, destroying the room. Then, a secondary blast shredded whatever survived the first. The detonation collapsed a good amount of the Stratum, and sent shockwaves careening towards other sub-stratums. As the facility collapsed, the only thing left of their Knights, or the Gremlin presence, was a blackened wristpad and a signed feather. =================== Corrus groaned and stood up. As he blinked his eyes, he saw white flakes come off of his armor. "Snow." he realized, brushing off the small coating covering him. He groaned and looked around. He was in some kind of ice cavern, and his Mini-map was offline. His equipment was locked, and all connection to Spiral HQ was dead. He took out his knapsack and drew out some driftwood, slime gel, and some blaze pepper. Placing the components in a pile, he touched it with the tip of his sword, and a merry fire began to burn. He sighed and broke out a supply pack. Eating his fill, he stashed the leftovers back in the box and looked outside. What seemed to be a large translucent dome was in the distance, and farther away was a small building, but other than that, there were no visible landmarks for as far as he could see. "Corrus?" He turned to see Pellas, Halvir, and Revan walk up, all covered in snow. "You okay?" Corrus asked. "Fine and dandy." "Just fine." "Alright." "Good. I noticed some kind of city in the distance, I figure about a half-klick. We set out for there in the morning. RIght now, we get some rest. Stay near the fire so you don't freeze out. Prepare for anything. Our new objective is threefold…" "Find civilization…" "Make contact with Spiral HQ…" And Survive. Am I clear?" "Yessir!" Came the reply. "Alright. Let's get some rest. Let's hope the blizzard settles down in the morning." Corrus said, taking a seat by the fire. As the knights slept, the blizzard roared and howled. ================================ Princess Cadance didn't usually stay up this late. But with the onslaught of the blizzard that somehow penetrated the shield, she had her hooves full dealing with it. Shining Armor had already gone to bed, and she had stayed awake to finish working. She sighed and looked at her husband, sound asleep. She smiled and looked back at her papers. Signing her name on a few, she took a sip of some tea and slouched in her chair. "Just another day as ruler of the Crystal Empire." she said quietly. Then, there was a knock on the door. She opened it to reveal a Crystal Guard, who bowed. "What is it?" "A letter from your aunt, Princess." "Thanks. Dismissed." Cadance said. The guard handed her a sealed scroll, bowed again, and walked off. She opened it and began to read. Dearest niece, I have sensed five strange pulses of magic near the Empire. They flared up around one PM, and then settled. I have tracked them to the Ice Caves near the northern border. When the blizzard settles, please find out the cause. I have my hooves full here, so I am afraid I cannot assist. Will you also ask Twilight to come and help out? Many thanks, Celestia. Cadance sighed and wrote a reply. It's no problem. We'll do it in the morning. Thank's for letting me know, Auntie. Cadance. She sent the letter, and slipped into bed. "What was that about?" Armor said sleepily, wiping his eyes. "Auntie Celestia just sent me a letter about some magic flares near the Empire. We'll check it out in the morning, Okay?" "Sure." Armor replied. "Okay." Cadance said, closing her eyes. As she slept, outside the Empire, back at the camp, the team slept as well. The fire flickered, then went out. The smoke and embers went into the wind, and it swirled through the stormy night.
Chapter 2-Brave New WorldAs Corrus and the squad woke from their slumber, they founds themselves covered in snow and frost. As they brushed themselves off, Corrus looked outside to see the blizzard had died down. At least, for the moment. Corrus sighed and turned to see Pellas stroking Jase', the squad's pet Snipe. "Is he okay?" Corrus asked. "He's cold. But he'll be alright." Pellas replied, and Jase' peeped and dived back into his pouch. "Alright team. As I said, our new objective is survive.We're gonna head into the caves to see if we can scavenge any resources. Keep your eyes open and your weapons ready." Corrus said. As the team descended, the fire smoldered, then went out for good. =============================================== Cadance sighed and woke up. She turned to see Shining already up and drinking a cup of tea. "Morning." She said. "Morning. Twiley and the others should be arriving soon. Just wanted to be awake when that happens." Shining replied. "Like auntie Luna during the Invasion." Cadance joked. "Just like that." Shining said. As they walked downstairs to eat, a guard ran up with a note. Cadance unfurled the scroll and began to read. The pulses of magic have flared up again. Please seek out the