Equestria Commandosby Richer19ChaptersChapter 1: BirthChapter 3: Thorax- Adviser BriefingChapter 4: Battle of Thorax - AssaultChapter 5: Thorax_Spire (Part 1)Chapter 2: Battle of Thorax_PrologueChapter 1: BirthDay 1 Growth Chamber Unknown Time I felt a stirring in my head like something was trying to wake me up from a blissful sleep. My vision was dark and hazy and my legs felt weak. I tried to open my eyes but were closed as they were stung by something. I tried to speak but my voice failed me. Looking down, I could see my yellow hooves floating in front of me but they were beyond my ability to will them to obey my movements. "Hello little one...This is your first day." A voice called out to me faint but so close. It reminded me of how a mother would talk to their filly. The sound caused me to open my eyes and try to find the source of the voice. What I saw were two...creatures who looked at me like I was their child. I looked to the left and saw more creatures those they looked familiar to me. Before I could think on it further, the creature in front of me spoke again "You're designation will be SS-13." She paused as if thinking things over and I found myself drifting off back to sleep. As my eyes closed and darkness took hold of me I heard the voice say "We expect great things from you." Hearing those words brought a feeling of pride within my body as my designation floated around in my head. Day 10 Classroom Foxtrot 11:00 GMT "You have been born into a dangerous time." Miss Easy Eyes said as she watched from the observation platform. Part of me wanted to look up to see her but I know that would be bad. I needed to focus and learn. In front of me was a hologram monitor in which an earth pony was explaining all the inner workings of the new TS12 Mk 6 Assault Rifle. "A sharp mind will be the key to survival." Easy Eyes continued and I felt myself nod a bit. I agree no pony would be able to last long unless their mind wasn't as honed as their weapons. A quick glance at the ponies next to me saw that most were either uninterested or staring at the screen with the same level of focus as me. The latter would be the ones to endure and become stronger and I wanted to be the strongest of them all. I focus back just as the earth pony began to go into details about the attachments of the TS12 Mk 6 as Easy Eyes said "But, more often than not it will be your inherent physical and magical strength that will win the day." Again I nodded. I couldn't be a leader unless I was the best and every moment of my down time was spent in the gym or the simulation. Even as the lunch bell was rung and most of my classmates began to head to the mess hall I sat there making sure to get the last bit of info that I could before getting up. I would head to the mess and get a quick meal before heading to the simulation for more practice with my magic. Day 13 Shooting Range 14:00 GMT I smiled as I watched the two ponies on the shooting gallery, one a unicorn and the other an earth pony. Even a novice would be able to tell you who was the better shot. While the earth pony, using a standard AJ7 Mk 3 Battle Rifle, was doing acceptable enough. It was the unicorn who was superior in terms of accuracy and reaction time. I felt my body eager to get to my turn and see if all of my extra training was finally starting to pay off. Next to me, Easy Eyes smiles and says "As you can see, in this regard, you and your sister will be superior to your more common ponies." I could only nod in agreement as a buzzard sounded meaning their time was up. I waited for the unicorn to step to the side before making my way up. I lick my lips as I readied my weapon. Day 18 Equipment Distribution 7:00 GMT "Today is the day." I thought to myself over and over as I stood in line with my unicorn sisters. Today, we had all gotten our marks of graduation, though some of my sisters referred to them as 'Cutie Marks' for some unknown reason. It didn't matter to me what they were called. All that was important was that I would be getting the armor and helmet that I would use for the rest of my life. I could feel my lips dry and my heart threaten to race out of my chest. Easy Eyes, with that same warm smile, says "For you are a prodigy, a unique unicorn. Something truly special." I nodded in agreement. The Prodigies were special and I was one of the best. My skills were so good that I was already selected to lead a squad; something that only a few could say to have achieved in such a short amount of time. I walked over and saw the helmet that would be mine. Simple, clean white with a strong orange line right down the middle. There was a small hole where my horn would slide into and just to the left and off center was my mark. It was a sun which was colored yellow and red with the center having a yin-yang symbol. It was an exact copy of the decal that I had on my Manticore-class armor. Placing the helmet on my head, I was happy to feel it was large enough to fit over my mane without messing it up too much. As the interface started to sync with my armor, I heard Easy Eyes saying "Your weapons, your armor, and most importantly...your sisters." Day 19 Training Room Delta 13:00 GMT "I need a base of fire on that Juggernaut!" I shouted over the comms as I began to fire my rifle at the weak spot located on the center region just under the super harder carapace. Besides me, two more rifles begin to fire at the same position and already I could see the monster staggering. Glancing to my left, I also shout "Where is my anti-armor fire." before seeing a round hit the hologram which causes it to stagger some more. I knew that this was the most optimal set up for handling one of these given what positions I had and all that was left was a focus fire until our weapons could punch a hole large enough to kill it. As the rounds were going off, I remember the words Easy Eyes said to me prior to the start of my final assessment to being a Squad Leader "The gray timberwolves of our world hunt in packs to bring down much larger prey. So too must you become a pack leader and lead your sisters to become fierce hunters of Equestria." I was taken out of my memory by the sound of the Juggernaut letting out a recorded scream before crashing onto the ground. There was a loud buzz and I lowered my gun. My body was still tense as I await the results of my exam, my eyes couldn't bear to look at the judges even if my visor made it seem like I was. Out of the corner of my vision, I saw Easy Eyes give me a smile and a nod which was enough to put me at ease. I knew right then that I had passed. Taking off my helmet, I wiped a bit of sweat out of my fur as I heard Easy Eyes say "Now...join your part and embrace your destiny as their leader...the leader of Twilight Squad." Day 20 Outside Conference Room Tango 9:00 GMT I took a deep breath as I stood in front of the door. On the other side would be my squad...no my sisters who I would lead into battle for Equestria. Even without meeting them, I could already feel a strong bond with them one that was born through shared training and trials. I knew that no matter what we would be able to go through hell and back as long as we stood by each other. An hour ago, Easy Eyes gave me a basic introduction on who my squad mates were but I wanted to see them for myself. Taking a final deep breath, I open the door and prepared for what I was to see and what I saw filled my heart with pride. My squad mates, as disciplined as myself and the rest of the Prodigy Commandos, were standing close together. Their helmets were off so I could see their faces and I liked what I saw. The first one to walk up was one that I expected. Although she had suffered a minor genetic defect that required her to wear glasses, her dark purple eyes shining with intensity as she says "Hello Squad Lead. My designation is MD-10 but you can call me Moon Dancer." I nodded my head as Easy Eyes' voice said "MD-10, your foundation...a pure and uncomplicated warrior." "Pleasure to meet you Moon Dancer." I replied as I took note of her mark, a moon with three stars around it as well as her armor which was well maintained and green in color. Her coat was on the light yellow side and her mane seemed to be a mix of red, purple and violet. Before I could have a chance to introduce myself, I heard a small explosion, one that almost caused me to grab my sidearm out of reflex. Looking around, I saw the second unicorn which had a blue wand and moon mark come up to me and say "Greetings. You may refer to me as the Great and Powerful Trixie." Her azure coat and blue white mane complementing her dark purple eyes. Her armor was also maintained well enough and had strong yellow stripes to give it that personal touch. I couldn't help but smile as I remember Easy Eyes' words about Trixie "TL-14...the heart and soul of your team." She did have a lot of heart in her and given that explosion earlier she must be the squad's demolition expert. I look over at the last pony, who was sitting back cleaning a TS12 Mk 6 with the sniper attachment. Her blue eyes watching me with a critical gaze that was only partially covered by her two tone purple with an aquamarine strip. Her coat was a