The Conversion Bureau: The Palladium Wings

The Conversion Bureau: The Palladium Wings

Chapter 12

Astral Chess

The Azure Guard went over the mission objective. They were to hijack an Alicorn-Class battleship and deliver it to this island.  The attack would happen right after Luna raises the moon.  The target ship was the Commander Hurricane, which was assigned to patrol Canterlot.  According to Grozny, the objective is to wipe out all the crews in the Engineering section and the Bridge.   Once that is done, the ship is theirs without opposition.

“Whatever you do, don’t shoot the Star Swirl Unit.” Grozny explained pointing at a technical drawing of a pyramidal construct with pipelines, levers, and valves.  “If that does happen, you’ll blow up the ship and everything in it. When clearing out the Engineering section, fire in semi-auto. Full auto on close quarter fights is a risk. Always remember, one of the bullets will veer off its path and hit something else. When in doubt of shooting, just try ramming the butt of the gun on their heads.”

The Gryphons nodded.

“Get your guns prepared, stock up on ammo. Tonight you’re hijacking a ship.”

The Gryphons cheered.

French Polynesia

“Allow me to introduce you to Shqipe.”  Nikolaos said as a fairly tall woman with purple eyes and blond hair entered the room.  “Meet Shqipe, the Monster of Tirana.”

“Why is she called a Monster?” Shining raised an eyebrow.

“Because little pony.” The Albanian woman spoke. “I killed many many ponies with anything I got my hands on.  If I had nothing, then I’d use my hands.”

“Shqipe was in the Albanian Branch of the HLF. Her father was a Colonel in the Army, managed to supply them with a lot of weapons to kick out the ponies out of Albania… but the Albanian HLF had other ideas. They picked it out on the others because of old Clan feuds or vendettas against one another.”

“The current Equestrian colonies were the result of the Human Liberation Front’s blind devotion to the ideas of racial superiority or the goals of establishment of an utopia in their nations.  When Celestia saw our numbers dwindle down because of the HLF’s attacks, the colonists came and we were kicked out.”

“I’m sorry to hear…” Cadence placed her hoof on the woman’s shoulder.

“There is still hope for people to regain their lands, once the Elements are captured.”

“Shqipe here is head of our intelligence operations.  She needs information on the Bearers of the Elements so we may capture them.”

“Just don’t hurt Twily!” Shining shot. “If you hurt my little sister…” His nostrils flared.

“Rest assured that Shqipe will not hurt your sister.” Nikolaos said. “Now that we know this Twily is one, I’ll make sure that she isn’t hurt.”

“Better.” Shining left.

“You have to forgive him,” Cadence shook her head. “He’s just very sad not being able to see his sister.”

“He’ll see her in a matter of weeks, when we cross the Corridor and into Equestria.” Nikolaos gave a thumb up.

The sun set in the horizon.

Canterlot

Princess Luna finished raising the moon.

It was time. The gryphons spread their wings and flew to the patrolling air battleship. They landed on its deck. Up ahead was the large glass dome in the middle that formed the bridge.  The leader signaled to the rest to split up and clear the ship. They’ll meet in the bridge once it’s over.

An access hatch opened up, revealing a pegasus sailor whistling. One of the gryphons pulled out a knife bayonet, he approached the winged pony, the blade was brought down on its neck.  The pony’s mouth was covered. His eyes were closed, the gryphon threw the body off the ship.  “Clear.”

They entered the ship.

One of them pulled out the maps of the ship.  A claw pointed to several parts of the ship. They nodded and took off to their targets.

A Earth Pony sailor was complaining about patrol to a Unicorn. “I mean we’re the crew of a warship! Not a Royal Guard battalion. We crave action. We live through action. This is so boring there is no action here!”

The Gryphon lunged at the two.  Screams echoed in the hallway, followed by two gunshots. The bodies dropped, holes in their heads.  Hearing hooves heading his way, he hid the corpses in the shadows and waited. The pony went along his way. A knife blade quickly slices the pony’s throat.  “Good night little pony. See you in Hades.”

The sound of knocking echoed across the Engineering sector. A Unicorn engineer sighed as his horn glew, opening the door. He screamed as a gryphon holding a weapon stood right in front of them. The gun barrel flared once, the pony hit the floor in a instant.  The others began to scream out, taking cover behind the pipe work. Beams of magic flew towards the intruder.

The gryphon rolled out of harm’s way.  Getting up, he fired his rifle at the horned ponies. Engineering was clear, they weren’t so much of a threat with these new weapons.

The bridge doors were kicked open. The Captain of the Ship turned and saw several Griffins toting human guns… "HUMAN GUNS!?" He screamed as the bullets tore the crews to shreds. The Captain got in a defensive position, ready to charge the gryphons.  Sprinting towards them, he stopped as something felt… wrong.  He looked down, blood was coming out of his chest.  Shaking in fear, the pony closed his eyes.  There was a loud thud.