source as soon as you can. Celestia Cadance sighed and turned to Shining. "You see the letter?" "Yeah. We should get moving." ====================== As Cadance and Twilight greeted each other, Shining pulled a squad of guards aside. "Stallions, the reason you are here is to track down five unknown magic pulses in the Ice caverns. Yes, I know that the Ice Wyrms are returning to the surface, and yes, I know that they HATE having their nests disturbed. As long as we let sleeping dogs lie, we should be safe." "Yessir!" They said. "Shining? What magic pulses are you talking about?" Twilight asked. Cadance cleared her throat. "Five unknown magic flares erupted last night during a blizzard in the Ice Caverns. The second reason I asked you to come was that so you could help, Twilight." Cadance replied. "We'll be glad to." Twilight said, and her friends voiced their approval. "Let's get going then. It's a twenty-minute hike to the caves." Shining said, as as they walked out, the sun flashed light. ====================================================== As the group of ponies walked towards the caverns, Twilight noticed large gouges in the mountainside. "Shining?" "What?" "What's with the huge holes in the mountain?" "We recently discovered a new animal living in the caverns. Frost Wyrms. They literally cover themselves in ice for use as armor. We know that most of the year, they live deep underground in hibernation. This time of year, when it's starting to warm, they return to the surface caverns to lay eggs. They're extremely aggressive when their nests are disturbed or they get a rude awakening, but for the most part, they leave ponies alone. By the way, they keep their blood circulating, and their heart beating, by drinking magma straight from the mantle." Shining said. "Wow. How'd you find out about them?" Shining sighed. "We accidentally disturbed one of the nests when a few guards were protecting a surveying expedition. The Wyrm guarding the nest woke up, and things went down manure creek from there." Twilight grimaced. "Don't worry, they were all fine, as they teleported out before it could think they were threats. But since then, we've kept the nests in a quarantine zone, reinforced by a repulsion spell. As long as those pulses, or whatever triggered them, kept away from the nest sites, then all should be fine and it'll go according to plan." "If it doesn't?" Twilight asked. "We improvise." Shining said. "Hold up...what's this?" Everypony stopped as Armor picked up a red tube, about the size of two unicorn horns. It was blackened on one end, and it smelled like something had burned inside it. Shining turned it over and found writing, though not in Equestrian. It was blocky and illegible, but it seemed to be language of some kind. "What is it?" Rainbow asked. "I recognize it, or at least I think I know what it is. The Griffons just invented some kind of distress signalling device, and it looks similar to this. It relied on varying smoke colors to send different signals. They called it a "flare", I think." Twilight said. "So, you think it's one of these flares, only a different design or model?" Shining asked, and Twilight nodded. "This one looks used, though." a guard pointed out. "You're right. Those black marks were made by burning. So, we're dealing with a sentient species that's advanced enough to make this kind of device." Twilight said. "But you said the Griffons made them. The Griffon border isn't anywhere near here. So why would they be here?" Cadance said, and everyone nodded. "Right. We should keep moving. Bolt Cutter?" A guard saluted. "Do you have that tracking spell ready?" "Yessir." "How close are we to the pulse's origin?" "No too far. It's originating…" "From where?" "Inside the nest zone. It's near the southwest segment." Cutter said. "Then let's get moving." Twilight said. As they moved on through a separate cave, They failed to notice two pairs of lenses glinting from an intersecting cavern above them. Corrus and Pellas watched the beings talk for a moment, discover the discarded flare, and move on. "DId you see that!?" Pellas whispered. "I did. Seems we're on an inhabited planet, and they're most likely looking for us. They said the "Nest zone" was through there. We should follow them and see where they're going. Maybe if we initiate peaceful first contact, we won't end up on the business end of those spears." Corrus said. "Halvir, Revan, you in position?" "Yep. We're ready when you are." "Let's move, Theta squad." As Pellas and Corrus slid down the slope, they met up with the two other Knights and set down the tunnel. Corrus pulled out a single-use torch and activated it. The dim light soon brightened, then dimmed to a level where they wouldn't be detected. As they walked, Corrus's Drakon Battle Sprite, Cinder, helped by charging a Fireball attack. "Good