pinkish color of sorts and her mark appeared to be a star that had two wisps coming out. We both stared at each other before the mare seemed to smile, as if approving of something before she got up and says "Name is Starlight Glimmer." I return the nod as I remember Easy Eyes saying that Starlight Glimmer, or SG-16, was the fiercest hunter out of all of us. The way she was taking care of her rifle plus the stories I had heard about her during training were enough to convince me of that. I look at the three mares, my sisters, and said "It is a pleasure to meet you all. My name is SS-13. You are to call me Boss or Lead while on a mission and Sunset Shimmer when we are off duty." As the four of us began to get comfortable with each other and working together, I heard Easy Eyes' voice finally say "You are each a piece of a whole pony and Equestria will call you to defend and give your lives if need be." I vowed to myself that I wouldn't let that happen. That I would see each of my sisters through whatever comes our way using every ounce of my strength, skills and magic. For I am Sunset Shimmer, Leader of Twilight Squad. Author's Note Yay new story. I saw that cover pic on Derpiboou and I just felt compelled to write a fanfic about it. Chapter 3: Thorax- Adviser Briefing0 Hour Changeling Wars Thorax I don't think I ever felt this amount of nervousness and excitement at the same time. The flight to the planet felt long when it all honesty it was just a few short minutes. No one spoke a word to each other because we all knew what was about to happen what we were about to do. Did any of us have doubts? I'm sure but we also knew what we were trained to do what we were bred to do. I looked down at my rifle seeing how clean it was almost pristine in a beautiful way if you want to call a weapon something like that. I had no doubt Starlight felt the same about her rifle as I had seen her cleaning it with an almost possessed mindset. Soon I will be using it for what it was created to do, bring defeat to my enemies and fight this war. In a way, it reminded me of myself. Wasn't I also created to bring defeat to Equestria's enemies and to fight Equestria's wars? "I guess in a way...we are all just weapons." I muse to myself glad that I had turned off my speaker so the other clones didn't hear me. We all we waiting inside the gunship. We had arrived in orbit sometime and have brought the carrier ships down into the atmosphere. Outside I could hear the sounds of war as our Wonderbolts battled against the Changeling flyers for control of the sky and to keep us safe. I could hear a few of the gunships already launched as they move to reinforce the main battle lines. The one I was in would do the same but as luck would have it, the place that it was to land was close to the Hive Cluster that was my squads target. I looked at the clones, all of them wearing their armor and holding their weapons. While their helmets hid their faces, I could tell they were just as nervous as I was maybe even more so. After all I had my training to reassure me. However they did have each other and that is what was most important. A few of them were making sure that their weapons were all ready. Looking down, I did a quick check to make sure that the reload system was smooth. Last thing I needed was for that to get jammed. Eventually I heard a buzzard sound and I saw the others stiff in attention. We all knew what that meant. I stood up and held onto one of the rails as I spent the last few moments of peace taking deep breaths. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a red light turn on which was the signal to brace for drop. I shifted my legs and gave them a slight bend to anticipate the fall as I watched for the green light. Sure enough the moment it lit up, the gunship was freed of its holding and dropped towards the ground. The pilot, once cleared of the transport ship, activated the engines and we started flying towards the sounds of war. Now no longer in the transport, I could hear the battle going around in a clearer tone. I felt a bit of sadness to know that my brothers were fighting and dying out there but they all knew the risks and they had a job to do. We sped through the skies, our ship firing at any fliers that tried to get close. I could feel the gunship shake a bit as some of them got their shots off but the hull was able to hold. I figured that enough time had passed and activated the comms system while saying "This is Twilight Lead requesting Mission update from Adviser over." Every squad had an adviser assigned to them. A pony whose job it was to provide mission details and tactical support as need be. While I felt that they would be better off with a weapon in hoof and fighting with the rest of us, I couldn't deny that they served a purpose. "Well well looks like fate brought us together my little fire lover." A voice that while laced with honey filled my mouth with bile. I knew that voice from anywhere and I tried very hard to not hit the closest thing to me. With a tone of anger that I wasn't even attempting to hide, I respond "FS-11 what the f*** are you doing on this channel." At this point I would have been happy that the language filter would have failed or exploded. I swore I could see that cocky as heck grin on his face as he responds "Isn't it obvious. I'm going to be watching over you fine mares. How lucky of me." "You are the Adviser of Twilight Squad?!" I asks in a mix of shock and anger. "I know I was just as surprised as you are. I mean given our history I guess the Commanders would have kept us as far away as possible." "Even if we were on separate ends of the galaxy it still wouldn't be far enough!" I retort. "Easy hot stuff. Like it or not we are working together so you might as well buck it up and deal with it...unless of course you want to take this up with Solarshield. I'm sure she would love to hear you complaining." I felt ice rush through my body at the mention of that name. Solarshield was the commander of the Prodigies and not a pony you want to get on her bad side. I eventually let out a sigh as I finally accepted the situation. There really wasn't much I could do and given that we were in combat it was even less so. Composing myself as best as I could, I say "Very well what is the mission objectives." FS-11, or as he likes to be known Flash Sentry, pauses for a brief moment before saying "Well as you know your primary objective is killing Major Flyer. However, your immediate objective will be linking up with the rest of Twilight Squad. You should be dropping in close to TL-14 and the others should be inside of the spire where your target is." "What kind of defenses should we expect?" "Well with the battle going on most of the combat units are currently out on the field but there is still a sizable garrison inside. As for support, I have one gunship on standby in case you need something destroyed to get you inside. After that you are on your own." "Gee thanks for the back up." I reply with a hint of sarcasm. "Hay the higher ups want to see how well you girls can handle in the field." Flash replies before pausing for a moment and adding "Of course if its anything like how you are in..." "If you finish that sentence I will ride this gunship back to the ship you are on and throw you out the airlock with your wings broken." I replied in a serious tone. I heard an audible gulp from his end and I couldn't help the smile on my face. It was at that moment that the speaker came on and the pilot said "Thirty seconds till touchdown. Get ready to give those bugs a squashing boys." I stretched my neck a bit and readied my gun. A quick spark activating my Manticore armor's subsystems and already I could see a read out of all important tactical information. Looking at the door that was to be open, I licked my lips and thought "Alright then...let's go find Trixie though knowing her it shouldn't be that hard." Author's Note Hope that you all are enjoying the story Chapter 4: Battle of Thorax - Assault1 hour Changeling Wars Thorax I felt the gunship land, the impact being absorbed by my armor and me holding onto the rail. Watching one of the clones opening the door and we were soon under fire from laser. They quickly move off, a few of them getting shot and falling onto the ground as I held back surveying the situation. It was a right mess. Changeling swarms were attacking the defending clones who quickly built trenches to protect them from fire. Still they were not being cowards as they keep up a constant stream of laser fire doing their best to keep the bugs back. I hopped off the gunship and readied my rifle. While I was tempted to help out with the base of fire, I had a mission to do and the clones had their jobs. Keeping my head low, I begin to work my way through the trenches towards the spire where our target was. If I was lucky then I should be able to meet up with Trixie. I didn't try to think about the chance that something already happen to her especially considering how nervous she was when we were on the landing pad. Bringing my rifle up, I start to make my way through the trenches, passing by the dead and dying that were around me. The filters on my