“Lukia!”  The lead Gryphon called over the ship’s phone. “Lukia?”

“Engineering’s clear Sorush.”  Lukia answered. “She’s all ours.”

Sorush placed his talons on the ship’s wheel.  Turning the wheel to starboard, the warship was slowly turning. “I freaking hate these kinds of ships. They’re so slow to maneuver around. How do the Equestrians even fly in these things?”

“That’s up to Celestia’s shipyards.” One of the Gryphon’s answered.

Several flares came out of the main palace tower.

“Black ,Red, Blue.” A gryphon said.  “They’re asking us what the fuck we’re doing with the ship.”

“Let them find out.” The lead gryphon spat.  “They won’t be able to pursue us.” Grabbing the ship’s phone, he pressed a button. “Lukia! Give us full speed!”

Lukia pulled on several levers. The turbines began to spin furiously; the Star Swirl Unit began to give louder beats.

Merida, Republic of Yucatan

If there’s anything the common people of Yucatan hated was living the Old Quarter sector of the city while the New Quarter overlooked them.

Those who refused to convert or were commoners were sent to the Old Quarter.  To some, this is the only way to live if not wishing to convert.  Others say this as social control, or as an experiment to see who converts and who doesn’t. Propaganda posters are found in every corner, conversion is the key to cease the lifestyle of the Old Quarter and move into the New Quarter.

The New Quarter always looked down upon them.  It was the creation of the Earth Ponies, who terraformed this part of the city to create a vast mountain range which housed a magnificent city.  To the commoners, this was a symbol of Equestria’s presence. The New Quarter could only accept the highest ranking members of society, the military, or Newfoals.  Entry was strictly prohibited unless a special pass was handed out. If one wished to go to the Conversion Bureau to turn into a pony, one needs to write a letter to obtain a pass and be converted.

The Yucatan Senate was full of the representatives from around the peninsula and the provincial nations of Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, Panama, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Nicaragua. Several trumpets sounded, the representatives got up as a platform lowered from the upper levels, revealing a Unicorn stallion wearing a military uniform and an eyepatch on his left eye.  This was General Platinum Halberd, the Premier of the Republic of Yucatan.

As the Premier made his descent, reports of the provinces were given out.  The Representative of El Salvador mentioned the increase of Resistance activities in the province, along with the crimes of arms trafficking, destruction of government property, and 345 Newfoal deaths.

Guatemala reported an increase in Conversion.

So did Nicaragua.

Honduras and Belize reported the loss of major shipyards and facilities to small privateer raids in the area.

As they kept discussing the current state of affairs of the Republic, up in the skies, something headed their way.  Disguised as clouds by pegasi under Mexican employ, the massive fleet of battleships moved at full speed towards Merida.  Today, the puppet state of Yucatan ends.  Months of training in the Chihuahua Desert, expelling colonists out of there was just a warm up.

Today YUCATAN BURNS!

The pegasi moved the clouds.  Several flags were raised.  One flag was the Mexican Republic naval jack, the second one was a red Cross of Saint James.

The spotter in Merida, a Unicorn levitated her binoculars. Focusing them on the waving flags, she gasped.  She trotted out, yelling that they were here.

The 34th Fleet also known as the Catholic or Cristero Fleet has arrived into Yucatan.

The one fleet they never wanted to open fire on them.

“Commander!” A sailor called. “We are within firing range of Merida. All ships await your orders.”

The Commander of the Fleet, an old Mexican looked at Merida as it got closer. “I want all ships to form several rows. We’ll go with the Musketeer tactic.”

The XO relayed the order.

The fleet began to form 8 lines.

Air raid sirens wailed all over Merida.

“PREMIER! PREMIER!” A Navy Pegasus entered. “MEXICO! THE CRISTERO FLEET!”

Platinum Halberd’s nostrils flared up. “I want the AA defenses ready! Scramble all pegasi! Call the provincial fleets to come here as fast as they can! We cannot let Merida fall!”

“Ladies, Gentlemen, and Equestrians who defected to our cause!” The Commander spoke. “Today is a glorious day for our Fleet. Today is the day we bring down the Equestrian Puppet of Yucatan and punish the traitorous separatists who sold our once glorious Republic to Celestia.  Months of training by expelling the Colonists from Chihuahua will bear fruit!”

Mexican sailors and Marines got their guns ready.

“Today we show them the hearts of true Mexicans!  Today YUCATAN WILL BURN! Let us show to Celestia that Humanity will not bow to her, but will bow to the true King! VIVA CRISTO REY!”