job, Cinder." Corrus said. "Guys?" Halvir said. "What?" "The ground's moving." True to his word, the ground was shaking in a tube-like pattern beneath their feet. "Maybe it's those "Ice Wyrms" that those beings were talking about. They did say they were subterrene." Revan said. "Possibly. Sounds like a Beast-class monster. Ready Piercing and Elemental damage. Keep your fingers on your triggers." Corrus said. As they walked, crystals started to appear on the cavern sides, and the Knights could see something thin and small inside each of them. "Scan it." Corrus said, and Revan pulled out his Bio-Scanner. "It's an egg, for an unknown lifeform. That thing inside is the developing embryo. Whatever they are, we shouldn't touch them." "Got it. Hands off." As they progressed, they grew closer to the group of beings, close enough they could hear the conversation. "Those are the Ice Wyrm eggs, right?" "Yeah. You even touch them, it sets the parents off like a firework. I forgot to mention that the Ice Wyrms have really short tempers, and the males compete to earn respect from females by smashing themselves against each other to see which one's ice coating breaks first. Their body temperature is so low, that it instantly reforms, but if their skin is punctured and their blood leaks too much...they die from heat exposure." "Heat exposure?" Twilight asked, shocked. "They're extremely sensitive to temperature changes. They like it cold, but if they get too warm, their heart shuts off and it triggers a cardiac arrest." Shining said. "I know all this because I read the reports daily from the Ecology teams." "Can't you take one of the eggs back to the empire and hatch it?" "Two reasons as to why we can't. One, it's suicide getting the egg out of the nest in the first place without setting off the parents. Two, whenever we try to replicate the ideal hatching conditions, the embryo dies from heat exposure anyways. We still don't know why the eggs only hatch here, under these conditions." Shining said. Then, the cavern they were walking in opened up into a large domed cavern. Thousands of nests, each filled with eggs, lay strewn about like landmines around the cavern. And sleeping at the back of the room, above ground, was an Ice Wyrm. It was colossal, almost five meters long, with a fan of ice on its head. Its body was long and thin, like a tube, but its ice armor gave it a jagged finished. Its eyes were closed, but its most disturbing and terrifying feature was its mouth, lined with three rows of jagged teeth, designed for crunching and thrashing. On its tail was a large chunk of ice. "Everypony, back up slowly and quietly." Shining whispered, and as they did, Rarity saw an exquisite diamond in a nest close to her. Twilight looked over at Rarity, whose eyes had misted over. "DON'T!" SHe whispered, sliding her hoof across her throat in an effort to get her to stop. But the warning went unheeded. Triggering her magic, she pulled the diamond free, but an egg touched it and it moved, making a quiet screech. As everyone froze, including Rarity, there was a slow rumbling noise. Everyone looked at the Wyrm in terror as its eyes slowly opened, revealing jet black irises. It stretched to its full body length and looked down at the ponies, almost like a cobra eyes a mouse. Then, it began to growl loudly, opening its mouth, revealing a fine frost that drifted out of its mouth. Then, it roared loudly at the ponies, registering only one thought. Kill...prey....eggs...protect…. Then, it charged like a Sidewinder snake, swinging its tail side to side. Shining, Cadance, and Twilight each put up a shield, and the Wyrm stopped suddenly, and eyed the shield like a minor obstacle. Then, with a mighty wind-up, it slammed its tail into the shield, destroying it. Now defenseless, the Wyrm, roared again. "Fluttershy! Can you get it to stop?! I'd rather not be eaten alive today!" Rainbow said. "I'm trying!" she replied. "It's too angry!" "Incoming!" Cutter yelled as it again wound up its tail for a powerful slam. Then, they heard a loud voice. "GET DOWN!" Heeding the order, Twilight saw a large yellow projectile slam into the Wyrm's forehead at a colossal speed. Twilight saw the Wyrm shake its head slightly, then, its eyes misted over, and it wound up and collapsed. Twilight and the ponies turned to see four bipedal beings, one holding a large, red-plated, multi-tubed object out like a weapon. One wore a hood and a set of armor, the second, a poncho, the third, a fur coat, and the last one a heavy set of plate armor. They were all carrying shields of different shapes and designs, and three strange varieties of creatures floated near them. One looked like a cat, one a dragon, the last a ghost. As they walked up, the one with the hood (Their leader, Twilight reasoned) stuck out his hand. Then, he spoke fluent Equestrian. "Name's Corrus. That's Revan, Pellas, and Halvir. And we had better get out of here before that thing wakes up."