helmet were cleaning out the worst of the smells but there was only so much it could do. As I was walking, I heard one of the clones shouting "Bugs have broken through our lines! There in the trenches." Almost after he had said that, I see one of the trench walls blasted open and three drones coming through. Without pause, I bring my rifle up and pull the trigger. I watched as red-orange laser came out and nailed the drones right in their heads causing them to collapse dead. With automatic motion, I detached my current magazine and replaced with a fresh one. Solarshield always did stress the importance of going into a battle with a full clip. A few clones move to patch up the hole as I got back to following the trench towards the spire. Along the way, I saw and fought a few drones and flyers who had managed to make their way into the trenches. All of them were easy enough to deal with since the overall thinking with the Changeling Armies was putting as many forces into the field as possible. While it is a sound plan it does mean that individually their drones were weaker than our clones. It got to the point where in order to save some ammo I switched to my side arm, a standard issue R6 Mk 3 pistol that didn't need ammo but could overheat if I fired it too much. Eventually I came across a few clones who seem to be pressed up against the side of the trench wall. Looking down, I saw that several drones were marching towards us and were already firing their blasters. A few of the shots managed to hit me but my shield held out. Pulling back, I look at the other clones and say "Magic Detonators on my mark." They nodded and each of us pulled out a small metal ball. I keep my eyes on the advancing column and once they were close enough shouted "Throw." All of us activated the detonators before throwing them at the bugs. They only had a chance to look down at them before they were blow up in a blast of rainbow color. Once the dust cleared there was only a few stragglers who we finished off with blaster fire. Once that was cleared off, I put a hoof to my helmet and says "Twilight Lead to Twilight Fourteen do you read?" I was close to the spire at this point and there still wasn't a sign of her. I tried not to let my worry get to me as I knew Flash was monitoring our vitals so he would have informed me if something was amiss. Of course that was assuming that he wasn't... I was jolted by my thoughts by a sudden explosion that caused part of the ceiling to collapse. Diving to the side of the wall, I saw several drones were falling down into the trenches along with rocks and debris with a lot of burn marks on both. As I was still trying to understand what had just happen, I hear on my comms "Yeah take that you icky bugs. That is what you get for trying to touch the Great and Powerful Trixie." Smiling, I move away from the wall and watched as Trixie appeared in the hole that was now created. She looked over around a bit before her helmet's visor focused on me. Placing a hoof to the side of her helmet, she says "Fourteen linking to your tactical HUD now Boss." I nod and place a hoof on my helmet as well and saw Trixie's vitals appearing next to my vision. A quick look showed that she was doing great with no real injuries though her shields had taken a bit of a beating. No doubt it was from her explosions. Still they were holding and her ammo was still plentiful. Making my way up, I lowered the visor cover and give Trixie a smile while saying "Glad to see you have gotten over your nerves Fourteen." Since we were on mission I was to refer to her by her number. Trixie lowered her visor as well and replied "Oh believe me Boss I am shaking in my armor but things were not as bad as I thought. In fact it feels just like the simulations." I nodded my head before giving her a pat on her shoulder and saying "That is good to hear. Just make sure to keep your eyes and ears open because anything could happen." Well it seems like Harmony decided to call me out on that as I hear a warning sound from my armor. Acting on reflex, I push Trixie back while jumping myself and not a moment too soon as right where we were was a large scorch mark. I heard Trixie shout "Spider Tank!" Pulling my visor up, I dive to some hard cover and looked to the source of the shot. There standing in front of the spire was a large brownish spider that was loaded with weaponry. I could just make out the few drones that were riding the monster creature which was easily half as tall as the spire it was guarding. I could see laser fire from our clones directed towards it but its hard shell and size were making those shots useless. Realizing what I had to do in order to save our brothers as well as complete their mission, she put her hoof to her head and said "Twilight Lead requesting gunship support. We are pinned down by a Spider Tank." "Gunship Nimbus on approach." Flash replied which caused Trixie to face me with a curious look. I could imagine the questioning gaze on her face. I didn't have to wait long for her to ask "Was that Flash. Isn't he the one who..." "If you want to not be doing latrine duty for the rest of the war you will refrain from finishing that question." I replied in a low tone that caused Trixie to let out an audible gulp. At that moment, a gunship flew past us and fired at the tank with its rockets. The spider let out a death scream as the armor-piercing weapon smashed through it. The Spider Tank did its best to stay standing but another pass from the gunship caused it to finally collapse into the ground. That caused the ground to shake a bit as we did our best to keep our hooves on the ground. Once the shaking had stopped, I looked up at the gunship and gave it a nod before moving down the now clear path towards the spire with Trixie following close behind me. Author's Note Hope everyone is enjoying the story so far. Chapter 5: Thorax_Spire (Part 1)Chapter 5: Thorax_Spire (Part 1) After making their way into the spire, Trixie and I both took a moment to catch their breaths. Going up against a fully grown Spider Tank on their first mission was not something that they had anticipated. Trixie deactivated her visor covering to wipe a bit of sweat off of her face while saying "I sure hope we don't run into many more of those Boss." I just nodded in agreement. There was a pause before Trixie asks "So what is the plan now." I lifted up her rifle making sure that it was still to go before saying "Same as before. Kill the bad guys, link up with the rest of the squad and complete the mission. Twilight- 10 should be further into the spire and Twilight-16 should be near the top." "I hope they haven't run into too much trouble." "I'm sure they are alright but the sooner we link up the better. I don't like leaving my sister's alone for too long." With that said, we both started to make our way deeper into the spire. I was taking point while Trixie was off to my right and behind me, keeping her eyes focus on what was ahead and what could be coming up behind us. When we came up to a locked door, I had Trixie blow open the lock which would force the door to open. Such an action would cause the bugs on the other side to be surprised and wouldn't have time to react before we put them down with accurate blaster fire. As we were moving, I kept my scanners up hoping to pick up Moondancer's signal. I knew that it had to be close by but I wasn't sure how close it was. It wasn't until we got in front of another door that I heard the sound of fighting going on. Acting quickly, I ordered Trixie to blow the door lock while keeping my focus and rifle on the door. As soon as the door opened, we saw Moondancer was in combat with two drones. Before I could have a chance to shoot at one, I saw her tackle one of them while using the vibroblade attached to her armor to slit its throat. Staying in the motion, she pulls her pistol out and brains the other drone leaving them as nothing more than a bloody sack. Lowering my rifle since I could see no more threats, I smile before saying "Nice job there MD-10." Moondancer nodded her head before placing a hoof up to her helmet and saying "MD linking to your HUD now sir." I nod and placed my head up to receive the connection. A quick look over saw that Moondancer had taken some hits but didn't appear to be in critical condition. Making a note to be on the lookout for any kind of healing station, I look to the other side of the room only to see a force field blocking our way. That wasn't going to be an issue as there was also a console nearby. Pointing at the console, I said "Get to disabling that force field Moondancer." She nods her head and makes her way to the console. I watched as she got to work hacking the interface, a knowing smile hidden under my helmet. At our home, Moondancer had developed a knack for hacking and computer splicing making her an invaluable member of our team. Trixie made her way to watch the force field and we saw that a few drones appear to be moving into position. No doubt they plan to open fire on us as soon as the field went down. I looked over at the show mare and said "As soon as the field is down toss a Light Sphere." Trixie nodded her head and using her