“VIVA CRISTO REY!”  The chant echoed across the ships.

“FIRST LINE OPEN FIRE!”

The first line of battleships aimed their deck mounted quad guns down into the city. Smoke stacks were seen as countless shells rained on the city.  Destruction rained across the city.  Fires started wherever the shells detonated.

A spotter looked at incoming objects heading for them.  “YUCATANESE PEGASI COMING AT FULL SPEED! 120! NO! 180 PEGASI HEADING AT FULL SPEED!”

“SECOND LINE! PREPARE FOR AA FIRE! DO NO LET THEM GET NEAR THE THIRD LINE!”

AA guns were mounted across the ships of the second line. From .50 calibers to the 23mm Russian guns, they all calibrated the sights, others cocked their guns, around the ship, and hatches opened up, revealing rocket pods, Gatling guns, and missile launchers.

The pegasi managed to break past the 1st line.

“OPEN FIRE!” A voice commanded.

Rockets and missiles hissed out as gunfire erupted around the ships.  A Pegasus landed on the deck of the ship.  A Mexican sailor unloaded his assault rifle’s magazine on it. Across the sky, explosions dotted the skies.  One of the pegasi screamed as the bullets plucked him out of the skies.

“PAYBACK YOU SONS OF BITCHES!” A Mexican sailor fired his Mauser rifle at a passing pegasus. Pulling on the bolt, the sailor moved his rifle to the direction of the flying pony.  The rifle fired another shot, the gun ejecting the spent casing, another bullet being chambered.

A tripod mounted M60 fired at any pegasi that passed through its line of sight.

The pods hissed again, releasing a salvo of rockets at the sky.  Gatling guns rotated rapidly as a stream of hot lead towards any enemy that dared to get close.

“PRINCESS CELESTIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!” A pegasus spiraled down to its doom.

“THIRD LINE! OPEN FIRE ON THE MOUNTAINS!”

The guns of the third line aimed at the mountains that housed the New Quarter. The gunnery crews loaded up high velocity shells on the bores of the cannons.  Lights went green, the gunnery chief gave the order. The cannons made a symphony of chaos as the shells detonated on the mountains.  The city began to panic as they felt horrible tremors.

Across the panic-stricken New Quarter, several Unicorns lined up. Their horns gave off glows of various colors. Beams flew off to the skies.

“They are opening fire on us!”

“FIRST LINE! SHELL THE CITY TO OBLIVION!”

Shells rained down on the city. Casualties were climbing every second.

“Premier… it would be best if we surrendered.”  The Representative of Belize suggested.  “The Mexicans are not going to stop until Merida is in flames. We can’t lose so many lives! Sir!”

“I won’t stand down. We’re giving it our all to defend our nation. GLORIA CELESTIA!”

The Representative of Belize pulled out a revolver. “Gloria Celestia nothing! Don’t you see!? Celestia started a war she cannot WIN! Her Conversion Bureaus angered a lot of people! Expelling people from their lands just added more wood to the fire!” He pulled on the hammer.  “If you cannot rationalize and follow the ideals of a false peace based on converting humans into ponies or expelling them on their lands, then fuck you.”

The unicorn stallion’s nostrils flared. “You DIRTY HUMANS!” The horn gave a glow.

The man fired his revolver several times. The barrel hissed out hot gasses.

The unicorn’s body was riddled with holes, blood seeping out of them.  Premier Platinum Halberd was no more.

Yucatan was leaderless.  Explosions shook the city.

The whole Senate gasped.

“It’s over!” The Representative of Belize exclaimed. “Yucatan is over! We were all fooled by Celestia and we are being punished by God Almighty for this sin.”  He removed his hat and placed it on his chest. “And we should all accept this punishment.  We are all sinners and we will be cast down to Hell for this. But so be it! The flames of Hell shall purge us clean.”

“ALL SHIPS! PREPARE FOR THE ALPHA STRIKE!”

The Cristero Fleet prepared their arsenals. As they city was in view, everyone awaited the moment of truth.  Fires were spreading out to the city, people and ponies panicked, trying to find refuge from the destruction.

“OPEN FIRE!”

Cannons, pods, launchers roared as their payloads exploded on the city. Screams were heard as the blasts consumed everything in its path.  Across the Peninsula, eyes stared at the massive plume of black smoke that rose into the air.

Merida was wiped out of the map.  The Mexicans cheered and howled, Yucatan was finally punished for its rebellious nature.  Around the peninsula, the human populace rose against the Elite and Newfoals, lynching them without any consequence. Many flags of the Republic were set on fire, waving in the air as fires devoured them.

The Cristero Fleet separated, each line will deploy its Marines to occupy the Peninsula and the provincial nations until a stable government can be put to power.