Chapter 3-Front Lines and CenterAs the ponies followed the Knights through the twisting, frozen corridors, Twilight's mind was buzzing. She took a few deep breaths and sighed. "So, there are aliens in Equestria, and they just saved our lives from a mad Frost Wyrm. But...We all saw what that "Pellas" one did. His weaponry far surpasses ours! Maybe…" Twilight thought. But then, she noticed the group was nearing the cave exit. She snapped herself out of her thoughts and looked ahead. As they exited the cave, Corrus and Revan pulled out boxes hanging by strings from their necks and peered into them. Twilight reasoned it was some kind of advanced telescope. As they peered through them, Halvir opened a squad comm. "You sure we can trust them, Corrus?" "We saved their lives. So, they owe us, or...that's just what I think, by the way." Pellas chimed in. "I would assume so, Pellas." Revan said. "Fine. We go along with them, at least for now. But keep your blades sharp and your fingers on the triggers, in case of ambush." Corrus said. "We gonna get a move on?" Shining asked. "Yeah. The binos say it's an approximate twenty minute hike. So, we should get moving, then." Corrus said, placing them in a pocket of his bandolier. As he led the way towards the Empire, Cadance turned to Twilight. "Not that I don't trust them, I mean, they saved our lives, but I think they're hiding something." "I agree." Twilight replied. "Maybe when we sit down, we can get some answers." "Alright." Cadance replied. As they began their hike, they failed to notice a mirage near the top of the cave. The mirage then formed into the form of a Gremlin Ghostmane Stalker. He ducked behind a rock and cackled. "Warmaster, are you there?" "I am here, scout. What is your status?" "They made contact. Peaceful, for the most part. Should we intervene now?" "No. Let them be, as we will strike when the time is right." "As you wish." The stalker snickered and turned invisible once more. ====================================================== As the group arrived at the Empire, the ponies stood in shock and awe of the Knights, who made no attempts to disguise themselves. As they walked, ponies would sometimes back away in fear, but a brave few would step forward and bow to Armor and Cadance. As they entered the palace, then the conference room, the Knights sat down at one end, their Battle Sprites hovering near them, the ponies took the other side, while the Crystal Guards bowed and left them to their own devices. "So, care to get started?" Twilight asked. "Well, as we said before, I'm Corrus.That's Pellas, Halvir, and Revan. As for our race, well, we're Isoran Spiral Knights. We're a group of interplanetary explorers, warriors, and pathfinders." Corrus said. "Isora being our homeworld." "Care to tell us more about it?" Twilight asked, and the Knights sighed. "Thing is, we don't remember our homeworld. It's been so long since we've been there. Isora was attacked by beings known as the Morai a long time ago. They drained our planet of energy, and left it desolate and ruined after what we know as the Morai Wars. We made a ship, called the Skylark, specifically to scout the stars and find an energy source capable of restoring our world." Halvir said. 'Before you ask about the Morai, just know that we didn't have a choice in fighting them, and the few things we know or remember about them aren't exactly clear. We do know that they possessed powerful war machines, capable of levelling cities in one fell stroke." "Okay...what next?" Twilight asked. "We spent quite a lot of time in Cryo-freezing aboard the Skylark as we sailed through the stars on Autopilot, that is until we found it." Corrus said. "What?" everypony in the room asked. "Cradle. A planet unlike anything we had seen before. At its heart was a energy source powerful enough to restore our world. But before we could land, energy blasts tore the ship in two, crippling the Skylark. The Captain ordered everyone to evacuate as the ship plummeted to the ground. When it crashed, we scouted the area, and we made contact with Cradle's inhabitants, which we know as the Strangers. They offered us supplies, shelter, and information in exchange for protection and the minerals deep in the Clockworks…" Pellas said. "Clockworks?" Rarity asked. "Yes. Cradle serves as the surface, the Clockworks everything below. You see, Cradle is an artificial world. The Clockworks is a giant machine of Twenty eight stratums descending nearly twenty eight kilometers beneath the surface. At the final stratum is The Core, the heart of Cradle. Contained in the Core is an energy source powerful enough to repair the Skylark and restore our world. The Clockworks isn't fixed, by the way. It's always changing. The Stratums in the clockworks are made of at least thirty different environments, mixed and matched like a Jigsaw puzzle. It's said by the Knights that the Clockworks never stays the same way twice." Halvir said. 