magic pulled out what appear to be nothing more than a simple black ball. The moment the field was down, which happened the minute Moondancer said "Hack complete", Trixie tossed the ball at the group of drones. They all stepped back and started to disperse as if expecting an explosion. However no explosion happen. Instead the ball suddenly started to glow with a bright white light which was strong enough that even with our helmets on we still had to turn away from it. Once the light cleared out, we turned around and proceeded to shoot the now disoriented, blinded drones. Once all of them were taken out, we reloaded our rifles and began to continue up the spire. Eventually we found ourselves in a large area where one side of the room was open up to show the sky. Parked in front of the open wall was a few of the fliers that the Changelings use though they were currently unattended to. Perhaps it was due to an oversight or something but I knew that I couldn't just leave those fliers alone. After all if I did that would mean more of our own fliers dying. Putting my hoof to my helmet, I activated my comms before saying "Twilight Lead to Advisor requesting mission update." "Go ahead Lead." Flash replied in a casual tone. "We are located it what looks to be a hanger and have two fliers currently docked and unmanned. Requesting permission to destroy them." There was a pause as we waited for the go ahead or not. While I was sure we would get the okay, there was always the chance that command didn't want to risk us attracting more attention then we already had. "Request granted. You are to sabotage any fliers that you come across but not at the expense of your primary objective." I nod my head before putting my hoof down. Pointing to the fliers, I say "Trixie I need an explosive solution on those fliers." "You got it Boss." Trixie replied as she made her way over to the fliers. She looks them over figuring out the best way to do it. She didn't want to have to use up too many of her charges in case there was need of them at a later time plus it was also suppose to be a stealth mission. She eventually decided on planting one charge along the side of one of the fliers and plant it in such a manner that it would crash into the other one and hopefully send them both into the wall. She starts to plant the charge while Moondancer and I take up positions to cover her. For a moment, I was surprised by the lack of drones or even resistance that we were running into. At first I was thinking that it was due to the battle outside but something didn't seem right. I then heard a faint buzzing sound and I quickly realized what it was. I let out a shout "Drones!" Moondancer, seeing the sudden swarm almost as soon as I heard it quickly dived into cover. Trixie was more focused on the charge and so when she heard my call hesitated for a split second. That hesitation cost her as three drones fire their rifles at her, breaking through her shield and causing her to let out a scream as her armor was ripped apart and she fell to the ground. My eyes widen in horror as I saw a bit of her blood starting to pool on the ground. I went to move to assist her but several more blaster shots forced me back into cover. I now found myself caught between helping a wounded squad member or repelling the swarm of drones. Author's Note Hopefully you all are enjoying it even I know this might not appeal to that many. Chapter 2: Battle of Thorax_PrologueChapter 2: Battle of Thorax_Prologue Conference Room 7:00 GMT When the last of the commanders arrived at the medium size room, all the talk died down. After all we all knew the reason why we were called. There was a war going on and we were going to be called into battle. It was something that I was looking forward to. After all me and my squad were eager to put all of our training and skills to the test. The three senior commanders were sitting at the center of the room. The middle one stands up and says "As you may have known; we have been called into service by Equestria. Recently, the Changeling Confederation has been getting more and more...bold with their attacks on the them and without a standing army of their own they turned to us. So that would mean we are finally going to be putting all of our training to the test on the desert world of Thorax." As each of the commanders went over the missions that each team had, my mind went over what I knew about the plant. As far as I remember, it was a planet that sat just outside of Equestria's influence and contained basically everything changelings needed to grow. No doubt it would be one of the Confederation's primary hive clusters which makes it such a tempting first target. Bloody the nose and they won't be so eager to make a counterattack. It was then that I heard the commander saying "Twilight Squad." My ears perk up "You and your squad's mission will be to find and kill a Changeling Major named Silent Flyer. We believe he will be located in one of the spires that is located on top of a hive cluster." I nod my head in understanding knowing that I would get more details from the adviser who would be assigned to our squad. The commander then added "In order to mitigate any losses of the commandos, each commando will be traveling in their own gunships and have different landing zones." This caught me by surprise and from the quiet murmurs it seems like the others commanders did as well. It would seem that they, like myself, thought that our first battle would be with our squads fighting together. To find out we will be starting separate was a bit hard to stomach. However none of us voiced our concern. Each of us were trained to handle whatever the Confederation could throw at us. Landing Platform Later that Day If it wasn't for the helmet's auto cleaning spell, I would have gotten annoyed by the rain a long time ago. I was standing just to the edge, watching large Pegasus class transport ships loading up troops, equipment and basically everything needed for the upcoming war. I felt like I was bouncing up and down on my hooves, nervous and excited at the same time. The first of the gunships landed and I watched as Starlight looked at us before running to the ship. She got on and turned to give us a nod before we saw the doors close. She would be dropped the closest to our target and her mission was to make sure he was still there while I got the rest of the squad together. The next of the gunships came by and Moon Dancer took this one. She gave Trixie and I a wave before the door closed on her and she was off. I looked at Trixie who was checking to make sure all of her charges were secure. Even with her helmet was on, I could tell that she was nervous. Despite her talent with explosive, I knew Trixie was more of a show mare then an actual fighter. I knew there were rumors about how she somehow altered the results of her training so that she would appear better then she actually was but I dismissed those rumors. Trixie was my squad mate and sister. I wasn't going to let her or anypony else down. Once I saw that she was ready, I moved up and placed a hoof on her shoulder before saying "Feeling nervous there Trixie?" She lets out a soft gasp before saying "no...not at all Boss." I could only smile behind my helmet. I kept looking at her for a while longer before she added "Actually yes I am. This...this is our first real fight isn't it. I...I don't know that I'm ready for it." "Trixie..." I paused trying to form the right words before forging on "The fact that you are nervous shows that you are ready. To be honest, I'm shaking in my hooves at the thought." Trixie looked up at me and I sensed that she had a shocked expression on her face as she said "But you...you our Boss Sunset. The others and I watched your assessment for Squad Leader and I don't think I have ever seen a pony as brave as you are." I nod my head and replied "I was scared during that assessment but one thing I learned was that, in order to be a leader, I had to learn to keep my fears inside of me and not think about them." I grip her a bit tighter to make sure I had her attention before adding "Listen to me Trixie. When we get there, some of our clone brothers and sisters will look to you as a source of inspiration. If and when that happens, you need to show them that they can beat the Confederation okay." She nods her head and I could hear the gunship landing that would take her. Despite it going against protocol, I gave Trixie a warm hug which she was quick to return before whispering "I'll see you on the ground and remember we are always on comms if you need to talk." "I know Sunset...and thank you. I'm glad to know I'm not the only pony nervous." We separated from the hug and she moves to the gunship. Giving me a wave which I return, I watched as she was lifted off. Now alone with myself, I spent the last few moments of peace calming my heart and breathing. I knew that the next few hours will be the calm before the trial by fire. I heard the gunship lowering down and picked up my rifle with my thoughts on the mission, the battle, and my sisters. It was time for the galaxy and the Confederation to witness the strength of Twilight Squad. Author's Note Not much to say really. Next chapter should be where things get violent...and interesting.
Chapter 1: BirthDay 1 Growth Chamber Unknown Time I felt a stirring in my head like something was trying to wake me up from a blissful sleep. My vision was dark and hazy and my legs felt weak. I tried to open my eyes but were closed as they were stung by something. I tried to speak but my voice failed me. Looking down, I could see my yellow hooves floating in front of me but they were beyond my ability to will them to obey my movements. "Hello little one...This is your first day." A voice called out to me faint but so close. It reminded me of how a mother would talk to their filly. The sound caused me to open my eyes and try to find the source of the voice. What I saw were two...creatures who looked at me like I was their child. I looked to the left and saw more creatures those they looked familiar to me. Before I could think on it further, the creature in front of me spoke again "You're designation will be SS-13." She paused as if thinking things over and I found myself drifting off back to sleep. As my eyes closed and darkness took hold of me I heard the voice say "We expect great things from you." Hearing those words brought a feeling of pride within my body as my designation floated around in my head. Day 10 Classroom Foxtrot 11:00 GMT "You have been born into a dangerous time." Miss Easy Eyes said as she watched from the observation platform. Part of me wanted to look up to see her but I know that would be bad. I needed to focus and learn. In front of me was a hologram monitor in which an earth pony was explaining all the inner workings of the new TS12 Mk 6 Assault Rifle. "A sharp mind will be the key to survival." Easy Eyes continued and I felt myself nod a bit. I agree no pony would be able to last long unless their mind wasn't as honed as their weapons. A quick glance at the ponies next to me saw that most were either uninterested or staring at the screen with the same level of focus as me. The latter would be the ones to endure and become stronger and I wanted to be the strongest of them all. I focus back just as the earth pony began to go into details about the attachments of the TS12 Mk 6 as Easy Eyes said "But, more often than not it will be your inherent physical and magical strength that will win the day." Again I nodded. I couldn't be a leader unless I was the best and every moment of my down time was spent in the gym or the simulation. Even as the lunch bell was rung and most of my classmates began to head to the mess hall I sat there making sure to get the last bit of info that I could before getting up. I would head to the mess and get a quick meal before heading to the simulation for more practice with my magic. Day 13 Shooting Range 14:00 GMT I smiled as I watched the two ponies on the shooting gallery, one a unicorn and the other an earth pony. Even a novice would be able to tell you who was the better shot. While the earth pony, using a standard AJ7 Mk 3 Battle Rifle, was doing acceptable enough. It was the unicorn who was superior in terms of accuracy and reaction time. I felt my body eager to get to my turn and see if all of my extra training was finally starting to pay off. Next to me, Easy Eyes smiles and says "As you can see, in this regard, you and your sister will be superior to your more common ponies." I could only nod in agreement as a buzzard sounded meaning their time was up. I waited for the unicorn to step to the side before making my way up. I lick my lips as I readied my weapon. Day 18 Equipment Distribution 7:00 GMT "Today is the day." I thought to myself over and over as I stood in line with my unicorn sisters. Today, we had all gotten our marks of graduation, though some of my sisters referred to them as 'Cutie Marks' for some unknown reason. It didn't matter to me what they were called. All that was important was that I would be getting the armor and helmet that I would use for the rest of my life. I could feel my lips dry and my heart threaten to race out of my chest. Easy Eyes, with that same warm smile, says "For you are a prodigy, a unique unicorn. Something truly special." I nodded in agreement. The Prodigies were special and I was one of the best. My skills were so good that I was already selected to lead a squad; something that only a few could say to have achieved in such a short amount of time. I walked over and saw the helmet that would be mine. Simple, clean white with a strong orange line right down the middle. There was a small hole where my horn would slide into and just to the left and off center was my mark. It was a sun which was colored yellow and red with the center having a yin-yang symbol. It was an exact copy of the decal that I had on my Manticore-class armor. Placing the helmet on my head, I was happy to feel it was large enough to fit over my mane without messing it up too much. As the interface started to sync with my armor, I heard Easy Eyes saying "Your weapons, your armor, and most importantly...your sisters." Day 19 Training Room Delta 13:00 GMT "I need a base of fire on that Juggernaut!" I shouted over the comms as I began to fire my rifle at the weak spot located on the center region just under the super harder carapace. Besides me, two more rifles begin to fire at the same position and already I could see the monster staggering. Glancing to my left, I also shout "Where is my anti-armor fire." before seeing a round hit the hologram which causes it to stagger some more. I knew that this was the most optimal set up for handling one of these given what positions I had and all that was left was a focus fire until our weapons could punch a hole large enough to kill it. As the rounds were going off, I remember the words Easy Eyes said to me prior to the start of my final assessment to being a Squad Leader "The gray timberwolves of our world hunt in packs to bring down much larger prey. So too must you become a pack leader and lead your sisters to become fierce hunters of Equestria." I was taken out of my memory by the sound of the Juggernaut letting out a recorded scream before crashing onto the ground. There was a loud buzz and I lowered my gun. My body was still tense as I await the results of my exam, my eyes couldn't bear to look at the judges even if my visor made it seem like I was. Out of the corner of my vision, I saw Easy Eyes give me a smile and a nod which was enough to put me at ease. I knew right then that I had passed. Taking off my helmet, I wiped a bit of sweat out of my fur as I heard Easy Eyes say "Now...join your part and embrace your destiny as their leader...the leader of Twilight Squad." Day 20 Outside Conference Room Tango 9:00 GMT I took a deep breath as I stood in front of the door. On the other side would be my squad...no my sisters who I would lead into battle for Equestria. Even without meeting them, I could already feel a strong bond with them one that was born through shared training and trials. I knew that no matter what we would be able to go through hell and back as long as we stood by each other. An hour ago, Easy Eyes gave me a basic introduction on who my squad mates were but I wanted to see them for myself. Taking a final deep breath, I open the door and prepared for what I was to see and what I saw filled my heart with pride. My squad mates, as disciplined as myself and the rest of the Prodigy Commandos, were standing close together. Their helmets were off so I could see their faces and I liked what I saw. The first one to walk up was one that I expected. Although she had suffered a minor genetic defect that required her to wear glasses, her dark purple eyes shining with intensity as she says "Hello Squad Lead. My designation is MD-10 but you can call me Moon Dancer." I nodded my head as Easy Eyes' voice said "MD-10, your foundation...a pure and uncomplicated warrior." "Pleasure to meet you Moon Dancer." I replied as I took note of her mark, a moon with three stars around it as well as her armor which was well maintained and green in color. Her coat was on the light yellow side and her mane seemed to be a mix of red, purple and violet. Before I could have a chance to introduce myself, I heard a small explosion, one that almost caused me to grab my sidearm out of reflex. Looking around, I saw the second unicorn which had a blue wand and moon mark come up to me and say "Greetings. You may refer to me as the Great and Powerful Trixie." Her azure coat and blue white mane complementing her dark purple eyes. Her armor was also maintained well enough and had strong yellow stripes to give it that personal touch. I couldn't help but smile as I remember Easy Eyes' words about Trixie "TL-14...the heart and soul of your team." She did have a lot of heart in her and given that explosion earlier she must be the squad's demolition expert. I look over at the last pony, who was sitting back cleaning a TS12 Mk 6 with the sniper attachment. Her blue eyes watching me with a critical gaze that was only partially covered by her two tone purple with an aquamarine strip. Her coat was a pinkish color of sorts and her mark appeared to be a star that had two wisps coming out. We both stared at each other before the mare seemed to smile, as if approving of something before she got up and says "Name is Starlight Glimmer." I return the nod as I remember Easy Eyes saying that Starlight Glimmer, or SG-16, was the fiercest hunter out of all of us. The way she was taking care of her rifle plus the stories I had heard about her during training were enough to convince me of that. I look at the three mares, my sisters, and said "It is a pleasure to meet you all. My name is SS-13. You are to call me Boss or Lead while on a mission and Sunset Shimmer when we are off duty." As the four of us began to get comfortable with each other and working together, I heard Easy Eyes' voice finally say "You are each a piece of a whole pony and Equestria will call you to defend and give your lives if need be." I vowed to myself that I wouldn't let that happen. That I would see each of my sisters through whatever comes our way using every ounce of my strength, skills and magic. For I am Sunset Shimmer, Leader of Twilight Squad. Author's Note Yay new story. I saw that cover pic on Derpiboou and I just felt compelled to write a fanfic about it.