'Wow. Who made it?" Shining asked. "We don't know. We think it could've been the Gremlins or one of the ancient kingdoms, or it could've been made by who-knows-what, but we're still studying it. Knight squads are sent out daily to the three Tier stratums to perform research and set up camps." "Tiers?" Fluttershy asked. "Yeah. The Clockworks isn't a peaceful place. It's inhabited by monsters of all kinds. We class the monsters in Families and Tiers. The category determines what kind, the Tier determines how strong it is. Knights are given access to the Clockworks based on their Equipment, which is matched by said gear's star rating. In order to access the deepest Clockworks levels, you would need Four or Five star gear. Tier three variety monsters are exceptionally nasty and tough to fight. For Tier 2, Three star to Four Star. Tier two monsters are usually weaker than Tier Three, but are still reserved for more experienced Knights. For Tier one, One to Two star gear is needed at least. Tier One monsters are slow and stupid, and relatively perfect for novice Knights to train with." "What about the Families?" Applejack asked. "I'm getting to that.The families are Slime, Beast, Fiend, Undead, Gremlin, and Construct. Each of them have their own strengths and weaknesses to the Weapons we Knights use. Slime and Gremlins are weak to Shadow, Fiend and Beast are weak to Piercing, and Constructs and Undead are weak to Elemental." Corrus said. "Okay...how do the Tiers affect the monsters?" Cadance asked. "The rule of thumb is that the deeper you go, the more dangerous it gets. The appearance, aggressiveness, and intelligence of the monsters you fight changes the deeper you go. For instance, a Wolver, a Beast family monster, may not pose much of a threat on Tier One. Tier two, they get faster and hit harder, but if a Knight fights smart, it's not really anything to worry about. Tier Three Wolvers are tough to handle, since they are pretty fast and can take out Knights on their own. And if you're talking about the varieties, that's more explaining." "Varieties?" Pinkie asked. "You mean there are different breeds?" "More like different kinds." Corrus said. "Monsters can rarely spawn with genetic mutations that change them down to the molecular level, changing their attack patterns, appearance, and damage types. These monsters can also inflict one of the Status conditions known to the Medics as Burn, Stun, Shock, Poison, Curse, or Freeze. For example, Ash Tails, a variety of the Wolver, can inflict Burn with their bite attacks. Other variants of the other monsters exist as well." "Interesting." Twilight said. "And how long have you been on Cradle?" "Years." Corrus replied. "And before you ask, we won't leave until we can restore the Skylark, and we can't do that until the Core is safe." "What's wrong with the Core?" Pinkie asked. "Did it catch a cold?" "The Swarm. That's what's wrong. It's a parasitic entity that latched onto the core to feed off the power it radiates. But it was sealed inside long ago. When the Alpha Squad, the first knights to enter the Clockworks entered the Core, some got out and wreaked havoc. Recently, the Gremlins opened the Core again, and released the Swarm's full power. When my squad and another Knight, Lieutenant Vaelyn, entered the Core to find the Alpha Squad, we learned three things. One? The Core is the resting place of a being of immense power known as the Sleeper, and the Gremlins, until recently, served as its guardians. Two? We were brought and trapped on Cradle to serve as its new guardians. Three? If we were to open the Core even one more time...It would end everything. And I mean EVERYTHING. And to make matters worse, half of the Alpha Squad is missing or confirmed dead." Corrus said. Twilight's quill snapped, and everypony gasped. As the room settled down, Twilight sighed. "What's the Swarm like?" "We thought entering the Core would be a dream come true. It turned into a blood-soaked nightmare, to put it lightly." Corrus said. "The Swarm is evil, pure evil. It looks like black goo with square purple eyes, and it infects anything it touches. Worse, it can only be destroyed when it takes the form of a monster. Several sections of the Clockworks have already been infected, and such, quarantined. Thing is, the Core opening, all of this, was the work of the Gremlins." "What do the Gremlins have to do with this?" Shining asked. "A Gremlin known as Herex opened the Core. He hasn't been seen since the Core opened, and we've presumed him dead. The Gremlins hate us, for some unknown reason. They routinely attack our squads and capture them, and they sabotage