Chapter 3: Thorax- Adviser Briefing0 Hour Changeling Wars Thorax I don't think I ever felt this amount of nervousness and excitement at the same time. The flight to the planet felt long when it all honesty it was just a few short minutes. No one spoke a word to each other because we all knew what was about to happen what we were about to do. Did any of us have doubts? I'm sure but we also knew what we were trained to do what we were bred to do. I looked down at my rifle seeing how clean it was almost pristine in a beautiful way if you want to call a weapon something like that. I had no doubt Starlight felt the same about her rifle as I had seen her cleaning it with an almost possessed mindset. Soon I will be using it for what it was created to do, bring defeat to my enemies and fight this war. In a way, it reminded me of myself. Wasn't I also created to bring defeat to Equestria's enemies and to fight Equestria's wars? "I guess in a way...we are all just weapons." I muse to myself glad that I had turned off my speaker so the other clones didn't hear me. We all we waiting inside the gunship. We had arrived in orbit sometime and have brought the carrier ships down into the atmosphere. Outside I could hear the sounds of war as our Wonderbolts battled against the Changeling flyers for control of the sky and to keep us safe. I could hear a few of the gunships already launched as they move to reinforce the main battle lines. The one I was in would do the same but as luck would have it, the place that it was to land was close to the Hive Cluster that was my squads target. I looked at the clones, all of them wearing their armor and holding their weapons. While their helmets hid their faces, I could tell they were just as nervous as I was maybe even more so. After all I had my training to reassure me. However they did have each other and that is what was most important. A few of them were making sure that their weapons were all ready. Looking down, I did a quick check to make sure that the reload system was smooth. Last thing I needed was for that to get jammed. Eventually I heard a buzzard sound and I saw the others stiff in attention. We all knew what that meant. I stood up and held onto one of the rails as I spent the last few moments of peace taking deep breaths. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a red light turn on which was the signal to brace for drop. I shifted my legs and gave them a slight bend to anticipate the fall as I watched for the green light. Sure enough the moment it lit up, the gunship was freed of its holding and dropped towards the ground. The pilot, once cleared of the transport ship, activated the engines and we started flying towards the sounds of war. Now no longer in the transport, I could hear the battle going around in a clearer tone. I felt a bit of sadness to know that my brothers were fighting and dying out there but they all knew the risks and they had a job to do. We sped through the skies, our ship firing at any fliers that tried to get close. I could feel the gunship shake a bit as some of them got their shots off but the hull was able to hold. I figured that enough time had passed and activated the comms system while saying "This is Twilight Lead requesting Mission update from Adviser over." Every squad had an adviser assigned to them. A pony whose job it was to provide mission details and tactical support as need be. While I felt that they would be better off with a weapon in hoof and fighting with the rest of us, I couldn't deny that they served a purpose. "Well well looks like fate brought us together my little fire lover." A voice that while laced with honey filled my mouth with bile. I knew that voice from anywhere and I tried very hard to not hit the closest thing to me. With a tone of anger that I wasn't even attempting to hide, I respond "FS-11 what the f*** are you doing on this channel." At this point I would have been happy that the language filter would have failed or exploded. I swore I could see that cocky as heck grin on his face as he responds "Isn't it obvious. I'm going to be watching over you fine mares. How lucky of me." "You are the Adviser of Twilight Squad?!" I asks in a mix of shock and anger. "I know I was just as surprised as you are. I mean given our history I guess the Commanders would have kept us as far away as possible." "Even if we were on separate ends of the galaxy it still wouldn't be far enough!" I retort. "Easy hot stuff. Like it or not we are working together so you might as well buck it up and deal with it...unless of course you want to take this up with Solarshield. I'm sure she would love to hear you complaining." I felt ice rush through my body at the mention of that name. Solarshield was the commander of the Prodigies and not a pony you want to get on her bad side. I eventually let out a sigh as I finally accepted the situation. There really wasn't much I could do and given that we were in combat it was even less so. Composing myself as best as I could, I say "Very well what is the mission objectives." FS-11, or as he likes to be known Flash Sentry, pauses for a brief moment before saying "Well as you know your primary objective is killing Major Flyer. However, your immediate objective will be linking up with the rest of Twilight Squad. You should be dropping in close to TL-14 and the others should be inside of the spire where your target is." "What kind of defenses should we expect?" "Well with the battle going on most of the combat units are currently out on the field but there is still a sizable garrison inside. As for support, I have one gunship on standby in case you need something destroyed to get you inside. After that you are on your own." "Gee thanks for the back up." I reply with a hint of sarcasm. "Hay the higher ups want to see how well you girls can handle in the field." Flash replies before pausing for a moment and adding "Of course if its anything like how you are in..." "If you finish that sentence I will ride this gunship back to the ship you are on and throw you out the airlock with your wings broken." I replied in a serious tone. I heard an audible gulp from his end and I couldn't help the smile on my face. It was at that moment that the speaker came on and the pilot said "Thirty seconds till touchdown. Get ready to give those bugs a squashing boys." I stretched my neck a bit and readied my gun. A quick spark activating my Manticore armor's subsystems and already I could see a read out of all important tactical information. Looking at the door that was to be open, I licked my lips and thought "Alright then...let's go find Trixie though knowing her it shouldn't be that hard." Author's Note Hope that you all are enjoying the story
Chapter 4: Battle of Thorax - Assault1 hour Changeling Wars Thorax I felt the gunship land, the impact being absorbed by my armor and me holding onto the rail. Watching one of the clones opening the door and we were soon under fire from laser. They quickly move off, a few of them getting shot and falling onto the ground as I held back surveying the situation. It was a right mess. Changeling swarms were attacking the defending clones who quickly built trenches to protect them from fire. Still they were not being cowards as they keep up a constant stream of laser fire doing their best to keep the bugs back. I hopped off the gunship and readied my rifle. While I was tempted to help out with the base of fire, I had a mission to do and the clones had their jobs. Keeping my head low, I begin to work my way through the trenches towards the spire where our target was. If I was lucky then I should be able to meet up with Trixie. I didn't try to think about the chance that something already happen to her especially considering how nervous she was when we were on the landing pad. Bringing my rifle up, I start to make my way through the trenches, passing by the dead and dying that were around me. The filters on my helmet were cleaning out the worst of the smells but there was only so much it could do. As I was walking, I heard one of the clones shouting "Bugs have broken through our lines! There in the trenches." Almost after he had said that, I see one of the trench walls blasted open and three drones coming through. Without pause, I bring my rifle up and pull the trigger. I watched as red-orange laser came out and nailed the drones right in their heads causing them to collapse dead. With automatic motion, I detached my current magazine and replaced with a fresh one. Solarshield always did stress the importance of going into a battle with a full clip. A few clones move to patch up the hole as I got back to following the trench towards the spire. Along the way, I saw and fought a few drones and flyers who had managed to make their way into the trenches. All of them were easy enough to deal with since the overall thinking with the Changeling Armies was putting as many forces into the field as possible. While it is a sound plan it does mean that individually their drones were weaker than our clones. It got to the point where in order to save some ammo I switched to my side arm, a standard issue R6 Mk 3 pistol that didn't need ammo but could overheat if I fired it too much. Eventually I came across a few clones who seem to be pressed up against the side of the trench wall. Looking down, I saw that several drones were marching towards us and were already firing their blasters. A few of the shots managed to hit me but my shield held out. Pulling back, I look at the other clones and say "Magic Detonators on my mark." They nodded and each of us pulled out a small metal ball. I keep my eyes on the advancing column and once they were close enough shouted "Throw." All of us activated the detonators before throwing them at the bugs. They only had a chance to look down at them before they were blow up in a blast of rainbow color. Once the dust cleared there was only a few stragglers who we finished off with blaster fire. Once that was cleared off, I put a hoof to my helmet and says "Twilight Lead to Twilight Fourteen do you read?" I was close to the spire at this point and there still wasn't a sign of her. I tried not to let my worry get to me as I knew Flash was monitoring our vitals so he would have informed me if something was amiss. Of course that was assuming that he wasn't... I was jolted by my thoughts by a sudden explosion that caused part of the ceiling to collapse. Diving to the side of the wall, I saw several drones were falling down into the trenches along with rocks and debris with a lot of burn marks on both. As I was still trying to understand what had just happen, I hear on my comms "Yeah take that you icky bugs. That is what you get for trying to touch the Great and Powerful Trixie." Smiling, I move away from the wall and watched as Trixie appeared in the hole that was now created. She looked over around a bit before her helmet's visor focused on me. Placing a hoof to the side of her helmet, she says "Fourteen linking to your tactical HUD now Boss." I nod and place a hoof on my helmet as well and saw Trixie's vitals appearing next to my vision. A quick look showed that she was doing great with no real injuries though her shields had taken a bit of a beating. No doubt it was from her explosions. Still they were holding and her ammo was still plentiful. Making my way up, I lowered the visor cover and give Trixie a smile while saying "Glad to see you have gotten over your nerves Fourteen." Since we were on mission I was to refer to her by her number. Trixie lowered her visor as well and replied "Oh believe me Boss I am shaking in my armor but things were not as bad as I thought. In fact it feels just like the simulations." I nodded my head before giving her a pat on her shoulder and saying "That is good to hear. Just make sure to keep your eyes and ears open because anything could happen." Well it seems like Harmony decided to call me out on that as I hear a warning sound from my armor. Acting on reflex, I push Trixie back while jumping myself and not a moment too soon as right where we were was a large scorch mark. I heard Trixie shout "Spider Tank!" Pulling my visor up, I dive to some hard cover and looked to the source of the shot. There standing in front of the spire was a large brownish spider that was loaded with weaponry. I could just make out the few drones that were riding the monster creature which was easily half as tall as the spire it was guarding. I could see laser fire from our clones directed towards it but its hard shell and size were making those shots useless. Realizing what I had to do in order to save our brothers as well as complete their mission, she put her hoof to her head and said "Twilight Lead requesting gunship support. We are pinned down by a Spider Tank." "Gunship Nimbus on approach." Flash replied which caused Trixie to face me with a curious look. I could imagine the questioning gaze on her face. I didn't have to wait long for her to ask "Was that Flash. Isn't he the one who..." "If you want to not be doing latrine duty for the rest of the war you will refrain from finishing that question." I replied in a low tone that caused Trixie to let out an audible gulp. At that moment, a gunship flew past us and fired at the tank with its rockets. The spider let out a death scream as the armor-piercing weapon smashed through it. The Spider Tank did its best to stay standing but another pass from the gunship caused it to finally collapse into the ground. That caused the ground to shake a bit as we did our best to keep our hooves on the ground. Once the shaking had stopped, I looked up at the gunship and gave it a nod before moving down the now clear path towards the spire with Trixie following close behind me. Author's Note Hope everyone is enjoying the story so far.
Chapter 5: Thorax_Spire (Part 1)Chapter 5: Thorax_Spire (Part 1) After making their way into the spire, Trixie and I both took a moment to catch their breaths. Going up against a fully grown Spider Tank on their first mission was not something that they had anticipated. Trixie deactivated her visor covering to wipe a bit of sweat off of her face while saying "I sure hope we don't run into many more of those Boss." I just nodded in agreement. There was a pause before Trixie asks "So what is the plan now." I lifted up her rifle making sure that it was still to go before saying "Same as before. Kill the bad guys, link up with the rest of the squad and complete the mission. Twilight- 10 should be further into the spire and Twilight-16 should be near the top." "I hope they haven't run into too much trouble." "I'm sure they are alright but the sooner we link up the better. I don't like leaving my sister's alone for too long." With that said, we both started to make our way deeper into the spire. I was taking point while Trixie was off to my right and behind me, keeping her eyes focus on what was ahead and what could be coming up behind us. When we came up to a locked door, I had Trixie blow open the lock which would force the door to open. Such an action would cause the bugs on the other side to be surprised and wouldn't have time to react before we put them down with accurate blaster fire. As we were moving, I kept my scanners up hoping to pick up Moondancer's signal. I knew that it had to be close by but I wasn't sure how close it was. It wasn't until we got in front of another door that I heard the sound of fighting going on. Acting quickly, I ordered Trixie to blow the door lock while keeping my focus and rifle on the door. As soon as the door opened, we saw Moondancer was in combat with two drones. Before I could have a chance to shoot at one, I saw her tackle one of them while using the vibroblade attached to her armor to slit its throat. Staying in the motion, she pulls her pistol out and brains the other drone leaving them as nothing more than a bloody sack. Lowering my rifle since I could see no more threats, I smile before saying "Nice job there MD-10." Moondancer nodded her head before placing a hoof up to her helmet and saying "MD linking to your HUD now sir." I nod and placed my head up to receive the connection. A quick look over saw that Moondancer had taken some hits but didn't appear to be in critical condition. Making a note to be on the lookout for any kind of healing station, I look to the other side of the room only to see a force field blocking our way. That wasn't going to be an issue as there was also a console nearby. Pointing at the console, I said "Get to disabling that force field Moondancer." She nods her head and makes her way to the console. I watched as she got to work hacking the interface, a knowing smile hidden under my helmet. At our home, Moondancer had developed a knack for hacking and computer splicing making her an invaluable member of our team. Trixie made her way to watch the force field and we saw that a few drones appear to be moving into position. No doubt they plan to open fire on us as soon as the field went down. I looked over at the show mare and said "As soon as the field is down toss a Light Sphere." Trixie nodded her head and using her magic pulled out what appear to be nothing more than a simple black ball. The moment the field was