what gear they have to prevent escape. When we do rescue them, we get them rearmed as best we can, but often, they require gear from other Knights to return to field duties. The Knights that donate get compensation, though." "How do you make your gear?" "We use Alchemy Machines to craft them." Halvir said. "The machines were made during the Morai wars to mass-produce gear capable of withstanding the Morai War machines, so we don't know exactly how they work. But we do know how to make them work. You plug in a recipe for a specific piece of gear, the required materials, some currency, and most of the time, the gear that you currently have, and you get a shiny new weapon or armor. For example, in order to make a Leviathan Blade, you'd need a Calibur, then you'd have to make a Tempered Calibur, then Ascended, then you could make the Leviathan Blade. You'd need all the recipes for each one, though, plus the Heat needed to upgrade them." "Heat?" Cadance asked. "When monsters die in the Clockworks, apart from dropping materials used in Alchemy, they also drop a natural form of energy called Heat. It builds up in weapons and armor, and if you don't dissipate the Heat build-up, they won't get stronger. Fire Crystals are used in the Gear Forge to do that. Also, they drop the currency the Strangers use, which we adopted. We call them Crowns." Corrus said. "Amazing." Pinkie said. "That's nothing. Each Knight is given an emergency revival kit that when used, can bring the Knight back to life if they lose consciousness in the field. Thing is, if they fall a second time, they can use a recall kit to warp them back to haven, but they lose any heat energy gathered." Corrus said. "If you need to keep fighting, we use a Spark Of Life to resuscitate ourselves. It's a stone that when combined with latent energy, it supercharges the respiratory, circulatory, and nervous systems, enough to bring a Knight back to life, negating the need for the Recall Kit. Problem is, they're exceptionally tough to make, or find, for that matter." Corrus said. Everypony in the room gasped. "That's...amazing." Shining said. "To be honest, they're rare enough that we don't really use them." "How did you even get here in the first place?" Fluttershy asked. The Knights explained the operation, the Gremlin portal, and Warmaster Drusen. By the end, the ponies were deeply worried. "So, this warmaster built a portal to Equestria? And you think he made it here?" Cadance asked. "Yes. The Gremlins, for the most part, are exceptional inventors. They're the only ones that I know that could make one. We destroyed several of their war machines, but they're always developing new ones. Their constructs would give your forces a run for their crowns" Corrus said. "Then we have to prepare." Cadence said. Then a guard rushed into the room. "Your highness, Thorax says he needs to see you immediately." "Let him in." A few minutes later, Thorax the changeling walked in, with a nervous expression. After the Knights introduced themselves, he sighed. "Cadence, I intercepted a message from the Hive. They are under attack from strange, bipedal beings and strange machines. They request aid immediately." "Gremlins. My guess is, they're establishing a base of operations. We need to fend them off." Corrus said. "We will." Shining said. "Ready all guards! We move in now!" "Yessir!" Two guards replied, and they rushed out. "Allow us to assist your forces, Cadance. We have plenty of experience either the Gremlins. We can take out the commander, while your forces mop up the stragglers." Corrus said. "Go ahead." Shining replied. "Theta team, let's move!" Corrus replied. As the group rushed out, the sun disappeared behind a cloud.
Chapter 4-Operation HIVEMIND, part oneAs the ponies and the knights headed to the armory, Corrus turned and looked over at Shining. "What's your combat strength?" he asked the stallion. "We only have about a thousand guards." Shining said. "We haven't had a war in thousands of years." "Alright." Corrus said. Get them armed and armored as heavily as possible. The Gremlins like to hit fast and flee before striking again, so make sure they are prepared for close quarters combat. They have various kinds of weaponry, including staves that can heal their kind. Their constructs are brutal and know no mercy, so prioritize them." "Got it." Shining said. "What kind of weapons do they have?" "Mostly blunt force." Halvir replied. "Thwackers use large wrenches, perfect for breaking bones. Igniters have flamethrowers, which are basically fire shooters. Demos prefer timed explosives. Their constructs range from Scuttlebots to Bolt Knights. The Bolt Knights are well-programmed in combat strategy. Thing is, their head is the weak point. Take that out, they drop like a fly to a swatter." Shining nodded as they entered the armory, where a platoon of Crystal Guards, armored and ready, awaited them. "Guards, Thorax the Changeling has alerted us to a hostile invasion in the Changeling hives. We are moving in to support them. You all know how I felt about them, but that doesn't matter now. The forces we are facing are well-trained, with war machines for backup. Rely on your training, and we'll be good. Corrus?" Corrus nodded and stepped forward. "The invading Gremlins have managed to secure a large portion of the hive. From what Thorax told us, they are at the breaking point. You Crystal guards are going to support the Changeling lines while my squad goes in to eliminate the Gremlin Commander. Know that these beings will do everything in their power to defeat you. Respond in kind." Corrus said. "Let's get a move on!" "You heard him!" Shining yelled. "Move out!' As the guards embarked for the hive, Shining looked over at Cadance. "Cady, will you stay here?" he asked. "I need you to take care of things while we're gone." Cadance nodded reluctantly and headed out with Twilight and the rest of the Elements. "Know where we are headed?" Corrus asked. "Stand ready." Shining said ."I'm teleporting us in." As they disappeared in a flash, Cadance, Twilight, and Thorax stood on the Crystal Palace's balcony. "Think they'll be alright?" Twilight asked. "They won't fail." Cadance replied. "If they do fail…" Thorax said. "It would mean the hive's extinction." ======================= As the group appeared outside the hive, Corrus growled at the all-too familiar sound of Bolt Knights on the move. as the ponies nodded and rushed into the hive, the sounds of battle could be heard from up ahead. Then, the bodies of dead Changelings began to appear, and in greater numbers. "Incoming!" Shining said. Then, a Warrior Drone appeared in front of them. "Ponies?" he asked. "We came to help." Shining said. The Warrior Drone nodded and agreed to escort them to Chrysalis. As they raced through the hive, Corrus asked the drone how many had fallen. "Quite a bit…" the Warrior Drone said. "The invaders have wiped out half of our Warriors." "Do you know where the commander is located?" Corrus asked. "Yes, but he is heavily guarded." The Warrior replied. "My squad and I can take him out. Get some of your fighting units together and link up with us." Corrus said as they entered the main area of the hive. A large barrier of raised hive material protected a large, but steadily decreasing number of Changelings from a massive group of Gremlins and Constructs below. As the ponies rushed to the front, Chrysalis turned and smiled at the sight of Shining's forces. "You got my message." she said simply. "We did." Shining replied. "When this is over...we need to chat." "Indeed." she replied. "We are losing numbers fast." "Gather your best and send them with us." Corrus said, stepping forward. "We can move in and disrupt their chain of command. Then, push the attack." Chrysalis growled. "And why should I do that?" "Because we actually know to fight them." Halvir said, stepping forward. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend, am I correct?" Chrysalis slowly nodded. "I want every drone I send back alive." Corrus nodded. "Count on it. Pick your best." "Zazz!" she yelled. A large warrior drone appeared and bowed. "Gather two squads and go with them." Chrysalis ordered. "Do whatever they ask." "As you command." Zazz said. Soon, twenty changeling warriors were in front of the knights, armed and ready. "Zazz, take us to the Gremlin command center. We'll handle things from there." Corrus said. Zazz nodded and took the lead, taking the knights down a sub-tunnel. As Shining's forces reinforced the line, the Changelings seemed to be inspired from their presence. They fought harder, and they started to drive the Gremlins away from the barrier. Shining shot a Gremlin Thwacker down with a magic pulse and turned to look at Chrysalis, who was scrapping Scuttlebots with beams of magic. Soon, three Demos planted explosives on the barrier, and detonated them. A large, gaping hole was soon filled by Gremlins, and Chrysalis roared. The Changelings took on a charge, and soon, melee combat broke out. Chrysalis and Shining went back-to-back, against a group of Thwackers. They grinned, and several pulses of magic later, the Gremlins lay dead. "Nice shooting!" Shining yelled, smacking away a Gremlin that got too close. "You seem to admire my battle prowess." Chrysalis said. "Know I have lived for far longer than you, and I have seen many battles over territory with other hives. I am no stranger to warfare." "That explains the wedding." Shining said. "Indeed." Chrysalis said. "If we make it out of this alive, I just might settle for peace." "If we make it out, that is." Shining replied, noticing a large sub-wave of Gremlins approaching. The two groups sent up a battle cry and charged.