down, which happened the minute Moondancer said "Hack complete", Trixie tossed the ball at the group of drones. They all stepped back and started to disperse as if expecting an explosion. However no explosion happen. Instead the ball suddenly started to glow with a bright white light which was strong enough that even with our helmets on we still had to turn away from it. Once the light cleared out, we turned around and proceeded to shoot the now disoriented, blinded drones. Once all of them were taken out, we reloaded our rifles and began to continue up the spire. Eventually we found ourselves in a large area where one side of the room was open up to show the sky. Parked in front of the open wall was a few of the fliers that the Changelings use though they were currently unattended to. Perhaps it was due to an oversight or something but I knew that I couldn't just leave those fliers alone. After all if I did that would mean more of our own fliers dying. Putting my hoof to my helmet, I activated my comms before saying "Twilight Lead to Advisor requesting mission update." "Go ahead Lead." Flash replied in a casual tone. "We are located it what looks to be a hanger and have two fliers currently docked and unmanned. Requesting permission to destroy them." There was a pause as we waited for the go ahead or not. While I was sure we would get the okay, there was always the chance that command didn't want to risk us attracting more attention then we already had. "Request granted. You are to sabotage any fliers that you come across but not at the expense of your primary objective." I nod my head before putting my hoof down. Pointing to the fliers, I say "Trixie I need an explosive solution on those fliers." "You got it Boss." Trixie replied as she made her way over to the fliers. She looks them over figuring out the best way to do it. She didn't want to have to use up too many of her charges in case there was need of them at a later time plus it was also suppose to be a stealth mission. She eventually decided on planting one charge along the side of one of the fliers and plant it in such a manner that it would crash into the other one and hopefully send them both into the wall. She starts to plant the charge while Moondancer and I take up positions to cover her. For a moment, I was surprised by the lack of drones or even resistance that we were running into. At first I was thinking that it was due to the battle outside but something didn't seem right. I then heard a faint buzzing sound and I quickly realized what it was. I let out a shout "Drones!" Moondancer, seeing the sudden swarm almost as soon as I heard it quickly dived into cover. Trixie was more focused on the charge and so when she heard my call hesitated for a split second. That hesitation cost her as three drones fire their rifles at her, breaking through her shield and causing her to let out a scream as her armor was ripped apart and she fell to the ground. My eyes widen in horror as I saw a bit of her blood starting to pool on the ground. I went to move to assist her but several more blaster shots forced me back into cover. I now found myself caught between helping a wounded squad member or repelling the swarm of drones. Author's Note Hopefully you all are enjoying it even I know this might not appeal to that many.
Chapter 2: Battle of Thorax_PrologueChapter 2: Battle of Thorax_Prologue Conference Room 7:00 GMT When the last of the commanders arrived at the medium size room, all the talk died down. After all we all knew the reason why we were called. There was a war going on and we were going to be called into battle. It was something that I was looking forward to. After all me and my squad were eager to put all of our training and skills to the test. The three senior commanders were sitting at the center of the room. The middle one stands up and says "As you may have known; we have been called into service by Equestria. Recently, the Changeling Confederation has been getting more and more...bold with their attacks on the them and without a standing army of their own they turned to us. So that would mean we are finally going to be putting all of our training to the test on the desert world of Thorax." As each of the commanders went over the missions that each team had, my mind went over what I knew about the plant. As far as I remember, it was a planet that sat just outside of Equestria's influence and contained basically everything changelings needed to grow. No doubt it would be one of the Confederation's primary hive clusters which makes it such a tempting first target. Bloody the nose and they won't be so eager to make a counterattack. It was then that I heard the commander saying "Twilight Squad." My ears perk up "You and your squad's mission will be to find and kill a Changeling Major named Silent Flyer. We believe he will be located in one of the spires that is located on top of a hive cluster." I nod my head in understanding knowing that I would get more details from the adviser who would be assigned to our squad. The commander then added "In order to mitigate any losses of the commandos, each commando will be traveling in their own gunships and have different landing zones." This caught me by surprise and from the quiet murmurs it seems like the others commanders did as well. It would seem that they, like myself, thought that our first battle would be with our squads fighting together. To find out we will be starting separate was a bit hard to stomach. However none of us voiced our concern. Each of us were trained to handle whatever the Confederation could throw at us. Landing Platform Later that Day If it wasn't for the helmet's auto cleaning spell, I would have gotten annoyed by the rain a long time ago. I was standing just to the edge, watching large Pegasus class transport ships loading up troops, equipment and basically everything needed for the upcoming war. I felt like I was bouncing up and down on my hooves, nervous and excited at the same time. The first of the gunships landed and I watched as Starlight looked at us before running to the ship. She got on and turned to give us a nod before we saw the doors close. She would be dropped the closest to our target and her mission was to make sure he was still there while I got the rest of the squad together. The next of the gunships came by and Moon Dancer took this one. She gave Trixie and I a wave before the door closed on her and she was off. I looked at Trixie who was checking to make sure all of her charges were secure. Even with her helmet was on, I could tell that she was nervous. Despite her talent with explosive, I knew Trixie was more of a show mare then an actual fighter. I knew there were rumors about how she somehow altered the results of her training so that she would appear better then she actually was but I dismissed those rumors. Trixie was my squad mate and sister. I wasn't going to let her or anypony else down. Once I saw that she was ready, I moved up and placed a hoof on her shoulder before saying "Feeling nervous there Trixie?" She lets out a soft gasp before saying "no...not at all Boss." I could only smile behind my helmet. I kept looking at her for a while longer before she added "Actually yes I am. This...this is our first real fight isn't it. I...I don't know that I'm ready for it." "Trixie..." I paused trying to form the right words before forging on "The fact that you are nervous shows that you are ready. To be honest, I'm shaking in my hooves at the thought." Trixie looked up at me and I sensed that she had a shocked expression on her face as she said "But you...you our Boss Sunset. The others and I watched your assessment for Squad Leader and I don't think I have ever seen a pony as brave as you are." I nod my head and replied "I was scared during that assessment but one thing I learned was that, in order to be a leader, I had to learn to keep my fears inside of me and not think about them." I grip her a bit tighter to make sure I had her attention before adding "Listen to me Trixie. When we get there, some of our clone brothers and sisters will look to you as a source of inspiration. If and when that happens, you need to show them that they can beat the Confederation okay." She nods her head and I could hear the gunship landing that would take her. Despite it going against protocol, I gave Trixie a warm hug which she was quick to return before whispering "I'll see you on the ground and remember we are always on comms if you need to talk." "I know Sunset...and thank you. I'm glad to know I'm not the only pony nervous." We separated from the hug and she moves to the gunship. Giving me a wave which I return, I watched as she was lifted off. Now alone with myself, I spent the last few moments of peace calming my heart and breathing. I knew that the next few hours will be the calm before the trial by fire. I heard the gunship lowering down and picked up my rifle with my thoughts on the mission, the battle, and my sisters. It was time for the galaxy and the Confederation to witness the strength of Twilight Squad. Author's Note Not much to say really. Next chapter should be where things get violent...and interesting.
